The Adams Family 2

Familyfaire:  The Adams Family 2  (2021)  PG   Your favorite family of ghouls are back! Gomez (voiced by Oscar Isaac) is concerned that the kids are growing up too fast. Wednesday (Chloë Grace Moretz) and Pugsley (Javon ‘Wanna’ Walton) are skipping family dinners and are always on their iPhones with ‘scream time.’ Gomez decides the kids need a change, so the family goes off on vacation to see the sites of America. America may never be the same again. Charles Adams is one of my favorite cartoonists, and he created the weird and morbid family headed by Gomez and Morticia. The problem with making a movie about these characters is Charles Adams’s family in the cartoons think fun is spilling a vat of molten tar from the heights of their mansion on Christmas carolers, something that a ‘family animated’ picture would never show. So what we get is watered-down characters and cause mayhem primarily by accident and only scare people by mistake. The family goes on vacation and visits such landmarks as Niagara Falls, where Gomez puts each family member in a barrel to go over the falls or the Grand Canyon that Pugsley blows up (why I have no clue). The film isn’t much fun, and I kept wanting to put the family members into the guillotine that in the Adams cartoons, Wednesday used to put her dolls in just to end this film. Kids might find some fun in the action sequences, but adults will be as bored as Gomez is at a play that doesn’t have any dead bodies in it.   My Rating; Cable   The Adams Family 2 Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide and On Demand.

My View:  The Many Saints of Newark  (2021)  R  Young Anthony Soprano (Michael Gandolfini) is growing up fast, under the influence of his uncle, Dickie Moltisanti (Alessandro Nivola), who is struggling to keep his hold on his power as rival gangs are rising up and challenging the powerful DiMeo crime family. What Anthony learns now will serve him later when we know him as Tony Soprano. I was not a regular viewer of The Sopranos, having watched enough episodes that I know the characters, and like most people, I know how the show ended. So I was interested to see the origins of Tony Soprano, especially since James Gandolfini’s son was playing a young Tony in the film. I was severely disappointed by this film as it is more about Anthony’s uncle, Dickie, played by Alessandro Nivola, and less about Anthony himself. In fact, for most of the film, Anthony is a bystander in the actions of his family and the mob. He stumbles across a few things but is left on the sidelines for most of the film, a secondary character that we get to see do some really stupid crimes like running numbers at his elementary school or hijacking an ice cream truck. In fact, all the publicity of the film made it seem like Michael Gandolfini would be a prominent point of action in the movie, but the actor is in maybe half of the film, with the rest of the film taking place when he was a kid in elementary school, played by William Ludwig. Sure we get to see his home life with his sister, his thug of a father (played by Jon Bernthal), and his crazy mother (played by always impressive Vera Farmiga), but even this home life is a background for interaction with Dickie, who while Tony’s father is in prison, becomes a surrogate father to Tony. I was disappointed that one of my favorite actors, Ray Liotta, was somewhat wasted in the duel role of Dickies father and imprisoned uncle. There are a bunch of scenes between Dickie and his uncle where the uncle spouts wisdom from Buddhism and his love of jazz that do nothing to move the plot along. Maybe if I was a rabid fan of The Sopranos, I would enjoy seeming all the characters as they were in their younger days, but for me, it was one long trip of mob life that I never really cared enough about to feel anything when a character (or two) dies. Maybe filmmakers of The Many Saints of Newark should have taken the advice given in the first Godfather film ‘Leave the gun - take the cannoli.’   My Rating; Bargain Matinee    The Many Saints of Newark Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide and on the HBO Max platform.

My View:  Venom: Let There Be Carnage  (2021)  PG-13  Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) has learned to live with the alien symbiote inside him named Venom, but they haven’t met Carnage, a fellow alien living inside the body of Cletus Kasady (Woody Harrelson), a dangerous criminal who understands who and what Eddie is and wants to destroy him and Venom. I liked the first film, and they have taken what worked the best in that film, the interaction between Venom and Eddie, and made it even funnier. The action is fun, and it looks like Tom Hardy is having a great time playing this character (he co-wrote the story for the film). The ending is a little haphazard, with the final battle result feeling a little weak. Still, overall, this is a fun film that fans of Venom won’t be disappointed and yes, make sure to stay through the first section of the closing credits to see a big, and I mean big, bonus scene that is going to have everyone talking. I can’t wait to see what Eddie and Venom get into next!   My Rating; Full Price    Venom: Let There Be Carnage Website   Now playing in theatres nationwide.

Indiefest:  I’m Your Man  (2021)  R   Desperate to obtain funds for her studies, a scientist, Alma (Maren Eggert), agrees to participate in an unbelievable experiment; live for three weeks with a humanoid robot (Dan Stevens) designed to make her happy. I thoroughly enjoyed this film. The casting of the two leads is terrific, and they make you believe that a robot and a human are having conversations. There is a lot of humor in the film, but it isn’t a film that is played for laughs but for the romance that develops between the two despite the fact that Alma doesn’t want a relationship with anyone, much less a robot who has been created for her. The writing is incredibly well done, and the characters feel real (even the robot) and are richly drawn. I was afraid that the film would put itself into a corner that it couldn’t get out of, but I was blown away by how this film ended. I can see why Germany has nominated this film to be their selection to this year’s Academy Award Best International Feature Film. I can’t recommend this film more as itt gave this hopelessly romantic a thrill.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again    I'm Your Man Website  Now playing in select theatres.

