Magic Mike's Last Dance

My View: Magic Mike’s Last Dance (2023) R  Mike (Channing Tatum), after a business deal that has gone bust, is bartending when he meets a woman, Maxandra (Salma Hayek Pinault), who could change his life, again. Maxandra persuades Mike to come to London and do what he does best: dance. This is the third and possibly final dance for Magic Mike. Unlike the first two films, this film doesn’t revolve around Mike but around Max, a fiery, wealthy woman who wants to prove to her soon-to-be ex-husband that she can be powerful and successful. As with the first two films, there is plenty of dancing done by men with their shirts off. The best is early in the movie when Mike dances/seduces Max at her house. The plot is not as fun as the first two films, and the plot of Mike creating a show-stopping dance revue in four weeks is a little unbelievable. Still, Tatum looks like he is having a blast, and he does, surprise, surprise, takes off his shirt and dances quite a bit for a character that claims he has given up performing.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Magic Mike's Last Dance Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide. 

My View: Sharper (2023) R  Madeline (Julianne Moore) is a woman who sets out to seduce and bag a famous and wealthy financier (John Lithgow). Her adult son, (Sebastian Stan) is a conman known for planning scams that earn big payouts. Set among New York City’s wealthiest bedrooms, bars, and boardrooms, nothing is as it seems in a game for riches and power. I loved the first third of the film, where we get to know the players in this con and how they know each other. Sharper is a movie, like most films about conmen and women, that has a ton of twists and turns. The problem with Sharper is the last third is not as smart, interesting, or thrilling as the first two-thirds of the film. Still, it’s a fun ride with Julianne Moore and Sebastian Stan as two characters who seem to be competing on who can out-con who.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee Sharper Info  Now playing in select theatres and on the Apple TV+ platform on Friday, February 17, 2023. 

My View: Somebody I Used to Know (2023) R  On a trip to her hometown, Ally (Alison Brie) meets up with her old flame, Sean (Jay Ellis), and it seems like old times. The only problem, Sean is engaged to Cassidy (Kiersey Clemons), and it’s like Ally is meeting the person she used to be. The film, an old rom-com plot of a girl wants the boy back who is about to be married, is fun because of Alison Brie. Brie has terrific comedic timing, and even though Ally is very self-centered, we still want her to figure out how to be happy. The film puts a nice spin on the rom-com plot when Ally realizes Cassidy is lovely, talented, and needs a friend, not a rival. There is some excellent chemistry between Brie and Ellis, with a get-together near the film’s beginning that shows just how well their characters interact. Somebody I Used to Know is one of those films where you can tell the cast had fun making it. And by the way, stay beyond the initial credits for a bonus scene.   My Rating: Full Price  Somebody I Used to Know Website Now playing on the Amazon Prime platform. 

My View: Your Place or Mine (2023) PG-13 Debbie (Reese Witherspoon) and Peter (Ashton Kutcher) are best friends but live on opposite coasts. Peter is headed to LA and convinces Debbie, a single mom, that he will take care of her kid, Jack (Wesley Kimmel), while she travels to New York City and takes a vacation in his apartment. Peter is about to find out that taking care of a kid is hard, made more challenging when Debbie meets someone in New York. The problem with this film is that there isn’t a lot of chemistry between Witherspoon and Kutcher, but I am not sure that it’s their fault, as for most of the film, the two either talk on the phone or FaceTime. I enjoyed the fact that the two main characters have a great relationship, but we can see from a mile away that Peter is in love with Debbie, and we also know how all this will play out. The film never finds its footing and wastes the talents of the two leads, though it is worth watching if just for the sidekick deadpan lines of Tig Notaro, who plays an old friend of Debbie and Peter.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Your Place or Mine Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform. 

Indiefest: Seriously Red (2022) R Red (Krew Boylan) is a realtor who isn’t happy with her life. Red quits/gets fired from her job and discovers that she has a genuine talent; she is a fantastic Dolly Parton impersonator. I want to like this film. I mean, who doesn’t love Dolly Parton? However, the problem with the film is that you come off not liking the main character, the person you are supposed to be rooting for. Red isn’t a likable person. She is unreliable, lets her friends/family down constantly, and will do anything to get into a relationship. I will say this: Krew Boylan does a great job when her character is on stage as Dolly, but isn’t very funny when she is Red. Seriously Red is a strange film with Rose Byrne as an Elvis impersonator who hits on Red/Dolly and then becomes her rival and Bobby Cannavale, as the man who owns the celeb impersonator business and is a Neil Diamond impersonator himself. Dolly fans might enjoy the film (her inspirational quotes are featured throughout the film), but for the rest of us, the Dolly impersonation gets a little old.  My Rating: Cable  Seriously Red Website  Now playing in select theatres. 

My View: At Midnight (2023) R Sophie (Monica Barbaro) is a world-famous actress who has been dating another famous star for five years, and they are starring in a superhero movie together. When she catches him cheating on her on the set, she breaks up with him. At the hotel the cast is staying at, she meets Alejandro (Diego Boneta), who works at the hotel, and these two are destined to begin secretly meeting ‘At Midnight.’ When you do a rom-com, you need two things: a chemistry that shows up on the screen between the two leads and a good plot where we know we will get a happy ending, but we still worry the two won’t end up together. In At Midnight, we get the first. Monica Barbaro and Diego Boneta have some magic going on between them, making us like their characters and want them to fall in love. The problem is the script is so weak, with plot holes that make you shake your head in wonder that the stars can’t overcome it, along with a soundtrack that wants us to relive the screen romances of the past but seems so out of place. Also, for a film that wants us to fall in love with Mexico, other than a brief musical montage of an outing in Mexico City, the film could take place in just about any coastal or island resort. I think it will take a few more margaritas ‘at midnight’ before I want to see this film again. My Rating: Cable  At Midnight Info  Now playing on the Paramount+ platform.

