The Monkey

My View:  The Monkey  (2025)  R In The Monkey, twin brothers, Hal and Bill (Theo James in a duel role) were haunted by a mechanical toy monkey they owned when they were young. When played, the monkey bangs on a drum, and when the drumming stops, it means that someone close by will die. The monkey was hidden by the boys, but now that they are adults, it has returned. The movie is directed by Osgood Perkins, who gave us last year’s horror hit Longlegs, and is based on a Stephen King short story. If you want a Final Destination type film combined with a sick sense of humor, then this is your film. From the start, the movie goes over the top with very sick and humorous ways to die, all through horrific accidents. Hal and Bill are aware of the cause of these accidents, and it's the toy monkey banging on his drum. Theo James is great in the duel role of the adult Hal and Bill, twins who do not get along. Colin O'Brien plays Hal's estranged son Petey, who has an attitude problem that keeps getting worse as he learns more about his father. There is a message in the film, but I will let you figure it out. All you need to know is that a lot of people are going to die in some very funny and creative ways. I just hope that the monkey doesn’t end up at your house. And if you want to see a trailer for the next Osgood Perkins film, stay through all the credits, and you will get a taste of what is coming next from this creative horror filmmaker.  My Rating; Full Price   The Monkey Website   The film is in theaters nationwide.   

My View:  Cleaner  (2025)  R  Cleaner begins when activists take over an energy company’s annual gala, holding over 300 hostages. During her job as a window cleaner on the building, Joey (Daisy Ridley) learns that one of the hostages is her brother. Little do the activists know that Joey is a highly trained soldier determined to take them down. Cleaner is a fun action film with a star who can handle the action scenes but also has the acting chops to handle interaction with the bad guys. The film has some twists that keep the film moving. Where the film falters a bit is the relationship between Joey and her older brother Michael (Matthew Tuck). Their scenes seem forced, and the chemistry between the two lacking, making their relationship seem slight. Of course, most of us will think back to the first Die Hard film, but other than a relationship via walkie-talkie with a senior officer in charge of the rescue (played by Ruth Gemmell), the similarities are small. Cleaner isn’t a Die Hard rip-off but an action film with some heart behind it. So, but on your harness because you are about to spend a lot of time hanging off the side of one of London’s tallest buildings with Joey. She has a bit of cleaning up to do with a few bad guys.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Cleaner Website  Now playing in theaters. 

Indiefest:  Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story  (2024)   Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story is a documentary on Liza Minnelli, the daughter of actress Judy Garland. From her upbringing in front of the camera to her Oscar-winning performance in Cabaret (1973), along with her marriages and partying, Liza became a legend. I remember seeing Liza on TV performing with her mom, Judy Garland, but where I fell in love with Liza was her star-making performance in Cabaret. To a thirteen-year-old, she was the sexiest woman I had ever seen. This documentary focuses on Liza up until the mid-80s and everyone who mentored her. What I didn’t know was that after her mother died, Liza had a lot of help figuring out how to be Liza on stage and screen. This is a fascinating examination of a talented woman who had to overcome the enormous shadow her mother cast. Through the interviews, we get to know Liza and find out just how loved she is. The most memorable aspect of this film, aside from Liza's incredible talent, is her kindness. Liza, the private person, is a wonderful friend, while Liza, the performer, loves the attention and being on stage. While Liza is interviewed for the film and seems to have fun with the camera/interviewer, it’s Liza’s friends that give us insight into her life and loves. Liza fans will be captivated by all the home movies and outstanding concert footage that the film contains. And yes, she does sing a few times. My Rating: Full Price   Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story Website  Now playing in select theaters. 

Sorry I Missed It (A film that I didn’t see in theatres but have seen recently): Sweethearts  (2024)   R   Sweethearts is about two college freshmen, Jamie and Ben (Kiernan Shipka and Nico Hiraga), who decide that when they go back to their hometown for the Thanksgiving holiday, they will pull a “Turkey Dump” and break up with their high school sweethearts. They decide to do it on “Drunksgiving,” the night before Turkey Day, but things don’t always work out the way you want them to. Sweethearts is one of those films that I wanted to like the film because I love the cast, especially Kiernan Shipka, but the screenplay lacks direction. The plot goes all over the place, as if director Jordan Weiss wasn’t sure which way to take the film. I loved the fact that this is a film with two platonic friends at the core, playing off our expectations fueled by all the past rom-coms (one of which makes a TV appearance during the film). However, the film’s jokes continually fall flat, and it takes forever to get going. While it takes place during Thanksgiving, there isn’t a lot of holiday vibes, which I enjoyed, but the film goes too easy on making both their left behind ‘sweethearts’ straight from the rom-com plots of people who shouldn’t be together, ever. There was one bright spot in the plot. Jamie and Ben’s best friend, Palmer (Caleb Hearon), is back visiting from France, where Palmer works across the street from EuroDisney (as he says EuroDisney adjacent). Palmer is back in town and wants to help Jamie and Ben with their breakup plan, but gets sidetracked by wanting to come out to his hometown. His adventures make you wish the movie centered on Palmer, Mr. Oblivious to the fact that everyone knows he is gay, as his scenes are the warmest and funniest. I enjoyed the film’s ending, but it took too long to get there, spending too much time setting up the main characters’ relationship. Sweethearts just isn't sweet enough for my taste.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Sweethearts Website  Now playing on Max. 

