A Wrinkle In Time

My View:  A Wrinkle in Time  (2018)  PG  Meg (Storm Reid) finds out that her father (Chris Pine), who has been missing for years, is alive and being held captive by an evil force. With the help of her young brother (Deric McCabe) and a friend (Levi Miller), they go on a journey with the help of three astral travelers, Mrs. Which (Oprah Winfrey), Mrs. Whatsit (Reese Witherspoon) and Mrs. Who (Mindy Kaling) to save him. Visually this film is stunning, but, other than that and the brilliant performances by all three kids, the film falls flat. The dialogue is horrible, especially that of Mrs. Who, as she only talks in famous peoples’ quotes. The soundtrack is one of the worst I have heard in a movie and, at times, overpowers the dialogue. I can only recommend this film for young kids, who will enjoy the visuals, and there is an excellent message in the film that will appeal to young girls. My guess is that director Ava DuVernay, who directed the touching Selma, was overwhelmed by the enormity of the budget and a book that is hugely complicated. This is one of those films that you wanted to succeed, but it fails to deliver.    My Rating: Cable   A Wrinkle in Time Website

Indiefest:  Gringo  (2018)  R  Harold (David Oyelowo) is a down-on-his-luck businessman who finds out he is about to lose his job and decides to stage his own kidnapping. What Harold doesn’t know is that, due to his boss’s bad decisions, he has become a kidnapping target by a drug lord. Will Harold survive? I enjoyed this film, but, after seeing the trailer (which made it seem funnier than it is), this film is a bit of a letdown. The film drags, and it has plot holes the size of Mexico. There are some characters that you don’t know why they are doing what they are doing and other characters are entirely forgotten until they just show up on screen for no reason. There are several twists and turns that are unnecessary and make the movie seem much longer than it is. Some of the actors look out of place, and I got tired of Harold’s co-boss (played by Charlize Theron) with her I am better than everyone else attitude. There are some fun action sequences, but that’s not enough to make this film enjoyable.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee     Gringo Website

Indiefest:  Thoroughbreds  (2017)  R  Two upper-class suburban Connecticut teenage girls ( Anya Taylor-Joy, Olivia Cookein) rekindle their friendship after being estranged for years. Together, they hatch a plan to solve both of their problems by any means necessary. I loved this odd, quirky film that’s part dark humor and part suspense film. Amanda (Olivia Cooke) is a troubled teen who did something horrible in her past and, by the way, can’t feel any emotions. Lily (Anya Taylor-Joy) is being tormented by her stepfather (her birth father died a few years ago). First time director Cory Finley does a bang-up job directing this film as it never feels staged or slows down even though most of the film takes place in Lily’s mansion. It’s an amazing job for a director who is a playwright who never had stepped on a set before directing this film. The plot moves at a quick pace, keeps you guessing what is going to happen next and slowly builds the tension until the final scenes. This isn’t a movie for everyone as it is not your ordinary teenage drama, but if you’re up for an interesting adventure, then check out Thoroughbreds.    My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   Thoroughbreds Website

Indiefest:  Submission  (2017)  A cynical college professor (Stanley Tucci) takes an interest in a talented young writer (Addison Timlin). It’s not a question of if, but when lines will be crossed, and we just don’t know who is the predator, and who is the prey. In the “Me Too” era this movie should have hit all the issues on the head. Instead, we get a movie about a self-indulgent professor who thinks he is going to foster the next great writer. The professor is more turned on by the fact that she can write and less about that she is young and pretty. Tucci, Timlin and Kyra Sedgwick are let down by a script that is predictable. The film almost feels like it is in love with itself it’s that self-indulgent.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Submission Info

Indiefest:  The Cured  (2017)  R  A virus that turns people into zombies, and it hits Ireland especially hard. A cure is found, but it only cures 75 percent of the zombie population. Now the people who have been cured are moving back into their old neighborhoods, and people who lost loved ones are not too happy. There is one problem with the cure; you remember what you did when you were a zombie. This is an excellent twist on the zombie genre as its makeup is more psychological than horror (though there are still some horrifying zombies in the film). There are some brilliant performances in this film including Ellen Page, who plays Abby, who is still getting over the loss her husband in the initial zombie attack, and Sam Keeley, who plays Senan, Abby’s brother-in-law who goes to live with her and her young son. The action sequences are exciting, and there are plenty of plot twists to keep you interested. If you are a fan of horror and suspense, this film is for you.   My Rating: Full Price    The Cured Info

Forgotten Film: Il Postino  (1994)  PG  When a famous Chilean poet (Philippe Noiret) is exiled to a small island, the mail delivered to the island increases substantially. Mario (Massimo Troisi), an unemployed fisherman, is hired to hand-deliver the mail to the poet. Mario becomes enamored with Beatrice (Maria Grazia Cucinotta) and uses the poet and his poetry to help him woo her. This is a beautiful, simple film about life and romance. Troisi gives a moving performance as the mailman who discovers a love for poetry. The film’s cinematography is gorgeous as it shows off the exquisiteness of Italy.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   Il Postino Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of A Wrinkle in Time: Science Advisor

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Incredibles 2  (2018)  Bob (Mr. Incredible) is playing “Mr. Mom,” taking care of Jack-Jack while Helen (Elastigirl) is out saving the world. I loved the first film about a family of superheroes, so I am looking forward to this one.    Incredibles 2 Website

Until Next Time!

