Flash Movie Review: Night Swim
BEFORE I HAD ANY UNDERSTANDING ABOUT proper dieting, I tried a variety of ways to lose weight. During my elementary school years, I went on a daily lunch of clear chicken broth with a few oyster crackers. I lost a few pounds but did not give as much thought to my food intake for breakfast and dinner. Another diet I tried was eliminating bread, no more sandwiches or toast in the morning. All that happened was me being hungry and eating more ice cream instead. Because gym classes always caused me anxiety, I never thought about doing some type of exercise, except for a short period where I found a book that went through the exercise routines of the Canadian Mounties. I could not tell you where I got this book, but I tried doing the various exercises three times a week. It lasted for almost two months, but then again, the results were not dramatic, and I was looking for some serious weight loss. By the time I got to high school, my doctor put me on a pill to try and lose weight. I never knew what it was but some years later I found out the pills had a legal form of “speed.” My freshman year I remained skinny; however, when my days at school turned to the dark side during sophomore year, I put all the weight I had lost back on and then some. IT WAS NOT UNTIL YEARS LATER, when I went to an aerobics class with a friend, that I finally understood the way I needed to lose weight. Due to the dramatic weight loss, I achieved, I was always being asked for weight loss advice from members of my classes. I shared my simple philosophy: one must burn off more calories than they take in. The things I saw through my years of teaching went from dramatic to scary. There was a woman at one club who had gotten so skinny that her hair started to fall out and she stopped menstruating. Another member at one of the other clubs got into weight training, but never incorporated any form of aerobics. They simply got bigger and bigger, which meant their weight was increasing as well. There have been so many stories I have heard about the things people do to feel better about themselves. One person did liposuction, but it left her misshapen and half of her stomach remained numb from the procedure. I tried my best to guide members if they asked me, but only by telling them what I did to lose weight. One of the main characters had the right idea about working out in their pool to feel better, but things did not end up the way he had hoped in this horror thriller. THEIR NEW HOUSE HAD EVERYTHING THE family wanted; but had something else that they did not want. With Wyatt Russell (Overlord, Everybody Wants Some!!) as Ray Waller, Kerry Condon (The Banshees of Inisherin, Bad Samaritan) as Eve Waller, Amelie Hoeferle (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes) as Izzy Waller, Gavin Warren (The Man in the White Van, A Hard Problem) as Elliot Waller and Jodi Long (The Tale, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) as Lucy Summers; this film missed an opportunity to create a scary thriller. Instead, all it offered was a poor excuse for a horror movie. Though the actors tried their best, the script was dull and unimaginative. I felt the scenes were clips from other horror films except with poorer special effects. There were a few scenes that sparked hope inside of me, but sadly the script did not veer off its mundane, average story. It would be best if one passed up on this mess of a picture.
1 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: The Garfield Movie
WE ALL MET IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, some as far back as kindergarten. All through school we remained friends and continued so into high school, despite drifting off into our different comfort zones. Though I rarely saw them through high school and not at all during my college years, I was always fond of them. One of those friends taught me how to cut crepe paper with scissors. It was because I was the only lefthanded student in my kindergarten class. When the teacher was teaching us, I could not hold the scissors like the rest of the kids sitting at my table. She was sitting next to me and carefully showed me how to use the scissors a separate way where I could then cut the paper. This is how we met and remained friends; she was always one of the sweetest girls in school; I never forgot her act of kindness, even after all these decades. Another friend had an Irish Wolfhound dog that was huge. The dog could nearly look at you at eye level, he was that tall. All of us were excited when our friend told us her dog was going to be in a dog food commercial. Being so big, he was a fast runner, just like his owner, my friend. I always believed my friend was one of the smartest kids in class, so I assumed she figured out how to make her dog a star. YEARS LATER AT A CLASS REUNION, the four of us met up and had a wonderful evening reminiscing about our youth. The biggest shock for me was hearing what everyone wound up doing in life. From our experiences in childhood, I was left with impressions of who these friends were; however, hearing what they did in their adult life surprised me. One friend became a historian on stolen art, collaborating on movies and shows that focused on artwork stolen during World War II. The woman who taught me how to use scissors is a playwright who has a new show debuting at a famous