Tomorrowland

   A two hour PSA wrapped around a commercial for visiting Disney World. Writer/director Brad Bird clearly wants us to know we are slowly killing the earth and only the most creative, brightest young minds can save us.

    George Clooney stars but doesn't really show up until halfway through the film (not counting a short introduction at the start). His character, Frank Walker could have been played by almost any leading actor today. Mr. Clooney doesn't really bring anything special to the role. Hugh Laurie co-stars as the film's villain. The real star however, is Britt Robertson. Ms. Robertson looks like a young Julia Roberts and has many of the same attributes that show she is a star in the making. Her acting is natural, charming and very appealing. She easily holds her own in all her scenes with Mr. Clooney. The other standout role, Athena, is played by Raffey Cassidy. Ms Cassidy is a young British actress who also has a bright future as an actress.

     The special effects are well done and there are a few scenes that highlight Mr. Bird's kinetic energy but the film plods along at times and it's clear message is no revelation. It's hard to tell exactly who the right audience is for this film. It will go over the heads of small kids, teens may not care and adults will get the message right away and then find themselves bored. It's a perfect film for high school science kids. After all, we are counting on them to save us.

Poltergeist

       Curiosity got the better of me. I loved the original  so I certainly wondered why bother doing a remake in the first place? Easy answer...money, which unfortunately this new film won't make.

       The story follows the same trajectory as the original but embellishes it with new millennial flourishes like flat screen TV's, cell phones and drones. It may do a good job modernizing the story but it completely forgets how to scare you. The original was a roller coaster ride of adrenaline rushes. Now we get second rate acting and stereotypical scares even when they mimic the original. The big climax falls flat and doesn't come anywhere near the first film.

        Sam Rockwell as the dad is the only saving grace in the film. Nobody does snarky sarcasm like Mr. Rockwell and he brings a welcome touch of comic relief. Rosemary DeWitt, as the mom does a serviceable job but doesn't have the "mama lion" instincts of Jobeth Williams. Jared Harris camps it up as a reality show ghost hunter, replacing the diminutive medium, Zelda Rubenstein.

        For real thrills and chills, stick to the original. When will Hollywood realize you shouldn't mess with the true classics?

The Connection

        Fans of the 1971 film, "The French Connection" will not want to miss this French perspective of the same time period. Writer/director Cedric Jimenez faithfully recreates the drug traffic years during the 70's when most of the Heroin in the U.S. was being smuggled in from France. The film overlaps the same investigation that the American film portrayed so well. The disclaimer at the starts reads "loosely based on real events".

        Jean Dujardin stars as Magistrate Pierre Michel who led the charge against the drug lords and in particular, Gaetan "Tany" Zampa, played by Gilles Lellouche. Both Mr. Dujardin and Mr. Lellouche are terrific in their respective roles. They only have a few scenes together but they are filled with machismo tension. 

        The film is a gritty, old fashioned police procedural with an authentic feel. There is nothing like the amazing chase scene in the American film since events don't transpire exactly the same way but the story itself holds your attention. There are enough drugs, corruption, gun play and illegal activity that, if you are a fan, may remind you of "The Wire".

       It's a wonder that  French filmmakers didn't make this film sooner but thankfully Mr. Jimenez has brought the story to life and closed the circle on an infamous period in history.

The Clouds of Sils Maria

     An intense  character study of women, art, celebrity and aging. This drama was a hit at Cannes. It features strong performances from it's three leads, Juliette Binoche, Kristen Stewart and Chole Grace Moritz. Ms. Binoche, in particular, is mesmerizing as the aging star grappling with  her latest role.  Ms. Stewart gives her finest performance to date as Ms. Binoche's  harried personal assistant and confidant  (she won the French Oscar for supporting actress).

     The story borrows elements from "All About Eve" when Ms. Binoche's character is asked to  play the older woman against the younger role she played 20 years earlier. Ms. Grace Moritz is the actress cast as the younger woman in a battle of wills against her aging boss. 

       It's a play within a film. Art imitating life, imitating art and can be terribly confusing at times, especially in the many scenes when Ms. Binoche and Ms. Stewart run lines that blend into their reality. It's a dialog heavy film that ruminates about life on many levels. Don't expect a linear A to B story. Writer/director Oliver Assasyas has no interest in a straight line. He figuratively drops you into this world for a two hour voyeuristic journey and then it's over. The story meanders going nowhere. Even when a major character literally disappears late in the film, no explanation is given.

        The scenery of Sils Maria, Switzerland is breathtaking.  The clouds of the title form an unusual formation through the valley known as "the Snake" and it's the metaphor of the film.  It's beautiful to watch but eventually evaporates.

