In the Land of Saints and Sinners

While man has been on this planet, there have been wars; the farther we progress in time, the more wars ensue. During the 1970's, people had to suffer through the war in the United Kingdom with the Catholics being at odds with the Protestants. This is the backdrop of "In the Land of Saints and Sinners" where a rural small town is terrorized that hasn't been a victim of this war...until now.

Ireland, 1970's. Eager to leave his dark past behind, Finbar Murphy (Liam Neeson) leads a quiet life in the remote coastal town of Glencolmcille, far from the political violence that grips the rest of the country. But when a menacing crew of terrorists arrive, including Curtis June (Desmond Eastwood), Conan McGrath (Conor MacNeill) and Seamus McKenna (Seamus O'Hara), all led by a ruthless woman named Doirean McCann (Kerry Condon), Finbar is drawn into an increasingly vicious game of cat and mouse, forcing him to choose between exposing his secret identity or defending his friends and neighbors. 

Others to round out the cast are Ciaran Hinds as Vincent O'Shea, Jack Gleeson as Kevin Lynch, Colm Meaney as Robert McQue, Niamh Cusack as Rita Quinn, Anne Brogan as Josie McQue and Sarah Greene as Sinead Dougan.

This was directed with such grit and soberness by Robert Lorenz ("Trouble with the Curve" '12, "The Marksman" '21). Even though this filmmaker doesn't have a tremendous amount of experience under his belt, what he has helmed has been quality. The emotions he was able to extract from his actors, whether playing a good or evil role, was astounding. If you can appreciate and respect this director's work, his "Unabomb" is in pre production. It was equally well written by Mark Michael McNally (two shorts) and Terry Loane ("Mickyed and Me" '04, "Living the Dream" '07). Not sure why Loane didn't receive first billing for writing considering he has more of the experience--maybe he wanted to give McNally some help toward future work. If I was to akin this film to any other, it would probably be that of Kenneth Branagh's "Belfast" '21, which involves the same time period about the war in Northern Ireland. The stories were completely different, however, the soberness and photography were similar.  The conciseness, cohesiveness and staging were consummate in this as was the photography by the incomparable Tom Stern afc/asc, who had done a tremendous amount of work for Clint Eastwood. 

Certainly if you are a Neeson fan, you'll love this considering this is, by far, one of his best. Everyone had an Irish brogue in this film, whether they were Irish or not, which gives it that much more of a realistic tone. Neeson, being Irish, had no problem with a brogue. It is an interesting film replete with fine directing, writing, photography and acting.

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                        Rated: R                                              106mins.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

When "Ghostbusters" hit the screen back in 1984, I thought it would be a nice little summer film and that would be the end of it. Wow, I was way off considering "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" was just released today a mere 40 years later. This has been quite the franchise with even this film leaving us with the possibility of yet another installment of the franchise. 

The Spengler family returns to where it all started--the iconic New York City firehouse--to team up with the original ghostbusters, Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd), Peter Venkman (Bill Murray) and Winston Zettemore (Ernie Hudson) who've developed a top-secret research lab to take busting ghosts to the next level. But when the discovery of an ancient artifact unleashes an evil force, Ghostbusters, new, Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd), Trevor Spengler (Finn Wolfhard), Callie Spengler (Carrie Coon), Phoebe Spengler (Mckenna Grace) and old, must join forces to protect their home and save the world from a second Ice Age. 

Others to round out the cast are Annie Potts as Janine Melnitz, Kumail Nanjiani as Nadeem Razmaadi, William Atherton as Mayor Walter Peck, James Acaster as Lars Pinfield, Patton Oswalt as Albert Wartzki, Emily Alyn Lind as Melody, Celeste O'Connor as Lucky and Logan Kim as Podcast. 

