Mike's Fearless 2023 Oscar Picks

These are who I think will win the Academy Awards, not who I think should win.

Best Picture:  Everything Everywhere All At Once

Best Director:  Daniel Kwan & Daniel Schreinert - Everything Everywhere All at Once

Best Actor: Austin Butler - Elvis   Could Win:    Brendan Fraser - The Whale

Best Actress: Michelle Yeoh - Everything Everywhere All at Once  Could Win: Cate Blanchett - Tar

Best Supporting Actor: Ke Huy Quan - Everything Everywhere All at Once

Best Supporting Actress:  Jamie Lee Curtis - Everything Everywhere All at Once   Could Win: Angela Bassett - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Best Original Screenplay:  Daniel Kwan & Daniel Schreinert - Everything Everywhere All at Once  Could Win:  Martin McDonagh -  The Banshees of Inisherin

Best Adapted Screenplay: Sarah Polley - Women Talking

  Could Win: Edward Berger, Ian Stokell & Lesley Paterson - All Quiet on the Western Front

Best International Pictures:  All Quiet on the Western Front (Germany)

Best Animated Feature:  Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio

Best Documentary: Navalny  Could Win:  Fire of Love

Best Original Score:  Volker Bertelmann - All Quiet on the Western Front   Could Win:  Justin Hurwitz - Babylon

Best Original Song: M.M. Keeravaani & Chandrabose, “Naatu Naatu” - RRR   Could Win:   Ryan Coogler, Ludwig Göransson, Rihanna & Tems, “Lift Me Up” - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever 

Best Cinematography:  James Friend - All Quiet on the Western Front   Could Win:    Mandy Walker - Elvis

Best Editing:  Paul Rogers - Everything Everywhere All at Once

Best Costume Design: Catherine Martin -  Elvis  Could Win:  Shirley Kurata - Everything Everywhere All at Once

Best Production Design:  Catherine Martin, Karen Murphy & Bev Dunn - Elvis   Could Win: Florencia Martin & Anthony Carlino - Babylon 

Best Makeup and Hairstyling:  Elvis   Could Win:  The Whale

Best Visual Effects:  Avatar: The Way of Water  Could Win:  Top Gun: Maverick

Best Sound: Top Gun: Maverick  Could Win:  Elvis 

Best LIve-Action Short:  Le Pupille  Could Win:  The Red Suitcase

Best Animated Short:  The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse    Could Win:  My Year of Dicks

Best Documentary Short:  Stranger at the Gate   Could Win: The Elephant Whisperers

White Noise and Mike's Top Ten Films of 2022

My View: White Noise (2022) R   Jack (Adam Driver) and Babette (Greta Gerwig) are the parents of a blended family, including anxiety-ridden Denise (Raffey Cassidy) and known-it-all Heinrich (Sam Nivola). Jack is a professor and one of the world’s experts on Hitler but worries that people will judge him because he doesn’t speak German. Babette drops things at a moment's notice to chase storms and seems to be forgetting a lot lately. Adding to the chaos is a major accident that will shake the very essence of their family foundation. This comedy combines a mystery with a possible crime and a whole lot of misunderstanding to make for a fun and enjoyable watch. I loved the dialogue in this film, with the entire family sometimes talking simultaneously. Driver and Gerwig have great chemistry on screen together, and Raffey Cassidy is brilliant as Denise, who is focused on figuring out what is going on with her mother. You may never look at a grocery store the same way again after this film. So go on an adventure with a crazy family that loves each other, sometimes a little too much.   My Rating: Full Price    Now playing on the Netflix platform.

Mike’s Top Ten Films of 2022

1). Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) R Evelyn (Michelle Yeoh) is an unhappy laundry-mat owner, married to Waymond (Ke Huy Quan), and has an adult daughter, Joy (Stephanie Hsu), of who she disapproves of. While at an IRS audit, Evelyn is suddenly thrust into an adventure where she alone can save the world by exploring other universes connecting with the lives she could have led. I will start this review by telling you, run, don’t walk to your theatre, and see this film! I can’t tell you the last time I had so much fun watching a movie and how much it kept surprising me with every scene. Everything Everywhere All at Once is a joy to watch, a film that is hard to describe but is a fast-moving adventure that explores what it means to love, to believe in not only yourself but your loved ones, and how one person, no matter how unimportant they feel, can make a difference in the world. I have been a big fan of Michelle Yeoh, in such action films as Supercop and The Stunt Woman, before she hit the big time in America with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Yeoh gives us a multi-faceted performance as a woman who is so unhappy in her life that she takes it out on the people that she loves. An ordinary shop owner is asked to save the world from destruction, and Yeoh’s character goes on a journey that takes her to many alternate lives and worlds, where Evelyn discovers that she does have it in her to battle for the safety of the world and the people who she loves. This is one of those magical films that, five minutes in, you won’t want it to end. So sit down in a theatre seat and go on an adventure that you soon won’t forget with Evelyn as she battles to save our reality.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  Everything Everywhere All At Once Website

