Dune (2021) Review

 

        It’s only fitting that I finish the month of talking about Denis Villeneuve films is by giving my own thoughts on his adaptation of Dune. This one got me hyped, so much so that I bought the book and read it in preparation for watching the movie when it came out. While it took a while, it certainly is an incredible achievement by Villeneuve for adapting one of the most influential books in sci-fi.

1. Paul Atreides 

        It wouldn’t be a sci-fi film unless we followed a young man throughout the movie. Paul is born of a royal family called House Atreides. He is haunted by vivid dreams of possible futures. I’ll get to that in a moment. After the Emperor has allowed the Atreides to take over Planet Arrakis, they are thrown into conflict as the rival House Harkonnen seeks to eliminate them for control of the Spice. 

        The Spice is the thing that is sought after among the Houses. Meanwhile, the shadowy Bene Gesserit, space witches, have been manipulating the conflict for their own needs. This is where Paul comes in as he is tested if he is the Chosen One for the witches. Paul is an interesting character in the film. There’s a sense of alienation since he’s being haunted by visions and having to move from their home to a world that is literally the opposite. 

        If there’s one scene that I like, it’s when Paul walks around the scenery as he and his family are moving. It says a lot without a word being uttered. As I mentioned, it reminded me of when Luke was looking at the Tatooine suns in Star Wars. Here, he looks as the ships arise from the planet’s oceans and he looks at the sun, evoking the same feeling when Luke yearns to be something in Star Wars. 

        Once again, as with Blade Runner 2049, the film subverts the chosen one trope. One of the best things to come from the book and with the film is that it presents the opposite idea of the Chosen One trope. What it’s getting at is this warning of worshipping the hero. We see when the Atreides arrive and the Fremen of Arrakis are chanting their word for savior to Paul. Compounding it is that he was supposed to be a woman, since the Bene Gesserit have been manipulating the Houses of the galaxy to their benefit. Paul unintentionally thrown a wrench at them but plagued with being the chosen one for the witches.

        Thus, having him get differing visions of what might or might not happen. It’s the type of subversion and the material from the book that makes it so unique. Paul doesn’t want to be the one to have a fight and a war be about him or his family name. But in order to survive after the Harkonnens destroyed his home, he has to live among the Fremen. And make the difficult choices that will define him. 

2. World Building 

        As I mentioned earlier, the book is loaded with detail. This film manages to pull it off without having it be too much for the regular audiences. Most of Denis’ filmography has a very minimalistic look to it. Even though it looks 10,000 years into the future, the tech looks dynamic but not too complicated for us to grasp. 

        Even adapting the various objects and nouns to the film is interesting. Such as seeing the Ornithopter in action is great. It looks like a dragonfly but we understand that it’s a futuristic version of what we think a helicopter will be in the future. Though the smartest thing to separate itself from other of its contemporaries is to not use blasters. Having the soldiers use swords is probably the ingenious way to make it antiquated and cool. And, since it’s not explained in the movie, the reason why none of the soldiers shoot a blaster is that their shields would explode. Causing them to, well let that idea run around in your head. 

        One last thing is talking about the villains or in this case Baron Harkonnen. He’s one of the most complex villain I’ve seen. Even though we see little of him, his overall size just eludes the creepiness to him. I mean, he’s so fat that he uses a machine to make him hover from the ground. One scene that defines who he is, is when the Bene Gesserit leader meets him. He promises to not harm Paul and his mother, but he sees it as nothing, since controlling the Spice means more to him.

3. A Brief History of Other “Dune” Adaptations

        The whole history of adapting Dune is interesting, seeing how for awhile it was considered unfilmable. After it came out in 1969, Chilean film director Alejandro Jodorowsky was tasked with adapting the book to film. There’s a great documentary that detailed just how close it was to being filmed called Jodorowsky’s Dune. 

        In the 80s, experimental film director David Lynch was tasked with adapting the book. When you look at his filmography, nothing matches with his prior work with telling the complex story of Paul and the overarching story involving Spice. There’s two kinds of people that have seen his film: one is where they hate the movie since it tried to do too much. While the other love just how weird the film was stylistically. I haven’t seen it, but it’s clear that watching various clips, it’s not meant for me. 

        Lastly, there was a televised series that was done by the Sy-Fy channel, when it was spelled how you would spelled it. Again, I haven’t watched it and it’s one of those things where it makes sense to have the book be adapted to a limited series. It spawned a sequel series following the other books, and you probably guess what I think about it. 

