The two films today provide audience enjoyment is very different ways. Carter comes from Korea and is highly-charged action all the way, while Cha Cha Real Smooth is a fresh indie take on growing up and falling in love.
Carter (Netflix - South Korea) - If Bullet Train is black comedy coming at you in the form of an action movie, Carter is a video game disguised as an action flick. Carter is directed by renowned Korean director Jung Byung-Gil, who is credited for having created his own signature style for shooting action sequences - he’s best known for The Villainess in 2017, where his footage of blade-wielding killers on high speed motorbikes was practically lifted scene-for-scene for John Wick 3. In this film, which stars Joon Won as Agent Carter, we’re treated to a mishmash of the action genre, the spy thriller, the zombie genre, and the conceit of pitting South and North Korea against the rest of the world, and each other. To be frank, at one point, you may be forgiven for being confused as to what the story actually is.
But don’t fret, as it’s not really the story that’s playing for our vicarious enjoyment. It’s the action that’s practically non-stop that’s vying for our undivided attention. The first thirty minutes along will whet anyone’s appetite for action that’s straight out of the most violent of video games you can think of. Car chases, motorbikes again, delivery motorcycles and vans, death-defying jumps from buildings, and a whole assortment of weapons - it’s like some inventory was made of deadly instruments, and the Director has found a way to utilize them on this film. Plus there are sequences with trains, planes, and bridges that safety hazards. It’s not difficult to predict just how this will do with audiences here, as the male members of the audience will love the action, while the female contingent will swoon over Joon Won.
Cha Cha Real Smooth (Apple TV+) - This film was one of the most applauded and well-received at Sundance early this year. Written, directed and starring Cooper Raiff, it’s easy to see why this was such an easy favorite. It’s got that indie feel, an unconventional coming of age story, and one that tries to redefine romantic comedy, while throwing in winning performances from the cast. There’s an intelligent screenplay at work, and it doesn’t fall back on some fairytale ending, but manages to keep it real all the way without insulting the audience, or losing its capacity to charm. In fact, it’s reported that on the strength of this feature film, Raiff may soon be given an opportunity to work on a bigger budget mainstream film, and I for one, would be curious to see what he’ll come up with.
Raiff plays Andrew, a 22-year-old fresh graduate who seems to have no idea what to do with his life. A charming prologue of Andrew at 12, shows us a sensitive, lovesick boy who means well, but is just too nice at heart. It’s when he strikes on the idea of being a party starter for the local Jewish community, that Andrew starts earning some serious money, while knowing that party starter isn’t a real job. On one of these parties, he meets Domino (Dakota Johnson), and her special child Lola (Vanessa Burghardt). At the heart of this film is Andrew falling in love with Domino, even when she’s much older than him, and has a fiancée. Leslie Mann has a wonderful role as Andrew’s mother, and a charmer is Evan Assante as David, Andrew’s younger brother. It’s the depths of dialogue and easy wit that keeps this movie afloat.