Dialogue from 1940s noir cinema is a lost art. Screenwriters went out of their way to actually make each line memorable.
There's a scene where Bogart and a henchman are just quipping one liners to each other at such a pace that they may as well have been playing ping pong. Of course, Bogie wins the round.
What I appreciate most about the original John Wick is the minimalism; the story is bare bones, getting out of the way to service the incredible stunt work. But where Chapter 4 excels is in MAXIMALISM. The fights scenes are escalated into set-pieces (notably the dragon's breath and the Sacré-Coeur steps).
Chapter 4 is certainly the most ambitious of the series, and with the ever escalating budget of $100 million, you can see it all up on the screen. Honestly,…
I've held off on watching this due to a severe allergy to nostalgia bait, but I've been checking off some remaining Spielbergs and after a long week I felt like watching something braindead... and this was surprisingly really solid?
Yeah, it's machine gunning references at you at ten a minute, but I think it's also saying something about escapism and weaponizing nostalgia. It also feels like Spielberg commenting on the artist leaving breadcrumbs of their life throughout their work, something…
There was a great podcast interview last year with Edgar Wright and Quentin Tarantino discussing their favorite moments in a movie theater.
Quentin talked about what it was like seeing The Matrix opening night when no one knew what they were about to watch. He described walking out of the theater knowing movies would never be the same from that point forward.
I felt that 20 minutes into this movie.
Yikes.
Edgar Wright is one of the most talented directors of his generation, but the quality of his screenplays are entirely dependent on who he’s writing with. With that in mind, this might actually be the worst script of his career. It’s messy, tone-deaf, and honestly feels wrong-headed at parts.
But again, the direction is on point.
The music is great.
And although they aren’t given much to work with, the acting is stellar. Anya lends her charisma to a role that feels beneath her post-Queen’s Gambit.
Overall, I really wanted to love this, but can only recommend it if you’re already a fan of Wright’s.
