The Woman King

My View:  The Woman King   (2022) PG-13   The story of Nanisca (Viola Davis), a general of the Agojie, the all-female unit of warriors trained to take on an enemy determined to steal their people and destroy their way of life. What an action movie this is! Incredible action sequences combined with a powerful tale of courage, redemption, and the need to feel a part of something bigger than you are. This is an uplifting story of a strong leader and the women she guides in battle and life. Besides an out-of-this-world performance by Viola Davis, the film's score by Terence Blanchard is just riveting. I loved the storyline, and the battle sequences are incredible. The film is buoyed by a gutsy performance by Thuso Mbedu, who plays Nawi, a defiant teenager who wants to become a warrior but on her own terms. The Woman King is a film that anyone can be excited by, and you, too, will root for these fearless women warriors who work together to defeat anyone who stands in their way.   My Rating: Full Price The Woman King Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

My View: See How They Run (2022) PG-13   Set in 1950s London, See How They Run is about a Hollywood film producer who sets out to turn a popular play into a film, but one problem, members of the production are being murdered, one by one. The world-weary Inspector Stoppard (Sam Rockwell) and his over-enthusiastic rookie Constable Stalker (Saoirse Ronan) are sent in to solve the mystery and catch the killer. I was looking forward to this film, and Saoirse Ronan doesn’t disappoint in her portrayal of the rookie cop who wants desperately to convince everyone that she has the good to become a detective. Ronan is the bright spot in this film that never quite is as much fun as it thinks it is. It’s a clever premise, using the Agatha Christie play The Mousetrap as the play that the film is set around. Christie wrote it into the contract that a movie could not be made of the play until the play had stopped its run for six months (something it has never done since its premiere in the 50s on the West End). The cast, including Rockwell, give it their all, but the film misses its mark, trying to be primarily a comedy, with a mystery and a bit of a satire on the backstabbing that goes on in the theatrical world thrown in. The film sometimes tries to be too cute and never figures out the right tone, letting us jump around too much to make it the romp it should have been.   My Rating: Cable  See How They Run Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

My View: Pearl (2022) R  Trapped on her family’s isolated farm, Pearl (Mia Goth) must tend to her invalid father while being tormented by her bitter and overbearing mother. Pearl wants to lead the glamorous life she has seen in the movies. Consequently, Pearl will do anything to make that happen. This is a prequel to Ti West’s horror film X that came out earlier this year. That film was about a group of people coming to an isolated farm to film a porn film in the 70s. In this film, we get to see how the killer became who and why they were in X. Mia Goth is why you would want to see this film, as she gives us a compelling and sometimes funny look at a young woman who wants to leave her drab life behind. This is a slasher horror film with a bit of humor thrown in. Lots of blood and gore with some surprising kills along the way. While I didn’t enjoy Pearl as much as X, it is still fun to watch Goth run rampant throughout the film, and I loved the ending.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Pearl Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

Indiefest: Goodnight Mommy (2022) R When twin brothers (Cameron and Nicholas Crovetti) arrive at their mother’s (Naomi Watts) country home, they discover their mother’s face is covered with bandages from recent cosmetic surgery. However, their mother is acting strangely, and the boys begin to suspect it isn’t their mother behind those bandages. This is a remake of an award-winning Austrian film from 2015. I liked this version, but maybe because I had already seen the original movie (and knew what would happen), I felt that even with Naomi Watts, this wasn’t up to the original version. This is a creepy story that sometimes tries to become a horror film (it’s not) and has trouble building the tension it needs to work fully. Still, I enjoyed the performances of the main three, with the twin Crovetti boys making a convincing performance as the loving sons who begin to feel that the woman behind the bandages isn’t their mom.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Goodnight Mommy Website  Now playing on the Amazon Prime platform. 

Indiefest: Moonage Daydream (2022) PG-13 Documentary about the life and artistry of singer/actor David Bowie. If you are a Bowie fan, see this in the theatre, on a big screen, surrounded by a great sound system, and watch an artist who had us in the palm of his hand every time he hit the concert stage. The film does not have a narrator and jumps a bit back and forth in its timeline, but man, oh man, the concert footage is just magnificent, and Bowie was always an interesting interview (he basically narrates the film using the numerous interviews that he did throughout his life). It’s a blast seeing Bowie’s progression from the Ziggy character to the Let’s Dance character and then onto the polished performer of his last period. The film uses lots of multimedia clips, something that Bowie continually experimented with, and you get the feeling that he would have loved this film. I also enjoyed the progression of the man, someone whose idea of love was very selfish until he met his match in his wife, Iman. The film touches a bit on his stage work (when he did The Elephant Man on Broadway) but doesn’t go much into his film career, which is a bit surprising, but the concert footage is fantastic, and I loved that we didn’t just get snippets of his concerts but almost full songs. Moonage Daydream is a must for any fan of Bowie or anyone wanting to know why he was so reserved and loved. My Rating: Full Price  Moonage Daydream Website The film is now showing in the IMAX theatres before going wide into other theatres on September 30th.

