All Saints

Once in a while we get thrown an inspirational film to cause us to pause and reflect. Usually these types of films aren't released during the summer movie season, but since it is nearing the end of the season, this would probably be a strategic time to offer us one to view. As time marches on and societal problems invade our lives, it's great to have films like "Soul Surfer", "Courageous", "God's Not Dead", "A Dolphin's Tale", "Facing the Giants", "Fireproof", "War Room" and the like to inspire us to press on, which is why "All Saints" is now in the offing.

 

Pastor Michael Spurlock (John Corbett) is sent by Bishop Eldon Thompson (Gregory Alan Williams) to Smyrna, Tennessee with orders to close its church so the land can be sold to developers. But when refugees from Myanmar in Southeast Asia begin arriving in the community, he decides, through what he feels God told him, to try farming the land in order to provide for his congregation and save the church. With help from one of the parishioners, Forrest (Barry Corbin), Ye Win (Nelson Lee), his wife Aimee (Cara Buono) and others, this task seems simple, but ends up creating one trial after another. Based on a true story, this film certainly teaches that good things come to those that wait, or that are patient knowing or believing that all will be good at the end of the day.

 

Others to round out the cast are David Keith as Boyd, Patrick Johnson as Father Jeffers, Chondra Pierce as Ruth, one of the parishioners, Myles Moore as Atticus Spurlock, Michael and Aimee's son, Mike Parker as Father Barr, Jenne Kang as Mya and John Wise Win as Po.

 

This was sensitively directed by Steve Gomer ("Sweet Lorraine" '87, "Fly by Night" '92, "Sunset Park" '96, "Expecting a Miracle" (TV movie) '09) plus a plethora of TV. Usually when it comes to inspirational films, directors, and even writers for that matter, that are chosen, typically have other films which are similar in nature to their credit. This makes for a much more believable film to its target audience, and this guy is no exception. The emotions exuded here ring true to the real emotions of those that experience what these characters go through. It was written by a virtual newcomer, Steve Armour (two shorts). Interestingly, given the cohesiveness and clarity this showcased, makes one wonder what this writer will be like with even more experience under his belt this is his first theatrical film. It did have some problems such as several slow areas in storyline, but otherwise was solid and humbling to watch. The fact it's based on a true story certainly gives it that one two punch and gives it something to ponder over.

 

Whether one is into inspirational films or not, this, as all of these types of films, should be seen in order to keep us all in check. This film is inspiring, well directed and even entertaining at the same time. And it being based on real people and situations makes it all the more worthy of viewing.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                Rated: PG                                    109mins.

 

Wind River

With all the problematic people out there in troubled situations, it's no wonder why Hollywood consistently writes films based on true stories or actual events. Why make something up when the truth is definitely stranger than fiction? We surely see this in "Wind River" where many lives are disrupted due to family tragedies.

This story, based on actual events, is a chilling thriller that follows   a rookie FBI agent, Jane Banner (Elizabeth Olsen) who teams up with a local game tracker with deep community ties and a haunted past, Cory Lambert (Jeremy Renner) to investigate the murder of a local girl on a remote Native American Reservation in Wyoming called Wind River, in the hopes of solving her mysterious death. With the assistance of Police Chief Ben (Graham Greene) and a few others, both Cory and Jane run into one obstacle after another. Their obvious suspect, the girl's boyfriend, Matt (Jon Bernthal) isn't as obvious as they thought which muddies the investigation even more than they dreamed of. Who could've perpetrated such a heinous murder?

Others to round out the cast are Julia Jones as Wilma Lambert, Cory's ex-wife, Gil Birmingham as Martin, father of the murdered girl, Martin Sensmeier as Chip, son of Martin's, Kelsey Asbille as Natalie, James Jordan as Pete Mickens, Hugh Dillon as Curtis, Tokala Clifford as Sam Littlefeather, Althea Sam as Annie, Tyler Laracca as Frank and Teo Briones as Casey.

