herbqedi Reviews

Freelance (2023)

Surprisingly funny throughout - Best Latin American Dictator Ever!

[9/10 · 10 November 2023]

This a surprisingly well-written and well-directed John Cena comedy-action movies with all kinds of insights and roguishly clever surprises. Allison Brie showed me comedy chops I had no idea she had. Anyone who tells you that this is predictable and they knew all the twists and turnarounds ahead of time is lying. Marvelous use of Christian Slater as the head of a Blackwater-type of mercenary contractor. Even the ruthless South African mercenary villain has depth and charisma.

Alice Eve adds more to her character than is written and chemistry between Cena and the daughter is perfect. Everywhere we journey we are surprised by who we meet and their refreshingly different perspectives in life. It's not the destination; it's the journey. Holding grudges is for losers. John Cena's character is the Boy Scout who doesn't really get any of what everyone else is doing or why. And we love him for his cluelessness. Enjoy the wild ride!

Room 222: Goodbye, Mr. Hip (1970) Season 1, Episode 19

One of my all-time favorite TV Episodes - Bernie Kopell is Pitch Perfect

[10/10 · 30 July 2023]

I had teachers such as Bernie Kopell's take on Mr. Duncan in JHS exactly when this episode aired. The culture was such that many of them were draft dodgers and liked to show how much they related to us students. 50 years later, anyone watching this may think it's a far-fetched put-on but it was RIght-On-the-Mark in 1970.

From an entertainment perspective, you need know none of that, just relax and enjoy. Ta-Tanisha as Pam has one of early speaking roles and is perfect giving Bernie her sunglass wipe for his scheme. Pete's rather judgmental attitude toward Duncan is a bit unusual for him but as we see shortly, he has good reason. The resolution is pitch perfect and Duncan's best trait seems to be his ability to learn from and embrace his mistakes and to laugh at himself together with his students. Kopell is an absolute master of this character. As usual. Denise Nicholas, Karen Valentine and Michael Constantine shine every chance they get.

Since Room 222 is my personal second favorite sitcom of all time - a masterpiece by James L. Brooks and Gene Reynolds on their way to superstardom - it should be no surprise that my most memorable episode was this one. I was able to catch it on YouTube last night. Watch it for yourself before it disappears. And.

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

Great action entertainment for me until fatigue started to set in

[7/10 · 28 July 2023]

SPOILERS *** SPOINERS***

Hey, I'm old. Sitting for 3 hours starts to get to me after awhile but until the train scene I was all in on this as a great action movie. I still like it a lot - 7 out of 10 is still a good rating. And there was not a slow moment during its entire length although there were more than a few repetitive ones. Throughout, the action scenes also made me chuckle with good humor at the absurd situations and stunts. Very funny.

Acting SImon Pegg and VIng Rhames deliver as always. Henry Czerny has more to do than usual and is wonderful. All four women are fabulous - tough to say adieu to Ilsa (Rebecca Ferguson) but Hayley Atwell as Grace plays her part to the hilt and her background, also quite funny, fits well into the team. The two blond quasi-villainous women, Black Widow and Paris were amazing, the latter in personifying her character and in her action scenes. Cary Elwes was a hoot in his brief role as a dufus "Head of Intelligence." I saw some critics were a bit negative on Esai Morales as Gabriel. I thought he hit just the right notes and his knife-fight ballet duel to the death was superbly choreographed and realized. The simultaneous fight between Paris and the Tom Cruise stunt double was a bit of an unwanted distraction but certainly didn't spoil that great finale for Ilsa. What followed, however, was Tom Cruise at 50% of his best acting wise in my opinion. His mourning seemed superficial and while Grace was plenty alluring, she seemed to captivate him more "professionally" than anything more than that - and I think a bit more was warranted.

After Grace became a team member, what follows on the Orient Express is terrific but the stunts/action became more over-the-top and time-consuming and as obligatory as navigating an obstacle course. In particular, the motorcycle stunt was ridiculous and took forever. The car-after-car train escapes, one after another were very funny but that was when butt really started hurting me and I finally thought enough was enough already. From there, the conclusion and epitaph seemed by-the-numbers.

In short, entertaining and worthy of your time. A bit disappointed by Cruise's performance (80% overall) but everyone else was so great, it more than makes up for it. Perhaps Cruise was trying to convey Ethan's emotional and physical fatigue because that came across loud and clear.

Overall not as good for me as the previous two - both 9/10s - but certainly worth seeing and a lot better than the Marvel stuff.

But, if you're old like me, pick a modern theater with very comfortable seats or bring a cushion.

The Miracle Club (2023)

Involving and beautifully directed and acted little film

[9/10 · 19 July 2023]

I was interested in the Miracle Club from the trailers mainly to see Kathy Bates and Maggie Smith, two of my favorite actors. I had trepidation because some films like this are slow and too talky and mostly because I find Laura Linney to be one of the overrated and annoying actors in the past 25 years from You Can Count on Me and Primal Fear through Hyde Park on the Hudson and everything between except the Big C TV series where her character suited her peripatetic style perfectly.

Well, reverse all those fears. The Miracle Club moves briskly with some very funny moments mixed with many poignant ones. Whether it comes to cinematography, pacing, coaching the acting, background, all of it, the Direction was superb. Kudos to Laura Linney - instead of her usual bleak and two-note performances in the past - she is marvelous as Chrissie using her mother's passing as a journey of discovery. Maggie Smith is magnificent and leant considerable depth to her character -every scene with her was perfect.

