Rocketman

Two genres that have actually made a resurgence has been that of the musical and the biopic. Truly biopics have been chic for a while, the creation of combining the musical and biopics is wooing audiences to the theater. This was the case of last year's "Bohemian Rhapsody" and now we have "Rocketman".

 

This is an epic musical fantasy about the incredible human story of Elton John's breakthrough years. The film follows the fantastical journey of transformation from shy piano prodigy Reginald Dwight into international superstar Elton John. This inspirational story--set to Elton John's most beloved songs written by his longtime music partner, lyrist Bernie Taupin (Jamie Bell) and performed by star Taron Egerton--tells the universally relatable story of how a small-town boy became one of the most iconic figures in pop culture. This story dives into Elton John's parents, the cold and austere mother, Sheila (Bryce Dallas Howard) and the absent, dismissive father, Stanley (Stephen Mackintosh). Their coldness and dismissiveness drove him to change everything he was. Soon, he met Taupin and his manager John Reid (Richard Madden) who later became his first love physically.

 

Others to round out the cast are Gemma Jones as Ivy, Tom Bennett as Fred, Charlie Rowe as Ray Williams, Matthew Illesley as young Reggie, Kit Connor as older Reggie, Pete O'Hanlon as Bobby, Ross Farrelly as Cyril, Evan Walsh as Elton Dean, Tate Donovan as Doug Weston and Sharmina Harrower as Heather.

 

This was directed with pathos and dramatic effect by Dexter Fletcher ("Wild Bill" '11, "Sunshine on Leith" '13, "Eddie and the Eagle" '15). The way this filmmaker was able to extract the right nuances of Elton out of Egerton was brilliant. It's the nuances that are typically difficult to bring out of an actor representing a real person in history, however Egerton being the actor he is becoming, he simply pulled this characterization out of his hat.

It was equally brilliantly written by veteran Lee Hall ("The Prince of Hearts" (TV movie) '97, "Spoonface Steinberg" (TV movie) '98, "Billy Elliot" 2000, "The Wind in the Willows" (TV movie) '06, "Toast" (TV movie) '10, "War Horse" '11, "Victoria & Abdul" '17) plus others. There were similarities between this film and "Bohemian Rhapsody" in that they were musicals, they are about two famous gay icons and were both biopics, however the differences far exceed the similarities: this film was filmed as a musical fantasy whereas Bohemian was filmed as a biopic that was about the music of Freddie Mercury and that the music in Bohemian was lip-synced by Rami Malek, whereas Egerton actually sang all of Elton John's songs. Egerton, having a singing background made it a shoe-in to cast him. This script was intensely difficult to write considering it was written partly as a fantasy. It would've been easy for this script to become convoluted, but Hall was able to intertwine the fantasy with the reality in a way that it worked amazingly well. I will be extremely curious to see how he writes "Cats" which is in post-production and has a 2019 release.

 

Whether you are an Elton John fan or not, this is definitively one of the best portrayal of a musical icon I have ever seen. Egerton surely shined in this as did Jamie Bell as Bernie Taupin--both could be looking at nominations come Oscar time. Otherwise, the photography, costume design and, of course, the music were all superb. Hey, how could anyone not like Elton John's music?

 

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                          Rated: R                                          121mins.

 

Brightburn

One of the common staple genres that the summer film season offers us is the horror genre--with more soon to be released. While this genre isn't one of my favorites, once in a while, one will come along and surprise me. "Us" had a very interesting premise, and although this film, "Brightburn" has an interesting premise, the final outcome left the audience with more questions than answers.

 

After a difficult struggle with fertility, Tori Breyer's dreams of motherhood come true with the arrival of a mysterious baby boy. Brandon (Jackson A. Dunn) appears to be everything Tori (Elizabeth Banks) and her husband, Kyle (David Denman), ever wanted--bright, talented and curious about the world. But as Brandon nears puberty, powerful darkness manifests within him, and Tori becomes consumed by terrible doubts about her son. Once Brandon begins to act on his twisted urges, those closest to him, including Noah and Merilee McNichol (Matt Jones and Meredith Hagner), Caitlyn (Emmie Hunter) and Erica (Becky Wahlstrom), find themselves in grave danger.

