September sent me to the theater 6 times. The theaters were dead all month...in fact I had a couple screenings all by myself...which is worrisome. However Taylor Swift will help the theater cause in October for sure.
So here are my six....to be honest...I really did not see any terrible films in September. I am finding a recurring problem more and more, it is almost the theme of the year for me, films do not know how to finish. I feel somehow film makers are trying to impress the boring, over analytical critics and not the paying public. What is wrong with giving the public what they want. Just saying......
6
THE LONG WALK
This is a pretty good film, yet, a hard watch. Very much like the hunger games, you keep walking, if you go too slow you get shot, last one standing will receive a boatload of prizes.
Note, you see them get shot. It is a bloody film. Still, the conversations between the walkers keep you interested, you learn a lot about each character. The highlight of the film..two performances:
Cooper Hoffman as Raymond and David Jonsson as Peter are both amazing, and they keep you watching and caring. Still the ending sucked...no spoiler, give the people what they want.
Not a bad film, you could do worse, just hard to watch.
5
DEAD OF WINTER
First..awesome poster...maybe the best poster of the year.
A woman , going ice fishing, stumbles on a kidnapped child at a cabin in the snow.
Starring Emma Thompson and produced by Emma Thompson.
Very exciting. While watching, I thought this may be top ten. Then...the ending...so disappointing. Gosh..why? Just why?
4
THE THREESOME
Well you see that title and you think..sex and more sex. Nope.
Well we meet Olivia (Zoey Deutch); Connor ( Jonah Hauer King); and Jeny (Ruby Cruz). All three in the first 10 minutes have a threesome. The movie is about what happens afterwards. Well acted by all three leads., often funny and yet often sad. Again it just had trouble closing. Like...they had an idea and did not plan on an ending. Still....worth a watch at home.
3
SPLITSVILLE
Another film about relationships!
Ashley (Adria Arjona) breaks up with her partner Carey (Kyle Marvin). Carey stays with his friends Julie (Dakota Johnson) and Paul ( Michael Angelo Covino). This is when the hi-jinx starts.
This film could be a TV series. I love the characters..highlighted by the very funny Marvin; and Johnson who is just a star at this point in her career. Also, there are a bunch of characters that come in and out of scenes that I found hilarious.
I now go back to the theme...the ending. The end result is not what I hoped for or expected and seemed forced. Ugh.
Still a great film to watch at home.
2
DOWNTON ABBEY THE GRAND FINALE
Well not much to say here. There was not really much of a storyline here, and what was a story seemed forced. What did work here was time, the passage of time, as we have now followed these characters for over a decade. Time brought happiness and sadness and hope. This film delivered exactly what fans wanted to see and expected. You can't fault that.
1
ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
Many are calling this the best film in decades.
I have to say...I still think a children's family film is my number one at this point. However I may change that.
This film follows a group of revolutionaries for about 20 years.
Positives:
Dicaprio as Bob
Penn as Colonial Lockjaw
Del Toro as Sensei
Outstanding Newcomer Chase Infiniti as Willa
Everyone of these actors will probably get an Oscar nomination
Negatives
I am a big fan of Paul Thomas Anderson films. I still had trouble getting past the revolutionaries and the actions of often leaving innocent people in the crossfire. Happily the film changes from that to a chase between bad guys with Willa and Bob's love as a father trying to get her.
Well the film is perfectly shot. Sometimes funny. sometimes aggravating, and well acted.
Back to the theme...I cant say why I hated the ending without spoiling. I just want to note: Does it end? We are supposed to laugh or cheer a character on and maybe we should not.
Oh a couple last notes:
Teyana Taylor is getting a lot of love for her performance as Perfidia. I highly disagree. I think she is miscast and has zero chemistry with everyone on the screen. Stiff acting.
Regina Hall is fabulous here and is getting no love for her performance. Has Regina Hall ever given a bad performance. She is underrated
See it in the theater if you get a chance to.
Oh October ...Roofman is coming...is that good or bad we shall see.
From the shadows as always thanks for your time.
