Oppenheimer

Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer is a masterful and intellectually charged thriller that seamlessly weaves elements of character study, courtroom drama, and historical lessons into a gripping three-hour cinematic (IMAX-worthy) experience.

Cillian Murphy's (Peaky Blinders) Oscar-worthy portrayal of Julius Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb, is nothing short of exceptional. From the very first scene, where a poisoned apple sets the urgent tone, to the haunting moments of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the film keeps audiences on the edge of their seats for two and a half hours. Unfortunately, the film goes on for almost another hour.

Nolan's decision to cast half of Hollywood proves to be a wise choice, considering the complexity of the story, the physical similarity of these 1940s men and the time span it covers in flashbacks. He's said its to help the audience follow who's who. It can't hurt for box office success either.

Oppenheimer reminded me of Oliver Stone's JFK (1991) with its large cast, courtroom scenes, and study of a turning point in American history. The cast includes Robert Downey Jr., Emily Blunt, Kenneth Branagh, Florence Pugh, Casey Affleck, Rami Malek, Josh Harnett, Tony Goldwyn, Matt Damon, Matthew Modine, Tom Conti and (whew!) Gary Oldman. Each sinking into almost identifiable roles. Except perhaps Matt Damon, who seems to think he was acting in The Monuments Men (2014) or one of the Ocean's movies.

From its seamlessly dizzy flow of flashbacks to its weighted introspection, every second of Oppenheimer is definitely a Nolan film. And one of his best. Telling a historical story, with accuracy respected, gives Nolan some restraint in storytelling that reduces his head-scratching tendencies (Tenet, Interstellar, Inception). Oppenheimer sits on the shelf with Nolan's Dunkirk, Memento and The Dark Knight.

Nolan manages to make complex subjects such as quantum mechanics accessible to the audience, pulling them into a gripping tale. However, the film falters slightly in its third act, shying away from a potentially more impactful climax, leading to a less riveting courtroom finale.

In a nutshell: Riveting and important, until it pulls back. Two and a half hours of truly great cinema stuck in a three-hour film.

Where to see it: In theatres now. Oppenheimer was shot in IMAX and should be seen that way.

Oscar Potential: Expect a sweep of nominations across Picture, Director, Cinematography, Screenplay, Acting and Technical categories. 

Wins could fall on Cillian Murphy. Florence Pugh (wow) does powerful emotional work in a thankless role and Emily Blunt is relegated to a wife role leaving more focus on others.

Cillian Murphy, in almost every scene of the film, is excellent and riveting. A nearly unrecognizable Robert Downey Jr. is a solid contender for Best Supporting Actor.

With its exceptional quiet-to-explosive sound design and Ludwigh Göransson's emotive score, Oppenheimer's best chances for Oscar wins lie in these categories.

The Ten Buck Review: Worth twenty bucks. See it in IMAX.

Barbie

First of all, doll hand high fives are in order. High five to the marketing campaign that created urgency for every demographic to get to the cinema. Another to director Greta Gerwig (Little Bird, Little Women) who didn't deliver a toy movie, but a fun, funny summer film with a universal message. Props to whoever convinced Mattel to take this risk. 

And thumbs up to Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling for never letting us down.

That said, I enjoyed and appreciated this movie but didn't love it. I laughed a lot, but it could have been funnier. And its exploration of patriarchy, while often quite brilliant, was repeated every minute with every character and it became exhaustingly repetitive. Some variety would have helped this project reach a higher level.

However, did I mention that I laughed out loud, at a toy movie? Once it hits the small screen I won't see it twice, but it's totally worth a ticket this summer.

In a nutshell: It's the moment movie of the year so you might as well go; you'll laugh. Parents, do your homework on the right age for kid viewers.

Where to see it: In theaters now.

Award Potential: Some Golden Globe nominations will surely fill the Comedy/Musical categories. As far as Oscar, The Academy wants to reward female directors but Greta's achievements here will likely fade too much by drama season January to reward her for a Mattel movie. She'll have other chances.

The Ten Buck Review: Worth ten bucks.

Asteroid City

If you squirmed through Wes Anderson's French Dispatch, wishing for the whole thing to end quickly, you'll be happy to know that Asteroid City is a delightful outing. It's not on the upper shelf with Wes' Royal Tenebaums and Rushmore, mind you, but there will be no squirming for an hour and forty-four minutes. Well, maybe some at the very end.

The idiosyncratic director returns with a collection of idiots, "Braniacs" and his usual cast of players (sans Bill Murray). The story takes us on Route 66 to 1950s Asteroid City, a town famous for a famed meteor crater — and one that is about to receive a special visitor.

It's all breezy fun to take in. The gorgeous sets and visual take on 1950s Americana. The screwball comic pacing of Scarlett Johansson and Jason Schwatzman's characters. The vibrant colors. An talented cast of kids. And some inspired, wry comedy. I was thrilled to see it in a full theater as we found ourselves laughing together at all the right, awkward moments.