This was directed in a similar if not the same vein as the other 'Ghostbuster' films by Gil Kenan ("Monster House" '06, "City of Ember" '08, "Poltergeist" '15, "A Boy Called Christmas" '21) plus TV. It's really sad that Jason Reitman, son of Ivan Reitman, couldn't have directed this installment since he directed the last film, "Ghostbusters: Afterlife". The feel of this film was similar or the same as 'Afterlife" however it had a bit of a time in 'finding' their film. Once they found it, it worked well. It was effectively written by Gil Kenan ("Ghostbusters: Afterlife" '21) and Jason Reitman ("Thank You for Smoking" '05, "Up in the Air" '09, "Labor Day" '13, "Men, Women & Children" '14, "The Front Runner" '18, "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" '21) plus shorts. Overall, this was cleverly written, again in the same vein as the other 'Ghostbusters' films, however it was a bit slow during the first half of the film. But, after the second half started revving up, it, all of a sudden started becoming interesting, and became the film it was attempting to be. It was certainly reminiscent of "Jurassic World: Dominion" in that the franchise combined both new and old cast, but this definitively can't be the only aspect keeping the interest going, although it was fun to see Aykroyd, Murray, Hudson and Potts reprising their iconic roles. Both writers are fine at their craft and it surprises me, especially Reitman, who is usually better at the laptop., wasn't totally on top of his game. Not sure why this wasn't the caliber it could've been. It certainly had an interesting premise, but it wasn't a wash--it simply needed a bit more polish. If these writers are typically ones you like, their "SNL--1975" is in production. 

If you liked the other 'Ghostbusters' films, you'll definitely like this. It had all the ingredients that they all have: action, explosives, humor, great visuals, but it was a bit slow and jumped a little in the first half. The best thing about this was seeing the reprised return of the original cast--what a memorable walk down memory lane. 

Out of 4 Stars: 2.5                                  Rated: PG-13                                    115mins.

One Life

When the world becomes engulfed in a world war, occasionally there are individuals that attempt to right wrongs more than the troops involved. We've seen "Schindler's List", "The Pianist" and the like and walk away with a feeling that there are decent people willing to risk there lives in helping others."One Life" is another one of those films where a civilian risks his life to help children find safety during WWII. 

The true story of Sir Nicholas "Nicky" Winton (Anthony Hopkins), who, when he was younger, was a London broker who, in the months leading up to WWII, rescued 669 predominantly Jewish children from the Nazis. Nicky visited Prague in December 1938 and found families who had fled the rise of the Nazis in Germany and Austria, living in desperate conditions with little or no shelter and food, and under threat of Nazi invasion. he immediately realized it was a race against time. How many children could he and the team, consisting of Doreen Warriner (Romola Garai), Martin Blake (Jonathan Pryce), Trevor Chadwick (Alex Sharp) and his mother, Babi Winton (Helena Bonham Carter), rescue, before the borders Closed? Fifty years later, it's 1988 and Nicky lives haunted by the face of the children he wasn't able to bring to safety in England;always blaming himself for not doing more. It's not until a live BBC television show, "That's Life", surprises him by introducing him to some surviving children--now adults--that he finally begins to come to terms with the guilt and grief he had carried for five decades. 

Others to round out the cast are Johnny Flynn as young Nicky Winton, Lena Olin as Grete Winton, his present wife, Daniel Brown as Frank, Matilda Thorpe as Nina, Jiri Simek as Rudi and Martin Bednar as Vaclav Slonek. 

This was directed with such soberness and sincerity by James Hawes ("The Earth in Balance" (TV movie) '90, "A Line in the Sand" (TV movie) '04, "The Lift" (TV movie) '07, "The 39 Steps" (TV movie) '08, "Pulse" (TV movie) '10, "The Challenger Disaster" (TV movie) '13) plus TV and other TV movies. This filmmaker has learned a tremendous amount by honing his skills in the TV realm, whether shows or movies, so this, being his first feature film, worked amazingly well due to his experience otherwise. He was truly able to showcase Winton's humble character development in spades through the incomparable Anthony Hopkins. And the supporting cast worked effortlessly off of Hopkins which is definitively fine directing. It was written incredibly well by Lucinda Coxon ("Messaggi: quasi segreti" '96, "The Heart of Me" '02, "Wild Target" '10, "The Danish Girl" '15, "The Little Stranger" '18, "Herding Cats" '21) plus TV and a short, and Nick Drake ("Romulus, My Father" '07, "Making Noise Quietly" '19), based on the book by Barbara Winton. This story starts in the present, 1987, and goes back to 1938--pre WWII when Winton is a young man with this passion to save desperate children. Then the story edits back to present again and alternates throughout the story. With the to and fro from present to past and back again, the sequencing, staging and pacing in this was impeccable. The fluidity of this script was spot on, and it is easy for a script that goes back and forth as this did and become convoluted, but this held its own easily. And, of course, Hopkins was awesome in the role of 'present day' Winton, as was the supporting cast. 

