Expend4bles

When this franchise began back in 2010 with "The Expendables", I, and probably most people figured that there would be the one film--shoot 'em up--and that would be the end of that particular film. Well, I was way off, since now 13 years and 4 films later, we now have "Expend4bles" in the offing. Who knew? Obviously, I underestimated those young, single males out there who love explosions and adrenaline. 

A new generation of stars join the world's top action stars for an adrenaline-fueled adventure in "Expend4bles".Reuniting as the team of elite mercenaries, Jason Statham as Lee Christmas, Dolph Lundgren as Gunner, Randy Couture as Toll Road and Sylvester Stallone as Barney Ross are joined for the first time by Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson as Easy Day, Megan Fox as Gina, Tony Jaa as Decha, Jacob Scipio as Galan and Levy Tran as Lash. Armed with every weapon they can get their hands on and the skills to use them, their mission is to retrieve the detonators of a nuclear bomb which is in the hands of Rahmat (Iko Uwais). The Expendables are the world's last line of defense and the team that gets called when all other options are off the table. But new team members with new styles and tactics are going to give "new blood" a whole new meaning. 

Others to round out the cast are Andy Garcia as Marsh, Lucy Newman Williams as Russo, Daren Nop as Bok, Cody Mackie as Pavel, Kenny 'Cowboy' Bartram as Anton, Cokey Falkow as Bartender and Dan Chupong Bai.

This was intensely and rivetingly directed by Scott Waugh ("Act of Valor" '12, "Need for Speed" '14, "6 Below: Miracle on the Mountain" '17, "Hidden Strike" '23) plus a short. Even though this filmmaker didn't direct any of the other installments, this franchise has a fairly predictable story. He simply needed to consult with his actors and view some of the other installments to get the true feeling of the characters in this film. His resume certainly screams that he would be comfortable in the director's chair of this film, and definitely succeeded. If you like his style of directing, his "Breakout" and Action Force" are in pre-production. It was written in the similar vein of that of the other 'Expendables' films by Kurt Wimmer, Tad Daggerhart and Max Adams, based on a story by Spenser Cohen, Kurt Wimmer and Tad Daggerhart, which is based on characters created by Dave Callaham. After seeing the trailer of this, I definitely received what I felt I would get--no more and no less. It was pretty much 'good vs.evil' shooting the film in several global locales all the while with its audience cheering them on. Was this made to be an Oscar contender? No. Was it made to showcase fine writing or even acting? No. This was simply produced so those 18-34 year-old single males could escape into and go to a place that will be that much different than their trying lives. And, for that reason, this film succeeded in spades. The writing kept the audience glued to that screen and trust me in saying, they got exactly what they went to that multiplex for. There are some critics out there that believe this was a substandard film artistically. What?! They went to see this film expecting more than what they saw on the screen? Really? I knew what I was expecting, and received it. Did this film have issues? Absolutely, such as it had some continuity issues and was just a bit choppy,but all in all, this film was every bit the film I was expecting. The stunts were amazing as were the special effects.

If you're an 18-34 single male, you will revel with this, but even not, go into the theater and just know that this isn't an Oscar contender or some film with a 'deep' meaning, otherwise you won't be able to have any fun with this flick. It's an escape film which deserves popcorn. 

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                     Rated: R                                         104mins.

Dumb Money

Hollywood has produced many films about Wall Street and investing generally which doesn't surprise me considering the amazing fodder one can write about since that particular endeavor is rife with deception, greed, and dishonesty. "Dumb Money" is about the ones that invested in Wall Street and made a killing only for the hedge fund managers to go after them. Again, what did I say prior about Wall Street?

This is the ultimate David vs. Goliath tale, based on the insane true story of everyday people who flipped the script on Wall Street and got rich by turning Gamestop (yes, the mall videogame store) into the world's hottest company. In the middle of everything is regular guy Keith Gill (Paul Dano), who starts it all by sinking his life savings into the stock, with disapproval of his brother Kevin (Pete Davidson), and posting about it. Soon others who invest such as Jenny Campbell (America Ferrera), Marcus Garcia (Anthony Ramos) and others start to follow Keith and become interested. When his social posts start blowing up, so does his life and the lives of everyone following him. As a stock tip becomes a movement, everyone gets rich--until the billionaires, including Steve Cohen (Vincent D'Onofrio), Gabe Plotkin (Seth Rogen) and others, fight back and both sides find their worlds turned upside down.

