At the end of 2018, we had 3 films about historical political figures. “Vice” (Dick Cheney), “On the Basis of Sex” (RBG) & this one. Not sure how many people were asking for a movie about Gary Hart, but here we are. This film was a box office flop, but as far as political dramas go, it isn’t too bad. Gary Hart, if you recall was the favorite to win the Democratic nomination for the presidency in the 80’s until he got caught cheating. Hart, denied and skirted the issue until he ultimately had to kill his campaign when everybody knew it was true. This doesn’t make for an exactly compelling movie, but it is well constructed and the performances by Hugh Jackman, Vera Farmiga & JK Simmons are well executed. The movie is a little over-written. The writers seemed to take a page out of the Aaron Sorkin playbook with much of its script and played up the cuteness and self righteousness in the dialogue. It got on my nerves after a while. The film does move along and I always appreciate that. I hate movies that drag and this one didn’t. Hart, by himself isn’t all that interesting, but as part of this story, I didn’t mind watching the story play out even though I knew the ending. Worth a Netflix viewing and that’s about it.

Rating: (**1/2)

A compelling and riveting mystery that weaves in and out using today’s social media to help tell the story of a missing teenage girl. A single and recently widowed father has a close relationship with his daughter. He keeps tabs on her and is probably overprotective. When she suddenly disappears, he contacts the police, but to no avail is there any resolution so he takes things on himself and delves into his daughter’s laptop and learns that maybe she doesn’t know her that well. The story is absolutely engrossing. Everything is spelled out and as a viewer, you feel for the dad. But something isn’t quite right as the mystery unfolds. That’s when the story is at its best. John Cho is terrific as the Mr. Kim, the worried dad. He’s come along way since playing a stoner in the “Pie” & “Kumar” films. Debra Messing is the officer on the case, as she does a good job too, but she may have been a bit of strange casting. The film has some twists and turns in it and if I have any complaints is that the resolution seemed a bit rushed, far fetched and doesn’t quite add up. I like movies that go in different directions as long as it makes sense. This one did for the most part just got a little fuzzy there. If I had seen this last year, it probably would’ve cracked my best of list.

Rating (***1/2)

This movie starts out like gangbusters with an innocent welcome back to class speech after a summer break in music class by their young teacher only to have a young intruder come into class and shoot the place up. It was a shocking moment that sets up the movie for a young pair of sisters who survive the attack. One of the gals, who has a talent for music turns the situation into a tribute song and when it ultimately becomes a big hit, her dad takes her into the business and makes her a pop star. That part of the story I found interesting and I only wish they could’ve stayed with that. Flash forward to later on when she is 31 (Natalie Portman) and has her own kid. Another tragedy happens, off screen that affects her personally. At this point, she’s a pop superstar. She also becomes a very unlikable person and much different than the young girl we saw at the beginning of the film. Some of it is from the influence of her dad (Jude Law) and much of it is from her own malition. I found watching her tedious. She was also played as a completely different person which I found distracting mainly due to a tough dialect they gave her. It just didn’t fit. The whole movie seemed disjointed and all over the place. The movie concludes with an extended pop concert sequence that I wish was cut to maybe a song or 2, but went on forever. I didn’t see where the director was going with it. The performance by Portman is really good as always, but I didn’t care for this picture.

Rating (**)

Based on the true story of Lee Israel, a sad sack of a woman, who was convicted in the 90’s for copying, forging & selling letters for profit. She was a Best Selling author, but when her career went south, she became a difficult person with a drinking problem and lots of financial issues. This is a pretty interesting story. Films like this and others such as “Big Eyes” & “The Wife” I have found fascinating mainly because the stories are so “out there”. They’re crazy situations, but they’re perpetrated by your average person. They’re not necessarily bad people either. In this case, Israel is having some bad luck and is looking for an outlook, She’s very talented, but doesn’t trust her ability on her own merit. Now, this isn’t the most enjoyable movie to sit through. Melissa McCarthy, who plays Israel is terrific, but she is also a miserable person to be around. She drinks like a fish, hates people, doesn’t take care of herself, her apartment and has a horrible disposition. Those people aren’t fun to watch, but once she starts the committing her crime, the film becomes a lot more interesting. You know she gets caught, but it’s how that you’re waiting for. Richard E. Grant plays her gay loser friend that helps her out and he is really good too. I liked this movie. This film won’t sit in your memory for very long and I don’t think many really care about Lee Israel, but it’s a well written story that is extremely well acted.

