Luke Bracey

  • Holidate (2020)

    ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

    (Netflix Streaming, October 2021) If, like me, you’re wondering where all of the mid-budgeted studio romantic comedies have gone, take heart: the streaming revolution is among us, and with it the return of such movies dumped overboard by superhero-chasing studios. Holidate, from Netflix, is not just a romantic comedy according to the rules of the genre, but a self-aware one that keeps poking and prodding at the conventions before giving in to them. The premise is simple: a single attractive young woman and a single attractive young man agree to date each other for the holidays, saving them the trouble of finding someone to accompany them to themed parties and family events. We all know where it’s going and so do the characters, who openly comment on silly movie conventions even as they each share a ridiculous amount of chemistry. There are plenty of subplots, quirky supporting characters and set-pieces to go around (ensuring that the film concludes with every character happily paired), as well as enough laughs to bolster the comedy part of this romantic comedy. Alas, Holidate is perhaps a bit too modern, because it can’t help itself from excessive profanity (not that bothersome) and excessive violence (bothersome—can we have just one romantic comedy without amputation these days?) in the pursuit of finger puns. (One notes that the script was written by a woman.)  The ending could have been slightly stronger (although the choral “JACKSON!” is a nice touch) and less drawn-out, but it does the job. Neither Emma Roberts nor Luke Bracey are anywhere near my list of favourite actors, but they do well here—even if Kristin Chenoweth reliably steals nearly every scene she’s in. Chicago is used as a somewhat generic backdrop, but director John Whitesell keeps things moving with some energy, especially in scenes set in big parties. I wasn’t expecting much from Holidate, but the result is more aggressively comedic than I expected, and just romantic enough to be effective.

  • Point Break (2015)

    Point Break (2015)

    ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

    (Video on Demand, April 2016) My memories of the original 1991 Point Break are hazy at best, but even approaching this 2015 remake nearly-fresh doesn’t do much to make it better. As a set of extreme sports footage loosely connected by a nonsensical plot, this version of Point Break is either impressive or dull depending on which aspect of the film is discussed. Reflecting its time, the version of the film is about spectacle more than plot: Director Ericson Core has managed to get some amazing footage in shooting the extreme-sports highlights of the film, whether it’s dirt-biking on Utah Mountains, surfing in Tahiti, wing-suiting in the Alps or cliff-climbing in Venezuela. At its most basic level, at least this Point Break has something to offer viewers on a purely visual level, and the fact that most of it feels captured without too many special effects feels like a plus. (The heavily post-processed coda is a bad exception, especially given how it concludes the film.) Unfortunately, there isn’t much in the connecting sequences, which barely warrant a look if you’re fast-forwarding to the next thrilling sequence: By taking the robbers/surfers of the original and making them super-extreme-supercool terrorists/adventurers, Point Break separates itself from reality but, perhaps more importantly, from the focus of the relationship between its two leads. Our supercool characters can seemingly master a dozen different specialties in time for their next death-defying stunts, in-between mounting complicated criminal activities that, frankly, don’t serve much purpose. It doesn’t take a lot to blow gaping holes in whatever this Point Break claims as substance, and regret that the emphasis on spectacle has effectively neutered the strengths of the original. Even the actors seem a bit lost: Edgar Ramirez, normally so effective, doesn’t have much to do here, whereas newcomer Luke Bracey doesn’t do much but being good-looking in the most generic way. For a film with a few dramatic turns, this Point Break doesn’t let emotional turmoil affect its characters longer than five minutes or so. The result may occasionally be spectacular, but there’s little doubt that few will cherish this remake for its handful of action sequences. The lack of an emotional centre will doom this film to a quick exit from pop memory.