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Bad Boys 1995 ★★
Why did I watch this? Because I saw it pop up on Netflix and I was like “yeah, why not?”.
It's a well produced action flick with a lot of buddy cop banter and it's Michael Bay, so we get an ending where everything explodes.
While eighties action flicks had a certain charm to them, these ones seem to become more and more interchangeable. If you've seen one... (and I am sure many people will say the same about horror, and I am okay with that)
Dream Scenario 2023 ★★★★
Aka: Careful what you wish for
The most important piece of the puzzle fell into place during the end credits. Produced by Ari Aster. Now it makes sense.
We follow Paul Matthews, a somewhat mousy (not unlike Beau from Beau is afraid) and quite uncharismatic biology professor. His life is in a rut, his students don't pay any attention to him and his marriage... well, by the look of things the fizz has gone out of the cola some time ago. He mostly just wants a bit of recognition and appreciation, let's say 1 or 2... no, 1.5 percent of what Neil Degrasse Tyson has – though he somehow apparently has never found the time to actually write his magnum opus. Yet at the same time, he does find a way to be annoyed when someone else is inspired by his work. He tends to get whiny at times and the movie does not go out of its way to make him likable.
Then, through no doing or fault of his, he somehow starts popping up in various people's dreams with one hell of a ripple effect ensuing. At first, he enjoys the attention, with scenes that say “You really like me?”. He enjoys getting the recognition he so craved. However, the dark sides of this instant fame soon pop up as well. Like the scenes with the marketing company (with a pretty funny Michael Cera) who are all about the sensation of the dreams. And what about the plant thingy? Wut? Oh yeah, errr,... We can squeeze that in too. Sure(, fine, whatever; as long as you hock Sprite and other shit for us). Quite reminiscent of the white house cabinet in Don't Look up, with people less listening and more looking for ways to spin the message in their favour.
When he starts appearing in wet dreams (like the darkly comedic “sex sequence”) and violent dreams, is when the tables turn. People tend to see this as a movie about cancel culture and I agree that there is an element of truth to that.
At the same time, it also seems to like a reflection on the uncontrollable, unpredictable and at times volatile nature of public opinion and how quickly it can turn on someone, even though that person himself/herself has in fact not changed. In this polarized society with little or no middleground, we of course immediately go from 0 to 100. Turning Paul into a social pariah over something he neither started nor has any influence over. Heck, he has as much of a clue how this came about as we as viewers do. Nonetheless, people spit in his food, beat him up, spray paint his car,... He loses his family and at one point even gets shot at with arrows. And while, yes, he does get a book deal, it's also mostly a reminder how his life has become a reality/freak show. He goes from a stuffy professor studying dull plants to a sort of sideshow who cannot really trust anyone. With the glove scene as a moment that could go with Spinal Pap and the dwarf Stonehenge.
Cage delivers a very good performance as Paul. While we do get small spoons of Cage-freakouts, he never goes full ham as in Face/Off, The Wicker Man, Renfield,... By his standards, he is quite restrained in this one, thus making this one of his better performances, showing just how much he can do when he takes a role seriously. Would the Academy dare touch this one? Not sure. Could go either way. Curious how it will do in Cannes.
To whom would I recommend this? Based on where they stand on cancel culture, some people have already made up their minds and nothing I can say will change or open their minds. But if you liked Beau is afraid or Ari Aster's material or dark comedies in general, you'll probably enjoy this one too.
Shut Eye 2 2017 ★★½
First four or five minutes seem like your standard fake doc/FF romp.
Then it takes a hard turn and condenses A Clockwork Orange and Trainspotting into the length of about a music video.
If that sounds like it's your bag... enjoy. For me? Certainly not terrible, but saying it stands out is a tad much as well.
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