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Flash Movie Review: Good Grief
HAVING EXPERIENCED PRETTY MUCH EVERY VARIATION for breaking up, I always found the sudden ones the hardest. There was the beginning relationship where we had around a half dozen dates and I thought things were progressing smoothly, but suddenly I was being ghosted, no responses to any of my communications. I could not understand why the dead silence. My sadness and confusion were quickly replaced by anger because I kept wondering what type of person would do such a thing. If that is how they operate then I absolutely would not want to be with them. It has always been easier for me to deal with anger and turn the painful situation around to put all the blame on the other person. Gratefully, I grew up and learned to look inside myself. I have been in relationships where we both came to the same conclusion that we would be better as friends and that has always been a winning outcome for me. One of the hardest situations is when the ending of the relationship is due to the breaking of trust; I have had a few of those and I must tell you, they are brutal. You cannot imagine what it feels like to come home to find someone else’s clothing under your bed. One of the most important aspects of a relationship is honesty. I could handle my loved one telling me they are in love with someone else instead of cheating behind my back. THERE IS ANOTHER CHALLENGE FOR ME when a relationship ends. It is that mindset that went from a singular train of thought to a dual one then suddenly it must go back to singular. I have mentioned before what helps me transition back to being single is to break up the routines that were created in the relationship. There have been times where I spent hours watching movies and videos or focused harder on diet and exercise. Listening to what my friends have done; I think the breaking of routines may be a frequent practice. A friend of mine went on a trip after her relationship ended. Another friend went through her apartment and got rid of anything that was associated with her ex. In the majority of circumstances, I have heard about, there were few that involved a sudden ending of the relationship, like death; it had either been building up to such a point that things exploded, and it ended or one person noticed a change taking place in their relationship and communicated what they were feeling, having an adult conversation about where the two of them were in the relationship. As I said earlier, the sudden endings are the hardest ones in my opinion. An example can be found in this dramatic, romantic comedy. AFTER A TRAGIC ACCIDENT TAKES THE life of his husband, the widower embarks on an international trip with his two best friends, hoping to fill the void he was now experiencing in his life. He would wind up making discoveries that could change everything about the life he had. With Daniel Levy (Happiest Season, Schitt’s Creek-TV) as Marc, Ruth Negga (Passing, Loving) as Sophie, Himesh Patel (Yesterday, Station Eleven-TV) as Thomas, Luke Evans (Dracula Untold, Beauty and the Beast) as Oliver and Celia Imrie (Best Exotic Marigold Hotel franchise, Imagine Me & You) as Imelda; this movie had both a solid script and steady direction in the way it told its story. There were scenes that were sad and amusing, but mostly done in a gentle way instead of being a tearjerker or laughing out loud moment. It was surprising to see Ruth play such a character, because I have only seen her do serious roles in the past. The script offered depth in the characters, but I felt it could have gone farther. Overall, this was a good debut for Daniel in his writing and directing skills.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Past Lives
I THOUGHT IT COULD WORK OUT and we would get back to our “happy place.” We had been together for a couple of years before I discovered trust had been broken between us. I took it hard, packed up my few things and returned to my place that I was still paying rent on. After being together for a few years, our friendships had blended; so, I would still hear tidbits about them. Because our apartments were close to each other, it was not unusual for one of us to see the other driving down the street or shopping at the nearby grocery store. Where I would not make any eye contact or acknowledge their presence due to the pain I had felt, they tried to catch my attention with their sad, dark, puppy dog eyes. I was not buying it. There was a bitterly frigid winter day where I had just gotten back from the grocery store and had to park a block away from my place. Struggling with the bags I had placed in the trunk, suddenly they appeared and without hesitation took a few of the shopping bags to help me. I started to protest, but they cut me off and said they knew how much I disliked the cold, and they would just put the bags in the building’s hallway then leave me alone. I do not know if this was a new tactic, but I did not resist. By the time spring arrived, they had chipped down enough of my defenses that I was civil to them and would carry on light conversations. IN THE BACK OF MY MIND, I had been remembering all the good times we had together and how I felt when I was around them. Though I had never done it before, I started fantasizing about us being together again. I did not know if I could trust them, but I felt I could at least try because we had such a good connection between us. As it turned out, we lasted as a couple for six months before I realized I was not happy because I could not trust them. I saw signs of the behavior that had taken place before and was becoming