THE SHAPE OF WATER  4.0***

   Ever since Guillermo Del Toro won an Oscar for his 2006 dark fantasy piece "Pan's Labyrinth," I -- and, I suspect, many others -- have been waiting for him to deliver something similarly brilliant, similarly visionary.  Well, the wait is finally over with the arrival of Del Toro's latest film, "The Shape of Water." A wonderfully strange love story that plays like an adult fairy tale, it's a fantastical delight -- and the kind of movie that deserves all the accolades it is already receiving this award season ( It’s already won some prestigious Awards and has been nominated for a slew of other awards… 7 nominations for Golden Globes; 14 for Critics Choice and 2 by Screen Actors guild).

This is an artistically rich visual movie, one of those rare start-to-finish treats that succeeds on every level, including its set design, its costumes, its cinematography, its immensely talented cast, and a dreamy score from Oscar-winning composer Alexandre Desplat. Most of all, though, there's the soaring imagination of Del Toro, who wrote the story on which it's based in addition to directing it.

Set around spring 1961, the film stars Sally Hawkins as Elisa, a mute (but not deaf) cleaner who works at a secret government laboratory. When she discovers a strange aquatic creature (Doug Jones, resembling the Creature from the Black Lagoon) being kept in the lab. She gradually forms a romantic attraction to it, bringing it hard-boiled eggs, playing it jazz records and learning to communicate with it. Elisa learns that sinister research head Strickland (Michael Shannon) plans to kill and dissect the creature, so she hatches a bold plan to rescue it, enlisting the help of her gay artist neighbor Giles (Richard Jenkins) and her black chatty co-worker Zelda (Octavia Spencer).

Del Toro and co-writer Vanessa Taylor (Game of Thrones)  do an expert job at fleshing out each and every character here.  But it’s Hawkins who makes this film truly soar, turning in a magnificent performance ( voiceless nonetheless)   It is in her shimmering eyes and broad smile that we see a woman who finally feels heard; who is basking in the glow of acceptance found in the unlikeliest of places. Even as things get, well, physical between woman and sea creature, Elisa’s love—and her journey—remain true. But she's also surrounded by a tremendous ensemble that includes Jenkin , Spence and Shannon. Together with Del Toro, they craft a film that stands as wonderful love letter to the lonely and those who are different.

This is one of the best pictures of the year. It is an absolute visual delight with a fascinating love story, and as well acted and directed as any film in last couple of years.

R for nudity and graphic violence and some language; and has a run time of 2 hours and 3 minutes.

HOME ALONE  4.0***

     The overwhelming success of 'Home Alone' (it spawned two sequels), is enough to guarantee that most people will love this story of a family that departs for Paris during the Christmas holidays, mistakenly leaving an eight-year old boy to fend for himself. And fend he does when burglars threaten to break in unless he can rig enough booby-traps to keep them out.

That's the simple plot in a nutshell. Macaulay Culkin seems to have no problem carrying most of the film with a wide variety of looks, gestures and expressions--but for my money it's Daniel Stern and Joe Pesci who get the main laughs as the bumbling burglars intent on outwitting the kid's traps.

Others in the cast don't have as much to do but do well enough by their roles, particularly Catherine O'Hara and John Heard as the parents who only discover on the plane that Kevin is missing. The laughs are steady, the color photography is great and the  story is probably every boy's fantasy of what it might be like to be left home alone. Add to that the holiday flavor of Christmas and an endearing musical score by John Williams and you have the makings of a classic. 

1. My FAVORITE movie of all time : LOVE ACTUALLY - 2003   See review below ( my rating 4.0*** out of 4.0****)

This is not my review. It appeared in USA Today but expresses my thoughts perfectly.     

Love Actually is irresistible. You'd have to be Ebenezer Scrooge not to walk out smiling. the combination of the clever script, top-notch talent and engaging subject — love in its many forms — makes Love one of the more entertaining experiences a moviegoer is likely to have especially during the holiday season.

It's hard to fail when you have the cream of the U.K. crop signed on. Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant, Alan Rickman, Liam Neeson, Keira Knightly and Colin Firth are all in top form. Laura Linney, the lone American major player in the film, was a brilliant addition. (Billy Bob Thornton makes a cameo appearance as a Clintonian American president.) As good as all of these actors are in their various roles, the movie is nearly stolen from them by Bill Nighy. As an aging rock star, he stages a comeback with an awful Yuletide rendition of the Troggs' '60s song Love Is All Around. His elder stoner swagger is hilarious.

Writer Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill) makes his directorial debut, wisely choosing an ensemble romantic comedy with several intertwined stories  And as is usually the case with these patchwork stories, some of the pieces are more compelling and enjoyable than others.   

Among the better scenarios are Grant as a bachelor prime minister who is too busy to look for a wife. He surprises himself (and everyone else) by being smitten with a down-to-earth staffer (Martine McCutcheon), a slightly more full-figured gal than average. There's an unexpectedly bittersweet bond between the luminous Keira Knightley and her husband's reserved best friend (Andrew Lincoln). And for tear-jerking moments, no one can beat Thompson's performance as the stalwart wife of the straying Rickman. A Christmas Eve scene showcases her talent for comedy, pathos and pluck, all the while breaking our hearts.

