Vice

My View:  Vice  (2018) R   The story of Dick Cheney (Christian Bale) who rose from poverty to become a Washington insider, ultimately become the Vice President under George W. Bush (Sam Rockwell). Bale gives an incredible performance, becoming Cheney right before your eyes. This is from Adam McKay, who gave us the Oscar-winning The Big Short, and like that film, there is quite a bit of humor, including a running gag throughout the film that will have you rolling on the floor. I enjoyed this film, but the big problem with the film is that the main character holds everything very close to his vest, so it’s hard to know just what this character is thinking. I found Sam Rockwell portrayal of George W. Bush was just a little too cartoony for my taste. The actor, besides Bale, that stands out is Steve Carell, who is brilliant as the fiery Donald Rumsfeld. Amy Adams doesn’t have a lot to do as the wife of Cheney, Lynne.    My Rating: Full Price    Vice Website

Indiefest:  If Beale Street Could Talk  (2018)  R   A newly engaged and pregnant woman (Tish Rivers) in Harlem struggles to prove that her fiancé (Stephan James) is innocent of a crime. This emotional and stunning film is one of the best films of the year. Rivers and James give outstanding performances but the performance of Regina King, as James’s character’s mother is the best thing about this film. Although set in the 1970s, this film could easily be set in 2018, and its message would be the same. This is a magical film that everyone should see.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   If Beale Street Could Talk Website

My View:  On the Basis of Sex  (2018)  PG-13   Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Felicity Jones), along with her husband, Martin (Armie Hammer) begins a fight for equal rights for women that takes her all the way to the Supreme Court. I enjoyed this film, but it is kind of dull because the case that she presents is rather dull itself. I like Felicity Jones in the role of Ginsberg, as she gives some spunk and passion to the character. There is excellent chemistry with Hammer, who plays her loyal and devoted husband, who believes more in her than even himself. The film is a little slow moving but overall is enjoyable about a remarkable woman.    My Rating: Full Price   On the Basis of Sex Website

Forgotten Film:   The Apartment (1960)  A up and coming insurance worker, .C.C. Baxter (Jack Lemmon), to gain favor, lets his male co-workers use his apartment to have affairs. He is secretly in love with an elevator operator, Fran (Shirley MacLane), who is having an affair with the big boss of the company, Mr. Sheldrake (Fred MacMurray). When Mr. Sheldrake finds out about the C.C.’s apartment, he makes a deal with C.C. to get, but little does C.C. know that Mr. Sheldrake is romancing Fran. On Christmas Eve, Mr. Sheldrake breaks it off with Fran and Fran tires to commit suicide in C.C.’s apartment, with C.C. coming to rescue. While it doesn’t sound like it, this is one of the greatest comedies of all time. Directed by Billy Wilder, the film won five Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor/Actress.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   The Apartment Website

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Vice:  ADR Actor

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Glass  (2019)  PG-13  Three men are being held in a high-security mental institution: David Dunn (Bruce Willis) a former security guard who has somehow supernatural powers, Kevin (James McAvoy) a killer that has 24 personalities and a mysterious man named Mr. Glass (Samuel L. Jackson).  M. Night Shyamalan’s follow up to his 2016 hit Split. I love the trailer, I just hope this is as good as Split was.     Glass Website

Until Next Time!

Aquaman

My View:  Aquaman  (2018)  PG 13  Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) learns that he is the heir to the underwater kingdom of Atlantis. Now he must step forward to lead his people and become a hero to the world. So you can say that this is better than Suicide Squad or Justice League but not by much. This film is way too long (two and a half hours), has one too many villains and a plot that doesn’t always work. If it weren’t for the charisma of Jason Momoa, this film wouldn’t be watchable. Momoa does have excellent chemistry with Amber Heard, who plays his love interest and allay. I will say that the film looks incredible and the special effects are well done.  There are bonus scenes in the credits at the end. To tell you silly this film is, there is a giant octopus playing drums before a big fight.    My Rating: Cable   Aquaman Website 

