The High Note Review

The High Note

Dir: Nisha Ganatra

Starring: Dakota Johnson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Bill Pullman, and Ice Cube

There’s a moment in Nisha Ganatra’s new film “The High Note” when a young musician does a cover of “You Send Me”, a song made famous by the legendary Sam Cooke. It’s my favorite kind of music cover, one that isn’t the same as the original but tries to compose its own unique style. 

This might be the best way to describe “The High Note”, a sometimes sweet and many times completely charming film about chasing dreams and making beautiful music in many different ways along the way. The film is familiar, cliched at times, but its pulse accomplishes an appealing rhythm of notes that have great feel-good qualities all over them. 

Grace Davis (Tracee Ellis Ross) is a superstar, a musician with a storied career big enough to warrant the prospect of holding residence as a Las Vegas attraction. However, in the eyes of Maggie (Dakota Johnson), Grace’s overworked and underappreciated personal assistant, the songstress is an icon with many more stories to tell and songs to write. Grace, on the other hand, isn’t sure of her relevance in the music industry and her oversized ego creates concern about making a comeback. Grace’s longtime producer Jack (Ice Cube) is pushing for remix and greatest hits albums, but Maggie secretly wants to be a music producer and is hoping Grace will give her the chance to produce a new album. 

“The High Note” moves a bit awkwardly at first, the introduction of Grace and her considerable ego alongside Maggie and her somewhat starry-eyed, naïve approach to the music business takes a few scenes to find its footing. But once Tracee Ellis Ross and Dakota Johnson settle into the relationship of their characters, the chemistry between them holds the remainder of the film together, especially when predictable familiarity takes control of the journey. 

The narrative keeps everything fairly simplistic, even while it hints at some deeper conversation starters regarding issues of race and age in the music business. There is no doubt that Ms. Ross could have deftly handled some deeper subject matter explorations. Whether dealing with a boardroom full of men telling her what is best for her career or listening to a smug music producer trying to explain that her music isn’t relatable to younger generations, Ms. Ross does an exceptional job of displaying her true emotions through simple physical movements like eye glances, hand gestures, or the movement of her body. 

One of the most admirable aspects of the film is that all the actors do their singing; Tracee Ellis Ross, daughter of Diana Ross, easily steals most of these scenes with her impressive voice, while Kelvin Harrison Jr., playing a singer named David who likes performing at hipster grocery stores, has a couple of really good moments performing well-known covers, and Dakota Johnson even has a small moment to showcase her melodic abilities. 

“The High Note” is easy comfort cinema right now, a movie that succeeds primarily because of a dedicated cast doing great work with modest characters and an understanding that sometimes fun, heartwarming music moments will make up for the shortcomings of a narrative. 

Monte’s Rating

3.25 out of 5.00

Fifty Shades Freed Review

Fifty Shades Freed

Dir: James Foley

Starring: Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan, Eric Johnson, Eloise Mumford, Rita Ora, Luke Grimes, Victor Rasuk, Max Martini, Jennifer Ehle, Arielle Kebbel, and Marcia Gay Harden

At the end of “Fifty Shades Darker”, the sequel to the hit 2015 “Fifty Shades of Grey”, Anastasia Steele was being proposed to by Christian Grey. The couple, dealing with the kind of relationship complications that would spell doom for any new romance, haven’t grown much since their first meeting.  Anastasia received a job promotion along with some dangerous extra baggage brought on by her new relationship and Christian found a way to retain his submissive in order to satisfy his sexual proclivities, that’s really all that has happened. 

In “Fifty Shades Freed”, the climax of the film trilogy, things only get more complicated for Mr. and Mrs. Grey. Marriage brings all the staggering concerns for this new couple in the first few months of their newfound status; threats of infidelity, struggles with living in each other's space, finding a new home, and the issue of planning for a family, it all happens to The Grey’s. Amidst all of this is the threat of a past foe, a jaded boss (Eric Johnson) of Anastasia who is looking for revenge.

