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The Trip to Spain Movie Review

August 25, 2017 (updated August 25, 2017) Published by Shari K. Green

Two good friends, Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, have taken journey’s together eating wonderful food while Coogan writes about their experiences at the restaurants and the food they enjoyed. The Trip to Spain is the third adventure they’ve had so far. The first go-round was to review the best restaurants that the UK had to offer. He was thrilled with the opportunity but when his girlfriend couldn’t join him, it was Rob who took her place. Rob and Steve are very similar and constantly nag one another but they got through the trip without killing one another and the writing was successful. Their second trip was to travel around Italy. They went to Rome and Tuscany and though it has the same spirit, their travels and the film itself wasn’t quite as entertaining.

Well, the boys have decided to do it once again and I’m very pleased they did. Here, Brydon will work on a series of restaurant reviews while Coogan fits in time to put pen to paper on that new novel. They take a week to wine and dine their way through beautiful Spain, enjoying one another’s repartee while basking in the magnificence of the scenery around them. I’m not sure they take enough time to truly appreciate where they are for they are probably cracking wise too often to take it all in but director Winterbottom makes sure that we absorb the beauty of the land. Once again, we go through every breathtaking moment of the trip simply in awe of where they are and what they get to do for a living and he makes the film better by accompanying the backdrop of Spain with the most marvelous music. He takes us through the winding roads, the tiny villages and into the kitchens of the restaurants as the food is being prepared. Most of the dishes will have you wanting to jump through the screen to join them.

And then we have Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon. It seems Coogan is having a rough time of things. When the trip started, everything was fantastic but as we move further and further into the week, more and more of his life seems to get complicated and plans begin to fall apart. On the contrary, Rob’s life couldn’t be better, especially since he can get away from his crying baby for a week without question.

But evading everything when he can and concentrating only on the trip, Coogan battles Brydon as he did before in impersonating stars they romanticize and respect such as Robert De Niro, Sean Connery, Mick Jagger and John Hurt. One of the best moments is when they, like a couple of gossips, discuss men having children too late in life. They take it deep with how old Jagger was when he had his last child. Never being able to avoid doing it, they both give their best Jagger impression and then get into specifics of why theirs was better than the others. It’s a classic moment because they then start feeling their age but bury it quickly by adding they feel they are in the ‘sweet spot of life.’ I don’t think either of them convinced the other of that either.

This banter continues throughout and rarely gets old. Speaking of never getting old, Brydon takes out his ‘small man trapped in a box,’ at one point and when the topic of the death of so many celebrities enters the conversation, they examine another favorite; David Bowie. Coogan defines Bowie’s death as almost an ‘artistic act’ and starts to sing some notes. Rob topped Coogan with explaining how he found out that before his death, Bowie followed him on Twitter. This, of course, could never beat Coogan’s relationship with Dame Judi Dench or his Oscar nomination for Philomena so, of course, there’s plenty of time to mention this in case Brydon has had a chance to forget. There are several musings which are hashed out in the previous films brought up again in this one but this adds to the charm of this The Trip to Spain. It proves these characters know one another very well. You buy into the characters more and by doing this, it makes you feel like you’re a part of this friendship, as well.

As if it would be hard to tell they were fans, they give a nod to Monty Python’s brilliant work and award a fair amount of time to the Spanish Inquisition. Being a big Monty Python fan, I applaud them for this decision. Python has touched us all at some point so it was special to see them included here in this very witty film. They also talked about Terry Gilliam’s work. The dialogue surrounding this accomplished writer/director’s is another highlight as they get into how much they value him.

The film isn’t perfect because I must point out that on occasion, Braydon did get irritating. The most bothersome is when Coogan explains the history of the Moors, and is even getting a little political, Brydon constantly interrupts with his Roger Moore impression. I was enjoying what Coogan was saying and the interruption by Brydon was a bit much but, again, it makes the film authentic and maybe this was the intention.

At the end, with Coogan blissfully upset that he is being dropped by his agent, replaced as the writer of an upcoming film, his son (who he was looking forward to seeing) can’t fly in now… he’s feeling lost. That said, the ending couldn’t have been better. The trip wraps up with the line, ‘It’s always good to say goodbye in the mist.’ Steve is left alone and when you think things may turn around for him… they don’t. We are perfectly set up for The Trip to…???