Air (I) (2023)

Air Never Stops Entertaining thans to Terrific writing, acting, directing and editing

[10/10 · 16 April 2023]

I was entertained from the moment the film started until the ending credits rolled and didn't look at my watch once - probably the highest level of kudos I could give any film. I knew some but not all of the story of Sonny Vaccaro but the dialog and acting and editing made what I thought I knew irrelevant.

Whether his scenes were with Affleck, Davis, Bateman, Tucker, Wayans, Messina or any combination of the above, Damon told me more about Sonny than any documentary ever could. Viola Davis was simply non-pareil as Michael's mother. Affleck was perfection as Phil Knight and his directorial touches added impact and levity throughout. My biggest surprise was Jason Bateman whose performances have bored me since Juno. He was perfection here and transcended performance with vitalization. Tucker was also a revelation in a different type of character than I've ever seen him play. Wayans made a terrific George Raveling of whom I am a lifelong fan. I also loved having Jay Mohr, Bob Shugar from Jerry maguire himself, play the caricature Head of Converse sneakers. Hilarious! Extremely entertaining and very worthwhile for me. 10/10.

Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre (2023)

Emphasis on Comedy with Requisite Action

[9/10 · 11 March 2023]

Enjoyed this tremendously especially Hugh Grant's send-up of himself. Hartnett also hysterical here. Aubrey Plaza dead perfect heroine for this bunch. Cary Elwes and Eddie Marsan also having a marvelous time. And as always, Jason Statham is at his best, smirking, killing and alternately acting p'd off and triumphant.

Anyone looking for an intricately plotted thriller keeping audience on edge of seats should look elsewhere. Looking for deep character studies, Oscar-worthy performances breaking through stereotyped characters. Get serious! This is a Guy Ritchie movie.

That said, the plot and the way it develops scientifically is certainly ingenious enough and well enough crafted for this type of action-comedy. I can see where some action aficionados looking for detailed and lengthy choreographed fighting scenes might feel cheated here. The action here is secondary to the fun and the fun never stops here.

iMordecai (2022)

Immensely enjoyable family dynamics story with Tour de Force Performances by Carol Kane and Judd Hirsch

[10/10 · 18 February 2023]

Absolutely magnificent portrayals of the main character's parents by Judd Hirsch and Carol Kane will make this film indelible in my mind even as memories fade in my own sunset years. Judd Hirsch is so robust at 87, it's awe-inspiring. And at 87, He was absolutely perfect to play Mordecai - whom we were privileged to meet in person in a Q & A with the director and cast member after the showing. We also got to learn just how much of it was based on real life. The answer, unsurprisingly after seeing it, was most of it. The exemptions had to do with amalgams created from different Apple Genius Bar trainers, here known as Einstein Nina and Einstein Jared. A novice actress did a great job as Nina.

Sean Astin was terrific playing cigar entrepreneur and father/husband/son Marvin Samel who directed and wrote the film during the period he had learned his mom had Alzheimer's. The supporting cast members were also excellent and complementary to he film.

Coming from the boroughs (Queens and Bronx) and now living as a senior in Florida, I really related to the film and considered the leading characters, antics and conflicts to be both quite realistic and very cathartic - not to mention hysterically funny at times. Hirsch's ability to extract empathy from his audience has never been utilized better. Kane's portrait of the mother slipping in and out of Alzheimer's slow but relentless takeover of the mind was totally awesome. The serious themes were well handled and fit into the death is a part of life perspective.

The film's uses of music, including Klezma, and the obligatory montage bridges, were extremely well interspersed and editors. It rather shocked me when I found out that it was his first time ever on a live movie set. It wasn't quite Kazan or Lumet direction but was excellent in helping to execute this story.

If you can relate to Florida Jews who escaped Nazi-Poland and made their lives in New York then later retire to FLorida, this is a must-see. If not, see it anyway. You'll feel good and bittersweet at the same time.

80 for Brady (2023)

The Ultimate Road Trip Movie for Seniors

[10/10 · 4 February 2023]

Baby Boomers such as myself grew up enjoying wonderful old road movies and buddy movies centered around trips of a lifetime. On a pure enjoyability level, this was a 10. It is a marvelous romp with old friends. I live in a senior city in Florida. The theater was packed for the "sneak preview" and everybody laughed throughout and cheered. It was definitely the right audience for the film.

The chemistry, banter and energy levels between the four friends through the all-too-real realities of life and death was amazing. The manner in which we insist upon our rituals and fall apart when they are upset was very well brought out in the Sally FIeld - Bob Balaban marriage without ever missing a pace in the rapid pacing. As a math guy, I loved how Sally FIeld's appreciation of football grew out of her proclivity for math. The Rita Moreno back story and her budding friendship with Glynn Turman fit into this like a hand into a glove. Jane Fonda's character was perfect for her in everyway and her ebullient and unapologetic manner set the tone for the hilarity.

Now we get to Lily Tomlin who was the glue for both the group and the film. Since the 1980's, she has always demonstrated an unusual flair for blending life's tragedy with the human comedy. She excels in it here especially when she balances putting foremost and in the present the "go-for-it" lark she initiates while putting off the realities of dealing with her medical issues and daughter Sara Gilbert (fine in a thankless but necessary role).

The episodic antics that are a part of every road movie were perfectly contextual and hilariously presented. The amazing gumption each of these four ladies regaled us with kept the fun going at a breakneck pace. Even the obligatory drug scene that seems to be inserted in EVERY movie with senior stars was made hilarious by Rita's antics and Tomlin's reality check. The dialog seemed very natural to me as I often observe the banter of ladies' foursomes and book clubs.

