Carey Mulligan might just be the most underappreciated actress working today. If you can find another one, let me know.  I will wait here.  She continues to pump out quality work in films that nobody really talks about.  Films like Wildlife, Mudbound, Suffragette and Shame come to mind.

 

In Promising Young Woman she literally commands your attention as Cassie, a woman looking to get even at men who prey on women. It becomes clear early on that her motivations for her actions are very personal in nature.

 

Promising Young Woman is a very different kind of revenge film and if you saw the trailer, you might be expecting something completely different.  In short, this is not Kill Bill, so don’t go in expecting some kind of killing spree.  Cassie’s way too clever for that. The film does a great job of showing how a traumatic event can literally consume someone’s life.

 

The end of the film is sure to polarize many people, but I thought it was deliciously perfect.

First Cow is one of those films you really have to stick with.  It’s a slow burn, especially in the beginning, but it might just be one of the better payoffs of the year.

 

First Cow follows Cookie, a cook who joins up with a group of trappers as they travel West in the New World.  In his travels, Cookie meets a Chinese immigrant named King Lu. What follows is a gentle, beautiful tale about male friendship and finding someone to share in your aspirations with.  It’s also a film about the passions of cooking!

 

Cookie and King Lu soon start a business selling a fried treat, which the locals love. Unfortunately, the means at which the two men are procuring their main ingredient soon sets a series of events in motion that threaten their way of life.  For those patient enough to give First Cow a shot, you will be rewarded.

If Rear Window and Misery had a baby it would be Run.  Relative newcomer Kiera Allen plays Chloe, a teenager who is being held captive in her home by her overbearing mother played by Sarah Paulson.

 

Allen gives a really strong, brave performance, enhanced by the fact that she is confined to a wheelchair in real life. Paulson is great here as well, which is not surprising considering I’m not sure there’s an actress working right now that plays unhinged better than Paulson.  She’s perfect as a mother who will stop at nothing to keep her daughter safe.

 

Run is directed by Aneesh Chaganty, who directed the surprisingly great 2018 film Searching.  If you haven’t seen that one yet, definitely check it out.

Mind. Blown.

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Not only is Tenet a one-of-a-kind movie experience, but it will always be remembered as the first film I saw in a movie theater since March.

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I had goosebumps walking into the building, goosebumps walking into the theater, goosebumps when the trailers started. When the Warner Bros logo came up. Guess what? More goosebumps. It was amazing and at that point, it didn't matter what film I was seeing. It was just going to be special no matter what.

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That being said, my, oh my what a film. Tenet is the kind of film that needs to be seen a second time and the film begs for that. Honestly, Christopher Nolan is operating on another level right now. For a mainstream audience to be graced with a concept like that on the big screen is simply unheard of.

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I'm not going to go into too much detail about the film. The best way to go into a film like this is knowing as little as possible. I will say that as long as you get the gist of the concept, you won't have any problem enjoying the film. Now, if you really want to "get" the full concept, that is going to require multiple viewings.

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I do have a few issues. One is kind of a big one that seems to plague some Nolan films and that's the fact that the dialogue can be hard to understand sometimes. I did see it in IMAX so the sound was crazy loud. Speaking of sound, Ludwig Göransson (Black Panther, Creed) does a phenomenal job of standing in for Hans Zimmer. What Ludwig Göransson has done in Tenet is nothing short of phenomenal. You have to really pay attention too because at some points he's playing certain parts of the score in reverse. It's a soundtrack like nothing I've ever heard.

 

My other issue is that the main character isn't really fleshed out too much. He's not even given a name, just going by Protagonist.

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For me, this was the perfect film to return to theaters to see. Tenet is why we go to the movies. Tenet is why I love film. Period.

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I feel like The Old Guard is a poster child for quarantine films. Many of these films (See Project Power) include big stars and tons of action but are ultimately forgettable. Sure, they are enjoyable for a night at home when you're looking for something to watch, but it's not exactly something you would have been thrilled to see exiting a theater.

