SLY Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Frank Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Henry Winkler, John Herzfeld, Wesley Morris, and Quentin Tarantino Director: Thom Zimny NICK Much like Netflix’s Arnold earlier this year, Sly plays it too safe. Its strength is in discussing everything that went into the Rocky franchise from the mouth of Sylvester Stallone himself, and it’s evident how much thought and care has been put into the iconic character. Beyond that, it’s a little unremarkable. It zooms past his non-franchise film career, and it never dives into his hardships with any depth. I understand that Stallone tries to maintain a level of optimism and was likely very hands-on with this project, but I don’t feel like I know the man any more than I did going in. ADRIANO As a lifelong fan of Sylvester Stallone, it saddens me to say that Sly is predictably self-pandering. I wanted a deeper look at his life, not just his career, but the movie takes most of its runtime to talk about how Stallone created his famous franchises (a lot of the movie is just about Rocky ). As a fan, that's fun, but it's not worth my time when I'm after a little bit more. Not that his personal life isn't touched on at all, but not nearly enough to be insightful. Is it an easy watch? Absolutely. Will I watch it again, though? Probably not. QUENTIN Though perhaps a bit too long and too focused on Rocky , Sly remains an interesting and honest portrait of Sylvester Stallone. It’s less self-aggrandizing than Netflix’s Arnold , and I can genuinely say that I came away with more insight into the man. That said, I also was left just a little wanting. Obviously, with a 77-year-old subject that has had such a lengthy career, it’d be near impossible to cover everything, but there are aspects of his life that I wish it had touched on more, including certain film failures and his rivalry with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Still, a great watch for fans of the icon. PRESTON Sly is a kind of one-on-one, but lightly assisted, documentary from and about the man himself, Sylvester Stallone. It can be easy for someone to look upon the past with rose-colored glasses and attribute too much to the meaning behind past accomplishments. In this case, I believe Stallone to be insightful and his attributions to be admirably objective, but you can tell that he is protective of his family, which leads us down a safer and narrower path that hinders the film’s potential. Nevertheless, Rocky fans and general Stallone enthusiasts alike shouldn’t hesitate to queue this one up. This film was reviewed by Nick and Adriano as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.

THE APPRENTICE Starring: Sebastian Stan, Jeremy Strong, Martin Donovan, and Maria Bakalova Director: Ali Abbasi QUENTIN Much like Oliver Stone’s W. , The Apprentice offers a surprisingly sympathetic origin story to Donald Trump (Sebastian Stan), showing the evolution from Trump the Man to Trump the Brand. However, with Trump being such a divisive individual, it’s hard to pinpoint how much one’s politics will influence their opinion of the movie because, although it’s not exactly assaultive, it’s definitely not flattering. All that aside, though, the soundtrack, production design, and performances…especially Stan, who nails Trump’s mannerisms without ever falling into an SNL -style impression…are all on point. The quality certainly is there to make it worth your time if you can get past any political blockers. NICK It would have been easy for Sebastian Stan to lean into parody as Donald J. Trump, but he instead gives a layered and nuanced performance that evolves throughout The Apprentice . Following the rise of Trump, this is an origin story for everything from his mannerisms to his belief system. You watch as he cosplays through life as an adult to become the man he is today. Not to be outdone, Jeremy Strong carries the early going of the film, and both actors should be firmly in the awards conversation. I didn’t need more Trump, but I can’t deny I found this story rather interesting. ADRIANO While I don't think The Apprentice gives us much information on Donald Trump's (Sebastian Stan) psyche that we didn't already know, I don't think that is the full point of the movie. What the movie does offer is a haunting examination of how American pride can lead to an easy-to-game system, which can turn meek upcomers into crooked, narcissistic monsters. Jeremy Strong is excellent, but Stan gives a career-best performance, trading a faux imitation for a scarily accurate, egoless transformation that is uncanny at times. Although some of the story beats could've been fleshed out more, I dug this. AMARÚ Director Ali Abbasi has The Apprentice feeling as fast and dirty as the deplorable acts we witness from Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong) and Donald Trump (Sebastian Stan), and it’s on the backs of those two tremendous actors, plus a striking performance from Maria Bakalova as Ivana Trump, that this movie moves. Mirroring the trajectory of Trump’s vexing persona, it meanders at its start, but just as Stan uncannily transforms into the figure we know today, the film commits to a debaucherous pace of ever-building lies, schemes, and deals that filled me with utter disgust. So, it did its job. KATIE The Apprentice isn't just a film about Donald Trump. It’s an exploration of the evil facilitated by capitalism, corruption, and pursuit of wealth at all costs. It’s a simplistic view of Trump's life, but, instead of playing a caricature, Sebastian Stan gives a truly impressive performance, effortlessly portraying Trump’s mannerisms and cadence as he slowly twists into the man that everyone knows today, and Jeremy Strong is disturbingly captivating as Trump’s mentor Roy Cohn. There is, however, a distressing scene that didn’t seem in tone with the film, didn’t add anything to the story, and disturbed my immersion since it was so jarring. PRESTON The Apprentice is as polarizing as the political atmosphere in which we now find ourselves. It’s one of the most well-done ax-jobs I’ve seen, but with the timing of release and the brutal portrayal (however authentic it may be), it definitely qualifies as an unabashed hit piece. Sebastian Stan (Donald Trump) is awesome, but the real star is Jeremy Strong (Roy Cohn), who takes on the character of the unscrupulous lawyer with screen-commanding presence. The film is overly harsh, depressing in tone, and disturbing at times…AND, it’s also worth a watch (if personal political leanings can be checked). This film was reviewed by Quentin as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.

