Malcolm X 1992

     This is an epic biography of the Black Nationalist Leader Malcolm X.  The film begins during his early life and career as a small-time gangster.  His name at that time was Malcolm Little.  His father was a Baptist Minister and the Ku Klux Clan killed him.  As a minister he preached the beliefs of Marcus Garvey, a leader who taught that white America would never accept black people.  Their best hope was to return to Africa.  Because of his criminal career, Malcolm is incarcerated in prison and he became a member of the Nation of Islam.  Upon his release, he begins preaching the teaching and writings of Elijah Muhammad.  Later, he goes on a pilgrimage to the city of Mecca.  He converts to the original Islamic religion and becomes a Sunni Muslim.  He changes his name to El-Hajj Malik Al-Shabazz.

     In his early years Malcolm Little made mistakes that lead to his prison term.  His life began to change over time and traveling abroad resulted in more changes in his life and in his views.  He became committed to speaking the truth and he admitted his thoughts were different.  You can see that Denzel Washington had love and respect for Malcolm in his portrayal of this man.  This is a LONG movie at over three hours!!  Malcolm was in a precarious position with admirers and those who wanted him dead.  He went to stay at a hotel after his house was burned and he wife stayed in another location.  Both received many threatening anonymous phone calls night and day.  He needed more personal protection from his inner team.  3 ½* (I liked this movie)   

  

3 hours 22 min, Bio directed by Spike Lee with Denzel Washington, Angela Bassett, Delroy Lindo, Albert Hall, Al Freeman Jr., Spike Lee, Theresa Randle, Kate Vernon, Lonette McKee, Tommy Hollis, James McDaniel, Ernest Thomas, Jean-Claude La Marre, O.L. Duke, Larry McCoy. 

Note:  Imdb 7.7 out of 10, Roger Ebert 4*, Rotten Tomatoes 88% critic 91% audience, Metacritic 72 out of 100 with 9 critics 8.2 out of 10 with 59 user scores (53 positive, 4 mixed, negative 2), Empire Online 3* out of 5* Tom Hibbert, Amazon 4.7* out of 5* with 806 reviews. 

Special Note:  Filmed in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey.   Because of specific direct threats against Spike Lee from Louis Farrakhan, his name was removed from this film.  Brother Baines in the prison with Malcolm is a fictional composite character.  The later scenes  are mainly in black and white and they are real footage of Malcolm X.  Ossie Davis reads the speech near the ending.  James Baldwin’s original screenplay has been published under the title “One Day When I Was Lost.”  Denzel Washington prepared for this film by avoiding eating pork, attending Fruit of Islam classes and he learned how to Lindy Hop.  Washington put up his salary to get this film completed. 

Ben Is Back 2018

     Ben Burns is nineteen years old, he has been away at rehab because he’s a drug addict.  He returns home unexpectedly on Christmas Eve.  Holly Burns is Ben’s mother and she is very wary about Ben coming home unannounced.  Holly’s husband Neal is not Ben’s father but he’s worried too.  Holly has a daughter Ivy and she is younger than her brother Ben.  She also has another boy and girl, Lacey and Laim, two children from her marriage to Neal.  The family goes to a Christmas program together and when they get home, their dog Pip is gone and someone broke into the house.  The Christmas tree is turned over and glass in the front door is broken.

     I thought the setting of this film was in New York because of the snow.  Christmas is usually a hectic and emotional time.  There are many things to get done and high expectations.  For Ben, coming home creates tension and he sees people he used to do drugs with too.  Many families across the world are facing drug addiction amidst their family and if not among family members, then friends or co-workers.   Some drug companies are being sued by states because doctors are prescribing additive substances for pain but prolonged use can make the pain worse and cause dependence.  There are withdrawal symptoms and they make it difficult to stop taking the medication.  Once the medicine interferes with daily life, the patient is an addict.  Discontinuing the drug is the first part of treatment and other drugs such as methadone can help with withdrawal plus inpatient or support programs.  3 ½* (I liked this movie)

103 min, Drama directed by Peter Hedges with Julia Roberts, Lucas Hedges, Courtney B. Vance, Kathryn Newton, Rachel Bay Jones, David Zaldivar, Alexandra Park, Michael Esper, Tim Guinee, Myra Lucretia Taylor, Kristen Griffith, Jack Davidson, Mia Fowler, Jakari Fraser.

Note:  Imdb 6.7 out of 10, Rotten Tomatoes, 82% critic 69% audience, Roger Ebert 3*, Empire Online #8 out of 5* Liz Beardsworth, The Guardian 3* out of 5* Simran Hans, Metacritic 66 out of 100 with 39 critics 6.7 out of 10 with 38 user scores (24 positive, 11 mixed, 3 negative), Independent 4* out of 5* Geoffrey Macnab, Amazon 4* out of 5* with 235 reviews. 

