Author: James Hathaway

Movie 1: Unicorns

This is a really touching, heartwarming love story between a London auto mechanic and a Pakastani drag queen. While a drama, this movie covers a wide range of human emotions, especially self-discovery and cultural boundaries, with humor and honesty. Very good cast and both leads are perfect in their roles. Wide distribution in the UK and Europe; limited USA with mostly big city art theatres.

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Movie 2: Don’t Let’s Go To The Dogs Tonight

This is a very well acted and directed coming of age story set in April 1980 Rhodesia, as it votes for a new President and to change its name to Zimbabwe.  Seen from the eyes of an eight year old girl (played brilliantly by Lexi Venter) she relates the powerful drama between white and black citizens, and the enormous ‘white flight’ after the election.  Beautiful cinematography.   A very well told story we knew little, if anything, about.

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Movie 3: Eddington

This is a very tense, often chaotic and more than a little confusing satire about the beginning months of the Covid pandemic.  This movie seems to toggle between several movie genres, western, comedy and drama but always coming back to a modern day, and dystopian, western.  A not so honest sheriff is running for mayor of a small New Mexico town.  There really was too much going on to fully understand, or appreciate, the movie.  We will say Joaquin Phoenix gives a tour d force performance.

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Movie 1: Superman

This is a complete reboot of the Superman franchise. In this rendition Clark Kent and Lois Lane are a romantic couple working at the Daily Planet, and Lois knows who Superman is. There is the usual saving the world. While the CGI special effects and the humor in the script are very good, we still found this movie rather confusing. Entertaining enough, but not sure another Superman movie is needed.

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Movie 2: Jurassic World Rebirth

There really is nothing new in this eighth installment of the Jurassic empire, except the very talented cast.  The dinosaurs are dying out and scientists need DNA to help with medical breakthroughs.  Very good special effects.  And like Superman, entertaining enough, but it’s time to let this franchise go extinct.

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Movie 3: Sorry, Baby

This is a rather dark drama-comedy.  Written, acted and directed by Eva Victor.  A young woman realizes her life has become stagnant and looks for ways to move forward.  The script and acting are brutally honest, sometimes uncomfortably so.  We found this movie interesting, but slow and confusing.  But kudos though to Eva Victor for putting together a very thoughtful and, at times irreverent, debut film.

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Movie 1: 28 Years Later

This is a really well made zombie horror movie that is the third movie in this franchise (you do not need to see the first two to appreciate this one).  People live on small English islands as the English mainland is overrun by zombies.  The directing, acting and writing is very good.  This is a very sophisticated and unconventional take on a genre that can be dull and insulting.  We’ve seen this movie twice.  

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Movie 2: M3GAN 2.0

This is a sequel to the very successful original horror film.  A powerful android, who has the ability to think and make decisions, once again is tasked to protect a young girl.  And the action and horror start from there.  Not necessary to have seen the original, but it would help.  We thought the original movie was very entertaining and inventive, the sequel is just OK.

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Movie 3: F1 The Movie

Brad Pitt plays an aging Formula One race car driver looking for one last win. The racing footage, cinematography, acting and directing are all excellent. There is a lot more going on here than just car racing, a sport we knew nothing about. In addition to the visuals, the human narrative is very relatable. A movie we will for sure see again.

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Movie 1: Materialists

This is a very modern, up to the minute romantic drama. A high-end New York City dating agency matches couples to their profiles, with seemingly much success. The acting, writing and directing are all first rate and brutally honest. The chemistry amongst the lead actors is very believable.

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Movie 2: How to Train Your Dragon

This is a family friendly live action remake of the 2010 animated original.  Vikings are supposed to kill dragons, until the son of the Chief Viking decides not to.  Lessons of kindness and friendship follow.  An entertaining movie, with a message, for the whole family.

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Movie 3: Echo Valley

This is a very well-acted and scripted thriller.  A mother (Oscar winner Julianne Moore) tries to help her troubled and drug addicted daughter, going to amazing lengths to do so.  Some tense and suspenseful twists and turns.  Limited release in theatres and also on Amazon Prime.

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Movie 1: The Life of Chuck

This is a surprisingly touching and very effective three part story based on the Stephen King short story of the same name.  It follows the life of an accountant, played brilliantly by Tom Hiddleston.  While King is known for his horror and supernatural stories, this one shines a light on how we live our lives.  

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Movie 2: I Don’t Understand You

This is a comedy, horror, road trip that goes very, very bad.  A gay couple travels to Italy for one more vacation before they adopt a baby.  With obvious language issues they settle into a beautiful farmhouse.  And then a Michelin star dinner goes very wrong.  There is some genuine intrigue and suspense amongst the humor.   

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Movie 3: The Phoenician Scheme

Another Wes Anderson movie with the usual cast of hundreds.  Set in a Mediterranean village in the 1950’s, Benicio del Toro plays a father trying to leave his business to his only daughter, who is a nun.  As with other Anderson films we found this one slow and rather boring.  But also with his other movies, this one is visually stunning and beautiful.  It gets one globe for del Toro’s perfect Oscar caliber performance.

