tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89558641474429887462024-03-18T17:56:49.051-07:00The Ace Black Movie BlogReviews of Classic and Current Moviesaceblackblog.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08404695143187261837noreply@blogger.comBlogger4312125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8955864147442988746.post-56329702176314093312024-03-17T15:04:00.000-07:002024-03-17T15:04:09.524-07:00Movie Review: House Of Games (1987)<br /><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcxccKq_Oj5Ya2V29J9iZ4Z0Vl19DoQU8lBNG64kmcDdHQLr5K2_EASAs63AF6iaOvkzs8CMjKvvVQyZh92M1y_AIEqEGX5dXxVWFe_feUyKbkmwVLVuh6FcCYjECwZBN5ZKrP9VrSbu5mxX1tbKEeYNdDJ2CxwD6Ljd8trnQoABMgvxMVjpVpHQuOKBA/s1600/House%20Of%20Games.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcxccKq_Oj5Ya2V29J9iZ4Z0Vl19DoQU8lBNG64kmcDdHQLr5K2_EASAs63AF6iaOvkzs8CMjKvvVQyZh92M1y_AIEqEGX5dXxVWFe_feUyKbkmwVLVuh6FcCYjECwZBN5ZKrP9VrSbu5mxX1tbKEeYNdDJ2CxwD6Ljd8trnQoABMgvxMVjpVpHQuOKBA/s320/House%20Of%20Games.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Genre: Crime Drama </i><div><i>Director: David Mamet </i></div><div><i>Starring: Joe Mantegna, Lindsay Crouse, J.T. Walsh </i></div><div><i>Running Time: 102 minutes </i></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Synopsis:</b> Psychiatrist and successful author Dr. Margaret Ford (Lindsay Crouse) learns that her troubled client Billy Hahn is being threatened over a gambling debt. Determined to help, she confronts Mike (Joe Mantegna), the man holding Billy's IOU, at the scuzzy House Of Games pool hall. Margaret finds Mike's combination of charm and confidence irresistible compared to her cold and lonely life, and she is drawn into his world of psychological manipulation for profit.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Works Well:</b> The milieu of scam artists thriving in the dark is conveyed with pleasing aesthetics, and contrasts sharply with Margaret's scrubbed professional environment. Her lack of fulfillment and subsequent attraction to Mike's seedy antics drives the plot, writer and debut director David Mamet questioning the value of risk-free existence. Joe Mantegna never betrays his character's essence as a man who thrives on exploiting weaknesses in others, and is ably supported by a cast featuring J.T. Walsh, William H. Macy, Mike Nussbaum, and Ricky Jay.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Does Not Work As Well:</b> After the initial con, the other twists along Margaret's journey to danger are quite easy to see through, and the ending abandons cleverness altogether in favour of old-fashioned score-settling. In a clipped and cold performance, Lindsay Crouse (Mrs. David Mamet at the time) struggles mightily to convey relatable emotions, creating instead an unfortunate vacuum at the story's core.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Conclusion:</b> Rich with mood, but not quite as clever as it wants to be.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgerPYuAtzgG_oQXQVfira9X2vxvwSNqHJl2QEqPVjCKOD_ddJNmAKYXI0qTzMsiEgpdIQ3Ty6TTCoQDYiI0Dn9pzfaDV8HTUfDRW8PUcsqfVE2pbH5oXWEZLsH2jC75qeXr7YxDy3xTmJ6J6WgZAEDrs419aKkGCMOaceN6t4j2oAEQ_48vSw1f8-tGMc/s353/Three%20Stars.png"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgerPYuAtzgG_oQXQVfira9X2vxvwSNqHJl2QEqPVjCKOD_ddJNmAKYXI0qTzMsiEgpdIQ3Ty6TTCoQDYiI0Dn9pzfaDV8HTUfDRW8PUcsqfVE2pbH5oXWEZLsH2jC75qeXr7YxDy3xTmJ6J6WgZAEDrs419aKkGCMOaceN6t4j2oAEQ_48vSw1f8-tGMc/w200-h58/Three%20Stars.png" /></a><br /><br /><i>All Ace Black Movie Blog reviews are <a href="https://www.theaceblackblog.com/2009/02/movie-reviews-first-22.html">here</a>.</i><br /><br /></div>aceblackblog.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08404695143187261837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8955864147442988746.post-61720717246764812692024-03-17T12:39:00.000-07:002024-03-17T12:51:03.993-07:00Movie Review: Fallen Angel (1945)<br /><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpgNcv8OlURXaGZguEhFhXfre0yq4azErQsHTHgWuoK8XFBZJi6subH6FNnTCt41gHjpOPuUtvQz6F0uFfXJbk4t6j7Gz63ogTieUE0K0igwP5Qu4Cgt6_PaUDULEFwI5QOYSl0NFDWcxEdz2O20alPpwlSMY-kOu0T8EeuNBS-yz93R9oLSKcHMHGFio/s1376/Fallen%20Angel.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="985" data-original-width="1376" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpgNcv8OlURXaGZguEhFhXfre0yq4azErQsHTHgWuoK8XFBZJi6subH6FNnTCt41gHjpOPuUtvQz6F0uFfXJbk4t6j7Gz63ogTieUE0K0igwP5Qu4Cgt6_PaUDULEFwI5QOYSl0NFDWcxEdz2O20alPpwlSMY-kOu0T8EeuNBS-yz93R9oLSKcHMHGFio/s320/Fallen%20Angel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Genre: Noir Crime Romance Drama <br /> Director: Otto Preminger <br />Starring: <a href="https://www.theaceblackblog.com/2015/06/the-movies-of-dana-andrews.html">Dana Andrews</a>, Linda Darnell, Alice Faye, Anne Revere, Charles Bickford, John Carradine </i><div><i>Running Time: 97 minutes </i></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Synopsis:</b> In California, penniless drifter Eric Stanton (Dana Andrews) is thrown off the bus in the small town of Walton. At the local cheap diner, he finds server Stella (Linda Darnell) alluring, but she is tired of men who don't commit and demands marriage and a house. Eric makes some money promoting a show for traveling spirit medium Professor Madley (John Carradine), and in the process meets unmarried wealthy sisters Clara and June Mills (Anne Revere and Alice Faye). To secure the funds needed to satisfy Stella, Eric plots to separate June from her money through seduction, but unexpected twists await. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Works Well:</b> Director Otto Preminger and star Dana Andrews re-team after the success of <b><a href="https://www.theaceblackblog.com/2015/01/movie-review-laura-1944.html">Laura</a></b> and land within a seedy milieu of drifters, hucksters, and desperates. Eric Stanton fits right in, and Andrews nails the dubious protagonist as a survivor susceptible to troubled charms. The second half transitions into a tough whodunnit with unconventional interrogation tactics, Stanton's convoluted plotting sucking him into a murder case with ex-New York cop Judd (Charles Bickford), love rival Atkins (Bruce Cabot), and even barkeep Pop (Percy Kilbride). Linda Darnell as Stella carries the weight of wasted years behind her eyes, a contrast with Alice Faye's June, whose so-far sheltered existence is an easy target.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Does Not Work As Well:</b> On the seemingly perpetually dark streets of Walton, most characters are singularly obsessed with self-interest, depriving the drama of a sympathetic core.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Conclusion:</b> This town welcomes the scammers, the scammed, and the soon-to-be-scammed.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0SHkw3WOHs32tL4kQJwyFy-AwiE1iGdSEFGVhaoPY73mXI4ajzG251L85qutNolcxrxYiERWuSrVvg39w4HU8KnpJjRC3GUoHbm0vGKQ52e2_EiO9llyrFKV1hXDnL3Kmc8pfew7CmNrG7ASnFGrXeigs5DJ_M_i6etV8gc66kvcNlIUzBAuKUOdwHGg/s352/Four%20Stars.png"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0SHkw3WOHs32tL4kQJwyFy-AwiE1iGdSEFGVhaoPY73mXI4ajzG251L85qutNolcxrxYiERWuSrVvg39w4HU8KnpJjRC3GUoHbm0vGKQ52e2_EiO9llyrFKV1hXDnL3Kmc8pfew7CmNrG7ASnFGrXeigs5DJ_M_i6etV8gc66kvcNlIUzBAuKUOdwHGg/w200-h58/Four%20Stars.png" /></a><br /><br /><i>All Ace Black Movie Blog reviews are <a href="https://www.theaceblackblog.com/2009/02/movie-reviews-first-22.html">here</a>.</i><br /><br /></div>aceblackblog.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08404695143187261837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8955864147442988746.post-30308851485795899272024-03-17T12:01:00.000-07:002024-03-17T12:01:58.498-07:00Movie Review: Upgraded (2024)<br /><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyWh3YSSbafrtEN3g6YmQgF1VyCWpOy5SlEAgasJ-FjzMrjUI6ghsbeRMAuv0kx8K0HZMky-ccvYCBY4sRbmxF5MNud1Eu5Pm56vwUnNadoA9k9iGmbR6Bio7AQXVchEZhkL0dUbA4c0XxVIXGsyDEm_KhgaKjMUmFVUWN3MoM6_FHYVUc2NYuBH4l_3Y/s1200/Upgraded.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyWh3YSSbafrtEN3g6YmQgF1VyCWpOy5SlEAgasJ-FjzMrjUI6ghsbeRMAuv0kx8K0HZMky-ccvYCBY4sRbmxF5MNud1Eu5Pm56vwUnNadoA9k9iGmbR6Bio7AQXVchEZhkL0dUbA4c0XxVIXGsyDEm_KhgaKjMUmFVUWN3MoM6_FHYVUc2NYuBH4l_3Y/s320/Upgraded.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Genre: Romantic Comedy </i><div><i>Director: Carlson Young </i></div><div><i>Starring: Camila Mendes, Lena Olin, Marisa Tomei </i></div><div><i>Running Time: 104 minutes </i></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Synopsis:</b> In New York, Ana (Camila Mendes) is a junior trainee at the Erwins art auction house led by the demanding Claire (Marisa Tomei). On a flight to London, Ana flirts with the dashing William (Archie Renaux), and plays along when he mistakes her for a senior executive. In London she meets William's mother Catherine (Lena Olin), a wealthy widow about to sell an expensive art collection. Ana enjoys a romance with William and races to satisfy Claire's whims, but her lies threaten both her love life and her career.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Works Well:</b> This bright romantic comedy mixes elements from <b><a href="https://www.theaceblackblog.com/2015/09/movie-review-working-girl-1988.html">Working Girl</a></b> with <b><a href="https://www.theaceblackblog.com/2015/04/movie-review-devil-wears-prada-2006.html">The Devil Wears Prada</a></b>, and benefits from the prestige of Marisa Tomei and Lena Olin in key supporting roles. Elsewhere, Camila Mendes sells the premise of the resourceful up-and-comer leveraging an unexpected opportunity to skip a few steps along the corporate ladder, and director Carlson Young almost resists the temptation of polishing London into a dream romantic destination. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Does Not Work As Well:</b> All the usual coincidences and misunderstandings required to kick the genre machinery into gear are here, starting with Ana's fortuitous meeting with the son of her employer's most important client, passing through the lovers' big argument, and ending with the requisite tidying up of all loose ends. Archie Renaux struggles in the handsome prince role, and the chemistry between the leads is confined to telemovie levels of blandness.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Conclusion:</b> Romantic banter at 30,000 feet still has on-the-ground consequences.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5J6uTp1RDc60EIfolj0ZLr4mY6I4-l_srDwtEu4TH2LPO4rWUWoKAs6JsKA8MqO6MdQZdkrXa2-CSmT3Sm8AvXIJToLu_mo7yO25MjfYNDqxjesH1g4sR24oL7Uc4IYHS293YDgJmXSad8XkhZiBF2_7bts6xBbwUndu3IOUaZLuiIcsg_ZYH9AVx6WY/s353/Three%20Stars.png"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5J6uTp1RDc60EIfolj0ZLr4mY6I4-l_srDwtEu4TH2LPO4rWUWoKAs6JsKA8MqO6MdQZdkrXa2-CSmT3Sm8AvXIJToLu_mo7yO25MjfYNDqxjesH1g4sR24oL7Uc4IYHS293YDgJmXSad8XkhZiBF2_7bts6xBbwUndu3IOUaZLuiIcsg_ZYH9AVx6WY/w200-h58/Three%20Stars.png" /></a><br /><br /><i>All Ace Black Movie Blog reviews are <a href="https://www.theaceblackblog.com/2009/02/movie-reviews-first-22.html">here</a>.</i><br /><br /></div>aceblackblog.