A Few Good Men

Movie Name: A Few Good Men
Year of Release: 1992
Director: Rob Reiner
Starring: Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore, Kevin Bacon, Kiefer Sutherland, Kevin Pollak, James Marshall, J.T. Walsh, Christopher Guest, J.A. Preston, Matt Craven, Xander Berkeley, Noah Wyle, 
Genre: Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
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Synopsis and Review:

Director Rob Reiner had a remarkable streak of successful films in the late 80s, which included "Stand By Me", "The Princess Bride" and "When Harry Met Sally". He started the 90s with the well received "Misery", which he quickly followed with "A Few Good Men", a prestige film, who for all intentions, was suppose to be the big Oscar ticket of 1992 (it wasn't, the honor was bestowed on Clint Eastwood's "Unforgiven", but also on James Ivory's "Howard's End", both of which ended up eating the lion share of the awards that year). The film is an adaptation of Aaron Sorkin's play, and follows the story of two marines who are accused of murdering one of their colleagues, and the team that is put in place in order to defend them. The defense team is headed by Lt. Daniel Kaffee, who is well known for making deals, and who has never had to tackle cases in the courtroom. He is aided by Lt. Cdr. JoAnne Galloway and Lt. Sam Weinberg. The premise for their defense, relies on the fact that their clients were given orders to execute the mandate of their superior, who ordered a "Code Red" on the victim. That superior, Col. Nathan Jessup, is a stoic and impenetrable individual, and it's up to this team to figure out a way to uncover the truth and save their clients. 
Rob Reiner has always managed to work efficiently, illustrating smartly written scripts in a way that allows for characters to be effectively drawn. "A Few Good Men" is no exception: Aaron Sorkin's writing allows for the characters to be succinctly flushed out, in terms of who they are, what their motivations are, all wrapped in this plot of uncovering why those young men committed such a heinous crime. It is a courtroom drama, a genre that has seen some classics, such as Robert Mulligan's "To Kill a Mockingbird" and even Otto Preminger's "Anatomy of a Murder", and while this film doesn't ascend to those heights, it does allow for a good cast to interact and have some solid performances, particularly Jack Nicholson, who in the few moments he has in the film, outshines everyone and walks away with the entire feature. It's a film that is narratively linear, lacking a more distinctive point of view from the director, one that can take that narrative to different heights, but nonetheless it allows for the suspenseful storyline to unfold at a leisurely pace. It also allows for Tom Cruise and Kevin Bacon to show their versatility (while again Demi Moore is lost, and only plays the character in a singular way). The cinematography from Robert Richardson is fantastic, as is the score of the talented Marc Shaiman. Worth watching.

Damage

Movie Name: Damage
Year of Release: 1992
Director: Louis Malle
Starring: Jeremy Irons, Juliette Binoche, Miranda Richardson, Rupert Graves, Ian Bannen, Peter Stormare, Julian Fellowes, Leslie Caron, Tony Doyle
Genre: Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
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Synopsis and Review:

Following the well received "Milou en Mai" and the Oscar nominated "Au Revoir Les Enfants", Louis Malle decided to tackle an adaptation of Josephine Hart's book, "Damage" with a screenplay from playwright David Hare. The film follows the story of Stephen Fleming, a physician now involved in politics. He is married to Ingrid, and has two children. His oldest, Martyn, begins a relationship with a young woman by the name of Anna. Upon meeting her Stephen is clearly attracted to her, and they both start an affair, that gets all the more consuming and obsessive for Stephen. As he probes deeper, and learns more about Anna's life, family and past, his devotion is never ending, obsessively following her, even when she's with Martyn. When Martyn proposes to Anna, there's a decision to end the affair, but sadly Martyn uncovers the whole situation with dramatic results. 
Louis Malle's films have always been interestingly nuanced observations of relationships that may at times be considered taboo, something that can be witnessed with his American films "Pretty Baby" and "Atlantic City". His most successful films always probe into what connects characters, and how the ties that are eventually established, are shaped by a variety of factors, with sex being one of them. "Damage" is in a way, the most erotically charged film of his career, but one where some of the topics of his filmography permeate clearly: the connection of characters/people beyond their obvious differences, and a certain disregard for the norms (or what society deems acceptable). "Damage" manages to illustrate Stephen's life, his boxed existence quite well, particularly how the infusion of the erotic thrill of Anna's existence reawakens him (and propels him in a downward spiral of obsession). The film is less successful in bringing a certain dimension to Anna, with some aspects of the character, her "damaged" aspect, feeling a bit unresolved (the same way, it's never quite understood her apparently inescapable seductive powers, no matter how lovely Juliette Binoche is). It's a film that lives from the considerable talents of its cast, with Jeremy Irons, Juliette Binoche (as she was moving into her more well known roles), Miranda Richardson (who was nominated for an Oscar with this role) and Rupert Graves (from James Ivory's "A Room with a View" and "Maurice"), all inhabiting these characters with gusto and credibility. A good film worth watching.

