Greenland

 Note to readers: I currently am not willing to risk my health (I’m 62 and an asthmatic) by visiting a theatre. All films that I have seen for review have been screened in my home. 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: Greenland (2020) PG-13   News that cities around the world are being leveled by the fragments of a comet that has entered the earth’s atmosphere. John (Gerard Butler), his estranged wife Allison (Morena Baccarin), and their young son, Nathan ( Roger Dale Floyd), are on a desperate trek to find a possible safe haven as the world around them evolves into chaos and madness. I liked the first third of this movie as it sets up nicely the stakes; no one expects the comet to do any damage and when it is apparent there is a real danger, that John and his family must make hard choices. The problem with this film is after the comet starts its destruction, the plot becomes full of holes, some as large as the craters that are being made by Clarke (the comet is named after Sci-Fi writer legend Arthur C. Clarke). We are repeatedly hit over the head with the fact that Nathan is diabetic, so much so that it seems the kid is constantly in need of his insulin. I’ve seen addicts on horrible TV dramas that didn’t need a hit as much as Nathan does. The plot goes even thinner to create problems for the family, including separating all three members from each other, and (small spoiler alert) I’m not clear exactly how they find each other again. One of the fun things about disaster films is watching all the destruction as our heroes navigate through the wreckage and carnage. Greenland keeps hinting at the destruction, but it rarely interacts with our characters; it just left out there as a possible occurrence. The film asks us to think about the possibility of the end of the world, but I just kept wondering only about the possibility of how soon this film would end instead.   My Rating: Cable    Greenland Website    The film is available to rent on participating on-demand services.

My View: Fatale (2020) R  Derrick (Michael Ealy), a successful sports agent, has a one-night stand with a sexy and mysterious woman (Hilary Swank). Derrick picked the wrong woman to mess with, and now his life, his family, and his career are in peril as he tries desperately to put the pieces together as he falls deep into her trap. I had hope for this film about 20 minutes in when the plot could have gone two ways; unfortunately, the film took the easy route, and we get a movie about a man who makes a mistake and the bad cop that is determined to take him down to pay for it. Swank plays a decorated cop who likes to blow off steam in Vegas and sleeps with our ‘hero’ Derrick, who feels like his wife just might be cheating on him. After a break-in and assault at their home, Derrick is surprised to find out that the lead detective is the woman he slept with in Vegas. The plot gets messy after that reveal, and it never finds its way back to reason, with an ending that will have you saying ‘really?’ to the screen.   My Rating: Cable   Fatale Website   Now playing in select theatres.

Indiefest: Hunter Hunter (2020)   Joseph (Devon Sawa), his wife Anne (Camille Sullivan), and their daughter Renée (Summer H. Howell) are a family living in the remote wilderness, struggling to survive as they earn a living as fur trappers. To their dismay, a rogue wolf has returned and is robbing their traps. Joseph leaves his family behind to trap the wolf, with Anne and Renée to fend for themselves in woods that have become dark and deadly. Okay, let us get this out in the open right now; this movie's ending is one of the most brutal scenes I have seen. A real blow that will have you stunned. That being said, this is an immensely enjoyable film full of wonderful moments and a plot that ramps up the suspense as the film goes along. The world that Joseph and his family live in is challenging, harsh, and not easy. They are bringing up their daughter Renee in this world of hunting and trapping, all the while, staying away as much as possible from the outside world. Anne is starting to feel maybe this isn’t the world for her daughter to grow up in, that Anne chose this life when she got involved with Joseph but that Renee didn’t. All this is moot when it is evident that a lone wolf that has terrified the family in the past has returned. Joseph is determined to hunt down the wolf and leaves his family behind to do so, leaving his family venerable to an attack. I love this film and the robust and compelling performance of Camille Sullivan, who gives a gritty, impassioned role that makes her character feel real and moving our emotions to tears.    My Rating: Full Price   Hunter Hunter Website   Now playing in select theatres and is available to rent on participating on-demand services.