It was directed by a more seasoned writer, Taylor Sheridan ("Vile" '11). Considering this filmmaker's limited experience in the director's chair, this film was solid. The underlying emotions of the different characters was amazing and certainly realistic. He will definitely receive more directing work in the foreseeable future. It was also deftly written by Sheridan ("Sicario" '15, "Hell or High Water" '16). If I had to akin the feel of this to another film, it would be that of "Mystic River" '03. Both films presented different premises, however the intensities along with family tragedies both presented were quite similar. And the fact that neither film were not warm and fuzzy feeling films, made the similarity more apparent. While Sheridan is a newcomer to directing, he's certainly not a seasoned writer, however the work he's executed is high quality-- he earned an Academy Award nomination for his writing in "Hell or High Water".  He is a new modern writer that is surely a contender for future great work. If this writing is the level that pleases, his "Soldado" is in post production slated for a 2018 release.

Quality writing is like a high for me, and since I don't see an abundance of good writing, or even decent wring, it is certainly a pleasure to witness a fine crafted film. Again, you're not seeing this for the entertainment package--it's a bit of a downer, but the craft of the film is first rate. And with a great message about the Native American world that we, as a society, has everthing but forgotten, makes this a must see film.

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

Lucky Logan

Films are basically divided in two different categories: commercial and independent. There are tributaries along the way, but the two categories sums it up. Although when a commercial film collides with an independent film, what come out of it is a Steven Soderbergh film. You know, the guy behind "Ocean's Eleven", "Traffic", "The Informant!" and "Magic Mike". So now in the offing, we have "Lucky Logan" to revel in.

 

Trying to reverse a family curse, brothers Jimmy (Channing Tatum) and Clyde Logan (Adam Driver) set out to execute an elaborate robbery during the legendary NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina.

Both Jimmy and Clyde are in deep financially and as they are able to speak with an inmate, Joe Bang (Daniel Craig) through his family, Fish Bang (Jack Quaid) and Sam Bang (Brian Gleeson), they are able to orchestrate an incredible heist from the NASCAR race, especially since the raceway let Jimmy go from employment. Although as this robbery becomes complex, Jimmy and Clyde hire their sister, Mellie (Riley Keough)and a few other characters in order to pull this off.

 

Others to round out the cast are Seth MacFarlane as Max Chilblain, Katie Holmes as Bobbie Jo Chapman, Jimmy's ex-wife, David Denman as Bobbie Jo's husband, Sebastian Stan as Dayton White, Hilary Swank as Special Agent Sarah Grayson, Dwight Yoakam as Warden Burns, Farrah Mackenzie as Sadie Logan, Jimmy and Bobbie Jo's daughter, Katherine Waterston as Sylvia Harrison, Charles Halford as Earl, Ann Mahoney as Gleema Purdue and Daniel Jones as Judge.

 

This was eclectically and quirkily directed by Steven Soderbergh ("Out of Sight" '98, "Erin Brockovich" 2000, "Traffic" 2000, "Ocean's Eleven" '01, "Solaris" '02, "Ocean's Twelve" '04, "The Good German" '06, "Ocean's Thirteen" '07, "The Informant!" '09, "Contagion" '11, "Haywire" '11, "Magic Mike" '12, "Side Effects" '13) plus many others and TV and shorts. This filmmaker definitely knows how to keep his actors on edge with their respective characters in that they typically have to deal with different situations of their lives as the characters develop. It gives an influx within the characters which is the trademark of Soderbergh. If you like his style, not to worry, "Unsane" slated for a 2018 released is in post production as I'm writing this review. It was equally well written by Rebecca Blunt. What amazes me is that this writer has no other writing credit to her name--no TV, no shorts, no documentaries, etc. What back door did she come in from? Don't get me wrong, this wasn't perfect. The main complaint here would be to say that it was a bit long-in-the-tooth. Certainly the pacing was slow, but once the pace picked up, this story kept you riveted, otherwise, this script was well crafted. Her style isn't overly original, but it is certainly a well delineated one that doesn't bore its audience. If this is her first attempt at a screenplay, I am excited to see her progress after a half dozen more scripts. There's nothing in the near future that's been announced, but it's only a matter of time.

