Blog Archives
Flash Movie Review: Woman of the Hour
IT IS NOT LIKE I STUDIED FOR it or practiced it over and over again; it is just some feeling that directs my interactions with the world. Let me give you an example. I had an indoor gym set that essentially consisted of one weight stack, one bench, and various attachments to work the different muscle groups. One of my exercises on it was a lat pulldown, pulling a bar suspended above my head down until my arms formed a 90-degree angle. One day, I started to close my eyes and turn my face away from the weight stack in front of me as I pulled down the bar. I cannot tell you why, though it was odd, but it was something I started doing every time I did this exercise. After one week of doing this, the next time I went to start the routine by standing to reach the bar and bringing it down, the cable snapped. I was stunned. Because t had just grabbed the bar, there was little force, and the frayed cable end flopped down onto the bench that was between my legs. It suddenly occurred to me that if I had been sitting down exerting force by pulling down on the bar, that cable would have snapped right into my face. The crazy part was after I replaced the broken cable and sat to do the pulldowns, I was not aware at first that I did not close my eyes or turn my face away. I have no explanation. THIS SAME, LET ME CALL IT, phenomenon of feeling or sense happens with people. A friend of mine introduced her boyfriend to me after they had been dating for a few months. When I shook his hand in greeting them, I got a bad feeling. It was not something physical per se, more like a sense of dread, ache or ickiness. Every time we got together, I always had this bad feeling around him. I did not want to upset my friend while she was dating this man. However, as they started to settle into being a couple, some things started coming out. It turned out he was controlling and preferred having things his way. Whenever he did not get his way, he would pout and stew about it. Gratefully, my friend did not put up with such behavior for too long, though she went longer than I would have gone. So, you see, there is just something inside of me that protects me and helps me make decisions so I can avoid getting into a bad/uncomfortable situation. I know other people have this ability and you can see for yourself how it helps the main character in this crime mystery drama. TRYING TO BREAK INTO SHOW BUSINESS, an aspiring actress agrees to go on a televised dating show. She does not realize that her instincts just might save her life. With Anna Kendrick (Pitch Perfect franchise, Up in the Air) as Sheryl, Daniel Zovatto (Don’t Breathe, The Pope’s Exorcist) as Rodney, Tony Hale (Quiz Lady, Arrested Developments-TV) as Ed, Nicolette Robinson (One Night in Miami, Day of the Fight) as Laura, and Pete Holmes (Home Sweet Home Alone, Crashing-TV) as Terry; this film based on a true story was Anna’s directorial debut. She did an excellent job for her first time, building up tension while not showing graphic violence. Because of the script, I did not get a strong connection to the characters, and maybe that was done on purpose to focus more on the women, for the period of time the story was set in. The fact this was based on a true story made me sit and wonder what things must have been like back then; it was such a sad and crazy story. By the time the movie ended, I had the feeling that Anna could easily make a career out of being a film director.
2 ¾ stars
Flash Movie Review: Killer Heat
MY FIRST EXPOSURE TO TWIN SIBLINGS was a movie where teenage twin sisters swap places and scheme to reunite their divorced parents. Seeing the two sisters together looking identical fascinated me. I was too young to realize that it was one actress playing both sisters. The next time I encountered twins was watching a television show called Family Affair. The twins were Buffy and Jody, a brother and sister, but they were not identical. Except for these two experiences, I had no contact with any sets of twins until I was in high school. And then, it was like an explosion because there were several sets during my four years in school. A couple of them were identical twins; one in particular was always difficult to figure out who was who, until you talked to them for a little while. One brother was into sports, and I thought was mean; the other one was more into the social clubs like film and debate team which suited his friendlier personality. I remember one time when they swapped their classes for one period. I had the nicer brother in my classroom, and I knew within a matter of minutes that the other brother was sitting next to me instead; he did not say hello, which the nicer one always did when coming in and sitting down at his desk. Surprisingly, the teacher did not know the difference. THERE WAS ANOTHER SET OF TWIN brothers in the school that were both bullies, one was worse, however. They would pick on students all the time; in the classroom, lunchroom and outside on the school grounds. I learned quickly to stay away from them as best as I could. It was not until the end of our sophomore year that some of us found out the two brothers were not twins. The meaner one was held back a year; in other words, he flunked a grade. The two brothers decided to tell everyone they were twins so the older one would not be embarrassed. The thing I found interesting about the sets of twins in school was when there were