Indiefest: Modern Persuasion (2020)   Wren (Alicia Witt) is a successful working woman who has never gotten over a lost love from college. In walks Owen (Shane McRae), her old college sweetheart who wants to hire Wren’s company to promote his new app. Can Wren juggle working with Owen with her past staring her in the face? I have a soft part in my soul for Indie films that don’t try to be too arty, don’t try to be so cutting edge with their movie. Modern Persuasion is a fun, light romantic movie that uses Jane Austin’s Persuasion as a basis for its plot. While not breaking any new ground, the film is aided by a strong supporting cast that includes Mark Moses, Liza Lapira, and the marvelous Bebe Neuwirth, making it stand out from the Hallmark Chanel films it will be compared to. The likable, dependable Alicia Witt in the lead role as the forlorn Wren also helps the film move along at a nice pace. It’s an enjoyable foray that, while is predictable, is just what you want from this genre, a romance with everyone getting what they want and need in the end.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee     Modern Persuasion Info    The film is available to rent on participating on-demand services.

Forgotten Film: The Birdwatcher (2015)   Saffron (Camille Sullivan) is a single mother of two who discovers that her cancer has turned terminal. Saffron goes on a quest to find her birth-mother, Birdy (Gabrielle Rose), a woman that never wanted to see her after giving up Saffron for adoption. Saffron wants to find her birth mother to see if she will take in her children after she dies. The Birdwatcher is a wonderfully filmed movie that takes place mostly outdoors, as Saffron’s birth-mother is an ornithologist. The film isn’t always a comfortable watch because most of the characters, including Birdy, are not easy to like. Most of the relationships in the movie are strained, with people who have a hard time feeling connected to one another. The film is worth watching because the performances are so compelling, with Camille Sullivan standing out as the flawed but determined Saffron, a woman forced to make tough decisions as her world crashes around her.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee     The Birdwatcher Website

Weird Credits: From the credits of Hunter Hunter: Animal Wrangling Coordinator

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You:  Chaos Walking  (2021)  PG-13  In a world where a virus killed all the women and living creatures have the ability to read each other’s minds, Todd (Tom Holland) encounters Viola (Daisy Ridley), a strange woman who others on the planet want to hunt her down. Todd vows to protect Viola and discovers that he has a hidden power that can help to unlock his planet’s dark secrets. Hey, a sci-fi film directed by the guy who did Edge of Tomorrow and stars Tom Holland and Daisy Ridley? It sounds like a fun film to watch.    Chaos Walking Facebook Page

Until Next Time!

Antebellum

Note to readers: I currently am not willing to risk my health (I’m 62 and an asthmatic) by visiting a theatre. All films that I have seen for review have been screened in my home. I am not going to tell you whether or not to attend a theatre. Just be aware of the risks, do your research, and please, if you do, follow all the safety procedures to the letter. 

My View: Antebellum (2020) R   Bestselling author Veronica Henley (Janelle Monáe) has everything going for; a successful career and a loving family. Veronica finds herself trapped in a horrifying reality from the past and must uncover the mind-bending mystery before it’s too late. This film wants to be in the tradition of Jordan Peele’s horror films, with a lot to say about race in America today while pushing the boundaries of horror. Unfortunately, it fails badly in both cases, especially in the horror side. The first third of the film takes place on a plantation during the civil war, where the white Southern soldiers gravely mistreat slaves. We then jump to modern times where a famous author, played by Janelle Monáe, is the toast of the media world, selling books on the empowerment of women of color. There is a twist in this film that is so dissatisfying that I can’t explain how frustrated I felt at the end of the movie. The film never develops into any style of horror film and almost seems to be a throwback to the exploration films of the 70s, with villains so severely drawn that the movie practically becomes a comedy. Antebellum tries to make a statement about race but is so horribly executed that it becomes an absolute failure. Skip this film and go back and watch Get Out or Us instead.   My Rating: Cable    Antebellum Website      The film is currently in select theatres.

