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
Flash Movie Review: Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
WHAT HE WAS TELLING US WAS something I had lived through as well. A friend was working at a place that treated everyone like one big family. The company was private, not affiliated with a large corporation. They were profitable, successful, and gave back to the community. He told us how the owners were hands on, meaning they were always stopping by to check on the store and employees. They wanted to make sure employees were comfortable with what they were doing and encouraged them to learn more about the business. There was a reason for this; they preferred to hire and promote from within. The friend had worked there for two years, and besides learning about the retail side of the business, he also was trained for the wholesale side. This meant he already had more opportunities available to him and he said he was not done. He already was established with several customers, who only wanted to deal with him whenever they came into the store. It is funny to me; when you hear someone praising their job, you remember it along with the details. I was happy for him and glad he found a niche in the employment world that suited him. IT WAS AROUND SIX OR EIGHT months later we happened to all get together again. This friend had a completely different story to tell this time about his job. The owners of the company had sold the business to a competitor. This new company’s focus was on profitability, so it was not long before changes started to take place. Our friend was unhappy with the changes. For example, they initiated a no absent work policy. If an employee had PTO, they could take a day off. However, if they did not and an employee, let us say, was out sick, they could only be out a total of three days a year, otherwise they would be terminated. He only had one day available to be out of the office for the next six months, which meant he sometimes would be sick at work. There were other changes, none that benefited any of the employees. I expressed my sympathy because I could relate to his situation. I worked at a place where things were going great and then someone new took over and made life at work unbearable. I have no issue with a company focusing on making profits; but in my experience, each time it happens there is always someone involved who becomes greedy and only thinks of themselves. I have seen this in companies, in politics, organizations and now I can see it in this action, science fiction adventure. THE APE WORLD EVOLVED INTO SOMETHING different from its past. A young ape, in search of his family, discovers what he was told may not have been entirely true. With Owen Teague (It franchise, You Hurt my Feelings) as Noa, Freya Allan (Gunpowder Milkshake, Baghead) as Mae, Kevin Durand (Abigail, I Am Number Four) as Proximus Caesar, Peter Macon (Shelter in Solitude, The Orville-TV) as Raka and Eka Darville (The Sapphires, Jessica Jones-TV) as Sylva; this latest installment in the long running franchise had wonderful cinematography and special effects. I enjoyed the actors’ work to become apes, but I did not care for Freya’s performance. It felt hollow to me; granted, it did not help that the first half of the film dragged to the point where I was hoping things would move along. Gratefully, they did in the last half. The action scenes were intense and there were a few standout moments that made up for the slow pace in the beginning of the movie. I believe this story will lay the groundwork for more films to come. My only hope is that it is a collaborative effort instead of one person controlling every aspect of the production.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Spaceman
I HAD A RELATIONSHIP WHERE THE two of us did not know how to communicate with one another. The weird thing for me was that I thought I was doing it, but it was not being received. For their part, they did not know how to express their feelings. I thought things were going along fine, but then one day, something happened where we disagreed about something, and they blew up with anger. Anger that was not appropriate to the small disagreement we were just talking about. I remember asking them why they were so angry and that evidently opened the gates because they started bringing up events from the past that did not even register as if we had a problem. I was so confused and asked why, if they were upset at the time, they did not tell me. I asked them how I would know otherwise, and they said I should have been able to tell. For me, this line is a copout; I am not a mind reader and if the person especially does not wear their heart on their sleeve, there were no physical changes that I would have questioned. We tried to patch things up and move on with our lives together but there were too many emotions involved that were stuck inside of each of us. EVER SINCE THAT RELATIONSHIP, I MADE a point to always express my feelings to my partner. It would not suit us well if we could not express our feelings at the time we were feeling them. Another reason is because I do not like having a discussion where the person mentions stuff from the past that has no bearing on what we are confronting presently. If the person feels something was not worth discussing when it happened, then why keep it stored and bring it up later; it makes no sense to me. I remember early on after that initial relationship ended, I was a few months into a new relationship and asked them how they felt about something I said. It took them by surprise but kudos to them, they did reply. We wound up having a discussion that dug below the surface we had temporarily settled on, giving us the opportunity to not only be vulnerable with each other but also to form a deeper connection. Because of that, we soon became a couple and spent the next few years enjoying our life together. If I had the opportunity, I would have offered my advice, for what it is worth, about communication to the main character in this science fiction, adventure drama. ON A MISSION TO THE OUTER edges of our solar system, an astronaut discovers several months into his voyage, he is not alone on his ship. With Adam Sandler (Uncut Gems, You Are so Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah) as Jakub Prochazka, Carey Mulligan (Maestro, The Dig) as Lenka, Paul Dano (Dumb Money, The Fabelmans) voicing Hanus, Kunal Nayyar (Think Like a Dog, The Big Bang Theory-TV) as Peter and Isabella Rossellini (Death Becomes Her, Enemy) as Commissioner Tuma; I enjoyed watching Adam in this role because I prefer his dramatic work over comedic ones on film. Pair him up with Carey and what could go wrong? The answer would be the script. I thought the idea was interesting, though I was confused at first by what Adam’s character discovered on his ship. It seemed an odd choice to pick for the character. But as the dialog kept going, I soon understood what was taking place. With good visuals and a curious story, I wished the script would have had some more stimulating portions to it. It felt like the film was dragging on and at times, it also felt repetitive. I was fluctuating between feeling sorry for Adam’s character and irritated that he was not taking care of his matters. The best way I can express myself after watching this movie is to say it was just okay.