Speaking of Book Clubs, Jane had made The Book Club a couple of years ago and I had fun with it but the dialog there was strained and some of the cliches made it slog in patches - not so here at all. I cannot speak about what people under 60 will look for and find offensive or lacking in a rollicking road comedy starring great actors in their sunset years, Me, I've never enjoyed a harmless romp so much in my life.

New Amsterdam: I'll Be Your Shelter (2022) Season 4, Episode 22

Disaster Hits New Amsterdam in Too Many Ways

[5/10 · 26 November 2022]

The season finale was full of destruction as a re-routed category 4 Hurricane suddenly hits the hospital broadside. Since there is only an interim medical director incapable of making decisions and all other department heads refuse Bloom's requests, Iggy takes charge with lots of spot-on help by Gladys. Individual dramas abound during the crisis, particularly one with Max and another with Lauren. Periodic crises are confronted and resolved in an interesting and satisfactory manner.

Meanwhile, Reynolds continues his mission to connect with his father (Insightfully and strongly played by James McDaniel). In fact, their scenes were easily the best in this episode.

It is after normal power is restored and everyone is safe that the script runs amok far more destructively than the hurricane. It seemed like a cheeky idea one misanthropic writer had over lunch and everyone else thought it was cool. Whatever the reasoning, the series' fans will remember and most will revile this episode not for its first 30+ minutes of crisis-themed entertainment but for the cop-outs and feeble explanations that follow.

Sam & Kate (2022)

Entertaining and a good senior date movie

[7/10 · 14 November 2022]

As a married senior, this was our weekly date movie and a very appropriate one. Instead of romcom, I'd call this one a "rom-dramedy"

Sam & Kate had the novelty of starring the great Oscar-winning Dustin Hoffman (Bill) and Sissy Spacek with their children. Both "courtships" and their preludes were interesting. Nicely intersecting slices of life. Although an ensemble piece, Sam (Jake Hoffman) is probably the main character in the film and has the most screen time. Perhaps ever-so-slightly over-theatrical at times, Jake has otherwise nailed the character and holds our attention. Kate also is interesting and is very mysterious about revealing her back story. Her relationship with her girlfriend and partner Mary at the bookstore is also pleasant. Mary helps facilitate the relationship at every opportunity.

The central relationship between Sam & Kate has good chemistry, the requisite amount of quirkiness and lots of charm. It also has the usual but maddening ghosting periods of relationship movies where nobody says what they are dying to say to the other person and we go to moody musical montages.

The acting of the four leads and the supporting characters range from very good to excellent with one exception, Henry Thomas from ET fame, 40 years later. He's Sam's best friend and a pothead but he's neither realistic nor interesting. On the other hand, even with little to do in a minuscule role, Tyler Labine is delightful

Dustin Hoffman and Sissy Spacek are excellent facilitators as well as developing a delightfully awkward romance of their own until we approach the denouement. Then he discovers that Spacek has a hoarding issue and the story takes a darker turn and also slows down a bit. I won't reveal more other than that the final scenes are very satisfactory.

Redeeming Love (2022)

Fascinating and Frustrating Epic Western Saga - Worth Watching

[7/10 · 1 October 2022]

So many conflicting thoughts, feelings and memories haunt me on this one. That, in itself, should be good enough for at least a 9 from me most of the time.

The acting by the two leads is terrific and Famke Janssen's "Duchess" prostitution house madam is a master class in acting. The dozen-plus abusive, perverted and disgusting men were all portrayed with enough dimension that you understood the hateful, angry, vengeful and fearful place each was coming from.

The feel of the period and the obstacles and Hobson's choices that women had to confront were vividly laid out. This is technically brilliant song also with complementary music. It reminded me a lot of Eastwood's Unforgiven from the abused prostitutes, the self-righteousness of their abusers. The never-ending plethora of double standards is the least of our lead's problems. And yes, her soul is scarred and turned inside-out against Christ by the culmination of all these hideous experiences.

My problems: The minor problem, pointed out by other reviewers, is that the characters - unlike in Unforgiven - looked too clean, pretty, handsome, unscathed physically by all they endured throughout all the periods in the saga.

My major problem: The movie was pure TORTURE for me to watch even though the pacing was perfect. I was never bored; I was depressed and frustrated. The movie did an admirable job of conveying the abuse and disgusting behaviors to which her mother and she had been subjected and manifests itself on how that person devalues herself and others.

SPOILERS***SPOILERS***SPOILERS This leads her to constantly running away from love and home - again and again and again. Relentless. She keeps playing her husband for a mark, then gives him unbelievably hot sex, then splits as if it's now okay since she paid off her debt with sex, the only value she could possibly have to a man. It's profound and sorrowful. Her self-image and sense of self-worth is so poor she cannot allow herself to love or be loved. For awhile it had to do with material things but the last time, headed for San Francisco, was martyring herself for being unworthy.

That brings further frustration to my movie-watching experience. We've now been in the theater for an hour and 50 minutes. She does it again. But this time, the husband refuses to go after her, spouting roots and wings falderal. That would have made a lot more sense if he didn't get her when she returned to Pair-a-Dice to get her gold and wound up back at her old profession. Let her learn for herself what she had was the better way of life and that she was worthy of real love.

But this time, it was different. She didn't leave for anything she wanted this time and he knew that. This time, he read the letter knowing that she now loved him but left because she thought she wasn't good enough for him because she couldn't bear children. You would think that was the time he would go explain to her that she was worthy in God's eyes and in his his. No. This is the time he basically says: her bed, let her lie in it.

