Reviews

The director of Poor Things is once again a madman behind the camera as he presents audiences with this eyebrow raising "triptych fable" chronicling three distinct stories: a married but unhappy man attempting to circumvent the preordained routine that is his life; a forlorn police officer gobsmacked by his wife's behavior when she abruptly returns from being lost at sea; a cleansed, cultist woman in search of a "chosen one" with unearthly abilities. A most unusual, unconventional anthology that's equal parts mind-bending, off-putting, frustrating, and absurd; for pretty obvious reasons this won't be everyone's cup of tea, but at least it's not boring and the cast does their best to play with a colorful assortment of characters. When it comes to his movies Lanthimos isn't the least bit bashful, though it is curious why he chose to dilute the overall impact by stretching this out for so long. **½

28 years later moviegoers are pulled back into the suck zone for this see-through, standalone sequel. Trivial plot makes it easy to cut to the chase: a retired storm chaser who's settled into her role as a "city girl" must face her demons and then travel back to the portentous Oklahoman plains during a tornado outbreak. In the midst of it, she reluctantly partners up with a cocky YouTuber who's a self-proclaimed "tornado wrangler." Edgar-Jones and Powell are likable even without much to their characters, but seeing as it's a disaster movie they (and others) are primarily around just to be put in the line of fire. There's some action, destruction, sophisticated gimmicks and technobabble, and though the effects leave something to be desired, it's exciting in spurts to see people fleeing from swirling, CGI vortexes of terror. There isn't any deception here; the film does what it intendeds to, but any true sense of danger is lacking. **

A glimpse into Tinseltown's underbelly, as seen through a series of vignettes involving numerous sleazy types who come in and out of the picture to do disreputable things, but with the primary focus on a bright-eyed newbie and Hollywood hopeful who quietly breezes into town to stay in her aunt's apartment, but instead gets herself tangled up in a complex mystery while trying to help a sultry, enigmatic lady clueless about who she really is. Stellar cinematography and an excess of close-ups do induce a sort of visual hypnosis that make this surreal, startling, atmospheric, but it's also rambling, disjointed, and off-putting despite a great effort from Naomi Watts who turns in a translucent performance. Riveting about two-thirds of the way through, but prolonged and provocative without clear point or purpose for all the tawdry, twisty goings-on, with a final act that's bound to leave a bad taste in the mouths of many. The subject matter is open to various themes and interpretations, but if just meant to be a senseless exercise in neo-noir, then it should've beelined to the end instead of dragging on for two and a half hours. **½

Longtime, not to mention long in the tooth police partners Mike and Marcus ride together...they die together...and now are back in a superfluous sequel together. Mike is attempting to settle down, Marcus is trying to avoid stress, but that all goes out the window when their late superior officer Captain Howard is implicated to be in cahoots with a dangerous drug cartel. Naturally they feel inclined to preserve the posthumous legacy of their fellow policeman. Beyond good use of the Miami scenery, there isn't much going on here to justify this sequel's existence; it shoehorns in some major characters who aren't given anything substantial to do, with a stale plot that runs on autopilot featuring generic bad guys, uninspired action scenes (with disorienting camera work), and forced attempts at humor which continually flop. The results aren't funny or exciting despite how hard Martin and Will try to make it work, and attempts to recapture the magic of earlier movies only highlight how lame and unneeded this newest entry truly is...whatcha gonna do? Find something else to watch. *½

Bored young trophy wife Fanny is happily married (so she thinks) to soporific, possessive, but wealthy businessman Jean, her second husband who spoils her like a princess as they live the high life in uptown Paris. By chance she runs into old school friend Alain, a divorced writer who, by his own admission, has always carried a torch for her. Things begin innocently enough, but her eventual infidelity calls into question her fulfillment with Jean. The fiftieth yet first official foreign language film from Woody Allen has a storyline that's pretty basic, but slightly elevated by some interesting characters, a fresh-faced cast of French actors, and of course some wonderful scenery, but even with the shock value the finale still isn't very satisfying. **½

Openly gay, emotionally unavailable, romantic cynic and New York City podcaster Bobby Lieber has some serious commitment issues, and is thus content to just settle for short-term hookups on dating apps. Bobby has to reassess his views on relationships when he meets Aaron Shepard who's hot, but similar to Bobby, has his own personal issues when it comes to the dating game and real commitment. One of the first LGBTQ romantic comedies takes plenty of digs at representation in mainstream Hollywood movies, sexual orientation, promiscuity, self-loathing, and homophobia, but minus one particularly memorable cameo, offers very little in the way of big laughs, charm, not to mention that Eichner's character, who presumably the audience is meant to root for, isn't especially likable. **