Patti Cake$ Movie Review

August 25, 2017 Published by Shari K. Green

Patti Cake$ is a rather unusual coming of age story. It wasn’t something I expected to take very seriously. I thought it would be interesting, based on what I knew of it, but hadn’t expected the life lesson that’s woven into the plot. As the movie played on, the more I realized how uncommon it was. It’s nice to run across a diamond in the rough. This very much is one.
The very authentic approach it took in telling Patricia Dombrowski, a.k.a. Patti Cake$, a.k.a. Killa P’s (Macdonald) tale was sometimes almost painful to watch. What could be lost through your being repulsed or shocked at times, is more than made up for in its charm and ability to win you over as you start to feel for this young woman who seems to have everything against her.
Patti is a dreamer. She’s the overweight, overwhelmed, overworked, underappreciated and underpaid daughter of Barb (Everett), granddaughter of Nana (Moriarty) and best friend to Hareesh (Dhananjay). She takes everything expected of her seriously and gives all tasks her full attention but she isn’t necessarily happy about anything she does because what she wants to do seems, thus far, so out of reach. But she’ll never give up. Caught between negativity that surrounds her and the posters in her room of the Rapper, O-Z (Sahr Ngaujah) she idolizes and dreams of working with someday, she feels stuck. She wants to make it on her own but is starting to realize she can’t do it on her own. This is very frustrating for her.

Her diet alone could kill her but she eats what she can afford to and that isn’t exactly gourmet dining. It speaks of what many face daily as America becomes more divided into only the rich and the poor with no middle ground to be found. This is a very strong message in this film. Patti and her family are the very descriptions of what has happened to this country. But going back to food and to dining, Patti enjoys going out to eat with her friend. It’s a way for her to get out of the house and away from her routine and having to take care of Nana all the time. She and Hareesh like to hash out their plans to conquer the world while they eat as the restaurant is their sanctuary where bullies and tormentors out to kill their dreams don’t reside.

But no wonder Patti doesn’t want to go home. It’s bad enough that thugs around town tease her every waking moment but her mother doesn’t treat her much better. Barb is jealous of her daughter’s youth and often finds ways of making Patti regret having been born. Barb was on the brink of making it as a singer in the music business when she got pregnant and has never let Patti forget that it was because of the pregnancy that her life virtually came to an end. She’s been in a bottle ever since and Patti has been a useful tool to abuse. Now old enough, she’s good for one thing and that’s to help pay the bills.

Patti is getting worn down by not being taken seriously but one night out with Hareesh, Patti is impressed by the performance and attitude of a very angry punk rock musician, (and Marilyn Manson/Snoop Dogg mix), who refers to himself as the Antichrist (Athie). She eventually burrows her way into his life and she, Hareesh and Bob, as his name turns out to be, end up making a rather fun Rap song together. With Bob’s equipment, Hareesh’s vocals and Patti’s producing/Rapping skills, they make a demo and start passing it around. By the way, ‘PBNJ’ is still stuck in my head and Nana’s part of the process cracked me up way beyond anything I ever expected! You just have to see this to see what I mean.

So, watching this all happen, her dreams slowly become reality and seeing exactly how hard it is to do so much when the odds are not in your favor from day one, is awe inspiring. She proves you can battle with the best and come out okay. The big takeaways are don’t give anyone your dreams and don’t ever give up. No. This isn’t the typical Hollywood ending so don’t think that you don’t have anything new to look forward to. This is a very innovative film.
Macdonald, who is from Australia and had never rapped before, is absolutely fantastic and will win you over instantly, and this is Geremy Jasper’s feature film directorial debut so there is a lot of unfamiliar territory covered here. I recommend you see the pay off from Jasper’s years of being a music video director. You’ll be quite surprised at just how thought provoking and innovative Patti Cake$ turns out to be.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day 3D Movie Review

August 25, 2017 (updated August 24, 2017) Published by JMcNaughton

Should I assume that I will not give away anything new in the plot or reveal any spoilers? After all, this movie was originally released in 1991. Just about everyone has seen it by now. There will be some people in the audience who may not have been born back then, but they have probably seen this movie on DVD. So, will a reboot to make a 3-D version of “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” do justice to the original? I mean, this was one of the greatest Sci-Fi action movies ever! Putting a new depth into the action SHOULD just make it better…

“The Terminator” (1984) brought out Arnold Schwarzenegger as the killing machine android type T-800. He was a relentless assassin sent from the future to kill Sarah Conner (Linda Hamilton). But that movie was so popular that “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” was created to carry on the story. In the future, Skynet dominates the world, and schemes to destroy the person(s) who could end the future artificial intelligence, before it becomes self-aware. The plan is to send a new, better quality Terminator back to the past to kill John Connor (Edward Furlong).

