Breaking

My View: Breaking (2022) PG-13   Brian (John Boyega) is a Marine war veteran who faces the mental and emotional challenges of returning to civilian life. Conversely, Brian is at a breaking point, both financially and mentally. Something has to go his way. Sometimes a performance overcomes a weak script, which is the case with Breaking. Based on a true story, John Boyega gives an outstanding and moving performance as the troubled vet who just wants the money the government has promised him to be put back into his bank account. Brian is a disturbed man who has never adjusted back into civilian life after a stint in the Marines. He is a good man but troubled just the same, someone, who loves his daughter but has too many demons to fit into this world. The film is greatly helped by powerful performances by the late Michael K. Williams as a hostage negotiator and Nicole Beharie as the branch manager of the bank that Brian is holding hostage. The film is based on a true story, much like the 1975 film Dog Day Afternoon that starred Al Pacino, but this film doesn’t quite have the emotional impact that the Pacino film hit us with. Breaking, while its heart is in the right place and has some powerful performances, it never gives us enough of Brian’s inner torment to understand the pain he was under to do something so bold and doomed.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Breaking Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

My View: Samaritan (2022) PG-13   It’s been twenty years since super-powered vigilante Samaritan was killed in a fiery warehouse battle. Since then the city has declined to the brink of chaos and needs a savior. Thirteen-year-old Sam (Javon ‘Wanna’ Walton) is convinced that Samaritan didn’t die but went into hiding and is his mysterious and reclusive neighbor Mr. Smith (Sylvester Stallone). I have always been a fan of Stallone, and I have enjoyed some of his choices in the last few years. While not a great film, I did enjoy the movie because of the chemistry that Walton and Stallone had on the screen. Stallone plays a man who just wants to live his life in the shadows, but heroes can’t always choose to stay there. Mr. Smith becomes involved with Sam’s life not because he wants to but because he has to. It’s in Smith’s blood to do the right thing and stand up for the kid, even if it means he will reveal his true super-human self. The plot is a little sketchy, with a crime boss discovering a long-lost tool of Samaritan’s alter-enemy, Nemesis, and deciding to take over the streets using Nemesis's weapon and identity. The action is sometimes a bit ragged, but I loved that Stallone is playing a superhero that needs to take a breather from time to time before continuing the battles with evil. Samaritan has a few nice twists and turns, and though the CGI of a youthful Stallone doesn’t work at all, it’s a fun film to watch.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Samaritan Website  Now playing on the Amazon Prime platform.

Indiefest: Three Thousand Years of Longing (2022) R  Alithea (Tilda Swinton) is a world-renowned scholar specializing in myths and legends. While in Istanbul, Alithea buys a small lidded jar in a local shop. When cleaning it, the lid comes off, and a magical Djinn (Idris Elba) appears with an offer to grant her three wishes in exchange for his freedom. If this film had ended about 2/3 of the way through, I would probably be putting Three Thousand Years of Longing in my top ten films of the year. The film is filled with beautiful stories (think 1001 Arabian Nights) as the Djinn tells his story to Alithea as she ponders what three wishes she would like. It’s a magical tale that the Djinn weaves as we discover who has imprisoned him in the bottle and why. The film is filled with beautiful scenes, flowing with lush landscapes of magnificent palaces and tales of intrigue and lost loves. Unfortunately, the film can’t sustain the magic throughout, and the last third of the film is a bit of a letdown (which I won’t go into, so I don’t give away too much of the story). Let’s say that when the Djinn is weaving his tales of mystery and magic, it’s worth going on the journey with him. It’s always sad when reality seeps its way into fantasy.   My Rating: Full Price   Three Thousand Years of Longing Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

My View: Alienoid (2022)   Two swordsmen are on a search for a legendary blade that is said can bend time. They are about to encounter people from the future chasing after an alien prisoner who has escaped and could alter the world's fate. Ok, so this film is a combination of martial arts film and sci-fi film. It has time travel, aliens, robots, space ships, wizards, gunfights, flying kung fu battles, and some kung fu cats (sort of). What more could you ask for? The film is almost impossible to explain, but I can say that it travels back and forth between present day and the 1300s. There is some humor, lots of fight sequences, including battles between aliens and robots, and of course, humans versus humans with lots of jumping in the air and magical fans. I had fun watching this wild film that seems not to care how much they throw into the plot, as this is part one of a two-part series. Both parts have already been filmed, and a bonus scene at the end of the first credits gives you a taste of what is coming in part two. So if you like martial arts and robots, Alienoid is for you.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Alienoid Website  Now playing in select theatres.