uncomfortable. At least I tried because I thought they were the one, but it was not to be the case. My concern about seeing them in the neighborhood was short lived because my new lease came with a significant increase in the rent; I decided to move out of the neighborhood. From that earlier time in my life, I knew I made the right decision because there were other love relationships where it did not work out, but we remained close to each other. I believe we encounter certain people who will form an unbreakable bond, which will go beyond the initial love to form something deeper. This Oscar nominated movie honestly portrays this aspect of love. THEY WERE TOGETHER EVERY DAY THROUGH their early school years and expected it would be the same as when they grew up. However, when Nora’s, played by Greta Lee (Sisters, The Morning Show-TV), family decides to emigrate to the United States, the bonds that connect them would be tested. With Teo Yoo (Decision to Leave, New Year Blues) as Hae Sung, John Magaro (The Big Short, Carol) as Arthur, Moon Seung-ah (Scattered Night, Voice of Silence) as Young Nora and Leem Seung-min (Good Deal) as Young Hae Sung; this film festival winning romantic drama was beautifully done. The script was honest, delicately portraying various aspects of love. I thought the acting was wonderful as was the direction. At first, I thought the sparse dialog would bore me; but as the story unfolded the performances became magical, filled with emotion and feelings. I was impressed with the script; it was so well done. In fact, I could feel the love coming out of this story. There were scenes where Korean was spoken with English subtitles.
3 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: The Boys in the Boat
IT WAS MY FIRST FITNESS TEACHING job and I had only been working at the health club for a few months. They were going to hold a charity event by doing a four-hour aerobics marathon. It was expected that all the fitness instructors would both teach a portion of the time and remain to support each other’s time segment. I was highly anxious about participating in the marathon because I had no idea if I could hold up moving for such a lengthy period of time. Plus, I had no idea how much it would tax my body’s limits. I had seen marathon runners lose control over their body functions or nearly pass out and I certainly did not want to be that person. At the club, I started out teaching three classes a week which were Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The classes lasted one hour each, but there were my introductory remarks, demonstrating and lastly the last five minutes after the cooldown, were meant for everyone to put any of their equipment away and get out of the aerobic studio before the next class was to start on the hour. After one hour of teaching, I had worked up a good sweat and could feel my muscles tingling. But after four hours, I had no idea what to expect. THE MARATHON WAS STARTING AT EIGHT in the morning and the instructors had to be there an hour earlier for sound checks, set up and go over the order we would be teaching. Being the newest member of the group, I had to wait until everyone else had picked their time slots; we started with the longest employed and worked our way down to me. I was grateful that the time slot left for me was for sixth place; in other words, I would be teaching at the 90-minute mark. Better than the 180- or 195-minute mark, I felt. I did not have to go full out with the moves like I did in my own class, but I had to make sure I still had good form and look like I was exerting myself. At the top of the hour, we began the marathon. The first instructor welcomed everyone and started up the music. Everyone was in a good mood and excited for the event. Though I was nervous about my segment of teaching, I was surprised how good of a time I was having as a participant. All the instructors were close to each other and were feeding off each other’s enthusiasm. By the time it was my turn, I was buzzing inside and simply ran up to the front, cued in my music and off I went leading the group. The time flew by for me as it did for the rest of the morning and by the end exhaustion had settled into me. However, all the instructors came together and congratulated each other on pulling off a major event. From that experience, I felt I knew what the teammates were feeling in this dramatic, sports biography. STUDENTS FROM A SMALL UNIVERSITY HAD limited resources to excel in a sport that was dominated by well endowed universities from across the country. To succeed, these students would need something else if they wanted not only to compete but win. With Joel Edgerton (Thirteen Lives, The Green Knight) as Coach Al Ulbrickson, Callum Turner (Fantastic Beasts franchise, Green Room) as Joe Rantz, Peter Guinness (The Last Boy, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan) as George Pocock, Sam Strike (Leatherface, Monster Party) as Roger Morris and Thomas Elms (I Still See You, The Order-TV) as Chuck Day; this George Clooney directed movie based on a true story was a feel good film. Set in the 1930s, this film festival winner had the trappings for a good old-fashioned feel-good picture. The sets and costumes were wonderful, and the cast did a solid job with their acting. The story was predictable and despite the no frills direction, I wished more time were devoted to fleshing out more substance for each character. Despite these misgivings, I still cheered on these students as they made their way on what was to become an historical trip. An historical trip that was never mentioned throughout any of my schooling, I might add.