Indiefest: Consecration (2023) R After the alleged suicide of her brother, the priest, Grace (Jena Malone), travels to the remote Scottish convent where he fell to his death. There she discovers that the Church’s account makes little sense and that the convent has a deadly and disturbing past. I thought this would be more a jump out of the dark horror film, but it’s mostly a slow suspense film. The film starts out promising as Grace experiences ghosts from her past in both flashbacks and actual ghosts showing up at both her apartment and when she visits the convent. The scares are few, and the plot slows down to a crawl when Grace stays at the convent to discover what happened to her brother. Jena Malone has a fabulous presence on screen as Grace but can’t overcome a film that never finds its way to make the movie feel and look scary. I wanted more scares and chills from Consecration and instead I got less. My Rating: Cable  Consecration Website  Now playing in select theatres. 

Forgotten Film: Antwone Fisher (2002) PG-13 Antwone (Derek Luke) is a young man who is a good sailor but has trouble controlling his temper. He is forced to see a Navy psychiatrist (Denzel Washington) who slowly peels back the layers of Antwone’s past and finds out why Antwone is so damaged. Directed by Denzel Washington and written by the man whose story it tells, Antwone Fisher is an amazing film about a man who has to confront his past and find a way to heal. This is an emotional rollercoaster of a film that is beautifully acted and directed. Derek Luke holds his own while performing with Denzel. And the film features a role for Viola Davis, who plays Antwone’s mother in a scene you won’t forget.  My Rating; I Would Pay to See it Again  Antwone Fisher Info  The film is available to rent on most online platforms.

Weird Credits: From the credits of Somebody I Used to Know: River Safety

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Air (2023) R The story of a shoe salesman, Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon), who convinces the head of Nike, Phil Knight (Ben Affleck), to develop and market a shoe around a basketball player that has never played a professional game. That player, Michael Jordan. The cast includes Jason Bateman, Chris Tucker, Chris Messina, Marlon Wayans, and Viola Davis, and is directed by Ben Affleck. Lace-up your shoes! I am betting that this will be fun.  Air Info  Film will be in theatres in early April.

Until Next Time!

Knock at the Cabin

My View: Knock at the Cabin (2023) R  Andrew (Ben Aldridge) and Eric (Jonathan Groff), along with their adopted daughter, Wen (Kristen Cui), have rented a cabin in the woods for a little weekend getaway. Their vacation is interrupted by a man (Dave Bautista) who appears out of nowhere, along with three other people. Andrew, Eric, and their daughter are going to be confronted with a task that, if not completed, could end the world. This is an intense film where the tension keeps building, with little flashbacks to Andrew and Eric’s relationship as our only release. A brilliant performance by Dave Bautista bolsters the film, giving us a character that differs greatly from most of the parts Bautista has played before. Bautista's character is the center of the film, and he does a masterful job of guiding us through what is happening. The film takes place mainly in the cabin, contributing to the feeling of dread and claustrophobia that permeates the film. Knock at the Cabin is more a character study with suspense than a horror film, though there are a few horrific moments. It is more about questioning moral problems, problems that your mind will have a hard time coming to grips with. I enjoyed this film, and while not M. Night Shyamalan’s best work, it still is a journey worth taking.  My Rating: Full Price  Knock at the Cabin Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

My View: True Spirit (2023)  Jessica Watson (Teagan Croft), who, against the odds and despite many doubters, sets out to be the youngest person ever to sail solo, non-stop around the world. I liked this film, mainly because it can inspire young women to take a chance and go out into the world and chase their dreams. Based on a true story, this is a movie for the whole family about Jessica, who, very early in her childhood, decided that she wanted to sail around the world. Teagan Croft is perfect in the role of Jessica, a headstrong teen who is determined to do something that no one that young has ever done. The film is best when Jessica is on the boat, battling both the sea and her own very personal demons. The film pulls on the heartstrings a bit too much during times of trouble, with flashbacks to a young Jessica being cute and determined. Overall, due to the performance of Teagan Croft, with some support from Anna Paquin as her mom and Cliff Curtis playing her gruff but lovable mentor, True Spirit is a winning look at a person who dreamed of doing the impossible and the world watch her succeed.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee   True Spirit Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform.

My View: Pamela, a Love Story (2023)   This documentary allows Baywatch star and pop culture icon Pamela Anderson to tell her story, letting us know what really happened in her own words. Pamela Anderson has been in the spotlight since the early 90s, first as a Playboy centerfold, then as the ultimate Baywatch lifeguard, and finally, as a woman who always seemed to pick the wrong guy to marry. The documentary lets her give us a look at her life, now returned to her childhood home in Canada and back when she was running in slow motion on the beach. The film skips around a bit; for instance, it makes it look like her first acting job was Baywatch, while I remember her as the first ‘Tool Time Girl’ on Home Improvement. Pamela has had a troubled life, and it seems she was always looking for someone or something to take away that pain. The film does a great job of making us see the person and not the almost cartoon character that she portrayed on TV and for the tabloids. It is ultimately a sad tale, but one that she seems to have survived. You may think you know her, but even after watching this in-depth look at her life, I don’t think we ever will.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  

Indiefest: One Fine Morning (2022) R  Sandra (Léa Seydoux) must make the tough decision of moving her father, who is suffering from a neurodegenerative disease, from his home to a nursing home. Amid this horrible time in her life, she runs into a married friend (Melvil Poupaud) and begins a torrid affair. I will warn you right from the start: the movie will break your heart into a thousand pieces by the end of the film. Seydoux gives us a fantastic performance of an ordinary woman dealing with being a widowed single mom dealing with one of the hardest things we do as an adult, deciding when to move your parent out of their home into assisted living. While keeping a job and being a mom, Sandra is forced to confront this. When a chance encounter with an old friend turns into an affair that almost consumes Sandra, we know that this is something she needs, but it also might turn out bad because he is a married man, a man who still feels the draw of his wife and son. Lea Seydoux gives us a real woman who meets most of her responsibilities head-on, but maybe not in her love life. Seydoux is an actor who gives us her feelings and emotions through her expressive face, as we see just how Sandra is thinking through all that life puts in her way.  My Rating; Full Price   One Fine Morning Website  Now playing in select theaters. 