theater festival. The last friend from our small group, who had the big dog, received her doctorate, and became a professor at a university. She had recently retired to take a new position setting up a doctorial program in her field of expertise at another university. I could not believe how these three individuals, became such successful and I might add powerful women in their industry. I am glad I knew them then and now because it makes their lives appear richer to me. I was hoping to get a similar sense with this animated, adventure comedy about one of my favorite cartoon characters. SURPRISED BY HIS UNEXPECTED REUNION WITH his long-lost father, Garfield, voiced by Chris Pratt (The Tomorrow War, The Kid), leaves the comfort of his home to help his dad in one last heist. With Samuel L. Jackson (The Kill Room, Damaged) voicing Vic, Hannah Waddingham (The Fall Guy, Ted Lasso-TV) voicing Jinx, Ving Rhames (The Locksmith, Con Man) as Otto and Nicholas Hoult (Renfield, The Current War) voicing Jon; this movie did not offer much insight or newness to Garfield’s story. I did not care for the script because it portrayed a toned-down version of Garfield, we all remember from the comic strip and Bill Murray film. Younger children will enjoy this picture better than the older ones and adults. I did like the style of animation, though. It would have helped if the writers had the older version of Garfield in their minds when they chose to write the script. There were times I was bored, especially when the upcoming action was obvious to the viewer. In a way, I felt I was seeing a different version of the satirical, lazy, smart aleck Garfield I enjoyed seeing these past years.
1 ¾ stars
Flash Movie Review: The Greatest Hits
WHILE LISTENING TO THEM, I WAS getting excited. Having dinner with younger relatives, a couple were talking about their experiences recently at a popular arena concert that had stopped in the city. Every show had sold out in minutes, and they just happened to be lucky enough to get tickets. They told us what they wore then had to explain to the rest of us that it was proper concert attire. Back when I was going to concerts, my standard outfit was jeans and comfortable shoes because many times we would be standing through the entire show, and let me tell you, it is not easy wearing new cowboy boots while standing on a folding chair for over two and a half hours. The two relatives took public transportation down to the stadium. It seemed as if everyone on the train and bus was going to the concert because all the way down into the city the riders were singing the artist’s songs. I experienced the same thing with a couple of the shows I had seen in the past, so I could easily relate to what they were feeling. Inside the stadium, my relatives’ first line of business was to buy concert T-shirts. This was my thing at all the concerts I attended, getting a T-shirt was like getting a badge of honor; I loved wearing my T-shirts when I was out and about. AFTER LISTENING ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE AT the concert, I was recalling mine as I was driving home from the restaurant. The thing that moved me the most about concerts was feeling connected to so many people who were all there for the same thing. It was like an electric current that we all tapped into at the same time that kept us on a steady high through the performance. There was a sense of belonging that was nurturing to me. When I would tear up to a song, the people around me were doing the same thing; collectively we were all of one heart and I loved that feeling. Music has always had a special effect on me. The way a song plays and can immediately transport me to a different time and place; it is like magic. For every breakup I experienced I have a song, along with every loving relationship. Seeing myself sitting in the restaurant booth, with a fake stained-glass ceiling above us, listening to what became our favorite song over the speaker system and you telling me for the first time you loved me, is a memory that is always with me whenever I hear that song. Hearing how music had an affect on the main character in this romantic music drama intrigued me enough to sit down and watch this movie. AFTER A TRAGIC LOSS HARRIET GIBBONS, played by Lucy Boynton (Bohemian Rhapsody, Murder on the Orient Express), hears a song, and gets transported back to the time of a memorable event where she had heard the song originally. When she meets a man who shows interest in her, how could she explain her situation. With Justin H. Min (Shortcomings, The Umbrella Academy-TV) as David Park, David Corenswet (Look Both Ways, The Politicians-TV) as Max Enders, Austin Crute (Booksmart, They/Them) as Morris Martin and Retta (To the Bone, Parks and Recreation-TV) as Dr. Evelyn Bartlett; I liked the idea behind the story. Unfortunately, I felt the script could have done a better job of offering something new and fresh in a theme that is familiar. Lucy did a respectable job and I enjoyed how she related to the other characters. With a great soundtrack, there were times I really enjoyed this film, but as I said, it kept close to a standard easy format without delving deeper into the characters and surprising the viewer more. For a lazy afternoon, where one is undecided whether to listen to music or watch a movie, this picture could fill both needs.
