Author: James Hathaway

Greetings to all from Wisconsin (again).  We have been back in Wisconsin for a late summer visit including a mini family reunion.  Weather has been unseasonally cool with a few warm sunny days.  Another post to come on that.

The movie scene has changed a bit here.  School started on September 1.  It was a Friday followed by a three day weekend.  (That seemed odd to us.)  We did manage to catch a few films this week.  To our surprise, most midday matinees stopped with first shows starting in the late afternoon.

We fly home tomorrow where the summer fog has ended (hopefully) and the temps will be in the mid to high 70s.  Perfect for us.

Leap!

This animated film will be loved by youngsters and animation fans alike.  It is mostly set in 19th-century Paris.  Two orphans escape their rural orphanage. Victor is an aspiring inventor and Felice dreams of becoming a ballerina.

Ultimately, the film is imaginative, charming, funny and heart-warming.  The primary voice overs are performed by Maddie Ziegler, Elle Fanning, Dane DeHaan, Carly Rae Jepsen and Victor Wolff.  There are at least another dozen actors filling secondary and tertiary roles.

It is rated PG with an Adventure/Dance genre.  The run time is 1 hour, 30 minutes.

Rating:  

Tulip Fever

Where to start on this one.  Audiences and critics were not kind toward this film. Yes, the plot has more twists and turns than the Hollywood Freeway.  Yes, Director Justin Chadwick and Writer Tom Stoppard tried to cram too much story into a 107 minute film.

That said, this is a delightful peek into 17th Century life in Amsterdam, the lives of the Merchant class and commoners.  We enjoyed this movie.  It has a bit of enchantment, romance, history, intrigue and suspense.

There is great cast lead by Academy Award winners Alicia Vikander, Christoph Waltz and Judi Dench.  Other actors with noteworthy performances were Dane DeHaan, Cara Delevingne and Jack O’Connell.

It is rated R for sexual content and nudity.  The genre is noted as a Drama/Indie film.   Please let us know what you think it you see this one.

Rating: 

I Do…Until I Don’t

This was a most peculiar film.  It is about a jaded British filmmaker fixated on her concept of conventional marriage.  She believes marriage should be a seven year contract, followed by disolution, renewal, replacement or alternative of choice.

It is written, directed and produced by Lake Bell who also plays one of the character’s wives.  Other noteworthy actors are Amber Heard, Chance Crawford, Mary Steenburgen and Paul Reiser.

It is rated R for sexual material and language.  It is listed as a comedy.  It is less than perfect, sometimes funny, and often ridiculous.  It runs 103 minutes.  It may be useful to kill a couple of hours on a long plane ride…  John and I were literally the only two in the theater.

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We managed to squeeze in a couple of more movies before flying to Milwaukee tomorrow/today for the next couple of weeks over the Labor Day weekend.  More to follow depending on releases in greater Milwaukee area.  Cheers to all!  J&J

Whose Streets?

Wow!  This is a compelling, disturbing and powerful documentary film about the events and fallout of the 2014 Ferguson, MO siege and aftermath.  It takes its point of view from the activists and people on the street.  This event sparked a global movement about all types of social injustices.

Moreover, it is a razor sharp focus on the local racism that drove both the events and the aftermath of the Ferguson failure.  It is rate R for strong language and powerful social issues.

It is often difficult to watch and yet compelling at the same time.  The extensive ‘live footage’ is powerful and a battle cry for life itself.  The film makers, Sabaah Foyayan and Damon Davis are also the Directors and are wise beyond their years.

Rating 

The Only Living Boy in New York

First, a big thanks to our friend Meredith for suggesting this film to us.  It is in limited release but well worth seeking out whereever you are.  Once again, the critics were not too kind to this movie and yet we found it fresh, contemporary and a reminder why a visit to New York City is always a welcomed adventure.  (Opps, slipped into the Travel category…)

It has a great cast including Kate Beckinsale, the lately prolific Jeff Bridges, uber talented Callum Turner and the timeless Pierce Bronsan.

It is a complicated story about a contemporary urban family, their careers and life choices.  It is rated R for strong language and some drug material.  It is not suitable for young children.