Indiefest: Ocean Boy (also known as Bosch & Rockit) (2021)  Ocean Boy takes place during the summer on the Australian coast when Bosch (Luke Hemsworth) goes on the run, wanted for dealing drugs with his surf gang. In tow is his son, Rockit (Rasmus King), who does not know what his father has done and thinks he is on a magical vacation with his dad. The film is mostly about the relationship between Bosch and Rockit, a father and son who act more like salty-talking brothers. I had a hard time getting into the film because I didn’t like Bosch, a drug dealer who seems to treat his kid as a sidekick rather than a son. Rockit has a good heart, but growing up as a wild child, he is all over the place; at times, he is a moody kid, and other times an understanding and loving one. The film is beautifully shot, with some fantastic surfing scenes, but overall the film has trouble with pacing, losing momentum every few minutes. The plot gets a little convoluted; at one point, Rockit is convinced his father is a spy, and if/how Bosch will get out of all the trouble he is in is never explained. Still, there are some amazing shots of surfing, and it once again tells me I must visit Australia. I just hope that I don’t run into either Bosch or Rockit while there. My Rating: Cable  Ocean Boy Info  Now playing in select theaters.

Indiefest: Let it Be Morning (2021)   Sami (Alex Bakri) is a Palestinian-born Israeli citizen whose brother’s wedding has forced him to return to the Arab village where he grew up and vowed never to return. After the wedding, the town is put under a military blockade from which Sami can’t escape from. As he is stuck behind the town’s walls, secrets come out, and Sami watches everything he holds dear fall apart. Let it Be Morning was Israel’s film submission to last year’s Oscars, and it is worthy of that nomination. Part comedy, part drama, the film is about a man who is stuck with his family when all he wants to do is go back to the safety of his home, where his mistress and his cushy job are waiting for him. Instead, he is in a nightmare situation where the walls are closing in on him. It’s a subtle comedy where the threat of violence and oppression keeps appearing with each day as tensions mount for Sami and the townspeople. Let it Be Morning is a bittersweet film about life, marriage, and dreams for the future.  My Rating: Full Price   Let it Be Morning Website  Now playing in select theaters. 

Familyfaire: The Amazing Maurice (2022) PG A talking tomcat named Maurice (voiced by Hugh Laurie) is running a scam with Keith (voiced by Himesh Patel) and a group of talking rats, where the rats invade a town, and Keith plays a pipe, for a price, to lead the rats. Maurice is the mastermind, and things are going well until they come to a town where food is mysteriously vanishing. There the gang meets Malicia (voiced by Emilia Clarke), who joins the crew to find out what is happening to the missing food. I enjoyed this film, though I think small kids may find it a bit scary. The animation isn’t very flashy, but the jokes are fast, and the film breaks the fourth wall constantly as Maurice and Malicia have a battle over who the narrator of the story is. David Thewlis does a fantastic job voicing the bad guy in the film, ' Boss Man,’ a mysterious figure who is up to no good, giving him an evil quality that just drips with badness. The ending is pleasing, and Hugh Laurie voicing Maurice is having a blast with the part. Oh, and by the way, The Amazing Maurice has some cool messages for kids, including books are fun to read! My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The Amazing Maurice Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

Forgotten Film: Double Dare (2004)  This documentary focuses on two stunt women, Zoe Bell, and Jeannie Epper. Epper is the veteran who used to do the stunts for Lynda Carter on the old Wonder Woman TV series, and Bell is an up-and-coming stuntwoman who has worked as the stunt person for Lucy Lawless on the Xena series. The film gives us an inside look at how Hollywood treats women in the industry; where Jeannie Epper has all the experience but can’t get a job as a stunt coordinator, and Bell is expected to be in better shape than the women getting paid millions of dollars that she is doing the stunts for. Double Dare is a fascinating look at a job few people can do and how they don’t get the credit they deserve.   My Rating: Full Price

Weird Credits: From the credits of Knock at the Cabin: Color Science

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Creed III (2023) PG-13  For the last seven years, Adonis (Michael B. Jordan) has gotten everything he ever dreamed of, with both a career and a family life thriving. However, when a childhood friend (Jonathan Majors) shows up unexpectantly, the past rears its ugly head, and Adonis will have to fight for not only his career but for his life. Directed by Michael B. Jordan, it will be interesting to see if the magic can continue.  Creed III Website  Film will be released in early March, 2023.

Until Next Time!

Shotgun Wedding

My View: Shotgun Wedding (2022) R  Darcy (Jennifer Lopez) and Tom (Josh Duhamel) have invited their friends and family to the Philippines for their extravagant destination wedding. Unfortunately, someone else has invited themselves to the wedding, a group of pirates intent on a big payday. Darcy and Tom must save their friends and families. Maybe, also save their relationship. I admit I was intrigued when I saw the trailer for Shotgun Wedding, featuring Jennifer Lopez appearing up from a trapdoor with a shotgun blazing like Rambo. Unfortunately, the film is a poorly done romcom where we don’t like anyone, the couple we are supposed to root for fights constantly over stupid things, and the comedy bits hit you over the head with the subtly of a sledgehammer. Shotgun Wedding is a film that probably looked good on paper but when put on the screen, fails as badly as some of the jokes it tries to tell. Even comedy talent like Cheech Marin, Jennifer Coolidge, and D’Arcy Carden can’t save this unfunny and painful-to-watch attempt to combine a shoot-’em up action film (with a surprisingly high kill count) with a romcom that, as one character says, ‘hasn’t exactly gone to plan.’   My Rating: Cable  Shotgun Wedding Website  Now playing on the Amazon Prime platform.