The sum of Love Actually is greater than its parts. The film is bookended by shots of ordinary people affectionately greeting and tearfully seeing each other off at an airport. This device is very touching. The same could be said for the movie as a whole, which winningly demonstrates that despite all odds, love is indeed all around us.

Rating: R for sexuality, nudity and language

   LADY BIRD  3.5***

    An indie comedy-drama about a high school senior who is trying to deal with teenage life, while living with her overbearing mother in early 2000s in Sacramento. The film was written and directed by first time feature filmmaker Greta Gerwig

The film is about Christine McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) who has given herself the name "Lady Bird". She is a high school senior in a Catholic school who struggles through what a typical girl of that age goes through. She faces the trials and tribulations of dating boys, losing her virginity, trying to be popular, feuding with her mother, and ultimately trying to figure out what to do with her life. Things are tough for her and she examines her relationships with friends and family to ultimately come to the best decision for herself.

The film sounds like a typical film plot. In many ways it is. Yet everything about the film is done so well in the expert hands of novice filmmaker Gerwig. The dialogue is sharp, hilarious, and witty. The character development, interaction, and acting are all strong. Saoirse Ronan has, I believe, at the very least earned an Oscar nomination for best actress and might even go on to win it. It seemed like such an effortless performance for a girl who completely disappears into the character of Lady Bird.

 The film feels so real and identifiable. It’s exactly what you want and is a very impressive debut from Gerwig. The film has a nice touch at the end and does what it needs to do to remain funny and touching. I expect this to be an award contender for Ronan's performance and Gerwig’s writing and directing. It’s truly a wonderful coming of age film that hits all the check marks and does so very effectively.

Rated R for language, sexual content, brief nudity and teen partying ( But I’d call it a soft “R”)

THREE BILLBOARDS outside EBBING, Missouri  4.0***

 

Mildred Hayes (Frances McDormand) is a single divorced mother, who's still grieving over the horrific rape and murder of her teenage daughter, seven months earlier. She is especially upset with the local police for not making any progress in the case. So she puts up three billboards just outside town shaming them, especially Sheriff Bill Willoughby (Wood Harrelson), who's dying from pancreatic cancer. Willoughby is distressed , but it is officer Jason Dixon (Sam Rockwell), who is extremely annoyed by her actions, as well as most of the rest of the town, and Mildred and her depressed teenage son, are harassed for it. Mildred still presses on though. 

The movie is especially impressive in how it presents such a diverse range of fully developed characters, that are all flawed and yet still very relatable (as mostly likable and seemingly very real people). It's an excellent story of forgiveness and learning how to accept and tolerate those you don't agree with. The climax and ending of the movie is amazing. It's so emotionally charged and totally unpredictable that the film leaves you thinking about it, long after it's over.  

And now to the performances! Frances McDormand is simply superb! As the grieving & raging protagonist, McDormand expresses rage, helplessness & courage, with magnificence. Its a sheer pleasure to watch McDormand take on the local tough boys & scream her rage with the Billboards.   

Also in terrific form is Woody Harrelson, as the cop who McDormand throws her righteous rage at. Harrelson's sheriff is a soft spoken man, who understands the wrath of a grieving mother and accepts his inability to catch the culprit

Sam Rockwell playing the red neck yokel, racist cop routine to drawling, violent, moronic perfection, takes the billboards as a frontal attack on the police force, a slight he has no intention of letting slide.

All 3 will be nominated for Oscars (McDormand, Best Actress; and Harrelson and Rockwell for Best Supporting Actor) and McDormand and Rockwell should win.

This is one of the BEST written and performed films of the  year. A dark drama sprinkled with humor

Rated R for violence, language throughout, and some sexual references.

THE HEART OF THE GAME  3.5***

A 2015 documentary about high- school basketball that took seven years to make, this film will be compared to Steve James's Hoop Dreams, which is a high compliment indeed. But the films are different.

Director Ward Serrill  began following the girls' basketball team at Seattle's Roosevelt High School when they hired a new coach, tax law professor Bill Resler in the late 1990s. Amazingly Resler proceeded to build a powerhouse in his first year at the job. An eccentric but effective motivator, he chose a different "theme" for his team each year: Pack of Wolves, Pride of Lions, Tropical Storm, and then whipped his players into a frenzy. His motivational skills and his ruthless physical workouts gave the team the confidence and endurance  to often beat their opponents even when they were bigger, taller, or more talented.

In his second year at the job, he noticed a young freshman by the name of Darnelia Russell. She stood out for a number of reasons. She had been an outstanding basketball player at her middle school. And she was black Her arrival helps Resler build Roosevelt into a city dynasty and a threat at the state championships. But there are ups and downs. And if you wonder why the film took seven years to make, Serrill admitted that he just filmed everything and waited for the story to emerge.

There is real drama and excitement, both on and off the court, and it's also good to see the contribution of people like Bill Resler recognized, a good man who is instilling not just a love of winning, but of playing, and living.

"Have fun," coach Resler tells the players after every timeout. And have fun you will if you let yourself watch these winners play.  

PROLOUGE;

Sara and I were surfing thru the Netflix movies and found E.T. and said why not even though we seen it before. back in 1982 when it premier. Well it was like seeing a long lost friend, a very special and beloved best friend. The profound joy, the exhilaration and the sublime peacefulness of seeing and being with the old fiend.