The genre is listed as a Drama and runs 1 hour, 28 minutes.  It is unique, intriguing and refreshing.

Rating 

The Trip to Spain

This is the third “trip” for Director Michael Winterbottom’s travel franchise.  This time along the coast of Spain, again staring Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon.  If  you enjoyed the scenery, food and banter from either of the previous films, you will probably enjoy this film too.

The impersonations the two stars are famous for were sometimes funny but also sometimes annoying, borderline distracting.  That said, the food, wine and Spanish countryside were front and center.  There could have been more  focus on the travel aspect but we were satisfied just the same.

It is listed as a Drama (why not a drama/comedy?).  It is not rated and runs 1 hour, 55 minutes.

Rating 

The Fencer 

This is a delightful film set in the 1950’s Estonia then occupied by the Soviet Union.  The wrinkle is during WWII, Germany forced the enlistment of Estonian civilians as German soldiers.  After the war, the Soviet Union hunted down these Estonians and sent them to Russian prisons.

The movie is a fascinating peek into a rare bit of history.  It is well acted, including lead roles by Mart Avanti as the fencing teacher and the young Ursula Ratasepp as his student.

The story is told in several languages, Estonian, Russian and Armenian (all with English subtitles).  You would expect a sad or depressing story line but we saw hope and resilience, commitment and endurance.

The genre is Drama/Sport and is not rated.  There are lots of young children in the film.  While the backdrop is quite serious, this film could be a great history lesson for young viewers.  The film runs 99 minutes.

Rating 

Birth of the Dragon

This film is a gem for anyone interested in the history about Bruce Lee in the early years.  Since the movie is focused on his life in San Francisco in 1964, it was an easy draw for us.

Philip Ng does a good job of replicating the cocky demeanor of the young Bruce Lee.  Xia Yu does an even better job with his portrayal of Lee’s life long adversary Wong Jack Man.  The result is a film based on true events, action packed and intense.

It is rated PG-13 but as you might expect there is considerable fighting and some adult subject matter.  The genre is noted as Drama/Action with a running time of 1 hour, 43 minutes.

Rating  

 

Good Time

We have no idea where this title comes from, but this Crime/Drama film from New York Directors Ben Safdie and Josh Safdie delivers a tense and dangerous trip for two desperate brothers who botch a bank robbery.  The night goes down hill from there.

That said, it’s the acting that brings this film to life.  Robert Pattinson and Buddy Duress give riveting performances.  The script is compelling and intriguing.  The tone is exhilarating and discomforting at the same time.

This movie is not for everyone.  It is gritty and earned an R rating for language, violence, drug use and sexual content.  It is absolutely not appropriate for children.

Run time is 1 hour, 40 minutes.

Rating:  

Ingrid Goes West

Stalker and stalked come together in this social media gone bad film about two young ladies and their fixation with social media as a life style.  The film is not timid about commentary, sometimes loathsome and/or pathetic.

The acting is a strong suit here.  Aubrey Plaza dazzles as the damaged Ingrid.  Elizabeth Olsen is perfect as the idolized Taylor Sloane.  O’Shea Jackson shines as the boyfriend/landlord.  Billy Magnussen is superb as the evil brother.

Rated R for stalking, drugs and role play sex, with a run time of 1 hour, 37 minutes.  The genre is listed as a Drama/Comedy although we found very little to laugh about.

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Wolf Warrior II

Hollywood and the Western movie machines have long been criticized for pontificating national pride and self righteous commentaries into movies big and small.  Move over Western studios, China is entering the global cinematic scene.

This film, to date the second highest grossing film in Chinese history, is making more money in China than Avatar made in the US.  Think a Chinese Rambo saves a nameless African country from bloodthirsty rebels and mercenaries.

Chinese heart throb Wu Jing is China’s super soldier and Yu Nan is his love interest. Frank Grillo is the enemy bad ass and Samuel Thivierge is the evil assassin.  There are a dozen more actors contributing to this second in a series of films depicting China as a global military tour de force.

Entertaining, refreshing, heavy handed and suspenseful, all at the same time. Very good but, there is unilaterally “too much” of everything, including commentaries and glorified Chinese messages.

