Creed III

My View: Creed III (2023) PG-13  Adonis (Michael B. Jordan), over the past seven years, has gotten everything he ever dreamed of, with both a career and a family life thriving. However, when a childhood friend (Jonathan Majors) shows up unexpectantly, the past rears its ugly head, and Adonis will have to fight for not only his career but for his life. I loved the first Creed film and feel it is one of the best boxing movies of the genre, right up there with the first Rocky film. The second Creed film was a disappointment that had Sylvester Stallone’s fingerprints all over it. While not on the level of the first Creed, I am happy to say that this third film is still a fine boxing film with an outstanding performance by Jonathan Majors as the bad guy back from Adonis’s past to create a problem that Adonis can’t avoid or deny. Michael B. Jordan directs this film, and I love his emphasis on the relationship between Adonis and his daughter, Amara (Mila Davis-Kent), and how Adonis wants to be the father that he never got. Tessa Thompson is back as Adonis’s wife, Bianca, who, much like Adrian was for Rocky, is Adonis’s sounding board and lets him know when Adonis is going off on the wrong path. Majors is the best thing about this film, a man who, no matter how much he tells you, you know, is a dangerous man with a chip on his shoulder that wants what he thinks has been taken away from him. Every time Majors shows up on the screen, there is a quiet feeling of evil, which explodes into fury when his plan is revealed. The fight sequences are well done, but the scenes between Majors and Jordan before the film’s final fight spark the film and make it work. While not on par with Creed or Rocky, this is still a film to see.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Creed III Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

My View: Operation Fortune: Ruse de guerre (2023) R  Special agent Orson Fortune (Jason Statham) and his team blackmail one of Hollywood’s biggest movie stars, Danny Francesco (Josh Hartnett), into helping them take down an evil arms dealer (Hugh Grant) who has his hands on a deal new weapon that could disrupt the world’s balance of power. If you are a Jason Statham fan, you will enjoy this film, though most of his fighting sequences are done in close quarters and over pretty quickly. Statham isn’t the reason to see this spy romp; It’s the work of Hugh Grant and josh Hartnett that makes this film so enjoyable to watch. Hartnett is hilarious as the dim and ego-driven actor who gets blackmailed into the scheme to infiltrate the inner circle of an international arms dealer who is too slick to be caught. Hartnett milks every scene with an awkward grace that shows some natural comedic timing. However, the film’s real star is Hugh Grant, doing his best Michael Caine impression as an arms dealer who thinks he is the smartest man in the room (and he just might be). Grant’s arms dealer has one chink in his armor. He is a huge Danny Francesco fan, so much so that as soon as Danny shows up, he can not help but invite the star to his private getaway, even though a major deal is about to go down. Grant is slimy while also being a bit of a charmer, making it a blast to watch him chew up scenery in every scene he is in. Operation Fortune is a Guy Ritchie action film with plenty of flash, with little thought to details, but Grant and Hartnett will make you forget that pesky plot and just have some fun.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Operation Fortune Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

Indiefest: Hunt Her, Kill Her (2022)  Karen (Natalie Terrazzino) is a lone night janitor in a warehouse on the first night of an overnight cleaning job. She finds herself in an unexpected fight for her life when a group of masked intruders break into the warehouse. Can she survive the night, and why are they determined to kill her? This is a film that won a bunch of horror film festival awards, and it deserves it. Unlike many films of this nature, Karen isn’t some former army ranger with a very particular set of skills. Instead, Karen is an ordinary mom stuck in a dangerous situation and is trying to stay alive from a gang of masked men who want her dead. Hunt Her, Kill Her is a thrill ride with some cool moments, including a bad guy death that you won’t soon forget. This is a film that keeps you on the edge of your seat as you hope and pray that Karen can somehow get out of the warehouse alive. While the film doesn’t quite finish what it starts, Hunt Her, Kill Her is a fun ride with a hero that we can all root for.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Hunt Her, Kill Her Website  Now playing in select theatres. 