4. Overall

        Dune is Villenueve’s high mark in terms of his filmmaking. Without a doubt, he is now part of the new face of filmmaking that has a distinct voice. And I’m looking forward to his part two of Dune. 

Blade Runner 2049 Review

 

        For some weird thing in the 2010s, every studio tried to capitalize on the nostalgia that is the 80s. In some form or another, you had films that were sequels to movies that was thought were all over or to films that were one and done. Sometimes you had a book adaptation, or an original show take place in that timeline. To tell you the truth, I didn’t believe a sequel to Blade Runner would work. Since, the first film didn’t really lead to any indication of a sequel, but to the main character to come full circle with what he had witnessed. While Blade Runner 2049 was a box office bomb, it’s considered one of the best sequels ever made. 

1. The Best Unnecessary Sequel 

        The whole idea of a sequel is to have it be the continuation of a story. The worse ones usually fall into various distinct traps. One is to literally do the same thing but in a different location. The other is to go too far in a direction where it’s a completely different from the first film. One last example is to make it years after the fact, but not expanding on what made the first film great. 

        Fortunately, 2049 manages to avoid most of the pitfalls I listed. It really feels like a standalone sequel. Which is a sequel that doesn’t need you to watch the first film to get an idea of what’s going on. In the event of seeing the first film, it’s supplemental to understand the entire story of Blade Runner. 

        With that, we have a new main character, Officer K. He’s the new Blade Runner, and to simply explain what that is. Mostly, it’s a bounty hunter that hunts down Replicants, specifically Androids going rogue. After killing one, K notices a box buried near a dead tree. From there, he goes on a search to figure out if his memories were real. Meanwhile, the mysterious Neander Wallace has his assistant Luv, track down and stop K from uncovering a new breed of replicants. From there, the whole plot has him figuring out if he’s the child of Rick Deckard.

        I’ll explain that tidbit in the next point. What I want to focus on is how the movie does a fantastic job of elevating the entire world of the series. When we see K’s flying to LAPD’s headquarters, we see that the whole city is covered in darkness, with only bits of light from nauseating ads with different languages being blared out. It’s a bleak future that only a few sci-fi films tackle so well. And it’s important for the plot when K tries to find something that relates to the evidence he found in the first moments of the film. 

        Lastly, any fan of the first movie was expecting the return of Harrison Ford. Even though he gets second billing next to Ryan Gosling, he shows up near the middle of the film. It’s one of those things where the film’s story and us seeing K’s investigation makes us forget that Deckard is in the film. Although, there are bits where it’s teased when the film uses the audio of the first film to dangle that hook of anticipation of seeing Deckard. I call it the Jaws method since in that film, we barely see the shark, but the anticipation or dread makes it worth it.

2. Subversion of the Chosen One Trope

        It’s a trope in some sci-fi films to have a chosen one. In varying shape or form, the chosen one is supposed to be the thing that audiences want to be. I’ve explained it in my review of The Matrix that the reason why characters like Luke Skywalker and Neo, to name a few, work is that they are interesting. It’s that we want to be them since they start out small and grow to conquer the evil in their films. 

        What’s interesting in Blade Runner 2049 is that it flips the trope in its head. Subversion is overselling it, but the way the film goes about it is ingenious. I think when the film was announced, and don’t take my word for it since it’s my own theory that I’m sticking with. I believe that the Blade Runner fans were expecting the new guy to be related to Deckard. Having the expectation that through some weird reason that they have a connection. 

        Well, it’s entirely not the case. I give credit to Villeneuve to really trusting the writers to change the trope in a unique way. As we’re tracking the film, he has memories of what he thinks is his youth. He meets an immune-compromised Dr. Stelline, who realizes that her memories match K’s. Confirming to K that his memories were implanted. And it gave way to a meme worthy reaction. 

        One more thing I want to talk about is the use of K’s lover Joi. This is my first introduction to Ana de Armas as an actress. She does a good job of playing the lover to K, albeit a holographic one. She plays a part to K’s character arc. And I got to tell you that it’s tragic, especially for K. Near the end, as he walks in the darkened city, he sees an interactive ad to Joi. It all but destroys his moments with his companion since she came up with a nickname for him. With that, it’s a name that is preprogrammed to the hologram. 

        It's a thing that elaborates one of the themes of the first movie. Which is, can an android with implanted memories have humanity? We see moments were Officer K ignores what he’s supposed to do by his police captain. More so that he investigates further into finding if his life was a lie. What makes it come full circle is when he decides to do the noble thing and to rescue Deckard. 

