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BOOKWORM Starring: Elijah Wood, Nell Fisher, Michael Smiley, and Vanessa Stacey Director: Ant Timpson This film has been reviewed by Paige and Nick as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2024 Fantastic Film Festival. NICK Bookworm is a fairly formulaic father/daughter story, but it works within that formula well. Filmed almost entirely in the wilderness (a beautiful showcase for New Zealand), this is a well-shot adventure bolstered by the performances of its lead actors. You have Nell Fisher's Mildred, the know-it-all daughter, contrasted with Elijah Wood's character, her estranged magician father; their chemistry is the lifeblood of this feature. The other thing about Bookworm is its willingness to tread into darker territory, which in turn strengthens the film. All in all, it’s a solid children’s film bound to appease adults and children alike. PAIGE Even though some of the gags don’t always land and the script is a bit clumsy, the peculiar chemistry between Elijah Wood's and Nell Fisher’s characters is what makes Bookworm shine. It’s a sweet and adventurous father-daughter tale with some lovely moments sprinkled throughout. While I’m not quite sure if the dry and offbeat New Zealand humor will work for everyone, it worked for me. Ultimately, I found this family flick to be cute and somewhat fun, even if the pacing is a little slow at times.

MISSION KANDAHAR Starring: Gerard Butler, Navid Negahban, Ali Fazal, and Bahador Foladi Director: Ric Roman Waugh JACOB Although it’s admirable that Mission Kandahar has more on its mind than most Gerard Butler flicks – chiefly, the complex consequences of the U.S.’s departure from Afghanistan – it doesn’t quite have the necessary sophistication to navigate that conversation. Anyone expecting an action-packed ride likely will be disappointed, but what’s more disheartening to me is how good the film could have been with a few more passes at the script. Butler remains as watchable as ever, and Ric Roman Waugh seems a fitting director for his particular brand of hero, but this one just didn’t work…at least not like Greenland did. NICK I really enjoyed director Ric Roman Waugh and Gerard Butler's last team-up, Greenland , but Mission Kandahar can only be described as a disappointing follow-up. Promoted as an action film, it's not particularly exciting. In fact, it focuses a lot more on its meandering dialogue while being shot in increasingly dark spaces. Honestly, I'm all for realism, but there are points where it felt like I was just listening to a podcast. Unfortunately, Mission Kandahar wasn’t able to hold my attention, but I'm still hopeful that Butler and Waugh’s next offering, Greenland: Migration , can right the ship.

LICORICE PIZZA Starring: Cooper Hoffman, Alana Haim, Sean Penn, Tom Waits, Bradley Cooper, Benny Safdie, and Skyler Gisondo Director: Paul Thomas Anderson ADRIANO Licorice Pizza might be my favorite movie of 2021. This is writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson’s lightest movie to date, but that doesn’t mean it’s lacking the same masterwork that he usually presents. However, this time, it’s a sweet coming-of-age love story. Co-leads Cooper Hoffman and Alana Haim both give star-making performances and have some amazing chemistry together. It has some very funny moments (especially from Bradley Cooper) and some fun odes to the 70s, but it never loses track of its relatable theme of finding your place in the world. JACOB Though imperfect in pacing and marked by one or two unnecessary elements, writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson’s Licorice Pizza is nonetheless a delight to experience. The sentimental tale of Californian adolescence in the 70s is totally sincere in its sweetness toward its characters and setting, and it’s all-too-easy to fall in love with them both. Cooper Hoffman is relentlessly charming as Gary Valentine, but it’s his chemistry with (and the stellar performance of) first-time actress Alana Haim that really lands the plane. Haim, in particular, could easily be up for an Oscar nod. What a performance! What a picture! QUENTIN Despite being a meandering movie that is more about capturing the essence of the 70s than telling an A-to-B story, Licorice Pizza stays engaging. However, the base plot gets extremely creepy if you think about it for more than two seconds because it earnestly follows the semi-toxic courtship between a 25-year-old woman (Alana Haim) and a 15-year-old boy (Cooper Hoffman) as if it’s an adorable love story that everyone should root for. Such things shouldn’t be romanticized. This troublesome message, made worse by the unlikability of Hoffman’s character, torpedoes all the otherwise excellent things the film has going for it.

