4 stars out of 5
I generally don’t review movies that are on streaming services (in this case, Amazon Prime Video), but I did not have the option of watching A Rainy Day in New York in a theater. What is this, Communist Russia?!? Now, there are those who will dismiss out of hand anything from the mind and typewriter of Woody Allen, and I’m not here to argue that with you. But for the rest: This is a delightful motion picture, full of everything that made you love Woody in the first place.
In many ways, this is a “greatest hits” compilation of favorite Allen concepts, yet by no means a retread. It is set in his beloved, idealized Manhattan. There’s a self-doubting Allen stand-in (Timothée Shamalamadingdong). There’s a self-doubting film director (Liev Schreiber). There are paparazzi, upper-class parties, old-timey music, and yes, even a bit of a older man/younger woman attraction. Most importantly in the classic Allen way, it’s romantic and very, very smart and funny.
Chalamet’s character Gatsby (!) is obsessed with olden times and Old New York and this was probably a smart decision, as octogenarian Allen isn’t exactly hep to the young people’s lingo and references. A college kid describes a woman as “looking like Yasser Arafat.” A student reporter takes notes in a notebook with a pen! Nobody texts. People hail cabs instead of summoning an Uber. But I suppose this all lends the film sort of a timeless quality.
In effect, Allen has crafted one of the screwball comedies he has so admired, without it ever getting silly. Chalamet does decent work but the true glowing star here is Elle Fanning as Ashleigh, Gatsby’s college girlfriend. The plot, quickly: They have come to Gatsby’s hometown of NYC for the weekend so Ashleigh can interview Schreiber’s director character for the student paper. And then explore all the beauty the city has to offer. But it is a rainy day in New York, the lovers become separated, and… comedy ensues.
Fanning is a comedic marvel here. She exudes innocence, sexiness, a dash of ditziness, a good heart, and an absolute willingness to go with the flow. It takes her from director Schreiber to screenwriter Jude Law (whose wife Rebecca Hall is having an affair with his best friend, Larry Lipshitz!) to hunky leading man Diego Luna — all three scenarios and actors very amusing — and Fanning charms each one and us too. The comedy builds and builds to Boeing Boeing proportions. Meanwhile, poor Chalamet bounces from sexy sassy Selena Gomez to an upscale call girl to his mom (Cherry Jones, who delivers a hell of a monologue).
Allen puts a lot more effort into the story than you might expect at this point in his career. And he positively loads the screenplay with top-quality jokes. (“Time flies.” “Unfortunately it flies coach.”) After all he’s been through, the man is still hilarious. And cinematographer Vittorio Storaro knows how to make the city look drop-dead gorgeous, the sun struggling to peek through the raindrops.
If you have the Amazon Prime, and let’s face it, who doesn’t, consider checking this out. Maybe on a rainy day. It might be Allen’s last great all-star production. (Which is to say nothing against Wallace Shawn, Richard Kind, and Gina Gershon, heading up his next flick.) If you love intelligent comedies, which are so few and far between these days, it would be a shame to pass this one by.
Movie Review: A Rainy Day in New York
What I’ve Been Watching: Edition XX
Remember the first half of 2021? Yeah me neither. But I did keep track of all the TV shows I checked out, and herewith will share my thoughts on them with you.
LOVED
Pretend It’s a City (Netflix) This felt like a real pandemic gift, a cranky oasis. Fran Lebowitz became a huge fave of mine on her many Late Night With David Letterman appearances; I devoured the paperback compilation of her books. And now here she was, sharp and hilarious as ever, kibbitzing with the delighted and delightful Martin Freaking Scorsese. Marty’s interstitial footage made this a genuine (Silbert favorite phrase trigger warning) love letter to New York.
