Capsule Review (minimal spoilers)

Stuber is a new film starring David Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy), and comedian Kumail Nanjani (Silicon Valley, The Big Sick). Kumail plays Stu, a guy who holds down two jobs, one of which is as an Uber driver. His boss at his other job calls him Stuber, as a goof, but things get serious when officer Vic Manning (Bautista) hires him for an Uber ride, which turns into a madcap adventure.

This is effectively a buddy cop/comedy movie, where one is a civilian. There is more emphasis on the action than the comedy, and it’s typical of the genre. It was enjoyable, but didn’t really stand out in any way. It’s what I expect from a Summer Movie. I’d recommend it on Cheap Movie night, or, perhaps as a rental when it comes available. Not a must see, but good in its own way. With a runtime of 1:33, it moves along quickly that it does not wear out its welcome.

The film is rated R for some graphic violence, which is barely hinted at during the trailers, if you’ve seen them.

Standard Review (with minor plot spoilers):

When I say typical of the genre, I mean that the movie hits all the notes you’d expect from a film like this – two guys from dissimilar backgrounds who are thrust together, and hate each other, manage to bond and work towards a final goal. It’s the backbone of most buddy cop films, to be sure. The details of how they are put together vary from film to film, as are the circumstances of why they bond.

Both the leads play to type. Bautista is a rage monster, and Nanjani is the wise cracker he’s always been on Silicon Valley and in other places.

Not really much else to day about the film without spoiling it, but I will say that the comedy does work, but it’s not entirely memorable. There are some other known actors who appear in the film, but to reveal their parts in this story would spoil too much.

Haven’t been writing too many reviews lately, but I have been seeing films. Here are a few of the ones I saw this past Spring, screened at the ArtHouse Film Festival, with some brief summaries.

I recommend these for people who really like documentaries, except for the last one. I’ve seen it, so you don’t have to if you don’t want to.

Hail Satan? (2019)

This is a doc about the Church of Satan, and how it was formed and rose to a level of notoriety in recent years. They’re the group that tried to get a statue of Baphomet installed on the same Government properties where statesmen erected copies of the Ten Commandments. It also shows the differences of opinion inside the organization, and raises an important question about what composes a religion.

The Biggest Little Farm (2018)

This was a surprise, to me. I’m not really interested in farming, but this changed my mind. It’s a story about a couple, evicted from their home in the L.A. area because of their loud dog. They created a proposal, managed to find a few backers, and bought a small bit of farmland in California. The plan was to revitalize a bit of land with a LOT of help and guidance. They learn a lot of harsh lessons, and struggle to keep it running. Shot over 10 years, IIRC.

Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché (2018)

Ever hear of her? Probably not. She was one of the first, if not THE first female film director. She started in Europe, and later came to The USA to create a movie studio with many early successful films. Her legacy is mostly lost to time, and sometimes reclaimed by the men who documented the early days of the brand new art form. So much of what she did has become standard fare in making movies. This was awesome, and there are inserts of famous people from Hollywood, who add their own comments and revelations. Most of the Hollywood people interviewed the film had never heard of her (until approached by the filmmaker). Pretty damn good doc.

The Brink (2019)

This is a doc that spends a year with Steve Bannon, starting around the time after he was fired from the White House. We never get a satisfying explanation of what happened there, but clearly, he’s not the appealing influencer we were led to believe . It follows his time trying to unite various European Nationalist factions to get them to acknowledge common goals. I’ve never heard him talk much before, but he has a presence that makes people listen to him. The camera gets a chance to see him raw, as if they’re the only non-yes-man in the room. At one point, he makes a film promoting Trump, and while watching it, he casually compares himself to Leni Riefenstahl and admits he’s made propaganda. At a screening, after seeing the film, people flat out deny it’s propaganda.  Go figure.  There, I’ve said all you need to know about the film, so now you shouldn’t bother to see it.

Brief note:

I am back to doing reviews. I had a surgical procedure back in December, and hadn’t really gone to the movies while I recuperated. Not really sure if I wanted to continue with the reviews, so I’d like your feedback.

