tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17541362800390923642024-03-28T11:42:33.642-07:00JMuvies - Film News and Reviewsby John M. UrbancichJohn M. Urbancichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12150965105626964638noreply@blogger.comBlogger472125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754136280039092364.post-30718193852300316792024-03-22T13:54:00.000-07:002024-03-22T15:30:45.387-07:00Maybe don't call new 'Ghostbusters' a thoroughly enjoyable film romp<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSQpbtytceNCH-RDzJngGwhla9TJ_iEwTyLT_jmkzYvSkztBc8NNdMij-ud619GSQiB6iE21MTZXif2_f814mOL4DQNExmV28BhCBOE4riXW7YpZHm7ahW9pyg6SXG9jRtPvpNpnxyHpvHi9oyAtkW_npjm1s4-PqeCawHRon1sKEXjqEfmaOao11p_Rp9/s2000/Outlook-3j5a0lng.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1349" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSQpbtytceNCH-RDzJngGwhla9TJ_iEwTyLT_jmkzYvSkztBc8NNdMij-ud619GSQiB6iE21MTZXif2_f814mOL4DQNExmV28BhCBOE4riXW7YpZHm7ahW9pyg6SXG9jRtPvpNpnxyHpvHi9oyAtkW_npjm1s4-PqeCawHRon1sKEXjqEfmaOao11p_Rp9/w270-h400/Outlook-3j5a0lng.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>A not-so-shining example of a very true -- and old -- reviewing axiom that the bigger the cast, the more wobbly the movie, "<a href="https://www.ghostbustersmovie.net/">Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire</a>" herds together three films worth of ensembles to try to steady what quickly becomes its crowded and slippery ship. <div><br /></div><div>First comes the family of actors who carried the franchise's just-OK 2021 "<a href="https://jmuvies.blogspot.com/2021/11/its-all-in-family-with-richard-dog-and.html">Afterlife</a>," which took place in Chicago and, mostly, Oklahoma but now has them transplanted to New York City. Ever-watchable Carrie Coon leads the way, underutilized again as the common-sense Callie Spengler, mother of two and herself the estranged offspring connection to one of the key title characters from the 1984 original.</div><div><br /></div><div>Callie's own kids remain the now 18-year-old Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and brilliant, 15-year-old Phoebe (Mckenna Grace), both apparently destined to chase ghosts the rest of their on-screen lives. (Paul Rudd is back, too, as Gary Grooberson, the scientist, nice guy, and new stepfather, simply aching to be called "Dad" by Phoebe, which somehow shows up as early as the silly chase episode that opens the congested "Empire.") </div><div><br /></div><div>What we will call Ensemble No. 2 joins Coon, Rudd, et al. as players added to this latest supernatural realm, which really could use a lot more laughs and fewer Stay Puft Marshmallow minions than the many that pop up all over the Big Apple. Credit comic actors, though, such as Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt, and James Acaster with trying to help make sense out of a complicated premise that might bring an ancient and evil deity back to life. (A more modern sidebar has Phoebe enchanted with a burning ghost, portrayed by Emily Alyn Lind from TV's "Gossip Girl," before, uh, that relationship gets seriously extinguished.)</div><div><br /></div><div>Finally, founding "Ghostbusters," including Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, and even bad ol' William Atherton, comprise a third group of cast members, appearing in various roles of importance and likely positioned to bring in the crowds. A few of the apparitions will look familiar, too, in what might be called a reunion of kindred spirits.</div><div><p></p><p><b>Rated "PG-13": supernatural action/violence, language, and suggestive references; 2:05; </b><b>$ $ and 1/2 out of $5.</b></p><p><i>("Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" is now haunting theaters just about anywhere near you.)</i></p><p>Also new today in theaters: "<a href="https://www.immaculate.film/">Immaculate</a>," "<a href="https://www.latenightwiththedevil.movie/">Late Night with the Devil</a>," "<a href="https://tickets.problemista.movie/">Problemista</a>," and "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKVutwU9Kns">William Shatner: You Can Call Me Bill</a>." Newly streaming: "<a href="https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81221344">The Casagrandes Movie</a>" and "<a href="https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81473752">Shirley</a>" (Netflix), "<a href="https://press.hulu.com/shows/freaknik-the-wildest-party-never-told/">Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told</a>" (Hulu), and "<a href="https://press.amazonstudios.com/us/en/original-movies/road-house">Road House</a>." (Amazon Prime).</p></div>John M. Urbancichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12150965105626964638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754136280039092364.post-45072627953288589262024-03-15T12:28:00.000-07:002024-03-17T14:19:50.782-07:00TIFF premieres, 'Knox Goes Away,' 'One Life,' arrive with old-pro efforts<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnmHK8jzk4DTxfgSC8JnjZZKpmdFBCQ3Jw7JKN6w6OXBl5x3h3ihIFuvISqg179U7FmXH5-UG7mj-GWCVbH_8DxW2dfBfu24hbbZm19IvPAIN7yQK2pLGjo_F3tQfFp9tKvyGf-5CxdchCu6AcLc05M9rnJbNy9AXMseFow9kfG3Qcrtoa4hphYIvLlfXS/s388/Knox_Goes_Away_film_poster(1).jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="255" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnmHK8jzk4DTxfgSC8JnjZZKpmdFBCQ3Jw7JKN6w6OXBl5x3h3ihIFuvISqg179U7FmXH5-UG7mj-GWCVbH_8DxW2dfBfu24hbbZm19IvPAIN7yQK2pLGjo_F3tQfFp9tKvyGf-5CxdchCu6AcLc05M9rnJbNy9AXMseFow9kfG3Qcrtoa4hphYIvLlfXS/w263-h400/Knox_Goes_Away_film_poster(1).jpg" width="263" /></a></div>A couple of world premieres from September's 48th annual Toronto International Film Festival finally open today, a full six months later, each with major stars and, somehow, little fanfare, even if both movies probably deserve more legitimate attention. <p></p><p>"<a href="https://www.lionsgate.com/movies/knox-goes-away">Knox Goes Away,</a>" which happens to be Michael Keaton's second effort behind the camera (and first since 2008's hardly seen "The Merry Gentleman") also gives its director a great lead role as a hit man with severe memory problems. In fact, John Knox's faculties are declining rather quickly, as proven by a not-so-typical, tragic foul-up during what should have been a routine job of contract murder.</p><p>Because of those serious and surprisingly touching health reasons, Keaton must play Knox as a quiet man in a hurry. This skilled actor also directs with steady, stylish patience that starts with what might be an homage to "Taxi Driver" and extends throughout a complex tale that brings in a bounty of nice supporting work along the twisting, turning way.</p><p>Atop the latter list sits one fine effort by ever flashy Al Pacino, as the mentor/friend who helps Knox uncork a doozy of a plan to save his estranged son (James Marsden) and, perhaps, leave a decent kind of legacy you might not expect from a paid assassin. Another memorable scene featuring the terrific Marcia Gay Harden, as his ex-wife, even might have Knox and the viewing audience wishing that his dementia, as well as a tough, clever cop (Suzy Nakamura), were not closing in on him.</p><p>No worries, though. While touches of dark humor cover up the few blips in Greg Pourier's mostly riveting screenplay, the noirish Knox never really goes away until you simply stop thinking about it all.</p><p><b>Rated "R" by MPAA: violence and language; 1:54; </b><b>$ $ $ and 1/2 out of $5.</b></p><p>While on the subjects of acting and emotional situations, few can rival Anthony Hopkins and the performance he delivers in the exceptionally moving "<a href="https://bleeckerstreetmedia.com/one-life">One Life</a>," a sad but true pre-Holocaust story about a man of little renown outside of Britain.</p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgowpd9Yd5yyZ-cGzfa1z2TomZ5Mfl-CjPortA1sXIxrJSjotU4aUXf9LbPUd2_Vh94ZHsdl7KLo4Bp7VeXeWWH_CraUlQncUZV9G_hK6UIkNlUeqd4PiEiW_U0QmJENR7Ecn18HzuhSyZ0mPkCtA-QqHNGFSvzpqoCguS-aqJXqh3iWynCAvjJal2i_g2C/s782/OutOfDarkness-Poster-530x782.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="782" data-original-width="530" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgowpd9Yd5yyZ-cGzfa1z2TomZ5Mfl-CjPortA1sXIxrJSjotU4aUXf9LbPUd2_Vh94ZHsdl7KLo4Bp7VeXeWWH_CraUlQncUZV9G_hK6UIkNlUeqd4PiEiW_U0QmJENR7Ecn18HzuhSyZ0mPkCtA-QqHNGFSvzpqoCguS-aqJXqh3iWynCAvjJal2i_g2C/w271-h400/OutOfDarkness-Poster-530x782.jpg" width="271" /></a></div>In fact, even in his own country, Nicholas Winton was not truly heralded for saving hundreds of mostly Jewish/Polish children from Hitler's Nazi grasp just before the start of World War II. Then, just about a full 50 years later, a popular BBC television show called "That's Life!" surprised the humanitarian hero with a heartwarming reunion of sorts.<p></p><p>Naturally, Hopkins portrays the elderly Winton with a wit, humility, and presence that only the brilliant and dignified, two-time Oscar winner might offer. Meanwhile, during various historical flashbacks into the late-1930s, Brit actor/singer Johnny Flynn (from 2020's "Emma" and Netflix's "Lovesick" sitcom) gives stolid and scary glimpses into how and why the younger "Nicky" astonishingly made it all happen. </p><p>As in "Knox Goes Away," a veteran ensemble smartly surrounds the marvelous lead players, including Lena Olin, as Winton's devoted wife, and Helena Bonham Carter, as his fabulous and feisty mother, a woman who would never take no for an answer. (Jonathan Pryce, who shared top billing with Hopkins in 2019's "The Two Popes," also appears briefly as a former key player in the Prague-based rescue efforts.)</p><p>Certainly, first-time feature director James Hawes (of "Slow Horses" fame on AppleTV+) and a pair of screenwriters (Lucinda Coxon and Nick Drake), working from a book written by Winton's daughter, deserve credit, too, for showing how just "one life" really can save and reward generations. Bring a hankie and a few prayers.</p><p><b>Rated "PG" by MPAA: thematic material, smoking, and some language; 1:50; </b><b>$ $ $ $ out of $5.</b></p><p><i>(Both "Knox Goes Away" and "One Life" are playing in neighborhood theaters everywhere.)</i></p><p>Also new today in theaters: "<a href="https://www.focusfeatures.com/video/the-american-society-of-magical-negroes-official-trailer">The American Society of Magical Negroes</a>," "<a href="https://www.arthurtheking.movie/">Arthur the King,</a>" "<a href="https://a24films.com/films/love-lies-bleeding">Love Lies Bleeding</a>," and "<a href="https://www.cia.edu/cinematheque/film-schedule/2024/03/they-shot-the-piano-player">They Shot the Piano Player</a>." Newly streaming this week: "<a href="https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81689799">Art of Love</a>" and "<a href="https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81594532">Irish Wish</a>" (Netflix), "<a href="https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/the-bloody-hundredth/umc.cmc.17tiu47xvxo1p9k0tqfvhf29r">The Bloody Hundredth</a>" (Apple+), "<a href="https://www.max.com/movies/dream-scenario/b1b17005-42fa-42d7-8ef0-c02eb9703bc6">Dream Scenario</a>" (Max), "<a href="https://press.amazonstudios.com/us/en/original-movies/frida">Frida</a>" (Amazon Prime), "<a href="https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/paramount-plus/shows/little-wing/releases/?view=109353-paramount-debuts-official-trailer-for-coming-of-age-film-little-wing">Little Wing</a>" (Paramount+), "<a href="https://ondisneyplus.disney.com/movie/taylor-swift-the-eras-tour-taylors-version">Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour</a>" (Disney+), "<a href="https://www.peacocktv.com/stream-movies/trolls-band-together?irclickid=UxmSd%3AV68xyPRKkVKAwBawOhUkHynl2PP3rBRw0&irgwc=1&utm_source=pk_vrs_imra&utm_medium=pd_aff_acq_psdlnk&utm_term=Wildfire%20Systems&utm_content=828265&cid=2201affiliateevgnpkpdaff4393&utm_campaign=2201affiliateevgn">Trolls Band Together</a>" (Peacock).</p>John M. Urbancichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12150965105626964638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754136280039092364.post-50093812246580986832024-03-07T13:27:00.000-08:002024-03-08T17:50:21.776-08:00Believe it, 16-year-old 'Panda' franchise still has a little animated kick to it<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc4XAztkiK8Sb0OwKNEKJqPC6inCgOc999cS3pmXTJ3zuWZHSMePvMWBm-e8LaFXAVgZXoBY6KVlijJe8K0Mf8e3joI_58O-akb85Ldj9hBMTwTX9BZPNM1d23iZVoohYLw3IIGs5NxQE80kitXqcaQkH1We5-L2WYIt4R288GZzCksU3FJDopwsrwshOI/s3667/kung-fu-panda-4-KungFuPanda4_One_Sheet_rgb.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3667" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc4XAztkiK8Sb0OwKNEKJqPC6inCgOc999cS3pmXTJ3zuWZHSMePvMWBm-e8LaFXAVgZXoBY6KVlijJe8K0Mf8e3joI_58O-akb85Ldj9hBMTwTX9BZPNM1d23iZVoohYLw3IIGs5NxQE80kitXqcaQkH1We5-L2WYIt4R288GZzCksU3FJDopwsrwshOI/s320/kung-fu-panda-4-KungFuPanda4_One_Sheet_rgb.jpg" width="202" /></a></div>The so-called "Dragon Warrior," sometimes still simply referred to as "Po," returns anew Friday, believe it or not, in the franchise-sustaining "<a href="https://www.dreamworks.com/movies/kung-fu-panda-4">Kung Fu Panda 4</a>," and somehow rarely manages to wear out his good-natured welcome.<div><br /></div><div>I mean, the everlasting story remains energetically built around a perfectly paired Jack Black, once more voicing the big, bouncy title hero by continuously tossing out a punny line here or a bear trace of arrogance there, between an array of "skadoosh" moves which accent a lot of generally nifty, animated action moments.</div><div><br /></div><div>The key plot point here, though, in this fast-moving successor to a movie brand that originally showed its happy face in 2008, is that Master Shifu (Dustin Hofman -- also again!) now wants his affable apprentice to move up to "Spiritual Leader." What? Even if our courageous Panda continues to get a bigger kick out of martial arts than quoting meaningful proverbs to the masses in the Valley of Peace?</div><div><br /></div><div>Please, say it ain't so, Po! Well, alas, it is, but not before the Dragon Warrior must deal with a couple of bad guys -- who just actually happen to be women -- on the way to finding his own successor. Oscar-winner Viola Davis, as the dastardly shapeshifting "Chameleon," and the comic Awkwafina, as a tough, streetwise fox named Zhen, rise above the predictable to give strong voices to each. So do Bryan Cranston and James Hong, both back as Panda's two dads. </div><div><br /></div><div>Anyone up for seeing and hearing the old gang again in five or six years?<br /><div><br /></div><div><b>Rated "PG" by MPAA: martial arts action/mild violence, scary images, mild rude humor; 1:34; $ $ $ out of $5.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><i>("Kung Fu Panda 4" is already making its hefty presence felt in theaters everywhere.)</i></div><div><br /></div><div>Also new in theaters: "<a href="https://www.angel.com/movies/cabrini">Cabrini</a>," "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XoNfrgrAGM">Imaginary</a>," and "<a href="https://www.iocapitano.com/">Io Capitano</a>." Newly streaming: "<a href="https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/80991090">Damsel</a>" (Netflix), </div><div>"<a href="https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/paramount-plus/shows/mean-girls-the-musical/releases/?view=109371-mean-girls-2024-available-to-stream-beginning-march-5-on-paramount">Mean Girls</a>" (Paramount+), "<a href="https://www.searchlightpictures.com/poor-things/">Poor Things</a>" (Hulu), "<a href="https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/entertainment/ricky-stanicky-prime-video">Ricky Stanicky</a>" (Amazon Prime), and "<a href="https://www.wonkamovie.com/">Wonka</a>" (Max).</div></div>John M. Urbancichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12150965105626964638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754136280039092364.post-89538406195764878742024-03-01T04:43:00.000-08:002024-03-06T11:36:15.178-08:00Villenueve's new 'Dune' shows off moments of big, breathtaking film-making<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMUYVKy4CuQ-wGMURSqtsjOr9wM8GVGtfhlNXbMvsFemvwcx5M-jlp5yAWhJmDWiHsNjjYRs_2P2fNm6gdvYpiHuOGYPST1ReM3AzaQ6DD-KAIvfeAo2BFAjFSlT6GMLDf7Re5akpUzoSrS4pOq8-xDmpzuuafjzxJFLVHOyBCZi-SJfgkx-FKDq_YFgOc/s600/65b1a68b0d89e106dad0d776_preview_clean.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="405" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMUYVKy4CuQ-wGMURSqtsjOr9wM8GVGtfhlNXbMvsFemvwcx5M-jlp5yAWhJmDWiHsNjjYRs_2P2fNm6gdvYpiHuOGYPST1ReM3AzaQ6DD-KAIvfeAo2BFAjFSlT6GMLDf7Re5akpUzoSrS4pOq8-xDmpzuuafjzxJFLVHOyBCZi-SJfgkx-FKDq_YFgOc/w270-h400/65b1a68b0d89e106dad0d776_preview_clean.png" width="270" /></a></div>No doubt about it, "<a href="https://www.dunemovie.com/">Dune: Part 2</a>," looks and feels like the biggest theatrical movie-going experience since last summer's "<a href="https://jmuvies.blogspot.com/2023/07/oppenheimer-speaks-loud-volumes.html">Oppenheimer</a>." In fact, it easily also leaves director and co-writer Denis Villenueve's own 2021, less enthralling prelude (<a href="https://jmuvies.blogspot.com/2021/10/trio-of-fair-to-middlers-arrive-from.html">simply called "Dune"</a>) at lease lying, if not writhing, in its then overwhelming and omnipresent sand.</div><div><br /></div><div>In this one, the gifted Quebecois filmmaker unleashes all his big guns, including a couple of eyeworthy sandworm-riding experiences that might rock your soul while shaking the (hopefully) large-screen viewing venue at which you likely will be enjoying chunks of first-class cinema.</div><div><br /></div><div>The love story that began oh so slowly between savior/hero Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet) and Fremen heroine Chani (Zendaya) heats up considerably, too, with old and new cadres of characters either returning or now being introduced to the spicy sci-fi adventure still mostly based on the crowded Arrakis Universe in Frank Herbert's trippy '60s novel.</div><div><br /></div><div>The freshest franchise faces belong to a pair of former young Oscar nominees, Florence Pugh, as the brilliant and perceptive Princess Irulan, and Austin "Elvis" Butler, as a hairless psycho killer. Like Chani's fearless ways, though, the film really gets seriously kick-ass in areas such as cinematography (Greig Fraser), music (Hans Zimmer), spectacular sound, effortless effects and just about all specialties anyone could possibly name.