Author: James Hathaway

Greetings to everyone. This movie post will be the last post in the old format. We will be transitioning to a new, more robust format, with big changes that will make it easier to read and more informative. J&J

Little Woods

Little Woods, North Dakota is a fracking boom town. This is a gritty film about the opioid crisis, survival, drug dealing, unplanned pregnancy, and sisters struggling to make ends meet.

The film is written and directed by award winning director Nia DaCosta. Be advised, this film is not always easy to watch but if you are up for a great story with great performances, then seek this one out.

It’s appropriately rated R for language and drug material. It is listed as a Drama. It is NOT appropriate for children. The run time is 103 minutes.

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High Life

Where to start! First…many prominent critics are raving about this film as “poetic”, “rewarding” and “challenging”. We disagree and choose “gritty”, “pathetic” and “tedious” as better descriptions.

It’s a shame given the cast of accomplished actors including Robert Pattinson, Claire Denis and Juliette Binoche.

It’s rated R for disturbing sexual images including violent sexual assault, graphic nudity and language. Well doesn’t that sound like your average sci-fi romp?! Obviously, it is not appropriate for children. It runs a painful 110 minutes. Its genre is noted as Action & Adventure, Art House & International, Science Fiction & Fantasy.

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Nureyev

If you have the opportunity to catch this documentary about the life of Rudolf Nureyev do not hesitate for a minute. It includes extraordinary rare footage that reveals the genius of this amazing man and legendary dancer.

It’s also a history lesson on Russia as it chronicles the events from his childhood to international stardom. The production is a ‘no holds barred’ approach to Nureyev’s professional and private life, his charisma, creativity, and thirst for life. Much of the footage has never been seen before now.

This film is not rated. The run time is 115 minutes (and worth every minute). The film seems to be in limited release in the US. That seems odd given it’s release in Italy and Denmark in 2018 and Belgium and Netherlands in 2019.

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Hello all.  Tomorrow we are off to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for a week with family.  There probably won’t be any posts until we get back.  Happy Easter to all!

J&J

Shazam

Shazam is the 7th installment by the DC “Extended Universe”.  In this film the comic book character Shazam, formerly known as Captian Marvel, is now a 14 year old orphan Billy Batson who has fun exploring his new powers, albeit in a charming child like way.

Before long the bad guy, Dr. Thaddeus Sivana, turns to ancient powers with a goal to steal Shazam’s powers for himself.

Overall, the acting is adequate with the film one part comedy, one part fantasy, sometimes dark, sometimes down right goofy.

It’s rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action, language and suggestive material.  This film is suitable for older children. It’s listed as Action & Adventure, Science Fiction & Fantasy with a run time of 130 minutes.

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Slut in a Good Way

First, we hate the title.  It’s a lousy way to attract attention and creates a crummy image for this coming of age film from Quebec, Canada.  It’s entirely in French with English subtitles.  This can be a bit of a challenge as all of the dialog is in rapid French so the subtitles fly just as fast.  Don’t let that deter you.  This movie is charming, relevant with a soft landing.

Having grown up with two older sisters and scads of nieces (and nephews), this film was a reminder of the trials and tribulations that generations of youngsters encounter during those phases in life.

One highlight repeats a few times in the film.  It’s Maria Callas belting out short segments of  Bizet’s Carmen Habanera.  Also unique, there are almost no adults in the film.

Another interesting aspect of the plot is the spin on the Greek play Lysistrata, where the women refuse to sleep with the men as a protest and level the playing field.

The film is rate R for sexual content, drug use, drinking, and language – all involving teens.  The genre is noted as Comedy with a run time of 92 minutes.  It’s not suitable for young children.

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Amazing Grace

This documentary was created from concert footage at two of Ms. Franklin’s 1972 performances at the New Temple Baptist Church in Los Angeles.  As long time fans of Ms. Franklin it was required viewing.  We were not disappointed.

It’s quite remarkable actually.  Buried for decades the footage was shot on 16mm film.  It’s not today’s quality film making but it is a fascinating peek at Gospel music and a black Gospel perspective of worship and admiration.

Our research suggests Aretha herself blocked the release of this film for decades ‘not worthy’ for public release apparently because of technical snafus and such (many obvious in this rendition).  This film was only released after Ms. Franklin’s death last year.

It’s currently in limited release with an 87 minute run time.  The film is not rated.  If you are a fan, seek it out.

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The Invisibles

Here’s a film worth seeking out.  The title is a reference to Jews hiding in Berlin in the early years of World War II.  Those in control of Germany at that time were convinced they had eliminated all German Jews from Berlin which meant they had been deported to the “camps” for elimination.

