Black Bag

 

       This new film from director Steven Soderbergh and writer David Koepp is an ice cold, old fashioned spy vs. spy story. Relying more on a byzantine script rather than car chases, shoot outs and explosions, this smart story telling wants you to pay close attention to the machinations going on inside a British intelligence agency, where whispers of a traitor to the wrong person set the wheels in motion.

      Michael Fassbender stars as George Woodhouse, a fastidious spy who "can't stand liars". Cate Blanchett is Kathryn, his wife, and a spy at the same agency. The film co-stars Marisa Abela, Tom Burke, Naomie Harris, Rege-Jean Page and Pierce Brosnan. Mr. Fassbender is perfectly cast as George playing mind games with his fellow spies to find the traitor in the organization. 

      Mr. Soderbergh keeps a quick pace moving the story along at a crisp ninety three minutes. The sets and wardrobe are impeccable. The whole film is sleek in design. The story is a war of words, full of dry wit and some terrific one-liners, played out over an ever increasing tense week's time.

       For those that may find it confusing, the plot comes together in the third act and has a very satisfying ending. It's a smart, even sexy, throwback that fans of John le Carre or Len Deighton will appreciate.

Mickey 17

 

      Written and directed by Bong Joon Ho, this new science fiction film is also a very clever black comedy. As he did with "Parasite", Mr. Ho brings his brand of social satire to the science fiction genre he has had success with in the past.

       The film stars Robert Pattinson as Mickey Barnes, a fairly simple man who signs up for a space voyage to escape a loan shark. He becomes an "expendable" without reading the fine print and finds himself in dangerous situations that continuously kill him, only to find himself repeatedly cloned to start all over again.

        Co-starring are Steven Yuen as Timo, Mickey's friend, Naomie Ackie as Nasha, Mark Ruffalo as Kenneth Marshall ( a not so subtle Donald Trump like character), and Tomi Collette as Yifa Marshall, his wife.

         The story is a lot of fun with plenty of social commentary behind the humor. Mr. Pattinson is simply terrific in a role against type and Mr. Ruffalo almost steals the film as the buffoon leader looking to colonize a planet of bizarre creatures. 

         Based on a book by Edward Aston (Mickey 7), the film is one wildly original ride.

Last Breath

 

           This is the miraculous true story of a deep sea diver's rescue, when his lifeline snaps during a maintenance dive. The film is based on the documentary of the same name that chronicled the actual rescue. 

           200,00 cables crisscross the ocean floor These cables periodically need repair and the divers that do the work consider it to be one of the most dangerous jobs one can have. This particular story is about three divers in the North Sea, who are plunged into darkness when a topside computer glitch causes havoc with their ship's systems. While all three start out 300 feet down in a diving bell, one of them becomes separated and is quickly running out of air. The entire film is based on the rescue attempt.

           The three divers are played by Woody Harrelson, who stays in the diving bell feeding the lifelines to divers David Yuasa, played by Simu Liu and diver Chris Lemons, played by Finn Cole. It is Mr. Lemons who becomes cut off from the other two and is in the most peril.  The film also co-stars Cliff Curtis and Mark Bonnar.

           There are many very tense moments and actual footage from the documentary are cut into the film providing real context. It's a quick 90 minute film but it will probably have you holding your own breath for the last 45 minutes.. 

The Monkey

 

        If you like your horror movies with a liberal dose of absurdly sick comedy, this new horror film from writer/director Osgood Perkins, is for you. It's origin is a short story by Stephen King, which is far more serious in its tale of a cursed toy monkey. Mr. Osgood's screenplay adds quite a bit of sick humor to the story making the high body count grisly but also outrageously funny.

        The film stars Theo James as adult twin brothers Hal and Bill Shelburn. Christian Convery plays the twins as young boys. Co-starring are Tatiana Maslany as Lois Shelburn, the boy's mother. Sarah Levy as Aunt Ida, Mr. Perkins himself as Uncle Chip and Rohan Campbell as Ricky. There are also cameos from Adam Scott and Elijah Wood.

