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Flash Movie Review: The Lost King
TO USE THE CLICHÉ “LIFE IMITATES ART” does not apply here; it would be life imitates life. I knew a close friend of mine had been digging and investigating through his family tree, using online tools as well as government agencies and local municipalities. The past several months I have heard about the successes and roadblocks he encountered as he tried to find connections between his deceased relatives. Recently, he was having a tough time trying to confirm the location of where his great, great grandparents were buried. His grandfather had a common name that was found in two different family trees from his. He had to research multiple listings on other non-related individuals’ family trees to confirm if these people shared DNA with his family. At one point, he got so frustrated he called different government record departments to request copies of death certificates, to see if there was a clue. It was the right call because of a middle name listed, he was able to eliminate some erroneous entries. With a little more work my friend was able to establish who were his great, great grandparents; he was beyond excited and devoted a solid block of time to figuring out where the two were buried. He was certain they had to have been buried in the city where his ancestors grew up. IT TURNS OUT THE BURIAL LOCATION of his great, great grandparents was a mystery, the further he dug into it. From items he gained from the internet, he called a cemetery to verify if they were there, but there was no record. He decided to look for any siblings to these individuals and miraculously he found an entry listing his great, great grandfather’s sister. With this clue and some deep detective work, he discovered where she was buried. I remember him talking to me about the chances had to be good if the sister was buried at this one cemetery, then maybe her brother as well. Going with that thought he called the cemetery. According to them they had the name of his great, great grandfather but a different spelling. My friend had seen that spelling on one of the other internet family trees. Again, with more detective work and copies of obituaries and death certificates, he drove down to the cemetery. After discussing the situation with the office help, an employee took him to the site of his great, great aunt. There was one headstone for her and her husband. Weirdly, behind them were two unmarked graves. Going back to the office and digging through their records, with the help of a longtime employee, my friend confirmed the unmarked graves were his great, great grandparents. He paid to have a headstone made for them. I was happy he solved the mystery and a week after seeing for myself the grave, I saw this comedic drama based on a true story. FEELING A KINDRED CONNECTION, AN AMATEUR historian was determined to find where King Richard III was buried, despite every expert disagreeing with her. If she wanted to prove them wrong, she would have to go back 500 years. With Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water, Blue Jasmine) as Philippa Langley, Steve Coogan (Stan & Ollie, Philomena) as John Langley, Lewis Macleod (Love Monster-TV, Spitting Image-TV) as Tony, Helen Katamba (River City-TV, Wild Rose) as Awusi and Harry Lloyd (The Theory of Everything, The Iron Lady) as Richard III; this film was a charmer. Sally was perfect for the role, and she proudly portrayed the character. The story was incredible; I had no idea it was based on true events. I would have preferred less of the family unit story line because, for me, it took away from the excitement of Sally’s character being on the “hunt” so to speak. Plus, it diminished the believability factor at times. Despite this one thing, I enjoyed everything about this fascinating tale about history, determination, and respect.
