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Flash Movie Review: After the Wedding
SHE INVITED ME OVER TO BE her taste-tester. A home cooked meal was always a treat, so I eagerly accepted the invitation. We had been friends for years; so, I was comfortable with her cooking for me, having had many dinners over at her place before. I insisted on bringing dessert. When I arrived, as soon as she opened the front door, I smelt a warm, homey aroma wafting in the air. Walking inside, I saw she had a bowl of guacamole and chips set out on her coffee table. This was an extra treat for me. We sat and caught up on each one’s life while munching on the food. At some point she asked me what I thought of the corn chips; I said they were fine. She said they were a new brand and she loved their freshness and taste. Honestly, they may have been; but, nothing to the point where I noticed a big enough difference that made them stand out for me. We were close to finishing off the guacamole when a bell sounded off. She said that was the timer, letting her know the food was done in the oven. Asking me to give her a couple of minutes, she got up and went into the kitchen, telling me to take a seat at the dining room table. THE FOOD SHE BROUGHT OUT LOOKED amazing; I could not wait to dig in and start eating it. She poured herself a glass of wine, knowing I did not like the taste of alcohol; I stuck to water for the evening. We each helped ourselves to the food she had set out on the table. It was as good as it looked; I could not have been happier. During the meal she brought up the subject of how she found many of the products that went into the meal. She knew I was teaching myself how to cook, I listened to her describe each product that she used for the meal; in fact, she had excused herself a couple of times to go into the kitchen and bring out some of the ingredients, so I could see for myself. Something rang odd about the whole situation, but I could not put my finger on it at the time. It was not until she insisted, I taste one ingredient, even pouring a little bit onto my plate, that I asked her what was going on. She told me she joined a food club and was positive I would like it; all I had to do was sign up online and pay a monthly membership fee. The whole purpose of me coming over was for her to get me to sign up under her name, so she could get points. I was angry she was not upfront about it before inviting me over. My anger was similar to one of the main characters’ feelings in this dramatic film. IT WAS AN UNUSUAL REQUEST; BUT Isabel, played by Michelle Williams (The Greatest Showman, All the Money in the World), knew she would have to do it if the orphanage was to receive the one-million-dollar donation. She just wanted it to be a quick, short trip to New York; however, there was more to the request waiting for her once she arrived. This dramatic film also starred Julianne Moore (Gloria Bell, Still Alice) as Theresa, Billy Crudup (Big Fish, Jackie) as Oscar, Abby Quinn (Landline, Radium Girls) as Grace and Alex Esola (The Young Pope-TV, Dangerous Lessons-TV Movie) as Jonathan. The strongest asset this movie had was the acting skills from the main cast. Michelle made her character extra special due to her nuanced and thoughtful performance; I could not stop watching her on the screen. Julianne was excellent but the writers and possible director did not provide her with enough emotional punch. The story was predictable and at times unrealistic to me; however, the acting kept me interested in the story. I did however find the story confusing because it did not know whether to be a mystery drama or a tearjerker. This movie could have been a powerful piece if the script had been better, which I believe would have upped the actors’ chances to be considered for an acting award this season. Instead, I felt manipulated and disappointed that this story did not match the quality of the actors.