</div><div><br /></div><div>The total craftsmanship even upstages Christopher Walken, as the powerful if two-faced "Emperor" who, by the way, is not looking so unlike the ancient highness/manipulator from the "Star Wars" films. Among others, Stellan Skarsgard's evil return as bulky bad Baron Harkonnen produces a few savage highlights of his own, and Atreides' ever peculiar and now pregnant "Reverend" Mother (Rebecca Ferguson) gets to converse spookily with her unborn baby girl. </div><div><br /></div><div>Since big brother Paul has his own way of communicating with the sister-to-be as well, expect box-office receipts and all the major stars to align so such powerful Forces may be with us again for at least one final "Dune" soon.</div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Rated "PG-13": sequences of violence, suggestive material, and brief strong language; 2:46; $ $ $ $ out of $5.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><i>("Dune: Part 2" is currently playing in theaters on a wealth of screens everywhere.)</i></div><div><br /></div><div>Also new today in theaters: "<a href="https://tickets.peasantsmovie.com/">The Peasants</a>." Newly streaming: "<a href="https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/napoleon/umc.cmc.25k80oxl3vo69c8rimk8v81s1">Napoleon</a>" (AppleTV+), "<a href="https://www.peacocktv.com/blog/pathological-the-lies-of-joran-van-der-sloot-trailer">Pathological: The Lies of Joran Van Der Sloot</a>" (Peacock), and "<a href="https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81639031">The Parades</a>" and "<a href="https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81301595">Spaceman</a>" (both on Netflix).</div>John M. Urbancichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12150965105626964638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754136280039092364.post-70082997674153235482024-02-23T12:13:00.000-08:002024-02-23T14:34:19.861-08:00One Coen brother's 'Drive-Away Dolls' misses on more than it hits<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGly8RfZL0SqTVbYgHVSlQF6IvesgJP1PdUWa2VXKUbgCAvRWD5gmxooMuqbSOU4CZj6A6Ak_NAtP67aEchXddhDun8OncMtzp5FEDzuXlidh0WIF6vHEuK3RIZXQmJZcbfU1lz6AD2g3fT-SrrJXCV93tIpjJyves4OybCrHQg4dfCHwaOsQCrxGNhG8c/s1350/drive-away-dolls-DAD_Final-Payoff_IG_1080x1350_rgb.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGly8RfZL0SqTVbYgHVSlQF6IvesgJP1PdUWa2VXKUbgCAvRWD5gmxooMuqbSOU4CZj6A6Ak_NAtP67aEchXddhDun8OncMtzp5FEDzuXlidh0WIF6vHEuK3RIZXQmJZcbfU1lz6AD2g3fT-SrrJXCV93tIpjJyves4OybCrHQg4dfCHwaOsQCrxGNhG8c/w320-h400/drive-away-dolls-DAD_Final-Payoff_IG_1080x1350_rgb.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Last time one of the mostly collaborative Coen Brothers directed a narrative feature alone, it was Joel's "The Tragedy of Macbeth," which got some help even in 2021 from a co-writer named Shakespeare and a few others to garner three Oscar nominations. <div><br /><div>Uh, just do not expect such greatness to be thrust upon sibling Ethan Coen for presenting a first solo narrative helming venture of his own (after his "Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble in Mind" doc did play '22 Cannes and apparently nowhere since). </div><div><br /></div><div>This one is called "<a href="https://www.focusfeatures.com/drive-away-dolls/watch/">Break-Away Dolls</a>," which has been described as a "lesbian road comedy," although the really huge laughs somehow come miles apart in an offbeat, 1999 telling that's simply riddled with screwball-type characters all the way from Philadelphia, Pa., to Tallahassee, Fla.</div><div><div><br /></div><div>Name players certainly fill the cast with credited cameos and surprising appearances, but the entire suggestive shebang gets carried most intriguingly by the sexually obsessive Jamie (Margaret Qualley) and buttoned-down, book-reading pal Marian (as always, a constantly scene-stealing Geraldine Viswanathan). </div><div><br /></div><div>There are the usual priceless moments, too, provided by venerable Bill Camp, as the "drive-away" rental guy, and others may get a kick out of the key, "Pulp Fiction"-like briefcase that stands up down the stretch through thick and thin.</div><div><div><br /></div><div><b>Rated "R" by MPAA: crude sexual content, full nudity, language, and violent content; 1:24; $ $ and 1/2 out of $5.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><i>("Drive-Away Dolls" is now playing in theaters just about everywhere.</i><i>)</i></div><div><br /></div><div>Also new today in theaters: "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiCVKgxGvT0">Demon Slayer: To the Hashira Training</a>," "<a href="https://ordinaryangels.movie/">Ordinary Angels</a>" and "<a href="https://www.perfectdays-movie.jp/en/">Perfect Days</a>." Newly streaming: "<a href="https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81577005">Mea Culpa</a>" (on Netflix).</div><div><br /></div></div></div></div>John M. Urbancichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12150965105626964638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754136280039092364.post-84008273385113486622024-02-14T12:53:00.000-08:002024-02-16T07:13:40.657-08:00Ya, mon, 'Bob Marley' has the love, music and slight story of a little big man<div>If you walk into "<a href="https://www.onelovemovie.com/home/">Bob Marley: One Love</a>" knowing anything about the Jamaican legend whose name carries this surprisingly slight biopic, you might be struck by the size of the handsome man portraying him.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghWeerDs5pqXJ27odxGIvHvCUMvOa1mobBENnvMOU8-sETiBTIy9R2-rrMr0IupTVJ7jfRWFdWfAiru3dwneIn5-ZimthGrXHg1CGe6iP6UB3uGhPKM3iG3ZvZzFTk9M8mbYyHwVz92qIs2FLJPTDR-OpdI96w_cZ27XZSF2u8B-NY9O9lbYmK7yzEo3n2/s1300/BMOL_DOM_Online_Teaser2_1-Sheet_04_FIN2_1.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1300" data-original-width="878" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghWeerDs5pqXJ27odxGIvHvCUMvOa1mobBENnvMOU8-sETiBTIy9R2-rrMr0IupTVJ7jfRWFdWfAiru3dwneIn5-ZimthGrXHg1CGe6iP6UB3uGhPKM3iG3ZvZzFTk9M8mbYyHwVz92qIs2FLJPTDR-OpdI96w_cZ27XZSF2u8B-NY9O9lbYmK7yzEo3n2/w270-h400/BMOL_DOM_Online_Teaser2_1-Sheet_04_FIN2_1.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>That would be the magnetic Kingsley Ben-Adir, a six-plus-footer who so earnestly personified Malcolm X in "One Night in Miami," Barack Obama ("The Comey Rules" miniseries), and even one of the seven magnificently positioned Kens opposite last year's allegedly all-powerful "Barbie." </div><div><br /></div><div>Of course, except for the size differential, he absolutely nails the 5-7 Marley, too, in a movie that becomes a gentle and nothing more salute to a man whose brave stance against violence in a home country on the verge of civil war eventually made him a worldwide hero for peace and unity.<b><br /></b></div><div><br /></div><div>Naturally, he gets major help from his first wife, played by the terrific ex-Bond girl, Lashana Lynch. Her Rita is a strong, spiritual Rastafarian who recovers from a bullet just missing her brain, mothers all of Marley's kids (even if just three are hers) AND sings backup at concerts when she can.</div><div><br /></div><div>Thankfully, Bob's reggae ditties co-star easily, too, from "I Shot the Sheriff" and "Simmer Down" to "Get Up Stand Up," "Three Little Birds," and more. Still, with director Renaldo Marcus Green ("King Richard") and his trio of credited co-writers (including "The Sopranos" mainstay Terence Winter) attempting to define just a few years in the brief life of an icon, there could and should have been more meat on the bones, and we're no longer talking about the real Marley's physical stature now, either. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Rated "PG-13" by MPAA: for marijuana use and smoking throughout, some violence, and brief strong language; 1:44; </b><b>$ $ $ out of $5.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><i>("Bob Marley: One Love" is now playing in theaters just about everywhere.</i><i>)</i></div><div><br /></div><div>Also new today in theaters: "<a href="https://www.sonypictures.com/movies/madameweb">Madame Web</a>" and "<a href="https://www.tasteofthings.com/">The Taste of Things</a>." Newly streaming: "<a href="https://www.oppenheimermovie.com/">Oppenheimer</a>" (Peacock), "<a href="https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81034895">Players</a>" (Netflix), and "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/This-Me-Now-Jennifer-Lopez/dp/B0CQ3L3W3Y">This Is Me . . . Now: A Love Story</a>" (Amazon Prime).</div>John M. Urbancichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12150965105626964638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754136280039092364.post-5657681844204183482024-02-09T15:05:00.000-08:002024-02-09T15:41:57.121-08:00'Teachers' Lounge' is where to be for Best International Feature potential<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0-rx0UFzvw23sEHHhfOlSwIM8tE8YidumvcE7c1uBSJulU-CPxHkYhl67NivIhHINm_-xVfe5-1RFnoj2CLhDA8D95z-IKiV9X_ZfiaPTDeqb_fUpIESNRBegEGcMn0o4C1O3JbrvpB6y0tzjE1e2pQmx3cQS_LQpcjCSkCvIS4VrXCSYjYJEMiYAiFy8/s587/theteacherslounge.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="587" data-original-width="396" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0-rx0UFzvw23sEHHhfOlSwIM8tE8YidumvcE7c1uBSJulU-CPxHkYhl67NivIhHINm_-xVfe5-1RFnoj2CLhDA8D95z-IKiV9X_ZfiaPTDeqb_fUpIESNRBegEGcMn0o4C1O3JbrvpB6y0tzjE1e2pQmx3cQS_LQpcjCSkCvIS4VrXCSYjYJEMiYAiFy8/w270-h400/theteacherslounge.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><div>Germany's Leonie Benesch, who looks almost young enough to be a middle-school student herself, absolutely knocks us and herself out in "<a href="https://tickets.teachersloungefilm.com/">The Teachers' Lounge</a>," a Best International Feature nominee that everyone should see before filling out their March 10 Academy Awards scorecards.</div><div><br /></div><div>Already notable as an even younger nanny in 2009's Palme d'Or-winning "The White Ribbon" and as the sister of Prince Phillip in a controversial season two of "The Crown," Benesch here portrays a new hire from Poland getting herself involved in office politics way over her well-meaning head.</div><div><br /></div><div>As if teaching both math and gym are not enough, her own personal hell breaks loose after she leaves her computer camera open in an attempt to catch a thief other than a student she believes has been falsely accused.</div><div><br /></div><div>What happens after that in this riveting if complex allegory from director and co-writer Ilker Catak might suffocate you from tension, with maybe a little outrage to go before the school bell actually rings instead of a cell phone from just about anyone's pocket.</div><div><br /></div><div>Certainly, it will leave many of us looking back on our own junior high days. That's when teachers ruled the roost and students mostly followed directions and simply only wondered who was responsible for that cigarette smoke emanating from their own school's teachers' lounge.<b><br /></b></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Rated "PG-13" by MPAA: for some strong language; 1:38; </b><b>$ $ $ $ and 1/2 out of $5.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><i>("The Teachers' Lounge" is now open </i><i>exclusively in northeastern Ohio at the Cleveland Heights-based Cedar Lee Theater and Elyria's Regal Cobblestone Square.)</i></div><p>Also new in theaters: "<a href="https://www.focusfeatures.com/lisa-frankenstein/synopsis/">Lisa Frankenstein</a>," "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NF0JChMz8Uc">The Monk and the Gun</a>," "<a href="https://www.outofdarkness.movie/">Out of Darkness</a>," and "<a href="https://www.bluefoxentertainment.com/films/popular-theory">Popular Theory.</a>" Newly streaming: "<a href="https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81616617">Ashes</a>" (Netflix), "<a href="https://www.searchlightpictures.com/suncoast">Suncoast</a>" (Hulu), "<a href="https://www.max.com/movies/they-called-him-mostly-harmless/36619087-40d1-4558-87d7-43945f6bc0cf">They Called Him Mostly Harmless</a>," and "<a href="https://press.amazonstudios.com/us/en/original-movies/upgraded">Upgraded</a>" (Amazon Prime).</p>John M. Urbancichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12150965105626964638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754136280039092364.post-30326489715134786862024-02-02T12:40:00.000-08:002024-02-02T13:19:57.050-08:00'Madeleine' drives nicely; 'Argylle' socks (uh, or simply something like that)<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK6ZK0G3_qZ9AdsdNj1ajYuv4eDHaxp37ipPLTyE55jnoZ3N5ztfoA9r2U0cYO7YmhiOty2WkNt1cfiYtyrwHmQ8a5T7UlytT1_k4xYuv5guEUSfzuta3WYn_y6jR6JEXGmPSoxHjDYPUifKlW5kSha3xAXjDgxkihdhF06qkngOCuhw10AUNfgAyBy0jQ/s1920/DrivingMadeleine_QuadLobby_1080x1920%20(3).jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK6ZK0G3_qZ9AdsdNj1ajYuv4eDHaxp37ipPLTyE55jnoZ3N5ztfoA9r2U0cYO7YmhiOty2WkNt1cfiYtyrwHmQ8a5T7UlytT1_k4xYuv5guEUSfzuta3WYn_y6jR6JEXGmPSoxHjDYPUifKlW5kSha3xAXjDgxkihdhF06qkngOCuhw10AUNfgAyBy0jQ/w225-h400/DrivingMadeleine_QuadLobby_1080x1920%20(3).jpg" width="225" /></a></div>Finally, "<a href="https://cohenmedia.net/product/driving-madeleine">Driving Madeline</a>," one of the favorite movies I saw at the 47th annual Toronto International Film Festival -- and that was way back in 2022, folks -- is slowly making its rounds into American theaters.</div><div><br /></div><div>With Paris as the gorgeous co-star to the terrific Dany Boon, as a cab driver with plenty of personal issues, and ninetysomething <i>Grande Dame</i> Line Renaud, as the personable passenger who may change his life forever, their day-long trip together becomes a 90-minute beauty to behold.</div><div><br /></div><div>"You are not too chatty?" Renaud's perfectly coiffed titled character asks Boon's grouchy cabbie in setting the stage for the memorable moments ahead in this tiny French gem from director Christian Carion ("Joyeux Noel") and his co-writer, Cyril Gely ("Diplomacy" and "Chocolat"). </div><div><br /></div><div>A little later, the ever-wise Madeleine advises her newfound friend that, "Each moment of anger makes you old; every smile makes you younger." </div><div><br /></div><div>So, please, do yourself a favor, seek out the counsel of this particularly cool, older gal soon and then simply sit back, relax, and eliminate those mounting years by the minute. Of course, her story all might come with tears, so bringing a fresh handkerchief certainly would be a swell idea, too. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Not rated by MPAA, but with language and short scenes of abuse and violence showing up in an otherwise lovely telling; 1:31; $ $ $ $ out of $5</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><i>("Driving Madeleine" can be seen exclusively in northeastern Ohio at the Cleveland Heights-based Cedar Lee Theater.)</i></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHgYzpo4RNpaLFXM35q7ZhVkciV7Ykz47ee2RjywzlFzWbxLVyE3uUmLb5_GfT0dd_0JCptq74Wuh79IV667PPfNXQlfJODziaJitvqUGw0ttqKReYiFkpoFKuYzFEu6SS8f95u0E6HqvF5SldpVhkvEfzekXEMDrANQLHkY8BtpGkF8pEcRI6KC1BDmVE/s5000/argylle-ARG_Adv1Sheet4_CMP439_rgb.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5000" data-original-width="3158" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHgYzpo4RNpaLFXM35q7ZhVkciV7Ykz47ee2RjywzlFzWbxLVyE3uUmLb5_GfT0dd_0JCptq74Wuh79IV667PPfNXQlfJODziaJitvqUGw0ttqKReYiFkpoFKuYzFEu6SS8f95u0E6HqvF5SldpVhkvEfzekXEMDrANQLHkY8BtpGkF8pEcRI6KC1BDmVE/s320/argylle-ARG_Adv1Sheet4_CMP439_rgb.jpg" width="202" /></a></div>On the other hand, the really big movie of the week, "<a href="https://www.argyllemovie.com/home/">Argylle</a>," quickly spins into everything that "Driving Madeleine" is not.</div><div><br /></div><div>That means long, loud, lousy, and brazenly absurd after a somewhat seductive start initiated by Barry White's sexy, sturdy "My First My Last My Everything," and a "whirlybird" spin on a foreign dance floor by actor/singer/model Dua Lipa and former three-film "Superman" Henry Cavill.</div><div><br /></div><div>The latter plays the spy whose name becomes the title for the silly proceedings that follow, and Lipa is a quickly departing adversary, no matter what the trailer ads might have you believe about the size of her role here.</div><div><br /></div><div>In fact, both players might be imaginary leftovers in the mind of a hugely popular author (Bryce Dallas Howard), who soon finds herself immersed in a world where one spy-lie after another matters less and less to anyone involved and/or watching. </div><div><br /></div><div>The supporting cast in this huge miss from Brit director Matthew Vaughn, probably known best for "X-Men: First Class" and the "Kingsman" movies, includes names such as Samuel L. Jackson, Bryan Cranston, Catherine O'Hara, John Cena, and recent Oscar-winner Ariana DeBose. Regardless and as always, much of the scene-stealing gets done by Sam Rockwell, as a real secret agent. Maybe.<br /><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Rated "PG-13" by MPAA: strong violence and action and some strong language; 2:21; </b><b>$ $ out of $5.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><i>("Argylle" is now on theater screens everywhere, including about 3,500 in the U.S. alone.)</i></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>Also new in theaters: "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adZ1yg8e3uE">The Jungle Bunch: Operation Meltdown</a>," "<a href="https://www.magpictures.com/thepromisedland/">The Promised Land</a>," and "<a href="https://www.lionsgate.com/movies/scrambled">Scrambled</a>." Newly streaming: "<a href="https://a24films.com/films/dicks-the-musical">Dicks: The Musical</a>" (Max), "<a href="https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81476885">Orion and the Dark</a>" (Netflix), and "<a href="https://www.mikrosanimation.com/en/project/the-tigers-apprentice/">The Tiger's Apprentice</a>" (Paramount+).