Review: "The Laundromat" is an Entertaining Mishmash of Ideas

Scene from The Laundromat (2019)

When Adam McKay released The Big Short four years ago, it was considered one of the most groundbreaking films of the year. How was it that the man behind such broad comedies as Step Brothers could produce a film this dense (let alone entertaining) about such a complicated story? It's a technique that has to lead him to explore other areas of economics and politics with the Dick Cheney film Vice, but most of all it felt like a taunt to other ambitious filmmakers to try and take on the headiest of subjects and make a film that not only informs but entertains. Considering that he went on to win an Oscar off of The Big Short, it was a proposition that was hard to deny and makes sense why Netflix decided to accept the latest project from Steven Soderbergh.

It would be an understatement to call Soderbergh an ambitious filmmaker. For 30 years now, he has tested his own capabilities in bringing a narrative to life. Why this is his second film with Netflix for 2019 following High Flying Bird: a feature-length film shot entirely on an iPhone. The Laundromat sets out to explore the Panama Papers and offshore banking scandals that are just as exciting as anything in The Big Short. While it's true that both of these are different films with different culprits, it feels more than usual like Soderbergh isn't blazing his own trail, but instead following a trend and not doing a great job of keeping up. Is the film entertaining? Sure. Will you learn something? Most likely. However, it's a bit of a pill at times and gets too lost in its own style.

Soderbergh Enters the Oscar Race with "The Laundromat" (2019) Trailer

Scene from The Laundromat (2019)

It's looking more and more like Roma was only the tee-off for what Netflix wanted to do in an Oscar campaign. With the recent announcement of 10 theatrical releases, the streaming service is clearly wanting to be taken seriously with films like The Irishman and Marriage Story lobbying for attention. The latest to join the conversation is director Steven Soderbergh's The Laundromat, which has among other things Oscar-winning talent in Gary Oldman (The Darkest Hour) and Meryl Streep (Sophie's Choice). It's been one of the few exciting films that have yet to make their mark on the season with a trailer, and now that there is one, it's time to start getting excited about Soderbergh and the Oscars again. Boy, how it's been a while.

R.I.P. Anne V. Coates (1925-2018)

Anne V. Coates

On May 8, 2018, film editor Anne V. Coates died at the age of 92 in Los Angeles, California. She was frequently working welling into her later years and received acclaim as one of the few female editors out there. Her work was acclaimed and spanned more than 60 years, including work that would win her an Oscar for Lawrence of Arabia. Her work was versatile and diverse, reflecting how a simple cut could be turned into an art form. Even if her work goes unappreciated to the casual viewer, it's hard to imagine a world without the magic that she brought to a film, helping to shape it into its inevitable final form. Her work will continue to live on, no matter what genre you tend to enjoy.

An Appreciation of Soderberg's 'Last' Movie "Side Effects"

Scene from Side Effects

It is likely that if you watch movie trailers, then you'll remember the Logan Lucky one. How could you not? It's the return of the great Steven Soderbergh, finally directing more movies after a brief hiatus that lead to two TV series; one he worked closely on (The Knick) and one he mostly produced (The Girlfriend Experience). Still as the credits rolled, it played through his most memorable hits: Ocean's 11, Ocean's 12, Ocean's 13, and Magic Mike. Not a bad line-up. Still, for a filmmaker who seems to never sleep, it seems odd that nobody talks about his last film: 2013's Side Effects. It may not have a moment as eye popping as Magic Mike's gyrating torsos, but it does have a lot that is underrated and overlooked. With Logan Lucky coming out on Friday, I felt the need to look back on the film he made before saying goodbye, at least for then. 

Can McConaughey Strip Away His Old Persona with an Acting Nomination?

Matthew McConaughey

Once in awhile, there are those few performances that get buzz. Nobody knows why, but it only gives people more incentive to give it a peek. Of all movies to get this treatment from the past year, nobody would have suspected director Steven Soderbergh's stripper drama Magic Mike to make the cut. It became a runaway summer hit that has since entered the zeitgest through numerous parodies (most notably on a Joseph Gordon-Levitt hosted Saturday Night Live episode) and has made some consider the actors to be more than just pretty faces. The one to receive this praise the most is Matthew McConaughey, which seems odd when you consider his reputation as a shirtless Lothario. Does his performance as a wise-cracking stripper stand what it takes to get a Best Supporting Actor nomination?