Twisters

My View:  Twisters  (2024)  PG-13  Kate Carter (Daisy Edgar-Jones) is a meteorologist who used to love chasing tornadoes until she encountered one that had deadly results. Kate is lured back into the open plains by her friend Javi (Anthony Ramos), who has developed a groundbreaking new tracking system that, if it works, could save thousands of lives. She soon meets Tyler Owens (Glen Powell), a reckless storm chaser with a huge social media following. Think of this as not a sequel to the 1996 film Twister directed by Jan de Bont. Twisters is part of the same universe, but only slightly related (although there might be a connection between Tyler and Helen Hunt's character, but that's pushing it). Twister worked so well because of the writing (co-written by Michael Crichton), and it had an outstanding cast that wasn’t just led by Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt, but had a supporting cast that included Cary Elwes, Jami Gertz, Alan Ruck, Lois Smith and constant scene-stealer Philip Seymour Hoffman. This film does have Glen Powell, whose screen presence dominates every scene he is in. Powell, a native Texan, walks the walk (perfect ex-cowboy walk) and talks the talk as a former rodeo performer who fell in love with weather events when he was eight. Unfortunately, unlike Helen Hunt’s pairing with Bill Paxton, Daisy Edgar-Jones can’t match Powell’s firepower on the screen, and her character is always seemingly in the shadows. It doesn't help that Edgar-Jone's character, Kate, has PTSD from a horrific incident that happened while chasing tornadoes in college. Kate is a tornado whisperer who can pick the storm that will sprout a tornado, but she is gun-shy and has to be constantly saved from freezing up at the worst possible times. That being said, this is still a perfect, fun-filled action film that puts you not only alongside a tornado but often right inside it. My screening was in a Dolby theater, and the experience of being inside the twisters was so much fun. So much so that I kept waiting for the wind effects to start. Twisters is a fun ride, helped by the star power of Glen Powell and his monster (with an emphasis on monster) truck. So climb aboard, strap in, and hold on.  My Rating: Full Price  Twisters Website  Now playing in theaters nationwide. 

My View:  Skywalkers: A Love Story  (2024)  R  Skywalkers: A Love Story is a documentary about a couple, Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus, who have made a career in climbing the highest buildings in the world. Their next destination is Malaysia to scale the 118-story mega-tall skyscraper Merdeka 118, the last super-skyscraper to be built in the next few years. Their goal is to rekindle their careers and relationship. If there was ever a couple destined to be together, it would be Angela and Ivan. Two people who think it’s fun to climb to the tops of buildings and then, without any safety equipment, pose on top of antennas or scaffolding. The couple are called rooftoppers, not climbers, because, other than climbing antennas or scaffolding, they rarely climb but use elevators or stairs to get near the tops of buildings. The footage is jaw-dropping, and you constantly worry about the two, as they think nothing of sitting on top of a building and having their feet over the edge to get a good view. Ivan, Russia’s top rooftopper, invites Angela, a woman who has made her mark on the sport by posing in dance/ballet moves atop buildings, to join him. There are parts of the story that seem staged, particularly when they discuss their relationship and goals. There is a dark side to this story that isn’t fully explored. I felt that the two often took chances, not because they loved what they do, but because they needed to get hits on their social accounts. A couple of times, the film shows the two reacting to fellow friends who have died or had accidents while doing the sport. The film glosses over these moments and returns to the relationship between the two lovers as Ivan slowly learns to trust Angela and support her. Throughout the film, I also had the feeling that what they were doing was wrong. Unlike rock climbing or skydiving, what they do is against the law, and I am afraid this film will inspire others to try this sport out. Still, this is a film that grabs you as the last third of the film is the two planning and then actually attempting to go to the top of the 118-story skyscraper, something that no one had been able to do before. Remember, while you are watching this film, there was a disclaimer at the beginning of the film that said: Do not attempt to imitate. Don’t worry, filmmakers, I won’t.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Skywalkers: A Love Story Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform. 

My View:  Oddity  (2024)  R  In Oddity, it has been a year since Dani (Carolyn Bracken), home alone, opened her door to a stranger named Olin (Tadhg Murphy) and was murdered. A year after Dani’s death, Darcy (also Bracken) arrives with a large wooden mannequin at her late sister’s husband’s door. Darcy is convinced she can discover why Dani opened that door to a stranger, or did she? Oddity is a masterfully crafted mystery and horror story that gradually unfolds. Darcy is blind but sees more than most people, especially when dealing with death and the afterlife. Darcy is a unique character that filmmaker Damian McCarthy gives us, and Carolyn Bracken gives us a very strange hero to root for. There is a sense of dread almost from the film’s first frame, and after Dani’s death, we meet her sister, and from there, it’s just a matter of time before the mystery is solved. Oddity has a few jump-out-of-the-dark scares, but mostly it’s the building of the tension that makes this horror film stand out. Plus, there is that really creepy wooden figure that Darcy has brought along.  My Rating: Full Price   Oddity Website Now playing in theaters.

