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Searching Movie Review

August 30, 2018 (updated August 28, 2018) Published by JMcNaughton

“Searching” is a new movie about a missing person and the resulting search, and it portrays it in a unique way. Only a few other movies have used the idea that a window into the modern world can be done with various screens. That is, computer screens, laptop screens, iPhone screens, security monitor screens, TV screens, etc. — you get the idea. The movie “Unfriended” does a similar thing, but only with computer screens. With “Searching”, the idea is opened up a little more, and the resulting movie draws you into the mystery. By examining social media and other online posts and Internet trails, the mystery deepens and is becomes a compelling look into current life online – and how the surface image can hide much different truths.

David Kim (John Cho) is introduced as a happily married man. With his wife Pam (Sara Sohn) they have a little girl. Margot is first a small baby, and then young girl and then a high school teenager. All of this unfolds with fifteen-year old technology, think Windows XP, AOL Mail and Messenger and the like. But the happy family has a breakdown when Pam develops cancer, and it relapses, and it then returns with fatal results. This is all done in the first few minutes of the movie, and it outlines the personal tragic story of this family. In some ways it is emotionally similar to the beginning of the movie “Up”, with a twist on the way that the audience learns the various details of the family story.

With the wife and mother gone, both David and Margot (Michelle La) have been dealing with the loss in very different ways. David becomes very busy with work, and every time he talks with Margot it is a reminder of his late wife. So, he tends to communicate more and more via technology, with iPhone calls, and FaceTime and instant messages. Margot is having a rough time with the death of her mother, but she knows that her Dad is feeling very fragile right now. She tries not to bother him about little things. So she does not tell him everything. David has a brother named Peter (Joseph Lee) who is much closer to Margot than David knows.

Then one night, David insists that Margot do some chores at the house when she gets home from a study group. She calls and tells him she will be home much later than usual. David sleeps, and as he does there are two phone calls from Margot, plus a FaceTime request, deep in the middle of the night. He misses them and does not know that she never came home. It does not register that she did not come home until David gets back from work the next evening. He sees that Margot did not take out the trash when she got home. But she also did not take her laptop. Why would she go to a school study group without her laptop? He also realizes that he does not know any of the people that Margot would know.

He gets into the old laptop and finds Pam’s notes and records and contact lists. He makes many phone calls to find out there was a ‘ditch day’ and camping up in the mountains. He is sure that Margot will call when she gets back from camping. Until he finds out that Margot did not go with that group. He calls 911 to report Margot as missing. Detective Vick (Debra Messing) shows up and tells him that she is assigned to case and not to worry. They will go over all the details that David has found and contact many of the people that he feels might know Margot’s whereabouts. David searches further and finds an online personal streaming site that Margot had used to post quite a few videos. Margot has also been taking money meant for piano lessons and putting into a private PayPal account. Until she withdrew $2,500 a few days before she disappeared.

David is going crazy in his mind, with all the possible thoughts of what might have happened. There are some online posts that allude to Margot and her online activities. David finds someone who has been posting to Margot about her online videos, but the person appears to be miles away in another state. But could someone be ‘catfishing’, making a fake fictitious online presence to pretend to be somebody else? There are more clues, and David takes off to a nearby lake, where a car is found underwater. It belongs to Margot, but she is not in the car. What has happened? Could the person involved in the disappearance be somebody very close to Margot? Could it be a random stranger, recently released from parole? How can David be sure what is the truth, when everything online can be changed and adapted and modified?

“Searching” does take a very specific approach to the technology that has become an everyday part of our life. It uses that tech to both tantalize and torture the main character by showing him various version of what might be the truth. John Cho is superb as the grieving husband who cannot stand another loss in his life and is determined to figure out the puzzle. The clues and red herrings are everywhere, and the use of modern social media tools to explain the recent past show the real limitations of those online systems.

The movie goes about displaying the entire story as if it were unfolding on the devices that we use every day. This brings a closed-in, claustrophobic feel to the overall movie, but also gives it a larger sense of urgency. David is not the only one who is feverishly finding and mentally processing the clues. So is the audience.