2 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Reptile
IT IS HARD ENOUGH FOR ME to make up my mind in a bakery or candy store; but if I had a child like the one, I saw at the candy shop, I think I would have gone out of my mind. But then again, I do not think I was anything like the child’s mother. The mother and child were next to be helped by the only employee present in the store. I was there to buy a box of candy to bring to a friend’s house for dinner. The friend and his wife had invited a couple of us over for dinner, telling us there was no need to bring anything. Normally, I would have brought a dessert if asked, but I felt a box of candy or nuts would be appropriate. While standing in line, I watched this child go from one display case to another and another until they looked at all six of the cases that formed a semi-circle inside the space. The mother’s number was called and as she walked to the front of the case, where the employee was standing behind, near the cash register, she turned and asked her son what candy he wanted to pick. He shouted he was not done looking. All of us in line watched as the boy kept going from case to case and back looking at all the items displayed. It was not long before I shot an irritated look at the employee when I was able to catch her eye. IF I WERE THE CHILD’S PARENT, I would have explained people are waiting and if he cannot pick one item now then we will have to leave. The mother unfortunately did not choose that option to goad her son. Instead, all she said was to pick out something he would really like. Because my jaw was already clenched, I did not let what my mind was saying slip out of my mouth. Now before you think of me as a grump, I want you to know I understand, seeing that many choices can be overwhelming. Knowing me, I would have to pick out a couple different items. Though, I learned mixing up multiple flavors diminishes the time and taste of enjoying each one separately. Many people can dole out their choices but in this type of situation I tend to go with the instant gratification trait and finish everything unless the amount is too large. Maybe that is where the phrase “too many cooks spoil the broth” came from. In the case of this crime mystery drama, I can certainly say too many options muddled the story. AFTER THE DISCOVERY OF A DEAD body in a vacant home that was up for sale, a detective seems to be on the verge of cracking the case just when another clue steers him in a new direction. Can the detective figure things out before everything unravels? With Benicio Del Toro (Inherent Vice, The French Dispatch) as Tom Nichols, Justin Timberlake (Palmer, The Social Network) as Will Grady, Eric Bogosian (Uncut Gems, Talk Radio) as Captain Robert Allen, Alicia Silverstone (Bed Therapy, Blast From the Past) as Judy Nichols and Frances Fisher (Titanic, The Roommate) as Camille Grady; this film could or should be the platform to launch Benicio and Alicia into their own franchise as the characters they played in this film. They were so good together that they saved this convoluted script from sinking further down. There were too many plot twists to the point I was getting tired trying to figure out each character. It was a shame because I felt this could have been a good mystery/detective story that could have done a better job of grabbing the viewer’s attention. The other issue was the script needed a few more tension filled thrills; the pacing was too slow which lessened the impact of various scenes. If the writers had focused on fewer story lines and with the acting from Alicia and Benicio, this would have been a particularly good movie.
