Category Archives: Drama
Drama
Flash Movie Review: The Six Triple Eight
IN PREVIOUS REVIEWS, I MENTIONED I spent time volunteering at various organizations around the city. I decided to do this to honor a special person who was no longer in my life. This individual was a volunteer who found themselves doing whatever needed to be done, from restocking office supplies to being support host to delivering food to those who were not able to provide for themselves. From the stories I heard, it was obvious my friend was making a difference in the lives of so many people; I felt an intense sense of pride in the work they were doing. So, when I decided to devote time to volunteering, I chose organizations that either meant something to my friend or were doing similar types of work to the places where they had volunteered. My first introduction as a volunteer was to get dressed up in a suit and tie and walk around at this organization’s annual fundraising event, selling raffle tickets. It was being held in a downtown hotel’s grand ballroom and I had to be there an hour before the doors opened. Having this be my first experience volunteering, quickly took away any anxiety or nervousness I was feeling. In fact, my only biggest worry was making sure I did not mess up when giving back change whenever someone was using cash to make a purchase. Outside of that, the evening went smoothly, and the volunteers even got fed as well. FROM THAT FIRST EXPERIENCE, MY NEXT commitment to volunteering was for an organization that provided medical and health needs for those on limited incomes. The organization, for the past few years, was accepting donations in the form of household products such as kitchenware, ceramics, and artwork. Someone in their marketing department came up with the idea of opening a pop-up resale shop and stock it with all the donations they had been collecting. I thought it was a great idea. A group of volunteers were chosen to head over to the retail space and set up displays all over the store, using the donations. When we arrived at the shop, we all gathered inside and went around stating what each of us would like to tackle first. I wanted to create displays after the items were unpacked; three other volunteers wanted to join me. We each took a corner of the store and got to work. I had an awesome time setting out the different pieces, creating settings such as a den, office, and kitchen. By the time we were done the place had been transformed into what looked like a model home for sale. Gratefully, all the volunteer assignments I had were a positive experience. Yet, after seeing this historical drama and seeing what the main characters endured during their stint, I was simply scratching the surface of volunteering. The women in this story were doing something monumental. WITH RAMPENT RACISM AND SEXISM BLANTLY on display, the Women’s Army Corp’s only Black battalion was sent overseas on a mission. No one expected them to succeed, which was why they were chosen. With Kerry Washington (American Son, The Prom) as Major Adams, Ebony Obsidian (If Beale Street Could Talk, Sistas-TV) as Lena Derriecott King, Milauna Jackson (A Jazzman’s Blues, Strike Back-TV) as Captain Campbell, Kylie Jefferson (Tiny Pretty Things-TV) as Bernice Baker, and Shanice Shantay (Perfect Harmony-TV, The Wiz Live!-TV) as Johnnie Mae; this movie based on a true story needed a better script. The reason I say this is because the story was so much better than the film. Written and directed by Tyler Perry, the script had too many syrupy moments that were not necessary. The acting, however, was wonderful. Kerry was perfect in her role, commanding attention every time she was in a scene. I honestly cannot believe this important event in history had never been brought to light before. I could not stop thinking about this film after I was done watching it. A remarkable achievement that needed a stronger vehicle to carry its message. There was actual footage shown during the ending credits.