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Operation Finale Movie Review

August 29, 2018 (updated November 16, 2018) Published by Shari K. Green

‘Operation Finale’ is the true story of an operation that gave the people of Israel peace from something terrible they had suffered through. Interestingly enough, this film couldn’t be coming out at a more perfect time in the history of our own country. I’m not suggesting that we can compare our situation in the slightest but our national discord and division, at the moment, is felt in a few moments of ‘Operation Finale,’ especially when you realize how easy it is to influence others and turn a country completely around.

Writer Matthew Orton used as his subject matter the fascinating account of when Israel gets a chance for the first time ever to try, in open court, one of the evilest men ever to walk the earth. ‘For the first time, we’ll judge our executioner.’ Other Nazi’s, most famously Hitler, who were responsible for the atrocities of World War II, killed themselves before they could be captured but Adolph Eichmann (Kingsley), the architect of the ‘Final Solution,’ (the Nazis plan to annihilate the Jewish people), got away and lived a full life. By 1960 he had faded into the past and was forgotten by most of the world but not by Israel. They wanted them all to pay for what they had done.

Many of Hitler’s top officers fled to Argentina which is where our story starts. Eichmann’s son Klaus (Joe Alwyn), unbeknownst to him, begins dating a Jewish girl, Sylvia (Haley Lu Richardson) whose family is hiding as German immigrants. He brings her to a Nazi rally and terrified at what she sees, she abruptly leaves. She passes what she witnessed along to her father, Lothar Hermann (Strauss), who then passes word to Isser Harel (Raz) whose skeptical at first but when given photographic proof, immediately pulls together a team to try and pick up Eichmann. Argentina will never give him up so capturing him alive isn’t the safest or smartest way to go but it would mean so much to bring him in alive and make him pay, once and for all, for what he had done. Can they pull this off? They have a simple plan that becomes quite complicated, which is what works to give the audience moments of tension, otherwise, you’re watching the story play out very heavy on the drama with little action. They capture Eichmann, not in a graceful way, but they do succeed and they hold him in a safe house until their plane is ready to go. Nervous already, as there are many sympathizers looking for them not to mention they’ll be in prison themselves if discovered, they learn not only has the plane been delayed but that the airline that agreed to help the mission gets wind of its true purpose and doesn’t want any part of it. Before they’ll agree to let them board, they insist Eichmann give them a signed letter stating that he is going willingly to stand trial.

Israeli operative Peter Malkin (Isaac), after losing a sister and her family to the Nazi’s, takes it upon himself to be the one to do whatever it takes, even to befriend the beast, to get the signature. Instructed not to speak to Eichmann because he, ‘convinced Rabbis to fill the trains himself.’ The leader of the team will try but warns there’s no getting through to someone who has little humanity. Malkin gives it his best. This is when Kingsley goes from one spectrum to the other, appealing to his captors’ good senses and eventually using them against him. Isaac and Kingsley have wonderful chemistry and their scenes alone makes the film worth a watch.

A drama such as this can be somewhat slow but ‘Operation Finale’ keeps you engrossed with not only good dialogue, the issue and the acting but the assignment itself. They show enough of what the Jewish people truly went through, something the world at the time didn’t believe was happening, that at the end, learning of Eichmann’s fate, it made you want to stand up and applaud the team that made it all come together. Hearing Eichmann say, ‘You and your lying press will just try who you think I am.’ Was a bit too close to home but hopefully, people do learn from history and no other country will allow something like this to ever happen again. See the film. It’s powerful and it’s also important that you do.

The Happytime Murders Movie Review

August 24, 2018 (updated November 16, 2018) Published by Shari K. Green

With this film, director Brian Henson, son of Jim Henson, is definitely leaving his mark. Not unlike the way a dog covers what the last one left behind, it’s as if he wants you to know that these aren’t your father’s Muppets… definitely not his. Some might not care for how he brazenly bastardizes his families legacy but for those of you who saw the Red Band trailer and liked the idea of raunchy puppets cursing at one another, watching porn and having sex, this most likely won’t be an issue. ‘The Happytime Murders’ would have been a really fun short film. Stretching it into a feature was reaching too far but it doesn’t mean you won’t have some laughs; it’s just ego on Henson’s part to believe adults will be so enraptured by foulmouthed puppets to bear with the time it takes to watch all the way through.

