Flash Movie Review: Saturday Night
I CANNOT REMEMBER HOW, BUT I kept hearing about a new television show that was going to air on a Saturday night. The first thing that struck me was the fact it was airing on a Saturday night; the night most everyone could do something that was not work or school related. The other thing that struck me was the fact I kept hearing about it no matter where I was on campus. In discussion halls, the student union, laboratories; I would hear bits and pieces of students’ conversations about this strange new show. Only one friend out of our group had a television in their room, but they were going back home that weekend; so, the rest of us decided to meet at our student union building because they had a large TV room for the students. The week before the telecast, I was hearing more chatter about the show. It seemed as if every student was curious enough that they wanted to see what the show was about. I told my friends there may be a lot of students showing up at the student union, so maybe we should come up with an alternative plan in case we cannot get into the TV room. We pleaded with our friend to let us borrow his television and we would bring it back on Sunday when he returned to campus. He was not too thrilled, but we promised we would make sure nothing happened to it, that we would wrap the TV in a blanket before moving it. He finally agreed. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE TELEVISION would come to my room because I did not have a roommate, so I had a little more space for us to spread out. On Friday, four of us met up and moved the television to my place. Once I plugged it in, we turned it on to make sure we had good reception; all was in order and all we had to do was wait until the next day. Saturday came and we met for dinner at a pizza place near campus before coming back to watch the show. Once everyone had settled into my place and the television was turned on, we sat and waited. It did not take long before we were laughing and hooting at the television screen. The show was such a mix of oddball scenarios mixed with humor nuttiness; all of us could not stop talking about it after the show had ended. On Monday, back in class, everyone was talking about the show, some feeling the humor was directed at our age group, others loving the satirical bent used during the fake newscast. For the rest of the school year, my friends and I would squeeze into a packed television room at the student union to watch the show. All these feelings flooded back to me when I watched this biographical, dramatic comedy film. ON OCTOBER 11, 1975, A GROUP of young comedians and writers were hoping to do something different on television. They would not know if they would be ready to go until the very last minute before airing. With Gabriel LaBelle (The Fabelmans, The Predator) as Lorne Michaels, Rachel Sennott (Bottoms, I Use to be Funny) as Rosie Shuster, Cory Michael Smith (Carol, May December) as Chevy Chase, Ella Hunt (Anna and the Apocalypse, Lady Chatterley’s Lover) as Gilda Radner, and Dylan O’Brien (The Maze Runner franchise, Love and Monsters) as Dan Aykroyd; this movie started out at a frenzied, frenetic pace that was almost overwhelming for me. However, once I got used to it, I fell into a satisfying rhythm. The actors had varying degrees of likeness to the characters they were playing, but it was their acting abilities that made them believable. Since I was a fan of the television show, I got a huge kick out of watching this picture. I did not mind the holes in the script that could have been filled with more story about each character. Also, I am guessing not everything depicted was true and I was okay with it. Putting the pieces together, I had a fun time sitting and watching this film while reliving my memories of being there when the first episode was broadcast.
3 ½ 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
Flash Movie Review: Will & Harper
I BUMPED INTO A FRIEND, WHO I had not seen for some time, and immediately noticed something different about their face and neck. It only took me a few seconds before I realized they no longer had a puffy neck. In his family, as they age, they develop folds in their neck, like a rooster or turkey neck. Honestly, it was nothing I ever paid attention to; it was simply his neck to me, nothing more. Evidently, it must have been bothering him if he went to the trouble of having some kind of work on it. Because of that change, I studied his face while we talked and realized he had more work done. He no longer had the bags under his eyes or the little lines and creases around his eyes. I did not know whether I should comment on his looks or not, so I decided to wait and see if he would say something. Sure enough after several minutes, he asked me if I noticed anything different about him. As a joke, I said it looked like he lost a little weight. He said not exactly, but he did have some work done on his face. I feigned surprise and then said I was trying to figure out what was different about him. He told me his neck and eyes had been bothering him to the point of depression, so he decided to get plastic surgery, and that he had never felt better about himself. I was happy for him and told him so. AFTER WE PARTED, I THOUGHT ABOUT the things he said about himself. Now granted, I was not in his shoes, so I could not completely understand feeling bad enough about oneself to make such a change. I have never paid that much attention to the outside of someone’s body; what was