Mad Max:Fury Road

      Writer director George Miller continues the story of Mad Max, the character he created in 1979 with Mel Gibson. The new film stars Tom Hardy as Max and it is an over the top visual masterpiece. However, as good as it is visually, the story is paper thin and only co-star Charlize Theron does anything close to real acting.

         Less a reboot and more of a continuation, "Fury Road" takes place in the same desert landscape as "The Road Warrior"  and like that film is basically a two hour chase scene. Ms. Theron plays Furiosa, a warrior woman more than capable of handling herself in the male dominated world. When she "kidnaps" five women used for breeding purposes, the evil despot, Immortan Joe sets out with his army of albino maniacs to kill her and bring back the missing women. Reluctant at first, Max ends up helping her escape.

            That's the story in a nutshell. Aside from Furiosa and some other warrior women who show up later, all the women in the film are either used for breeding or for harvesting their milk. It's pretty misogynistic but I suppose Ms. Theron's character more than equalizes things.  The title character really plays co-star to Furiosa. Mr. Hardy doesn't even have much dialog. Max is just a device to keep the action moving. Ms. Theron easily steals the picture.

             The real star, however, is the non-stop action. Nicholas Hoult plays Nuxx, the albino that starts out with Max as his human blood bag. He starts things in motion from the very beginning and the action never lets up. The violence, mayhem and road rage are an assault on the senses but actually a lot of fun in a very cartoonish sense.  It is far removed from any reality and quite a blast to watch. Just when the redundancy starts to bother you, Mr. Miller throws up another ridiculous stunt that amps up the wow factor. 

               If you are a fan of the series, you certainly won't be disappointed but this is definitely not a film for everyone.

The Avengers: Age of Ultron

    If you enjoyed the first film, then by all means run to your closest theater and revel in all things Avengers. If you had no interest in the first one or you are completely in the dark when comes to Marvel mythology,  then you are walking into the wrong theater.

     Age of Ultron picks up just where the first film left off and even had a prologue on last week's "Agents of Shield" TV show. A very clever tie-in, indeed. The film starts loud, never lets up and is an absolute assault on the senses (especially in Imax 3D). Of course if you are a fan, it's just what you want as the characters come to life, perfectly sprung from their comic book pages.  The returning stars slip into their characters  easily and James Spader is the perfect choice as the voice of Ultron.

     Writer/director Joss Whedon is the most powerful Avenger of all, charged with overseeing the continuous growth of this mighty franchise.  While he does mess with true Marvel mythology to better serve the story (this purist was indeed bothered by Ultron's film origin), he still knows how to satisfy his audience with plenty of action, great one-liners, cameos galore, and evenly split screen time for all our heroes (even Hawkeye).  When your villain is a cold blooded robot, Mr. Whedon feels it's necessary to include warm-hearted subplots but they slow things down and don't really add anything to characters we already know so well.

      The big finale, while exciting enough, is a rehash of the first film substituting killer robots for an invading alien army but it's forgiven since this is ultimately just another chapter in a very long story. More familiar characters from the books are also introduced to broaden the Avengers universe and yes, further promise of Thanos awaits.

Ex Machina

      A  literate sci-fi thriller that's long on dialogue, short on action but  still compelling due in large part to it's terrific cast and stylized visuals.

       Oscar Isaac stars as a billionaire computer genius who designs an artificially intelligent robot in female form, he names Ava. He brings Domhnall Gleeson, one of his employees and a computer genius himself, to his home to test the self awareness of Ava. Breaking the film into "sessions" the story progresses into a game of cat and mouse between the two men with Ava as the catalyst.

        The script is filled with discussion and questions of humanity and self awareness but dissolves into a predictable final act that distracts from the literate mind games that precede it. The acting is first rate though and Mr. Isaac continues to raise the bar with each of his new films. Alicia Vikander co-stars as Ava and is an exciting new talent. As the two men square off, Ava raises the stakes, turning the increasingly intense sessions into a game of survival.

        The camera holds the viewer in the claustrophobic atmosphere of the film, heightening the building tension between the characters  but the dialogue heavy script eventually collapses under it's own weight until all that is left is "the twist" that most will see coming.

Wild Tales

   An Academy Award nominee from Argentina, this dark comedy is an outrageous look at revenge told through six unconnected short stories.

    The first story hits a little too close to reality after certain events in the news but the film makers could not have anticipated art imitating life in this particular instance. After that, things get nastier but filled with much dark humor.