Indiefest:  Falling for Figaro  (2020)   Millie (Daniele Macdonald) seems to have everything; a great job, a good-looking but stuffy boyfriend, and a love for opera. Millie decides to chuck everything to pursue a career as an opera singer and leave her boyfriend behind to go to the Scottish Highlands to be taught by the legendary Meghan Geoffrey-Bishop (Joanna Lumley). This decision will change Millie in more ways than she could ever have thought. Macdonald, who wowed film festival audiences with her performance in Patti Cake$, has a fabulous presence on the screen, and I loved her in this role, except when she sang, mainly because it was annoyingly obvious that she wasn’t singing at all. Falling for Figaro is a film for opera lovers and anyone who wants a crash course in the big hits of the genre. While under the tutelage of the former opera diva played by Joanna Lumley, Millie slowly falls for the only other student that Meghan has, the surly, handsome Max, played by Hugh Skinner. The two have a nice chemistry together, and from the first meet, you know they are destined to be with each other. I usually like Joanna Lumley’s performances, but the film never gives us a reason to think that her unconventional methods would ever take a novice singer like Millie to become a success so quickly.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Falling for Figaro Website  Now playing in select theatres.

Indiefest:  Old Henry  (2021)   Henry (Tim Blake Nelson) is a widower, working a farm with his teenage son, Wyatt (Gavin Lewis), when a badly hurt man, Curry (Scott Haze), shows up on Wyatt’s farm with a satchel full of cash. When three men who claim that they are lawmen show up looking for the injured man, Henry must decide who to believe. The men and Henry’s teenage son will soon discover that Henry has hidden a past that he wishes had never happened. I am a big fan of westerns, and this one did not disappoint. The history of western films has many a reluctant hero, but Henry may be one of the most reluctant ever on the silver screen. A farmer who is happy in the hard work and is constantly being disappointed by his son’s lack of enthusiasm for the work. Into their lives comes a man Henry instantly dislikes and wants him gone as soon as possible, but fate has brought trouble to Henry and his son, and there is nothing that Henry can do to avoid it. Time Blake Nelson gives us a powerful but restrained performance of a man who just wants to work his land and be left alone. Nelson is brilliant in the role of the gruff Henry, who sees things very clearly for what they are, having lived a life that has seen many things. Old Henry has a few twists and turns that I didn’t see coming and a compelling and potent ending. Like its title character, this film packs a punch that you just might not see coming.   My Rating: Full Price     Old Henry Website  Now playing in select theatres

Indiefest:  The Jesus Music  (2021) PG-13  From its humble beginnings at the Calvary Chapel in California to a multi-billion-dollar industry, the story of Christian Contemporary Music is a story that needs to be told about the soundtrack of a movement. I am a big fan of CCM and groups like Barlow Girl, Bethany Dillon, and Everlife, so I was really looking forward to this film. I enjoyed the insight into the early days of ‘The Jesus Revolution’ of the 60s and the look back at one of the vast music festivals of the 70s, Explo72, which brought contemporary Christian music to the forefront. The film is a good starting point for anyone interested in the genre, though they barely touch on some of the big acts, such as Point of Grace and Sandi Patty. The film is a little too close to the subject matter (it's from the directors who gave us the Christian movie I Can Only Imagine), so they only touch on a few subjects that aren’t positive (the backlash when mega-star Amy Grant got divorced and how the CCM music is dominated by white artists). Still, I enjoyed the stories from the early years, the fact that Michael W. Smith and Amy Grant are still close to this day, and that the music continues to inspire.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee    The Jesus Music Website    Now playing in theatres nationwide.

Forgotten Film: The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou  (2004) R  When a shark kills his partner, world-famous ocean explorer Steve Zissou (Bill Murray) sets out with his team to get revenge. It will be an expedition that the world will soon not forget. The film is co-written and directed by Wes Anderson, and the outstanding cast includes Owen Wilson, who plays his long-forgotten son, Anjelica Huston as his estranged wife, Cate Blanchett as a reporter sent to chronicle the expedition, Willem Dafoe as Steve’s troubled right-hand man, and a few more characters played by Jeff Goldblum, Bud Cort, and Matthew Gray Gubler. This is a strange film to watch, and unlike a lot of Murray films recently, this one he is in almost every scene, but sometimes you feel that he is bored with the plot, which at times feels almost non-existent. Why do I want you to watch this film? Because Willem Dafoe is hilarious as Zissou’s weird German servant. I almost wish that he was the featured character of the movie instead of Steve Zissou. I will also say that the cinematography during the underwater sequences is stunning and breathtaking. So if you are a fan of Bill Murray or just have an afternoon to kill, watch this film and relish the Dafoe antics. My Rating: Bargain Matinee    The Life Aquatic of Steve Zissou Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Venom: Let There Be Carnage: Lead Face Modeler

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You: A Mouthful of Air (2021) R   Julie Davis (Amanda Seyfried) is a best-selling author who writes children's books that deal with unlocking your fears. She is warm, kind, and loving to her husband and her child. However, when her second child is born, she discovers that her past is catching up to her, and there is a secret which will reappear that will take everything Julie has to overcome.    A Mouthful of Air Website

Until Next Time!

