Joanna & Carl S, AZ

We enjoy your movie reviews even though we don't get to the movies very often anymore.

 

Edith K., IL

Just want to thank you for your monthly movie reviews.  I enjoy them so much and use them as a guide.

 

Holly V., IL 

           Your review of Last Stop in Yuma County brought to mind that play Loretta directed years ago called When You Comin’ Back Red Ryder?.

            Since I last wrote I saw the following on your recommendation:  Nyad, May December, The Beautiful Game, The Greatest Night in Pop, Daughters, The Wonder, and Maria. I agreed with your reviews except for Maria which I found to be way too slow even though Jolie was amazing. I have two to recommend to you.  Goyo, a romance involving an autistic man, and His Three Daughters about three sisters caring for their father in hospice.  Both are on Netflix. Both are really good.

           I watched a great movie last night: Juror#2.  The neat thing was that I rented it on Fandango.  I didn’t realize you could rent movies there.  And they have lots.  I’m delighted to have an additional resource for movies.  The next one I am going to watch is The Substance.

 

Carol M., AZ

The six you feature look very good but I don't know if I have the courage to view the Palestinians.

 

Judith W., IN

I always enjoy the issues. At least you can still watch movies at home!  And we can still read about your reactions!  Gary and I went out to a movie once last year and I have no recollection of what it was!  I'm sure if I asked him he will remember. I probably could remember if I were still that young!

 

Denny G., FL

           BabygirL (2024 - Movie Theater):  While Nicole Kidman's acting is credible (I've always liked her!), this was a bit too erotic/weird for me.  I get it - I understand what her character is going through, trying to accomplish and be accepting of herself, but I just didn't care for it - good cast though!

          The Apprentice (2024 - Streamed on Prime):  If this film is remotely accurate, it sheds a bright, bright light on what we are experiencing today.  This dates back to Donald Trump's early days (the 70's) as a slum lord, a wannabe real estate mogul, and his close relationship with Roy Cohn, the attorney who became his mentor.  This has been nominated for several awards, and rightfully so.  I will refrain from political comments, but I'd be willing to bet that a lot of this is true.  Have not yet seen Kieran Culkin's or Edward Norton's movies, so my vote's for Jeremy Strong as Roy Cohn.

         Just letting you know this will be it!  There was no afternoon showing of A Complete Unknown - it was a misprint (boo hoo)!  I did, however, watch an interesting documentary made in 2020 titled:  Unfit:  The Psychology of Donald Trump.  Other than OMG, I will refrain from comment (but you must see it - it's free on Prime!).

 

Mike B., AZ

Thanks Barb. Movies are just not like they used to be.

 

Jackie M., IL

I saw Juror 2 and loved it  - will try The Substance!

 

Art S., IN – Reviews

             Went to see the new movie Babygirl this afternoon at the Art Cinema. As a side note, the parking garage, the mall, and the Food Court were the busiest I've seen them in years, since before the pandemic. Lots of people were going to see movies, as well as shop, but this movie had fewer than 20 patrons. It was all about power and sex, with a little technology thrown in. It showed what looked like Amazon warehouses devoid of people, but full of colorful robot-like mechanisms doing the work. There really wasn't much of a plot. The writing couldn't keep up with the acting by the main characters. Nicole Kidman, who is 57 looked great most of the time; in a few scenes some signs of aging were allowed, to make it more realistic, I suppose. The plot was about a woman running her own business that was evidently very profitable, although one never really sees any work being done, except for a couple of motivational speeches being practiced or given. She and an intern start a rocky relationship, the causes of which were only given a minute's worth of explanation, which sounded very complex, but also out of date and Freudian. Essentially the movie tries to answer the question--Which is more important, Power or Sex. Love hardly enters in at all. It all boils down to Sex isn't too good without Power and Power isn't too good without Sex. The last scenes seem to indicate one needs both power and sex . Women are no different from men in this regard, it seems to say. The film would have been a lot better if there had been more background on the main characters. Kidman did a great job, especially with her facial expressions and nuanced acting. Antonio Banderas seems to get good reviews in all his movies, but I didn't think he did anything great with his character. The intern's role was hard to believe as were the many times Kidman is using her cell phone in bed while her husband is right beside her and he doesn't seem to think anything of this or is satisfied with her explaining there is a job-related problem or emergency. The music in the movie is great and often loud. I guess you could say it has a happy ending, except for the intern, but he still has his dog, who played a pivotal role in one of the first scenes in the movie. He also has a great job in a far-way country and no longer has to be a bartender in his off hours.

            Went to the Art Cinema at Keystone at the Crossing late this afternoon to see The Brutalist, which garnered 10 nominations for Academy Awards this year. Adrien Brody was good in his role, but even better was Guy Pearce as the wealthy industrialist. The film is epic in style, with a musical score that fits in well, but the movie, I thought, was overly ambitious. There were snippets of very good movie-making scattered throughout the film, such as when a Black teenager corrects his father in one scene, and then there's the scene of the upside down Statue of Liberty. The movie, which ran to 3 and a half hours, could have been shortened considerably and there would have been no need for an intermission. Making the movie very long doesn't make it epic. The term "brutalist" has to do with a type of architecture but gathers other meanings, too, as the movie trudges along. The director is also one of the two screenwriters, and he hits the mark sometimes, but not always. In the last couple of scenes at the end of the movie, it is stated that it is NOT the journey that matters (as so much literature and discussion seems to dwell on these days) it is the destination. But, they can never be separated--it is both the journey and the destination that are important.

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