two girls or a girl and a boy set, they were never competitive with each other. Sure, they may have had some form of sibling rivalry, but I never saw one trying to beat out the other. It was only the sets that had two boys that were competitive at our school. Even if the personalities were different, they still had a strong streak of competitiveness. Granted, none of them could match the competitiveness of the twins in this romantic, crime mystery drama, and I am grateful for it. AFTER A YOUNG ROCK CLIMBER FALLS from a cliff to his death, one of the family members secretly hires a detective to investigate all the clues to see if things match up. As the detective delves deeper into the case, his own issues begin to come out. With Joseph Gordon-Levitt (The Trial of the Chicago 7, Flora and Son) as Nick Bali, Shailene Woodley (Dumb Money, To Catch a Killer) as Penelope Vardakis, Richard Madden (Eternals, Game of Thrones-TV) as Elias ‘Leonidas,’ Clare Holman (Let Him Have It, Inspector Lewis-TV) as Audrey, and Babou Ceesay (Eye in the Sky, We Hunt Together-TV) as Georges Mensah; this film was shot in the beautiful island of Crete. The outdoor scenes were stunning. I enjoyed the performances from the cast, but the script did not offer them much to work their craft. The characters were one-dimensional, which turned many scenes into standard fare. I liked the idea of the story, and I thought Joseph and Shailene could have turned into characters with depth and emotion; though no fault of their own, I was disappointed. Well, at least I enjoyed the scenery.
2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Saturday Night
I CANNOT REMEMBER HOW, BUT I kept hearing about a new television show that was going to air on a Saturday night. The first thing that struck me was the fact it was airing on a Saturday night; the night most everyone could do something that was not work or school related. The other thing that struck me was the fact I kept hearing about it no matter where I was on campus. In discussion halls, the student union, laboratories; I would hear bits and pieces of students’ conversations about this strange new show. Only one friend out of our group had a television in their room, but they were going back home that weekend; so, the rest of us decided to meet at our student union building because they had a large TV room for the students. The week before the telecast, I was hearing more chatter about the show. It seemed as if every student was curious enough that they wanted to see what the show was about. I told my friends there may be a lot of students showing up at the student union, so maybe we should come up with an alternative plan in case we cannot get into the TV room. We pleaded with our friend to let us borrow his television and we would bring it back on Sunday when he returned to campus. He was not too thrilled, but we promised we would make sure nothing happened to it, that we would wrap the TV in a blanket before moving it. He finally agreed. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE TELEVISION would come to my room because I did not have a roommate, so I had a little more space for us to spread out. On Friday, four of us met up and moved the television to my place. Once I plugged it in, we turned it on to make sure we had good reception; all was in order and all we had to do was wait until the next day. Saturday came and we met for dinner at a pizza place near campus before coming back to watch the show. Once everyone had settled into my place and the television was turned on, we sat and waited. It did not take long before we were laughing and hooting at the television screen. The show was such a mix of oddball scenarios mixed with humor nuttiness; all of us could not stop talking about it after the show had ended. On Monday, back in class, everyone was talking about the show, some feeling the humor was directed at our age group, others loving the satirical bent used during the fake newscast. For the rest of the school year, my friends and I would squeeze into a packed television room at the student union to watch the show. All these feelings flooded back to me when I watched this biographical, dramatic comedy film. ON OCTOBER 11, 1975, A GROUP of young comedians and writers were hoping to do something different on television. They would not know if they would be ready to go until the very last minute before airing. With Gabriel LaBelle (The Fabelmans, The Predator) as Lorne Michaels, Rachel Sennott (Bottoms, I Use to be Funny) as Rosie Shuster, Cory Michael Smith (Carol, May December) as Chevy Chase, Ella Hunt (Anna and the Apocalypse, Lady Chatterley’s Lover) as Gilda Radner, and Dylan O’Brien (The Maze Runner franchise, Love and Monsters) as Dan Aykroyd; this movie started out at a frenzied, frenetic pace that was almost overwhelming for me. However, once I got used to it, I fell into a satisfying rhythm. The actors had varying degrees of likeness to the characters they were playing, but it was their acting abilities that made them believable. Since I was a fan of the television show, I got a huge kick out of watching this picture. I did not mind the holes in the script that could have been filled with more story about each character. Also, I am guessing not everything depicted was true and I was okay with it. Putting the pieces together, I had a fun time sitting and watching this film while reliving my memories of being there when the first episode was broadcast.
