danamcrane

Director Coogler has written a period gangster/horror piece for the deep south, evoking the oppression of the black people at the hands - and fangs - of the white man. The meaning is obvious: the white man has sucked the life blood from the black man, only to have him rise again more powerful than before. Unfortunately, he's lost a piece of his soul along the way.

That peace is what Coogler is searching for in his musical set pieces which steal the show by featuring the most energetic and creative moments in the movie. The result is the kind of love-hate affair that can only culminate in the total destruction of all involved - another blunt metaphor.

Sinners is one of those rare films that is able to combine multiple genres without losing its identity (I'm looking at you Emilia Perez). But the only identity politics on display here are given voice by a mixed race woman when asked what she is, "I'm human" she replies, expecting to be treated as one. In fiction and in fact, it's never that simple.

Okay, it's a little overwrought for a fairy tale, but Disney take note: this is how you do a live action re-imagining, by translating fantasy into reality while retaining the magic. All the story beats are here -- evil queen, magic mirror, seven dwarves, poison apple -- but they beat to the rhythm of a different heart, and that's what makes it worth watching.

Charlize Theron, Kristen Stewart and Chris Hemsworth are all good here (despite their uneven accents) as is the supporting cast. And unlike Disney's live action movies, the CGI doesn't upstage the actors.

There have been many takes -- and mistakes -- on the Snow White formula, so it's refreshing to be surprised by something you should have seen coming, which is exactly the kind of magic the Disney remakes forgot. See it here instead.

While none of the actors are particularly good, and the concept of CGI dwarves in a live action remake is just dumb, all the story beats are here and they're competently shot, directed and edited so there's no reason for the ridiculously low score. If you liked the other live action remakes, you'll probably like this one.

That said, like most of the other live remakes, there's no particular reason to watch this movie. None of them add much of anything new, nor do they attempt to play with the premise like so many other movies that riff on the Snow White theme.

The whole premise of a live action version should be to recreate fantasy in reality, rather than just as a nostalgic money grab, but here we are. If you're looking to relive the nostalgia of the past, you're better off just watching the original instead.