Thunderbolts*

My View: Thunderbolts*  (2025)  PG-13  In Thunderbolts*, a group of antiheroes are pulled together by Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) after CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) forces the team into a dangerous mission. Only by working together and surviving can they achieve redemption.  Ever since the magnificent Avengers: Endgame, Marvel has been a little lackluster in their films. Who knew that a ragtag group of castoffs from other films would come together to make a film that is fun, funny, and a joy to watch? While Sebastian Stan’s (hot off his Oscar nomination for his role as Donald in The Apprentice) character, Bucky, is supposed to be the leader of this gang of wannabe (sort of) heroes, it’s really Florence Pugh, as Yelena, the assassin, The Black Widow’s younger sister, who steals this movie from almost the start. Pugh is brilliant as a person grieving over her sister’s loss while on the verge of quitting the business or maybe even quitting life when she gets one last job. On that job, she meets Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), John Walker (Wyatt Russell), and a strange man in a hospital gown named Bob (Lewis Pullman). I won’t go into what happens, but along the way, Bucky pulls the gang together, along with Yelena’s father, Alexei Shostakov, also known as the Red Guardian (David Harbour). Pugh does the heavy lifting for the film, giving us a hurting, lonely character who wants to change her life but doesn’t know how. Pugh also has superb comedic timing, working incredibly well with David Harbour, who, as the Red Guardian, is hilarious as a man who wants the group to come together and succeed so he can be a superhero again. The film has some outstanding action sequences in the tradition of Marvel superhero films, but unlike some of its films in the past, this is a movie about a group of people who are used to being on their own, and having to learn to work together and trust each other (something everyone has a hard time with). Thunderbolts* is a starting point for a world without the Avengers that we knew from the past. This new group is ready to take on the challenge when the world needs them, even if the world doesn’t agree if they need this ragtag group. I, for one, am ready to follow Yelena and Bucky on all sorts of messy and screwy adventures. Even Bob can come along. And yes, stay for the two post credit scenes. They are worth seeing.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  Thunderbolts* Website  Now playing in theaters. 

My View: The Surfer  (2024) R  The Surfer starts when a man (Nicolas Cage) and his son (Finn Little) return to the beach of his childhood to go surfing, only to discover that locals have taken over the beach. The father soon is drawn into a conflict with the locals that keeps escalating, pushing him to his breaking point, something no one wants to see. If you are a fan of Nicolas Cage, then you will love this film, as it lets Cage go all-out weird for almost the whole movie. If you aren’t a fan, then avoid it, as a little bit of Cage can go a long way for some moviegoers. The film is about a man coming home and wanting to relive his past. This goes so far as Cage’s character is willing to sell just about everything to buy the home he grew up in. Unfortunately, for Cage, a local group of young men, led by an older man named Scally (Julian McMahon), tells Cage’s character that he and his son can’t surf here. Cage decides to plant his flag (actually, just park his car in the parking lot) and hold his ground. As the film goes on, Cage’s character becomes less and less grounded in reality and becomes obsessed with the group of men who continually terrorize him. Cage gives us a mesmerizing performance, but it’s not enough to elevate the screenplay with too many themes battling for a space in a plot that goes too far into abstract and almost parody. I became bored by the continuing descent of Cage's character into madness. We spend too much time watching Cage’s character spend too much time watching his tormentors for a far before a final confrontation that gets even weirder. Cage is as magnetic as ever. I wish the script for The Surfer had given him a little more to work with and a little less of letting Cage go ‘Cagey.’  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The Surfer Website  I saw this film at the 2025 Atlanta Film Festival.  Now playing in theaters. 

My View:  Another Simple Favor  (2025) R  Another Simple Favor takes place five years after the events that put Emily (Blake Lively) in prison. Now out, Emily and Stephanie (Anna Kendrick), who is now a successful author and part-time private detective. The two travel to Capri, Italy, for Emily’s wedding to a wealthy Italian businessman. As usual, trouble finds the two, including murder and lots of intrigue. I loved the first film, A Simple Favor (2018), enjoying the sometimes dark storyline about a mommy blogger (Anna Kendrick) who solves a huge mystery with Blake Lively’s performance as the beautiful and wicked Emily, so good I thought it could get her an Oscar nomination (it didn’t). So we have a return with Stephanie coming out with a book and, somehow, Emily coming out of prison and getting married. I enjoyed the first half of this film, especially the back-and-forth that Emily and Stephanie have when Emily shows up at Stephanie’s book signing to invite her to be her maid of honor at Emily’s wedding. So we go off to Capri, and then people start getting murdered. If you haven't seen the first film, you won't be able to enjoy this film because there are a lot of callbacks to the first film. I enjoyed the play between Kendrick and Lively, but this film’s plot feels more like something out of an 80s TV show and doesn’t have the darkness and humor that the first film had. Still, I had fun watching Lively play the strange and playful Emily, who scares the crap out of Stephanie every chance she can get. I just wish the tone of the first film had carried over to this one. A little less killing and a lot more darkness would have worked better.     My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Another Simple Favor Website Now playing on Amazon Prime.