DOWNTON ABBEY: A NEW ERA Starring: Hugh Bonneville, Michelle Dockery, Samantha Bond, Allen Leech, Tuppence Middleton, Hugh Dancy, Imelda Staunton, Maggie Smith, Fifi Hart, Elizabeth McGovern, Laura Carmichael, Harry Hadden-Paton, Penelope Wilton, Jim Carter, Dominic West, Laura Haddock, Sue Johnston, Kevin Doyle, Michael Fox, Robert James-Collier, Phyllis Logan Director: Simon Curtis AMARÚ Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) best described Downton Abbey in Iron Man 3 : “it’s elegant.” A New Era lives up to that descriptor, as it is an elegant escape with dazzling production and a memorable score. At first, it seems a sophisticated mesh of The Crawleys’ low-stakes ongoings; However, as the storylines come together, the wonderful characters’ warmth, pitch-perfect humor, and lovely performances remind you why you care for such trivial happenings. Whether ardent fan (me, waving vehemently) or newcomer to the opulent relationships between upstairs and down, it’s a comfort movie personified. Also, Dame Maggie Smith… no other words necessary. JACOB Even if one has never seen an episode of the beloved drama series, the Downton Abbey films cast a very charming shadow, though A New Era does leave a bit to be desired. Whereas the previous entry in this saga felt largely clean, polished, and focused, this one comes off a bit choppier in the editing and storytelling. In presenting two threads that have almost nothing in common, save their connections in characters, the film comes off as somewhat unsure of the story it wants to tell. That said, fans of the series will likely enjoy themselves anyway.

HUNDREDS OF BEAVERS Starring: Olivia Graves, Doug Mancheski, Luis Rico, Wes Tank, and Ryland Brickson Cole Tews Director: Mike Cheslick QUENTIN Hundreds of Beavers succeeds at everything it sets out to do in creating a live-action cartoon. The gags come a mile-a-minute, and the silent movie slapstick approach will certainly elicit some giggles. It genuinely feels like Charlie Chaplin meets Wile E. Coyote. The thing is… there is a reason that most of Chaplin’s “The Tramp” movies and classic Looney Tunes cartoons were rarely longer than 10 minutes. There is little story, and once you’ve acclimated to the dialogue-free vibe, it’s diminishing returns. Beavers ‘ runtime is 108 long minutes, so it eventually gets tiresome. However, if broken down into multiple shorts, there is little to complain about. ADRIANO You won't find many movies nowadays that do nothing but deliver pure laughter and joy in the way that Hundreds of Beavers does. The movie takes its small budget and simple concept to ludicrous extremes while wearing its influences on its sleeve. There's some Buster Keaton, some Charlie Chaplin, and even some Looney Tunes thrown in there. As a result, the film acts as a live-action cartoon that had me laughing the whole time. I admit that it definitely didn't need to be nearly two hours, but the film never overstayed its welcome, and I never wasn't having fun. This film was originally reviewed by Quentin as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2023 Fantasia International Film Festival.