</div>John M. Urbancichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12150965105626964638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754136280039092364.post-35572301495114589352024-01-19T14:13:00.000-08:002024-01-19T14:47:01.226-08:00Time to grieve with 'Us Strangers' and spar with 'Freud's Last Session'<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFMkiiDEl4T964BGjbep46gRviwOSONggNpaYHMxCPes4BacshNTAqBrQ0wqTxe_VB3dRBD1j3Sh3DgjGJuIF6SwYeQJNbmAEVkM6O_yoVFaV8JlWEDtE7js6VU1vU41Ao9zhzMeX4q2vesYXGMXeD4uc1-tW6DgdOdk3l7oHQl23dMQsLVa7s23tlxy5O/s2837/all-of-us-strangers-AOUS_ONLINE_POSTER_1334x2000_PAYOFF_FIN_rgb.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2837" data-original-width="1892" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFMkiiDEl4T964BGjbep46gRviwOSONggNpaYHMxCPes4BacshNTAqBrQ0wqTxe_VB3dRBD1j3Sh3DgjGJuIF6SwYeQJNbmAEVkM6O_yoVFaV8JlWEDtE7js6VU1vU41Ao9zhzMeX4q2vesYXGMXeD4uc1-tW6DgdOdk3l7oHQl23dMQsLVa7s23tlxy5O/s320/all-of-us-strangers-AOUS_ONLINE_POSTER_1334x2000_PAYOFF_FIN_rgb.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>Do not know if anyone has had time yet to scrutinize yesterday's lengthy list of British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards nominations -- better known as the BAFTAs -- but a serious film opening wide today received six of them.</div><div><br /></div><div>That would be Andrew Haigh's sad and lonely "<a href="https://www.searchlightpictures.com/all-of-us-strangers/">All of Us Strangers</a>," which earned one for Outstanding British Film, two for Haigh as "Director" and for his "Adapted Screenplay," and a pair of supporting acting nods for Claire Foy and Paul Mescal. </div><div><br /></div><div>The sixth came for "Casting," which serves as still another reason for heads likely being scratched severely over the BAFTA omission of lead actor Andrew Scott, whose performance carries a film that wanders through a tortured past and the solitude of a ghostly present.</div><div><br /></div><div>Each scenario is inhabited by Scott's introverted writer, a gay man named Adam perhaps so involved in the screenplay he apparently is struggling with that it becomes impossible for him to separate reality from personal memories.</div><div><br /></div><div>Without giving much away, Foy, as Adam's loving "Mom," usually appears with her husband (the ever-solid Jamie Bell), himself playing a "Dad" who gets a chance to apologize to his son for mistakes he made while bringing up the now-adult Adam. It becomes one of a few moving scenes in Haigh's story, which is based on an '80s novel simply called "Strangers." </div><div><br /></div><div>Meanwhile, Mescal gets to find his own special moments opposite the increasingly watchable Scott. Initially introduced as one of the only neighbors Adam can converse with in a mostly vacant high-rise, Mescal's kind of devilish Harry becomes much more than simply a pal in a movie that might open some eyes and certainly more than a few hearts.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Rated "R" by MPAA: sexual content, language, and some drug use; 1:45; </b><b>$ $ $ 1/2 out of $5.</b></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzWl5gGTMv1ZSk_0qGR89iGrNXTd17mDWa3vUkQ1UPT2EdejxFAC2nDMiJXh8Ehmkc95o2jXaLIG5eS5fE4zkMD3EG38QvH5qKOa7iXSmSNbdXZ8QYgFXGAduI0yIE_xZmeUHPpwkM5LOX4lcYeP05YroMrowYAcct3vYidaIZaGkXSPpfLPGvfgK9JVBK/s2866/freudslastsession_poster.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><strike><img border="0" data-original-height="2866" data-original-width="1934" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzWl5gGTMv1ZSk_0qGR89iGrNXTd17mDWa3vUkQ1UPT2EdejxFAC2nDMiJXh8Ehmkc95o2jXaLIG5eS5fE4zkMD3EG38QvH5qKOa7iXSmSNbdXZ8QYgFXGAduI0yIE_xZmeUHPpwkM5LOX4lcYeP05YroMrowYAcct3vYidaIZaGkXSPpfLPGvfgK9JVBK/w216-h320/freudslastsession_poster.jpg" width="216" /></strike></a></div>Another finely acted drama, "<a href="https://tickets.freudslastsessionfilm.com/">Freud's Last Session</a>," makes its own argument for choosing to watch a pair of top-notch British actors spar on screen.</div><div><br /></div><div>In fact, even if Anthony Hopkins, as Sigmund Freud, and Matthew Goode, as Catholic mainstay C.S. Lewis (prior to his famous writing of "The Chronicles of Narnia") wear you out long before they conclude touting their personal convictions against and for religion, the scary early days of World War II (complete with Hitler's radio rantings), and the renowned shrink's queer ideas about the love life of his brilliant daughter (Liv Lisa Fries), their daunting discourse definitely leaves enough to chew on while not necessarily entertaining. </div><div><br /></div><div>Of course, anytime we are dealing with Freud, much of it remains already in our head, anyway. Thus, just sit back and enjoy another huge performance from the 86-year-old Hopkins, who thankfully continues to amaze.</div><div><b><br />Rated "PG-13" by MPAA: thematic material, some bloody/violent images, sexual material, and smoking; 1:51; </b><b>$ $ $ out of $5.</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Also new today in theaters: "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElnPVEYGCJw">Founders Day</a>," "<a href="https://bleeckerstreetmedia.com/i-s-s">I.S.S.</a>," "<a href="https://www.originfilm.com/">Origin</a>," and "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyJCO2f1yX0">Which Brings Me to You</a>." Newly streaming: "<a href="https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81486233">60 Minutes</a>" (Netflix).</div>John M. Urbancichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12150965105626964638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754136280039092364.post-30425547464448891382024-01-12T15:52:00.000-08:002024-01-12T15:52:29.489-08:00A fact about 'Fiction': It's a very good one; 'Memory' mostly serves well, too<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFti_QK84IPnvVSRQQrUyKsVc97RnlyA-D34C_aTTfM5MQFtVFqcFcIGjWHOADAX-mvVvGM_t8LdfCkub6KfdJMFRonMkV8y-TfxiCX7YoPHKaxFlEm6flvZF0wGmHCTXcju1_6pWoAU98fDeYoKOq1MztX6dd0aZkDSUDzQLwNSqxq-TQVAQfpx-Dy1on/s4096/american-fiction-AMFIC_NewPoster_Press_rgb.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="2765" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFti_QK84IPnvVSRQQrUyKsVc97RnlyA-D34C_aTTfM5MQFtVFqcFcIGjWHOADAX-mvVvGM_t8LdfCkub6KfdJMFRonMkV8y-TfxiCX7YoPHKaxFlEm6flvZF0wGmHCTXcju1_6pWoAU98fDeYoKOq1MztX6dd0aZkDSUDzQLwNSqxq-TQVAQfpx-Dy1on/s320/american-fiction-AMFIC_NewPoster_Press_rgb.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>Almost a full four months after "<a href="https://www.mgm.com/titles/american-fiction/">American Fiction</a>" world-premiered at the 48th annual Toronto International Film Festival, debut director Cord Jefferson's smart send-up of the publishing world finally opens wide in American theaters everywhere.<div><br /></div><div>And, may I say, it's about damn time, since the edgy comedy, based on Percival Everett's satirical novel, "Erasure," not only walked off with TIFF's success-pointing "People's Choice Award" but, naturally, has since become a heavily nominated player in a number of upcoming film-related telecasts (including Sunday night's 29th annual "<a href="https://www.criticschoice.com/2023/12/13/film-nominations-announced-for-the-29th-annual-critics-choice-awards-hosted-by-chelsea-handler/">Critics Choice Awards</a>" show on The CW).</div><div><br /></div><div>If you have not heard, "Fiction" stars Jeffrey Wright (lately most notable, perhaps, in "Rustin," "Asteroid City," and his memorably robotic stint on HBO's "Westworld") marvelously centering the proceedings as a frustrated professor and writer anxious to publish an intelligent best-seller. Problem is, though, the reluctance of white book dealers who, he claims, prefer tomes about racial stereotypes and less serious narratives over what Wright's gifted Thelonius "Monk" Ellison has to offer.</div><div><br /></div><div>Enter the wildly crazy pseudonym, "Stagg R. Leigh" (which fans of late-'50s R&B rock might recognize), a sassy book titled "My Pafology," and suddenly Ellison himself just might find a staggering amount of success with which to deal. Add in a more-than-occasionally troubled family, which includes an ailing mom (ever-lovely Leslie Uggams) and gay doctor/brother (scene-stealing Sterling K. Brown), and a Best Picture Oscar nomination is certain to become a fact for such intriguing "Fiction," too.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Rated "R" by MPAA: language, some drug use, sexual references, and brief violence; 1:57; $ $ $ $ 1/2 out of $5.</b></div><div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZH1tE9IEuRDHrNm0GMFFGzIexcN57gwY-sKjc5rUt34WK34tRH_clt7h8R9sd-xGx5ea5tQ6u3lMch77g5Mbwtx_7rWJx2OaldtCzFN_PxINFVPmfv9JOxTuzX0ekn0HFzo9PfdKca0EacD_TAZRR-vLq03iLfFp-J4S6XbpBv2VYIy2fa8Sh00nmXypQ/s1410/s-l1600%20(1).jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1410" data-original-width="948" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZH1tE9IEuRDHrNm0GMFFGzIexcN57gwY-sKjc5rUt34WK34tRH_clt7h8R9sd-xGx5ea5tQ6u3lMch77g5Mbwtx_7rWJx2OaldtCzFN_PxINFVPmfv9JOxTuzX0ekn0HFzo9PfdKca0EacD_TAZRR-vLq03iLfFp-J4S6XbpBv2VYIy2fa8Sh00nmXypQ/w134-h200/s-l1600%20(1).jpg" width="134" /></a></div>Another festival favorite, the often heartbreaking "<a href="https://memory-film.com/">Memory</a>," helped wow audiences last September in both Toronto and Venice, where one of its stars earned the Best Actor Award at the latter city's 80th annual "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art."</div><div><br /></div><div>The deserving winner, Peter Sarsgaard, portrays a bewildered victim of early-onset dementia and just maybe a past acquaintance of a social worker (Jessica Chastain in still another powerful performance of her own), struggling with memories in a mind that might be playing tricks of its own. After all, the single mother also is a recovering alcoholic, now 13 years sober, but obviously still dealing with a traumatic past in which Sarsgaard's possibly disquieting character could have played a significantly dark role.</div><div><br /></div><div>Writer/director Michael Franco ("Chronic," "Sundown") takes their relationship to places viewers might not expect, enjoy, or even believe, but moments of affection do bring hopeful revelations to a pair of gloomy lives.</div><div><br /></div><div><b> Rated "R" by MPAA: some sexual content, language and graphic nudity; 1:40; </b><b>$ $ $ 1/2 out of $5.</b></div><div><br /></div><div><i>("Memory," now in limited release, is playing exclusively in northeast Ohio at the Cedar Lee Theater.)</i></div><div><br /></div><div>Also new today in theaters: "<a href="https://mgm.com/titles/the-beekeeper/">The Beekeeper</a>," "<a href="https://www.sonypictures.com/movies/thebookofclarence">The Book of Clarence</a>," and "<a href="https://www.meangirls.com/home/">Mean Girls</a>"; Newly streaming: "<a href="https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/killers-of-the-flower-moon/umc.cmc.5x1fg9vferlfeutzpq6rra1zf">Killers of the Flower Moon</a>" (AppleTV+), "<a href="https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81446739">Lift</a>" (Netflix), "<a href="https://www.movieinsider.com/m18580/role-play">Role Play</a>" (Amazon Prime), and "<a href="https://www.hulu.com/movie/self-reliance-b530df17-e123-4174-8d4d-75e6f422468f">Self Reliance</a>" (Hulu).</div></div>John M. Urbancichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12150965105626964638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754136280039092364.post-88862653582791711732024-01-05T12:47:00.000-08:002024-01-05T13:45:27.225-08:00Scary water sinks 'Swim'; 'Society' rises out of extremely sad snow<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light", HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;">CLICK ON </b><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light", HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;"><i>"</i></b><span face=""Helvetica Neue Light", HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-wrap: nowrap;"><i>John's recent ratings & reviews" (at right) </i></span><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light", HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;">FOR TOP10 FILMS OF 2023 <br /><br /></b></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxTEdqU-JjxJBIp4pXBfR85nykl304v1PkHlTWH0KPl4NuEoaOOYrGjI5R2cXDYa1AqfLmp_g5C1bOmkYb__JnrnqSaZxXdXKCXLK-mg9Baicl9HpDVWFrX_7omgDtRNMRMOiFFFFbseqhkAPxKlsKrzg8vkCXfZtggnnNVw98F4ByDxQiAepyUviErZQJ/s4000/night-swim-400141-44_id1_NSM_Final_1Sht_rgb.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2700" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxTEdqU-JjxJBIp4pXBfR85nykl304v1PkHlTWH0KPl4NuEoaOOYrGjI5R2cXDYa1AqfLmp_g5C1bOmkYb__JnrnqSaZxXdXKCXLK-mg9Baicl9HpDVWFrX_7omgDtRNMRMOiFFFFbseqhkAPxKlsKrzg8vkCXfZtggnnNVw98F4ByDxQiAepyUviErZQJ/s320/night-swim-400141-44_id1_NSM_Final_1Sht_rgb.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>The devil is in the details, not to mention a swimming pool, when it comes to "<a href="https://www.universalpictures.com/movies/night-swim">Night Swim</a>," a January quickie that finally drowns during a drippy final act.</div><div><br /></div><div>Apparently based on a short movie from writer/director Bryce McGuire, it is no wonder then that this longer version feels loaded with filler moments, including a requisite pool party (especially after what we have learned earlier) and way too much "Marco Polo" horseplay for anyone's liking.</div><div><br /></div><div>The only real strength here lies with the actors, even if the father in the story (Wyatt Russell) must deliver some laughably minimal dialogue down that silly stretch.</div><div><br /></div><div>Russell, an ex-professional hockey player and the son of Dad Kurt and Mom Goldie Hahn, portrays a baseball star whom the screenplay positions as "The Natural" trying to recover from a profoundly serious illness. </div><div><br /></div><div>Perhaps water therapy could be a thrilling cure for him, but the real pro in the cast -- literally and figuratively -- becomes 2022 Oscar nominee Kerry Condon ("The Banshees of Inisherin"), as the devoted wife and mother of two (Amelie Hoeferle from the most recent "Hunger Games" and Gavin Warren of AMC's "Fear the Walking Dead").</div><div><br /></div><div>Condon's Eve has a credibly protective nature serving everyone well in a theatrical release that might be streaming (most likely on Peacock) in maybe a month or so.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Rated "PG-13" by MPAA: terror, some violent content and language; 1</b><b>:38; $ $ out of $5</b>. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpV8YpWfepTMO8VxN8JXyzXaO8l6_pB3aAVb0poE_i0NbNGqxSlUAFlL4a0vF8dsv8ajI2NYP3s3REsf5K0HrNLelRoN0AQpvdq5oiY0kX4OYR7jamMvdh6yNbcD8St7hbka2RMpnt1X9TAl8q8LLrFOGfyBUCxLedQ_rPHKa93JZEWkJZsHgL_xP3tip1/s960/thumbnail%20(4).jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpV8YpWfepTMO8VxN8JXyzXaO8l6_pB3aAVb0poE_i0NbNGqxSlUAFlL4a0vF8dsv8ajI2NYP3s3REsf5K0HrNLelRoN0AQpvdq5oiY0kX4OYR7jamMvdh6yNbcD8St7hbka2RMpnt1X9TAl8q8LLrFOGfyBUCxLedQ_rPHKa93JZEWkJZsHgL_xP3tip1/w200-h320/thumbnail%20(4).jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Surely a much better choice today is "<a href="https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81268316">Society of the Snow</a>" the occasionally hard-to-watch Netflix weeper now streaming after a brief run in a few very select theaters.</div><div><br /></div><div>Viewer trepidation comes from the subject matter, the survival-mode ordeal faced by a group of mostly Uruguayan rugby players after their famous 1972 airplane crash in the rugged Andes Mountains near Chile.</div><div><br /></div><div>Those of a certain age may remember the mind-bending details from wall-to-wall coverage at the time, or the book of the same name, or perhaps even 1992's "Alive," the Frank Marshall film which now probably pales in comparison to this one from director and credited co-writer J.A. Bayona.</div><div><br /></div><div>Bayona, whose underrated "The Impossible" (2012) powerfully depicted how one family managed to survive the Thailand Tsunami of 2004, obviously possesses a peculiarly efficient knack for dissecting disaster. In this one, he focuses on group dynamics and a collective hunger to survive together, not as each one alone, with the film's large, mostly unknown ensemble delivering on key moments, as well as more than a few moving discussions.</div><div><br /></div><div>Already Bayona's lengthy and detailed telling has earned Critics Choice Award and Golden Globe nominations for Best Foreign Language Film, with the CCA's also recognizing Michael Giacchino for his emotional score.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Rated "R" by MPAA: violent/disturbing material and brief graphic nudity; 2:24; $ $ $ 1/2 out of $5.</b></div><div><p></p><p></p><p>Also new today in theaters: "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnhRVefxMCg?si=fcd5OoPLWnlCxDGz">Some Other Woman</a>." Newly streaming: "<a href="https://press.amazonstudios.com/us/en/original-movies/foe">FOE</a>" (Amazon Prime) and "<a href="https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81462549">Good Grief</a>" (Netflix).</p></div>John M. Urbancichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12150965105626964638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754136280039092364.post-91885738410837064672023-12-22T15:40:00.000-08:002024-01-02T15:48:25.266-08:00Christmas wraps film gifts of 'Purple,' offbeat sportsmen, and other 'Things'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light", HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;">LOOK FOR JOHN'S TOP 10 FILMS OF 2023 IN TOP RIGHT DROP-DOWN BOX UNDER "</b><span face=""Helvetica Neue Light", HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-wrap: nowrap;">John's recent ratings & reviews"</span></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9pe7k_rs0e3H5F8nEkbYn2WF66V7AZYe-CyjhtN5cQeeBdTACTJ0CqNVgS9HESuAPkG9nGvl6gR4VjyYYWTyaxWOILIwqeNXriKIfxUWx97FJNYjWKGdFfyPBbFvlifYuE7OJQu-6sYHlaZa-yxRN5XrxbuywWel3myEP8BXSTkT2p3j5dNj8FWYpXv-X/s6000/the-color-purple-rev-1-Txtd_Main_1sht_with_Billing_CPRPLE_High_Res_rgb.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4050" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9pe7k_rs0e3H5F8nEkbYn2WF66V7AZYe-CyjhtN5cQeeBdTACTJ0CqNVgS9HESuAPkG9nGvl6gR4VjyYYWTyaxWOILIwqeNXriKIfxUWx97FJNYjWKGdFfyPBbFvlifYuE7OJQu-6sYHlaZa-yxRN5XrxbuywWel3myEP8BXSTkT2p3j5dNj8FWYpXv-X/w135-h200/the-color-purple-rev-1-Txtd_Main_1sht_with_Billing_CPRPLE_High_Res_rgb.