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Avengers: Endgame Movie Review

April 26, 2019 (updated April 26, 2019) Published by JMcNaughton

“Avengers: Endgame” is a Marvel super-sized movie about Superheroes in a fragile condition. It is a big Hulked-up (so to speak) massive piñata of Marvel goodies – all built up and then broken open – for all the Marvel fans. The ‘Marvel Extended Universe’ might have seemed at first to be a pompous overselling of a marketing gimmick. But with movie it has been proven to be a very real thing. This movie is a direct tie-in to prior Avengers (Infinity War) movie, and it picks up right at the end of the prior one. So, if you have never seen a Marvel franchise movie before, you might want to catch up on some other ones first. But “Endgame” shows that Marvel knows how get the best talent to create the best movies, based on the very popular Marvel characters. Diving into the thick of it (without revealing any SPOILER items), let us dig in…

In “Avengers: Infinity War”, the Biggest of Big Bad Guys was named Thanos (Josh Brolin). A large collective team of Superheroes attempted to stop him. It included Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth) Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), War Machine (Don Cheadle). But they were also helped by the Guardians of the Galaxy – which includes Star Lord (Chris Pratt) and Gamora (Zoe Saldanda), Drax (Dave Bautista), Rocket (Bradley Cooper) and Groot (Vin Diesel), not to forget Mantis (Pom Klementieff) and Nebula (Karen Gillan). Oh, by the way, there were a couple of other talented Superheroes joining them, Spiderman (Tom Holland) and Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) with Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany), and also Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) and Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman). They all worked to stop him, but…

The effort failed, and Thanos gathered up six special ‘Infinity Stones’, put them into a metal gauntlet – then he snapped his fingers and half of the living universe disappeared. Many of the above-mentioned Superheroes turned to Superdust and floated away. Coming in late to the party was Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), who was first paired up recently dusted Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). She first saves Iron Man and Nebula, and wants to stick around to help. Even if they can find Thanos and eliminate him, it will not bring back the old dusted friends. Five years later, and a surprise return for Ant Man triggers some thoughts on how to retrieve the Stones. Not the band, the original Infinity Stones, prior to being collected by Thanos.

Yeah, it has to do with Quantum Realm time travel jazz, but don’t think about it too hard. After all, Professor Hulk (a new Hulkier version of Bruce Banner) is on the job. Not joining in the fun is Iron Man. Tony Stark and wife Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow). Stark has a young child to think about now. Oh, and if you go back into Time — you might locate people are not around today, such as Stark’s father Howard (John Slattery) and Captain America’s true love Peggy Carter(Hayley Atwell).

Except that Tony Stark is a genius and cannot stop thinking about a way to harness the Quantum Realm and using it.. Using it to what end? If they can travel into the past, to certain dates and places, they will know where the Stones are and they can steal them. Yes, it has become a Galactic Heist Movie. By the way, Black Widow has also rounded up Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), who is handy with a bow and arrow. They split up into teams, and each is set to obtain the Stones before Thanos can get to them. What a wonderful plan. What Could Ever Go Wrong? If you think that this might be more difficult (and more painful) than urinating onto an electric fence, then give yourself a hand.

Many good people are caught up in the savage battle between Thanos and the little pack of Superheros that will do ‘whatever it takes’ to defeat him for good this time around. After all, there are many Marvel movies to be made in the future, and they will need many of these characters back! But honestly – Marvel did such a glorious job to tie up almost every loose thread that this movie zooms right by. You never feel that there is any real bloat in the runtime, and even when the movie slows down a minute or two – it is a scene that this emotional and poignant.

There are a few shocking events, and a bit of self-sacrifice that makes the point clear. This is a Team that will do ‘whatever it takes’. The writing is well thought-out and carefully planned, so every twist and turn becomes a focal point for the next action. Also, there are quite a few flat-out really funny lines. The overall effect is a very fitting ‘Endgame’ to the first Phase of the Marvel movies. A few of the original actors/characters are due to phase out (Iron Man, Captain America, and some others) while newer ones will phase in (Spiderman, Ant Man, Captain Marvel, Doctor Strange, etc.).

Bravo to the team at Marvel Studios. Another decade like this past ten years, and they will have Thanos-like powers. Wait, Is that a good thing???

Teen Spirit Movie Review

April 19, 2019 (updated April 19, 2019) Published by JMcNaughton

“Teen Spirit” is a ‘been there, done that’ standard story of a young teenage girl who wants to break out of her humdrum existence by becoming a famous star. The pathway to stardom is an English talent contest called ‘Teen Spirit’. But she is a basic nobody who lives with her mother on the Isle of Wight (off the southern coast of England). She has a difficult to pronounce last name (her mother was from Poland). But she has a beautiful voice, even with little formal training. She wants to take on this contest, to see if she can conquer the world.

