Author Archives: Ron

About Ron

I like to watch movies and share my thoughts on them. I have been writing reviews and distributing them since 2013.

Ready Player One

Ready Player One             4 stars

Ready Player One, directed by Steven Spielberg seems like an appropriate movie for now as we isolate from one another and communicate through electronic devices.  In this movie, set decades in the future, most people live in poverty while a small segment live well working for giant corporations.  The masses escape their reality by venturing into the Oasis, a virtual world where people meet through their avatars and compete to find the treasures that its creator, James Halliday left behind but he died.  Our hero, Wade Watts is determined to do what no one has been able to do, find the hidden keys that will lead to the Easter Egg, giving the recipient total control over Oasis.  Of course there is a sinister corporation called IOI headed by the evil Sorrento, who will stop at nothing to get control of Oasis even if it means hurting Wade and his friends.  The movie is filled with pop culture references to movies, comic books and video games that others will appreciate even more than I did with what I managed to notice.  I especially liked the scenes from The Shining.  The references to Saturday Night Fever, Back to the Future and The Iron Giant were fun as well.  Even though I am not a video game player I enjoyed the action sequences and the visual effects.  The scenes continually alternate between reality and the virtual world with the result being a well put together story.  I was not at all bored through the two hour and twenty minute running time.  Be sure and watch for the appearance of one Simon Pegg!

Bohemian Rhapsody

Bohemian Rhapsody       2 ½ stars

I finally got the chance to see Bohemian Rhapsody, the 2018 biopic about Freddy Mercury, the lead singer of the legendary rock group Queen of the seventies and eighties.  It has much in common with other biopics about music legends we have seen in the past twenty years, the genius of a young performer, the troubled relationships with family, the flashes of genius and the downward spiral.  One type of movie I really love are those that show the creative process of writing a new song, how it gradually gets put together.  Here the formula is applied to We Will Rock You and Another One Bites the Dust,(both I remember well from the eighties) but it’s like the song is instantly put together in the heat of an argument.  Rami Malek does a good job as Mercury, but the look of his teeth was overdone.  There was some mention of his life style and his contracting AIDS, but for the most part the movie was not about this aspect of his life.  It did serve as a reminder of what the eighties was like, when gay people had to remain hidden even in the music industry and AIDS was ripping through the gay community.  The final scene of the LIVE AID concert was certainly entertaining even though much of it had to be lip synced.  If you watch it on DVD there is an extended version of the concert scene that is even more enjoyable.  There are other musical biopics I liked much better.  The ones about Elton John and James Brown come to mind.

High Life

High Life              3 ½ stars

I missed High Life in the theaters but finally got the chance to see it on video. This highly unusual film by Claire Denis is a confusing science fiction story concerning a group of people, all young and attractive, on a space ship hurtling through the solar system.  The movie has a slow pace and includes little in the way of special effects for a science fiction film. It is filled with symbolism and morally ambiguous characters.  High Life starts with Monte (Robert Pattinson) and his baby daughter on the mysterious spaceship.  The ship is completely self-sustaining including a green house and recycling of human waste.  Before long it is discovered that there was a whole crew on the ship who are now all dead, leaving the two remaining passengers to carry on.  The rest of the movie is a flash back that shows us the crew on the voyage and reveals (sort of) what happened to them.  We learn that this is an experimental space ship where all of the crew are criminals who have committed capital crimes and they are on a mission to a mysterious black hole, never to return.  There is a doctor named Doctor Dibs (Juliette Binoche), also a murderer who is the one in charge and who also performs medical experiments on her subjects which include trying to get some of them pregnant without their knowledge.  The crew all have some type of aberrant behavior leading some to commit murder and suicide.  Some seem to be trying to atone for their past misdeeds such as Monte being a caring father or Dibs trying to create new life after taking lives while on Earth.  I have not seen many movies by Denis, but have read that she always tries to make the audience uncomfortable which she has certainly done this time.  I also must warn you that the ending may be less than satisfying!  Once again here is a fine performance by Robert Pattinson.

