Tag: Simon Rex

DOWN LOW (2023)

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Directed By: Rightor Doyle

Written By: Phoebe Fisher and Lukas Gage

Cinematography: Nate Hurtsellers

Editor: David Moritz and Mike S. Smith 

Cast: Zachary Quinto, Lukas Gage, Simon Rex Judith Light, Audra McDonald, Sebastian Arroyo, Christopher Reed Brown, Dominique Lawson, Joseph Bessette 

A deeply repressed man, the uninhibited young man that gives him a happy ending, and all the lives they ruin along the way.

This is a single-location comedy feature around a premise that is a few scenes in a movie like Goodfellas with having to get rid of a body.

Only here more LGBTQ plus things less gangster world related.  As they both involved getting rid of a dead body, someone might or might not be the reason for this unfortunate accident.

Luckily, for the audience, this film ends up being a witty, screwball comedy, essentially about acceptance and being comfortable in your own skin.

It’s nice to see Zachary Quinto cut loose throughout his career, especially in the beginning, he always played a villain in the show, heroes, and other rules he has always looked or acted so deadly, serious, dramatic, and imposing. That here it’s nice to see him play in a comedy. He still repressed, but allows himself to let loose in character and is clearly having fun. Pardon the pun of the street man throughout this film who is gay.

The film does stereotypes, or at least cliché, likely terminally ill gay man, but it takes a sharp and offers a more than one-dimensional portrait. I’m not only that character of other characters that afford more than just the main characters in its own way. It feels universal no one is left as a caricature and still manages to surprise. 

The film is refreshing as it manages to be emotional, but still allows for it to be dark.

Co-written and co-starring  Lukas Gage, in the more flamboyant, outrageous, and physical comedic masseuse. 

As Lukas Gage definitely has drawn, not only a showpiece for himself, but one that allows everyone else to have their moments as what could’ve easily become a farce gets into some real emotional territory.

Simon Rex makes a smash as he plays a nightmare version of what you can find on the dark web, but still manages to be funny, and  Judith Light comes in as a character who could’ve been purely used for comedic relief but gives the film a poignant moment and character.

It’s not vivid, nor is it really that big or too visual but it’s fun. Want to stick around and be with these characters and route for them throughout 

Grade: B

THE SWEET EAST (2023)

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Cinematography & Directed By: Sean Price Williams

Written By: Nick Pinkerton 

Editor: Stephen Gurewitz 

Cast: Talia Ryder, Simon Rex, Jacob Elordi, Ayo Edibiri, Jeremy O. Harris, Andy Milonakis, Keith Poulson, Rish Shah, Mazin Akar, Gibby Haynes, Mimi Ryder, Jack Irv, Ella Rubin, Betsey Brown, Earl Cave

A picaresque journey through the cities and woods of the Eastern seaboard of the U.S. undertaken by Lillian, a high school senior from South Carolina. She gets her first glimpse of the wider world on a class trip to Washington, D.C.

The film has an Alice in Wonderland quality. they coming of age tale. where we follow this girl who right after losing her virginity goes on a school field trip to Washington DC gets mad wanders off and kind of gets involved in all these kinds of extreme groups and gets involved with these characters who have such great passion for their beliefs that she seems to put up with as long as she can, and they take care of her, but then soon grows of them and moves on, especially leaving them and ruin when she does

as it seems like all of those, she gets involved with seem to put their ideals dreams, and wishes upon her as some kind of fantasy is going to help them or save them or make them successful and she’s quite the opposite as she is just a schoolgirl trying to survive and trying to have fun

I think this film might’ve been a little stronger been directed and written by a female because as it plays, which might actually work and its favor seems more to go throughout this film as a kind of young female seen through the male gaze so she’s constantly made into a fantasy. it is directed by noted cinematographer Sean Price Williams.

