White Noise (2022)

 Pros: Great performances anchor this film with a bizarre plot. Jack and Babette Gladsey (Adam Driver and Greta Gerwig) are great together as the lively new age couple, she jogs up and down bleachers and he is a college professor regarding the life of Hitler, almost as though he attempts to justify Hitler's morbid actions throughout his life solely because his childhood sucked. Despite the odd plot, the film keeps your attention and remains unpredictable.

Cons: Yes, the plot is odd and this film is basically a psychological, science-fiction thriller, and it isn't always executed properly and honestly, there isn't really a point to this film, but that's my biggest complaint, it simply wasn't to my taste. 

Recommend: Maybe

Grade: B

Side Notes:

-The supporting cast is sparse but good including Don Cheadle who utterly adores Elvis, someone else who had an unhealthy relationship with his mother, Jodie Turner-Smith and Bill Camp in a wicked, little cameo. 

-Taking an experimental drug is never a good idea.

-Despite this marriage being the fourth for both Jack and Babette, their previous spouses are never mentioned and all the kids appear to live with them full time. 

-Even though crashes, car or train, are devastating, you can't look away. 

-The toxic air eventually leaves, forcing Jack to confront his deep-seeded fear of dying.

-The end credit scene is unlike anything I had ever seen before. 

The Fabelmans (2022)

 Pros: This is a superb film detailing director Steven Spielberg's origins, from his first taste of the movies at age five, seeing Jimmy Stewart in his clown make-up and the climatic train crash scene, he's mesmerized. From there his creative genius takes off, and he gets different amount of support from his parents. His mother, Mitzi (Michelle Williams) is terribly creative and emotional while his father, Burt (Paul Dano) is the more practical engineer. It is through Sam's (Gabriel LaBelle's) lens that we view his childhood, from the joy of creating films with his family and friends to the devastation of moving to California where he sticks out like a sore thumb to his disasterous first love and shock of uncovering his mother's affair with their family friend, Bennie (Seth Rogen), which is painfully obvious from the first time she sees him. It's almost as though she needs both men, Burt and Bennie in her life as they each fulfill different needs. It is an excellent film and the performances propel it to the next level. 

Cons: I honestly wish the film had ended with the breakfast scene with Sammy (LaBelle) and Mitzi but instead it continues on the journey taking us to LA the following year with Sammy meeting John Ford (David Lynch) though that tell us that horizons on the top or bottom of the screen make things interesting, but I felt it lengthened the film for no real good reason and took Sammy away from his family, when they are his rock. Still, that is my only true complaint.

Recommend: Yes, without hesitation

Grade: A-

Side Notes:

-Judd Hirsch was a wickedly good cameo as Great-uncle Boris who is top-notch in his one scene. 

-The young actors portraying both Sammy's sisters, peers, friends and enemies are just great including Julia Butters (nice to see you again), Oakes Fegley (great in Wonderstruck), Chloe East (who loves Jesus in a way that I've never seen before), Sam Reckner, and Keeley Karsten.

-Mitzi feels that getting a monkey would liven up her life and it does, probably not in the way she intended. I do wonder what happens to the monkey in the end.

-There are also a few minor inconsistencies with this film, Sammy's eyes darken from him as a little boy to a teenager and during the prom scene, Monica's (Chloe East's) carefully pressed hair, has a loose strand in one take but not the next, which is a nit-pick yet, I would be derelict in my duties if I failed to mention it. 

-Honestly, most of the kitchens were hideous but historically accurate. 

-Usually Mitzi uses paper dishes so they can just be thrown away so she doesn't ruin her delicate piano hands by washing endless dishes. However, the dinner scene toward the end shows them using china dishes, which is surely deliberate. 

Call Jane (2022)

 Pros: Elizabeth Banks delivers one of her best performances as a traditional housewife, thrust into an unlikely and devastating situation that changes the course of her life forever; her pregnancy is life-theratening. The acting is truly solid, along with the scenery and costumes, transporting you back to that time and the subject matter is never more timely.

Cons: Despite the timeliness of the screenplay, the climax falls short though it does offer us a surprising twist, and ultimately, I find it surprising that Joy (Banks) would have been able to find so much support around her decision, despite since her husband, Chris Messina, is a criminal attorney. And yes, the ending, with the Supreme Court declaring abortion legal leaves a bad taste in my mouth as that decision has now been foolishly overturned. 

Recommend: Yes

Grade: B

Side Notes:

-There really needed to be some sort of explanation regarding the huge age gap between Will and Joy's children. Had she been able to have the baby, it would have fifteen years younger than their other daughter.

-We also needed a scene for a follow up appointment for Joy indicating that her heart failure has been resolved.

-The supporting cast of this film is also solid including Sigourney Weaver, Kate Mara and Wummi Mosuko. 

-It is also surprising that none of the women ever experienced any sort of medical complications from this back alley abortion. I am grateful, but it is shocking nevertheless.