2 ¼ stars
Flash Movie Review: The Beautiful Game
RECENTLY, I WENT TO THE GROCERY STORE to find a particular box of cookies. This box of cookies was something special to me when I was a young boy. The cookies were simple, buttery, and just slightly more crisp than soft in texture. As I found the cookie and snack aisle at the store, I slowly made my way down to see if I could spot these cookies. I realized my memories could be of what would be now their old packaging, but I hoped I could still locate them. The first thing that took me by surprise was the number of different cookies on the shelves. And not only the amount of different cookie brands, but the amount of variety there was for specific cookies. One type of cookie was positioned on multiple shelves in a section. Besides the original type I remembered, there were ones in assorted flavors; some of them did not sound appealing to me. They also came in varied sizes now, where some were extra thick, and others were being called crispy thin. It made me wonder what was ever wrong with the original ones because I thought they were terrific. I continued down the aisle, amazed by all the different choices most brands offered. Sadly, after looking at every shelf, I never found the cookies I used to eat during my childhood. ON MY WAY HOME FROM THE store, I was remembering other foods I enjoyed as a kid. I do not know if other people feel the same way as I do about food, but there are certain foods that trigger a warm, happy memory for me. Besides the food, there is a place I associate with the food. I remember going to an older relative’s house when I was small, where she would always have on hand homemade fruit bars. The apartment was not air conditioned, the furniture was old and sagged whenever you sat in it, but it did not matter to me. Sitting at her kitchen table with a couple of fruit bars and a glass of chocolate milk, I felt like I was eating like a king. It was cozy, comfortable, and safe; time felt like it had slowed down so I could remain seated in the vinyl kitchen chair that would be a little sticky in summer. This is the feeling I was trying to recreate from my cookie shopping experience. There are times where I do not want any complicated, fancy, new and improved food item; I simply want to sit down and eat something that just feels good. I am the same way with movies; I am not always looking for the biggest spectaculars or greatest special effects. I want something that makes me feel warm and good, and gratefully this sports drama gave me those feelings. HOPING TO BRING A WINNING SOCCER TEAM to the championship games in Rome, the manager of the team brings in a new player just before the tournament. A player that does not want to be around his teammates. With Michael Ward (Empire of Light, The Book of Clarence) as Vinny, Daniel Attwell (Brothers of War, 1917) as Mark, Bill Nighy (Living, The First Omen) as Mal, Tom Vaughan-Lawlor (Avengers franchise, The Infiltrator) as Kevin and Kit Young (The School of Good and Evil, Out of Darkness) as Cal; this movie inspired by true stories was a feel-good experience. Already a fan of Bill Nighy, I enjoyed watching this film that was about an event I had never heard of before. The acting was decent from the cast, and it was easy at times to figure out what was going to happen in the scenes, but it did not matter to me. The feelings of easy comfort and joy I was experiencing made up for any of this film’s flaws. It was good to sit back and watch a story being told simply and directly with no added frills. In other words, just a good old-fashioned story.