MR DRESSUP: THE MAGIC OF MAKE BELIEVE Starring: Eric McCormack, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, Bif Naked, Michael J. Fox, Bruce McCulloch, Scott Thompson, Graham Greene, Andrew Phung, Fred Penner, Jonathan Torrens, Chris Coombs, Cathie LeFort, Judith Lawrence, Fred Penner, and Ernie Coombs Director: Robert McCallum NICK As with many Canadians, I grew up watching Mr. Dressup . He was our Mister Rogers, which is fitting as he began as Fred Rogers’ protégé. That is one of many things I learned about Ernie Coombs in this documentary. Told through numerous interviews with a Canadian Who’s Who, this walk down memory lane features the highs and lows of Coombs’s life, as well as exploring a little children’s show that became a juggernaut by amassing 4000 episodes. This terrific documentary makes for the perfect companion piece to Won’t You Be My Neighbor? , a spotlight put on another man who helped shape many generations. Have tissues nearby. CALEB I didn’t grow up watching Mr. Dressup , but The Magic of Make-Believe made me wish that I had. This charming documentary shares the wonderful story of Ernie Coombs, skillfully navigating the ups and downs of his life with the same warmth and tenderness that he so famously brought to the screen. I loved the story, but some of the film’s technical choices bothered me. The graphics were distracting, and the score felt slightly over-used. Despite those minor complaints, I’d still say that whether you’re a fan of Mr. Dressup , or simply interested in Canadian media history, Make-Believe is definitely worth a watch. This film was reviewed by Nick as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.

THE ETERNAL DAUGHTER Starring: Tilda Swinton, Carly-Sophia Davies, Joseph Mydell, Alfie Sankey-Green, Zinnia Davies-Cooke, and August Joshi Director: Joanna Hogg QUENTIN I’m all for atmospherics in a movie, but it can’t be the only thing going for it. The Eternal Daughter looks like most period piece horror movies, with the old house and gardens constantly engulfed in a hazy fog and everything seemingly lit by candles (think The Others , but 100x worse). That ambiance makes the already slow-moving story very, very sleepy. It feels like it wants to be a mystery thriller, yet there are no mysteries or thrills…just a lot of talking. Tilda Swinton is exceptional in dual roles, adding enough differentiation to create distinct characters, but you’ll probably fall asleep too soon to notice. JACOB Very much a relative of films like The Souvenir , Joanna Hogg’s The Eternal Daughter is a hauntingly atmospheric and surprisingly funny treatise on grief, memory, and human kindness in the face of both. Stunningly shot, though occasionally too meditative for its own good, the film features a captivating central performance from the great Tilda Swinton, as well as a dryly hilarious supporting part for Carly-Sophia Davies. This truly is Swinton’s movie though, and the duality of both characters she plays is so distinct, it’s a miracle she hasn’t been handed every award already. This film was reviewed by Quentin as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival, as well as by Jacob as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2022 New York Film Festival.

WILL & HARPER Starring: Will Ferrell and Harper Steele Director: Josh Greenbaum ADRIANO Will & Harpe r is the best Will Ferrell comedy I've seen in some time, featuring the laugh-out-loud moments that have been missing in the comedian’s most recent outings. Will & Harper is much more than laughter, though. For a documentary, the movie is very cinematic, and the core friendship at the heart of the film will make anyone smile. With its mature discussions and examination of post-transition life, this is a road movie that could be seen as necessary viewing. You'll laugh a lot, but when all is said and done, you may even cry. KATIE Will & Harper is a hopeful film highlighting the importance of approaching unfamiliar situations with open-mindedness and understanding. The documentary doesn’t try to convince the viewer to align with a particular viewpoint, with the focus remaining on the heartwarming friendship between Will Ferrell and Harper Steele, as well as Steele's personal experiences. In this sense, Will & Harper is free of the pressures that the media places on a lot of transgender people, who are expected to act as representatives for their entire community, which allows space for Ferrell to ask awkward questions and make mistakes as he reacquaints himself with Harper. QUENTIN Will & Harper is a charming road-trip documentary that explores friendship, acceptance, and the adjustment period that inherently occurs after a person transitions, both for the one making the transition and the people around them. For some, particularly those who have never been exposed to a trans person, this almost should be considered necessary viewing as it gets to the humanity of the situation. On the other hand, for a person like me, who has several close LGBTQ+ friends (including some who have transitioned), I’ve had many of the conversations depicted in the film, which results in a movie that is touching but not exactly enlightening. This film was reviewed by Adriano as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.

