The Protege

One of the oldest genres that are created in Hollywood are that of espionage films. We've seen so many: "Three Days of the Condor", "True Lies", "Rendition", "Tailor Tinker Soldier Spy", "Anna", the James Bond films, and the like. So, when "The Protege" came along, I had to see what it was all about.

Rescued as a child by the legendary assassin Moody (Samuel L. Jackson) and trained in the family business, Anna (Maggie Q) is the world's most skilled contract killer. But when Moody-- the man who was like a father to her and taught her everything she needs to know about trust and survival--is brutally killed, Anna vows revenge. As she becomes entangled with an enigmatic killer Michael Rembrandt (Michael Keaton) whose attraction to her goes way beyond cat and mouse, their confrontation turns deadly and the loose ends of a life spent killing will weave themselves ever tighter. 

Others to round out the cast are Robert Patrick as Billy Boy, David Rintoul as Edward Hayes, Patrick Malahide as Vohl, Ray Fearon as Duquet, Ori Pfeffer as Athens, Florin Piersic Jr. as Ram, Tudor Chirila as Petru, Velizar Binev as Don Preda, George Pistereanu as Vali and Gamba Cole as Benny. 

This was directed with intensity and grit by Martin Campbell ("The Sex Thief" '73, "Eskimo Nell" '75, "Three for All" '75, "Criminal Law" '88, "Defenseless" '91, "Cast a Deadly Spell" (TV movie) '91, "No Escape" '94, "GoldenEye" '95, "The Mask of Zorro" '98, "Vertical Limit" 2000, "Beyond Borders" '03, "The Legend of Zorro" '05, "Casino Royale" '06, "Edge of Darkness" '10, "Green Lantern" '11, "Reckless" (TV movie) '13, "Warriors" (TV movie) '14, "The Foreigner" '17) plus TV and a short. Obviously this director is a seasoned one and it's not difficult to see this when the pacing and grit he was able to extract from his actors were as effective as it was. The sheer pathos and cunningness his actors exuded gave it that impact when viewing this film. If you like his brand of directing, his "Memory" is in post production. It was cleverly written by seasoned Richard Wenk ("Vamp" '86, "Just the Ticket" '98, "16 Blocks" '06, "The Mechanic" '11, "The Expendables 2" '12, "The Equalizer" '14, "Countdown" '16, "The Magnificent Seven" '16, "Jack Reacher: Never Go Back" '16, "American Renegades" '17, "The Equalizer 2" '18). This is one of those films where the lead character extracts revenge on someone they loved--not exactly an original premise, however Wenk was able to turn an otherwise yawn of a script into a tight, concise action-packed story with even a hint of humor to give it that realistic and witty flair. Other that a couple of very small places of choppiness, this screenplay simply rocked. The sarcastic banter thrown back and forth between Keaton and Maggie Q was refreshing and worked well considering it was a taught espionage film. 

Certainly if espionage films are your thing, this will delight. It has all what any avid moviegoer could want: action, explosives, drama and even humor all rolled up in a fun and exciting film for many to enjoy.

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                           Rated: R                                                 116mins.

Don't Breathe 2

Most sequels to films are typically fraught with inconsistencies, along with a banal script in which you could easily mouth the words, but I must say, even though "Don't Breathe" wasn't an Academy Award stunner, it was a film that certainly kept its audience's attention. And after seeing "Don't Breathe 2", the same intensity and the the thrilling aspects of it are the same if not better as its predecessor.

Hiding out for years in an isolated cabin, a blind Navy Seal veteran, Norman Nordstrom (Stephen Lang) has taken in and raised a young girl Phoenix (Madelyn Grace) orphaned from a house fire. Their quiet existence is shuttered when a group of kidnappers including Raylan (Brendan Sexton III), Duke (Rocci Williams), Jared (Bobby Schofield), Jim Bob (Adam Young) and Raul (Christian Zagia), show up and with great difficulty, end up up taking the girl, forcing Norman to leave his safe haven and implement his military training to save her.

Others to round out the cast are Stephanie Arcila as Hernandez, Fiona O'Shaughnessy as Josephine, Steffen Rhodri as the Surgeon, Diaana Babnicova  as Billy and Ron Rogell as Market Manager. 

