Category Archives: 2019

Captain Marvel

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Captain Marvel                 3 stars

I had the chance to see Captain Marvel unexpectedly because I was looking for something else that turned out not to be playing at that theater.  There has been a lot of attention on this movie because it is the first Marvel Comics movie that features a female lead.  Brie Larson stars in the lead role as Carol Danvers/Veers.   Not being a comic book person, this character is not one that I am at all familiar with.  She is best known for fine previous roles in Short Term 12 and Room.  Larson is a fine actress but seems to go through much of this film without that much expression.  The story is interesting enough, set somewhere else in the galaxy where a war is going on between alien races The Kree and The Skrulls.  Our heroine is having strange dreams that show she has memories from two different lives.  Eventually, this condition will be explained but it certainly takes a while.  Her journey takes her to earth in about 1995 where we get plenty of references to 90’s pop culture and technology. (Blockbuster Video, Nine Inch Nails)  There she meets Agent Nick Fury of Shield played by a CGI version of Samuel L. Jackson.  He is aged backwards by computer effects back to his “A Time to Kill” self.  We get to see plenty of action and a few plot twists until the big climax where comic book magic takes over giving Captain Marvel practically unlimited powers which is the point things become boring for me.  This is usually my problem with superhero movies, when the characters display their super abilities that have no place in our own universe.  Captain Marvel is a step forward in allowing women to have major roles in Hollywood, but it is much the usual story about big budget comic book action movies that are overblown and ultimately lose my interest.

Apollo 11

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Apollo 11                             4 stars

The first Sundance movie I’ve seen since being at Sundance is Apollo 11, the thrilling documentary about the 1969 moon landing.  The movie consists entirely of footage from the time of the historic mission including film shot from onboard the space capsules.  The film is edited expertly to keep our interest throughout and has an effective score as well.  It includes footage of conferences with astronauts Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins and quite a lot showing an army of support personnel at mission control.  Especially compelling is the part showing the actual landing on the surface of the moon bringing reality to the fact that the small ship was just seconds away from running out of fuel at the critical time.  Anyone who can remember being glued to their television during the mission will appreciate seeing Apollo 11.  Those too young to remember it should see it for the amazement of what these people were able to accomplish with the technology available in the sixties.  The film was showing at Sundance this year but I believe the demand for it was very high.  I’m glad to have had the chance to see it in the theater.

Us

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Us                           4 stars

By now everyone has heard of Jordan Peele’s latest horror film Us. It’s his second directorial effort after 2017’s much heralded Get Out.  With Us he goes much deeper into the horror genre with his story about the Wilson family on a beach outing at their summer cabin.  We learn that the mother, Lupita Nyong’o, experienced a traumatic event at the beach when she was a girl.  In the present the family has a few strange encounters until everything explodes with the arrival of another family who look exactly like them except they are very different too!  This is truly a horror film with the odd developments and bloody encounters that you would expect with such a film.  Peele puts his own spin on the genre that has a moral message somewhere in the story.  As the film gets toward the conclusion there are some unanswered questions and some things that don’t quite make sense, but I think that’s ok for horror movies.  Be forewarned that there is plenty of blood and interesting ways of dying in Us.  It’s a film that’s probably not for everyone.

Long Shot

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Long Shot                            3 stars

It has been a long time since we’ve had a good rom-com at the movies.  This week’s offering of Long Shot attempts to address that drought and goes a long way towards succeeding.  The movie stars the beautiful Charlize Theron as Charlotte Field, the youngest Secretary of State in US history and the wildly comical Seth Rogen as an out of work sharp witted journalist named Fred Flarsky who crosses paths with the Secretary at a big Gala.  Remarkably, the two have a shared past that involves a shockingly amusing episode when the two were only teenagers.  The Secretary then pitches to Fred the idea of hiring him as a speech writer which he then accepts which leads to more awkward situations.  Since this is a Seth Rogen movie there are plenty of sight gags, awkward sexual encounters and some serious drug use.  As this is also a political comedy, there are gags involving world leaders and celebrities that are based on some pretty absurd circumstances, such as, the president wishing to leave after a single term to pursue a movie career.  (But then in these times we live in who am I to claim something is absurd.)  Although it has its funny moments, it doesn’t quite measure up to the comedy I’m used to seeing in an episode of Veep.  One sign of the film’s shortcomings is the use of actors for the roles of TV news anchors instead of casting real anchors to play themselves.  I felt that would have helped it to look a little more authentic, like other political comedies have done.   One surprise in the film is the casting of Andy Serkis as Parker Wembley, a wealthy billionaire and media owner seeking to influence the politicians to favor his personal political views.  He was amusing and completely unrecognizable.