YOU'RE CORDIALLY INVITED Starring: Will Ferrell, Reese Witherspoon, Geraldine Viswanathan, Meredith Hagner, Jimmy Tatro, Stony Blyden, Leanne Morgan, Rory Scovel, Jacki McBrayer, and Celia Weston Director: Nicholas Stoller NICK Considering it stars Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon, You're Cordially Invited is straight out of the 2000s. Evoking the memory of films such as Bride Wars , I can't say it adds anything to the comedy battleground genre, staying on par with many of the other entries. There are some decisions late in the film that hurt my overall rating, but for the majority of it, it's an average film. Inoffensive, yet likely to be forgotten once the year turns over. What shouldn’t be forgotten, however, is Geraldine Viswanathan. She’s enjoyable here, and it’s time we start seeing more of her. QUENTIN There are a few moments in You’re Cordially Invited when it seems like writer-director Nicholas Stoller wanted to let Will Ferrell cook in his trademark improvisational style, but they’re buried under so many lazily unfunny jokes, you wonder why they cast Ferrell at all. Alongside that, Invited has one of the laziest R-ratings I’ve ever seen, amounting to nothing more than a couple shoehorned-in F-bombs. Frankly, this dated movie feels like Stoller either self-sabotaged or the studio had too heavy a hand in the final cut because there are shadows of glimpses of a comedy that could have been entertaining. As is, though? RSVP No. PRESTON I entered You’re Cordially Invited with extremely low expectations, and should you choose to do the same, there is an outside chance that you may consider it…not half-bad. I even, surprisingly, avoided the all-too-familiar moment when I thought that I was hating what I was watching. It is ridiculous and sweet, and sometimes funny, and sometimes cringe. But for me, it was a perfectly acceptable way to pass time on a day I was feeling a little poopy. Besides low expectations, an appreciation of Will Ferrell’s style of comedy is also a prerequisite, but that’s too easy. AMARÚ I’m happy to say that You’re Cordially Invited is genuinely heartfelt, hilarious, and more than your run-of-the-mill romantic comedy. Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon go toe-to-toe with ridiculous (but not overdone) antics and insightful arcs that’ll make you look at your own familial relationships more closely, but it’s Leanne Morgan and Rory Scovel who threaten to steal the entire movie. Writer-director Nicholas Stoller gives them the biggest laughs while also delivering an honest examination on how people’s differing beliefs can inhibit their ability to listen and empathize. He had no right creating something this good with this premise, but it works. Bravo. ADRIANO You're Cordially Invited has an easy concept, a proven comedic director in Nicholas Stoller, and two great lead performers, one of whom is a comedy legend… so why did it fall so flat? It just comes down to it not being very funny. It has some heart, some chuckle-worthy moments, and there's nothing insincere about it, but Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon are sadly not amazing here. Ferrell, in particular, feels weirdly neutered (Jimmy Tatro and Keyla Monterroso Mejia are innocent, though). For a streaming movie, it's simple enough; just be aware you may not laugh as much as you'd hope.

ONE FAST MOVE Starring: K.J. Apa, Eric Dane, Maia Reficco, and Edward James OlmosYPU Director: Kelly Blatz AMARÚ Eric Dane keeps doing this thing in One Fast Move where he repeatedly says “naw, naw, naw” only to eventually say, “wait… maybe I can” (or some variation of this sentiment). That feeling of seeing the same thing over and over kept recurring throughout the runtime because I’ve seen a lot of this movie’s plot points in plenty of other films. None of it is bad, but much of it is quite ordinary. Dane often overdoes his dead-beat characterization, but a solid KJ Apa and an always stand-out Edward James Olmos balance him out enough to get through the film unbothered. PRESTON One Fast Move is the epitome of a cliché racing movie, and it follows its pre-planned map to a T. The predictable character arc follows along the cursive wavelength path of troubled start to things looking up, then the decline before inevitable victory. There are some pedestrian inclusions for the motorcycle fan that include Sturgis shirts, a Tail of the Dragon ride, some motorcycle lingo, and fast bikes, but the true racing enthusiasts will likely walk away feeling let down. Ultimately, an unremarkable, middle-of-the-road offering that steers well clear of the fast lane.

