Spies in Disguise

This time of year typically doesn't present itself with many animated films, but once in a while, Hollywood has to produce one for families and their kids. While production companies are wooing A.M.P.A.S. (Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences) with their films for their consideration, other sproduce films like "Spies in Disguise" and the like.

Super spy, Lance Sterling (Will Smith) and nerdy scientist, Walter Beckett (Tom Holland) are almost exact opposites. Lance is smooth, suave and debonair. Walter is, well...not. But what Walter lacks in social skills he makes up for smarts and invention, creating the awesome gadgets Lance uses on his epic missions. But when events take an unexpected turn, Walter and Lance suddenly have to rely on each other in a whole new way. And if this odd couple can't learn to work as a team, the world is in peril, since the villainous Killian (Ben Mendelsohn) is on their trail.

Others to round out the cast are Rashida Jones as Marcy, Reba McEntire as Joyless, Karen Gillan as Eyes, DJ Khaled as Ears, Masi Oka as Kimura, Rachel Brosnahan as Wendy and Jarrett Bruno as Young Walter.

This was effectively directed by virtual newcomers to helming a film, Nick Bruno (Ton of animation) and Troy Quane (A short and a ton of animation). Clearly what caused these two filmmakers to perform as well as they did in the director's chair was that both has an extensive animation background and they were rife for graduating to the directing realm, and this production proves it. This is a effortlessly helmed as well as any seasoned director could pull off. It was equally well written by Brad Copeland ("Yogi Bear" '10, "Coffee Town" '13, "Chevy" (TV movie) '15, "Ferdinand" '17) and Lloyd Taylor "The Wild" (additional story material) '06) plus a short. Certainly Copeland has the lion's share of the experience here, however what Taylor brought to the writing table was also pivotal. Other than a couple of places of choppiness and at times it lost some sequential elements, it was a spot on screenplay. Surely, the story was an interesting one with an even better message in that we work better as a team as opposed to alone in this society. And through our differences, we can transcend above them in order to succeed. And the visual effects and animation by Blue Sky Studios was seamless and creatively designed.

If one is an animation junkie you'll like this, or any animated flick, for that matter. But if you are a more discretionary filmgoer, this should entertain all the while teaching us a lesson. This is certainly one that families can and should see together.

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                            Rated: PG                                      102mins.

Little Women

Of all the oldest franchises in Hollywood, I would say Little Women would be certainly one of them spanning from 1918. There have been aplenty including "Little Women" 1918, 1933, 1949, 1978, 1994, 2017 and 2018. It's timeless and incredibly easy to watch. One would think, how could another installment be interesting? Answer? Those who have not seen Greta Gerwig's translation.

 

Writer-director Greta Gerwig has crafted a Little Women that draws on both the classic novel and the writings of Louisa May Alcott, and unfolds as the author's alter ego, Jo March, reflects back and forth on her fictional life. In Gerwig's take, the beloved story of the March sisters--four young women each determined to live on her own terms--is both timeless and timely. The sister's, Jo (Saoirse Ronan), Meg (Emma Watson), Amy (Florence Pugh) and Beth (Eliza Scanlen), involves their widely different rights of passage as far as profession and loves in their lives, all the while being reared by their long-suffering mother, Marmee (Laura Dern), while their father (Bob Odenkirk) is in the Union Army during the Civil War. A flirtatious neighbor, Theodore 'Laurie' Lawrence (Timothee Chalamet) and his grandfather (Chris Cooper) reside next door, whereas Laurie is constantly wooing one the sisters. Then there is their spinster, cynical aunt (Meryl Streep) who attempts to guide these sisters to a hopeless end.

 

Others to round out the cast are Tracy Letts as Mr. Dashwood, James Norton as John Brooke, Louis Garrel as Friedrich Bhaer and Jayne Houdyshelly as Hannah.