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08404695143187261837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8955864147442988746.post-43962267047161168172024-03-16T10:12:00.000-07:002024-03-16T10:12:03.235-07:00Movie Review: The Killing Of Two Lovers (2020)<div><br /></div><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL8uKGoUCps_AG-KvL2vrIfDGOmmkXz9dDRR698Bumg3bCQ4_XHavz-JqjFqWkDtvCfqQyAoYFolON1zIHd-F5EyuWSt2aa9heY3KIYcVb3YSsdjGYifmT82Cs6tZU-KGgiI3pFchi3sYuShAom_diayrpDeA9hZqHCPCQSTz8hcM0gCyqVYjAD8QqBQc/s2048/The%20Killing%20Of%20Two%20Lovers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1075" data-original-width="2048" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL8uKGoUCps_AG-KvL2vrIfDGOmmkXz9dDRR698Bumg3bCQ4_XHavz-JqjFqWkDtvCfqQyAoYFolON1zIHd-F5EyuWSt2aa9heY3KIYcVb3YSsdjGYifmT82Cs6tZU-KGgiI3pFchi3sYuShAom_diayrpDeA9hZqHCPCQSTz8hcM0gCyqVYjAD8QqBQc/s320/The%20Killing%20Of%20Two%20Lovers.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Genre: Drama <br />Director: Robert Machoian </i><div><i>Starring: Clayne Crawford, Sepideh Moafi, Chris Coy <br /> Running Time: 84 minutes </i></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Synopsis:</b> In a small Utah town, David (Clayne Crawford) is having trouble dealing with a trial separation from his wife Nikki (Sepideh Moafi). He has moved out and is living with his father, while she stayed in their home looking after the four kids, including teenager Jess. The couple agreed to see other people and Nikki is now in a relationship with Derek (Chris Coy), but David's jealousy threatens to boil over.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Works Well:</b> The location filming in Kanosh, Utah reveals a stark town nestled within scenic hills, a place where everyone is a neighbour and no secrets are possible. The patient storytelling allows the character outlines to slowly sharpen into a family agonizingly falling apart.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Does Not Work As Well:</b> The content is insufficient for a feature length film, and about half the scant running time consists of David driving around in his truck. Director Robert Machoian's penchant for static camera wide-angle shots and long takes but within a boxy aspect ratio is perhaps intentionally unsettling, but nevertheless annoyingly incongruous. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Conclusion:</b> The emotional devastation is palpable, but stretched too thin.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg28lSgBmmZzCm2L2bJEmYUKE2XVVy1roLORkEbsaXwSukGsPog7xzCQepm6LNm4Xqdn9-1pdlYn0XCkAeLWcEkW7mG1f0414U42CodkUd92VhTytWxIC0NqD3RA-MzgmNEPlIxmGyogXTDixj67vC4vLsWM9gnTgUr7AmRg819nRxYlarX7nGZjiPGcc/s352/Two%20Stars.png"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg28lSgBmmZzCm2L2bJEmYUKE2XVVy1roLORkEbsaXwSukGsPog7xzCQepm6LNm4Xqdn9-1pdlYn0XCkAeLWcEkW7mG1f0414U42CodkUd92VhTytWxIC0NqD3RA-MzgmNEPlIxmGyogXTDixj67vC4vLsWM9gnTgUr7AmRg819nRxYlarX7nGZjiPGcc/w200-h58/Two%20Stars.png" /></a><br /><br /><i>All Ace Black Movie Blog reviews are <a href="https://www.theaceblackblog.com/2009/02/movie-reviews-first-22.html">here</a>.</i><br /><br /></div>aceblackblog.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08404695143187261837noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8955864147442988746.post-23879290797245828302024-03-16T09:38:00.000-07:002024-03-16T09:44:50.371-07:00Movie Review: Cry Of The City (1948)<br /><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzLFh08Tfw9aFAz332X7ZR4amIdF2CM52urW0sznrADXiX8xaYwvP4-3WSEq_Z53hvWRD2e7rekufJGutIrYz3q0VS0Ko7J0GemhfNjAfaFJ5zOcQ8GbcHeSub4Fxcvy8nnWbgjxws8j5k_aQeLS9UX64Z1JgzzftvbhbeYPPTc4qXKV_7QxJVIkcX4vg/s1600/Cry%20Of%20The%20City.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzLFh08Tfw9aFAz332X7ZR4amIdF2CM52urW0sznrADXiX8xaYwvP4-3WSEq_Z53hvWRD2e7rekufJGutIrYz3q0VS0Ko7J0GemhfNjAfaFJ5zOcQ8GbcHeSub4Fxcvy8nnWbgjxws8j5k_aQeLS9UX64Z1JgzzftvbhbeYPPTc4qXKV_7QxJVIkcX4vg/s320/Cry%20Of%20The%20City.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Genre: Noir Crime Drama </i><div><i>Director: Robert Siodmak </i></div><div><i>Starring: <a href="https://www.theaceblackblog.com/2019/06/the-movies-of-victor-mature.html">Victor Mature</a>, Richard Conte, <a href="https://www.theaceblackblog.com/2016/10/the-movies-of-shelley-winters.html">Shelley Winters</a>, Debra Paget </i></div><div><i>Running Time: 95 minutes </i></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Synopsis:</b> Criminal Martin Rome (Richard Conte) is badly wounded and in police custody after killing a cop in a botched robbery. Police Lieutenant Vittorio Candella (Victor Mature) was Martin's childhood friend, and now questions him about another heist involving precious jewelry. Slimy lawyer Niles (Berry Kroeger) wants Martin to confess to the jewelry theft, which would implicate Martin's lover Teena Ricante (Debra Paget). She becomes the target of a police hunt, and Martin plots an escape to reveal the truth. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Works Well:</b> A textured script (by Richard Murphy and Ben Hecht) is full of ambiguous motivation layers supplementing director Robert Siodmak's investment in doomed noir fundamentals. Martin Rome is identified early as a cop killer destined for the electric chair, but emerges as a complex protagonist driven by an unlikely love and willing to do the dirty work for others. Shady characters lurk in every corner, including Niles the lawyer, Brenda (Shelley Winters) the midnight lady, a shifty prison trusty (Walter Baldwin), a foreign doctor (Konstantin Shayne) providing questionable services, and Martin's impressionable younger brother Tony (Tommy Cook). Towering over them all is a giant masseuse (Hope Emerson) who redefines "handful". Emotional ties are woven through a friendship-from-childhood between Lieutenant Candella and Martin's family, adding nuance to some gorgeously filmed New York nighttime streetscapes.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Does Not Work As Well:</b> The characters just keep on coming - late into the third act, Siodmak is still finding new people and new places to introduce. And in a packed agenda, the editing and pacing demonstrate a tendency to overemphasize minor points.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Conclusion:</b> The city's cry echoes with dazzling desperation.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjID4agfU4L1fR0pSCk9R_OHI33g24gdyrsrYW6phL1HZRYAMSGJu7eQwITQQw7V8yL9NztPWPZOb-bVN1kkENukADqPRw0bAvYb97GTs2Viqch5EJ8zrPbA9iBpE1E0506zGxULjFwqajJZvaeVZBopmBApL_l0pcgh217fgkSXZNmp9SPXvM46X5_IjI/s352/Five%20Stars.png"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjID4agfU4L1fR0pSCk9R_OHI33g24gdyrsrYW6phL1HZRYAMSGJu7eQwITQQw7V8yL9NztPWPZOb-bVN1kkENukADqPRw0bAvYb97GTs2Viqch5EJ8zrPbA9iBpE1E0506zGxULjFwqajJZvaeVZBopmBApL_l0pcgh217fgkSXZNmp9SPXvM46X5_IjI/w200-h58/Five%20Stars.png" /></a><br /><br /><i>All Ace Black Movie Blog reviews are <a href="https://www.theaceblackblog.com/2009/02/movie-reviews-first-22.html">here</a>.</i><br /><br /></div>aceblackblog.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08404695143187261837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8955864147442988746.post-17038187868869384032024-03-16T08:57:00.000-07:002024-03-16T08:57:16.912-07:00Movie Review: Father Stu (2022)<div><br /></div><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia0QAJ62JG1NhAP1ujTTvXtVzgSNOGNfubWYTPq-_Et99tB7NOYMRtN20K9MVcincj2tEP4bpbazg2QSRdgIvEF0Kok5VCH7BFmgeJIHDtSAcrwVzeYnSJAVxVPRY3UQEgEeciaOsQFNtk-qNxTyGIQDGWtwO3xHvfuvje1NhCBS82N4lOXbkXNHYZUyo/s1200/Father%20Stu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia0QAJ62JG1NhAP1ujTTvXtVzgSNOGNfubWYTPq-_Et99tB7NOYMRtN20K9MVcincj2tEP4bpbazg2QSRdgIvEF0Kok5VCH7BFmgeJIHDtSAcrwVzeYnSJAVxVPRY3UQEgEeciaOsQFNtk-qNxTyGIQDGWtwO3xHvfuvje1NhCBS82N4lOXbkXNHYZUyo/s320/Father%20Stu.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Genre: Biographical Drama </i><div><i>Director: Rosalind Ross </i></div><div><i>Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Mel Gibson, Jackie Weaver, Malcolm McDowell </i></div><div><i>Running Time: 124 minutes </i></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Synopsis:</b> In Montana of the 1980s, Stuart Long (Mark Wahlberg) is drifting through life as an amateur boxer. His mother Kathleen (Jacki Weaver) lives nearby, but his frequently drunk father Bill (Mel Gibson) is in California, the family having never recovered from the childhood death of Stu's brother. When the boxing injuries add up, Stu relocates to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. He falls in love with Carmen (Teresa Ruiz), a devout Catholic. She introduces him to her church community before an accident changes his outlook.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Works Well:</b> Director and writer Rosalind Ross sprinkles humour into a search-for-purpose biographical drama, and allows Stu to remain true to himself as his life takes unexpected twists. The spiritual tones are prominent but well controlled by healthy skepticism, and the romance between Stu and Carmen is an effective catalyst. In a commanding central performance full of zest, Mark Wahlberg undergoes a couple a startling physical transformations from unkempt boxer to a man of religion. He is ably supported by Mel Gibson's angry-at-the-world father and Jacki Weaver's still-hopeful mother.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Does Not Work As Well:</b> The aesthetics, sets, and sense of time and place rarely rise above monotonous blandness, while the title's revelation of Stu's ultimate destination ensures his journey is amiable but also predictable.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Conclusion:</b> A feel-good story about finding passion while confronting adversity.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha1_l2-2kLCnSh2zR0iwna1ZXkvQnmgAoqKlN9N6o063g8AJBV6B132FZHORVQgFVe9fbXV03aQF9fz2u9yW3f71_IcptR_Oi_3sScnL0DDk6ku3iILcqlYrlOJDnVxVkYrYUNX4u4Wq4Gu2F14C-dKyQfANN39Qd5FVLiJCep_JgImC6Ah_-opMev7xo/s352/Four%20Stars.png"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha1_l2-2kLCnSh2zR0iwna1ZXkvQnmgAoqKlN9N6o063g8AJBV6B132FZHORVQgFVe9fbXV03aQF9fz2u9yW3f71_IcptR_Oi_3sScnL0DDk6ku3iILcqlYrlOJDnVxVkYrYUNX4u4Wq4Gu2F14C-dKyQfANN39Qd5FVLiJCep_JgImC6Ah_-opMev7xo/w200-h58/Four%20Stars.png" /></a><br /><br /><i>All Ace Black Movie Blog reviews are <a href="https://www.theaceblackblog.com/2009/02/movie-reviews-first-22.html">here</a>.</i><br /><br /></div>aceblackblog.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08404695143187261837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8955864147442988746.post-17225679493432856812024-03-09T08:44:00.000-08:002024-03-09T08:44:59.664-08:00Movie Review: Memory (2022)<div><br /></div><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEj4-qHWPwQkfxFAwyzBEOy-StlnvcXNyK77lLHCN5g_juqi1slk0F_eiui3-d_feaJbwlj3G0624Em04AlATyMcE5GwaRbOZyR0jKwcjE9jBZazUklFMioyhwMcKGi7ooi8d8KSvy1Ib42WfhZ9AUTuRKRy19JXVjc7D59RCbaea2AUHYbkpvm_EE9tc/s1284/Memory.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="856" data-original-width="1284" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEj4-qHWPwQkfxFAwyzBEOy-StlnvcXNyK77lLHCN5g_juqi1slk0F_eiui3-d_feaJbwlj3G0624Em04AlATyMcE5GwaRbOZyR0jKwcjE9jBZazUklFMioyhwMcKGi7ooi8d8KSvy1Ib42WfhZ9AUTuRKRy19JXVjc7D59RCbaea2AUHYbkpvm_EE9tc/s320/Memory.