Indiefest:  Bonjour Tristesse  (2024) R  Bonjour Tristesse is about Cécile (Lily McInerny) and her widowed father, Raymond (Claes Bang), and his new girlfriend, Elsa (Nailia Harzoune), are spending the summer in the south of France. However, the stay is disrupted by the arrival of Anne (Chloë Sevigny), Cécile’s mother’s best friend, who has shown up to bring up old passions from the past. This is a new adaptation of Françoise Sagan's 1954 coming-of-age novel, which unlike the 1958 film directed by Otto Preminger, is set in the present time. Bonjour Tristesse is a film that looks stunning and takes full advantage of the beautiful Mediterranean scenery. While I loved Chloë Sevigny as the icy, controlling Anne, I was left wanting more from Claes Bang, the widowed father who has a wandering eye, and Lily McInerny, who plays the father worshiping daughter who sets out to get revenge on Anne, who has ruined her summer with dad and his lover. The film's pace is so slow that it surprised me when characters suddenly changed their course in their feelings and actions. I hated the ending which doesn’t have the impact that the original film had. For a film with its characters constantly in the water or soaking up the sun, I found  Bonjour Tristesse to be rather cold.  My Rating; Bargain Matinee  Bonjour Tristesse Website  Now playing in theaters. 

Indiefest:  Rust  (2024) Rust takes place in the 1880s Wyoming when the notorious outlaw Harland Rust (Alex Baldwin) comes out of hiding to rescue his thirteen-year-old nephew, Lucas (Patrick Scott McDermott), who has been sentenced to hang for an accidental killing. The two go on the run from the vicious bounty hunter Fenton “Preacher” Lang (Travis Fimmel) and a group of committed lawmen. For an indie film with a notoriously low budget, this is a stylish-looking western with a relatively simple plot for a movie over two hours long. The film is too long, has too many characters who give too much about their background, and takes too long to get going. Alec Baldwin is fine as the hardened gunfighter who wants to do one last thing before riding off into the sunset. The film’s stunning Western scenery shots are a result of the late cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who died in a shooting accident while working on the set. Although it’s not a great film, Rust still a stable Western that could have been improved by tightening up the script and focusing less on each character’s past. My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Rust Info  Now playing in select theaters and On Demand. 

Forgotten Film:  Metropolitan  (1989)  PG-13 Tom (Edward Clements) lives on the West Side and doesn’t have enough money to buy an overcoat, so he wears a raincoat in the dead of winter to cover his rented tux. He is persuaded to share a taxi with a group of young upper-class Manhattanites who have just attended a debutante ball. Soon, Tom becomes part of this group of well-off young people who spend their days sleeping and at night going to balls and then to each other’s apartments to talk about life, books, and how they see the world. Little does Tom know that Audrey (Carolyn Farina) has taken a liking to him. Tom is still obsessed with a prep school girl who he dated, unaware of her previous dating history. Tom fits in because he isn't afraid to speak his mind, especially about the gang's way of life. Metropolitan is one of my favorite ‘indie’ films, made in 1989 for about 50,000 dollars, and most of the cast are in their first film roles, including Carolyn Farina, who was discovered by the wife of the director of the film, Whit Stillman, at a cosmetics counter. The film is a week in the life of this group of young people, as they go from party to party, always gathering at an apartment to play bridge or just talk and drink. Edward Clements' portrayal of the fish out of water kid who manages to fit in with a very cliquey group makes the film sweet, funny, and a blast to watch. In 1991, Stillman was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for the film. As the tagline for the film states, ‘Finally…A film about the downwardly mobile.”  My Rating: Full Price  Metropolitan Info  I just rewatched this film at the 2025 Atlanta Film Festival. The film is available on most streaming services. 

Weird Credits:  From the credits of The Surfer:  Rat Puppets

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You:  Clown in a Cornfield  (2025) R  In Clown in a Cornfield, Quinn (Katie Douglas) and her father have moved to the small town of Kettle Springs, the once home of Baypen Corn Syrup Factory. It’s a town where the high school kids are counting down the days when they can leave, spending their time making prank videos and causing trouble. Their hi-jinks have awakened Frendo, the old clown mascot of the Syrup factory, and he is out to see that the kids are taught a lesson. A lesson that will end up in a grisly death or two. The film is from Eli Craig, the director of the award-winning cult favorite Tucker and Dale vs. Evil (2010).  Clown in a Corfield Website  In theaters on Friday, May 9, 2025. 

Until Next Time!