Indiefest: The Way I See It (2020) PG-13   This documentary looks at the eight-year Obama presidency through the eyes of former Chief Official White House Photographer Pete Souza. Souza worked in the White House once before during the Regan years as a photographer and was given the job to be the official photographer for the Obama administration, giving him access to every meeting, event, and speech that involved the President. The job gave Souza a unique look at the workings of both the presidency and the man and his family. When Souza left the job at the end of the Obama term, he because an outspoken critic of President Trump, using his pictures of the Obama presidency to comment on what he says were the failings of the Trump presidency. The film does an outstanding job of letting Souza narrate his dealings with Obama during the presidency while also showing Souza on a book tour, giving talks to both the public and the media. Trump supporters are not going to be happy with this film but history buffs are going to have a blast seeing a glimpse into the world of the White House.    My Rating; Full Price     The Way I See It Website     The film is currently in select theatres.

Indiefest: H is for Happiness (2019)   Candice (Daisy Axon) is a bit of a loner in her school, as she asks too many questions, but this doesn’t keep Candice from a boundless optimism that gives her a unique view of the world. With the help of her newfound friend, Douglas Benson from Another Dimension (Wesley Patten), Candice is determined to mend her parent's relationship after they are still giving at the loss of Candice’s baby sister. I never quite got into this film, and it’s not because it doesn’t try to charm or that it’s bad; it just never quite finds its footing, never finding its voice. The film tries very hard to make Candice a likable character, and her relationship with Douglas is adorable, but the film tries too hard to make the movie a little too cute in its handling of the storyline. There just isn’t a lot of substance to the story and the film tries too hard to tie everything up in a neat, tight bow at the end of the film. I think kids, especially young girls, will enjoy Candice and Douglas' adventures, but adults will be very bored with the long and pointless plot.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee     H is for Happiness Website     Available for rent on participating on-demand services,

Indiefest: Last Call (2019)   Scott (Daved Wilkins) is a bitter and lonely man who calls the Suicide Prevention Hotline but accidentally calls Beth (Sarah Booth), a janitor. It’s a phone call that both won’t ever forget. The film is shot in one long take using two cameras, one centered on each character, using a split-screen to show what each character is doing. The film is a serious and heartfelt look at one person in pain and another person, a total stranger, who tries to help with compassion and caring. What I loved about this film is that frequently the camera doesn’t give us all the information, as often a character will wander off the screen and we, along with the person on the other line, don’t know what is happening. Last Call is a film that, at first, you will be more into how the two storylines connect, but by the end of the movie, you will be enthralled by the action on the screen and not how we see it. This is a well done, beautifully acted film that builds the tension slowly, to where you become immersed in the two people and their conversation. Director/co-writer Gavin Michael Booth gives us a powerful film perfect for September, Suicide Prevention Month.    My Rating: Full Price     Last Call Website     Available for rent on participating on-demand services.

My View: The Nest (2020) R   Rory (Jude Law), an ambitious entrepreneur, decides to move his family from suburban America to his native England so that he can rejoin his former firm. They lease a centuries-old country manor, and everything seems to be working out until Rory and his wife (Carrie Coon) soon have to face the unwelcome truths lying beneath the surface of their marriage. This film works as well as it does because of the lead performances of Jude Law and Carrie Coon, playing a couple that on the surface have everything and below that surface, have almost nothing. The film is a psychological drama about a marriage falling apart as a husband blindly keeps trying to capture the magic of the past. At the same time, the wife is no longer willing to go along for the rollercoaster ride that has become their lives. Coon and Law have a brilliant chemistry up on the screen, as their scenes turn from loving to contempt in almost a moment's notice. The characters are complex, and the film uses this to its advantage, making us slowly put the pieces together, clawing away at the truth, a truth that, at times, neither character wants to acknowledge. The Nest is a film about unhappy people and the lies they tell themselves to keep that sadness buried, even at the expense of their family's welfare.    My Rating: Full Price      The Nest Website     The film is currently in select theatres.