3. Legacy

        As I mentioned earlier, the film didn’t do well financially. It did make back it’s budget, but it didn’t make enough to be considered a hit. After the fact, the film was hailed as an achievement in sci-fi with its distinct look and expansion of the Blade Runner mythos. The only reason I can think of as to why it bombed is that Blade Runner is very niche. Not that it’s made for a specific audience, anyone can gravitate to any movie, but it blends sci-fi and film noir to be something on its own. And, if you're in the right mood, can be a long movie.

        It wouldn’t be years later when the Cartoon Network block Adult Swim released an anime limited series that is based on Blade Runner. I haven’t seen Blade Runner: Black Lotus, but it looked interesting since it takes place in between the two movies. Not only that, but a new series was announced to take place 50 years after the sequel. From what I gathered; Blade Runner 2099 is supposed to be released on Amazon Prime. When, I have no clue. 

4. Overall

        Blade Runner 2049 is one of those sequels where it tops the original. It may not be accessible to the general audience, but it still delivers its own type of Sci-Fi. Denis Villeneuve delivered another hit, but his next film would elevate him to Oscar winner. 

Sicario Review

 

        Villeneuve’s third American film Sicario, is when he started to get the ball rolling to get to the level of auteur. You may ask what is an auteur? To put it simply, say if you watch one director’s film on a marathon for a whole weekend. You’ll get to see little bits of visual symbolism, and motifs pop up. With Denis, he has a specific look in his films that looks gritty. Especially dealing with a subject matter such as drug cartels. All in all, Sicario is considered one of 2015s best films. 

1. Kate Mercer

        The way the film starts has us invested with the whole plot and with the main character. Kate plays an FBI agent in Arizona. While on a routine drug bust, a sudden explosion kills two agents. In the aftermath, she’s invited to join Matt Graver and Alejandro Gillick in a joint government task force to stop a cartel. 

        It would be so easy to mess this movie up plot wise. Such as making the movie too nationalistic and jingoistic when showing the Americans beating the cartels. Instead, what the movie does so eloquently well is to show the shady side of government. As to why Kate starts to question her role in the task force. 

        Emily Blunt does a great job portraying the idealistic agent that slowly starts to question the task force’s intentions. The moment where she meets both Matt and Alejandro, she is exposed to different sides of sketchiness. For one, the first interaction shows Matt wears mostly relaxed clothing when dealing with the cartels. I believe, it’s to symbolize the casualness he sees in the danger. Perhaps seeing the cartels as a walk in a park. Whenever the action is too close for Kate, he's all the more willing to let her walk. 

        For the other, Alejandro is mysterious. He dresses nicely when Kate sees him in one of the bases. At the start, he tells her not to trust anyone. And boy does that permeate throughout the whole film. This thing of trust truly defines her since she is later shown the true nature of the objective. Right down to the force using her as bait. He’s the most interesting part in the whole film as we see more of him going forward. And honestly, one would think it be neat to have a film just about him.

2. Neo-Western

        This film is one of the many representatives of the Neo-Western sub-genre. That means that it’s the contemporary evolution of the western genre. One of the characteristics that is evident is the use of cars and trucks as the stand in for horses. And the cartels are the stand ins for, well you know. So far, the sub-genre has been gaining some steam as of now, with hits like No Country for Old Men, Brokeback Mountain, and Logan to name a few. 

        One scene that is the best visual example I can think of is when the task force is on the road to Juarez and back to El Paso. There’s so much tension in that scene that it keeps you on edge since any moment can be lit up like a powder keg. One moment that reminds me of the classic western film The Searchers is when the task force’s vans are driving around. Then a Mexican vehicle is driving parallel a block of them. 

        The action in the movie is grounded. It’s not all action with guns blazing. Everything that is being presented is called Verisimilitude. Which is just a fancy word of saying it looks realistic. Especially in the scene where the three main characters are standing by on border crossing road. The gunfight is brief, which is to be expected since we’re seeing trained soldiers going against cartel fodder. 

        Again, and I hate to sound like a broken record, but when the actual task force is assigned to go into a drug tunnel is when they bust out the night vision. We see two types of night vision, one where it's green and thermal with a black and grey look to it. Little things like that immerse the whole situation for the audience to take a brief glimpse of a shady government task force. And I feel it’s to separate both Kate and the soldiers apart due to technological advantages.

