At The Movies Archive

”Beau Is Afraid”/”Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant”

Sometimes a movie is just too long, and goodness knows that is the case with "Beau Is Afraid." In this podcast episode, HCC film professors Marie Westhaver and Mike Giuliano agree that they liked director Ari Aster's previous film "Midsommer," and they also like the premise in his new film about Joaquin Phoenix as an anxiety-ridden man who takes a journey from his city apartment to reconnect with his mother out in the countryside. However, "Beau Is Afraid" has a running time of 179 minutes. Although individual scenes work as surreal comedy, it's ultimately all too much. Marie and Mike also discuss "Guy Ritchie's The Covenant," in which a director known for making violent films with a comic edge turns his action-oriented skill set to the more serious purpose of a drama about the connection between a U.S. army veteran (Jake Gyllenhaal) and his Afghan interpreter (Dar Salim). The script has some overly obvious speeches, but the story itself works really well.

Reviewing ”Air” and ”Mafia Mamma”

A tennis shoe associated with NBA great Michael Jordan is the subject of "Air," which is all about the invention and marketing of that shoe in 1984. HCC film professors Marie Westhaver and Mike Giuliano trade observations about footwear as they discuss this enjoyable movie, which features Matt Damon, Ben Affleck (who also directed), Viola Davis and Chris Tucker.  Marie and Mike also talk about the Toni Collette-starring mob comedy "Mafia Mamma." Avoid this terrible movie. 

”Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” and ”A Good Person”

It helps if you have a background as a gamer in watching "Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves," but HCC film professors Marie Westhaver and Mike Giuliano basically found it visually diverting enough to hold their attention. In this podcast episode, they observe that it is fun watching dragons, wizards, druids, sorcerers and other things they don't encounter in their daily lives, and it's also enjoyable to watch actors including Chris Pine and Hugh Grant. Marie and Mike also discuss a very different movie, "A Good Person," whose story about the drug-addicted survivor of a disastrous car accident is convincingly depicted and for that very reason often difficult to watch. Strong performances by Florence Pugh and Morgan Freeman anchor this redemption-oriented drama.

”John Wick: Chapter 4” and ”Inside.”

"John Wick: Chapter 4" is a very lengthy chapter indeed, with a running time of 2 hours, 49 minutes. HCC film professors Marie Westhaver and Mike Giuliano agree during this podcast episode that it's a lot to watch, but it moves in such a relentlessly fast way that it's usually fun to watch Keanu Reeves as he fights bad guys at scenic locales around the world. Although Mike ultimately found it all rather tiresome, even he thought some of the logic-defying sequences are exciting. Marie and Mike also talk about a film with a totally different premise. "Inside" finds Willem Dafoe as an art thief who finds himself trapped inside a luxury apartment. He has no place to run and no way to get out. Marie loved this film while Mike, ever the curmudgeon on behalf of narrative logic, had quibbles that left him liking the film less as it went along. Our critics are happy to share their disagreement with you.

”65”/”Shazam! Fury of the Gods”

In case you're wondering what the title "65" means, it's 65 million years ago and an unlucky astronaut has crashed on planet Earth. In this podcast episode, HCC film professors Marie Westhaver and Mike Giuliano discuss the non-stop adventures of astronaut Adam Driver as he dodges dinosaurs and, yes, even quicksand.  It's one thing after another, and our critics concluded that the film lacks much genuine tension. Marie and Mike also talk about "Shazam! Fury of the Gods," an otherwise very different movie that is also relentlessly busy. Although this sequel is bursting with body-switching characters, gods, parents and even a wizard, its frantic nature does include some visually neat sequences.