Deep Water

 Deep Water (2022)

Starring Ben Affleck, Ana de Armas, Tracy Letts, Dash Mihok, Lil Rey Howard, Kristen Connelly, Grace Jenkins, and Finn Wittrock

Directed by Adrian Lyne

Written by Zach Helm and Sam Levinson

Click here for my Letterboxd review

The RyMickey Rating: C-

Ramblings on House of Cards

I don't usually discuss television at all on this blog, but I just wanted to throw a few thoughts out there about Netflix's House of Cards.  Anchored by a fantastic performance by Kevin Spacey, much has already been said about this being Netflix's first foray into series television and if this is the type of show the company bankrolls, I'll have to check out everything they bring to the table (except Arrested Development -- I tried...I just don't get it).

Spacey is Francis Underwood, a Democratic senator from the South who despite being promised a big position within the new presidential administration finds himself passed over for the job.  This doesn't sit too well with Underwood who sets out to do all that he can to enact revenge and better his position in the process.

What I truly enjoy about House of Cards is that it doesn't ever stoop to the lowest common denominator in any area.  Foul language is used when necessary, but not overly so.  Violence is depicted, but not in any graphic manner.  Sex and nudity sometimes make an appearance, but not to any exploitative degree.  Instead, the producers allow the story to naturally unfold rather than hit us over the head with "THIS IS NOT NETWORK TV!!!" like pay cable stations HBO or Showtime (or even fX) seem wont to do.  We're still being treated to a drama aimed squarely at thinking adults, but it's not risqué just because it "can be."

There are great performances across the board.  Spacey is fantastic.  I loved how they decided to have him speak directly to the camera at times allowing the audience to see the character's true personality amidst the façade he's putting on for those around him.  Robin Wright is also very good as Underwood's wife and I must say that I was truly shocked that her character Claire is given the weight and importance that this series grants her.  As the head of an environmental group, Claire isn't just a trophy wife and the tricky relationship that she shares with her husband is one of the reasons this show proves to be unique.

We're also given some great turns from Michael Kelly as Underwood's right-hand man, Kate Mara as an intrepid reporter, Corey Stall as a senator from Pennsylvania who is being manipulated unbeknown to him by Underwood, and Kristen Connolly as the PA senator's girlfriend/chief of staff.  Quite honestly, there wasn't a bad actor cast here from the top to the bottom.

I worry a little bit that this show will be able to sustain itself as I wonder just how many manipulative moves a character like Underwood can make without subjecting himself to the wrath of his fellow politicians.  I also question whether a surprising turn of events in episode ten was a too-much-too-soon moment for Underwood.  What he does isn't necessarily surprising given what we'd come to know about him, but it does seem like it may have come a tad early in the series.

Still, House of Cards has me rooting for the "bad" guy and the complex life he leads.  Part of me wishes the thirteen episode first season would've ended on a bit more of a cliffhanger note, but I'll still be pulled back in for season two which I'll likely binge watch over the course of three days much like I watched season one.

Movie Review - The Cabin in the Woods

The Cabin in the Woods (2012)

Starring Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz, Jesse Williams, Bradley Whitford, and Richard Jenkins

Directed by Drew Goddard

Five college kids head to a remote cabin in the woods for a fun weekend, but they're soon in for much more than they bargained for as their vacation turns into a hellish nightmare.  And that's the only summary I'll give you for The Cabin in the Woods because part of the fun of watching this incredibly absurd and original horror flick is watching it unfurl in front of you with the rather unique turns seemingly coming out of left field, but proving to be completely believable by the film's end. (Well, maybe not believable in the "real world," but believable in the "cinematic world" this film inhabits.) 

It should be noted that when I like a horror movie, it's generally a good bet to assume that the American public will not.  And that very well may be why Drew Goddard's film has sat on the shelf since 2009.  This is certainly not going to be a movie for everyone.  And, admittedly, it wasn't a movie for me for the first thirty minutes (which I must say felt a little interminable).  The humor wasn't clicking for me and I was quite bored as the film followed an incredibly typical horror flick arc.  However co-screenwriters Goddard and Joss Whedon twist things around and while The Cabin in the Woods remains most definitely in the "slasher flick" genre, it expands upon the boundaries we think of when we think of cinematic blood and gore.  In a sense, it echoes a bit of what Scream did back in the 90s, but Whedon and Goddard push things even further.

It helps that, for the most part, the acting is above average for your standard horror flick and Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford prove to be a real treat as a duo whose purpose would be too much of a spoiler to reveal here.  As soon as Jenkins and Whitford appeared, it was quite obvious that The Cabin in the Woods was going to be a bit different and their quirky sensibilities provide many a laugh.

While there are certainly positives, I can't help but think that there isn't a whole lot of rewatchability in this one.  Knowing the twists and turns ahead of time may very well spoil what made the film so much fun the first go-around.  And, as I mentioned, the movie takes a bit too long to get rolling.  That said, this movie provides the right amounts of humor, tension, and scares, making The Cabin in the Woods an enjoyable ninety minute ride.

The RyMickey Rating:  B