Weekend Watch - Dune: Part Two

                Welcome back to the Weekend Watch where each week we take a look at a new piece of film or television media and give it a rating, review, an recommendation. This week’s topic, as voted by the blog’s Instagram followers, is Dune: Part 2, the sequel to Denis Villeneuve’s award-winning adaptation of the first part of Frank Herbert’s acclaimed science fiction novel of the same name. After a delay from its original November release date due to last year’s Hollywood strikes, the film finally released widely this weekend (plus some early screenings in various theaters over the past few weeks). It sees the return of Timothée Chalamet as protagonist Paul Atreides, Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica, Zendaya as Chani, Javier Bardem as Stilgar, Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck, Dave Bautista as Rabban, Charlotte Rampling as Reverend Mother Mohiam, and Stellan Skarsgård as Baron Harkonnen. They are joined in this continuation by Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha, Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan, Christopher Walken as the Emperor, and Léa Seydoux as Lady Margot Fenring, rounding out the all-star cast of this sci-fi epic. With stellar reviews from audiences and generally favorable returns from critics, this looks to be the best film of the year so far. Let’s get into it.

Letter Grade: A-; while not perfect, it delivers on so many of the promises of the first film in compelling fashion.

Should you Watch This Film? Yes! In the theater, with good speakers, get the full experience. It’s a thrill.

Why?

                Dune: Part 2 is the science fiction epic that we were promised in 2021’s Dune. Its action is bigger, its characters are more fleshed-out even with a wider cast of characters, and it’s just as visually stunning as the first installment. As character motivations become more apparent, so does the film’s true message about the dangers of “chosen ones” and issues with buying into your own mythos and the ills of settler colonialism – all the messages of Herbert’s original 1965 novel, made even more evident by its sequel Dune Messiah. The actors have all elevated their game in one way or another to give audiences a collection of memorable characters. The film’s sound and visuals continue to stun in every sense of the word – sets, locations, special effects, the “props”, costumes, Hans Zimmer’s score – everything working together to immerse the audience in the world of the film. It transports and grips you as its story unfolds in thrilling, tragic, and epic fashion.

                We’ll start with story and execution, since that’s where the film’s biggest issues lie. It’s troubling when a film that’s two hours and forty-six minutes in length feels like it could’ve told its story more effectively with an extra twenty minutes or so. It improves on the story issues of the first film, where if often felt that the audience were merely casual observers of these moments that carried weight for characters to whom we had little connection. This time, a combination of improved character development, legitimately compelling themes, and intense action sequences get the audience fully invested in the story from the jump. What’s missing this time around is the mystery and atemporality of the first film. Gone are Paul’s vague and confusing visions of unknown characters and uncertain futures, replaced by ominous looks at his mother walking past starving bodies, which feels much more heavy-handed in its messaging than the hints of the visions from the first film. It also does feel again as if we are jumping from moment to moment in time with the characters, missing out on some (though not all) of the film’s potential character moments and interactions not tied directly to the plot. Again, this is a loss to the film’s runtime, which does feel as long as it is and would probably not be abbreviated by any extra moments, so we’re left with a stronger story and film that nevertheless still feels like it’s missing something.

                Where obviously the technical aspects and score for this film are excellent, the welcome addition is a cast of actors giving committed, fun, and engaging performances, helping to cover the aforementioned story issues because of how easy it is to invest in their characters. Where the first film had some strong showings from Oscar Isaac and Rebecca Ferguson, you can feel the improvement from everyone in this film, making the most of their increased character development. Zendaya, who was notably absent from most of the first film, immediately makes Chani a rich and dynamic character, more than just a love interest, with some excellent character moments and really solid expressive work. Ferguson takes an even tougher role in this one as Lady Jessica steps into a more prominent position among the Fremen, and it’s again a captivating performance, if a bit more intimidating, that might just be her best yet. Javier Bardem takes on an ironically more comedic role in this one as Stilgar’s dedication to the prophecies of the Lisan al-Gaib come to the fore, giving him the opportunity to deliver lines with such earnestness that the audience actually erupted in laughter because of their ironic timing. While Florence Pugh and Léa Seydoux are satisfyingly welcome additions to the cast, the runaway favorite of the new characters has to be Austin Butler’s Feyd-Rautha. He plays the new villain in a chillingly animated fashion, crafting a memorable performance that’ll end up alongside the likes of Michael B. Jordan’s Killmonger, Tom Hardy’s Bane, and Ricardo Montalban’s Khan in the annals of film history. Finally, Timothée Chalamet has come into his own here, establishing his movie star status as he takes Paul through his journey from reluctant hero to willingly participating messiah. It’s a powerful performance, full of excellent vocal, physical, and expressive work that confirms his place as one of the best actors currently working.

