"The Accountant" Review

Ben Affleck returns to the screen in The Accountant, the latest of director Gavin O'Connor's compelling examinations of brotherhood.

Affleck plays Christain Wolff, a CPA who moonlights by cooking and uncooking the books for some of the world's most high-profile criminals. Christian is called in to an Illinois firm specializing in applied robotics after a whistleblower (Anna Kendrick) finds millions of dollars missing from some annual statements. As fate would have it, the robotics people are up to something shady, and they'll do just about anything to keep it secret. Christian eludes and fights back against both the federal agents and hired guns who are hot on his tail.

Oh, yeah, and one more thing: Christian has a high-functioning form of autism.

My gut reaction to The Accountant is "two thumbs up." The film is as exciting a caper as we've seen this year with some terrific action sequences and a script peppered with a refreshing dose of humor. Granted there are occasional lapses in storytelling logic; some of the subplots get a bit tangled, but overall I had a great time with this movie. Affleck's "accountant" feels like the return of the "everyman" hero. If you ask me, the current blockbuster landscape has needed a corny "everyman" flick badly.

Perhaps more engaging than the set pieces, however, the story explores some of the coping mechanisms and developmental strategies of people with developmental disorders such as autism and Asperger's syndrome. It's great to have an entertaining flick with mainstream appeal that calls attention to some of these issues. I've heard some criticisms from people who are concerned that the film may be too ableist. In truth, the film examines how Christian's character grows in response to, or in spite of, ableism. Christian's father is a hardened military man who forces his boys into specialized combat training out of fear that young Christian may be picked on for being "different." Perhaps that's an inherently "ableist" attitude, but it's part of the father's character. Also, I say "boys" because Christian has a younger brother, Braxton, and whatever the two of them do, they do together. One is never portrayed as superior to the other. The father wants his sons both to learn how to cope with the harsh stimuli of the world around them. Christian is never coddled or made to be "less than" anyone else, and we see how this pans out from early development through his mature coping years.

No doubt there are capable actors out there who have made successful careers for themselves despite living with a developmental disorder. One day hopefully we'll have someone like that in a role like this. However, even with Affleck in the part, I say that some representation is better than none at all.

And, besides, when have we ever been able to say that the coolest Hollywood "superhero" of the year is an autistic accountant?

B+

"War Dogs" Review

War Dogs is the latest feature from Todd Phillips, the director of The Hangover. It's based on the true story of David Packouz (Miles Teller) and Efraim Diveroli (Jonah Hill), two twentysomethings who scored a $300 million government contract to arm America's allies in the Middle East.

The movie is told from Packouz's perspective; we find him as a masseur for wealthy clients in Miami but having a hard time making end's meet. When his girlfriend Iz (Ana de Armas) informs him that she's expecting, David takes advantage of an opportunity to work with Efraim, his best friend from middle school. Efraim is a gun runner, and together, the two young men build a company that has them running weapons through some of the world's most dangerous places. David and Efraim meet lots of colorful characters on their way to the top, and the story is the better for it.

The trailers for this film didn't look that great. It looked like another stupid "frat boy" comedy, the kind of which Phillips has largely staked his career in. War Dogs has some of those elements, but it turns out to be a much more engaging dramatic piece. Its execution owes almost everything to Martin Scorsese; Teller's voiceover is reminiscent of Ray Liotta's in Goodfellas. The "rise and fall" narrative for Packouz and Diveroli also follows similar beats to Henry Hill's story.

Performances are great. Teller proves time and again that he's one of the best young actors working today. He cements his spot on a list of actors this reviewer would watch in just about anything - Kevin Spacey, Tom Hardy, Tom Hiddleston, Jake Gyllenhaal and Robert Downey, Jr. to name a few. Hill exudes charisma while handing in an award-worthy turn.

For me, the film doesn't have many glaring issues. My biggest gripe is that the narrative slows down about 3/4 of the way through while David is in Albania. However it picks up again as it comes to its climax. Some may also find the nods to Scorsese as cheap imitation rather than an exhibition of its own director's voice. It didn't come off that way for me; I appreciate how cinema history informs present works. I'm just warning you if you're the type of viewer put off by "original" films which seem beholden to something else.

