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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: The Intruder
I HAD A PAIR OF SHOES that I walked to death. Being extremely picky when it comes to shoes, I remember exactly where I was when I bought that pair of shoes; in a department store shopping for a gift. As I was walking around I wound up by the shoe department. On an endcap was a display of shoes that caught my eye. I liked the style and the fact they were on sale, so I decided to try on a pair. The minute my foot slipped into the shoe I immediately was taken by the comfort. This was something that doesn’t often happen to me when it comes to shoes. After I tried on the other shoe I walked over to a mirror to see how they looked on my feet. One glance and it was confirmed, the shoes were going to be mine. Normally I bring shoes home and wear them around the house for a couple of weeks to make sure they will not cause any discomfort; however, this pair of shoes I wore that night when I met friends for dinner. From that first day, I wore those shoes every day for every occasion. Even when the heels were worn down and the sole’s tread smoothed out into baldness, I could not give up those shoes. THERE ARE SOME THINGS, ONCE WE acquire them, we cannot let them go. I know this is a HUGE challenge for me. If I find something that brings me some form of joyfulness, I understand myself well enough to know I will never want to give it up. There are mementos around my house that I have had since childhood that still bring me joy to this day. A candy dish I played with as a kid; a plastic salad bowl that sat on our dining room table; even a pine cone that was given to me by a classmate in school when we got lost in a forest during a break in studies; each of these things represent a fond memory that I never want to forget. Maybe it is easy for you to remove yourself from your personal possessions; I have some friends who do a purge of their things every year to keep their homes sparse and clutter-free. I can do that on a smaller scale, but every time I try I get bogged down in the memories that float back into my consciousness from each item I see. On first meeting the home owner in this dramatic, horror mystery; I thought he had the same issue of not being able to detach himself from his possessions. MAKING THE TRANSITION FROM CITY DWELLERS to country homeowners appeared easy for married couple Annie and Scott Russell, played by Meagan Good (Think Like a Man, The Unborn) and Michael Ealy (About Last Night, Seven Pounds). It was not as easy for the man who sold the house to them. With Dennis Quaid (A Dog’s Purpose, Far From Heaven) as Charlie Peck, Joseph Sikora (Charlie Wilson’s War, Ghost World) as Mike and Alvina August (Bad Times at the El Royale, The Good Doctor-TV) as Rachel; the story seemed quite familiar to me, as if it had been done many times before. If the writers had taken a different direction, maybe this picture would have had more to offer; since the cast was quite capable. Instead, the script was awful, insulting the intelligence of the viewer. It seemed as if every other scene with Dennis focused on his sardonic, sinister smile while the couple continued to make lame decisions. I was so bored by this movie I kept hoping the house would just catch on fire to end the story. When I left the theater, I was mad I had given up my valuable time to sit and watch this ridiculous film.
1 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: 5 Flights Up
Living amongst them daily I am not always conscious of their significance. It is when someone is over to my place and asks about something hanging up on a wall or sitting on a surface that I experience the memory associated to that particular item. To the average person my home looks like a hodgepodge of different pieces of art and objects; but to me, each one has a story about my life. There is a large woven basket that sits next to an easy chair that I bought from a little non-profit store in Charleston, South Carolina. All the items in the store were made by disadvantaged women from third world countries, who were trying to improve their lives my selling their wares. That alone was enough reason for me to buy something at the store; however, I wanted something to remind me about the fantastic road trip I was taking through the southern United States. On a coffee table sits a turquoise vase that was originally placed on layaway by someone I was dating some time ago. I called the store and paid for it, asking the salesperson to call the phone number on the receipt and tell them the vase was accidentally knocked off the shelf and broke into pieces. It was a few minutes after the store must have called them when they called me to complain about the store’s incompetency. I never let on I knew, keeping the vase for a couple of months, until I wrapped it up and gave it to them for the holidays. I was greeted with several words I cannot print here. So you see I love having all of the things around me and their memories. I do not know how I could ever part with them, just like the couple in this dramatic movie. AFTER many years living in their Brooklyn apartment with the great view Ruth and Alex Carver, played by Diane Keaton (Mad Money, The Family Stone) and Morgan Freeman (Now You See Me, Driving Miss Daisy), felt it was time to downsize and move to a place more conducive for an older couple. They soon discovered there were challenges to moving 40 years worth of stuff. I wished I would have enjoyed this film more because the two actors separately were wonderful, though I did not feel much chemistry between them. The script was lame; quite predictable and cliched; the two actors needed more depth to their characters. It was a shame because I enjoyed the flashback segments of a younger Ruth and Alex at the beginning of what would be their long term relationship. And obviously I appreciated the acknowledgement of one’s memories associated to inanimate items. Too bad the memory I have of this picture is not very good.
1 3/4 stars
moviejoltz 