2).  Top Gun: Maverick (2022) PG-13   Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell (Tom Cruise) has for 30 years served his country but has done it his way as one of the Navy’s top aviators, pushing the envelope as a test pilot. Maverick has been able to dodge the advancement in rank that would ground him until now. Maverick is back where he started, and he is still flying by the air tower, rank be damned. First, see this film on as big a movie screen as you can find (I saw it in IMAX and am so glad I did) because, incredibly, most of the stunts in this film were done in real planes making the flying sequences an absolute blast to watch. I was physically tired after seeing this film because I felt like I was in those fighter jets along with the characters in the movie. Secondly, this is one of the best sequels ever made, and yes, I know it’s 36 years after Top Gun. The first Top Gun was a fun, enjoyable movie that capitalized on the then-growing movie theme of mixing current top 40 hits with a film to create music videos within a movie. The plot was stitched together (some of it after the principal shooting had been done) and leaned heavily on Tom Cruise’s charisma and lots of good-looking young men (sometimes with their shirts off). Not only that, but we kicked the Russian’s butts in a dogfight (something huge in the 80s), and you also had a great cast of primarily up-and-coming stars, including an adorable Meg Ryan. So comes this movie, and it blows that Top Gun out of the park. First and foremost, Tom Cruise is brilliant as the man who has lived his life like his nickname, Maverick. After doing what Maverick does, breaking the rules to prove a point, he is forced to return to the school which made him a true fighter pilot, ‘Top Gun.’ He will lead a mission with the best pilots in the Navy that is dangerous and may be impossible, but of course, that is what Maverick does, the impossible. Add to this is a cast that rivals the original. First, we have Jennifer Connelly, playing a former flame of Maverick, who now runs the famous bar that everyone hangs out in, and Maverick has a history of trying to pick up women in. Connely is perfect as the one that got away, someone who can stand up to Maverick’s antics and give him a run for his money. And she is someone who has lived a life both before and after Maverick. Next, we have perfect casting in Miles Teller, who plays a certain someone’s son and is now a pilot who has a big chip on his shoulder because of it. When Miles walks into the bar, our first scene to see him is a fantastic moment, which I thought was a flashback at first. Finally, we have a new ace named Hangman, played with gusto and bravado by Glen Powell, a cock sure pilot who outdoes Mavericks’ old rival, Iceman. Speaking of Iceman, Val Kilmer makes a vital appearance in the film, and they explain his inability to talk normally (in real life, Kilmer had throat cancer, see his documentary Val for more). The plot is fast-paced, hitting all the right notes and emotions; the romance between Cruise and Connely feels real and genuine, the action sequences are truly superb, and there isn’t a bad performance in the bunch. All in all, Top Gun: Maverick is sure to be in my top ten films of the year and is not to be missed. And once again, see it in a big-screen theatre! You won’t be disappointed.  My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   Top Gun: Maverick Website

3). The Banshees of Inisherin (2022) R Two lifelong friends, Padraic (Colin Farrell) and Colm (Brendan Gleeson), have been meeting for years every afternoon to walk down to their local pub and have a conversation. Until one day, Colm refuses to answer the door, claiming he has no more time to have stupid conversations with Padraic. Things go downhill from there. To say that this film is Irish to the core would be an understatement. Sometimes it’s a hilarious comedy, and other times it goes incredibly dark. This may be the best performance that Colin Farrell has ever done, as Padraic, a simple man who can’t understand why his best friend has decided to shun him. It’s beautiful to watch as Farrel's character stumbles through life, not understanding that what has worked in the past won’t work anymore. As you would expect, Brendan Gleeson is phenomenal as Colm, a man who has decided to change his life and try to accomplish something lasting before he dies. I expect an Oscar nomination for Gleeson, but I want one for Farrell also, who has never gotten an Oscar nod. What makes this film stand out is the supporting cast. The film is richer because of the just outstanding work by Kerry Condon, who plays Siobhan, the sister of Padraic, who is smart and fiery but is constantly reminded by everyone that she has never married. Condon is a delight to watch as Siobhan knows that she will continue to live a miserable life if she stays on the island. And then there is Barry Keoghan, who plays the lovable village idiot Dominic. Dominic isn’t the most intelligent guy in the world, but he is good at telling people what they need to hear, whether they want to hear it or not. So, visit Padraic, Colm, and the rest of the gang on an island that seems to be in its own little world, for better or worse.  My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   The Banshees of Inisherin Website

