Movie Review: The Burning Bed (1984)

Genre: Drama  

Director: Robert Greenwald  

Starring: Farrah Fawcett, Paul Le Mat, Richard Masur  

Running Time: 95 minutes  

Synopsis: In Michigan of 1977, Francine Hughes (Farrah Fawcett) kills her ex-husband Mickey (Paul Le Mat) by igniting a bedroom fire. In prison awaiting trial, Francine recounts her story to her lawyer (Richard Masur). She met Mickey in 1963 as a 16-year-old, they got married and eventually had three children. Mickey always had trouble holding a job, and resorted to a cycle of drinking and physically abusing Francine, followed by apologies and promises to never hurt her again. She frequently escaped and sought refuge, but her mother Hazel, her in-laws, the police, and social services provided little help. After a divorce and a serious car accident, the abuse escalated.

What Works Well: Based on a true story and the Faith McNulty book, this is a rare example of a made-for-TV production that rises above its origins. Farrah Fawcett deglamorizes her image to highlight the plight of battered women, and captures the harrowing agony of a wife trapped between abuse, poverty, and motherhood responsibilities. Paul Le Mat rises to monstrous as needed, instigating in-your-face and difficult to view assault scenes, often filmed with inescapable close-ups. Director Robert Greenwald still hides more than he shows, cleverly deploying sounds-from-the-next-room and imagination's ability to amplify horror. 

What Does Not Work As Well: Any and all cinematic and visual flourishes are notably absent, and Fawcett understandably struggles to convince as a 16-year-old in the early scenes of Francine's flashback. More character background for Mickey's parents and Francine's mother Hazel would have added context to their aloof behaviour.

Key Quote:

Hazel (to her daughter Francine) He loves you. It's not really so bad. Is it?

All Ace Black Movie Blog reviews are here.

Movie Review: Antitrust (2001)

Genre: Techno Thriller  

Director: Peter Howitt  

Starring: Ryan Phillippe, Tim Robbins, Rachael Leigh Cook, Richard Roundtree  

Running Time: 109 minutes  

Synopsis: Gary Winston (Tim Robbins) is the celebrity CEO of dominant tech company Nurv. He recruits talented computer programmer Milo (Ryan Phillippe) to work on a critical project, although Milo's altruistic best friend Teddy refuses to join Nurv, preferring instead to develop open source code. Milo settles down in Portland with his girlfriend Alice (Claire Forlani), and at work he befriends fellow Nurv programmer Lisa (Rachael Leigh Cook). When a murder occurs, Milo is forced to confront the reality of his new employer.

What Works Well: This is a surprisingly effective and prescient condemnation of technology monopolies. Howard Franklin's script takes hard shots at dominant companies subsuming the competition, and director Peter Howitt maximizes the impact of computer screens filled with code, remaining true to programming's general look and feel. Character revelations, multiple plot twists, and brisk pacing add gloss to the techno thrills, and the best moment is Hitchcockian in its simple adherence to old fashioned suspense: sitting down to a meal that may just be deadly.

What Does Not Work As Well: Of course the plot holes are plentiful and visible, including Milo's ability to outsmart a comprehensive campus security system; and to access a critical home office computer system then explain his way out of trouble when caught.

Key Quote:

Gary Winston: This business is binary. You are a one or a zero. Alive or dead. There is no second place.

All Ace Black Movie Blog reviews are here.

Movie Review: The Grifters (1990)

Genre: Neo Noir Crime Drama  

Director: Stephen Frears  

Starring: John Cusack, Anjelica Huston, Annette Bening, J.T. Walsh, Pat Hingle, Charles Napier  

Running Time: 110 minutes  

Synopsis: In Los Angeles, Roy (John Cusack) is a small-time con artist who makes a living in dingy bars. His mother Lilly (Anjelica Huston), only 14 years older than her son, is a career swindler who fixes horserace odds for mobster Bobo (Pat Hingle). Lilly reunites with Roy after a long absence, and immediately disapproves of his girlfriend Myra (Annette Bening). Lilly wants Roy to quit grifting, while Myra wants him to graduate to more lucrative "long cons", leading to a triangular conflict.

