Author: James Hathaway

Movie 1: Rez Ball

This is a very good movie that celebrates the Navajo culture while also realistically depicting the hardships of reservation life. The local high school basketball team tries to make the New Mexico state finals. Well written and acted. Limited theatre release but on Netflix very soon. English and Navajo with English subtitles.

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Movie 2: My Old Ass

This is a charming and heartfelt young adult romantic comedy/fantasy. An 18 year old takes some drugs and has a conversation with her 40 year old self. Witty and timely dialogue, good acting and cinematography. A coming of age story with a twist. Newcomer Maisy Stella is marvelous.

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Movie 3: Lee

This movie chronicles the complex and unconventional life of WWII photojournalist Lee Miller. The performances, especially Kate Winslet and Andy Samberg, are moving and subtle. The cinematography is often bleak but captures the times and raw emotions perfectly. This biopic is at times haunting, but tells a fascinating story about a remarkable person.

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Movie 1: Never Let Go

What a disappointment. This is a horror film with lots of potential, but unfortunately delivers very little. Halle Berry is the mother of two small boys whose safety literally depends on them holding on to ropes if they leave the house. The best part of the movie is watching the two boys protecting each other and trying to decide if their mother is crazy or not.

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Movie 2: Transformers One

This is a fun action movie filled with humor and emotion. The animation is also very well done. This tells the untold story of the origin of Optimus Prime and his arch enemy Megatron. If you are a Transformers fan you will enjoy this movie. A star-studded cast of voices.

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Movie 3: The Substance

This is a well done exploration of Hollywood’s obsession with beauty, especially in aging women. Demi Moore gives a gutty and fearless performance. Sometimes grotesque, it is often mesmerizing to watch. The cinematography, editing, acting and makeup are stunning. While definitely not a movie for everyone, this is a horror film that delivers a message and a punch.

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Movie 1: Merchant Ivory

This is a documentary about the very talented couple, both personally and professionally, who for over forty years wrote and directed some of the cinema’s most cherished classics. A Room with a View, Howard’s End, Maurice and Remains of the Day to name just a few. The interviews with famous stars who appeared in their films, along with behind-the-scenes snippets and footage, are very interesting. A little too long and perhaps a bit slow, but if you are a movie fanatic (as we are) you will enjoy this documentary. Coming to Netflix this fall.

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Movie 2: The Killer’s Game

A professional assassin, thinking he has a terminal illness, hires another professional assassin to kill him. And the action-packed hijinks take off from there. Filmed in Budapest and its surrounding areas this movie is very entertaining. Dave Bautista, Ben Kingsley and Terry Crews have a good chemistry with each other. No great message, nor great anything here, just a whole lotta fun.

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Movie 3: Apollo 13: Survival

This is a very well done documentary about the 1970 moon mission that turned into a rescue mission. With actual footage and commentary from the times, this is a fascinating retelling of that heroic event. Jim Lovell, the mission commander is still alive and 96 years old. This film portrays NASA’s finest hour. On Netflix.

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Movie 1: His Three Daughters

This was a movie we knew nothing about before we saw it. It’s a small, superb film that packs a huge emotional punch. Three estranged sisters reunite in their father’s New York City apartment as his end nears during hospice care. The acting, writing, cinematography and heart wrenching realism are stunning. Limited theatre release but soon to be on Netflix.

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Movie 2: 1992

This movie was a very entertaining surprise. A factory filled with platinum is robbed during the chaos of the Rodney King verdict in Los Angeles. It’s a smart action packed drama. And unfortunately, Ray Liotta’s last movie. In limited release in theatres but soon to be on Netflix.

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Movie 3: The Front Room

This was a pretty good horror film for the first hour. The mother-in-law from hell (literally) moves in with her son and pregnant wife. The last 40 minutes was stupid, insulting and gross (with more than a little incontinence). If you see it don’t go on a full stomach.

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Movie 1: The Deliverance

Inspired by actual events, this horror story focuses on an Indiana family and their haunted home. Lee Daniels directs a very tense and very well acted drama, which also borders on addiction, racism and poverty. Glen Close is amazing. While national critics found this movie just so-so, we very much enjoyed it. On Netflix.

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Movie 2: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

The original 1988 Beetlejuice was a huge hit and launched the careers of director Tim Burton and several movie stars. While this latest version has raked in a ton of money in its first weekend (including ours) we found it dull, confusing and more than a little disappointing. Maybe it would have helped to see the original again before seeing this one?? We will say the cinematography is very creative and the soundtrack a lot of fun. But that’s about it.

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Movie 3: Rebel Ridge

Recently released on Netflix, this is an excellent thriller about corruption and racism in a small Louisiana town. The acting, writing, action and directing are all first rate. Not having seen Don Johnson in a while, he portrays the perfect, stereotypical Southern police chief. Very entertaining.