I felt like a kid again experiencing the heights of joy and sadness & what it means to have a unique special friend.

I could go on and on . But the point is for you to draw from my unfettered enthusiasm for a truly remarkable one-of-a-kind movies.

I urge you, I implore you to see” E.T.” even if you’ve seen it before but especially if you’ve never seen it. A MUST see film.

(PS: I you’d  like to read some fascinating Trivia about the making of the movie just reply to this email and ask for the trivia…for instance: Most of the full-body puppetry for E.T.was performed by a 2' 10 tall stuntman, but the scenes in the kitchen were done using a 12-year old boy who was born without legs but was an expert on walking on his hands. (I have several more)

         E. T.  4.0*** 

This  movie delivers an awesome emotional punch.. Spielberg (with the help of John Williams' magnificent score) expertly tugs at the heartstrings of his audience, and makes it look easy. "E.T." is the ultimate in family feel-good movies, and it's truly a portrait of a man at the top of his game in Hollywood entertainment. The heroes are so good, and the message so pure, that it's practically impossible for a human being to walk out of this movie with dry eyes (except the “macho” guys who are really crying inside).

This is a wonderful fun, heartwarming fairy tale of a story for both kids and adults. In terms of a “feel good” science fiction story, no one has ever been able to touch Stephen Spielberg's classic.

The fairy tale begins when some alien explorers visiting earth for samples inadvertently leave behind one of their own on this strange, bewildering new planet. The adorable little alien  is discovered by a 10 year old boy named Elliot, who finds him foraging for food in their garden shed. The friendly alien (ET, as he comes to be called, for Extra Terrestrial) comes to stay in the boy's home. Elliot, his older brother, Michael, and younger sister, Gertie, sort of take him under their wing. But as they learn to communicate, they discover that ET is lonesome. He wants to go home, and to that end, concocts some type of device he thinks might help get him there. However, if he succeeds, Elliot (whose own parents are going through a divorce) will lose his new friend.

It's all so cute, especially the little alien himself. Basically, he kind of represents every homesick kid (or adult) who ever lived. Despite his newfound human friends, he just misses his own home world and fellow critters. Memorable scenes for me are of course the legendary ones...ET hiding among the stuffed animals and assorted junk in a closet so Elliot's mom won't spot him, Halloween trick or treating, and the famed flying bicycle scene. And of course the ongoing "ET phone home".

Great acting by everyone, especially the three kids. ET is simply a fabulous movie with some fancy modern effects and a space age theme, but mainly a story about the bonds of friendship revolving around a touching little guy that needs love and help from his new earthling buddy. It makes you laugh, it makes you cry...just like any truly good movie should. This is one that perennially appeals to the kid in all of us.

Clark (a kid again and yes I cried with tears of joy at the in)

 

LOGAN LUCKY    3.5***

 Steven Soderbergh’s (Director..  Oceans 11,12 & 13) describes this movie as an "anti-glam version of an Ocean's movie", Logan Lucky is a return to the style of film-making that made his Ocean's trilogy box office hits. The film moves at a neat pace, features a strong ensemble cast and is packed with enough twist and turns to keep things interesting throughout its two hour running time. 

 Recently let go from his construction job due to, "liability reasons with insurance," former football prodigy Jimmy Logan (Channing Tatum) decides to put in motion a robbery plan he's obviously been thinking about for some time. He recruits his siblings, hairdresser Mellie (Riley Keough) and one-handed bartender Clyde (Adam Driver), to aid him. Then they knock on the prison door of infamous local demolitions expert and safe cracker Joe Bang (DanielCraig) whose incarceration proves the first snag of many in the plan to rob the Charlotte Motor Speedway during the Coca Cola 600.

 As with all heist movies, much of the entertainment stems from the tension created when the plan, as described deviates ever so slightly risking exposure. What Logan Lucky doesn't just get right but gets near perfect is the way it plays with that convention. Minor problems come across as inspired character moments for which Jimmy, Clyde, Joe Bang and his brothers Sam and Fish Bang  show their goofy, simple, superstitious selves

. The movie had unique visuals in details like the painted cockroaches, jelly beans in the bomb, Joe Bangs favorite: two hard boiled eggs and salt, and strangely artistic stripy prison uniforms. And many steps of the Heist were  creative and a lot of fun and kept me smiling and engrossed throughout.

Rated PG-13 for language and some crude comments.

Clark 

BATTLE OF THE SEXES  3.2***

    A sports story based on the highly publicized  tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs and which was one of the most watched televised sports events of all time, reaching 90 million viewers around the world.  

In 1973 Billie Jean King (Emma stone), and other professional women tennis players, were sick of getting paid peanuts compared to the male pros. So they start their own women's tournament, and find sponsoring through a cigarette company. Bobby Riggs (Steve Carell) is a retired ex-champion tennis player, who also thinks he should be paid more money for a game than he's currently being offered, and he sees a chance to make a lot of money by challenging Billie Jean King to a match. King knows it's all a publicity stunt for Riggs, so she's reluctant to accept his challenge, but then she feels obligated to defend all of women tennis players, by participating in the match after he defeats Margaret Court , the then number 1 women’s player.

