Double Feature * Me Before You/ Central Intelligence

Here's  a double feature review - I am planning on reviewing 12 movies this summer:

Me Before You



Emilia Clarke stars as Lou who is hired as a caretaker of sorts for Will Traynor (Sam Claffin), a rich, good-looking... quadriplegic.  Lou is not really the caretaker, as Will has another medical professional Patrick to do most of the work.  Lou is supposed to keep him cheered up for 6 months.

Of course, this mismatched couple from different sides of the castle, different families, different histories fall in love and have a Bucket List Affair.  And then the Nicholas Sparks plot twist comes in.

* * * of 5


Central Intelligence



Dwayne Johnson (formerly The Rock) is Bob Stone and Kevin Hart is Calvin, who in high school was the Golden Jet.  Bob was formerly Robbie Wierdicht, a fat, bullied kid in high school.  Now Robbie is the Rock and Calvin is an accountant searching for lost glories.  Bob, a secret agent, offers such glory to him.

Much better than expected, it combines the odd couple escaping danger (very much like Midnight Run) as well as the high school reunion layered on it.   Lots of references to that other 80s high school misfit movie Pretty In Pink.  And the secret agent-ness reminded me of Date Night.

* * * * of 5

Memorial Day weekend

I saw two pretty good movies this weekend - Money Monster and The Nice Guys.  Here's the thumbnail reviews:

Money Monster, starring George Clooney as Lee Gates, a version of Jim Cramer, hosting a show about money.  Julia Roberts is his trusty right hand producer.  When a maniac crashes the show and makes Lee put on a bomb vest, we have a hostage,  a ticker and a hunt for an answer all at the same time.  Directed by Jodie Foster,   * * * * of 5

The Nice Guys, starring Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling about 2 competing private eyes, both searching for the same person, Amelia.  Set in the 1970s only to give legitimacy to the porno movie angle and the smoking.  Does anyone actually have real sex in the mainstream movies anymore?  Bring back Michelle Pfeiffer!  A relatively lame plot but it accelerates at the end.  With a small plot by Kim Basinger, it reminded me of L.A. Confidential, another movie with a plot that never quite completes the circle. And of course a nod to Boogie Nights, also a film about sex but afraid of sex itself.   * * * of 5

Upcoming movies in August

  Three that look like they are worth waiting for in August


War Dogs - based on this Rolling Stone story - The Stoner Arms Dealers - August 19

Suicide Squad - DC Comic's version of getting to the level B villains - starring Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Jared Leto (as the Joker) - August 5

The Founder - Michael Keaton is back as Ray Kroc kicking the McDonald brothers (Nick Offerman and John Carrol) to the curb.  Behind every great fortune is a great crime - Balzac - August 5

Southside with You

Sundance loved this story of Barack and Michelle's first date - August 26 - in Austin of course (but highly unlikely in McAllen, TX)

Everybody Wants Some

When they said this was a "spiritual sequel" to Dazed and Confused, I should have stopped at "sequel".  Don't mess with a classic is the moral of this story.

It really has nothing to do with Dazed and Confused except that it is set in 1980 to D&C's mid 70s feel.  Our hero arrives at Southeast Texas State to play baseball and in the first 3 days is introduced to beer, weed, women and brotherhood in that time.  When the 3 days is up and school starts, he promptly falls asleep.  So much for a college movie.

While the director Richard Linklater tries to spotlight a few interesting aspects e.g. the types of music coming together, the competitiveness of the players, he ruins it by having the characters notice - "Can you believe that we went to 4 different types of parties?"  Nothing left to the imagination here.

* * of 5

I recommend you watch the original instead, the To Kill a Mockingbird to this Go Set A Watchman

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

If you can believe it, this won all 5 major Academy awards, Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay.  And it deserved them all.

Strong female lead - check.  Strong villian - best ever!  Suspenseful.  Uncertain mystery.  Fine direction - Jonathan Demme.  Just the right amount of gore.  Even 20 years later when a lot of the movie scenes have become iconic, it still has a lot of power.

Excellent  * * * * *

I plan to read the book.  Be sure to watch Manhunter and Red Dragon which were prequels but basically tell a very similar story.

Stop Making Sense (1984)

As I listen to Pandora radio, I find myself rocking more and more to the Talking Heads, which had a strong but relatively short run in the 70s and 80s.

So I turned to their iconic concert movie Stop Making Sense directed by Jonathan Demme.

It's interesting in that it unfolds as if the band is setting up for a show.  First there is David Byrne solo doing an acoustic Psycho Killer version.  On the next song, he is joined by Tina Weymouth, as the second band member.  The third song, the drummer, Chris Frantz appears.   During the time, the roadies are setting up the show.  As it goes on the scene is set and everyone is there.

And I mean everyone.  I didn't realize what a funk band that the Talking Heads were just listening to them.  But watching... its a real experience, high energy.  The show culminates is a long version of Take Me to the River and Girlfriend is Better.

* * * * *

The Cannes Film Festival Roundup 2016

The Festival de Cannes, who showcases and celebrates cinema on an international stage has an intriguing lineup for 2016. Of special interest to us Texans is Austin native, director Jeff Nichols showcasing his latest work, “Loving”, which interprets ahttp://www.festival-cannes.com/en/films/loving civil rights case held in 1958 where an interracial couple were arrested for getting married. “Loving” follows their case proceeding and stars Joel Edgerton, Ruth Negga and Michael Shannon.

Woody Allen’s highly anticipated “Café Society” will be the opening show outside of competition and stars Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart.

Steven Spielberg’s “The BFG” is an adaptation of Ronald Dahl’s Big Friendly Giant and will star Rebecca Hall, Mark Rylance and Bill Hader.

“Money Monster” a screening by Jodie Foster, features George Clooney and Julia Roberts in a suspenseful, financial disaster meltdown tale.

Jim Jarmusch will feature two films, “Paterson” about a bus driver played by Adam Driver and “Gimme Danger,” an Iggy Pop documentary.

Shane Black, an Austin Film Festival regular will feature “The Nice Guys” starring Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling, investigators in a porn star’s apparent suicide. In the demise of a relationship, Asghar Farhadi’s screening of “The Salesman” follows a couple acting out Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman”.

“The Neon Demon” a horror movie by Nicolas Winding Refn stars Elle Fanning while Sean Penn’s “The Last Face” features Charlize Theron and Javier Bardem in a love story set in Liberia.

Andrea Arnold’s “American Honey” will include Shia Labeouf, Sasha Lane and Riley Keogh in a tale about wandering magazine salespeople while actress Sonia Braga wanders through time in Kleber Mendonca Filho’s upcoming time travel tale, “Aquarius”.

Jonathon Littell’s Cannes debut “Wrong Elements” a documentary timed in the late 1980’s Ugandan turmoil will have a special screening out of competition.

A special tribute in the official selection will include “Hands of Stone” starring Robert De Niro and is to be released state side in August.