Very frustrating. Especially when one is waiting to experience the redemption, having paid the price watching the torture for close to two hours. Before she can get redemption, she has to yet again get something she worked hard for get ruined by arson, then get abused as an adult by the "businessman/brothel owner" who owned and abused her as a kid - and spawned her nightmares and fears for 20 years since then. Now he gets her but for himself prefers pre-pubescent girls. This is where the movie takes it stand. She rescues the girls and exposes the villain in front of everybody, then he's hanged.

Brother-in-law Paul who ones defiled her visits and tries to convince her to return to Michael who still loves her. Now she cannot because she's set up a church-supported school for abused girls like herself. We see the love she has for these children and satisfaction that they are learning and that she is repairing her relationship with God. Okay, great. The kind of redeeming love she needed had to be with helping others like herself and sacrificing herself for their safety. And it seems that the movie will end in a few minutes. And it does - BUT NOT BEFORE she appears walking out of nowhere like the virgin angel without a line on her face, vows she's done running and FINALLY will never take Michael's ring off again. Placard - Three years later; they have one child and she's in the family way with another. How did that miracle happen since a doctor had already purposely ruin her from having more children? Did she finally find that she was worthy of love and was not just returning out of another misguided sense of loyalty? What about the girls she vowed not to leave? Never mind, they are rolling the credits having given us less than 5 minutes with the phony-feeling happy ending that feels like a set-up for the rug to be pulled out from under us again.

It reminded me so much of the fantasy dream Belle indulges in the Bunuel classic Belle Du Jour. The prostitute is able to leave it all behind for a happy and normal life and start a family with an adoring husband. Whoops! It's not real.

A Love Song (2022)

Definitely Not Worth the Wait

[4/10 · 22 August 2022]

Warning * SPOILERS *

VERY OVERRATED INDEPENDENT - a few charming scenes, lots of dead space, culminating in a cliched anticlimax.

The good: Dale Dickey's performance is a tour de force. Slowly but relentlessly, she conveys a combination of realistic acceptance with indomitable spirit.

The wait: We spend the first 50+% of the film waiting for Wes Studi to show up. It's a slow go with Dale's character's old radio playing the part of Tom Hanks' volleyball in Castaway. There are three vignettes as we are waiting. Five cowhands with only the young one talking want to unbury their dead father from the campsite because a windmill blocking the view has been built. Think Larry, Darryl, and Darrel from Newhart. Two female lovers invite Dale to a very nice dinner where she is asked by one whether she should pop the question to the other; that takes about three minutes all in. Best from my perspective was the enthusiastic mailman (mail-boy?) hoping against hope that he can deliver the letter Dale is waiting for.

Finally, Wes shows up. Wes Studi has long been a personal favorite. His performance is terrific here and he is certainly ungodly handsome for his purported age.

Unfortunately, after three very nice moments, It turns into a two-night stand with a trite bromide ending the 20-minute exploration. After 5 minutes of morning, Dale gets her motor back and drives back home after a couple of very nice vignettes.

To me, it was pointless albeit a lot better than the ugly and relentlessly slow political polemic called Nomadland. Since, Nomadland has a lot of fans and I certainly found A Love Song better than that, if you liked Nomadland, definitely give this one a shot. If your idea of a sad but excellent Love Story is more like Brief Encounter, take a pass.

Promising Young Woman (2020)

Not Quite Brilliant - Warning Spoilers

[5/10 · 28 November 2021]

Director Emerald Ferrell creates some devistatingly brilliant visual imagery and pairs it with a great soundtrack. There are some terrific one-liners that would make great skit punch lines. But the narrative is everywhere and nowhere at the same time. The ending is so bizarrely brilliant and ultimately almost makes it all worth it but not quite.

This film tries to follow the perspective of someone who was traumatized from her friends rape and eventual suicide. It unfolds in a manner that you are not sure whether it is going back and forth in time and it's hard to stay with. As it turns out, the movie's trailer was a tease. She's not as lethal as it looks throughout - She vents her rage within more than getting any actual revenge . Until she does - but getting from Point A to Point B to Point C is more visceral than believable.

Many people thought Mulligan should have won best actress for this turn for the way she changes personas. I thought she 75% pulled it off but not quite completely. Certainly worth watching for your own perspective. To me, I was alternately entertained and frustrated - which may be just what Director Ferrell was going for.

Brilliant art? Perhaps so. Do I ever want to watch it again? No, not me.

House of Gucci (2021)

Terrific Entertainment if a tad overlong

[8/10 · 27 November 2021]

Vintage Ridley Scott entertainment - somewhat reminiscent of All the Money in the World. Great acting by entire cast - especially Lady Gaga and Adam Driver. Jeremy Irons always terrific but his accent faded in and out. Pacino at his best. Jared Leto was directed to play his part as an operatic caricature buffoon and did so impressively. Photography stunning and operatically themed music perfectly arranged.

My only minor criticism is that Scott got a bit too much into his own operatic allegory with characteristic overplaying of dramatic scene endings. Some of the cinematic allegories also went on a bit longer and were less subtle than I personally would have preferred. Again, very minor. House of Gucci is a lot of fun with Oscar-nomination-worthy performances from its two leads and possibly Leto. As a movie, I thought both Belfast and King Richard were more Oscar worthy but if this gets a nomination, it would also be on merit. Expect a very good but not a great satire on the fasion industry and its celebrities and you won't be disappointed.

The Secret of Convict Lake (1951)

Gripping and claustrophobic noir western with terrific performances, direction and cinematography

[10/10 · 6 January 2020]

Just watched The Secret of Convict Lake last night and just had to watch it again this afternoon to make sure I thought it deserved 10/10. For me, it definitely does. In two noir discussion groups to which I belong, there's a question of whether a western can qualify as a 'noir." If so, this one defines that category - even better than two often considered and rejected by purists, the Ox Bow Incident and Colorado Territory, both also 20s for me.