Others to round out the cast are Nick Offerman as Ken Griffin, Talia Ryder as Harmony Williams, Sebastian Stan as Vlad Tenev, Shailene Woodley as Caroline Gill, Keith's wife, Rushi Kota as Baiju Bhatt, Myha'la as Riri Pariseau, Kate Burton as Elaine Gill, Clancy Brown as Steve Gill, Dane DeHaan as Brad and Larry Owens as Chris. 

This was directed with clarity and grit by Craig Gillespie ("Mr. Woodcock" '07, "Lars and the Real Girl" '07, "Fright Night" '11, "Trooper" (TV movie) '13, "Million Dollar Arm" '14, "The Finest Hours" '16, "I, Tonya" '17, "Cruella" '21) plus TV, music videos, videos and shorts. By his very resume, this filmmaker not only knows how to get his actors how to emit the certain emotions they need in order to convince the audience they are the person they are portraying, but also one cannot pigeon-hole this director simce he's worked on so many different types of films. His long illustrious career has given him an incredible showcase of his work and undoubtedly will see more work. In fact, his "Cruella 2" is in pre-production at this point. It was effectively written by virtual newcomers to feature films, Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo (TV). considering they only have some TV experience under their belts, this was written fairly well. They appear to be a writing team because they worked on the same TV projects and they have a feature film that is in production called "Sue". This film suffered from the combination of a fair amount of choppiness and there were definitely a couple of slow places in script. I couldn't help but think of the the film, "The Wolf on Wall Street" as far as they were both about investing in the stock market and both writers in each film had to make sure the audience realized how questionable and/or bad these people were since the profane language was aplenty. Trust me, I'm not prudish, however, a handful of cuss words would've driven home the point that some of these people were bad. I actually felt uncomfortable after a point since they were so over-the-top with the profanity--it's like it would never end. All in all, this screenplay was effective and played well coming from a flashback format, if they could've just allowed more fluidity and a little less on the profane words. It's sad that the trailer showed so much promise since the premise was amazingly juicy, but this is where Hollywood should have paid a bit more money to get seasoned writers. 

Trust me, this is not a wash--there were some very interesting and effective parts in this that truly needed to be said in a film, however it just needed more polish. The directing by Gillespie was riveting and the cast was really why you would see this--Paul Dano, America Ferrera, Vincent D'Onofrio and Seth Rogen were priceless in their roles.  

Out of 4 Stars: 2.5                                        Rated: R                                       105mins.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

As long as there are young people on the planet, there will be 'rites of passage' films waiting to be produced. What makes "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe" so intriguing is that it's about two entirely different individuals--really, the only similarity is that they're both male, and is a period film.

Resentful at the world, 15-year-old Aristotle Mendoza (Max Pelayo) wants to blend in and be left alone, but in El Paso, Texas in the summer of 1987 he meets 15-year-old, free-spirited Dante Quintana (Reese Gonzales) at the local community swimming pool, everything changes. Dante is everything Aristotle, or Ari isn't, and his wanderlust for life and artistic spirit shake something loose in Ari--finally he has a friend. A near magical being, Dante disrupts Aristotle's world, introducing him to music, poetry, and lessons about the sky. Dante gives Aristotle permission to live in an ever expansive universe, making it harder and harder for him to  maintain the facade of isolation that has protected him for so long. Their summer of adventure comes to an abrupt halt when the boys are torn apart. Armed with a new perspective, Aristotle uses Dante's absence to understand who he wants to be in the world. Ari must decide if he is going to live in the world of infinite possibilities that Dante represents. At first, fear holds Aristotle hostage and he retreats into his lonely existence. But Ari soon realizes he can't unsee the world through Dante's eyes. If only he would let go of the secrets he didn't even know he was keeping and embrace the wonders of the universe. 

Others to round out the cast are Eugenio Derbez as Jaime Mendoza and Veronica Falcon as Ailiana Mendoza, Ari's father and mother respectively, Eva Longoria as Soledad Quintana and Kevin Alejandro as Sam Quintana, Dante's mother and father respectively, Luna Blaise as Elena Tellez, Isabella Gomez as Gina Navarro, Marlene Forte as Tia Ophelia and Diego Parra as Daniel. 

