Movie #1530 ........................."The Book of Henry"

Movie #1530 "Book of Henry" --- I wanted to see this movie when I first saw the trailer --- it whet my interest as to what the movie was really all about, and  I liked all the actors in it (esp. he two kids, one from St. Vincent and the other from Room and Wonder, and Naomi Watts). But then it got really bad reviews, and it was in contention with all the Oscar nominated films when it came out, so I just didn't see it until it popped up on HBO when I had access to it in Az, and I taped it and watched it and really enjoyed it.  It isn't for everybody ---- the critics gave it low scores saying it couldn't decide what tone( or genre) it was ---- I don't mind it if a film starts out one way, and then changes to another genre or tone.  So if you don't, you might like the surprises here.  Technically it is well done, acting is wonderfully handled, even with some clunky dialogue lines.......the story I'm not way crazy about, with one particular turn that I didn't buy ---- but once again, the acting is so good, I just went along with most of the end, just because....... And I do applaud the director for trying to do something different here ---- I can't remember seeing the portrayal of a mother who leans on her son like she would her husband as portrayed in this film, and her arc (or journey) is well worth the watching.  Also, the closeness of the two little boys/brothers is fun to watch along with  the little girl ballerina next door & Sarah Silverman, the best friend....... I've seen a few movies in the past couple of days, and this one has stuck with me the longest and made me think --- and it has a great last moment (well, at least I liked it a lot) So you can make a decision on your own if you think you will find anything enjoyable to watch here, but I can say I liked it and applaud its inability to be labeled as one particular genre-type film.  I give it 4 stars out of 5.

"BOOK OF HENRY"   PG-13        2017         1 hour and 45 minutes

Naomi Watts stars as Susan, a single mother of two, working as a waitress in a small town, but everything in her life is not what it seems. Her son, Henry (Jaeden Lieberher), is an 11-year-old genius who not only masters academics, but manages the family finances and acts as emotional support for Susan. When Henry finds out that the girl next door, Christina, has a terrible secret, Henry and Susan take matters into their own hands in this imaginative and emotional drama from director Colin Trevorrow.

Cast: Naomi Watts, Jaeden Lieberher, Jacob Tremblay,

Movie #1529 ........................."Patriots Day"

Movie #1529 "Patriots Day" --- it took me a while to sit down and watch this, because I thought it might be too emotional for me in parts, and I was right, but overall the film could have done better!  There are, I felt, three possibilities on  approaches  this film could have used on this  subject matter:  focus mostly on the heroic people who lost limbs & with Boston Strong attitude are now continuing to soldier on in their lives (along with the first responders); a second possibility was the working together of the FBI and the Boston police department & most importantly, the help from the community on social media to find the terrorists; and the third is to focus mostly on the terrorists, and the reasons why, what led them to the deed, etc.  Three huge stories ---- I wasn't sure how a director could  whittle the story down to something easily watchable.   This film'a   director I have mixed feelings about (some of Peter Berg's work I have liked, and others not so much), & ironically I found the same problem here.  He seems very capable technically with showing major points of a rather big story, but is weak in editing the story so an audience won't lose interest in  it along the way --- the transitions, the dialogue, the editing , all a bit weak here.  As a result, he tries to cover all three stories above, and does it rather shallowly.  The longest scene, and the one you can tell he had the passion for, was part of the story I didn't really know much about and that was the shootout in Waterville, where the younger brother actually runs over his older brother, who is hurt already and lying in the street when the two guys were caught in the street hours after the bombing.  That was hard to watch and follow and it was too long for me to watch --- The scene where the FBI with the help of the Boston police (esp. Mark Wahlberg) research  through watching videotape to   figure out how the terrorists got to the moment of the bombing, could have been even longer, because to me, it is the meat of the story!  And I was so disappointed that all of a sudden the police get a call and this guy says he thinks the younger brother is in his boat in his backyard.  The nightly news made that much more of an exciting story than the film does.  Another complaint I had was that the way the film is put together, we really don't get much of a sense of the victims, the ones lying in the hospital while the search goes on for the terrorists -- maybe he could have gone to the hospital once in a while, using  juxtaposition,  a technique Mr. Berg could use more to further his stories.  I give this 3.5 ----I think there are some wonderful moments, and that shoot out in the streets is a fine scene, but the rest is a shallow coverage of a huge tragedy in our history. Maybe a several part series might have been more effective?  Just a thought.  Because after watching this, I wanted so much more information on Patriots Day!

