Life of the Party

My View:  Life of the Party  (2018)  PG-13  After her husband asks for a divorce, a middle-aged mother (Melissa McCarthy) goes back to college to complete her degree at the same school her daughter goes to. Another comedy dud from the married team of Ben Falcone and Melissa McCarthy. This tedious and unfunny film feels twice as long as its one hour and forty-five minute running time. The film’s plot is highly predictable and with plot holes the size of a keg of stale beer. McCarthy’s fish-out-of-water performance gets old very fast, and Gillian Jacobs’ performance as ‘Coma Girl’ is strange and offsetting. Rent Back to School, instead, and stay away from this mess of a film.    My Rating:  You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again    Life of the Party Facebook Page

My View:  Breaking In (2018)  PG-13  A woman (Gabrielle Union) fights to protect her son and daughter from home invaders in a remote vacation home. While not a great movie, I still enjoyed this action film where a mom will do everything in her power to keep her kids safe. Union gives the part her all and is very believable in the action sequences. Billy Burke makes a compelling bad guy who has to deal with a woman who outsmarts him on just about every move. The premise of the plot is a little thin, but once the action starts, you don’t really care, you just want to see Gabrielle Union kick major butt.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Breaking In Website

Indiefest:  The Rider  (2017)  R  After suffering a near-fatal injury in a rodeo and with doctors telling him he should never ride again, a young cowboy, Brady (Brady Jandreau), has to figure out a new direction for his life. An absolutely gorgeous film about dealing with life’s disappointments. The film is heartbreaking as Brady is not allowed to do one thing the one thing that he loves - ride horses. Jandreau gives an astonishing performance that is full of grit and grace. The cinematography of this film is some of the best work in recent history. The story, at times, is a little slow, but it lets you get inside the mind of Brady and see his point of view clearly. This is one of the best films of the year and will surely be on my top ten list.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   The Rider Website

Forgotten Film:  Out of Sight  (1998)  R  A career bank robber, Jack (George Clooney), breaks out of jail with the help of his friend, Buddy (Ving Rhames), and kidnaps a U.S. Marshal (Jennifer Lopez) when she threatens to expose their big heist plans. After spending time together, Jack finds that he is attracted to the Marshall. I love this film and the remarkable chemistry that Clooney and Lopez have. This is a fun and witty film with phenomenal dialogue with plenty of twists and turns in the plot that you just don’t see coming.    My Rating: Full Price    Out of Sight Website

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Life of the Party:  Period Hair Stylist

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:   Won’t You Be My Neighbor?  (2018)  Documentary on the life of Fred Rogers, host of the long-running PBS children’s program, Mr. Rogers Neighborhood. This film was the talk of the 2018 Atlanta Film Festival.     Won't You Be My Neighbor? Website   

Until Next Time!