Forgotten Film:  Life is Sweet  (1990)  R   Life is Sweet takes place in a home in a London suburb, where the parents, Wendy and Andy (Alison Steadman and Jim Broadbent), live with twin adult daughters, Natalie (Claire Skinner) and Nicola (Jane Horrocks). Their house is full of wild characters that are so much fun to explore. The two twin sisters are like night and day. Nicola is a radical who hates anything and everything the government stands for. Natalie is cheerful and hopeful about life. Andy is always coming up with an off-the-wall way to make a few bucks, and Wendy is consistently torn between wanting to support her husband’s wild scenes but is also a little bit horrified by the fact that they will probably fail. Life is Sweet is one of filmmaker Mike Leigh’s (Topsy-Turvy, Vera Drake, Happy-Go-Lucky) best movies with plenty of laughs and some surprises too. I don’t want to give away too much of the plot, but you will have fun with this strange and wacky family.  My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again.  Life is Sweet Info The film is available to rent/buy on Amazon Prime. 

Weird Credits: From the credits of Cleaner:  High Fall Special Action Manikins

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You:   Snow White  (2025) PG   A live-action adaptation of the 1937 Walt Disney animated film Snow White starring Rachel Zegler as Snow White and Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen. I have hopes for this because Benj Pasek and Justin Paul of La La Land (2016), The Greatest Showman (2017), and the Tony award-winning Broadway musical “Dear Evan Hansen” wrote original songs for this movie.  Snow White Website  The film will be in theaters nationwide on Friday, March 21, 2025. 

Until Next Time!

Hit Man

My View:  Hit Man  (2023)  R   Gary (Glen Powell) is your typical, boring philosophy professor with two cats. Except, Gary has a side job, he poses as a hit man for the New Orleans police department and he is good at catching criminals who want someone dead. Things are going great until he meets Madison (Adria Arjona), who wants to hire him to kill her husband. There are two problems: Gary is falling for Madison, and her husband just turned up dead. Glen Powell has been working in Hollywood for quite a while, mainly as a supporting actor, playing roles such as John Glenn in Hidden Figures (2016). However, filmmaker Richard Linklater gave Powell a starring role in his baseball film Everybody Want’s Some (2016) set on a small college campus in the early 90s. Then Hollywood figured out that maybe there was more to Mr. Powell when he blew everyone away in his role as Lt. Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin in Top Gun: Maverick (2022). He then showed he could be the leading man in the successful rom-com Anyone But You last year. Now he shows us what a great and mesmerizing actor he is in the role of a college professor who moonlights as a fake hitman to catch crooks for the New Orleans police department. Powell is exceptional in the role, letting him play Gary as a man with a talent and a passion to be a chameleon, meeting his potential clients in disguises and outfits to match their expectations of what a hit man should look and act like. Powell gives one of those performances where you can’t take your eyes off him, commanding the screen, even when he is playing the quiet, mild Gary. And that’s saying a lot when you have someone like Adria Arjona on the screen with him. I loved their scenes together, as they just about combust on the screen as the two characters constantly joke and flirt, and you know from that first meeting that they are destined to end up together. The film is a blast to watch as Gary gets deeper and deeper into a relationship with Madison, one that we know could blow up in his face at any time. Hit Man is an outstanding date film, and it could be called a rom-com with a few dead bodies along for the ride. The film moves at a quick pace, and as things start to get sticky for Gary, we wonder how he will ever get away with it. You will have to go on a few capers for that answer as Gary plays hit man for a while.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again    Now playing in theaters and on Netflix on June 7th.

My View:  Ezra  (2023)  R  Ezra is about Max (Bobby Cannavale), a struggling standup comedian who is co-parenting his autistic son Ezra (William A. Fitzgerald) with Max’s ex-wife (Rose Byrne). Max gets the break of a lifetime but has to go cross-country to do it. Against his better judgment, Max decides to take Ezra on the trip. It’s a trip that could change both their lives. This is another in a long line of films that its heart is in the right place, but it has a hard time staying there. I loved William A. Fitzgerald as Ezra, who spouts lines from TV and movies when he needs to make a point and often tells the truth when others won’t. It’s a beautiful and thoughtful performance, making this film watchable. The problem is his dad is a self-centered jerk who won’t listen to anyone, at times, even his son. It’s hard to root for a character like Max, who thinks only his way is right, even though he has a wife (played by Rose Byrne) who puts up a lot with Max (more than she should) and struggles to raise their son. The film does show the hardships it is to raise a child with autism and how the world seems always like a hard place to raise a child with special needs. But Max goes too far in his attempt to make sure his son is given a chance in the world, and it hurts the film that we aren’t on board with what Max is doing. The film also does a lousy job of giving us bits and pieces of Max’s upbringing, which shows that he might have had some of the difficulties that Ezra is now experiencing. I liked every character in this film, including the people in Max’s life we meet along the way. I don’t like Max, and that’s a problem when we are supposed to root for him. Oh, and there is a bizarre bonus scene at the end of the film that took me entirely out of what good feeling I had for the film.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Ezra Website Now playing in theaters.