"PATRIOTS DAY"      2016     2 hours and 13 mins.     rated R

A tragic bombing near the finish line at the 2013 Boston Marathon sets off a citywide manhunt for the perpetrators. With residents devastated by the events, Sgt. Tommy Saunders and the Boston Police Department zero in on two suspects.

Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Kevin Bacon, John Goodman

Movie #1528 ........................."The Man Who Invented Christmas"

Movie #1528 "The Man Who Invented Christmas" was a movie made for me ---- Victorian costumes and locations, good acting -- Dan Stevens (from Downton Abbey), Christopher Plummer (Scrooge), about Dickens, and all with a historical angle --- a possible  account of why Dickens wrote  "A Christmas Carol" -- I found this whimsical, busy, very rich with witty dialogue between Scrooge and Dickens, and Dickens and everybody else......lots here to like, but I also see that this isn't a film for everybody --- some people would think ---so what?  But I liked it a lot and highly recommend it to those who would find this kind of subject matter worth the time to watch!

"THE MAN WHO INVENTED CHRISTMAS"    2017      1 hour and 44 mins

With his most recent books having little success, Victorian novelist Charles Dickens finds himself obliged to self-publish his masterful fable "A Christmas Carol" -- which he hopes will revive his sagging career.

Cast: Dan Stevens, Christopher Plummer, Jonathan Pryce,

Movie #1527 ........................."The Idea of Manhood"

aMovie #1527 "The Idea of Manhood" was the last film we saw at the Phoenix Film Festival, and to me, it was the weakest.  Yet, it was voted to be the best film and best screenplay.  It is one of those films that is just all dialogue ---- It's worked for Ethan Hawk in the sunrise/sunset films --- those people have interesting discussions.  Here, not so much at all.  In fact, I would have walked out after a few minutes if I weren't promised that this was "the best picture" --- hmmm because very little was interesting talk between them.  One guy was way out, talking about living in his car, hating DC people and seeing the world, and the other picking fights with him all the way through.  Very little is humorous, light, believable.....and it goes on.  The ending was not very clear the way it was presented (in the form of a note that you could have read in a couple of ways) and the acting and screenplay were a bit stilted.  I give it 2.8 out of 5 stars.  And a don't bother in the recommendation area.

The Idea of Manhood (2018)

2018 (USA)

1:29 | Trailer

1 VIDEO |  3 IMAGES

Two old friends unexpectedly spend one day together and end up debating each other's shortcomings. The conversation and day go places neither of them predicted.

Director:

 Serge Kushnier

Writer:

 Serge Kushnier

Stars:

 Karl Bury,  Jeremy Kushnier,  Elizabeth Masucci 

Movie #1526 ........................."Forever B"

Movie #1526 "Forever B" was the movie at the Phoenix Film Festival that won best documentary, but I wouldn't have voted for it ---- why? Because I would vote for the documentary that should be shown again and again for people to watch. This one is so involved, so scandalous, so weird, that I personally don't want to ever watch it again, nor would I recommend it. At the film, they gave out books, but as I said to the lady behind me, I took one, but felt like I should return it, because I had no intention to read it nor pass it on to someone else whom I thought would enjoy reading it. It's a despicable story about a young girl and her whole family manipulated by a fellow church member (latter day saints) --- the parents do awful things so the guy has that over their heads, and the guy kidnaps the daughter because he is fixated with her (until she gets in her 20s and is no more an attraction for him --- an obvious pedophile, long before we knew the word, which also makes the story more of a possibility --- even though it is hard to believe!. "Forever B" (the kidnapper) convinces the girl that she has to have sex with him or alien creatures will do awful things to her family --- she believes him because she is a kid, very naive (like her family) and no one in the family talks to each other on these sex topics. Pretty disgusting story. And I don't want to think of it again. The documentary gets the info across two ways --- by interview (tough to watch these parents go through the story detail by detail) and re-enactment by actors (pretty phony to me, and not very effective, esp. when it shows the pedophile dealing with the little girl. yuck! I give this 3 out of 5 stars, but I wouldn't recommend it. It kept my interest, but much like a car accident would.

