If Nicholas Sparks had written “Nell,” it would have ended up being “Where the Crawdads Sing” (2022). That’s an observation, not a value judgement. Actually, “Crawdads” is a very watchable contribution to the box-of-Kleenex film genre. It loves its setting in the Carolina marshes and the setting loves it right back, providing a sense of place that nourishes a formulaic fusion of class conflict, forbidden romance and courtroom procedural. Daisy Edgar-Jones welcomes us into her character, the star-crossed Marsh Girl, allowing us to focus on her journey instead of the simplistic plot devices that serve as all the other characters.
Archives for posts with tag: Garret Dillahunt
The death of boomer masculinity occurred somewhere near the 105-405 interchange. For years, Michael Bay has been a high priest of action filmdom, preaching a holy Hollywood trinity of bullets, testosterone and helicopters (lots of helicopters). Today’s action market is dominated, however, by a spandex-clad rainbow coalition playacting stories created and curated by nerds and geeks. Bay’s unsuccessful “Ambulance” (2022) brings cops, robbers and EMTs to a bank heist, then takes us on one of his patented, never-ending, catastrophic car chases. The awkward, tiresome Cain-and-Abel subplot featuring Yabya Abdul-Mateen II and Jake Gyllenhaal adds speed bumps to a chaotic movie.
100wordreviews 