Dallas Fisher

    Tag: movie

    • FYC 2025 Part 1

      Blue Moon

      Do not steer clear of Ethan Hawke’s performance as Lorenz Hart. He not only transforms into a different person, he is also the most inviting character on the year. Hawke cloaks his real persona while pinning down a role that is so professional and passionate. He also proves more and more that he is irreplaceable. I was only mildly interested in the story but Richard Linklater once again gets away with enchanting an audience by delivering dialogue that you can’t help but fall in love with. Even though they won’t get mentioned in the long run, Margaret Qualley and Bobby Cannavale deserve to be a part of the celebration here too. Ehtan Hawke is perfect and every line of dialogue elevates a pretty uninspired movie, for my taste at least.

      3.5/5


      Hedda

      This very much falls into the -not for me- category of movies this year. While Tessa Thompson as the titular character is a strong contender for one of the better performances of the year, her range is a little wrongheaded and overshadowed by others around her. If emotion was the preferred outcome, I couldn’t seem to find any. Manuscript must have been the word of the year when this story is set and I hope I never have to hear it again, as it was said a profuse amount of times to no regard. I know it’s a film, a drama at that, but this story could have been avoided by everyone just going home and things could have been less dramatic and forced.

      2.4/5


      Die My Love

      WOW. Never did I think I could dislike Jennifer Lawrence as much as I did in Die My Love. This is an agonizing watch (on purpose) but still brought me to the angriest point I have been watching a movie all year. Having talented actors just do crazy things on camera for no reason made for a horrible time. Every word spoken and every movement of the actors’ bodies drove me nuts. I can’t relate to this movie because I’ve never gone through postpartum depression, but I can’t relate to 99% of other movies either. At least they aren’t trying their hardest to be experimental when everyone involved has evolved past that point. It’s like if a tenured professor went to work at Wendy’s, they can do the job but you have to ask yourself, why the fuck would you? Every aspect is a rough time. The lighting is brutal, the direction is a headache, and it made J. Law and Robert Pattison annoying to no end. I guess if you want to see hot people naked, here you go. Just put it on mute so you don’t have to think to yourself “SHUT UP” the whole time like I did.

      0.7/5



      The Legend of the Ochi

      The ugliest movie I have seen in a very long time. I hate to be so blunt, but oh my goodness was this hard to look at. I’m not sure if the production budget was razor thin or if this was intentional, either way it is painful on the eyes. The costumes are created with the flair of a Wes Anderson adventure, while simultaneously having the effect of a high school drama. I have also never been so off put by sounds in a film, as the noise the creature makes is atrocious and in no way cute. There’s times where the sound design is pulling in so many different directions that I wanted to plug my ears. The Legend of Ochi is an unpleasant experience for two of the five senses, which are arguably the two most important. What should have felt like a new aged E.T., ultimately turned out to be an annoying turn of misadventure and failed design from all angles.

      1.4/5

      Ballad of a Small Player

      Edward Berger really fell off a short cliff after Conclave. Gambling movies are a tough pill to swallow for me, sure you have great gambling scenes in movies like Oceans 11 and Casino Royale, but those are a small part in the scheme of greater things. I don’t feel bad for people that do this type of thing to themselves, so maybe that’s why it is hard for me to buy in. It just felt like Eddy was trying to show off his camera skills without bringing anything new to the table. The color design is off the walls cool, but when the substance isn’t there, it’s hard to see it as anything more than performative. I like seeing Colin Farrell attempt to show off his range, but his skills work so much better when there’s at least a little humor involved.

      1.7/5



      Nouvelle Vague


      Richard Linklater’s second outing in one month plays like a very well made documentary (without talking heads or narration) that might not be all that interesting for the uninformed (me). I might be the worst cinephile in the world after having no interest in watching how one of the most important films in French cinema history came to be. The casting is perfect for people I’ve never heard of, but you can just tell. The set design of the Paris streets is so realistic that I do have to admit I was a little in love with that more than the people. Zoey Deutch feels like she’s speaking a made up language at times, but still stands out in a mostly good way. It felt too hand fed and if I had to applaud, it would be scattered.

      2.7/5


      Baltimorons

      I usually LOVE anything a Duplass brother touches, so I’m disappointed I didn’t have much of a positive reaction to this one. I was so uncomfortable watching these people do such weird and unfunny things throughout the film. The tow yard scene had my attention but after that scene ended it was such a repetitive drag of dullness. I easily understand why I’ve never seen these actors in a movie before.

