Category Archives: Drama
Drama
Flash Movie Review: Eleanor the Great
EARLIER IN MY LIFE, I HAD two relatives of my generation pass away. I was close with both. Some of my earliest memories involve each of them; one was my best friend who I got to see most weekends. If I was not sleeping over at his house, then he was over at ours. I cannot tell you how many adventures we went on, from building forts to running through water sprinklers, to playing games, to hanging out at the neighborhood amusement parks. The other relative was into music at an early age, so we would get together and always play records on her portable record player that was always perched on top of the bookcase in her bedroom. I had a carrying case that held 45’s, those small vinyl records that had one song on each side. My love of Motown music started with a couple of records she had in her possession. Once they started to play on her record player, I quickly knew I had to have my own copies. As we grew up, we did not see each other as often due to school with its homework and its extra outside activities. However, any time I would get together with them, it was like time had not passed us one second. Because we knew each other since our births, we could easily communicate without speaking. I am the lone person who carries our shared history. IN MY EXPERIENCES, THE HISTORY ONE shares with a relative usually consists of only a portion of your entire history. The kind I shared with my closest circle of friends for the most part was different; though, I prefer saying it showed a different aspect of my life. My two longest friendships began in elementary school. With these individuals, I have a wealth of knowledge and shared experiences with each one. Being the same age, we had many classes together in school, giving us the added opportunity of being together after school to do our homework. Most times, each of us was experiencing the same emotions without having to be together to witness them. The nervousness of midterm testing, the strenuous physical testing we each had the beginning of the year in our gym classes, even the classroom competitions to sell candy bars or taffy apples for charity; so much history was packed in while we grew up. Through the decades I have remained close to each of them, and cannot imagine my life without them. Of course, when one is a realist they know there will come a time when one has reached the end of their life’s journey. I try not to think about it; I do not know how I would be if one of them were to go before me. The loss would be unbearable, and even knowing that, I do not see myself handling it like the main character did in this war drama. WITH THE LOSS OF HER CLOSEST and dearest friend, an elderly woman decided to pickup and move to New York City to be closer to her family. Trying to navigate her new surroundings, she finds herself in a self help group where her stories have an effect on the participants. With June Squibb (Thelma, The Humans) as Eleanor, Erin Kellyman (Solo: A Star Wars Story, Woken) as Nina, Chiwetel Ejiofer (The Life of Chuck, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy) as Roger, Jessica Hecht (Dan in Real Life, The Atlantic City Story) as Lisa, and Rita Zohar (Final Analysis, Mrs. Moskowitz and the Cats) as Bessie; this film was the directorial debut of Scarlett Johansson. She did an okay job. With the different emotions in play, I felt she could have gotten more depth and story out of the characters. Also, she was extremely lucky to have June Squibb playing the lead because she was outstanding. With her wide range of emotions, she made every scene she was in stand out. If she had not been in this picture, I think my mind would have wandered off more than it did. With such an interesting story, there was a wealth of information that could have been dug out of the characters that would have made a stronger impact on the viewers.