2 ¾ stars
Flash Movie Review: Conclave
THROUGHOUT MY SCHOOL YEARS, I WAS never great with testing. Whether it was scheduled or a pop quiz, I struggled with it. Gratefully, early on, I realized I would have to study harder for tests and just hope for the best when it came to pop quizzes. I always knew the subject; that was not the issue. However, when I was given a multiple-choice question, the imaginative side of my brain could usually justify more than one choice. It took me several years to find a way to quickly throw out the obviously incorrect answers so I could quickly test out the remaining responses, to determine which one was the correct answer. In grade school, I remember there was a boy who sat a couple of seats ahead of me in the next row who would cheat on the teacher’s tests. He had a close friend who sat in the seat next to him who helped by flashing him with different hand signals. Whenever this boy needed an answer, he would tap his pencil on the edge of the desk. His friend would glance over, and the cheater would hold up the number of fingers corresponding to which question he needed the answer. The friend would check then give him a hand signal. For example, if the correct answer was “A” then the boy would point his index and middle fingers down until the fingertips were resting on the desk. For the “C” answer he would form the letter “C” with his hand and so on. It annoyed me that he was cheating but I never tattled on him. I later would discover certain students made a habit of cheating. I ALWAYS FOUND CHEATING AN ODD thing. Mainly because I believed we needed to know the right answers because the class structure was one where teachers were building upon building on top of the information we were learning. We had to know the events that led to a historical event, not just know that World War II happened without understanding how it came to be. Applying this to my current life, I certainly would not go to a doctor who cheated on their tests. But I have seen in the business world, there are individuals who make it a habit of cheating for personal gain. I worked at a company where one salesperson would steal sample books from other salespeople. They wanted to give out books to everyone in their territory even though they were told the smaller volume customers would need to be charged for the books. They did not think so, which was their right; however, it was not fair to steal books from fellow salespeople. Sadly, this is only one example; throughout my career, I have encountered cheaters from every line of work. And if anything, I saw in this movie is based on truth, I am dumbstruck. UPON THE UNEXPECTED DEATH OF THE pope, the cardinals were summoned to the Vatican to begin the process of selecting a new pope. Only one cardinal finds themselves standing in the middle of events uncovered that could rattle the Catholic Church to its core. With Ralph Fiennes (The Forgiven, Harry Potter franchise) as Lawrence, Stanley Tucci (The Witches, The Lovely Bones) as Bellini, John Lithgow (Killers of the Flower Moon, Cabrini) as Tremblay, Lucian Msamati (The Good Liar, Gangs of London-TV) as Adeyemi, and Jacek Koman (Defiance, Tonight You’re Sleeping with Me) as Wozniak; this dramatic thriller started as a slow burn for me. However, as the story unfolded, I became more engaged. It did not hurt that I was excited to see locations that I have visited at the Vatican. The acting was outstanding from the cast, even the short time Isabella Rossellini as Sister Agnes was on screen was a memorable experience. As for the story, I have not read the book but if any of it is based on truth then I am stunned. The screenwriters did a wonderful job of creating a live chess match for these actors to play in. Also, I could see where parallels could be drawn to current events. Truth be told, even after seeing this film several days ago, I still wonder if any of the story was based on truth. If so, it would give me a different perspective on the church.
3 ¼ stars
Flash Movie Trailer: Emilia Perez
ONCE I FEEL SOMEONE IS NOT a good person, I rarely change my mind. What I mean by good is someone who displays kindness, thoughtfulness, empathy, compassion, and other similar types of qualities. In a previous movie review, I mentioned the time I spotted a classmate setting fire to a cat’s tail. Unless he found the answer in curing cancer later in life, I cannot ever consider him a decent human being. Some years ago, I bumped into a former classmate who was mean to me. I was cordial but had no desire to continue a conversation with him until unexpectedly he asked me if I remembered us when we were back in school. When I said yes, he offered me an apology which, I have to say, seemed heartfelt. He explained his home life back then and how angry he was at everyone, but pointing out it still was not an excuse for the things he did to me. I was touched by his words and accepted his apology. We continued talking for a bit and I asked him what he did for a living. When he said he was a teacher, I chuckled. He asked what was so funny and I said from him being a teacher’s nightmare to becoming a teacher was funny. He thought for a moment, smiled, and said he would have to agree with me. AS I HAVE STATED IN THE past, I believe everyone is born with both good and evil inside of them. It is up to the individual to decide and choose which one they will manifest. I used to know this person when I was a kid who had a fun sense of humor and was very personable. However, they had such a quick temper that they would periodically get into fistfights. Being strong and former military, they usually won those fights. Unfortunately, as time went on, the people he fought were getting seriously injured, to the point they needed to be hospitalized. As a result, there were a couple of times this person had to be jailed. Would you say they were a good or bad person? I felt they had a mix of both. Though I remember the times I was around them, I would always try not to upset them. There were a couple of people I used to work with at previous companies who were running scams. One woman was living with a man who was the father of her three children; but they were not married. The reason being she could file for state aid on each child. With the money they would get they used it to help fund the lavish trips they took and designer clothes they bought. I could not say she was a good person which ironically was my dilemma with the main character in this crime, musical thriller, drama. AN UNSATISFIED LAWYER RECEIVES AN OFFER that could drastically change her life. She had no idea how much change and risk it would entail. With Zoe Saldana (Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, The Adam Project) as Rita Moro Castro, Karla Sofia Gascon (We Are the Nobles, Wild Heart-TV) as Manitas Del Monte, Selena Gomez (Only Murders in the Building-TV, Spring Breakers) as Jessi, Adriana Paz (The Empty Hours, Spectre) as Epifania, and Edgar Ramirez (Jungle Cruise, Point Break( as Gustavo Brun; this film festival winning movie grabbed me right from the start. What a mix of ideas that on paper looked like they would not work together, but instead created this imaginative piece of entertainment that had a couple of messages thrown in without preaching. Zoe and Karla were outstanding, and I felt this could be Zoe’s best performance. The basic idea of the story was not that unusual; but the execution of it was imaginative and creative. At times bordering close to being humorous to becoming a powerful statement, I enjoyed this picture from beginning to end. It is a good movie. There were a few scenes with violence and blood.