on the inside intrigued me so much more. Maybe there will come a time when a feature of my body will illicit a strong reaction to have it altered. For the time being, this friend was no different to me compared to what he was before surgery. Whether he has a smooth neck, or a rippled one makes no difference to me as it should not make a difference to anyone else. Outside features have no bearing on a person’s character. What a person has inside, their attributes like kindness and empathy have more importance to me instead of someone dyeing their hair or getting a nose job. Friendship is an unconditional bond that can last a lifetime, and you can see it for yourself in this heartfelt documentary. ON THE VERY FIRST DAY STARTING his career on Saturday Night Live, Will Ferrell (Quiz Lady, Downhill) forged a bond with another “newbie” that turned into a friendship that has lasted over 30 years. Then one day Will received news that his friend transitioned into living their life as a woman. Will’s reaction was for the two of them to take a cross-country road trip. With Harper Steele (Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Sage), Saturday Night Live-TV), Tina Fey (Date Night, A Haunting in Venice), Will Forte (Nebraska, The Last Man on Earth-TV), and Colin Jost (How to be Single, Saturday Night Live-TV) all playing themselves, this was a beautiful, thoughtful movie. With Will Ferrell, one can expect to have some humor interjected into the story. Sure, some stuff was staged but at the heart of this film, the story is about the bonds that connect two lifelong friends, and I must tell you it was a privilege watching these two friends navigate the altered landscape they now live in. This was done with a mix of sad, happy, scary, and thought-provoking scenes. The movie is a testament to the love and strength between two long term friends.
3 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Joker: Folie A Deux
I BELIEVE I AM A MARKETER’S dream because I like trying out new products. Not every kind of product, mind you, just those that are in my wheelhouse. They say variety is the spice of life, and in certain circumstances that is true; however, when it comes to food items I have my limits. I remember when my favorite candy-coated chocolate candy came out with a caramel flavor; I had to buy a bag the next time I went to the grocery store. It was terrific. Now if you are not a fan of caramel then this item would not do anything for you, I get it. The same thing with my favorite chocolate sandwich cookie. They came out with a thin version, touting less calories. That may have been questionable, but I enjoyed them because I like the chocolate cookie part more than the creamy filling. The cookies recently came out with a cola flavored cookie which just seems wrong to me. Now on the other hand, when I see or read about a new product or flavor that uses weird combinations, at least weird in my mind, I must wonder who would buy such a thing. The candy-coated candies tried a new flavor: jalapeno peanut chocolate. They were a flop. One of the most unusual items I have ever heard about were pumpkin spice scented flushable wipes. I wonder who would use such a thing. BESIDES THE FOOD CATEGORY, THERE ARE certain things/ideas I hear about that do not sound good to me. There was talk at one time about creating a Titanic themed resort in Las Vegas. The hotel would be in the shape of the ship. Personally, I thought it was a poor idea to turn a tragic event into a happening Vegas resort. The movie with Kate Winslet was wonderful; however, when I heard, there was talk to turn it into a Broadway musical, I found it disturbing. Though it could be said of the film, the idea of cashing in a tragedy makes me uncomfortable for some reason. The only example I can come up with is basing a musical on a meat packing plant or something similar. This mixing of two genres or two ideas that share nothing in common does not seem to work in my opinion. Or, let me say it in a different way; it often does not end in success. Here is the perfect example: I do not want to see comic book characters thrust into singing in a musical number. You will understand with my review of this musical drama thriller. WHILE WAITING FOR HIS TRIAL, A prison inmate finds the love of his life, who appears to be in perfect synch with him. With Joaquin Phoenix (Beau’s Dead, The Sisters Brother) as Arthur Fleck, Lady Gaga (House of Gucci, A Star is Born) as Lee Quinzel, Brendan Gleeson (In the Heart of the Sea, The Banshees of Inisherin) as Jackie Sullivan, Catherine Keener (The Adam Project, Get Out) as Maryanne Stewart, and Zazie Beetz (Nine Days, Deadpool 2) as Sophie Dumond; this movie was one of the worst films I have seen this year. There was very little positive about it except for Lady Gaga. As far as I was concerned, she was the star of the movie and with the little portion of the script given to her, she turned it into a solid piece of work. The script was looney with most of the action taking place in prison but being broken up with several musical numbers. Joaquin cannot sing, which only made watching this film more painful. I could not wait for this movie to be over, having sat through it with no movement of story or purpose. It came across as someone’s pipe dream, and whoever greenlighted this production should not be allowed to keep their position. As a side note: I read in the newspaper that ticket sales dropped 81% after its first week at the theaters. That should tell you everything you need to know.
