OPERATION FINALE with Ben Kingsley and Oscar Isaac – Trailer

July 26, 2018 (updated July 26, 2018)

‘OPERATION FINALE’

Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures’ razor-sharp thriller, Operation Finale, brings to life one of the most daring covert operations in modern history. Starring Academy Award winner Sir Ben Kingsley (Gandhi, Schindler’s List) and Golden Globe winner Oscar Isaac (Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Ex Machina), the film vividly captures the ingenious and brilliantly executed mission to capture Adolf Eichmann, one of the chief architects of the Holocaust.

Fifteen years after the end of World War II, acting on irrefutable evidence, a top-secret team of Israeli agents travel to Argentina where Eichmann (Kingsley) has been in hiding together with his family under an alias Ricardo Klement and execute an extremely dangerous abduction. In attempting to sneak him out of Argentina to stand trial in Israel while being pursued by the country’s right-wing forces, agent Peter Malkin (Isaac) is forced to engage Eichmann in an intense and gripping game of cat-and-mouse with life-and-death stakes.

Genre: Thriller

Director: Chris Weitz

Cast: Oscar Isaac, Ben Kingsley, Lior Raz, Melanie Laurent, Nick Kroll, Joe Alwyn, Haley Lu Richardson, Michael Aronov, Ohad Knoller, Greg Hill, Torben Liebrecht, Mike Hernandez, Greta Scacchi and Pêpê Rapazote

#OperationFinale

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In Theaters August 29th

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From Writer/Director Jonah Hill comes ‘Mid 90s’ – Trailer

July 25, 2018 (updated July 25, 2018)

Written and Directed by Jonah Hill comes A24’s ‘Mid90s.’

This is a tale about a boy growing up in LA in the 90’s…

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In Theaters October 19th

http://www.fandango.com

Blindspotting Movie Review

July 24, 2018 (updated July 24, 2018)

“Blindspotting” is a movie that moves with a rhythm and a rhyme of a hip-hop rave, to the hipsters in the street and the gangsters in the grave, there in a city in rebirth, being reborn, but not without pains, as the losses and gains pile up on the people who whose spirit has left but the flesh remains – worn down by the pressure and how it oppresses, with too many failures with too few successes, when the white and black and rich and poor are seeing only divisions, and not visions of together and futures always better – being all just one city and one family forever.

That concludes the ‘ hip-hop & rap’ portion of this review.

Collin (Daveed Diggs) has grown up with his close friend Miles (Rafael Casal) in the poor side of Oakland. The city has changed so much and Collin and Miles have trouble keeping up. Miles is a little too hot-headed and can easily erupt in anger. Collin has been in trouble with the law and he is a few days from the end of his probation period. If he can get through the next few days, living at a half-way house with very strict rules, Collin with have much of his freedom back. But Miles will always be a threat to Collin, if he happens to be around him at the wrong time.

Collin and Miles both work at a moving company. Collin’s ex-girlfriend Val (Janina Gavankar) runs the front desk. They rarely speak of the incident that caused Collin to be arrested a year ago. Miles has a current girlfriend and a little boy. But he thinks that the local neighborhood has gotten so bad that he needs to carry a gun. Parenting Alert: handguns and little boys usually do not mix. Collin is anxious that Miles is holding a weapon, because if he ever gets stopped by the police, there is a guarantee of more jail time.

There is a night when Collin is driving the moving truck back after work, and he is stopped at a light. He needs to be back very soon, because the curfew time is near. But there is a man who runs in front of his truck, and he is black and running into the night. And soon the man is followed by a policeman, and there is an ‘Officer-involved shooting’, right next to Collin. He is afraid to stick around, so he leaves in the truck and tries to forget what happened. But that will be impossible to forget.

Over the course of the next couple of days, Collin tries to reconnect with Val, and he tries to create a distance from Miles. There is the shooting that is still in his mind, and it makes him think that any day might be his last. Color creates differences in the people of the hood. There are new sections that are being renovated, where all the old buildings are now worth so much more. The long-term, old-time residents are being pushed out. Including a photographer named Patrick (Wayne Knight), whom the guys help get packed for a move elsewhere.