3 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Didi
I DO NOT KNOW WHEN IT actually changed, but I quickly realized some of the games and toys I liked, no one else did. It was like one day my friends and I were playing a game of tag, and the next day it became a game for little kids. My world was quickly changing; certain things and activities once “cool” were no longer “cool” anymore. There was the year everyone I knew in school was wearing puka bead necklaces. There were a few students who would make and sell them to the other students. I had three different ones that I would wear, depending on what shirt I wore that day. All of us thought we were trendsetters. However, the following school year if you were caught wearing those necklaces, it was more than likely someone would make a snide comment about it. Just like that it had fallen out of favor. What replaced the necklaces with being the hot item for the year was a particular new brand of blue jeans. Many students could be seen throughout the school hallways wearing these jeans; all except me because they did not come in my size. I was devastated; I desperately wanted to up my “cool factor” and my weight was holding me back. IT WAS DURING THIS TIME WHEN I noticed my body was starting to change, as were most of the kids around me. My skin started breaking out with acne and I started growing facial hair. I had no idea that being one of the first boys to have this growth would be considered “cool.” It did not last long as many of my friends started appearing with shadow stubbles around their jawline. I worked extra hard to lose weight to make up for the feelings of dread whenever I saw my acne covered face in the mirror. It was such an awkward time and all of us were about to move on to high school, where there would be a much larger student body. My freshman year had a rough start. With my beard growing heavier and thicker, I was prone to getting multiple ingrown hairs that would get infected. I had to start going to a dermatologist that had to use a device that would leave me with scabs around my neck. Add in the acne, and heavy weight; my self-worth was down in the dumpster. Friends were expanding their circle or friends, boys and girls were dating, and a pecking order was developing within the first-year class. One had to be careful about the way they dressed, talked, and moved throughout the school. It was such an awkward period which should explain why I appreciated this movie so much. IT IS THE SUMMER BEFORE THE new school year starts and a 13-year-old Asian boy is trying to find a way to fit in with the kids in the neighborhood. With Izaac Wang (Good Boys, Clifford the Big Red Dog) as Chris Wang, Joan Chen (Sleep Without a Shepherd, Marco Polo-TV) as Chungsing Wang, Shirley Chen (Beast Beast, Wake Up) as Vivian Wang, newcomer Zhang Li Hua as Nai Nai, and newcomer Raul Dial as Fahad; this film took a well-covered genre and made it something special. First off, I thought the acting was superb from the main cast, especially Joan and Izaac. I felt the actors were completely lost in their characters; they were so believable. There was no need to over explain situations or turn them into a form of basement humor. The script and directing blended in a clean and uncomplicated way, allowing the actions to tell the story. I feel a good portion of the viewers will be able to relate to this story, minus the insecurities or fears they might have had when they were at that age. Multiple scenes had Chinese spoken with English subtitles.