Dear Evan Hansen

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:   Dear Evan Hansen (2021)  PG-13   Following the suicide of a fellow classmate, Conor, Evan Hansen (Ben Platt), a high-school-senior with Social Anxiety disorder, goes on a journey to find acceptance and self-discovery. A letter Evan has written will change not only his life but will touch so many more. It’s always hard to translate the power of a Broadway theatre experience to the screen. Dear Evan Hansen’s production on the stage was a Tony-winning phenomenon, but  that feeling and power of a live performance doesn’t translate to the screen in this adaptation. The songs are still there, and that is what saves this film, as the songs, including a few new ones, make this film watchable. Unfortunately, the film's storyline is a bit of a mess, and its message, so meaningful on the stage, seems lost in an attempt to add a bit of flash to the production, trying but not succeed in making this film not feel predictable. I enjoyed Ben Platt’s voice, but his performance on the screen feels a bit too stagy. A lot has been made on social media about Platt’s appearance (he is playing a high-school student while he is 28), but it never bothered me. Amy Adam's part is small, and her lovely singing voice is rarely used. I did enjoy the performance of Kaitlyn Dever, who plays Conor’s long set upon sister, who Evan secretly loves from afar. A couple of the musical numbers, where the cast has also to dance, are a bit painful to watch, so maybe just buy the soundtrack or see the musical the next time your local theatre group puts it on.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Dear Evan Hansen Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

My View: The Guilty   (2021)  R   It’s an ordinary day for 911 operator Joe Bayler (Jake Gyllenhaal), as he gets his standard calls of people asking for help, but this morning will be different. As a wildfire threatens the city and grounds air support, Joe receives a call from a woman in a car and is being held against her will. Now it's a race against time as Joe tries to trace down the woman whose last words on the call are ‘I’m going to die.’ This is a remake of a Dutch film of the same name that I really liked a couple of years ago. Unlike a lot of remakes that Hollywood does of foreign films, this one works with Jake Gyllenhaal giving an outstanding performance as the troubled cop with anger issues that is trying to find a woman who has been abducted. Gyllenhaal gives us a complex hero that you are probably not going to like very much. Gyllenhaal gives Joe an intensity that is constantly blowing over. Joe can’t seem to control his anger and outrage as his character becomes increasingly frustrated that he can’t just get out on the street and find this woman himself. The Guilty is an intense character study of a man whose world is crashing down around him as he tries to make a difference one more time and save a life.   My Rating: Full Price    The Guilty Website  Now playing in select theatres and available on the Netflix platform on Oct. 1st.

Indiefest:  Man in the Field: The Life and Art of Jim Denevan  (2020)    Documentary on pioneering artist Jim Denevan, who started out creating giant works of art on beaches and then started combining his art with a radical alternative to conventional dining. This is one of those documentaries where you would probably not want to be Jim’s friend or even co-worker, but boy, oh boy, will you ever want to be part of his dining productions. The film does an unbelievable job of giving you an insight into a highly complex man who creates artwork on beaches and other areas that will only be visible for a short time and have to been seen from the air (or at least a hilltop) to fully appreciate the art in all its glory. Fortunately for us, Jim also is a chef (his journey to become one is equally impressive), and he creates these one-of-a-kind dining events that combine his love of nature, art, and cooking to new heights. You will be astounded by his artwork and jealous of the people that have sat at his long, long dining table. His dining events are a tough ticket to get, so watching this film is probably about as close as most of us will get, but at least we have this film to watch a fantastic artist work his magic.    My Rating: Full Price    Man in the Field Website   Now playing in select theatres and On Demand including the Apple TV+ platform.

My View:  This is the Year  (2021)   Pining away for a girl, Zoey(Alyssa Jirrels) he believes is way out of his league, Josh (Lorenzo James Henrie), a high-school senior, decides to enlist his friends to go on a road trip, promising Zoey he can get her into the biggest concert of the year. It seems this is the year for revisiting the old 80s teen films, but this movie has a bit of a change of pace; Josh wants his life to be like his favorite 80s teen movie, a movie he has watched over and over since he was a kid, right down to the girl choosing him over the hunk that she is with. Add to the fact that his best friend, Molly (played by the always impressive and energetic Vanessa Marano), is his ‘wing-woman’ who has her own 80s movie fantasy of having her first kiss be full of magic and fireworks. This is the Year is the classic teen road trip with a crazy group of kids that trouble seems to find them just as they think they have hit the promised land of music and good times. The film even throws in the funny high school teacher (played by Jeff Garlin), who is cool, witty, and has a final paper that Josh must write in order to graduate. This allows our lead character (like in The Breakfast Club and a few other classic 80s teen films) to sum up his experiences at the end of the film. This is the Year is a fun, feel-good film that plays on those 80s teen films and gives them a push into the 21st century with a cast that makes you want them to succeed. Somehow you know that they will always prevail, and everyone we want to end up together will. I mean, isn’t that how all those 80s films ended? Of course, with the exception to the rule, Pretty in Pink…Duckie rules! Am I right?!  My Rating: Bargain Matinee    This is the Year Website  Now playing in select theatres.

My View: Hudson (2019) R After his mother’s death, Hudson (David Neal Levin) enlists his distant cousin, Ryan (Gregory Lay), on a road trip to scatter her ashes in a family favorite gathering place. Along the way, they meet an unusual hitchhiker named Sunshine (Mary Catherine Greenawalt), and the three go on a journey that will involve a broken-down Volvo, haiku's, mini-golf, and self-discovery. This is one of those films you discover at a film festival and fall in love with. It’s predictable, and not a lot happens on this small road trip, but the characters are so adorable that you won’t mind that the journey isn’t for long. Hudson, the character played by David Neal Levin, is a droll, dry little man who has a one-track mind, a man who lives for retelling stories from the past about himself and his cousin Ryan. Sunshine, who they pick up at a gas station after she fixes their car, becomes their travel guide and a welcome buffer between the troubled Ryan, who is going through some sort of meltdown, and the grieving Hudson, who steadfastly must scatter his mother's ashes at a place that the family used to picnic at. So spend an afternoon on the road with this strange trio as they have a few laughs, get lost in a corn maze, and eat pretend ice cream at 7 in the morning. You will be glad you were along for the ride.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Hudson Info  Now playing in select theatres.