Fly Me to the Moon

My View:  Fly Me to the Moon  (2024)  PG-13  Fly Me to the Moon occurs before the first lunar landing. NASA has been having a rough couple of years with its attempts to reach the moon. Due to failed tests, successes by the Soviet Union, and a launch pad disaster that resulted in the death of three astronauts, NASA is in danger of losing its funding. The White House has hired marketing maven Kelly Jones (Scarlett Johansson) to come in and get the public behind the U.S.A.’s race to the moon. With her constant demands and interference, Kelly has made the job of strait-laced launch director Cole Davis (Channing Tatum) even more difficult. Little does Cole know that Kelly has an even bigger task: to stage a fake moon landing as a backup. If you avoid getting too caught up in the plot, which can be insultingly ludicrous, Fly Me to the Moon can be a fun and funny movie. Johansson and Tatum share an incredible chemistry, and it's a love where the two characters are almost opposite but are meant to be together. Johansson is having a great time in this role, which allows her to play with accents while manipulating men with charm and intelligence. Tatum is a by-the-book kind of guy who has a past that haunts him. The problem is that this is a screwball comedy that sometimes gets too serious and pushes the boundaries of believability too far. Still, watching the two characters spar while knowing they will end up together is fun. And yes, spoiler alert, we do land on the moon.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Fly Me to the Moon Website Now playing in theaters nationwide. 

My View:  Longlegs  (2024)  R  In Longlegs, FBI Agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe) is a gifted new recruit assigned to an unsolved case involving a serial killer and the occult. Agent Harker discovers she has a personal connection to the killer and must stop him before he strikes again. Film critics, just like the rest of the theatre going audience, can get caught up in the buzz of films coming out. That’s the case with Longlegs, a film that the buzz said the film was terrifying and shocking. It doesn’t help that the film has a plot that isn’t dissimilar to Silence of the Lambs, with a rookie agent on the trail of a serial killer. Well, unfortunately, the film doesn't live up to the hype. The film’s first half is scary and full of incredibly moody cinematography, as we see that Agent Harker has a personal stake in catching the serial killer Longlegs. What I loved about the film’s first portion is that we don’t see Nicolas Cage’s face as the man who is Longlegs. That creates tension and some mystery. The problem with the film is the 2nd half can’t match the intensity of the first half. Cage’s Longlegs looks too weird to be anyone other than an actor in bizarre makeup. The oddness of it makes me believe that Mr. Cage designed it himself. The film also ventures down the path of Satanism, with some voodoo magic thrown in. The third section of the film takes the story further downhill, with a simplified explanation of how the killings were committed. I was all in for the first third of this film, especially with the performance of Maika Monroe as not your typical FBI agent, but someone who can sense evil without knowing why. But then Cage goes overboard, the story gets caught up with the devil, and the plot grinds into almost nothing at the end.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Longlegs Website  Now playing in theaters. 

Indiefest:  Touch  (2024)  R  Touch spans decades and several continents as Kristopher (Egill Ólafsson) has been told he is running out of time, and he sets off to find his one true love, who disappeared over 50 years ago. The story of finding love in an unexpected place, losing it, and trying to find it again is beautifully captured in this film. The film is broken up into two storylines: one is right before COVID is about to shut down the world when Kristopher searches to find a woman he was in love with that he lost touch with 50 years ago. 50 years ago, there was a love story that took place in the other storyline. What I loved about this film is that we get to see this love story almost in real-time. We are there when the two lovers, Kristopher (Palmi Kormákur) and Miko (Kôki), meet at her father’s Japanese restaurant. Kristopher has quit school and, on a lark, applies to work at the restaurant owned by Miko, her father, Takahashi-san (Masahiro Motoki). Takahashi likes what he sees in Kristopher and lets him wash dishes. Kristopher loves the restaurant, so much so that he learns Japanese and how to cook. Kristopher also has fallen for Miko, who, though she has a boyfriend, is intrigued by the young man from Iceland. As the elder Kristopher travels the world trying to find Miko, in what seems like an impossible task, we see why he is so passionate because we see how in love he was with Miko 50 years ago. Touch is a film that lets things develop, and it’s a film that is full of youthful love and the melancholy that is brought on by old age and loves that have been lost. So bring a tissue or two and go on a journey to find love again.  My Rating Full Price  Touch Website Now playing in theaters. 

Indiefest:  Sing Sing  (2023)  R Devine G (Colman Domingo), a man in jail for a crime he did not commit, survives by acting in a theater group with other inmates. This is a powerful and emotional film about a group of men in a hopeless situation who find comfort and power in the theater. Led by an incredibly moving performance by Colman Domingo, we see how inspired the men are to find an outlet for their emotions and thoughts. The cast is made up mostly of former convicts who were in the theater program. Because of the casting, we see how moving and powerful acting is to let the men get in touch with their feelings and emotions in a system that doesn’t always allow you to do so. We get to see the men start the process of finding a play, in this case, written for them, that melds Shakespeare with modern spoken word to significant effect. I was struck by how much this cast made us feel what they were going through, giving us an inside look at a world we can only imagine. Sing Sing is a film about healing, no matter what you have done in the past, and using the power of theater and acting to find that way.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  Sing Sing Website   Now playing in theaters.

