Free Fire

My View:  Free Fire  (2016)  R  Set in Boston in 1978, a meeting between two gangs in a deserted warehouse turns into a gunfight that few will survive. I loved this film! It’s 20 minutes of setup, where we get to know each character and why they are at the meeting, then it’s 70 minutes of one crazy firefight.  This is a funny film that has some of the quickest dialogue I’ve ever heard. The action sequences are fun to watch, even though there are times you don’t know who the characters are shooting at, but that’s the point because the action is so nutty. There are a few surprises that will keep you guessing who is conning who, and I think you will be shocked by the ending. The film is a blast to watch, and while I saw it at SXSW, I went again to a recent Atlanta screening. That’s how much I love this film.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   Free Fire Website

Indiefest:  The Promise  (2016)  PG-13  Set during the last days of the Ottoman Empire, Chris (Christian Bale) is a hard-drinking newspaperman who is in love with Ana (Charlotte Le Bon). Michael (Oscar Isaac) is a brilliant medical student who, even though he is promised to a woman in his small hometown, falls in love with Ana as he goes to school in the big city. This is a film that is overburdened by its attempt to bring to light a little-explored piece of history. The film feels every bit of its 134-minute length, taking way too long to get the story going and then seems to endlessly go on and on. There isn’t much spark to the love triangle, with almost no chemistry between Bale and Le Bon. I never got the emotional impact of the atrocities that this film so wants to show, which makes it feel almost lifeless.   My Rating: Cable   The Promise Website

Indiefest:  The Lost City of Z  (2016) PG-13  Based on a true story, the film centers on British explorer Col. Percival Fawcett (Charlie Hunnam), who disappeared while searching for a mysterious city in the Amazon. This is a beautiful-looking film whose storyline never matches the remarkable true story of Col. Fawcett. The film is dragged down by its clumsy dialogue that, at times, feels out of place - the characters speak as though they are in the present day rather than in the early twentieth century.  I found the film vastly slowed down when Fawcett returns to his home and only picked up again when he was out exploring.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   The Lost City of Z Website

In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD/Blu-ray):  The Founder  (2016)  PG-13  The story of Ray Kroc (Michael Keaton), who turned a small hamburger shop into Mc Donald’s, the biggest restaurant business in the world.  Ray Kroc wasn’t a nice guy, as he would do just about anything to get his way. Michael Keaton gives a scintillating performance of a ruthless, unlikeable man. The film is highly enjoyable in the first half, but it loses its way when the most interesting characters in the movie, the McDonald brothers (Nick Offerman, John Carroll Lynch), are forgotten during most of the second half. It’s a hard look at a man who hid behind the American flag and family values to steal a company from two honest-to-a-fault brothers.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    The Founder Website

Forgotten Film:  The Battle Over Citizen Kane  (1996)  Documentary over the battle to release the Orson Welles film Citizen Kane that newspaper owner William Randolph Hearst tried to have killed.  The film was nominated for an Academy Award and brings to light how much influence Hearst had. Welles career would never recover from the box office failure of the film. It's a fascinating documentary about one of the greatest films of all time.    My Rating:  Full Price    The Battle Over Citizen Kane Info

Weird Credits:  Credit from The Promise:  Drapes Breakdown Artist

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:   Alien: Covenant  (2017)  I am ready to board the Ridley Scott directed ship once again. I still consider Alien (1979) as one of the scariest films of all time.   Alien: Covenant Website

Until Next Time!

xXx: Return of Xander Cage

My View:  xXx: Return of Xander Cage  (2017)  PG-13  Just when you thought Xander Cage (Vin Diesel) was dead, he comes out of exile to help the CIA recover a powerful weapon known as “Pandora’s Box” before the evil villain Xiang (Donnie Yen) can acquire it.  This is the kind of movie that I call “stupid fun.” You know going in that it will be over-the-top, the plot will be there just to do more and more stunts, and Vin Diesel will do some things that even Superman couldn’t do. Have there been better action films? Sure, Fast and Furious 6 comes to mind, but I did enjoy this film where Vin Diesel skis down a mountain that doesn’t have any snow.  There are new additions to the xXx group and a couple of surprise guests that help move the film at a quick pace. The ending seems a little forced, but I had a good time watching all the action sequences.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   xXx: Return of Xander Cage Website