 

This was wittingly directed by Greta Gerwig ("Nights and Weekends" '08, "Lady Bird" '17). As this filmmaker has blossomed, she has amazingly grown in her field not only as a writer but as a director. She acted for years--not all great films, but with this knows what it's like when directing her actors in an empathetic way. This certainly gives her a leg up as a talented filmmaker. These characters simply jumped off the screen. It would be easy for many people to relate to many characters in this even though the period of the film is the Civil War era. She was able combine a contemporary way about this with a traditional way and succeeded. It was equally well written by Gerwig ("Hannah Takes the Stairs" '07, "Nights and Weekends" '08, "Northern Comfort" '10, "Frances Ha" '12, "How I Met Your Dad" (TV movie) '14, "Mistress America" '15, "Lady Bird" '17) plus TV and a short. As I've mentioned above, Gerwig certainly knows about how to structure a film as far as directing and even more with writing. She clearly gave her audience a contemporary insight of this writer, Jo all the while being the beloved classic we've all cared about by Louisa May Alcott. Other than a couple of very small places of going from one period in their lives to another which was a bit different to know which we were in, this storyline soared. This has got to be one of the best (writing and directing) of any installment of this franchise. It was concise, cohesive and tight. She could be nominated come Oscar time along with Ronan and possibly Chalamet. If you like and respect her style, her "Barbie" has been announced.

 

If this franchise is a perennial favorite for you, this will certainly appeal. It is a creative approach to a tried and true beloved classic novel we've all grown up with. It is so nice to see, an otherwise, older story and turn it into a fresh, original screenplay for all to love all over again.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                        Rated: PG                                        135mins.

 

Bombshell

Films based on true stories are typically rife with strife, tragedy, scandal, catastrophes or some other negative concept to further reinforce to each other that we are either out to 'get' each other or how we can make a certain situation better by accusation. Many films are based on these concepts, and "Bombshell" is no exception.

 

Based on the real scandal in 2016, this is a revealing expose inside the most powerful and controversial media empire of all time; Fox News, and the explosive story of the women, namely Megyn Kelly (Charlize Theron), Gretchen Carlson (Nicole Kidman) and Kayla Pospisil (Margot Robbie) who brought down the infamous man, Roger Ailes (John Lithgow) who ran it with an iron fist.

Apparently these women were looking at different aspects within Fox News considering there experience, but their desire to grow in this field was universal. However when they had meetings with Ailes, their claim was that he made them feel outright inferior and he acted extremely inappropriate. So, out of desperation, they each sought legal counsel, Ailes, with Susan Estrich (Allison Janney) and Gretchen Carlson, with Neil Mullen (Stephen Root), while Kayla Pospisil leaned on Jess Carr (Kate McKinnon) for a shoulder to cry on.

 

Others to round out the cast are Malcolm McDowell as Rupert Murdoch, owner of Fox News, Connie Britton as Beth Ailes, Liv Newson as Lily Balin, Bridgette Lundy-Paine as Julia Clarke, Mark Duplass as Doug Brunt, Rob Delaney as Gil Norman, Mark Moses as Bill Shine, Holland Taylor as Faye, Ben Lawson as Lachlan Murdoch and Josh Lawson as James Murdoch.

 

This was rivetingly directed by veteran Jay Roach ("Zoo Radio" '90, "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery" '97, "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me" '99, "Mystery, Alaska" '99, :Meet the Parents" 2000, "Austin Powers in Goldmember" '02, "Meet the Fockers" '04, "Recount" (TV movie) '08, "Dinner for Schmucks" '10, "Game Change" (TV movie) '12, "The Campaign" '12, "Trumbo" '15, "All the Way" (TV movie) '16) plus TV. Certainly the genre of comedy is where this filmmaker has graced us with his work, however there have been a number of dramas where he has exceled as well, including "Trumbo" and this film. I have tremendous admiration for this director, as I would any director, for shifting his creative talent to different genres--it shows us that he is able and willing to think outside the box. These characters were calculating, while being vulnerable, however not by choice. It was creatively written by Charles Randolph ("The Life of David Gale" '03, "The Interpreter" '05, "Love & Other Drugs" '10, "The Wonderful Maladys (TV movie) '10, "The Missionary"  (TV movie) '13, "The Big Short" '15, "Exposed" (TV movie) '15). Although this film was written well as far as a structured screenplay, it obviously is bias, which, given the subject matter, is a difficult challenge to keep objective...but not impossible. There were a couple of places of choppiness when the script was going back to 2006, and then again to the present--in this case 2016, show that it could've been delineated a bit better.