My View:  Mary Poppins Returns  (2018)  PG  Decades after her last visit, Mary (Emily Blunt) returns to help the Banks family through a difficult time in their lives. If you are a fan of the Julie Andrews Mary Poppins, you will like this one. This is a sequel to the original film, and they have captured the spirit and look of the original. There are a couple of surprises in the film, and yes, there are dancing penguins. Emily Blunt can sing and dance with the best of them. There are some great original songs, and it helps when you have Lin-Manuel Miranda in your cast. I was smiling all the way through the film.    My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   Mary Poppins Returns Website

My View:  Welcome to Marwen  (2018)  PG  Mark (Steve Carell) was savagely beaten outside a bar and had to relearn how to walk and talk. He lost the ability to draw (he was an illustrator) and to deal with what Mark has gone through he takes pictures of dolls in the make-believe town of Marwen. I enjoyed this sweet film about a very troubled man. Steve Carell gives a very complex performance, playing Mark and his alter-ego Captain Hogie. The supporting cast is phenomenal with Janelle Monae and Leslie Mann standing out.   My Rating: Full Price    Welcome to Marwen Website

Indiefest:  Ben Is Back  (2018) R  Much to the unhappiness of his mother (Julia Roberts) and his step-father (Courtney B. Vance), Ben (Lucas Hedges) has left rehab and come to visit his family on Christmas Eve. This isn’t the Oscar bait movie everyone thought it was going to be. It’s not to say that Julia Roberts performance isn’t powerful and moving. I just didn’t like the storyline, and the movie seemed too long.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Ben is Back Website

Forgotten Film:  Black Christmas (1974)  R  During the Christmas breaks, a group of sorority girls are stalked by a killer. It’s hard to believe that the guy that directed A Christmas Story directed one of the first slasher movies. This is a pretty darn good slasher film. The great thing about this film is it is relatively scary.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee Black Christmas Info 

Weird Credits: From the credits of Aquaman: Special Makeup Effects and Creature Sculptor

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Destroyer  (2018)  R  A police detective (Nicole Kidman) goes undercover, and she explores her past to make peace. Many critics feel Kidman could win another Oscar for this performance.    Destroyer Website

Until Next Time!

Once Upon a Deadpool

My View: Once Upon a Deadpool  (2018)  PG     You may have seen all the promotional material for this film starring Fred Savage. So the added footage is a tied up Fred Savage being read to by Deadpool, like Savage’s appearance in the classic 1980s film The Princess Bride. It is a very creative idea and hysterically funny. The main story hasn’t changed with the exception of most of the language has been cleaned up, and the violence is not as savage as in the first version. While not quite as much fun as the first Deadpool film, it’s still a blast to watch. Stay through all the credits as there are three bonus scenes, one at the end of all the credits that if you are a Marvel fan, you will want to see.    My Rating:  I Would Pay to See it Again    Once Upon a Deadpool Website

My View:    Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse  (2018)  PG   Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) has been bitten by a radioactive spider and has become Spider-Man. When alternate universe Spider-people start showing up, they decide to team up and save the world from Kingpin (Liev Schreiber). Not only is this one of the best-animated films of the year, it’s one of the best overall films of the year. The storyline is highly creative, and the movie is hilarious. I loved all the ‘Spider-People’ especially Peter B. Parker voiced by Jake Johnson, a sort of sad sack Spider-Man, Gwen Stacy, ‘Spider-Woman’ voiced by Hailee Steinfeld and Spider-Ham a ‘Spider-Pig[ voiced by John Mulaney. The ending is satisfying, and I can’t wait to see the spinoffs that they will be doing.    My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse Website

My View:   Mary Queen of Scots  (2018)  R  Mary Stuart (Saoirse Ronan), after many years in exile, decides to return to Scotland and attempt to overthrow her cousin Elizabeth I (Margot Robbie). I can’t quite put my finger on why I didn’t like this film because Ronan and Robbie are fantastic in the parts of rival queens. I think it may be due to all the talk with minimal action making the film feel all of its 2 hours and 4 minutes length. The film is still worth seeing to see Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie battle it out.   My Rating:  Full Price    Mary Queen of Scots Website