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Genre: Thriller </i><div><i>Director: Martin Campbell </i></div><div><i>Starring: Liam Neeson, Guy Pearce, Monica Bellucci, Taj Atwal </i></div><div><i>Running Time: 114 minutes </i></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Synopsis:</b> In the Texas-Mexico border region, aging assassin-for-hire Alex Lewis (Liam Neeson) is experiencing early signs of dementia, including memory loss. He refuses an assignment to kill a 13 year-old child trafficking victim and turns against his employers. Meantime, FBI agents Vincent Serra and Linda Amistead (Guy Pearce and Taj Atwal) and Mexico's agent Marquez (Harold Torres) are investigating a child trafficking ring, while wealthy real estate mogul Davana Sealman (Monica Bellucci) exerts influence and hides secrets.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Works Well:</b> This B-movie almost succeeds in covering up its low budget, aided by investments in side plots like creeping dementia, child trafficking, and high-level corruption. The presence of Liam Neeson (old for the role but functional), Guy Pearce (fittingly bedraggled), and Monica Bellucci (evil but underused) elevates quality, and they are ably supported by a feisty Taj Atwal. Ex-Bond director Martin Campbell keeps the action hopping with multiple converging storylines punctuated by controlled action scenes.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Does Not Work As Well:</b> The script tries too hard, and eventually becomes cluttered with several seemingly important characters making grand entrances only to be summarily dispatched. The creaky production values are exposed by some throwaway sequences and one glaring discontinuity where a crime scene magically relocates from a parkade to a highway. The rushed ending scatters loose ends all over the screen.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Conclusion:</b> Neither instantly forgettable not terribly memorable.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4SVXvgeUNAlaIEYapOJmJiMubX7OqIOLLfF20d6lFkBFFGqToj-cQxcbTKCUAVgE9ep0Oivx5rwPUamEMgFujiNr6BeOKZSPK5CEJycpVvgV4nGCdZnST1_loxBAFsdDRskO9Eolta5KMEhZE3Q6dqV0RZjAaGzgsAezhlMHfMgfxRDsuGC9k7gHhrHU/s353/Three%20Stars.png"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4SVXvgeUNAlaIEYapOJmJiMubX7OqIOLLfF20d6lFkBFFGqToj-cQxcbTKCUAVgE9ep0Oivx5rwPUamEMgFujiNr6BeOKZSPK5CEJycpVvgV4nGCdZnST1_loxBAFsdDRskO9Eolta5KMEhZE3Q6dqV0RZjAaGzgsAezhlMHfMgfxRDsuGC9k7gHhrHU/w200-h58/Three%20Stars.png" /></a><br /><br /><i>All Ace Black Movie Blog reviews are <a href="https://www.theaceblackblog.com/2009/02/movie-reviews-first-22.html">here</a>.</i></div><div><br /></div>aceblackblog.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08404695143187261837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8955864147442988746.post-50998407681152426362024-03-09T07:33:00.000-08:002024-03-09T07:33:00.332-08:00Movie Review: Queen Bees (2021)<br /><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCxKRGlpXuRcvOwQAHB46q1pZwUDVGgpdbJ58LJXttvYrC7QKYTSW0_HdG9K0z7GGyvKQztZBbVWJkVXd4aKDzCgikkDErN10nrNiF265RBMZCw45mURv02xmAm03ousjVGGVVEGyKrGlvtsiLYhG4EtCTfE6Ltw9I7Wz0mg84NbyBaMouc863P4HWMEs/s1280/Queen%20Bees.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCxKRGlpXuRcvOwQAHB46q1pZwUDVGgpdbJ58LJXttvYrC7QKYTSW0_HdG9K0z7GGyvKQztZBbVWJkVXd4aKDzCgikkDErN10nrNiF265RBMZCw45mURv02xmAm03ousjVGGVVEGyKrGlvtsiLYhG4EtCTfE6Ltw9I7Wz0mg84NbyBaMouc863P4HWMEs/s320/Queen%20Bees.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Genre: Geriatric Romantic Comedy </i><div><i>Director: Michael Lembeck </i></div><div><i>Starring: Ellen Burstyn, James Caan, Jane Curtin, Ann-Margret, Christopher Lloyd, Loretta Devine, Elizabeth Mitchell </i></div><div><i>Running Time: 100 minutes </i></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Synopsis:</b> Helen Wilson (Ellen Burstyn) is in her golden years and insists on maintaining her independence. She enjoys the company of her grandson (Matthew Barnes), but has a difficult relationship with her daughter Laura (Elizabeth Mitchell). A house fire forces Helen to temporarily relocate to a retirement home, where she tangles with a clique of residents led by the unfriendly Janet (Jane Curtin). She is also wooed by Dan (James Caan), who is seeking a late-life romance.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Works Well:</b> The friction between Helen and her career daughter Laura is built upon stubbornness, mutual impatience, and miscommunication, sharply capturing common frustrations between the elderly and their grown children.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Does Not Work As Well:</b> The bland script unconvincingly re-imagines the retirement home as the second coming of high school, with the aesthetics and energy levels of middling television fare. Tired rom-com cliches including petty jealousies and conniving behaviour are transposed to mature adults who should know better, emotions are transmitted with all the authenticity of plastic, and the attempts at humour are a cringey demonstration of ineptitude.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Conclusion:</b> Screen legends deserve more dignified late-career material than this.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7NkTjTkcwz8yX_FDfFOycb5J7fNagz0NCxMLwGNZrMh-j4axKLlFmrGdLSE3bKieSejtFR2peKQFlzfT6txBXNOjX9B72pBOxob3eTPX2CF0A0d8Rzg-y3m9C8FoUV3qPh5qnTZTkmW2PyRcjWy7jG2Cqg7OcSIvrY0RfjtMcb6VUBIEm4Cg6vAC0Tls/s352/Two%20Stars.png"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7NkTjTkcwz8yX_FDfFOycb5J7fNagz0NCxMLwGNZrMh-j4axKLlFmrGdLSE3bKieSejtFR2peKQFlzfT6txBXNOjX9B72pBOxob3eTPX2CF0A0d8Rzg-y3m9C8FoUV3qPh5qnTZTkmW2PyRcjWy7jG2Cqg7OcSIvrY0RfjtMcb6VUBIEm4Cg6vAC0Tls/w200-h58/Two%20Stars.png" /></a><br /><br /><i>All Ace Black Movie Blog reviews are <a href="https://www.theaceblackblog.com/2009/02/movie-reviews-first-22.html">here</a>.</i><br /><br /></div>aceblackblog.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08404695143187261837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8955864147442988746.post-31344671866142573182024-03-09T07:00:00.000-08:002024-03-09T07:00:18.460-08:00Movie Review: Stowaway (2021)<br /><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP3T2uvSIKUD4KVqj7TbGO5Cccn1faBf_MQDTOb2_QS8LC91OnzNjVqDtGePValCwRobtLTCMFwXik4j6L9z4gocx9_we9kQdGuOAZ6pKGo2dyGhsjAAoaqQWmevU3ExSK-14qTs_ETPB3QC3cRYwRnFe8NJP6lwKP5p_9_sW4kLyy1RwJTfEh6MH7ugE/s1200/Stowaway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP3T2uvSIKUD4KVqj7TbGO5Cccn1faBf_MQDTOb2_QS8LC91OnzNjVqDtGePValCwRobtLTCMFwXik4j6L9z4gocx9_we9kQdGuOAZ6pKGo2dyGhsjAAoaqQWmevU3ExSK-14qTs_ETPB3QC3cRYwRnFe8NJP6lwKP5p_9_sW4kLyy1RwJTfEh6MH7ugE/s320/Stowaway.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Genre: Science Fiction Survival Drama </i><div><i>Director: Joe Penna </i></div><div><i>Starring: Anna Kendrick, Toni Collette, Daniel Dae Kim, Shamier Anderson </i></div><div><i>Running Time: 116 minutes </i></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Synopsis:</b> A three-person crew consisting of Commander Marina Bennett (Toni Collette), doctor Zoe Levenson (Anna Kendrick), and researcher David Kim (Daniel Dae Kim) lifts off on a mission to Mars. Once they settle in for the long journey, Marina stumbles upon launch support engineer Michael Adams (Shamier Anderson), who accidentally stayed on-board, wounded and unconscious. He is nursed back to health and establishes a connection with Zoe, but the spaceship is now critically damaged and does not have enough oxygen for the unexpected traveler.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Works Well:</b> The spaceship environment conveys the appropriate sense of messy technology, and the four-person cast is adequate. The limited special effects are functional.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Does Not Work As Well:</b> Director and co-writer Joe Penna aims for a profound moral dilemma but misses badly. The plot logic gaps are yawning, from the initial never-explained chain of incompetence leading to the stowaway situation, through to the lack of redundancy planning, and culminating in a bizarre and internally inconsistent ending that never comes close to the desired impact. Along the journey, the attempts to humanize some but not all the crew members ring hollow.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Conclusion:</b> Despite an ambitious destination, the drama sputters on the launch pad.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLPllKe7eFxH9bi7MJEmjopn5z_iKrUc0lYL7s2hqCQVknT_NXOHc4RrKzFzqtdMwDXjpBVdnNbD8sHKyJntZuVbyECGwBNeZj-RVRnsb9CRWC-t1GxX-n-xKbpzp_cAm9mgP_0Q9DSWqSJn6qfcycvYzo37Yd6Dv5ReCPSBLs1A4qhdgnX8fA09jYLMI/s352/Two%20Stars.png"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLPllKe7eFxH9bi7MJEmjopn5z_iKrUc0lYL7s2hqCQVknT_NXOHc4RrKzFzqtdMwDXjpBVdnNbD8sHKyJntZuVbyECGwBNeZj-RVRnsb9CRWC-t1GxX-n-xKbpzp_cAm9mgP_0Q9DSWqSJn6qfcycvYzo37Yd6Dv5ReCPSBLs1A4qhdgnX8fA09jYLMI/w200-h58/Two%20Stars.png" /></a><br /><br /><i>All Ace Black Movie Blog reviews are <a href="https://www.theaceblackblog.com/2009/02/movie-reviews-first-22.html">here</a>.</i><br /><br /></div>aceblackblog.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08404695143187261837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8955864147442988746.post-87781438814297677352024-03-09T06:53:00.000-08:002024-03-09T06:53:10.259-08:00Movie Review: Ambulance (2022)<div><br /></div><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcarFB4pQfvLe_ilXhHrokQzdeEQHsjb8DGd3zIPdh9oDpDzNvvA3NTADD-pv61X0-B6Yc7UDNCRvq1Wnnbe9FlgsKWmfLprS9zG8Q3vc-b3ES7Hx52U5ojhkLsuBQH6tuzzDbIBUDqmcVLArzw4cwBM37Op-zsgnSGjKHvghZKnR30Q1mTTbmiK-9tAU/s1451/Ambulance%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="739" data-original-width="1451" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcarFB4pQfvLe_ilXhHrokQzdeEQHsjb8DGd3zIPdh9oDpDzNvvA3NTADD-pv61X0-B6Yc7UDNCRvq1Wnnbe9FlgsKWmfLprS9zG8Q3vc-b3ES7Hx52U5ojhkLsuBQH6tuzzDbIBUDqmcVLArzw4cwBM37Op-zsgnSGjKHvghZKnR30Q1mTTbmiK-9tAU/s320/Ambulance%202.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Genre: Action Thriller </i><div><i>Director: Michael Bay </i></div><div><i>Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Eiza González </i></div><div><i>Running Time: 136 minutes </i></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Synopsis:</b> In Los Angeles, ex-US Marine and Afghanistan War veteran Will Sharp (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) is desperate to fund life-saving surgery for his wife. He reluctantly joins his adopted brother Danny (Jake Gyllenhaal) in a bank heist expected to yield $32 million. Danny is a lifelong criminal, but this job goes wrong, forcing Will and Danny to hijack an ambulance with paramedic Cam (Eiza González) and wounded police officer Zach (Jackson White) in the back. With numerous police units in hot pursuit, Will, Danny, and Cam have different reasons to survive the ordeal.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Works Well:</b> This adaptation of a Danish movie packs a remarkable amount of energy, and never slows down. A loony amalgamation of <a href="https://www.theaceblackblog.com/2016/07/movie-review-heat-1995.html" style="font-weight: bold;">Heat</a> and <a href="https://www.theaceblackblog.com/2020/07/movie-review-speed-1994.html"><b>Speed</b></a>-in-an-ambulance is a good starting summary, but director Michael Bay also gets to play with on-the-go blood transfusions and surgery, conflict between two brothers, countless cop cars and helicopters, one big dog, and an entire gang of armed goons. The over-the-top stunts and special effects are bathed in sweaty colours, while Yahya Abdul-Mateen combines with Eiza González to create some human grounding amidst the craziness.