Special Note:  Filmed in New City, Yonkers, Larchmont, Garnerville, Haverstraw and Sloatsburg, New York.  Lucas Hedges in the role of Ben is the son of Director Peter Hedges.  Peter had not intended to cast his son in the role and he had a shortlist of actors he was considering.  Julia Roberts saw Lucas in the film Manchester by the Sea 2016 and she believed he was right for the role.  Prior to shooting, Lucas and Kathryn Newton spent Thanksgiving holiday as guest at Julia’s home.  She also entertained 22 other guests around the dinner table.  Lucas and Kathryn co-starred together in Lady Bird 2017 and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri 2017.  Production during Christmas Eve caused the team to face harsh weather conditions.  There was a cyclonic snowstorm that paralyzed all roads in New York and Yonkers.  Roberts has lived in New York for eighteen years and she said she has never experienced a winter on the East Coast equivalent to this winter!!  There were two films in 2018 about drug-addicted children, this film and Beautiful Boy with Timothee Chalamet.  Hedges and Chalament worked together on Lady Bird 2017. 

Instant Family 2018

     Pete and Ellie Wagner are a married couple and they’ve started talking about having children.  They buy homes and renovate them to flip for a profit as their jobs.  Ellie looks online and she learns that there are many children in foster care.  Many have been in the system for a long time or until they age out.  She talks to Pete and he’s not for this idea until he looks at the children online too.  They meet with other families thinking about adopting as a group and the coordinators Karen and Sharon.  At first Pete and Ellie pass by the teens until one of the teens, Lizzie points out that they know that they are almost likely not to be adopted?  They decide to talk to Karen and Sharon about Lizzie.  Then they learn that Lizzie has a younger brother and sister, Juan and Lita.  After thinking and talking the situation over, they decide to take the three children.

     There are both funny and serious moments in this film.  I did not know that children going to Family Court receive a teddy bear each time they go.  This may differ by states?  The number of bears they have when they go to a family tells how many times they have been to court.  One of the main complaints about this film is the language?  The film has a PG-13 rating and that means parental guidance suggested and some material inappropriate for children under 13.  Couldn’t the language be left out so younger children could watch a film about children their age?  3 1/2* (I liked this movie.           

118 min, Comedy directed by Sean Anders with Mark Wahlberg, Rose Byrne, Isabela Moner, Gustavo Escobar, Julianna Gamiz, Octavia Spencer, Tig Notaro, Tom Seguar, Allyn Rachel, Britt Rentschler, Jody Thompson, Margo Martindale, Julie Hagerty, Michael O’Keefe, Joan Cusack.

Note:  Imdb 7.4 out of 10, Rotten Tomatoes 82% critic 81% audience, Roger Ebert Monica Castillo 2 ½*, RollingStone 2* out of 5* Tim Grierson, The Guardian 3* out of 5* Mike McCahill, Metacritic 57 out of 100 with 28 critics 7.4 out of 10 with 70 user scores (52 positive, 14 mixed, 4 negative), Amazon 4.6* out of 5* with 1111 reviews, Common Sense Media age 13+ 4* out of 5*.

Special Note:  Filmed in Atlanta, Georgia.  This film is based on 

the real life experiences of director Sean Anders and his wife.  They adopted 3 children from Seneca Family of Agencies’ Kinship Center.  The dog “Meatball” is a three-year old Bernese Mountain Dog.  He completed his AKC grand Championship obedience title, several rally obedience titles and a dock diving title.  After filming he added BMDCA and Canadian draft titles and several others, becoming a Versatility Dog in both the US and Canada.  Director Sean Anders and actor Mark Wahlberg worked together on Daddy’s Home 2015 and Daddy’s Home Two 2017.

A Star Is Born 2018

     Ally has been singing some nights at a small New York bar.  Jackson Maine is a popular musician and he wants to stop off at a bar after his show.  His driver doesn’t know this area and he drops him off at the bar where Ally sings.  She had a dream to make it big as a singer but she’s just about given up on that idea.  During the day, she works in a restaurant and she gets complaints from the manager.  Jackson and Ally feel and attraction and he likes her singing, especially her La Vie en Rose song she sang in the bar.  He invites her to come to his daytime gig the next day.  She says she has to work.  When she arrives at the restaurant, the manager says she’s late?  She says goodbye to the manager and this job and goes to the gig.  Jackson invites her up on the stage and she’s too nervous in the beginning.  When they hear her sing, the crowd really likes her.  They become a couple and her career begins to soar.