Indiefest:  Lady of the Manor (2021)   Hannah (Melanie Lynskey) is a hot mess who would rather smoke pot than get a regular job. When forced to work, Hannah gets a job as a tour guide, portraying Lady Wadsworth at the historical home, Wadsworth Manor. Work isn’t going great when she meets the ghost of Lady Wadsworth (Judy Greer), who tells her if Hannah doesn’t change her wild ways, she will haunt her until she does. I am a massive fan of both Judy Greer and Melanie Lynskey, and I am a regular listener to Justin Long’s podcast, but this film that Long wrote and directed with his brother Christian is just painful to watch. The jokes fall flat, Greer is given nothing to work within her character of stuffy Lady Wadsworth, and Lynskey’s comedic talents are wasted in a role that is so beneath her acting level. The film also wants you to believe that Justin Long’s character, a history professor, would be interested in Lynskey’s character, who, frankly, is an idiot who has trouble finding her way in a building that is clearly marked and keeps assuming that the professor is having affairs with his students. I had high hopes for Lady of the Manor due to its cast, but I’ve seen better student productions at local film festivals than this film.    My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again    Lady of the Manor Website  The film is playing in select theatres and  is available On Demand. 

Forgotten Film: Period of Adjustment (1962)   It was 1962, and Hollywood had no idea what to do with Henry Fonda’s daughter Jane. So they gave her a ridiculous hairdo, a bad southern accent, and outfits to make her look like Marilyn Monroe, and you have Fond’s performance in this comedy. Add to the fact that it is based on a Tennessee Williams play and directed by George Roy Hill (Oscar winner for The Sting and nominated for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid), and you get a strange comedy that is fun to watch. A newlywed couple (Fonda, Jim Hutton) has their honeymoon interrupted by the troubles of a married couple (Anthony Franciosa, Lois Nettleton). The film has an outstanding supporting cast, including veteran character actor John McGiver, and a young-looking Jack Albertson. Look quick, and you will see a wet behind the ears John Astin. The film doesn’t always work, but it’s fun to watch Jane Fonda in a role that she would soon leave behind for much better fare.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee     Period of Adjustment Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Dear Evan Hansen: COVID-19 Secretary

Coming Soon to Screen Near You: Finch  (2021)  PG-13  In a devastated world full of sandstorms, incredible heat, and no water, Finch (Tom Hanks) decides he has to move on because of a coming storm. Finch will now take his new family, a dog and a talking robot, on an adventure in a dangerous and ravaged world. Tom Hanks and a talking robot is enough but add in a dog as your companion, and you’ve got me.    Finch Website

Until Next Time!

The Eyes of Tammy Faye

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:  The Eyes of Tammy Faye  (2021) PG-13    The rise and fall of Tammy Faye Bakker (Jessica Chastain), who went from very humble beginnings to create the world’s largest religious broadcasting network (including a theme park) with her husband, televangelist Jim Bakker. Her downfall was trusting in her husband, who, through financial improprieties, scheming rivals, and scandal, toppled their empire. Though hit with everything life could throw at her, Tammy Faye had a spirit that wouldn’t let all the hurt bring her down for long. First, the good news; Jessica Chastain is fantastic in the role of Tammy Faye, going from Tammy’s days as a college beauty who wanted to change the world through God’s love to the extreme, raccoon eyes makeup, and horrible singing voice of the PTL leader who we all became obsessed with when Jim and Tammy Faye’s kingdom came crashing down. It’s a brilliant performance that overshadows a movie that doesn’t give us much more than the high and low lights of her life. My problem is I never could figure out if this film was a drama, a comedy, or a satire, as it seems to have aspects of each. The film wants you to love Tammy and feel that she wasn’t in on the scam that PTL was during the Jim Baker times, but its' a hard act to swallow. The Eyes of Tammy Faye doesn't give us the redemption of the main character that the film needs and we want. Like Tammy Faye herself, the film stays way too long, making us feel a bit uncomfortable at the end, tired of watching the train wreck keep plugging along.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee    The Eyes of Tammy Faye Website  Now playing in select theatres. 

My View:  Cry Macho     (2021) PG-13     A washed-up rodeo star, Mike (Clint Eastwood), takes a job transporting a former boss's son, Rafa (Eduardo Minett), home and away from his alcoholic mother. It will be a journey where the cowboy and the kid learn about each other and about what it takes to be a man. For the first time in his career, Eastwood is playing who he is, an old man, damaged by time, who has seen better years. While I liked this character, a cowboy whose glory days are long gone, I didn’t like the movie, primarily due to a script that feels it is written for a first-time director and not a four-time Oscar winner. With cringe-worthy dialogue and a plot that takes forever to develop, the film feels amateurish. Combine that with a bad guy who is so inept, all it takes is a punch from a 90-year-old man and a horrible car chase that ends almost as bad as the movie itself. The relationship between Mike and Rafa seems forced, and their interaction never feels real; instead, it feels right out of those 60s TV westerns that Eastwood used to be on, with a storyline that concludes with all the loose ends tied up like a horse to a hitching post. Cry Macho sure feels like Eastwood's swan song, but I hope it isn’t. The actor, the director, and the man himself, all deserve a better sendoff.   My Rating:  Cable     Cry Macho Website   Now playing in theatres nationwide and on the HBO Max platform. 