4).  The Fabelmans (2022) PG-13 Growing up in post-World War II Arizona, Sammy Fabelman (Gabriel LaBelle) begins making home movies and learns how the power of film can help us see the truth about each other and ourselves. Steven Spielberg brings us his most personal film that he has ever made. A movie that is a love story of both film/filmmaking and his family, especially his mother. We get to witness how it all started, a trip to the movies with his parents to see a spectacle of Cecil B. DeMille’s The Greatest Show on Earth. Having trouble dealing with a traumatic car crash detected in the film, Sammy’s mother suggests that he film with his father’s home movie camera, a recreation of the scene using his toy train. This sparks the filmmaker in Sammy, and we see through his childhood and into his teenage years just how making movies became a passion for Sammy. This passion is beautifully expressed when Sammy’s Uncle Boris, played by the fabulous Judd Hirsch, tells Sammy how he is different from most people. That Sammy loves his family, but his love and passion for art supersedes everything else. It’s a small but moving scene that lets us know making movies is the thing that drives Sammy. The film is filled with brilliant performances, but it’s the role of Michelle Williams as Sammy’s fiery, funny, and sometimes slightly insane mother that drives this film and creates all the drama in the movie. Williams, channeling a bit of Judy Garland, is absolutely breathtaking as Mitzi, a woman who, like Sammy, has a fire for art. In her case, it’s music, but she sees that same love of creating in Sammy, encourages him to explore it, and becomes his biggest fan. It’s a role that dominates the scenes Williams is in and is sure to bring her another Oscar nomination (her 5th) for her role as this madcap, emotional woman who thinks nothing of taking her children in the car to follow a tornado that has suddenly appeared in their town. This film is filled with incredible performances throughout the film, including Gabriel LaBelle, who portrays Sammy in his teen years, giving us a moving and funny look at a boy turning into a man who loves his mother but is torn by a secret he discovers about her. Paul Dano gives us a father in Burt who loves science and loves his wife but can’t quite connect and understand both his wife’s and his son’s obsession with something that isn’t practical or, in his eyes, useful. I think by reading my reviews over the years, you know I share this same passion for film, and I love that Steven Spielberg has given us a film that so wonderfully and beautifully expresses that love. Please go see The Fabelmans in a movie theatre where it deserves to be seen so you can immerse yourself into the magical world of Sammy and his madcap, funny, and loving family. And maybe, discover that you also share that love of movies.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  The Fabelmans Website

5). Fire of Love (2022) PG  Documentary about scientists Katia and Maurice Krafft, who fell in love over their research on volcanoes. They were known worldwide as daredevils who brought us some of the most explosive imagery ever recorded. Significantly, they died doing the thing that they loved. Right off the bat, I’m going to tell you that this film is sure to be in my top ten films of 2022, and I predict it will be nominated for the Documentary Academy Award next year. Yep, this film is that good. The film tells the story of two of the world’s greatest volcanologists, Katia and Maurice Krafft, who just happened to be married. This is not only a story about Volcanos but also a love story between two brilliant and interesting people who bonded instantly over their love of volcanoes. Ninety percent of the footage in the film is from the personal archives of the Krafft’s. To say that there are shots of volcanos that are simply breathtaking is an understatement. The film is summed up by an amazing shot of an erupting volcano, with hot, red lava spewing up into the air, as the two scientists, in silver protective suits, almost dance in front of the awesome display of earth’s mighty power. You can see just from that one shot why they both knew that it wasn’t how they would die but when. However, yes, they did die, but it is very evident from this beautiful and moving film that they died doing what they loved, and died as they wished, together. My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   Fire of Love Website

6).  RRR (2022)   The story of two men, Rama Raju (Ram Charan Teja), an Indian cop serving the British, who will stop at nothing to get the promotion he desperately thinks he deserves, and Komaram Bheem (N.T. Rama Rao Jr.), who pledges to find Malli, a small girl, who has been taken away from her family by a British governor and his wife. The two men are on a collision course that could bring down the rule of the British. The film combines the joy of singing and dance (a staple of Bollywood) with incredible action sequences involving not only gunfights and swords but also tigers. The two leads are incredibly talented dancers and both are charismatic as heck. Be sure to watch this film without the dubbed English version (which is awful). RRR is a film that needs to be seen on the big screen with an audience that will cheer and shout. Even if you watch it at home, you may find yourself standing up and yelling too!   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   RRR Info

7). TAR (2022) R Lydia Tár (Cate Blanchett) is considered one of the greatest living composer/conductors and has recently become the first-ever female chief conductor of a major orchestra, but Lydia’s world is about to come crashing down around her, and there may not be anything she can do to stop it. Lydia Tár (Cate Blanchett) is considered one of the greatest living composer/conductors and has recently become the first-ever female chief conductor of a major orchestra, but Lydia’s world is about to come crashing down around her, and there may not be anything she can do to stop it. Blanchett gives a tour de force performance as the talented but flawed Lydia Tar, a woman so sure of herself that she doesn’t see her downfall coming. It’s a masterful performance in which Blanchett speaks several languages without a hitch, plays the piano, and even sings while accompanying herself on an accordion. This is the story of someone who believes they can get away with just about anything because they are talented and gifted, even when their world is crumbling around them. Tar is a classical music fan’s dream, giving you an inside look at how an orchestra works under a conductor and the power that they possess. Equally impressive is the use of the camera. There is a remarkable sequence where Lydia is teaching a class at Julliard, and the camera seems to follow her around effortlessly as she puts a student in his place, giving us a lecture that encompasses everything from music to race relations. Lydia is not a person you will like; in fact, by the end of the film, you will probably despise her and probably revel in her downfall. You will also be reveling in the performance of Blanchett, something that we will be talking about for a long time. My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again    Tar Website

8). Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022) PG-13 Famed Southern detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is back and has a new mystery to solve. He has been invited to an exclusive private island to play a murder mystery game hosted by a wealthy tycoon (Edward Norton). Things are going great until a real murder happens. Rian Johnson is back with his Knives Out format, bringing back our favorite pompous detective, Benoit Blanc, this time to solve a murder or two with a cast of strange and wonderful characters. This is such a fun movie to watch, and I had a blast with it. The cast is terrific, with actors such as Kathryn Hahn, Dave Bautista, and Kate Hudson filling out the strange and wonderful group of people that Miles Bron, played Edward Norton, playing a sort of Elon Musk character, has invited to his island. Out of this cast, Janelle Monae stands out, playing a mysterious woman with a grudge, who the rest of the group is surprised has shown up for the festivities. Monae is brilliant in the role, and I think she could get an Academy Award nomination for the performance. The film is funny, filled with incredible sight gags, and has a mystery that isn’t easy to solve. I can’t wait to see the next movie that Johnson and Craig bring us because the world needs more of Benoit Blanc solving mysteries.  My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   Glass Onion Website

9). The Batman (2022) PG-13 The Batman is about the Caped Crusader, Batman (Robert Pattinson), in his second year of fighting crime, uncovering corruption in Gotham City that connects to his own family while battling a criminal known as The Riddler for control of his city. When I was a boy, my favorite comic book character was Batman because he wasn’t a person with superpowers, but he used his gadgets and mind to solve crimes. Like the other hero of my childhood, Sherlock Holmes, Batman solved crimes using his intellect. What filmmaker Matt Reeves has brought us a Batman who is fighting a losing battle for control of a city that he loves. Pattinson is brilliant as the brooding crime fighter trying to figure out who is killing the city’s most important and influential powerbrokers, as each gruesome killing is left with a riddle in a greeting card. Zoë Kravitz lights up the screen as Selina Kyle, Catwoman, who enlists The Batman to help her find her missing lover/roommate. Even so, it’s Paul Dano, who steals the film with his performance as The Riddler. For most of the film, we only see The Riddler in videos he releases, as he hides behind an odd bit of masking. Dano is scary as the mad, evil Riddler, who leaves clues for Batman at every murder he has committed. The Batman is not an origin story. We don’t get the usual flashback to when Bruce Wayne’s parents were murdered before his eyes; instead, this is a Batman that we already know, a crime-fighter battling his own demons as he takes on the worst of humanity. And know this: you will not recognize Colin Farrell as The Penguin. It is a fantastic bit of screen magic with The Penguin looking more like a gangster than the quacking cartoon character of other Batman films. I will warn you that you will want to hold off on drinking anything before or during the film as the running time is almost 3 hours long, and you won’t want to miss anything on the screen to take a pee break. And yes, the film sets up another Batman film, and of course, there is a tiny surprise at the end of the final credits. So go on a journey with the Batman to solve crimes and defeat the criminals that threaten his beloved Gotham City.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   The Batman Website

10). Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022) PG Mourning the loss of his only son, Geppetto (voiced by David Bradley) makes a boy puppet named Pinocchio (Gregory Mann) that magically comes to life. Now Pinocchio, with the help of his father and his friend, the talking Cricket (Ewan McGregor), must learn what it is to be a boy in the real world. This isn’t your father’s (or should I say my) Pinocchio, which may be a little too advanced for young kids. The stop-motion animation is some of the best I have ever seen and the storyline, which includes death and Mussolini’s fascist regime in Italy, is simply magnificent. The film has del Toro’s imprint all over it, from the, at times, very dark subject matter, to the mysterious talking Death (voiced by the terrific Tilda Swinton). You do have some fun comic relief with Pinocchio’s sidekick and mentor, Sebastian J. Cricket (voiced by Ewan McGregor), who constantly gets smushed, and a hilarious monkey named Spazzatura (voiced by Cate Blanchett), who at first is a bad guy but becomes an ally of Pinocchio in the later stages of the film. The film still has the heart and soul of a young boy who makes mistakes but wants to be real because he loves his father so much. It’s a beautiful film, both cinematically and story-wise, that gives you hope about love and humanity conquering evil, even if you have to lie a little bit.   My Rating; I Would Pay to See it Again   Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio Website

Almost Made It List: Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, All That Breathes, The Woman King, Broker, Decision to Leave, Turning Red, The Quiet Girl, All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Goodnight Oppy, All Quiet on the Western Front, Moonage Daydream, Louis Armstrong’s Black and Blues, Bad Axe, Causeway, Selena Gomez: My Mind and Me, After Yang, Sidney, A Love Song, Black Phone, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, The Janes, Watcher, Montana Story, Armageddon Time, Close.