 

Others to round out the cast are Gregory Alan Williams as Sheriff Deever, Terence Rosemore as P.E. teacher, Jennifer Holland as Ms. Espenschied, Elizabeth Becka as principal, Annie Humphrey as Deputy Aryes and Steve Agee as EJ.

 

This was adequately and effectively directed by David Yarovesky ("The Hive" '14) plus TV and video shorts. Considering the limited feature film experience in the director's chair, this filmmaker was able to extract that suspenseful element to keep the audience glued to the edge of their seats biting their nails. His actors were paced and staged well, so assuredly he will receive more work. Where the problem lies with this film is that of the writing by Brian Gunn and Mark Gunn ("2gether" (TV movie) 2000, "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island" '12) plus TV and a video. As I mentioned prior, this film has a fresh and interesting premise to an otherwise questionable genre. The problem with this is that this film ended up having more questions, especially by films' end than answers. Let's see, where shall I begin? What planet did this child come from? Why did he come to destroy our planet? Why didn't he kill all who were 'in his way'? Why did his powers come about at age 12--why not later? And who was this 'powerful darkness'? Was it a demonic thing or some other entity? There were way too many questions. There was a tremendous amount of buildup only to ultimately end up being anticlimactic. Producer James Gunn ("Guardians of the Galaxy") surely had a geat influence here, but only to need of a more polished script. Maybe the writers need to hone their talent on more TV and try again another day.

 

Again, the premise of this was the best aspect about it. Think about it: a horror film where the killer is an extraterrestrial. It certainly is an original and fresh approach to an old genre. It's just too bad that Hollywood hadn't gotten a more seasoned writer, but if you like horror, then you'll probably like this.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 2                                       Rated: R                                          90mins. 

 

Aladdin

Once films were produced in an animated form are now being rebooted in a live-action version. Disney seems to be capitalizing on this concept, especially since we've seen "Jungle Book" '16 and the soon to be released "Lion King". So, since they are in that way of thinking, why not just throw in a live version of "Aladdin" while they are at it? And, while I'd love to see errors in these films since Disney, the mega-production company has produced them, this film, as with "The Jungle Book", simply rocks in how it totally entertains.

 

Aladdin (Mena Massoud) is a lovable street urchin who meets Princess Jasmine (Naomi Scott), the beautiful daughter of the sultan of Agrabah (Navid Negahban). After Jafar (Marwan Kenzari), the sultan's general, arrests Aladdin for breaking into the palace, he decides to tell him to get the lamp that is in a certain cave in order to be released. Upon finding the lamp, he only realizes that he has unleashed a powerful, wisecracking, larger-than-life genie. As Aladdin and the Genie (Will Smith) start to become friends, they soon realize that they must embark on a dangerous mission to stop Jafar, who happens to be the evil sorcerer, from overthrowing young Jasmine and the sultan's kingdom.

 

Others to round out the cast are Nasim Pedrad as Dalia, Billy Rasmussen as Prince Anders, Jordan Nash as Omar, Taliyah Blair as Lian, Audrey Lin as Omi, Amir Boutrous as Jamal and Numan Acar as Hakim. 

 

