Drive-Away Dolls

My View: Drive-Away Dolls (2024) R   Jamie (Margaret Qualley) regrets her breakup with her girlfriend and needs to get away to forget her troubles. Her best friend Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan) just wants to get away. The two embark on a road trip to Tallahassee in search of a fresh start. They rent a car intended for a group of inept criminals, and now the chase is on, but the girls don’t know that. I am a huge fan of the Coen brothers movies, especially Fargo. So I was excited when I saw the trailer for this film. Boy, was I disappointed. I wanted this film to end almost as soon as it started. It feels as if it is half a film (maybe brother Joel has the rest of the plot) with storylines that seem to end without any result, characters talking on and on without any rhyme or reason, and an ending that felt too easy. The film is full of stunt casting, so be warned that some actors are on screen for just a few moments. There isn’t a lot of heart in this film, and it feels almost like a parody of the sex romp films of the 80s with a lesbian slant, but that would be giving it too much credit.   My Rating: Cable  Drive-Away Dolls Website  Now playing in theaters.

My View: Ordinary Angels (2024) PG   Sharon (Hilary Swank) is a hairdresser known for getting involved in people’s lives. She finds out about a critically ill young girl whose widowed father, Ed (Alan Ritchson), is in over his head trying to get her treatment. Sharon does what she does best and single-handedly rallies an entire community to help pay for an operation. It will take a miracle, but that’s what Sharon does. Ordinary Angels is a touching story with a bit of Christian overtones that gets a little schmaltzy at times but works because of the message that if we work together and show some human kindness, miracles can happen. Swank has fun as the heart-of-gold hairdresser who has a troubled past and wants to right a few wrongs, primarily through her ability to talk anybody into anything. There are plenty of tears along the way, but it’s a story that loves a good miracle or two.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Ordinary Angels Website  Now playing in theatres.

Indiefest: lo Capitano (2023) lo Capitano is about two teenage boys, Seydou (Seydou Sarr) and Moussa (Moustapha Fall), who leave Dakar in Senegal to go on an epic journey to the greener pastures of Europe. Little do the young men know the hardships and dangers they will encounter along the way. This powerful film takes you on an unbelievable journey of two boys who are forced to become men along the way. lo Capitano is a film that treats its characters with tenderness as they endure horrific times. You are given insight into why the two boys want to go to Europe, but you also see why, once they have left, they miss their families and home. Seydou Sarr gives an incredible performance as a young man who is good at heart, loves his best friend, and is horrified at what he has to deal with and endure. It’s a brilliant performance that hits you in the gut and keeps punching because that's how bad this journey of two teen boys trying to find a better life. lo Capitano is a film about dreams and the journeys we travel to make them come true, no matter the hardship.  My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  lo Capitano Website Now playing in theaters. 

Indiefest: Stopmotion (2023) R  Stopmotion is the story of Ella (Aisling Franciosi), a stop-motion animator working under the demanding, legendary animator Suzanne (Stella Gonet), who happens to be her mother. When her mother dies, Ella hopes to finally make the films she has always dreamed of. Unfortunately, those dreams may become nightmares when a character she is filming suddenly comes to life. I am a huge fan of stop-motion animation, and this film is packed with incredibly creepy and scary animation. Ella is a frustrated animator who has lived under the shadow and thumb of her mother. When Ella finally starts working on her own creation, it’s actually a story from a neighborhood kid that takes a life of its own. Stopmotion is a story of a woman who doesn’t know what is real and what is made up. The storyline is a little light, but the melding of stop-motion animation with live-action makes this horror film stand out and gives you plenty of scares.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Stopmotion website Now playing in theaters. 

Forgotten Film: Heartaches (1981) R   A young wife (Annie Potts) is pregnant, and she doesn’t want to tell her husband (Robert Carradine) because of one little problem: it’s not his. So she leaves home to get an abortion and meets up with Rita (Margot Kidder). Though the two are opposites, they decide to pair up and soon find they have much more in common than they realize. While not a great movie, the performances of Margot Kidder and especially Annie Potts make this film worth watching. While Kidder’s character is the more outrageous, Potts dominates the film as a woman who has finally realized that she is far more capable than her worthless husband ever lets her be.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Heartaches Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Drive-Away Dolls: Chief of Zoss

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024) The Spengler family has returned to where it all began, the iconic New York City firehouse, to team up with some of the original Ghostbusters. Their mission is to stop an evil force unleashed by an ancient artifact that threatens to turn the world into a second Ice Age. This is the first movie in the Ghostbusters franchise that the late Ivan Reitman won’t be involved in. The film was going to be a Christmas release but was delayed by the actor and writer’s strikes.  Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire Website   The film is out on Friday, March 22nd. 