For a brief time, I’ve turned on comments for this review. Please take a moment to comment on how I’m doing here. I really want to know what you think.

Rude comments will be removed!

Now, on to the show!

Capsule Review (Minimal Spoilers):

Captain Marvel is the latest movie to come from the Marvel Comic Book Universe. Vers (Brie Larson) is a soldier in the Kree Guard, who goes on special missions for the Supreme Intelligence, which rules the Kree. Their biggest enemy is the Skrull, who are rather deceitful.

While on a mission to recover an agent, things get out of hand, and it stirs up a lot of memories for Vers that she only dreamt she had.

Yes, it’s another “origin story”, but honestly, in this case, it’s a good idea. I’m not too well versed in who this Captain Marvel is. If you are not familiar, there’s also a DC comic Book Universe Captain Marvel with a movie coming out later this month (Shazam!), so starting with a fresh story really helps.

There are a lot of references to a time gone bye, since it happens then, but it’s not too long ago. The retro soundtrack and clothing really help sell the era. Good story with decent acting makes this one to see. Recommended!

Standard Review (with minor plot spoilers):

This movie heavily ties to previous Marvel movies, but it’s not necessary that you know them, because this one takes place in the 1990s, before almost all of them occurred (Captain America mostly took place in the 1940s).

On said mission, Vers is captured by the Skrulls, and has her mind probed for secrets. That dredges up a lot of memories of a life on a different world, leading her to it, so she can discover her past. What she remembers may be a lie, so she is understandably cautious, but it leads her back to Earth, where all the fun is. Not everything is what it seems.

There were a couple Marvel Universe cameos in the film, and that’s where the film focuses. She tries to track down how she could be someone named Carol Danvers from Earth, and why someone on Earth would even be doing that’s causing everyone to find her.

Carol (now, presumably), is somewhat different from the Kree, in that she has some sort of power that she doesn’t understand. The Kree warn her to keep her emotions in check, because when they get the best of her, bad things happen. This only strengthens her resolve to find the truth.

I found the best parts of the film were focused on her finding herself. Jude Law plays her Kree commander, and he was so immersed in the role that it took me a while to realize it was him. While the movie has some decent action scenes, its real strength is in discovering her empowerment, like when she interacts with Agents of Shield, or with the Supreme Intelligence. There are elements of humor that help humanize her and others, and that’s one thing the Marvel movies do reasonably well.

As for flaws, there really weren’t many. The early chase scene in the film could’ve benefited from some different editing – the car portion seemed to drag, until the end, and although this movie’s runtime was just over two hours, that was the only portion of the film that dragged, for me. The fight scenes got a little bogged down in CGI, but not enough to have anything to seriously complain about. They were not over-the-top, but more personal, and befitting of this story.

The soundtrack was pure 1990s, and rather good. Some of the song picks were a bit obvious, but probably necessary, regardless. Chances are it’ll be in my possession soon.

I do recommend the film. Ignore any criticisms you might have heard and just go see it. We chose not to see it in 3D, and didn’t feel like we missed anything, so I wouldn’t bother unless you really want to.

Capsule Review

In case it wasn’t clear, Ralph Breaks The Internet is a sequel to 2012’s Wreck-It Ralph.  Ralph (John C. Reilly) and Princess Vanellope (Sarah Silverman) live their lives in their video games, and hang out after the arcade closes. It’s a good life, but Vanellope yearns for more challenge and excitement in her game. The arcade manager installs WiFi in the place, and not too soon, because something happens to put them in jeopardy, but a solution awaits them on the Internet.

Ralph Breaks The Internet takes off from there and is very fun and entertaining. This is not a rehash of the first movie, and benefits from it. Since this is a kid-friendly movie, they manage to capture the spirit of the Internet without wandering  into more questionable content. The jokes are light and fun, and frequent. I rather enjoyed myself and wholeheartedly recommend this movie.

Ralph Breaks The Internet is rated PG and has a runtime of 112 minutes, which flew by. There is a mid-credits scene, as well as an excellent teaser at the end of the credits, as well. Well worth the time.