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I love Charlize Theron, but she's completely mailing this one in. There are some cool gunplay scenes here, but nothing we haven't seen in the John Wick films or the fantastic Netflix film Extraction that was released earlier this year. In fact, we've seen Charlize Theron kick this much ass recently in Atomic Blonde.

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The Old Guard has an intriguing premise and it's well-made, but it's not something you're going to think a lot about once the credits roll.

When I saw the first trailer for Antebellum, it instantly became one of my most anticipated films of the year. Unfortunately, Antebellum is the kind of film that really bothers me. It had tons of potential and a really clever premise that was executed so poorly. First, before I get to spoilers, Antebellum has maybe the most misleading trailers you will ever see. They billed it as some kind of supernatural horror film and let it be known it is NOT a horror film. It's a thriller - barely.

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The film we should have gotten was a film about a modern, educated, successful black woman who is forced to be a slave and stripped of her humanity. That's an interesting film. Seeing someone come to terms with that and then overcome it.

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We never see that. When we meet Veronica, she's already been at the plantation for months and has already acclimated to life as a slave. Not seeing that character arc left me feeling cheated. That's a better movie. Then the film grinds to a screeching halt in the second act. We linger far too long in her "present" day life. When the film picks back up in the 3rd act, it has trouble finding its bearings. On top of that, the twist falls flat for me. It's too basic and it's been done before. The Village anyone?

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In the end, we get a beautiful looking film derailed by poor plotting, a generic twist and a trailer that did the film no favors. A waste of potential in my books.

One of my favorite kinds of films is when normal people find themselves in abnormal situations and continue to make poor choices, digging themselves deeper into trouble. A Simple Plan is one of my favorite films of that kind.

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Blow the Man Down deals with that premise and has received quite a few positive reviews. Unfortunately, it wasn't exactly what I was hoping for. The film follows sisters trying to cover-up a gruesome murder. Unfortunately, they take a back seat for much of the film and we really don't see them in a lot of peril throughout. Instead, the film decides to dive into the dealings of a group of women in town who have their own secrets to hide. In many ways, that story thread felt like a separate film.

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I probably would have graded this two stars if the film wasn't saved by a very solid ending.

Good thing I didn't catch this one in theaters because I might have just taken the film's title up on that offer. There's something missing with this one that I still can't quite put my finger on.

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Kevin Bacon is doing a nice job, but he's not given a lot to work with. The big reveal of the film falls flat for me. There was a lot of potential here, but the fact is I've seen similar films do it way better.

The Handmaiden is a delightfully intricate film meticulously weaved together by a director working at the pinnacle of his craft. It's a visually stunning film as well.

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​I didn't think it was possible for director Chan-wook Park to top Oldboy, but he has created a masterpiece with The Handmaiden.  The film is a perfect companion piece with fellow legendary Korean director's Oscar-winning film Parasite.

Before 2020 was turned upside down by the Coronavirus, Palm Springs took the Sundance Film Festival by storm in January, breaking the festival's record for the biggest sale ever made. It's easy to see why.

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Not only is Palm Springs one of the best films to be released in a very atypical year for film, but it might just be the perfect quarantine movie. Andy Samberg plays Nyles, who happens to find himself stuck living the same day over and over again as the guest at a wedding. Much like many of us who have been confined to our homes for the past four months, Nyles feels as if every day is the same and nothing seems to matter anymore.

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If you have seen Groundhog Day, then you can kind of get a sense of what Palm Springs is trying to do. The main difference between Groundhog Day and Palm Springs is that in Groundhog Day, Bill Murray was the only one who was aware that he was living the same day over and over again. In Palm Springs, Nyles is able to share what's going on with Sarah, played by Cristin Milioti. Sarah also happens to be the sister of the bride and comes with a lot of baggage that is slowly unpacked as the film progresses.

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It's not until Sarah is privy to what is going on that Nyles is able to find purpose instead of aimlessly navigating through the same day with only himself in on the secret. Soon, Nyles and Sarah are having fun and doing wacky things to pass the time. They approach each day with a carefree nature, no longer burdened by the worry of the results of their actions because, after all, the day is going to reset anyway. This is where some of the more fun moments of the film can be found.