                Denis Villeneuve has executed a phenomenal science fiction sequel that stays true to its source material and innovates with compelling characters, stunning production value, and memorable performances that supplement a story that could probably have benefited from a few more scenes but is nevertheless engaging. It’s the best film of the year so far by a fairly wide margin, and the theatrical experience of watching it is glorious – people laughed, they applauded, and some even called it “terrible”. It’ll probably be a while before I recommend a new release this strongly.

Weekend Watch - Don’t Worry Darling

                Welcome back to the Weekend Watch, where each week we take a look at a new piece of film or television media and give it a rating and review. This week’s topic, as voted by the blog’s Instagram followers, is Olivia Wilde’s newest film, Don’t Worry Darling, starring Wilde, Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, and Chris Pine among others. This psychological thriller had its wide release yesterday after opening with poor to mixed reviews at festivals earlier this month. The drama surrounding the film’s publicity and release has perhaps become bigger than the film itself, as media outlets have been discussing beef between the director Wilde and her lead, Pugh, as well as footage of Harry Styles possibly spitting in Chris Pine’s lap at the film’s premiere. It’s been a crazy time, but I’m gonna focus on the film itself in this review from here on. Let’s get into it.

Letter Grade: C; this film is much better than its review numbers might indicate, but it’s by no means perfect or even great.

Should you Watch This Film? If you’re interested in seeing it, I won’t dissuade you from doing so. It was a fairly enjoyable theater experience and looks great on the big screen. If you weren’t interested, there’s not much here to suggest you should though.

Why?

                I want to start out by saying that Don’t Worry Darling is a film that looks great. From its cast to its production design to its costuming to most of its cinematography, the film is beautifully done, and Olivia Wilde’s skill as a director carries over from her success in Booksmart. The film’s idyllic 50’s-esque setting works well at slipping the audience into an equal sense of comfort and unease depending on the scene, which plays well with the film’s more psychological nature. It is also beautifully acted from its leads. Olivia Wilde’s performance as Bunny, the neighbor/friend of Florence Pugh’s Alice, is a solid reminder of her multiple talents, showcasing a depth of emotion and passion beyond what some might have brought to the role. Chris Pine as the mysterious leader of the community, Frank, brings all of his charisma to bear in what is a truly menacing role as the film’s antagonist, absolutely working it from start to finish. Obviously, Florence Pugh’s performance carries the film. Her ability to take any role and make it the central one of all of her scenes shines here as the true lead, something we haven’t really seen her take on since Midsommar back in 2019. Her emotionally fraught performance is the biggest highlight of this film and makes it much easier to overlook some of the worse aspects of the film. Speaking of worse aspects, many have criticized Harry Styles’s performance as Alice’s husband, Jack, saying it’s weak or phoned-in and saying it would’ve been better had Shia LeBeouf not been cut from the role. Without speaking to the Shia piece, I feel like Styles brings a solid performance to the table, especially in the film’s otherwise weak third act, which I won’t spoil here. It’s not the best by any stretch of the imagination, but he does what needs to be done to allow Florence to shine in her role, which is probably better anyway – Frank isn’t a character that should be stealing scenes. The film’s true weakness – and the reason it’s not getting glowing reviews – lies in its story. The first two acts do a phenomenal job setting up a fascinating psychological thriller, albeit with a few forgivable plot holes. Unfortunately, it fails to stick the landing with weak reveals and a plethora of unresolved conflicts in the third act. While I appreciate the commitment to not giving the audience everything with the ending, there is so much that is left out on the table by the time the credits roll that it feels more dissatisfying than a J.J. Abrams series finale/third act/final film. With so much greatness packed into its first two acts, the conclusion takes too much wind out of the film’s sails and leaves its audience at least a little bit disappointed. Also, if you’ve watched other films with similar plot twists, the film’s reveal might feel not just unearned but also derivative, as it did for my wife who called it before we even got to the theater. Strong performances, beautiful filmmaking, and a solid first two acts don’t do quite enough to cover all of the flaws in Don’t Worry Darling’s incredibly messy third act. Fans of Wilde, Pine, Pugh, and Styles will not be entirely disappointed with the film, nor will people looking for excellent production design. Unfortunately, the film’s story falls short of getting a glowing recommendation. If you want to see this film, I recommend seeing it in theaters. If you don’t want to see this film, I’ll say you’re probably okay missing it.