Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania

   If you are a fan of Marvel movies and especially the Ant-Man series, of course, this is a must see. If not you can easily avoid it.

   The best that can be said about "Quantumania" is it introduces the newest great Marvel villain, Kang the Conqueror, a time traveling supervillain who is a core Marvel character. In the film, Kang is played by Jonathan Majors and he is terrific.

   Aside from a silly intro scene, the entire film take place in the sub-atomic world of the Quantum realm which is visually overwhelming and looks like a rejected idea from the Star Wars production team. Not only do many parts of the sets look familiar but some costumes and various creatures also seem very much Star Wars castoffs. 

   Returning to the series of course are Paul Rudd as Scott Lang aka Ant-Man, Evangeline Lily as Hope Van Dyne aka Wasp, Michael Douglas as Hank Pym, Michelle Pfeiffer as Janet Van Dyne, and Corey Stoll as Darren, now appearing as M.O.D.O.K. Scott's Daughter Cassie, now a teenager (with her own Pym Particle suit) is played by Kathryn Newton. Bill Murray also appears in a pointless and distracting cameo.

   The film is overblown with special effects, noise and much running around with characters shooting and fighting each other. There is no real plot to speak of except for Kang and the others looking for a way out of the Quantum realm. To counter balance the chaos of the film, the writers attempt to add a human element, father and daughter bonding. "I love you peanut" just makes you want to cringe.

   There are two extra scenes, both significant for a change. One mid-credits explaining more about Kang and one post credits, a complete and welcome surprise to any Marvel fan. 

This film exists only as an introduction to Kang and the bridge to the next Marvel movie/TV show. If not already obvious, the filmmakers remind you at the end, "Kang will return".

Close

 

   This is a story of childhood's lost innocence as two very close friends, Leo and Remi enter high school and adolescence.

    It's a universal story that is so emotional and heart wrenching, that at times is hard to watch. Taking place in a small town in Belgium, Leo and Remi have grown up together, the best of friends. When they start the new school year, their intimate friendship is misperceived by new classmates and life begins to change for the boys. 

    The film stars Eden Dambrine as Leo and Gustav De Waele as Remi. The are both terrific but young Mr. Dambrine takes things to another level. His acting is so pure and real that he will take your breath away and in many scenes, tear a hole in your heart.

     Directed and co-written by Lukas Dhont, there is so much to unpack in this tender, emotionally rich story that discussions about the film could last for hours. This is Belgium's well deserved Academy Award nomination for best International film.

      In French with subtitles and currently only in theaters.

Sharper

 

         A welcome return to a genre we haven't seen in a while, this is a fun ride that will keep you guessing until the end. The less said about the film, the better.

         The film stars Julianne Moore, Sebastian Stan, Justice Smith, Briana Middleton and John Lithgow. It's a terrific cast that will raise your anxiety level as you try to keep up with them.

         Directed with smooth assurance by Benjamin Caron, the film moves from the streets to the penthouses of New York with money on everyone's mind. You could argue it's not perfect, especially in the last act but it's certainly good enough to be very entertaining.

          Exclusive to Apple TV +

To Leslie

 

      Andrea Riseborough is sensational and fully deserving of her Academy Award nomination for the lead role in this Indie drama.

     Ms. Riseborough stars as Leslie, an alcoholic single mother who years earlier won $190,000 in the Texas lottery but lost it all to drink and drugs. After abandoning her young son and hitting rock bottom, she attempts to get her life back on track but with little success. Years later, her son now grown, Leslie tries to reunite with him but falls into old habits and he tells her to leave.

      Returning to her home in Braddock Texas, life is still difficult for her, but Leslie's life starts to change for the better when she meets Sweeny, played by Marc Maron. The film also co-stars Allison Janney, Andre Royo, Owen Teague and Stephen Root.

       It's a tale of redemption that we've all seen before but Ms. Riseborough's commitment to the role is fierce. She inhabits Leslie with a raw depth of emotion that makes you ache for her failures and root for her little victories. It is her finest performance to date.

Knock at The Cabin

 

    Co-written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, this is a thought-provoking thriller that asks a great philosophical question. Would you sacrifice a member of your family to save the rest of the world?

     Jonathan Groff stars as Eric and Ben Aldridge stars as Andrew, two dads who with their adopted Asian daughter Wen (played by the adorable Kristen Cui) are on vacation at a cabin deep in the Pennsylvania woods. A literal knock at the door introduces them to Leonard and his three companions who have had shared visions of the apocalypse and need their help to avert it.

     Leonard is played by Dave Bautista, very much against type but still a physically scary presence. His friends, Sabrina, played by Nikki Amuka-Bird, Abby Quinn as Adriane, and Rubert Grint as Redmond all have very distinct personalities which come to light late in the film, if not already guessed by the audience.

      The entire film plays out in and around the cabin, pausing at times show relevant images on the cabin's flat screen TV. The four visitors have tied up the two men and have explained that they must sacrifice a member of their family within the next 24 hours to save the world. The claustrophobic setting tightens the suspense but don't expect to be scared. It's not that kind of thriller. 

       As the story progresses, it seems obvious that a simple solution will play itself out but being Mr. Shyamalan, there is always one final twist in store.

       
"The Sixth Sense" was Mr. Shyamalan's masterpiece and most of his films have never reached that level with some better than others. This one is better than average only due to the thought-provoking question it raises that may have you discussing it, long after the credits roll.

Triangle of Sadness

 

    Writer/director Ruben Ostlund has everybody fooled. This film is nominated for Best Picture and was a hit at Cannes winning the Palm d' Or. Sorry but this is much ado about nothing. It pretends to be a satirical look at the pretentious uber-rich but aside from a very few amusing scenes, its social commentary falls flat and rings hollow.

      It starts out well enough with male models auditioning for a photo shoot.  It is there that we meet Carl, a model and boyfriend to Yaya. This vaporous couple constantly argue over money and gender roles. As a social influencer, Yaya is invited for a cruise on a super luxurious yacht where we meet the rest of the cast.

       Everyone is extremely wealthy and obnoxious in their own way.  A terribly gross dinner scene attempts to give them their due in the worst physical way. Later on, a new situation finds role reversal to be the order of the day, an unoriginal concept that appears to have been stolen right from Lina Wertmuller's "Swept Away".

       The film stars Harris Dickinson as Carl, Charlbi Dean as Yaya. It also features Dolly de Leon as Abigail, Zlatko Buric as Dimitry and Iris Berben as Therese. Interesting enough the only American in the cast is Woody Harrelson, who appears to have slept walked from a different film to appear as the captain of the yacht. He adds absolutely nothing to the already shallow story. The whole thing is a big bore wrapped up in a pretty bow.

         The ending will leave you shaking your head wondering did I miss something? I have a better nomination for the film...worst movie of the year.