      2/5

      Train Dreams

      An under talked about film that hasn’t really even been released yet, but I know how these things go. Joel Edgerton is subtle, yet so important in his stature and emotion. When beautiful cinematography and soothing narration come together, it usually leads to an enchanting film, and Train Dreams is no different. This immediately became one of my favorite films of the year and presented me with hope and wonder for my ancestors.

      4.5/5

    • TCFF Day 1: Hamnet

      This year was my first time receiving a media pass for the Twin Cities Film Fest, so I was at an all time high in my movie going brain. I was going to be able to bring my fiancé with me, we were meeting up with other members of the critics association before the opening night screening, and we were then going to attend said screening (Hamnet) six weeks before the general public would have the chance to see it. Before any of this could happen, I had to pick up my media ticket that was saved under my name in the ticket office. Upon receiving my ticket I read that I was seated in seat A5. A5!? I hadn’t sat in the front row for a movie since Mockingjay part 2, and that was only because seats were not yet assigned and I arrived too late for the midnight premiere.

      Obviously I wasn’t too thrilled to have been put that close, especially since I had purchased a ticket in a better row for my fiance. Nonetheless, I was still excited to be one of the first few people in the country to see this film. I found my seat right under the screen, and luckily I wasn’t the only critic to be sat that close. The showtime had come and gone, 7:15 became 7:30. I never expect festival screenings to happen right on time, but I also wasn’t in the mindset to see a flash mob dance to unlicensed music that had nothing to do with the film. After a few other speakers we were finally at showtime.

      Hamnet is the story of the Shakespheare’s, more specifically the time around the death of the title character and only son. My relationship with Shakespheare’s work is what I would call non-existent. I understand his themes of tragedy, love, and exploration of what it is to be human, but what I’ve never understood is the purpose of just saying his famous lines in a movie for the sake of having the lines there. At times this made it very obvious that this was in the Shakespearean universe, and at others it made changes or purposely avoided saying names of characters to confuse you out of the story. I know this is adapted from Maggie O’Farrell’s novel of the same name, so things were either changed on purpose for artistic freedom or pulled from historical works. Either way, those little aspects of how the story was told bothered me to an finite amount.

      Removing the issues I had with some of the ways this story was told, I found a lot of it to be quite extraordinary. Chloé Zhao puts forth her best looking and most potent love story. It’s once again impossible not to fall in love with Jessice Buckley and everything she brings to the screen. Her acting is clearly the most important of her career and it buckles you with every turn of the knife. While I can’t say I had 100% empathy for what her character goes through, you’d be remiss if the way she screams through grief doesn’t pierce your heart a million times. Paul Mescal barely needed to do anything to captivate the entire audience even when he wasn’t the only one who was begging for your attention. His and Jessie’s on screen presence makes for the most romantic outing of the year with a story full of young love and heartache.

      Most of Hamnet feels like a period piece that isn’t quite past being anything more than that, it does still have its grand moments and heroic themes though. The actors all do an incredible job at portraying every emotion necessary while the set design should go down in history as one of the best ever. It’s quite possible that my disdain and general uninterest in children muddled the impact of the emotion, or maybe it was my perspective of the screen. Either way this leads to the most competent and breathtaking finale of the year where its smarts are shown off in a profound way that catches you off guard. I shall expect to see a ton of Hament during awards season where I will be rooting for individuals but not the whole.

      7.4/10 for the movie, 6/10 for the start of the fest. We can only go up (the auditorium) from here.

    • Caught Stealing

      I don’t know if Aronofsky movies are supposed to be fun, but that was the most fun I’ve had in a theater all year. From the opening sequence, I knew I was in for a treat. Now I don’t read, so I’ll never be able to compare movies to the books they’re adapted from but, what I can say is that the writing in this had me hooked from beginning to end. 

      Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan, The Wrestler) lays out this world perfectly, it’s NYC used in a way that is resourceful and punk rock. Aronofsky still uses addiction and broken protagonists at the forefront of his story, but plants them in a much larger world. Elements of his direction are some of the most precise I’ve seen so far from him. There’s emotion behind the way the camera shows the characters that felt like a character in its own right. I wish I could describe in detail one scene involving Butler and Kravitz, but you’ll just have to see it for yourself and experience the impact the direction had on me. 

      Austin Butler is the star of this show. His emotional acting shines and shows off his range with the best performance of his career. Playing an innocent (or not so) character thrown into the mix up of a crime world, was the perfect role for him. He got to be a wild card, for the audience and the other characters within the story. Butler shines on screen in almost every scene and every key aspect of the film. 