Red Sparrow

My View:  Red Sparrow  (2018)  R  Ballerina Dominika Egorova (Jennifer Lawrence) is injured in a freak accident. Her dancing career is over, and she is forced to join the “Sparrow School,’ a Russian intelligence service where she is forced to use her body as a weapon. Her first mission is to seduce an American CIA agent (Joel Edgerton). When the mission starts to unravel, it just might threaten the security of both countries. If you think you are going to see something like last year’s Atomic Blonde, you aren’t. While a violent film with a couple of very hard to watch torture scenes, this is more of a movie about the psychology of breaking people down to become someone who will do anything for their country. The film is too long (two hours, twenty minutes), and the storyline, while it has some nice twists and turns, is too slow. Lawrence doesn’t do a Russian accent well, to the point that it just gets distracting. While Atomic Blonde was a blast to watch, I was either revolted at the torture or bored by the countless talking head scenes. I did enjoy the all too brief part that Mary-Louise Parker has as a wisecracking chief of staff of the American Embassy. She breathed life into the film, but her part was too short to save this film.   My Rating: Cable   Red Sparrow Website

Indiefest:  The Party  (2018)  R  Janet (Patricia Clarkson) is hosting a party to celebrate her new promotion, but once the party starts, it’s very apparent that not everyone is in a celebratory mood. I didn’t enjoy this film because it felt like I was watching a stage play (I was shocked to find that it wasn’t based on one). The film feels stiff and unnatural with the characters spewing out dialogue that doesn’t feel real. I did enjoy the performance of Patricia Clarkson, who commands the screen in every scene she is in. I especially didn’t enjoy the performance of Timothy Spall, whose character almost doesn’t say a word until near the end of the film. It’s a bizarre film that, all I can say in its favor, is that it is only 71 minutes long.   My Rating: Cable   The Party Website

Indiefest:  The Vanishing of Sidney Hall (2017)  R   After publishing a bestselling novel based on the death of one of his high school classmates, the controversial writer Sidney Hall (Logan Lerman) finds himself catapulted to unexpected fame and renown. His relationship with his girlfriend (Elle Fanning) begins to fall apart as the dark consequences of the book intrude on their life together, and he disappears without a trace. Nearly a decade later, an enigmatic detective searches for the missing author, whose books are connected to a string of mysterious arsons. Part drama, part romance with a bit of mystery, and this film was enjoyable to watch. The film goes back and forth in time, from the high school days of Sidney, where he meets his girlfriend, to the present where a police officer (Kyle Chandler) is trying to track down Sidney, to a few years ago in New York when everything should have been great for Sidney but wasn’t. Lerman and Fanning have fantastic chemistry on the screen, and I loved their initial courtship. The film will keep you guessing about how it’s going to end with plenty of surprises that aren’t fully answered until the final scenes.    My Rating:  Full Price    The Vanishing of Sidney Hall Facebook Page

My View: Death Wish  (2018)  R  Dr, Paul Kersey (Bruce Willis) is used to seeing the day to day violence that goes on in the city as he works in the ER. When his wife (Elisabeth Shue) and daughter (Camila Morrone) are viciously attacked in their suburban home, Paul decides to take matters into his own hands and get revenge. The original 1974 film starring Charles Bronson was a lousy film but captured the attention of a nation due to its violence. This film isn’t much of improvement. There is a horrible sequence to AC/DC’s Back in Black, which compares side by side Willis performing surgery and cleaning his gun. The storyline is predictable and at times boring. The scary thing is that during my screening a couple of audience members clapped when one of the bad guys was killed by the doctor. The violence is pretty horrific, and there is a pretty ugly torture sequence, so be warned if you are squeamish. When is Hollywood going to learn that remaking a bad film will just give you another bad film?     My Rating: Cable   Death Wish Website

Forgotten Film:  Cutter’s Way  (1981)  R  Alex Cutter (John Heard) is a Vietnam vet who has come back an injured and angry man. His only friend, Richard Bone (Jeff Bridges), witnesses someone dumping a murdered young girl’s body in an alley. Cutter decides to embark on a crusade to find the killer with the help of his friend, Bone. Heard and Bridges play off each other with gusto, and Heard gives an intense performance that keeps the film moving. This is the type of film that just isn’t made anymore - a smaller film that has real characters that make you want to root for them.    My Rating: Full Price   Cutter's Way Website

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Red Sparrow:  Hair Piece Knotter

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Thoroughbreds  (2017)  R  Two upper-class suburban Connecticut teenage girls ( Anya Taylor-Joy, Olivia Cookein) rekindle their friendship after being estranged for years. Together, they hatch a plan to solve both of their problems by any means necessary. The trailer looks riveting, but I really want to see this film because it’s one of the last films done by the late Anton Yelchin.   Thoroughbreds Info

Until Next Time!

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