Zlatko Buric – Cut To The Chase

Written & Directed By: Jon Watts

Cinematography: Larkin Seiple

Editor: Andrew Weisblum

Cast: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Amy Ryan, Austin Abrams, Richard Kind, Poorna Jagannathan, Zlatko Buric, Sergio Cota Jr.

Two rival fixers cross paths when they’re both called in to help cover up a prominent New York official’s misstep. Over one explosive night, they’ll have to set aside their petty grievances and their egos to finish the job.

This is George Clooney and Brad Pitt making another buddy comedy together and involving crime. This should have been a slam dunk and while the film Has its Moments. They are far and few in between.

This is another film that seems like they are having more fun than the audience is watching it. As it tries to be formulaic and offer surprises and slights of hand. That by the end will Make the audience think the film Is smart and has an ace up It’s sleeve. Like the OCEAN’S TRILOGY the stars have been in before, but if that movie is calculus this is math 102.

It doesn’t help that the movie stays small scale

Throughout. Which would be great with lesser stars but keeping it small hinders the film and shows how thin the screenplay is. As we have to not only stay with the characters and their various arguments, but somehow find humor, charm and tension. Which the film doesn’t really Offer.

So it comes off as muddled and not a bad recipe, but like someone followed the recipe and shorted some ingredients and added too much of other ones to make up for it.

Watching the film also makes one come to understand why these movies aren’t Memorable. You have a big name cast, a big name director Jon Watts (SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME) and yet it feels stale, Small Scale and basic, because while it has locations and action. These films obviously are Made For streaming and they have little if any visual Flair and feel compacted. Director Watts even seems to include an inside joke of a Spider-man eque stunt by a young man for those in the know. Though it also leave you

Wondering was this film an audition for an ocean’s sequel.

The stature seems shrinked then one would expect. Like making a feature film but with the limits of a television movie. Not to mention the villains are all stereotypical with an added dance sequence.

This is similar to what the Russo brothers 350 Million movie THE GREY MAN with Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans felt like any other Netflix movie. Other then a basic script, but the directors aren’t Trying to be subtle or visually Brilliant. They are doing just enough to tell the story and do what it takes without any passion or extra Effort. Sort of like assembly room and like weathermen there are Consequences or punishments.

So it just keeps happening. As Apple+ is no better or worse then any other streaming service. Except they are newer and this feel like when the studio DREAMWORKS SKG. Everyone wants to work with them and they have stars at their disposal and seem to green light anything. As long as a big star is attached, but never seem

To bother to read the script or develop them to be better. So that they come off as basic and the only pull is the stars.

George Clooney hasn’t truly starred in a good movie in awhile. Nor has he made a hit but is still

Treated like an A-lister. When he does choose to be in a film.

Leaving the audience to only marvel at Austin Abrams. Who is the only one in the film Who feels alive and like he is trying.

It feels like the film is disrespectful to the audience by going them, but so much and not giving it their all and feeling like just enough is what the audience deserves and should be honored to get.

As the leads seem more interested in being cool. The filmmaker seems to want to offer some kind of polished grit. That tries to make things more serious, dangerous, dark and action packed. That never comes across other than polished and dark. Nor does the screenplay come off as smart as it thinks nor as cute.

Grade: C-

Written & Directed By: Ruben Ostlund
Cinematography: Fredrick Wenzel
Editor: Mikel Cee Karlsson and Ruben Ostlund

Cast: Harris Dickinson, Charlbi Dean, Dolly De Leon, Woody Harrelson, Zlatko Buric, Iris Betban, Vicki Berlin, Henrik Dorsn

A male model and his girlfriend are caught in an amusingly weird situation while on a cruise with an assortment of around a dozen co-passengers. Things don’t go smoothly at all with a raging storm making things difficult, they get shipwrecked and all now need to make compromises to survive.

This film is more thoroughly enjoyable compared to his previous film THE SQUARE though the filmmaker takes aim at the double bed class again with this film. Like FORCE MAJEURE it feels a bit more down to earth and definitely more entertaining than all his other movies up to this point. As again this film is more about the whole story. Rather than noteworthy scenes that more seem tied together.

The film begins with a couple who are both models. We see the young man in the middle of a modeling casting amongst others and being followed by a host and a camera crew. As it takes a soft jab at these castings.

We watch the young couple and their domestic problems. Where the major problems seem to be about money. As she makes more than him, she also seeks a partner who can take care of her if anything happens. Which has fed into his paranoia and birthed trust issues of always worrying she is going to meet someone better fit for her. Especially as in her career, she is surrounded by them.

That is pretty much the first act, we follow the couple through all the acts and are our anchor, but in the second act as they get aboard a yacht for a cruise the film becomes more of an ensemble. Once the second act begins it becomes about class and privilege. As we see the crew having a motivation meeting to make the most money they can.

We watch the dastardly way some of the passengers make money on shore. The ridiculous requests they make of the crew, including one woman who after telling one of the staff they are all equal. She uses micro-aggressions, to not only make the young woman swim but then demand that all the staff members swim and enjoy themselves whether they want to or not. Leaving no one to do Their actual jobs.

The vomit scene seems there to make a point and take the rich down a peg. Making them practically bathed in their own sickness and shit.

Right the scene also allows the audience to be introduced to the captain Played by Woody Harrelson whose character is a drunk and a Marxist. Unfortunately, he is only in the film briefly but adds some spice and is the only recognizable actor for the audience that reminds us this is not only a film more or less, but also a comedy.

In this act, we also see the boyfriend’s jealousy. As one act dominoes into him making a complaint. Only to have the man fired while feeling guilty instead of trying to clear it up. At that moment he decides to buy a luxury item instead. As we get a feeling this is the beginning of his entry into this privileged world. Especially as he seems to network with other passengers he is at tables with and has drinks with.

Once we get to the third act. We still have the central couple plus some characters we were introduced to in the previous act. As literal survivors of the boat sinking.

This is where the film becomes not only non- Romantic but also a harsh version of the film SWEPT AWAY with more characters. As the male of the couple finally ends up becoming more the source of saving them. As his looks end up saving the day and helping them to get charity. Once one of the older female workers from the ship gets to be in charge as she is the only one who knows how to hunt, fish, and cook.

She is wildly attracted to him and trades intimacy for more rations. Showing that beauty is a powerful commodity and that power can corrupt and the lengths that people will go to. Or only to have power and influence but how hard they Will fight to keep it. No matter what the background and history.

This all leads to an ambiguous ending that feels a little more ironic and out of a writer/director M. Night Shamalayan film only not as thrilling. Nor such a big deal when it comes to revelations.

This is more a film to study and watch rather than just the latter. It’s an interesting class struggle. How freewheeling the rich are with their money and values, but never really consider the second half or how their actions affect them.

The film does offer a few shocks, but strangely never resorts to being in and taste and lets you come away with your own interpretations. Though while keeping it classy, it also feels like it never goes as far as it could.

He complains About footing the bill as he seems more to worry if this relationship is worth what he is spending his money and emotions on, seeming less romantic and more like a business deal

Act 3 should be a kind of karma made justice but as with all power structures it becomes corrupted to a degree

Most of a farce at times than anything. Especially when you have the Captain and a Russian billionaire trading Ronald Reagan and Marxist quotes while drinking shots and going through bad weather. Though there always seems to be calm no matter what. So that when Pirates enter the picture it doesn’t seem too far off.

Grade: B

Tag: Zlatko Buric

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