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>As Santa prepares to come down chimneys in just a couple of nights, there's only time for a few brief takes on a quintet of new films looking for some holiday attention:</div><div>It says here that "<a href="https://www.thecolorpurplefilm.net/">The Color Purple</a>," opening everywhere on Christmas Day (Monday), is the one to definitely see, with a sensational cast certainly in the running for any and all Best Ensemble honors. Leading the way is former "American Idol" winner Fantasia Barrino, reprising her Broadway musical role as the Alice Walker story's beloved Celie, all grown up and dealing with a miserably abusive husband (Colman Domingo). Without giving anything away, sisterhood nicely rules the roost with Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Halle Bailey, Phylicia Pearl Mpasi and H.E.R. all contributing in mighty positive ways, too. (<b>Rated "PG-13," </b><b>2:32, $ $ $ $ out of $5</b>).</div><div><br /></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8cpWxJaJFUJ1GNeG9w3tpGvD2cVJ6jBtNLXgTNWEYrECnB3jB3qK-A0Kxcy8o6cUXjA1gpKlnBJAdB-VqIesVaeq71VCVaruGh4F7jhxn3LjYdHDx4XScKW5hSGVt9jMe8pNAfOyHkIbpvfDqCxOj6fVvrKThRml36wM1aSvpxWfslutnITtGKindqkmH/s2000/poor-things-PT_Payoff_ONLINE_POSTER_1350x2000_FIN_rgb.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1350" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8cpWxJaJFUJ1GNeG9w3tpGvD2cVJ6jBtNLXgTNWEYrECnB3jB3qK-A0Kxcy8o6cUXjA1gpKlnBJAdB-VqIesVaeq71VCVaruGh4F7jhxn3LjYdHDx4XScKW5hSGVt9jMe8pNAfOyHkIbpvfDqCxOj6fVvrKThRml36wM1aSvpxWfslutnITtGKindqkmH/w135-h200/poor-things-PT_Payoff_ONLINE_POSTER_1350x2000_FIN_rgb.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>Speaking of awards possibilities, Emma Stone bares all if not necessarily her soul as THE definitive acting contender for "<a href="https://www.searchlightpictures.com/poor-things/">Poor Things</a>," which already has garnered 13 <a href="https://www.criticschoice.com/2023/12/13/film-nominations-announced-for-the-29th-annual-critics-choice-awards-hosted-by-chelsea-handler/">Critics Choice Award nominations</a> (and somehow does not even lead the field there). Stone's Bella evolves in the hands of her "God" -- a disfigured Dr. Frankenstein type (Willem Dafoe) aided by his own Igor-like student (Rami Youssouf) -- from the babbling infantile creature she is to brilliant sexpot with an assortment of men chasing her along the way. Most eagerly successful is the creepy lawyer (Mark Ruffalo) who leads Bella on worldwide adventures that allow ever-notorious director Yorgos Lanthimos ("The Favourite") substantial room for more quirkiness than style, even when he for sure gives us an eyeful. (<b>Rated "R," 2:21, $ $ $ and 1/2 out of $5</b>).</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB9372x5Lao6ErDvy8aMQlfUclidlDxoCKGZcz1WYpUv7niiV8xMBBMPPqZrni7pPfLm2vhEbGiO8uZUIiBj6Q9ubNN9TvdnK0u5mDKr078_GSquQYjzwQxQKJKoJVktnK91LPDQUPpb0qwCZK8Q2QCaP65iEtuSRwBgNJF4h5v21MBF1ZNBwhzlNYdqGd/s1498/s-l1600.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1498" data-original-width="1053" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB9372x5Lao6ErDvy8aMQlfUclidlDxoCKGZcz1WYpUv7niiV8xMBBMPPqZrni7pPfLm2vhEbGiO8uZUIiBj6Q9ubNN9TvdnK0u5mDKr078_GSquQYjzwQxQKJKoJVktnK91LPDQUPpb0qwCZK8Q2QCaP65iEtuSRwBgNJF4h5v21MBF1ZNBwhzlNYdqGd/w141-h200/s-l1600.jpg" width="141" /></a></div>That leaves the holiday with a trio of period films featuring the sports of wrestling, auto racing, and rowing to surround their separate stories. Perhaps the best becomes "<a href="https://a24films.com/films/the-iron-claw">The Iron Claw</a>," in which writer/director Sean Durkin ("Martha Marcy May Marlene") neatly dissects the underside of professional rassling while "inspired by" the tragedy of the athletic Von Erich clan. Father Fritz (Holt McCallany) himself performed in fake Nazi garb and used the deadly "claw hold" to dismantle opponents during his own in-ring career before becoming a big-time Texas promoter of the "sport" while raising his own sons with an iron fist and corralling them into sad, though successful '80s-era spurts of their own. Zac Efron soars as Kevin Von Erich, the one wrestling son who emerges from "the family curse" with a wife (Lily James) and a poignant determination to help him get through it all. (<b>Rated "R," 2:10, $ $ $ and 1/2 out of $5</b>).</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBL8pGbHvymVbFFwolXqe-YgB19o9qTVt7wbylkBrzq_CQrDmTezIfFq8cVqOJUlaZc_1JZNiqRFFeij1K3lFqrkYul7qPQ0F6VrXEz6vBUVI4Ns1gCcyrRB5ocHQzTpjwzR5c8LiSzLf-wEwxD1TPBHYgnFS5Ms-iwiwc-QyhZkVtmyK7GMG2HyDLEUGe/s8009/ferrari-FerrariPosterFull.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="8009" data-original-width="5415" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBL8pGbHvymVbFFwolXqe-YgB19o9qTVt7wbylkBrzq_CQrDmTezIfFq8cVqOJUlaZc_1JZNiqRFFeij1K3lFqrkYul7qPQ0F6VrXEz6vBUVI4Ns1gCcyrRB5ocHQzTpjwzR5c8LiSzLf-wEwxD1TPBHYgnFS5Ms-iwiwc-QyhZkVtmyK7GMG2HyDLEUGe/w135-h200/ferrari-FerrariPosterFull.png" width="135" /></a></div>"<a href="https://ferrari-film.com/synopsis/">Ferrari</a>," which opens Christmas Day, is the loud, lengthy and occasionally lacking motor racing film that legendary director Michael Mann, now 80, apparently has been trying to make for three decades. In fact, both screenwriter Troy Kennedy Martin and author Brock Yates, who wrote the "Ferrari" biography on which Martin's script was based, are no longer with us. Regardless, Mann, uh, drove on, even notably choosing Adam Driver to play the lead role as the energetic Italian who left a legacy that every automobile fancier recognizes today. So, how come Penelope Cruz, as the guy's long-suffering wife and business partner, steals the movie? Probably because her scenes are more fiery, more passionate, more believable -- particularly opposite the capable Driver -- than any of his discussions with an assortment of 1950s drivers, or mechanics, or fellow racing enthusiasts. As in all Mann films, the craftsmanship here -- and with all Ferraris, too -- is world class. So is the final, win-at-all-cost half-hour. (<b>Rated "R," 2:28; $ $ $ out of $5</b>).</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBwDZZbDzEVJNtC3WIqsR1AnxSdGDQDD1t9ivcIV4X07CIyOBVwj50tHjOQiQoAhThFT0dsVOabKVWtbutjLb9HM2nzNchDaeg64tmVIdHSNiRf_wjaA7EjJhyphenhyphenMVKKoRdDQOjukBPlw2e8JgKTy4rYuiB8kUo21I_vZKCQKjFtP_zNPVA5ELg7fV3Gjc6s/s2880/the-boys-in-the-boat-TBITB_DOCK_DigitalOneSheet_27x40_rgb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="1944" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBwDZZbDzEVJNtC3WIqsR1AnxSdGDQDD1t9ivcIV4X07CIyOBVwj50tHjOQiQoAhThFT0dsVOabKVWtbutjLb9HM2nzNchDaeg64tmVIdHSNiRf_wjaA7EjJhyphenhyphenMVKKoRdDQOjukBPlw2e8JgKTy4rYuiB8kUo21I_vZKCQKjFtP_zNPVA5ELg7fV3Gjc6s/w135-h200/the-boys-in-the-boat-TBITB_DOCK_DigitalOneSheet_27x40_rgb.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>Finally, there is "<a href="https://mgm.com/titles/the-boys-in-the-boat/">The Boys in the Boat</a>," which also opens theatrically on Christmas as another leisurely paced effort from director George Clooney, who's latest behind the camera definitely strains for attention. Based on a true story and a Daniel James Brown book, Clooney and screenwriter Mark L. Smith ("The Revenant") keep reminding us how important this 1930s effort by the University of Washington rowing squad must have been. Right off the bat, their dogged coach (Joel Edgerton) claims, "Eight-man crew is the most difficult team sport in the world." Then, the lovely girlfriend (Hadley Robinson) of the film's homeless hero (Callum Turner) lets him know that "All the boat races are on the radio, and everybody listens." Much later, an excited announcer tells us how 100,000 fans are watching "The Poughkeepsie Regatta, the greatest one-day boating event in America." And the song of the day? Naturally, it is "Ain't We Got Fun?" Better look for this "Boat" to be streaming on Amazon Prime more sooner than later. (<b>Rated "PG-13," 2:04, $ $ and 1/2 out of $5</b>). </div><div><br /></div><div>Also new today in theaters: "<a href="https://www.sonypictures.com/movies/anyonebutyou">Anyone But You,</a>" <a href="https://www.aquamanmovie.com/">Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom</a>," and "<a href="https://www.migration.movie/">Migration</a>." Newly streaming: <a href="https://jmuvies.blogspot.com/2023/11/not-so-thankful-for-tyrants-in-napoleon.html?view=snapshot">Saltburn</a> (Amazon Prime); "<a href="https://jmuvies.blogspot.com/2023/12/maestro-plays-among-years-best-heron.html?view=snapshot">Maestro</a>" and "<a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81464239">Rebel Moon: Part 1 -- A Child of Fire</a>" (both on Netflix).<br /></div></div>John M. Urbancichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12150965105626964638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754136280039092364.post-26769113142673605752023-12-15T16:09:00.000-08:002024-01-02T15:54:22.165-08:00'Wonka' works as prequel; 'Chicken' run again; 'Family' needs better plan <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxALrxZMWeVNcSC_jWeM5SJSlmz73tlC02uJ7hoHJ6yZGbtgPczFbS5ESskY8i8zfzvlEHk37uCsmaKe_5dk2lkYX3Anu-XIj0cUNPI2B_ftdWS1lSYCY9iOcVqSisXQHcko0Cn0oCq_vXHSk5GCe7QD6MXVyYo4s57CILv40eVpxNxwJd8zfgaJ82Wp0C/s6000/wonka-rev-1-Txtd_Dom_Main_1Sht_WONKA_High_Res_JPEG_rgb.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4050" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxALrxZMWeVNcSC_jWeM5SJSlmz73tlC02uJ7hoHJ6yZGbtgPczFbS5ESskY8i8zfzvlEHk37uCsmaKe_5dk2lkYX3Anu-XIj0cUNPI2B_ftdWS1lSYCY9iOcVqSisXQHcko0Cn0oCq_vXHSk5GCe7QD6MXVyYo4s57CILv40eVpxNxwJd8zfgaJ82Wp0C/w270-h400/wonka-rev-1-Txtd_Dom_Main_1Sht_WONKA_High_Res_JPEG_rgb.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>Truth be told, when I heard about "<a href="https://www.warnerbros.com/movies/wonka">Wonka</a>" earlier this year, I thought, "Just what we really don't need from the copycat realms of Hollywood, another remake of Gene Wilder's classic 'Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory' (1971), or Johnny Depp's less memorable 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' (2005).<div><br /></div><div>Well, the news could not be better: Talented young Timothee Chalamet nicely carries the title role of his sweet candymaker into legitimate prequel territory with a musical treat filled with morsels that might be simply devoured by the entire family.</div><div><br /></div><div>In fact, the first hour of "Wonka" especially comes with a couple of incredibly tasty surprises inside, including the marvelous Olivia Colman, as Mrs. Scrubbitt, the main villain of the piece, who initially stops the ever-optimistic Willie from immediately unleashing his magically munchie chocolate goodies on an unsuspecting world.</div><div><br /></div><div>And so, we have to wait, but not without a couple of clever production numbers, such as the terrific "Scrub Scrub," so cleanly performed by Willy's newfound friends working in Scrubbitt's prison-like laundromat, or "Sweet Tooth," unctuously offered by jealous candy men trying to bribe the local police chief (a swell Keegan-Michael Key), who gets chubbier and chubbier while attempting to keep Wonka from selling his special goodies. </div><div><br /></div><div>Certainly, there's much more to whet the appetites of movie lovers ready to enjoy a movie with legitimate British stars showing up in a delightfully sugar-coated cameo as Willy's Mom, and another one in a much chewier role, which clears up how Wonka hooked up with all those resolute little Oompa-Loompas in the first place.</div><div><br /></div><div>Other notables among the wealth of fine supporting players include Jim Carter (of "Downton Abbey" fame) and 14-year-old newcomer Calah Lane, who already has earned a Critics Choice "Best Young Actor/Actress" nomination for portraying Wonka's newfound orphan pal, Noodles. The production arrives shepherded home by director Paul King, a multiple-time BAFTA nominee for his warmly charming "Paddington" films.</div><div> </div><div><b>Rated "PG" by MPAA: some violence, mild language, and thematic elements; 1:56; $ $ $ and 1/2 out of $5. </b><div><b><br /></b></div><div><i>("Wonka" begins singing and dancing today in theaters just about everywhere.)</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light", HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;">LOOK FOR JOHN'S TOP 10 FILMS OF 2023 IN TOP RIGHT DROP-DOWN BOX! </b></div><div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYm1Wt_zXzNAtMyo-MosbVn2N0uMvwEKrwFxYqmmBGzlryk-alA4q8FfkbKmis4vp4NxvTP8P0exEX5nX8hguZr1MoY3r39LjIFfOtvQbSI9EjRLiUP5GHrqkRMpORRJzZ2bNjP9rrLJiUyQ_7W2gHtyOvtnKAojJTXhjG1iLlXj7bL0sHR-iYu_e_yolT/s2222/EN-GB_chicken_run__dawn_of_the_nugget_main_hensemble__27x40_rgb_pre_1%20(2).jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2222" data-original-width="1500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYm1Wt_zXzNAtMyo-MosbVn2N0uMvwEKrwFxYqmmBGzlryk-alA4q8FfkbKmis4vp4NxvTP8P0exEX5nX8hguZr1MoY3r39LjIFfOtvQbSI9EjRLiUP5GHrqkRMpORRJzZ2bNjP9rrLJiUyQ_7W2gHtyOvtnKAojJTXhjG1iLlXj7bL0sHR-iYu_e_yolT/s320/EN-GB_chicken_run__dawn_of_the_nugget_main_hensemble__27x40_rgb_pre_1%20(2).jpg" width="216" /></a></div>While in the neighborhood of sequels, we must mention "<a href="https://www.aardman.com/film-tv-games/chicken-run-dawn-of-the-nugget/">Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget</a>," which comes a full 23 years after the original "Chicken Run" became the highest-grossing stop-action animated movie of all time.</div><div><br /></div><div>Aardman Animations, the company which since has given us the Oscar-winning "Wallace & Gromit" and nominated "Shaun the Sheep" movies, offered up a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/15/movies/chicken-run-sequel-dawn-of-the-nugget.html#:~:text=At%20first%20it%20was%20sheer%20exhaustion.&text=Sequels%20weren't%20as%20much,how%20about%20running%20another%20marathon%3F'">host of "epic" reasons</a> for the lengthy delay. Regardless, the major characters return with another "Run" that works almost seamlessly with the original, particularly with a brief recap and even if some voices of the major players have been changed. </div><div><br /></div><div>Those would be "Freedom Chick" Ginger (with Thandiwe Newton now vocalizing) and cock-a-doodle-doo mate Rocky (Zachary Levi) trying to keep their only child Molly (Bella Ramsey) safe from the clutches of the evildoers at the irresistibly named "Fun-Land Farms."</div><div><br /></div><div>Blame your favorite fast-food outlet if you wish but, naturally, the plucky Molly finds herself in danger with oh so many really brainwashed dumb clucks who have fallen into the clutches of the returning Mrs. Tweedy (Miranda Richardson). This time she's running her new-fangled slaughterhouse with "my current husband," the nutty Dr. Fry (Nick Mohammed), whose routine with a remote control device might be the film's truly comic gem.</div><div><br /></div><div>Aardman's capably common use of Rube Goldberg-like contraptions in plot pursuits, and another neat escapist Harry Gregson-Williams score help all the chicken feed go down quite easily, too. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Rated "PG" by MPAA: peril, action, and some thematic elements; 1:37; $ $ $ out of $5. </b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><i>("Chicken Run: Dawn on the Nugget" is streaming now exclusively on Netflix.)</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMJxemgO6os-mOTT35DMLPOTD19XmCmdIHduSR5nMDB54dzyAZz3XCF7LqGgG6bBZQNfEKC3wiCQXU19ame_1Ygwfa0PKPBhplfV8vJ3vIPhMiFvfoRvlDLTLwHQ8CxLBnKbmom5E4bmfws0wgQRuo_8usL4skXkaeVuvlxUycbou3DDE1WIoquNumTKWQ/s3000/the-family-plan-TFP_ENG-US_Hero_Duffel_Press_2x3_wBranding.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="2000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMJxemgO6os-mOTT35DMLPOTD19XmCmdIHduSR5nMDB54dzyAZz3XCF7LqGgG6bBZQNfEKC3wiCQXU19ame_1Ygwfa0PKPBhplfV8vJ3vIPhMiFvfoRvlDLTLwHQ8CxLBnKbmom5E4bmfws0wgQRuo_8usL4skXkaeVuvlxUycbou3DDE1WIoquNumTKWQ/s320/the-family-plan-TFP_ENG-US_Hero_Duffel_Press_2x3_wBranding.png" width="213" /></a></div>Finally, today, Mark Wahlberg gets top billing in an action/comedy called "<a href="https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/the-family-plan/umc.cmc.6o6y3wel2lez2tkdu2cv8dzd1?mttn3pid=Google%20AdWords&mttnagencyid=a5e&mttncc=US&mttnsiteid=143238&mttnsubad=OUS20191101_1-684332564860-c&mttnsubkw=158211412947__yXN6oQGW_&mttnsubplmnt=_adext_">The Family Plan</a>," but a toddler steals the movie, mostly with a few hilarious reactions to the violent displays of his ol' man.</div><div><br /></div><div>The kid, who goes by the name of Max, is actually played by twin girls, which becomes the most surprising thing about a predictable story that rarely rings true.</div><div><br /></div><div>Wahlberg, you see, personifies a former government assassin who left the murder biz and now has a devoted, "ex-Decathlete" wife (ever-solid Michelle Monaghan) with their three children, including a pair of apparently smart teens (Zoe Margaret Coletta and Van Crosby).</div><div><br /></div><div>Still, when the bad guys return to Dad's life, no one but the baby notices. </div><div><br /></div><div><div>By the way, a map of the movie's major road trip from Buffalo to Las Vegas suggests a first stop in Cleveland, where the family appears to be crossing the city's so-called "Guardians Bridge," with Wahlberg and Monaghan cutely rapping out the lyrics to "Ice, Ice Baby" while the older kids roll their eyes in the back seat.</div><div><br /></div><div>In an apparent attempt at humor, the following scene has them trying to book an overnight stay at the fictional "Burning River Lodge." It says here that few outside of Cleveland will get the long-lost joke -- or maybe even the movie.</div><div><br /></div></div><div><b>Rated "PG-13" by MPAA: some violence and action, sexual material, and some strong language; 1:58; $ $ and 1/2 out of $5.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><i>("The Family Plan" is streaming now and exclusively on AppleTV+.) </i></div><div><p>Also new today in theaters: "<a href="https://thechosen.tv/en-us/explore/christmas-with-the-chosen-2023">Christmas with the Chosen: Holy Night</a>." Newly streaming only: "<a href="https://www.20thcenturystudios.com/movies/the-creator">The Creator</a>" (Hulu), "<a href="https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81680910">Conversations with a Terrorist</a>" (Netflix), and "<a href="https://www.movieinsider.com/m20319/finestkind">Finestkind</a>" (Paramount+).</p></div></div></div>John M. Urbancichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12150965105626964638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754136280039092364.post-45786041616488288032023-12-13T09:14:00.000-08:002023-12-28T14:12:57.146-08:00'Barbie' picks up 18 nominations in 29th Critics Choice Awards previewLOS ANGELES – (Dec. 13.) – The Critics Choice Association (CCA) announced today