RAGING GRACE Starring: Leanne Best, Jaeden Paige Boadilla, Max Eigenmann, and David Hayman Director: Paris Zarcilla This film has been reviewed by Quentin and Paige as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2023 Fantasia International Film Festival. QUENTIN Raging Grace does several things very well. The acting is solid, the score is one of the best horror scores I’ve heard in quite some time, and an overbearing feeling of dread permeates the viewing experience as you’re constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop. That said, once it dropped, so did my general interest as major reveals land with more of an “oh” than an “oh!” Also, writer-director Paris Zarcilla clearly wants to talk about social inequalities (it’s often reminiscent of Parasite ), but those themes aren’t fleshed out terribly well. It’s not a total dud, but I didn’t love it either. PAIGE Raging Grace showcases the hardships and struggles one may face due to immigration and colonialism. While the film is categorized as horror, I personally think it plays more like an atmospheric mystery movie. With that in mind, one of the major things this Fantasia offering has going for it is its score, which enhances the ominous tone that lingers throughout. That said, there needed to be way more rage from Grace for this film to be titled Raging Grace .

SUZE Starring: Michaela Watkins, Charlie Gillespie, Sara Waisglass, Aaron Ashmore, and Rainbow Sun Francks Directors: Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart PAIGE Suze is a straightforward tale of personal growth, but it does a wonderful job of striking a balance between drama and humor. It glosses over some of its deeper emotional beats, but still manages to be a funny and somewhat unexpectedly touching movie, mostly because of the fantastic chemistry between our two leads, Charlie Gillespie and Michaela Watkins. The most delightful aspect of this film is their improbable friendship due to their ages. Suze is an all-around lighthearted and charming film that will warm your heart. KATIE I don’t think Suze is quite as wholesome as it thinks it is. The film relies on the dynamic between Suze (Michaela Watkins) and Gage (Charlie Gillespie), and whilst they each give good performances with a sufficient number of heartwarming moments between the two, I found that some of the emotional beats fell flat. I also struggled to empathise with Suze individually - let's just say I disagreed with her parenting style. Nonetheless, Suze is an easy watch with some funny and touching moments that luckily does not overstay its welcome.

EL CONDE Starring: Jaime Vadell, Gloria Münchmeyer, Alfredo Castro, Paula Luchsinger, Catalina Guerra, Marcial Tagle, Amparo Noguera, Antonia Zegers, and Stella Gonet Director: Pablo Larraín KATIE El Conde is so many things at once: scathing, gruesome, wickedly funny, absurd, and beautiful. Director Pablo Larraín re-imagines the infamous Chilean dictator, Augusto Pinochet, as a literal blood-thirsty monster who, much like his real-life legacy, refuses to die. This is an ingenious way of confronting Chile’s traumatic recent past, allowing Larraín to make a mockery of the dictator, showing him miserable and wasting away in his crumbling mansion. The black and white cinematography is striking and brimming with visual references, creating an absurd alternate reality that traps all the characters within it. This film will stick in my mind for a while. QUENTIN In its entirety, El Conde isn’t a movie that I enjoyed. Despite the intriguing and outlandish logline, it’s surprisingly boring, but it’s possible that it works better for people who have some knowledge of former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, of which I have very little. Perhaps that is why the satire didn’t hit for me. That said, director Pablo Larraín was able to create a surreal and haunting atmosphere that is well suited to the content, but this mix of Knives Out and Roma falls into the “movies I respect more than like” bucket. ADRIANO It’s hard for me to say that El Conde doesn’t overstay its welcome a bit, but I still feel it accomplished its goal of being a sharp and funny satire. Granted, some of its ideas overshadow the overall goal, and it leans a little too hard into the gore and surrealist elements, meaning the film’s political angle easily gets lost in the madness. But Pablo Larraín’s direction and Edward Lachman’s slick black-and-white cinematography make this a unique viewing experience that, for better and for worse, is unlike anything you’ll see this year. This film was reviewed by Quentin as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2023 Venice International Film Festival.