     The film is in subtitles but visually rich. The cinematography is outstanding and a lot of the camerawork is  shot from unusual angles and beautifully framed.

      The film was written and directed by Damon Szifron and while there is some inconsistency in the story telling, overall the film is very entertaining and he definitely leaves the best story for last.

White God

            A remarkable Hungarian foreign film featuring a cast of real dogs (no CGI) that will tear at your heart and leave you speechless with an astonishing final frame. 

             Before I go any further, know that there is a disclaimer right at the start that all the dogs in the film came from animal shelters and after the film was done, they were all adopted out. Furthermore, at the end it states rather boldly that no animals were harmed during the making of the film. All violence is simulated and the local Humane Society monitored all filming very closely.

              Lili is a young teenage girl with divorced parents. At the start of the film, she goes to live with her father for three months and brings her dog Hagen with her.  After trying to cope with a dog he really doesn't want, her father leaves Hagen in the street and drives away with Lili crying in the back seat. From this point the film navigates back and forth between Lili  and Hagen, both trying to survive in their own way.

                Hagen is played by two brothers, Luke and Body and it's hard to tell them apart. They are beautiful animals, very expressive and incredibly trained.  After of series of heartbreaking adventures, Hagen ends up in an animal shelter with 250 other dogs and the last third of the film takes an unexpected twist unlike anything you have ever seen.

                  If you love dogs, be warned that even though it's all simulated, the on screen violence is hard to watch. This is not a Disney film. There is a 16 minute documentary on Youtube about the making of "White God". I recommend it first to prepare yourself for this amazing film.

Furious 7

      The franchise ups the ante with outrageous stunts, non-stop action and serves as an emotional tribute to star Paul Walker, who died ironically in a car crash before filming ended.

       Director James Wan pulls off impossible action sequences with the help of unsung hero stunt men and women and more than a little CGI work. The extended bus chase and rescue is a mini movie in itself. Fans know what to expect by the seventh film in this series and they will not be disappointed. The script piles on the non-stop action so much that by the final sequence, it's become mind numbing, completely over the top, and almost too much.

       The original cast is back, led by Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, and Michele Rodriguez. Tyrese Gibbons and Ludicris are also along for the ride providing comic relief. Actually most of the best one-liners belong to Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson who also co-stars but only has scenes book ending the film. Kurt Russell joins the franchise as a shadowy government official. The film is so loaded that one villain is not enough. Jason Statham is the main adversary but Djimon Hounsou also plays a key role as the secondary villain.

       Possibly the best CGI work in the film is keeping Mr. Walker's memory alive throughout the film. Utilizing his two brothers as stand-ins and movie magic, Mr. Walker truly appears to exist throughout the entire movie. A short video montage of scenes from his past films in the series complete a moving tribute at the end.

      Being the "comic book" action film that it is, despite all the fighting, shooting and explosions, people barely bleed or break a sweat, let alone bones but reality is not what this franchise is about. It's about entertainment in the action adventure genre and in that respect, it fully delivers.

While We're Young

         The newest film from writer/director Noah Baumbauch is a smart, biting comedy about the state of our culture today. It's a generational clash of Millennials and Generation X with a few Babyboomers thrown in for good measure.

          Ben Stiller (who defined a generation with "Reality Bites") and Naomi Watts are a married childless couple in their 40's who befriend a young "hipster" couple played by Amanda Seyfried and Adam Driver.  The new relationship invigorates the older couple and confuses friends of their own age including Mr. Stiller's best friend played by Adam Horovitz. Charles Grodin plays Ms. Watts father, a famous documentarian.

          The film is similar in style and structure to the best of Woody Allen's "Smart " comedies. A lot of the humor is observational and there are many stinging one-liners. Mr. Stiller is perfectly cast (he can do this type of character in his sleep) and here has good chemistry with Ms. Watts. Mr. Driver's character is not far off the mark from "Adam", the character he plays on "Girls". While I'm a fan of his work, I'm still waiting to see the full extent of his range. Mr. Grodin still has the wonderful dry sense of humor he's always been famous for.  Of all the leading characters, only Ms. Seyfried seems underwritten with little to do.

           As a Babyboomer, I found myself feeling old watching "Young" as it is a true reflection of our times. It's enjoyable enough but in a strange way, also a bit scary.

'71

             Belfast Ireland, 1971. British troops have been brought in to keep the peace during this violent time in Ireland's history between the Catholic and Protestant  Irish. This is the story of Gary Hook, a British soldier played by Jack O'Connell,  separated from his unit during a riot and trying to survive one long night in hostile surroundings.

