Stewball Reviews

The Kill Room (2023)

A well written, well executed dark comedy gem.

[8/10 · 6 October 2023]

A well written, well executed dark comedy gem. I think a lot of art house regulars have been dragging it down because of it's anti-junk art, satirical theme--which thereby attempts to drag Samuel L. Jackson down with it. SLJ is an honest man.

Certainly Uma Thurmans' best effort in a long time. Put this at the top of the list of superlative art criticism satire along with "The Accountant", for the way it burned Jackson Pollock. The reluctant hit man turned avant guarde slop artist is. It's already gone from most theaters so check it out when it starts streaming or on DVD-/blue ray discs. It's a trip.

Master Gardener (2022)

Off the beaten path, but it works.

[8/10 · 20 May 2023]

For all the times "Redemption" is used to describe movies recently, but not this one, is an indication how like clockwork our reviewers have become--or maybe I should say, how AI. The movie is very original, and the audience is kept of balance by a series of surprises or revelations, which few if any will see coming, particularly the one in the middle of the film. Anyone who says they foresaw that one is lying.

The three main characters, played by Joel Edgerton, Sigourney Weaver and Quintessa Swindell, were superbly cast, and I guess the Louisiana garden itself should be given some credit in that regard as well.

The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)

That old familiar sense of dread.

[5/10 · 30 October 2022]

As I was watching this, which at first blush is a very intriguing and well produced movie, I began to feel that old familiar sense of dread washing over me, headlined by the question, "Where is this going?" "How could this possibly end in a meaningful way?" Yes, many quality authors have had their downers, but they've inevitably turned out to be cautionary tale of some sort. Every quality that can be judged in this film is top notch, but with there being no point, I'm only paying to be disappointed--superb pun intended.

My best advice is to wash it out of your brain, if you've already watched it, and fill in the gap by watching "Wild Mountain Thyme"--a beautiful, uplifting masterpiece which is also set on the Emerald Isle.

Wild Mountain Thyme (2020)

Beauty, in many fascets.

[10/10 · 28 October 2022]

(Pauses while brushing the accent critics out of the way.) For me, this movie has turned out to be one of the rare eminently re-watchable movies, out there. It got caught up in the Covid lockdown, and many people (myself sometimes included) automatically translate "romance" to rom-com. But it's rich visuals and excellent use of music strike a stunning balance with its quirky Irish humor and timeless ocean of possibilities and even history. The title song, which has been recorded more times than "Here Comes the Sun", goes back to Irish and Scottish roots in the 1700s. And anyone who isn't touched by the closing scene is a cold fish indeed.

The Batman (2022)

Second only to the Dark Knight

[8/10 · 27 April 2022]

I was pleasantly surprised at the quality. It jacks up the noir several notches, and the plot is very tight, never needing to check my watch in spite of it's length. There wan't much humor, but that elevated it when it was used. Excellent cast, but of course, Dano is no Ledge, in fact that's probably why this wasn't a 9 as well for me..

The Outfit (2022)

"...I'd like to meet his tailor."

[9/10 · 23 March 2022]

I finally have my first upper tier movie of the year, a unassuming (and poorly promoted) gem called "The Outfit". It's an action movie even though everything takes place in the tailor's shop in Chicago. But the real story is the perfect casting of the very versatile, Mark Rylance (boat owner in "Dunkirk", and Halliday/Anorak in "Ready Player One"), as the tailor, or as he corrects (twice), the cutter.

His previous shop was on the prestigious Savile Row in London, leading me to recall the song, "Werewolves of London", which belts out this most memorable and appropriate verse:

"He's the hairy handed gent Who ran amok in Kent But lately he's been overheard in Mayfair.

You better stay away from him, He'll rip your lungs out Jim, Huh...I'd like to meet his tailor."

There's no such connection made in the movie, but it's a perfect fit anyway. I only marked it down for a couple of minor dramatic plot devices that stretched credibility towards the end--which ending I doubt many, if any, will foresee.

Undisputed (2002)

This is about more than boxing.

[10/10 · 24 January 2022]

Poor man's Shawshank Redemption, only better. Walter Hill's masterpiece. Great story starring Wesley Snipes, Ving Rhames, and featuring Peter Faulk in his best role ever. Superb casting in secondary roles. Sample scenes: The irony of prisoners singing a rap version of Star Spangled before the fight; Faulk's tirade/f-bombs soliloquy. Greatly underrated, for one reason, because many have never even heard of it.

Not to be confused with the Undisputed II (2007) and Undisputed III (2010) junk.

My wife, one of the gentlest souls to ever walk the Earth, loved this film too.

The Tender Bar (2021)

This is what pretentious people think "pretentious" means.

[9/10 · 7 January 2022]

And don't let anyone downplay the use of a narrator. Yes, it can be used as a shortcut, but more often than not, it's the most direct line from the author to the viewer/reader. And if you insist on criticizing it, the first narrator you're gonna have to take on is Huckleberry Finn.

