Ten films!! Yes Ten in May! The theme this May was wrapped around some very good performances...some may be called for Oscar Nominations at the end of the year. As for the films in May..well it was not a bad month. Soooo lets get started and I will make them quick if I can since there is 10!!
10
BREADWINNER
Well I really think Nate Bargatze is funny. I also understand what he tried to do here, use parts of his standup into a film for the whole family. Sadly it got old very quick and surprisingly boring. A better family film will come later in my list.
9
DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2
I wanted to like it, I really did. Sadly...I did not care about the storylines. Wait...I am supposed to care about Miranda losing her job?! Really?! Sooooo if she loses her job sheeeeee has to go live in one of her many houses? I could care less about that story line. I thought everyone in this movie was unlikable. Then they throw in an unrealistic romance. UGH.
8
MANDALORIAN AND GROGU
Well...I went in blind. I never watched the show. However I have seen all the Star Wars films. I really did not think this film was as bad as what people are saying. It is a western kinda. It worked for me. I can see that this was originally supposed to be episodes of the series on Disney+. You can feel the choppy stories and how they don't flow. Again..I was in..
7
Obsession
Okay I know the popularity! Still its not my type of film. As you know...I am not a horror film guy. Then throw in abuse of an animal. No.
Performance! However a spectacular performance by Inde Navarette as Nikki. Do not be surprised if you hear from her during award season....she is that good.
6
THE CHRISTOPHERS
Directed by the great Steven Soderbergh, this film follows the children of a famous retired artist, they enlist a forger to access his unfinished paintings and finish them so they can sell them when he dies.
Performances! Ian McKellen as the artist Skylar is so funny and lovely and grumpy all at the same time. Michaela Coel as Lori Butler the forger, she steals the film without saying much, so quiet saying so much with just a look. The movie is so quiet that sadly it is almost too quiet where some would say nothing much happens and they may be a little right.
5
HOKUM
Directed by Damian McCarthy, Hokum follows novelist Ohm Bauman as he retreats to a hotel to try and fix his writer's block. There is where things go off the rails. It's a horror film. A ghost story. A story about loss and redemption. Performance! A fantastic performance by Adam Scott as Ohm Bauman the writer. Sadly I felt the film was overly long and could have used some editing. Still if you like a ghost story...well here you are.
4
IN THE GREY
Eliza Gonzalez; Henry Cavill; and Jake Gyllenhaal are a group of elite operatives hired to retrieve a billion dollar fortune. It is a military type film but also an Oceans 11 type of film. It delivers action and a lot of humor. This movie was a lot of fun, and I think once it hits streaming it will have a big following.
3
TUNER
Directed by Daniel Roher, the film follows Niki, a talented piano tuner, who finds out along the way he also has an ear for safe cracking.
This film is being highlighted by the return of Dustin Hoffman, however he is barely in the film. Performances! Leo Woodall is fantastic as Niki, and because of that we cheer for him as he gets in deeper. A very entertaining film for sure.
2
PRESSURE
As odd as it is..it is a Meteorology film. As D-Day approaches the decision of when to hit the beach is on the reading of the weather forecast. I learned a lot and found the film entertaining and intense. Performance! Not Brendan Fraser as you would think....in fact Fraser may have been miscast as Eisenhower. The star here is Andrew Scott as James Stagg...this is an Oscar worthy performance for sure. This film should not be missed.
1
Directed by Kyle Balda giving me the first real surprise of the year. Wow. It is a family film, with a little bit of Knives Out. It's a mystery; it is funny; and yet kinda emotional.
Great voice work highlighted by Julia Louis Dreyfus; Chris O'Dowd; Regina Hall; and Patrick Stewart. A wonderful sweet emotional film!!!There is a reason why it is so high on Rotten Tomatoes., because it is that good.
Well there you go...bring on another Toy Story in June!!!!
As always thanks for your time...from the shadows!!!
