Cyns-Corner

4/10 STARS - O'dessa is a musical set in a post-apocalyptic world. I admit the concept alone was a bit of a head scratcher because ... why? I decided to go ahead and screen it anyway and unfortunately it didn't really hit the mark with me. I'm not a huge fan of musicals to begin with (there are some exceptions like Better Man and Sound of Music - both of which I LOVE), but oddly, it wasn't the musical aspect of it that bothered me the most. In the beginning I was getting a little annoyed at how many songs there were in just the first 15-20 minutes of the film, but as the story went along, it wasn't as much of an issue with me, especially since some of those numbers happened during a performance setting so it fit in well enough with the narrative. The problem I have is that while a unique blend of genres can sometimes work well, most of the time they don't. And this was one such time. In many ways, O'dessa doesn't seem to know what it wants to be: powerful, moving musical, post-apocalyptic thriller drama, romance, hero's journey? It couldn't effectively be all four at the same time and consequently, some parts of the plot felt "underbaked" and lacking substance. The romance felt rushed and unearned, and some of the narrative flows felt sloppily stitched together. Another reviewer descried it as a "disjointed music video marathon" and having "style without purpose" and those are great ways to describe it. The acting was fine (I didn't even recognize Regina Hall, because of the wacky haircut she had), but some of the characters did feel a bit over the top and cookie-cutter - especially the main antagonist played by Murray Bartlett. I did enjoy the performance Kelvin Harrison, Jr. Gave us and Sadie Sink did an admirable job at the singing and guitar playing, but ultimately, O'Dessa was a lackluster viewing experience. Quick take video review will be available on my YouTube channel shortly.

Opus started off pretty solid but fell apart in the final act. It's similar to other stories like Midsommar, Get Out, Blink Twice, The Menu, etc. So this wasn't anything new, but that wasn't much of an issue for me. The problem is in the explanation for what drives the cult. What it's about - its purpose. Malkovich's character sorta kinda attempts to offer an explanation at the end, but it didn't feel sufficiently solid enough to patch up the holes created by that issue. The acting in here was great though, and it was fun to see Malkovich ham it up the way he did. This was director Mark Anthony Green's first film, and he was also the writer. He has potential, as evidenced by the strong first half of the story. But he needs a bit more work to stick the landing. Video review available on my YouTube channel.

8/10 STARS - This might get bumped up slightly upon a re-watch, but I felt Black Bad was solid. It's not action-packed, but it is very efficiently paced. At only an hour and a half, there is a lot that happens, and a lot of questions that are raised, and yet it's wrapped up well and in a satisfying way. Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender are great in here and their chemistry can't be denied. I loved the way Cate leaned into her character's mysterious, alluring, and cool nature, and Michael Fassbender was convincing as the seemingly emotionless husband who would do anything to protect his wife. The supporting cast was solid as well and the dialogue was also interesting to listen to as it played out. Black Bag had a Hitchcockian feel to it which might be one of the reasons it resonated so strongly with me. Video review available on my YouTube channel.