Let’s get this out of the way first and foremost, this film is terrible. There is no clearer way to say it. Relationships are complicated because people are complicated. But that is also what makes relationships so magical. Two people with ambitions and dreams, with past’s that have shaped and molded them over the course of time, and each with their own ideas of what it means to love collide with one another and decide that they are going combine all these individualistic elements together in an attempt to find someone they can spend moments of their lives together with. It’s magic. 

Aside from the fantasy of fast cars, big houses, private airplanes, expensive trips, and money that allows you to do and say anything you want, “Fifty Shades Freed” has characters that should be experiencing a wealth of fascinating and intriguing emotions, ones that would make a relationship that is founded primarily on sexuality erupt with passion and sexiness. This film never taps into any of those qualities, and even when it has the perfect opportunity to invest some kind of substance into the characters and relationship it instead takes unrealistic moves to sidestep the complexities that make relationships so unique. 

It’s no spoiler that mature subject matter will be displayed on screen, people are going to indulge in sexual intercourse. Nudity has power in filmmaking, it has the power to paint characters with a range of motivations. For Dakota Johnson’s character, who is the only character to have nude scenes in the film, the nudity never offers her any kind of power or vulnerability. Instead she simply becomes part of the environment. That’s a major flaw because Dakota Johnson is a talented actress who deserves something better than what was provided here.

Yes, “Fifty Shades Freed” is fantasy, a nearly two-hour opportunity to escape the world you live in. However, that’s also the problem. Perhaps the most distressing aspect of “Fifty Shades Freed” lies in the current culture of our country. In a world where women have been deprived of power, stories about rich men getting whatever they want because of the family they belong to, the money they have accumulated, or the entitlement of power they believe they possess just feels idiotic. Take away the fast cars, the big house, the deep pockets, and Christian Grey isn’t Prince Charming, he is merely a creep. End of story.

Monte’s Rating

0.50 out of 5.00

Fifty Shades Darker Review

 

Fifty Shades Darker

Dir: James Foley

Starring: Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan, Eric Johnson, Rita Ora, Luke Grimes, Kim Basinger, Marcia Gay Harden, and Bella Heathcote

Romance is in the air. The film industry, an opportunistic group, usually has a film positioned to occupy the obligatory Valentine's Day date night movie category. Some romantic comedy or heart tugging Nicolas Sparks adaptation usually accommodates this need. Not in 2017, this year we get the second film installment based off author E.L. James' erotic romance novel, "Fifty Shades Darker". 

 

The story of Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson), a naïve and inexperienced recent college graduate, who is seduced by a billionaire named Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan), a closeted sadomasochist, opened audiences to an interesting film experience. It was interesting because within the pages of the book is a blunt detailing of sexual practices expressed in very vivid and explicit form. How could a film compose these images and detail the personal aspects of Anastasia’s experience? It couldn’t. What was produced was an unsexy, character devoid film that cheapened aspects of sexuality by composing moments that operate solely for quick visual excitement instead of the deeper aspects that make intimate moments passionate. It made Anastasia look foolish and Christian look sadistic.  

“Fifty Shades Darker” is just that, a darker and more menacing story about the discovery found in relationships. Unfortunately the viewer is never provided much in terms of character development or plot, instead we are given the same structure and formatting as the first film. Anastasia resists, Christian insists, cue sex scene with an introduction from new pop song. It’s done over and over that it becomes somewhat of a running joke. 

 

The film starts with Anastasia working at a new job for an established editor (Eric Johnson), she seems poised and ready to move forward with her life. Christian however has not stopped thinking about Anastasia; he buys an entire set of photographs at an art gallery that were taken of her. It doesn’t take long for the couple to get back together, however questions of their relationship amidst Christian’s secrecy and sexual proclivities place their love in jeopardy.

