Adnerb the Movie Nerd

Movie reviews from a middle school teacher's perspective

Old

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M. Knight Shyamalan is the kind of writer/director that you either love or hate. I happen to fall on the “love” side of the equation. When he is on point, his movies are thrilling, thought provoking and entertaining (think ‘The Village’ or ‘Sixth Sense’). When he is off, his movies are quite unsatisfying, and even silly (‘The Happening’ and the atrocious “Last Airbender’ come to mind). This newest entry falls somewhere in the middle as far as I am concerned. If you have seen any of the trailers, you know this film is set on a beautiful beach; an idyllic and peaceful tropical setting. A family has come to a rather special resort; and they, along with a few other guests, have been offered the opportunity to enjoy this secluded spot. It isn’t long before they find that things are going terribly wrong. They find out the seclusion is total – they can’t leave the beach, they can’t even call out! And the people on this beach are aging at a terrifyingly fast rate. Why is this happening? Is this a freak of nature or is there a sinister human source? The fun of the movie, like all of Shyamalan’s movies, is to try to figure out what the ultimate revelation is going to be. I was really enjoying this movie until it came to its somewhat unsatisfying conclusion. I didn’t feel the ending lived up to the hype of the rest of the movie, it was definitely anticlimactic. So is it worth going to see? If you are a fan of Mr. Shyamalan (who wrote, directed and acted in “Old,” which is based on a graphic novel of the same name), I would give it a look. If you are not a fan, you will probably want to wait on this one.

Glass

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If you liked M. Knight Shyamalan’s “Split” and “Unbreakable,” you are probably going to like “Glass,” even though it is not as good as either one.  That being said, it was nice to see some of these characters return.  I especially enjoyed Bruce Willis as David Dunn, the very reluctant super hero who uses his free time to find bad guys, and provide a little justice.  But he most notably is looking for  James McAvoy’s Kevin Wendell Crumb.  As the story begins, Kevin, and his many personalities, have kidnapped some female cheerleaders, and some of the personalities are warning the young women that ‘The Beast’ is coming soon.  We know that bad things will happen when The Beast arrives.  Just in time, enter David Dunn, and before you know it, the authorities – who’ve been watching for the two of them – have them both in custody.  Things get murky from here on.  Kevin Crumb has some 30 personalities, and James McAvoy is so spot on as he plays each one to perfection.  At some points, he flips from one to another with such facility and realism that you will be amazed that he is playing them all so quickly and believeably.  Samuel L. Jackson is back as the very breakable Mr. Glass, but I found his character too one-dimensional and unbelievable..  It wouldn’t be an M. Knight movie, though without some twists, which I will not spoil of course.  Part of the problem with this movie that keeps it from being really good is the character of Dr. Staple  played by Sarah Paulson.  She gets way too much screen time as a shrink trying to prove that the three main characters are not the super heroes they seem to believe they are.  The addition of the characters of Glass’ mother, Dunn’s son and the one cheerleader who escaped Kevin’s earlier attentions spread out the plot points, but not always to best advantage.  They are essential to a resolution that is essentially unsatisfying and a touch of that M. Night weak-ish resolution we all know. These parts of the movie lag, and it gives you time to notice many plot holes that you wouldn’t have otherwise bothered looking for.   But there are not a lot of great movies playing out there right now, so if you want to see some great acting by James McAvoy, the return of Bruce Willis, and a scene-stealing twitch, this is the movie for you!

Split

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It is nice to see M. Night Shyamalan directing a movie that rises above some of his recent movies, like “The Last Airbender.”  “Split” harkens back to some of Shyamalan’s earlier movies like “Sixth Sense” and “Signs” and the more recent “The Visit”.  This is a well-done thriller that keeps you guessing.  The tour de force performance of James McAvoy would be compelling even in a movie of lower calibre.  His character has 23 (or perhaps 24) distinct personalities all trying to materialize and dominate the others.  Whether he is playing nine year old Hedwig or refined Patricia, McAvoy is compelling and creepy.  The plot revolves around three abducted girls who are being held by one of the personalities.  In the meantime, the original personality is being treated by Dr. Fletcher, played as somewhat dimwitted (she makes some poor decisions in my opinion) by Betty Buckley.  Of course Mr. Shyamalan will appear in a small role, but the surprise is the cameo at the very end of the movie.  No spoilers, but you will not understand the cameo if you haven’t seen some of M. Night’s earlier works.  If  you like psychological thrillers, I recommend you give this one a try.