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Solo: A Star Wars Story Movie Review

May 25, 2018 (updated November 16, 2018) Published by Shari K. Green

‘Star Wars’ fan? You gotta see this. Period. I know some fans weren’t happy about Ron Howard replacing the original directors of the film, the team of longtime friends, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (‘Lego Movie,’ ‘21 Jump Street’), and it caused quite a ruckus but, in my opinion, for no reason. Ron Howard may not be known for his action pictures but watch ‘Rush,’ ‘Apollo 13’ and ‘Backdraft’ for examples of how he handles action sequences in film if you’re concerned about his abilities. What’s so good about Howard getting to helm the project is that he doesn’t only count on action to dazzle you but ensnares you by giving the story depth. He does this with familiar images, language and even tones to set the mood and take you back to when you were first introduced to the characters and their world. I’m inclined to think some audience members won’t like the film no matter who directs, for the simple fact that Harrison Ford is Han Solo and Alden Ehrenreich is not. While I realize it’s hard to see anyone else as the captain of the Millenium Falcon, I resisted the urge to automatically dislike the thought of seeing this prequel and went on to enjoy the film for what it offered, not what and who it doesn’t offer. You should, too. For what it’s worth, Ehrenreich plays a magnificent Han Solo. He even looks like him a few times, too.

Here, Han lives a miserable life and being that he’s a young man, has decided that life as a slave to the man isn’t for him. Where he’s from is a dark and dismal existence and he has learned to do whatever it takes, break any laws, to survive. This comes in handy when he decides he’s going to change the course his life is on and leave to become a pilot for the Imperial Army. Of course, slaves don’t decide what they get to do or when so, mind made up, he grabs his pretty but tough girlfriend Q’ira (Clarke) and they make a run for it. Their determination gets them to a not so friendly checkpoint but as you’d expect something happens to make Han the man he becomes. He makes it through… she does not. She encourages him to continue without her which he does, vowing to return to save her.

Later, after making it into the Army and getting to fly for it, but still having dreams of being the ‘good guy,’ he meets Beckett (Harrelson) and Val (Newton) who just happen to need a good pilot. This gets him away from his current situation and one step closer to getting back to Q’ira. Up to this point, the movie was a little slow but the pacing picks up when they need Han’s help for a fuel theft.

With a large weight on top of them, Ron Howard and the writing team of Jonathan and Lawrence Kasdan manage to meet your expectations based on what you’ve always known from the franchise and its characters. They take great pain to include signature lines and memorable situations as ‘The Kessel run in less than twelve parsecs.’ Doing this includes you in on the joke from where it originally derived. Very smart. They show their audience how Han first meets Chewbacca (Suotamo) which is entertaining and comical. There are many other goodies peppered throughout the script for you to treasure.

I will admit that the creation of Han’s last name is rather lame, but it doesn’t compare to how bad the suggestion is that Lando Calrissian is having some sort of relationship with his robot L3. That won’t stop you from loving his character, however.

The graphics and cinematography more than make up for the few things you’ll find wrong with the script, which you’ll only locate when hunting with a fanboy lens, instead of just having fun in a movie because it’s good. When looking closely, what you should find is a message warning of how horribly life can change when under evil leaders instead of whether or not Howard is worthy of the brand because, his ability to mix dramatic nuance with comedy and action, it’s clear that he is. And, unlike before I saw this, I’m very much looking forward to this storyline continuing.

On Chesil Beach Movie Review

May 25, 2018 (updated May 22, 2018) Published by JMcNaughton

“On Chesil Beach” examines the idea that you can be truly, madly, deeply in love someone, yet you cannot make love to that someone. Ian McEwan, who had previously written the novel “Atonement”, takes this idea to a sad conclusion in his screenplay – based on his short novel of the same name. Set in the early sixties in England, a young couple is enamored with each other, yet a happy marriage is not to be. England is still closer to the Victorian Age than it is to the Free Love Swingin’ Sixties. At least, it is for these two…

Edward Mayhew (Billy Howle) is a young college graduate in 1962, and he is ready to take on the world. But he is looked on as a commoner, with a father who is school administrator and a mother who is not all there. His family is not rich and well-regarded. So when Edward meets Florence Ponting (Saoirse Ronan), he becomes smitten with her good looks and charm. She has family ties into money and prestige, but Florence is not concerned with such things. They have a long courting period to see if they are compatible in personality and demeanor.

