Too Many Scientists in the Lab | Morgan (2016)

Portentous reflections in the looking glass.

Dir. Luke Scott

As a science fiction thriller, Morgan does a decent job at creating a believable universe within which a fast-paced plot and interesting reveal weave a suspenseful cautionary tale concerning the ethics of using human DNA for genetic engineering.

Case in point is titular subject Morgan—an it, not a she, let’s be clear—a prodigious 5-year-old child, the product of a nanotechnology breakthrough that enhances normal human development. Now Morgan must be assessed by corporate risk management consultant Lee Weathers (Kate Mara), who, in light of a recent, violent incident, must determine if it’s time to abort the project before shit gets even more out of hand.   

            Morgan the film is about as claustrophobic as the chamber they keep Morgan the genetically-engineered child in, beautiful exterior shots of nature notwithstanding.  The aerial views of the treetops are majestic. Within the forest, the sequences are dreamlike and ethereal, some featuring magnificent depth of field and rich gradations of dappled light. The trees, the bees (well, their hives) and the lake represent a tapestry of nature—painting-like in its north Irish beauty—which serves as a gauge of the biological, whether organic or engineered, and which stands in stark contrast to the grey, clinical world that Morgan inhabits. It’s a prison that encompasses much more than just a cell. 

            More than the action, it’s the character-driven aspect of the film that carries it forward. To this end there is much to praise the emotionally-engaged science staff for. Toby Jones as Simon, Michael Yare as Ted and Vinette Robinson as Brenda each deliver captivating performances. Even farm-to-table house chef Skip (Boyd Holbrook) provides a spicy touch. 

As the project’s head scientist, Dr. Lui Cheng (Michelle Yeoh) is an elegant addition. She even dies in a manner more dignified than the rest, but before she croaks, well-ahead of the operation’s total collapse, she warns Lee, “We don’t want another Helsinki.” It’s an almost comic aside whose meaning turns out to be less about a Chernobyl-like meltdown than it does a kill spree in the style of And Then There Were None, the classic Agatha Christie novel.  

For her red-haired tom boyishness, behaviorist Amy Menser (Rose Leslie) is sexy, earthy, weak, weird, brave, loving and dejected. For all her stated expertise, she really runs an emotional gamut, not unlike each of Morgan’s victims upon coming face-to-face with their impending demise. 

Jennifer Jason Leigh as Dr. Kathy Grieff turns in a less-caustic reprise of her role in The Hateful Eight (Tarantino, 2015). Paul Giamatti as Dr. Alan Shapiro, visiting albeit tardily to perform a psych evaluation, is particularly enervating, another player who gets his just deserves in a movie where everyone that dies doesn’t necessarily merit their fate.  

Anya Taylor-Joy as Morgan is entrancing, her eyes doe-like, her lanky, long body like that of a beautiful gazelle or teenage top model, shrouded in ath-leisure comfort. The future seems bright for this newcomer, star of The Witch (Robert Eggers, 2015), a “New England Folktale” whose natural environs could have easily played stand-in for those in this film. 

Though the trope is not unique, Morgan the movie comes out as a beautifully shot piece of entertainment, down to the reflections on the reinforced glass of Morgan the subject’s enclosure. Despite the fun factor—Lee kicks ass even while wearing high heels—one wishes to learn more about the world these characters inhabit and the sinister corporate machinations necessitating bioengineering projects like this one. Perhaps audiences will yet get a taste, what with that faint glimmer of hope for a sequel in Lee Weathers’ cold, dark-eyed stare at film’s end. 

Living the American Dream | War Dogs (2016)

Packouz (left) and Diveroli (center) driving Berettas through Falllujah.

Dir. Todd Phillips

Jonah Hill and Miles Teller star as a 20-something international arms traffickers in this stunning film, based on a true story, that demonstrates how reality is often more gripping than fiction.

            War Dogs, a term that refers to the bottom feeders in the high stakes world of arms contracts, kicks off with the return to Miami of gun dealer, Efraim Diveroli (Jonah Hill), back in town from L.A. seeking to take his business to new heights. It’s a madcap plan for which he needs a partner whom he can trust.  This he finds in childhood best friend David Packouz (Miles Teller), a stoner struggling to make ends meet as a massage therapist catering to rich, South Beach gay guys.  Because of his anti-war politics—but more so due to those of his gorgeous wife, Iz (Ana de Armas)—Packouz is initially reluctant to partner up with his high school bestie, but when faced with impending fatherhood, he dives headfirst into the operation, braving the ravages of war-torn Iraq and the crumbling state of post-communist Albania in the process.  