The upgraded Terminator is a type T-1000 (Robert Patrick). It arrives in 1995 to find and eliminate John. However the future Resistance (led by an older John Connor) sends back a type T-800 (Schwarzenegger). But this android is reprogrammed to find and protect John. The T-800 will face off against the T-1000, and will keep John safe. Sarah and John go with the T-800 to Cyberdyne Systems, which is the place where the future androids are being developed. The chief engineer is Miles Dyson (Joe Norton), who does not believe that the future will be filled with Terminators that he helped to create.

But by the sacrifice of Dyson, Cyberdyne Systems is destroyed. That puts an end to the development of a neural net processor that would form the basis of the future SkyNet. But the chase is not yet over. The T-1000 is still hot on the trail of Sarah, John and the reconfigured T-800. There is still more action yet to happen. Before you can say “Hasta la vista, Baby!”, the three of them are found by the T-1000 and more mayhem ensues. They get trapped in an old steel mill, and the T-800 seems to be out for the count. But he prevails and the T-1000 is defeated. All traces of the future androids are destroyed, so nobody can reverse engineer the future tech. So, there can be no more sequels, right? Don’t bet on it!

“Terminator 2: Judgment Day” was always considered a rare sequel that lived up to, and improved on the original. James Cameron had quite a few restraints in 1984 that were gone in 1991. Movie making technology had gotten so much better that “T2” now seems better than the first one. The carryover of the two main stars, Schwarzenegger & Hamilton, also gave it a big boost. Even a minor character Dr. Peter Silberman (played by Earl Boen) gave a continuity to both movies. Computer Graphic Imagery (CGI) also was way ahead by 1991. However, the movie used CGI in some scenes but did not go overboard.

All the acting in right on point. Arnold Schwarzenegger makes an about-face from the original movie – where he was the ultimate bad guy. Here he works on the side of angels to protect young John Connor. Linda Hamilton makes Sarah into one tough chick, and she does not back down. Robert Patrick plays the creepy T-1000 with a strange detachment from humanity. Joe Norton plays the doomed engineer Dyson, and he is perfect in the critical role. If there is any quibble, it could be with Edward Furlong, but he does just enough to get by…

The biggest role is in the movie is the action and special effects. The story mixes quite well with the original movie, and the new aspects relate with most of the first story. Making the T-800 out to be a savior rather than the original mechanical death machine is a smart move. Making the T-1000 into a major upgrade of the earlier T-800 also works out great. The story sizzles along with a lot of energy, especially when the T-800 (Schwarzenegger) is taking on the T-1000 (Patrick). There are chases and fights and a few slower periods, but all are mixed together beautifully.

But why this re-release? Because now there are 3-D effects added to the original movie. The addition of 3-D is pretty minimal, but there are some scenes where it does stand out and you can notice extra depth. So while it does not substantially improve the viewing experience, it does not distract.

Does it matter why “T2” is again on the big screen? Not really, and as long as it can be viewed in the regular theater…

I’ll Be Back!

Good Time Movie Review

August 25, 2017 (updated August 24, 2017) Published by JMcNaughton

An independently produced film can be very uneven, compared to a major studio release. But if the small film has a lot of heart and some great acting, then it could be ready for success. Ben & Josh Safdie are brothers who have come up with a movie equivalent of “Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride” with one called ‘Good Time’. It takes a main character who has a dubious moral code and follows his as he embarks on a crosstown adventure in New York City. With a minor budget, they have made a major effort to produce a fine movie.

Connie Nikas (Robert Pattinson) is a smooth-talking con-man loner. His mentally-challenged brother Nick Nikas (Ben Safdie) depends on Connie to protect him. He has a girlfriend Corey (Jennifer Jason Leigh) who sponges off her grandmother. Low on cash, Connie schemes to hold up a bank with Nick. But all hell breaks loose and Nick is arrested. Connie swears that he will get his brother out tonight, because his brother will not be able to survive. He gets the cash from the robbery, still stained with the explosive ink dye, and takes it to Bail Bond place. Connie is still short on the bail amount for Nick.