3 1/3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Upgraded
FROM MY DATING EXPERIENCES, MY FAVORITE way of meeting someone was by chance; though I hesitate to say chance because I believe there are no accidents. I met someone at the grocery store who I dated for 6 months, all because they asked me a question about a food product, we were both looking to buy. There were a few individuals I met while riding the city’s public transportation. In fact, a partner of mine was someone who I met while waiting in line to get on a ride at a Florida amusement park; I was with a group of friends as were they. All I did was ask if they would take my camera and shoot a photo of me and my friends. After that both groups of friends started talking to each other since there was a long wait to get on the ride. What made for an easier time to be able to talk to each other, even while getting on the ride, was that each seating compartment fit eight individuals. They wound up in my car, seated behind me. After the ride was over, and I was able to get my equilibrium back, we chatted at the exit until the rest of our friends joined us. By the time we were going off in our own directions, we exchanged contact information and promised to communicate once we returned home. THE NEXT BEST WAY I ENJOYED meeting potential dates was online. However, I was on a learning curve before I was able to really deal with all the different facets of online dating. Some people’s profiles were too blunt and aggressive for me; I was more of a hopeless romantic, enjoying the art of interaction and conversation. The other part that I had a tough time with were the individuals who did not match up to their stated profile. This would annoy me to no end; why would someone willingly lie about themselves to get a date. I do not mind a little exaggeration to accentuate a person’s better qualities, but some of the things I witnessed were utterly foolish. And here is the thing, when it came to a person’s physical attributes, I did not care about their weight, height, color of hair or occupation. The only thing that concerned me was whether they had good teeth and clean fingernails. One time I met a potential date at a coffee shop. I stood near the front door while looking for them, never realizing they were sitting at a table, which I had already scanned over when I arrived. I did not acknowledge them because they looked nothing like what they conveyed to me. Why would someone want to start out a potential relationship with a lie? I asked myself this same question while watching this romantic comedy. AFTER BEING UPGRADED TO FIRST CLASS, for a business trip, a young employee winds up being seated next to a handsome man. He takes an interest in her when he mistakenly believes she is the head of a firm, due to her not correcting his misunderstanding. She had to find a way to tell him, despite enjoying their time together. With Camila Mendes (Palm Springs, Riverdale-TV) as Ana, Archie Renaux (Catherine Called Birdy, Shadow and Bone-TV) as William, Marisa Tomei (The King of Staten Island, Spider-Man franchise) as Claire, Leno Olin (Adam, The Artist’s Wife) as Catherine and Anthony Head (Imagine Me & You, Buffy the Vampire Slayer-TV) as Julian Marx; this film does not break any new ground. However, having Marisa and Lena in the cast made for a better than average story. I will say, I thought I was watching a “The Devil Wears Prada” wannabe, except for the added love story. There were many enjoyable scenes, despite the script’s predictability and I enjoyed the set up of having powerful women figures. I also liked the fact that there was another story going on besides the bumpy relationship between the two main characters. This was an easy and harmless movie that did not pretend to be something more than what it was meant to be.
2 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Ghostbusters Frozen Empire
THE LAST TIME I WAS IN this city was when I was twelve years old; in other words, it was a long, long time ago. On my recent trip, I found myself staying at a hotel that was right next to the one I stayed in decades ago. It was the same curved building but now it had two other buildings on its property. Funny how we stayed at the hotel next door because this one was considered too fancy back then. I did make a point of walking over to the other property to see if anything looked familiar to me. The lettering on the sign out front was the same except the lighting had been upgraded to LED lights. When I walked into the hotel lobby, I remembered the wide sweeping staircase that was off to the side; it was there that a family friend snapped a photograph of me dressed in white pants, a nehru shirt and around my neck a strand of puka beads. I am really dating myself here. It is funny, back then people tended to dress up more; or at least that was my perception. Now, as I looked around, both inside and outside, pretty much anything was good to wear from thongs to moo moo dresses to dress slacks to speedos. AFTER I WAS SETTLED INTO MY hotel room, I decided to take a walk to see if I would recognize anything else. I remembered the main avenue where the major hotels were situated was a bustling place of commerce and activity. Once I got over the bridge, I was in the heart of all the retail establishments. The street looked foreign to me. Where this famous delicatessen sat in the middle of the block, where I had indulged in some incredible meals, was now an ethnic supermarket. Further ahead on the next block, I remembered a candy shop that had this huge gumball machine out in front, that charged a quarter for its jawbreaker candies. Instead, there was a convenience store now, the gumball machine a thing from the past. As I walked block after block, I was surprised how much I remembered from that trip when I was a kid. Being in a warmer climate, the buildings were all light colored and clean, with a row of palm trees in front that stood like sentinels all the way down as far as one could see. The street before me now had a tiredness to it; or better said, it looked exhausted. Some stores were boarded up while others appeared neglected. I found it sad and depressing, which surprisingly was how I felt about the latest installment in this adventure, comedy fantasy. WHEN AN ANCIENT ARTIFACT IS UNWITTINGLY opened, it releases an evil spirit that was trapped inside for centuries. The Ghostbusters would need all the help they could get to stop the evil spirit from changing the world into an ice kingdom. With Paul Rudd (Ant-Man franchise, Ideal Home) as Gary Grooberson, Carrie Coon (The Post, The Gilded Age) as Callie Spengler, Finn Wolfhard (Hell of a Summer, Stranger Things-TV) as Trevor Spengler, McKenna Grace (Young Sheldon-TV; I, Tonya) as Phoebe Spengler and Kumail Nanjiani (Eternals, The Big Sick) as Nadeem Razmaadi; this latest production was a snoozefest for me. I found myself nodding off even in the theater. The script was packed with so many story lines which cast a somber color over all the activities. There was hardly any humor, and it seemed the writers wanted to make sure the appearances from the previous cast had their fair share and more throughout the picture. I still could not believe there was no excitement, thrills or memorable moments like the original film produced. This will probably come out as a joke, but I am serious, this was an unholy mess.
