“Joker” is a really tough film to review because as well done as it is and as amazing a performance Joaquin Phoenix gives, I can’t really say I enjoyed very much of it, if any. This is almost a film you need to absorb and take in than go into looking for entertainment. This is a very dark picture that reminded me of some of the darker social dramas from the mid 70’s such as Taxi Driver & a little of The King of Comedy, which are both Scorsese films, albeit a little later in 1983. Phoenix’ version of Joker is a real tough guy to watch. He’s a malnourished sad sack with a mental illness who lives with his old letch of a mother. He has a dead end job and gets beaten up mentally and physically. Deep down he’s a good guy, but has so many issues to deal with. His admiring of a Johnny Carson type asshole played by Robert DeNiro leads to a rousing climax that is as disturbing as it is powerful. I have to say i was pretty blown away by Phoenix in this role. This is a different take on the role and he knocks it out of the park. There are connections to the Batman mythology and I enjoyed those little Easter eggs because it made the film a little easier to watch. I’m going to recommend this movie because it should be seen. It is well done, well acted and pretty powerful. Maybe see it and discuss it afterwards because it’s not a feel good story or popcorn entertainment.

Rating (***)

What would happen if the Beatles didn’t exist only to one person? That’s the clever premise to this cute little Danny Boyle film. Hemish Patel plays a struggling musician who can’t get anywhere, but when he has an accident during a world wide freakish blackout, he wakes up from the hospital and finds out that he is the only one in the world who has ever heard of the Beatles music. So what does he do? He steals their songbook and takes on quite a successful career taking credit for their tunes. The movie works mostly out of cleverness and cuteness. Patel and his long suffering manager Lily James are very likeable. For the first 2 reels you buy into this and there is a little mystery as to when the shit will eventually hit the fan. That all worked for me. What didn’t work for me was how conveniently everything resolved itself. The ending is feel good, but how it got there didn’t work. I also didn’t care for the cartoon work of Kate McKinnon as the Patel’s manager after he found success. Her role didn’t work for me or did Ed Sheeran. Not sure why he was in the film. The movie is cute and enjoyable and for all its problems, I recommend.

Rating: (***)

“Dumbo”– Like many Tim Burton’s films, great to look that but not all that interesting and somewhat slow. The film drags in many spots. Eye candy, but that’s about it. Seemed to lack the 1941’s original film’s heart.

Rating: **

“Aladdin”– I liked this one better than Dumbo as it’s a very colorful movie and stays fairly true to the 1992 animated film. The movie is well cats and the leads are like able. Will Smith made a good Jeannie after a clumsy first few minutes. I enjoyed it.

Rating: ***

“M.I.B. International”– Not sure anybody was really asking for a Men in Black reboot, but here it is. Chris Hemsworth & Tessa Thompson are the new agents and they hold their own, but the story is clunky and the villian was pretty obvious to pick out. Not a bad movie, just forgettable.

Rating: **

“Toy Story 4”– This felt like a revisit with old friends. It’s nothing new or groundbreaking, but the franchise introduces a couple new toys that really uplift the movie including a spork & a daredevil motorcycle guy. They’re both a lot of fun.

Rating: ***

One of the best movies I’ve seen this year. Having completed the Chicago Marathon a few years ago, I found this film very relate-able and that whole running aspect of the film was my favorite and most inspiring, but the film is a lot more than that. Jillian Bell plays a person who is a mess, much like Amy Schumer’s character from Trainwreck. She wants to change her life after realizing she’s living a very unhealthy lifestyle. It takes a while, but she goes through a transformation physically and personally. She cuts out the negative people in her life and focuses on herself and sets little goals ultimately leading her up to the big one of completing the NYC Marathon. It’s a very inspiring film and Bell is terrific. She’s tough to like at first, but as the film goes you begin to really root for her. Based on a true story. I loved the message and I hope people seek out this terrific little film before it leaves the show or try and catch on the DVD.