I usually don't get involved in politics--I actually hate then considering how much they pit people against one another, but, no matter which side of the aisle one comes from, the major international news stations are all bias, condescending, and provide the 'facts' according to their their political beliefs and then pander to their audience which want to hear what they want to hear. Mind you, this is truly done because it will increase ratings which in turn, increases revenue. And we know it's all bout the money. This pattern holds true with Fox News, CCN and MSNBC! Nuff said!

 

If you're a political junkie and are a survivor of workplace harassment or even know of someone who comes from this kind of situation, this will ring true, but even not, the direction and certain performances from Theron, Lithgow and Kidman should be enough to woo you to the multiplex.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                  Rated: R                                         108mins.

 

 

                                                                           

Cats

The interesting aspect of musicals based on a stage play is that they either transpose well or they don't. "My Fair Lady", "The Sound of Music", "West Side Story", "The Music Man" all transposed effortlessly, however "Evita", and even "Les Miserables" didn't really transfer too well even though they were visually stunning. Well, the same goes for "Cats"--visually stunning, however the plot was not so.

 

A tribe of cats, namely Bustopher Jones (James Corden), Bombalurina (Taylor Swift), Mr. Mistoffelees (Laurie Davidson), Victoria (Francesca Hayward), Jennyanydots (Rebel Wilson) and Munkustrap (Robbie Fairchild), called the Jellicles must decide yearly which one will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new Jellicle life. The ultimate decision must come from Old Deuteronomy (Judi Dench), all the while attempting to stave villain cat Macavity (Idris Elba) from his clutches. Who will ascend and can Macavity be fought off before the cat is chosen?

 

Others to round out the cast are Jennifer Hudson as Grizabella, Ian McKellan as Gus, Mette Towley as Cassandra, Jason Derulo as Rum Tum Tugger, Ray Winstone as Growltiger, Naoimh Morgan as Rumpleteaser and Laurent Bourgeois as Socrates.

 

This was stunningly directed by Tom Hooper ("Red Dust" '04, "Longford" (TV movie) '06, "The Damned United" '09, "The King's Speech" '10, "Les Miserables" '12, "The Danish Girl" '15) plus TV and video shorts. Although this filmmaker doesn't have a tremendous amount of work considering he's been directing as long as he has, the quality of his work suggests to me that he is extremely choosy about what projects he is attached to. He simply knows how to bring his characters to life, and this certainly makes it a joy to watch and observe. He could receive a nod come Oscar time. It was interestingly written by Lee Hall ("Billy Elliot" 2000, "War Horse" '11, Victoria & Abdul" '17, "Rocketman" '19) plus TV movies, and Hooper (TV short), based on the musical "Cats" by Andrew Lloyd Webber, which is based on the poetry collections, "Old Possum's Books of Practical Cats" by T.S. Eliot. As I was viewing this film, I couldn't help but think of the film, "Les Miserables", because of the similarity of how the screenplay was implemented. It was presented in a totally song version like "Les Miserables". In a marketing sense, this is a difficult format to reach an movie going audience. Since this format was created for the theater audience, the filmgoers have a more difficult sense about this format. One thing that Hollywood has to come to grips with is that theater and film audiences are their own breed--they are not synonymous. While a few people in the audience applauded before leaving the theater, others took their kids out, while looking perplexed in what they saw. Again, theater audiences are a different breed from filmgoers. I get the premise, however there were a number of things that weren't explained, so it made it confusing, and couple that with the fact that the audience must follow along in grasping the plot in song, and the script can come across as convoluted. Hall is a seasoned writer and Hooper not so much, but even if one of the writers were seasoned, it was next to impossible to reach the audience. What really saved this production was the direction, the costumes, makeup, casting, photography and visuals predominantly designed by MPC (Moving Picture Company) and Mill Farm.

