The Marvels

My View: The Marvels (2023) PG-13 Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) is an astronaut working for S.A.B.E.R. and Nick Fury. While investigating a wormhole linked to the Kree, Monica’s powers become entangled with Carol Danvers, Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), and Ms. Marvel, Kamala Kahn (Iman Vellani). The trio will have to team up to defeat a new enemy while trying to figure out why they are swapping places with each other every time they use their powers. As a film critic, I get upset when films are judged before anyone sees them. Such is the case with The Marvels. I am a huge fan of Brie Larson as she is in two films from 2013 that I love, The Spectacular Now and Short Term 12. While I liked the Ms. Marvel and Wandavision series, I felt both ran out of steam by the end of their respective episodes. However, I had high hopes that the charisma of Larson would meld with the high energy of Iman Vellani and the cool factor of Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau. I was right. First, this works because of the brilliance of Iman Vellani as Kamala Kahn, who breathes a bit of fresh air into every scene she is in. She is so much fun to watch as Ms. Marvel, a superhero who is still figuring out what she can and cannot do but is ready to try. Vellani gives us a character full of adventure and life while still being a fangirl of Captain Marvel. You almost feel that Vellani isn’t acting, but is that excited to be an actor in this film as much as her character is. Now it is known that I am not a fan of cats, but occasionally one shows up that I like, and Moose the alien cat is hilarious as Captain Marvel’s sidekick. The film is fast, funny, and I loved you don’t have to have seen the TV series to figure out each character. My problem with the film is that the bad guy in the movie, Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton), is a pretty weak one, and the final battle doesn’t live up to the rest of the film. Still, The Marvels is a lot of fun to watch, Iman Vellani is terrific, and Moose is, well, Moose. And the film is 1 hour and forty-five minutes long, which is a brisk pace for so many recent releases. And there is, as usual, a bonus scene after the first round of final credits. So go have some fun at the movies and see The Marvels. But be sure to watch out for Moose. He tends to spit up a hairball or something bigger occasionally.   My Rating: Full Price The Marvels Website  Now playing in theaters nationwide.

My View: The Holdovers (2023) R  Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti) is a history teacher at a remote prep school known for being demanding and cranky. The last thing he wants to do is babysit a student named Angus (Dominic Sessa), who has no place to go during the holidays, but he has no choice. They are now stuck together along with the school cafeteria manager (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) for the holiday break. It’s going to be a holiday that both won’t forget. This is a funny and touching film about three lost souls who aren’t happy about having to spend the holidays with each other. As you would expect, Paul Giamatti is just about perfect in the role of the teacher who looks down on his students and expects far more than they are willing to give. Da’Vine Joy Randolph is a delight as the cook with an attitude who isn’t going to take any gruff. The surprise of the film is Dominic Sessa, who holds his own with Giamatti, able to act toe to toe and hold his own. The two play off each other wonderfully, and their timing and chemistry is a wonder to behold. I also want to mention Carrie Preston, a favorite of mine, who lights up the scenes she is in as the love interest for the teacher. With its clever twists and turns, The Holdovers is a delightful and entertaining exploration of finding family and understanding in unexpected places. So class, find your places, because Mr. Hunham is about to teach us a thing or two. My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  The Holdovers Website  Now playing in theatres.

My View: What Happens Later (2023) R Willa (Meg Ryan) and Bill (David Duchovny) are ex-lovers who were together over twenty years ago. They are now stuck in an airport overnight together. Will they find the spark again, or is it too late? Meg Ryan has been in our hearts since that wondrous appearance as Goose’s wife in Top Gun. A queen of the rom-com in the 90s, she dazzled us on the screen. Now, after quite a few years away, she is back in a film she not only stars in but directs and co-writes. I wish I could say it’s a triumphant return, but it’s not. The film explores the theme of lost love and the regrets that come with it, as two people with a shared past meet at an airport and share their stories. What Happens Later tries to be too cute, with an airport announcer as the third character in the film. I would have enjoyed this film more without the announcer's voice constantly guiding the characters' discoveries at the airport. The film tries to make this a magical thing, but instead, it becomes tiring very quickly as a plot device to get the characters to do something. There is some chemistry between Duchovny and Ryan, but the film doesn’t have a lot of charm to it, and so a lot of the discussions (and there are many) don’t feel fun; they feel like the characters want to revel in the sorrow of the past regrets. I think the film might have had a chance to work without the magic airport and its announcer, but we will never know, just like we won’t know what their lives would have been like if the two characters had stayed together.   My Rating: Cable  What Happens Later Website  Now playing in theatres.

