New Film Review: Joker

JOKER

Well you know the story...so no explanation needed.
It is a modern day Taxi Driver.

As you as the viewer watches this film you are watching a person slowly sink further and further into mental illness. It is not a pleasant film to watch for two reasons:
-The script is total madness. Often you are stunned by what you see. Freaked out by what Arthur/Joker is doing.
-Joaquin Phoenix is fantastic, So much so you wonder if he is really acting. Many points he just does a strange dance and you wished you knew Rooney Mara so you could call her to see if he does this at home. It is just odd. You watch and go thru a range of emotions from sadness to fear to anger.

I am sorry because this is a lame review because there is not much to say other than...it just watching someone fall into madness and it is not pleasant. I know people were saying Heath Ledger is the only Joker, but this is a different Joker. This is the Joker before he becomes Heath Ledger's Joker...it is just the start.

Quick note on Phoenix. Is he acting or just strange? Who knows, but he is amazing in this part. What will be interesting to watch is this...he is the front runner for the Oscar, Hollywood eats their own, what will they do to him. He is a bit off,he hates the spotlight, so publicist for production companies with actors competing against him are sure to leak something. If not the race is over for best actor for sure.

Well anyway..4 stars out of 5 for Joker. It is not enjoyable for sure but somehow you cannot turn away, it works.

From the shadows as always thanks for your time.

New Film Review: Judy

JUDY

The story of the last year of Judy Garland.

Oh boy. What will the Academy voters do, with a great performance by Renee Zellweger, in a film that is just average? Will they ignore the film and give her credit?

This film is truthful for sure. However sadly, we are just following a sad shell of Judy falling form her prime. Popping pills and drinking. Popping pills and drinking. Performing badly. Popping pills and drinking and performing badly. There is not much of a story here other than a fall from grace, but sadly the fall from grace happened before the film even starts, so it feels like we are watching the end of a story at the beginning of the film. When we join the film she cant be insured so she cannot make films in Hollywood. She is in the middle of a custody fight with her latest ex. She goes to London to do live shows to make money and she is not healthy enough to do so. End of story.

I guess we could blame Rupert Goold the director, and maybe the screenwriter Tom Edge (Note this film was based on a stage play, which may have been another bad idea to use that source material).
The film flashes back a couple times to a young Judy and how she is treated, connecting it to how she is or her actions in this film. Now that is sad but that is the story. The film should start with her younger days, how she is from OZ to Liza to London. That is the story. How she was treated by the the production companies. Plus I hear she had a great sense of humor, we never see it here. Again there is a Judy story to be made...this is not it.

Well the positives of course are the performances:
Zellweger has the best performance of the year for sure, she disappears into the role.
Darci Shaw is great as the young Judy, again I wanted more of her story.
Jessie Buckley as Rosalyn Wilder Judy's assistant in London. She is the one and maybe only who is kind to her in London. Buckley says so much with just a look in this film she is really good.

Well 2 1/2 stars for Judy..a disappointing, boring, hard to watch film. Zellweger saves this film for sure.

From the shadows as always thanks for your time.

New Film Review: Rambo Last Blood

RAMBO LAST BLOOD

Rambo is back. If you are a huge John Rambo fan I am sure you are excited.

This mission he heads to Mexico to find a missing girl only to  rattle a cage of a prostitution ring.

It is Rambo...so it is violent.

However what leads to the violence is what bothered me about this film.
There is rape and torture, which is uncomfortable to watch.
Yes there is revenge to those doing the torture eventually but still....it is not pleasant.

The violence at the end is the storyline, which is odd, and at the end, the film feels empty, just empty.

Stallone is not even good here, he just mumbles and we cant tell often if he is hurt or not.

This film...is strange and feels dated. Often feels stupid...per example..When will John Rambo just walk up to 10 guys with guns and try to fight them with no weapon? The film is just strange.

1 1/2 stars out of 5 for the odd Rambo Last Blood.

From the shadows as always thanks for your time.

New Film Review: Angel Has Fallen

ANGEL HAS FALLEN

Gerard Butler returns as the Michael Banning, this time he gets caught up in a conspiracy, and now is a wanted man. Running from the law, while trying to save the President Trumbull played again by Morgan Freeman.

This film gives the viewer everything they came for action, a little humor and a lot of tension.
Its a fun harmless action film with holes but those holes can be ignored.
Plus it gives us a wonderful performance in a small role by Nick Nolte as Bannings dad.

Negatives?

-Thankless weak roles for two women Piper Perabo as Mrs Banning and Jada Pinkett Smith as a detective whose part goes no where.
-The hospital scene is bothersome. No one cared about the deaths????!!!

