At the Cinema - March 2019

Us – 7

Jordan Peele’s much hyped follow-up to the fantastic “Get Out” ends up as a mildly entertaining “stabber” (as opposed to “slasher”) movie.  The acting is fantastic, but the story is not even credible science fiction, and once you get the big reveal (every movie now has to have one) the story kind of falls apart.  I sense it would be even worse on a second viewing, and I’ll watch it again in a couple of years I’m sure, but for now, put me in the disappointed column. 

The family is led by Adelaide, played to the hilt by the amazing Lupita Nyong’o.  She is the mother who wears the pants in the family.  If you are coming to this movie to be scared, you are coming to the wrong place, but Lupita is so great in this role, it’s scary.  The husband played by Winston Duke will turn out to be an embarrassment as the family is confronted by their red-suited doubles, doppelgangers who appear to want to take over their lives.  Don’t look for much psychological drama here, it’s mostly a blood fest of swinging bats, swinging scissors, and various other weapons of individual destruction that can be found in any household.  The movie is basically a two hour hide and seek, chase and be-chased blood battle. 

Now the movie is rife with symbolism and references and it’s all explained wonderfully in articles you can read after viewing.  The best one I read was on line in Vulture.  But, as Yogi Berra once said about hitting, “I don’t go up there to read a book” and it’s why I never compare a movie to a book.  A movie must stand on its own as a story, and this one collapses

It might be most interesting when viewing a DVD and a voice over with Jordan Peele explaining the allegory.  But, “Us” just lays there, flat as a pancake waiting for syrup.

Hollywood has tried many times to do this kind of story, but it’s still never been done better than 1956’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers.  Find that old classic black and white, put away the tablets and phones, and watch it in the dark.  You’ll get your chills and allegory all in an entertaining 80 minutes, and it will be a lot cheaper than leaving the house.  Still the champion.

The Upside (2018) – 8

I had no intention of seeing this movie until it was recommended by a friend, and it is indeed surprisingly entertaining.  The always good Bryan Cranston plays a quadriplegic who picks an ex-con as his care-giver over the objections of his assistant, played by Nicole Kidman.  Kevin Hart plays the ex-con who also has “ex” problems with the long-neglected mother of his son, whom he has constantly let down.  Prison tends to cause that.  Kevin wants to go straight, and it’s not temptation that’s in his way.  It’s need.  He really wants to take care of his family.  When this unexpected opportunity drops in his lap, he slowly realizes he can make the most of it.

It’s a predictable feel good story that hits all the right notes in a surprisingly genuine way. Three reliable actors had a nice hand in that result

Skyscraper (2018) – 2

Green Screen champ and still undefeated, The Rock has the pleasure of starring in the most ludicrous special effects effort since, well, I was going to say Aquaman, but this may have been released before that.  One gets the feeling that this movie was filmed in a small room and everything was added later on computers, and under those conditions, why even bother with people?  Oh, they did that too this year, with Alita, which I won’t see.  I don’t know why I bother.  But, good to see Neve Campbell again. 

Upgrade (2018) – 8

I like movies that just make it plain from the beginning that they aren’t trying to be an award-winner, just tell a nice little sci-fi story, and then pull it off with a little wit and nice execution.  The Upgrade in question is a human one.  A man’s spine is severed in an attack, but a thinking, talking chip can bridge the gap and turn him into a little bit of a superman.  Just tell the chip what you want.  Karate?  No problem.  A nice B movie to serve as a distraction from crap like Skyscraper.

Scanning the Satellite

The Highwaymen – 9

Another Netflix Original, simultaneously released in theaters – a business model I really don’t understand – this is the story of legendary Texas Ranger Frank Hamer (Kevin Costner) and his tracking down of Bonnie and Clyde.  As with most historical recreations, I’m sure this one has its inaccuracies, but it is entertaining if a little long.  There’s one ridiculous scene I’ll call “the dust bowl scene” and other filler, but there are two national treasures at work here, Costner and Woody Harrelson, and their grit and charisma make for solid entertainment. One outstanding element of this movie is the closing credits.  I wish all non-fiction movies did it this way.

Afterward, you’ll head to Wikipedia to read about Hamer, and you’ll quickly realize, there’s way more than a movie here.  Where’s the miniseries?  What a career.  Turns out Bonnie and Clyde weren’t the only interesting ones in this saga. 

