If you’re looking for a sweet romance bookended in tender, cuddly moments, better run far away from “Love Lies Bleeding.”
But we liked its daring wild-at-heart, R-rated ways. We also fell for the R-rated coming-of-age comedy “Snack Shack,” featuring a breakthrough performance from talented San Jose native Conor Sherry. He’s an actor on the rise, and deserves to be.
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And while we loved Annette Bening in “Apples Never Fall,” we found that, at its core, the domestic potboiler was one bad apple of a limited series.
But we highly recommend seeing the emotional and uplifting “One Life,” with Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins, and the sci-fi infused “The Animal Kingdom,” our find of the week.
Here’s our roundup.
“Love Lies Bleeding”: Bonkers. Totally bonkers. That sums up Rose Glass’ wild ride of a movie. Hopped up on graphic sex and wince-inducing violence, this New Mexico-set queer romance follows intense female bodybuilder Jackie (Katy O’Brian, a name to remember) who’s headed toward a Las Vegas competition and runs into bored Lou (Kristen Stewart), manager of a brawny, down-and-dirty gym where buff guys go shirtless and the bathrooms always need unclogging (hey, it’s the ‘80s). Also in the picture are Lou’s deplorable brother-in-law JJ ( Palo Alto native Dave Franco, nearly unrecognizable) who beats his wife Beth (Jena Malone), and Lou’s bug-loving, long-haired daddy Lou Sr. (a reptilian Ed Harris), who runs a shooting range. Add a clingy, manipulative meth-head Daisy (Anna Baryshnikov, a scene stealer) who has a bad thing going on with Lou, and you have a hard-boiled cult classic in the making. Unfortunately, the “Saint Maud” filmmaker and co-screenwriter throws too many ingredients into her crockpot and, as a result, some themes get undercooked. But you’ve gotta admire her go-for-broke attitude, which is behind this rubbed-raw-to-the-bone love story that tips its hat to such icons as Tarantino, Lynch and more. But “Love Lies Bleeding” creates its own brand of fiery feminist fury as these two marginalized women fight back against a machine that neither played a part in building but are ecstatic about setting a match to. It’s spellbinding to behold. So are Stewart and O’Brian, perfect together and on their own. Stewart continues to push her career into bold directions and we’ll gladly follow her anywhere. Details: 3½ stars out of 4; in theaters March 15.
“Snack Shack”: Adam Rehmeier’s follow-up to his eccentric but funny debut “Dinner in America” is standard-fare R-rated summer coming-of-age comedy. And that’s all it needs to be. It’s got San Jose native Conor Sherry, (“Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark”) who gives a breakthrough performance as A.J., best friend of Moose (Gabrielle LaBelle of “The Fabelmans”), a big ideas guy who envisions himself as a junior Gordon Gekko. It’s the summer of 1991 in Nebraska City, and A.J. and Moose seek to land the contract to operate the scrappy snack shake at the city pool. They get the gig and it proves rather lucrative, but leads to square-offs with jock bullies. There are also parental issues, and a flirtation with a sassy lifeguard (Mika Abdalla) they both take a shine to. In between that, A.J. spends time with his slightly older friend/idol Shane (Nick Robinson), who has recently returned from serving in the Gulf War. Rehmeier throws out a wild pitch near the end and it radically changes the film. But it works. What works most though is how Rehmeier thoroughly jumps into the ping-ponging brains of adolescent guys and how adroitly Sherry and LaBelle navigate the story’s tonal shifts. “Snack Shack” is a sweet stroll down nostalgia lane that’s elevated by Sherry’s and LaBelle’s performances. Details: 3 stars; opens in theaters March 15.
“The American Society of Magical Negroes”: On paper, maybe even during a story pitch meeting, Kobi Libii’s directorial debut probably sounded like it could have, and should have, worked along the same satirical lines of Cord Jefferson’s “American Fiction.” There’s a promising premise in which Black visual artist Aren (Justice Smith) joins a magical negroes association that is dedicated to helping lame white guys through a crisis. But it all winds up as limp as day-old salad. Aren’s “white guy” assignment is clueless web designer Jason (Drew Tarver) who needs to get unstuck for a big project. Complications arise when Aren runs into Jason’s uber-capable, much smarter co-worker Lizzie (An-Li Bogan, an iridescent light here) at a coffee shop before his first day at the office and falls hard for her. Aren keeps a lid on his growing anger and frustration that we all know will lead a volcanic eruption. But once it arrives it feels underdeveloped — like the rest of the movie. Libii, who’s also the screenwriter here, needs some storytelling magic. Details: 1½ stars; in theaters March 14.
