A Quiet Place: Day One

We are in the throws of the summer film season and as with the other summer seasons, it is fraught with big-budget films that cater to the 18-34 single male demographic, especially since school is out. And with that, we will see franchises, sequels, prequels, remakes, animated flicks to offer us. "A Quiet Place: Day One" is the third installment of the 'Quiet Place' franchise to sink our teeth into--and what a ride!

When New York City comes under attack from an alien invasion, a woman, Sam (Lupita Nyong'o) along with her caregiver, Reuben (Alex Wolff) and subsequent, Eric (Joseph Quinn) attempt to find a way to safety. They soon learn that they must remain absolutely silent as the lethal, mysterious creatures are drawn to the slightest sound and they will kill instantly. Sam is visiting the city from her hospice where she is in the process of dying from a terminal illness. So, as she is trying to keep as comfortable from the pain, she is helping others to reach a place of safety all the while these creatures are waiting for anyone to make a sound. 

Others to round out the cast are Djimon Hounsou as Henri, Jennifer Woodward as Nurse, Elaine Umuhire as Zena, Alexander John as Priest, Alfie Todd as Max and Elijah Ungvary as Frightened Man. 

This was directed by a virtual newcomer to feature films, Michael Sarnoski ("Pig" '21) plus TV and shorts. Certainly his TV and shorts experience has served him well considering how this film simply keeps its audience on the edge of their proverbial seats. Like the original film directed by John Krasinski, which was directed with incredible grit and painstaking suspense, this film must've been influenced by Krasinski since Krasinski was also one of the producers of this film. The actors in this were squarely on edge as to not make a sound, and this is talented directing. He will certainly receive more work. It was intensely written by Michael Sarnoski ("Pig" '21) plus TV and shorts as well, and is based on a story by John Krasinski and Michael Sarnoski, which is based on characters created by Bryan Woods and Scott Beck. Again, even though Sarnoski's lack of experience, he undoubtedly was influenced by Krasinski in the creation of the screenplay. It would've been helpful if we knew when and why these aliens came to this planet--since this is day one. It just seemed that there was relative peace, and all of a sudden, there is amazing mayhem. But, as with the two prior films, I believe that the intent that there be a common thread in each film would help with connecting the characters. Sarnoski has a future in Hollywood for more work. And the visual effects predominantly designed by ILM (Industrial, Light & Magic) were seamless and certainly emphasized the chaotic world these aliens created. 

Certainly if you like this franchise, you'll love this, but even if not, the sheer being kept on the edge of your seat is always fun (once in a while). Will there be a number 4? Possibly, but it is going to have to make a truck load of money in order for that to happen. 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                         Rated: PG-13                                         99mins.

I Am: Celine Dion

One of my favorite genres happens to be documentaries since there is always something one can learn from. "Life Itself", "Murderball", "Supersize Me", "Fed Up", "The Corporation" to name a handful of past documentaries come to mind, but "I Am: Celine Dion" has got to be one of the most sobering ones I have seen in years. 

"I Am: Celine Dion" gives us a raw and honest behind-the-scenes look at the iconic superstar struggle with the life-altering rare neurological disease Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS) which affects the nervous system and the muscular system and affects one out of a million people. Serving as a love letter to her fans, this inspirational documentary highlights the music that has guided her life while also showcasing the resilience of the human spirit. 

This film was directed with compassion, passion and grit by Academy Award winner Irene Taylor ("Hear and Now" '07, "Beware the Slenderman" '16, "Moonlight Sonata: Deafness in Three Movements" '19, "Leave No Trace" '22, "Trees, and Other Entanglements" '23) plus shorts. This was an exhausting, powerful and gripping film that Taylor simply captured with such pathos and compassion without pity. She shows how, through Dion's support, i.e. her twin sons, her Physical Therapist, her managers and other family members and associates, how she traverses herself from day to day to overcome this hideous illness. It's such an incredible talent that Taylor has in editing with an amazing connection between Dion's personal and professional life all the while attempting to improve herself so as to rid of SPS. The poignancy of the sequencing of the film was captivating and, at some places, a tough watch. I can't imagine any other director being able to showcase Dion through this process as well as she did. What a trooper Celine Dion is by going through all she has and continues to do. 

