Hamnet

There have been many incarnations of William Shakespeare's plays in a film format by Hollywood for decades, but "Hamnet", being based on actual events of Shakespeare's life and family, is definitely a separation from simply one of his plays being remade in film form. And this movie is certainly a clear retelling of his life, family and work.

This film, based of true events about William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) and his wife, Agnes (Jessie Buckley). She comes from a healing background and he is a writer. Susanna (Bodhi Rae Breathnach), their firstborn, and their twins, Hamnet (Jacobi Jupe) and Judith (Olivia Lynes). It's also the story of their small village in 16th century England, and more to the point, about the lives, and especially the deaths from plague, happening in their time. This story is mostly told through Agnes, and her experiences with being supportive to her husband's writing profession and the raising of the children the best she knew how. 

Others to round out the cast are Emily Watson as Mary, Joe Alwyn as Bartholomew, Justine Mitchell as Joan, David Wilmot as John, Noah Jupe as Hamlet, El Simons as Ophelia,Sam Woolf as Bernardo, Hera Gibson as Francisco and Jack Shalloo as Marcellus.

This was brilliantly directed with passion and compassion by Chloe Zhao ("Songs My Brothers Taught Me" '15, "The Rider" '17, "Nomadland" '20, "Eternals" '21) plus TV, shorts and a video. Where this filmmaker actually showcased her talent was with "Namadland". It was gritty, sad, but powerful and her ability to encourage her actors to dig deep to find their emotions was amazing as it was identically with this film as well. She doesn't direct many films, however what she has accrued is pure quality. It was penned well by writers Chloe Zhao ("Songs My Brother Taught Me" '15, "The Rider" '17, "Nomadland" '20, "Eternals" '21) plus shorts. and Maggie O'Farrell, based on her novel by the same name. Sure O'Farrell has no other feature film to her credit, but with this film, no one else really could've done this production justice but the novelist who wrote the novel, Along with the writing collaboration of Zbao who typically writes the films she directs, and you end up with a dynamite film. These writers were chosen carefully, as this film obtains some very complex characters. The script would need to be delineated very delicately, and these two were the correct combination. And the acting by both Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley was essentially perfection. Could they both be considered come Oscar time? It would not be surprising. It has often been said, if an actor can perform Shakespeare well, they are great thespians. Well, when some of these actors were performing in parts of Shakespeare's plays, especially "Hamlet", their acting was amazing. 

Assuming one is a Shakespeare fan, this will be captivating considering this delves so much of the running time exploring the marriage and family of Shakespeare. I recommend this film to any film student or aficionado that is delving into the topic of Shakespearean plays and about his history. 

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                   Rated: PG-13                                       125mins.

The Thing with Feathers

One of the pluses to small independent films are that they typically are original in their premise instead of commercial films that are usually unoriginal. Certainly "The Thing with Feathers" is one of those indie films that is amazingly original. In fact, it is so original, that it goes deeply into a bizarre psychological story line that deems to captivate the imagination.

Following the unexpected death of his wife, a young father's hold on reality crumbles and a strange presence begins to stalk him, Dad (Benedict Cumberbatch) from the shadowy recesses of the apartment he shares with his two sons, Boy 1 (Richard Boxall) and Boy 2 (Henry Boxall). A man-like crow (voiced by David Thewlis), seemingly brought to life from the father's work as an illustrator, is about to become a very real part of all their lives, ultimately guiding them towards the new shape their family must take. 

Others to round out the cast are Sam Spruell as Paul, friend of Dad's, Eric Lampaert as Crow, Tim Plester as Andy, Leo Bill as Dr. Bowden, Claire Cartwright as Mum, Vinette Robinson as Amanda, Dwane Walcott as Teacher and Lesley Molony as Margaret. 

