Ridley Scott’s 2000 Best Picture directorial work Gladiator was a seminal moment in 21st century cinema. Oscar winner Russel Crowe’s broody Maximus made an impression on filmgoers. Gladiator 2 arrived in cinemas this week. It is best to leave well enough alone. This come twenty-four years later sequel is an out of sync spectacle.
Paul Mescal has some big sandals to fill as Lucius, the less brutal, more pondering vengeful son of Maximus. Not lacking in the spirit of role but lacking the grit, the Irish actor looked as if he was learned how to swim without an instructor for the first time.
Denzel Washington as Macrinus
Denzel Washington as the scheming Macrinus was relishing his role at times the twice Academy Award earner overshadowed a cast that came off as having taken a high dosage of Xanax.
The Wikipedia referenced script has the usual assortment of Roman Empire intrigue for the civic crown. I, Claudius captured these characters better.
Scott plays well with the visual, too bad the whole Gladiator 2 was just a lot of humdrum separate parts.
2.5/5 stars.
Gladiator 2 is in European Cinemas. Running Time: 2 hours 28 mins.
The expectation was for a Summer 2024 Blockbuster, the reality was a fizzle. There have been so much written about the failure to generate a barely noticeable Memorial Weekend debut of Furiosa, the latest Mad Max installment. After only collecting $31 million at the box office over the four-day weekend. One commentator after another has an opinion or analyses are still trending on the Internet. Why didn’t this critically lauded fifth work in the series connect?
Mad Max No. 5.
After the positive debut reception at the Cannes Film Festival, George Miller’s $165 million dystopian epic looked like a sure winner with a 90% Rotten Tomatoes score. No one knows what the public will like. Nine years after the release of Mad Max:Fury Road, director and writer Miller took the prequel route with a backstory to Charlie Theron’s Imperator Furiosa character. This is a no spoiler commentary. I have not watched the movie, but planning to get my ticket soon.
Blame
The world is a different place from 2015. Covid, wars on two fronts, perhaps there is audience fatigue on dark subject matter. Who can blame the public? At times, strolling through a news feed requires a Paxil.
Ticket goers, straining under inflation, are more cautious about shelling out twenty or thirty dollars for a movie based on a cinema cult property.
The window for theatrical release before on a streaming service has shortened. Viewers are deciding to wait to watch releases at home. IF and the Ryan Gosling comedy The Fall Guy had less than spectacular openings.
Top billed Ann Taylor-Joy is not the box office draw the industry many in the industry expected. The Miami native’s career could take a hit. Studios may no longer gamble on The Queen Gambit’s drawing eyeballs to movie houses. Meanwhile, co-star Chris Hemsworth will be fine wearing tights in another MCU flick.
As a fan of the Mel Gibson Mad Max Trilogy, I would have liked to a story based on the lone survivor theme. However, given the veteran action star’s age and in particular his well publicised anger management problems, the creative team sought a fresh story more in line with present day sensibilities.
The present media frenzy points to writing off the franchise. I give it a few years, then there will be a reboot with a new director and lead actor. The Mad Max Saga has only stalled, waiting for a refuel.
Screened at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival, the documentary The Story of Bones he recently hit the headlines of the British paper The Guardian. The feature debut from duo Joseph Curran and Dominic Aubrey de Vere is the story of a purposely hidden tragedy. The Transatlantic Slave Trade’s so called “Saviors” were not as benevolent as they appeared. On St. Helena, Annina Van Neel uncovers the island’s role in an injustice involving “freed human cargo”.
As the saying goes, ?A thief can never trust another thief?, Trojan, the habitual professional burglar in the film Scorched Earth should heed these words. Director and writer Thomas Arslan’s sequel to his popular German film In the Shadows, takes actor Misel Maticevic back into familiar territory. As a leader of a heist crew, Trojan navigates through double crosses where one bad move could be his last.
Arlen’s direction at times feels stiff while reaching for the noir mood with Reinhold Vorschneider’s cinematography interchanging from grey to blue hues. Working from his screenplay, the sixty one-year-old helmsmen keeps the movement going to its natural violent conclusion.
The glue keeping the film together is Misel as the battled weary every man loner, unable or unwilling to escape from this backstabbing world.
I cannot compare the latest entry into the series against the 2010 work because I did not view it. As a stand alone, Scorched Earth has tough legs for the fan base pleased, while winning over a few new ones.
Scorched Earth was screened online.
Running time is 104 minutes. Release date in Germany is July 18th 2024.
When a campaign is out of the box, it should be appreciated. Normally, fashion brands employ the same template. How many expressionless face models have we seen peddling the latest expensive this or that in glossy images? For a creative business, the fashion industry can be numbing with the same staid images. Brooklyn jewelry and handbag designer Alexis Bitter took a cue from different influences by imagining a universe with the cast of characters that border on tragic comedy, integrating branding and seeding with clever storytelling in short Instagram videos.
Old money maven Margaux and abused assistant Jules or Jules are the golden Manhattan team, a modern dysfunctional duo that makes the new Sex and the City reboot feel wooden. Theresa is straight from the John Waters casting call. The fabulous Coney Island native has her seven teen fans on TikTok and a husband who loves Fox News.
The FLU newscasters, a bull eyes parody of modern journalism with serpentine smiles glossed over with high-tech graphics.
Alexis Bitter proves originality and risk can triumph.
