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Flash Movie Review: Twisters
FOR ALL THE YEARS I WAS TEACHING fitness and yoga, I had only one accident take place in my classes. It was a cycle class and a new couple who were husband and wife came to participate. I had gone up to introduce myself and asked if they had ever been to a cycle class before. They said yes and I saw they knew how to set up their bikes properly. I wished them success and a good ride before going back to the front of the class. It was fifteen minutes into our ride when the wife got off her bike and went over to her husband’s to adjust the handlebars higher. Things were going along until I moved the class into a standing climb. He moved into position, got off his seat, and suddenly the handlebars came off and he tumbled with them over the front of his bike. I jumped off and ran over to him, asking if he was okay. He kept reassuring me as I did a visual scan over his body, noticing a couple of cuts and all the limbs moving like they were supposed to do. I offered to walk them to the front desk to fill out an incident report, but he declined, telling me he was a doctor, and he was fine. During our short conversation he did say he wanted the handlebars higher, so he asked his wife to adjust them for him. I looked at her and she said she must have gone too high with them; I added that she probably did not lock them into place. With that they left the studio, and I went back to instructing the class. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED EARLY IN MY career, I might have quit. It took me a few years to finally feel comfortable teaching a room filled with members; this is what takes place when you have little self-confidence. Luckily, I had established myself as a competent instructor who diligently looked out for the members in his classes. I have seen it happen where someone changes the course of their career due to a single event. There was a research scientist in one of my classes who chose that field because of their sister’s disease; they wanted to help find a cure. Another example would be a co-worker from a previous job who used to be a firefighter until he got burned during a call, trying to put out a fire in an apartment building. It just goes to show you, the choices we make sometimes get influenced by certain events in our lives. This is why I could understand the main character’s hesitancy in this action, adventure thriller. HAVING LEFT HER DREAMS AND HOPES behind, and now working behind a computer screen, a former storm chaser returns to Oklahoma after an old friend convinces her that his innovative technology will make things safer. With Daisy Edgar-Jones (Where the Crawdads Sing, Cold Feet-TV) as Kate, Glen Powell (Hit Man, Anyone But You) as Tyler, Anthony Ramos (In the Heights, Dumb Money) as Javi, Brandon Perea (Nope, The OA-TV) as Boone, and Maura Tierney (The Iron Claw, Beautiful Boy) as Cathy; this movie was filled with scattered showers. It was so predictable that I pretty knew everything that was going to take place later in the story. Sure, there were a couple of twists, but I felt the writers did an injustice to the characters, making them one-dimensional, borderline cartoonish. Despite this flaw, I thought Glenn still had great screen presence that elevated Daisy as well. The special effects were also a mixture of good and poor. Some scenes were exciting, while others were just okay. I think if the writers had added layers to the characters and opened them up to a deeper level, this film would have had more substance. Instead, this is one of those movies that will just die down to a gentle breeze.