 

If you are a regular theater goer, this will be a no brainer for you, however if you're strictly a filmgoer, this might be a stretch, unless you liked "Les Miserables". For film goers, this isn't a nice holiday film that's rated PG with cute kitties. This is an exhaustive Broadway stage production presented in its original way that should be presented in--in its totally sung throughout format.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 2.5                                   Rated: PG                                            110mins.

 

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

After nine films, the Star Wars saga has come to an end. This has been one huge franchise. Now, does this mean that there will no longer be a Star Wars film? As long as these films bring in a ton of money, Disney will be hard-pressed to let it go. It will come back, but under a different name. So with this, we have "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" to complete this story.

This installation of the Star Wars franchise once again takes viewers on an epic journey to a galaxy far, far away in "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker". It reunites existing characters along with some characters from long ago.

One, Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) has apparently come back from the dead, and is starting up the first order, so he can usher in, what he calls, the final order which is to cleanse the galaxy of all who oppose him. He enlists Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and both General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson) and General Pryde (Richard E. Grant) to combat the resistance, specifically Rey (Daisy Ridley). General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) soon enlists Poe Dameron (David Isaac), Finn (John Boyega) and Maz Kanata (Lupita Nyong'o) to work toward ridding the galaxy, once and for all, of Palpatine and all who's duped under his powers.

Others to round out the cast are Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, Anthony Daniels as C-3PO, Naomi Ackie as Jannah, Kerri Russell as Zorii Bliss, Joonas Suotamo as Chewbacca, Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian and Kelly Marie Tran as Rose Tico.

This was slickly and proficiently directed by J.J. Abrams ("Mission Impossible III" '06, "Star Trek" '09, "Anatomy of Hope" (TV movie) '09, "Super 8" '11, "Star Trek Into Darkness" '13, "Star Wars: Episode VII--The Force Awakens" '15) plus TV and video games. This director knows what it's like to helm a large film production, hence his resume. His "Star Trek" '09, was incredibly well directed, written and casted--his characters in that film came alive and were portrayed in a very real way, just as with this film. He comes across looking effortless in his technique and almost makes his direction look like any one could do it, and this is the mark of talent. It was certainly written by two seasoned pros, Chris Terrio ("Argo" '12, "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" '16, "Justice League" '17) plus a short, and J.J. Abrams ("Taking Care of Business" '90, "Regarding Henry" '91, "Forever Young" '92, "Gone Fishin' '97, "Armageddon" '98, "Joy Ride" '01"The Catch" (TV movie) '05, "Mission Impossible III" '06, "Super 8" '11, "Star Wars: Episode VII--The Force Awakens" '15) plus TV, video games and a short, based on characters created by George Lucas. Although these writers are seasoned, at least Abrams is, the writing could've been a bit more polished. With a 140 minute running time, it simply amazed me how often certain situations and people weren't explained as well as they could've been. I don't want to go into specifics, but suffice it to say, there were gaps that either couldn't have happened or areas that weren't fully explained. But, even with these discrepancies, the film was still fun to watch and in certain places, it actually brought a tear or two to my eyes. Chris Terrio has written a film that has been announced, "Justice League Part Two" which, for those fans out there will surely revel. The visual effects predominantly created by ILM (Industrial, Light & Magic) were seamless and truly enhanced the storyline. And last, but not least, the score by the incomparable John Williams ("Jaws", "Star Wars", "Raiders of the Lost Ark", "E.T. The Extra Terrestrial", "Home Alone", "Jurassic Park", "Schindler's List", "War Horse", "Lincoln", etc.), was amazing! Talk about enhancing the story--I don't see how this guy does it film after film.

If you're a Star Wars fan, and there are plenty of them, you'll revel with this one, especially it being the end of the saga. Even though I'm not a huge fan of this franchise, this was better than I ever thought it would be. It is also presented in a nifty IMAX format as well. As the film progresses, it is quite the roller coaster ride, so grab the popcorn.

Out of 4 Stars 3                                       Rated: PG-13                                    141mins.