Violet Valenski (Elle Fanning) is that down-and-out farm girl, and her father left many years ago. She attends school and works at a bowling alley with her mother as a waitress. But she sings in the church choir and really breaks out in song when she feeding the pigs or tending to the horses. She finds out that the ‘Teen Spirit’ squad will be in town to select new contestants. She knows her mother will not let her go, so she finds a older guy who has heard her sing ballads at the local talent night in the bar. His name is Vlad (Zlatko Buric) and he knows that Violet could be a very amazing singer. He knows a bit about singing himself. He is a former world-famous opera star.

Violet makes the first cut, but she has to explain to her mother Marla (Agnieszka Grochowska) that she and Vlad are going to audition for ‘Teen Spirit’ for a second time. Her mother is quite angry that Violet did not come to her, and she has many suspicious about Vlad. Why does he look so disheveled, and why does he smell of alcohol? She has misgivings, but then somebody else is selected for the contestant from the Isle of Wight. So it appears that Violet will put her dreams on hold for a while longer. But there is a phone call, telling here that the other person was rejected for the show. Violet will have a pass to the final program in London to compete for the big show.

In London, Violet is ready to take on the competition. She is with Vlad, who has agreed to take her there as long as he becomes her manager. She is getting ready for the performance, and she meets one of the main leaders from the ‘Teen Spirit’ program. Her name is Jules (Rebecca Hall) and she thinks Violet could have quite a future. Even if she does not win the final competition, she offers Violet a nice record contract. Of course, she would have to dump Vlad. Jules would become her real manager, so that Violet could have all the doors opened for her…

There are conflicts and drunken fights, and televised competitions. There are people’s feeling that will be hurt, and a small town on the Isle of Wight who will ecstatic that a local girl is competing. There all sorts of things that you would normally think you would see in a movie like this. There are many fairly standard turn-of-events before the final announcement of the winner. And while that all goes on, Violet just keeps her eyes focused on what she could have if she wins the whole enchilada.

Max Minghella has taken a step out from being just a regular actor to becoming the writer and the director for “Teen Spirit”. His vision is one that has been done over and over again, and he adds very little that is new or refreshing. He does a competent job, but there is not an above average aspect to this movie. Elle Fanning is quite fetching in this role, and her voice is good enough to carry the weight of the role. She has a breathy intensity to her vocals that can be quite pleasing to the ear. Zlatko Buric is pretty good as the down-on-his-luck former opera superstar. Rebecca Hall is also good in a very limited role.

Perhaps the best thing with this movie is that it can be paired with another movie coming out at the same time (“Her Smell”). So you can mix and mash-up these two movies as “Her Smells like Teen Spirit”…

MUSIC FEATURETTE

Watch how music producer Marius De Vries (La La Land) prepared Elle Fanning for her role in this new “Music” featurette:

Peterloo Movie Review

April 19, 2019 (updated April 18, 2019) Published by JMcNaughton

“Peterloo” is an overly ambitious retelling of a British historical event from 1819. It was soon after the Battle at Waterloo and the War was over. British common folk thought that good times would come. But the English royalty and Parliament, plus the wealthy land owners and merchants, continued to abuse the lower classes. They rose up with noble ides, like their American cousins, to rally for more freedom and equality – universal suffrage, voting rights, the end of tariffs and better wages.

This all led up to a sunny day in St. Peter’s Field in Manchester, where a crowd of 60,000 or more came to cheer on a reformist speaker. But at the end, they were trampled, stabbed and shot by the King’s Army and local police. Thus the “Massacre at Peterloo” was born, a play on name “Battle of Waterloo”.

At the end of Waterloo, a single British bugler, Joseph (David Moorst) remains in a field. He stumbles all the way back to his hometown of Manchester. Back with his father Joshua (Pearce Quigley) and mother Nellie (Maxine Peake), life is harder than ever. The end of wartime has ended the hardship, suffering and toil of the common British worker. The dawning of the Industrial Age has made 16-hour days and child labor a big thing. Common people look for a way to get a better deal out of life.

The dream of Radical Reform, a way to change government and society to be more equal and just, is coming to the lower classes. The King and other Royalty are not impressed by the ideas of change. Major speakers, such as Henry ‘Orator’ Hunt (Rory Kinnear) are well known in the country and they are spreading the ideas of equal representation and voting rights.

Many people in Manchester decide that getting Henry Hunt up to the northern reaches of England would spark the population and help to bring about change. The local farmers, small shop owners and textile mill workers plea with him to visit and speak to a crowd of local folk. The District magistrates and local constables are spying on the townsfolk to see if they are getting out of hand. They are worried that a new fresh change in the politics could put them all out of a job.