My View: Running With the Devil: The Wild World of John McAfee (2022): Documentary about John McAfee, best known for developing the first commercial anti-virus software. He later ran for president and was wanted for murder and tax evasion at the time of his death by suicide. Or was he murdered? This is one of those films where you wanted more. I wanted more background on John. I wanted to know more about why he did what he did or didn’t do. Instead, we got a travelogue of a man who was nuts, full of drugs and alcohol. Watching the film, I could never get a handle on what John claimed. Why was he on the run, and why did he do what he did? We don’t get much information on what happened with the murder of a neighbor of John. In fact, we don’t get a lot of information about just about anything. This is more of a story of the men who tried to document John’s attempt to escape than to document what John did or didn’t do, and that’s the frustrating part of this film. I understand that we may never get all the answers, but this film never even tries to answer anything other than that it was nuts being on a camera crew around John. That’s not enough to make a movie interesting or enjoyable (in a macabre way). Instead, it makes it one frustrating and maddening ride about the people who shot the footage and not about the subject that wanted desperately to be the center of the story. My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Running With the Devil Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform.

My View: Me Time (2022) R  Sonny (Kevin Hart) is a husband and a dad to a loving family. When his wife takes the kids on a trip, Sonny finds that he is alone for the first time in a long time. He decides for some ‘me time and reconnects with a long-lost friend (Mark Wahlberg). It’s a wild week Sonny will never forget. Me Time is one of those movies I call a ‘Watch film.’ It’s a film that I keep looking at my watch, wanting to know how soon it will end and being disappointed that the film still has many more minutes before its end. First off, it takes forever for the film to get moving, as we get so much setup to the story that it drags the film down from the beginning. Sonny is a stay-at-home dad, overly involved with his kids’ lives, while his wife is a successful architect who has a client that Sonny is worried is too interested in his wife to be real without other motives. In walks Huck, played by Mark Wahlberg, a wealthy playboy known for his wild and adventurous birthday extravaganzas. Sonny decides to take Huck up on his offer, and the high jinks occur. If you think vomiting, using buckets for bathrooms, running over animals, and people taking their clothes off for no reason, then you will enjoy this film. For the rest of us, as I did, you will be looking at your watch; asking when is this going to end. The answer: not soon enough.   My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again   Me Time Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform.

Indiefest: Funny Pages (2022) R  Robert (Daniel Zolghadri) is a seventeen-year-old who decides to quit high school and go out into the real world to become a comic book artist. Robert is about to meet a group of people that could either change his world or make him go back to his parent's house. This was a tough film to watch. Filled with characters right out of an R. Crumb comic and takes a very dark and rough look at a kid who desperately wants to be a comic book artist but loses the one person that believed in him. Robert is a character you don’t like, almost from the beginning, who thinks too highly of himself and not about anyone else. It’s a bizarre film, filled with people you wouldn’t want to spend any time with. Too often, the filmmaker goes overboard trying to shock or show you something revolting, making it a very uncomfortable film to watch. I can’t even recommend this film to comic book fans, as it tends to hate the people who love the medium. For that reason, I can’t recommend it to anyone.   My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again   Funny Pages Website  Now playing in select theatres and On Demand.