My View:  Copshop   (2021)   R   Con artist Teddy (Frank Grillo) is on the run, and hitmen are hot on his trail. He figures out a way to avoid the hitman, Bob (Gerard Butler), who is just one step away, getting himself arrested. Teddy sucker punches local rookie officer Valerie Young (Alexis Louder) and lands in jail. The problem is Bob schemes his way into the lockup himself and is biding his time in a nearby cell until he can complete his mission. Mayhem ensues when a competing assassin (Toby Huss) shows up, and now officer Young must deal with two killers who want to finish what they came for. I enjoyed this film from the Quentin Tarantino school of filmmaking. Plenty of great one-liners, insane situations that get more crazy by the minute, and lots of confrontations with a bit of a puzzle thrown in make Copshop a fun ride. The cast has a blast with their roles with Toby Huss, as the crazy hitman, chewing up scenery with gusto, singing as he ruthlessly blows away anyone in the way of his mission. The film also has a great hero in Alexis Louder, whose character is too intelligent to be in this podunk town and too skilled with her six-shooter to lose in a gunfight. Both Butler as the cool, collected hitman and Grillo as the smarmy con-man are excellent in their roles, but it’s Huss and Louder that make this film worth seeing. I would love to see what happens next to these crazy characters.   My Rating: Full Price    Copshop Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

Indiefest:  Blue Bayou   (2021)   Antonio LeBlanc (Justin Cho) is married to the love of his life, Kathy (Alicia Vikander), and is a great step-dad to their daughter Jessie (Sydney Kowalske). When arrested on an incident with Kathy’s ex, a cop, Antonio is shocked when confronted by the ghosts of his past, discovering that he could be deported from the only country he has ever called home. I want to first point out the extraordinary, deep, and complex performance that Sydney Kowalske gives as the stepdaughter to Antonio. It’s a great role that Kowalske gives us as a young girl who has had her heart broken by a parent and doesn’t believe that the world  Antonio has created with her will last. Justin Cho, who also wrote and directed the film, gives us a man trying to make up for the sins of his past but is stuck between a government that doesn’t forget, and a wife that he loves but hasn’t fully let into his dark past. I loved Alicia Vikander’s performance of Kathy, a woman who is trying to raise her daughter with a man she loves but is being pulled by outside forces, including the father of her daughter, a cop (Mark O’Brien), and her mother (Geraldine Singer), both of whom think Antonio is the source of all of Kathy’s problems. Blue Bayou is a moving film, enhanced by beautiful cinematography (made even better when I saw it in a theatre) that will make you get out the tissues plenty of times, so keep them handy. However, it is hurt by an unnecessary subplot involving a woman who comes into Antonio’s tattoo parlor and an ending that feels too contrived to pull at your heartstrings. Still, the film hits a lot of the right notes, and the performances by Cho, Vikander, and Sydney Kowalske make this a movie to see and maybe, just maybe, incite you to action.   My Rating: Full Price   Blue Bayou Website  Now playing in select theaters. 

Indiefest: The Starling   (2021)  PG-13   After suffering a devastating loss, Lily (Melissa McCarthy) goes on a journey to expel a combative Starling bird that takes next besides her quiet home. The grief-stricken woman is about to find her will to live and capacity for love through a strange little bird. There is a good story in this film somewhere, but the filmmakers didn’t find it, and an able cast is weaker for it. Both McCarthy and Chris O’Dowd give their roles everything they have, but it’s not enough to save a script that, from almost the start, tries to bring a tear from your eye. O’Dowd is in a psychiatric hospital, being visited by his wife once a week on family day. There are attempts at humor throughout this film, but most of the time, those attempts fall flat, even when Lily begins to garden and is attacked on a daily basis by a very territorial bird. This allows Lily to meet a Veterinarian who used to be a psychiatrist (played by Kevin Kline). They begin a strange relationship that allows the combative Lily to seek help without admitting it. The film is not helped by a soundtrack that, like the rest of the film, tries too hard to make the film’s emotional moments work. The Starling never gives McCarthy and O’Dowd a genuine moment to show what they could have done with their parts about a couple trying to move on from the heartbreak of loss.   My Rating; Cable    The Starling Website  Now playing in select theatres including Landmark Midtown Art in Atlanta and available on Sept. 24 on the Netflix platform.

Indiefest: Prisoners of the Ghostland  (2021)   In the frontier city of Samurai Town, a ruthless bank robber (Nicolas Cage) is taken out of jail by a wealthy warlord called The Governor (Bill Moseley) and has been given a task. Find The Governor’s adopted granddaughter (Sofia Boutella) and bring her back, or the leather suit our ‘Hero' has been outfitted with will blow up. Ok, Nic Cage (I only call him Nicolas when he does serious work like the recent beautiful film Pig) has done some nutty and insane movies. Some films are meant to be seen at midnight at a film festival, while others can be seen in more traditional settings. This film, instead, should be seen at around 2 am after a few drinks, and that’s not a bad thing, just setting it up for you. The plot makes almost no sense, Cage is allowed to go full-throttle Cage, and the ending is just as weird as the rest of the film. That being said, if you can get by with a paper-thin plot, the overacting, and the gore, you just might have an enjoyable time watching this film. Visually, this film can be stunning at times, and the opening sequences of this film are beautiful and highly imaginative. The problem is that Prisoners of the Ghostland keeps going on and on with a plot that is too razor-thin to keep us in the game. I became bored with the movie about three quarters in and just wanted it to end. I will say this, anytime there is Nic Cage and samurai blades flying around, it can’t be all bad.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Prisoners of the Ghostland Info  Now playing in select theatres including the Plaza Theatre in Atlanta.

