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Flash Movie Review: The Man Who Invented Christmas
ONLY FOR A MOMENT did I catch a glimpse of a shadow against the wall before it retreated. I quickly changed directions and walked away from the alleyway. Purposely I tried keeping my footsteps quiet by taking little steps with the soles of my shoes rolling from heel to toe against the pavement. It did not help as I heard a rustling sound behind me. Darting into a gangway between two apartment buildings, I saw each of them had wrought iron fire escapes that mirrored each other. They looked like origami figurines with a limb reaching out to grab me. Walking up to one of the fire escapes I grabbed a hold of the bottom rung of a ladder that easily gave way for me to pull it far down enough for me to hoist myself onto it. Quickly I made my way up to the first floor and cowered against the building in a crevice of a black area the nearby street lamp could not reach. The dark shadow I had seen lengthened down the alley towards my location. A looming figure attached to the shadow came into view… WHAT YOU JUST READ was something out of my imagination. I apologize if you wanted to find out what happened next, but that scenario never took place. However I will tell you as I was writing it I was looking at it as if it really did take place. You see whenever I write a piece of fiction I see everything in my mind first and then it appears before my eyes. My own version of virtual reality I guess you can call it. In fact I have been accused of not paying attention in class or when someone is speaking directly to me because I do not maintain constant eye contact; I actually am listening to them and picturing what they are telling me. When I think about it I have always had this capability, even before I found my fondness for writing; all that was needed was an imagination. Being a visual learner I certainly can attest to the benefits of visualization. What a surprise it was to see Charles Dickens did the same thing in this comedic drama. DISAPPOINTED WITH HIS RECENT works Charles Dickens, played by Dan Stevens (Beauty and the Beast, Downton Abbey-TV), was desperate to overcome his writer’s block and produce a successful story for the holidays. All he needed to do was look at the people around him. This film festival winning movie based on a true story also starred Christopher Plummer (The Sound of Music, A Beautiful Mind) as Ebenezer Scrooge, Jonathan Pryce (Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, Game of Thrones-TV) as John Dickens, Simon Callow (Amadeus, Four Weddings and a Funeral) as Leech and Miriam Gargoyles (The Age of Innocence, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets) as Mrs. Fisk. The idea for this story was a new twist on the Christmas Carol story. I enjoyed watching the process Charles Dickens went through to create his iconic story. The acting was a mixed bag for me; I thought Christopher Plummer far outshined Dan in this biographical film. At times I thought the humor was a bit much, inching the Charles Dickens character closer to buffoonery. I may have felt this way because Dan was not totally believable to me. I would have preferred added focus on creating more drama in the script. Despite these issues there still was a certain charm to this picture and fans of Charles Dickens or at least his novel “A Christmas Carol” will get a kick out of the imagination used to bring the novel’s characters to life.
2 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Lady Bird
THE CHARACTERISTICS DETERMINING WHO or what a person is makes up their identity. My question is how much of that identity is affected by outside influences. Recently I had a lunch date with a father and daughter. They had similar facial features but that is not so unusual; their shared characteristics however really intrigued me. Besides having similar personality traits they both had common likes and dislikes, along with some interesting quirks. I was fascinated seeing them together since it was my first time meeting the daughter. Later in the day I remember thinking about the similarities between those family members and wondering how much of my identity was created by outside forces. When you think about it aren’t you usually surprised when a couple has more than one child and each one is so different? You would assume being raised in the same type of environment their children would have similar temperaments, but it is not true. ONE OF THE CHARACTERISTICS I feel a child needs to go out into this world is to be independent. This is a trait that can come about from having parent(s) active in child rearing or on the other hand not having parents involved. I have seen children grow up fiercely independent from both home environments. Not that I would ever cringe if a young adult said they wanted to be just like their mother or father, unless their parent was a serial killer; but being able to discern between positive and negative characteristics is important and I do not believe everyone can tell the difference. In previous reviews I have talked about abusers more than likely having been abused themselves. There is a family I know where the parent neglected their child for the most part. That child grew up and when they had children they did the same thing by neglecting them. On the other hand you can have a parent and child who are so much alike they might not even be aware of it, just like in this film festival winning dramatic comedy. NOT WANTING TO BE the same like everyone else Christine McPherson, played by Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn, Hanna), chose to become “Lady Bird.” It would be her way to escape her hometown of Sacramento, California and her mother Marion, played by Laurie Metcalf (The Big Bang Theory-TV, Roseanne-TV). Written and directed by Greta Gerwig (Jackie, Mistress America) this was one of the best coming of age stories I have seen this year. With Odeya Rush (The Giver, Almost Friends) as Jenna Walton and Timothee Chalamet (Love the Coopers, Interstellar) as Kyle Scheible, I thought the entire cast was perfect with their characters. Laurie was so outstanding I believe she could get a nomination for her role. What I appreciated most about this movie was the authenticity of the dialog and action. Without giving much away let me just say the scene where Lady Bird and her mother are shopping for a dress was pitch perfect. Now granted I have no experience regarding the mother daughter connection, but I have been privy to the dynamics of it through friends and family. I felt Greta did an excellent job capturing the feelings and flavor of the turmoil being experienced by the McPhersons. In a field of comedies and coming of age stories this one certainly stands out as being different, which is a good thing.
