Flash Movie Review: Good Grief
HAVING EXPERIENCED PRETTY MUCH EVERY VARIATION for breaking up, I always found the sudden ones the hardest. There was the beginning relationship where we had around a half dozen dates and I thought things were progressing smoothly, but suddenly I was being ghosted, no responses to any of my communications. I could not understand why the dead silence. My sadness and confusion were quickly replaced by anger because I kept wondering what type of person would do such a thing. If that is how they operate then I absolutely would not want to be with them. It has always been easier for me to deal with anger and turn the painful situation around to put all the blame on the other person. Gratefully, I grew up and learned to look inside myself. I have been in relationships where we both came to the same conclusion that we would be better as friends and that has always been a winning outcome for me. One of the hardest situations is when the ending of the relationship is due to the breaking of trust; I have had a few of those and I must tell you, they are brutal. You cannot imagine what it feels like to come home to find someone else’s clothing under your bed. One of the most important aspects of a relationship is honesty. I could handle my loved one telling me they are in love with someone else instead of cheating behind my back. THERE IS ANOTHER CHALLENGE FOR ME when a relationship ends. It is that mindset that went from a singular train of thought to a dual one then suddenly it must go back to singular. I have mentioned before what helps me transition back to being single is to break up the routines that were created in the relationship. There have been times where I spent hours watching movies and videos or focused harder on diet and exercise. Listening to what my friends have done; I think the breaking of routines may be a frequent practice. A friend of mine went on a trip after her relationship ended. Another friend went through her apartment and got rid of anything that was associated with her ex. In the majority of circumstances, I have heard about, there were few that involved a sudden ending of the relationship, like death; it had either been building up to such a point that things exploded, and it ended or one person noticed a change taking place in their relationship and communicated what they were feeling, having an adult conversation about where the two of them were in the relationship. As I said earlier, the sudden endings are the hardest ones in my opinion. An example can be found in this dramatic, romantic comedy. AFTER A TRAGIC ACCIDENT TAKES THE life of his husband, the widower embarks on an international trip with his two best friends, hoping to fill the void he was now experiencing in his life. He would wind up making discoveries that could change everything about the life he had. With Daniel Levy (Happiest Season, Schitt’s Creek-TV) as Marc, Ruth Negga (Passing, Loving) as Sophie, Himesh Patel (Yesterday, Station Eleven-TV) as Thomas, Luke Evans (Dracula Untold, Beauty and the Beast) as Oliver and Celia Imrie (Best Exotic Marigold Hotel franchise, Imagine Me & You) as Imelda; this movie had both a solid script and steady direction in the way it told its story. There were scenes that were sad and amusing, but mostly done in a gentle way instead of being a tearjerker or laughing out loud moment. It was surprising to see Ruth play such a character, because I have only seen her do serious roles in the past. The script offered depth in the characters, but I felt it could have gone farther. Overall, this was a good debut for Daniel in his writing and directing skills.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Madame Web
I BELIEVE MOST INDIVIDUALS CAN DISCERN if some upcoming thing they will experience will be pleasant or not. The easy example would be going to the dentist; but I am talking about something more in the grey area. For instance, a family function can be anything from a fist fight event to a supremely festive one. Some of our intuition is based on what facts we know about the soon to be event. I used to dread going to certain family milestone events if alcohol were being served because I knew what that would do to some of the people in attendance. They would have too much to drink and make a spectacle of themselves; as a result, upsetting multiple relatives and casting a dark pallor over the event. Another situation is going out to eat with a friend of mine. This person tends to send their food back every time we have gotten together. I can understand if the wait staff got the order wrong, but if the food is not piping hot or does not have the taste they were expecting, they will return it and do it in a way that makes their displeasure obvious. I find it uncomfortable so I have resorted to never offering a suggestion on where we should eat. Instead, I let them choose with the hopes they know the place and will accept their food the first time it is brought to the table. THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHERE I have had a feeling of déjà vu. I may meet someone and immediately feel a connection as if I had been with them a previous time. Again, it is based on my past experiences, but any plans made to get together again are met with a joyful feeling. I try not to go to something with the expectation that I am going to have a miserable or unpleasant time, though that has not been my nature in the past. Putting negative energy out into the world can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy, in my opinion. This is one of the reasons why I try to avoid any reviews or comments about a movie before I have the chance to see it for myself. I mentioned before I am not a fan of slasher movies, but I try to keep an open mind still. When I saw the advertisement for this movie, I could not figure out what it was supposed to be. It was not until I saw the preview for it prior while waiting for a different film that I realized this was an origin story in the Spiderman world. I was not sure what I was watching so I did not give it much thought. When I finally got to see this action, adventure, science fiction film, I was glad I did not pay attention. AFTER HAVING A LIFE-THREATENING EXPERIENCE on the job, a New York paramedic begins to see snippets of things that have not taken place yet in her life. One of the snippets involved protecting three strangers on a train. With Dakota Johnson (The Lost Daughter, The Hight Note) as Cassandra Webb, Sydney Sweeney (Anyone But You, Americana) as Julia Cornwall, Isabela Merced (Father of the Bride, Dora and the Lost City of Gold) as Anya Corazon, Celeste O’Connor (The In Between, Ghostbusters: Afterlife) as Mattie Franklin and Tahar Rahim (A Prophet, The Kindness of Strangers) as Ezekiel Sims; this movie was not a pleasant experience for me. I was bored through most of it. The script was basic, predictable, and filled with nonsense. Dakota was okay but she was not able to hold up the mess that was falling around her. The flashes of future scenes were annoying because there were times I did not know if I was watching the present or future. I think if I had looked at the comments and reviews for this picture, I would have walked into the theater dreading spending my time watching such a poorly done film.