My View: You People (2023) R  Ezra (Jonah Hill) is a podcaster who thinks he has a knack for understanding the culture in America. He meets and falls in love with Amira (Lauren London). That was the easy part. Now they must meet each other parents, and it will not be pretty because both sets of parents feel the couple are wrong for each other. I liked this film from the moment that Eddie Murphy, who plays Akbar, the father of Amira, walks into the coffeehouse with a hoodie that says, ‘Fred Hampton Was Murdered.’ The film is from Blackish creator Kenya Barris, who has created a Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner for this century. Ezra is Akbar’s nightmare of a potential son-in-law. A white Jewish man who thinks he knows black culture. Ezra even moonlights from his cushy financial job by co-hosting a podcast with his best friend Mo (Sam Jay), where they talk about everything that Ezra thinks is ‘Black culture.’ On the other side, Amira has to deal with Ezra’s parents; Arnold (David Duchovny), a man who keeps quoting Xzibit, and Shelley (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), who almost from the first thing meeting Amira tells her how badly the police treat Blacks and that we all should kneel during the national anthem. The question is can Ezra and Amira overcome their parents and end up together? You People is an amusing and witty film with some hilarious scenes, though it does drag in the middle when the couple go off on separate pre-wedding trips. It rights itself near the end of the film, when there are a couple of needed confrontations, and has a delightful ending that I thought rounded out the film. At times You People is a little over the top (we have to believe Jonah Hill has the chops to play street basketball), but still a sweet romcom with Eddie Murphy along to be the grump of the bunch. My Rating: Bargain Matinee You People Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform.

Indiefest: Infinity Pool (2023) R  James (Alexander Skarsgård) and Em (Cleopatra Coleman) are a married couple enjoying an all-inclusive beach vacation on an island when they are involved in a fatal accident. Now they are about to learn that any crime committed on the island has serious consequences, consequences that could be horrific. If you are a fan of David Lynch (Lost Highway, Twin Peaks) or David Cronenberg (The Fly, Crimes of the Future), then this film is for you. David Cronenberg's son, Brandon, gives us a strange voyage in a world where the rules keep changing. You never quite know if what you are seeing is happening or part of a drug-induced fog of weird and strange events. The movie reminded me quite a bit of the legendary 60s TV show The Prisoner, where the main character is a secret agent marooned on an island that is a bizarre type of prison. In this film, James gets caught up in an ever-changing world where he can’t figure out what is real and what is imaginary. Probably the film’s highlight is Mia Goth, who plays a fellow inhabitant of the island who guides and seduces James on his journey. Goth is fun to watch on the screen as a wild character that we can never figure out, stealing the film from the rest of the cast in every scene she is in. I will warn you there is a ton of bloodlust and sex that goes on the island, some of which I found very uncomfortable to watch. Infinity Pool is one of those films that you will either be really into or not get into at all. I was on the latter side and had a hard time wanting to keep going on this strange adventure with James.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Infinity Pool Website  Now playing in select theatres.

Indiefest: Maybe I Do (2023) PG-13  Michelle (Emma Roberts) and Allen (Luke Bracey) have been dating for a while, and they decide it’s time to determine if they should get married or break up. They invite their parents to meet and help them figure out their relationship. It turns out the parents know each other well, in fact, too well. This film reminds me of the type of movies we used to get regularly in the 60s and 70s, where the young couple looks to the parents for marriage/relationship advice because they believe their parent’s marriages are wonderful, but we find out they aren’t. Unfortunately, even with an all-star cast of Richard Gere, Diane Keaton, Susan Sarandon, and William H. Macy, the film feels like a combination of a stage play and a bad sitcom. Maybe I Do struggles to find laughs, takes forever to get going, and the dinner that gets everyone together? It doesn’t happen until an hour into the movie. By then, I didn’t care if any of these couples stayed together.   My Rating: Cable  Maybe I Do Info  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

Indiefest: Close (2022) PG-13  Two thirteen-year-old boys, Leo and Remi, are best of friends, spending all their time together, but then the friendship suddenly gets disrupted, and Leo searches for answers. Hot off its Oscar nomination for Best International Feature Film, Close is a beautiful and moving tale of young friendship and how that fragile connection can be changed when confronted with peer pressure and the attempt by young people to find their place in the world. The film works because of the performances of Gustav De Waele, who plays Remi, and Eden Dambrine, who plays Leo. The two are perfect together, interacting as two best friends do, whether playing soldiers or hanging out in a bedroom taking a nap. Close is a film that lets us slowly understand the two boys’ relationship with each other and their families so that when things go wrong between the two, we see how it affects everyone, not just the boys. The film looks at how kids this age feel and how they see themselves in an ever-changing world. Close is a superb and dazzling look at friendship and how the dynamics of that friendship can have consequences. I will warn you; a tissue or two will be needed.    My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again Close Website  Now playing in select theatres.

