‘Surfer' brings Cage to a boil
Finnegan's beach-set 'The Surfer' simmers as a deliciously punishing nightmare, driving Nicolas Cage into his most natural state: a boil. 'Don't live here, don't surf here,' is the slogan at a pristine stretch of beach along Luna Bay on the Australian coast where our unnamed protagonist (Cage) has come to surf with his teenage son (Finn Little). The 'locals only' signs, though, don't deter him. He was born there, and has come back to surf the break and show his son the million-dollar house on the hills nearby he plans to buy. But the situation rapidly disintegrates. He's roughed up by the pushy local surfers, his son takes off, and one issue after another keeps him stuck there on a hillside overlooking the ocean.
Anyone who comes to 'The Surfer' expecting glamorous photography of perfectly tubular waves will be disappointed. This is a movie that gets a remarkable amount of mileage out of a parking lot. It also belongs to that small niche of films where things get so unbearably terrible for the protagonist that the psychodrama becomes more a matter of endurance than pure entertainment. I'm thinking of movies like 'U-turn' or 'Affliction' - films where a character's inability to reckon with their reality spirals miserably. As time wears on, Cage's character gets bloodied, sunburned and incredibly thirsty, and the film grows hallucinatory and surreal. There are snakes, rats and bird eggs. The Lexus he arrives in is towed. His suit gets dusty and ripped.
Small nuisances - a dead cellphone battery - accumulate. The sun seems to be melting his brain, so much so that he's no longer sure of who he is, and we start to doubt what's real, too. What's happening here? The Surfer, as he's credited, is hell-bent on reclaiming something. He envisions reuniting with his family at the new house, but his separated wife, on the phone, tells him she wants a divorce. Is 'The Surfer,' penned by Thomas Martin, a metaphor for knowing when to cut bait? Cage's character won't accept his loses, and so he ultimately comes to risk much more. When Finnegan begins to answer these questions in a third act that brings us closer to the surfer bros on the beach, 'The Surfer' becomes more tolerable to watch and yet less transfixing. The beach gang, led by a man named Scally (Julian McMahon), are something of a cult for reviving an old-fashioned idea of masculinity. With this turn, the strong undertow of 'The Surfer' dissipates. But if there was ever an actor to elevate pulpy, not-fully formed genre material, it's Cage. His performance of a man brought to near-disintegration can be neatly filed alongside Cage's many other head trips to the brink. All he needs is a bluff above a beach to make 'The Surfer' churn with the currents of a man tenuously close to being swept out to sea. 'The Surfer,' a Roadside Attractions released that's in theaters Friday, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association for language, suicide, some violence, drug content and sexual material. Running time: 103 minutes. Three stars out of four
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Arab Times
02-06-2025
- Arab Times
A chilling portrait of grief in gory ‘Bring Her Back'
LOS ANGELES, June 2, (AP): Beware the quirky foster mother who introduces herself as a bit of a weirdo. That's how Laura (Sally Hawkins) cheerily greets the newly orphaned teenage siblings Andy and Piper in the new horror 'Bring Her Back,' which opened in theaters Friday. The comment, more telling than the kids realize at the time, comes after Laura excitedly introduces Piper, who is non-sighted, to her dog. She thinks it's a good joke to not explain first that the animal is not alive. The taxidermy is in fact the least weird thing about Laura. Australian filmmakers Michael and Danny Philippou, also behind the teen chiller debut 'Talk to Me,' have dreamed up a new nightmare of trauma, grief, resurrection and the deep failures of Australia's child protective services. That last part is not actually a prominent throughline in the film, but after witnessing what these kids endure in the brisk 104-minute runtime, you too might have some questions about that department's standard practices. Many horror movies and stories have utilized non-seeing characters to enhance the suspense. 'Bring Her Back' strives to make Piper (newcomer Sora Wong) more than a gimmick but a young woman trying to assert her independence - she refuses to use her cane, which she thinks makes everyone baby her. Piper's main protector is her sweet and attentive older brother Andy (Billy Barratt). The film gives the audience a morsel of normality with these two before plunging us into the horror, first with the sudden death of their father, and then with the strange goings on at Laura's secluded home. They're surprised when they arrive to find there's another child there as well: Olly (Jonah Wren Phillips), who is mute, deeply strange and, when not locked in his room, getting into bloody messes of his own making. If you're squeamish about gaping wounds and the full surround sound experience of their squishing and oozing, this might not be the movie for you. For those who delight in the crafts behind it all, the makeup and sound work here is truly top notch. Mystery Like many of 'Bring Her Back's' genre peers, the occult, nude older men and grainy VHS tapes also co-star in the proceedings. Laura, whose non-seeing daughter drowned recently, is particularly fixated on Piper and equally as dismissive of poor Andy. While you can probably guess her endgame, the way it comes together is more of the point, and the Philippou twins certainly infuse the film with a fair amount of foreboding before anything truly deranged starts happening. It's a fun mystery to watch Laura's strange behavior, which one eventful day includes encouraging Andy to kiss his dead father on the lips ('it's custom'), getting the kids drunk and peeing in a measuring cup. Andy, three months shy of 18, was not originally supposed to accompany his sister to the foster home. But he convinces the social worker to give him a chance until he can apply for legal guardianship. Unfortunately, Laura seems intent on driving him away. He already has lingering trauma from finding his dead father (and other things that will be revealed in time), and now there's this chipper, tiny woman ready to gaslight him into insanity. Barratt, who won acclaim for his portrayal of a 12-year-old accused of killing his mother's boyfriend in the British television film 'Responsible Child,' is excellent in a difficult role. Hawkins, meanwhile, gets to be bigger and wilder with Laura, shedding the nurturing mothers of 'Paddington' and 'Wonka' for something defiantly disturbed. She's also got a few delightfully chilling lines that I won't spoil. And yet somehow Hawkins is also able to stay clear of campiness and make Laura, unhinged though she may be, the teeniest bit empathetic. The film doesn't quite earn the emotional catharsis it seems to be striving for. It's a little too insane and also underdeveloped, especially Piper's character, to let the audience in on that level. But if you've come for unexpected scares and creativity, 'Bring Her Back' will not disappoint. 'Bring Her Back,' an A24 currently in theaters, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association for 'some grisly images, language, graphic nudity, strong violent content, underage drinking. Running time: 104 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.