1 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Past Lives
I THOUGHT IT COULD WORK OUT and we would get back to our “happy place.” We had been together for a couple of years before I discovered trust had been broken between us. I took it hard, packed up my few things and returned to my place that I was still paying rent on. After being together for a few years, our friendships had blended; so, I would still hear tidbits about them. Because our apartments were close to each other, it was not unusual for one of us to see the other driving down the street or shopping at the nearby grocery store. Where I would not make any eye contact or acknowledge their presence due to the pain I had felt, they tried to catch my attention with their sad, dark, puppy dog eyes. I was not buying it. There was a bitterly frigid winter day where I had just gotten back from the grocery store and had to park a block away from my place. Struggling with the bags I had placed in the trunk, suddenly they appeared and without hesitation took a few of the shopping bags to help me. I started to protest, but they cut me off and said they knew how much I disliked the cold, and they would just put the bags in the building’s hallway then leave me alone. I do not know if this was a new tactic, but I did not resist. By the time spring arrived, they had chipped down enough of my defenses that I was civil to them and would carry on light conversations. IN THE BACK OF MY MIND, I had been remembering all the good times we had together and how I felt when I was around them. Though I had never done it before, I started fantasizing about us being together again. I did not know if I could trust them, but I felt I could at least try because we had such a good connection between us. As it turned out, we lasted as a couple for six months before I realized I was not happy because I could not trust them. I saw signs of the behavior that had taken place before and was becoming uncomfortable. At least I tried because I thought they were the one, but it was not to be the case. My concern about seeing them in the neighborhood was short lived because my new lease came with a significant increase in the rent; I decided to move out of the neighborhood. From that earlier time in my life, I knew I made the right decision because there were other love relationships where it did not work out, but we remained close to each other. I believe we encounter certain people who will form an unbreakable bond, which will go beyond the initial love to form something deeper. This Oscar nominated movie honestly portrays this aspect of love. THEY WERE TOGETHER EVERY DAY THROUGH their early school years and expected it would be the same as when they grew up. However, when Nora’s, played by Greta Lee (Sisters, The Morning Show-TV), family decides to emigrate to the United States, the bonds that connect them would be tested. With Teo Yoo (Decision to Leave, New Year Blues) as Hae Sung, John Magaro (The Big Short, Carol) as Arthur, Moon Seung-ah (Scattered Night, Voice of Silence) as Young Nora and Leem Seung-min (Good Deal) as Young Hae Sung; this film festival winning romantic drama was beautifully done. The script was honest, delicately portraying various aspects of love. I thought the acting was wonderful as was the direction. At first, I thought the sparse dialog would bore me; but as the story unfolded the performances became magical, filled with emotion and feelings. I was impressed with the script; it was so well done. In fact, I could feel the love coming out of this story. There were scenes where Korean was spoken with English subtitles.