Richard Jewell

When viewing films that are based on true stories, we are faced with a person, a dilemma or situation whereas, after seeing the movie, we must decide whether it is true, false or non-committal. Usually they are stories that are based on something negative or catastrophic since that is what typically gets people's attention more. So now, we have "Richard Jewell" to sink our teeth into in which to examine whether a security guard is innocent or a pawn.

 

Based on true events, "Richard Jewell" is a story of what happens when what is reported as fact obscures the truth. "There is a bomb in Centennial Park. You have thirty minutes". The world is first introduced to Richard Jewell (Paul Walter Hauser) as the security guard who reports finding the device at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics--his report making him a hero whose swift actions saved countless lives. But, within days, the law-enforcement wannabe becomes the FBI's, namely Agent Tom Shaw (Jon Hamm), number one suspect, vilified by press, namely Kathy Scruggs (Olivia Wilde) and public alike with his life being ripped apart. Reaching out to independent, anti-establishment attorney Watson Bryant (Sam Rockwell) whom he knew for 10 years, he helps Richard fight for his freedom in a world where politics, gossip and money rule over truth and morality.

 

Others to round out the cast are Kathy Bates as Bobi Jewell, Richard's mother, Nina Arianda as Nadya Light, Watson's assistant, Ian Gomez as Agent Dan Bennett, Alex Collins as Max Green-APD, Robert Sargent as FBI/Bomb Squad and Wayne Duvall as Richard Rackleff.

 

This was grippingly and intensely directed by consummate veteran Clint Eastwood ("Play Misty for Me" '71, "High Plains Drifter" '73, "Sudden Impact" '83, "Unforgiven" '92, "True Crime" '99, "Blood Work" '02, "Mystic River" '03, "Million Dollar Baby" '04, "Gran Torino" '08, "Invictus" '09, "American Sniper" '14, "Sully" '16, "The 15:17 to Paris" '18, "The Mule" '18) plus others and TV. When many other directors, or others in the biz, have retired by now, Eastwood keeps on producing film after film--this filmmaker is 89 years-old, and he doesn't skip a beat. His work is as clean and fresh as ever, and more so as he ages. This film has characters that jump off the page whereas if someone didn't know about this bombing, these characters were as real as if someone was looking into someone's window. Eastwood is a fine actor, however directing is where he found his niche. He could possibly be nominated come Oscar time. It was incredibly well thought out by writer Billy Ray ("Color of Night" '94, "Volcano" '97, "Hart's War" '02, "Shattered Glass" '03, "Flightplan" '05, "Breach" '07, "The Hunger Games" '12, "Captain Phillips" '13, "Gemini Man" '19, "Terminator: Dark Fate" '19) plus others and TV, based on an article, "American Nightmare: The Ballad of Richard Jewell" by Marie Brenner. By his very resume, this writer is amazingly accomplished and obviously knows what he's doing. This gave the events in an extremely chronological sequence whereas, at the same time, was informative and entertaining when it comes to a cohesive and tight script. Kathy Bates as Richard's mother simply shined in this and could be looking at an Oscar nod herself. The film was riveting, intense and was quite the commentary on how the news media and the FBI can and does manipulate the public in conveying 'truth' when it's anything but.

 

This is a slick, well delineated expose of how something that seemingly is so simple can be turned around to a selfish end for certain people--this being certain people in the news media and certain ones in the FBI. Hopefully one day, our society can start thinking for themselves and stop listening to those that have their own agenda, lest we dig ourselves deeper. This is a film many people should see, because it's not a side of humanity we often see in this day and age.

 

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

 

Jumanji: The Next Level

There are sequels, prequels, franchises, remakes, reboots and continuations that can be extremely tiring, especially when there are either so many of them or they're not a well crafted film. However, some are fun and exciting no matter how many installations there might be. The "Jurassic Park" franchise is my favorite--I can never tire of it. Another is this film "Jumanji: The Next Level".

 

The gang, including Bravestone/Eddie (Dwayne Johnson), Mouse Finbar/Fridge/Milo (Kevin Hart), Bethany/Fridge (Jack Black), Martha (Karen Gillan) and Alex (Nick Jonas), is back but the game has changed. As they return to Jumanji to rescue one of their own, Spencer (Alex Wolff), they discover that nothing is as they expect. The players will have to brave parts unknown and unexplored, from the arid deserts to the snowy mountains, in order to escape the world's most dangerous game. Will they succeed, or will they end up being trapped in Jumanji forever.

