Category Archives: Crime

Halloween

Halloween          4 stars

Halloween night is approaching and the kids are out trick or treating in their costumes and the teenagers are having a party. In the small town of Haddonfield that can only mean one thing. Michael Myers is about to unleash terror with a bloody murder spree on the town’s inhabitants. In a freak mishap the insane killer has escaped from the mental institution where he has resided for the past forty years. But Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis, the Scream Queen) who somehow survived the slaughter all those years ago has been obsessed with Myers and has prepared her house to serve as a fortress with a safe room and an arsenal that matches that of the most devoted survivalists. This version of Halloween is the first of a trilogy made by director David Gordon Green with John Carpenter, the director of the original 1978 Halloween and it stays true to that original movie. You should forget all those other sequels made over the years, most of which are dreadful. This time we get a real feeling of the psychological damage done to Laurie with her obsession being responsible for her losing custody of her daughter Karen (Judy Greer) at age twelve, who now has her own teenage daughter Allyson (Andi Matichak). After the first few victims meet their fate, being battered and slashed (including a pair of unfortunate podcasters from England hoping to research Michael Myers as well as a psychiatrist who only wants to understand what drives this killer) the inevitable showdown will occur with the three women of this damaged family and the man in the white mask. With its camera shots of the killer’s view, the suspenseful scenes of impending doom and the updated theme music, this version of Halloween captures the style of the 1978 classic. Of course we know that the threat didn’t end with this film despite the climactic ending. There are still two more sequels to come!

Till

Till           4 ½ stars

In this season of Halloween when children become little monsters begging for candy, a film has come along that reminds us there are real monsters in the world that bring terror greater than what we see portrayed in the movies. Till brings a retelling of the all too true and familiar story of the kidnapping and murder of teenager Emmett Till who was visiting cousins in 1955 Mississippi and made the mistake of whistling at a white woman in the Jim Crow south. The well-known crime and the trial of the men responsible is told primarily this time from the point of view of Mamie Till-Mobley (Danielle Deadwyler (from The Harder They Fall as a male character!)), the boy’s mother, who went from grieving the loss of her son to becoming an icon of the Civil Rights Movement of the fifties and sixties. The screenplay is a straight forward telling of the events that shows us her concern for her boy’s safety and her historic decision of putting Till’s battered body on display for the world to see. We are fortunately spared any scenes depicting the actual torture and murder, but do see the terror of the family when Till was kidnapped during the night by the two men who committed the act. The importance of the event becomes clear when the NAACP becomes involved and Mobley is encouraged to go to Mississippi to testify at the murder trial. The heartfelt performance of Deadwyler is absolutely engaging as she expresses the pain and resolve of dealing with the overwhelming situation. I definitely look for an Academy Award nomination for Deadwyler. Other than young Jalyn Hall as Emmett the rest of the cast is not nearly as memorable. The highly accurate sets and the use of the popular music of the time evokes the feeling of what fifties were like. As a reminder of where we have come as a country and where we are today, Till needs to be seen. Also, for a good documentary on the history of lynching in the US, I highly recommend Always in Season from 2019.

Victim/Suspect

Victim/Suspect   4 stars

In the documentary Victim/Suspect we are introduced to Rae de Leon, an investigative reporter working for The Center for Investigative Reporting.  She was looking into some cases involving young women who have reported being sexually assaulted only to find that the police then charge them with filing a false police report,  a crime which carries a long jail term.  She starts with a case of a student at the University of Alabama which leads her to many others in all parts of the country.  The documentary shows how through interviews and hundreds of hours of legwork she and her team learn how the police fail to investigate the allegations of rape and then use interrogation tactics including lying about evidence to convince the victim to recant their story.  The recanting is then used to file charges against the women who are often then convinced to accept a plea. The victims are often women in their twenties who have no idea what is coming for them.  This is all done just to make life easier on the police without regard for the lives damaged.  The film by director Nancy Schwartzman tells a compelling story that will outrage the audience.  The film does have a positive outcome with the subject women of the film being exonerated of their charges. de Leon, the director and two of the victims and a lawyer helping them were present for the Q&A. They are planning to spread their message of these police practices with the result being to educate police departments and the public on this important issue. 