My View:  Young Woman and the Sea  (2024)  PG  Trudy Ederle (Daisy Ridley) is a woman who is used to setting her mind to something and succeeding. Trudy took swimming lessons from her father when no one would teach her. She joined a swim team when no one wanted her. She competed in the 1924 Olympics. Now, Trudy has a bigger goal. One that no woman has ever done swim across the English Channel. Young Woman and the Sea is the type of film that Disney does so well. The underdog who fights incredible odds and a system that is set against them to not only succeed but to prove that they belong. This is an inspiring tale of a young woman who wouldn’t take no for an answer. Instead, she would find a way to complete and push the boundaries that society had set up for her to overcome. Ridley is perfect as Trudy, a woman who is sure of her abilities and has the drive to keep going, no matter what comes up in her way. Young Woman and the Sea is perfect for young women to see, as Trudy not only goes past any barrier she encounters but also destroys it. Like Trudy did in the 1920s, this film will inspire girls to go further and break those barriers, just like Trudy did.  My Rating: Full Price  Young Woman and the Sea Website  Now playing in theaters.

Indiefest:  The Dead Don’t Hurt  (2023)  R  The Dead Don’t Hurt takes place right before the Civil War when Vivienne (Vicky Kreips) meets a Danish immigrant, Holger (Viggo Mortensen), who convinces her to follow him to his ranch outside of a small town in Nevada, where they start their life together. The outbreak of the Civil War happens, and Olsen joins the Union Army to fight for his newfound country, leaving Vivienne to fend for herself on their homestead. It’s a decision that will haunt them for the rest of their lives. I am a big fan of Westerns, so it’s always fun to see a new one, this time with one of my favorite actors, Viggo Mortensen, at the director’s helm. Mortensen has a great eye for framing, and there are some magnificent shots of how a man and his woman make a home in the middle of a vast and harsh country. This is a love story between two people who were meant to fall in love and how that love stands the test of time in a world that can be cruel. I will tell you that, at first, the story is a little hard to follow as we go back and forth between the present and the past. We see how the two met and how their unconventional love story starts between two unique individuals who are used to being alone and independent. Their love is short-lived when the Civil War comes knocking on their doorstep, and Olsen decides to join up. Leaving Vivienne to deal with the rough conditions on her own. While Mortensen wrote and directed this film, a good deal of the story is in the hands of Vicky Kreips, and she carries the movie with an emotional and charismatic performance portraying a character that won’t give up on love, no matter what happens. The Dead Don’t Hurt is an impressive film that goes off into uncharted territory, which makes the film even more powerful. The Dead Don’t Hurt makes me want more from Viggo Mortensen, and I hope it’s soon.  My Rating: Full Price  The Dead Don't Hurt Website  Now playing in theaters.

Indiefest:  In a Violent Nature  (2024)  R   In A Violent Nature starts when hikers come across a burned-out fire tower, and one of them discovers a necklace that they take. That mistake will cost them their lives, as the vengeful spirit is resurrected and now is haunting the woods, hellbent on getting the necklace back. In a Violent Nature is a unique horror movie that doesn't rely on scary music, jump scares, or the killer's perspective. What it does do is give you an origin story of a bogeyman that appears every ten years or so and kills in incredibly gruesome ways. This is a slow ride of a film as, like many of his fellow slashers, our killer takes his time, waiting in the woods for the right time to strike. And he isn't exactly fleet of foot. You are nowhere safe in these woods, and our killer may strike at any time; though he doesn’t hide his approach, people just don’t think there is anything out in those woods until it is too late. In a Violent Nature is not a film for your ordinary horror fan; it’s far too slow, and the kills tend to go on for a while, but for the hardcore horror fan who wants to see something different, this is right up their alley. Just remember, if you come across a necklace out in the woods, leave it there. Please.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee   In A Violent Nature Website  Now playing in theaters. 

My View:  MoviePass MovieCrash  (2024)    Documentary about the founding and destruction of a radical idea, a way to get people to see more movies without breaking the bank. As a film critic, I get to see a lot of movies for free that the studios send me or have me attend a screening. However, as a movie fan, I also pay for movies when I miss a movie screening or the studio doesn’t set up one. So I was an early adopter of MoviePass, a service where you could see any movie, any theater (almost), and one a day, all for ten dollars. Too good to be true, right? Yep, turns out it was. This film proves that 1). It’s hard to be an entrepreneur, especially a black one 2). Greed will take over when dealing with big business and investors who only want to see the bottom line. This is a film about injustice and the men who take over companies not to succeed but to make as much money as possible before getting out. I was an early MoviePass subscriber and was sorry to see it go, but even I could see that the business model could never sustain the low price and the unlimited movies you got with the plan. As it turns out, we see that the people who ran the company (in the last few years of its existence) knew this also, and the film does a great job of clueing us to this. The film has heroes (I’m looking at you brave people in customer service), villains, and an ending with a bit of hope for justice and success. It’s kind of like the movies they wanted us to go to the theater to see.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  MoviePass MovieCrash Website   Now playing on HBO Max. 

My View:  Jim Henson: Idea Man  (2024)  The documentary Jim Henson: Idea Man is about the man behind The Muppets, Sesame Street, and films like The Dark Crystal, following Henson’s career from the early days, centering on his partnership with his wife, Jane Henson. It is a fascinating film that gives you an inside look at the magic and genius of Jim Henson. The film traces his life from childhood to college, where he met his wife Jane and developed an interest in puppetry. This is a must for any fan of The Muppets as it gives you a look at the early days of creating Kermit and the journey of creating live TV with puppets in Jim and Jane’s early days. Early footage of their live TV show, including commercials they created to keep the operation going, is fantastic. What I loved while watching this movie is we see how Jim found and hired the creative people who would design such wonderful puppets as Fozzie, Big Bird, Burt and Ernie, and, of course, Miss Piggy. There is a ton of behind-the-scenes footage from everything, including the early days of Sesame Street and The Muppet Show (which was, by the way, turned down by all three networks). Jim's passing was unexpected, shockingly young, but he left a legacy that is celebrated in this fabulous documentary for us to enjoy.   My Rating: Full Price  Jim Henson: Idea Man Website  Now playing on the Disney+ platform.