Indiefest: Sorry/Not Sorry  (2023) Sorry/Not Sorry is a documentary about comedian Louis C.K., accused of sexual harassment in 2017. The film investigates his comeback and how it impacted the women who publicly spoke out about his behavior. The film is told in seven parts, as you see the rise of Louis C.K. from a standup comedian to someone who was starring/directing movies while producing TV shows, along with his record-breaking standup shows. Sorry/Not Sorry centers on three female comedians, Jen Kirkman, Abby Schachner, and Megan Koester, who all have stories to tell of their encounters with Louis C.K. and the aftermath. Sorry/Not Sorry is a film that will make you mad and possibly make you reconsider if you think his standup is funny. This is a movie about a troubled man who had/has power and, though he suffered for about a year, seems to have done nothing to make up for his horrible treatment of women. The film asks many questions about how we treat women who speak out, how the powerful can go for years doing things that ordinary people would get in trouble for right away, and how quickly they should be forgiven. Sorry/Not Sorry gives us an inside look at what it's like to work as a woman in standup, and it's not pretty. Especially when someone can’t even say sorry with a straight face.   My Rating: Full Price  Sorry/Not Sorry Website  Now playing in theaters and On Demand. 

Indiefest:  Dandelion  (2024)  R  Dandelion (KiKi Layne) is a singer-songwriter whose career is filled with small venues and even smaller towns. Desperate for a gig, she takes a job at a motorcycle rally in South Dakota, where she meets Casey (Thomas Doherty), a guitarist who left his dreams of stardom long ago. Casey will ignite something in Dandelion that she thought was long forgotten. Casey and Dandelion begin to mesh together, and Dandelion starts to believe in herself and her music again. However, Casey isn’t perfect and has baggage that could end things before they get started. Dandelion is a beautifully shot film that lets the scenery tell the story. I enjoyed a terrific scene where Casey and Dandelion collaborate on a song on a picturesque hilltop, which shows their passion for making music. The film’s second half flounders as Casey and Dandelion flirt with romance, but I had trouble getting to know Dandelion and just what she was thinking, especially at the end of the film. KiKi Layne gives us a performance that at times is dazzling, especially in those duets with Doherty, but she is let down by a script that doesn’t let her character grow enough to make the ending satisfying.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Dandelion Website Now playing in theaters. 

Forgotten Film:  Coach Carter  (2005)  PG-13   Ken Carter (Samuel L. Jackson) is a man of standards and rules. He was a high school record-setting sports hero, had a standout career in the military, and was a successful businessman. Now, Coach Carter has taken the job as basketball coach of a high school. Coach believes that high school is for learning, with sports secondary. The high school doesn’t know what they have gotten into, but they will soon realize that the coach means business. Coach Carter is an inspirational film based on the true story of a man who stood up to the administration and the parents when he ensured his players were students first. Jackson is outstanding as the coach who commands respect from the first whistle but also gives it to those who earn it. My Rating: Full Price  Coach Carter Info  The film is available for rent/buy on Amazon. 

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Touch:  Tattoo Art

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You:  Trap  (2024)  PG-13  A father (Josh Hartnett) and his daughter (Ariel Donoghue) are attending the concert of a lifetime. However, not everything is as it seems, and something dark and sinister is about to make its appearance at this concert. The film is from M. Night Shyamalan. His daughter, Saleka Shyamalan, portrays the concert performer, Lady Raven, that the father/daughter are seeing.  Trap Website  The film will be released in theaters on Friday, August 2, 2024. 

Until Next Time!

Civil War

My View: Civil War (2024) R    Civil War follows a small team of journalists traveling as the country is embroiled in its first Civil War since the 1800s. California and Texas have seceded from the United States to form the Western Forces and its war. This is a movie that is going to upset a lot of people. Some will be upset because the film never tells you what the war is about. In fact, there are times when we don’t know which side is which. Yes, there is a Trump-like President, played by Nick Offerman, but he is mostly there in voice only (we often hear his speeches on the radio while the gang is on the road). It’s going to upset other people because it’s damn scary. Not in a horror way, but in how real it feels during parts of the film, especially when the journalists are dealing with ‘regular people.’ The reason for seeing this film is the performances. First, there is the brilliant Kristen Dunst, who plays a hardened photographer, Lee, who is there to shoot history in the making with the hope that her pictures might make a difference. Dunst gives us a character who has seen it all, and it has made her put her emotions deep inside her, not wanting them to be let out. Cailee Spaeny is terrific as the young, just starting out Jessie who wants to be included in the action to become a photographer just like Lee. Stephen Henderson is fantastic as an old journalist who wants to report on one last story. I am not a big fan of Wagner Moura, who plays Joel, who loves the action and wants to interview the President before the White House is taken. His performance is a little too over the top for what is needed in the role. Civil War is a film about war and the people who risk their lives to cover it. It isn’t a film about ideology or who’s right or wrong. Civil War is about the horrors of war and how it destroys humanity.   My Rating: Full Price  Civil War Website  Now playing in theaters nationwide.