Painting With John (HBO) Talk about unexpected pandemic gifts! I began to love the music of the Lounge Lizards back in college. And then it was thrilling to occasionally spot John Lurie on the downtown streets of Manhattan. His wild Fishing With John series and its accompanying soundtrack were huge favorites of mine and my buddy Joe. But in the recent many years, Lurie has gone into semi-seclusion, haunted by Lyme disease and other sundry issues, emerging only with increasingly great paintings and also a couple of musical dispatches under the name Marvin Pontiac. But here he was in a new series, direct from his island home, sharing stories, philosophizing, being wonderfully weird and mellow. I only wish he’d pick up the saxophone again.
The Great North (FOX) Bob’s Burgers is one of my absolute favorite shows. Two of the producers created this animated sitcom, set in small-town Alaska, and it is maybe just as good. Nick Offerman is dad to Will Forte, Jenny Slate, Paul Rust, and Aparna Nancherla. The family dynamic is wonderful, the quirks of Alaskan life add a unique twist — an “otherness” — but most importantly it’s so funny, sharp, and amazingly big-hearted. Oh and the daughter’s imaginary friend is Alanis Morissette (for real).
Open All Night (YouTube) Reading about comedians/TV writers and producers Jay Tarses and Tom Patchett, I learned about this 1981 sitcom that I had the vaguest recollection of. When I saw that Merrill Markoe had written 3 of the episodes and Letterman appeared in one, I sought out the show. There were 13 episodes, only 11 had aired, and only 8 found their way to YouTube via some kind soul. George Feester is a long-suffering sort running a 24-hour convenience store with the help of his wife, her out-of-it teen son, and Bubba Smith. Joe Mantegna plays a recurring Arab customer (hey, it was 40 years ago), just one of the many quirky characters. The show was sharply written and warmly performed, and I enjoyed being in its “open all night” setting as I watched late at night. Silbert-specific trivia: Co-star Susan Tyrell would later become a bilateral below-knee amputee.
LIKED A LOT
The Investigation (HBO) And suddenly I was watching a Danish series, based on a true story of a homemade submarine and a dead journalist. I was so impressed with the filmmaking here; I kept expecting corny Law & Order tropes but they keep it so matter-of-fact, so by-the-book. Jens Møller as the lead investigator (they would’ve cast a handsomer dude in the U.S.) is stoic and awkward and terrific.
Beartown (HBO) OK, I can handle a Danish show; bring on the Swedes! Hometown hero returns from a stint in the NHL, family in tow, to coach youth hockey in a rural village that is all about hockey. Think Friday Night Lights but with hockey in Sweden. I won’t give away the plot but suffice to say, it’s a chilling, claustrophobic indictment of bro-culture and those who would enable it. Also, I bought the original-score soundtrack.
Mare of Easttown (HBO) This series let me down in the last episode — like the much, much worse The Undoing, they packed way too much information into the finale — but overall I really enjoyed it. Kate Winslet is outstanding as trying-to-hold-together-as-her-life-crumbles police detective Mare. Yes, the eastern Pennsylvania setting was a little over-the-top yet I found it very comfortable, I liked the townies, and I would keep watching if it was a regular series. Kudos to Evan Peters for being unrecognizable from his American Horror Story work.
Hemingway (PBS) This mini-documentary (a mere 6 hours) from Ken Burns and Lynn Novick taught me an awful lot, with trusty Peter Coyote again in the narrator’s chair. I was inspired to purchase The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway.
Mr. Mayor (NBC) I should really categorize this under “Like,” but the show is almost Too Big To Fail so I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt. It was an immediate thrill to again be rewinding for missed Tina Fey-written jokes, updated for “now” culture. Ted Danson is of course perfect as the lead — smooth, self-absorbed, a bit dim, but very well-meaning. Bobby Moynihan is hilarious as one of his aides. The rest of the cast didn’t completely jell for me but I’m hopeful everything will tighten up in season 2.
LIKED
The Nevers (HBO) Probably as close as I’ll ever get to watching Downton Abbey. It’s part steam-punk, part X-Men, and all kickass turn-of-the-20th-century women. I was impressed by the rough girl/sweet girl leads, Laura Donnelly and Ann Skelly. The final episode of the season’s first half was suddenly wonked-out sci-fi (curse you, Joss Whedon) so that knocked things down a peg for me.
