New Film Review: The Mule

The Mule
3 1/2 out of 5


It is a hard film to review :
Positives:
1-It is a crazy true story
2-It is well acted by everyone involved...including, probably an Oscar Nod for Clint Eastwood (Also an underrated performance, Probably by the Oscar committee, by Andy Garcia).


Negatives:
1-It felt long and repetitive. The The Run...The Return..The Run.....The Return...yes sometimes he comes close to "Trouble", but at 2 hours it gets long. Thankfully Eastwood and Garcia help push the narrative.
2-There is a back story that gets in the way, about Earl Stone (Eastwood) and his non-relationship- with his family. It is interesting but it gets in the way of the story...it drags the movie out. I understand it tries to give the film heart but in reality it is not needed.
3-We see the same drug...I guess runners but we never know what happens to them. We know what happens to Earl but no one else and he is just a cog in a big wheel. Maybe they were just a combination of a bunch of drug runners and made into just a couple of characters to simplify the film. However again it makes the film seem flat at the end...we just see Earl at the end.


Just like my last review of Boy Erased, I cannot recommend seeing this in the theatre (It is a better told story then Boy Erased), but it is well worth a look when it becomes available for home viewing.


From the shadows as always thanks for your time

New Film Review: Boy Erased

BOY ERASED
3 out of 5 stars


This is the second film this year covering gay converging programs. The first one was The Miseducation Of Cameron Post, which was just okay. This film starring  Lucas Hedges, with help by Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe as his parents.
This is a little bit better than Miseducation....but that is about it. The character of Jared Eamons (Hedges) is fleshed out fuller in this movie than Miseducation's (Moretz). Hedges is great in this film. However it maybe just a tough story to tell....it seems the film falls flat again as it creates characters around the leads, we then care about the characters and then like Miseducation they disappear with no story. It is annoying. Per example Jesse LaTourette we constantly see. The camera stays on her, and I still have no idea why. She seemed interesting. It is odd.
Kidman is being talked about for an Oscar nod. I did not see it, but I see it for Hedges and Edgerton as Victor Sykes the scary leader of this group.


Well it is a disturbing story which may be worth a look for home viewing...for the performances.


From the shadows as always thanks for your time.

New Film Review: Can You Ever Forgive Me

CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME
3 1/2 out of 5 stars


Melissa McCarthy plays Lee Israel a struggling writer, who finds ways to make money by forging letters from famous people to sell them in the market place.


This film is well acted by both McCarthy and Richard E Grant (who plays another washed up writer who is kind of a Grifter). Both actors deserve Oscar nominations.


So you know the story, which is a true story, and it is shocking to me how gullible people can be sometimes. The problem is, it is an interesting story, but it seems, to lay there often, as she does the same thing over and over again. So it becomes monotonous at times and the character development of the people around her, which is important in the story, falls short.


Well worth seeing for home viewing when it becomes available.


From the shadows thanks for your time

New Film Review: The Green Book

THE GREEN BOOK
4 1/2 out of 5 stars


This is one of the best films of the year for sure.
The film follows a trip into the south by musician DR Don Shirley (Ali) and Tony Lip (Mortensen) his driver and sometimes body guard.
I saw some people complain that this film does not highlight enough the struggles of African Americans in the south. This is why I do this, the anti film critic...critic. That is not what this film is about!!! This film is about 2 people, from different races, learning from each other, on an adventure, who become friends despite their differences!!!! If you want something else, this is not the picture for you because this is not what the film is about!!!!!!!!!!!! This is what it is, a true story!!!!!
Perfectly paced by Director Peter Farrelly, with humor; sadness; and sadly violence.
Oscar nominations for sure for both Ali and Mortensen!!
Only negative from me is that 2 hours and 10 minutes seem long but to be honest I am not sure what I would leave on the cutting room floor.


The holidays are coming so treat yourself to this wonderful film!!!

New Film Review: Creed 2

CREED 2


4 out of 5 stars.


This film is really good. There is a wonderful build up...it takes its time with character development...
Adonis
Rocky
Bianca
Mary Anne Creed
Ivan Drage
Victor Drago
Everyone of these characters had time to let us see where they are in life and where their heads are.
Credit goes to new director Steven Caple Jr...it is tough I am sure to want to edit right to the action/fights.
I also have to say what really makes this film work is the chemistry between...Stallone and Jordan.is still great. However the chemistry between Jordan and Thompson is just wonderful...it is up there with Gosling and Stone. It is that great. It makes the film work.
Negatives?
Yes one big one...the long unnecessary training scene for the end fight. It boarderlines on ridiculous.
He was not out of shape he just had a bad approach.


Well anyway, right now...this is one of the best films out in the theatres right now.


From the shadows as always thanks for your time.

New Film Review: Fantastic Beasts:The Crimes Of Grindelwald

1  star out of 5


If you follow my blog you know I am not usually a fan of middle movies. Middle movies of a trilogy are usually a holder for the big finale and this one may reach an all time low for middle films.


I surprisingly liked the first Fantastic Beast film. It was fun. Filled with magic. Had a great bad guy. It had a nice couple love stories. I had a lot of laughs. The story was interesting.


This film...
No longer was fun.
No relationship build up...in fact destroyed a relationships
No humor.
It lacked magic.
The story was annoyingly boring. At one point we just watched our stars for 15 minutes watch CGI....and do nothing.


Positives....it can only get better for part three....and Johnny Depp is a good bad guy.


Stunningly bad and what they did to one of the favorites at the end of this film and not give us closure!!! Inexcusable.


Stunningly up for worst film of the year for me.


From the shadows as always thanks for your time.

New Film Review: INSTANT FAMILY

INSTANT FAMILY
11/2  stars out of 5
This film is not a comedy. I makes you think that by the trailer...but definitely not a comedy.
It is a drama about the issues that happen, good and bad,  when bringing foster children into your home. So what you get is an hour and a half of kids and parents behaving badly, and are highly annoying. Like nails on a chalk board annoying. Yes we are suppose to feel sorry for the children, knowing the background they came from, but that is beyond what happens in this film.
Plus there are way too many storylines of...The mom of trying to get the kids back. The grandparents. The Foster group. The teenage foster child and a creepy boyfriend. Then for some odd reason...Joan Cusak shows up for 2 minutes at the end. What???!!! They had Joan Cusak and used her for only 2 minutes. What a mess.
I did not even touch on the acting...which was lacking.
So if I had to give anything a positive it was probably honest about how tough it is to assimilate foster kids and foster parents into one home.


This is worth waiting for home viewing, that is for sure...it is not fun.


From the shadows as always thanks for your time

New Film Review: The Grinch

THE GRINCH


2 1/2 STARS OUT OF 5


LITTLE LATE ON REVIEWS...BEEN VERY BUSY.


This movie was not made for me I am aware of it....
Negatives? Well first is, why was this made? Why was this necessary? Clearly made to make money.
Was it necessary...not really. It felt long...it really needed editing.


But there is a lot here to be positive about...
I liked the look...very bright animation.
I like the expansion of Cindy-Lou Who's backstory. She is adorable.
I also think that Benedict Cumberbatch was fantastic here voicing the Grinch.

So there is enough to like, and it gives you the good feelings at the end. You could do a lot worse for sure.


From the shadows as always thanks for your time.