HOUSE OF GUCCI | THE POWER OF THE DOG | HAWKEYE | BURNING
Pop Culture Weekly Round-Up 26/11/2021
Hello there! This week’s newsletter has thoughts on two great films that I have watched at TIFF this year. I talk a little about the new MCU series on Disney+, HAWKEYE. And how much I didn’t care about the glamorous disaster that HOUSE OF GUCCI is. And as always you will also find a playlist of five songs I enjoyed last week.
Quick Thoughts
THE POWER OF THE DOG - I had a chance to watch this film at TIFF earlier this year and I really enjoyed it. THE POWER OF THE DOG revolves around Phil Burbank (Benedict Cumberbatch), a charismatic rancher, who provokes respect and terror in everyone around him. When Phil's brother (Jesse Plemons) returns home with a new wife (Kirsten Dunst) and her son (Kodi Smit-McPhee), he taunts them until he is introduced to the possibilities of love. Jane Campion's adaptation of Thomas Savage's novel of the same name is a slow-burn but never dull film. With breathtaking cinematography and outstanding performances from all of its stars, the film keeps us guessing about the actual source of the conflict. It's one of those few films that you can't tell what's going to happen next. But at its core, the film deals With toxic masculinity and the Concept of manhood in a society where men aren't allowed to express their true colors. THE POWER OF THE DOG screenplay and directing are excellent and the film confirms Jane Campion's status as one of the best directors of her time. The film premieres on Netflix on December 1.
HAWKEYE - Last Wednesday, November 24, the first two episodes of HAWKEYE dropped on Disney+ and marked the return of Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) as the most underpowered Avenger. In this Marvel miniseries, he has to pair up with a young New Yorker named Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) for some adventures before going home to have some Christmastime with his family. The whole thing reminded me of the Netflix original series showcasing some Marvel characters who have yet to debut in the MCU. The difference here is that HAWKEYE is considerably more cheerful in these first two episodes than the gloomy Netflix shows, which were engaging at first but eventually became a disappointment. You could certainly appreciate the show buddy comic action scenes without worrying too much about what's going on in the rest of the MCU. Other Marvel Disney+ series, such as THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER, have struggled to achieve this trait. I had fun with the Tracksuit Mafia, a funny, super dumb gang. And with the musical about Steve Rogers/The Avengers, which is an absolutely ridiculous idea but I wouldn’t be surprised if Disney actually makes one of those in real life. There is nothing groundbreaking in the show and I’m not very invested in the MCU to care too much about it. However, HAWKEYE made me giggle a couple of times so I might keep watching out of curiosity to see what’s going to happen next.
BURNING - This doc made its world premiere at TIFF in September, when I had a chance to watch it. The film is about Australians' painfully familiar experiences with rising temperatures, terrible wildfires, very stupid politicians, and environmentalists attempting to save us all by speaking the truth about the future. During the so-called “Black Summer" (2019-20), about 50 million acres were destroyed by fires and an estimated three billion animals were harmed or died. The filmmaker, Eva Orner, was eager about sharing the stories of the disasters and utilizing them to raise awareness about the worldwide issue of climate change. BURNING is a difficult film to watch at times. It's hard not to get very upset when seeing images of burned koalas crying for aid. It's also difficult to listen to testimonies from folks who lost their homes, watched their communities burn, and lost friends to the flames. This documentary should be required watching for any Boomer family members who still deny climate change. BURNING premieres on Amazon Prime today, Nov. 26.
HOUSE OF GUCCI
HOUSE OF GUCCI is based on the horrific real story of the family behind the Italian fashion dynasty. The Ridley Scott film is centered on Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga), the daughter of a trucking Entrepreneur who married into the Gucci family after meeting one of the family's offspring, the tempered Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver), at a party. Patrizia’s unfettered ambition begins to destroy the family tradition, setting off a dangerous cycle of betrayal, decadence, retribution, and, eventually, murder.
The movie has an interesting concept but the narrative only gets more ridiculous as it progresses. This is what I like to call a massive Hollywood hot mess. Those legacy studios have a tendency to believe that a great cast and compelling setting can compensate for a dull screenplay. But this movie proves that this idea doesn’t work anymore. Everything about HOUSE OF GUCCI is excessive. The materialism, greed, and betrayal almost make the movie an Italian version of SUCCESSION set in the fashion business. The main difference is that the HBO hit show is well-written and captivating. This movie on the other hand is dull and super camp but at the same time, tries too hard to be taken seriously.
Everyone’s accents in the movie are ridiculous and they sound more like a parody rather than character-driven. Lady Gaga's note-perfect performance has its own charm and is one of the few good things about this messy movie. The other highlights are the wardrobe and makeup. The film's most striking image is Jared Leto's transformation. He is visually unrecognizable with the fat suit and bald cap. It is a shame though that this amazing makeup work is overshadowed by his cartoonish performance. He is basically in an entirely different movie and his accent is borderline-offensive. He wasted a genuine opportunity to be amusing, instead, he is just annoying. The movie has 2 hours and 38 minutes, but it feels even longer than that. It has terrible pacing and besides all the larger-than-life aspirations it brought me nothing more than boredom. It’s a shame though. Because I’m pretty sure that this story would make a great FX Drama produced by Ryan Murphy. He would make HOUSE OF GUCCI a thrilling and completely extravagant TV series.
HOUSE OF GUCCI was supposed to be a fun, camp trash movie but tried and failed miserably to be a somber drama. I recently watched THE LAST DUEL which was also directed by Ridley Scott and I actually enjoyed it and will definitely share my thoughts on it when it comes out on VOD. But the truth is, Scott’s work has deteriorated dramatically over the previous few years. And this may be his worst effort yet.
Top 5 songs
These were the 5 songs on heavy rotation in my house last week. You can listen to them on Spotify and YouTube.