2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Hit Man
BEFORE I COMMIT TO A NEW job, I must first see myself in that position. I cannot imagine I am the only person who acts this way. When I decided to become certified to be a fitness instructor, I used to imagine myself teaching classes during my own workouts. I would be a participant in an aerobics class and replace the instructor with myself in my mind. Maybe this helped build my confidence, or maybe it got me comfortable with the idea of being an instructor; I do not know. However, I will say by seeing myself doing something it did make my first day at the job easier. A long time ago, a furniture company hired me to set up store displays of their home accessories. When I went to the interview, I arrived earlier than the agreed time so I could walk around and look at all the items out on the floor. While I waited to hear back from them after my interview, I did different settings in my head of their products. For example, I would group the vases by color then by size; the terra cotta statuary, I would break out into small groups throughout the store. There were various combinations I would see in my mind, so after I was hired, I was able to quickly adapt and create interesting displays of the store’s products. NOT EVERY JOB I HAD WAS great, which may have attributed to me fantasizing about other professions. During my stint as a salesclerk, I started imagining me being a go-go dancer. From all the clothes on display, the dance music playing, and the clientele; I used to picture myself dancing on platforms and tables while placing clothes items in shopping bags for the customers. There was a brief period where I fantasized me doing surveillance for a government agency. I would trail people I conjured up in my brain and follow them around town, hoping to catch them “red-handed” as they say. From surveillance, I saw myself as a Ninja and from there I saw myself as a long-distance cyclist; the opportunities were endless, and the amusement was abundant. In a way, I think I chose exotic jobs as a way to break up the monotony of the workday; it was fun to pretend to be a superhero for the day. Sure, there were some things that were not realistic; however, there were others I wanted to do but for whatever reason, I never pushed or got pushed to try out for it. I cannot be the only one who has daydreamed of such things, and the proof can be found in this comedy, crime romance. A MILD-MANNERED PROFESSOR WORKING A SIDE job helping the New Orleans police department, discovers he enjoys getting into character until he finds himself attracted to one of his victims. With Glen Powell (Anyone But You, Devotion) as Gary Johnson, Adria Arjona (Morbius, Father of the Bride) as Madison Figueroa Masters, Austin Amelio (No Future, The Walking Dead-TV) as Jasper, Retta (The Greatest Hits, Parks and Recreations-TV) as Claudette and Sanjay Rao (Bad Romance, The One You’re With) as Phil, this film directed by Richard Linklater (Boyhood, Before Midnight) was a big surprise for me. First off, I thought Glen easily managed helming this picture. Secondly, the chemistry between him and Adria was right on target; they were totally believable. The script had its fun and exciting moments, though I have to say I had an issue with the moral dilemma presented. Granted these are my feelings on the subject of “actions beget consequences.” But outside of that, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. The directing was sharp with a few twists in the story, and it was fun to watch. And after seeing this film, I feel fine continuing to fantasize about various exciting occupations.
3 ¼ stars
Flash Movie Review: Anyone But You
THROUGH THE ENTIRE DINNER, I PRAYED a fight would not break out at my table. Two of the seated guests had dated for a brief time; their relationship ended badly. I was friends with both and heard each of their complaints about the other. There was no way I was going to get in the middle, so stayed neutral without voicing an opinion. Anytime one of them asked me a loaded question, I deflected and answered with a question back at them. This was their battle and there was no reason for me to be a part of it. The hosts for this dinner party did not know the two guests were not on speaking terms. However, most of our table guests knew as we shot side glances at each other whenever the vibe neared a hostile state. Instead of keeping their mouths shut for the sake of the other guests, these two former partners would make snide remarks about the other one, who happened to be seated directly across. I wanted to just tell them to be adults for one evening and not spoil things for the rest of the guests, including the hosts. Some of us tried to ignore this former couple’s antics, but it still was uncomfortable and made eating the meal stressful, as if a ticking timebomb was about to explode in front of us. Once I finished the last course, I excused myself and went to talk to a few friends who were seated at another table. MY EXPERIENCES WITH BEING IN THE same space as an ex were less dramatic. Gratefully, most of the relationships I was in ended amicably; and the ones that did not, attitudes softened as the years went by. The only uncomfortable meeting I had was at a funeral service, of all places. My ex and I were both friends with this person whose mother had died. We both knew we would see each other at the memorial service. When I arrived, they were already in the room. Since this was the first time seeing each other after our rough breakup, I really did not want to have a conversation. It turned out neither did they. I quickly figured out they were watching me because wherever I walked in the room, they would move away to maintain us being on opposite sides of the room. Yes, I know it sounds and probably is ridiculous, but I was fine with it. There was nothing to say to each other and frankly I was there for our mutual friend, to support her in her time of sorrow. Since the service lasted around one hour, it was easily doable. If it was an occasion that would have taken longer, such as the one in this romantic comedy, then it might have been a different story for me. AFTER HAVING A FANTASTIC FIRST NIGHT together, a couple’s morning spirals down to a new low for each of them. Angry and bitter, they never see each other again, until by a rare coincidence, they are each invited to the same wedding. With Sydney Sweeney (Americana, Euphoria-TV) as Bea, Glen Powell (Hidden Figures, Top Gun: Maverick) as Ben, Alexandra Shipp (Shaft, tick, tick…Boom!) as Claudia, Hadley Robinson (Little Women, Moxie) as Halle and Dermot Mulroney (The Getback, The Family Stone) as Leo; this film had the appearances of a fun time. The two main stars had appeal and were equally matched. There were a few fresh moments; but overall, the writers stuck to a formulaic pattern. Much of the story was predictable, though there were a few tender scenes that had a little more oomph to them. What kept me interested in this film were certain parts of the dialog and some of the antics, which by the way, I hope I never find myself in such situations, where I would have to deal with such things.