War Dogs is recommended to anyone who appreciates the works of Scorsese and/or Phillips' oeuvre of male mayhem.

B+

"Lights Out" Review

In 2013, writer/director David F. Sandberg created a chilling short film called "Lights Out." It made rounds through several horror festivals before going viral on YouTube the following year.

In 2016, Sandberg has returned to the horror scene with a feature-length interpretation of that short film, aptly titled Lights Out.

This nimble 80-minute version follows a troubled family as they struggle to maintain sanity following the death of their patriarch. A malicious spirit named Diana makes that difficult. As Becca (Teresa Palmer), her boyfriend Bret (Alexander DiPersia), and younger brother Martin (Gabriel Bateman) encounter Diana in the dark, they learn more about her and the troubled past she once shared with their mother Sophie (Maria Bello).

For PG-13 horror, one could do far, far worse than Lights Out. It's a solid story which cracks along at a great pace. By the time you leave the theater, you'll hardly recognize that it's been less than an hour and a half.

Another great thing about this movie is that the characters are generally more well-realized than your typical horror bodies. Becca, Martin and Bret are all resourceful, smart people, and they react realistically for their situation. On a couple of occasions, different characters encounter Diana before simply turning and running away to find a weapon and hide. Just about anyone who sees something or someone scary in real life would probably do this. The only character I didn't care much for was Sophie. She's developed well enough, but I feel like this is the 800th time I've seen Maria Bello play somebody's strung-out mother. Get her another script like A History of Violence!

The interesting thing about Sophie's character, though, is that the whole story proves very maternal because of the stakes she carries for the villain. There's no Diana without Sophie. Sophie doesn't want to lose her "friend," but she also has a motherly duty to protect her children. Lights Out owes a lot to Jennifer Kent's The Babadook in this way. There's a grieving family, a distraught mother, resourceful children in peril, and a monster which, in many ways, is made stronger by feeding into that sense of grief. Diana and The Babadook even look similar.

This actually brings me to a couple things that I didn't care for in Lights Out. I mentioned before how I didn't care to see Bello play the strung-out mom yet again, even though she does it quite well. Another thing I didn't like was Diana's look. The monster in Sandberg's original short film is a creature of horrifyingly unique design. When Diana is finally exposed in a terrifying sequence reminiscent of the best haunted house attractions at Halloween, she looks just like your standard craggly witch. One would think that with a studio budget, Sandberg would make another unique looking monster. Diana is scary as hell when she's seen in the dark throughout the movie, but when she's ultimately revealed, it's a bit of a letdown. It's also upsetting that the film relies so heavily on unearned jump scares. Having seen the film just twice, many of them don't hold up. There are one or two that occur in places you don't quite expect, and therefore those shocks work. But the film's freakiest moments come whenever the characters see Diana off in a corner disappearing and reappearing in flashing lights. That buildup is scarier than the inevitable payoff where the monster reappears in the dark, simply standing closer to whoever is watching her.

In the end, Lights Out is a decent first studio feature for Sandberg, even though I personally think it works better as a short film. Horror fans should see this one as it makes a strong case for why the genre still needs PG-13 movies.

B

"The Legend of Tarzan" Review

Eric from True Blood stars in this very non-Disney, hard PG-13 version of Edgar Rice Burroughs' "Tarzan."

Seriously, if you were expecting Phil Collins and Rosie O'Donnell, don't bother reading this review. You'll already be let down by this movie. Shame on you.

David Yates, the director of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows invites audiences to experience one of the summer's biggest surprises. The first smart move this film makes is that it doesn't focus on Tarzan's origin. It's smartly dispensed through short flashbacks. We've all seen the Disney version. The past obviously influences the actions and motivations of the characters, but the film spends little time dwelling on what we pretty much already know. The Legend of Tarzan picks up in the late 19th century with John Clayton/"Tarzan" (Alexander Skarsgard) married to Jane (Margot Robbie) and serving as an active member in England's House of Lords. Lord Clayton is called upon when the Crown sets its sights on an advantageous pact with Belgium in the African Congo - Tarzan's original home. Tarzan, Jane, and American emissary George Washington Williams (Samuel L. Jackson) are sent to Africa to visit the natives and investigate activity at a nearby diamond mine. The indigenous peoples are thrilled for Tarzan and Jane's return. Meanwhile, Tarzan experiences tough love when he's reunited with his ape brother who sees the white man as a deserter. When Tarzan learns that the head of the Belgian Force Publique, Leon Rom (Christoph Waltz), plans to oppress and exploit the natives for profit, vine-swinging mayhem ensues.

