Avengers: Infinity War

        Ten years in the making from the Marvel movie machine and after all the hype and over bloated expectations, Marvel delivers everything they promised and more with ‘Avengers: Infinity War’.  This will be a challenge to write about without giving away spoilers as almost every scene in this film contains spoilers.  It is action from beginning to end, yet never losing sight of the fact that these are fully fleshed out characters that we have come to love over the years.  How the characters from 22 different movies can all be squeezed into one feature is a miraculous logistical achievement in itself, but to have it feel that the flow is natural with everyone getting their screen time among frantic pacing is beyond miraculous.  The Russo brothers more than earned their paycheck in bringing this all together.

Marvel has always been criticized for having weak, one dimensional villains (with the exception of Loki).  Thanos is the Russo brothers answer to this critique.  They ,along with actor Josh Brolin (the actor behind the CGI), have created the baddest of the bad.  Truly an unstoppable monster, yet not one who acts evil for the sake of being evil. His quest is to gather the 6 Infinity Stones (which have been MacGuffins in most Marvel movies) and to assemble them in a gauntlet which will make him the most powerful force in the universe.  Despite the non-stop action, we delve into Thanos’s past and psyche to see what drives him to collect all the Infinity Stones.  One will be surprised that it isn’t sheer malevolence, but horrified at his plan of universal genocide.

‘Avengers: Infinity War’ opens directly following the events of ‘Thor: Ragnarok’.  The threat that Thanos represents is immediately made apparent as we feel traumatic losses within the first few minutes of the film. The movie also links directly to the aftermaths of ‘Black Panther’, ‘Dr Strange’, and 'Captain America: Civil War’.  All in perfect concert. The true joy of these ensemble cast movies is seeing the characters we know and love play off each other in different combinations.  Despite the film’s somber tone, the humor and wise cracks define our favorite characters and to see Thor and Rocket Raccoon or Tony Stark and Star Lord trading barbs is worth the price of admission alone. It’s also fascinating to see earth bound heroes such as Tony Stark and Captain America interact on a mystical or cosmic scale.  Kudos to the Russo brothers in creating a story where this seems plausible.

Have no doubt though, as we see the continuation of our favorite characters and their storylines, Thanos is the true star of this movie.  We’ve come to a point where CGI technology is so advance, that we forget we are watching a computer generated character. You actually feel Thanos is a living being, not just a wooden animation. Of course we fear Thanos, but Josh Brolin is able to bring the subtleties of expression and emotion to Thanos whereas we begin to understand him as a being, not just a monster.  We feel his unflappable singular desire to assemble the Infinity Gauntlet, so much so that he makes horrific choices. Even through his most heart wrenching choices, he feels that what he does is just.  Thanos views himself as a savior, not a villain, which makes him an even more unstoppable force.

Most of the action takes places with groups in three different places: Space, the planet Titan, and Earth.  Each of these story threads are woven perfectly to come together in a final battle for existence in Black Panther’s Wakanda.  The Battle Royale is indeed a Battle Royale with each hero demonstrating what makes them super-heroes.  All I will say, in terms of a semi-spoiler, is that the end is not what you expect (unless you are a comic nerd and know the story already).  After 2.5 hours, you will leave the theater dazed and confused, but still wanting more.  The Russos have created an action film with depth.  A finale (that concludes next year), that dazzles and amazes.  If you are not up-to-date on all the Marvel movies, you might be lost, but you will still enjoy the ride.

I give this film **** 1/2 out of 5 stars

Avengers: Infinity War trailer

A Quiet Place

    ‘A Quiet Place’ is the type of film I seek out.  Small in scale with a story to tell.  I’ve been hearing about this film for awhile and it was with both anticipation and trepidation that I looked forward to its’ release.  Written, Directed, and starring John Krasinsky, this is truly his passion project.  For myself (and many others I suspect), John Krasinsky will always be the affable ‘Jim’ from the tV show ‘The Office’.  I thought he would be doomed to this role casting for the rest of his career.  It wasn’t until the film ’13 Hours’ that I saw Krasinsky’s ability to have range beyond his role as Jim.  Much like Jordan Peele’s sleeper hit ‘Get Out’, John Krasinski has taken his career into his own hands and lifted himself above being a cult TV character.  He has officially arrived as a film maker with ‘A Quiet Place’.

I would be lying if I didn’t say the premise of ‘A Quiet Place’ gave me some pause as well.  The story centers around the Abbott family, who are trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic world where aliens have taken over the earth.  The aliens primary receptory sense is hearing (they are in effect blind) and they immediately slaughter any human who creates a sound above a whisper.  The trailers portray this as a horror film, and even though it is, it is so much more. Due to the premise of the film, ‘A Quiet Place’ has little dialogue.  Most communication occurs through sign language. I went in wondering if a film, that is almost a silent film, would be able to hold my attention.  Even though it starts a little slow, once one settles in, the tension ratchets up quickly and carries you through the film as it builds.

Set in rural farmland, Lee Abbott has set up a homestead with his wife Evelyn (starring his real life wife Emily Blunt) constructed to make as little sound as possible.  Walking barefoot every where, even as they scavenge for supplies in nearby ghost towns, they live in fear of making a sound loud enough for the alien monstrosities to hear and coming to be savagely torn apart.  After an early traumatic loss, Lee has dedicated his life to safeguarding his family and that of their unborn child.  The audience immediately understands the implications of Evelyn being pregnant as a crying infant would be the immediate end of their entire family.  The sense of hope at a new life in a post apocalyptic world and the impending doom of what a new born baby might bring down upon them makes for heightened dread.

John Krasinsky truly excels at making ‘less is more’ in this script.  Other than a few quick scenes to establish the terror and ferocity of the aliens, they are conspicuously absent throughout most of the film.  Their absence, rather the anticipation and dread of their presence, is at the visceral core of this film and is its’ driving force.  The possibility of their arrival is what causes the drama and tension and, at times, the sheer horror of the life the Abbotts are now leading.  We cringe at the sounds even the most mundane activities cause.  Lee attempts to sound proof the environment through sanding pathways and cushioning everything he can find that might make a noise.  He suspects, much like we do, that it is only a matter of time before a random sound will be the cause of their deaths.  

One of many ways this film diverts from the typical horror genre is that much about this story is about the love of family and the willingness of a mother and father to do anything in order for their children to survive.  One very touching moment is when Lee and Evelyn slow dance to a Neil Young song through shared headphones.  Something that would be out of place in a horror movie, but set just the right tone of family and love that Krasinski was going for with this story.  Even the small touches like one of their daughters being deaf (which explains how the family knows how to sign), makes this a film with characters that are fleshed out and full. This is not really a spoiler, but I felt the film ended with a cliched ending that only slightly brought down my appreciation, but overall this was a great achievement for John Krasinski and Emily Blunt.

While I will say I enjoyed this film more than I expected and that John Krasinski has made a new respected name for himself as both a Director and Actor of serious work, it doesn’t quite rise to the level of Jordan Peele’s ‘Get Out’, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its’ own voice or artistic merit.  I always give kudos to artists who are able to define themselves by doing it themselves.  Krasinski could have spent a career of being typecast, yet he chose to not let himself be put in a box.  Much respect for his drive, ambition, and vision.  I’ll end surprising myself in saying that despite the horror aspect of this film, it really is a family film.  It’s about the love that binds a family and keeps them moving forward for each other despite horrific odds.  This film has my complete respect

I give this film *** out of 5 stars

A Quiet Place