The genre is noted as Action/Adventure/Drama/Art House/International.  It runs 121 minutes.  It is not rated, however parents should note there is extensive violence and destruction, and some adult themed material.   Mostly Mandarin with English subtitles.

Rating:  

Lady Macbeth

This story is set in rural England in 1865.  The wife of an older man has an affair while her husband is away.  Wrapped in guise of a tasteful period piece, the story suddenly turns dark as the sweet obedient wife turns evil.

There is a good cast fulfilling an equally good screenplay.  Florence Pugh is the wife, Cosmo Jarvis is the love interest, Christopher Fairbank is the evil husband, and Naomi Ackie is the disapproving servant.

The script has more twists and turns than the freeway.  At the same time, the story is unsettling and quite surprising.  The screenplay is based on novella, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk written by Nikolai Leskov.

It is listed as a Drama running 1 hour, 29 minutes.  It is rated R for mature subject matter.  Definitely not appropriate for children.

Rating

Logan Lucky

This Steven Soderbergh film is a rob-the-racetrack crime comedy/drama.  It is one part clever, one part amusing, one part farce and one part absurd.

It has an all star cast including goofy Daniel Craig, endearing Channing Tatum, impressive Adam Driver, a stoic Seth MacFarlane.  There were also bit parts by Hilary Swank and  Dwight Yoakam just for good measure.

The result is a film with high energy, just the right touch of humor, and doesn’t take itself too seriously.

It is rated PG-13 for some language and crude comments.  The genre is noted as a Comedy, running 119 minutes.

Rating 

The Hitman’s Bodyguard

What a fun story if you like international crime action/adventure films.  It is not perfect, in fact hardly believable.  But once past that, it is an action packed wild ride, intense and surprisingly funny.  The location spans from London to Amsterdam to The Hague.

The cast couldn’t be better.  Ryan Reynolds plays a once world class protection agent foiled by a notorious hit man played brilliantly by Samuel L. Jackson.  His wife is played by Salma Hayek in an over-the-top role.

The film has a James Bond edge to it but ultimately the humor takes the rough edges off the constant and intense action scenes.  Many critics poo pooed this film as having too many cliches.  We say relax, roll with the ride and laugh a little.

It is rated R for violence and strong language.  It is difinitely not suitable for children.  The genre is listed as action, adventure, comedy.  Run time is 111 minutes.

Rating 

 

Greetings to all!

Two weeks after returning to San Francisco, we are generally up to date on movie releases with the exception of a handful of films that came and went (or were never in wide release).  Nonetheless our movie count stands at 115 to date this year.  At this rate we will exceed our record of 2016.

The big surprise this week was Columbus.  Since many of you are avid movie goers like us, we welcome your take on this film, especially since our view is the polar opposite of most critics.

We send our best to you all!

J&J

Wind River

Set in winter in a remote area of the American West, Wind River is both a beautiful and heartbreaking story about death and despair.  Filmed in Wyoming, it captures the setting and tone Director and Screenplay Writer Taylor Sheridan wanted for this movie.

The acting headlines Jeremy Renner as a contract traker, and Elizabeth Olsen as an FBI outsider from Florida.  It was nice to see several Native American actors filling the roles including Julia Jones, Gil Birmingham, Martin Sensmeier, and Tokala Clifford.

This crime drama gets gritty as the scenery gets more beautiful.  It is quite the visual backdrop for such a tragic story.

Rated R for violence and adult subject matter, running 1 hour 51 minutes.  It is listed as a Mystery/Crime genre.

Rating  

Columbus

This is a unique film about a Korean father and son relationship set in a small Indiana college town.  Enter Casey, recent college graduate with a passion for architecture.  Soon a friendship develops. There is angst and drama, blah, blah blah…

Let’s get right to it.  The story drags on and on ad nauseum.  There is a ridiculous amount of time chatting about modernist architecture and horrible upbringings and such.

In full disclosure, we are the odd men out.  Critics nationwide thought this film was the greatest thing since sliced bread, giving it a 9.0 rating out of 10.  It was just way too artsy fartsy for our sensibilities.

