My Best And Worst So Far this Year In Theaters!!!

Well...as usual..from the shadows...in July I give you my best and worst of the year so far.
As you can imagine...so far this year has been a small sample size...only 15 films watched in all...which is rather sad.
However I push on.....

I will start with...in no particular order...my top 3 films released in theaters this year...in no particular order:



PHOTOGRAPH




A series of events lead 2 people together into a relationship.

Oh my gosh what a nice sweet film!! Highlighted by a wonderful soft performance by LaKeith Stanfield as Michael Block. Michael is a reporter who is looking into some old photographs he stumbled on. This leads him to the photographers daughter Mae...played by Issa Rae. This also leads to us following another story of Mae's mothers past.

Some would call this film slow. I have to agree with that, it is slow...however the film catches you with wonderful characters and a nice soft performance by Stanfield. When Stanfield and Rae are on the screen they remind me of Delpy and Hawke in Before Sunrise, who wanted tell each other so much, they're feelings, but were afraid to go to big at first, which adds tension. You as the viewer gets hooked!!



THE INVISIBLE MAN




Cecilia's ex-husband takes his life and leaves her a fortune. However is he really dead???!!

Elisabeth Moss is great!
Elisabeth Moss is great!
Elisabeth Moss is great!
Elisabeth Moss is great!
Elisabeth Moss is great!

Did I happen to tell you that...Elisabeth Moss is great!

If you are a frequent flyer to this rambling, grammatically incorrect, real, anti-critic blog, (you really should be) you will know I am not a horror film guy. So...I went into this with much trepidation.
So?

Well Elisabeth Moss is great!
The film is inexhaustibly... good. I mean...it is not easy to watch some one get harassed for 90 minutes of a 2 hour film. I felt like walking out!! It is difficult!! What kept me there...is...Elisabeth Moss is great!

Other than Elisabeth Moss being great, what else works?

The story by Leigh Whannell actually delivers what people coming to this film actually want...thrills,and tension. Her story, even though is not possible to be invisible, make you really believe. Plus, she does not get into the science of it all, we just want to know it happened and move on.
Casting was spot on with Moss and her best friend James played by Aldis Hodge, they had great chemistry.
This film just works




THE GENTLEMAN



An American Mickey Pearson (Matthew McConaughey) is trying to sell his profitable marijuana empire in London. Then they want to live a relaxing life with his wife Rosalind (Michelle Dockery). Somethings are difficult to do.

This film starts slow but becomes a lot of fun. I really enjoyed this. It takes to about the second hour to really get the film moving and understand what is happening here. The story (and director) Guy Ritchie gives it a nice build. The film becomes crazy; violent; often funny.

Highlighted by performances by the big four here:
McConaughey and Dockery already mentioned.
Charlie Hunnam as Ray, Mickey's bodyguard or maybe assistant.
Hugh Grant as Fletcher who is, kind of the storyteller here.

Then there are a couple small performances that are wonderful:
Colin Farrell as Coach. He wants no part of this but he cant step away because his kids in the gym are getting him into trouble.
Henry Golding as Dry Eye as a gangster want-a-be.

This film works because it does not take itself too seriously. Plus it does not overstay its welcome. Its just a funny, loopy violent often; gangster type film. It works and gets it all done in under 2 hours.

By the way is McConaughey overrated? He is so fun to just watch, often you wonder if he is even acting lol.


So there are my three best so far this year...

HOW ABOUT THE WORST:

I have a two ............



DOWNHILL




Barely escaping an avalanche during their family ski vacation...the event puts a knife into the plans for a fun vacation.

I am one of the rare people who saw the French version in the theaters Force Majeure which was wonderful. I was excited to see the American version.

Well ...this version tries to add more humor it fails. Two directors, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, both could not make it work. The tone shifts were clunky. Pete (Ferrell) is a nervous wreck afraid all the time of death. Billie (Dreyfus) is just a miserable person.
There is not much that is good about this film. Awkward in a bad way. A flat tone. Not funny. We do not care about the characters to get or feel the drama.
It is just not pleasant.

The french version I think did not try the humor, it trusted the humor in the situation, everything flowed..This was not good...they should have trusted the source material.