The movie is funny, surprisingly emotional, and inspiring too. Both Stone and Carell are fantastic in the lead roles, and I really like how the filmmakers didn't make Bobby Riggs the 'bad guy' of the movie. He was obviously doing it just to get back in the game, and make some money in the process, and he's actually a somewhat sympathetic character. The real villain in this story is not Riggs, but Jack Kramer, (a smug Bill Pullman) the head of the Association of Tennis Professionals, whose unapologetic institutional sexism pervaded the sport at the time. We come to learn that Kramer's genuine disdain for women's equality is one of the motivating factors that  light a fire under King.

  Stone, as King, is also excellent and  makes a great badass heroine in the movie too. There are some classic intense dialogue scenes as well, and some intimate emotional ones too. It's an all-around really well made, and an effective movie  And my, wife, Sara agrees.

Rated PG-13 for some sexual content and partial nudity 

Mother !     3.0***

        I can't explain this horror movie without giving something away. But I will say this; This film is unlike anything else out there and this is largely due to  Director Darren Aronofsky (did “Black swan”) pushing the envelope and crossing boundaries. It is not a remake of Rosemary's Baby despite there being some similarities. It will bring you an intense feeling of despair and disbelief. But this is what the horror genre should look like,  It's a slow burn that explodes at the end with something beyond any normal functioning mind.

(That said, A WARNING: This movie is intensely horrific, disturbing and graphic and people should not see it unless they are prepared to be shocked, shaken and horrified. There is a sequence toward the very end as well as the ending itself that is beyond words or belief !! )

Jennifer Lawrence plays “Mother’, a nameless woman married to Javier Bardem, a nameless man. They live in a large house that was carefully rebuilt by Lawrence and is located within a wilderness as he is trying to find inspiration for writing a new book. Suddenly, an unknown husband and wife( Ed Harris & Michelle Pfeiffer) come to their house and are allowed to stay by Bardem despite Lawrence’s objections.  I don't want to go any further than that, but I will say that at this point there is a sudden escalation of events which is incredibly surprising and very bizarre. I wasn't  sure exactly what was happening but I was pulled into the movie by the very unique story and the amazing performances from  Lawrence,  Bardem,  Harris, and  Pfeiffer.  Although it seemed like a traditional psychological thriller at the start, by the second and third acts, the film derails into one of the most terrifying, disturbing and absolutely haunting pieces of art  put on film. It is the type of horror that goes right through your skin and your bones, and psychologically affects you both during and after the movie is over.

From the start you are launched into movie from the perspective of Mother(Lawrence) (not a single name is ever said in the movie for any character). The movie uses almost entirely a hand-held, often shaky camera with many, many close ups of Mother…. over her shoulder shots, into her face shots and point of view shots to emphasize what she’s seeing and feeling and show her disbelief and fear/horror about what is happening.

 

Rated R ( a strong R) for strong disturbing violent content, some sexuality, nudity and language.

   WIND RIVER   3.5***

  Rape and murder on an Indian reservation with Jeremy Renner really coming into his own as a not particularly handsome leading man. He provides a very strong performance as Cory Lambert, a U.S. Wildlife hunter with a high powered rifle often on a high speed snowmobile. The picture opens with a long sequence of a young Indian woman running barefoot across a vast nighttime snowscape until she finally drops dead. Eventually we will find out that she was brutally  raped and was fleeing for her life.  Renner, starts an informal investigation on his own. A rookie FBI agent, (Elizabeth Olsen) is called in to assist with the investigation. A junior woman agent is all the FBI cares to spare for this case, obviously regarded as unimportant because who. cares about Indians ?!? But, since only the FBI has police authority on Indian reservation territory they have to make at least a token contribution to the investigation If this all sounds a bit heavy, well it is, but Writer- Director Taylor Sheridan is careful to inject a healthy dose of suspense and  action to keep the drama gripping rather than overbearing; The finale in particular turns the movie on its head in an unpredictable but extremely effective manner.

Sheridan allows the snowy Wyoming setting to completely envelope the characters in a world that feels like it has no exits, either physically or emotionally. Bravo to Director Sheridan and all others involved in this remarkable outdoor production ( at least 90% was filmed outdoor in the winter ) . The movie was filmed in Utah although the setting is supposedly Wyoming on the Wind River Reservation. An added reality perk, real Indians, not Hollywood palefaces, portray the Native American characters. And do it so well!

I know this is not much of a summary, but that is all you really need to know, besides the fact that I REALLY enjoyed it. Make no mistake: this is a dark film that deals with very haunting subject matter, so there is quite a bit of weight to it, but Sheridan treats this story with the highest level of respect by allowing his very well written script to drive it while still shooting it beautifully. To see such beautiful winter landscape almost took my breath away while at the same time reminding me how dangerous such a hard cold snowy environment can be.  

From a performance standpoint, both Renner and Olsen are excellent in how they dialed it WAY back within their characters with Renner keeping Lambert simple and focused on the task at hand and Olsen showing how Agent Banner is just trying to do the right thing while attempting to understand the situation she’s in while delicately asserting the authority she has representing the FBI.. Graham Greene, as the Indian policeman, gives great balance and levity to their dynamic while keeping his character involved as a reminder of the heightened sensitivity of their situation.

An intelligent, slow burning and provocative movie that enthralls from start to finish, Wind River is an understated gem that deserves an audience which is growing by very favorable “word of mouth”.

Rated R for strong violence, a rape, disturbing images, and language.