One could argue that there’s something twisted and devious about Henson using the puppets in this manner when his father, much to the delight of millions of people all over the world, utilized them to educate young children and entertain families but depending on how you look at it, Brian Henson is very much entertaining a specific audience, as well… just not the same one and not in as artful a way. Essentially, many of you won’t appreciate this type of crude humor and that’s okay. This film wasn’t designed for you and it seems Henson is okay with that because it doesn’t make it any less funny to those he created it for.

‘The Happytime Murders’ brings together a detective named Edwards (McCarthy) and former detective turned private investigator, Phil Phillips (voice of Bill Barretta) when members of The Happytime Gang (an old puppet television show) are murdered one by one. Phil’s brother Larry, who was ‘police officer Shenanigans’ on the show (which brought up thoughts of ‘Super Troopers’) is one of the victims. Edwards and Phillips were once partners in the department until an incident occurred that caused Phil to be released and excommunicate from the department. The tensions are high between these two but they’re both on the right side of the law and with only one goal in mind, they agree to work together. To bring some mystery in a caper that has little of it, Phil, who we know is a good guy, gets fingered for the killings and it’s up to Edwards, with help from Phil’s secretary Bubbles (Rudolph), to clear his name and find the real killer.

McCarthy is believable in her character to the degree I honestly don’t believe anyone, but she could have pulled this off. It’s time someone gives her a role in something other than a comedy, but she makes Edwards and all her animosity toward her old partner believable and thus more palatable when the jokes wear thin.

What I liked very much but think may have been largely missed because of the sexual perversions that you end up surprised with, was the discrimination by humans toward the puppets, who now must live among us. It seems they still ‘sing and dance for the man,’ even though they don’t want to… but how will they be taken seriously when they’re just colored felt and fluff? Even animals attack them on a daily basis, dogs especially, as they’re seen as nothing but a plaything. One of my favorite scenes is of two smalls dogs barking at a puppet while he screams at them that he isn’t a squeaky toy. Pay attention closely because there are several gems like that hidden in the background.

It isn’t difficult to shock people using sex, but it is challenging to keep the interest of an audience for over an hour using nothing but dirty jokes. I can’t say this is worth seeing at the theatre unless you’re paying matinee price but for those curious enough to see it, as you may have been with seeing ‘Sausage Party’ and ‘Team America,’ please know what you’re getting into. It’s going to be naughty but just have fun. And be sure to stay during some of the credits to watch a little of how they made this world come to life.

Papillon Movie Review

August 24, 2018 (updated August 23, 2018) Published by JMcNaughton

“Papillon” is a story of survival. It is the story of the unbreakable spirit in a man named Henri Charrière. He was a safecracker in Paris in the early 1930’s. His nickname was “Papillon” for the tattoo of a butterfly on his chest (it is French for butterfly). He worked with a low-rent crime boss, and earned enough to impress his girlfriend. But when he failed to impress the crime boss, he was framed for murder and sent to French Guiana. That island off of the coast of South America was home to a horrible prison camp. He was sent there and never was expected to return.

Papillon (Charlie Hunnam) is a talented thief, and he is a ladies man. He has a sweetheart named Nenette (Eve Hewson) who wants to sell the diamonds that he just robbed go to live in the country. The trouble is, the merciless crime boss wanted to have all the diamonds that Papi stole, but Papi kept a few for himself. Big Mistake. Next thing Papi knows is that he is charged with murder and sentenced to serve at the penal colony at Devil’s Island in French Guiana. On the ship sending the convict to the prison island, Papi meets Louis Dega (Rami Malek). Dega is an artist and a forgery expert, who was extremely wealthy. Dega was able to carry quite a bit of cash in — ahem — Deadpool 2 would call it a “Prison Wallet”.

Papillon was big and strong and willing to fight off any goons who attempted to kill Dega. So Papi agreed to protect Dega, as long as Dega would finance any escape attempt for Papillon. The protection and the financing parts worked out fine. The escaping part did not. Papi was able to try and escape, but when he did make it out the front gate, he did not make it very far. Papillon was sentenced to internal solitary confinement for two years.

Part of that time, Dega was able to pay off a trustee to deliver a hidden coconut to Papillon in his isolated cell. When the warden found out, he demanded that Papi tell him who paid for the coconut. But Papi was loyal, and silent. There where other escape attempts, and soon Papi was spending more time in solitary than in general population. Louis Dega could not make it through confinement, but the warden trusted Dega to handle the prison financial books. He was able to be a position of security. More escapes were planned, and with some assistance they made it off the island and landed in Colombia. But the long French arm of the law found them again. Dega was sent to Devil’s Island, and Papi (again) to solitary confinement. He was there for such a long time that he hallucinated most of the time. Then he was sent to join Dega at Devil’s Island.

