Wildlife

           A domestic drama starring Carey Mulligan and Jake Gyllenhaal, featuring a breakout performance by Ed Oxenbould as their 14 year old son, Joe. The film takes place in 1960, in Montana. Jeanette and Jerry are having trouble making ends meet and when Jerry leaves to take a low paying job fighting forest fires, Jeanette's life is upended.

           First time director and co-writer of the screenplay, actor Paul Dano plays it conservative with point and shoot direction but does elicit fine acting from his cast . He tells the story from young Joe's point of view and there are plenty of closeups to reinforce the notion, in case we don't realize it. Joe watches as his parent's marriage balances on the edge and Mr. Oxenbould is just remarkable as Joe. Ms. Mulligan too, gives a wonderful performance with body language that speaks volumes defining a wife and mother at a critical juncture in her life. Mr. Gyllenhaal is excellent as usual but once he goes off to fight fires, his screen time is diminished. The film really belongs to Ms. Mulligan and Mr. Oxenbould. Reliable character actor Bill Camp rounds out the cast.

             The cinematography is first rate, with Mr. Dano making good use of light and scenery. The story goes off in an unusual direction thanks to Jeanette's decisions once Jerry leaves but comes back to a satisfying ending that belongs to Mr. Oxenbould. A quiet but strong adult drama.

The Sisters Brothers

      An unconventional western from acclaimed French director and co-writer Jacques Audiard.  John C. Reilly and Joaquin Phoenix play Eli and Charlie Sisters, ruthless gunfights that work for a shadowy figure known as the Commodore. The plot is fairly simply. They are tasked with tracking down Hermann Warm, a chemist, who has a formula for easily extracting gold from river beds. Working with them is John  Morris, a scout who also works for the commodore. Warm is played by RIz Ahmed and Morris by Jake Gyllenhaal. 

       What appears to be a fairly straight forward western, plays more like a independent foreign film. It is less about plot and far more character driven, especially the relationship between the brothers. The four leads are excellent but it's Mr. Phoenix and Mr. Reilly's interplay that truly carry the film. In fact, I would go as far to say, it's one of Mr. Reilly's best films.

         The cinematography is wonderful. Shoot outs are filmed in unusual ways and the scenery is spectacular.  The film moves at a leisurely pace as the brothers track down Warm and Morris and takes some surprising twists along the way. The film may catch you off guard at the start but will win you over by Journey's end.

First Man

        Brilliant cinematography and special effects come together in director Damien Chazelle's new film, to create the most realistic depiction of early space travel we've ever seen. Mr. Chazelle and his screenwriter, Josh Singer have made a remarkable film based on the life of Neil Armstrong and Nasa's quest to be the first to set foot on the moon.

         Mr. Singer's screenplay is based on the authorized biography of Neil Armstrong by James R. Hansen and the film's attention to detail is perfect. Mr. Chazelle puts the audience aboard the X-15 and the Gemini and Apollo rockets right alongside Mr. Armstrong and his fellow astronauts. You feel every thrust of the rockets, the spin of the capsule, and the claustrophobia of the tiny space where these true heroes risked their lives to beat the Russians to the moon.

           And as good as technical aspects of the film are, you won't forget the performances either, anchored by the terrific Ryan Gosling as Armstrong and Claire Foy as his wife, Janet. A moment that defines Mr. Armstrong early in the film gives Mr. Gosling a chance to show more depth than any of his previous roles. His resolve and determination to get the job done, while haunted by the past, is a side of the man most never knew.  The scenes away from work are intimate and very human and they counter the crazed world of riding a rocket into space. 

              The film is filled with terrific co-stars including Kyle Chandler, Lukas Haas, Ethan Embry, Jason Clarke, Patrick Fugit, Shea Whigham, Ciaran Hinds, Brian D'Arcy James, Pablo Schreiber and Christopher Abbott.

              Mr. Chazelle leaves little out of the story showing us all the triumph and well as the tragedy leading to that defining moment of "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind". It is a stirring, emotional ride that goes beyond the history.

A Star is Born

               Bradley Cooper's directorial debut is a winner. This is a story that has been told multiple times in Hollywood but with the brilliant casting choice of Lady Gaga, this version takes on a real intimacy that Mr. Cooper takes full advantage of as a director.