The one thing that they did not check into is whether they had a problem with physical intimacy. It is not until after the marriage ceremony and at the honeymoon suite do they find troubled waters in the sea of love. Florence has always been uncomfortable with physical touch, and she might have been abused by her father. Edward is unsure of the proper rate with which he should take Florence into the tunnel of love, because his past experience is.. none. He is pretty reserved when it comes to sexuality, but Florence is a big, fat Frigidaire freezer.

They go to honeymoon at a nice hotel near Chesil Beach. After an awkward dinner the two lovebirds shoo away the waiters from the room. Then they get to the main business, of having major flashbacks to they story of them meeting, and the courtship and the final decision to marry. But when the time is right to do the horizontal mambo, neither one is prepared for the farce that is their attempt at making love. Florence becomes incredibly upset at Edward and storms out of the room. For Edward, nothing went right and his paratroopers missed the landing zone. His embarrassment and her shame take an event that should solidify the marriage and it gets turned to a gallows on which the marriage is taken out and hung.

The two are at odds from this point on, based on misunderstandings and lack of knowledge. He finds her out on Chesil Beach, where she has walked in an effort to get away. But neither one knows what the other is thinking. They just assume that the marriage will never have another chance to be consummated. They can find no possible way to put this one incident behind them, and it changes the direction of their lives.

Florence has a string quartet that she leads, and she will put all of her time into that. Edward will do whatever he can do to get by. But then some tacked-on ending which brings Edward and Florence out of 1962 and into 1975, and then into 2007 just changes the mood. It goes from being “On Chesil Beach” to a reverse mirror of “On Golden Pond”. But in this case, the old-age make-up looks awful and pulls you out of the touching, yet tragic, story that has just transpired.

This movie has created another vehicle in which Saoirse Ronan can use to display her incredible acting skills. Billy Howle is also top-notch in his performance, being an equal to Ronan. But the story has such a roundabout method of getting to the moment of truth that some audience members might walk away like Edward – unfulfilled.

In the Phoenix area. opens at the Camelview in Scottsdale

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Solo: A Star Wars Story Movie Review

May 25, 2018 (updated May 22, 2018) Published by JMcNaughton

At last, there is now going to be a “Star Wars” movie that will delve into the origins and back-story of one of the series most favorite characters. This is a guy who is a mysterious loner with a just a hint of being a scoundrel. You know who I mean — Boba Fett. No wait, it’s not about the Fett-meiseter? It’s about Han Solo? Oh well, here is a new Star Wars movie about one of the original good guys…

Back in the first “Star Wars” (some people want to rename to “A New Hope” – fat chance!), there was smuggler and rogue who was the self-proclaimed best pilot in the universe. Han Solo was at home in a “wretched hive of scum and villainy” on the planet Tatooine where he could shoot first at Greedo. His co-pilot Chewbacca was a big walking carpet of a Wookie who is Han’s best friend and defender. But how did these two get started, and what the heck is a Kessel Run, you ask?

Back in earlier times, Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich) was scraping around for a living with a fellow survivor named Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke). They both try to escape, and only Han makes it. He meets a con man named Tobias Beckett (Woody Harrelson) and his crew. Beckett makes a living taking other people’s stuff. Han meets up with a very hairy Wookie named Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo) who first wants to fight him, but soon figures out that they both want to get out of a bad place. They join up with Beckett, but a major job goes very wrong. There is a major gangster to whom Beckett owes a great deal of money, and now he is very short. Han comes up with his own idea of how to fix that. Plus he finds that Qi’ra, whom Han thought was missing forever, was working for the crime boss, Dryden Vos (Paul Bettany).

But they need a fast ship, and Beckett knows just the man. He is a rogue smuggler and gambler named Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover). Lando has nice little ship called Millennium Falcon, which is the fastest around and good for moving contraband. Han and Chewy meet up with Lando, and Han tries to win the Falcon on the card table. Lando wins, but he wants in on the new heist. Han, Lando, Chewy and Beckett all go to a planet with resources, where they turn it into special fuel. It they can get the fuel back to Dryden Vos, thru the Kessel system, all within 12 parsecs – then you have new catch-phrase right there.

