Flash Movie Review: The Devil Wears Prada 2
I GREW UP IN A HOUSE that accepted both of our city’s daily newspapers. For some people, this was unusual. Though there was never anything stated or shown in the papers that would clue the reader into the publishers’ viewpoint, it was well known that one newspaper had a conservative bent, while the other was considered more liberal. At the time, when I started to read them, I had no idea; there simply were certain things about each paper that I enjoyed reading. Because of their different physical sizes, I gravitated to one of them more often, especially if I was going to take it with me to read on the train or bus. Its format was like an oversized magazine shape as opposed to the other one which was delivered folded in half. Once unfolded, it could take up a good sized portion of a dining room table, if one wanted to read it while eating a meal; plus the Sunday version of it was humongous, filled with advertisements and its entertainment/travel magazines. One of the most important things about both dailies was their yearly feature article on the Oscar nominations. Both of them listed all the nominations, plus provided an entire page listing the categories, perfectly laid out in order, which I would tear out and use to make my predictions, circling the films that I thought would win in each category. WHEN I MOVED OUT ON MY own, I only subscribed to one of the newspapers for delivery; the other I would only buy on certain days, when I knew the paper would have an extra section for its weekly featured topic. No matter where I moved or when I traveled out of state, I would always have this same arrangement. My current residence is a multi-family building. When I first moved in, every morning the residents’ newspapers were stacked and bound together, wrapped in plastic and left in the foyer of the building’s entryway. There was close to two dozen newspapers that would get delivered to each subscriber. Over the years, I have noticed this amount has slowly decreased. Taking in account, the departure of some of the residents, the majority of readers still live in the building; however, they no longer have their newspaper delivered. I can only assume they either read it online or have stopped reading it all together. For all I know maybe they only buy an edition when a big story has broken, or go to the library and read it there. At present only six apartments in the building receive a daly newspaper, which is around ten percent of the total occupancy. It is a drastic change which is why I understood the pressure the editor-in-chief was having in this comedic drama. IN THE CHAOTIC WORLD OF PRINTED media, a former employee returns to a previous employer to help save it from further decline. A completely different scenario compared to her past dealings with the organization and its ruthless leader. With Meryl Streep (Let Them All Talk, Only Murders in the Building-TV) as Miranda, Anne Hathaway (Mother Mary, She Came to Me) as Andy, Emily Blunt (The Smashing Machine, The Fall Guy) as Emily, Stanley Tucci (Conclave, Spotlight) as Nigel, and Kenneth Branagh (A Haunting in Venice, Oppenheimer) as Stuart; this satirical sequel was a fun watch for me. The cast was outstanding; I felt like I was visiting friends I had not seen in a long time. Also, I enjoyed the various cameos sprinkled through the movie. Granted there were some farfetched scenes, but I believe they go with the territory. With even-handed direction and a witty script, not to mention some of the outrageous fashion choices, this was a breezy, entertaining viewing experience. Honestly, if the powers to be decided to write another script for a further installment, that kept all the same characters and actors who played them, I would not hesitate to go see it.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Drama
SEVERAL TIMES THROUGHOUT THE PAST, I HAVE mentioned that my dealbreakers for not dating someone were dirty fingernails and bad teeth; unless of course there was a reason for it. In the throughs of the dating world, if a potential partner had ever cheated and broke trust in their past relationships, that was a red flag for me as well and I soon ended our relationship. This dealbreaker did not rise up until after I had been cheated on with a couple of people I was dating. I always thought these three non negotiable items were not out of the ordinary; they simply revealed information to me about the person’s hygiene and morals. My friends never challenged my dealbreakers; in fact, they began to incorporate them into their scorecard for potential dating partners. Now on the other hand, I had a hard time with some of my friends’ dealbreakers. There was one friend who would not date anyone but hairy men, essentially hairy chests, arms and legs. I never understood it and always asked them what they would do if their hairy man, in their committed relationship, got cancer and had to go through chemotherapy, causing their hair to fall out. Some friends had to think about it before answering me. Even when I mentioned there might be a chance that person could go bald as they aged, my friends had to actually stop and think about it. