4.5 stars out of 5
I really don’t go to see many war movies. Platoon, Casualties of War, Heartbreak Ridge, Three Kings, maybe a few others, I don’t remember, all that dust and guns. But when I noticed that my boy Alex Garland (Civil War, Annihilation, Ex Machina) was the co-writer and co-director here, I enlisted immediately.
Warfare is no-nonsense filmmaking: 95 tight minutes, showing an incident that took place in 2006 during the Iraq War, in real time, based solely on the recollections of the Navy SEAL participants (one of whom, Ray Mendoza, is the other co-writer/co-director). The movie makes no value judgements — the platoon has forcibly taken over an occupied two-family building to observe and if necessary, stop, local hostile activity — though clearly we are rooting for the safety of the SEALs.
Also, because of the attention to reality, we don’t get the clichés of army-movie squadrons: the tough guy from Brooklyn, the hot-headed Latino, the bookish one, the soulful black dude, the midwest everyman, the coward, etc. When the (spoiler alert) shit goes down in this film, I will admit to even losing track of a few of the characters. The personnel here are simply portrayed as real, brave, loyal, highly competent individuals. I did at least have the “hook” of recognizing some of the actors; most prominent is D’Pharoah Woon-A-Tai (as communications officer Mendoza) who was so excellent as Bear in Reservation Dogs. A mustachioed Michael Gandolfini is likeable. I’m not familiar with Will Poulter but he gives off the confident energy of a young Michael Keaton. And Charles Melton from Riverdale (and terrific in May December) is superb in a situation requiring someone to tag in and take charge.
I think that’s what really impressed me: In an awful and violent SNAFU, the movie conveys how members of this platoon fall back on their training to follow orders and standard operating procedures, to look out for one another, to improvise when needed, and to be honest when they are simply unable to function at 100%. Warfare is a stellar piece of filmmaking.
Movie Review: Warfare
Movie Review: Sinners
4.5 stars out of 5
Coogler and Jordan are a dream team: Fruitville Station, Creed, and, my people are telling me that Michael B. Jordan was also in Black Panther. So when I saw they teamed up once again for Sinners, I knew I’d see the movie right away. And I did; it just took me a little while to write the review, sorry.
Ryan Coogler again does double duty as writer and director, and, not to be outdone, Jordan plays twin brothers. Jordan does a terrific job in this movie, yet I must still give the 2025 Playing Two Main Characters in the Same Movie award to Robert De Niro in Alto Knights. Though one twin here is wilder and flashy and the other more subdued, Coogler and Jordan often let different color clothes do the big work of telling the brothers apart.
Before going any further, I should ask if you like horror movies. If you don’t, you can skip this movie. But if you do, this is a good one, this is a fun one, this is a 4-stars-out-of-5 one. It does take a little while for the scares to get underway (albeit after a cool opening scene where you’re thinking “um hey what’s going on here”). But that is A-OK because it’s the “other stuff” in this film that raises it to another level.
It’s the early 1930s in the Mississippi Delta. Twins Smoke and Stack have returned from Chicago with an ill-gotten bankroll, their intention to open a juke joint for their old community. They recruit their young cousin Sammie to be the joint’s guitarist (Miles Caton in a breakthrough performance), against the protestations of his father the preacher. That type of music lures in evil! Spoiler alert: Oh boy does it! On piano they sign up wise older guy Delroy Lindo. Now, I don’t know if it’s normal for, every time he appears on-screen, me to say myself, “Delroy Lindo!” but that is what I surely did.
So, you have religion vs. sin, obviously. And city v. country. And don’t think for a second we weren’t going to cross paths with racism and discrimination. We do. And we go a little deeper into it: Areas of the south where it might be smarter for a black man to play his trade. And how about Stack’s ex, Haillee Steinfeld, who can pass as white.
It all comes to a boil when a trio of white instrument-toting travelers (led by a very good Jack O’Connell) come by, hoping for an invite in. WATCH OUT, THEY ARE SUPERNATURAL BEINGS! Then things really get nuts.
Music plays a huge role in this story. There is a performance by Miles Caton that is absolutely hypnotic, placing the blues securely in its place in the history — past, present, and future — of black music. And those occult crackers nearly match him with a rousing Irish traditional number. Do not forget this score and these songs at Oscar time.