THE UNION Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Halle Berry, J.K. Simmons, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Alice Lee, Jackie Earle Haley, Jessica De Gouw, Stephen Campbell Moore, Mike Colter, Dana Delany, and Lorraine Bracco Director: Julian Farino QUENTIN It seems like 2024 has had a never-ending string of mediocre buddy comedies, and The Union is just another entry on the pile. Honestly, my reviews of this, The Instigators , Axel F , Jackpot!, and several more are all pretty similar. The acting is fine, the plot is predictable, there are a few chuckles to be had, and the action, though generic, is entertaining enough. That said, of all the recent offerings in this genre, I guess this is one of the better ones, but that’s a low bar and it’s really splitting hairs. It’s a decent yet disposable distraction on Netflix – no more, no less. PRESTON Perfectly unlikely, but predictable events unfold in a cliché spy action-comedy that is the Netflix-iest movie to ever movie on Netflix. Halle Berry (Roxanne), Mark Wahlberg (Mike McKenna), J.K. Simmons (Tom Brennan), and Mike Colter (Nick Faraday) form a pleasurable enough cast that suits the format just fine, and they are able to inject enough charm to make the film an ok watch. No need to overcomplicate things here, this is after-work fodder for the masses that you may enjoy if you want to just shut down the old thinker for a couple of hours.

RELAY Starring: Riz Ahmed, Lily James, and Sam Worthington Director: David Mackenzie NICK Relay feels straight out of the 90s. Like, I can picture reruns of this film playing on TBS growing up. That's not a knock, either. The movie is specifically meant as an homage, so it succeeds on that front. It's the required intensity that is absent. That's not Riz Ahmed’s or Lily James’ fault, both of whom provide solid performances and great chemistry. It's the pacing and overall feel of the film; it's just a little on the forgettable side. With the rerun era essentially obsolete, Relay won't have the same chance as its predecessors, but perhaps it finds a home on streaming. ADRIANO It's disappointing to have a movie you're genuinely enjoying get ruined by a big twist. That's what Relay is, a movie that had me enthralled with its whip-smart cat-and-mouse game for a large chunk of the runtime, which was enjoyable enough to overshadow the narrow attempts at emotional character writing; however, when that big reveal happens, it turns the movie completely on its face in a way that isn't true to anything that was set-up, story- or character-wise. I don't know the reveal's point, but it was a serious momentum killer. This film was reviewed by Nick as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.

ELEMENTAL Starring: Leah Lewis, Mamoudou Athie, Ronnie Del Carmen, Shila Ommi, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Catherine O’Hara, Mason Wertheimer, Joe Pera, and Matt Yang King Director: Peter Sohn ADRIANO Pixar has set a high bar, but even with that in mind, Elemental is mid-tier Pixar. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a funny and endearing film that will charm audiences, but it’s also got some too-on-the-nose messages about racism and generational gaps in families that are addressed in a way that doesn’t feel fleshed out. The central romance, while cute, just didn’t work for me, and is a little rushed. In certain moments, it felt like it was trying to be Pixar “The Brand” over its own movie, which also didn’t work. It’s not an experience I regret, but it’s nothing I’ll ever watch again either. AMARÚ Elemental is an all-around beautiful movie. The myriad of ways it visually mixes the elements is delightful, but it’s the story’s heart that makes it moving. At its core, it’s a touching immigrant story interweaved seamlessly with multilayered themes of love, tolerance, intolerance, and the weight of family legacy. Early on, some of the characterizations are a bit overcooked, but this sets up an emotionally poignant payoff by the film's end. Elemental is a heartwarming addition to the Pixar filmography, and one of its better outings in recent years. JACOB Elemental is here to remind us of the great potential Pixar still has to make quality animated entertainment…and the commitment they continue to have in not living up to that potential. Don’t get me wrong, the film works fine, and the designs are some of their most creative in years; however, the problem is that the story is told in its most conventional form, rarely deigning to actually explore the world it occupies. There are some unique visuals and it does boast one of Pixar’s better scores in years, but overall, this one remains on the higher end of average.