2 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Last Showgirl
HAVING THE COMBINATION OF BEING CHANGE resistant and finding comfort in having a routine, it is difficult for me whenever I am forced to accept a new situation in my daily routine. For example, at a past job, when our department was moving to a remodeled space, I nearly became catatonic because I was so overwhelmed with the thought of packing up my area and moving my stuff to a different location in the office building. My co-workers noticed the week of our scheduled move, I barely had the drawers of my desk packed up, let alone my files. They had to come in and get everything into cardboard files or boxes, label them and put them in a pile for the people who were in charge of physically moving our stuff. To this day, I am still grateful for all the work they put in to get me to our new office space. I do not know why I am so resistant to change, but even throughout my career I have had numerous phone calls from recruiters, enticing me with job opportunities at various companies that were offering bigger salaries than what I was currently receiving. I turned all of them down because I simply did not want to change the daily routine I had in place. I know, this sounds crazy but it is the truth; that is how uncomfortable I am when it comes to change. THIS FEAR OF CHANGE WAS ONE of the main reasons why I created choreographed routines in my aerobic classes. If I had to come into the exercise studio each time with a different move or step pattern I would have given up teaching classes. On the average, I would have ten to twelve songs on my playlist with each song representing a different choreographed piece. This way, I could walk into class for the next six to ten weeks knowing exactly what i was going to do and monitor the class participants’ progress. If you think that might be a little bit OCD, I am sure I have told you that I ate the exact same lunch every day at work for over thirty years. Knowing that I would be eating the same food, where each item was a favorite of mine, was my daily oasis of bliss during the work day. No matter how hard the day was going, knowing what was waiting for me at lunchtime always made me happy and excited. I know I am not the only person who finds comfort with having a routine, and when I do discover someone else of a like mind it simply validates what I feel about myself. You will quickly know and understand why I enjoyed this film festival winning drama. AFTER WORKING FOR YEARS AT THE same Las Vegas stage show, a seasoned showgirl must come to terms with the fact the show would soon be closing, leaving her to figure out what she needed to do to make a living. With Pamela Anderson (Baywatch-TV, Home Improvement-TV) as Shelly, Brenda Song (Love Accidentally, Dollface-TV) as Mary-Anne, Kiernan Shipka (Red One, Mad Men-TV) as Jodie, Dave Bautista (The Killer’s Game, In the Lost Lands) as Eddie, and Jamie Lee Curtis (Borderlands, Haunted Mansion) as Annette; the performances in this film were excellent. I thought Pamela did her best work in this story and wondered if the writers had her in mind when creating this character. The way she came across with this tiny high pitched voice and love of feathers and sequins, it was a delight to see the maturity of her character bleeding out of her as the story progressed. Also, it is understandable why she was nominated for a Golden Globes Award. I enjoyed seeing a different side of Las Vegas with the story focused more on the workers who created the glitz and glamour. The script was decent but I would have appreciated learning more about the characters. However, watching the acting and my fascination with Las Vegas, made this an enlightening viewing experience.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Luckiest Man in America
BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF TIMES I picked the right squares, I thought I should be a contestant when I grew up. One of my favorite game shows was one that had a game board made up of 30 squares. Behind each square was a prize; the contestants would pick two squares at a time which would reveal two prize offerings. If the two prizes matched, then the contestant would keep the prize and the two squares would reveal glimpses of a rebus puzzle. This was a puzzle that used illustrations, letters, and numbers to depict words or phrases. The contestant who could guess what the puzzle was saying would be the winner. I felt my memory skills were exceptional, though I really had nothing to base this on. However, when I was very little a relative taught me a card game that had a similar concept as the game show. After shuffling the deck, the cards would be laid out face down in several rows. Each player would get two guesses at a time to turn over two cards. If the cards matched the numbers or pictures, the player would take the two cards. Once all the cards were removed from the rows, the player with the most cards would be the winner. I became quite good at this game, and would even play it by myself. THROUGH MY YOUTH, THERE WERE OTHER television game shows I watched. There was one where audience members were picked to come up and guess the prices of various consumer products, from a bottle of toilet bowl cleaner to refrigerators and stoves. Another show paired contestants together where one would give a one word clue to try and get their partner to say the secret word. I would play along at home by turning the sound off and not looking at the secret word when it was announced and flashed across the bottom of the television screen. Then I would quickly turn the sound back up and guess when the person would say their one word clue. Though I did not keep track of all my answers, I felt i was getting a decent amount of the answers correctly. Since I was an avid reader from a young age, my favorite type of game shows involved words, whether putting them in a crossword puzzle, or trying to make different words out of the letters of a single word; I always made a point to watch the television shows that involved words. My favorite was the show, “Wheel of Fortune” because it was based on a kid’s game I would play called “Hangman.” I thought for sure I would be a fantastic player to have on the show. However, I could never do what the main character did in this dramatic thriller. JUST BY THE STROKE OF LUCK, an unemployed ice cream truck driver was chosen to participate in a television game show. It turned out his playing skills were off the charts. With Paul Walter Hauser (Richard Jewel, Cobra Kai-TV) as Michael, Walton Goggins (The White Lotus-TV, Django Unchained) as Peter, Shamier Anderson (Bruiser, Invasion-TV) as Chuck, David Strathairn (A Little Prayer, Where the Crawdads Sing) as Bill, and Brian Geraghty (The Hurt Locker, Chicago P.D.-TV) as Ed; this film based on a true story stuck out due to the wonderful cast. All the actors were perfectly in synch with their characters which was fortunate because the script needed a little more work. The story was amazing; I might have to search for old footage just to see how Paul’s character compares to the real contestant. The story takes place in 1984 and the sets and costumes were spot on. There were moments of tension, excitement, thrills and heartbreak; but I wished the writers would have fleshed out more to the characters’ back stories. But, I still enjoyed watching this picture and stayed engaged for the most part. It should be no surprise that there a was little part of me that wished I could have been a contestant on this game show.