 

 

General Review, with minor spoilers

 

This movie is full of references and product placement. Once they get to the Internet, You see a lot of well-known companies and their websites as buildings that people’s avatars wander to. It’s a reasonable representation, complete with pop-ups and other misfortunes. There’s even a toss-away reference to Geocities in there.

What’s happened is that the steering wheel on the Sugar Rush game has broken, and the replacement is too expensive for the arcade’s manager to buy, so the game will end up being sold for parts. Ralph and Vanellope go to the Internet and find a wheel, but need a way to pay for it. They find JP Spamley (Bill Hader) who has a popup ad for making money fast, and follow him for help. With a name like Spamley, you have to be ready for Hi jinx, and Ralph and Vanellope are too trusting to realize it. Fortunately, Ralph and Vanellope both deal with their adventures as you would expect. They meet some interesting characters along the way, including Shank (Gal Gadot) and Yesss (Taraji P. Henson). Felix (Jack McBrayer) and Calhoun (Jane Lynch) return and play a minor role that is quite funny (for parents) in the end.

RBTI is quite a fun time, and entertaining for both children and adults. As mentioned, the mid-credits scene and post-credits scene are both worth waiting for. The post-credits scene contains a teaser for an upcoming Disney movie that was hilarious.

 

Note: Since I wrote this review, it has come to my attention that the family of Don Shirley has objected to the events that were portrayed in the film, and how Don was written. I know that the screenplay was written by Nick Vallelonga, one of Tony Lip’s children, and others, and I now am reluctant to recommend the film, as a result. I would’ve liked to see the results of a collaboration between the Shirley and Vallelonga families, but that will not happen at this point.

Capsule Review

Green Book is a new movie about race relations in the early, segregated 1960s. Closely based on a true story, it follows a New York Italian-American, Tony Lip (Viggo Mortensen), who is hired as a driver for a black pianist/virtuoso, Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali), for a tour of the Northeastern and Southern USA. Southern USA, you say? Sounds like trouble.

It’s a road picture. It’s a tale of cultures clashing and strong, sometimes brutal racial conflict. It’s a tale of growth and manages to feel sympathy with both sides of the coin (though not completely, thankfully). It’s a well-rounded cast. It’s touching and heartfelt, as well. It’s also properly funny. I guess that’s something you have to expect when your director’s Peter Farrelly. The main writing credit goes to Nick Vallelonga, Tony’s real-life son.

This is the kind of film that gets Oscar nominations. It’s that good.  Highly Recommended, and easily one of my favorite films of 2018.

Standard Review

Tony is a connected guy, who does jobs from time to time. His normal  job at the Copacabana is not available because of renovations. He stumbles into the driver’s position, and Don is hesitant to hire him since he’s married with children. Don calls Tony’s wife Delores (Linda Cardellini), who insists it won’t be a burden for him to be away from home for the two months of the tour.

It starts up well enough, but Tony is not really a chauffeur. He’s rude, crude, and generally does what he wants. Don is polite and fastidious, and their relationship is akin to that of Oscar and Felix ‘s from The Odd Couple. Everything goes relatively smoothly as the tour takes them west of NYC, but once they head in a southerly direction, that’s where the fun begins.

Green Book refers to a travel guide from the time, that listed hotels that accept ‘coloreds’, as things are still segregated enough that they aren’t allowed in most of hotels along the tour. Don is part of a trio, with two white men to accompany him on stage.

Viggo Mortensen is not Italian, but thanks to some serious coaching for mannerism and dialect, you never think he isn’t. Linda Cardellini is excellent as a supporting cast member, and I can only compare her to the spunky Laura Petrie from the Dick Van Dyke show. She has a strong sense of family, and that clearly shines throughout.  Mahershala’s Don is quite reserved, and exudes a touch of sadness. It’s a rather impressive supporting cast, too, which includes several members of the Vallelonga family. Everyone seems to hit the right tone in the movie.

