Seven. That is the number of films I have watched while trying not to fall asleep in the theaters in February...and I will rank them for you from best to worst...
7
MIDWINTER BREAK
This film follows a longtime married couple as they take a trip to Amsterdam. Secrets and feelings then spill out which makes the trip life changing.
Directed by Folly Findlay. with great actors Ciaran Hinds (Gerry) and Lesley Manville (Stella), This was a disappointment. I wanted it to be like Before Sunrise, but for an older married couple, and that is how it was marketed. Unfortunately I felt bad for Gerry, and did not care for Stella, and nothing really happens except for two people who mope around.
6
SCREAM 7
Its not a bad movie; better than I thought it would be. Just...it is almost funny that the teens in the film all look 25. There are a lot of plot holes. The big reveal at the end, I right away thought that it is impossible that they did that muscle work...no spoilers. It was okay.
5
SOLO MIO
Kevin James is Matt Taylor, a jilted groom who is left at the altar at his destination wedding in Italy. There is where he meets many travelers and locals who point him to a new life.
Directed by Charles and Daniel Kinnane, it comes across very "Hallmarky" which is fun and fine. The co stars/ the wacky "friends" he meets are all a fun addition to the story line. Problems: The love interest between Matt and Gia, played wonderfully by Nicole Grimaudo, I did not feel the chemistry. The second problem was a film at only 1 hour and 36 minutes and it still felt long.
A nice twist at the end, helps the film and it is definitely worth a watch.
4
MAN ON THE RUN
I was lucky enough to see a screening of this before it hit Amazon Prime.
I really liked it, sadly I wanted to love it. I like the music of Wings so I was all in.
The film just covers so much ground and time, that it never really digs into details:
-The writing process of great songs and the meaning of songs like My Love; Silly Love Songs; Band On The Run.
-Linda, and how she dealt with the backlash
- The ever rotating band members and their thoughts on leaving.
- The drug bust in Japan, was there pressure to let him go?
-Was there any conversations between him and other Beatles about Wings?
I am not saying it was bad, it was interesting. The film did not really dig deep, I wanted more detail.
3
HOW TO MAKE A KILLING
Directed by John Patton Ford, the film follows Beckett Redfellow (Glen Powell), he feels he has to kill relatives that are on the list above him to put himself first in line for a big inheritance.
The film starts strong but becomes almost a film noir at the end and is almost sad.
Great supporting roles by Margaret Qualley and Jessica Henwick. Worth a look but did not hit the landing.
2
GOOD LUCK HAVE FUN DON'T DIE
Directed by Gore Verbinski, with some fantastic performances by Sam Rockwell; Juno Temple; Haley Lu Richardson; and Michael Pena.
Sam Rockwell is a man from the future who recruits a band of misfits to save the earth from...well virtual reality and phones and the bad people who run them.
I really enjoyed this film, there is a main plot and a bunch of smaller stories revolving around the band of misfits and how they got there. It is just that, the film has a back end that gets way too loose making the whole film seem meaningless, like a never ending circle. This knocked it down a couple notches for me. Still I understood the idea and the look at society and where it could end up.
1
WUTHERING HEIGHTS
You cannot go in thinking you are going to see a film based on the classic book by Emily Bronte, it is not. It is a film just using the characters Cathy and Heathcliff. The film weaves in and out of the book, using parts but expanding on other parts.
If you go knowing it is not a retelling of the book, which I did, it's pretty much a good story of two hard headed people who sadly can't get out of their own way,
It's a sad story but I enjoyed it, it worked. Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi are serviceable in their roles, keeping me watching. Real quick, a wonderful performance by Charlotte Mellington as the young Cathy.
Well, it was a weak month of February, but there are my rankings and now you know what is next!!!!!!
The Shadow Awards!!!
From the shadows as always thanks for your time!!