3 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Wonder
OVER THE YEARS THE derogatory words/terms I have heard directed towards me and to people around me has grown. The majority of them was from years ago before people became politically correct; so please excuse me for I do not mean to offend anyone and I will refrain from the more offensive words. I am aware some people grew up never hearing any of these words around them. Also, I know some people’s lists are longer than others. Keep in mind space is limited here so here is just a fraction of the words I heard uttered, yelled, hissed, spoken, threatened, teased, whispered and said around me: freak, fat, rabbit face, spas, turd, hippo, 4 eyes, sissy, booger nose, slob, toad, fag, slime, acid breath, pubic head, elephant man, bird brain, troll, gargantuan, gargoyle, gimp, whore, tubby, butt face; I think you get the point and I did not even use the slanderous ones that have to do with race, ethnicity or religion. REMEMBERING THE PEOPLE WHO uttered these words and hearing what is being said these days across all social media, news reports and random conversations; I find it all sad and horrific. I have to wonder if the adults who carry a prejudice have always had it. Was the prejudice handed down from their parents or some relative; did something happen to them physically that turned them against a particular minority? This is what I am most curious about; where did this hatred towards differences come from? Even if you think “hatred” is too strong of a word then use “dislike” instead. I do not understand why people look at differences as if they are wrong. As a young child I can see where one might be shy or fearful upon seeing something different about someone. I can still remember a conversation I had with a new boy on the block whose family came from a foreign country. The way it was explained to me was saying that family was born in a different part of the world where everyone there was born with certain physical features needed for that area. I may not have understood all of it at the time, but whatever fears I had were alleviated quickly. When I was watching this film festival winning drama I was reminded how tough life can be if you are perceived as different. AFTER BEING HOME SCHOOLED for several years Auggie, played by Jacob Tremblay (Room, The Book of Henry), was going to attend his first school. His mother Isabel, played by Julia Roberts (Mother’s Day, Eat Pray Love), thought the time was right; she just hoped the kids would be nice to her son who preferred to wear an astronaut’s helmet. Based on the bestselling book the cast also included Owen Wilson (No Escape, Are You Here) as Nate, Izabela Vidovic (Homefront, The Fosters-TV) as Via and Noah Jupe (Suburbicon, The Night Manager-TV) as Jack Will. The actors did a beautiful job with the well written script. I felt the scenes were authentic and the characters were believable. For the few films I have seen Jacob in I have to say he will have a long career; he really is something special to watch on screen. As for the story it could easily have turned into a syrupy heartstring pull, but I think the director did his best to stay close to the border of it. Despite the chances one will tear up during this film, I feel the story is important enough for every child and adult to see.
