"5 B"----USA--Moving, informative documentary of the first USA hospital (in San Francisco, natch) that created a progressive and caring way of treating the crush of patients that came into their hospital during the deluge of the AIDS crisis in the 1980's. Showing footage of nurses and doctors (and some patients) then and now and how they related to these new patients of the then unknown illness is a beautiful statement on how to treat the unknown, with compassion and understanding. GRADE ----------------- B+
TOY STORY 4--USA--Everytime a new Pixar animated feature comes along, specifically in the TOY STORY category, I think that I don't really need to see it since it will be good as usual and haven't I seen it all before. Well, yes, it will be good, and this new episode 4 is as good as ever, with more emotional resonance scene for scene than any film of the new year, along with new adventures, new characters, new ideas and new brilliance. This time I took my nearly five year old grandson to his first theatrical movie, and for the first 70 minutes he was truly spellbound. To be fair, the jittery leg and arm syndrome hit hard during the final 30 minutes (I think he will become a marathon runner when he's older, and is very physical otherwise) but he seemed to enjoy it, even though the final 20 minutes seemed a bit protracted and emotional and he kept asking "Is this the end yet" several times. Still, this is a highmark for Pixar and animation in general. GRADE-----------------A
YESTERDAY--USA--What would the world be like if only one person had ever heard of THE BEATLES?--that's the premise of this charming comedy/drama/romance fantasy featuring nearly wall to wall wonderful Beatle tunes and endearing performances by lovely Brits. Here's a crowd pleaser of the most tuneful kind. GRADE----------- B+
ANNA--USA--Here's a better version of last year's RED SPARROW where a beautiful model is trained to be a deadly Russian spy under the leadership of the tough Helen Mirren, before becoming a double agent. Along with being beautiful and deadly, she manages to juggle three different lovers, one Russian, one American and one from her modeling job. Talented girl! GRADE---------------B+
MIDSOMMAR--USA/SWEDEN---Beautifully filmed with lush photography and music, this tension filled horror film builds some engrossing suspense as some 20-something's are sucked into a seemingly genteel cult in northern Sweden without their knowledge. GRADE----------B+
LATE NIGHT---USA---An older female late night TV host takes on a young female writer to help expand her appeal to a youthful audience. The clever, witty dialouge gives the two leads Emma Thompson and Mindy Kaling some pithy laughs, while landing some tough socially significant
points. GRADE---------------------B
BIGGEST LITTLE FARM---USA---Documentary of new farm created to survive sustainably using all natural techniques of regeneration, showing the highs and lows of their efforts over a seven year span. GRADE--------------B
LONG SHOT--USA--The female US Secretary of State and an immature male liberal journalist---with different personalities, become attracted during her run for the US Presidency, in this slapstick comedy of opposites attracting. Some vulgar crude humor towards the end sours the otherwise sweet premise which at its best plays like a good, director Preston Sturges classic from the 30s and 40s. GRADE--------------B
JOHN WICK 3: PARABELLUM--USA--I think that a bloody, violent body count hits around 250 dead from just one man--John Wick(Kneau Reeves), with a little help occasionally by friends (like Halle Berry), and for better or worse, the film becomes hypnotically spellbinding at times. GRADE----------------B
SPIDERMAN: FAR FROM HOME---USA---Even a class trip to Europe manages to disrupt a vacation for Spidey, so he can save the world from evil monsters. Fortunately, at least there are some witty laughs that helps balance the confusing virtual reality chaotic fighting. GRADE-----------------------B
ALL IS TRUE------GREAT BRIT IAN---William Shakespeare heads home after his beloved GLOBE Theatre in London burns to the ground, only to find many family members unhappy including his wife Anne (what's he been up to for nearly 20 years, and NOW he wants to sleep in her bed) and daughter who's gotten no appreciation from her father, who only wants to mourn his long dead son many years after said death...). Other scandals are brewing. GRADE--------B
STUBER---USA---Reminiscent of the 48 HOURS good cop bad cop comedies, there are some amusing gags and witty bits of dialogue, and I did like the two characters (John Bautista and Kumail Nanjaini)--a temporarily blinded cop who hires a mild mannered Uber driver to try to chase a violent criminal. But the chaos is mindless and numbing at times, and the film seems to evaporate in front of our eyes. GRADE-------------C+
DARK PHOENIX--USA--Another chapter of the X Men characters, this one centers on a woman who can't control the amazing power that she inherits. I thought it was better than expected, but except for a few set pieces (especially a spectacular action filled train wreck) the film is pretty vacuous. GRADE---------C+
CHILD'S PLAY---USA---Modest remake of the CHUCKY horror films, and at least the film tries to be funny, but it is unmemorable. GRADE-------------C
GODZILLA: KING OF MONSTERS---USA--Probably the worst monster film ever, starts the film seemingly in mid sentence, characters jump from location to location as if they were being beamed up and change their allegiances and philosophy at a whim, and the plot seems made up as it goes, as does the logic. It's a boring experience, too. GRADE------------D
Viewed on TV or DVD------------------------
NIGHT AFTER NIGHT--1932--USA--A smooth but depressed would be casino gangster (George Raft) falls for a sophisticated but
strange woman by sight, but his efforts to court her are complicated by an older teacher who is trying to teach him elocution and a vulgar moll who counteracts the teacher. Fortunately the moll is played by Mae West in her first major role, and she lights up the screen for the final 40 minutes of the film with innuendo and outrageous humor. GRADE---------------A-
ALGIERS--1938--USA--Charles Boyer plays Pepe Le Moko, a slick jewel thief who lives unperturbed in the Casbah region of Algiers, but is at police mercy if he leaves that section. He falls for the beautiful Hedy Lemar, and is tempted to leave his enclave for love. A moody, witty, thrilling love story. GRADE-----------------B+
BATTLE OF ALGIERS--1965--French and Algeria--Fast paced drama looks and feels like a documentary, and tells the story of the revolt against the French by the Algerians from 1954--1962. GRADE----------B+
THE TATTOOED STRANGER--USA--1950--Low budget but memorable police procedural film noir (pre CSI TV dramas) about a murdered woman with only an odd tattoo to identify her. GRADE--------------------B
GO WEST YOUNG MAN--USA--1936--Based on a Mae West play, she's a famous actress and her car has broken down in a small town, where she proceeds to seduce the young naive stud Randolph Scott--upsetting the plans of his fiancee and her entourage. Scott plays the part well, but future similar rolls were played with more sophistication by Cary Grant, who for nearly 20 years was partnered with Scott in living arrangements. She lights up all her scenes, bringing this old chestnut of a plot some vulgar fun. GRADE--------------B
FURIOUS 7--USA--2015--Quickly edited action thriller with several very improbable fight and action scenes. The FAST and FURIOUS team must kidnap a computer whiz from a dangerous mountain road while in motion, then fly to the middle east and steal a hot car from the rooftop tower and to escape with it they must drive it from not just one tower, but out the window to another tower to a third. Then there is a massive man hunt in Los Angeles using killer drones, helicopters and cars. Then Dwayne Johnson who was injured in the first scene of the film must break out of the hospital to help his friends, and that includes breaking out of the big arm cast he's been in the whole movie, and just in time, too--but first he must survive a collapsing car park. I was exhausted watching this film, but it wasn't until 2/3 through that I realized I had seen this film a few years back. Spectacular stuff, but so unlikely that you forget you'd seen it. GRADE-----------B
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