At the Island, there was no method to escape. There were impossible cliffs around the deadly jagged rocks at the base, where the waves would crash violently into the Island. But past the base, there was a gentle tide, and tide pulled out into the sea — and off to a current that lead to the mainland. If only Papillon could devise a way to get past the danger zone, he could float gently out to freedom. Dega would not dream of leaving the Island, even if it meant dying there. However, Papi — he could not live the rest of his life in captivity. He would finally escape, or he would die trying…

Charlie Hunnam is well cast and has a physical appearance that resembles Steve McQueen. McQueen played Papi in the original movie adaptation. Hunnan plays Papi as strong and shows a brutal willingness to do anything, just to survive. Rami Malek plays Degas with an air of sophistication that is above an ordinary convict. The way that all of the historical places are recreated is excellent. At the end of the movie there are black-and-white photos of the actual prison. They have been able to capture that quite well.

The reason that a remake of “Papillon” was required to be made now is unclear. But the effort that is made to make this movie will not make you think of trying to escape the theater.

The Coolest Guy Movie Ever Movie Review

August 21, 2018 (updated August 20, 2018) Published by JMcNaughton

Back in 1963, “The Great Escape” was a smash hit with audiences around the world. It was a hit because of the major acting talent that director John Sturges brought together for the film. Tough manly guys like Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough, Charles Bronson, James Coburn, David McCallum plus many others played the roles of prisoners in a German POW camp. Their only goal was to escape.

Based on true events, the movie was a dramatic reenactment of the meticulous planning that went into the escape. The movie was filmed in Germany, and many scenes were shot in small villages and towns in Bavaria. Hollywood stars and local German townsfolk, farmers and villagers would meet and become friends. Now there is a documentary that shows the lengths to which the movie production went for an accurate and scenic movie.

Christophe Espenan has put together an extensive (if short – it runs about an hour long) listing of iconic scenes from the movie. Then he revisits that same area today, over fifty years later, to show that the movie locations are still around. There are some major differences, of course. The POW camp was placed just north of a studio sound stage. There was an agreement with the German government that the production company could tear down a section of trees to construct a camp for the movie. But when they were finished, they were required to plant two trees for each single tree that they removed.

Many places and streets in and around the small Bavarian town of Füssen are compared to the original movie. Many scenes match up today, even after a generation has passed. They find the place where a majority of the actors stayed during the six weeks of filming. They interview many local people, or sons and daughters of local people who remembered the making of “The Great Escape”. The plot of the movie is that all the prisoners will break out of the POW camp and escape into the nearby town. That takes the action right here, into the countryside.

Back when the main stars were the biggest names in Hollywood, this movie became known as ‘The Greatest Guy Movie Ever’. Getting Steve McQueen to ride a motorcycle and jump a barbwire fence was very exciting. Perhaps his stunt double Bud Ekins should be famous for performing the jump. But McQueen did a huge amount of riding on the bike, and he even dressed up as a German soldier so he could ride again and chase himself!

Lawrence Montaigne narrates the documentary, and he actually had a part in the move, so many years ago. Even though his role was not a major part in the movie, he still says that just being part of that movie had opened up many doors for him.

“The Great Escape” was a film based on a true event. It also did not gloss over the fact that after the men escaped from the POW camp, almost all of them were recaptured. All but a few of the men were soon killed, for trying to escape. Only three men made it out to freedom. But since this documentary is only about an hour log, it does not attempt to get into any depth as to what the film actually accomplished.

From filmmaker and film historian Chris Espenan comes The Coolest Guy Movie Ever — a fascinating forensic documentary about the making of the classic World War II adventure film The Great Escape — to DVD and digital HD from Virgil Films on August 21, 2018, after a special screening earlier this year at Marché du film in Cannes.

