‘F1: The Movie’ Brad Pitt Blockbuster Spins Its Wheels 

‘F1: The Movie’ Brad Pitt Blockbuster Spins Its Wheels 

By Alex McPherson

Loud, exciting, and about an hour too long, director Joseph Kosinski’s “F1: The Movie” coasts on Brad Pitt’s starpower and bursts of directorial panache within a narrative framework that leaves deeper thought in the dust.

Kosinski, who previously directed 2022’s excellent “Top Gun: Maverick,” opts for a similar story yet again — an aging professional past his prime coming back into the fold to mentor the next generation and conquer deep-seated traumas, looking effortlessly cool while doing so. 

Sonny Hayes (Pitt) was once a Formula One prodigy with his teammate and buddy Rubén Cervantes (Javier Bardem). Sonny suffered severe injuries from a crash at the Spanish Grand Prix, which promptly took him out of commission. In the following years, Sonny embraced a nomadic lifestyle, going through three divorces and becoming a gambling addict living in a trailer. He travels from race to race seeking that ineffable high he gets from driving really fast and really dangerously. 

After Sonny wins the 24 Hours of Daytona, Rubén shows up and offers (practically begs) him to join his F1 team, “APXGP,” and fill a spare seat that’s been turned down by several other drivers. The team’s life and Rubén’s career are in jeopardy.

Rubén discloses that the investors will sell the team if they cannot win one of the year’s nine remaining Grand Prix — and Rubén instructs the quietly arrogant Sonny to mentor the young rookie Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris). 

Sonny, enticed by the possibility of becoming “the best in the world,” signs onto APXGP. Despite his skills behind the wheel, Sonny quickly discovers that he’s in over his head, and that his mentee-turned-rival Joshua isn’t exactly enamored with cooperation.

Joshua sees Sonny as another obstacle to overcome in his own search for glory in the sport and in the public eye. Sonny also meets the determined team technical director Kate McKenna (Kerry Condon), and, surprise!, they’re quickly drawn to each other.

But Sonny’s technique around the track is unconventional and unsuccessful from the jump, instilling doubt in Rubén and the team’s smarmy investors. Can Sonny adapt, cooperate, and achieve the victory he craves, maybe scoring a new girlfriend along the way? Can Joshua learn to look beyond himself and see the bigger picture? Should we expect any sort of substantial dramatic arc for any of these characters?

The answer to that last question, in the case of “F1: The Movie,” is a resounding “no.” And that’s perfectly fine — the film delivers the expected blockbuster goods (thrilling racing sequences, beautiful people looking cool, the cable-ready “Dad Movie” appeal).

What’s missing, though, is a tangible identity, rendering Kosinski’s film a well-oiled PR stunt for Formula One, and for Pitt himself, draped in appealing Hollywood sheen that remains undeniably easy to watch.

Pitt, like Tom Cruise, is a bonafide movie star, and “F1: The Movie” gives him plenty of opportunities to look like a badass and inject some verve into Ehren Kruger’s earnest and cornball screenplay. Pitt brings a weathered melancholy that suits Sonny’s character well. Bad Boy instincts collide with self-doubt and a spiritual emptiness that only resolves behind the wheel. 

If only Kosinski and Kruger were willing to swerve in more interesting directions with his character. “F1: The Movie” is largely content to go through the motions, brushing over some potentially compelling yet unexplored aspects of Sonny while painting some uncomfortable parallels between Sonny’s controversial history and Pitt’s own. Indeed, one wonders if the requisite victory at the film’s conclusion is actually for Sonny or for Pitt.

The rest of the ensemble brings requisite charm — especially Condon and Sarah Niles as Joshua’s mother. However, the actors can only do so much with characters more resembling cutouts than three-dimensional people.

Idris embodies Joshua’s swagger and egotism effectively, but“F1: The Movie” still paints Joshua’s story in broad strokes, often undercutting character development through music video-esque montages backed by Hans Zimmer’s (admittedly invigorating) techno score.

Fortunately, most viewers go into “F1: The Movie” looking for spectacular racing sequences, and Kosinski — partnering again with cinematographer Claudio Miranda — does not disappoint.

The film’s races (mini stories themselves within the larger narrative) were filmed during actual Formula One races, with Pitt and Idris behind the wheel, and with a new camera system pioneered by Miranda that puts viewers in the cockpit with them, aiming to capture an unmatched sense of speed and immersion. 