If you like films like "Schindler's List" or "The Pianist", you'll love this film. Its sad, heartwarming, sobering, and redemptive. Take note: you might want to bring a half a box of tissue with you to the multiplex for it will assuredly pull your heartstrings. 

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

Arthur the King

Films based on true stories are typically fraught with incredible drama, insight on some interesting characters and all the while learning something by film's end. But with films that are based on an animal like "Arthur the King", it brings the interest quotient to a much higher level since no one can resist a movie about the integrity and loyalty of a dog.

Based on the incredible true story Michael Light (Mark Wahlberg), this film takes us on a thrilling ride as Michael and his team including Leo (Simu Liu), Olivia (Nathalie Emmanuel), and Chik (Ali Suliman), set out to win a 2018 triathlon that will go down in history. However, their journey takes an unexpected turn when they encounter Arthur, a lovable dog who becomes an integral part of their team. The tenaciousness of this dog more than outweighs the odds of what a dog would do to save these people and just to be there with and for them no matter how far they've gone or how treacherous this race becomes. 

Others to round out the cast are Paul Guilfoyle as Charlie Light, Juliet Rylance as Helen, Michael's wife, Rob Collins as Decker Swanson, Bear Grylls as himself, Elizabeth Chahin as Susan, Cece Valentina as Ruby the Light's daughter, Luis del Valle Dominican Republic veterinarian, and Michael Landes as Broadrail executive. 

This was directed with heart and soul by Simon Cellan Jones ("The Big One" (TV movie) '95, "In Your Dreams" (TV movie) '96, "Storm Damage" (TV movie) 2000, "Some Voices" 2000, "The One and Only" '02, "Eroica" (TV movie) '03, "Coup!" (TV movie) '06, "On Expenses" (TV movie) '10, "The Family Plan" '23) plus TV and other TV movies. This filmmaker has the innate ability to place his actors in situations that, do not allow the emotions used as sentimental, but also as maudlin as well. These characters come across as real and in situations that show their hurt and desperation in attempting to correct different situations. It was also written with guts and grit by Michael Brandt ("Invincible" (TV movie) '01, "2 Fast 2 Furious" '03, "Catch That Kid" '04, "3:10 to Yuma"'07, "Wanted" '08, "The Double" '11, "Overdrive" '17) plus TV and a video, based on the book by Mikael Lindnord. While this story was well thought out, concise, cohesive and its story was amazingly fluid, the premise is what made me marvel.This team and the dog went through hell and back on this trek, and this dog being incredibly loyal, simply staggered the brain. This was the quintessential 'stand up and cheer' film.

If you venture out to the multiplex to see this, bring a half box of tissue with you. This definitely tugs at the heartstrings but in a way that is realistic and heartwarming. Michael even mentions that he isn't a dog person and has never had pets in his life, but Arthur knows how to get on anyone's best side. This is a film for the whole family. There were people in the audience that actually cheered at film's end, and that speaks volumes for any movie.

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                     Rated: PG-13                                      107mins.

Cabrini

Many people today know or have visited a Cabrini Hospital somewhere in this world, however this phenomenon didn't happen without many 'storms' in Francesca Cabrini's way--the nun whose only concern was to help the poor and sick, especially children. "Cabrini" is the story of how this one woman, through her faith and perseverance, was able to help those in need. 

This centers around Francesca Cabrini (Cristiana Dell'Anna), an Italian immigrant who arrives in New York City in 1889 and is greeted by disease, crime and impoverished children. Cabrini sets off on a daring mission to convince a skeptical archbishop, Corrigan (David Morse) and subsequently the mayor of New York, Gould (John Lithgow) to secure housing and healthcare for society's most vulnerable. With broken English and poor health, Cabrini uses her entrepreneurial mind to build an empire of hope unlike anything the world had ever seen.

Others to round out the cast are Giancarlo Giannini as Pope Leo XIII, Federico Castelluccio as Senator Bodio, Romana Maggiora Vergano as Vittoria, Patch Darragh as Dr. Murphy, Jeremy Bobb as Theodore Calloway and Katherine Boecher as American nurse #2.