2 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Poor Things
I WAS ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE who could make a snap judgment in less than a minute. My first impressions would dictate how I reacted to something. Back then, it was the norm, and I did not know better. It was nothing for me to go out to dinner with a couple of friends and be the first one to nix a restaurant choice, simply based on the restaurant’s outside appearance. At a party, I could be introduced to someone and after exchanging a few sentences with them, immediately have a negative reaction that made me want to avoid them the rest of the night. It took me a long time, along with maturing, to realize I was not being fair to whoever or whatever besides myself. I have learned to slow down and not be so quick to administer my “verdict” when dealing with various situations. It is funny, the point was driven home to me at a time when I was seated in a theater to watch a live production. It was long before intermission and a couple who were seated in the row in front of me excused themselves out of the row and left. I first thought one of them might have gotten ill, but there was no sign of anything wrong as they sat and talked before the show started. I assumed they did not like it because I thought the beginning started out slow; however, it turned out to be a wonderful production. If I had acted on my first instinct and left, I would have missed out on seeing such a good show. AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, IF A restaurant did not look good from the outside, I would not step foot in it. Boy, I am so glad I got over that type of thinking because I have discovered some incredible food at small “hole in the wall” places. There is this Italian restaurant that is in a small run-down strip mall near where I live. Driving by one would be hard pressed to notice it. However, it has some of the best Italian cuisine I have ever eaten. The place essentially is two plain rooms with tables and padded metal chairs, nothing fancy; yet it consistently brings out great food from its kitchen. I took a small group of family members there who were surprised I had eaten at such a place, knowing my quirks about looks and appearances. Obviously, they remember me more as I used to be instead of who I am now. They were even more surprised when they tasted the food; they all loved it. The reason I am telling you all of this is because if I had acted as the old me, I would have missed out on seeing such a quirky, fanciful film that is an Oscar nominee. GIVEN A SECOND CHANCE AT LIFE, a young girl’s thirst for knowledge leads her on a worldwide journey of discovery. With Emma Stone (Cruella, Battle of the Sexes) as Bella Baxter, Mark Ruffalo (Spotlight, Dark Waters) as Duncan Wedderburn, William Dafoe (The French Dispatch, At Eternity’s Gate) as Dr. Godwin Baxter, Ramy Youssef (See Dad Run-TV, Ramy-TV) as Max McCandles and Kathryn Hunter (The Tragedy of Macbeth, Orlando) as Swiney; this comedic romance drama was one of the most peculiar films I have seen in a long time. I felt I was seeing fresh bits from the old Monty Python shows. The sets and films were so full and unique, I did not know where to look first during many scenes. Emma was incredible in this role as was Mark in his. But I have to say, it took me a while before I started to appreciate where the story was going; I found it to be so unique and different that I could not help but get drawn into its world.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Rustin
THROUGH THE YEARS, I HAVE HAD the good fortune and just plain good old luck to have met activists for various causes I believed in. One man was only a couple of years older than me, but his wisdom and foresight were way beyond his chronological age. I was an intense individual, but I was nothing close to the intensity that streamed out of him. There was something about the way he looked at you while talking that would be unnerving for many people. He would lock eyes with you, and they would stay on you without ever blinking while he was talking. The first time I experienced this, I did not know how to handle it; I thought it would be disrespectful if I broke my gaze with him. His words were measured but they flowed out, sometimes with a slight melonic tone, at other times in a rapid staccato. There was a newsclip I happened to see while watching the evening news, where he debated a politician who was trying to justify his argument with bible passages. This activist did not miss a beat, correcting the politician’s misuse of the passage, quoting the passage back to him and then explaining what it meant. The politician did not know the activist’s previous ‘life” was studying for the priesthood at a seminary. ANOTHER ACTIVIST I MET SEVERAL TIMES over the years, who came out of a seriously dysfunctional environment, took her energy, and focused it on creating safe environments for people to discover how to find healthy ways to express their feelings. Listening to her having a conversation, I was so impressed how she would call a person out for their ”BS.” Not in an antagonistic way, but in a calm way by asking the person to further explain the statement they made. I must tell you it was a revelation to experience that because seeing that event stuck with me and put me on the road to becoming a better communicator. With her and the other activists I have encountered in my life, one of the things that they all had in common was the ability