The Matrix Resurrections

My View:  The Matrix Resurrections (2021)  R   Thomas Anderson (Keanu Reeves) is a successful, award-winning programmer of video games. However, Thomas is dealing with feelings and thoughts that his world isn’t real and that a great love has been lost. Soon, Thomas will have to make that choice again; to take the red or blue pill. I have seen the other three Matrix films, and always I have only been able to understand or follow about half of what is said or going on. This movie is no different. At times, I had no clue what the heck was going on, but I had fun trying. This is a celebration of the series, with lots of flashbacks for people that haven’t seen the movies in a while. I mean, it’s been over twenty years since the first one, so we do need a bit of refresher course, and this film does that. If you have never seen a Matrix film (first, where have you been?), this isn’t a film to start as it is about love lost. I enjoyed this film because its central theme is love and what we will do to find it. The Matrix Resurrections has its usual fights, gun battles, and car chases to make the action fans happy, but it’s really Thomas/Neo dealing with feelings that he is missing something. He is a man lost and is searching for something he feels he once had. So take the red pill and go on another journey with Neo and the gang, this time for love.   My Rating: Full Price   The Matrix Resurrections Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide and on the HBO Max platform

Familyfaire: Sing 2 (2021)  PG  Buster Moon (voiced by Matthew McConaughey) and his friends are convinced that they are ready for the big time, but first, they must convince a mean and ruthless promoter, Mr. Crystal (Bobby Cannavale), that they have the star to headline their latest show, Clay Calloway (Bono). Now, all Buster and his gang must do is convince Clay to come out of retirement and seclusion to headline their new act. I did not like the first Sing film, feeling it was just an excuse to repackage a bunch of songs to be sung by stars who don’t usually sing in films. This time I had a much better time. There is a purpose to these songs as the gang tries to put on a show that will wow the audience and brings back a singer that they all love, someone who, due to a tragedy, hasn’t sung in a long time. They have added to the cast, and then, somehow, someway, they got Bono to be in this film. His entrance as Clay Calloway to his song is worth watching the movie for. I enjoyed this film much more than the first one, and some of the songs are quite good. There are a couple of characters that are crazy enough to keep the kids interested, and the songs should make the adults in the crowd at least tap their feet.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Sing 2 Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide

My View: The King’s Man (2021) R   In the early 20th century, the Kingsman agency is formed to stand against a cabal, led by Rasputin (Rhys Ifans), who want to start a war that will wipe out millions. Now it's up to Orlando, Duke of Oxford (Ralph Fiennes) and his fellow Kingsmen to stop the cabal. I have not been a fan of this series, and after seeing this film, I hope that it goes away. Now, if watching a weird monk sword fight while dancing is your thing, then this movie is for you. For the rest of us, it will be a bore. Hey, did you know World War I was started by an evil guy to destroy England? Yeah, I didn’t either, but that’s the plot of this silly and boring film. The film gets more ridiculous as it goes along, including a Mata Hari moment that is incredibly laughable. Rasputin has to be one of the worst villains ever created (yes, I know he was a real, bizarre guy), and I found the use of curse words in this film to be such an over-the-top attempt at being cool that it made me mad watching it. Look, I like Ralph Fiennes and have a special place in my heart for Gemma Arterton, who is plays Orlando’s servant/love interest/partner?, but this film wastes them in roles that aren’t fun or heroic. And don’t get me started on the goats in the film. Yes, goats play an essential part of the plot. There is a short bonus scene after the first portion of the credits.   My Rating: Cable    The King's Man Website  Now playing in theatres

My View: The Tender Bar  (2021) R    JR (Daniel Ranieri) and his mother (Lily Rabe) must move back into JR’s grandfather’s house (Christopher Lloyd). Under the tutelage of his uncle Charlie (Ben Affleck), the manager of a bar called Dickens, JR will learn everything he needs to become a man. But JR will always be haunted by his missing father, a man he only knows as The Voice, a DJ on the radio. This is one of those films where I bet the book is far better than the film. The Tender Bar isn’t a bad film, but it's one that kind of never gets going anywhere, much like JR’s life. The film centers on JR, which we first follow as he, as a young kid, moves back in with his single mother to his grandfather’s home. JR only knows his dad as a voice on the radio (his dad is a journeyman radio DJ) and looks for guidance from his uncle Charlie, a book-loving bar manager that loves to give JR advice on how to be a man. We also get to know JR during his college years, a great student who wants to be a writer but sometimes lets his obsession with a girl named Sidney (Briana Middleton) override his life. I wanted to love this film (the kid playing JR, Daniel Ranieri, is adorable and the best thing about this movie), but it’s a story that never gets going as Charlie keeps spouting off and JR keeps pining away for a girl who will never love him.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee    The Tender Bar Website  Now playing in select theatres and available on the Amazon Prime platform on Jan. 7th.

My View:  A Journal For Jordan  (2021) PG-13   When Dana (Chanté Adams) first meets Charles (Michael B. Jordan), she doesn’t think he is her type. However, after a few dates, she realizes that there is more to Charles than meets the eye. They fall in love, get married, and are about to have their first child when Charles is deployed to Afghanistan. Before he leaves, Dana gives Charles a journal to fill with his thoughts for his son to read after he is born. It will be how Charles's son will get to know his father. This is not quite the tearjerker that you want it to be. It’s more of a love story between a man who is earnest and good and a woman who falls for him, even though he seems not to be her type. Look, I am a big fan of Michael B. Jordan, and he could probably make reading the phone book interesting, but it seems to me that the film is solely aimed at the female audience. There are countless scenes where Jordan is shirtless or pantless, doing pushups while being a stand-up guy that any woman would fall for. The love story isn’t engaging and though based on a real-life story, seems too lackluster keep us interested in the storyline for a payoff that takes way too long to come.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee    A Journal for Jordan Website  Playing in select theatres starting on Christmas Day