Booksmart

Booksmart          4 ½ stars

In what may be the funniest movie of the summer, Booksmart takes us a wild ride with two young female best friends who decide to have one night of fun (i.e. partying, sex and drugs) before high school graduation after having spent their school years focusing on studies and getting into the college of their choice.  It’s a formula that we’ve seen plenty of times before but with a very feminist bent to it.  The film pulls it off with a series of comedic pieces involving conflicts with other characters, failed attempts at finding the secret location of the ultimate teenage party and a strange encounter with the school principal that includes porn videos.  The story written and directed by women, including director Olivia Wilde feels mostly authentic though some of the characters are stereotypes (like the high school drama kids).  The two lead girls are well suited for the roles of Amy and Molly, (Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein), both of whom I have seen in previous roles despite their young ages.  It feels like they really are best friends, but with some personal issues between them that are eventually revealed late in the movie.  I did like the fact that most of the high school characters don’t hold ill feelings against Molly in spite of her attitude of superiority being the class President.  There is one notable exception being Gigi played by Billie Lourd who mysteriously keeps showing up at the most opportune times and would like to spoil all the fun for them.  Though the movie can be described as a raunchy comedy the friendship and conflict between the two lead characters seems authentic and is a well written aspect of the film.  I recommend that you see Booksmart when you have the chance.

The Dead Don’t Die

The Dead Don’t Die         3 stars

The Dead Don’t Die by Jim Jarmusch puts a new comedic twist on an old genre, the zombie movie.  This light but bloody comedy brings together a very talented cast that includes Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Tilda Swinton, Danny Glover, Chloe Sevigny, Steve Buscemi, Rosie Perez, Iggy Pop, Selena Gomez, Carol Kane and Tom Waits.  With this group of actors you wonder how could this film possibly miss.  The movie has more hits than misses so has some moments that don’t hit the mark.  The premise is that polar fracking being done by corporations has caused the earth to move off of its axis leading to strange events throughout the world.  Of course this includes the dead rising from the graves to seek out human flesh to satisfy their appetite which is completely logical, right?  Much of the comedy is delivered by Murray and Driver who both give their lines in the most deadpan manner imaginable.  (Remember, the way to stop a zombie is to Kill the Head.)  Also making a significant contribution is Buscemi as Farmer Miller, the white racist whose accusations have little basis in reality.  There is an ongoing gag involving a new country song that bears the title from the movie.  Tilda Swinton has a most unusual role as the Irish undertaker, a new comer to the small town of Centerville.  It is a very strange role that only Swinton could deliver on.  It being a Jarmusch film, it wanders into the ridiculous at a couple of times that detracted from the overall feel of the movie.  The Dead Don’t Die is not the funniest Zombie movie I’ve seen, but if you are a zombie movie fan you should not miss this one.

