Pick of the Litter
My cousin is a guide dog trainer and this should be a good look at what the trainers and dogs go through.
Crazy Rich Asians
Looking past the obvious (all Asian cast! Return of the RomCom!) we have a pretty good story of the American going to Singapore to meet her boyfriend's family. Who knew they would be rich? Who knew they would think her a gold digger? Will true love prevail?
Some good casting with Constance Wu (who fought for the role) and the new leading man Henry Golding as well the funny sidekick Awkwafina (also appearing this summer in Ocean's 8)
A solid movie - very old style Hollywood with the lush settings, the elaborate parties. Not as shocking as it was billed to be.
* * * * of 5
Some good casting with Constance Wu (who fought for the role) and the new leading man Henry Golding as well the funny sidekick Awkwafina (also appearing this summer in Ocean's 8)
A solid movie - very old style Hollywood with the lush settings, the elaborate parties. Not as shocking as it was billed to be.
* * * * of 5
A Simple Favor
From the darker side of Paul Feig (Bridesmaids, Ghostbusters) we have this R rated modern day thriller mixed in with some light heartedness. Anna Kendrick is Stephanie, a mother of one and a mommy blogger in suburban Connecticut. At her son's school she meets Emily (Blake Lively) who is a fashionable executive who works "In the City". They develop an unlikely friendship and then Emily asks Stephanie for "a simple favor" - pick up her son. Then Emily goes missing. Stephanie is then forced to help Sean (Henry Golding, Crazy Rich Asians) pick up the pieces.
Without giving away too much plot, what starts as a Gone Girl turns into a more complicated mystery which is solved in a classic Hollywood manner. I won't mention the movie but it is a film noir classic.
A nice mix of serious and funny. Some of the scenes between Stephanie and Emily are very well put together visually.
* * * * * - why not? A nice mix of comedy and drama. My 2 favorites.
Without giving away too much plot, what starts as a Gone Girl turns into a more complicated mystery which is solved in a classic Hollywood manner. I won't mention the movie but it is a film noir classic.
A nice mix of serious and funny. Some of the scenes between Stephanie and Emily are very well put together visually.
* * * * * - why not? A nice mix of comedy and drama. My 2 favorites.
Double Feature - Horrible Bosses (2011) / Hall Pass (2011)
I was home last night by myself so I saw two good movies on TV again. Both successful R Rated comedies from 2011, both with good dialogue and a certain raunch factor that reminded me of the 80s.
Horrible Bosses had an all-star cast, particularly the villains, played by Colin Farrell (Southland View favorite), Kevin Spacey and Jennifer Anniston. The 3 schlubs, Jason Bateman, Charlie Day and Jason Sudekis, decide to kill their bosses. Based on advice from Motherfucker Jones (Jamie Foxx) they decide that each should kill the others' boss. Another One Crazy Night plot, it does it well. It grossed over $100 million and got a 2017 sequel with new bosses.
Hall Pass, also starring Jason Sudekis plus Owen Wilson, is a Farrelly Brothers movie, straight from Providence, Rhode Island. Rick and Fred are bored with their married lives, and they then get to go crazy (so to speak) for a week while their wives (Jenna Fischer, Christina Applegate) go out of town for some fun of their own. Very similar in tone to There's Something About Mary, it's a fun look at the other side of the fence.
Both **** of 5
Horrible Bosses had an all-star cast, particularly the villains, played by Colin Farrell (Southland View favorite), Kevin Spacey and Jennifer Anniston. The 3 schlubs, Jason Bateman, Charlie Day and Jason Sudekis, decide to kill their bosses. Based on advice from Motherfucker Jones (Jamie Foxx) they decide that each should kill the others' boss. Another One Crazy Night plot, it does it well. It grossed over $100 million and got a 2017 sequel with new bosses.
Hall Pass, also starring Jason Sudekis plus Owen Wilson, is a Farrelly Brothers movie, straight from Providence, Rhode Island. Rick and Fred are bored with their married lives, and they then get to go crazy (so to speak) for a week while their wives (Jenna Fischer, Christina Applegate) go out of town for some fun of their own. Very similar in tone to There's Something About Mary, it's a fun look at the other side of the fence.
Both **** of 5
The Goonies (1985)
A entry in the 80s kid movie category, such as A Christmas Story and Stand By Me (also starring Corey Feldman), this is an adventure story about a group of 5 boys who find a treasure map and go on a hunt for the believed booty of pirate One-Eyed Willie. Along the way they are chased by the Fratellis, a family of escaped cons, two brothers and their mother.
A Who's Who of filmakers here, story by Stephen Spielberg (Back to the Future), screenplay by Chris Columbus (Home Alone) and directed by Richard Donner (Lethal Weapon). Early teen work of Josh Brolin. Some of the pluses were the rapid action, the differing age groups of the kids, both girls and boys, and the cartoonish villians, plus the class warfare.
* * * * of 5
A Who's Who of filmakers here, story by Stephen Spielberg (Back to the Future), screenplay by Chris Columbus (Home Alone) and directed by Richard Donner (Lethal Weapon). Early teen work of Josh Brolin. Some of the pluses were the rapid action, the differing age groups of the kids, both girls and boys, and the cartoonish villians, plus the class warfare.
* * * * of 5
The Happytime Murders
At heart this is an 80s cop movie (think 48 Hours, Beverly Hills Cop, Lethal Weapon) as two mismatched partners, one white and female (Melissa McCarthy) one blue and a puppet (voiced by Bill Burrata). The puppet Phil Phillips has lost his job on the force, but is called back into action when his brother, a former TV star on the Happytime Gang, is killed. The Happytime cast is getting whacked one by one, and the two partners must team up again.
The R ratedness of the whole affair looks like a Hustler magazine cartoon, but kudos for going into the thick of it here. The screenplay is surprisingly good and would have made a decent live action movie. The tension underplaying the puppets v. the humans is a nice touch.
Good fun * * * of 5
The R ratedness of the whole affair looks like a Hustler magazine cartoon, but kudos for going into the thick of it here. The screenplay is surprisingly good and would have made a decent live action movie. The tension underplaying the puppets v. the humans is a nice touch.
Good fun * * * of 5
RBG
Premiered at Sundance this year, we had the benefit of getting to watch on CNN tonight, albeit with commercials.
The documentary story of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who has become an icon for her feminism, her liberal dissents, and generally a longtime defender of equal protection. Who can really argue with that?
Interesting story about her early life, her longtime marriage to Martin Ginsburg, her appointment to the Federal Judiciary by President Carter as his desire to make the courts more inclusive. He did succeed at that. Hard to believe she has been on the US Supreme Court for 25 years.
Of course I enjoyed the part of the court fight involving Virginia Military Institute. We just took that same sex school for granted back then. But not Notorious RBG.
Sundance should grade harder. I'll call this * * * * of 5
The documentary story of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who has become an icon for her feminism, her liberal dissents, and generally a longtime defender of equal protection. Who can really argue with that?
Interesting story about her early life, her longtime marriage to Martin Ginsburg, her appointment to the Federal Judiciary by President Carter as his desire to make the courts more inclusive. He did succeed at that. Hard to believe she has been on the US Supreme Court for 25 years.
Of course I enjoyed the part of the court fight involving Virginia Military Institute. We just took that same sex school for granted back then. But not Notorious RBG.
Sundance should grade harder. I'll call this * * * * of 5
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