My View: American Underdog  (2021) PG  The story of Kurt Warner (Zachary Levi), a man who had a dream of playing in the NFL and went from stocking shelves of a supermarket to becoming an NFL quarterback who won a Super Bowl and a member of the Hall of Fame. Is this a corny, rags to riches story of a guy who, through determination and belief in himself (and God) because one of the best quarterbacks to play in the game? Yeah, but it’s well made, has a great cast, and has two leads that make you want to root for them and their unusual family. Warner’s story seems too unbelievable to be true but is. This is a faith-based film, but unlike many films of this type, it doesn’t go overboard with the religious factor, but it is an integral part of Warner’s make up and faith in himself. American Underdog is a fun film that I think the whole family will enjoy, rooting for a guy who is as good as his character on the screen in real life. Stay through the credits to see about Warner’s real life and his charity work involving his adopted son Zack. It just might bring another tear to your eye.   My Rating: Full Price    American Underdog Website  Playing in theatres nationwide starting on Christmas Day.

Indiefest: Licorice Pizza (2021) R   It’s 1973, and Gary Valentine (Cooper Hoffman) is a fifteen-year-old high school kid who thinks he has the world by its tail because he is a famous working actor. Then he meets Alana (Alana Haim), an older woman who is about to change his life. I loved this film from the very first scene where we meet Gary and Alana. That first meeting sums up what their relationship will be like for the rest of the film; a guy who has an abundance of confidence and a young woman who is intrigued by this brash young man. I had so much fun watching this film and seeing where it was going to go. The film is just an adventure that two people go on, as they figure out their places in the world while enjoying each other’s company and friendship. Gary wants more, but Alana, being older, is hesitant to get close to Gary, though she is intrigued by him. I loved the two leads in this film. Cooper Hoffman, who you see so much of his father, Philip Seymour Hoffman, in his performance, is brilliant as the almost too smart and brash for his own good kid who seems to do everything to get Alana’s attention. It’s Alana Haim, in her first starring role, as the headstrong Alana, who makes this film work. Haim is a force on the screen, as she plays a woman who, against her best intentions, is attracted to Gary and wants to be in his life and involved with all his crazy adventures. Bradley Cooper makes a very memorable and possibly Oscar-bound performance as the legendary Jon Peters, a man who took his ability to promote himself from hairdresser to the stars to running a major studio. Cooper is not in a lot of scenes, but boy, he makes his mark as the nutty Peters who wanted everyone to know he was the boyfriend of Barbara Streisand. Licorice Pizza is a film that made me laugh and smile throughout my viewing. It’s one of those films that I wanted to see again as soon as I saw it. I hope it's that kind of experience for you too.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again    Licorice PIzza Website   Playing in select theatres starting on Christmas Day

Indiefest: Red Rocket (2021) R   Mikey (Simon Rex) is a porn star who has hit hard times. With nowhere else to go, he goes back to his hometown to try and live with his ex, Lexi (Bree Elrod). While doing odd jobs, he meets a young woman working at a donut shop named Strawberry (Suzanna Son), who just might be his ticket back into the big time. Like his previous films, Tangerine and The Florida Project, filmmaker Sean Baker has filled this world full of characters that have lived a hard life, constantly scraping by, sometimes by luck and sometimes by their charm or wit, but just getting by. In walks (literally) Mikey, back into his ex-wife’s world, a man who is down on his luck but is still proud to be known as a porn star. Mikey is always looking for an angle, a way he can get back on top, and he uses his good looks and charm to try and convince anyone that he meets that the good times are just around the corner, even if that corner is miles away. Mikey is a character that Simon Rex knows well as Rex is a former porn star in real life, whose acting career has not always gone well, but this is a role of a lifetime, and Rex plays Mikey to the hilt, giving him a bit of substance behind that facade of a brash man who thinks he can charm his way out of any situation. I also loved the performance of Suzanna Son, the donut shop counter girl named Strawberry, who is charmed by Mikey and becomes his new conquest. Strawberry is someone that Mikey thinks is his ticket out and back into the world of porn, and she seems to be willing to go on that road with him. Red Rocket is a film filled with characters that you would never want to meet but wouldn’t mind watching up on the screen for a couple of hours, though you might feel the need for a shower or disinfectant afterward.   My Rating: Full Price    Red Rocket Website  Now playing in select theatres

Forgotten Film: A Gift From Bob (2020)   Based on the books by James Bowen, this series is about James, a drug addict who gets clean with the help of friends and a street cat that adopts him. Bob is a smart, street-savvy cat that found James (not the other way around) and, through his love, helped James kick drugs and start to turn his life around. In this Christmas film, James struggles to keep his head above water, barely making enough to keep the electricity on in his apartment and keep Bob fed. Things start looking bad when the local authorities investigate James to make sure that Bob is well cared for. I loved the first film, and though I am not a cat person, I fell in love with the cat named Bob, who loves to place himself across Jame’s shoulders as he walks or plays for money on the street. A Gift from Bob is a sweet and sometimes funny Christmas tale starring a cat named Bob. What more could you want?   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    A Gift from Bob Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of The Matrix Resurrections: Cast Physical Trainers

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: The 355 (2022) PG-13  A top-secret weapon has fallen into the wrong hands, so CIA agent Mace (Jessica Chastain) gathers a group of international spies to help her find and defeat the mercenary that stole the weapon, while a mysterious woman tracks their every movement. Just the cast alone of Bingbing Fan, Penelope Cruz, Diane Kruger, Lupita Nyong’o, and Jessica Chastain is enough to make me want to see this film.     The 355 Website

Until Next Time!

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!