chris60 Reviews

Viral (I) (2016)

More Believable Six Years Later

[7/10 · 7 August 2022]

Had I seen VIRAL in 2016, like others I'd have been frustrated by the stupidity of characters pulling off - or never putting on - their masks during a viral outbreak. "How ridiculous!" I would have opined, "NO ONE would be that stupid!" How time sadly changes perspective.

This isn't "World War Z" and doesn't try to be. It treads closer to a teen-centric "Contagion," focused on character rather than gore. The performances of Black-D'Elia and Tipton as sisters of varying temperament and maturity ring true, and a budding romance evolves as organically as one might under this circumstance.

I found VIRAL satisfying as a sisters-under-duress-sticking-together kind of movie, and as for the believability of people behaving recklessly and stupidly during a pandemic? This movie was certainly ahead of its time.

Assassination Nation (2018)

Astute, Apropos and On Target

[9/10 · 25 September 2018]

Art reflects society. When society grows divided and divisive, art will reflect it, and such is the case with Sam Levinson's ASSASSINATION NATION. As with Kubrick's A CLOCKWORK ORANGE in 1972, (now ranking in the top 100 films on most critics' lists,) it's decidedly not a movie for everyone. ASSASSINATION NATION goes places uncomfortable and apropos, and does so in spectacular, over-the-top fashion.

PEW Research cited a staggering 94% of all American teens wielding social media as of 2015. We tell these teens that all nudity is inherently sexual and that their strongest natural urge is to be shunned, all while blatantly using it to sell practically every product on the planet. Some of their private divulgences, then, naturally contain nudity. As a legal repercussion, we've arrested and charged girls as young as thirteen with Felony Pornography Production for unwisely sending their boyfriends topless pictures - pictures these indiscrete boys shared with their entire schools and beyond. For added trauma, as hacking of social media grows more sophisticated, so, too, grows the broadcast of stolen photos and missives.

We inexplicably shame women who've been wronged - women whose privacy has been violated, women who have been raped - and excuse males, saying, "Boys will be boys." We give boys a free pass and a pat on the back, be they aspiring athletes or nominees to the Supreme Court. But oh! My mistake - Brock Turner actually served three months of a six-month sentence for raping an unconscious woman and leaving her behind a dumpster. No free pass there, though some bemoaned how "sex offender" status would hurt Turner's promising career.

Take a country where women have traditionally been treated as Second Class, achieving the right to vote only after a nearly 100-year unmet demand and not assuming control of their own bodies until fully a half-century after that - where marital rape wasn't declared illegal across all states until 1993, where equal advancement, and equal pay, for equal work is still out of reach for many, and you have a recipe for angst.

Next, introduce a manipulative political party (unashamedly gerrymandered a 33-seat gain in Congress while losing by 1.4 million votes in 2010) that pairs bible-banging righteousness with cascading hypocrisy to roll back hard fought rights women gained and ensure others are never achieved. Then, ice it with a philandering leader who has publicly called women "pig," "dog," "cow," "slob," and "disgusting animal," a man who elicits and validates the very worst tendencies... and you have the recipe for an explosion.

ASSASSINATION NATION takes a bloody hard look at where we are, lensing women's societal issues through a contemporized frame of the Salem witch trials. Some couldn't see past the violence committed by Alex and his droogs and condemned A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, and so will some be repelled by the violence and avoid ASSASSINATION NATION. In both cases, though, looking closer and paying attention rewarded this viewer. Your mileage may vary.

Severance (2006)

An Absolutely Brilliant Blend of Humour and Suspense!

[10/10 · 6 August 2006]

Firstly, yes, it's a "slasher" movie by definition: people meet horrific ends through discomforting means. But unlike slasher movies with sophomoric scripts, this one get points for smart dialogue, strong political perspective and a high humor quotient.

Some, upon hearing the title "Severance," will think it a reference to loosing ones job. Upon hearing it's a slasher film, one might think the reference cuts more towards Marie Antoinette. Both are borne out, yet the title's other reference which comes quietly but cleverly to light at the conclusion is somberly delightful.

For the squeamish, give this one a miss - you won't make it past the first bit of nastiness. For those who are a little braver, but wouldn't usually attend a film in which most of the cast is guaranteed to wind up sprung from this mortal coil, do give this one a go. You'll be pleasantly surprised!

Into the Blue (2005)

Better than average treasure hunt adventure with humor and awe-striking undersea photography.

[8/10 · 10 October 2005]

"Into the Blue" is a tropically set treasure-hunt thriller, rife with drug smuggling gangsters, which focuses on an ethical quagmire. Paul Walker's character, Jared, tries to maintain personal integrity while facing greed and others affected by it.

For divers, this movie is very nearly almost the movie that gets it relatively right. The scuba- related incidents involve oversights that no open water diver should make, but in the grip of greed, are passably believable. Sharks get the most realistic representation in any fictional movie to date, behaving as fish and not bloodthirsty monsters. (Of the dozens that surround the actors in many scenes, only two were CGI.)

Of special note is Peter Zuccarini's outstanding underwater photography: the best yet in an undersea adventure movie. The lighting and color are entirely natural, and give the non- diver an authentic feel of what it's like below the surface. The sense of awe when encountering a wreck is genuinely conveyed, and I commend the actors for emoting effectively through their dive masks.

So much is being made about the beautiful cast that I expect some will dismiss the film as a skin flick with beaches and fish. To support their point, they'll likely fixate so entirely on Ms. Alba and Mr. Walker's hindquarters that they'll miss the rest. A pity. There's a readily enjoyable adventure waiting here.

My Date with Drew (2004)

At once disconcerting, thrilling, funny, and moving.

[10/10 · 24 August 2005]

I saw this film last night and was admittedly uneasy at the prospect of a movie apparently touting a stalker. This feeling did not go away as this unemployed, unkempt fellow spun his yarn about his lifelong crush and his unfolding efforts became more desperate. But then I noticed something: I hadn't breathed practically since the movie started – empathize with Brian or not: I was held totally in suspense!

There will certainly be folks for whom this movie doesn't "click." It was shot on video; there are no explosions, guns or killing; and Brian himself may annoy you, (as he did me at first.) If you weren't moved by Julia Robert's tearful, "I'm just a girl…" proposal to Hugh Grant in "Notting Hill," you (guys) could probably give this movie a miss.

"My Date With Drew" moves at a breakneck pace, thanks to judicious editing, and when the laughs come they are plentiful and genuine – when considering a chest wax, Brian's agony over the tweeze of a single hair got a roar. As the roster of accompanists and supporters grows to include the likes of Drew's cousin and Corey Feldman (on whom Drew had a crush and ultimately dated,) my uneasiness gave way to actually cheering this fellow on.

While I have reservations about this movie stirring those with less integrity than Brian, it left me inspired: thinking hard about pursuing life more aggressively and working for dreams, which, whether they come true or not, will leave one the better for having made the effort.