Wonka

My View: Wonka (2023) PG   Wonka tells how the world’s greatest inventor, magician, and chocolate maker became the beloved Willy Wonka (Timothée Chalamet). A young and poor Willy comes to the big city to fulfill his dream of opening a chocolate shop but soon discovers that the industry is run by a cartel of greedy chocolatiers who hate new competitors. I was worried when this film was announced, thinking it might be another disaster like the very creepy 2005 Johnny Depp film that we all would like to forget. I have some great news! Wonka is a brilliant, funny film perfectly captures the characters created by Roald Dahl. With songs that help tell the story (unlike a much-touted movie that comes out next week) and some set designs that are out-of-this-world creative, the film is a wonder to watch. I loved the performance of Chalamet, who is perfect in the role of the very young and naïve Willy, who is set on making it in the town where chocolate is king. What I have always liked about Dahl’s writings is that the villains in his works are very evil, and the three chocolate kings in the city are dastardly so. Keegan-Michael Key is hilarious as the easily bribed Chief of Police with a sweet tooth. Olivia Colman chews up the scenery in a good way, as the evil Mrs. Scrubbit, who tricks Willy into owing her a ton of money just by staying one night in her boarding house. The songs are fun and if the studio had played it right, there is a beautiful number that Chalamet sings when he opens his new shop that should have been an Oscar contender for Best Song. The surprise of the film is Hugh Grant as a very sneaky and grumpy Oompa Loompa who wants Wonka to pay him for stealing cocoa beans from Oompa Loompa’s land. Take the kids and have a great time watching Willy and his friends figure out how to foil the chocolate kings and the evil Mrs. Scrubbit. You just might run out to the lobby and get a chocolate bar or two for the ride home.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  Wonka Website   Now playing in theatres nationwide.

Familyfaire: Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget (2023) PG  Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget takes place after the daring escape from Tweedy’s farm, Ginger (voiced by Thandiwe Newton) has found a peaceful island sanctuary for the flock to grow and prosper, including a family of her own with Rocky (voiced by Zachary Levi) and their young daughter Molly (voiced by Bella Ramsey). However, Molly takes off to explore the world beyond the island and gets caught by a new farm. Now, Ginger and her gang must break into the high-security farm to rescue her daughter. This is a sequel to the multi-award-winning 2000 film Chicken Run. I am a big fan of stop-motion animation, and I love the Aardman studios that put out movies like Chicken Run and Wallace & Gromit. While not as funny as the original Chicken Run, this is still a delightful family film about not a breakout but a break-in as the chickens must break into a maximum security chicken farm to save one of their own. The animation is a wonder to watch, and the action will keep youngsters engaged. The story lags a bit in the middle, but once the break-in starts, the film moves along. So go watch Ginger and the gang defeat the evil company farm and bask in the magic of stop-motion.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget Website Now playing on Netflix.

My View: Albert Brooks: Defending My Life (2023)   Documentary about the life of Albert Brooks, who started as a standup comic, moved on to making short films for Saturday Night Live, and then became a filmmaker of classic award-winning movies. The film is directed by Rob Reiner, who has known Brooks since their days in high school. Brooks is an incredible filmmaker, but few know the routines that he did in clubs and on talk shows. He was a favorite of Johnny Carson’s and would do comedy routines that no one else could even imagine doing. The film is a conversation between Brooks and Reiner as they go over his life and career. I loved all the routines from his early days, and the number of people who show up in the film to praise this comic genius shows how loved and respected he is. This is a film that I didn’t want to stop watching; I had so much fun watching it. And if you have never seen Defending Your Life, Brooks’s comic masterpiece that stars Brooks, Meryl Streep, Buck Henry, Lee Grant, and the amazing Rip Torn, it’s your loss. If you need a laugh or two or three, watch this doc!   My Rating: Full Price  Albert Brooks: Defending My Life Website Now playing on HBO and Max.

