Brokeback Mountain set in 1950s Britain? That’s the best comparison I can make to Michael Grandage’s (Genius) understated and tender My Policeman, a movie beloved by audiences (96% on Rotten Tomatoes) but shunned by critics (46%). Much of the criticism centers on Harry Styles (Dunkirk, Don’t Worry Darling), the singing superstar who earlier this year broke a Madison Square Garden record by selling out his concert for 15 consecutive nights. Much of the public was ready to declare him the next Justin Timberlake, based on a single supporting performance in Dunkirk, a role that didn’t require much of him. Styles was a late choice in Olivia Wilde’s highly anticipated but polarizing Don’t Worry Darling after Shia LaBeouf abruptly backed out. The film faltered for many reasons, including the less-than-flattering reviews of Styles’ inability to match his much more accomplished counterpart, Florence Pugh. My Policeman had been hyped as Styles’ acting breakthrough. He wasn’t nearly as miscast as in Don’t Worry Darling. His performance opposite David Dawson (most recognizable as King Alfred in the Netflix series The Last Kingdom) was one of the many highlights of the underseen My Policeman.
Category Archives: Drama
God’s Country (2022)
Movies set on barren, unforgiving terrains with gorgeous, sweeping landscapes serve as beautiful backdrops. When the same film can provide a gripping, dramatic story of survival, mystery, or tragedy set against such brutal terrain, it can often result in an unforgivable movie experience. Movies that come to the top of my mind include The Revenant, The Grey, Wind River, Legends of the Fall, and Fargo. Julian Higgins’s feature-length debut, God’s Country, isn’t on the same level as these movies, but I’ll argue that it could be in the same sentence. While a bit of a miss with audiences (50% on Rotten Tomatoes), it did strike an accord with critics (90%).
The Whale (2022)
Brendan Fraser has been the odds-on favorite to win this year’s Academy Award for Best Actor since reviews from the 79th Venice International Film Festival on September 4 started pouring in. This was when the first images of Fraser’s transformation into a 600-pound reclusive online English teacher began to surface. Suddenly, Austin Butler (Elvis), this year’s darling and thought-to-be shoo-in, had a serious contender for the top prize for acting. With a few more films still to debut at the time of this writing, this category is a two-actor race. However, having seen both performances, first Butler and now Fraser in Darren Aronofsky’s (Black Swan, The Wrestler) The Whale, there is a strong case for either man. These two performances transcend anything I have seen in a year and are stronger in this category than anything I have seen. However, Fraser’s redemption story of a once A-list actor who has fallen into almost complete obscurity for the last decade will undoubtedly play a significant factor in the voters’ minds. This performance lived up to its hype, and this award feels like Fraser’s to lose.
Aftersun (2022)
A24 movies, the American independent entertainment company that specializes in film and television production, have been hit-or-miss for me. The distribution studio has my utmost respect, as I admire its efforts and ability to bring to life smaller, independent projects that might otherwise not see the light of day. Founded in 2012, the company has ventured out of obscurity and into the mainstream within the last half dozen years, with its films many Academy Award nominations, including wins for Best Actress (Brie Larson – Room, 2015), Best Documentary Feature (Amy – 2015), and Best Visual Effects (Ex Machina – 2016), and Best Supporting Actress (Yuh-jung Youn – Minari, 2020). As of this post, A24’s most recognizable and arguably most successful film was Moonlight, which won Best Picture in 2016 and earned Mahershala Ali a Best Supporting Actor Oscar. However, 2022’s Everything Everywhere All At Once will likely earn multiple Academy Award nominations and could win in multiple categories, including Best Picture.
The Forgotten Battle (2020)
Take a few pieces of Dunkirk, add a touch of All Quiet on the Western Front, layer in some 1917, shave in some Saving Private Ryan sprinkle, and finish it with some Letters from Iwo Jima. The result is Matthijs van Heijningen Jr.’s ( The Thing) 2020 under-the-radar masterpiece, The Forgotten Battle. This 2020 Netflix film was one I had just heard of after finishing All Quiet on the Western Front, another Netflix original that was equally exceptional.