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.

My Old Ass

My Old Ass         4 stars

Did you ever think about what you would tell your younger self about making choices in your life, having learned from life experience? This is literally the premise behind My Old Ass which first appeared at the Sundance Film Festival last year (2024). Elliott (Maisy Stella) is a more or less normal 18-year-old girl living on the family cranberry farm in Canada with her parents and two brothers. She has a couple of best friends she hangs out with and is about to go off to college the following fall. One night she is visited by a strange woman who claims to be her older 39-year-old self (Aubrey Plaza of Parks and Recreation) who willingly came here to see young Elliott. There isn’t any science fiction type of explanation for this time traveling event. And there isn’t any catastrophic event in the future that must be prevented. The explanation for the unexpected visit is more fantasy-like as young Elliott drank some tea with hallucinogenic mushrooms and suddenly, there appeared older Elliott. The initial conversations between the two Elliott’s seemed silly and juvenile to me but later became more interesting. Older Elliott is there to tell her younger self of the importance of family and that she should try to spend more time with her mother and even her brother who she thinks doesn’t want to be seen with her. Young Elliott is full of anxiety and self-doubt like a lot of teenagers, but goes along with this new relationship, which can continue over the phone because apparently phone calls can be made across time. But older Elliott has a special warning for her too, and that is to stay away from Chad, who young Elliott has never heard of before. Later, when young Elliott is taking a dip at the swimming hole, what happens but a boy shows up who has started working on the family farm, and his name happens to be Chad. And so, starts the mystery of what is this guy all about and what is so dangerous about him. The young actress, Maisy Stella, who is new to movies gives a real genuine performance as Elliott making her seem like a confused teen who is just trying to figure things out. Plaza gives her usual understated performance but makes you believe there is something profound going on in her mind beneath the surface. The movie is written and directed by the actress Megan Park and is her second effort at directing. Earlier she made The Fallout. Some viewers will remember her as Grace from The Secret Life of the American Teenager. I found the movie to be well written as it alternates from goofiness to important statements about life and how to treat those we love. The movie was a hit at Sundance and now I can see it is well deserved both for the acting and writing.

28 Years Later

28 Years Later                    5 stars

It has been a long time since Great Britain was overrun by hordes of infected rampaging humans hungry for flesh in Danny Boyle’s (127 Hours and Slumdog Millionaire) 28 Days Later. That movie was a survivalist story of a few remaining sane humans trying to survive against the angry zombie like creatures that inhabit the island kingdom. Fortunately, humanity was able to limit the disease from spreading to the rest of the world, leaving Britain in a state of quarantine. In the just out sequel, 28 Years Later, Boyle and his collaborator Alex Garland bring us back to this hellscape to see what has transpired in the intervening years. But first we must be brought up to date with scenes of what happened in the first place when the rampage started. We visit a house where the infected overrun a family and one young boy named Jimmy escapes only to see the village priest torn apart by the horde. Scenes of battling and destruction are accompanied by a horrifying 1915 reading of a Rudyard Kipling poem with a steady escalating beat. (You should look up the trailer on YouTube.) Finally, we come to the present on a small island off the coast of Britain where the inhabitants carry on isolated from the rest of the world, constantly on guard against the threat on the mainland. In this community we meet 12-year-old Spike (newcomer Alfie Williams), his father Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson of Nosferatu and Bullet Train) and mother Isla (Jodie Comer of The Bikeriders). It is time for Spike to go on his first hunt on the mainland, with his father to hunt down and kill the infected. They are told that once they leave the island there are no rescue parties. On the mission, we find out that there are now varieties of infected people. There are the sprinting dead who rush madly at their target. There are the starving dead who look like skin covered skeletons. There are the crawlers, who are extremely overweight and can only crawl on the ground and eat worms, but still attack people. Then there are the Alpha’s who are like a new superior species of humans who only flinch when they are hit square with an arrow. After this brief adventure when father and son return to their island having killed a few of the loonies, Spike is very concerned about his sick mother and learns of a legendary old doctor who stayed on the mainland. Since there is no such thing as a doctor on the island, Spike believes that finding this doctor could save his mother from dying, so off to the mainland go Spike and Mom, unknown to poor Dad. Eventually after surviving more attacks, they do find the old doctor whose name is Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes of Schindler’s List) who brings a sense of wisdom, morality and politeness to the movie. Even his monuments to the dead, built out of human bones, bring us a reassuring feeling. Up to this point it was all paranoia as the characters had to endure one frenzied attack after another from the crazed infected beings who are always naked. (After 28 years nobody wants to deal with putting on clothes anymore.) The doctor’s outlook brings a sense of hope and optimism to the crazy world we see in the movie. Before 28 Days Later, zombie movies were something of a rarity being restricted to the George Romero variety. Since then, they have become quite commonplace. But 28 Years Later applies a real sense of art to the subject even if the choices made by the characters often make little sense. I have read that 28 Years Later is to be followed up with two sequels starting with The Bone Temple next year. So, let’s see what Danny Boyle and company have planned for us. I’ll be watching for it!

