Movie #1566 ........................."Ethel & Ernest"

Movie #1566 "Ethel & Ernest" is a netflix dvd that I watched the other night and enjoyed.  There weren't a lot of high's in the film --- it merely went along its way, telling the life of these two people that fell in love, got married and raised one child.  The backdrop is London in the 1920s until the 1950s, so it becomes a history lesson for the viewers.  The fact that it is animated makes it different from so many other films we have seen on this subject.  This is kind of like an independent film --- that is, it just plays out,  and the beauty is in the character development ----- you feel you know these people and revere them by the end of the film , and that is exactly what the son, the narrator, wanted you to feel.  However, if you compare this film with the small section in "Up" that was presented to us in that film, "Up" was done more quickly and efficiently.  However, the history lesson is gone in that film.  My point with the comparison is that this film was a bit long for what it did.  However, the animation is well done, characterization is spot on, the voices are terrific, so it would not be a waste of your time, I don't think, to take a look see here, but I'm gonna rate it 3.5 out of 5, for length and being a tad slow.

'ETHEL & ERNEST"        2017      1 hour and 34 minutes

Based on the memoir by author and artist Raymond Briggs, this moving animated account of his parents' 40-year marriage also charts the dramatic sweep of 20th-century history, depicting Britain's struggle for survival during World War II.

Cast: Brenda Blethyn, Jim Broadbent, Luke Treadaway

Movie #1565 ........................."Black Klansman"

Movie #1565 "Black Klansman"  -- this is one of the best Spike Lee films he has done to date (and I have seen most of them) because it has a cohesive story line, and it moves along with good speed, but  it takes time to develop the characters, and it has a well-developed, strong theme.  Put that with the knowledge that it is based on a true story, and it  makes the film all the more entertaining.  What a story ---- a black policeman goes undercover to infiltrate the KKK.  Always with a keen eye for each frame , Spike offers a beautifully photographed film with a mixture of comedy and drama ----- and when the KKK preaches to its newcomer all of its laws, it's pretty difficult to watch at times, too.  So there's lots of variety.  There's mystery when he's hobnobbing with the KKK members, all the while risking the chance that he will be discovered as a fake.  I really liked the film and would give it 4 stars out of 5 --- most of the acting was strong, except for a few weak links, and a couple of scenes (like him on the phone with David Dukes) that seem quite implausible (with the other cops laughing out loud in the background).  Denzel Washington's son, the lead, and he is good, but I felt the part could have more done with it --- He's still young and has some limitations in his work, but he will just get better and better with each movie experience he has; that's my guess.  I really enjoyed his young girlfriend --- she  pulled me in emotionally to the film, and I didn't see anything that she couldn't do, but then Adam Driver seemed pretty blah to me.  All in all, my prediction is that this will be an oscar contender for best film --- I recommend it ---- a must see.  Just to see Topher Grace as David Dukes.

BLACK KLA SMAN    R rated                 2018

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Taking on a dangerous undercover assignment, black Colorado cop Ron Stallworth manages to join the Ku Klux Klan's Colorado Springs chapter -- and is named its leader -- by disguising his race on the phone while a white officer attends the meetings.

Movie #1564 ........................."The Spy Who Dumped Me"

Movie #1564 "The Spy Who Dumped Me" --- fun movie for me.  First, I enjoyed watching the two women leads work together and off each other ---- they are very capable in pulling this spoof off.  Second, it makes fun of action films, which deserve to be made fun of, in my opinion.  I don't see a lot of them, but those I have seen have endless car chases, copious amounts of fights, long speeches by bad guy that allows good guy to figure out how to get away, etc.  Well, it is all here........and most of the scenes became quite funny to me because of the addition of two reluctant females put into the them.  However, this film isn't for everyone, because oftentimes after a big hoot of a chase, it  ends up with someone dead.........so death is taken lightly in this film, but that's because it is a comedy so everything is up for grabs.  And the humor is ,  I guess, what I enjoyed the most.  There are so few good comedies so when one comes along, we need to let people know.  There are some bizarre moments, for example a big fight scene between Kate McCinnon and a cirque de soleil artist on a trapeze.  Odd and a bit long of a gag, but it seeks to evoke humor --- and it is very rare these days to allow us to laugh at what we are watching on the big screen.  I give this 4 stars out of 5.  P.S.  the way the film ends, I am wondering if this will become a franchise like the Bond films?  hmmmm.

"THE SPY WHO DUMPED ME"    2018       R rated

Getting dumped always hurts, but Audrey is well rid of her ex when he shows up at her door on the run from a band of assassins. Unaware that he's really a spy, Audrey and her best friend soon find themselves plunged into a global conspiracy.

Cast: Mila Kunis, Kate McKinnon, Justin Theroux