THE RHYTHM SECTION



Stephanie Patrick (Blake Lively) is seeking revenge against those who orchestrated a plane crash that killed her family.

MMMM...Blake Lively is raw here. Not the Blake Lively we are used to. This is a dirty, drugged up, seeking revenge Blake Lively. A bold decision and she is pretty good here playing against type.

Other than that...to be blunt..this film is awful.

It is boring.
It goes no where.
The film has a training scene that is plain stupid and silly.
I cant figure out why she is being trained. They had no one else...who is at least partially trained?
Her approach to ..revenge...is unrealistic.
I have to say...Director and Screenwriter Mark Brunell delivered a piece of crap.
Oh by the way ....did I mention this is boring.

Okay....how about the best performances so far...

Best Male Performance so far this year:



BEN AFFLECK

To be honest there was really no other choice. In a small sample size...its Affleck...in The Way Back.
You can question, knowing his past, is he acting here. I am giving him the benefit of the doubt..he is great here as Jack Cunningham, a high school basketball coach fighting his demons.
As for the film, its a hard watch...to watch someone in a bad place and watching him hit bottom.


Best Female Performance So Far This Year:



ELISABETH MOSS
Unlike best male so far this year, there were options here...
Julia Garner in The Assistant
Anya Taylor Joy in Emma
However, lets face it....Elisabeth Moss in The Invisible Man is on another level.

Worse Performance So Far This Year:



K.J. APA

I am not sure if it is because Apa was acting with a very good actress in Britt Robertson in I Still Believe, but ...I can tell you he is stiff as a board in this better than average film.

WORST DECISION FOR YOUR TOWN OR CITY







I was annoyed by Hamilton and Scoob and Greyhound.
Everyone is so happy Hamilton is on Disney +!!!!!!!!!!
However lets back it up......................
In the beginning of the year Disney shocked everyone by saying they will be bringing Hamilton live on stage to the theaters in 2021!! Exciting for sure!!
Then during the Covid shutdown, Disney decided to bring Hamilton to Disney +.
People rejoice!! So Easy!!
However...what about the theaters? People are out there marching and screaming for the little guy or gal. MMMMMM....lets see. Pulling Hamilton from theaters which would have sold out local theaters. This will be keeping money in that certain area..by hiring more concession workers....more ticket buyers...cleaners...staff in general. That's gone...just gone. Hamilton..which should be a communal watch...on a big screen...was pulled.
Now on your side you may say:
1-We can't afford to go to the movies. Well..okay..then you wait for it to be on Disney+, just like you waited for it to be on the screen and not on stage/theaters. It is called patience.
2-You may also say theaters are dying, and streaming is the replacement. I agree. However..do you want it on your watch? When something is dying do you want to be the one to walk away from it? That is your call. I believe in creating local jobs not just feeding the big monster far away. Yes when you see a film you are feeding the big monster but in a little way you create local jobs also.
Not just Hamilton to be fair (But this of course was the biggest) but also Greyhound on Apple TV (Tom Hanks, these theaters created you...but you said nothing about Greyhound being pulled from theaters. Shame on you) and Scoob on pay per view.
Last thought I hear an up roar on how Hamilton should get an Oscar nomination...ahhh no...it does not work that way..it is not in the theaters. Maybe an Emmy....but not an Oscar.

Well that is my so far this year. Coming later on this week a list for you..movies coming out this year to look forward to as theaters start to open and try to recover...no thanks to Tom Hanks and Hamilton and Disney.

From The Shadows As Always Thanks For Your Time!!

My Friday Netflix Recommendation, My Week With Marilyn

Like last week I am recommending a film on Netflix that you may have missed along the way. This is a slow film if you don't mind, but well acted by Michelle Williams and Eddie Radmayne (Before he became ..well Eddie Redmayne). This is based on a true story, here is......From 2011...