Forgotten Film:  Robot Dreams (2023)   Dog is living alone in an apartment in 1980s New York City when he sees what could be the solution to not having any friends, an ad for a home robot. He orders Robot, and they have a great time together until one fateful day at the beach when a horrible mistake causes them to separate. Will they find each other again? I loved this fun and quirky film about a dog who finds a pal in a robot and then keeps trying to rescue his buddy Robot when an afternoon at the beach goes horribly wrong. What more could you want from an animated film than a robot and a dog roller skating a dance to Earth, Wind and Fire’s September? Robot Dreams is a fun and sometimes touching film about finding someone to connect with, and it can bring happiness and completeness to your life. The animation is bold and colorful, set in NYC in the 80s (the Twin Towers keep showing up), and I loved all the brand name products that are part of the story, especially Cheetos, which Dog has a fondness for and always has trouble opening the bag (don’t we all). The story is a simple one that hits the heartstrings and makes you laugh and cry a bit too. Kids will love the Robot and Dog’s constantly wagging tale, and adults will love the story of friendship and love. Note: While the film is from Spain, there isn’t any dialogue spoken throughout the film.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   Robot Dreams Website The film had a limited release in Dec (which is where this review is from) and is being given a full release to theaters. 

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Hit Man:  Featured Cats

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1  (2024)  R  Spanning the four years of the Civil War, from 1861 to 1865, the film looks at the people who made up the Old West at a time of conflict. The story is told through the lens of families, friends, and foes as America grew its boundaries. This is Kevin Costner’s first directorial effort since his 2003 film Open Range. The films are in two parts and span over fifteen years and has a cast that includes Will Patton, Kathleen Quinlan, Thomas Haden Church, Luke Wilson, Sienna Miller, Jena Malone, and Tom Payne.  Horizon: An American Saga Website  Chapter 1 releases in theaters on Friday, June 28, 2024.

Until Next Time!

Miller's Girl

My View: Miller’s Girl (2024) R  Cairo (Jenna Ortega) is a high school student who excels at everything she sets her mind to. Her English teacher, Jonathan (Martin Freeman), sees talent in Cairo and gives her extra attention. When he realizes things may have gone too far, he rejects her, and now Cairo is out for revenge. I am a fan of both Freeman (Sherlock and Fargo TV series, The World’s End (2013)) and Ortega (Scream (2022), X (2022), Wednesday TV series), so I hoped that this wouldn’t be the mess that the trailer made it look like it could be. Sadly, it is a big mess. The film tries too hard to be cutting-edge and controversial, but the writing makes it seem like a bad attempt at a modern Tennessee Williams adaptation. I mean, you have a popular, charismatic high school teacher who can actually talk to his students, married to an alcoholic wife who spends too much of her time on her work, and a brilliant young student who is bored and wants out of the small-town life. So, she sets her sights on her English teacher, and he falls for it. Because of her over-imagination and a script that waxes poetics at the drop of a hat, we never really know if they ever did anything. Did they even kiss? We will never know. The title comes from the assignment that Jonathan gives Cairo to write something in the style of her favorite writer. So she picks Henry Miller, an author known for his pushing the window of eroticism in his writing. And Jonathan says, sure, why not? What could go wrong? The rest of the film, that’s what.   My Rating: Cable  Miller's Girl Website  Now playing in theaters

Indiefest: Sometimes I Think About Dying (2023) PG-13  Fran (Daisy Ridley) is good at her office job but is incredibly socially awkward. Fran spends most of her time alone, which gives her a way to daydream about how she could die. Fran’s world changes when Robert (Dave Merheje) starts working at her office, and he takes a liking to her. Now, the only thing standing in the way of her happiness is Fran herself. I went in thinking that this film was going to be quirky, funny, and fun. While incredibly odd, it’s not a funny film but more of a serious movie about a woman who doesn’t fit in, loves doing her job, and tries to avoid interaction as much as possible. All that changes when she finds herself attracted to her new office mate, Robert. He gives mixed signals to Fran, and she tries as hard as possible to let him know she is interested. The problem is that Fran doesn’t have a clue about how to interact with people. Instead, to escape her office mates chatting on about nonsense, she has daydreams about what it would look like if she died in the forest or on a beach. As much as she wants a relationship with Robert, he isn’t the perfect match, falling asleep on a date or not picking up the signs that she wants more than to be kissed once. Still, it’s an interesting ride that Daisy Ridley takes us on, far from her role as action adventurer roles in the Star Wars films. Fran is a role that Ridley seems to relish in, one that is profoundly understated, even so, she creates a character that we root for. We want Fran to find love or at least acceptance, but we may never know if she will ever see the happiness she finds in daydreaming about her dying.   My Rating: Full Price  Sometimes I Think of Dying Website  Now playing in theaters. 

My View: Badland Hunters (2024)  Badland Hunters takes place after a massive earthquake has transformed Seoul into an apocalyptic wasteland, where civilization has collapsed, and it’s everyone for themselves. Nam-san (Don Lee) protects a group of people living in a wasteland. When he finds out that a friend could be in trouble, he leads a couple of friends on a quest to rescue the friend, who is needed for an evil experiment by a mad doctor. Badland Hunters is a silly, fun romp with lots of grisly fights with lots of kung fu theatrics. It’s a film that includes zombies, a mad scientist, a formula to give everlasting life, and lizard men. What’s not to love when the hero’s primary weapon is a giant machete? What’s better to chop off quasi-zombie soldiers' heads with?   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Badland Hunters Website  Now playing on Netflix.