Ennui dishwasher as well as bumbling career criminal Ray Winkler has been married to his wife Frenchy, a feisty manicurist, for twenty-five years. Fed up with just menial jobs, Ray gets a light bulb and recruits his cronies to pull off a bank robbery, but doing so will require Frenchy to front their scheme by running a cookie shop--which to their surprise turns into a huge success. Their social standing elevated from plebeian to nouveau riche, they now find themselves hobnobbing amongst the upper-class, but will that really be satisfactory for them? Opens with real snap and wit, and features colorful characters delivering some funny lines, but then takes quite a U-turn that slows the momentum and weighs down the plot. Ullman does make an ideal sparring partner for Allen though, and it's a good way to pass the time even if it works better in parts than as a whole. **½

London-based seriocomedy focusing on a handful of characters and their dissatisfaction with their current lives. Helena, recently divorced after forty years, is a hot mess who always blames herself and seeks advice from a fortune teller in lieu of a psychiatrist; her ex-husband Alfie's become preoccupied with physical activity and health foods to maintain the longevity in his genes and takes up with a much younger minx named Charmaine; Helena and Alfie's daughter Sally is tenuously married to albatross Roy, a chauffeur and washed-up novelist who graduated from med school but struggles to earn a sizable income. Roy is tantalized by Dia, a beautiful musicologist who lives across the way, while Sally's eye is wandering toward Greg, her dapper new boss at the art gallery who's also married. Examines the niceties and ironies of relationships and life, but doesn't add up to anything memorable or provide a satisfying resolution to all of its overlapping storylines despite the caliber of talent found amongst its cast; too bad. **

1962 in the San Fernando Valley; a tight-knit group of misfit adolescent boys with an unbridled affinity for baseball accept the geeky new kid in town as part of their group just as spring concludes. The film chronicles an unforgettable summer where they square off with rival ball players, deal with a pubescent infatuation for the dishy pool lifeguard, but most importantly a major pickle involving an all-important baseball, a reputedly cross neighbor, and the fearsome, beastly canine adjacent to their playing field. Nostalgic, hyperbolized, and laugh-out-loud funny, this coming-of-age kids' fare has a plot that's about as simplistic as you can get, but with memorable lines, iconic scenes, a superb cast of youths, and a few recognizable adults on hand to lend it weight, its overall charm simply can't be denied. While aimed mostly at kids, the warmth and good-natured spirit give it suitable appeal to other age groups as well...you're killing me Smalls! ***

Bored by the meaninglessness of everyday existence, perpetual worrywart and radical philosophy professor Phoenix is newly hired to teach at a Rhode Island college beginning in the summer semester. Though an influential educator, he lives in a world all his own causing his unconventional methods to raise eyebrows amongst the faculty. Stone is a bright and desirable student under the spell of her current boyfriend, but has an affinity for lost souls which makes her fascinated by her original-thinking new teacher--despite a lot being very wrong with him. Overly talky, uneven, Dostoevsky-inspired story has elements of comedy and drama but doesn't really peak in either despite some good actors to work with, and has a major subplot that doesn't seem to belong in the movie. The entire thing feels prolonged, and it doesn't help that the use of narration isn't witty and thus seems unnecessary. **

Maladroit, fledgling New York comedy writer and aspiring novelist Jerry Falk is a hopeless romantic jabroni who's afraid to sleep alone. Despite a vast age gap, he becomes fast friends with fellow Jewish artist and public school teacher David Dobel, an extremist who uses a lot of big words but whose advice is dubious, especially when it comes to Falk's flighty, doe-eyed actress girlfriend Amanda Chase; she's a self-absorbed, self-deprecating sexpot and head case for whom punctuality isn't a virtue. Their relationship is further strained when her Madame Bovary mother movies in with them. Hebetudinous, unromantic comedy isn't very sweet, features dispensable characters, and with all the tacky jokes about sex and antisemitism isn't that funny either. Ricci is grating, Biggs is tiresome, not to mention his talking directly into the camera gets old fast, and there isn't much else here to really entertain. *½

As WW2 nears its end, sheepish young kamikaze pilot Lt. Shikishima lands at a naval detachment on Odo Island when a surly, gigantic lizard creature just happens to run rampant. The war over, he finds employment aboard a minesweeper cruising the Ogasawara Islands, but being at sea only puts him in the monstrous beast's line of fire once more. Knockout visual effects make this amazing to look at, big destructive set pieces with taut direction make it exciting to sit through, plus the well-rounded characters and an overarching theme of survivor's guilt make it more than just an empty-headed monster movie. Reportedly the film's budget wasn't extremely high, though you'd never know that after watching it, which questions the need for so many overpriced--and much less entertaining--big Hollywood productions. Forceful and episodic it runs a bit long, thus causing some of the tension to dissipate, but an impressive showing nonetheless. ***

