New Film Review: The Glass Castle

THE GLASS CASTLE
Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton
Screenplay by Destin Daniel Cretton and Andrew Lanham
Based on the book by Jeannette Walls
Starring Brie Larson; Woody Harrelson; Naomi Watts; and Ella Anderson




The Glass Castle follows The Walls family...mainly the children growing up in with eccentric parents Rex (Harrelson) and Rose Mary (Watts).
We see the film through the eyes of Jeanette (Larson), as she looks back at her strange childhood.
Now, I know a lot of people who read the Walls book were upset because this film took some heart of the story. I did not read the book so luckily I have no basis ...soooo.... I really liked this film.


Positives:
-The screenplay is really good. The film runs over two hours and it flies by. There are so many dynamics to this family, it is a train wreck you cannot stop watching. There is some joy, but it has an umbrella of sadness. There is clearly mental illness here and alcohol disease at play. Also mental abuse and physical. It sounds like it would be hard to watch and sometimes it is....but what make it work is....
-The Acting!! Larson with another fine performance. You see her acting often without talking. She is carrying years of hurt and embarrassment with her into her adult life.
Harrelson as Rex is relentless. I can't tell if he is good acting or good casting. Come to think about it with Woody, it may be the same thought for all his parts lol!!!!!!!
Lets not forget Ella Anderson and Chandler Head as the young Jeanette at different ages. These young girls are playing roles that are really mature roles. They pull it off (note they were both in the film The Boss)!!
Are there any negatives?
Yes.
-As noted before, this is a difficult watch. Rex is abusive!! Then things get wrapped up in a nice neat ball of string; I heard in the book...maybe not so much. It did seem a little odd. It is nice at the end to see the family smile..if that is something.


Well...a true story...about  a family with secrets, and the weight of your past that you carry with you. 4 out of 5 stars. This shocked me. I got a pass and thought...well I will go watch I have nothing better to do...and I really liked it. An interesting story and well acted.


From the shadows as always thanks for your time.

New Film Review The Hitman's Bodyguard

THE HITMAN'S BODYGUARD
Directed by Patrick Hughes
Screenplay by Tom O'Connor
Starring Ryan Reynolds; Sam Jackson; Gary Oldman; and Salma Hayek



Reynolds is Mike Bryce a successful bodyguard trying to revamp his reputation after a mistake he made. Now he pretty much stumbles on having to protect Darius Kincaid (Jackson), from a hit so he can make a court appearance as a goverment witness.

Well acted. In fact very well acted. Highlighted by a hilarious performance by Hayek.
Still I felt like I have seen this before.
Even with the shoot-outs and car chases, it still felt surprisingly boring and predictable. The script felt lazy.
It was just blah.

2 1/2 out of 5 stars for The Hitmans's Bodyguard. Sorry itm is short but...it is just what it is. It was an August filler. If you want action go for it. Still......find Baby Driver!!!

From the shadows as always thanks for your time.

New Release For Home Viewing

Not a strong week for films this week. Just one to mention and...maybe not worth a look.


47 Meters Down
Directed by Johannes Roberts
Screenplay by Johannes Roberts and Ernest Riera
Starring Mandy Moore and Claire Holt



Two sisters Lisa (Moore) and Kate (Holt) get trapped......... well 47 meters down.....in a cage.

Oh boy. I was hoping for so much. I was hoping for another The Shallows, which was one of my biggest surprises last year and I really loved The Shallows. Sadly what 47 Meters Down did was show me that I was right....Blake Lively put on a wonderful one woman show in The Shallows and made that film work.

As for 47 Meters Down:

PROBLEMS:
-DUMB...Stupid decisions...The one thing The Shallows did right...she did not make stupid moves. Here two women go on a boat with two men they just met. Then let themselves be put in a cage!!!! Really???!! And it is all downhill from there.

-The script. It is just bad. At one point we have a good 15 minutes of tension that never happens. Which makes me think the studio knew they had garbage here and did a lot of re-shoots and re-writes. To a point where I think that is why the ending is soooo flat....They did not have an ending!!! Then you have dialog that went with a lot of...AAAAH OOOOH OH NO!!! Over and over. You cheer for the shark (just kidding).