This was effortlessly directed by veteran Guy Ritchie ("Lock. Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" '98, "Snatch" 2000, "Swept Away" '02, "Revolver" '05, "Suspect" (TV movie) '07, "Rocknrolla" '08, "Sherlock Holmes" '09, "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" '11, "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." '15, "King Arthur: Legend of the Sword" '17) plus shorts and videos. The way that Ritchie was able to showcase the appropriate emotions from these actors was near perfection. How could any filmmaker breathe new life into a production already directed well back almost 30 years ago? Not many directors could, but Ritchie was able to this in spades. If you like his brand of directing, his "The Gentlemen" is in post-production for a 2020 release date. It was brilliantly written by John August ("Go" '99, "Titan A.E." 2000, "Charlie's Angels" 2000, "Big Fish" '03, "Alaska" (TV movie) '03, "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" '05, "Corpse Bride" '05, "The Nines" '07, "Frankenweenie" '12) plus TV and Ritchie (Same films he directed). Talk about breathing new life into a production--these veteran writers not only breathed new life into this story, but exemplified the story so well that I almost didn't realize that this was based on the 1992 Disney animated version. As with the 1992 version, the music was brilliantly created by Alan Menken and the lyrics by Tim Rice and the late, great Howard Ashman. And while these great musicians would have been enough to make this production come alive, both Benji Pasek and Justin Paul came aboard and created some new songs to even enhance the story that much more, if that was possible. And what can I say about Smith? He was brilliant as the genie. He wasn't Robin Williams--who brilliantly voiced the genie in the animated 1992 version, but even he said that he couldn't do Williams performance justice. Instead he took on his own approach and he scored well. Even Massoud as Aladdin was wonderful as inexperienced as he is. And the visual effects designed predominantly by ILM (Industrial, Light & Magic) were seamless and only enhanced the story effortlessly.

 

This is a film for all to see--replete with adventure, action, romance, humor, heart and redemption. The production values including the costumes, photography and the music and lyrics were absolutely wonderful. This is why we go to the movies! To be entertained and this in its IMAX and 4DX versions will do just that!

 

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                    Rated: PG                                     128mins.

 

 

 

The Sun Is Also a Star

Ever since Shakespear wrote Romeo & Juliet, this theme for storyline fare has been used a great deal. Certainly Hollywood is no stranger to this concept. Whether the film is directly about a couple who quickly falls in love, or a couple stars within the film as part of the plot but not necessarily is what the film is about, this has become a common staple for storylines. Since these films are popular, it's no doubt that "The Sun Is Also a Star" will be popular since it's about young love.

 

College-bound romantic Daniel Bae (Charles Melton) and Jamaica-born Natasha Kingsley (Yara Shahidi) meet--and eventually fall for each other, after Daniel claims that he can cause skeptic Natasha to fall in love with him in a day--she says he has an hour. This all happens over one magical day amidst the fervor and flurry of New York City. Sparks soon fly between these two strangers, who might never have met had fate not given them a little push. But will fate be enough to take these teens from star-crossed to lucky in love? With just hours on the clock in what looks to be her last day in the U.S., Natasha is fighting against her family's deportation as fiercely as she's fighting her budding feelings for Daniel, who is working just as hard to convince her they are destined to be together.

 

Others to round out the cast are John Leguizamo as Mr. Martinez, Keong Sim as Dae Hyun Bae, Daniel's father, Gbenga Akinnagbe as Samuel Kingsley, Natasha's father, Jake Choi as Charlie Bae, Daniel's older brother, Cathy Shim as Min Soo Bae, Daniel's mother, Camrus Johnson as Omar, Daniel's buddy and Miriam A. Hyman as Patricia Kingsley, Natasha's mother.

 

This was effectively directed by Ry Russo-Young ("Orphans" '07, "You Won't Miss Me" '09, "Nobody Walks" '12, "Before I Fall" '17) plus TV and shorts. What makes this story work is that of the chemistry between the two young stars, Shahidi and Melton, and this has so much to do with the directing. Certainly casting is, no doubt, important, however it takes a talented filmmaker to make these relative newer actors compelling in their respective roles. She should and will receive more work. It was well thought out by writer Tracy Oliver ("Barbershop: The Next Cut" '16, "Girls Trip" '17) plus TV and shorts, based on a novel by Nicola Yoon. This is the quintessential Romeo & Juliet love story which most people can't resist. Also the way this writer combined two totally different personas together and, through her writing, was able to pull off a connection between these two was refreshing. Natasha being the cynic, everything has to be proved by science, nothing's destined, nothing's chance, whereas Daniel is positive, is faith based, believes in destiny, is a clever premise. Considering her other two films she wrote, she definitely has proven her ability at the laptop, and I see her creating more work for us to enjoy. The only thing I could say about this as an issue is the fact that it was a bit too slow in some places, and with this only being a 100 minute running time, this should've sailed right along. Mind you, this did not make any sort of a dent in not enjoying this. Call me a hopeless romantic, but this was heartfelt and touching.