After watching it , I took what JR said to heart, and hereby declare that, yes, I am a writer, remembering that even Shakespeare wrote run-on sentences. I just don't do novels, navel gazing or otherwise, or memoirs. Contrary to common belief, non-fiction is a vast panorama of open plain, deep forest, framed, ironically, by the Deep below, the deep blue sky above, with Truth throughout--all in great need of being illuminated via creative expression. Memoirs are a bridge between fiction and non-fiction. But beware, all three of can contain Truth, while simultaneously being twisted beyond belief. Think quantum entanglement.

The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021)

Something wicked this way comes.

[7/10 · 31 December 2021]

As a non- Shakespeare-o-phile and only having read it through once in high school, I gotta say I liked it but Shakespeare is always "Double, double toil and trouble, Fire burn and caldron bubble" when it comes to Middle English. I hate subtitles, but this needs it. Things improved in that regard towards the last half when "something wicked this way comes" and action dominated. But for the b&w sum of its prfound and tragic subject-matter, I extract this appropriate quote from it as penned by the noble Bard hissef, "It's a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." Sadly, that could also be the literal one sentence review of tens of thousands of efforts from the cinematic arts, many sporting Oscars. At least this is eminently quote worthy.

American Underdog (2021)

Uplifting Film

[8/10 · 30 December 2021]

Yes it is a Christian movie, though that's toned down considerably, and yeah it's hoaky in places, but it's still an uplifting and true story, even if you know how it ends.

National Champions (2021)

Football

[9/10 · 16 December 2021]

This is probably not that popular because it isn't about "a" game, but it's about "the" game, at least at the college level business. And to be fair, it does take sides, but it also presents both sides fairly well.

Kodachrome (2017)

Outstanding script, well delivered

[9/10 · 15 December 2021]

People who don't value dialogue, or sober complexity, or dark comedy, won't like it. People who do won't be able to forget it. Though Kodachrome may be gone, fortunately, think pieces will continue to abide.

tick, tick... BOOM! (2021)

The performances are irrelevant to the movie...which is called a "musical"

[4/10 · 13 November 2021]

This is little more than a celebration of the start of the stagnation of the Broadway musical lo these 30+ years ago. We're supposed to appreciate the mountains of lyrics that they keep being shoveled into the same, uninspired sing-song music box, heralded by that last gasp of Broadway greatness, the "Phantom of the Opera", as the requiem, and a reminder of the value of originality--punctuated only by occasional jukebox musicals (e.g. "Mamma Mia") temporarily reviving pop music from it's concurrent demise. The imagined clothes that the reigning Emperor of Broadway is wearing are impoverished and shabby.

After it was over, I hurried to my car to crank up some "Jesus Christ Superstar" to wash my brain out with the hope of Broadway pulling off its own resurrection. Then, cuing the "Music of the Night", I was reminded that another version of the "Phantom of the Opera" is being filmed...with "modernization".... Oh deliver me! Broadway is on life support. Andrew Lloyd Webber will be turning over in his grave while he's still alive. We need the "Angel of Music" to get us back on track before we reach the "Point of no Return".

The Card Counter (2021)

Well done, but....

[7/10 · 11 September 2021]

Well done and engaging, but audiences are less tolerant than critics of the intricate but empty and obscure ending--which shows in the chasm between the critics vs. Audience ratings. More often than not I fall in with the critics, but in this case, I think it's a case of defending art for art's sake. It may be unfair to go so far as to put it in the Jackson Pollock "drip" pile, but it's in the same barn. Yeah, it's better than the truckloads of horror/rom-com schlock being shoveled out our cinema's projectors, but it's a change of pace, and others might see something I didn't--but I doubt it.

The Protégé (2021)

Very uneven

[6/10 · 20 August 2021]

The action is typical, but the dialogue was well written for the most part. Docked it to a 6 for the lousy, sequel-hunting, hanging-threads ending.

The Suicide Squad (2021)

Characterless, humorless, silly and boring.

[3/10 · 8 August 2021]

Contrary to what I read some critic write, it's not even as good as the first one--far from it. Hard to believe this is from the director of the finest superhero movies of them all, "Guardians of the Galaxy".

Jungle Cruise (2021)

In a word, "Silly".

[3/10 · 3 August 2021]

The one and only redeeming value, at all, was the pun thread, which sometimes made me laugh at the same time I was rolling my eyes. I could describe the movie in minute detail and nobody would be able to accuse me of any actual spoilers.

Jolt (2021)

More than just another action movie.

[8/10 · 28 July 2021]

Besides the extensive, snappy, humorous fast paced reparte--there were moments of actual profundity, like this opening sentence from the narrator, "Everyone wants to be normal, but no one wants to be ordinary." And then there's this exchange: "You're fired." "For what?" "Your tone."

I mean, you gotta admit that a female bouncer with anger management issues and self administered shock therapy, is ripe for levity. The several scenes with her and her psychiatrist (Tucci), are especially rich.

As for cinematography, a superlative example is a shot showing Lindy running directly away from the camera at night, where you basically see her dim, shrinking silhouette with her feet coming down alternatively into a strip of light. It's as entrancing as the deep female tones of Beckinsale's voice.

Even the fight scenes were well choreographed (without shakey-cam), and it's actually got a pretty cool non-teenybopper soundtrack.

