Bruce Springsteen can seemingly do it all. He managed to take a seemingly dull studio album and turn it into a much better listen when he plays the entire Western Stars album live in a barn with a full orchestra and small band. He wrote and directed this small film as a documentary telling the audience how he came to each song and introduces each one with some beautiful visual imagery of the western portion of the country. This isn’t a terrific movie, but it’s another time capsule of his career and for an album, which to me I considered an after thought plays pretty well in this movie and it’s something that you can have on in the background while doing other things. I enjoyed it.

Rating: (***)

I’m a sucker for these kind of movies. A troubled young mother from Glasgow named Rose (Jessie Buckley) wants to make it in Nashville as a country singer. She has the talent and the drive, but she carries some handicaps with her. She is from Scotland and there aren’t many country singers from that part of the world and she has a young child as well as a checkered past. She does what she can locally and with the support of her friend who she takes of her children, she goes for it, only to ultimately run into some roadblocks, a few of her own accord. The story is atypical of this genre, but for these movies to work you have to want to believe in the main character and want them to succeed and you do. Rose is a very likeable person despite being tough, foul mouthed and not very friendly, but she does have a soft side that is very nice to watch on screen especially when it comes to her friends and family. The music is good too as the soundtrack is littered with country music from artists that I like in that genre including Maria Mckee and Kasey Musgraves. I’m not a country music fan, but the music in this film is quite good. The show stopping song at the end of the film “Glasgow (No Place Like Home)” is a beautiful song and was recently snubbed by the Oscars. Go figure and not surprised. This is a sweet uplifting film that is worth taking a look at.

Rating: (***)

I went out in the middle of a snow storm and just watched one the best movies of 2019, if not the best dramatic film. I made out my best of list a couple weeks ago and this film hadn’t come out yet, but I probably would have had it #1 or 2. It’s terrific. Sam Mendes shot this movie in what appears as 1 long tracking shot, not unlike Birdman a few years ago and it’s very effective here which adds to the dramatic effect. The film is also very tense in spots. The duo sent out on a harrowing mission are constantly in danger and one scene after another will have you reaching for something to clench or bite on a fingernail. There is one scene in particular in a trench tunnel that I had a difficult time watching. There are a lot of similarities to Saving Private Ryan, but I think I liked this one a bit better. For starters, the first 20 minutes didn’t make me screaming to hurl like Ryan did. This movie is R and although it’s not gory or full of language & sex, the themes and dramatic moments are pretty intense. I took my 13 year old and he handled it ok, but anybody under 13, I’d use a little caution. See this on the big screen.

Rating (****)

This is a really sweet film that probably very few people saw in the theater. Zack Gottsagen is a young man with Down Syndrome who because of over crowding is placed in a nursing home opposed to a facility where many patients are treated. He’s been there for quite a long time and is itching to escape to go and find his wrestling idol and enroll in his school. He makes his roomie played by Bruce Dern watch this wrestling video every day. Dern helps him escape and he eventually runs into a fisherman with a huge debt (Shia Labeouf in one of his best roles). They form an unlikely bond and travel together to find this school. Dakota Johnson, who is one of Zach’s friends at the clinic is assigned to find Zach and bring him back. The movie works because Zach is so charming and just eats up the screen. You just root for him. You want this guy to find his idol. There is a lot of “Rain Man” in this movie. Two companions, one with special needs the other is a bit gruff who need each other in different ways and discover a bond. Dakota Johnson fits in well as she eventually falls for Shia’s character, reluctantly. There is some violence in the film since Shia owes some real bad dudes some money and they are on his trail. I liked this movie very much. It’s not all that original, but it’s a nice feel good story. I hope people will seek this film out.

Rating: (***1/2)

When the best part of the movie is the end credits that should tell you something. Not sure why Sly wanted to continue making Rambo movies especially after Rambo 3 & 4, which kind of sucked as well. But he did and here we are. Rambo is settled down living near the Mexican border playing with horses and living on a ranch with his niece. When his niece disobeys orders and gets in trouble, Rambo goes to see save her until it’s ultimately too late. He sets off revenge and then he knows they’re coming for him. That’s when the fun begins, when Sly goes into full Rambo with booby traps and all kinds of fun toys. It’s a violent bloody mess. The story isn’t very good and it’s not written very well, but it offers up some mayhem and action fans will probably enjoy it to some respect. The end credits which is an homage to the series is sweet and well done. Let’s hope he doesn’t make anymore.

Rating (*1/2)

I guess if I really wanted to I could nitpick for hours about the final installment of Star Wars, but the bottom line for me is did I have fun watching it and was it entertaining. Yes, I did and yes, it was. Of the 11 movies they’ve made which includes Rogue One & Solo, I’ve pretty much enjoyed all of them to a certain extent. All these movies have many plot holes, clunky dialogue and head scratching moments, but they all have entertained me. This one is no different. I was very satisfied with how they brought this whole thing to a close. Many of your favorite characters were brought back including Lando played by the old, but still suave Billy Dee Williams. The only thing missing was a Colt 45. JJ Abrams likes to use a lot of friends and this movie is littered with cast members from his TV shows. The movie is a bit slow at times, and many scenes you’ve seen before in other variations. You know what a light saber fight looks like and there are plenty of them and there also is no shortage of ghost images. Not a lot of “new” to this. But again, I had fun watching it and in my world, the film delivered.

Rating (***)

Really not much to these movies. You either have a good time or you don’t. I did. The first Jumanji was lots of fun, made lots of dough and naturally, they made a sequel. Some things got changed up such as the additions of Danny DeVito, Danny Glover and Awkwafina to the game and they’re nice window dressing to what is really a paint by numbers sequel. The action is well choreographed, specifically a thrilling sequence on a bridge with a pack of wild monkeys. There are some good laughs which many are the running gag variety such as Grandpa DeVito constantly forgetting people’s names and where he is half the time. Lots of funny old man jokes. I can’t say they offered anything really special in this sequel, but the film works because the stars Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart & Karen Gillan are all very likable and it’s fun which is good enough for me.

Rating: (***)

I was excited to see this movie when I heard they were making it. I work in the industry and I absolutely despise FOX news and all it stands for. Unfortunately, I felt underwhelmed while watching it despite some dynamite make-up and some very good impersonations of major FOX news personalities. Charlize Theron looks just like Megyn Kelly and had her down cold. The execution, at least to me didn’t go far enough with the rest of the FOX news downfalls, mainly that giant turd Bill O’Reilly. It felt a little disjointed and all over the place in parts meaning the script had a difficult time deciphering what direction it wanted to focus on. It felt like a topical TV movie with a parade of familiar actors imitating FOX anchors, hosts and reporters. It seemed forced with who can we cram in next and who can we get to play him/her. The casting of Richard Kind as Guliani is laughable and not sure who was under Geraldo’s mustache and glasses. I didn’t mind watching the movie and some of it was entertaining. Margot Robbie’s fictional character is used as a plot device to advance the story and she’s interesting, but I didn’t buy her relationship with Kate McKinnon’s character. It’s an important subject matter and I’m glad they made this movie and that I saw it. I just wish it was a better than it was. I recommend a marginal pass on this one. It’s worth seeing, but you can wait for it on the dvd. 

Rating: (**1/2)