This succeeds, for the most part, although Stephen Mirrione’s editing cuts from shot to shot with a tempo that prevents us from fully getting into drivers’ headspaces. The near-constant racing commentary and reaction shots (outright explaining what’s happening on-track, along with some “interesting” intricacies of the sport) also break up the action to a distracting degree, falling into workmanlike tropes that pull away from the film’s experiential achievements. Still, it’s enjoyable to watch these sequences in a theater — in a handful of scattered moments, “F1: The Movie” roars like summer blockbusters should.

Yet Kosinski’s film couldn’t exactly be called “memorable,” nor particularly successful aside from its technical prowess. “F1: The Movie” ultimately lacks what “Top Gun: Maverick” has in spades: heart.

“F1: The Movie” is a 2025 sports action drama directed by Joseph Kosinski and starring Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Javier Bardem, Kerry Condon, Shea Wigham, Tobias Menzies, Samson Kayo, and Sarah Niles. It is rated PG-13 for strong language and action and its runtime is 2 hours 35 minutes. It opened in theatres June 27. Alex‘s Grade: C+  

‘F1: The Movie’ Spotlights the ‘Need for Speed’ Breed in Action Spectacle

‘F1: The Movie’ Spotlights the ‘Need for Speed’ Breed in Action Spectacle

By Lynn Venhaus

The star power of Brad Pitt combines with the adrenaline rush of Formula 1 racing for an entertaining but strictly-by-the-numbers summer blockbuster.

The turbo-charged technical mastery lifts “F1: The Movie” as a classic underdog-redemption sports drama that follows a standard, if formulaic, template. The thinly written story offers little surprise amidst the turmoil of risk vs. reward, a grizzled veteran clashing with a cocky kid, and whether fun or finance should be the prevailing motivator.

The story follows Sonny Hays (Brad Pitt) as a former Formula 1 driver who is convinced to come out of retirement by his old pal Ruben (Javier Bardem), now owner of a struggling Formula 1 team, to mentor a hotshot rookie Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris). It’s 30 years later and the road to redemption is a rocky one.

A sterling cast supports this star vehicle, and brings authenticity to their roles, which makes it watchable. Oscar winner Javier Bardem is his customary captivating self as APXgp team owner Ruben Cervantes while Oscar nominee Kerry Condon plays Kate McKenna, a smart, feisty technical director whose knowledge of physics has served her well in aeronautics and racing.

Damson Idris fits the promising young talent mold, and while there are many supporting players, Tobias Menzies is memorable as board member Peter Banning, Samson Kayo is Pearce’s manager, and Sarah Niles is a charmer as Joshua’s mother Bernadette. (If you know you’ve seen her but can’t quite place where, she played Ted Lasso’s therapist Dr. Sharon Fieldstone (and scored two Emmy nominations).

Director Joseph Kosinski, who helmed the crowd-pleasing “Top Gun: Maverick” two summers ago, must have been so focused on capturing the thrills that he neglected the emotional sustenance that strong storytelling provides.

He and screenwriter Ehren Kruger, Oscar nominees for the “Top Gun: Maverick” adapted screenplay, collaborated on the cliché-riddled story, which is disappointingly predictable. Kruger, who wrote the “Transformers” sequels, should know his way around a blockbuster.

Nevertheless, the likeable actors are invested in the intensity of these athletes in training and competition.

 Those unfamiliar with the professional auto racing circuit will get a stunning glimpse of fancy racetracks around the world.

Is Sonny Gray a has-been or a never-was? Oscar winner Pitt, now 61, is in his element playing this once-promising hotshot who lost his mojo after a horrific crash and wound up never jump-starting his career.

Pitt is always at his best when he’s a tarnished golden boy. He suits the role of a lone wolf beaten down by life. Through his subtle expressions, you can tell this weathered guy, who is now a racer-for-hire living out of his camper van, has emerged sadder and wiser from Hard Knocks University.

He still tries to be relevant after learning harsh life lessons. With a tawdry laundry list of mistakes made either by gambling or from bad romances (three failed marriages), Sonny seeks another chance to get it right.

Sound familiar? Absolutely. Pitt’s Sonny works his unconventional maverick confidence but also carries around a lot of baggage. He shrugs, he swaggers, he says pithy phrases that motivate people — or quickly shuts them down. A man in motion, he runs – and inspires others.

He’s a betting man, but would he bet on himself?

The movies “Grand Prix” in 1966 and “Le Mans” in 1971 established racing as a compelling action-adventure, even with what was considered state-of-the-art back then, and then “Rush” in 2013 and “Ford v Ferrari” in 2019 surpassed them with high-stakes racing.

This has an old-school escapist feel, although the modern scenario is never in doubt, with social media ‘engagement,’ cell phone usage, and the wall-to-wall product placement palooza.