It's black-and-white with bleak sets and grainy snowstorm cinematography that is a perfect backdrop for the claustrophobic story in the very small settlement where all our players are stuck. The dialog is spartan noir. We spend most of our time with the convicts and our convict hero, Jim, convincingly underplayed by a laconic Glenn Ford, actually did kill the victim he was convicted of murder for. The twist is that the killing was an accident and the witness lied on the stand saying that it was deliberate murder to get possession of the $40,000 in the bank vault. The liar turns out to be Gene Tierney's fiancee. Three other convicts and fellow escapees with whom he is chained including unctious Zach Scott, brute Jack Lambert and young psycho Robert Hylton. In addition to Tierney, the women of the town trying to salvage their lives and the town include matriarch Ethel Barrymore in a performance as strong as it is underplayed, a well-meaning Jeanette Nolan, a bitter Ann Dvorak (sister of the liar to whom Tierney is engaged) and vulnerable innocent Barbara Bates (Pheobe) from the last scene of All About Eve. All play their roles to perfection and add to the constant atmosphere of bleak tension and general hopelessness.

After 45 minutes to establish all of the above, Tierney confronts Ford to protect her fiancee which results in his obtaining a gun and gaining her affections. When Scott sees Ford has a gun, he plots out his moves and from that point, things proceed very briskly, memorably and grip you at an emotional level (across the spectrum) for all of these characters. The women all have to reflect upon who they really are. The men meet their different fates in very appropriate ways. The resolution is ingenious and packs a punch. As the film ends, we are informed that it is based on an actual prison break and co-habitation of the town by the convicts on the lam.

Obviously, not everything in the film is real but who cares? It all sucked me in and gripped me as much as any of my favorite noirs. The filming of how Scott meets his fate is particularly poetic.

See it! A true hidden gem - will probably break my personal all-time top 200 list.

Rediscovering Christmas (2019 TV Movie)

Loved the story, the romance, the locale and especially the supporting cast

[9/10 · 1 January 2020]

David Naughton as the Dad was pitch perfect for this movie. I love his subtly sweet romance with the male lead's mother. His unconditional love sets the undercurrent for everything else. He has an irrepressible soul even if I have to look hard to see his once beautifully boyish face. I found BJ Britt quite convincing in the male lead whose tough know-it-all-comfortable-in-my-own-skin exterior hides an open wound of self-blame concerning the former family Christmas business. Jessica Lowndes is a force of nature as per usual and her relationship with Sister Sara is nice and non-intrusive. The comic interludes with Emily and grand dame Jessica Walter are wonderful and fitting. The solution to the Boston Department Store Christmas window was very clever. It was a terrific feel-good movie I'm glad I chose to usher in the New Year.

Downton Abbey (2019)

Magnificent and Brilliant! Old-Fashioned Moving Making at its Best

[10/10 · 23 September 2019]

To all my fellow AARP members and my fellow members of the Cinema Cafe and TCM Facebook Groups: This is a Must See - especially for those of you who proudly say they haven't gone to see a movie since The King's Speech or before because none of them are worth watching: bad writing, too much violence, cursing, sex, montages, pop music, etc. and bad acting.

Not Downton Abbey. This could have easily been made by a host of great British Directos from the 1940;s through the 1960's. it is a delightful whirlwind of a ride but perfectly paced. There are what would normally be considered way too many subplots but they mesh seamlessly and completely understandable hear and with humor and pacing, perfect cinematography and ideal background music.

In fact, the entire movie is entirely more bouncy (never thought I'd be using that word for this kind of movie but it fits), light-hearted and uplifting than things I expected to be reminded of such as Howard's End, Remains of the Day and other class-conscious dramas. Full dsiclosure: I never watched the series. I did watch two dozen or so episodes of Upstairs Downstairs in the day and found it interesting enough to watch but not compelling enough to be addicted to - in general I don't get addicted to soaps.

And that's the most surprising thing about this movie - it does not play like a soap opera. It plays like a stand-alone movie even when you know that most of the other people in the audience are more familiar with the charactrs than you. And I did not get lost or confused or felt left out from something I needed to know but didn't.

It's also a true ensmble piece. His Lord and Her Ladyship are listed first in the cast as they should be but do not have as much screen time and are really not any more and perhaps less intrinsic to what is about to unfold even though they are most certainly inextricable parts of it. And delightfully, Maggie Smith, Elizabeth McGovern and Imelda Staunton are as much in the center of things as anyone else and their subplots are marvelous.

Actually, the closest thing the movie has to a star or lead character is Tom played brilliantly and seemingly effortlessly by Allen Leech who impressed me positively in supporting roles in Bohemian Rhapsody and The Imitation Game but exhibits raw star quality here. And oh those eyes and that face, just perfect from every perspective and especially in conveying the heroic yet conflicted essence of his character, bruised by past skirmishes and being widower but not unbowed. He is the only one central to at least 3 subplots, all interesting and freshly exposed and told. But the entire ensemble - all of whom I assume were regulars in the series - with wondeful guest stars. Simon Jones and Geraldine James are brilliant as the visiting King and Queen. Mark Addy is hilarious and heartwarming in his one scene as a prideful local butcher.

As an old-timer, today's movies rarely impress me as candidates for my chronicles of my favorites of all-time. I keep a list of 500 which I update annually and fewer than 10 from this century are currently on it. This tops my list of candidates for next year's review.