the film category nominees for the 29th annual Critics Choice Awards. The
winners will be revealed at the star-studded gala hosted by Chelsea Handler,
which will broadcast LIVE on The CW on Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024 (7:00 – 10:00 pm ET
– delayed PT, check local listings).<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2tNp-xRe-CwaDRNKVK3h2axc5MSVu7kCUMgytnf_HGbbEbvoK0nAO24JrXq03RO-Ym_Jpfco0_0aaWyjPX3DXhWVULsyPu59A6fhxXuTeYj2VQEbNykf6YVB2wjDLgXVyZZXrmIrFTPXVnwQ4oLYKDf5C3dUdfOtxtRdb2ZmEb9Mr66ElQi4d_AMmIqX3/s6000/Barbie.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4050" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2tNp-xRe-CwaDRNKVK3h2axc5MSVu7kCUMgytnf_HGbbEbvoK0nAO24JrXq03RO-Ym_Jpfco0_0aaWyjPX3DXhWVULsyPu59A6fhxXuTeYj2VQEbNykf6YVB2wjDLgXVyZZXrmIrFTPXVnwQ4oLYKDf5C3dUdfOtxtRdb2ZmEb9Mr66ElQi4d_AMmIqX3/w270-h400/Barbie.jpeg" width="270" /></a></div><br /></div><div> “Barbie” leads this year’s film contenders,
earning 18 nominations overall. In addition to Best Picture, Best Comedy, and
Best Hair/Makeup, the film racked up several acting nods, including Best Actress for Margot Robbie, Best Supporting Actor for Ryan Gosling
and Best Supporting Actress for America Ferrera. Ariana Greenblatt is also up
for Best Young Actor/Actress, and the cast garnered a Best Acting Ensemble
nomination. </div><div><br /></div><div>Greta Gerwig earned a nod for Best Director and both Gerwig and Noah
Baumbach are contenders for Best Original Screenplay. Rodrigo Prieto was
nominated for Best Cinematography while Sarah Greenwood and Katie Spencer are up
for Best Production Design, along with Nick Houy for Best Editing and Jacqueline
Durran for Best Costume Design. Three of the film's original songs received
nominations as well, including “Dance the Night,” “I’m Just Ken,” and “What Was I
Made For,” while Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt were nominated for Best Score. </div><div><br /></div><div>Also up for CCA Best Picture are “Oppenheimer” and “Poor Things,” which each
garnered 13 noms, along with “Killers of the Flower Moon” which earned 12. Rounding out the Best Pic list are “American Fiction,” “Maestro,”
“Past Lives,” “Saltburn,” “The Color Purple” and “The Holdovers.”</div><div><br /></div><div> “We are so
excited to celebrate this year’s remarkable projects, performances, and the
people who made it all possible at the 29th Annual Critics Choice Awards,” said
CCA CEO Joey Berlin. “This year saw an incredible number of blockbuster hits and
beautiful stories brought to life in these exceptional films.” </div><div><br /></div><div><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light", HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;">LOOK FOR JOHN'S TOP 10 FILMS OF 2023 IN TOP RIGHT DROP-DOWN BOX ON NEW YEAR'S EVE!🎆🎆🎆🎆</b></div><div><br /></div><div>As previously
announced, “The Morning Show” leads the television contenders for the 29th
annual Critics Choice Awards with six nominations.</div><div><br /></div><div> For more information and a
complete list of nominees, visit: <a href="https://www.criticschoice.com/">www.CriticsChoice.com</a>.</div>John M. Urbancichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12150965105626964638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754136280039092364.post-40531016007996934622023-12-08T14:40:00.000-08:002023-12-09T09:14:03.629-08:00'Maestro' plays among year's best; 'Heron' flies because of animation<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_elSytP9282c2hMSnVNWpj10Qjv7PAsmsGwR4Wi7WxsndjuzOnd4PwtWNra6rEpG8Hx-0Mhl_IoRZgck4LhJTssi89suDxTKp114IoLrb1Kp6ObkKTRGYh0g0Vli3K4ZGy11Bt9b3YBTuJQRafSaPCTlRmBm-bxTnHoQGTqWcZVh1J8h2W-eNvR5BqENj/s755/maestro-141384252-large.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="470" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_elSytP9282c2hMSnVNWpj10Qjv7PAsmsGwR4Wi7WxsndjuzOnd4PwtWNra6rEpG8Hx-0Mhl_IoRZgck4LhJTssi89suDxTKp114IoLrb1Kp6ObkKTRGYh0g0Vli3K4ZGy11Bt9b3YBTuJQRafSaPCTlRmBm-bxTnHoQGTqWcZVh1J8h2W-eNvR5BqENj/s320/maestro-141384252-large.jpg" width="199" /></a></div>The first time Bradley Cooper directed and co-wrote a feature film it walked away with five Oscar nominations. Of course, that was 2018's fourth screen telling of "<a href="https://jmuvies.blogspot.com/2018/10/cooper-gaga-help-make-star-shine-venom_5.html?q=A+Star+Is+Born">A Star is Born</a>," in which Cooper played a boozing musician who falls for a rising star (so naturally portrayed by Lady Gaga).<div><br /></div><div>Well, the man apparently has a talent for all kinds of music -- and love stories -- since more awards recognition is certainly merited to follow Cooper's second foray behind the camera. His latest is the precisely titled "<a href="https://www.clevelandcinemas.com/movies/263249-maestro/">Maestro</a>," and it is a project absolutely overflowing with massive sounds and uniquely personal moments -- mostly in color, but some in black and white -- that overflowed the life of the late and internationally great New York conductor/composer named Leonard Bernstein. (One scene even has a Russian virtuoso, personified by acting maestro Yasen Peyankov, encouraging him to shorten his family moniker to Burns.)</div><div><br /></div><div>Speaking of names, a superbly vibrant screenplay, co-written by Josh Singer, himself a major award-winner for "Spotlight," mentions a host of monumental musical talents, all Bernstein pals that viewers of a certain age will enjoy recognizing. Jerry "Jerome" Robbins (Michael Urie), Aaron Copeland (Brian Klugman), and the legendary writing/lyricist team of Betty Comden (Mallory Portnoy) and Adolph Green (Nick Blaemire) are prominent among them.</div><div><br /></div><div>In fact, the latter duo actually gets to show off their talents at a late-'40s party where Bernstein meets his wife, the up-and-coming stage actress, Felicia Montealegre, who eventually would give up her own career for the couple's not-always-so-bliss-filled, 25-year marriage.</div><div><br /></div><div>Again, versatile star Cooper himself takes the engaging lead, this time as the classically trained genius Bernstein, who tenderly relates the story of his longtime pairing with Montealegre. As so magnetically and beautifully played by Carey Mulligan, she becomes the strong woman who knew what she was getting into but still likely got more than anticipated. Right now, Mulligan deserves a Best Actress Oscar, and bravissimo to more nominations all around.</div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Rated "R" by the MPAA: some language and drug use; 2:09; $ $ $ $ and 1/2 out of $5.</b></div><div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><i>("Maestro" is now in a few select theaters and exclusively in northeast Ohio at the Cedar Lee in Cleveland Heights. It debuts Dec. 20 on Netflix.) </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5TA0mQDhFxb_1giFv62aWVcQYMj4hOhqGn42ZkaZ6Z9PtnposKtLnLozAEmAzbtrXwenlmFr_jgs-b5gIB0RyMZ7DM68cqzhVMWoEdLbbBmrSdVw87dd6JgxxOXi6ZT_6Q7FO7Czyq797YBKNGlJRyhzMH6B1rOI-UI1IAWlH5I9tQ11N4Li97njCsNwf/s723/HERON_IMAX_Poster_Digital.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="723" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5TA0mQDhFxb_1giFv62aWVcQYMj4hOhqGn42ZkaZ6Z9PtnposKtLnLozAEmAzbtrXwenlmFr_jgs-b5gIB0RyMZ7DM68cqzhVMWoEdLbbBmrSdVw87dd6JgxxOXi6ZT_6Q7FO7Czyq797YBKNGlJRyhzMH6B1rOI-UI1IAWlH5I9tQ11N4Li97njCsNwf/w138-h200/HERON_IMAX_Poster_Digital.jpg" width="138" /></a></div>Finally, "<a href="https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=The+Boy+and+the+Heron+official+site&qpvt=The+Boy+and+the+Heron+official+site&FORM=VDRE">The Boy and the Heron</a>," the gorgeously produced animated film that wowed a couple of sold-out audiences at the opening night of this year's Toronto International Film Festival, shows up today in theaters nationwide.</div><div><br /></div><div>No, it is not master storyteller Hayao Miyazaki's best, but ever-rewarding Toronto throngs still named it second runner-up (behind the winning "American Fiction" and first runner-up, "The Holdovers") in their huge festival's annual "People's Choice Award" voting. </div><div><br /></div><div>Certainly, they were honoring the colorful palettes that carry a Japanese youth from the grief of losing his mother during the terrors of World War II and, apparently, the meandering complications of Miyazaki's familiar fantasy world, where odd-looking creatures prevail with both wisdom and occasional whimsy.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Rated "PG-13" by the MPAA: some violent content/bloody images, and smoking; 2:04; $ $ $ out of $5.</b></div><div><br /></div><div><div><i>(After opening September's 48th annual Toronto International Film Festival, "The Boy and the Heron" has arrived in theaters just about everywhere.) </i></div><p>Also new in theaters: "<a href="https://thecellomovie.com/">The Cello</a>," "<a href="https://www.whattowatch.com/watching-guides/eileen-release-date-trailer-cast-and-everything-we-know-about-the-anne-hathaway-movie">Eileen</a>," <a href="https://oathmovie.com/">The Oath</a>, "<a href="https://www.waitressthemusical.movie/">Waitress: The Musical</a>," "<a href="https://www.themarysue.com/is-die-hard-in-theaters-die-hard-at-amc-theatres-explained/">Die Hard 35th Anniversary</a>," and "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3mJrSA1x5s">Love Actually 20th Anniversary</a>." Newly streaming only: "<a href="https://press.amazonstudios.com/us/en/original-movies/merry-little-batman">Merry Little Batman</a>" (Amazon Prime), "<a href="https://www.peacocktv.com/stream-movies/mr-monks-last-case-a-monk-movie?irclickid=3f02AVUk2xyPWlp1-A0WDRQYUkFSsKzGP3rBRw0&irgwc=1&im_rewards=1&utm_source=pk_vrs_imra&utm_medium=pd_aff_acq_psdlnk&utm_term=Wildfire%20Systems&utm_content=828265&cid=2201affiliateevgnpkpdaff4393&utm_campaign=2201affiliateevgn">Mr. Monk's Last Case</a>" (Peacock), and "<a href="https://www.leavetheworldbehindmovie.com/home/">Leave the World Behind</a>" (Netflix).</p></div></div>John M. Urbancichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12150965105626964638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754136280039092364.post-83542122945191488852023-12-01T12:31:00.000-08:002023-12-01T14:00:12.480-08:00Dream or not, here's one 'Scenario' that works in all the current places<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7jBzniQKiwbzxAT0RZ7i47wgklgLn19Unm6SDDRcl_ayrvhpPwduTto61cZsUn_giF1S49aUygV0BERAM5HiOqLhri1IBnoyWgaZBRBubFA2eY9zPvIjtm3xGUBA0bDLYdrcI4-r1zu3aYNrOifxkLLYaT6-Bh-0HH35ZzbLAauAl9nqD7phgI4aaq_be/s6000/DreambIXT6TTk.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4050" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7jBzniQKiwbzxAT0RZ7i47wgklgLn19Unm6SDDRcl_ayrvhpPwduTto61cZsUn_giF1S49aUygV0BERAM5HiOqLhri1IBnoyWgaZBRBubFA2eY9zPvIjtm3xGUBA0bDLYdrcI4-r1zu3aYNrOifxkLLYaT6-Bh-0HH35ZzbLAauAl9nqD7phgI4aaq_be/s320/DreambIXT6TTk.jpeg" width="216" /></a></div>What goes on in "<a href="https://a24films.com/films/dream-scenario">Dream Scenario</a>" is happening all over the world. Right here, right now, and highlighted by another exceptional performance from Nicolas Cage, if not his absolute best since winning the Oscar for "Leaving Las Vegas" way back in 1995. (Uh, gulp, that would be during the last millennium, folks.)<div><br /></div><div>Cage and under-40, Norwegian writer/director Kristoffer Borgli absolutely nail the latter's story about celebrity, what makes it, what happens to it, and if it even really exists, with a darkly comic and compatibly scary take on the alleged reality of it all. In fact, screenplays serving up increasingly important references to Freddy Krueger and mixing them in with names such as Barack Obama and Joe Rogan do not and will not come along often enough to miss this one.</div><div><br /></div><div>The essence kicks off nicely with Paul Matthews (Cage), an unassuming biology professor soon to become "the most interesting man in the world," raking leaves in his backyard and ignoring the strange things suddenly surrounding him and his terrified youngest daughter (Lily Bird).</div><div><br /></div><div>It turns out the girl was having a dream, one of many that Paul's college students and people all over the world shortly will be having about a guy who "scores high in A-holeness," according to his longtime eye-rolling wife (the ever-fine Julianne Nicholson).</div><div><br /></div><div>Believe it, the dead-on satire only gets better from there, including a hilarious seduction segment featuring a sex-dreaming publicist (the terrific Dylan Gelula). Oh, my, talk about nightmares!</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Rated "R" by the MPAA: language, violence, and some sexual content; 1:43; $ $ $ $ and 1/2 out of $5.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div><i>(After its world premiere at September's 48th annual Toronto International Film Festival, "Dream Sequence" has arrived in theaters just about everywhere.) </i></div><p>Also new in theaters: "<a href="https://tickets.godzilla.com/synopsis/">Godzilla Minus One</a>," "<a href="https://www.beyoncefilm.com/home/">Renaissance: A Film by Beyonce</a>," "<a href="https://www.angel.com/movies/the-shift">The Shift</a>," "<a href="https://www.lionsgate.com/movies/silent-night">Silent Night</a>," "<a href="https://www.bluefoxentertainment.com/films/teddys-christmas">Teddy's Christmas</a>," and "<a href="https://www.licenseglobal.com/entertainment/warner-bros-discovery-unveils-20th-anniversary-elf-celebration">Elf 20th Anniversary</a>." Newly streaming only: "<a href="https://www.primepremiere.amazon/candycanelane/">Candy Cane Lane</a>" (Prime); "<a href="https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81702955">May December</a>" (Netflix).</p></div>John M. Urbancichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12150965105626964638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754136280039092364.post-46234085136825503472023-11-22T19:30:00.000-08:002023-11-23T01:10:04.928-08:00Not so thankful for tyrants in 'Napoleon,' 'Saltburn,' or even Disney's 'Wish'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPzmxkn-5vfyU4DXx4Q2O0-M_ykxFWxS6rJOtGdj_x_XzzoDCxhqsf2HlQ_wH6FErCr4RjJVsy0T4F1jLRhAOs2m5_Y4sVPGxCvzsLycEiQVL9X07ipPeXyN3R61OQSAWnwDc-Is5mOUkxmuwJyzPNG-epvVTRAxSTXY-YzQcKcxbBvuY7nv3rhjt5rxOI/s3000/napoleon-NAP_Teaser_Hat_Press_2x3_2000x3000_wBranding_rgb.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="2000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPzmxkn-5vfyU4DXx4Q2O0-M_ykxFWxS6rJOtGdj_x_XzzoDCxhqsf2HlQ_wH6FErCr4RjJVsy0T4F1jLRhAOs2m5_Y4sVPGxCvzsLycEiQVL9X07ipPeXyN3R61OQSAWnwDc-Is5mOUkxmuwJyzPNG-epvVTRAxSTXY-YzQcKcxbBvuY7nv3rhjt5rxOI/s320/napoleon-NAP_Teaser_Hat_Press_2x3_2000x3000_wBranding_rgb.png" width="213" /></a></div>A Thanksgiving suggestion: If you are planning to see <a href="https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/napoleon/umc.cmc.25k80oxl3vo69c8rimk8v81s1">Napoleon</a><span>," the really big picture looking for holiday viewers, either attend an early screening at your local cinema and, perhaps, dine much later than you may have planned. Or gobble up that turkey feast closer to the lunch hour, then have plenty of time to digest it all while doing the same with Ridley Scott's epic telling. </span><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>I mean, there's really a lot to swallow -- a full 158 minutes' worth -- </span><span>with the usually great Joaquin Phoenix, who actually first seriously cashed in on his acting bones as the evil Roman Emperor Commodus in Scott's Oscar-winning "Gladiator," here playing the tyrannical French Emperor of the title.</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>Alas, and a bit ironically, Phoenix falls a little short here, and we do not mean height wise. After all, Joaquin stands a full six inches taller than the diminutive Napoleon Bonaparte did </span>in his early 18th century days of conquering parts of Germany, Italy and Spain, among others.</div><div><br /></div><div>No, <span>Phoenix simply never really flashes the passion or ambition that must have kept the warlike fires burning, even after </span>the man he portrays met his Waterloo in 1815 against the Duke of Wellington (Rupert Everett). </div><div><br /></div><div>Instead -- and between many of the bloody and dark battles Scott often impressively presents -- this Napoleon's real ardor and intensity only surfaces opposite his famous Josephine (Vanessa Kirby) in a</div><div>peculiarly comedic love story with more ups and downs than a roller coaster. (By the way, that vehicle of amusement actually was developed significantly in France, after its apparent late-18th century invention in Russia, of all places, a country that Bonaparte never could bring down, despite almost a year of very heavy lifting.)</div><div><br /></div><div>Other than a prolonged Russian segment, most of that latter tidbit has nothing to do with the movie. I guess the mind occasionally has a tendency to wander, too. </div><div><br /></div><div><div><span><b>Rated "R" by MPAA: strong violence, grisly images, sexual content, brief language; 2:38; $ $ and 1/2 out of $5.</b></span></div><div><span><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC86ADt8-YjliADRsXnXJ2JMr1_ILeyrFIE2Dt4YEZ3jTVVorvY-tG0ih4yAbZtV9SPQD69HjgtNGQyovE12YYGEnBx5F4KiPfR1zeMsjejpNIJnurTNTYN2eLa4sxSDJGpgIWDJFUFl399zDWqHRMNtn7NqcTBjklcfxuGxYrOR2HDUsbyGj1uxKqNE7K/s2880/saltburn-SLTB_2023_DigitalOneSheet_Kaleidoscope_1944x2880_THEATRICAL_FINAL_en-US_PRICO_rgb.