P!nk: All I Know So Far

Note to readers: I have started going to movies in the theaters, having received my two shots and passed the two-week standby period, wearing a mask at all times and following social distancing. Most of the films I am reviewing are still movies that I watched at home, but I will note in the review if I saw them in a theatre. I am not going to tell you whether or not to attend a theatre. Just be aware of the risks, do your research, and follow the instructions to the letter.

My View: P!nk: All I Know So Far (2021)  This is a documentary that gives us a behind-the-scenes look at Pink as she balances her family life with her performing life as she prepares for her first Wembley Stadium appearance on the 2019 Beautiful Trauma tour. Fans of Pink will love this film as it gives you an inside look at life on the road for her and her family. We get to see all the hard work that it takes to put on a stadium show like Pink’s, but we also see the hard work that Pink and her husband, Carey Hart, put into raising their two young children. I loved Pink’s sense of humor and how she let us see her in very intimate moments behind the scenes. The film takes you on a travelogue of sorts as we follow Pink and her family as they go from city to city, all building up to the big Wembley Stadium shows. There is a ton of concert footage from the tour, so much so, I wish I had seen the film in a theatre so that the spectacle of Pink’s concerts could wash over me. I did want more of the concert from Wembley, as the film constantly talks about the venue. We don’t quite get enough to experience what it was like to be a part of an 80,000 packed house. Overall, this is an enjoyable film, primarily due to both the talent and the humor of Pink and the fact that she let us into her and her family's lives during a time before COVID. My Rating: Full Price     P!nk: All I Know So Far Website  Available now on the Amazon Prime platform.

Indiefest: Dream Horse (2020) PG   Jan (Toni Collette) lives in a small Welsh town, working two jobs, dreaming of doing something different. She decides to breed a racehorse and get her neighbors to chip in, raise the horse and race it. Against all the odds, this small band of neighbors take a horse called Dream and try to make it to the big race. I saw this movie in a theatre at the 2021 Atlanta Film Festival and fell in love with it. This is a fun, funny, and warm movie that, while it doesn’t surprise you with its plot, it is inventive with its cast of characters. Toni Collette is marvelous as the determined Jan who comes up with the idea that this small town, down on its luck, can develop a racehorse that can succeed against the big racing corporations. What makes this film more remarkable is that it is based on a true story, and there is a beautiful scene at the end where the real people of the town mix with the cast to sing a Tom Jones song (he is Welsh, after all). Dream Horse is a film made to be seen with a crowd in a theatre because of the racing sequences, which are well done and exciting. Make a bet with your ticket, and you are guaranteed a winner at the finish line of Dream Horse.   My Rating: Full Price    Dream Horse Website  Now playing in select theatres.

Indiefest:  The Dry (2020) R    Aaron Falk (Eric Bana) is a Federal Agent who returns to his hometown after a twenty-year absence. For the last ten years, the town has suffered a horrible drought that has brought its people to a breaking point. While in town to attend a funeral for a boyhood friend, Falk reluctantly agrees to investigate an old murder mystery, one that has caused as much damage as the drought itself. The Dry is a well-done mystery that interweaves the past with the present. Aaron left town as a teenager with his dad after the mysterious death of a girl that Aaron was dating. He has come back to town to go to the funeral of his best friend from his school years. The friend, sick over the continued drought, has apparently killed his family than himself in a murder/suicide. His friend's elderly parents ask Aaron to investigate the deaths, as they are convinced that his friend would never do such a thing. There are some nice twists and turns to the story that keeps you guessing on both mysteries. Eric Bana has a pleasant screen presence that makes you want to root for him, and he has some great chemistry with Genevieve O’Reilly, who plays an old school friend with whom he starts up a relationship. The Dry slowly reveals the town's secrets, and I was guessing who did what up until near the end of the film.   My Rating: Full Price    The Dry Website   Now playing in select theatres.

Indiefest: Final Account (2020) PG-13   The documentary follows the last living generation of German participants in Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich. It was a fascinating and sometimes horrifying look at how Hitler and Fascism took over a country told by the people who experienced it. The film interviews men and women who were teenagers when Hitler took over Germany, exploring how they experienced life in a country ruled by a dictator. The film uses interviews conducted over the last ten years interspersed with footage and photos from the time. A great deal of the footage appears to be home movies, some shot in color, that hits home how much the Nazi propaganda bombarded the life of an ordinary German. Some of the people in the film are horrified and ashamed by what they did during this time, but there are other people in the movie that won’t admit that they knew about the horrible things going on in concentration camps or flat out deny that the divisions of the army they belonged to were involved. There is a heartbreaking portion of the film where a former army officer confronts some young people about what went on in Germany during that time. He almost breaks down, full of grief and shame, as he argues with a young person who thinks that he has it wrong, that he shouldn’t apologize for what Germany did during that time. Final Account is a hard film to watch due to its subject matter, and some of the footage is highly disturbing, but that is the way it should be. It should be hard to look back at this time where a country lost its grip on humanity.   My Rating: Full Price   Final Account Website   Now playing in select theatres.