Pig (I) (2021)

A drama, ergo, not for the horrorists

[10/10 · 18 July 2021]

This is "Pig", the movie. There's one phrase that captures the spirit of this movie: supernaturally unpretentious. And that spirit is maintained from the very title, through Cage's superb performance (best since "Moonstruck"), to the end credits. It was shot on a low (no promotion!) budget, so much so that they didn't even use a trained pig, which bit Nicolas Cage several times. After one such bite, Cage quipped: "I've been set on fire, I've been in flipped cars but it'll be sepsis from a pig bite that kills me." It verily reeks with spoiler possibilities, like what he used to do for a living, so I won't say any more, and recommend you see it before someone sticks a finger in your peye. 10/10 (96/84% on Rotten Tomatoes)

Tenet (2020)

The unintended consequence of this chaos may be that it disproves time travel.

[6/10 · 5 September 2020]

I've been a big fan of Christopher Nolan, especially with his superb efforts like The Dark Knight, Inception and Interstellar. And I've been looking forward to this for almost a year. But my first theater experience since Covid was something of a disappointment due to both conceptual and technical problems that interfered with presenting a coherent story. From the opening sequence in the concert hall (which they never really explain), to problems with understanding the dialogue due to voices being muffled/distorted by gas masks and competing ambient noise, not to mention accents and diction, is a recurring problem throughout the film. Things might be better with headphones, but I suspect not much.

The other major problem is how it deals with the idea of time travel or reversal of time. They talk about the grandfather paradox, where someone goes back in time and kills their grandfather, but they never declare how that might be resolved. I think, if the movie accomplishes anything, it shows that such time travel would result in rationally unresolvable chaos-which I guess you could say, the movie portrays pretty will, and perhaps even disproves. Yes, observational travel back in time may well be possible, where all you can do is watch, like replaying a video. But interactive time travel in our 4-D universe is apparently not possible. Taking the grandfather paradox to it's extreme, someone from 10 billion years in the future could figure how to go back in time and cancel the Big Bang....(sigh).

It's a stellar cast, with Elizabeth Debicki being a dominant presence in every scene she's in; and Denzel Washington's son, John David, is excellent, especially given that he has the best diction of the lot-something I probably wouldn't normally have noticed.

As for plot questions: I never understood the significance of Plutonium 241, or what exactly the role of the woman from India was, except that she was the antagonist to Washington's protagonist.

On the positive side, the visuals were as excellent as the audio was garbled. Some of the action sequences worked despite the time-vector confusion, and the scenes with the hydrofoil sailboats was a visual highlight of the film. I regret that I can only give this a 6/10.

Late Night (2019)

Shifty Satire

[8/10 · 16 June 2019]

Emma Thompson is her usual adept and flawless self (my favorite performance is in "Stranger Than Fiction"), while Mindy Kakling is the off screen overweight token minority comedienne with a degree of talent, who plays one on screen. In addition to the political correctness, the plot indicates itself to be in the leftist political camp in it's support of Planned Parenthood. But later it shoots itself in the left foot (which I must assume was intentional, ( and this was the funniest segment), when Mz. Newbery, while interviewing two black men in the street who can't hail a cab, as in the preview in her new role as 'White Savior', hails one for them. But then when one of the guys says, he "actually didn't need to go anywhere", she replies, "That doesn't matter, that's how white saviors work".

Inspired satire on its face alone, but in case you missed it, that ALSO means that self-declared white saviors (liberals) don't care about the "victims" they use, er help, and which hypocrisy bleeds over onto the original cause (Pro-Choice without limits), and on to countless other causes as well. BTW, "Pro-Life"can be equally extreme itself, just sayin'.

Pokémon: Detective Pikachu (2019)

Uhhhh

[5/10 · 12 May 2019]

Usually I'm not that far off from the rest of the audience, but most of it just wasn't that funny to me, even though it, like most pre-teen movies, targets adults as well, to get them to bring the kids of course.

Stuck (IV) (2017)

Maybe we ought to lock up Washington in a subway car.

[9/10 · 20 April 2019]

You have to hunt to find this gem (literally, check R/T), which tries, and mostly succeeds, to be an honest but unifying force. Giancarlo Esposito's superb portrayal of a subway bum is the exact opposite of the simmering, fastidious heavy in the long running Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul series. Half the music is excellent, especially Giancarlo singing (a non- Patsy Cline) "Crazy". But the other half is Broadway sing-song boiler plate, which is why I didn't make it a 10.

Our Planet (2019–2023)

New level in nature videos

[9/10 · 6 April 2019]

Absolutely stunning, high quality visuals, you're left continually thinking "how did they get that". The sequence in the jungle capturing the four male birds dancing to attract the female is nothing short of eye-watering. I only mark it down from a 10 because of the two occasions where David Attenborough's narration slips of into blatant propaganda.

Dumbo (2019)

Disney bows to PC once again.

[5/10 · 1 April 2019]

Most noticeably uninspired by Burton or Ferrell. Obviously all too worried about adhering to the strictures of political correctness. God forbid they have a song with crows singing a clever song about seeing an elephant fly.