Indiefest:  Vox Lux  (2018)  R  As a teenager, Celeste (Natalie Portman) survives a major national tragedy. At the memorial service, she sings a song that starts her pop singing career. We follow Celeste over eighteen years as her journey takes her on the highs and lows of a global superstar. This is a very strange film that is in three sections.  The first third of the film is the horrific shooting at a school where Celeste (played by Raffey Cassidy) is wounded. She and her sister perform a song that they wrote, and it makes Celeste a star. We then see Celeste get corrupted by the star-making machine. The middle portion of the film is a day in the life of the adult Celeste, played by Natalie Portman, who has somehow acquired a New York accent. This Celeste is a jaded and self-important star who abuses drugs and treats everyone around her, including her daughter (strangely played by Raffey Cassidy) poorly. The last portion of the movie is a year later, and Celeste has cleaned up her act. We then see her perform some of Celeste’s big hits. It’s an interesting way to end the film. I think if I were you, I would wait until this film comes out on DVD/VOD and then skip the middle of the film, just watch the beginning and end.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Vox Lux Website

Forgotten Film:  Holy Rollers  (2010)  R  A young Hasidic Jew (Jessie Eisenberg) is sucked into drug smuggling  As the storyline develops, the young man gets more and more involved in trafficking (turns out he is good at it). The reason to see the film is Eisenberg, as he goes from an innocent, wide-eyed young man to a person who is recruiting other Hasidic Jews to help him bring in more drugs. It’s a powerful performance that only someone as talented as Eisenberg can deliver.    My Rating:  Bargain Matinee    Holy Rollers Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Once Upon a Deadpool:  Specialty Tattoo Designer

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Stan & Ollie  (2018)  PG  Once the greatest comedy team in film, Laurel (Steve Coogan) and Hardy (John C. Reilly) attempt to revive their careers as they go on a stage tour of England. I love the Laurel and Hardy films so you know I am going to see this film.    Stan & Ollie Website

Until Next Time!

Roma

My View:  Roma  (2018)  R  Two-time Oscar winner (Gravity, 2013) Alfonso Cuaron brings us a tale of a family in transition in the early 1970s in Mexico City. Based on Cuaron’s own childhood the center of the film is a live-in maid named Cleo (Yalitza Aparicio) as she tends to a large family. Roma is a beautiful film, shot in glorious black and white. Aparicio is brilliant as the maid who would do anything to make sure the children she cares for are loved and safe. The film takes place over a year as the marriage of the husband and wife falls apart. Cleo tries to make the lives of the children as normal as possible, but she is dealing with a dead-beat boyfriend and a ton of other problems. This was a passion project for Cuaron, and it shows on the screen. This is one of the best films of the year and a shoo-in for a ton of Oscar nominations.    My Rating:  I Would Pay to See it Again   Roma Website

My View:  The Favourite  (2018)  R In early 18th century England, a frail Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) occupies the throne. Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz) and a new servant, Abigail (Emma Stone) vie for the attention of the Queen. While Colman, Weisz, and Stone give Oscar-worthy performances, I would like to single out Nicholas Hoult as a snarky Earl who uses any means necessary to obtain power. Hoult’s wisecracks and put-downs are the best part of the film, and there is an incredible outdoor scene with Emma Stone that will have you laughing out loud. The makeup, the sets and the costumes are simply breathtaking. This tale of two women who battle over who can gain the affection and ear of the Queen is brilliant. Think Dangerous Liaisons with a touch of a lesbian War of the Roses.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again    The Favourite Website

