Category: Uncategorized

“Moana” (*** out of four) was a nicely done Disney animated feature set in ancient Polynesia when a historic curse reaches the island in which a Chieftain’s daughter lives and she subsequently answers the Ocean’s call to seek out the demigod to resolve the curse and set things right. Less-than-perfect music score and flimsy (and at times strange) story are more than compensated by likeable characters and Disney’s usual spectacular and colorful animation. Not one of Disney’s best animated features but still entertaining.

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“Burn Country” (** out of four) was a mild crime melodrama about a former war journalist from Afghanistan (Dominic Rains) who settles in a small town in California and takes a job at a local newspaper but stumbles into a local corruption plot involving small-town cops and others which puts him and the townsfolk in the crossfire. Never terribly exciting or compelling, despite interesting subject matter. Rains is good but film doesn’t match his fervor or conviction. Good supporting cast including Melissa Leo and James Franco is wasted.

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“Max Steel” (*** out of four) was a likeable adaptation of the comic book and cartoon series about a high-school teenager (Ben Winchell) who is turned into the turbo-charged superhero Max Steel and is befriended by an alien robot who guides him as he tries to evolve into his new powers and also solve the childhood mystery of the death of his father. Winchell’s strong and sincere performance helps make this into an imperfect but surprisingly entertaining teenager/comic book drama. Highly similar in story and structure to “Spider Man” but also highly better than most critics have said.

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“Nocturnal Animals” (**1/2 out of four) was an engrossing but pointless psychological thriller about an art gallery owner (Amy Adams) who becomes fascinated and scared by the title book from her ex-husband (Jake Gyllenhaal) about a violent rape and kidnapping. Film alternates between the events of the book and Adams’ reactions to them in her own life. Film has some chilling and tense moments which keep you watching, and Adams is dynamite as always, but doesn’t lead to a satisfying conclusion, with an abrupt ending that is strange to say the least. Gyllenhaal is OK but Aaron Taylor Johnson is scary as one of the film’s main villains.

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“Beyond The Gates” (** out of four) was a not-bad adventure/horror story about two estranged brothers (Matt Mercer and Jesse Erlin) who reunite at their missing father’s video store to sell off its assets but they soon find the title boardgame which holds a key to their father’s disappearance but leads to deadly consequences. Homage to ’80’s video stores and boardgames popularity doesn’t fully take off but has a few laughs and a few gory, entertaining death scenes. Worth watching on a draggy night and for those of us who grew up in the ’80’s.

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“Sugar Mountain” (** out of four) was a hollow melodrama about two brothers (Drew Roy and Shane Coffey) who are down on their luck and fake a disappearance in the Alaskan wilderness. Upon returning home, they sell their survival story to the press but the hard-nosed town officer (Cary Elwes) investigates leading to duplicity and lies and (eventually) murder. Handsomely shot with lots of beautiful Alaskan scenery but story becomes more contrived and unbelievable until it falls apart. Nice to see that Elwes hasn’t aged much in the near-30 years since “The Princess Bride”. Rich music score by Alies Sluiter.

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“All We Had” (***1/2 out of four) was a rock-solid, emotionally heartfelt coming-of-age drama about a down-on-her-luck mom (Katie Holmes) who struggles raising her daughter (Stefania Lavie Owen) in poverty but their strong bond and determination helps them to stay afloat as life throws them one hurdle after another. Impressive directing debut for Holmes who does good work on both sides of the camera and tells her story with raw poignancy but Owen is equally good as her tough and precocious daughter. A real sleeper about the bond between mothers and daughters and persevering through struggles and poverty.

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“The Disappointments Room” (*1/2 out of four) was a disappointing horror thriller about a mother (Kate Beckinsale) and her young son (Duncan Joiner) who move into a remote house in the countryside where (yawn) horrors from the attic are unleashed and begin to wreak havoc. Beckinsale is really a sight to see in rare blond hair but aside from that originality, this is strictly routine and by-the-numbers and is deficient in scares or thrills. Stanley Kubrick is probably turning over in his grave by now with the amount of times “The Shining” has been ripped off.

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“Frank And Lola” (** out of four) was a stylish but sluggish, empty psychodrama about a chef (Michael Shannon) who begins a relationship with a woman he chances to meet (Imogen Poots) which leads to obsession and love and he then subsequently sets out for revenge against a man (Stellan Skarsgard) who may or may not have harmed her in the past. Good performances can only do so much to make you care about this uninvolving and cold story. Shannon once again shows he’s a dynamite character actor and Skarsgard is terrific but both could have used a sharper script and story.

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“Run The Tide” (**1/2 out of four) was a touching but uneven melodrama about an older brother (Taylor Lautner) who kidnaps his younger brother (Nico Christou) and takes him to the California coast when their drug-addicted and formerly abusive mother (Constance Zimmer) is released from prison and both her and the authorities are in full pursuit. Lautner’s strong performance makes the centerpiece of this imperfect story which has some moving scenes but starts to run out of steam as story gradually becomes more contrived and overlong. Still a nice try and worth watching as a showcase for Lautner and that there’s life after “Twilight.”

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