2 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Friend
I LIVE AMONG OBJECTS WHOSE OWNERS I barely know. There is an ivory colored wash basin with matching water pitcher sitting on top of a book case. A mantle clock with intricate carvings on either side of the face that has Roman numerals for the numbers: 1, 2, 3, etc. One of the more unusual items is wrapped in fabric similar to burlap. In the middle of it is a sword. The silver handle has dulled over the years, and hanging down from it is a loop of gold braided cord with a small tassel attached at the bottom. These items I just listed are from relatives who are long deceased, at least as far back as three generations of family members. The only thing I know about the owners is where they came from and their connection to me. For example, I have a reproduction of an ancient photo that is hanging up in the hallway. There are two women pictured in the photo, the older one is seated with the other one standing next to her. I do not know their names but do know what they are to me. The seated woman is my great, great, great grandmother who was too old to emigrate with the family when they came to America. She was alive when Napoleon invaded Russia. The woman standing next to her was my great, great aunt who agreed to stay back and take care of our relative. OUT OF ALL THESE TREASURED OBJECTS, there are two that stand out for me. One is a small silver wine cup that my great, great, great grandfather, from the other side of the family, only used when it was a holiday. The cup is tarnished and I need to polish it so I can make out the etchings that go all the way around the cup. The idea that my great, great, great grandfather had his hand and lips touching it makes the cup more real to me, for some reason. Whenever I look at the wine cup, I imagine my relative sitting at a long dining room table with our family members in attendance, sharing a meal during the holidays. It makes me feel connected to them. The other object that is significant to me is a gold coin that a relative had sealed in a plastic case. This gold coin was my grandfather’s, who died before I was born. He would always carry it in his trouser pants every single day. I have to assume he thought of it as some type of good luck charm. All of these items provide me with a connection to my heritage, my family tree. Imagine the time when these items are handed down to the next generation; it will be their turn to safeguard and respect them. Though all of these objects are man-made, there are other things that may not be, but are still as important, such as the thing the main character receives from her deceased friend/mentor in this drama. A NOVELIST AND CREATIVE WRITING TEACHER has her life thrown into disarray when she becomes the caretaker for her deceased friend’s dog, a Great Dane. In her small New York City apartment, she will have to come to terms with her mentor’s death and its ramifications. With Bill Murray (The Greatest Beer Run Ever, On the Rocks) as Walter, Naomi Watts (Goodnight Mommy, This is the Night) as Iris, Cloe Xhauflaire (The House, The First Purge) as Camille, Josh Pais ( Joker, Spoiler Alert) as Jerry, and Carla Gugino (Snake Eyes, Gunpowder Milkshake) as Elaine; this film stood out simply because of Naomi’s performance as well as the dog’s. Though the script had some misfires in it, the writers never took the easy way out with slapstick humor or unrealistic scenarios. With the acting skills of the cast, the story was told in a straight forward way that allowed the actors to breathe and grow with their characters. This was most apparent with Naomi’s character and it is what kept me engaged with the story. Also, it was a nice change of pace to have a steady paced film that left out the theatrics and marketing tie-ins which made the story’s journey more believable.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Sinners