Forgotten Film: The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017) PG The journey that led Charles Dickens (Dan Stevens) to create his magical ‘A Christmas Carol’, which re-defined what Christmas means to us. I enjoyed this new and imaginative spin on Dickens’s tale. We see Dickens’ writing process as he struggles to pen a new book under the pressure of needing to provide for his family. As he struggles to write, we see how Dickens uses his imagination to help him overcome writer’s block and a very annoying father. What makes this film is the performance of Christopher Plummer as Scrooge. Plummer is perfect in the crabby and despicable Ebenezer role, giving what should have been an Oscar nomination performance.   My Rating: Full Price  The Man Who Invented Christmas Info The film is available to rent or buy on Apple TV or Amazon.

Weird Credits: From the credits of Wonka: Priest Body Double

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: The Book of Clarence (2023) PG-13   Clarence (LaKeith Stanfield) is a hustler whose days may be numbered because he owes money to a local mobster, whom Clarence happens to be in love with the mobster’s sister. Clarence notices his brother is doing well following a local Messiah named Jesus. Clarence claims he is also a Messiah, but soon discovers that life becomes very complicated when dealing with things like God. From filmmaker Jeymes Samuel (The Harder They Fall), this film is getting a lot of buzz.   The Book of Clarence Info  The film will be released to theatres on January 12, 2024.

Until Next Time!

Dune

My View:  Dune  (2021) PG-13   A son of a noble family, Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), is destined to become the leader of a planet that contains the most vital element in the galaxy, spice. Paul will face untold horrors, challenges, and sadness as he battles forces for control of a world and a people that have been waiting for their hero for centuries. Frank Herbert’s novel Dune was a life-changing book for me, as it was the first ‘adult’ sci-fi book that I read as a kid, and it blew me away with its story of a young man who is destined to be the savior of a people on a distant planet. I was greatly disappointed in the 1984 David Lynch attempt at putting an over 500-page book into a 2-hour film. I can say that this is a much better attempt at adapting such a sprawling and dense book into a watchable movie. First, go into this film knowing that Dune is part one of a two-part film series and that the film is two hours and thirty-five minutes long (so pack a lunch and go to the bathroom before seeing it). Also, please don’t watch this film at home; watch it, like I did, on the big screen, where the glorious cinematography and the wondrous score by Hans Zimmer can surround and overwhelm you. Timothee Chalamet is an excellent choice for Paul, the man destined to lead, as he is young enough that Paul’s enemies will underestimate him and charismatic enough on the screen to believe that a nation of people suppressed for centuries will rise up and follow him. The cast is impressive, with Oscar Isaac, as the steadfast father of Paul and Josh Brolin as his loyal right-hand man, stand out in their performances. I loved Jason Momoa, as the brash pilot (shades of Hans Solo) who is a hero to the young, impressionable Paul. Momoa has some great action sequences, and his chemistry with Chalamet is warm and genuine. Fans of Dave Bautista and Zendaya may be a little disappointed in this film, as their parts as mostly hinted at on what they will be in the next movie. Overall, the film feels slightly lacking, only because the world that Frank Herbert created in Dune is so complex, and most of the action will take place in the second film. Still, that being said, this is a film spectacle that is one not to be missed on as big a screen as you can find.   My Rating: Full Price    Dune Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide and on the HBO Max platform. 

Indiefest:  The Electrical Life of Louis Wain  (2021)  PG-13  British artist Louis Wain (Benedict Cumberbatch) becomes famous for his paintings of cats, which transform the public’s perception of how we see and deal with our house pets. But Louis, an eccentric man responsible for the care of his five sisters, has bigger ideas brewing; unlocking the ‘electrical’ mysteries of the world. I loved the first half of the film as we get pulled into the world of Louis and his large, strange family. Into the madness of Louis and his five sisters walks Emily (Claire Foy), who is given the task of teaching the younger of Louis’s sisters, much to the unhappiness of Louis’s older sister, Caroline (Andrea Riseborough), who has taken over the role of both mother and father to her sisters and Louis himself. Emily brings life to both the family and Louis himself, and they fall in love, creating a great scandal, where a nobleman like Louis would love and marry a spinster, governess, who is of a lower class. However their happiness is short-lived, as Caroline becomes sick, though Louis discovers his love of cats when on a walk, the couple finds a kitten abandoned in the rain. The second half of the film begins to fail as Louis, having lost Caroline, starts to lose his sanity and slowly delves into madness. The film takes such a dark tone from its first half that it feels like it is two different films, and the pace becomes so slow that it is almost painful to watch Louis slowly descent into a shell of what he once was. The film is based on a real man, who almost single-handedly, through his drawings, made cats more than just something to keep around to catch vermin. Louis captivated his audience with whimsical depictions of cats that inspired a nation to see them as companions, something to love and cherish. I wish I felt the same way about this film, but it left me wanting more.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   The Electrical Life of Louis Wain Website  Now playing in select theatres and available on the Amazon Prime platform on Nov. 5th.