In Case You Missed It (A movie just released on DVD/Blu-Ray):   Operation Finale  (2018)  PG-13   A group of Israeli secret agents, led by a brash secret agent( Oscar Issac) go after Adolph Eichmann (Ben Kingsley), the man responsible for murdering six million Jews,. Eichmann, under a different name,  is hiding in South America among a group of Nazi supporters. I enjoyed this film, though the first half of the film is much better than the second half. Both Kingsley, playing the unapologetic Eichmann and Issac, playing an Israeli secret agent who hasn’t always done the right thing, give convincing performances as they play a cat a mouse game. And anytime I can see Melanie Laurent, who plays a fellow Israeli agent, on the screen, I’m happy.    My Rating: Full Price    Operation Finale Website

Forgotten Film:  Terri (2011)  R  John C. Reilly plays a high school Vice Principal who takes an overweight 15-year-old boy,  named Terri (played by Jacob Wysocki), under his wing.  Terri’s life is complicated and isolated, as his parents leave him to care for his bi-polar uncle whose moods seesaw from an almost cationic state to a hyperproductive state. Terri has given up on life and school, and in the midst of his depression, only wears pajamas.  He also has a crush on a popular girl but chooses to just stare at her from far away.  With the help of the Vice Principal, Terri starts coming out of his shell and even makes a few friends along the way.  Reilly is good in this small but well-done film, and Wysocki gives a powerfully understated performance.    My Rating:  Full Price    Terri Facebook Page

Weird Credits:  From the credits of The Favourite:  Prosthetics Painter

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Cold War  (2018)  R   The story of star-crossed lovers set in Europe in the 1950s. This film is being mentioned by film critics as a possible Best Foreign Language Oscar contenders. The film received a standing ovation of 18 minutes at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.    Cold War Website

Until Next Time!

El Angel

Indiefest:  El Angel  (2018)  Carlitos (Lorenzo Ferro), a baby-faced serial killer becomes an overnight sensation in Argentina because of his looks. The film is all look and no substance as we never get a feel of why Carlitos kills without remorse and feels that robbing businesses is his right. The film is beautiful to look at with those early 70s colorful fashions on full display, and the soundtrack of Latin rock works well within the film. The problem is the film feels empty, we never care about any of the characters, especially Carlitos.    My Rating:  Bargain Matinee   El Angel Website

In Case You Missed It (A movie just released on DVD/Blu-Ray):   Blindspotting (2018)  R  Collin (Daveed Riggs  and Miles (Rafael Casal) have been friends since their childhood. Colin has three days left on his probation, three days to stay out of trouble. The problem is that trouble just seems to follow everywhere Miles goes. The film moves defy between humor and seriousness. This is about friendship, race and the changing landscape of neighborhoods. Diggs and Casal have great chemistry on screen making this film work so well. This is a film that you will be thinking about long after you see it.   My Rating; I Would Pay to See it Again    Blindspotting Website

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I've Only Seen in Trailers but Just Looks Like a Bad Idea):   The Upside  (2018)  PG-13  Story of a relationship between a wealthy man (Bryan Cranston) who is a quadriplegic and an unemployed man (Kevin Hart) with a criminal record who is hired to help him. The trailer looks horrible. Go watch the 2011 french version of this film, The Intouchables, which was one of the best films of that year.   The Upside Facebook Page

Forgotten Film:  Cornbread, Earl and Me  (1975)  PG  Cornbread is a star high school basketball player who is a few weeks from going to college. The neighborhood kids idolize Cornbread, including Wilford (Lawrence Fishburne) and Earl (Tierre Turner). The police mistake Cornbread for a shooting subject and gun him down in front of Wilford and Earl. The police attempt to intimidate the kids to stay silent about what they saw, but Wilford is determined to seek justice for his hero. Fishburne, in his feature film debut, gives a strong and moving performance as Wilford and Rosalind Cash gives an outstanding performance as Wilford’s mother. This is an excellent movie whose subject matter could be taken from today’s headlines.   My Rating: Full Price    Cornbread, Earl and Me Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of El Angel:  Stunt Soldier

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Vice  (2018)  R  The story of Dick Cheney (Christian Bale) who rose from poverty to become a Washington insider, ultimately become the Vice President under George W. Bush. Besides Bale doing another chameleon appearance as Cheney, the cast includes Amy Adams as Cheney’s wife, Steve Carell as Donald Rumsfeld, Sam Rockwell as George W. Bush, Bill Camp as Gerald Ford and Tyler Perry as Colin Powell. The film is written and directed by Adam McKay, who gave us the 2016 Oscar-winning film The Big Short.   Vice Website

Until Next Time!