Clark

The DARK TOWER    2.5****

   The Dark Tower", is an adaptation of Stephen King's longest story offering as the series covered 8  books.  The series ran from 1982 to 2004  The movie tells the story of the last Gunslinger, Roland (played by Idris Elba) who has been locked in an eternal battle with Walter also known as the Man in Black (Mathew McConaughey), to prevent Walter  from toppling the Dark Tower. With the fate of the worlds at stake, good and evil collide leading up to  the ultimate battle between them since Roland is the only one who can defend the Tower from the Man in Black.   The Man in Black is fixated on destroying the Dark Tower, which protects the many worlds in the universe from the outside evils that look to destroy them. Along with a young boy from Earth with very special mind skills named Jake (Tom Taylor), Roland must find a way to save the universe . Roland is the last of the "Gunslingers", a Knight-like group who protect the world.  Roland is highly skilled and unlike his now dead father and other companions, is impervious to the deadly magic of Walter which has allowed him to remain alive and continue his quest to stop Walter.

The screenplay is awful (done by 4 writers which is always a bad sign). It goes all over the map in terms of tying to tie the quite lengthy story elements together. Having four screenwriters shows throughout as the story rises and falls .. but more often falls creating a huge lack of cohesiveness leading to a mediocre movie. Rumors of a 2 plus hour original run with more background on characters and the fantasy world Stephen King created would have been much better in giving depth to the characters and narrative. But the studio objected to such hefty run-time, and its quality has definitely suffered from its sparse 95 minute run time resulting in the loosely-strung-together story.

A few years back, Peter Jackson was somewhat criticized for turning a relatively slim book, THE HOBBIT, into a sequel of 3 very successful movies, adding characters and adventures that were not in Tolkien’s beloved novel to stretch the franchise out. THE DARK TOWER, has the opposite problem.  This thin (95 minute) film is based on  8 novels from Stephen King and so much is left out, that I walked away thinking I had just seen a Cliff Note's version of this material.  They had 8 novels to choose from, and instead of doing a film as the 1^st sequel, they wrongly decided to cram  all 8 novels into one short run time of 95 min. and that is just not enough time to engage even average viewers and is a tragedy for King fans. Actually this would have been great material for an HBO or Netflix miniseries.

One positive note is the performances. Matthew McConaughey as Walter/The Man in Black was perfection every time  he is on the screen.  He is a ruthless badass villain that he can kill you even without touching you. Idris Elba as Roland the last Gunslinger is basically perfection too.  He goes around shooting the bad guys with special 6-shooter pistols in the most badass way…. the dude is Chuck Norris and a young Clint Eastwood combined. Tom Taylor plays the kid Jake and is impressive and carries his role quite well.

Rated PG-13 for material including sequences of gun violence and action. 

ATOMIC  BLONDE    2.0***

   Atomic Blonde isn't really an action movie. It's more of a spy movie, with some action in it. Are the action sequences any good? Yes they are. Too bad there's less than 10 minutes of it. And the problem is, it isn't even a good spy movie. The plot is so convoluted and confusing, good luck trying to explain the story to anyone. The lead character seems like she came out of a comic book but the story surrounding her is so grim and serious that she feels so out of place – from her look to her attitude. This extends to the other characters as well, who are all written to be cool but have attitudes that are lame. This movie made me yearn for an actor like Keanu Reeves with a blank face, because you can at least project your own feelings onto the actor and have him carry all the emotions you have from the story. In this one, everyone but Theron is annoying, unlikeable and grating, so you end up projecting nothing but frustration on your own blank face.

 An undercover MI6 agent (Theron) is sent to Berlin during the Cold War to investigate the murder of a fellow agent and recover a missing list of double agents. Her contact in Berlin is the city's station chief (played by James McEvoy). John Goodman and Toby Jones round out the cast as a CIA chief and an MI6 spy-master respectively. As the lead character, Charlize Theron is pretty convincing in the action sequences but all her talking scenes are pretty monotonous. This is not a problem with the actress but the horrible script. You never understand what her motivations are for doing anything and at times, she doesn't even seem very smart for a spy. This means that whenever she's engaged in any kind of action it’s hard to root for her because you don't who is the bad guy or what is going on.

The 80's soundtrack is very prominent in the movie and it borders on obnoxious at times. Serious scenes are happening but there's happy jovial 80's music blaring in the background and it's annoying. As for the action, they are so few and far in between that it's hardly worth sitting through 105 mins for 10 mins of action. There's a somewhat impressive single take set action piece that goes through multiple stories in a building but because you're confused by the story and not rooting for anyone the scene lacks tension and suspense. Overall this movie was disappointing . Atomic Blonde thinks its cleverer than it actually is. I wish the story was much simpler and didn't take itself too seriously.

Despite the problems with the movie, I enjoyed watching Charlize Theron who is a good actress and one of Hollywood’s most stunning beauties She is totally watchable from start to finish. That makes the   fight scene at least fun to watch. She did a lot of it herself without the use of stunt doubles

Rated R for sequences of strong violence, language throughout, and some sexuality/nudity |

Clark.