Indiefest: Becoming Cousteau  (2021) PG-13  Documentary looking at the life of Jacques Cousteau, the explorer and environmentalist who because famous for his sailing vessel, Calypso, his invention of the diving apparatus, the Aqua-Lung, and for his documentaries and TV specials on marine conservation. Cousteau is someone who has been somewhat forgotten. Still, for someone like me, who grew up in the 60s/70s, he was a part of our family, showing up for TV specials that not only entertained but also astonished with its beauty but always with a warning that the beauty of the sea was fragile. The film does a wonderful job of giving us a look at a man who became a symbol of the attempt to save the world from poisoning itself with pollution and the reckless abuse of the sea. The film has a ton of behind-the-scenes footage, some of which has just recently been discovered. The film explores how Cousteau, whose early explorations were funded by oil companies, became aware of how we were destroying the planet and how he became someone who preached about global warming as early as the 80s. The underwater footage alone is worth the price of admission, but Becoming Cousteau's message about a man who made it his mission to save the seas is worth more.    My Rating: Full Price   Becoming Cousteau Website  Now playing in select theatres.

Indiefest:  Mass (2021)  PG-13  Years after an unspeakable tragedy has occurred, two sets of parents (Jason Isaacs and Martha Plimpton, Reed Birney, and Ann Dowd) agree to meet to talk privately in an attempt to deal with what happened. The meeting will be a journey of grief, anger, denial, and finally, acceptance by those left behind. I will warn you that if you are a parent, this will be a hard film to watch, as the story is one of a parent’s nightmare; your child has been killed by another in a senseless act of violence. The film mainly takes place in one room with the two couples as they slowly go over what happened to their children and try to understand why. From the start, you feel the rage and hurt from Martha Plimpton, who is bubbling over with her feelings, wanting to point fingers at the other couple, especially at Ann Dowd, who plays the mother of the kid who pulled the trigger. The contrast between the two couples is stark and makes for some of the tension in the film, as the parents of the kid who died in the shooting are looking for answers, and the parents of the kid who did the shooting, really don’t have them. The tension in the film ebbs and flows between the two couples as the film goes along, and we see that both sides have been hurt to the core. This is a film that is hard to watch due to the subject matter, but the performances are so real, raw, and emotional that you can’t look away. As the mother of the kid who pulled the trigger, Ann Dowd is exceptional in the role of a woman who loved her child and is as shocked and guilty as a person can be, all the while looking for some way to find forgiveness. Mass is a powerful film with four outstanding performances that will shake you to the core.    My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again    Mass Website  Now playing in select theatres.

Indiefest: Found (2021) PG   Three American teenage girls, each adopted from China, discover that they are blood-related cousins through the 23andMe website. Their meeting inspires them to confront the burning questions of their shared past and lost history. Found is a fascinating and lovely story of three young women who are looking for answers. All three girls were adopted from China, probably abandoned by the parents due to the ‘one child’ rule that China had for many years that heavily punished families for having more than one child. The three girls were adopted by Americans, and all three have grown up in loving homes and are doing well. But there is that lingering wonderment that the girls have; why were they given up, and who are their natural parents. All the girls wonder; do their birth parents regret what they did, and do they ever think of them. This is a touching film about trying to find out these questions and how much the girls want to know. The film follows the girls as they discover that they aren’t alone in being adopted and finding solace in the fact that they have cousins of roughly the same age and from simular circumstances. Found is a film that is filled with not only hurt feelings, regret and guilt but also love. The love of family, of not just the ones that are related to you but also the family that chooses you.    My Rating: Full Price    Found Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform.