But which side is Beckett really on, and will Qi’ra still have any deep feelings for Han? Will the Rebel alliance on that little planet have any chance to get the help they need, or will Han keep only to himself? Are there any people who actually need to be shot first? Well, stick around and this movie will help you get the answers that you need. Maybe you did not know those answers before, but it would be more than enjoyable to learn them with this crew. Basically a space-based Western, with holdups, train robberies and outposts in the desert, this movie gets Han to wear a white hat in the end.

Alden Ehrenreich has a good deal of charm when he is playing Han. Woody Harrelson is a nice addition as a dubious mentor for the young Han. Donald Glover then really shines as Lando, and gets the most mileage out of the hot-shot gambler. Emilia Clarke and Paul Bettany play their roles OK, and Joonas Suotamo is really fun as everyone’s favorite Wookie.

Ron Howard deserves credit for taking over the duties for directing this movie, after it had gone a bit off track. But using the screenplay from Lawrence Kasdan (writer of some really fine Star Wars movies) and co-written with his son Jonathan, there is a good foundation for the film. And of John Powell comes through with the soundtrack, especially when he reuses a couple classic themes from John Williams.

So, the only thing left to say is – when that Boba Fett movie coming out?

Beast Movie Review

May 18, 2018 (updated May 18, 2018) Published by Shari K. Green

There’s a course tone running through ‘Beast’ that you can’t turn away from. It’s intriguing from the get-go as you look over the beautiful yet blustery and chilly island that is the home of our players in the drama. For his feature debut, television director, Michael Pearce, brings to life the story of a young woman yearning to be free of her mother and her rules by any means necessary, even if it means accepting the heart of a possible serial killer. There’s something alluring about a bad boy and, as most films do, Pearce and company take advantage of this. What will the characters learn from one another and how will it be different… if this is possible? Moll (Buckley) is frustrated that her family puts her last, even on her birthday, and hooks up with a mysterious stranger who sees her, touches her and stands up for her when she is having trouble breaking free of another man’s unwelcome advances.

Pascal (Flynn) wiggles his way into Moll’s heart by deeply, almost hypnotically staring into her eyes, penetrating the very core of her, something she’s clearly unfamiliar with. He approaches her slowly and lets her know he’ll accept her for who she is no matter who he might find.

Pascal isn’t the most hygienic of people, something her mother immediately disapproves of. Being used as babysitter for her niece and caregiver to her ill father, it’s time for Moll to fight for a little independence which she does. She invites him for dinner. During dinner, they discuss the murders of young girls that have been happening in the area. It’s not hard to tell at this point who the film is suggesting the murderer is. Pascal hunts rabbits and though you’re sure of who that the killer is, it’s in a scene where they go hunting together that the line between the two quite solidly blurs.
He’s told that Moll has been labeled the ‘wild one’ so he inquires as to exactly why. She confesses to him that she stabbed a student with scissors who had bullied her when she was in school and after had to be homeschooled. She has held onto the pain and stigma that came along with the incident ever since. His advice to her is to stop carrying the weight of her action and to move on. This releases her of a decade of guilt and shame and as her relationships with family members strain, she feels closer to him than she ever has to anyone.

Feeling compelled to help the community in some way, she joins volunteers to sweep for the body of the killers next victim. Similar to the guidance she was given by Pascal, this action helps cleanse her and we see that Moll begins to find her own identity. She has a choice, a voice and feels much freer. Ignoring signs of who he might be when the police come calling, she’s reluctant to speak to them. When they inquire as to both his and her whereabouts on a certain night, she’s headstrong and refuses to speak with them further. The people in town know she can finger him and her noncompliance sets off a chain reaction of overwhelming disgust toward her that she can’t escape no matter where she turns.

Why won’t she help with the investigation? Who is she? Who is Pascal? What happens next? Watch it to find out! Outside of a few times when the accents are too thick to understand and a poor bunny getting massacred, (Seriously, if you love animals, turn away!) ‘Beast’ is exhilarating and quite clever. Its pacing fits the storyline and on occasion, you’ll wonder if you’re not watching a horror film rather than a drama. If Intense and Well Done is your idea of entertainment, see it at a theatre near you this weekend.

In Phoenix, see this at Harkins Camelview at Fashion Square!!!