-The medical board obviously and painfully valued the unborn fetus over Joy's life, which is appalling. 

Pearl (2022)

 Pros: Mia Goth's performance is a force to be reckoned with and as she is in nearly every scene, she dominates the picture and despite the low budget nature of the film, the cinematography and editing are solid.

Cons: Basically everything else. Sure, horror is not my genre and while this is supposed to be an origin story, but I feel like we almost needed a different origin story, one that goes further into Pearl's (Goth's) past. The plot is basic and predictable and the characters are nothing more than one-dimensional stock characters and the film didn't even keep my attention through dinner, so yes, this is, despite Goth's great performance, easily the worst film of the year. 

Recommend: No

Grade: C

Side Notes:

-Goth does have a great monologue in which she reveals far too much.

-That was such a waste of good pork.

-Pearl is a horrible human being but a solid dancer, though it would be great to know why she thought dancing would be her ticket out of town rather than anything else. 

Amsterdam (2022)

 Pros: An all-star headlines this film and is by far its strongest positive aspect. The plot is also solid, pulling from another little known moment in history, showing how precariously close to teetering on the edge of allowing Nazism to take hold of the country. The set design, costumes and score are also great.

Cons: Despite the good plot, and the fact that this film starts out hot, it then has a flashback which removes the viewer from the moment, though the flashback turns out to be very necessary. The ending is also a bit odd and both rushed and slow at the same time, and that's a shame as this film had everything going for it.

Recommend: Probably.

Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-Christian Bale, John David Washington and Margot Robbie headline the cast with excellent support from Anya Taylor Joy, Rami Malek, Michael Shannon, Mike Myers, Taylor Swift, Chris Rock, Zoe Saldana and Robert De Niro.

-Zoe Saldana is painfully underused.

-The film starts off hot and includes Taylor Swift being pushed under a car and swiftly (word pun!) being killed. What was that guy thinking?

-Bird watching references are sprinkled throughout the film.

-This film also touches on the unseen or seldom shown effects of war, the aftermath and the afflictions all the veterans must contend with on a daily basis. 

Disenchanted (2022)

 Pros: Amy Adams was delightful as Giselle the first time around and she still delivers a great performance here even though she goes rouge. Idina Menzel gets to sing as her voice wasn't used at all in the first film and Gabriella Baldacchino delivers a great performance as Morgan. The setting and costumes are also great.

Cons: The plot is far stupider than the first time and while it still incredibly unrealistic, this film is largely a waste of the talent that appears on screen and the songs aren't nearly as good, meaningful, lively, memorable or heart-wrenching, so that's another huge problem. Still, despite all of my issues, the film was enjoyable and there were tons of easter eggs from the original film and fairytales in general. 

Recommend: Yes, but with reservations

Grade: B

Side Notes:

-There is no mention of Giselle's dress shop.

-There should be more lines or scenes of how Nancy adjusts to full fairy tale life.

-Maya Rudolph has a ball as the villain, though Giselle is also a villain of her own making, as the evil stepmother.

-There are some fun cameos sprinkled throughout the film, including Oscar Nunez.

-Yvette Nicole Brown and Jayma Mays are great as Maya's sidekicks. 

-Of course they have to give Morgan a love interest on the first day she arrives in a new town. 

Weird: The Weird Al Yankovic Story (2022)

 Pros: Daniel Radcliffe does well with a difficult role in a bizarre screenplay and is helped with a solid supporting cast including Evan Rachel Wood inhabiting the caricature of Madonna and Rainn Wilson as his beloved mentor. And yes, the film was entertaining, seeing how Al came up with all of his parodies of otherwise famous songs.

Cons: This film in itself is a parody of Weird Al's life and that is unfortunate as there was plenty of material without making life crazy and unrealistic, mostly when Madonna is kidnapped and he fights off everyone before rescuing her. It's a shame that the film resorted to such antics, wasting what should have been a solid film.

Recommend: Yes

Grade: B-

Side Notes:

-Al has an awkward relationship with his parents and they are downright cruel to him. However, beating up the salesman was an unnecessary exaggeration. 

-The supporting cast is solid, including wicked cameos from Quinta Brunson as Oprah (and they're both left-handed), Thomas Lennon and Julianne Nicholson as the supportive but stiff mother. 

-I wish there were more scenes with Al and his roommates, they are great together.

Don't Worry, Darling (2022)

 Pros: A bizarre concept fills up this solid screenplay, complete with a great cast and flawless performances and excellent art decoration. The plot twist isn't figuring that Alice (Florence Pugh) and Jacks' (Harry Styles's) world is fake but rather why it is fake.

Cons: The ending is a bit squishy, though you assume that Alice finally wakes up from the creepy stimulation and, after some intense therapy, she can resume her life. And yes, the whole concept is disturbing. Jack is dissatisfied with his life so she has to adjust to him, not the other way around or the two coming together to reach a compromise. 