This was directed with such gut-wrenching grit and pathos by Dylan Southern ("No Distance Left to Run" '10, "Shut Up and Play the Hits" '12, "Meet Me in the Bathroom" '22) plus TV, music videos, a short and a video. The way this filmmaker staged and paced this project was phenomenal, and the characters these actors played were captivating and these actors, especially Cumberbatch, made these characters come to life and that's talented directing. This was also interestingly written by Dylan Southern (TV and a short), based on the novel, "Grief Is The Thing with Feathers" by Max Porter. The premise was a very intriguing story about a man trying to cope with his wife's death and through this his illustrating seemingly jumped off his sketckbook and relentlessly attempting to get him out of his self-pity. Even though the story is fresh and different, the execution needed a bit more polish--it was a bit choppy and not expressly cohesive. But, there were many areas that were thrilling and unforgettable all the while this father was being pushed to the brink. This crow-man sort of became his alter-ego in order for him to get through this grieving process that was taking a long time. Southern obviously decided to write the work he directs which is nothing odd or wrong with it. He basically needs more work to hone his basic talent. Cumberbatch's performance as this grieving, taunted man was incredible, but he is a fine actor. 

This is certainly worthy to see in the theater, where, I believe, is always the best place to watch a movie. If you like fine acting and directing, this is the film for you. It's a bit odd in its story, but when someone is grieving and having a tough time of it, they can go a little off-kilter in the way of thinking. 

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                      Rated: R                                              98mins.

Zootopia 2

When "Zootopia"was released in 2016, I never assumed it would be sequeled, but then again we are talking about Disney--the king of sequels, prequels, remakes, reboots, franchises. At least they obtained the restraint to wait nine years to make the move. For a sequel, it was was actually a worthy follow up of its predecessor. 

In this film, detectives Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) find themselves on the twisting trail of a mysterious reptile, a snake called Gary (Ke Huy Quan) who arrives in Zootopia and turns the mammal metropolis upside down. To crack the case, Judy and Nick must go undercover to unexpected new parts of town, where their growing partnership is tested like never before. 

Others to round out the cast are Fortune Feimster as Nibbles Maplestick, Andy Samberg as Pawbert Lynxley, David Strathairn as Milton Lynxley, Idris Elba as Chief Bogo, Patrick Warburton as Mayor Winddancer, Quinta Brunson as Dr. Fuzzby, Danny Trejo as Jesus, Nate Torrence as Clawhauser, Bonnie Hunt as Bonnie Hopps and Don Lake as Stu Hopps.

This was directed with whimsical flair by Jared Bush (Zootopia (co-director) '16, "Encanto" '21) plus music videos, and Byron Howard ("Bolt" '08, "Tangled" '10, "Zootopia" '16, "Encanto" '21, "Tangled: Sing-Along" '22) plus TV, a short and music videos. This particular installment of this franchise was minus one other director that also directed the original--Rich Moore, but this still obtained the spark and quick metabolism of its predecessor. The main cast was fairly intact, and the role of Gary (Ke Huy Quan), the snake, was new, but was a great supportive role. It was equally well written by Jared Bush ("Zootopia" '16, "Moana" '16, "Encanto" '21, "Moana 2" '24) plus TV and a video game. Considering the original "Zootopia" was written by one other writer, Phil Johnston along with Jared Rush, it made its predecessor, still a well penned script, but this installment was perhaps even better honed only being written by Bush. The lessor of writers typically means the tighter, cohesive and well sequenced a film will be. The only flaw I could see in this was that soon after the first ten minutes, it had a tendency to be a bit slow for about five minutes, but very shortly after, it picked up and moved right along. And, as usual, Disney's animation was first rate as it typically is and will continue to be. 

Will there be a "Zootopia 3"? The story leaves it opened-ended, but considering the movie industry is all about the bottom line, as long as this film makes a ton of money, we will assuredly see a part 3 sometime in our future. If you want to experience this up close and personal, it's also presented in an IMAX and 3D format.

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                          Rated: PG                                       107mins.