Indiefest: God’s Country (2022) R A college professor, Sandra (Thandiwe Newton), confronts two hunters trespassing on her property out in the wilderness. Soon Sandra is drawn into an escalating battle of wills, but these hunters have messed with the wrong woman. Thandiwe Newton gives a mesmerizing performance as a woman who is being pushed to the edge both in her professional and private life. She is a woman who is not used to the backdoor politics of college academia and also is not used to letting people on her property to hunt, seeing it as a personal attack on her home. She is destined to lose these battles, and no matter who tries to tell her differently, she is determined to fight to the end. I loved Newton in this film, but the bad guys (both in academia and the hunters) are just a little too cliche, bringing the movie down a bit. Still, it’s fun to watch Newton work on screen, making us want to reach through the screen and tell Sandra to quit before things get out of control. But Sandra wouldn’t hear us anyway, and we watch as she struggles to keep her life righted.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  God's Country Website  Now playing in select theatres.

My View: Do Revenge (2022) Drea (Camila Mendes) and Eleanor (Maya Hawke) are tired of being picked on and made fun of at school. They decide to team up, take down their bullies, and get revenge on each other’s enemies. I enjoyed the first half of this film, where two unlikely people, two young women who typically wouldn't give each other the time of day, decide to join forces and take down people that have wronged them in the past. It’s a fun ride with Drea giving Eleanor a makeover to fit in with the cool crowd and Eleanor giving tips on how to get inside the non-cool kid's group. Then the film takes a turn I wasn’t expecting and starts to slide into situations that seem too contrived and ridiculous (even for a movie about privileged high school kids at a private school). It was fun seeing Sarah Michelle Gellar in an adult bad guy (sort of) role, paying homage to her roles in her youth. Still, I just didn’t have as much fun over the two hours run length to justify the constant plot changes that didn’t work.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Do Revenge Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform.

Forgotten Film: Princess Mononoke (1997)  PG-13   On a journey to find a cure for a curse slowly killing him, Ashitaka becomes involved in a war between the forest gods, led by Princess Mononoke, and a mining colony that is destroying the forest. Ashitaka tries to see both sides of this conflict, but both sides see him as the enemy. This Studio Ghibli film was a massive hit in Japan, but because of its length (2 hours 15 minutes) was little seen in the states. Princess Mononoke is a stunning film (animated by hand on cells) by the Studio Ghibli master Hayao Miyazaki, and the film is a powerful piece of filmmaking (Neil Gaiman did the writing of the English dubbed dialogue). When Harvey Weinstein wanted a shorter version of the film to distribute to the states, Miyazaki and his producer sent a katana sword to Weinstein with the words “NO CUTS’ drawn on the blade. As with most Studio Ghibli movies, Princess Mononoke is worth seeing more than once. One of the great animated films and one of the last animated films done on cells. My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   Princess Mononoke Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Pearl: Burn Master

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: The Greatest Beer Run Ever (2022) R One man (Zac Efron) has a crazy idea in 1967 to leave New York and bring beer to his buddies in the Army while they are fighting in Vietnam. The cast includes Bill Murray, Russell Crowe, and is from filmmaker Peter Farrelly (There’s Something About Mary (1998), Dumb and Dummer (1994)). You had me at Bill Murray.   The Greatest Beer Run Ever  The film is scheduled to be released at the end of September.

Until Next Time!

