The Prom

 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: The Prom (2020) PG-13   Two down on their luck Broadway stars (Meryl Streep, Jame Corden) travel to a small Indiana town to support a high school girl, Emma (Jo Ellen Pellman), who, against the wishes of the townspeople, wants to take her girlfriend to the prom. First, I didn’t expect that this film would go longer (2 hours eleven minutes) than some proms have. The film must have twenty musical numbers. So many musical numbers that they kind of all just crash into each other. I loved the lead actress, Jo Ellen Pellman, who has a beautiful singing voice and is perfect as the sweet, innocent Emma. The film is based on a somewhat actual event and was performed on Broadway. This film's star power should have made it much more fun than it is with a cast that includes Nicole Kidman, Kerry Washington, Keegan-Michael Key, Andrew Rannells, Tracey Ullman, Kevin Chamberlin, and Mary Kay Place. The film feels slapped together with a storyline stretched so thin it collapses under its own weight as it goes over the top, time after time. Now, don’t get me wrong, Meryl Streep steals the spotlight every time she is on the screen, and her numbers are bright and campy. That being said, I never found myself loving or even liking most of the film that was, for this musical film-loving critic, a chore to watch.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee   The Prom Website     Available on the Netflix platform and currently playing in select theatres including Landmark Midtown Art  and Springs Cinema and Taphouse in the Atlanta area.

Indiefest: Wild Mountain Thyme (2020) PG-13   Rosemary (Emily Blunt), against her family's wishes, is head over heels in love with her neighbor Anthony (Jamie Dornan). The problem is Anthony is cursed, as madness runs in the family, and he remains oblivious to Rosemary and her advances. In walks, an American (Jon Hamm), who wants to buy Anthony’s family farm and also, just might take Rosemary away too. I wanted this film to be as good as its premise, but unfortunately, the film fails to capture any magic that its location of Ireland deserves. The on-location shots are beautiful, but the film never can find its footing, as it tries to get us interested in what the movie feels are star-crossed lovers, but we never quite get a hold of why the characters are supposed to be together in the first place, other than the fact that they grew up next to each other. Christopher Walken plays Anthony’s father, a man who I couldn’t understand where he was coming from, what his reasoning was because he seems to change his mind as many times as he lights a pipe. I love Emily Blunt, and she is the best part of this film, but the chemistry between her and Jamie Dornan isn’t there. In fact, as soon as Jon Hamm shows up, there are more sparks between him and Blunt in just a few scenes than there is for the rest of the movie between the two main characters. The last third of this film will baffle you, making you wonder what the heck happened and also ask: ‘What the heck kind of accent was Christopher Walken using?”   My Rating: Cable    Wild Mountain Thyme Website    The film is currently playing in select theatres including Landmark Midtown Art and Springs Cinema and Taphouse, and is available to rent on participating on-demand services.

Indiefest: Wander Darkly (2020) R   New parents Adrienne (Sienna Miller) and Matteo (Diego Luna) are in a troubled relationship that gets harder when they are forced to reckon with trauma. They must revisit their past while trying to unravel the truth to face their uncertain future. This film takes you a while to get into as Adrienne is dealing with a horrible tragedy, but about halfway through the film, I started to really enjoy the format the movie used to let Adrienne explore her feelings and grief. It’s a film that allows Sienna Miller to shine, and she is brilliant as the difficult, headstrong woman who has trouble even admitting that she loves Matteo, much less think their love can last. What I loved about this film is that we see everything through Adrienne's eyes that it is her story to explore and understand. I wasn’t sure where this film would end up, but I was pleased with the exploration of Adrienne and her life that the movie took us on.   My Rating: Full Price    Wander Darkly Website    The film is available to rent on participating on-demand services 

Indiefest: The Dark Divide (2020)  Urged on by his wife’s (Debra Messing) last wish, renowned butterfly expert Robert Pyle (David Cross) barks on a trip he has long put off, to trek through the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. The problem is Robert has never hiked on his own for such a dangerous and lengthy journey, a trek full of beauty and challenges. Oh, man is this a beautiful, gorgeous film to watch that makes me miss movie theaters so much. The scenery is breathtaking, and the musical score is perfect for the film. Shot on location, the film makes the forest its main character, full of beauty but also full of danger and, at times, a mystery. The Dark Divide isn’t a high-action film but a movie about a man who has suffered a devastating loss and has gone on a trip to explore not only the wilderness but also deal with his own personal grief. While a good deal of the film is Robert by himself, he does come across a few people during his travels, and that lets us explore how man deals with the wilderness in various ways. As an Everyman, David Cross is very relatable in the film, as he plays a man who isn’t an outdoorsman but is willing to keep going on his journey of discovery, no matter how hard or scary it gets. If you love the wonder and beauty of nature, along with the exploration of the human character, then this is a film for you.   My Rating: Full Price    The Dark Divide Website    The film is available to rent on participating on-demand services. 