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Does Not Work As Well:</b> Mindless and at times mind-numbing action is the only objective, and none of it is remotely serious. Jake Gyllenhaal is miscast as the near-psychotic villain, and the 136 minutes of running time are more than excessive for what is essentially a live action cartoon chase.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Conclusion:</b> Obnoxiously loud and undeniably hypnotic.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKzOZ_rdmAmL50RGzZ8xitkkYHyeuV8Ot9kHSaEu7EqzfFSYdsvmjP2qM28YFXOq36STJCj4EO2pvYowYhe4vnoZy0HcFSg6fh2mF1K9w3nrtCB4KPAtMZsBzjUgRMWX25Vw5Ho4huEOGYysXHuATEkLrDcKavWYITU_GLq8b3C4Kf3hy3TIn3RjpUT40/s353/Three%20Stars.png"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKzOZ_rdmAmL50RGzZ8xitkkYHyeuV8Ot9kHSaEu7EqzfFSYdsvmjP2qM28YFXOq36STJCj4EO2pvYowYhe4vnoZy0HcFSg6fh2mF1K9w3nrtCB4KPAtMZsBzjUgRMWX25Vw5Ho4huEOGYysXHuATEkLrDcKavWYITU_GLq8b3C4Kf3hy3TIn3RjpUT40/w200-h58/Three%20Stars.png" /></a><br /><br /><i>All Ace Black Movie Blog reviews are <a href="https://www.theaceblackblog.com/2009/02/movie-reviews-first-22.html">here</a>.</i><br /><br /></div>aceblackblog.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08404695143187261837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8955864147442988746.post-9077419482154591232024-03-03T10:28:00.000-08:002024-03-03T10:28:25.647-08:00Movie Review: Where The Crawdads Sing (2022)<br /><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFZ5zpIaitFd3LuzyMX3Ny9g3EMSXyud_yGzxFF1H2Evr6CN7TtVvffc7jfuaPUWhvsn0NnVcgg9-yXoPtyZ0Zumfo__cYQf34ds8Z3u0dgR4BTs-KiJVNwkPMcJuaOJHAQtTvxaPXh5wf7um_bHLM2EN3-hMF8ITFlOqUIjv0chSJfokJwFYWdNdG-7Q/s3650/Where%20The%20Crawdads%20Sing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2433" data-original-width="3650" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFZ5zpIaitFd3LuzyMX3Ny9g3EMSXyud_yGzxFF1H2Evr6CN7TtVvffc7jfuaPUWhvsn0NnVcgg9-yXoPtyZ0Zumfo__cYQf34ds8Z3u0dgR4BTs-KiJVNwkPMcJuaOJHAQtTvxaPXh5wf7um_bHLM2EN3-hMF8ITFlOqUIjv0chSJfokJwFYWdNdG-7Q/s320/Where%20The%20Crawdads%20Sing.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Genre: Mystery Drama Romance </i><div><i>Director: Olivia Newman </i></div><div><i>Starring: Daisy Edgar-Jones, David Strathairn, Taylor John Smith, Harris Dickinson </i></div><div><i>Running Time: 125 minutes </i></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Synopsis:</b> In North Carolina of 1969, Chase Andrews (Harris Dickinson) is found dead in an expansive marsh area. Kya Clark (Daisy Edgar-Jones), a social recluse who has lived alone in the marsh since childhood, is arrested and charged with murder. Lawyer Tom Milton (David Strathairn) comes out of retirement to defend her, and as the trial proceeds, Kya's backstory is revealed. Her family was torn apart by an abusive father, she raised herself and became an expert in marsh ecosystems, then as a teenager, she experienced romances with Tate Walker (Taylor John Smith) and then Chase, before his death.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Works Well:</b> The adaptation of Delia Owens' bestselling book uses a mysterious death as a framing device to explore themes of abandonment, resilience, abuse, romance, and justice. The duality of outcasts as objects of derision and fascination resides within Kya, both Tate and Chase attracted to her unique attributes but for different reasons. Director Olivia Newman includes just the right amount of captivating natural scenery, and is comfortable with a traditional storytelling structure where the courtroom scenes and flashbacks work together to reveal Kya's often heartbreaking experiences.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Does Not Work As Well:</b> Some of the story's foundational blocks are wobbly. For a young unschooled woman confined to the marsh her entire life, Kya is often a picture of radiant health, good grooming, and refined behaviour. The murder charge against her is built on the flimsiest of evidence, and given the relatively long duration, the final act speed races through numerous events but stubbornly refuses to show the pivotal moment in Kya's life.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Conclusion:</b> Elegant and picturesque, but spongy when convenient.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJkQO0H1WV4figXfAc9MeF8sTyDf2tFOC7HD-A1D1CirolGuKSZZ2iwKXzw1Aw0_J99OGBbkNYxhP3kz2keT0JsYIpArXt-QPAaq2mozKknHAnj5B6EGipRU_AcGux_8FQhYAAq_aL_DpYOL0MOR138ZStdYymwqFZGa2l6uS_SYsZ8US5ApaLSWqVZ9Q/s353/Three%20Stars.png"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJkQO0H1WV4figXfAc9MeF8sTyDf2tFOC7HD-A1D1CirolGuKSZZ2iwKXzw1Aw0_J99OGBbkNYxhP3kz2keT0JsYIpArXt-QPAaq2mozKknHAnj5B6EGipRU_AcGux_8FQhYAAq_aL_DpYOL0MOR138ZStdYymwqFZGa2l6uS_SYsZ8US5ApaLSWqVZ9Q/w200-h58/Three%20Stars.png" /></a><br /><br /><i>All Ace Black Movie Blog reviews are <a href="https://www.theaceblackblog.com/2009/02/movie-reviews-first-22.html">here</a>.</i><br /><br /></div>aceblackblog.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08404695143187261837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8955864147442988746.post-75621458456244941012024-03-02T13:30:00.000-08:002024-03-02T13:30:28.624-08:00Movie Review: The Royal Hotel (2023)<br /><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq1WafaF0bpPxj45j-KaCYC2dh8Ahyphenhyphen1t0rc2RVOB4kKTtEpDlzyczXPgORbs8OXxonlizET_Mtk29awKaFtINPkvGS2buXeiBpIBRooVW39BcMP1q026WLboYPYCORQAnR7dcVDPYLImE5CRIEKGPLzJ672YnPhTcHfvCY9kTXz1joViN3ZFOL7HO_3hU/s1988/The%20Royal%20Hotel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1326" data-original-width="1988" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq1WafaF0bpPxj45j-KaCYC2dh8Ahyphenhyphen1t0rc2RVOB4kKTtEpDlzyczXPgORbs8OXxonlizET_Mtk29awKaFtINPkvGS2buXeiBpIBRooVW39BcMP1q026WLboYPYCORQAnR7dcVDPYLImE5CRIEKGPLzJ672YnPhTcHfvCY9kTXz1joViN3ZFOL7HO_3hU/s320/The%20Royal%20Hotel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Genre: Outback Drama </i><div><i>Director: Kitty Green </i></div><div><i>Starring: Julia Garner, Jessica Henwick, Hugo Weaving </i></div><div><i>Running Time: 91 minutes </i></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Synopsis:</b> Backpacking Canadian friends Hanna and Liv (Julia Garner and Jessica Henwick) are on a work-travel trip to Australia. After running out of money they accept bartender jobs at an isolated mining community. They have to endure a barely-civilized environment and nights full of rough, lusty, and drunken men, including the slightly refined Matt (Toby Wallace), innkeeper Billy (Hugo Weaving), the relatively quiet Teeth (James Frecheville) and the creepy Dolly (Daniel Henshall). Liv is outgoing and willing to enjoy the experience, but the more grounded Hanna is increasingly worried about their safety.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Works Well:</b> Director Kitty Green and star Julia Garner worked together on 2019's <b><a href="https://www.theaceblackblog.com/2021/01/movie-review-assistant-2019.html">The Assistant</a></b>, and here again contribute to an unsettling environment. The South Australia mining milieu is a time and place left behind by civilization, the men's pent-up isolation bubbling into boorishness and aggressive sexual advances during nightly drinking sprees. Garner and her co-star Jessica Henwick create a spiky friendship built on contrasting risk tolerance levels.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Does Not Work As Well:</b> A distinct absence of an actual plot becomes increasingly apparent after the opening act, eventually devouring the intriguing context. This is a tableau with characters but insufficient content, and sideways drift takes over. Men in coveralls sequentially gain then lose prominence, Hanna and Liv struggle in the absence of meaningful arcs, and a few plot points are just bewildering. A mysterious phone call from a previous bartender and the stern-faced cook who disapproves of everything but stops short of communicating hint at a story that never materializes.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Conclusion:</b> Beware the featureless desert, where the promise of adventure can disappear into a mirage.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdGxW9drbUShaYDFHfIfiJCOGe0zMvNDY5TEZbtAeeHGhElbfR6v7dkD8h4DT0MqKp94l9VO1FA3P4_7JvMQGdYmiF-miv0gCxVHEB8GKze0PlH8ZDpi1n7Yd7dvcUxXuEVWVX-ADvAGcv7SuyJup-3U46dC0Y2yJ27UhiX4Nx7tLhLMyJMLobIsdVtNA/s352/Two%20Stars.png"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdGxW9drbUShaYDFHfIfiJCOGe0zMvNDY5TEZbtAeeHGhElbfR6v7dkD8h4DT0MqKp94l9VO1FA3P4_7JvMQGdYmiF-miv0gCxVHEB8GKze0PlH8ZDpi1n7Yd7dvcUxXuEVWVX-ADvAGcv7SuyJup-3U46dC0Y2yJ27UhiX4Nx7tLhLMyJMLobIsdVtNA/w200-h58/Two%20Stars.png" /></a><br /><br /><i>All Ace Black Movie Blog reviews are <a href="https://www.theaceblackblog.com/2009/02/movie-reviews-first-22.html">here</a>.</i><br /><br /></div>aceblackblog.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08404695143187261837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8955864147442988746.post-44787384974642361002024-03-02T11:35:00.000-08:002024-03-02T11:35:20.328-08:00Movie Review: Watcher (2022)<br /><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQXQB-44XI8psU0U_3O-jL2O_xX7Jot42YaEV-Zcd-XNgUj6fNTqN7Fkcu-WJbAdpFjfeSdkUzTm7r2cdbCnk4aWsUl3G1WZ_pG-2WMuZKNurxLasty4RR0F0EFAGGJnjOcCnISLX5-HNn94lXB2M8_25OBuuRINhkrpS4ScXxhbrSOO2_LRQrHOCZTBQ/s2154/Watcher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1227" data-original-width="2154" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQXQB-44XI8psU0U_3O-jL2O_xX7Jot42YaEV-Zcd-XNgUj6fNTqN7Fkcu-WJbAdpFjfeSdkUzTm7r2cdbCnk4aWsUl3G1WZ_pG-2WMuZKNurxLasty4RR0F0EFAGGJnjOcCnISLX5-HNn94lXB2M8_25OBuuRINhkrpS4ScXxhbrSOO2_LRQrHOCZTBQ/s320/Watcher.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Genre: Suspense </i><div><i>Director: Chloe Okuno </i></div><div><i>Starring: Maika Monroe, Karl Glusman, Burn Gorman </i></div><div><i>Running Time: 96 minutes </i></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Synopsis:</b> Couple Julia and Francis (Maika Monroe and Karl Glusman) relocate their lives from New York to Bucharest, where Francis has secured a job promotion. His family is originally from Romania and he knows the language, but Julia is an outsider. Left alone all day and struggling with a language barrier, she notices a neighbour (Burn Gorman) incessantly staring at her from a window across the courtyard. Her anxiety is heightened when a murder occurs in the neighbourhood, and she starts to sense she is being followed. Julia befriends vivacious neighbour Irina (Mădălina Anea), but Francis provides little support.