If all that wasn’t enough, Coogler — having pushed past the two-hour mark — goes full Tarantino, and then still has another trick up his sleeve. This is quality, highly entertaining moviemaking, my friends.
Aquarium Playlist, 4/15/25
EPISODE #637: MONEY V
The Beatles — “Taxman” [ALTERNATE THEME]
Cecil Gant — “Another Day Another Dollar”
John Paul Keith — “If I Had Money”
Calamity Jane — “Outta Money”
David Bowie — “Dollar Days”
The Mockingbirds — “Money”
Swansea Sound — “Click It and Pay”
Civic Mimic — “Bad With Money”
The Tea & Whiskey — “Paper Money”
Camera Obscura — “Making Money”
Lefty Frizzell — “If You Can Spare the Time (I Won’t Miss the Money)”
The Fabulettes — “Money (That’s What I Want)”
Billy Bates — “Money Makes the World”
Beach Patrol — “Money Honey”
Donna Summer — “She Works Hard for the Money”
The Patient — “Extension 9”
Jack Silbert proudly records the Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.
Movie Review: The Friend
3.5 stars out of 5
I’ll tell you what the ads won’t: Bill Murray is barely in this movie. His presence is in the movie, but the physical Bill — not so much. So if he’s your only reason for seeing it… don’t.
For everyone else, this is a solid, slow-paced, grown-up movie about grief, loneliness, self-motivation, love and its absence, and dogs. Specifically, the key role that pets can play in our lives.
Naomi Watts is superb as a single teacher/writer who reluctantly adopts her late friend Bill Murray’s Great Dane Apollo. Enter big dog in tiny New York apartment. And if Naomi wasn’t already dragging her feet co-editing (with Murray’s daughter, played by Sarah Pidgeon) his collected correspondence, caring for moody Apollo doesn’t help. Oh, and as the super keeps reminding us, dogs are not allowed in the building!
Pidgeon stands out as an emotions-on-the-surface, bouncing-through-life young person who might see a parental role model in Watts that she didn’t get from her own folks. Carla Gugino has a nice turn as one of Murray’s former wives (two divorces and a widow) who has held some hurt inside. Young Owen Teague is working up a nice acting résumé but is only in a couple of scenes here as one of Watts’ students. There is even less screen time for one of my fave filmmakers, Tom McCarthy (as a therapist).
The movie is emotionally complicated — perhaps even overcomplicated. I did not read the book by Sigrid Nunez, but based on this and the movie adaptation of her novel The Room Next Door, I’m guessing she’s had some experience with dying friends. I’m a fan of writing/directing team Scott McGehee and David Siegel from What Maisie Knew and Montana Story. And though I don’t feel that The Friend is quite as good as those films, they again keep things feeling true-to-life and humane (society).
Movie Review: Opus
2.5 stars out of 5
This seemed up my alley: A reclusive pop star makes a comeback after 30 years. And the reclusive star is played by… John Malkovich! Oh, remember our carefree Malkovich Malkovich Malkovich days? We were so young and carefree! Could this offbeat film capture that old Charlie Kaufman-era magic? I would find out!
Also, I felt like it would be a comedy. A satire, more specifically, of popular culture and the changing state of media and all that au courant stuff. But you know what kind of movie this is? This is one of those, a bunch of people are invited to a faraway place and then bad stuff starts happening movies. Is there a name for that genre? The Menu. That Channing Tatum one from last year which I haven’t seen. The Hulu series A Murder at the End of the World which I stopped watching after 34 minutes.
Our cub reporter is Ayo Edebiri from The Bear. She’s accompanying her boss, the season-2 Australian White Lotus manager Murray Bartlett, to a remote compound filled with Malkovich sycophants to cover the big album release. Also invited are Juliette Lewis, up-and-coming Amber Midhunter, and a few more actors I didn’t recognize. And indeed, bad things started happening.
Malkovich brings his A-game. His character seems part Michael Jackson, part Leonard Cohen, part… I don’t know… Malkovich. He has fun being weird, philosophical, deadpan, “sexy.” Edebiri doesn’t stretch much from her Bear character: the patient, persistent assistant who maybe knows better than the boss. Oh, Buster Bluth plays Malkovich’s publicist, that’s good for a smile.