2 ¾ stars
Flash Movie Review: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
GENUINELY, I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A curious person. I always felt one gets to really know someone from the journey they took to get to their present time. Their past, at least to me, reveals so much more than hearing them talk about their thoughts on current affairs or their favorite pastimes. Because of my interest, there have been times I wondered if I was annoying the person by asking them so many questions. I never wanted it to feel like an interrogation; I simply want to know who they really are behind the surface. I met a man who was his state’s spelling bee champion for several years in a row. He was accepted at some of the top schools in the country like MIT and Princeton. At his job, he oversaw a staff of 1,100 employees and was ranked in the top ten positions of his company. Listening to him, I assumed that he had to come from a stable family, who had the means to get him a good education that gave him all the opportunities he mentioned to me. I could not have been more wrong. It turned out he was from a broken home; his mother having been married and divorced a few times. At one point, things were so bad that he and his mom had to live in their car for several months because they had nowhere else to go. I was stunned. I HEARD SUCH A VARIETY OF back stories from individuals; some of them worthy of being immortalized in a movie. There was the owner of a popular restaurant in the city, who very few people knew he, as a young boy, was in a concentration camp. He chose the restaurant business because he never wanted anyone to experience the starvation he had during the war. There was the woman who was a single mother, raising two daughters, who never wanted her children to not have a roof over their heads, so she devoted most of her extra savings for the purchasing of apartment buildings. By the time her oldest daughter was out of college, she had nearly a dozen different properties that were all generating income. I do not want to come across like a braggart, but there have been people who found my journey to teaching fitness an interesting tale. Being overweight for most of my young life and flunking gym class twice in high school, I came up with an exercise and diet program I could follow without feeling I was missing something. During my weight loss, I ventured out to an aerobics class with a friend and fell in love with it. From there I started subbing classes, while working on getting certified. Afterwards, I wound up teaching at several locations and had a long career in the fitness industry. There is something about hearing a person’s back story that makes their life shine brighter in my mind. I never thought I needed to know the back story to the movie character Furiosa, but I was fascinated with it in this prequel to the film franchise. HAVING BEEN ABDUCTED FROM HER HOMELAND by a powerful warlord, a young girl learns how to take care of herself so that one day she can keep her promise of returning home. Her journey would be a perilous one. With Anya Taylor-Joy (The New Mutants, The Menu) as Furiosa, Chris Hemsworth (Extraction franchise, Men in Black: International) as Dementus, Tom Burke (The Souvenir, The Wonder) as Praetorian Jack, Alyla Browne (Three Thousand Years of Longing, The Secret Kingdom) as Young Furiosa and Lachy Hulme (Killer Elite, The Matrix Revolutions) as Immortan Joe; this action, science fiction adventure was all about the fight and chase scenes, and I will have to say they were spectacular. The intensity, the movements and the creativity blended to create some amazing scenes. On top of that, Anya was riveting in her role. Without much dialog, it was easy to understand what she felt and her reactions. I, however, thought the script was too long and did not have the fire that the previous movie had on display. For the most part, this picture was one action scene after another with a small amount of groundwork to set up the scenes. If a viewer does not care about the life of Furiosa, they might not have a strong interest in this movie, especially if not interested in seeing violence and blood.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Idea of You
“AGE IS JUST A NUMBER” HAS been my motto as long as I have been able to understand what it means to me. When I was a small kid, I played with older and younger kids in the neighborhood. None of us questioned anyone’s age; all that mattered was if you had an enjoyable time playing together. With my schooling, from elementary through college, I always befriended students who were not of my year. In college, when I was a first-year student, I became good friends with a graduate student. In fact, I mentioned him in an earlier review about the college friend who taught me how to play ping pong. We were friends all through my college years and after. It is more important to me to have a faithful friend who is trustworthy, loyal, and supportive than someone who is not but the same age. Some years ago, I had a good friend that asked me to be the best man at his wedding; he felt that close to me. All was good since we had been friends for almost ten years. A year after the wedding the whole wedding party met up at the same place the wedding took place. The only difference was I and one other member of the bridal party brought the people we were dating at the time. My friend took an immediate dislike to my partner because they were fourteen years younger than me. He never came out and said it that way but made rude comments about them being immature to understand what was going on. I was so offended, especially when I asked them to explain their behavior and they simply said they did not like who I was dating. Our friendship ended on that trip. THOUGH THAT RELATIONSHIP DID NOT LAST past five years, age was never an issue between us. Our tastes and interests were similar, we loved each other and always had a fun time when we were together; age was only an issue for those around us. I just remembered something else about that relationship. We were at a family function and a relative made the comment “act your age.” We looked at each other and wondered if she was referring to us, but my relative was saying that regarding a different issue. However, that saying has always annoyed me because I never understood what it meant for someone to act their age. Is a seventy-five-year-old riding a roller coaster acting their age? Is a fourteen-year-old going to college acting their age? I find that saying has no relevance to anything anyone chooses to do. Plus, I would like to know how someone doing something that a person feels is not age appropriate, affects that opinionated person. In my dating history, I dated people who were 19 years younger than me and twenty years older. I never saw it as being odd and that is why I had no issue watching this dramatic, comedy romance. FROM A CHANCE ENCOUNTER, A FORTY-year-old single mother begins a romance with the lead singer of a band, who is twenty-four years old. Not only would the press have a field day with the age difference, the pressures of being in the spotlight would have an affect on the mother, daughter, and everyone else around them. With Anne Hathaway (The Witches, Locked Down) as Solene, Nicolas Galitzine (Purple Hearts; Red, White & Royal Blue) as Hayes, Ella Rubin (The Rewrite, The Sweet East) as Izzy, Annie Mumolo (Bad Moms, Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar) as Tracy and Reid Scott (Veep-TV, Wildflower) as Daniel; this film had its moments. I thought the acting was good and appreciated how the writers put a spotlight on the age differences. With a steady hand of directing, I only wished the script would have dug down deeper into feelings and emotions. It would have helped with the chemistry between the two main stars and added more punch to the story. Though I thought the way the writers wrote the characters of the ex-husband, and his girlfriend were typical, I liked how it showed the prejudices between males and females with younger partners. Overall, I enjoyed this film because of the acting and more so for the topic.