3 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Hold Your Breath
IF I AM NOT READING A BOOK or listening to music, I always have the television turned on, even if I have no plans to watch it. I use a TV as background noise because I am uncomfortable being in silence. There is a reason for it. There was a television show that debuted when I was a small child of six or seven years of age. I probably was too young to watch it, because I always dreamt of a horrible nightmare when I went to sleep after having watched the show. Every episode started out with the television screen going black and a single white dot would appear in the center. A voice would come on and tell us not to adjust our television sets, there was nothing wrong with them. I believe the next thing the announcer said was they were taking control of our sets and that is when that white dot turned into a wavy line, getting smaller and bigger at times. I can remember snippets of the different episodes, but each week there was always a “monster” or alien being since the show leaned more towards science fiction as opposed to something like The Twilight Zone. I would be terrified of the monsters; some with extra powers or wanting to do experiments on humans. Even if I closed my eyes during a scene, I still would wake up in the middle of the night from a bad dream. THAT SHOW WAS THE START OF me not liking silence. As I grew older and no longer needed a babysitter, I could not handle being in a quiet space. Any little sounds coming from the house or outside would cause me to jump. One time there was some noise I heard coming from the back porch. I quickly turned off all the lights and hid in the kitchen pantry. Not because I was hungry, but because from there I could sneak peeks at the back door, to see if a human shadow loomed up. I would stand in there for 15-20 minutes before I thought it was safe to come out. Through the years, past my college graduation and moving out into my own apartment, I was the same when it came to hearing noises. Imagine living in a big courtyard apartment building; there were always various noises sounding off; my television and music player were my constant companions. It is as if my mind is always ready to take a pessimistic view when it comes to hearing an uncommon sound that I cannot explain. I do not know if it is a good or dreadful thing, that I understood what the main character was going through in this dramatic, horror thriller. WITH HER HUSBAND AWAY FOR WORK, a wife had to take care of the house and their children during the Oklahoma dust storms that ravaged the state. The fact that there might be something else bad outside made raising their kids all the harder. With Sarah Paulson (Run, American Horror Story-TV) as Margaret Bellum, Amiah Miller (The Water Man, War for the Planet of the Apes) as Rose Bellum, relative newcomer (Alona Jane Robbins as Ollie Bellum, Annaleigh Ashford (American Reject, B Positive-TV) as Esther Smith, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear-TV, No Hard Feelings) as Wallace Grady; this movie was beautifully filmed. I enjoyed the atmospheric scenes mixed in with the starkness; they helped with creating the bleakness of the environment. Sarah and Amiah were especially strong with their characters; Sarah was especially riveting. However, my interest periodically faded at times because the script created this series of repetitive scenarios that did not build up the tension or move the story forward. There needed to be more tension that would have led to a stronger ending. Even if I did not like hearing unfamiliar sounds when I am alone, after seeing this picture, I am amazed at the people who survived these storms back in the 1930s in Oklahoma.