This was intensely directed by Rodo Sayagues. This is this filmmaker's first time helming a film, but sense he co-wrote this with his writing partner, Fede Alvarez, who actually directed the original, it's easy to conclude that the feel of this direction would be similar to that of its predecessor. He must have 'soaked up' all that Alvarez could show him when they collaborated on the original, and it paid off. He put the 'I' in intense and the audience could see it emitting from these actors. It was cleverly written by Alvarez ("Evil Dead" '13, "Don't Breathe" '16, "The Girl in the Spider's Web" '18) plus TV and shorts, and Sayagues ("Evil Dead" '13, "Don't Breathe" '16) plus TV and shorts, based on characters created by Alvarez and Sayagues. This story certainly is meatier than its predecessor in that it gives the audience something more to sink their teeth into than just a bunch of thugs invading his space and he has to thwart them off using his military training. This film certainly covers that territory, however, not to give any spoilers, it definitely goes deeper of why and how things go awry. Other than a few places of choppiness in script, this story definitely gives a one two punch (pun intended). This certainly reached farther than the original for story development. 

If suspense and a thrilling aspect with a certain amount of gore is your thing, this will be the perfect fit. The film is rated R for a reason--not for the mass audience appeal, but all in all, the message of 'what you sow, you shall reap' is evident here. And there is a small surprise after the end credits, so will there be a "Don't Breathe 3"?

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

Reminiscence

Once in a while, Hollywood throws us films that have that fantastical, somewhat cerebral and obscure effect to them, i.e. "The Fountain", "Inception", "Interstellar", even "2001: A Space Odyssey" to mention a handful. The premise is typically intriguing and interesting, but sometimes it's difficult to wade through the different tributaries as the story unfolds. This is somewhat the case for "Reminiscence" in that it's a very intriguing plot, however with a few parts that, unless one is paying extreme attention, can be difficult to follow.

Nick Bannister (Hugh Jackman), a private investigator of the mind, navigates the darkly alluring world of the past with his business partner, Emily 'Watts' Sanders (Thandie Newton), by helping their clients access lost memories. Living on the fringes of the sunken Miami coast, his life is forever changed when he takes on a new client, Mae (Rebecca Ferguson). A simple matter of lost and found becomes a dangerous obsession. As Bannister fights to find the truth about Mae's disappearance, he uncovers a violent conspiracy, and must ultimately answer the question: how far would you go to hold on to the ones you love? With his mind-probing machine, he starts to bite off more than he can chew in that, to find Mae, certain ugly things must be uprooted in order to be able to locate her. It comes down to the old adage, "watch out what you ask for, because you might just get it".

Others to round out the cast are Cliff Curtis as Cyrus Boothe, Daniel Wu as Saint Joe, Mojean Aria as Sebastian Sylvan, Walter's son, Marina de Tavira as Swati, Brett Cullen as Walter Sylvan, Natalie Martinez as Avery Castillo,  Angela Sarafyan as Elsa Carine, Javier Molina as Hank and Sam Medina as Falks. 

This was directed by virtual newcomer to the directing chair, Lisa Joy (TV). Considering she has only one episode of a TV show to her directing resume, this was amazingly helmed well. She has natural talent, so one can see her going places in this field. I'm not sure how she obtained this gig, but suffice it to say, she really pulled it off. Jackman and Ferguson simply shined in this with all the emotions that they had to emit, and this is talented directing. It was also written by Joy (TV), and with the limiting directing experience she has, she has not much more writing experience. Again, she has TV writing experience, albeit, not a plethora, but more, so this was quite the challenge for her. I'm telling you, this would be a challenge for a seasoned writer. But even with this being the case, she was actually able to pull off this premise. Mind you, were there flaws? Absolutely, such as it was never explained of how the Miami area succame to being flooded as a permanent occurrence, and there were a couple of places where it became inconsistent and choppy, such as where reality ended and the visual past came forth. There's a lot going on with the story and although this typically isn't a problem, with this particular plot, the story could have been weaved with a bit less going on. Otherwise, as the story was unfolding, one could see how things were starting to fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. Again, a very intriguing premise to a very fresh and original story. Considering, kudos to this writer. She will undoubtedly receive more theatrical work. 

If the obscure, odd and somewhat cerebral suits your fancy, you'll probably like this, or certainly find it utterly intriguing. If you want to see this on an even larger screen, it's also shown on an IMAX format as well. 

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                           Rated: PG-13                                             116mins.

Respect

Hollywood has probably produced as many biopics or films based on true stories as they have with fictional films, but as the old adage goes, truth can be stranger than fiction, so why not make many of these films? We've seen biopics about singers, actors, sports figures, politicians, astronauts, crime lords, etc., so now we have been offered yet another biopic about a singer appropriately entitled "Respect" about the 'queen of soul' Aretha Franklin.

