Hitpig

Typically animated films are released either in the summer or around the end of the year, but the makers of "Hitpig" decided to release this animated flick in the middle of autumn--not sure why, but hopefully it will bode well for them. Designed by an animated company which isn't familiar--Talecraft Animation Studios, this is presented well and the animation is well thought out.

Hitpig (Jason Sudeikis) is a pig hired by humans to bring back their escaped animals. It's not easy, but it's a living. His latest hit is Pickles (Lilly Singh), a naive but vivacious elephant who had escaped the clutches of an evil Vegas showman, Leapin Lord of the Leotard (Rainn Wilson). Though Hitpig initially sets out to capture the perky pachyderm for big cash, the unlikely pair find themselves on an unexpected adventure criss-crossing the globe that brings out the best in both of them. Set in a futuristic cyberpunk world, Hitpig proves sometimes what we want isn't necessarily what we need. 

Others to round out the cast are Anitta as Leticia, RuPaul as Polecat, Lorraine Ashbourne as Bertha, Andy Serkis as Newscaster, Charlie Adler as Super Rooster, Flavor Flav as Chef Emcee, Dave Rosenbaum as Janitor and Hannah Gadsby as Lola. 

This was directed with humor and clarity by David Feiss ("The Body Electric" (TV movie) '85, "A Cool Like That Christmas" (TV movie) '93, "Open Season: Scared Silly" '15) plus TV, shorts, videos and a TV short, and Cinzia Angelini (short). With the experience Feiss has including all the TV and shorts, it's no wonder why this film was sequenced well and delineated with crispness. Alrhough Feiss has the lion's share of the directing, certainly Angelini was pivotal with input that was needed. It was written well by Berkeley Breathed, Dave Rosenbaum and Tyler Werrin, based on a screen story by Berkeley Breathed, which is based on the book "Pete and Pickles" by Berkeley Breathed. This is a film that is geared toward kids, but all can leave the theater feeling better about themselves and others. And because its demographic is primarily for kids, it does have a tendency to be a bit predictable in its plot. This was probably purposed, however it would've been a bit more captivating if there were somewhat stronger challenges with these characters even it being a comedy. Although I've never heard of Talecraft Animation Studios--the company that drew this, its design was effective as it was original and as talented a company as Disney, Pixar, Dreamworks, Blue Sky and the like. 

If you like animation and a heartwarming, witty story, this is the film for you. As aforementioned, this is primarily geared to kids, but adults can revel as well--I did enjoy it. It is a bit predictable, however not really enough to take away from this story based on the classic book.  

Out 4 Stars: 3.5                                     Rated: PG                                          85mins.

Here

Robert Zemeckis has given us a plethora of films that utilize a certain look or effect that he attempts to accentuate his films with, and I must say, these techniques are a very powerful way to convince his audience of the story. We've seen "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?", "Back to the future", "Death Becomes Her", "Forrest Gump", "The Polar Express" and "The Walk" where he has showcased these effects. So now, he has given us "Here" whereas he again has implemented those effects with concise delineation.

"Here" is an original film about multiple families and a special place they inhabit. The story travels through generations, capturing the most relatable of human experiences. Robert Zemekis directs from a screenplay by Eric Roth and himself. Told much in the style of the acclaimed graphic novel by Richard McGuire on which it is based, Tom Hanks as Richard and Robin Wright as Margaret star in a tale of love, loss, laughter and life, all of which happens here.

Others to round out the cast are Paul Bettany as Al, Richard's father, Kelly Reilly as Rose, Richard's mother, Michelle Dockery as Pauline Marter, Ophelia Lovibond as Stella Beekman, Beau Gadsdon as Young Elizabeth and Jonathan Aris as Earl Higgins. 