Indiefest:  Ouija Japan  (2021)   Karen (Ariel Sekiya) is an American housewife living in Japan and desperate to fit in with her Japanese community. She joins other homemakers to play the Kokkuri-san (the Japanese Ouija board), and they unwittingly disrespect a local deity, which starts a game that will pit each housewife against each other in a battle that can only have one winner. This is one of those films that deserves to be seen at a small film festival as a midnight horror showing. There, an audience could have fun with it and enjoy it for what it is, a fun, somewhat amateurish version of a horror film. The film, while unlike a lot of small movies, does have some good qualities, with excellent sound and cinematography. But, it’s hard to overlook the somewhat clumsy dialogue, a plot that seems to forget how many people are in the group, and acting that is sometimes painful to watch. The film does combine two aspects that show up in a lot of Japanese horror films; the love of Ouija boards and the battle royal and I had fun watching this film move along, but it needed a stronger cast and a few re-writes of the script to make it more than just a nice film to see at a midnight screening.   My Rating: Cable    Ouija Japan Info  Now playing On Demand.

Indiefest: Bergman Island (2021) R  Chris (Vicky Krieps) and Tony (Tim Roth) are an American filmmaking couple who move to Swedish island to each write screenplays. They hope to be inspired by the landscape where famed filmmaker Ingmar Bergman created some of his best works. The couple soon finds out that the lines between reality and fiction have become blurred. This is an interesting film that doesn’t always work. More of a slice of life film combined with a bit of mystery (is the film within the film real or a figment of Chris’s imagination?) than a full-fledged narrative, the film explores the dynamics of a couple whose writing process is exposed to us, while the couple explores the life and meaning of a famous filmmaker. I have never been a fan of Bergman’s films, but I know that his films mean a great deal to his fans and critics worldwide. The film explores what goes into the creative writing process, as the two writers talk about their work, though Chris is more forthcoming about her work than her husband is. The film is a bit frustrating, much like some of Bergman’s films, in that we never get a resolution; we are left with the couple continuing to work and live on the island, and what tensions that have been created, aren’t truly resolved.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Bergman Island Website  Now playing in select theatres and On Demand.

Familyfaire:  Ron’s Gone Wrong (2021) PG   Barney (voiced by Jack Dylan Grazer) is an awkward middle-schooler who just wants to fit in. He is given a Bot, a new walking, talking, digitally connected device meant to be your best friend. The problem is right from the start, Barney’s Bot, named Ron (voiced Zack Galifianakis), is defective. Can Ron and Barney still be friends? This is a fun film that tries too hard to carry the message of self-worth via the internet is bad. I liked the relationship between Barney, a kid who doesn’t fit in with anyone at school and just want’s to be a part of the crowd. He sees his salvation in a Bot, but it turns out the Bot he is given has a lot of problems, making it and Barney not fit into the rest of the kids. Barney learns that friendship is imperfect that not fitting in isn’t a bad thing. I don’t know if there is enough action for really small kids to get into, but I think most kids will enjoy the story and the silly antics of Ron.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee      Ron's Gone Wrong Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

Forgotten Film: Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains (1982) R   Corrine Burns (Diane Lane) is still recovering from her mother's death when she is fired from her job on live TV. Using the publicity from that event, she and her band, The Fabulous Stains, get hired to open for a tour of a washed-up glam-rock group and an up-and-coming British punk band. Soon, through outlandish outfits and attitude, the Fabulous Stains become the headliner, but fame can be hard to handle, and Corrine learns that love and fame can be fleeting. Seeing both Diane Lane and Laura Dern as teenagers is worth watching this film alone, but it’s the performance of Ray Winstone, as the leader of the punk band who falls for Corrine, that makes this film worth watching. Plus, the song that his band plays is a darn good punk song, and the best of all the songs are in this film. Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains isn’t a great film, but it’s fun watching Lane as the lead singer of a band that shouldn’t be out on the road, much less headlining.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Dune: Sandwalk coordinator