What Works Well: The adaptation Jim Thompson's novel builds tense relationships between three desperate con artists, and allows intentional drift to determine their fate. The people are the focus, rather than any grand con, and Anjelica Huston embraces Lilly as a tragic yet still proud career crook content to waste her life serving the mob as long as she can pilfer a few dollars on the side. Annette Bening as Myra is her younger counterpoint, purring with sexuality and pursuing the dream of audacious cons in pursuit of big bucks.

What Does Not Work As Well: Roy, Lilly, and Myra are all distinctly unlikeable, robbing the drama of any heart, a vacuum made worse by a miscast John Cusack who never gets to grips with Roy and fails to match the intensity of his co-stars. In contrast the mobster Bobo and Myra's ex-partner Cole (J.T. Walsh) emerge as smarter and more complex, but they are afterthoughts in this story. Transposing 1940s film noir sensibilities into modern-day Los Angeles is only partially successful, and many scenes of dialogue come across as cringey and simply fake. The script is also careless when needed, including Lilly exposing her trunk-full-of-cash to any passerby.

Key Quote:

Myra: I'm Roy's friend.

Lilly: Yes. I imagine you're lots of people's friend.

Myra (taking a good look at Lilly): Oh, of course, now that I see you in the light, you're plenty old enough to be Roy's mother.

All Ace Black Movie Blog reviews are here.

Movie Review: Domestic Disturbance (2001)

Genre: Thriller  

Director: Harold Becker  

Starring: John Travolta, Vince Vaughn, Teri Polo, Steve Buscemi  

Running Time: 89 minutes  

Synopsis: In New England, divorced boat builder Frank (John Travolta) is devoted to his 12-year-old son Danny (Matt O'Leary). Still dealing with the trauma of his parents' breakup, Danny is prone to running away and lying. Frank's ex-wife Susan (Teri Polo) agrees to marry the new-to-town and wealthy Rick Barnes (Vince Vaughn), but the unexpected arrival of mysterious stranger Ray (Steve Buscemi) exposes Danny to the dangerous true nature of his new step-father.

What Works Well: While this is a routine thriller, John Travolta and Vince Vaughn add solid star power and a layer of gloss. The genuine father-son bond between Frank and Danny provides a sturdy foundation of warmth built to withstand the turmoil of lies and deceit. Director Harold Becker keeps the pacing brisk and the running time short, efficiently setting the context and steadily increasing the level of menace. In a brief but welcome appearance, Steve Buscemi is the uninvited slime exposing Rick's secrets.

What Does Not Work As Well: The plot holes are glaring, including slipshod police work, murder as the worst possible means to cover criminal tracks, a stabbing committed in the open when a secure warehouse was nearby, an antagonist believing he can hide from a past splashed across the media, and a victim downshifting to stupid mode to make the crime as easy as possible. The foundational heist that triggers all the action remains a frustratingly abstract event.

Key Quote:

Rick: You may not know me, but you do know Danny.

Frank: Oh, I know. He lies. He lies to just about everybody. But you know what?

Rick: What?

Frank: He doesn't lie to me.

All Ace Black Movie Blog reviews are here.

Movie Review: Something Wild (1986)

Genre: Romantic Comedy Adventure  

Director: Jonathan Demme  

Starring: Melanie Griffith, Jeff Daniels, Ray Liotta  

Running Time: 113 minutes  

Synopsis: In New York City, Charlie (Jeff Daniels) is a recently promoted corporate VP. On a whim, he jumps into the car of the free-spirited Lulu (Melanie Griffith). After she robs a New Jersey liquor store, they have sex at a cheap motel. In Pennsylvania, Lulu reveals her real name is Audrey and introduces Charlie as her husband to her mother Peaches. But the wild adventure takes a dark turn when Audrey's ex-husband Ray (Ray Liotta), a career criminal recently released from prison, shows up at her high school reunion party.

What Works Well: A companion piece to other mid-eighties men-out-of-their-element adventures like After Hours and Into The Night, Something Wild joins a suit-and-tie corporate type as he jettisons caution and surrenders to the erratic desires of a compelling stranger. Melanie Griffith brings a buzz of energy to Lulu/Audrey, and hints at a complex backstory that deserved more attention. Ray Liotta immediately introduces menace and tension, although he enters the story late.