My View:  Split  (2016)  PG-13  After a birthday party, three girls (Haley Lu Richardson, Jessica Sula, Anya Taylor-Joy) are kidnapped. Their captor Kevin (James McAvoy) suffers from the rare dissociative identity disorder where he has 23 split personalities. The girls must now find one of those personalities to help them escape before the arrival of the 24th and final personality, the “beast.” This is a strange film to watch, mostly due to the 23 personalities that James McAvoy portrays. This is a solid piece of horror filmmaking plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing.  It’s a wild ride that makes an excellent thriller. The film’s backstory on Anya Taylor-Joy’s character is well thought out, and her performance is one of the best things in this film. And there is a very big reveal at the end of the film that is jaw dropping. This is certainly more in line with what we expected that M. Night Shyamalan would put out after his groundbreaking The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable.   My Rating: Full Price   Split Website

My View:  The Founder  (2016)  PG-13  The story of Ray Kroc (Michael Keaton), who turned a small hamburger shop into Mc Donald’s, the biggest restaurant business in the world.  Ray Kroc wasn’t a nice guy, as he would do just about anything to get his way. Michael Keaton gives a scintillating performance of a ruthless, unlikeable man. The film is highly enjoyable in the first half of the film, but it loses its way when the most interesting characters in the movie, the McDonald brothers (Nick Offerman, John Carroll Lynch), are forgotten during most of the second half of the movie. It’s a hard look at a man who hid behind the American flag and family values to steal a company from two honest to a fault brothers.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee   The Founder Website

Indiefest:   20th Century Women  (2016)  R  Set in Santa Barbara, California in 1979, a free spirit mother (Annette Benning) seeks help from her two housemates (Greta Gerwig, Elle Fanning) with raising her son (Lucas Jade Zumann).  Benning has never been better in the role of a woman who seems to be stuck in the 1960s. Her character appears to be constantly trying to figure out each person whom she meets, and her performance is nuanced and never over-the-top. The rest of the cast is outstanding with Greta Gerwig putting in an excellent performance as a photographer who is a cancer survivor. The film is an enjoyable look at a teenage boy and the three women who are collectively raising him.   My Rating:  Full Price   20th Century Women Website

Forgotten Film:  The Dark Half (1993)  R  After writing under an assumed name, writer Thad Beaumont (Timothy Hutton), decides to write under his own name. Thad’s life is turned upside down when he is framed for a series of murders that he could not have committed. This is one of the better adaptations of a Stephen King work, and while flawed, George A. Romero knows how to open a horror film.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee   The Dark Half Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of The Founder:  Choreographer

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You: The Lego Batman Movie  (2017) PG   Bruce Wayne as Batman must deal with the criminals of Gotham City, but he also has to deal with a young boy he has adopted. I can’t wait for this film to come out.  The teaser trailer was so much fun.  The Lego Batman Movie Website

Until Next Time!

Patriot's Day

My View:  Patriot’s Day  (2016)  R  The events leading up to and the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing are showcased in this film. A city cop (Mark Wahlberg) is determined to find the men responsible for hurting so many people and will stop at nothing to find them as a city is  stunned by the brutal act. This is a moving film that, at times, due to the violence committed, is tough to watch. The movie is bolstered by brilliant performances from John Goodman as the Boston Police Commissioner and J.K  Simmons as a small town police chief. The film does an outstanding job of using some of the real footage of the bombing, blending it in with the re-creation of the event. The film, while it does show the terrorists, focuses more on not just the attempt to find the men responsible, but how ordinary people responded to the event and its aftermath. The ending of the film is one of the best things about this movie, with its message that love is how we will overcome these attacks on our homes and lives.  My Rating: Full Price   Patriot's Day Website
Disclosure: I work for a CBS owned station and this film is distributed by CBS Films.

