“Let It Be Morning” is a story based on tension and conflict. But it explains that predicament in ways that emphasize boredom and frustration. In a remote village in Israel, there is no way to avoid the uneasy feeling of being an entire town of Palestinians with Israeli citizenship. Especially when the road out of town is cut off and there is a military lock down…
This is a glorious, mesmerizing, yet heartbreaking film. The story is about two best friends, as close as close can be. Their inseparability is the true subject of this cinematic opus. We begin with the boys outside having fun playing with one another. They hide in a bunker, bust out and run through a beautiful field of flowers, imagining they’re in battle, being chased by their enemies. What’s really chasing them is the unavoidable loss of their youth. They just don’t know it yet.
“Magic Mike’s Last Dance” is another sequel to feature a character known as ‘Magic Mike’. His previous two adventures had the muscular hunk dancing his way into the hearts of many women. This time, he is put into a reverse “Pretty Woman” role. Mike is the new ‘artistic director’ for a rich woman in London, and he is ready to a put on a show!
As you most likely know already, the title “80 For Brady” is in regards to the age of the women who love them some Tom Brady. In Betty’s (Field) case, it’s 70 for Brady, not that it matters. That said, she does make a point of putting it on her jersey to let everyone know that she’s the baby of the bunch.
Writer/Director Mia Hansen-Løve is a visionary who seems to enjoy taking characters and breaking them in two. Adored by critics for the sophisticated way she expresses love, desire and loneliness, she once again throws her protagonist, Sandra, played by Léa Seydoux (No Time To Die, The Lobster), into an environment where she finds herself cheerless and somewhat segregated from the world. Hansen-Løve also wrote and directed 2021’s haunting “Bergman Island,” which starred Tim Roth and Mia Wasikowska. With “One Fine Morning,” she has another film that’s nice and Fresh on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer.
“Knock at the Cabin” has a dark and perverse premise, one of human sacrifice for the greater good. A group of zealots meet up and go to a cabin in the woods. Like in the movie ‘The Cabin in the Woods’, a similar sacrifice was meant to be made. The purpose was to save all of humanity. But in that movie, it would mildly poke fun at Horror Tropes. In this ‘Cabin’, the tone is dark and spooky, and the bizarre nature of the concept is not played for laughs.
I have never read a book by Robert A. Caro, but I sure want to now! Lizzie Gottlieb directed this documentary. Lizzie Gottlieb is also Robert Gottlieb’s daughter, Caro’s editor, also a publisher. If her intention was to create new readers for this writer/editor team, she has easily achieved that goal.
Streaming on Prime Video as of January 27
“Shotgun Wedding” is a movie that takes careful aim at Action and Comedy, and then it pulls the trigger and hits both targets. It has a silly little premise (Tropical Invitation-Only Wedding gets overrun by Ruthless Pirates). The two leads are able pull this off without any sweat, and they have a great supporting cast. This movie could be “Die Hard at the Destination Wedding”… Read more
Limited theater release: January 20, 2023
Netflix streaming: January 27, 2023
“You People” is a movie about a crash and clash of competing cultures. There is a young White Jewish guy who happens to meet a very nice Black Muslim lady. There is no reason that their relationship shouldn’t blossom and bloom into marriage, right? No reason, except they both have families who are not happy with that idea. The differences are as stark as day and night — or better said — Black and White.
“Missing” is a movie that is from the same people that created “Searching”. That movie used the concept that everything you see on the big screen is from a small screen. That means everything seen is footage from computer screens, phone screens, and other devices – you get the idea. The original “Searching” did a terrific job in making all of that seem real. Now “Missing” follows in those same footsteps to slowly explain a mysterious disappearance and one girl’s relentless ‘searching’ for the truth.