Kenan (NBC) I find Kenan Thompson extremely likable, and that certainly bleeds over into this almost-by-the-numbers single-dad sitcom. There is a slightly weird feel to the proceedings, I’m not sure why, but… it works. Don Johnson as Kenan’s father-in-law and Chris Redd as his brother/manager add to the low-key fun.
Hanging with Doctor Z (YouTube) Comedian Dana Gould plays the Planet of the Apes’ Dr. Zaius hosting a talk show. It’s as silly and absurd as it sounds, while also goofing on the “golden age” of Hollywood. Similar feel to T.J. Miller’s The Gorburger Show.
Laurel Canyon (EPIX) A pretty well-executed two-part documentary on the late ’60s/early ’70s laid-back L.A. music scene. Part two, focusing on the scene’s second wave of performers, was a lot less interesting to me.
Ted Lasso (Apple TV+) And the most overrated show of the pandemic goes to… Look, I don’t hate Ted Lasso. It’s under “Like.” I like it! It’s just, to hear some folks, you’d think the show was the second coming of, what? Schitt’s Creek? That’s the show it’s most often compared to because they’re both “nice.” People like nice because it’s unthreatening. A respite from all the conflict in the world. Well, I personally prefer a bit more edge. Now, Schitt’s improved quite a lot during its run… you could say the show earned its niceness via character development… and perhaps that will happen here too. I do like Ted, Nate, Higgins, and Roy Kent.
Cobra Kai (Netflix) Shocking admission: I never saw The Karate Kid back in the day. (I eventually did see the first two movies; they’re not that difficult to catch up on.) I mention this because I didn’t have that huge nostalgic pull to Cobra Kai as others of my era might. Nevertheless, I find this low-budget series enjoyable enough and occasionally pretty funny. I do find the grownup storylines — especially with Johnny — much more satisfying than the teen stuff. Oh wait, they’re trying to appeal to different demographics! I feel so used.
KIND OF LIKED, KIND OF DIDN’T
This Is a Robbery (Netflix) With the ravenous need for content, I think a lot of documentaries are being green-lit that wouldn’t have made the cut in years past. This investigation into a massive Boston art robbery would’ve made a good magazine article or NPR segment, as a friend said. But there’s just not enough compelling information for a multi-part series.
Cinema Toast (Showtime) I was sad when the Duplass Brothers’ Room 104 series came to a close, so I was eager to sample their latest effort. It seems that writers and directors were given old public-domain movies and had free rein to cut together 30 minutes with new dialogue. Room 104 was famously hit-or-miss and so was this, but as the season continued, the misses really started to outnumber the hits.
DIDN’T LIKE
Q: Into the Storm (HBO) I was ready to take a deep dive into the idiotic, hate-fueled QAnon movement. What I got was a “Whodunnit?” series, ultimately focusing on three people, two of which are the most unlikable father/son duo this side of Don and Don Jr.
WATCHED TWO EPISODES AND CERTAINLY MEANT TO KEEP WATCHING AND AT SOME POINT MIGHT ACTUALLY DO THAT
Bobcat Goldthwait’s Misfits & Monsters (truTV) Dark-humor anthology series. I’m a longtime fan of Goldthwait, what I saw was not as fantastic as I hoped, but I definitely planned to keep watching. Life’s funny sometimes.
ONE AND DONE
Lupin (Netflix) Intrigued by the whole gentleman-thief concept, but it seemed pretty phony and generic. Hey industry, make fewer shows! Make more good ones!
DELETED AFTER 10 MINUTES
The Chase (ABC) Two of my fave Jeopardy champions plus that other guy in a new game show! Except the writers and the contestants aren’t up to Jeopardy standards!
YES, I STILL WATCH THE SIMPSONS
I actually thought this was a pretty OK season? Though maybe the pandemic was getting to me.
