Chad Liffmann – Page 4 – Spinning Platters

Film Review: “The Hand that Rocks the Cradle”

The beautiful modern house shines in this otherwise uninspired remake

Polly (Maika Monroe) and Caitlin (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) rock the cradle in ‘The Hand that Rocks the Cradle.’

Another 1990s thriller has been remade (see: Presumed Innocent; Fatal Attraction): the 1992 film The Hand that Rocks the Cradle. Stylishly directed by Michelle Garza Cervera (Marea Alta), the new The Hand that Rocks the Cradle is tense and atmospheric, but bears the brunt of its predictability and slow pace. The original film was wickedly outlandish, helping it achieve status over time as the quintessential “evil babysitter” movie. Unfortunately, the remake lacks the willingness to let loose. Continue reading “Film Review: “The Hand that Rocks the Cradle””

Film Review: “Good Fortune”

Reeves, Rogen, and Ansari quest for wealth in this Capraesque comedy

Arj (Aziz Ansari) and Gabriel (Keanu Reeves) consult outside a Denny’s in ‘Good Fortune.’

Once again this year, audiences are invited to see a new comedy in theaters! Good Fortune is high-concept, taking the sentimentality of ‘30s and ‘40s era Frank Capra films (It Happened One Night; Mr. Smith Goes to Washington; It’s a Wonderful Life) and injecting a comical “what if” scenario and a modern-day setting. The film is also writer, actor, and comedian Aziz Ansari’s feature-length directorial debut. Using Good Fortune’s twist on fate and wealth, Ansari primarily explores the demoralizing nature of gig work and how it perpetuates economic inequality. Good Fortune doesn’t shed new light on existing problems, nor does it offer a realistic solution, but the film’s blunt jokiness and the unexpectedly winning trio at the film’s center give it wings. Continue reading “Film Review: “Good Fortune””

Film Review: “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You”

A spiraling mental journey into motherly affliction

Linda (Rose Byrne) can’t sleep in ‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.’

Can a film be simultaneously very good and also excruciatingly stressful to watch? Yes, I think so! Unpleasant viewing experiences can either be earned or unearned (read: purposeful or not on purpose). Mary Bronstein’s new film, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, falls into the former category. A fraught tale delivered with sensory bombast and utilizing a powerhouse performance by Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You is a siren song to motherhood. Continue reading “Film Review: “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You””

Film Review: “Urchin”

Dickinson portrays the unhoused in his thoughtful debut

Mike (Frank Dillane) takes in a good moment in “Urchin.”

Harris Dickinson (Babygirl) is in the director’s chair for the first time with Urchin, an intimate and at times surreal exploration of homelessness in the UK. Urchin comes at an interesting time in Dickinson’s career. As an actor, Dickinson is experiencing a surge in popularity and recognition (Triangle of Sadness, The Iron Claw, and will play John Lennon in Sam Mendes’ upcoming Beatles biopic), so switching gears to a directorial assignment (he also wrote Urchin’s screenplay and has a small supporting role in it) is an interesting choice. Nevertheless, Dickinson must have felt strongly about this particular project, since the care he shows towards the characters and the film’s technical aspects are unmistakable. Urchin is a timely character study about those left behind in society, an unflinching directorial debut, and a special showcase for its central star. Continue reading “Film Review: “Urchin””

Film Review: “A House of Dynamite”

Bigelow’s thriller proposes a serious threat

Rebecca Ferguson calls for information in ‘A House of Dynamite.’

I’d like to assume that most people would not welcome a nuclear apocalypse, and would prefer that the few individuals with access to nuclear launch codes avoid it at all costs. Writer/director Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker; Zero Dark Thirty) apparently shares this assumption, though she has instilled her fears of a (not-too-distant) nuclear holocaust into her new thriller, A House of Dynamite. Taut and unnerving, A House of Dynamite attempts a realistic portrayal of a horrific “what if” scenario. Bigelow’s film doesn’t point fingers or attempt to push the needle of public opinion in a particular direction. Instead, Bigelow frames the film as a cautionary tale that exists simply as a visual representation of our deepest nuclear fears. Continue reading “Film Review: “A House of Dynamite””

Film Review: “The Smashing Machine”

The Smashing Machine feels like a lightweight bout before the main event

Mark (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) feels the brief glory in “The Smashing Machine.”

