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!

Wonder Park

Family Faire:  Wonder Park  (2019)  PG  June (Brianna Denski) and her mom (Jennifer Garner) using their imagination have created an amusement park named Wonder Park in June's room. June’s mom has gotten sick and has to go out of town to get treatment. June discovers the amusement park of her dreams is really out there and is under attack. Parents will enjoy the message of believing in yourself and kids will love the action and the fun storyline. June is helped by a bear that faints when pressured, two beavers that are eager to help but kind of dense and a bunch of other animals that all battle a group of zombie dolls who are trying to destroy the park. I was pleasantly surprised by this warm and joyous film. My Rating: Full Price   Wonder Park Website

My View:  Five Feet Apart  (2019)  PG-13  Two teenagers (Haley Lu Richardson, Cole Sprouse) with life-threating illnesses meet in the hospital and fall in love, despite the fact that they have to stay at least five feet away from each other. I agree with a fellow critic who said after the screening that this just might be Haley Lu’s break out movie. She is brilliant in the role of the girl with cystic fibrosis who is trying to do everything she can to keep living. Cole Sprouse is good in the role of the rebellious patient who becomes interested in Haley Lu’s character. This isn’t a great film, but it delivers what you want in this genre with all the tugs at the heartstrings. I was happy that there a couple of twists I didn’t see coming. I have trouble with a couple of the plot points but there aren’t too troubling and don’t really interfere with the storyline. If you like a romance with a few tears then this film is for you.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Five Feet Apart Website

Indiefest:  Finding Steve McQueen  (2019)  R  Henry (Travis Fimmel) has been keeping a secret for eight years; in 1972, Henry and his gang of close-knit thieves from Ohio attempted to steal thirty million dollars from President Richard Nixon’s  Illegal re-election campaign funds. Man, this is a fun movie to watch. Henry, eight years after the robbery is telling his girlfriend, Molly (Rachael Taylor) the story that he has been hiding from her. At first, she doesn’t believe what he is telling her, that he used to steal muscle cars, run from the police and got involved with a small-time mob boss who planned a bank heist to steal 30 million dollars. A French horn playing FBI agent (Forest Whitaker) is trying to catch the gang who almost pull off the perfect crime, except for one mistake might bring them down. Full of humor and a couple of really cool car chases, Finding Steve McQueen is a highly enjoyable and smart film.    My Rating: Full Price    Finding Steve McQueen Info

Indiefest:  Mapplethorpe  (2018)  R  A look at the life of controversial photographer Robert Mapplethorpe (Matt Smith) from his rise in the 1970s art world to his untimely death in 1989. Mapplethorpe was an artist who specialized in large format, highly stylized B&W photographs. Mapplethorpe took all types of photos, from celebrity portraits, nudes, and pictures of flowers but he is best known for his pictures of the BDSM world in NYC. Some of his pictures were so controversial that some galleries refused to show his work scared of public opinion and possible loss of funding. The film shows Mapplethorpe early life with iconic punk singer Patty Smith. Mapplethorpe was bi-sexual, though in his later life he mostly slept with men. I really like the first third of this film. I especially enjoyed the performance of Marianne Rendon who plays Patti Smith, a woman who supported Mapplethorpe but couldn’t ultimately put up with his cheating ways. The film starts to drag once the Patti Smith character leaves the picture, as Mapplethorpe starting finding success. The last third of the film bogs down almost to a stop as Mapplethorpe slowly dies from AIDS. Matt Smith is excellent in the role, but he can’t overcome the script that just doesn’t have any pacing. A bit of a warning, as you can imagine, there is quite a bit of nudity and the film shows a ton of his pictures, some may find offensive.   My Rating:: Cable    Mapplethorpe Website

Forgotten Film:  The Passenger (1975)  PG-13    Locke (Jack Nicholson) is a reporter who is trying to interview a guerrilla leader fighting a war in Africa. Unable to find the leader, he meets a mysterious man at a hotel. When Locke discovers the mysterious man dead in his hotel room, he decides to take the dead man’s identity. It turns out the dead man was a gun runner and was selling guns to the guerrillas. This is a strange movie about losing your identity. The film’s plot isn’t as important as the look and tone of the film. The reason to see this film is the performance of Maria Schneider, who gives a dazzling performance as a woman who gets involved with Nicholson's character, eventually becoming his lover. This is definitely a movie that values style over substance.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee   The Passenger Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Mapplethorpe:  Instrument Designer

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Dumbo  (2019)  PG  Retelling of the classic story of the little elephant with the giant ears that can fly. Tim Burton brings us a live-action movie with an incredible cast. Eva Green, Colin Farrell, Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, and Alan Arkin are just some of the stars of the film. I’m not a big Tim Burton film but the trailer looks amazing, and it’s getting great word of mouth from critics who saw it at SXSW.    Dubo Website

Until Next Time!