For most of the film, there is a plot that builds and keeps the interest going beyond the stylings. An indulgent, play-within-the-play diversion featuring Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton and Adrien Brody removes the viewer from the main story — not in a good way — and derails any story momentum. Unfortunately, the whole thing ends pretty flat by the end without a cohesive story or much of a point to make about love, death or life on earth, but at least it's not a collection of vignettes like the last film. When it's over, it's over.

In a nutshell: Style wins over substance in most of Anderson's films and it's true here. Asteroid City didn't quite land the ending but the kid stories are great as are the unforgettable Johansson and Schwartzman bits.

Where to see it: In theaters now.

Award potential: Seems like a lock for a nomination for Oscar's Best Production Design (retitled Art Direction). For Golden Globes, Johansson could see a nod for her roles as an actress and an actress in character. Tom Hanks, Steve Carell and Tilda Swifton's talents are wasted here.

The Ten Buck Review: See it in a theater with all your friends. Worth ten bucks.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

It's not the years, it's the mileage

The first and third Indy films, Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), are two perfect films on my short list of favorite films of all time. Let's start there.

Temple of Doom, the second film, is only memorable as the film that forced PG-13 into the rating system, introduced Speilberg to his wife and us to Ke Hu Quan as Short Round. The fourth and previous film, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008), was not only the most disappointing sequel of all time, but it is also the worst Shia LeBeof film of all time. A grand title indeed.

Luckily, the fifth and final Harrison Ford film is a return to form.

It's a distant third, but a lively fun time at the movies with realistic action, bites of comedy, globe-trotting chases and an appropriately aged main character. A visually-weathered Ford matches the cynical, rugged, grumpy, wise-cracking character we love and he never seems out of place in any of the action that ensues. And it works well in a couple of soft moments that push extra, needed emotion into the series.

Whip-smart Phoebe Walker Bridge (Fleabag) and menacing Mads Milkensen (Another Round, Hannibal) expertly sink into the series as naturally as one could ever hope. I mean, Mads was always going to be a Bond villain or an Indiana Jones Nazi, so this is a treat realized. However, fully realized chemistry is displayed most in scenes between Indy and John Rhys-Davies, returning as Sallah.

The plot is centered around a real-life relic, the Antikythera, which promises legendary powers over time. While the "Dial of Destiny" is certainly an allegory here to the aging Ford and series, it is a useful device to propel a globe-trotting race to the finish.

Unfortunately, the finish includes an eye-roller climax common to every failed superhero film this decade. Hollywood, if your film doesn't have a Terminator, Doc Brown or Bill Nighy, leave time travel out of your plotline, please. 

The opening sequence, featuring a digitally de-aged Ford, is stellar as craftwork but is still not at a level that passes for authenticity. What a great idea to give us one last ride with a young Indiana Jones in action, but it didn't work. I was thrilled when we moved on to the real thing.

In a nutshell: Harrison Ford hangs up his hat with a respectable thrill ride worth a one-time watch. See it in the theater and enjoy these characters along with John Williams’ fanfare at theater-quality volume.

Where to find it: In theaters beginning June 30.

Award potential. Not that kind of film. Sentimental possibility for score.

The Ten Buck Review: Worth ten bucks.

The Flash

Other than The Dark Knight (2008), I must go back a few decades to the Tim Burton Batman (1989, 1992) films and Christopher Reeves' Superman (1978, 1980) to find a DC movie I fully enjoyed. Yeh, I enjoyed Gal Gadot’s onscreen presence as much as anyone but even the best of the two Wonder Woman (2017, 2020) films built up to a moment where she threw an important thing at an oversized bad guy— the finale of almost all of DC films.

I’m happy to say that The Flash comes t h i s  c l o s e to being that fun summer movie we’ve been waiting for. Its first, bright act has a solid mix of lean-forward action and light comedy. At this point on the first watch, I thought this may be the next Iron Man (2008) or Back to the Future (1985). Credit goes to the bright palette, clever writing — and a standout comedic performance by Ezra Miller (Perks of Being a Wallflower, We Need to Talk About Kevin).

The story revolves around Barry White/The Flash (Ezra Miller) and his wish to save his father from wrongful imprisonment. By speeding into the past and preventing his mother from being harmed, his family could be saved. Of course, changing the past has consequences.

Fast forward to the second act, which darkens a bit, literally, to take us into a hint of the vehicles, Batcave and world of Tim Burton’s Batman — delivering Michael Keaton’s return as Bruce Wayne. While this casting was widely announced in 2020, it’s still a delightful shock to see Keaton again onscreen in this role. Watching him onscreen, you realize he is definitively Batman, and when he literally says just that, you'll feel sorry for all those that followed him.