The script is based on true events and the interviews of two men and two women survivors.  They were 4 of 7,000 Jews (out of 160,000) who hid in Berlin after Nazi Joseph Goebbel announced Berlin was “free of Jews” in 1943.  By the time the war ended only 1,700 Berlin Jews had survived.

The core cast is made up of 20 mostly young German actors.  Their performances overall are believable and realistic.  Another 20 actors round out the rest of the cast.

The film is listed as a Historical Drama.  It is not rated.  The run time is 110 minutes.  German, with English subtitles.

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P Storm

This film is the latest in the action series, preceded by Z Storm, S Storm, and L Storm.  Who knew?!  Its genre is noted by the movie website Popcorn Singapore as Action/Crime.

The entire story is mostly set in the Hong Kong Correctional Services with some scenes scattered around or near Hong Kong.  The story line is about an inmate, played by Raymond Lam, who bribed prison officers to ‘look the other way’ regarding attacks on other inmates.  William Luk, played by Louis Koo, is an undercover agent who infiltrates the prison as an inmate to investigate the crimes.

The plot is a bit hard to follow.  It’s hard to determine the good guys from the bad guys as the subtitles in Mandarin and English fly by (quite common for Chinese films).  The films language is Cantonese.

The action is quite violent with constant gang fights.  It’s often confusing with subtle commentaries on China and Hong Kong’s ‘moral compass’.  This film is not rated in the US.

To quote the South China Morning Post movie critic Edmund Lee:  …”the script is thoroughly detached from reality, but P Storm is never boring, and there are worse ways to spend 96 minutes.”

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Pet Sematary

The long awaited film version of Stephen King’s horror novel is in theaters now.  Have you had trouble sleeping lately?  This one just might provoke a nightmare!  It starts out calm enough but gets really creepy really fast.  It starts with a frumpy cat and takes off from there.

The acting is pretty good.  Jason Clarke plays the father.  Amy Seimetz is the wife.  Jete Laurence plays the daughter and three year old twins play the little brother Gage.  John Lithgow plays the weird neighbor.  A handful of bit parts round out the rest of the cast.

The film is rated R for horror, violence, bloody images and some language.  We do not feel this film is appropriate for young children or sensitive youngsters.  It gets very intense for quite a while.

The genre is listed as Horror with a run time of 101 minutes.

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Hotel Mumbai

This production is outstanding.  It is not easy to watch but it’s a riveting recreation of the 2008 siege on the Hotel Mumbai, the flagship hotel property of the Taj Hotel group, India.

Perhaps the most important characteristic of the production is its accurate depiction of the four day siege, November 26-29, 2008.

Ten Pakistani terrorists killed 164 people in the assault.  Ultimately nine of the terrorists were killed.  One survived and was later executed in November of 2012.

The cast is exceptional and believable.  Armie Hammer plays the husband David.  Nazanin Boniadi plays his wife Zahra.  Tilda Cobham-Hervey is excellent as the Nanny.  English actor Jason Isaacs plays the Russian businessman.  Dev Patel as a hotel waiter and Anupam Kher as the Head Chef round out the core actors.

The film is rated R for violence, bloody images and language.  This film should not be viewed by young children.  This film is being applauded for its accuracy and detail to true events.  The run time is 123 minutes.

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The Beach Bum

Disgusting, vulgar, sexist, pornographic, pervasive.  Gross drunken behavior, excessive drugs and perverted sexual activities…is this really what the film industry aspires to?!

Featuring Zac Efron, Matthew McConaughey as Moon Dog, Isla Fisher, Jonah Hill, Snoop Dogg, Martin Lawrence, Stefania LaVie Owen, Jimmy Buffett and Bertie Higgins.

This film is not worthy of an audience.  80 percent of the ticket holders in our theater got up and left.  We foolishly kept waiting for something worthy of our attention…but it never came.

It’s listed as a comedy with a run time of 1 hour 35 minutes.  Rated R for excessive drug and alcohol use, language throughout, nudity, and strong sexual content.

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Sunset

This film is set in 1913 Budapest, just before World War I and the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.  It’s the story of Irisz Leiter, the daughter of the former owners of the famed Leiter hat store.  She is seeking some understanding of her deceased family.

The film is interesting but confusing.  The story unfolds in a series of vague but tense scenes, often suggestive but mostly tedious suspense.  This is a very dark film.

This is Hungarian Director Laszio Nemes’ second feature film (after Son of Saul, 2015).  Unfortunately we cannot recommend it.  Its primary languages are Hungarian and German with English subtitles.