This was directed and written with much pathos by Aitch Alberto ("Jorge Ameer Present Straight Men and the Men Who Love Them 3" (segment--"Rubber Duckie") '14, "Hara Kiri" '16) plus shorts, based on the novel by Benjamin Alire Saenz. Alberto's direction was awe inspiring with an incredible ability of showcasing the entirely two different character makeups with these two teenagers--one being flat affect, practically depressed and lonely, and the other being free spirited, outgoing and conversive. His style wasn't over-the-top which made it even more difficult when the emotions are more subtle. His very carefully, precise and well thought out script was deep, thought-provoking and still,at the same time, packed a one two punch. The angst that these two teenagers went through was honest and realistic as one can convey. Most teens--whether they be straight or gay--go through a period of time where they are growing--physically, emotionally, and hormonally, and this filmmaker nailed these 'steps of life' with class and finesse. Really, other than a small place of slowness, this screenplay was spot on. The acting by these two playing the teens were remarkable. I've never heard of them--maybe they've done TV which I don't watch a lot of--but they really showcased their ability in this film. They will receive more feature film work. I certainly can understand why this was released in what I have deemed as, 'the dead zone', because this probably wouldn't profit hardly at all during the summer and end of year film season. It just didn't have enough A-list actors or enough visual effects and explosives. It's sad, but this is the reality of Hollywood. 

If you like small, independent films, this is one you'll probably like. It has a healthy combination of drama, comedy and fantasy all rolled up in an interesting rites of passage film. The acting, directing and writing, not to mention the cinematography by Akis Konstantakopoulos gsc. was stunning. At the beginning of the film, it is dedicated 'to all who had to live by different rules'. This kind of sums up the film. 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                     Rated: PG=13                                      97mins.

A Haunting in Venice

While any mystery film is and can be intriguing, my favorite mystery is that of the whodunit, And, of course, the queen of the whodunit format being Agatha Christie, I just couldn't say no to "A Haunting in Venice". There have been so many films based on her novels: "...and Then There Were None", "Murder on the Orient Express" (twice), "Death on the Nile" (twice), that her work is simply timeless, and I just never tire of work based on her incredible whodunits. 

This story is set in eerie, post World War II, 1947 Venice on All Hallows' Eve, and is a terrifying mystery featuring the return of the celebrated sleuth, Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh). Now retired and living in self-imposed exile in the world's most glamorous city, Poirot reluctantly attends a seance with invitation by friend, famed writer Ariadne Oliver (Tina Fey) at a decaying, haunted palazzo. When one of the guests is murdered, the detective is thrust into a sinister world of shadows and secrets. Who did it? Was it Rowena Drake (Kelly Reilly), Dr. Leslie Ferrier (Jamie Dornan), Olga Seminoff (Camille Cottin), Maxime Gerard (Kyle Allen), or someone entirely different? 

Others to round out the cast are Michelle Yeoh as Mrs. Joyce Reynolds, Riccardo Scamarcio as Vitale Portfoglio, Jude Hill as Leopold Ferrier, Dr. Ferrier's son, Fernando Piloni as Vincenzo Di Stefano, Amir El-Masry as Alessandro Longo, Ali Khan as Nicholas Holland, Emma Laird as Desdemona Holland and Rowan Robinson as Alicia Drake, Rowena's daughter. 

