Mr. Malcolm's List

My View: Mr. Malcolm’s List (2022) PG   Mr. Malcolm’s List takes place in 1800s England when a young woman helps her friend to get revenge on a man who has rejected her because she didn’t meet the requirements on his list for a bride. Fans of Jane Austin and Bridgerton will be happy with this romantic comedy, though the film is not quite as witty as Austin’s work or as steamy as the Netflix hit. This is an enjoyable tale of trickery and finding love in the most unexpected places (though you can see what will happen from almost the first frame). The film is helped by a winning cast led by Freida Pinto as Selina, the friend who reluctantly helps her best friend, Miss Thistlewaite (Zawe Ashton), get revenge when Miss Thistlewaite is quickly rejected by England’s most eligible bachelor, Mr. Malcolm (Sope Dirisu). Of course, plans turn into romance and betrayal, as with any period romance of this time. It’s up to fate and maybe a little meddling to help everyone figure out who loves who and achieve that happy ending we all want. While it might not meet all your ‘Bridgerton’ needs, Mr. Malcolm’s List is a fun romp that just might tide you over until the next season appears.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Mr. Malcolm's List Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide

My View: The Forgiven (2021) R  A wealthy London couple (Ralph Fiennes, Jessica Chastain) are on their way in the Moroccan desert to a lavish weekend party when their car strikes and kills a local teenage boy. Consequently, the couple, with the help of their friends, cover up the incident. However, trouble arrives when the boy’s father arrives seeking justice. This is a dark tale about the rich, where they are proud of their lack of morals if only to give them something to do because they are so bored with life. Fiennes and Chastain are a couple that can barely stand each other. She is a failed children’s book writer who hasn’t written a thing in eight years, and he is a doctor whose practice is falling apart due to his alcoholism. They are on their way to a party in a remote location in the desert hosted by a gay couple, Richard (Matt Smith) and Dally (Caleb Landry Jones). Along the way, the doctor and his wife hit and kill a young man with their car. Once the couple finally arrive at the party, with the dead body in their backseat, the story branches off into two stories; the seduction of the doctor’s wife by a wealthy American playboy (Christopher Abbott) and the doctor’s journey to go with the dead boy’s father back to their home to bury his son. This is a story full of people you don’t like, making shallow and self-serving choices, with the only question being, will the father of the dead young man get his revenge, or will somehow the doctor talk/will his way out. I enjoyed the dance of seduction that Chastain and Abbott have, but I got tired of the bashing over the head that the rich are horrible, ugly, and shallow. The ending can be seen from a sand dune away, and the film gives one a bit of a feeling like the aftereffects of a party that didn’t quite meet your expectations.   My Rating; Bargain Matinee   The Forgiven Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

My View: The Princess (2022) R  A young princess (Joey King) refuses to marry a man she does not love and is locked away in her father’s castle. Now the man she spurned is hell-bent on taking her father’s throne, and the Princess must escape and fight back to save the kingdom. They have no idea who they are messing with because she is The Princess. Let me say that I was surprised, almost shocked at the start of this film, when little Joey King, star of The Kissing Booth series, killed 7 or 8 bad guys in very bloody ways in the first five minutes of the film. Kind of a ‘The Raid’ in reverse, The Princess must escape from the very top of the castle and fight her way down to the ground to rescue her family from the evil wanna-be King, played by Dominic Cooper. Little does this man, who is trying to steal a kingdom, know that our heroine has been training her whole life for this occasion. The Princess fights her way, killing and maiming numerous soldiers until she meets her match in the evil wanna-be King’s lead assassin, Moria (Olga Kurylenko), a woman who wields a deadly whip with the best of them. I love sword fights, and this film has plenty of them, with a bit of martial arts thrown in. The action is fast and heavy, and King makes a nimble and fun action hero kicking bad guy butts all over the place. Fans of King will have fun with The Princess as she fights through a gauntlet of bad guys on her way to a showdown that won’t disappoint.   My Rating: Full Price   The Princess Website  Now playing on the Hulu platform.