As one fellow movie goer said to us immediately after “I speak fluent Hungarian and German and I have no idea what this movie was about.”  We agree wholeheartedly.

It’s rated R for violence.  It’s listed as a drama.  It is not appropriate for children.  The run time is a whopping 144 minutes.

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Lost & Found

This is a unique movie, at times charming, and other times slow.  Seven interconnected stories in and around an Irish village and its train station.  The film is inspired by true stories from the immediate area.  The stories span one week in time.

The cast includes 11 Irish actors.  Liam O Mochhain, Norma Shehan, Brendan Conroy, Aoibhin Garrihy, Liam Carney, Mary McEvoy, Sean Flanagan, Lynette Callaghan, Seamus Hughes, Barbara Adair and Donncha Crowley.

The seven stories merge into a series, heavy on Irish humor and quirkiness.  Some of it is silly, sometimes melancholy, and occasionally awkward.

This film is not rated.  It is listed as a Comedy, Drama with a run time of 92 minutes.  While there is no reason children could not view this film, some of the dialog and accents might be a bit hard for youngsters to follow.

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Dumbo

Disney and Tim Burton teamed up on this film.  Consensus is the new live action version is visually stunning with a dark cloud underbelly.  While the original 1941 version was only 64 minutes long, the newest rendition relies on Computer Generated Images (CGI) for its Dumbo character.

There is a hefty cast which includes Eva Green as Colette, Colin Ferrell as Holt, Danny DeVito as Medici, Nico Parker as Milly, Michael Keaton as Vandermere and Alan Arkin as J. Griffin.

Other notable performances include Joseph Gatt as Neils, Sharon Rooney as Miss Atlantis, Lars Eidinger as Hans, DeObia Oparei as Rongo, Roshan Seth as Pramesh, Sandy Martin as Verma and Douglas Reith as Sotheby.

Reviews have been tepid and mixed.  At times inventive and charming.  At other times it’s a dark, flawed attempt to replace a masterpiece.  Time will tell on this one.  We enjoyed it.

It is rated PG for peril/action, some thematic elements and brief mild language.  About half our audience were children who seemed riveted.  The genre is Animation, Kids & Family, Science Fiction & Fantasy running 112 minutes.

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Transit

This film has enjoyed mostly favorable reviews from the critics.  We are not sure why?!  It’s based on a 1944 book by Anna Segher.  The book was set in 1942 when the Nazi’s were invading France from the North and the South.

In this film, which is set in modern times, there is no explanation about the threats, invasion, police raids, travel papers, street violence and murders.  All we know is Germany is invading France in 2018.

It’s a shame actually.  The acting is quite good.  The cast includes the German actors Franz Rogowski, Paula Beer, Barbara Auer, Matthias Brandt and Trystan Putter along with Iranian actress Maryam Zaree.

This film is not rated.  It’s listed as Art House & International, Drama with a run time of 101 minutes.  By the way, if by chance you do see this film, do wait until the very last scene for a surprise ending.  It’s (almost) worth waiting for.  French and German with English subtitles.

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The Mustang

Oddly enough this film is an American-French-Belgian production about a Nevada prison program to pair wild mustangs with hardened inmates, with the goal being everybody has something to learn and benefits (when the program works).

The acting is pretty good.  The cast includes the Belgian actor Matthias Schoenaerts in the leading roll as Roman.  Jason Mitchell plays a fellow inmate Henry.  Bruce Dern plays the tough program manager Myles.  Gideon Adlon plays the daughter Martha.  Connie Britton plays the prison psychologist.  Another 20 actors play various rolls as prison guards or inmates.

It’s interesting partly because it is based on true events but it also reveals the cold brutal reality surrounding the prison system, the way they operate and the human fallout that comes with incarceration.

Reviews have been generally favorable.  The film is listed as a drama.  It is rated R for language, some violence and drug content.  We do not recommend viewing for children.  The run time is 96 minutes.

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The Aftermath

This film is set in 1946 Hamburg, Germany right after the end of World War II.  It’s an interesting story about a British Colonel who is assigned the task of rebuilding the City of Hamburg.  There is still a lot of tension between the German population and the British who try to jump start the recovery process.

The big twist in this story is the Colonel decides to “share the house” owned by the ranking German family in Hamburg.

It has a skilled cast.  Keira Knightly plays the Officer’s wife.  Jason Clarke plays the husband and Colonel.  Alexander Skarsgard plays the head of the German family and “other man”!  Seventeen year old Flora Thiemann plays the young German daughter.  Another 20+ actors round out the cast.

As you might imagine, there is quite a bit of angst and tension, more than a few twists and turns.  Overall it is an interesting time in history, with some unique characters.  The film is rated R for profanity, violence and gore, and sex & nudity.  As a result we do not recommend this film for children.  It’s listed as a Drama with a run time of 108 minutes.