Indiefest: American Star (2024) R Wilson (Ian McShane) is an assassin who takes a job where he is commissioned to kill a man on a tropical island. The target is delayed, and instead of going home, Wilson decides to stay on the island and becomes involved with the people there. Now, the target has arrived, and Wilson is forced to choose between his job and his newfound friendships. This film is about a man who isn’t used to connecting with people while on the job. He is a man who prides himself on getting in and out of a job before the dust has settled or the blood spatters have dried. Wilson, for reasons we will never know, decides to spend some time on the island and slowly gets to know the people, townspeople, and tourists alike. The film is a slow burn and works only because of the star power and charisma of McShane. It’s a subtle bit of acting by McShane. Unfortunately, the film doesn’t entirely give us anything other than the few interactions that Wilson allows himself with: a pretty bartender who may be involved with the man he is there to kill and a young, lonely kid who spends a lot of his time locked out of his room by his continually drunk parents. I loved the film's cinematography, and there are some beautiful shots of Wilson in his black suit exploring the island. The film ends with a bit of a whimper, which is not what the film needed to give us. What we get has been like Wilson’s constant cigarettes, a long, slow burn.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  American Star Website  Now playing in theaters.

Indiefest: Pictures of Ghosts (2023)   Filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho revisits the downtown of the Brazilian city of Recife, where he explores the now vacant movie palaces that made such an essential part of Brazilian life. This is a deeply personal film about life in the town where the filmmaker grew up and lives. The first third of the film is about Filho’s life in the apartment that he not only grew up in but in the same place where he lives now. His apartment is a place that not only did he live in but also one that has starred in both his childhood films that he made with video cameras and his current professional life as a narrative filmmaker. The 2nd third of the film is about the movie theatres downtown, most of which are long gone. They are the places that Filho and the rest of the community went to from the 30s on to see the world’s best films come to their downtown theatres. He gives us the history of these theatres and shows us what they once were in their glory days and what they have become. It’s a painful journey, one of looking back at the joy that these movie palaces gave to millions and millions of people. The last third is a look at what could be one last theatre trying to survive by becoming a revival house. While sad, the film is also a celebration of movies and the theatres that show them. Pictures of Ghosts show us what those theatres of yesteryear brought to a community, they were part of its lifeblood.   My Rating: Full Price  Pictures of Ghosts Website  Now playing is select theaters.

Forgotten Film: Rembrandt’s J’Accuse…! (2008)  Documentary from filmmaker Peter Greenaway that investigates the mystery of one of the most famous paintings in the world, Rembrandt’s The Nightwatch. Using actors Martin Freeman, Eva Birthistle, Toby Jones, and others, Greenaway takes a forensic look at the painting and the implications that a murder has occurred in it. The film looks at all thirty-four painted characters and points a finger at who could be the shooter. It’s a fun film with plenty of laughs while exploring the world of one of the world’s most famous painters and a painting that has been a mystery for hundreds of years.  My Rating: Full Price  Rembrandt's J'Accuse Info The film is available for rent/buy on Amazon.

Weird Credits: From the credits of Miller’s Girl: Vault

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Road House (2024) R  A down on his luck, former UFC fighter Elwood Dalton (Jake Gyllenhaal) ends up working at a ‘Road House,’ a rowdy bar in the Florida Keys. Hired to clean up the troublemakers in the bar, it turns out the job is a lot more complicated than that. One key thing, don’t piss Elwood off. Road House is a remake of the 1989 film of the same name that starred Patrick Swayze and became a cult classic. Let's see what Mr. Gyllenhaal can do with the role. It should be a lot of fun.  Road House Info  Premiering on Prime Video on March 21st. 

Until Next Time!

Origin

My View: Origin (2023) PG-13  Isabel (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author who is asked to write about the murder of Trayvon Martin. At first, she doesn’t want to write the piece; however, with the support of her husband Brett (Jon Bernthal), she decides to write not about the death but about what made it possible and why. Isabel is about to go on a journey that will be the most challenging year of her life but one of great discovery. The film is based on the nonfiction book Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson and has been adapted to a fictional narrative by Ava DuVernay (Selma (2015), 13th (2017). It’s a thoughtful and imaginative film that doesn’t always work because it feels it has to hit so many complex topics. Still, the narrative is filled with the book's major ideas, and combined with a magical feel through its cinematography and the performance of Ellis-Taylor, the film is destined to make you think and feel that Isabel is onto something important, something to be discussed. Origin is a film that I came away feeling that while the film overall doesn’t quite flow and not all the parts make a good fit. However, those parts are full of moments worth experiencing and thinking about.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Origin Website   Now playing in theatres. 