 

This is a light drama with a good deal of comedy thrown in which, in my book, actually makes for a better film than just a straight comedy or drama. Certainly it depends on the subject matter, but this premise simply screamed a comedy-drama combination. This had interesting characters, fine directing and writing. So what more would one need to enjoy this? Of course, popcorn!

 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                Rated: PG-13                                 118mins.

 

The Hitman's Bodyguard

As the summer season is starting to wane, we are seeing less big budget movies and more smaller, independent films. We've seen many espionage, action films, even some with a comedic slant, but what makes this stand out from the rest is that this about a hit man that needs protection from a bodyguard. Where we expect hitmen being ruthless, gun-toting mercenaries, "The Hitman's Bodyguard" shows us the vulnerability between these two individuals.   

 

The world's top protection agent, Michael Bryce (Ryan Reynolds) is called upon by Interpol to guard the life of  this mortal enemy, one of the world's most notorious hitmen (Samuel L. Jackson). The relentless bodyguard and manipulative assassin have been on the opposite end of the bullet for years and are thrown together for a wildly outrageous 24 hours. During their raucous and hilarious adventure from England to the Hague, they encounter high-speed car chases, outlandish boat escapades and a merciless Eastern European dictator Vladislav Dukhovich (Gary Oldman) who is out for blood. Salma Hayek joins the mayhem as Jackson's equally notorious wife, Sonia. These two professionals must put their differences aside and work together, within a 24 hour window, to make it to the trial on time.

 

Others to round out the cast are Elodie Yung as Amelia Roussel, Richard E. Grant as Seifert, Tine Joustra as Renata Casoria, Joaquim de Almeida as Jean Foucher, Sam Hazeldine as Garrett, Chris Brazier as Garrett's Officer, Renars Latkovskis as Dukhovich Merc, Ori Pfeffer as Vacklin and Michael Gor as Livitin.

 

This was slickly and intensely directed by Patrick Hughes ("Red Hill" '10, "The Expendables 3" '14) plus shorts. This filmmaker doesn't have a ton of feature film experience, however, by his very resume, this genre is familiar territory. He certainly knows how to bring all the emotions needed to round out these characters--anger, hatred, cunningness, and fear out of his actors. Although Jackson and Reynolds are consummate actors, especially in this genre, this still takes effective directing to pull this off. It was effectively executed by writer Tom O'Connor ("Fire with Fire" '12). Because this writer doesn't have much experience, this script needed a bit more polish, especially with continuity. When the actors were explaining their respective situations of the past, the storyline didn't quite flow as well as I'm sure O'Connor was striving for. Certainly as new as this writer is to the feature film realm, he will definitely go far, because I've seen some seasoned writers who haven't written this well. The premise of this film is intriguing, and Hollywood would have been more prudent to hire a more seasoned writer as well director, but then where would these filmmakers hone their talents? We all must start somewhere. Certainly, the stunts by Greg Powell are captivating and extreme and look great on the large screen.

 

The best thing about this film is the chemistry between Jackson and Reynolds, because their banter alone is worth the price of admission. Given more experience, O'Connor will make a dynamite writer, especially with this genre. This is certainly an entertaining film replete with the wisecracks and action galore.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                     Rated: R                                       118mins.

 

Detroit

Throughout the ages, what was once a place to go and escape your problems, multiplexes have become quite the place to learn different lessons. Granted there are still plenty of films to escape into, however once in a while we need to acquiesce to being taught. We've all seen message films for decades which include "To Kill a Mockingbird", "Inherit the Wind", "Judgment at Nuremberg", "Schindler's List", "The Butler", "12 Years a Slave", "Selma" and many others. One might say we've seen enough, but so much of the time we need repeating in order to teach us again and this lesson is in the form of "Detroit".

