CJSawIt

“The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim”

Production Value: 5 / 5
Artistic Value: 4 / 5
Entertainment Value: 4 / 5
Grade: “See It”

As a lifelong anime enthusiast and fantasy lover, I could only meet the news of “Rohirrim” with anticipation. News that it fits snugly within Peter Jackson's vision of Tolkien only made that news even better.

Now that it's here I can recommend it, though it's not without its issues.

It focuses on a character unnamed in Tolkien lore. She is called Hera and she is the son of Helm Hammerhand of Rohan. The story is essentially how Helm's Deep earned its name, 183 years before the Fellowship begins.

Now to pick some nits. I love anime for its boldness and dynamic presentation. “Rohirrim” is toned down to fit the aesthetic of the LOTR films. It's a great representation of how beautiful anime can be, but it doesn't possess many of the traits that give me what I want. It's not very kinetic and the animation isn't framed consistently. This could easily have been live action and it might have felt a little more epic.

I don't see a real need for an anime presentation other than maybe the novelty. It was even animated for the English language judging by the lip sync.

“War of the Rohirrim” was fast tracked to keep the rights to the LOTR IP. At least the project is high quality, even if it's completely unnecessary. I don't see the Tolkien purists even giving this a chance (except spewing about it on Reddit). Anyone else who can take it for what it is may find themselves having a decent time.

“A Real Pain”

Production Value: 3 / 5
Artistic Value: 5 / 5
Entertainment Value: 4 / 5
Grade: “See It”

There’s a lot of significance in the title of Jesse Eisenberg’s new project.

“A Real Pain” could refer to Kieran Culkin’s character, a troubled man who is dealing (rather ineffectively) with grief. He’s an impulsive stoner who seems to disregard social etiquette. Is it purposeful or not? It’s hard to say.

“A Real Pain” could refer to Eisenberg’s character, a straight laced guy who fights his OCD and struggles to understand his impulsive cousin.

This odd couple deals with their personal struggles in their own way. They take a trip to Poland to honor their late grandmother. The trip tests their relationship and makes them come to terms with their emotions as well as their history as the offspring of Holocaust survivors. What pain could be more real than the pain of a genocide?

My takeaway from this film is that all of it is real pain. All of it is valid. And it’s important that we face the source of our intense emotions and grapple with them, lest they overcome us. I feel it also shows that the presence of others can help US be the ones to overcome.

Eisenberg is in his bag on this one. His trademark quirky, nervously energetic delivery is on full display, but performed through an emotional lens. It works on a different level here. Meanwhile, Kieran Culkin delivers one of his strongest performances to date. The natural ease with which he slips into this character should nab him some nominations at the least. Both of these men are at the height of their creative powers and they elevate such a simple concept into a poignant take on loss and discovery. “A Real Pain” is somber, but not sad. I think the audience can find a little bit of themselves in this film and relate in a real way. Highly recommended.

“Anora”

Production Value: 4 / 5
Artistic Value: 5 / 5
Entertainment Value: 4 / 5
Grade: “See It”

It’s no surprise that “Anora” snagged the Palme D’or at Cannes. I’ve watched countless movies over my lifetime and rarely do I see films this brazen and honest. That probably means I need to watch a few more, though that doesn’t mean “Anora” isn’t singular in its greatness.

“Anora”, both the film and the character, are many things. A dip into the shallow end reveals a drug and s*x-fueled “Pretty Woman”, updated for the social media age. The deep end is where it’s at though. That’s where writer / director Sean Baker upends your sensibilities and your expectations. The ride starts there. “Anora” submits that “good” people and “bad” people don’t always meet expectations. Paying attention to the surface of the water will distract you with reflections, until you can’t see what’s underneath. Withhold your judgments until you know them for who they are, and then realize that you shouldn’t be judging at all.

Mikey Madison plays Anora with a sizzling, go-for-broke energy. Awards and nominations are incoming. She is real and flawed. She is both strong and weak. She affects a nonchalant attitude due to being a s*x worker. There are no real emotions here, only transactions. Meeting the charming son of a Russian oligarch erodes her guard, which allows her a moment to dream of possibilities. The fairy tale is beautiful until it isn’t anymore.

I’m probably telling on myself here, but I had a judgemental view of everything I was seeing. I’d like to think it’s because it was fictional. I think it showed me my inward biases of people based on class, profession, nationality and even accent. The end of the film flips all of that in a masterful way. I was forced to face those biases and then empathy took hold. Everyone deserves happiness and no one deserves to be mistreated or devalued. Sean Baker’s raison d’etre is to champion marginalized people and tell their stories. I look forward to who he introduces us to next.