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC86ADt8-YjliADRsXnXJ2JMr1_ILeyrFIE2Dt4YEZ3jTVVorvY-tG0ih4yAbZtV9SPQD69HjgtNGQyovE12YYGEnBx5F4KiPfR1zeMsjejpNIJnurTNTYN2eLa4sxSDJGpgIWDJFUFl399zDWqHRMNtn7NqcTBjklcfxuGxYrOR2HDUsbyGj1uxKqNE7K/s320/saltburn-SLTB_2023_DigitalOneSheet_Kaleidoscope_1944x2880_THEATRICAL_FINAL_en-US_PRICO_rgb.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>Well, if you thought Napoleon was a real brute, wait 'til you get a load of the little man with big dreams of his own in "<a href="https://www.saltburnfilm.net/">Saltburn</a>." That would be one Oliver Quick, portrayed by ever-reliably odd Barry Keoghan and followed from a nice opening tracking shot entering Oxford University as a freshman, Class of 2006, until a cleverly stunning closer of same almost saves writer/director Emerald Fennell's second real doozy of a film.</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div>Her first, "Promising Young Woman," not only earned numerous Oscar (and various other) nominations, but starred 2020's "Best Actress," Carey Mulligan, whose quirky character in "Saltburn" comes and goes without much fanfare. </div><div><br /></div><div>Mulligan's daffy appearance does, however, set the stage for some of Mr. Quick's dastardly doings in the titular estate of the wealthy Family Catton, featuring Sir James (Richard E. Grant), flirty Mom Elspeth (Rosamund Pike), and sexy daughter Venetia (the scene-stealing Allison Oliver).</div><div><br /></div><div>Of course, handsome-devil son Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi, now also starring as Elvis in "Priscilla") instigated newfound pal Olly's never-ending visit by feeling sorry for him and bringing the tiny Oxford classmate home for a summer of fun and rich people's frolic.</div><div><br /></div><div>It really does look kind of a hoot until Fennell's sick (rhymes with Quick) third act becomes just too much to endure. Don't worry, though, anyone and everyone will be allowed to disagree.</div><div><span><p><b>Rated "R" by MPAA: strong sexual content, graphic nudity, </b><b>language throughout, some disturbing violent content, and drug use;</b><b> 2:10; $ $ and 1/2 out of $5.</b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQQDVkuWhDFN32J6nOtInT65SbO5cESff_jUfkIQT-EW1piOzxc8eGelFqdExl-Gm0307Z64dpt3KqR65K42coGEBSo2XU3dkNG6ywZVHTOpJ84gBoYHmLYkdMKQfizh4deHAKU5oYbyB90j8gPxx0zJW2fG6fBhiRRchAaLcflfcYsdL6f_h4VnAlDb5t/s1600/wish.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1080" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQQDVkuWhDFN32J6nOtInT65SbO5cESff_jUfkIQT-EW1piOzxc8eGelFqdExl-Gm0307Z64dpt3KqR65K42coGEBSo2XU3dkNG6ywZVHTOpJ84gBoYHmLYkdMKQfizh4deHAKU5oYbyB90j8gPxx0zJW2fG6fBhiRRchAaLcflfcYsdL6f_h4VnAlDb5t/w135-h200/wish.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>So, if you miss on maybe the biggest tribute to the 100th anniversary of Walt Disney movies in the studio's latest, an OK animated film called "<a href="https://movies.disney.com/wish">Wish</a>,"<b> </b>there is not much left to celebrate. <p></p><p>Oh, sure, Victor Garber gets to voice a kindly, 100-year-old grandpa, and some familiar characters, such as Peter Pan, make a couple of quick cameos in a story about -- but without plenty of -- magic. Still, the idea of a pretty and pleasant girl named Asha (Oscar-winner Ariana DeBose) living on the happy island of Rosas and kicking things off by interviewing for the job of "sorcerer's apprentice" should inspire some dreamy moments from there, right?</p><p>Well, guess again. The island kingdom is ruled, it turns out, by a kind of dweeby bad guy (Chris Pine), too many of the eight or nine songs become eminently forgettable, and bits of the production play more like a Disney commercial than parts of a major feature film.</p><p>Besides, where oh where is tried and true superstar Mickey when the home team needs him more than ever?</p><p><b>Rated "PG" by the MPAA: thematic elements and mild action; 1:35; $ $ and 1/2 out of $5.</b></p><div><i>("Napoleon," "Saltburn," and Disney's "Wish" are all now playing in theaters just about everywhere.) </i></div><p>Also new now, but streaming only: "<a href="https://www.peacocktv.com/stream-movies/genie">Genie</a>" (Peacock), "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNXEBWxu-Ro">Good Burger 2</a>" (Paramount+), and "<a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81218917">Leo</a>" (Netflix).</p></span></div></div>John M. Urbancichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12150965105626964638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754136280039092364.post-19816938100291934132023-11-18T15:23:00.000-08:002023-11-18T15:56:57.509-08:00New 'Trolls,' 'May December,' 'Next Goal,' 'Rustin' comprise pre-holiday mix<h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBKhym8CpUWrYNcoUflSVvsx002d7QENiQdjq4kML9e1NlftC5hDiuxFcpcERiFiPIJoladKM440Oyaprg9ImA9xq-LuF7d7zK-WiyiLFwz76t7pSXKAGAKAfv-GjffjNeNS0Uiczu0xdlK77EMvNl5Yfcc4ZmC9ib_46SG0UMysLme64_JOehwm5R11SM/s5000/trolls-band-together-TBT_1Sht1_RGB_2_rgb.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5000" data-original-width="3158" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBKhym8CpUWrYNcoUflSVvsx002d7QENiQdjq4kML9e1NlftC5hDiuxFcpcERiFiPIJoladKM440Oyaprg9ImA9xq-LuF7d7zK-WiyiLFwz76t7pSXKAGAKAfv-GjffjNeNS0Uiczu0xdlK77EMvNl5Yfcc4ZmC9ib_46SG0UMysLme64_JOehwm5R11SM/w202-h320/trolls-band-together-TBT_1Sht1_RGB_2_rgb.jpg" width="202" /></a></div><span style="font-weight: normal;">Just days before Thanksgiving and there must be a variety of movies to watch, no?</span></h4><div><span style="font-weight: normal;">Well, we got that one right. So, get ready, film friends, for a holiday onslaught, which starts right now with as much energy as one could expect in the world of animation. It's all what's cooking in "<a href="https://www.dreamworks.com/movies/trolls-band-together">Trolls Band Together</a>," once again featuring all those radiantly colorful characters, a couple of new surprises, and plenty of pop music to keep the joint jumping from start to finish. </span></div><div><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div><div>In fact, women in our family already dig it. Youngest grandgirl Vivi, a whopping 9, as well as the gal-pal she brought to an early screening, remain huge "Trolls" fans "forever," that is, ever since they were old enough to watch the 2016 original. </div><div><br /></div><div>Ditto for darling daughter Carey and daughter-in-law Lynn, faithful millennials <span face=""Helvetica Neue Light", HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;">who grooved on boy bands growing up -- and still do -- especially the one that "used to be" led by four-tiered superstar Justin Timberlake. </span></div><div><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div><div>And oh, by the way, good ol' JT returns for his third vocal take on the ever-wary, if heroic troll named Branch, this time going way, way back to when he was still in diapers and -- who knew? -- performing in the five-member group, "BroZone," which may just have a reunion in store if the gang can rescue one of his long-lost brothers.</div><div><br /></div><div>The velvet-throated latter (Troye Sivan), you see, is being held captive by the sinister sibling singing duo (Amy Schumer and Andrew Rannells) and preying on his talents to maximize their own success.</div><div><br /></div><div>Naturally, lovably peppy Poppy (Anna Kendrick), still Branch's main squeeze, might be instrumental for getting everyone in sync to get the job done. A slew of recognizable tunes and familiar voices help, too, including a few such as Zoey Deschanel, Kenan Thompson, Kid Cudi, Camila Cabela, and Eric Andre contributing among the mostly charming many.</div><div><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><b>Rated "PG" by MPAA: some mild rude and suggestive humor; 1:31; $ $ $ and 1/2 out of $5.</b></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>(This third and still very mainstream "Trolls" movie is now in theaters everywhere.)</i></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGD9-Ug4Rz55Eak4xjzzaFY53IhmL9Vc27PbEujkT6wYPCXw-sJVnqLYUuNBNiTxBGi7NuvMGCrY5xwcGF31sX4CNopZ_HEr-NiLdb8nKvDdwyJJ7ecTatfVnYiwekbXV1AqYT5AMqtiucVi3q5YvzX08X_fsvxoPlnWs2Z6NQSU31rZclnkzsjmukfKyF/s1500/s-l1600.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1013" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGD9-Ug4Rz55Eak4xjzzaFY53IhmL9Vc27PbEujkT6wYPCXw-sJVnqLYUuNBNiTxBGi7NuvMGCrY5xwcGF31sX4CNopZ_HEr-NiLdb8nKvDdwyJJ7ecTatfVnYiwekbXV1AqYT5AMqtiucVi3q5YvzX08X_fsvxoPlnWs2Z6NQSU31rZclnkzsjmukfKyF/w135-h200/s-l1600.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>Much like the gossip-laden tabloids that spawned "<a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81702955">May December</a>," the latest from director Todd Haynes, his fifth screen collaboration with Julianne Moore, flashes a clunky quality that works both for and against it. </div><div><br /></div><div>This time the gifted Moore finds herself in a major supporting role, if that makes any sense, as the long-ago, scandalous "older woman," whose sexual liaison with a teen-age boy became a nationwide affair on the pages of those tasty and tasteless tabs.</div><div> </div><div>It is Natalie Portman, though, who grabs the lead performance here, as a popular TV star permitted to research all that makes Moore's now apparently successful baker and happy homemaker tick to portray her in a movie. </div><div><br /></div><div>Certainly, from the moment she arrives in hot and lovely Savannah, Portman uses all the necessary methods to create the creepy-crawly madness that keeps us interested longer than we probably should. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Rated "R" by MPAA: some sexual content, graphic nudity, drug use and language; 1:53; $ $ $ out of $5.</b></div><p><i>(After debuting at Cannes, "May December" is playing in select theaters, including the Cedar Lee in Cleveland Heights. It eventually will find its way to Netflix on Dec. 1.)</i></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmM0wadpa8Fn8zHtx4Y8bVTJGW-a4hMcMQLCns3s5fnKasd6tfaQzD6uVk_AGYlF_3BOx4aAXmB6R54dX0kJqsm0t-YfTa9qmVUev_-YPSLstx1s7Kpqjs3-hOcOBgmy4RT4XUnl_G2LbPryIVhnFae0Lv74a_GY9GrHYWwcz5Kql22J45fVakd2pi3oPy/s2000/next-goal-wins-NGW_OnlinePoster_1334x2000_FIN_rgb.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1334" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmM0wadpa8Fn8zHtx4Y8bVTJGW-a4hMcMQLCns3s5fnKasd6tfaQzD6uVk_AGYlF_3BOx4aAXmB6R54dX0kJqsm0t-YfTa9qmVUev_-YPSLstx1s7Kpqjs3-hOcOBgmy4RT4XUnl_G2LbPryIVhnFae0Lv74a_GY9GrHYWwcz5Kql22J45fVakd2pi3oPy/w133-h200/next-goal-wins-NGW_OnlinePoster_1334x2000_FIN_rgb.jpg" width="133" /></a></b></div><div>On the other hand, the team looks much more interesting than the story in "<a href="https://press.searchlightpictures.com/next-goal-wins/">Next Goal Wins</a>," a Taika Waititi venture with a few laughs and only a couple more inspiring characters. </div><div><br /></div><div>One is the ever-optimistic American Samoa Football Commissioner (a fine Oscar Kightley), who is so sure that his team will finally score a goal in the early going that he bets a permanent facial tattoo that they can do it. The resulting, uh, look on his mug when they do not is almost worth the price of admission. However, when the tatt "permanently" disappears only a few scenes later without further discussion, it all seems typical of the slippery goings-on here.</div><div><br /></div><div>The so-called sports comedy is based on the 2014 documentary of the same name that followed the exploits of the real Samoan team, infamous for a brutal 31-0 FIFA loss to Australia in 2001. So, the gist of plot genuinely appears when they unknowingly hire a professional coach (played by professional actor Michael Fassbender) with serious anger issues. Unlike the disappearing tattoo, Coach's emotional woes eventually do get nicely addressed during these mostly jolly proceedings.</div><div><br /></div><div>The most memorable scene, though, comes when Fassbender convinces non-binary actor Kaimana, who portrays an actual non-binary player on the real Samoa squad, to return for an important game. Their serious talk deserves to score with everyone, not just soccer fans. </div><div><br /></div><b>Rated "PG-13" by MPAA: some strong language and crude material; 1:43; $ $ and 1/2 out of $5.</b><p></p><p><i>(After world-premiering at September's 48th Toronto Film Festival, "Next Goal Wins" is in theaters everywhere.)</i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi30YahteZfadb7LDRE5aeRU2QndrgAOtvaogHbrVS4kj0ksRfnb_jivz-_5gpfS9-KpZaIkxuG6h1h4lGlAeo3beqAXDUrATu50jD9AWsGowz_pzv4QiEDWEgJUCflBlPsaExv-LSGY33JsGuMFfPktkoQAWRk8rh98Ttg8qkPLwsNNcWLXEueeEcFtWSt/s1481/MV5BZDc2MDIzYzAtOWUzZS00ZjJmLWE4ZGMtMWZlNDc2OTQ5NzFjXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTkxNjUyNQ@@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1481" data-original-width="1000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi30YahteZfadb7LDRE5aeRU2QndrgAOtvaogHbrVS4kj0ksRfnb_jivz-_5gpfS9-KpZaIkxuG6h1h4lGlAeo3beqAXDUrATu50jD9AWsGowz_pzv4QiEDWEgJUCflBlPsaExv-LSGY33JsGuMFfPktkoQAWRk8rh98Ttg8qkPLwsNNcWLXEueeEcFtWSt/w135-h200/MV5BZDc2MDIzYzAtOWUzZS00ZjJmLWE4ZGMtMWZlNDc2OTQ5NzFjXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTkxNjUyNQ@@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg" width="135" /></a></div><p>Last but not least today there is "<a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81111528">Rustin</a>," a competent bio about a man whose name stands for the foundations surrounding America's Civil Rights Movement, despite living at a time when his personal options as a queer activist were constantly denied.</p><p>Even a spotlight-grabbing congressman, New York City's well-known Adam Clayton Powell (Jeffrey Wright), whispered long and eventually loudly enough during various organizational sessions to keep Rustin away from NAACP membership and attempt to break up the man's longtime friendship with Martin Luther King (Aml Ameen). </p><p>Regardless, as so passionately played by Colman Domingo, who returns to the big screen again about a month from now in "The Color Purple," Bayard Rustin persevered enough to succeed in ways that put many of us to shame. There is no doubt that he had a dream, too, and this film by director George C. Wolfe ("Ma Rainey's Black Bottom") works hard to show how his subject brought it to fruition.</p><p><b>Rated "PG-13" by MPAA: thematic material, some violence, language including racial slurs, brief drug use, and smoking 1:46; $ $ $ out of $5.</b></p><p></p><p><i>("Rustin," another TIFF48 movie, debuts now on Netflix after a few weeks in select theaters.)</i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Also new now in theaters: "T</span><a href="https://www.lionsgate.com/movies/the-hunger-games-franchise" style="text-align: left;">he Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes</a><span style="text-align: left;">" and "</span><a href="https://www.thanksgiving.movie/" style="text-align: left;">Thanksgiving</a><span style="text-align: left;">." Newly streaming only: "<a href="https://press.amazonstudios.com/us/en/original-movies/maxines-baby">Maxine's Baby: The Tyler Perry Story</a>" (Amazon Prime), "</span><a href="https://www.peacocktv.com/stream-movies/please-dont-destroy-treasure-of-foggy-mountain?irclickid=3f02AVUk2xyPWlp1-A0WDRQYUkFVNQ1WP3rBRw0&irgwc=1&im_rewards=1&utm_source=pk_vrs_imra&utm_medium=pd_aff_acq_psdlnk&utm_term=Wildfire%20Systems&utm_content=828265&cid=2201affiliateevgnpkpdaff4393&utm_campaign=2201affiliateevgn" style="text-align: left;">Please Don't Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain</a><span style="text-align: left;">" (Peacock), and "</span><a href="https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81700362" style="text-align: left;">The Dads</a><span style="text-align: left;">" (Netflix).</span></div><p></p>John M. Urbancichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12150965105626964638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754136280039092364.post-49218438849636776862023-11-13T06:45:00.000-08:002023-11-13T10:48:20.478-08:00Michael J. Fox film dominates eighth annual CCA documentary awards<p><span style="color: #757575; font-family: "New Times Roman", serif; outline: none;">The Critics Choice
Association </span><span style="color: #757575; font-family: "New Times Roman", serif;">unveiled the winners of the </span><span style="color: #757575; font-family: "New Times Roman", serif; outline: none;">Eighth Annual Critics Choice Documentary Award</span><strong style="color: #757575; font-family: "New Times Roman", serif; outline: none;">s</strong><span style="color: #757575; font-family: "New Times Roman", serif;"><b> </b>at
a gala event last night in New York, where "</span><span style="color: #757575; font-family: "New Times Roman", serif; outline: none;"><a href="https://jmuvies.blogspot.com/2023/05/not-much-truly-deep-in-next-chapter-but.html">Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie</a></span><em style="color: #757575; font-family: "New Times Roman", serif; outline: none;">" </em><span style="color: #757575; font-family: "New Times Roman", serif;">took home five trophies, including the top award of the evening for Best Documentary Feature. </span></p><p><span style="color: #757575; font-family: "New Times Roman", serif;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #757575; font-family: "New Times Roman", serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuEctZ4Hw-nxg3K_BYOEuOqgxDTuitakBCTE5nkeBwwGueuFkzDRZnlvpPfapA8K-BSrMs_y7sEGhxDl7oytUlD353tooiJmFKM4qzSr4MejWDrpuoyJAf4zs0YS1x7JYDE96WD_wNdh_Msy975we-BVkxc9uypPhL3LOG6OXaintdfKOqVMO_lLFrK41C/s320/still-a-michael-j-fox-story-MJF_Bench_CVR_16x9_RGB_ENG_rgb.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="320" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuEctZ4Hw-nxg3K_BYOEuOqgxDTuitakBCTE5nkeBwwGueuFkzDRZnlvpPfapA8K-BSrMs_y7sEGhxDl7oytUlD353tooiJmFKM4qzSr4MejWDrpuoyJAf4zs0YS1x7JYDE96WD_wNdh_Msy975we-BVkxc9uypPhL3LOG6OXaintdfKOqVMO_lLFrK41C/s1600/still-a-michael-j-fox-story-MJF_Bench_CVR_16x9_RGB_ENG_rgb.png" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #757575; font-family: "New Times Roman", serif;">The film’s