My View: The Invitation (2022) PG-13  Evie (Nathalie Emmanuel) has discovered through a DNA test that she has a long-lost cousin, who, after meeting her, invites her to a lavish wedding in England. Evie is about to discover that her new-found family has deep dark secrets. I liked this film because it reminded me of the old Hammer horror films of the 70s, with a creepy mansion full of dark hallways, some suspect relatives lurking about, and a possible romantic partner (Thomas Doherty) that seems too good to be true. The film needed a few more scares to make you put yourself on the edge of your seat, but I loved the setup and the stuffy British relatives, especially ice queen Viktoria (Stephanie Corneliussen). Nathalie Emmanuel does a fine job as the woman who could quickly be in a lot of trouble. I especially enjoyed the ending, and I think you will have a bloody good time. My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The Invitation Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

Forgotten Film: Auggie Rose (Beyond Suspicion) (2000) R John (Jeff Goldblum) is a successful insurance salesman whose life takes a drastic turn when he witnesses the death of a grocery store worker named Auggie, who dies in his arms. John decides to investigate the man’s life and soon assumes his identity, taking the place of a man many didn’t know. Along the way, he meets the man’s girlfriend (Anne Heche), who only knows Auggie through his letters. John goes deeper and deeper into Auggie’s life, and it's one that is full of secrets and hidden dangers. I am a big fan of the late Anne Heche, and she gives one of her better performances as the woman who loved Auggie without really knowing him. Auggie Rose is a moving and thoughtful film that questions what we are doing with our lives. Note that the film was released on DVD under the title Beyond Suspicion after its theatrical release.   My Rating: Full Price   Auggie Rose Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Three Thousand Years of Longing: Octopus Wranglers

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Amsterdam (2022) R  Set in the 1930s, three friends (Christian Bale, John David Washington, Margot Robbie) witness a murder. They become suspects and, in the attempt to clear their names, uncover one of the most outrageous plots in American History. You look at the cast and then see that it’s been written/directed by David O. Russell (American Hustle, Silver Linings Playbook), and you go; yes, I want to see this! In fact, please give it to me now!   Amsterdam Info

Until Next Time!

Where the Crawdads Sing

My View: Where the Crawdads Sing  (2022) PG-13   Kya (Daisy Edgar-Jones) is an outsider in her community. Kya is called the ‘Marsh Girl’ by the locals since she was abandoned in the marshlands of North Carolina and raised herself to adulthood. Kya begins exploring outside her marsh's world when a young man she befriended is found dead and is immediately cast by the community as the main suspect. Kya’s life will be under the microscope, and many secrets of the marsh are about to be revealed. I have a feeling that this is one of those movies where the book is much better than the film. I liked this film, primarily due to the performance of Daisy Edgar-Jones, but the film feels very slow in its storytelling and the core of the story, one of mystery and romance, feels a little forced, with a love story that feels too much like a bad Young Adult novel. I had trouble liking either of the two men whom Kya becomes romantically involved with, and that’s a problem with a film that is part romance. The film also tries hard to bring in feelings from past movies such as Nell and To Kill a Mockingbird, especially with the nice Southern lawyer, played by David Strathairn. So much so that I kept waiting for Scout to show up in any scene Strathairn is in. Still, I enjoyed the film, I just wish there had been more to it than a lot of scenes where Kya looks longingly at the marsh, thinking thoughts about a past love.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Where the Crawdads Sing Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

Familyfaire: Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank (2022) PG   Ever since Hank (voiced by Micael Cera), as a young pup, was saved from bullies by a mysterious samurai, he has wanted to become a samurai himself. Hank is hired to become the samurai of a small town being threatened by an evil overload. The only problem, Hank is a dog, and the townspeople are cats. You know this is a bad film when the audience I saw the movie with, filled with kids, only laughed when there was a farting scene. The film is a takeoff of samurai films and the Mel Brooks comedy Blazing Saddles (hence the fart scene). In fact, Mel Brooks (who wrote some of his own lines) voices one of the characters, The Shogun, reminiscent of his performance as Governor Lepetomane in Blazing Saddles (‘work, work, work’). The film is a bore (kids at my screening were more interested in the whoopee cushions that were handed out before the film), the animation is flat and lifeless, and the storyline quickly becomes old. I had high hopes when I found out that Samuel L. Jackson was doing a voice, but unfortunately, he isn’t given much to work with a character that gets drunk on catnip (once again, think Blazing Saddles). Skip this one and let the older kids watch Spaceballs instead.   My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again  Paws of Fury Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