2 ¼ stars
Flash Movie Review: Don’t Let Go
I DID NOT KNOW WHAT WAS chasing me but instinctively I knew it would kill me. It discovered me hiding in the stairwell. I did not look behind to see it as I raced up the stairs, knocking off a couple of framed pictures that were hanging on the walls. They crashed onto the stairs, shattering glass everywhere; I hoped it would slow down whatever was after me. Though I knew where I was running, it was not my house. All I kept hearing besides my heartbeat pounding in my ears was a low growling sound. No matter where I went in the house, I could hear it. It seemed as if I had only been running for a second, but I was not sure. Time had no relevance now as I tried finding an escape route. Every room I ran into led me to another room. At some point I knew my adrenalin fueled speed would wane; I needed to find a place where I could hide. As I entered the next room there was an unmade bed. I wasn’t thinking straight; but I quickly jumped into the bed, pulling the disheveled blanket and bedspread over me. I hoped I was blending in with the covers, so the bed still looked like a mess. It took me by surprise, but something grabbed my ankle and I screamed. I COULD NOT CATCH MY BREATH as I opened my eyes. Laying still in bed, it took me a moment to realize I had had a bad dream. But something was not right; I sensed there was a threat close by. Pulling the blanket just past my eyes I could see a shadow on the wall and then, I realized I was hearing that same growling sound. I tried to scream for help, but I could not muster any breath to come out of my mouth. All I could do was emit a gagging sound; I was sure my life would be ending. My eyes opened to see my blanket was still over my face. I was gasping for air, but I no longer sensed another presence in the room. Slowly I tugged at the blanket until my eyes were uncovered. Scanning the ceiling for any shadows before I moved my head, I saw nothing unusual in the room. I was utterly exhausted and remained still for the next several minutes as I tried to piece together what just happened. I must’ve had a dream of me having a dream; I was so confused. My confusion was not so dissimilar from what I experienced while watching this dramatic, fantasy horror. A FRANTIC PHONE CALL CUT SHORT leads Jack Radcliffe, played by David Oyelowo (Selma, Queen of Katwe) to a gruesome discovery. To make matters worse, he gets another phone call from the same caller. With Byron Mann (The Big Short, Skyscraper) as Detective Roger Lee, Storm Reid (A Wrinkle in Time, Sleight) as Ashley, Mykeiti Williamson (Fences, Run the Race) as Bobby and Shinelle Azoroh (Nostalgia, Code Black-TV) as Susan, this film’s strong suit was the acting. I thought David and Storm did an above average job in portraying their characters. The story, though it sounded interesting to me, was odd. As it unfolded in this film, it seemed to get sillier. Scenes were divided into past and present which at times caused confusion. It was a shame because there were a few tense scenes that started to draw me in; but then, the feeling would be gone in the next scene. I am not sure what the writers were dreaming or hoping to create with this story, but I do not think they were expecting to get a reaction like the reaction I got from this movie—it was a nightmare.
1 ¾ stars
Flash Movie Review: The Peanut Butter Falcon
HOW IRONIC, WE WERE HAVING THIS conversation over dinner. Friends for years, we had gotten together to catch up with each other; it had been some time since we had last seen each other. During our meal the conversation had turned to the topic of how busy everyone seemed, including us. I was talking about my schedule and how I was booking dates a couple of months ahead already, to get together with friends and family. My friend did not understand why I was having a challenging time in getting together with people. I explained I enjoyed getting together with people over a meal; but after a couple of times meeting in restaurants, I like to plan some type of activity we can both experience. It does not have to be anything elaborate like a boat cruise or indoor sky diving; it can be as simple as going bowling or to a movie. For me, doing something together adds fiber to the relationship. Let’s face it, how many of us will remember a meal we had from a year or so ago? Ok, well maybe I would; but food is not a reliable memory maker. Seeing a museum exhibit that moves both of you or a play that you thought was fantastic or even horrendous, would stay longer in your memory I believe. THESE SHARED EXPERIENCES PROVIDE ME WITH A deeper emotional connection and understanding to my friends and family members. Being together and witnessing feelings in “real time” is better to me than having someone sitting and telling me about it. The exhilaration of being at a concert, sporting event or discovering a new place on a walking tour; are things that will stay with me. Another option is taking a trip together. They say you really get to know about a person when you take travel with them and I am telling you, it is absolutely true! Granted, this may not always be a positive thing; but you would certainly know more than you did if you hadn’t taken a trip together. One of the fun aspects of sharing an event together is hearing about it years later. Seeing your memory through someone else’s eyes is a fascinating learning experience. You might be surprised to find out something you did not know before. I am not only talking about the activity; it could also be about yourself. Either way, if you want to take a visual trip and see for yourself then watch this film festival winning, comedic drama adventure. IT WAS NOT ENOUGH FOR ZAK, played by newcomer Zack Gottsagen, to only see his idol on television. He needed to escape the nursing home where he lived and go find his favorite wrestler, the Salt Water Redneck, played by Thomas Haden Church (Sideways, Easy A). This movie was a treat. Playing out like a modern Mark Twain story, the filming of it was beautiful. Enough time was given to the scenes to allow the viewer to settle into them. With Shia LaBeouf (Fury, American Honey) as Tyler, Dakota Johnson (Fifty Shades of Grey franchise, The Social Network) as Eleanor and John Hawkes (Winter’s Bone, The Sessions) as Duncan; the acting was outstanding. Shia was such a force on the screen that I was surprised by it. Though I have not been a big fan of Dakota in the past, she was wonderful in this role. Thanks to the direction and script, watching this film was like reading a novel. I felt like I was experiencing things at my speed, allowing me to get the most I could out of the scenes. An original story with a lead actor representing a group that has less exposure on screen; I wish I would have taken someone with me when I went to see this exquisite film.