other victories were for </span><span style="color: #757575; font-family: "New Times Roman", serif;">Best Biographical Documentary, </span><span style="color: #757575; font-family: "New Times Roman", serif;">Best Director for Davis Guggenheim, Best Editing for
Michael Harte, and Best Narration for Fox himself.</span><p></p><p><span style="color: #757575; font-family: "New Times Roman", serif;">The Critics Choice Documentary Awards recognize the year’s finest achievements
in documentaries released in theaters, on TV and on major digital platforms, as
determined by the voting of qualified CCA members. </span></p><p><span style="color: #757575; font-family: "New Times Roman", serif;">Other top winners included "2</span><span style="color: #757575; font-family: "New Times Roman", serif; outline: none;">0 Days in Mariupol," "A</span><span style="color: #757575; font-family: "New Times Roman", serif; outline: none;">merican
Symphony</span><span style="color: #757575; font-family: "New Times Roman", serif;">," and "</span><span style="color: #757575; font-family: "New Times Roman", serif; outline: none;">The
Deepest Breath" with two awards apiece. "</span><span style="outline: none;"><span style="color: #757575; font-family: "New Times Roman", serif;">Mariupol" </span></span><span style="color: #757575; font-family: "New Times Roman", serif;">won for Best
First Documentary for director Mstyslav Chernov, and Best Political Documentary. "Symphony" was named </span><span style="color: #757575; font-family: "New Times Roman", serif;">Best Music Documentary, while composer </span><span style="color: #757575; font-family: "New Times Roman", serif;">Jon Batiste won Best Score for his work on the film. "Breath" earned</span><span style="color: #757575; font-family: "New Times Roman", serif;"> Best Sports Documentary and</span><span style="color: #757575; font-family: "New Times Roman", serif;"> Best Cinematography (for </span><span style="color: #757575; font-family: "New Times Roman", serif;">Tim Cragg</span><span style="color: #757575; font-family: "New Times Roman", serif;">).</span></p><p><span style="color: #757575; font-family: "New Times Roman", serif; outline: none;">The ceremony also included the annual presentation of the </span><span style="color: #757575; font-family: "New Times Roman", serif; outline: none;">Pennebaker Award, which went this year to </span><span style="color: #757575; font-family: "New Times Roman", serif;">acclaimed documentarian </span><strong style="color: #757575; font-family: "New Times Roman", serif; outline: none;">Ross McElwee</strong><span style="color: #757575; font-family: "New Times Roman", serif;">.</span></p><p><span style="color: #757575; font-family: "New Times Roman", serif;">To stream the ceremony, learn more about the Critics Choice Documentary Awards, and see a full list of nominees and winners, visit the </span><a href="https://criticschoice.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2bb94685a4e62f253b0929535&id=96699c9a1a&e=8b8ef0eb19" style="font-family: "New Times Roman", serif; outline: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #007c89;">Critics Choice Association</span></a><span style="background-color: ; color: #757575; font-family: "New Times Roman", serif;"> website.</span><span style="color: #757575; font-family: "New Times Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 7.5pt; margin: 7.5pt 0in; orphans: 2; outline: none; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #757575; font-family: "New Times Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>John M. Urbancichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12150965105626964638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754136280039092364.post-80522241439974846242023-11-10T14:02:00.005-08:002024-01-04T15:19:44.909-08:00Nov. 10 faceoff results: 'The Holdovers' over 'The Marvels' by a TKO<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZswsdcl8lkkvDAXwqxZj0JuJfyiA1JT7IBU7lDq-WQHR7Edd1RfCMPlKIdYIejrm0DyiAzqaPkzgXVXRg8c72-UxzFW3Sp2-WzENSHqnxxzQukIAIsEwC7dybdzp-WpUnk84xpmzKymWl7k-pgGU8KIlZv8c8Ig2JAU4PcT0b_3i7n2ndrXswlDFfmS-Y/s408/01.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="276" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZswsdcl8lkkvDAXwqxZj0JuJfyiA1JT7IBU7lDq-WQHR7Edd1RfCMPlKIdYIejrm0DyiAzqaPkzgXVXRg8c72-UxzFW3Sp2-WzENSHqnxxzQukIAIsEwC7dybdzp-WpUnk84xpmzKymWl7k-pgGU8KIlZv8c8Ig2JAU4PcT0b_3i7n2ndrXswlDFfmS-Y/s320/01.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>In its own way, "<a href="https://www.miramax.com/movie/The-Holdovers/">The Holdovers</a>," the first runner-up for the coveted "People's Choice Award" at September's 48th annual Toronto International Film Festival, actually brings in the 2023 holiday movie season.<div><br /></div><div>After all, the plot seriously thickens around a handful of prep-school personnel and students left behind to deal with their mid-year break together. Besides, the old-fashioned MPPA ratings logo and original Focus Features/Miramax Films identifiers that introduce the proceedings (along with a lovely Christmas song and accompanying images) all nicely signal the sparkling '70s period piece that follows.</div><div><br /></div><div>It is the start of a brisk New England winter, and poor little rich boy (newcomer Dominic Serra), perhaps a tad too unlikable from the start, is one of the boarding schoolers left in the care of an unpopular teacher (Paul Giamatti), who likely never seriously relishes the good tidings of the season, anyway. </div><div><br /></div><div>In fact, as far as Giamatti performances go, think of a character closer to his "Pig Vomit" from Howard Stern's "Private Parts" than the "Billions" actor's Oscar-nominated, 2004 turn in "Sideways." Of course, that latter Giamatti effort also came with director Alexander Payne at the helm of a dramedy that mostly connected with the masses.</div><div><br /></div><div>This one will, too, and also look for Da'Vine Joy Randolph, now working on Hulu's "Murders in the Building" as well as portraying Mahalia Jackson in the Netflix feature, "Rustin," to score major supporting nominations as the school's wise if legitimately sad cafeteria manager.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Rated "R" by MPAA: language, some drug use, and brief sexual material; 2:13; $ $ $ $ out of $5.</b></div><div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMOyNe7FWGUKN5fPTsotikch9E3CSgkych2SwfEb1R_FJKUv0i7AkUeHqTupbRZ01xe_PsW6YDV-aAdkiJk2hO2fLPBU5oxrZgoxxkdoCqKjlv89Beey99LSJFGipqsIl9sgmsYTjfTvZh8Mz2d7ObLkANLPK9y1rYQcAQif-leSwNZm_gqvqz1lfo5rkG/s408/01%20(12).jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="276" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMOyNe7FWGUKN5fPTsotikch9E3CSgkych2SwfEb1R_FJKUv0i7AkUeHqTupbRZ01xe_PsW6YDV-aAdkiJk2hO2fLPBU5oxrZgoxxkdoCqKjlv89Beey99LSJFGipqsIl9sgmsYTjfTvZh8Mz2d7ObLkANLPK9y1rYQcAQif-leSwNZm_gqvqz1lfo5rkG/w216-h320/01%20(12).jpg" width="216" /></a></div>Meanwhile, the only other major release opening on many big screens today might be something that only real MCU minions could embrace thoroughly.<p></p><p>We are now seriously talking about "<a href="https://www.marvel.com/movies/the-marvels">The Marvels</a>" and not only because regular readers of this space -- both of you -- already know that "Captain Marvel," with Brie Larson in the title role, remains one of my personal favorite films from the otherwise overly congested and choking comic-book realm. </p><p>Now, though, it seems that Larson, back from driving all those fast and fancy cars in oh, so many TV commercials, could be part of a franchise sorely in need of revamping. (And how 'bout we start by fixing the process of mixing and matching the questionably all-Marvel-ous assortment of players from movies AND shows streaming on Disney+.)</p><p>"Ms. Marvel" (Iman Vellani), a Jersey City teen-ager from that latter world, here joins Larson's "Captain" and her newly introduced niece (Teyonah Parris) to comprise this trio of "The Marvels." Parris, a gem in a Netflix sci-fi comedy called "They Cloned Tyrone," happens to be an astronaut named Monica Rambeaux (pronounced "Rambo"), so apparently the Universe might be running out of action monikers, too. </p><p>Regardless, please know that the only lasting memorable highlight of all this genuine girl power becomes the voice of Barbra Streisand singing "Memory" to a screenful of cavorting cats. Naturally, it is just marvelous!</p><p><b>Rated "PG-13 by MPAA: action/violence and brief language; 1:45; $ and 1/2 out of $5.</b></p><p><i>(Both "The Holdovers" and "The Marvels" debut today on numerous screens in theaters everywhere.)</i></p><p>Also new today in theaters: "<a href="https://itsawonderfulknifemovie.com/">It's a Wonderful Knife</a>" and "<a href="https://www.journeytobethlehemmovie.com/">Journey to Bethlehem</a>." Newly Streaming only: "<a href="https://www.hbo.com/movies/albert-brooks-defending-my-life">Albert Brooks: Defending My Life</a>" (Nov. 11 on Max) and "<a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/80234448">The Killer</a>" (now showing exclusively on Netflix)<i>.</i></p></div>John M. Urbancichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12150965105626964638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754136280039092364.post-69211261303693831812023-11-03T13:41:00.010-07:002023-11-03T15:02:56.789-07:00Tiny 'Priscilla' fills up big screen; TIFF flicks 'Quiz,' 'Fingernails' stream<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiNUanptg5Du0f0wHygHUoAzNZB28gIUm9rtbmi0F4dAEuWNggQ6AFxXCTdp9XcDLE2xR6BUIP4SvuOCrdUwaPE9uxjAKL7uraDn-7yB8Lf275aaTOR_W_Lycxa9Aiy4Qf-YRlXy5K8HgAKyVaMvJzaTJN7fEOLxcbL_3L1adBZE1Fu_5nuyE9jFWXwk8z/s2898/3d5ea153-4063-c799-203d-d7fed5781163.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2898" data-original-width="1962" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiNUanptg5Du0f0wHygHUoAzNZB28gIUm9rtbmi0F4dAEuWNggQ6AFxXCTdp9XcDLE2xR6BUIP4SvuOCrdUwaPE9uxjAKL7uraDn-7yB8Lf275aaTOR_W_Lycxa9Aiy4Qf-YRlXy5K8HgAKyVaMvJzaTJN7fEOLxcbL_3L1adBZE1Fu_5nuyE9jFWXwk8z/w218-h320/3d5ea153-4063-c799-203d-d7fed5781163.jpg" width="218" /></a></div>Based on the book "Elvis and Me" by executive producer Priscilla Presley, "<a href="https://a24films.com/films/priscilla">Priscilla</a>" becomes a very small and intimate project in the hands of gifted writer/director Sofia Coppola ("Lost in Translation," "On the Rocks"). </div><div><br /></div><div>That certainly does not make it unwatchable by any means, especially considering the huge performance from tiny Cailee Spaeny (previously most notable in HBO's "Mare of Easttown") running into awards contention by taking her title character from age 14 to well into womanhood -- and all opposite a gigantic superstar named Elvis Presley.</div><div><br /></div><div>In fact, the latter presence, as played by big-screen, Aussie newcomer Jacob Elordi ("Euphoria"), is so tall and gangly compared to his cute and cuddly "Scilla" that the height difference alone almost takes us out of the picture at times. </div><div><br /></div><div>Leave it to the completely capable Coppola, though, to bring us back in with a tender little moment here, a shocking one there, and a (mostly) time-relevant and meaningful oldies soundtrack -- surprise! -- without even one Elvis hit to be found, but still somehow easily connecting everything together.</div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Rated "R" by MPAA: drug use and some language; 1:50; $ $ $ and 1/2 out of $5.</b></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>(After world-premiering at the 80th Venice International Film Festival two months ago, "Priscilla" is in theaters everywhere today.)</i><i> </i></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX3pOXcX6ELMZirZHqLmwnauhM0VALlD-YpfFJCDTcKpVi8w1QOPMpi-41mg4XqJsUFIfdeg6etDlysAbIa49LFdd8ll0lYvA4yatdAAbqaJaCxn1wpT3e7G2_tMP_A13_l05TZi9EmFDXvGSsamuCz0eYKgQ-vKgLigdiFKX1MiftGgc_nb0QUvCdENT9/s1598/image002%20(2).png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1598" data-original-width="1076" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX3pOXcX6ELMZirZHqLmwnauhM0VALlD-YpfFJCDTcKpVi8w1QOPMpi-41mg4XqJsUFIfdeg6etDlysAbIa49LFdd8ll0lYvA4yatdAAbqaJaCxn1wpT3e7G2_tMP_A13_l05TZi9EmFDXvGSsamuCz0eYKgQ-vKgLigdiFKX1MiftGgc_nb0QUvCdENT9/w134-h200/image002%20(2).png" width="134" /></a></div>Another festival film, Jessic Yu's "<a href="https://www.tvinsider.com/show/quiz-lady/">Quiz Lady</a>," became one of a few genuine crowd-pleasers at Toronto's 48th annual September showcase of movies, particularly with its moving, special-guest ending that, of course, will not be given away here.</div><div><br /></div><div>Before then, Awkwafina and Sandra Oh get the party started as mismatched sisters putting their differences aside to help their ailing, gambling-addicted old mom pay off a major mob debt.</div><div><br /></div><div>Naturally, a suspension of belief will have to come with all of it, but director Yu (FX's "Fosse/Verdon"), making her feature film debut, lets her stars offer up their abilities to produce an assortment of laughs, including many when the "Quiz"-worthy plot seriously kicks in. </div><div><br /></div><div>Hey, even Will Ferrell gets to give it his all as the game-show host in a role that is not nearly as obnoxious as some of the usual characters he portrays. Might it actually be a tribute to the late, great "Jeopardy" anchor, Alex Trebek? Nah, probably not.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Rated "R" by MPAA: some drug use and language; 1:40; $ $ $ out of $5.</b></div><div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><i>("Quiz Lady," which world-premiered at the 48th annual Toronto International Film Festival, debuts today on Hulu.)</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBT82oxjg2Amke1dFIt23-PzKeYGJlxUcCjnpKFUu-rmUsWquEWodfEO3tmvtTMcA9f4dcjDu5HPzGQSrMPgldi6SMjMRD8gfBOklCvkgofNWZAa3Zcy6g-p4NZagHqqSz3SgdG8-3D5UKB61z3d-DZ9QxoWCH6Yv9wc3Wmc_2LSoMv6LLShAsSULkt0l7/s3000/fingernails-Poster1Fingernails_rgb.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="2000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBT82oxjg2Amke1dFIt23-PzKeYGJlxUcCjnpKFUu-rmUsWquEWodfEO3tmvtTMcA9f4dcjDu5HPzGQSrMPgldi6SMjMRD8gfBOklCvkgofNWZAa3Zcy6g-p4NZagHqqSz3SgdG8-3D5UKB61z3d-DZ9QxoWCH6Yv9wc3Wmc_2LSoMv6LLShAsSULkt0l7/w133-h200/fingernails-Poster1Fingernails_rgb.png" width="133" /></a></div>Finally today comes a sci-fi entry called "<a href="https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/fingernails/umc.cmc.5kr10v39ex4n13rrwxjzm3jy7?mttn3pid=Google%20AdWords&mttnagencyid=a5e&mttncc=US&mttnsiteid=143238&mttnsubad=OUS20191091_1-679485265124-c&mttnsubkw=153387309519__gPuvmVc0_&mttnsubplmnt=_adext_">Fingernails</a>" and, thankfully, without an accompanying chalkboard, since the climax of this one already might make us a wee bit squeamish enough.</div><div><br /></div><div>Two Oscar nominees, Jessie Buckley ("The Lost Daughter") and Riz Ahmed ("Sound of Metal"), give us much hope as co-workers at a futuristic "love institute," where couples are schooled and then oddly and gruesomely tested to see if they are truly the perfectly compatible match.</div><div><br /></div><div>Jeremy Allen White, so terrific on FX/Hulu's "The Bear," gets the third-wheel role as an OK guy named Ryan, live-in lover to Buckley's Anna, that is, before the gist of it really hits the fan. By the way, their story begins with the two of them having passed a love test of their own with flying colors. Hmmmmm.</div><div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Rated "R" by MPAA: for language; 1:48; $ $ and 1/2 out of $5.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><i>(After premiering at early September film festivals in both Telluride and Toronto, "Fingernails" is now in full streaming mode on AppleTV+.) </i></div><p>Also new today in theaters: "<a href="https://www.buildabear.com/merry-mission-movie">Glisten and the Merry Mission</a>," "<a href="https://www.movieinsider.com/m22165/helens-dead">Helen's Dead</a>," "<a href="https://www.lionsgate.com/movies/the-marsh-kings-daughter">The Marsh King's Daughter</a>," "<a href="https://www.sonyclassics.com/film/thepersianversion/">The Persian Version</a>," and "<a href="https://bleeckerstreetmedia.com/what-happens-later/">What Happens Later</a>." Newly streaming only: "<a href="https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81447231">NYAD</a>" and "<a href="https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81450717">Sly</a>" (both Netflix).</p></div></div>John M. Urbancichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12150965105626964638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754136280039092364.post-77482941984798616902023-10-20T13:41:00.006-07:002023-10-20T14:04:19.269-07:00Scorsese offers long, lingering 'Moon,' while 'FOE' plays like it's DOA<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAgM_yqCL8TSO0WekbAHrWx5pjiabFI3A0hTZntwqZ9ifPHvRK43XdWqqRpepR9XXS2vTGPrw3gZPCxfdWWZbHo854nUi9AVaflHHjF69BFcnu1Oxl8EcU8FQZEZinDLqxtVK9tb4UeKDxf-1cM1BtJu1Stw54R7XuOGxWxNb36qfZtGIBbVy7IZ4io8NY/s3000/killers-of-the-flower-moon-KOTFM_Embrace.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="2000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAgM_yqCL8TSO0WekbAHrWx5pjiabFI3A0hTZntwqZ9ifPHvRK43XdWqqRpepR9XXS2vTGPrw3gZPCxfdWWZbHo854nUi9AVaflHHjF69BFcnu1Oxl8EcU8FQZEZinDLqxtVK9tb4UeKDxf-1cM1BtJu1Stw54R7XuOGxWxNb36qfZtGIBbVy7IZ4io8NY/s320/killers-of-the-flower-moon-KOTFM_Embrace.png" width="213" /></a></div>The latest -- and all-time longest -- from 56-year feature director Martin Scorsese arrives today with the gorgeous, knowing and occasionally redundant "<a href="https://www.apple.com/tv-pr/originals/killers-of-the-flower-moon/">Killers of the Flower Moon</a>."<div><br /></div><div>The 210-minute epic obviously covers lots of rich ground that's owned -- though not necessarily operated -- by the Osage Nation, whose members are described as "the finest and most beautiful people on earth," not long after we're shown how they also became some of the wealthiest with gushing oil strikes helping make their 1920s truly roar. </div><div><br /></div><div>Enter a returning and not-too-swift, WWI soldier/cook (Leonardo DiCaprio), who marries a strong and lovely Osage gal (Lily Gladstone), with the conniving blessing of his cattleman uncle (Robert De Niro), whose own motives might seem way too obvious from the get-go.