February 17, 2024

The Postcard Killings

Rating: 4 of 5 body parts
A thriller that’s also chilling, and a bit gruesome. Good pacing, great emotional performance by Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and the other performances were also spot on. A few twists and turns, nothing too hard to follow. Recommended if you like crime thrillers.

January 21, 2024

Midsommer

Rating: 1 of 5 weird cults
This can be quick. If you’ve ever seen ANY movie about a group randomly visiting a seemingly happy group of other people as “outsiders”, especially if they’re celebrating some mysterious festival, who turn out to have a dark side, you’ve seen this movie. And probably done better. In fact, you’ll know the entire plot within 30 seconds of the outsiders meeting the seemingly lovely gathering. It’s classified as “horror”, but it’s not.

January 18, 2024

Role Play

Rating: 4 of 5 fake passports
A fun action spy thriller, in the vein of Mr and Mrs Smith. Although the basic plot has been done several times, both Kaley Cuoco and David Oyelowo give excellent believable performances. Slightly dramatic, slightly humorous, action isn’t relentless or over the top.

January 11, 2024

Maestro

Rating: 4 of 5 Batons
An interesting look into the life and career of Leonard Bernstein. New very little of him, he was obviously brilliant and did not fit into the mold of expected social norms. Although his choral music isn’t my jam, I appreciated his passion and energy. Also, Bradley Cooper did a fantastic job portraying him, I’d often forget who he was. Worth a watch, if you enjoy learning about interesting and unusual people.

January 11, 2024

Nyad

Rating: 5 of 5 Box Jellies
Going in, I only knew what I vaguely remembered of her when I was younger, and her being on the Wide Wide World of Sports. Glad I didn’t know anything about the movie going in, or I’d have expected it to be a boring biopic. Nope, it was fascinating, exciting, frustrating, sad and funny. Also, the casting was amazing, showing the actual people, and the actors who played them, they almost all looked remarkably alike.

December 19, 2023

Barbie

Rating: 4 of 5 Earring Magic Kens
Overall, a really good movie. Socially relevant, yet funny and poignant. Lots of really good background detail, great dialog. Some scenes went on way too long (hello musical Ken number), some were out of place, but as a whole, it worked on several levels. Loved the Matrix references, which work whether or not you notice them. And some of the details, like having every Barbie doll represented, including all the discontinued versions, was fun, as was having the actual inventor of the character get a cameo with lines!

December 17, 2023

Asteroid City

Rating: 3 of 5 science projects
The one word review, weird. Even for Wes Anderson. The overall film reminded me of Eraserhead, or other early David Lynch experimental films. There’s kindof a loose plot, which you are told is a play, and the film switches between the narrator/writer/“real” life in black and white, and the story/play in 50’s color. So the overall narrative won’t be for everyone, or even many. But, it has a laundry list of really good actors, most playing bit parts, and all performing well.

December 8, 2023

Leave the World Behind

Rating: 5 of 5 degrees of Kevin Bacon
An intense flick where what’s going on is slowly revealed as things progress, so no plot hints. Basically a couple take their two kids for a vacation that is just outside NYC, but in the woods, so quiet and isolated. Stuff starts going wrong, and although the reveals aren’t a total surprise, the series of things happening continue to surprise, and keep you on the edge of your BarcaLounger. In a rare surprise, I really liked how they handled the end, as they reveal the last bits of the puzzle.

November 27, 2023

The Voices

Rating: 4 of 5 talking animals
Well this was unexpected. Ryan Reynolds not playing Ryan Reynolds (mostly). Expected a comedy, given Anna Kendrick also starring in the film, but nope. At best, a black comedy, but deep into the black, light on the comedy. Not quite a horror film, but Jerry (Reynolds) has issues, hearing voices from his pets and others. It’s captivating, you want to see how it all plays out. The ending, pretty good, actually.

November 19, 2023

Fishermens Friends

Rating: 5 of 5 Sea Shanty's
Mostly a true story, a group of fisherman and rescue workers who sang Sea Shanty’s for fun, then got a record deal. Filmed where it happened in a small village in Ireland, with music from the actors and band members, with cameos of all the group. Mostly happy, a bunch of funny, and tiny bit of drama/sad, but overall a feel-good film, made better because it’s mostly true! Absolutely loved it.