My View: The Secrets We Keep (2020) R   Maja (Noomi Rapace), after suffering horribly in Europe during World War II, has relocated to America and is living happily in the suburbs with her husband (Chris Messina). One afternoon Maja encounters a man she believes attacked her and her family during the war. On impulse, Maja kidnaps the man and seeks vengeance for the heinous war crimes she thinks he committed. I have been a big fan of Noomi Rapace since her groundbreaking role as Lisbeth Salander in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Swedish film series, so I was excited to see this film. Rapace doesn’t disappoint in an intense and complex role of a woman who is a prisoner of her memories. She gives us a gritty and thought-provoking role in which we are asked are what she does justified or not. From the moment that Maja hears a man's whistle from her tortured past, we are captivated by what Maja will do and how far will she and her husband go. The Secrets We Keep gives an electrifying thriller that keeps us guessing if the man Maja has kidnapped is her man from her past, and if she finds out he is who she thinks he is, what will she do to him.   My Rating: Full Price      The Secrets We Keep Website    The film is currently in select theatres.     

My View: The Devil All the Time (2020) R   Taking place between World War II and the Vietnam War, Arvin (Tom Holland) fights evil forces that threaten him and his family. This is a hard film to describe because there are a lot of moving and connected parts. The film revolves around Arvin and his family, as we see how his parents met, along with other characters in the movie, that will keep popping up throughout the years. The film is a profoundly disturbing look at how much religion hung over rural America in the ’50s and 60s and how evil seems to be always just around the corner. I liked some of the film's performances, including Bill Skarsgard, who plays Arvin’s father, a man who has come back from World War II deeply scared but finds hope in a young woman (Haley Bennett) he meets and marries. Alvin has a stepsister, Lenora (Eliza Scanlen), who has a scary connection with a local couple (Jason Clarke, Riley Keough) who love to pick up hitchhikers. Lenora gets involved with a preacher, played by Robert Pattinson, who takes advantage of his power and post. I don’t want to get too involved with telling the story because I did enjoy how all the parts come together by the end of the film. It’s a complicated tale, bloody and, at times, gruesome, but besides the film feeling a bit long, I enjoyed the outcome and was glad that I spent time watching Alvin grow up in such a weird and troubled world. My Rating: Full Price       The Devil All the Time Website     The film is available on the Netflix platform.

Forgotten Film:  The Devil’s Backbone (2001) R   Carlos (Fernando Tielve) is a 12-year-old boy whose father has died in the Spanish Civil War. Carlos arrives at a boys’ orphanage run by opponents of Franco’s fascists. The boy soon discovers that the bed he has been assigned to belonged to Santi, a boy who died and is said to haunt the grounds. This horror film is from two-time Oscar winner Guillermo del Toro and is well worth the watch. The movie is full of creepy images and, at times, is truly scary. I will warn you that if you don’t know the history of the Spanish Civil War, which took place right before WWII, there are a few things that will go over your head. But del Toro is a master of creating suspense, and this film might be his best in the horror category. Hey, any movie with a giant unexploded bomb hanging out in the middle of the courtyard ticking away is a film filled with tension.   My Rating: Full Price     The Devil's Backbone Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Antebellum: Police Advisor

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Friendsgiving (2020) R Molly (Malin Akerman) and Abbey (Kat Dennings) host Thanksgiving that is meant to be a small affair and turns into a whole slew of close friends and acquaintances making a dinner that becomes more and more bizarre, dysfunctional and comical as the day goes on. Besides Akerman and Dennings, the cast includes Aisha Tyler, Jane Seymour, Chelsea Peretti, Wanda Sykes, Margaret Cho, and Ryan Hansen. Hey, I need a little comedy in my life about now.     Friendsgiving Info

Until Next Time!

