Cherry

  

      Directors Anthony and Joe Russo reunite with actor Tom Holland in a new drama far removed from the Marvel universe.  "Cherry" is the story of a college dropout, who joins the army, fights in the Middle East, and comes home with serve PTSD. Once home, he turns to crime to support a growing drug habit.

      Mr. Holland shows tremendous growth as an actor in a complex role, especially in the latter part of the film when he is dealing with heroin addiction.  What centers the plot is his relationship with Emily, played by Ciara Bravo. He meets Emily in college and falls instantly in love. Only when Emily announces she is leaving for Canada, does he decide to join the Army. Emily changes her mind and the two marry before his deployment. It is their love that holds the film together even as things fall apart around them.

       The film is based on the auto biographical novel by Nico Walker. It pulls no punches on its depiction of war, PTSD and addiction. What starts out as a simple love story becomes a harrowing nightmare for both the characters and the viewer. It is Mr. Holland's range and strength as an actor that keeps you watching hoping for his ultimate salvation. While not an easy film to watch, it does hold your attention and the chemistry between Mr. Holland and Ms. Bravo is undeniable.

       The film is exclusive to Apple +.

Minari

      

       This semi-autobiographical drama by writer/director Lee Isaac Chung has been nominated for 6 Academy Awards this year, including best picture.

       It tells the story of a Korean family trying to succeed in rural Arkansas in the 1980's. Steven Yuen plays Jacob, the father, who is determined to farm the land growing Korean vegetables. Han Ye-Ri plays his wife Monica, torn between her loyalty and love for her husband and her family's well-being.  Their children are played by Noel Kate Cho as Anne and Alan Kim as her younger brother, David. Master Kim is adorable and a terrific little actor. He steals the film as well as your heart. Also co-starring is Youn Yuh-Jung as their not so typical Grandmother and veteran actor Will Patton as Paul, Jacob's farmhand.

      A very original story, it plays against the stereotypical direction you might expect. It is very much about the little things that happen and the consequences that follow. It is filled with wonderful moments throughout the film. A timely story of immigrants determined for a better life. 

     Available now on VOD or in theaters.

Mank

 

      

       David Fincher directs a masterwork in film, based on a screenplay by his father, Jack Fincher. This is an ode to old Hollywood. The biographical drama is the story of writer Herman Mankiewicz and his development of the script for "Citizen Kane". Many consider "Citizen Kane" to be the greatest movie of all time and if you are a fan or just interested in Hollywood history, you will love "Mank".

       Mank is portrayed by Gary Oldman who simply outdoes himself with every role. He has been recently nominated for best actor at this year's Academy Awards ("Mank" has received 10 nominations overall) and he has to be considered the frontrunner as he is simply fantastic. His co-star Amanda Seyfried plays Marion Davies, the actress and mistress of William Randolph Hearst (played by Charles Dance). She is luminescent in her best role to date. The film also co-stars Tom Pelphrey as Herman's younger brother Joseph, Arliss Howard as Louis B. Mayer, Lilly Collins as Mank's Secretary, Sam Troughton as John Houseman, and Tom Burke as Orson Wells.

       The cinematography is stunning. Filmed in crisp black and white, every frame is a beautiful portrait in of itself. It makes for visuals that are just lovely. Partnered with a terrific score, wonderful acting, and an outstanding script, you can't help but appreciate the brilliance of masterful filmmaking.

       The film is in a limited theater run as well as available on Netflix.

Coming 2 America

          

      A more apt title would have been "Coming to Africa" starring Jermaine Fowler and featuring Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall. Director Craig Brewer and Mr. Murphy try hard to capture the magic of the beloved original, comedy classic but miss the opportunity.

      Heavy is the head that wears the crown and now that Mr. Murphy is "King" Akeem of his fictional African nation, Zamunda, he gets very little opportunity to be funny. Yes, his smile can still light up a room but now he has three daughters and royal duties to attend to and not much time for comedy. By law, he must have a son to be the heir to the throne. Conveniently he discovers he has a bastard son living in Queens, the result of a one-night stand with Mary, played by Leslie Jones.  That results in an all too brief trip back to Queens to find his son and then back to Africa with Mary along for support.

       The quick stop in Queens does give Mr. Murphy and Mr. Hall a chance to play the barbershop guys and other characters we loved in the first film but now they have aged 30 years and their jokes are stale and their makeup creepy. Once back in Zamunda, the new prince, played by Mr. Fowler (an engaging young actor), must pass multiple tests to prove he is worthy of the throne. At this point, Mr. Fowler takes over the film providing its focus and moral center. Ms. Jones provides some laughs with her loud obnoxious comedy style and then to provide more comic support, "Uncle" Reem, played by Tracy Morgan, flies in from Queens, injecting a few needed laughs with his unique comedy.