MY WEEK WITH MARILYN
Directed by Simon Curtis
Screenplay by Adrian Hodges
Based on the book by Colin Clark
Starring Michelle Williams; Eddie Redmayne; and Kenneth Branagh



Sir Laurence Olivier (Branagh) is making a movie in London. When film star Marilyn Monroe (Williams) arrives for the start of shooting, all of London is excited to see the blonde bombshell, while Olivier is struggling to meet her many demands and deal with her flightiness. Colin Clarke (Redmayne), an assistant to Oliver, is intrigued by her. Then things change for Colin when Marilyn invites him into her inner world.

This film is quietly good, and I think it is mainly because of the three main actors.
Michelle Williams, who really does not take on too many roles these days, just convinces you she is Marilyn. From the smile, to the sadness, to sexiness, she becomes Marilyn.
Redmayne as Clarke, becomes us and maybe would react like us. We see Marilyn through his eyes. We understand his concerns, his crush, and his nervousness.
Branagh, who directs these days more than acts, is hilarious as Olivier as he gets more and more frustrated with the demands of his star. You feel for him.
They play off each other real well and as we watch there is almost a feeling of sadness for we know what is to come in Marilyn's life. However here, in this film, through Clarke's eyes we see a bit behind the Marilyn mystique. There is one moment when she asks Clarke should she turn on the Marilyn glow, and as quick as a snap of the finger you watch her change for the press. We see her almost enjoying her power, enjoying life.
Just a wonderful ...interesting.....small film which is available on Netflix.

As always from the shadows thanks for your time.

I Have A 45 Year Anniversary Film Revisit.....Jaws

We need a bigger boat!!!!! So in celebration of 45 years ago. I will give you some fun and not so fun facts!!

JAWS
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Screenplay by Peter Benchley and Carl Gottlieb
Based on the book by Peter Benchley
Starring: Roy Schneider; Robert Shaw; Richard Dreyfuss; and Lorraine Gary



Okay that trailer was awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just the score by John Williams brings chills!!!
Here I go:
-You are going to need a bigger boat...not scripted ..but improvised by Schneider
-The mechanical shark was broken down for most of the shoot. Spielberg decided to use the camera as the point of view of the shark, which unknowingly added more suspense.
-In fact the shark was never tested...to a point when it first went into the water it sank to the floor.
-Robert Shaw could not stand Richard Dreyfus which added to their tension on camera.
-Though respected as an actor, Robert Shaw's  trouble with alcohol was a frequent source of tension during filming.  When it came time to shoot the famous USS Indianapolis Scene, Shaw attempted to do the monologue while intoxicated as it called for the men to be drinking late at night. Nothing in the take could be used. A remorseful Shaw called Spielberg late that night and asked if he could have another try. The next day of shooting, Shaw's great performance was done in one take.
-The arm found in the sand was actually the arm of a female crew member buried in the sand
-The shark had a name "Bruce" named after a lawyer Spielberg knew.
-Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, was used as Amity Island primarily because even 12 miles out to sea, the sandy bottom was only 30 feet down, allowing the mechanical shark to function. Residents were paid $64 to scream and run across the beach as extras.
-The tax problem Robert Shaw was facing was that if he spent more than a certain amount of time in the U.S. he would face a tax liability. To circumvent that, Shaw was flown to Canada on his days off.
-Jaws only opened on 409 screens
-A scene filmed, but not included in the final release, was during the second beach attack. Brody's son, swimming in the "shallow area" is frozen in terror as the shark approaches him; the man saves his life by pushing the boy out of the way at the last minute and putting himself in the path of the shark. There is a shot of the bloody, dying man's upper body being dragged briefly along in the shark's jaws before being pulled underwater. Steven Spielberg shot the scene, but decided it was far too gruesome and didn't include


Where are they??
Susan Blacklinie-Played Chrissie the girl who sadly went skinny dipping in the beginning of the film. She played small roles in a couple films like 1941. She is now s a computer accountant in Ventura, California.\

Chris Rebello -Played Michael Brody. Rebello died at the young age of 37 of a heart attack while deer hunting with some lifelong buddies in 2000. He had a wife and three children.

Jay Mello- Married and living in West Burke Vermont with his wife and three kids. Was only 7 when Jaws came out. Arrested for lewd acts in 2010...what they were...that was not specified.