Indiefest: Life Upside-Down (2023)  Jonathan (Bob Odenkirk), Clarissa (Radha Mitchell), and Paul (Danny Huston) are stuck at home during the start of the pandemic. They will see their lives turned upside down, forced to reevaluate their lives, relationships, and what they want from life. The film centers on three people, Jonathan, who is a married artist, Clarissa, a teacher who is having a long-term affair with Jonathan, and Paul, a mutual friend who is a writer and is married to a much younger woman (Rosie Feliner). As the pandemic rages on in L.A. and everyone is isolated, alone or with their mates, they realize their lives aren’t what they thought they were. The problem with Life Upside-Down is the film’s pace; we spend a lot of time on conversations over the Internet that don’t seem to go anywhere and feels, at times, very stagey. The characters are one-dimensional, with no depth to them and have a tendency to repeat themselves. A lot. The ending gives us very little other than all three have changed their outlook on their lives and relationships.   My Rating: Cable  Life Upside-Down Website  Now playing in select theatres.

Forgotten Film: Everybody’s All-American (1988) R The story of a football hero, Gavin (Dennis Quaid), who married the homecoming queen, Babs (Jessica Lange), and for a while had it all. However, life has been hard for Gavin, and his troubles begin as his past heroics fade. This is a film where the performances outshine the script. Quaid and Lange are brilliant in the roles, but the film goes on way too long and never captures the magic that should have been there with the cast it has. A huge bright spot is John Goodman, who plays a fellow football player who is everyone’s best friend but has troubles of his own.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Everybody's All-American Info  The film is available to rent/buy on most streaming services.

Weird Credits: From the credits of Life Upside-Down: Pasta Machine Voice

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You: Marlowe (2022) R Set in the 1930s, private detective Philip Marlowe (Liam Neeson) is hired by a glamorous heiress (Diane Kruger) to find her ex-lover. It’s a job that is guaranteed to get messy. Directed by Neil Jordan (The Crying Game, Greta) and written by William Monahan (The Departed), this should be a fun ride down the film noir genre. The cast includes Jessica Lange, Alan Cummings, Danny Huston, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, and Daniela Melchior.   Marlowe Website The film will be released in theatres in mid-february.

Until Next Time!

Missing

My View: Missing (2023) PG-13  When her mother (Nia Long) disappears while on vacation in Colombia with her new boyfriend (Ken Leung), June (Storm Reid), stuck thousands of miles away in Los Angeles, uses everything she can to search for answers. The further June digs, the more questions she gets, and June soon learns that she never really knew her mom at all. This film uses the same idea that a 2018 film that I liked a lot, Searching, did, where our protagonist stays at home and uses a computer to put the pieces together to find their loved ones. Both films had solid leads, and Storm Reid does a fantastic job as the young teen who uses her willpower and knowledge of the Internet to discover what happened to her mother. The film takes various twists and turns that keep you guessing until the end. I was pleasantly surprised by how well the film flowed and how the movie kept our interest in the chase to find June’s mom. It’s a nice touch to have Joaquim de Almeida as Javi, the guy June hires (at a very cheap rate) to be her eyes and ears on the ground in Columbia, where June’s mother went missing. Having that interaction gave us a chance to understand better June’s pain of losing her father and her terror of possibly now losing her mother. So please turn off your cell phone (because June will do enough web surfing for all of us) and see Missing.   My Rating: Full Price  Missing Website Now in theatres nationwide.

Indiefest: Living (2022) PG-13  Set in 1950s London, where Williams (Bill Nighy) has always prided himself on his work ethic, attention to detail, and not letting anything get personal. Williams finds out some shocking news, and he explores how to better his life and help people around him. Bill Nighy gives us another one of his brilliant performances as Mr. Williams, a stuffy, by the letter, civil servant who rules his little office like it’s a fiefdom. Some horrible news turns Williams’s life upside down, and he decides that maybe it’s time to take a chance and make a difference in this world. This is a film about redemption, about making choices to change and trying to connect with people, no matter how small the gesture is. Based on the classic Kurosawa film Ikiru, Bill Nighy gives us a performance for the ages, and he does more with just sitting in a park by himself than most actors speaking tons of lines. It’s a magical ride that Nighy takes us on, and that will make you feel you could do something nice for someone today which could make a difference in their lives. All it takes is taking an interest in someone.   My Rating: Full Price  Living Website  Now in select theatres.

Indiefest: Alice, Darling (2022) R  Alice, Darling is about a young woman (Anna Kendrick) who is in an abusive relationship that could become deadly, but doesn’t want to see the warning signs. Her friends stage an intervention at a weekend getaway to make her realize she is in trouble, but her boyfriend shows up unexpectedly, which could get ugly. I’m a big fan of Anna Kendrick and always love when a film challenges her to do more than just be cute. In Alice, Darling, Kendrick gives us a woman who is suffering not from physical abuse but the constant abuse of psychological means, where she has been conditioned to question every move she makes. The man she loves controls her whole life. However, Alice decides to go on a weekend getaway with her two best friends, Tess (Kaniehtiio Horn) and Sophie (Wunmi Mosaku), who have seen firsthand how controlling Alice’s boyfriend, Simon (Charlie Carrick), is. To do this, Alice lies about a business trip. A lie that she will soon regret. It’s a fine performance by Anna Kendrick, but I expected more from the film, as the final confrontation feels shallow and not the cathartic release I wanted. It’s an interesting performance that is let down by a script that didn’t know how to finish.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Alice, Darling Website  Now in select theatres.