Forgotten Film: Dead Again (1991) R   A woman (Emma Thompson) has lost her memory, and a private eye (Kenneth Branagh) is hired to try to track down her identity. The P.I. soon finds that the women may be connected to a crime committed in a past life. The plot is a little out there, and Branagh’s attempt at an American tough-guy accent is pretty bad, but the cast, including Andy Garcia, Robin Williams, and Derek Jacobi, makes this film worth watching. Plus, the chemistry between then real-life husband and wife Thompson and Branagh are off the chain good. I fell in love with Emma Thompson from this film, and that love is still there to this day. My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Dead Again Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of The Dry: Archival Cricket Team Photo

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Cruella (2021) PG-13   The origin story of how a young girl named Estella became the legendary villainess Cruella, the woman who wanted a coat made up of puppies. The cast includes Emma Stone as Estella/Cruella, Emmas Thompson as fashion maven The Baroness, Mark Strong as The Baroness’s valet, and Joel Fry and Paul Walter Hauser, as Estella/Cruella’s partners in crime. The costumes alone from the trailer make this a film you will want to see.      Cruella Website

Until Next Time!

Tammy

My View:  Tammy (2014)  R   Tammy (Melissa McCarthy) loses her job and finds out her husband has been having an affair with a neighbor.  After deciding to hit the road, and with no money, she enlists her Grandma Pearl (Susan Sarandon) to go on a road trip to get away from her troubles. Pearl and the road are about to teach Tammy a few of life’s lessons.  This just isn’t a very funny film.  McCarthy and her husband, Ben Falcone (who also directed), wrote the script, but, instead of highlighting the comedic talent of McCarthy, it almost buries it under the weight of bad jokes and, at times, depressing material.  Most of the cast is wasted, including Susan Sarandon, who mostly acts drunk, and Mark Duplass, who seems lost in the part of a romantic interest for McCarthy.  Kathy Bates does infuse some energy into the film, but it is far too late in the script.  I have great admiration for most of McCarthy’s work (except Identity Thief), but this just drops the ball and never recovers.  It’s a sad thing when the outtakes, shown during credits, are the funniest things in the film. My Rating: Cable  Tammy Website

Family Faire:  Earth to Echo (2014) PG   Tuck (Astro), Alex (Teo Halm) and Munch (Reese C. Hartwig) are about to lose their neighborhood because a new highway may be built through it. After one of the gang finds a mysterious object that emits a road map on their cell phones, the boys decide to spend their last night finding out where the map leads. Little do they know they are about to go on an adventure of a lifetime.  This is an E.T. for the information age, as the boys use today’s technology to help out an alien from outer space.  Of the three main boys, Astro stands out from the cast and does a impressive job with the narration.  This film isn’t up to the standards of E.T., never quite getting that magical moment that you crave, but kids will enjoy all the action, and parents will enjoy a kid’s film that has some intelligence to it.  My Rating:  Bargain Matinee  Earth to Echo Website

My View:  Deliver Us From Evil (2014)  R   NY Police officer Ralph Sarchie (Eric Bana) investigates a series of mysterious crimes. He soon enlists the help of Father Mendoza (Edgar Ramirez), when Ralph realizes that the source of the crimes may be satanical in nature. Can the two men defeat the demonic forces that seem to be taking over the city?  This is more of a crime drama than a horror film.  Most of the scares are of the "gotcha" variety with very few out and out moments that make you jump.  Think of this as more of a possession type of movie - not what I was looking for and not what was advertised. 
  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Deliver Us From Evil Website

Indiefest:  Begin Again (2014) R   A down on his luck music executive, Dan (Mark Ruffalo), happens upon a bar where Greta (Keira Knightley) is performing. He convinces her that he will help her create an album using her music and his knowledge.  This is a film about how music can give people hope, joy and even purpose.  Knightley has a lovely voice and an excellent stage presence. There is a wonderful chemistry between Ruffalo and Knightley, which allows the two actors to create a working relationship on screen.  I loved the songs in the film.  One of the best is a song that Adam Levine, who plays Greta’s ex-boyfriend, sings in an attempt to win her back. The album that Greta and Dan record is done on the streets of New York, and the film perfectly captures the energy of the city.  If you love music, you will love this film that shows how music’s powerful effect on people can be. My Rating: Full Price  Begin Again Website

Forgotten Film:  The Fall (2008) R In 1915 Los Angeles, a young stuntman (Lee Pace) is hospitalized with broken legs after an accident on a movie set.  At the hospital, he meets a girl named Alexandria (Catinca Untaru) and begins to tell her a magical tale about a band of mercenaries who take on a bad guy by the name of Governor Odious.  As the story unfolds, the lines between reality and fantasy blur.  This is one of the most amazing visual films I have ever seen.  Shot over four years and without special effects, this film is magical in its appearance and with its storyline.  It’s a tale of hope and redemption that weaves a spell of storytelling for the delight of the audience.   My Take: Full Price  The Fall Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Earth to Echo:  blind stunt driver

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Magic in the Moonlight (2014) PG-13 A romantic comedy where an Englishman (Colin Firth) is brought into a situation to help solve a possible swindle.  Woody Allen is hit and miss these days, but I am willing to see it because of Emma Stone and Colin Firth.  Magic in the Moonlight Info

Until Next Time!

