Category: 2017

REVIEW: Plummer’s Performance Is Perfect, The Rest Of ‘All The Money In The World’ Isn’t

When Director Ridley Scott opted to fire Kevin Spacey and remove him from this movie because of sexual assault allegations, some wondered if the product could still be salvaged. Turns out, it was. Scott was able to successfully replace Spacey with Oscar winner Christopher Plummer and the move appeared seamless and not at all awkward.

But, how was the overall movie?

Before getting into the answer, let’s breakdown what story the movie is telling. The film centers on the kidnapping of John Paul Getty III (Charlie Plummer). The reason for that abduction is that the young man’s grandpa is J. Paul Getty (Christopher Plummer), who at the time of the hostage taking was the richest person on the planet.

The picture explores JP Getty’s response to the kidnapping, his hiring of a private agent named Fletcher (Mark Wahlberg) to handle negotiating with the kidnappers and the boy’s mother Gail (Michelle Williams) who will stop at nothing to save her son.

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REVIEW: ‘The Post’ Is A Journalism Film That’s Good, Not Great

Legendary director Steven Spielberg takes a shot at one of the biggest battles over the First Amendment in “The Post.”

Like the title lets on, the film follows the staff at the Washington Post, specifically its editor Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks) and the publisher Kay Graham (Meryl Streep). The film picks up in the midst of the Richard Nixon Presidency, just as the Pentagon Papers are first being published by the New York Times.

The publishing upsets the Nixon-led government, though, to the point where an injunction is filed against the Times. The Post, meanwhile, also gets hold of the papers, leading to a question between Graham and Bradlee on whether or not to publish.

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REVIEW: ‘Downsizing’ Misfires Because Of Bland Character, Weak Satire

When some men get to the point of a midlife crisis, they may go out and purchase a nice sports car. Matt Damon’s character in “Downsizing,” meanwhile, gets a procedure to become four inches tall.

The title more or less gives a clue as to what the film is about. The picture opens with a new procedure being developed called downsizing which shrinks bodies to roughly four or five inches tall. As a result of the size reduction, the environmental footprint of humanity can be lessened and because of resources becoming more abundant, people can live in luxury.

Paul Safranek (Matt Damon), an occupational therapist who seems bored with life, figures it’s a good thing to try. As a result, he and his wife make a plan to go through with downsizing. However, as the movie unravels, it shows that this wasn’t the fix-all solution that Paul expected.

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REVIEW: Despite Some Good Moments, ‘The Last Jedi’ As A Whole Is Largely Flawed

The honeymoon appears to be over with the new “Star Wars” trilogy, at least from this reviewer’s perspective.

The latest film in the saga is “The Last Jedi” and it takes place shortly after the events of “The Force Awakens.” The Resistance, a military branch that was created to defend the peaceful republic government, is on the ropes to The First Order, a faction of Imperial remnants. The movie begins with the Resistance evacuating their base and getting chased by large spacecraft from The First Order.

Meanwhile, in another sector of the galaxy, new force user Rey (Daisy Ridley) is pleading with the Jedi Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) for training. The problem, though, is that Luke is more or less retired now. As Rey tries to connect with Skywalker, members of the Resistance Finn (John Boyega) and Rose (Kelly Marie Tran) go on a special mission to help their faction escape. However, the two are on the clock because the last Resistance ships are being chased by larger crafts from the First Order.

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REVIEW: ‘Just Getting Started’ Doesn’t Work As An Action Or Comedy Film

During most of “Just Getting Started,” I couldn’t wait for it to finish.

The film tells the story of Duke (Morgan Freeman), the manager of a high end retirement complex who lives a very happy life. More or less, Duke is like a king at the housing complex, with no troubles around.

That begins to shift, though, when a new resident, Leo (Tommy Lee Jones) moves in and instantly becomes a rival. Seemingly, everything Duke can do, Leo can do a little bit better. Things get even more complicated when a corporate adviser, Suzie (Rene Russo), is sent in to examine Duke’s work.

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REVIEW: Great Acting, Strong Second Half Make ‘Mudbound’ Worth Checking Out

“Mudbound,” a film that has been released exclusively via streaming on Netflix, is very much a tale of two halves.

