New Film Review: Proming Young Woman

 

PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN

Screenplay and Directed by Emerald Fennell

Cassandra (Carey Mulligan), is traumatized by an event in her past, seeks revenge to all in her path.

After watching this film I sat there thinking, how can I recommend this film. I mean, there's really not a good soul in this film. There are sleazy guys. There are females who are assholes. Then there Is Cassandra who is just batshit crazy.  However 2 days later the film still sticks with you. Its like nothing I have seen before, which is always a pleasant surprise. but this one is something.

Its spoiler free,I will not get into the whys and hows ...but..again batshit crazy. You will finish watching it and think...ugh...then the next two days you will keep thinking about it.

This is highlighted by an Oscar worthy performance by the always good Carey Mulligan. Her best performance since An Education (which is available on Netflix, also a little nutty). Wait a minute I just realized Alfred Molina is in Promising Young Woman and An Education also, I guess I am a little slow lol. Well anyway Mulligan is freaking good as Cassandra, she has you cheering for her, but also scaring you. She walks that fine line perfectly. She spends her nights pretending to be drunk until she get back to the mans apartment or home...then surprise. This is no spoiler its in the trailer and in the first 5 minutes. The tension never lets up. This is not a horror film in the sense of a slasher film, but it is horror on another level, psychological.

Credit goes to Director and Writer Emerald Ferrell. He keeps the film moving at a nice clip. It is never boring that is for sure. The camera work at the bachelor party makes you the viewer claustrophobic, you want out of there also!!! Well done.

4 out of 5 stars for Promising Young Woman, one of the best films of the year. Sure to have you talking.

From the shadows as always thanks for your time.

New Film Review: Wonder Woman 1984

 

WONDER WOMAN 1984

Directed by Patty Jenkins

Story by Patty Jenkins and Geoff Johns

Wonder Woman is back....this time in the 80's.  With two foes...Max Lord and The Cheetah.

In a rare occurrence this will have spoilers at the end...I will note if you want to avoid them. I need to note spoilers to explain my problems with this film.

And yes I only review films I see in theaters and yes I saw this in IMAX. Do not ask.

First there are some good things:

Gal Gadot is just great, a perfect Wonder Woman.

Gal Gadot has great chemistry with Chris Pine, wonderful together.

This movie does not work without a good bad guy, and Pedro Pascal is just awesome as Max Lord. He drips with sleaze!

Kristen Wigg as Barbara Minerva/The Cheetah, is really good. She adds a bit of sadness and at the same time humor to her role.    

So wrap all this up and you have a good start to a film (ignoring the bad special effects). I sat there thinking well this is not really as bad as what people have been saying.

SPOILERS NOW

I will not get into the confusion of the return of Steve Trevor and what happened to the other guy he took over...I guess.

I will not get into why we needed to see the beginning sequence of Diana as a youngster. What does it have to do with the movie?

I will get into the end. What the .................!!! After 2 hours and 30 minutes of film it gets decided by the bad guy just changing his mind. Diane just sitting in the corner saying...please renounce because your son will want you to. Then out of no where he cares about his son and renounces.

 I put this lazy PC ending in the hands of Director, Patty Jenkins. The same Director who made a mess of the last convoluted half hour of the last Wonder Woman film. She cannot finish a film. I wish to have a million dollars...but now I renounce..it makes me a bad person, this is what people did in this movie. WTH!!!!!!!!!!!! Then Max Lord is rushing across a field because has enlightenment now because Wonder Woman is a therapist evidently. However even more ridiculous we are suppose to believe everyone and everything goes back to normal. What the heck happen to Max????!!! It almost makes the whole film pointless!!! 

Then the confusing part at the end with Diana with the the body that Steve used. Why? Just why?

I don't understand the love for Patty Jenkins. You know its OK to put down a female director. I mean, just like men there are good and bad directors. I mean there are great directors like Greta Gerwig, and then there are bad, and I think Patty Jenkins is bad. The scary part she is going to direct the next Star Wars. She would have Kylo Renn renounce the dark side because he feels bad. There would be no light sabers just renounce and hugs. 

