Don't Let Go

My View:  Don’t Let Go (2019) R   A L.A. police detective (David Oyelowo) discovers the murder of his brother, sister-in-law, and niece. He then starts to get phone calls from his dead niece (Storm Reid). Is he going mad or is this a call for help from beyond? This is one of those films that you just have to ignore the huge plot holes in the film and enjoy the performances of the two leads, Oyelowo and Reid. The film moves at a nice pace and I did enjoy the last third of the film when all the pieces start to fall into place. Like the film Frequency (2000) where Dennis Quaid’s character talks to his son (Jim Caviezel) from the past as they solve a crime together, Reid’s character is calling her uncle from the past via her cell phone and they end up working to together to try and solve her murder. The film gets bogged down in its plot too many times but the performances that Reid and Oyelowo give make up for it.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Don't Let Go Info

Indiefest: The Fanatic (2019) R   Moose (John Travolta) is a big fan of the world-famous cation hero Hunter Dunbar (Devon Sawa). When Moose feels he is cheated out of meeting his hero, he decides to take things into his own hands and give Hunter a visit to Hunter’s private home. I have never been a big fan of John Travolta and his performance of Moose (who I am guessing is Autistic) makes me doubt he was ever any good at acting. In one of the most bizarre performances I have ever seen on screen, Travolta goes all out in his part and the movie suffers greatly because of it. The film is not helped by a wooden performance of Devon Sawa as a hot-headed actor who plays the tough guy card too many times. Some viewers may enjoy how nuts Travolta’s character on screen is but I just found the film dull and incredibly boring.   My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again   The Fanatic Info

Indiefest: Love, Antosha (2019) R   Documentary on the much too short life of actor Anton Yelchin, best known for his role of Chekov in the recent Star Trek movie series. Anton Yelchin was an amazing actor, starting out at age eleven and had 69 TV and movie credits by the time he died at age 27 from complications form Cystic Fibrosis. Using an incredible about of home movies (early on Anton was making home movies for his family and friends) we get to see how Anton grew up as an only child of Russian immigrants that were ice skating stars in their early life. Anton always knew that he was living on borrowed time (most children that develop CF don’t make it to their twenties) and he made the most of it, whether it was taking every role he was offered or taking risqué pictures of the strange and magical world of downtown Hollywood and the Valley. The film does a great job of showing us just how big a range Anton had with his acting, being in big box office films like Star Trek (2009) and Fright Night (2011) and then being in critically acclaimed smaller films like Thoroughbreds (2017) and Green Room (2015). You are sure to shed a few tears at the end of the film, because Anton, had he lived, was destined for greatness.   My Rating: Full Price   Love, Antosha Website

Forgotten Film: My Neighbor Totoro (1988)    Animated from the incredible Japanese animation studio, Studio Ghibli and the great legendary animator Hayao Miyazaki comes a simple tale of two young daughters dealing with moving to the country with their father to be closer to their mother who is in long term care at a hospital. The two daughters, Mei the younger one and older sister Satsuki, discover that there are magical creatures living in the forest next to their house. The two sisters make friends with the creatures called Totoro’s and with the Totoro’s help, they have many magical adventures. This is a rather simple but beautiful film about a family trying to deal with a crisis and two girls that find solace in the forest and its creatures. This is a type of film that we all need, full of joy and hope with its core, the importance of family in times of crisis.   My Rating; I Would Pay to See it Again    My Neighbor Totoro Website

Weird Credits: From the credits of The Fanatic: Wig Maker for Mr. Travolta

Coming Soon to a theatre Near You: Ad Astra (2019) PG-13   Astronaut Roy McBride (Brad Pitt) undergoes a mission into deep space to find out the truth about what happened to his father (Tommy Lee Jones) who went on a mission 30 years earlier and apparently is still alive and may have a weapon that can destroy half the solar system. The film just played to rave reviews at a film festival overseas.    Ad Astra Website

Until Next Time!