              Mr. O'Donnell recently starred in "Unbroken" and here once again, he is a solider behind enemy lines battered, bruised and trying to stay alive. As an actor, Mr. O'Connell is a glutton for punishment but to his credit, he leaves it all out on the screen in a raw, visceral performance.

               Director Yann DeMange ratchets up the tension in every scene. The film plays like a horror movie except the danger is not some supernatural threat but rather working class people engaged in a  political, religious, and violent conflict. Not knowing who to trust, danger lurks around every corner for Hook and death can occur at anytime, often quickly without warning. His disorientation and fear is absorbed by the viewer, heightened by an intense score and terrific camera work.

               The film doesn't take sides or try to make a political statement. Even if you know nothing about the Irish "Troubles" of the period, this intense thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat.

It Follows

   What starts out as a conventional teen horror film soon swerves into new territory with the help of an unusual evil, atmospheric music, and a cast that sells the concept.

    Jay, a 19 year old girl has  sex with the wrong boy. She contracts, not a STD but rather an unstoppable creature bent on killing her. The creature can assume any human form and only be seen by the intended victim or earlier targets that have survived by passing the curse along through sexual contact. It sounds like an outrageous concept but the young cast acts with conviction and really sells the idea.

      The film has an eerie quality throughout heightened by a terrific horror score, the best since the original "Halloween".  Writer/director David Robert Mitchell  does an outstanding job with his actors, including Maika Monroe and Keir Gilchrist. 

      The creature, as seen in various human forms, simply walks slowly advancing on it's target. It enters a scene in unassuming ways making it all the more terrifying as it draws closer, it's intent very clear.

        Mr. Mitchell is not interested in blood and gore, of which there is very little, but rather scaring his audience in unconventional ways. Leaving the theater unnerved, I would say he succeeds.

Two Days, One Night

           This is a polarizing film as you either are absorbed by the simplicity of the story or you are bored to tears. Either way, one thing all can agree on is that Marion Cotillard shines in this working class drama.

           The Dardenne Brothers have written and directed a fascinating story of a woman faced with an unenviable problem. The factory where she works has seventeen workers and its been decided by management and a vote by all that she will be laid off or no one will get their annual bonus.  Ms. Cotillard convinces her boss to do another ballot unbiased by the supervisor.  She has the weekend to visit each co-worker individually to get them to vote for her to keep her job.

               The film is fascinating in it's  simplicity. Each visit is a microcosm of emotion and politics.  It is a film devoid of sex, violence or big action scenes. It resonates in the nuanced little moments of each visit. It is also a very realistic story that stays true to itself to the very end.

                Ms. Cotillard carries the film on her back and her performance justifies her Oscar nomination for Best Actress. She inhabits her role like a second skin without a false note and as with most of her films, she is just a pleasure to watch.

Kingsman: The Secret Service

      Director Matthew Vaughn continues his winning ways of successful graphic novel/comic adaptations bringing "Kingsman" to life on the big screen. One part James Bond adventure and one part spoof of the genre, "KIngsman" is an action packed, fun popcorn flick.

       Starring as the suave proper British spy, Harry Hart, Colin Firth inhabits a role unlike anything he has ever done.  He's a great deal of fun to watch, especially in a massive brawl that takes place in a church. The fight choreography is fantastic in this well staged scene of mayhem and Mr. Firth is at the center of it. Actually, all of the stunt work and fight scenes are pretty terrific throughout the film.

       Mr.Firth's protege is Taron Egerton in his first major role. Mr. Egerton has the good looks and personality to take him far in his acting career. He is clearly having fun in his role as Kingsman's newest recruit. Speaking of fun, Samuel L. Jackson is also having a blast as the over the top villain with his own schemes for world domination. And his henchwoman, Giselle, makes for a unique but classic opponent for our heroes. If you've seen the trailer or posters for the film, you will recognize her unique features immediately and the CGI and stunt work for her character is stunning.

        Rounding out a perfect cast is Michael Caine as the head of The Kingsmen, who always adds a touch of class to any film and Mark Strong as "Merlin", the tactical agent usually behind the scenes but here gets into the thick of it as well.

        There is lots of action and self effacing humor but the film does tend to overstay its welcome. Fifteen or twenty minutes of editing would have kept the pace fast and loose without some dead spots. Overall, though, it's a fun romp for a winter's day.

Jupiter Ascending

       From the wild and crazy Wachowski siblings ("The Matrix") comes this new science fiction disaster. They manage to rip off plot points from "Star Wars", "Dune", "The Fifth Element", "The Wizard of Oz" and almost every sci-fi film ever made. It is unoriginal, boring, has no cohesiveness to the visuals and will go down as one of the worst films of the year, if not the decade. 

