Simone Biles Rising (??.??.??)

 

I don’t know if you noticed, but the year 2020 was really weird. One of the events where this was particularly apparent was the Tokyo Olympics, where athletes performed to empty bleachers and were required to put medals around their own necks if they were lucky enough to win. But even with these COVID oddities there was one particular moment that stood out—the moment when Simone Biles, arguably one of the best gymnasts of all time, decided to sit out most of her competitions after a handful of botched performances with little to no explanation why. At the time, absolutely everyone had an opinion on what had happened, and now, on the eve of the 2024 Paris Olympics, Biles herself is setting the record straight once and for all in Simone Biles Rising, a triumphant and inspiring documentary that sheds light on not only her own troubles but also the need for better mental health accommodations in the world of professional sports and beyond.

Simone Biles Rising is refreshingly candid as it delves into just what went down in Japan and what Biles has done since to take control of her mental and emotional wellbeing. Her problems are often so relatable and understandable that it is sometimes easy to forget that this is an international superstar we are talking about and not just some “normal” person with a regular 8-to-5 career. A lot of this comes down to Biles’ likeability as a person, and a lot of it has to do with the documentary crew never failing to ground the pomp and glamor of the Olympic stage with interview clips of those who know Biles best, such as her mother Nellie and her husband Jonathan Owens, whom she married in 2023 (and who played for the Packers, but I suppose I should forgive him now that he’s with Chicago). Somehow the documentary made it easy for me, a guy who has never done so much as a cartwheel, to see myself in and sympathize with her position.

Mental health has never been a priority in any competitive endeavor, and this is something that Simone Biles wants to see changed. Rising is a fascinating look behind the Olympic curtain and also a call for all those who are suffering from unresolved mental afflictions to seek out help when needed and to also know that they are not alone in their suffering. If Simone Biles can break down in front of the world and come back stronger, we all can.

Simone Biles Rising isn’t just an exploration of the past and present, but also a fun and exciting preview of what is to come. Biles will once again be competing in the Olympics this year in Paris, and I can’t wait to see how the true ending of this documentary plays out in real-time. Win or lose, Simone Biles will be going out on her own terms.

There are currently two episodes of Simone Biles Rising available on Netflix, with more coming in the fall.

 

This review has not been published in the Keizertimes yet and may not be ever at this point, but here is the link anyway-  www.keizertimes.com/

Brats (07.19.24)

 

If you lived during the 80s there is a very strong possibility that you knew of the Brat Pack. A loose coalition of similarly-aged actors at the forefront of a teenage Hollywood revolution, members of the Pack starred in a handful of groundbreaking films that defined a generation, from The Breakfast Club to St. Elmo's Fire to Pretty in Pink. But apparently the phrase “Brat Pack” was reductive, and if you didn’t know that then Andrew McCarthy, himself an alum of the rowdy crew of misfits as well as the director of Hulu’s new original documentary Brats, will spend an hour and a half of your life telling you so.

Ostensibly a documentary chronicling the careers and lives of the titular Pack, Brats is much more of a therapeutic journey for McCarthy as he grapples with the label that was thrust upon him. The chip that is always present on his shoulder is the true star of the documentary, presenting itself even when it makes for awkward viewing (the interview with Emilio Estevez is particularly painful). Some of the other Brats clearly didn’t see the big deal he was making of the label, no matter how many times McCarthy insists otherwise, and in many ways the documentary feels like a thesis statement in search of validation, rather than a conclusion reached naturally through supporting evidence. Andrew McCarthy believes that the phrase “Brat Pack” derailed his career, which is, on its face, a thing that can be sympathized with, and it may even be true. But it’s hard to take his complaints too seriously when he is interviewing his fellow Brats (some of which have had very respectable careers post-80s, such as Rob Lowe and Demi Moore) in their giant, beautiful houses. Many kids would have killed to be in the Brat Pack at the height of their fame, and here you are complaining that things didn’t go exactly your way because of a relatively harmless nickname? It’s self-indulgent and, dare I say, a bit bratty.

Brats has some occasionally interesting moments outside of McCarthy’s labeling complaint, such as when the issue of racial representation (or the lack thereof, to be more accurate) in 80s coming-of-age films arises, or the discussion of the importance of music in the Brat Pack films, but these moments are always superficial and skin-deep. It always comes back to the phrase “Brat Pack” being bad, and it’s just very hard to care. To paraphrase Rob Lowe, the person who seems to have the best perspective on these things, this isn’t a cure for cancer we’re talking about here; we’re talking about a handful of classic films and the nitpicks of the very lucky people who made them. Brats is the ultimate exercise in whining about first-world problems, and this hardly makes for interesting viewing. If you’re not already a fan of these films you won’t care, and if you are then Brats might just leave a bad taste in your mouth. I say skip it.

Brats is now available on Hulu.

 

This review was first published in the Keizertimes on July 19^th, 2024. Visit at www.keizertimes.com.

A Quiet Place: Day One (07.05.24)

 

When John Krasinski made the transition from acting to directing and writing he surprised expectant fans by debuting not with a quirky comedy but with a novel and effective horror film, A Quiet Place. Drawn to the simple idea of a father giving everything to protect his children, the scariness of the film was always secondary to the Office alum, but what started as a tense little story of a family trying to survive in a world of aliens with an intense desire to maul everything that makes the slightest sound eventually did what most successful films do: It became a big ‘ol series. Yet despite this the second film did not lose its intimate and personal nature, and the prequel/spinoff, A Quiet Place: Day One, follows suit, much to its benefit. 

Those expecting answers to just who these aliens are, how they arrived, and what their life goals are will be disappointed. Like the previous two films Day One focuses on the experiences of everyday people who know just as much as the audience does when the decibel detesting demons drop, and it never really moves beyond our main character Samira, who is played wonderfully by Lupita Nyong'o, and her new apocalypse buddy Eric, portrayed equally as well by Stranger Things’ Joseph Quinn. By focusing on Samira and her already-tragic story Day One retains an appealing heart throughout, a factor that would have been very easy to overlook for a film with a much larger budget and body count than its equally effective forbearers. 

But Day One is still a very thrilling experience, especially because director/writer Michael Sarnoski seems to understand two very important things about the horror genre—One, having a pet in the mix (in this case Frodo the cat and Eric the not-unlike-a-puppy) always raises tensions to bloodcurdling levels, and two, Lupita Nyong'o has one of the most convincing scared faces in Hollywood. Like its predecessors the film isn’t exactly scary per-say, but it is intense, and like A Quiet Place and A Quiet Place: Part II it requires some suspension of disbelief simply because of its premise (why aren’t the aliens attracted to the noises that other aliens make, for instance?) And watching the film in theaters is a particularly unique and enjoyable experience, as there is nothing quite like sitting amongst a group of people who are subconsciously trying to make as little sound as possible lest the illusion being shared be broken (I have never finished a movie with so much popcorn left over... that stuff is really loud when it wants to be). 

A Quiet Place: Day One is otherwise perfect for popcorn—a fun movie that makes for great summer viewing. Anchored by a simple yet heartwarming story it is a thriller that thrills, and fans of the other two films should definitely catch it in theaters before it’s gone. And try not to worry too much about the cat... I promise that Frodo is more resourceful and capable than most of us would be in that situation. 

A Quiet Place: Day One is now playing in theaters.

 

This review was first published in the Keizertimes on July 5^th, 2024. Visit at www.keizertimes.com