 

Others to round out the cast is Danny DeVito as Eddie, Danny Glover as Milo, Awkwafina as Ming, Ashley Scott as Ashley, Madison Iseman as Young Bethany, Ser'Darius Blain as Young Fridge, Colin Hanks as Young Alex, Morgan Turner as Young Martha, Rhys Darby as Nigel, Rory McCann as Jurgen the Brutal and Marin Hinkle as Spencer's Mom.

 

This was efficiently directed as well as "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" by Jake Kasdan ("Zero Effect" '98, "Orange County" '02, "The TV Set" '06, "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story" '07, "Bad Teacher" '11, "Spring/Fall" (TV movie) '11, "Sex Tape" '14, "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" '17) plus TV. It was truly pivotal that Kasdan directed this considering he directed the predecessor to this, so as to keep the same characters exactly the same in both. Another director could've directed this, however the potentiality of keeping the characters similar in each film would've been challenging. It was written by seasoned writers, Kasdan, Jeff Pinkner and Scott Rosenberg, based on the book, "Jumanji" by Chris Van Allsburg. As with the directing, both Pinkner and Rosenberg were instrumental in being part of the writing team in "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle", which certainly assisted in the storyline of this. All of these writers are seasoned with a multitude of experience between them all, and it shows in this fun film, however when the film started out, it went a bit slow--maybe purposed, but not sure--but as the film started to unfold, it progressed, albeit slowly, to be the film it was searching for. This ensemble cast has an incredible amount of chemistry, and DeVito and Glover only added to that chemistry. And the visual effects, predominantly designed by SPI (Sony Pictures Imageworks) and Weta Digital were seamless and truly enhanced the story which added to the fantasy and whimsy of the film.

 

The Jumanji franchise which started in 1995 with "Jumanji" has a premise where the storylines are limitless. And where the '95 version had the game come to our world, this film and its predecessor have the real world go into the world of Jumanji. This is one that must be experienced on the large screen. In fact, I wished I had seen this on its IMAX format, because it looked as though it would've rocked. It's a film that needed a bit more polish, but I still had so much fun with it.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                     Rated: PG-13                                    123mins.

 

Queen & Slim

Every decade or so, movie audiences change depending on how our society is doing. So, as these changes take place, the ideas for stories change as well. And with this, it has become indisputable that our society is becoming more violent, condescending, and so the racial tension doesn't want to go away. Even though the race issues have improved since the '50's, it's still alive and kicking. So we've seen many films that mirror the racial tension in past years, and now we have "Queen & Slim" to gnaw on.

 

While on a forgettable first date together in Ohio, a black man, Ernest Hines (Daniel Kaluuya) and a black woman, Angela Johnson (Jodie Turner-Smith) are pulled over for a minor traffic violation, The situation escalates, with sudden and tragic results, when the man kills the police officer, Reed (Sturgill Simpson) in self-defense, only after the officer shot the woman in the leg. Terrified and in fear for their lives, the man, a retail employee, and the woman, a criminal defense lawyer, are forced to go on the run. But the incident is captured on video and goes viral, and the couple unwittingly become a symbol of trauma, terror, grief and pain for people across the country. Through all of these events, they become Queen & Slim. Many help them along the way including the woman's Uncle Earl (Bokeem Woodbine) in the hopes they can make it to Cuba.

 

Others to round out the cast are Chloe Sevigny as Mrs. Shepherd, Flea as Mr. Shepherd, Indya Moore as Goddess, Benito Martinez as Sheriff Edgar, Jahi Di'Allo Winston as Junior and Bryant Tardy as Chubby.