However, Nick is not going for a bail hearing tonight. He has been injured in a fight and is at the hospital. Connie goes to where they have taken Nick. A police guard is at the door, but Connie sneaks past and gets the guy handcuffed to the hospital bed. He somehow gets away with the injured man he puts in the wheelchair. Connie sweet-talks an older lady to let him and the injured guy a place to stay. He meets the older lady’s grand-daughter named Crystal (Taliah Webster). The injured sleeping guy wakes up and Connie finds out it not who he thought it was.

Instead, it is Ray (Buddy Duress) who is an ex-con who just got out of jail the day before. He has a wild story to tell about how he got into the hospital. Ray tells a fantastic tale of his first day of freedom, and how he got mixed up with drinking and drugs. He remembers that a load of money and lot of drugs got stashed at a local amusement park. Connie takes a car and goes with Ray and Crystal. Connie is always talking up a great story with elaborate lies. He and Ray go to search the empty amusement park while Crystal stays in the car and waits. Connie and Ray search for the money and drugs, but a security guard named Dash (Barkhad Abdi) finds them. They overpower Dash and Connie dresses up as the guard. Crystal gets caught by the police and they also take Dash, who is now unable to prove who he is.

Connie and Ray leave and go to Dash’s nice apartment. They still have no money, but they found the drugs – so Connie plans of selling them to get the money for Nick’s bail. Ray has a friend who can help with that, but they get suspicious of Connie. But has there been enough laws broken and innocent people hurt for one night? Or does Connie think that his web of deception is strong enough to get his brother back and make with square with his girl? Connie is such a sociopath that he thinks whatever he does will work. So far this single evening, he has not been proven wrong….

Robert Pattinson does an incredible job with this role, his commitment to the role is outstanding. He lives the part playing Connie, with all of his flaws and unrealistic dreams. Connie has a deep emotional bond with his brother Nick, and he will stop at nothing to try and make their lives better. He tells people want they want to hear, with no intention of following through. He even dyes his hair after the robbery when he sees his photo on the evening news. He is dangerous and vicious and he creates a wave of destruction in his path.

The other actors are quite good, even with limited experience. Ben Safdie plays Nick, but he is also the co-director. Buddy Duress plays Ray, and he plays a convincing down-on-his-luck man with a face full of (make-up) injuries. Taliah Webster plays Crystal, and she holds her own against some more seasoned actors. Jennifer Jason Leigh has a little more than a cameo role, as does Barkhad Abdi (he is remembered from the movie ‘Captain Phillips’).

The low-budget does not stop the Safdie bothers from telling an engaging, yet meandering, story. With the pulsating background music that sounds like an all-night rave, this movie has a very wild and almost out-of-control feeling. The craziness of Robert Pattinson in this role gets a person thinking – whatever will come next? You are always kept guessing and wondering, what is the next bad choice will Connie make? And what type of major lie will he tell to get it to happen? What results will occur that could harm even more people?

“Good Time” is a very unusual film, but you can see that there was a lot of thought put into it. The way that it starts like a spinning top, spinning fast in a tight little circle. And then slowly going to wobble just a bit, and then a little bit more… Soon the whole thing could just topple over, but it is fascinating to see what happens next…

Menashe Movie Review

August 18, 2017 (updated August 8, 2017) Published by JMcNaughton

‘Menashe’ is a most unusual movie. The entire movie is set in Brooklyn’s ultra-Orthodox Hasidic Jewish section of the city. The main character is Menashe, a down-on-his-luck Hasidic Jew. Everyone with whom he interacts speaks in Yiddish, with a few minor exceptions. Nearly all of the characters are Hasidic Jews, and they dress and display all of the mannerisms as such. The movie is not a documentary, but it has the feel of a true life story being documented on film.

Menashe (Menashe Lustig) is a middle-aged man attempting to make his way in life. But since the death of his wife a year ago, he has had some difficulties. First, his young son Rieven (Ruben Niborski) is not allowed to live with him, without the presence of a wife in the house. The local Rabbi (Meyer Schwartz) has determined that a lack of a wife is not good for Menashe and would not be good for raising Rieven. So it was determined that the son would go and live with Uncle Itzak (Yoel Weisshaus). His house has the proper environment for a young boy to be raised.

Menashe is not ready to remarry, but that seems to be the only way that he can ever get his boy back to live with him. Uncle Itzak is very stern with Rieven, but he has a household that is keep kosher by a hard-working wife. Itsak is fairly wealthy, and he looks down on his brother-in-law Menashe. Once Menashe remarries, then the Rabbi might reconsider his decision.