        The film relies heavily on nostalgia, even cutting in multiple scenes from the original to remind us just how good it was the first time around. It also manages to place Ms. Jones into the original to explain the presence of Mr. Fowler. There are many other familiar faces to stir our memories. John Amos returns as Cleo McDowell, the King's father in-law, Louie Anderson in a cameo as a McDowell's manager, Shari Headley as Lisa, King Akeem's wife, and James Earl Jones, briefly as King Jaffe. Musical appearances by Gladys Knight, En Vogue, Salt-N-Pepa are also a nice touch for the nostalgia factor.

        Wesley Snipes also co-stars as General Izzi, Akeem's nemesis, and just about steals the film as he reminds us of his comedic talents. Besides the welcome addition of Mr. Snipes, the costumes and choreography are also a bright spot in this otherwise disappointing sequel.

The United States Vs. Billie Holiday

   

      Lee Daniels direct from a screenplay by Suzan-Lori Parks, and the result is a mixed bag biography of Billie Holiday. Emphasizing Ms. Holiday's struggle with heroin addiction and the U.S. government's fear of her controversial song, "Strange Fruit", the film is ill structured and poorly edited.

      It does, however, mark the arrival of a wonderful talent, Ms. Andra Day, who plays Ms. Holiday.  She inhabits the role completely, capturing Ms. Holiday's triumphs as well as her terrible defeats. She also has the vocal chops to perform all the songs herself.

      The film co-stars Trevante Rhodes as Jimmy Fletcher,  a not so undercover FBI agent who becomes her lover. While Mr. Rhodes does a fine job, as written, the role is very confusing. The film also co-stars Garrett Hedlund as Harry Anslinger, the head of the Bureau of Narcotics, who is not above framing Ms. Holiday for possession. He wanders in and out of the film, enjoying her performances while at the same time trying to put her in jail.  Rob Morgan plays Louis McKay, Ms. Holiday's husband, who also wanders in and out of the film, either to beat her or have sex with her. Tyler James Williams gives a strong and one of the few consistent performance as Billie's sax player, Lester Young. Natasha Lyonne plays the actress, Tallulah Bankhead, in a small role with a lesbian implication. 

      While the film moves in a linear path through the years, the editing is choppy,  scenes are filmed in mixed styles for no apparent reason, and often seem disconnected to each other.  There is no connective narrative thread to the film. I can't remember another film being this dysfunctional in its storytelling.

            It's a shame that such a raw and honest performance by Ms. Day is spoiled by the incoherent script and poor direction. It's a triumph for Andra Day but a misstep for Mr. Daniels.

Promising Young Woman

 

          

        Written and directed by Emerald Fennell, this new thriller stars Carey Mulligan, as you've never seen her. She plays Cassie, a med school dropout working in a coffee shop, who tricks men in clubs into thinking she's drunk and an easy mark to score. In fact, she's quite sober and calculating.

         Cassie's motivation is revealed slowly and she ups the ante targeting specific people involved in a terrible injustice from her past. The film takes a clever angle on the revenge theme and Ms. Mulligan plays her part very well. It features a great supporting cast all of whom share some great scenes with Ms. Mulligan. Connie Britton, Alfred Molina, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Bo Burnham, Allison Brie, Jennifer Coolidge, Clancy Brown, Laverne Cox, Chris Lowell, and Molly Shannon are all in Ms. Mulligan's orbit in various ways.  Her parents are played by Ms. Coolidge and Mr. Brown but their scenes together are bizarre and a waste of their talents.

          The film is shot with a colorful palette but in many ways, is a strange setup. It raises many questions that are never answered. It's promising but never fully realizes its promise.

I Care A Lot

         

        This Netflix original film is a piece of nasty fun. Written and directed by J. Blakeson, it is billed as a black comedy, but is blacker than comedy. It's still quite fun due to its clever script and terrific performances.

        Rosamund Pike stars as Marla Grayson, a con artist who manipulates the elder care system to get guardianship of seniors, taking all their cash and possessions for herself and her partner (played by Eiza Gonzalez).  Marla is a ruthless, conniving woman unafraid of anyone or anything. Ms. Pike has a ball playing the part.

        When their newest victim, Jennifer Peterson, is not the easy mark they anticipated, Marla's con takes an unexpected turn. Dianne Wiest plays Jennifer and is easily the best thing about the film. She is wonderful and it's unfortunate that she drops out of the film in the latter half of the story. The film also co-stars Peter Dinklage, also having fun with an unusual part, Chris Messina as an oily lawyer and Isiah Whitlock Jr. as an easily manipulated judge.

         I usually don't take note of hair, makeup and wardrobe but it's worth a mention here as Ms. Pike, especially, looks fabulous throughout the film. Things turn nastier as the story goes and as an audience, you just can't wait for these characters to get what they deserve, but credit the clever writing, I don't think anyone expects it to turn out the way it does.

         It will make a great double feature with the classic "Ruthless People".