I literally put my hands in the air in the theater and whispered, no..no..she is not doing this? Right? A Hallmark movie ending.

Okay enough...

2 1/2 stars out of 5 for Wonder Woman 1984.  2 1/2 for the acting and plot.

From the shadows as always thanks for your time.

New Film Review: Fatale

 

Director Deon Taylor

Screenplay David Loughery

After Derrick, Michael Ealey, has a one night stand, his life unravels, with help from Detective Valerie Quinlan, Hilary Swank.

Lets face it, we have seen this film  many many times. This film kind of works because of the two leads:

Michael Ealey, I like him as an actor. He plays the every man realistically. Its just that, he has played this type of role way too many times. 

Hilary Swank: interesting role for her. She acts this shit out of this low budget thriller. You like her and hate her at the same time.

Well it is a standard thriller, it delivered the thrills with a bit of craziness.

This is spoiler free...so I cannot get to into the plots twists and turns...but its entertaining and does not over stay its welcome. Sadly at the same time it is forgettable.

2 1/2 stars out of 5 for Fatale. It works for what it is thanks to the two leads.

From the shadows as always thanks for your time.

New Film Review: Half Brothers

 

HALF BROTHERS

Directed by Luke Greenfield

Screenplay by Jason Shuman and Eduardo Cisneros

Renato, an Aviation Executive (Luis Gerardo Mendez), finds out he has a Half Brother Asher (Connor Del Rio). They are forced to take on a road trip together as per their fathers request.

This was a pretty funny film. I love a road trip movie so I was sucked in. 

Highlighted by a very funny performance by Del Rio; and Mendez was really good as the uptight straight man.

The script, yes the reason for the road trip is contrived, but still it has many funny moments, and you know where its going in the end but the two leads are really good, and they have you caring for the characters.

This may be the funniest film I have seen this year.

The big negative is a complaint of mine that I have blogged about before. If I go to see a political film, or a true story, I usually know what I am getting and what the umbrella of the story line is. Now movies like this, I sit in the theater to get away from the world, so adding certain unnecessary political statements bother me and I think disrupts the flow of the movie. The most important thing is, these scenes were not needed in this film and it felt like pandering. No spoilers here but I wanted to mention it.

So .....4 out of 5 for Half Brothers a very nice surprise.

From the shadows as always thanks for your time

New Film Review: The Last Vermeer

 

THE LAST VERMEER

An Artist, Han Van Meegeren, Is suspected of selling a valuable painting to the Nazis,but there is more to this story that meets the eye.

Right away I want to tell you this, I really had no idea what I was walking into. I was just thrilled to be sitting in a theater and supporting theaters and the workers within. As I watched this film I realized I am glad I knew nothing about Meegeren. Not knowing made this film better with a surprise twist in the middle. So if you plan on streaming this film do not do any research..go in blind. It is fun.

The highlight of the film is Guy Pearce as Meegeren. Meegeren is a drinking, flamboyant, womanizer and Pearce gives a fantastic performance. Strange as it is I would not say he was the lead, he was the focus but I would say Claes Bang as Captain Joseph Piller is the lead. He is in almost every shot. Bang plays off Pearce real well. He is the straight man to Pearce's flamboyant behavior. Piller's job is to investigate if Meegeren profited from the Nazi's, aka Hitler, during the war. He stoic, often too stoic which bleeds into his cold marriage.

There is another really good performance by Minna Holmberg as Vicky Krieps, Meegeren's assistant and slowly became Piller's assistant.

If there is a negative to this story It would be Dan Friedkin the Director, and possibly the screenwriter Jonathan Lopez. The film at 2hrs has a slooooow pace. Friedkin and Lopez, had many small parts added in that could have been left out , which would have given us more Guy Pearce, I mean when he is on the screen the film is very interesting. Then that would have put us at the trial quicker. Plus they could have added more of the back end of Meegeren's life. 