Eventually, the incident that caused Collin’s arrest is revealed, and it is handled with an amusing touch. But even later, there is an impromptu meeting between Collin and the Officer (Ethan Embry) – from the ‘Officer-involved shooting’. Collin is beside himself with rage, and there is almost a new ‘incident’. But Collin is able to pull himself back from the brink, and he is able to walk away knowing that he was the better man.

Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal have written a bittersweet love letter to their Oakland home. They have hit on so many themes that it is dizzying to watch. But they wrote the characters that they know, and then also acted out as those real human beings. Their work is impressive, as first-time writers and then playing out the story they know so well. Also Carlos López Estrada has done a splendid job as the first-time director.

Other than a couple of times when the change in tone is little too abrupt, or when the story strays onto the side of farce rather than drama – it sticks to a steady beat of honest daily toil in an indifferent city. Diggs and Casal have captured a good look into a rough life. They could have had a little better inclusion of some normal white guys, though. All of the white characters are either black-culture infused like Miles, or they are Portlandia hipster types, or they are ignorant racist cops.

Opens July 27th in Phoenix theaters

Interview with Bo Burnham, Director and Writer of the film ‘Eighth Grade’

July 20, 2018 (updated July 8, 2019)

During festival season this year, a few of us got to sit and talk to the incredibly deep thinking and quite personable, Bo Burnham, about his outstanding, authentic coming-of-age film ‘Eighth Grade’ which comes out this weekend and I insist you see. Read more

Mamma Mia! – Here We Go Again Movie Review

July 20, 2018 (updated November 16, 2018)

Mamma Mia! came out a decade ago in 2008. In that film, we meet Sophie, played by Amanda Seyfried, who, by the way, has the voice of an angel. Sophie is about to get married to Sky (Cooper) and she sends invitations to three men, Sam (Brosnan), Harry (Firth) and Bill (Skarsgård) who we learn were all close with her mother Donna, who’s played by the extremely gifted Meryl Streep.
Donna is unaware her daughter has done this, but the reason Sophie felt it important to invite these men is because she has never known her father. She wants her father to give her away at her wedding. Sophie found Donna’s journal and discovered that her mother had relations with these three men around the time she was conceived.
Quite sure it’s one of them, she hopes to find out which one when they arrive. That’s quite an idea for a story, especially a musical told using tunes from the incredible group ABBA. It worked, that’s for sure. The film was a big hit despite the fact that the actors’ cast were the singers, as well, or because of that very reason. They were spectacular and the film and soundtrack both magnificent.

Since its success, everyone has been waiting for a second go around and it finally came with ‘Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again,’ which is fun in theory but just isn’t as good. But then again, how could it be? The original had a charm tough to match. This second film is a prequel telling the stories of Donna meeting Sam, Harry, and Bill. We meet the young Donna, a wild flower child of the 70’s, played wonderfully by Lily James, when she’s at her graduation. We also get to know her lifelong friends and backup singers, Tanya, played by Jessica Keenan Wynn, in for Christine Baranski and doing a bang-up job of it, and Rosie, played by Alexa Davies, who did a passable Julie Walters. You’ll love their characters as you did in the original.

Leaving her besties behind, Donna decides she’s off to tour the world alone. As she does, she doesn’t mind having an occasional love affair which is when we meet those three guys one by one. First, it’s Harry (Hugh Skinner), who distracts her in Paris. This is where they’re able to squeeze in a decent excuse for a fun rendition of ‘Waterloo.’ Next comes Bill (Josh Dylan), who, perhaps expectedly, has a boat when Donna runs into him. She uses him to get to her island destination. Then young Sam (Jeremy Irvine) enters, who as if waiting for her all along, is already on the island when Donna gets there. Fate, maybe?

What makes the film uncommon are the ABBA songs which fill each storyline, as they did before. Most are lesser known tunes but that doesn’t change the fact that they’re good songs, especially lyrically. Each song fits the situation well but none as good as ‘Fernando.’ Cher looked oddly uncomfortable in her performance, but she sings it beautifully. Andy Garcia, who plays Fernando, not so much. However, the situation that surrounds the two being a couple is quite comical.