FROM THE EARLY START OF MY career path, I learned the latest or newest “thing” came with a short shelf life. One of my first full time jobs was at a long established company that sold wholesale goods. Our competition consisted of several companies, half which were local. I quickly realized all of us sold, for the most part, the same items. This made me wonder how a customer chooses which company to buy from when they all were selling the same goods. It became apparent to me that people obviously buy on the cheapest price for the most part; however, there was something more that swayed customers’ decisions. Paying attention to the different departments that were involved with a sale, I realized it was customer service, the relationship between sales and the customer. Making a significant connection to the client was vital in establishing that relationship. Another component was the company’s policies. For us, we never questioned returns and were quick to ship out replacements before receiving the damaged/flawed goods back to our warehouses. Many times we would simply send the replacement item at no charge, and this was at a time before the creation of the huge online companies many of us deal with these days. The last piece to this mind puzzle was creating packaging that caught the client’s eye. This is where my job responsibilities came into play. THE OWNER OF THE COMPANY SIGNED a contract with a new manufacturing company that was just starting out. He loved their product and moved quickly to secure a relationship with them. We were going to be the first to carry their line in the states, but only for a short period of time. My boss came and asked me to create a marketing campaign for the new line. I loved the idea because I would be able to use the creative side of my brain. It became my job to create advertising packages for the several items we were to carry, designing the sample books, and coming up with naming each item. Because at the time I was heavy into science fiction films and literature, I created an “outer space” theme to the campaign. I named each line a word that recently acquired a science fiction definition to its established one. Words such as photon, ray gun, and interplanetary were on my list of name options. Though I am not an artist by any means, i was able to precisely detail the artwork we needed with my descriptive text. The new line became a huge success for us; I was elated and proud. In the back of my mind, I knew this would be short-lived, and sure enough once we passed the exclusivity expiration date our competitors quickly acquired rights and began selling the same products we had been. This experience continues to remind me that newest and freshest is a fleeting moment; there is always someone who wants part of your success. It certainly was apparent in this dramatic horror thriller. WANTING TO START A NEW LIFE, twin brothers return to their homeland to open a business. Its opening success attracted more than profitability. With newcomer Miles Caton as Sammie Moore, Saul Williams (Blink Twice, Akilla’s Escape) as Jeddiah, Andrene Ward-Hammond (The Lovebirds, Project Power) as Ruthie, Michael B. Jordan (Creed franchise, A Journal for Jordan) as Smoke, and Jack O’Connell (Back to Black, Lady Chatterley’s Lover) as Remmick; I was mesmerized by the original story in this supernatural film. Add in the fine acting, and I found myself totally engaged with the story lines. Every scene offered something interesting, whether it was the acting, action, script lines; I found the whole movie totally cohesive and logical. Lately, it has not been often where I feel I got my money’s worth, but with this picture I felt every penny was well spent. There were multiple scenes filled with blood and violence.