Forgotten Film: Pauline at the Beach (1983) R  I thought that I would suggest a French comedy about life at the beach since the weather has been freezing. Marion (Arielle Dombasle) is about to divorce her husband and decides to go on vacation and take her 15-year-old niece Pauline (Amanda Langelt) along for the ride. Pauline observes the goings-on of the adults with disdain and sometimes amusement, as the adults seem to go from relationship to relationship, all the while talking about how bad or good they are at them. The plot gets a little complicated, but it's all in good fun, and there are some sublime performances, including Amanda Langelt. My Rating: Full Price   Pauline at the Beach Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of White Noise: Prosthetic Artist to Mr. Driver

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Magic Mike’s Last Dance (2023) Mike (Channing Tatum) is bartending when he meets a woman (Salma Hayek Pinault) who could change his life, again. I loved the first Magic Mike, but the 2nd one wasn’t very good. Maybe getting the gang back together again will work this time. Hey, it’s got Salma Hayek, so I’m in.   Magic Mike's Last Dance Info   The film is out on Valentine's Day, 2023.

Until Next Time!

Top Gun: Maverick

My View: Top Gun: Maverick (2022) PG-13   Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell (Tom Cruise) has for 30 years served his country but has done it his way, as one of the Navy’s top aviators, pushing the envelope as a test pilot. Maverick has been able to dodge the advancement in rank that would ground him until now. Maverick is back where he started, and he is still flying by the air tower, rank be damned. First, see this film on as big a movie screen as you can find (I saw it in IMAX and am so glad I did) because, incredibly, most of the stunts in this film were done in real planes making the flying sequences an absolute blast to watch. I was physically tired after seeing this film because I felt I was in those fighter jets along with the characters in the movie. Secondly, this is one of the best sequels ever made, and yes, I know it’s 36 years after the Top Gun. The first Top Gun was a fun, enjoyable movie that capitalized on the then-growing movie theme of mixing current top 40 hits with a film to create music videos within a movie. The plot was stitched together (some of it after principal shooting had been done) and leaned heavily on Tom Cruise’s charisma and lots of good-looking young men (sometimes with their shirts off). Not only that, but we kicked the Russian’s butts in a dogfight (something huge in the 80s), and you also had a great cast of primarily up-and-coming stars, including an adorable Meg Ryan. So come this movie, and it blows that Top Gun out of the park. First and foremost, Tom Cruise is brilliant as the man who has lived his life like his nickname, Maverick. After doing what Maverick does, breaking the rules to prove a point, he is forced to return to the school which made him a true fighter pilot, ‘Top Gun.’ He will lead a mission with the best pilots in the Navy that is dangerous and may be impossible, but of course, that is what Maverick does, the impossible. Add to this is a cast that rivals the original. First, we have Jennifer Connelly, playing a former flame of Maverick, who now runs the famous bar that everyone hangs out in, and Maverick has a history of trying to pick up women in. Connely is perfect as the one that got away, someone who can stand up to Maverick’s antics and give him a run for his money. And she is someone who has lived a life both before and after Maverick. Next, we have perfect casting in Miles Teller, who plays a certain someone’s son and is now a pilot who has a big chip on his shoulder because of it. When Miles walks into the bar, our first scene to see him, it is a fantastic moment, which at first, I thought was a flashback. Finally, we have a new ace named Hangman, played with gusto and bravado by Glen Powell, a cock sure pilot who outdoes Mavericks’ old rival, Iceman. Speaking of Iceman, Val Kilmer makes a vital appearance in the film, and they explain his inability to talk normally (in real life, Kilmer had throat cancer, see his documentary Val for more). The plot is fast-paced, hitting all the right notes and emotions, the romance between Cruise and Connely feels real and genuine, the action sequences are truly superb, and there isn’t a bad performance in the bunch. All in all, Top Gun: Maverick is sure to be in my top ten films of the year and is not to be missed. And once again, see it in a big-screen theatre! You won’t be disappointed.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   Top Gun: Maverick Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

My View: The Bob’s Burgers Movie (2022) PG-13  As The Bob’s Burgers Movie opens, a bank payment is due, and if things can’t get worse, a giant sinkhole opens up right in front of the restaurant. Now it’s up to the kids to try to solve a mystery that could possibly save their parent's place. Truth be told, I’m not a big Bob’s Burger fan (I’ve seen quite a few episodes). That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed this film. The songs are a lot of fun, the storyline is imaginative and funny, and the voice cast brings an energy to the screen that makes it an amusing ride. Fans of the show will love this film, bringing some of the best aspects of the series, mainly the songs and the quick, often hilarious, asides that the characters make, combined with a mystery that is entertaining to solve, make this a fun and light film to watch. If you haven’t seen the series, you will quickly be able to follow and fall in love with this strange and hilarious family that, at its core, is all about love and believing in yourself and your family. With a bit of help from your friends and siblings, you can do anything, including solving a crime or two.   My Rating: Full Price   The Bob's Burgers Movie Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