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF OTHER friends who had height restrictions when it came to potential partners. One friend only wanted to date people who were much taller than themselves. Another friend preferred dates to be close to their height with a variance of only a couple of inches. Even with their answers to my queries, I still did not quite understand what was so important about different heights that would stop them from dating someone they truly liked. Let me add, that there is a strong difference between me and what I have discovered are many other people regarding perspective dates. Except for teeth and fingernails, I never paid attention to a person’s physical features. This could be due because for most of my life, I always wanted to change mine, or because I saw how the human body was constantly changing its appearance, both intentionally and medically. I tried to never judge any of my friends who had firm limitations on the types of people they would date, despite me not understanding; however, I always thought they were restricting themselves unnecessarily. After seeing this romantic, dark comedy I wondered how they would react, let alone myself, if I had been in such a situation. WHILE OUT WITH ANOTHER COUPLE, AN engaged couple was asked a question that could alter everything about their relationship. With Zendaya (Challengers, Dune franchise) as Emma, Robert Pattinson (Mikey 17, The Batman) as Charlie, Alana Haim (One Battle After Another, Licorice Pizza) as Rachel, Mamoudou Athie (The Circle, Jurassic World: Dominion) as Mike, and Sydney Lemmon (Tar, Love Story-TV) as Pauline; this dramatic comedy scored with casting Zendaya and Robert Pattinson. Their acting and chemistry were perfect in the roles, which made them so believable. I would have appreciated if more time was given to each’s back story; but, in the scheme of things I was too intrigued with the questions being asked and the reactions they caused. At times some things seemed far-fetched, but again I have to stress with the acting and the idea of the story kept my attention throughout the film. The supporting cast was a nice compliment to the engaged couple. Overall, I did not let my minor issues/complaints about the story/script affect my attention and curiosity.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Project Hail Mary
THOUGH THERE WERE SEVERAL CHALLENGES FOR me, the month-long trip overseas went beyond all expectations and hopes. My latest thrill is visiting UNESCO World Heritage sites, which we were able to see several on this trip. There was so much history we delved into, that I am having a hard time keeping all the facts straight for each place. One of the biggest highlights for me was visiting the city where my Dad was stationed during the war. Hearing about the importance of the city’s place in history and walking the streets, I had this surreal feeling of connection. The issues I encountered the weeks I was away from home, gratefully, diminished due to amazing things we saw and did. One of my challenges was regarding foods. Since I do not eat red meat or pork, our home base country did not have a lot to offer me for meals since they are known for their beef. Chicken takes a far backseat on their diet. There were times I would wind up having two shrimp cocktails and a small side salad for dinner. The fact that I lost three pounds on the trip should tell you something. If that was not rough enough, I wound up catching a bug that caused digestive issues; so, there were a couple of days where I did not eat or drink anything throughout the day. I did not want to be caught in an embarrassing situation while on an excursion. ONCE WE WERE BACK HOME AND re-adjusted to our “normal” schedule, I wanted to see a movie that I could escape into, without much thought. This is why I chose this film; I wanted to watch something that had a visual, sci-fi vibe to it. I had no idea this picture would remind me of an encounter we had while on our ship. There was a married couple who were on a few of our excursions. We normally do not start up a conversation with strangers since we do not know if their beliefs are similar to ours; or, if they are not, they will not act on them, making it uncomfortable for us. The wife always had this sour look on her face; in my opinion, she looked mean. She never smiled or acknowledged us when we would see them repeatedly on other excursions. Granted, I do not think she acknowledged anyone as far as I could tell. One night as we were walking out of a restaurant, they were about to walk in. Before I could stop myself, I said the food was good and we ate a lot due to all the walking we did on that day’s excursion. To my surprise, they both laughed and shared their experiences on the trip. We come to find out they live in a town where I have a substantial amount of relatives; one of them was a friend of hers while in college. From that point on, we would see one another almost every day and stop to share our events of the day and became quite friendly. I had an extra reason to feel good after leaving this sci-fi, adventure, comedy, drama. AT FIRST DISORIENTED AFTER WAKING UP from suspended animation, a science teacher begins to remember why he found himself on a spacecraft, headed towards the sun. With Ryan Gosling (The Fall Guy, Barbie) as Ryland Grace, Sandra Huller (Anatomy of a Fall, The Zone of Interest) as Eva Stratt, James Ortiz (The Woodsman, Girls Against Boys) as Rocky, Lionel Boyce (The Bear-TV, Loiter Squad-TV) as Carl, and Ken Leung (Old, Lost-TV) as Yao, this movie surprised me. Based on the premise, I was not expecting the humor that was sprinkled into the script. I thought Ryan and Sandra did a wonderful job of acting and I was quickly drawn into the story. The visuals did not disappoint me, only adding to my enjoyment. In addition, I was touched on how the story took a turn by providing some touching moments. And kudos to the director for keeping things on track, consistently moving the story forward, while blending the emotional aspects. The extra treat for me, after seeing this film, was recalling how that couple we saw on the ship, that we were at first leery of, turned out being a pleasure to talk with and share our mutual experiences.