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Works Well:</b> The traditional woman-in-danger plot features a patient build-up in a foreign city, where Julia's inability to converse stifles her opportunities to integrate. Director Chloe Okuno adds the drab surroundings of a nondescript apartment (but with enormous windows) and less-than-attractive streetscapes to heighten Julia's loneliness and fragility. In the central role, Maika Monroe excels as a self-conscious cultural intruder flailing against the unfamiliar, then confronting the reality of looming danger and a husband who cares less than he should. A brooding and stone-faced Burn Gorman revels in the awkward mannerisms of a bogeyman. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Does Not Work As Well:</b> The pacing is committed to a slow burn, and the suspense flickers on and mostly off for most of the duration. The deliberate lack of clarity about the threat - is Julia actually in danger or is it all in her head - does add intrigue, but at the price of narrative energy, and her predicament is not helped by questionable plot logic gaps.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Conclusion:</b> In a new city, good curtains are a must.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn1LBKJM79LwCJk_joMcSZCBTV8eymRT482y5NO_2Ecz6eZQGrD9DebUintfbv5wy6uJl8u1b-YUpksUPWtHhKvDdXqHV1Ddfe2eEwmNe34wQRSTtmpyKAI4ucBevWKi71SsBWQKA-y67neLWc7G9-Ub11cM54BmVJpmeasfQRH3bl702XGGfJgGCOg1w/s353/Three%20Stars.png"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn1LBKJM79LwCJk_joMcSZCBTV8eymRT482y5NO_2Ecz6eZQGrD9DebUintfbv5wy6uJl8u1b-YUpksUPWtHhKvDdXqHV1Ddfe2eEwmNe34wQRSTtmpyKAI4ucBevWKi71SsBWQKA-y67neLWc7G9-Ub11cM54BmVJpmeasfQRH3bl702XGGfJgGCOg1w/w200-h58/Three%20Stars.png" /></a><br /><br /><i>All Ace Black Movie Blog reviews are <a href="https://www.theaceblackblog.com/2009/02/movie-reviews-first-22.html">here</a>.</i><br /><br /></div>aceblackblog.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08404695143187261837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8955864147442988746.post-49932159108212925962024-03-02T10:05:00.000-08:002024-03-02T10:05:50.303-08:00Movie Review: The Equalizer 3 (2023)<br /><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD7KWJTiqPwEUGfKL1Ig2wXXka2fh9sDJ-XNbREVy4PBhBzv8Y3rFP6q0WxUs9_nl636STHvxjSBL1V_oaPMzRRpHZGikXukLLS9Ho5WVieyewVJyAz0vvz0s0rsdfkPFeWWW6i_mdVuOx9jL8pe_K6qksV_mTed_GOf-2Bmvx8hMqFgYTDjcfb9Of1Ao/s1296/The%20Equalizer%203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="730" data-original-width="1296" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD7KWJTiqPwEUGfKL1Ig2wXXka2fh9sDJ-XNbREVy4PBhBzv8Y3rFP6q0WxUs9_nl636STHvxjSBL1V_oaPMzRRpHZGikXukLLS9Ho5WVieyewVJyAz0vvz0s0rsdfkPFeWWW6i_mdVuOx9jL8pe_K6qksV_mTed_GOf-2Bmvx8hMqFgYTDjcfb9Of1Ao/s320/The%20Equalizer%203.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Genre: Action Thriller <br /> Director: Antoine Fuqua </i><div><i>Starring: Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning </i></div><div><i>Running Time: 109 minutes </i></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Synopsis:</b> In Sicily, ex-US Marine Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) infiltrates a gangster-controlled villa in his pursuit of a stolen item. Wounded while exfiltrating, he is helped by a kindly doctor and a police officer to recuperate in the town of Altamonte on the Amelfi coast. Once healthy, McCall starts to enjoy the slower pace of life and befriends locals including business owner Aminah (Gaia Scodellaro). He alerts the CIA's Emma Collins (Dakota Fanning) about dangerous drugs at the Sicilian villa, then tangles with a brutal Camorra faction led by Vincent (Andrea Scarduzio). </div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Works Well:</b> The third chapter in Robert McCall's even-the-score vengeance adventures is a bit more laid back, with enjoyment of the quaint Italian coastal scenery the primary preoccupation for director Antoine Fuqua. Plenty of time is invested interacting with good-hearted locals and admiring idyllic cafes, piazzas, small stores, and winding steep staircases. In contrast the action scenes are few and far between, but still full of impact and gore. The plot is a standard set-up for a one-against-many showdown, and mafioso Vincent is appropriately despicable, but neither he nor his goon army can resist Washington's effortless star charisma.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Does Not Work As Well:</b> The script reaches for an awkward mix of Camorra, ISIS, drug trafficking, and off-screen acts of terrorism, but never achieves contextual success. The climax is particularly bland and free of tension, while Dakota Fanning tries hard but never comes close to convincing as a CIA agent.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Conclusion:</b> Pretty picturesque and predictably polished.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVBWl99trtFyQKXbPDWXi-W7Ei0p0dWGlhoZyH9X9S8ju0sBh6jYg7xStjaKappMNG8BxD9GDP6O-lZspSp2HGmE0nld29woto3CSL9Qc311eWT2L22p5cwjYJU6V7mpyh2XGEpMi6vryG-9a7KvN5-pPme9oOSZJJLS7uGNp9K4t2WTI3_SpnNpbz8qE/s353/Three%20Stars.png"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVBWl99trtFyQKXbPDWXi-W7Ei0p0dWGlhoZyH9X9S8ju0sBh6jYg7xStjaKappMNG8BxD9GDP6O-lZspSp2HGmE0nld29woto3CSL9Qc311eWT2L22p5cwjYJU6V7mpyh2XGEpMi6vryG-9a7KvN5-pPme9oOSZJJLS7uGNp9K4t2WTI3_SpnNpbz8qE/w200-h58/Three%20Stars.png" /></a><br /><br /><i>All Ace Black Movie Blog reviews are <a href="https://www.theaceblackblog.com/2009/02/movie-reviews-first-22.html">here</a>.</i><br /><br /></div>aceblackblog.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08404695143187261837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8955864147442988746.post-3153143512317163482024-03-02T07:38:00.000-08:002024-03-02T07:38:00.102-08:00Movie Review: Sound Of Freedom (2023)<div><br /></div><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY4H40Q-Uopj8M6-oQmXnc_ltjxXTC8qq1Z8eaqrAY40wmRYrmEVDmNcz99JEnJps2IaS2hhSFtmX_0rfFodI1YIUda_0jtSMpaU05-IzuXY2gphng_Yv7xdkM4ep-XexzTo6sruGaFFCT0FTkZUBVdHxi5S5_h04dgLEnKqARLnG7G810TKtAn2TQ6oA/s1200/Sound%20Of%20Freedom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY4H40Q-Uopj8M6-oQmXnc_ltjxXTC8qq1Z8eaqrAY40wmRYrmEVDmNcz99JEnJps2IaS2hhSFtmX_0rfFodI1YIUda_0jtSMpaU05-IzuXY2gphng_Yv7xdkM4ep-XexzTo6sruGaFFCT0FTkZUBVdHxi5S5_h04dgLEnKqARLnG7G810TKtAn2TQ6oA/s320/Sound%20Of%20Freedom.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Genre: Drama Thriller </i><div><i>Director: Alejandro Monteverde </i></div><div><i>Starring: Jim Caviezel, Bill Camp, Mira Sorvino </i></div><div><i>Running Time: 131 minutes </i></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Synopsis:</b> In Honduras, child siblings Miguel and Rocio are abducted by ex-beauty queen Giselle on behalf of an international sex trafficking ring. Months later in southern California, US Homeland Security Agent Tim Ballard (Jim Caviezel) extracts information from a captured child porn distributor, leading to Miguel's rescue. Determined to also find Rocio, Tim travels to Colombia and contacts local ex-con Vampiro (Bill Camp), who now specializes in rescuing children. When Homeland Security pull their support, Tim's elaborate sting operation is jeopardized.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Works Well:</b> Based on actual events, this drama is built upon the painful realities of child exploitation for sex slavery. With the material inherently powerful, director Alejandro Monteverde sidesteps horrific imagery to avoid sensationalism, and allows Ballard's story to convey devastating impacts through families torn apart and enforcement agents exposed to atrocities. Although more of a drama than a thriller, momentum is maintained thanks to straightforward storytelling, settings full of local colour, and arty cinematography. Bill Camp gets the best scene and adds knowing gruffness to the memorable Vampiro role.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Does Not Work As Well:</b> With most of the acting at basic levels, the characters fail to rise above stock representations. Mira Sorvino's role as Tim's wife Katherine is truncated towards irrelevance, and the final act in the Colombian jungle exposes the creaky joints holding together an episodic structure.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Conclusion:</b> A harrowing exposition of an underreported tragedy.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5CzO00a0jN4u5R_kEYiNdPYMnHyBYHzO7z11Mr9Oot7GamLEsx7dB4Alqe8Ante4VLrFqLoEzTBtychYmGcz-MMY7cSzXMMuPXbfXXLzDndF2pdlNiQ_U5iRmNB3ctgKXvcfRFduzgM6ng5pY9Lpkd1XYdXLlBdTtxJxOje2wcX-m3iASF52G4FuO4Pw/s352/Four%20Stars.png"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5CzO00a0jN4u5R_kEYiNdPYMnHyBYHzO7z11Mr9Oot7GamLEsx7dB4Alqe8Ante4VLrFqLoEzTBtychYmGcz-MMY7cSzXMMuPXbfXXLzDndF2pdlNiQ_U5iRmNB3ctgKXvcfRFduzgM6ng5pY9Lpkd1XYdXLlBdTtxJxOje2wcX-m3iASF52G4FuO4Pw/w200-h58/Four%20Stars.png" /></a><br /><br /><i>All Ace Black Movie Blog reviews are <a href="https://www.theaceblackblog.com/2009/02/movie-reviews-first-22.html">here</a>.</i><br /><br /></div>aceblackblog.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08404695143187261837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8955864147442988746.post-67721528053050231252024-03-02T07:26:00.000-08:002024-03-02T07:26:48.068-08:00Movie Review: Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984)<div><br /></div><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT0r3T0BOhDovOp302df0AQfJKcnRJI0R59jgPwTq-Qb2udNmNPzX95WYYRmlnK7Ebz59OfXW2gIeI8avTsU6oLmJlDhG67u6-I2F1LPv1fYjLyPWGeom966xkKi6SCa_4EeS-0Qb9-5wgldTVCEVXJVxUk-JzXfLxH9kucuCWHbWNAmlAcTzHxV-L99w/s1400/Nineteen%20Eighty%20Four.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="1400" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT0r3T0BOhDovOp302df0AQfJKcnRJI0R59jgPwTq-Qb2udNmNPzX95WYYRmlnK7Ebz59OfXW2gIeI8avTsU6oLmJlDhG67u6-I2F1LPv1fYjLyPWGeom966xkKi6SCa_4EeS-0Qb9-5wgldTVCEVXJVxUk-JzXfLxH9kucuCWHbWNAmlAcTzHxV-L99w/s320/Nineteen%20Eighty%20Four.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Genre: Dystopian Drama </i><div><i>Director: Michael Radford <br />Starring: John Hurt, Richard Burton, Suzanna Hamilton </i></div><div><i>Running Time: 110 minutes </i></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Synopsis:</b> In a grim alternative year 1984, Winston Smith (John Hurt) is a Ministry of Truth bureaucrat in the country of Oceania. Under the omnipresent gaze of Big Brother, The Party controls all aspects of society, including history and language. Winston cannot help having forbidden independent thoughts, driven by a turbulent childhood, and he wonders if the unwashed proletariat can initiate an uprising inspired by anti-establishment leader Goldstein. With Oceania in a constant state of war, Winston starts a dangerous affair with fellow Outer Party member Julia (Suzanna Hamilton), and is then approached by Inner Party member O'Brien (Richard Burton).</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Works Well:</b> George Orwell's terrifying vision of communism and fascism combining into the worst case of totalitarianism comes to the screen with dour characters, grim aesthetics, and a morose mood. Admirably, director Michael Radford condenses the book's essence into less than two hours, and cinematographer Roger Deakins creates a visual nightmare where the human spirit is encased in the washed-out grey tones of surrender. A tortured John Hurt conveys Winston Smith as an uncomfortable misfit, testing limits through love, writing, and thinking, but never in doubt about the outcome. Gravitas arrives in the final act with Richard Burton revealing the full dimensions of The Party's control.