Cinematographer Claudio Miranda, who last shot the shimmering seascapes of “Nyad,” captured the dizzying spectacle while editor Stephen Mirrione ramped up the stakes and the suspense, heightened by Hans Zimmer’s propulsive score.

Overlong at 2 hours and 35 minutes, you’ll feel like you’ve been driving all night on a road trip. Sure, the action is zippy and immersive. But “F1: The Movie” unfortunately doesn’t have the oomph in the surrounding story on the same level as the vroom-vroom zooming.

“F1: The Movie” is a 2025 sports action drama directed by Joseph Kosinski and starring Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Javier Bardem, Kerry Condon, Shea Wigham, Tobias Menzies, Samson Kayo, and Sarah Niles. It is rated PG-13 for strong language and action and its runtime is 2 hours 35 minutes. It opened in theatres June 27. Lynn’s Grade: B-.

‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ Is An Exhilarating Epic

‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ Is An Exhilarating Epic

By Lynn Venhaus

Superspy Ethan Hunt is not a superhero, but Tom Cruise is built like one in talent and temperament. Perhaps his superpower is his character’s fierce and unwavering loyalty to his Impossible Missions Force ‘team,’ as exemplified in the full-throttled grand finale “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.”

Over eight movies in 29 years, he has played the maverick secret agent trying to stop an enemy force to prevent global disaster with the fierce bravado everyone expects. Now 62, he continues to demonstrate remarkable physical dexterity, performing his own stunts – and they are next level here, his best yet.

Eye-popping, jaw-dropping and breathtaking feats in the sky, water and on the ground — the derring-do is dazzling once again, for writer-director Christopher McQuarrie pushes the team farther with each chapter.

With his daredevil gravity-defying aerial sequences and underwater action in the Bering Sea, he outdoes the thrilling train escapade and stunning motorcycle dive in “Dead Reckoning, Part I.”

Preventing the world from Doomsday this time around is exciting, exhilarating and surprisingly emotional, a fitting way to kick off the summer movie season and effectively wrap up this series – if this is its swan song.

Starting in 1996, this storied espionage franchise followed the missions of an elite covert government agency, a movie adaptation of an award-winning and popular television series created by Bruce Geller that ran for seven seasons (1966-1973) on CBS.

That’s when Cruise as Hunt, Henry Czerny as Eugene Kittridge and Ving Rhames as technical wizard Luther Stickell first appeared, directed by Brian DePalma. The ensemble cast grew to include Simon Pegg as Benji Dunn beginning in “Rogue Nation.” Kittridge, the former IMF deputy director, became CIA director and showed up in the last two films.

Sequels arrived in 2000, 2006, 2011, 2015, 2018, 2023 and now. After DePalma, John Woo, JJ Abrams and Brad Bird directed the first four, McQuarrie took over with “Rogue Nation” (MI5) and has been at the helm ever since.

McQuarrie, Oscar winner for “The Usual Suspects” original screenplay, also co-wrote the script with Erik Jendresen, who was on board for the last installment. They’ve crafted a smart, suspenseful storyline that believably escalates the tension.

“Our lives are the sum of our choices,” we’re told, and after a flashback montage of the previous seven films, we are caught up to speed (literally and figuratively) since the movie a mere three summers ago.

That’s when the “Entity” materialized as a massive artificial intelligence that could wage the apocalypse because it is so advanced it manipulates reality and the truth to cause endless chaos. Hunt and the IMF team continue their search for this terrifying AI. By now, it has infiltrated intelligence networks all over the globe – with the world’s governments and a mysterious ghost from Ethan’s past on their trail.

In this version, the dire threat it represents is made clearer, and we grasp its power, so we understand the higher stakes. Esai Morales returns as the morally bankrupt Gabriel, who wants control of the Entity. He is a slippery, shadowy figure, ruthless to the core.

Like Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones, Cruise has crafted Hunt to make him his own, with his specific energy and intensity. Of course, Hunt goes rogue because he doesn’t follow rules that won’t produce a favorable result. The action gets more elaborate and the plots more high-tech focused with each chapter, and you expect Cruise to be all systems go, deliver the adrenaline rush.

With some new allies this time, Hunt has brought a fearless band together, and their warmth and humor stand out. Hayley Atwell’s Grace is a former pickpocket and thief and Pom Klementieff is former assassin Paris, who both turned on Gabriel and are now helping IMF.

Greg Tarzan Davis is agent Degas, who has switched sides from hunting Hunt, and Shea Wigham’s character arc as Briggs is best not spoiled as allegiances shift and the plot twists.

A pleasant surprise is the return of Rolf Saxon as William Donloe, a CIA analyst who was a minor character in the first film but is back in a more substantial way this go-round. His memorable wife Tapeesa is played by the charming Lucy Tulugarjuk.