 

A police raid in Detroit in 1967 results in one of the largest RACE riots in United States history. The story is centered around the Algiers Motel incident which occurred in Detroit, Michigan on July 25th, 1967, during the racially charged 12th Street Riot. It involves the death of three black men and the brutal beatings of nine other people: seven black men and two white women.

As the tension rises, everyone is walking on eggs as this riot rages on. Two buddies in the Algiers Motel, Carl (Jason Mitchell) and Michael (Malcolm David Kelley) are playing with a gun just funning around and all of a sudden the gun goes off only to attract a very weary and overworked group of police officers, Krauss (Will Poulter) and Flynn (Ben O'Toole). As they approach the motel, they bang the door open and start gathering everyone up that was staying there. Others include Larry Cleveland (Algee Smith), Fred (Jacob Latimore), Julie (Hannah Murray), Greene (Anthony Mackie), Karen (Kaitlyn Dever) and others. During the row, the noises coming from the motel attract a nearby security guard, Carl Dismukes (John Boyega) which besomes the start of the unraveling of the tyranny of these cops.

 

Others to round out the cast are Jack Reynor as Demens, Nathan Davis Jr. as Aubrey, John Krasinski as Attorney Auerbach and Joseph David-Jones as Morris.

 

This was brilliantly directed by Kathryn Bigelow ("The Loveless" '81, "Near Dark" '87, "Blue Steel" '90, "Point Break" '91, "Strange Days" '95, "The Weight of Water" 2000, "K-19: The Widowmaker" '02, "The Hurt Locker" '08, "The Miraculous Year" (TV movie) '11, "Zero Dark Thirty" '12) plus TV and shorts. Bigelow really does have the ability to bring out the frenetic electricity of her actors in her films, this movie being of no exception. She basically puts the 'I' in intense: look at her resume and you'll see my point. The way she rapidly utilized the camera (Barry Ackroyd, bsc) being behind the camera, to make the situations alarming and out-of-control was brilliant. It was equally well executed by writer Mark Boal ("The Hurt Locker" '08, "Zero Dark Thirty" '12). Bigelow has been very smart about using Boal as her writer, because he knows how to make scenes incredibly intense while at the same time convey them as a very real situation. These two filmmakers work extremely well together. If you like Boal's work, "Triple Frontier" is in pre-production and slated for a 2019 release. Hollywood, take note, this is a writer to contend with. Writers like this should be in great demand in Hollywood considering all the ineffective, banal writers out there today.

 

Teams like Bigelow and Boal don't come along too often, so it is refreshing to see any of the films they do. A lot of their subject matter in the films they create aren't exactly warm and fuzzy, but the craft of the films more than compensate. This, like their other films definitely have a clear message that we, the audience should take note on, otherwise we become a too complacent society bent on non-change.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                   Rated: R                                    143mins.

 

The Glass Castle

Hollywood has produced a plethora of films based on presidents, heads of states, actors, sports figures, singers and many others that have gained notoriety and fame. These are typically made in order to keep the audience's attention, but how often have we seen a film based on an average, dysfunctional family without any notoriety or fame and still keep us riveted? Not often, however with "The Glass Castle", this is what we got.

 

A young girl comes of age in a dysfunctional family of nonconformist nomads with a mother who's an eccentric artist and an alcoholic father who would stir the children's imagination with hope as a distraction to their poverty.

This young woman, Jeannette Walls (Brie Larson) reflects as a series of flashbacks on her unconventional upbringing at the hands of her artsy parents, Rex Walls (Woody Harrelson) and Rose Mary (Naomi Watts), which sometimes resulted in the family living in poverty. Now engaged to a man who works in finance, David (Max Greenfield) in New York, she faces criticism from her parents that she betrayed their values. Clinging onto her siblings including Brian (Josh Caras), Lori (Sarah Snook) and Maureen (Bridgette Lundy-Paine) to help keep her sane, she must realize that she is her own person and her parents have to come to this realization in order to help themselves in their own lives.