Mile 22 Movie Review

August 17, 2018 (updated August 16, 2018) Published by JMcNaughton

If you were expecting that “Mile 22” is some type of sequel to Eminem’s “8 Mile”, well, put that idea out of your head. If you are prepared to “Lose Yourself” in an overly complicated movie full of bloody violence and gory death scenes, then you’re in the right place. At least both of these movies feature an ex-rapper in the starring role. But Mark Wahlburg takes the non-musical approach to a tough CIA special operative out to move a valuable asset from the US Embassy to the airport. But for these 22 miles, he and his team are under fire and under duress. They are part of a super-secret operation that only does the dirtiest of dirty jobs for the government.

James Silva (Mark Wahlberg) is part of this unique operation called ‘Overwatch’, and they have a job to do. They are taking down a Russian safe house, located in a beautiful suburb outside of Washington DC. But in the chaos of the operation a teenage Russian boy gets shot and killed. The operatives walk away with a sack full of hard drives and leave a bunch of dead Russians in the house. They don’t give it another thought. But wheels have been set into motion that will come back to haunt them later. But it is time to break to Two Years Later, and to another country…

Silva and some fellow operatives are later located in a (fictitious) Southeastern Asian country. Alice Kerr (Lauren Cohan) and Samantha Snow (Ronda Rousey) work with Silva to retrieve some stolen nuclear material. The Intel is all wrong, and the source is a local Army officer named Li Noor (Iko Uwais). Silva gets all worked up, because his character is prone to long-winded speeches about how everyone around him is dumb. Li Noor comes to the US Embassy and turns himself in. He wants to make a deal — but only if he is taken to America. He has a hard drive with all the details of the missing MacGuffin materials, but it will self-destruct unless he gives them the password.

The ‘Overwatch’ team kicks into high gear, lead by Bishop (John Malkovich). They have only the best tech and the biggest guns, so these guys will never lose, right? Silva and his team must transport Li Noor from the Embassy to the airport for a pickup and a flight to the States. They have it all planned out, until the plan gets shredded by the local country’s secret police and undercover spies. There is an attempt on Li Noor’s life while he is in the Embassy. So you know once they leave, their convoy of vehicles will be under attack for every minute of the trip. One by one, Silva’s team members are shot and or exploded (or worse). Li Noor is in handcuffs, but eventually Silva relents and gives him the freedom to fight back.

After many minutes of non-stop fighting and explosions and high-caliber rounds being shot, Silva gets Li Noor and Alice to the rendezvous point. All is well at that point. But then there are some deeper secrets that are revealed. There are call backs to the first scene with the Russian safe house and some things that are not quite as straightforward as they seem. The plot gets twisted around like a Bavarian pretzel. And there isn’t any good German beer to go with the pretzel…

“Mile 22” is the fourth collaboration between Mark Wahlberg and director Peter Berg. The other movies were based on a true story, and this is the first that is fictional. But the concept was done before. Think “The Gauntlet”, with Clint Eastwood. And then again see “16 Blocks” with Bruce Willis. The basic plot of somebody needing to get someone else to a particular place is not exactly new. Dressing it up as a secret undercover operation is new, and adding about ten layers of double-cross is somewhat new.

Wahlberg plays a character that is very unlikable, and he commands a tight unit. They are supposed to be the most elite unit. But for this operation, they look like a bunch of buffoons. The movie goes into depth about how special this team is, and how important they are. But what is shown is an orgy of automatic weapons and a whole slew of stupid decisions.

The writing is bi-polar, giving Wahlberg little mini-speeches where his character goes off on vulgar tangents. The overall twist in the plot has way too many holes. The editing and frantic pace gets you feeling very jittery after a while. You never get a clear understanding of the progress to the goal. Have they gone 10 miles, or 15 miles? Who can tell? Plus the actual action of the journey to the airport does not begin until the last third of the movie.

Peter Berg has worked with Mark Wahlberg on other, much better projects. “Lone Survivor”, “Deepwater Horizon” and “Patriot’s Day” are very excellent movies. But now they have teamed up for this one, which you might like, or you might not. With “Mile 22”, your mileage may vary.

