Greetings again from the darkness. Cats tend to be solitary creatures. And by ‘tend’ I mean about 99% of the time. In this superb animated fable from writer-director Gints Zilbalodis (AWAY, 2019) and co-writer Matiss Kaza, our protagonist is a cat who learns (and teaches us) that a community working together is more powerful than any single being working alone.
Clocking in at a brisk 84 minutes, the film opens with the cat gazing at his own reflection in the river. After a frantic chase with dogs on it’s trail, the cat escapes back to the house where he was once cared for by a cat-loving carpenter who has presumably since passed away. After a thundering herd of deer run by, a massive flood hits the forest and sends the cat scurrying for higher ground. The adventure begins … and though there are some similarities to other animal journey movies, this one is unique in its approach.
Zilbalodis has utilized no humans or human voices. The animal sounds are actually recorded animal sounds specific to each critter (no cute voiceovers). The exception is the capybara, where a camel’s recording is used instead. Much of the time is spent on a floating sailboat filled with an odd group of animals: our ever-present cat, the capybara (sleepy but loyal), a labrador (playful and friendly), a ring tail lemur (collecting all sorts of items along the way), and a large white bird ( I believe an African secretarybird who steers the boat despite a broken wing).
As you might imagine, this group of misfit sailors learn that survival depends on getting along and working together. Their teamwork is quite impressive, even as they encounter obstacles, and their own conflict – which leads to a stronger bond. This is not the hyper-realistic animation we’ve recently seen with animals, but the movements are extremely true-to-form for each of them. Zilbalodis includes some mystical elements, but as a fable, the message is that community and teamwork are stronger than solitude, and the final shot reinforces this. The filmmaker purposefully avoided any particular geographic locale (as noted by the various species) in order to ensure the deeper message is not lost. This is Latvia’s Oscar submission, and it will likely gain support in the animation category.
Posted by David Ferguson 
Greetings again from the darkness. Like many of you, I’m not usually a fan of sequels. Too often they feel like a money grab or an unapologetically opportunistic way to capitalize on previous success without much creativity or artistry required. Of course, there are exceptions. Sometimes sequels advance the story or offer additional development on an interesting character. So where does this one fit? It’s been almost a quarter-century since GLADIATOR (2000) received 12 Oscar nominations, winning 5, including Best Picture. The original is a film I revere. Director Ridley Scott is back at the helm, and at age 86, he proves he’s still a master of scope and scale and visceral action sequences.
Greetings again from the darkness. Movie goers are accustomed to seeing the comedic side of Nick Frost in The Cornetto Trilogy from director Edgar Wright. These are the three films where Frost shares the screen with Simon Pegg: SHAUN OF THE DEAD (2004), HOT FUZZ (2007), and THE WORLD’S END (2013). Fans of that series are in for quite a shock thanks to this Shudder film from director Bruce Goodison and screenwriter Virginia Gilbert.
Greetings again from the darkness. For those who have been anxiously awaiting the first Spanish language-crime thriller-gender affirming-musical filled with violence, humor, romance, and on-the-nose songs, the talented French filmmaker Jacques Audiard has delivered. It’s also one of the year’s best films and deserved its place as France’s Oscar submission for Best International Film. Audiard based the film on the 2018 novel “Ecoute” by Boris Razon, and it’s a wild trip for viewers.
Greetings again from the darkness. It feels like it’s been a while since we had a good old fashioned serious-minded, tension-packed, “big” drama film featuring big movie stars. Well, that’s exactly what director Edward Berger, fresh off his Oscar-winning ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT (2022), serves up with his latest. Writer Peter Straughan (TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY, 2011) has adapted the 2016 Robert Harris novel, and the result is a welcome crowd-pleaser that may garner some Oscar consideration.
Greetings again from the darkness. Spy-thrillers typically fall into one of two categories: complex and smart (TINKER TAILOR SPY, 2011) or action-packed (KANDAHAR, 2023), although many combine the two elements quite successfully (MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, 1996). This film from director Roel Reine and screenwriter Bob Derosa slams us with action sequences while only teasing us with bits of what could have been a clever story.
Greetings again from the darkness. As a lonely woman, being told you have the look of a model is a welcome compliment. As a runaway living on the streets, having a young man show an interest in you is a welcome development. As a single woman moving into an apartment and having a charming young man help move your furniture is a welcome occurrence. As a struggling actress, getting cast on a hit show is a welcome gig. What do all of these situations have in common? They feature vulnerable women who crossed paths with Rodney Alcala, an infamous serial rapist and murderer. This is the first feature film directed by uber-talented Anna Kendrick and it’s a doozy.
Greetings again from the darkness. A fun-filled film meant only to entertain is always welcome. Traditionally these show up during the summer months, but timing this one closer to Halloween makes complete sense. Written by Bryan Schulz (the grandson of the late Peanuts creator Charles Schulz) and Cornelius Uliano (his collaborator on THE PEANUTS MOVIE, 2015), the film is directed by David Henrie, best known for his role in “How I Met Your Mother”. It’s his first feature film gaining distribution, and it doesn’t disappoint.
Greetings again from the darkness. George Clooney and Brad Pitt are both two-time Oscar winners and are both north of 60 years old now. This latest film from writer-director Jon Watts (three Spider-Man movies) seems to ask the question: Are they still cool in a wise-cracking action movie star way? It’s been twenty-three years since the two long-time friends co-starred in the first (of 3) “Ocean’s” movies, and there is no doubt they were the epitome of cool then. But what about now? And does it matter? The argument can be made that it does matter since so few non-superhero and non-comic book movies are capable of drawing big crowds to the theater these days. Unfortunately, this film won’t answer the question about drawing power, as a very limited one-week theatrical release will be followed by a run on Apple TV+.
Greetings again from the darkness. With any discussion or article about relationships these days, there is inevitably a mention of ‘red flags’ … warning signs in a potential partner that shouldn’t be ignored. Thanks to writer-director Fernando Trueba (BELLE EPOQUE 1992, CHICO & RITA 2009) and co-writer Rylend Grant, there is now a movie that offers clear examples of red flags for those who can’t manage to spot them without assistance.
Movie Reviews from the Dark 