Spencer

My View:  Spencer  (2021) R  Princess Diana (Kristen Stewart) is spending the Christmas holidays with the royal family at the famous Sandringham estate in Norfolk, England. Diana has decided to do the unthinkable, leave her marriage to Prince Charles (Jack Farthing). Go into this film with the idea that this isn’t necessarily the real story of Princess Di, that, as the first title card tells you, it’s a fairy tale. Kristen Stewart is brilliant in capturing the spirit and manner of Diana. It’s a mesmerizing performance that makes you believe that you are watching the sad and tragic tales of a young woman brought down by a monarchy and its strict ways of living life the Royal way. The best parts of the film are Princess Diana’s interactions with her children. There is a beautiful scene where Diana senses that her sons are not having the Christmas they wanted, and she plays a game where they pretend they are soldiers asking each other questions. It’s a moving scene that gives us insight into their relationship and just how damaging living in this ‘fairy tale’ world was. The film deals with Diana’s battles with bulimia, of now only how the Royal family handled it but also how her sons tried to help her deal with it. The film lost me a bit in the sequences where Diana goes off, in her mind into another reality, as I felt these scenes made the reality of what she was dealing with seem lesser. That being said, Spencer is worth seeing because of Kristen Stewart's portrayal of a woman living in a fishbowl filled with piranhas, giving us another reason to feel that she is one of the best actors of her generation.   My Rating: Full Price  Spencer Website  Now playing in theaters nationwide.  

My View:   Eternals (2021) PG-13   An unexpected tragedy forces the Eternals, an ancient band of aliens who have been living on Earth in secret for thousands of years, to come out of the shadows to reunite against mankind’s greatest enemy, the Deviants. Growing up, comic book artist Jack Kirby was my favorite. While he worked on and created such Marvel staples as Fantastic Four and Thor, his more minor works were always my favorite. So I was excited to learn that not only would Marvel be turning one of his works into a movie, that Chloé Zhao, hot off her Academy Award for Nomadland, would be directing it. I have to say that I am disappointed with this film. It’s hard to introduce characters you know nothing about, but it took so long to meet and then understand their mission that I found the plot mind numbingly slow. I enjoyed the character Kingo, played by Kumail Najiani, who brings humor to the film (which is badly needed) as he poses on Earth as a Bollywood film star. The film seems to waste the stars in heroes that are quite boring and un-charismatic. Yeah, Angelina is pretty badass and does some butt-kicking, but Salma Hayek is wasted in the role of Ajak. In fact, I have no clue what her superpower is. Maybe great hugs? Telling other superheroes ‘It’s Time’? The film also never gives us a reason why no other Marvel heroes, like Doctor Strange or Spiderman, don’t show up to help save humanity. I mean, isn’t that their job, or maybe they are all tired from saving the world from Thanos? The finale seems too easy and the plot holes too big to ignore for this to be a film that you will enjoy from start to end. Be sure though, to stay through both the first credits and the final credits to see bonus scenes that promise us more of the Eternals and a few extra characters.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Eternals Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.  

My View:  Finch  (2021)  PG-13   In a devastated world full of sandstorms, incredible heat, and no water, Finch (Tom Hanks) decides he has to move on because of a coming storm. Finch will now take his new family, a dog and a talking robot, on an adventure in a dangerous and ravaged world. What more do you want in a film than Tom Hanks, a lovable, clumsy talking robot and a dog? OK, maybe a better thought-out plot which asks you to believe a lot in the magic of creating a robot who can think for itself would have helped. Still, you have the likability of Hanks and a dog who will melt your heart. The film doesn’t always touch the heartstrings like it wants to, but you will still need a tissue or two. The film is Tom Hanks show, and he is as good as you expect him to be, I just wish the film didn’t go down the easy road that it does, making the film feel predictable and often question its science (bad for a movie about a guy whose life is science). Still, I enjoyed Finch, Tom Hanks and a very ‘good dog’ named Goodyear.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Finch Website  Now playing on the Apple TV+ platform.

