Reviews

Did not see this coming. I usually have a style that suits me and the tragic loner is my jam. But I usually need action, buxom babes and car chases, none of that here. It's simple and complex and asks the question "How would you choose?". Winston Duke lays a primer coat of bitterness over his unwavering pursuit of perfection in his choices. The score is moving but not intrusive. The dialogue is real and sharp. The sets and staging are homey. It felt well worn like and old shoe. It is that comfort level that makes the highs so high and the lows so cruel. The urgency of the final soliloquy is the stuff both actors and directors seek but seldom find. My favorite release of the year and possibly for many years. This is why I watch.

Start with a decent premise and good looking cast but the devil is in the details. Wardrobe and sets were college level. His beginnings as a car thief could have played into the finale. The sexual tension between Dutch and his lawyer was without purpose. The cars were nice but why the choices? Everything was underdeveloped more time on development and research could have made stars of the leads.

Wow, I find it hard to believe that people are surprised that a Hip Hop theme song shows up in a 2019 gangster story of the 60's. P.S. It is the prevalent musical genre of today. The 60's songs are great choices. The topic of interracial love is still controversial. The portrayals of Detroit Red and The Prophet seem spot on based on a 10 year old's recollection of people who drew crowds but I never understood why. People still will not accept that "The Numbers" is precursor of the modern day lottery. It's not a perfect depiction but is comes close at times.

It's easy to start thinking, what if I... But the truth is we really can't imagine getting accustomed to a bank account that seems inexhaustible, power that allows the biggest gaffe to go without consequence and relationships so tangled and arbitrary that any day could mean that the earth is now the moon and time your only constant. The sharply edged characters with their wit and willful disregard for the needs of anyone save themselves does make us wonder if it would be worth it. I've decided it would be.

There is a story here but it's not quite a mystery and not a myth. It tries too hard to inject modern social commentary without a good one to one comparison. Are the fae like the influx of immigrants from Mexico and Central America? There is a better semblance of Korean refugees. The best might have been to pattern the plight to that of the Vietnamese who fought against the North and then were forced to flee. The result is a hodgepodge not clear in its allegory that begs for it's own mythology. The names are pretentious and the middle Victorian setting a bit contrived. Additionally, it could better leverage the beauty of Cara Delavingne if it was a bit more original and much more contemporary. All that said, many scifi fans will adore it and if the producers were brilliant, they would move ahead each season by a generation bring us quickly to today in another reality.

Poignant, funny, thought provoking with a big performance by Justin Lin. It speaks to Korean culture while reflecting the pressure on corporate America. His point is made without being heavy handed.

A doppled canvas of characters and motivations make this a funny story but less than a funny movie. It is hard to follow and difficult to relate to the leads. I really wanted to like Kathleen Turner but she and Frances Fisher are both a bit less than the stars they once were. I found myself thinking about my shopping list during the touching moments where I should be touched. The stars are really Jessica Pare as Carrie the off the grid artist sister and Wallace Shawn as the platonic date for Barbara. Also a shout out to the character of Q who could have bumped the interest up a notch if given more dialogue.

The idea of the world changing idea gone wrong is not new. Grey is portrayed aptly by Logan Marshal-Green but the real stars are S.T.E.M.'s cloistered inventor, Eron (Harrison Gilbertson) and Benedict Hardie as bad guy Fisk. But I can't neglect to mention the androgynous hacker who spouts the films best lines. You can feel the horrific talent of Leigh Whanell who wrote the Saw and Insidious franchises. Grisly at times but benefits from Whannell's writing and direction.

I love Natalie Dormer's classic beauty as it has an underlying strength to it. I loved her in Game of Thrones and The Tudors but she really gets the spotlight in this engaging thriller. The problem is the ending seems like is should have been the sequel. In Hockey, they saying goes "Play for 60 minutes", Anthony Byrne was up 5-0 going into the 3rd and lost 6-5 in overtime. By trying to make the ending too twisty, he loses all of the momentum he had so carefully and effectively constructed. This could have been a classic with a bit more modern action and more pathos in the back story especially towards the end. Anthony's TV background shows and not in a good way.

How well do we know those we love? This movie asks if our love is true, will it endure even if we find they have done something truly heinous? Jesse Buckley is great as the female lead, part ugly duckling and part rebel. I really liked the depiction of the suspicious townspeople and the prim and proper attitude of Moll's family. I see a bit of James Dean in Johnny Flynn as Pascal. He is a troubled yet charismatic figure who steals your heart and then gut punches you.

I really like the casting for this movie. Both Asa Butterfield and Alex Wolff are great choices for the rebellious teens with unique situations that they attempt to overcome. Ellen Burstyn makes an authentic hippie grown old who maintains her antiquated ideals from the 70's. Nick Offerman as the single father of 2 teens who both have been scarred by his son's transplant. It is a tragic comedy that touches a number of age old teen angst topics. Another example of how a modest film with a limited budget can tell a marvelous story and develop characters we can feel real empathy for. The first film I have seen to capture the well intended but misguided Minnesota utopian world I once lived in.