The Home Secretary in London sends an Army officer to the area to amass a large group of soldiers. They are all back from war in France, so they can be a military show of force at home. Mistrust and bad manners are also getting in the way of a united English people. Various newspaper people are also interested in how the large group of people in Manchester will react when Henry Hunt speaks to them.

The day comes, and Henry Hunt is ready for a big crowd. He has some stirring words to say to everyone. During Hunt’s speech, one of the magistrates reads the Riot Act out of open window – out to the crowd. The crowd does not hear any of that, but now the magistrates are able to disperse the meeting. They will use any means that they require to end Hunt’s speech and to arrest the people in charge.

The Army cavalry charges out riding horses to attack the peaceful assembly with sabers at the ready. Hunt and the others are arrested. The army forces try to clear St Peter’s Fields. But there are too many people, and the entire event ends in bedlam and mayhem. Some people in the crowd are killed and many more injured. The bugler Joseph, now returned home, is stabbed with a sword. He dies, along with a little over a dozen others. There are many more injured and hurting. Word gets out that the “Massacre at Peterloo” was an affront against the English people from their out-of-control government.

“Peterloo” is an honest effort to teach people about a savage and unfortunate event in British history. The biggest problem is the medium that is used. The ideas that are brought up and explained in this movie could have been expanded and given more time to digest – but only if this had been created as a limited mini-series. Perhaps on Amazon Prime, because they are the movie’s main producer. With a length of over two and a half hours, the movie still feels rushed, just because there are too many threads that are left unresolved.

Perhaps Mike Leigh, as the writer, was thinking that he would be paid by the word. There are so many speeches and speechifying in this movie that it eventually gets like verbal assault on the ears. There are never any true human characters in the movie, nobody that makes an emotional connection. Each person was mostly just a symbol – the Old Farmer, the Drunk Townsman, the Sneaky London Political Player, the High-Minded yet Soft-Spoken Leader…

All of these people are given words (lot and lots of words) that seem to written as a dry dissertation by a boring English Professor of British History. Very little of it could be relatable to the honest common workers of Manchester. There is even a part when a woman a small group meeting stands up and complains that everyone is using too many big words that they she does not understand. The same could be said for the audience, most of the time.

Breakthrough Movie Review

April 17, 2019 (updated April 14, 2019) Published by JMcNaughton

“Breakthrough” is a faith-based story of Missouri family rocked by a tragedy that turned into medical miracle. It was all because of the unshakable faith of the mother. Based on a true story from 2015, a young adopted son fell into an icy river and was submerged for over 20 minutes. But the faith and prayers of his mother seemed to bring him back to life at the hospital. The family struggle is depicted in a very straight-forward and moving way.

Joyce Smith (Chrissy Metz) and her husband Brian Smith (Josh Lucas) have an adopted son named John (Marcel Ruiz). They are very involved with their local church. Joyce and Brian went on a mission trip to Guatemala where they adopted John. Joyce has loved John with a fierce protective nature, even when he would rather ignore her feelings. He is a star player on the basketball team, and the family attends church every Sunday. Joyce is not happy with the new leader, Pastor Jason Noble (Topher Grace). She likes more traditional ways, and Pastor Jason is there to shake things up. Joyce still will not call him by his first name, and she hates his 90’s boy band style haircut.

Over a long weekend in February, John and his friends go over to the frozen lake in the town and are goofing around on the ice. The ice suddenly breaks, and the boys are in the icy water. The Fire Department rescue people show up quickly, but by then John Smith has sunk down into the murky depths. A water rescue EMT named Tommy (Mike Colter) is in the water, about to give up on the search – but he hears a voice telling him to “Go back”. He tries again, and finds the body of John underwater. John is brought to the ER, and the doctors are unable to revive his lifeless body.

Joyce is beside herself when she gets to the hospital. She is allowed time with John, until they need to take his body to the morgue. She prays and cries and prays and yells and prays for God to answer her prayer. John’s pulse revives and he is a weak condition. But John is still alive, so they rush him to the Children’s Hospital. A specialist is there named Dr. Garrett (Dennis Haysbert), and he has treated many drowning patients. But there has never been a patient who had been underwater for so long. John might survive, but he could have severe mental difficulties. Brian Smith is so distraught that he cannot be in the hospital room. But Pater Jason shows up to support Johan, and especially Joyce.