3 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Blinded by the Light
INSTEAD OF REHASHING MY STORY ABOUT the school teacher who told me I would amount to nothing if I decided to become a writer, let me tell you about a friend’s son. When the boy was little, he loved playing with all kinds of building block type toys. He could sit and play by himself for hours with these toys. As he got older the simple building blocks were replaced with more complicated toys; toys that gave him more options in the way he could connect pieces together. He would build these elaborate structures. Some were recognizable as being a castle or a bridge; but others were more freeform and creative. During the latter part of elementary school and beginning of high school, the father began hoping his son would join the family business. Though the son had never shown an inclination to be involved in the business, the father persisted in steering his son into following in his father’s footsteps. This created a wedge between the father and son. From the first set of building blocks the son had received when he was young, all he wanted to do was to build things. He was inclined to go into the field of architecture or construction. The father could not understand why his son wanted to venture into such work when a successful career was right there waiting for him at the family business. WHAT THE FATHER DID NOT UNDERSTAND was the fact that his son had zero passion for the type of work his father did. And I believe that is the key when it comes to deciding what a person wants to do in life. Without passion a person becomes more like a robot, lifeless and unemotional. They just go through the motions at their job, but really do not care about it. I have worked with several individuals who had mentally checked out from the job. They were at the company simply to collect a paycheck; they had no concern for the health of the company as long as it did not affect their paycheck. Those individuals lacked passion in my opinion. As I watched my friend and his son play this tug of war game about coming into the family business, I knew the son would never abide by his father’s wishes. The reason being, I saw how passionate the son was when it came to building things. Those early building blocks when he was a baby planted the seed that let his passion flourish through the years. A similar situation can be found in this musical, comedic drama. NOT FEELING CONNECTED TO HIS SURROUNDINGS British teenager Javed, played by Viveik Kalra (Beecham House-TV, Next of Kin-TV Mini-Series), found someone who understood how he felt; it was the Boss himself, Bruce Springsteen. Inspired by a true story, this film festival winner also starred Kulvinder Ghir (Bend it Like Beckham, Still Open All Hours-TV) as Malik, Meera Ganatra (Three Dots and a Dash, PREmature-TV Mini-Series) as Noor, Raron Phagura (Doctor Who-TV, Him-TV Mini-Series) as Roops and Dean-Charles Chapman (Game of Thrones-TV, The Commuter) as Matt. Set in the 1980s, the story was familiar to me, having seen it done in other films. The movie started out slow, but I soon was drawn into this picture due to the charms of the cast. There was a sweetness to the script that felt right to me. I also appreciated the underlying story involving the dynamics of Javed’s family within the surrounding area. And of course, there was Springsteen’s music. Though I am familiar with Bruce’s music, I do not own any of his albums. However, I was surprised how well his songs worked within the story. The combination made for an enjoyable viewing experience. To take a familiar story and tweak it enough to make it feel fresh takes true passion. I could totally relate.