        I can't imagine what Channing Tatum was thinking? Pointy ears, a strange haircut, boots that make me roller skate in space, cheesy dialogue....yeah, sign me up for that. And poor Eddie Redmayne, following up a wonderful film like "The Theory of Everything" with this embarrassment, you really have to feel for the guy. And of course the "star" of the film, Jupiter herself, Mila Kunis, has found a way to take bad acting to a new low level. 

        There are only two scenes in the film that will hold your attention (and thankfully there is no dialog). A chase high above the city of Chicago and the climactic battle are actually exciting and will wake you from the nap you've been taking for two hours

          Ms. Kunis spends a great deal of time cleaning toilets in the film. If she makes more films like this, she will be ready for her new career.

Black Sea

             Jude Law stars as the captain of a salvage submarine looking for lost Nazi gold at the bottom of the Black Sea. World War Two submarine movies have always been fascinating and exciting but a film about a ragtag team of Russian and British mercenaries looking for a big score lacks the gravitas of "Das Boot" or  "Run Silent, Run Deep".

             The only real enemy here is the paranoia and jealousy between the men themselves. It's only a matter of time, given the confined space and working conditions that stress cracks begin to show. Who will crack first and to what extreme? What will be the ripple effect on the rest of the crew? The answers come slowly at first and build to a fairly exciting climax.

               Mr. Law does his best to be the tough but fair captain but the lure of the gold eventually affects him as well. The film has it's moments of suspense but there too many dead spots and obvious plot points. It's a solid B cable movie that will probably sink pretty quickly at the box office.

Paddington

Guest Critic- Master Duncan "Donut" Sanford

  “Paddington” was really funny.  He made me laugh a lot during the movie.  He got into trouble a lot, but he didn't mean to. Sometimes that made people mad.  Some of the parts that made me laugh a lot were when he flooded the bathroom, and rode down the stairs in a bathtub!  

    Paddington traveled from Peru to London, to try to find a family. He found a temporary family, but made the dad mad a lot. The mom and kids were trying to help Paddington find a family, but they really wanted him to live with them. 

    The movie was sometimes sad because Paddington’s home in Peru was getting destroyed by an earthquake and his uncle died. Paddington snuck onto a boat to go to London all by himself which was sad, but also was funny because he ate a lot of orange marmalade and it made his tummy really big.

    Paddington liked to hide a sandwich in his hat, which ended up saving the day. But I won’t tell you how, so that you can go see the movie and find out for yourself.

    I didn't want to see this movie at first because there was a gross toothbrush scene, but I’m really happy that I saw it, because it’s really funny. 

Human Capital

    This is an interesting new Italian drama that charts a collision of classes from different perspectives. A traffic accident late at night involving a motorist and a cyclist sets things in motion.

     The story is broken into chapters that present events from the perspective of Dino, a middle-class Realtor, his daughter Serena, and Carla, the wife of a rich businessman. Carla's son Massi is dating Serena and when her father drops her off at Massi's palatial estate their lives become entwined in unforeseen ways.

     Changing perspectives is an intriguing plot device that has been used before in many films dating back to Rashomon. The drama unfolds like a mystery with more elements revealed in each chapter. The acting is good, particularly Valeria Bruni Tedeschi as Carla and Fabrizio Bentivogolio as Dino.

       It's a nice change of pace from the usual Hollywood winter "deadwood" this time of year.

Cake

      Jennifer Aniston gets serious in this dour, depressing story of a woman struggling with depression and chronic pain after a devastating accident. There is a missed opportunity with the script however, that could have examined issues facing the debilitating emotional and physical aspects of chronic pain sufferers in a much richer and informative way. Instead we have Claire, a character that is hard to like and have any sympathy for as she alienates everyone around her.

       Besides her constant physical pain, Claire is deeply troubled by emotional issues that are not revealed until midway through the film. Once exposed, the intention is to see the character in a different light but the opportunity misses the mark. 

       The film co-stars Adriana Barraza, Anna Kendrick, Chris Messina, Sam Worthington and Felicity Huffman. But this is clearly a showpiece for Ms. Aniston. She does an admirable job in a difficult role delivering a understated performance that is unlike anything she has done before. Ms. Barraza is also excellent as Claire's Mexican housekeeper/aide who remains faithful to a woman who clearly doesn't deserve it.

      Credit the film for exploring difficult subject matter. Unfortunately it is crushed beneath the weight of it's heavy handed presentation.