Joker

My View:  Joker  (2019) R   The origin story of The Joker, one of Batman’s most evil combatants. Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) is a man who just wants to make the world smile but instead, he is a man disregarded and looked down upon by society. No matter how hard Arthur tries he ultimately cannot deny the evil that is lurking deep inside him. Joaquin Phoenix gives an absorbing and spellbinding performance that will probably get him an Oscar nomination, but I just don’t think he will win because he is let down by a film that is too long, takes way to long to set up the Joker character and when the Joker does appear, is not all that threatening from other men and women that have killed on the screen. It is hard to believe that this man, Arthur Fleck, becomes one of the most feared criminals in the DC Universe and a villain that many times almost destroys the mighty Batman. Overall, in spite of Phoenix’s mesmerizing take, I found the film dull and in no way, shocking. This is a film that is going to divide critics, and I am on the side that this film just didn’t work. Note: Unlike a lot of comic book films, this film is not for children and the hard R is warranted for language and very real violence.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee

Indiefest: Always in Season (2019)  Seventeen-year-old Lennon Lacy was found hanging from a swing set in a small rural North Carolina town in 2014. This documentary explores the search by his mother for the truth of how her son died while also exploring the history of lynching in America. This heartbreaking film that shows that the sins of the past are the sins of the present. The film uses this modern-day lynching and others, to highlight that these horrible crimes have a deep-seated history in the South, and that justice still turns a blind eye to its continual happening. This is a tough film to watch and will make you sick to your stomach, but it’s a subject that needs to come out of the past and be dealt with. My Rating: Full Price

Indiefest:   First Love (2019)   A young boxer, Leo (Masataka Kubota) loses a fight he was sure he would win, and this triggers a chain of events that involve drug dealers, and a double-cross. Complicating things is a call girl addict (Sakurako Konishi) that Leo must protect with his life. This film has just about everything that you would want in an action film. There is the Yakuza fighting the Chinese mob, there is a female assassin, a drug deal gone wrong, a one-armed hit man, samurai swords, car chases, and a shoot-out in a warehouse that almost takes a scorecard to keep track of all the participants. On top of all this violence, there is a sweet, gentle romance going on between a woman who has been sold to the mob to settle a debt and a boxer who thinks his life is over. I thoroughly enjoyed this wild ride of a film that has touches of Quentin Tarantino mixed in with classic Japanese mob films.   My Rating: Full Price   First Love Website

In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD / Blu-ray):  Spider-Man: Far From Home  (2019)  PG-13  Peter (Tom Holand) just wants to enjoy his school trip to Europe but Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) has other plans for Spider-Man. I loved this movie, especially the comedic tones that this film uses to bring across Peter’s reaction to things. I enjoyed the action sequences and felt that they were fun to watch. What this makes this film is Jake Gyllenhaal as Mysterio, who gives a commanding performance. Be sure to stay through all the credits due to two bonus scenes that set up the next film in the series. My Rating: Full Price 

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I've Only Seen in Trailers But Just Looks Like a Bad Idea):  Jexi (2019) R   Phil (Adam Devine) has no friends, a dead-end job and his love life is just wishful dreams. His life changes when he gets a new phone that has an A.I. life coach named Jexi (voiced by Rose Byrne) that helps Phil get his life in order. When things start going good for Phil, he begins ignoring the phone, and that’s when his life becomes a nightmare as the A.I. is determined to keep Phil at all costs. Watching the trailer of this comedy, I didn’t laugh once. 

