Displaying items by tag: Brandon Sklener

DROP

US, 2025, 95 minutes, Colour.

Meaghann Fahy, Brandon Sklenar, Violett Beane, Jacob Robinson, Reed Diamond, Gabriele Ryan, Jeffery Self.

Directed by Christopher Landon.

Drop is a brief title for a brief, 90 minutes, mystery thriller. In 2024, M. Night Shyamalan had success with a brief title, Trap, tension and suspense in one location. And that is the case with Drop, quite a complex plot, devised by writer-director, Christopher Landon (very successful with the Paranormal Activity series and the two Happy Death Day thrillers).

The film opens with a violent prologue, an abusive husband confront his wife, his death. And then it emerges that the wife is a psychologist, interviewing clients, years passing and almost over the trauma of her husband’s death. She has a young son, entrusts him to her sister as she goes out for a date, a man she had been texting, a rendezvous at an exclusive Chicago restaurant, situated on very high storey (the location for a climactic vertigo-like situation).

Most of the action takes place at the restaurant, Violet, Meaghann Fahey, waiting for her date, in the meantime, some very good cameos to create the atmosphere, from the restaurant’s pianist, the hostess,  an oddball waiter on his first job, a lonely older man at the bar waiting for a blind date. Then her date, a photographer, Henry Campbell, Brandon Sklenar, arrives. So far, so ordinary. But, then the drops, DigiDrops, appear on Violet’s phone, increasingly sinister, increasingly mysterious, certainly disturbing for Violet and, audience empathising, disturbing for the audience as well.

A reviewer has to resist the temptation of elaborating on plot details. No spoilers. Suffice to say for review that there are quite a lot of twists, the realisation that the drops are originating in the restaurant itself, that there is surveillance going on, that not only is Violet being targeted, but also her date.

There will be a final revelation, the identity of who is sending the drops, the complex motivation in Violet’s response, using her wits to turn the tables. That vertigo -like climax.

And there is further drama with the discovery of masked gunmen at Violet’s home, threatening her sister and son, a second dramatic climax.

Whether this is realistic or not, whether the plot entirely make sense, is not the point. It is the immersing of the audience in this 90 minutes of tension.

1. Drop, the tag for the communications, the impact on Violet? The momentum of the drama?
2. The opening in the mood, the violence, women targeted, Violet and her fear, her husband and his viciousness, the baby? Setting the tone? The later reprisal of the scene, Violet blamed for killing her husband, his taunts, his killing himself?
3. Violet and her work as a counsellor, her client, the techniques, the importance of self-image and confidence? For Violet herself?
4. Her sister, encouraging her, the scenes with Toby, the toy truck (and its being crucial to the climax)? Jen and her comments on Violet’s dresses and make up? Violet and the correspondence with Henry over the months?
5. The glimpse of Chicago at night, the buildings, the lights? The restaurant, the clientele, the bar, her nervousness, having the drink, the encounter with Richard, his age, smiles, nervous, his date and her arrival? Henry arriving? The table, the meeting, the hopes for the date?
6. The Drop experience, the messages on the phone, and her concern about Toby? The messages coming through, her reaction, showing Henry, taking the issue lightly? The continued messages, the technique of displaying them right across the screen rather than close-ups of the phone?
7. The pressure on Violet, her fears, the threats to Toby and Jen, Violet and growing anxiety, the change of table, going to the restroom? The issue of spiking the drink? Her being watched? The technology and its having to come from within the restaurant? Cara and her friendliness at the bar, conversation, support, the issue of the drinks, violet surreptitious with the poison? Getting the drinks, Henry going to the bar? His drinking?
8. Violet and her looking at the suspects, sinister-looking men, then their dates arriving, the pianist, the comic interludes with the earnest waiter? The tension?
9. Richard, his date leaving, his smiles, his approaching Violet, the revelation of the truth, Henry as a star witness, the target for killing? Richard and his taunting of Violet? The phone, the killer, the camera in the home?
10. Violet turning the tables, talking with Richard, his dessert, her poisoning him? The gun, the anxiety of the guests, the struggle, the shooting of the window, the draft dragging him out, his death? Dragging Violet out the window, Henry pulling her in?
11. The violence, Henry being wounded, Cara being wounded? Violet leaving, the desperate drive in the car, the traffic, in the house, the killer, masked, the threats, Jen and her tactics, being shot? The risk to Toby? Violet in the house, the confrontations, the violence, the toy truck and the gun, Violet shooting?
12. The visit to the hospital, Jen and hospital care, and the bonding with Henry?

IT ENDS WITH US

US, 2024, 130 minutes, Colour.

Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni, Jenny Slate, Brandon Sklenar, Alex Neustaedter, Hasan Minhaj, Kevin McKiddc, Amy Morton, Isabela Ferrer, Emily Baldoni

Directed by Justin Baldoni.

At first, a glossy romantic tale. But, ultimately, a challenge, a drama of domestic violence. In fact, during the final credits, there is website information for any of the audience disturbed by the theme and the treatment.