         While there are no real scares (aside from the scary monkey itself) Mr. Perkins is quite adept at setting a creepy and unsettling  mood and maintaining it throughout the film even with the injection of his odd sense of humor. The murderous special effects are quite good as well. The basic plot is every time the monkey is wound up, it plays its drum and someone dies (in very original ways). There is no real backstory to the demon toy. It just is, so throw any logic out the window and enjoy the gory, yet humorous ride.

Captain America: Brave New World

 

      Watching the latest edition to the Marvel cannon, while not necessary, a refresher course of the 2008 "The Incredible Hulk and the TV mini-series, "The Falcon & The Winter Soldier" would both be helpful.

       Those already up to date on the Marvel universe will appreciate Anthony Mackie's version of Captain America but the script doesn't do him much favor. Taking itself very seriously as a "political thriller", there is little in the way of humor or emotion.

        Shades of "The Manchurian Candidate", mind control plays a big part in the script. The surprise villain responsible for the mind control is also responsible for releasing the Red Hulk upon the world, The highly anticipated arrival of said hulk comes fairly late in the film and while his CGI body is well done, other elements of CGI work come off shoddy and not convincing. 

         The film co-stars Harrison Ford as Thaddeus Ross (taking over from the late William Hurt), Giancarlo Esposito as villain "Sidewinder" (a more violent take on his Gus Fring character from "Breaking Bad"), Danny Ramirez as the new "Falcon", Shira Haas, miscast as Ruth Bat-Seraph, Carl Lumbly as Isaiah Bradley, Tim Blake Nelson as Samuel Sterns and two surprise cameos.

          While the film was written before the current administration in Washington, there appears to be subtle swipes taken at those now in charge. The story tries hard to be taken seriously but with so much Marvel lore to cover, the plot takes a back seat to the film acting as a bridge to the next chapter in the Marvel universe. The action scenes (despite the less than perfect CGI) are fun though.

            As with all Marvel films, there is a post credit scene that promises the return of Captain America as well as a hint of a new danger to come.

Becoming Led Zeppelin

 

           For the die hard fan, this new documentary is a must see but even the casual fan will absolutely enjoy it.

           Bernard MacMahon did the research, co-wrote the film with Allison McGourty and directed the film with the band's blessing.

           The film traces the roots of the band through new, exclusive interviews with Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and John Paul Jones. John Bonham, who passed in 1980, is heard on previously unreleased audio interviews.

            Exploring the British music scene of the 1960's, we learn how the future bandmates started out as session musicians on various albums in various genres.  They finally get together in the summer of 1968 out of the ashes of "The Yardbirds" to become "Led Zeppelin". The film then follows the band through their growing success to become the #1 band in the world in 1970.

            The film includes full song performances, never-before-seen footage of their early U.S. and British concerts, and exclusive footage from their own archives. Formatted for IMAX cameras, with an incredible soundtrack, it has to be seen this way to fully enjoy the experience.

Companion

 

         This new, very black comedy is written and directed by Drew Hancock. If you've seen the latest trailer (avoid the trailer if you can), you may know a significant plot point already but be prepared for plenty of other surprises.

          Mr. Hancock has fashioned the most twisted love story I've seen in years. The story is fresh, very original and extremely clever. What begins as a seemingly cute girl meets boy story eventually goes completely off the rails. As a warning, expect some violent moments.

          Sophie Thatcher stars as Iris and she is absolutely terrific. Her boyfriend is played by Jack Quaid (from Prime's "The Boys" and the voice of Boimler on "Star Trek Lower Decks"). The two are lots of fun together...until they're not.

          The film co-stars Lukas Gage as Patrick, Megan Suri as Kat, Harvey Guillen as Eli, and Rupert Friend as Sergey. Marc Manchaca has a cameo as Deputy Hendrix. 

          While I saw it on an IMAX screen, it's not necessarily the kind of film that's enhanced by that format. It will be just as gonzo in regular theaters as well.