December 25, 2022 “Infinite” (*1/2 out of four) was an infinitely derivative action thriller about a man (Mark Wahlberg) who begins to have various hallucinations which he begins to realize are reflections from his past lives; a rogue female (Sophie Cookson) attempts to help him remember while a crooked business mogul (Chiwetel Eljofor) attempts to track him down and utilize his memories for ill gains. Director Antoine Fuqua obviously watched “The Matrix” a few times before as film liberally (and incoherently) rips that film off and throws in some “John Wick” and “Bourne Identity” into the blender as well. Cookson provides films only sparks; the dynamic Eljofor is unrecognizable and wasted here. Continue reading →
December 24, 2022 “Where The Crawdads Sing” (**1/2 out of four) was a flavorful if uneven adaptation of Delia Owens’ best-selling novel about a woman (Daisy Edgar-Jones) who survived a tumultuous and abusive childhood and then raised herself on her own finds herself accused of murder of a man she once knew and she re-tells her story of growing up to her attorney (David Straitharn) who is the only one by her side. Stark cinematography from Polly Morgan and strong performances all around keep you involved but film never gathers much momentum and is never as incisive or powerful as it should have been. Marginally worth watching especially for fans of Owens’ novel. Continue reading →
December 24, 2022 “Assailant” (** out of four) was a subpar suspense thriller about a married couple (Chad Michael Collins and Poppy Delevigne) who vacation to the Carribean in an attempt to salvage their marriage and encounter a drifter (Casper Van Diem) who turns out to be a severely dangerous sociopath who turns against them and hunts them down and they realize they have to stay together to defeat him and survive. Tired potboiler goes in all the familiar and predictable directions you expect although this is an image-altering role for Van Diem who is solid as the villain. Easy to watch but just as simply easy to forget by the end. Continue reading →
December 24, 2022 “The Aviary” (*1/2 out of four) was a nonsensical horror claptrap about two women (Malin Akerman and Lorenza Izzo) who are stranded in the New Mexico desert and start to gradually lose their minds as they realize they are being followed and scrutinized by an insidious cult leader (Chris Messina) whose intentions remain unknown. Good performances by Akerman and Izzo and filmmaking can’t help to make you realize that this is much ado about absolutely nothing. By the end, it seems pointless and arbitrary. Crisp cinematography from Elie Smolkin is an undeniable standout throughout. Continue reading →
December 23, 2022 “Clowns In The Woods” (* out of four) was a lame horror thriller about a disabled young man (Dalton Letta) who is killed in a prank gone wrong and then meets a series of ghostly clowns in the afterlife (Arlowe Price and Greg Lentz) who help him return to life reincarnated to enact revenge on those who killed him. Strictly amateur night in terms of acting and cinematics and you’ll likely find more scares (and laughs) at an Insane Clown Posse concert instead. Speaking of which- maybe it’s about high time they stopped making movies on the novelty of killer clowns. Continue reading →
December 23, 2022 “Ashgrove” (** out of four) was an overly bland and mild suspense melodrama set in the not-too-distant future in which the title scientist (Amanda Brugel) is struggling to find a cure for a worldwide pandemic; frustrated, she retreats to the countryside with her husband (Jonas Chernick) and soon finds that her ability to find the cure hinges on their relationship and whether they stay together or not. Interesting plot elements with obvious allusions to the current world are dissipated by film’s aloofness and cloudy feel. Brugel is solid in the lead; she also co-wrote and co-produced. Continue reading →
December 21, 2022 “The Unkind” (*1/2 out of four) was a wearily derivative horror thriller about various friends (Arianna Monguzi, Kavita Albizatti, Corey T. Stewart, and others) who vacation in Italy and accidentally (yawn) awaken the ancient spirit of a witch at a sealed grave and all Hell subsequently breaks loose. Film is so by-the-numbers and so strewn with cliches that it’s unintentionally funny at times. For anyone who actually stays with the film, film’s lame ending is a real downer. And not to be “unkind” but aside from Monguzi in the lead most performances are terrible. Continue reading →
December 19, 2022 “The Hanging Sun” (** out of four) was a gloomy adaptation of Jo Nesbo’s novel set in Italy about a reluctant hitman (Alessandro Borghi) who is on the run from his former employer (Peter Mullan) and trying to move on from his past as he falls in love with a new woman (Jessica Brown Findlay) but is confronted by a series of emotional incidents that test his commitment to starting over as he finds his own dark and brutal instincts continue to rise to the surface. Beautiful and moody cinematography from Jessica Bruel makes this worth watching for at least a little while but story is aimless and never develops much momentum. Even still, this won praise and some awards at the Venice International Film Festival. Continue reading →
December 19, 2022 “Avatar: The Way Of Water” (***1/2 out of four) was an extravagant sequel to the 2009 classic about the continuing adventures of Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) who continues to live with his family (Zoe Saldana, Kate Winslet, Sigourney Weaver) and others on the moon Pandora but their life is once again threatened by the return of the RDA and the vicious colonel (Stephen Lang) who has now returned as an avatar himself. Undeniably (and excessively) long at nearly three-and-a-half hours but never stops moving and never stops giving you things to look at as film is a virtual candy store of lush images and is packed with wall-to-wall dazzling visuals and effects. Underwater sequences in particular are a wow! Story is somewhat similar to original and doesn’t quite have the same intense punch but it’s masterfully told from writer/director James Cameron with his usual riveting virtuosity. Continue reading →
December 18, 2022 “Mindcage” (**1/2 out of four) was a moderately gripping suspense thriller about a seasoned detective (Martin Lawrence) and a rookie cop (Melissa Roxburgh) who turn to an incarcerated mass murderer (John Malkovich) when a copycat serial killer is on the prowl and is terrorizing the city. Good performances and skillful filmmaking keep you guessing and watching……..until a ludicrous finale that negates much of the film and pulls the rug out from under you. Overall worth watching and may remind viewers of “Seven” and “The Silence Of The Lambs” in key scenes. Lawrence is first-rate in an unusual change-of-pace role. Continue reading →
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