steiner-sam

It's a black comedy-drama about COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement, set in the fictional town of Eddington (population 2,400), New Mexico, from March to Summer 2020. Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix) has been the sheriff for seven years; he's conservative in outlook and resists the masking mandates issued by the state and by Eddington Mayor and bar owner Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal). Joe's deputies are racist Guy (Luke Grimes) and African American Michael (Michael Ward). Joe is married to traumatized Louise (Emma Stone), whose erratic conspiracy theorist mother, Dawn (Deirdre O'Connell), lives with them. Ted, of a liberal mindset, has a son, Eric (Matt Gomez Hidaka), who is a strong supporter of the local Black Lives Matter movement after George Floyd's death. We also meet cult leaders and more sane Native American police officers from the neighboring reservation.

For the first 90 minutes, "Eddington" followed a somewhat plausible storyline reflecting competing political perspectives as Joe decides to run for mayor against Ted. Unfortunately, the film turns into an extended horror/snuff movie as a major character goes berserk and a wealthy, organized Intifada joins the action. Then there's an unintelligible ending that admits to no political perspective. It isn't funny, primarily because of the extended, explicit violence. Joaquin Phoenix displays a lot of range because he dominates the screen. No one else has the opportunity to come close to it.

It's a comedy set in London, England, in the early 1960s, about a self-centered British hipster. Alfie Elkins (Michael Caine) is a smooth-talking chauffeur who has a way with women--single or married. Alfie's in it for his own joy, and has little time for anything deeper than casual sex. We meet Siddie (Millicent Martin), Gilda (Julia Foster), Lily (Vivien Merchant), Ruby (Shelley Winters), and assorted others. We also meet some of Alfie's male friends, including Nat (Murray Melvin), Humphrey (Graham Stark), and Harry (Alfie Bass).

Two pregnancies interrupt Alfie's serenity, one ending in a son he comes to adore. In the end, others have moved on from Alfie, but it's unclear what Alfie has learned, if anything.

Michael Caine does a fine job as Alfie, and the script has Alfie constantly talking to the audience, which makes the presentation more effective. It doesn't make him a more likable person. Shelley Winters, Jane Asher, and Julia Foster are the best of the women. I found Alfie's frequent reference to his latest bedmate as "it" deeply offensive, although it probably went largely unnoticed when the film came out.

It's a post-apocalyptic horror drama set in 2001 England. Some animal rights activists release some research monkeys infested with a "rage" virus transmissible through blood. When it infects humans, it makes them incoherent, rage-filled "zombies" who attack anyone they find still healthy. Jim (Cillian Murphy) is a bicycle courier in a coma after an accident when the apocalyptic event takes place, and wakes up to London's empty streets.

The film follows Jim's adventures as he encounters other survivors, including Mark (Noah Huntley), Selena (Naomie Harris), Frank (Brendan Gleeson), and Hannah (Megan Burns). Eventually, the survivors from this group reach a small military outpost led by Major West (Christopher Eccleston) and Sergeant Farrell (Stuart McQuarrie). However, all is not well with the military, and things descend into chaos.

I'm sorry, I don't get horror. I can't suspend belief when the story is so implausible. Why are there not countless bodies in London's streets? Why don't the infected people attack each other? Why are there no other women at the military outpost? How did Selena learn so much about how the infection spread? Why does Major West show an infected prisoner to a newcomer he's trying to impress? In addition, the film demonstrates its low budget with rapid shots that convey nothing but chaos.

I watched "28 Days Later" to see an early Cillian Murphy film (he's OK, but not great), and I really like Brendan Gleeson as a character actor. Naomie Harris does nice work. I found the script dreadfully weak.