A Big Bold Beautiful Journey

My View:  A Big Bold Beautiful Journey  (2025)  R    In A Big Bold Beautiful Journey, David (Colin Farrell) is on a road trip to a wedding when he meets Sarah (Margot Robbie). He convinces her to go on an adventure guided by his GPS. Along the way, the two will discover a magical doorway that allows them revisit the past and explore places and times they thought they knew. I was disappointed in this film, especially after having high hopes for it based on the trailer and the strong cast. While I appreciated watching Farrell and Robbie as they revisited significant points in their lives—both are very attractive and talented actors—I found the overall experience lacking. As a romantic film, A Big Bold Beautiful Journey failed to evoke the warmth and enjoyment that one expects from a story that is supposed to be about finding that one person who you can be comfortable with, willing to spend your life with them. The film loses its way early on and never recovers, with banter between the two characters feeling almost painful to watch. I quickly became bored with their journey, as they repeatedly insisted that they weren’t meant to be together, even though it was clear to me that they would end up as a couple Their big realization moments didn’t hit the mark, and the twists and turns that happened felt unreal and lacked the big emotional moments that we needed to believe that the two were meant for each other. It’s too bad because somewhere in the bones of the script, there is a film that would have worked. Unfortunately, this one just didn’t.  My Rating: Cable  A Big Bold Beautiful Journey Website    Now playing in theaters. 

My View:  Him  (2025)  R  Him is about a young up-and-coming football star, Cameron (Tyriqu Withers), who has been invited by his idol, legendary quarterback Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans), to train at Isaiah’s isolated compound. It’s a blood-chilling journey that will push Cameron to his limits and beyond to pursue excellence at any cost. IMDB classifies Him as a horror film, and if that is the case, then this movie is, using some football terms, a fumble, an incomplete pass and way offsides. Heck, it might even deserve holding and a personal foul. I was bored by the 20-minute mark and kept looking at my watch to see when this film would end. There are no genuine scares to be found, and Cameron is an idiot. He’s trying to become a number one draft pick, yet allows some shady trainer that he doesn’t know to keep injecting him with god knows what. It never occurs to Cameron that those injections could not only jeopardize his draft status, but he might be kicked out of the league. I kept thinking as I watched Him, that the writers didn’t know much about football and even less about horror films. I felt Marlon Wayans went way over the top with Isaiah’s antics (and there are a lot), and the violence was often done to try to shock us, with little effect. The ending, which took too long to develop, was idiotic and unsatisfying. So, I’m throwing a flag on the play and calling an audible for you to see anything else. My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again Him Website  Now playing in theaters. 

Indiefest:  Happyend  (2024)    Happyend takes place in Tokyo in the near future, where the threat of a catastrophic quake hangs over the heads of its residents. High school students Yuta (Hayato Kurihara) and Kou (Yukito Hidaka) pull a prank on their principal. The prank leads to far-reaching consequences, and the two best friends react to these outcomes in vastly different ways. Happyend is a story of friendship set in a world where things could go wrong very quickly and often do. The two friends’ world becomes increasingly under the control of the school and the government, and we see how they react to the rules and the constant surveillance of their lives. The tension between the two friends grows larger as they attempt to deal with the situation. One takes things seriously, and the other deals with the surveillance and lack of freedom with humor. Despite addressing serious subjects, Happyend incorporates plenty of humor, and it’s fun to follow the two guys as they try to handle what the world is throwing at them.  My Rating: Full Price  Happyend Website  Now playing in select theaters. 

Indiefest:  The History of Sound  (2025)  R   The History of Sound is about two young men, Lionel (Paul Mescal) and David (Josh O’Connor), who bond over the love of music right before WWI. They will meet again and explore their love of music and each other before going back out into the world. I enjoyed the first third of this film, as we get to know the two men who fall in love and are then separated by the war. Lionel goes back to the family farm, and David has been drafted. When David returns from the war, they meet up again and have a wonderful time going around the countryside recording folk music. When their time recording is over, the two men go their separate ways, something that Lionel will always regret. I struggled with the latter part of the film, primarily due to Lionel’s treatment of his later romantic partners. He tends to abandon them, much like he did with his own family. For instance, he leaves his mother to pursue his musical journey with David after his father’s death, which I found difficult to accept. The story also suffers as we watch Lionel go from job to job, as well as from lover to lover, without caring about who he hurts. I would have loved the film to be tighter in the second half; even cutting the last five minutes of the film would have made the ending much more touching and compelling. Mescal and O’Connor both do an outstanding job of making us believe and care about their relationship. Adding to the enjoyment of the film is the wonderful folk music that keeps filling the soundtrack and lets us understand why those songs were created and sung. Overall, I felt that this film would have worked better if the script had just stuck with the men during their college and music-finding years, letting the film and the experience end as the two say goodbye. My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The History of Sound Website    Now playing in theaters. 

