Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

My View: Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023) PG-13 In Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, having failed to defeat Aquaman (Jason Momoa) the last time, Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) is determined to find the mythic Black Trident, a weapon that could help him defeat the man that killed his father. Aquaman must turn to his imprisoned brother Orm (Patrick Wilson) to defend his family and the world from irreversible destruction. I was not too fond of the first Aquaman film, feeling the film was too silly and only worked slightly because of the charm and charisma of Jason Momoa. This film is better than the first one but not by much. The film feels underdeveloped, and it takes forever to get going. Black Manta is back and is determined to get his revenge. He finds a magical trident that teaches him how to use ancient technology that is warming the world even faster than anyone thought would happen. Aquaman must turn to his brother, the same one he defeated and imprisoned. The plot gets complicated, the ancient technology somehow uses computers and another bad guy is supposed to be badder than the Black Manta. The film goes on too long, and the big finish is over in what seems like one mighty blow. I don’t think anyone other than Momoa will shed a tear that this will probably be the last of Aquaman. By the way, Amber Heard is in this as Aquaman’s wife/queen, but there is an Octopus named Topo who probably has more screen time than she does.   My Rating: Cable Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

My View: Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire (2023) PG-13 Kora (Sofia Boutella) is a stranger with a mysterious past, who, after crash landing on a moon, is allowed to start a new life among a peaceful settlement of farmers. However, an evil Regent named Balisarius (Fra Fee) and his cruel emissary, Admiral Noble (Ed Skrein), come to the settlement with the intent of destruction. Now, Kora must gather a group of insurgents and mercenaries to fight Balisarius and his army. This is a mess of a film. It feels like it should have been a series, not a two-parter movie. The film starts with a voice-over that tells us a story, one which I could not tell you what that story is. And that’s how this film begins. The film feels like it’s taken the plot from a terrible YA novel and then took out what made that novel almost work and thrown it away. We spend most of the film on a quest to find warriors throughout the galaxy who will join the quest with Kora to take on the evil empire. There is a story here somewhere, but it never finds it. I like Sofia Boutella in the role of Kora, and she makes a believable fighter who could take on an empire by herself. However, the rest of the cast is given almost nothing to work with, and the writing is so clumsily done, with virtually no hope of giving us any reason why anyone would join this sure-to-be hopeless quest. Besides characters that seem to change their minds in midstream, the film’s cinematography is so poorly done that it becomes a distraction. By the end of the film, I didn’t care about any of the characters or what will happen to them in the second film.   My Rating: Cable  Rebel Moon: Part One Website    Now playing on the Netflix platform.

My View: The Iron Claw (2023) R  The story of the professional wrestling family, the Von Erichs, who went from fame and fortune to horrible tragedy in just a few years. I have always been a big wrestling fan, and the Von Erichs were my favorite wrestlers of the 80s. They did something that no one thought could be done, filled football stadiums with wrestling shows, and took their brand of wrestling worldwide long before WWF and Vince thought it was possible. The story of the Von Erichs is one of tragedy, of Shakespearean proportions, as like a Shakespearian king, their father was a man who believed his sons were destined for greatness and nothing would stop them from becoming world champions. Like many Shakespearian characters, they were destined for greatness and profound tragedy. The film’s center is Kevin, played by Zac Efron, a son who never quite met the expectations of his father, Fritz, played by Holt McCallany. The film is filled with foreshadowing, as a black cloud always seems to hover over the Von Erichs, even when they succeed. Efron gives the best performance of his career as the son who wants to succeed, but is always to toe the line and do what Fritz feels is the best for his sons. As someone who watched the Von Erichs during their prime, I was a little disappointed in how Kerry was portrayed, and it’s not the fault of Jeremy Allen White; it’s that the film didn’t capture the charisma and larger-than-life presence of Kerry that we saw on our TV’s every week. The Iron Claw is a film where you know tragedy will strike. You just don’t know how hard. And by the way, the film takes some liberties with the story; there is another son, Chris, who is not shown in the film, and his story is probably the most tragic of them all. The Iron Claw is a film about wrestling, but it’s about family and the heavy weight of expectations that can never be fulfilled.   My Rating: Full Price  The Iron Claw Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

