masonsaul

As a theatrically released comedy in the current cinematic landscape, One of Them Days is a bit of a miracle made better because it's a great comedy that knows how to get you really invested in the struggles of the main characters. It's easily funny enough, helped by its ability to keep the jokes coming consistently compensating for the lack of truly big laughs and it manages to tie every plot thread together very nicely by the end.

Keke Palmer & SZA are perfect together with a natural chemistry from the start. Their on screen friendship goes through the most familiar journey in a way that's not an issue. Keke Palmer is very witty whilst acting as the voice of reason for the majority of the time and it's especially impressive for SZA to be this good considering it's her feature film debut. It proves they should definitely work together again in the future.

Lawrence Lamont's direction brings the ideal amount of energy with the recurring on screen text stating how long they have until their potential eviction being the most noticeable flourish and he clearly understands the rhythm of a comedy since it always moves through the highs and lows at the right time. There's some insightful commentary on American healthcare and slum landlords which is also mined for some solid laughs.

Training Day is a testament to how one faultless performance can elevate the whole film to incredible new heights. It's a sturdy thriller offering an engaging look at the way the rules of policing can be manipulated for personal gain that wastes no time getting to all the good stuff with solid performances from everyone and then Denzel Washington gives one of his career high performances which is why this film is so damn good.

Ethan Hawke does a great job as the audience surrogate who is exposed to this corrupt world for the first time and struggling to survive the day. It's technically a supporting performance but from the moment Denzel Washington appears he just takes control of the film thanks to his undeniable screen presence. He plays a master manipulator effortlessly, getting all the best lines and commands the screen with ease.

Antoine Fuqua's skilled direction results in a film that's exceptionally well made in a seamless fashion and the premise means it's always moving forward. Even the action heavy finale which feels a little weird is still executed really well. Writer David Ayer is in his natural element as he infuses this unorthodox police procedural with plenty of grit and it seriously escalates in the second half to an almost unbearably tense degree.

Here certainly isn't lacking in ambition and a film that's an ambitious swing like this is always welcome even when it misses the mark as badly as this does. Its inability to stay still despite never moving the camera is its own undoing because it spends so much time jumping too quickly between too many different timelines resulting in almost every single emotional moment lacking the necessary weight whilst also feeling hollow.

Everyone massively over acts which means the performances are pretty bad across the board. The main cast has been great in other projects so it's not entirely their fault, especially since it feels like the direction is to blame because every scene is executed in such a distractingly broad way with a cloying sentimentality. Tom Hanks comes away the least unscathed thanks to his natural likeability working overtime to counterbalance the flaws.

Robert Zemeckis' direction is woefully misguided, unfortunately continuing his downward spiral. The de-aging is horrendous, returning Zemeckis straight to the uncanny valley which seems to be his happy place now. It's not even remotely good enough to be as confidently showcased as it is and the decision to tell the entire story from only one angle could've worked if it didn't force every major event to happen there in the most unnatural fashion.