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Movie 1: Sing Sing

Wow, what a wonderful surprise this move is! This is a small, yet very powerful film, about an inmate theater group in Sing Sing Prision in New York State. It highlights the often times dangerous relationships between prisoners, yet also brings out their humanity and compassion. A marvelous showcase for Colman Domingo’s immense talent.

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Movie 2: Across the River and into the Trees

Based on the Earnest Hemingway novel of the same name, an American Army colonel returns to Italy just after WWII. Supposedly going to Venice to shoot ducks, he is actually looking for closure after the death of his son. This movie beautifully captures the misty, moody allure of Venice, especially in the late evenings and early mornings. And the slow, languid way the story unfolds perfectly suits the Venetian atmosphere.

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Movie 3: Tokyo Cowboy

This is a heartwarming and beautifully told story about a Tokyo businessman who takes a business trip to a Montana cattle ranch. Ultimately a journey of self-discovery, this movie does a very fine job of slowly melding East and West cultural experiences. Gorgeous cinematography. English and Japanese with English subtitles.

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Movie 1: Cuckoo

This is horror movie is very confusing. Set in the Bavarian Alps of Germany it had previews that looked promising. However, it quickly gets twisted and dark and we found ourselves spending more time trying to figure it out than enjoying it.

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Movie 2: Between The Temples

This is an absolutely wonderful little drama/comedy. A depressed Jewish cantor starts an unlikely relationship with a former teacher. The storyline, the acting, the humanity is very touching. It is great to see Carol Kane again.

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Movie 3: The Crow

This is a different interpretation of the 1994 movie of the same name. A man comes back from the dead to avenge the death of his girlfriend. That’s about the only thing we understood about this dark, gothic, sinister mess of a movie.

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Movie 1: We Were The Lucky Ones

This excellent and harrowing story, based on Georgia Hunter’s novel of the same name, chronicles the true story, resilience and heroism of a Polish Jewish family during WWII. The story begins with Passover 1937 and ends with Passover 1947. The acting and cinematography (dark, gloomy befitting of the times) are brilliant. This is an 8-part miniseries on Hulu, each episode about 55 minutes, and received 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.

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Movie 2: My Penguin Friend

A charming, true story about a Magellan penguin who travels thousands of miles each year to “visit” a human friend near Rio de Janeiro. This is a very satisfying family drama about the unlikely bond between human and animal. And it’s very good to see French actor Jean Reno again.

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Movie 3: The Union

This is a Netflix action-drama about a CIA-like team going after terrorists who have compromised Western intelligence agencies. Halle Berry and Mark Wahlberg have pretty good chemistry together. Nothing extraordinary here, but an OK couple of hours.

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Movie 1: Trap

This is another thriller by M. Night Shyamalan. A father takes his daughter to a concert, only the loving dad is not exactly who she thinks he is. Lots of twists and turns. Not particularly great film making, but very entertaining. Hayley Mills plays a detective. We haven’t seen her in decades!

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Movie 2: Kneecap

This is a drama/comedy about the rise of Irish hip hop and rap in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It’s a powerful and necessary story about how the British government wouldn’t officially recognize the Irish language until 2022. Unfortunately, we found this movie confusing and very disjointed. While the Irish language scenes are subtitled in English, the English language scenes are not and very difficult to understand. It’s not every day you hear Gaelic as the primary language of a movie.

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Movie 3: Harold and the Purple Crayon

Based on the 1955 book of the same name by Crokett Johnson, this movie is an ode to the power of imagination. We knew nothing about the book or movie going in, but thoroughly enjoyed it. The storyline, the color, the artistry between live action and animation were delightful. A good movie for all ages. In fairness we should say national critics and film review boards gave this movie bad to mediocre reviews. But what do they know??

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Movie 1: The Fabulous Four

Four lifelong friends reunite in Key West, Florida for a wedding. This comedy is full of good times and raunchy humor. While the screenplay is definitely weak and not up to the on-screen star power, the movie is still amusing. If you are fans of the Book Club or 80 for Brady type films, you will enjoy this.

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Movie 2: Widow Clicquot

Based on historical events, this is a beautifully filmed story about the champagne industry in France, especially the House of Veuve Clicquot. Excellent acting and gorgeous cinematography. The wine techniques first used by Barbe-Nicole Clicquot are still used today.

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Movie 3: Deadpool & Wolverine

This is the third film in the Deadpool franchise and by far the best. Two superheroes join forces to save the universe. The humor (usually vulgar) and action (sometimes bloody) are superb. If you are fans of either the Deadpool or X-Men movies, you will enjoy this. Earning over $200 million in its first weekend, this is definitely the hit of the summer.

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