2 ¼ stars
Flash Movie Review: Joker: Folie A Deux
I BELIEVE I AM A MARKETER’S dream because I like trying out new products. Not every kind of product, mind you, just those that are in my wheelhouse. They say variety is the spice of life, and in certain circumstances that is true; however, when it comes to food items I have my limits. I remember when my favorite candy-coated chocolate candy came out with a caramel flavor; I had to buy a bag the next time I went to the grocery store. It was terrific. Now if you are not a fan of caramel then this item would not do anything for you, I get it. The same thing with my favorite chocolate sandwich cookie. They came out with a thin version, touting less calories. That may have been questionable, but I enjoyed them because I like the chocolate cookie part more than the creamy filling. The cookies recently came out with a cola flavored cookie which just seems wrong to me. Now on the other hand, when I see or read about a new product or flavor that uses weird combinations, at least weird in my mind, I must wonder who would buy such a thing. The candy-coated candies tried a new flavor: jalapeno peanut chocolate. They were a flop. One of the most unusual items I have ever heard about were pumpkin spice scented flushable wipes. I wonder who would use such a thing. BESIDES THE FOOD CATEGORY, THERE ARE certain things/ideas I hear about that do not sound good to me. There was talk at one time about creating a Titanic themed resort in Las Vegas. The hotel would be in the shape of the ship. Personally, I thought it was a poor idea to turn a tragic event into a happening Vegas resort. The movie with Kate Winslet was wonderful; however, when I heard, there was talk to turn it into a Broadway musical, I found it disturbing. Though it could be said of the film, the idea of cashing in a tragedy makes me uncomfortable for some reason. The only example I can come up with is basing a musical on a meat packing plant or something similar. This mixing of two genres or two ideas that share nothing in common does not seem to work in my opinion. Or, let me say it in a different way; it often does not end in success. Here is the perfect example: I do not want to see comic book characters thrust into singing in a musical number. You will understand with my review of this musical drama thriller. WHILE WAITING FOR HIS TRIAL, A prison inmate finds the love of his life, who appears to be in perfect synch with him. With Joaquin Phoenix (Beau’s Dead, The Sisters Brother) as Arthur Fleck, Lady Gaga (House of Gucci, A Star is Born) as Lee Quinzel, Brendan Gleeson (In the Heart of the Sea, The Banshees of Inisherin) as Jackie Sullivan, Catherine Keener (The Adam Project, Get Out) as Maryanne Stewart, and Zazie Beetz (Nine Days, Deadpool 2) as Sophie Dumond; this movie was one of the worst films I have seen this year. There was very little positive about it except for Lady Gaga. As far as I was concerned, she was the star of the movie and with the little portion of the script given to her, she turned it into a solid piece of work. The script was looney with most of the action taking place in prison but being broken up with several musical numbers. Joaquin cannot sing, which only made watching this film more painful. I could not wait for this movie to be over, having sat through it with no movement of story or purpose. It came across as someone’s pipe dream, and whoever greenlighted this production should not be allowed to keep their position. As a side note: I read in the newspaper that ticket sales dropped 81% after its first week at the theaters. That should tell you everything you need to know.
1 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Rebel Ridge
HE WAS A SHORT, SLIGHT MAN with a close-cropped beard and straight brown hair that always looked feathery. This was my first impression of my yoga instructor, who would remain mine through the first year of my training to become an instructor. There was gentleness and kindness about him; he always took the time to work one on one with each of us in class. Whenever he would demonstrate a pose, he moved into it like a cat, slow and determined. Because I was so focused on taking notes and looking at the poses he did, I did not notice him as much if that makes sense. I was looking to see where hands and feet needed to be rather than focusing on the way his body would move into the pose. Around halfway through the year we had a celebratory event where multiple classes would come together. It was part doing yoga and part mingling. I met some of the upper-class students and watched them during our yoga session. They were so smooth as they moved into the various poses. During the break, I went up and talked with them, asking about their experience at the school. At some point, one of them asked me who was my instructor. When I told him, he said I had the best teacher in the school. I was thrilled to hear it. WHAT HE SAID NEXT THREW ME for a loop. He asked if I knew about my instructor’s background. I said no. He told me something that stunned me. My instructor was involved with the military until a tragic event shattered his leg. The story this upper-class student told me was after the event my teacher was sent home for multiple surgeries and a lengthy rehabilitation. This student told me to look at the instructor’s body when he moves