Kudos to Celine with her honesty with her fans and to her family, friends and associates for being there every step of the way and will continue to do so. Unfortunately, this was only a one weekend release in the theaters, however, since it was released by Amazon Studios/MGM, it will probably stream on Amazon or even Netflix soon. I recommend this film for all to see. Talk about learning something from documentaries. This will undoubtedly be nominated for an Academy Award for best Documentary come that time. 

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                      Rated: PG                                          103mins.

The Bikeriders

Hollywood has produced many biker type films throughout the years--with certain introductions of iconic actors to this particular genre: Brando, Eastwood, Nicholson, Hopper. Well, with "The Bikeriders", Tom Hardy and Austin Butler are seen in this type of genre and they play it off well. Even though this film had a few production issues which is the reason why the release was pushed back, it has finally made it to the multiplex, and certainly worth the wait. 

This film captures a rebellious time in America--the middle to end of the 1960's--when the culture and people were changing. After a chance encounter at a local bar, strong-willed Kathy (Jodie Comer) is inextricably drawn to Benny (Austin Butler), the newest member of Midwestern motorcycle club, the Vandals led by the enigmatic Johnny (Tom Hardy). Much like the country around it, the club begins to evolve, transforming from a gathering place for local outsiders into a dangerous underworld of violence, forcing Benny to choose between Kathy and his loyalty to the club. This film involves a photographer/journalist, Danny (Mike Faist) interviewing Kathy with the story becoming a flashback. 

Others to round out the cast are Michael Shannon as Zipco, Boyd Holbrook as Cal, Norman Reedus as Funny Sonny, Damen Herriman as Brucie, Beau Knapp as Wahoo, Emory Cohen as Cockroach, Karl Glusman as Corky, Toby Wallace as The Kid and Happy Anderson as Big Jack. 

This was directed with grit amongst the rawness of the story by Jeff Nichols ("Shotgun Stories" '07, "Take Shelter" '11, "Mud" '12,"Midnight Special" '16, "Loving" '16) plus a music video and a podcast series. This filmmaker hasn't produced a huge quantity of work, however, it's really all about quality which Nichols has proved--if you question his ability, watch the film "Mud"--which he also wrote--and this will prove his ability. The nuances he displayed when it came to the interaction of his actors was amazing. His eye for detail was stunning. It was also written with painstaking clarity by Nichols (See above resume) plus a short, inspired by the book "The Bikeriders" by Danny Lyon. I'm not sure how the book was written, but Nichols' retelling of the trials and tribulations of the lives of these men was, in several sections of the story, chilling. But, even with the aggressiveness of these guys, the film still showed their vulnerable side so as to relay to us that they still possessed weaknesses in which were covered up often behind their bravado. Being set in predominantly the 60's, it did amaze me how much people did smoke then, but this was a gang. Although looking back to that time, my being in my 70's, I can remember that the public did smoke quite abundantly. And since this is a rough and tumble gang, the expletives are aplenty--you've been warned. I certainly can respect Nichols' directing the work he writes, since it can produce a much better and cleaner screenplay. All three stars--Comer, Butler and Hardy were amazing in their respective roles and could possibly see Oscar nods come that time. 

If you like films such as "On the Waterfront", "Five Easy Pieces" even "The Outsiders" (this being a 'juiced up version of that film), then you certainly will revel with this. Even if you don't, the quality writing and directing would woo one into the theater. This is a tough film to watch at times, but we are talking about a lifestyle of violence and poor outcomes of situations. 

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

Inside Out 2

When "Inside Out" was released back in 2015, it was considered a cutting edge animated film whereas it dealt with the different emotions of a small child, Riley. Well, a mere nine years later, and we have "Inside Out 2", whereas Riley is now a teenager with a whole group of new emotions to contend with.

