Author: James Hathaway

Movie 1: Blood & Gold

Set in the final days of the Third Reich, an AWOL soldier looks for his missing daughter as the Nazi’s frantically search for Jewish gold. This is a very good action thriller that, oddly, has the look, feel and soundtrack of a Clint Eastwood western. On Netflix. In German, but we watched the dubbed English version.

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Movie 2: To Leslie

A West Texas woman hits rock bottom after winning $190,000 in the state lottery. The acting is excellent with gritty and truthful dialogue. Andrea Riseborough received a very controversial Oscar nomination for her role as the downtrodden mother since this film had no national distribution and was seen only by a handful of people at film festivals. Allison Janney, in a small role, is perfect. On Netflix.

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Movie 3: Spider-Man: Across the Spider Verse

Did you know there is a Multiverse out there, full of spider people trying to protect us and themselves? We didn’t either, and suspect we were the only ones who didn’t given the audience reaction to this blockbuster. The animation and diversity of characters in this movie are stellar. We found it confusing, however, and its 2 hour 20 minute run time seemed a bit long. But definitely worth a look.

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Movie 1: Master Gardener

A very meticulous gardener tends to the lavish grounds and gardens of a wealthy southern dowager. This is the final film in a trilogy by Oscar winning director Paul Shrader. The gardener is a former white supremist with a Neo-Nazi past. The movie intentionally unfolds slowly, with excellent writing and acting. Sigourney Weaver is perfect as the landowner.

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Movie 2: The Little Mermaid

This is an absolutely marvelous remake of the Disney original. Ariel longs to discover a world above the sea. The visuals are stunning. Halle Bailey as Ariel and Melissa McCarthy as Ursula are perfectly cast. It will be captivating for the entire family.

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Movie 3: You Hurt My Feelings

This movie is a smart, well written comedy/drama about honest communication within relationships. What happens when we learn what others really think of us? Julia Louis-Dreyfus is at the top of her game.

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Movie 1: It Ain’t Over

This is a fantastic documentary about the life and times of Yogi Berra, one of the greatest NY Yankees of all time. Narrated by one of his sons, it spans his life from growing up in a Saint Louis Italian neighborhood to receiving the Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama. This is a wonderfully intimate look at an American icon. Even if you aren’t a baseball fan this movie will warm your heart.

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Movie 2: L’immensita

Set in Rome in the 1970’s, this is a very heartfelt, and evocative, look at the love between a mother and her children, especially as one child is growing up transgender. Penelope Cruz, as the matriarch of the family, is absolutely mesmerizing. Italian with English subtitles.

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Movie 3: Kandahar

This is yet another well done action-packed movie with Gerard Butler. An undercover CIA operative, and his interpreter, try to get out of Afghanistan after the American pullout. A very well acted and scripted drama, this is only the second American movie to be ever fully made in Saudi Arabia.

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Movie 1: Ajoomma

This is a delightful gem of a movie. A middle-aged Singaporean ‘auntie’ (ajoomma in Korean) takes a package tour to South Korea. She finds herself in unfamiliar places with new friendships. The dialogue and cinematography are wonderful. This is a very thoughtful, appealing and entertaining movie. It has been well received, with many awards, at film festivals worldwide. In limited US release, but if in a theater near you, enjoy it! Korean with English subtitles.

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Movie 2: Fast X

This is the latest entry in the Fast and Furious franchise. If you’ve seen any, or all, of the previous nine movies you know exactly what to expect. We couldn’t remember seeing any of the previous ones and found this one exciting and entertaining. Frantic action/car chases with beautiful cinematography. Won’t win any acting awards, but fun. And always good to see Charlize Theron.

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Movie 3: BlackBerry

This is a very amusing comic drama about the emergence of the smart phone and the wonky and crazy early tech workplace. Quick paced, good writing and acting. When was the last time you heard the words Napster, Palm Pilot or BlackBerry?

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Movie 1: Wild Life

This is a stunning documentary, spanning decades, about conservationists buying millions of acres of land to set up national parks in Chile and Argentina. And these are no ordinary conservationists. They are the San Francisco based founders of outdoor clothing giants Espirit, The North Face and Patagonia. Beautifully filmed and told.

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Movie 2: Love Again

This movie was a very pleasant surprise. It’s an English language remake of a 2016 German movie. A romantic comedy where a young woman finds love after the death of her fiancé. Good acting and soundtrack. And it was fun seeing Celine Dion in an acting role playing herself.

