Now Playing

 


Here's a look at the new movies I saw this week.

Monster (Netflix)
Starring: Kelvin Harrison, Jr., Jeffery Wright, Jennifer Hudson, ASAP Rocky, John David Washington, and Jennifer Ehle
Synopsis: This film for Netflix debuted on May 7, but was originally released during the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. It centers on a high school student, Steve Harmon (Harrison), from a good family who is accused of participating in a robbery where the store owner was killed. He's a bright young student who wants to become a filmmaker, and now he's thrust into an adult holding facility, on trial for his life. His public defender (Ehle) is cold, his parents (Wright and Hudson) are fretting and the street gang members he casually befriended (Washington and Rocky) are happy to sell him out. Steve is caught in the middle, trying to remain calm. This is a well acted and well produced film. The script from Colen Wiley and Janece Shaffer unfolds in a fascinating and engrossing way to show the events leading up to his arrest in flashbacks as the trial takes place. Harrison is great in the lead role and I enjoyed the exploration of life, race and justice in this film. It's powerful and well worth checking out.
Rating: R for language throughout, some violence and bloody images.
Verdict: Three stars out of four

Stowaway (Netflix)
Starring: Daniel Dae Kim, Anna Kendrick, Shamier Anderson, and Toni Collette
Synopsis: This new drama centers on a three-person crew (Dae Kim, Collette and Kendrick) who blast off on a two-year mission to Mars. A problem arises when an unexpected member of the maintenance crew (Anderson) falls out of a hatch, damaging the life support system. Now, with four people on a ship with a technical issue, it becomes a fight for survival. This is a tense and fascinating project, featuring just these four performers on a tight set. It requires a lot of the actors to carry the story, which works well. I thought the cast was strong and the idea was interesting. This seems to be a Netflix film going a bit under-the-radar, and while it wasn't my incredible I thought it was a solid and watchable film. Kendrick gives perhaps the best performance and has some of the best moments. It's worth checking out.
Rating: TV-MA
Verdict: Three stars out of four

Things Heard & Seen (Netflix)
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, F. Murray Abraham, and James Norton
Synopsis: This supernatural thriller centers on a couple (Seyfried and Norton) who take up residence on a remote farm. George (Norton) is a new professor, while Catherine (Seyfried) is an artist who is lonely, trapped in a toxic marriage. The home where they live has also been the sight of other rocky relationships that ended in tragedy. Catherine begins to feel a connection to the spirits in that place, while George spins a web of lies that threatens to be his undoing. This one plays out predictably and slowly. Norton is fine as an antagonist, but he and Seyfried feel trapped in a story and characters that are too flat. The direction from Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini seems to mute any of the potentially chilling moments. Instead we get a boring and plodding film that feels like a mediocre Lifetime movie-of-the week. There are better options.
Rating: TV-MA
Verdict: One star out of four

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Burial a courtroom drama with heart

Image
Willie Gary (Jamie Foxx) is a brash trial lawyer who is good at rallying a jury to his cause. Jeremiah O’Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones) is a quiet grandfather who is trying to ensure the business his family built remains viable after he’s gone. These two don’t appear to have much in common on the surface. But when they’re brought together by young lawyer Hal Dockins (Mamoudou Athie) brings them together, a connection is formed over their shared background of working hard to become self-made men. And it turned out that Willie was just who Jerry needed in his corner to win the fight of his life. The new Prime Video film The Burial, which opened in theaters October 6 and started streaming October 13, captures that trial against the Loewen Group that changed the course of their lives. The film is based on the true story and covers the trial, but more importantly captures the relationship between the men. The film plays out like a traditional courtroom drama. Foxx is solid as Willie Gary, while Ju...
Read more

Broncos Draft Targets

Image
  The NFL Draft is just a few days away. On April 25, the Denver Broncos will head into the draft in the midst of something of a rebuild. In the draft, the Broncos have the No. 12 pick in Round 1, then have a Third Round Pick, Fourth Round Pick, three Fifth Round Picks, a Sixth Round Pick, and a Seventh Round Pick. So, what might they be targeting? Let's dive in and look at possible positions. Quarterback : The team clearly needs a long-term quarterback. Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci are there but the team could certainly use someone else. Could they move up for Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy? Yes, they could. Will the take Bo Nix at 12? It's possible. Or will the Broncos wait until next off-season to make a move? Anything is in play for the Broncos in 2024, but quarterback is surely a need. Tight End: The team brought back Adam Trautman and still has Greg Dulcich, but it's still a need. Dulcich hasn't been able to get on the field and Trautman hasn't been great. Co...
Read more

Favorite Westerns, No. 43

Image
  Do you like a good Western? It's a classic genre in film and this year I've decided to look at some of my favorite Westerns. So, join me each Friday as I count down my favorite Westerns from No. 50 to No. 1. Rooster Cogburn : [ watching Mattie ford the river hanging on the back of her horse] By God. She reminds me of me. True Grit (1969) Starring : John Wayne, Kim Darby, Glen Campbell, Robert Duvall, and Dennis Hopper Director : Henry Hathaway About: This is the third straight week with a film from Wayne. As you might guess, we're not done. As I've mentioned, he sets a standard for the genre. Here, we seen him bring to life an iconic character. This one is based on a novel, and it has endured. He's great as Rooster Cogburn, so good that he got a sequel in the same character. But this is a later film in his career. This is a different, more grizzled Wayne. He's still quite good and this is a film that really has stood the test of time. It's not the only ve...
Read more