This was directed with heart and deep feelings by the incomparable Robert Zemeckis ("I Wanna Hold Your Hand" '78, "Used Cars" '80, "Back to the Future" '85, "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" '88, "Death Becomes Her" '92, "Forrest Gump" '94, "Contact" '97, "Cast Away" '2000, "The Polar Express" '04, "Flight" '12, "The Walk" '15, "Allied" '16, "Pinocchio" '22) plus other films, TV, shorts and videos. Whether Zeneckis utilizes special effects or not in order to effectively direct a film, he is typically a well-honed, caliber filmmaker. His ability to encourage his actors to exude the emotions they need to be convincing is their respective roles is amazing, and this film is no exception. If you like this director's brand of filmmaking, his "The King" is in development. It was wonderfully written by Eric Roth ("The Nickel Ride" '74, "The Concorde...Airport '79" '79, "Suspect" '87, "Forrest Gump" '94, "The Insider" '99, "Ali" '01, "Munich" '05, "Lucky You" '07, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" '08, "A Star is Born" '18, "Dune: Part One" '21, "Killers of the Flower Moon" '23) plus other films, TV and a short, and Robert Zemeckis ("1941" '79, "Used Cars" '80, "Back to the Future" '85, "Trespass" '92, "The Polar Express" '04, "A Christmas Carol" '09, "The Walk" '15, "Welcome to Marwen" '18, "Pinocchio" '22) and other films, TV, shorts videos and video games, based on the graphic novel by Richard McGuire. The film was presented in an almost play format because the camera was set up in the living room and facing the front bay window, and then implemented split screen effects within the plot which helped in allowing this film to progress in a more rapid way, otherwise I could see this film running in excess of two and half hours. It did jump from family to family and time period to time period, but there was definitely a connection within the different scenes so it became cohesive. It was shot in a heartwarming and enduring way 'looking' into different families' lives. It has some interesting aspects such as the home across the street was a house Benjamin Franklin lived in and one of the families in the house invented the Lazy-Boy recliner which made it interesting. The performances by both Tom Hanks and Robin Wright were exquisite and a delight to see them reunite from "Forest Gump" in which they co-starred. And the musical score by Alan Silvestri, basically Zemeckis' music composer, flowed incredibly well throughout the production. The cinematography by Don Burgess asc was incredibly original and even though the camera was set up in one position, it still kept ones' attention, and lastly, the visual effects predominantly designed by Double Negative were stunning and went hand in hand with the story. 

If you are a Zemeckis fan, you'll love this. It is heartwarming, funny, dramatic, redeeming in that families are healed emotionally. It's original presentation of the premise is entertaining as it is captivating. I'm perplexed that other critics have panned this film--I feel that they perhaps didn't or couldn't 'feel' this film. For this to happen, one must allow themselves to feel the film. This is a gem!!

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                           Rated: PG-13                                      104mins.

Conclave

Religious films have become a mainstay in the creation of movies made in Hollywood, and with that we have seen just about every religion represented: Christianity, Catholicism, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, etc. So, when viewing "Conclave", this is about the process of choosing a new Pope after the existing one has died, hence the title of the film. 

Cardinal Thomas Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) is tasked with running this covert process after the unexpected death of the beloved Pope. Once the Catholic Church's most powerful leaders, including Aldo Bellini (Stanley Tucci), Tremblay (John Lithgow), Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati), Woznial (Jacek Koman) and others have gathered from around the world and are sequestered together in the Vatican halls, Lawrence uncovers a trail of deep secrets which could shake the foundations of the Church.

Others to round out the cast are Isabella Rossellini as Sister Agnes, Brian F. O'Byrne as O'Malley, Sergio Castellitto as Tedesco, Thomas Loibl as Mandorff, Rony Kramer as Mendoza, Valerio Da Silva as Father Haas and Carlos Diehz as Vincent Benitez. 