The Trial of the Chicago 7

The Trial of the Chicago 7              5 stars

It may be a cliché to say it but if you see one new movie this holiday season make it The Trial of the Chicago 7. While not a documentary, writer/director Aaron Sorkin has put together a dramatic recreation of the 1969 federal trial of the leaders of the protests held in Chicago during the Democratic National Convention. The movie is mainly a courtroom drama with eight defendants charged with conspiracy to incite a riot. It blends in archival footage of the Chicago riots and flashbacks showing the protests that started in Grant Park. I was too young at the time of the trial to be aware of it, but I do remember the news of the riots and some of the names of the main participants. While not a completely accurate portrayal of the trial, it does show real events like Bobby Seale of the Black Panthers being bound and gagged in the courtroom and the testimony of the former Attorney General Ramsey Clarke. The movie is supported by several first rate performances including Eddie Redmayne as Tom Hayden of the Students for a Democratic Society, Sasha Baron Cohen as Abbie Hoffman and Jeremy Strong as Jerry Rubin of the Youth International Party (Yippies), Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Bobby Seale, and Mark Rylance as William Kunstler, the liberal defense attorney for the defendants. Frank Langella is notable as the judge Hoffman who frequently loses control of the trial and frequently hands out contempt charges. Michael Keaton makes a brief dramatic appearance as Attorney General Ramsey Clarke who severely damages the government’s case. (It’s too bad the judge wouldn’t let the jury hear it.) The movie serves as a reminder of what the country went through in 1969 and how easy it is to lose our constitutional freedoms and as an education to those who weren’t here to see the events. It’s a safe bet to be nominated for the Best Picture Academy Award as well as a few others.

Argentina, 1985

Argentina, 1985                 4 ½ stars

I went back a few years to watch Argentina, 1985 which is being shown on Amazon Prime Video. The film was released in 2022 and was directed by Santiago Mitre who also directed The Summit. This is a dramatic representation of the civil trial that took place in Argentina in 1985 when the leaders of the former dictatorial government were put on trial by the new government for their crimes against humanity. During this dark period of history thousands of Argentinians were “disappeared” for their opposition to the regime. Some had committed crimes, while others were innocent, but all were systematically executed without due process. The federal prosecutor, Julio Strassera (Ricardo Darin) is reluctant to take the case hoping that the new government won’t charge the former regime. He knows that it will be very challenging as there are many people who are still loyal to the old military government, and it will be tough to find witnesses willing to testify. He would have to not only prove the crimes but also show that the leaders knew they were happening. He is aided by the young deputy, Luis Ocampo (Peter Lanzani) whose own mother still believes in the innocence of the military leaders. Together, they must recruit a team of young lawyers and students to do the research since none of the older lawyers will take on the job. Together this team finds the evidence and witnesses needed to hold the trial. They do this despite the threats of violence leveled against them through telephone, the mail and mysterious men in cars. Most of the film focuses on the trial itself showing the dramatic testimony given by the survivors. We already know the outcome going in since this is a historical event, but it is a testament to the courage of these men and their team in standing up to powerful men. It is more inspiring than even the Nuremburg trials. I only hope that others facing evil authoritarian governments can learn from the examples of these events. My only complaint is that the movie was only available with English dubbing and not in the original Spanish, which I think would have made it more powerful.

