It begins with what we think are just the average bank robbers stalking out their next hit. In a small town, we follow Stig (Mark Wahlberg) and Bobby (Denzel Washington) who blow up the diner across the street from the bank and eventually rob it.  Unbeknownst to them, they both are on the right side of the law with Bobby being with the CIA and Stig being a part of the Navy. Both sides doing it to take down drug lord Papi Greco (Edward James Osmos). This all gets complicated after they find way more money in the bank than they were supposed to. They also create new enemies after they learn that the money isn’t Papi Greco’s. With money in the mix, everyone turns on one another leaving Stig and Bobby both out of their organizations as AWOL. The true owner of the money reveals himself as Earl (Bill Paxon) a countryman who interrogates everyone he comes in contact with in search of the money.  It’s unclear if he owns the money or if he was sent to receive it. Also in the mix is a love interest and CIA colleague, Deb (Paula Patton). 

Bobby and Stig develop a bromance as they lose trust in the people around them and realize the ‘Us vs Them’ dynamic. A bond is formed and it’s one that can not be broken by money. 

Interpretation 

This movie’s heart is about sticking it out for the guy beside you. Bobby is known as someone who always knows a guy, yet he has no one who’s truly close to him. And Stig is too blunt and talkative for anyone to like him. They both belonged to their respective organization and yet they were turned on for the money. Bobby already understands that this is just the nature of business, while Stig resists and believes it should be more about the man next to you. This is an understandable take from a military man. With camaraderie being such an important element to any branch of the military. This mentality eventually infects Bobby and allows him to establish a true relationship with somebody. Making it about 2 guns.

The post 2 Guns (2013) first appeared on Burkeview.

The movie reminded me of what Scorsese said about Marvel films. How they are more like amusement parks than actual cinemas. I think this applies to The Adam Project. I can’t think of what the theme of the movie is. They had a moment with future and past Adam discussing how they treat anger and love; and how they tend to confuse the two. I assume this was their attempt to give the story a deeper meaning beyond the surface level. The antagonist was lacking in all areas in my opinion. She felt distant, made stupid decisions, and wasn’t menacing. She literally kills herself. She had far too many opportunities to kill Adam but waited for him to escape. Then, she decides that she’s willing to kill Adam but kills herself. This would’ve made sense if they gave us a reason why she avoided killing him earlier in the story. The action in the film was excellent and kept me engaged the entire time. But I couldn’t understand why the invisible soldiers kept revealing themselves before they attacked. They likely would’ve captured Adam if he couldn’t see them. The character moments in the movie were heartfelt which is essential for a family movie. Also, the dialogue was quick and captured my attention. The writer also used subtext well in the movie. By subtext, I mean that when the fridge wouldn’t entirely close on the first try and how they both knew to close it made the audience feel like a detective. We put the two together based on the actions of the characters. This kept me feeling involved when watching the movie. I think that the target audience for the movie was well reached and anyone else can find the fun in the watching experience.

The post The Adam Project (2022) first appeared on Burkeview.

The Menu is a 2022 American black comedy horror film, it’s directed by Mark Mylod and written by Seth Reiss and Will Tracy. It is based on an original story created by Tracy and produced by Adam McKay, Betsy Koch, and Will Ferrell. The film boasts an impressive ensemble cast, including Ralph Fiennes as a renowned celebrity chef, Hong Chau as his assistant, and Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult, Janet McTeer, Reed Birney, Judith Light, and John Leguizamo as diners at his exclusive restaurant.

The focus of the movie is on a group of affluent diners who travel to a private island to dine at Julian Slowik’s upscale restaurant, Hawthorne. However, nobody is aware of the brilliant chef’s intentions for tonight. After all, the arrogant chef has spent years pushing the frontiers of exquisite dining and taste. The host can now finally present his masterpiece.