            War Dogs is not quite a gangster film, although it seems to want to be one very badly.  A constant homage to Scarface is rendered through a prominent painting of Al Pacino as Tony Montana rocking an M16 assault rifle. It hangs in the offices of AEY, the name of Efraim’s company, near the spot Efraim gifts David with a gold hand grenade bearing a quote from that same film (“The world is yours.” in case you’re wondering).  

            In spite of its entertaining drama and riveting, high-powered antics, War Dogs comes across as a bit one-sided and light. While the real David Packouz appears in a cameo as the guitar-strumming singer in a South Florida old folk’s home, the real Efraim Diveroli is conspicuously absent, even from a consultation role.

For all his involvement in questionable arms transactions, Packouz’ character is depicted as fundamentally good, practically forced into this line of work after being taken advantage of by his pathological liar of an associate, the shady Diveroli. The resulting film version of Efraim is an over-the-top caricature that plays well on the big screen but seems to stretch the truth that it takes two to (foxtrot) tango.

It’s been said the real Diveroli, who had nothing to do with the production, refused contact with Jonah Hill upon being approached by him to gain insight for his role. It’s worth noting the story originally appeared in a Rolling Stone article by Guy Larson and that the film version of events contains fictionalized portions, some entirely based on the experiences of the screenwriting team. 

            War Dogs succeeds in not letting its spot-on critique of the maddening business of war—particularly the profit motive behind armed conflict—get in the way of weaving a classic tale of the rise and dramatic fall of the underdog—in this case, a pair of war profiteers. It also wins for presenting yarmulke-wearing proto-gangsters as unlikely antiheros, one of them endomorphically-challenged at that, a trope that harkens to Robert de Niro’s role in Martin Scorsese’s Casino.

Bradley Cooper, one of the film’s producers, delivers as arms dealer Henry Girard, an elegantly dressed, aviator glasses-wearing sleaze ball whose mixed alliances lend him a complex set of motivations. His appearances are as brief as they are intense and furtive, leaving—like the film—more questions unanswered than not. At least he pays the big bucks to let sleeping dogs lie.    

Battle Cry of Motherhood | BAD MOMS (2016)

Amy, Kiki and Carla bond while grocery shopping. 

Dir. Jon Lucas, Scott Moore

Bad Moms is a rip-roaring look at modern-day motherhood that takes no prisoners and has a lot of heart. Mila Kunis effortlessly stars as Amy, a newly-separated, overworked and overstressed mother of tweens (Emjay Anthony, Oona Laurence), for whom things will get a lot worse before they get resolved. When it’s PTA president extraordinaire Gwendolyn (Cristina Applegate) who’s cooking your goose, there’s bound to be a lot of pain. But as it turns out, getting between a mother bear and her cubs is never a good idea.

Bad Moms offers no great innovations, just a good riff on what amounts to a romantic soft comedy backed by solid writing and a talented supporting cast. There are so many moments that shine. 

Gwendolyn’s explosive PowerPoint bake-sale rant against gluten sums up her barely-suppressed, simmering-under-the-surface control-freak nature. She’s as perfectly manicured as she is conniving. As members of her posse, tightly-wound Stacy (Jada Pinkett-Smith) plays bitchy second-fiddle to a tee, with clueless friend Vicky (Annie Mumolo) always ready with her corny, two-bit commentary. 

In the other corner we have Kiki (Kristen Bell), a home-school mom with too many kids to handle and peculiar ideas of fun. Bell, the former Veronica Mars heroine and Heroes starlet, turns in a surprisingly endearing performance. Joining her is Bad Moms’ real bad mom—slutty, single parent Carla (Kathryn Hahn)—who’s abrasive, raunchy and unapologetic, not to mention often drunk and the instigator of a random, three-way Sapphic kiss. Anyone wondering how to handle an uncut penis need look no further.

Rounding out the cast are Jay Hernandez as Jessie Harkness, a hunky widower and neighborhood object of lust, and Martha Stewart, who makes a cameo as herself, one of many instances in which common cursing is elevated to a fine art. It’s a trend that Bad Moms milks to the max, taking a comedy of errors to its logical suburban conclusion by challenging primness and propriety in all its forms, including the exhausting sport of keeping up with the Joneses. 

Kunis shows she is more than capable of holding center stage in this wild romp of a mom circus. She’s matured beautifully since her role in That 70s Show helped make her a household name at the tender age of 15, forever cementing her place as one of America’s sweethearts in spite of her TV character's catty persona. Now all grown up with a kid of her own (and another bun in the oven), Kunis plays to a new audience of PTA parents, not unlike those portrayed in the film, who’ve grown up right alongside her as loyal fans. Indeed, it’s her relatability, charm and good looks that carry the day.     

Bringing Bad Moms home are the interviews at film’s end in which cast members are paired with their mothers to share anecdotes about their relationship. And suddenly, a tearjerker is born.