2 ¼ stars
Flash Movie Review: Devotion
WHEN IT COMES TO BEING JUDGED based on a person’s looks, actions speak louder than words. I learned this early on in my teaching career. Because I did not look like the typical fitness instructor, I was not always taken seriously. I did not have a rock hard, or at least, a solid physique that was muscled or chiseled. The way I would describe myself back then was soft and fluid. Prior to my first teaching position, I had not done any weight bearing exercises; so, I was essentially working out with my classes. I was not the type of person who would spend most of the class time walking around checking on members. My style of teaching was different than the other instructors; it incorporated dance moves where every step was choreographed. It was easier and quicker for me to spot a member who needed assistance when everyone was supposed to be doing the same movement. Trust me, I had new members enter class who left after 5-10 minutes, thinking they would not sweat. I could not say anything to them; however, the people in my class were my best advertisers. Though I did not incorporate moves that looked big and powerful, I had members moving non-stop for one hour. By the end of class, you could look around and see a glow coming off people from their sweat, besides feeling that tingling sensation from muscles that had been working hard. It was may way of showing non-believers I belonged there. THE DISCRIMINATION I EXPERIENCED IN THAT industry, I am aware, is mild compared to the kind I saw at various companies and heard from my friends/relatives. I had a friend who worked at a job he loved; but he could never get a promotion. He knew he worked as hard as everyone else in the department; but whenever there was an opening in the department, he was always overlooked. If he had not accidentally overheard his boss’ comments one day that were derogatory towards a religion, his religion, he would never have found out his boss was prejudiced. It explained all the times my friend was never picked for a higher position. He immediately began searching for another job and I am happy to report he is working at a different company, getting promotions and raises in recognition of all the good work he is doing. Discrimination is ugly and I am always stunned when a person in a high position displays such ugliness. I wonder how the company could allow such behavior and how they can be successful. How many good employees does a company lose in such an environment? In this dramatic film, imagine what opportunities would have been missed if the main character had decided to give up. BEING A US NAVY FIGHTER PILOT was already a tough job. It was even harder when all eyes were watching you. With Jonathan Majors (The Harder They Fall, Lovecraft Country-TV) as Jesse Brown, Glen Powell (Hidden Figures, Everybody Wants Some!!) as Tom Hudner, Christina Jackson (The Night House, Boardwalk Empire-TV) as Daisy Brown, Thomas Sadoski (Wild, Killing Eleanor) as Dick Cevoli and Daren Kagosoff (Ouija, The Secret Life of the American Teenager-TV) as Bill Koenig; this action war drama was based on a true story and what a story. Jonathan was the standout for me; he came across as totally believable with his character. I would have liked to have gotten more back story to his character as well as the others; however, this was a minor complaint compared to watching this well-balanced movie. The directing was straight forward as well as the script. Everything had its place and intension; there was nothing frivolous in the film. Set during the start of the Korean War, this movie shows what can happen when friendships are formed.
3 ¼ stars
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