This story returns to the mind of newly minted teenager Riley (Kensington Tallman) just as Headquarters is undergoing a sudden demolition to make room for something entirely unexpected: new emotions! Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Anger (Lewis Black), Fear (Tony Hale) and Disgust (Liza Lapira), who've been running a successful operation by all accounts, aren't sure how to feel when Anxiety (Maya Hawke) shows up. And it looks like she's not alone. 

Others to round out the cast are Ayo Edebiri as Envy, Diane Lane as Mom, Kyle MacLachlan as Dad, Paul Walter Hauser as Embarrassment, Yvette Nicole Brown as Coach Roberts, Grace Lu as Grace, Lilimar as Valentina, James Austin Johnson as Pouchy and Ron Funches as Bloofy.

For a filmmaker having only TV and a short as their only directing experience, this was directed with wit and sequenced well by Kelsey Mann (TV and a short). Even though the original was directed by others, this still had a similar feel as with the original. Of course, having Amy Poehling, Lewis Black, Phyllis Smith, Diane Lane and Kyle MacLachlan reprising their respective roles certainly didn't hurt. This filmmaker, whose done a fair amount of writing has definitely found his niche with directing, and will assuredly receive more work in this capacity. It was cleverly written by Meg LeFauve ("Inside Out" '15, "The Good Dinosaur" '15, "Captain Marvel" (story) '19, "My Father's Dragon" '22) plus TV and Dave Holstein (TV and shorts), based on a story by Kelsey Mann and Meg LeFauve. It was similar to its original film, however since this is basically a continuation of Riley, now being a teenager, it should be similar. I had heard that Pixar, who made the film, reached out to psychologists and others in the mental health field to find out more about the emotions we, as humans, carry. They apparently wanted that element of realism, so, my guess, the same professionals must've been interviewed for similar reasons for this film. The sequencing, staging and pacing was spot on, as was the cohesiveness. It is so relieving to see that Pixar didn't attempt to add any hidden messages of their personal ideology into the script, and decided to let this be a totally fun flick like the good 'ol days. Hopefully they've learned their lesson. Just entertain us! 

Certainly if you liked the original "Inside Out", you'll love this next installment. All the characters were incredible, but Anziety and Pouchy were a hoot. Hopefully we'll see more Pixar films like they used to be: non-woke. If you like that up, close and personal feel, this is presented in an IMAX format as well. Have fun, I know I did!

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                    Rated: PG                                         96mins.

Ezra

We've seen many films about an individual's affliction, whether it be based on a true story or pure fiction, and it can be an adult or a child, but through the film, the 'healthiest' one in the film is usually the one afflicted. Such is the case of "Ezra", about an autistic boy where his family definitely puts the 'D' in dysfunction. 

Stand-up comedian Max Bernal (Bobby Cannavale) struggles to co-parent with his ex-wife Jenna (Rose Byrne) to raise their autistic son, Ezra (William A. Fitzgerald). Forced to confront difficult decisions about the boy's future, Max and Ezra embark on a cross-country road trip that has a transcendent impact on both of their lives. Through the trek, Max has constant contact with his dad, Stan (Robert De Niro) about what difficulties he's having, whereas Stan tries to convince his son to give himself up after Max has been charged with kidnapping Ezra even though Max is his dad. From there all hell breaks loose. 

Others to round out the cast are Vera Farmiga as Grace, Whoopi Goldberg as Jayne, Max's manager, Rainn Wilson as Nick, Tony Goldwyn as Bruce, Geoffrey Owens as Robert Segal and Alex Plank as Dr. Kaplan. 