Larry David effectively channels the Woody persona in this edgy, funny NYC comedy. Boris Yellnikoff is a cynical, misanthropic divorcé and lifelong New Yorker who sees human beings as a failed species in the dog-eat-dog, pointless black chaos of the real world. He happens to meet unworldly but not unattractive young hobo Melody St. Ann Celestine from Mississippi who begins shacking up with him ad infinitum, and much to his surprise (or chagrin) this leads to a Pygmalion-type relationship between the two of them. David, playing a self-professed unlikable guy, fits the role of a bitter, bellyaching old grump to a tee with his deadpan delivery and biting remarks, and is especially good when breaking the fourth wall. Wood on the other hand is a zesty ray of sunshine whose heart and levity serves as a really good counterbalance to some of his more off-putting tendencies. Whether you find Boris appealing or not, he's unapologetic about who he is, does make you laugh a lot, and the film does have room for optimism despite any of the proclamations from its protagonist. ***

While chitchatting over dinner, a group of writers converse over the true meaning of comedy and tragedy, then use a real story that one of them overheard as fodder to debate whether its apt material for the comedic or for the tragic. Both stories revolve around a troubled woman named Melinda Robicheaux: in the tragic version she's a distraught widow trying to get her life together and abruptly turns to one of her old high school friends (Sevigny) for solace; in the comic version she's the lonely downstairs neighbor of a struggling actor (Farrell) and aspiring filmmaker (Peet) whose marriage is on the decline. While the premise creates all sorts of possibilities, most of the bright spots are found in the comedy section which is more engaging, and thus making it an uneven overall showing. The cast is top-notch though, especially Mitchell who holds her own admirably in both segments. **½

Contrite, scholarly middle-aged woman and mother of two Leda Caruso takes a solo holiday to a remote Greek isle for some much needed me time. Once there she becomes familiar with the other island residents, some agreeable but most unruly, and soon her interactions with them cause her to ruminate over her life choices up to that point. Maggie Gyllenhaal, who also penned the screenplay adapted from the titular novel, is assured enough in her directorial debut to not spell everything out, but rather challenge the viewer to listen, pay attention, and react to each character dilemma, and finds a way to maintain interest though admittedly not all of the extreme close-ups feel necessary. It helps that she has a talent like Colman at her disposal who gives a fabulous performance that requires a full gamut of emotions, as well as Buckley who's also stellar depicting the younger version of Leda. A rarity where not a lot seems to happen, and yet much is actually happening at the same time. ***

Aging as well as pedantic and uninspired American film critic recalls to his therapist a trip he took to the San Sebastián International Film Festival, solely out of obligation to his much younger wife who's a press agent for an even younger French auteur. Naturally bothered by how much time his wife spends in the company of the handsome young monsieur, he bides his time by hanging out and sightseeing with a young Spanish doctor who's stuck in a "he loves me, he loves me not" marriage to a volatile artist. With scenery that's easy on the eyes, this May-December romance is talky and fluid but not all that funny despite any of the homages to classic films, or even the efforts of Shawn who serviceably embodies the typical Woody archetype. **

Harry Block is a screwed up, self-loathing, but bestselling Manhattan author who has written several novels "loosely based" on people from his own life, essentially turning everyone else's suffering into literary gold. His latest work provokes a meshugana ex-mistress of his into a reaction so extreme that for the first time in his life Harry suffers from writer's block, just as he's about to receive an honorary award from his former university--oh the irony! Now he has to reflect on his own life, which he realizes has been primarily sex-obsessed, as well as his previous works hoping to find a meaningful idea. All of the numerous subplots blurring fact and fiction don't entirely coalesce, but it's still creative and darkly humorous, with enough profanity and vulgarity sprinkled throughout to inspire real laughs, and in terms of acting talent the cast is loaded. ***

Jeff Cole is a recent graduate of the Cincinnati police academy who's wise to the ways of the street game. Believing that no other officer can do what he does, he asks his superior for a dangerous undercover assignment to take down Dwayne Gittens-a savage underworld dope dealer who calls himself God. Though unafraid of the risks, he still isn't fully prepared for how far he'll have to go to get the job done-hence the movie's title. The setup is familiar and the film's trajectory is easy to figure out, but it doesn't feel like your average police thriller thanks to some powerful scenes, well-defined characters, and good acting led by Epps who's totally credible as the conflicted cop, and LL Cool J who provides an intimidating presence as the ruthless crime lord. **½

