`WeCrashed' another great tech flop story
Also worth seeing: `The Outfit,' `Master' and `Song for Cesar'
The adult film industry has a killer problem in director Ti West's “X” while a Chicago tailor needles the mob in “The Outfit.” They are two of the week's major film releases, along with the Japanese anime hit “Jujutsu Kaisen 0.”
On the streaming side of things, the satirical Apple TV+ series “WeCrashed” delves into the inner workings of the WeWorks founders, while Amazon Prime explores the timelessness of academic racism with “Master,” which premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival.
Oh, and avoid “Deep Water” at all costs. 'Nuff said.
Here's our roundup.
“WECRASHED” >> Dramatic interpretations on larger-than-life eccentrics who reaped billions from radical, sometimes untested, tech notions make for prime viewing on streaming services. Hulu's addictive take on the Elizabeth Holmes scandal, “The Dropout,” and Showtime's exploration of the embattled ride-share CEO Travis Kalanick, “Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber,” fed our thirst for looks at these fallen leaders.
Now arrives the best of the bunch: Apple TV+'s satirical eightpart series “WeCrashed,” from the team of John Requa and Glenn Ficarra (“Bad Santa”) that deliciously details the rapid ascent and extravagant expansion plans of Adam and Rebekah Neumann, the forces behind the communal workspace culture WeWork.
While the series needed to be tightened quite a bit, its leads — Jared Leto and Anne Hathaway — deliver, making it a fascinating character study throughout. Leto, as he did with “House of Gucci,” overdoes the accent bit to play the
charismatic, self-assured Adam and it's an unfortunate decision that distracts from his otherwise fine performance as WeWork's brainchild. Hathaway has rarely been this good. Her Rebekah has a narrow, Pollayana-esque vision of what the world should be, one swaddled in catchphrases about community that she washes down with ultra-health green smoothies that have to be prepared just so.
Looking baffled and incredulous on the sidelines is Kyle Marvin (“The Climb”), playing the Neumanns' right-hand man of sorts. What makes “WeCrashed” a wicked delight is how it frames the story as a romance between two creative types whose illusions of tech greatness trip them and their employees up. It's a tale for our times, and while it occasionally lags, “WeCrashed” catalogs a changing work environment to perfection.
DETAILS >> \*\*\*/* out of 4; available Friday on Apple TV+.
“THE OUTFIT” >> In Graham Moore's seamlessly stitched-together noir throwback, “Bridge of Spies” Oscar winner Mark Rylance lands yet another role that's tailor-made for him. He gives a master class in acting as the quiet, reflective and enigmatic Chicago tailor Leonard Burling, whose clients are dapper but deadly mobsters. Leonard demands being called a “cutter,” not a tailor, but there are many strands to his past that remain untied. A romance between Leonard's plucky assistant Mabel (Zooey Deutch) and the son (Dylan O'Brien) of mob kingpin Roy Boyle (Simon Russell Beale), further complicates matters in this 1950s-era production. With yet another standout performance from Johnny Flynn as a volatile member of the mob, “Outfit” is a tightly wound timepiece that nails every production detail. The screenplay from Moore and Jonathan McClain is priceless, helping make “Outfit” one of the best releases I've seen yet this year.
DETAILS >> \*\*\*\* ; in theaters Friday.
“JUJUTSU KAISEN 0” >> A box-office sensation in Japan, this assuredly plotted animated adventure is spun from Japanese manga and is both thrilling and engrossing. A horrific accident kills Yuuta Okkostu's best friend Rika, but her presence in his life continues in the form of a monster protector with extreme anger management issues. Yuuta finds his tribe, so to speak, at a special school — not Hogwarts, you silly. But there's an evil force he must contend with, one that could lead to world domination/destruction. Animated with devilish glee and full of deep characters, “Jujutsu Kaisen O” is a thrilling high point in anime. DETAILS >> \*\*\*; in theaters Friday.
“SONG FOR CESAR” >> Pinole's Abel Sanchez and Visitacion Valley's Andres Alegria give a wellrounded look into the life of activist-labor leader Cesar Chavez, relating how his groundbreaking drives for farmworkers' rights inspired music, art and theater pieces. The stirring documentary is stuffed with vintage archival photos and features memorable commentary from dozens, including Carlos Santana, Joan Baez and Dolores Huerta. Be sure to check Bay Area screenings for this film, many of which will include Q&As with the filmmakers. DETAILS >> \*\*\*; in theaters Friday.
“MASTER” >> In this super-smart spiritual sister to Jordan Peele's “Get Out,” Mariama Diallo scours through the historical racism embedded in a freaky New England university. Regina Hall, as the new master at the school, proves her acting might again, while Zoe Renee does wonders with a tough part, portraying one of the few Black students on campus. Another standout is Amber Grey, who is electrifying as “Master's” most intriguing character, professor Live Beckman. It's an incendiary performance that punches you in the gut. Some narrative strands are left dangling and “Master” is so busy with talking points that it chokes off some of its tension, but this is a gripping effort throughout.
DETAILS >> \*\*\*; available Friday on Amazon Prime.
“THE LONG WALK” >>
There is a difference between a supernatural movie and an outright horror film. Mattie Do's moody ghost story occupies the space of the supernatural, not so much intent on depicting bloodshed as in revealing the evil that's rooted in the past and how it haunts the present. Set in a small village in Laos and shifting back and forth within a 50-year span, Do's tale centers on a boy/man whose grief over a death remains grimly unresolved. Do is Lao's first female director, and her “Walk” is a telling portrait of madness that requires not just patience but attentiveness as she weaves together a spellbinding tale that clings to you long after the film is over. DETAILS >> now available on several streaming platforms.