Black Panther (2018)

Ryan Coogler does it again with his third director’s credit that ensures the audience gets what they paid for. “Black Panther” is the most unique Marvel movie I have ever scene, let alone comic book movie. It stays grounded to the core and source material, gives us relatable characters, and proves that spirituality plays a big part still in blockbusters. February has in the past been a dumping ground for bad and under the radar films, but “Deadpool” (2016) and “Black Panther” are changing that. This movie makes me happy to call myself a fan of the comic book genre.

I first want to address how similar this movie is to Shakespeare’s Henry IV: Part I in regards to the relationship between T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) and Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan). We have rivals to the throne of Wakanda who will not stop their fight until the other is dead. In Shakespeare’s history play we have two rivals who are the two Hals who want to inherit the drone of England and meet in open combat. Both sides in both scenarios think they have right on their side. T’Challa wants to protect Wakanda and preserve their country’s neutrality, and Killmonger wants to right the wrongs to his family and arm the oppressed against their oppressors. This is by far Marvel’s most in depth and thought out villain that the have made, which makes the hero/villain conflict that more tense.

The score by Ludwig is the most beautiful and best arranged form of music ever created for the MCU. It’s a score that I can actually whistle the melody to, and I like this direction they’re going with it. It’s a fully orchestrated and emotional experience to listen to this score. All of the scenes are enhanced because how different but yet very harmonized the story is with it. That was one surprise I wanted to highlight.

Spirituality is rare in movies let alone comic book movies. This story that Coogler gave us is filled with themes and plot points dealing with the afterlife and connecting with a higher power, perhaps God. This is a gutsy move that worked in the story due to Wakanda being a place where family and religion play a vital role to the culture. Coming from a religious background and being a church-going man, I found this film to be a respectful refresher to those who find religion to be a necessity of life. I am glad that a film like this one exists.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

So this film isn’t all what I thought it would be. It’s not a thriller. It’s not a mystery. It’s not even a crime movie. It’s a family drama much like “Ordinary People” (1980) and “Manchester by the Sea.” A bunch of people with emotional problems due to the death of a family member. It’s a habit with family dramas, but it works. Martin McDonagh directs the his actors to the best performances that I’ve seen on screen this past year. Every actor in this film knew his place, how to act when prompted, and complement each other when tears needed shedding, anger needed enraging, and laughs needed to burst.

Frances McDormand plays Mildred, a bad tempered mother whose only way of coping with her daughter’s murder is to unleash her hate on everyone around her. Particularly the Ebbing police department headed by Sheriff Willoughby (Woody Harrelson) and  deputy Dixon (Sam Rockwell). Mildred takes a drastic turn to push her daughter’s investigation along when she puts up three billboards, harassing the police to solve her daughter’s murder. This I think is a very selfish move on her part as she thinks her pain is all that matters and will make everyone suffer with her rather than suffer alone. And boy does she accomplish that.

The strongest part I can see in this film as I said before are the performances. Rockwell is the one actor in this production that gives everything he’s got. His character Dixon is a bigot, but he’s a bigot who grows a heart and learns the hard way that you’ve got to be nice sometimes to succeed at something. He’s also immature and a sloppy police officer who needs direction. Rockwell’s approach to his character is so natural and flowy that I forgot that he was acting. That’s the skill a determined actor. God bless America!

Woody Harrelson (L) and Frances McDormand (R) in “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

 

The Shape of Water (2017)

The Shape of Water is a delightful love story that doesn’t take on the facade of your regular Hollywood couple. It’s about deception, romance, and the pure joyfulness of being human. In this case the love story is between a mute cleaning lady named Elisa (Sally Hawkins) and an Amazonian river monster who is performed by veteran mime and actor Doug Jones. Jones flawlessly gives one of his best performances without saying a word as does Hawkins. This might be one of those films where the two leads don’t speak to each other and their only form of communication is sign. It’s quite a miraculous method of communication within a monster movie.

Guillermo del Torro loves monsters and puts that into visual evidence with this latest film of his. He definitely puts thought into how he wants to portray the monster from the view of the audience, the view of the federal government, and the view of Elisa. This film’s direction reminded me of “The Frog Prince” (1988) with Helen Hunt as a step sister. Del Torro focuses heavy of prejudices in his story, which I thought was a little too hard over the head, but I don’t think he wanted to be subtle with the content. This movie is filled with acts of prejudice, so I guess del Torro didn’t want to be discriminatory against anyone. All have equal acts of bigotry against them. But the one who gets the blunt end of it all is indeed the river god.

My last item with this movie that blows me away is Alexadre Desplat’s score. It’s a mix of 1940’s film noir, a French love story, and a symphony all playing under water. Their are beautiful melodies that I can’t help but smile to. Everything about the score makes sense of what the feeling is for this movie. It helps me feel what I need to feel and think what I need to think. Desplat is one of my favorite composers working today. Too bad he couldn’t work on “Rogue One” (2016). That would’ve been neat. Anyway, I really like this movie and deserves a lot of praise for the risks it took to make a monster/woman love story happen on screen.

Sally Hawkins (L) and Doug Jones (R) in “The Shape of Water”