      It would be a mistake not to mention the rest of this stacked cast, because the lineup is a home run. Zoe Kravitz is a smooth talking and intellectual paramedic that also happens to be the love interest. Bad Bunny is a menace that absolutely has a place as a legitimate player in this realm. Matt Smith and his ridiculously spot on accent just adds to the punk rockiness at the core. Everyone else has their spot in this game as well. The cat who gives the best cat performance since Inside Llewyn Davis, Regina King playing right into the foil, and Liev Schreiber and Vincent D’Onofrio as the big bad. Ensemble of the year right here. 

      I was so addicted to this film, whether it was the costume design, the murder, movie stars, and the laughs that will make you cry. It’s a chaotic mix that is a thrill throughout. There’s WTF moments that will have you thinking about jumping out of your seat and some of the most quotable moments from a movie this decade. It’s a crime drama that is one of my favorite movies of the year. Even if it isn’t iconic or super straight forward, it’s still a hit. 

      How can you not be romantic about Aronofsky?

      8.9/10

    • Highest 2 Lowest

      So Spike Lee made another adaptation of a classic in Asian Cinema…

      This time around we have a loose adaptation of Kurosawa’s High and Low. I say loose but the only thing loose about it is the setting. It still involves a kidnapping with ransom and the moral dilemma of paying for someone that is not your kin. It sticks to that but switches up a few things like Denzel is playing a music mogul instead of a shoemaker. With so much stakes on the line you would think a movie like this would have more drama and suspense, except there’s basically only the opposite. Spike compromises morality for self-righteousness.

      The first and second act is filled with goofy levels of acting that are only brought up by the dialogue. Denzel is prolific in nature and continues that streak with his profound and biblical monologues. Casting Jeffrey Wright as the guy everyone wanted his character to be in American Fiction was certainly a choice, and not necessarily a good one. I won’t even say A$AP Rocky was a bad actor, what they did with him was though. In this story, it worked better when you don’t know who or why the antagonist is doing what they do. So, I’m not sure why he was given the third most speaking lines in this movie.

      Now we get to the technical side of things. What the hell was going on with the lighting and set design in this movie? First, it’s shot like a soap opera, bright, and with close ups like they’re taking head shots of the actors. And now I’m starting to think the intro with shots of the city was to trick us into thinking it was actually shot in NYC. So many times backdrops looked like blurred city skylines. Lee unapologetically uses that NYC setting to prove to us he likes living there, because this felt more like an ad for the city than a movie with a defined structure. I will say it was nice to see at least one Kurosawa homage in the shot selection, but it was so short lived that the rest of the staging felt like a slap in the face.

      Some of this is just painful to get through, but somehow rounds out an ending that is one of the best on the year. There’s no urgency to the central beats of the plot and the score is off beat the entire time. I was amazed, or entranced, watching this movie. I knew it couldn’t be this bad but now I’m thinking that it might be. Spike was so focused on the culture of the people in the movie and NYC that he forgot how to make the other aspects of a movie cohesive and watchable. Maybe watching High and Low for the first time a week before seeing this made for a bad comparison, but also maybe Spike Lee is out of touch once again with this adaptation.

      I will be abstaining from a score, but those were my thoughts.

    • Nobody 2

      When you have a cast with the likes of Christopher Lloyd, Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielson, RZA, Colin Hanks, Sharon Stone, Michael Ironside and some of the creative minds behind the John Wick universe, you’d think we would be in for a super fun action flick. Instead, it feels like the B-team for all involved was in charge of this project.

      Hutch (Odenkirk) is back in his old ways to pay off some debts, while simultaneously trying to hold down his at home family life.  The smartest thing this movie did was play off the job of an assassin as an everyday 9-5 job and all the issues that came with it. It made the family dynamics funny, relatable, and added a nice contrast to the first half of the film. Having more of the family was a nice touch overall that only added to the allure for an unconventional action hero. Said action hero is still the best part about this franchise. Odenkirk’s believable demeanor is super fitting and he surprisingly looks spry in the action scenes when it easily could have looked like Liam in Taken 3.

      Now the big issue with this movie isn’t the fact that it’s sub 90 minutes, it’s that they waste most of that runtime. About halfway through you realize we’ve spent a lot of time setting up something that unfolds into something else that could have been its own movie. It goes way too deep, too fast, right in the middle of everything. If it would have just stuck with the particular storyline of the small town, we probably would have been in for a more tight script and fun time. This is clearly supposed to be a John Wick spin off, or spoof, or homage (I don’t think they know either). I wish they would have known more because its commitment to being serious and unserious at the same time makes things feel incomplete.