As before, the vocals are well done but what you liked so well about the first movie simply isn’t there but that won’t stop you from enjoying yourself and singing along. What does is finding out that Meryl Streep’s Donna has passed away which creates a bit of a sadness in you, the audience member who expected to see her. Director Ol Parker came up with an ingenious way to bring her back into the fold, which helps you endear yourself to his particular vision. He uses a lot of callbacks throughout the entire film which helps you, as well, but at the same time, makes you wish you were just watching this first one instead. Rest assured that, even if that’s true, you have to see this. You may not watch or listen to it as many times as the first, you still have to see it once.

The Equalizer 2 Movie Review

July 20, 2018 (updated July 18, 2018)

“The Equalizer 2” is special, if only because it is the first sequel that Denzel Washington has ever wanted to do (“The Sequel-izer”?). In 2014 “The Equalizer” took the old TV series and gave it a make-over with Denzel playing Robert McCall. This time around Denzel brings along the same director and the same writer as with the first installment. They have come up with another dose of action and revenge – with Robert McCall always looking out for the little guy. He brings justice to an unjust world, one kick-ass sequence at a time. With this movie, the second time around is not frantic as the first, but it ends up with a wild finish.

Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) goes about his business and tries to mind his own business. He even has become a part-time Lyft driver so he could connect with everyday people. But with his many years of Special Forces training and even more years in a special operations unit in the CIA, there are ‘very particular set of skills’ that McCall can use to “equal the scales of justice”. That happens at the start, when he travels to Turkey to get back a kidnapped little girl. McCall lives in a simple manner, and has some friends in the Boston neighborhood where he is located. He befriends Miles (Ashton Sanders), who is a young black man with some artistic skills – but he also has a toxic attitude.

McCall has some other friends who live in Washington DC. Susan Plummer (Melissa Leo) is a retired CIA manager who headed up McCall’s old unit. She and her husband Brian Plummer (Bill Pullman) are close to McCall, and they knew his wife before she passed away. Susan is called to research an odd murder-suicide that happened in Brussels. The man and wife happened to also be deep-cover agents for the CIA. She goes to see if there was any connection. She goes with agent Dave York (Pedro Pascal), and was also part of the special ops team and had partnered with McCall years ago. But there is an incident in Brussels and Susan is killed. The police think it was a couple of meth users, but McCall thinks it was much more than that.

The scenes flip back and forth between Boston and Washington DC and Brussels. But McCall keeps busy with his Lyft driving, while still doing forensic analysis on Susan’s phone and computer. He helps an elderly man to find a long-lost sister. He helps a young woman who had been brutalized by a group of high-dollar, low-class men. And everywhere he goes, he can leave a trail of blood and bodies. He also helps his young friend Miles, and convinces him to stay out of a violent street gang. Miles slowly learns that McCall has the ability to turn on some street gang level violence just on his own.

While the weather gets worse and worse in Boston, McCall figures out that his old teammate, Dave York, might be playing now on a different team. There is a lot of bad blood between them, when McCall knows who it was ultimately behind Susan’s murder. York has a group of henchmen who can make life difficult for McCall. They all follow McCall to his old home on the Cape Cod coast. But somebody forgot to turn off the hurricane that is making landfall near the town. McCall must face off with the evildoers in a driving wind and in drenching rain. But when he is able to use any item at his disposal to put up a defense against the bad guys, he has an advantage. But when they also have an ace-in-the-hole (or is that a Miles-in-the-trunk?) – the fighting gets pretty berserk.

Denzel Washington is (again) excellent playing Robert McCall. He has a steely-eyed gaze that could cause any wrong-doer to think twice and join the side of the angels. But his close-contact fighting skills can leave an opponent on the ground gasping. Denzel must enjoy this role, because he looks worn into place yet very nimble. Working again with director Antoine Fuqua brings a good level of karma to the whole production, and the result is very watchable. Pedro Pascal is also really good as a slick operative who is adept at playing both sides. Ashton Sanders does a decent job at not being entirely overshadowed by Denzel. Everyone else is mostly extended cameos in the movie.

