Papillon

 

Papillon is a biographical drama set in the 1930s. It tells the story of French safecracker, Henri “Papillon” Charrière, who was falsely accused of a murder and imprisoned in French Guiana. The movie stars Charlie Hunnam and Rami Malek.

The film is a remake of the 1973 adaptation which is based on Charrière's autobiographies Papillon and Banco. The screenplay was engaging and will keep you on the edge of your seat the entire time. It gave me Count of Monte Cristo vibes.

Where the movie fell flat was in its casting, hair and makeup. It’s French movie with no French actors, language or accents. I didn’t even know it was based in France or that the characters were French until I looked it up. Rami Malek, though not French, did well in his role as the wealthy counterfeiter, turned inmate, Louis Dega. Charlie Hunnam on the other hand was not as impressive, as the lead Papillon. Due to his lack of range or impact in his acting style, I was not fully committed to his character. As for hair and makeup, the aging of the characters was poorly done and lazy

In the end I would say that this was an interesting story that had the potential to be epic but just lacked the proper production. It wasn’t a complete waste of time but was a bit of a disappointment.

Cut Throat City

 

Cut Throat City is a crime drama directed by RZA, set in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, in New Orleans’ 9th Ward, where four friends do what they must to stay afloat.

The plot was entertaining and keeps you on the edge of your seat with unpredictable twists throughout. The editing was well thought out and kept you thinking. The themes around poverty, systemic racism and doing what you must to survive are all still very relevant and relatable.

The cast was uniquely diverse, with the more classically trained actors like Ethan Hawke, Kat Graham and Denzel Whittaker mixed with people you wouldn’t typically see on screen with them like Tyrone Woodley and TI. I hadn’t seen Wesley Snipes in anything in a while, so it was a pleasant surprise. His delivery of the recluse father, was quite impressive. New comer, Shameik Moore, did well in the lead role of Blink, the struggling artist. It was easy to connect to his character along with Kat Graham, who played his wife, as they had good chemistry together.

I would have liked a deeper dive in the character development for the rest of the cast, especially the roles of Jackson Symms played by Ethan Hawke and The Saint played by Terrance Howard. There was an interesting dynamic there that I wish RZA would have gone deeper into.

Cut Throat City is a bit raw and dark so it’s not the kind of movie that I would necessarily have a desire to watch again but it was a well-made suspenseful rollercoaster of a ride.

Tangled

 

Tangled is story of Rapunzel, a young princess with magical long-hair, who has spent her entire life in a tower. On her 18th birthday she is discovered by a thief on the run, who grudgingly agrees to help her discover the world, outside her tower, for the first time, and in doing so also she also discovers who she really is. 

The script was entertaining and had great themes around following your dreams. The movie was full of high action sequences, witty lines and cute musical numbers. Even though the plot was predicable it was still fun to watch.

I thought there was descent character development for the majority of the cast. It is always encouraging for young kids to see a Disney Princess like Rapunzel. One that thinks on her feet, is smart, strong, self-less and independent. This isn’t your typical damsel in distress film, which I thought was great. The hair length was a bit extreme but I know that is the whole point of the characters physical identity so I had to get over that.

If you are looking for something family friendly, light-hearted and entertaining, this one might be the one for you.

The Princess and the Frog

 

The Princess and the Frog is the story of Tiana, a hard working waitress, saving up for her own restaurant, with no time for love or fun, who is unwitting trapped in a curse after kissing a frog. 

Set in 1912 New Orleans, the movie is full of culture, music and style. I liked the themes around growth, maturity & looking within to find your true purpose in life. However the plot of trying to find a short cut to your goals and in turn being tricked into a cursed situation, is completely played out at this point. Another Freaky Friday vibe mixed with a touch of the demons from Patrick Swayze's 1990 Ghost.   

The first time I watched the movie I wasn’t a fan, because I felt mislead by the title. The protagonist isn’t a princess. In fact over the course of the hour and 40 minute film, Tiana is not even human for 60% of the movie, and it's not until the last 5 minutes that the title even makes any sense. With Tiana being the first Black Disney Princess I had higher hopes and expectations, so that was always a disappointment for me and one that made this film not as great as it could have been. Thankfully there will be a sequel in 2022 so I look forward to see how Disney can improve and expand on this unique journey.

Brave

 

Brave tells the story of Princess Merida, a strong-willed Scottish young lady, who prefers to walk to her own beaten path and refuses to bend to her mother’s will of the age-old custom of betrothal; set during medieval times in the Scottish Highlands. When her mother falls victim to a curse, Merida must look within herself to find the key to break the curse, before it is too late. 

Even though the plot was predictable and a bit played out with its Freaky Friday-esque, inspiration, I still thought it was entertaining. The script brought great themes around female empowerment, making your own path in the world, family and community

Brave is the first Disney/Pixar animated film with a female protagonist and their only Pixar Princess. So when I found out that the film was dedicated to Steve Jobs, who had a major influence in getting his film made, before his death and the film's release, I thought it was really great. Overall this one was cute, family friendly, full of heart and one I’d recommend checking out.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

 

The 1996 Disney animated classic, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, is a French tale of a deformed bell-ringer, Quasimodo, who must look within to discover the strength and confidence to support a new friend while also finding his way within a society that doesn’t understand him. 

For a movie that is over 25 years old, it holds up surprisingly well from a visual standpoint. The plot was easy to follow and engaging I did have an issue with the lack of authenticity. The movie is set in France but there were zero hints of French in the language or accent of the characters.

I liked the musical numbers and thought that Heidi Mollenhauer who was Esmeralda’s singing voice and Tom Hulce who was Quasimodo were both beautiful singers. I’m surprised that I never knew Demi Moore was the speaking voice of Esmeralda but I enjoyed it.

Socially speaking, for a movie designed to be kid friendly, it was dark and had a number of mature themes. Some of the content surrounding infanticide, torture and genocide towards gypsies and some of the things that were said, in regard to desire, damnation and sin, would make one think twice before giving the G rating now a days.

This is not your typical Disney movie. Even though it will not be one that I would seek out again and won't go down as one of my favorite Disney movies, but it wasn’t the worst either.