3 stars
Where’d You Go, Bernadette
WHILE EMPLOYEES WERE COMPLIMENTING THE soon to be retired fellow employee, I kept my distance. Don’t get me wrong, there was no bad blood between us or anything like that; there just was something odd about him that kept me reserved but cordial around him. He had worked at the company for decades. Though he had built up getting 5 weeks of vacation a year, he only used 1 or 2 weeks; he evidently loved being at work. I hope I am not coming across as judgmental; but I am and have been always cautious around anyone I perceive as being extreme. Whether they are into a sport, an art or a belief; in my experiences, people who solely focus on one thing tend to lack skills in other areas of their life. Take this employee who retired; he was a bit deficient in social skills. He did not have much awareness of the world around him. From what I had heard, he had little or no outside interests. I assumed he was happy, but I really did not know. He lived to work. The funny thing is he reminded me of this couple I know. I once asked them what they do for fun and they could not provide me with an answer. Let me ask you, can one live a complete life without ever having some fun in it? I APPRECIATE THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE focused on a goal; for example, athletes who train hard to get picked for the Olympic games. The amount of money, time and dedication they put into their craft is admirable and incredible. From the things I have seen and read about Olympic athletes, there are some who take it to an extreme by sacrificing all other aspects of their life simply to try and become a gold medal winner. However, there are many others who still pursue outside interests. There have been many athletes who have gone to college while training for the Olympics. Whether they win a medal or not, they have taken steps to have a successful career after the games. I can think of a few ice skaters who became doctors once they retired from their sport. When you think about it, it all comes down to how deep does a person want to dive into their obsession. I am a perfect example; when I started this site, I was doing a movie review every single day of the week. Declining all social engagements, my life was out of balance because I had to always go to the movie theater and write a review. I still struggle with finding balance between writing reviews and living life. Being aware of this made it easier for me to see what was going on with the main character in this comedic drama mystery. RENOWNED ARCHITECT BERNADETTE FOX, PLAYED BY Cate Blanchett (The House with a Clock in its Walls, Carol), took a step away from her craft to focus on building a family. Surprisingly no one noticed the cracks in the family’s foundation. With Billy Crudup (After the Wedding, 20thCentury Women) as Elgie, Judy Greer (27 Dresses, Ant-Man franchise) as Dr. Kurtz, Kristen Wiig (The Skeleton Twins, Ghostbusters) as Audrey and newcomer Emma Nelson as Bee; this movie was written and directed by Richard Linklater (Boyhood, Last Flag Flying). I thought the acting was wonderful in this film. Cate and Kristen were utterly eye catching in each of their scenes. The story was interesting, but I found the movie dragged in the beginning. It was not until late in the picture where I realized I was more engaged with the story, even if some things seemed farfetched. However, I did feel as if the script was rushed to quickly and neatly tie everything up. The idea behind this story may have been intriguing; but I was disappointed I gave up a lunch date to go see this film.
2 ¼ stars
Flash Movie Review: 47 Meters Down: Uncaged
THE NEWS REPORTER SHOWED NO REACTION to the mother’s comments. I sat in front of my television in total shock. Did I hear correctly, was she joking; I could not believe she said such a thing. More shocking to me was the fact that she would even think it. The reason the mother and her daughters were being interviewed was because one daughter had survived a shark attack. What had stunned me was when the mother said she did not tell her daughters that the city they were vacationing in was known as the shark attack capitol of the world; she did not want to scare her girls. She even chuckled when she said this to the news reporter. I simply could not fathom why a person would choose to vacation at a beach known for shark attacks and then not tell family members to be careful if they go in the water. This made no sense to me; and get this, the little girl had to show the reporter where the shark bit her on the leg. The cameraman panned down to show the bite that went nearly around the whole calf of her leg. There were large, bloody welts forming an oval shape across the skin. When asked, the little girl said she cannot wait to get back into the water. CAN ANYONE EXPLAIN TO ME THIS desire people have to court danger? Having seen that news report made me further question the sanity of some people. I remember when I was younger, I did stuff that I am sure others would think was dangerous. Playing in a condemned building or riding down a snow-covered hill on the cover of a trash can are a couple of things that come to mind. So, does danger all come down to one’s perception? During winter I change my driving style to accommodate for snow and icy conditions; but I see other drivers continuing to drive the same way they do on a dry road. And the result is some pass me by while others slide off the road. I notice now how I have changed regarding seeing ice on the ground. When I was young, I did not give the ice much thought as I walked on it. Now, I walk like a penguin on icy sidewalks because I have a fear of falling and breaking a limb. Is it an age thing then? I wonder; but I can tell you this, I would not have done in my younger days what the main characters did in this dramatic, horror adventure film. THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE A NEWLY discovered underwater cave was enticing enough to make four high school students disregard any kind of safety concerns. It could be a decision that kills them. With Sophie Nelisse (The Book Thief, Pawn Sacrifice) as Mia, newcomer Corrine Fox as Sasha, Brianne Tju (Make it or Break it-TV, Scream: The TV Series) as Alexa, newcomer Sistine Rose Stallone as Nicole and John Corbett (The Messengers, My Big Fat Greek Wedding franchise) as Grant; this movie’s story had a strictly paint by number formula. It was your typical man vs beast scenario, except this one was cheesy and generic. There was no real acting from the four women; though, the script gave them nothing to sink their teeth into, so to speak. Since most of the picture was filmed underwater, it was difficult at times to see what was going on. This type of story inherently comes with a level of dread and fear; it was a shame the writers could not have written a better script to play on those emotions. It did cross my mind if the dads of Corrine and Sistine provided anything to get this movie up on the big screen. As far as I am concerned, I wish I would have stayed out of the water and think you should do the same.