Dark Crimes Movie Review

May 18, 2018 Published by Shari K. Green

‘Dark Crimes’ is a thriller by Alexandros Avranas a young director with only five credits to his name. With this and Carrey’s exceptional performance, those five will soon be a thing of the past. The film marks Jim Carrey’s return to the screen after the unremarkable, ‘Dumb and Dumber To’ received a collective thumbs down from audiences everywhere. Pulling away from the genre, ‘Dark Crimes’ is in no way similar to the comedic roles he’s known for. With this project Carrey has chosen for himself an incredibly persecuted soul in his character, Tadek, to show us that he’s more than just a jester here for our amusement.

Tadek wants to reopen an investigation into the sex crimes and unsolved murder of a businessman that he had previously been involved in. While learning what that investigation is about, the film gets sinister fast. It starts rather brutally in a world most believe, unfortunately, exists somewhere. One where young women are imprisoned, raped and tortured for men’s pleasure. This life goes on in the dark, in secret, behind thick walls and gates. This investigation takes us into what is known as ‘The Cage’ as he wanders through it. He’s sickened by the cold, dark, foul-smelling conditions the girls had been, until no longer desired, housed in.

‘The Cage’ has since been shut down but there are tapes the owner of the building has that come in useful. Tadek finds that not only are videotapes of the goings on in such a despicable place helpful but he stumbles across the details in a book by author Krystov Kozlow (Csokas) that exactly outline everything he is investigating… right down to how the body is tied up, information previously unreleased to the public.

His mission now? To link Kozlow to the murder that he’s certain he committed. Tadek listens to an author read audiobook every moment he can. In the book, Kozlow details what goes on in sex-clubs stating that there were no rules. You could beat the girl’s half to death if you wanted but you’re not to kill them because though the girls understood that rape was just a transaction, ‘Corpses didn’t look good in makeup.’

There’s a scene about halfway through the film where Tadek and Kozlow go head to head that reveals Carrey’s depth. The two are playing mind games, both eager to show the other that they’re the strongest bull in the pen. Through the introduction of Kasia (Gainsbourg), who is also Kozlow’s girlfriend, it’s exposed that Tadek has some inner demons he’s never let escape. It’s here where the audience is given a glimpse into, though he’s disgusted by Kozlow more and more, how similar the two men might be. Getting rid of Kozlow may bury his own personal hellion or will it unleash it?

In the end, we find that Tadek and the audience is played from several different directions. Though it’s slow and its lighting is as dark as the story, if you’re a fan of thrillers and of Carrey’s, it’s worth seeing. Pay close attention because instead of quickly paced three to five-second cuts, Avranas has you watch a story unfold using plenty of dialogue and close-ups. Often times it’s not exactly clear as to what’s going on so be sure your mind doesn’t wander and you’ll be able to keep up. I must also mention that ‘Dark Crimes’ has a great ending that, in fact, made me clap. Well done, Avranas. I’m looking forward to more of your work.

*In Phoenix, watch it exclusively at AMC Arizona Center and EVERYWHERE On Demand!

Anything Movie Review

May 18, 2018 (updated May 22, 2018) Published by Shari K. Green

If you’re interested in a narrative that has layers and depth, you need to see ‘Anything,’ a film that represents anyone who has ever loved for any reason and who will give of themselves… anything. It’s a moving piece because we can all relate to the characters and their powerful emotions of love. I say this with certainty as we’ve all, for the most part, experienced a love where we have given and where we have received.

The characters in the film are complex and more intricate then one might think based on the pedestrian one-word title it was saddled with. However, that word, as you can tell based on what I’ve written so far, plays an important role in the overall message of the story.

The main character is Early Landry. He’s a middle-aged widower, played by character actor John Carroll Lynch of ‘Fargo,’ who easily manipulates the audience into seeing this individual as both the prey and the preyed upon. At the moment Early is introduced to us, we’re seeing him through the eyes of his overbearing sister, Laurette (Tierney). He’s depressed, suicidal and since the passing of his wife, needs some love and support, but not as much or the kind Laurette has in mind. Not really giving him much of a choice in the matter, she makes him aware of the fact that she wants him to move in with her so she can help him with his feelings of despair and with settling things from his old life in Mississippi to his new life with her in L.A. Early does move in with her. Though he doesn’t speak up for himself, it’s not hard to tell that he’s quickly growing tired of her. She speaks to him and treats him as if he were a child and it’s not long into his stay that he decides he has to move out and be on his own.

