I thought “Wicked” was great. The two leads were outstanding. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande did a wonderful job in the roles of Elfaba and Glinda. The rest of the cast was also quite good. The scenery, cinematography and overall execution were all excellent. Jon Chu, the director did a great job. If you can, see this on the big screen for the colors.

Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II” is a sequel to the original film from 2000. Connie Nielsen is the only actor from the first film. All of the characters are new. This time Rome has become very corrupt. Paul Mascal plays the star gladiator who in a star making role. His character is owned by Denzel Washington playing a character who plays both sides against the middle. The arena scenes are epic and the plot keeps moving. This is a worthy sequel and deserves to be seen on the big screen. Look for this film to be nominated for a lot of awards.

“Conclave” is one of the first Oscar worthy films that I have seen this year. The acting and production are excellent. With a cast of great actors, including Ralph Fiennes, John Lithgow, Stanley Tucci and Isabelle Rossellini, it tells the story of the election of a new Pope. The intrigue and game-playing are as devious as a presidential election. All of that plays out and we find that none of the cardinals is without sin. But the real reason to see this film is a surprise ending, like you have never seen! See it for the acting, production and script, but it is the ending that you will remember.

Since “The Sixth Sense” M. Night Shaylaman’s movies have been uneven. Some have been good, but nothing has approached his first film. They usually have a twist and can be suspenseful. His latest, “Trap”, is one of the better ones. Josh Hartnett stars as a father escorting his daughter to a rock concert. The catch is that he is a serial killer. The police have been alerted that he is there so the first half of the movie is a cat and mouse game. The second half is a revelation. What transpires is not expected and keeps you guessing. Suspenseful and it keeps you on the edge of your seat.

It has been a while since my last post, but I feel compelled to write about one of my favorite movies of 2024 so far: “Deadpool and Wolverine”. Please note that my favorite movies of 2016 was “Deadpool”. I felt like it was made just for me! Lots of action and an incredible amount of snark. This latest entry lives up to that reputation. Deadpool is his old self, sarcastic, not taking anything seriously and funny as hell. The addition of Wolverine gives the movie added juice. Hugh Jackman’s Logan is serious and acts as the perfect straight man to Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool. Lots of action and lots of asides, some of them aimed at Disney, the studio that made this film. There is blood and gore but it’s all in the name of fun. I will probably go see it again.

George Clooney’s latest directorial project is “The Boys in the Boat”, the story of the University of Washington’s Junior Varsity crew team and their trip to the 1936 Olympics in Munich. It’s a true under dog story with compelling characters, lots of action and the race sequences will keep you on the edge of your seat. Joel Edgerton is the only actor you may recognize. Most of the others are relatively new. This film is a real crowd pleaser, somewhat reminiscent of “Chariots of Fire”. It’s just an enjoyable movie. Don’t miss it.

“The Iron Claw” is the story of a family involved in big time wrestling in the early 1980’s. Four brothers are bred for championship wrestling in Texas by a father who is single minded in his ambitions. Zac Efron plays the oldest brother. This is a very different role for Efron. The rest of the cast are good and each brother has their own personality. It is basically a story of survival. The scenes in the ring are realistic and interesting to watch. So is the over the top bragging before the television cameras. I wouldn’t call this a sports movie as much as a family drama. Not for everyone, but worth seeing.

Alexander Payne’s new movie is “The Holdovers”. It’s the story of three lonely people who are thrown together at a prep school during winter vacation. Paul Giamati plays the teacher forced to chaperone the student who has no place to go. The latter is played by Dominic Tessa, a newcomer, and he gives a great performance. Finally the head cook is at the school. Da’Vine Joy Randolph deserves the Oscar buzz she is getting for her role. She is the heart of this movie. Unlike most of Payne’s movies the characters aren’t aloof or hard to relate to. Giamati gives his least affected performance. I liked this film a lot. Getting to know the back stories was interesting and entertaining. Definitely worth seeing.

“Poor Things” is the new film from director Yorgos Lanthimos, who helmed “The Lobster” (which I hated), and “The Favorite” (which I loved). Lanthimos does not do normal storylines and “Poor Things” is no exception. An eccentric doctor experiments with animals and human organs. He comes across a recently dead woman, reanimates her and teaches her everything from scratch. It’s a cross between science fiction, horror, gothic and comedy. Emma Stone plays Bella, the reincarnated woman and it is quite a performance, definitely worthy of an Oscar nomination. The doctor is played by Wilhem Dafoe as a mad genius who believes everything he is doing is normal. Mark Ruffalo plays a cad who steals Bella away. While this film is very strange and not for all people, I enjoyed it. It’s different and very well done.

“Maestro” tells the story of Leonard Bernstein, the brilliant and famous conductor and composer. I remember him from the Young Peoples’ Concerts he used to do on TV. His life was as interesting as his work. Bernstein is played by Bradley Cooper, who also directed, and he is spot on. He looks and sounds just like him. The film does not shy away from Bernstein’s flaws. In the reviews I read critics praised Carey Mulligan’s performance as Bernstein’s wife, Felicia Montealegre. I couldn’t agree more. She was brilliant! She gives a multifaceted performance, starting off as an ingenue and growing into an intense, mature woman. Look for her performance at awards time. This is a good, but not great biography.