Indiefest: Doula (2022)   When a couple’s (Troian Bellisario, Arron Shiver) midwife suddenly dies, the couple decide to hire the late midwife’s son, Sascha (Will Greenberg), to replace her. It’s a decision that could change all of their lives. This is a film that explores relationships and how the trials and tribulations of pregnancy can affect them. Deb and Silvio are a couple who found out that Deb was pregnant three weeks into their relationship. Silvio is dealing with an ex-wife and son, while Deb is realizing that her world has quickly changed from being the center of her life to one that will be responsible for another life. Add in that Silvio is pretty spineless when dealing with his ex-wife and tends to forge ahead with plans without consulting Deb. Adding to the tension is Sascha, who seems to just go with the flow, willing to allow Deb to do just about anything she wants, including smoking weed and drinking. Deb is a woman who doesn’t want to give up her very active life, including playing basketball with her friends so close to her delivery date. The film doesn’t always hit the right notes ( there is a bizarre set of scenes where Silvio goes to a party and gets high on mushrooms), but it does a great job of giving us a look at all the emotions and stresses that pregnancy can provide us with, making a mess of things until a certain someone makes an appearance and changes their outlooks forever.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Doula Info Now available on most digital platforms.

Indiefest: Accepted (2021)   Accepted is a documentary about the students of the TM Landry Prep School, a learning institution where a remarkable 100% percent of its students go on to college, most to some of the elite and prominent colleges in the nation. However, an explosive NY Times article exposes the controversial teaching methods of the school and the possible cheating that the school fosters. This is three documentaries in one. The film starts as a documentary about an unlikely success story of how a small school, using unconventional methods, is getting students into college at an astounding success rate. Then the documentary turns when a NY Times report (along with some other red flags) tells a different story of not only the possible fabrication of records but also abuse. When the documentary crew is no longer given access to the school, the filmmakers then turn to the students who were left behind to deal with the mess of a school that begins to fall apart at the seams. This is an exploration of the college admissions scandal from not the rich and privileged side of the story but from those who don’t have the resources or the money to make it into the top schools. This is a film that gives us a look at just how hard it is to get into ‘the best schools’ and how the early success of a small school may have bred a culture of immense pressure to live up to an almost impossible standard to keep. The film is full of heroes and villains, but sometimes it's hard to tell which is which. All we learn from this emotional and powerful film is that the children are the victims.   My Rating: Full Price  Accepted Website   Now playing in select theatres and On-Demand.

Forgotten Film: 28 Weeks Later (2007) R  Six months after a virus that made people into zombies moved across England, the US Army has secured a small area of London to allow people to start living their lives again. Unfortunately, the best-laid plans can’t anticipate the ruthless march of the zombies. Rare is it that a sequel matches the original, but in this case, 28 Weeks Later matches the glory of 28 Days Later (2002). The two films do feel different (Danny Boyle directed the first film with built suspense slowly), as this film, directed by Juan Carlos Frenadillo) right from the start hits you hard with zombies attacking a farmhouse and then doesn’t let up. The film is aided by a great cast, including Jeremy Renner, Imogen Poots, Rose Byrne, and Idris Elba. You can see this film without seeing the first one (though it does help a bit), and the action is both scary and thrilling as the zombies seem to be multiplying in both their population and their determination. However, a warning; this film may create a few nightmares for you.   My Rating: Full Price    28 Weeks Later Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of The Princess:  Phantom Camera Operator

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Beast  (2022)  R  A father, Dr. Nate Samuels (Idris Elba), and his two daughters (Leah Jeffries, Iyana Halley) are on vacation in Africa. They soon find themselves hunted by a massive lion that has gone rogue and is on a killing spree. Nate and his daughters encounter a lion that is hell-bent on proving that the Savanna has but one apex predator. I think all I need to know is in the trailer. I’m in!  Beast Website