Without informing her, he gets himself a little apartment in an area of town she wouldn’t approve of. This is most likely done to keep her away. In a short time, he meets his transgender neighbor Freda Von Rhenburg (Bomer), who works the streets and often gets into trouble with men and when money gets tight. Being the gentleman that he is, he’s there for her, no matter what she needs and a hot and cold relationship develops. It doesn’t take long for them both to see what’s good about the other and how deeply they need what the other has to offer. Perhaps at first getting to know Freda just might be the right thing to agitate Laurette but if that’s what he had in mind then he was just as surprised by the materialization of their romance as we, the audience, are.
They’re an odd pairing but the performances both actors give to their roles accommodates the concept of their love and what the significance of a man from Mississippi being open-minded enough to accept the love of a man means today. I highly recommend this even though an obvious misstep is not casting a transgendered actress in the role of Freda. Regardless, Bomer is exceptional and deserves to be seen.

Opening in Phoenix at HARKINS VALLEY ART

Deadpool 2 Movie Review

May 18, 2018 (updated May 18, 2018) Published by JMcNaughton

Deadpool 2. Nobody can now say this guy ain’t got a pair!

Of movies, of course. I meant movies. What, did you think I was referring to something else?

“Deadpool 2” is the unholy spawn of the first movie “Deadpool”. That is where Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) was introduced to the world as a Special Operations soldier turned mercenary who became Deadpool. It was quick-witted, raunchy, rude, satiric, graphically violent — and bust-your-gut funny. If you get past the heavy R-rated everything in that movie, you were in for a treat. Nothing was sacred, everyone got skewered, and every fourth wall was broken down. They took a ‘Special Powers Super-Anti-Hero’ and made him into a household name.

Deadpool is back for a Number 2, wait… that did not sound right. Deadpool is coming again… huh – oh yeah, scratch that last one. Anyway, there is a “Deadpool 2” movie and if you think it can live up to the first one (or maybe live down to the first one) then you are right. Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) lives with a roommate Blind Al (Leslie Uggams) and he has a special girlfriend Vanessa (Morena Baccarin). But things are a-changin’ and Deadpool is soon on a mission to change his heart. He goes back to the X-Men mansion to find Colossus (Stefan Kapicic) and Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand). He becomes an X-Men trainee. They all get a ride from taxi driver Dopinder (Karan Soni) who also wants to be a superhero, with no special powers.

They meet with Russell (Julian Dennison) who’s a young mutant at a different school. He is angry and ready to use his flame-throwing fists to burn down the school. Russell and Deadpool are taken into custody and put into a special prison for mutants. But while there, a time-travelling cyborg soldier from the future named Cable (Josh Brolin) finds Russell. He is on mission to kill Russell for his own personal reasons. Deadpool tries to help Russell because he is just a kid, but Russell gets away from Cable and from Deadpool. Russell is on his way to becoming a very powerful future mutant crime boss.

Deadpool teams up with his buddy Weasel (T.J. Miller) who owns a dive bar for mercenaries. Deadpool creates a new team of super-powered mutants called ‘X-Force’. One of the ‘Force’ members is Domino (Zazie Beetz) who has the special power of ‘luck’. After a big fight against Cable, Cable decides to join forces with Deadpool, because it will be the only way to find Russell. Cable is still set to kill him, but he will give Deadpool one chance to save Russell. There is so much anger in Russell that it is near impossible to stop him from becoming evil. But Deadpool needs to change his heart. Vanessa would be so proud…

Laying out the plot details of ‘Deadpool 2’ is like putting a big spread of cheeses out for a meeting of the Lactose Intolerance Society. It is all there, but in the end it does not matter. The action scenes, the violent special effects, and crazy banter between Deadpool and Cable; these and many other aspects overshadow what happens in the plot. The driving force is Deadpool’s desire to become a better person for Vanessa. But he still has his low-brow, crude humor and snarky attitude, and that will never change.

Ryan Reynolds and Josh Brolin are both super amazing in the roles of Deadpool and Cable. They are polar opposite in attitude, but bounce quips (and firsts) off of each other. Julian Dennison as Russell and Zazie Beetz as Domino are both very fun to watch. By the way, don’t take anything from Russell after he’s taken it out of his ‘Prison Wallet’.