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Like Groundhog Day, Palm Springs asks the question of how one would choose to live their life without the worry of consequences. It also asks the question of what fun would it be living the same day over and over if you didn't have someone to share it with?

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Palm Springs takes a Sci-fi narrative and has a lot of fun with it, but there's also tons of heart and thought-provoking moments as well. It's one of the more enjoyable films I've seen in a while and a must-watch if you're stuck in your house looking for things to watch. It's streaming on Hulu.

1917 is directed by Sam Mendes, whose last two films have been Bond films (Skyfall and Spectre).  Mendes decided to move away from the Bond franchise and direct a film inspired by stories his grandfather used to tell him when he was growing up.

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Most of the attention 1917 has garnered revolves around the fact that the film appears to be shot in one long take.  Of course, that's not exactly true.  Many scenes were shot in one take, but the scenes were actually stitched together using camera techniques and CGI.

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It would be easy to brush the decision off as a gimmick, but 1917 is much more than a prop for a director wanting to show off.  The film seemingly being shot in one take really adds to the intensity of the experience.  Also, the audience is essentially the camera.  We follow the soldiers from behind, we rotate and watch as they approach us, we duck for cover in bunkers with them.  We are essentially the third soldier on the mission.  A cheap gimmick it is not.

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The other star of the film is easily cinematographer Roger Deakins, who happens to be the greatest cinematographer who ever lived.  I'm not sure how he did it by using natural light and having the camera constantly on the move, but it's an utter accomplishment like nothing I've ever seen.

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Many have been comparing 1917 to Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk.  Truth be told, both films are very different outside of the fact they are both war films.  Dunkirk is very light on characterization.  That's the entire point of the film, to show war through the eyes of anonymous soldiers that could be anyone. Dunkirk also plays with time as it unfolds and can be a little tricky to follow.  1917 is the opposite.  It doesn't play with time at all because it's literally supposed to appear as if it's unfolding in real-time.  We also get a little more characterization in 1917.

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This is one of those films that needs to be seen on the big screen if possible.  1917 pushes the boundaries of filmmaking and has me excited about what is possible in the coming decades.

In the years following Frozen's release, it has kind of become a bit of a punchline.  I'm sure the constant rotation of the song "Let it Go" has something to do with that.  That being said, Frozen is a really good animated film with memorable characters, well-made songs and a strong theme of sisterhood.  The film also made lots and lots of money, which is how we got here.

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Like many sequels, Frozen II suffers from the fact that the first film was concluded pretty well.  The story in Frozen II seems forced and unnecessary.  While it's an enjoyable film, it fails to capture the magic of the original.  Ultimately, Frozen II is somewhat forgettable.

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The highlight of the film is Olaf's summary of the first film which was pretty great.  I'm sure there will be a third installment, I'm just hoping the story is a little stronger. 

Under the Silver Lake is one of those odd films that is destined to divide people. I remember the film landing on my radar a few years ago because it was directed by David Robert Mitchell, who directed It Follows. I really enjoyed It Follows and was really interested to see what Mitchell would do for a follow-up. Then the film got pushed to 2019 and soon got completely buried. A24 essentially sent it straight to streaming.

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I quite enjoyed Under the Silver Lake, but I can see why it gets so much hate. It's not the kind of film I could recommend just because of the non-linear fashion in which the narrative unfolds. Andrew Garfield gives a strong performance here and is the highlight of the film for me. Under the Silver Lake kind of has a Big Lebowski vibe in the sense that it tends to meander. It also has a noir feel to it. The film has a lot to say about Hollywood, pop culture and the affect it has on the people we become. It also deals with the timely theme of how women have been overly sexualized and objectified by TV, movies and advertising.

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If you're in the mood for something a little (lot) different, then give this one a shot. If not, steer clear.

It's a shame the studio didn't get behind Just Mercy more for an awards run. Michael B. Jordan and especially Jamie Foxx (who is nominated for a Screen Actor's Guild award) are more than deserving. Instead, the film got lost in the shuffle of all the other awards fare that is released late in the year, not to mention all the big-budget films.