My View: Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (2022)  PG   A widowed cleaning lady (Lesley Manville) in 1950s London inherits a pile big of money, falls madly in love with the dresses of Dior, and decides to fly to Paris and buy one for herself. It’s a tale of adventure that will change her life and possibly the very future of the House of Dior itself. We all need a bit of Mrs. Harris in our life. Lesley Manville is a positive force for good in this film about a woman who follows her dream and won’t let anyone put her down on her way. You will fall in love with Mrs. Harris as she strives to put together the money to not only go to Paris but buy a Dior dress. This is a feel-good film that is funny, sweet, and has a bit of romance thrown in. The film gives us a behind-the-scenes look at one of the most fabulous couture houses in the world, seen through the eyes of someone who wouldn’t usually be welcomed to a place that relies on the rich and the privileged. It seems that everywhere Mrs. Harris goes, she spreads her love for life and adventure, even in a stuffy and class-oriented climate. I love that Mrs. Harris visits Paris during a strike where the garbage collectors are protesting low wages by not collecting the refuse of the city, making one of the most beautiful and iconic cities of the world a little dirty and smelly, one that only someone like Mrs. Harris could turn into a lesson of learning and acceptance. And by the way, even a guy like me knows that the classic Dior dresses look fantastic. So, pinch a few pennies and save up to take a journey to Paris with Mrs. Harris, and you are guaranteed a smashing good time.   My Rating: Full Price   Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris Website   Now playing in theatres nationwide.

Indiefest: Gone in the Night (2022) R  Kath (Winona Ryder) and her boyfriend Max (John Gallagher, Jr.) are going on a weekend trip to a remote cabin in the wilderness. However, when they arrive, they find that the cabin has been double-booked, and a young couple (Brianne Tju, Owen Teague) has already moved in. The two couples decide to share the cabin, and after a night of partying, Kath wakes up to discover that both her boyfriend and the other woman have disappeared. When Max doesn’t show up, Kath goes on the hunt to find him with the help of the owner of the cabin (Dermot Mulroney) and discovers that the truth is stranger than she could have ever imagined. I enjoyed the first part of this film, but by the 2nd half of the film, I got tired of how the plot was being revealed in a series of flashbacks that gave away too much information, and I figured out the mystery way too early in the film. I always enjoy Winona Ryder’s performances, but she isn’t asked to do much in this film other than being bewildered and scared. I wasn’t shocked at the ending (the film wants us to be), and I wish it had lived up to the promise that the first 20 minutes had, but it doesn’t.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Gone in the Night Website   Now playing in theatres nationwide. 

My View: Persuasion (2022) PG   Anne Elliot (Dakota Johnson) has never gotten over the man she was persuaded not to marry eight years ago due to his humble origins. Now that man, Captain Wentworth (Cosmo Jarvis), is back in her life. However, there is a new suitor for Anne’s heart, the dashing Mr. Elliot (Henry Golding), and Anne is torn between an old love who got away and a new one who promises to give her the world. I liked this film a lot, but I wonder if my judgment has become a bit murky because I have become such a fan of Dakota Johnson. She is delightful in this adaptation of a Jane Austin novel. Throughout the film, Anne narrates the film, giving us direct asides, like letting us see her reaction to something she told us would happen. This is a story of a love lost and the regrets of both parties. In typical Austin fashion, there is a lot of dancing around the two lovers' true feelings, miscommunications, and of course, another suitor who causes a bit of a problem or two. Does this have the biting wit of a film like Emma Thompson’s Sense and Sensibility? No, not even close but Johnson and Jarvis gives us a couple that we can root for and a heroine who has a wicked sense of humor.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Persuasion Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform.