This was directed with such panache and class by the incomparable Kenneth Branagh ("Henry V" '89, "Dead Again" '91, "Peter's Friends" '92, "Much Ado About Nothing" '93, "Frankenstein" '94, "A Midwinter's Tale" '95, "Hamlet" '96, "Love's Labour's Lost" 2000, "As You Like It" '06, "The Magic Flute" '06, "Sleuth" '07, "Thor" '11, "Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit" '14, "Cinderella" '15, "Murder on the Orient Express" '17, "All Is True" '18, "Artemis Fowl" '20, "Belfast" '21, "Death on the Nile" '22) plus shorts and two theatre live performances of "The Winter's Tale" and "Romeo and Juliet". As with so many of his other films, this film also is delineated with fine staging, pacing and sequencing that staggers the mind. The subtle nuances of each character is carefully developed so when the audience is viewing the film, one almost believes that the actor is the character. It was also penned with such precision by writer Michael Green ("The Green Lantern" '11, "Logan" '17, "Alien: Covenant" '17, "Blade Runner 2049" '17, "Murder on the Orient Express" '17, "The Call of the Wild" '20, "Jungle Cruise" '21, "Death on the Nile" '22) plus TV, shorts and a video, based on the novel, "Hallowe'en Party" by Agatha Christie. With such an incredible base in which to work off of, how could any writer botch a film that is based on an Agatha Christie novel considering how timeless her work is? Christie was writing during a time when a lot of females weren't acknowledged writers, couple that with these stories she wrote were so ahead of their time, it amazes me. Even with this info, Green still hit a homerun with this film considering he is a consummate writer himself. His sequencing, and character development were precise and easy to follow. Really, other than a couple of very small places of slowness, this script was incredible. If you like this brand of writing Green's "Carry On" is in post production and "Jungle Cruise 2" is in development.

If you are a 'whodunit' fan, or more to the point, an Agatha Christie fan, you'll revel with this, but even not, Branagh both behind and in front of the camera as Poirot is simply classic. I love whodunits because I am always at a loss of who did it--I never figure it out, but I like that. It makes the ending that much more juicy. Grab the popcorn and enjoy.

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                      Rated: PG-13                                        104mins.

The Good Mother

Through the decades of Hollywood's different versions of crime dramas, we've seen a myriad of ordinary to obscure scenarios--a list that is too numerous to mention. In "The Good Mother", that scale probably falls somewhere closer to the obscure side of odd storylines. 

This story follows journalist Marissa Bennings (Hilary Swank) who, after the murder of her estranged son Michael, forms an unlikely alliance with his pregnant girlfriend Paige (Olivia Cooke) to track down the killers. As Marissa's other son, police officer Toby (Jack Reynor) looks for the killers, both Marissa and Paige set out on their own  and subsequently confront a world of corruption and drugs in the seedy underbelly of Albany, New York in 2016. As they get closer to the truth, they unearth an even darker secret that conflicts all involved.

Others to round out the cast are Dilone as Gina, Toby's wife, Hopper Penn as Ducky, Norm Lewis as Jim, Marissa's editor, Karen Aldridge as Laurie, Larry Fessendon as Gary, Frank Alfano as Figure and Gregory Marsh as Dale. 

This was intensely directed by Miles Joris Peyrafitte ("As You Are" '16, "Dreamland" '19) plus TV, shorts and a podcast series. Although this filmmaker's sequencing was just a bit off, considering he only has two feature films under his belt, he certainly was able to keep your attention from the first frame to the last. His ability to bring these very underlying emotions, to create more intensity, was captured quite effectively. It was written effectively by Miles Joris Peyrafitte ("As You Are" '16) plus TV, a short and a podcast series, and Madison Harrison ("As You Are" '16). As the two women are searching for Michael's killers, the intensity seems to increase ever so subtly as each scene unfolds which keeps its audience on the edge of their seats. What is interesting about this is that as the ending approaches, the story leaves the audience with a conundrum of how the story is to end, or did the writers have a challenge in how to end the story. Not sure what went on. Some filmmakers like to leave a story open ended, but I'm not sure what happened here. I want to believe the latter. The twists and turns are numerous which allows its audience to view this as a real nail-biter. 

If you like crime dramas, then you'll be quite at home with this. It's not a riveting film, but one that carries a fair amount of interest. Hilary Swank gives her solid performance as she can do so well. And the supporting cast is believable, especially that of Jack Reynor as Tody. These filmmakers, with more experience behind them, will be superb writers and director. They just need more work which they will assuredly receive. 

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                       Rated: R                                              90mins.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3

Who ever thought that this franchise, which started in 2002, would, eleven years later, still be around? Don't get me wrong--the first installment, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" was simply uproarious. I laughed so hard, my stomach actually hurt. Then, in '16, out came "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2", and while being funny, it clearly wasn't the original. So now we have "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3" in our midst and it was funny and heartwarming, but again, not the original.