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Just Mercy tells the incredible true story of a young civil rights defense attorney who works to free a wrongly condemned death row prisoner. As you would expect from such a film, Just Mercy shines a light on the injustices of the African American population that lives in the deep south. What makes the film even more powerful is knowing that we haven't exactly come very far in many regards when it comes to how minorities are treated in our justice system.

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Michael B. Jordan continues to impress me as an actor. He's making some really good choices right now and is actually one of the producers for the film. Now that it's January and you've already seen Frozen and Star Wars, stop by your local theater and support Just Mercy.

Sound of Metal was originally titled Metalhead and was supposed to be directed by Derek Cianfrance, who directed Blue Valentine and The Place Beyond the Pines.  Instead he handed it off to first time director Darius Marder who wrote Pines.  You would never think that Sound of Metal is an effort from a first time director.  The film is crafted with such care and love.

 

Many might dismiss Sound of Metal as some kind of heavy metal film, which would be an unfortunate mistake.  The film revolves around Ruben, played by Riz Ahmed who gives one of the finest performances of the year, as a drummer who is losing his hearing. What follows is a powerful journey of someone coming to terms with their disability.  The film also shows Ruben as he learns to live with the fact that he may not be able to perform music again, something he’s so passionate about.

 

Sound of Metal includes a scene at a playground with Ruben and a young deaf boy that is easily one of the most beautiful scenes of the year.

What an interesting premise. I really loved the trailer that made Fatman look like the film was essentially going to be Santa Wick.

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Alas, it's hardly the action flick we were lead to believe we were getting. My other issue with the film is that it never truly commits to taking itself seriously and it never really leans into the cheese. For a film like this, you have to choose one of those.

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In the end, I applaud them for trying to do something different.

I love a good courtroom drama, especially when it’s directed by Aaron Sorkin, the man who wrote my favorite courtroom film and maybe the greatest courtroom drama of all-time, A Few Good Men.

 

Chicago 7 is Sorkin’s follow-up to the fantastic Molly’s Game.  Here, Sorkin is again dealing with a real-life event, the trying of a group of peaceful protesters at the 1968 Democratic National Convention, which turned into a violent clash with police.

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The film features a fantastic ensemble cast, highlighted by Sasha Baron Cohen, who proves how talented of an actor he really is. The Trial of the Chicago 7 is also a very timely film and shows how different the judicial system can be when the color of your skin is not white.

Man, Netflix has been pumping out some dark stuff recently with I'm Thinking of Ending Things and now The Devil All the Time. If you're looking for something light then look elsewhere because you'd have to use a magnifying glass to find something good that happens in the entire film.

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The Devil All the Time features an impressive collection of Hollywood talent including Tom Holland, Bill Skarsgård, Riley Keough, Eliza Scanlen, Mia Wasikowska, Sebastian Stan, Jason Clarke, Haley Bennett. Maybe the highlight of the film for me is a deranged, electric performance from one of my favorite actors working today in Robert Pattinson.

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The Devil All the Time features intersecting storylines that span a generation. The film introduces some characters that seem out of place, but it pays off in the end as all the threads get tied together.

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For some, The Devil All the Time is going to test the patience of the viewer. Those that are patient will find an intriguing story about destiny and how lives can intersect and intertwine. Another major theme is religion and how it can be used to poison and twist those who believe.

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The film is directed by Antonio Campos and it's the first film of his that I've seen. I think he shows quite a bit of potential here.

Unhinged is a film that I will remember for the rest of my life, not because it's an outstanding achievement in filmmaking, but because it's the first newly released 2020 film I had seen outside of my house since early March.

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That's not to say Unhinged is bad, it's actually quite entertaining. The film doesn't let up for a second and is able to command your attention during a very swift hour and 30 minutes.

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Unhinged really leans into its B-Movie plot and Russell Crowe is chewing a lot of scenery here. Speaking of chewing, Crowe has also been doing a lot of chewing of food. He's now doing his best Orson Welles impression.

