Elle– The whole time I was watching this story about a french video game developer who was raped after a home invasion and may be in love with her neighbor who could possibly be the culprit I just kept thinking “This guy directed Robocop.” C7  A5

 

 

 

 

Nocturnal Animals-At one point in this film, Amy Adams’ character responds to the book she’s reading (her ex-husband’s) like Bastian in The Neverending Story. She threw it across the room she was soooooo affected by it. Parts of this movie are laden with Tom Ford style which may be why it got so much love upon release but it’s just fancy clothes on a turd. Speaking of, Aaron Johnson taking a shit on his front porch is much more indicative of this movie’s substance than Amy Adams drinking wine in her bathtub reading a book. One Good Thing: Clothing? Watch Instead: As far as family invasion style movies go, it’s hard to beat Funny Games (either version). C6 A5

 

 

 

Logan– Mutant noir with not enough mutants. This is really well done and intriguing material using a well-worn character. They really do their best trying to make this movie with mutants not about mutants but it’s not full on noir either so what do you have then? Something undefined and kinda shoulder shrugging. All actors involved do great justice to the material and Jackman solidifies the somewhat bumpy solo outings of Wolverine thankfully in part to its R-rating.  C7 A8

 

 

Kong: Skull Island-Samuel Jackson in this movie epitomizes characters who are “blinded by (fill in the blank)”. It’s an annoying movie trope when they lose all reality for their cause. He basically stops being human for the last half of the movie only to service the plot. Brie Larson is touted as a strong female lead then given nothing to do but be in danger or roll around in a monkey paw. Tom Hiddleston is given all kinds of stuff to do that looks ridiculous. I audibly scoffed at one scene and I am not the scoffing type. Other characters give him their weapons mid-battle so he can kill everything because that’s how we support a white savior I guess. One Good Thing: All the Kong stuff is pretty good it’s the humans that are the problem. Watch Instead: Any pre-1980 Kong movie. C5 A6

 

 

Owning Mahowny– Great editing and anxiety-causing story. You know he loses everything you just don’t know when. The range Phillip Seymour Hoffman had to not only emulate characters but make you believe they are real was astounding. It’s nice to be able to discover and experience his old performances.  C7 A6

 

 

 

 

 

Stagecoach-All I see is horses dying but I also have great respect for old(and new) stunt men. When you see a guy holding the underside of a line of horses and he let’s go, there’s no guarantee the stagecoach doesn’t run over him. This is an obvious classic about white people in danger from other white people in redface. And if you don’t think it’s offensive you’re either old or white.   C7 A7

 

 

 

 

Love is Strange-This is a “real-life story” about “real people” which is why it’s boring. Not that old people are inherently boring, just that less happens. I don’t think a movie about my life now would be interesting let alone one made in 30 years. It’s depiction of an old couple moving in with their kids might move the meter for you but by the time I saw Lithgow in his underwear taking a mid-day nap in his grandson’s bunk bed I was pretty over this. One Good Thing: Its brief dip into the “veterans of the war against AIDS” was interesting but all too short. Watch Instead: How to Survive a Plague, Angels in America C5 A6

 

 

 

Trumbo-Again with the blacklist topic. I think Allen’s The Front might be partially based on Trumbo as the script writing racket he runs towards the end is similar. What a remarkable and horrible time in our country that perceived external threats would result in such a purging of great minds for the supposed sake of patriotism. I think Bryan Cranston is really finding his post-Breaking Bad footing and that makes me happy. C7 A6

 

 

 

They Look Like People-This thing really had me going for a while with its random narrative. Unexpected/expected ending. It’s got meat on its bones and keeps you fed but never satiated. Still, as a first time director with a young cast you could do much worse in the streaming world not to mention the genuine suspense it creates towards the end. C6 A5

 

 

 

 

 

MOVIE OF THE WEEK:

The African Queen-Bogart is a goddamn national treasure. He is perfect here as is Hepburn. So enjoyable to watch. One of those “they don’t make em like this” type movies. Two people on a boat in Africa let’s see what happens. I recently watched Out of Africa and it was fun to imagine that they were happening at the same time. Four disparate people tossed together by the fates of war and life on The Dark Continent. All Caucasian of course. Why is everyone white in movies they are the least interesting things to look at in the whole planet.  C8 A7