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Last Night in Soho (2021) R  Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie) is a fashion student in London, living a good life, but she has always dreamed of being alive in the 1960s. Eloise begins dreaming at night about a glamorous wannabe singer named Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy), living the nightlife in 60s Soho. Be careful what you wish for because Eloise’s dreams are about to become dangerous as she uncovers something ugly. I am a big fan of Edgar Wright (Baby Driver, Shaun of the Dead), so I can’t wait to see this film. Add in the fact that Anya Taylor-Joy (The Queen’s Gambit), Thomasin McKenzie (Jojo Rabbit), and Diana Rigg (Game of Thrones, The Avengers), and it makes it one not to miss.   Last Night in Soho Website

Until Next Time!

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Note to readers: I have started going to movies in the theaters, having received my two shots and passed the two-week standby period, wearing a mask at all times and following social distancing. Most of the films I am reviewing are still movies that I watched at home, but I will note in the review if I saw them in a theatre. I am not going to tell you whether or not to attend a theatre. Just be aware of the risks, do your research, and follow the instructions to the letter.

My View:  Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings  (2021)  PG-13   Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) was trained from childhood to be a master of Kung Fu until he ran away from his father (Tony Chiu-Wai Leung), who wanted him to become a killer for his Ten Rings organization. Now living in America and going by the name of Shaun, he works as a valet with his best friend Katy (Awkwafina). Shaun is about to confront his past and go on a journey with Katy and his long-lost sister (Fala Chen) to stop his father from taking over the world. I liked this film, and it has a cool hero, good but not great fight sequences and an interesting plot-line, but the reason to see this film is not the main character but his sidekick, Katy, played by the brilliant and always hilarious Awkwafina. She gives the film a need boost anytime the action or the plot starts to falter a bit, as Shaun’s loyal friend who decides to go with him on his adventures. The film is setting up some of the subsequent films in the Marvel Universe, and there are a few characters from other Marvel movies that show up to help move the plot along. I saw this film in a theatre, and I think it will lose some of its impact on a smaller screen, especially the fight scene that takes place on a subway train. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings gets a little too complicated during the last third of the film, with a bit of an overload with the special effects/CGI, but they have introduced a new hero to the Universe, and as long as Awkwafina’s character is by Shaun’s side, I’m going to watch. Oh, and as usual with Marvel, there is a bonus scene in the credits that sets up the next film or two.   My Rating: Full Price   Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings Website  Now playing in theatres everywhere.

My View:  Cinderella  (2021) PG  Cinderella (Camila Cabello) lives in the basement of her evil stepmother Vivian (Idina Menzel) and her two daughters (Maddie Baillio, Charlotte Spencer). Cinderella dreams of being a dressmaker and owning her own shop when she meets Prince Robert (Nicholas Galitzine), and love fills the air. This musical is a strange mixture of a classic fairy tale with a modern touch, including a bizarre mash-up of pop songs from some current hits with songs from Queen and Madonna. I liked Camila Cabello’s singing in this film, as her voice has a unique and bewitching quality to it, but unfortunately, she has trouble with the acting part, and this film requires her to be in almost every scene. The film is helped, of course, by the always fabulous Idina Menzel, who has a couple of outstanding songs to sing and a brilliant performance by Billy Porter as Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother who brings the house down with a fantastic musical number. The film is full of ‘girl power’ messages and a prince (Nicholas Galitzine) who is the most supportive prince in fairy tales of all time. Much has been made lately on the Internet of James Corden and his stopping of traffic with his pelvic thrusting, but I am happy to tell you that he has a small part (mostly comic relief) as one of the mice that turn into Cinderella’s coachmen. I wish the film had more original songs and less of the clash of pop standards that seem weird and sometimes out of place for such a modern take of a classic story. Oh, and maybe an actress that can do more than sing.    My Rating; Cable    Cinderella Website  Now playing on the Amazon Prime platform.