My View: American Fiction (2023) R Monk (Jeffery Wright) is a writer whose last book wasn’t exactly a success. He is fed up with ‘Black’ entertainment that relies on tired and offensive tropes. Monk decides to write a ‘Black’ book of his own, and much to his surprise, it becomes a big hit. Now Monk must play the part of a mysterious, anonymous, angry black writer, precisely whom he claims to disdain in real life. This is a film that is easily made in my top ten films of 2023, with a mesmerizing performance by Jeffery Wright and an original script that contains some incredible dialogue. American Fiction is a film that you will talk about long after leaving the theatre, and if Wright doesn’t get an Academy nomination, then there isn’t justice in the world. Wright is perfect as Monk, a man who feels that he embodies what a Black writer should be: intelligent, articulate, and confident. Unfortunately, this isn’t what the modern literary world is like anymore, and his writing style no longer sells books. The film is funny, touching, and filled with a plethora of compelling characters. American Fiction is a film that was a joy to watch from beginning to end, and it’s all because of the brilliance of Jeffery Wright.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  American Fiction Website  Now playing in theatres.

My View: Maestro (2023) R The love story chronicling the relationship of conductor-composer Leonard Bernstein (Bradley Cooper) and Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein (Carey Mulligan). Leonard was a famous conductor because of his TV appearances and brilliant composing, but he had a secret that threatened his career and marriage. This is an ambitious film with performances that perfectly capture the man and the woman who loved and stood by him through good times and bad. Cooper is captivating as the talented but flawed man whose talent and charisma captured a nation at a time when television began dominating how we saw and understood culture and music. The film is worth the price of admission to see Cooper as Bernstein directs an orchestra for over 6 minutes in the movie, giving us the reason why everyone so loved Bernstein. While Cooper is perfect in the role of the man, it’s Carey Mulligan as the woman behind the man that makes this film work so well. Mulligan is captivating as the woman who falls for this brilliant man and is willing to bask in his shadow, even when he turns his back on her. It’s a moving performance that gives us a look into someone who was used to being in the spotlight but was willing to become part of the team Bernstein, who kept his legacy and his indiscretions away from the public, sacrificing themselves to keep Leonard’s fire of personality burring. Maestro doesn’t quite have the emotional punch as Cooper’s 2018 film A Star Is Born, but it’s still a magical ride into the world of music and the brilliance of a man who, for a time, had the world at the command of his baton.  My Rating: Full Price  Maestro Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform.

Indiefest: All of Us Strangers (2023) R Adam (Andrew Scott) lives in a London high-rise that is nearly empty. He meets what seems to be his only neighbor, Harry (Paul Mescal), a stranger who shows up at his door in the middle of the night. It’s a chance meeting that could change Adam’s life. This is one of those films that is hard to review because I don’t want to give away too much of the plot. Let’s say that what happens to Adam makes us question if what is happening is in his mind or is real. All of Us Strangers is a film about taking chances on love and finding a way to make things right from the mistakes of the past. The performances are brilliant, especially Andrew Scott, who plays Adam as a man who wants to love but has difficulty finding the guts to take a chance. The film is a beautiful and sometimes painful look at family, love, and finding forgiveness.   My Rating: Full Price  All of Us Strangers Website  Now playing in theatres.