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My main issue with the film is that it's plagued by the main character making illogical decisions. It was nice seeing something new though.

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Either way, it was great seeing something new outside on a cool summer night at the drive-in.

After consulting my list, I had to actually look this one up because I had no recollection of what Desperados was. I was like, I don't remember watching a Western this year.

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The last 6 months have been filled with fun, yet forgettable films like Desperados. I'm a fan of Nasim Pedrad, so it's nice to see her star in a lead role. Desperados isn't reinventing the wheel when it comes to romantic comedies, but it's enjoyable enough.

Chloe Coleman. Remember the name. This talented young actress is going to be a megastar. Mark it down.

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In My Spy, Dave Bautista is trying to do his best Rock impression by getting into the family comedy genre. You've seen films like My Spy a million times before, so there's nothing here that's going to surprise you, but the chemistry between Coleman and Bautista is really amazing.

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The virus was stressful, so a film like My Spy was just what the doctor ordered.

The premise of American Pickle is just ridiculous, but you're really not supposed to take things too seriously. That being said, the film is way more serious than you would think from a Seth Rogen vehicle.

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We have seen fish-out-of-water films many times before and we all know the tropes that go along with them, but I thought An American Pickle was really light on those kinds of jokes. Yes, you get some of your standard jokes about marveling at technology, but I was expecting a bit more of that.

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My main issue with the film is that for most of the film the two relatives are adversaries and not allies. I would have liked to see them work together more instead of seeing them at each other's throats.

It's a huge red flag when a Tom Hanks war movie gets delayed BEFORE the virus. Then to see it get edited down to an hour and 30 minutes, you knew something was wrong. Yikes. The film has zero characterization. (Tom Hanks keeps getting served food. He sharpens his pencil). You can't tell the difference between any other characters and that includes the fantastic Stephen Graham.

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The film is a constant barrage of torpedos, bullets and bombs. The only problem is the action is repetitive. Each action scene feels the same. The only difference is maybe it takes place at night. Even in the most hectic action films, you need those scenes where the characters just talk. There's very little of that before the boat is being pounded by artillery once again.

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Tom Hanks wrote the screenplay for Greyhound. My guess is his screenplay included a lot more dialogue and the studio was like, "No, no, no. More bullets, less talky, talky." Not even Tom Hanks can keep this one afloat.

Once upon a time, the year started with the surprisingly awesome Invisible Man being released in February, a time of the year that is usually a movie wasteland.  It hinted at a year with so much potential for amazing cinema.  So much for that.

 

Either way, The Invisible Man remained one of the biggest must-watch films of the year.  It’s expertly crafted by director Leigh Whannell, who is now a director to keep an eye on after this effort and 2018’s Upgrade.

 

Elisabeth Moss gives a powerful performance as Cecilia, a woman trapped in a toxic relationship.  The film might be one of the better depictions of what it’s like to be in an abusive relationship. The Invisible Man also features the most shocking scene in a film I saw all year.

Early in the film, the rebellious Amy March, played by breakout star Florence Pugh, tells Timothée Chalamet's Laurie, "I would be respected if I couldn't be loved."

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This statement perfectly encapsulates my feelings about the film. While I didn't love Little Women, I truly respect it on many levels. Greta Gerwig directs the film and its cast of young stars (not to mention Meryl Streep) that belies her years in the directing game. The acting is some of the best you will find in a film all year. Saoirse Ronan continues to pump out great performances, nabbing her 4th Oscar nomination at the age of 25. Florence Pugh had a fantastic 2019 with Fighting with My Family and Midsommar. Although she is nominated for her fine performance in Little Women, it's her career-defining performance in Midsommar that she should have been honored for.

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Rounding out the cast is Emma Watson and relative newcomer Eliza Scanlen, a young actress to keep an eye on. Timothée Chalamet also gives another strong performance, something that is becoming a pattern for him.

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Where the film will falter for some is the non-linear way in which Gerwig decides to tell the story, which might turn off some purists.

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I've never read the book or have seen any of the other films, so I don't have anything to compare it to, but I quite enjoyed the experience.

