Dune: Part Two

My View: Dune: Part Two (2024) PG-13  Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) has found love in Chani (Zendaya) and has the Fremen on his side in getting revenge against the conspirators who murdered his family. Paul may have to choose between love and the universe’s fate as he endeavors to prevent a horrible future only he can foresee. Dune by Frank Herbert was one of those books read by ten-year-old Mike that made me love science fiction. It was a magical ride to a world where a hero rode giant sandworms and battled to save a people from a horrible government. I read it thinking that this will never be a movie. Well, David Lynch tried in the 80s and failed, with a performance by Sting that still gives me nightmares. A couple of TV series also tried. Even a crazy director in Alejandro Jodorowsky attempted to make one, but it never got off the planning stage. Now Denis Villeneuve has brought us Dune in 2021, and now, Dune: Part Two, and to my surprise and the joy of the 10-year-old Mike inside me, he has succeeded. I loved the first film, though I did have a complaint that the film didn’t emphasize enough in the movie about the prophecy of a Messiah coming to save a people. Well, in Part Two, the film is basically about that prophecy and how it haunts Paul. It’s a future that he doesn’t want to happen, but as the story goes along, he realizes he will have to face the fact that it is his one and true path. The film has some outstanding performances, with Chalamet leading the bunch. He is perfect as the man/boy who proves at every turn that he is the person who will save the planet. Chalamet has the charisma and the charm that makes you believe he could lead a people to do the impossible. Zendaya is wonderful as Chani, the woman who, against her better instincts, falls for Paul, even though she is sure that he isn’t the messiah that everyone thinks he is. I loved Dave Batista as the villain who believes his brute force will win every battle. I don’t think there are a lot of big men (looking at you, The Rock) that could do this role with all its twists and turns. And then we have Austin Butler, as the main villain in this film, Feyd-Rautha. He gives us a bad guy to root against who doesn’t care who he hurts or destroys. It’s an over-the-top performance needed for the part he plays, and he is brilliant in it. The film does not feel at all it's 2 hours and 46 minutes length, with the action sequences filling the screen with incredible battles. Please see this film in a theatre, on as big a screen as possible, so you can be overwhelmed like I was with the spectacle of Dune: Part Two.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  Dune: Part Two Website    Now playing in theatres nationwide. 

My View: Spaceman (2024) R  Jakub Procházka (Adam Sandler) is the first astronaut from Czechoslovakia. He has been isolated in space for six months on a mission to reach a mysterious cluster of space dust. He desperately misses his wife (Carey Mulligan) and begins obsessing over his marriage when he is given an opportunity to see her again. Is this real or all in his mind? I like and admire when Adam Sandler does dramas instead of his Hey, let's make a comedy with my buddies in a vacation spot type of film. My guess is that most people who see this film on Netflix are hoping for some levity in the drama but there isn’t any in this drab film about a man who is on a solo mission and reflects on his life and how he has treated his wife, who is left behind on Earth while she is pregnant. Almost right from the start, the film pushes the boundaries of whether what Jakub is experiencing is real or all in his mind. The film tries and fails to explore themes like loneliness and selfishness, with Jakub slowly realizing the mistakes he has made in his relationship with his wife. By about halfway through, I was bored with the concept and wanted the film to have even a little bit of conflict or action. However, it never arrived, leaving me lost in space.   My Rating: Cable  Spaceman Website Now playing on Netflix

Indiefest: Outlaw Posse (2024) R Chief (Mario Van Peebles) has returned from years of hiding in Mexico to gather a group of outcasts to reclaim stolen gold from the Civil War. It’s a harsh and unfair world, but Chief plans on righting a few wrongs. Outlaw Posse is a film that seems to be made so that Mario Van Peebles could make a western with his son, Mandela Van Peebles, and bring in some fellow actor friends to make cameo appearances to make the film seem filled with stars. Unfortunately, this is a poorly written film with plot holes so badly dealt with that they give you whiplash as the movie jumps around from one concept to another. It’s a film that tries to do too much and give us speeches while almost nothing happens that couldn’t happen in the film's first fifteen minutes. Added to the mess is a villain that seems to be right out of a 60s comic book, played by William Mapother, who chews up scenery like it is going out of style. I love Westerns, but this one is just like Chief continually firing his six-shooters. It’s just shooting blanks.   My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again  Outlaw Posse Website  Now Playing in theatres. 