Indiefest: The Zone of Interest (2023)  PG-13  Hedwig (Sandra Hüller) and her husband Rudolf (Christian Friedel) have built a beautiful home for their family with a lovely garden and an excellent servant staff. Rudolf is the commandant of Auschwitz, and their house is directly next to the camp. This is a disturbing film showing none of the horror and atrocities of Auschwitz. We hear the constant gunshots, and we see the plumes of smoke from the ovens, but it’s all taking place outside the walls of the house and the fields and rivers that the family interacts with. This is the story of a family living a good life while horrors are happening on the other side of that pretty garden wall. I am not as big a fan of this film as many of my fellow film critics. Primarily because we spend over two hours with this family and learn nothing about them we don’t know after ten minutes into the film. The Zone of Interest gives us very little to react to other than the callousness of the Nazis, but I think we already knew that. The film also does some bizarre things with the narrative, including showing us a daughter of a servant, who is leaving food for the workers in the concentration camp. The act is shown to us as if seen through a night vision lens, which just threw me out of the film altogether. The Zone of Interest take on viewing life next to a camp of horrors did not resonate with me and failed to convey anything other than that the Nazis were horrible people.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The Zone of Interest Website  Now playing in theaters.

Indiefest: Freud’s Last Session (2023) PG-13  World War II is about to start as the Germans have invaded Poland, and one of the world’s greatest psychologists, Sigmund Freud (Anthony Hopkins), is dying of cancer. He invites a young Oxford professor, C.S. Lewis (Matthew Goode), to debate the importance of religion in the age of war. Freud’s Last Session is a film where the acting far exceeds the material they are given. Based on a meeting that may or may not have happened, we have two men at odds over how we deal with God and Christianity. Two men are at odds in their belief in a higher power and spend the film discussing the topic. The film is based on a stage play and sometimes feels too much like that. The film finds interesting topics and then drops them to show something from each of the two men’s past in flashbacks that take away any momentum the film has. There is also a subplot of Freud’s daughter Anna, played by Live Lisa Fries, who tries to escape the gigantic shadow her father spreads over her. This also takes away from the conversations between the two men and seems as if it is added to give us another reason to question Freud’s ideas and values. I felt the film spent too much time on Freud’s couch, trying to explore their subconscious and not enough on each man’s own words.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Freud's Last Session Website Now playing in theatres. 

My View: I.S.S. (2023) R   I.S.S. takes place when a new group, comprised of both American astronauts and Russian cosmonauts, has just arrived at the International Space Station. Things are fantastic until they witness a war breaking out beneath them on Earth, and the astronauts are given orders from the ground: take control of the space station by any means necessary. I wanted this film to be a thriller with some smarts, but much like the astronauts that inhabit the space station, the script goes for the easy out and never creates enough tension or twists to make the film more than predictable. While watching this film about six people in a space station, what stuck with me is that other than the sleeping quarters (a closet with a vertical sleeping bag you strap into), the film never feels like a confined, closed place. At one point, two of the astronauts think they can hide in a section of the station, which just boggled my mind. For six highly trained people who are subjected to a ton of tests to get into their programs, they are some pretty stupid people. At one point, one astronaut tells our heroine, Dr. Foster (Ariana DeBose), not to let anybody else look out the space station's windows. Yeah, that will work.   My Rating: Cable  I.S.S. Website  Now playing in theatres.

Indiefest: The End We Start From (2023) R   After a massive environmental crisis submerges London and a great deal of England,  a mother (Jodie Comer) and her newborn son attempt to find their way home, battling the environment and the odds. The End We Start From is the story of a woman who is determined to not only survive but take her baby back to where he belongs, her home. This is a horror film, but only in the sense that the monsters are us and what we will do to survive. It’s also about love and friendship, finding both in unexpected places. The world can be a cruel place, but also can be filled with kindness. Jodie Comer is magnificent as the mother who takes her newborn on a journey with one thought, to get back home. The supporting cast makes this film work so well with Joel Fry as the husband, Benedict Cumberbatch as a fellow traveller also trying to get home, and Katherine Waterston as a fellow mother with a newborn who joins up on the journey. Far scarier than some of the horror films I’ve seen, The End We Start From is a sobering account of a world gone mad because of a natural catastrophe and the power of the pull of needing to be home.   My Take: Full Price  The End We Start From Info    Now playing in theatres. 

Indiefest: Driving Madeleine (2023)   Charles (Dany Boon) is a cab driver having a bad day/week/year when he picks up what he thinks will be an easy fare, an old woman named Madeleine (Line Renaud). However, Madeleine is about to move to a care home, and this could be her last cab ride in Paris. Madeleine will want to make a few stops along the way, and Charles is about to learn about the rich, adventurous, and sometimes sad life she has led. Driving Madeleine is a film that is a joy to watch because of the chemistry between Dany Boon, the rough and always angry taxi driver, and Line Renaud, the woman who takes her taxi driver on a trip through a Paris of memories. Line Renaud is brilliant as the woman who refuses to dwell on the bad things and celebrate the good times in her life. It’s a beautiful performance full of sweetness and subtlety. Dany Boon is perfect as a man who slowly lets his guard down and slowly becomes under the spell of a woman who has lived a full and interesting life. I could have used fewer flashbacks and more time in the cab, but that’s a minor problem because of the performances of the two principals. So sit back and enjoy a long cab ride full of stories and insights from a woman who has experienced life and is willing to share it.   My Rating: Full Price  Driving Madeleine Website

Forgotten Film: Lovely & Amazing (2001)  R  Jane Marks (Brenda Blethyn) is a mother of three daughters. Michelle (Catherine Keener), the oldest, is a former homecoming queen in an unhappy marriage. Elizabeth (Emily Mortimer) is an actress on the brink of stardom, but spends her time rescuing dogs, even when they don’t want to be rescued. The youngest sister is Annie (Raven Goodwin), an eight-year-old African-American Jane adopted. All the women of the Marks clan have serious issues, including body issues and insecurity. However, the Marks women have one thing in common: they love each other and seek redemption, each in their own way. What I love about this film is that the women in the movie are all dealing with problems, but none of them are superficial. They know they are flawed and are trying to deal with their problems, though sometimes not well. The film tackles a serious subject of how women are constantly bombarded with attaining the perfect body and how it’s a struggle to keep your sense of worth and, better yet, your sense of humor to deal with these issues.  My Rating: Full Price Lovely & Amazing Info The film is available on disc. 