Mr. Right

Movie Name: Mr. Right
Year of Release: 2015
Director: Paco Cabezas
Starring: Sam Rockwell, Anna Kendrick, Tim Roth, James Ransone, Anson Mount, Michael Eklund, RZA, Katie Nehra, Jaiden Kaine, Douglas M. Griffin, Elena Sanchez
Genre: Comedy, Action
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 3
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Synopsis and Review:

"Mr. Right" hails from the creative mind of writer Max Landis, who in the same year, saw his "American Ultra" also premier. "Mr. Right" follows the story of Martha a young woman who just found out her seemingly perfect boyfriend was fooling around on her with other women. Following an attempt to bounce back with the help of her girlfriends, Martha meets a charismatic, funny and charming man, by the name of Francis. Their chemistry is palpable, and following a lovely day together, he tells her he's a hired hitman. As their relationship further deepens, his past suddenly catches up with him, with a series of hoodlums attempting to kill him. 
Spanish director Paco Cabezas partnering with controversial writer Max Landis has produced a film that for all its attempted quirkiness, romanticism and irreverence, fails to deliver on both premises. The storyline for this adventure/caper, is riddled with clichés, starting with Anna Kendrick's character, who falls under the "cheated girlfriend, who turns out to be gifted and understands the mind of a criminal" persona, whereas Sam Rockwell's Francis, fails to get much character development at all. While establishing clichés can at times allow for the spectators to quickly understand characters and plot threads, in this case, it provides none of those. The film and its characters lacks charm, humor and even an edge, something that the more graphical violence tries (pointlessly) to bring to the foreground. It's a sad waste, since the cast has great potential, with the dynamic duo of Sam Rockwell and Anna Kendrick, who have great chemistry, with the always reliable Tim Roth providing good support (the same going for James Ransone and Anson Mount). Sadly all this talent doesn't prevent the film from being ultimately forgettable.

Truth or Dare

Movie Name: Truth or Dare
Year of Release: 2018
Director: Jeff Wadlow
Starring: Lucy Hale, Tyler Posey, Violett Beane, Hayden Szeto, Sophia Ali, Nolan Gerard Funk, Landon Liboiron, Sam Lerner, Tom Choi, Gregg Daniel, Brady Smith
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 2
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Synopsis and Review:

Production studio Blumhouse and producer Jason Blum, continue to deliver their eclectic roster of films, this one more in the vein of what originally started the production facility (the success of "Paranormal Activity" put the studio on the map, back in 2007). The film follows a group of college friends who go on a vacation in Mexico. While there they get tangled with a stranger who manages to convince them to participate in a game of truth or dare in the ruins of a mission. What they don't realize is that the game is a lethal one,  since there's a supernatural entity playing with them, and claiming lives whenever they don't abide by the rules of the game. Olivia, the original target, and the central character in the narrative, tries to unveil the roots of the game and escape its deadly claim.
Jeff Wadlow has, thus far, directed mostly forgettable fare, and sadly "Truth or Dare" can be filed under the same cannon. Unlike other efforts hailing from Blumhouse, such as the "Insidious" series, or more illustrious films the studio has produced such as Jordan Peele's "Get Out", Damien Chazelle's "Whiplash" and more recently, Spike Lee's "Blackkklansman", "Truth or Dare" tries to fit the bill of the small budget horror feature, with few pretensions but lots of scares. While the lack of pretensions is indeed on display, so are the lack of scares, lack of character dimension, and general lack of interest in the universe that is created by the director. All the characters are generic, contrived, and lack motivation, insight and depth to hold much interest during the entire feature. What Wes Craven was able to do with his classic "A Nightmare on Elm Street", was define American suburbia, and introduce a charismatic figure of evil, one that disrupted the superficial good natured aspect of that same suburbia, while also exposing some of the familial relationships between parents and their offspring. "Truth or Dare" aims to mostly illustrate the mechanics of a supernatural entity, who rapidly destroys the thin ties of friendship between these characters. It's difficult for audiences to create empathy with characters or their journeys, when so little of them have been demonstrated or established. It's an instantly forgettable endeavor from a studio that typically delivers on scares and on well crafted features.