1 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Find Me Falling
I STUDIED THE ASSIGNMENTS AND WORKBOOKS over and over. The written portion of the testing did not concern me all that much; however, the practical portion, where we each would be leading portions of the workshop, is what scared me the most. The test was being held an hour away from me, which only added to my anxiousness because it would give me more time to think, which is not what I wanted to do. Upon reaching the location and parking, I found the registration desk to get signed in. Once I was registered, I was handed a small duffle bag filled with a variety of items, from power snack bars to wristbands to lip balm. I am a sucker for this kind of stuff even if I do not use all the items. From the registration desk, I was directed down a long hallway to a large conference room. Inside there were rows of chairs and desks lined up in half of the room. I took an empty place off to the side, halfway down the middle. Right at the start of 8am the doors were closed and two instructors stood in front of us and explained the activities for the day. They next went over some of the important parts of the test, like a quick refresher course. As they were speaking there were volunteers handing out the test books and telling us when we were told to open the book, the test would begin. I MADE MY WAY THROUGH THE multiple-choice questions; if I were not sure of one, I would skip it then come back later. I wanted to get as many as I could answer, since we were under time restraint. By the time I completed the written portion, I had 20 minutes to spare before the time limit; so, I sat and tried to mentally go over the movements I would need to teach to an aerobics class. The test period ended, and we broke for lunch. The afternoon was the practical part of the test and all of us were directed to the other half of the room. The same two instructors warmed us up after starting the music. Throughout the afternoon, we would be broken into groups and within the group we would take turns leading the group. I was miserable; I was not wired to be spontaneous, plus the music did nothing for me. I did not pass, nor get my teaching certificate. From that experience, I spent the summer working on creating my own style of teaching, reinventing myself if you will and retested in the fall and passed. Because of not making it through the first time, I found the strength to create what I genuinely wanted to do and became successful at it. It is all about finding one’s inner strength and peace that makes it happen. And because of that, I appreciated watching the main character’s journey in this music, romantic comedy. AFTER HIS LATEST ALBUM TANKED, A music celebrity decided to move to Cyprus to get away from everything. Unfortunately, the house he bought was at a site where desperate people would come to visit. With Harry Connick Jr. (Hope Floats, Will & Grace-TV) as John, Agni Scott (Persuasion, Bridget Jones’s Baby) as Sia, Ali Fumiko Whitney (Cabin Girl, The Road Dance) as Melina, Lea Maleni (Kalabush, Didyma Feggaria-TV) as Koula, and Clarence Smith (Leave, Emmerdale Farm-TV) as Jimmy; this film had beautiful outdoor scenes. I thought the acting was decent, but the script was generic and predictable for the most part. It seemed as if I was watching a mashup of other films that fall into this genre. It was pleasant to hear the music, and as I said, I thought the scenes of Cyprus were wonderful. In my opinion, the writers needed to do a rewrite of the script and add deeper drama and humor for this story to stand out.
2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Rebel Ridge
HE WAS A SHORT, SLIGHT MAN with a close-cropped beard and straight brown hair that always looked feathery. This was my first impression of my yoga instructor, who would remain mine through the first year of my training to become an instructor. There was gentleness and kindness about him; he always took the time to work one on one with each of us in class. Whenever he would demonstrate a pose, he moved into it like a cat, slow and determined. Because I was so focused on taking notes and looking at the poses he did, I did not notice him as much if that makes sense. I was looking to see where hands and feet needed to be rather than focusing on the way his body would move into the pose. Around halfway through the year we had a celebratory event where multiple classes would come together. It was part doing yoga and part mingling. I met some of the upper-class students and watched them during our yoga session. They were so smooth as they moved into the various poses. During the break, I went up and talked with them, asking about their experience at the school. At some point, one of them asked me who was my instructor. When I told him, he said I had the best teacher in the school. I was thrilled to hear it. WHAT HE SAID NEXT THREW ME for a loop. He asked if I knew about my instructor’s background. I said no. He told me something that stunned me. My instructor was involved with the military until a tragic event shattered his leg. The story this upper-class student told me was after the event my teacher was sent home for multiple surgeries and a lengthy rehabilitation. This student told me to look at the instructor’s body when he moves into a pose. Since he was ahead of me in school, I thought I would see what he was