into a pose. Since he was ahead of me in school, I thought I would see what he was talking about and look at my instructor’s body when he was doing poses. It turned out I had to look more than once because what I saw was fascinating. The fact his leg was shattered, I would never have known. Each time his body moved into a pose I would see his smooth, pliable limbs turn into sculpted, solid muscle. Not like a heavy weightlifter’s muscles, more like a Michelangelo statue. They would rise from his skin and form this rock-solid landscape across his body. I would have been most curious to hear what he used to do in the military because he was nothing what I pictured a military person to be. I was reminded of him because of the main character in this action, crime thriller. MAKING HIS WAY TO POST BAIL for his cousin, a former Marine finds himself in a town that could make better use of his bail money. With Aaron Pierre (Brother, Old) as Terry Richmond, Don Johnson (Knives Out, Book Club: The Next Chapter) as Chief Sandy Burnne, AnnaSophia Robb (Soul Surfer, Bridge to Terabithia) as Summer McBride, David Denman (The Equalizer 3, The Office-TV) as Officer Evan Marston, and Emory Cohen (Brooklyn, Lords of Chaos) as Officer Steve Lann; this drama was slick and to the point, taking me by surprise. I thought the cast, especially Aaron, was excellent. The story is a no-frills good against evil type of story and I fell right into it. The action was intense, and the fight scenes were well done. In a way, it was refreshing to watch an action film without the special effects or wild camera work or a multitude of dead bodies; I felt I was following a simple, story that could have been based in truth. On some level, this movie reminded me of an old-fashioned western film besides reminding me of my past yoga instructor.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Challengers
I WANTED TO LEARN HOW TO play tennis. Neither of my schools offered it as a sport. So, during a summer break, I signed up for tennis lessons through The Learning Annex. Classes were to meet at a tennis facility not too far from the downtown area. I was excited because the facility was home to a couple of tennis tournaments; I was hoping I would see someone “famous.” On the first day of class, there was a total of twelve students; we were split into two groups. It turned out I was the only left-handed person in my group. The first thing the instructor taught us was how to hold the tennis racket. He went up to each of us to check on our grip and make any needed adjustments. I thought things were going well, but when it came time to teach us how to serve, I could not get the hang of it as quickly as the others. It should not have been so difficult because all I had to do was switch his usage of right and left; but for some reason, I could not make it work. He tried working with me, but I could see he was not a patient person. The same thing happened when he was teaching us the ground strokes. While everyone’s ball was going to one side of the court, mine was going to the other side. I was getting self-conscious, uncomfortable, and started to feel like I was being left out. Gratefully, there were only two classes left. FROM THAT EXPERIENCE, I DECIDED I would practice on my own and pay closer attention to televised matches. I used the side of my elementary school’s building to hit the ball against. When I got to college, I had a friend who taught me how to put spin on the ball. Up until that point, I was hitting flat straight balls. On the weekends, we would go down to the sports facility and get a court for us to hit the ball back and forth. Pretty soon I was able to add a little spin to my hits. We eventually started to play games and keep score. I never won but that was okay with me because I was not the type of person who was competitive. He was, however. I just wanted to have fun hitting the ball and trying to make the shots. This was something I never understood: if one was not having fun doing whatever sport then why do it. My friend never looked like he was having fun; it was all about the winning. Except in the earlier scenes of this film festival winner, I felt the same way about the main characters in this dramatic, sport romance. They did not look like they were having fun. TWO FRIENDS VIE FOR THE ATTENTION of a tennis prodigy. There could only be one winner, so what would it take. With Mike Faist (West Side Story, The Bikeriders) as Art Donaldson, Josh O’Connor (God’s Own Country, The Crown-TV) as Patrick Zweig, Zendaya (Dune franchise, Spider-Man franchise) as Tashi Donaldson, newcomer Bryan Doo, and A.J. Lister (Birth/Rebirth) as Lily; this film was fortunate to have this cast in the roles. They were all good, helping to keep the intensity and drama up in this film. What I did not care for was the jumping back and forth in time; I quickly found it annoying. The action and editing cuts were so fast that I soon got tired watching them. It was a shame because I thought the story had merit, but I wonder how I would have felt if they stuck closer to a linear timeline. There were some scenes that did not seem believable to me, which may have added to my losing interest in the characters. With that being said, I still enjoyed the tennis matches and the few extremely dramatic scenes; but at the end, this was not a love match for me.
