Reviews

Let me start by divulging that I have some personal history with writer/director Gareth Edwards whose first film 'Monsters', debuted at a Decibel Festival produced event in Seattle in 2010 with none other than Jon Hopkins who both scored the film and DJed the event. 'Monsters' was a brilliant debut from a visionary director who I was confident had a bright future in cinema. What I didn't realize was that Edwards would go on to direct the only decent Star Wars film ('Rogue One') going back to 'Empire Strikes Back', which would pave the way for the only decent Star Wars television show ('Andor'). Needless to say, I'm a fan of Gareth's unique take on science fiction, which never shies away from geopolitical stances, heart and mellow drama. 'The Creator' is his most personal and complete vision, which not only leans into all the the above; it perfects the fantastical, action version of science fiction that Star Wars largely pioneered.

Removing the story for a minute, which I found compelling and original, you can't deny the stunning cinematography that at times channels Emmanuel Lubezki's hyper-intimacy. This is admittedly my favorite technique, particularly when it's used subtly as it is during various memory sequences that protagonist Joshua, played by John David Washington, experiences throughout the film. It is this complicated love story between both Joshua and Maya, brilliantly played by the always enigmatic Gemma Chan, that drives both the tone and plot of the entire film and that ultimately elevates it to a personal/human level where few science fiction films dare to travel ('Solaris', 'Annihilation' and 'Looper' come to mind). This is where 'The Creator' truly shines in my opinion; but I am admittedly a sucker for a heartbreaking love story, which 'The Creator' most certainly is at its core.

From a technical standpoint, 'The Creator' is in a very unique class of science fiction that feels imminent. The world Edwards and his team has created here is visceral, enthralling and frighteningly plausible in ways I have never really seen executed this well. Instead of leaning into the brutality of ecological devastation like 'Blade Runner 2049' the environment they have chosen to build around is a lush, rural, spiritual world where both robots and humans live in unity. It's a unique take on science fiction that I found to be esthetically pleasing. Musically, Hans Zimmer once again delivers a gorgeously emotive score that combined with the mind-blowing sound design and surprisingly diverse, Rock driven soundtrack delivers the best auditory experience I've had in a theater in years.

Taking a page out of James Cameron's playbook ('Aliens' and 'Avatar' in particular) The geopolitical tensions have placed the U. S. on the defensive and in true fashion of the U. S. Military Industrial Complex have created the ultimate super weapon N. O. M. A. D., whose mission is to seek out and annihilate any AI bases globally. Placing the core of the AI resistance in various rural Pan-Asian settlements was a tactful choice that for me conjured the devastating conflict in Vietnam. I interpreted this war between the pro and anti AI forces as an analogy of a more timeless conflict between Eastern and Western thought, culture and values. SPOILER:,When Maya's father, played to perfection by Ken Watanabe, tells Joshua "you know it was a coding error" in relation to the nuclear bomb that AI had supposedly detonated in LA killing over a million souls, you could begin to see the not so subtle knock on human hubris and the United States' unwillingness to admit its mistake as this would require taking actual responsibility for its actions. I personally found this to be the most intriguing and relevant aspect of the story, which also speaks to the relationship between Maya and Joshua. All that said, I'm not surprised to see sci fi nerds, pro U. S. Military stans and critics of AI lambasting this portrayal of U. S. Military aggression against an AI resistance truly seeking peace between the two warring sides; but as we all know, war equates to profit in relation to the U. S. Military Industrial Complex. This is not necessarily an original concept in relation to science fiction, but it is one that Edwards found a new home for and I applaud him for it.

'The Creator' is not without its flaws, most of which spawn from the lack of context between the evolution of AI to where the film takes place. They did add in some backstory in the form of historical news footage that could have been executed better. That said, the focus of the film was never on the origins of AI, it was on the incident that lead to the war we're currently watching unfold and more importantly the complicated love between two people on opposite ends of that conflict. As love often does, it spawns a third which is truly the central theme of this film...love is the answer.

Removing the story for a minute, which I found compelling and original, you can't deny the stunning cinematography that at times channels Emmanuel Lubezki's hyper-intimacy. This is admittedly my favorite technique, particularly when it's used subtly as it is during various memory sequences that protagonist Joshua, played by John David Washington, experiences throughout the film. It is this complicated love story between both Joshua and Maya, brilliantly played by the always enigmatic Gemma Chan, that drives both the tone and plot of the entire film and that ultimately elevates it to a personal/human level where few science fiction films dare to travel ('Solaris' and 'Looper' come to mind). This is where 'The Creator' truly shines in my opinion; but I am admittedly a sucker for a heartbreaking love story, which 'The Creator' most certainly is at its core.

From a technical standpoint, 'The Creator' is in a very unique class of science fiction that feels imminent. The world Edwards and his team has created here is visceral, enthralling and frighteningly plausible in ways I have never really seen executed this well. Instead of leaning into the brutality of ecological devastation like 'Blade Runner 2049' the environment they have chosen to build around is a lush, rural, spiritual world where both robots and humans live in unity. It's a unique take on science fiction that I found to be esthetically pleasing. Musically, Hans Zimmer once again delivers a gorgeously emotive score that combined with the mind-blowing sound design and surprisingly diverse, Rock driven soundtrack delivers the best auditory experience I've had in a theater in years.