talking about and look at my instructor’s body when he was doing poses. It turned out I had to look more than once because what I saw was fascinating. The fact his leg was shattered, I would never have known. Each time his body moved into a pose I would see his smooth, pliable limbs turn into sculpted, solid muscle. Not like a heavy weightlifter’s muscles, more like a Michelangelo statue. They would rise from his skin and form this rock-solid landscape across his body. I would have been most curious to hear what he used to do in the military because he was nothing what I pictured a military person to be. I was reminded of him because of the main character in this action, crime thriller. MAKING HIS WAY TO POST BAIL for his cousin, a former Marine finds himself in a town that could make better use of his bail money. With Aaron Pierre (Brother, Old) as Terry Richmond, Don Johnson (Knives Out, Book Club: The Next Chapter) as Chief Sandy Burnne, AnnaSophia Robb (Soul Surfer, Bridge to Terabithia) as Summer McBride, David Denman (The Equalizer 3, The Office-TV) as Officer Evan Marston, and Emory Cohen (Brooklyn, Lords of Chaos) as Officer Steve Lann; this drama was slick and to the point, taking me by surprise. I thought the cast, especially Aaron, was excellent. The story is a no-frills good against evil type of story and I fell right into it. The action was intense, and the fight scenes were well done. In a way, it was refreshing to watch an action film without the special effects or wild camera work or a multitude of dead bodies; I felt I was following a simple, story that could have been based in truth. On some level, this movie reminded me of an old-fashioned western film besides reminding me of my past yoga instructor.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Wild Robot
THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE LUCKY to have one mother; I had three of them. There was first my birth mother. Along with her there was her best friend that she grew up with who was a mother to me. The third one was a neighbor who lived in the apartment building where I was born. These three women were my mothers, and I know I was extremely fortunate to have them in my life. My mother’s childhood friend had a son who was several years older than me, but I never gave it any thought growing up. I remember all of us going bowling; the only one who did not know how to bowl was my mother’s friend. She was always the scorekeeper and when I would sit on her lap between turns, she would explain what she was doing and ask me to add up the numbers she had written for each frame. No matter how many pins I was able to knock down, she always gave me words of encouragement. I did not realize at an early age how talented she was, from telling funny stories to always sending birthday cards with a poem she had specifically written for the person celebrating. From time to time, I would be dropped off at her house to watch me while my mother had an errand. We usually would bake cookies which meant I would sit and watch then lick the spoon after she was done mixing the ingredients. I have such fond memories of her. MY THIRD MOTHER WAS OUR DOWNSTAIRS neighbor, who lived on the first floor; we lived on the third floor. I can still remember how I used to get down to her. Because I was still somewhat new with walking, I would walk over to our first step and sit down on it with my feet on the next step below. I would then slide off the step and move to the next one as my feet reached out to the next step and so on. I would make my way down to her floor then stand up and walk over to their front door. I do not know how she was able to hear my light knocking on the door, but she did, and every time she opened the door, she had a huge smile on her face. She would welcome me in and no matter what she was in the middle of she would always find ways to entertain me. It could be putting a record on the record player or helping her cook or listening to her read a book; I enjoyed spending time with her. She had two sons who were much older than me, so it was not often they would be home when I came down. These two women were my introduction into my definition of “family.” Now my definition as expanded with this beautiful animated, adventure science fiction film. AFTER CRASH LANDING, A SELF-SUSTAINING ROBOT tries to bond with the native animals. One of them sees the robot as its mother. With Lupita Nyong’o (Black Panther franchise, A Quiet Place: Day One) voicing Roz, Pedro Pascal (The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, The Mandalorian-TV) voicing Fink, Kit Connor (Rocketman, Heartstopper-TV) voicing Brightbill, Bill Nighy (The First Omen, Living) voicing Longneck, and Stephanie Hsu (The Fall Guy, Joy Ride) voicing Vontra; this movie, based on the bestselling book, was one of the best films I have seen all year. The animation, story, directing, and script were all brought together to tell a touching story that both children and adults could appreciate. I was totally connected to this film, from beginning to end. It offered drama, comedy, excitement, tension and much more; I even teared up at a couple of scenes. An interesting side note: at the viewing I attended there were all adults except for one child. This was a well-done picture that portrayed how love creates a family. Also, there was an extra scene at the end of the closing credits.