Following the rise of Aretha Franklin's career--from a child (Skye Dakota Turner) in her father's church choir to her international superstardom--it's the remarkable true story of the music icon's journey to find her voice. It starts in 1952, singing in the choir that C.L.Franklin (Forest Whitaker), pastor, who is Aretha's father. As she ages, Aretha (Jennifer Hudson) eventually becomes part of a record deal with Jerry Wexler (Marc Maron) with her husband Ted White (Marlon Wayans) managing her. As she reaches newfound fame, she starts to struggle with her past 'demons', i.e. a controlling father and abusive husband which causes much turmoil in her life. If it wasn't for certain people in her life to be there for her, i.e. Clara 'Mama' Franklin (Kimberly Scott), her sisters, Erma (Saycon Sengbloh), Carolyn (Halley Kilgore) and Brenda (Brenda Nicole Moorer), Martin Luther King Jr. (Gilbert Glenn Brown) and even Jerry, who knows what would have become of her? Her major crushing blow in her life was the death of her mother Barbara Franklin (Audra McDonald) when she was young which she took extremely hard and had a difficult time overcoming. She was the talented singer and entertainer that we all came to love throughout the decades and this is an incredible tribute to her life and talent.

Others to round out the cast are Tituss Burgess as Rev. Dr. James Cleveland, LeRoy McClain as Cecil Franklin, Tate Donovan as John Hammond, Albert Jones as Ken Cunningham, Beau Scheler as Joe Arnold, Myk Watford as Rick Hall, David Simpson as Spooner Oldham and Mary J. Blige as Dinah Washington. 

This was directed by a virtual unknown to the theatrical world, Liesl Tommy (TV). Remember when I've mentioned in reviews many times prior that to be an effective filmmaker, it truly helps when one gnaws their teeth on a plethora of TV. Well, this director certainly is proof of that theory since this was directed with extreme expertise and forethought. She definitely knows her craft because these characters simply came alive and tugged my emotional strings to a point where I could feel their pain and happiness. She will go far with this level of talent. It was equally, brilliantly written by Tracey Scott Wilson (TV and a short) where she is, too, a virtual newcomer to the theatrical film realm. It was based on a story by Callie Khouri and Wilson, so since it was partially based on Wilson's story, it would be fitting for her to write the screenplay. Although, it was a huge gamble in this being written by Wilson, she having only TV to her credit as well, she definitely pulled it off. This was concise, coherent, tight and well thought out, and the almost two hours and thirty minute running time sailed right along. This is amazing considering that after about two hours, most films, if not crafted well, become a huge let down. I can't wait to see what film she will write next time...and there will be a next time.

I can't help but predict that this film will be up for several Academy Award nods, such as best actress (Jennifer Hudson), in which she was stunning, writing, directing and possibly best picture. If you are a Franklin fan, you'll love this, and even if you're not, this is an incredibly well crafted film. All her great hits that she's famous are all represented here. Considering all that she went through in her life, it's amazing that she ended up with the ability she had when all she wanted was a little...respect!

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                             Rated: PG-13                                             145mins.

Free Guy

Hollywood has had a fascination with films that involve alternate worlds, i.e. "The Matrix", "Ready Player One", even "Back to the Future: Part II", and, although they can be intriguing, if not well developed, can become convoluted and bogged down with inconsistencies. So now we have yet another one of those type of films in the form of "Free Guy".

In this story, a bank teller, Guy (Ryan Reynolds) who discovers he is actually a background player in an open-world video game, decides to become the hero of his own story...one he rewrites himself. He inadvertently puts on a pair of sunglasses that a villain was wearing and, all of a sudden, he can see the video game all around him. You see, Guy, along with other characters such as Buddy (Lil Rel Howery) are considered NPC's (Non Player Character), a filler in as a 'base' of the city backdrop, whereas others, such as Molotov Girl/Millie (Jodie Comer), Ninja (Tyler Blevins), Avatar (Channing Tatum) and Blue Avatar (Kimberly Howe) are the main video players. Now in a world where there are no limits, he is determined to be the guy who saves his world his way...before it is too late. 

Others to round out the cast are Taika Waititi as Antoine, Joe Keery as Keys, Utkarsh Ambudkar as Mouser, Matty Cardarople as Gamer, Leah Procito as Bank Teller, Tait Fletcher as Viking Warrior, Aaron Reed as Dude, Camille Koster as Bombshell, John Krasinski as voice of player and Alex Trebek as himself. 