3 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Wonderstruck
THE DINING ROOM TABLE was all set for the arrival of the dinner guests. Covering the table was a handmade table cloth from a relative now deceased. Each place setting had a plate, bowl, glass and silverware; all were recently purchased. In the middle of the table was a candelabra that was handed down through at least a couple of generations in the family. Made of silver the candlestick holder was tarnished; in fact, no matter how much work was put in to polish it the silver never regained its former luster. There were arms that came out from the center fluted column; each arm had a holder at the end that looked like an upside down, silver foiled candy piece. Also on the table was a salad bowl that looked like a white, plastic helmet. This too came from a deceased relative. The host remembered when he was a small child, seeing the plastic bowl out for big family dinners. There was one more thing on the dining room table that had memories attached to it, a small ornamental metal cup that was only used on religious holidays. At least that was what the host was told when the cup was handed down. WHEN I AM A guest in someone’s house, I find myself looking around the room for, what I call artifacts. You know things that look old or maybe I should say look like they have a story. Whether it is framed pictures, ceramic statues or pretty much any object in the place; I always want to hear what the story is behind the thing. You see I feel the people in our lives, both alive and deceased, help mold us into what each of us will become. Plus I enjoy having in my possession items that were handed down from generation to generation. In the previous paragraph imagine how many people would be sitting around the dining room table who had come into contact with the candelabra, salad bowl or metal cup; the connections between everyone would be tremendous. And for that reason this is why I was fascinated with the story in this film festival winning dramatic mystery. THOUGH BORN DECADES APART young Rose and Ben, played by newcomer Millicent Simmonds and Oakes Fegley (Pete’s Dragon, This is Where I Leave You), each wished to find where they belonged. Their journey would lead them to unexpected connections. Based on the book I was fascinated with the story and the dual story lines in this movie. The two young actors in the cast were joined by Julianne Moore (Suburbicon, Maggie’s Plan) as Lillian Mayhew, Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea, My Week with Marilyn) as Elaine and Tom Noonan (Heat, Last Action Hero) as Walter. Visually I felt more interested in Rose’s story, but that probably was due to the decade in which it took place. With an easy soundtrack and interesting scenes I felt engaged with the story. However I thought the directing could have been smoother and the characters could have been given more depth to them. It took me a while to warm up to each character because at first they came across in a monotone way, sort of one dimensional. As the picture progressed and I got more invested into the characters, I felt less slowness which had almost bordered on boredom. There was a payoff for me by the conclusion of the story. When the movie ended I felt as if I had made a connection to several scenes that linger to this day like a family memory.
2 ¾ stars
Flash Movie Review: The Florida Project
THE TOY WAS CURRENTLY one of the biggest sellers across the country. From print advertisements to television commercials it would take some work for someone not to notice this toy, which was getting such buzz. I decided to buy it as a birthday gift for a relative and had it gift wrapped. The toy came in a large box but it did not set off the seatbelt alarm when I placed it on the passenger seat next to me. The fact the toys were hard to find because they were selling so quickly, gave me a bit of pleasure; I was certainly going to be the star in the birthday girl’s eyes. At her birthday party I waited closer to the end before giving her my gift, after she had opened the other gifts. Ripping the gift wrapping paper off of the box she needed help in opening the box. When the toy was removed she squealed with delight then grabbed the box; instead of playing with the toy I bought her, she was playing with the box it had come in. MOST OF THE GATHERED relatives burst out laughing as they watched the little girl play with the box. All the adults knew what a coup it was for me to get this hot selling toy; but to this little child, none of that was important. She was having as much fun, or who knows maybe more fun, with the box as she first pretended it was a hat to wear before turning it into a doll house or maybe it was a parking garage. Isn’t it funny how as adults some of us judge a product or service by the amount of money it cost? I don’t have to tell you that toy was expensive but for the little girl it meant nothing to her. If I would have known I could have bought one of those reusable plastic food containers as a birthday gift! The funny part is while I was watching her play with that toy’s box I suddenly remembered when I was little I had a collection of pens that I pretended were spaceships. It goes to show you one doesn’t need money to have a good time, just a good imagination. LIVING AT A BUDGET motel in the shadow of one of Florida’s largest amusement parks Moonie, played by Brooklynn Prince (Robo-Dog: Airborne), made each day an adventure; oblivious to the schemes her mother Halley, played by newcomer Bria Vinaite, was coming up with to make money. This film festival winning drama also starred Willem Dafoe (The Great Wall, Murder on the Orient Express) as Bobby, newcomer Valeria Cotto as Jancey and newcomer Christopher Rivera as Scooty. The story was a solid piece of work; I enjoyed the whole concept about relationships, authority figures and poverty. The actress who played Moonie was outstanding in this film. I will say I thought the beginning of the story was dragged out. If I remember correctly I looked at my watch one time and 35 minutes had gone by with the same idea behind the scene being played over and over in slightly different versions. It was becoming boring despite the excellent acting from the cast. For newcomers I was surprised how their acting made the characters come alive. If there had been more drama to the scenes however I think I would have gotten more into the movie. It was not until later, after I had left the theater, when I realized there was more to the story or maybe it was just my mind imagining it so.