Bullet Train

My View: Bullet Train (2022) R   Brad Pitt plays an assassin, code name Lady Bug, who has been given an easy task by his handler (Sandra Bullock), steal a briefcase and get off the train at the next stop. The only problem, Lady Bug has the worst luck of any person on the planet. Add to that burden is that the train is full of assassins, some of who are out to kill him, and others just want what he wants. I was worried about this film as I read the book by Japanese writer Kôtarô Isaka. The book was a funny thrill ride to read, and I am happy to say that David Leitch (Deadpool 2, Atomic Blonde) has done a masterful job of adapting the book into a fast and hilarious film which continues to surprise you until the end. Pitt looks to be having so much fun in the role of the bad luck assassin who just wants to complete his mission while maintaining his zen. The film is full of characters that will delight you with their quirkiness, including the twin assassins Tangerine (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Lemon (Brian Tyree Henry), who have a bit of bad luck on their own. Tangerine is a no-nonsense killer who takes pride in his work but is somewhat hampered by his cohort in crime, Lemon, who finds solace in relating everything they do to the children's show Thomas the Tank Engine. It seems that everywhere Lady Bug goes on the train, he encounters another assassin, some he has met before, and others are new, but all are out for blood or revenge. The film is full of action, great fight sequences, humor, and a ton of surprises (even for someone like me who knew the storyline). I had so much fun watching this film and seeing what next problem Lady Bug would have to get out of. Be sure to get your ticket and find your seat on a train that will make a few stops, but know that not everyone will be able to get off this fast-moving and deadly ride. By the way, there is a short but very funny bonus scene after the first round of end credits.  My Rating: Full Price   Bullet Train Website  Now playing in theaters nationwide.

My View: Easter Sunday (2022) PG-13  Joe (Jo Koy) is returning to his crazy mess of a family for the Easter weekend, coming off the road as a standup comedian. What could go wrong? Well, with Joe’s family, just about everything. Joe is on the cusp of getting a supporting role in a sitcom, but before he can get the job, he has to clean up a few things; his cousin is in trouble again. His mother and her sister are fighting again, and his son is disappointed in Joe, again. You know you have a problem with a paper-thin plot when a movie about a standup comedian playing a standup comedian does three standup routines during the film, including a very unfunny and uncomfortable set during an Easter Sunday church service. This film reminded me of those bad TBS comedies that the cable network ran when they tried to get away from all those Braves baseball games. The storyline is weak, and the comedy is even weaker, with an ending that tries too quickly to tie up everything in one happy bow. We have all been there for those times when you are at a comedy club, and the comedian’s material isn’t working. You get up and go to the back bar to get away and give yourself a break. If only we could do that for most of this film.   My Rating: Cable  Easter Sunday Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

Familyfaire: Luck (2022) G  Sam (voiced by Eva Noblezada) is the unluckiest person in the world. Despite Sam’s continual bad luck, she, along with a Scottish black cat named Bob (voiced by Simon Pegg), must join with some magical creatures to battle the forces of bad luck to save the world. Luck is an overlong, bland animated film that starts promising but, in the end, becomes predictable and, at times, boring. The idea that there are creatures responsible for both good and bad luck is amusing in concept, but this film spends too much time giving us a tour of the Good and Bad Luck worlds and not enough movement in the plot to keep us interested. I think kids will enjoy the relationship between Sam, the 'bad luck' human, and the cat named Bob, but they will become, like me, bored as the story keeps going, stopping and starting too many times for us to care what happens. It’s too bad, as the idea of luck being put out into the world is a funny idea, just not told for this long.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Luck Info  Now playing on the Apple TV+ platform. 

My Take: Wedding Season (2022)  Asha (Pallavi Sharda) and Ravi (Suraj Sharma) are both being pressured to find spouses, so they decide to pretend to date each other to survive a summer of weddings. However, Asha and Ravi just might be hearing wedding bells, for real, with each other. Wedding Season is a fun, enjoyable rom-com that doesn't disappoint. Sure it’s predictable, with the two falling in love (sorry for the spoiler, but it’s a rom-com), and of course, a problem develops, but that’s why we watch this type of film. The two leads, Pallavi Sharda and Suraj Sharma, are adorable together and make a great couple, and yes, they dance…a lot. The film has plenty of ‘feel good’ moments and, of course, plenty of falling love montages to go around. So fill out that wedding invitation and join in the fun.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee Wedding Season Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform. 

Indiefest: I Love My Dad (2022) R  After his son, Franklin (James Morosini), blocks him online, Chuck (Patton Oswalt) creates a fake account. Consequently, Chuck has just catfished his own son. So the plot will make you wince, a lot, as Chuck decides to create someone online that Franklin is sure to interact with, a young, attractive woman. Stealing the pics and profile of a friendly waitress Chuck meets at a diner, he starts interacting with his son as ‘Becca,’ and very quickly, Chuck has gone down a rabbit hole that gets weird and icky almost from the start. Patton Oswalt makes this film work, taking some risks that work only because he is such a comedic talent. The film is funny and uncomfortable simultaneously, and yes, this is based on a true story. The film does paint itself into a corner that it quite doesn't come out of, but it’s fun to see Oswalt squirm as he keeps applying those coats of paint.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  I Love My Dad Website   Now playing in select theatres.