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Does Not Work As Well:</b> The downcast disposition becomes overbearing, and for those unfamiliar with the book, the movie may be impenetrable.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Conclusion:</b> 2+2=5<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-TU9QVq_p4_Rp2hLRojL2tSdpscctF1LE8zmeYB8M-jzhQzBP1UycEDbFdbrM_nLzN7jemWzbht6l0Z64ZqEee0M9eVkPV5QGd5C_az-meu5wcWfUQ91_TD0i-8gKibnfXF5NZd9Lw3gRx4lKn0XcqUM8GgDChGonI2vBG3lWhSCr5VLm6c79J_DfWu8/s352/Four%20Stars.png"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-TU9QVq_p4_Rp2hLRojL2tSdpscctF1LE8zmeYB8M-jzhQzBP1UycEDbFdbrM_nLzN7jemWzbht6l0Z64ZqEee0M9eVkPV5QGd5C_az-meu5wcWfUQ91_TD0i-8gKibnfXF5NZd9Lw3gRx4lKn0XcqUM8GgDChGonI2vBG3lWhSCr5VLm6c79J_DfWu8/w200-h58/Four%20Stars.png" /></a><br /><br /><i>All Ace Black Movie Blog Reviews are <a href="https://www.theaceblackblog.com/2009/02/movie-reviews-first-22.html">here</a>.</i><br /><br /></div>aceblackblog.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08404695143187261837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8955864147442988746.post-62933344211184942012024-02-25T11:13:00.000-08:002024-02-25T11:13:58.895-08:00Movie Review: No Way Out (1987)<br /><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyqr_fhLSm-6zqyeMX2OtSArD6I0dZdw1bXkR7a-kU2d1D9qM1rKK-fHJWCLkfiDHFBeT6RW-qSQ3ngBMBLeQiDqxpoYXmPm0D_WdZe7-eNFOkPMSYyATmIeqCIG_K6rfkqijWmqEJ3QRYjY5a9OLrJemeeKnD2oyYcwBob2w8Mgm_58ltroUcQmAQ10E/s1200/No%20Way%20Out%201987.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyqr_fhLSm-6zqyeMX2OtSArD6I0dZdw1bXkR7a-kU2d1D9qM1rKK-fHJWCLkfiDHFBeT6RW-qSQ3ngBMBLeQiDqxpoYXmPm0D_WdZe7-eNFOkPMSYyATmIeqCIG_K6rfkqijWmqEJ3QRYjY5a9OLrJemeeKnD2oyYcwBob2w8Mgm_58ltroUcQmAQ10E/s320/No%20Way%20Out%201987.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Genre: Thriller </i><div><i>Director: Roger Donaldson </i></div><div><i>Starring: Kevin Costner, Gene Hackman, Sean Young, Will Patton </i></div><div><i>Running Time: 114 minutes </i></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Synopsis:</b> In Washington DC, the US Navy's Lieutenant Commander Tom Farrell (Kevin Costner) is selected for an intelligence assignment by Secretary of Defense David Brice (Gene Hackman). Tom also starts an affair with socialite Susan Atwell (Sean Young), who happens to be Brice's mistress. In a fit of jealousy, Brice accidently kills Susan. His chief assistant Scott Pritchard (Will Patton) concocts a cover-up plan to blame Susan's death on non-existent Soviet spy Yuri. But Tom knows what really happened, and has to prove the truth before he himself gets implicated.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Works Well:</b> This is a slick thriller combining Cold War intrigue, inter-governmental political machinations, lust, romance, and scandal. Robert Garland's screenplay updates the 1946 novel <i>The Big Clock</i> (by Kenneth Fearing), and director Roger Donaldson keeps the pacing brisk and the tension at elevated levels, mixing cocktail parties for the Washington DC elites with backroom plotting and the occasional chase scene. In a star-making role, Kevin Costner oozes confident charisma as the Navy lieutenant sliding into unexpected convolutions at the Pentagon and in his personal life, while Sean Young adds allure. The final controversial twist demonstrates brain-scratching courage. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Does Not Work As Well:</b> Starting with the hastily conceived distraction story to chase invisible spy Yuri, the second half plot holes start to consume all logic, culminating in ridiculous actions including defence officials planting evidence in computer systems and allowing a couple of unscreened civilians full access to every room in the Pentagon (the largest building in the world). The notable dip in quality coincides with Gene Hackman being sidelined into a bystander.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Conclusion:</b> Sparkling with talent and enthusiasm, but perforated by sloppy conveniences.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkWK344h8IyAcViw_ByFSXHkxSDgoeLp29TiTsJK5Uv4GdH2IasOHPBX-taBqMbj_bUeBrWOhAgZ77WOgCy8FZgS1rNY6FcL1SMbFbra-D3Der37XeGzaO6NBJireppMhoWPC4xMKdL_n3VhGP7fpTRSoEeJEkozqNq8s6vQcoIxwS3TceG9p53HTLUls/s353/Three%20Stars.png"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkWK344h8IyAcViw_ByFSXHkxSDgoeLp29TiTsJK5Uv4GdH2IasOHPBX-taBqMbj_bUeBrWOhAgZ77WOgCy8FZgS1rNY6FcL1SMbFbra-D3Der37XeGzaO6NBJireppMhoWPC4xMKdL_n3VhGP7fpTRSoEeJEkozqNq8s6vQcoIxwS3TceG9p53HTLUls/w200-h58/Three%20Stars.png" /></a><br /><br /><i>All Ace Black Movie Blog reviews are <a href="https://www.theaceblackblog.com/2009/02/movie-reviews-first-22.html">here</a>.</i><br /><br /></div>aceblackblog.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08404695143187261837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8955864147442988746.post-13713155943303096162024-02-24T11:10:00.000-08:002024-02-24T11:10:04.017-08:00Movie Review: The Holdovers (2023)<div><br /></div><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB51VHEHSKHgeB27g9hDi4jtrAmdTwQ_QzKYipA1FzwAgEcNgsKfFLc5yD2xULPXeM84cOPEfwxzMjfsfPNi1ug0GPIlYgyVOBYgJosiGNh3a6wSkNJnvp7UxOP7_2nXHATs7t-mq1blfjydxjv-37dpU2Elx_7z6zmj21c4tQjWRbL8AmdjvYoKiewyU/s1500/The%20Holdovers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB51VHEHSKHgeB27g9hDi4jtrAmdTwQ_QzKYipA1FzwAgEcNgsKfFLc5yD2xULPXeM84cOPEfwxzMjfsfPNi1ug0GPIlYgyVOBYgJosiGNh3a6wSkNJnvp7UxOP7_2nXHATs7t-mq1blfjydxjv-37dpU2Elx_7z6zmj21c4tQjWRbL8AmdjvYoKiewyU/s320/The%20Holdovers.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Genre: Drama </i><div><i>Director: Alexander Payne </i></div><div><i>Starring: Paul Giamatti, Dominic Sessa, Da'Vine Joy Randolph </i></div><div><i>Running Time: 133 minutes </i></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Synopsis:</b> It's 1970, and Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti) is a teacher of ancient civilizations at the Barton private high school for boys in New England. Never married, he is strict, smelly, and disliked, including by disruptive student Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa). With Christmas approaching, Paul is assigned to care for the "holdover" students not rejoining their families for the Holidays. Also staying behind is cafeteria manager Mary Lamb (Da'Vine Joy Randolph), who recently lost her son in Vietnam. The group of holdover boys is eventually whittled down to just Tully, forcing teacher and student to learn more about each other.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Works Well:</b> Reminiscent of movies like <b><a href="https://www.theaceblackblog.com/2014/02/movie-review-scent-of-woman-1992.html">Scent Of A Woman</a></b> (1992) and <b><a href="https://www.theaceblackblog.com/2018/09/movie-review-paper-chase-1973.html">The Paper Chase</a> </b>(1973), this is a simple story of breaking through exterior preconceptions to uncover a human connection. The 1970s milieu is lovingly recreated, and Paul Giamatti embodies the crusty but fragile teacher, caustically holding on to old-fashioned beliefs because that is all he has. Both Hunham and Tully are headstrong but sensitive, resulting in some sparks on the path to revelations.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Does Not Work As Well:</b> The running time is much too long for the straightforward story, and director Alexander Payne indulges in slow pacing and plenty of padding. Free of narrative surprises or any twists, the drama crawls towards all the expected outcomes, with some puzzling choices like introducing but then dispatching (to a ski trip) four other holdovers.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Conclusion:</b> Heart-felt and well-staged, but also familiar and laborious. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPpYpqN4jpPblscvIAlL2mRJuXmLJSPZzozEJvgBDFCt4BDypu81fihyphenhyphenCCF9nHyj0GWqTmdW0w_y4NorJe69lSAyBrHGbyjTk-4p2JKarxo4hkePgC_l1NVFDBgiByWGRoYYExW5-FZMXXV9Aom2XxuGFe2Hfo6nXg0xcYF5COJ8StRQ0gn-ZK-2ranWY/s353/Three%20Stars.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="101" data-original-width="353" height="58" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPpYpqN4jpPblscvIAlL2mRJuXmLJSPZzozEJvgBDFCt4BDypu81fihyphenhyphenCCF9nHyj0GWqTmdW0w_y4NorJe69lSAyBrHGbyjTk-4p2JKarxo4hkePgC_l1NVFDBgiByWGRoYYExW5-FZMXXV9Aom2XxuGFe2Hfo6nXg0xcYF5COJ8StRQ0gn-ZK-2ranWY/w200-h58/Three%20Stars.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>All Ace Black Movie Blog reviews are <a href="https://www.theaceblackblog.com/2009/02/movie-reviews-first-22.html">here</a>.</i></div><div><br /></div>aceblackblog.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08404695143187261837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8955864147442988746.post-3103809778118959922024-02-24T10:58:00.000-08:002024-02-24T10:58:17.199-08:00Movie Review: Sisu (2022)<br /><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjirmrsHfnirZCoO_M24zxyMC9UeRlMj2qZzif8HY1IcJJJF2i4m9hsbecMwjocGcpZ4XD7aXvzMXLeWubWnvPgX-Ml-2aly5fBuWrlfLWK7p8z8g6l7ih2gk5ZvL7jQO7ZcYJENvJCgeb53yCmEM-NwOtAyKXC0RUj0KZnTG9LGK0aiFM9-ZD3vD0qiZw/s1200/Sisu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjirmrsHfnirZCoO_M24zxyMC9UeRlMj2qZzif8HY1IcJJJF2i4m9hsbecMwjocGcpZ4XD7aXvzMXLeWubWnvPgX-Ml-2aly5fBuWrlfLWK7p8z8g6l7ih2gk5ZvL7jQO7ZcYJENvJCgeb53yCmEM-NwOtAyKXC0RUj0KZnTG9LGK0aiFM9-ZD3vD0qiZw/s320/Sisu.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Genre: Action </i><div><i>Director: Jalmari Helander </i></div><div><i>Starring: Jorma Tommila, Aksel Hennie, Jack Doolan </i></div><div><i>Running Time: 91 minutes </i></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Synopsis:</b> It's 1944, and Nazi units are engaged in a scorched earth withdrawal from Finland. In a rural area, Finnish war veteran Aatami Korpi (Jorma Tommila) abandons civilization and mines for gold with only his horse and dog for company. After excavating a gold vein, he encounters a retreating German company led by tank commander Bruno (Aksel Hennie) and his second-in-command Wolf (Jack Doolan). The Nazis are also transporting and abusing a group of abducted Finnish women. Aatami wants to mind his own business, but is forced into a bloody private war.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Works Well:</b> This revenge adventure thrives on silence, vistas, gore, and humour. Metaphorically representing a national ethos of dogged no-surrender, writer and director Jalmari Helander crafts a blood-soaked yet still fun tale of one man taking on an army, with the outcome never in doubt. The sparse dialogue matches the rugged and featureless terrain, and the elegantly staged action set-pieces arrive at regular intervals. Highlights include a minefield excursion, an excruciating hanging, and a hunted-becomes-the-hunter turning of the tables. Jorma Tommila adds the pained mythological presence of a man weathered by too many battles.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Does Not Work As Well:</b> With the action already at over-the-top <i>Roadrunner</i> cartoon levels, the final act soars to a whole new altitude of outrageous.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Conclusion:</b> Armored quantity is no match for fervent quality.