This week I have 2 films to note. Both just better than okay. Plus I forgot one last week....which I will start with.
HAPPY DEATH DAY
Directed by Christopher Landon
Screenplay by Scot Lobdell
Starring Jessica Rothe and Israel Broussard
If you follow my blog often, you know horror films are not my thing.
This one had a small positive buzz surrounding it.
So I opened my mind and off I went.
"Ya Know" It is pretty good. It is a Ground Hogs Day Horror film.
Positives:
-Jessica Routhe, as the bitchy Tree, is fabulous here. She changes from scene to each waking up again scene. As an actor it must be confusing as hell...like "Where The Hell Are We now? 3rd wake up or 4th wake up?". She pulls off this difficult part. She is bitchy, she is funny with really good soft comedy timing. She makes this movie work...I mean it is a weird premise and she makes us go with it.
-The screenplay by Lobdell is scary, and also has small comic moments that help. Also I like that she gets weaker each time which adds peril to the plot. Throw in some twists and it works!! However....
Negatives:
-I still do not understand why this is happening!!! Maybe to right the wrongs in her life....in her personality. Maybe there could be an explanation in the script somewhere!!!
-The hospital.Where is everybody???!! Did they run out of money for extras???!!!
This is a funny harmless, not overly gory horror film.
It delivers what you want 3 1/2 out of 5 stars for Happy Death Day!!
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE
Directed by Jason Hall
Screenplay by Jason Hall
Based on the book by David Finkel
Starring Miles Teller; Haley Bennett; Beulah Koale; Keisha Castle-Hughes; and Amy Schumer
In this film we follow Adam Schuman (Teller) and Solo (Koale), two US soldier who have to figure out where they fit in the world while dealing with PTS now that they are home.
It is a difficult film to review.
It is a subject that should have a big spotlight and this film shines that light.
-How difficult it is for soldiers to assimilate back into society and their families lives after coming home.
-How difficult it is for soldiers to get help for PTS
So it is a important subject to bring to the forefront, but the story line here lacks ...momentum.
It seems as you watch you are watching for 105 minutes about two people struggle over and over and over and over again. It just not an attractive movie. Nothing is happening. Nothing is moving forward. It is true life for these soldiers I imagine but as a viewer...it sits there. It is not a bad film, like noted it is important, but it is just cold.
Plus the Director, Hall, made a...bad decision to not show us what happened to make these two soldiers struggle until the very end. Why? It would have given us as the viewer something to latch on to. To not only feel for, them which we already did, but have some emotion there also. I think it was a mistake.
Let me get positive here...
This film has some outstanding performances.
Yes Miles Teller is really good here coming off a miscast performance in Only The Brave. but the star performance is by Beulah Koale as Solo. He is just fantastic. His is lost here, and often he is saying so much with a stare and look. You cheer for him and worry for him. His performance sucks you in.
Supporting these two leads are really good performances by Bennett (I want to see her in a lead role); Castle-Hughes (welcome Back); and Schumer (In a dramatic role), who play the confused suffering military brides.
A true story that needs a spotlight. Well acted. Sadly it has no push to the story...so I give it 3 1/2 out of 5 stars.
GOODBYE CHRISTOPHER ROBIN
Directed by Simon Curtis
Screenplay by Frank Cottrell Boyce and Simon Vaughan
Starring: Domhnall Gleeson; Margot Robbie; Kelly McDonald; and Will Tilston
Well the trailer is deceiving that is for sure.
It is a good story however it has an umbrella of sadness.
You know the story just from the trailer. This is about Christopher Robin; or the name he was called by at home, or answered to, Billy Moon.
-He had a father Alan Milne played by Gleeson, that had many issues after coming home from the war.
-A mother, Daphne Milne played by Robbie, was cold as ice to him and openly says she preferred a girl.
-Then when the Pooh books hit it big, Daphne uses Christopher for publicity. Which leaves him confused because he is too young to understand why people are taking his picture. He is just a kid with stuffed animals who plays in the woods.
Thankfully he had someone who loved him and took care of him (Not to say his father did not love him, he just was so damaged and cold he did not know how to show love), a nanny Olive played wonderfully by Kelly MacDonald.
There are shining moments that are uplifting like a good 15 minute portion when Alan is forced to take care of Christopher for a week while the nanny and his wife is away. Or a moment when Olive takes a stand and fights for Christopher.
It a well acted film. A story I did not know about. Yet just sad....3 out of 5 stars for Goodbye Christopher Robin. Worth a look just for the history and the true story.
From the shadows as always thanks for your time.
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