My Take: Prey (2022)  R  Naru (Amber Midthunder) dreams of being recognized by her tribe as a fierce warrior. Naru dreams of proving herself worthy, and when a mountain lion threatens her people, she sets out with her trusty dog to hunt it down. The hunter becomes the prey when she encounters a fierce alien Predator, a warrior that has an arsenal at his side that Naru has never seen before. Set in the early 1700s, this is a story of someone who, because they are fighting not only for their survival but also for their people, must overcome the odds and defeat what seems like an undefeatable monster. Prey is a thrilling and exciting tale of battles and bravery, and both the camera work and the cinematography make the film come alive. Amber Midthunder is magical as Naru, making one fierce warrior we can root for from the start. I love how the film lets us know that evil exists in many forms. Prey is a story of one woman’s journey to prove to herself and her tribe that she is up to the task. Proving that evil can be defeated through cunning and perseverance. And lots of blood. Lots and lots of blood.   My Rating: Full Price   Prey Website  Now playing on the Hulu platform. 

Indiefest: My Old School  (2022)   In 1993, 16-year-old Brandon Lee enrolled at a secondary school in the well-to-do suburb of Glasgow, Scotland. Incredibly, two years later, a huge secret is revealed about Brandon. Needless to say, this is the stuff of legends. My Old School is a fascinating documentary with more twists and turns than one of those true murder mysteries on Dateline. The film's subject didn’t want to show his face, so actor Alan Cumming appears on camera when Brandon is interviewed, with Cumming mouthing the words. I don’t want to talk too much about the film’s subject, and please, don’t do a Google search before seeing this movie. I didn’t even watch the full trailer, as I could tell it was one of those films that going in was best not to know too much. The film is funny (some of Brandon’s classmates are hilarious in their interviews), touching, and a study into human behavior and motivation. My Old School is an entertaining true tale you will discuss long after it is done.   My Rating: Full Price   My Old School Website   Now playing in select theatres. 

Indiefest:  Sharp Stick (2022) R Sarah Jo (Kristine Froseth) is a 26-year-old living with her mother, and all she wants in life is to be seen. Consequently, Sarah Jo starts an affair with a married man (Jon Bernthal), who happens to be her boss, and her world will never be the same. Sharp Stick is a film where writer/director Lena Dunham (Girls, Tiny Furniture) has created a character just for the shock value. I am unsure if Sarah Jo is on the spectrum or if Dunham has made her a 26-year-old virgin who doesn’t know about internet porn, sex, or relationships. Sarah Jo is a likable person with a talent for dealing with a special-needs boy named Zack. Zack’s father is a stay-at-home guy named Josh (Joe Bernthal), whom Sarah Jo targets to take her virginity (the first of many things Sarah Jo does without rhyme or reason). It’s a very icky and uncomfortable scene where he seems to be doing the right thing for about 2 minutes, then succumbs to her charms (I guess). While Sarah Jo is 26 and, therefore, is of age, she seems mentally about ten making the act seem wrong. After the affair is broken off, Sarah Jo is convinced she is bad at sex and goes on a weird goal-setting challenge to do every sex act she has seen in porn with random guys she meets on the internet. Combine this with an older sister (Taylour Paige) and mother (Jennifer Jason Leigh) who have no clue or interest in what Sarah Jo is doing in her life. It’s a lazy and uncreative world that Dunham has given us, full of stick figure characters that are there to shock you without substance or thought. Sharp Stick then tries to end on a happy note, but even that is ruined by a final scene that I have no idea what the film was trying to say. My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again Sharp Stick Website  Now playing in select theatres. 

Forgotten Film: Second Best (1994) PG-13  Graham (William Hurt) is a man who has always been alone. Even living with his father, he is alone, a man who has never gotten close to anyone. Now in his forties and with his father dying, Graham decides he needs someone in his life, and he adopts James (Chris Cleary), a troubled young man with a past that haunts him. Together they will figure it out. William Hurt has always been a favorite actor of mine, and he is brilliant in the role of the slightly awkward and off-kilter Graham, a man who decides to make room in his life for another lost soul, someone who is just as damaged as he is. Second Best is a lovely film about people who have difficulty accepting love and reap the rewards when they finally do.   My Rating: Full Price   Second Best Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Bullet Train: Japanese Lyric Consultant

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: The Woman King (2022) The story of Nanisca (Viola Davis), a general of the Agojie, the all-female unit of warriors trained to take on an enemy determined to steal their people and destroy their way of life. All you need to know is that Viola Davis has a sword in this film and is kicking some serious butt in the trailer.   The Woman King Info

Until Next Time!