When Bad Boys came out in 1995, it really spoke to my teenage self. There were tons of explosions, gunfights and a lot of laughs.  It was Michael Bay at the full extent of his powers.  In a very atypical move for Hollywood, the sequel didn't come out until 8 years later.  It was average at best and threw the franchise into hibernation for almost 2 decades.

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The franchise almost got rebooted on multiple occasions and the entire time I questioned the need for another Bad Boys film.  Well, I was wrong.  Bad Boys for Life is better than it has any right to be.

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Will Smith proves that he's still a bankable movie star after an up and down summer with his role as Genie (where he gave a solid performance) in Aladdin and the box office bomb Gemini Man.  They were also able to dust Martin Lawrence off and although he looks a little puffier, he and Smith have great on-screen chemistry.

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One of the best aspects of the success of the John Wick franchise is that we are starting to get better action films in the sense of how they are being shot and edited.  I'm hoping the trend of the really quick cuts is finally dead.

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Bad Boys for Life has become a box office hit and I'd be more than happy with another installment.  They might not want to wait another 17 years though.

In 2014, Jennifer Kent made the transition from character TV actress to director of a feature-length film. That film was The Babadook, not only one of the best horror films of the decade but one of the very best films of the decade period. The film was showered with critical praise and landed Kent on the shortlist of "it" directors. Then... nothing.

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Kent could have easily jumped at the first studio horror film or blockbuster that came her way. Instead, she decided to write and direct The Nightingale about a young Irish convict woman named Clare who is hell-bent on revenge for a terrible act of violence committed against her family.

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What follows is one of the most brutal and unflinching films I've ever seen. There were some reports that during its festival run, there were counselors present for audience members after they left the theater. If hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, then you don't even want to know what happens to a woman that is way more than scorned.

 

What makes The Nightingale stand out from other revenge films is how we see how the main character's actions affect her. No matter how vengeful Clare is, it doesn't make her feel any better once she gets her revenge. I really appreciated the climax of the film because it didn't go where I thought it was going to go.

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The other major theme in The Nightingale is race. Throughout the film, we see how the British Troops treat the Aboriginal population. Those aspects of the film might feel heavy-handed, but I couldn't help but think that the way the aboriginals were treated was probably even more brutal than depicted in the film. Jennifer Kent is a really talented filmmaker and if it takes her 4 years to make her next film, I will be patient.

Uncle Frank is easily the most heart-warming film of the year for me. It tells the story of Beth, played beautifully by Sophia Lillis, as a teenager from South Carolina who heads north to attend NYU in the year 1973.  New York is also where her Uncle Frank (Paul Bettany) is a professor.  Both Beth and Frank have fled South Carolina where they grew up, a place they never fit in. Beth because of her extraordinary brilliance and Frank because of his homosexuality, a secret he has kept from his strict, religious family.

 

When the family patriarch passes away, Beth and her Uncle Frank must travel back to South Carolina.  What follows is an endearing road trip film/coming of age story.  The relationship between Frank and his niece is so beautiful and genuine.

 

While it might be easy to assume it’s Beth who will be coming of age, it’s actually Frank who must deal with whether or not his family accepts him for who he truly is.

This pains me. I got to see Mank at the theater yesterday. I'm a huge Fincher fan and have been since I saw The Game when it came out. I've enjoyed all of his films including Alien 3. Like many of the folks here, I love film and film history, so it's natural to think that Mank is going to be an easy like for me. Unfortunately, I'm kind of lukewarm on it.

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The film is expertly made, fantastically acted, especially by Oldman and the black and white looked phenomenal on the big screen. It's just kind of dry, especially in the beginning. There's also a lot of inside baseball talk when it comes to old Hollywood that I found myself playing catchup. The same can be said for the political commentary that the film is packed with, more than I would have thought. Unless you are privy to the politics of the 1930s, you're going to be kind of lost too.

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I can't quite put my finger on it, but the film is missing something.

Okay, stay with me on this one.  Swallow tells the story of Hunter, played by Haley Bennett, a pregnant housewife who finds herself with the urge to consume dangerous objects.

