masonfisk

A 1954 French film noir starring the peerless Jean Gabin. Gabin is a suave & somewhat passive (at least to the people around him) criminal in repose. What most don't know is that he & his bestie, Rene Dary, were behind a recent gold bouillon heist & due to the machinations of one of his counterparts who has let one of his problematic employees go, Lino Ventura, Gabin has inserted one of his own into the open spot. Apparently, Ventura wasn't too keen on this move so he orchestrates Dary's kidnapping in hopes Gabin will turn over the gold (which he has subsequently liquefied into cash). As Gabin goes through the motions of being pulled back into the fray (slapping anyone involved in Dary's snatching, particularly a young Jeanne Moreau) which sets up a tension filled exchange where no one will come out the clear winner. Throughout Gabin is a master class of still acting who at one point after some of Ventura's thugs try to make a drop on him decides to relocate to another of his safe apartments complete w/food & drink at the ready as well as theme music he plays on a waiting turntable w/o breaking a sweat. By the way the English translation of the title is Don't Touch the Loot.

The massive hit from earlier this year based on the popular videogame. Jack Black as a child & who's fascinated by mines falls into a magical world where he becomes the manacled prisoner working at the behest of its ruler, voiced by Rachel House. Meanwhile in the real world, disparate figures like Jason Momoa's once famous gamer (shades of the King of Kong), a social worker, Oscar nominee Danielle Brooks & her two new charges Wednesday's Emma Myers & her younger bro Sebastian Eugene Hansen, all come together & accidentally follow in Black's footsteps joining him in that fantastical realm where they conspire to overthrow House & bring true freedom to the minions in the land. All of this is mounted by weirdo director Jared Hess (Nacho Libre/Napolean Dynamite), I use weirdo w/affection, & for the most part unless you're a megafan of the game or the notoriety which emerged over the chicken jockey (where patrons in theaters went nuts after its appearance), you can follow along w/what's going on but whether the story or execution will create some groundswell for the non-initiated, methinks no. Jennifer Coolidge & Jemaine Clement both make appearances playing a teacher & an auctioneer respectively.