Late Night

Late Night           4 stars

Late Night, starring Emma Thompson and Mindy Kaling, (some of my favorite actresses) is a very amusing comedy about a female British talk show host, Katherine Newberry (Thompson) who when threatened with losing her show hires an unknown woman writer (Kaling) onto her otherwise all male writing staff.  The movie tackles sexism in the workplace issues with some biting comedy and some really engaging wit especially from the intelligent and witty Thompson.  Kaling of The Office and The Mindy Project contributes greatly to the telling of the story as both writer and as co-star.  The Newberry character is forced to deal with her staff in a more human fashion as lower ratings threaten her show and Molly, (Kaling’s character) has to deal with the sexism of the staff as she tries to gain acceptance as a capable writer.  This movie was very well received at Sundance this year and was picked up for distribution with a very high bid I have read.  Fans of The Mindy Project will recognize the actor who played Morgan (Ike Barinholtz) from the show.  Also recognizable is Paul Walter Houser who played the idiot body guard in I, Tonya last year.  I finally got to see Late Night in the theaters, having missed my chance at the film festival.  This film is among the best comedies so far this year.

Rocketman

Rocketman         4 stars

From Director Dexter Fletcher comes Rocketman, a dramatic musical telling of the rise of musical prodigy Reginald Dwight into international superstar Elton John.  The film tells the story in a most unconventional way as it uses John’s songs as part of the narrative with characters doing some of the singing to describe their part.  Taron Egerton does a convincing performance as the adult Elton John including doing his own singing.  A central part of the movie is John’s checking into rehab after realizing his problem with drugs and alcohol where he recounts the story of his life to the members of the group.  Key to Elton John’s success is his collaborating partner, Bernie Taupin (Jamie Bell) who stood with him through his difficult journey.  John was a producer of the film and made sure that it told about his many problem’s through the seventies and eighties that included his addictions and lack of acceptance as a homosexual by his family and others.  Bryce Dallas Howard is memorable as the mother of the young Reginald in the movie’s early scenes.  Mostly though the movie is a joy to watch as it shows his many musical creations came to be.

Toy Story 4

Toy Story 4          5 stars

The movie that is currently killing at the box office and will be the best animated movie of the year is Toy Story 4, the 4th (obviously) installment of the Toy Story franchise from Pixar that features the adventures of Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) and Bo Peep (Annie Potts) and many others.  This time around the gang of toys are in the possession of Bonnie, a little girl who loves her toys only some more than others.  Woody is apparently not among the favorites.  Bonnie creates a new toy out of the trash at Kindergarten, a spork called Forky (Tony Hale) who seems to have a complex about being trash accompanied by a desire to throw himself back in the trash basket.  It then becomes Woody’s mission to get Forky to realize that he is a toy who is loved by little Bonnie.  Of course things get much more complicated than that when the family along with the toys go on a trip to an RV park.  A whole new adventure is to be had at an amusement park and an antique shop that involves a talking girl doll, Gabby (Christina Hendricks) who has designs on Woody’s voicebox to restore her own damaged voice.  Adding plenty of color and amusement to the story are Ducky and Bunny (Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele) two stuffed amusement park prize animals.  I have not seen all of the Toy Story movies but I venture to say this one must be near the top of the series.  It is well suited for young audiences and adults alike.  Look for it to win Best Animated Movie Oscar next year.

Midsommar

Midsommar       4 ½ stars

Midsommar might be the fright fest of the summer.  This horror movie really establishes Ari Aster as a first rate talent in the horror genre.  Last year he brought us the disturbing “Hereditary” and now he brings us Midsommar, a horror story told in broad daylight.  We start the story with Dani, a young woman who suffers an unimaginable tragedy when her sister and parents are all killed.  She decides to accompany her boyfriend and his graduate school friends on a once in a lifetime trip to a summer festival in a remote Swedish village.  Once there the friends are welcomed to this commune like society and are invited to join in with the villagers in their ancient pagan rituals.  Being involved includes enjoying the effects of hallucinogenic drugs that distort their sense of reality.  The happy mood continues for a good while but things eventually take a dark turn as things are not all what they appear to be. (How could it be any other way?)  Things go from bad to worse for each of the American guests as they discover what their hosts really think of them.  Aster is a master at creating these disturbing scenes that are played out in broad daylight unlike most horror movies.  This movie may also be appropriate for the MeToo movement as it shows how women can react toward the men they are disgruntled with.  Beware, there are several very disturbing images in this one as you would expect from a first rate horror movie.