      I know it’s a movie made for entertainment purposes and I’m supposed to just shut up and have fun, but when I see a dozen movies like this a year, something has to give. The action is pretty great and there will be a nominee for best kill of the year from this movie, I just wish there was a lot more of it. The focus felt more on explosions and wacky characters than earned action sequences. Slow motion action scenes backed by fun songs can only take a movie so far.

      The last thing I’ll touch on is the characters. I don’t quite understand what they were going for with Connie in this one. It was almost like they wanted her to be involved like Skyler White is in Breaking Bad once she finds out, but couldn’t quite figure out what to do with her. RZA was great and needs to be in more action films and Colin Hanks plays the perfect heel. I have big issues with Lloyd and Stone as Chripsther Lloyd was in the first so he obviously had to come back, but he deserves his chance at retirement because that was brutal to watch, even as a fan. I was shocked to find out that Sharon Stone was in this once the movie ended and she might go down in the “doing too much” hall of fame (sorry, love you).

      It’s a short movie where Odenkirk does a lot of the heavy lifting. The action that’s around is not important enough to the story and Nobody 2 ultimately felt like a tourist in its own genre.

      4.8/10

    • Oh, Hi!

      Oh, Hi!

      Sophie Brook’s new film is a smart romantic comedy that will seep into your brain and keep you guessing throughout.

      Iris (Molly Gordon) and Isaac (Logan Lerman) have a refreshing chemistry that kicks you right into gear with their relationship. Starting off as a weekend getaway movie, you can only speculate that this will turn into something more sinister. Not only does the speculation last the entire runtime, it lasts the ENTIRE runtime… That might be my only major complaint about the movie, well, and Lerman’s restrained performance. The speculation is tons of fun but can be super disappointing when it doesn’t fully lead to the climax you were hoping for. But, if you look at this movie from a different point of view, it was always about the ride.

      Gordon in this movie is scary good, and her performance is one of the best of the year. She’s unhinged in the best ways which makes it feel beyond realistic. There’s a look in her eyes where she knows she’s stolen the show from the inside and out. Playing off of what Lerman has to do really showcases her obsessive strengths. Special shootouts to David Cross and John Reynolds for making an impact in their own ways. 

      This being a romantic comedy with a “twist” aspect put it in the discussion with movies like Barbarian and Fresh. I was thoroughly impressed with the way it danced around the complications of relationships and their opposing perspectives. It doesn’t waste time showing how they feel about each other with each changing moment. The unknown keeps it interesting, and you notice fine details about characters and can really feel the innocence in the air.

      Oh, Hi! is edited and shot with professionalism; it’s steamy and hilarious (as long as you don’t have PTSD about your exes). It’s an attractive movie with the best soundtrack of the year. A perfect date night film for anyone at any point in their relationship.

      7/10

    • Sinners

      Sinners will satisfy fans of any genre.

      Ryan Coogler (Creed) really hasn’t missed yet, and he hits it out of the park here in a way never seen before. He’s a master storyteller and weaves this one around making you feel like you’re watching a superhero film, a western, a romance, and it even has some supernatural mixed in. Never in my life did I think a mashup of this scale would work, yet it does.

      Going into this only knowing it’s a story about twins (Michael B Jordan and Michael B Jordan) returning home to find a new evil in town, everything was a surprise. It’s unfair that Coogler was unable to bring such a scale and weight to a movie, that at its surface, should be a small town story with passeable characters. Jordan is making two roles work in a way that’ll have you believe he’s actually two separate actors. Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit) and the rest of the cast might not get much total screen time, but their roles fit them perfectly as a supporting cast.

      Real life history brings hate and meaning to this movie, with imagery that includes colors and words leaving you knowing exactly what they’re saying. The stylishly perfect costuming may put you back in time, but it doesn’t let you forget about the present. And, don’t let me forget about the music!

      Miles Caton plays Sammie, who is almost the main crux of the entire movie. His Footloose type story brings forward innocence and mystery, but most importantly he brings his voice and music talent. Miles, along with a few other actors, have some of the most important and goosebump inducing musical moments in decades. You’ll be stomping your feet while still wondering where this movie could possibly be going.

      Stories intertwine, blood flows, and awe will take over your body as you watch this unfold. I know it feels like I’m rambling about what could almost be any movie, but this is Sinners, the wildest, biggest, and one of the best movies of the year. You’ll be upset at yourself if you miss it. Go in blind so you can be just as gleefully surprised by its immense cinematography and astonishing story.

      8.7/10