2 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Unfrosted
I DO NOT REMEMBER WHAT AGE I became where I no longer found kids’ jokes funny. There was the constant “knock, knock” jokes, along with jokes like “Why did the chocolate chip cookie go to see the doctor?” He felt crummy. Or “What’s a pirate’s favorite class to take in school?” Arrrrrt. At some point, I had heard them so much they were no longer funny to me. Even today, I have a couple of friends who constantly tell the same type of jokes multiple times. At some point I can no longer pretend they are funny; the jokes lose their surprise element. Changing a word here and there does not change the joke. I feel the same way about food companies that introduce different variations of their best-selling items. A sandwich filled cookie where the filling changes and gets weirder does not appeal to me. I am here to say, I am not on the pumpkin spice bandwagon. When I walk through the aisles of the grocery store and see so many products with this flavor, I cannot make sense of it. Why would I want my pasta, butter, or salmon to taste like pumpkin spice? NOW THERE IS ONE FOOD ITEM I do not care what they do to it because I was never a fan of it. I was never attracted to food items that had fruit filled centers. When Pop Tarts were introduced, I was curious about them but did not want to eat one. The only time I tried them was when I was at a friend’s house. If their mother offered me one, I did not want to be rude by saying no, so would take one and try to eat it. Many times, I would eat around the edges because there was so little fruit filling there. It would be times like that where I wished my friend’s mom would have chocolate chip cookies, which were my favorite. I believe the other reason I was not a fan of Pop Tarts was because they could be toasted. In my mind, if something is going into the toaster then it is meant to be eaten for breakfast or it is bread. I could not tell if this fruit filled item was a dessert or snack item. Now that you know I get tired of the same jokes told repeatedly and am not a fan of Pop Tarts, what do you think I thought about this biographical comedy? LOCKED IN A BITTER RIVALRY FOR store shelves, it was a race to see which food company could come out with a completely new food item that would change everyone’s minds about breakfast and dessert. With Jerry Seinfeld (Seinfeld-TV, Curb Your Enthusiasm-TV) as Bob Cabana, Jim Gaffigan (Collide, Peter Pan & Wendy) as Edsel Kellogg III, Hugh Grant (Wonka, Love Actually) as Thurl Ravenscroft, Amy Schumer (I Feel Pretty, The Humans) as Marjorie Post and Melissa McCarthy (Genie, The Little Mermaid) as Donna Stankowski; I honestly thought with this cast, along with the variety of celebrity cameo roles, there would be no way this film, written and directed by Jerry Seinfeld, would not be funny. I was completely wrong. Not only was it not funny, but it was lame. I do not know if I can honestly say if there was any acting taking place. The script was so boring and ridiculous that I only kept watching because I thought it would have to get better at some point. Instead of appearing like a movie, this felt like a series of comedy bits that kept falling flat. The only time where I showed interest in humor was one exchange between Melissa and Hugh; that was it. I would have enjoyed seeing how Pop Tarts came into existence, but I believe there was only a speck of truth the script was based on, and the rest was slapstick nonsense. For viewers who grew up during that time, the retro references could be fun, but so many of the shown ones were attached to some nonsensical scene that instead it could become irritating. There was nothing fun or entertaining about this picture. Even if I loved Pop Tarts, I still would not have subjected myself to watching this if I had known what the script was going to be. This film had no shelf life and was stale from the start.