LOOKING FORWARD TO
Summer Olympics! With the added possibility of a covid outbreak!
SHOWS I USED TO WATCH AND IN MANY CASES STILL DO
Links to Edition I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII, XIII, XIV, XV, XVI, XVII, XVIII, and XIX.
Aquarium Playlist, 6/29/21
EPISODE #441: CASEY KASEM TRIBUTE 2021
“The New Scooby-Doo Movies” [ALTERNATE THEME]
Prince — “Kiss” [Billboard No. 1, 4/19/86 – 4/26/86]
Pet Shop Boys — “West End Girls” [No. 1, 5/10/86]
Peter Gabriel — “Sledgehammer” [No. 1, 7/26/86]
Bananarama — “Venus” [No. 1, 9/6/86]
Huey Lewis & the News — “Stuck With You” [No. 1, 9/20/86 – 10/4/86]
Cyndi Lauper — “True Colors” [No. 1, 10/25/86 – 11/1/86]
Human League — “Human” [No. 1, 11/22/86]
The Bangles — “Walk Like an Egyptian” [No. 1, 12/20/86 – 1/10/87]
Thunderclap Newman — “Something in the Air” [long-distance dedication]
Billy Vera & the Beaters — “At This Moment” [No. 1, 1/24/87 – 1/31/87]
Huey Lewis & the News — “Jacob’s Ladder” [No. 1, 3/14/87]
Starship — “Nothing’s Going To Stop Us Now” [No. 1, 4/4/87 – 4/11/87]
Aretha Franklin and George Michael — “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)” [No. 1, 4/18/87 – 4/25/87]
Jack Silbert proudly records the Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, New Jersey.
Movie Review: The Sparks Brothers
4 stars out of 5
Like many in my general age range (mesozoic), my first encounter with the band Sparks was their semi-hit collaboration with the Go-Go’s Jane Wiedlin, “Cool Places,” in heavy rotation on MTV in 1983. For many that would indeed prove to be the only encounter. But we, the proud and shamed music nerds, carry a delightful burden, uncovering and rediscovering all that is worthy yet shunned. The name Sparks and of brothers Russell and Ron Mael would pop up with some regularity in British music magazines I’d read. I would stumble across their albums filed under Miscellaneous S. In the current millennium, I’d note glowing reviews of releases Lil’ Beethoven and Hello Young Lovers in obscure publications and see those albums earn shelf space in independent stores. They teamed up with downside-of-their-career alternative stars Franz Ferdinand. When the happenin’ young band A Giant Dog covered Sparks’ “Angst in my Pants,” I finally broke down and purchased a Best of Sparks compilation.
And now there was a movie to see. And not one of those cheap little music docs you discovered while flipping through Prime Video or Hulu in the darkest days of the pandemic. This is a THEATRICAL RELEASE with a big-name director, Edgar Wright. (Um, Baby Driver? Shaun of the Dead? Heard of him?) And yes, maybe it will be the same batch of music nerds who go to see this, but maybe just maybe if you’re a bit more into music than your idiot neighbor, you’ll check this out, and it will be worth your while.
Let me throw some names at you, producers who’ve worked with Sparks. Todd Rundgren. Tony Visconti. Giorgio Moroder. These are not hacks! They appear in the movie and say nice things about Sparks. But don’t fret, this is not 2.5 hours of talking heads. Wright knows what he’s doing, and mixes in animation and humor and for the longest time, I sat there smiling. Why can’t more documentarians realize that they’re allowed to be entertaining? (But don’t get too entertaining. We still want careful, sober research. OK you know what, forget I said anything.)
The Mael brothers are old enough to have been inspired by the birth of rock ’n roll, so they indeed span the Entire History of Modern Music. As the ’60s become the ’70s and ’80s and ’90s and whatever’s happened since, we see Sparks evolve yet never really attempt to adjust. There is no pandering to modern trends. When a 1980s label exec told them to make music you can dance to, they put out a snarky single called “Music You Can Dance To.” And were promptly dropped from the label.