Forgotten Film:  Ondine  (2009) PG-13  Syracuse (Colin Farrell) is an Irish fisherman who quit drinking for the sake of his sick daughter. Meanwhile, his ex-wife is still drinking. Day after day, he comes back from fishing with empty nets. Then one day, his net is full, but it’s filled with a beautiful woman, Ondine (Alicja Bachleda). Syracuse’s daughter, Annie (Alison Bary), is convinced that Ondine is a selkie, a magical creature that can shapeshift between seal and human. Even Syracuse begins to realize that maybe his daughter is right and finds that he is falling for Ondine. While not a traditional fairy tale, this is an enchanting movie that keeps you guessing and wondering if there will be a happy ending. Colin Farrell delivers a brilliant performance, and the chemistry between Farrell and Alicja Bachleda creates sparks on the screen.   My Rating: Full Price  Ondine Info  Available to rent/buy on Amazon and some streaming services. 

Weird Credits:  From the credits of A Big Bold Beautiful Journey:  Spray Tan Artist

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: One Battle After Another  (2025) R  In One Battle After Another, a notorious enemy named Steve Lockjaw (Sean Penn) has resurfaced after 16 years, broken into Bob’s (Leonardo DiCaprio) home, and kidnapped his daughter (Chase Infiniti). Bob, a civil rights activist, must team up with an anti-government group to locate and rescue his daughter from an alt-right white supremacist group. The film is by Paul Thomas Anderson (Phantom Thread, Licorice Pizza) and is creating a lot of Oscar buzz.  One Battle After Another Website  The film opens in theaters on Friday, September 26, 2025. 

Until Next Time!

The Batman

My View: The Batman  (2022) PG-13  The Batman is about the Caped Crusader, Batman (Robert Pattinson), in his second year of fighting crime, uncovering corruption in Gotham City that connects to his own family while battling a criminal known as The Riddler for control of his city. When I was a boy, my favorite comic book character was Batman because he wasn’t a person with superpowers, but he used his gadgets and mind to solve crimes. Like the other hero of my childhood, Sherlock Holmes, Batman solved crimes using his intellect. What filmmaker Matt Reeves has brought us a Batman who is fighting a losing battle for control of a city that he loves. Pattinson is brilliant as the brooding crime-fighter trying to figure out who is killing the city’s most important and influential powerbrokers, as each gruesome killing is left with a riddle in a greeting card. Zoë Kravitz lights up the screen as Selina Kyle, Catwoman, who enlists The Batman to help her find her missing lover/roommate. Even so, it’s Paul Dano, who steals the film with his performance as The Riddler. For most of the film, we only see The Riddler in videos he releases, as he hides behind an odd bit of masking. Dano is scary as the mad, evil Riddler, who leaves clues for Batman at every murder he has committed. The Batman is not an origin story. We don’t get the usual flashback to when Bruce Wayne’s parents were murdered before his eyes; instead, this is a Batman that we already know, a crime-fighter battling his own demons as he takes on the worst of humanity. And know this: you will not recognize Colin Farrell as The Penguin. It is a fantastic bit of screen magic with The Penguin looking more like a gangster than the quacking cartoon character of other Batman films. I will warn you that you will want to hold off on drinking anything before or during the film as the running time is almost 3 hours in length, and you won’t want to miss anything on the screen to take a pee break. And yes, the film sets up another Batman film, and of course, there is a tiny surprise at the end of the final credits. So go on a journey with the Batman to solve crimes and defeat the criminals that threaten his beloved Gotham City.    My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   The Batman Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

My View: Fresh (2022) R    Noa (Daisy Edgar-Jones) is tired of the dating scene and has given up trying to find a good guy until she meets Steve (Sebastian Stan), a charming guy who seems to be perfect. However, Noa is about to discover that dating can be horrible, even horrific. With an opening credits scene that doesn’t start until 30 minutes into the film, you know you are in for something different. Let’s just say that Steve isn’t who or what he says he is and that Noa is in a lot of danger. To say that this film has a big twist in it would be an understatement, and some viewers will give up when they encounter that twist. Still, if you have the stomach for it, the rewards are worth it. With two outstanding performances by Sebastian Stan, as the ever-charming Steve and Daisy Edgar-Jones as the down on dating Noa, who becomes our fearless hero, Fresh is a strange and wonderful film full of surprises. It is more commentary on dating and the power of relationship dynamics than a horror film. But don’t kid yourself; it can be pretty horrific. You may never look at a ‘meet cute’ get-together the same way again.   My Rating: Full Price  Fresh Website  Now playing on the Hulu platform.