Over the past ten years, I’ve asked and been asked a recurring question when a conversation turns to movies: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is a good actor, so why isn’t he choosing better projects? For a moment, let’s set aside the very entertaining Jumanji reboot, the fantastic Fast Five, and the Moana phenomenon, because the rest of his filmography between 2014-2025 is abysmal at worst, forgettable at best. Johnson has raked in enough dough and created enough global popularity and goodwill to justify his choices. However, ask any of Johnson’s biggest fans (and some of his detractors) and they’ll tell you he maintains an undiscovered level to his acting abilities, the sort of emotional range he inched toward in 2004’s Walking Tall remake, Richard Kelly’s Southland Tales, and even Michael Bay’s Pain & Gain. Instead, Johnson has returned to lackluster, CGI-laden IP projects over and over again, resulting in diminishing returns. The combined trio of critical and box office disasters Black Adam, Fast X, and Red One were the final straw, and Johnson now appears to be shifting gears. The Smashing Machine is an impressive and appropriate first step in Johnson’s new career path, though the film lacks invention and purpose. Continue reading “Film Review: “The Smashing Machine””

Film Review: “Anemone”

Day-Lewis father and son create a beautifully shot bore

Ray (Daniel Day-Lewis) and Jem (Sean Bean) stare and think and stare in “Anemone.”

Anemone is the directorial debut from Ronan Day-Lewis, son of Daniel Day-Lewis. Both father and son have writing credits on the film, and not coincidentally the film is about a father coming to terms with his past and a son reckoning with his father’s elusive wartime legacy. Ronan, 27, has some prior cinematography credits, and demonstrates a promising grasp of visual staging. However, Anemone asks too much from the audience. Extracting themes and identifying Greek mythological references are welcome forms of audience participation, but Anemone implores the viewer to not only guess narrative context, but then puzzle it together. Lacking a coherent script, Anemone feels underbaked. The film is a style-over-substance exercise in nepo-baby reasoning unfurling at a glacial pace, barely held aloft by Daniel Day-Lewis’s noteworthy performance. Continue reading “Film Review: “Anemone””

Film Feature: MVFF48 Festival Preview #1

The 48th Mill Valley Film Festival (MVFF) will take place Oct. 2-12, with screenings at theaters across the North and East Bay.

For a full view of special awards, spotlights, and centerpiece films, check out the complete festival guide. Tickets can be purchased here. Below is a preview of the festival, featuring brief looks at three films:

1.) THE SECRET AGENT
(Brazil, France, Germany, Netherlands, 2025. 158 min.)

The Secret Agent is a blistering 1970s-styled political thriller as prescient today as the film could’ve been in the era in which the story takes place. In a tremendously powerful performance, Wagner Moura (Narcos; Civil War) plays an ex-professor in Brazil who is in hiding with other refugees from the country’s military dictatorship, with numerous authoritative officials after them. Director Kleber Mendonça Filho (Bacurau) soaks The Secret Agent in textural viscerality; the characters are drenched in sweat, the colorful costumes and immaculate set design pop off the screen, and the musical score infuses the slow-burn narrative with mystery and energy.

Screenings (click here for tickets):
– Fri., Oct. 3rd, 6:00pm at CinéArts Sequoia
– Sun., Oct. 5th, 11:15am at Smith Rafael Film Center Continue reading “Film Feature: MVFF48 Festival Preview #1”

Film Review: “One Battle After Another”

Revolutions and zany bombast mix together in Anderson’s stick of cinematic dynamite

“Ghetto Pat” aka Bob Ferguson (Leonardo DiCaprio) is on the run/hunt.

Well-crafted films can accomplish two objectives: entertain audiences and support an artist’s viewpoint (the “message” of the film, if you will). Writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will Be Blood; Phantom Thread; Licorice Pizza) has established himself as one of the finest filmmakers working today, capable of rewarding audiences and deep thinkers alike. Even though his films haven’t been box office juggernauts, they are strongly respected within the filmmaking and film-loving communities. Anderson’s tenth feature film, One Battle After Another, is his most mainstream film, a potential box office hit and a crowd pleaser, but also his most politically-minded. One Battle After Another is a wild character-driven thriller with an unassailable comic sensibility. The film also presents a poignant critique on the nation’s current sociopolitical climate. Anderson’s sense of action, hijinks, and thematic storytelling are honed to a sharp, surrealist point in One Battle After Another, thus creating a richly rewarding cinematic triumph. Continue reading “Film Review: “One Battle After Another””

Film Review: “The Long Walk”

A punishing yet thrilling tale of diminishing naivete

Ray (Cooper Hoffman) and Peter (David Jonsson) and the lot keeping up the pace in ‘The Long Walk’

Stephen King wrote The Long Walk during his freshman year at college (the first novel he ever completed), though it was published over ten years later in 1979 under his pseudonym, Richard Bachman. The Long Walk harnesses the teenage angst, existential dread, and complicated patriotism many young minds were experiencing in the late 1960s as the Vietnam War escalated and a wartime draft approached. Surprisingly, despite its simple premise and universal themes, The Long Walk hasn’t been successfully adapted to film, though a few directors have tried. Now, under Francis Lawrence’s (The Hunger Games franchise: Catching Fire, Mockingjay Parts 1 & 2, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes) confident direction, and with strong performances and a tight script by JT Mollner (Strange Darling), The Long Walk is an fatalistic parable that demands our attention, even if we wish to look away. Continue reading “Film Review: “The Long Walk””