If you are over 50 or a fan of the series or love intelligent writing and dialog with terrific characters and acting, SEE DOWNTON ABBEY!!!

The Spy Who Dumped Me (2018)

Frenetic, nasty, stupid and pointless

[1/10 · 23 September 2019]

Well, it wasn't slow. That the best thing I could say about this attempted buddy-spy-spoof that is all shouting, cliche and non-stop movement. Someone needs to tell the filmmakers that when you present a line, sight gag or incongruity that is supposed to elicit laughter or any kind of reaction from the audience, you must give it at least five seconds to register. You don't get a nanosecond here. Thus potentially funny lines by the leads, assassins, an abducted cab driver, etc., are scattered by a hurricane withut being seen or heard. The main characters try hard to be pitiable and part of this may well be a generation gap thing. I can pity main characters who are themselves caricatures of nasty, selfish people who are supposed to be our heroes. Kunis shouts all the time while being frenetic and clueless.. No balance here as McKinnon's character is a know-it-all who makes no sense whatsoever. The violence is of the bang-bang variety, nothing gruesome thank goodness but continually tedious.

After an hour, I asked myself why am I still watching this. I said well I wanted to see it and got the disk from the library so let's see it to the end. That said, I did put away some laundry during the rest of the movie which seemed to make it a bit less stultifying. The characters played video games in the beginning and it made me want to go out and play one myself, something I haven't done since Tomb Raider was new and before the first Tomb Raider movie came out.

Like I said, I'm in my sixties and from what I've observed in stand-up and TV, this nastiness, sarcasm, exaggeration thing seems to pass for humor these days so perhaps the generation it's made for may find it funny. If so, God bless them - I don't want to spoil their fun. To people my age, just watch the Spy Who Loved me or In Like Flint instead. For those my age who didn't like either of those two, STAY AWAY entirely.

Grandma (2015)

Disappointing Grandma/Granddaughter Road Movie Substitutes Misanthropy and Derision for Wit

[4/10 · 13 February 2016]

I love Lily Tomlin. I thought she was very effective playing gay in Tea with Mussolini. Most of my friends with similar tastes thought this was hilarious so I looked forward to seeing it on DVD. I was disappointed.

Road movies are by their nature episodic. And the overall length of this film (about 80 minutes) is blessedly short. The first half hour is one-note, nasty and tedious and wastes Nat Wolff. John Cho is especially irksome. After that the visits and episodes get more interesting beginning with Sam Elliott as Tomlin's ex-husband. Marcia Gay Harden is terrific as the mother in the next sequence. Together, the two give the film its best scenes. The scenes following these two are fine and serve to wrap up the plot and land everything in perspective. Finally, Tomlin's curmudgeon does have a soft center deep inside after all.

So, after the first half hour, it's a bit more than watchable; F for the first 30 minutes, C+ for the next 50 minutes. C- (4/10) overall.

The Finest Hours (2016)

Great depiction of the era and New England Coast Guard outposts provide foundation for harrowing rescue saga

[9/10 · 13 February 2016]

This movie does a magnificent job of setting the table for itself. It took me back to the early 1950's in New England without so much as an echo of a false note. The dances, the cars, the attitudes, and the not-so-esprit-de-corps-except-when-it really-counts attitude among the Guard members at the outpost are all presented with remarkable accuracy. It was just like stepping into a time capsule.

I don't understand some people's criticism of the acting as wooden. I found it anything but. Casey Affleck (Gone Baby Gone) is a fantastic dramatic actor who is stereotyped too much from his Oceans movie roles. Here, he steels the movie from Pine, Foster, and the rest. Not that Pine and Foster were bad - they were pitch perfect as the determined and focused rescuers with lives of their own. As the Commander, Eric Bana gave the film's most thankless role everything he could.

I thought Holliday Grainger was a revelation as the spunky and unconventional Miriam. The subplot with her pushiness and combativeness was well told and did an excellent job of providing context.

As for the action, it was magnificent with the saga well told both in magnitude of the task, dissension on the big boat, human courage and weakness in the face of death, and of course, the rescue itself. I did go to the 3D version and the effects and motion of the waves made that well worth it for me. It is a great film for the entire family.

The Homesman (2014)

More Anti-Western than Western and NOT a feel-good movie

[6/10 · 24 December 2015]

The first two-thirds of this movie seem like a Hallmark made-for-TV movie with extremely high production values and excellent acting. We have a plain frontier woman Mary Bee Cuddy (two-time Oscar winner Hillary Swank , lonely but with enough grit and determination for 3 men, set off on a mission to take 3 demented women back east for a mission woman (three-time Oscar Winner (Meryl Streep) to reunite them with their families. This mission has been requested by the local Minister (John Lithgow) Being practical and recognizing she needs help to complete the arduous journey successfully. Through flashbacks which are repeated throughout the journey to an annoying point, we find that she had to endure insanity issues with her own mother that resulted in the mother's death and her anger at her callous father.

She encounters hard-edged drifter George Briggs (Tommy Lee Jones) who vigilantes attempted to hang for claim jumping. She hires him and they meet various challenges along the way, each with a touch of historic reality not found in mythic westerns and each interesting. The last of these challenges comes when they encounter an unearthed corpse of a young boy exhumed by native Americans for the buffalo hide in which he was buried and left on the ground. Mary Bee, in keeping with her religious commitment that made her volunteer for the task, undertakes burying the child, then catching up with Tommy Lee Jones and the women after nightfall. She does so after awhile but at the cost of her aplomb. She returns a crying and dehydrated mess. In the course of trying to restore her, George grows close to Mary Bee and despite every trepidation involved in doing so, reluctantly but lovingly (as well as that word can be ascribed to his character) has intercourse with her.