D U N K I R K  4.0***

       There have been other films about Dunkirk undertaken  but none have come close to the realism, the grittiness and the intensity that 'Dunkirk' bestows upon the audience. The true story of a retreat that was seen as a huge victory !, Yes, you read that right, the retreat at Dunkirk became one of World War II's greatest tales of heroism in the face of adversity.  Churchill asked his countrymen to help with the rescue and  to ensure that at least 30,000 troops made it home...instead that number in came in at over 300,000, and not just British soldiers. French, Belgians and some Dutch It was an epic tale of a historic spectacle that truly required an honest account from a capable experienced director, that being Christopher Nolan.

The battle of Dunkirk was a short one, May 26 to June 4, 1940. Despite its minimal timeframe, it was deadly. WWII Allied soldiers were trapped, surrounded on all sides by the German Army and had to be evacuated from the beaches of Dunkirk.  Desperation runs rampant during war and  Nolan doesn't waste any time  depicting just how desperate a situation it was as men waited to be taken home, not knowing when the enemy would strike next. Nolan's boldest decision in Dunkirk is to not show one German soldier throughout and it really adds to the film's intensity, the fear of the men trapped on the beach.

There are panoramic CGI shots to show the sheer size of the retreating army (400,000) but the script focuses on one soldier fighting on land to survive the day (Fionn Whitehead), one civilian fishing boat captain (Mark Rylance) and one RAF pilot (Tom Hardy) Nolan uses  non-linear storytelling (not chronological) to stunning effect, with three stories, each from the land, sea and air, all focusing on a different time frame, but effectively intersecting throughout.. Lacking of actual dialogue, the sequences instead thrust the audience into a world of visual splendor and build the narrative through the use of sound and peril, the haunting and deafening sounds of diving German Stukas, the ripping roar of the British Spitfire's engine and the sudden silence, building to impending doom. The sound is one of this film's highlight, with Hans Zimmer returning once more to provide yet another stunning score. Now, the cinematography, well what can be said. Hoyte Van Hoytema is the one behind the camera and is brilliant. The imagery is both stark yet beautiful,  gritty yet serene, .. it's utterly dazzling from the opening shot, it draws you in, it takes you to that beach, it places you in the thick of it, and all the while avoiding the sight of the actual enemy in person, they're just lingering, unseen to the naked eye.

Dunkirk joins the list of all-time great war movies and will surely be up for awards next winter. It isn't a typical movie, it isn't even your typical war movie, this is more, much more. This is a film about the prevalence of heroism, the unwavering spirit of Britishness, and how relentless fear can cripple the best of men.  This is a visual masterpiece  that should be experienced in a movie theater, preferably a true I-Max theater.

Dunkirk is rated PG-13 for intense war experiences and some language.  

Clark

   REAR WINDOW (4.0) This is one of Alfred Hitchcock’s best movies . It came out in 1954 starring Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly. It’s not a who dunnit because we know who may have dunnit ( Raymond Burr ) . The mystery is what he did, if anything. Was it a murder or a wild imagination?  Real or fantasy. Well Jimmy Stewart is the one trying to figure it out and he is great in the role. Grace Kelly is his girlfriend who at first  doesn’t believe him ( that it was a murder)  but eventual comes around. The supporting cast is excellent. The tension builds and builds, slowly but tighter and tighter. The last 15 minutes will have you on the edge of the edge of your seat.

It’s refreshing to go back to some of the classics and see how it was done without computer generated this and that. This movie was filmed entirely on set in a studio in Los Angeles and it took 2 months for them to construct the apartment building that Stewart is watching from the apartment building across the courtyard. All but 3 scenes  are filmed inside Stewarts apartment or looking out from his apartment to the apartments across from him.

It’s  well done in all respects and a perfect role for Stewart with his astute curiosity and slow voice cadence. Grace Kelly adds a high society beauty to her role.

You can find it on Netflix or Amazon Prime. If you prefer watching movies at home, this is a must see !!

Clark

Spider-Man: Homecoming  3.5***  

     As compared to the other comic book action films &  the other Spider-Man films this movie is a delightful change of pace . It is a " coming of age" movie on 2 different levels . First the boy/man who is Spider-Man( Tom Holland) is only a teenager in high school dealing with all the many challenges that is a part of that age. Since he's something of a nerd he has few friends & even less chances to get the girl he likes. There is his  chubby nerdy friend who is loyal and in time shares his secret but more importantly provides spot on comic relief .

         

Then there he is also as the young & somewhat inexperienced Spider-Man who is learning how to be a super hero . We learn that his powers are somewhat dependent upon his suit & none other the Iron Man (a/k/a Tony Stark played by Robert Downey) has control over that and Iron Man wants him to "come of age" before he gets the advanced suit. So we see the young Spider-Man "testing" himself & more or less learning as he goes .  This makes for a fun time as he has many fails along the way including landing  on his butt more than once.

His villain ( Michael Keaton)has long ago "come of age" & knows that what he is doing is evil and not only does he enjoy it he is also profiting hugely from it. There is of course the ultimate show down between him and Spider-Man  the outcome of which is "up in the air" !!

There is plenty of action but nicely for a change it blends into the story & is not the driving force of the movie thus leaving the "coming of age"

stories to be the central focus.

Once again it's the guiding rule that a really good script is an essential ingredient for a good movie and, as here, when you add in solid direction & strong acting, you have an excellent movie .

