Movie Reviews: 'Argylle' Is An Outrageous, Twistyturny Idea Trapped In A Movie Afraid To Cut Loose
Argyll: two and a half stars
British director Matthew Vaughn is best known for high-profile, dynamic action films such as the “Kick-Ass” and “Kingsman” series. His new PG-13 spy parody "Argyle," in theaters now, features his signature intense action style but feels like a gentler, less violent and less provocative version of his previous work.
This chaotic story begins with Bryce Dallas Howard, bestselling introverted author Ellie Conway. His life is as peaceful as the exciting spy novels he writes. By day, he sends his heroes, globe-trotting super spy Argyle (Henry Cavill) and his friends Wyatt (John Cena) and Kira (Ariana DeBose), on adventures with femme fatale LaGrange (Dua Lipa) in the hopes of averting catastrophe. global. A spy syndicate called the Directorate. After work, he spends quiet time at home with his "hot girlfriend" and his beloved cat Alfie (the best cat in a spy movie since Blofeld's Solomon).
A true Argyll type, her quiet life changes when she meets Aidan (Sam Rockwell), a real spy sent to protect her.
“What you described in your new book really happened,” he said, “and you kicked a hornet’s nest without even knowing it existed.”
It turns out that it is the real agent Argyle, who is being targeted by some villains, and Ritter (Bryan Cranston), a crazy spy who believes his book is too close to reality for that to happen could comfort yourself.
As a real spy, he, Aiden and his cat find themselves in a world wilder and certainly more dangerous than anything depicted in his books.
“If you want your life back,” Aidan said, “I can give it back to you. I’m the good guy here.”
A cross between a James Bond franchise and a buddy comedy, Mission: Impossible Argyle is a chaotic and confusing semi-entertainment. The cartoon and twist are full of great spy action, an all-star cast, and Rockwell's witty, scene-stealing riffs, but it never quite comes together. Dead ends hinder the story's forward momentum, Vaughn sometimes falls into the film's deepest plot holes, and there are so many twists and turns that even Chubby Checker can't keep up.
Right after the film's half hour and 139 minutes, Vaughn delivers two incredible action sequences. The “Killer” dance and unconventional figure skating are fun and have the incredible energy you’ve come to expect from Vaughn. Both scenes are pleasing to the eye, but also highlight what the rest of the film is missing.
Rockwell's live performances provide most of the film's laughs, but they are few and far between. The rest of the cast is used sparingly. One has to wonder why some of them, including Samuel L. Jackson and Richard E. Grant, bothered to attend.
“Argyle” errs on the side of PG-13. It's an overwhelming and twisted idea trapped in a film that's genuinely afraid to break free.
Pop's Biggest Night: 3.5 stars
If a bomb had hit A&M Recording Studios in Hollywood on January 28, 1985, the Billboard hits would never have been restored. With the exception of superstars Prince and Madonna, every representative of American popular music, 46 artists in all, came together to test their egos and record "We Are the World," America's answer to Bob Geldof's supergroup charity single "Do They." “. . Did you know that today is Christmas?
The song became the best-selling pop single in U.S. history, selling 20 million copies and raising tens of millions of dollars for humanitarian aid through Artists United Support Africa. Pop's Biggest Night, a new documentary currently streaming on Netflix, takes us behind the scenes of the historic record.
In the first half of the film, director Bao Nguyen uses archival footage and new interviews with key actors to set the scene behind the music and take audiences back to the difficult days of the original Macintosh PC. and when “Purple Rain” made Prince the first artist in North America to have a number one song, album and film at the same time.
Music icon and activist Harry Belafonte asked: “Do they know it’s Christmas?” With band-aids. Raising awareness and resources to fight hunger in Africa and then introducing the idea of “We are the world”. Soon, fundraiser and music agent Ken Cragen joined in, raiding the Rolodex and bringing together Lionel Richie, Michael Jackson and producer Quincy Jones to create songs to be sung by an all-star choir.