“Apples Never Fall”: Annette Bening classes up Peacock’s seven-episode domestic thriller, adapted from the Liane Moriarty novel, but it never rises above the status of ludicrous guilty pleasure. There’s a lot of unbelievable developments you’ll have to swallow from the start, and mostly, in the end. The “mystery” plays out in predictable fashion when Joy (Bening), matriarch of the South Florida Delaney family, goes missing after a bike accident. Each episode explores the backstory of a different family member, dropping clues and red herrings aplenty on what what is going on with Joy and Stan (Sam Neill) and why their adult children (Jake Lacy, Alison Brie, Conor Merrigan Turner and Essie Randles) are so friggin’ self-absorbed and entitled. When a “mysterious” stranger (Georgia Flood) insinuates herself into Stan and Joys’ lives, the kids are not at all right with what’s going down. “Apples Never Fall” is definitely watchable, but its plot jumps off the deep end and there are so many implausible moments you’ll feel like you were duped of your time. Details: 1½ stars; all seven episodes drop March 14 on Peacock.
Find of the week
“The Animal Kingdom”: Ever imagine what a French indie version of the “X-Men” might be like? Fans of the subversive comic and related films that address themes of racism, homophobia and xenophobia, will probably enjoy Thomas Cailley’s beautiful to behold film that explores similar issues. While better-known actors Romain Duris and Adele Exarchopoulos are the stars, this intensely complex sci-fi infused drama belongs to Paul Kircher. The 22-year-old actor is phenomenal as Emilie, a 16-year-old outsider who discovers that, like his mom, he is transforming due to genetic mutations into part human/animal hybrid. Emilie, at first, joins others in trash talking about these creatures, until his body starts to change (the body horror sequences make you squirm). He hides his otherness from his dad (Duris) who gets a gig as a chef near a facility where his wife will be housed. But she, along with others — including a birdman that must be seen to be believed — break free and wreak havoc. Cailley’s engrossing award winner is surprisingly moving and concerns itself more with the themes the story brings than with the clashes between the two sides. While it is being released on video, it’s a visual masterpiece and should be seen in a movie theater. “Animal Kingdom” roars with intelligence and passion, reminding us of how humans can sometimes be the cruelest beasts of all. Details: 3½ stars, opens March 14 at the Alamo Drafthouse in San Francisco; also available to rent online.
“One Life”: Films based on incredible true stories sometimes don’t fuss around with a variety of cinematic techniques to relate what happened, preferring to tell it in a straightforward manner. That’s the approach director James Hawes and screenwriters Lucia Coxon and Nick Drake take in adapting the inspirational story of ordinary Londoner Sir Nicholas “Nicky” Winton (Anthony Hopkins) who accomplished something selfless and truly extraordinary by spearheading efforts before World War II broke out to transport via train mostly Jewish children from Prague to England. Using Barbara Winton’s book “If It’s Not Impossible …” as its springboard, “One Life” flashes back (to 1938 Prague) and forth (to 1988 England), with Johnny Flynn playing a younger version of Nicky, who was so committed to the cause he got his tenacious mom (Helena Bonham Carter) to assist in rescuing hundreds from Hitler’s chokehold on Europe. Nicky’s humility about the role he played in all of this is guaranteed to move you to tears, and if that doesn’t, the ending surely will. It certainly left me sobbing, and that’s a credit to Hopkins’ impeccable performance as well as Hawes’ sure-handed, straightforward direction. Details: 3 stars; in theaters March 15.
“Problemista”: Julio Torres’ quirky feature film debut sparkles as an uncynical character-driven tale about a 20-something El Salvadoran immigrant and aspiring toymaker trying to get a foothold in New York, but it’s really the hilarious odd-couple dynamics that make this an unforgettable delight. The “odd” person in question isn’t the efficient, deadpan Alejandro (Torres, absolutely adorable in the part) — even though his distinctive style of walking is mighty curious. That honor goes to scattered-beyond-belief art critic Elizabeth (Tilda Swinton), a paranoid, delusional hothead who hires Alejandro — who needs a sponsor to gain citizen status — to perform a series of surreal tasks. Torres gifts Swinton with a frazzled but larger-than-life character and the Oscar-winning actor — one of the best in the business — makes the most of it. Torres is more or less the straight man, as Alejandro endures Elizabeth’s all-over-the-map lunacy. Details: 3 stars; in theaters now.
Contact Randy Myers at soitsrandy@gmail.com.