4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Challengers
I WANTED TO LEARN HOW TO play tennis. Neither of my schools offered it as a sport. So, during a summer break, I signed up for tennis lessons through The Learning Annex. Classes were to meet at a tennis facility not too far from the downtown area. I was excited because the facility was home to a couple of tennis tournaments; I was hoping I would see someone “famous.” On the first day of class, there was a total of twelve students; we were split into two groups. It turned out I was the only left-handed person in my group. The first thing the instructor taught us was how to hold the tennis racket. He went up to each of us to check on our grip and make any needed adjustments. I thought things were going well, but when it came time to teach us how to serve, I could not get the hang of it as quickly as the others. It should not have been so difficult because all I had to do was switch his usage of right and left; but for some reason, I could not make it work. He tried working with me, but I could see he was not a patient person. The same thing happened when he was teaching us the ground strokes. While everyone’s ball was going to one side of the court, mine was going to the other side. I was getting self-conscious, uncomfortable, and started to feel like I was being left out. Gratefully, there were only two classes left. FROM THAT EXPERIENCE, I DECIDED I would practice on my own and pay closer attention to televised matches. I used the side of my elementary school’s building to hit the ball against. When I got to college, I had a friend who taught me how to put spin on the ball. Up until that point, I was hitting flat straight balls. On the weekends, we would go down to the sports facility and get a court for us to hit the ball back and forth. Pretty soon I was able to add a little spin to my hits. We eventually started to play games and keep score. I never won but that was okay with me because I was not the type of person who was competitive. He was, however. I just wanted to have fun hitting the ball and trying to make the shots. This was something I never understood: if one was not having fun doing whatever sport then why do it. My friend never looked like he was having fun; it was all about the winning. Except in the earlier scenes of this film festival winner, I felt the same way about the main characters in this dramatic, sport romance. They did not look like they were having fun. TWO FRIENDS VIE FOR THE ATTENTION of a tennis prodigy. There could only be one winner, so what would it take. With Mike Faist (West Side Story, The Bikeriders) as Art Donaldson, Josh O’Connor (God’s Own Country, The Crown-TV) as Patrick Zweig, Zendaya (Dune franchise, Spider-Man franchise) as Tashi Donaldson, newcomer Bryan Doo, and A.J. Lister (Birth/Rebirth) as Lily; this film was fortunate to have this cast in the roles. They were all good, helping to keep the intensity and drama up in this film. What I did not care for was the jumping back and forth in time; I quickly found it annoying. The action and editing cuts were so fast that I soon got tired watching them. It was a shame because I thought the story had merit, but I wonder how I would have felt if they stuck closer to a linear timeline. There were some scenes that did not seem believable to me, which may have added to my losing interest in the characters. With that being said, I still enjoyed the tennis matches and the few extremely dramatic scenes; but at the end, this was not a love match for me.
2 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat
THE RESTAURANT WAS OUR SANCTUARY. IF memory serves me correctly, it was one of the first places, that was not serving fast food, where I went without my parents. The time was my high school years, and my friends and I started going to it because it was in the middle between our elementary school district boundaries. The restaurant was a decent sized place, with parking lots on both sides of the building. The front door and waiting area were in the middle; on one side there were all booths and on the other it was booths along the walls, but the rest of the floor space was filled with tables. I did not realize it then, but I guess the tabled room was used more for lunches, dinners, and larger sized parties. Most of the time my friends and I were taken to a booth. Another reason we liked hanging out at this restaurant, besides the friendly staff and tasty food, was their abundant breadbasket filled with a variety of bread slices, rolls, breadsticks, and crackers. If someone did not have a lot of money to spend on food, they could easily order a soft drink and chow down on the bread items. It was always the first thing the wait staff would put down when people were seated. What I especially liked was the fact the wait staff never tried to talk down to us or try to rush us out after we had eaten. It was in these booths where we could talk about anything and share whatever was on our minds. I AM STILL FRIENDS WITH SOME of the people who sat with me at the restaurant. Not only did we spend time together there through high school, but we also did during our college years. If one of us was attending an out of state university, they were especially eager to meet up at the restaurant anytime they were back home for a visit. I remember how no one would bring their girl or boyfriend around until they were well established in the relationship. It was always overwhelming for the new person to join into our tight knit group, but we did our best to make them