Links to the past and present are threaded throughout this spectacle, which is another fine gesture.

The sprawling cast of formidable character actors includes Angela Bassett as U.S. President Erika Sloane, the former CIA director, and playing the military brass are Nick Offerman as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Sidney, Holt McCalleny as Secretary of Defense Serling Bernstein, and Janet McTeer as Secretary of State Walters. Tramell Tillman is a Navy ship commander and Hannah Waddingham as a rear admiral in charge of an aircraft character.

While there are physical encounters, most of the film’s details feature very precise digital cyberspace codes and gadgets, and timing is everything as the IMF team races against the clock.

The film, at 2 hours and 49 minutes, doesn’t feel draggy, but it could have been shaved a little in the mega-action set pieces. Nevertheless, fans are certain to embrace all the elements they’ve grown to enjoy over these 29 years, not the least of which is that iconic music. Hearing composer Lorne Balfe’s orchestrations on Lalo Schifrin’s unmistakable theme song is one of this franchise’s best features.

McQuarrie and Cruise have collaborated on more than this franchise, and it’s a potent pairing — on “Valkyrie” in 2008, followed by “Jack Reacher” and “Edge of Tomorrow.” McQuarrie also contributed to the “Top Gun: Maverick” script.

But this is their legacy. And if they don’t continue, this will stand alone in a significant way. You can be assured they’ll “figure it out.” “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” isn’t perfect, but it is a dandy experience.

“Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” is a 2025 action adventure directed and co-written by Christopher McQuarrie. It stars Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Pom Klementieff, Nick Offerman, Holt McCalleny, Angela Bassett, Shea Wigham, Greg Tarzan Davis, Hannah Waddingham, Rolf Saxon, Tramell Tillman. Janet McAteer and Lucy Tulugarjuk. It is rated PG-13 for sequences of strong violence and action, bloody images, and brief language and the run time is 2 hours, 49 minutes. It opens in theatres May 23. Lynn’s Grade: A-

Cruise Goes All-Out in Nostalgic, High-Octane Blockbuster ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’

Cruise Goes All-Out in Nostalgic, High-Octane Blockbuster ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’

By Alex McPherson

Tense, nostalgia-heavy, and featuring mind-boggling set pieces with Tom Cruise yet again putting his life on the line for our entertainment, director Christopher McQuarrie’s “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” is a rip-roaring summer thrill ride that trades plot finesse for pure spectacle and a heavy dose of earnestness.

“The Final Reckoning” continues the story of sentimental daredevil Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and his trusty group of Impossible Mission Force (IMF) cohorts as they face off against the self-aware, rogue AI “the Entity” introduced in 2024’s “Dead Reckoning.”

The Entity has grown to be an all-knowing threat that’s destabilized governments across the globe, inspired a cult of brainwashed followers, and, in four days time, will have control of the world’s nuclear arsenals, setting the stage for catastrophic destruction. The United States government, led by President Sloane (Angela Bassett), who is surrounded by a posse of officials with itchy trigger fingers, is weighing pre-emptive strikes on the other nuclear capitals before the US loses control. 

After the motorcycle-base-jumping, train-dangling antics of “Dead Reckoning,” Ethan gained possession of a cruciform key from the Entity’s primary henchman, Gabriel (Esai Morales), that is critical to ending its reign of terror once and for all. Getting the key was just the start, though, as Ethan and his team must locate the Sevastopol, a sunken vessel at the bottom of the Bering Sea containing the Entity’s source code.

Luther (Ving Rhames) and Benji (Simon Pegg) developed a “poison pill” that, once slotted in, should neutralize the dastardly system. A particularly vengeful Gabriel, having been sidelined by his AI overlord, wants to control it for himself. 

With the help of Luther, Benji, thief-turned-love-interest Grace (Hayley Atwell), reformed villain Paris (Pom Klementieff), and other returning and new faces, hope remains, no matter how far-fetched it seems. Ethan takes every opportunity to (literally) run towards danger if it means saving the world and, most importantly, his friends.

The stakes couldn’t be higher, and the whole endeavor gets rapidly convoluted as more parties get involved and over-the-top plans are set in motion (inevitably winding up improvised with near-”Looney Tunes”-level chaos).

The talky first hour renders “The Final Reckoning” narratively clunky initially. It doesn’t fully find its groove until the main plan is set and the explosive, expertly choreographed set pieces ramp up. Even during its most haphazard moments, though, a soulful energy remains. Faults and all, “The Final Reckoning” achieves the mission of delivering pure, nail-biting, popcorn entertainment.