Kuwait Times
25-05-2025
- Kuwait Times
Highlights from Cannes as film festival wraps up
The Cannes film festival hand out its coveted main awards Saturday after a politically charged fortnight of screenings and celebrity sightings. The casts and directors of the 22 films selected for the main competition are anxiously waiting to hear if they have won prizes, above all the Palme d'Or for best film: Competition favorites The Palme d'Or is famously difficult to predict, but critics' favorites include dissident Iranian director Jafar Panahi's "It Was Just an Accident" and family drama "Sentimental Value" by Norway's Joachim Trier. Trier's film earned an extraordinary 19-minute standing ovation on Thursday. "Two Prosecutors", a study of despotism by Ukrainian director Sergei Loznitsa, is also highly rated, as is Richard Linklater's "Nouvelle Vague" about French director Jean-Luc Godard. Red carpet dress code The festival began on May 13 with a flap about a new dress code which states that extravagantly large dresses are prohibited on the red carpet, as well as "total nudity". Oscar-winner Halle Berry was the first victim, with the "Monster's Ball" star forced into a wardrobe change for the opening ceremony because her dress was too long. Although many people seemed to flout the guidelines, Indian model and influencer Snigdha Baruah was forced to remove a flowing train from her dress having been barred by security at the VIP entrance. US actor Robert De Niro speaks as he receives the Honorary Palme d'Or during the Opening Ceremony of the 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes. A policewoman stands guard along the Boulevard de la Croisette after an old palm tree fell on a passerby on the sidelines of the 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival. Australian publisher, activist Julian Assange (left) and his wife Swedish-Spanish lawyer Stella Assange pose during a photocall for the film "The Six Billion Dollar Man". #MeToo After years of scandals in the film industry and pressure to take a stand, the festival announced a new #MeToo policy by barring an actor in a prominent French film from the red carpet because of rape allegations. Theo Navarro-Mussy, who appears in "Dossier 137", denies the allegations and an initial police investigation was closed last month. This year's gathering on the Riviera marked a step in the rehabilitation of scandal-plagued star Kevin Spacey, however, who accepted a lifetime achievement award at a charity gala. Australian legend Nicole Kidman meanwhile issued a plea for more women directors, saying their number was still "incredibly low". Only three women have ever won a Palme d'Or. Actors-turned-directors A trio of actors made their highly anticipated directorial debuts, with differing fortunes. "Babygirl" actor Harris Dickinson, 28, and "Twilight" star Kristen Stewart, 35, left Cannes with praise ringing in their ears for their films, "Urchin" and "The Chronology of Water". Reviews for Scarlett Johansson's first turn behind the camera, "Eleanor the Great", would have made for more difficult reading. Iranian actor Vahid Mobasseri (left), Iranian director and screenwriter and producer Jafar Panahi (center), Iranian actor Majid Panahi (third right) and Iranian actor Ebrahim Azizi (right) arrive for the screening of the film "Un simple accident" (A Simple Accident) at the 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival.--AFP photos US director Scarlett Johansson poses during a photocall for the film "Eleanor the Great". US actor and producer Tom Cruise arrives for the screening of the film "Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning" at the 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival. Gaza war There was no escaping the war in Gaza this year. Hundreds of film figures signed an open letter on the eve of the festival calling on the movie industry to call out "genocide". Iranian film maker Sepideh Farsi's heart-wrenching documentary about slain Palestinian photojournalist Fatima Hassouna, killed in a Zionist air strike on her home in Gaza last month, left its audience in stunned silence when it premiered on May 15. Wikileaks founder Julian Assange walked the red carpet wearing a t-shirt bearing the names of killed Gaza children as he promoted a documentary about his life this week. Trump era Amid the champagne and air kisses, US President Donald Trump was also focusing minds, particularly in the Cannes film market where the deals are cut for new projects. Trump's pledge to implement 100-percent tariffs on movies "produced in foreign lands" provoked a mixture of horror, disbelief and mockery from industry insiders. "I can't find myself taking it very seriously. It's just too surreal," American director Wes Anderson told AFP. "Taxi Driver" star Robert De Niro slammed "America's philistine president" in his opening ceremony speech. Cruise show Tom Cruise swept into Cannes on a steamroller of hype around "Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning" which premiered to mixed reviews in the first week. Director Christopher McQuarrie revealed that Cruise -- who does his own stunts -- took his risk-taking a little far during a shoot in South Africa and could have died. "He was laying on the wing of the plane. His arms were hanging over the front of the wing. We could not tell if he was conscious or not," said the US filmmaker. Palm down The reaction of French emergency services was one of the biggest talking points among attendees this year after a man was knocked down by a falling palm tree in a freak accident on the sea-front Cannes boulevard. He was whisked to hospital suffering from injuries, only to be discharged several days later to return home. - AFP