My View:  The Weekend Away  (2022)   Beth (Leighton Meester) is on a weekend vacation, far from her husband and baby, to visit her best friend Kate (Christina Wolfe) in Croatia. After a night of partying, Beth discovers that Kate has been murdered. Consequently, Beth is in a foreign country with no friends, the main suspect for Kate’s death, and no way of knowing what happened. The Weekend Away is a standard murder mystery that is helped by an excellent performance by Leighton Meester, playing a woman who is taking a break from her family to party with her best friend. Meester is the only thing that saves this from becoming your ordinary basic cable mystery. The story is as old as Lifetime has been making movies, with a plot of a woman who can’t remember what happened after a night of partying and her friend disappearing. Add into the plot with your usual fear tactics thrown in about our hero all alone in a foreign country, having to trust a stranger, and the deck continually stacking against her. There are a few twists to the story, but anyone who has seen any number of true crime stories on TV can figure out who the killer is by the time our hero does. Is it worth an afternoon on a weekend to watch? Sure, but don’t expect much.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   The Weekend Away Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform.

Indiefest: Lucy and Desi    (2022)  PG  This documentary explores the life and love of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, who became one of the most prolific power couples in entertainment and changed TV forever. I will admit that I have never been a fan of I Love Lucy. I didn’t enjoy the characters, the wacky situations, and the constant mistrust between Lucy and Desi. While I admired Lucille Ball’s ability to make any scene funny, I just never was a big fan of the series. Having watched this outstanding documentary from Amy Poehler, my admiration for Lucille Ball has grown. Poehler utilizes home movies and tape recordings that Lucy made during her lifetime to give us an inside look at a couple that changed the way TV was produced and had such an impact on network television. So much so that it is still using the model that Lucy and Desi created, both in front and behind the camera. Lucy's fans will go nuts with all the behind-the-scenes photos and home movies (in glorious color the see that flaming redhead)  along with the amazing bits of publicity photos and films that were made during their careers. The film doesn’t just concentrate on Lucy but gives Desi a much-needed run in the spotlight, letting us see the man who was a driving force behind the scenes of what became a TV-producing machine that dominated the TV landscape for years. The film doesn’t put the blame on one person for the marriage falling apart. The film makes it clear that both parties had faults that made the marriage doomed from the start. That’s made even more evident when both Lucy and Desi found a second love that they spent the rest of their lives with. Lucy and Desi is a brilliant documentary about a couple whose love and partnership changed how people watched television. It is also a love story that will bring you much laughter and a few tears, just like their groundbreaking show did.    My Rating: Full Price   Lucy and Desi Website  Now playing on the Amazon Prime platform.

Indiefest: After Yang   (2021) PG  In the near future, a family deals with the breakdown of their A.I. helper named Yang (Justin H. Min). Jake (Colin Farrell) searches for a way to get Yang repaired, who has become an integral part of their family and Jake’s daughter’s beloved companion. Jake will soon discover that this life is full of wonder and revelations. This is a film about love, loss, and what it means to be a parent. Jake goes on a quest first to find a way to get his A.I. helper Yang repaired. Finding roadblocks after roadblocks, he gives up in his quest to restore Yang, and instead, discovering a secret memory chip in Yang, Jake goes on a journey to find out what made Yang who he was. After Yang is a film about a family and how its dynamic is threatened by the loss of a loved one, even if that person is a robot. Yang is an essential part of the family; part teacher, part nanny but most of all, a friend who helps the family discover things about themselves. After Yang is a powerful and meaningful film about a family that learns how to reconnect with each other after depending on someone else to do the connecting. Incredibly, this film is being released the same week that Colin Farrell gives an entirely different performance as The Penguin in The Batman. In After Yang, Farrell provides us with a man in Jake who has lost his way but finds his place back in his family by discovering what made Yang so unique. And by the way, the opening credits of the film make it worth the price of admission by itself.   My Rating; Full Price    After Yang Website  Now playing in select theatres. 

Indiefest: Huda’s Salon (2021)  PG  Reem (Maisa Abd Elhadi) is a Palestinian woman with a newborn and an abusive husband. Reem's life changes forever on a routine visit to her hairdresser, Huda (Manal Awad). This is a film about two stories. One is the tale of a woman who is being blackmailed, and the other is the story of the blackmailer. In both cases, the two women are stuck in impossible situations, with nowhere to go and no one to turn to for help. Both women are tools of a system that keeps feeding on itself in a war that no one can win. Huda's Salon is a psychological thriller where you have no idea if or when these women can escape from their predicaments, and you realize that even if they do escape their present situation, their lives will never be the same. Of the two actresses, Abd Elahid, as Reem, the innocent mother who finds herself in an impossible situation, gives the better performance of a woman who looks for help but can only find that help from within.   My Rating: Full Price   Huda's Salon Website  Now playing in select theatres.

Forgotten Film:  Paperhouse   (1988)  PG-13   A lonely young girl (Charlotte Burke) draws a house with a young boy in a window. She then has a dream where she visits the boy, a boy who is disabled. The more she draws and dreams, the more she becomes immersed in a world that she may never escape. Paperhouse is a fascinating and lovely film about imagination and dreams and how they can come true and is one of those films that once you see it, it will stay with you a long time.   My Rating: Full Price    Paperhouse Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of The Batman: Virtual Reality Illustrator  

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Umma (2022) R  Amanda (Sandra Oh) and her daughter (Fivel Stewart) live on an isolated farm, raising bees without modern technology. Their world is shaken when Amanda receives the cremated ashes of her estranged mother, and their lives are taken over by a restless, evil spirit that will stop at nothing to come back. Sandra Oh in a horror film? Count me in!    Umma Info

Until Next Time!