3 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: The Boys in the Boat
IT WAS MY FIRST FITNESS TEACHING job and I had only been working at the health club for a few months. They were going to hold a charity event by doing a four-hour aerobics marathon. It was expected that all the fitness instructors would both teach a portion of the time and remain to support each other’s time segment. I was highly anxious about participating in the marathon because I had no idea if I could hold up moving for such a lengthy period of time. Plus, I had no idea how much it would tax my body’s limits. I had seen marathon runners lose control over their body functions or nearly pass out and I certainly did not want to be that person. At the club, I started out teaching three classes a week which were Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The classes lasted one hour each, but there were my introductory remarks, demonstrating and lastly the last five minutes after the cooldown, were meant for everyone to put any of their equipment away and get out of the aerobic studio before the next class was to start on the hour. After one hour of teaching, I had worked up a good sweat and could feel my muscles tingling. But after four hours, I had no idea what to expect. THE MARATHON WAS STARTING AT EIGHT in the morning and the instructors had to be there an hour earlier for sound checks, set up and go over the order we would be teaching. Being the newest member of the group, I had to wait until everyone else had picked their time slots; we started with the longest employed and worked our way down to me. I was grateful that the time slot left for me was for sixth place; in other words, I would be teaching at the 90-minute mark. Better than the 180- or 195-minute mark, I felt. I did not have to go full out with the moves like I did in my own class, but I had to make sure I still had good form and look like I was exerting myself. At the top of the hour, we began the marathon. The first instructor welcomed everyone and started up the music. Everyone was in a good mood and excited for the event. Though I was nervous about my segment of teaching, I was surprised how good of a time I was having as a participant. All the instructors were close to each other and were feeding off each other’s enthusiasm. By the time it was my turn, I was buzzing inside and simply ran up to the front, cued in my music and off I went leading the group. The time flew by for me as it did for the rest of the morning and by the end exhaustion had settled into me. However, all the instructors came together and congratulated each other on pulling off a major event. From that experience, I felt I knew what the teammates were feeling in this dramatic, sports biography. STUDENTS FROM A SMALL UNIVERSITY HAD limited resources to excel in a sport that was dominated by well endowed universities from across the country. To succeed, these students would need something else if they wanted not only to compete but win. With Joel Edgerton (Thirteen Lives, The Green Knight) as Coach Al Ulbrickson, Callum Turner (Fantastic Beasts franchise, Green Room) as Joe Rantz, Peter Guinness (The Last Boy, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan) as George Pocock, Sam Strike (Leatherface, Monster Party) as Roger Morris and Thomas Elms (I Still See You, The Order-TV) as Chuck Day; this George Clooney directed movie based on a true story was a feel good film. Set in the 1930s, this film festival winner had the trappings for a good old-fashioned feel-good picture. The sets and costumes were wonderful, and the cast did a solid job with their acting. The story was predictable and despite the no frills direction, I wished more time were devoted to fleshing out more substance for each character. Despite these misgivings, I still cheered on these students as they made their way on what was to become an historical trip. An historical trip that was never mentioned throughout any of my schooling, I might add.
2 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Self Reliance
I WAS CHANNEL SURFING WHEN SOMETHING caught my eye that made me stop at a channel. I could not understand what was taking place; I was dumbfounded. There were two people completely unclothed scavenging for food on either some exotic island or jungle setting. There were palm trees and thick foliage that rose above the couple as they looked about for something edible. At certain angles where their genitals could be visible, the censors had blurred them out, but just barely. It took me a bit of time to realize I was watching a reality show. A reality show!? I could not imagine who would want to be placed in a setting with no food or water, stripped of all their clothing and left to fend for themselves. And it was not just for a day and night, it was for a couple of weeks. As the program progressed there were a couple of shots of wild animals that were lurking by; but were they really lurking by I wondered. Obviously with the production company spending a bunch of money on the show, I am sure they would not want their contestants killed off in the first episode, or for that fact any episode I am guessing. Though if it would give a boost to ratings, who knows? I HOPE I DO NOT SOUND judgmental, but certain reality shows make no sense to me. Watching people make fools of themselves for a free trip or cash prize is not my thing. I remember at a health club where I was working out, they had one of their TV monitors on a channel that showed an obstacle course that was designed to knock the contestant off balance. This had nothing to do with strength or balance; the obstacles were more cartoonish like a huge foam hammer that would pound the track the contestants had to walk on. Or there was a waterfall of some green slime that one had to run through despite the road being slippery from the gooeyness. The shows I tend to watch are more talent based like singing or dancing. Even shows that test mental capabilities, like searching for clues in a foreign city or figuring out a recipe to bake with only random food items the producers gave them, are types of reality shows I can watch. I could never see myself participating in any type of reality show, no matter how much money I was offered. And I especially would not participate in the show being done that the main character agreed to do in this comedy thriller. THE CHANCE OF WINNING ONE MILLION dollars was enough for Tommy, played by Jake Johnson (Safety Not Guaranteed, New Girl-TV), to agree to a dark web reality show and because he believed he had found a loophole that would keep him alive. With Andy Samberg (Palm Springs, Brooklyn Nine-Nine) as Andy Samberg, Bjorn Johnson (The Passing Parade, Parallel Chords) as Magnus, John Hans Tester (Royal Pains-TV, The Man in the High Castle-TV) as Anders and Anna Kendrick (Woman of the Hour, Pitch Perfect franchise) as Maddy; this movie had an interesting mix of humor, satire and drama. Since Jake wrote and directed this picture, I expected his comedic timing to be on target and it certainly was perfect. I thought he and Anna had a good screen presence together. As the story moved to the last half, things started to break down for me. I do not know if I was simply getting bored or missing the point of the plot, but I felt myself becoming disengaged. It might have to do with some scenes feeling repetitive to me or it could be the fact that things became predictable. Either way, I was left with only an okay feeling after viewing this movie. It was not great nor was it horrible and that is my reality.