Amulet

Amulet                 4 stars

Besides giving us a deadly pandemic 2020 has also brought us a new wave of horror movies made by women. This year we had Relic, Shirley and She Dies Tomorrow, all made by women directors showing us they can be as creepy as men. Now we have Amulet, by actor Romola Garai in her first effort as writer/director. In this slow moving horror movie, we follow, Tomaz, a homeless ex-soldier who finds himself in a hospital in London. A Catholic nun (Imelda Staunton) takes pity on him and arranges for him to live in a house where a young woman, Magda, is caring for her aged mother. We see Tomaz doing small home repair jobs in the very rundown house and being fed great meals by Magda. It’s hard to place the period of the setting. It could be anytime in the eighties or nineties. Periodically, there are flashbacks to his time serving in a foreign army where he sees himself as a protector of a woman in the woods. Things take a long time to develop, but eventually he makes his way up to the attic with Magda to see the mother that requires so much care. She turns out to be a wretched horribly disfigured being in great pain who turns on Magda when given a chance. Suffice it to say this mother is not human at all, but something supernatural. Naturally, there are other secrets that Magda and the house hold that are gradually revealed, just as we expect to see in a well written horror movie! Tomaz then sees himself as a sort of savior who must free Magda of this prison, but he will find out that evil can be found in unexpected places and what happens when it is not properly dealt with! This being a horror movie written by a woman we get an interesting take on things to be most afraid of including a view on what childbirth is like! (Hint: It’s bloody and painful.) If you can make it through the first half of the movie you will appreciate the eventual payoff.

I Lost My Body

I Lost My Body   4 stars

To call the animated French film I Lost My Body unconventional is certainly something of an understatement. The 81 minute film tells a story of a young Frenchman in Paris in three separate storylines. The first, animated in color, follows the journey of a severed hand that can move and has senses and thoughts of its own. The hand escapes from a refrigerator and travels through the city trying to find its body. Along the way it encounters many dangers such as a pigeon, a pack of ravenous rats and a playful dog. Hopefully, that doesn’t bother you too much. A second segment is a flashback to the childhood of Naoufel, the owner of the hand, who was a happy youngster, that is until both his parents were killed in a car crash and he had to live with an uncaring uncle. This part is all done in black and white and shows his dreams of the future. The third segment follows Naoufel as a young man (still with hands intact) struggling to survive by delivering pizzas in the city, something he is not very good at. Then one evening he has a brief encounter with a young woman, Gabrielle, via an apartment intercom where he was trying to make a delivery, and he senses that they have a connection. So he sets off to find out more about her in order to arrange a meeting again. Unfortunately, for Naoufel this quest might look more like stalking to some people. The animation is all hand drawn and done in a vivid manner that keeps your attention throughout the short movie. All of the segments have a common thread of dealing with loss and seeking to connect with those that we care about. If the unusual subject matter doesn’t turn you off, I would recommend seeing this animated movie. It is in French with subtitles. As it has an adult theme, it should not be viewed by children. The movie is unconventional and surprising with an uplifting message.

The Prom

The Prom            2 ½ stars

The Prom is the new Ryan Murphy directed musical comedy on Netflix that brings together the talents of Meryl Streep, James Corden and Nicole Kidman performing a string of Broadway type musical numbers. The premise is that this group of narcissistic actors after bombing in their latest production (about Eleanor Roosevelt and FCR) need a charitable cause to give them new credibility. They land their sights on a young lesbian teen girl who is being denied her right to go to the high school prom with her girlfriend because of the intolerance of the community (the PTA, of course). The school happens to be in a small Indiana town, since the writers see Indiana as a bastion of intolerance, I suppose. I just hope that their perception doesn’t reflect reality at this point. This group of New York actors are joined by Juilliard graduate Trent Oliver (Andrew Rannells of The New Normal) and proceed to try to persuade the parents to allow the all-inclusive prom that Emma (Jo Ellen Pellman) is asking for. While there are a few well done songs, most of them are forgettable. Much of the movie is what I imagine High School Musical must have been like if I had seen it. There is some unnecessary padding of the story with the personal problems of the self-centered actors that takes focus away from the plight of the young kids. Meryl Streep puts in her usual best effort as a privileged diva. Keegan Michael Key is notable as the high school principal who wants to keep the peace while also getting acquainted with his idol, Dee Dee Allen (Streep). Tracey Ullman makes a worthwhile cameo as the estranged mother of Barry Glickman (Corden). Newcomer Pellman does a creditable job as the poor teen who is the center of the scorn of her classmates. The subject of the intolerance of gay people coming out would seem to be out of date in 2020, so I hope it would really apply to an earlier time in the Midwest, but that may be my wishful thinking.