 

This was rivetingly directed by Melina Matsoukas (TV and a ton of video shorts). Considering this is her first feature film, it is amazingly well crafted, but since she has directed so many video shorts, this has served her well. I truly believe that a talented director, or even writer, has come from a TV or short background, and the more experience in that arena, the better when entering the feature film world, as with Matsoukas. The intensity, especially between Kaluuya and Turner-Smith was incredibly underlying. To create this amount of intensity, one would think that the violence with tons of blood would flow like water, however the violence did not match the level of intensity. Oh yes, there was violence, however not as much as one would think considering the intensity. It was equally well written by Lena Waithe ("Untitled Lena Waithe Project" (TV movie) '16) plus TV and shorts, based on a story by James Frey and Waithe. Again, like the director, this is this writer's first feature film, and was gripping. Even though this wasn't based on a true story, it was almost written like it was, or possibly could. The characters were simply real people lunged into an impossible situation and attempting to right a wrong in the best way they can considering the horrific place in time they are in. This writer will obtain more work. She is a talented writer. The script is cohesive and tight. And, other than the fact that it was a bit long-in-the-tooth (about 5mins could've been shaved off), this script soared. There is Oscar buzz around Kaluuya, and he could definitely be nominated. This being a film that introduced Turner-Smith to film, showcased her true potential. She will receive more films.

 

If message films are a favorite of yours, because you're a passionate filmgoer, this will be a film that will set right with you. It ends in a rather bittersweet way, but isn't that the way life goes in our lives? So much of the time, our lives are ran by plan A, but, a lot of times, plan B seems to reign and then we just have to punt. As a racial message, this speaks volumes, but, whether one is black, white or any other race, we all need to accept each other since none of us are going away any time soon.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                   Rated: R                                          133mins.

 

Dark Waters

Films are typically an art form in which to entertain us and give us a place we can escape into, however they have become a platform in which to teach us a lesson usually from true events in our history. Message films have been offered to for decades: "The China Syndrome" '79, "Silkwood" '83, "Erin Brockovich" 2000, The Corporation" (documentary) '04, "Promised Land" '12. Where these delve into problems with corporation corruption, we have been offered yet another in the form of "Dark Waters".

Inspired by a shocking true story, a tenacious attorney, Robert Bilott (Mark Ruffalo) uncovers a dark secret that connects a growing number of unexplained deaths in a small town in West Virginia due to the corporation DuPont which has a large plant in the small town. In the process, Bilott, a Cincinnati attorney, risks everything--his future, his family, including his wife, Sarah (Anne Hathaway), and his own life--to expose the truth.
It all started with a farmer Wilbur Tennant (Bill Camp) in West Virginia who knows Bilott's grandma, who came to Cincinnati to beseech him to look into why his cows are dying in an alarming rate. Him being an attorney for chemical companies reluctantly decides only to realize that the more he probes, the worse things become. He consults with his colleagues, Tom Terp (Tim Robbins) and Phil Donnelley (Victor Garber) to assist him. They were equally reluctant until facts started sifting in to where it was truly difficult to ignore. So, what started as a complaint from a farmer in West Virginia, became one of the largest class action suits in American history with 3,500 litigants and eventually, after a 16 year investigation--1999-2015, ended up with a 670.6 million dollar settlement from DuPont.

Others to round out the cast are Bill Pullman as Harry Dietzler, Scarlett Hicks as Amy Tennant, Wilbur's wife, Mare Winningham as Diane Kiger, Brian Gallagher as David Hollings, William Jackson Harper as James Ross, Kevin Crowley as Larry Winter, Jeffrey Grover as Edward Wallace, Louisa Krause as Karla and Chaney Morrow as Young Farmer.

This was rivetingly directed by the message film king, Todd Haynes ("Poison" '91, "Velvet Goldmine" '98, "Far From Heaven" '02, "I'm Not There" '07, "Carol" '15, "Wonderstruck" '17) plus TV, shorts and videos. As with his other films, this filmmaker is definitely in familiar territory, but considering he is incredibly passionate with controversial topics, it makes it easier to be forgiving, even if he doesn't go out on that limb professionally. The characters come across as real as if we were peeking into their lives, whether personally or professionally. It was intensely and grippingly written by Mario Correa ("Electoral Dysfunction" (documentary, creative consultant) '12) plus a TV documentary, and Matthew Michael Carnahan ("The Kingdom" '07, "Lions for Lambs" '07, "State of Play" '09, "World War Z" '13, "Deepwater Horizon" '16, "Mosul" '19, "21 Bridges" '19) plus TV, which is based on a magazine article by Nathaniel Rich. Even though Carnahan has the lion's share of the experience, surely Correa had pivotal ideas to bring to the table. With the exception of "Deepwater Horizon", Carnahan hasn't written many films based on a true story, however with this story, he definitely put together a riveting storyline that truly keeps the audience on the edge of their proverbial seats. Knowing the history about this case is not the exciting part of this film as much as seeing how the process unfolds to understand how this huge, greedy chemical company called DuPont is taken down so many more people don't have to die, and this is why message films of this type need to be made and seen.