Dr. Garrett has put John into an induced coma, so that his body can adjust to trauma that he has gone through. Many of the nurses and other doctors openly speak about John’s condition is tenuous, and that Joyce and Brian should prepare for the inevitable. Joyce is a fierce Mama Grizzly, and she chastises anyone who does not believe that John will be OK. Her strength, which can sometimes turn into pig-headedness, is overwhelming. She finally breaks down and realizes that Pastor Jason is doing the right thing, and she accepts him. She has some medical issues herself, but is strong enough to be a powerful voice for John. She wants the doctors to give him a chance to fight on his own, and orders him taken out of the induced coma.

At the moment of greatest need, Joyce unites her church and her community with enough faith and power to see John back from the dead. Even medical EMT Tommy comes by to tell Joyce that he heard a voice that day to ‘Go back’. But it was not his Fire Chief, or any other human voice that told him to do that. Tommy is not a religious man, but he says that he knows that there is someone above looking out for John. The people from church sign outside of John’s window at the hospital to show their support. So, will John make a ‘Breakthrough’?

Given that a story such as this could be very predicable and could turn very mawkish, the level of acting and direction raises it up to higher standard. You actually do start to care for the predicament that Smith family find themselves in. The human and emotional honesty with the characters turns it into a very uplifting and heartwarming story. Chrissy Metz is a large woman, but she needs to be to contain the size of her heart. Her performance was really emotional and true. Topher Grace is also really good in his role. Dennis Haysbert has the type of gravitas to pull off the role of an experienced Doctor. You just wish that he would turn to Joyce when John is put into the hospital room and tell her – “He’s in Good Hands”…

All in all, it is strong contender for a wide and positive audience reception, even outside a faith-based community. There is a little bit of a play on words with the title of the movie, “Breakthrough”. It could stand for the time when the boys ‘break though’ the ice of the river. But it could also be reflective of the medical ‘break though’ when John recovers. God Only Knows…

Hellboy Movie Review

April 12, 2019 (updated April 11, 2019) Published by JMcNaughton

“Hellboy” is another reckless reboot that nobody had asked for and was not handled with much care. Based the dark comics “Hellboy”, this ground has been previously trod by director Guillermo del Toro and Ron Perlman (as Hellboy). With del Toro’s flair for visual style and Perlman’s knack for tough guys with a heart of gold, it did not seem that there would be any more areas for growth.

But of course, that never did stop Hollywood from cranking up the old Reboot Machine to start the whole mess over again. Because you can’t go wrong with a movie that includes a Demon child, an undead sorceress, fairies, giants, King Arthur, Merlin, Excalibur, Nazis, Rasputin, giant human-warthog hybrids, Mexican Lucha libre, seers, secret societies, Alice in Wonderland, a man who can turn into a jaguar, Baba Yaga and Lobster Johnson. You can’t go wrong with all that, right? Well, maybe so…

Hellboy (David Harbour) is a spawn of the devil and was brought to Earth years ago. He was raised by Professor Bruttenholm (Ian McShane) who now leads a group called the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (B.P.R.D.). This group hunts down odd creatures who invade the Earth from time to time. Hellboy is sent down to Mexico to find an agent who has gone missing. He finds the agent who is now working as a Lucha libre wrestler. There is darkness coming, and the end – says the agent in his last dying words.

Hellboy is next sent by Bruttenholm to England, to help a secret society take out a band of Giants. They explain that an ancient undead sorceress named Nimue the Blood Queen (Milla Jovovich) is sending her minions out to resurrect her. The members of the secret society want to ambush Hellboy. The Giants beat them to the punch, and all of them are dead – except for Hellboy. He finds himself saved by Alice Monaghan (Sasha Lane) who knew him from way back. He saved her from being kidnapped by fairies at a young age.

Hellboy is joined by Alice and a special British M-11 agent named Major Ben Daimio (Daniel Dae Kim). They need to locate Nimue before she can bring about the end of the world. Alice has special psychic abilities, and Daimio can turn into a were-jaguar. So, they have a great team going. Nimue is using human-warthog to do her bidding and she is gaining strength. She will be able to take over the world, and she wants a huge Demon spawn to be her king. Are you interested, Hellboy? Once that Hellboy learns of his heritage going back to King Arthur, he is offered the Sword Excalibur. But if he takes it, he will be the one to bring ruin to the world.

But will Hellboy give in to the wishes of the Nimue the Blood Queen? Will Professor Bruttenholm, Alice and Major Daimio survive the onslaught of the newly freed minions of Nimue? Will you be able to handle the curse words and the buckets of digital blood sprayed over the screen? Will the number of red herrings and loose ends drive you crazy? Will the clunky dialog land easy on your ears, or be a bombastic buzzsaw of clichés? Will the movie make any sense at all, or will it be overwhelmed by the superior versions that have come before? You can decide…

This movie is attempting to make a new version of Hellboy, one that is darker and more bloody and vicious. Yet the story does not hold together very well, and the dialogue might be cursed in the same way as the evil monsters. It is bad, but not ‘so Bad it is Good’. Ever since Deadpool showed that is was possible to have an R-rated comic book anti-hero that rocks the box office, Hellboy thinks it can follow the same path.