Kuwait Times
19-05-2025
- Kuwait Times
‘Gentle giants': World's strongest men defy stereotypes
SACRAMENTO: Eddie Williams is a schoolteacher from Monday to Friday and a wedding singer on weekends. In his spare time, he lifts enormously heavy weights as he competes to be the world's strongest man. Some people think weightlifters are 'a lot of angry people who just like to throw weight around,' the 420-pound (190-kilogram) Australian told AFP, but 'I can be, you know, a happy person, and still be able to lift heavy weights.' Dripping with sweat after a Stone Medley — that is lifting very heavy stones — Williams insisted there is no contradiction between strength and likability. His wife Hannah agreed. 'They're these gentle giants that are just so lovely, such beautiful human beings that are caring, and they're all cheering for each other,' she said. They were in the California capital for the 'World's Strongest Man' competition, taking place from Thursday to Sunday. Human colossuses like Williams, with sculpted backs, impossibly muscled arms and rippling thighs, compete by lifting objects up to twice their own weight — or more. Mitchell Hooper, a 29-year-old former champion who has a master's degree in clinical exercise physiology, agreed that people have a mistaken idea about competitive weightlifters. People think 'that we're uneducated meatheads,' said the 320-pound Canadian, whose nickname is 'Moose.' But, he added, 'a lot of guys have higher education, and we train to compete strongly, because we just like to challenge ourselves.' One man who clearly wanted to destroy stereotypes was American Rob Kearney, who dyed his hair and beard in rainbow colors for the competition.' Kearney, 33, a former competitor attending the event in Sacramento, said he wanted to 'break some of those stereotypes of what (people) think masculinity is. Strength isn't just the amount of weight we can deadlift,' he said. 'Strength is all about who you are as a person, how you hold yourself and how you support others.' A struggle of titans The World's Strongest Man competition was first held in 1977 at Universal Studios in California. The concept has remained the same but, over the years, the sport has gained investors and enthusiasts, becoming more professional: eight world records have been set here in the last 14 years. The names of the individual events — the 'Titan's Toss,' 'Atlas Stones,' 'Flintstone Barbell' and 'Hercules Hold' — convey the magnitude of the challenges. To build the enormous strength necessary, nutrition is vital, said 30-year-old Rayno Nel, a South African beginner in such competitions. Nel, who took up the sport after graduating with a degree in mechanical engineering, puts in long nights at his gym while following a complicated eating schedule aimed at providing him with 6,000 calories a day in meat and vegetables. That takes sacrifice, he said, while quickly adding, 'I love it.' Once the competition is over, Nel plans to grab a burger and a beer. But for these Samsons — some over 6-feet-6 (two meters) tall — it's not all about food and exercise. Concentration and focus are also essential, said Odd Haugen, 75, a former competitor. 'You've got to be really ready,' he said, 'because it's really heavy!' 'In pain every day' Hooper, who was catching his breath after throwing 30-pound sandbags over a 12-foot-high bar, acknowledged to AFP that there are downsides to being one of the world's strongest men. 'You wake up in pain every day. You're constantly sore. You don't fit in normal spots. You have to wear a sleep apnea machine. You're always hot. You're always sweating.' — AFP But, he added, 'the upsides are pretty cool.' Those include the enthusiastic fans, friends and family members who explode with joy when their favorite lifter manages a feat, or suffer along with him if he falls short. Power lifting is a competitive discipline, but the sense of camaraderie in the arena is clearly felt. Competitors watch their rivals intently, cheering them on, shouting and clapping. Such support, Kearney said, is the perfect refutation of all the stereotypes. 'When you see two men embrace each other and cheer for each other and support each other,' he said, 'it really shows just what strength means.' – AFP