Mulan

Note to readers: I currently am not willing to risk my health (I’m 62 and an asthmatic) by visiting a theatre. All films that I have seen for review have been screened in my home. I am not going to tell you whether or not to attend a theatre. Just be aware of the risks, do your research, and please, if you do, follow all the safety procedures to the letter. 

My View: Mulan (2020) PG-13   A young Chinese maiden, Mulan (Yifei Liu) disguises herself as a male warrior when her ailing father is called into the Army to protect the country from the Huns. This is a live-action remake of the 1998 animated Disney film, with some significant changes; this isn’t a musical and sorry to disappoint a few people (and kids), there isn’t a talking/flying, wisecracking dragon. Most of the rest of the story is the same as the animated film, with a young woman deciding to become a warrior in her father’s place, hiding that she isn’t a ‘he’ from her fellow soldiers. I was never a huge fan of the animated film, as I was not too fond of the Eddie Murphy voiced dragon, Mushu, finding the comedy relief wanting, and the music seemed a little bland to me. This film has some spectacular cinematography, and the fight/battle sequences are a wonder to watch, so much so that I wish we could all see this film on the big screen where it belongs. The film’s fight sequences reminded me of the 2000 film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon as our hero Mulan soars through the air, doing acrobatic feats to defeat her opponents. It’s a sweeping film about courage, inspiration, and finding that you can succeed if you believe in yourself and your friends no matter the obstacles.  Be sure to look for a appearance by Ming-Na Wen, the original voice of Mulan in the 1998 Disney film.  My Rating: Full Price    Mulan Website     The film is available on the Disney + Platform.

Indiefest: I’m Thinking of Ending Things (2020) R   A young woman (Jessie Buckley) is having second thoughts about dating her boyfriend (Jesse Plemons) and against her better judgment, agrees to a road trip to visit his parents (Toni Collette, David Thewlis) at the family farm. The young woman is about to question the nature of everything she knew or understood about herself and the world around her. I wrote that description before I saw the movie, and now that I have viewed the film, I am not quite sure I could write another one. To say the film bends time and logic is an understatement. This film is not for everyone, including me. The film starts as our couple head out on the road with the young woman (we never get her name) thinking to herself that she is about to break up with her boyfriend. When we arrive at the farm, things go from weird to bizarre as characters go out of a room and come back in a different age. The main character, the girlfriend, is trying to make the best of a very awkward visit as subject matters change almost at a moment's notice. I am not a fan of films like this, that go so far to challenge the viewer's viewpoint that it makes the experience uncomfortable and puzzling. If you enjoy the theatre of the absurd or watching characters debate the finer points of a vocabulary word, then you might enjoy this film. I, on the other hand, did not. I will say that Jessie Buckley is a major acting talent that made this film at least watchable. Buckley’s character had to pivot through the mind-blowing experience, and she handles the role with impressive agility and pathos. I just don’t enjoy this type of film and found myself wanting the whole experience to be over with.   My Rating: Cable     I'm Thinking of Ending Things Website     The film is available on the Netflix Platform and in select theatres.

My View:  Critical Thinking (2020)   In 1998, a group of intercity teenagers from Miami, inspired by their high school teacher (John Leguizamo) form a chess club and make it all the way to the National Chess Championship. This is an inspiring tale from director/actor John Leguizamo, about a group of misfits who buck incredible odds to make it to the top. I have always been a big fan of chess, impressed by the mental fortitude that it takes to become good at such a complicated game. Based on a true story, the film, at times, plucks on the heartstrings and, occasionally, lays it on a little thick with the us vs. the world plot, but Leguizamo has the charisma to carry it off with an outstanding supporting cast of young performers. The film shows us that no matter how hard the student’s lives are, existing with drugs and death, they still come together and believe in each other to conquer a world that they could never imagine. The film gets a bit bogged down in all the chess moves that the teacher goes on about, but even if you don’t know much about the game, you will be inspired on how a group of kids from a rough neighborhood overcame an incredible amount to become a team.   My Rating: Full Price     Critical Thinking Website    Available for rent on participating on-demand services.

Indiefest:  The Mole Agent (2020)   A private investigator places an ad for a senior citizen to go undercover at a retirement home where a client suspects the caretakers of elder abuse. This film’s description sounds like a work of fiction, but it is a delightful and, at times, incredibly moving film centered on a wonderful man, Sergio, who has a huge heart and is someone you will fall in love with. The film starts with the PI going through the interview process, and this part of the film is quite funny, as the PI has to find the right person for the job. Anyone with elderly parents/grandparents will love the part where the PI is trying to teach Sergio how to use not only his spy gear, which are pretty cool but also his phone (including how to do FaceTime). The heart of this film is not about trying to catch someone neglecting the people at the home, it’s about just how tough it is to grow old in our modern-day society. The film explores just how lonely it can be at a retirement home, how hard living day to day without someone to care about you is. The film isn’t all about heartbreak and loneliness as Sergio is a bit of a flirt, and the women, who vastly outnumber the men in the home, love his attention. It’s a film that is heartbreaking at times, but it is also uplifting because there are people like Sergio to brighten our world, even when it seems that no one else cares.    My Rating: Full Price     The Mole Agent Website     Available for rent on participating on-demand services.