Ralph Breaks the Internet

Family Faire: Ralph Breaks the Internet  (2018)  PG    Ralph (John C. Reily), and his pal Venellope (Sarah Silverman) go on a search on the internet for a new joystick for Ralph’s game. If they don’t find the joystick, Ralph’s game will be turned off. I liked this film more than the first film, Wreck it Ralph. I think it’s funnier and has a better message than the first film. This film is all about friendship and putting other peoples needs and feelings in front of yours. I loved that they got a lot of the Disney princesses voices, like Kristen Bell and Ming Na to do their characters voices. The film is enjoyable for both kids and adults, though some adults may not get all the jokes, as some of them are aimed at the ‘YouTube’ generation. The film moves at a quick pace and is fun to watch. This is the perfect film for families to go out to see this holiday season.  My Rating: Full Price  

 My View:  Creed II (2018)  PG-13   With Rocky’s (Sylvester Stallone) help, newly crowned light heavyweight champion Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) faces off against Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu), the son of the man that killed Adonis’ father. This is a disappointing film because the first Creed film was one of the best of that year. Sylvester Stallone co-wrote this film, and it has his heavy hand all over it. This feels more like a Rocky picture than a sequel to Creed. What is surprising is how good Dolph Lundgren is as Ivan Drago, the boxer who lost everything when Rocky beat him thirty years ago. Lundren makes Drago a real character who wants revenge through his son and it’s the best performance in the film. I just wish the movie wasn’t so over the top and is much too long.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee

In Case You Missed It (A movie just released on DVD/Blu-Ray):  Dog Days  (2018)  PG    A group of interconnected people in Los Angeles are brought together by the dogs that fill their lives with love and hope. This very bland movie has a few cute dogs in it, but that’s about it. The film is made up of a bunch of stories about people and their dogs. A morning TV hosts (Nina Dobrev) gets a new on-air partner, and their dogs get along better than they do. A husband (Rob Corddry) and wife (Eva Longoria) adopt a young girl who seems unhappy until a dog enters their life. All the stories are dull and lifeless, and worse yet, highly predictable. Go walk your own dog around the block rather than going to the theatre to see this film.   My Rating:  Cable   Dog Days Website

Indiefest:  Maria by Callas  (2017)  PG  Documentary on the life and loves of the Greek-American opera singer Maria Callas. This is a celebration of a singer of extraordinary talent that wanted desperately to be a wife and mother but was driven by her mother and later her husband to concentrate on her career. If you are a fan of opera or great singing, this film is for you as there are some extraordinary clips of Maria singing. The whole movie is told through Maria herself as she was interviewed by the media on almost a constant basis. The film also looks at her private life, including her relationship with Aristotle Onassis, her great love who left her to marry Jacqueline Kennedy. It’s a sad tale about a woman who left us too soon but left a legacy of music to remember her by.  My Rating: Full Price   Maria by Callas Website

Indiefest:  Chef Flynn  (2018)  Documentary about Flynn McGarry who started cooking gourmet meals at age 9, by 11 had a supper club in his home and age 19 has his own restaurant in NYC. Let me say up front that I am a meat and potatoes kind of guy, so the small portion fancy meals that Chef Flynn creates with tweezers is not my idea of a meal. Having said that, he is incredibly creative, and his food is beautiful to look at. His success (at 15 Chef Flynn is charging 160 dollars a head at pop-up restaurants around the world) comes at a price, as the intent trolls are continually attacking him but the good news is famous chefs think Chef Flynn is talented and his cooking is lauded by them. One thing that bothers me about this film is that it never explains how he and his mother can afford this lifestyle, especially in the early days when he wasn’t charging his friends and family for extremely exorbitant meals. If you are a foodie and love artful cooking, then Chef Flynn is worth checking out.     My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Chef Flynn Website