3 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Warfare
I CAN GRATEFULLY SAY MY EXPERIENCE with physical fighting has been limited to two, and they both took place prior to me graduating high school. The first one took place after my afterschool religion class, when I was ten years old. A few students from my class ganged up on me after we left the building, pelting me with snowballs and pushing me into a snow bank. i was hit in the face a couple of times which stung my eyes, causing me blurred vision. As quickly as it started, the battle ended with the students running away, their laughter trailing behind them. The second fight happened during my junior year of high school. This one was different because it could be argued I started it. There was a boy in my PE class who constantly picked on me and my friends with the help of his buddies. It got to the point where I was skipping class, hiding in the lunchroom. One day I was more depressed and angry than usual. During our break between periods, I was standing outside of my chemistry class, knowing full well this bully usually walked by on the way to his class. Sure enough, I saw him walking down the hallway towards me. As he got closer he called me a derogatory name. Something snapped in me and I said with a sneer, “What did you say?” He came closer and repeated it to me. I called him a name and dared him to come right up to my face and say it again. He did and I started punching him with all my might. In my mind, I kept telling myself do not get hit because I would start crying. I CANNOT TELL YOU EXACTLY HOW long i kept hitting him, mostly in the head, because i blacked out from rage during the battle. All I remember was seeing a crowd of students forming around us as I kept hitting him. As quickly as I started the fight, I stopped dead cold, turned around and walked back to my seat in the classroom. He stood at the door and yelled at me that he would see me in the locker room. I noticed his face was a bright shade of red and wondered if I had caused it. My best friend who was my lab partner literally had his mouth open just staring at me. He finally asked me what happened and all I could muster up was telling him I was not sure; but, did not know how to avoid the locker room tomorrow. For the rest of the school day and all through the night I worried over what would happen to me if I walked into the locker room to get ready for PE. The world must work in mysterious ways because as I walked out of my first period class the next day, the bully I had beaten up was walking by. He saw me and repeated his threat; however, this time I got close to him and told him what I would do to him in the locker room when we had PE later that day. I cannot repeat what I said, but let me just say I told him I was going to rip something off his body and shove it down his throat. And guess what, he never showed up in the locker room or for our class. If only fights could be so simply solved, people would not have to suffer like they did in this action, war docudrama. A GROUP OF NAVY SEALS IN Iraq, on a surveillance mission, are holed up in a family’s home. They soon sense something is not right. With D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai (Hell of a Summer, Reservation Dogs-TV) as Ray, Will Poulter (The Score, We’re the Millers) as Erik, Cosmo Jarvis (Shogun-TV, Calm with Horses) as Elliott, Joseph Quinn (Overlord, Gladiator II) as Sam, and Aaron Mackenzie (Lockdowners, Sunray: Fallen Soldier) as Kelly; this drama was written and directed by two war veterans who used their memories for this script. I have seen war films before, but I have never experienced anything like this picture. There was no time for character development (it did not matter), nor putting a Hollywood spin on the story; this was an intense battle that left me breathless. I honestly cannot say I was entertained per se, however, what I can say is I saw a whole new dimension of war. The intensity bordered on brutal, suffice to say there were many scenes with blood and violence. Seeing this movie has certainly put a whole new perspective on fighting a war, and one would think this film could give one pause before taking any kind of action to be a participant. I am glad i saw this picture, but I have to say it was not an easy watch.
3 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Sing Sing
THANKFULLY, I CONTINUE TO SEE EXAMPLES of emotions/feelings under restraint. They are reminders to me. A toddler, lacking verbal skills, so frustrated they throw themselves on the floor, screaming at the top of their lungs. I remember that age, when I would get so frustrated because I could not properly express myself that I would destroy the closest object near me. Usually, it was a toy or game, but sometimes it would be an article of clothing. As I was getting older, I started turning that anger and frustration inward; I started overeating, said in a separate way, I was stuffing my feelings literally down my throat. It came to a point where I never ate out of a sense of hunger; it was due to keeping my feelings bottled inside of me. Another example that presented itself to me was seeing holes that had been made by someone’s fist punching a wall. I felt that type of frustrated anger was different from mine because the things I chose to destroy were easily disposable. Once I broke an item, I would pickup all the pieces and put them in the garbage