Category: Movies

Movie 1: The Flash

This is another DC comic turned into a wannabe blockbuster movie. A young superhero goes back in time to try and save his mother. But it ultimately ends in chaos. This movie is a total mixed bag. Interesting yet confusing. Excellent special effects and then some of the worst. If you are a fan of The Flash comics you will enjoy this movie. If you are not a fan then you aren’t missing anything.

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Movie 2: Asteroid City

Here is another dense, cumbersome, yet visually stunning, film by Wes Anderson. With his usual cast of about 25 A-list actors. We are not exactly sure what this movie is about. Reviews we’ve read said it’s about grief and how we deal with it. Well, ok, maybe. But we found it another Wes Anderson boring mess.

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Movie 3: No Hard Feelings

This is a wonderfully raunchy romantic comedy that expertly showcases Jennifer Lawrence’s immense talent. A down on her luck Uber driver is hired by wealthy parents to bring their Princeton bound son “out of his shell”. In addition to the comedy, this film can be very poignant on several levels. A fun time at the movies!

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Movie 1: The Blackening

A group of friends rent a house in the woods to celebrate Juneteenth. We thought this was going to be a horror film. Turns out to our surprise it is an excellent horror comedy. This movie mixes humor, horror and race with poignant and relevant messaging. There is definitely a lot here for conversation. We will see it again.

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Movie 2: Extraction 2

This action thriller starts off where the first Extraction ended. (Not necessary to see the first film, but it may be helpful). Chris Hemsworth plays a mercenary out to rescue a family entangled with the Georgian mafia. This is a very fast paced, high budget, action packed, violent thriller. Both the original and this sequel are on Netflix.

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Movie 3: Elemental

We found this Disney animated film charming with fantastic visual effects. This is wonderful family entertainment while subtly addressing several social topics, i.e., fire and water fall in love. Our theatre was full with many kids under the age of ten.

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Movie 1: The Boogeyman

Based on a 1973 short story by Stephen King, this is a horror movie about the mythical character all kids grow up with. It has some intelligent moments but is not very scary and not particularly well done.

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Movie 2: Past Lives

This is a wonderfully scripted and acted movie about two young friends in Seoul, South Korea who find each other 20 years later. One married and living in New York City, the other single and still living in Seoul. There are many layers to this intimate, slow moving and complex love story. In English and Korean with English subtitles.

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Movie 3: Persian Lessons

Based on true events, a young Jewish man in a concentration camp persuades the Nazi’s that he is Persian and not Jewish. One of the camp commanders wants to learn Farsi and demands that he teach him. This is a powerfully told story about the human spirit and its will to survive. In German and French with English subtitles.

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Movie 1: About My Father

This is a comedy which we actually enjoyed more than we thought we would. An Italian immigrant is invited to meet the parents of his son’s fiancé over the 4th of July. There are some very funny and charming moments. This movie won’t win any awards, but it is an entertaining couple of hours.

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Movie 2: Transformers: Rise of the Beasts

We found this the most enjoyable, and fully developed, of the Transformers franchise. This is a sci-fi action movie with fantastic and innovative special effects. Critics are giving this movie mixed reviews, but it is making a ton of money worldwide.

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Movie 3: Daliland

This movie chronicles the later life of the mustachioed artist Salvador Dali, portrayed wonderfully by Ben Kinsley. The acting and writing are very good. Dali’s eccentric life, odd relationships and various famous friends make this movie very interesting.

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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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