Forgotten Film: Tigerland (2000) R    A group of recruits in 1971 go through advanced training in Louisiana at a place to look and feel like Vietnam, a place called Tigerland. Jim Paxton (Mathew Davis) is a man who dreams of becoming a great writer and volunteers for the Army at a time when serving in the military was a hotbed in a troubling time for the nation. Paxton befriends a fiery young man named Bozz (Colin Farrell) who has a gift for getting into trouble. This is a small, gritty film about how the military and war can break any man, no matter their moral compass. The film is less about action and more about the people in the combat troupe. Farrell gives a breathless performance full of bravado, and Davis, as the intellectual writer, is a perfect companion, making them a dynamic couple that the film revolves around.   My Rating: Full Price     Tigerland Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Mulan: Speciality Jeweler

Coming Soon to A Screen Near You: 2 Hearts (2020) PG-13   Two couples (Radha Mitchell, Tiera Skovbye, Adan Canto, Jacob Elordi) from different decades are connected in a way that no one could ever guess or predicted. I am a sucker for a romance, and we just don’t get enough of them, so I can’t wait for this one.      2 Hearts Website

Until Next Time!

The Gentlemen

My View: The Gentlemen (2019) R   Mickey (Matthew McConaughey) is the weed lord of England and wants to settle down with his wife, Rosalind (Michelle Dockery), and sell his drug empire. It won’t be an easy sell. Writer/director Guy Ritchie goes back to his roots when he used to do witty and gritty films like Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels (2000) and Snatch (1998). The film is a little too flashy and very complicated at the start, and it took me quite a while to warm up to its rather brash language and violence, but about halfway through the film, I really started to enjoy it. McConaughey isn’t given too much to do other than be super cool (which we know he is good at), but the rest of the cast just has a blast playing some fun and off-the-wall characters. Charlie Hunnam, playing McConaughey’s right-hand man, is perfect in the role, and Colin Farrell gives a hilarious performance of a coach of a gang of small-time gagsters slash boxers. The best performance is Hugh Grant playing a con-man who is trying to swindle everyone he deals with. Grant is hilarious, with a thick British accent and twinkle in his eye as he tries to swindle a big score. Not quite a home run but still a good time at the movies, I hope Ritchie keeps making movies like this one instead of dreck that he has done lately (Aladdin, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, The Man from U.N.C.L.E.).    My Rating: Bargain Matinee   The Gentlemen Website

My View:  The Last Full Measure (2019) R  Scott Huffman (Sebastian Stan) is given the task of investigating if thirty-four years after his death, Airman Willam H Pitsegnbarger Jr. (‘Pits’) is worthy of getting the nation’s highest military honor, for his actions on the battlefield. Huffman will discover that there are many secrets being hidden to Pits’ story. This is such a remarkable story that you want the film to be better than it is. With a cast that includes Samuel L. Jackson, Christopher Plummer, Bradley Whitford, Ed Harris, William Hurt, Peter Fonda, Amy Madigan, and Diane Ladd, you would think that this film would just fly by, but instead, it drags as we keep going back to flashbacks to the day that Pitts died. There are a lot of talking head scenes as Vietnam vets anguish over that day, but the film never delivers the emotional punch that is needed to make this film worth watching.    My Rating: Cable    The Last Full Measure Website

In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD / Blu-ray):  Gemini Man (2019)  PG-13    An over-the-hill hitman (Will Smith) takes on his worst nightmare, a younger clone of himself bent on killing him. Let's get right to what everyone will be talking about, the CGI younger Will Smith in the film. At times, the CGI does a great job and looks like a real person, but there are times, especially when we first meet the clone that looks fake and very animated. This takes away from the film, as you are consistently taken from the storyline or the action, looking at how well or not the film is carrying off this gimmick. I call it a gimmick because, as one of my fellow critics noted after the film screening, it would have been easier (and less costly) to cast a young actor in the part and then add makeup for the older version. The action is well done, but the storyline is weak, and the ending is just stupid and an easy out. Throughout the film, I kept asking, why did two-time Oscar winner Ang Lee want to do this film, and how could it be this bad directed by him.    My Rating: Cable    Gemini Man Website

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I've Only Seen in Trailers But Just Looks Like a Bad Idea): Gretel & Hansel (2020) PG-13   A young girl, Gretel (Sophia Lillis) leads her little brother, Hansel (Sam Leakey) into the woods in search of food and shelter. They come across a woman named Holda (Alice Krige) who claims that she wants to help the children, but Gretel senses that there is something evil about the woman. As of writing this, movie critics are not being offered a screening, never a good sign for a movie.    Gretel & Hansel Website