Weird Credits: From the credits of Origin: Lunchbox Driver

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Sometimes I Think About Dying (2023) PG-13 Fran (Daisy Ridley) is good at her office job but is incredibly socially awkward. Fran spends most of her time alone, which gives her a way to daydream about how she could die. Fran’s world changes when Robert (Dave Merheje) starts working at her office, and he takes a liking to her. Now, the only thing standing in the way of her happiness is Fran herself. The film was a Grand Jury Prize nominee at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.  Sometimes I Think About Dying Website  Releasing in theatres on Friday, Jan. 26, 2024.

Until Next Time!

Priscilla

My View: Priscilla (2023) R   Priscilla tells the story of teenage Priscilla Beaulieu (Cailee Spaeny), who meets rock and roll superstar Elvis and begins a romance that the world followed until his death. Priscilla tells the story of the one woman who knew Elvis the best in private moments: a thrilling crush, an alley in loneliness, and a vulnerable best friend. The film is Pricilla’s story, and it is not always a pretty one. I can see why the Elvis estate did not allow any of his music to be put into the film, as the ‘King’ doesn’t come off very well. Cailee Spaeny does the impossible, effectively playing a young girl of 15 to a young mother in her late 20s when she left Elvis. The film gives us an inside look at what it was like to live in Elvis’s shadow, a prisoner of his celebrity and lifestyle. The film makes it clear that Elvis groomed Priscilla to be his wife, almost from their first meeting when she was just a teenager in Germany living on a base. Watching Priscilla can be uncomfortable, especially when Elvis relies on his friends and family to court her. Jacob Elordi does an outstanding job of playing the Elvis we rarely got to see, a man full of insecurities and one who was addicted to pills from the first moments that he met Priscilla. This is a beautiful-looking film, and we get to see what it was like to live inside the halls of Graceland. The opening shots of Cailee walking on the now-famous shag carpet of the home of Elvis is marvelous. The film's visuals and the main cast's performances were enjoyable, but the storyline became boring during Elvis' run in Las Vegas. I am not sure how fans of Elvis will react to this film, but fans of Priscilla will love it. I, on the other hand, just liked it.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Priscilla Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide. 

My View: The Marsh King’s Daughter (2023) R   Helena (Daisy Ridley) has a past that she has tried to forget. Her father, known as the Marsh King, kidnapped Helena’s mother, and two years later, Helena was born. At age ten, the Marsh King was caught and put away. Now, he has escaped and is after Helena and her daughter. Helena will use everything he taught her about surviving in the wilderness to keep her family safe. This is another in a long line of films based on a book where the source material is far better than the film. I wanted to love this film because I read a lot of books like this one, but the film doesn’t deliver the needed suspense and has an ending that we can see coming from a mile away (maybe with a rifle’s scope). I liked Ridley as the woman whose first ten years of life were spent in the wilderness, being shown how to survive using your senses and hunting skills. The film has a series of flashbacks about Helena’s life as a ten-year-old and then shows us her life as a mom and a wife. It’s a contrast that doesn’t always work, as the flashbacks are far more interesting than what is happening in the present day. I wanted more of a cat-and-mouse game between Helena and her dad after he escapes from prison, but most of what should have been thrills are wasted as just slight hints of what could happen.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The Marsh King's Daughter Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

My View: Quiz Lady (2023) R  Anne’s (Awkwafina) mother owes eighty thousand dollars to the mob because of gambling debts and has run away from the nursing home. Anne and her sister (Sandra Oh) devise a plan to get Anne on a game show to win the money to get their mother off the hit list. Quiz Lady is a film that is perfectly suited for seeing online. This film is light and funny, though it doesn't always hit the mark with its jokes and has a weak middle part. However, it ends on a high note, making it a fun watch. I am a fan of Awkwafina, and she is perfect in the role of a woman who tries to be the sensible one between her mother, the gambler, and her sister, who never can settle on what she wants to do in life. I got a little tired of Sandra Oh’s performance; it was just a little too broad for my taste, but Awkwafina is always able to reel Oh in with a look or a line. Quiz Lady is bolstered by a cast that includes Jason Schwartzman as a smarmy quiz show champ, Holland Taylor as the grumpy next-door neighbor, and, of course, Will Ferrell as the quiz show host who is loved by his audience. So, find a comfy place on the couch and take a trip to a quiz show that isn’t great, but still a fun ride.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Quiz Lady Website  Now playing on the Hulu platform. 

Indiefest: Radical (2023)  Sergio (Eugenio Derbez) is a teacher in a Mexican border town where his students live in a world filled with neglect, crime, and violence. However, Sergio is a different type of teacher who challenges his students’ curiosity and drive to succeed, even when the odds seem against them. I haven’t always been a big fan of Eugenio Derbez, as he tends to overreact in his comedies. However, in this film, Derbez gives us a powerful and moving performance of a man who wants to teach kids but doesn’t want to follow the rules. Sergio, we find out, is a man who has lost his faith in his abilities to teach and reach young children. He takes a job at a school that no one wants to teach at and try something different to inspire his students to think independently and not be force-fed a curriculum that becomes a babysitter for a few years. I loved that what we see on the screen feels real, and Derbez gives off an energy that excites us to the possibilities his character is trying to do might work. Radical is helped by a cast of students that are all believable and touching. So join the class and sit down to be wowed by a teacher who might teach you a thing or two while having fun doing it.   My Rating: Full Price  Radical Website  Now playing in theatres. 