What Does Not Work As Well: None of the behaviour on display carries any whiff of realism, degrading events into episodes of irresponsible silliness. Given his lack of judgment it's difficult to imagine in what context Charlie becomes a Vice President of anything, and any deep-seated motivations or explanations driving his acquiescence and Lulu's impulsiveness are studiously ignored. The final act veers towards crime and violence inconsistent with the preceding vibe.

Key Quote:

Charlie: Look, if you don't turn around and take me back, you're gonna make me do something that I don't wanna do.

Lulu: I can hardly wait, Charlie.

All Ace Black Movie Blog reviews are here.

Movie Review: Hamnet (2025)

Genre: Romantic Drama  

Director: Chloé Zhao  

Starring: Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Emily Watson  

Running Time: 126 minutes  

Synopsis: In rural England of the late 1500s, Agnes (Jessie Buckley) is a free spirited daughter of the forest. She meets and falls in love with William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal), who is tutoring in the area. She gets pregnant and they get married, then Agnes senses that William's creativity is stifled in the countryside. She encourages him to spend time in London, and she raises their three children mostly on her own, before a tragedy tests their relationship.

What Works Well: This mostly imagined recreation of the love and passion in Shakespeare's private life is a showcase for Jessie Buckley, as she carries the weight of believing in her man but on her own terms, giving birth to his children, and raising them on her own and through adversity. Director Chloé Zhao finds several devastating and emotionally charged highlights in the courtship and family-building scenes, Agnes' core connection with nature a source of strength and belief, but also foreboding. The production design merges the idyllic with the organic in creating a muddy peasant milieu.

What Does Not Work As Well: The final act unfortunately displaces all the character investment onto a stage filled with irrelevant actors, immediately robbing the drama of a well-earned payoff. Buckley and Mescal are reduced to unworthy reaction shots as Hamlet plays out with amplified emotions and the intrusion of Shakespeare's dense prose. 

Key Quote:

Agnes: He loves me for what I am, not what I ought to be.

All Ace Black Movie Blog reviews are here.

Movie Review: The Killer Elite (1975)

Genre: Crime Thriller  

Director: Sam Peckinpah  

Starring: James Caan, Robert Duvall, Arthur Hill, Burt Young, Bo Hopkins, Mako, Gig Young  

Running Time: 122 minutes  

Synopsis: In San Francisco, Mike and George (James Caan and Robert Duvall) work for a CIA-affiliated private company providing protection for foreign political opposition leaders. George goes rogue, assassinating a client and badly wounding Mike but choosing not to kill him. Mike's bosses Collis and Weybourne (Arthur Hill and Gig Young) want him to retire, but after recuperating he is assigned to protect a Japanese leader (Mako). Assisted by his buddies Mac and Miller (Burt Young and Bo Hopkins), Mike's mission uncovers a malicious conspiracy and leads to renewed hostilities with George.

What Works Well: A quality cast elevates this uneven conspiracy thriller, combining two popular mid-1970's cinematic themes: shadowy government machinations and martial arts. James Caan and Robert Duvall ride out the clunky parts with aplomb, the script increasingly relying on sardonic humour as the final act approaches. The investment in Mike's recuperation ordeal is worthwhile, and the climax is well-staged within a unique mothball fleet setting.

What Does Not Work As Well: Other than a basic pursuit of greed to set everyone against everyone, the motivations of the master manipulators are next to incoherent. Director Sam Peckinpah suppresses his blooder tendencies, but the resulting action scenes are clunky, with the ninjas-against-guns confrontations played for laughs in an attempt to mask the mismatched idiocy.

Key Quote:

Mac: Damn it, Mike, you're so busy doin' their dirty work, you can't tell who the bad guys are!

All Ace Black Movie Blog reviews are here.

Movie Review: Pretty Persuasion (2005)

Genre: High School Satire  

Director: Marcos Siega  

Starring: Evan Rachel Wood, Ron Livingston, James Woods, Selma Blair  

Running Time: 109 minutes  

Synopsis: At a posh Beverly Hills high school, 15-year-old Kimberly (Evan Rachel Wood) aspires to become an actress, but remains sore that her best friend Brittany apparently stole her boyfriend. Kimberly helps new Muslim student Randa adapt to her surroundings, and they navigate around English teacher Mr. Anderson (Ron Livingston), who has a reputation as a molester. Meanwhile, Kimberly's unpleasant home life is dominated by her father Hank (James Woods), a loud-mouthed racist. A school production of the Diary of Anne Frank provides Kimberly an opportunity to achieve multiple objectives.