Indiefest: Asleep in My Palm (2023) A father (Tim Blake Nelson) and his daughter (Chloe Kerwin) are living in a storage shed off the grid in rural Ohio, where they hustle to stay alive each day. The problem is the father is hiding from his violent past, and his daughter is no longer a little girl who can accept everything her father tells her. Asleep in My Palm is a small independent film that does exactly what you want it to do: explore characters in an up-close and personal way. The reason to see this film is Chloe Kerwin, who plays the daughter who lives with a father who has raised her off the grid, living in a storage shed and stealing to make ends meet. The problem is that the daughter is growing up, wanting to see what more is out in the world and by her pushing the boundaries, it means that they could be discovered. Chloe Kerwin gives us a magical performance by a young woman who provides us with a character who is much older in smarts and experience than her age. As always, Tim Blake Nelson provides us with a character that is interesting to watch, one who loves his daughter but doesn’t want things to change. The film, directed by Time Blake Nelson’s son, Henry Nelson, lets us see a world we never knew was there because the people who live in it don’t want us to see them.   My Rating: Full Price  Asleep in My Palm Website Now playing in theatres

Forgotten Film: Find Me Guilty (2006) R Jackie DiNorscio (Vin Diesel) is a career mobster once shot four times by his cousin. Jackie is arrested and sentenced to thirty years in person for selling drugs. His crime family, the Lucchese mob, is up on charges, and Jackie is part of the trial. Jackie decides to defend himself in what becomes the longest criminal trial in history. 5-time Academy Award nominee Sidney Lumet, known for his movies 12 Angry Men (1957) and Serpico (1973), wrote and directed the film. Vin Diesel is a lot of fun as the wisecracking and loyal Jackie, who thinks he can do a better job than any lawyer can do. Diesel was hot off his roles in The Fast and the Furious, XXX, and The Chronicles of Riddick when he made this film, and it took me a little while to realize who it was (he wears a wig and prosthetic nose). This film is a fascinating look at a court trial system that has gone off the rails, with a supporting cast that includes Ron Silver, Annabella Sciorra, Peter Dinklage, and Alex Rocco. Find Me Guilty isn’t a great film, but it’s a fun performance by Diesel, and there are some wonderful and sometimes powerful scenes, including a brilliant scene between Diesel and Annabella Sciorra, who plays Jackie’s wife, that shows us the dynamic that made up their relationship. And by the way, the film is based on a true story, and the real Jackie hand-picked Vin Diesel to play him in the movie. My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Find Me Guilty Info   The film is available to rent/buy on Amazon and Apple TV. 

Weird Credits: From the credits of Dune: Part Two: Tube Rigger

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: I Saw the TV Glow (2024) PG-13 Two teenagers (Justice Smith and Brighter Lundy-Paine) bond over a TV show called The Pink Opaque. As their bond grows, things start getting weird. I feel that my description of the film is off a bit because of the buzz it has gotten having just played at Sundance. It’s defiantly a film to keep on the lookout for.   I Saw The TV Glow Website  In theatres in early May. 

Until Next Time!

Madame Web

My View: Madame Web (2024) PG-13  Cassandra Webb (Dakota Johnson) is a NYC paramedic who develops clairvoyant powers and repeatedly crosses paths with three young women (Sydney Sweeney, Isabela Merced, and Celeste O’Connor). Cassandra realizes these women must be protected at all costs because they are destined to become superheroes. I have become a fan of Dakota Johnson, who has overcome the albatross of those icky Fifty Shades films. Unfortunately, Dakota looks like she has no idea what this film is about, and I understand that because, after seeing it, I’m not sure either. Madame Web is one of the most poorly written films I have witnessed in my 13 years as a film critic. Add to that fact that the studio went the absolutely cheapest route on special effects and gives us a film about spidermen (and ultimately spider-women) without including the man himself. The dialogue is horrible, and the studio thinks Tahra Rahim, who plays the bad guy, can’t speak English. They have ADR’ed his lines so badly that I’ve seen better dubbing in those 1960s Hercules films made in Italy than this one. By the way, the bad guy has had a long time to come up with a plan to kill the three teen girls, but I guess he spent most of his time playing with his spider because it’s a pretty crappy plan. Add all this, and we have three teen characters that are so annoying that we almost want them to die. I didn’t recognize Sydney Sweeney for nearly half the film because she is wearing a wig that looks like it was borrowed from a community theatre that puts on a yearly Christmas play. The editing is incredibly jumpy, so much so that I would have to see the film three or four times before I could tell you what actually happens in the final action sequence. Those hoping, like I was, that we would see Dakota Johnson doing some superhero things will be disappointed, as she mostly does a lot of running, driving, and complaining about how the three girls aren’t taking things seriously. I hope Emma Roberts and Adam Scott enjoyed their two days on the set and got paid big bucks, but we barely see either of them do anything on the screen but be filler for the too-long run time. I don’t think we will see Madame Web and her Spider-girls anytime soon, and I don’t think the studio believes that either, since it’s one of the few Marvel films without a post-credit scene. My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again  Madame Web Website   Now playing in theatres nationwide.