2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
THERE WERE SO MANY ADVERTISMENTS AND hype about the exhibit that was coming to our city, that I fell into its marketing push. I was interested in seeing the recently discovered artifacts, since they were part of our folklore for over a century. The television commercials showed glistening gold random objects, such as a plate charger, faucet handle and tie pin. I was fascinated with the print ads because they showed the event in numerous ways. Some had schematic drawings along with the print; others had old photographs and others had meticulously made sketches. The other thing that got me was the tagline, “Not seen for over 100 years.” I could easily get swept up into the idea that I would be part of a group that were the first people to see such items that were lost for so many years. I rounded up a couple of friends to join me in this pursuit, who I thought would appreciate the significance of being a part of this traveling exhibition. The ticketing process was not too painful, and I was able to purchase four tickets for a reasonable time slot. My friends and I agreed to meet in the lobby of the museum, where I would hand out the tickets, then we could go through the security line to see the exhibit. ON THE DAY WE WERE TO meet, I arrived early at the museum. I was surprised to see such a lengthy line for same day ticket purchases and wondered how big the exhibition was to accommodate so many people. At our designated time all the friends were accounted for, and we went through security, gratefully without any hassle. The exhibit was on the second floor, spread out through three galleries. Hanging on the barrier walls to help with the flow of traffic, there were reproductions of the old posters that would have been used to advertise the company back a century ago. As we walked through, there were freestanding glass cases placed throughout that had the artifacts. I walked up to the first display and enclosed I saw a rusty pen, a broken dinner plate, and a tarnished fork. None of these items were shown in any of the advertisements. On to the second case and there I saw a tarnished flask, a piece of glass with an emblem etched on it, and what I assumed was an envelope opener. Again, nothing special or spectacular. The four of us made our way to a dark room where there would be a visual presentation; it was a film clip from a famous movie showing the disaster where these items were lost. Throughout the exhibit, there were a couple of highlights that made the trip worthwhile; but overall, the entire experience was a bust; which is how I felt about this action, adventure fantasy. WHEN A VENGEFUL BEING BEGINS A campaign of destroying everything Arther, played by Jason Momoa (Dune, Slumberland) holds dear, there is no choice for Arthur but to reach out to the last person he wanted to contact for help. With Patrick Wilson (The Nun franchise, The Phantom of the Opera) as Ora, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Ambulance, The Trial of the Chicago 7) as Black Manta, Amber Heard (The Rum Diary, 3 Days to Kill) as Mera and Nicole Kidman (Being the Ricardos, The Goldfinch) as Atlanna; this sequel left much to be desired. On the plus side, Jason and Patrick did their best with what was handed to them. The script was basic, following a set pattern for a superhero movie. There was little drama or character development as the story unfolded. The special effects were decent, and the battle scenes were imaginative and hectic. However, I was bored through most of the film; even, the humor was basic and only worthy of one or two chuckles. Based on this picture, I felt this film franchise should consider hanging it up because it had the trappings of being all washed up.