Spinal Tap II: The End Continues

Spinal Tap II: The End Continues                3 stars

It has been forty-one years since director Marty DiBergi brought us the documentary (or rockumentary) This is Spinal Tap that followed the legendary rock band Spinal Tap as they went on a meandering tour facing some rocky times and ended with a peculiar performance of their hit Stone Henge. The three rockers: Nigel Tufnel, David St. Hubbins and Derek Smalls continued to perform, but eventually, fifteen years ago they split up and went their separate ways having not spoken to one another in all that time. But ultimately, these talents couldn’t stay apart and started to explore the possibility of returning to the stage for an ultimate performance. That’s where Marty picks things up and follows their journey once more. The resulting sequel captures many moments of them reuniting in New Orleans where Nigel, David and Derek discuss the future of the group and rehearse for the big show. (The house they choose to rehearse in is thought to be haunted and is open to tours.) There are certainly some familiar things about them that many can remember from the original documentary including their odd sound system (“It goes up to eleven!”) and the many arguments and conflicts between them. This time there is a foot pedal contraption that goes beyond ridiculous. David and Nigel once again start their comical open hostility over the chords in a song they are writing. They even get Paul McCartney, who stops by for a visit, to (accidentally) join the arguments! There are some familiar faces that they run in to including Bobbi Flekman “The hostess with the mostest” and Artie Fufkin. Their manager has passed away so now it is his daughter, Hope Faith who assumes the manager role. You may remember the trouble that the band had finding a drummer because they keep dying in peculiar ways. (We learn that they lost a total of eleven drummers.) This time around they find a very talented drummer named Didi Crockett who fills the role. There are many chuckles in the movie, but it’s not exactly gut busting. Back in the eighties the group had a real over-the-top approach to things and their music was actually good. Now the aging rock stars are shadows of their former selves, but still fun to have around. They perform some of their hits that include All the Way Home, Hell Toupee and Listen to the Flower People. Be sure to stick around till the end. Do you remember the mini Stone Henge in the original movie? Well, it makes a return appearance in the final act and it is a real showstopper for sure!

EO

EO                          4 stars

The movie EO by Polish filmmaker Jerzy Skolimowski from 2022 is very dramatic, highly unusual and not for everyone. It follows the life of a fictional donkey named EO as he moves from one environment involving humans to another, with everything told from the point of view of the donkey. EO is a very obedient and compliant animal who never hurts anyone (with one surprising exception). He encounters people that are kind to him, like the trainer, Kasandra in a circus act who he mourns when they are separated, as well as people who treat him poorly like the owner who ships him to a show horse ranch after going bankrupt. The imaginative aspect of the film is in the unusual cinematography and colorful hues in scenes where the donkey is wandering through the landscape. Some of it made me think of the last scenes of 2001: A Space Odessey. EO’s various encounters seem disconnected from one another, some caused by the humans involved and others just by random events as EO chooses his own route. He often sees other animals in situations that he may be relating to like the show horses in one scene, a wolf who is shot, or other animals in an animal hospital. But there are always people in each place. Some want to take care of him (like an animal doctor) while others are indifferent or would see him suffer (like a group of rowdy football players). There are a few funny moments like when EO knocks over shelves containing show horse trophies. Unfortunately, he will have to face the consequences of his actions. Toward the end there is a surprise appearance by Isabelle Huppert as the stepmother of one of EO’s caregivers. As usual, she gives an especially emotional performance. The movie seems to be mainly about morality as we see how various individuals treat someone who is completely defenseless and at the mercy of them. EO is mainly in Polish and English. It was nominated for Best International film in 2023. The film being highly unusual, you will have to decide whether to see it based on the subject matter and your own tastes.

Lizzie

Lizzie     4 stars

The psychological thriller Lizzie from 2018 is a retelling of the Borden family murders in Falls River, Massachusetts in 1892.  It was a personal project of Chloe Sevigny who served as producer and star and is made more relevant by the recent MeToo movement for women’s rights to be heard in cases of sexual abuse.  Sevigny has the title role with Kristen Stewart starring as Bridget, the hired maid for the rich family.  Lizzie’s oppressive situation is clearly outlined with her life being controlled by her domineering father Andrew (a lecherous Jamey Sheridan). The family also includes her step mother (Fiona Shaw) and her sister Emma.  Even though she is 32 years old she is not allowed to leave the house at night.  Lizzie strikes up a close kinship with Bridget (who is called the diminutive “Maggie” by Andrew Borden) especially when it is discovered that her father has been molesting her regularly. In this version their close relationship develops into more than being just friends.  The movie focuses little on the investigation of the murders and the trial and concerns itself mainly with the oppressive situation of the female characters and how they are trapped in their world and can see no escape from it.  Lizzie can’t even count on an inheritance as Andrew takes steps to ensure her life would be controlled by men even in the event of his death.  The way Sevigny plays the role and the way the scenes are shot gives the movie a closed in feeling.  Of course the gruesome scene of the actual murders is included so the audience has no doubt what happened even though the jury could not find a guilty verdict.  Lizzie brings new life to this classic American tragedy.