 

Others to round out the cast are Robin Bartlett as Erma, Joe Pingue as Uncle Stanley, Ella Anderson as Young Jeannette, Chandler Head as Youngest Jeannette, Charlie Shotwell as Young Brian, Iain Armitage as Youngest Brian, Sadie Sink as Young Lori, Olivia Kate Rice as Youngest Lori, Shree Crooks as Young Maureen and Eden Grace Redfield as Youngest Maureen.

 

This was well directed by Destin Daniel Cretton ("Drakmar: A Vassal's Journey" (Documentary) as co-dir. '06, "I Am Not a Hipster" '12, "Short Term 12" '13) plus shorts and TV. And even though his resume isn't well known in the commercial realm, it's eclectic and original. The fact that this guy has a number of shorts to his credits has allowed him to season his talents better. It was delineated well by writers Cretton ("I Am Not a Hipster" '12, "Short Term 12" '13, "The Shack" '17) and Andrew Lanham ("The Shack" '17) based on the memoir of the same name by Jeannette Walls. With all the back and forth of Jeannette being in the present and going into flashbacks, one would become confused, however this script was cohesive, eloquent and poignant sometimes within the same scene. The writers' most recent screenplay of "The Shack" was well thought out and explained an otherwise confusing and controversial premise with finesse and compassion, so it should be no surprise that this screenplay would be repeated with such clarity and eloquence. Again, in a season that offers us a barrage of big-budget, high-adrenaline, special effects laden films, it's really pleasant to see these small independent films to remind us that the only films out there are not just reboots, franchises or sequels.

 

If you can appreciate fine acting, especially by Harrelson, taught writing and eclectic directing, "The Glass Castle" will please well. This was obviously produced for a limited audience, however most everyone can certainly gain a life lesson from one part or another part of this film. All's it takes is an open mind and heart to see our own struggles through the struggles of these eclectic characters.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                   Rated: PG-13                                 126mins.

 

Kidnap

When was the last time you went to see a heart-pounding, high adrenaline, in-your-face thriller that literally keeps you right on the edge of your seat? Well, with "Kidnap" you get just that and more. While there are many people in the cast, this was actually a, sort of, sole performance by Halle Berry in that the others were there to bounce her desperation off of.

In the US, a child goes missing every 40 seconds. You never think it will happen to you , until it does. When her six-year-old son, Frankie (Sage Correa) is abducted from a carnival by two strangers, Margo (Chris McGinn) and Terry (Lew Temple), a desperate mother, Karla Dyson (Halle Berry) happens to catch a glimpse of the two putting her son into their car, so decides to take matters into her own hands rather than wait for law enforcement to help her and gets into her car in pursuit. Subsequently, her relentless pursuit eventually leads her to uncover a larger kidnapping ring. This is a race against time seeing as how the abductors are about as desperate as this determined mother in keeping her child. What they underestimate is how protective a mother can be toward their young.

Others to round the cast are Jason Winston George as David, Kurtis Bedford as Del, Carmelia Riley as Stephanie, Brice Fisher as Tyler, Malea Rose as Claire, Jennie Ventriss as Grandma, Andy Wagner as Dean and Timothy Fannon as Dad.

