Mark McPherson's Blog, page 44

The Sins of Cinestate

During the 2010s, Dallas Sonnier was a rising talent of a filmmaking producer. He moved from Texas to California would start out as a producer and executive producer on a number of mostly forgettable Steve Austin action movies. But, eventually, he would land the larger picture of Bone Tomahawk, a gritty mixture of western and horror that attracted the likes of Kurt Russel and Richard Jenkins. He released the film from his own studio, Caliber Media.

Soon after that film debuted, he moved back...

“Raya and the Last Dragon” Review

As with the best of Disney’s modern animated films, Raya and the Last Dragon takes viewers to a different world. The story is set in a fantastical and original world, loaded with distinct tribes, unique magic, and wondrous creatures. Disney films that dabble in the genre of fantasy always feel as though they must come with some caveat of the brand, either being a toe-tapping musical or irreverent comedy. It’s for this reason why Raya feels so refreshing for embracing a fantasy epic with great w...

“Flora & Ulysses” Review

It’d be so easy for something like Flora & Ulysses to be a par-for-the-course cute animal movie, where a clearly CGI pet helps saves the day. Thankfully, director Lena Khan pumps the brakes before this kind of story falls off a cliff with mundane slapstick. Don’t worry, kids – that level of silliness is still there where you can expect that cute squirrel to end up in somebody’s hair. But there’s just a bit more absurdity to make this film a tad more pleasing for the older crowd who need a littl...

“Nomadland” Review

The most beautiful and elaborate scene in Nomadland features Frances McDormand walking at dawn. She strolls past a few other parked cars and trailers amid a collective of nomadic people. She waves to a few and briefly says hello but keeps to herself. She moseys over to the noisy road, watching the cars go by as the sun begins to rise. It’s a sight she’s most likely seen many times over and yet it’s such an infatuating moment that is held by McDormand’s constant contemplation that always seems t...

“Malcolm & Marie” Review

There’s a jarring aspect to Malcolm & Marie being an artsy bottle picture of a bickering couple while also being a commentary on film and film criticism. The titular couple find themselves arguing with each other about being messy human beings while trying to show passion for their work. The final result is a sloppy mixed bag of surreal monologues that drag on to the point of exhaustion.

Malcolm () has just returned from his big premiere with his wife Marie (). Ma...

“Bliss” Review

Mike Cahill’s filmography of high-concept sci-fi has perhaps straddled my expectations so high for Bliss that’s a towering disappointment of reality contemplation. The big ideas are there, the existential questioning is present, and the mind-bending aspects are oozing throughout. And yet the film becomes so sadly lost in the clouds of its thematic edge that it loses any sense of grounding, meandering around with talk of superpowers and mental landscapes.

There are notable shades of The Matri...

“Land” Review

A woman goes up to the mountains to get away for a while but we don’t know from what. She hitches a ride up to a cabin and lives on her own. But she’s no good at the cabin life. Her ability to chop wood is subpar and her ability to keep warm during winter is lacking. Soon, it becomes clear why this woman came to the woods; she intends to die here.

The woman is Edee, played with quiet contemplation and emtional fire by Robin Wright, making her directorial debut as well. She’s not so much suic...

“The Little Things” Review

There’s a scene in this retro crime thriller where Denzel Washington swipes the trash of a suspect in a murder case. He sorts through the trash not looking for some specific clue but teethmarks on a pizza. Why? He argues it’s the little things that can bring about a resolve. But in trying to push for a slow-burn drama, The Little Things is a film that spends far too much time focusing on the little elements that don’t hold much water for the somber brooding implied.

Taking place in the 1990s...

“WandaVision” Review (Episodes 1-3)

There’s a surreal charm and also a pleasing divergence within WandaVision. Sure, the show starts with the familiar Marvel Studios logo reveal we’ve become used to with every Marvel Cinematic Universe entry, but then we’re given something that isn’t as common for this franchise. We’re given a sitcom. No framing to set up this series. We’re immediately thrown into the sitcom format and a mystery is slowly weaved over just what is going on within this show. It’s unlike anything that has been seen p...

The Best Movies of 2020

While much of the world spent 2020 out of the movie theaters, this was not an awful year in terms of quality films. It wasn’t a light year either despite theaters shutting down in March and struggling to reopen in the second half of the year. I’ve seen about as many films in 2020 as I have in any other year, probably more though. And so, after having seen over 200 new films this year, here are the 10 best.

Bacurau

Rarely do I see a film that strikes me as both weird and unpredictable w...