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The reason for her odd new habit unravels and comes to light throughout the film.  While the subject matter seems somewhat peculiar, the film really is about feeling marginalized and not in control of your own life.

 

Like Invisible Man, Hunter is trapped in a controlling marriage emotionally and physically, relegated to her mundane routine of cleaning the house and cooking dinner. Hunter longs for control of her own body and life, which manifests in this dangerous new habit.

 

Haley Bennett gives the finest performance of her career.  The film is also beautifully shot, filled with lush, vibrant colors.  If you’re not squeamish, give this one a look.

The long-awaited, often in development Bill and Ted sequel was finally released and of course it's in the middle of a worldwide pandemic.

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I remember enjoying both of the Bill & Ted films back in the day, but I don't have a lot of nostalgia for the franchise. The third film is not something I would normally run out to see in theaters, but with the lack of new movies being released, I was happy to see anything.

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The film unfolds pretty much like the first two films, Reeves and Winter slide back into the dimwitted, yet endearing duo like an old glove. As much as I love Reeves, it's Winter who is doing most of the heavy lifting here. Much of the best moments of the film revolve around Bill and Ted meeting up with their futures selves. The film also follows their daughters, played by Samara Weaving and Brigette Lundy-Paine, who are really channeling their fathers. They literally feel like carbon copies of Bill and Ted from the original films.

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One of the highlights of the film was a killer robot from the future with a conscious played hilariously by Anthony Carrigan. He steals every scene he's in.

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At the end of the day, Bill & Ted Face the Music is a nice, light-hearted film. Just what the doctor ordered in today's stressful times.

I'm not a huge fan of George Clooney as a director. I've hated his last two films The Monuments Men and Suburbicon.

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The Midnight Sky is better than both of those and it's enjoyable enough, but it kind of feels like two films. One half revolves around Clooney's character, one of the few humans who has stayed above ground as an undescribed event is plaguing Earth. He's tasked with warning a crew of astronauts about the situation on Earth.

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The other half of the film revolves around Felicity Jones and the other astronauts. Just for good measure, we get flashbacks of Clooney's character when he was younger. It's just too bloated and unfocused.

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The film also has an utterly predictable twist that I called after watching the trailer.

I'm thinking this will be the last Charlie Kaufman film I ever watch.  What an odd, odd little film. Dripping with unadulterated pretentiousness.

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The fact that I guessed where the film was going and then waited patiently for the main character to catch up, which she never does, for reasons that become clear at the end, hurt the film for me.

 

That said, Jessie Buckley is a fantastic actress and I'm looking forward to following her career. was 

Another favorite sub-genre of mine are films that take place in one location. Many films that take place on a plane usually use the small confines to the best of its ability by showing various sections of the plane.

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7500 is unique because the entire film takes place inside the cockpit. This choice really adds to the tension of many of the scenes. Joseph Gordon-Levitt gives a really strong performance. I really do enjoy his films.

 

The end of the film might get a tad too predictable, but that's a nitpick. 7500 is one of the bright spots of the many streaming films released during the pandemic.

Like The Old Guard, another Netflix film released during the pandemic, Project Power features big stars (Jamie Foxx, Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and is overflowing with action.

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Both films also feature interesting premises. Project Power deals with a pill that gives its users unpredictable superpowers for five minutes. That's kind of a cool idea and is ripe for all kinds of neat plot devices.

 

Unfortunately, the film doesn't quite explore them like I hoped they would.

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In the end, it was an enjoyable enough film. It was also nice to see Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who hasn't done much recently but also released the direct to streaming film 7500.

When I heard that Spike Lee's new joint was going to drop on Netflix, I was instantly excited. A new film from a name brand director, sign me up. I really enjoyed the trailer as well. It gave me Three Kings vibes, a film I really adore.

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Unfortunately, Da 5 Bloods is an absolute mess from the start to the very end of its bloated 2 and a half plus hours. I love Lee's work, but this effort is a shell of his previous films. Bad dialogue, poor plotting, clunky scene transitions, ridiculously convenient twists. Many of the plot devices are telegraphed from a mile away. There's a death scene that I actually laughed at because it felt like it was a Monty Python sketch. You could also see it coming from a mile away.