Forgotten Film:  Drugstore Cowboy  (1989)  R    Led by Bob (Matt Dillon) two couples travel from on seedy motel to another in search of drugs. Dillon gives one of the greatest performances of his life as he and his friends travel to find any drug that they can find or steal. While not a happy film it is worth seeing for Dillon’s performance and the interaction of the 4 characters who treat each other like they are family.   My Rating: Full Price   Drugstore Cowboy Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Creed II:  Contact Lens Painter

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Mary Poppins Returns  (2018)  PG-13    Decades after her last visit, Mary (Emily Blunt) returns to help the Banks family through a difficult time in their lives. The trailer is amazing, and I will go see anything that Emily Blunt is in.   Mary Poppins Returns Website

Until Next Time!

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

My View:  Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald  (2018)  PG-13   After Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) help apprehend the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp), Grindelwald makes good on his promise and escapes. Grindelwald sets about to find followers in his plot to take over the world from all non-magical beings. Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) convinces Newt to take on Grindelwald once again. I loved the first film which was filled with wonderful beasts of all types. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same about this film. There are so many characters which take forever to develop, and it takes so long to get going, the film feels like it’s four hours in length. The first film was fun, this one is just tedious, and unlike the original film, this one doesn’t give us enough new beasts. A couple of characters that I loved in the first Fantastic Beasts, Jacob, the sidekick of Newt and Jacob’s love Queenie, are just lost in this film filled with characters. Once again, Johnny Depp sleepwalks through another performance. Can Hollywood quit giving him jobs he longer deserves? The film feels like one long setup for the next film and has a horrible, anticlimactic ending. There are no closing credit scenes in this film, but I suggest you just skip the whole thing.   My Rating: Cable   Fantastic Beasts Website

My View:  Instant Family  (2018)  PG-13  A couple (Mark Wahlberg, Rose Byrne) want to adopt and fall in love with an adorable kid. To their surprise, if they want that child, they have to adopt the kids two siblings. Can the couple survive this ‘Instant Family?’ I can’t believe I am saying this about a filmmaker who gave us the Daddy’s Home series, but I adore this film. It’s funny, warm, sweet look at a foster family trying to figure out the dynamics of it all. Yes, the film can get a little silly at times, but this film is full of heart and writer/director Sean Anders (who has fostered kids in his own family) is passionate about this subject, and it shows. The film was shot in Atlanta, and many of the kids in the movie are actual foster kids in real life. Go see this fantastic film. You will laugh and shed a few tears along the way.   My Rating: Full Price   Instant Family Website

My View:  Widows  (2018)  R  Their husbands have died in a botched heist, and a drug lord is demanding the money that was stolen from him, three of the widows plan to rob a local politician. Academy Award winning director Steve McQueen and writer Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl) gives a heist movie like no other. The film has plenty of twists and turns (one I unfortunately saw coming from a mile away) and moves at a quick pace. The cast is top notch with Viola Davis giving another outstanding performance that only she can give. This isn’t a perfect movie, I have a few problems with some of the plot, but it is worth seeing because of the incredible acting of the cast.  My Rating: Full Price   Widows Website

Indiefest:  The Ballad of Buster Scruggs  (2018)  R  An anthology film comprised of six stories taking place in the old west. So let me tell you that this is a Coen Brothers movie and it acts like it. The film is six stories tied together by a storybook that we see when each story starts. The film is part comedy, part drama that is at times funny, other times sad or even scary. The story I enjoyed the most was the first one of the film, a play on the singing cowboy films of the 30s and 40s. The singing cowboy is played to perfection by Tim Blake Nelson, a cowboy who plays guitar while riding his horse and is the best gunslinger in the west. The ending of the story has a big payoff that I really enjoyed. Not all the stories worked, but there is enough in this film to satisfy any viewer. I will warn you that there is quite a bit of violence and death in this film, some of it comedic, some of it incredibly heartbreaking and poignant, so don’t be fooled by the trailer thinking that the whole movie is a comedy. I am a big fan of westerns, so I really enjoyed this film and its variety of tales that it told.   My Rating: Full Price   The Ballad of Buster Scruggs Website