Until Next Time!

Greenland

 Note to readers: I currently am not willing to risk my health (I’m 62 and an asthmatic) by visiting a theatre. All films that I have seen for review have been screened in my home. 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: Greenland (2020) PG-13   News that cities around the world are being leveled by the fragments of a comet that has entered the earth’s atmosphere. John (Gerard Butler), his estranged wife Allison (Morena Baccarin), and their young son, Nathan ( Roger Dale Floyd), are on a desperate trek to find a possible safe haven as the world around them evolves into chaos and madness. I liked the first third of this movie as it sets up nicely the stakes; no one expects the comet to do any damage and when it is apparent there is a real danger, that John and his family must make hard choices. The problem with this film is after the comet starts its destruction, the plot becomes full of holes, some as large as the craters that are being made by Clarke (the comet is named after Sci-Fi writer legend Arthur C. Clarke). We are repeatedly hit over the head with the fact that Nathan is diabetic, so much so that it seems the kid is constantly in need of his insulin. I’ve seen addicts on horrible TV dramas that didn’t need a hit as much as Nathan does. The plot goes even thinner to create problems for the family, including separating all three members from each other, and (small spoiler alert) I’m not clear exactly how they find each other again. One of the fun things about disaster films is watching all the destruction as our heroes navigate through the wreckage and carnage. Greenland keeps hinting at the destruction, but it rarely interacts with our characters; it just left out there as a possible occurrence. The film asks us to think about the possibility of the end of the world, but I just kept wondering only about the possibility of how soon this film would end instead.   My Rating: Cable    Greenland Website    The film is available to rent on participating on-demand services.

My View: Fatale (2020) R  Derrick (Michael Ealy), a successful sports agent, has a one-night stand with a sexy and mysterious woman (Hilary Swank). Derrick picked the wrong woman to mess with, and now his life, his family, and his career are in peril as he tries desperately to put the pieces together as he falls deep into her trap. I had hope for this film about 20 minutes in when the plot could have gone two ways; unfortunately, the film took the easy route, and we get a movie about a man who makes a mistake and the bad cop that is determined to take him down to pay for it. Swank plays a decorated cop who likes to blow off steam in Vegas and sleeps with our ‘hero’ Derrick, who feels like his wife just might be cheating on him. After a break-in and assault at their home, Derrick is surprised to find out that the lead detective is the woman he slept with in Vegas. The plot gets messy after that reveal, and it never finds its way back to reason, with an ending that will have you saying ‘really?’ to the screen.   My Rating: Cable   Fatale Website   Now playing in select theatres.

Indiefest: Hunter Hunter (2020)   Joseph (Devon Sawa), his wife Anne (Camille Sullivan), and their daughter Renée (Summer H. Howell) are a family living in the remote wilderness, struggling to survive as they earn a living as fur trappers. To their dismay, a rogue wolf has returned and is robbing their traps. Joseph leaves his family behind to trap the wolf, with Anne and Renée to fend for themselves in woods that have become dark and deadly. Okay, let us get this out in the open right now; this movie's ending is one of the most brutal scenes I have seen. A real blow that will have you stunned. That being said, this is an immensely enjoyable film full of wonderful moments and a plot that ramps up the suspense as the film goes along. The world that Joseph and his family live in is challenging, harsh, and not easy. They are bringing up their daughter Renee in this world of hunting and trapping, all the while, staying away as much as possible from the outside world. Anne is starting to feel maybe this isn’t the world for her daughter to grow up in, that Anne chose this life when she got involved with Joseph but that Renee didn’t. All this is moot when it is evident that a lone wolf that has terrified the family in the past has returned. Joseph is determined to hunt down the wolf and leaves his family behind to do so, leaving his family venerable to an attack. I love this film and the robust and compelling performance of Camille Sullivan, who gives a gritty, impassioned role that makes her character feel real and moving our emotions to tears.    My Rating: Full Price   Hunter Hunter Website   Now playing in select theatres and is available to rent on participating on-demand services.

Indiefest: Modern Persuasion (2020)   Wren (Alicia Witt) is a successful working woman who has never gotten over a lost love from college. In walks Owen (Shane McRae), her old college sweetheart who wants to hire Wren’s company to promote his new app. Can Wren juggle working with Owen with her past staring her in the face? I have a soft part in my soul for Indie films that don’t try to be too arty, don’t try to be so cutting edge with their movie. Modern Persuasion is a fun, light romantic movie that uses Jane Austin’s Persuasion as a basis for its plot. While not breaking any new ground, the film is aided by a strong supporting cast that includes Mark Moses, Liza Lapira, and the marvelous Bebe Neuwirth, making it stand out from the Hallmark Chanel films it will be compared to. The likable, dependable Alicia Witt in the lead role as the forlorn Wren also helps the film move along at a nice pace. It’s an enjoyable foray that, while is predictable, is just what you want from this genre, a romance with everyone getting what they want and need in the end.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee     Modern Persuasion Info    The film is available to rent on participating on-demand services.

