 Netflix, 2021. "The Power of the Dog" is a slow-burn balancing act, that admittedly, felt like a lot to chew on upon first viewing. But wow does its flavor linger.
A beautifully composed, intimate story of a man, a boy and a couple in the open ranges of Montana set the mid 1920s, "The Power of the Dog" is one of the most stellar achievements in story-telling you'll ever witness, a film that is challenging and compelling all the same, that wraps itself around the viewers, twisting our perceptions, and almost assuredly forces deep, intellectual post-viewing discussions.
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 Netflix, 2021. "They just don't make 'em like they used to"...is a phrase that can be retired after watching the wildly entertaining new Western, "The Harder They Fall."
Well technically, they've NEVER made movies quite like this, as people of color have all but been left out of Westerns, or relegated to stereotypical roles, during the genre's boom in the early days of Hollywood. Director Jeymes Samuel makes up for lost time by packing his movie with an all-star cast, plenty of gun-fighting, and a stylish-comedic vibe that makes "The Harder They Fall" one of the more pure entertaining films of the year (it has previously been in theaters but releases on Netflix's streaming platform today, 11/3.)  Rating: 4 out of 5 starsGenre: Western, Mystery, Comedy
Run Time: 3 hours, 2 minutes, Rated R Starring: Kurt Russell, Samuel L. Jackson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Michael Madsen, Demian Bichir, James Parks, Bruce Dern, Walton Goggins, Tim Roth, Channing Tatum, Keith Jefferson Written & Directed by Quentin Tarantino (Django Unchained, Inglourious Basterds, Kill Bill Vol 1 and 2, Jackie Brown, Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs) Quentin Tarantino is a film preservationist at heart: His movies attempt to bottle up the essence of films gone-by. Once bottled, he then shakes it vigorously before letting it forcefully explode all over the big-screen. A "Tarantino" film" now has taken on its own meaning...it comes with its own expectations, of sharp dialogue, innovative story-telling and of course, splatters of blood, gore and violence that borders on the cartoonish. When Tarantino points his salvo at the big-screen and fires, it usually results in a burst of unpredictable exuberance...the shock felt when a cork pops off a fine Don Perignon...the fizz and energy of something that was just waiting to erupt into the world. At times, this approach can, and has, resulted in a huge mess. The Hateful Eight (opening today) is the latest film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, and like every other one of is his films, it is instantly recognizable as such. If you have acquired a taste for Quentin's brew, then you will be fully satisfied with it. But if you were hoping that he would show some restrain following his last, effective but bloated effort, the 2012 Western, Django Unchained, you'll be sorely disappointed.  Rating: 3 out of 5 starsGenre: Drama, Western
Run Time: 1 hour 32 minutes, Rated R Starring: Mads Mikkelsen, Eva Green, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Eric Cantona, Jonathan Pryce Co-Written & Directed by Kristian Levring (Fear Me Not, The Intended) Danish writer/director Kristian Levring has a deep fondness for the American Western. His love and admiration for the genre is evident in nearly every frame of The Salvation(opening today), a serious, gritty Western that is beautifully shot and effective enough, despite the fact that very little life is breathed into its characters.  Rating: 3 out of 5 starsGenre: Comedy, Western
Run Time: 1 hour 56 minutes, Rated R Starring: Seth MacFarlane, Charlize Theron, Liam Neeson, Amanda Seyfried, Giovanni Ribisi, Neil Patrick Harris, Sarah Silverman Co-Written & Directed by Seth MacFarlane (Ted) Simply put, we've come to expect more from Seth MacFarlane. In A Million Ways to Die in the West (opening today), the creator of shows like Family Guy, American Dad! and The Cleveland Show, whose first feature-film directorial debut, Ted, was a huge success, serves up an often funny but horribly uneven take on the Western genre. It's a rare misfire for one of the hottest comedic voices in Hollywood. And that's a shame.  Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Read it on: http://www.axs.com/news/movie-review-the-lone-ranger-is-worth-the-ride-99457  Rating: 4 out of 5 starsGenre: Western, Action, Drama
Run Time: 2 hours 45 minutes, Rated R Starring: Jamie Foxx, Cristoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, Walton Goggins Written & Directed by Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction, Inglourious Basterds, Kill Bill: Vol. 1 and 2) Those who go into Django Unchained expecting another recognizable Quentin Tarantino gem will likely be pleased. The auteur’s latest film – as one would expect - once again blends an array of genres into a wildly funny and violent piece of entertainment. It’s not for the weak of heart or the easily offended. But it is thoroughly Quentin Tarantino.  Rating: 2 out of 5 starsGenre: Crime, Drama, Western
Run Time: 1 hour 55 minutes, Rated R Starring: Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf, Jason Clarke, Guy Pearce, Jessica Chastain, Mia Wasikowska, Dane DeHaan, Gary Oldman Lawless seems to have everything needed in order to be a successful western: An all-star cast, interesting characters and a tried-and-true basic premise. What it lacks is substance.  Rating: 3 out of 5 starsGenre: Western, Sci-Fi
Opens locally Friday, July 29th, 2011 Run Time: 1 hour, 58 minutes, Rated PG-13 Starring: Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell, Adam Beach Directed by Jon Favreau (Elf, Iron Man, Iron Man 2) You have to give credit to those behind the new film "Cowboys & Aliens," for their attempt at originality. It's been quite a while since we've seen a really good Western, and rarely (if ever) have we seen the genre cross streams with futuristic science fiction quite like this. "Cowboys & Aliens" is a mash-up of the two genres, doing justice to both of them without ever becoming campy. Unfortunately, the end result feels exactly that: All mashed up, proving that if you combine a B-Movie Western with a B-Movie Sci-Fi flick, the result doesn't produce an A-caliber film.  Rating: 3 out of 5 starsGenre: Western
Opens Wednesday, December 22nd, 2010 (Rated PG-13) Run Time: 1 hour, 50 minutes Starring: Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Hailee Steinfeld, Josh Brolin Directed by Joel & Ethan Coen (A Serious Man, The Big Lebowski, Fargo, No Country For Old Men) I've previously gone on record with my dislike for the Coen Brothers' movies. They definitely have a "Coen-esque" style all their own, and an audience of film-goers that will love their stuff just because it's made by Coen Bros. Their latest film is "True Grit", a remake of the classic western of the same name starring John Wayne. Wayne's hammy performance as crotchety US Marshal Rooster Cogburn earned him his only Oscar win, which many believe he was given more as a lifetime achievement award. There is nothing particularly wrong with the Coen Bros' newest film, but there isn't anything particularly new either. And that's the problem: Why remake a classic film? This film marks a saddening trend in Hollywood and goes against the old adage "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." |
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tom santilli movie reviews
Tom Santilli is a professional film critic, TV personality, host and
the Executive Producer of Movie Show Plus.
He also is the featured film critic appearing on WXYZ Channel 7 Action News in Detroit,
and appeared weekly on FOX-2 in Detroit from 2016-2020.
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