2 ¾ stars
Flash Movie Review: Murder on the Orient Express
THE SET OF DOORS was still massive looking under the prominent archway sticking out from the building’s façade. Crossing over the threshold the first open area available was a huge lobby. The floor was well worn; the once polished tile was now tired and dull. The ceiling was made up with an elaborate maze of wooden beams that crisscrossed in such a way to form star shapes. Some of the stars had long chandeliers hanging down that threw off just enough light to barely encompass the lobby. There was a grand staircase that started in the middle of the area then swept up like a curl of blonde hair to the 2nd floor. At the top of the staircase just beyond was a wall of stained glass that looked like it was covered in a dark veil; the light coming from behind was no longer strong enough to shine through completely. Behind the staircase on the main floor was a row of doors, each one numbered. NO MATTER WHICH DOOR one walked through, there were railroad tracks waiting on the other side. The platforms were for the most part clear of debris; but there were splotches of dirtiness looking like broken shadows that died on the floor. The lighting was weak, needing the assistance of any light source coming through the glass ceiling above. Not every track had a train unloading or waiting for passengers. As for the train cars that were present, there was not one that did not look like it had gone through some type of battle. With bruises, scrapes and nicks; the cars were so old they would always squeal their aches and pains when leaving the station. Inside the cars one would be challenged to find a seat that did not have a rip in its fabric or graffiti displayed somewhere on the front or back. A passenger’s comfort was not taken into consideration when the cars were manufactured; the main focus was determining how many seats could be stuffed into each car. Seeing the passenger train in this dramatic, crime mystery made me wish I would have had an opportunity to experience such an elegant ride. WHEN ONE PASSENGER WAS found dead in their cabin it was up to Detective Hercule Poirot, played by Kenneth Branagh (Dunkirk, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit) to find the killer before another passenger wound meet the same fate. Based on Agatha Christie’s novel this movie directed by Kenneth Branagh was a beautiful representation of a time long passed. With Daisy Ridley (Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Silent Witness-TV) as Miss Mary Debenham, Leslie Odom Jr. (Red Tails, Person of Interest-TV) as Dr. Arbuthnot, Penelope Cruz (The Counsellor, Head in the Clouds) as Pilar Estravados and Josh Gad (Beauty and the Beast, Marshall) as Hector MacQueen; the cast was filled with heavy hitting actors. I truly enjoyed the way this movie was filmed because it was beautiful to watch. However with the script being so lifeless I had to wonder why the studio hired such a talented cast only to have them do nothing. There were some actors that I cannot recall if they had more than 4 lines; it was silly especially since Kenneth was in almost every scene and in the viewers’ faces. Drama and intensity were missing from this picture. Considering the circumstances taking place there needed to be tension, thrills and excitement; none of that was present in this film. I felt this remake took the story and put it in a pretty package to entice viewers, only to have them open it up and realize they already had seen a better version sometime before.
2 stars
Flash Movie Review: LBJ
THE TWO COUSINS WERE spending the afternoon together. The basement of the house was their domain. Medium dark, wood paneled walls with thick industrial carpeting on the floor would hopefully contain the noise the two boys would make; at least that is what the other relatives were hoping. One cousin turned on his music player while the other one was looking over the stack of games that had been shoved into a bookcase. Agreeing on one board game, they spread the game pieces onto the floor. After fighting over the same game piece to represent each one’s team and getting the rest of the pieces in place on the game board, the visiting cousin asked if there was anything to eat. They walked upstairs into the kitchen; one boy went to the refrigerator, the other to the pantry. Out of all the different foods in the pantry the young boy chose a loaf of white bread. THROUGHOUT THE GAME WHILE one boy had long finished his food, the other cousin continued to work on the loaf of bread. He would take a slice of bread, fold it in half and eat only the inside white bread part first; this way, he would just have the square outline left made entirely of crust to savor last. As the game continued the loaf of bread kept decreasing in length. Slice after slice would eventually disappear into his mouth with him giving little thought to it, except for the comfort he felt while eating it. By the end of the game the entire loaf was gone. The other cousin laughed when he saw the empty bread bag. He kept saying, “An entire loaf of bread, you ate an entire loaf of bread.” The other boy sheepishly asked his cousin not to tell his mother about it. The boy agreed and told his cousin they would have to hide the bag. Back into the kitchen they went to look for something to hide the bread packaging. Inside the garbage can was a greasy paper bag from a fast food restaurant; it was the perfect place to shove the bag in. Ever since that day the one cousin would always bring up that loaf of bread when the two got together; as the two aged it seemed that was going to be the only thing the other cousin would remember about him. The same could easily be said for the president and his war in this biographical drama. WITH THE NATION IN shock from the assassination of John F. Kennedy, played by Jeffrey Donovan (Hitch, Burn Notice-TV); Vice President Lyndon Baines Johnson, played by Woody Harrelson (Lost in London, War for the Planet of the Apes), found himself thrown into a divided White House. With Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Hateful Eight, The Moment), as Lady Bird Johnson, and Michael Stahl-David (In Your Eyes, Cloverfield) as Robert F. Kennedy; this film starts with the time period just prior to the Kennedy election. Woody did his best as Lyndon to the point he overshadowed everyone else. Granted Lyndon was a colorful character but what I found missing in this story was the nitty gritty parts; everything seemed even keeled. I felt there could have been more intensity and tension because pretty much throughout the picture I was not totally convinced with the action in the scenes. The historical aspect was what attracted me and I am sure, like many other people, I only knew Lyndon as the war president. He actually did much more to be remembered by.