Rating (***)

The first female led film in the MCU is another solid entry. They just keep churning them out. The strength of this one was Brie Larson. She’s in almost virtually every scene and takes the character and runs with it. She brings a lot of charisma to the role as she takes on a pivotal part in the mythology. A lot of the film takes place in the mid 90’s and that is when the film is at its best and easily most fun. This is before the Avengers initiative gets started. There’s a bunch of fun stuff like slow downloading computers, Blockbuster video, Radio Shack is still around, beepers & Nine Inch Nail t-shirts. I loved it all. Samuel Jackson, with 2 good eyes, is along for the ride and he’s much of the comic relief. The film moves along pretty well. There is some periods of the movie which I found mundane and a little dull. Much of that revolves around the Annette Bening character, who I thought was miscast. I didn’t really buy her role. There is a kitty in this and he/she steals the film. Just don’t get too close because Goose isn’t your average household pussycat. There are 2 cookies (extra scenes) during the credits. One of which is very important, while the other is just plain funny. So don’t leave early.

Rating: ***

There are 2 documentaries about this failed music festival that came out right around the same time. I watched this one, while the other can be viewed on Hulu. This is a fascinating story. A spoiled rich millenial named Billy McFarland with way too much time and money hooks up with Ja Rule and decides to put on a lavish music festival on a private island, which he purchased, in the Bahamas. He sets up a huge promotional campaign aimed at rich millenials to lure them and spend hoards of cash with a promise of models, celebrities, music, beautiful places to stay, plenty of booze and a experience to remember for eternity. This was supposed to be the “shit”. Well, they got it half right because it all turned to shit and hundreds and hundreds of young folks got snookered as the whole event fell apart from nothing short of disorganization, manipulation and greediness from a spoiled rich kid. I found it odd that so many kids would want to spend all this money, and were talking thousands of dollars, to see Blink 182 and a bunch of other crappy bands. The lure was like the pied piper, but done with lavish websites and pretty sandy beaches. The documentary tells the story very meticulously and and how it all comes together and unravels is fascinating. What I also found interesting is once this guy was finally arrested and sent to home confinement (in his penthouse BTW), he began selling bogus tickets to the same people who he screwed over with the festival. Unbelievable. Check this movie out because it’s really an interesting story that made headlines and has now become a punchline.

Rating ***1/2

If Robert Redford is really going to retire from acting, then this is a nice way to go out. A simple story where he plays a career bank robber who has escaped from jail 16 times in his life. Every time he gets out, he robs more banks. The difference is that this guy will charm the pants off you and never takes more than he really needs from the teller. This role is perfect for Redford. He’s an old polite gentleman with very good manners. He’s always smiling and typically pretty content. When he meets Sissy Spacek on the side of the road with her broken truck, they form a nice relationship. She knows he’s a crook, but he never puts her in any danger and as long as she just stays just far enough away from his lifestyle, she believes they can maintain whatever it is they have going on. To each other, they’re companions. If you’re a fan of Redford, you’ll probably like this film. He’s perfect in this role. The film itself isn’t flashy, but it’s got a cool look to it like you’re watching a film from the late 70’s or early 80’s. It’s kinda slow, but fairly engrossing. You keep waiting for this guy to slip up and get caught again. The problem is that nobody wants to catch him. I liked this movie. I’ve always been a fan of Robert Redford. If this is his last acting job, not a bad way to remember him by.