What Works Well: This snarky high school satire takes aim at multiple targets, and often succeeds with cold-eyed efficiency. Lecherous teachers, catty best friends, self-obsessed wealthy parents, vacuous boyfriends, trophy third wives, attention-seeking journalists, sex-as-a-weapon, and showtime lawyers are all on the agenda. Evan Rachel Wood excels as the psychotically calculating calm in the middle of the storm, Kimberly's genius manipulations revealed with deliberate pacing through well-crafted flashbacks.

What Does Not Work As Well: The tone oscillates sometimes wildly between humorous, hurtful, and plain crude, before veering towards too-dark territory in the final act. 

Key Quote:

Kimberly: So, Brittany, this is Randa. Randa's from the Middle East, but she's really sweet. She doesn't say much, though.

Brittany: Hi! I know all about the immigrant experience, how hard it can be - I'm Canadian.

All Ace Black Movie Blog reviews are here.

Movie Review: And While We Were Here (2012)

Genre: Romantic Drama  

Director: Kat Coiro  

Starring: Kate Bosworth, Jamie Blackley, Iddo Goldberg, Claire Bloom  

Running Time: 80 minutes  

Synopsis: British married couple Jane and Leonard (Kate Bosworth and Iddo Goldberg) arrive in Naples, where viola player Leonard has an assignment with the local orchestra. The couple's relationship is strained by the fallout of an unsuccessful pregnancy. Left alone during the day, Jane listens to tapes of her grandmother (Claire Bloom) recounting World War Two memoires. She also explores nearby Ischia Island, where she meets 19-year-old free-spirited drifter Caleb (Jamie Blackley). They spend time together and start an affair, with Jane questioning her life's trajectory.

What Works Well: The on-location filming in Naples and Ischia is scenic and laid-back. In contrast, the cold corpse of Jane and Leonard's marriage is portrayed with effectively cruel starkness.

What Does Not Work As Well: The sparse content struggles to meaningfully occupy the short running time, resulting in plenty of dreamy montage interludes. Kate Bosworth mostly stares into the mid-distance, and the behaviour of all three central characters is more annoying than convincing. Caleb stalks rather than romances Jane, and Leonard's abject cluelessness about his wife's needs makes him a deserving dumped husband. While central to her psyche, Jane using Caleb as a convenient toy boy adds to the sense of emotional detachment.

Key Quote:

Caleb: You make me nervous.

Jane: You make me calm.

All Ace Black Movie Blog reviews are here.

Movie Review: Night Always Comes (2025)

Genre: Drama  

Director: Benjamin Caron  

Starring: Vanessa Kirby, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Stephan James  

Running Time: 108 minutes  

Synopsis: In Portland, Oregon, financially stressed food server Lynette (Vanessa Kirby) lives with her mother Doreen (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and brother Kenny (Zack Gottsagen), who has Down syndrome. When Doreen blows a house down payment on a car, Lynette has one night to raise $25,000 to rescue the real estate deal. She turns to a businessman who pays for sex, a work colleague (Stephan James) with criminal connections, and a professional escort who owes her money, and the night quickly hurtles out of control.

What Works Well: This poverty drama explores the thin line between desperation and dark impulses, Vanessa Kirby's electrifying presence crackling with Lynette's grim determination to finally shape her destiny. Director Benjamin Caron creates a Portland-at-night aesthetic beset by homelessness, a fate awaiting Lynette as the hours count down and her choices narrow. Every encounter offers confirmation of societal dysfunction taking advantage of the marginalized, a reality where she participates as both perpetrator and victim.

What Does Not Work As Well: Although Lynette's motivations stem from good intentions, her rapid adoption of questionable and troublesome behaviour results in an unrelentingly dour drama built upon layers of malevolence, and apart from Kenny, devoid of sympathetic characters.

Key Quote:

Lynette: Kenny...look at me. We're in it together. We're going to do it for the family.

All Ace Black Movie Blog reviews are here.