2 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat
THE RESTAURANT WAS OUR SANCTUARY. IF memory serves me correctly, it was one of the first places, that was not serving fast food, where I went without my parents. The time was my high school years, and my friends and I started going to it because it was in the middle between our elementary school district boundaries. The restaurant was a decent sized place, with parking lots on both sides of the building. The front door and waiting area were in the middle; on one side there were all booths and on the other it was booths along the walls, but the rest of the floor space was filled with tables. I did not realize it then, but I guess the tabled room was used more for lunches, dinners, and larger sized parties. Most of the time my friends and I were taken to a booth. Another reason we liked hanging out at this restaurant, besides the friendly staff and tasty food, was their abundant breadbasket filled with a variety of bread slices, rolls, breadsticks, and crackers. If someone did not have a lot of money to spend on food, they could easily order a soft drink and chow down on the bread items. It was always the first thing the wait staff would put down when people were seated. What I especially liked was the fact the wait staff never tried to talk down to us or try to rush us out after we had eaten. It was in these booths where we could talk about anything and share whatever was on our minds. I AM STILL FRIENDS WITH SOME of the people who sat with me at the restaurant. Not only did we spend time together there through high school, but we also did during our college years. If one of us was attending an out of state university, they were especially eager to meet up at the restaurant anytime they were back home for a visit. I remember how no one would bring their girl or boyfriend around until they were well established in the relationship. It was always overwhelming for the new person to join into our tight knit group, but we did our best to make them comfortable. Some time after college one of the parents of a friend passed away; after the funeral, a group of us met up at the restaurant to have a meal before going back to their house. This restaurant was a vital part of our lives when growing up; it was our therapy, our social life, and our introduction to becoming independent human beings with a strong bond between each of us. Due to these memories, I suddenly felt connected to this comedic drama. THROUGH A LIFETIME, THE BONDS BETWEEN an intimate group of friends gets tested by relationships, prejudices, and love. With Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor (Ray, Origin) as Odette, Sanaa Lathan (The Perfect Guy, Something New) as Barbara Jean, Uzo Aduba (Really Love, Orange is the New Black-TV) as Clarice, Mekhi Phifer (Lights Out, ER-TV) as James, and Julian McMahon (Fantastic Four franchise, FBI: Most Wanted-TV) as Ray; this movie based on the best selling novel, won me over by the strong acting of the main characters. They came across real and had emotional depth. I will say though, it seemed as if some scenes were cut short or appeared to be because of the switching from present to past. I thought the sets and costumes were perfect and appreciated the way the writers did not shy away from events that were prevalent during those times. I can only imagine the book must be even better than this picture. There was a level of predictability to the story, but it did not distract me from being so entertained by the cast. The connections the friends had to each other reminded me of the ones I had/have with my friends; I was left with a feeling of comfort after this movie was over.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: His Three Daughters
THE FUNERAL SERVICE STARTED OUT ODD and only got weirder. I was in attendance to support my friend, whose mother had died after a prolonged illness. Her mother was such a character, I almost expected the service to have a jovial element to it. However, once I walked in and saw the receiving line of people paying their respects to my friend and her siblings, I knew something was not right. I could feel the tension in the air. My friend and her brother were standing in the middle of the front row, right in front of their mother’s casket that was flanked at both ends by a huge bouquet of flowers. The other sibling, the sister, was standing alone at the beginning of the row, to be the first stop for guests. What I found unusual about this, besides her not sitting with her siblings, was the fact she was wearing a fur coat. It was not that cold outside, I thought. The coat looked odd on her, it was too big; her hands were not visible due to the long sleeves. I did not know each of the siblings’ financial situation, but I thought it was strange that a woman in this day of age would have a fur coat. Plus, the length of the coat hung close to her ankles. Once the guests and I made our way through to give our condolences and to find a seat, there was a brief service. Never once did the sister and her siblings make eye contact. A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER, I called my friend to see how she was managing. It was the first time we talked since the funeral. I asked how she was doing and she said she was angry. I asked her why and she said dealing with her sister had been awful. It turned out she was still upset that her sister went into their mother’s closet, without telling anyone, and took the fur jacket. Well, that explains it, I thought to myself. My friend spent a good deal of time ranting about her sister. It turned out the sister had gotten into a fight with the brother before the funeral and refused to sit with them. Evidently, this sister went through their parents’ house and took things she wanted, such as old photo albums and jewelry; never discussed it prior with her siblings. I would like to say I was of course only hearing one side of the story but taking that kind of stuff without discussing it did seem wrong to me. My friend said she and her brother were waiting for the lawyer to have the reading of the will. The curious side of me would like to be a fly on the wall to see how that would go for them. I had the same curiosity for the three sisters in this drama. THREE SISTERS CAME TOGETHER TO CARE for their dying father, at his New York City apartment. How were they supposed to do it when they did not know how to take care of each other? With Carrie Coon (The Gilded Age-TV, Ghostbusters: Afterlife) as Katie, Natasha Lyonne (Russian Doll-TV, Poker Face-TV) as Rachel, Elizabeth Olsen (Wind River, Ingrid Goes West) as Christina, Rudy Galvan (Megan is Missing, Slice) as Angel, and Jose Febus (Law & Order-TV, East WillyB-TV) as Victor; this film festival winner captured me immediately due to the outstanding performances of the lead actors. I thought the actors took the thoughtful and authentic script and wove it into cinema magic. Without the need of explanation, Carrie, Natasha, and Elizabeth were able to convey so much to the viewer with a simple look or expression, to convey their emotional states and feelings. It felt like everyone was authentic in this movie and the fact that most of the scenes took place in the father’s apartment over a few days, my attention never wavered. I believe even if the viewer cannot relate to the relationship between the three sisters, they would still get something out of this story.