-The acting. The biggest shocker here is how bad Mandy Moore is in this film. The same person who is wonderful in TV's This Is Us, is awful here. Could be the worst performance of the year so far.

Any Positives?

-I did jump often when the sharks attacked the cage...so that is something.

1 1/2 stars out of 5 for the disappointing 47 Meters Down (for the shark and Matthew Modine who was lucky, he was in the film for only 10 minutes). Just watch The Shallows. Yes the ending of The Shallows is a bit of a let down but still....Lively makes it work.

From the shadows as always thanks for your time.

New Film Review: Brad's Status

BRAD'S STATUS
Directed by Mike White
Screenplay by Mike White
Starring Ben Stiller; Austin Abrams; Jenna Fischer; and Michael Sheen



Mike White kind of encapsulated the quiet biggest problem of society in this wonderful here in Brad's Status. This film is not for teenagers. Not because it is inappropriate , but because they may not get it. That is not being the old guy being snobby...it is just understanding a parent and his perception of the world around him.
This film is so interesting, often, I do not know why, because it is an entirely a different it made me think of the wonderful film The End of The Tour. So quiet but saying so much.
We follow Ben Stiller (Brad) as he takes his son Troy (Abrams) to Boston to visit schools.
No spoilers here...but as we follow them on a their trip:
-We see Brad reflect on his own college life and what his dreams were and where he is now.
-The inevitable comparison to friends from the past and the reality of what is the truth that hits home.
-Facebook and other comparable sites are also spotlighted here............questioning what is real...what is on social media compared to what happens behind closed doors.

Yes it seems like a lot to cover on a trip to Boston and Harvard.
It helps that Stiller gives a great performance, oddly he does not say much, you can see the pain and jealousy in his eyes.  Just a quiet film that says a lot about society and comparisons with others and your path in life.

Negatives?
- Too many voice overs. We have Brad telling us his thoughts as he stares out into the abyss. It does not make for great cinema. I wish they could of had him tell someone his thoughts. At one point he is in a bar, sharing drinks with a young female college student and that moment shines. Wish there was more of that...sort of like The End Of The Tour.
-I do not like how Brad left the dinner (No Spoilers) with the pompous Craig Fisher (A wonderful performance by Michael Sheen). I feel like a truthful conversation between them would have been interesting.
-Jenna Fischer...I love and wanted her to be more involved.

If you are over 20 this film should be a must see. I found it to be one of the best written films of the year. Please note..he is a quiet soul but Mike White is one of best writers in Hollywood...See The Good Girl or School Of Rock. Brad's Status gets 4 out of 5 stars.

By the way if you cant find Brad's Status in the theater yet, look for this at home..Dave Wallace may be a little wacky but maybe ahead of his time:



From the shadows as always thanks for your time.

New Film Review: Stronger

STRONGER
Directed David Gordon Green
Screenplay by John Pollono
Based on the book by Jeff Bauman and Bret Witter
Starring Jake Gyllenhaal; Tatiana Maslany; and Miranda Richardson




Gyllenhal plays Baumann, a reluctant hero in Boston after the Boston Marathon bombing.
We follow his recovery as he learns to deal with his loss of legs and his mental struggles.


Finally after a long drought I have three pretty good movies coming, stating with this one!!!
It has been a bad year for films that is for sure..........things are changing!!!


Stronger does a lot of things right:
The Story:
It is an interesting story from many angles.
Bauman...who is held up as a hero. He has no interest in it. It kind of confuses him. Still he is a hero, with many faults. He is unreliable, before and after the bombing, in his relationship with his girlfriend Erin Hurley. He also has a bit of a drinking problem which is exasperated by his family.
Bauman's family..... led by Patty his mother. They relish in his fame, and like to party too much.
Erin Hurley.....Bauman's on and off again girlfriend. She has a lot of guilt, because she is the reason he is at the marathon. Hurley becomes the voice of common sense between Bauman's family and Bauman.
As you can tell this film is not about the bombing and capture of the cowards who did this awful act of violence. It follows Baumann and the aftermath. Bauman struggles with the hero tag, as much as he struggles with the loss of his legs. It takes him awhile to understand he is a symbol of hope. Lives were lost. People needed a person to be them...to represent.


