The Farewell

“The Farewell” is a little movie about a Chinese family coming together to say good bye to a dying member under the pretense of wedding. (In China they don’t tell a loved one that they are dying until the last minute.) The film stars Awkwafina as an American raised granddaughter who is still trying to find her way in the world. She cannot understand the Chinese custom. The rest of. the cast are lesser known Chinese actors. All are wonderful, especially the grandmother! She steals the movie and you fall in love with her. Delightful, sweet, funny and charming. You won’t want to miss this one.

Toy Story 4

It is hard to believe that the original “Toy Story” was the first computer animated film. Even back then Pixar Studio knew that the script was as important as the animation. The first two sequels were almost as good as the original. This one, while not as good as the first three, is worthy its legacy. This time Woody and the gang are owned by a new child, a little girl. They go on an adventure with her and her family. Cute, clever and funny. You won’t be disappointed.

Yesterday

The feel good movie of the summer is “Yesterday”, from the director who brought us “Slumdog Millionaire”. The plot is pretty far fetched, but fun. A down on his luck musician blacks out when. the world has a power outage and when he awakens the no one knows who the Beatles are. He plays their songs and becomes a superstar, all the time being told what a genius he is for writing such incredible songs. Himesh Patel plays the musician who is dumbfounded by his success. His British Pakastani family is adorable and his friend/girlfriend, played by Lily James, is also wonderful. Kate McKinnon plays his money hungry agent. They pull off the far fetched plot and of course the music is amazing. I really loved this movie and will probably see it again. It is that enjoyable.

Shaft

This is the third movie named “Shaft”, but is not a remake of the first two versions. Rather it is a continuation of the Shaft story. In this one we meet John Shaft’s son, an MIT graduate working for the FBI. Shaft was an absentee father and his son, J.J., needs him for an investigation. The plot is incidental because this is a showcase for Samuel L. Jackson’s talents and persona. You could say that this film is “Deadpool in Harlem”. There is lots of action and just as much comedy. Jackson is hilarious and his son, played by newcomer Jesse T. Usher, holds his own. The film really hits its stride when Richard Roundtree, the original Shaft, shows up playing Jackson’s father and Usher’s grandfather. He’s still cool. This film was a lot of fun. If you like action with comedy, don’t miss it!

Aladdin

I have to admit that I had trepidations about seeing Disney’s latest live action remake of one of their animated films. Robin Williams’ genie seemed impossible to duplicate. I was surprised by how good Will Smith was in that role. He didn’t try to imitate Williams, but made the character his own. The film is beautifully filmed and the musical scenes are wonderful. The special effects that are used for the genie are really amazing and flawless. This one ranks up there with the live action remakes of “The Jungle Book”, “Beauty and the Beast”, and “Cinderella”. Go see it!

Booksmart

“Booksmart” is a female version of “Superbad” where two smart girls, who only studied in high school, decide to be crazy on the night before graduation. This is a small film, but very well written. The two leads are unknown, but do a great job. They decide that they are going to a wild party, but get side tracked a couple of times. Enjoyable and funny. I really enjoyed it.

Eighth Grade

I normally don’t review films that left the theater a while ago, but I am making an exception for “Eighth Grade”. It’s currently on Amazon Prime and I loved it! It tells the story of a young, awkward girl finishing eighth grade. Saying that the story and characters are real is an understatement. The filmmaker has captured adolescences perfectly. And the poor father can’t do anything right in the young girl’s eyes. Elsie Fisher is perfect in the starring role; awkward, arrogant, and delusional. Do not miss this one!

Mary Poppins Returns

When I was eight years old, like everyone else my age, I was obsessed with the movie “Mary Poppins”. My brother and I played the record until it wore out. So when they announced that they were going to make a sequel I was less than enthused. The original was one of those magical, one-of-a-kind event movies. Obviously anything following it could not live up to it. How could anyone but Julie Andrews play the title role? Well I am here to tell you that “Mary Poppins Returns” is an excellent follow up, even if it comes fifty-four years after the original. Emily Blunt is perfect in the title role. From the minute she appears on screen, she owns the role. Lin-Manuel Miranda plays a street lamp lighter, much like Bert the chimney sweep, except his accent is actually pretty good. Speaking of Bert, Dick Van Dyke makes a cameo appearance as the old banker. Besides Blunt nailing the character, the musical numbers and choreography are outstanding. The highest praise I can give this film is that it made me feel like a kid. I loved it! This is not a kid’s movie; it’s for everyone who wants to be entertained for two hours.

Bohemian Rhapsody

Queen has always been my second favorite rock band, so when I saw that they were making a film about them I was excited, but nervous that it wouldn’t be any good. Well I am here to tell you that the film, “Bohemian Rhapsody”, is well quite good. Basically, it’s the story of Queen’s lead singer, Freddie Mercury, and how he transformed a band that played second rate clubs into a phenomenon. Besides his incredible voice, he had a vision that pushed the limits of rock and roll. Rami Malek plays Mercury and this is a performance that ranks with Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles and Marion Collitard as Edith Piaf. He is epic! Loved the music, loved the movie. It’s one of those films that I didn’t want to end and I want to see it again.

Green Book

“Green Book” is one of the best films of the year. Starring Viggo Mortensen and Marershala Ali as an odd couple touring the Deep South in the early 1960’s it is funny, interesting and very entertaining. Mortensen plays an Italian from Brooklyn who acts as driver for Ali, a professional pianist. The latter is very educated, while the former is from the streets. They teach each other about life. Directed by Peter Farrelly of “Something About Mary” fame, this is a different kind of film for him. Beautifully done, with a great soundtrack, this is one film not to miss.