May 21, 2017May 21, 2017 “Kidnap” (*** out of four) was a nerve-wracking thriller about a single mother (Halle Berry) whose son is suddenly kidnapped when they are walking in the park together; she then loses her cell phone but takes up in high pursuit of the kidnappers and will stop at nothing to stay behind them on the freeway and retrieve her son! Breathless thriller doesn’t let up for a minute once it gets going. Berry is first-rate and believable in every mother’s worst nightmare. Only some minor gaps in logic keep this from scoring a direct hit. Very similar in some ways to one of Berry’s last movies “The Call.” Continue reading →
May 21, 2017May 21, 2017 “Lovesong” (** out of four) was a muddled road-trip story about the deepening relationship between two friends (Riley Keough, Jena Malone) as they take an impromptu road trip and begin to open up and fully understand one another. Film is well-acted and reasonably well-made but is overall hazy and aloof and fails to connect on an emotional level. Keough is good and Malone once again proves she’s a solid character actress but we simply don’t know enough- and thus- don’t care enough about their characters Continue reading →
May 21, 2017May 21, 2017 “Alien: Covenant” (*1/2 out of four) was a lifeless continuation of the legendary series about a space crew (Michael Fassbender, Billy Crudup, Katherine Waterston, and others) who discover an uncharted planet which turns out to be inhabited by aliens which wreak havoc. Virtually a remake of the original “Alien” from 1979 without its scares or style and without adding anything new to the series. Takes forever to get going and even the best scenes are replicas of scenes from earlier entries. A huge disappointment from series creator Ridley Scott who also made the interesting last entry “Prometheus”. Fassbender’s usual terrific performance is film’s sole virtue. Continue reading →
May 18, 2017 “King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword” (** out of four) was an overlong, overdone retelling of the classic story about King Arthur (Charlie Hunnam) who grows up on the streets of Londinium having no idea that he is the rightful ruler of England following the brutal murder of his father from his ruthless uncle Vortigern (Jude Law). Upon discovering this, he then joins a group of outlaws to take on the king and assume his destiny. Director Guy Ritchie’s usual attention-deficit camerawork and hyperactive editing hold your attention at times but it fails to disguise that the central story is repetitive and dull. Despite its literary roots, much of the story and many scenes seems lifted from “Braveheart” and “Gladiator.” Continue reading →
May 17, 2017 “Another You” (*1/2 out of four) was a hokey psychological thriller that could clearly use some psychological help about a young science major (Ksenia Solo) who falls in love with a fellow student (Diego Boneta) and refuses to let him go at all costs and begins to lose herself in a scientific breakthrough experiment of deja vu that tests her (and the audience’s) sanity. Some interesting plot layers involving love and psychological exploration are lost by film’s nonsensical story and dreary presentation. By the way, this is not a remake of the 1991 Gene Wilder-Richard Pryor comedy “Another You.” Pick another movie instead. Continue reading →
May 17, 2017 “The Last Word” (** out of four) was a curiously flat and unmoving story about the relationship between a bitter and tyrannical old woman (Shirley Maclaine) who hires a journalist (Amanda Seyfried) to write her obituary but this leads to them striking up a friendship that affects both their lives. A perfect role for Maclaine who plays this familiar part with ease but that doesn’t mean we care about (or like) her character at all. Seyfried is good but her and Maclaine never create much sparks or chemistry. A disappointing result from noted music video director Mark Pellington who made the sensational and underrated 1999 work “Arlington Road.” Continue reading →
May 16, 2017 “Lake Alice” (** out of four) was a ho-hum horror show about a family who goes to their cabin in the woods to celebrate Christmas together with their daughter and her new boyfriend but they find themselves besieged and slaughtered by a murderous bunch of rednecks and psychotics. Reheated mix of “Friday The 13th”, “You’re Next”, and (oh I almost forgot) “The Cabin In The Woods” is neither the best nor the worst of its kind but too routine to make an impression, and too constrained by a low budget. It’s movies like these that make you realize what a masterwork the original “Friday The 13th” series was by comparison. Continue reading →
May 16, 2017 “Southside With You” (*** out of four) was an absorbing story set in the summer of 1989 about the fateful first date between Barack (Parker Sawyers) and Michelle Obama (Tika Sumter) which took them through the Southside of Chicago as they discussed their upbringings and political idealism on how the country needed to be changed. One of two biographical films of Obama released last year (“Barry” was the other), this lacks the other film’s emotional heft and resonance but is still well-done and entertaining. Sawyers and Sumter are perfectly cast in the leads. Continue reading →
May 16, 2017 “7 Witches” (*1/2 out of four) was a plodding horror thriller about two newlyweds (Persephone Apostolou and Mike Jones) who decide to rent an island which is cursed and under the complete domination of seven witches who take them in but they soon find they are unable to leave. More scares and thrills were available in “The Craft” or even “Witches Of Eastwick” but at least it’s mercifully short at only an hour and 10 minutes. Moody music score by Brady Hall and eerie cinematography from Ryan Purcell are some of film’s few virtues. Continue reading →
May 16, 2017 “Extortion” (**1/2 out of four) was a compelling thriller about an American tourist (Eion Bailey) on vacation with his family in the Caribbean. When they become stranded on an island, he finds himself at the mercy of a cold-blooded fisherman (Barkhad Abdi) who aims to extort and kill them. Tense and nerve-jangling thriller is efficient and well-acted but loses its way towards the end, and starts to become overly ridiculous. Danny Glover is solid as usual as a detective on the case and Abdi is strong in playing virtually the same role he played in “Captain Phillips”. Continue reading →
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