Indiefest: My Name is Pauli Murray (2021)  Documentary that looks at the life and works of Pauli Murray, a non-binary Black lawyer who influenced both Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Thurgood Marshall. Pauli Murray was more than a lawyer. Pauli was a force of nature that should be better known. This is a beautiful and inspirational film about a ground breaker that most of us don’t know about. Pauli was a remarkable, driven person that was ahead of her time. It seems that everything Pauli did was ten to fifteen years before other people were doing that same thing and getting credit for it. From riding on a bus and refusing to move to the back once that bus crossed the Mason-Dixon to attempting to get into universities that didn’t allow Pauli in because of either of her race or her gender. Pauli was constantly pushing boundaries, all the while suffering because she didn’t fit into what society wanted Pauli to become to conform to. I learned so much from watching My Name is Pauli Murray, a film about an incredible person who made a difference in how we see people today, even if she didn’t get credit for those changes until this film.   My Rating: Full Price   My Name is Pauli Murray Website  Now playing in select theatres and will be available on the Amazon Prime platform on Oct. 1st.

Indiefest:  Best Sellers  (2021)   Lucy (Aubrey Plaza) has inherited her family’s failing boutique publishing house. In a last-ditch effort to save the business, Lucy goes on a book tour with the bitter, booze-addled author, Harris Shaw (Michael Caine), who put the publishing house on the map decades ago. This is an enjoyable film, primarily due to Michael Caine’s performance as an author who has been hiding behind the cloak of a first novel that made both his career and his publishers. Now a cranky man who would rather stay in his home than face the public, Harris is forced out on a book tour when Lucy discovers that Harris owes the publishing house another book, one which Harris has just finished. The film has some great performances by Caine and Plaza but has a plot that seems to get lost in trying to bring the publishing world into the electronic age by a storyline that just gets too confusing on why Harris’s new book suddenly becomes a success and ending to the film that feels too much like the filmmakers wanted to wrap everything up in a nice, pleasing ending. Still, any movie with Caine pissing openly in a bar while shouting out a British obscenity is a film to see.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Best Sellers Website  Now playing in select theatres.

Forgotten Film: Popi  (1969) G   A widower, Popi (Alan Arkin) from Puerto Rico, is trying to raise two sons in NYC and give them a better life. This is a film that I am going to tell you to turn off about halfway through it. The problem is that the film turns from being a well-constructed drama about dealing with life in a run-down neighborhood in New York to a comedy about a plan to have his kids appear to wash up ashore on the beach as Cuban immigrants. I love Alan Arkin, and I think the first half of this film shows him at his best; the second half is at his worst as he tries to milk the comedy bits too much to be even halfway funny. The film also has Rita Moreno as Arkin’s love interest, and any movie with Rita makes that film better. Just don’t watch it all the way through.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee     Popi Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Copshop: Groomer

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You:  West Side Story   (2021) PG-13   The classic story of two young people (Ansel Elgort, Rachel Zegler) who fall in love, around the hostilities that grow between the two rival gangs of the Jets and the Sharks. Directed by Steven Spielberg is enough to see this film, but a brilliant trailer combined with the recent documentaries on Broadway and Rita Moreno (who won an Oscar for her role in the 1961 film) makes me want to see this film as soon as possible.      West Side Story Website

Until Next Time!

The Card Counter

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:  The Card Counter  (2021) R   William Tell (Oscar Isaac) is a card counter, making a living going from casino to casino, playing in small stakes card games. He meets Cirk (Tye Sheridan), a young man, at a security convention, and they form a bond over a tortured past. This is one of those films that will stay with you long after you leave the theatre. First, let’s just state that Oscar Isaac has become one of our greatest actors in cinema today. His low-key, understated performance is a wonder to watch, creating a man who we know is troubled and could erupt at any moment but uses the pattern of his life in gambling to keep himself sane. We know we are following William down a rocky road, but we have no idea just how rocky that journey will be. Add in a moving performance by Tye Sheridan, playing a troubled soul that William sees a lot of himself in. William makes it his life mission to save Cirk from both himself and their shared  past. Add in a fun and flirty performance by Tiffany Haddish, playing a woman who looks to recruit William to become part of her gambling stable, and you have a movie that hits its mark on all aspects. Be warned that William’s troubled past is horrific and brutal to watch, but that makes William's journey even more remarkable. The Card Counter is that rare film that I had high expectations for, and it exceeded those expectations by leaps and bounds. This film is destined to be on my top ten list for the year.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  The Card Counter Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

Indiefest:  Small Engine Repair   (2021)   R  Three lifelong friends, Frank (John Pollono), Swaino (Jon Bernthal), and Mackie (Shea Wigham), love the Red Sox, bars (rowdier the better), and Frank’s teenage daughter Crystal (Ciara Bravo). Their friendship will be changed when after a night of drinking, they are asked to do a favor for Crystal. At times, this film feels like the stage play it is based on, with a lot of dialogue that feels very stagey and static. We spend a lot of time with each of the characters telling stories, sometimes shown in flashbacks, as each character tries to top each other's tales of conquests and debauchery. Of the three, Jon Bernthal, who plays Swaino, a motorcycle-riding lothario, who loves to flirt with women as much as he loves bragging about his relationships with them. Playing Frank’s brash and clever daughter, Ciara Bravo, brings an energy that the film sorely lacks when she isn’t on the screen. Small Engine Repair has an ending that I didn’t see coming but brilliantly ties the film together and creates a tension that we start feeling about two-thirds of the way through and doesn’t let up until the conclusion.   My Rating: Full Price    Small Engine Repair Website  Now playing in select theatres.