Getaway

My View:  Getaway  (2013) PG-13   Brent (Ethan Hawke) is in a race against time after he' is forced to get behind the wheel of a tricked-out Mustang and do a mysterious man’s (Jon Voight) bidding to ensure that his kidnapped wife is not harmed. Along the way, he is joined by a computer savvy young woman (Selena Gomez) in his quest to get his wife back unscathed.  I’ll just say this right from the start - this is a bad film.  The staging of the car crashes/chases is horribly done.  There were times where I had no idea what was happening. Cars continually crash but often we don’t really know what caused the crash because the film direction is so bad.  We are asked to believe that Selena Gomez’s character can break into a computer system using just her iPad and that a majorly modified car can survive numerous shootouts and crashes.  The dialogue seems to be written by a twelve year-old, and I think the plot was conceived by Ford to show how much a Mustang can take. My Rating:  You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again.   Getaway Website

My View:  Closed Circuit  (2013)  R  Terrorists set off a bomb in a crowded shopping area in London that kills more than a hundred people. A suspect has been arrested, and it’s up to two lawyers, Martin (Eric Bana) and Claudia (Rebecca Hall), to see to it that the suspected terrorist gets a fair trial. Martin and Claudia soon discover that there is more than just terrorism going on here. There may be a government conspiracy covering up certain aspects of the bombing. Not only are Martin and Claudia’s reputations at stake, their lives could be, as well.  This is a well done legal thriller with all the twists and turns you want in a suspenseful tale. I think the chemistry between Bana and Hall is fascinating as we see from their first meeting that there is a bit of history involved.  The movie seems to be ripped directly from today’s headlines, but, while there isn’t a lot of action, it’s an interesting story that keeps you on the edge of your seat and wondering if everything is going to turn out alright. My Rating:  Full Price   Closed Circuit Website

My View:  One Direction: This is Us  (2013)  PG  A behind-the-scenes look at the British boy band as they embark on a worldwide tour.  Fans of the group will love this film as it gives them quite a bit of behind-the-scenes as the tour goes from city to city. The film shows their origins on the British X-Factor where Simon Cowell hand-picked all members of the group.  The concert footage does a good job of helping the audience experience what it's like to go to one of their shows.  Overall, though, I think the film doesn't really give us a good idea of who these guys really are and what they are like as I feel everything we are shown is staged to present the group in the best light. While the film was shot in 3-D, I don't think it adds anything to the experience.  It’s not a bad film, but to the non-fan, it could be boring.  My Rating:  Bargain Matinee   One Direction: This Is Us Website

Indiefest:  Ain’t Them Bodies Saints  (2013) R  Bob Muldoon (Casey Affleck) and his pregnant girlfriend, Ruth Guthrie (Rooney Mara) are on the run from the law. Their luck runs out, and they are captured after a shootout. Bob makes it his life’s mission to escape from prison and find his way back to his true love.  Affleck and Rooney are first rate in this film and they play off each other with ease, so much so that you really believe they are deeply in love.  Rooney gives a performance that has depth as her character is conflicted between the life she has now, and the one Bob will give her if he returns from prison. The film perfectly captures small town life in 1970’s Texas.  It’s an extremely well done film about two star-crossed lovers, a movie that just might break your heart.  My Rating:  Full Price

Forgotten Film:  Nashville (1975) R  This film takes place over five days and leads up to a political rally at the Parthenon in Nashville.  It centers around the music industry in the city where you see the country superstars mix with the up-and-coming singers.  The cast in this film is huge - more than twenty-four major parts.  Most of the cast wrote their own music for the film, including Keith Carradine, who won an Oscar for Best Original Song for ,“I’m Easy.”  The film was directed by Robert Altman, and with most of Altman’s movies, a great deal of the dialogue was made up on the spot, with the script being used as only a guide for the storyline.  Many of the performers are based on real C&W stars - Henry Gibson’s character Haven Hamilton is based on Porter Wagoner and Ronee Blakely’s Barbara Jean is based on Loretta Lynn.  The film contains lots of musical performances, some of which are outstanding.  It’s a strange movie as most of Altman’s films are, but it’s worth seeing this cast do some magic on-screen  My Rating:  Full Price   Nashville Info

In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD): The Great Gatsby  (2013)  PG-13  I did not enjoy this film.  It’s too long, and I think the use of hip-hop music doesn't fit the film.  I also feel that the director, Baz Luhrman, didn't let his cast act and put them in a very long music video. The cast of this film deserves a much better script.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The Great Gatsby Website

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Getaway:  Shelby interior maker

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Prisoners  (2013)  R When Keller Dover’s (Hugh Jackman) young daughter and her friend goes missing, the families of the two girls start to panic,  A main suspect is released due to lack of evidence, and that's when Keller decides to take matters into his own hands.  How far will he go to find his daughter?  The cast includes Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, Melissa Leo, Terrence Howard, Maria Bello, and Paul Dano.

Until Next Time!