Lorraine Gary-Played the Sheriff's wife. Retired after the Jaws films. Note Marty McFly's mother was named after her in Back To The Future. Still alive and living a quite life.

Murray Hamilton-Played  Mayor Vaughn. A great actor who was also known The Graduate and The Hustler. He died in 1986 at 63 of cancer.

Robert Shaw- Also known for The Sting and From Russia With Love died in 1978 at 51 of a heart attack in Ireland. Just three years after the release of Jaws.

Roy Schneider-Also known for The French Connection; All That Jazz; and 2010. He died in February of 2008 at the age of 75 of Multiple Myeloma.

Richard Dreyfuss-One of our great actors known for many parts most notably for winning an Oscar for The Goodbye Girl. He is still a working actor last seen playing Bernie Madoff in a Madoff TV series; and a couple small films.


Remember!!!!!!!!!!! THIS WAS NO BOAT ACCIDENT!!!


From the shadow as always thanks for your time.

A Friday revisit!!! From from 2015. A film you may have missed, I recommend, now on Netflix...The End Of The Tour

THE END OF THE TOUR
Directed by James Ponsoldt
Screenplay by Donald Margulies
Based on the book by David Lipsky
Starring Jason Segel and Jesse Eisenberg



Look who is back!! I know!! Settle down!! As theaters are going, we hope, too open soon, I have to get back to writing these blogs. So each Friday I am giving you a film on Netflix that I highly recommend that you may have missed. So I start with The End Of The Tour!!!!!

The true story of a five day road trip following David Wallace  (Segel) and Rolling Stone writer David Lipsky (Eisenberg) as Wallace finishes up his book tour for his 1000+ page novel Infinite Jest.

I love a good road trip movie. This one is really good. In fact it was in my top 10 for 2015.
It does not touch on the life of Wallace but it touches on the relationship and conversation between the two writers.
Segel as Wallace, gives an outstanding performance, he is so relaxed and at the same time nervous. He has awful social skills, and is more relaxed and relates with his dogs than with most people. He says so much with his ticks and stares and when he talks he sucks you into every word. Often you wonder who is interviewing who on the road trip because he asks as many questions as Lipsky.
Eisenberg is also wonderful, stepping back just enough to let Segel command the screen.
The film captures a moment in time, watching Wallace, who is aware of all going on around him ( a great speech about TV screens is almost seeing into the future). He is kind, but not a pushover. He does not lecture, he just suggests, and he is almost embarrassed by the attention and at the same time a little proud. Still, after all the success of this book, which he seems to not understand, he still fights with depression, he talks about his depression history in one heart breaking scene. It is so honest and raw.
At the end we realize for Lipsky it was more than an interview on a road trip. As Wallace says at one point "This is nice". It may have started out as just an interview but looking back I think he sees, it was two friends enjoying, laughing, arguing during a moment of time that was captured on tape.

The film is so different, so interesting, so relaxed, and so sad. 4 1/2 out of 5 stars for The End Of The Tour. On Netflix. Watch during the credits.

From The Shadows as always thanks for your time.

Star Wars Day!!!! A look at my reviews of the last 3 Star Wars films

Happy Star Wars Day!!! May The 4th Be With You!!!!

Lets look at my reviews of the last three Star Wars films!!



STAR WARS THE FORCE AWAKENS
Director J J Abrams
Screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan; J J Abrams; and Michael Arndt
Based On The Characters by George Lucas
Starring Daisy Ridley; John Boyega; Oscar Isaac; Domhnall Gleason; Adam Driver; Harrison Ford; Carrie Fisher



30 years after the defeat of the Galactic Empire, a new threat rises. The First Order attempts to rule the galaxy and only a ragtag group of Heroes can stop them, along with the help of the Resistance.

