Brawl in Cell Block 99 (2017)

Brawl in Cell Block 99 (2017)

6/10

Starring

Vince Vaughn

Directed by S. Craig Zahler

Before I go into why you should see this movie, I want to first warn you: it’s a low-budget movie whose graphics need work, especially in the gory areas (in about three scenes or so). Welcome to a typical ’90s-style action movie where the lead is in control of everything.

First off, it stars Vince Vaughn in a role that depicts him as a badass with a willingness to kill and hurt in the most gruesome ways possible. Vaughn isn’t cracking jokes or cast in a comedic role here—he’s a man willing to do anything to save his family. I bet you’ve heard this synopsis before when it comes to action movies: a man gets involved with the wrong crew, gets into trouble, and then his family’s life is in danger because of his bad choices. Now, he has to put his own life on the line to save them.

This movie touches on all the familiar action movie tropes. The “good guy”—in this case, the man trying to save his family—is somehow invincible. Bullets seem to miss him at the oddest times, and when men have the chance to shoot and stop him, they hesitate and do something else instead.

Vince Vaughn plays the role of Bradley Thomas, a former boxer turned mechanic who loses his job on the same day he finds out his wife is having an affair. Instead of calling it quits, he and his wife decide to put the past behind them and start anew, with a child on the way. Needing money to provide a better life for his family, Bradley decides to become a courier for illegal drugs.

After eighteen months of doing well in the drug courier business, everything goes south during a pickup when he’s teamed up with some men. A police raid at the pickup leads to the murder of one of the men, and Bradley finds himself in prison, serving a seven-year sentence.

The leader of the crew he worked with, Eleazar, wants revenge for the money lost during the raid. He kidnaps Bradley’s wife, who is pregnant with their daughter. Eleazar sends a message to Bradley: he must find a way to transfer from the minimum-security prison he’s in to a maximum-security prison, locate a specific man, and kill him to save his family’s life.

The task turns bloody, with many casualties along the way, until Bradley discovers the twist involving the man he was sent to kill.

It’s a good movie, but not one that will stand out. The title, the production companies, and even the lead actor aren’t strong enough attractions to make you rush to see it. However, after watching it myself, I’d say it’s worth a watch. Things never go the way you expect, and the action will remind you of the ’90s.

On Body and Soul (2017)

On Body and Soul (2017)

6/10

Starring

Géza Morcsányi

Alexandra Borbély

Directed by Ildikó Enyedi

On Body and Soul is a Hungarian movie that tries to link the real world with the dreams of two people. It falls into the category of romantic drama.

The movie falls short in areas like excitement, pace, and the twists and turns needed to make it something I’d feel confident recommending. Its decision to remain slow-paced and not include the necessary excitement to carry viewers through its nearly two-hour runtime is where I feel the writers and producers failed to deliver. That said, I enjoyed the characterization and found myself very curious about the two main characters, which kept me watching until the end. If you’re into romantic dramas, you might enjoy this movie too.

Nominated for Best Foreign Film at the 90th Academy Awards, and with Alexandra Borbély (who played Mária) winning the European Actress award at the European Film Awards, On Body and Soul takes place in a slaughterhouse where not much happens. Like any typical workplace, some people are involved in the daily grind, while others are not. The movie focuses on two people: Endre, the CFO, and Mária, an autistic quality inspector.

Much of their initial conversations go nowhere, and Endre often feels like he’s intruding or crossing a line with his extremely quiet and withdrawn co-worker, Mária.

Nothing much would have happened between the two if a theft hadn’t occurred at the slaughterhouse, prompting Endre to call the police. The police suggest Endre conduct a psychological evaluation of his workers, claiming it’s likely the culprit could be identified through this method.

Endre decides to follow through with the officer’s request, and a psychologist is sent to the slaughterhouse to interview all the workers. During the interviews, both the psychologist and the audience notice something strange: Endre and Mária are having the same dream. In the dream, Endre is a stag, and Mária is a doe. They’re in the woods during winter, and Endre, as the stag, helps Mária, the doe, find food. The only contact between them is when they go for water and their noses touch.

The level of detail both Endre and Mária provide about the dream makes the psychologist think they’re playing a joke on her. However, the revelation of this shared dream makes Endre very curious—more so than Mária—about why they’re experiencing such a strange phenomenon.

Endre’s curiosity leads Mária to develop feelings for him, finding him interesting (or, in her words, beautiful). But her autistic behavior makes it difficult for Endre to understand her or know where he stands with her. Mária realizes this and begins working on herself to trust Endre enough to let him get close to her.

The movie could have explored the dream phenomenon in many directions, but the writers chose to focus solely on the interaction between the two characters, inviting viewers to be patient and see where the story leads.

Wonder (2017)

Wonder (2017)

8/10

Starring

Julia Roberts

Owen Wilson

Directed by Stephen Chbosky

The reality of life, for those who care to know, is this: “We will never get everything we want when we want it. Sometimes things work out, sometimes they don’t, but we should never give up on living.” That’s the message of the movie Wonder.

That’s what Wonder is all about—the continuous struggle of one family to make things work. Keep in mind, though, that it’s a movie, so the ending has a touchy, happy twist. And yes, I cried—even though I know life doesn’t always work out so perfectly. But that’s what made the movie cool. I liked the idea of a world where the different get accepted, the sad find comfort, the lonely find love, and the people who keep pushing overcome their mountains.

The movie starts with the introduction of a kid in a spaceman’s helmet. His name is August "Auggie" Pullman. Auggie has a rare medical facial deformity, which has led to twenty-seven surgeries to help him breathe, see, hear, and remodel his face.

His appearance makes it difficult for him to have a life outside his family and close friends. His mother decides it’s time for Auggie to face the real world, so she enrolls him in school to start fifth grade.

Adults can control themselves around children, but kids never feel the need to pretend, so Auggie’s first day at school isn’t grand. His older sister, Olivia “Via” Pullman, is also having a difficult time in school, but she’s learned to play second fiddle to her brother. As Via gets older, it becomes harder for her to navigate life without the full attention of both her parents, Isabel (Julia Roberts) and Nate (Owen Wilson).

The movie also dives into the lives of Auggie and Via’s close friends, Jack and Miranda, respectively. Miranda, for one, is more than just a friend to Via—she’s like a sister, and Auggie is like her little brother. She, too, is going through a lot, which causes her to distance herself from the one family where she always felt welcomed: the Pullmans. Jack, on the other hand, is struggling to keep his scholarship and maintain his friendships with both Auggie and the popular boys at school.

The movie’s screenplay merges all these different struggles into a classic, nearly two-hour performance. The cast is a perfect match on screen, and the movie is worth owning a copy of.

Now, as much as Wonder does a great job exploring themes of acceptance and resilience, it can come across as overly sentimental at times, relying on clichés that make some moments predictable. The character arcs of Via and Miranda, in particular, could’ve been developed further, as their struggles feel secondary to Auggie’s story. The pacing suffers in parts, lingering too long in certain moments and feeling repetitive at times. The film's approach to adversity, though heartwarming, sometimes feels unrealistic.