1 star
Flash Movie Review: Next Goal Wins
NO ONE I KNEW HAD A ping-pong table in their home when I was growing up. I had a couple of friends who had pool tables and one had a mini-roller coaster in their backyard, but that was it. The only opportunity I ever had was when we would take a driving trip, during my summer vacation, and the hotel happened to have a game room with a table set up. My feeble attempts at playing did not go unnoticed by me, but I was always willing to play. Though I did not play the game well, I still enjoyed it because it reminded me of a miniature tennis court. This was another game I rarely participated in because I did not have a tennis racket and with a borrowed one, I still was not good at playing it. Most of the time I was either running after balls I missed hitting; or, retrieving them after I had hit the ball into the tennis net. After a while I would get so exhausted from the running around that I had to stop playing. That is why I was curious about ping-pong; they were always set up indoors, in a room; and there was hardly any running around involved. Most of the time I could just stand in the middle, on my side of the table and try to hit the ball back. IT WAS NOT UNTIL I WENT away to college that I had the opportunity to play ping-pong consistently. The student union hall on campus was the place to go to socialize with fellow students. There was a restaurant, television room, quiet space, and other various activities available for the student population. I lived in a studio off campus where each floor of the building had a communal kitchen. Across the hallway from me was a graduate student. I would meet him in the kitchen periodically because we had similar class schedules. He helped me with navigating through first-year requirements and I would share some of my food with him. The union hall was showing a movie over the weekend, and I asked if he wanted to go. He did and as we were walking past the game room, he asked if I played ping-pong. I explained my history and he offered to teach me. From that day we would be at the union at least three times a week playing the game. For eighteen months, I lost every single game. I still enjoyed myself despite the losing results; I was determined though to win at least one game and when it finally happened, that was the last time he played ping-pong with me. Having such determination was what I found myself attracted to in this comedic, sports drama. MAKING THE HISTORY BOOKS FOR THE worst defeat in World Cup history, the American Samoa soccer team recruited a down on his luck coach, who had disciplinary issues in his past. Also, no one else wanted to take the job of coaching a team that had lost 31-0. With Michael Fassbender (The Killer, Song to Song) as Thomas Rongen, Oscar Kightley (Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Samoan Wedding) as Tavita, newcomer Kaimana as Jaiyah, David Fane (The Tattooist, Eagle vs. Shark) as Ace and Rachel Howe (Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire) as Ruth; this film inspired by true events had potential, but did not have the right mix in the script to connect with me. I did not care for the acting and cringed at some of the dialog. Also, I did not find much to laugh or chuckle about in the story. If the writers would have taken a more serious stand, I might have enjoyed watching this picture more, because the idea for the story was solid. Instead, what came across was a silly, slapstick mixed bag of emotions and feelings, with truly little for me to care about or want to invest in. There was an extra scene at the end of the closing credits.
1 ¾ stars
Flash Movie Review: Shirley
I WAS AWARE SHE WAS THE only girl in the class, but I thought nothing else about it. However, the boys in the class had a problem with it. I was signed up for day camp because I refused to go to an “away” camp during my elementary school’s summer vacation. There was a list of different activities I could sign up for that would then be spread across the weeks I was attending. The camp was at our community center; I could either ride my bicycle on good days or get a ride from a group of neighborhood parents that volunteered for carpooling duty. Some of the activities I attended, like swimming, only had boys in the class; others, like archery, had both boys and girls. I never thought anything about it. Any swimming lessons I attended always had boys participating, and campfire skills class always had a mix of boys and girls. This woodworking class was different because there was only one girl in it. Either the classes were filled with one gender or a mix; there never was only one or two in class that were of the opposite gender. I wondered if woodworking was supposed to be a boy’s activity. The boys in the class did not interact with her or help her out like they did with each other. I was stationed too far away, so had little contact with her myself; but I felt sad for her. LATER IN LIFE WHEN I STARTED working in the fitness industry, I discovered men were a minority. At one private club, they did not even have a locker for me to change outfits; I had to do it in the bathroom. I cannot honestly say if I experienced any prejudices because I was a man. If a female member did not want to be taught by a man, she simply would not come to class. After I went back to school for yoga, I was the only male instructor, sometimes the only instructor who was teaching yoga classes in the fitness centers where I worked. I did feel not only a sense of responsibility but a pressure because I was laying down