Aside from the first half, which flips locations quite often, the pacing is steady. It picks up a lot in the second half, and final third is just a brilliant fast-paced cat-and-mouse fight sequence. The entire purpose behind all the murders is a little murky, and there a few scenes that go on a smidge too long. Maybe a more cohesive story line, and a few more days of editing could have turned this into a more forceful movie. Right now it is way above average, and a great deal of that goes to the presence of Denzel. His shoulders are wide enough to carry many obstacles.

“The Equalizer 2” is not a movie I ever expected to see made. But because of the care that Denzel Washington puts into the character of Robert McCall, this is a franchise that might be able to continue on with more movies and more high praise. All things being Equal…

Eighth Grade Movie Review

July 20, 2018 (updated July 19, 2018)

“Eighth Grade” is a wonderfully and lovingly created movie about a young girl’s final week in – well – eighth grade. Bo Burnham is best known as being a comedian and a You Tube celebrity. But now he can add to that list being a screenwriter and director. This is his effort to bring some of his own middle school experiences to the big screen, and it goes straight to the head of the class.

Kayla Day (Elsie Fisher) is the soon-to-be middle school graduate, ready to take her unsteady steps into high school. During the last week of classes, Kayla is looking for the self-confidence to make her time in eighth grade stand for something. She is voted ‘Most Quiet’ student, which she thinks is just really so wrong. But she is afraid to say anything about it. She creates many You Tube videos about being self-confident and being true to your self. But she is nervous and skittish is many real life situations.

Kayla gets an invite to a classmate’s birthday pool bash. But with a very plain figure and rough skin, she does not feel as pretty as the other girls. Her dad (Josh Hamilton) is always there for her, and being a single dad, he also understands some of the awkwardness of Kayla. She appreciates him, but he is always too clingy and wants to talk about how she is doing. She spends her time mostly staring at her phone and laptop, getting absorbed into social media.

There is a high school ‘shadow’ day, where the eighth graders go to the new school and tag after a senior. She gets paired up with Olivia (Emily Robinson) who is super nice to Kayla and even invites her to hang out at the mall with her friends. She feels even more awkward when she spots her dad hanging around spying on her. Her dad leaves her alone, so she needs to get a ride home from Olivia’s friend. He stops the car and becomes a little too aggressive with her. But she stands up for her self and tells him to stop.

She later has a real heart-to-heart talk with her dad at home. She says how she must disappoint him all the time. But he tells her it is the opposite. Kayla has been the reason he has been able to overcome his own fears and misgivings. Since her mom left when she was young, her dad has been a guiding influence for Kayla. But he tells her that she has taught him how to grow and how to live your best life.

The story is simple and straightforward, but it leaves a lot of room for the subtle display of a young girl’s life becoming richer and deeper. Bo Burnham has constructed a real world of middle school, filled with characters that all seem familiar. But the shining star is Elsie Fisher, who takes the awkward unease of Kayla and makes it a living and breathing thing. Her portrayal is bold and honest, unafraid of being plain and real in a world with too many Secrets from Victoria’s.

The Kayla character reminded me so much of the much younger girl character named Olive from the movie “Little Miss Sunshine”. If Olive had grown up and then went to middle school, I could see her be a person just like Kayla. This movie is also unique, since there are so many other movies that concentrate on high school kids. This might be one of the few movies that center the main character in eighth grade.

*Opens in Phoenix area exclusively at Harkins Camelview @ Fashion Square

Visit Eighth Grade WEBSITE: http://bit.ly/EighthGradeMov

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‘Glass’ Tease Trailer

July 18, 2018 (updated July 18, 2018)

M. Night Shyamalan brings together the narratives of two of his standout originals—2000’s Unbreakable, from Touchstone, and 2016’s Split, from Universal—in one explosive, all-new comic-book thriller: Glass.