A Thousand and One

A Thousand and One   4 stars 

A. V. Rockwell tells a story of a young Black mother raising a son against the backdrop of a gentrifying New York City that tends to deny opportunity from the poorer minorities.  Inez (Teyana Taylor) is living in shelters in the 1990’s and as an act of redemption decides to kidnap 6 year old Terry, from foster care where he has been placed.  But there is a secret kept hidden that can shatter their lives if discovered.  We follow this small family for the next twelve years as they struggle to build something together with her friend and eventual husband,  Lucky (William Catlett). Both Inez and Lucky have criminal backgrounds making things a challenge,  but are committed to keeping Terry in school on a path to success.  It is a moving,  well acted and well written story that keeps you rooting for this loving and unlikely family. The cast was present for Q&A including the little boy who played the young Terry and was really charming. The movie was very well received by the packed in audience. It was an excellent movie that I almost missed. 

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery           4 stars

Rian Johnson brings us the return of Benoit Blanc, the world’s greatest detective in Glass Onion. The sequel to Johnson’s 2019 hit Knives Out finds Blanc (Daniel Craig) at the scene of a gathering of wealthy friends at a private Greek island owned by entrepreneur Miles Bron (Edward Norton) that includes a giant glass enclosure that Miles calls the Glass Onion. This time the friends are there for a game of whodunit prepared for them as an amusement for one weekend. There we find Bron with his old pals that include Claire (Kathryn Hahn), the governor of Connecticut, Lionel (Leslie Odom, Jr.), an engineer at Bron’s company, Alpha, Birdie (Kate Hudson), a model and “social influencer” who can’t avoid making accidental racial slurs, Duke (Dave Bautista) a YouTube channel host who promotes conspiracy theories among other popular subjects on social media and Andi (Janelle Monae), Bron’s old business partner who dropped out of the business after Miles screwed her over. All were brought here by solving an elaborate box filled with puzzles that revealed the invitation. That is; except for Blanc, who seems to have shown up for mysterious reasons. Bron refers to this group as The Disruptors, but I prefer Blanc’s name for them: the shitheads. Since this is a classic murder mystery we eventually get to a point where bodies start dropping and everybody present seems to have a motive for wanting someone dead. At this point I have to be very careful about not revealing too much of the plot. The situation is well written following the rules for a murder mystery. All of the characters are suspects and we gradually find out more about them and events that happened in the past like as Blanc says, the layers of the onion are peeled back until we reach the center. Each of the actors brings out notable aspects of their character like Norton’s Miles who only cares about himself and Monae’s Andi who has a mysterious air about her. I think I preferred the original Knives Out slightly more, but this one will certainly keep your interest and keep you guessing until the startling conclusion.

Emily the Criminal

Emily the Criminal            4 stars

I saw this surprise of a movie during my return flight from Sundance, but had not written about it before. When I saw the awards coming its way I thought I should correct that. While completely fictional it represents the situation that many young people find themselves in today’s economy where one cannot escape their past. Emily (Aubrey Plaza of Parks and Recreation) has a load of student loan debt and needs a good job. The trouble is she has a minor record that keeps coming up in job interviews, thus preventing her from reaching her goals. (Background checks can follow you everywhere.) She has to take menial service jobs in the gig economy that allow the employer to take advantage of the workers. So what is she supposed to do? The answer is in the title. She meets a Lebanese man (Theo Rossi) who runs a theft ring where the participants make purchases using stolen credit cards and fake id’s. Emily gives it a try, has some success at it and is undeterred even when getting beaten up a bit in the process. Things escalate when she finds that she is actually good at it and rises in the ranks of this criminal enterprise leading to some dangerous experiences. The movie has an interesting premise, perhaps taking it in an implausible direction, but it is entertaining and keeps your interest mainly due to Plaza’s excellent performance as Emily. Most of her roles have been in comedies, but here she shows that she is equally talented in dramas. The movie received nominations for both Best Lead Performance (Aubrey Plaza) and Best First Feature (Aubrey Plaza and John Patton Ford) at this year’s Film Independent Spirit Awards. I am glad I gave it a try.

John Wick: Chapter 4

John Wick: Chapter 4      4 stars

I have missed out on the John Wick movies until I saw Chapter 4, the latest in this action franchise featuring Keanu Reeves as John Wick, the greatest hit man ever. I have heard all about his grudge against a crime syndicate that was responsible for killing his pet puppy, but I didn’t realize the true scope of what is apparently the greatest action movie franchise of the past decade. The story is rather straight forward: There is an international crime syndicate called The High Table that has determined that John Wick must die so under the direction of the Marquis (Bill Skarsgard) hundreds of the organization’s best killers are gathered to track down and kill Mr. Wick along with anyone who helps him. However, the crime families have a rigid set of rules that will allow Wick to gain his freedom from The High Table and guarantee his safety. If he can challenge the Marquis to a one on one duel as a member of one of the crime families and defeat him he will be allowed to go free. The only problem is that there is an army of killers and assassins that have the incentive to kill Wick thanks to the bounty on his head that continues to rise as he kills each with amazing efficiency. The main point of the John Wick movies is to portray the high level of violence and the subdued way that the man in the well-tailored black suit is able to engage and defeat his enemies. The action sequences are done with long takes and moving camerawork that captures both the battling subjects and what is happening in the background. I greatly prefer this method to the closeups with quick editing done by so many action movies. Obviously, this requires painstaking attention to detail and some well executed choreography. (After seeing this movie, I will never think the same when I see France’s Arc de Triomphe.) There are some other important and colorful characters returning from previous outings that include Donnie Yen as Caine, a blind assassin and Shamier Anderson as Mr. Nobody who happens to have a dog that aids in the killing and then there is Ian McShane as Winston, Wick’s friend from the New York Continental Hotel who previously shot Wick. We also must say goodbye to Lance Reddick as Charon, the hotel concierge in one of his final performances. Now that I have a taste of the movie I think I will have to go back and view some of the earlier outings of John Wick.

John Wick

John Wick            4 stars

Having seen the latest sequel in The John Wick series, John Wick: Chapter 4, I had to go back and see the original entry from 2014. This simple story about a retired hitman in New York City from writer Derek Kolstad and director Chad Stahelski introduces us to John Wick (Keanu Reeves who returned to the screen after a notable absence) who has just lost his loving wife, when some Russian gangsters notice his 1969 Ford Mustang. The gangsters, including Iosef Tarasov (Alfie Allen), not realizing who John Wick is, decide to deprive him of the car and in the process they kill his pet beagle puppy in what is likely the most famous movie dog killing since Old Yeller. Naturally, Wick must avenge the theft and the killing of his beloved pet by putting on his perfectly fitting black suit and arming himself with a myriad of weapons and seek out Tarasov who is the son of Russian crime boss Viggo Tarasov (Michael Nyqvist of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo). The elder Tarasov realizes what is at stake and alerts his army of henchmen placing a bounty on Wick’s head in order to protect the dimwitted Iosef. What follows can only be described as a bloodbath as Wick kills off each armed criminal coming after him whether it is in a crowded night club or on the city streets. We also get introduced to the Continental Hotel where Wick’s friend Winston (Ian McShane) is in charge. According to the strict code of the underworld, the hotel is a safe haven for hitmen where “business” must not be conducted under penalty of death. The level of violence while shocking does not quite compare to what is achieved in the later sequels but it is enjoyable for B action movie fans. I only wish I had checked this series sooner. John Wick is not somebody that you want to mess with!

Sound of Freedom

Sound of Freedom          no review

I have not seen the Jim Caviezel movie Sound of Freedom, nor will I ever see it. The ads for it have been appearing regularly on television. The movie has had some very high box office numbers and has created a stir in the right-wing world so I felt compelled to make a public service announcement and warn people about it. The thriller action movie appears to be part of a crusade against child trafficking and features Caviezel as a sort of one man super hero out to rescue the victims of the sex trade. (Caviezel is best known for his portrayal of Jesus Christ in the Mel Gibson movie The Passion of the Christ.) In reality, it is a propaganda piece put out by the people who adhere to QAnon fantasy conspiracy theories such as the traffickers are harvesting children’s organs and extracting adrenochrome before killing them. The movie appears to be appealing to a mostly older white audience who are there to reinforce their views of what is wrong with the government and the country. Based on what I have read of the movie it is full of implausibilities and condemnations of the government. The movie was reportedly made in 2018 and it took this long to find someone to distribute it as it was considered to be a money loser. I have a suspicion that certain churches and right-wing groups have been buying out theater tickets in order to inflate the numbers. This has been a practice for other such propaganda movies. If you have not seen the movie you are warned to stay away from it. If you have seen it then you have my sympathy for enduring the pain.

A Haunting in Venice

A Haunting in Venice      4 stars

For the third time in six years the world’s most famous detective, Hercule Poirot, as portrayed by Kenneth Branagh is on the case to solve another mysterious death. With Branagh again directing, it is after World War II and the world is getting back to normal, with Poirot having become a recluse, quietly retired in Venice. But he can’t stay hidden for long when the renowned American mystery writer Ariadne Oliver (a more subdued yet comical Tina Fey) tracks him down to recruit his services regarding the death of a young woman, Alicia Drake on behalf of her mother, Rowena Drake (Kelly Reilly). The catch is that Poirot must attend a children’s Halloween Party on All Hallowed Eve in a large, dark decaying house to be followed by a séance where the dead Alicia is to be contacted. In that respect the movie is a departure from the two earlier outings, Murder on the Orient Express and A Death on the Nile. The exotic locations are exchanged for the confined setting of a creaky, mysterious mansion on a stormy, rainy night and there is a distinct focus on the supernatural with odd camera angles and sudden noises happening periodically. The séance is conducted by the famous medium, Mrs. Reynolds (Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh), attended by Poirot, Drake, and Oliver as well as Drake’s housekeeper Olga (Camille Cottin), the doctor who treated Alicia, Leslie Ferrier (Jamie Dornan of Belfast), his 12-year-old son, Leopold (Jude Hill also of Belfast), Poirot’s bodyguard and Mrs. Reynold’s assistant. As you would expect with Hercule Poirot being present, the suspicious séance is followed with one of the participants experiencing a fall which proves fatal. Unable to reach the police, Poirot follows his usual protocol, locking everyone in the mansion, interviewing all the potential suspects one by one until the mystery can be solved. The case is based on one of Agatha Christie’s novels, Halloween Party, but it definitely has a supernatural slant to it with apparitions and strange noises contributing to the mystery. Mystery writer Oliver has another motive it is clear as she wants to find a way to increase her book sales and challenge the great detective’s skepticism of all things spiritual. The film is greatly enhanced by actors Michelle Yeoh, Tina Fey and Camille Cotton, but there is a real treasure in the young Jude Hill who is so excellent as the doctor’s precocious son. Branagh previously cast him in Belfast where he was again the son to Jamie Dornan. It will interesting to see what else awaits this young man. I found A Haunting in Venice to be the best of the three Poirot movies and want to assure viewers that the movie belongs in the world of mystery thrillers and is not a true horror movie. See it while it is still in theaters!