From the opening moments you can feel that the tone, compared to the first film, has changed. An early flashback of Christian’s abuse during childhood makes this very clear. These beginning moments displayed some promise for Christian’s character, how else are audiences suppose to connect with an uncaring, domineering individual like Christian? These moments, along with many other character identifying instances, are fleeting and many times completely overlooked. In replace of these scenes are ridiculously composed moments of melodrama, pieces that don’t connect in any meaningful way. It’s unfortunate because there is opportunity to explore some interesting subject matter, though that never seems to be the purpose of the film. Instead what transpires over nearly two hours is a mess of a film, one that never understands what it is trying to be. 

Dakota Johnson had a good performance in the first film, however there is nothing here for her to work with. Also, the chemistry she was developing with Jamie Dornan’s character is completely lost. This is the biggest flaw with the film. How is the viewer supposed to believe that what these two people have in a relationship is anything more than the superficial aspects of sex? The filmmakers want us to believe there is more, the characters even voice this concern at one point in the film.

“Fifty Shades Darker” struggles from the start and never finds the rhythm it is looking to achieve. The film has some stunning scenery and a plethora of fancy set pieces, a masquerade party is particularly interesting to watch, but these parts never serve much more than to reiterate that Christian can do whatever he wants because he is rich, which unfortunately paints Anastasia’s character in the worst possible light. 

Monte’s Rating

1.00 out of 5.00

How To Be Single Review

How To Be Single

Dir: Christian Ditter

Starring: Dakota Johnson, Rebel Wilson, Leslie Mann, Alison Brie, Nicholas Braun, Anders Holm, and Damon Wayans Jr.

Warner Bros. Pictures

110 Minutes

The red hearts are everywhere, the flowers are ready to be delivered, and the chocolates are available in vast assortments. For those not in a romantic relationship this upcoming Valentine’s Day weekend, prepare for every possible reminder that you are single. Call up your single friends and cast those Valentine’s Day worries aside because “How To Be Single” will give you a reason to go to the movies. Whether or not this film will provide the desired distractions is completely up to you. “How To Be Single” is a romantic comedy, offering quite a few funny moments, that barely escapes the trappings that have faltered many like it before.

Alice (Dakota Johnson) is a newcomer to New York City, just graduated and taking a break from her college boyfriend to find her identity as a single person. Alice is introduced to singlehood by Robin (Rebel Wilson), a bawdy and promiscuous partier who breaks down the rules of hookups and offers quick remedies for hangovers. Alice lives with her sister Meg (Leslie Mann), a self-absorbed obstetrician who doesn’t want a relationship but wants a baby. Add an indulgent womanizing bartender (Anders Holm) and a statistic focused Internet dater (Alison Brie) and the rugged roads on the journey to a relationship city are set.

Focusing a narrative on interweaving stories has potential to shorthand character development or general cohesiveness along the way. For the most part “How To Be Single” avoids these trappings, instead utilizing the familiar conventions to take advantage of a well-timed joke. However, it still falters when needing to wrap everything up nicely with a bow or when in the process of deciding how much the female characters should stand on their own two feet instead of relying on men to influence their resolution. The film pushes the two-hour mark, which is noticeable in the third act when the film slows to a crawl as the women and accompanying men conclude their stories. Leading up to this point you can feel the film slowly unraveling as confusions of being a single person in the big city and the woes of establishing a relationship are portrayed initially funny and amusing only to become repetitiously tedious.

Dakota Johnson leads the group and is the tie that holds the film together. Ms. Johnson’s naïve and innocent character composition allows her journey of maturation to feel more substantial than it otherwise would have been. Rebel Wilson is utilized in the same way audiences have seen her before, foul mouthed and looking to have a good time. It would have been a welcome design to see her character traverse the relationship spectrum like the other characters; instead she consistently plays the same note over and over. Leslie Mann also plays another variation of past characters, but like Ms. Wilson she is good at making the most out of the familiar role.