This was intensely and passionately directed by Edward Berger ("Strait-Jacket" '92, "Wanderbread" '95, "Windland" (TV movie) '07, "A Good Summer" (TV movie) '11, "Jack" '14, "All My Loving" '19, "All Quiet on the Western Front" '22) plus other films, another TV movie and TV. Combined with tight editing, sound effects and a riveting musical score, this director was able to pull these talented actors together and interact them with each other in order to convey to his audience that believability that these characters are real. It was creatively written by Peter Straughan ("Sixty Six" '06, "The Men Who Stare at Goats" '09, "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" '11, "Frank" '14, "The Snowman" '17, "The Goldfinch" '19) plus other films, TV and a short, and Robert Harris ("D-Day to Berlin: Newsnight Special" (TV movie) '85, "Fatherland" (TV movie) '94, "Archangel" (TV movie) '05, "The Ghost Writer" '10, "An Officer and a Spy" '19) plus other films and TV. I'm not a Catholic, but this was a compelling film of what could happen as a conclave is in progress, and that can be captivating for many people. As the process of this conclave is proceeding, certain deep secrets end up coming to light which is a good thing, but the complexities of this process simply kept arising.These seasoned writers were able to intertwine these issues into the meat of the story where Lawrence was being driven crazy to keep this conclave in one piece. It was sequenced well and amazingly concise in its script. Other that a couple of areas of slowness in story, this screenplay was riveting, especially as the story started picking up. 

No spoilers, but the end is quite the shocker--I did not see it coming, so it ends bittersweetly. Whether you are Catholic or not, this is a captivating film with solid directing, writing, acting, especially that of Fiennes, music, editing and photography. 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                  Rated: PG                                       120mns.

Venom: The Last Dance

When the original "Venom" premiered back in 2018, I felt it was going to be a total waste of celluloid. But, after seeing it, I felt it was a hoot! Not only were the visual effects amazing, but you knew that, but the story was fascinating in that the 'superhero' was inside of the hero played brilliantly by Tom Hardy--he was Venom. Well, after a second go around, we now have the end of the trilogy--"Venom: The Last Dance" to sink our teeth into.

In this next installment, Tom Hardy returns as Venom once again, one of Marvel's greatest and most complex characters, for the final film in the trilogy, Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) and Venom are on the run. Hunted by both of their worlds and with the net closing in, the duo are forced into a devastating decision that will bring the curtains down on Venom and Eddie's last dance. Will they win, or will the alien nemesis beat them at their own game? Not sure, but the ring side seat known as the theater will be first rate.  

Others to round out the cast are Chiwetel Ejiofor as General Rex Strickland, Juno Temple as Dr. Payne, Stephen Graham as Detective Mulligan, Rhys Ifans as Martin, Peggy Lu as Mrs. Chen, Hala Finley as Exho and Alanna Ubach as Christmas. 

This was masterfully directed with excitement by Kelly Marcel. Since this film was written by her and the story was based on hers and Hardy's idea, and she has written all the films would certainly lend her an advantage in being effective behind the camera. This being the only credit in the directing category, it is still amazing that she was able to harness a certain amount of humanity from her actors to prove they are capable of more than being military or studying things in a lab. This was also written with great sequencing by Kelly Marcel ("Saving Mr. Banks" '13, "Fifty Shades of Grey" '15, "Venom" '18, "Cruella" (story) '21, "Venom: Let There Be Carnage" '21) plus TV, based on a story by Tom Hardy and Kelly Marcel, which is based on the Marvel Comics. Even though this film dealt with some multi-universe aspects, Marcel was able to construct the screenplay so it made more sense as compared to other films delving into multi-universe aspects. Since this writer wrote the three different scripts for this franchise, I really did appreciate the amount of wit and humor she injected in the story. It more humanizes the story instead of it being a straight drama. There were only a couple of very slow places within the screenplay, however not enough to detract from the story at hand. And, of course, the visual effects predominantly designed by ILM (Industrial, Light & Magic) and Double Negative were seamless and actually enhanced the more comedic moments of the film. 

If you liked the first two installments of this franchise, you'll certainly like this one as well, especially since it was written by the same writer. This film is supposed to be the third and last installment, hence the 'last dance' part of the title, however it does leave opened-ended. There are a couple of small videos within the end credits if that is telling. Certainly if this makes a truck-load of money, another will likely return, otherwise probably not. It is also presented in a nifty IMAX format if you wish. Enjoy, I know I did.