Indiefest: A Little White Lie (2023) R  Shriver (Michael Shannon) is a down-on-his-luck handyman who has never read a book in his life. One day, he is mistaken for a famous reclusive writer who has been in hiding for 20 years. Invited to attend a college literacy festival, Shriver decides to show up and is soon surrounded by fans, including an English professor (Kate Hudson), who shows more than just a passing interest in him. How long can he keep the lie going? This is one of those films you want to love or even like, but it never finds its footing. I love Michael Shannon, and he tries to bring us to understand why this guy would attempt to fool everyone at a book festival, but the film is lost almost from the start. There isn’t any chemistry between Shannon and Hudson, making the reason for Shriver to continue the ruse seem pointless. The film has a twist that is easy to figure out and an ending that seems too much like a full-out comedy, which this isn’t. I have a feeling that the book this is based on is much better than this disappointing rom-com. Or maybe it’s supposed to be a satire. Either way, it doesn’t work.  My Rating; Cable   A Little White Lie Info  Now playing in select theatres. 

My View: The Donor Party  (2023)   Jaclyn (Malin Akerman) has just gone through a messy divorce and years of bad online dating. Jaclyn realizes she wants to become a mother without a relationship and will do anything to get her baby. Jaclyn and her best friends decide to get her pregnant at a party with someone she doesn’t know. This is a comedy that doesn’t work on many levels. First, Jaclyn wants to have sex with three men on the same night hoping someone will get her pregnant, which is just wrong, but she goes for it. Second, the jokes are few and far between, making the film feel uncomfortable from almost the start. And finally, I didn’t like any character in this film, other than Jaclyn’s best friend Molly (Erinn Hayes), who tries to talk Jaclyn out of this idea but fails. The film feels like most of the dialogue was ad-libbed, which has become a thing for smaller films to do and in this case, it just doesn’t work. The Donor Party is a comedy of errors but the error was every making this film.   My Rating: Cable  The Donor Party Info  Now playing in select theatres and On Demand. 

 

Forgotten Film: Paradise Road (1997) R  A group of women trying to escape the Japanese invasion of Singapore in 1942 are caught by the Japanese after their transport ship is sunk. Stuck in a POW camp for the duration of the war, the women turn to one thing that can bring hope to their lives: music. The film is based on a true story, and with the cast of Glenn Close, Frances McDormand, Pauline Collins, Cate Blanchett, Julianna Margulies, and Jennifer Ehle, this should have been a magnificent film. Instead, it’s only worth watching for the performances of Glenn Close, as a British musician who starts the choir, and Cate Blanchett as a nurse who tries to keep the women going. Close is brilliant as the fiery Adrienne, who sees music as a way to escape the horrors of war. In one of her first feature film roles, Blanchett shows us a glimpse into what she will become as an actor, giving a moving performance that brings the horror of war to the front. I just wish the script had given this cast more to work with. Paradise Road isn’t a bad film and is worth watching for the performances; it just should have been better.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Paradise Road Info  Available for rent on Amazon or iTunes.

Weird Credits: From the credits of Operation Fortune: Ruse de guerre: Supervising Colorist

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Renfield (2023) R  Renfield (Nicholas Hoult) has spent centuries doing the bidding of his master and would love to find a way out. After a chance meeting where he saves a feisty, perennially angry traffic cop (Awkwafina), he decides to find a way to escape and live a normal life. One problem, his master is Dracula (Nicolas Cage). I can’t wait to see what Cage will do with this role.   Renfield Website Coming to theatres in Mid-April. 

Until Next Time!