My View:  Live by Night  (2016)  R  Set in the prohibition era, Joe (Ben Affleck) is sent by the mob to the Tampa Bay area to run their rum-running organization. There he encounters Graciela (Zoe Saldana) who helps him take over the town, but Joe’s enemies of the past may just catch up with him. This film is beautifully shot, perfectly capturing the mood and look of the 1920’s, but the film feels almost empty, even though it is over two hours long.  The film moves slowly, and Affleck, who wrote and directed the film, doesn’t seem to be too interested in playing his part of the hoodlum with a heart of gold. The action sequences are confusing as it’s hard to tell who is who when the gunfire starts.  I have loved some of Ben Affleck’s previous films, especially The Town (2010) and Argo (2012), but this movie feels lifeless and predictable.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Live by Night Website

My View:  The Bye Bye Man  (2017)  PG-13  Three friends (Douglas Smith, Lucien Laviscount, Cressida Bonas) move into an old, off-campus house.They soon discover that their house is haunted by the Bye Bye Man, a mysterious figure who just might be the root cause of the evil behind man’s most unspeakable acts. I have seen better student films than this mess of a movie. The special effects look like they were created for a 1960’s TV show. The acting is some of the worst I’ve ever seen, with Cressida Bonas particularly standing out. Her scenes are just painful to watch.  It’s sad that Faye Dunaway, an Oscar-winning icon, has to stoop this low to be in this film. The plot is predictable, and the few scary moments only happen because something or someone jumps out of the dark. I wanted to say “Bye Bye Man” in the first fifteen minutes so that he would come and take me out of my misery.   My Rating: You Would Have to Pay See Me to See it Again   The Bye Bye Man Website

Indiefest:  Elle  (2016)  R  Michele Leblanc (Isabelle Huppert) is a businesswoman who, one day, is violently attacked and raped by a masked assailant. Michele makes it her mission to find out who the rapist is and get her revenge. Let me be upfront right from the start, you are not going to like Michele or the decisions that she makes. This is an audacious film that jumps back and forth between grim drama and almost lighthearted comedy. The reason to see this film is Huppert’s performance and the determined businesswoman who is driven to find the masked assailant. It’s an unnerving portrayal that only someone as skilled as Huppert could pull off.  Elle is a film that will keep you guessing until the end, and it will continually shock you as the story unfolds.   My Rating: Full Price   Elle Facebook Page

Indiefest:  Paterson  (2016)  R  Paterson (Adam Driver)is a bus driver in the city of Paterson, New Jersey. His days are very simple, driving a bus, writing poetry in a notebook and stopping at his local bar for a beer. His girlfriend, Laura (Golshifteh Farahani) has big plans that are ever-changing. Somehow, this couple makes it work as Paterson observes his city from the bus driver’s seat. Paterson is a sweet, delightful film that looks at life in small-town America through the eyes of a man who loves his life and poetry. Writer/director Jim Jarmusch brings a small sample of the blissful life that Paterson and his wife live, a couple happy to celebrate the little moments in their lives. Adam Driver gives a wonderfully understated performance as a man who is content in his life and his work. Driver and Golshifteh Farahani, as his wife, play off each other with outstanding chemistry, as he lets his character’s delight show as his wife tells him of her new art project or dinner invention. You will enjoy spending seven days with Paterson, so much so, that you will wish once the movie ends that you could extend your stay for another week.    My Review: Full Price   Paterson Facebook Page 

Forgotten Film:  The Mighty  (1998)  PG-13  Max and Kevin make an unlikely pair of friends.  Max (Elden Henson) is a big kid who gets constantly picked on by his classmates. Kevin (Kieran Culkin) has Morquio’s syndrome, where the bones stop growing but the organs continue to develop.  This is a delightful family friendly tale of friendship and healing. The cast is outstanding including a splendid performance by Sharon Stone as Kevin’s mother and Gena Rowlands as Max’s grandmother who is forced to raise him when Kevin’s father (James Gandolfini) is convicted of killing Kevin’s mom. The message of the film is perfect for kids to experience as Max and Kevin prove that our weaknesses can become our strength’s if we just work together.  My Rating: Full Price   The Mighty Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of The Bye Bye Man:  Gloomsinger Animal Handlers

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You: The Founder (2016) PG-13   The story of Ray Kroc (Michael Keaton), who started a little hamburger business called McDonald's. I hear great things about Michael Keaton’s performance. The film was written by Robert Siegel, who wrote The Wrestler (2008) and directed by John Lee Hancock, who directed The Blind Side (2009).    The Founder Website  

Until Next Time!