1 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Freelance
LEAVE IT TO FATE TO PLAY a cruel trick on me, being chosen to be the driver for a presenter that made me have a bad attitude towards her. It was the year prior; I was attending a fitness convention where she was one of the headliners. To lower the cost of attending, I joined as a volunteer. Being in such a position, I was able to see the things that were taking place behind the scenes. To say this presenter scared a bunch of us may be an exaggeration; however, most of us were cautious around her because she was demanding. She needed things done her way, even if the results would come out the same as us. The part that I disliked the most was the way she would sometimes talk down to a volunteer, as if they were her personal indentured servant. It was appalling how rude she could be. Now, I understood she was a big name in the industry and had to be tough to get to the position she was currently in, but couldn’t she still get there with a little kindness? What is that phrase about being kind to the people you meet on the way up because you will be meeting them on the way down; it could certainly happen to her, I felt. During the convention, I made it my mission to stay out of her way. FAST FORWARD TO THE FOLLOWING YEAR’S convention, where my volunteer assignment was to drive this same person around for the weekend. This entailed picking her up first thing in the morning and returning her at night, besides any errands she might need throughout the day. I could not believe that I got chosen for this position. The first day I went to pick her up, I had to convince myself not to show my dislike for her, besides not getting into an argument if she started treating me like I remembered how she was acting the year prior. She was waiting outside when I arrived; I took her gym bags and put them in the trunk before we began our route to the convention spot. On the way we started out making small talk, but our conversation took a more serious turn when she asked how I became a fitness instructor. I had nothing to hide so told her the facts about being picked on for years for being overweight, flunking P.E. in school and how I found a group of people who accepted and made me feel welcome in their exercise class. It turned out she had a similar experience with being overweight and shared some horrific things that were done to her. By the time we arrived at the convention I had a better attitude about her. She even talked about the reservoir of anger she still has that comes out when she sees someone not taking pride/ownership in their actions/responsibilities. This change of attitude was like how I felt about one of the main characters in this action, comedy film. AN EX-SPECIAL FORCES SOLIDER AGREES TO help a friend’s business by being the security detail for a journalist traveling to interview a dictator. Soon after they arrive a military coup takes place that forces them to hide out into the jungle alone. This was only the start of their troubles. With John Cena (Ricky Stanicky, Hidden Strike) as Mason Pettis, Alison Brie (Promising Young Woman, Somebody I Used to Know) as Claire Wellington, Juan Pablo Raba (The 33, The Marksman) as Venegas, Christian Slater (Chupa, Very Bad Things) as Sebastian Earle and Alice Eve (Star Trek into Darkness, She’s Out of my League) as Jenny Pettis; this film came across like an action wannabe. It had similar elements to films like Romancing the Stone and a similar vibe to some of Dwayne Johnson’s movies. Though there was little chemistry between John and Alison, I did not mind their characters and thought John had a similar quality that matches Dwayne’s persona in his pictures. The script was super basic, not providing many surprises or thrills. It felt like a hodgepodge of previous movie bits that were hobbled together to try and make a coherent story; it did not work. Sadly, this was an easily forgettable film that I was glad I did not go to the theater to see.