 

If you like love stories, you'll love this. It's has a similar feel of films like "The Fault in Our Stars" '14 and the recent, "Five Feet Apart" '19, minus the illnesses. As we're in the summer film season, it's sure nice to see something that's small and heartfelt, instead of action-packed, adrenaline-ridden with tons of visual effects.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                         Rated: PG-13                                     100mins.

 

John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum

Out of all the film franchises out today, the "John Wick" franchise has got to be one of the best. Surely these franchises are vastly commercial, and with that, they are typically formulaic and predictable--at least the characters are predictable. However, ever since I've seen the first installment, I've been hooked on how John Wick will succeed, and with this, "John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum" is yet another installment that will keep you glued.

 

In this third installment of the adrenaline-fueled action franchise, super assassin John Wick (Keanu Reeves) returns with a $14 million price tag on his head and an army of bounty-hunting killers on his trail. After killing a member of the shadowy international assassin's guild , the High Table, John Wick is excommunicado by The Adjudicator (Asia Kate Dillon), and while others that helped Wick namely Winston (Ian McShane), Sophie (Halle Berry) and the Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne) are threatened by The Adjudicator, Wick simply does what he does best and comes back fighting his way back. And through his trek, the world's most ruthless hit men and women await his every turn.

 

Others to round out the cast are Mark Dacascos as Zero, Lance Reddick as Charon, Tobias Segal as Earl, Angelica Huston as The Director, Said Taghmaoui as The Elder, Jerome Flynn as Berrada, Randall Duk Kim as Doctor and Margaret Daly as Operator.

 

This was directed with the same amount of grit and adrenaline as with the first two installments, Chad Stahelski ("John Wick" '14, "John Wick: Chapter 2" '17). Like the film "Speed" '95, also starring Reeves, this franchise is as adrenaline-ridden and as tense and gritty as with "Speed" which makes this a vehicle that demands one's attention. The frantic situations the characters are fraught with seem incredibly realistic that it becomes easy to empathize with these characters. Reeves certainly is treading on familiar territory which makes it easier to convince the audience. If you like his brand of directing, his "Kill or Be Killed" has been announced. It was written with non-stop force by Derek Kolstad ("The Package" '13, "John Wick" '14, "John Wick: Chapter 2" '17, Shay Hatten, Chris Collins (TV) and Marc Abrams ("Zip" (TV movie) '07) plus TV, based on a story by Kolstad which is based on characters created by Kolstad. I am a bit puzzled why there were four writers that wrote this scrpt considering that Derek Kolstad was one of the writers and he wrote the other two installments by himself. Did he really need the other three writers? Without negating the expertise of the other writers, when a film typically has more than two writers, the plot can be watered down and confusing--too many hands in the pot. Fortunately, because Kolstad created these characters and was the pivotal writer here, this film was just as fresh and 'fun' as its predecessors. Oh, and will there be a Chapter 4? Trust me, it is as obvious as a wart on a witch's nose. When the credits start rolling, you're expecting it to continue, so, yes--there will be another one. Other than a couple of very small places of jumpiness, this script was amazing.

 

Surely, if you liked this films' predecessors, you will certainly like this one. It's got everything a summer flick can offer: adrenaline, action, grit and pure escapism. You know this franchise is getting popular since the first two installments were released in February and this one was released in May--the busy summer season. The stunt coordinators are as much the stars as the stars themselves. It's a real roller coaster ride for sure!

 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                    Rated: R                                         131mins.

 

 

Tolkien

As I've mentioned on past reviews, Hollywood has had a compulsive fascination with the biopic subject matter, so much so, that we've seen a plethora in the past two plus decades, and I truly don't see a reduction on the amount we see on the screen any time soon. Many of them are incredibly well executed which makes them a safe bet when going to the multiplex. Between presidents, singers, actors, senators, CEO's, musicians, etc., biopics have covered multiple topics and people. So when I saw the trailer of "Tolkien", I felt it would be a great expose on the renowned writer and I was right.

