Month: June 2020

Movie 1: WASP Network

This is a fascinating film about the spy games between the US and Cuba in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The film is both satisfying and confusing at times. It shifts from the Cuban point of view to the US perspective then back again with each side trying to disrupt the interests of the other side. The Penelope Cruz character is a standout. English and Spanish with English subtitles.

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Movie 2: Lost Bullet

This French film is unique on several fronts. The focus is a highly skilled auto mechanic who is forced to engage dirty cops in order to avoid prison. The special effects are impressive. Overall it is less than perfect but a satisfying watch nonetheless. Original language was French. It’s dubbed in English.

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Movie 3: 1922

Based on the Stephen King 131 page novella by the same name. Be prepared…it’s filled with violence and gore. It’s a re-release from 2017. It’s an odd slow burn with all family members more than a little creepy. Classic Stephen King.

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Film 1: The Night Clerk

It’s an interesting film featuring a young man with Asperger Syndrome who works at a hotel. It’s often difficult to follow. Helen Hunt deserves a better script and cast. It’s rated R for violence and nudity.

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Movie 2:  DA 5 Bloods

A riveting film by Spike Lee! Four African American veterans return to Vietnam to find the remains of their squad leader and the gold treasure he hid for them.

It’s a confusing mix at first. There is violence, anguish and conflict. Many consider this Spike Lee production his best yet! This has Oscar written all over it.

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Movie 3:  The Guest

It’s a thriller mystery worthy of its audience.  It’s a dark, intense action film that morphs into a horror film.  Plenty of twists and turns to hold your interest.  It gets pretty intense.  Some say it’s a mess.  We found it intriguing.

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Movie 1:  The Last Thing He Wanted

This Netflix movie is based on Joan Didion’s 1996 novel.  This film is so confusing it’s nearly impossible to follow.  The story is messy on several fronts.  It centers on Iran-Contra scandals and arms deals.  Even with good acting we can’t recommend it.

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Movie 2:  A Fall From Grace

Now this film is worth seeking out!   It’s a new release on Netflix.  There’s excellent acting and a believable plot.  There is plenty of mystery, suspense and surprises to satisfy most viewers.  The final scene is not to be missed.  Reviews range from “terrible” to “nuts”.  We liked it…a lot.

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Movie 3:  A Secret Love

This is a remarkable and tender story about two women and their secret seven decade relationship.  The two were among the pioneers in women’s professional baseball.  The film is inspiring, ageless and long overdue.  It’s an April 29, 2020 Netflix release.

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Movie 1: Mudbound

This exceptional film is set in rural Mississippi at the end of World War II. It’s a powerful reminder of war, racism, endurance and family. It’s often difficult to watch. It’s perfect timing given current events. This film received four Oscar nominations in 2018, including supporting actress for Mary J. Blige.

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Movie 2: Twin Murders: The Silence of the White City

Set in Spain, this crime thriller explores a serial killer and the police process to apprehend the killer. It doesn’t do a great job following the novel it’s based on. Be warned there is graphic violence, torture and explicit sex. The version we saw was dubbed in English.

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Movie 3: 365 DNI

This film is getting mixed reviews. Fasten your seat belts. This film is confusing. It also spends excessive amounts of time with sex scenes, lots and lots of sex scenes! It’s intended to be a story about a Sicilian Mafia family member and kidnappings. English, Italian and Polish, with English subtitles.

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Movie 1: Intuition

It’s an Argentinian “thriller”. One critic referred to it as “schlocky”. That would be accurate! The idea is to capture a serial kidnapper of young girls in a dark forest where…apparently young girls just hang out waiting to be murdered…Go figure!! The Netflix version we saw was dubbed in English.

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Movie 2: The Last Days of American Crime

Here it is folks! This one is based on the near future where the US Government creates an electronic brain device that stops all crime remotely!! It’s set in Brooklyn, New York but much of the story unfolds in Canada.

It’s unbelievably violent, most of the characters are repulsive. Most scenes are obscene. Some special effects are impressive but not nearly enough to balance the gross story line.

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Movie 3: Polar

This film was released just before the Covid-19 Pandemic began. This too was a horrific film filled with extreme violence, torture and bizarre concepts. This one has one of the worlds top assassins, ready for retirement, but double crossed by his former employer. Yup…more blood and guts than a meat packing plant!

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