Finding Dory

Family Faire:  Finding Dory  (2016)   PG  It’s been six months since the gangs last adventure, and suddenly Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) remembers stuff from her childhood. She remembers something about “the Jewel of Morro Bay. Dory takes off on an another adventure with Nemo (Hayden Rolence) and Marlin (Albert Brooks) in tow, this time, to find her family. While not as perfect as Finding Nemo was, it’s still a beautiful, funny and touching film that has an incredibly meaningful message about overcoming disabilities by having faith in yourself and your ability to persevere. Both kids and adults are going to fall in love with this film, and the 3-D animation is worth the extra bucks. There is a whole host of new characters in this movie with Ed O’Neil as a crusty octopus being the standout. This film has lots of heart, and you just might find yourself seeing it more than once. There is a small bonus scene after all the credits, and I really enjoyed the short film, Piper, about a baby bird learning to eat on his own that played before the feature film.   My Rating: Full Price    Finding Dory Website

Indiefest:  Genius  (2016)  PG-13  The story of Max Perkins (Colin Firth), who worked for the famous publishing house Scribner, oversaw  some of the greats writers of all time, including Ernest Hemingway (Dominic West)  and F. Scott Fitzgerald (Guy Pearce.) Now a new author is on the scene, Thomas Wolfe (Jude Law), and Max is going to be challenged like never before. I enjoyed this film about the close and sometimes contentious relationship between brilliant writer and his equally brilliant editor. It’s a unique partnership, and Firth and Law are up to the task. Law portrays Wolfe as a man who is so full of life that he can’t contain himself, Firth portrays Max as an almost the exact opposite, a man who is fully in control of himself and his surroundings, his only quirk is that he rarely takes off his hat. Both men are brilliant in the roles. Law chews up scenery like it’s his passion and that ok for this part, as Wolfe was a larger than life personality that commanded and demanded attention. Firth is perfect as the restrained Max, who only wants his writers to produce their best work and is willing to give it his all to see that they do. My only quibble with this film is the part that Nicole Kidman plays. She portrays the lover and benefactor of Wolfe, and it seems that her part is there only to move to plot along at times or to show what the future of Max’s relationship with Wolfe will be, but that’s a minor aspect of the film. What this movie does the best is show us the incredible talent that Thomas Wolfe had, letting his words just flow on the screen. If you love books and reading, this is a film that you will want to explore. My Rating:  Full Price   Genius Website

Indiefest:  De Palma  (2016)  R  This is a documentary about the writer and director, Brian De Palma, who directed some of the greatest films of the Twentieth century including Carrie and The Untouchables.  I have never been a big fan of Brian De Palma’s movies, though I do like The Untouchables and Sisters is one of my Forgotten Films, but I enjoyed this documentary and found it fascinating as De Palma goes through his entire career. He is extremely frank and probably hurts quite a few filmmakers and especially, some actors feelings. De Palma has always been accused of ripping off the work of Alfred Hitchcock and in this film he basically says, “yeah, so what?” The film goes back and explores this concept throughout his career, and we do see how much he was influenced by Hitchcock, especially what many consider his masterpiece, Vertigo. I have much more respect for De Palma and his craft because he never sold out to Hollywood but always stayed true to his work. Even if you aren’t a movie buff, you will thoroughly enjoy this documentary about a fascinating man who loved his work.  My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   De Palma Website

Forgotten Film:  The Last American Hero  (1973)  PG  Junior (Jeff Bridges) is a bootlegger who works alongside his brother (Gary Busey)  for their father (Art Lund).  When Junior’s dad is arrested, Junior decides to go on the racing circuit to make some money. There are some thrilling races in this film and Bridges gives a sizzling performance as the brash Junior.  The supporting cast works well in this movie, especially Valerie Perrine, who plays a girl that’s never met a stock car driver she did like.  It’s a fun story that works because of the winning performances of the cast.  My Rating: Full Price    The Last American Hero Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Finding Dory: Music Copyist

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You: The Legend of Tarzan (2016)  PG-13  Tarzan (Alexander Skarsgard) is called back home to Africa when he hears of natives being treated unfairly by a mining company.  As a kid, I read every book that Edgar Rice Burroughs (creator of Tarzan) wrote, so I am looking forward to this film. Plus, the film has a killer cast including Margot Robbie, Samuel L. Jackson, Christoph Waltz, Djimon Hounsou, and Jim Broadbent.   Legend of Tarzan Website

Until Next Time!