The cinema staff member who gave me my ticket told me she had read the novel and was very much looking forward to seeing the film. The novel. Written and self-published in 2016 by Colleen Hoover, indicating that aspects of the plot were influenced by her parents’ experience, the book became a “must-read” when promoted on social media, especially on Tik-Tok. Then the author found a publisher and further novels. And a readership of millions.

And, now, It Ends with Us has become a box office success, $150 million in two weeks and not just in the United States, very popular in Australia.

This is a film very much geared towards the female audience. But, it also targets the male audience, challenging both. So, the female audience identifies with the central character who plans to open a flower shop in Boston – with her not so subtle name of Lily Blossom Bloom!. Her father has died, the liver something of a local celebrity in his small Maine town, her mother wanting her daughter to the funeral eulogy, to find five good things to say about him. She can’t. She doesn’t. She has left the town with memories of parental domestic violence and a happy, sad memories of a long past encounter with a young man, Atlas.

Lily is played by Blake Lively.

After the funeral, quietly reflecting on a rooftop, she watches a rather dashing type, thinking himself alone, indulging in a temper tantrum. They talk. She can’t believe he is a neurosurgeon, Ryle, and at first, neither can we. But he is.

There follows a story of growing friendship that gradually transforms into love. Some have found this part of the film too glossy, but it is nicely pleasant entertainment, Lily and some reconciliation with her mother, finding a best friend in Ryle’s sister (Jenny Slate). Ryle is played by Justin Baldoni who directed the film.

Then, sudden alarming situations arise, drama, melodrama, domestic violence, physical, psychological, apologies, failure, all complicated by pregnancy, birth, mother and child.

There have been different perspectives voiced by critics and audiences, too soft on the one hand or very important on the other. But, for an Australian audience in 2024, the statistics on cases this year of men killing women in domestic violence is alarmingly large, averaging a death the week.

It Ends with Us brings these stories to popular attention – and challenge.

1. The popularity of the original novel, its influence on readers, romance novel, a novel about domestic violence?
2. The title, the reference to Lily and the man she loved, but finally Lily and her daughter?
3. The action in Plethora, Maine? Homes, streets, buses, the funeral, atmosphere? The contrast with Boston, high-rise, vistas of the city, apartments, hospitals, the flower shop and its development, clubs and restaurants? The musical score?
4. Lily’s story, the opening, her mother’s anxiety, her father’s death, her mother’s pressure on her to give the eulogy, five points in his favour, Lily going back to her old room, her memories, the ceremony, her standing at the lectern, not saying anything, walking out? Audience curiosity about her father?
5. The insertion of the flashbacks, her age, at home, seeing Atlas, squatting, stealing the food, on the bus, her buying the food and leaving the bags, his speaking to on the bus? Her standing up and kissing him, the reaction? The friendship, the bond between them, the sexual relationship? Her father catching them, his ousting Atlas? The separation from Atlas, his going to the military, disappearing?
6. Lily’s mother, anxious, the phone calls, the visit to Boston, meeting Ryle, the revelations about her husband, visualised, his domestic violence, yet her loving him?
7. Lily, back to Boston, on the roof, Ryle and his violent outbursts, kicking the chair, then seeing her, the conversation, on the ledge, the to and fro of the conversation, his flirting, her challenging him?
8. Lily, the purchase of the shop, cleaning, Allysa arriving, the conversation, friendship, getting to work, Alysa and her husband, the friendliness, the discovery that Ryle was Alsysa’s brother?
9. The film’s development of the relationship between Lily and Ryle, his work as a neurosurgeon, her initial disbelief, his skills, his charm, continued attentions to Lily, her response, as Friends, gradual breaking down of the barriers, moving in, their life together?
10. Lily, the prosperity of the shop, Allysa and the friendship? Alyssa’s pregnancy?
11. Lily’s mother, coming to Boston, meeting Ryle, charmed by him? The irony that Atlas was at the restaurant, Lily disconcerted, talking with him, not telling Ryle?
12. The eventual proposal, Lily accepting, the ceremony? Her mother’s anxiety of not being there?
13. Ryle and his charm, the initial violence, his suspicions, the visit to the restaurant, Lily and her anxiety, talking with Atlas, Ryle following, the fight? And Atlas giving Lily his phone number, concealed and her phone? Ryle’s discovering it, the confrontation, his violence, pushing down the stairs?
14. At the hospital, with Atlas, discovering she was pregnant?
15. The consequences, support from Alisa, condemnations of Ryle, the stories anxiety, six-year-old, with the gun, the death of his brother? Consequent anxieties?
16. The separation from Ryle, his visits, with the gynaecologist, discovering it was a daughter, letting Ryle be present, at the birth?
17. Lily then assertive, love for her daughter, the friendship with Ryle, but the divorce?
18. The consequences, the years passing, meeting Atlas again, possibilities for a future?
19. The credibility of Ryle and his violence, domestic violence, cruelty, denials, repentance? And the message of the film about domestic violence?