My View:  My Spy: The Eternal City  (2024)  PG-13  JJ (Dave Bautista) and Sophie (Chloe Coleman) are back in My Spy: The Eternal City. This time, Sophie convinces JJ to chaperone her school trip to Rome. Just their luck, there is an international terrorist plot that is targeting CIA Chief David Kim (Ken Jeong) and his son, Colin (Taeho K), on the trip. I enjoyed the first My Spy movie (against my better judgment) because Dave Bautista was goofy, and there was great chemistry between Bautista and Chloe Coleman. Plus, it was fun watching the giant Bautista deal with the adorable and very cute Coleman. It’s four years later, and the plot has worn out its welcome. My Spy: The Eternal City is a film that goes for the cheap laugh every time and seems to have lost any idea of how the first film worked its magic, blending in the action sequences with some humor. Even Anna Farris can’t save the lousy plot and even lousier attempts at being funny. With a run time of almost two hours, the film never seems to end. Even the credits are long, as Ken Jeong and Craig Robinson do some very unfunny attempts at improving some songs. Watch the first film or any of the Robert Rodriguez Spy Kids movies and skip this one.  My Rating: Cable  My Spy: The Eternal City Website  Now playing on Amazon Prime

Indiefest:  Widow Clicquot  (2023)  R   Widow Clicquot is the story of Barbe-Nicole Clicquot (Haley Bennett), who, at age twenty-seven, after her husband’s death, took over the family vineyard and revolutionized the champagne-making process, creating a world sensation against the odds. Widow Clicquot is a film where the performance of the lead and the cinematography try to carry the load but are both let down by a screenplay that can never find its footing. The film utilizes the magnificent beauty of the French countryside to its advantage, with some stunning shots. Haley Bennett gives a multi-layered performance as a woman determined to create a wine worthy of her late husband. The film wanders back and forth between before her husband's death, as we see him slowly descend into madness, and afterward, when she is trying to keep the vineyard afloat. It’s a strange film meant to celebrate a woman who fought against the system to invent the way Champagne is made today. Near the end of the film, we see the big moment when the widow Clicquot discovers the secret to great Champagne, but it’s glossed over so quickly that you don’t realize how important that moment is until you see it mentioned in the credits. It’s a weak storyline that is only elevated by Haley Bennett’s performance and the fantastic scenery.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Widow Clicquot Website  Now playing in theaters. 

My View:  Find Me Falling  (2024)  In Find Me Falling, John (Harry Connick Jr.) is a rock star whose big comeback album was a disaster. Licking his wounds, he buys a cliff-side home in Cypress, a place he once knew before becoming famous. His dream of keeping a low profile is shattered with constant interruptions, including an old love, long-lost, who has resurfaced. Find Me Falling is not a typical romantic comedy, primarily because of the interruptions I mentioned in the plot description. The interruptions are caused by people committing suicide. John seems to have acquired a house on a cliff where people like to commit suicide. That’s in the first five minutes, and it’s a plot point that helps turn John’s life around. The songs (written by Connick Jr.) don’t work, except for a Greek song, used to woo a lover, which is terrible when the story is about a singer. During the opening credits, we hear the song that catapulted John into superstardom, and I initially thought it was the song that had ruined his career. The scenery in Cyprus is breathtaking, and the supporting cast is enjoyable to watch, especially Ali Fumiko Whitney, who plays a spunky local singer that John befriends. The plot, though, is slow, the reveals are telegraphed miles ahead, and while Connick looks good in his swimming scene, he has a hard time with the comedic elements of the story. The ending is a little too forced to generate any sort of emotion. Like the rest of the film, the final shot misses the mark. It shows a handmade sign, and all I could think was, shouldn't it be in Greek and not English?   My Rating: Cable  Find Me Falling Website    Now playing on the Netflix platform.

Forgotten Film:  Quills (2000) R  After years of being locked away in prisons, the Marquis de Sade (Geoffrey Rush) is sent to the Charenton Insane Asylum run by Abbé du Coulmier (Joaquin Phoenix). The Marquis de Sade establishes a friendship with a maid (Kate Winslet) and, with her aid, is able to continue writing and publishing his work. Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte is furious that Marquis de Sade’s work is still getting out and sends Dr. Royer-Collard (Michael Caine) to the asylum to shut De Sade down, in any way necessary. It’s a battle of wits and wills that the two men will wage, and only one can win. Quills is a film that is at times funny and then, at a moment’s notice, becomes very scary. Rush is brilliant as the Marquis and Winslet gives a bawdy performance as the maid who intrigues de Sade. Add Joaquin Phoenix and Michael Caine, and you have a movie that keeps you interested until the very end.  My Rating: Full Price  Quills Into  The film is available to rent/buy on Amazon and Apple TV+.

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Twisters:  Stunt Trolly Drivers

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You:  Lee  (2023)  R  The story of Elizabeth ‘Lee’ Miller (Kate Winslet), a fashion model who became an acclaimed war correspondent for Vogue magazine during World War II. Kate Winslet has been developing this film for a few years, when a friend told her she resembled Lee.  Lee Info The film will be released in theaters on Friday, September 27, 2024.

Until Next Time!