LIFT Starring: Kevin Hart, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Vincent D’Onofrio, Billy Magnussen, Jacob Batalon, and Jean Reno Director: F. Gary Gray QUENTIN You know, it doesn’t take a lot for a heist movie to get a passing grade from me, but goodness gracious, it’s not like Lift even tried. Between the terrible CGI, uninspired characters, flat humor, and poorly done trope after poorly done trope, not even my unashamed bias for all things heisty could get me to engage with this thing. If this movie is good for anything, it’s as something to be shown at Kevin Hart’s Netflix intervention: “Look, Kev, we respect your hustle and work ethic, but stop making these terrible Netflix movies. You’re hurting yourself and those around you. Have some respect for yourself.” AMARÚ You have Vincent D’Onofrio, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Billy Magnussen, Jacob Batalon, Jean Reno, and Kevin Hart in a heist film directed by F. Gary Gray. That is the biggest layup ever for a fun-ass time; all you gotta do is write some semblance of coherence. But noooooo, Lift was apparently written for TikTok. It throws every single heist trope (both comedic and dramatic) at the wall with no logical progression, and tries to cover it up with cool music, flashy action, “lovable” characters, and fast-paced direction. Lift is just a poorly constructed shell enclosing the cast and crew’s obvious paychecks. PRESTON Lift is director F. Gary Gray’s latest release, and Kevin Hart’s most recent Netflix offering. How else can I describe Lift ? Well… imagine watching The Italian Job , but instead of being good…it isn’t. Don’t get me wrong, the cinematography and style are decent, and reminiscent of many good heist movies. The problem seems to lie in writing that produces utterly flat dialogue that the actors don’t even know how to deal with. Any attempt at injected charm falls short, the jokes don’t land, and the “tense” moments are the only times you want to laugh. To quote Liar, Liar , “I’ve had better.”

SEVEN VEILS Starring: Amanda Seyfried, Douglas Smith, Vinessa Antoine, Rebecca Liddiard, Ambur Braid, Michael Kupfer-Radecky, Mark O’Brien, and Lynne Griffin Director: Atom Egoyan NICK As a last-minute addition to my TIFF schedule this year, I was not expecting Seven Veils to floor me like it did. The way director Atom Egoyan explores trauma by using parallels between life and the remounting of Salome is sensational, and it’s all held together by a fantastic performance from Amanda Seyfried. Egoyan takes you through the inner workings of the opera, with a focus on everything from the cast to the props designer, and manages to make it all gripping in what must be viewed as his career highlight. A true triumph across the board. KATIE I found it difficult to decipher the point of Seven Veils. Admittedly, I was unfamiliar with the opera Salome before watching, which may have contributed to my confusion, but I was still left struggling to decipher the uneven tone and various dramatic subplots. The film throws up some contentious issues without properly addressing them, including ambivalent attitudes towards intimacy co-ordinators, which were tough to understand alongside the themes of childhood trauma and inappropriate relationships. Nonetheless, Amanda Seyfried’s controlled performance is fantastic, and she was the only character I cared about, especially as she made the oddly unnatural dialogue emotionally engaging. This film was reviewed by Nick as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.

BIOSPHERE Starring: Sterling K. Brown and Mark Duplass Director: Mel Eslyn NICK Biosphere is a trip. Led by two fantastic performances from Sterling K. Brown and Mark Duplass, this film is great at subverting expectations. Brown and Duplass play off each other well, with Brown in particular giving what is his best feature performance to date. Biosphere was a late addition to the TIFF schedule last year, with little information about it, and that was the perfect way to debut, harkening back to when Cloverfield Paradox had its surprise release on Netflix (but with much better results). It’s best to keep the mystery of this film intact, but make sure you check it out. QUENTIN In what may be the most Duplass-y movie of The Duplass Brothers’ catalog, Biosphere is out there (a tremendous compliment). It’s hard to discuss details without exposing things you shouldn’t know (go in as cold as possible), but Biosphere is a strange examination of friendship, partnership, masculinity, identity, and survival. Sterling K. Brown, who continues to prove he should be elevated to A-List status, is terrific, while Mark Duplass essentially plays the same person he always does (it’s not a bad thing, but he only has one speed as an actor). This odd duck won’t be for everyone, but I loved it. AMARÚ It’s best to go into Biosphere sight unseen, but understand that Sterling K. Brown (Ray) and Mark Duplass (Billy) are the last two humans on Earth; then let their unique charm and chemistry carry you until the story kicks in. And boy does it kick in. Trust me when I say that they skillfully and hilariously navigate topics of science, politics, sexuality, friendship, prejudice, belief, gender identity, and learned behavior all in one setting, in under two hours, with just the two of them speaking and reacting to each other. This charmingly interesting look into the human psyche is nothing like you’ve ever seen before. PAIGE I’m telling you right now, Biosphere is not what you expect it to be at all. It’s an ambitious little film flowing with interesting themes that are executed in such an odd, but intriguing way. The film loses itself a wee bit with its pacing and simplicity, but I promise you this singular location flick is one worth checking out. This unique and claustrophobic gem allows Sterling K. Brown and Mark Duplass to build great chemistry between their characters, almost like they are Mario and Luigi. This film was reviewed by Nick and Quentin as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival.