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Criminal (2016)
Top notch action thriller
Once again, Gary Oldman is working in national security. This time he plays a CIA agent named Quaker who forces an imprisoned sociopath named Jerico(Kevin Costner), to undergo a medical experiment without his consent. Tommy Lee Jones is the doctor who has developed a way to transplant memory from one brain to another.
It isn't difficult to swallow that premise in this tightly wound action movie. The script is well written with surprising twists and turns and the cast is much deeper than we've come to expect in this genre. It delivers with not a false note.
The international location is beautifully shot.
Can we get a "Criminal 2"?
Nope (2022)
"Nope" is a Tense Thriller
I missed this last year for some reason and now I know what all the fuss was about. "Nope" is Jordan Peele's fresh take on aliens, but exactly what to call it- science fiction, horror or giant monster movie- is something the viewer will have to decide.
It's a taut, suspense packed thriller of a movie that comes in at only 90 minutes. Pele, who wrote, produced and directed, gives every character a backstory, which at times diverges enough from the main story to make you wonder why. Still, the distraction is a fascinating one and ultimately gives way to an ending that will have viewers on the edge of their seats.
I have to add that, very shortly after watching it I wanted to see it again.
Wednesday (2022)
A Beautiful Attempt Vears Off Course
"Wednesday" is a beautifully realized creation of the world of the creations of Charles Addams: great cast: high production values: design mirroring the old master cartoonist.
Best of all, the writing is sharp and often hilarious, especially if you are into the dark humor of Addams. Unfortunately, the last few episodes veer completely into the mystery and murder surrounding the school of Nevermore Academy and Wednesday turns into Nancy Drew with a sword.
This is not to say that it's bad. The show remains entertaining to the end, but the shift the story takes turn it into just another gothic mystery with the Addams family characters plugged into roles that could accommodate characters by any other name or background, and that's disappointing.
Feel the Beat (2020)
Totally Unlikeable Character
"Feel the Beat" has a lot going for it that becomes apparent right away. It's beautifully shot and has a great look and cast. The direction is dead on, with no scene held too long which is a problem when the seconds add up. It's also well written: excellent dialogue and a story that's familiar, but, who cares. It moves right along.
Twenty minutes into it I really didn't like the lead character. She showed no interest in anyone around her and comes across as cold and totally self absorbed. The thing is, she's surrounded by her old high school friends who seem to know everything about her success on Broadway, but that doesn't make any impression on her. I'm sure things turn around at some point, but I just did not care enough to see what happens to set up the happy ending.
The Nice Guys (2016)
One of Those Movies
Russell Crowe is just excellent in the only serious roll in "The Nice Guys". Everyone around him is either stupid or insanely homicidal. This movie fits nicely into the category of so bad that it's good. Every minute brings a gasp of incredulity.
Unfortunately, the comedic element is stifled by Ryan Gosling's alcoholic character and a lot of killing. A LOT of killing.
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Kim Bassinger is the only actor in the thing who doesn't seem to be having at least a little fun. It's possibly because she's saddled with a character who isn't remotely funny, but is dealing with two guys whose actions in the scenes are supposed to be humorous. Yet, every time the camera comes back to her it's obvious that her character isn't in on the joke.
A lot of movies start with the main characters who are in a bad way for whatever reason, but, by the end, they are redeemed somehow by what has happened during the course of the movie. Not here.
Yesterday (2019)
Curtis and Boyle Team for a Classic
Danny Boyle and Richard Curtis have been favorites for some time now, but it never occurred to me that the director of "28 Days Later" and the director of "28 Days Later" would ever work on a movie together, and, if so, what kind of movie would it be?
Together they created "Yesterday", the best science fiction movie of 2019. The story begins with our seeing (and hearing) the end of Jack Malik's long effort to succeed as a singer/songwriter only to realize indifference and the support of a few close friends. Then a standard sf trope, a time/space event, puts Jack into an alternate world where he is the only one who remembers the greatest rock band of their era.
From here the story becomes a rollercoaster ride for Jack: success beyond his wildest dreams, crushed by his guilt at knowing the truth of his situation. It will provoke mixed feelings for fans of the music, with scenes that are, by turns, hilarious and deeply moving.
The supporting cast is excellent, especially Ed Sheeren, who is a great sport to take on this role and Kate McKinnon, who I will now seek out to see anything she's done.
The ending is a Richard Curtis perfect landing. The movie is Danny Boyle at his very best.
Sleeping with Other People (2015)
A Crazy Idea for a Movie
Leslye Headland would have a great track record as a moviemaker for "Russian Doll" alone. That series shows that she is not done with writing characters with an edge, but I was stunned by "Sleeping With Other People" for several reasons.
First, I like a good rom-com. There aren't very many of them; that is: rom, com and good, much less one that deals with it at such an adult level. The adult comes in at the sex problems the main characters have, how they are trying to deal with them and the language they use. Think "Russian Doll" for the big screen. That last is the problem, as I see it. The big screen mostly doesn't deal with adult concerns anymore, certainly not movies made in the US and certainly not with this kind of dialogue, much less succeed in making it work as a rom-com. Streaming services are the ones creating adult content, using "adult" language (usually gratuitously) to accompany the graphic depiction of violence now possible with CGI technology. The depiction of such violence is common on the theater screen also, but there are limitations on the language that can be used to get the PG-13 rating for a movie.
Then there's "Sleeping With Other People", a movie that could easily have been made for a general audience had the dialogue been modified. There's no nudity in it, so why not change the dialogue? My guess is that the producers went temporarily insane, just long enough to make this movie and release it and didn't regain sanity until the box office became clear. This movie bombed. This great movie bombed at the box office.
It even has a great cast, lead by Jason Sudeikis, pre Ted Lasso. And Alison Brie and the kind of sure footed direction you expect from a successful twenty year veteran of the industry.
Every movie fan looking for an adult movie, especially an adult rom-com, should see this movie. It's streaming for free on Kanopy or you can pay to rent it at Amazon. Better, buy it. You'll want to see it more than once.
Godless (2017)
A Great Western
At seven hours and thirty-two minutes, "Godless" is one of the best westerns ever made. It's wonderfully acted, the characters full sized and fleshed out and made in the beautiful landscape of New Mexico.
You'll want to watch it again and there is so much in this story that you will be surprised at what you've forgotten.
Délicieux (2021)
Great Food Movie
We have gotten into watching series and movies with food as a central part of the story, such as "Midnight Diner" and "Burnt". We tried "The Bear" but, in spite of being set in a sandwich shop it's basically about a horribly dysfunctional family with food only incidental to the story.
"Delicious", set just before the French revolution meets all the necessities of a food movie, plus a beautiful setting with period costumes and even a dramatic confrontation that also pivots on food.
Highly recommended!