to corral and focus all types of personalities into a unified force. The only way I can describe it would be to say they were like musical conductors. They could immediately tell upon talking to an individual what they were best suited for in helping the cause. Looking at the end goal and being able to navigate a monumental number of roadblocks, these activists never gave up. It was so inspirational to witness it and the feeling I had around them was like the feeling I had watching this biographical, historical drama. BELIEVING IN MARTIN LUTHER KING’S NONVIOLENT resistance philosophy, an activist and friend of his came up with an idea to show the country how it could work. However, to succeed he needed to get everything in place in a short amount of time while being met with resistance. With Colman Domingo (The Color Purple, Selma) as Bayard Rustin, Chris Rock (Amsterdam, Nobody’s Fool) as Roy Wilkins, Glynn Turman (Super 8, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom) as A. Philip Randolph, Aml Ameen (The Maze Runner, Til Death) as Martin Luther King Jr and Gus Halper (Cold Pursuit, Holler) as Tom; this Oscar nominated film was a fascinating piece of history that I was never taught in school. Having recently seen Colman in The Color Purple and seeing him now in this picture made his acting ability stand out even more for me because of the huge contrast between the two roles. He was incredible, to the point I felt he was channeling Bayard. The story and script were overall wonderful, but I felt the story being rushed towards the end and some of the scenes seemed like a setup. Because of the historical value, I still loved watching this movie and am amazed at what Bayard, who might be unknown to many viewers, set out to do under tough complications.
3 ¼ stars
Flash Movie Review: Society of the Snow
I LOVE FLYING AS LONG AS I keep thinking I am on an elevator. My first flight took place when I was 13 years old. A friend and I were able to buy tickets for $38.00, yes $38.00, for a flight from our smaller airport that would fly around the city for 30-40 minutes. It was promoted as a tour plane, taking passengers along the lakefront up to the near northern suburbs, then back towards the western side before we would begin our descent on the south side. I still remember the push I experienced back into my seat when the thrust from the engines kicked in while we began our trek down the airstrip. Both of us were so excited from the flight that we vowed to become avid travelers. Even back then, the airplane reminded me of an elevator, except with more space and a bathroom. One steps into it, the doors close, it moves and when it eventually stops the doors open and you are in a different location. The flight attendants were like elevator men and women who helped facilitate your journey. The weird thing is when I was flying in my younger days, I did not have any worries. That was because most of the land I saw out the window was flat looking. After my growth spurt where I suddenly was taller, I no longer was interested in the window seat, instead I wanted the aisle seat. IT WAS DURING A FLIGHT THAT went over the Rockies, which started me second guessing about air travel. I had flown over green covered mountains, which did not appear dramatic compared to the Rockies. It was on that flight that I thought about what would happen if the plane had to go down from this location. Also, as I got older, I started thinking about more things that could go wrong on a flight. In my lifetime, there were some newsworthy airline incidents, from crashes to engines on fire. Those started weighing on me; each one carrying equal weight of fear and concern no matter the ratio between victims and survivors. Each one was a horrific experience. My last flight involved flying over the ocean and it did give me a moment of pause. However, since it was taking place at nighttime, I figured I could sleep through that portion of the trip. The sad thing is I used to focus more on outside factors causing a problem with a flight. Recently in the news there has been so much talk about the poor craftsmanship taking place on airplanes, that my anxiety levels are elevated. Now having watched this Oscar nominated international film, I cannot even take in all the emotions that I was experiencing while watching it. A RUGBY TEAM CRASH LANDS IN the Andes Mountains. The survivors must produce ways to survive long enough to be saved; that is if they can even be found. With Enzo Vogrincic (A Twelve-Year Melt; Yosi, The Regretful Spy) as Numa Turcatti, Agustin Pardella (What the Waters Left Behind, Secrets of Summer-TV) as Fernando ‘Nando’ Parrado, Matias Recalt (Planners-TV, Apache: The Life of Carlos Tevez) as Roberto Canessa, Esteban Bigliardi (Bad Christmas; Murder Me, Monster) as Javier Methol and Diego Vegezzi (The Invisible Eye, Music for Getting Married) as Marcelo Perez del Castillo; this adventure drama, history movie was an intense viewing experience. I vaguely remember the true story and knew going in this was going to be a difficult story to watch. The cinematography was outstanding, and the cast were completely believable. I had to assume the writers took some liberties with the dialog, but regardless my attention was glued to the scenes. The subject matter was treated with respect, I felt; and the story was so incredible that it still was hard for me to believe this film was based on that true event. The original movie was done in Spanish; I saw the English dubbed version.