This potentially last “Mission: Impossible” is a more somber and self-reverential affair than most, with McQuarrie and Erik Jendresen’s screenplay taking ample time to establish the stakes of the Entity’s goals and to tie into previous entries. It also continues unabashed hero worship of both Ethan and Cruise as one of cinema’s last remaining “movie stars.” 

Indeed, it’s a messy, jam-packed opening stretch, chock full of indulgent montages and exposition dumps delivered with straight-faced goofiness by an ensemble fully on McQuarrie’s wavelength. This is complemented by fast-paced editing and cinematography that captures an anxious, sweat-drenched energy as the world teeters on the brink of annihilation. 

Emotions and Big Moments are rushed, particularly regarding one key character, and if one wanted a more contemplative pace than “Dead Reckoning,” that certainly won’t be found here; nor will much elaboration on the themes of fate vs. free will established in that film.

Much of the ambiguity surrounding the Entity in “Dead Reckoning” is gone here, too, with the evil system given a literal voice and opportunities to bluntly lay out its villainous designs. But most everything works to build tension, setting the stage for second and third acts that achieve real cinematic bliss.

Given that most of the cloak-and-dagger spycraft is sidelined from “Final Reckoning,” we expect some spectacular action filmmaking, and McQuarrie wholeheartedly delivers on that front. There are always multiple high-stakes scenarios happening at once, and McQuarrie zips between them with ease, making strong use of cross-cutting to underline the interconnectedness of each character’s role and to emphasize the ever-present countdown towards potential Armageddon.

Two sequences in particular stand out. The first is a visually striking, wordless swim sequence from a submarine to and aboard the precariously-perched Sevastopol, complete with intensely detailed sound design and a rotating set that stands toe-to-toe with Christopher Nolan’s work in “Inception.” It’s both patient and nerve-rattling, with each new growl of the lurching ship signalling fresh chaos for Ethan.

The second features the most impressive big-screen stunt work in recent memory: a frantic fight atop multiple planes doing barrel rolls in South Africa, with Ethan/Cruise hanging onto the wings for dear life as horns on Lorne Balfe’s score blare with each stomach-churning twist.

Both capture an infectious adrenaline that makes “The Final Reckoning” an absolutely essential watch in IMAX, as Hunt makes armrest-clenching, on-the-fly decisions to complete his objectives and survive, often using slapstick violence that pushes the PG-13 rating.

Nothing else in “The Final Reckoning” quite lives up to the crazy heights of these two sequences. Still, it’s great fun watching this film put its foot on the gas pedal and never let up, thanks in large part to Cruise (ripped as ever and committed to the plot’s cheesiness and heightened drama) and a reliable cast that, for the most part, understands the assignment.

Yes, the overstuffed narrative limits how much time each character gets in the spotlight — functioning more as quippy cogs in the machine of the plot than fully fleshed-out beings  — but everyone gets their moments to shine (especially Rhames and Klementieff).

“The Final Reckoning” is really Cruise’s show at the end of the day. McQuarrie’s film is at its most compelling when focusing on Cruise’s death-defying, no-holds-barred commitment to the bit. There’s plenty to critique from a storytelling standpoint, especially regarding the reliance on past films, but there’s no denying the raw power of seeing these shenanigans on the big screen — leaning into the fantasy at a time when humanity desperately needs a victory.

“Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” is a 2025 action adventure directed and co-written by Christopher McQuarrie. It stars Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Pom Klementieff, Nick Offerman, Holt McCalleny, Angela Bassett, Shea Wigham, Greg Tarzan Davis, Hannah Waddingham, Rolf Saxon, Tramell Tillman. Janet McAteer and Lucy Tulugarjuk. It is rated PG-13 for sequences of strong violence and action, bloody images, and brief language and the run time is 2 hours, 49 minutes. It opens in theatres May 23. Alex’s Grade: A-

Haunting ‘Fancy Dance’ Offers Natural Portrait of Reservation Life

Haunting ‘Fancy Dance’ Offers Natural Portrait of Reservation Life

By Lynn Venhaus

A raw and real portrait of Native American life on an Oklahoma reservation, “Fancy Dance” is a haunting, heartbreaking missing-person drama from an interesting little-seen perspective.

It’s a slow-build from writer-director Erica Tremblay and co-writer Miciana Alise that turns into a slow burn.

A serious-minded Lily Gladstone plays Jax, a gruff and tough hustler living on the Seneca-Cayuga Reservation, trying to survive and help care for her 13-year-old niece Roki (Isabel Deroy-Olson). On the outside, she appears cold-hearted, but deeply cares about keeping her family intact.