Sisu: Road to Revenge

When "Sisu" was released in 2022, the trailer didn't actually woo me into the theater until I saw further trailers. And then I thought it might be interesting, but decided to review it was with trepidation and considered it was worthy of the review. It was so impressive, that I decided to see "Sisu: Road to Revenge", and I definitely wasn't disappointed. 

This sequel is a wall to wall cinematic action event, a follow up to the original sleeper hit "Sisu"'. 1946. Returning to the house where his family was brutally murdered during the war, "the man who refuses to die" Aatami Korpi (Jorma Tommila) dismantles it, loads it on a truck, and is determined to rebuild it somewhere safe in their honor. When the Red Army commander who killed his family Yeagor Dragunov (Steohen Lang) comes back hellbent on finishing the job, a relentless, eye-popping cross-country chase ensues--a fight to the death, full of clever, unbelievable action set pieces. This is the quintessential cat-and-mouse game.

Others to round out the cast are Richard Brake as KBG Officer, Einar Haraldsson as a Soldier, Jaakko Hutchings as a Russian Soldier, Kaspar Velberg as a Pilot, Tommi Korpela as a Finnish Man, Erki Laur as a Mercenary and Sten Zupping as a Train Guard. 

This was again directed with amazing intensity and grit as with the original by Jalmari Helander ("Zero deux" (segment "Rare Exports Inc.") '07, "Rare Exports" '10, "Big Game" '14, "Sisu" '22) plus TV, shorts and a video. As with its predecessor, this installment was slickly done, replete with action, intensity and especially many certain ways this Sisu was able to be as creative as he was in taking these evil guys down. What ways that were creative in the original, this film was able to find many other ways to be creative. This filmmaker surely knows how to keep his audience on the edge of their seats, whether with this movie or the original--in fact, this was simply a juiced up version. It was creatively well written by Jalmari Helander ("Zero deux" (segment "Rare Exports Inc.") '07, "Rare Exports" '10, "Big Game" '14, "Sisu" '22, "The Last Stand of Ellen Cole" (based on an idea) '24) plus shorts and a video. As with Helander's direction, his writing still followed the intense journey of this Sisu in attempting to put his life back together only having to deal with evil men wanting to do evil things. So again, he has to resort to his extremely creative ways to rid of these evildoers so he can enjoy what's left of his life. There wasn't a huge amount of dialogue, but these men's expressiveness spoke volumes. This writer had no problem in conveying to his audience what he wanted to relay to us with as few words as possible. Stephen Lang could've played the role as the Sisu since he has played similar roles such as "Don't Breathe", but the title role played by Jorma Tommila was brilliant. 

Certainly if you liked this film's predecessor, "Sisu", you'll love this installation. It has it all: drama, action, war, explosiveness all in a thrilling story that will leave its audience on the edge of their proverbial seats. The creativeness of this Sisu is worth the price of admission alone. 

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                        Rated: R                                          89mins.

Rental Family

We've all seen many films in our lives whether foreign or domestic in every genre across the board, and with that, some films are easy to fully understand, whereas other movies take some understanding to absorb because of cultural aspects, obscurity or the feeling of them being too cerebral. "Rental Family" is interesting even though there are several times where the cultural aspects of it can cloud certain rationale depending which culture is watching it.

Set in modern-day Tokyo, "Rental Family" follows an American actor, Phillip Vandarpleog (Brendan Fraser) who struggles to find purpose until he lands an unusual gig: working for a Japanese "rental family" agency headed up by Shinji Tada (Takehiro Hira) playing stand-in roles for strangers. As he immerses himself in his clients' worlds such as Mia Kawasaki (Shannon Mahina Gorman) and Kikuo Hasegawa (Akira Emoto), he begins to form genuine bonds that blur the lines between performance and reality. Confronting the moral complexities of his work, he rediscovers purpose, belonging and the quiet beauty of human connection. 