3 1/2 stars
Oscar Telecast
THROUGHOUT THE YEARS OF WRITING MOVIE reviews, I have mentioned numerous times how I struggle with change. I am never the one running out to buy the latest “must have,” or being the quickest one to update or convert to the latest/newest software or apps. You could say I come from the old school philosophy, “Don’t fix it if it isn’t broke.” Recently, I made the leap to paying my bills online; something that a majority of the population is already doing. It was a struggle for me, including my first week attempting to pay bills yet all being flagged as fraudulent activity. The lunacy reached a high point when, after multiple calls to the bank’s customer service and fraud departments, a manager suggested I write checks for my bills. I asked if they realized how ridiculous their answer was to me, thanked them for their time, and hung up. It took a face to face meeting with a personal banker at the bank, to clear up my issues. It is things like this that increase my hesitation when it comes to doing something different from the usual way I do things. So, you can imagine how I felt when it was announced the Academy Awards telecast would be moving to Youtube in 2029. Except for the occasional times I watch a video clip on Youtube, I do not want to be forced to pay and/or sign up for another streaming service to see the telecast, or to watch it on a computer. What was wrong with having it air on network TV? I AM ALREADY DISTRAUGHT OVER THIS upcoming change and am even experiencing anxiety for one of the biggest changes in my life: for the first time that I can remember, I will not be able to watch the Oscar telecast this year when it airs. I will be out of the country. In the past, I have been conscious of not making any travel plans around the Oscars show, going as far as cutting my travel plans short to book an early morning flight, so I would be home in time to watch the show. But this year, I will be on a cruise ship. I cannot begin to tell you how upsetting this is for me; I can recall as a little kid sitting on the floor while watching the Oscars program on a black and white console television. And if this is not enough to push me over the edge, there is something more troubling I am still processing in my mind. EVERY YEAR I TAKE THE TIME to list what I think should win and what I think the academy will choose as the winner. I would spend the time trying to see all the nominated movies in as many categories as I could to make an informed prediction. Since COVID, it has been harder to achieve this with the movie theater business in flux. The most recent change I discovered this year is the movie theater I frequent, has stopped all their afternoon showings of films. As a result there are fewer options for me to catch a movie, besides the agony of discovering a nominated film is on a streaming service I do not have in my package. And just think my biggest irritation in the past was hearing about a new film opening on the east and west coast but nowhere else, just to qualify for that year’s Oscar picks. As a result of being on vacation for nearly two months earlier this year, and the less frequent opportunity to even watch a movie, for the first time in my life, I cannot in good conscious write down my predictions. I have barely seen any of the nominated movies. All I can tell you is my favorite films this past year were Hamnet and Sinners. I wish things were different and it will take time for me to get over the grief this change has caused me. Despite all of this, I do hope you enjoy watching the telecast and that your favorites from the past year turn out being winners. Take care.