Lots of familiar faces show up on-screen to praise Sparks: Mike Myers, Beck, Jason Schwartzman, John Taylor and Nick Rhodes, etc. Am not sure we needed the opinions of Patton Oswalt, Jake Fogelnest, and some lesser comedic lights. (Even trusty Fred Armisen doesn’t have much to contribute.)
What we end up with is a story of perseverance and nonstop creativity. If the documentary lacks the too-easy drama of a Behind the Music, it’s because there are no sibling-screaming breakups, no in-and-out stints in rehab, etc. Sparks just keep going. I learned an awful lot from this movie, perhaps most importantly for me how hilarious and sharp Ron Mael’s lyrics are. Will have to listen to these songs a little more closely, even when it’s music you can dance to.
Album Review: ‘Home’ by Terry McCarthy
4 stars out of 5
Listen on Spotify here
Listen/purchase on Apple Music here
If there’s anything we anticipate from a Terry McCarthy album, it’s his warm strumming guitar, sharply observed lyrical details, and mildly groan-worthy titles indicating which number record this is for him: Wait, a Second!; The Charm; Go Fourth. But with his latest release, the Nutley, New Jersey-based singer/songwriter brings it all back Home. Indeed, if there’s an overarching theme to this collection, it’s that despite life’s ups and downs, there’s a hard-won comfort at home and in love.
That bright acoustic strumming matches the bright lyrics of devotion in the opening track, “A Thousand Mornings.” McCarthy’s sturdy vocals are framed by gentle piano from Bob Cannon and violin from Nicole Scorsone. Cannon also contributes a tasteful electric guitar solo. The next track, “Perfectly,” sounds like the hit single to me. It features dreamy backing vocals from Bernadette Malavarca and Catherine McGowan of Bern & the Brights. Meanwhile, throughout the record, the rhythm section of Gerry Griffin of the Porchistas on bass (he also produced the album at his Temple of Tuneage studio) and drums and percussion from Mike Shapiro and Tom Monaghan keeps things anchored.
No apology necessary for “Most Sorry” — the song was recently featured on WFUV’s New York Slice segment. It’s a jaunty tune led by Charlie Potters’ accordion, and Cannon lends a twangy guitar solo. Cannon then switches to piano for the intro to “Our Scene” in which our narrator confronts a past love, borrowing that “all the world’s a stage” simile from some old British guy. There’s some bitterness in McCarthy’s lyrics here, yet the chorus is like a gentle flashback, further cushioned by harmonies from Malavarca and McGowan.
The title track is a simple ode to the joys of home, from fresh-cut flowers to cooking smells. Ah, but there’s a touch of mystery: “They took me so far away from all of you.” Yet that robust strumming tells us everything’s OK now. Next, in “The Moment,” strum, violin, and shukka-shukka percussion set us up calmly, McCarthy repeating the refrain “And the moment was as pretty as the girl,” before we get the musical payoff: big horns from local faves the Defending Champions.
Now, I do have one criticism about this batch of tunes. I was really looking forward to a song called “Jangly Guitar.” The jangle pop of the ’80s has a very, very special place in my heart. So I press Play on track 7 and McCarthy’s playing that acoustic and I’m waiting and waiting but… no jangly guitar! Where’s my ringing Rickenbacker?? Bah strumbug!
All gripes forgiven and forgotten as the final song arrives, “Too Precious.” It slowly builds to something truly majestic, layering on violin, a Beatlesque section, and sunshiny horns courtesy of those Defending Champs. With only 8 songs in about 23 total minutes, Home may qualify as a mini-album, but that just means there’s no waste — no bloated solos or purple poetry. Terry McCarthy has crafted a concise collection of quality, intelligent folk/rock/pop material. He gives us a smile, a wistful thought, a tapping toe, and before you know it he’s gone. We didn’t even get a chance to thank him!