Knock at the Cabin

My View: Knock at the Cabin (2023) R  Andrew (Ben Aldridge) and Eric (Jonathan Groff), along with their adopted daughter, Wen (Kristen Cui), have rented a cabin in the woods for a little weekend getaway. Their vacation is interrupted by a man (Dave Bautista) who appears out of nowhere, along with three other people. Andrew, Eric, and their daughter are going to be confronted with a task that, if not completed, could end the world. This is an intense film where the tension keeps building, with little flashbacks to Andrew and Eric’s relationship as our only release. A brilliant performance by Dave Bautista bolsters the film, giving us a character that differs greatly from most of the parts Bautista has played before. Bautista's character is the center of the film, and he does a masterful job of guiding us through what is happening. The film takes place mainly in the cabin, contributing to the feeling of dread and claustrophobia that permeates the film. Knock at the Cabin is more a character study with suspense than a horror film, though there are a few horrific moments. It is more about questioning moral problems, problems that your mind will have a hard time coming to grips with. I enjoyed this film, and while not M. Night Shyamalan’s best work, it still is a journey worth taking.  My Rating: Full Price  Knock at the Cabin Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

My View: True Spirit (2023)  Jessica Watson (Teagan Croft), who, against the odds and despite many doubters, sets out to be the youngest person ever to sail solo, non-stop around the world. I liked this film, mainly because it can inspire young women to take a chance and go out into the world and chase their dreams. Based on a true story, this is a movie for the whole family about Jessica, who, very early in her childhood, decided that she wanted to sail around the world. Teagan Croft is perfect in the role of Jessica, a headstrong teen who is determined to do something that no one that young has ever done. The film is best when Jessica is on the boat, battling both the sea and her own very personal demons. The film pulls on the heartstrings a bit too much during times of trouble, with flashbacks to a young Jessica being cute and determined. Overall, due to the performance of Teagan Croft, with some support from Anna Paquin as her mom and Cliff Curtis playing her gruff but lovable mentor, True Spirit is a winning look at a person who dreamed of doing the impossible and the world watch her succeed.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee   True Spirit Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform.

My View: Pamela, a Love Story (2023)   This documentary allows Baywatch star and pop culture icon Pamela Anderson to tell her story, letting us know what really happened in her own words. Pamela Anderson has been in the spotlight since the early 90s, first as a Playboy centerfold, then as the ultimate Baywatch lifeguard, and finally, as a woman who always seemed to pick the wrong guy to marry. The documentary lets her give us a look at her life, now returned to her childhood home in Canada and back when she was running in slow motion on the beach. The film skips around a bit; for instance, it makes it look like her first acting job was Baywatch, while I remember her as the first ‘Tool Time Girl’ on Home Improvement. Pamela has had a troubled life, and it seems she was always looking for someone or something to take away that pain. The film does a great job of making us see the person and not the almost cartoon character that she portrayed on TV and for the tabloids. It is ultimately a sad tale, but one that she seems to have survived. You may think you know her, but even after watching this in-depth look at her life, I don’t think we ever will.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  

Indiefest: One Fine Morning (2022) R  Sandra (Léa Seydoux) must make the tough decision of moving her father, who is suffering from a neurodegenerative disease, from his home to a nursing home. Amid this horrible time in her life, she runs into a married friend (Melvil Poupaud) and begins a torrid affair. I will warn you right from the start: the movie will break your heart into a thousand pieces by the end of the film. Seydoux gives us a fantastic performance of an ordinary woman dealing with being a widowed single mom dealing with one of the hardest things we do as an adult, deciding when to move your parent out of their home into assisted living. While keeping a job and being a mom, Sandra is forced to confront this. When a chance encounter with an old friend turns into an affair that almost consumes Sandra, we know that this is something she needs, but it also might turn out bad because he is a married man, a man who still feels the draw of his wife and son. Lea Seydoux gives us a real woman who meets most of her responsibilities head-on, but maybe not in her love life. Seydoux is an actor who gives us her feelings and emotions through her expressive face, as we see just how Sandra is thinking through all that life puts in her way.  My Rating; Full Price   One Fine Morning Website  Now playing in select theaters. 