My View: Bob Marley: One Love (2024) PG-13  The story of how reggae icon Bob Marley (Kingsley Ben-Adir) overcame adversity and an assassination attempt to become a beacon for peace in his country and the world. Kingsley Ben-Adir does a wonderful job portraying Bob Marley, perfectly capturing a man who was a force both on the music stage and in person. Disappointingly, Ben-Air is let down by a script that continually falls back on Marley’s music as a crutch when they get stuck with the storyline. When I saw the trailer, I thought the film was primarily about Marley’s return to Jamaica to bring peace and unity to a country that had known so much bloodshed. Unfortunately, the film isn’t really about that. It’s a meandering story about Marley leaving Jamaica for London to record a legendary album. The film should have been more about the relationship between Marley and his wife, Rita (played by the brilliant Lashana Lynch), who put up with Marley and his relationships with other women. We get to see a little of this, but Rita is more than just another bit player in the life of Marley. This isn’t surprising as the Marley family, mainly his son Ziggy, played a big part in producing the film. So, if you love his music, buy the soundtrack, but if you want to know about his life, watch the 2012 Kevin Macdonald documentary Marley, which will give you a better experience of seeing and enjoying the man, the myth, and the music legend Bob Marley.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Bob Marley: One Love Website  Now playing in theaters.

My View: Players (2024)  New York sportswriter Mack (Gina Rodriguez) has spent years developing special and successful hook-up ‘plays’ with her best friend Adam (Damon Wayans Jr.) and their crew. Mack sets her sights on the Big Apple’s most eligible bachelor, war correspondent Nick (Tom Ellis). Mack may have to rethink the ‘game’ entirely when she begins to fall for Nick. I enjoyed this rom-com because of Gina Rodriguez, who has a blast as Mack, a woman tired of playing the field and ready to find true love, not just someone to trick into having a one-night stand. Rodriguez is believable as a sportswriter, specializing in finding human interest stories in strange sports like boxing/chess matches (it is just like it sounds) and has fun with the role. The little gang she runs with is fun, and there is some good chemistry interplay with the group, who each use a play from their vast playbook to seduce both men and women. However, Mack is tired of the game and wants to find someone to share her life with. Mack thinks she has found her man in Nick, played nicely by Tom Ellis. I won’t tell you exactly what happens, but let’s say that, like many rom-coms, love is closer than Mack thinks. Players isn’t a great rom-com, but because of the charisma of Gina Rodriquez, it will satisfy your need for a bit of fun and romance with, spoiler alert, a happy ending.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Players Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform.

Indiefest: God & Country (2024) PG-13   Documentary that examines the history of Christian nationalism and its rise in the political landscape. God & Country is a film about how the separation of Church and State is getting less and less and how the rise of Christian nationalism has grown over the past 30 years. The insights that the film gives are based on a lot of the people who study religion, and the commentators not only give out information and historical facts but also give their own experiences with Christian churches and the rise of nationalism from the inside. This film is a terrifying depiction of how close we were to complete chaos on Jan. 6th and that if we're not careful, it could happen again and succeed. Using footage from Christian broadcasts, webcasts, and church sermons, we see how, through the years, nationalism has taken hold in so many churches and how it’s used for political power and fundraising. God & Country is a chilling examination of what our country might become, and it's as terrifying as any horror film that Hollywood has produced.  My Rating: Full Price  God & Country Website   Now playing in theaters.

Indiefest: The Space Race (2023)   Documentary on the experiences of the first Black astronauts, telling the story of breaking barriers and the burden they carried. As a kid who grew up in the 60s, I was a space nut. I watched every launch, and I can tell you where I was when significant events like the landing on the moon or the Challenger explosion happened. So, I know a lot about NASA and its astronauts. Or so I thought. I had no idea about Ed Dwight Jr., an astronaut candidate who was part of John F. Kennedy’s push in the space race and whose candidacy ended with Kennedy’s assassination. Or the story of Robert Lawrence Jr., an astronaut candidate who probably would have been another one who would have broken the barrier in the 60s but died in a test pilot crash. The film gives the men and women who blazed the trail the chance to share their stories in their own voices. It’s a fantastic story of overcoming obstacles that took too long to change. The Space Race allows us to learn about a group of men who were trailblazers and let their stories be told.   My Rating: Full Price  The Space Race Website   The review will be up on Friday, Feb. 16th.

Forgotten Film: Lourdes (2009)   Christine (Sylvie Testud) is a wheelchair-bound woman who has had a dream where she talks to the Virgin Mary and can walk. So she goes to Lourdes, the famous place where the water has performed miracles, hoping that something will happen. Sometimes, the journey is more important than the place you are going to. Lourdes is a film that doesn’t ask you to believe; in fact, many of the people you meet in the movie don’t believe at all. However, it’s also about those same people who are trying to live their lives the best they can. Sylvie Testud is marvelous in the role of Christine, a woman not necessarily looking for a miracle, but looking for love and kindness.   My Rating: Full Price  Lourdes Info The film is available on Disc from Amazon.

Weird Credits: From the credits of Bob Marley: One Love: Desk Operator

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Dune: Part Two (2024) PG-13 Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) has found love in Chani (Zendaya) and has the Fremen on his side in getting revenge against the conspirators who murdered his family. Paul may have to choose between love and the universe’s fate as he endeavors to prevent a horrible future only he can foresee. The first film did an excellent job of setting up what will happen in the second film, and we all can’t wait to see it.  Dune: Part Two Website The film will be released on March 1, 2024.

Until Next Time!