1 ¾ stars
Flash Movie Review: Mean Girls
I THOUGHT HIGH SCHOOL WOULD BE an easy transition for me because it was across from my elementary school. My walk to school would not be different, I could go home for lunch if I did not want to eat in the school cafeteria; it seemed like everything was in place for me. After the first week went by, when all the students were figuring out where they fit in, I had a sense of dread. I did not feel I fit in anywhere. There were lists of clubs and activities posted throughout the school, but when I looked at the lists there was nothing that either interested me or I felt I was capable of participating in. The only thing that stood out for me was to be part of the sales team for the high school yearbook that came out once a year. It turned out there was very little contact with anyone else on the team because we were simply assigned receipt books we had to carry with us throughout the school day, that we would fill out when a student wanted to place an order. I had to let students know I was one of the yearbook reps, which you would have thought would be a good introduction to establishing connections with other students. However, that turned out not to be the case. Among some of the responses I got were being laughed at and spitted on, told to get out of their face, punched in the stomach and verbal abuse. I did, however, sell some yearbooks that first and only year I sold them. IT SOON BECAME APPARENT TO ME there was a pecking order or hierarchy established within the student body. Those students that participated in the mainstream sports of football, basketball, baseball, and cheerleading were the alphas of the school. Those with big personalities, who quickly grabbed the spotlight and held on to it tightly were the next group up. After them came the brainiacs, as they were called. They were the ones who understood most class lessons, who had more “A” grades than anyone else and the best part, they could get away with not dressing up in the latest fashion trends. After these three groups, it was a toss-up on who had any pull or sway among their classmates. My claim to fame, if you even want to call it fame, was never to get into trouble. In other words, I was a “good” kid. That did not give me hardly any street cred among the students; I still had a miserable time throughout high school despite being native to the area. For a student that transfers into the area, I do not know how they could survive. See for yourself in this comedic musical. AFTER HAVING BEEN HOME SCHOOLED, IT was like stepping into a different world when Cady Heron, played by Angourie Rice (The Beguiled, The Nice Guys), found herself being chosen to become friends with one of the elite groups in the school. Things were going smoothly until she took a liking to the group leader’s ex-boyfriend. With relative newcomer Renee Rapp as Regina George, Auli’I Cravalho (All Together Now, The Power-TV) as Janis “Imi’ike, newcomer Jaquel Savey as Damian Hubbard and Avantika (Senior Year; Mira, Royal Detective) as Karen Shetty; I was surprised by the number of musical performances performed in this film. Nowhere in any of the advertising did it show any music scenes. As for this being an update on the original film, there were some tweaks made to accommodate our current times; but overall, I was bored with the script and story. There were isolated scenes that stood out for me such as Avantika’s comedic timing and Renee Rapp’s screen presence; but It was not enough to maintain my attention. The musical score all sounded the same as did the dance performances in various musical scenes. I was not a fan of my high school years, and I was not one of this updated remade film.
2 stars
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: 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: Poor Things
I WAS ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE who could make a snap judgment in less than a minute. My first impressions would dictate how I reacted to something. Back then, it was the norm, and I did not know better. It was nothing for me to go out to dinner with a couple of friends and be the first one to nix a restaurant choice, simply based on the restaurant’s outside appearance. At a party, I could be introduced to someone and after exchanging a few sentences with them, immediately have a negative reaction that made me want to avoid them the rest of the night. It took me a long time, along with maturing, to realize I was not being fair to whoever or whatever besides myself. I have learned to slow down and not be so quick to administer my “verdict” when dealing with various situations. It is funny, the point was driven home to me at a time when I was seated in a theater to watch a live production. It was long before intermission and a couple who were seated in the row in front of me excused themselves out of the row and left. I first thought one of them might have gotten ill, but there was no sign of anything wrong as they sat and talked before the show started. I assumed they did not like it because I thought the beginning started out slow; however, it turned out to be a wonderful production. If I had acted on my first instinct and left, I would have missed out on seeing such a good show. AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, IF A restaurant did not look good from the outside, I would not step foot in it. Boy, I am so glad I got over that type of thinking because