3 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: We Live in Time
WHEN YOU ARE BEING ASKED, “DO you take this person to be your lawfully wedded…in sickness and health,” the answer is not, “Maybe, I do.” I have known a small group of couples where one of them became ill and their spouse did not want to deal with it. One individual initiated a divorce, and from a different couple the person did nothing to help their spouse through their illness. It was appalling and sad. My belief in the power and full meaning of the words, “I do” was not as solid when I first started out in the dating world and began forming long-term relationships. I have mentioned before that I refer to myself as a part-time germaphobe, where I avoid touching door handles or shaking hands with strangers, for example. When the person I was with in the relationship got sick with a cold or flu, I would sleep on the couch instead of our bed; I was afraid of catching whatever they had. I do not know how I changed this behavior but can recall clearly who I was with at the time that altered my concern from my health to their wellbeing. We had been dating for over one year before they started getting unexplained symptoms that affected their digestive system. I never waivered in being there for them, helping with whatever they needed and sleeping together in our bed. Because this was a new phenomenon for me, caring more about the person than myself, I realized that the only logical answer was that I was truly in love. I was more worried about them than myself. Gratefully, the right doctors were found, and their issue was cured over the course of a few months. HAVING THAT “AHA MOMENT” PREPARED ME for when I was standing in front of our friends and relatives and was asked the marriage question. My reply was, “I do!” Both of us realize as we get older, things may happen; that is just the way life is and all we can do is try to stay in shape and stay healthy as best we can. I remember walking into the dining room and seeing them staring at their dinner on the dining room table. Just sitting and staring. I asked what was wrong and they said they were not sure what they were supposed to do. I was perplexed and because I am a defensive pessimist I started going through different scenarios in my head, while peppering them with questions. I thought maybe they were having a stroke, and I was about to call 911, when they asked for something that sounded like orange juice. Upon drinking some and quietly sitting in their chair, they started becoming rational again. It was a scary moment, but it also reminded me the power when we said to each other, “I do.” With the way I feel about this commitment, I thoroughly appreciated what the couple had in this romantic drama. HAVING MET IN SUCH UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES, a young chef and divorcee begin to form what they think is a perfect union. With Andrew Garfield (The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Hacksaw Ridge) as Tobias, Florence Pugh (Black Widow, Dune: Part Two) as Almut, newcomer Lee Braithwaite as Jade, Aoife Hinds (Scoop, Cottontail) as Skye, and Adam James (The Penitent, Hotel Portofino-TV) as Simon Maxson; the beginning of this film kept confusing me with its out of order snippets of the main stars’ interactions through life. I felt the way scenes were randomly jumping into various stages of their lives was a distraction. However, as time went by, I found myself getting in synch with the rhythm of the pacing and started to focus on the main couple. Andrew’s and Florence’s chemistry towards each other was electrifying. They did a fantastic job with the script and elevated the story to a higher level. I feel this story could have settled into a sticky sweetness if it were not for the two of them. Near the end of the movie, I felt like I had gone through a photo album that showed their life together, and oh what a life it was for them.
3 ¼ stars
Flash Movie Review: Killer Heat
MY FIRST EXPOSURE TO TWIN SIBLINGS was a movie where teenage twin sisters swap places and scheme to reunite their divorced parents. Seeing the two sisters together looking identical fascinated me. I was too young to realize that it was one actress playing both sisters. The next time I encountered twins was watching a television show called Family Affair. The twins were Buffy and Jody, a brother and sister, but they were not identical. Except for these two experiences, I had no contact with any sets of twins until I was in high school. And then, it was like an explosion because there were several sets during my four years in school. A couple of them were identical twins; one in particular was always difficult to figure out who was who, until you talked to them for a little while. One brother was into sports, and I thought was mean; the other one was more into the social clubs like film and debate team which suited his friendlier personality. I remember one time when they swapped their classes for one period. I had the nicer brother in my classroom, and I knew within a matter of minutes that the other brother was sitting next to me instead; he did not say hello, which the nicer one always did when coming in and sitting down at his desk. Surprisingly, the teacher did not know the difference. THERE WAS ANOTHER SET OF TWIN brothers in the school that were both bullies, one was worse, however. They would pick on students all the time; in the classroom, lunchroom and outside on the school grounds. I learned quickly to stay away from them as best as I could. It was not until the end of our sophomore year that some of us