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                       Rated: PG-13                                       108mins.

Goodrich

Remember the days when Michael Keaton would star in roles where he became involved in a family dilemma and the more he attempted to 'fix it', the worse it got? well, he's starred in some interesting films since, however with "Goodrich" he is seemingly going back to that type of film, at least with this film. 

Andy Goodrich's (Michael Keaton) life is upended when his wife, Naomi (Laura Benanti) and mother of their nine-year-old twins, Moses (Jacob Kopera) and Billie (Vivien Lyra Blair) enters a 90-day rehab program for prescription meds addiction, leaving him on his own with their young kids. Thrust into the world of modern parenthood, Goodrich leans on his daughter, Grace (Mila Kunis) from his first marriage, all the while his art gallery is having financial woes. As Grace and Andy get to know one another again, he ultimately evolves into the father Grace never had. 

Others to round out the cast are Michael Urie as Terry, Danny Defarrari as Pete, Grace's husband, Andie MacDowell as Ann, Andy's ex-wife, Carmen Ejogo as Tully, Andrew Leeds as Greg, Kevin Pollack as Sy, Nico Hiraga as Jonny and Kimberly Condict as Cecile. 

This was directed with wit and heart by Hallie Meyers-Shyer ("Home Again" '17). This being only the second film she has directed makes this an amazing movie. I've seen seasoned directors that weren't as effective in being able to get their actors to truly dig deep in how they were able to convince the audience of their respective hurt and issues involved. She will certainly go far. This was also written with amazing pathos and humor by Hallie Meyers-Shyer ("Homw Again" '17). Certainly when a director writes their own film, it has a tendency to excel since they know about each and every character that's involved in the production. Although, even with this in mind, since she has only one other film to her credit, I still went to see this film with great trepidation. And after viewing it, I came to the conclusion that the formula of director/writer concept still holds true. Although, this wasn't a perfect film--it was a bit choppy in a couple of places, it certainly wasn't enough to take away from the effectiveness this filmmaker was attempting to convey. Michael Keaton gave his usual steadfast reliable performance that we all have come to love, and with this, it's a film that will have us nostalgic for his past films. 

Definitely if you're a Keaton fan, you'll revel. It's a great expose of the progression of how a blended family can co-exist in spite of their different issues. Emotionally, this film runs the gambit: humor, sorrow, despair, confusion and redemption all rolled up in a tight and bold script.

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                       Rated: R                                           110mins.

We Live in Time

Hollywood has produced a fair amount of romance films: "The Vow", "The Notebook", "Dear John", "The Lucky One" and the like, and although they certainly have their specific demographic--young single females, depending on how the film is structured, can obtain other fans as well. With "We Live in Time", it can hold either gender's attention equally it too being a romance.

An up and coming chef, Almut (Florence Pugh) and a recent divorcee, Tobias (Andrew Garfield) find their lives forever changed when a chance encounter brings them together, in a decade-spanning, deeply moving romance. As they embark on a path challenged by the limits of time, they learn to cherish each moment of their unconventional love story. With the several obstacles in their way to making a harmonious home life, their challenge of continuing to stay in the relationship as the obstacles unfold, becomes more and more stressful and unclear.

Others to round out the cast are Adam James as Simon Maxson, Amy Morgan as Leah, Niamh Cusack as Sylvia, Lee Braithwaite as Jade, Douglas Hodge as Reginald, Lucy Briers as Dr. Kerri Weaver, Nikhil Parmar as Sanjaya and Kerry Godliman as Jane. 

