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