Pet Sematary

Year of Release:  2019
Director:  Kevin Kolsch and Dennis Widmyr
Screenplay:  Jeff Buhler, from a story by Matt Greenberg, based on the novel Pet Sematary by Stephen King
Starring:  Jason Clarke, Amy Seimetz, John Lithgow, Jete Laurence
Running Time:  101 minutes
Genre:  Horror  

Following the huge success of It (2017) it was almost inevitable that filmmakers would start raiding the extensive Stephen King back catalogue.  The novel Pet Sematary was first published in 1983, and it was previously filmed by Mary Lambert in 1989, from a script written by King.  Stephen King has rated the novel as the scariest thing he has ever written, and it is definitely one of his darkest works.  Given his phenomenal popularity, it's easy to see Stephen King as a comforting, safe spook-meister, something like Rod Serling crossed with the Crypt Keeper, forgetting how dark and genuinely disturbing a lot of his work is.

Pet Sematary follows the misadventures of the Creed family: Louis (Clarke), Rachel (Seimetz), 8 year old Ellie (Laurence) and toddler Gage (Hugo Lavoie and Lucas Lavoie), who move from the big city to rural Maine (natch) with their pet cat, Church.  However, the peace and quiet of the countryside is periodically broken by massive trucks that roar down the road next to their property day and night.  If you think it might be a little unwise to be right next to a very dangerous road with a cat and very young children, then you would be right.  This is proven by the cemetery for pets made by the local children in the woods, marked by the misspelled sign "PET SEMATARY".  When Church meets an unfortunate accident on the road, the Creed's elderly neighbour, Jud Crandall (Lithgow), introduces Louis to another burial ground beyond the Pet Sematary, with the power to resurrect the dead, however they return horribly changed.

This film does make a very big change to the novel and previous film, which is nevertheless quite effective, and while the ending, again changed from the book, doesn't entirely work, the final sequence is chilling.

It's slickly made, the performances are good, and it is a good enough Stephen King, but really it's solid and not much more than that.  There are many worse King adaptations out there, but there are better ones as well.  It is a fun scary movie, with some genuine chilling scenes in it, and it will be a great watch for Halloween, but it is unlikely to cause many sleepless nights 

The cat came back the very next day... Pet Sematary

First Man

Year of Release:  2018
Director:  Damien Chazelle
Screenplay:  Josh Singer, based on the book First Man:  The Life of Neil A. Armstrong by James R. Hansen
Starring:  Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, Corey Stoll, Ciaran Hinds, Christopher Abbott, Patrick Fugit, Lukas Haas,
Running Time:  138 minutes
Genre: Drama, historical, biography,

This film tells the story of Neil Armstrong (Gosling) and the first manned mission to the Moon.  It opens in 1961 where Armstrong is a test pilot and culminates with the historical mission in July 1969.  Along the way it deals with Armstrong's relationship with his wife, Janet (Foy), and the personal and professional sacrifices and trials that were made on the way to the Moon.

Everyone is familiar with the Apollo Moon landing in 1969, the first step on the Moon is one of the most iconic images of all time, and the line "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind," is one of the best known quotes in the world.  This film shows just how risky and dangerous it was.  Basically the astronauts were sitting in a tiny tin can on top of a missile, all of which was pretty much handmade at the time.  The film opens with Armstrong in the middle of a test flight, bouncing off the edge of the atmosphere, shot in fast, almost impressionistic images, from Armstrong's point of view wit constant rattling and roaring.  It's in the aerial and spaceflight sequences where the film soars (no pun intended), exciting, visceral with a genuine sense of wonder.  It captures the excitement of spaceflight and exploration, a time which is pretty much gone now, and it's probably as close as you will ever get to being in a space capsule.  The film depicts the training, and the sometimes fatal missteps along the way to the mission.   It also explores Armstrong's personal life.  Ryan Gosling plays Armstrong as a taciturn, emotionally distant man, it's hinted that he is deeply depressed following the death of his daughter.  As Janet Armstrong, Claire Foy carries the emotional heft of the film.  Having already buried a daughter, and seeing many of her friends and neighbours lose their husbands to the space program, she is very well aware of the risks involved and frustrated that Neil is so casual about it.  In one scene, she forces him to sit down and tell his kids that he may not come back, which he does as if he is at a board meeting.
This is a great film, and needs to be seen on the biggest screen possible.

Neil Armstrong (Ryan Gosling) in First Man 

Mudbound

Year of Release:  2016
Director:  Dee Rees
Screenplay:  Dee Rees and Virgil Williams, based on the novel Mudbound by Hillary Jordan
Starring:  Carey Mulligan, Garret Hedlund, Jason Clarke, Jason Mitchell, Mary J. Blige, Jonathan Banks, Rob Morgan, Kelvin Harrison Jr.
Running Time:  134 minutes
Genre:  Period drama

The film follows two families (one white and one black) in rural Mississippi in the years during and immediately after World War II.  Henry McAllan (Clarke) struggles to make a living as a farmer with his unhappy wife, Laura (Mulligan), their two young daughters, and Henry's racist father Pappy (Morgan).  Hap Jackson (Harrison Jr.) is a tenant farmer living with his wife Florence (Blige) and their large family, enduring horrible racism, and dreaming of a better life. 
Henry's brother Jamie (Hedlund) and the Jackson's eldest son, Ronsel (Clarke), join the military to fight in the war.  After the war is over, Jamie and Ronsel return to Mississippi, both suffering from their traumatic experiences overseas, and Ronsel increasingly angry at the racism he is forced to suffer. 

This is a powerful film dealing with themes of racism, poverty and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.  The film takes place over a number of years but it always maintains it's focus on the two families and their struggles, depicting rural Mississippi in powerful detail, while the wartime experiences of Jamie and Ronsel are depicted in brief, vivid sequences.  The cast is fantastic all around, and the film is well directed and beautifully shot (the film's cinematographer, Rachel Morrison, is the first woman to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography).  It's kind of a pity that it is just on Netflix, because it would be incredible on a big screen.  The film deals with powerful themes which are still relevant today, particularly the corrosive effects of racism.  It's an important film and needs to be seen, although it is obviously not a fun time at the movies.  it's deeply troubling, as it should be.

Mary J. Blige and Carey Mulligan in Mudbound