Indiefest: Minding the Gap (2018)   Documentary on three young men who grew up together in the Rust-Belt, using their love for skateboarding as an escape from their volatile family life and the adult responsibilities they now have. It would be easy to say that this is a simple film about three young men trying to grow up in a tough time, but that would be too simple. The filmmaker, Bing Liu, uses his camera to explore what it means to be a man in this modern world. Liu explores not only the lives of his two best friends, the easy going Keire and the charismatic but troubled Zack, but also looks at his own unhappy childhood with a father who abandoned his family and a stepfather who beat both Bing and his mother. Liu, as well, turns the camera on Zack, who has a baby with a girlfriend who he constantly fights with, and Keire, a black teen whose own father died just when he needed him the most. Liu was one of those kids who always had a camera on him, so that we see the three grow up before our eyes and how skateboarding became the base of a family that they needed to go to when things got tough. Minding the Gap is a film that is profoundly moving and is brilliantly shot and edited. It is worthy of its nomination at the 2019 Oscars and is worth your spending time with this skateboarding gang.   My Rating: Full Price    Minding the Gap Website   The film is available on the Hulu platform.

Forgotten Film: Heartbreakers (2001)  PG-13 Max (Sigourney Weaver) and Page (Jennifer Love Hewitt) are a mother and daughter con team. Their specialty; Max romances wealthy men into marrying her, and then Page slides in to seduce the husband, thereby letting Max take them to the bank in a divorce settlement. Their next mark is supposed to be their last, a zillionaire named William B. Tensy, who just might bring the con duo down. Two reasons to watch this comedy; Gene Hackman and all the small roles of actors who soon made it big that fill out the supporting cast. Hackman is hilarious as a wisecracking, awful man who can’t stop being a jerk or smoking. The supporting cast includes Sarah Silverman, Zach Galifianakis, and singer/songwriter Shawn Colvin. It’s a fun film that is a little dated, but it is a blast to watch Hackman have so much fun with a role that he obliviously loved playing.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Heartbreakers Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of The Dark Divide: Lepidoptera Consultant

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: 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 has become dark and deadly. The trailer looks great, and the film seems to have a lot of twists and turns, which should make it a fun, scary ride to watch.     Hunter Hunter Website

Until Next Time!

Incredibles 2

My View:  Incredibles 2  (2018)  PG  Bob (Mr. Incredible) is playing “Mr. Mom,” taking care of Jack-Jack while Helen (Elastigirl) is out saving the world. While not as good as The Incredibles, the film is still a lot of fun and the ending of the film is as good as any live action adventure film. The film moves at a quick pace and has a few twists and turns to make the film interesting. As with the first film, this is a movie not just for kids but adults as well. The best character in the film is the baby, Jack-Jack, who starts developing super powers that Bob has to deal with while Elastigirl is out saving the world. These are some superheroes that we have missed for thirteen years. The lovely short Bao plays before Incredibles 2 and it's a welcome addition to Pixar short film library.   My Rating:  Full Price   Incredibles 2 website

My View:  Tag  (2018)  R  A group of former classmates get together every year and play the kids game, Tag. One of the members (Jeremy Renner), who has never been tagged, announces he is quitting the game after this year.  I have severe problems with this film. It wants to be a raunchy comedy, but it also wants to be a serious picture about friendship, and it fails on both counts.  The film makes jokes of miscarriages and cancer. I did enjoy the performances of Isla Fisher, who plays the wife of Ed Helms and takes the game too seriously, and Hannibal Buress, who plays one of the gamers who sees a conspiracy theory in everything.   Both actors bring some energy and fun to the film. Unfortunately, both Jon Hamm and Ed Helms bring very little to the picture and take the air out of it in their main scenes. The film never finds its footing and just doesn’t deliver enough laughs to overlook the horrible writing.  My Rating: Cable   Tag Website