My View: The Greatest Hits (2024) PG-13   Harriet (Lucy Boynton), who lost her boyfriend, Max (David Corenswet), in an accident over two years ago. Harriet thinks she is getting over her grief when she meets a new guy, David (Justin H. Min), at her grief counseling group. The only problem is that when Harriet hears certain songs, she gets transported back to a time when Max was still alive. I enjoyed this film, but I love romance movies, so I’d take it with a grain of salt. The premise is pretty cool. Harriet’s time travels back to when she was with Max whenever she hears a song that was playing at the time. She is conscious of this time travel and has tried to save Max many times, but has always failed. This has taken over her life, as she can’t listen to songs on the radio or in a coffee shop, so she wears headphones everywhere and has quit her job as a music producer to work in a library. She then meets David and starts a relationship with him, but can she tell him her problem, or will she break it off with him to keep trying to save Max? I enjoyed the film’s music, and it is fun to see two relationships develop simultaneously. I have been a fan of Lucy Boynton since Sing Street (2016), and she is perfect in the role of Harriet, who is haunted by the past. Boynton has the right feel for the character, someone who loved a person deeply and isn't willing to give up on it. Will Harriet let the past go to find a future? Take a musical journey with The Greatest Hits and find out.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The Greatest Hits Website  Now playing on Hulu.

Indiefest: The People’s Joker (2022) A wannabe comedian (Vera Drew) is grappling with her gender identity and forms a law-breaking anti-comedy troupe with a fellow castoff called The Penguin (Nathan Faustyn). She finds herself falling for the wrong person, named Mr. J (Kane Distler), while also dealing with a meddling mother and a certain caped crusader. The People’s Joker is one of those films I feel would probably be a better short than a feature film. The film continually pushes the boundaries both in the content of the storyline and in the use of live-action combined with animation. The animation is a lot of fun to watch, and there are so many styles that, at times, make this film dazzling to watch. I loved the message that the film is about, but it tends to wander a bit at times, and things meant to be funny don’t work about half the time. The mixture of comic book genres with Saturday Night Live (Loren Michaels is a character in the film, though animated) didn’t work for me, it just felt strange. There are quite a few jabs at DC Comics and Batman himself, including questioning the relationship between Robin and Batman. I commend Vera Drew for making a very personal film about his experiences growing up and realizing she was trans. The People’s Joker just went on and on to where I was exhausted by the time the film ended. By the way, there is a bonus scene after the first portion of the credits.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The People's Joker Website  Now playing in select theaters. 

My View: Arcadian (2024) R   A father (Nicolas Cage) and his two twin teenage boys, Thomas (Max Jenkins) and Joseph (Jaeden Martell) are living in a remote farmhouse 15 years after the world has fallen into chaos. The trio is attempting to survive in a world that is teeming with evil that only appears after sunset. Mr. Cage is known for doing just about any movie that will have him, which means there are some stinkers. Thankfully, this is not one of them. Despite the shaky plot, the movie still manages to deliver plenty of thrills and chills thanks to the terrifying villains. Cage is a dad who has raised his boys since they were infants, born just as the world was being destroyed. Cage isn’t asked to do much as he plays the father as a strict but understanding one, and a little of Cage goes a long way. But don’t expect a full-on raging Cage. His father character is more restrained and practical. Not only is Dad dealing with the evil that comes out at night, but he is dealing with two teenage boys who are feeling their oats, especially Thomas, who has a girl from a nearby farm he is interested in. A sequence in the middle of the film is brilliantly executed, resulting in tension that persists throughout the scene. The ending is a little disappointing, and the special effects are done on the cheap side, even so, Arcadian delivers the scares you want from an end-of-the-world film filled with evil creatures.   My Rating: Full Price   Arcadian Info  Now playing in theatres. 

Forgotten Film: Salvador (1986) R  Written and directed by Oliver Stone, Salvador tells the story of a photojournalist, Richard (James Woods), who is down on his luck (primarily because of his personality and his drug/alcohol use) and goes to El Salvador to report on the events of a military dictatorship and the guerrillas attempting to overthrow the government. Richard tries to play both sides to get the story, which gets him into big trouble. He realizes his days may be numbered in the country and works to get his Salvadorian girlfriend out of the country before it’s too late. Woods is brilliant in the role (he got an Oscar nomination for his performance), and the film is a tense thriller with a main character you root for, even though he isn’t a great guy. My Rating: Full Price   Salvador Info   The film is available on several streaming platforms.

Weird Credits: From the credits of The People’s Joker: Lorne Michaels’s Office Hand Painted by

Coming Soon to A Screen Near You: Back to Black (2024) R  The life and music of Amy Winehouse (Marisa Abela), who went from unknown singer to Grammy-winning best-selling artist. Amy burned bright, but that light died much too soon. I wasn’t much of a fan of Amy Winehouse until I saw the Oscar-winning 2015 documentary Amy, and then I fell in love with her. I can’t wait to see this one.  Back to Black Website  It’s in theaters on Friday, May 17th.

Until Next Time!