This was directed with amazing pathos and conviction by Alejandro Monteverde ("Bella" '06, "Little Boy" '15, "Sound of Freedom" '23) plus shorts. It is no surprise that this filmmaker was able to pull off the incredible capability on this film, considering how well he helmed "Sound of Freedom". His ability to encourage his actors to emit certain emotions to convey the passion and compassion presented in this film was remarkable. It was equally well penned by writer Rod Barr ("Is That You?" (story) '14, "Sound of Freedom" '23), based on a story by Rod Barr and Alejandro Monteverde.  Again, this film was written with an incredible amount of compassion and intensity just as with "Sound of Freedom", that created an  awe inspiring premise. It was sequenced well and staged and paced with expertise. For the two and a quarter hour running time, it moved right along and kept up with convincing its audience of the sheer importance of protecting and caring for children. Dell'Anna as Cabrini was absolutely amazing as the nun spearheading this cause and could possibly see a nod come Oscar time. If you respect the writing of Rod Barr, his "The Conviction" is in development. 

Certainly if you liked "Sound of Freedom", you'll love this. One doesn't have to be of the Catholic belief to appreciate this story since this is about one woman's crusade in helping the most vulnerable: our children!

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                        Rated: PG-13                                         142mins.

Kung Fu Panda 4

When the first "Kung Fu Panda" film was released back in 2008, little did I realize that 16 years later I would be watching "Kunh Fu Panda 4". Originally, I never really thought it would have caught on, but I was way off. It's entertaining, and well animated with a great cast. Question? Will there be a number 5?

After Po (Jack Black) is tapped to become the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace when confronted by Shifu (Dustin Hoffman), he needs to find and train a new Dragon Warrior, while a wicked scorceress, the Chameleon (Viola Davis) plans to re-summon all the master villains whom Po has vanquished to the spirit realm. Zhen (Awkwafina), a petty street crook befriends Po and, together, they seek out the Chameleon and attempt to combat her. 

Others to round out the cast are Bryan Cranston as Li, James Hong as Mr.Ping, Ian McShane as Tai Lung, Ke Huy Quan as Han, Ronny Chieng as Fish, Lori Tan Chinn as Granny Boar and Seth Rogen as Mantis.

This was helmed with perfection by Mike Mitchell ("Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo" '99, "Surviving Christmas" '04, "Sky High" '05, "Shrek Forever After" '10, "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked" '11, "The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water" (live-action sequence) '15, "Trolls" '16, "The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part" '19) plus TV, videos and shorts and co-directed by Stephanie MaShine (TV). The sequencing, pacing and staging was delivered with such preciseness that one certainly knew that these filmmakers did their homework. It was equally written well by Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger and Darren Lemke. It's no wonder why Universal and Dreamworks decided to produce yet another installment considering how many different directions one could take this story line. As long as Black is willing to keep reprising his Po role, the sky's the limit. Really, the only area up for question is that somewhere about a half hour into the running time, there were a couple of very small places of slowness, but it didn;t last long and then simply soared to a thrilling rest of the film. The animation by Dreamworks Animation never fails to show us what they can do with expertise. 

If you liked the three predecessors of this franchise, you'll love this. It has it all: action, adventure, humor, and fun all rolled up into a film that all the family will delight over. It definitely looks better on the large screen as opposed to a 25 incher, so grab the popcorn and enjoy.

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                         Rated: PG                                         94mins.

Freud's Last Session

Even though this film centers around the meeting of two world renown men, Sigmund Freud and C.S. Lewis, "Freud's Last Session is actually based on a play of the same name. It has been reported that, before Freud passed away, there was a young that visited him before his death, with the assumption that it was C.S. Lewis. 

Set on the eve of WWII in 1939, and towards the end of his life, "Freud's Last Session" sees Sigmund Freud (Anthony Hopkins) invite iconic author C.S. Lewis (Matthew Goode) for a debate over the existence of God. Exploring Freud's unique relationship with his lesbian daughter Anna (Liv Lisa Fries) and Lewis' unconventional romance with his best friend's mother, the film inrerweaves past, present and fantasy, bursting from the confines of Freud's study on a dynamic journey.

Others to round out the cast are Jodi Balfour as Dorothy Burlington, Jeremy Northam as Ernest Jones, Orla Brady as Janie Moore, George Andrew-Clarke as Paddy Moore, Rhys Mannion as C.S. Lewis (age 19), Padraic Delaney as Warren Lewis, Stephen Campbell Moore as J.R.R. Tolkien and Peter Warnock as Dr. Schur. 