Menashe works at the small kosher neighborhood store. His boss is the owner, and he thinks Menashe is more trouble then he is worth. The trouble is that Menashe often proves him correct. Like the time he goes to pick up a big order of gefilte fish in the store van, and Mehashe manages to turn a corner and dump most of the boxes out into the street. Plus all the times that he gets into work late, and forgets to mop the floors, well – just say that Menashe is not the most prized employee.

The Rabbi decides that a week of Menashe taking care of his son Rieven would be okay. It will be until the one-year anniversy of the death of his wife. If Menashe can show that he is making good progress at work and taking care of Rieven, then the Rabbi will reconsider his final decision. He still wants Menashe to find a new wife, so his household wll be complete. After all, when Menashe wants to hold the memorial dinner at his little apartment, and cook the kugel for ceremony, what could go wrong? As you might suspect, everything could go wrong…

This is not a documentary movie. However the director has made these in the past, and he brings a ‘documentary’ style to this movie. The story about Menashe is played by Menashe Lustig, and his life story is the actual basis of the movie. So there is that aspect…

The acting is plain and pedestrian, since none are professional actors. All of the visual shots are either close-up faces framed in the screen view, or long telescopic shots from a distance. There is a little bit of music for a soundtrack, and it does have a Jewish melodic flavor to it. The story is nothing more than a string of small slices of Menashe’s life, showing how much of a doofus that he can be.

There is not a lot to recommend in this movie, except that the story is told in Yiddish. If you are Jewish and want to brush up on your Yiddish skills, then have at it… Even with the English subtitles, there is not a lot going on.

The Hitman’s Bodyguard Movie Review

August 18, 2017 (updated August 17, 2017) Published by JMcNaughton

Sure, Ryan Reynolds can play Deadpool. But can he play Deadpan? As in, a straight man to an out-of-control Samuel L. Jackson? Yes, yes he can, and the results are hilarious. “The Hitman’s Bodyguard” takes a ton of common movie clichés and pummels them into submission with violent comedy timing and hard R-rated language that could make a sailor blush. No new ground is being broken here, but the interaction between the two stars makes for a fun, if silly, joy ride.

Michael Bryce (Ryan Reynolds) is in charge of a triple-A rated ‘special protection’ company, who makes it point to keep his clients safe from bad guys and hitmen. Hitmen such as Darius Kincaid (Samuel L. Jackson) who has tangled with Bryce at least 28 times in the past. Bryce keeps his clients protected, until he doesn’t, and a murder of Bryce’s client puts him into the doghouse. He loses his top rating and becomes a low-level bodyguard. Bryce blamed his ex-girlfriend for blabbing out the name and location Bryce’s 29th client, the one who was killed. Amelia Roussel (Élodie Yung) is an Interpol agent and the ex-girlfriend who comes back two years later to ask Bryce for a favor.

The hitman Kincaid has been captured, and Interpol wants him to testify at the World Court in The Hauge. There is an Eastern-European exiled dictator named Dukhovich (Gary Oldman) on trial for genocide. Kincaid will testify against the murderous fiend, but only if the Dutch release from prison his wife and one true love – Sonia (Salma Hayek). Kincaid is taken by Agent Roussel and other Interpol agents to get him The Hague. The convoy is ambushed by Dukhovich’s henchmen. They had been given the Kincaid’s position by Agent Roussel’s boss, Director Foucher (Joaquim de Almeida). Foucher is double-crossing Interpol by working with Dukhovich.

Roussel needs Bryce’s help to deliver Kincaid to the World Court to testify. Kincaid has attempted to kill Bryce’s past clients at least 28 times. So there is plenty of bad blood between the two men. But a job is a job, and Roussel makes a promise to get back Byrce’s triple-A rating. So there is a journey to be made across England and then into Amsterdam, all the while being pursued by Dukhovich’s henchmen. This will result in R-rated bickering, violent mayhem, and cross-county male bonding. Bryce is a button-down, by-the-book kind of guy – but with Kincaid he is at wit’s end. Kincaid will shoot first and ask questions later, and takes life for all that he can.

Kincaid is willing to be in jail if he can free his beloved and street tough Sonia. She and Kincaid where made for each other. Kincaid asks Bryce about why he broke up with Agent Roussel, because he knows how much she means to him. Advice for the lovelorn from a Hitman, why not? There are car, boat, and motorcycle chases down the streets and canals. The climax brings Bryce and Kincaid together to face off against Dukhovich and Director Foucher, with explosive results. Sonia could be freed from jail and Agent Roussel might get back with Bryce. So will it be a happy ending for all concerned?