Well do not let that sway you away from this very odd based on real events film. 4 out of 5 stars for The Last Vermeer, this well acted, interesting film. NO SPOILERS HERE...AS ALWAYS.

From the shadows thanks for your time.

New Film Review: Freaky

 Freaky

Directed by Christopher Landon

Screenplay by Michael Kennedy and Christopher Landon

Well it is pretty much Freaky Friday, the horror version. You can watch the trailer to see the hows and whys.

If you are a frequent flyer to my blog you already know I am not a horror film guy. I rarely review them. This trailer to this film kinda intrigued me. The Director Christopher Landon scored big with Happy Death Day, then created the god awful Happy Death Day 2. So...how about Freaky?

Freaky did a lot right...first in casting...

Vince Vaughn is freaking (No pun intended) great as not only the The Murderer but as Millie also. 

Kathryn Newton as Millie and then the Murderer, is so good it messes with your mind a bit. You cheer for her then you think...WAIT..I am not suppose to!!

The script adds humor with Millie's friends...Celeste O'Connor as Nyla and Misha Osherovich as Josh. They are so funny in the face of the terror going on around them.

Landon did everything right here with a mix of horror, tension, and humor. The story-line, as silly as it is, just works. Just don't overthink it. You come for the screams and laughter, and you get that with some good performances. 

4 out of 5 stars for Freaky...

From the shadows thanks for your time as always!!

New Film Review: Let Him Go

 

LET HIM GO

Directed by Thomas Bezucha

Screenplay by Thomas Bezucha

A retired sheriff George Blackledge (Kevin Costner) and his wife Margaret (Diane Lane), after the death of their son, set out to find their grandson.

Make no mistake, this is Diane Lane's film. Kevin Costner sits back and lets her work. Yes he has his moment.. but Lane is in the lead here. Diane Lane delivers an Oscar worthy performance. She is pissed and it shows in her eyes.

There is another good performance here, this does not work without a good bad guy (woman) and Lesley Manville delivers as Blanche Weboy. She is the evil leader of the Weboy.s and does it with a smokey nasty laugh. You have to hate her.

The script?

The script is based on the Larry Watson book by the same title. It is a slow burn. Like real slow. I do not mind a slow burn, but this slow burn is tense. Almost too much tension. Often hard to watch, with a scene which is so violent  it is hard to explain, but it involves an ax. 

Disappointments? I have two.

-There is an interesting small story involving an orphan Peter (played by Booboo Stewart) out on the range, now an adult. His storyline never gets fleshed out but we kinda love him, and in the end...we know nothing.

Speaking of the end, the films ending is sort of a downer...in a way..but...No spoilers here. I just wanted more. More for the Blackledges, and more for Peter.

Well anyway, this intense film is well acted and is one of the best films I have seen all year.  4 out of 5 stars

for Let Him Go.

From the shadows as always thanks for your time.

New Film Review: Honest Thief

 

HONEST THIEF

Director Mark Williams

Screenplay by Steve Allrich and Mark Williams

Hoping to live an honest life, a serial bank robber decides to turn himself in. Well things do not go as planned.

I really enjoyed this film!! It had a slow burn.

Well acted by Liam Neeson who is Tom the honest thief.

Tom's girlfriend, Annie, is played by wonderfully by Kate Walsh. She has great chemistry with Neeson.

There is also a very good small role played by Jefferey Donovan, as the wise Agent Myers.

Helping the actors out is a good tight screenplay by Allrich and Williams. 

Director Williams keeps the script on point, at 99 minutes, Honest Thief does no over stay it's welcome.

Yes there are negatives:

I do not want to give  away too much about the film, however I can say the hole or maybe highlight the stupidity of Tom. For someone so smart, who can rob many banks without getting caught (In a brilliant non-violent way by the way), how did he not know to call a lawyer first before calling the police!?

I don't know why but that thought kept bugging me during the film. Or maybe the great bank robber finally made a mistake..so...

Still the film is fun and intense with a love story thrown into it. I would give it 3 1/2 stars out 5.

Catch in on pay per view...it a fun watch.

From the shadows as always thanks for for your time!!