This film turned out to be precisely the action-packed shot in the arm my summer needed. The Conjuring 2 is still my favorite Hollywood flick of the season, even though summer isn't really for horror movies. Tarzan is arguably the best big-budget Hollywood action blockbuster in theaters right now.

It has everything a great summer movie should - a good-looking cast that can truly act, punchy dialogue, thrilling set pieces, and a ruthless villain. It's all evocatively shot with a green hue by cinematographer Henry Braham (The Golden Compass, Guardians of the Galaxy 2). For every moment the film uses extremely corny "slo-mo" shots, there are at least two others that would make Chivo proud.

As for the players, Skarsgard is perfectly cast as Tarzan. He has the physique and pulls off the brooding-in-a-tree thing with ease. I'm disappointed that an actress as talented as Margot Robbie is pigeonholed into a damsel-in-distress role. The chemistry between these two stars is satisfactory but nothing to write home about. It serves its purpose for a summer movie. Jackson is a welcome addition as the comic relief who huffs and puffs across the jungle as he struggles to keep up with the nimble Tarzan. It's sort of refreshing to see Jackson in a less intense, less serious role. I'm sitting here laughing to myself at the thought of that joke about the ape's anatomy. Rounding out the cast is Waltz at his dastardly best again as the wicked Captain Rom. The film takes many cues from Werner Herzog's classic adventure film Fitzcarraldo, with Waltz essentially elevating Klaus Kinski's shtick to supervillain status.

He'll need it since Tarzan swings onto the screen in 2016 as an anti-colonial superhero of sorts. In a season where movies are best enjoyed at face value, The Legend of Tarzan proves a satisfying yarn.

B+  

"Midnight Special" Review

Indie auteur Jeff Nichols (Mud, Shotgun Stories) makes the leap to studio filmmaking with Midnight Special, a bold, new sci-fi adventure that's a little bit Bonnie & Clyde crossed with Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

In the film, Roy (Michael Shannon) and his friend Lucas (Joel Edgerton) are purported to be armed fugitives who have kidnapped a small boy. Turns out, that boy is Roy's son Alton (Jaeden Lieberher), and Roy has stolen him away from a religious leader (Sam Shepard) who alienated Roy and adopted Alton as his own son. Roy and Alton once lived on a ranch in Texas run by this cult whose entire theology centers around Alton and his unique abilities. As Alton's health begins to deteriorate, the conflict becomes a race against time, federal authorities and religious fanatics who all want to exploit the boy for different purposes.

The film itself is deliberately paced but consistently engaging. Nichols' indie roots are felt throughout the production in the choices he makes with the narrative and the characters. Despite B-movie ingredients, this is a very intimate, grounded production which values human emotions and interactions over extraneous visual effects. It doesn't feel "slick" or polished like last year's indie sci-fi darling Ex Machina. Midnight Special feels gritty in the way Nichols' previous work has, but it never gets overbearingly dreary. Alton is the key to maintaining a subversive sense of childlike wonder and discovery for the audience, and both Nichols' direction and Lieberher's performance deliver on that despite the external forces bearing down on the protagonists.

The most distressing part of this whole production is that Shepard's character is underused, and one gets the sense that much of his role was relegated to the cutting room floor. How do you get Sam Shepard for your movie and then hardly use him? Hopefully he'll get his due diligence in the Blu-ray deleted scenes.

Some audiences may also find fault with the way the film ends. While it's refreshing that things aren't exactly tied up in a bow, the climax sees Nichols perhaps overplaying his hand with "the big reveal." If you saw 10 Cloverfield Lane, the payoff feels similar; not completely void of merit but perhaps a little more than necessary. As a whole, though, Midnight Special is a unique sci-fi adventure that's worth taking, especially for indie fans.

(F.Y.I. - Midnight Special is NOT based directly on the folk song, although a new cover version is used over the end credits.)

A-