My View: Anyone But You (2023) R Anyone But You starts when Bea (Sydney Sweeney) and Ben (Glen Powell) go on a first date that has sparks at first, but then things happen that sour the two on each other. Now they have been unexpectedly reunited at a destination wedding in, of all places, Australia. Their exes are also there, so they do what two mature adults would do: pretend they are a couple. I had fun watching this film as the two leads make a good team together and have great chemistry. The story is a takeoff on Shakespeare’s As You Like It, with the couple trying to fool the rest of the wedding party into thinking that they are really into each other, even though they hate each other. We, of course, know this won’t last, and that’s part of the fun. Anyone But You is a fun rom-com that is a pleasant escape from all the Christmas films seemingly sprouting from every streaming service. It doesn’t hurt that it was filmed in Australia, though I have a feeling that it was shot during COVID restrictions, as we don’t see as much of the country as I would have liked. Still, this is a light, fun rom-com that doesn’t disappoint.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Anyone But You Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

My View:  Poor Things (2023) R Bella (Emma Stone) is brought back to life by a brilliant but unorthodox scientist (Willem Dafoe) by putting a baby’s brain inside a grown woman. Bella is eager to learn and is whisked off to discover life by Duncan (Mark Ruffalo), a lawyer who only wants Bella for himself. Free from the prejudices of the times, Bella is about to discover her place in the world and her purpose, to stand for equality and liberation. Emma Stone is a force of nature in this film, and it could win her another Academy Award. It is hard to describe her performance because she goes from someone who can barely talk and walk to someone who is in control of both her body and her mind. It’s an astounding feat of acting, and it’s wonderful to watch. Now, I will warn you that you will see her character, Bella, have sex a lot. I mean a whole lot. There is a reason, and I won’t ruin it; it’s essential to the storyline. Still, it’s a bit of a shock. Mark Ruffalo is hilarious as the man who seduces Bella and then can’t keep up with her. Willem Dafoe, as the mad scientist (and he is mad), looks as if he is having so much fun in the role, and his character’s face is genuinely horrifying to look at. The story is beautifully told, and the set design, which is best described as steampunk meets 1900 European, is so much fun to look at and significantly adds to the film’s feel. Poor Things is one of the best pictures of the year. It's a strange and funny film filled with surprises and wonder, one I want to watch again. And did I mention that Emma Stone is pretty darn good in it?   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  Poor Things Website   Now playing in theatres. 

Forgotten Film: Klaus (2019) PG Jesper (voiced by Jason Schwartzman) is an entitled man who thinks the world owes him a living because of his wealthy family. The Postal Academy has different ideas about Jesper and assigns him to a remote village without postal service for years. Jesper meets a huge, bearded woodworker named Klaus (voiced by J. K. Simmons), and the two start up an unlikely friendship. It’s a friendship that will start an amazing tradition involving gifts given throughout the world. Klaus is a beautiful animated film that never got the attention (or the theatrical run) it deserved. The story is fun, about friendship and how when things look hopeless if you believe, they might turn around and surprise you. Klaus is a delight for the whole family for your Christmas weekend and beyond.  My Rating: Full Price  Klaus Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Rebel Moon: Part One - A Child of Fire: Mechanical Teeth

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Argylle (2024) PG-13 Elly (Bryce Dallas Howard) is a best-selling spy novelist who rarely leaves home. On a train, she meets Aiden (Sam Rockwell), who tells her he is a real spy and has been sent to save her from being kidnapped. Elly is now living the life that she has only written about, and it turns out that her books are the key to saving the world. Elly and her beloved cat Alfie are plunged into a covert world where nothing and no one is as they seem. I can’t wait to see this film as it is reminiscent of one of my favorite films of the 80s, Romancing the Stone.   In theatres on February 2, 2024.  Argylle Website

Until Next Time!