 

This story explores the formative years of the renowned author's life as he, J.R.R. Tolkien (Nicholas Hoult) finds friendship, courage and inspiration among a fellow group of writers and artists, namely Geoffrey Smith (Anthony Boyle), Robert Gilson (Patrick Gibson) and Christopher Wiseman (Tom Glynn-Carney) at school. Their brotherhood strengthens as they grow up and weather love and loss together, including Tolkien's tumultuous courtship of his beloved Edith Bratt (Lily Collins), until the outbreak of the First World War which threatens to tear their fellowship apart. All of these experiences would later inspire Tolkien to write his famous Middle-earth novels, namely "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings".

 

Others to round out the cast are Colm Meaney as Father Francis, Derek Jacobi as Professor Wright, James MacCallum as Hilary Tolkien, J.R.R.'s brother, Genevieve O'Reilly as Mrs. Smith, Geoffrey's mother, Al Bollands as First Soldier and Kallum Tolkien as Second Soldier.

 

This was directed with grit by Dome Karukoshi ("Beauty and the Bastard" '05, "The Home of Dark Butterflies" '08, "Forbidden Fruit" '09, "Lapland Odyssey" '10, "Valtative 13" (TV movie) '12, "Heart of a Lion" '13, "The Grump" '14, "Tom of Finland" '17) plus TV and shorts. This filmmaker was truly able to capture the wide-eyed, innocent Tolkien not only when he was young, but also when he became an adult as well with pathos and effectiveness. And his chemistry with his brotherhood of his buddies was spot on and believable in that it was clear that these guys were friends. It will be interesting to see how he does with "The Starling" which is in pre-production. It was written by David Gleeson ("Cowboys & Angels" '03, "The Front Line" '06, "Don't Go" '18) plus shorts and Stephen Beresford ("The Last of the Haussmans" '12, "Pride" '14). Clearly, with the exception of a couple of very small places of slowness in the storyline, this script was concise, cohesive and tight in its development. It was simply an amazing expose of the writer of the incredible books he has written. Gleeson had the lion's share of this screenplay, however I'm sure that Beresford was critical in his input. It would be interesting to see what these writers create next--hopefully they will collaborate again.

 

Surely if you are a 'Hobbit' or 'Lord of the Rings' fan, you will like this. It's not expressly about those books, however this gives us an inside perspective into the life of this amazing writer so as to understand his work that much more. This basically brings us up to the point of him writing "The Hobbit", so we have an idea where and how he could've come up with his ideas.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                        Rated: PG-13                                  112mins.

 

The Hustle

As the summer film season has officially started, it has been an over all lackluster beginning. Even "Avengers: Endgame" was technically in the latter of the dead zone, however there has been a few better films since, there has been way too many more that need work. "The Hustle" is one that definitely had issues--it wasn't a bad film, but not a great one either.

 

Rebel Wilson and Anne Hathaway have winning chemistry as a pair of con artists plying their trade in a stunning seaside town in south of France. Josephine Chesterfield (Hathaway) is a glamorous, seductive Brit with a sprawling home in Beaumont-sur-Mer and a penchant for defrauding gullible wealthy men from all corners of the world. Into her well-ordered, meticulously moneyed world bursts Penny Rust (Wilson), an Aussie who is free-form and fun-loving as Josephine is calculated and cunning. Where Penny amasses wads of cash by ripping off her marks in neighborhood bars, Josephine fills her safe with expensive, valuable jewelry. When they ultimately combine their efforts, Josephine's butler, Albert (Nicholas Woodeson) and her friend, Brigitte (Ingrid Oliver) joining the fray they become needed in order to make more complex cons work.

 

Others to round out the cast are Alex Sharp as Thomas Westerbury, Dean Norris as Howard Bacon, Timothy Simons as Jeremy, Douggie McMeekin as Jason and Casper Christensen as Mathias.