Aquarium Playlist, 6/22/21
EPISODE #440: SUMMER 2021
The Who — “Summertime Blues” [ALTERNATE THEME]
Teenage Halloween — “Summer Money”
The Speedways — “Just Another Regular Summer”
Castle Black — “Premonition”
Isley Brothers — “Summer Breeze”
Special Moves — “Our Summer”
Disturbios — “Summer Loves”
Lana Del Rey — “Summer Sadness”
Sylvan Esso — “Ferris Wheel”
First Responder — “Dog Days”
Fascinations Grand Chorus — “On a Summer Holiday”
The Last — “Every Summer Day” [7″ version]
Kicker — “One Summer”
The Planes — “Kill the Summer”
Scott the Hoople — “Calling All Summers”
Jack Silbert proudly records the Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, New Jersey.
Aquarium Playlist, 6/15/21
EPISODE #439: DON’T
The Who — “Happy Jack” [THEME]
Elvis Presley — “Don’t”
Talulah Gosh — “Don’t Go Away”
The Beths — “Don’t Go Away”
The Minders — “Don’t You Stop”
The Cars — “Don’t Cha Stop”
Peter Holsapple — “Don’t Ever Leave”
Jennifer O’Connor — “Don’t Talk to Me”
Dennis Diken with Bell Sound — “Don’t Let Me Sleep Too Long”
Freedy Johnston — “Don’t Fall in Love With a Lonely Girl”
Hüsker Dü — “Don’t Want To Know If You Are Lonely”
Public Enemy — “Don’t Believe the Hype”
Petey & Friends — “Don’t You Like Rock n’ Roll (Memphis Trainwreck)”
Tammy Faye Starlite and the Angels of Mercy — “Don’t Make Me Pregnant”
Warren Zevon — “Don’t Let Us Get Sick”
Jack Silbert proudly records the Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, New Jersey.
Movie Review: The Conjuring — The Devil Made Me Do It
3 stars out of 5
At some point in the past few years, I watched The Conjuring on HBO, and liked it well enough that I soon watched The Conjuring 2. I was suitably amused/creeped out by these based-on-actual-bullshit tales of real-life spook searchers Ed and Lorraine Warren (of Amityville Horror fame), plus I’m a fan of both Patrick Wilson and Vera “Norma Bates” Farmiga. I decided if they made another Conjuring flick, I’d see it in the theater. So, I can’t really say the devil made me do it.
In the pandemic meantime, I watched Conjuring Universe films Annabelle Comes Home (3 stars) and Annabelle: Creation (2 stars). If you’re not familiar with the concept of “universe” series, they’re the kind of offshoot movies where Wilson and Farmiga lean into frame in the 83rd minute and ask, “Oh hey, we were away for the weekend. Everything OK with you guys?”
And now it was time to return to the Conjuring mothership. I actually tried to see this on opening day, last Friday. But two things told me we are getting that much closer to normal: The multiplex had a full slate of daily screenings (instead of just 2 or 3 showings at night) and, annoyingly, the next two showings were sold out! I came back on $7 Tuesday.
Early on, there’s a blatant visual nod to The Exorcist (#re2pect) and the initial “Out, cursed demon!” sequence involving an 8-year-old boy is genuinely thrilling and scary. But uh-oh, the evil spirit jumps into the kid’s older sister’s boyfriend Arne (got that?). As we delve deeper into the unexplained, we also wonder why Arne’s 1981 haircut looks significantly more modern. Ooooh that’s scary stuff, kids!
Speaking of appearances: OK, fine, the Warrens were real people. But if there was one element in this entire series where filmmakers insisted on strictly adhering to the The Truth, did it have to be Lorraine’s godawful sense of style? The lovely, sexy Farmiga is saddled with ghastly frilly tops and an absurd 1940s school-marm hairdo. Not a good look, my friends!