can. I had something instilled in me that knew not to chose items that would remain visible to others. IN MY ADULT LIFE, AND AFTER a few years of therapy, I am better equipped to express my feelings; in turn, avoid the destructive side of anger. I was in a relationship where my partner was raised to believe if someone was arguing or displaying any anger towards you then they did not love you anymore. This false narrative was something I had to work on with my partner. I had no issues displaying my anger, believing as I still do to this day, that it is healthier to release one’s anger then move on from it. My level of anger can be intense, depending on the circumstances. If someone does not have a reference point, they could easily believe that I appear to hate their guts and want them dead. This is not the case; it is just because I have had situations in my life that kept my anger fed, letting it grow and fester. These days, I acknowledge the reservoir of anger I have inside of me, but I do not let it dictate who I am. Once I unleash my anger, I am done with it and continue living a decent, happy life. For some this appears to be a marvel feat; for me, I consider it a healthy path to get rid of the anger before it starts to eat me from inside. Imagine having an intense argument and once you say your piece, you ask the other person where they would like to go for dinner. This is how I am wired, the quick switching of emotions, and because of it, I was fascinated with this Oscar nominated movie based on a true story. JAILED FOR A CRIME HE DID not commit, an inmate finds comfort with a small band of prisoners that form a theater troupe who put on plays. The message that gets delivered and received usually is bigger than just from the theater piece. With Coleman Domingo (The Color Purple, Rustin) as John Divine G Whitfield, newcomer Clarence Maclin as Clarence Divine Eye Maclin, Sean San Jose (The Other Barrio, Dream for an Insomniac) as Mike Mike, Paul Raci (Sound of Metal, The Secret Art of Human Flight) as Brent Buell, and newcomer Mosi Eagle as himself; this drama was perfectly balanced in tone and texture. Coleman’s acting was outstanding, and I was impressed by the actual former prisoners who portrayed themselves; it added a higher sense of believability for me. The amazing story was told in a straightforward way that had the perfect blend of joy and sadness; there were no earth-shattering reveals or surprise twists, everything was laid out in an easy flow from scene to scene. I absolutely enjoyed watching this movie, especially the added shots during the ending credits.
3 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Black Bag
IN TERMS OF TRUST, I WAS raised with a solid foundation that enabled me to wholeheartedly have a strong bond of trust with my friends and family members. Unfortunately, that strong bond got dented early on. I was in the early grades of elementary school and had a few friends come over after school one day. We played a board game that all of us were into at the time; the playing lasted a little over an hour. Everyone put their game pieces and cards into the game box, and I put the lid on and put it back on the shelf. The next time I played the game, I noticed one of the game pieces was missing. I took out all the containers and cardboard liners from the box, but there was no sign of the piece. The only thing I could think of was one of my friends kept their game piece. I was hurt and upset. What exacerbated my sad feelings was another incident that hammered a blow to my trust, a few weeks after discovering the missing piece. I went bowling with a few of my relatives. For a reason I cannot figure it out, I took off my new and very first wristwatch and placed it on the scoring table. At the end of the game, we turned in our rented bowling shoes and headed out the door. We were four blocks away when I realized I left my watch behind. I explained what happened to my relatives and ran back to the bowling alley, to look for my watch. Absolutely no sign of it and no one had turned it into the lost and found; I was devastated. HAVING THOSE TWO INCIDENTS TAKING PLACE so early in my life, colored my feelings about trusting people. To drive the point home, one of my earliest love relationships shattered my belief system of trust. We had been dating for six months when an opportunity came up for a free trip to Mexico; they were a travel agent, so got these deals from time to time. We flew down to the resort that was being promoted and had planned to stay five days. When we arrived at the resort’s hotel, I felt the assistant manager was paying extra attention to us, but assumed it was because we were listed as travel agents in their records. The assistant manager made another appearance during breakfast, and I started to sense there was an ulterior motive. The two of us finished eating and went back to the room to change to sit by the pool. It was not until lunchtime that we returned to our room. I went to take a shower first and while in the bathroom, I thought I heard a knock at the door. For some reason, I decided to leave the shower water running after I stepped out and dried off. When I came out of the bathroom, there was my partner and the assistant manager making out on top of our bed. I was furious; so angry, that the intruder ran out of the room. I then turned to my partner and yelled some tough words for them before packing up and