The Film Buffa: ‘Don’t Move’ review, Springsteen biopic look, bogus ‘Gladiator 2’ gripes, and exciting 'Jack Ryan' news

Do you really care if Ridley Scott goes extra extreme with the violence?

On a day where another kid in my son’s school found out what happens when you push a Buffa, let’s talk movies and possibly about The Penguin, which is movie-enough to fit into the fray. Lunch hour is ticking away as we start, so no further delay. First off, a movie review.

Don’t Move is a competent Netflick

Starring a couple faces whose names you won’t know (Kelsey Asbille and Finn Wittrock) as a woman grieving in the woods and the man who attacks her, Brian Netto and Adam Schindler’s movie is a white knuckle brevity train. The 92 minutes don’t relax for long as Asbille’s Iris is thinking about stepping off the same ledge her son did, before Wittrock’s Richard wins her initial trust and closes the gap by their cars.

The major hook of the Netflix movie, and something explained in the plot on IMDB and the preview, is that he sticks her with a needle full of a paralytic drug that works slowly but surely to take all motor functions away from the victim. As in, Iris has mere minutes before her arms and legs stop working, and not much longer before she is unable to speak or move at all. The worst place to be when someone is attacking you becomes her home as a chase through the woods commences.

It’s not like the audience won’t know where the operation is going; how many people will Richard kill before his final showdown with Iris? However, it’s that gritty simplicity that powers this thriller. Instead of treating the predicament like a gimmick, the filmmakers lean into Iris’s state and slowly reveal a woman full of rage who, like many fiery heroines before her, probably should have been left alone to grieve for her son.

Viewers will remember Asbille from a collection of Taylor Sheridan projects, including a small yet pivotal part in the brilliant Wind River and a bigger role on Paramount Plus’s Yellowstone, but she makes this lead role count with a performance that doesn’t chew scenery, pushing harder into understatement. The brutal rage will come out eventually, but the actress shows us what got her there in the first place. Playing a woman who’s learning to live again through sheer violence and survival, it’s nice work.

Wittrock has shown up in a myriad of roles including Unbroken and The Big Short, carrying leading man looks while waiting for that big role to land. Don’t Run won’t put him on the map, but it’s going to drop his name on a new radar: endearing young fella who could be a giant creeper carrying murderous intentions. The mystery he inserts into it is making us wonder how many victims (or is she the first?) there were before Iris came along.

Give it a shot. Easy setup, good execution, and fine performances that give supporting faces the spotlight for once. You may think you know where it’s going, but will be turned around by a thrilling end that should have you cheering for Iris. No, the Goo Goo Dolls are not on the soundtrack.

Now, some smaller hits on news and recent rewatches:

~The first picture released for the upcoming Bruce Springsteen biopic directed by Scott Cooper is minimalist goodness. Jeremy Allen White in an album cover type pose is enough to grab the interest of anybody who had a remote interest in the film or likes Bruce’s tunes. It’s an inspired casting choice, and I like the fact that he’s following Joaquin Phoenix and Timothee Chalamet’s lead in doing his own singing. Cooper should get adult drama fans excited, with past gems like Out of the Furnace and Crazy Heart.

A trailer should be coming shortly, which will give us a better idea of what to expect. The movie is reportedly set around the making of the singer’s excellent Nebraska album. If they mix Walk the Line with Springsteen’s tale and Furnace’s tough grit, it could be gold. Cooper reminds me a lot of James Mangold and Sam Mendes when it comes to their movies.

~Gladiator 2 is getting mostly great reviews, but there are some complaining about its historical accuracy. Keeping in mind that it’s a fictional movie based on a most likely combination of medieval periods of time, I give Ridley Scott carte blanche in making a follow up to his Oscar friendly box office smash. Some critics just have to enter the nitpick zone. You have a gripe about a movie, and that’s a freedom that film critics get at the door. But then there are gripes like, “well, I know there weren’t gruesome baboons taking part in gladiator fights back then.”

First off, how the fuck do they know if something or someone was alive or doing what back then? Did they check with the baboons’ family? What’s the reason to gripe? Scott has always taken liberties with his historical epics. Look no further than Napoleon. I don’t think Joaquin Phoenix’s interpretation stuck to the pages of the real man’s actions. That’s not how Hollywood, make believe, and moviemaking work. It’s never worked that way.

You create a piece of fiction to provoke an emotion, and hopefully generate empathy for even the most savage souls. If you’re making a Gladiator movie, go wild with the inventions, as long as the heart of the tale sticks to the times. All looks and word of mouth considered, the sequel does that. Some people just want to whine. I respect it, but also tire of it easily.

If we’re going there, let’s just be honest and say Russell Crowe’s hero in the film film would never be able to keep a chiseled goatee for the duration of the movie? NO WAY!

~I'm going to write a formal review of The Penguin soon, but I will say now it has kicked the tempo up a few notches and turned in a few riveting episodes in a row. After an intriguing but plodding first couple of hours, the central tale has gathered spice and a few unpredictable actions have set up the show for a thrilling finish. Colin Farrell is absolutely incredible, but Cristin Milioti has turned in quite a performance. Both are award-worthy, and the show takes what the movie established and expands Matt Reeves's Gotham criminal purgatory. 

~Welcome back, Jack Ryan. John Krasinski and Amazon MGM are making a movie from their supremely well done Prime series, and it will go into production soon. Like Reacher, the show was crafted well and can thrive for a long time due to the amount of stories attached to the main character. Harrison Ford made a wonderful Ryan and Alec Baldwin had his moment, but Krasinski is terrific. The best? Maybe. Looking forward to a cinema Jack Ryan adventure.

~The Post remains a vital and necessary watch. As the maddening election campaign rounds third and prepares to head home, Steven Spielberg’s film hits hard. Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep are phenomenal as Washington Post leaders who fight back against Richard Nixon and The White House when all the dirty Vietnam secrets spilt. A supporting cast including Bob Odenkirk, Carrie Coon, Sarah Paulson, Tracy Letts, Matthew Rhys, Jesse Plemons, Bradley Whitford, and so many others doesn’t let up. The final 35 minutes are simply a journalistic banger.

That’s back in the day when Washington D.C., journalism, and politics meant something outside of chaos. Thanks for reading, and have a good night.