comfortable. Some time after college one of the parents of a friend passed away; after the funeral, a group of us met up at the restaurant to have a meal before going back to their house. This restaurant was a vital part of our lives when growing up; it was our therapy, our social life, and our introduction to becoming independent human beings with a strong bond between each of us. Due to these memories, I suddenly felt connected to this comedic drama. THROUGH A LIFETIME, THE BONDS BETWEEN an intimate group of friends gets tested by relationships, prejudices, and love. With Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor (Ray, Origin) as Odette, Sanaa Lathan (The Perfect Guy, Something New) as Barbara Jean, Uzo Aduba (Really Love, Orange is the New Black-TV) as Clarice, Mekhi Phifer (Lights Out, ER-TV) as James, and Julian McMahon (Fantastic Four franchise, FBI: Most Wanted-TV) as Ray; this movie based on the best selling novel, won me over by the strong acting of the main characters. They came across real and had emotional depth. I will say though, it seemed as if some scenes were cut short or appeared to be because of the switching from present to past. I thought the sets and costumes were perfect and appreciated the way the writers did not shy away from events that were prevalent during those times. I can only imagine the book must be even better than this picture. There was a level of predictability to the story, but it did not distract me from being so entertained by the cast. The connections the friends had to each other reminded me of the ones I had/have with my friends; I was left with a feeling of comfort after this movie was over.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Transformers One
WHEN I WAS INVITED OVER, I thought there was going to be only a few people visiting. There were a little more than that. My friend’s sister was visiting from out of town; we had all grown up together, so I was treated like a family member. When I arrived at their mother’s house, I quickly realized other relatives must have come over based on the number of cars that were parked in the driveway and on the street. After finding a parking spot, I walked up to the opened front door and let myself in. There were some relatives I recognized from past family functions as I navigated my way through trying to find my friend. I finally found him in the kitchen pouring some drinks for guests. I walked up and we embraced hello. The first thing he mentioned was that his mother had invited a lot of family over to see her new grandbaby. That reminded me to congratulate him again on becoming an uncle. This was the reason I was invited over, to see his sister’s new baby. The two of us made our way back into the living room to find her. Of course, she was planted where most of the guests were congregated, sitting in a chair with the baby cradled in her arms. When she saw me walking towards her, she got up to hug me and introduced me to her daughter. It was a special moment. IT WAS NOT LONG BEFORE OTHER guests wanted their chance to talk to the new mother; I excused myself and made my way to an open spot on the sofa. There were a couple of bowls of snacks on the coffee table in front of me that I wanted to try. I looked to the end table I was sitting next to, to find a coaster to set my drink upon. The only thing sitting on the table was a small truck. I folded a napkin to set my drink on and picked up the truck. It must have been from one of the kids I spotted playing outside when I first arrived. The truck was brightly colored and heavier than I expected when I picked it up. I turned it around in my hand to admire the detailing on it; I was big into trucks and cars when I was a little kid. As I was turning it over, the cab unfolded; it was hinged. This was unexpected, so I began to gently press on the various edges of the toy. To my amazement everything was hinged and before you knew it, I had the figure of a robot cradled in the palm of my hand. It was amazing to me, besides being very cool. I had never seen such a toy and marveled at its complexity. Of course, it was not long before I started seeing and hearing about these robot toys everywhere. The amazement I felt those years ago filtered back to me as I watched with delight this animated, action, adventure film. FOR THE FIRST TIME, SINCE WE were introduced to the Transformers’ world, we find out how friends could become enemies. With Chris Hemsworth (Extraction, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga) voicing Orion Pax, Brian Tyree-Henry (Bullet Train, The Woman in the Window) voicing D-16, Scarlett Johansson (Fly Me to the Moon, Jojo Rabbit) voicing Elita, Keegan-Michael Key (Wonka, The Predator) voicing B-127, and Steve Buscemi (The Death of Stalin, Ghost World) voicing Starscream; this science fiction fantasy story surprised me. Though I was intrigued by the toys when they first came out, I did not have much invested into the films. This prequel had wonderful animation, action, and an easy-to-follow story that I thoroughly enjoyed. The script was solid with a mix of humor and drama. I would not be surprised if the movie studio works to turn this film into a multiple franchise. Also, I saw this picture in 3D but do not feel it is a necessity; it did not add anything new for me. Of course, it would help if the viewer had even a small inkling of the background to the Transformers story, but I do not think it would rob anyone of the enjoyment in seeing this film. There were two extra scenes during the ending credits.
3 ¼ stars
moviejoltz 