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Movie 1: Karate Kid: Legends

This is a very entertaining and feel-good sequel in this long running franchise. This time the action moves to the rooftops of New York City. Jackie Chan is perfect in his role as a wise and humorous mentor. Ben Wang is amazing as the new karate kid.

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Movie 2: Straw

This is a very tense (and intense), well-acted thriller as the life of a single mom collapses into chaos and heartbreak.  Tyler Perry directed and wrote this timely and relevant movie.  Taraji P. Henson as the mother and Sherri Shepard as the bank manager give stellar performances.  On Netflix.   

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Movie 3: Ballerina

From the creators of the John Wick empire, this is an action packed and very violent addition to the franchise.  A young child watches her father murdered and grows up to travel the world looking for his killers.  Ana de Armas is amazing as the crusading assassin.  And to think just a couple years ago she was nominated for an Oscar portraying Marilyn Monroe!  Good cinematography, but lots of blood and gore.

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Movie 1: Nonnas

Watching this movie was a wonderful reminder of my Italian childhood in Chicago. A middle age man opens an Italian restaurant on Staten Island and hires four grandmothers “nonnas” to do the cooking.  Good fun then ensues.  On Netflix, this makes for a very nice movie experience (eat before you watch it). 

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Movie 2: Jane Austen Wrecked My Life

This is a slow moving and intelligent love story/romantic comedy centering around the lead characters passion for all things Jane Austen.  Many scenes are filmed in the wonderful Parisian bookstore Shakespeare and Company.  Nice cinematography and acting.  French with English subtitles.

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Movie 3: Bad Shabbos

This is a well written and acted Jewish comedy. A New York City family on the Upper West Side has their usual weekly Shabbat dinner. Until things don’t become usual. Very quick witted and entertaining. A fun mix of Catholic and Jewish parents as Wisconsin and the big city collide.

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Movie 1: Final Destination Bloodlines

This is the sixth movie in the Final Destination franchise.  We don’t remember seeing any of the previous five and were surprised how well done this movie was.  There is plenty of blood and gore but a surprising amount of good acting and dialogue.  A young woman has reoccurring nightmares that come true, as one by one her family dies in order of their age.  For sure not for everyone but an interesting couple hours. 

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Movie 2: Hallow Road

This is a very well done, sophisticated psychological thriller.  Two parents receive a frantic call from their daughter in the middle of the night after she has hit someone with her car.  They then try and help their traumatized daughter.  Excellent acting with a very tense script and close up cinematography.  Unfortunately, this movie has not yet been released in the USA.  We saw it recently in London.  Be on the lookout for it.

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Movie 3: Thunderbolts

This is a very high energy thriller/comedy from Marvel.  Once again a group of unlikely super heroes set out to save the planet.  This movie is done in a refreshing, humorous way from the usual Marvel movies we’ve come to expect.  Florence Pugh is wonderful as the Black Widow.

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Movie 1: The Accountant 2

This is a very enjoyable and watchable follow up to the 2016 original action thriller. Ben Affleck and Jon Bernthal reprise their roles as dysfunctional and combative brothers. An acquaintance is murdered and the brother’s team up to find the killers. Good action, suspense and fun dialogue. The Accountant 3 is planned and will bring back Anna Kendrick’s character from movie one.

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Movie 2: Lilo and Stitch

This is a well made live action animated remake from the 2002 original.  It’s a comedy where an alien lands in Hawaii and is adopted by a young girl.  Many of the same cast and voices have returned.  Beautiful cinematography and a good soundtrack.  It has shattered Memorial Day weekend box office records.  This is a fun family movie for all ages.

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Movie 3: Mission Impossible

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Movie 1: The Wedding Banquet

This is an enjoyable remake/update of the much loved 1993 Ang Lee movie of the same name. A Korean young man must decide if he wants to marry the man he loves, and in doing so get a green card to remain in the United States, but also risk being disowned by his wealthy grandparents. This drama/comedy has a realism and warmth that is very fun to see. Excellent writing and acting. And, thankfully, devoid of the usual LGBTQ stereotypes.

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Movie 2: Sinners

Set in the early 1930’s Mississippi, this is a Gothic style horror/ vampire movie that takes place in one long, steamy night.  But unlike any vampire movie we’ve seen before.  Twin brothers move back south from Chicago, buy an old cotton mill, and turn it into a juke joint.  Well told and very well acted.  Michael B. Jordan is perfect as he plays both roles of the twins.

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Movie 3: Warfare

Early in the Iraq war, Navy Seals have randomly selected a house in Ramadi to monitor enemy troop movements.  A true story based on the memories of those who survived, the realism of the visuals and sounds cannot be described as “entertainment”.   Even though bloody and gruesome, this is a brilliant homage to all who served in the Iraq War.  SPECIAL NOTE:  We are off on another adventure to Northern England, Wales and Scotland.  And hopefully several movies along the way.  Movie reviews will return late May.

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