David Harbour does an adequate job as Hellboy, but he is just too nice to be so nasty. Ian McShane is terrific as the Professor, and he kills it. Thomas Haden Church has mostly a cameo role in this movie, and he might have been a superior Hellboy – if he had the role. The direction is good in the action and fight sequences, but elsewhere is tends to drag. Most of that is due to the off-kilter writing and the extended story lines, because there are multiple ones.

“Hellboy” needed a reboot the same way that an electric car needs an oil change. But with an oil change, you don’t get all the violence and bloodshed. Unless you have a very unusual mechanic…

Shazam! Movie Review

April 5, 2019 (updated April 2, 2019) Published by JMcNaughton

“Shazam!” is a magical treat from the DC Comics Universe, because it takes a totally different approach to this version of a Superhero. It goes back to echo the 1988 film “Big”. Take a young kid about fifteen years old, and transform him, but not into Tom Hanks as an adult. Instead this movie will infuse him with Superhero posers that come from Ancient Gods and Warriors. Turn him into the “Champion of Eternity” – with all these powers: the wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Hercules, the stamina of Atlas, powers from Zeus, the courage of Achilles, and the speed of Mercury. Hey, doesn’t that spell out “SHAZAM”?

An orphan in Philadelphia named Billy Batson (Asher Angel) gets into trouble with the police, again. His last chance is with a foster family who has a few other kids in their home. Billy meets his foster-brother Freddy Freeman (Jack Dylan Grazer) who has crutches and gets bullied at school. Billy defends his friend and needs to flee from the bully’s rage. Escaping onto a subway car, it turns into a magical entrance to a Hall of Champions. There is an ancient Wizard named Shazam (Djimon Hounsou). He is the last of the Champions. He had tried to find a human with a pure heart in the past, but he failed to find the right one. Billy is the best one to take control, only thing he needs to do is say the word.

Billy says the magic word, and the Ancient Wizard is gone. Billy has now become the (much older) superpowered one named Shazam (Zachary Levi). He can use the name to transform back and forth into the Billy (the Kid), or back into the Eternal Champion – Shazam. All in all, a pretty good day! Shazam makes it back and convinces Freddy that the massively super-powered person named Shazam is really still Billy on the inside. Freddy is well-versed in all Super-powers, since he reads all the DC Comics. Billy needs to become Shazam when there are people he can save, so they can both make a little money on the side.

However, there is another person in the city who was once tested by the Ancient Wizard. Years ago, Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong) was taken but he proved himself unworthy of the honor to Eternal Champion. Sivana finds a way back to the Wizard and steals an energy ball power by the Seven Deadly Sins. He takes the ball to become a Super-powered villain. Now, Sivana finds that the Wizard has given his powers away to a young boy. He sets out to find young Billy Batson, so he can be destroyed. Perhaps along with his new foster family. Silvia has many of the same type of powers that Shazam possesses, but he will use them for evil and for destruction.

So far, the DC Universe films have been awfully sketchy in the past years. However, they had started getting back on the right track with “Wonder Woman”. They followed that up with the very popular “Aquaman”. And now, they reach for an out-of-left-field wonder by bringing us “Shazam!”. The fun and entertainment level is maxed out with this movie. It is funny and clever and it gets the tone just right. Credit a good story and script and a Director who brings out the sheer joy of being a Superhero to the screen. Plus the casting choices are also Super. Zachary Levi and Jack Dylan Grazer really stand out, and Mark Strong and Asher Angel do a superb job.

You can let the DC Extended Universe people know that movies like “Shazam!” are better than many of the other bleak and joyless movies that have come before. Vote with your pocketbook and see a great Superhero movie. Let the DCEU know with your support of “Shazam!”. Just Say The Word.

The Best of Enemies Movie Review

April 5, 2019 (updated April 4, 2019) Published by JMcNaughton

“The Best of Enemies” tells a true tale of the troubled tension in the recent South. Back in 1971 in Durham, N.C – the only way to mix Black and White was to lay down a linoleum checkerboard floor. But even after the Civil Rights laws had been passed, some Southern good-old-boys still kept with the white-hooded ways. The Ku Klux Klan was still strong in Durham. There was some movement for Black folk’s equality. But in the South, there was more pain than gain. Schools were still separate, yet not equal – not even close. Klan members and local politicians had each others backs, and that left the Black population in dire straights.