Indiefest: When You Finish Saving the World (2022) R  Ziggy (Finn Wolfhard) is a teen who lives for making music for his online fans. Ziggy thinks he is successful because of how many fans follow him, but his idea of happiness is about to change when he meets a fellow student named Lila (Alisha Boe), who sees something more in Ziggy. This is all the while Ziggy’s mom (Julianne Moore) tries to help a young teen (Billy Bryk) while working at a domestic abuse shelter. This film is about a bunch of self-centered people who want to impress someone but can’t keep the spotlight off of themselves. There are some wonderful performances in this film, especially Julianne Moore, the mother of Ziggy, who can’t connect with her son on any level. Still, instead of trying to fix that relationship, she fixates on another teen, trying to make him into the son that she wants. The problem is that the script, written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg, can never figure out where it wants to go, and we can’t get a handle on what makes these characters think the way they do. All I know is that after an hour and a half, I didn’t want to spend any more time with them because I didn’t like them. I just didn’t care if they succeeded or changed, and regardless of the ending, I’m not sure they ever will.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  When You Finish Saving the World Website   Now in select theatres.

Indiefest: After Love (2020)   Set in the port town of Dover, England, where Mary (Joanna Scanlan) is grieving the loss of the love of her life, her husband, Ahmed. Going through his wallet, Mary finds an ID card belonging to a French woman, a secret Ahmed kept just twenty-one miles across the English Channel in Calais. Joanna Scanlan gives us a heartbreakingly wonderful performance of a woman who learns that her husband had a secret that she decides she must explore herself. This film is about love, trust, and that everyone has secrets, but some are so devastating when they are found out. I don’t want to give too much out, but let’s just say that the film goes down a road where Mary finds herself in the position of whether to go along for the ride or reveal everything. It’s a decision Mary must make quickly, which will have far-reaching consequences. About Love is a film that moves slowly but with heart and substance, with Scanlan giving us an incredibly moving performance that gets better by the minute.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  After Love Website  Now in select theatres.

Indiefest: The Son (2022) PG-13 Peter (Hugh Jackman) and his partner Beth (Vanessa Kirby) are struggling along with a new baby when Peter’s first wife, Kate (Laura Dern), tells Peter that he must take their teenage son, Nicholas (Zen McGrath). Kate has run out of ideas to help Nicholas, who suffers from depression, and the hope is that Peter can reach him. Peter hopes to be a better father than his dad and find a way to help Nicholas. I thought this would be a sequel of sorts to filmmaker Florian Zeller’s 2020 film The Father because of the title and the fact that Anthony Hopkins, the star of that film, plays a father in this film. This is not the case, and Hopkins, though a delight to watch in a very evil role, is only in one scene in The Son. Hugh Jackman puts everything he has into the role and gives one of his best dramatic performances. Jackman provides us with a performance that starts with empathy and a sureness that borders on cocky but ends with confusion and, yes, pain. I just wish it was in a better film. The film should have been The Father II, as the focus is not on the son, a deeply depressed teen, but on Peter, the father, and how he deals with someone he loves who is having trouble with life. As hard as Jackman and Laura Dern try, I never connected to the couple and didn’t get the emotional impact I wanted from the film. The film feels shallow and gives us an ending I felt cheated by. As good and spellbinding The Father was, The Son feels so much less. My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The Son Website  Now playing in select theatres. 

Forgotten Film: I Capture the Castle (2003) R  Set in 1930s England, 17-year-old Cassandra (Romola Garai) lives in a rundown castle with her very eccentric and growing poor by-the-day family. Her father (Bill Nighy) is a novelist who hasn’t written a word in 12 years. Her sister (Rose Byrne) has boys on the brain and is mad at the world, and Cassandra’s stepmother is a nudist. Into the madness come two Americans (Henry Thomas, Marc Blucas) who could change the family’s fortunes if the girls can get the boys to fall in love with them. I Capture the Castle is a fun romantic story based on the book by Dodie Smith, and Romola Garai is terrific as the fiery Cassandra who loves her family but wants to see the world and write about it. The dinner sequence where the two families get together is the highlight of the film and is hilarious. I Capture the Castle is a sweet look at first love and what we do to make our families happy. My Rating: Full Price   I Capture the Castle Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Living: Home Economist

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: The Amazing Maurice (2022) PG A talking tomcat named Maurice goes on an adventure with a kid who has a group of rats following him and a young woman who loves mysteries. Based on the beloved book by Terry Pratchett and with a voice cast that includes Hugh Laurie, Gemma Arterton, Emilia Clarke, Hugh Bonneville, and David Tennant, this should be a lot of fun. Coming to theatres in early February.  The Amazing Maurice Website

Until Next Time!

Plane

My View: Plane (2023) R Brodie Torrance (Gerard Butler) is an airline pilot who always puts his passengers first. When his plane encounters horrible storms, Brodie is forced to land the plane in a foreign country controlled by a powerful warlord. Brodie’s only ally to save his passengers is a convicted murderer (Mike Colter). Okay, you know what you are getting when you see a Gerard Butler film with a one-word title. It’s going to be a little dumb and you might laugh at the silliness of it all sometimes, but you will have fun. Butler plays an earnest pilot who puts his passengers above all else. What I liked about Brodie is that he isn’t your ordinary hero from this type of film. He isn’t a former special forces guy, just a guy who wants to rescue his passengers. Luckily for those passengers and us, Brodie does have a guy like that next to him in the convicted murderer, played by Mike Colter (Luke Cage Tv series), who we find out is a former French Foreign League soldier. The action, including some very well-done flying sequences, is fun, and the bad guys are just evil enough for you to hate immediately. So make sure your tray table is up, your belongings are secured, and your seat belt is on because it’s going to be a bumpy ride on ‘Plane.’   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Plane Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

My View: Dog Gone (2023)   A father (Rob Lowe) and son (Johnny Berchtold), whose relationship is in pieces, are forced to travel the Appalachian Trail to search for their beloved lost dog. Finding the dog is not the only problem, as the dog will die in less than two weeks if he doesn’t get his medication. It’s a story that captured the world’s heart. The film is based on a true story, and I will admit (as a dog lover) that I did tear up a few times, as it’s a remarkable story of a dog that winds up incredibly far from where he was lost. The film is more about the reconnection between a father and son than a lost dog story. If fact, other than a few scenes of Gonker (yeah, that’s the dog’s name) lying down in the woods for the night, we only follow the father and son traveling around handing out flyers while the mother (played by Kimberly Williams-Paisley) handles the phones and coordinates the search. The film feels like there is more to the story of what is causing the problems between the father and son, but things get fixed pretty quickly, a little too easily. Still, you will probably need a tissue or two. And the dog is pretty darn cute.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Dog Gone Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform.