From Unbreakable, Bruce Willis returns as David Dunn as does Samuel L. Jackson as Elijah Price, known also by his pseudonym Mr. Glass. Joining from Split are James McAvoy, reprising his role as Kevin Wendell Crumb and the multiple identities who reside within, and Anya Taylor-Joy as Casey Cooke, the only captive to survive an encounter with The Beast.

Following the conclusion of Split, Glass finds Dunn pursuing Crumb’s superhuman figure of The Beast in a series of escalating encounters, while the shadowy presence of Price emerges as an orchestrator who holds secrets critical to both men.

Joining the all-star cast are Unbreakable’s Spencer Treat Clark and Charlayne Woodard, who reprise their roles as Dunn’s son and Price’s mother, as well as Golden Globe Award winner Sarah Paulson (American Horror Story series).

This riveting culmination of his worldwide blockbusters is produced by Shyamalan and Blumhouse Production’s Jason Blum, who also produced the writer/director’s previous two films for Universal. They produce again with Ashwin Rajan and Marc Bienstock, and Steven Schneider and Kevin Frakes, who executive produce. Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum also serve as executive producers.

GLASS – In Theaters January 18, 2019

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A Blinding Edge Pictures and Blumhouse production, Glass will be released by Universal Pictures in North America on January 18, 2019, and by Buena Vista International abroad.

Genre: Comic-Book Thriller

Cast: James McAvoy, Bruce Willis, Anya Taylor-Joy, with Sarah Paulson and Samuel L. Jackson

Written and Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan

Produced by: M. Night Shyamalan, Jason Blum, Marc Bienstock, Ashwin Rajan

Executive Producers: Steven Schneider, Gary Barber, Roger Birnbaum, Kevin Frakes

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In Theaters January 18, 2019

http://www.fandango.com

Boy Erased Trailer

July 18, 2018 (updated July 18, 2018)

“Boy Erased” tells the story of Jared (Hedges), the son of a Baptist pastor in a small American town, who is outed to his parents (Kidman and Crowe) at age 19. Jared is faced with an ultimatum: attend a conversion therapy program – or be permanently exiled and shunned by his family, friends, and faith. Boy Erased is the true story of one young man’s struggle to find himself while being forced to question every aspect of his identity.

Starring: Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, Joel Edgerton, Cherry Jones, Michael “Flea” Balzary, Xavier Dolan, Troye Sivan, Joe Alwyn, Emily Hinkler, Jesse LaTourette, David Joseph Craig, Théodore Pellerin, Madelyn Cline, and Britton Sear

Writer/Director: Joel Edgerton (“The Gift,” “Loving”), based on Boy Erased: A Memoir of Identity, Faith and Family by Garrard Conley

Producers: Steve Golin, Kerry Kohansky-Roberts, Joel Edgerton

For more info, please follow the film on social:

Official Site I Facebook I Twitter I Instagram

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In Theaters November 2, 2018

http://www.fandango.com

Bohemian Rhapsody Trailer

July 18, 2018

BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY

Bohemian Rhapsody is a foot-stomping celebration of Queen, their music and their extraordinary lead singer Freddie Mercury. Freddie defied stereotypes and shattered convention to become one of the most beloved entertainers on the planet. The film traces the meteoric rise of the band through their iconic songs and revolutionary sound.

They reach unparalleled success, but in an unexpected turn Freddie, surrounded by darker influences, shuns Queen in pursuit of his solo career. Having suffered greatly without the collaboration of Queen, Freddie manages to reunite with his bandmates just in time for Live Aid. While bravely facing a recent AIDS diagnosis, Freddie leads the band in one of the greatest performances in the history of rock music.

Queen cements a legacy that continues to inspire outsiders, dreamers and music lovers to this day.

Starring: Rami Malek, Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee, Ben Hardy, Joseph Mazzello, Aidan Gillen, Tom Hollander, Allen Leech and Mike Myers

Connect with Bohemian Rhapsody Online:

#BohemianRhapsody

Visit the Bohemian Rhapsody WEBSITE: http://bohemianrhapsody.com

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In Theaters November 2, 2018

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