My View: Rustin (2023) PG-13  Rustin tells the story of civil rights activist Bayard Rustin (Colman Domingo), who broke barriers everywhere he went, including helping Martin Luther King Jr. and others organize the 1963 March on Washington. Colman Domingo gives a performance that needs to be seen to be believed! It’s a brilliant portrayal of a man who was forgotten for too long because he was Black and gay at a time that either could get you arrested, beaten, or killed. Rustin, the true architect of the March on Washington, was a charismatic force of nature who used his brains and charm to get things done. However, Rustin paid a heavy price, often being put in the background because of his being gay, and never got the credit he deserved. The film drags a bit before Rustin comes up with the idea of a gathering of 100,000 people in Washington, DC, to make the President and Congress act on Civil Rights legislation. Rustin is a film where a performance of the leading actor dominates every scene, and Colman Domingo is nothing short of brilliant in this story that needed to be told.  My Rating: Full Price  Rustin Website  Now playing in theatres and on Netflix on Friday, November 17th. 

My View: Fingernails (2023) R Anna (Jessie Buckley) and Ryan (Jeremy Allen White) are in love, and their love has been proven to be confirmed by a controversial new technology. Anna has doubts and begins working at the company that uses the technology to put people together. Soon, her doubts will become more than just thoughts when she becomes attracted to her co-worker Amir (Riz Ahmed). The reason to see this film is the on-screen chemistry between Riz Ahmed and Jessie Buckley. From their first meeting, we know they will end up being drawn together. We can feel that draw right from the get-go. Unfortunately, the script doesn’t let us enjoy this very much as it revolves around a technology that doesn’t make a whole heck of a lot of sense. The film takes a long time for the two main characters to realize that maybe, despite the odds, they are meant together, no matter what technology says. Fingernails spends a lot of time on how stupid the technology is, but this isn’t a comedy, and it tries too hard to be a black comedy. I still had fun watching Buckley and Ahmed together, but in the end, it wasn’t worth the effort.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Fingernails Info  In select theatres and on Apple TV+.

My View: The Persian Version (2023) R  The Persian Version takes place when a large Iranian-American family gathers, and a family secret is uncovered that will force an estranged mother, Shireen (Niousha Noor), and her unconventional daughter, Leila (Layla Mohammadi) into a journey of exploration. It turns out that mother and daughter are more alike than ever imagined. Leila is a lesbian who just broke up with her wife and decides one drunken Halloween night to have sex with a guy (though it must be said he was in a Hedwig and the Angry Inch costume). Leila's mother is an unstoppable force, having come from Iran to the U.S. with her husband and now manages a big family and successful real estate business. The two do not get along. Shireen disapproves of her daughter’s lifestyle, and Leila doesn’t feel she fits in with the family. Then things happen. The Persian Version is one of those films you long for as a film critic. It’s a funny, smart, moving film that touches on a ton of subjects, including marriage, single living, religion, politics, and the love of family. The two leads are so much fun to watch. Layla Mohammadi is funny and gives us, through her character’s narration, a look at a family that has roots in Iran and its culture but has found a place in America. Niousha Noor has the tougher part of giving us a mother that we don’t always understand where she comes from, but we soon learn that her past has shaped her present. There are a couple of fantastic dance sequences, including a rousing number done to ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,’ courtesy of a very young Leila smuggling in a Cyndi Lauper cassette tape into Iran. The Persian Version is a film about fighting for your rights as a woman, as an Iranian, and as a family member. The Persian Version is a dazzling look at two women who seem to be miles apart but learn that they share a lot more than just the family bond. My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  The Persian Version Website  Now playing in theatres.

Forgotten Film: Miracle of St. Anna (2008) R  Set in Italy during the Allied invasion during WWII, four African-American soldiers (Michael Ealy, Omar Benson Miller, Laz Alonso, and Derek Luke) are behind enemy lines taking refuge in a small village after rescuing a small boy caught in the firefight with German soldiers. Now, its citizens and the four men must unite to protect the town and the boy against impossible odds. Miracle of St. Anna is a Spike Lee film, and with many of his movies, there are some fantastic moments and some that don’t work at all. The battle sequences are brilliant, and there are some beautiful moments between the soldiers and the young boy. However, there are a few scenes that seem out of place, including a dance that takes place in the village as the enemy surrounds them. Still, Miracle of St. Anna has some powerful moments, and the battle sequences are some of the best war scenes of the last 20 years. My Rating: Full Price   The film is available to rent or buy on most online platforms.

Weird Credits: From the credits of Rustin: Background Taylors

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You:  The Fall Guy (2023) PG-13  Colt (Ryan Gosling), a former stuntman, comes out of retirement after discovering his ex (Emily Blunt) is directing a big-budget movie. It’s not a joyful reunion, but Colt is needed when the enormous star of the film has gone missing, and he must find him before the picture is shut down. This looks like it will be fun to watch with Blunt and Gosling. Based loosely on the 1980s Lee Majors TV show, which was loosely based on a real-life stuntman.   The film comes out in March 2024.

Until Next Time!