Casting:
If Gyllenhaal does not get an Oscar nod here something is very wrong!! His mannerisms are so on point. There is a moment when he falls right on to his face. Everyone in the theatre went "OOOF". They felt it. He had us! That is the sign of a good performance.
Maslany also should get a nod for best supporting actress as Hurley. I love that she is just an ordinary woman. Stuck in a no win situation.
Richardson as Patty. She may be the front runner for best supporting actress with this performance. She becomes Boston with the accent, the pushiness, and sadly... throw in too much liquid refreshments.


Negatives? Yes...small negatives.
-The family is a lot to watch. I mean so abrasive ...you want them to go away. It is tough...I think they get highlighted too much while the rehab and relationship between Hurley and Baumann gets overrun by that abrasiveness. I wish they would have pulled back on the family. I think whenever Gyllenhaal and Maslany are not on the screen together the film loses some heart.
In fact I felt the film was rushed at the end. I wanted to see how they repaired things...how they get from point A to B.


Still do not let that push you away from this true story of a reluctant hero, with perfect performances.. 4 out of 5 stars for Stronger.

From the shadows as always thanks for your time.

New Film Review: Mother!

MOTHER!
Directed by Darren Aronofsky
Screenplay by Darren Aronofsky
Starring Jennifer Lawrence; Javier Bardem; Ed Harris; and Michelle Pfeiffer


Well...in the next couple days I will be sending out some reviews from movies that came out a couple weeks a go. Yes I am a slacker, but now I come to the controversial Mother!


What did I know before entering the theatre:
-That the Cinema Score, which is a letter score given by patrons of the theatre when they leave, is a big old F!!!!!!
-That this is one of these movies that critics criticize the public, pretty much pointing fingers at the movie going public saying, without saying, that we are not smart enough to understand the complexities of the film. UGH!! AHHH NOOO!! We pay for the movie ...we pay to be entertained or maybe learn something. We don't pay to go WTH!!!
-Darren Aronofsky. I am not a fan. Black swan. Requiem for A Dream. The Fountain. To me they all seem like movies he did not know how to end. Also....he always seems like he makes it up as he goes on...and then critics go HE IS BRILLIANT! No. He throws crap at the wall and see if it sticks. Spielberg is brilliant and he has clear stories and has a beginning...middle...and end.


So...Mother!...I have no idea what I watched. There are no spoilers here because...I just do not know. Here is my guess: I think Bardem is the devil...needs a muse to write his thoughts/poetry....he needs followers which excites him. Once he is successful...then he moves on to another muse. That is what I think happened here. Now I hear it may have been Martians. Or just a dream. I am sticking with my theory lol.
Now here is the strange thing I want you to know. It was not as awful as what people say. Why?
-Jennifer Lawrence gives a wonderful, frightening performance. She really does not have many lines and has to act often with the camera tight on her face. I just do not get the hate for her in this film. In fact I think it is one of the best performances by a female lead this year. Maybe what people cant get past is the awful chemistry between Lawrence and Bardem. There is not one moment I believed them as a couple. In fact I found them, kinda gross as a couple, OR MAYBE WE WERE SUPPOSE TO THINK THAT!!! SOOOOO CONFUSED!!!!!
-The return of Michelle Pfeiffer, who is wonderfully dark!! Plus throw in a creepy performance by Ed Harris. Great casting !!


So...what I am saying this is not an F movie. It has wonderful performances...and odd I could not take my eyes off it. I was trying to figure out what was happening and where it was going. I was going to go 3 stars but the baby scene has me dropping it a whole star (I just prepared you for that). 2 out of 5 stars for Mother!. I would wait for home viewing...that way you can pause and discuss.