Flash Movie Review: Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die
WITHOUT ANY JUDGEMENT REGARDING A PERSON’S features, it is easy to group people by generation. At a party where the guests’ ages span from the mid 80s down to those in their 30s, I can tell roughly how old a person would be. The oldest guests at the party would have no evidence of having in their possession a cellphone. More than likely, their phone would be in their coat pocket, purse, or possibly still in their car. The next generation down would have their phones with them, but they would not be entirely visible because they might have their phone in a shirt/sweater pocket, a purse/should bag, or in a pants pocket. The younger generations after this group usually carry their cellphones in their hands, place them on a lap or on the cushion or armrest of the piece of furniture they are sitting on, or even place right besides them on the dining room table. As for myself, I either have my phone in my pants pocket or in my jacket. The only time I would have it sitting out in the open is if I was showing someone a photo, or if I needed to look up some information. Personally, I find it rude when you are sitting around a dining table, having conversations and there are a few people who are staring at their phones instead of joining in on the conversation. IN A WAY, I FIND IT an intrusion when a person’s attention is directed more towards their phone than the person or people around them. I totally understand when parents setup their young child/toddler with a tablet at a restaurant or dinner party. The parents want their child occupied, so as not to disturb the guests or patrons around them. However, I do wonder if this will become the start of a child becoming addicted to their electronic devices. I was out to dinner with a friend, and at the next table it looked like a mother and father were seated with their two teenage children. The siblings had their heads bowed, watching something on their phones. There was no communication between the children and their parents. Now granted, I did not see the parents make any effort to have a conversation with their children, but maybe they are resigned to the fact their teenage children prefer looking at their cellphones instead of talking to their parents. On the other hand, maybe the parents did not care to have a conversation. Personally, I find this all troubling, and after seeing this action, adventure, science fiction, comedy; I am more concerned what electronic devices have been doing to all of us. AT A LOCAL DINER, A MAN rushes in claiming he is from the future and is trying to save the planet. The patrons are not so sure how to act, until the man announces he has a bomb. Now everyone is paying attention to him. With Sam Rockwell (Argylle, See How They Run) as the man from the future, Juno Temple (Killer Joe, Atonement) as Susan, Haley Lu Richardson (Five Feet Apart, The White Lotus-TV) as Ingrid, Michael Pena (Unstoppable, A Million Miles Away) as Mark, and Zazie Beetz (Joker franchise, The Harder They Fall) as Janet; I immediately understood the message in this film. The cast was all in synch with their roles and played off of each other well. This was certainly a script made for Sam Rockwell’s acting abilities; he was the main attraction throughout the story. The issue I had with the script was the several scenes that repeated the same scenario. My interest was waning through the first half of the movie. It was not until the latter half where it felt like the story was coming together and had more excitement. Regardless, I thought the message was timely and important. There were several scenes of violence and blood.
2 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Song Sung Blue
“IF THERE IS A WILL, THERE is a way,” is a saying a truly believe. I have always felt this from as far back as I can remember. As a little boy, I used to play with jigsaw puzzles. No matter how hard or long it took me, I was determined to complete them. The same held true in my desire to learn and play the piano. It took approximately two years of dogged perseverance before my family agreed to start out first with renting me a piano. In that two years, whenever we were at a relative’s house that had a piano, I would sit down and figure out how to create something that sounded like a melody. If a cousin was taking piano lessons and had any study books, I would pour over them, trying to memorize different details and facts. I even went as far as drawing a full size keyboard using sheets of construction paper taped at the edges. Teaching myself the notes on my paper piano, I learned how to read sheet music and began pretending I was playing a song, while in my brain I was replaying the music I had heard either on a record or from someone playing the piece on the piano. I actually thought I was real good at it; but of course, I never heard a wrong note in my head. THE SAME HOLDS TRUE WITH MY determination to make physical fitness a part of my life. Though I had flunked gym classes in school, I was determined to become a fitness instructor. It took a little time for me to build up the confidence and to get comfortable wearing T-shirts and shorts in public, but I succeeded. Being in a setting where the majority of people were all there to exercise in some form, I really got to see firsthand that there were many people like me who had a strong belief/desire to accomplish something with their body. In my