January 7, 2022 “The Unforgivable” (*** out of four) was a harrowing melodrama about a woman (Sandra Bullock) released from prison after decades for a murder and tries to put the pieces of her life back together but finds this is hard as society will simply not allow her to move on as she encounters difficulties with jobs, housing, etc. A powerful story of a woman trying to put her life back together and the resistance she encounters; Bullock is strong in a role definitely against type. Unfortunately, story loses some of its potency by throwing in some unconvincing story elements and characters and going on too long but is still definitely worthwhile. Continue reading →
January 4, 2022 “Aileen Wuornos: American Boogeywoman” (** out of four) was a superficial biography of one of the most notorious female serial killers ever set in 1976 showing her (Peyton List) as she arrives in Florida and marries a wealthy older man (Tobin Bell) and moves into high society but is unable to leave her murderous impulses behind her. Film doesn’t tell you much about her you don’t intuitively know and is patted out into the context of a standard film biography. ‘70’s detail impressive and List tries in the lead but is unable to enrich the material. Bell is good in an unusual role but he seems to be just killing time until he plays Jigsaw again Continue reading →
January 3, 2022 “The Last Son” (*1/2 out of four) was a leaden Western about an outlaw (Sam Worthington looking a lot like Fred Durst) who attempts to evade capture and end his evil family line while others (Thomas Jane, Heather Graham) try to help him and bring him in. Latest in a long line of Westerns is molasses-moving and overly familiar with barely enough plot to keep it afloat. Hopefully this is “the last” Western for a while unless Clint Eastwood wants to return to the genre. Continue reading →
January 3, 2022 “Jekyll And Hyde” (*1/2 out of four) was a lackluster melodrama set in 50’s London in which a determined lawyer (Tom Hendryk) begins investigating his close friend Dr. Henry Jekyll (Michael McKell) who is accused of a horrific murder and begins to suspect that there may be more to this than meets the eye which blurs the terrifying line between reality and fantasy. Umpteenth retelling of Robert Louis Stephenson’s classic story is stuffy and inert. Hide away from this wooden timewaster and watch the classic 1931 version instead. Continue reading →
January 2, 2022 “Code Of Silence” (** out of four) was a stilted underworld melodrama set in ’60’s London in which The Krays (both played by Ronan Summers) were in full-power and terror over other mob organizations and businesses but one hard-nosed detective (Stephen Moyer) sought to bring them down leading to a bloodbath of ruthless double-crosses and dealings. Reasonably well-acted but never jumpstarts and seems all-too-familiar and derivative to carry sufficient charge. By now, there have been so many movies about The Krays and their reign of control that their subject matter just doesn’t inspire the craze that it used to. Continue reading →
January 1, 2022 “American Siege” (*1/2 out of four) was an American dud about a grizzled small-town sheriff (Bruce Willis) who battles a gang of thieves (led by Timothy Murphy) once they take a wealthy doctor (Cullen G. Chambers) hostage and threaten the town but he soon finds there might be more to their motives and underlying reasons than meets the eye. Substandard Willis actioner in which he sleepwalks and picks up another easy DVD check; would it kill him at this point to pick an action movie with some style and originality? Some of the Georgia scenery is pretty but this is still pretty much a “siege” to make it through. Continue reading →
January 1, 2022 “The Gardener” (*1/2 out of four) was a wilted action potboiler about a gardener (Robert Bronzi) at a wealthy manor estate who has to return to utilizing his deadly martial arts skills when a brutal gang of thieves (led by Gary Daniels) ambush the estate and threaten the family (Nicola Wright, Richard Kovacs, and Jake Watkins) for whom he works. As I’ve noted before- it’s positively eerie how much Bronzi reminds you of Charles Bronson but even Bronson himself couldn’t have enlivened this limp pile of action cliches. Someone should cast him in a new “Death Wish” remake pronto! Continue reading →
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