Considering his extensive experience as an actor, this was effectively directed by Tony Goldwyn ("A Walk on the Moon" '99, "Someone Like You" '01, "The Last Kiss" '06, "Alibi" (TV movie) '07, "Conviction" '10, "Philly Lawyer" (TV movie) '12) plus TV and a short. Like with other actors that have crossed over to the directing realm, Goldwyn has done the same, and has done so with relative ease. Maybe because he is an actor so as to realize what it takes to direct with effectiveness--not sure, but others such as Clint Eastwood, Bradley Cooper, George Clooney, John Krasinski and the like have made that change and have succeeded with aplomb. It was executed well by writer Tony Spiridakis ("Queens Logic" '91, "The Last Word" '95, "If Lucy Fell" (story) '96, "Dante and the Debudante" '96, "Tinseltown" '97, "Driving to Ground Zero" '02, "Ash Wednesday" '03) plus TV and shorts. The premise of this film was certainly meaty and contained an abundance of interesting fodder in which to extract from, however as the film started, it took way too long for them to give us that film they were attempting to give us. There was a bit of meandering and choppiness, but after approximately a third of the film, it slowly started to pick up ultimately became the film that I was certainly looking for. This writer is fairly seasoned, but I'm not sure what happened--bad day at the laptop? Cannavale as Max was simply perfect playing the dysfunctional dad to Ezra and could possibly receive an Oscar nod at that time. 

If you like films about the trials and tribulations of chronic diseases and the reactions and ramifications of them, this is the film for you. If you see this, it will be for the desperate, loving, dysfunctional character of Max that Bobby Cannavale pulls off in spades. It was riveting, as was Fitzgerald as Ezra being the autistic.

Out of 4 Stars: 2.5                                      Rated: R                                        101mins.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die

The summer film season is fraught with big-budget films, franchises, sequels, prequels, remakes, reboots, animated flicks and the like. So, as Hollywood is perennially predictable, we have the third installment of the 'Bad Boys' franchise appropriately titled "Bad Boys: Ride or Die" There will be other franchises, remakes, etc down the road assuredly.

When their late police captain, Capt. Howard (Joe Pantoliano) gets linked to drug cartels, wisecracking Miami cops Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) embark on a dangerous mission to clear his name. What makes it quite the challenge is that much of the involvement happens to be coming from the inside of the police department. A cat and mouse game starts ensuing where the 'bad boys' begin to question everyone, with the exception of those who assist them: Kelly (Vanessa Hudgens), Dorn (Alexander Ludwig), Armando (Jacob Scipio) and Rita (Paola Nunez). 

Others to round out the cast are Eric Dane as James McGrath, Ioan Gruffudd as Lookwood, Tiffany Haddish as Tabitha, Rhea Seehorn as Judy, Tasha Smith as Theresa and John Salley as Fletcher.

This was directed with tenacity and grit by Adil (El Arbi) and Bilall (Fallah) ("Image" '14, "Black" '15, "Scalped" (TV movie)'17, "Gansta" '18, "Bad Boys for Life" '20, "Rebel" '22) plus TV, shorts and videos. These two directors are a directing team working on the same projects simultaneously. Certainly directing "Bad Boys for Life" helped in directing this installment which gives a smoother transition from that film to this. His ability to create a humorous and 'male bonding' situation is refreshing to this genre. The last franchise that obtained this comaraderie was the "Lethal Weapon" one which was decades ago. It was penned by fairly to highly seasoned writers Chris Remner ("Bad Boys for Life" '20, "The Man from Toronto" '22) plus a video and Will Beall "Gangster Squad" '13, "Aquaman" '18, "Zack Snyder's Justice League" (story) '21) plus TV and a video, based on characters created by George Gallo. As with most films that develop into franchises, whereas most of the original films are typically the best, this installment of the 'Bad Boys' franchise is definitely not as fresh as its predecessors. This film started out exciting and challenging, but as it progressed, it slowed down and ended up a bit confusing and choppy. Then, after about two-thirds of the way through, it actually picked up again and started to become the film it was looking to be. It was well shot by cinematographer Robrecht Heyvaert using slanted angle filming to indicate confusion and peril which made for an interesting effect. 

For a franchise that's been around for 29 years and only 3 films during that time, at least they wait a while so it almost seems like one is seeing a new film--that's almost a film every 5 years. And if you like this kind of fare, this is the film for you--its demographic for viewership is basically the 18-34 single male; get them in those theater seats. Ca-ching! If you like the up, close and personal look, this is presented in an IMAX format as well. 

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                       Rated: R                                     115mins.