Roma

My View:  Roma  (2018)  R  Two-time Oscar winner (Gravity, 2013) Alfonso Cuaron brings us a tale of a family in transition in the early 1970s in Mexico City. Based on Cuaron’s own childhood the center of the film is a live-in maid named Cleo (Yalitza Aparicio) as she tends to a large family. Roma is a beautiful film, shot in glorious black and white. Aparicio is brilliant as the maid who would do anything to make sure the children she cares for are loved and safe. The film takes place over a year as the marriage of the husband and wife falls apart. Cleo tries to make the lives of the children as normal as possible, but she is dealing with a dead-beat boyfriend and a ton of other problems. This was a passion project for Cuaron, and it shows on the screen. This is one of the best films of the year and a shoo-in for a ton of Oscar nominations.    My Rating:  I Would Pay to See it Again   Roma Website

My View:  The Favourite  (2018)  R In early 18th century England, a frail Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) occupies the throne. Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz) and a new servant, Abigail (Emma Stone) vie for the attention of the Queen. While Colman, Weisz, and Stone give Oscar-worthy performances, I would like to single out Nicholas Hoult as a snarky Earl who uses any means necessary to obtain power. Hoult’s wisecracks and put-downs are the best part of the film, and there is an incredible outdoor scene with Emma Stone that will have you laughing out loud. The makeup, the sets and the costumes are simply breathtaking. This tale of two women who battle over who can gain the affection and ear of the Queen is brilliant. Think Dangerous Liaisons with a touch of a lesbian War of the Roses.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again    The Favourite Website

In Case You Missed It (A movie just released on DVD/Blu-Ray):   Operation Finale  (2018)  PG-13   A group of Israeli secret agents, led by a brash secret agent( Oscar Issac) go after Adolph Eichmann (Ben Kingsley), the man responsible for murdering six million Jews,. Eichmann, under a different name,  is hiding in South America among a group of Nazi supporters. I enjoyed this film, though the first half of the film is much better than the second half. Both Kingsley, playing the unapologetic Eichmann and Issac, playing an Israeli secret agent who hasn’t always done the right thing, give convincing performances as they play a cat a mouse game. And anytime I can see Melanie Laurent, who plays a fellow Israeli agent, on the screen, I’m happy.    My Rating: Full Price    Operation Finale Website

Forgotten Film:  Terri (2011)  R  John C. Reilly plays a high school Vice Principal who takes an overweight 15-year-old boy,  named Terri (played by Jacob Wysocki), under his wing.  Terri’s life is complicated and isolated, as his parents leave him to care for his bi-polar uncle whose moods seesaw from an almost cationic state to a hyperproductive state. Terri has given up on life and school, and in the midst of his depression, only wears pajamas.  He also has a crush on a popular girl but chooses to just stare at her from far away.  With the help of the Vice Principal, Terri starts coming out of his shell and even makes a few friends along the way.  Reilly is good in this small but well-done film, and Wysocki gives a powerfully understated performance.    My Rating:  Full Price    Terri Facebook Page

Weird Credits:  From the credits of The Favourite:  Prosthetics Painter

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Cold War  (2018)  R   The story of star-crossed lovers set in Europe in the 1950s. This film is being mentioned by film critics as a possible Best Foreign Language Oscar contenders. The film received a standing ovation of 18 minutes at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.    Cold War Website

Until Next Time!

Kingsman: The Secret Service

My View:  Kingsman:  The Secret Service  (2015)  R  A secret spy agency recruits a young man to join the organization just as a global threat emerges. This film was directed by Mathew Vaughn, who directed the 2010 film Kick-Ass.  If you liked/loved Kick-Ass, you will enjoy this film. If you didn't, then don't see this one, as it is ultra-violent with a sense of humor. I enjoyed Colin Firth as the super-cool secret agent, and Taron Egerton is up to the task as the young apprentice, but there is a major scene in this film that I have a real problem with and, in my opinion, it brings down the whole film. Without giving anything away, the scene is incredibly violent, with people dying in every way imaginable. I don't have any problems with that, but I do have a problem with Colin Firth's character participating and doing most of the killing in the scene. I did enjoy Samuel L. Jackson as the Steve Jobs-like villain with a lisp.  And, the ending of the film is highly enjoyable, but the scene in the middle, which is a game changer, does not fit and makes me not like this film.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Kingsman: The Secret Service Website

Indiefest: A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014) In a town that is full of people doing bad things, no one notices that there is a new woman (Sheila Vand), a woman who just happens to be a vampire. I loved this film, and it has one of the best soundtracks of any film of the  past five years. It's very stylish, shot in black and white, with the main character, the mysterious woman, almost uttering no lines throughout the film. It's a mixture of a  modern vampire film with bits of an Italian Spaghetti Western thrown in. Vand is perfect in the role of the woman who only comes out at night and wears a long, black cape. If you are a fan of horror films  I highly recommend this one.   My Rating:  I Would Pay to See it Again   A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night Website

Forgotten Film:  The Day I Saw Your Heart  (2011)  Melanie Laurent plays Justine, an x-ray technician who refuses to keep a boyfriend.  Every time she starts going out with someone, her father (Michel Blanc) secretly befriends the boyfriend.   She is bored with her job and would rather create art from her x-rays than do her actual job.  Now it’s going to take a major event to propel Justine out of her funk.  Laurent is brilliant as Justine and just shines on screen.  I loved the message of this film, and it’s worth checking out this French gem.   My Rating: Full Price  The Day I Saw Your Heart Info

The 50 (A Movie from My Best / Worst Films of All Time)

#1 Worst Film:  Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959)  Directed by the legendary director Ed Wood, who directed some of the worst films of all time, this one is the ultimate in bad filmmaking. The acting is horrible, the special effects are incredibly bad, and the storyline makes no sense. If you tried to make a crappy film, you couldn't do it as pathetically as Wood does in this one. Be sure to look for the flying saucer, which is two paper plates glued together, spray painted and suspended by a string. The legendary actor Bela Lugosi, known for playing Dracula, makes an appearance.  He died before principle shooting, but there were test shots of him done, so producers just put those in the film.  I mean, why wouldn't you have Dracula in a film about space aliens invading the earth and creating zombies?   Plan 9 from Outer Space Website

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Kingsman: The Secret Service:  fight arranger

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:   Cinderella (2015)  While it sounds like a bad idea to remake a classic as a live action film, the trailer looks incredible and it’s directed by Kenneth Branagh, so I have hope that this will be fantastic.   Cinderella Website

Until Next Time!