Indiefest:   The Lost Leonardo  (2021)  PG-13   Documentary about the mystery surrounding the Salvator Mundi, a painting by Leonardo da Vinci that was the first painting in more than a century to be discovered and then mysteriously disappearing. The painting has a fascinating history; bought for 1,175 dollars at a New Orleans auction house, a restorer discovers Leonardo’s painting underneath the heavy varnish of a cheap restoration. The film was sold for a record 450 million dollars and then disappeared. The Lost Leonardo is a fascinating film that touches so much about what is wrong with the high stakes, big money of the art world. First, you have the mystery of whether this painting is really Leonardo’s (they always call him by his first name in this film) or more of a creation by the restorer. Next, we have the trail of how the painting was bought and sold (more than a few times), each purchase brought the price up, finally selling for a record price that didn’t just break the record for a single painting at auction, it blew it away. Then you get into the world of the rich and how artwork is now being bought by the rich, stored in high-security vaults, and being used as collateral for other money-making ventures. And add all the high-stakes politics that go on about this painting, and making it one film that continues to cause your jaw drop and shake your head. The Lost Leonardo is a story worthy of all those ‘true-crime’ podcasts that we all love to listen to because an actual crime has occurred, but by the end of the film, you won’t know exactly what crime has occurred.   My Rating: Full Price    The Lost Leonardo Website  Now playing in select theatres.

Indiefest: The Gateway  (2021) R   Parker (Shea Whigham) is a down on is luck social worker assigned to the care of the daughter of a single mother (Olivia Munn) when the dad returns from prison who is convinced the mother knows where his priceless stash is hidden. This is a hard film to like, with a main character in Parker, whose heart is in the right place but keeps making one stupid mistake after another, a mother (Olivia Munn) whose choices in men are right up there with Parker’s mistakes, and a cast of other characters that are equally unlikable. The film wants you to root for Parker, but we get a ton of side stories (mostly that take place in a bar Parker frequents) that don’t contribute anything to the plot but make Parker seem even more annoying. Like its hero, The Gateway is too flawed to like. The only satisfying thing about this film is that the ending means that a sequel is highly unlikely.   My Rating: Cable   The Gateway Website  Now playing On-demand and digital.

Indiefest:  Wild Indian  (2021)   Michael (Michael Greyeyes) has tried to leave his trouble behind and is living off the reservation. Michael has a successful life that he has built from the ground up with a loving wife (Kate Bosworth) and the undying support of his boss (Jesse Eisenberg). However, everything that Michael has built is being threatened by a man from his past. This film is one full of surprises and twists that make it a compelling movie to watch, bolstered by a powerful performance by Michael Greyeyes, a man whose past is a weight that he can’t escape. Michael is a character that seems closed off, even to those close to him, but it's the guilt of his childhood and the scars it created that he tries to hide. Michael is alwys trying to become something he thinks is successful but is always unfulling. I don’t want to give too much of the plot away, but it’s a storyline that creates a world where children don’t always turn out to be the adults you think they will be.   My Rating: Full Price     Wild Indian Info  Now playing in select theatres and available to rent online.

My View: Worth  (2020) PG-13   An attorney, Ken (Michael Keaton), is assigned the seemingly impossible task of determining how to compensate the families who lost loved ones in the attacks on 9/11. The story starts with a man who is deeply moved by the 9/11 attack and decides it’s his duty to take on the task no one else wants, but he soon learns that what has worked in the past, spreadsheets of stats, negotiation, and hard work, won’t satisfy a group of people whose lives were destroyed by a terrorist attack. Based on a true story, this is a journey of a man who learns to open up his thinking, doing away with the statistics and graphs that have worked in the past, letting his humanity govern what he and his team need to do, not to make things right, but to make the victims feel heard. Worth is bolstered by solid performances by Keaton, who does some of the best work of his career in this film, as he slowly gives us insight into a man who has built his career on being able to find what a life is worth, moneywise. Add a cast that includes the marvelously understated Amy Ryan (playing his second in command) and Stanley Tucci, who plays a widower who fights for the little guy with a website and a moral guidepost, making the film full of characters that seem real. Worth is a film that explores the politics of a grieving nation but is being pulled by many outside factors, including an economy that could collapse if a settlement isn’t reached. The film does an outstanding job of giving us insight into the people left behind, with so many stories to be told about their loved ones that have left them without a chance to say goodby. Worth is a forceful film that lets the survivors tell their stories with love and compassion.    My Rating: Full Price   Worth Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform. 