 

This was directed by virtual newcomer to feature films, Chris Addison (TV series). Even though this filmmaker has directed a number of TV shows, one would conclude that it should be enough to pull off a feature film. Well, this certainly had continuity, but the characters seemed a bit stiff in their approach. Certainly not bad directing, but could have been better. Hopefully his "Hallelujah!" which is in pre-production will be a better vehicle for him. It puzzles me that the film was written by mostly consummate pros in their field, however the script certainly needed help. It was written by Stanley Shapiro, Paul Henning, Dale Launer and Jac Schaeffer, and if these names look familiar, they should-- Shapiro, Henning and Launer all wrote "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" '88. This was merely the female version of 'Scoundrels', replete with the 'odd couple' roles as the high brow and lower brow con artists. All of these writers are seasoned with a plethora of experience, but whereas 'Scoundrels' had a much fresher approach to the con artist, flim flam movie material, this film produced jokes that were seemingly forced and contrite. Certainly back in the day, their projects were fraught with professionalism, however today the originality and freshness seems to be waning. Certainly, there were places that were funny and carried through strategically, but those were too few of times. I don't know--bad day at the laptop? Not sure, but suffice it to say, it might be time for these writers to retire or just try again next time. The chemistry between Hathaway and Wilson is what actually saved this more than anything thing else. The 'odd couple' approach certainly works for most comedies--this being of no exception, and these two actors did what they could to save this, but at the end of the day, a tighter, more satirical  script would've worked better.

 

As comedies go, the teaming of Hathaway and Wilson was a stroke of genius, but as scripts go, this needed work. I would feel terrible that such seasoned writers would have to retire just because they had a bad day at the laptop, but either they've already done "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" and this is over-kill, or maybe there were a bit too many writers here--too many hands in the pot if you will. Either way, the trailer looked so promising--it's just so perplexing that the final product couldn't have matched.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 2                                    Rated: PG-13                                     93mins.

 

UglyDolls

The summer film season is rather slow in getting started--with the exception of a couple of films, but I believe we are approaching a barrage of summer fare that will satisfy the ardent film goer. When I saw the trailer of "UglyDolls", I was not wowed, however after viewing it, all's I can say is, the trailer didn't sell this film. The trailer was sappy, silly and appeared mindless, whereas the actual film was heartfelt, funny and with a message for all to learn from.

 

In the adorably different town of Uglyville, weird is celebrated, strange is special and beauty is embraced as more than simply meets the eye. Here, the free-spirited Moxy (Kelly Clarkson) and her UglyDoll friends including Ox (Blake Shelton), Uglydog (Pitbull), Wage (Wanda Sykes), Babo (Gabriel Iglesias), and Lucky Bat (Leehom Wang), live every day in a whirlwind of bliss, letting their freak flags fly in a celebration of life and its endless possibilities. In this all-new story, the UglyDolls will go on a journey beyond the comfortable borders of Uglyville. There, they will confront what it means to be different, stuggle with their desire to be loved, and ultimately discover that you don't have to be perfect to be amazing because who you truly are is what matters most.

 

Others to round out the cast are Nick Jonas as Lou, Janelle Monae as Mandy, Natalie Martinez as Meghan, Stephen Zimpel as Michael, Lizzo as Lydia, Jane Lynch as Scanner, Bebe Rexha as Tuesday and Charli Xcx as Kitty.

 

This was directed with heart by Kelly Asbury ("Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron" '02, "Shrek 2" '04, "Gnomeo & Juliet" '11, "Smurfs: The Lost Village" '17, "Laidbackers" (collaborating director) '19). The emotions these characters exuded were real, yet at the same time will entertain any child--or adult for that matter. The UgltDolls definitely came across as typical victims of bullying or underdogs which is what these characters depict. Considering the resume of  this filmmaker, it should be no surprise that he could direct such familiar work. It was surprisingly well written by newcomer to writing, Alison Peck, based on a story by Robert Rodriguez. Even though the idea came from a filmmaker, Rodriguez, that has written more than one screenplay, it was still written by Peck who executed an amazingly well thought out script. Was it perfect? Absolutely not. There were some slowness issues and a bit of choppiness, but all in all, this storyline soared! I am eager to see what Peck will write next, this is her first--and there will undoubtedly be a next one. The message she was able to convey as an entertaining approach was brilliantly executed and will be truly effective to the children and their parents alike. This is the epitome of the old adage: "beauty is in the eye of the beholder". 