1 ¾ stars
Flash Movie Review: The Art of Racing in the Rain
THEY WERE SUCH SWEET GERMAN SHEPARD dogs, yet the two of them were so different. If you pretended to throw a ball across the room, one of the dogs would immediately search the whole room looking for that ball. The other dog would remain seated in front of you, staring into your face as if saying, “Who do you think you’re fooling?” It was obvious this dog was the smarter of the two. Though the other dog may not have been as intelligent, she was more demonstrative with her feelings. Yes, that is right; she was an emotional dog. Whenever her owner would sneeze, no matter where she was at, she would take off and run as fast as she could to get to him. If he was seated, she would jump into his lap; if he was standing when he sneezed, she would stand on her hind legs and try to wrap her front legs around him, as if she were hugging him. It was a sight to see. The most reaction coming from the other dog would be a turn of ears in the direction of the sneeze, nothing more. I did not care if one was smarter and the other more affectionate; I loved each of them equally. I HAVE A HARD TIME ACCEPTING those who say their pet is only a pet. To me, they are not; they are family. Those 2 dogs I mentioned were family members in that household. Having a pet is like having children; both need to be potty trained, must be disciplined at times and both will go through their terrible two’s phase. The only thing different is your pets never move out of the house. I have learned so much from pets. They practice unconditional love every single day. There is nothing like coming home from a long day at work, opening the front door and your dog is there, absolutely excited to see you. Those times when you are feeling down and your pet quietly comes up to sit on your lap or lie next to you, makes the sadness easier to handle. I had a pet dog who would listen to me while looking into my eyes, barely blinking. I was sure he could tell how I was feeling about something. So, I do have a hard time believing a person can stay emotionally detached from their pet. In fact, I would be curious to see what they have to say about the dog in this comedic drama. WHILE HIS OWNER DENNY SWIFT, PLAYED by Milo Ventimiglia (Killing Season, This is Us-TV), was trying to win car races; Enzo was learning lessons about life that would help him when he would be needed most. Based on the bestselling book, this movie starred Amanda Seyfried (Dear John, Mama Mia! franchise) as Eve, Gary Cole (One Hour Photo, Under the Eiffel Tower) as Don Kitch, Ryan Kiera Armstrong (Anne with an E-TV, It Chapter Two) as Zoe and Kathy Baker (Return to Zero, Cold Mountain) as Trish. If you are dog lover, you will love this film. I thought the dog Enzo was wonderful. Milo on the other hand was no different with his acting than what he does on This is Us. He seemed to be the same character to me. I am positive the book must be an incredible read; but I have a feeling the story did not transfer well to the big screen. I have not read the book, yet I knew everything that was going to happen as the story unfolded. The script was riddled with clichés, besides being quite manipulative with the viewer’s emotions. In fact, with Enzo being as smart as he was; I am surprised he did not bolt out of this picture.