The film doesn’t make her a victim, though it shows that she’s not that innocent and that she kind of enjoys the power that she gets from all these experiences as these types of scenarios and with the female being victimized, it’s kind of refreshing to see a film, where the female is the one who realized that she has the power and takes control, even though she doesn’t know how deep or dangerous the waters she’s stepping into truly 

The film is very experimental as it even has a musical sequence early in the film and seems to be mostly handheld gorilla style though has some beautiful shots the film does keep a sense of humor, but also has a kind of shock value that it produces every now and then just to make sure you’re paying attention 

as in one section of the film, she ends up staying with a white supremacist who is more of an intellectual than an actual member of the KKK who he spoils like she’s a pet, but never touches, though she keeps offering peaks and glances. He never makes a move, though he wants to and generally respects her, which makes her quite fast

she goes from there to African-American filmmakers who keep talking about being revolutionaries and even dress the part in 1970s wardrobe, but then when we actually see that the film they are making it some kind of merchant ivory-type production that is more about Caucasian characters in the pet in the past which proves to be one of the most, but also shocking sequences in the film

those throughout there are no real consequences for her character and the film tries to throw the audience off just as when she ends up secretly staying with what seems to be a Muslim paramilitary group. They are more of a music group dance and very secretive. so this film keeps to survive.

no, by the end, it doesn’t really seem to have all that much to say and still feels like the musings of a middle-aged Caucasian man declaring his thoughts on modern-day subcultures but putting it through a young female point of view, making it seem more open and not so fitting closed off.

In the end, it’s not quite an adventure. I’m sure most audiences will want to make but if they do, they might find something that captures their interest throughout. As the character travels through the eastern seaboard.

That is a great showcase for young actress Talia Ryder. as she constantly plays the main character, but also that character has to play the role that she is given by all these different people she comes across and even using other stories as her own to get more sympathy

in the end, it kind of amounts to a movie that seems like it was a hip hang-out for most of the cast that was made up as it went along to touch on certain subjects and meanings

Grade: C 

RED ROCKET (2021)

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Directed & Edited By: Sean Baker
Written By: Sean Baker & Chris Bergoch 
Cinematography: Drew Daniels 

Cast: Simon Rex, Suzanna Son, Bree Elrod, Brenda Deiss, Ethan Darbone, Brittany Rodriguez, Judy Hill, Shih-Ching Tsou 

Finding himself down and out in Los Angeles, ex-porn star Mikey Saber decides to crawl back to his hometown of Texas City, Texas, where his estranged wife and mother-in-law are living. Just as this dysfunctional family seems to be making things work, Mikey meets a young woman named Strawberry working the cash register at a local doughnut shop. He falls right back into his old habits.

While this is a good film, it is also disturbing and unsettling at times. While offering some humor as it goes along. As it shows no one is not any situation just one thing at one time. It is never quite that simple.

The film offers Simon Rex, in a comeback of a performance. Probably the most dramatic role he has ever had a chance to play. His character is totally unlikeable, a natural-born hustler. He is a smooth talker even though most of the time he is obvious. Though his performance is captivating. As the film more revolves around his character you wish the film was just as lively and unpredictable as his performance and character but needs a kind of normalcy to bounce him off of and compare him to.

He is good at what he does because as soon as you like him or fall for him or even feel sorry for him for whatever reason. He does something that reminds you of how deceptive and selfish he is. As even in the. For comedic scenes of comeuppance, you laugh but then ate reminded how unlikeable he can be. As this is not a film about redemption. Just that most people Don’t change. 

This film is more of a character study than necessarily plot-oriented. As usual with writer-director Sean baker’s films, this is more of a humanistic film to show this man’s life and the people around him from his past.

The film uses non-actors making it feel more lived in and believable. Even as most of the characters are fascinating themselves we get snippets of them. More or less as they move in and out of the main characters’ plans and life. 

At heart, the film offers a twisted love story that is at least one side in a seduction meant for one to prosper through the subjugation of the other. Here in the form of an 18-year-old female high school senior who he romances. It makes the film even more uncomfortable as even though the actress is older she still looks young. So the sex scenes feel uncomfortable. Even if her character isn’t as innocent as she seems. You can still tell she is in over her head. 

The movie doesn’t judge any of the characters or situations. It remains neutral, leaving it up to the audience to decide how they feel.

What works for the film is that by the end you will feel some kind of reaction. Good or bad it definitely will make you feel something and I am betting not happy. 

Grade: B