Unfortunately, the third act is filled with all the traps of superhero films. A bad guy that gets big. A thing you have to throw at it. Multiple universes, again. CGI army action, again. The end of the world at stake, again. Add to all that, an uninspired blurry fan service sequence that goes on too long and doesn't deliver the emotion that was surely intended.

While I was disappointed after all the recent CinemaCon buzz that hinted at a superhero masterpiece, I still got a rush from 2/3 of this film, which was completely enjoyable entertainment. Until someone cracks the code on the future of DC and Marvel, I can recommend this with a side of popcorn.

In a nutshell: Bright and light for most of the film. It's been overhyped, but if you see just one superhero movie a year, this is the one. Run don’t walk to avoid hearing all the spoilers.

Award potential: The CGI in the back third is sloppy. So it's an unlikely (but possible) contender for Best Visual Effects.

Where to see it: In theaters, beginning June 16, 2023.

The Ten Buck Review: Worth ten bucks.

Flamin' Hot

Flamin’ Hot tells the underdog story of Richard Montañez, a Frito-Lay janitor who rose to vice president of multicultural sales & community promotions for PepsiCo (parent to Frito-Lay). In his memoir, Montanez claims to have invented Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. This story is the backdrop for an inspirational family drama and comedy that will delight most viewers.

As fiction, this is a great fable and film. As a biopic, there are many questions.

Anyone who has done work for Frito-Lay, like myself, knows that it is unlikely that one single person could take credit for any such innovation. Recently, both Frito-Lay corporate and an investigation by The Los Angeles Times each dispute that Montanez had any such role in the product. The story told in this film also includes a relationship between Montanez and PepsiCo’s Roger Enrico, who was not at Frito-Lay when Flamin' Hot entered test markets in 1990. It’s highly unlikely his call for workers to “act like CMOs” and some pivotal scenes in the film were true.

Knowing all that, it seems best to review the film as fiction — a hyperbolic tale – sprinkled full of inspiration and positivity. Eva Longoria has directed a biopic with a kick that you can enjoy with your family.

Richard Montañez (Jesse Garcia) and his wife Judy (Annie Gonzalez) pair as the strong, real-life couple, shown from the ‘70s to the ‘90s, and the actors deliver on chemistry. Tony Shalhoub (Monk) has a blast playing Roger Enrico. 

An easy headline would be that this light film is "cheesy." But it's more than a Hallmark film. It's rich with performances, emotion and motivation. I just wish it was true.

In a nutshell: A fable too puffed up to love, but a very enjoyable underdog story.

Award potential: Too light. Too controversial. Not a contender.

Where to watch it: Premieres on both Hulu and Disney+ on June 9.

The Ten Buck Review: As fiction, worth ten bucks.

Living

Although nominated for the Academy Award for Adapted Screenplay (Kazuo Ishiguro) and Actor (Bill Nighy), this quiet masterpiece got lost in the sea of Oscar season’s front runners of original storytelling (Banshees of Inisherin, Triangle of Sadness) and dynamic visuals (Everything Everywhere All at Once, Elvis, All Quiet on the Western Front). 

However, hats off to this film— it is absolutely worth streaming at home. I may be overstating it just a bit, but Living has the power to be a life changer.

It’s a timeless story, as evidenced by its origins. The film was adapted by Nobel Prize winner Kazuo Ishiguro from the 1952 Japanese film Ikiru (To Live). Ikiru itself was inspired by Tolstoy's 1886 novella The Death of Ivan Ilyich.

In this version, the brilliant Bill Nighy (Love Actually) is a buttoned-up bureaucrat at a Public Works Department in 1950s London. You know, the kind that kicks petitions around different departments in the building and files anything that looks like a hassle in towering stacks of paperwork. His nickname at work is “Zombie.”

Faced with some interesting news, he alters his approach to life and work — looking towards the wildly different ways of a local bohemian and a wide-eyed new hire. No surprise, it’s a movie about transformation and about the power of one man doing one small thing. I won't share details here, but I found the final act profound.

Whether or not this story shakes you to the core (like me) or simply reminds you of an agreeable life lesson, it’s a powerful hour and 42 minutes.

In a nutshell: It’s a classic tale of confronting one’s life and finding new clarity with a second chapter, led by the underrated Bill Nighy. Keep the Kleenex nearby.

Award potential: This film was nominated for Oscar’s Best Adapted Screenplay and Actor. Deservingly so. Nighy’s less-is-more performance will shock those who know him as Billy Mack from Love Actually. Nobel Prize-winning novelist Sir Kazuo Ishiguro’s script should have been a contender. 

Not nominated, which is almost a crime, were cinematographer Jamie D. Ramsay, Sandy Powell and her costumes plus Helen Scott’s production design — each gorgeously recreating 1950s London.

Where to find: Available to stream on VOD.

The Ten Buck Review: Worth ten bucks.