3. Too Close to Home

        While watching the film, there are brief glimpses of where we hear gunfire that sound like fireworks. It’s the popping sound that really immerses the viewer into getting the feel of just how dangerous that world is. And with that I got to experience that. Weeks ago I heard those same popping sounds across the river. It’s one of those things where art can imitate life, but it was too close to home. 

4. Overall

        Sicario is one of the best neo-western films I’ve seen. For some inexplicable reason it got a sequel, and third one has been announced. I think it says a lot when a sequel is so far removed from what this film was going for. Like it’s a whiplash stylistically speaking. I haven’t seen it, but watching the trailer shows that Villeneuve was not attached 

Prisoners Review

        This is the first time in this cinematic experiment where I will dedicate a month to a director. Throughout April, I’ll be looking at four films by Denis Villeneuve. You may have heard of him when he was tasked with directing the recent adaptation of Dune. His first feature film was August 32nd on Earth, it was screened at Cannes Film Festival and was submitted to be nominated for Best Foreign Film, which didn’t qualify. Regardless, he already built a career with his directorial style in Canada. Inevitably, he flew down south and further cemented his name. With that, here’s what I think for his American debut film, Prisoners. 

1. Keller Dover

        The film is mostly straightforward as a Crime/Thriller. During a Thanksgiving meal between neighbors, the Dover’s and Birch’s lose their younger daughters. Keller desperately searches for his younger daughter Anna. Meanwhile, Detective Loki uncovers another clue that is tied to the girl’s disappearance. 

        Hugh Jackman is great as always in this film. I stated before when I talked about X-Men that he manages to pull off a convincing American accent. You wouldn’t suspect that he’s Australian since his American accent has a very gruffness to it. What I like about his character that he’s not just a one-dimensional Dad trying to find his kid. We see just how much he cares for his kids. And when caring for his wife who's in a bout of depression, he tries to comfort her.

        What makes him interesting is that he’s a man of faith. As I’ll talk about in the next tab, he goes down a dangerous path. I’ll elaborate further than that. With Keller’s faith, he has a thing that makes him be straight with his actions. Hell, we see moments where he’s wearing a cross and has a tattoo of a cross on his hand. After doing the things that I will get to, don't you worry, he says a prayer as a way to make him be absolved with what he's done. Knowing well that it's wrong, but feels justified in doing. 

        His bickering with Detective Loki is one of the highlights in the film. We see throughout the film just the ways that they go about trying to find the missing kids. Loki is mostly trying to stay within the law but gets frustrated when the main suspect is let go without further questioning. It really boils down to operating around the law which Keller does, while also attempting to hide from Loki what he’s really doing. 

2. Search gone Toxic

        The main takeaway that I have seen in this movie is this idea of monsters. One of the main suspects is Alex Jones, we are told that he’s a mentally maladaptive person who has a low IQ. I think it was just genius that Paul Dano manages to be an unassuming creep. And prescient since he stars as The Riddler in The Batman. Hell, he even sings the Jingle Bells Batman version. 

        Anyways, this theme of Monsters pops up when Keller goes above and beyond to kidnap Alex and to interrogate him through violent means. And we get a glimpse of just how much he’s willing to deliver a brutal interrogation. The highlight is obviously when he brings his neighbor and violently asks Alex where’s the girls. To the point where Keller hammers the sink into pieces. The intensity is easily the best moment.

        Other than that, we see that this idea spreads to Keller’s neighbors. At first they’re apprehensive, but soon they see the tied up Alex. Who’s covered in blood and has his eye swollen from the initial beatings. While they don’t stoop in to Dover’s mean of interrogation, but they become alienated since it’s too much. 

        I can’t fault Keller for being like this. Any father would act the same way if he’s missing their child. More so that it shows that any person can become a monster. Not just limiting to Alex or another suspect who may have the children. Loki almost crosses the line when he finds another person of interest. Going so far to chase after him during a vigil and forcing his way to the new suspect’s house. 

        Lastly, this movie defintitly made me tense with what's going on. The whole plot to find the missing children turned into red herrings left and right. While it would've been one thing where it would lead to nowhere. Here, it works since it's interconnected within the community and with the actual kidnapper. I won't give it away, but the film did a really tough job trying to deflect who the real criminal was. 

3. Overall

        Prisoners is one of the best films to come out of 2013. It gave Villeneuve a broad representation of his craft and he didn’t look back. While this wasn’t the first film I was exposed to, his US debut is one to check out.