Forgotten Film: Bandslam (2009) PG   Will (Gaelan Connell) is a bit of a geek who's life revolves around music. He is recruited by Charlotte (Aly Michalka), who has put together a band to compete in the upcoming Battle of the Bands competition. Will knows something is missing from Charlotte’s band, and he finds Sa5m (Vanessa Hudgens) and adds her to the band, which instantly begins to gel. What I love about this film (besides the music which is catchy and fun) is how the film treats these teens like actual people, with real feelings and dreams. Hudgens and Michalka can sing, and Connell is perfect as the awkward kid who doesn’t think any girl would be interested in him. It’s a fun ride that reminds me a little of the fabulous 80s teen films that I fell in love with.   My Rating: Full Price    Bandslam Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of The Gentlemen: Crowd Voice Casting Assistant

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You: The Rhythm Section (2020) R   Stephanie (Blake Lively) will go at any length to seek revenge against those who orchestrated a plane crash that killed her family. I am always interested to see what Blake Lively has picked for her next role.     The Rhythm Section Website

Until Next Time!

Dumbo

My View:  Dumbo  (2019)  PG  A retelling of the timeless story of the baby elephant that has ears so big he can fly. I have liked the recent films of Tim Burton. While the film isn’t bad, it’s not great. I don’t know who this movie is for. The first half of the film is definitely aimed at kids but when the villain of the story, V.A. Vandevere (Michael Keaton) shows up, the film goes really dark. Vandevere owns Disney like park called Dreamland and recruits the owner of a small circus, Max Medici (Danny DeVito) to bring his circus and his flying baby elephant to Dreamland. The is probably Michael Keaton’s worst performance of his career. I have no idea what he was trying for, but Keaton is way over the top and it does not work. Other than two kids (Nico Parker, Finley Hobbins) there isn’t a likable character in the film, including the kid’s father, Hoit (Colin Farrell), a wounded soldier coming back from WW I. The CGI mostly works but there are a couple of flying sequences that don’t look quite right. Fans of the classic Dumbo film may be upset by how much different this film looks and feels. A fellow film critic, FanBolt’s Emma Loggins, hated this film and found it creepy. A bit of warning, young kids may get scared a couple of times when Dumbo is flying around.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee     Dumbo Website

My View:  The Aftermath  (2019) R  A few months after WW II has ended, Rachael (Keira Knightly) joins her husband, (James Clarke) who is still in the British army, in Hamburg, Germany. They stay at a German’s (Alexander Skarsgard) home who is still grieving for his wife that died in an Allied bombing. With a tired plot and no chemistry from Keira Knightley and her two love interests, this film never gets off the ground. I was really glad when the film ended because the dialogue was hurting my ears it was so bad. And this film has an ending that is just plain stupid. There is more believable romance in Us, a horror film, than this film.    My Rating: Cable   The Aftermath Website

Indiefest:  Hotel Mumbai (2018)  R  The film recalls 2008 siege of the famed Taj Hotel by a group of terrorists in Mumbai. A chef (Anupam Kher) and a waiter (Dev Patel) risk their lives to protect their guests. This taut thriller will have you on the edge of your seat. The film does a great job of letting you get to know the main guests and staff, so we start rooting for them as soon as the attacks start. The action (and there is quite of bit of it) is well done, The tension builds throughout the film and after seeing this film I can guarantee that you will be drained by the emotion tugs this film creates. You will also admire the courage of the staff, most of which stayed to protect their guests. It’s a film the shows the brutality of man but also the goodness of people helping people in a deadly situation.   My Rating: Full Price   Hotel Mubai Website 

Indiefest:  Ash is Purest White  (2018)  The story of the rise and fall of the love between a small time local hood named Bin (Fan Liao) and his lover, Qiao (Tao Zhan). So, let me tell you, the director, Ahangke Jia, loves to do long takes and has his actor pause for long times before replying to another character. The film centers on Qiso, played by the amazing Tao Zhan, who is headstrong and willing to do anything for her man. We go on a journey with Oiao that lasts 20 years as Bin comes in and out of her life. Zhan is a remarkable actress and Jia uses her talents to the utmost. This is a long, slow film that is worth seeing because of the performances of the two leads.  My Rating:  Full Price      Ash is Purest White Website

Forgotten Film:  Dave  (1993)  PG-13  Dave (Kevin Kline) is an ordinary guy who just happens to look exactly like the President of the United States. When the President wants to spend time with his mistress, Dave is recruited by the White House to fill and be seen. The problem is that while the real President is with his mistress, he has a stroke, making Dave’s impersonation of the President permanent. This is a funny and smart film which puts its main character is really funny and sometimes touching situations. The film has an outstanding cast with Sigourney Weaver as the First Lady, Frank Langella as the chief of staff, and great actors like Ving Rhames, Ben Kingsley, and Charles Grodin. Kline is hilarious in the role and so much fun to watch.  My Rating: Full Price

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Dumbo:  Drapes Master

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Amazing Grace  (2018)  G  Documentary showing Aretha Franklin backed up by a choir giving a concert at a Baptist church in Los Angeles in 1972. This is going to be amazing!     Amazing Grace Website

Until Next Time!