Others to round out the cast are Sei Matobu as Masami Hasegawa, Kikuo's daughter, Shino Shinozaki as Hitomi Kawasaki, Mia's mother, Daikichi Sugawara as Jideo Ikeda and Hideko Hara as Keiko Ikeda.

This was directed with heart, poignancy and insightfulness by Hikari ("37 Seconds" '19) plus TV,  shorts and a music video. Even though this filmmaker has only one feature film under her belt, the many shorts she has to her credit has certainly served her well. Her ability to define the crossover between moral and legal issues was not only subtle but definitely caught one's eye. It was equally well penned by Hikari ("37 Seconds" '19) plus shorts and Stephen Blahut (cinematography). Again, considering these writers' limited experience in this field, this was a very captivating story. It is difficult to relay a story that straddles moral and legal and emotional issues with such subtlety, however with bold reality as the film unfolds. This shows how we, as a society, whether here or abroad can be so disconnected with our emotions in the guise of this rental family being called a business. Certainly, there was lying going on, but then again, acting is technically a form of lying--representing yourself as someone you're not. The difference here is that the 'rep' was lying to people who thought they were on the up and up. It's an interesting story about confronting our lack of ability or willingness to truly connect with people. Other than a small place of choppiness, this script soared. More work their way please.

If you're a Brendan Fraser fan, you will like this. His performance in "The Whale" was probably the best film (acting wise) he's ever done, but this film brought out the compassion and passion in him for sure. It's a film about how we should be more of a society of connecting and not hide behind masks. The more genuine and honest we are toward one another, the happier we will be.

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                       Rated: PG-13                                       110mins.

Wicked: For Good

Who ever thought that when L. Frank Baum first wrote the story of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" back in 1899 and was published in 1900, and subsequently became a motion picture in 1939 would become the phenomena today. Many incarnations of "The Wizard of Oz" in 1939 have been produced. And then a Tony Award winning musical play was created, and then its subsequent film "Wicked" in 2024. Now we have the continuation of "Wicked" appropriately titled "Wicked: For Good". 

After challenging the Wizard's (Jeff Goldblum) totalitarian regime in Oz, Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) must grapple with her identity as the 'Wicked Witch of the West'. Meanwhile, the Wizard has given Glinda (Ariana Grande) the title 'Glinda the Good' and a public status as the nation's defender against Elphaba. The two witches must make decisions that seal their fates implementing Captain Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) and Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) in this second, part 2 musical installment. 

Others to round out the cast are Ethan Slater as Boq, Marissa Bode as Nessa, Bowen Yang as Pfannee, Colman Domingo as the Cowardly Lion, Bronwyn James as Shenshen, Aaron T. Guan Ti as Avaric, Keala Settle as Miss. Coddle, Bethany Weaver as Dorothy and Sharon D. Clarke as Dulcibear. 

As with the first part of "Wicked", this too was directed with passion, whimsy and heart by Jon M. Chu ("Step Up 2 the Streets" '08, "The LXD: The Uprising Begins" '10, "Step Up 3D" '10,,, "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never" '11, "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" '13, "Justib Bieber's Believe" '13, "Jem and the Holograms" '15, "Now You See Me 2" '16, "Crazy Rich Asians" '18, "Triage" (TV movie) '20, "In the Heights" '21, "Wicked" '24) plus other films, TV, shorts, and music videos. Like with other directors, this filmmaker is like a chameleon in that he works with many genres or topics, This, like part 1, was sequenced well, cohesive and flowed well from one part to the other. This director is seasoned and I really enjoy his work. It was effectively well written by Winnie Holzman ("'Til There Was You" '97, "Wicked" '24) plus TV and a short and Dana Fox ("The Wedding Date" '05, "What Happens in Vegas" '08, "Couples Retreat" '09, "How to Be Single" '16, "Isn't It Romantic" '19, "Cruella" '21, "The Lost City" '22, "Wicked" '24) plus TV, based on the musical stage play with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, that is based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, which is all based on the characters created by L. Frank Baum. The interesting part of this part of the story is that this film includes the moment of time when Dorothy lands in Oz. "Wicked" is a prequel to "The Wizard of Oz", so this part led into the arrival of Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, Scarecrow, and Toto too. And this gives us a little background of these 'Wizard of Oz' characters to see how they are worked into the 'Wicked' story line. The only aspect of this that was a bit strained was that as the story was developing, it was a bit slow and needed to pick up the pace, but once it did pick up, it absolutely soared! The visual effects predominantly designed by ILM (Industrial, Light & Magic) and Framestore were amazing and enhanced the film as it progressed. And the production values--costumes, production design, editing and photography was captivating. 