Indiefest: The Souvenir: Part II (2021) R   Still reeling from the death of her lover, Anthony (Tom Burke), Julie (Honor Swinton Byrne) is trying to make her final movie for film school. She goes on a mission to understand the relationship with Anthony, a man who was a troubled soul. Julie must sort through the facts and sort the truth from the fiction of Anthony’s life. The Souvenir Part II is a film that helps if you have seen part one since it takes place immediately after filmmaker Joanna Hogg’s first film, The Souvenir. In that film, a young filmmaker, Julie, falls for an older man who becomes the love of her life, only to be dragged into his world of drugs and misery. This film is a bit lighter, with Julie trying to figure out what was real in the life of Anthony, all the while dealing with the pressure of making her final film project. Like the first film, this is Honor Swinton Byrne’s film, and she once again gives a performance that is a breathtaking journey through dealing with a life-altering event and coming through the other side. I enjoyed this film more than the first one because I loved Julie more in this film, as she becomes a person the blooms, no longer dependent on Anthony or her mother (played by the actress's real mother Tilda Swinton) for her reason for living. Swinton Byrne gives us a Julie that learns to grow and use her heartbreak to realize her dreams.   My Rating: Full Price   The Souvenir Part II Website  Now playing in select theatres.

My View: The Harder They Fall (2021)  R   When outlaw Nat Love (Jonathan Majors) finds out that his mortal enemy Rufus Buck (Idris Elba) has been broken out of a jail transport by Trudy Smith (Regina King), Nat rounds up his gang to track Rufus down and seek revenge for a killing that Rufus did long ago. I am a huge western film fan, and this film has created a world that didn’t exist, but we are glad that filmmaker Jeymes Samuel has built it for us. I mean, come on, a cast with Jonathan Majors as the hero and Idris Elba and Regina King as the bad guys makes for one exciting film. With a movie that has bits from classic films such as Once Upon a Time in the West and Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, this film has put its own brand on the west in a world that looks at the Black cowboys of the past, some of which are based on real characters, that have never had the spotlight until now. Added to the star power of the film, the supporting cast is equally impressive. With outstanding performances by Zazie Beetz, as a saloon owner who has a past with Nat, her female bouncer who can best any man in a fight (Danielle Deadwyler), and the lawman Bass Reeves (Delroy Lindo), a man who is determined to bring Nat in but is more determined to see justice done. The Harder They Fall has some nice twists to it, some great gunfights, including a spectacular shootout at the end, and a cast that makes this western a movie to love, even for filmgoers that don’t like westerns.   My Rating: Full Price   The Harder They Fall Website  Now playing in select theatres and on the Netflix platform.

My View: Love Hard  (2021)   Natalie (Nina Dobrev) is an L.A. woman who has finally found her man online after a series of horrible dates. She travels to the East Coast to surprise him for the holidays only to discover that she has been catfished by Josh (Jimmy O. Yang). To make it up to Natalie, Josh tells her he can set it up to meet the man whom Josh used to Catfish her, a hunky guy named Tag (Darren Barnet), who Josh knows. You know precisely what you are getting before you even start watching this film, and that’s ok because it’s that time of the year for Christmas romance films. What you hope for in a movie like this is a fun plot and a winning cast. I really enjoyed the chemistry between Nina Dobrev and Jimmy O. Yang, making the film work. The two are cute together, and the scenes between the two are fun to watch. Is the storyline predictable and a bit obvious that Natalie isn’t meant for Tag? You bet, but isn’t that what you want in this type of film? I mean, it's a Christmas movie. And by the way, there is a friendly debate running throughout the film about a few certain movies and whether they are or are not Christmas films.  My friends know that I agree with Natalie.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Love Hard Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform.

Indiefest:   The Beta Test  (2021) R   Jordan (Jim Cummings) has it all, about to be married to a beautiful woman and a great job as a Hollywood agent. His world changes when he gets a mysterious invitation to have a sexual encounter in a hotel room with a person who he won’t be able to see due to a blindfold. Jordan decides to take up the offer, and his life becomes one big mess of lying, intrigue, and possible murder. Jim Cummings is a filmmaker that always makes interesting films; sometimes they work, sometimes they fail, but they are always interesting (Thunder Road, The Wolf of Snow Hollow). This is a satire about the industry of being an agent in Hollywood combined with a mystery about who or what is behind those compelling invitations. The Beta Test is a film that is more about a trip into madness by a man who, right from the start, has a few screws loose. A man who will just about do anything to get a client and is also willing to cheat on his fiancé with a stranger, set up by an unknown person. I liked this film because of Cummings performance of a man, who is so high strung, he becomes undone by his inner turmoil, as he becomes obsessed with finding out not only who the woman was that he met in that hotel room but who was behind the meeting. We see him destroy not only his life with his soon-to-be wife but his job, which probably, in the end, means more to him, as his lies, which used to work so well, become a poison.   My Rating: Full Price   The Beta Test Website  Now playing in select theatres and On Demand.