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The Hummingbird Project

This is an intelligent and well acted film about two cousins from New York who hatch an idea to run fiber optic lines underground from Kansas to New York City that would transmit trading orders in milliseconds ultimately worth millions of dollars in profits.

Anton, played by Alexander Skarsgard is the brains while his cousin Vincent, played by Jesse Eisenberg is the hustler.  Selma Hayek is their former boss.  Her character is intelligent, brutal and ultra competitive.  Michael Mando (who speaks several languages and has lived on four continents) plays a highly skilled contractor.  Also noteworthy is John Heldenbergh’s bit part as an Amish Elder.

It’s also a story about family, power and integrity.  It’s one part thriller, one part suspense, one part success at any cost personal or material.  All that said, it’s a bit far fetched…more than once.

It’s rated R for language throughout.  It is listed as a Comedy (not sure why), Drama, Mystery & Suspense.  We do not feel this is children appropriate.  The run time is 111 minutes.

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The Highwaymen

This is an updated rendition of the original from Arthur Penn’s 1967 film where the focus is more on Texas Rangers, Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson, who hunt down Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow under the authority of then Governor of Texas played by Kathy Bates.

It’s a much more intense, brutal version from the original film.  The critic’s comments vary significantly on this version of the story.

The cast makes this edition much different from the first release.  The focus is more on the lawmen that made history than it is about Bonnie and Clyde.  In addition to Costner and Harrelson are Kim Dickens as Gladys Hamer, Emily Brobst as Bonnie Parker, Edward Bossert as Clyde Barrow.  Kathy Bates gives a cameo role as Texas Governer Ma Furguson.  Another 60+ actors round out the cast.

The film is rated R for strong violence and bloody images.  It is listed as Drama, Mystery & Suspense with a run time of 132 minutes.  We do not think this film is appropriate for viewing by children.  It’s just too violent.  This film is also available on Netflix.

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Five Feet Apart

This intriguing film title speaks to the leading characters who suffer from cystic fibrosis.  CF (cystic fibrosis) is a genetic terminal illness with no cure.  It affects about 30,000 people a year in the US alone.  The “six feet apart” rule applies to the distance CF patients must distance themselves from each other or risk contracting the other’s infections.  The story gets pretty serious and intense at one point.

The cast is filled with young folks.  Haley Lu Richardson shines as Stella.  Cole Sprouse is exceptional as Will.  Moises Arias is touching as Poe.  Swedish actress Emily Baldoni is Julie.  British actress Claire Folani plays Meredith.  Another British actress Parminder Nagra plays Dr. Hamid.  Kimberly Hebert Gregory is brilliant as Nurse Barb.

This movie is rated PG-13 for thematic elements, language and suggestive materials.  It’s listed as a Drama, Romance but is probably not suitable for younger children.  The run time is 120 minutes.

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Us

From the Director of Get Out, Jordan Peele’s second thriller is attracting large audiences.  Only this edition is much more ambiguous with many more nuances and symbolism.

The Oscar winning Screenplay writer has come up with a film that is creepy, terrifying and inventive that might well haunt your thoughts for a while.  Ironically enough the film is set on the coast of Northern California where Lupita Nyong’o plays the wife and mother at her beach side childhood vacation home.  Winston Duke plays her husband and father to their two children (Shahadi Wright Joseph plays their son and Evan Alex is their daughter).

There have been some mixed reviews but overall we enjoyed the film.  That said it may be too intense for children.  It is rated R for violence, terror and language (and much more to be fair).  It is listed as Horror, Mystery, Thriller and Suspense with a run time of  2 hours, 1 minute.

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Sorry Angel

This film is set in 1993 Brittany and Paris, France.  It was a period of shock and horror when the AIDS disease was spreading rapidly outpacing medical, technical and technological services at the time.

It is also the story of the relationship that develops between two men who come together at two different points in their lives.  Ultimately, it’s a heartbreaking story about life, love, friendship, mortality and finally AIDS.

The film is beautifully filmed with an excellent core cast of a dozen French actors.  It was sometimes difficult to watch and a reminder of the horror the AIDS epidemic caused in the 1990’s.

The talented young French cast includes: Pierre Deladonchamps, Vincent Lacoste, Adele Wismes, Quentin Thebault, Denis Podalydes, Clement Metayer, Tristan Farge and Tomas Gonzales.

The film is not rated.  Its language is French with English subtitles with a run time of 2 hours, 12 minutes.  It is not suitable for children.