The Hunt

The Hunt                                             2 ½ stars

Since I haven’t been to a theater in a long time, I went looking for a new release. I landed on The Hunt which has been called one of the most controversial recent movies. The Hunt is a violent political satire horror action movie that features the hunting down of people for sport on an isolated patch of land by a few rich elites.  The elites are believers in the usual left-wing issues like climate change, follow leftist authors and are led by Athena (Hilary Swank), a left winger who hates the kind of people who love Donald Trump.  A group of twelve people awake to find themselves in an unknown countryside and discover that they are all believers in the conspiracy theory that there is a place called The Manor where right wing types are hunted down by leftist elites. There are a few utterings of second amendment rights and the evils of immigrants. In a clearing there is a giant crate, that when opened reveals a pig and a giant cache of arms. It doesn’t take long till the shooting starts and the group finds that they are the prey. They gather the weapons available and try to escape while each is gunned down in ever increasing bloody and violent fashion.  The violence level is high in this one, (comparable to Revenge from a couple of years ago). There is an assortment of well known actors playing the right wingers. There is Emma Roberts who is Yoga Pants who doesn’t last very long. Justin Hartley from This Is Us is a hunter of exotic wildlife. Ike Barinholtz of The Mindy Project is Staten Island. Wayne Duvall is Don??. Ethan Suplee of My Name is Earl is Shut the F*** Up Gary. There is another character referred to as Target for reasons that become clear. As the body count increases one person emerges as more than Athena was counting on by the name of Crystal (Betty Gilpin of the TV show GLOWS) who is quite proficient with a gun and various hand to hand weapons. While it may not be entirely appropriate for our times, the movie effectively satirizes the common behavior of believing conspiracy theories without checking out the facts.  If you feel like combining political lunacy with bloody violence, then The Hunt might be for you as there is something in it for both sides. Who knows? President Trump might even like it.

Solo: A Star Wars Story

Solo: A Star Wars Story                  4 stars

By now everyone has seen the origin story of Han Solo titles Solo: A Star Wars Story, part of the Disney expansion of the Star Wars universe.  So I won’t go into any great detail about the story, other than to say it was an interesting departure from the other Star Ward movies.  Here story is that of an outlaw, Han Solo, joining with other outlaws to put together a colossal interstellar heist to steal some valuable treasure from some very sinister folks.  There is little mention of the empire or the force and we only see a couple of the characters that are so familiar from the other movies.  There is no shortage of action be it high speed chases, shootouts or space dog fights.  It looks like the critics were split on this one and I come on the side of those who thoroughly enjoyed the film.  Woody Harrelson does his usual bad guy impression as Beckett, the outlaw that Solo teams up with.  Paul Bettany is a convincing evil villain who you better not cross and we even get to see how Chewbacca and Han got together.  Also, Donald Glover and Phoebe Waller-Bridge make a well matched and very mouthy pair.  I could see there being a follow up film starring Alden Ehrenreich as the young Han.  If you haven’t seen it yet, what are you waiting for?

Blaze

Blaze                     4 stars

Blaze is a sad biopic about Texas singer songwriter Blaze Foley, a promising but tortured talent in folk/country music in the seventies and eighties. This film, written and directed by Ethan Hawke explores the music and life of this little-known musician through three different periods told in nonlinear fashion. We see his early life with Jewish girlfriend/wife Sybil (Alia Shawkat), his later days performing in local bars and diners shortly before his untimely death and a later radio interview where his songwriter friends, Townes and Zee talk about the almost legend. I had never heard of Blaze before who is compared to Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard. I am not really a fan of this type of country music, but the songs sung by star Ben Dickey, himself a rock/country artist are done well and are mesmerizing. The story of a talented musician who shows signs of greatness but whose life is destroyed by his own ego, addiction to drinking and a short temper are all too familiar in the long list of musician biopics we have seen. The largest part of the story is about his relationship with Sybil who does everything in her power to support Blaze and their marriage but is eventually doomed to failure. The tall and large Ben Dickey who is a friend of Ethan Hawke, does a nice job as Blaze making him appear like a poet/philosopher about life. This film seems to be his only acting credit. I recommend the movie to anyone who enjoys folk and country music and would like to learn about this near legend. Fans of Alia Shawkat (Maeby from Arrested Development) would enjoy the movie as well.

The Photograph

The Photograph                4 ½ stars

The Photograph from this year is a well told film about two different love affairs taking place in the past and present. It has an all black cast of mostly known actors and I found it refreshing to have such an all black movie that is not about police brutality and racial injustice. Michael (LaKeith Stanfield from Sorry to Bother You and Knives Out) is a magazine writer on a story about a photographer, Christina Eames who has just passed away. His investigation puts him in contact with Isaac, a New Orleans fisherman who has a relationship with her in the eighties and he is eventually led to Mae (Issa Rae of HBO’s Insecure and Little), a New York museum curator who is the deceased photographer’s daughter. Michael and Mae hit it off and try to have a relationship that has to deal with the complexities of their career intense lives. The other story about Christina and Isaac is also told as the two stories are intertwined. We see how young Christina resents being limited by her life with Isaac and wants more out of life. Her ambition is to be an artistic photographer is New York so life in New Orleans does not exactly appeal to her. There aren’t really any surprises in the movie and there aren’t any conflicts involving police or any other outside characters. It is basically a romance story about the challenges that these couples are facing through the realities of life. This is a nice relief given what we have been going through lately. Issa Rae shows that she can do more than comedy in this dramatic role. The movie also features Lil Rel Howery (from Get Out) as Michael’s brother and Rob Morgan (of Just Mercy, The Last Black Man in San Francisco and Mudbound) as the older Isaac. Law & Order fans might also recognize Courtney B. Vance as Mae’s father. The movie also features some smooth background music of R&B and jazz. I have seen only a few 2020 releases so this one has to be the best so far.