Indiefest: Ocean Boy (also known as Bosch & Rockit) (2021)  Ocean Boy takes place during the summer on the Australian coast when Bosch (Luke Hemsworth) goes on the run, wanted for dealing drugs with his surf gang. In tow is his son, Rockit (Rasmus King), who does not know what his father has done and thinks he is on a magical vacation with his dad. The film is mostly about the relationship between Bosch and Rockit, a father and son who act more like salty-talking brothers. I had a hard time getting into the film because I didn’t like Bosch, a drug dealer who seems to treat his kid as a sidekick rather than a son. Rockit has a good heart, but growing up as a wild child, he is all over the place; at times, he is a moody kid, and other times an understanding and loving one. The film is beautifully shot, with some fantastic surfing scenes, but overall the film has trouble with pacing, losing momentum every few minutes. The plot gets a little convoluted; at one point, Rockit is convinced his father is a spy, and if/how Bosch will get out of all the trouble he is in is never explained. Still, there are some amazing shots of surfing, and it once again tells me I must visit Australia. I just hope that I don’t run into either Bosch or Rockit while there. My Rating: Cable  Ocean Boy Info  Now playing in select theaters.

Indiefest: Let it Be Morning (2021)   Sami (Alex Bakri) is a Palestinian-born Israeli citizen whose brother’s wedding has forced him to return to the Arab village where he grew up and vowed never to return. After the wedding, the town is put under a military blockade from which Sami can’t escape from. As he is stuck behind the town’s walls, secrets come out, and Sami watches everything he holds dear fall apart. Let it Be Morning was Israel’s film submission to last year’s Oscars, and it is worthy of that nomination. Part comedy, part drama, the film is about a man who is stuck with his family when all he wants to do is go back to the safety of his home, where his mistress and his cushy job are waiting for him. Instead, he is in a nightmare situation where the walls are closing in on him. It’s a subtle comedy where the threat of violence and oppression keeps appearing with each day as tensions mount for Sami and the townspeople. Let it Be Morning is a bittersweet film about life, marriage, and dreams for the future.  My Rating: Full Price   Let it Be Morning Website  Now playing in select theaters. 

Familyfaire: The Amazing Maurice (2022) PG A talking tomcat named Maurice (voiced by Hugh Laurie) is running a scam with Keith (voiced by Himesh Patel) and a group of talking rats, where the rats invade a town, and Keith plays a pipe, for a price, to lead the rats. Maurice is the mastermind, and things are going well until they come to a town where food is mysteriously vanishing. There the gang meets Malicia (voiced by Emilia Clarke), who joins the crew to find out what is happening to the missing food. I enjoyed this film, though I think small kids may find it a bit scary. The animation isn’t very flashy, but the jokes are fast, and the film breaks the fourth wall constantly as Maurice and Malicia have a battle over who the narrator of the story is. David Thewlis does a fantastic job voicing the bad guy in the film, ' Boss Man,’ a mysterious figure who is up to no good, giving him an evil quality that just drips with badness. The ending is pleasing, and Hugh Laurie voicing Maurice is having a blast with the part. Oh, and by the way, The Amazing Maurice has some cool messages for kids, including books are fun to read! My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The Amazing Maurice Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

Forgotten Film: Double Dare (2004)  This documentary focuses on two stunt women, Zoe Bell, and Jeannie Epper. Epper is the veteran who used to do the stunts for Lynda Carter on the old Wonder Woman TV series, and Bell is an up-and-coming stuntwoman who has worked as the stunt person for Lucy Lawless on the Xena series. The film gives us an inside look at how Hollywood treats women in the industry; where Jeannie Epper has all the experience but can’t get a job as a stunt coordinator, and Bell is expected to be in better shape than the women getting paid millions of dollars that she is doing the stunts for. Double Dare is a fascinating look at a job few people can do and how they don’t get the credit they deserve.   My Rating: Full Price

Weird Credits: From the credits of Knock at the Cabin: Color Science

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Creed III (2023) PG-13  For the last seven years, Adonis (Michael B. Jordan) has gotten everything he ever dreamed of, with both a career and a family life thriving. However, when a childhood friend (Jonathan Majors) shows up unexpectantly, the past rears its ugly head, and Adonis will have to fight for not only his career but for his life. Directed by Michael B. Jordan, it will be interesting to see if the magic can continue.  Creed III Website  Film will be released in early March, 2023.

Until Next Time!