In Case You Missed It (A movie just released on DVD/Blu-Ray):  Love, Simon  (2018)  PG-13  Simon (Nick Robinson) is a gay high school student who hasn’t come out, even to his best friends. He is in love with an anonymous classmate whom he has only talked to online.  Now, Simon’s life will change in a big way.  This is one of those rare movies about teenagers where the characters on the screen are real people with real problems, ones we can relate to and feel. Nick Robinson gives an intelligent and moving performance as the teenager who is afraid to come out. Simon just wants to last until he is out of high school before revealing he is gay. He also doesn’t want to rock the boat with his closest friends, especially with his best friend, Leah (Katherine Langford), whom he has known since childhood. Love, Simon is a funny and sweet movie that hits all the right notes. At the screening, when the big scene near the end of the film happened, teenage girls jumped up out of their seats and cheered. Go see this film, and you just might do the same.    My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again    Love, Silmon Facebook Page

Forgotten Film:  Atlantis: The Lost Empire  (2001)  PG  Atlantis is a rare Disney animated film that doesn’t have any songs or dances. It’s an adventure story of a team of explorers looking for the lost city of Atlantis. The movie is based on a story idea by Buffy and Angel creator Joss Whedon. The animation looks very different than most Disney movies, with almost a Japanese anime feel to it. The storyline is sharp and it has an ending that delivers. While the film is aimed at kids, adults may also enjoy this movie with its adventure theme.  My Rating: Full Price    Atlantis Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Tag:  Hoagie’s Mom Photo Double

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  A Star is Born  (2018)  R  A musician (Bradley Cooper) who has seen better days, helps a young singer (Lady Gaga) as she becomes a star. His demons get a hold of him as he falls for the young singer, and their relationship suffers. Bradley Cooper also directs this film, and the trailer looks brilliant.    A Star is Born Info

Until Next Time!

Rampage

My View:  Rampage  (2018) PG-13  Primatologist Davis Okoye (Dwayne Johnson) shares an usual bond with George, an intelligent gorilla who has been under Davis’ care since birth. A rogue genetic experiment goes wrong, and George grows in size at an unbelievable rate.  My father, who was a playwright, always said that if you have more than two writers in a movie credit, the film had problems. This film has four writer credits, but I think one of those writers had his five-year-old son who was playing with toys and said ‘this would be a cool movie’ and the father said “I’ll get right on it”1 The movie throws big monsters at you to distract you from how bad the script is. The dialogue is horrible, and there are plot holes the size of a giant mutant alligator. The movie makes no sense, and it takes way too long to get to the big battle scene in downtown Chicago. I was bored for a good portion of this film, as the plot takes forever to get going. We all loved the old Godzilla movies because they were so campy and fun. This film takes itself way too seriously, and it misses out on what could have been a fun ride.  My Rating: Cable   Rampage Website   

My View:  Beirut  (2018)  R  Caught in the crossfires of civil war, the CIA brings in a former U.S. diplomat (Jon Hamm) to negotiate for the life of a friend left behind.  This is the best performance that Jon Hamm has given in a film. He is perfect as the world-weary diplomat who is forced to help a friend get released from kidnappers. It’s refreshing to see a movie that doesn’t explain everything, and you have to pay attention to keep up with the plot. There are plenty of twists and turns that keep the story moving, and the ending is quite surprising. If you like a good spy caper, then this film is for you.   My Rating: Full Price    Beirut Website  

In Case You Missed It (Movies just released on DVD/BluRay) The Greatest Showman  (2017)  PG  P.T. Barnum (Hugh Jackman) loses his job and decides to create the most fantastic show that you have ever seen, a show soon to be called, “The Greatest Show on Earth.”  I love this film as it is full of life and energy and made me smile from the first moment. The songs (there are eleven of them) are by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the same team who gave us those great songs in La La Land. The songs are unbelievably moving, and the choreography is dazzling and, at times, intense. Hugh Jackman and Michelle Williams are exceptional, but it’s the supporting cast who really stand out, including Zendaya, who plays a high-wire artist, and Keala Settle, who plays the bearded lady. Do yourself a favor and see this dazzling film.   My Rating:  I Would Pay to See it Again    The Greatest Showman

Forgotten Film:  Flirting With Disaster  (1996)  R  A young man (Ben Stiller), his wife (Patricia Arquette) and their incompetent adoption caseworker (Tea Leoni) go on a cross-country trip to try and find his birth parents. This is what you would call a ‘screwball comedy’ with a large and funny cast whom the trio encounter on their trip. This film is hilarious and gets funnier as it moves along. The cast looks as if they are having a great time, and the variety of characters is vast, from two gay F.B.I. agents to a truck driver who lets his son drive an 18-wheeler. The dialogue is crisp, and the plot is brilliant. This is one of my favorite comedies of the 90’s.  My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   Flirting With Disaster Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Rampage: Barber for Dwayne Johnson

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You: Avengers: Infinity War (2018) PG-13  The Avengers and their allies must risk all to defeat the mighty Thanos before he destroys the universe.  Just looking at all the firepower on the movie poster, you know this will be big.   Avengers: Infinity War Website

Until Next Time!