Well anyway. It is harmless fun.There is nothing really harmful here or hurtful.

3 out of 5 stars for Angel Has Fallen. Banning is a fun character to follow.

As always from the shadows thanks for your time.


Thankless roles for two females

New Film Review: Brittany Runs A Marathon

BRITTANY RUNS A MARATHON



Wow!!!
Based on the true story of Brittany Forgleris played by Jillian Bell. Brittany is the life of the party. The funny girl, who drinks until she is down for the count. When a Dr tells her she needs to make changes she sure does.

I put the trailer in this review to show you where some people get lost...it is not a comedy, it sure looks it by the trailer but it is not. Yes there are funny parts, but there is something more here.
This wonderful story, no spoilers, follows Brittany as she tries to turn her life around by training for a marathon, and unknowingly changes all aspects of her life.
This film is Bell. She is absolutely wonderful going from heartrendingly sad, to funny, to cringe-worthy, to joyful. Most interesting to note is, and I think what makes this film works more is that Brittany often is not a good person. She can be mean to others, in a strange way because she does not like herself she tends to take it out on others, Brittany is real with faults. The marathon is just a means to grow. Its a fun ride getting there.
Bell is great but she gets help by:
Michaela Watkins as Catherine Brittany's neighbor. The example of the person who seems to have just a nice life until you dig deeper. Catherine is one of Brittany's running buddies.
Micah Stock as Seth Brittany's cheerleading other running buddy\
Esteban Benito as Peter, who becomes Brittany.s roommate by accident.
All three of these costars help push the film along and are wonderful.

Faults?

Just a small one. Director Paul Downs Colaizzo I felt rushed this film at the end. Brittany crashed at the end and the pick up was quick and time jumped months to a year. He had plenty of time to show us what happened here and her thoughts, the film was just an hour and fourty five minutes. We kind of had to guess that time helped her maybe?
 However that is a small issue. This film is wonderful and should have had a full release. Jillian Bell is great! 4 1/2 out of 5 stars for Brittany Runs A Marathon.

From the shadows as always thanks for your time.

New Film Review: Hustlers

HUSTLERS

Hustlers follows the story based on a New York Magazine article about ladies who work in a strip club branching out to drug and bilk some high end strip club clients.

This is definitely an interesting film. I did not read the article but I imagine it is close to true by the follow up on the characters at the end. Still...I do not get the point or narrative here by Director Lorene Scafaria, but more on that later. Let me start on the positives:

-The Performances:
Constance Wu as Destiny
Jennifer Lopez as Ramona and leader of the group.
Lili Reinhart as Annabelle
Keke Palmer as Mercedes

All these performances by these ladies keep you locked into the film, even if it is overlong, they keep you watching.
\
-The story is just fascinating that they kept this going for so long. They were kind of brilliant.

Negatives?

-The length. It really could have been cut down a lot. I felt like we were seeing the same thing or scam over and over. Definitely could have been edited. It felt long for sure.

-The narrative is slightly bothersome. I think Scafaria kind of pushed the narrative that these successful men on Wall Street deserved this because I guess because they have money....that they worked for. Not as hard...no pun attended, as the women, but they worked and earned their money. I think Scafaria wanted us to feel bad for the women and not the men. Yes the men were egotistical however, these women could have killed them with the drug cocktail they were using. Yes the ladies were taken advantage of at the club and their back stories were sad, still it does not make them victims...plus I was kind of shocked by the light sentences they got.

I walked out with a bad taste from this film...There is a lot of bad and not much good.

 3 1/2 stars out of 5 for Hustlers for the performances and the true story. Just a bit long and not an easy watch.

From the shadows as always thanks for your time.

New Film Review: Overcomer

OVERCOMER

This Christian based film follows a high school basketball coach John Harrison (Alex Kendrick), who coaches in a small town who is slowly losing its population due to the local plant closing down. He then agrees to coach the Cross Country team to help the school out, without knowing there is only one runner Hannah Scott (Aryn Wright-Thompson).

Oh boy...I like the idea.
The thought process.
I understand in these films the budget is very low.
Still...this film by Alex Kendrick...is not good.
-The film is too long
-The lines...or script seems written by a elementary school student.
-Many of the things the coach does is so bad, bad as in unrealistic...a teacher would be fired for.
-The acting, by all seems wooden and stiff, especially the lead Wright-Thompson.

Not much else to say.

If you watch at home you may fall asleep.

1 1/2 stars out of 5 for Overcomer. I like the idea but it falls apart.

From the shadows as always thanks for your time.