Ryan Reynolds is the dashing professional service provider Michael Bryce who has been turned into a low-life bottom-dwelling bodyguard. He wants to be back on top, but his life keeps getting worse. The interplay between Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson is wonderful to behold. Reynolds sad-sack face stays at a mild grimace whenever Jackson goes on off on one of his many tirades. Jackson is an R-rated class clown and he can wield the mother-f**ker phrase in the same way a brain surgeon can use a scalpel. His over-the-top antics are contrasted to Reynolds methodical ways for laughs. The two of them mesh in these roles in a way that makes it fun to watch.

All the other actors are well suited for each role. Gary Oldman seems a little over-qualified for his role. Salma Hayek is a major hoot as Sonia, who can drop enough f-bombs to peel the paint off the jail cell wall. Élodie Yung and Joaquim de Almeida also good. The stunt work and fight scenes are well-paced, and the canal chase is all crazy all the time. It involves a bunch of car, boat, and motorcycle chases down the narrow streets and even tinier canals in Amsterdam. Again, nothing that is brand new, but it is done really with a lot of spirit.

This movie will not resolve and world issues, but it will give you a taste of some R-rated frolics. Until the next Deadpool, and the next time Samuel L. Jackson ‘walks the path of the righteous man’, this one will do. Hey it even gets Jackson singing an end title song, which he also wrote. What a bad Master-Flicker…

The Glass Castle Movie Review

August 11, 2017 Published by Shari K. Green

The story The Glass Castle is from a memoir written by 80’s gossip columnist, Jeanette Wells. It’s about her very unconventional upbringing that gave us a fabulous subject to read about and now makes a fascinating film to watch. Incredibly unorthodox or even oddball parents of four young children, Rex (Harrelson) and Rose Mary (Watts), decide to go off the grid with the kids. Sick of people, especially government, telling them what to do and how to do it, they now decide what’s best. They don’t want their brood of three girls and one boy taught in public schools because schools can’t teach them what having real life experiences can, nor can it pass on what they, Rex and Rose Mary, can themselves. Wandering around mostly homeless is a lot to take on but the challenge is faced with eyes wide open.

Rose Mary is an artist so moving from place to place and living off the land gives her an opportunity to be in touch with the outdoors which is often the setting and the subject of her paintings. Though she gives Rex some pushback, she does agree that it exposes the children to an environment they wouldn’t otherwise have a chance to experience.

Rex is a free spirit who comes more from a place of anger. Intelligent like his mother, he wants the kids to touch a cactus and get poked rather than read about its piercing needles. Unfortunately, and examples of this are plentiful in the film, he walks a fine line between devotion and callousness. This is also something he inherited from his mother. Leaving home, he now gets to live free but is he truly considering the family or feeding his narcissistic tendencies? I’ll let you determine that on your own. Director Cretton and Harrelson do an exceptional job of making that easy for you decide.

The title of the film comes from a promise Rex has made through their years of traveling from state to state and moving from one worn down dump to another. Each time they actually live in a home, he tells the hungry and fatigued yet ambitious children that he’ll build them a castle made of glass. He always piques their interest by showing their enthusiastic minds his designs for it and in one home they even pitch in to build its foundation… which eventually becomes a landfill. As time goes by and the hole fills, they still do whatever they’re told and still remain loyal to show their love, trust and belief in him. It’s excruciating to watch Rex himself crack what holds the family together.

Harrelson is intense as he brings Rex to life. He’s well cast as a control freak that would rather drink himself unconscious than feed his children. Watts matches wits with Harrelson as a caring mother who stays an adoring wife, going along with what he says not matter what the situation is.
Brie Larson joins the cast halfway through and picks up where two younger actresses left off playing the younger versions of the smart, strong and fiercely opinionated and independent, Jeannette. She does the character justice by showing the painful transition of a child following orders to a young adult realizing the very real circumstances and station in life they’re now facing. Respect and affection for her parents are questioned and what makes The Glass Castle such an exceptional story is how it shows that you can still have both yet do what’s ultimately best for you.

This is quite an incredibly moving story with remarkable performances from the children on up and I highly recommend you see this as soon as you can. Two notes for you… bring a tissue and stay for the pictures at the end.

