Smallfoot

Familyfaire:  Smallfoot  (2018)  PG  Migo (Channing Tatum) is a Yeti who is convinced that he saw a ‘Smallfoot’ also known as a human. He goes on a quest to prove to his friends and family that humans do exist. I liked this film but didn’t love it. Other than an inspired rap by Common, the songs in the film feel very generic. The story is very predictable, and I didn’t like the ending at all. I did enjoy the lead character of Migo (voiced by Channing Tatum), and it was fun seeing how the Yeti and the human heard each other’s voice. Better songs would have made a better movie.    My Rating:  Bargain Matinee   Smallfoot Website

My View:  Night School  (2018)  PG-13  A group of troublemakers are forced to attend night school taught by a no-nonsense teacher (Tiffany Haddish). Kevin Hart’s one-note act is getting a little long in the tooth. About halfway through this film I just wanted him to shut up. Unfortunately, Haddish is given almost nothing to do in this film, other than being mean to Kevin Hart’s character. Now, I will say that most of the audience I saw the movie with were continually laughing, I rarely chuckled and I never really did laugh. The film goes too many times for the easy laugh and feels much longer than it’s nearly 2-hour length.  My Rating: Cable   Night School Website

Indiefest:  Colette  (2018)  R  Colette (Keira Knightley) is pushed by her husband (Dominic West) to write novels under his name. When the novels become a success, she fights to be known as the writer of the books, challenging gender norms. While the storyline moves a little too slowly at times, the performances by Knightley and West outshine the script and make this a compelling film to watch. The fact that this film is based on a true story makes it even more interesting, especially how Colette’s husband, Willy, turned her writing into an industry, with Colette dresses, hairstyles and even soap being sold under the brand.   My Rating: Full Price   Colette Website

Indiefest:  The Children Act  (2017)  R  As her marriage falls apart, a judge (Emma Thompson) must decide a case where a teenage boy (Fionn Whitehead) is refusing a blood transfusion due to religious principles. Emma Thompson is a tour de force as a judge who’s world is crumbling, but she must continue her life and work. The film never gets boring as Thompson's multifaceted performance is a delight to watch. I was worried when the blood transfusion trail ends about 45 minutes into the film, but the movie finds new roads to go down and explore.    My Rating: Full Price    The Children Act Website

Indiefest:  Blaze  (2018)  The life and loves of country musician Blaze Foley (Ben Dickey), the best singer/songwriter you have never heard off. The heart of this film are the songs, and they are heartbreakingly beautiful. Ben Dickey gives a masterful performance as the man who was his own worst enemy. I absolutely loved the performance of Alia Shawkat as the one woman who Blaze loved and was, for a short while, happy with. This is a sad and sometimes frustrating look at a man who should have been a star. Luckily, we still have his songs to listen to.  My Rating:  Full Price   Blaze Website

Forgotten Film:  Liberty Heights  (1999)  R   The story of two brothers, Van (Adrien Brody) who goes to a local college and Ben (Ben Foster) a senior in high school, growing up in the 50’s in Baltimore. This comedy/drama is the last of the four Barry Levinson’s ‘Baltimore Films’ that included Diner, Tin Men and Avalon. Ben becomes enamored with a black teenager named Sylvia (Rebekah Johnson) who has just joined his class in high school. Their father, Nate (Joe Mantegna) runs a failing burlesque theatre and a numbers racket which will eventually cause his downfall. This is a typical Levinson film, filled with funny moments along with deadly serious ones as well.  My Rating: Full Price    Liberty Heights Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Colette:  Water Supply Operator

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Beautiful Boy (2018)  R  The heartbreaking story of a father (Steve Carell) and his son (Timothee Chalamet) dealing with addiction over many years. Many film critics that have seen the film feel that Chalamet will get another Academy Award nomination.    Beautiful Boy Website

Until Next Time!