The movie introduces two families at the beginning, the McAllans and the Jacksons. The McAllans are a family including Henry (Jason Clarke), his brother Jamie (Garrett Hedlund) and his wife Laura (Carey Mulligan), along with his two daughters. Henry and his family are owners and operators of an old farm in rural Mississippi. The Jacksons, meanwhile, are a family including Hap (Rob Morgan), Forence (Mary J. Blige) and Ronsel (Jason Mitchell), who work on the McAllan’s farm.

The stress of farm life is apparent for both families, a fact that’s made even more visible when both Jamie and Ronsel join the military to fight in World War II. While they’re away, the families work in the southern heat and try to live as best they can. The dynamics of family life on the farm continue to change and evolve once the two men come back home, carrying painful memories of the war overseas.

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REVIEW: Talented Trio Of Actors, Solid Script Make ‘Last Flag Flying’ An Enjoyable Watch

Three actors with plenty of great performances under their belt come together for a road movie that’s not perfect, but definitely enjoyable in “Last Flag Flying.”

The story is told from the perspective of Larry ‘Doc’ Shepherd (Steve Carell), a former member of the U.S. Navy whose son is killed while serving as a Marine in Iraq. Taking place in 2003, early in the Iraq War, Doc is traveling to meet with military officials to see his son’s casket and make burial arrangements.

On the way there, though, Doc decides to reunite with his friends from the Vietnam War for support. Those two friends include a bar owner named Sal (Bryan Cranston) and the Rev. Richard Mueller (Laurence Fishburne). Together the three eventually meet with officials and make an arrangement to bury Doc’s son in his hometown in New Hampshire, rather than at Arlington Cemetery.

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REVIEW: ‘Lady Bird’ Is A Great Coming Of Age Story And One Of 2017’s Best

Greta Gerwig made her solo directing debut with “Lady Bird,” and what a debut it is.

Christine McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) is the main character in the film. However, she refers to herself as Lady Bird and requests that everyone she knows call her by that name, too. The picture’s story follows Lady Bird through her senior year at a private Catholic high school and largely centers on the relationship between her and her mother Marion (Laurie Metcalf).

As her last year in high school unfolds, Lady Bird and Marion clash numerous times, both over their family’s finances and Lady Bird’s plans for college.

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REVIEW: James Franco’s Acting, Directing Is On Point In ‘the Disaster Artist’

If commentaries and special behind the scenes features show anything, it’s that the process of making a movie can be a story in itself. That’s even true for what’s been dubbed by some as the worst movie ever made, “The Room.”

“The Disaster Artist” tells that very story. The movie opens in the late 90s from the perspective of Greg Sestero (Dave Franco), a young actor trying to find a way to get his big break. During one of his acting classes, Greg meets Tommy Wiseau (James Franco), an odd man who seems to have no fear when it comes to performing. Greg, impressed by how Tommy is fearless in his acting, decides to strike up a friendship. After the two becomes friends, Greg soon learns that Tommy is mysteriously rich.

As a result of Tommy’s wealth, the two are able to move to Hollywood to try and get into the film industry. However, the effort becomes fruitless after a while. As a result, Tommy decides to just make a movie on his own with Greg as one of the top actors. Because Tommy has seemingly no experience or talent in writing, directing and acting, though, the filmmaking process doesn’t exactly go smoothly.

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REVIEW: ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri’ Powered By Strong Script, Acting

“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” is listed as a comedy and the trailers definitely promote that aspect of the picture. However, there’s more going on in this movie than just humor.

As it’s title suggests, the film centers around three billboards near a rural town that call out the municipality’s chief of police for not solving a case. The person who ordered and paid for the signage is Mildred (Francess McDormand), a woman whose daughter was raped and murdered. At the film’s start, it’s been seven months since the murder and there have been no arrests and no leads in the case.

In response, Mildred takes aim at Chief Willoughby (Woody Harrelson), for what she sees as incompetence and a lack of effort on behalf of the Police Department toward her daughter’s case. The response from the community starts to turn the small town of Ebbing upside down and in the process reveals numerous things about its inhabitants.

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