Baby Driver

My View:  Baby Driver  (2017)  R   Baby (Ansel Elgort) is the best getaway driver out there, and he works for a veteran kingpin (Kevin Spacey) who he owes big money to. Baby’s world changes when he meets a young waitress (Lily James) who gives him something other than driving to live for. This is a stunning, highly enjoyable film. The best way to describe it is a car chase musical. Baby has a permanent case of tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and to drown it out; he is constantly listening to music. Music is an important part of his life, so he lives his life with a constant soundtrack. Elgort sings, dances and drives to the beat of 30 different songs that make of the film’s soundtrack. The action sequences are brilliant, timed to the music that Baby is listening to (at one point he has to re-cue a song before he can drive away from the cops) and were done with no CGI (computerized special effects). The car chases are some of the most exciting chase sequences I have ever seen. The cast is brilliant, with Kevin Spacey as the planner of the bank robberies and Jon Hamm as one of the robbers, making the most of their parts. The star of the film is Ansel Elgort, and he gives a dazzling performance that is mesmerizing. Go see this magical film. You just might drive home from the theatre a little faster with your sound system blasting after seeing this movie.  My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  Baby Driver Website

My View:  The Beguiled  (2017)  R  At a girls’ school in Virginia during the Civil War, the young women have been sheltered from the outside world. A wounded Union soldier (Colin Farrell) is taken in, and it changes the school forever. The Union soldier charms his way into getting to stay longer than he should, but trouble starts when the women all start to think that he is in love with each of them. This is a beautiful looking film that, at times, almost seems like a dream. The film is a little slow, but it works, as the undercurrents start to build tension. The film is a remake of a 1971 movie of the same name, with Clint Eastwood starring as the Union soldier. I didn’t like that film, as I never felt the danger that is in this movie. While I like Farrell’s performance, it’s Nicole Kidman that makes this film work. She plays the woman who owns the boarding school, and she plays the part with a restraint that slowly gets broken down by her desires for the soldier. While not a horror film, there are quite a few suspenseful moments and an ending that may shock you.  My Rating: Full Price  The Beguiled Website

Family Faire:  Despicable Me 3  (2017)  PG  Gru (Steve Carell) has lost his job and has decided to go back to being a villain. His long-lost twin brother, Dru (Steve Carell) shows up, and they go on a criminal heist together. I am not a fan of the Despicable Me franchise, and as they keep making these films, it seems that they are writing them for six-year-olds. The plot is thin, and I have always felt that the bad guy (this time voiced by South Park co-creator Trey Parker) is never well-thought-out. Even the Minions are not utilized, and they leave Gru because he doesn’t want to be a villain. I will admit there are a couple of funny scenes when the Minions get thrown in jail, but those are few and far between. The film is so boring, a critic next to me looked at his watch to see how much longer we had until the movie would end, and then 3 minutes later he did it again. This film may be okay and entertaining for little kids, but grownups may want to take a nap in the theatre, or you might be like my fellow critic and think that time has stopped.   My Rating:  Cable   Despicable Me 3 Website 

IndieFest:  Okja  (2017)  TV-MA  A young girl named Mija (Seo-Hyun Ahn) has raised a giant pig named Okja for the last ten years in Korea.  A massive agricultural company now wants the pig back and will do anything to return it to their headquarters. Mija will have to travel far and wide, battling bad guys and a mean CEO (Tilda Swinton), to save her beloved Okja. I want to warn you; this is not a film for kids. It deals with subjects like industrial farming, animal cruelty, and can get very graphic and disturbing. But this film isn’t all dark. You will fall in love with Okja and Mija. There is humor in this film and shows up at odd or dark times due to the absurdity of the situation or the weird and wild cast of characters.  Jake Gyllenhaal stands out as a TV show host of a popular TV animal program. Gyllenhaal is hysterical as the over-the-top, self-centered host (think an over-caffeinated Steve Irwin with a little Richard Simmons mixed in).  The storyline is moving, funny and scary, sometimes in the matter of minutes of each other. Ultimately you will want to go on this journey with Mija and Okja.  Note: this film is not in theatres but available on Netflix.  My Rating: Full Price   Okja Website

Forgotten Film:  Matchstick Men  (2003)  A con man, Roy (Nicolas Cage), who has all sort of obsessions that dominate his life, and his partner in crime (Sam Rockwell) stumble upon a great con game when Roy’s teenage daughter (Alison Lohman) comes back into his life. Cage gives a performance of a lifetime as the clever conman who can have a panic attack at a moment’s notice and wants desperately to connect with his brash daughter.  I think it’s a real shame that Cage didn’t get an Oscar nomination for this brilliant and complex role. The storyline will keep you guessing if they can pull off the con, and I loved the end of this film.    My Rating:  Full Price   Matchstick Men Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of The Beguiled:  Sticher

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Breathe  (2017)  PG-13  The true story of Robin (Andrew Garfield), a man who loves adventure, meets a woman (Claire Foy) and quickly falls in love with her.  Their life is idyllic until he’s afflicted with polio that leaves him paralyzed. I can’t think of anyone else but Garfield who could play this man who decides that polio won’t stop him from living his life the way he wants to.   Breathe Info

Until Next Time!