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes

My View: The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023) PG-13   This is the story of Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth), whose destiny will be to become President of Panem. But before he becomes an all-powerful man, he must rise from poverty and see his chance when asked to be a mentor for the 10th Hunger Games. His elation is dashed when he is assigned to mentor a girl tribute from the 12 District. A young woman named Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler). The review of the film will be up on Friday night. I was a big fan of both the Hunger Games books and movies, so I was looking forward to this origin story of how President Snow became the man he was when he clashed with Katniss. I was not disappointed in this film. It’s got a great cast, with both Viola Davis and Peter Dinklage playing the bad guys in the movie. Davis looks like she is having a blast as the evil doctor who is the Hunger Games developer. Davis practically eats up the scenery in the film as she makes it known she is out for blood. Dinklage is more of a cerebral villain who enjoys tormenting Coriolanus as his teacher. Now, don’t expect Rachel Zegler to go full-out Katniss, as her character is more of a singer/lover than a fighter. Still, there are the Games, and how Snow will get Lucy Gray to survive them is the mystery. And add in why and how Snow becomes such a villain himself. And yes, the roses are explained. My Rating: Full Price    The Hunger Games Website   Now playing in theatres nationwide.

My View: Next Goal Wins (2023) PG-13  Film about the American Samoa soccer team, who, in 2011, suffered the worst loss in World Cup history, losing to Australia 31-0. With the 2014 World Cup approaching, the team recruits a down-on-his-luck coach (Michael Fassbinder) to get them back to respectability. It’s going to be a long road back, especially when all they want to do is score one goal. Next Goal Wins is a fun movie that may not be a blockbuster or win awards, but it's a crowd-pleasing delight. The supporting cast delivers with humorous and unique performances, notably Kaimana as the first openly non-binary and transgender woman to play in a World Cup game, and Oscar Kightley as an exceptionally positive local soccer official. Kaimana gives us a strong woman who wants to win more than anything, and Kightley is perfect as the soccer official who believes his coach can get the best out of his team if he believes in himself and his players. The film is based on an unbelievable true story and hits all the buttons on the upstart sports movie about winning against the odds. Go see Next Goal Wins and just have fun at the movies again.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Next Goal Wins Website Now playing in theatres.

My View: Thanksgiving (2023) R  Thanksgiving takes place after a Black Friday sale ends in riot and tragedy when a mysterious Thanksgiving-inspired killer terrorizes Plymouth, Massachusetts. The birthplace of Thanksgiving. The review of the film will be up on Saturday night. Thanksgiving is from horror filmmaker Eli Roth, and the film’s origin is that it was a fake trailer that played during the 2007 movie Grindhouse that Robert Rodriquez and Quentin Tarantino did. The trailer was fun, and maybe it should have stayed a trailer. The film, a long hour and forty-five minutes, quickly petters out after the initial shock of the Black Friday riot. We move forward a year, and the community is still recovering from the tragedy when people who were involved in the riot are violently murdered by a figure in a Pilgrim costume. Some of the kills are inventive, but Thanksgiving becomes a run-of-the-mill slasher film with a bad guy who is way too easy to figure out and an ending that feels unsatisfying. Thanksgiving attempts to be a social satire with commentary on greed and the vulgarity of the holiday shopping season. Instead, it feels like another in a long line of gory slasher films with a few funny lines that were better in the fake trailer.   My Rating: Cable    Now playing in theatres.  Thanksgiving Website 

Indiefest: May December (2023) R  In the film May December, it’s been twenty years since their notorious tabloid romance shocked the nation. Elizabeth (played by Natalie Portman), an actress, arrives in town to research for a film about the couple (Julianne Moore and Charles Melton). Sometimes, the past is best left behind. This film explores what happens long after the tabloid headlines have disappeared and people are trying to carry on with their lives. Natalie Portman plays an actress who immerses herself in the lives of a couple who, after a shocking affair and jail time, are still together. Portman plays Elizabeth as a woman driven to find every detail and nuance from her subject, Gracie (Julianne Moore), a woman who had an affair and children with a middle school student. May December is a complicated film where things aren’t always what they seem to be on the surface, and an actress who doesn’t care about anyone or anything but what she can mine for her upcoming performance disturbs that surface. I loved the casting in this film, with Charles Melton as the young man who fell in love with a teacher and had children with her. He now has to be a father to children who aren’t much younger than him. It’s a striking performance, and Melton holds his own with both Portman and Moore. Moore's character is complicated and concerned about how Elizabeth will portray her, trying to exert control over a situation she can't completely control. May December is a film where you have a hard time liking anyone in the movie but, at the same time, want things to work out. They probably never will.   My Rating: Full Price  May December Website  Now playing in theatres and on the Netflix platform on Dec. 1st. 