3 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: The Holdovers
ONE YEAR I WAS ENROLLED IN an overnight camp, and it turned out to be the only time I agreed to such a thing. It was fun to be with friends morning and night, though I was anxious about the bunkbeds. I was assigned to an upper bunk and desperately did not want it because of being overweight. Not that I was any type of extreme heaviness, but my little kid’s mind had blown it out of proportion. I remember slowly climbing the ladder one rung at a time, testing to make sure it would support me. The food served us was picked more for nourishment instead of taste, so I did not care for it. The thing that upset me the most were the organized activities like swimming and baseball. I knew how to play them, but I was never competitive; the counselors always turned them into a contest to see who was the “best.” I must tell you I was one of those “weird” kids who brought a book to read; there were not many others who did such a thing. Thinking about it and how today I live a very structured life; back then, it was the structure I was rebelling against. I did not like being told when I could eat or shower. By the end of the session, I could not wait to be back in my own home. OVERNIGHT/SUMMER CAMP WAS NOT THE only thing I disliked. I never cared for school field trips. It was not the destination so much, but the going and coming I truly could not stand. First, my good time was based on who was on my bus. If our bus had any troublemakers, then I knew for sure our ride to whatever place we were going would be hellish. It would always be worse if one of the troublemakers sat close to you because it was more than likely you would become one of their targets. Another reason I did not like the bus rides was because if someone happened, through the luck of the draw, to be sitting by themselves then the teacher or one of the chaperones would take up residency next to that lone student; or worse, have them join them at the front of the bus. It always stressed me out with kids shoving and pushing, singing ridiculous songs, the adults yelling and for what? Sometimes we did go to cool places but other times they were lame and boring. The way I feel about such things, if I found myself in a situation like the main characters in this comedic drama, I would have run away. STUCK WITH NOWHERE TO GO, A teacher, cook and student are stuck over the Christmas holiday break at their prep school. None of them want to be there. With Paul Giamatti (Jungle Cruise, Billions-TV) as Paul Hunham, Da’Vine Joy Randolph (The Lost City, Rustin) as Mary Lamb, newcomer Dominic Sessa as Angus Tully, Carrie Preston (True Blood-TV, They/Them) as Miss Lydia Crane and Brady Hepner (The Black Phone, Resisting Roots) as Teddy Kountze; this film was a joy to watch. The acting was wonderful, and the script was intelligent with its mix of humor, sadness and drama that kept me engaged with the story early on. I also thought the characters were well developed. There were not necessarily laugh out loud moments, but there were humorous spots that were appropriate for the story. What really made this film stand out was its adult storytelling and script. It was refreshing to sit back and watch a good story unfold without the special effects or brand marketing. The other thing that set this film apart were its details. For example, there actually was one special effect, but a good many viewers may not even be aware of it taking place. This picture is an Oscar contender and rightfully so.
3 ½ stars
moviejoltz 