Ghost World

Movie Name: Ghost World
Year of Release: 2001
Director: Terry Zwigoff
Starring: Thora Birch, Scarlett Johansson, Steve Buscemi, Brad Renfro, Illeana Douglas, Bob Balaban, Teri Garr, Stacey Travis, Brian George, Pat Healy, David Cross, Tom McGowan, Diane Salinger
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
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Synopsis and Review:

Director Terry Zwigoff made a name for himself in the 90s with the documentary, "Crumb", which found itself in the list of the best films of the year and ended up winning innumerable awards for best documentary of the year (the documentary was of course, focused on artist Robert Crumb). "Ghost World" is the first feature film for Terry Zwigoff and is an adaptation of the comic book by Daniel Clowes, who co-authors the screenplay with the director. The film follows the story of two best friends, Enid and Rebecca, who are about to graduate high school. Both of them have distinct tastes, don't really mix with most of the high school crowd, and tend to seek out uncomfortable social situations or at least some general awkwardness around it. They also have less than a forgiving eye for all the social niceties and all the pressure that young people place upon themselves, to feel hip, cool or belong. While Rebecca is figuring out how to find a job, so they can find their own place to live, Enid is blithely living with her father, while also developing a crush/fixation on an older man, Seymour. Enid who draws and scribbles incessantly, is forced to take a Summer art class, in order to finish her high school, and while initially repulsed by what the teacher considers sublime, she eventually decides to play the game, all the while trying to understand what she needs to do next with her life.
"Ghost World" is a finely observed film focused on young people who don't really fit in, and don't necessarily want to fit in. It's a film that details the lives of high schoolers, that are quite unlike most typical observational comedies focused on this demographic. These young women in particular, have tastes in terms of art, memorabilia, music, that veer off the most typical path. Enid in particular, who ends up being the center of the story, is trying to understand who she is, what she wants to do, and does so by forcing situations that don't necessarily have the outcome she expects. In looking for answers, she goes through paths that are not necessarily the most linear ones, at times alienating her only friends and loved ones. It's a film that much like "Crumb", doesn't make the characters likable or relatable. It's observational, candid, reveling in some of the awkwardness Enid has and creates for herself. The performances are uniformly solid, with Steve Buscemi in particular, creating a man who is gentle, but disillusioned with relationships, and in particular, his ability to find a fulfilling one. If anything, the film could have benefited from providing more dimension to the supporting characters, but it's still an insightful view at someone trying to find her path and place in the world. Worth watching.

Birds of Prey

Movie Name: Birds of Prey
Year of Release: 2020
Director: Cathy Yan
Starring: Margot Robbie, Ewan McGregor, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Rosie Perez, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Ella Jay Basco, Chris Messina, Ali Wong, Steven Williams, David Ury, Daniel Bernhardt, Derek Wilson
Genre: Action, Adventure, Crime
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 2
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Synopsis and Review:

The expansion of the DC Universe continues, and for every interesting foray which translates into something watchable as Todd Phillips's "Joker", there's the opposite side of the spectrum with the mediocre and just released "Birds of Prey". The film follows the story of Harley Quinn, the Joker's ex girlfriend, who at the beginning of the film, explains her falling out with said crime overlord. Once she is on her own, she finds herself the target of all of Gotham City's criminal underworld, including Roman Sionis. Roman is keen on establishing himself as the king of the underworld. She manages to buy some time, when she bargains with him, and reassures him of the delivery of a priceless diamond, which contains information to the considerable wealth left behind by a former drug lord, who was killed years back. However these deals forged in the heat of the moment are never everlasting, and Quinn is forced to join forces with a group of women, including The Huntress, Black Canary and Renee Montoya, in order to save young Cassandra Cain, who is in possession of said diamond, and their own lives.
Cathy Yan's "Birds of Prey" is her second directorial outing, following the little seen "Dead Pigs". One of the most disappointing aspects of this film, is the lack of a truly interesting point of view from the director, one that can clearly demonstrate and establish the world of its leading character, a character that is defined by its mix of nihilism, narcissism, caos, humor and appetite for destruction. It's also a film that fails to establish the supporting characters as more than thin archetypes, where the villain has little to no motivation to actually do anything that is captured in the film, and where the same applies for the other supporting female characters in the group. It's a film that had all the ingredients to truly be fantastic and offbeat: a group of women, being able to rebel, and power through a criminally infested city under the tutelage of some patriarchal hero/villain figures (Batman and The Joker respectively). Instead, the film starts with some bite, but as it progresses, it whimpers out, and eventually by the third act, the choreographed fighting scenes are repetitive and almost reminiscent of the campy "Batman" tv show. This film needed a better script, and someone who understands that irreverence, counter culture, anarchy, isn't about bright colors and sparkles. Someone who can look at what Stanley Kubrick did with "A Clockwork Orange" and more recently what David Fincher did  with "Fight Club": irreverence doesn't have to be shouted in technicolor to be seen and felt, it actually means rocking the establishment, by illustrating the demise of its institutions (which is something that Christopher Nolan illustrated in "The Dark Knight"). Margot Robbie, for all her talent, can't elevate this material, and Ewan McGregor for the first time, actually has a bad performance captured on film. Avoid.  

Honey Boy

Movie Name: Honey Boy
Year of Release: 2019
Director: Alma Har'el
Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Lucas Hedges, Noah Jupe, FKA Twigs, Laura San Giacomo, Clifton Collins Jr., Maika Monroe, Byron Bowers, Martin Starr, Natasha Lyonne, Mario Ponce
Genre: Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
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Synopsis and Review:

"Honey Boy" which made its debut at the Sundance Film Festival of 2019, has steadily winning accolades since its debut. The film, written by and starring Shia LaBeouf, follows the story of a child actor by the name of Otis. We witness Otis and his ongoing relationship with his father, when he's 12 and already working in Hollywood, while also witnessing the grown up Otis, spiraling out of control, having issues with drinking and drugs, forcing him to go to rehab, in order to avoid jail time. 12 year old Otis, forces himself to deal with a father that has substance abuse problems, and who is unable to look past himself, and actually have the heart and ability to love and support him properly. Adult Otis, is carrying all his childhood pain, which makes him viscerally violent towards everything and everyone who comes in touch with him. As the film goes, we witness the therapists trying to unlock the path to healing for adult Otis, while the young Otis, while attempting to stay afloat, is also desperately trying for his father to love him and be a part of his life.
"Honey Boy" is the first feature film by Alma Har'el, after a career in documentaries and shorts. It's a film that uses Shia LaBeouf's autobiographical screenplay to tell a story about fathers and sons, and how the choices of one impact the future of another. It's an unflinching look at a father figure, a deeply flawed one, who is ultimately incapable of loving anyone, someone plagued by self doubt and self worth issues. A person whose choices, and whose lack of emotional maturity, end up sabotaging the life and growth of a young boy, who wants nothing else but be loved, nurtured and protected by his father figure. The film manages to be a good showcase for the lead actors involved, even if at times the father figure almost topples the balance of everything taking place onscreen. The supporting characters, in order to also give more vibrancy and honesty to the narrative, deserved a bit more developing, but they do end up providing a fair context to understand the universe in which Otis, the young narrator, lives in. It's a film that captures the burden of parenthood and how adulthood copes with some painful legacies. The performances from Shia LaBeouf, Lucas Hedges, Noah Jupe and the underrated Laura San Giacomo, are memorable and resonant, and for that alone, the film is worth watching. 