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-RytSAPlBT6-ZhDv8WkpCxLN4BFn7LT311RoL57ImzxxM91WCtLkeh2cRtske4M5iKoi81O1QHtg5wrgvP6u3RE35jVAjqgiTAbH_xxoZGuxLd0zfKPNKg0F96J3VsLpydpIRUZ8o9rzYTo0L3CGHbelc_s36Fcsl9C5i3b_uJGs6N1bwS0RqT1sQkJA/s352/Four%20Stars.png"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-RytSAPlBT6-ZhDv8WkpCxLN4BFn7LT311RoL57ImzxxM91WCtLkeh2cRtske4M5iKoi81O1QHtg5wrgvP6u3RE35jVAjqgiTAbH_xxoZGuxLd0zfKPNKg0F96J3VsLpydpIRUZ8o9rzYTo0L3CGHbelc_s36Fcsl9C5i3b_uJGs6N1bwS0RqT1sQkJA/w200-h58/Four%20Stars.png" /></a><br /><br /><i>All Ace Black Movie Blog reviews are <a href="https://www.theaceblackblog.com/2009/02/movie-reviews-first-22.html">here</a>.</i><br /><br /></div>aceblackblog.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08404695143187261837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8955864147442988746.post-10019010554136141632024-02-24T10:54:00.000-08:002024-02-24T10:54:26.997-08:00Movie Review: Dumb Money (2023)<div><br /></div><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJJrg5biE63MFECxa6SDcZbtQeInNwy4NPqkliWhFTfrcXHTTZa74wmNpEW5mz6VnBBaFbPYoLrCroYOK2RkxD1LzfONFThCLkvzOumQLoCNTWM_mcfihHJ-LtjPXKFYm19AgHozw83jfDRp2r4IlIZC5DUAeghTiSa_A1TfcXGInQD46qZD-EQfdRfCU/s1296/Dumb%20Money.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="730" data-original-width="1296" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJJrg5biE63MFECxa6SDcZbtQeInNwy4NPqkliWhFTfrcXHTTZa74wmNpEW5mz6VnBBaFbPYoLrCroYOK2RkxD1LzfONFThCLkvzOumQLoCNTWM_mcfihHJ-LtjPXKFYm19AgHozw83jfDRp2r4IlIZC5DUAeghTiSa_A1TfcXGInQD46qZD-EQfdRfCU/s320/Dumb%20Money.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Genre: Comedy Drama </i><div><i>Director: Craig Gillespie </i></div><div><i>Starring: Paul Dano, Shailene Woodley, Seth Rogen, Vincent D'Onofrio </i></div><div><i>Running Time: 104 minutes </i></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Synopsis:</b> During the Covid pandemic, YouTuber Keith Gill (Paul Dano), better known as Roaring Kitty, spots what he believes is the undervalued stock of the company <i>GameSpot</i>, which is heavily shorted by Wall Street experts including hedge fund manager Gabe Plotkin (Seth Rogen). Keith invests more than $50,000 and shares the tip with his followers, who start to buy the stock. Communicating on Reddit forums and trading commission-free on the <i>Robinhood</i> app, retail investors drive up the stock price in a buying frenzy. Keith is suddenly very wealthy, and everyone awaits his next move.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Works Well:</b> This true David versus Goliath story highlights seismic shifts in stock market dynamics, as social media and the breaking down of barriers-to-entry allow small investors to challenge traditional wisdom. The story carries it's own power, deploying doses of humour, never lingering in one place for too long, and using multiple perspectives to convey chaotic ripple effects during surreal lockdown times. Shailene Woodley as Keith's wife adds pragmatism from the sidelines. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Does Not Work As Well</b>: Both the soundtrack and the dialogue opt for vulgarity over wit, dramatically cheapening the storytelling. By chasing after many small stories (a couple of college students, a nurse, a <i>GameSpot</i> store employee, Keith's brother and parents, the <i>Robinhood</i> entrepreneurs, and several Wall Street types are all wedged in), none of the characters are afforded much depth and the overarching narrative is lost in the cacophony. The celebratory premise is ambushed in the financial canyon of an artificially inflated stock price, where retail investors experience a pyrrhic victory in the mad dash to the exit.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Conclusion:</b> Plenty of zest undermined by inelegant execution.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8mtDRKB4JdnoXsGRHZN9-yEKhoN3uLWSYBu6kzmRmf1657RGbOTCIk79KGl5sL9W8AAHxEa5tSJ2V8d6YQxJ6heXlb0fOQ9HMNQQmtmvIHF3-u9LSkEYoCQskAdHUCBty3N1LJ9cHQ0I8iBSPNF6bCExmCKTUDqtN3DwjYMuG3AGvquD0Rse4iEaaRUY/s353/Three%20Stars.png"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8mtDRKB4JdnoXsGRHZN9-yEKhoN3uLWSYBu6kzmRmf1657RGbOTCIk79KGl5sL9W8AAHxEa5tSJ2V8d6YQxJ6heXlb0fOQ9HMNQQmtmvIHF3-u9LSkEYoCQskAdHUCBty3N1LJ9cHQ0I8iBSPNF6bCExmCKTUDqtN3DwjYMuG3AGvquD0Rse4iEaaRUY/w200-h58/Three%20Stars.png" /></a><br /><br /><i>All Ace Black Movie Blog reviews are <a href="https://www.theaceblackblog.com/2009/02/movie-reviews-first-22.html">here</a>.</i><br /><br /></div>aceblackblog.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08404695143187261837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8955864147442988746.post-46615310702661604762024-02-24T10:47:00.000-08:002024-02-24T10:47:06.450-08:00Movie Review: You Hurt My Feelings (2023)<div><br /></div><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSgIAou32zXbFzjMaEuNGAngILMfRG4fZK4bHAhyUt-kxyKeyxM63k5iM9fICm_kf3hhygaIDlYBHPJotQoa4Fw3Dv8oOqdF5RPQimLo-snV7g3gfvGNxpqGHH6JRUxiUaMixZAAc0vp0Ogp64K-KM7h3byD4gInLF5c5dWJ8sSizs21ugjoeSdN366Zw/s1200/You%20Hurt%20My%20Feelings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSgIAou32zXbFzjMaEuNGAngILMfRG4fZK4bHAhyUt-kxyKeyxM63k5iM9fICm_kf3hhygaIDlYBHPJotQoa4Fw3Dv8oOqdF5RPQimLo-snV7g3gfvGNxpqGHH6JRUxiUaMixZAAc0vp0Ogp64K-KM7h3byD4gInLF5c5dWJ8sSizs21ugjoeSdN366Zw/s320/You%20Hurt%20My%20Feelings.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Genre: Comedy Drama </i><div><i>Director: Nicole Holofcener </i></div><div><i>Starring: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tobias Menzies, Michaela Watkins, Owen Teague </i></div><div><i>Running Time: 93 minutes </i></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Synopsis:</b> In New York City, Beth and Don (Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Tobias Menzies) are a long-term happily married middle-class couple. She's a moderately successful writer working on her latest book, and he's a therapist. Their son Eliot (Owen Teague) works at a pot store and is writing a play. Beth is close with her sister Sarah (Michaela Watkins), an interior decorator, and her husband Mark (Arian Moayed), a struggling theatre actor. When Beth inadvertently overhears Don's real opinion about her latest book, she wonders if she can ever trust him again.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Works Well:</b> This seemingly simple slice-of-life story carries sly sophistication, as writer and director Nicole Holofcener smoothly works her way to exploring the glue that binds relationships. The blurry lines between encouragement, lies, love, expectation, and frustration emerge as omnipresent trip hazards, both within a love-filled marriage and between parents and their offspring. All the main characters carry endearingly realistic warts, and are afforded the depth to engage in adult conversations. In the central role Julia Louis-Dreyfus shines as the quietly insecure writer and mother, trying just a bit too hard on both fronts. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Does Not Work As Well:</b> All the consternation is caused by uniformly first world problems.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Conclusion:</b> A clever tracing of the path to heightened self-awareness.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzdc_bkNdXgq8twQtWCVAMKRtyl-SKq01lbZvL1X0086hyphenhyphen8xoPKFaOCWeuzRw1KaEsPhtF-TX1LrvZAXlNRZIzMSD1BAswIntkfBT9mDAvSR6UpvqtM7MDOV6E7Fk2cuKdVcvkmMQiy3Q9ybYePgIVQxSL8fjwTc7X3tr0QW9-j63cXkA8POAvPdF7ZnQ/s352/Four%20Stars.png"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzdc_bkNdXgq8twQtWCVAMKRtyl-SKq01lbZvL1X0086hyphenhyphen8xoPKFaOCWeuzRw1KaEsPhtF-TX1LrvZAXlNRZIzMSD1BAswIntkfBT9mDAvSR6UpvqtM7MDOV6E7Fk2cuKdVcvkmMQiy3Q9ybYePgIVQxSL8fjwTc7X3tr0QW9-j63cXkA8POAvPdF7ZnQ/w200-h58/Four%20Stars.png" /></a><br /><br /><i>All Ace Black Movie Blog reviews are <a href="https://www.theaceblackblog.com/2009/02/movie-reviews-first-22.html">here</a>.</i><br /><br /></div>aceblackblog.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08404695143187261837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8955864147442988746.post-43902305948495039612024-02-24T10:44:00.000-08:002024-02-24T10:44:03.287-08:00Movie Review: The Burial (2023)<br /><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTRJUmJBvEqezGvvc4zFrSNaKUPTtjTZVDUcPxUyJ_PcfAqOjHh_8JYcRWUlsCVW9ApHtAJYQARYrqcb7u9GRGC_UHV3LpusdAtEcmmJp4jUDEICMUajU70MyNa4hetvQz5ea96Das7c70vjgNToYlEYith6vTU8j2xWFzjjsnrQquTzrAq7Spps0cb2k/s3900/The%20Burial.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2194" data-original-width="3900" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTRJUmJBvEqezGvvc4zFrSNaKUPTtjTZVDUcPxUyJ_PcfAqOjHh_8JYcRWUlsCVW9ApHtAJYQARYrqcb7u9GRGC_UHV3LpusdAtEcmmJp4jUDEICMUajU70MyNa4hetvQz5ea96Das7c70vjgNToYlEYith6vTU8j2xWFzjjsnrQquTzrAq7Spps0cb2k/s320/The%20Burial.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Genre: Courtroom Drama </i><div><i>Director: Maggie Betts </i></div><div><i>Starring: Jamie Foxx, Tommy Lee Jones, Jurnee Smollett, Bill Camp, Alan Ruck, Pamela Reed </i></div><div><i>Running Time: 126 minutes </i></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Synopsis:</b> In Mississippi, Jeremiah "Jerry" O'Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones) runs a family-owned funeral home business, while in Florida, Willie E. Gray (Jamie Foxx) is a celebrated personal injury lawyer. To raise much needed cash, Jerry offers to sell part of his business to Vancouver-based Raymond Loewen (Bill Camp), who owns an expanding funeral home empire. The contract takes too long to close, and Jerry sues Loewen for reneging on the deal. He hires Willie to lead the case, while Loewen turns to Mame Downes (Jurnee Smollett) to mount a defence.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Works Well:</b> The story of a decent family man taking on a greedy corporate behemoth carries all the attributes of typical feel-good underdog dramas. Through scenes with family members and discussions of personal histories, director Maggie Betts invests the time to round Jerry and Willie into worthwhile characters. Stars Jamie Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones have equal opportunities to shine, and bring the necessary depth to their roles as well as credibility to the unlikely friendship that evolves between the two men. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Does Not Work As Well:</b> Once Willie accepts the case and aims for big money, it's never quite clear why or how a simple contract dispute was ever allowed to spiral into a gong show. The courtroom scenes suffer as a result, defaulting to simplistic and one-sided good-versus-evil representations. The unwieldy commentary about racism and slavery hits a sudden wall with the truncation of closing arguments, leaving the lingering echo of a rush to cheerleading at the expense of thoughtfulness.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Conclusion:</b> Celebrates an uphill battle by the little guy, but not deft enough to avoid dubious intentions.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_dPveXcf_6MVUsy5fZE_09xpBWDS0jkyW6EML7qG7I_x_2ekW53LdepfqCbR9e23tiH93ho99XswaEvBGnE9LTxCg0XIdsm_UEAAcLqD9H_PtRQehe8behN6wHmGW8u6ZPSpM_QcFHO-uh0aXKkX3FmexQC__TiCs5Rs4GqskBGWJxKptuqyTn7qVe4U/s353/Three%20Stars.