(Life Through the Lens - Photo Illustration/MetroCreativeConnection)

“You have to do something big and important, or nobody will remember you when you’re gone.”

***

Muscles. Muscles imply power and precision. Muscles signify hard work and progress. Muscles contract to pull closer, to tighten up and control, to maintain and convert. There is no life without muscles.

But a muscle is only useful through connection. A muscle alone is purely ornamental and pointless. A muscle connected to the skeletal system creates motion. A muscle connected to organs generates function. A muscle without connection is doomed for infection and atrophy.

Muscle without connection is useless. Muscle without connection is hopeless.

***

Killian Maddox (Jonathan Majors) has nothing – nothing but a relentless, obsessive passion to be a world-class bodybuilder that will become beloved and grace the cover of magazines. It is Killian’s first thought in the morning as he awakes in his Paw-Paw’s home. It is Killian’s continuing thought as he quietly bags groceries at work, unable to see or relate to others because his singular passion is consuming. It is Killian’s concluding thought as he hits the gym, then doses his steroids, then hits the gym again, then carbo-loads, then hits the gym again. Killian thinks of nothing else.

One thing is very clear quickly: Killian’s bodily pursuit is a mask for deep-seated inadequacies and insecurities. Relationships are fruitless and painful. No one can hurt him if he disappears daily, remains unseen and only surfaces when universally loved and valued. Until then, his body is his tortured canvas.

As long as he remains hidden, he can continue to gain and grow. Every once in a while, though, he cannot stay powerless. His muscles begin to twitch and yearn to explode. Sometimes, the pervading and looming atrophy is too much to bear, and Killian snaps.

Muscle without connection is dangerous.

First off, elephant in the room, the movie was shelved for two years due to lead Jonathan Majors’ personal trouble. What began as an Oscar hopeful gathered dust. Now, with a new distributor and a mountain to climb, “Magazine Dreams” is available to watch.

Writer/director Elijah Bynum does a passable job. I see many recycled ideas and intentions present in his work. Although maybe not the most original, I do see vision and patience. His script may lack clarity and depth, but it has loads of compassion and opportunity.

The film’s musical composition by Jason Hill is ghostlike and expressive. The cinematography by Adam Arkapaw is intimate and intense.

In most aspects, the film is merely OK, but Majors is a triumph. He may be the cause of the film’s rocky road, but he is the absolute lifeblood and pulse of the movie. His every stare, his every hesitation, his every forced interaction – they all amount to pure cinematic exploration! I simply could not look away. Not only did he fully commit with his body, but he seemingly gave all his soul could muster, as well. After watching the journey of Killian Maddox, you have no choice but to invest a little piece of yourself because the performance is just so dang empathic and true.

More than a movie, it is a performance to be wrestled with and dissected.

REPORT CARD: “Magazine Dreams.”

Grade: A-.

Assessment: An unforgettable showcase of a transcendent actor

***

Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) has lived quite the life. Once young and sought after, Hayes ruled the magazine covers and was crowned F1’s “bright future.” When his carefree recklessness lands him in a horrific accident, that future quickly dissipates. Gone are the sponsors and the podiums. Over time, Hayes hits bottom but finally finds something to move toward: pure and simple racing. He spends the next years of life going where the action is – any type or track or car. Magazine covers be damned, Hayes is content alone in a vehicle chasing perfection.

Enter Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem), former teammate of Hayes and current millionaire owner of the F1 racing team Apex. His team is the laughingstock of Formula 1 with no points all season – if the team cannot pull a win out of the final nine races, the investors of Apex will have no choice but to sell. Ruben has an inspired idea: put Hayes back into Formula 1 and turn him loose!

Although Hayes is not interested in the fame anymore, he is still pulled to a challenge … and nothing is quite as challenging as Formula 1. Sign him up!

Apex has a few pieces in place already. One is F1’s first female technical director, Kate McKenna (Kerry Condon). McKenna is not satisfied simply breaking glass ceilings; she is out to break records, as well. The other piece is young, hot-shot driver Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris). Pearce is convinced he is better than his surroundings; if he must distance himself from his dying team, he will do what it takes to be F1’s new poster boy.

Money can buy speed, but money cannot buy passion, improvisation, determination, courage or teamwork. That… that is forged.

I know I am alone here … but I was a “Top Gun: Maverick” hater. I found it completely derivative and soulless. With it, though, director Joseph Kosinski made himself a name. This is his follow-up movie – Apple Studios’ “F1.”

Right off the starting line, Kosinski shows his cards again: it will be technically proficient but emotionally juvenile. “F1” features many, many amazing shots of mechanical wonders doing miraculous things – the immersion into the world is truly awesome! Then comes the part that Kosinski apparently has never attempted in real life: talking, feeling, growing. “F1” is a step forward for him because some of the interactions feel grounded … but a lot of them still feel alien and unsatisfying. When it comes to being human and relatable, Kosinski’s movies feel best described by the word “cliché.” The humanity is an afterthought to the cool stunts that he wants to present. That may be OK for some, but I yearn for that very thing – if it doesn’t teach me about being a human, I’m not too interested.

Some of the blame falls on the screenplay by Ehren Kruger (who also penned “Top Gun: Maverick”); it glides over the depth to get back to the track. I’ve never said these words before, but here goes nothing: I was disappointed by the musical composition of Hans Zimmer. It was pretty forgettable. The film was held together by the cinematography by Claudio Miranda and the sound editing by Al Nelson. Both put us through the perilous world of Formula 1 and left us sweating and sore.

Let the record show: Brad Pitt is my favorite actor. I have 96 acting credits as exhibit A through RRRR. He is charismatic, effortless and continually surprising. He was what drew me to “F1.” With that being said, Pitt was fine as Hayes. It certainly won’t go down as one of my favorite characters; it is just too vague and flimsy. He did bring a much-needed charm. I also love and highly respect Bardem … but this was not his role. Condon was wonderful as always, snippy and strong. Idris was pleasant and consistent. Overall, it was well acted, but the shallow script left little to work with.

I echo the great Martin Scorsese: some films are art, and some are merely content. I will let you decide where this film will land.

REPORT CARD: “F1.”

Grade: C+.

Assessment: A technical ride with a vacant stare.