Hollywood Stargirl

My View: Hollywood Stargirl (2022) PG   The journey for Stargirl Caraway (Grace VanderWaal) continues as she moves to LA to pursue her journey to a singing career. Stargirl meets a young man, Evan (Elijah Richardson), who wants Stargirl to write music and perform in a film he is doing with his brother. Along the way, Stargirl meets her idol, Roxanne Martel (Uma Thurman), a mysterious singer from the past who made one remarkable album and then disappeared from the music world. Can Stargirl weave her magical voice to bring Roxanne out of retirement? There are some films that I call ‘comfort films.’ They are films that just feel good watching them and experiencing their charm. They aren’t going to break ground in their message or change the world by enticing action; all they do is make you feel warm and happy. Hollywood Stargirl is one of those films, led by the delightful and charismatic Grace VanderWaal. First is her voice, which is beautiful and mesmerizing. Add that she has a natural grace and energy that explodes on the screen. The tale is simple, new girl in town who changes lives through her almost mere presence, touching virtually everyone she meets. It’s fun to see Uma Thurman back on the screen, who looks like she is having a great time singing and performing. Add in a supporting cast with the likes of Judd Hirsch as the grumpy neighbor, Judy Greer as Stargirl’s loving mom, and Elijah Richardson as the hunky potential boyfriend, and you have a movie that lets Grace VanderWaal shine, spreading a little bit of love and good feeling that we can all use right now.   My Rating: Full Price  Hollywood Stargirl Website  Now playing on the Disney+ platform.

Indiefest: Benediction (2021) PG-13   The film tells the life story of Siegfried Sassoon (Jack Lowden), a decorated hero of WWI who came back from that war mentally damaged and became a vocal critic of the continuation of war through his poetry. Consequently, he was a man who fought for peace, all the while never quite finding that peace for himself as he attempted to come to terms with his homosexuality. I will admit that I am not a poetry person. I have never been, so I had difficulty connecting with this film. The film uses Siegfried’s poetry throughout the film to give us an insight into his mindset and feelings about the horrors of war. The film combines photos and documentary footage shot at the time, most of which is horrific to look at. Benediction is a story of a man who tried to fight the system, both in his personal life and in his public one, and, for the most part, failed. Siegfried was a man who could not find love with the right person, often jumping into one relationship to another, including marrying a woman who pursued him (even though she knew he was a homosexual). I had trouble with the pacing of the film, as some scenes in the movie seem to go on for way too long, and I had a hard time following the storyline at times (how Siegfried is injured in the film is not shown, so I don’t know if it was during the war or by a jealous lover. Siegfried was a complicated man who suffered the horrors of war and never found the peace he sought all of his life., but I never felt the hurt or sorrow as deep as I should have.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Benediction Website  Now playing in select theatres.

Indiefest: Watcher (2022) R  Watcher takes place in a city in Romania being terrorized by a serial killer. Julia (Maika Monroe), a young actress, and her boyfriend have just moved into a high-rise apartment building in the city when she notices a mysterious stranger watching her from across the street. Shortly after, a man starts following Julia, and she decides to try to discover who this ‘watcher’ is and if he is indeed the killer. I enjoyed this thriller that takes the story of a woman who is convinced that she is being stalked by a neighbor, all the while a city is reacting to a serial killer. No one believes her story, including, in time, her husband. So, Julia starts to stalk the stalker, convinced that she is right. Here is a woman who is stuck in a scary situation, where she doesn’t speak the language, doesn’t have any support system, and is seemingly put down by everyone she tells her tale to, our hero, Julia, keeps going; no matter what the cost or who believes her, until its too late for anyone to save her…or is it.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again    Watcher Website  Now playing in select theatres. 

Indiefest: Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story   (2021) PG-13   Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story is a documentary about the legendary New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Fest, one of the great festivals in America. But its story can’t be told without exploring the history of the incredible city where the fest takes place, New Orleans. It’s hard to capture the magic and energy of a music festival, but this film does that and more. Giving us a history of not only the fest but of New Orleans and its love affair with Jazz makes this a movie worth watching. Combining the love that the film has for New Orleans with an outstanding lineup of musicians makes this a film that you need to see on the big screen to be surrounded by the sounds of this fabulous festival. If only we could smell and taste the food which is an important part of the fest as the music itself. The film does an outstanding job of showing how diverse the music is at the fest, from local jazz bands to bands from Africa and the Caribbean, to the hit-makers of the time, including Katy Perry, Earth Wind and Fire, and Jimmy Buffet (who has a long history of performing at the fest). The film’s best moment is a soaring and moving performance by Bruce Springsteen, who sings ‘My City of Ruin’ at the fest soon after the devastating destruction of New Orleans by Katrina. Seeing thousands of hands in the air as Springsteen sings about building back a city is one that brought a tear to my eye and will do the same for you.    My Rating: Full Price  Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story Website  Now playing in select theatres.

