I knew very little about “Bad Samaritan” when I went to see it. The synopsis seemed weird and interesting. A millennial is subsisting by running a valet service with his friend for a posh restaurant. Instead of parking some of the cars, they go to the owner’s house and steal things. Nothing big, but a few little trinkets. At one of these homes the hero discovers a woman being held hostage. Going to the police means exposing himself, but he does it anyway. The police don’t believe him and the owner of the house proceeds to ruin his life. This movie was made on a small budget with no big name actors. The biggest star is someone who played Dr. Who. My eyes were glued to the screen and I did not know what was going to happen next. It is a very good suspense thriller. Clever and well executed.
Life of the Party
Melissa McCarthy is back as the mother of a college age girl. Her husband dumps her and to cope with her crisis she goes back to college. There are a few funny bits, especially when a college age guy has the hots for Melissa. However, there is one scene that will knock your socks off. This is one of those films that McCarthy and her husband, Ben Falcone, wrote and he directed. It’s cute, has a few laughs and is an enjoyable piece of fluff. Not the greatest, but not bad.
Tully
I loved “Juno” when it came out ten years ago. Well written, well acted and beautifully directed it was a uniquely told story. The director, Jason Reitman, and writer, Diablo Cody, made another movie, “Young Adult” back in 2011, and it missed the mark. I thought it was tiresome and meandering. Their latest collaboration is “Tully”, the story of a middle class mother of three, including a new born, who is struggling to survive. A night nurse comes into her life and things change. Charlize Theron stars as the mother very realistically, with bags under her eyes and extra weight. The problem for me was that there wasn’t much to the story and other than the mother and the nanny, there was no character development. There is a twist at the end, but overall I was underwhelmed.
Super Troopers II
It is normally not a good sign when film makers wait seventeen years to make a sequel. This is especially true when the original wasn’t a hit initially, but became a cult classic. Most people have heard of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”. How about it’s sequel “Shock Treatment”? Probably not because the latter was horrible. Well I am happy to say that “Super Troopers II” is a worthy sequel to the original. All of the same actors are back, the comedy is low brow and many of the scenes are laugh out loud funny. There even is a segment where the boys ticket drivers outrageously like they did in the first one. This is a slapstick comedy that is not meant to stimulate your intellect. So check your I.Q. at the door and enjoy.
A Quiet Place
I originally did not want to see “A Quiet Place” starring Emily Blunt and directed and co-starring John Krasinski. It looked like a dumb horror movie, but the reviews sounded interesting. Boy, was I pleasantly surprised! The story is about a post-apocalyptic family surviving aliens who hunt them down through sound. They are only able to live by keeping completely silent. Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? Let me tell you that this is one of the most suspenseful films I have ever seen. There isn’t much blood and carnage, but the anticipation kept me on the edge of my seat. I expected that I would give this film no more than two stars out of five. Instead, I am giving it four. It’s a really great scary movie.
Beirut
“Beirut” is a suspense thriller starring Jon Hamm and Rosamund Pike. It’s a kidnap/ransom story with a lot of twists. There are Americans, Palestinians, Lebanese, and Israelis in this intriguing story. The film shows how Lebanon changed from the 1970’s to the 1980’s, basically from a nice, modern city to a war torn hell hole. Hamm starts off as a well connected power player who loses it all when his wife is killed during a kidnapping. He is brought back to negotiate the release of a high level diplomat who happens to be his friend. It is hard to figure out who are the heroes and who are the villains. The story is based on fact with a lot of twists. Not a lot of action, but interesting.
Isle of Dogs
The latest film from Wes Anderson is a stop motion animated story set in the future in Japan. All dogs have been banished from the city and forced to live on Trash Island. A young boy goes to the island to try to find his pet and is helped by a pack of dogs. Anderson’s films are quirky, with a very dry sense of humor that is off the wall. This movie is no exception. There are no laugh out loud moments, but the characters are different and funny. Anderson’s films are not for everyone because they are different. If you are a fan, you will enjoy it.
Chappaquiddick
The historical drama “Chappaquiddick” tells the story of when Ted Kennedy’s car went off a bridge and a young girl drowned. The film shows how Kennedy’s mishandling of the incident turned a tragedy into a scandal. I remember watching the story unfold in the news. Watching it on the screen was interesting, especially learning the details of the tragedy. Jason Clarke plays Kennedy and does a great job. The rest of the cast is spot on, but the one who stood out for me was Bruce Dern as Joseph Kennedy, the leader of the clan. As played by Dern, Joe Kennedy is a mean, terrible old man who is only interested in power. This film is well done, but like a lot of dramas of this sort, there isn’t a lot of action. An interesting and informative film.
The Death of Stalin
Here is a film that almost no one has heard of. It’s truly an independent. Starring Steve Buscemi as Nikita Kruschev, it is the story of the transition of power after Stalin died. His chosen successor is a dolt so Kruschev and another are fighting for the second position. Believe it or not Kruschev is the good guy. The movie is a farce with many comical characters including Stalin’s son who is one step above an idiot. This is a black comedy, so some people may not like the morbid humor, but I enjoyed it. You will probably have a hard time finding it in theaters so look for it on cable or streaming video. It really is a gem.
The Leisure Seeker
We went to see this film because it stars Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland figuring how could it be bad? It’s a slice of life movie about an older couple taking off on a road trip in their 40+ year RV. He is a retired English professor who has Alzheimer’s and she is his devoted, bossy wife who has some disease that is supposedly fatal. They have all kinds of adventures and meet interesting people along the way. Ultimately it is sad as they know they are near the end, but they keep going anyway. Of course it is beautifully acted. Mirren, as an aging Southern Belle, gives a performance that is different than normal. Sutherland, who has always been an underrated actor, does a wonderful job as a once brilliant man who goes in and out of touch with reality. It is fascinating to watch him, not knowing if it’s his old self or not. This is a small movie and it drags in places. If you don’t see it on the big screen, watch it on Netflix or HBO. They don’t make them like this anymore.
Mark's Movie Reviews 