2 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Kitchen
NOT TO BE MORBID; BUT IF I should suddenly die, I want someone to be able to step in for me and know exactly what needs to be done. I have this mindset at work and have shared my thoughts with my co-workers. To the employees in my department, I have told them if I should get hit by a bus and don’t make it, they will have no problem taking over the things I handle. As far as I am concerned this is just common sense. It does not make sense to me to keep things hidden from co-workers or loved ones, as a matter of fact. I worked at a company where a long-term employee died, and no one knew how to do this person’s job. He was a supervisor/buyer who had established vendor contacts; however, none of their names were written down anywhere. He just knew their names and how to reach them, without ever looking them up. Well, after he was gone his co-workers had no idea which vendor to call for which product nor what discounts were available for each of them. The company went through a rough patch with its customers because there were times it did not have the right product in stock, or they were completely out of something for a customer. I thought if I ever get into a managerial position, I would never want something like this to happen with me. SADLY, THE BUSINESS WORLD IS NOT the only place where I have seen such a predicament take place. I cannot tell you how many couples I know where one handles all the money matters and the other has no idea or interest in it. Personally, I could never be in such a situation not knowing what bills come in and what needs to be paid. This one couple I know both work; one handles all the bills and the other has their paycheck deposited directly into their mutual checking account. After the billpayer determines how much is needed to pay the weekly bills, they give their spouse the remaining cash not used back from their deposited check. I don’t know about you; but I could not handle such an arrangement and it has nothing to do with trust. With a career in credit, I have always been particular about my bills being paid on time. I would need to know how much money was available and how it was being distributed. It would be scary for me to wake up one day and have everything suddenly fall into my lap without me having any prior knowledge of it; just like what happened to the women in this action, crime drama. WITH THEIR HUSBANDS HAVING BEEN CONVICTED and sent to jail, the gangsters’ wives were left trying to figure out how to pay the household bills. They would have to work together and come up with some type of plan to bring in money; though, it would not be easy considering their husbands’ line of work. Starring Melissa McCarthy (Life of the Party, Can You Ever Forgive Me?) as Kathy Brennan, Tiffany Haddish (Girls Trip, Night School) as Ruby O’Carroll, Elizabeth Moss (The One I Love, The Handmaid’s Tale) as Claire Walsh, Domhnall Gleeson (About Time, Unbroken) as Gabriel O’Malley and Bill Camp (Midnight Special, 12 Years a Slave) as Alfonso Coretti; each actor could have made this a worthwhile film. Unfortunately, the script and direction were off target here. There was no character development; which in turn, made the lack of acting stand out even more. I only connected to Elizabeth Moss’s acting skills; Melissa and Tiffany paled in comparison. Part of the blame must fall on the directions they were getting; it appeared as if they were going thru the motions without the emotions. Of course, not having any history attached to each of their characters did not help the situation. In turn, I did not believe what was taking place in several scenes. In a way it looked like the writers did not know what the director wanted and visa versa. Better communication between them, I’m thinking, would have turned this film into a powerful statement on female empowerment.
1 ¾ stars
Flash Movie Review: The White Crow
BARELY ABLE TO SEE ABOVE THE heads of the people sitting in front of me, I watched in astonishment the man leaping in the air. The stage had been filled with dancers dressed in costumes that glittered under the stage lights. Most of the costumes were white in color, but some were the exact opposite in black. The male dancer in the lead role reminded me of royalty because of the way he moved across the stage when he was not leaping and spinning. With angular features for his face, his body on the other hand moved consistently with graceful fluidity. I was too young to realize the amount of work it must have taken him to be able to jump so high without a running start or to spin so quickly in the same spot; his moves at times would make the audience quietly gasp in their seats. The music the orchestra was playing was familiar to me because we had a recording of it at home. I would play it from time to time, never realizing that people were hired to dance to the music. Ballet was something foreign to me at the time. I was aware of it having seen clips of dancers on television or in a movie; but I had never seen a live performance of it up until this time. The male lead dancer in this performance was Rudolf Nureyev. WHEN I DELVED INTO THE FITNESS world as a profession, it was there I discovered the amount of work a dancer must do to make their performances seem effortless. One training class I took was based on dance moves