My View: Fire Island (2022) R  Noah (Joel Kim Booster), and Howie (Bowen Yang) have been best friends since working at a restaurant together years ago. They are about to go on a legendary week-long summer vacation to Fire Island, fueled by cheap rose and a group of eclectic friends. Along the way, they hope they will have fun and maybe even find love…or at least a good time looking for it. Based loosely (very loosely) on Jane Austen’s ‘Pride and Prejudice,’ Fire Island is a rom-com set on the infamous gay playground of Fire Island. A bit raunchy, part sweet buddy comedy, and part romance, Fire Island is an adventure into the loves and lives of a group of friends spending one last summer vacation at a beloved island home. The film centers around the friendship of Noah, the confident, sometimes overly pushy guy, and Howie, a shy man who just wants to find love, one awkward moment at a time. I loved their relationship and how they look after each other in good times and bad. Will Noah admit that he is attracted to stuck-up lawyer Will (Conrad Ricamora), and will Howie get his heart broken by his latest crush? You have to join that gang of misfits as they experience one last party on Fire Island to find out. My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Fire Island Website  Now playing on the Hulu platform.

My View: Crimes of the Future (2022) R   Crimes of the Future takes place in a time when humans have adapted to a synthetic environment, where their bodies have begun to evolve. Saul Tenser (Viggo Mortensen) is a man whose body has been producing extra organs. He makes a living as a performance artist, where these organs are harvested in front of an audience with the help of a former trauma surgeon (Lea Seydoux). He has interested a government organization that has sent two workers (Kristen Stewart, Don McKellar) to witness his performance. Now a new, strange man (Scott Speedman) wants Saul to do what is a dangerous and illegal performance, one that could kill Saul. You know you are going to see something a little off or weird when one of the first scenes is a young boy who sits down on the bathroom floor and starts eating a plastic wastebasket. People walked out of this film at its showing at the Cannes Film Festival, so I should warn you that if blood or self-mutilation upsets you, this is not the film for you. The film is about performance art and just how far we will go, where surgery is the new way to have sex. Saul is a man who has accepted that his body grows extra organs, and he is a willing participant in the performance art that he and Caprice put on in front of an adoring and always documenting crowd. There is a mystery to be solved involving the trashcan-eating boy, a possible cult, and a whole bunch more, some of which I wouldn’t be able to explain, even if I tried. I enjoyed some of this film, mainly the look and feel of the future and how Saul and Caprice interacted. However, the film continually tries to shock you with twists and turns that sometimes seem to go nowhere. Crimes of the Future is a film, like Croneberg’s Videodrome (1983), that is stylish, strange, and makes lots of statements about the society of today and the future, but it’s not one I ever want to see again. My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Crimes of the Future Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

Forgotten Film: Waking the Dead (2000)  R  Jennifer Connelly is a fantastic Oscar-winning actress brought back to the spotlight for her role as the tough, wise-cracking former love of Tom Cruises character in Top Gun: Maverick. Connelly has been in some great films (A Beautiful Mind, Mulholland Falls, House of Sand and Fog) and some stinkers too (one of the few bad films that John Hughes wrote, Career Opportunities), but she is always someone to watch, making each part her own, and often shining brighter than the material. Such is the case with the film Walking the Dead, a mystery about an up-and-coming congressional candidate (Billy Crudup) who begins to question his sanity when he sees the love of his life (Connelly) come back from the dead. The film is a mess with an ending that gives you almost no clue what is real and what is imagined. However, there is a scene that makes this film worth watching, where she reads the riot act to Crudup’s character, explaining to him why what he is about to do is so wrong. It’s a powerful scene that gives Connelly something to work with, and she hits it out of the park. Maybe after that scene, just shut the film off. You might thank me for that suggestion if you ever decide to go back and finish the movie.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Waking the Dead Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Hollywood Stargirl: Piano Coach

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Mr. Malcolm’s List (2022) PG A young woman in 1800s England helps her friend to get revenge on a man who has rejected her because she didn’t meet the requirements on his list for a bride. Theo James, Sope Dirisu, Freida Pinto, and Zawe Ashton star in this dramedy that started as a self-published book, turned into a screenplay by the author and was turned into a movie by Emma Holly Jones. Jones shot a short film based on the novel to get backing for the film. I hope this 'little film that could' succeeds both on-screen and at the box office.   Mr. Malcolm's List Website