Godzilla

My View:  Godzilla (2014)  PG-13  Joe Brody (Bryan Cranston) and his wife, Sandra (Juliette Binoche) work at a nuclear reactor site in Japan.  Joe is concerned about unusual seismic activity that has been occurring in the past weeks.  He soon discovers that something big is coming toward the reactor, and  it’s not an earthquake.   If you are a fan of the Godzilla films, you will not be disappointed.  The film does a great job of honoring the Godzilla film heritage, making the monster bigger and badder than ever before.  This is without a doubt the best cast of any Godzilla film, but other than Cranston, very few of the cast are used to their full advantage.  I love Elizabeth Olsen, but most of her screen time is dedicated to either worrying or crying about her family.  Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays her husband and is the son of Joe and Sandra.  Taylor-Johnson does most of the action sequences well, but he has no charisma, and there isn’t any chemistry between his and Olsen’s character.  But you don’t go to a film like this for the humans, it’s all about the monsters and the destruction, and there is plenty to go around.  The film is loud, fun and had the audience cheering when Godzilla did any of his signature moves. The film does a great job of teasing us with glimpses of Godzilla before we finally get to see him in all his glory.  The film was not shot in 3-D, so save a few extra bucks, but you will want to see this one in the theatre, so you can see, full-on, the massive monster destroy a few cities.  The bigger the screen, the better.  My Rating: Full Price  Godzilla Website

Family Faire: Million Dollar Arm (2014) PG  A sports agent, JB (Jon Hamm,) who has seen better days, needs the next big thing to resurrect his career.  He gets the idea to go to India and find cricket players who could make it in Major League Baseball.  I liked the first hour of this film, though you don’t like JB as he is a vain jerk who only complains about being in India, instead of marveling at the sites, as the Taj Mahal. Lake Bell plays the love interest, a doctor who rents out his guest house, and as cute as Bell is, you never see why she would be interested in JB. The problem with this film is the whole second half of the movie is filled with every cliché in the book.  By the end of the two hours (did we really need a full two hours to tell this story), you  don’t care what happens.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee Million Dollar Arm Website 

Indiefest:  The Double  (2013) R  Simon (Jesse Eisenberg) is the type of guy whom nobody notices.  He works as a clerk in a government job and is secretly in love with a co-worker named, Hannah (Mia Wasikowska).  One day Jesse (Jesse Eisenberg) shows up, looking exactly like Simon, and he’s everything that Simon isn’t; confident, brash and has a winning personality that everyone loves.  Worst yet, Hannah likes him too. This is an insane film where Jesse Eisenberg plays two characters who look exactly alike but act very differently.  Part comedy, part tragedy, it’s a film that you have trouble keeping up with, but it has such good performances, you are willing to go along for the ride.  My Rating: Full Price  The Double Website

Indiefest: God’s Pocket  (2014) R   Mickey’s (Philip Seymour Hoffman) stepson dies in a construction job.  When he is asked to investigate, by the boy’s mother (Christina Hendricks), to investigate the death, he learns that it wasn’t an accident.  Investigating it further could cost Mickey his life. It’s sad that this is one of Hoffman’s last roles on-screen as the film isn’t very good, and he isn’t given much material to work with.  Hendricks gives the better performance as her character is multi-layered, whereas most of the other characters in the film are very one dimensional.  It’s a film that had great potential, mostly due to its cast, but never finds a voice and becomes boring very quickly.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  God's Pocket Website

Forgotten Film:  Paper Clips (2004) G  This is a fascinating documentary about a group of children from a middle school in Tennessee who, after learning about the Holocaust, decide to collect six million paper clips, one for each victim.  The film explores, through the kids, our understanding of what happened, but also they get to meet some of the survivors of a horrible time in history.  My Rating:  Full Price  Paper Clips Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Godzilla:  Roto Artist: Double Negative

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  The Hundred-Foot Journey (2014)  Helen Mirren stars in this film as an owner of a prestigious restaurant in France.  Her world is changed when a family from India moves in across the street and open their own restaurant. The Hundred-Foot Journey Info

Until Next Time!