Forgotten Film: Speak (2004) PG-13  Melinda (Kristen Stewart) is a popular high-school student until, at an end-of-summer party, she calls the cops and a number of her fellow students are arrested for under-age drinking. After that, Melinda is ostracized by her fellow students as no one in school will even acknowledge her existence. Melinda decides to stop speaking; to her parents, her teachers and especially, her fellow students. Soon the reason why Melinda called the cops will come out, and it will change everyone’s opinion of her. Stewart gives a compelling performance in her first leading role, and she is more than up for this role. Stewart is aided by Elizabeth Perkins, as Melinda’s mother who desperately wants to help her daughter and Steve Zahn, who as Melinda’s art teacher tries to figure out why Melinda has gone silent. Speak is a film to check out now that we know that Kristan Stewart is more than just that ‘Twilight girl.’  My Rating: Full Price

Weird Credits: From the credits of Joker: Prosthetic Renaissance Lab Supervisor

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You: Little Monsters (2019) R Dave (Alexander England) decides to accompany his nephew on a school trip, with Dave sets his sights on one of the teachers, Miss Caroline (Lupita Nyong’o). Everything seems normal until a Zombie outbreak happens and now Dave, Caroline and Teddy McGiggle (Josh Gad) must use every resource, including a guitar to ward off the Zombies and save the school children. You had me at Zombies and Oscar winner Lupita Nuong’o.

Until Next Time!

Spider-Man: Far From Home

My View:  Spider-Man: Far From Home  (2019) PG-13  Peter (Tom Holand) just wants to enjoy his school trip to Europe but Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) has other plans for Spider-Man. I loved this movie, especially the comedic tones that this film uses to bring across Peter’s reaction to things. I enjoyed the action sequences and felt that they were fun to watch. What this makes this film is Jake Gyllenhaal as Mysterio, who gives a commanding performance. Be sure to stay through all the credits due to two bonus scenes that set up the next film in the series.   My Rating: Full Price   Spider-Man: Far From Home Website 

In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD / Blu-ray):  Pet Sematary  (2019)  R  A family relocates from Boston to rural Maine. They soon discover that their house is located near a pet cemetery that has a mysterious past. This was a highly disappointing film. Almost all the scary stuff is the jump out of the dark category. It is a very violent movie and there are a couple of gruesome scenes. This film fails as a horror film, in fact, several times, the audience laughed at scenes that were not meant to be funny. It’s sad when the best performance in the film is by the cat, though I will say that I also liked Jete Laurence, who plays the daughter. This is one of those films that after you see it, you wonder why they even bothered to make the movie because it feels like they were just going through the motions.   My Rating: Cable   Pet Semetery Website

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I've only seen in Trailers but just looks like a bad idea):  Trespassers  (2018)  Two couples are at a rental property when a woman shows up saying she has car trouble, then violence starts. The trailer doesn’t look like something you would want to watch, much less experience.    Tres[assers Website

Forgotten Film:  The Wanderers  (1979) R  A gang led by Richie (Ken Wahl) tries to survive in 1963 New York gangland subculture. The reason to see this film is the performance of Ken Whal, who is amazing in the role of the gang leader who wants to lead his gang to prominence.  My Rating: Full Price   The Wanderers Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Spider-Man: Far From Home: Personal Hair Stylist for  Tom Holland

Coming  Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable  (2018)  Documentary on Hamilton who lost an arm to a tiger shark and went on to become a world class surfer.    Bethany Hamilton: Unstopable Website

Until Next Time!

Spider-Man: Homecoming

My View:  Spider-Man: Homecoming  (2017)   PG-13  Several months after the events of Captain America: Civil War, Peter Parker (Tom Holand) is mentored by Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr). Peter is trying to balance his high school life with his spidey life. Now, a new threat, the Vulture (Michael Keaton), is on the scene, and Peter is determined to bring him down, without the help of Ironman.  I think this is the best Spider-Man movie of all time. It’s funny, has great action sequences, Michael Keaton is a superb villain, and Tom Holland is perfect in the part. Add a few appearances by Robert Downey Jr. and Jon Favreau, and you get a fun ride. The plot has plenty of twists and turns to keep you interested and guessing about what happens next. What I love is that this isn’t a re-telling of the Peter Parker/Spider-Man story, but an all new adventure that fits in with the rest of the Marvel Universe.  You will want to see this film again, not just because the movie is a blast to watch, but because there are times you are laughing so hard you don’t hear the next line.  And, be sure to stay through all the credits as there are two bonus scenes.   My Rating:  I Would Pay to See it Again   Spider-Man Homecoming Website