Forgotten Film:   My New Gun (1992) R   This is a quirky little romantic comedy (sort of) about a married couple, Debbie and Gerald (Diane Lane, Stephen Collins), in the suburbs where nothing ever happens. Then, Gerald gets a gun for Debbie to keep around for protection. She doesn’t want the gun and starts to have nightmares about it. She lets her mysterious neighbor Skippy (James Legros) borrow the weapon on a whim, and things get messy after that. My New Gun is a fun and strange little film that, once over, you just might want to know more about these characters. The film is helped by a winning performance by James Legros and a supporting cast that includes Tess Harper (Tender Mercies) and a very early role for Philip Seymour Hoffman.   My Rating: Full Price    The New Gun Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Spencer: Royal Protocol Advisor

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Licorice Pizza (2021)  R  Set in 1973, the film tells the story of Gary and Alana (Cooper Hoffman, Alana Haim), who fall in and out of love as their careers begin to take off in the strange and weird world of Hollywood. Ok, any movie that sets its trailer to the music of David Bowie’s ‘Life on Mars’ has my attention. Then you see that Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Magnolia, There Will Be Blood, Inherent Vice) is the writer/director of the film and includes a cast of Bradley Cooper, Sean Penn, John C. Reilly, and Maya Rudolph, and you say ‘yes, I want to see that.’ Add all that to the fact that Cooper Hoffman is the son of the legendary actor Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and Alana Haim is one of the members of the rock group Haim, for whom Paul Thomas Anderson has directed nine music videos for. Adding to all this fun is that even the studio didn’t quite know what the movie was about until about a year ago.     Licorice Pizza Website

Until Next Time!

Reminiscence

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:  Reminiscence  (2021) PG-13   Set in the near future, Private Investigator Nick Bannister (Hugh Jackman) uses a machine to explore the past of his clients. His life is changed when a new client of his, Mae (Rebecca Ferguson), goes missing, and Nick fights to learn the truth about Mae and what happened to her. I loved the world that this film has created with Miami being flooded by rising seas and the population becoming nocturnal due to the heat, the film has a look all of its own, and I am glad I saw this in a theatre on the big screen. Unfortunately, it is all for show as the storyline is weak and drags on forever. I have always liked Hugh Jackman, but he looks uncomfortable in the role of a vet who is haunted by the war he fought and now is making his living as a P.I. There is very little flame between Jackman and Ferguson, and that is where the movie starts to fall apart because we have to believe that Jackman’s character is so in love with Ferguson’s Mae that he is willing to lose everything to find out what happened to her. I just never cared about either character and, in fact, kind of wish that the film had been about Nick’s assistant Watts, played by Thandie Newton, whose character of a sharp-shooter war vet with a drinking problem is far more interesting than Nick or Mae. At almost two hours, Reminiscence takes too long to get to the chase, and once that chase begins, I didn’t care who won.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Reminiscence Website  Now playing in theatres and on the HBO Max platform.

My View:   The Protege  (2021)  R  Rescued as a child by the legendary assassin Moody (Samuel L. Jackson), Anna (Maggie Q), has been brought up to be an assassin herself, becoming the world’s most skilled contract killer. When Moody is brutally killed, she goes out on her own to get revenge. This is one of those action-adventure films that you just sit back and enjoy. Have fun with Samuel L. Jackson doing Samuel L. Jackson stuff as the killer with a heart of gold. Watch Maggie Q kick serious butt and get in and out of some sticky situations. And have a blast watching Michael Keaton play the bad guy as James Bond has gone to the dark side. There is plenty of hand-to-hand combat and a few explosions to liven up the place as the plot moves along at a quick pace with not too much setup. I enjoyed The Protege for what it was, a good action film with a lot of butt-kicking.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    The Protege Website    Now playing in theatres.