 

On Her Shoulders is a documentary about the horrific life of Nadia Murad. She is a young Iraqi woman who lived in the Kurdish portion of northern Iraq, In 2014, her town was taken over by members of Isis, who began by performing an ethnic cleansing. Nadia and her people are part of a non-muslim religious minority called Yazidi, a religion which clashes against ISIS ideals. Nadia herself was taken and forced into sexual slavery, but fortunately managed to escape.

It’s a gripping tale, and hard to watch at times, but it’s necessary to see be aware that such crimes against humanity still take place in this world.

 

 

Spoilers below

The Documentary picks up when she talks to various international government leaders, as well as the U.N.  She has to recount what’s happened to her and her community, even though it requires her to relive it.  She has been thrust onto the  international stage, even though she’s in her mid 20s, knows that if she doesn’t speak out, no one will. She fights back the tears and sorrow to carry on and spread the word.

During the documentary, she visits several refugee camps where the Yazidi people are. She speaks to them to let them know they matter, and she’s doing everything in her power to help stop it.

It’s heartbreaking to watch, but it’s important and enlightening. I never knew about these people, but do now.

Capsule Summary (pun intended, with minimal spoilers):

First Man is a biopic of Neil Armstrong. It’s based on the book First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong by James R. Hansen, who also co-write the screenplay. It is more of a personal journey than anything else.

It covers the time between Armstrong joining NASA through the time of his world-changing trip. The tragedies and the triumphs are covered, almost exclusively from Neil’s perspective. Neil is played by Ryan Gosling in his typical style of acting, and Claire Foy portrays his wife Janet.

One thing to note, this movie is shot in what I call Shakey Cam, aka handheld camera, which very unsteady and I loathe it. However, The story was VERY compelling, and really makes you feel like  you’re a part of it, so I can forgive the style, for the most part. It is an epic film and must be seen on a big screen to be fully appreciated. A bigscreen TV just won’t do. I would suggest an IMAX theater, and not a close seat, as I had for this screening.

The runtime is 2 hours and 21 minutes, and there’s a lot of ‘ground’ to cover. It is well worth your time. I enjoyed this movie a lot, and it’s immediately going onto my top 10 movies for 2018 list. It’s that good.

 

Standard Review (with minor plot spoilers):

This film is directed by Damien Chazelle, who worked with Ryan Gosling before, on La La Land. By all accounts I’ve read, Neil Armstrong was a rather private guy, who kept his emotions under wraps, which really fits Gosling’s acting style to a T. Gosling acts, but rarely emotes. I can’t think of anyone better to play Armstrong than he.

A lot of effort went into making this movie, and it shows. Gosling spent a lot of time with Hansen, getting to know Armstrong. Hansen was originally unconvinced that he could be properly portrayed in a movie, but after some time with Gosling, he clearly changed his mind. He appears in the film in a minor role. Gosling also spent time with Armstrong’s children to get to know the man better. Mark Armstrong has a small part in the film, too.

NASA history buffs know of some events that changed everything, and it suffices to say that those are treated with the respect and concern that you would hope. This film doesn’t have some sort of slap-dash, Micheal Bay-level of historical accuracy.  Chazelle really put in the effort to make it properly, with honor and respect.

Claire Foy is definitely on the rise here. She puts in a masterful performance as Neil’s wife, Janet, and she is the very force of nature you want her to be.  While most of the movie is from Neil’s perspective, the rest pretty much falls on her shoulders.  Her performance is vital to this film’s success, and she holds her own.

Good films about NASA are few and far between. The Right Stuff managed to capture the spectacle of it all quite well. Apollo 13 worked well, but it jumped perspective quite often, and was good for that.  Hidden Figures was a great, personal film about the women who supported the early years of the space program, and now, First Man joins their ranks as a film that’s gotten it right. It manages to be very personal, but able to capture the epic nature of what actually happened.

Chazelle also used Justin Hurwitz, another La La Land alum, who was responsible for that film’s musical arrangements, but here he is the composer for all of the incidental music (not from the 1960s). There are certain elements that didn’t  gel with me. When the dramatic music swelled, it seemed a little too cheery  and not serious enough, if I had to put a description on it. Most people won’t care, but, to me, it’s the one flaw in this movie. You will probably disagree.