1 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: The Greatest Night in Pop
THE FIRST SONG I HEARD, WHERE two separate musical artists dueted together, was “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me” by Diana Ross and the Supremes and The Temptations. It was on a vinyl record that was in our house. Already being a lover of music at an early age, I was curious about how the two musical groups came together to record it. Except for formed groups like the Rolling Stones or Sonny and Cher, I had never heard of such a thing. I was familiar with Billboard’s list of top records, so I already had the mindset that each artist was trying to beat the others to get to number one with their song. At least my childish mind thought it was this way. Having two completely different acts agreeing to share a song seemed peculiar to me. I had many questions about it such as “were they being forced to do it?” or “were they or members of the group dating each other?”. Back then it did not occur to me that having two popular groups join for a song would yield a monetary windfall for them and the music studios. I was even more surprised when I looked up to see the two groups performing together on some kind of television variety show; they all looked thrilled to be performing together. I wondered if it was just an act, and they really did not like each other because they were each competitive. AS I GREW UP OTHER DUETS began to appear on the radio and in music videos. Dionne Warwick and The Spinners sang “Then Came You” followed by Elton John and Kiki Dee singing “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart.” I loved hearing the mix of two distinctive voices and enjoyed the songs they chose to sing. Then something completely different took place in the year 1984, I believe. A group made of various British and Irish musicians came together to create a record that would have the proceeds going to charity to fight famine in Ethiopia. To have a recording made to help a cause was a novel idea to me back then. In the states, actor and activist Harry Belafonte saw a BBC report about the famine. He thought about putting on a charity concert; however, the people he spoke to thought a record like the one they had heard out of England would have bigger implications. It was a monumental undertaking that had so many moving factions that it truly was a miracle that it all came together one night. THERE WAS ONLY ONE NIGHT THAT would work to have musical artists come into a recording studio to make a record for charity. The clock was ticking, and the personalities were boundless. Would the artists agree to the demands and be willing to commit to this unique project? Directed by Bao Nguyen (Be Water, Live From New York!), this musical documentary was a wonderful mix of archival footage and recent interviews of the technicians who worked on the production and musical artists such as Lionel Richie, Bruce Springsteen, Sheila E and Kenny Loggins. To see “behind the scenes” footage was wonderful and added a new dimension to the amount of work that was put in to this recording. Kudos to the director for keeping the story on pace, allowing enough time for each scene to blossom before moving on to the next one. I got a real kick out of hearing the crews’ little tidbits of things taking place back then and what they had to do to pull off such a monumental event. If one is not a lover of music, this film may not have as such an impact as it had on me. I loved every note about it.
4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Reptile
IT IS HARD ENOUGH FOR ME to make up my mind in a bakery or candy store; but if I had a child like the one, I saw at the candy shop, I think I would have gone out of my mind. But then again, I do not think I was anything like the child’s mother. The mother and child were next to be helped by the only employee present in the store. I was there to buy a box of candy to bring to a friend’s house for dinner. The friend and his wife had invited a couple of us over for dinner, telling us there was no need to bring anything. Normally, I would have brought a dessert if asked, but I felt a box of candy or nuts would be appropriate. While standing in line, I watched this child go from one display case to another and another until they looked at all six of the cases that formed a semi-circle inside the space. The mother’s number was called and as she walked to the front of the case, where the employee was standing behind, near the cash register, she turned and asked her son what candy he wanted to pick. He shouted he was not done looking. All of us in line watched as the boy kept going from case to case and back looking at all the items displayed. It was not long before I shot an irritated look at the employee when I was able to catch her eye. IF I WERE THE CHILD’S PARENT, I would have explained people are waiting and if he cannot pick one item now then we will have to leave. The mother unfortunately did not choose that option to goad her son. Instead, all she said was to pick out something he would really like. Because my jaw was already clenched, I did not let what my mind was saying slip out of my mouth. Now before you think of me as a grump, I want you to know I understand, seeing that many choices can be overwhelming. Knowing me, I would have to pick out a couple different items. Though, I learned mixing up multiple flavors diminishes the time and taste of enjoying each one separately. Many people can dole out their choices but in this type of situation I tend to go with the instant gratification trait and finish everything unless the amount is too large. Maybe that is where the phrase “too many cooks spoil the broth” came from. In the case of this crime mystery drama, I can certainly say too many options muddled the story. AFTER THE DISCOVERY OF A DEAD body in a vacant home that was up for sale, a detective seems to be on the verge of cracking the case just when another clue steers him in a new direction. Can the detective figure things out before everything unravels? With Benicio Del Toro (Inherent Vice, The French Dispatch) as Tom Nichols, Justin Timberlake (Palmer, The Social Network) as Will Grady, Eric Bogosian (Uncut Gems, Talk Radio) as Captain Robert Allen, Alicia Silverstone (Bed Therapy, Blast From the Past) as Judy Nichols and Frances Fisher (Titanic, The Roommate) as Camille Grady; this film could or should be the platform to launch Benicio and Alicia into their own franchise as the characters they played in this film. They were so good together that they saved this convoluted script from sinking further down. There were too many plot twists to the point I was getting tired trying to figure out each character. It was a shame because I felt this could have been a good mystery/detective story that could have done a better job of grabbing the viewer’s attention. The other issue was the script needed a few more tension filled thrills; the pacing was too slow which lessened the impact of various scenes. If the writers had focused on fewer story lines and with the acting from Alicia and Benicio, this would have been a particularly good movie.
2 ½ stars
moviejoltz 