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Movie 3: Sisu

Set in 1944 Lapland near the end of WWII, a Finnish gold hunter comes across a Nazi patrol. The landscapes and cinematography of Finland are stunning. The blood and violence are totally over the top, yet this movie is absolutely mesmerizing. It has the look, feel and soundtrack of a Quentin Tarantino movie. It isn’t. But if it was it would be an instant cult classic.

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Movie 1: Hypnotic

Where to begin? This is a science fiction/action thriller that at first glance has a whole lot going for it. Top notch actors, writers, directing and a fascinating premise. The daughter of a Texas policeman is kidnapped, and he looks for her. But when the action thriller turns into a Syfy, it takes itself way too seriously. And then just becomes a confusing mess.

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Movie 2: Book Club: The Next Chapter

If you were a fan of the 2018 Book Club movie, then you should thoroughly enjoy this sequel. Four friends go to Italy for a bachelorette party. All four actresses are wonderful. This won’t win any awards, but it is a lot of fun. And it’s a visual love letter to Italy.

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Movie 3: The Mother

This is a tense action thriller just released on Netflix. An assassin comes out of hiding to protect her daughter. The entire cast is very good. Jennifer Lopez is perfect in the role of the mother and assassin.

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Movie 1: Are You There God? It’s Me, Margret.

Based on the 1970 novel of the same name, this little gem of a movie is still relevant after 53 years. This coming of age story is about a wonderfully wide eyed twelve year old being raised with no religion. She experiences everything preteens do trying to fit in. The writing and acting are first rate.

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Movie 2: Mafia Mamma

A sheltered, American suburban housewife inherits her grandfather’s mafia empire. We weren’t expecting much but were pleasantly surprised. This comedy is very well written. Toni Collette, as the mom, is very good and carries the entire movie. Not great, but a lot of fun.

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Movie 3: Renfield

This comedy/drama about a very narcissistic Dracula was much better than we thought. Very well acted. Renfield, played by Nicholas Hoult, is Dracula’s loyal servant, until he isn’t. Awkwafina is always fun to watch.

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Movie 1: Air

This is a very entertaining Ben Affleck directed sports drama about real events. Nike shoes signing Michael Jordan to their first blockbuster contract in 1984. The all-star cast is terrific. Viola Davis, as Jordan’s mother, is marvelous.

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Movie 2: The Covenant

This may be Guy Ritchie’s best movie to date. It is a very well done and explosive movie about an Afghan interpreter left behind when the US pulls out of Afghanistan. The tension is palpable. We found ourselves thinking about this film long after it was over.

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Movie 3: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

If you’ve seen the other Guardian of the Galaxy movies, you will very much appreciate this (supposedly) final installment in the franchise. The Guardians are on a mission to save Rockets (voiced by Bradley Cooper) life. The special effects are fantastic. The friendship and camaraderie between the main characters is fun to watch.

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Movie 1: Dragged Across Concrete

We aren’t fans of Mel Gibson or Vince Vaughn, so we weren’t expecting much from this Netflix movie. We were surprised that it was really well done and entertaining. It is a crime thriller about two suspended, racist cops who go rogue. We still aren’t fans of either guy, but the movie is worth a watch.

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Movie 2: The Night Agent

This is a very entertaining Netflix 10-part series about a low level FBI agent who works a night desk in the White House basement. He discovers a conspiracy within the Oval Office. Hong Chau, as the President’s chief of staff, is excellent.

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Movie 3: I See You

This is a 2019 horror/thriller that is really quite good and intelligent. Kidnappings, disappearances and murder all in one small town. The movie does a good job of wrapping things up and not leaving any loose ends. And it is always good to see Helen Hunt. On Netflix. Special Note: Our movie blog will be on a short hiatus. March 29 we are off to Bilbao, Spain. And then onwards east, west and north from there. We will be in Switzerland with friends for Jim’s 70th birthday. Home May 8.

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Movie 1: John Wick: Chapter 4

The 4th movie in the John Wick franchise is arguably the best. This is a dark, action thriller with amazing and exhausting fight scenes and great locales. This is obviously an expensive movie to make. We enjoyed it much more than we thought we would. Currently there are no plans for another sequel.

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Movie 2: Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

This is an action-adventure fantasy that is a whole lot of fun. Basically a heist movie, the cinematography and special effects are amazing. It does not take itself seriously and the chemistry between the lead characters is perfect. Enjoy the ride!

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Movie 3: A Good Person

This is an honest and heartfelt depiction of addition, accountability and ultimately acceptance and love. Florence Pugh and Morgan Freeman are excellent and at the top of their game. This is a not to be missed movie.

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