Last weekend I watched two movies I’ve eagerly anticipated for quite a while, largely due to the directors: Superman from James Gunn and Sinners from Ryan Coogler. In both cases, I’m happy I watched the films, but neither quite connected with me as much as I’d hoped.
I really liked the look of Superman, especially in contrast to the dark, dreary feel of most other DC movies over the last 10+ years. I like that we’re thrown into the action, and I really liked the sharp interview between Lois and Superman/Clark. I liked the dog–I was far more worried about him than Superman–and I enjoyed seeing Superman faced with tough challenges (mostly created by Luthor) and finding creative ways around them.
However, oddly I feel like we didn’t get all that much Superman in the movie. There are large chunks of the film where Superman is literally waiting for someone to come save him. Also, in both battles with the main villain, instead of creative problems and problem solving, Superman falls back on the least interesting resolution for a near-invincible superhero: punch his way out. Also, while I like that Gunn adds a playful levity to his movies, the attempts at sophomoric humor consistently didn’t land for me. This has baffled me the most, as I’m an easy laugher, and I frequently laughed during Guardians of the Galaxy. Just not here.
Then came Sinners, a movie set in the 1930s and impressively starting Michael B. Jordan as twin brothers. For the first hour of the film I was in awe of this film. Coogler and Autumn Durald (his go-to cinematographer) weave a beautiful, heartfelt spell for that hour. Long, lingering shots awash with natural light, always in the service of the characters and the unraveling story.
The first hour builds up to a party. Suddenly we’re somewhat trapped indoors, but Coogler is still a master craftsman for interior shoots. Also, for the first time I’m aware of, he really highlights music in Sinners, whether it’s the blues or Irish folk.
Honestly, I think it’s only around 10 minutes at the end where the movie turned into something else, and those 10 minutes had a pretty big impact on my final impression of the movie. [SPOILERS] In just 10 minutes, the movie goes from this slow-roll build up of character- and history-driven tension to a sloppy, gory brawl (followed soon after by a bloody shootout). Why, Coogler, why?
Again, I’m still really glad I saw these movies. Both make me happy, and I look forward to seeing what each of these directors do next. If you saw either of them, what did you think?