This was directed with seriousness and sober-mindedness by Matthew Brown ("Ropewalk" 2000, "The Man Who Knew Infinity" '15). Even though this filmmaker has limited experience behind the camera, his ability to show us the respectful, but strained relationship between these two iconic men was amazing. It would have been easy to show these two at disrespectful odds with each other, but Wood, being a pro, was able to encourage his actors to harness their emotions which made for a much more compelling story. It was effectively written by Mark St. Germain ("Duma" '05, "The God Committee" (based on the play) '21) plus TV and Matthew Brown ("Ropewalk" 2000, "The Man Who Knew Infinity" '15, "London Town" '16) plus TV, based on the play by Mark St. Germain, which is suggested by "The Question of God" by Dr. Armand M. Nicholi Jr. The dialogue between these two was delineated well by these two writers in that the banter was injected at moments that were pivotal. The only flaw in this screenplay is that when each of them were thinking back on their past life experiences, the transition back to the present wasn't as fluid as it could've been, otherwise this script was spot on. And, of course, the performances by both Hopkins and Goode were consummate-seriously doing their homework in conveying and convincing the audience of the validity of the character of these men. 

If you are a history buff, even though this wasn't necessarily based on a true story, it is about two influential people of the 20th century, then this film will be to your liking. If your not into the story necessarily, the acting and directing will carry you from the first frame to the last. 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                       Rated: PG-13                                     108mins.

Dune: Part Two

When "Dune" was released in 1984, I actually wasn't incredibly impressed with it. It was visually stunning for the day which looks great on the large screen, but it was a bit choppy and slow in several spots. Well, later when the remake of "Dune" was released in 2021, visually it improved, however otherwise it was slow and jumped around too much. Well, now we have "Dune: Part Two" and it was a visual feast, but, again, too slow. Is there a pattern here?

This story explores the mythic journey of Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet) as he unites with Chani (Zendaya) and the Fremen, including Stilgar (Javier Bardem) and Gurney Halleck (Josh Brolin) while on a warpath of revenge against the conspirators headed up by Baron Harkonnen (Stellan Scarsgard) who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee. It becomes a balancing act that takes Atreides and stretches him to a breaking point.

Others to round out the cast are Rebecca Ferguson as Jessica, Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha, Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan, Dave Bautista as Beast Rabban, Christopher Walken as Emperor, Lea Seydoux as Lady Margot Fenring, Charlotte Rampling as Reverand Mother Mohiam, Anya Taylor-Joy as Alia Atreides and Souheila Yacoub as Shishakli.

This was directed by formidable filmmaker Denis Villeneuva ("Cosmos" '96, "August 32nd on Earth" '98, "Maelstrom" 2000, "Happiness Bound"'07, "Polytechnique" '09, "Incendies" '10, "Prisoners" '13, "Enemy" '13, "Sicario" '15, "Arrival" '16, "Blade Runner 2049" '17, "Dune" '21) plus shorts and music videos. Villeneuva is one of those directors that produces one film after another with steadiness and methodology.He's reliable and dependable to give us a film that all will love and amazed by. He is a perennial favorite and with his "Dune: Part Three" in development, we will only be the victors of that as well. It was creatively executed by writers Denis Villeneuva ("Cosmos" '96, "August 32nd on Earth" '98, "Maelstrom" 2000, "Polytechnique" '09,"Incendies" '10, "Dune" '21) plus shorts, and Jon Spaihts ("The Darkest Hour" '11, "Prometheus" '12, "Doctor Strange" '16, "Passengers" '16, "The Mummy" '17, "Dune" '21) plus videos, based on the novel by Frank Herbert. While the first third of this film was a bit slow and somewhat disjointed, the last two-thirds, especially the last quarter of this moved right along and became the film it was hoping to be. I'm not sure what happened to these seasoned writers--bad days at the laptop? Not sure, but surely it wasn't a wash. The directing was exemplary as was the photography by Greig Fraser asc/acs. And the visual effects predominantly created by DNEG (Double Negative) and Digital Domain were pivotal to the story. But I had to fight nodding off during the very beginning. I primarily went to see this for the directing and acting (Timothee Chalamet) who I feel is quite the actor considering his age. The last half of the film certainly made up for what the first half lacked. 

If you are a sci-fi or more to the point, a "Dune" aficionado, you will love this, but even if not, the film is presented well and a tribute to Herbert's work. By my surprise, there will be a "Dune: Part Three", as mentioned prior which is in development. When? Not sure, but considering post production on films as this takes a while, it may be end of next year of shortly there after. 

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                           Rated: PG-13                                         165mins.