This was directed with incredible intensity and high adrenaline by Luis Prieto ("Condon Express" '05, "Ho voglia di te" '07, "Meno male che ci sei" '09, "Pusher" '12, "The Disunited States of America" (Documentary) '17) plus TV and shorts. The surprise, fear, agony and severe determination that he was able to extract from Berry was remarkable. Surely Berry is a consummate actor, but this gradual transformation of a mother losing her child and working fervently to get him back speaks volumes for the director. It was equally powerfully written by Knate Lee ("Cardboard Boxer" '16--as Knate Gwatney). What amazes me is with the limited experience this writer has at all, how could this script be as taught, cohesive and well thought out as it was? Truly this guy is a natural which we don't see too often. If I had to akin this script to any other film, it would probably be that of "Speed" '94. The storylines are obviously different, however the intensity which starts at the first frame and keeps going until the end is very much that of "Speed". This writer is so talented, he had been give the task of writing the next installment of the X-Men franchise entitled "X-Men: The New Mutants" '18 as Knate Gwatney, which is filming now. Interesting that he chose the last name Lee for this production only. Not sure why, but interesting.

Certainly if you liked "Speed" or films like that, you will be riveted to this movie. The one, two punch this script gives one is adrenaline rising and will keep you rooting for this distraught yet determined mother. This is one of the best summer type films I have seen this year. Grab your popcorn and enjoy this rollicking ride!

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                  Rated: R                                 94mins.

The Dark Tower

As with every other summer film season, we see a plethora of big-budget, commercial films to last a lifetime. So many that I start yearning for a nice indie film or a documentary that I can sink my teeth into. Well, if I can't have one the last two types of films above, a good second would be that of "The Dark Tower".

 

The Last Gunslinger, Roland Deschain (Idris Elba), has been locked in an eternal battle with Walter O'Dim, also known as the Man in Black (Matthew McConaughey), determined to prevent him from toppling the Dark Tower, which holds the universe together. With the fate of the worlds at stake, good and evil will collide in the ultimate battle as only Roland can defend the Tower from the Man in Black.

An imaginative boy, Jake Chambers (Tom Taylor), who has constant visions or dreams of this other world, is transported to this fantasy realm, where he gets caught up in the epic battle as Roland trains him to defend himself. Later, Roland's quest to defend the magical tower from the Man in Black leads him to follow the boy back to Earth.

 

Others to round out the cast are Claudia Kim as Arra Champignon, a shine or a visionary, Fran Kranz as Pimli, Abbey Lee as Tirana, Kathryn Winnick as Laurie Chambers, Jake's mom, Nicholas Hamilton as Lucas Hanson, a next door neighbor buddy of Jake's, Jackie Earle Haley as Sayre, Jose Zuniga as Dr. Hotchkiss, Nicholas Pauling as Lon and Ella Gabriel as Rose.

 

This was intensely and grittily directed by Nikolaj Arcel ("King's Game" '04, "Island of Lost Souls" '07, "Truth About Men" '10, "A Royal Affair" '12) plus a short. The way this filmmaker was able to shoot this story in such a clever and slick way was riveting and captivating. This guy will receive more work without a problem. It was written well by Akiva Goldsman, Jeff Pinkner, Anders Thomas Jensen and Arcel based on the "Dark Tower" novels by Stephen King. Usually I have come to realize that if there is more than two writers attached to a production, the script has a tendency to meander and gets choppy, but with this, I didn't find that to be the case at all. Certainly these writers are experienced and that speaks volumes, but when your work you are basing your screenplay is based on someone like King, how could any writer go wrong? This film doesn't explain all there is to this King story, because this is to merely introduce us to the characters involved and put them in a storyline so as for us to get to know them more. Was this film perfect? No, but since the only problem I had with this was in a scene where the sound effects seemed to compete with the music, this story simply soared. The fact that it 'cut to the chase' practically from the very start was a definite plus for this film. And the visual effects predominantly designed by MPC (Moving Picture Company) and RISE were seamless and definitely enhanced the story.

 

Even if big-budget, commercial films aren't your cup of tea, the originality of story and the slickness of presentation will intrigue you and keep one riveted. And both McConaughey and Elba gave captivating performances as well. You've got to see this on the large screen and given that, it's presented in a nifty 4DX format as well as the regular format.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                           Rated: PG-13                                 95mins.