Indiefest: AKA Mr. Chow (2023)  Documentary on the life of Michael Chow, a Chinese immigrant who started a restaurant in 1968 in London that soon became a hangout for the rich and famous, including The Beatles and every fashion model on the cover of Vogue. He soon expanded to Hollywood, where stars went to be seen. I found the first part of this documentary fascinating, as Michael Chow was the son of Zhou Xinfang, the Peking Opera Grand Master performer. Michael was sent to Europe to boarding school, and he followed in his father’s footsteps and became an actor (along with his sister), appearing in films and TV shows in the 60s. The documentary becomes too much of a promo from Mr. Chow as we spend too much time on his present-day ‘job’ as a painter. I felt sorry for his assistants, who kept getting splattered with paint as Michael created his paintings using a mallet to bang paint on his canvas. The film slows down when transitioning between Mr. Chow's marriages, and I wished for more focus on the earlier days of the restaurants. I wanted to know what was happening in the 80s and 90s when there were stories coming out every week from those restaurants. Overall, I would send this dish of a film back to the kitchen; it’s just too lukewarm for my taste.   My Rating: Cable  AKA Mr. Chow website Now playing on the Max platform.

Forgotten Film: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984) In a world where forests are poisoned and giant insects move at will, enters Princess Nausicaä, who vows to save her people living in a valley from an invading army. This is one of the first feature films of Hayao Miyazaki, and while the animation feels very 1980s, the storyline is still relevant for today’s audience. The characters are vibrant and stand out, with the Princess determined to save her people. Unlike some of Miyazaki’s other early films, like Castle in the Sky (1986) and Porco Rosso (1992), this film feels a little more adult in its storyline. Still, this is a beautiful film and a great starting point into the world of Miyazaki’s animation.   My Rating: Full Price Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind Info  Now available to rent/buy on most online forums.

Weird Credits: From the credits of The Marvels: Blues Standby Rigger

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: The Boy and the Heron (2023) PG-13  A young boy, Mahito, loses his mother in a fire and is haunted by her memory. His father has remarried and moved to a new house in the countryside. Mahito keeps hearing his mother call his name, and he sets out to find her in an abandoned and magical tower that will take him to a world he never knew existed. Legendary animator Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, The Wind Rises) brings us another tale from his inventive mind. The Boy and the Heron could be the last of Miyazaki’s incredible animated film collection and is one of the most anticipated films of the December releases.  The Boy and the Heron Website   The film will be in theatres nationwide on Friday, December 8.

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour

My View: Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (2023) This documentary brings the phenomenon to the big screen as Taylor Swift brings her Eras Tour to the cinema, bringing us this once-in-a-lifetime concert film experience that made this a history-making tour. This film has already sold over 100 million dollars worth of tickets. The concert tour that caused parents to take a second mortgage on their house so that they could buy a ticket to Taylor's concert tour has been put on film. Is this film worthy of that devotion? Well, I don't know about a 2nd mortgage, but it's worth the price of a movie ticket. The film gives Swifties, who couldn't see Taylor live, the next best thing in a concert film that packs a punch with hit after hit done in spectacular fashion. This film makes you feel like you're right up on stage with Taylor as she sings your favorite songs. Taylor Swift knows how to work an audience. And that goes for the audience sitting in the movie theatre seats, too. She masterfully interacts with her dancers, backup singers, and band, giving each a share of the spotlight. The stage is massive and interacts with Taylor and the dancers as they move across it, changing its structure and lights as they dance across the floor. The sets change as the albums do so that, in one song, Taylor is singing in a multi-layered office setting and then later is lying on top of a moss-covered roof of a cabin. I'm not a huge fan of Swift's music, but I came away thinking she is a great performer and a brilliant storyteller through her songs. So buy a ticket and dance in the aisle as Taylor sings about a boyfriend who has done her wrong. Maybe you should think about that 2nd mortgage thing the next time Taylor decides to tour again. My Rating: Full Price My Rating: Full Price  Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour Website   Now playing in theatres nationwide.