Rating (****)

“Rocketman” is this years music biopic about a celebrated and beloved British music icon. This film and last year’s Bohemian Rhapsody are almost like a mirror image as the similarities are plenty. Both Freddie Mercury and Elton John battled the same demons and much of the same issues in almost an identical time frame. I enjoyed the Queen movie very much but you take out the Live Aid stuff and it’s a very average film despite a killer performance by Rami Malek. Rocketman, I think is a better movie and what impressed me the most is Taron Edgerton who knocks it out of the park playing Elton John both musically and vocally. He’s great. I also very much liked the style how they incorporated various musical numbers into the story. It was done with a neat style to it. The movie also culminates with its own winning conclusion. As music biopics go, this is much better than most. At its core, the story is paint by numbers, but the outer layer creates a pretty entertaining film.

Rating: (***1/2)

This is a stupid movie, but there is certainly an audience for it and for any parent with kids or kids that played Pokemon, they’ll recognize most, if not all of the Pokemon characters in this film. The story very much reminded me of Who Framed Roger Rabbit, a much better film, but if you watch again today, it feels a little flat or dated. Pikachu borrows a lot of the same elements and premise of that film. A live action film, but takes place in a world where theses animated creatures exist and live among us, much like the Toons did in Roger Rabbit. A disgruntled and frustrated kid must solve a mystery and takes on as his partner Detective Pikachu and together they try and solve it. Pikachu is voiced by Ryan Reynolds in full Deadpool (but clean) mode. He talks fast, tells jokes and gets on your nerves. But it’s also good casting because the role fits. The movie isn’t boring and there is some humor. I enjoyed watching my 13 year old pick out all the Pokemon characters that he recognized so for that I give the movie some props, but the film is still pretty dumb and parents watching this will be WTF is this? A mild recommendation for kids only.

Rating: (**1/2)

Most documentaries about Woodstock and there have been a bunch this year celebrate the music of the concert. That is fine because the music was terrific, but this documentary goes into full detail about the evolution of the event, the behind the scenes and all the issues that surrounded it. Narrated and interviewed are attendees, performers and witnesses. It’s a fascinating journey about over 400,000 kids coming together, with not a care in the world just taking in music and celebrating peace at a time when the world was at its most volatile. It’s hard to believe how different the world was back then. There wasn’t any distractions of cell phones or social media. The concert ticket price for this massive event that had some of the biggest names in rock & folk was a mere $18 for all 3 days or $6 a day. The festival had issues with parking, traffic jams and they ran out of food. Today, most people would be screaming their heads off, but for 3 days in Woodstock, nobody gave a shit. I enjoyed this trip back in time.

Rating: (***)

Through ground breaking computer restoration technology, filmmaker Peter Jackson’s team creates a moving real-to-life depiction of the WWI, as never seen before in restored, vivid colorizing & re-timing of the film frames, in order to honor those who fought and more accurately depict this historical moment in world history. You typically don’t get many movies or documentaries about the first great war, but this film is pretty fascinating. The first 30 minutes go into great detail what the British soldiers went through as far as training, what was in their pack kits, schedules and their diet & uniforms. I found all that pretty interesting. As the film goes on, you get some detailed descriptions of action that the soldiers came across and some of it is pretty graphic. Technology wise, the film is brilliant. Reading about how they put this film together could be a documentary itself. If there is any negative to the film is that the movie could use a dose of music to help narrate the story because at times the film drags, but I guess Peter Jackson intended to leave a musical score out of it for effect or felt it didn’t need it. This is a pretty amazing film. Check it out.

Rating: (****)

This is a documentary about a city couple (John and Molly Chester) from Santa Monica who decide to pursue their dream of owning a traditional farm. With the aid of numerous and probably very wealthy investors, they buy 200 acres and with the help of an eccentric mentor, they stock their farm full of livestock, chickens & start from scratch to grow all their fruits & veggies. The motivation comes from the need to find a place to keep their beloved rescue dog from barking up a storm and disturbing all their neighbors. Farm living for the Chesters has it’s ups and downs and the film follows many of them from weather, coyotes to crop destroying pesky snails. But what was fascinating was how all these problems were eventually solved and solved in such a cause and effect natural way. The movie does drag in parts esp. as we get an abundance of close ups and slow transitions. I think that may come from the director’s background as a wildlife photographer. That experience came in handy for this type of film, but it doesn’t necessarily help the pace. It’s still a very good movie. The Chesters are a very likable couple and when they do succeed, you can’t help but smile for them.

Rating: (***)