making my way back to the airport. I never spoke to them again. Because of my issues with trust, I totally understood the dilemma the husband had in this dramatic spy thriller romance. WHEN MASTER SPY GEORGE WOODHOUSE, PLAYED by Michael Fassbender (Next Goal Wins, X-Men franchise), was assigned a list of possible traitors to the agency, he notices one of the names on the list was his wife. How can he protect his country and wife at the same time? With Gustaf Skarsgard (I’ll Be Your Mirror, Vikings-TV) as Phillip Meacham, Cate Blanchett (Borderlands, Don’t Look Up) as Kathryn St. Jean, Tom Burke (The Souvenir, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga) as Freddie Smalls, and Marisa Abela (Rogue Agent, Back to Black) as Clarissa Dubose; this film started out slow for me. However, as the scenes unfolded and I had a grasp of the characters, I started to enjoy what was taking place. The acting was tight and efficient with Michael and Cate as standouts for me. Directed by Steven Soderbergh (Presence, Logan Lucky), I thought the pacing was equally as taut and fast paced. I appreciated the action was more verbal without the blood and violence, though there was one scene that had it. The script could have offered more depth, but under the circumstances I could see where that would have slowed things down. This movie turned out to be an exciting and fun watch with its twists and turns.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Anora
DIVORCED ONE DAY AND WAS MARRIED three months later. I already knew it would never work out. You see, my friend had been in a non-working marriage. The two of them had such polar opposite views that it was hard for them to find common ground. The one thing they had in common was they were both stubborn, which was not helpful in their situation. She was sociable; he was not. I do not necessarily think that would be a big stumbling block, but for them it was because neither one would compromise. Part of being in a relationship is sometimes we do things we do not like to please our partner; in their case, neither one was willing to help the other. Seeing them get a divorce was a good thing, in my opinion. But before the ink was dried on the court papers, she met a man, and they started dating. I would have thought she would have had a period of mourning, or alone time to reflect on her choices and actions that were made before immediately jumping back into the dating pool, but she did not waste a moment. When she introduced me to her, by then, fiancée, I was flabbergasted. I did not get a good feeling about him; he had a negative energy that rubbed me the wrong way. Nonetheless, I kept my thoughts to myself and congratulated them on their engagement. MY SUSPICIONS WERE CONFIRMED SIX MONTHS into their marriage. After they had their honeymoon phase they bought a house. They took me to see it as it was being built. During our time together they were all ‘lovey-dovey” and seemed perfectly happy together. Knowing my friend as well as I do, I sensed something was off, because she was so aggressive in her public displays of affection towards him. Things like having to hold hands all the time and little pet names for each other; I call this the teen school years period. Her actions did not come across as genuine; they were more for show. And sure enough six months into the marriage she started complaining about him. It started off as little complaints but several weeks later they were becoming major ones. She admitted to me she made a mistake by getting married so fast. I finally was able to have a deep conversation with her, mentioning he nor anyone else could fill the void in her heart. She had to love herself first before anyone else could love her. I shared my philosophy which is no one can make a person feel complete or make them happy; the individual must feel they are whole (or work at feeling whole) and accept who they are so they could love themselves before letting someone else love them. It is okay to be broken, but one must take responsibility to put in the work to become whole again. Six months later the two of them got divorced. I think my talk with her helped and if that is the case, I wished I had the opportunity to talk to the main character in this romantic comedic drama. AFTER MEETING AND MARRYING THE SON of a Russian oligarch, a young escort thought she could leave her former life behind. But when her husband’s parents hear about the marriage, they immediately plan to come to New York. With Mikey Madison (Scream, Better Things-TV) as Ani, Paul Weissman (The Final Equation, The Killing of Jacob Marr) as Nick, Yura Borisov (Guest from the Future, Centaur) as Igor, Lindsey Normington (Snuff Queen, Off Book) as Diamond, and Emily Weider (Art of Diversion, First Shift) as Nikki; this multiple Oscar winner surprised me. If I had published my Oscar picks, this film would not have been on my list. I thought the concept and script were good, but I must tell you the movie did not capture me like it evidently did with the Oscar voters. The acting was well done and felt authentic, but I still saw the characters as one dimensional. There also was a Cinderella touch to the story that I found charming, and I did feel Ani’s emotions by the end of the movie. Maybe if there had been less yelling and more depth to the script, I would have enjoyed it more, to the point where I felt it deserved its Oscar wins.
2 ¾ stars
moviejoltz 