The Curse of La Llorona

Movie Name: The Curse of La Llorona
Year of Release: 2019
Director: Michael Chaves
Starring: Linda Cardellini, Roman Christou, Jaynee-Lynne Kinchen, Raymond Cruz, Patricia Velasquez, Marisol Ramirez, Sean Patrick Thomas, Tony Amendola, Irene Keng, John Marhsall Jones
Genre: Suspense, Horror, Thriller
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 3
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Synopsis and Review:

"The Curse of La Llorona" is director Michael Chaves feature directorial debut, following a series of shorts and some work on a TV mini-series. The film, produced by writer/producer/director James Wan, is not part of the "Conjuring" universe, though it has some references to it in passing. The story focuses on social worker Anna, who finds herself coming to terms with a life without the presence of her husband, who has passed away. She is tackled with dealing with a case involving two small children who live with their mother. Upon a house visit, she discovers the children hidden in a storage room, and the mother of the children terrified. The woman claims La Llorona is coming for them. Not hearing the claims of the woman, the children are taken into custody, only to be killed by the entity. When a distraught Anna goes to check on the aftermath of that sad occurrence, she has her own kids in her car, who then become the targets for La Llorona. Initially in disbelief, Anna witnesses that entity in her house, and desperately seeks counseling and help from a Priest, who sends her in the direction of a former priest who can possibly help her.
"The Curse of La Llorona" may not be an official chapter in "The Conjuring" universe, but it definitely shares some DNA with that series of films. Not necessarily in execution and effectiveness of the story and characters development, but definitely more so on how the supernatural menace is created, and how it impacts the nuclear aspect of a family that has just been through a traumatic event. It's a film that lacks the finesse and gradual aspect that James Wan brought to the original "The Conjuring", where suggestions, gave way to more demonstrable scares. The scares here are less effective, since the curse itself, and the backstory for the supernatural entity, feels less credible and not well explored. Still the film manages to be a good showcase for the underrated Linda Cardellini, who tries to bring some dimension to the lead character, a recent widowed woman, dealing with two young children, while also being a social worker and in essence, dealing with traumatic families all the time. The cinematography work from Michael Burgess is impeccably executed. While not an ostensibly bad film, it's a quickly forgettable one. Here's hoping Michael Chaves finds some meatier narratives to work with in the future.

Schitt's Creek

TV Show Name: Schitt's Creek
Year of Release: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020

Creators: Dan Levy, Eugene Levy

Stars: Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Dan Levy, Annie Murphy, Emily Hampshire, Jennifer Robertson, Dustin Milligan, Sarah Levy, Noah Reid, Chris Elliott, Tim Rozon, Karen Robinson, John Hemphill, Rizwan Manji, Steve Lund, Ennis Esmer, Sherry Miller, Stewart Arnott

Genre: Comedy

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8
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Synopsis and Review:

"Schitt's Creek" originated from the creative minds of actor/writers Dan Levy and his real life father (and comic legend), Eugene Levy. The show which made its debut in 2015, follows the story of the Rose family, comprised of patriarch Johnny, former actress and diva mother, Moira, artistic and creative older son David, and young and restless daughter, Alexis. The once extremely wealthy family find themselves with nothing, when their former business manager evades the country, and they realize he had never paid any taxes on their businesses and investments. The government allows them to keep ownership of a small town once bought by Johnny Rose as a gift to his son David. The family finds themselves living in the small motel the city has, since all their friends and acquaintances (and even family members), shun them. They slowly become acquainted with the locals, and start the process of ingraining themselves in that reality, which at the beginning seems like an impossible task. The family eventually starts flourishing and find venues for their own personalities and create actual sensical relationships, all in this small town populated by quirky characters of their own.
"Schitt's Creek" is a show which flew under the radar for quite a few years, until more recently audiences started noticing just how well written and observed the series actually is. What started as a parody and a "fish out of water" type of premise, evolved into a show where in parallel with humor, there's a probing into the superficial aspects of what our society has become (the social media craze included), and how even in the middle of a seemingly isolated city, people can find happiness and their true selves. It's a well nuanced show, where the characters have evolved and shown different facets, where the seemingly shallow ones have shown their heart, and where the quirky ones, have shown how they have some ties actual ordinary lives (and dreams of better lives). Dan and Eugene Levy have managed to also assemble a phenomenal array of actors, which besides themselves, includes the phenomenal Catherine O'Hara, who is quite possibly one of the finest comediennes working these days, alongside revealing the talents of Annie Murphy, Noah Reid and Emily Hampshire. A very good show worth watching at any time.