F1

F1                           3 ½ stars

Summer is here and with it comes the time of the summer blockbuster. Leading the way is F1, the very loud and action-filled movie about life on a Formula 1 racing team, the most prestigious motor sport in the world. And of course, a blockbuster must have an A list actor for the lead. Filling that role is Brad Pitt, looking his usual rugged and laid-back self as Sonny Hayes, a veteran driver who gave up the Formula 1 circuit long ago after being injured in a horrifying accident. (Pitt was last seen in last year’s Wolfs which I have not seen.) A blockbuster racing movie also requires plenty of camera shots of fast cars maneuvering around one another and shots from inside the cars showing the intensity of the drivers, all with the roar of the engines filling the room and an announcer describing the action. F1 has all this plus a story of two drivers on the same team often at odds with one another. Hayes is the sixty something veteran who has all the experience and confidence needed to win, while young Joshua Pierce (Damson Idris) is the rookie who has the right stuff but needs the experience. It is the owner, Rueben (Javier Bardem of Dune and Being the Ricardos) who convinces Sonny to come back to the race circuit and save his losing and nearly bankrupt team, APX. Thus, the drama revolves around these two drivers and the team as Sonny has to learn that it takes a team to win and it can’t be up to just one man. F1 deviates from the formula of most racing movies such as Ford v. Ferrari as there is no character portraying the opposition. The other cars and drivers are for the most part nameless faces that furnish the background without being a part of the story. And since APX is one of the worst teams on the track, their objective is not really to win a race, but just to be in the top 10 finishers. So, the premise is not what I am used to in a movie about race car drivers. Some of Sonny’s moves on the track would seem questionable. It’s hard to imagine him not being disqualified for them in a real race. Pitt is naturally at home in the role of the handsome, solemn veteran who can handle whatever is thrown at him, except perhaps for the lasting effects of the injuries he suffered years before. The movie does include a couple of subplots to give it some depth beyond the racing. The team’s technical director is Kate (Academy Award nominee Kerry Condon of The Banshees of Inisherin), an Irish woman who is an expert in her field of designing race car components. She has a few run ins with Sonny, not necessarily confined to race cars. And there is a member of the team’s board who may not share the interests of the team’s owner and seems to have his own agenda. The race scenes are exciting, but viewers who are not familiar with the jargon or the significance of changing the tires for varying conditions may find these scenes confusing. F1 is not my favorite racing movie, but for the action, it is worth seeing. It is of course a good one for Brad Pitt fans to check out too.

Klaus

Klaus                     4 stars

Klaus is an animated Christmas movie from last year that gives us a different take on the Christmas story of Santa. This beautifully animated tale tells a new origin story of Santa set in a cold village in the north where the residents all seem to resent one another. That is, until a young postman is assigned to the village and discovers an old carpenter who makes children’s toys. Jesper devises a way to get the toys delivered to the children of the town, but his motives may not be quite altruistic. If you haven’t seen Klaus yet, I suggest that you check it out this holiday season. The movie was nominated for a Best Animated Feature Academy Award.

Da 5 Bloods

Da 5 Bloods        5 stars

I only recently found out about Spike Lee’s new movie, Da 5 Bloods that was released on Netflix back in June. With the pandemic it didn’t get a lot of attention this past summer. It has been described as an action movie about four black American soldiers returning to Vietnam, but it is much more than that. Lee brings this fictional story to the screen that gives us a history lesson and expresses the anguish that black men have gone through in giving their service to a country that doesn’t repay them. Lee starts with some archival footage of events leading up to the sixties and the Vietnam War that sets the tone. The four men in their seventies, played by Delroy Lindo, Norm Lewis, Clarke Peters and Isiah Whitlock, Jr. have journeyed to Vietnam in the present to reclaim the body of their fallen comrade and squad leader, Stormin’ Norman (Chadwick Boseman). Only they are also there to claim the treasure of gold that the US intended to pay to local Vietnamese to fight against the Vietcong. The men had buried the gold in the jungle during their tour during the war. Lee gives us scenes of the jungle fighting but in an interesting casting choice the older men also play the young versions of their characters in the war in 1968. The men, who call themselves Da Bloods, are all emotionally traumatized by the war and other events in their lives, especially Paul (Lindo) who has never gotten over the death of Norman as he blames himself for the loss. The movie is probably the best performance that Lindo has done. Chadwick Boseman who died this year gives us a fine performance in one of his last roles. There are several Vietnamese characters in the movie that give us their point of view of the war. They typically refer to it as The American War. Not only do we get plenty of emotional drama from the characters, but there is plenty of shooting and action when some rogue Vietnamese officers get wind of the mission. The outcome is reminiscent of other classic movies like The Treasure of the Sierra Madre when greed overcomes loyalty. (If you listen carefully you may hear a reference to that film.) There is no shortage of graphic scenes and the movie clocks in at two and one half hours so the dedicated viewer is in for quite a ride. Da 5 Bloods is another fine achievement by director Spike Lee and is destined for multiple awards in the awards season.