A solid month with 8 new films.
Eternals
#FF21 Marvel's Eternals is less than the sum of its parts.
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) November 15, 2021
A fantastic cast are given some muddled action and more exposition than in any previous Marvel film. Chloe Zhao's beautiful shots don't make up for how tedious and slow-paced this film is.
Should be better.
Red Notice
#FF21 Red Notice is the hollow, big-budget drivel we should be passed by now.
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) November 15, 2021
In a world with great action, this turns up with a bunch of set pieces that look badly faked. The three leads are fine, but aren't exactly stretching themselves here.
Silly nonsense.
Passing
#FF21 Passing doesn't quite live up to its obvious potential.
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) November 27, 2021
It looks gorgeous throughout, presented in crisp black and white. The early film takes its time to linger in some of the interesting questions it wants to set up, but they're not paid off.
Ultimately, slow & listless
Ghostbusters: Afterlife
#FF21 Ghostbusters: Afterlife is a bit of a letdown.
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) November 27, 2021
Moving the focus to younger people in the countryside works well, but it takes too long to start: a full hour before a single ghost is busted.
The cast are solid but are let down by a script that is caught in nostalgia.
Meh
The Harder They Fall
#FF21 The Harder They Fall is a fantastic, modern Western.
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) November 27, 2021
The cast is stacked with great actors, the plot has enough going on to keep our interest, and the thing looks incredible: beautifully composed shots on the action, and ridicuously over the top moments.
Excellent fun.
Venom: Let There Be Carnage
#FF21 Venom: Let There Be Carnage is terrible.
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) November 27, 2021
The goofy, odd-couple take on Venom doesn't work for me; and him sulking and going to a rave is painful to watch.
The action sequences are muddled, the plot is nonsensical, and the performances are bad.
Absolutely avoid this one.
The Trouble With Being Born
#FF21 The Trouble With Being Born is a difficult watch.
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) November 27, 2021
The cold, formal style puts the attention on what's happening; and what's happening is uncomfortable, intentionally confused, and a little slow.
It raises some interesting and provocative thoughts, but it's uneasy.
King Richard
#FF21 King Richard is an entertaining biopic, about the Williams' sisters through the eyes of their father.
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) December 11, 2021
It suffers from the same problems that often occurs when a subject's involved in the filmmaking: it follows a mostly positive formula with only crumbs of criticism.
Fine.
The November Winner
Not the strongest month, but The Harder They Fall is a deserved winner: great visuals, pacing, and performances. A must-see.