Indiefest: Yakuza Princess  (2021) R   Set in the large Japanese community in San Paulo, Brazil, Akemi (MASUMI) is an ordinary shop girl who trains at night in the martial arts. She is attacked by three hoodlums and is rescued by a stranger (Rhys Meyers) who doesn’t remember who he is. Little does Akemi realize that this is fate, with an ancient sword that has bonded them together and a past that she must confront. I am a huge fan of samurai films, loving the comparisons between the classic Japanese films and the westerns of Hollywood. I enjoyed the swordplay of this film, and it’s created a very cool hero in Akemi, a woman whose past is unknown to her, and yet that past is tied up in her fate. The film has a cool look, with some incredible shots of the Japanese section of San Paulo and a very artful confrontation at a remote cemetery. Unfortunately, the film forgets the fascinating fact that San Paulo has the largest population of Japanese descendants in the world outside of Japan itself. This is lost on the filmmakers, and this fact gets so lost in the storytelling that it could take place in any big city. The plot slows down at times, trying to fill in the pieces of Akemi’s past, making the film start and stop too many times. Yakuza Princess is a film with a lot of style but needed more substance to make it work. My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Yakuza Princess Website  Now playing in select theatres and available for rent online.

Forgotten Film: Class   (1983) R   I will tell you right off the bat that this film isn’t a great film. Heck, it isn’t really a good film, but it was part of a group of films in the mid-80s where the plot revolved around a younger man having an affair with an older woman. The thin plot is about a young man, Jonathan (Andrew McCarthy), who gets a scholarship to a prep school. He feels out of place until he finally makes friends with his roommate, Skip (Rob Lowe). Skip decides the problem is that Jonathan needs to get laid and sends him off to the big city (Chicago) with a mission. There he meets Ellen (Jacqueline Bisset) at a bar, and she is charmed by his goofiness (and the fact that he looks like Andrew McCarthy), and they start up an affair. The plot thickens when Jonathan goes home for a weekend to Skip's home and finds out that he has been sleeping with Skip’s mom. The film kind of falls apart right there, but that’s not the reason to see the film. First, Jacqueline Bisset, who I have loved since she played Steve McQueen’s girlfriend in Bullitt (1969), is fun to watch playing with/seducing Jonathan. And the supporting cast is full of soon-to-be stars, including Alan Ruck, John Cusack, and Virginia Madsen.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee (barely)   Class Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Shan-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings: Iron Head Painter

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Dune (2021)  PG-13   A son ( Timothée Chalamet) of a noble family is destined to become the leader of a planet that contains the most vital element in the galaxy. As a kid, Dune by Fran Herbert was one of the first Sci-Fi books I read and made me fall in love with the genre. I was horribly disappointed with the 1984 movie that is now mostly known for a couple of scenes with a bare-chested Sting and a madman flying around inhaling a drug. I have hopes that this film will capture the magic of the book, and at least they aren’t trying to pack the whole book into one two-hour movie. The cast includes Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Rebecca Ferguson, Jason Momoa, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Oscar Isaac, and Zendaya.     Dune Website

Until Next Time!