Forgotten Film: The Birdwatcher (2015)   Saffron (Camille Sullivan) is a single mother of two who discovers that her cancer has turned terminal. Saffron goes on a quest to find her birth-mother, Birdy (Gabrielle Rose), a woman that never wanted to see her after giving up Saffron for adoption. Saffron wants to find her birth mother to see if she will take in her children after she dies. The Birdwatcher is a wonderfully filmed movie that takes place mostly outdoors, as Saffron’s birth-mother is an ornithologist. The film isn’t always a comfortable watch because most of the characters, including Birdy, are not easy to like. Most of the relationships in the movie are strained, with people who have a hard time feeling connected to one another. The film is worth watching because the performances are so compelling, with Camille Sullivan standing out as the flawed but determined Saffron, a woman forced to make tough decisions as her world crashes around her.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee     The Birdwatcher Website

Weird Credits: From the credits of Hunter Hunter: Animal Wrangling Coordinator

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You:  Chaos Walking  (2021)  PG-13  In a world where a virus killed all the women and living creatures have the ability to read each other’s minds, Todd (Tom Holland) encounters Viola (Daisy Ridley), a strange woman who others on the planet want to hunt her down. Todd vows to protect Viola and discovers that he has a hidden power that can help to unlock his planet’s dark secrets. Hey, a sci-fi film directed by the guy who did Edge of Tomorrow and stars Tom Holland and Daisy Ridley? It sounds like a fun film to watch.    Chaos Walking Facebook Page

Until Next Time!

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1

My View:  The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1  (2014) PG-13  After destroying the games forever, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) fights for the rebellion, determined to rescue Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) from the clutches of President Snow (Donald Sutherland). I enjoyed this film and fans of the book won’t be disappointed.  It is darker in tone than the first two films, and while there are a few weak points, it’s still a blast to watch.  While this is Lawrence’s film, and she does a great job, it’s sad to see the late great Philip Seymour Hoffman on-screen.  Of the supporting cast, I thought Hoffman and Elizabeth Banks  stood out from the rest of the cast as both have some interesting, fun scenes.  The first part of this film takes a while to get going, but once the action starts, the film starts to click.  My Rating:  Full Price   The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 Website

Indiefest:  The Homesman  (2014) R Three women have been driven insane by the hard life of living in the west.  Mary Bee Cuddy (Hilary Swank) volunteers to help transport the three across the country by covered wagon.  She enlists the help of a low-life drifter (Tommy Lee Jones) to move the women.  The best word to describe this film is meandering.  With a cast that includes Jones, Swank, John Lithgow, James Spader and Meryl Streep, you would think this film would be filled with memorable scenes and high energy performances - but it isn’t. The film takes a very strange turn about two-thirds through and never recovers from with an ending that is just puzzling and unsatisfying. I was excited to see this film, but I would recommend going back and watching Lonesome Dove, instead.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee The Homesman Facebook page

Forgotten Film:  Chaplin  (1992) PG-13 The story of Charlie Chaplin (Robert Downey Jr.) as told by Chaplin to his autobiographer (Anthony Hopkins).  The film is a little long and tries to cover too much ground, but Downey nails Chaplin, making him come alive, especially when he plays Charlie working on the set.  The supporting cast is outstanding with Kevin Kline as Douglas Fairbanks and Dan Aykroyd as Mack Sennett.  My Rating:  Bargain Matinee  Chaplin Info

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I’ve Only Seen in Trailers But Just Looks Like a Bad Idea):  The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death (2015) PG-13 I didn’t like the first one, so why would I like this sequel about the house haunted by the “Woman in Black?”  Plus, no Daniel Radcliffe.  The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death Info

In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD/Blue Ray):  The Wind Rises (2014)    PG-13 This is a beautiful, animated film that is let down by its very long and slow moving storyline. Other critics went nuts over this film by legendary filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki, but I think it just doesn’t rank up there with his Spirited Away (2002) or Princess Mononoke (2000).  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The Wind Rises Website

Weird Credits:  From the credits of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1:  Screening Operations Executive

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Still Alice  (2014) PG-13 Julianne Moore plays a linguistics professor who starts to forget words and soon learns she has an illness that will change both her and her family’s lives.  Many are saying that Julianne Moore gives a performance of a lifetime.  Still Alice Info

Until Next Time!