Ann Atwater (Taraji P. Henson) is a local Black organizer and activist. She gets up in peoples way, and she will not let up until she has won. She is polite most of the time, but do not cross her, or get in her way. She has absolutely no time for someone who is a local leader in the KKK. C. P. Ellis (Sam Rockwell) is such a man, a true Southern down-home poor-boy who loves being a part of the KKK. He wants the unity and purpose that the Klan gives to him, even if it means working hard to make ends meet. His wife (Anne Heche) supports Ellis, but she knows that in the nation things are changing. Atwater is a big part of that change.

When there is a fire at the ‘colored-only’ school, there is a crisis point in the town. Where will the children be sent to school? The mood in the town will not allow for a mixed race attendance. But then it goes to court, and judge comes up with a unique idea. He gets a guy from out-of-town to stage a ‘charrette’. This is a very structured legal way to getting local citizens to create a board and conduct meetings, and the end result will be voted up or down – and if passed, that will be the new normal. Bill Riddick (Babou Ceesay) has done this type of thing before, but never with a racially charged concept like school integration.

Ann Atwater is a natural choice to participate. C. P. Ellis hears about it, but at first he wants no part. But he gets friendly advice from the Durham Mayor (Bruce McGill) and a couple of council members. They want Ellis to make sure that the final vote goes the ‘right’ way. Ellis gets more advise from fellow Klan member Floyd (Wes Bentley) – get in there and keep and eye on things. Once the session begin, Ellis and Atwater find that they might have some more things in common than they first had realized.

The people of Durham are not ready to massive change, but they might be open to some adjustments here and there. Also, when a judge orders that the results of this ‘charrette’ must be followed, they all hope it will go all right. There is major destruction in the old school, and the Black youngsters only want a decent place to study and learn. Perhaps the White students that the school will also be able to learn, and this time it will be something outside of what is in a book. On the night of the final vote, there is a lot of worry and anxiety. There have been a few KKK members that strong-armed a couple of White people on the voting panel. They had better vote the ‘right’ way, or else something bad will happen. After all C. P. Ellis is there to make sure it all ends just right…

“The Best of Enemies” follows in line with a recent spate of very fine movies made about true events regarding racial inequality. “Green Book” and “BlacKKKlansman” and “Hidden Figures” are some other examples. This movie also has a fantastically talented cast. Sam Rockwell and Taraji P. Henson do a nicely nuanced portrayal of each historical real-life figure. The story does give the short-end to many of the Black people in the cast, with almost no back story or depth to those characters. Some of the White characters get slightly better treatment (more development), but not by much.

The whole idea of the ‘charrette’ is a unique way of proceeding with a touchy situation. But the biggest downfall is that it is difficult to turn into a compelling story-line. It is basically a bunch of people who go to a bunch of meetings to hash things out. That is the only trouble with this movie – the parts in the middle where it tends to drag along. Putting two great actors into the middle of a overly-long story cannot make it move any faster.

But there is a real true purpose to enjoy this movie – it makes you believe that people can reach inside themselves and find new ideas and better ways to deal with life.

Storm Boy Movie Review

April 2, 2019 (updated April 2, 2019) Published by JMcNaughton

“Storm Boy” is a new movie based on a 1963 book concerning a boy growing up in a wild section of Western Australia. There was a prior movie also created, so this is a reboot of that prior version. It is a coming-of-age story of a young boy who helps raise some orphaned pelicans back in the 1950’s. The shots of the ocean and the beach and the surrounding wildlife make up a large part of the allure of this movie. Also, the boy meets and befriends an older aboriginal native who is wise in the ways of nature and in the ways of the human heart. The story line moves from the present time back to flashbacks in the 50’s, where the majority of the plot unfolds.

In present day Adelaide (Australia), there is an older man named Michael Kingley (Geoffrey Rush) who is there to vote on a business deal. The deal is for his son (Erik Thomson), who has taken over Michael’s business now that he is retired. But the local folks do not what this deal to go thru, including Michaels’ grand-daughter Maddy (Morgana Davies). The sale of land to a mining company would ruin the land, they all say. The vote gets delayed, and Michael begins to tell Maddy of his childhood – which was near Coorong National Park. That is a home to a large pelican nesting ground.