If message films are your forte, this will really hit home. It has all the elements one would expect: deception, greed, idolatry, fear, dishonesty, threats, and redemption all rolled up in a message film to beat none. This is one film all need to see as a wake up call. As Bilott says in this film, "We have to protect ourselves. We can't depend on large companies, government or anyone else, we have to protect ourselves". I get it, because it truly makes one think!

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                        Rated: PG-13                                    127mins.

21 Bridges

We've seen many crime drama films--in fact enough to fill a lifetime, and although there have been a plethora of them, there have been good ones and poor ones. Living in a day and age of politics--and how dirty they can be, couple that with police corruption and murder, and, voila!, you have "21 Bridges".

 

"There are 21 bridges in Manhattan--close 'em, 3 rivers--cover 'em, tunnels--shut 'em down", says Detective Andre Davis (Chadwick Boseman), who wants to stop certain crimals from leaving so as to catch them ASAP. Davis is thrust into a citywide manhunt for a pair of cop killers, Ray (Taylor Kitsch) and Michael (Stephan James), after uncovering a massive and unexpected conspiracy. As the night unfolds, lines become blurred on who he's pursuing, and who is in pursuit of him. When the search intensifies, extreme measures are taken to prevent the killers from escaping Manhattan as the authorizes close all 21 bridges to prevent any entry or exit from the iconic island. Through help from Detective Frankie Burns (Sienna Miller) and Captain McKenna (J.K. Simmons), will he be able to catch these killers before the 5am deadline the city has given them?

 

Others to round out the cast are Keith David as Deputy Chief Spencer, Alexander Siddig as Adi, Louis Cancelmi as Bush, Victoria Cartagena as Yolanda and Gary Carr as Hawk.

 

This was effectively and intensely directed by Brian Kirk ("Middletown" '06, "My Boy Jack"  (TV movie) '07, "Gilded Lilys" (TV movie) '13) plus shorts and a ton of TV. Obviously by his resume, this filmmaker is a virtual newcomer to feature films. As with writing, I believe the directing, as intense and gritty as it was, is because of all the TV this director has been involved with--this definitely served him. The underlying emotional intensity that Boseman conveyed, and how the emotion grew was incredibly effective and this is talented directing. It was effectively written by Adam Mervis ("The Philly Kid" '12) plus shorts, and Matthew Michael Carnahan ("The Kingdom" '07, "Lions for Lambs" '07, "State of Play" '09, "World War Z" '13, "Deepwater Horizon" '16, "Mosul" '19, "Dark Waters" '19), based on a story by Mervis. Certainly Carnahan has the lion's share of the experience here, however since this was based on Mervis' story, I figure that he then received top billing. Considering his resume, I can certainly see that Carnahan was in familiar territory. While this film was slow in getting the story to a point more than just a TV movie crime drama, after a certain place, it actually starting finding itself as a feature film. Once the corruption and politics start unfolding along with dealing with the killers, the storyline really moved right along which captivated me that much more. Was it Academy Award caliber? No, but this story, along with Boseman's principled, integral individual as this tired detective, this script became the story it was attempting to be.

 

Many crime drama films have and can be tiring and convoluted. As with others, this film started out that way, but then as it unfolded, it truly became a riveting story. Whether or not this was purposed, it would've been more satisfying to see the script meatier earlier on, but this way, it did make the film more interesting to watch.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                       Rated: R                                        100mins.