My View: The Drop (2022)  Mani (Jermaine Fowler) and Lex (Anna Konkle), a couple, are on a trip to see friends get married on a tropical island when their relationship is tested when one of them drops a baby. This is a film about relationships and how we often think they are perfect, but we can’t see the problems that keep popping up as we pretend to be happy. Mani and Lex seem to be a perfect couple, in love and trying to get pregnant. However, when one of them drops a baby on her head (she is fine), things go downhill quickly. The film starts out a lot of fun, and there is a plane ride where we get to see the group together (most are former college pals who apparently have all slept together), which is hilarious. Unfortunately, the film goes a bit downhill at that point, turning into a bit of a black comedy that goes off into some rather icky subjects, and it is very apparent the cast is doing quite a bit of improvising (a couple of times that improvising just grounds the film to a halt). It’s kind of weird to say, but the film went off the rails when they dropped the baby.   My Rating: Cable  The Drop Website  Now playing on the Hulu platform.

Indiefest: Saint Omer (2022) PG-13   Rama (Kayije Kagame) is a novelist researching her next work at the trial of Laurence Coly (Guslagie Malanda), who is accused of drowning her child. Laurence claims she did it because of demons. This is a film you watch knowing that it will not give you all the answers you want, and you are ok with that. Set mainly in a courtroom, the film is a long look at two women bound by motherhood. The film asks you to let it slowly reveal the facts of the case in the trial, and then you have to decide if you feel the woman accused is guilty. Saint Omer is a gritty look at something shocking but asks you to look with compassion. What I loved about this film is that we get more information from the faces of the two actors than from what they say or do. It’s a blow to your gut, but this film is worth watching.   My Rating: Full Price   Saint Omer Website  Now playing in select theatres.

Indiefest: Broker (2022) R  In Broker, a young woman, So-young (Ji-eun Lee), leaves a baby at an adoption drop-off. Her baby is taken by a team of brokers (Song Kang-ho, Dong-won Gang) who steal infants left off for adoption and then sell the babies to parents wanting children, who the official process has denied. Little do the baby snatchers know that they are being watched by a couple of detectives trying to bring the snatchers to justice. This is a challenging film to describe as the cast of characters gets larger as the film goes along. Every character in this film has a flaw, and they are all on a collision course that will not end well. This is a film about finding family where you can find it and how hopelessness can propel you to do things you thought you never would do. Broker is a beautifully acted film with some outstanding performances, including Song Kang-ho, playing a man who desperately needs money but has a heart that makes him make choices that we know he will end up paying for. Song Kang-ho plays off the rest of the cast with ease, and it’s his charm that overwhelms you on the screen. Broker is a film you know will probably end in heartbreak, but you are willing to go along for the ride just to find out if it does happen.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   Broker Website  Now playing in select theatres. 

Indiefest: Women Talking (2022) PG-13 Women Talking takes place in 2010, where the women of an isolated religious community must decide on one of three things: do nothing, stay and fight, or leave. A group of women are meeting to decide what to do after discovering that the religious sect's men have done something horrible. At first, we think the women are from the 19th century, but we soon find that the women in this sect are entirely isolated from the rest of the world, with no knowledge of what it’s like in the modern world, not able to read, write or even read a map. Filmmaker Sarah Polley brings us a talkfest of a tale about women trying to figure out an almost impossible situation. The cast, including Jessie Buckley, Rooney Mara, Judith Ivey, Claire Foy, and Frances McDormand, are given amazing speeches that seemed to flow out of the women. Unfortunately, while the performances are brilliant, I found the film a bit too much like a stage play, with almost the whole movie taking place inside a barn. Of the cast, Rooney Mara, who plays a pregnant woman constantly putting down the rest of the women, and Jessie Buckley, who is in an abusive relationship, stand out. I wish this outstanding cast had been given more to do than give speeches to each other. Still, the slowness of the plot doesn't overshadow the incredible performances that make Women Talking worth watching.   My Rating: Full Price   Women Talking Website  Now playing in select theatres. 

Forgotten Film: When Eight Bells Toll (1971) GP  When ships carrying gold bullion go missing off the coast of Scotland, the Treasury department sends in their best man, Philip Calvert (Anthony Hopkins), to investigate. Calvert hides on the next ship carrying the gold and finds himself knee-deep in bad guys. Based on an Alistair MacLean book (he also wrote the screenplay), the movie attempted to start up a new James Bond-like character in Philip Calvert, hoping for a series of films. The film didn’t catch on, and we never got to see Anthony Hopkins kick butt like this again. It’s a fun film, reminiscent of the other Alistair MacLean-based movies like Ice Station Zebra and The Guns of Navarone, and Hopkins is rather dashing as the secret agent.    My Rating: Full Price  When Eight Bells Toll Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Plane: Scenics

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Bosch & Rockit (aka: Ocean Boy) (2022) It's summer on the Australian coast and Bosch (Luke Hemsworth) goes on the run, wanted for dealing drugs with his surf gang. In tow is his son, Rockit (Rasmus King), who has no idea what his father has done and thinks he is on a magical vacation with his dad. I want to see this film just for the location shots alone.    Bosch & Rockit Info  In theatres in early February.

Until Next Time!

