Pitch Perfect 3

My View:  Pitch Perfect 3  (2017)     After their world championship, the Bellas decide to get together one last time for a singing competition at an overseas USO tour. Pitch Perfect was one of my favorite films of 2012, but the quality of the film series has gone down with each sequel. One of the significant aspects of the first film is the songs seemed heartfelt and original.  Now, some of the songs seem tired, and the plot of this film is right out of a cartoon. The characters that we fell for in the first film seem one-sided and predictable. I did like Anna Camp's performance of a love struck Bella. I am hoping this is the last film of the series because I want to remember it by the first one.  My Rating: Cable   Pitch Perfect 3 Website

My View:  Downsizing (2017)  R  To solve the world’s overcrowding problem, people can be downsized, shrinking people to only inches tall. Paul (Matt Damon) and his wife (Kristen Wiig) decide to downsize to solve their money problems.  There are some great performances in this film, Christoph Waltz comes to mind, but the greatest is Hong Chau, who plays a cleaning woman who fled from Vietnam after being in prison for protesting. It’s a performance worthy of her Golden Globe nomination. Chau plays her part beautifully, making her character headstrong and fiery but also with a heart of gold who cares about her fellow man. The story goes back and forth from a comedy into drama and then back again into comedy. It’s a movie that has a lot to say about how we treat each other and the world around us. The film is worth seeing if just for the funny sequence when Paul gets downsized.    My Rating: Full Price   Downsizing Website

My View:  The Greatest Showman  (2017)  PG  P.T. Barnum (Hugh Jackman) loses his job and decides to create the most fantastic show that you have ever seen, a show soon to be called, “The Greatest Show on Earth.”  I love this film as it is full of life and energy, making me smile from the first moment of the film. The songs (there are eleven of them) are by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the same team who gave us those great songs in La La Land. The songs are unbelievably moving, and the choreography is dazzling and, at times, intense. Hugh Jackman and Michelle Williams are exceptional but it’s the supporting cast who really stands out, including Zendaya, who plays a high-wire artist and Keala Settle who plays the bearded lady. Do yourself a favor and see this dazzling film.   My Rating:  I Would Pay to See it Again    The Greatest Showman Website

Indiefest:  Call Me By Your Name  (2017)  R  In Northern Italy in 1983, Oliver (Armie Hammer) is visiting Mr. Perlman (Michael Stuhlbarg) and his family as they do research for a project. Oliver takes Elio (Timothee Chalamet ), a 17-year-old music prodigy, under his wing and teaches him about life and love.  This is a beautiful love story that develops between Oliver and Elio, who slowly gravitate to each other. Armie Hammer is mesmerizing as the man who falls for Elio, but the real star of the film is Timothee Chalamet. Chalamet gives a multilayered performance that shows the longing and exhilaration of a first love. It’s a touching and moving performance that is so rare to see someone so young pull off. The film is gorgeous, utilizing the Italian landscape to its fullest. It’s a film full of love, lust, and heartbreak, just what a first love is supposed to be.  My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   Call Me By Your Name Website

Forgotten Film:  Broadcast News  (1987)  R  Jane (Holly Hunter) is a writer/producer for a Washington news show. Her best friend, is Aaron (Albert Brooks), a reporter who is desperate to become an anchor and is secretly in love with Jane. Tom is new to the news team and though a little dim, is great on-camera. Jane, against her better instincts, falls for Tom, even though she has always put her job ahead of her personal life. I love this film about a broadcast team that gives their all for their job because they believe in their industry. It’s also about how sometimes we fall in love with the wrong people, people with whom we know we won’t be spending the rest of our lives. The script is brilliant and gives an accurate look at what it’s like to work at a local news station.    My Rating:  I Would Pay to See it Again   Broadcast News Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of The Greatest Showman: Hand Double – Siamese Twin

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Paddington 2  (2017)  PG  Paddington (voiced by Ben Whishaw) happily living with the Brown family (Sally Hawkins, Hugh Bonneville) picks up a series of odd jobs around the neighborhood to buy the perfect present for Aunt Lucy’s (voiced by Imelda Staunton) 100th birthday party. I loved the first film, so I have high hopes for this one.   Paddington 2 Website

Until Next Time!

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