Rating: (***)

Got out of the heat for some dino sequel fun at the show. This is one of those popcorn movies that delivers on entertainment as long as you go in with some lower expectations. I enjoyed it. It’s almost like 2 different films. The first 45 minutes is in Costa Rica with exploding volcanos and trees and lavas and giant waterfalls, while the 2nd half plays out like a William castle movie in a haunted mansion with dinos running loose. Not sure which was better. This installment pays quite a bit of homage to the original JP and you can pick those scenes out right away. That is however, one of the flaws in this movie as well as the franchise in a whole with all the deja vu action. You’ve seen a lot of this before. Chase, jump out, leap, eat & repeat. The question is how do they make this different or interesting and on a whole, the story is pretty sound and the director has some great shots in this. I thought there was enough to keep me engaged where even though I knew exactly what was going to happen next. I didn’t feel they needed a couple of the subplots such as a little girl who may or not be a clone, but I’m guessing we’ll be seeing her again and that will be a focal point in the next movie and there will be a next movie based on how this ended. I was disappointed that the JP John Williams music was absent save for a minor jingle on the piano. I missed that esp. since we had that music in our wedding ceremony.If you’ve seen the other JP movies, then you should see this one to round out your dino experience. It’s fun.

Rating (**1/2)

Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

This movie takes place after Captain America: Civil War in the MCU timeline. With something like 19 movies, it’s hard to keep track of all these because they tend to bounce around. The Ant-Man films are like Marvel lite. The violence is toned down and the comedy is ramped up. It’s very funny. This movie at times, felt like a family film with all its tender father/daughter moments and messages, but it all works and it’s a lot of fun. It’s PG-13, but feels like PG. The story isweak. There is a lot of talk about Quantum Realms and honestly, I found all that pretty dull. The villians were fine. The Ghost was interesting and the other bad guy was a stock character from a hundred other movies. I’m glad though they weren’t after world domination which led to another giant epic noisy battle. The characters are all very likeable and you root for them. The charm of these people are infectious and I really enjoyed the bad ass of the Wasp. Credit Evangeline Lilly for that. Stick around for the end credits as you’ll get another cookie which ties into the next Avengers film as well as a laugh out loud moment. I love how all these are connected and Ant Man and the Wasp is another winner in the assembly line of the MCU. (***)

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

In a packed house on a beautiful Sunday afternoon in IMAX 3-D, I caught the biggest film of the year. This will break a lot of records. I enjoyed immensely. It has its problems, but if you go into this knowing that the movie will not come to any conclusion (Part 2 is due out next year), then you’ll be fine and just need to go in and enjoy yourself. With over 20 Avengers, there is not only a battle against Thanos, but a battle for screen time. Some Avengers have very little todo, while others make just a cameo appearance. There are a handful of heroes who don’t appear and will have to wait for the next installment. At clocking in at 2:25, the film does a good job at moving things along. You never get bogged down with one battle as they go back and forth between planets, space, Wakanda, Nowhere (that’s a place), New York, etc. This being a Marvel film there is plenty of humor and my favorite thing about this movie is the anticipation of who is going to show up next. This is a pretty violent movie, but I bet your kid will cry bloody murder if you don’t take him/her so go ahead and check out Marvel’s biggest, baddest & boldest film yet. (***1/2)

Black Panther (2018)

I was with a sold out house for 10a Sunday morning showing of the hottest film of this young year. This film is the “goods”. It has a terrific cast, male & female. Chadwick Boseman apparently can play anyone since he’s already been Jackie Robinson, James Brown & Thurgood Marshall. Lots of strong characters, a solid villian and the cinematography is beautiful. There is an action sequence in South Korea that stands out for me and you’ll know what I’m talking about when you see it involving a remote control car. The movie does drag in spots and at times it felt a little long, but overall this is terrific entertainment. It is violent at times, but if your child has seen the other Marvel movies, they’ll be fine. It also offers up a good message. Stay for 2 extra scenes, both of which support the next Avengers film. (***1/2)

I was on vacation when this came out and I couldn’t wait to see this. This is one of those rare franchises that is getting better every time out. Tom Cruise, at age 54 continues to punish his body by doing every stunt himself and until he kills himself, I’m guessing he’ll keep going until his insurance runs out. He really is ageless. As for the movie, it’s pretty solid, if not too long. Clocking in at 2:27, the movie could use a trim, but the last reel is terrific and for those who don’t like heights, it’s especially thrilling. The movie is loaded with well choreographed action scenes which are all unique in itself. Plenty of plot twists and surprises to keep you interested during the slower portions of the film and there are a number of them. This franchise has always been pretty consistent with its delivery and as long as they want to keep making MI films, I’ll go see them.

Rating (***1/2)