     There are three other movie versions of A Star is Born.  I can’t compare this film with the other versions but I would like to see them now that I have seen this movie.  I did like the music and the songs in this film.  I also didn’t know very much about Lady Gaga.  Her real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta. She started performing as a teenager at open mic nights and acting in school plays.  She rose to prominence in 2008 with her debut album, The Fame, an electropop record.  She had two chart-topping singles from this album, Just Dance and Poker face.  There is a LOT of alcohol, addiction, strong language but also messages about the importance of art, letting your voice be heard, mental health issues depression, suicidal thoughts and public embarrassment.  4* (I really liked this movie)

136 min, Drama directed by Bradley Cooper with Lady Gaga, Bradley Cooper, Sam Elliott, Andrew Dice Clay, Rafi Gavron, Anthony Ramos, Dave Chappelle, Alec Baldwin, Marlon Williams, Brandi Carlile, Ron Rifkin, Barry Shabaka Henley, Michael D. Roberts, Michael Harney.

Note:  Imdb 7.8 out of 10, Rotten Tomatoes 89% critic 80% audience, Roger Ebert 3 ½*, Metacritic 88 out of 100 with 60 critics 8.4 out of 10 with 1252 user scores (1070 positive, 99 mixed, 83 negative), Common Sense Media 16+ 5*, Amazon 4.4* out of 5* with 1603 reviews.

Special Note:  Filmed at Glastonbury Festival, Pilton, Somerset, England, UK; Santa Clarita, Riverside County, Los Angeles, Hollywood, Indio, Palm Springs, California.  Lady Gaga convinced Bradley Cooper that they should sing live and not lip sync.  As a result, Cooper got more extensive vocal training from veteran dialect coach Tim Monich.  Also, Lukas Nelson the son of Willie Nelson taught Cooper how to play guitar.  They worked together almost every night for a year to perfect Coopers style.  Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real did the backup music.  Cooper has dealt with both alcohol and drug addition and he has spoken publicly about how sobriety saved both his life and his career. Some scenes were filmed at the Coachella Festival in 2017.  Lady Gaga was the first female headliner in ten years.  Festival-goes paid $10 to see the scenes being filmed.  Recording devices were locked away to prevent leaking of any footage.  The premier was held at the Venice Film Festival on August 31, 2018.  Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper received an 8-minute standing ovation after the screening.

Other releases:  1976 Barbra Streisand, Kris Kristofferson Imdb 6.4 out of 10, 1954 Imdb 7.7 out of 10 Judy Garland, James Mason, 1937 Imdb 7.5 out of 10 Janet Gaynor Fredric March.

Awards: An Oscar for music received by Scott Wittman and Marc Shairman for the song Shallow.

Fear 1996

     Nicole Walker is 16 years old and in high school.   Her best friend is Margot Masse.  They are both at the age where they are dreaming of meeting their Prince Charming.  Plus, they will surely  live happily every after!!  Nicole and Margot go to a party and Nicole meets David.  They seem to hit it off and they become a couple. This leads to David becoming very possessive and jealous.  Margot meets one of David’s friends and they become a couple. David beats up Gary, he is Nicole's good friend but David sees red when Gary is with Nicole.  Nicole decides she never wants to see David again.  Nicole accidentally gets a black eye and she has to explain this to her parents.  The evil David changes back to the nice David and they get back together again until another incident occurs.  Nicole goes to meet David where he lives and she sees him with Margot.  Another complication between Nicole and David is that Nicole’s dad Steve doesn’t want Nicole to have a relationship with David.  Steve is accused of hitting David in the chest after a conversation but David gave himself the bruises to discredit Nicole's father?

     I have seen and reviewed this movie previously.  It's interesting to see Witherspoon and Wahlberg as teens.  It starts off very mildly and then it starts slowing moving into the fear area.  David was in a LOT of foster homes and then in detention but he escaped so many times the authorities stopped locking him up?  His earlier experiences don't bode well for his behavior both emotionally and mentally.  He’s just an inch from going over the edge into darkness at all times.  It also doesn’t help that he hangs and lives with other guys just like him.  They are stump dumb and always doing something stupid!!  In the final scenes, David and his  friends arrive at Nicole’s house with guns and they are determined to break inside!!   3 ½* (I liked this movie)

97 min, Thriller directed by James Foley with Mark Wahlberg, Reese Witherspoon, William Petersen, Amy Brenneman, Alyssa Milano, Christopher Gray, Tracy Fraim, Gary Riley, Jason Kristofer, Jed Rees, Todd Caldecott, Gerry Bean Rav Toor.

Note:  Imdb 6.2 out of 10, 39% critic 63% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon 4.4* out of 5* with 402 reviews, Metacritic 51 out of 100 with 16 critics user score 1.5 out of 10 with 166 reviews.