decades of teaching I have been amazed to see so many examples of people’s determination. There was the member who had MS and was confined to a wheelchair, taking yoga classes. They came to every class, worked on as many poses as they could from a seated position, and after one year felt strong enough to get out of their wheelchair and stand up. It was only for a few seconds but they did it. At the fitness center where I presently work out, I have seen several individuals confined to a wheelchair; yet, they wheel right up to a weight machine, lock the wheels of their chair, and pull themselves up and out onto a machine to work the parts of their body that still respond. It is unbelievably inspiring and re-enforces my belief about having the will to do something. While watching this music drama, I found myself rooting for the main characters and their determination. THEIR LOVE OF MUSIC BROUGHT THEM together, but would it be strong enough as they began a journey filled with new highs and devastating lows. With Hugh Jackman (Deadpool & Wolverine, Bad Education) as Mike, Kate Hudson (Glass Onion, A Little White Lie) as Claire, Ella Anderson (The Glass Castle, Suncoast) as Rachel, Hudson Hensley (The Wildman of Shaggy Creek) as Dana, and Michael Imperioli (The Lovely Bones, The Sopranos-TV) as Mark Shurilla; this biographical Oscar nominated film, was based on the Milwaukee couple who did covers of Neil Diamond songs. Not being a solid listener of Neil’s songs, I was surprised how well they fit into the story. Hugh and Kate really sold the story with the strong chemistry between them, and I thought their acting was terrific; Kate was nominated for an Oscar. Though the script was predictable, I still enjoyed watching this picture, even tapping my foot to some of the songs.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Hamnet
SUCH A UNIVERSAL EXPERIENCE, DEATH, YET everyone internalizes and processes it in their own way. I may have mentioned this before, but when a close relative of mine died, I would play a favorite song of theirs on the piano every day for a month. The months that followed, I would still play it quite often; sometimes when i just happened to be thinking about them, or on a holiday that meant something to them. Some years ago a former partner of mine passed away in such a way that health and government officials had to be involved. Both the deceased’s relatives and friends had to wait a long six to eight weeks before the results and cause of his death were announced, with the body being released to the parents afterwards. Though we had broken up in a bad way several years prior, I decided I wanted to give a eulogy, so I began to work on one for a week, up until the funeral. At the memorial service, a few of their friends were surprised to see me, since our breakup was rather dramatic. A couple of their relatives came up to tell me how glad they were to see me. When the time came for me to get up and eulogize them, I was taken aback how I and many of the guests were tearing up. Gratefully, I got through the whole thing, sat down, and felt an unusual comfort come over me. I NEVER CONSIDERED ANY OF MY actions extreme or out of the ordinary, unlike some of the things I witnessed from others. There was a daughter I knew who after her mother’s funeral arrived at her mother’s grave every day with a thermos of hot coffee, two cups and two lawn chairs. She would set up the chairs, one on each side of the plot, fill the two cups with coffee, place one cup on the empty lawn chair, keeping the other cup for herself, and sit there the entire morning having a one-sided conversation with her mom. The only time she would cut her visit short was during the winter months when the weather was bitterly cold; otherwise, she was there whether there were flurries, sun, or rain. It came to the point where relatives would gently broach the subject about maybe she could find a way to heal herself, talking to a professional in the medical field. She had no interest. This was the way she wanted to spend time with her mother. As I said, everyone handles death in their own way. What I witnessed in this period piece drama, took me by total surprise. THOUGH SHE IS A HEALER, A mother experiences unbearable grief within her own family, during the plague in England. She will have to find the strength to heal herself and provide for her family while trying to keep them safe. With Jessie Buckley (Wild Rose, Beast) as Agnes, Paul Mescal (Gladiator II, All of Us Strangers) as Will, Joe Alwyn (The Brutalist, Harriet) as Bartholomew, Emily Watson (The Happy Prince, Midas Man) as Mary, and Justine Mitchell (Smother-TV, Maryland-TV movie) as Joan; I was taken completely taken by surprise with this film. Not knowing or hearing anything about it, I went in thinking the story was going to be a comedy or farce, assuming that Hamnet was maybe a long lost brother or relative of Hamlet; I could not have been further from the truth. The story, based on the novel, was simply beautiful, and the acting was brilliant. In the very beginning, I did wonder where the story was going, but as things unfolded and the chemistry between Jessie and Paul crystalized, I was swept away. I thought the filming and directing were outstanding, lush scenery with a steady unfurling of the story. By the end of the movie, I felt it was a privilege to have been a witness to this family, with their joy and sorrow. This is definitely an Oscar contender in my opinion.
