A COMPLETE UNKNOWN Review, THE FIRE INSIDE Review, NOSFERATU Review — All Open Dec 25
Hopefully, this A Complete Unknown review, The Fire Inside review and the Nosferatu review will help you decide which, if any, to see if you’re heading to the cineplex on Christmas Day.
A Complete Unknown Review
Even if the Bob Dylan phenomena began well before you were born, you’ll be riveted by this soulful and fascinating film about the iconic superstar’s initial rise, and his utter reinvention of the folk music scene in the mid-60’s.
Timothée Chalamet actually becomes Dylan, singing, talking, walking, gesturing and looking like the real life Robert Allen Zimmerman, in a performance that is sure to be Oscar nominated. Edward Norton, as folk singer and Dylan mentor Pete Seeger, is also a shoo-in for a nod in the Best Supporting Actor category. They both have my votes for Critics Choice Awards.
In fact, I’m debating whether to give my vote for this year’s best picture to A Complete Unknown or Emilia Pérez. Director James Mangold (Ford v Ferrari, Walk the Line, 3:10 to Yuma, Wolverine, to name a few), intriguingly introduces us to the man, his music and his influencers, among them Woody Guthrie (Scoot McNary) and Joan Baez (Monica Barbara), without sanctifying the subject.
He also parallels the important political events that shaped the generation, as well as Dylan’s music. It’s one of the most enjoyable history lessons you’ll ever receive.
Although Dylan remains an enigma in the film, his genius is undeniable. If you’re not a fan of his artistry and legacy (as I was heretofore not), you’ll end up with a new appreciation for this American icon (as I was). He went on to win a Pulitzer Price, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and was the first musician to win a Nobel Prize in Literature. After watching A Complete Unknown, you’ll understand why.
Rated R
2 Hours 21 Minutes
The Fire Inside Review
Have you ever heard of Claressa Shields? No? Neither had I, even though she’s arguably one of the nation’s greatest female athletes, certainly one of the best female boxers.
The Fire Inside is based on the true story of Shields, played by relative newcomer Ryan Destiny. It recounts how a high school junior from Flint, MI, with the support of her indefatigable coach, Jason Crutchfield (Bryan Tyree Henry), won an Olympic Gold Medal.
But the film doesn’t end there. Believing that her victory would help her lift her family above the poverty line, she was stunned to find out that there was very little, if any, endorsement interest in female boxers. Advertisers preferred perky gymnasts and the like. And most female Olympic athletes didn’t get as much support for Olympic training as the men, either.
So Claressa took on two Olympian battles—one for a second Gold at the next Olympics, and another for equal support and rights for female boxers and other athletes. Does she win? You’ll have to check out this a-typical sports drama to find out. It takes audiences on a deeper and darker journey than they’ve come to expect from the basic sports biopic, yet it’s still family friendly—it feels like a realistic slice of an extraordinary life.
Prominent cinematographer Rachel Morrison (Mudbound, Black Panther, Fruitvale Station) makes her powerful directing debut with elan in this film that’s equal parts rich, gritty, heartbreaking, emotional and victorious. It may not be the type of merry little movie you’d rush out to see on Christmas Day, but it’s definitely worth viewing when you’re in a mood to be moved.
Rated PG-13
1 Hour 49 Minutes
Nosferatu Review
If you’re familiar with and admire the work of director Robert Eggers, which includes The Northman, The Lighthouse and The Witch, among others, you will doubtless be thrilled by this stylish, dark and lumbering vampire movie.
Still, even if this genre is decidedly your jam, I can’t imagine you running out to see it on December 25th. I’m not quite sure what possessed Focus Features to open it on Christmas Day. A little something for all the Bah Humbuggers out there? I guess they need to feel the holiday love too.
This version is a remake of, and almost a tribute to, 1922’s silent German Expressionist vampire flick called Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror. Like its predecessor, this Gothic iteration focuses on the evil vampire known as Count Orlock (Bill Skarsgård), and his carnal obsession with the wife (Lily-Rose Depp) of his estate agent (Nicholas Hoult).
The plot is long, drawn out and cloaked in mist and shadow, both literally and figuratively. Some will find it direly seductive. I found it excruciatingly dull—more of a dirge of horror than a symphony. Gloomy nightmares, nightmares and more nightmares. Like the characters in the film, I much would have preferred to sleep through them.
Perhaps it would have been less annoyingly anachronistic had it been released in October. But if that were the case, it probably wouldn’t have been nominated for as many awards as it has been—most of them technical, so far. I’ll admit it’s a feast for a certain type of film aficionado. I just can’t count myself among them.
Rated R
2 Hours and 13 Minutes
If this A Complete Unknown review, The Fire Inside review or the Nosferatu review leaves you eager to visit the cineplex on Christmas or any other day, find times and tickets on Fandango.com.
Hopefully, this A Complete Unknown review, The Fire Inside review and the Nosferatu review will help you decide which, if any, to see if you’re heading to the cineplex on Christmas Day.