 

Triple Frontier - 5

A Netflix original caper/adventure movie starring Oscar Isaak and Ben Affleck is a high-priced misfire.  Oscar Isaak recruits his old Army special forces buddies for a South American heist of a drug lord that could make them more than rich.  As good as their plan sounds, the execution goes awry.  Desperately clinging to their dream through one disruption after another may sound like a great adventure movie, but it’s not, although there is one part where a well-known actor gets shot through the head, and unfortunately, staying at home and watching on Netflix you can’t hear the roar of the crowd that you would hear in a theater.

After Life – 8

Ricky Gervais latest effort is a predictably sarcastic entry on Netflix.  Gervais plays a man despondent over the loss of his beloved wife, seen in videos where she tells him how to proceed.  The videos are important because he appears to be incapable of feeding his dog, much less himself.  His biting commentary on his life and his fellow humans push the limits of their tolerance of him.  He’s a miserable mess, and it takes 8 episodes to bring him back to reality.  He works as a feature writer for a small, free local newspaper, and the bits where he goes out on stories are funny, but one is so hilarious it choked me I laughed so hard.  It’s a classic scene, and it almost makes the whole series worth laughing through.

Catastrophe -10

The sparkling writing and acting of co-creaters Rob Delaney and Sharon Horgan make this Amazon British comedy a standout.  To say this is a warts and all presentation of a marriage is understating it.  When Rob goes to London from Boston he has a one week fling with a local girl.  Some weeks later he gets a phone call from the number saved on his phone under “Sex London” and he starts by saying “I’ve been meaning to call you” and she starts by saying “I’m pregnant.”  He decides to move to London and they decide to try to expand their relationship to a marriage, taking a “what do we have to lose” approach to it. 

So, as they get to know each other, with all the ups and downs you would expect, the comedy is ripe, fresh, and enlightening, and often very R rated, so be forewarned.  The wit and chemistry of Delaney and Horgan are what creative teams dream of.  And you’ll be thankful for your relationship, probably boring by comparison.

Widow – 5

I was a huge fan of Kate Beckinsale’s sexy Celina in the Underworld movies, a guilty pleasure of mine.  However Kate is anything but sexy here.  She’s searching for her husband who was allegedly killed in a plane crash in a third world country. She’s not buying it, thinks he’s alive and goes hunting for him.  I lasted maybe 3 episodes, then I lost interest.  Maybe I’ll go back, but it’s only because of the part of me that likes to finish things. 

Kodachrome (2018) - 7
Ed Harris burns up the screen as a dying photographer who is the worst person in the world, and gets his very estranged son to drive him to Kansas, where he can get his last rolls of kodachrome film developed.  A road trip movie, and they just seem to have a built-in advantage

Inventor:  Theranos – 10

HBO has the best documentaries.  This tells the story of the enigmatic founder of Thernos, Elizabeth Holmes.  She became a self-made billionaire, whose net worth plummeted to nothing when her company collapsed like a house of cards.  She raised gobs of investment money for her Silicon Valley startup, Theranos, promising to revolutionize diagnostic blood work.  Maybe she really believed she could do it, maybe it was all a con.  When questioned she was an aggressive defender, hiring pitbull attorneys and going on the aggressive to discredit detractors, trying to hold onto her status.  Sound familiar? 

A few whistle blowers and an expose by a Wall Street investigative reporter and it all came crashing down. 

The list of prominent investors and admirers who fell for this is long and gullible.  I think one of these cable channels should just do a series called “when the pyramid schemes collapse.” 

Leaving Neverland – 10

HBO has the best documentaries.  This 2 parter covers 4 hours, with a 5^th during which Oprah interviews the subjects.  It’s the riveting, very graphic story of two young men that tell of their many molestations at the hands of Michael Jackson when they were young.  It’s telling that they still confess their love of Michael, although they both got cast aside and used by Michael, who was a master manipulator of them and their families.  It’s the mothers who allowed the kids to “play and stay” with Michael who come off the worst, and you’ll want to throttle them as the tale is told. 

The two men come off as very credible and believable and when it’s all over you’ll basically have to make some decisions.  Mine went like this:  Will I still play his music?  Yes, but not as joyfully.  Will I look at him the same?  No, never.