With the third installment of this franchise, this story centers around the Portoklos family, including Toula (Nia Vardalos), Ian (John Corbett), Nick (Louis Mandylor), Paris (Elena Kampouis), Aunt Voula (Andrea Martin) and others, as they travel to a family reunion in Greece that the patriarch, Gus, who has passed away (who was brilliantly played by Michael Constintine), who has passed away, told his family to have a reunion in his honor in Greece once he passes. This is assuredly a heartwarming and hilarious trip full of love, with twists and turns. Opa!

Others to round out the cast are Lanie Kazan as Maria, Maria Vacratsis as Aunt Frieda, Gia Carides as Nikki, Joey Fatone as Angelo, Elias Kacavas as Aristotle, Melina Kotselou as Victory, Alexis Georgoulis as Peter, Anthi Andreopoulou as Alexandra and Stephanie Nur as Qamar.

This was effectively directed by Nia Vardalos ("I Hate Valentine's Day" '09). Being that this is Vardalos' baby, it certainly helped in knowing how these different characters 'click' since the characters are based on her family. Considering she only has one other credit to her directing resume, she definitely was able to pull off the staging, pacing, etc with this project, otherwise I believe it would've been a tough journey. It was certainly a nice, heartwarming story penned well also by Nia Vardalos ("My Big Fat Greek Wedding" '02, "Connie and Carla" '04, "I Hate Valentine's Day" '09, "Larry Crowne" '11, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2" '16) plus TV and a short. Since Vardalos squeezed out as much as she could in the Chicago area, where they're from, the next step in finding a premise that could deem original is to go to their 'roots'...Greece. Again, as with all the installments of this franchise, this was also funny, heartwarming and as with the other films emphasizes the importance of family--no matter whether it is a third cousin twice removed--it is family that counts. There were a couple of places of continuity issues with this script, but otherwise one certainly got what they expected when viewing this film. Back in 2002, Vardalos couldn't find a studio that would distribute her film until Tom Hanks got a hold of a script and told her this is funny stuff--it has got to be made. So he, his wife, Rita Wilson pga and Gary Goetzman decided to back it, and has produced every film since. The irony of the first film is that it cost 10 million to make the film, but it grossed in excess of 280 million, but was turned down by other studios. They had to have been crying in their beer at that point.

As stated prior, this, as with the other films in the franchise, are about family. This is apparently an extremely important Greek attribute, and it's spelled out in spades with this film. It's a fluffy, small comedy, however with family at the helm, and I believe family can't be emphasized enough. 

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                         Rated: PG                                          93mins.

 

The Equalizer 3

Vigilante films are not as common in Hollywood circles as compared to typical crime dramas, but, in a day and age where those that break the law, sometimes in the worst ways, I would say that a film like "The Equalizer 3" would be a real crowd pleaser. This franchise has spanned the last 9 years, and even though this is the 'final chapter', this could potential go on with more stories of McCall righting many wrongs.

Since giving up his life as a government assassin, Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) has struggled to reconcile the horrific things he's done in the past and finds a strange solace in serving justice on behalf of the oppressed. Finding himself surprisingly at home in Southern Italy, he discovers his new friends, including Aminah (Gaia Scodellaro), Dr. Enzo Arisio (Ermo Girone) and others, are under the control of local crime bosses headed up by Vincent Quaranta (Andrea Scarduzio) and his brother, Marco Quaranta (Andrea Dodero). As events turn deadly, McCall knows what he has to do: become his friends' protector by taking on the mafia. 

Others to round out the cast are Dakota Fanning as Agent Emma Collins, David Denman as Agent Frank Conroy, Eugenio Mastrandrea as Gio Bonucci, Daniele Perrone as Angelo, Zakiria Hamza as Khalid, Manuela Tasciotti as Carmela and Dea Lanzaro as Gabriella Bonucci.