Special Note:  Filmed on Mercer Island and Seattle, Washington; Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.  Originally, Liv Tyler was approached for the role of Nicole.  There is a roller coaster in one of the scenes and it’s called The Coaster.  It’s one of the biggest attractions at Playland, Vancouver, British Columbia.  The inspiration for this film was the Bollywood movie Darr.  Mark Wahlberg was originally the front man for a band called Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch and he was also known as Marky Mark.  He did three other films between 1993 and 1995 before this film and he is 24 during production.  Reese Witherspoon appeared in eight other films before this film.  She was almost 20 with a birthday in March and the release was in April.  Alyssa Milano has been acting since she was 12 and her first film was Old Enough in 1984, she is 23 in this film.  Amy Brenneman started acting in 1992 in the TV Series Middle Ages as Blanche at the age of 28, she is 31 in this film.  William Peterson was on CSI from 2003 through 2015, he was 42 in this film.   

Serenity 2019

     The setting of this film is a tropical enclave called Plymouth Island.  Baker Dill is a fishing boat captain and he leads tours and fishing trips on his boat Serenity.  Dill takes out two paying customers to fish for tuna.  Dill takes over when he believes the fish they have hooked is a very large tuna he’s been trying to land for years.  The men won’t pay for the trip because Dill didn't allow them to do the fishing himself.  Dill was married to Karen and she comes to Plymouth with her husband.  She wants Dill to take her husband Frank to sea and not bring him back?  Frank is a violent man and Karen is tried of living a terrible life with him.  Karen has a son Patrick and Frank doesn’t have anything kind to say about Patrick.

     This film starts out normal enough with an eccentric ship captain but after Dill’s ex-wife arrives, events start to get murky.  Especially concerning Dill and Patrick.  Then, the plot moves from murky to how do these twists fit in??   I think the film was good up to this point and then it really strays off the edge of the limits of credibility ??  2 ½* (This movie is so-so) 

106 min, Drama directed and written by Steven Knight with Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Diane Lane, Jason Clarke, Djimon Hounsou, Jeremy Strong, Charlotte Butler, David Butler, Rafael Sayegh, Michael Richard, Robert Hobbs, Kenneth Fok, Garion Douds.

Note:  Imdb 5.3 out of 10, Roger Ebert 1* Christy Lemire, Rotten Tomatoes 19% critic 31% audience, Metacritic 37 out of 100 with 38 critics 4.8 out of 10 with 61 user scores, The Guardian 3* out of 5* Charles Bramesco, Amazon 2.8* out of 5* with 137 reviews. 

Special Note:  Filmed in Mauritius.  This is an island in the Indian Ocean off the southeast coast of Africa.  The island looks like paradise but the weather wasn’t always great during filming.  There was heavy rain and 20 people would be shoved together in a small cabin.  The filming on the boat wasn’t ideal either.  Sound is difficult to get right on a boat and Hathaway would deliver her lines over and over.  There were also problems with seasickness during filming on the boat.  Originally, Uma Thurman was cast in the role played by Diane Lane.  McConaughey and Hathaway worked together on Interstellar 2014.  McConaughey and Hounsou worked together on Amistad 1997. 

Souvenir 2016

     Lilliane used to be the singer Laura.  She was let down by her husband/manager and her career was left by the wayside.  She now works in a French pate-factory.  She meets Jean, he works at the factory and he does the baking of the pate.  Jean adds garnishes after the pate comes out of the oven.  Jean sees film footage of Laura on a television program and he asks Lilliane about it the next day at work.  Lilliane denies that she was ever Laura.  Jean and Lilliane become friends and she admits that she is Laura.  Jean invites her to go to a presentation put on by his boxing club.  This appearance leads to Laura entering a television singing competition and Jean is her manager.   

     Everything is going well with Jean as her manager and Laura hopes to win the contest.  She contacts Tony Jones, her former husband and manager.  She needs new material and Tony is also a songwriter.  When Jean learns that Tony is now involved again in Laura’s career, he become very angry!!  I thought this was interesting and good.  Isabelle Huppert does well in the singing and I don’t think this aspect has been a part of her career.  3 ½* (I liked this movie)

90 min, Drama directed by Bavo Defurne with Isabelle Huppert, Kevin Azais, Johan Leysen, Muriel Bersy, Fanny Blanchard, Benjamin Boutboul, Anne Brionne, Thomas Coumans, Christiane Dargenton, Joel Delsaut, Thorunn Egilsdottir, Carlo Ferrante, Jan Hammenecker, Mickey Hardt.

Note:  Imdb 6 out of 10, Rotten Tomatoes 48% critic 38% audience, Roger Ebert 2 ½*, RollingStone 3 ½* Peter Travers, Metacritic 54 out of 100 with 11 critics, The Guardian 3* out of 5* Benjamin Lee, Slant Magazine 1 ½* out of 4* Diego Semerene.

Special Note:  There is another film titled The Souvenir of 2019. Belgium Director and writer Bavo Defurne encourages his cast and crew to transform the story material into a visually beautiful and expressive tale.  His debut feature North Sea Texas was released in 2012 and it became a Netflix favorite.