This is one of those rare times when all the right elements come to a convergence at the right time and right place. This is an epic movie, and it should do very well.

 

Capsule Review (minor spoilers)

The Old Man & The Gun is the last film Robert Redford has said he will act in. At 82, he puts in a great performance as Forrest Tucker (not the actor from F Troop), a bank robber who is very polite and gentlemanly. It is based on a true story that was written up in The New Yorker magazine.

The cast is superb, and there are several standouts, most notably Sissy Spacek as Jewel, a woman he befriends when her pickup breaks down. There is palpable chemistry between her and Redford, and it sustains a very interesting story.

This is the first film from the Fall session of the Arthouse Film Festival. It’s a low key, but tense film, with some comedy mixed in. I highly recommend this film, and I suspect it will do well at the box office when it goes into a wider distribution at the end of this week (last week in September). I have seen ZERO advertising for it, so I suspect that it will prosper via word of mouth.

 

Standard Review

When I say Low Key,  it plays like Mr. Tucker’s personality – very cool and not excitable. It takes place in 1981, a time when there were no cell phones, no Internet, and pay phones. It was shot on Super 16MM film stock, which is rare these days. It gives the film a grainy-ness that a film from that time would have. You see a lot of closeups of Redford and Spacek, lines and all. It does help the mood. The soundtrack has some songs of the times, but the incidental music has a big of a jazzy feel to it.

This is a career criminal at the top of his game. He’s done this hundreds of times, with his co-conspirators – Teddy (Danny Glover) and Waller (Tom Waits). Nobody panics, no one gets hurt, and the escapes are properly planned.

Redford and Spacek are the core of the film, but all the supporting players have their moments, too. Its runtime is only 1 hour 33 minutes, but it feels like a much longer film because it takes its time and doesn’t really feel rushed.

This has probably become one of my favorite films of the year, so far. Definitely a contender.

Capsule Summary (minimal spoilers):

Peppermint is a revenge story. Riley North (Jennifer Garner) loses her husband and daughter under tragic circumstances, and after disappearing, has returned to find those responsible.

It’s a violent film, with an R rating.  It’s reminiscent of the sort of action that made Garner famous on the TV show Alias, and she has not lost her touch. The action is good and intense at times, but there’s more to it.  The story behind the main plot is well told, and interesting in its own regard. It’s a story that is more focused, and better than I expected it to be.

I recommend it, if that’s your sort of thing.

 

 

Standard Review (with minor plot spoilers):

When I heard the basic premise, my immediate thought was that it was a gender-swapped version of Death Wish. To some extent, it is, but the revenge is definitely more focused on the specific perps. Her husband Chris (Jeff Hephner) has a friend who tries to be a wheel man in a robbery, but backs out. The consequences are big, so the hit was put out on him. Riley survives, and identifies her attackers. Unfortunately, the trial does not go as planned and they are let go. That’s when the movie kicks into high gear.

There’s a bit of a subplot involving the policework of trying to track her down, and it’s reasonable.  There’s a missing ‘montage’, but it’s explained away, for the most part. The stuntwork is pretty good too, and, generally plausible. There was one case of “just how many bullets are in that clip”, but it doesn’t go on for too long.

Capsule Summary (minimal spoilers):

Operation: Finale takes place after World War II. It tells the tale of a group of Mossad operatives who may have located a Nazi War Criminal hiding out in Argentina. Peter Malkin (Oscar Isaac) leads the team as they plan to capture the suspect.

It’s an international thriller, based on the true story. It works reasonably well, and is decently acted. It plays more like a TV drama than a big-screen feature film. The suspect is an excellent actor, but almost seems miscast for this particular role. Overall, it’s a decent effort, but doesn’t draw you in. Sure, there are tense moments, and the subject matter does come into play, so there is an emotional impact, but it’s not enough for me to recommend it, except perhaps as a rental.

Not really much else to say, here, so I won’t go into more detail.