I was  delightfully surprised by this movie and it's story line ... going back to a basic theme of " coming of age" & applying it to 2 levels .Special praise to Tom Holland as the new Spider-Man ...  he meets the challenge head on & excels. Downey and Keaton are strong in their roles.

Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action violence, some language and brief suggestive comment

Clark

THE big sick     4.0**** ( don’t miss it)

'The Big Sick' is brilliant in an unpretentious and unconventional way but at the same time it is very true to it's genre of a Romantic/Comedy blended towards a serious Drama. It's fearless and takes on certain issues in a very refreshing way. The characters are real and super believable. You don't have the conventionally good looking romantic couple doing the predictable cheesy things on screen and its refreshing to see that.

This is an autobiographical story of Kumail Nanjiani (plays himself) and his wife Emily V Gordon ( played by Zoe Kazan). Kumail is in his 30s, a struggling standup comedian in Chicago. He is a Pakistani Muslim.. His family is very traditional and believe in praying and expects their son to do an arranged marriage to a bride selected by them. His mother has been relentlessly trying to find a match for her son with a Muslim Pakistani girl. 

During one of his comedy gigs he get 'heckled' by Emily, a white American girl who cannot be more different from him and his family. Both of them hit if off immediately. They try to end the relationship as a fling but can’t help falling in love. They eventually have a fight and have breakup. Shortly thereafter Emily is admitted to the hospital and put into a medically induced coma. Kumail stands by her during this time along with her parents whom he’s never met. The rest of the story is about how Kumail and Emily's parent interact and how Emily struggles with the 'Big Sick'.  

Kumail Nanjiani is so good in this movie playing himself. He has redefined how the Hollywood leading man in a romantic comedy should be like. Zoe Kazan is great as Emily and shares a good chemistry with Kumail.   Holly Hunter and Ray Romano, as the parents of Emily, are just brilliant in the movie. Such effortless and real acting by them. The rest of the cast is also excellent.

You will laugh, you will be close to tears and best of all you’ll leave FEELING GOOD !!!!! . Brilliantly written, well directed and  beautifully acted, this one is from the heart. Recommended to the highest degree.

 Rated “R” for language and some sexual content ( but this is a “soft” “R’)

Clark

The HOUSE  1.0***

Well I didn't think it was possible but it happened . I sat through an entire movie starring Will Ferrell & did not laugh even once !!! And to make it even more unbelievable, it also co-stars another funny comedian ... Amy Pooler . At best I smiled a couple of times but that was it. It goes to show you that even with  2 very good comedians it still comes down to good writing & direction both of which failed terribly in this movie .

Will &'Amy play a couple who need to find a way of funding their daughter's college costs after the scholarship they were hoping for doesn't come through. They end up setting-up an illegal underground casino with the help of their neighbor and the money starts rolling in. There are a couple of sub plots involving a corrupt local politician, who is stealing the town's money, & the estranged wife of the neighbor helping with the casino. Neither adds to the movie .

   One suspects that a lot of improvising happened on the set. It seems likely, considering that The House has a one-joke premise, stretched well past its breaking point and leaving a lot of funny people looking embarrassed and regretful.

  The whole movie felt lazy and was quite disappointing.  If we’re getting a Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler movie then it should be more than this pile of mediocrity.  And since this movie didn’t give me much at all I don’t really have much else to say other than to stay away .... Save your time & money !!

Rated “R” for language, sexual references, drug use, some violence and brief nudity.

Clark

The King and I 4.0****

I spent a couple of hours at the magnificent Durham Performing Arts Center Sunday night relishing  the terrific touring production of “The King and I’

Set in Bangkok in the 1860s, the musical tells the story of the unconventional and tempestuous relationship that develops between the King of Siam and Anna, a proper British schoolteacher, whom the proud impertinent King brings to Siam to tutor his many wives and children. One of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s finest works, The King and I boasts a score that features such beloved classics as “Getting to Know You,” “Hello Young Lovers,” “Shall We Dance,” “I Have Dreamed,” and “Something Wonderful .

Assembling an uncommonly strong cast for a touring production, Director Sher has kept his 2015 stage vision intact, right down to one of its kings, Jose Llana, who portrayed the title role for two stretches during the recent Broadway revival run. Llana's ties to the show run deep (and his love for this material shows).   .

In one of the greatest scores in Broadway history,  music so pure it doesn't need much more than a light operatic touch. It's refreshing just to sit back and enjoy a musical in which the performers aren't jockeying for notes as if they were contestants on American Idol.

Sorry to say that the production closed out at DPAC on Sunday night. But if you are elsewhere and have the chance, then go and glow in the mastery of a true Broadway classic.

Clark

IT COMEs AT NIGHT 1.0*** ( the red is also a symbol for stop.. don’t go)

   

   “IT COMES AT NIGHT”  Well “It” did not come during the night or during the day. In fact, “It” never showed up in this movie at all.. Maybe “It” was hiding out in the restroom ??    It was billed as a horror film and ended up being closer to a pseudo survival/physiological “thriller”, except there were absolutely no thrills. There were more thrills out in the movie parking lot than in this movie.. The story is about 2 families facing an unknown plague that threatens their physical, emotional and mental well-beings  with plenty of dread and paranoia caked on. The movie tries to employ all the ins and outs of a pseudo horror film  but leaves out the what’s, whys and how’s which is beyond frustrating and even  cops out in its final act. A major disappointment and grim bummer of a suspense thriller to say the least.