My View: The Burial (2023) R  Jeremiah (Tommy Lee Jones) is about to lose his family-owned funeral home business to a corporate behemoth known for ruthlessly taking over small businesses. Jeremiah turns to the only lawyer with the guts to take the big guys on, the one and only Willie Gary (Jamie Foxx), who feels he can’t lose when the truth is on his side. Based on a true story, The Burial is a crowd-pleasing courtroom drama that depends on the characters’ personalities to make this a film to watch. Jamie Foxx is a lot of fun as the larger-than-life Willie Gary, who is so successful as a lawyer that he has appeared on the TV show Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. However, Willie only takes cases of personal injury, which can make his clients and him big money, and more importantly, cases he feels he can’t lose. That’s important because Willie hasn’t lost in 12 years. Into Willie’s life comes Jeremiah, who is being cheated out of his family business. Willie, at first, doesn’t want to take the case but is won over by Jeremiah, played expertly by Tommy Lee Jones, and his story. This is a story of David vs. Goliath if Goliath has a luxury yacht with a helipad, and David wore expensive suits and had his own 737 plane. The Burial is an enjoyable film that lets Foxx and Jones run with what they do best. Foxx playing the splashy good guy, and Jones playing the down-home everyman who you wish was your grandfather. There is a pivotal scene in the film’s latter half that only an actor like Tommy Lee could carry off, and he does it so well the audience will be prone to applaud. Be sure to stay during the first portion of the credits to see the real Willie Gary make an appearance in the film. My Rating: Full Price  The Burial Website  Now playing on Amazon Prime.

Indiefest: Joan Baez I Am a Noise (2023)  Documentary on legendary singer and activist Joan Baez, who, after a 60-year career, goes on one last concert tour. In this film, you will learn about Joan Baez and her life, but for the first time, Baez will share her personal struggles she has kept secret for all her years in the spotlight. Joan Baez has been in the spotlight since she burst onto the scene as a folksinger in the sixties and dated Bob Dylan right when he became a huge star. Baez has always been known for her beautiful voice and has always made it her mission to be in the thick of things such as protesting the Vietnam War, women’s rights and being in the thick of things during the Civil Rights movement in the sixties. What we didn’t know is that throughout her life, Joan Baez has battled anxiety and depression. Through home movies and Baez’s own writings and drawings, we see how she saw herself and her life during both good times and bad. Through years of therapy and self-discovery, Joan Baez has determined that something happened to herself and her sister in their early years that deeply affected how Joan dealt with life and her mental well-being. Joan Baez I Am a Noise explores the journey of an artist who struggled with self-worth but now embraces the love and hope she has given to the world.  My Rating: Full Price  Joan Baez I Am a Noise Website  Now playing in theatres.

Forgotten Film: Just Peck (2009)   Michael Peck (Keir Gilchrist) is a sophomore in high school who has overbearing parents and struggles to fit in at home and school. His parents force him to join the Science Club when he is kicked out of band. After skipping school with his best friend Geiger (Kyle Kaplan), he meets Emily (Brie Larson), who is way out of his league. Somehow, Peck makes friends with Emily and soon realizes that Emily’s world isn’t as perfect as everyone thinks it is, and Peck is going to figure out a way to make sure that everyone sees her the way he does. Just Peck is a fun coming-of-age film with a great cast and vastly helped by a script that doesn’t go for the easy laughs. Instead, it gives us a kid with actual problems that can’t be fixed, but he can figure out a way to cope with some help from his friends.   My Rating: Full Price   Just Peck InfoThe film is available to buy or rent on Amazon and is on Freevee.

Weird Credits: From the credits of The Burial: Drone Observers

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You: The Marvels (2023) PG-13  Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) is an astronaut working for S.A.B.E.R. and Nick Fury. While investigating a wormhole linked to the Kree, Monica’s powers become entangled with Carol Danvers, Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), and Ms. Marvel, Kamala Kahn (Iman Vellani). The trio will have to team up together to defeat a new enemy while trying to figure out why they are swapping places with each other every time they use their powers. I am a big fan of Brie Larson and hope this film does her justice.  The Marvels Website   The film will be in theatres on Friday, November 10, 2023.

Until Next Time!