That is where this ceases to be the movie I thought I was watching. It may well be logical, realistic, and might even be based some real-life situations. But, for me, the film transformed from a crusty buddy movie /romance under hardship to something even much darker. And this is the spoiler: Mary Bee hangs herself out of grief and remorse.

From hereon, it is episodic including a violent scene when George ruthlessly destroys all for a callous fop (James Spader) who denied his group water and food. This "visceral satisfaction" scene took much too long and the self-righteousness seemed out of character for George. Finally, we get to the town. Having completed his mission in a nice scene, George tries to mend his ways but is unable to be accepted, and so, he returns to his live-for-the-day roots.

All in all, fascinatingly directed with some great camera work and use of locale, and unforgettably acted especially by the two leads. But I was numb and put off watching the last third of the film, hence the mixed vote of 6/10.

No Escape (I) (2015)

A Family Taken Beyond Human Limits

[10/10 · 31 August 2015]

Pacing is a top criterion for me in movies. This one sucks you in the beginning and never lets you move from the edge of your seat. The score is perfect, serving to tighten the suspense without ever being obtrusive and with the correct feel for a country like the one in question - at lest to an American ear.

(I don't want to get lost in a sidebar but the identity of the country and ostensibly its capital city with a US Embassy has been discussed. I've hear to crossing a river to get to Vietnam is all wrong and it's generally a more glistening city. It's a fictional movie so perhaps it's meant to stay an amalgam. But if it's somewhat based on a real country, Burma/Myanmar would make more sense to me as Rangoon is on the side of the country across from Vietnam and the country has seen more than its share of human rights violations.)

As has been pointed out, the director's brings his horror roots and creates a movie scarier than any horror movie because of the average American viewer's identification with the family. The rapidity with which a completely believable overseas assignment could suddenly turn into an unfathomable nightmare where chances of survival seem nil takes the viewer's breath away and never lets it go. When Wilson grabs his daughter from the pool and mutes her protests while his wife tries desperately to make the killers going room to room for foreigners and anyone perceived to be related to working for the company (including Asians), the wild ride begins. From that time to the time incognito agent Pierce Brosnan helps guide them to the roof where people frantically hope for escape, there is no time to breathe. When all others but them are slaughtered and they are the only ones who put together the obvious fact that the only alternative is to attempt a feasible but scary jump to a nearby building, there was no thought in my head that aspect was a bit far- fetched because the acting, direction, pacing, and flow made it seem perfectly consistent with the suddenly inhumane terror of their situation.

The family dynamics and the evolution of Wilson's and Bell's thought processes throughout the frantic and at times aimless rush from anywhere to anywhere for survival are amazing and certainly separate this from a normal action movie with hero/heroes and a mission. There is nothing but doubt and lack of self-confidence in the minds and hearts of the two adult heroes and only the need to try to save the lives of their children keep them from the recriminations and remembering the sadness with which they began their journey. This psychology subtly carries the emotional dynamic under the actions when survival mandates encouraging the youngest girl to pee herself, then further as they need to kill as cold-bloodedly as their hunters for survival. The hesitancy and grief with which Wilson kills even though he know he has no alternative and the cold-bloodedness in which a dying Brosnan executes his duty are displayed in stunning contrast even though the frantic pace doesn't allow the audience to appreciate the comparison until the end.

At the end - and the family's final escape is due to what is probably the least realistic and at the same time the most viscerally rewarding sequence in the movie - I couldn't inhibit myself from shouting "Wow!" aloud, and I am not easily impressed.

In fact, even though this movie was completely fictional, the movie No Escape most reminded me of is the fact-based Hotel Rwanda. In very many ways, including the hero being a career-oriented family man suddenly thrust into desperate survival mode while a holocaust of murderous xenophobic frenzy breaks out all around him, the two situations are close parallels as was the excellence of the acting and the development of the characters from non-violent citizens with ordinary fears and problems into men of action who regret what they must do to survive. To me, these are much better analogies than Taken or Mission Impossible - did these heroes show an ounce of regret in doing what they have to do? Just part of the training, ma'am. Contributing to that dynamic is the equally stunning transformation of Lake Bell from whiner to having to be the mentally and physically strong one when Owen's psyche lapses (and every step in between). The daughters, while frustratingly annoying obstacles to their own safety, are incredibly realistically portrayed. Kudos to both young actors. Brosnan's professional and cynical agent, reminiscent of Ed Harris in Under Fire and Nick Nolte in Hotel Rwanda, provides a perfect contrast to the incredible physical and emotional stress experienced by an untrained family who never had an instant to analyze anything beyond survival.

Anyway, even though it is to me an incredibly textured lead performance hitting many nuances right on the money, I don't expect Wilson to get nominated because of "odious" political motives that both left- wingers and right-wingers seem to be attributing to the film. Then again, you can never explain to me how an at-best flawed black comedy like Birdman won Best Picture against fantastic competition such as Imitation Game, American Sniper, Theory of Everything, Grand Budapest Hotel, etc.

I'll summarize by saying that you are cheating yourself if you let critics deter you from this incredible experience. 10/10.

Fifty Shades of Grey (2015)

Well-directed and well-acted voyeurism delivers well on its objective

[8/10 · 23 February 2015]

I come to the movies to be entertained. I was very much entertained. I came this movie partially to see a character study featuring a virgin on the verge of college graduation coming of age at the hands of a self-advertised millionaire sadist who considers himself soulless. That is precisely what i got. THe other attraction of this movie, of course, was the opportunity to watch B & D sex set against a trashy love/lust story. This obviously is not for all tastes but just as obviously, given the box office, attracts many and half of the people I know who went once have now gone twice.