2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Same Kind of Different as Me
REVENGE CAN BE THE perfect balm for scorned, hurt feelings. Before I grew up, give or take a decade or two, I was a master of revenge. Not having the insight to acknowledge my feelings or at least look unemotionally at the troubling event that initiated feelings of anger and hurt, I would immediately go on the attack; my goal was to inflict pain as quickly as possible on the person who “hurt” me, so they would feel as much pain as I was feeling. The beauty of revenge is that it floods the mind like a dam bursting open to wash away all of the brain’s thoughts. What replaces those thoughts is darkness and anger. It consumes the person, numbing their sadness. Plotting a way to hurt back the person who harmed you becomes a twisted pastime. Please keep in mind I am not referring to physically abusing another individual, nor am I promoting any form of physical pain on a person. My revenge experiences were more of a verbal and mind games nature. FROM FILM AND REAL life experiences I have seen a variety of ways people show their revenge. How many movies have we seen where two people in a car are fighting and one of them gets kicked out; at least I have seen this type of scene many times. There was a wedding I attended where during the reception a couple got into this huge shouting match. One of the combatants was making all of these derogatory remarks of a personal nature that made everyone around extremely uncomfortable. The two had to be escorted out of the ballroom. Another example of a person getting revenge can take place with couples in troubled love relationships. Let us say the issue is one of the partners took money out of their joint savings account to buy an extravagant item for themselves. To make up for the loss of funds the other partner may make an outrageous demand that would inflict some type of hardship on the “big spender.” I have always said if communication is not cemented into the foundation of a relationship, the life ahead will always be filled with landmines where feelings will get hurt and people may want to take revenge. The demand made in this biographical drama took everyone involved by surprise. WITH THEIR MARRIAGE IN trouble Deborah and Ron Hall, played by Renee Zellweger (My Own Love Song, My One and Only) and Greg Kinnear (Thin Ice, Flash of Genius), were at a crossroads until Deborah made an unusual demand on her husband. She not only wanted Ron to volunteer at the local food pantry, she wanted him to make friends with a violent, homeless man. Based on a true story this film also starred Djimon Hounsou (Guardians of the Galaxy, Gladiator) as Denver and Jon Voight (Woodlawn, Heat) as Earl Hall. The story was unique enough to keep me intrigued throughout the movie. I thought the cast did a good job, adding a certain chemistry of belief to the scenes. What bogged down the story however; was the heavy handedness used to force scenes to their emotional limit. The actual story was amazing, but what the writers and director did with the script was to make this syrupy, cloying emotional heaviness that did not sit well with me. I was not left with angry feelings by the end of the picture; it was more of sadness that such a good story, with a competent cast, was not treated well.