This was wittily and humorously directed by veteran Shawn Levy ("Address Unknown" '97, "Just In Time" '97, "Big Fat Liar" '02, "Just Married" '03, "Cheaper by the Dozen" '03, "The Pink Panther" '06, "Night At the Museum" '06, "Night At the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" '09, "Date Night" '10, "Real Steel" '11, "The Internship" '13, "This Is Where I Leave You" '14, "Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb" '14) plus TV, TV movies and shorts. This filmmaker never disappoints with his style of directing. He absolutely is skilled at pressing his actors to emit the correct emotion--whether over-the-top or subtly--no matter the genre. If you respect Levy's brand of directing, his "The Adam Project" is in post production for a 2022 release. It was cleverly written using humor and action by Matt Lieberman ("The Christmas Chronicles" '18, "The Addams Family" '19, "Playing with Fire" '19, "Scoob!" '20, "The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two" '20) plus TV and Zak Penn ("PCU" '94, "Inspector Gadget" '99, "Behind Enemy Lines" '03, "Incident at Loch Ness" '04, "Subject Zero" '04, "Elektra" '05, "X-Men: The Last Stand" '06, "The Grand" '07, "The Incredible Hulk" '18, "Ready Player One" '18) plus video games and TV, based on a story by Lieberman. The premise of this film would normally be a fairly easy one to write in a convoluted way, however these two seasoned writers were able to pull it off. Other than a couple of small places where it seemed a bit choppy, this story soared. It became a bit confusing at times when they went from the avatar world to the city world, but the character development and the humor made up for a lot of that. If you like Lieberman's work, his "Rumble" has been completed for a 2022 release. 

As aforementioned, the humor, coupled with the action actually made this film, not to mention Reynolds' dry narrative at the beginning. This is certainly one that needs to be experienced on the large screen because of the visual effects predominantly created by ILM (Industrial, Light & Magic) and Digital Domain, which were seamless. 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                            Rated: PG-13                                          115mins.

The Suicide Squad

The summer movie season is fraught with franchises aplenty--so much so, that practically every other film released seems to come from a franchise either in the form of a continuation, a prequel or simply a sequel. We've come to expect them so Hollywood obliges and rafts out a plethora. We saw "Suicide Squad" in 2016 with Will Smith, Margot Robbie and Jared Leto and although it was slickly executed, still had some issues. So, five years later, we have "The Suicide Squad" offered to us.

Welcome to hell--aka Belle Reve, the prison with the highest mortality rate in the US of A. Where the worst Super-Villains are kept and where they will do anything to get out--even join the super-secret, super-shady Task Force X headed up by Amanda Waller (Viola Davis). Today's do-or-die assignment? Assemble a collection of cons, including Bloodsport (Idris Elba), Peacemaker (John Cena), Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney), Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior), Savant (Michael Rooker), King Shark (Sylvester Stallone), Blackguard (Pete Davidson), Javelin (Flula Borg) and everyone's favorite psycho Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie). Then arm them heavily and drop them (literally) on the remote, enemy-infused island of Corto Maltese. Trekking through a jungle teeming with militant adversaries and guerrilla forces at every turn, the Squad is on a search-and-destroy mission with Colonel Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) on the ground to make them behave... and Waller's government techies in their ears, tracking their every movement. And as always, one wrong move and they're dead (whether at the hands of their opponents, a teammate, or Waller herself). If anyone's laying down bets, the smart money is against--all of them. 

Others to round out the cast are Nathan Fillion as T.D.K., John Ostrander as Dr. Fitzgibbon, Mayling Ng as Mongal, Sean Gunn as Weasel, Stephen Blackehart as Briscoe, Peter Capaldi as Thinker, Alice Braga as Sol Soria, Juan Diego Botto as Presidente General Silvio Luna and Joaquin Cosio as Mayor General Mateo Suarez.