"Real sets. Practical effects. You have been here before but you do not know this story. Everything has changed but nothing has changed". As the above video noted that was viewed at Comic-Con.
Yes you knew there would be a backlash. It is so popular you knew people were going try to be different by being critical.Yes it is similar to the New Hope. Still.....It brought magic back to the movie theaters!!
It all starts and ends with J.J. Abrams. He is the master here and it works.
His casting. Was just spot on:
From Names from past Star Wars films: Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher.
To people we know from other movies:
Adam Driver (Girls)....Deliciously evil as Kylo Ren
Oscar Isaac (Ex Machina).... as the brave fighter Poe Dameron. Who plays the dry straight man here very well.
Domhnall Gleason (Harry Potter films/Brooklyn/ExMachina) Is soooo well cast as the evil General Hux. It is against type because we are so use to seeing him as a stuttering, bumbeling kind of character.
 To casting faces we never have seen before:
John Boyega as Finn is fantastic as the every man hero played with dry humor. He becomes us. Tackling certain situations with a hold your breath...I have to do this...with fear and lack of enthusiasm.
Then we come to Daisy Ridley. She is the film. She is the star. This Kierra Knightly look alike carries this film (with BB-8--the cutest thing in movies this year). She is strong. She is funny. She is a ball of emotions. I can not note enough how amazing she is. It is a credit to J.J. by just finding her.
The look.
This film is beautiful. Some scenes are breathtaking. So again credit goes to J.J. for bringing in Cinematographer Daniel Mindel. There were a couple times in this film where I thought..."Oh that will make a great poster!" Just watch the scene as Daisy rides down the sand hill.
The music:
He brought back John Williams!!!!!!!!!!!! I mean you get chills from the start when the score plays and he sets the tone throughout the film.
My big negative which is a common complaint of mine, and kept this from getting a higher ranking: When dealing with films that are set up for future episodes, every film should have a clean ending. There are some loose strings here that left me wondering who is alive and who is not. I always feel you pay your money you should get a clear ending for a film that you paid to see. You should not have to pay for another film to see what happens. Each film should be go clearly from beginning to end on it's own.
It is amazing that it actually lives up to its hype. Great for the whole family. The torch has been passed. Starts with J.J. Abrams...did I mention that before?



This is my spoiler review I did for Star Wars The Last Jedi. I did this after I did a non-spoiler review!!

STAR WARS THE LAST JEDI



SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do not read if you have not seen this film. This is my first spoiler review ever.

Boy did I get emails about my review of this film.
People I gave it 3 stars the night I saw it. I did not hate it!!! Settle down!!!
Well here is my spoiler review breaking down the film.....

The bad:
-There is clearly an editing problem through out the film dealing with time. Lets highlight moving from The Force Awakens to The Last Jedi. We are seconds after the Force Awakens film, Rey is handing the light saber to Luke. We left the resistance as they blew up the weapon...but now they are decimated. Close to extinct. Huh? They were just celebrating!!
I think this happens when you have a story with a different writer comes in. Johnson has his own vision. His vision is more ...I guess mystical. For example, the oddest thing, General Leia pulling some kind of Mary Poppins act, and floating in to space away from an exploding ship. Then she floats back. WTH!!! What was that? If she can do that or always could do that ...that changes things going forward and confuses what has already happened! Then you also have Luke doing some mind trick at the end. Then you have Rey doing a mind connection with Kylo Ren ?! Sometimes I felt there was too much of this odd stuff and not enough movement...the story was stuck for the first hour and a half and did not move forward. It felt like Johnson really wanted to push his vision and it took a long time to explain it.
-I mentioned this in my other review. The miscasting of Laura Dern as Vice Admiral Holdo. She just looks like she uncomfortable in this role. Plus back to awful writing. So Holdo disagrees with Poe. Poe takes over the ship. Poe's people battle Hodo's people. Door opens and Leia walks through then so does Holdo. They laugh about Poe's spunk. WHAAAT????!!!! You just shot at Poe's men and now you laugh...all friends for no reason. Huh??? Makes absolutely no sense.
-They promoted Luke being in this film everywhere. They have Mark Hamill!!! Why not use him?
He is clocked in at under 30 minutes!! Give him a bigger part...let him do battle!!!
I have to say Johnson is awful as a SciFi storyteller.
-Another example is the Finn and Rose story line. It was just a waste. Think about it. It added nothing...zilch...to the story. They failed. Then throw in Del Toro as DJ...they stole the exact Lando storyline from Empire!!! Again lazy!! Well anyway it was obvious Johnson wanted to give Boyega a story to keep him busy.