She resorts to desperate measures when her sister Tawi, an exotic dancer, disappears, and their white father Frank (Shea Wigham) and his second wife Nancy (Audrey Wasilewski) are granted temporary custody of Roki once the Department of Family Services gets involved. Jax has a criminal record and is not allowed to have contact, let alone be guardian.

Tawi and Roki were preparing to dance at a big-deal annual powwow in Oklahoma City. Jax wants that happy experience for her niece, so she kidnaps the girl from her grandparents and goes on the run while an Amber Alert is launched.

Jax and her father, never close, have been estranged since her mother’s death and his move from the reservation.

Gladstone, all pent-up rage, and the pain of loss hangs heavy. While she seemingly does not want to abandon hope, she outwardly shows the strain of anguish taking its toll. Nevertheless, she is a fighter and summons every ounce of bravery she has.

While Jax attempts to get answers about her sister’s whereabouts and urge police to investigate, a stacked deck about the rough road for indigenous women and the justice system that fails them also unfolds. Their half-brother JJ (Ryan Begay) is part of the tribal police force, and he claims he can’t do much with the feds involved.

The tension is mild and the story meanders, but the film’s earnestness eventually gets it back on track. The acting is lived in, and the young actress Deroy-Olson gives a precious portrayal of an innocent girl having to grow up much faster because of her circumstances.

Wigham, a longtime character actor, isn’t given much to do in an underdeveloped role, but his Frank is not a villain, and seems sympathetic. After all, he is reluctant to get authorities after Jax.

Tremblay, who belongs to the Seneca Cayuga Nation, has written for the TV series “Reservation Dogs” and directed documentaries, but this is her first feature film as director. She is attentive to details regarding her tribal nation’s way of life. Along with production designer Charlotte Royer and cinematographer Carolina Costa, they have created an authentic atmosphere.

A sorrowful mood permeates this slice-of-community and culture because of how marginalized these characters have been treated their entire lives. Samantha Crain’s evocative score has melancholic tones but also joyous native rhythms.

The sobering realization of systemic racism and the entrenched colonialism makes this naturalistic piece stand out. However, the ending is abrupt and seems rushed. Yet, it ends on such a joyful, hopeful note of togetherness that you really want to root for these women to be comforted by their family connections.

But there is no denying the narrative’s impact. It makes you understand these women’s plight, forcing us to pay attention. And the performances are impactful in emphasizing the storytelling’s importance.

“Fancy Dance” is a 2023 drama directed by Erica Tremblay and starring Lily Gladstone, Isabel Deroy-Olson, Shea Wigham, and Ryan Begay. It is rated R for language, some drug content and sexual material, and runs 1 hour, 30 minutes. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and opened in select theaters on June 21. It began streaming on Apple TV+ on June 28. Lynn’s Grade: B.

Strong Cast Shows How Friends Are Tested in ‘Small Engine Repair’

Strong Cast Shows How Friends Are Tested in ‘Small Engine Repair’

By Lynn Venhaus

Tough blue-collar guys hardened by harsh winters, bleak childhoods, dead-end adult lives, and rigid views on masculinity are the central figures in “Small Engine Repair,” an intense and powerful drama with crackling flashes of comedy that is set in Manchester, N.H.

The three rough-hewn childhood friends Frankie Romanoski (John Pollono), Terrance Swaino (Jon Bernthal) and Patrick “Packie” Hanrahan (Shea Whigham) needle each other with insults but have a deep love for each other. That bond of brotherhood is tested numerous times – as they drink too much, get into fights because of their hair-trigger tempers and cope with unfulfilled lives. Frank is clearly the leader, and is a recovering alcoholic.

They have one thing they can agree on, besides the Boston Red Sox — their tender concern for Frank’s daughter, Crystal, now 17. Fiercely protective, their loyalty comes into question during an out-of-control evening based on Pollono’s 2011 award-winning play.

At first glance, one may find John Pollono’s characters drawn in broad strokes, but reserve judgment because layers will be revealed, subtly and perceptively, as the bigger picture on societal roles, class struggle and modern technology emerges.

Ten years after his explosive 70-minute one-act play hit Los Angeles audiences hard with a sledgehammer, Pollono has adapted his edgy pitch-black piece for film, expanding the landscape and adding two female performers instead of just alluding to them in dialogue. The movie, with flashbacks, runs 1 hour and 43 minutes.

Ciara Bravo, a young actress known for TV shows who starred opposite Tom Holland in “Cherry,” excels as the feisty teenage daughter Crystal. She’s a senior in high school who yearns for bigger things, like going to college and becoming somebody. Raised basically by her single dad, mechanic Frank, she considers Swaino and Packie her family.