Forever 'B' (2017)

1h 31min | Documentary, Crime | 26 May 2017 (USA)

The twisting, turning, stranger-than-fiction true story of the Brobergs, a naive, church-going Idaho family that fell under the spell of a sociopathic neighbor with designs on their twelve-year-old daughter.

Director:

 Skye Borgman

Stars:

 Jan Broberg,  Mary Ann Broberg,  Bob Broberg 

Movie #1525 ........................."DriverX"

Movie #1525 "DriverX" was the second movie we saw last Thursday at the film festival, and it was very well done........until the end, which I didn't like as much as the rest of the film.  The husband and Wife here are very good actors, and they have chemistry in working together.  The film rests on the shoulders, though, of the Uber-like customers that go in and out of this driver's car (which happens to be a prius).  I saw a movie like this , full of customers of a taxi, but this one goes much deeper in the main characters and their marriage to each other.  They  desperately need money to pay their real estate taxes in a month, so he is forced to use his car and drive around and pick up as many customers as he can in the few hours he has at night (he needs to be wide eyed to prep breakfast for his wife and two kids early each morning ---- cleans the house, cuts the lawn and does the laundry, and has picked up cleaning the pool, too, since they had to lay off the pool boy) and prep dinner every night, too.  We thought the film would get to a better, clearer ending, but unfortunately, the ending wasn't as satisfying as we would have wanted it to be.  That's why I'd give this 3.8 out of 5  stars.  For a long time it was going 5 stars out of 5, but it started to falter at the end.  In fact, the woman sitting next to me just got up and left when it started to shift gears at the end.  Too bad.  Good movie until then.

DriverX (2017)

1h 38min | Drama | 11 October 2017 (USA)

Skidding into middle-age, a stay-at-home dad must drive for an Uber-like rideshare company (DriverX) to help support his working wife and two young daughters. But low pay and wild LA nights put an even greater strain on his marriage.

Director:

 Henry Barrial

Writer:

 Henry Barrial

Stars:

 Patrick Fabian,  Tanya Clarke,  Desmin Borges 

Movie #1524 ........................."Hunting Lands"

Movie #1524 "Hunting Lands" was the second movie we saw at the Phoenix Film Festival this year (the first was "Tully" which I wrote about already), and this one turned out to be the best of the 4 we watched on Thursday at the festival....It's a cold film, with hardly any dialogue, and it is reminiscent in parts of the Hitchcock thriller "Rear Window" because the main character spends a lot of film time observing on the sly  who he thinks is an abuser of his wife/girlfriend.  The main character is very quiet, and he very obviously is hiding his personality and his past from people in the film, and the audience, as well.  It's that mystery of what he plans to do that keeps us tensely watching  throughout this film.  It's a pretty film, full of nice shots, cool low and high angles.  The acting is okay, dialogue is minimal, actions sometimes come across as tedious and detailed, but it all goes into the tension the director is able to sustain throughout the film --- that's probably why it was chosen in the festival for having the best director.  We agree and give it a 4.  and we recommend it if you ever get the chance to see it.

"HUNGTING LANDS"      2018     1 hr and 23 mins

• "Hunting Lands" is the story of reclusive veteran Frank Olsen who yearns to escape from the complexities of the modern world. Unfortunately, despite his efforts, the world comes looking for him. When he discovers a discarded, beaten woman fighting for her life in the snow, Frank must decide whether to continue to turn his back on society or confront the world he loathes.
  
  
  
  

  Director:

   Zack Wilcox

  Writers:

   Josh Amato (story),  Zack Wilcox (story)  |1 more credit »

  Stars:

   Marshall Cook,  Joe Raffa,  Keyna Reynolds

Movie #1523 ........................."Everything, Everything"

Movie #1523 "Everything, Everything" was nothing, nothing.

I wish I could end it there (and I'm sure I'm not the only one that wanted to write that down for this film).  Yikes, slow moving, leading nowhere, with a twist that was absurd.  The two leads were good, and they had some chemistry, but it was just a silly film --- in the first 20 mins, I think the director looked at the dailies and said:  hmmm, how will I make this interesting if these two kids keep texting back and forth ad infinitum.  Nope, I don't recommend it.  Unless you read the book (there's a book?  How long is it? not much to the story at all)  or want to see these two actors --- they are good, and so is Anika Noni Rose (I have always been a fan of hers since I saw her on stage, and in "Dream Girls") but there are better films they inhabit, I think.  This becomes a fantasy love story, and I guess I can put it down to another genre I don't care for.  2 out of 5 stars.  (but it is clean, considering the subject matter)


"EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING"     PG-13, 1 hour 36 mins      2017

Confined to her home because of her severe autoimmune disorder, Maddy has spent 17 years isolated from the world. But the arrival of a handsome new next-door neighbor soon turns Maddy's sheltered life upside down.