The young Michael (Finn Little) lived a simple life with his fisherman father, called ‘Hideaway’ Tom (Jai Courtney). They lived in a small shack on the beach, across from the nature preserve. Tow would take his small boat to off shore a ways to fish. He would sell his fish in the ‘big’ city of Adelaide, and he would very often need to extend his credit with the local stores. But they all knew that Tom was good man, even if he did keep to himself. Tom was just not same after his wife and young daughter were killed in a freak auto accident

Michael meets an aboriginal man named Fingerbone Bill (Trevor Jamieson). Bill is very wise in the ways of the land and the ocean and the storms. When Bill meets Michael, a pelican has just been shot by hunters. That means a storm will be coming soon. And it does come, to drench the beach and the town. After that, Bill called Michael “Storm Boy”. The pelican mother that died left three orphan chicks, and Michael tries to raise all three of them. He calls them Mr Proud, Mr Ponder and Mr Percival. These little hatchlings grow until they eat most of the fish that Tom can bring home. So, when they are all grown up – they need to go.

Except that Mr Percival comes back, and he wants the easy life – not to fish for his own food. But there is a day when Tom is out on his little boat in a storm, and he becomes stranded. Michael and Fingerbone Bill find a way to get Mr Percival to fly out to Bill and drop a fishing line. The other end is connected to a stronger rope. Bill pulls the rope to himself, and then Michael and Bill haul him back onto land. The pelican has saved the day! Michael becomes a local hero, and Mr Percival is well known.

Michael grows up to build a huge empire, and now his son controls it. Michael and two of his old friends have enough control over the vote to postpone getting the deal put through. So the mining company will have to wait to tear up the land, or look elsewhere. But there is not much else to say about the plot, and the actual purpose is still unclear. Except that the photography and the visual vistas of the Western Australia are amazing to see. Even at a basic level, this movie is wonderful ad campaign for the tourist bureau in the Land Down-Under.

All the actors do a very reasonable job with the roles they have been given. The story is slow and there is not much in the way of plot movement. Young Michael never has a true antagonist – a person or thing that is against his. At times you think it could be the local hunters. Then you think is might be his father is against him. Then it almost turns into a movie where Nature is against him. But none of these actually follow through with being driving force for Michael.

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Hotel Mumbai Movie Review

March 29, 2019 (updated March 25, 2019) Published by JMcNaughton

“Hotel Mumbai” is a ‘ripped from the headlines’ look at the 2008 terror attack in Mumbai, India. The carnage was vast, and no more so than at “The Taj Mahal” luxury resort in Mumbai. The hotel staff and guests were cut down and killed, without regard to nationality or status or wealth. The tension and fear that existed in that hotel for three days is recreated for the screen. It feels very much like “You Are There”, but in this case – you don’t want to be there! The attack turned “The Taj” into “The Grand Terrorist Hotel”.

The Taj staff is very dedicated to the client’s wants and needs. It is one of finest hotels and luxury resorts in the world. The head chef Hemant Oberoi (Anupam Kher) runs a very tight crew. One staff member is Arjun (Dev Patel) who is Sikh and wears the traditional beard and turban. Somes guest arrive that day including Vasili (Jason Isaacs), a wealth Russian with a secret background. Also coming in on that day were newly married David (Armie Hammer) and his Muslim wife Zahra (Nazanin Boniadi). They have a small newborn son, and they travel with a nanny named Sally (Tilda Cobham-Hervey). There are many guests and staff, and all are shocked when a small band of terrorists enter and take over the hotel.

The attackers have come from Pakistan, but they are with an international terrorist group. They have attacked the railway station, a hospital, a Jewish center, and several cafes. They get to the Taj Mahal, and then situation worsens. They have plenty of targets, and they are indiscriminate in who they kill. There are some people in the dinning room, including David and Zahra. Also, Vasili is in the dining room loudly discussing his later plans (and supposed sexual conquests) with several female escorts. Arjun is soon aware that the hotel is under attack. He leads a group into the back-kitchen area. Chef Oberoi allows any staff to leave and be with family – if they must. Then Oberoi leads the staff, including Arjun and the group from the dining room up to a secure room called The Chambers Room. This is a place with very heavy door and secure locks. Sally and the baby are alone in a hotel room, while terrorists roam the building shooting staff and guests.

There are very tense moments when roving gunmen get into the room with Sally and the baby. Will she be able to keep the infant quiet as they search the room for more victims? David is locked away in the secure Chambers Room, but he wants to leave to find Sally and the baby. Arjun meets up with a couple of police officers who want to access the monitors in the security room. He helps them out, and he also alerts his boss Oberoi that the gunmen are right outside the door in the Chambers Room. They all run and hide, and the Chambers Room door stays closed. Zahra and Vasili leave the secured room a little later, attempting to find a safe passage out to the safety of the streets. Zarha wants out because she does not know where her husband and her baby are located.