3 3/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Marty Supreme
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, HOW far removed is determination from obsession? They may not be siblings, but I feel they are certainly cousins. I do not believe you can have one without the other. As a kid, I played ping pong several times; usually, on vacation where the hotel would have a ping pong table in their game room, or at someone’s house. It was not until freshman year of college where I began to take the game seriously. For one thing, the friend I made who lived across the hall from me was an avid player. He even had his own ping pong paddle. Every week, at least once or twice, we would walk over to the student center to play the game. In the beginning, I was awful. The main reason was because he pretty much played as if he were in a tournament. He would put different spins on the ball that drove me crazy because the ball seemed to never bounce the same way twice. Also, he enjoyed spiking the ball, where I would then have to chase it down before anyone stepped on it. Sure I got frustrated and angry at times, but I was determined to figure out how I could get better to at least have longer rallies between points. Every time we played I studied how he held the paddle, how he moved his arm during the serve, and how he shifted from side to side. It was not until two months into my sophomore year, that I finally beat him for the first time. He then quit playing the game, saying he had too much studying to do for the semester. I AM SURE SOME PEOPLE WOULD have given up playing with him a long time ago, but I have always had tendencies to be obsessive. As a little boy, I would work on a jigsaw puzzle all day, because I wanted it to be done before i went to bed. There was a little tile game I had where there was only one open space and you would have to shift all the tiles around until you could get a particular tile to the very top. Even today, after having recently discovered that one should remove the skins from garbanzo beans, I can stand by the sink for hours making sure i removed the skin from each bean that came out of the can. Like many things, this obsessiveness ebbs and flows through me; some days I can stop focusing on something in a reasonable time, but other days I become laser focused to the point I tune out everything else around me. This is probably why I thoroughly enjoyed this sports drama. PEOPLE MAY DISRESPECT HIM, THE GAME he played was not getting much respect, but it did not stop this young man’s determination to keep pushing forward until he could finally play in the world championship tournament. As far as he was concerned he was the best in the world. With Timothee Chalamet (A Complete Unknown, Dune franchise) as Marty Mauser, Gwyneth Paltrow (Iron Man franchise, Mortdecai) as Kay Stone, Odessa A’zion (Hellraiser, Sitting in Bars with Cake) as Rachel Mizler, Larry ‘Ratso’ Sloman (Uncut Gems, Satan’s Little Helper) as Murray Norkin, and Fran Drescher (The Nanny-TV, After Class) as Rebecca Mauser; I thought the cast’s acting was outstanding. The pace through most of the film was fast paced, it took a little time for me to fall into its rhythm, but once I was in synch the time flew by. As a period piece, I thought the sets, costumes, and dialog were spot on. I think if the duration of this picture was a little shorter, it would have been perfect. By the last quarter of the film, I was getting a bit antsy. Still, with such powerful acting and a wild story line, I believe it would be hard for someone not to get invested in Marty’s life; even if you have never played the game of ping pong.
3 1/2 stars
Avatar: Fire and Ash
PLEASE DO NOT LAUGH, I AM quite aware I am probably one of the last of my or any other generation to make the switch to paying my bills online. Yes, you are free to call me a dinosaur because i still pay my bills the old fashion way, with a check in the mail. Because of the uptick in our traveling, I realized paying online would be so much easier instead of what I have been doing, which is to overpay my bills enough to cover the months I would be away. I still do not want to have a debit card, but I have wrapped my brain around this new idea, at least for me. The first step I had to do was go to the bank and have them set up a profile for me. Maybe I could have figured it on my own after downloading the bank’s online banking app; but, I wanted to physically be with a banker who could walk me through it. By the way, the bank I planned on using for this endeavor was a large national bank. The process of setting up an online presence was painless and easy; the banker explained the features as we went step by step through the application’s options. With my new found knowledge, I was eager to get home and start the process of setting up my vendors and entering the pay dates for my payments. EVERYTHING WENT SMOOTHLY GETTING MY FOUR bills loaded into my profile. I set up the due dates, double checked my work then signed out. The rest of the day I went about my business until dinnertime. It was around that time I decided to look at the mobile application to see if there were any updates from the bank. I tried signing in but a window opened to tell me I had been locked out due to fraudulent activity, and I would have to call the fraud department. I was dumbfounded. Gratefully, I did not wait long until a human came onto the line and asked me a series of security questions. Each one, I answered correctly then was prompted to explain my issue. I told her about being locked out and being new to this online process. The representative took a look at my account and took the lock off, asking me to wait an hour before reentering the one bank card bill that they had labeled fraud. I did as instructed and thought that would be the end of it. Well that was not the case. The very next day, the same thing happened where I was locked out and my bank card transaction was cancelled for fraud. I was in the depths of hell dealing with customer service, the fraud department, and two managers for the next six days, being told the same thing and getting the same results. Finally one of the managers suggested I write a check. I lost it, decided to end the call and went over to the branch again, in a total state of anger. Face to face with a banker, I listed all the asinine conversations I had had with the bank’s employees and not being able to get resolution, stating if I was committing fraud, why would I also list my medical insurance provider as a vendor to be paid every month. The banker had me delete and reenter my bank card vendor after typing several notes onto my profile. Today, I re-entered my payment instructions for the fifth time and now I must wait until tomorrow to see if it gets cancelled again or processed. These dealings I have had the past week with the bank have been exhausting and grueling. It got to the point where I felt overwhelmed and beaten; battling a large corporation takes its toll on the body. Because of this experience, I felt a strong connection to the Na’vi beings who were about to face their toughest opponent. WITH THE BUILDUP OF MILITARY FORCES, for an all out assault, and an aggressive tribe seeking conquest; the peaceful tribes would have to find a way to put differences aside if they wanted to keep their planet. With Sam Worthington (Relay, The Exorcism) as Jake, Zoe Saldana (Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, Emilia Perez) as Neytiri, Sigourney Weaver (Call Jane, The Good House) as Kiri, Stephen Lang (Don’t Breathe, The Optimist) as Quaritch, and Oona Chaplin (Game of Thrones-TV, Anchor and Hope) as Varang; this action, adventure, fantasy sequel was visually breathtaking. The action scenes were intense with many moving parts in them, that it almost became overwhelming. I found the creativity amazing in the creatures and landscapes. However, as for the story, it was predictable with little variance to the previous films, to the point where it offered nothing new or fresh. My interest was kept mostly due to the visual and technical aspects in this science fiction film. And possibly I felt a little more connected to the good vs evil aspect since I saw this during the middle of my bank ordeal.