If you're a "Wicked" fan--play or film, or even a "Wizard of Oz" fan, this will be the film for you. Even though this is the conclusion, will there be a part 3? Probably not--it leaves the story fairly well closed. The musical numbers, choreography and the grandiose of it all has to be seen on the large screen. In fact, it's presented on an IMAX format if that's a thrill for you. 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                      Rated: PG                                           137mins'

Now You See Me: Now You Don't

When the original film, "Now You See Me" was released back in 2013, I felt that as long as it profits, there will be another, especially considering the list of actors in it. Well, there was in 2016 yet another one, "Now You See Me 2". I truly thought that would be the end, but wait, there's more. Hollywood figured that maybe one more would be warranted in the form of "Now You See Me: Now You Don't". 

The Four Horsemen return including J. Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson), Jack Wilder (Dave Franco) and Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher) along with a new generation of illusionists including Charlie (Justice Smith), Bosco (Dominic Sessa) and June (Ariana Greenblatt) performing mind-melding twists, turns, surprises and magic unlike anything ever captured on film. This story involves the stealing of the most expensive diamond in the world, the Heart Diamond which in curated by Veronika Vanderberg (Rosamund Pike) of the very wealthy Vanderberg family. The problem is that Veronika wants the diamond for herself, so it ends up becoming a cat-and-mouse game between her, her goons and the Horsemen. 

Others to round out the cast are Morgan Freeman as Thaddeus Bradley, Lizzy Caplan as Lula, Thabang Molaba as Lethabo Khoza, Andrew Santino as Brett Finnigan, Ben Seidman as Max Thompson and Mark Ruffalo as Dylan Rhodes. 

This film was directed with twists, action and some humor by Ruben Fleischer ("Zombieland" '09, "30 Minutes or Less" '11, "Gangster Squad" '13, "The List" (TV movie) '13, "Spaced Out" (TV movie) '17, "Venom" '18, "Zombieland: Double Tap" '19, "Uncharted" '22) plus TV, shorts, music videos and videos. Even though this installment carried a different director than its predecessors, the similar feel of the characters was sill intact--with all the mannerisms, even body language which made the sequel much more realistic instead of watching a totally different film. The staging and pacing was spot on as well. It was effectively written by Michael Lesslie, Paul Wernick, Rhett Reese and Seth Grahame-Smith, based on a story by Eric Warren Singer and Michael Lesslie, which is based on characters created by Boaz Yakin and Edward Ricourt. Seeing as there was four writers for this film astounds me since typically if a film has more than two writers it becomes convoluted, I really assumed less than impressing writing. There were some imperfections with this where, at times, it became a bit choppy and were a couple of continuity issues, but considering the number of writers, this was a screenplay that was simply amazing. Most of it was tight and well thought out, especially the latter half of the movie. It was great to see the old group of actors on the installments which made it more nostalgic. 

Will there be another installment? Not sure, but suffice it to say, this story certainly leaves the story open-ended. Odds are that as long as this film makes quite a profit, Lionsgate will keep rafting them out. And then add the same pivotal cast, and viola, "let's make another one".

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                         Rated: PG-13                                   112mins.