Jordana Spiro is in the brief but pivotal role as her mostly absent mom Karen Delgado. She became pregnant as a high school junior, and eventually left the area. Her troubled relationship with Frank is complicated and she pushes his buttons. Spiro nails this woman whose life didn’t turn out as she planned.

Ultimately, this brilliantly constructed work will show how substantive it is, but as this unsettling tale unfolds, it’s not that black-and-white. Pollono, who also directed and reprises his role as Frankie, grew up in New Hampshire, and knows this grimy world. He understands about shared histories and love-hate relationships with your coarse working-class guy pals.

Actor Jon Bernthal originated the role of ladies’ man Swaino on the L.A. stage and serves as a producer. He was unable to appear in the 2013 off-Broadway production because of his burgeoning acting career in film and television. He fits Swaino to a T, inhabiting this crude, vain and unrefined guy who is too quick to react and stuck in a warehouse job. But he is sincere in his love for Crystal.

He and Pollono carry their chemistry, first exhibited in the Los Angeles production that won every award possible, over to the screen. They easily convey a longtime friendship, along with the biggest surprise – character actor Shea Wigham’s Patrick “Packie” Hanrahan.

Wigham is a revelation as stuck-in-a-rut Packie, a smart man whose technical prowess and knowledge of social networking will come into play. But he’s a serious case of arrested development, living in his grandmother’s basement, inept with women, and invasive with personal questions.

The trio don’t seem to be aware of what boundaries are, let alone have filters when they are together. Their jabs at each other cut too deep sometimes and their locker room talk gets repetitive. Yet the actors keep up a frantic pace of macho sex talk and putting each other down at every opportunity.

After a tiff, the men reunite at Frank’s urging to hang out one evening at his small engine repair garage. Only he has an ulterior motive bringing them back together for top-shelf Scotch whiskey and steaks.

Frank has asked arrogant frat boy Chad Walker (Spencer House), his drug dealer, to stop by with “Molly,” which is another name for the synthetic stimulant and hallucinogen Ecstasy (MDMA).

As they knock back shots with the technically savvy Millennial, who reeks of privilege, are they really all that different? Chad has a callous disregard for women as sex objects and is casually dismissive of others ‘not in his league.’ House displays the entitlement of a kid whose big-deal attorney father has handed him everything in life accept the lesson that actions have consequences.

One can’t divulge too much of the plot, but it’s driven by family ties and the intangible bonds of lifelong friendships. If comparing to other works, think David Mamet – and even the characters satirized by Saturday Night Live in the ‘wicked-funny’ Boston sketches. For those who watched “Mare of Easttown,” it has an uncanny resemblance to that clannish Pennsylvania enclave depicted in the HBO mini-series.

Pollono wrote the screenplay to the 2017 movie “Stronger,” which tells of Jeff Bauman’s struggle to walk after the Boston Marathon bombing, another lived-in cadre of characters steeped in their New England environment.

He demonstrates a flair for crafting real-world characters and is a strong Frankie, who tries to take care of everybody but can’t manage his anger issues.

This is a fierce suspenseful production that is unapologetic in its politically incorrectness. It features bursts of ugly violence, a torrent of expletives, and with its vulgarities, earned every bit of its R rating. It is not an easy watch.

Jon Bernthal and Shea Wigham in “Small Engine Repair”

However, Pollono’s sharp observations on the narrow lanes still in place today in society – 10 years after its stage debut – gives one pause. Dynamic ensemble work makes this a drama whose impact will linger.

“Small Engine Repair” is a 2021 comedy-drama that is directed by John Pollono, who also stars, along with Jon Bernthal, Shea Wigham, Ciara Bravo, Spencer House and Jordan Spiro. It is rated R for pervasive language, crude sexual content, strong violence, a sexual assault, and drug use and runs 1 hour, 43 minutes. It opens in theaters on Sept. 10. Lynn’s Grade: B+.

‘The Gateway’ Is Trashy Excuse for Crime Thriller Set in St. Louis

‘The Gateway’ Is Trashy Excuse for Crime Thriller Set in St. Louis

By Lynn Venhaus
This trashy excuse for a crime-thriller wants us to believe it is set in St. Louis, but there is a total absence of any markers that could identify our fair city. One character does arrange a meeting in Forest Park, but they mention a “K-Town”?

OK, the cars did have Missouri license plates, so kudos for that. Otherwise, it’s a generic framing of a seedy “inner-city” area that has seen better days. There isn’t even a ubiquitous shot of the Gateway Arch just to pretend where we are. Instead, we get depictions of mean streets and government housing.

The tourism bureau won’t be getting a boost from visitors because this unrelenting grim and cliché-driven film is unappealing and not worth 91 minutes of your time. It was filmed in Norfolk, Va., and the dim and harsh lighting does the atmosphere no favors – even if it is going for true grit to emphasize our city’s chaotic crime numbers.