I have discovered some incredible food at small “hole in the wall” places. There is this Italian restaurant that is in a small run-down strip mall near where I live. Driving by one would be hard pressed to notice it. However, it has some of the best Italian cuisine I have ever eaten. The place essentially is two plain rooms with tables and padded metal chairs, nothing fancy; yet it consistently brings out great food from its kitchen. I took a small group of family members there who were surprised I had eaten at such a place, knowing my quirks about looks and appearances. Obviously, they remember me more as I used to be instead of who I am now. They were even more surprised when they tasted the food; they all loved it. The reason I am telling you all of this is because if I had acted as the old me, I would have missed out on seeing such a quirky, fanciful film that is an Oscar nominee. GIVEN A SECOND CHANCE AT LIFE, a young girl’s thirst for knowledge leads her on a worldwide journey of discovery. With Emma Stone (Cruella, Battle of the Sexes) as Bella Baxter, Mark Ruffalo (Spotlight, Dark Waters) as Duncan Wedderburn, William Dafoe (The French Dispatch, At Eternity’s Gate) as Dr. Godwin Baxter, Ramy Youssef (See Dad Run-TV, Ramy-TV) as Max McCandles and Kathryn Hunter (The Tragedy of Macbeth, Orlando) as Swiney; this comedic romance drama was one of the most peculiar films I have seen in a long time. I felt I was seeing fresh bits from the old Monty Python shows. The sets and films were so full and unique, I did not know where to look first during many scenes. Emma was incredible in this role as was Mark in his. But I have to say, it took me a while before I started to appreciate where the story was going; I found it to be so unique and different that I could not help but get drawn into its world.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: El Conde
I BELIEVE I AM LIKE MOST people, maybe a little more than average when it comes to having regrets. They used to weigh me down in the past, but I think that is because I worried and had so many of them. Or at least I thought I did. One regret was for all the unnecessary shopping or what I like to call it, therapy shopping, I used to do. Whenever I was down or upset, I would pull out my charge card and go to a store, usually only one because that was sufficient to get me out of my funk, at least for a brief period of time. My favorite places to go shopping were book and record stores. I could get lost in bookstore and before I realized it, I had a dozen books I wanted to purchase. My other favorite shopping haunts were this specific local department store and a nationally known discount store. The discount store was usually saved for deeper regrets because I could spend little money but get a couple of shopping bags worth of stuff. In my book, it was a win-win solution. However, as I got older and began to understand what I was really doing, I started to have regrets for the amount of money I had spent over the years that I could have really used when I was laid off from a previous job. THE WONDERFUL THING ABOUT AGING IS that one does not have the intensity or energy to keep mulling over past regrets. Sure, I can still think about them, but more in a passing type of way. Since I cannot change things from the past, then why am I devoting energy to it is my philosophy now. I wish a friend of mine would learn that philosophy. Though they have been out of school for many years, they still regret that they did not study in a different field of work. They had grand (their word) ideas of doing something special, but it never came to fruition. Instead, they focused more on being a part of a large company’s workforce, getting promotions to get them placed in a manager’s position. It worked out beautifully for them, but the monotony of the daily work tasks bored them greatly. They needed a challenge, according to them. I felt if the desire were strong enough then they would have made a change; however, the fact remains they are living a comfortable life, not extravagant but can pay their bills and still have a little leftover. I have told them repeatedly they can attend classes and get the degree they really wanted but would they be ready to start a new career just when they are about to retire. The answer was no. So, you see regrets can have a strong influence on a person; just see what it has done for the main character in this Oscar nominated historical comedic fantasy. HAVING LIVED FOR SUCH A LONG time, a former general who left in disgrace wants to die. It turns out so do his kids so they can get their inheritance. With Jaime Vadell (Spider, Coronacion) as El Conde, Gloria Munchameyer (Chips Libre-TV, Calzones Rotos) as Lucia, Alfredo Castro (The Club, From Afar) as Fyodor, Paula Luchsinger (Ema, La Jauria-TV) as Carmencita and Stella Gonet (Spencer, How I Live Now) as Margaret; this movie took me by surprise. First, the cinematography was exquisite, black and white with wonderful camera angles. The story was part satire, though I did not have a strong knowledge of Chilie’s history, it was a bit lost on me. However, it did not stop my enjoyment of the story, which was dubbed in English. The story was unique in its way of using politics with horror; I thoroughly enjoyed watching this film, with all its side stories. It truly made this picture and story come across like none other. There were several bloody scenes.
3 ½ stars
moviejoltz 