Miss Bala

My View:  Miss Bala  (2019)  PG-13  Gloria (Gina Rodriguez) goes to Mexico to party with her best friend. Next thing she knows, she is involved in a dangerous world of cross-border crime. Now she fights to find her friend and get the heck out of Mexico. Why Gina Rodriquez would agree to make a movie this bad is beyond me. A plot that has so many holes in it the size of the border of Mexico and Texas and an ending that is beyond stupid makes this film almost unwatchable. All you need to know is that the film was directed by Catharine Hardwicke, who also directed the first Twilight movie.   My Rating: Cable   Miss Bala Website

Indiefest:  They Shall Not Grow Old  (2018)  R   A documentary on World War I told in a new way, from the men who fought the battle to save the world. An absolutely fantastic film from Peter Jackson who took over 100 hours of footage and made a movie that is moving and a loving tribute to the men who fought in ‘the war to end all wars.’ The movie is in 3D, so you need to see this in the theatres. It’s a remarkable film, one of the best documentaries that I have seen. The footage has been restored and made to look like modern film, with added colorization to make it, even more, stand out. He also hired a team of lip readers, so throughout the film, you hear what the soldiers were saying on the screen. The film is narrated by men who fought in the war from interviews they did in the 60s and 70s. I will warn you that this film is very graphic in depicting the horrors of war, including numerous shots of dead bodies. This is a film that should be seen by everyone because it is a touching tribute to the men who risked their lives to fight a war to save Europe.  My Rating: I Would Pay to See This Again    They Shall Not Grow Old Website

In Case You Missed It (A movie just released on DVD/Blu-Ray):  Boy Erased  (2018)  R  The son (Lucas Hedges) of a Baptist preacher (Russell Crowe) is forced to go to a church-sponsored gay conversion program. If he doesn’t complete the program, his family will kick him out. While Lucas Hedges gives us a passionate and insightful performance as the troubled Jared, it’s the performances of Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman that shine in this film. Crowe, playing the father who is conflicted by his love of his son versus the conviction of his faith that the gay lifestyle is wrong in the eyes of his religion gives a first-rate performance. Kidman is brilliant as the mom who is conflicted by the love of her son and the religious beliefs of her husband. I was let down by this film because it never delivers the emotional punch that the film needs.    My Rating:  Bargain Matinee    Boy Erased Website

Forgotten Film:  Looker  (1981)  PG  Written and directed by Michael Crichton, the film is about a plastic surgeon (Albert Finey) who is asked to make precise corrections to a bunch of models faces. Once he does the fix, he finds out that the models are being killed off and he decides to investigate their murders. This low budget sci-fi film is a bit looney, but it also is a lot of fun to watch especially Finey’s performance. A really strange little gem.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Looker Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Miss Bala: Temp Colorist

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Us  (2019) A family goes to their beach house for a vacation only to be surprised by unexpected visitors that will turn their vacation into chaos. This is the latest film from Jordan Peale, who gave us the Oscar-winning film Get Out (2017).   Us Website

Until Next Time!

Dr. Seuss' The Grinch

Family Faire:  Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch  (2018)  PG  T  he Grinch (Benedict Cumberbatch) lives a solitary life with his loyal dog Max. The cynical grump goes on a mission to steal Christmas from the residents of Whoville. Kids are going to love this colorful and funny film. Adults, especially fans of the old 60s TV special maybe a little bored by the story that covers no new ground. I did love the Grinch’s dog Max, who steals the movie with his antics. Cumberbatch, doing the voice of The Grinch is almost unrecognizable in the role.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Dr. Seuss' The Grinch Website

My View: The Girl in the Spider’s Web  (2018)  R      Computer hacker Lisbeth Salander (Claire Foy) is back on the prowl dispensing her style of justice. With journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Sverrir Gudnason), Lisbeth gets caught up in a web of spies, cybercriminals and corrupt government officials. So this film takes place three years after the third book (and the third Swedish films). I really enjoyed Claire Foy’s performance as she perfectly captures the fire and ice of Lisbeth’s personality. It was a little jaring getting used to a much younger Mikael Blomkvist, and though he isn’t given that much to do, Sverrir Gudnason is fine in the role. The action sequences were well done and the several chase sequences are fast and exciting. I am a big fan of the Swedish trio of films starring Noomi Rapace and I think this film is equal to those films. It is certainly better that the 2011 American version.  My Rating:  Full Price   The Girl in the Spider's Web Facebook page

Indiefest: The Great Buster  (2018)  Documentary on who is considered one of the greatest silent film comedians, who at the height of his fame, lost control over his movies and ‘talkies,’ film with sound brought his downfall. Directed by Academy Award nominee and film historian Peter Bogdanovich, The Great Buster is a loving look at one of the greatest filmmakers of the silent era. Using interviews with friends and family, vintage photos and footage from his numerous films, Bogdanovich lets us get to know Buster, warts and all. What I loved about this film, is that Bogdanovich looks at the ten featured films that Keaton did in the 20s, going into detail why each is a masterpiece. I am a fan of Keaton and his films, but I still learned a lot about the man and his movies.   My Rating: Full Price   The Great Buster Website

Indiefest:  Boy Erased  (2018)  R  The son (Lucas Hedges) of a Baptist preacher (Russell Crowe) is forced to go to a church-sponsored gay conversion program. If he doesn’t complete the program, his family will kick him out. While Lucas Hedges gives us a passionate and insightful performance as the troubled Jared, it’s the performances of Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman that shine in this film. Crowe, playing the father who is conflicted by his love of his son versus the conviction of his faith that the gay lifestyle is wrong in the eyes of his religion gives a first-rate performance. Kidman is brilliant as the mom who is conflicted by the love of her son and the religious beliefs of her husband. I was let down by this film because it never delivers the emotional punch that the film needs.   My Rating:  Bargain Matinee   Boy Erased Website

In Case You Missed It (A movie just released on DVD/Blu-Ray):  BlacKkKlansman  (2018)  R  Based on the true story of Ron Stallworth (John David Washington), the first African-American police officer in Colorado Springs. With the help of a white police (Adam Driver), Ron infiltrates the local Ku Klux Klan, becoming a confidant of the Imperial Wizard himself, David Duke (Topher Grace) and eventually becoming the leader of the local pack. A young woman (Vanessa Hudgens) starts volunteering at a rescue center when she finds a dog wandering on its own on the street. This is one of the best films of the year and probably director Spike Lee’s most mainstream movie he has made. The amazing thing about this film is that almost everything that happens in the film actually happened to Ron Stallworth. I loved the performance of John David Washington, and he and Adam Driver have fantastic chemistry that makes this film a joy to watch. Do yourself a favor and go see this brilliant gem of a movie.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   BlacKkKlansman Website

Forgotten Film:  State of Grace  (1990) R    A New York cop (Sean Penn) is recruited to return to his old neighborhood and infiltrate a mob run by his childhood friend’s brother (Ed Harris). There are some incredible performances in this film, including Ed Harris as the crazy mob boss. There is a rather neat twist that happens around the middle of the film that changes the complexion of the movie. This film was overshadowed by Goodfellas, which came out about the same time. If you are a fan of great acting and love mob movies, this is one for you.   My Rating: Full Price   State of Grace Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch:  Characters Surfacing Supervisor

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  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. The film is directed by Academy Award winner Steve McQueen and stars Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki, Liam Neeson, Robert Duvall, Carrie Coon, and Colin Farrell.   Widows Website

Until Next Time!