found out the two brothers were not twins. The meaner one was held back a year; in other words, he flunked a grade. The two brothers decided to tell everyone they were twins so the older one would not be embarrassed. The thing I found interesting about the sets of twins in school was when there were two girls or a girl and a boy set, they were never competitive with each other. Sure, they may have had some form of sibling rivalry, but I never saw one trying to beat out the other. It was only the sets that had two boys that were competitive at our school. Even if the personalities were different, they still had a strong streak of competitiveness. Granted, none of them could match the competitiveness of the twins in this romantic, crime mystery drama, and I am grateful for it. AFTER A YOUNG ROCK CLIMBER FALLS from a cliff to his death, one of the family members secretly hires a detective to investigate all the clues to see if things match up. As the detective delves deeper into the case, his own issues begin to come out. With Joseph Gordon-Levitt (The Trial of the Chicago 7, Flora and Son) as Nick Bali, Shailene Woodley (Dumb Money, To Catch a Killer) as Penelope Vardakis, Richard Madden (Eternals, Game of Thrones-TV) as Elias ‘Leonidas,’ Clare Holman (Let Him Have It, Inspector Lewis-TV) as Audrey, and Babou Ceesay (Eye in the Sky, We Hunt Together-TV) as Georges Mensah; this film was shot in the beautiful island of Crete. The outdoor scenes were stunning. I enjoyed the performances from the cast, but the script did not offer them much to work their craft. The characters were one-dimensional, which turned many scenes into standard fare. I liked the idea of the story, and I thought Joseph and Shailene could have turned into characters with depth and emotion; though no fault of their own, I was disappointed. Well, at least I enjoyed the scenery.
2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Hold Your Breath
IF I AM NOT READING A BOOK or listening to music, I always have the television turned on, even if I have no plans to watch it. I use a TV as background noise because I am uncomfortable being in silence. There is a reason for it. There was a television show that debuted when I was a small child of six or seven years of age. I probably was too young to watch it, because I always dreamt of a horrible nightmare when I went to sleep after having watched the show. Every episode started out with the television screen going black and a single white dot would appear in the center. A voice would come on and tell us not to adjust our television sets, there was nothing wrong with them. I believe the next thing the announcer said was they were taking control of our sets and that is when that white dot turned into a wavy line, getting smaller and bigger at times. I can remember snippets of the different episodes, but each week there was always a “monster” or alien being since the show leaned more towards science fiction as opposed to something like The Twilight Zone. I would be terrified of the monsters; some with extra powers or wanting to do experiments on humans. Even if I closed my eyes during a scene, I still would wake up in the middle of the night from a bad dream. THAT SHOW WAS THE START OF me not liking silence. As I grew older and no longer needed a babysitter, I could not handle being in a quiet space. Any little sounds coming from the house or outside would cause me to jump. One time there was some noise I heard coming from the back porch. I quickly turned off all the lights and hid in the kitchen pantry. Not because I was hungry, but because from there I could sneak peeks at the back door, to see if a human shadow loomed up. I would stand in there for 15-20 minutes before I thought it was safe to come out. Through the years, past my college graduation and moving out into my own apartment, I was the same when it came to hearing noises. Imagine living in a big courtyard apartment building; there were always various noises sounding off; my television and music player were my constant companions. It is as if my mind is always ready to take a pessimistic view when it comes to hearing an uncommon sound that I cannot explain. I do not know if it is a good or dreadful thing, that I understood what the main character was going through in this dramatic, horror thriller. WITH HER HUSBAND AWAY FOR WORK, a wife had to take care of the house and their children during the Oklahoma dust storms that ravaged the state. The fact that there might be something else bad outside made raising their kids all the harder. With Sarah Paulson (Run, American Horror Story-TV) as Margaret Bellum, Amiah Miller (The Water Man, War for the Planet of the Apes) as Rose Bellum, relative newcomer (Alona Jane Robbins as Ollie Bellum, Annaleigh Ashford (American Reject, B Positive-TV) as Esther Smith, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear-TV, No Hard Feelings) as Wallace Grady; this movie was beautifully filmed. I enjoyed the atmospheric scenes mixed in with the starkness; they helped with creating the bleakness of the environment. Sarah and Amiah were especially strong with their characters; Sarah was especially riveting. However, my interest periodically faded at times because the script created this series of repetitive scenarios that did not build up the tension or move the story forward. There needed to be more tension that would have led to a stronger ending. Even if I did not like hearing unfamiliar sounds when I am alone, after seeing this picture, I am amazed at the people who survived these storms back in the 1930s in Oklahoma.
2 ¼ stars
moviejoltz 