Crazy Rich Asians Movie Review

August 15, 2018 (updated August 14, 2018) Published by JMcNaughton

“Crazy Rich Asians” is based on a popular book about some, well — crazy rich Asians. This could have ended up as a parody along the lines of “Lifestyles of the Rich and Asian”. But because of a careful eye towards casting and a respectful look at traditions, this winds up as a feel-good love story. One that includes a lot of handmade dumplings and some mahjong thrown into the mix. This is the first all-Asian cast in 25-years, since “The Joy Luck Club”. So I guess the next all-Asian movie will be due out in 2043…

The main story revolves around Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) who is a professor at New York University. She is dating Nick Young (Henry Golding) for about a year, and he asks her to join him. He will be going back to his home in Singapore to be in his best friend’s wedding. Rachel agrees, but is scared to meet Nick’s family. He has not told her anything about them, but his family is one of the wealthiest in all of Singapore. His father has amassed a huge fortune in the country, and the extended family has become even richer. Rachel happens to have an old college roommate who lives in Singapore. Peik Lin (Awkwafina) knows the scoop on the marvelous Young family.

Rachel is shocked at the first-class flight back to Singapore. She ponders what it is that she might be getting herself into. But at the airport to meet them are Nick’s best friend Colin (Chris Pang) and Colin’s fiancée Araminta (Sonoya Mizuno). Nick is enjoying being back where he grew up and being with his friends. Rachel is working to keep up. But then Rachel is in a whirlwind as she meets the Nick’s many cousins: Astrid (Gemma Chan), Eddie (Ronny Chieng), Alistair (Remy Hii) and even a second cousin Oliver (Nico Santos). Oliver is All-Gay All-Day, and he makes no bones about being the ‘Rainbow Sheep’ of the family. However, Rachel also gets to meet Nick’s mother – Eleanor (Michelle Yeoh). She is chilly and strict, and Rachel is wary of her glare.

Araminta takes all the girls out for a bachelorette party, and rents out an entire island to make it happen. Shopping and spa dates are on the main menu. But also there are little petty swipes at Rachel, because some think she tried to get Nick only for the family money. Bernard (Jimmy O. Yang) is also an old friend of Nick’s and he plans the bachelor party. But this thing is a huge Event, because he takes everyone out to ‘International Waters’ to party out on a pimped-up cargo carrier ship. But all parties must come to an end, and Nick reveals plans to Colin that he will propose to Rachel. However Rachel is feeling a little bit overwhelmed by the constant excess and overpowering wealth all around her. These people are not just over-the-top — they are so high up they are in geo-synchronous orbit.

Rachel relies on her college friend Peik Lin for help in the confusion. She is also comforted by her family. Peik Lin’s father Goh Wye (Ken Jeong) and her mother Neena (Koh Chieng Mun) have many good words for Rachel. They let her know that she is not a ‘banana’ (yellow on the outside and white on the inside). Eleanor Young is displeased with Nick’s taste in women and lets Rachel know that the family traditions are too important for Nick’s small measure of happiness. Eleanor thinks that Rachel has been in America for too long, and never grew up to know the difficult parts of Chinese life. Self-sacrifice is important to Eleanor, because that is what was imposed on her.

But it comes time for the wedding for Colin and Araminta. Rachel goes to the wedding and becomes a thorn in the side of Eleanor. Then later at the reception, Eleanor reveals a family secret. But not from her family, it is from Rachel’s past. Rachel is set back even more with this new information, and she begins to spiral downward. She is a deep funk and there is no way to get her out of it. Or it there? Some things finally happen and that puts Rachel (and Nick) back on a happier road.

This movie is – yes – crazy with over-the-top fun and – ahem – rich in the portrayal of a culture (Asian) that gets very little screen time. But more than a gimmick, the all-Asian cast and crew bring an important passion and authenticity to the project. That makes the movie better and the results are fun to watch. All the actors play very dynamic roles, but there are quite a few in the ensemble. You might get lost a few times knowing who was related to whom (I know I did). Awkwafina and Nico Santos play super funny characters, and they go the extra mile.

“Crazy Rich Asians” is delectable meal of a movie, with only one problem. It could leave you wanting more like this in the future. Just better brush up on your mahjong skills before you see it!

The Meg Movie Review

August 10, 2018 (updated November 16, 2018) Published by Shari K. Green

‘The Meg’ is as entertaining and campy as any remake based on a huge success is; in that you’ll enjoy seeing it for what it reminds you of but then you’ll be irritated by its lack of living up to the goal you undoubtedly set for it. Here, you’re looking for that other film, I’m obviously speaking of ‘Jaws,’ and what you get is a cheap knockoff. I say that because what bothered me most was Meg, herself. Speilberg did a better job in the ‘70’s of making Jaws something to fear than Turteltaub does here. You never get a true sense of the beast except in what the people have to say. When you do see her, its digital performance isn’t all that beastly, to be honest.