Indiefest: Montana Story (2021) R  Two long-estranged siblings (Haley Lu Richardson, Owen Teague) come back home to their father’s ranch as he is on his deathbed. While there, they will be forced to confront their shared painful past, facing a deep and bitter family legacy. One of the things I enjoy about going to film festivals is discovering a film that I didn’t know anything about and falling in love with it. I did this at the 2022 Atlanta Film Festival with this film. This is a quiet, potent story powered by a moving performance by its two lead actors. Owen Teague plays Cal, the son who stayed behind when his sister suddenly left the family and disappeared. Teague brings a quiet presence to the part, a young man trying to do the best he can in a difficult situation and is troubled by a shared past with his long-lost sister. Haley Lu Richardson plays the somber and sometimes fiery Erin, a young woman who wants to do nothing with her father and doesn’t really know why she has come back to a place that has caused her so much pain. Adding to the performances is the cinematography, perfectly capturing the magnificent Montana vistas, where the sky does seem to go on forever, and the mountains seem both welcoming and menacing at the same time. Montana Story is a drama about secrets that a family keeps and how they can tear apart a family, only to be repaired with time, understanding, and deeply filled regret. In addition to the main actor performances, I loved the supporting cast in this film, with some beautiful and meaningful performances brought to the screen by Kimberly Guerrero, the long-time housekeeper and family friend Valentina, and the father’s nurse, played by Gilbert Owuor, a thoughtful and insightful Kenyan Immigrant, there to make the father’s last days as peaceful as possible for both the parent and the kids. Adding to the mix is an entertaining and fantastic storyline of Erin’s attempt to save a horse on the family farm that means the world to her. Montana Story is a family drama that takes its time to reveal the scars and chasms that have long been buried and must be confronted before the two siblings can move on.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again    Montanta Story Website  Now playing in select theatres.

Indiefest: 18 1/2 (2021) PG-13  At the height of the 1974 Watergate scandal, it was discovered that there were 18 1/2 minutes of recordings that had been erased. A White House transcriber (Willa Fitzgerald) is thrust into the scandal when she discovers she is in possession of the only copy of the infamous 18 1/2 minute gap in the Nixon tapes. This an interesting little film that is part black comedy, part thriller with a few nice twists and turns. It is important to know that one of the things which brought down the Nixon presidency was it was found out that Nixon had recorded every meeting that took place in the White House Oval Office. Adding to that outlandish fact, it was discovered that in one session, there was 18 1/2 minutes of conversation that the White House clumsily claimed was mistakenly erased by Nixon’s secretary. In this film, a transcriber has discovered a separate tape (recorded without their knowledge) of Nixon and his staff listening to the tape and deciding to destroy it. She decides to go to a reporter, someone she respects and trusts, to let the story out. The film balances comedy with a bit of drama and suspense as the two try to find a way to listen to the tape together before the transcriber has to get the tape back to the archives. They go to a remote off-season resort, and a comedy of errors happens, from a nosy resort manager (played by the always funny Richard Kind) to a group of hippies trying to recruit the two into their party, to a strange older couple who are celebrating their wedding anniversary. I enjoyed Willa Fitzgerald's performance of the woman who wants to do the right thing but doesn't want to get caught up in the hysteria of Watergate. The film does a fun job at capturing the look and feel of a time transitioning from the peace and love movement of the 60s to the more almost paranoid feel of how the government was lying to us about nearly everything and everyone. 18 1/2 flounders a bit in the last act but is still an enjoyable ride that lets the tension build as everything seems against the two from actually listening to the tape.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  18 1/2 Website   Now playing in select theatres.

Indiefest: A Chiara (2021) R   An 15-year-old girl named Chiara (Swamy Rotolo) is a member of a close-knit family, and she deeply loves her father. Chiara’s world starts to fall apart when her father disappears in the middle of the night, and, consequently, she is determined to find out what happened to him and why. Part mystery, part coming of age film, A Chiara is a story about a young woman who has to grow up too quickly after she decides to go against the wishes of her older sister and mother and delve deep into her father’s past and current life. Swamy Rotolo gives us a teen who is fiercely determined to find out the truth, no matter the cost or how it turns out. Rotolo is a young actress who is able to give us a sweet girl who is concerned about Instagram and her carefree life of the privileged where her family is tight and loving. From the start of the film, it is apparent that Chiara is her father's favorite, and she feels that he can do no wrong. But then, in the middle of the night, she witnesses her father running away into the dead of night, and right after he has fled, his car is blown up. From there, she decides that while no one in her family will tell her the truth, she will discover it on her own. A Chiara is a film that starts as a look at the life of a teen who is surrounded by family and friends, and by the end of the film, it's her against the world as she digs further and further to find out the truth, a truth that could change her life forever.   My Rating: Full Price   A Chiara Website   Now playing in select theatres.