Hunter Killer

My View:  Hunter Killer  (2018) R   An untested American submarine captain (Gerard Butler) teams with U.S. Navy Seals to go on what could be a suicide mission that could start World War III, rescuing the Russian president, kidnapped by a rogue general. I went into this film thinking I wouldn’t have a good time but I quite enjoyed myself. Now the plot is pretty unrealistic, and there is some horrible, but the action sequences are well done and exciting. Butler doesn’t have to do too much, other than be stoic and commanding so that works in the film’s favor. I think most critics are going to kill this film, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee     Hunter Killer Website

My View:  Johnny English Strikes Again  (2018)  PG   After a cyber attack exposes all of the undercover agents in Britain, Johnny English (Rowan Atkinson) comes out of retirement to find the hackers and bring them down. I have never been a big Rowan Atkinson fan because he mugs for the camera too much. This is a one-note film, as Johnny messes things up repeatedly due to him being incredibly stupid. I think that is the biggest problem with this film because you never believe that Johnny could ever be a Jame Bond-like secret agent. I laughed a couple of times, but for the most part, the jokes and stunts fell flat.   My Rating:  Cable    Johnny English Strikes Again

Indiefest:  Beautiful Boy (2018) R   A husband and wife (Steve Carell, Maura Tierney) deal with the downward spiral of their son (Timothée Chalamet) into drug addiction. Heartbreaking and moving, Beautiful Boy is full of brilliant performances by Chalamet and Carell. The two have great chemistry on screen, and it never feels that Chalamet is acting as the raw nerve of a teenager who wants to be clean but can’t because he wants to escape life. This is a film that is going to be hard for parents to watch, as Carell’s character tries everything he can to help his son. Based on a true story, the film is a little too long (almost 2 hours in length), the film’s pace is slow, and that hurts the emotional impact that you should have, especially at the end of the film. Still, this film is another chance to see Timothee Chalamet work his magic on the screen and that’s a good thing.  My Rating: Full Price   Beautiful Boy Website

Indiefest:  Mid90s  (2018)  R   Stevie (Sunny Suljic) lives in a troubled home in 90s L.A. with a mother (Katherine Waterston) that is never there, and an older brother Ian (Lucas Hedges) that takes out his frustrations on Stevie. Stevie’s life changes when he finds new friends at the Motor Avenue Skate Shop. This is a film that is not for everyone. There are some disturbing scenes involving Stevie drinking, smoking, doing drugs and even having sex. Also, there is a ton of cursing, some of it done by Stevie, who looks much younger than his age. There is also quite a bit of violence, most of which is committed by Ian on Stevie. The film does have some humorous scenes and at times is quite enjoyable, but it’s hard to overlook the sex scene where an older teenage girl seduces Stevie at a party. I will say this that Sunny Suljic gives an incredible performance as the kid who just wants to fit in with his idols, the skateboarders. Written and directed by Jonah Hill and shot on 16mm film, Mid90s captures that time period so well that at times I thought I was watching a documentary.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Mid80s Website

Indiefest:  Studio 54  (2018)   Documentary by Matt Tyrnauer about the New York dance club sensation Studio 54, that led the disco craze in the mid-70s. The film is told in three acts; the creation of Studio 54, its unbelievable success, and the downfall of its two creators, Steve Rubell, and Ian Schrager. Rubell died in 1989, so the film uses Ian Schrager to tell the story, along with news reports and the tons and tons of pictures taken of celebrities that used to go to be seen. It’s a fascinating look at a club that we will never see the likes of again.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee     Studio 54 Website

Forgotten Film:  The Escapist  (2008)  Frank Perry (Brian Cox) is in prison for life without parole. When his daughter falls ill, he conceives a plan to ingenious plan to break out of prison. This small film by Rupert Wyatt was little seen at the time of its release but is worth viewing, especially for the lead, Brian Cox. The plot has a bunch of twists that you won’t see coming and has an outstanding cast including Damian Lewis, Joseph Fiennes, and Dominic Cooper.    My Rating:  Full Price   The Escapist Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Hunter Killer:  Crowd Marshall

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Boy Erased  (2018)  R  The son (Lucas Hedges) of a Baptist preacher is forced to participate in a church-sponsored gay conversion after being forcibly outed by his parents (Russel Crowe, Nicole Kidman). This is one of the most talked about films coming out in time for Oscar nominations.   Boy Erased Website

Until Next Time!