There are elements of indulgence that make ‘The Meg’ the perfect film for your youngsters to view because they need to have something to talk about when they go back to school. They can talk about their first scary movie and they will also learn some things they can take back to science class. There were several younger viewers at our screening, ages around nine and ten, and they were thrilled and excited by the film. This could be because they don’t have anything to compare it to. That being said, it’s not a bad movie, it’s just not a good ‘remake.’ Since it isn’t a remake and you just want to watch a nonsensical action/horror, you could definitely do worse. Jason Statham brings you a believable enough hero to root for and the little treasure, Shuya Sophia Cai, plays a darling character for you to hope is ultimately saved.

Meg is a Megalodon, a prehistoric shark that’s discovered when scientists, who should know better by now, move beneath what has been thought to be the ocean floor but is really a freezing thermal cloud that houses a new ecosystem and keeps new species safe below. They intend to find these new species by cruising a sub down and busting into this ecosystem. When they actually do this, they never prepare for the worst, of course. They’re happy they made the discovery but that’s short-lived when Meg, bothered by their lights, finds them and isn’t interested in letting them tell the world about her home. Morris, (played badly by Rainn Wilson) an annoying billionaire who is interested only in his profit margin, insists the team do whatever it takes to keep the operation going. Jonas (Statham) enters because one of the team members below is his ex-wife. He comes to the rescue because he has been in the position before and this ends up being a chance to prove himself… not that he needed one. You’ll learn about as the film opens.

There are a lot of incredibly tense scenes in the film, especially after Meg is tagged. When this happens, the action never stops, but it is a bit slow to get started. There’s a lot of humor, as well, which surprised me. One hysterical moment that the entire audience chuckled at was when Jonas tries not to think about the beast as he’s swimming in her waters. To himself, he sings Dora’s ‘Just Keep Swimming’ song from ‘Finding Nemo.’ There are several well-placed jump scares to keep you on the edge of your seat and when you think they’ve done about all they can, they give the audience a little more so don’t think it’s over just cuz Morris thinks it is. If you go to see ‘The Meg,’ please pull for Pippin. She’s the cute little pup who falls in the water during the trailer. I won’t tell you if Meg finds her to be an adequate snack or not, but I was heartbroken by her fear, as I’m sure you will be, too… I hope.

In the mood for some action with Statham? Check out ‘The Meg.’ It’ll be a better view if you can catch it on IMAX but if you’re not a huge Statham fan, you’d probably do well to watch during a matinee or wait and see it at home. It’s too predictable to be mind-blowing but Turteltaub gives you enough with a few characters to keep you interested and amused. One last note. Just about everything out of the mouth of Morris is weak and tired. This character could have and should have been improved.

Far from the Tree Movie Review

August 10, 2018 (updated August 9, 2018) Published by JMcNaughton

“Far from the Tree” is a documentary based on a widely praised book by Andrew Solomon. His book, and now this movie, documents several families where there have been difficult circumstances – specifically when a child is not entirely like the parents. That is, when the apple falls ‘far from the tree’. In these cases, it shows that patience, acceptance and love will bring all the members back into the fold.

Solomon first explains that his own childhood was unique and he felt different. He realized that the ‘normal; life of his parents would not work for him, because he was gay. This devastated his mother and his father was not at all impressed. But the story from Andrew Solomon is nothing compared to the other families that are investigated.

Jason Kingsley is a Down’s syndrome child, who was even featured on early episodes of Sesame Street when he was a kid. He never lacked the love and support from his mother, and now in his early 40’s Jason lives a full life. He lives with two other roommates (who share his condition). He has a job and he loves his friends and his family. But he has difficulty knowing that Disney’s “Frozen” is really just a movie. He has a major crush on Elsa, and he cannot ‘Let It Go’…

Another person we meet is Jack, who was a normal little boy – until he wasn’t. About age 2 years old he stopped communicating, and he seems to be in his own world. He had a severe case of autism, and his parents tried again and again to get some help. One thing they tried finally had some success. Jack was soon able to use a device to select letters, and then he created full sentences. With a voice-box, he was able ask and answer questions. He is now able to live as a functioning high-school student.