2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Thank You for Your Service
HIS SMILE STOOD OUT prominently underneath his ruddy, bulbous cheeks. Usually quick with a hello unless he was preoccupied, he was a social person who spent a lot of time out of the house. When our paths would cross he would provide a greeting but added nothing further unless I offered a comment or question. Not that there was bad blood between us, I was just a school friend of his little brother. There was a long period of time where I never saw him around the house, when I was over there to see my friend. I just figured he was keeping busy. It must have been a couple of years, I honestly cannot remember, until I saw the brother again. He looked the same except thinner and the redness he always had in his cheeks had spread further across his face like a stain. There was something different about him but I could not figure out the difference. It seemed as if his smile had faded into his face and his once bright green eyes were shielded with lowered, awning sized eyelids now. NO ONE TALKED ABOUT it but the war had changed him. He was one of the first veterans I met from a current conflict. My friend told me his brother never talked about his time in the army. If you had never met the brother before you would not question his behavior; he did not do anything that seemed out of the norm. Prior to becoming friends with the veteran’s brother, my only exposure to changed behavior was from abuse and bullying survivors. I did notice a change with some business employees and executives; but their altered behavior was usually short term or less dramatic. From my experiences I have seen what happens when a person keeps their feelings/emotions bottled up inside of them. They really never stay permanently locked away; they can come out in a variety of ways. For me my outlet was food and though the consuming of food can lead to harmful results, I am grateful I got through compared to what I experienced with others. By watching this film festival winning movie you will see what I am talking about. RETURNING FROM IRAQ, a group of veterans try to fit back into the life they had left behind. Just as the war had tested them, so did this process of returning home. Inspired by a true story this biographical drama starred Miles Teller (War Dogs, Only the Brave) as Adam Schumann, Haley Bennett (The Equalizer, The Girl on the Train) as Saskia Schumann, Keisha Castle-Hughes (Whale Rider, Red Dog) as Alea, Amy Schumer (Trainwreck, Snatched) as Amanda Doster and Joe Cole (Green Room, Secret in Their Eyes) as Billy Waller; this was an actor driven story. I thought the cast did an amazing job; keeping in mind with my limited experience around veterans, I felt I was watching an honest portrayal. There were several intense scenes as the story cut back and forth from current times to past military operations. The letdown for me was the screen adaptation of the book this film was based on. Scenes that obviously could be filled with deep emotions were kept to a lesser level. In other words, I felt the characters could have been given more intensity considering the situation. With my attention captivated by this film I felt I got a better understanding about the life waiting home for some veterans.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Suburbicon
IT STARTED WITH THREE friends who decided to get together for dinner and a movie. They had been friends for years so pretty much knew each others’ tastes regarding food and films. Once the date was found that fit into everyone’s schedule the three friends could figure out where to meet. It was during this brief time when one of the friends asked if they could bring a friend of theirs; the other friends had met the person a few times already so they were fine with including another person into their movie night. A few days later this new addition into the group asked if their cousin could join. The friends could not say no, so starting out with a group of three grew now to five. By the time everyone was getting together there were a total of seven people in attendance. Things were going to get interesting with that many people now involved in the decision process. WHERE THE THREE ORIGINAL friends could quickly pick a restaurant to fit the taste preferences for all of them, these additional people torpedoed that certainty. One person did not like Chinese food, another would not eat Mexican cuisine, one person did not want to spend “too much” money on food; the decision process turned into a mess. Emails, calls and texts were going back and forth nixing one suggestion while negotiating another. It took days to decide on a restaurant that would suit everyone’s demands and even that restaurant was agreed to begrudgingly by a couple of the individuals. One of the three original friends had little patience for someone who agrees to do something then spends the whole time being sour about being there. Chances were good this scenario could happen at the restaurant; I agree because I have been in this very situation myself. Things rarely go well when there are multiple people who each have strong opinions on what should take place. It seems the writers of this dramatic, crime mystery were suffering the same fate. A QUIET SUBURBAN NEIGHBORHOOD reels out of control when a loan shark comes to collect a debt and a black family moves in. With Matt Damon (Inside Job, The Great Wall) as Gardner, Julianne Moore (Maggie’s Plan, Still Alice) as Rose/Margaret, Noah Jupe (The Night Manager, Wonder) as Nicky, Glenn Fleshler (A Most Violent Year, Boardwalk Empire-TV) as Sloan and Oscar Isaac (The Promise, Drive) as Bud Cooper; I overall enjoyed the entire cast and each of their characters. Add in the perfect sets and costumes and this film looked like it was going to be a winner. I was so wrong and I feel the reason was due to the script. There were too many storylines; one could be considered a drama, the other a comedy and another one of a more mysterious nature. As I was getting into the action of one, the scene would change and go to a different subject. All this did was make me lose interest in what was happening on the screen. If I had not liked the actors I think it would have been true boredom to sit there. It really was a shame because each story line could have easily been separated into its own movie. I could see each of them being a good and engaging story that I would want to see. Sadly this was just a mess but on the bright side if you are out with a group of friends, I think you would all agree to give this one a pass.
1 ¾ stars
moviejoltz 