This was intensely and grittily directed by Antoine Fuqua ("The Replacement Killers" '98, "Bait" 2000, "Training Day" '01, "Tears of the Sun" '03, "Lightning in a Bottle" '04, "King Arthur" '04, "Shooter" '07, "Brooklyn's Finest" '09, "Olympus Has Fallen" '13, "The Equalizer" '14, "Southpaw" '15, "The Magnificent Seven" '16, "The Equalizer 2" '18, "What's My Name: Muhammed Ali" '19, "Infinite" '21, "The Guilty" '21, "Emancipation" '22) plus TV movies, music videos, videos, shorts and TV. By his very resume, this is not the first time Fuqua has worked with Washington--in fact they teamed up on "Training Day" back in '01 which, ultimately catapulted Fuqua as a caliber director. This filmmaker clearly knows what an actor needs to convey to convince the audience that his actors are really the people or characters they are portraying. It simply is a joy to watch a film Fuqua has helmed because of his precision in delineating his projects. I can't wait to see what he has in store for his next film. It was also equally written in such an unstoppable script by 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, "The Protoge" '21), based on the TV series created by Michael Sloan and Richard Lindheim. Each one of the films of this franchise has very similar elements that give them the frenetic feel this story demands, but considering that each film was directed and written by the same individuals, it's no surprise that each one of them give that one two punch, including this incarnation. Other than a couple of very small places of choppiness in the story, this script was amazing. This character takes no prisoners, calculates his every move when confronting the bad guys so justice is fully served. If you like this writer's brand of screenwriting, his "Kraven the Hunter" has been completed for a 2023 release.

If you like Washington and even director, Fuqua, you will love this. I do, and so I really liked this, but even if perhaps I didn't, still Washington's acting and Fuqua's directing is spot on. If you'd like to see this film really close, it is presented in an IMAX format as well. 

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

Golda

As this world becomes more turbulent, the more biopics Hollywood seems to produce in record amounts. Certainly the more compelling the biopic, the more interest it seems to carry. "Golda" certainly is a compelling film which is quite the understatement, and with that, gives us a one two punch in the stomach of what Israel must've endured through the Yom Kippur War in 1973. 

"Golda" is a ticking-clock thriller set during the tense 19 days of the Yom Kippur War in 1973. Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir (Helen Mirren), faced with the potential of Israel's complete destruction, must navigate overwhelming odds, a skeptical cabinet, consisting of Moshe Dayan (Rami Heuberger) and David "Dado" Elazar (Lior Ashkenazi), and a complex relationship with US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger (Liev Schreiber), with millions of lives in the balance. Her tough leadership and compassion would ultimately decide the fate of her nation and leave her with a controversial legacy around the world. While she is grasping at all this, she is continually going through cancer treatments, and depends heavily on her personal assistant Lou Kaddar (Camille Cottin). 

Others to round out the cast are Ellie Percy as Shir Shapiro, Rotem Keinan as Zvi Zamir, Dvir Benedek as Eli Zeira, Dominic Mafham as Haim Bar-Leu, Ed Stoppard as Benny Peled and Mark Fleischmann as Minister Uri. 

This was intensely directed by Guy Nattiv ("Strangers" '07, "The Flood" '10, "Magic Men" '14, "Skin" '18) plus shorts. Certainly Mirren is a consummate actor, however, she seemed and looked like she was being raked over the proverbial coals through most of this film, and this is definitely fine and talented directing. Meir's time during this war was certainly not a 'walk in the park' and one could see it evident in Mirren's portrayal, but through the keenness of this filmmaker and obviously Mirren character research made this film incredibly captivating. It was equally well penned by writer Nicholas Martin ("Florence Foster Jenkins" '16) plus TV. Even though this writer has only one feature film to his credit, he still has an exceptional amount of TV experience which, I believe, served him well while writing such an intense, clock-ticking film. I've mentioned repeatedly that even if one doesn't have a myriad of film experience, having that element of TV, shorts, videos, etc, helps tremendously when writing a screenplay for a feature film. Really, other than a couple of very small slow places in script, this screenplay was incredible. And, of course, what can I even say about Helen Mirren? The woman is an acting marvel. Undoubtedly she will receive an Academy Award nomination and could very well take it home. She nailed Meir. Also, Karen Hartley who designed the makeup and hair will probably receive a nod herself. 

If you're into biopics and am a Mirren fan, this is definitely a film you must see, but even not, this is a great history lesson to learn so maybe, just maybe we, as a society, will learn from, so global hatred won't continue. It's a tough watch, but one that probably should be shown in high schools and colleges everywhere. 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                         Rated: PG-13                                              100mins.