Brigsby Bear Movie Review

August 11, 2017 (updated August 11, 2017) Published by Shari K. Green

Brigsby Bear is nothing if not quirky. It’s a story about a boy who never has to give up his childish things because, essentially, he never has to grow up. Well, until he’s rescued, that is. I’ll explain.
In the situation the main character, James (Mooney), finds himself, he wouldn’t know how to grow up so the subject would never be breached. He lives in a perfect world with supportive parents who love him, take good care of him and always let him watch his favorite show, Brigsby Bear.
Not unlike a popular children’s show of any era, from Mister Rogers to Barney, Brigsby Bear is fun and educational and James has watched it so long he couldn’t live without it. It’s who he is. It’s who he is because it was actually produced for him by his parents to teach him what they wanted him to learn and to inject only their feelings and belief system.

It turns out, though always taken care of by them, James’ parents, Ted (Hamill) and April (Adams), kidnapped him when he was a baby and they’ve been keeping him in an underground bunker, in the middle of the desert, ever since. Sadly, never being around other children or seeing the real world, James is childlike, yet he’s in his twenties. He’s immature and his life is only what they have allowed it to be.
He hasn’t mentally grown beyond the age of a ten-year-old and his mind knows only what Ted and April have fed it. The world of Brigsby, a sci-fi series given to him to watch on VHS, has so penetrated his psyche that no amount of truth could drill it out. It’s who he is. This is tested when the police finally discover what Ted and April have done and come to ruin the only world James has ever known.

When he is taken away from the only parents he has ever known, he meets Detective Vogel (Kinnear) and his birth family and is introduced to the harsh reality of the real world; most especially, that the Brigsby Bear show is gone forever. Or is it? Saying too much will give away what’s so compelling about this flick. It’s completely original… strangely and so absurdly unlike anything I’ve seen before. An adult who acts like a child because he has been treated as one his whole life. What a fascinating concept. Saying too much at this point would give away the plot.

He does try and thwart having to grow-up as much as he can but when he looks at the broader picture, he knows what he has to do to grow up and finally move on. All he asks of everyone is to let him do it in his own way. It’s this part that makes this narrative so unique. Well, that and the unconventional jokes that make you draw back a bit… but that’s all on purpose.

Brigsby Bear is an amusing ride. There are a few bumps in the road but overall the story has heart, integrity and is surprisingly clever. You’d do well to put it on your summer must-see list for the experience of watching the cooperation, love and support that helps a man-child become a man. The saying goes that it takes a village to raise a child so imagine…

Annabelle: Creation Movie Review

August 11, 2017 (updated August 9, 2017) Published by JMcNaughton

First in 2013 came ‘The Conjuring’, which later brought ‘The Conjuring 2’ and a movie called ‘Annabelle’, which was a spooky possessed doll first seen in ‘The Conjuring’. Now this movie ‘Annabelle: Creation’ goes way back to determine the reason this doll is so evil. It is basically an excuse to create a non-stop scare machine that runs in turbo mode. And it does that very well.

Samuel Mullins (Anthony LaPaglia) and Esther Mullins (Miranda Otto) have a little girl nicknamed ‘Bee’. Samuel is a dollmaker by trade and he is the one who created the ‘Annabelle’ doll. But the daughter dies tragically at a young age. Their house is empty for twelve years, until they open it up for new guests. The people moving in are orphans and a young nun named Sister Charlotte (Stephanie Sigman). One of the orphans is named Janice (Talitha Bateman) who suffers from polio and is crippled in one leg. Another orphan is Linda (Lulu Wilson), who is close friends with Janice.

All the orphans are told to stay out of a locked room, which was the dead daughter’s bedroom. Of course, this being a horror movie, Janice goes in there and (JUMP SCARE!) finds a secret locked room containing the ‘Annabelle’ doll. Soon things go very haywire (LOUD SCREECHING STRING NOISES!) and soon Janice is fighting off a demon (DOOR SLAM!). Linda wants to protect her friend but (QUICK CUT TO GLOWING EYES IN THE DARK!) the monster comes after her.

Mr. Mullins thinks he can control the evil (SOUND OF BONES CRACKING!) but that does not end well. Mrs. Mullins, who was attacked many years ago, by the creature, is set up for another attack (BLOODY IMAGES!). Also, that does not end well. Sister Charlotte does her best to protect the children (FLASH OF A SHARP KNIFE!) and ends up knocked out on the floor. Janice may have become a victim of the ‘Annabelle’ horror (JUMP SCARE!). Will the orphans and Sister Charlotte be able to get to safety and (SCARY SCARECROW ALERT!) contain the horrible monster?

