[NoHo Arts District, CA] – In this week’s movie and TV review blog, Mike Peros reviews Balls Up, Midwinter Break, Normal – and the Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival.
Balls Up
While I do live in hope, sometimes I understand all too well why a motion picture will wind up direct-to-video…I mean, direct to a streamer like Amazon Prime. Case in point is Balls Up, the latest from director Peter Farrelly (late of the far funnier Farrelly Brothers). So we’ve got a few things going on here which make this a contender for worst film of the year (I know it’s only April, but I live in hope—that nothing worse will come along). One is the script from Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, which is comprised mainly of obvious, unfunny situations executed in the most unamusing way possible. None of the characters are likable or worth rooting for—in fact, abrasive is the best we can hope for–and I’m fine with that, as long as the characters have something interesting to say. These don’t. (The exception is Benjamin Bratt’s “cameo” as an executive who falls off the wagon in a big way). And finally, a little of Paul Walter Hauser goes a long way. However, he’s in the whole movie. Take that as you will. Suffice to say, if you are a fan of his, you’ll be in nirvana. The rest of us have…the remote.
Midwinter Break
I’m a huge admirer of Lesley Manville. To me, she can do no wrong, so it’s good to see her as the lead in an intimate character piece called Midwinter Break, paired with the also-formidable Ciaran Hinds. They play Stella and Gerry, a comfortable, retired couple whose grown children have long since left—and who have become entirely too complacent in their existence. While the husband is content to sit and read and hide (not too well) his proclivity toward drink, the wife wants something…else. Lesley surprises Gerry with a trip to Amsterdam and the promise of a new adventure. While she’s excited about the prospect, he goes along—but does not have the same enthusiasm. And of course, the trip serves as the impetus to reopen some old wounds—and bring home the fact that at this late stage, they may not be suited for each other. While Hinds is good as a man nursing his own frustrations, Manville is magnificent. Her ambivalence and anguish are palpable—so palpable that it’s hard to see how her partner can fail to notice. That he does not do serves him no credit—and makes the viewer feel that perhaps the sensible ending would not necessarily be a happy one. In any case, it’s streaming on Peacock now and it’s worth a look.
Normal
With Normal, Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul) continues his on-screen emergence as a sardonic, world-weary action hero. He and writer Derek Kolstad (they collaborated on Nobody) have fashioned a tight little tale of an “interim Marshal” who would like nothing more than to look after a quiet town—and the snowy town of Normal seems just that—especially with its mayor Henry Winkler and the friendly people. But secrets lie beneath the surface (a violent prologue assures you of that), and it’s only a matter of time before the simmering tensions explode in your face. Before that happens, we have a series of amusing incidents punctuated with Odenkirk’s bemusement and effective voiceover. After the inciting event and all hell breaks loose, the carnage is nothing if not graphic–and occasionally quite amusing. Odenkirk is solid throughout, the supporting players (including Winkler and Lena Headey as an amiable sounding board—up to a point) are quite good. And the climax packs a wallop—followed by a satisfying resolution. It’s worth the trek to your local theater.
Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival
Finally, if you’re in a Film Noir mood (who isn’t?) and have been a hankering to take a trip to Palm Springs (and who hasn’t?), you may want to hop in a car and head for the Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival, May 7-10 at the Palm Springs Cultural Center. Hosted (and I believe curated) by the formidable and engaging historian Alan K. Rode, the festival contains a bounty of dark (and rarely seen) delights. Screenings include Slightly Scarlet (in color!) starring John Payne, Rhonda Fleming, and Arlene Dahl;Bonnie and Clyde (including a book signing); Manhandled with the great Dan Duryea (I wrote the book on him) and Dorothy Lamour; Hell Drivers with Stanley Baker and a pre-Bond Sean Connery; The Damned Don’t Cry starring Joan Crawford (and a book signing by Scott Eyman); and the essential British NoirIt Always Rains on Sunday, with the always-fine Googie Withers. Much to see and experience, so make the Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival in Palm Springs your destination for a cinematically satisfying time. https://arthurlyonsfilmnoir.org