My View: Zero Contact (2022) R  Five people from around the globe are connected only by their devotion to tech titan Finley Hart (Anthony Hopkins). The five discover that Finley has developed a new, secret invention that could end life on earth as we know it, and accordingly, they must band together to stop him. An interesting film that was shot in 17 different countries during the height of the pandemic, where all the actors were on their own, shooting their parts remotely. Part of the plot of the movie is that Finley Hart is responsible for creating a software that allows companies to spy on their clients, and so we are witness to their spying when the principal in the story uses their smartphones, their security systems, and their computers to show us what is happening to each character. The five main characters each have a past with Finley; some knew him, some only worked remotely with him, and one, Sam (Chris Brochu), is the long-separated son of Finley. The five are put together after Finley’s death and must decide to either shut down or fire up a computer system using technology so powerful that it could destroy the earth’s ecosystem in one fatal power up. The film wants to be a thriller with a bit of horror thrown in, but the plot is so twisted and full of holes, where we are to believe that teleportation is not only possible but used without a lot of explanation, that I got lost on what was the plan or what were the stakes if the plan worked or didn’t. Anthony Hopkins is wasted as the mad inventor (or is he) who has created this elaborate plan to activate his last and possibly fatal gift to humanity, though it is fun to see him play the piano and chew a few scenes while speaking on the ills of humanity. Zero Contact is part one of a trilogy, and though the film shows us footage of how they put this film together during the credits, I have no interest in finding out what happens next.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Zero Contact Website   Now playing in select theatres and On Demand.

Forgotten Film: The Lacemaker (1977)  R  Pomme (Isabelle Huppert) is a shy, reserved young woman who lives with her loving mother and works at a Parisian beauty salon. Pomme decides to go on vacation with her out-going and fun-loving friend, Marylene (Florence Giorgetti), to the Normandy coast. Almost as soon as they arrive, she is abandoned by her friend, who has found a new man to fall in love with, and Pomme is left alone in a resort town. Pomme soon meets and quickly falls in love with a literature student Francois (Yves Beneyton), and they decide to move into together when they return to Paris. However, Pomme soon learns that falling in love with someone you don’t know well can be risky. Huppert is the reason to see this film as she is striking as the young, innocent woman who wears her heart on her sleeve. The Lacemaker is a tale of a romance where the two lovers are destined to fall apart. Is it that their love is not strong enough to survive, or are the two too young to learn that the road to love lasting is not easy.   My Rating: Full Price   The Lacemaker Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Top Gun: Maverick: Cast Swim Coach

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (2022) PG   A widowed cleaning lady (Lesley Manville) in 1950s London inherits a big of money, falls madly in love with the dresses of Dior, and decides to fly to Paris and buy one for herself. It’s a tale of adventure that will change her life and possibly the very future of the House of Dior itself. The trailer had me at the start with stars Lesley Manville and Isabelle Huppert.     Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris Website

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore

My View:  Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore  (2022) PG-13   Professor Dumbledore (Jude Law) has entrusted Newt (Eddie Redmayne) to lead a team of wizards, witches, and one brave Muggle baker to go on a dangerous mission to stop the powerful Dark wizard Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen) from seizing control of the wizarding world. Newt and his team will encounter old and new beasts and clash with Grindelwald’s legion of followers to save the world. The question is, just how long can Dumbledore remain on the sidelines? So this is the third (and possibly final) film in the Fantastic Beasts series. I enjoyed the first film but didn’t like the 2nd one, finding it confusing and lacking the wonder and fun of the first film. I am also not a fan of Johnny Depp, who, after a stellar career early on, has become someone who mails in his performances and brings a campiness to films that don’t need it. I’m happy to say that for this third installment, Depp has been replaced by Mads Mikkelsen in the role of Grindelwald, the villain of the story. Mikkelsen gives a much more restrained version of Grindelwald and makes the villain more menacing than Depp’s cartoonish interpretation. That being said, while I enjoyed this film much more than the 2nd installment, it is very evident that J.K. Rowling, who wrote the script of the first two films and the Harry Potter books, is making this film about the politics of the last ten years and the film suffers for it. I also had trouble with the fact that Porpentina ‘Tina’ (Katherine Waterston), the love interest of Newt and his main supporter in the previous two films, is barely in this film, with almost no explanation. Now, all that being said, I still enjoyed the movie, primarily because of Eddie Redmayne’s performance as Newt, who has this wonderful screen presence, making Newt someone who sees the wonder in the world and wants to protect these fantastic, magical creatures. Also, the film is helped by Dan Fogler, as the love-lorn Jacob Kowalski, the Muggle baker who, with his good nature and humor, helps the team in sticky situations, all the while morning that his beloved Queenie has gone to the bad side. It is rumored that there will only be more Fantastic Beasts films if this one does well at the box office. I’m ok, either way, as this is a fine ending to the Fantastic Beasts saga.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Fantastic Beasts Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