2 ¾ stars
Flash Movie Review: The Iron Claw
IF I HAD BEEN THE REFEREE and had seen the parent yelling at his son after the game, I would have banned him from all future games. I have been to enough sports games to watch the children of friends and family, and there is always at least one parent who is the aggressive one close to the action. This one father was yelling at his kid throughout the game but did throw out a couple of barbs at the umpires. For me, it simply makes the experience of watching the game uncomfortable. I do not know about you, but I do not want to hear parents reprimanding their children during a game. Even after the game, what could their child have done that warranted such ugly behavior. It is only a game and if the kid is trying their best then that is all that matters, at least to me. It is not like there are scouts in the audience or television deals waiting to bestow riches upon the young child. The dad was tugging at the boy’s jersey while telling him what he did wrong; I found it disgusting. I mean really, talk about an embarrassing moment in one’s life. That father should be ashamed of himself. As you would imagine, it looked like tears were rolling down the boy’s face. I USED TO WORK WITH A woman who pushed her daughter into theater, because it was something she started to do when she was young but could not sustain it. It always made me wonder if there are many parents who try to live their lives through their children. Was that father yelling at his child during and after the game, wanting his son to be just like him; or even better? The person I worked with was constantly driving her daughter to various auditions, photo shoots, and a multitude of stores to find unique items for her to wear so she would stand out. I can still remember the day she told me her daughter decided she did not want to act anymore; this woman was despondent. She walked around the office with such a sad face and as if she had nothing left to live for (my own observation). There was a time afterward where her daughter was in the neighborhood and wanted to take her mother out to lunch. I was hoping in a way that there would have been a moment I could ask the daughter if she had grown up wanting to be an actress, but I decided it was not my place to ask her. I am afraid I do not understand this desire or need for parents to live out their dreams/fantasies through their children. And this dramatic sports biography certainly proves my point. HAVING A SET OF SONS WAS all former wrestler Fritz Von Erich, played by Holt McCallany (Fight Club, Nightmare Alley), needed to finally reach his wish of building a legacy. His desires, unbeknownst to him, also set up a separate more emotional legacy. With Zac Efron (Ricky Stanicky, The Greatest Showman) as Kevin Von Erich, Jeremy Allen White (Fingernails, The Bear-TV) as Kerry Von Erich, Harris Dickinson (Beach Rats, Where the Crawdads Sing) as David Von Erich and Maura Tierney (Beautiful Boy, ER-TV) as Doris Von Erich; this film based on a true story was riveting to me. I had never heard about this family until I saw this movie. I thought the acting was excellent and felt this was one of Zac’s best roles. I still do not know if his body was real, or CGI enhanced; it was so bulked up. The story was an emotional one; I, at times, could not believe some of the scenes I was watching because they had that same air of uncomfortableness I was talking about earlier in this review. After seeing this picture, I am curious to find clips of the actual wrestling family that made a name for themselves in the early 1980’s.