Cast: Amandla Stenberg, Nick Robinson, Ana de la Reguera, Anika Noni Rose

Movie #1522 ........................."Love, Simon"

Movie #1522 "Love, Simon" is a refreshing film to watch in the doldrums of MarchApril days of film land, where not-so-good movies are oftentimes released!  I loved its boldness ---- in music, in characters, in plot ---- it just takes off from the opening few minutes.  It's quick, smart, funny, winsome ---- but boldly challenging in subject matter --- because it deals with a closeted kid who is deathly afraid of coming out to his family and his friends --- he likes the good relationships he has with everyone, and he's afraid his gayness will change everything.  Hah!  a film that deals with the issues and conflicts of being a teenager, but in a humorous way ---- ironically, the lead girl Hannah in "13 reasons why" who leaves 13 tapes to explain to her friends why she has killed herself is playing the lead best friend of Simon here, a totally different approach to dealing with teenage woes.  This film is not afraid to be awkward in parts --- to show you the quirky people in a teen's life --- yes, perhaps the teen is even one of them, since Simon is in the theatre department, so he has all these wonderfully supportive, quirky people in his life to come out to, but chooses not to.....I guess that is what I enjoyed a lot -- to see the theatre community in action (they are putting on "Cabaret" ---  a hoot!)  The lead guy, Nick Robinson, will be in my next blog, as well (he was in "Everything, Everything" and "Jurassic World") --- what a charmer, he is, and he inhabits this character like a glove.  He and his friends and the mystery of who Mr. Blue is make the film go by so quickly and make it fun to watch.  I highly recommend the movie --- and it's pretty clean, and the parents are liberal and supportive, so that's refreshing, as well.  4.5 stars out of 5.

"LOVE, SIMON"   PG-13       2018

Closeted gay teen Simon is mortified when his classmate Martin gets hold of Simon's intimate email to his online love. With the prospect of humiliation looming, Simon reluctantly agrees to help Martin get closer to Abby, Simon's female best friend.

Cast: Nick Robinson, Josh Duhamel, Jennifer Garner, Katherine Langford

Movie #1521 ........................."Tully"

Movie #1521 "Tully" -- Charlize Theron to me is one of those actors who is always interesting to watch, so when this popped up on the Phoenix Film Festival schedule to see it before it opens officially  (it will be released later this month, I think), we went to go see it and enjoyed it.  The film has good acting --- Theron is never one to shy away from looking natural or bad, and she does that here (though not quite as bad as in her oscar-winning film "Monster").  To me this film shows what it takes to raise kids......truly a tribute to all the time and work it goes into it.  And it underlines the theme that doing the day to day things to  feed, clothe, and offer a safe environment for your kids is leading a successful life --- that you should never feel you are failure if you are doing those things.  The wife  is depressed and overwhelmed, so the movie is tough to watch in several scenes --- to top it off, she has a challenging kid to reckon with, too --- a kid who due to anxieties and social problems can't really deal with school on a daily basis without extra help --- and that's plopped in her  pregnant lap to handle, as well.  There seems to be no way out for her until Tully comes into her life.  I don't want to say too much more because I'd be giving away some twists and turns that make the film a 4.5 out of 5 for me.  And I don't even want to say why it's 4.5 instead of a 5,  except that some parts were hard to believe......otherwise, it's a film all its own --- can't say I have ever seen a movie on this particular subject, handled in this particular way.  And done as well, so I recommend it.  But maybe I'm not one to listen wholeheartedly to, not ever having kids.  But I do value a good think piece, and this one allowed us quite a bit of time to talk about it after seeing it, and we saw it with some parents, so that was eye-opening, as well to hear what they had to say.   See what you think, and why not report back here.  Anxious to know how others will see it.