Then the journey takes you to the Little People of America conference. These folks who have dwarfism can lead quite normal lives. They just do it a little closer to ground level. A couple named Leah and Joe are married and are planning on having a child. Joe’s parents are ‘normal-sized’ people, and all of them think is nothing unusual to have a family with various sizes. Joe is not worried or depressed about his condition, so he takes it all in stride. Again, there is that theme of acceptance and love. It is really the cement that holds these stories together.

The one other family situation that gets reviewed is the story of Trevor. He was a nice kid, with wonderful parents, and had a trouble-free childhood. But, when Trevor was 13, he killed an eight-year old child in the neighborhood. There was no warning and no foreshadowing. He still says that he does not know why he did it. Obviously, this has taken his family, parents and a bother and sister, and given them a brutal situation to deal with. They have no easy way to explain anything to anyone. The parents still love their son, but they know that he will never be a free man.

Overall, “Far from the Tree” takes a look at some unusual family circumstances and shows that it does not need to be the end of the family. All of the different ways that some people might consider ‘disabled’, these people and these families prove that they can be-able, just in a unique way. It is done in a consistent manner, and moves along with great ease.

Some family situations are more intense than others. But they all show that it does not matter if you are near to the tree, or far from the tree. It only matters that the tree has some really deep roots…

In Phoenix, playing exclusively at Harkins Shea in Scottsdale

BlacKkKlansman Movie Review

August 9, 2018 (updated November 16, 2018) Published by Shari K. Green

Getting straight to the point, no credits or anything to distract from the message the filmmaker is presenting, ‘BlacKkKlansman’ starts with an old fake news clip. An actor, played by Alec Baldwin, tells his audience about how white American children have been forced to go to school with an inferior race, the black race, who are listening to Martin Luther ‘Coon,’ and have become super predators. I’m actually being nice in telling you what the despicable character and his distorted vision of reality says as he looks straight into the camera and into the racist soul of certain people in that period of time. However much the film may depict a particular year in the past (BlacKkKlansman is based in the 70’s), it’s really showing you our present, especially at the end of the film… it’s shattering to see, on the big screen, who we are today.

Director Spike Lee gives us the racial issues going on in the Black Power movement by introducing us to strong activists trying to get the message of their struggle through to people while showing that they are no different than Black Lives Matter, a group born from the police brutality and racial discrimination of today. Juxtaposed to that is their KKK and white supremacists and today’s very vocal and bigoted alt-right. He does so this is a powerful way that’s emotionally disturbing and will have you thinking way beyond the theatre doors.

The film is set in Colorado Springs and is actually based a retired African-American police officer Ron Stallworth’s (played expertly by John David Washington), book which is hard to believe is true, though it all is. Stallworth, tired of being treated like a second-class citizen and participating in infiltrating the rallies of the Black Power Movement, he decides to turn the tables. With help from fellow officers, he dupes the local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan, and eventually David Duke (Grace) himself, to become a card-carrying member of, the KKK. His skin tone would never allow him to get close to members of the Klan so Stallworth sets everything up via the phone and his partner, Flip (Driver), who has to deny to the members that he’s Jewish, meets with them. Though the film has plenty of comedic moments, here is where it gets really intense and shows what a master of the narrative Spike Lee is. This is the best piece of work he has put out since his earlier films and you won’t want to miss this on the big screen.

Throughout the film, images and verbal messages are used to get an incredibly important directive out to the audience. People are people, you are powerful and, chief among them, believe what you see. The alt-right and the KKK and white supremacists exist, they’re not something made up in a film or by a news channel, who is just trying to tell the American people the truth. Racism is a horrible thing yet more common than anyone wants to admit and ‘BlacKkKlansman’ has been made because the people that racism targets are tired of it. There is no superior race as characters in the film, in scene after scene, suggests and SAYS there is but there are a great many people out there who honestly believes there is. This film is fascinating and incredibly entertaining but also, it’s a reminder that what we have done in our past, can be… is being mirrored in our streets today. I can’t possibly express to you all the reasons why but as an American with an open mind, it’s crucial you don’t miss this eye-opening, impressive film.

Official Website: http://www.blackkklansman.com/

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Category: Reviews