“How To Be Single” is an average romantic comedy, but that’s saying quite a bit considering the recent quality of these sort of films. The cast keeps the film on track and the narrative does a decent job of keeping the laughs, awkwardness, and sincere qualities consistent. It may not be as sweet as Valentine’s Day candy but it will suit those looking for a tame date movie or those seeking a reason to skip the greeting card company’s favorite day.

Monte’s Rating

2.75 out of 5.00

Fifty Shades of Grey Review

Fifty Shades of Grey

Dir: Sam Taylor-Johnson

Starring: Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan, Eloise Mumford, Jennifer Ehle, Marcia Gay Harden, Luke Grimes, and Victor Rasuk

Fairy tale? Sexual awakening? Wish fulfillment? Whatever it may be E.L. James’ bestselling novel “Fifty Shades of Grey” has a devoted following filled with people who love and loathe the sexual charged relationship story. Sam Taylor-Johnson, who directed the adoring John Lennon focused film “Nowhere Boy”, adapts James’ book mostly exact except for a decrease in the extensiveness of sex varieties explained in the novel. However, the film still has near twenty minutes of R-rated sexual content.  Though the film starts with promising potential, accommodated by a great performance from Dakota Johnson, “Fifty Shades of Grey” gets lost in the physical sensations and forgets about keeping the character and story compelling and dynamic.

Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson), an English major on the verge of graduation, is tasked with conducting an interview for her roommate with a billionaire businessman named Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan). Upon meeting each other they are immediately enamored with one another. Anastasia captivates Christian, he shows up at her work and pretends that it was coincidence. They go out for coffee and the attraction grows, but Christian unexpectedly leaves, telling Anastasia that he’s not the kind of guy she is looking for. They don’t stay apart for long as Anastasia is opened up to Christian’s world of dominating sexuality, one that incorporates contracts and control.

“Fifty Shades of Grey” is focused on sex while also attempting to convey something about the complicated nature of relationships. The problem with this film isn’t the sex, which is dialed way back from the graphic renditions depicted within the pages of the novel, but instead lies within the characters. As the desires of these two people become more complex and complicated so should the characters ambitions and choices. Instead the averting one-dimensional qualities of Christian Grey continue to undermine the growth of the characters and their courtship. Nothing seems to change between the characters, as Anastasia blossoms sexually and Christian guides her into unexplored territory the same scene of the two characters wanting to transition towards the next step is proposed but never taken. Anastasia is left indecisive and conflicted about Christian’s wants. It’s frustrating but understandable considering the film is a trilogy and room needs to be left for further examinations.  This aspect of narrative structure keeps the film from being nothing more than a waiting game for visual stimulation, and there is nothing wrong with that. The comic book movie, the horror film, every Michael Bay movie, have long been successful by offering nothing more than a visual experience with little worry about narrative cohesiveness.  With a movie released on Valentine’s Day weekend what else would you expect but a little romance, albeit a sensationalized romantic drama with hallmark movie sentiments topped with hard R-rated sexuality.

Dakota Johnson is quite good in the role of Anastasia, her plain yet still attractive appearance and somewhat naïve perspectives accommodate the development of the character. In one of the best scenes Anastasia is talking to her mom and is overcome by the unusual and confusing situation with Christian. Trying to withhold the emotions, a teary eyed Ms. Johnson simply listens and reacts. Unfortunately Jamie Dornan feels miscast. The authoritative and dominating side of the character that is also composed with elements of fear and to an extent pity never feels committed, which renders his mysterious eroticism mute.

While “Fifty Shades of Grey” tries to be a daring examination of sex and gender, it’s unfortunately overly formulaic and conventional. It ruminates from a romantic comedy into a place of melodrama and continues this structure after each sexual encounter. Though there are moments when the director and writer attempt to correlate deeper implications into the nature of sexuality, it is undermined by superficial trappings.  Though I wonder if I am being too critical of a film that looks to impose no more than two hours of playfulness in the safety of a movie theatre?

Monte’s Rating

2.00 out of 5.00