HARD HAT RIOT Director: Marc Levin QUENTIN As far as documentaries go, Hard Hat Riot is about as dry as they come, which shouldn’t be surprising considering it was produced for PBS. That doesn’t mean it isn’t worth a watch, especially if you’re interested in how the United States has come to find itself in its current cultural and political divide, but Riot is far more educational than entertainment. There are no flashy interview subjects, just old guys in a room and plenty of archival footage. That said, the parallels to what is happening today, as well as the insight into the redefinition of American politics, are fascinating. KATIE Hard Hat Riot offers informative and impactful insight into an American historical event that I had no knowledge of beforehand, but thoroughly enjoyed learning about over the course of the documentary. Through interviews with individuals who experienced the event, as well as the political climate that led to it, it shows points of view that are authentic and grounded, and normally wouldn't reach a wider audience. Although it doesn’t explicitly make the comparison, it highlights the worrying similarities in our current political landscape and how voters can be manipulated and turned against one another.

THE MATRIX RESSURECTIONS Starring: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jessica Henwick, Jonathan Groff, Neil Patrick Harris, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, and Jada Pinkett Smith Director: Lana Wachowski QUENTIN I’m not exactly sure how a movie can feel like a retread, be heavy with exposition, and still be confusing, but Resurrections does it. Outside of a nostalgia-driven money grab, nothing about this way-too-late sequel feels necessary. The story isn’t particularly interesting despite some admittedly intriguing meta elements, and the special effects are surprisingly shoddy at times considering 1999’s The Matrix was such a game changer in that department. Worst of all, it’s mostly boring and feels somewhat soulless for a looong 2.5 hours. It’s only for the most ardent fanboys of the franchise, if they even exist anymore. ADRIANO The Matrix Resurrections is a massive slog. It’s visually stunning and the performances are really good, but the story is quite the convoluted, muddled, and confusing mess. There were several times when I thought the movie was about to end only for it to run for another half hour, which means you really feel that 2.5-hour runtime. On top of that, the movie has a weird meta commentary going on. It was a little clever initially, but it quickly got to a point where I thought “Ok, we get it.” This movie was very disappointing. AMARÚ It’s not often that a Creative writes a love letter to their previous work. Revisiting our childhood classics is usually left to others so that what we remember is given a fresh look. But with The Matrix Resurrections , director Lana Wachowski waxes (read: criticizes) nostalgic to initially have us question everything we know about her original trilogy. That uncertainty hooked me until the movie began to explain things and my eyes glazed over. Honestly, I couldn’t tell you the film’s main conflict or the characters’ motivations. Maybe a second viewing will help, but that’s seldom a good sign. JACOB The Matrix Resurrections is as good as it needed to be to avoid being a total disaster, but the shame of it is that it’s still not quite good enough to be more than “fine.” There are certainly plenty of things to enjoy, and the anti-meta-sequel swing that director Lana Wachowski takes with it is big; however, I’m not sure it entirely lands in the way it was intended to. Despite solid performances, some neat (if overcut) action sequences, and decent visuals, Resurrections feels as if it’s only half-committed to existing - whether that’s entirely fair is up to the viewer.