From songwriting and scheming to recruiting top talent facilitated by the Post-American Music Awards, nearly the entire music industry gathers in Los Angeles to set up microphones and hold sessions for Jones' famous "Check Your Ego" to plan event. at the door,” says Nguyen about the events leading up to the recording.
It's a simple setup that resulted in stunning footage from the same night where some of the world's most famous people gathered to learn and record the song, as well as film a music video for its release.
This is where the documentary becomes more than just an episode of “I Love the 80s.” The recording showcased the dedication, talent and camaraderie between the legends, who soon delighted fans by asking for autographs from their idols between sets and expressing their embarrassment at singing in front of music legends like Ray Charles and Bob Dylan .
There are humorous moments - many of Cyndi Lauper's necklaces are known for the strange noises that ruin one take after another - some are unexpected - like the uncertainty in Bob Dylan's voice - and there are touching scenes in which the actors are overcome with emotion including Diana Ross crying. . “I don’t want it to end,” she said.
Jones took the lead. To overcome talents, egos and insecurities in a room full of superstars, Huey Lewis noted, "You have to be more than just a great musician, you have to be a psychiatrist," and it's a joy to watch Jones push forward . . this gang. He knows what he wants and always knows how to achieve it. This is the pinnacle of extraordinary virtuoso creativity.
Pop's Biggest Night is an exercise in nostalgia and certainly doesn't create a new form of music documentary, but the work of the musicians gathered on this special evening is just as inspiring today as it was 39 years ago.
Installation: 3 stars
A quote from French existentialist philosopher Simon de Beauvoir sets the tone for writer-director Molly McGlynn's semi-autobiographical sex comedy Fitting In.
The title card reads: "The body is not a thing, but a state." It's the perfect backdrop for this crazy film about reproductive health.
16-year-old Lindy (Maddie Ziegler) lives with her mother Rita (Emily Hampshire), a therapist, in Sudbury, Ontario. Abandoned by her father years ago, she and Rita survived and thrived, and now Lindy finds herself in a new high school with her best friend Vivian (Juliet Amara) and her new boyfriend Adam (D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai).
While waiting to have sex with Adam, she makes an appointment with a gynecologist to get a prescription for birth control pills. She had never had her period before, so her doctor referred her to a male specialist and to her surprise, after a routine check-up, everything was found to be fine. She suffers from Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome, which means she was born without a uterus and will never be able to give birth or “have sex without manual or surgical assistance.”
The news shocked, embarrassed and worried him, and he refused to accept help from Rita or her friends. We were shocked that doctors were prescribing dilators - "It's like vaginal plug boot camp!" - his carefully planned life begins to fall apart. There is tension at home, she quits the track team and her relationship with Adam deteriorates when he refuses physical contact.
“My worst nightmare is that people find out,” he said.
The only person she feels comfortable confiding in is non-binary intersex classmate Jax (Key Griffin), whose relationship with her body greatly supports Lindy on her journey to gender identity. “I don’t feel like a medical facility anymore,” Jax said. “I feel like being intersexual gives me superpowers. However you define yourself, it is up to you to own who you are. Nobody should make you ashamed of it.
Honest and funny, Fit In has been described as a "tragedy" with a mix of trauma and comedy. Director McGlynn certainly conveys the complexity of Lindy's situation, but does so with trademark humor. Much of the credit goes to Ziegler, whose ease on screen makes her a surrogate for the audience, guiding us through the ups and downs of Lindy's life. From vulnerable and nervous to reserved and impulsive, Ziegler captures the inner turmoil of a teenager facing a life-changing situation.
Most fit-ins work well. McGlynn shows her wit in a scene about a visit to the gynecologist, which details a male doctor's unpleasant consultation with a female patient. The teen scenes look realistic and the "big teen movie conversation" in which Lindy finally finds a way to express herself has a nice justification, but at 106 minutes the material feels too cheesy overall.