No spoilers but Arne does a bad, bad thing and the Warrens set out to prove that… the devil made him do it. But here’s the rub: Placed against the backdrop of the legal system, this Conjuring mumbo-jumbo really starts to seem terribly silly. It doesn’t help that the script, um, demonizes Satan worshippers; it felt like ’80s fuddy-duddies blaming Judas Priest and Ozzy for dirtweed teens acting out.
We do get a pretty exciting drawn-out climax. And, it’s nice to see our old pals from the Conjuring Universe: Same actors return as the weary priest, the videographer, and the Warren daughter (who only gets a couple of lines). The Conjuring 3 is a decent enough entry in the series. And I will admit to coming home and loading up Universe title The Nun on my on-demand. Taissa Farmiga is in it. I do love me some Farmigas.
Aquarium Playlist, 6/8/21
EPISODE #438: ACRONYMS
The Who — “Happy Jack” [THEME]
ATV — “Action Time Vision”
Le Tigre — “TKO”
Ming Tea — “BBC”
Naughty by Nature — “O.P.P.”
ABBA — “S.O.S.”
Edwin Starr — “Stop Her on Sight (S.O.S.)”
Jay Reatard — “DOA”
Jay-Z — “D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)”
They Might Be Giants — “P.S.O.K.”
Sweet — “A.C.D.C.”
Robyn Hitchcock — “NASA Clapping”
Village People — “YMCA”
Guided by Voices — “Teenage FBI”
The Beatles — “P.S. I Love You”
The Four Deuces — “W-P-L-J”
Jack Silbert proudly records the Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, New Jersey.
Movie Review: A Quiet Place part II
3.5 stars out of 5
Have you been back to the movies? Talk about a quiet place! As we crawl back to some semblance of normalcy, I noticed this was the first flick since before-times to have multiple afternoon showings. Like, a regular schedule! However, we’re quickly reminded that things have been a little “off” when a pre-movie video has John Krasinski earnestly thanking us for coming to the theater. Desperate much, Hollywood?
Still, I was excited to see this, as the original film was my No. 6 best movie of 2018. It was SCARY with a capital S and the other letters too, but a smart kind of scary. One nice thing about that film is that it started right in the middle of the action and we were all “w-w-wait why do they all hafta be quiet? What the hell is happening here?” Almost to reward us — and also to give Krasinski some screen time — the sequel begins in flashback to Day 1. It’s a genuinely thrilling sequence that also serves to introduce us to the family’s neighbor, Cillian Murphy, who is looking more and more like Grant Goodeve.
And then we’re back at Day 400-and-something, and Emily Blunt and the two kids, wait three because of THE BABY (shhhh!!! stop crying!!!!! they’ll hear us!!!) pack up the wrecked homestead and head to a flame in the distance which turns out to be Cillian’s survival compound. The cast is pretty solid: Blunt remains the dedicated, frantic-but-trying-to-hold-it-together mom who would literally do anything for her kids. Young Millicent Simmonds continues to ooze soulfulness; I truly hope there are more quality roles ahead for this terrific deaf actress. Young Noah Jupe basically cries and looks shocked the whole time, but he looks like a young Krasinski so points for that. And Cillian pulls off a solid American accent and is believable as a weary dad whose world has crumbled.
So, the pieces are in (a quiet) place, but, like oh so many sequels, it just ain’t as good as the first one. There is tension and scares but maybe not as many? I was on the edge of my seat for the entirety of Part I and that was unfortunately not the case here. Blame must fall squarely on Mr. Krasinski. He directed both movies, and the moviemaking is fine — we’re clearly in the same world as we were before. But while the first film was written by three people, this time Kras went it alone. Jim Halpert’s TV background betrays itself with a sitcommy plot outline: Millicent and Cillian head out for one story and Blunt and Jupe stay behind for another. And Jupe’s character arc is too simplistic: Will this really nervous kid maybe stop being so nervous?
All that said, it’s an entertaining movie that will occasionally make you say AHHHH! and if you loved A Quiet Place, you might as well see part II. I mean, what are you gonna do, stay at home another 15 months?
Jack Silbert, curator