Indiefest:  Language Lessons  (2021)   Adam (Mark Duplass) is given a gift of 100 Spanish lessons by his husband Will (Desean Terry), to be taught remotely by Cariño (Natalie Morales). This starts a friendship that neither one expected. I really like this film about two people who, just through casual conversation, begin a friendship that becomes deeper as time goes on. The film is helped by how real both characters feel, enhaned by the winning performances and the chemistry that they create. Language Lessons is a film that lets us know each character, though Adam is far more open about his life than Cariño is, who is very slow to let us know anything about her life. This is a film about friendship and how we need those friends when things become challenging and tricky. So watch Language Lessons and become friends with Adam and Cariño. You won’t be disappointed, and you just might learn a bit of Spanish also.   My Rating: Full Price   Language Lessons Website  Now playing in select theatres.

My View:  Kate  (2021) R   Kate (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) is one of the world’s greatest assassins. After a night on the town, Kate realizes that she has been poisoned and has only 24 hours to find and kill the person responsible for her soon-to-be death. Along the way, she will need the help of her operative (Woody Harrelson) and a young teen, Ani (Miku Patricia Martineau), who is the daughter of one of Kate’s past hits. Okay, I will admit that I have had a bit of a crush on Mary Elizabeth Winstead since her role as Sophia on the weird and wonderful TV show Wolf Lake, so I am a bit of a fan of hers. There is nothing new to this film; in fact, it is one of many films in the past few years where a woman has been groomed from childhood to become a lethal assassin, and this doesn’t bring anything fresh to the genre. However, it is fun to see Winstead kicking butt with reckless abandonment. The storyline is pretty easy to figure out, with the big twist being one that we could see from almost the film's start. Still, I had fun with this film that was shot on location in Tokyo and had plenty of fights to please any action fan.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Kate Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform.

My View:  On Broadway  (2019)   Documentary on the inside story of theatre on Broadway, from the crime-infested days of the 70’s to the revival of the legendary center of theatre in New York City in the 90s and on to present day, where Broadway has become one of the top tourist destinations in the world. I have a theatre lover, having grown up in and around the theatre, so any documentary about Broadway is going right to my sweet spot, and this film did not disappoint. With extraordinary footage from classic Broadway productions, along with incredible interviews, this film is a theatre buff's dream. This is a film that explores the history of Broadway in modern times, from the lean years in the ’60s to current hits like Hamilton (we get to see the legendary performance Lin-Manuel Miranda gave the Obama’s when Hamilton was just an idea for an album and not a full-blown musical). On Broadway gives us insight into some of the greatest works that Broadway has seen, including fantastic and discerning looks back at the creation of classics like A Chorus Line and Cats, to a look behind the scenes of a new play that hit Broadway in 2018 before the pandemic shut down everything.    My Rating:  Full Price    On Broadway Website  Now playing in select theatres.  

My View:  Blood Brothers: Malcolm X & Muhammad Ali  (2021)  PG-13   Documentary about the relationship of Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali, from a chance meeting to a historic and tragic fallout. It was a bond of two men that fell under the weight of distrust, shifting ideals, and how important the two men were in that time and now. This is a fascinating film about two men who shook the world with their actions and their words. The film gives you excellent background information on how their early lives were shaped by the hardships and prejudice they faced. I loved the fact that when they first met, Malcolm had no idea who the then named Cassius Clay was, but Clay was starstruck by the presence of Malcolm. This meeting and their friendship seemed like it was destined, as the film goes back and forth, telling the two men’s story through pictures, news footage, and interviews with both men’s families. Two of the best interviews are with one of Malcolm X’s daughters, who reads passages from her father’s historic autobiography, and Muhammad Ali’s brother, who at times breaks down re-telling stories about his famous and much-loved sibling. The fact that their friendship was shockingly very brief, due to Malcolm’s break from Elijah Muhammad and his untimely death, but that friendship developed a bond that the two men felt in their hearts and souls, and the film makes that very apparent. Blood Brothers: Malcolm X & Muhammad Ali is an important film not only about the struggles for freedom that these men fought for but about two friends and the personal growth they gained from each other that influenced generations long after they had stopped speaking. My Rating: Full Price   Blood Brothers Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform. 

My View: The Alpinist  (2021)  PG-13  Marc-Andre Leclerc is a man who likes to be alone. He doesn’t own a car or a phone and always climbs solo, testing his limits with no one around. Filmmaker Peter Mortimer sets out to understand what drives Leclerc and to try to convince him to let the filmmakers shoot him as he sets off on his most dangerous solo climb ever. This is one of those films that at one moment you are saying ‘how did they get that shot’ and the next you are saying ‘how did that guy just do that.’ The Alpinist is not a film for someone afraid of heights because this young man hasn’t seen a mountain he doesn’t think he can’t climb, but that being said, I wish I had seen the film in a theatre so that the climbs had more of an impact. To say that Marc-Andre is a man who is a free spirit would be an understatement. In fact, he probably wasn’t the best choice for being the main subject of a film because the man doesn’t care about publicity or recognition. Instead, Marc-Andre is a man who climbs, not because of the danger, but because he loves to climb and loves the challenge. At one point, after doing a climb that many fellow alpinists thought was impossible, Marc-Andre is asked if he was ever scared during the climb, and he says ‘no.’ Well, watching The Alpinist, Marc-Andre, we were all scared for you and marveled on how effortlessly you tackled a climb that few would dare to even dream about, much less do.    My Rating: Full Price   The Alpinist Website  Now playing in select theatres.