Interpretation 

The Menu talks about the never-ending need for the upper class to satisfy themselves, the difference between givers and takers of the world, and the loss of passion for one’s craft. It was an amazing performance by Ralph Fiennes. The movie brought up very interesting themes from the writers Seth Reis and Will Tracy. 

From the start, we hear about how exclusive this event is, (it being on it’s own island and all) which immediately puts those those who are able to attend in an elite category. Chef Slowik’s view of the elites is stated in the movie and it paints a picture of the society we live in now. Slowik explains that he’s a victim of his own success. Buy cooking for the elites. He has lost the passion that he once had. Those that have many don’t appreciate the details and it was the love of the details that made him enjoy serving people.

Margot was an unexpected guest for this exclusive island experience. Her being the anomaly causes Slowik to decide which side she is on. Either she is a giver or a taker. It is only through getting to know Margot more that they decide which side she belongs to. 

The movie shares similar elements to another film that was released in 2022, Knives Out: Glass Onion. From having a private island to the ensemble cast. However, this film was very fresh in terms of the message that it’s attempting to relay. Overall I found watching the film to be a refreshing experience and most certainly a film I would recommend. 

The post The Menu (2022) first appeared on Burkeview.

“On the Count of Three” is a dark comedy about two best friends, Val and Kevin, who decide to end their lives together. As they make their final preparations, they reflect on their past and realize life’s true value. However, as the clock counts down to their chosen moment, a series of unexpected events forces them to question their decision and confront their inner demons. They also start to reflect on their relationship as friends and how they have affected each other lives and start to find new ways to cope with their struggles. As they come to terms with their past and future, they must make a choice that will change their lives forever.

Interpretation 

At the heart of the movie is the beautiful friendship between Val and Kevin. We see the ups and downs that they go through and them figuring out what’s worth living for. They agree that they won’t be living to see tomorrow they live differently than normal, It’s a life with no regrets. Whether that be attempting to fix old relationships or clearing your conscience through actions.

The performance, by both Jared Carmichael, and Christopher Abbott, was both amazing and kept you engaged in the story. A quick movie that only last an hour and 30 minutes but It still left a lasting impact on the viewer. If you are having thoughts of depression or suicide please talk to someone. Search up hotlines that are available 24/7 and are there to help. 

The post On the Count of Three (2021) first appeared on Burkeview.

First-generation Chinese immigrants Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yeoh) and Waymond Wang (Ke Huy Quan) own a laundry mat under their apartment. They moved to America because of the love they have for one another and they have a daughter named Joy (Stephanie Hsu). Fast-forward to the present, where their laundry mat isn’t doing so well and the entire family is dysfunctional. Waymond is seeking a divorce and Joy feels unheard and unloved by her mother. 

Evelyn discovers that she can travel between alternate multi-verses and see the different lives she could’ve lived. Each small decision she’s made piggybacks on another, creating an entirely different universe. Another universes version of her husband Waymond has tasked her with defeating the multiverse jumper named Jobu Tupaki. 

Interpretation 

The movie does an outstanding job of introducing a complex, interesting idea, and grounding it with a broken family being put back together. Although the idea of a multiverse and travelling through universes has been done before (and well)this movie still brought a new refreshing take to it. Just really amazing writing and directing by both Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert. It’s a tricky job, but it did feel like as the audience we experienced everything everywhere all at once.

Without spoiling, I want to talk about themes that are brought up in the movie. The film questions what truly matters. It goes on a tangent about how humans prove old theories wrong and thus showing what we once believed, we now know was stupid. This realization gives us the freedom to understand that every action we make may not be right, but we do the best with what we have or what we know. The ability to look at other universes, and how things could’ve panned out, is both a gift and a curse. At one end you can look at the life you could’ve lived and maybe want to live, but you also see the things you lack which can give you a new appreciation for the life you live now. Like I said earlier, each small decision can piggyback on another creating a whole new life for yourself. Since you never 100% know the consequences of your actions, the best you can do is do the best with what you have and move forward with good intentions.

