The End- As part of my package from neon,i got Joshua Oppenheimer’s apocalypse musical without audio description. I was actually looking forward to this film as a 2024 release, and while I’m not sure it will eventually land quite the world ending punch I thought a musical centered around the end times might, I also thought I liked it better than most critics. There were some complaints about the music not being particularly memorable, but I’ve seen Emilia Perez twice, and I couldn’t sing one bar from that. I also wouldn’t be able to give you anything from Moana 2 other than the chorus of Beyond. I look forward to hopefully watching this someday with audio description, but for now it remains unwatchable.
Unwatchable Due To Lack Of Audio Description
Juror No. 2- Warner Bros. Tried to run from a film they didn’t need to run from. This is not Cry Macho. it didn’t need to be buried in only 50 locations, and shuffled onto MAX a month later. What will likely be Clint Eastwood’s final film was better than their theatrical push for Joker Folie Aux Deux, or the anime Lord of The Rings. Assuming Megalopolis is Francis Ford Coppola’s final film, if this was Eastwood’s, he would have outperformed the legendary Godfather filmmaker on the way out the door. This feels like a 90’s legal thriller, the kind we rarely get anymore, but heavily were saturated with thanks to the popularity of John Grisham. I’m not sure why we stopped adapting his works, but that’s a different question for another review. Eastwood has a pretty simple question, which is also a bit of a spoiler if you know nothing about the film. What would you do if you ended up on the jury for a trial where you are absolutely certain the defendant is not guilty, because you are the one who actually accidentally committed the crime? Eastwood smartly leans on Nicholas Hoult as the relatable protagonist here, a man who is deeply flawed, a recovering alcoholic, but an expecting father who has turned his life around. Is there a way for him to ease his guilt and help the defendant not serve time for something he did, or is it best to let the guy take the fall? Hoult is backed by a terrific supporting cast including his About A Boy co-star Toni Collette, JK Simmons, and Chris Messina. Considering how awful cry Macho was, and how far removed Eastwood has been from the pinnacle of his career, juror No. 2 was a pleasant surprise. a perfectly solid film that wasn’t going to impact awards season, but was far better than expected, and deserved more love than it got.
Fresh, Final Grade: B, Audio Description: A-
Million Dollar Baby- it only made sense for me to revisit this Eastwood classic on its 20th anniversary. I’ve seen the movie a few times. It certainly packs a punch in the ending, but the story is so beautifully realized, I enjoy the journey. This is my favorite performance from Hilary Swank, who is the perfect choice for this role. A two time Academy award Winner, Hollywood hasn’t been giving Swank the roles befitting her talent recently. Rewatching this, and also Boys Don’t Cry (which I revisited earlier in 2024) realy brought her career together.Eastwood’s direction is patient, and explores the dramatic side of boxing, instead of the thrill of being in the ring. it is a very human story about broken people breaking people, and putting each other back together, and features a trio of performances (also with Morgan Freeman) that have the emotional weight behind them. I love this film, and if you haven’t gotten a chance to catch it, there is an audio description track. It is a best Picture winner, so there’s another reason to watch.
Fresh: Final Grade: A, Audio Description: A-