Movie Reviews: Eternals, The Electrical Life of Louis Wain – Newnan Times-Herald

Reviews by Jonathan W. Hickman

Review Rating: 5/10

The MCU reaches a low point with Eternals, an odd team-up adventure that teases a franchise the future of which might be better suited for Disneys streaming service.

Boasting an all-star cast, Eternals follows an inconsistent collection of immortal beings who protect planets from the destructive forces of the monstrous Deviants. After dispatching the Deviants from our world, the Eternals are instructed to wait anonymously on Earth for future instructions. Thousands of years pass, and the villainous creatures reemerge. Naturally, the Eternal gang of superhero types must get back together.

Featuring a grouping of primarily unknown heroes, Eternals attempts to develop their origin stories while also delivering the typical action essentials that culminate in a slam-bang conclusion. And to be fair, some fun is had with the individual personalities. While the center of the narrative focuses on Gemma Chans Sersi, its Kumail Nanjiani as Kingo who steals the Show.

Kingo is the most relatable of the cold, inhuman Eternals. We meet him in India, where hes become a Bollywood star. His constant companion and all-around best pal is a human, the hopelessly devoted Karun (a standout comedic performance by Harish Patel). As comic relief, this duo is welcomed, but they also come off as the most authentic in the bunch.

Less successful is Angelina Jolie, making her MCU debut as Thena. Because the character is emotionally disturbed, Athena is continually losing herself in a violent trance. Its a frustrating distraction as Athena tries to kill everyone around her, including fellow Eternals. A lighter, less dramatic approach may have made this character more appealing.

The failure of Eternals shouldnt rest exclusively at the feet of Oscar-winning director Chlo Zhao (see last years transcendent Nomadland). The film does possess the qualities of the soft and filmic pastoral imagery that marks the directors previous successes (see her amazing 2017 movie The Rider). But because theres so much going on in this movie, it devolves into a hopelessly convoluted affair. And by the closing act, I found myself giving up on trying to keep track of the characters and their motivations.

Eternals is the first big misstep for the Marvel/Disney machine.

Review Rating: 7/10

Benedict Cumberbatch plays 19th-century painter Louis Wain in this colorful, stylish biopic.

Wain is best known for his paintings of large-eyed cats and kittens.

An odd fellow with remarkable artistic talent, his life was impacted by the unfortunate illness and untimely loss of his loving partner Emily (played by The Crowns Claire Foy). And, after that, by throwing himself into his work, he became a sensation. But despite his significant talent, his career was affected by schizophrenia.

A very gaunt Cumberbatch is terrific as the tweaked Wain. The attractive and diverse cast includes Andrea Riseborough as Wains sister Caroline. The IT Crowds Richard Ayoade also shows up. And dont adjust your television set; the movie is presented in 4:3 aspect.

The Electrical Life of Louis Wain is streaming now on Amazon Prime.

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Movie Reviews: Eternals, The Electrical Life of Louis Wain - Newnan Times-Herald