3 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: If
I DID NOT HAVE AN IMAGINARY friend growing up, unless you count my special stuffed animals. My first was a monkey that was handed down to me from generations before. When I had him, his name was Zippy, he got a new set of red overalls, but there was nothing to be done about his missing finger. Everywhere I went I had Zippy by my side; we were inseparable. Though he was a good listener, he never solved any of my questions; however, he was such a good companion who never woke me up at night when we slept together. He also was never jealous because I had received other stuffed animals who after time wound up sleeping with Zippy and me. When I look back at this time, I guess I can say these animals were my first friends. One other thing I distinctly remember is I never introduced or let other kids play with my stuffed animals. You could say I was very possessive of them. Where I never carried them out of the house, I had a neighbor friend down the street from us who brought his imaginary friend with him whenever we were outside playing. The only time where it was challenging having his imaginary friend play with us was during a game of tag; otherwise, my friend usually kept his friend always by his side. THE STRONG CONNECTION I HAD TO my stuffed animals gave me the opportunity to explore and appreciate more the things around me. Many a time I would have Zippy with me when I saw something new and exciting outside my bedroom window or even on the television. Sharing that moment together, I believe, solidified my sense of wonder with the world. I do not know if I was braver because of him, but I do know I enjoyed sharing new experiences. That sense of wonder has stayed with me for all these past decades. Visiting the only palace on US soil and discovering it was the first place in the United States, four years ahead of the White House, to have electric lighting; or visiting a butterfly sanctuary and discovering all different types of butterflies were moments that filled me with such wonder that I still remember them to this day, many years later. I hope I never lose that sense of wonder. Because of it, I succeeded in seeing all fifty US states, where I always found something that brought me a sense of wonder and excitement/joy. Having had experience with imaginary friends when I was incredibly young, there was no way I wanted to miss this animated dramatic comedy. HAVING ALREADY LOST ONE PARENT, WITH the other needing a major medical operation, a young girl must stay with her grandmother who lives in an apartment building in the city. Early on, the young girl discovers there are other residents that only she can see. With Cailey Fleming (Peppermint, Star Wars franchise) as Bea, Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool franchise, The Adam Project) as Cal, John Krasinski (A Quiet Place franchise, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan-TV) as Dad, Fiona Shaw (Harry Potter franchise, Killing Eve-TV) as Grandmother and Liza Colon-Zayas (The Bear-TV, Naked Singularity) as Janet; the idea for the story was great, but the script needed a couple of rewrites. With beautiful animation and an all star cast of voices, I was disappointed in the blandness of the script. For the first half of the film, I was bored. It really was a shame because I thought Cailey and Ryan did a wonderful job of acting. With a good dose of imagination and its touching story, this movie could have been better. I had to wonder if it was because John was both writer and director, besides his acting role that it was too much to manage, causing for a thin story line. Maybe because I still have such a keen sense of wonder, I was expecting more from this picture. There was a brief non-verbal scene honoring the late Louis Gossett Jr at the end of the closing credits.
2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Suncoast
SOME INDIVIDUALS MAY THINK I HAVE an unusual take on death, but from where I have stood it makes sense to me. When someone suddenly dies, their death hits their loved ones harder. For example, when someone dies from a massive heart attack. When an individual suffers a prolonged process towards death, such as untreatable cancer or Alzheimer’s disease, by the time the person perishes the loved ones around them are relieved the suffering is over. I have experienced both methods of dying and despite the sudden death being such a shock, I felt it was an easier way to leave this world for the deceased. To see someone wilt or be eaten away towards their death is a painful process for all concerned. When I was younger, I remember visiting a relative who had to reside in a nursing home. Their mind was deteriorating, where they did not recognize family members or keep up with hygiene. It was sad and painful to watch how a little more of their life was being snuffed out each time I went to visit. It was during that time that I formulated my belief that there are times where it would be better if the person were dead than having to lose their quality of life and brain capacity. A relative of mine thought I was horrible for thinking such things, but after an extended period watching this individual lose everything that represented who they were, this other relative came up to me and said I was right about the option of dying. IN SCHOOL, WE WERE TAUGHT THE natural order of things meant grandparents would die before parents, who would die before children. I cannot remember what grade I was in when this was a topic for discussion. It made sense to me that the oldest individuals would die before the younger ones. I can see it