So, not awful, but not great and not nearly as fun as it could’ve been. Keep trying, debut writer/director Mark Anthony Green; you had some of the right pieces but ultimately I felt abandoned somewhere between the 7th and 8th floors.
Aquarium Playlist, 4/1/25
EPISODE #635: SPRING 2025
The Who — “Happy Jack” [THEME]
Luluc — “Come on Spring”
Franklin Bruno — “Sweet the Spring”
Dear Nora — “Springtime Fall”
Special Moves — “Springtime”
Fred Thomas — “Leaving in the Springtime”
Love, Burns — “Come in the Spring”
Linda Smith — “I So Liked Spring”
Lewsberg — “The Joy of Spring”
Lame Drivers — “Spring”
Kitty Craft — “Tokyo in the Spring”
Felice Brothers — “Spring Gazing”
Gary Lewis & the Playboys — “Green Grass”
Winter — “Waiting for the Summer”
Dentist — “Check the Calendar”
American Analog Set — “Everything Ends in Spring”
Jack Silbert proudly records the Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.
Aquarium Playlist, 3/25/25
EPISODE #634: LOYAL LISTENER REQUESTS
The Who — “Happy Jack” [THEME]
Daniel Johnston — “Living Life” [for Fredericks]
L7 — “Shitlist” [for Leah]
Shane MacGowan & the Popes — “Aisling” [for Shmuel]
Alison Brown — “The Road West” [for Allison]
Laura Cantrell — “Beg or Borrow Days” [for Audrey]
John Lennon — “God” [for Seb]
Bob Dylan — “Highway 61 Revisited” [for Jimmy]
The Exbats — “Everybody Loves My Mom” [for Charlie]
Pink Floyd — “See Emily Play” [for David]
David Johansen — “Donna” [for Deb]
Mary Gauthier — “The Foundling” [for Sarah]
Belle & Sebastian — “Dear Catastrophe Waitress” [predicted for Sherri]
Flatt & Scruggs — “My Little Girl in Tennessee” [predicted for Amy]
Justice League of America — “Fifth Amendment” [predicted for Steve]
Chuck Prophet — You Did (Bomp Shooby Dooby Bomp)” [predicted for MEM]
The Go-Betweens — “Rock and Roll Friend” [for Mapman]
Jack Silbert proudly records the Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.
Movie Review: Black Bag
4 stars out of 5
Since splashing onto the movie scene with 1989’s Sex, Lies, and Videotape, director Steven Soderbergh above all else seems to choose whatever project will be fun for him at a given time, regardless of genre. For Black Bag, he sinks his teeth into an old-fashioned drawing room whodunit. (“Someone in this room has committed a murder, and before daybreak I intend to find out precisely who it was.”) Hired to craft such a classic cinematic tale is one of the most dependable big-league screenwriters of the past 20 years, David Koepp (Spider-Man, Indiana Jones, Mission: Impossible, Jurassic Park). Armed with a top-notch cast, the result is a sharp, clean, good time at the movies.
Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett are married British agents. He’s fussy, she’s sultry. They’re open with each other — except on black-bag (top secret) assignments. For example, a colleague lets him know that one of five co-workers is going to leak a very dangerous MacGuffin to the enemy. One of those co-workers: Blanchett.
Fassbender sets out to find the traitor, who may very well be his wife. Instead of a drawing room, he arranges a dinner party with Fassbender’s right-hand man James (Regé-Jean Page of Bridgerton), Freddie (Tom Burke who was Orson Welles in Mank) who was passed over for that spot, Freddie’s girlfriend Clarissa (Marisa Abela a.k.a. Teen Talk Barbie) who has a crush on Fassbender, and staff psychiatrist Zoe (Naomie Harris, Moneypenny in recent Bonds) who has heard a secret or two. Not invited is their boss Pierce Brosnan, so old that I didn’t recognize him at first.
Steven Soda-bread and Koepp blend sexual tension, satellites, humor, poison, and a polygraph machine into a neat little spy thriller. Bonus points for Squeeze’s “Up the Junction” on the soundtrack. If you’d like to know a little more of the plot before deciding to watch, I’d tell you but… black bag.
Jack Silbert, curator