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Da 5 Bloods can't decide if it wants to be a heist film, a war film, a documentary, or a geriatric buddy comedy. Maybe one of the biggest missteps for me was using the same aged actors in the flashback scenes with no de-aging. It just looked plain silly. Da 5 Bloods is one of the bigger disappointments for me in a long time.

I'm not really sure why, but The Gentlemen was released with little to no fanfare. It's a shame this one is destined to go unnoticed because the film returns Guy Ritchie to his gangster film glory days.

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The Gentlemen stars a strong ensemble cast featuring Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Colin Farrell and Hugh Grant. I thought Grant was especially solid here and Hunnam doesn't get enough credit for his acting skills.

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This is an easy recommendation for me. If you are a fan of Ritchie's early gangster films like Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, then there's no reason you won't enjoy The Gentlemen. Like those films, The Gentlemen shares a knack for eccentric characters, snappy dialogue, a twisty almost convoluted plot and lots and lots of F-bombs.

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After Rocknrolla and Revolver, Ritchie took his newfound stardom and parlayed that into Hollywood blockbusters with the Sherlock Holmes films, which were fun, but forgettable. Last year, Ritchie released the Aladdin remake, an odd choice from the start, but I thought he actually did a nice job with bringing the animated classic to life.

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After watching The Gentlemen, it's clear to me that British gangster films is where Ritchie shines best. The Gentlemen is a perfect companion piece to his previous gangster films and I would love for him to play in that sandbox a few more times before turning his attention to another Hollywood Blockbuster.

2019 is the gift that just keeps on giving. Luce had a really strong festival run early in 2019, but the film never seemed to get a larger release. Luce stars Tim Roth and Naomi Watts, two Funny Games alum reuniting. My guess as to the reason it didn't get a wide release is the film is kind of hard to pin down in terms of the kind of film it is. It doesn't really fit well into any genre. I don't want to give too much away because I think it's really worth a watch.

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The standout for me was Kelvin Harrison Jr., a relative unknown who gives one of the stronger performances of the year. Harrison also appeared in Waves, another festival darling that I haven't seen just yet. The film also stars Octavia Spencer.

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Luce deals with a bunch of different themes, the most obvious is about race and how as a society we put people into boxes. The film also deals with the unfair pressures some minorities are burdened with trying to overcome.

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Luce is on Hulu, check it out.

Pain and Glory is directed by Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar, one of the most well-respected directors working today.  Surprisingly, Pain and Glory is the first of his films I've ever seen.

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As someone new to Almodóvar's films, this might be a great place to start.  Pain and Glory is being called his magnum opus and many have said it's his most personal film.

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Indeed, the film is about a filmmaker named Salvador, played by Antonio Banderas, who reflects back on his life and how his experiences growing up in a small village impacted his career.

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A large portion of Pain and Glory revolves around Salvador's mother, a common theme in many of Almodóvar's films from what I understand.

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Banderas gives a fantastic (and Oscar-nominated) performance as a director at the twilight of his career who is able to rekindle his love for filmmaking.

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While I really enjoyed Pain and Glory throughout, it's the climax of the film that really elevates the film for me.

In recent years, January has become the dumping ground for films that studios don't have a lot of faith in. Enter Underwater, a film about a crew of aquatic researchers trying to get to safety after an earthquake destroys their subterranean laboratory. 

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Not so spoiler alert considering it's shown in the trailer but it wasn't an earthquake that destroyed their lab. Clearly, Underwater is channeling a multitude of space horror films like the Alien franchise.  The film is the most you can ask for in a January release.  It's well made and entertaining enough, even if it's a Chinese food version of a film.

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Underwater stars Kristen Stewart, who gets a lot of grief for her acting chops.  I've never seen the Twilight films, so I don't have them to use as an example. I don't think she's a bad actress, I just think that she's kind of blah in almost every film I've seen her in.  I can't help but think that with a different lead actress or actor, the film might have been elevated above what we actually got.