 

Napoleon

My View: Napoleon (2023) R Napoleon tells the personal story of Napoleon Bonaparte (Joaquin Phoenix), his origins, and his swift and ruthless climb to emperor viewed through the relationship with his wife and one true love, Josephine (Vanessa Kirby). I will tell you right off the bat that this probably isn’t the film you think it is. You will be disappointed if you are expecting huge two-and-a-half hours of sweeping cinema. This is an up-close and personal film about a man who thought he was bigger than life but was also full of doubts, especially about his wife’s love for him. I am going to say something that might shock you. Napoleon is a comedy. Ok, it’s really a comedy/drama, but there is a lot of humor in the film, with director Ridley Scott making the ‘Little General’ the butt of many a joke. It’s a strange mixture of drama, comedy, and glorious battle sequences. It’s a film that doesn’t always work, but when it does, it packs a wallop. I have always enjoyed Joaquin Phoenix on the screen, and his Napoleon is an interesting take. A man who seems destined for greatness, or is he? Napoleon, at times, seems to let things happen to him instead of being the driving force you would expect. I loved Vanessa Kirby as the temptress Josephine, who knows from their first meeting (Napoleon can barely talk) that she has her hooks in him, and he is powerless to deny her anything. Napoleon is a film that seems to be all over the place, and sometimes it fails. Is it worth seeing? Yes, but don’t expect to be swept away by the spectacle. And by the way, spoiler alert, it doesn’t end well.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Napoleon Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

Familyfaire: Wish (2023) PG A young girl named Asha (voiced by Ariana DeBose) worries that an evil force will take over her kingdom. When she wishes upon a star, her plea is answered by a boundless ball of energy called Star (Alan Tudyk). Together with her talking goat, Valentino (voiced by Alan Tudyk), Asha and Star will work to save their world and defeat evil. This is a movie that only huge Disney fans will love. Wish contains more easter eggs for fans to look for that sometimes it throws them out to keep people from figuring out that the storyline is incredibly weak. I was disappointed by the animation, as the film feels from the start full of dull and faded animated scenes that never bring any wonder or amazement. There isn’t a song that stands out in the film, even with the talents of Ariana DeBose singing them. This is a film that feels like it needed a few more rewrites, maybe to find more of a heart to move the film along. I did like Ariana DeBose as the wide-eyed young girl who realizes that perhaps the magic she has been led to believe in her whole life isn’t so magical after all. And Chris Pine as the villain is fun and does an admirable job singing his songs. But the film lacks that big number that we all want, and though the Star is adorable, that only goes so far when that creature can’t talk. Overall, Wish was a disappointing movie that kids might enjoy, but I think parents will be bored, and I don’t see anyone going out to buy this soundtrack. Disney needs to quit returning to the past and give us something new. And hopefully, with better songs.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Wish Website   Now playing in theatres nationwide.

My View: Saltburn (2023) R Oliver (Barry Keoghan) has struggled to fit into Oxford University. Oliver is drawn into the world of charming and aristocratic fellow student Felix (Jacob Elordi). Felix invites Oliver to spend the summer on his eccentric family’s sprawling estate. It’s a summer that will change everything. Barry Keoghan is one of the great young actors working today, and Saltburn shows us he can carry the lead. This film is full of twists and turns, and I will warn you, there are some incredibly shocking scenes. So much so that I thought one audience member I saw the film with would throw up. It’s a very clever film about people who think they are far smarter than the rest of us and let us know it. I had a blast watching the cast, including the amazing Rosamund Pike as Felix’s loopy mother, who can easily be misled by killing her with kindness and compliments. Saltburn is a wild film that quickly turns from a fish-out-of-water movie to one of intrigue and one-up-man-ship. It’s a story about a young man who starts as someone who wants to belong. You will have to watch to see just how well he does at doing that. My Rating: Full Price  Saltburn Website  Now playing in theatres.

Familyfaire: Leo (2023) PG  Leo is an animated film about a lizard named Leo (voiced by Adam Sandler) and his best friend, Squirtle the Turtle (voiced by Bill Barr), who live in a terrarium in a Florida elementary school classroom. All Leo wants to do is escape and see the world. The school’s students have a different idea for Leo, for him to be their best friend. I am not a big fan of Adam Sandler because, too many times, he goes for the easy laugh or the feeble attempt at comedy. Unfortunately, that’s this film. It’s a movie with a beautiful message that will be lost because the film has too many nonsense songs that drag the film down. Must every character sing a song? Apparently, in this film, the answer is yes. The film, I think, is meant to be a film for kids to teach them about friendship and how to be nice to each other. However, the message gets lost in all the fart jokes and the extended attempts at humor at the expense of parents. The humor sometimes gets too gross or crude for me to think this is a kids’ movie, but then it turns and gets sweet with a great message. That message is hard to find between a million songs and jokes about a missing lizard tail.   My Rating: Cable  Leo Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform.

Indiefest: All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt (2023) PG  All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt is the decades-long exploration of a woman’s life in Mississippi as she experiences the world through generations of people, places, and the moments that shape us. This is a film to see in the theatre. If you try to see it at home on a computer or even on your TV, the film will be lost on you because it is a film you have to commit to wholly. Otherwise, you will get bored and move on to other things. All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt is a film that jumps back and forth in time as we follow Mack from childhood to motherhood and back again. The film’s characters are constantly immersing themselves (and us) in the world of nature. This is a film full of small gestures, like a touch on a back or hand reaching into a river, and then it lets the camera linger on that movement. Faces in the film are paramount, and we are constantly looking into the face of someone while they are experiencing life. The movie is full of love. Love of life, of family, and nature. It’s about learning about life and trying new things. The film explores how a simple touch can be simple, and it can be everything.   My Rating: Full Price  All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt Website  Now playing in theatres. 