ARGYLLE Starring: Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Rockwell, Henry Cavill, John Cena, Bryan Cranston, Catherine O’Hara, Dua Lipa, Ariana DeBose, and Samuel L. Jackson Director: Matthew Vaughn AMARÚ Sam Rockwell is brilliant at making the outrageous believable, and he tries his damndest to deliver on what director Matthew Vaughn is shooting for with Argylle : an outrageously fun and over-the-top action comedy. Unfortunately, he’s nowhere near enough to save the film from a script as superfluous as the main character Elly Conway’s (Bryce Dallas Howard) spy novels, some surprisingly weightless action, and staggeringly bad special effects. If you want viewers to invest in outlandishness, you gotta make the easy parts feel real, and Argylle is nothing but silicone. Man, what happened to Matthew Vaughn? Please come back to us. QUENTIN While there are individual aspects I enjoyed about Argylle , such as Sam Rockwell delightfully leaning into charming badass mode and a few creatively conceived (if poorly executed) action sequences, the overall movie is an overlong, ugly-looking action-comedy that is surprisingly devoid of fun. Rockwell aside, the A-list cast mostly sleepwalks through a convoluted story that ultimately feels like director Matthew Vaughn trying to rip-off his own Kingsman franchise. All that said, it’s not unwatchable, almost entirely thanks to Rockwell. It’s just one of those disappointingly bland movies that will be forgotten until you come across it while flipping channels on a Saturday afternoon. ADRIANO As a lover of director Matthew Vaughn's other spy movie, Kingsman , it brings me no joy to say that Argylle is a disaster. While some of Vaughn's signature insanity does sneak in from time to time to elicit some fun, the vast majority of the film is convoluted, messy, and an excuse to set up one predictable plot twist after another. While Sam Rockwell is great, he can't save the film's uninteresting plot or horrendous visuals. Not even the reveal of the REAL Agent Argylle is worth sitting through this slog. NICK Director Matthew Vaughn reinvigorated the spy genre with Kingsman , and while that film’s sequels have been a mixed bag, his style and storytelling has acclimated very well to the world of espionage. With Argylle , the style is present, but it comes with a disconnect. The "Vaughn moments'' work on their own, but they feel out of place within the story. Plus, despite the interesting cast, the performers’ utilization is often fumbled. The biggest difference from Kingsman , however, is that this film just isn't very fun, which is not by design. I didn’t hate Argylle , but it’s certainly below the bar Matthew Vaughn has set. PAIGE Argylle is an absurd, action-packed spy thriller that delivers charismatic leads and dynamic action sequences, but as the movie progresses, it gets more and more outlandish, eventually overstaying its welcome. Additionally, despite the fact that director Matthew Vaughn seemed to have a creative vision for this world of espionage, the movie’s excessive runtime, atrocious CGI, and bogged-down script favor style over substance. That said, this shouldn't deter you from discovering who the real Agent Argylle is because the movie is still ridiculously fun. PRESTON First of all…everybody calm down! Director Matthew Vaughn wanted Argylle to feel like a B-movie action flick (I hope), and his intention was to mimic the over-the-top, unrealistic, and trashy spy novels that occupy Wal-Mart bookshelves, which he succeeds at. Yes, the CGI is atrocious. Yes, it is longer than it needs to be (due to an easily cut-able Blades of Glory style digression from an already loose storyline). No, it won’t win any awards. Still, I imagine one of these days I will want to relax after a long day of taking life too seriously, and Argylle will be the perfect fit for mindless bliss. CALEB Argylle is a bona fide masterclass in stupidity; a tacky, miscast, convoluted disaster. Honestly, I’m almost impressed that a movie with visuals this grotesque managed to cost more than $200 million dollars. Hell, it’s impressive that a script this nonsensical got picked up at all. The third act is so ludicrous that I slowly became convinced that I was actually experiencing a psychotic episode. A full-blown mental breakdown was the only realistic explanation I could think of to explain the fever dream playing out before me. I know the year is just getting started, but 2024 may already have its worst movie. KATIE Although my expectations for Argylle were not particularly high, I did at least expect to have fun. For the first hour, I was mostly enjoying myself, almost entirely due to Sam Rockwell’s charming performance and the frequent appearances of a cat, but anything after this point was an effort to endure. The visuals are outrageously poor and unpolished, to the extent the film looked unfinished, the action set pieces are bland, and the plot is so convoluted it's boring. The fact that this is part one of an intended trilogy is astounding.