The action scenes are heart-pumping, and the dialog and the smart-alec remarks come a mile a minute. Watch out for the quick ‘Thanos’ reference and the ‘You’re so dark, do you come from the D.C. Universe?” line.

Oh, and even if your bladder is calling you away at the end of the movie, stay for the end-credit scene. It is hilarious and it cuts right to the point.

Book Club Movie Review

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

In case you think this film might not appeal to you, I implore you… don’t be afraid of attending a romantic comedy just because it stars women over a certain age. It’s okay for men to show their sexuality at any age and now, due to this fierce cast of outstanding actresses we’ve all grown to know over the years, it’s acceptable for women to desire, talk about and be playful when it comes to the topic of sex. And are they ever playful. The comedic part of the film is represented well, as is their gender. The main characters are played with masterful timing by Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen. I couldn’t imagine a better lineup for such a film. Diane (Keaton), Vivian (Fonda), Sharon (Bergen) and Carol (Steenburgen) are introduced to us by Sharon talking in Voice-over about her longtime friends and how they started their Book Club. This isn’t completely necessary for such a narrative but does seem to be all the rage in films these days. We even see edited pictures of the four of them together when they were younger. Damn those gals were good looking… and still are!

Vivian is an extremely wealthy woman who wouldn’t dare let a man get close enough to her that he could hurt her as she did in her youth. See Don Johnson’s character Arthur for an example of that. They once had a relationship and now he’s trying to slip back into her life, but Vivian has all she needs with her money and best pals to keep her warm.

Sharon is a divorced federal judge who finds out her ex-husband Tom (Ed Begley Jr.) is remarrying someone half his age. She’s talked into trying an online dating site which at least gets her out there and moving on.

Diane is a widow who fights her children for control of her own life. They fear she’s too old to be alone and want her to move to Arizona to be with them. She doesn’t want to disappoint them but when she meets a pilot named Mitchell (Garcia), who supports her and offers her a new start, she has a hard time deciding who to let down. The very act of picking one over the other ultimately leaves her still losing out.

Carol is married to Bruce (Nelson) who hasn’t touched her in months and though she’s trying to get his attention, he doesn’t seem interested in making up for lost time.

These women have their bugaboos, their issues, but when they’re together, they have the kinship they need and the love they need to get them through any obstacles that momentarily stops them from being happy. If something gets in the way of their seeing one another they still get together, at least once a month, for their Book Club meeting which is something they cherish. This particular month, they are introduced to Christian Grey from the book ‘50 Shades of Grey.’ They enjoy it so much they’re tickled pink when they find out it’s a trilogy. Their discussions about and attitudes toward the book had the audience I was screening the film with, completely in tears. How it was edited was particularly clever to enhance the more witty elements of the film and endears the audience to the women even more as we got to know them one by one.

Their friendship, their love for one another and their refusal to give up on life are cherished and as far as summer movies go, is one worth watching… maybe more than once. It’s entertaining to see these gifted actresses work together. Their characters know each other so well, that they serve as a check on and call one another out when they know they’re lying or holding something back but embrace when it’s needed to hold someone up. The cast gave such believable performances it was effortless to believe they’ve been friends as long as suggested. It’s easy to say the wonderful script Bill Holderman and Erin Simms wrote together had a lot to do with that. He wrote a fun script and together everyone made a very fun movie.

Measure of a Man Movie Review

May 11, 2018 (updated November 16, 2018) Published by Shari K. Green

The film ‘Measure of a Man’ is an adaptation of the book ‘One Fat Summer’ by Robert Lipsyte. It’s directed by Jim Loach, whose father Ken Loach has been working in the film business for over fifty years. Seeing this movie makes me certain Jim will have the same kind of staying power. Jim had writer David Scearce write the screenplay and make some changes to it to create a more relatable world for him to work with. Doing this has made his twenty-second directing achievement a triumph. His casting choices also helped. Topping off a fabulous cast of young actors whom you may not know quite yet is Judy Greer, Luke Wilson and the crème de la crème, Donald Sutherland.

‘Measure of a Man’ is set in the 1970’s and is a story about an awkward teenager, Bobby Marks (Cooper), trying to fight bullies and his own lack of confidence to grow up and become a man. Depending on how one interprets that, what he wants to do is be helpful to those around him and be a good person but has so much anxiety, he can barely help himself. He’s overweight, uncomfortable in his own skin and outside of his mother (Greer) and sister Michelle (Liberato), is too nervous to talk to girls, save one, Joanie (Danielle Rose Russell), who he grew up knowing. He knows Joanie because his family gets together every year with hers after upstate travel for summer vacation brings them together for picnics, swimming and county fairs. The chubby kid certain that one day her acceptance of him over summer break will blossom into love.

