Will the families and kiddos enjoy it? Probably. But at what cost?
Lyle is a semi mute crocodile. I say semi mute because he can sing, but that’s it. If words come out of his crocodile mouth, it’s a show tune. Whether this is canon to the extensive lore of Lyle Lyle Crocodile or simply Shawn Mendes was so bad at voice acting the studio decided to have him only sing, I am not sure. But it does beg the…
Every time Sterling K. Brown has a monologue (in any movie or show), I’m reduced to rubble. Theres something about his delivery and his voice that activates my tear ducts— it’s an involuntary reaction, I can’t explain it.
Anyways, American Fiction is good satire and we’ve been desperately needing good satire.
Not often do I leave a movie thinking, maybe that should have been a two-parter, but that was the case for Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes— a movie that gives us a taste of so many great moments but never really lets us savor them. Individually, the cast is delivering astonishing work (I particularly adored Rivera’s perfromance), but the chemistry between the multiple relationships never has the time fully cook and click.
Regardless, it’s a sturdy, well-oiled movie that mostly succeeds in what is aiming to do, even if I selfishly wanted to learn so much more.
