9/2/2023 0 Comments Young carla juri![]() ![]() The feature directorial debut of Dave Franco, the horror film “ The Rental” plays on what you might call Airbnb anxiety: the fear that the private weekend getaway you booked isn’t as private as it looks, and that you’re under surveillance by owner. If “The Kissing Booth 2” is watchable, viewers have Elle to thank King remains the strongest component of a now-franchise that, quite frankly, might be beneath her. Misogynist currents are scrapped in favor of a story line empowering Lee’s girlfriend, Rachel (Meganne Young). Noah’s rage and borderline abusive tendencies have dissipated, replaced with homesickness and, from what he tells Elle, unflinching loyalty. While the kissing booth again serves as a tangential plot device - in both films, Elle and Lee run one for a school fundraiser - noticeable changes suggest co-writers Jay Arnold and Vince Marcello (who also directed) responded to criticism directed at the original. Enter Marco (Taylor Zakhar Perez), her hot dance competition partner. ![]() Elle (Joey King) once again struggles to reconcile her relationships with Lee (Joel Courtney) and his rebellious older brother, Noah (Jacob Elordi): Does she chase her and Lee’s shared dream of attending the University of California at Berkeley, or does she apply to Harvard University to be with Noah? Elle’s jealousy and constant recollection of Noah’s playboy past puts strain on their long-distance relationship. ![]() “ The Kissing Booth 2” picks up where the 2018 original left off, with Elle and Lee’s senior year, and Noah’s freshman year of college. Contains some strong violence, bloody images, a sexual assault and brief crude language and nudity. Aided by a substantially female creative team - including cinematographer Laura Bellingham, composer Sarah Angliss and production designer Francesca Massariol - Garai’s work is made all the more memorable by Imelda Staunton, who turns a supporting role as a seemingly kindly nun into a small tour de force. If its climax doesn’t quite deliver on the promise of its haunting buildup, it nevertheless marks the auspicious debut of a wholly original storyteller. Gradually, with plenty of icky atmosphere involving Tomaz’s discovery of an albino bat in the toilet (and other nasty business), “Amulet” gels around themes of motherhood, vampirism and the trauma of war. Garai intercuts between two stories, each of which takes a while to come into focus: the first set in the dilapidated home in which Tomaz finds shelter - from a young woman (Carla Juri) who is caring for her invalid, attic-bound mother (Anah Ruddin) and the second taking place in his past, which involved another woman (Angeliki Papoulia). The visually striking feminist horror film follows Tomaz (Alec Secareanu), a homeless refugee in London who is suffering from PTSD after serving in the military during an unnamed conflict. British actress Romola Garai caught the attention of Sundance audiences with her stylish feature debut as a writer-director, “ Amulet,” in January. ![]()
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