Social worker Parker Jode (Shea Wigham), assigned to the care of Ashley (Taegan Burns), the daughter of single mother Dahlia (Olivia Munn), intervenes when the dad, Mike (Zach Avery) returns from prison. Because dad is involved in drug dealing and a robbery, he is putting his family in danger.

As for the St. Louis location, Italian-born director Michele Civetta is quoted as saying: “Setting the film in a locale like St. Louis was a metaphor for the crossroads of America today. A gilded age town that has fallen on harder times, outgrown its original destiny as the Gateway city to the west, now a playground for drug trafficking and interstate contraband resulting in gang violence. The city conjures the ethos of a lawless environment presided over by a dysfunctional corrupt government administration that has really forgotten the everyday person.”

OK, then. Let the outrage ensue.

Three men are credited with this macho tough-guy screenplay: Alex Felix Bendaña and Andrew Levitas, and the director, Michele Civetta.

The director aspires to be a throwback to those hard-boiled B-movies from the 1970s, like John Cassavetes’ “Killing of a Chinese Bookie” and John Huston’s “Fat City” – the lead character is even a failed boxer! — but he does not achieve any sort of emotional truth with such stereotypical characters.

Civetta’s experience includes many commercials and music videos and was nominated for an Emmy for his NBC commercial “Halloween Today” in 2016. His last film was “Agony” released in 2020, and this film wrapped up right before the pandemic lockdown happened.

Civetta is trying to make a statement about how children are affected by the bad behavior of their parents, and that their actions have consequences, which of course is noble because there are so many young victims, and the human toll is enormous. While it’s obvious here, a better vehicle might have elevated the cause.

The protagonist is a social worker whose job is checking on the welfare of kids in less-than-ideal home lives. Shea Wigham, a character actor who is familiar to audiences after being in a long list of movies and TV shows for the past 20 years, rises to the occasion as a world-weary flawed guy who is driven by his checkered past, including growing up in foster homes. You’ve seen him as a detective in “Joker” and this summer in “F9.”

Parker is an anti-hero who champions his own sense of justice while spending lonely nights drinking too much at a dive bar. This guy has a lot of issues but the script only scratches at the surface.

He cares too much about keeping the kids safe that he meets on the job, and is drawn into a dangerous web when he’s checking on Ashley, the daughter of night casino worker Dahlia. Her husband, Mike, is in prison, and comes back in their lives when he’s paroled. He is as mean as a junkyard dog, signaling trouble ahead.

He rejoins his group of drug-dealing thugs, led by Frank Grillo as “Duke,” in yet another swaggering tough-guy role and wearing a ludicrous pimp hat. Antagonizing a Mexican drug cartel,  they botch a robbery – and the heat is on, from both the cops and the nefarious cartel goons.

As villain Mike, Zach Avery has nowhere to go, for his character is one-note and has zero redeeming qualities.

Olivia Munn doesn’t embarrass herself in the concerned mom role trapped in an abusive relationship, and a bright spot is young actress Taegan Burns as daughter Ashley.

Dear old dad puts a stash in his daughter’s backpack – in effect making her a drug mule, which starts a chain of mayhem. Parker takes the women to his estranged father’s house to hide.

Two-time Oscar nominee Bruce Dern plays the elder Jode, Marcus, a Vietnam veteran and former jazz musician, as a grizzled survivor. He knows he messed up but isn’t all that apologetic about putting his son in the foster care system as a youth. It’s a showy part, with the requisite whisky-fueled late-night talk between father and son before the criminals come calling.

As the plot becomes more contrived, full of bad ideas, one hopes for some character redemption, but there is no deliverance from evil. These are all hardened people – and perhaps we could have understood motivations, but it wasn’t going to happen with this being so heavy-handed. The final scene, meant to be somber yet hopeful, is almost laughable.

A Charles Dickens quote condemning bad parenting begins the film and statistics about foster children ends it.

Dark and depressing, this movie has little to recommend it. Not even a shot of the Arch gleaming in sunlight could have saved it.

Shea Wigham and Taryn Manning

“The Gateway” is a 2021 crime thriller directed by Michele Civetta and starring Shea Wigham, Olivia Munn, Zach Avery, Bruce Dern, Frank Grillo, Taryn Manning, Mark Boone Junior and Taegan Burns. Rated: R for strong violence, pervasive language, drug use, some sexual content and nudity and its run time is 1 hour and 31 minutes. In theaters, digital and Video on Demand on Sept. 3; on DVD/Blu-Ray Sept. 7. Lynn’s Grade: D