My View: The Deer King (2021) R  Van is the last of a group of soldiers fighting for their lands against an evil empire. After becoming the lone survivor of a slave camp, Van meets a young girl, and they go on an adventure that may save the universe. This fantasy epic gets lost in its attempt to build a world that is too complex to be told in one film. This is not a film for young kids as there is quite a bit of violence and bloodshed, though anime and fantasy teens may enjoy the epic tale of revenge and finding a purpose. Besides a highly complex storyline (that gets confusing at times), the film has an animated look that is bland and doesn’t deliver the wonder and beauty it needs. There are sub-plots among other sub-plots, and I never quite got which side was the good guys and which were the bad ones. The ending feels weak and almost too quick, making it seem as though the story isn’t finished, and maybe it's not, but I don’t think I will care.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   The Deer King Website  Now playing in theaters nationwide.

Indiefest: Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down (2022) PG-13   Documentary about the former congresswoman Gabby Giffords and her battle to overcome the effects of an assassination attempt in 2011 that left her partially paralyzed and with a language impairment. This is a film where you are going to experience a range of emotions as you watch it. You will cry, get angry, but also laugh as you follow the life of Gabby Giffords, a woman whose spirit and love of life wasn't shut down by an assassin's bullet. The film gives us an intimate look at Giffords and her journey to get not only her ability to walk but also to talk. Due to her husband, Mark, we see the highs and many lows of her recovery, as Mark was determined to let his wife and us see just how far she had to come back from death’s door. It’s a fantastic film about a remarkable woman and the man who believed in her recovery. This is not a film about outlawing guns but does have a message of how we can make gun ownership safer and keep them out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill. Gabby was and is a gun owner; there is even a scene of her recently firing a handgun at a gun range. My favorite scene of the film is during the closing credits as we follow Gabby as she peddles a recumbent bike around her neighborhood while joyfully singing a John Denver song. By the film's end, you won’t feel sorry for Gabby but will be happy that she is still around to make us smile.    My Rating: Full Price   Gabby Giffords Won't Back Down Website  Now playing in select theatres.

My View: Don’t Make Me Go (2022) R  Max (John Cho) is a single father who discovers he has a fatal brain tumor. Straightaway, Max decides to take his daughter, Wally (Mia Isaac), on a road trip. This is Max’s last chance to try and teach his daughter everything she might need to live her life on her own. At the start of the film, Wally tells us, ‘You’re not gonna like how this story ends, but I think you are going to like this story.’ Well, Wally, you would be wrong. I liked this film for the first two-thirds of the movie, mainly because the relationship between Max and Wally feels natural, and the chemistry between the two actors is delightful. A few scenes seem a little forced, and it tries a bit too hard for us to love Wally from the start, but I can overlook this film’s early faults due to the winning relationship between the father and daughter. However, without giving away the ending, I hated the last 15 minutes of this film. I mean, I really hated it. It soured the whole movie for me, a real punch in the gut. Let me make it clear; I hated the ending.   My Rating: Cable   Don't Make Go Website  Now playing on the Amazon Prime platform. 

Forgotten FIlm: Shoot the Moon (1982) R   This is a film about a long-time marriage falling apart. George (Albert Finney) is unhappy and wants out of his marriage to live with his new love, Sandy (Karen Allen). Faith (Diane Keaton) feels abandoned by her husband, having left her and their four children for another woman. Faith finds a way to get back at George by having an affair with a young man (Peter Weller), and the fireworks begin. This movie is about unhappy people who don’t care who gets hurt, as long as their spouse gets hurt the most. Keaton and Finney play people you won’t like, and we never quite know why the marriage fell apart after so many years. Shoot the Moon isn’t about why they fell in or out of love; it’s about the pain and destruction a failed marriage can cause.   My Rating: Full Price   Shoot the Moon Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris: Toad in the Hole Prepared By

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: The Invitation (2022)  R  Evie (Nathalie Emmanuel) knows nothing about her family’s past, so she sends off her DNA to find out more. Through the test, she meets a cousin (Hugh Skinner) who invites her to a family wedding in England. Evie goes but soon learns that her newfound family has a secret, one that may cost Evie her life. The Invitation looks like it could be a fun watch.    The Invitation Info  The movies is scheduled to be released in late August, 2022.

Until Next Time!