The House with a Clock in its Walls

My View:  The House with a Clock in its Walls  (2018)  PG  A young, recently orphaned boy named Lewis (Owen Vaccaro), in 1953, moves in with his magical uncle (Jack Black) in an old, creaky house. Their mission is to locate a clock that has the power to bring about the end of the world. I enjoyed this film though it does drag a little bit in the middle but it kicks back up to a beautiful finish. This is similar to the movie Goosebumps but not quite as funny. I did enjoy the performance of Cate Blanchett, who plays a witch who lives next door and has lost her ability to do magic. I will warn you that there are quite a few scary bits in the film and small kids might get scared. I loved the special effects all the different creatures in the movie, especially a Griffith made out of shrubs that have come to life.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    The House with Clocks on its Wall Website

Indiefest:  Life Itself  (2018)  R  The film centers on a couple (Oscar Isaac and Olivia Wilde) who go from a college romance to marriage and the birth of their first child. The New York couple go on a journey that spans generations, but these generations are all connected by a single event. You know I didn’t like the film, when I looked at my watch, think we would be about an hour in and the movie has only been going on for 30 minutes. The film is predictable and has some of the worst pacing I have ever seen. This is a Dan Fogelman ((This is Us) film, so you know that the film will move around to different timelines, all somehow connected, and that there will be some critical deaths. Fans of This Is Us are going to be disappointed in this film that moves at a snail's pace and has an ending you can see coming from about halfway through the pictures.   My Rating: Cable   Life Itself Website

Indiefest:  Fahrenheit 11/9  (2018)  R  Documentary by filmmaker Michael Moore on the 2016 United States presidential election and the presidency of Donald Trump. This is a typical Roger Moore documentary. As usual, Moore puts in some funny stuff, but I didn’t like the message that he chose to end the film with. I give away too much but let's just say Moore doesn't have much hope for America. That’s too bad because in the middle of the film there is hope with the Parkland High School teens speaking up and a number of women that are running for office. Moor tries to cover too much in this film including the Flint water problem. If you are a supporter of the President or Hillary Clinton, you might want to skip this film.   My Rating:  Bargain Matinee   Fahrenheit 11/9 Website

Indiefest:  Love, Gilda  (2018)  Documentary on the late, beloved comedienne Gilda Radner. You will fall in love with Gilda Radner all over again, and if you don’t know the talented Radner who was taken from us much too soon, you will want to see her appearances on Saturday Night Live as one of the original cast members. The film looks at Radner with a loving eye but isn’t afraid of showing her faults also. The film is mostly told through Radner’s voice in audio that was just recently discovered and she recorded right before she died. Radner, though taken much too soon, had a wonderful life giving us her unique brand of comedy and the film lets us experience her wit once again.   My Rating: Full Price   Love, Gilda Website

Indiefest: Five Fingers for Marseilles  (2018)  Twenty years ago, the Lion of Marseilles (Vuyo Dabula) and his ‘Five Fingers’ gang fought brutal police opposition. After fleeing, The Lion is now returning to his South African town, which is under a new threat. Not all will welcome The Lion because many see his fleeing as an act of cowardice. I love westerns, and this is a modern day western set in Africa. This film has some classic western undertones; you have the stranger (the Lion) who comes back after to his town because there is a new threat, he is a man alone, against all odds because the town won’t rally around him, and an act of redemption for what he did in the past. There is a little bit of The Searchers in this film, as well as High Noon and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. I enjoyed the performance of Vuyo Dabula, the man that comes back to his town to correct old sins. If you like westerns, I think you will love this Five Fingers for Marseilles.   My Rating: Full Price    Five Fingers for Marseilles Facebook Page

Forgotten Film:  Beyond Rangoon  (1995)  Laura (Patricia Arquette) is trying to recover from her husband and child being murdered and travels to Burma with her sister (Frances McDormand). Laura falls in love with the Burmese people and decides to help them overthrow a ruthless dictator. Arquette is the reason to watch this film as she is spectacular is the determined and compassionate Laura. Arquette gives one of her better performances and is a force to watch:  My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Beyond Rangoon Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of The House With a Clock in its Wall: Griffith Tamer

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  The Old Man & the Gun  (2018) PG-13  Based on the true story of Forrest Tucker (Robert Redford) who escaped from San Quentin and then went on a spree of robberies. The stellar cast includes Casey Affleck, Sissy Spacek, and Danny Glover.   The Old Man & the Gun Info

Until Next Time!