and it was intense for me. Holding positions, working my core, and being able to give instructions to a class at the same time was a challenge. Imagine doing a side plank pose where you are on your side on the floor, balancing only on the side of your bottom foot and the hand from your extended arm. Now raise up you other leg and hold it in the air; trust me, you will feel it in your core. The first time I tried to do this I rolled over onto the floor. It took me some time to build up my strength to master the pose. I knew if I wanted to be an effective fitness instructor, I would have to put in the work to make it happen. It is no different for any profession, but I feel there is a slight difference when your profession involves performing in front of an audience. WITH ONLY ONE PURPOSE IN MIND Rudolf Nureyev, played by newcomer Oleg Ivenko, was willing to work hard to become a top ballet dancer. Nothing would stop him, even his own country. This biographical drama also starred Ralph Fiennes (Harry Potter franchise, A Bigger Splash) as Pushkin, Louis Hofmann (Sanctuary, Land of Mine) as Teja Kremke, Adele Exarchopoulos (Blue is the Warmest Color, Racer and the Jailbird) as Clara Saint and Sergei Polunin (Red Sparrow, Murder on the Orient Express) as Yuri Soloviev. Set during the time of the Cold War, this film festival winner was something I wanted to see since I had seen Rudolf perform. His story was probably more interesting than what the script offered here. I would start to get interested in the story and then the scene would shift to a different time in Rudolf’s life; I found this jumping back and forth more of a distraction then a story telling technique. For someone who commanded the stage with a bigger than life personality; this movie seemed out of step with his story.
2 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Dumplin’
A SINGLE NICKNAME CAN PROVIDE A PERSON with unlimited joyfulness. It also can stab you, leaving a noticeable scar on your psyche. I have been the recipient to a multitude of nicknames. Within my family I have a nickname that was given to me at a young age. Only family members refer to me with this nickname. At school I had other nicknames that were ugly; ugly in the sense they sprung from a place of hatred. Anytime I heard one of these nicknames I would mentally hunker down, doing my best to tune out the sounds around me. I wasn’t the only one who was bestowed a nasty nickname. There was one boy who was bestowed with the moniker, Booger Nose. He was called this name for a few years at least. There was another boy who had a Germanic last name, sounding like something large and overbearing. It did not help that the boy was overweight with large features and thick glasses. He received a nickname that was a twist on his last name, making it sound like grizzly bear. It was not a far leap to see the name was picked to match his girth, especially when you would hear the way the boys said it. THE NICKNAMES THAT PIQUE MY EARS are the ones that are not recognizable words. I know someone who is referred to as Deeb by their significant other. The name was a combination of two English words, but you would not be aware of them just by this one name. The words were picked to describe a feeling between the couple; something they only share with each other. There is another person I know who has the nickname T-Dub. It is a combination of a couple of sounds in their name. These types of made up words are terms of endearment between two people; though, others may use the words as a sign of familiarity. I happen to remember every nickname given to me, even though several of them have not been uttered in decades. Some of the people who come up with these nicknames may not realize the damage they are inflicting on the individual. A few of you may remember how I rarely ever utter the “F” word pertaining to overweightness. I have heard that word and its variations enough in my younger days to last a lifetime. With my sensitivity to nicknames, I was immediately struck with the one the main character was given in this film festival nominated movie. WITH SO MANY PEOPLE AROUND HER focused on her weight Willowdean, played by Danielle MacDonald (Every Secret Thing, Patti Cake$), decided to enter a beauty pageant to make a political statement. And the pageant happened to be run by her mother Rosie, played by Jennifer Aniston (Cake, We’re the Millers), a former beauty pageant winner. This comedic, musical drama also starred Odeya Rush (Lady Bird, The Giver) as Ellen, Maddie Baillio (Hairspray Live-TV movie) as Millie and Bex Taylor-Klaus (The Last Witch Hunter, Arrow-TV) as Hannah. Though the story has been done before in various ways, I thoroughly enjoyed the execution of it in this movie. Danielle was wonderful in her role, to the point I could relate to parts of her character. Make no mistake, the message the writers were conveying came across fully without being preachy. Now granted the story hit close to home for me, but I feel I am being objective here. I enjoyed the cast and felt they interacted well together. Part of the reason fell on the director; I thought the subtleness in several scenes was the perfect touch to accentuate the story and message. Willowdean’s nickname is one that I think I will remember for a long time.
3 stars — DVD
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