My View: Habit (2021) R  A street-smart party girl (Bella Thorne) and her friends louse the money they owe to a violent drug dealer (Josie Ho) and decide to get the money back while hiding out…as nuns. This film reminds me of the schlocky movies that used to be made for cheap that would play at the drive-ins in the 60s and 70s. With a wafer-thin plot, an over-the-top performance of Josie Ho as the demented drug lord, and an attempt to be provocative (Bella’s character at one point has sex with a good-looking priest in a confessional), this movie fails on every aspect and at times is unwatchable. Add in a bizarre cameo of Paris Jackson as a female Jesus, Gavin Rossdale, chewing up scenery right and left, and some very strange appearances by Hana Mae Lee and Ione Skye, and we have a film that will make my bottom ten list of bad films of ’21.   My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again   Habit Website   Now available to rent on online platforms and on DVD/Blu-Ray Aug. 24th.

My View: Sweet Girl (2021) R   Cooper (Jason Momoa) finds out that a big pharmaceutical company denied his wife a life-saving drug, and he vows to bring justice to the people responsible for his wife’s death. There are big stakes involved, and now Cooper and his daughter, Rachel (Isabela Merced), are trying to escape from the people that want to shut him up permanently. This is your ordinary action-adventure ‘on the run’ film with a few twists and turns to make it interesting. While a great deal of the action is centered on Jason Momoa, the film's real star is Isabela Merced, who has already shown us that she can be an action star in the Dora movie. Merced has a pleasing screen prescience that when even pared with a big guy like Momoa, your eye moves toward her. The film allows her to do some action sequences that are, frankly, more exciting than seeing Momoa’s fight sequences. The film does get a little messy with the plot and an ever-evolving target that Cooper and his daughter are chasing. Sweet Girl isn’t a bad action film, just one weighed down by a story that becomes very confusing on exactly who is responsible for Cooper’s wife’s death. That being said, I wouldn’t mind seeing a film with Rachel out dealing justice on her own.   My Rating; Bargain Matinee    Sweet Girl Website  Now available on the Netflix platform.

Indiefest: Demonic (2021) R   Carly (Carly Pope) hasn’t seen her mother, Angela (Nathalie Boltt), in years since Angela was put in prison for setting fire to a nursing home and killing twenty-one people. Carly finds out that her mother is in a coma, but an experimental procedure will allow Carly to visit her mother in a kind of second reality. Carly soon learns that Angela might not have been responsible for the deaths, that some sort of demon was involved, and now it has set its sight on Carly. This is one of those films that you wonder what happened to the filmmaker like Neill Blomkamp, who seemed so promising with his early work (Academy Award nomination with District 9) but has hit a wall and just doesn’t deliver the goods anymore. That is the case with Demonic, a film with an exciting start that gets bogged down in details and a plot that makes less and less sense as it goes along. Demonic is a horror film, but the scares aren’t there, with a bad guy that we don’t really meet until the end, and then it’s a big letdown. The plot is easy to figure out (even the big twist near the end) and never ramps up the tension, leaving the film any sense of horror, something a so-called scary movie needs.   My Rating: Cable   Demonic Website  Now playing in select theatres including Landmark Midtown Art Cinema and available to rent on online platforms.

Forgotten Film: Proof   (1991) R  Martin (Hugo Weaving) has been blind since birth. He takes photographs and has them developed and then has people tell him what the photograph is about. Celia (Genevieve Picot) becomes Martin’s caretaker and is obsessed with him. Andy (Russell Crowe) pops into Martin’s life and soon becomes his best friend, but Celia is jealous of their friendship and is willing to do anything to break them up. Proof is a strange little film that is helped by three outstanding and interesting performances. You don’t know where the film will end up, but it's fun watching these three actors on the screen work their magic. Add in the fact that Weaving and Crowe are so young and this is a film to enjoy.   My Rating: Full Price    Proof Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of The Protege: Patina Artist

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Eternals (2021)   An unexpected tragedy forces the Eternals, an ancient band of aliens who have been living on Earth in secret for thousands of years, to come out of the shadows to reunite against mankind’s most ancient enemy, the Deviants. The film is based on a comic book series by my favorite artist, Jack Kirby, and is co-written and directed by two-time Academy Award winner Chloé Zhao (Nomadland). Add in a cool trailer and a cast that is headlined by Salma Hayek and Angelina Jolie, and this makes it a film not to be missed.     Eternals Facebook Page

Until Next Time!