My View:  The Front Runner  (2018)  R  American Senator Gary Hart (Hugh Jackman) was in the driver’s seat for the Democratic nominee for President in 1988. His career and campaign are ruined when it’s discovered that he has been having a scandalous love affair. This film explores the campaign of Hart that literally fell apart in just three weeks. It was the beginning of when mainstream news reporting became tabloid news. Jackman gives an excellent performance as the man who thought his personal life wasn’t anyone’s business.  This film is more about how the alleged affair (Hart and the woman he was caught with to this day deny that slept together) affect the people in the campaign and his family, especially his wife played by the incredible Vera Farmiga. I am guessing that the film left out one of the most famous photos of all time, Donna Rice sitting on Hart’s lap in front of the ‘Monkey Business’ boat due to copyright issues but by not being in the film, it sits out like a sore thumb. I liked this film, but I just don’t thank any aspect of this movie is Oscar quality.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee    The Front Runner Website

Indiefest:  Green Book  (2018)  PG-13  An Italian-American bouncer, Tony Lip (Viggo Mortensen) is hired to drive an African-American classical pianist, Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali) across the deep south on tour in the 1960s. This is a highly enjoyable movie with two great actors who have unbelievable chemistry together on the screen. This road-trip film about two people with nothing in common moves at such a quick pace that the movie feels more like an hour long than its two-hour length. This is a funny, touching and often moving film that explores how we may think we are vastly different from each other but in reality, we have a lot in common. My favorite scene, which is near the end of the film, is where the two men go to a bar and Don gets up and plays rock and roll with the house band while the whole bar goes nuts. I think you will love this film as much as I did.    My Rating: Full Price   Green Book Website

My View:  A Private War  (2018)  R    One of the greatest war correspondents of our time, Marie Colvin (Rosamund Pike) is devoted to getting the story at all costs. Its always hard to make a story about a person you don’t like, but director Matthew Heineman and screenwriter Arash Amel pull it off. Colvin was a reporter that went to some of the worst war-torn areas of the world and did insightful and often moving stories about how war was affecting the civilians in that part of the world. Pike, in a demanding role, makes us root for Marie even though she was a problematic, self-centered person that certainly suffered from Post-traumatic stress disorder. The supporting cast is exceptional with Jamie Dornan standing out as a photographer that teams up with Marie. A Private War is not a perfect film as the story lags a bit in the middle  but it does give you an inside look at what reporters go through in war.  My Rating: Full Price

Forgotten Film:  All the Real Girls  (2003) R  Paul (Paul Schneider) is what we call a womanizer, a guy who sleeps with any woman he can seduce, only to move on from her when he has slept with her. His world changes when he meets his best-friends sister, Noel (Zooey Deschanel), an 18-year-old who has just come back home from boarding school. Looming large in the relationship is that Noel is a virgin. What I love about this movie is the film isn’t about Noel’s virginity, it’s about Paul trying to have a healthy relationship with the first woman he has let into his heart. The dialogue is sharp and feels real. If your type of movie is about falling in love with the right person for you, then this is a perfect film for you.    My Rating: Full Price   All the Real Girls Website

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald: Support Staff for Johnny Depp

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:   Ralph Breaks the Internet  (2018)  PG  Ralph, and his pal Venellope go on a search on the internet for a new joystick for Ralph’s game. If they don’t find the joystick, Ralph’s game will be turned off. I loved the first film, and the trailer for this film looks like the filmmakers have found magic once again.    Ralph Breaks the Internet Website

Until Next Time!