Indiefest:  Come From Away  (2021)    7,000 passengers are stranded after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and their planes land in a remote, small town in Newfoundland. What is a tiny town to do with 7,000 people? How about make them feel wanted and loved. This film was originally going to be a full-fledged feature film that would have been shot on location in Canada, but then the pandemic happened. Instead, we get one of the first productions done on Broadway since the pandemic shut it down for almost a year and a half. While we get the stage musical in place of a more movie look, I can safely say that this film might be better for it. It is a wonder that this cast of 12 portrays two or even three roles each that brilliantly bring life and wonder to this production. The film lets you experience what theatergoers have been going crazy over, a beautifully felt production with incredible performances and songs that will move and, at times, uplift you. This is a film that you will want to experience as its message of the goodness of humanity in the face of such a tragic loss makes you want to stand up and cheer. I loved all the performances but Jenn Colella, playing an American Airlines pilot (among other roles), is outstanding, with a couple of powerful songs that bring the audience to their feet. While not all of us can make it to Broadway, this is the next-best thing, and it will bring a smile to your face along with maybe a few tears. By the way, Come From Away is based on real people and their real-life experiences, making this film and its message even more powerful.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  Come From Away Info  Now playing on the Apple TV+ platform. 

Indiefest:  Everybody’s Talking About Jamie  (2021)   Jamie (Max Harwood) is a 16-year-old who lives in Sheffield, England, and dreams of being a drag queen. With the help of his best friend Pritti (Lauren Patel) and his mentor, Hugo (Richard E. Grant), Jamie just might make his dreams come true. This film is a joy to watch with some fun and sometimes outrageous performances (I’m looking at you, Richard E. Grant, who is having way too much fun in his role) and songs that are catchy and having a bit of a Broadway look to them. The film is full of acceptance and joy, and even though the movie feels a little simple in its storytelling, it is so optimistic that you can’t fall for Jamie and his gang. I enjoyed the performance of Laurne Patel, who plays Jamie’s best friend and sidekick, who seems to have a bit of a crush on Jamie. Patel has a couple of lovely numbers that help the film overcome its tendency, like Jamie himself, of being a bit too flashy and over the top with its production. Still, Everybody's Talking About Jamie is a fun romp into the world of Jamie and his journey of fulfilling his destiny of becoming a drag queen.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Everybody's Talking About Jamie Website  Now playing in select theatres and available on the Amazon Prime platform on Sept. 17th. 

My View:  Malignant  (2021) R   Madison (Annabelle Wallis) is having horrible nightmares, visions of grisly murders. Maison discovers that these visions, this nightmare are just from her dreams but, in fact, are becoming true. I don’t want to give too much about this horror film from James Wan so I don’t ruin all the surprises in this film. Kudos to the team that made the movie trailer because, unlike many other horror trailers out there, this one didn’t give anything away. The film has plenty of scares, and I wish I had seen it in a theatre with an audience (for some reason, the film was not screened for critics) because it would have been fun to hear the audience react. The plot is well-conceived, though I will say the first portion of the film can be a little confusing, especially since two of the characters look very similar. The storyline is creative, the scary bad guy is creepy as heck, and I enjoyed the supporting cast, including Maddie Hanson, who plays Madison’s younger sister. There is a great side character that plays off all the investigative cop shows you have seen on TV that is a lot of fun to watch. Overall, I had a good time watching this scary film with a bad guy who is sure to be seen in cosplay at horror conventions from now on.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Malignant Website  Now playing in select theaters and on the HBO Max platform.

Forgotten Film: Household Saints (1993)  R  The story of three generations of Italian-American women living in New York’s Little Italy post-World War II. In a high-stakes poker game, Joseph (Vincent D’Onofrio) wins the right to wed Catherine (Tracey Ullman). Both are struggling to find their way in the world, but it doesn’t help that Joseph’s mother, Carmela (Judith Malina), lives with them, making it impossible for Catherine to have her house her own until Carmela dies. They have a daughter, Teresa (Lili Taylor), who is convinced that she is destined to become a nun and believes that someday, somehow, she will become a saint. Household Saints is a powerful and sometimes funny story of how life became different for women post-WWII, as they rebelled against the traditional family and how important religion is to some, but not others. Lili Taylor gives another outstanding performance that makes you fall in love with Teresa, even if you question if she is off her rocker. The film raises some questions near the end about religious fervor, and you have to decide for yourself, is Teresa mad or is she filled with the spirit of God.   My Rating: Full Price     Household Saints Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of The Card Counter: Cardistry Consultant to Mr. Isaac

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You:  The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021) PG-13  The rise and fall of Tammy Faye Bakker (Jessica Chastain), who went from very humble beginnings to create the world’s largest religious broadcasting network (including a theme park) with her husband, televangelist Jim Bakker. Her downfall was trusting in her husband, who, through financial improprieties, scheming rivals, and scandal, toppled their religious empire. Though down, Tammy Faye had a spirit that wouldn’t let all the hurt bring her down for long. The fact that Jessica Chastain does her own singing of Tammy Faye’s songs is enough to see this film. Adding in Vincent D’Onofrio playing the Rev. Jerry Falwell is just icing on the cake.    The Eyes of Tammy Faye Website

Until Next Time!