I had a hard time not making this the worst movie I have seen this year but Snoop Dogg's perfomances as the "Love Lord" made the difference. It's not as bad as Birthmarked but not by much due mostly because it has bankable stars. James Franco as the "Warlord and Milla Jovovich as the "Drug Lord" were both awful as both performances were over the top. The movie also featured Lucy Liu, Rumer Willis and Method Man in appropriately poor perfomances.

Amateurish writing and incorrect choices for sets, location and props make this the poster boy for how not to make a movie.

This is a much better movie than many will realize. It's unknown star Alden Ehrenreich does a decent job stepping into the shoes of a legendary character. Donald Glover has all of the style and panache to sell the performance as Lando. The biggest surprise is that Opie does it again taking less than ideal casting and a risky departure for the saga and pulls it off. But the effects are good not great. The actors are still lost in the very large shadows of their predecessors. But the biggest miss of all is Woddy Harreelson who should not be in this movie. Less than memorable but not nearly as bad as it should have been (Thanks, Mr. Howard!)

Ok, I admit it. During violent movies I will close my eyes periodically. I did it in John Wick. I did it in Kingsmen - The Secret Service. In this movie, I always reopened them too early. It is a violent, foul mouthed, politically incorrect movie about a hero only a mother could love. Oops, theat's his face. Oops, his mother would be appalled. This is the movie his ffans wanted and he delivered. The X-Force concept was executed perfectly. My favorite character was Domino because she reminds me of Angela Davis back in the day. Josh Brolin is tired as Cable but it fits the character. Morena Baccarin as his wife is the personification of hot girl loves bad boy.

I love the career trajectory of Olivia Holt. She is starring in her second film and it is just right for her. Her character is a self centered, driven young woman with her eye on becoming a Supreme Court justice. Enter Bernie, the perfect dupe for her, a quirky loner without a clue. It's teen romance movie magic. Eric Stoltz does a great job of showcasing Skylar Gisando as Bernie without forgetting who the real star is. Too bad it will never reach the audience it deserves.

I have seen a lot of pretty decent movies this year that are focused on senior issues. Finding Your Feet, Final Portrait and The Leisure Seeker all deal in different ways with elements of aging. Although, this movie is not quite as good or as serious, it is a fun look at how these women decide to "Not go quietly into the night". This is a romantic comedy that shows how a stimulating common experience can jumpstart lives that have begun to wither. The four main characters all bring remnants of their heyday and are all still attractive, talented woimen.

Talking dogs, talking babies, talking cars. There usually only one good movie ever made but they continue to try. Thankfully, this will forever make it harder to finance a talking dog movie. Don't get me wrong, Ludacris was funny as Max, the streetwise canine cop. Casting did their job as many voices were spot on but with no script, direction and inferior production values, they had no chance. The CGI was mildly inventive but the rest was awful.

A classic thriller with a weak script and multiple lackluster perfomances. Another case of a passable story reduced to a unimaginative work that wastes the talents of decent actors. Jason Chatwin does a good job with little support and the work of Peter Stormare is first rate as the baddie. If you like John Wick or Proud Mary you may find this interesting but most will lose interest quickly.

Cookie is even badder in this role a female assassin. Taraji shows how a woman can be as violent as a man an still look good doing it. She gets to show her softer side when she interacts with Danny the orphan she decides to look out for. It is the interaction between Danny and Mary that makes the film. Danny Glover is refreshing as the aging OG who shows he still has the guts to make the hard choices. Glover's son and Mary's ex is a hardened criminal that never quite got over her.

Jennifer Lawrence is the #1 female movie star today and she carries a thin plot and weak cast to create an enjoyable glimpse into the former U.S.S.R. It bears a strong resemblance to Luc Besson's epic work "La Femme Nikita" which still holds up after 27 years as my favorite movie. But this is not that. It is overly brutal, depraved and cruel. There is none of the alliances the former had that gave Nikita (Josephine) her identity. And the characters of "The Matron" and "Uncle Vanya" were pure evil masters not mentors or teachers. Still Mary-Louise Parker was interesting as was Irishman Ciarian Hinds in his character as the head of Russian Intelligence.

Jon Hamm has become a true film star. His work in this effort is dazzling as the alcoholic, broken, former diplomatic whiz kid who gets called on to broker a deal that only he can make. A stout supporting cast brings the story to life that clearly shows a city at war. Many will see this as a unrealistic, stereotypical portrayal of both Lebanese and Israeli people which it is. But it is just a movie not revisionist history.

This 80's pop culture based sci-fi film is clearly a pet project of Steven Spielberg and as such seems to be a bit dated in it's premise but exquisite in it's execution. That being said, it is too long as happens too many times when unlimited budget meets the dream of a master storyteller. The young star Tye Sheridan has neither the skill or experience to meet the expectations. Also, the villain portrayed by although frequently seen an antagonist, his effort seems pedestrian rather than terrifying.

Margot Robbie is sensational as Tonya Harding, the tough and enormously talented skater who life was destroyed by a single act of cruelty that she may not have been involved in. Great story, poorly told using annoying first person monologues from the principals in "The Incident". I would have told her story from that of a reporter as it was the money shot for weeks on end finally ending with Tonya's emotional collapse of national TV. Great work from Allison Janney as her cruel, abusive mother and Mackenna Grace (Gifted) as young Tonya.

Many would question whether it is worth nearly $100 million dollars to remake an iconic film that was the gold standard in video game adaptations.