December 7, 2019 “Jumanji: The Next Level” (** out of four) was a silly continuation of the series about the returning gang (Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, and others) who have to return to the game but find that it’s been changed as they have to face new perils involving arid deserts and snowy mountains to come out alive. Fourth in the series is really more-of-the-same and is for fans of the series only. Even the visual effects and sets seem pretty by-the-numbers. Brings to mind the term “bored games” in more ways than one. Continue reading →
December 7, 2019 “Where’d You Go Bernadette” (** out of four) was a curiously unmoving and aloof story about a devoted mom (Cate Blanchett) who decides to return to her creative passions for engineering after years of sacrificing herself for others and her family (Billy Crudup and Emma Nelson) but this new start takes her on a personal and professional adventurous journey that will change her life and that of her family. Disappointing teaming of Blanchett, director Richard Linklater, and writer Maria Semple for whom this novel is based on. Blanchett and Crudup are solid as always but story is unfocused and less-than-compelling. Continue reading →
December 6, 2019 “Untouchable” (*** out of four) was a powerfully done documentary about the rise and fall of movie mogul Harvey Weinstein from his beginnings in being a small-time concert promoter in Buffalo to being the chairman of Miramax Films and the multiple women he allegedly abused and assaulted over the years which eventually came out and destroyed his career. Film features candid interviews with Rosanna Arquette, Erika Rosenbaum, and shows interesting archive footage of Weinstein on interviews showing a man who many (including myself) idolized as an icon of independent film but was allegedly a monster and how this was hidden from the public for decades. Continue reading →
December 5, 2019 “The Last Photograph” (**1/2 out of four) was a moody but meandering character study of a middle-aged bookshop owner (Danny Huston who also directed) whose life comes to a personal and emotional crossroads when his shop is robbed and his last photograph with his son is stolen from him. Huston’s strong work on both sides of the camera helps keep this unwieldy drama on track; he shows a flair for mood and eeriness but movie’s plodding pace begins to drag things down after a while. A mixed bag to be sure but worth checking out for Huston fans. Peter Raeburn’s stirring musical score is a standout. Continue reading →
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 →
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