However, this summer, things are different. A lot has changed. Bobby hasn’t changed but other things have and he’s even more uncomfortable. The people upstate have finally let the vacationers know what they think of their visitors, the locals are harsher and less tolerant of the mess they leave and find an easy target in Bobby to take it out on. Joanie frightens Bobby more than anything a thug could do to him. She has matured and is now taking off for a month and won’t explain to him why. Heartbroken, he gets a summer job helping Dr. Kahn (Sutherland) with his lawn and basic yard maintenance. It’s this relationship that becomes the turning point of the film. Kahn is a rich elite who you think is being severe but you come to realize, through his own experience, he’s guiding him into manhood. Kahn also accidentally stumbles onto a sort of friendship he wasn’t quite expecting.

The characters in the film are well thought out and the acting is convincing. Bobby and Michelle’s relationship as brother and sister is hateful yet compassionate and Cooper and Liberato’s performances are spot on. Loach is largely to thank for pulling performances out of his young cast that keep you both amused and captivated. When feeling for the poor youngster, you’ll also feel inflamed when he’s confronted with more than he can handle. I like the movie and believe you will, too. Jim Loach knows how to handle a story. This movie is potent and effective and one not to miss. Include ‘Measure of a Man’ in YOUR summer vacation films.

Playing in Phoenix Exclusively at *Harkins Camelview

READ MY INTERVIEW WITH JIM LOACH AND LIANA LIBERATO

Life of the Party Movie Review

May 11, 2018 (updated May 9, 2018) Published by JMcNaughton

“Life of the Party” is a new movie that relies on the comedy talents of the star, Melissa McCarthy. There is no problem with that, because McCarthy is a totally likable and engaging comic presence. She has the star power and charisma to pull off being a major player when given the right role. That is the biggest problem. Her abilities far overpower the meager gruel that this movie. She tones down her snappy and sarcastic style to play the neutral beige of her character, and jokes fall like gentle snowfall – when she is best suited for a full-scale blizzard of snark.

Deanna Miles (Melissa McCarthy) is dropping her only daughter Maddie (Molly Gordon) off at college for her senior year. Little does Deanna know that her husband Dan (Matt Walsh) is dropping Deanna – he wants a divorce from the bland matronly woman that he married. She is broken apart, and she knows she must propel her life in a new direction. She decides to go back and finish college herself. She had dropped out in her senior year to get married and have Maddie. Now it’s her time to shine. Her best friend Christine (Maya Rudolph) gives her the encouragement to get out on her own.

Deanna bring her cheerfulness and Hallmark-card sentimental gooey nature into the college dorms and classrooms and Greek houses. She is a little unusual, and some of the ‘mean girls’ make fun of her gentle and uplifting manners. But she endures, and even Maddie and her friends are brought over her sunny-side-up attitude. She attends the frat parties and becomes the teacher’s pet. She gets something going with a boy toy that is less than half her age. You go girl!

But her divorce proceeding threatens to bring the whole house down around Deanna. She gets a little bent out-of-shape and ruins Dan’s wedding reception. She is close to failing her favorite class and dropping out of school. But her friends that she made in the sorority will help to throw a big bash for cash. And to get everyone to attend and pay the cover charge, they start the rumor that a big celebrity will stop by after her concert. But is all just a lie, or is it? Does her roommate actually have a secret of her own, one that will save the day?

Melissa McCarthy is the main player in this show, but she gets very little in the way of good material to work with. Mostly all the jokes are a variation of ‘Dad jokes’ just told by the Mom. There are a couple of snappy lines here and there, but most of the script seems to have been warmed over like a week-old stew on the low burner. There could have been much more zing in the story line, but Deanna is forced to get by on phrases like “I’m down to clown”. There is hardly any chemistry between the actors and almost no character development.

There is basically not much Life in this Party. It seems too toned-down to have any edge, and all that is left is a frumpy bedazzled sweater of a movie. It may look nice on the rack in the clothes store, but is not the right style that would have you wear it home.

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