This is how I interpreted the best movie of 2020, leave a comment down below and let me know what you think about it.

The post Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) first appeared on Burkeview.

Atlanta is a series following Earn, his cousin Alfred (Brian Tyree Henry), baby mother Vanessa (Zazie Beetz), and free-spirited friend Darius (LaKeith Stanfield) as they navigate through the unpredictable streets of Atlanta. Created, written, and starred in by Donald Glover. Atlanta is one of the top cities for up-and-coming rappers and now Alfred is the rapper on the scene known by his stage name paperboi. Earn sees this as an opportunity to manage his cousin and help him and his family out of his tight financial situation. 

Interpretation

Atlanta is the open door that leads us into the interesting mind of Donald glover. A place with haunted houses, invisible cars, and relentless white women in a wheelchair. Atlanta is like nothing else on television but something that needs to be on television. Not only do the weirdest and oddest things you could ever imagine come to light in this show, but everything that happens is also grounded similarly oddly. The show does display Afro-Surrealism, but in order to do that properly, it must be realistic in some way. 

For example, in the final season, there was a sushi restaurant owned by Black people and they invited Alfred and the whole gang to eat there. While there, they were served food, and the whole group just couldn’t get behind it. They kept looking over across the street to the Popeyes that will soon be packed with a bunch of kids when school ends. The owner notices their peering eyes and begins to give a whole monologue on how Black people don’t support other black-owned businesses, it even got to the point where the owner was forced to lock them all in the restaurant to finish the meal. This scene had some real truth and was still presented so out of the ordinary that the viewers were forced to pay attention. This is the beauty of Atlanta.

So many interesting concepts that are demonstrated in real life are further articulated in the show. Like the fluid identity of a mixed raced kid or a fake party created for influencers to stunt on social media. Each episode has a truth at the core of it and is then presented with intersection situations that pull the viewer in. For four seasons it continued to be entertaining and not afraid to switch it up, I’m certain I’ll miss this show on television. 

The post Atlanta (2016-2022) first appeared on Burkeview.

Bullet Train is a movie adaptation that consists of an ensemble of different stories colliding onto one train at the same time.  Featuring a star-studded cast of actors all (in some way) looking for the briefcase of The White Death. It would seem that it is fate that brought them all on the train. We are first introduced to Kimura (Andrew Koji) whose son is hospitalized after being pushed off of a roof by Prince (Joey King). Kimura is brought on the train to find Prince and kill her to avenge his son. We then meet the main character Ladybug (Brad Pitt) who is brought on the train for a job where he is tasked to receive the briefcase. While on the train he meets twin brothers Lemon (Brian Tyree Henry) and Tangerine (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) who already have possession of the briefcase. Soon after The Wolf (Bad Bunny) joins the trains to kill two people for his own personal reasons. One is Ladybug for a previous job he had done and the other is The Hornet (Zazie Beetz), who has subtly left her mark throughout the train. 

Ladybug being an unlucky assassin wishes to get this job done with as much ease as possible but, his bad luck proceeds him as everyone’s conflicting objectives collide on the fastest train in the world. This movie is adapted from a book of the same name by Kotaro Isaka. 

Interpretation 

Throughout the movie, a large emphasis is put on the power of fate and how everything that happens is supposed to happen. Ladybug believes strongly that he has been cursed with bad luck and conversely Prince believes she has been blessed with good luck. Yet their separate fates would suggest otherwise. After watching this film I was reminded of a story I once heard from Alan Watts called The Chinese Farmer. Essentially the story highlights that there is no such thing as good or bad luck but merely things that happen to you. A broken leg may seem like bad luck until the army drafts everyone your age to fight but you can’t due to the injury. It is fate that is the driver of all things and it’s only in the final analysis that you can judge the things that you go through.  

The post Bullet Train (2022) first appeared on Burkeview.