Indiefest: The Disappearance of Shere Hite (2023) R   The Disappearance of Shere Hite is a documentary about Shere Hite, the woman who rocked the world with her bestselling book The Hite Report, which revealed the most private experiences of sex and the female orgasm. Shere Hite wrote a book, The Hite Report, that shocked a nation and pushed both women’s sexuality and women’s rights to the forefront. Hite had the gall to tell men that women weren’t satisfied with their sex lives and it was a man’s fault. Hite was a strange woman who was flamboyant and, at the same time, mysterious. She knew how to create press for her books and what buttons to push to make headlines. She also felt she and her work were misunderstood and, in her later years, became very defensive about her work. The documentary tells the story of a woman who wrote a book that is one the top sellers of all time but is mostly forgotten today. This documentary brings her and her thoughts on sexuality back into the limelight where they belong. My Rating: Full Price  The Disappearance of Shere Hite Website  Now playing in theatres. 

My View: The Lady Bird Diaries (2023)  The Lady Bird Diaries is a documentary on Lady Bird Johnson, who, as President Lyndon Johnson’s wife, was one of the most influential and least understood First Ladies in history. Lady Bird Johnson has always been a hero of mine, as a strong Texas woman who was her husband’s partner and confidant. She was a remarkable woman who did extraordinary things for the environment and the citizens of the inner cities. This documentary by Dawn Porter uses Lady Bird’s own recordings to narrate her time as First Lady after the assignation of JFK. It’s a look at a woman who was a groundbreaker in the role of First Lady. I love how we get an inside look, warts and all, into the life of the White House. Lady Bird fearlessly expresses her opinions on her husband, race, economics, and the Vietnam War. She also stands by her husband and children, who both got married while she was in the White House. The film uses newsreel footage, home movies, and animation to illustrate what Lady Bird is discussing. We listen to real conversations between her and the President, as well as conversations he has with MLK Jr. and other leaders. This is a fascinating look when the U.S. was not only at war with the Viet Cong, but with it itself. We get to see and hear how it all went down in the most powerful home in the country, The White House.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  The Lady Bird Diaries Website  Now playing on the Hulu platform. 

Forgotten Film: The Wrestler (2008) R  Randy ‘The Ram" Robinson (Mickey Rourke) is a broken man who has burned all his bridges and is doing the only thing he has ever done well: wrestle. Once a star, now Randy wrestles in the small halls for a little money and those few moments of glory in the squared circle. Randy has realized he has made mistakes in his personal life and is trying to reconnect with his estranged daughter Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood). He is also trying to start a relationship with a stripper named Cassidy (Marisa Tomei). This is an incredible and moving performance by Mickey Rourke, who, like his character, was an actor at the top of his game for a while and then was his own worst enemy. If you are not a wrestling fan, you will be sucked into the story and may come away with an appreciation of a sport that is fake, but its performers take as many hits and falls as a boxer or a football player. The Wrestler is a remarkable film directed by Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan (2012), The Whale (2022)) and is a film that will make you sad but for the character of Randy and the performer, Mickey. Both show how good they once were and could be again.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  The Wrestler Info  Available to rent/buy on Amazon and Apple Tv. 

Weird Credits: From the credits of Next Goal Wins: Drone Gimbal Ops

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You: The Iron Claw (2023) R  The story of the professional wrestling family, the Von Erichs, who went from fame and fortune to horrible tragedy in just a few years. This much talked about film stars Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, Stanley Simons, Maura Tierney, Holt McCallany, and Lily James. I grew up watching wrestling, and the Von Erichs were legends in Texas, filling stadiums way before WWF’s Vince McMahon even dreamed it was possible.  The Iron Claw Website In theatres nationwide in late December.