From the shadows as always thanks for your time.

New Releases For Home Viewing

A good week for home viewing including a film in my top three so far this year.


WONDER WOMAN
Directed Patty Jenkins
Screenplay by Allan Heinberg
Based on comic books by William Moulton Marston
Starring Gal Gadot and Chris Pine







I get it ...a female lead as a super hero!!!! Yes I was excited for this also. However the reviews were fantastic which had me question, was the movie good or was the excitement of having a female superhero lead blurring the reviews. Well..............I was disappointed.


Let me be positive first.........


- Gadot is fantastic and looks the part. You cannot help but love her. She delivers her lines in such a monotone voice...it is hard to tell if she is just being funny or her reactions to our world is just funny.
I would go as far as saying she is perfect.


-Chemistry between Steve Trevor (Pine) and Diana (Gadot) Is wonderful. Again perfect.


-Humor. This film is filled with dry humor. Diana showing up in a "man's world" is really funny. Her reaction to these men in this world is laugh out line funny. Then throw in Lucy Davis as Steve Trevors Secretary or slave (so funny)...they made a huuuuuge mistake by not having her through out the film playing off Diana. She sadly was only in the film for 10 minutes.


-Development. The screenplay did a fantastic time developing Diana's backstory with help from Connie Nielsen as Hippolyta and Robin Wright as Antiope . Then when she arrived in England we got a good feel of how out of place she is and how mentally tough she is.....but then..........


Negatives.....................
-A big negative the last hour was  a mess. A story line that seemed made up as the film went on. At the end I thought how did she know to do this during the battle?????!!!! Then...
-To make this work you need a really good bad guy. Danny Huston as Lundendorff was a failure. He felt irrelevant to me. They had a really good bad person in Elena Anaya as Dr Maru. Sadly they kind of pushed her aside...another mistake.
-Last negative.............2 hours and 20 minutes. Really?


Well 3 out of 5 for Wonder Woman. For the first half and Gadot herself. I really look forward to seeing her character in the second film in this series. I hope they tighten It up a bit.
Who would have thought Wonder Woman helped Europe win the war. I have to go back and check my history books.







THE BIG SICK
Directed by Michael Showalter
Screenplay by Emily Gordan and Kumail Nanjiani
Starring Kumail Nanjiani; Zoe Kazan; Holly Hunter; and Ray Ramono





Well..........Sometimes you find a gem......and this is one!!!


This movie is close to perfect.


The screenplay: The film follows a the relationship between Pakistanian Kumail and white girlfriend Emily. As they battle the culture differences. Then as the film moves on we deal with her illness. Then we follow Kumail's relationship with Emily's parent's Beth and Terry played by Hunter and Romano.
The script does an amazing job of being cute; yet being sad; throwing in plenty of humor. The amazing thing is it is a true story!! It just walks a tightrope seamlessly.


The Cast:
Kazan: Has a small part, but like the other movie she was in that I really liked Ruby Sparks, she again is soooo damn cute. Also, you can tell by just the trailer, she has wonderful chemistry the lead Nanjiani.
Hunter: Just a fantastic performance. She has to rollercoaster between humor and tears and just real/relevant conversations with Nanjiani. Those small conversations with Nanjiani is where she just shines.
Romano: Okay...you can tell by the trailer...it is the perfect part for him. Stumbling and bumbling on. while pleasing people and being kind and being tough. It is Ray Romano!
Nanjiani: I think he understands he is in the big leagues here with many very good actors. He plays his part very funny and dry. Almost soft. Even up against his parents (Veteran actors Anupam Kher and Zenobia Shroff). It must be odd for him...kind of acting out his own life, he pulls it off quietly.


Problems?
Only one fault. Editing was needed during the sick part. It seemed long (The film is 2 hours). I think they could have cut out the relationships Kumail's family set him up with during the hospital time period. Trust me that is a small problem.


4 1/2 out of 5 stars for The Big Sick. Find it and see it. Thoughtful.....funny...and romantic.


From the shadows as always thanks for your time.