2 3/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Wicked: For Good
OFFICIALLY IT WAS FORTY DAYS AND forty nights, but there was more involved. We had been planning this “trip of a lifetime” for more than a year. The weeks leading up to our departure were filled with hectic days of us running around to take care of the constant blooming of last minute items. There were doctor appointments and pharmacy runs to make sure we had everything we needed. I knew the flights to get there were going to be a grueling experience for me; I cannot sleep on airplanes, nor eat a meal at an odd time for my body clock. In my mind, for the fact we departed at eight pm, I was not about to eat the dinner that was offered after nine pm. However, this can sometimes present a problem for me when breakfast gets served closer to the time breakfasts would be served at the country of our destination. As the hours slowly slipped by, I was in the beginning stages of exhaustion. The total time we were traveling was over twenty-two hours if you included the times we sat at our gate during our layover stops. At some point, when my body realizes it is not able to go into a restive state, I simply become numb to everything and everyone around me. BY THE TIME WE REACHED OUR final destination, we were a day ahead from everyone we left back home. It was a bizarre feeling for me; however, after crashing onto the bed in our hotel room and sleeping for over eleven hours, we woke up and looked out the window and realized we were in a place we had only seen a glimpse of on television. There were groups of trees alongside the sidewalks, bursting with lavender flowers. The body of water in front of us was a deep blue, and on the edge perched one of the most unusual buildings I had ever seen; it looked like massive bird beaks sticking out of the ground. We showered and ate quickly, then packed our small knapsacks with the “essentials” for an entire day of sightseeing. Never in our lives had we ever seen such unfamiliar vegetation. There were bushes that looked as if all its branches with giant, hairy, green caterpillars. The tall buildings looked as if a toddler had drawn up the blueprints; they had sharp angles with sections that looked as if another section of a building was placed on top. The tours we signed up for took us to these magical places where one would expect supernatural beings to reside. A cave with its ceiling covered in fluorescent blue worms that made it seem as if we were staring up into a star filled sky; animals that were only native to this land and not found at any zoos I had visited back home; we felt as if we were living in a fantasy, just like we felt when watching this musical fantasy film. GROWING INTO THE ROLES LAYED OUT for them, two friends seem as if they are drifting further apart. What would become of them and the secrets they knew? With Cynthia Erivo (Harriet, Bad Times at the El Royale) as Elphaba, Ariana Grande (Don’t Look Up, Wicked) as Glinda, Jeff Goldblum (The Fly, Jurassic Park franchise) as the Wizard of Oz, Michelle Yeoh (A Haunting in Venice, Everything Everywhere All at Once) as Madame Morrible, and Jonathan Bailey (Jurassic World: Rebirth, Bridgerton-TV) as Fiyero; part two of this story was still colorful and fantasy filled. However, just like I felt when I saw the staged version, this picture was somewhat of a letdown. It was darker and more political, I thought. The two additional songs were not memorable which did nothing to boost the smaller amount of musical numbers. Where Cynthia was the main focus in part one, Ariana was the focus in this one, and I have to say I was blown away with her acting. If you are not a fan of musicals, I think you would be bored watching this film. With everything I just said, the last part of this picture was worth the price of admission. I still enjoyed watching this movie and felt for a while I was placed in a different land.
3 stars
moviejoltz 