for myself; when someone dies at the age of ninety-five or older, many people are sad but not heartbroken because that person lived a long, full life. When things go out of order and a parent loses a child, they are stricken with such a deep pain that can nearly incapacitate them. I have seen this for myself on more than one occasion. At a cemetery, I saw a couple whose 2-year-old child had died. The parents came to the cemetery every weekend to swap out the old flowers for new ones and sit down and have a picnic lunch with their deceased child. It was hard for me to see them suffer so. I also understand death is a topic that some people find hard to talk about. The same goes for seeing it on film; though I have to say, I thought the writers did an admirable job in this drama that was inspired by a true story. THE TIME HAD COME TO PLACE her brother in a specific healthcare facility. It happened to be the same place where a protest was taking place regarding one of the patients. With Nico Parker (Dumbo, Reminiscence) as Doris, Laura Linney (The Savages, The Miracle Club) as Kristine, Woody Harrelson (Champions, Triangle of Sadness) as Paul Warden, Daniela Taylor (Grown-ish-TV, Knight Squad-TV) as Laci and Ella Anderson (The Boss, The Glass Castle) as Brittany; I found this film to be a touching and moving experience. The performances from Nico, Laura and Woody were outstanding, with their emotions on full display. Overall, I appreciated what the script was doing, but I did feel a sense of disconnect with the characters because there was not much back story to them. The scenes with Doris and her new friends had a lesser impact on me, despite Nico’s performance standing out in them. The subject matter is a tough one to capture, but I felt the writers came close to what it feels like to experience such a situation. Because no one can escape death, it is up to us to enjoy every day of living.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Monkey Man
THERE IS NOTHING WRONG ABOUT PRETENDING to be someone else to help you overcome a situation you have found yourself in. I have done this in my past, more during my school years. My results were mixed; I succeeded sometimes but then others, it did not do me any good. Also, some of my pretending was based more on a fantasy level, which rarely offered any help. I remember one of my earliest memories of being in a situation where I felt threatened and pretending to be Superman. It was not about his strength I wanted the most, it was the ability to fly away. In the end neither one helped me, and I wound up running away as fast as possible. After I knew I was safe, I still wanted to have the ability to fly, so I could fly over the bully and drop a rock on his head. There were other times during those formative years where I pretended, I was a renowned artist, designing the best dioramas for my school projects. Because I had a relative who was a sales representative for an art supply company, I had the latest assortment of wild colors to use to highlight my art assignments; so, pretending to be an artist was easy. PAST THE SCHOOL YEARS, THERE HAVE been times where I pretended or saw myself being something I was not. After going with a friend to an aerobics class, I fell in love with the idea of working out to music. I used to pretend I was both a choreographer and dancer; playing over and over in my mind the moves I would incorporate in my future classes. I would stay in my room, working and producing different combinations of moves to see how my body felt from doing them, all the time listening to the music to make sure it was perfect to inspire participants to want to move in class. Once I had my music and moves picked out, the next thing I envisioned myself to be was one of those instructors that could be seen on television or at fitness conventions. When I first started teaching, I always had a case of nerves and kept thinking in my mind that I was a failure and a phony. I always walked into the class with this fear that someone would call me out as a fraud. By pretending I was a popular fitness spokesperson, I was able to walk to the front of the class and take the members on a musical journey of exercising their body and heart. This is one of the reasons I understood what the main character was trying to do in this action thriller. AFTER YEARS OF CARRYING RAGE OVER his mother’s death, a young man turns himself into someone who can seek vengeance on those that deserve it. With Dev Patel (The Green Knight, The Wedding Guest) as Kid, Sharlto Copley (District 9, Hardcore Henry) as Tiger, Pitobash (Million Dollar Arm, yesterday’s Past) as Alphonso, Sikandar Kher (Milan Talkies; Monica, O My Darling) as Rana and Sobhita Dhulipala (Major, Made in Heaven-TV) as Sita; this film is filled with blood and violence. Overall, it falls into the middle of the seeking revenge genre; however, with Dev who is also credited with the writing and directing of this film’s story, I was impressed with his debut. I thought the connection to his country’s lore made for an interesting interpretation. The action and fight scenes were nearly as good as other over the top sequences one would see in films like the John Wick franchise. I did, however, think the story started out slow and for most of the movie, I did not feel totally connected to any of the characters except for Dev’s role. Also, the flashback sequences that were used to tell the story felt disruptive to me, at times. Despite these things, this picture is entertaining and hope Dev thinks about making this character wish for something more.
3 stars
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