In 1940 myopic, skirt-chasing schnook CW Briggs is actually one of New York City's top insurance investigators who cares little for broads without a double digit IQ, most especially his new office efficiency expert Betty Ann Fitzgerald who's bright, organized, and shares utter contempt for him. One night CW and Betty Ann are put into a trance by a jackleg hypnotist, which escalates into a complex thievery scheme. Talented actors and a believable feel of the era in which it's set can't compensate for a lack of laughs as most of the comedic bits don't hit, though Allen and Hunt are good at trading catty gender quips. **

Loopy comedy/mystery about a young American journalism student named Sondra Pransky who's vacationing in London for the summer. One ordinary day while participating in a vaudevillian magic show, she's "dematerialized" by prosaic American prestidigitator Sid Waterman aka The Great Splendini, then tipped off by the late, great investigative reporter Joe Strombel (from the afterlife) that wealthy British blue blood Peter Lyman is a notorious serial murderer dubbed the Tarot Card Killer. Wanting to get a juicy story, Sondra uses her feminine wiles to get close to Lyman, with some help--of the most unorthodox sort--from Sid in the process. Even though the investigation itself is not especially invigorating, the lead actors are good and there are frequent laughs, most coming from the snappy interplay between Johansson and Allen which is quite humorous indeed. **½

Did someone say Foley? After a long absence Detroit's sassiest street cop is back on the screen to do what he does best: get into trouble, only this time he's brought all of his old pals back along with him. Watchable if lukewarm sequel is funny in spurts, primarily due to Murphy who's Axel Foley still has some juice even though we haven't seen him out on the west coast in thirty years. Seeing the gang back together again brings plenty of nostalgia, and a selective soundtrack to recall the series' origins certainly doesn't hurt, plus the chaotic (and creative) action scenes help propel the movie through its intermittent lulls, but the plot about Axel and his attempt to reconnect with his estranged daughter while also unraveling a money laundering conspiracy is weak. **½

In 1989 reclusive gym manager Louise "Lou" Langston meets and becomes enamored with Jackie Cleaver, an itinerant bodybuilder and recent hire of Lou's father, who's the resident criminal taskmaster. A hot and heavy romance ignites between Lou and Jackie, leading to a series of catastrophic events that plunge Lou deeper and deeper into her shady family ties. Dark, grimy, lustful and violent neo-noir does lack a powerful ending, but offers plenty of twists and turns along with an atmosphere of unsettling dread to keep things riveting, plus there are strong performances to boot. Stewart does quite a bang-up job in a challenging role that requires her to become unhinged, O'Brien is a real force of nature, while venerable Harris is assuredly menacing in a role he could play in his sleep. **½

New Year's Eve in Baltimore; a relative calm before the storm when a citywide medical emergency throws the entirety of the police force into chaos, especially for antisocial beat cop Eleanor Falco--handpicked to be the liaison for Special Agent Lammark of the FBI as they attempt to track down a mass murderer who doesn't fit into a clearly identifiable type. This gray, languid, garden-variety crime thriller doesn't have enough interesting elements in the script to make for a very meaty investigation, nor does it have characters to root deep interest in despite some halfway decent performances. A wannabe gritty thriller that forgot to include the grit. **

Outrageously uninhibited comedy starts out simple enough: Seth Rogen and antisocial Jay Baruchel are in Los Angeles and headed to a housewarming party hosted by James Franco where several Hollywood types are in attendance (Jonah Hill, Rihanna, Craig Robinson, Mindy Kaling, et al) with plans to rave like there's no tomorrow. There may in fact be no tomorrow as what begins like any old party takes a turn for the weird, and these soft as baby oil actors find themselves in a quagmire, one that may or may not involve the apocalypse...yes, you did read that correctly. Immature, vulgar, ridiculous, so much so you know it's deliberate, this plays out like a big, extended, outlandishly over-the-top skit that piles on one absurdly silly idea after another, with a top-flight collection of comedic actors playing exaggerated versions of themselves and poking fun at one another while they're on the brink of total insanity. Nonexistent plot does subvert the momentum, and the raunchy gross-out gags are sure to make some viewers feel queasy, but will probably just add some extra hilarity for fans of the actors. **½

Megan Park's directorial debut is a close, at times painful examination of grief and tragedy for Gen Zers, chronicling low-key teenage girl Vada Cavell and how her entire world is upheaved in the aftermath of a deadly shooting at her high school. She has close friends and family members she can turn to, but even they aren't enough to diminish the grievous burden that's been inflicted upon her. The narrative frequently wanders, by design so as to capture the mindset of the shaken protagonist, which admittedly can cause the viewer's level of interest to dwindle, but still the motives and actions of the characters are believable, and the performances of the actors are laudable, most especially Ortega who's so emotionally raw and real in the central role. **½