Indiefest:  Dream Scenario (2023) R   Paul (Nicolas Cage) is a family man who teaches at a local college. Nothing is unusual until Paul appears in people's dreams, usually just in the background. He becomes an overnight celebrity and enjoys the attention until his appearance in the dreams becomes more pronounced, sometimes violent and disturbing. Paul's newfound fame has now become a burden. The question is, how to stop his appearances in everyone's dreams? Nicolas Cage is a blast to watch in this strange film that deals with celebrity in the age of the internet. The film deals with instant celebrities, ad agencies, cancel culture, and how quickly the public can build someone up and then tear them down. I enjoyed the first half of the film, with Cage playing a college professor who is a person who you would try to avoid at a party or not invite at all. Paul is the type of guy who thinks he knows everything and lets you know it, always spouting knowledge that people rarely care about. Then, he appears in everyone's dreams and becomes a celebrity. Then things go bad, and Paul's life literally becomes a nightmare. The film peters out in the end with a third act that needs a rewrite and doesn't match the inventiveness of the film's first half. However, Dream Scenario is worth watching because Nicolas Cage nails it as a sad sack of a guy who wants to be liked and publish his book. Even if he hasn't even started writing it yet. My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Dream Scenario Website  Now playing in theatres. 

Forgotten Film: The Hidden (1987) R There is a criminal who has committed a series of increasingly violent crimes. The criminal commits these crimes with almost no regard for his own safety. A cop, Tom (Michael Nouri), is assigned to help an FBI agent named Lloyd (Kyle MacLachlan) track this killer down. Tom soon realizes that there is something strange about Lloyd, and as they work together, things get very weird; the killer is taking the shapes and bodies of different people to commit further crimes. The Hidden is a thrilling crime drama with some sci-fi thrown in. MacLachlan is excellent as the strange FBI agent who is hiding something from the rest of the world. While not a great film, The Hidden a lot of fun to watch, and the storyline goes along at a fast pace.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Available to rent or buy online.

Weird Credits: From the credits of Wish: Chicken Ensemble 

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Ferrari (2023) R In 1957, Enzo Ferrari’s (Adam Driver) auto empire is in trouble, and all that he and his wife Laura (Penélope Cruz) built in the last ten years is about to crumble. Enzo decides to bet it all on winning one race, the 1,000-mile trek across Italy, the iconic Mille Miglia. Directed by Michael Mann (Manhunter, The Last of the Mohicans, Heat), who has been trying to make this film for over ten years (both Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman were attached to the movie at one time). Race cars, Italy, and Penélope Cruz! I’m in.  Ferrari Website  Will be released on Christmas Day.

Until Next Time!

A Haunting in Venice

My View: A Haunting in Venice (2023)  PG-13  Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) has retired, giving up solving crimes, and is living in his own exile in post-World War II Venice. He reluctantly attends a seance, and one of the guests is murdered. Now it’s up to the world’s foremost detective to once again solve a crime and uncover the killer, even if it brings up ghosts from the past. Regardless of what the trailer makes it look like, A Haunting in Venice isn’t a horror film. It’s still a mystery based on an Agatha Christie novel, though very loosely. As with the other two Kenneth Branagh Christie films, this one has an all-star cast with Michelle Yeoh as a medium, Tina Fey as a world-famous mystery writer, and Kelly Reilly as the woman who has lost a child and wants to use Michelle Yeoh’s character to talk to her daughter. The film has a few scares and is greatly helped by Tina Fey’s character, who constantly gives Poirot a hard time. Of the three films, I enjoyed this more than the Death on the Nile, though I think Murder on the Orient Express is still the best. However, this is a fun film to go on a mystery with Hercule as he battles ghosts and a murderer.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  A Haunting in Venice Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

My View: A Million Miles Away (2023) PG  A Million Miles Away is the story of Jose Hernandez (Michael Peña), who started out as a migrant farmworker who, after putting himself through school to become an engineer and then, against the odds, became an astronaut. The review will be up Friday night. I loved this film about a man who dreamed from an early age about the stars and becoming an astronaut. Michael Peña is terrific as a man who worked hard and believed in himself to reach for the stars and make his dream come true. Rosa Salazar is brilliant as Jose’s wife, who always believed in her husband and sacrificed as much as he did to get him into space. Their chemistry is real, making the film work as they struggle together. I loved the soundtrack to this film as it captured Jose's spirit and the culture he grew up in. A Million Miles Away is a feel-good movie that may bring a tear or two and one the whole family can enjoy.   My Rating: Full Price   A Million Miles Away Website  Now playing on Amazon Prime.

