What's Good At The Box? The Redbox Recommendation Thread

[dookeyXXX]

THE OUTFIT
This is a wonderfully taut psychological drama-cum-gangsters with guns-cum-noir-cum-one room neo thriller teeming with hints of Hitchcock, Mamet, and Tarantino.
Propelled by a stellar cast, some downright fantastic dialogue, and myriad twists, it is tightly knit and seamless. While some of the plot elements are ultimately predictable, they never feel forced or faux and often times they emerge with a sense of off-handed subtlety, having been obscured by the bravura acting and numerous sleight-of-hand red herrings. Lurking underneath the subdued action is a wonderfully complimentary score by Alexandre Desplat.
The whole film is as well-tailored as one of the bespoke suits cut by the lead protagonist.

RIYL
The early plays of David Mamet (think American Buffalo) as well as his early films; Reservoir Dogs; The Petrified Forest (1936)

[dookeyXXX]

CRIMES OF THE FUTURE
While by no means up there with the cream of David Cronenberg’s oeuvre, his latest endeavor is still heads and tails more interesting, perplexing, and thought provoking than 90% of the films released so far this year. Perhaps not as provocative or gory and twisted as the trailer suggests, there is still enough detached dystopian flair and slow burning angst to keep one continually engaged. The story borrows some elements and nuances from eXistenZ, though where that film loosely tackled virtual reality, here the theme seems to be on pollution.
There are a few plot holes that will leave you scratching your head at the end and I am not sure if their vagueness is meant to elicit discussion or just create a sense of mystery and dread.
At any rate, Viggo Mortensen gives a riveting and off-kilter performance, skulking around the screen like a ninja clad Quasimodo, Kristen Stewart is wonderfully over-the-top as a mousey bureaucratic office drone, and Lea Seydoux is beguiling as a performance artist surgeon.

[dookeyXXX]

EMILY THE CRIMINAL
This is a taut little drama/thriller that doesn’t necessarily re-invent the genre so much as deliver nicely upon its familiar tropes, specifically that of a young woman fallen on hard times who gets sucked into the shady, criminal underbelly of Los Angeles.
Anchored by a fantastic performance from Aubrey Plaza, solid pacing, a streamlined story, and filmed in stripped down neo-verite style, it’s understatedly gripping.

RIYL
Stillwater; The Card Counter

[bobz]

(Note: Rented from Redbox streaming)

I never saw this one mentioned around here: Infinite Storm. Yes, it got bad reviews. But hey, mountaineering and Naomi Watts, so might as well check it out. I thought it had plenty of redeeming value. It isn’t often that you can turn on a well produced flick that delivers an almost continuous Type Two Fun audiovisual experience; snow, grey skies, howling wind… it’s been a few months since I’ve trudged through a snowstorm and I miss that stuff, and Naomi Watts’ righteous solo hiker character seemed up for it as well. Too bad she had to deal with having to rescue such an annoying guy. On the other hand, that aspect was probably realistic; a guy already on a pathway to death by hypothermia, whose physical cooperation is necessary to save him, is likely to be a pain in the ass.

Less easy to swallow, were a couple of episodes (including an unrealistic snow tree-well scenario) that almost certainly were tossed in, or greatly embellished. Which kept the drama flow going, but they didn’t ring true. Granted, maybe the original true story just didn’t have enough meat on its bones, and these were necessary to flesh out a film adaptation. Still, coming to Infinite Storm for a generally true story about a real rescue, stuff like that is disappointing. (IMDB user reviews also relentlessly dump on this film for, clearly, not being filmed on Mt. Washington, where the drama is set and where the actual incident occurred. Personally I’m fine with that; give me some real mountains, and more than just one!)

The final act (the rescue itself wraps up 2/3 of the way through the movie) actually worked pretty well.

So, overall… not great, suffering mainly for the usual Hollywood bullshit drama seeping into an otherwise decently well made mountain flick. But not terrible either.

[bobz]

Not sure where to put this but… WEIRD: THE AL YANKOVICH STORY is up on Roku.com, and it’s good silly fun, along a similar vein as Walk Hard, if perhaps not as fully realized. Daniel Radcliffe plays Weird Al (and Weird Al plays a music exec). Lots of fun off the wall stuff thrown in… a Pablo Escobar subplot, huh??!?

[Diamond Joe]

Not sure where to put this but… WEIRD: THE AL YANKOVICH STORY is up on Roku.com, and it’s good silly fun, along a similar vein as Walk Hard, if perhaps not as fully realized. Daniel Radcliffe plays Weird Al (and Weird Al plays a music exec). Lots of fun off the wall stuff thrown in… a Pablo Escobar subplot, huh??!?

This is the Redbox thread man.

[dookeyXXX]

BULLET TRAIN
While this film certainly doesn’t reinvent the wheel in regard to action films, it is a highly entertaining diversion that knows how to integrate humor and alacrity into a cohesive package.
This is a moderately high concept and labyrinthine action comedy that embraces numerous tropes and cliches, but rises above them more often than not thanks to a great cast with great chemistry and pacing that rivals its namesake.
Brad Pitt is front and center, channeling some of his early roles here (think J.D. and Floyd), but the tag team of Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Bryan Tyree Henry may actually steal the show.
The up close hand-to-hand fight sequences are kinetic and clever, owing no small debt to the 1980’s work of Jackie Chan. And the comedic moments are nice, bouncing between ironic and snarky with ease and aplomb.
Granted, some of the speeding train effects dwell in the uncanny valley and there are three completely unnecessary high profile cameos that serve no real purpose other than smacking of over handed fan service aimed squarely at the mainstream moviegoer and stalwart social media starfkrs, but these slights are fleeting amidst the high octane action and quasi-intricate plot. On the subject of cameos, there’s actually two cool ones, if you’re a fan of The Boys and Heroes.
All in all this is an enjoyable action romp teeming with some clever moments and featuring a largely wonderful cast.

RIYL
Bad Times At The El Royale; Smokin’ Aces; Free Fire

[dookeyXXX]

SISU
The specters of The Dollars trilogy, as well as Eastwood’s WB output (most notably Hang ‘Em High, Unforgiven, and Pale Rider) hang heavy over writer/director Jalmari Helander’s WWII set endeavor. It also gives a quick nod to Peckinpah’s seminal The Wild Bunch.
So, yeah, this is essentially a Western, albeit taking place in 1944 in the wastelands of Finland and with Nazi’s, tanks, land mines, aeroplanes, and bombs.
Sure, the story is a familiar one, yet the pacing is whip quick, the violence energetic, sudden, and visceral, and the acting is taut, riding the line between camp and dramatic bravura with deftness and aplomb.
While delivered with a sense of seriousness by all involved, there is also a cartoonish fantasy element burbling underneath, which helps keep things entertaining.

RIYL
Dead Snow; Shoot ‘Em Up; Crank; Conan the Destroyer

[PB]

The fake gold was a little hard to get past.