 

This is the quintessential family film replete with heart, redemption, humor, adventure and connection all rolled up in a film for all to see. I was surprisingly shocked how effective this was since I assumed it would be a strain to get through. Wow, I was way off! Also, the original music by Christopher Lennertz and Glenn Slater were effective, catchy in their arrangements and lyrics and entertaining adding to the enhancement of the story. I actually wouldn't mind purchasing the soundtrack. Anyone who either has been bullied or even has bullied others can learn from this. Enjoy this little gem--I know I did.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                     Rated: PG                                       87mins.

 

The Intruder

Suspense thriller films have been around for many decades--Hitchcock being the master of suspense, so when I saw my first trailer of "The Intruder", I thought this definitely had potential as a real nail-biter, and a nail-biter it was. This isn't Hitchcock, but it certainly keeps one on the edge of their seats.

 

When a young married couple, Scott and Annie (Michael Ealy and Meagan Good) respectively, buys their dream house in the Napa Valley area, they think they have found the perfect home to take their next steps as a family. But when the strangely attached seller, Charlie Peck (Dennis Quaid) continues to infiltrate their lives, they begin to suspect that he has hidden motivations beyond a quick sale.

It seems that Scott and his best buddy and work associate Mike (Joseph Sikora) first start noticing odd things and certain things that Charlie says that tip off the two that this guy isn't up and up. Scott then approaches his wife, Annie with this information and because she usually attempts to see the best in everyone, simply believes that Charlie is just lonely, especially after losing his wife to cancer. So as one after another event happens, even Annie starts questioning what's going on, and what starts out as innocent ,begins unraveling slowly before their eyes.

 

Others to round out the cast are Lee Shorten as Brian, Lili Sepe as Charlie Peck's daughter, Alvina August as Rachel, Connor MacKay Randall and Carolyn Anderson as Ellen.

 

This was truly directed well with grit and intensity by Deon Taylor ("Dead Tone" '07, "The Hustle" '08, "Nite Tales: The Movie" '08, "Chain Letter" '09, "Tony Roberts: I'm Different" '13, "Supremacy" '14, "Meet the Blacks" '16, "Traffik" '18) plus TV and a short. This filmmaker certainly has the ability to extract the appropriate emotions out of his actors in which to make these characters so real, especially with the case of Quaid. His character went from seemingly friendly to complete psychotic in such subtle ways that it was amazing. Surely Quaid is a seasoned, quality actor, however this is also talented directing as well. If you like his brand of filmmaking, his "Fatale", Black and Blue", "The House Next Door" and "Akuma" are all in post production. This man is incredibly busy! It was adequately written by David Loughery ("Dreamscape" '84, "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier" '89, "Flashback" '90, "The Three Musketeers" '93, "Money Train" '95, "Tom and Huck" '95, "Lakeview Terrace" '08, "Obsessed" '09, "Blindsided" '13, "Nurse 3D" '13) plus TV. Being the seasoned, veteran writer as Loughery is, this is certainly familiar territory as screenplays go, and with this, this story is suspenseful, thrilling and creepy as the character of Charlie's starts to unfold before the audience's very eyes. Where this storyline has some issues is the element of some choppiness in script along with some questions that are not answered and a couple of situations that just couldn't happen. But if some of these issues weren't there, it would be difficult to make the story work, so a certain amount of the issues are forgivable. What makes this film work is Quaid's meaty, evil, psychotic role along with the incredible element of suspense. It surely was a plot that delivered the grit, intensity and thrill of a young couple slowly having to encounter a terrifying man as he slowly unravels before this couple's eyes, and Loughery's script certainly delivers this in spades. As I'm writing this, his "Fatale" is in post production. The selling slogan of this says it all: "don't let him in".

 

On a scale from 1 to 10, 10 being the most suspenseful, this certainly is at a definitive 8 on that scale. Some small issues, but considering the rollercoaster ride with this, this is clearly the quintessential thriller. What can I say but hit the multiplex, grab the popcorn and enjoy.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                     Rated: PG-13                                     101mins.