My View: Love at First Sight (2023) PG-13   Love at First Sight starts on a long flight from New York to London, where Hadley (Haley Lu Richardson) and Oliver (Ben Hardy) meet and sparks fly. After Oliver gives Hadley his phone number, there is an accident, and the number is lost. What’s the odds of Hadley ever finding Oliver in a city as big as London? Love sometimes has a way of defying the odds. I love romantic movies, and this one works because of the stinking chemistry between the two leads. The ‘meet cute’ is fun, and there are sparks right from the start between the two. I have enjoyed Haley Lu Richardson in films such as Columbus (2017), After Yang (2021), and Montana Story (2021), and she is fun to watch in this film, giving Hadley someone you root for right from the start. Jameela Jamil is also outstanding as the narrator who keeps showing up to help move our two lovers closer to their happy ending (oops, spoiler alert). So go on a really long first date and have some fun when the two try to find each other in the big city of London.   My Rating: Full Price  Love at First Sight Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform. 

My View: Cassandro (2023) R   The story of Saúl Armendáriz (Gael Garcia Bernal), a gay man who, in the macho wrestling world of Lucha Libre, became a star as the character Cassandro, an ‘exotico.’ I think I will be in the minority with other critics with this film, but I didn’t like it. I loved Gael Garcia Bernal’s performance, but the storyline didn’t connect with me. One problem I have with this film is that Saul keeps talking about how rough it is being a gay wrestler, but you never see him suffer or get put down. Sure, his father rejects him, but even that doesn’t stop him from living his dream. My other problem is we see all the work that goes into when he is small time but other than one match, we don’t see how Cassandro became a huge star, one who broke a lot of barriers. It’s a strange film that I wanted more from, but I felt let down by the end.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Cassandro Website  Now playing in theatres and on Amazon Prime on Friday, September 22nd.

FamilyFaire:  The Inventor (2023) PG   Leonardo da Vinci (voiced by Stephen Fry) was a famous artist who felt he wasn’t appreciated in Italy, so at the invitation of the King, he moves to France, where he hopes he has more freedom to explore his ideas including where in the body the soul resides. There he meets a French princess (Daisy Ridley) but finds that science is not always welcome when it means doing something new and different. The Inventor is a beautiful film to watch, and I enjoyed the performances of Stephen Fry and the rest of the cast. The film does an imaginative job of blending in Da Vinci’s actual drawings with both stop-motion and 2-D animation. This is a film that explores Da Vinci’s ideas on war, life, liberty, and God. The Inventor is an animated film that smaller kids will have trouble following, though I think they will enjoy the songs and the animation style. There is a fun running joke about how Da Vinci couldn’t finish a project while his rival Michelangelo spends years and years working on his ’ceiling painting.’   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The Inventor Website  Now playing in theatres. 

Sorry I Missed It (A film that I didn’t see in theatres but have seen recently): The Retirement Plan (2023) R  When Ashley (Ashley Greene) and her young daughter Sarah (Thalia Campbell) get caught up with some bad guys who put their lives at risk, Ashley turns to the only person who can help, her estranged father, Matt (Nicolas Cage). Matt may look like a retired beach bum, but he has a past that the bad guys will soon learn about with their lives. I’m a fan of Nicolas Cage, though I understand he can be a bit weird for some moviegoers. Cage is a low key in this film, playing a guy who wants to make up for past mistakes and save his daughter and granddaughter. The film is aided by performances from Ron Perlman as a mob enforcer who loves Shakespeare, Jackie Earle Haley as a mob boss who can’t believe all his guys are getting killed by a retired beach bum, and Ernie Hudson as a former colleague of Matt’s. I have a feeling all this star power, including Cage, was because they all got to hang out together in the Cayman Islands to shoot the film. I had fun with the film’s first half, but the script shows its weakness in the 2nd half when it tries to pull all the plot points into a neat pile. Still, it’s a fun ride, and Cage gets to kill (almost matter-of-factly) a bunch of bad guys.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The Retirement Plan Website  Now playing in theatres.

Forgotten Film: Cross My Heart (1987) R David (Martin Short) and Kathy (Annette O’Toole) are about to go on their big ‘third date’ known as the one you have sex on. They are going into the date with some baggage. David just lost his job, and Kathy has a kid, and each one is worried that the news will cause them to break up. But lies lead to bigger lies, and the once promising night becomes a night never to forget. Cross My Heart is another film where the two stars outperform the script they are given. Martin Short makes an enjoyable romantic lead, and I have always enjoyed Annette O’Toole in movies and TV. Now, I don’t particularly appreciate where the characters end up, but the performances make this film worth watching. I’m tempted to tell you to stop watching after the bedroom scene.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee Cross My Heart Info Available on DVD.

Weird Credits: From the credits of A Haunting in Venice: Set Decorator Breakdown Artist

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Five Nights at Freddy’s (2023) PG-13 A new security guard (Josh Hutcherson) takes his kid (Piper Rudio) to his new job, the night shift at the old, shutdown Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. Once upon a time, Freddy’s was the place to be with pizza and animatronic bears singing songs. But something happened to cause the business to close, and the guard and his daughter are about to find out. There is a lot of buzz about this Blumhouse Productions horror film, and I can’t wait to see it.  Five Nights at Freddy's Website   The film will be in theatres in late October. 

Until Next Time!