M3GAN

My View: M3GAN (2023) PG-13 Gemma (Allison Williams), a robotics engineer, suddenly becomes a caretaker of her orphaned 8-year-old niece, Cady (Violet McGraw). Gemma realizes she is unprepared to be a parent and decides to pair her robotic companion prototype M3GAN with Cady. It’s a pairing that will become deadly. January is usually a place where horror films go to die. It’s a time when studios look to make a quick buck on a low-budget scary film before the serious competition comes back to the theatre. That’s why M3GAN is such a surprise! It’s a film that has fun with what it is trying to do, making a horror film about a creepy doll that is scary just to look at her. Full of humor and some cool special effects, we have a horror star who makes Chucky look like an amateur. There are plenty of scares and some unbelievably creepy scenes with M3GAN, like when she dances in the hallway right before killing a few people. M3GAN has some things to say and sing about the state of parenting today while winking at us that this is just a movie, though a scary one. So go meet your new best friend and welcome M3GAN to the family. I guarantee you may think twice about interacting with Alexa or Seri again. And I hope there is a MEGAN4, or would it be M4GAN?   My Rating: Full Price  M3GAN Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

My View: A Man Called Otto (2022) PG-13 Otto (Tom Hanks) is a grumpy old man who just wants to be by himself after the loss of his wife. Otto’s world will be turned upside down by a new family next door and a cat that won’t leave him alone. After two horrible performances in the Robert Zemeckis film Pinocchio as Geppetto and Colonel Tom Parker in Elvis, I was wary of this remake of a two-time Oscar-nominated Swedish film called A Man Called Ove. I’m happy to report while not a great movie, this remake is likable, and so is Tom Hanks. Hanks plays a man mourning his wife's death and takes it out on his neighbors or anyone else who disagrees with his viewpoints. Along comes a family that somehow, someway, melts Otto’s heart a bit, and he begins to warm up, though it’s a really slow thaw. The reason to see this film isn’t Hanks and his performance; it's Mariana Treviño, who plays the new neighbor who won’t take Otto being a cranky old man anymore. Treviño is a joy to watch as she brings life to the neighborhood and to the film itself. It’s a magical performance, and I can’t wait to see her in more roles in the future. The film isn’t as good as the original (Ove is much worse as a person than Otto, so the turn is even better), but the film hits all the right spots, and you won’t go away disappointed, though you may need a few tissues a time or two.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  A Man Called Otto Website  Now playing in select theatres and nationwide on Friday, January 13th. 

My View: The Pale Blue Eye (2022) R  In 1830, a former West Point cadet and now detective, Augustus Landor (Christian Bale), is hired to investigate the suicide of a West Point cadet. Augustus discovers this isn’t an ordinary case of suicide and insists on another cadet to help him solve the possible crime. That young cadet’s name is Edgar Allan Poe (Harry Melling). I enjoyed this film, mostly because I love mysteries that involve famous people (I read a lot of crime novels that do the same thing). The film has plenty of twists and turns to keep you interested, and the interplay between Poe and Landor is fun. It’s hard to upstage Christian Bale, but Harry Melling does a great job creating Poe as a likable character that makes the film work. I thought the cinematography was outstanding, capturing the look and feel of a very cold, dark New England in the 1800s. The final act is a little disappointing, but still, I had a good time trying to figure out the mystery along with Augustus and Edgar.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee   The Pale Blue Eye Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform. 

Indiefest: The Old Way (2023) R Colton Briggs (Nicolas Cage) was one of the most feared gunfighters before he decided to hang up his guns and get married. Colton’s past comes back to haunt him when the son of a man Colton killed returns to exact revenge, resulting in the death of Colton’s wife. Accompanied by his daughter, Brooke (Ryan Kiera Armstrong), Colton is on a mission to find his wife's killer and avenge her. I love westerns and Nic Cage, but in this case, the two don’t make for a good picture. The film is about a man who changed his ways due to meeting his wife, and now that she is gone, he has returned to being, as he describes to his daughter, ‘dead inside.’ The film has way too many scenes where the characters sit around and talk, and too few action sequences, making the film feel slow and unmoving. I did like Ryan Kiera Armstrong, the headstrong daughter who talks her way into joining her father on his trip to revenge. Armstrong holds her own in scenes with Cage (not an easy thing to do) and is the bright spot of a film that takes too long to develop.  My Rating: Cable   The Old Way Info  Now playing in select theatres and available On Demand on January 13th.

Forgotten Film: Joe Gould’s Secret (2000) R In 1940, a The New Yorker staff writer, Joseph Mitchell (Stanley Tucci), hears about a man, Joe Gould (Ian Holm), who is writing an Oral History of the World from his over twenty-thousand conversations he’s had and overheard. Joseph is about to meet a man who is many things, but is he a writer or a con man? This is a fascinating film directed by Stanley Tucci about Joseph Mitchell and his meeting a man who will change Joseph’s outlook on life and views of how the world operates. Holm is brilliant in the role of Gould, a man Joseph hopes is telling the truth about his book, but the more he spends with Joe, the less he feels the book is real. The film has an outstanding cast, including Patrias Clarkson, Hope Davis, Susan Sarandon, Sarah Hyland, and Steve Martin.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Joe Gould's Secret Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of M3GAN: Puppet Hair

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Maybe I Do (2023) PG-13 Michelle (Emma Roberts) and Allen (Luke Bracey) have been dating for a while, and they decide it’s time to decide if they should get married or breakup. They invite their parents to meet and help them figure out their relationship. It turns out the parents know each other well, in fact, too well. The cast includes Richard Gere, Diane Keaton, Susan Sarandon, and William H. Macy. That’s enough right there to see this film.    Maybe I Do Info   In theatres late January, 2023.

Until Next Time!