December 4, 2019 “Killerman” (** out of four) was a sordid underworld thriller about two money launderers (Chris Helmsworth and Emory Cohen) in NYC who become involved in a lucrative drug deal that backfires once corrupt cops become involved and one (Helmsworth) escapes with amnesia and the drugs and money and has to piece together his involvement in the incident while staying alive and trying to expose the corruption involving the cops and the underworld. Violent and ugly thriller is never boring but gives you no one to root for. Gritty NYC atmosphere is well-captured by writer/director Malik Bader and cinematographer Ken Seng but isn’t enough to kill the bad taste the film leaves behind. Continue reading →
December 3, 2019 “The Laundromat” (**1/2 out of four) was a well-made but not revelatory melodrama about a grieving widow (Meryl Streep) who begins to launch her own investigation into insurance fraud which leads her to Panama City in which she discovers that two law partners (Gary Oldman and Antonio Banderas) have been exploiting and profiteering from the world’s financial system. With that cast (including Robert Patrick and James Cromwell) and A-list pedigree including director Steven Soderbergh, it’s easy to watch………but it never connects emotionally and never shifts into high-gear and we’ve been down this road of big business, capitalism, and corruption too many times before. Director Soderbergh himself made a better film with similar themes in 2001’s “Traffic.” Continue reading →
December 3, 2019 “The Whyte Album” (* out of four) was an incomprehensible time-waster about a 17-year old (Sara Barker) who learns that her famous rock-star father Jac- get it Jac Whyte- (Jonathan Lee Barker) has emerged from a long-term coma and she has to take him home and nurse him back to health and establish a bond with him. Documentary black-and-white photography is pretty in some scenes but otherwise you’ve been warned. Even die-hard Beatles fans will likely be as bored as anyone else. Continue reading →
December 2, 2019 “Blue Story” (** out of four) was a pretty routine story which is an expansion of Rapman’s YouTube video series about two young friends (Stephen Odubola and Micheal Ward) who become rivals in a street war which leads them both out for bloodthirsty revenge against one another in which only one will come out on top. Energetically directed by Rapman and moves fast enough but is so by-the-numbers and predictable it’s hard to get into. Hardcore fans might find more of relevance here. Gritty cinematography by Simon Stolland is a definite plus. Continue reading →
December 2, 2019 “The Irishman” (***1/2 out of four) was a majestic criminal underworld epic about the title character Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro) and his involvement with the mob (Harvey Keitel, Joe Pesci, and others) and how this culminated in his relationship and possible killing of Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino). Undeniably long at three-and-a-half hours but masterfully told and directed by Martin Scorcese in a crackling return to form to his mob-underworld roots and brought to life by a first-rate cast. Amazing C.G.I. work impressively makes all of the principal actors look decades younger! Pacino, in particular, stands out in his most forceful performance in years as Hoffa. Kudos also to long-time Scorcese editor Thelma Schoonmaker and to various homages that Scorcese throws in to his previous classics (“Good Fellas” in particular). Continue reading →
December 2, 2019 “Jay And Silent Bob Reboot” (*1/2 out of four) was a generally brainless reboot of the 2001 cult movie “Jay And Silent Bob Strikes Back”; this time around, the two stoner heroes (Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes) venture back to Hollywood to prevent a reboot of the “Bluntman And Chronic” movie from being made. Abjectly stupid movie is only for those who thought the original “Jay And Silent Bob” was robbed at Oscar time. Movies like these make you wonder whether writer/director Smith will ever write a movie with intelligent characters or dialogue again. Matt Damon, Rosario Dawson, Method Man, and Redman and many others show up in unfunny cameos. Continue reading →
December 2, 2019 “A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood” (** out of four) was a rather glum melodrama focusing on the relationship between children’s television star Fred Rogers (Tom Hanks) and journalist Tom Junod (Matthew Rhys) and how their interaction helps the journalist’s relationship with his dying father (Chris Cooper) and his distant wife (Susan Kelechi Watson). Hanks is simply perfect casting as Rogers and does a fabulous job impersonating Rogers’ voice and mannerisms. Unfortunately, the majority of the film focuses on Junod and his various relationships and they’re pretty boring after a while. What a shame. A great biography of Rogers still should be made. Continue reading →
December 1, 2019 “Dark Waters” (*** out of four) was an absorbing and compelling story about a high-rolling corporate defense attorney (Mark Ruffalo) who has a crisis of conscience and decides to take on an environmental lawsuit against a chemical company whose pollution affected thousands and he gradually becomes obsessed with taking them to court and restoring justice, at any personal and professional cost to his career. Sharply made and directed by Todd Haynes, in a story that bears a lot of similarity to both “A Civil Action” and “Michael Clayton.” Ruffalo is adequate in the lead but is surrounded by a first-rate supporting cast including Bill Pullman, Tim Robbins, and Anne Hathaway. Continue reading →
December 1, 2019 “The Goldfinch” (** out of four) was a heavy-handed adaptation of Donna Tartt’s 2013 best-selling novel about a young man (Ansel Egort) whose mother is killed in a bombing at The Metropolitan Museum Of Art and he escapes only with a valuable painting called The Goldfinch which he leans on emotionally and financially through adolescence. Well-directed by John Crowley and features a few interesting dramatic scenes but overlong, weird, and never terribly moving. Luke Wilson and Nicole Kidman stand-out in minor supporting roles. Continue reading →
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