Holiday Wrap Up
Silent Night creates a new genre, the sentimental revenge flick
If you haven’t heard of Silent Night starring Joel Kinnaman and directed by John Woo I’m not surprised, it had almost no PR. Silent Night is a hard movie to classify. On one hand the story is simple, Brian Godlock’s (Kinnaman) son gets killed on Christmas Day. Add John Woo into the mix and the execution of the story exudes an avant--garde flair. With zero dialogue, heart wrenching closeups and crisp visuals, Woo’s return to Hollywood is a welcome gift. What this movie nailed so skillfully was the concept of a regular man seeking retaliation. Unlike John Wick movies where the action unravels in a balletic rhythm, Silent Night is full of ugly fighting. Every blow plays out like a battle to the death while our hero struggles significantly. As Godlock delivers each fatal shot we can see a mixture of anger, shock and grief in his eyes. By taking a violent theme and filling it with true emotion Silent Night is my clear favourite of the holiday season.
Wonka and Aquaman
Wonka is an adequate film with a good supporting cast and mouthwatering imagery. Nevertheless, there is nothing memorable about this movie. The original songs are mediocre and Olivia Coleman, who I usually adore, gives an over the top performance more fitting of Miss Hannigan in Annie. To be clear I have never liked the character of Willy Wonka, whether it was Gene Wilder or Johnny Depp, Willy Wonka always came across as disturbing to me. Timothee Chalamet however changed that. The enjoyability of Wonka rests solely on Chalamet. Chalamet with his perfectly coiffed hair, effortlessly emanates goodness, sweetness and wide eyed optimism in every scene. See if for Chalamet but be prepared to be underwhelmed with the rest.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom serves as Jason Momoa’s swan song to the DC superhero. I am not happy about how James Gunn imploded the Snyderverse. The fact that all the superheroes, especially Wonder Woman, have been swept to the gutter only to rehash the same origin stories is frustrating. However, I must commend James Wan’s commitment to the fans as he works overtime to tie up loose ends. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom begins by filling in the blanks on what has happened since the last movie. The story then shifts to a team up between Patrick Wilson’s character, Ocean Master, and Aquaman. I especially liked this part because it allowed both Wilson and Momoa to play off each other and have some fun. Be warned an odd mash up of the Cantina scene in Star Wars and Jules Vernes’ Journey to the Center of the Earth happens midway. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is not great but it has its moments.