My View: Father Stu  (2022) R  Stuart Long (Mark Wahlberg) has been a boxer and a wannabe actor, constantly failing and getting into trouble. After a near-fatal accident, Stu decides to become a priest. Along the way, Stu will be given many more obstacles to overcome along his journey from self-destruction to redemption. Father Stu is one of those films whose heart is in the right place but can’t deliver the power or emotional impact that this film sorely needs. It is very evident that Wahlberg put a lot into the role of Stuart, and it has come out that Mark also put a lot of his own money into the film. I wish that passion made it to the screen. The film moves along at a barreling pace, packing Stuart's life into a series of ups and downs (mostly downs), including getting drunk a lot and getting arrested even more. The film wants us to love Stuart, but it’s hard even to like the guy, as we wonder what Carmen (played by the fantastic Teresa Ruiz) sees in him, as Stuart clumsily romances a woman who will only consider dating Stuart if he becomes Catholic. The film is helped by an outstanding supporting cast, including Jacki Weaver as Stuart's long-suffering mother and Mel Gibson as Stu’s not-so-loving deadbeat father. The film is based on a true story, and I wish that Stuart’s remarkable transformation from a troubled young man into an inspirational priest was made into a better, more nuanced movie. But instead, we get a predictable film that never captures the magic of what the real Stuart must have been like.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Father Stu Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

My View: Choose or Die (2022)   Down on her luck, coder Kayla (Iola Evans) finds a mysterious 1980s video game that has the possibility of having unclaimed prize money. Straightaway, Kayla, with the help of a fellow coder, Isaac (Asa Butterfield), fire up the game, and they step into a surreal world of next-level terror where the game brings pain and death to reality. I think that people who will enjoy this film are the older viewers who remember the early years of computer gaming, where you used a cassette tape and a monochrome monitor to play games that mostly asked you questions like ‘Do you want to go left or right?’. Otherwise, this film is a pretty ordinary horror film where the characters are forced to choose one bad choice versus another bad choice. Like a lot of horror films of the past ten years or so, this is another in a long line of horror films where the hero of the film must make hard choices, often where the hero must decide who dies while trying to figure out how to get the game to stop. While not a horrible film, Choose or Die doesn’t bring much to the horror table other than an initial nostalgic look at a gaming past that kind of sucked.   My Rating: Cable    Choose or Die Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform.

Indiefest: Dual   (2022) R   Sarah (Karen Gillan) has been given a terminal diagnosis and has opted for a cloning procedure. After the procedure is done, Sarah finds out that she isn’t dying. Consequently, Sarah tries to have her clone decommissioned, only to be told by a court that she will be dueling her clone to the death in one year. This is a strange little film about a woman who doesn’t seem to care that she is dying until she realizes her replacement double is a better version of herself and that even her mother likes her more than the real Sarah. This is a dark comedy that doesn’t always work, a film that skims the line too much between being deadpan and outlandish. I am a fan of Karen Gillan, especially her work on Doctor Who, but the film seems to have lost that Gillan can play with her roles, making them seem fun and energetic. Gillan’s Sarah is lost in restraint, and that makes this film feels slow and dull, even in a quite funny sequence where Sarah’s ‘duel’ trainer, played by Aaron Paul, tries out ‘killing dancing’ with Sarah as another way Sarah can attack her double in the upcoming duel. I never could get into this film where the main character was so dull, even when she wasn’t supposed to be.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Dual Website   Now playing in select theatres.

Forgotten Film: House of Sand And Fog   (2003)  R  Kathy (Jennifer Connelly) is a woman whose life is slowly crumbling around her. She is a woman who has had a drinking problem in the past, her husband has left her, and now, her family home has been taken away from her. Behrani (Ben Kingsley) is a man who once was successful in his home country of Iran but now works two jobs to support his family here in America. He buys Kathy’s house in an auction hoping that his fortunes have turned around. Instead, the two people are on a collision course that could destroy both their lives. House of Sand and Fog is a film where the two main characters are both right, and that’s the problem. One or both most lose in this game. Jennifer Connelly gives a brilliant performance as the troubled woman who sees Behrani as the enemy, someone who has taken her life from her. As only he can, Kingsley gives us a man who is full of grace until he is pushed to the edge and his family is threatened. House of Sand and Fog is a film that will stay with you and make you wonder who was right and who was wrong.   My Rating: Full Price    House of Sand and Fog Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore: Animal Coordinator

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You:  Top Gun: Maverick  (2022) PG-13  Maverick (Tom Cruise) has for 30 years served his country but has done it his way, as one of the Navy’s top aviators, pushing the envelope as a test pilot. Maverick has been able to dodge the advancement in rank that would ground him until now. Maverick is back where he started, and he is still flying by the air tower, rank be damned. Finally, we get a film that has been pushed back due to COVID for what seems like forever. Can Tom capture the magic again? We all will be there to see it.   Top Gun Website