This movie follows the basic formula of what a horror movie should be. It does follow the guidelines very well. All the dark backgrounds with a glimmer of movement are there. All the rising string crescendos that get louder and louder as the screen slowly zooms into a scary image are there. All the normal, standard common things are there, but they are done really well. This movie does not break any new ground, but the results are spooky and effective.

The acting is perfectly fine, with most of the good shots saved for reacting. Reacting to sounds, to quick sudden events, to all the weird paranormal things that are going on around them. As it always goes in these movies, everyone does the least logical thing to keep the scary stuff going on. Not supposed to go into that room? Sure, get in there – why not? Not supposed to open a locked door? Hey, here’s the key, go and get that possessed evil doll – that’s ok…

Yup, there is the normal amount of (JUMP SCARE!) and (BLOODY IMAGES!) that you would expect in a horror movie. “Annabelle: Creation” does not disappoint.

Wind River Movie Review

August 11, 2017 (updated August 8, 2017) Published by JMcNaughton

Taylor Sheridan has written the screenplays for some terrific movies, including ‘Sicario’ and ‘Hell or High Water’. Now you can add ‘Wind River’ to his growing list of accomplishments. On top of that, he also directed this movie. Sheridan is becoming a major player in Hollywood. ‘Sicario’ was set in the American Southwest and Northern Mexico. ‘Hell or High Water’ was set in West Texas. Now ‘Wind River’ is set in the Pacific Mountain West, and it is brutal look at the land and people who live there.

Cory Lambert (Jeremy Renner) works for U.S. government in Wyoming for Fish and Wildlife department. He is in charge of ‘predator control’, meaning he tracks and kills wolves, mountain lions and the like. One day he is out tracking and he finds the body of a young Indian woman. She is from the Wind River reservation. His ex-wife is also from the ‘rez’, so he goes and checks out what they say. He meets the Tribal Police Chief Ben (Graham Greene) and meets with the father of the young woman. Martin (Gil Birmingham) is the father and he is heart-broken.

They all meet up with a young and inexperienced FBI agent, Jane Banner (Elizabeth Olsen). she was sent to help solve the murder. The young woman was raped and beaten, then while bleeding still she ran six miles barefoot in the snow. However, the local coroner is not helping. Even with the amount of violence heaped on her, he will not mark the cause of death as ‘murder’. The FBI will not send any more resources in to help out. Jane must ask Cory for his help, even though he is not in law enforcement.

Cory knows how to track, so that is how he helps. They go out and discover another body. So there is plenty of bad stuff going on. They just need to see what is behind it all. They go with Chief Ben to visit the young woman’s druggie brother and a couple of loser friends. That ends in a violent confrontation. But they learn that the woman had a white boyfriend named Matt (Jon Bernthal). Matt works on a security team at a nearby oil rig setup, about six miles from where Cory found the body.

Cory and Jane are beginning to think that some things are starting to come together, as a cloud of suspicion falls over Matt. So they plan for a trip out the oil rig location to find out what the people stationed there know about Matt or the woman. If they can place Matt somewhere near the place where Cory found her body, then they might be able to solve the case. But could there be more twists and turns in store for the investigators?

Jeremy Renner plays Cory in a very understated manner. He is not flashy, but focused – his character also has a tragic past with a dead daughter. He agrees to assist Jane because she is out of her depth when she is out on the reservation and in the wilderness. He portrays a dedicated man in touch with deep inner sense of justice, and he is not afraid to be a tracker/hunter for all types of predators.

Elizabeth Olsen does a wonderful job as Jane. Because her character is struggling in an overwhelming situation, she uses the talents of the people around her; Cory, Chief Ben and others. She is not afraid to confront wrongdoers, and she can take charge when she needs to. She has a palpable sense of outrage over the young woman’s rape and murder. The local customs and traits of the reservation are alien to her, and she out of her range when in the wilds of Wyoming.

The rest of the cast fits in perfectly with all the roles helping move the story along. The pacing is slower at the beginning, and then there are some areas where the danger and suspense kicks in and keeps you tense. It is an intriguing story that marries the reservation world with the larger one surrounding it. It keeps you wanting to learn more of Cory’s background and what makes him tick. You want to see a murder solved, even if the local coroner is not able to declare it a ‘murder’.

Justice must be served, and it is served in the chilly snow of the Rocky Mountain peaks. Taylor Sheridan has created a new genre with this movie. I would call it ‘Snow Noir’.

Category: Reviews