The local police are not in any position to take on the terrorists who roam the Taj hotel. They are in stand-down mode, until the National Anti-Terror squad comes into the city. Many persons lay dead or dying. There are random attacks still going on in the hotel, and most of the other terrorists have been killed or captured. Through several nights and day, the level of tension and terror increases. Several guests are taken hostage by the gunmen, perhaps for future ransom payment. Or more likely, it will be for future death in front of the hundreds of TV cameras focused on Mumbai.

“Hotel Mumbai” is a very detailed recreation of a terrorist tragedy. There are many deaths caused by a relative few people. The story is taut and very fast-paced. Any second a new danger could be found, and a life could be ended. It is a devastating thing to watch, because the stakes are so high. The motives of the terrorist group are somewhat explained, and they look to be more brainwashed youngsters rather than demonic monsters. But the way the movie is filmed and the level of the acting is so precise and accurate that it gives you chills seeing what is occurring. Can the nanny keep the baby quiet long enough to elude the gunmen? Can Arjun help the overwhelmed police officers, and can they help any of the guests? Can families be reunited, and can the guests and staff continue to work together to avoid discovery by the terrorists?

This movie is not for the faint-of-heart. It will not lead you a new and deeper understanding of world issues. But it shows you that many different people can stick together, and make sacrifices for others, when faced with a horrible situation. It is display of an real-life event, and it may feel a little too real to some people.

Blast from the Past (March 2019)

March 25, 2019 Published by JMcNaughton

Yeah, the Box Office is rockin’ today with a whole lot of movies. But there are some from prior years that you may (or may not) remember. These older movies came out 5, 10, 15, 20 years ago, maybe even longer back. Some were instant classics, while others were not. So let’s jump into the DeLorean and travel backwards in time to revisit a few of these forgotten gems…

March 2014 (5 years ago) — The Grand Budapest Hotel – Wes Anderson checks you into a magnificently quirky movie that was so artsy and fun

The bellhop will take your bags now, and get you to relax in this movie’s perfectly portrayed display of nuance and nattiness. Ralph Fiennes is the Hotel’s Heart and Soul – a wonderful, slightly off-kilter concierge named Gustave H. and a new Lobby Boy named Zero (Tony Revolri). Together they deal with difficult guests and some false accusations of murder. But always in a gloriously color-coordinated, quirky way…

March 2009 (10 years ago) — Watchmen – once a major cult Graphic Novel that was never able to be made into a movie, and here we can see why

The DC Comics limited series about some underground Superheroes was turned into a Graphic Novel. It was not adapted into a movie for decades. The themes were very dark and disturbing, and there were difficult special effects hurdles to be crossed. But when Zach Syder took it over and pushed it into the theaters, the fans had mixed reactions. But it was made, but the muted response seemed to keep the box office receipts from jumping over a skyscraper in a single bound.

March 2004 (15 years ago) — Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind – Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet create a ‘memorable’ movie about removing memories

Erasing memories to forget a ruined love affair is what can create the ‘Spotless Mind’. But the effect that it has on the mind can lead to sadness and madness. A slightly Sci-Fi vision of Roto-Rotor for the Brain, writer Chalie Kaufman and director Michael Gondry made a jigsaw puzzle of a movie. Oddball characters and out-of-sequence scenes also give the audience a twisty puzzle box to work with…

March 1999 (20 years ago) — The Matrix – This brought in a totally new dimension into mind-bending movies, by mixing heavy philosophy with ‘bullet-time’ special effects

Keanu Reeves stars in this twisty tale of questioning every aspect of your existence and seeing if you’re just plugged into some very elaborate virtual reality. The Wachowski siblings had created an original science fiction universe that turned pumping ‘lead’ into box office gold. But then they ruined their own reality with the awful sequels…

March 1995 (25 years ago) — Outbreak – Very fictionalized version of a potential Ebola strain virus that comes to a small city in California

The true-life Centers for Disease Control were put up as a front-line defense against a potent strain of deadly virus that finds its way to the US, when it was first located in Africa. The CDC doctors are struggling with some military commanders who would want to fry the virus, along with all the people in that small town. Dustin Hoffman plays the main doctor who puts his life on the line to save the people and cure the sick.

March 1989 (30 years ago) — Chances Are – A Dull Romantic Comedy for the Spring doldrums

This is an early effort by Robert Downey Jr. to star in a comedy with the likes of Cybill Shepard and Ryan O’Neil. With some convoluted plot of a man with the memories of a man who had died 23 years earlier, and then is attracted to the dead man’s daughter – but then later to the dead man’s wife – and he figures out that he is a somewhat reincarnated version of the man who died… You catch all of that so far? Perhaps that is why this movie did not quite break even at the box office…

Author: JMcNaughton