Taking a page out of James Cameron's playbook ('Aliens' and 'Avatar' in particular) The geopolitical tensions have placed the U. S. on the defensive and in true fashion of the U. S. Military Industrial Complex have created the ultimate super weapon N. O. M. A. D., whose mission is to seek out and annihilate any AI bases globally. Placing the core of the AI resistance in various rural Pan-Asian settlements was a tactful choice that for me conjured the devastating conflict in Vietnam. I interpreted this war between the pro and anti AI forces as an analogy of a more timeless conflict between Eastern and Western thought, culture and values. SPOILER:,When Maya's father, played to perfection by Ken Watanabe, tells Joshua "you know it was a coding error" in relation to the nuclear bomb that AI had supposedly detonated in LA killing over a million souls, you could begin to see the not so subtle knock on human hubris and the United States' unwillingness to admit its mistake as this would require taking actual responsibility for its actions. I personally found this to be the most intriguing and relevant aspect of the story, which also speaks to the relationship between Maya and Joshua. All that said, I'm not surprised to see sci fi nerds, pro U. S. Military stans and critics of AI lambasting this portrayal of U. S. Military aggression against an AI resistance truly seeking peace between the two warring sides; but as we all know, war equates to profit in relation to the U. S. Military Industrial Complex. This is not necessarily an original concept in relation to science fiction, but it is one that Edwards found a new home for and I applaud him for it.

'The Creator' is not without its flaws, most of which spawn from the lack of context between the evolution of AI to where the film takes place. They did add in some backstory in the form of historical news footage that could have been executed better. That said, the focus of the film was never on the origins of AI, it was on the incident that lead to the war we're currently watching unfold and more importantly the complicated love between two people on opposite ends of that conflict. As love often does, it spawns a third which is truly the central theme of this film...love is the answer.

Four episodes in, I believe "Euphoria" might be the bravest television show ever produced. That's not to say it lacks flaws, notably the relentless cringeworthy depiction of teen sex and drug addiction, which upon first glance I felt glorified it in ways I simply couldn't support as art. What did stand out from the first frame was the hyper-stylized art direction, cinematography, sound design, score and soundtrack, all of which seamlessly navigate the viewer through dayglow psychedelic worlds that consistently blur the line between fantasy and reality. As for the acting, lead actress Zendaya continues to impress with one of the most memorable performances of the year thus far. However, it's newcomer and co-star Hunter Schafer who delivers what I feel is an Emmy caliber performance as Jules.

The obvious comparisons that come to mind are "Requiem for a Dream" and "Kids" which creator, writer, director and producer Sam Levinson is clearly paying homage to throughout this series. Much like these two films, Levinson offers and unflinching depiction of American hedonism gone incredibly wrong. For many -myself included- it's taken too far, particularly in the over abundance of male genitalia that seemed almost absurdly overused in episode 2.

Then, something shifted for me. A formula began to develop that caught my attention about mid-way through episode 3. Each episode kicks off with a psychological profile of one of the characters (i.e., Rue in episode 1, Nate in episode 2, Kat in episode 3 and Jules in episode 4). Each character is suffering some form of deep psychological disorder stemming from death, loss or trauma associated with sexual identity. It's an effective tool that offers something few shows ever dare to do, which is a complete analyzation of human behavior through the lens of childhood trauma.

As a child of therapists myself, I've inadvertently held an analytic view of human behavior that looking back was both a detriment and blessing growing up. High school in particular nearly killed me largely in part to my own empathy. For any shy, empathetic, analytic person, high school can be a waking nightmare that is only exacerbated by the introduction of drugs, alcohol, sex and hormones that alone cause a rollercoaster of emotions. "Euphoria" dares to delve into what teen life looks and feels like in the digital age and spoiler alert; it's horrifying. I honestly can't fathom how Gen Z teens cope with the endless onslaught of information, while navigating the all seeing eye of social media. "Euphoria" has simultaneously opened the wounds of adolescent life, while offering a snapshot of what it looks like today. If anything, "Euphoria" has made me a more empathic adult when it comes to understanding the complexity of a generation I'm 20+ years removed from.

Regardless of whether or not that was the shows intent, I applaud HBO for green lighting what will likely be viewed by critics as "shock, for shock value" entertainment with no substance. I myself was skeptical, but after four episodes I can say for certain that "Euphoria" is a landmark achievement with a depth seldomly experienced in either film or television. I can't in good conscious recommend it for fear of alienating friends and family, but I can say that if you're willing to look past the sex and drugs, there are rewards and redemption in "Euphoria" that might just realign viewers perception teen life in America in 2019.

As a child of the 80's, I thoroughly appreciated the "choose your own adventure" aspect of 'Bandersnatch', which I thought was both clever and meta considering the entire episode is an existential journey that pays homage to 80's gaming and culture in general. I'd honestly never experienced anything like it and I do believe we'll be seeing more interactive television moving forward. Was it perfect? No, but it was the first of its kind and in terms of the execution, I felt it was on point. To start, I felt the casting and acting was spot on (i.e. Fionn Whitehead, Craig Parkinson and Will Poulter are all incredibly gifted UK actors). As for the soundtrack, I'm a massive fan of 80's New Wave and Electronic music and was pleasantly surprised at how substantial a role the music played in the narrative, particularly the use of Tangerine Dream's "Phaedra", which is my favorite of their compositions. I also greatly appreciated the use of psychedelics and the vividly accurate hallucination sequences. Though the script was far from perfect, I can only imagine that writing something with 15 unique turning points/narratives is a difficult task. Overall, I felt the acting, music, direction, special effects, nostalgia and novelty of 'Bandersnatch' are all worthy of praise and I'm pleasantly surprised that the vast majority of both critics and fans agree. As someone who often disagrees with the majority consensus, it's refreshing to see peoples' taste in television and film in general getting more exploratory year-over-year. The success of Black Mirror is a testament to audiences' willingness to digest something new, regardless of how unsettling it might be. 'Bandersnatch' is worthy of the Black Mirror name both in form and function. Is it a gamechanger? History will be the judge of that.