Now Playing

 

We got Valentine’s Day and President’s Day weekend, meaning we got a few different projects this week. Below is my quick take on the new movies in theaters and streaming I caught this week. You can always keep up with what I’m watching @knighthawk7734 on Letterboxd.

Bob Marley: One Love (Theaters)
Starring: Kinglsey Ben-Adir and Lashana Lynch
Synopsis: We’ve heard Bob Marley’s songs. Though he died more than 40 years ago, his legacy endures to this day. The new biopic, which focuses on a couple key years in his short life, are meant to shed more light on the singer and his passions. It focuses on Marley (Ben-Adir) and his wife, Rita (Lynch), along with the political unrest that he sought to quell through his music. There’s a lot to explore here but this film doesn’t always make time to dive into the details. We get plenty of his famous songs and see the inspiration for his style of music-making. The film shines when it pairs Ben-Adir and Lynch and lets them play off one-another. We’ve seen a lot of biopics in the musical world the past few years and this does little to distinguish itself. It’s fine, and has a nice lead performance, but it doesn’t do enough to bring the subject to life and explore his depths to make him come alive to a new generation on screen.
Rating: Rated PG-13 for marijuana use and smoking throughout, some violence and brief strong language.
Verdict: Two and a half stars out of five

Bleeding Love (Limited Release)
Starring: Ewan McGregor and Clara McGregor
Synopsis: Our relationship with our parents is often complicated. There is myriad reason for those complications, but coming together and sustaining that bond takes work. The new film, Bleeding Love, focuses on a father and daughter trying to re-build that bond during a road trip born of trauma. In the film, following a traumatic incident, a young woman (Clara McGregor) is picked up by her estranged father (Ewan McGregor). It’s clear they haven’t been close for a few years. There’s an icy tension as they hit the road, where he’s dropping her off in Santa Fe, New Mexico. As we travel along the road, it’s clear the father has moved on in life. He’s re-married with a young son. That leaves his daughter wondering if her father even still cares. As they make their way along the highway, they learn more about each other, where they are now and ask hard questions about the past and their relationship. Can they find a way to restore their bond moving forward? This film features a real father and daughter, which helps enhance the experience. In addition, Clara helped with the story on this film, collaborating with Vera Bulder and Ruby Caster, who finished the screenplay. There is real emotional depth and tension behind the performance, likely owing in part to the real connection between Clara and Ewan. There are moments of the film that are quite captivating. The idea of the story and the back-and-forth between the performers keeps you hooked. The direction from Emma Westenberg is solid as the film explores this relationship and how these two can form their connection again. This is a different kind of road film. I enjoyed the performances and was taken with the emotional depth of the story.
Rating: NA
Verdict: Three stars out of five

Einstein and the Bomb (Netflix)
Synopsis: We’ve considered a lot in the last year the making of the Atomic Bomb. That was the focus of Oppenheimer, which will likely win Best Picture March 10. That film also looks at Albert Einstein and his role in that process. So, I was interested in this quick Netflix documentary that looks at that very subject. This film features real quotes by Einstein, taken from his writings. But it also has some dramatic recreations and, ultimately, is all over the map. It didn’t sufficiently address the subject of its title. I would have preferred a true documentary that explore Einstein, his work, and his contribution to Atomic Science.
Rating: TV-MA
Verdict: Two stars out of five

Madame Web (Theaters)
Starring: Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney, Isabelle Merced, Celeste O’Connor, Adam Scott, Emma Roberts, Kerry Bishe, and Tahar Rahim
Synopsis: This film has gotten a lot of buzz since releasing on Valentine’s Day, none of it very good. It’s the latest Sony Marvel film that doesn’t feature Spider-man, though this one is set in the same world. In fact, there’s a very tangible connection to Peter Parker. But this is about Cassandra Webb (Johnson), whose mother (Bishe) died in childbirth in the jungle. But not before she discovered a potent spider that her companion (Rahim) stole. Flash-forward 30 years and Webb ends up developing the ability to see the future. That leads her to helping a trio of young girls (Sweeney, Merced and O’Connor), who are destined for a big future. Is this movie incredible? No, it’s not. Has the hate gone too far? Yes, I think it has. Madame Web is something of an origin story and offers the potential to expand into more. That might not be likely given the response from critics and audiences but enjoyed aspects of the setup here. I thought Johnson was a likeable lead and most of the cast does a nice job. There are some laughs here and some decent action sequences. There are flaws in the film. There are pacing issues and the villain is woefully under-developed. In fact, that’s true of all characters that aren’t Cassandra Webb. The final action sequence is borderline absurd at times, too. I haven’t liked most of the non-Spider-Man Sony films. This one isn’t incredible, but I liked it better than the other recent entries. It was entertaining enough and introduces a world I wouldn’t mind seeing more from.
Rating: Rated PG-13 for violence/action and language.
Verdict: Two and a half stars out of five

Players (Netflix)
Starring: Gina Rodriguez, Damon Wayans, Jr., and Tom Ellis
Synopsis: In time for Valentine’s Day, Netflix released this romantic comedy about a local sportswriter (Rodriguez) who is something of a player. But when she sets her sights on a polished author (Ellis), she tries to settle down. She enlists her friends and co-workers, including her best friend (Wayans, Jr.), to make it happen. But has she set her sights on the wrong man? That’s pretty obvious from the beginning. This is a by-the-books romantic comedy that, despite a decent cast, lacks any charm. It’s obvious where we are going and it’s clunky getting there. Rodriguez, Wayans and Ellis deserve better, and so does the audience. I thought this was a flaccid attempt at capturing viewers and something of a waste of time.
Rating: TV-MA
Verdict: One and a half stars out of five

This Is Me…Now (Prime Video)
Starring: Jennifer Lopez, Ben Affleck, Fat Joe, Jane Fonda, Post Malone, Keke Palmer, Trevor Noah, and Sofia Vergara
Synopsis: Lopez has a new album out and this is the music videos to go along with it. It’s got a very styled design and something of a narrative through line with a very impressive cast list and roster. And yet, it’s a bit too strange. It’s an inventive way to build up the album but as a standalone piece of art, it doesn’t work that great. A lot of creativity went into it, but it was kind of a strange watch.
Rating: NA
Verdict: Two stars out of five