                Casting himself as Jackson Maine, the superstar musician whose light is fading, Mr. Cooper does some of his best acting. Directing Lady Gaga as Ally, the unknown singer he discovers and is propelled into the limelight, he has found his muse in more ways than one. Ally's story could easily parallel Lady Gaga's and the singer, stripped of her bigger than life persona, really shines in the role. She pours her heart out in every scene, letting the audience see the girl behind the character and comes across incredibly genuine. Mr. Cooper has obviously studied Kris Kristofferson's character from the previous version and throws in a bit of Jeff Bridges from "Crazy Heart" to flesh out the character of Jackson. The chemistry of the two leads is heartbreakingly real and holds the story together.

                You can feel how personal this film is to Mr. Bradley as a director. He has emerged as a real filmmaker. You can see the details in every shot and feel all the emotion. He makes subtle points throughout such as blurring the audience when Jackson performs but shown clearly when Ally sings. His disconnection to his fans and her connection couldn't be more obvious. 

                  The plot is fairly blueprint and not that exciting but for this film, it's the performances that matter and they are terrific. Co-starring is Andrew "Dice" Clay as Ally's father and he continues to surprise as an actor. Also featured are Sam Elliot as Jackson's older Brother Bobby,  Anthony Ramos as Ally's best friend and Rafi Gavron as Ally's manager. The film also features a cameo by Dave Chappelle as an old friend of Jackson's in a scene that I found to be extraneous.

                   The film runs over two hours and probably could have been shorter without losing any of its strength but I'm sure fans of Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper certainly won't complain about the running time. The songs are good and performed very well by both leads and their excellent backup band but nothing really stands out like "Evergreen" from the Barbra Streisand version.

                    I wasn't sure what to expect from this new version but was blown away by the performances and surprised by the direction. The story itself remains mediocre but credit the screenwriters, Eric Roth, Will Fetters, and Mr. Cooper for their attempts at infusing new elements to a story as old as time.

A Simple Favor

         Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively shine in this fun, sexy, mystery. Playing moms who couldn't be more different, they form an unlikely friendship that leads to something much more when Ms. Lively's character Emily disappears from their quiet Connecticut town.

         Directed by Paul Feig and based on the popular novel, the film is lighthearted fun but has dark twists and turns that Mr. Feig balances beautifully. The film co-stars Henry Golding as Emily's husband Sean and also features Andrew Rannells, Linda Cardellini, Bashir Salahuddin, Rupert Friend and Jean Smart.

         Fans of "Big Little Lies" and that genre will love this film. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. It sneaks up on you and  ventures into unexpected directions. Ms. Kendrick and Ms. Lively are so perfect, it's a pleasure to watch them together even as things get nasty.

Venom

      Based on the Marvel comic, "Venom" is a schizoid mess of a movie. Much like the character himself, who can be both villain and hero, the film tries to balance itself between a light and serious tone. What it does successfully though, is capture the spirit of the Venom/Eddie Brock relationship forged in the comic. This film is strictly for those comic fans.

       Tom Hardy plays Eddie Brock, an investigative journalist who accidently becomes bonded with a space alien thus creating a symbiotic relationship between the two. As with many "origin" films, the story takes a long time to develop but once Eddie and Venom bond, mayhem ensues.  Mr. Hardy is a good chose to play Eddie but his attempts at humor fall flat. Michele Williams plays the love interest and she's an interesting choice since she is better known for far more serious films. She does, however, look like she's having fun especially in the second half of the film. Riz Ahmed plays Carlton Drake, the billionaire villain responsible for bringing the alien symbiote to earth. There is very little character development but the interplay between Eddie and Venom is interesting enough to see how it all plays out.

        This film is a collaboration between Marvel Studios and Sony, so there is no Spiderman, which is a shame as Venom is originally one of Spiderman's greatest foes. It would have been far more of an interesting story even if it was just a cameo. A sequel is set up in the post credits ( you may want to stay for that extra scene) so maybe Spiderman will make an appearance in the next one (should it ever get actually made). 

          Venom is known for violence in the comics and fans looking for that aspect will be disappointed. The studio insisted on a PG-13 rating so it is watered down from what would have been far different R rated film. The CGI to create Venom is inconsistent, quite good at times and sloppy at others.

           If you are familiar with Venom, you will probably want to see this, otherwise you'll be better off passing on this one.