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="101" data-original-width="353" height="58" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_dPveXcf_6MVUsy5fZE_09xpBWDS0jkyW6EML7qG7I_x_2ekW53LdepfqCbR9e23tiH93ho99XswaEvBGnE9LTxCg0XIdsm_UEAAcLqD9H_PtRQehe8behN6wHmGW8u6ZPSpM_QcFHO-uh0aXKkX3FmexQC__TiCs5Rs4GqskBGWJxKptuqyTn7qVe4U/w200-h58/Three%20Stars.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>All Ace Black Movie Blog reviews are <a href="https://www.theaceblackblog.com/2009/02/movie-reviews-first-22.html">here</a>.</i></div><div><br /></div>aceblackblog.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08404695143187261837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8955864147442988746.post-80212494976251338532024-02-19T09:53:00.000-08:002024-02-19T09:53:48.027-08:00Movie Review: Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret (2023)<br /><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSwyvIrXCze3d4oh9EHRwaATmFHGwBS8R6xZKWxjxiOuYNgACuVZ84y97nL0yYtJnAu9bFXuxR-KscoA0wapzyz4M_6jIp77ZL9Jto5diPsuZGkDgcOL6B3RWwIcq78jl8eA53hyphenhyphenoB5NpxNuU2f2Nh8j4xQZooA75gkIVcahYKwdb95cOWTlBajcQLchI/s1800/Are%20You%20There%20God%20It's%20Me%20Margaret.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1800" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSwyvIrXCze3d4oh9EHRwaATmFHGwBS8R6xZKWxjxiOuYNgACuVZ84y97nL0yYtJnAu9bFXuxR-KscoA0wapzyz4M_6jIp77ZL9Jto5diPsuZGkDgcOL6B3RWwIcq78jl8eA53hyphenhyphenoB5NpxNuU2f2Nh8j4xQZooA75gkIVcahYKwdb95cOWTlBajcQLchI/s320/Are%20You%20There%20God%20It's%20Me%20Margaret.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>Genre: Comedy Drama </i><div><i>Director: Kelly Fremon Craig </i></div><div><i>Starring: Rachel McAdams, Abby Ryder Fortson, Kathy Bates, Benny Safdie </i></div><div><i>Running Time: 106 minutes </i></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Synopsis:</b> In 1970, 11-year-old Margaret (Abby Ryder Fortson) is upset when her parents Barbara and Herb (Rachel McAdams and Benny Safdie) relocate the family from Manhattan to New Jersey. Herb's mom Sylvia (Kathy Bates) stays behind in New York. At her new school, Margaret is befriended by classmate Nancy (Elle Graham), who rules over a small clique. While maintaining short conversations with God, Margaret navigates pre-teen topics including her first kiss, first crush, first period, and first bra. She also stumbles upon a religion-driven dispute involving Barbara's long-estranged parents.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Works Well:</b> The adaptation of Judy Blume's young adult book sparkles with the humorous awkwardness inherent in the maze of burgeoning womanhood. In the expansive suburbs Margaret finds a bigger world opening up, where relationships with others, discovering more about herself, and sharpening her own opinions become imperatives in the complex growing up process. Peer pressure, physical changes, and understanding parents as people all add to the challenge. Director and writer Kelly Fremon Craig uses breezy pacing to sprint across a lot of ground, helped immensely by a wonderful Abby Ryder Forston performance as Margaret. Rachel McAdams contributes to the warm glow of an anchored mother-daughter relationship. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Does Not Work As Well:</b> While not all of Margaret's questions are answered, the beautifully executed ending is just another step in the journey, and perfectly consistent with the reality of life's untidy corners.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Conclusion:</b> Growing up can be hard, weird, and oh so funny.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3QegqTvL507tXC-X_7tsKvJA74dxBmrxAUsnCJfi7USJmXDf1jtZFRu52d254d-Gnd05NB4ETRsOH-fxuMSOZcGDQQJSC77Tcn4x8Pu9TXU2xAjCctBwz92KNTmsG5ejcSlRJgOB5tZP0VdpiiOYk6Zu_Ernn8XtqLj9Rz8Y_48p3vc68NpGbeFtXNak/s352/Five%20Stars.png"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3QegqTvL507tXC-X_7tsKvJA74dxBmrxAUsnCJfi7USJmXDf1jtZFRu52d254d-Gnd05NB4ETRsOH-fxuMSOZcGDQQJSC77Tcn4x8Pu9TXU2xAjCctBwz92KNTmsG5ejcSlRJgOB5tZP0VdpiiOYk6Zu_Ernn8XtqLj9Rz8Y_48p3vc68NpGbeFtXNak/w200-h58/Five%20Stars.png" /></a><br /><br /><i>All Ace Black Movie Blog reviews are <a href="https://www.theaceblackblog.com/2009/02/movie-reviews-first-22.html">here</a>.</i><br /><br /></div>aceblackblog.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08404695143187261837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8955864147442988746.post-23948465341950441152024-02-17T07:44:00.000-08:002024-02-17T07:44:48.388-08:00Movie Review: Run This Town (2019)<div><br /></div><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzVcbExcjsJ1bMZwtLP-xqtI_5cpLVfA75I98KNTTykoXyIolx06M5rxHqdG9HCnSxdZx86gzVU9P-JfAvH-dBaYxZWAwp-DKd340_bsu28Wy3Ws9wQZAeiVUevYtz8HrlaCavb5XjFHucsN79QwPt5MOuch5Em26k1Nc5rrkqwPSgZ2GgEqWBNVYesCo/s2048/Run%20This%20Town.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzVcbExcjsJ1bMZwtLP-xqtI_5cpLVfA75I98KNTTykoXyIolx06M5rxHqdG9HCnSxdZx86gzVU9P-JfAvH-dBaYxZWAwp-DKd340_bsu28Wy3Ws9wQZAeiVUevYtz8HrlaCavb5XjFHucsN79QwPt5MOuch5Em26k1Nc5rrkqwPSgZ2GgEqWBNVYesCo/s320/Run%20This%20Town.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Genre: Drama </i><div><i>Director: Ricky Tollman </i></div><div><i>Starring: Ben Platt, Mena Massoud, Nina Dobrev, Scott Speedman, Jennifer Ehle </i></div><div><i>Running Time: 99 minutes </i></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Synopsis:</b> In Toronto of 2012, Kamal (Mena Massoud) and Ashley (Nina Dobrev) are staffers for Mayor Rob Ford (Damian Lewis). Their boss works hard, but is also frequently drunk and abusive, and enjoys partying with gangsters. Young local reporter Bram (Ben Platt) is offered a sensational scoop: an alleged video of the Mayor smoking crack cocaine in the company of gang members. Bram has to convince his bosses (Scott Speedman and Jennifer Ehle) to let him pursue the story, while Kamal and Ashley confront Ford's increasingly unsavory behaviour.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Works Well:</b> The behind-the-scenes City Hall machinations carry some interest, and director Ricky Tollman injects dynamism with frequent use of split screens.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Does Not Work As Well:</b> Tollman the writer stumbles with a wayward script that starts with an awful context-free talky scene and never recovers. Lacking a rational anchor or meaningful perspective, what should have been a compelling true scandal story is fumbled into unfocused observations about millennial angst. Consumed by a urine-soaked colour palette, Kamal, Ashley, and Bram are saddled with dialogue that is much less clever than it thinks it is and remain far from worthwhile characters. Actor Damian Lewis suffers a worse fate inside a hideous fat suit. Ultimately resolving nothing, the hard-stop ending is merciful relief.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Conclusion:</b> A scandalous waste of a juicy story.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYScqaCWsD-enyTZkpJASdN28HjnQ5dGzg9vnd5kw_gQHrNT3sVrLBWj78kEOsZIbP2XIOTzKvVxrVODFxqf5AgACP7Fy4cWLTK60aqQii8iYLNnas0qHaDnXWehs7YRkdaa0K4ApoXmYtFl9iszlsQoHCFWWwRA16H9rmzfbj_aNcwYIC2ip3VAs1gSM/s352/One%20Star.png"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYScqaCWsD-enyTZkpJASdN28HjnQ5dGzg9vnd5kw_gQHrNT3sVrLBWj78kEOsZIbP2XIOTzKvVxrVODFxqf5AgACP7Fy4cWLTK60aqQii8iYLNnas0qHaDnXWehs7YRkdaa0K4ApoXmYtFl9iszlsQoHCFWWwRA16H9rmzfbj_aNcwYIC2ip3VAs1gSM/w200-h58/One%20Star.png" /></a><br /><br /><i>All Ace Black Movie Blog reviews are <a href="https://www.theaceblackblog.com/2009/02/movie-reviews-first-22.html">here</a>.</i><br /><br /></div>aceblackblog.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08404695143187261837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8955864147442988746.post-9716384590748837292024-02-17T07:28:00.000-08:002024-02-17T07:28:42.527-08:00Movie Review: Where'd You Go, Bernadette (2019)<div><br /></div><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDh6jpuWtsZSGLamlxdKiFiFObPJGxdBse6mJ4tbd8OApROxrQSnEr1Hu-4IP0eolOXXRQqhxHEk56XrrYOpykexXRMrmLvguTGEHhiJsr9q-nOVKNYcVcbsuyl1-u-BKGFkiW7SshyphenhyphenDnM0djIiI7PNm_tueYFwFBh3v6ai-ecL0A_nlyI3_v54I9jGP0/s4500/Where'd%20You%20Go%20Bernadette.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2997" data-original-width="4500" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDh6jpuWtsZSGLamlxdKiFiFObPJGxdBse6mJ4tbd8OApROxrQSnEr1Hu-4IP0eolOXXRQqhxHEk56XrrYOpykexXRMrmLvguTGEHhiJsr9q-nOVKNYcVcbsuyl1-u-BKGFkiW7SshyphenhyphenDnM0djIiI7PNm_tueYFwFBh3v6ai-ecL0A_nlyI3_v54I9jGP0/s320/Where'd%20You%20Go%20Bernadette.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Genre: Comedy Drama </i><div><i>Director: Richard Linklater </i></div><div><i>Starring: Cate Blanchett, Billy Crudup, Kristen Wiig, Laurence Fishburne, Judy Greer </i></div><div><i>Running Time: 109 minutes </i></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Synopsis:</b> In Seattle, Bernadette Fox (Cate Blanchett) lives in a fixer-upper mansion with her husband Elgie (Billy Crudup), a Microsoft executive, and their teenaged daughter Bee. Bernadette was once a rising star in the world of architecture, but stopped working after a series of set-backs. She now avoids socializing, relying on an India-based digital assistant for most tasks, and particularly dislikes her intrusive neighbour Audrey (Kristen Wiig). When Bee proposes a family trip to Antarctica, Bernadette's stress levels spike.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Works Well:</b> The first two thirds offer a razor-sharp comic-dramatic portrait of a strong-willed woman in emotional trouble. With Cate Blanchett in fine form, director and co-writer Richard Linklater adapts Maria Semple's book with an emphasis on Bernadette gliding through life using a caustic attitude to avoid confronting depression. Laughs combine with revelations, all anchored by a warm mother-daughter relationship offering an escape route from the doldrums.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Does Not Work As Well:</b> The final act is a bland let-down, descending into a schmalzy combination of glacier scenery and simple solutions suddenly available in the remotest corner of the planet. Some characters, including a therapist (Judy Greer) and an FBI agent, enter with a flourish but are then summarily abandoned. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Conclusion:</b> Bernadette sparkles when restless in Seattle, but slips when surrounded by ice.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQrMKC1DExUaux3ojFJuNQIOXkxGHYZarQZc_SMwQuerYkFJR9q4yaSUt-BWRCl1w4W9Nq_rvlJ1VpV5FgrEM4q4AzLuoN1MMd6n2eFLR8H72bWIQJB463zRq4v597ovo6P84ZOKFTKdhL6qdvy2Viss6Fj4Iv0lMMtR1UxZhjd3cxlrjUEFyUlPJiBwE/s352/Four%20Stars.png"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQrMKC1DExUaux3ojFJuNQIOXkxGHYZarQZc_SMwQuerYkFJR9q4yaSUt-BWRCl1w4W9Nq_rvlJ1VpV5FgrEM4q4AzLuoN1MMd6n2eFLR8H72bWIQJB463zRq4v597ovo6P84ZOKFTKdhL6qdvy2Viss6Fj4Iv0lMMtR1UxZhjd3cxlrjUEFyUlPJiBwE/w200-h58/Four%20Stars.png" /></a><br /><br /><i>All Ace Black Movie Blog reviews are <a href="https://www.theaceblackblog.com/2009/02/movie-reviews-first-22.html">here</a>.</i><br /><br /></div>aceblackblog.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08404695143187261837noreply@blogger.com0