This was grittily yet humorously directed by James Gunn ("Slither" '06, "Super" '10, "Movie 43" (segment: "Beezel") '13, "Guardians of the Galaxy" '14, "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" '17) plus TV and shorts. Although Gunn's film experience lies more in the writing experience (this film included), he is a natural when it comes to being behind the camera. David Ayer actually directed the 2016 version of this franchise, but this filmmaker was able to bring out each and every character from his actors, and do it with expertise. If you like his brand of directing, his "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" is in pre-production for a 2023 release. As I aforementioned, it was also written by Gunn ("Tromeo and Juliet" '96, "The Specials" 2000, "Thir13en Ghosts" (uncredited) '01, "Scooby-Doo" '02, "Dawn of the Dead" '04, "Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed" '04, "LolllLove" (uncredited) '04, "Slither" '06, "Movie 43" (segment: "Beezel") '13, "Guardians of the Galaxy" '14, "The Belko Experiment" '16, "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2" '17) plus TV and shorts. Even though David Ayer wrote the 2016 version, this was a bit of a better version. Ayer's version meandered in several places which became a bit bogged down, whereas Gunn's version, albeit with some issues, was a much better version. Gunn had a tendency to go forward, then jump back a few hours to give another version of the scenario. He did this a few times, and I get what he was attempting to do, however it made the audience to have to wonder what these characters were going to do now that they are now in a different setting for the same scene. Also, it could've been about 5-7 minutes shorter and still have that one two punch. Otherwise, this story was rollicking, adventurous, explosive and definitely humorous in the way that this group of misfit, psycho maniacs can do so well. And the visual effects predominantly designed by Weta Digital and Framework were seamless. 

Certainly if you liked the 2016 version of this franchise, you'll love this even more. It was an all out invasion of a communist country where you have to wonder, who are the bad guys? This team of psychos or a tyrannical leader with corrupt, deadly associates? If you want to see this practically wall to wall, it's also presented in an IMAX format as well. 

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                                  Rated: R                                                     132mins.

The Green Knight

We've seen many films about King Arthur and the Knights of the round table and they are typically portrayed in a traditional format, however "The Green Knight" was quirky, very different and gives a whole new spin on that genre. One of the reasons is that it primarily centers on one character making a trek through rough territory to find the elusive Green Knight.

An epic fantasy adventure based on the Arthurian legend, this tale tells the story of Sir Gawain (Dev Patel), King Arthur's (Sean Harris) reckless and headstrong nephew, who embarks on a daring quest to confront the eponymous Green Knight (Ralph Ineson), a giant emerald-skinned stranger and tester of men. Gawain contends with ghosts, giants, thieves and schemers in what becomes a deeper journey to define his character and prove his worth in the eyes of his family and kingdom by facing the ultimate challenger. This is a bold spin on the classic tale from the Knights of the round table. During his quest he encounters many odd characters, including Essel (Alicia Vikander), a Lord (Joel Edgerton), a scavenger (Barry Keoghan) and others. 

Others to round out the cast are Sarita Choudhury as Mother, Kate Dickie as Queen, Erin Kellyman as Winifred, Donncha Crowley as Bishop, Emilie Hetland as First Thief and Anthony Morris as Second Thief.

This was intensely directed with grit by David Lowery ("Deadroom" '05, "St. Nick" '09, "Ain't Them Bodies Saints" '13, "Pete's Dragon" '16, "A Ghost Story" '17, "The Old Man & the Gun" '18, "The Year of the Everlasting Storm" (segment: "Dig Up My Darling") '21) plus TV and shorts. Even though this filmmaker has certainly tackled his share of commercial films, he usually gravitates toward independent films, including this one. Whatever the genre, Lowery knows how to place his actors at the right spot to emit that element of emotion that clearly makes any given scene that expertise that he can do so well. If this talented director is to your liking, his "Peter Pan & Wendy" is in post production for a 2022 release. This film was also quirkily written by Lowery ("It Was Great, But I Was Ready to Come Home" '09, "Pit Stop" '13, "The Yellow Birds" '17, plus the above resume) plus TV and shorts. Where he excelled with the directing, the script was a bit disjointed in places and was a bit long-in-the-tooth--it could've been approximately 10 minutes less in running time. Overall, the screenplay was expertly executed in its sequential story, but there were a couple of small places of choppiness, otherwise this was spot on. If you are a fan of Lowery's, unless you've already seen it, watch his "Ain't Them Bodies Saints". It was incredibly well written, directed and acted, especially by Casey Affleck. He also writes the upcoming "Peter Pan & Wendy" as well. 

As independent films go, this is the quintessential one replete with quirkiness, oddness, and fine acting with amazing production values. If you like Dev Patel's acting, like I do, this will please. He gives his all in all the films he puts his stamp on, and Lowery's direction could see an Oscar nod.

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                          Rated: R                                                       129mins.