"TULLY"    2018     R rated

After her first two kids were born, Marlo had no help, so it's with reluctance that she accepts her brother's gift of "night nanny" Tully upon the birth of her third child. Initially at loggerheads, Marlo and Tully gradually form a bond.

Cast: Charlize Theron, Mackenzie Davis, Mark Duplass (the brother), Ron Livingston (the dad)

Movie #1520 ........................."A Wrinkle in Time"

Movie #1520 "A Wrinkle in Time" --- well, my book club is re-reading the book (most of us read it when we were younger), and then the plan was to see the film, which I did recently.  Though there is much I like of Madeleine L'Engle as a writer, I only gave a 3 to the book --- I am just not into this genre of books, never was, never will be, probably.  But the film, I must say, was really beautiful to watch and quite entertaining.  Since I am not as enthusiastic about the original book, I didn't really care how "faithful" the book is to the film...... I made a list of the differences I saw, and I googled the differences, and yes, whole characters are missing, genders are changed on others, but the general consensus out there is that this is a much better rendition of the book than the previous one in 2003 (I think), and if you can get past the Oprah Winfrey bling stuff, it's easier to follow than the book, I felt. All the tesseracting is hard to picture, so I found it fun to see what the director's vision was --- and because they skipped a huge visit Meg makes to get better before her final battle (no biggie, as far as spoiler alert -- you might not even notice) , pieces in the plot seemed easier to follow --- transitions were clearer (I felt the same thing about the movie vs. the play "Chicago" when I saw it a while back).  The actors are good, esp. Meg, Calvin (he was a wow!  did a lot with not too many lines), Reese Witherspoon, and surprisingly, the dad (whom I had trouble understanding in the book).  I am still not too much a fan of Ms Which and Ms. whomever Mindy Kahling played --- that character I found annoying in the book, but  less in the movie) Oprah's part was a little easier to follow  in the film since she took on a material (or should I say materialistic?  quite a lot of  moneyed costumes and makeup) form (and how!  gigantic!!!!)  but I also liked the  color casting of her and Meg, and I found it quite nice that they esp. bonded.  Charles Wallace talked too fast for my money, but he was a cutie, and he got better as the film progressed.  I don't much care for the plot --- but not being a fan of this genre, I didn't expect to like it , either, but I was surprised that it was as entertaining to watch.  I am in a quandary whether to recommend it to many --- people who liked the book will probably still like this rendition (with possible reservations, if they are purists), but like I said, to me the changes were minimal and made sense.  But if you aren't into fantasy literature, this might not be the film for you.  And esp. if you hate Oprah........she's bigger than life here.  Gotta buy into that!  I give it 4 stars out of 5.

"A WRINKLE IN TIME"    2018   PG

Adapted from the children's book of the same name, this space adventure follows Meg, her brother, Charles, and her schoolmate Calvin on a trip through time as they try to locate the siblings' astrophysicist father after he vanishes.

Cast: Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling,

Movie #1519 ........................."The Black Panther"

Movie #1519 "The Black Panther" -- I saw this a while ago, but I guess I forgot to write about it -- I really liked this, and it isn't at all a genre I would normally even take time out to watch.  But the cast looked great, and it got a lot of hype, so I guess I wanted to see what everyone was talking about.  From the outset of the film, it looked to:  1)  be of better calibre than films in this genre, 2)  have a different kind of a super hero --- it's about time we had a superhero who was African American, 3) actually have a story I could follow 4) have some very interesting secondary characters, and 5) have  at times the power  in the hands of the females...... Chad Boseman's sister reminded me of  Abby, the lab tech in NCIS, because of her ability at doing almost anything asked of her.  Lupita as the reluctant heroine was a nice touch, as well.  What I didn't like (and what I never like) is the fighting.  But at least the big fight between the two possible  leaders was won because the winner had to use his smarts instead of just his physical strength.  That made it more palatable to me.  The cinematography was very good, too, and I liked the special effects ---- the whole other worldliness of the costumes, props, sets, etc. was  well done.  I highly recommend this one --- but by this time, probably everyone has seen it anyway.   And deservedly so! hah!   4.5 stars out of 5

"THE BLACK PANTHER"  --- PG-13        2018

After the devastating battles chronicled in "Captain America: Civil War," Black Panther's alter ego, T'Challa, returns to his homeland of Wakanda to be crowned its new king. But he soon faces enemies who will test all his superpowers.

Cast: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o,