My View: The Big Sick  (2017)  R  Kumail (Kumail Nanjiani) is dating Emily (Zoe Kazan), much to the dismay of his traditional Pakistani Muslim family. Now a crisis will test their love.  Based on his life, writer/star Kumail Nanjiani and his wife in real life, Emily V. Gordon, along with director Michael Showalter, have brought us a brilliant film that is part romantic comedy and part serious drama. The film doesn’t feel its 2-hour length, mostly because the laughs keep coming. There are a few behind the scenes at the comedy club that could have been cut, but even then I didn’t mind them because there was usually a joke or two told, mostly at the expense of one of the fellow comics. There are some serious moments in this film, and they are dealt with a loving touch, though always humor is just around the corner waiting until it’s time to break the tension. The Big Sick is one of those great date films, one that has something for everyone.  My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   The Big Sick Website

Indiefest:  The Journey  (2017)  PG-13  Two implacable enemies in Northern Ireland, Democratic Unionist Party leader Ian Paisley (Timothy Spall) and Sinn Fein politician Martin McGuinness (Colm Meaney), are forced to take a journey together, and it just might change history. Director Nick Hamm gives us a fictional account (though based on actual events) on how two men from seemingly impossible odds put away their profound felt differences to broker peace that seems so far from their grasp. Hamm uses a ride to an airport together to let us get to know the two men and how deeply held their beliefs are. Both Timothy Spall and Colin Meaney give exceptional and stellar performances. Meaney has to work hard in his performance as his character is the one trying to break through the icy exterior of Spall's character, trying everything from jokes to stories to get to the man. While the film stalls, at times, the performances of Colin Meaney and Timothy Spall bring home just how hard it is to create lasting peace, but understanding the other side makes it possible. The Journey is a film that you will want board and take.   My Rating: Full Price   The Journey Website

In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD/Blu-ray):  The Zoo Keeper’s Wife  (2017)  PG-13  Based on a true story, this film tells the story of Antonina (Jessica Chastain) and her husband Jan (Johan Heldenbergh), who own a small zoo in downtown Warsaw. When the Nazis took over, Antonina and Jan save hundreds of Jews in their zoo, right under the German’s noses.  Jessica Chastain makes this film worth watching as she gives a compelling and moving performance of a brave and loving woman who risks everything to save the lives of over 300 strangers. Being a big fan of the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival (a co-sponsor of the screening I went to), I have seen a lot of films about the Holocaust. Where this movie is lacking is in its depiction of the Warsaw ghetto and the horrors that went on there.  The husband travels into the ghetto numerous times (to transport Jews out under the ruse of collecting garbage for his pigs), but its depiction feels frail and sanitized. The Zoo Keeper’s Wife is a fascinating tale about two people who have the courage to step up and help their fellow man.  I just wish this film was as powerful as Chastain’s acting.   My Rating: Full Price    The Zookeeper's Wife Website

Forgotten Movie:  Go  (1999)  R  Three stories intertwine over the course of 24 hours during Christmas.  All the stories are connected to a drug dealer (Timothy Olyphant), and the three stories converge at an all-night rave.  This movie goes all over the place, part comedy, and part drama. The cast is the reason to watch this strange film. Katie Holmes, Scott Wolf, Jay Mohr, William Fichtner and the brilliant Sarah Polley make this movie so much to watch.  My Rating:  Bargain Matinee   Go Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Spider-Man: Homecoming:  Water Truck Driver

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Atomic Blonde  (2017)  R  The Berlin Wall is about to fall, and Lorraine (Charlize Theron), an undercover MI6 agent, is sent to the Communist side to find a fellow agent and recover a missing list of double agents.  Charlize Theron as a James Bond-like kickass spy?  I’m in!   Atomic Blonde Website

Until Next Time!