Even if you are a horror fan, do not waste your money on this one .( See instead the recent “GET OUT” ). This is one of the most misleading and boring films I have seen lately.  The only thing I really liked about the film was the score/sound design, which was layered with some  interesting sounds but  you never actually see or find out what comes at night, if there even is anything. Every time you think you’re going to get a glimpse of antagonist or bogeyman, the camera zooms in on the 17 yr. old son’s stupid face. This movie should have gone straight to Netflix. Film makers and producers have absolutely every right to waste there money making horrible films, just don't mislead consumers in an effort to recoup your losses.

Rated “R” for disturbing images, some violence and language ( most of that comes from the audience)

Clark

WONDER WOMAN   4.0***

Wonder Woman  met and exceeded my expectations .This is an awesome movie. Gal Gadot ( an Israeli actress) shines on screen as the Amazon Princess with an excellent supporting cast. The chemistry between her and co- lead Chris Pine is sparkling. You can very easily enjoy this film without having seen any of the previous DC films… it is truly a “stand alone” movie. Creators of the film benefit greatly by staying true to the source material that has fascinated readers/audiences since Diana Prince's debut as Wonder Woman in comics over 70 years ago.  Wonder Woman is done justice by an excellent script and the remarkable direction of  Director Patty Jenkins… yes a female Director of a sizzling action film.

The story focuses on Diana, Wonder Woman, a special creation of Zeus. She is not aware of her origins , but knows she must somehow help the human race survive and get better. There's, of course, a villain, the God Ares, that is as powerful as she is.  It's an interesting inclusion in this type of movie, but then again, we're given  a fascinating first act that takes us back to some exciting mythological background, with a film that treats the Amazon Women, and women in general as full human beings, valuing both their physical traits, their spiritual core, and their intelligence. Diana might be naive about a lot of what goes in the world outside her area, but she's strong, adaptable, and willing to learn without sacrificing her faith in what she believes in.

Wonder Woman surprised me on  many levels. Her character has  gone from a sidekick in Batman VS Superman to an awesome main lead in DC's first live action origin story of the superwoman hero. The adventure begins when Diana  rescues a young British spy, Steve Trevor (played by Chris Pine) from drowning when he crash-lands in the ocean off the shores of Diana's home Themyscira ( a remote cloud covered island home of the Amazon Women). When Diana hears  of the war ( WW I ) that is raging outside of the invisible Island, Diana travels with Steve into his world to put an end to it, with the belief that the man behind the destruction is Ares, the Greek God of War.

What I really liked about Wonder Woman, is how the director showed how child-like Diana reacts to the new world (London- World War 1 era). Speaking of her personality, Diana is very charming and beautiful ( Gal Gadot  is more so than Lynda Carter in my opinion) and has an noble character because she fights for the safety of innocents…. something gifted to her from her upbringing by her Amazon queen mother. I also liked how Wonder Woman comes to the realization that people can be evil on their own and that there is no one overpowering evil person or god.    

Gal Gadot is  gorgeous in the role and has an amazing screen presence, captivating us with her ability to look like a bigger than life figure while retaining enough warmth and heart to make her very human.  We get strong characterization that is rarely been seen in comic action films, and the writer and director keeps things moving so well that it's hard to believe it runs for  141 minutes. Make no mistake, there are a lot of well-done action sequences to go along with the other fine qualities of the movie..

RATED PG-13 for some violence and tense action. ( Both a kids and adult movie).

Clark

A L I E N  COVENANT   3.0***

     “Alien Covenant” is Director Ridley Scott on all 12 cylinders, unfiltered and unapologetic. Alien Covenant is high octane science fiction, like drinking a gallon of Red Bull. Beyond the adrenaline pace of the film, Covenant is artistic, disturbing and provocative bursting with philosophy, curiosity, life, death, and the concept of perfect killing creatures  whose prey is any living thing especially humans.

Beautifully filmed we see layer upon layer of Ridley's vision unfold, and from the stunning opening scenes, you immediately grasp that he has skillfully resurrected flashes of his 1^st two Alien movies as well as his other visually haunting films like Blade Runner and Gladiator.  And it works, indeed, it works very well.

Alien Covenant is, without question, a very intense film, from the opening sequence, to the final moments before the credits roll. The acting is good and believable, with vulnerable characters that convey what it must be like to have to deal with intense fear at close range. The story line is complex and may be confusing if you have not seen it’s prequel :Prometheus” ( which I had not). Not surprisingly, Alien Covenant is loaded with over the top horrific creatures : Xenomorphs, Face Huggers, and an array of new aliens, all of them visually terrifying and disturbing. Several of the scenes are extraordinarily graphic and gory, so leave the kids at home.

A lot of questions are left unanswered because there will be a 3^rd prequel. Yes the scientists make the same stupid mistakes, and yes there are some plot-holes, but Ridley Scott has rejuvenated the Alien series. .In some ways “Alien: Covenant” plays out like a "greatest hits” of  Alien and Aliens and that was okay with me .But the thing I missed most and expected was that oppressive never-ending-feeling of fear and horror… that on-the edge-of-your-seat scariness of the 1^st Alien movie which ranks in my top 3 of scariest movies.

  Rated R for sci-fi violence, bloody images, language and some sexuality/nudity.  

Clark