This was directed with heart and pathos by John Crowley ("Intermission" '03, "Celebration" (TV movie) '07, "Boy A" '07, "Is Anybody There?" '08, "Closed Circuit" '13, "Brooklyn" '15, "The Goldfinch" '19) plus TV and a short. The emotions, especially those of Garfield and Pugh were raw, honest and truly became pivotal to the story. This film was basically hinged on the chemistry of the two lead stars and it definitely worked and this is talented directing. It was interestingly written by Nick Payne ("The Sense of an Ending" '17, "The Last Letter from Your Lover" '21) plus TV and a short. I believe that Nick Payne is a talented writer, however with this film, it became rather disjointed. The different scenes played out in a seemingly disheveled way, however I believe this was purposed so as to piece the scenes together, after a point, in order to make the film continuous with a flow. This style has been performed by other writers successfully, however Payne took too long to piece the scenes together, so by the time the story started making sense,it became a little too much, a little too late. Once the pieces were optimal, the story really did pick up, and then became the story this writer was looking for. The premise was interesting--it just needed to come to a fluid place sooner, otherwise this was a good story and, like I said, an interesting film. The performances by both Garfield and Pugh was stunning and they worked well off of one another. 

If you're into romance, fine acting and effective directing, you'll revel with this, however if one is looking for a tight, cohesive script, this will be frustrating for you. I feel that Nick Payne is talented, and maybe his "Midwinter Break" which is in post production will prove it better than this did. We'll have to see. 

Out of 4 Stars: 2.5                                            Rated: R                                          107mins.

Super / Man: The Christopher Reeve Story

Documentaries have become quite the mainstay of Hollywood for a number of decades. We've seen many that teach us, entertain us, lecture us and inform us, yet I'm hard-pressed to see one that is anything but fluid with an abundance of quality, which "Super / Man: The Christopher Reeve Story" is the epitome of. 

Christopher Reeve's rise to becoming a film star, mostly due to the popularity of 1978's "Superman: The Movive", follows with a near-fatal horse-riding accident on May 27, 1995 that left him paralyzed from the neck down. After the accident, with the help of Dana Reeve (his wife), and friends Robin Williams, Michael Manganiello, Will Reeve and Matthew Reeve (his sons), he became an activist for spinal cord injury treatments and disability rights. Through his efforts, many are walking today with the help of special medical treatments all because he cared so much for people. 

Others interviewed were Glenn Close, Jeff Daniels, Brooke Ellison, Richard Donner, Steven Kirschblum MD, Whoopi Goldberg, Kevin Johnson, Gae Exton, Alexandra Reeve Givens (his daughter), John Kerry and Laurie Hawkins. 

This was directed with a plethora of sobriety and heart by Ian Bonhote ("Alleycats" '16, "McQueen" '18, "Rising Phoenix" '20) plus shorts, and music videos, and Peter Ettedgui ("McQueen" '18, "Rising Phoenix" '20). The exhausting amount of research it took to pull this all together was insurmountable. This actually spans from the early 70's to the passing of Dana Reeve's death in March of 2006. Odd, that Christopher Reeve passed away only two years prior to Dana's death in October of 2004. This film was sequenced perfectly and kept the audience on the edge of their seats. I basically followed Reeve's situation, and I still was able to learn so much more than I ever thought I would receive from this documentary. It was brilliantly written by Peter Ettedgui (" The Temptation of Franz Schubert" (TV movie) '97, "Vigo" '98, "Onegin" '99, "Everything or Nothing" (co-writer) '12, "Listen to Me Marlon" (co-writer) '15, "McQueen" '18) plus TV, and co-written by Ian Bonhote and Otto Burnham. Again, the incredible research these writers obtained was thorough and exhaustive. Their ability to sequence the footage and interviews spanning the better part of four decades, was heart-pounding and sobering. I was in awe of the way this documentary simply fell into place so we can have a whole new look at what this man had to go through, especially when he was a spinal cord advocate. 

This film will undoubtedly be nominated come Oscar time for the rawness and heart and thoroughness this documentary carried. This film should be seen by all to experience what this man went through and endured for, not only for his family, but for all people as well. People left the theater very quiet and thoughtful as this film affected them immeasurably. 

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                           Rated: PG-13                                           104mins.