3 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Uglies
GOING TO THE GROCERY STORE, I was not expecting it to be such a disturbing experience. I can remember it like it just happened, in aisle three; I bumped into a woman I had not seen for several years. She recognized me first; she had to because I did not recognize her at all. As we began conversing with each other, I tried studying her face without being too obvious. I was positive her face was the result of having plastic surgery. Trying to recall what she used to look like, I could not see anything that was wrong with her original face. She had wrinkles down her neck, an outburst of tiny ones that spread beyond her eyes and a few wrinkles across her forehead, just like so many other people of her age. I do remember how much she worshipped the sun to the point where her skin looked like tanned leather. Now, I was looking at a face that was utterly void of lines and creases. Her eyeballs looked like they had sunken further into her skull and more distressing than that, they were not symmetrical. I was so self-conscious about looking at her too intently. The lips on her face were nothing I remembered; these were overripe and stiff. Honestly, her face looked like all the emotions and expressions from it had been sucked off. I HOPE YOU DO NOT THINK I am judgmental; I feel a person can do whatever they want if it makes them feel good. I just do not understand the point of cosmetic surgery. If someone is born with a birthmark that they feel is distractive, then they have the right to eliminate it. My philosophy with my dermatologist is “if I was not born with it, then get rid of it.” As I am getting older, I have noticed moles popping up on my skin. I will have them checked out by the doctor then we will both decide whether they need to be removed or not, since skin cancer runs in my family. The part I do not understand are the individuals who want to take their features and accentuate them. Lips, for example, which are so out of proportion to the face look like two massive larvae resting below the nose. When the skin is pulled so tight across the face to the point it is barely flexible, I do not understand how that is considered pretty or better. Ultimately, I know it is the person’s decision to make and again, if it makes them feel better that is all that matters. Then again, I am the type of person that focuses more on what is inside the person, unlike what was happening to the inhabitants in this action, adventure fantasy. HAVING GROWN UP IN A WORLD where everyone is considered ugly until they get their mandatory extreme cosmetic surgery, a young girl is totally perplexed when her friend decides to escape the confines of the city. The girl chooses to find her friend before it is too late. With Joey King (A Family Affair, The In Between) as Tally, Brianne Tju (Gone in the Night, Three Months) as Shay, Keith Powers (The Tomorrow War, Before I Fall) as David, Chase Stokes (Between Waves, Outer Banks-TV) as Peris, and Laverne Cox (Promising Young Woman, Orange is the New Black-TV) as Dr. Cable; this drama followed a standard path for this genre of story. I enjoyed watching Joey’s character and liked the idea of the story. However, I felt the writers could have done so much more with the story instead of just keeping the drama level close to one level. Parts of the movie felt like they were trying to imitate The Hunger Games franchise, except not as well. At least there were a few exciting moments; but I was ticked off by the ending. It is obvious the movie studio is hoping to turn this into a long running franchise by leaving the viewer hanging. This picture was not a pretty sight.
1 ½ stars
moviejoltz 