It is listed as a Drama/Romance.  It is not rated and runs a long 1 hour, 44 minutes.

Rating  

Menashe

Here is a rare and insightful peek behind the curtains of the New York Hasidic Jewish community and one mans struggle to raise his son after the the death of his wife.

The actors are impressive.  The Menashe character, who works in a grocery store, is played by Menashe Lustig, who in reality is a Hasidic widower whose nature is warm and sensitive.  His son is played by the young Ruben Niborski.

The neighbors and relatives are all involved, especially the rabbi who insists Menashe’s son can only be raised in a household with a father and a mother.

The film is rated PG and the genre is listed as a Drama.  Runtime is 1 hour, 22 minutes.

Rating 

 

All,  Thanks for your patience for the disconnect on “Part 4” of our return drive.  We have been home in S.F. just over one week and we finally have all our technology issues resolved.  So, time to pick up where we left off…

Day 4:  Laramie to Salt Lake City.

We were up early and on the road shortly before day break.  The storms have past and the temperatures dropped into to 60s.  So off we went, westward toward Utah.

Soon we realized the horizon was murky with smoke from the Montana fires and the temps steadily rose into the 90s by the time we arrived in Salt Lake City.

Oh, did I mention more freeway construction?!  Fortunately, traffic was lighter than usual so the slow downs weren’t nearly as bad as the last couple of days.

We arrived in downtown Salt Lake City in the early afternoon.  We decided to catch a movie at the newly developed Gateway Shopping Center.  Bonus: free secure parking courtesy of Megaplex Gateway Theaters.  (See review: Kidnap, post dated 8/4/17.)

Since our room at the Residence Inn was a fully equipped one bedroom apartment we decided to eat in for dinner. Where to shop?!  Nearby Harmons of course.  (Move over Whole Foods…)

Day 5: Salt Lake City to Reno.

At the last minute, we decided to adjust our travel plans.  By extending our driving distance on day 5 we determined we could shave off one day and get home a day sooner.

Day 6:  Reno to San Francisco.

Another early morning departure.  “California here we come…right back where we started from…”

Total miles 2,288.

 

Special Note:  We were delighted to retrieve our computer this morning.  All is well and we are ‘back on line’!  Thanks for your patience and support. J&J

The Midwife

Here’s a movie to seek out if you are a fan of foreign language films.  Set in metropolitan Paris, Catherine Frot plays a midwife whose profession is under attack by the evolution of the medical industry.

Along comes her late father’s mistress, Beatrice, played by the incomparable Catherine Deneuve who humbly declares she has brain cancer and has nowhere left to turn to.

The acting is the reason to see this film.  It is a drama but not overly dramatic.  It is sometimes not too funny and not too melodramatic, but just about right.

The genre is Drama and is not rated in the US.  The run time is 117 minutes.  It is a great opportunity to see two exceptional French actresses in great roles.  French with English subtitles.

Rating 

The Glass Castle

This movie is based on the memoir by the same name.  This actually makes the film better than fiction though it is not always easy to watch.  Woody Harrelson and Naomi Watts play the free spirited parents whose unconventional approach to raising children ultimately results in a serious disfunctional dynamic.  There are moments of humor counterbalanced by moments of significant angst.

Once again, acting is front and center.  Since the story covers the children through adulthood, several actors fill the roles.  Most notably Oscar winner Brie Larson plays the oldest daughter.  Max Greenfield is her fiance.

It is rated PG-13 but there are several scenes that are not suitable for children.  The genre is noted as a Drama/Biography.  It runs a long 2 hours, 7 minutes.

Rating 

A Ghost Story

This is a truly unique film.  Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara play the leads. When Casey’s character suddenly dies, he continues as a ghost observing his heartbroken partner and a series of evolutions.

The story requires a lot of patience and imagination from the viewers.  Those patient enough will be rewarded with a haunting yet voyeuristic view of the world from the ghost’s point of view.

The genre is noted as Drama, Fantasy, Romance and runs 1 hour, 32 minutes.  It is rated R for “imitations of mortality”.  (First we have ever seen that!)  It is sure to prompt conversation.

Rating