I see a lot of IMDb critics giving this movie one star on the basis of calling it soft porn. I won't deny that this film is right on the edge of soft porn and that if you don't like voyeuristic sex and soft porn, you should not go into the theater. Is there anyone who bought a ticket who did not know to expect "the sexual abuse of a young woman being used as supposed entertainment." I read this quote verbatim in at least three reviews. Like anything else, if you know you find such things so abhorrent, that's all you'll think about, then you SHOULD NOT GO to see this film.

Me, I like well-made soft-porn laced with occasional humor. As someone with what I consider a healthy and open-to-anything libido, I also enjoy watching naked bodies engage in kinky sex, especially when set up properly. For this kind of movie, the direction was incredibly crisp and cogent. Christian Grey was exactly the menacing, narcissistic yet charming control freak he was supposed to be. I found it impossible not to be overwhelmed and seduced by his power. I certainly found it easy to believe that Dakota Johnson would be. Marcia Gay Harden's brief turn as Grey's adopted mother is wonderful.

Even the many one-star haters seem to indicate that the direction and pacing (fantastic in my opinion) were not bad. I would say the best I've ever seen in a borderline soft-porn movie and among the best I've every seen for a trashy love story (Think Butterfly, The Other Side of Midnight, and Once is Not Enough). I'd also ask how a movie with decent direction could get ONE star (3 o4 4 would be more reasonable). I reserve ONE STAR for total disasters with totally incompetent direction like Homer and Eddie. This was slick, well-directed, and in my opinion (perhaps the biggest actually pertinent major disagreement with the critics) uniformly well-acted especially by the supporting cast and Johnson. I also did find the chemistry electric with Jamie properly stiff when he found himself confused by letting Anastasia into a heart he had blockaded and a soul he was convinced he didn't have.

As for the bodies shown, the nudity, the devices, and the choreography of the sex, I've never seen better. One problem I generally have with the borderline soft porn genre is spending two much time on mechanics. Most movies based on trashy novels also spend too much time dwelling on emotionally ravaged faces not quite executed bu mediocre actors. This movie never stopped coming at you with excitement, intrigue, and sex long enough to stagnate like that.

So, I had a great time and enjoyed it thoroughly and most of the 100+ women and 8 other men in the audience seemed to enjoy it on that basis as well. After all, they got what they knew they were coming to see.

The Fifth Estate (2013)

Fast-paced tale of how technology changes standards - Fantastic Cumberbatch

[8/10 · 9 January 2015]

I enjoyed it quite a bit. Cumberbatch was PERFECT as Assange, nailed him - and so piercing. Excellent supporting performances by Laura Linney, Stanley Tucci, Alexander Seddig (Dr. Bashir from DS9), Anthony Mackie, and Michael Culkin. Yes, I said Laura Linney - who I consider the most overrated actress ever and whose performances I always despise. Here she was beyond perfect in her timing, dialog, expressions, and nuances as a State Department Official who has some conscience, thinks she is a pragmatist but needs periodic reality checks from Stanley Tucci, and certainly won't sacrifice her own neck for principle when it comes down to it. Tucci underplays his part to great effect. Culkin and Seddig are both very interesting in their two scenes. The direction was fast and well-paced with amazing sets and a most appropriate score.

I haven't mentioned Cumberbatch's co-star, Daniel Bruhl, who gets just as much if not more screen time, as co-Wiki-leaks Founder Daniel Berg. Nor did I mention the female lead, Alicia Vikander, who played Amke, Berg's girlfriend. Berg provided the source material use for the film and he is the voice of conscience with which we are supposed to sympathize - especially when Assange fires (expels actually,since no one at WIki Leaks got paid) both of them for insubordination and brands them as delusional traitors. I say we're supposed to sympathize with them but I came away feeling them more self-pitying and whiny than heroic and I'm not sure whether it was the writing, the acting, or a combination of the two. I'm not saying that I could pinpoint anything wrong with the performances; and I'd have to see other work to see whether my reaction to the two came from he script. Those two characterizations/performances make this a 3.5-/4 instead of 4/4 (8/10 if you prefer). I thought it was very good - especially if you have an interest in the media's role in politics and intelligence agencies.

Beyond the Lights (2014)

Gugu Mbatha-Raw is Mesmerizing

[8/10 · 16 December 2014]

She also starred in Belle and totally captivated me with her intensity and ability to convey multi-layered and complex feelings of varied intensities. After seeing Beyond the Lights, I am even more impressed with her abilities and ever-refining raw talent. The entire cast was very good - especially co-lead Nate Parker who managed to overcome some of his sermonizing dialog to make his officer with political ambitions by-way-of-his-father become a bit more real than the cliché the writing of his character set him up for. The actors playing Trey and Liam worked well off each other in the group-think mindset of the music industry.

Minnie Driver has been one of my favorite under-utilized actresses for a long time. Her Hell-bent on Success Manager/Mother had unusual layers of complexity and dimension for what would normally be a well-worn stereotype. Danny Glover brought some of his magic and personality to elevate his character beyond being an equal and opposite meddling and domineering force, despite the limitations given to him by the scriptwriter.

I thought the auteur fares better as director with excellently telling visuals and as author of the story's "book" than as a dialog writer - especially for her male characters. The good news is that she allowed her actors enough freedom to work past the clichés.

Overall 8/10 - well worth seeing.