</div><div><br /></div><div>Regardless, even when DiCaprio slips into Billy Bob Thornton "Sling Blade" territory down the lengthy stretch, all three of Scorsese's lead players give powerful enough performances to make the short list for end-of-year awards consideration. </div><div><br /></div><div>Here's already a vote, though, for the genuine Gladstone, a picture of composed grace through thick and mostly thin, as her character bravely manages everything from new medicines such as insulin, to racism from the vile likes of the Ku Klux Klan, to a brief conversation with a U.S. President and, yes, even those titular "Killers." Gladstone's breathtaking work easily makes her the film's leader in the clubhouse of all that is "Best." </div><div><br /></div><div><div><div><b>Rated "R" by MPAA: violence, some grisly images, and language; 3:26; $ $ $ and 1/2 out of $5.</b></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>("Killers of the Flower Moon" is now in theaters everywhere, before eventually streaming with its partners on AppleTV+.) </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN2Iw_lwh0IiZBGWqy0tbyMbDV2KaCkfy_5XZtIxKZP8HFz7UJp0uLdErxZpe15YqhOwLyleiDq3YTRoTCCVZEtGXq-U7kVmLMccvYp06lyWrIeNZaF5OhHABiF_D2QIcsT9WOCWRS1fxOkNn05TDDfy8gU_HOBeC3G2bbVQ3m9jr0RYbxI3Ix_2QkpKZx/s2880/foe-FOE1_2023_DigitalOneSheet_BookCover_27x40_THEATRICAL_FINAL_en-US_PRICO_rgb.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="1944" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN2Iw_lwh0IiZBGWqy0tbyMbDV2KaCkfy_5XZtIxKZP8HFz7UJp0uLdErxZpe15YqhOwLyleiDq3YTRoTCCVZEtGXq-U7kVmLMccvYp06lyWrIeNZaF5OhHABiF_D2QIcsT9WOCWRS1fxOkNn05TDDfy8gU_HOBeC3G2bbVQ3m9jr0RYbxI3Ix_2QkpKZx/w135-h200/foe-FOE1_2023_DigitalOneSheet_BookCover_27x40_THEATRICAL_FINAL_en-US_PRICO_rgb.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>Honestly, the less written about "<a href="https://www.clevelandcinemas.com/movie/343718/Foe-Trailer-and-Info">Foe"</a> may be for the better, since this movie, based on an apparently well-received, 2018 Iain Reid novel of the same name, looks like one that might only find serious beauty in the eyes of a legitimate beholder.</div><div><br /></div><div>It opens with a few words about "human substitutes" being introduced to the world, then moves into a running shower with a woman (the usually reliable Saoirse Ronan) crying substantially while mumbling something about losing "those parts of who I am and who I could be."</div><div><br /></div><div>So, is she real? Is she fake? Is this game of life a mistake? Oh, wait, already it made me think of the words from "The Happening," a 1967 Supremes hit record, which inspired a mediocre movie with the same title. (By the way, M. Night Shyamalan's "The Happening" eventually became perhaps the worst movie of 2008, so at least that now puts us in a similarly sour, sci-fi neighborhood.)</div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway, it turns out that Ronan is married to a young man (played by "Aftersun" darling Paul Mescal), living somewhere "in the Midwest, 2065," and the effects of climate change already turning the world into an intolerable mess. When a visitor (Aaron Pierre) suddenly arrives at the couple's door, their lives change forever. Yours might, too, if somehow you can embrace joyless characters delivering such endlessly pretentious babble.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Rated "R" by MPAA: for language, some sexual content, and nudity; 1:48; $ and 1/2 out of $5.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><i>("Foe" opens exclusively today in northeast Ohio at the Cedar Lee Theater while awaiting a streaming date on Amazon Prime.)</i></div><div><br />Other films new today in theaters: "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJEOJbSuOvI">Butchers Crossing</a>," "<a href="https://a24films.com/films/dicks-the-musical">Dicks: The Musical</a>, and "<a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81447231">NYAD</a>." Streaming only: "<a href="https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/a-really-haunted-loud-house">A Really Haunted Loud House</a>," (Paramount+), "<a href="https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81674327">Old Dads</a>" (Netflix) and "<a href="https://www.apple.com/tv-pr/originals/the-pigeon-tunnel/">The Pigeon Tunnel</a>" (AppleTV+).</div></div></div>John M. Urbancichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12150965105626964638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754136280039092364.post-71113748997262671042023-10-13T12:22:00.010-07:002023-10-13T13:59:02.548-07:00Talking 'bout a 'Burial' that pleases and an Almodovar that runs short<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIILYTCahfU8HXZ5ENdsNp-m-FAab6t4Lvv9ooepeR1ByUPAKs7DL99VO4mtmigqdfma4LJXJR3VFd8VhwqnW2mlPJVHiblUsw4V5R-JfVorlup539TZKwrB5VYfccZ5CFtKtqgKMgd8R4PlCQzy4YJkUiQ7s9pKXQlFD00X5O_Is6CCr7UYrzCAhAzXxY/s2880/the-burial-BURI_2023_DigitalOneSheet_BacktoBack_1944x2880_PRE_FINAL_en-US_CPS_rgb.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIILYTCahfU8HXZ5ENdsNp-m-FAab6t4Lvv9ooepeR1ByUPAKs7DL99VO4mtmigqdfma4LJXJR3VFd8VhwqnW2mlPJVHiblUsw4V5R-JfVorlup539TZKwrB5VYfccZ5CFtKtqgKMgd8R4PlCQzy4YJkUiQ7s9pKXQlFD00X5O_Is6CCr7UYrzCAhAzXxY/w216-h320/the-burial-BURI_2023_DigitalOneSheet_BacktoBack_1944x2880_PRE_FINAL_en-US_CPS_rgb.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>"<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Burial-Tommy-Lee-Jones/dp/B0B8MXN232">The Burial</a>," one of the most buzzed about movies in Toronto after its world premiere at the 48th annual international film festival there last month, features surprising juxtaposition of performances from a pair of Academy Award-winning actors.<div><br /></div><div>In fact, often crusty ol' Tommy Lee Jones ("The Fugitive") even seems comfortable giving scenery-chewing Jamie Foxx all the room he needs to deliver his best work since winning his Oscar hardware for "Ray" almost 20 years ago.</div><div><br /></div><div>As "inspired by a true story," Foxx's Willie Gary, a preacher-turned hotshot attorney, shows off his skills with a soul-searching opening sermon, then by just about turning the same trick to win an important (read: big-money verdict) in a Florida courtroom a wee bit later. (By the way, both scenes earned hefty applause from a sold-out, ever-appreciative TIFF audience, and we were not yet even 20 minutes into the crowd-pleasing tale.)</div><div><br /></div><div>In between, Gary and his equally engaging entourage get hired by a Mississippi mortician and legitimate family businessman (the softer, gentler Jones) to represent him against a nationwide funeral home guru (always terrific Bill Camp) with serious swindling in mind.</div><div><br /></div><div>As it becomes a lot more interesting -- and worth watching -- than it sounds, credit director Maggie Betts ("Novitiate"), who co-writes with Pulitzer winner Doug Wright, for putting the flashy punctuation marks around it all. Of course, if there is any real justice, Foxx, Jones, and their rousing supporting cast, including Jurnee Smollett, as the smart-cookie opposition lawyer, might get to hang around for plenty of end-of-year ensemble awards consideration, too.</div><div><p></p><div><div><b>Rated "R" by MPAA: for language; 2:05; $ $ $ $ out of $5.</b></div></div><div><br /></div><div><i>("The Burial" streams exclusively today on Amazon Prime.)</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb8ZmX61eaC8GGAXg0wCm-cA8oKW8qznuTHMyoo8QaLRykY9P44JfNwU-OZYLUKzAHYgYEi2gbQKELSrAvieV9huGhL_ytrg9ahkqlh421uWEZdVGM3qdoxHZOvpmTSIm0N3z64cLskACCMzo-vYHA7pXUPD4CEceNrG8SBmyGOxbPs7Wv_hR7dE2yWdQl/s1482/MV5BZDcxZjhmY2QtMjdmMC00M2FiLWJlY2EtOTZkMzFmMTM0Mzc1XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjkyNzI2MTQ@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1482" data-original-width="1000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb8ZmX61eaC8GGAXg0wCm-cA8oKW8qznuTHMyoo8QaLRykY9P44JfNwU-OZYLUKzAHYgYEi2gbQKELSrAvieV9huGhL_ytrg9ahkqlh421uWEZdVGM3qdoxHZOvpmTSIm0N3z64cLskACCMzo-vYHA7pXUPD4CEceNrG8SBmyGOxbPs7Wv_hR7dE2yWdQl/w135-h200/MV5BZDcxZjhmY2QtMjdmMC00M2FiLWJlY2EtOTZkMzFmMTM0Mzc1XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjkyNzI2MTQ@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>Another movie worth finding this week comes from the internationally celebrated Pedro Almodovar, who tells what might have been at least a two-hour story in a brisk 30 minutes.</div><div><br /></div><div>As the Spanish auteur, writer and director told still another Toronto audience early last month, his short, "<a href="https://tickets.strangewayoflife.com/">Strange Way of Life</a>," actually was inspired by Ang Lee's acclaimed "Brokeback Mountain" in 2005 and now answers the question, "What could two guys do living on a ranch together?"</div><div><br /></div><div>Former hired guns, friends, and lovers -- as personified by major stars Ethan Hawke and Pablo Pascal -- both seem comfortable here as men reconnecting on separate, but equal missions. Besides, enough action occurs to inspire active minds to turn this short story into a full-length feature by filling in their own mental blanks about the relationships in what Almodovar labels his "queer western."</div><div> </div><div>Despite the brevity, the filmmaker's signature flair also remains, with colorful costumes supplied by Yves Saint Laurent, which co-produces this unique theatrical venture.</div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Rated "R" by MPAA: for sexual content, language, and bloody images; 31 minutes; $ $ $ out of $5.</b></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>("Strange Way of Life" is playing in select theaters everywhere, including at Akron's <a href="https://www.nightlightcinema.com/">The Nightlight</a>, where it is paired with Almodovar's first English-language short, 2020's "The Human Voice.") </i></div><div><br /></div><div>Other films new today in theaters: "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gbqj2QYIcvY?si=yp4wla8DIGa6i5DH">The Bell Keeper</a>," "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQgnScTLR-Q">Dear David</a>," "<a href="https://www.clevelandcinemas.com/movie/343790/Joan-Baez-I-Am-A-Noise-Trailer-and-Info">Joan Baez I am a Noise</a>," and "<a href="https://tstheerastourfilm.com/">Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour</a>." Streaming only: "<a href="https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81517749">The Conference</a>" (Netflix).</div></div></div>John M. Urbancichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12150965105626964638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754136280039092364.post-33133980664463506872023-10-06T13:10:00.003-07:002023-10-06T13:37:23.061-07:00Latest 'Exorcist' reaches for new cred with nods to the scarier original <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaEyTFRIU4_WocvNOn3dfaRNvC65OIvYLIiIpHz0a48B2Yl1CAxXqUWXQLy2KxLGMkbrOUCa-klr7uktIdP6mad471uQlGpo0W-JQkdH_23SFNw6hHv6mqVzQOjNUZlGN0UB_wvJaO4pN_WXwIhZaY3CNgtmvoIPEHfOQLuXGswA2T_-T-q90DyBS6YTFk/s1551/mail%20(3).jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1551" data-original-width="1050" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaEyTFRIU4_WocvNOn3dfaRNvC65OIvYLIiIpHz0a48B2Yl1CAxXqUWXQLy2KxLGMkbrOUCa-klr7uktIdP6mad471uQlGpo0W-JQkdH_23SFNw6hHv6mqVzQOjNUZlGN0UB_wvJaO4pN_WXwIhZaY3CNgtmvoIPEHfOQLuXGswA2T_-T-q90DyBS6YTFk/s320/mail%20(3).jpg" width="217" /></a></div>Give some props to the same team that probably kept the "Halloween" franchise alive five years or so longer than they should have for making "<a href="https://www.theexorcistbeliever.movie/">The Exorcist: Believer</a>" at least a respectful, 50-year-old sequel to the sensationally frightening original.<div><br /></div><div>That mostly means the usual slashy/trashy laughs from director David Gordon Green and perhaps even from his most famous co-writer, Danny McBride, get replaced by a story filled with homages to William Friedkin's 1973 masterpiece.</div><div><br /></div><div>Their solemnity starts right away, too. Whereas the original began with the title character working an archaeological dig in Iraq, "Believer" opens with a photographer (Leslie Odoms Jr.) and his lovely, pregnant wife (Tracy Graves) enjoying a holiday in Haiti until a terrifying earthquake leaves Port au Prince in ruins.</div><div><br /></div><div>Years later in Georgia, Satan enters the picture once more when the photog's daughter (Lidya Jewitt) disappears with a classmate (Olivia O'Neill) for three days before uh . . . well, all hell breaks loose.</div><div><br /></div><div>Somehow, the film's all-star makeup crew turns both possessed girls into eerily creepy reminders of Linda Blair's all-time bedeviled victim, especially during an intriguing last half-hour. Maybe even more scary, though, is how seamlessly 90-year-old Ellen Burstyn returns once more as Friedkin's heroic mom, Chris MacNeil, here once again attempting to give the devil only his mean-spirited due.</div><div><br /></div><div>Other key members of the unnerving exorcism ritual include singer/actress Jennifer Nettles, as a worried mom; Okwui Okpokwasili, as an oncologist-turned specialist in the occult, and ever-great character actor Ann Dowd, as a neighbor/nurse with a few compelling secrets of her own.</div><div><div><br /><div><b>Rated "R" by MPAA: some violent content, disturbing images, language and sexual references; 1:51; $ $ $ out of $5.</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Also new today in theaters today: "<a href="https://www.amctheatres.com/movies/hocus-pocus-30th-anniversary-74778">Hocus Pocus 30th Anniversary</a>," "<a href="https://www.movieinsider.com/m22091/monsters-of-california">Monsters of California</a>," "<a href="https://neonrated.com/films/the-royal-hotel">The Royal Hotel</a>," "<a href="https://www.shecametomefilm.com/">She Came to Me</a>," and "<a href="https://www.movieinsider.com/m22066/when-evil-lurks">When Evil Lurks</a>." Streaming Only: "<a href="https://press.amazonstudios.com/us/en/original-movies/totally-killer">Totally Killer</a>" (Amazon Prime), "<a href="https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81572011">Ballerina</a>," "<a href="https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81555681">A Deadly Invitation</a>" (both on Netflix).</div></div></div>John M. Urbancichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12150965105626964638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754136280039092364.post-53729503248006694802023-09-29T11:30:00.008-07:002023-09-30T08:22:30.129-07:00'Fair Play' sometimes dazzles, shocks with cutthroat role reversal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGloTpaOIy_TNLEo6t0-F0-_mzFFKHKhRNoyo5M2p5etBMI7PdguEt0uFdXagXfcMASjv0fsPUTuBfkgpdGR-z3Crn3ui8gXSKoBKB_iwt-Nj1yAL_xmBbz1QqH5vSUT9Z0AAnRFYyNnldsEVRqQ5PAeUczKQnphFseqeYH0Gif9YFecIK-xEcX94OUvZB/s755/fair_play.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="510" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGloTpaOIy_TNLEo6t0-F0-_mzFFKHKhRNoyo5M2p5etBMI7PdguEt0uFdXagXfcMASjv0fsPUTuBfkgpdGR-z3Crn3ui8gXSKoBKB_iwt-Nj1yAL_xmBbz1QqH5vSUT9Z0AAnRFYyNnldsEVRqQ5PAeUczKQnphFseqeYH0Gif9YFecIK-xEcX94OUvZB/s320/fair_play.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>"<a href="https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81674326">Fair Play</a>," another film arriving in select theaters today via both Sundance, way back in January, and the 48th annual Toronto International Film Festival, just this month, mostly goes down like a good book you can't stop reading until the genuinely bitter end.<div><br /></div><div>Quite significantly, though, that can't miss feeling in this first film from writer/director and justified festival darling Chloe Domont still comes with moments that become monumentally predictable. That includes the big early plot twist you might see coming from three desks down, that is, if you do not read it in someone else's review first.</div><div><br /></div><div>Those desks, by the way, reside at the win-at-all-costs hedge-fund firm where Harvard hotshot Emily (Phoebe Dynevor) and not-as-sharp Yale grad Luke (Alden Ehrenreich) work as analysts. Better yet, they are secret lovers, which a few steamy early moments in a bathroom establish. A harder-to-watch segment, which also unfolds in a party restroom, then unnervingly and much later bookends their relationship in simply stunning fashion.</div><div><br /></div><div>In between, a tough Dynevor from Netflix's "Bridgerton, and the credible Ehrenreich, following his underrated supporting turn in "Oppenheimer" and manning the lead in Disney's "Solo: A Star Wars Story," strut their surprising stuff like seasoned old pros.</div><div><br /></div><div>As always, Eddie Marsan offers quietly strong work of his own as their sneaky, snaky boss, and ex-Ohioan Rich Sommer earns mention as a fittingly unctuous right-hand minion. Wall Street and the MeToo movement may never collide with so much urgency again. <div><div><br /></div><div><b>Rated "R" by MPAA: pervasive language, sexual content, some nudity, and sexual violence; 1:54; $ $ $ out of $5.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><i>"Fair Play" opens today in select theaters, including the Cedar Lee in Cleveland Heights, before debuting Oct. 6 on Netflix (after the streamer moved it up from Oct. 13).</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>Also now making their debut in local theaters: "<a href="https://highlandfilmgroup.com/movies/57-seconds">57 Seconds</a>," "<a href="https://theblindmovie.com/">The Blind</a>," "<a href="https://www.20thcenturystudios.com/movies/the-creator">The Creator</a>," "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbmM9Rugu4g">On Fire</a>," "<a href="https://www.pawpatrol.movie/home/">Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie</a>," "<a href="https://www.saw.movie/">Saw X</a>," and "<a href="https://a24films.com/films/stop-making-sense">Stop Making Sense 40th Anniversary</a>." </div></div></div>John M. Urbancichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12150965105626964638noreply@blogger.com0