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Ash is Purist White

This is a most intriguing film.  It spans almost two decades in multiple locations.  It starts in 2001 and ends in Shanxi, a province in Northern China in 2018.

It is a rare look into local turf wars and brutal street fights.  There is a sobering look at the prison system and deep rooted cultural conflicts that span generations.  It’s also a fascinating look at China’s evolution over the last 20 years.

The film is a peek into a China most of the world rarely sees.  Gangsters, gamblers, hustlers, psychopaths, street gangs and con artists.  The tone of the film becomes neither nostalgic nor optimistic.

The film was written and directed by long time director Zhangke Jia.  It stars an all Chinese cast with Tao Zhao, Fan Liao, Yi’nan Diao, Xiaogang Feng and Casper Liang.  It is listed as a Drama, Romance with a run time of 2 hours, 16 minutes.  It is not suitable for children.  Mandarin with English subtitles.

If you are looking for something different, this film is well worth a watch.

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Yardie

First released at Sundance 2018, this film was directed by Idris Elba based on the novel by the same name.  It begins in Jamaica when the lead character “D” was just a boy and witnessed his brother being shot in a drug deal.

In time D is hired to make a cocaine delivery to a British gangster boss in London.  Soon the film becomes about revenge for his brother’s death and his commitment as a drug dealer.

The cast includes Aml Ameen as D, Stephen Graham as the Boss, Naomi Ackie as Mona, Calvin Demba as Sticks, Shantol Jackson as Yvonne, Akin Gazi as Arif, Marks Smith as Raggz, Fraser James as Piper, Philips Nortey as Nico and Rayon McLean as Skeets.

It’s first set in 1970’s Kingston, Jamaica and later in 1980’s Hackney London.  The acting is believable with great visuals and plenty of reggae sound tracks.

This film is not rated.  The genre is listed as Drama/Crime with a run time of 1 hour 42 minutes.  We do not feel this film is appropriate for children.  Jamaican English with English subtitles.

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Apollo 11

It is a bit of a surprise this film wasn’t made sooner.  This stunning film about the Apollo 11 lunar landing in 1969 is spectacular all these years later.  It is being released in both IMAX and conventional format.  We chose the later and left completely satisfied with the visuals.

Neil Armstrong was the Commander, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins were the pilots.  The film was released at Sundance in January.  Later this year Apollo 11 will celebrate its 50th anniversary.

The film has been listed as a Documentary, History.  It’s rated G for General audiences.  The run time is 1 hour, 33 minutes.  Don’t miss this film.  It is well crafted and worth while, especially for younger audiences who have no real knowledge or insight about how this exceptional event changed the world.

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Gloria Bell

This is an interesting remake of a Chilean film titled Gloria by the same Director Sebastian Lelio.  It’s just different enough to suit the American lifestyle (and audiences) rather than the Latin version.

The cast is compact.  Julianne Moore plays a 50+ Gloria.  John Turturro is the ex-Marine love interest Arnold.  Michael Cara plays Gloria’s son, Brad Garrett plays the ex-husband.  Rita Wilson plays Gloria’s girlfriend.  Sean Astin and Jeanne Tripplehorn round out the leading characters.

Gloria is at a tipping point in her life and career, young at heart, intelligent, attractive, energetic, engaging.  Her life is full but complicated, missing that special something.  Ultimately heartwarming, this is the story adults of a certain age can relate to.

It’s rated R for sexuality, nudity, language and some drug use.  We do not recommend viewing for children.  It’s listed as a Comedy, Romance with a run time of 102 minutes.

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Captive State

It’s set in the not too distant future when the planet is controlled by a powerful alien culture far superior to humans.  It’s set in Chicago.  (Let’s think about that.  I’m a superior species in every way with dominion over Earth…where do you set up your HQ…duh… Chicago?)

There are pockets of resistance but the aliens don’t seem too concerned about the humans.  In fact, the aliens don’t seem too concerned about much of anything.  The audience learns nothing about the interlopers, their powers or weaknesses.  In general, most humans seem to accept the aliens as a given and find ways to eek out a life nonetheless.

The cast is a mixed bag.  Machine Gun Kelly plays Jurgis.  Madeline Brewer plays Daniel.  John Goodman is the headliner human in charge.  Ashton Sanders, Vera Farmiga, Kiki Layne and Jonathan Majors round out the strongest characters.

The film is rated PG-13 for sci-fi violence and action, some sexual content, brief language and drug material.  We do not feel this film should be viewed by children.  It’s listed as a Drama, Mystery & Suspense, Science Fiction & Fantasy with a run time of 1 hour, 50 minutes.  Save your time and money and skip this one.

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