Dead Man Down

My View:   Dead Man Down  (2013)  R  Victor (Colin Farrell) is the right-hand man to a New York City crime boss (Terrence Howard).  Victor must find the killer who is threatening his boss. A woman named, Beatrice (Noomi Rapace), who seduces Victor and complicates things even more, may push him into a situation that he may never escape. This is one of those films that takes so many twists and turns that you fully don't understand what is happening until about three fourths of the way through the film.  Noomi Rapace is wasted in the character of a damaged woman (literally, her face is severely cut up in a car accident) who meets Victor after a series of flirting glances.  In a film where Farrell is playing a thug enforcer for a mob boss, there is very little action with only one really good action sequence near the beginning, and the climax at the end is highly predicable and totally unbelievable. This film was a waste of a really good cast, especially Rapace, whom, I hope, can find another role worthy of her Dragon Tattoo heritage.     My Rating:  Cable   Dead Man Down Website

Indiefest:  Emperor  (2013)  PG-13  World War II has ended, and General Douglas MacArthur (Tommy Lee Jones) has landed on Japan soil. Emperor Hirohito may now be charged as a war criminal. MacArthur has picked General Fellers (Matthew Fox) to investigate and decide if the Emperor is to be put on trial; a trial that could destroy a country.  The film centers on two stories:  the investigation into if the Emperor ordered the attack on Pearl Harbor and the love story set in the past between Fellers (Fox) and a Japanese girl named Aya (Eriko Hatsune) whom he meets while both are in college in the states.  Fellers sets about trying to put together who made the decisions to attack the US but is hampered by the fact that Japan is in total disarray due to the war, and under the gun to find evidence in ten days time, he is distracted in his quest to try and locate Aya to see if she survived the war.  This film left me wanting more of the war side of the story and much less of the love story.  I think I would have preferred to see a film about the rebuilding of a country with Tommy Lee Jones's MacArthur as the central character instead of him being a supporting character to Fox's love-worn general.    My Rating:  Bargain Matinee   Emperor Website

The 50 ( A Movie from My Best/Worst Films of All Time)

# 8 Best Film

Sunrise  (1927)  This silent film directed by the great F.W. Murnau is a stunning example of a film that was way ahead of its time in both its complex storyline and its visuals.  It's a film about a married farmer (George O'Brien) who meets a "city woman" (Margaret Livingston) who convinces the farmer that if he runs away to the city with her, his life will be full of joy.  But, before the farmer can leave, the city woman wants him to do one thing - kill his wife (Janet Gaynor).  Every scene in this film is shot to showcase the drama, the suspense and the conflict the actors portray.  The acting of the three principles is exceptional, especially Gaynor, who plays the unsuspecting wife so perfectly.  This film was groundbreaking, its special effects are better than some Hollywood films made today, and its plot could stand up to any of today's scripts.   Sunrise Info

Forgotten Film:  Thief  (1981)  R  James Cann plays Frank, a man who dreams of having a family, the two-car garage, kids and the white picket fence.  But Frank isn't your ordinary guy; he makes his money by being a professional thief.  When Frank meets and marries the girl of his dreams (Tuesday Weld), he decides to speed up his plan and make a big, final score so he can retire from the business.  Frank makes one mistake - he takes a job for the mob, a job that may be his last, not because he is going to retire but because he won't survive.    My Rating:  Full Price    Thief Info

In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD):  Life of Pi  (2012)  PG  A young man survives a shipwreck only to be lost at sea on a large lifeboat with a Bengal Tiger.  I picked this film as one of the best of 2012, as the cinematography showcases the unbelievable 3-D scenes, making for an amazing visual experience.  I am afraid, though, that viewers who select to wait for the DVD will not fully be able to experience the wonders of this film.     My Rating:  Full Price    Life of Pi Website

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I've Only Seen in Trailers But Just Looks Like a Bad Idea):   Scary Movie 5 (2013)  PG-13  You know studios are scraping the bottom of the barrel when you see the names, Charlie Sheen and Lindsay Lohan on the same bill.  Just stop it! Stop the madness!     Scary Movie 5 Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Emperor:  Animal Coordinator

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  The Place Beyond the Pines  (2013)  R  A motorcycle stunt man turns to robbing banks to support his family. Just the cast of Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes and Rose Byrne makes me want to see this film.  Forget the great storyline.   The Place Beyond The Pines Website

Until Next Time!