the foundation for what members would be expecting out of a yoga class. It was an exciting and thrilling time for me as I saw how yoga was affecting the participants. Though the classes started out with females being the majority, as word spread, I started seeing more and more men trying it out. I do not want to say I was a trailblazer, but I can honestly say I changed many people’s perceptions of yoga. There is something about being the first and seeing how one’s actions can change the minds of many people, just like the main character did in this biographical historical drama. SHE WAS ALREADY THE FIRST BLACK woman to be elected to congress; and with her record and the things she had seen, why couldn’t she run for the 1972 Democratic presidential nomination? With Regina King (The Harder They Fall, Flag Day) as Shirley Chisholm, Lance Reddick (John Wick franchise, White House Down) as Wesley McDonald, Terrance Howard (Cardboard Boxer, Hustle & Flow) as Arthur Hardwick Jr., Lucas Hedges (Manchester by the Sea, Boy Erased) as Robert Gottlieb and Michael Cherrie (She Paradise, Limbo) as Conrad Chisholm; Regina King gave it her all in creating a powerful character based on a true person. Soon into this film, I lost track of Regina and thought I was following Shirley. I understood the story focused on her presidential run, but I never really got a sense of the characters and what their relationships were to each other. A better script could have helped because several scenes felt like short video clips of Shirley’s life, instead of digging deeper into what was taking place inside of her and the people around. Because the story is so remarkable, I maintained interest all through the picture. In a case like this, I would enjoy seeing a prequel and sequel to what I had just seen.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Drive-Away Dolls
I WANTED TO KILL MY FRIEND. It was bad enough he enjoyed pushing my boundaries, but this time he went too far. He was outgoing and I was more of an introvert. There were times we would get together to hang out and in the middle of a conversation he would tell me he signed both of us up for an event. Sure, I could have said no; but most of the events were affiliated with some type of charitable organization and I did not want look like this uncaring, self-centered guy. I say this because my friend would mostly tell me about these things with other friends around. For one occasion, he put my name down to be a raffle ticket seller at this gala event that was being held in one of the old, grand downtown hotel’s ballrooms. The idea I would have to circulate through the entire ballroom, go up to strangers, and ask them to buy raffle tickets for the silent auction frightened me. I had experiences like this with my very first job, when I was thirteen years old, which was going door to door selling household goods that my friends and I were told were assembled by visually impaired people. At that age we believed the person who hired us; however, a few years later when we were no longer working for them, we found out on the news the whole thing was a fraud. The man who hired us was jailed. THE EVENT MY FRIEND SIGNED ME UP for was an auction, where I would be one of twelve men being auctioned off for charity. The charity that was having this auction bought small multi-family residences throughout the city to house those too ill to take care of themselves. It was a highly regarded organization which made my decision tougher. I did not talk to him for the rest of the day after I heard the news. The next day, I called the organization to see exactly what would be required of me. For the next three months, I would need to be available to go to several spots within the city for meet and greets, where potential bidders could get to know me and the rest of the “bachelors.” I would also need to have a couple of outfit changes during the auction. The scary part for me was the meet and greets instead of the actual auction, though I would be upset if I could not at least reach the opening bid. It turned out my fears and anticipation were worse than the actual events; I had an enjoyable time after I got over the first couple of meet and greets. Deep down I knew my friend meant well and was just trying to get me out of my shell. And this is why I understood what the friend was trying to do in this action, comedy, thriller. WHAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A fun road trip for a couple of friends turned dangerous when, due to accidental circumstances, they got on the radar of a criminal gang that had only one thing on their mind. With Margaret Qualley (Sanctuary, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood) as Jamie, Geraldine Viswanathan (Blockers, The Beanie Bubble) as Marian, Beanie Feldstein (The Humans, Lady Bird) as Sukie, Joey Slotnick (Twister, Hollow Man) as The Goon and Coleman Domingo (The Color Purple, Rustin) as The Chief; this movie written and directed by Ethan Coen was too much of one thing for me. I found the script dull at times, where the same scenario was being repeated over and over. On the other hand, there were several humorous moments and I especially enjoyed Geraldine’s acting. Most of this picture felt like a rehash of previous films I had seen before; I was periodically bored at times. I will also add there were many scenes of a sexual nature and with harsh language. The only way one should see this movie is if a friend asks you to go with them; but it better be a good friend.
2 stars
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