Well enough of the bad here is the good:
-Both Driver and Ridley are just wonderful. Plus their characters are just great, and you know where this is going...the final battle between them. Good vs Evil!!!
-I know Hamill was only in the film for a short time but...he was just awesome. The death scene was a thing of beauty!! Note the sun like in New Hope. The same score as in The New Hope. Wonderful. Maybe Hamill's best performance to date.
-The bridge. This movie was a bridge to the showdown of the two main characters, but also a bridge from the old to the new. It is now the new character's films. The old guard is now officially gone. I am so excited for the regroup after this movie which was basically a constant retreat.

Well there is my first spoiler review. I still think 3 stars, maybe 3 1/2 out of 5.
I kind of compare this film to Dunkirk. When you have a bunch of people retreating the whole film, or trying to, it really does not make for a great film. Yes I know a lot of people love the beautiful Dunkirk and this film. Planning an escape from a battle is kind of boring to me.
However at least here as opposed to Dunkirk they have character development.



STAR WARS THE RISE OF SKYWALKER



This will be difficult making it spoiler free...but here I go.

Even though there was a negative feedback for Star Wars 1...2 ...3 and positive feedback for 4...5..6.
they all did something right. They had one leader, one storyteller, one director folding the story into the next part or film. This is where 7...8...9..clearly went wrong. They should have locked J.J. in for all three before it started, if not they should have went somewhere else until they could lock down someone for all three movies.
So here we come to the final chapter of this trilogy..with J.J. Abrams in charge.

Points with no spoiler:

-The shocking thing here this film sort of ignores Rian Johnson's The Last Jedi. Other than Rose (Who sadly is barely in this by the way) and the ghost of Luke, he just wipes out the mistake that The Last Jedi was. You can pretty much watch just The Force Awakens and this movie and just skip The Last Jedi and not miss a thing.
-Because he is trying to fit so much in one episode, this film feels choppy...There is a war with the New order. There is this cube or thing Rey is going after. There is this strange constant mind melt between Kylo and Rey. There is a traitor somewhere. There is the return of Palpatine. Then there is a backstory for both leads Kylo and Rey. It is a lot, which really messes with the rhythm of the story telling.
They went on and on about Keri Russell being in this, she was barely in it, and we never saw her face!! She did have a relationship with Po but they never touched on it, they seemed to like each other, but again there was so many stories here they had no time to develop characters.
Even the return of Lando was quick and then passed over. There was no development like where has he been???!! However near the end he says something to a new character Jannah, played wonderfully by Naomi Ackie, that makes you think...is there another Star Wars coming? Is this really the end?

-Getting back to so many story lines the film feels like it is flying at super speed never slowing down. There is an editing and pacing issue. Again J.J. has so much info he is flying through here trying to fit everything in. No time to take things in or breathe.Everything seems so underdeveloped.

-The film is dark. Dark looking, often I could not see what was happening or got lost at who is where.

-Dark themes. This film will scare little ones and also confuse them.

-Strange things I am suppose to ignore like two characters jump on a space ship and as it is flying and they do not fall off???!! That is one example. Again I think that goes back to, they had no time to write an escape for these two so they just had them jump on a moving spaceship. Then cut away to another story line.

I know I am being negative, but surprisingly I have to say I liked the film and it is all because of Daisy Ridley as Rey. She is soooooo good. You like her and want the best for her. She is what makes this film work and because of that, and the fun action scenes ...and the ending. Oh that ending, where two main characters are looking out into the distance, two that have been together from beginning of The Force Awakens ...it melts your heart. It is a perfect ending.
Sadly I cant give you too many positives without spoiling, but I can say this is a well acted exciting story with characters we love, and because of that I give this film 3 stars out of 5. I just wanted a tighter plot or story with less...other stories if that makes sense. No Spoilers.
I want to see it again for sure....a second time may feel like the movie is moving slower knowing what is coming...again no spoilers.

From  the shadows as always thanks for your time...MAY THE 4TH BE WITH YOU!!

Always remember there is no New Hope with out the suicide mission of Jyn Erso...NEVER FORGET ROGUE ONE!!!!

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