Recommend: Maybe

Grade: B

Side Notes:

-The stellar supporting cast includes director Olivia Wilde herself, Nick Kroll, Kate Berlant, Gemma Pine and Kiki Layne (excellent in If Beale Street Could Talk).

-Of course the lone African American is the first character to go 'crazy' aka discover the truth and hopefully save herself from a life of servitude. 

-Where does all the food and supplies come from if this is a fake world?

-Everyone comes to Victory for different reasons, some to keep the love of their life in it, others so their children are still alive?

-Peg (Berlant) must be pregnant forever. 

Nope (2022)

 Pros: Jordan Peele is creative, at least. He crafts another top-notch screenplay with different, fully fleshed out characters and I do like having twists in this film, as it is nice to always be surprised. The acting is also solid, with Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer giving great performances as well as unknown Brandon Perea as the tech guy they befriend.

Cons: Despite the twists in the plot, I thought the film was largely stupid and an odd outlook as the alien needs to eat people but spits out whatever plastic he picks up along the way, so that whole thing confused me. There also was such a slow build, it got boring in parts, which is a shame as all the mechanics were there, this film just wasn't my cup of tea. 

Recommend: No

Grade: B-

Side Notes:

-Despite the inclusive cast, a stereotype of Keke Palmer sewing the fake people to distant the alien for the climax scene while the guys deal with setting up the cameras.

-Though you would think the history of the horse training would play a big role, it only hovers in the background.

-Steven Yeun has a little role as a former child star who was nearly killed by a gorilla, in a flashback and subplot that should have been explored far more.

-In the end, it is old-fashioned technology that saves the day.

Luckiest Girl Alive (2022)

Pros: The screenplay is solid and written by the book author, Jessica Knoll, which is probably why it is so good as it remains the original author's vision. Despite the wretched nature of the subject matter, the film deals with everything frankly and realistically, something that is rarely done even in 2022. The acting is also solid, with Mila Kunis as the lead with the gross name, Ani, short for TifAni. Finn Winnrock is her square fiancé who cares about image more than anything else. Connie Britton sports a different look for Ani's image conscious mother with whom she has a troubled past. 

Cons: Honestly, it's hard to find a true con of this film, though I would recommend reading the book first, as I have and it would be nice for Luke (Winnrock) to be a more sympathetic character and give his family more empathy for Ani and everything she went through. And Ani was so close to getting revenge for her rapist, but instead, she kills the brain behind the mass murder and her friend, Arthur (Thomas Barbusca). And Dean (Alex Barone) is a true villain, sneaky and full of sympathy, but you shouldn't feel too sorry for him as he is a cruel rapist, and he wasn't that drunk, he knew full well what he was doing.

Recommend: Maybe, there should be a trigger warning with this film

Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-Scoot McNairy, it's nice to see you again, as the only true solid and genuine guy in the film. And yet, he gets fired to trying to get Ani to tell the truth so the boys could rightfully be punished.

-It is never explained how Luke knows Andrew (McNairy) so that was a bit odd.

-While Dean might be doing good, working for gun reform, that doesn't change the fact that he was a rapist and ruined Ani's life, leaving her floundering for the rest of her life. 

-It is never explained what happened to Ani's father.

-Nell (Justine Lupe) is a true force of nature and a solid friend for Ani.

-Being rich is not all its cracked up to be, though I'm sure it must be nice to be able to pay your bills and not have to worry about any of that.

-Oak wine must taste disgusting. 

The Good Nurse (2022)

 Pros: Tons! A taut screenplay details the true story of Amy Loughren (Jessica Chastain) and the new nurse who quickly becomes her friend and partner-in-crime, Charles Cullen (Eddie Redmayne) but Charlie's worked a bunch of hospitals and once he starts working at Parkfield, bad things keep happening, patients keep dying out of nowhere and it soon becomes clear that Charlie is to blame. The cat-and-mouse game begins. It is a chilling picture of how it was Russian roulette with the saline bags, the deaths were totally random and it details how the hospitals systematically covered up the deaths, dismissing Charlie for trivial reasons instead, too scared that they (rightly) would get sued. In addition to the top notch screenplay, the acting is one point with Chastain and Redmayne giving some of the best performances of their career.

Cons: It would have been nice to see Linda's (Kim Dicken's) reaction to realizing that they hired a murder and her discussion with legal to find a reason to dismiss him instead. And why was Vanessa in (Anjelica Basboom) ICU in the first place? Also, are we really supposed to believe that none of the victims' families questioned their loved ones death?

Recommend: Yes

Grade: A-

Side Notes:

-Though a nurse, Amy is battling her own health issues and she lacks insurance which is another crime in itself. 

-Charlie ended up pleading guilty to killing 29 people, though it is believed the true number of his victims is closer to 400, which is just disgusting and unacceptable.

-We never learn what happened to Amy's husband.

-Charlie's ex-wife accuses him of poisoning her dog, her suspicions were probably correct.

-We also never learn how long Amy had been working at Parkfield nor why it would take so long for her insurance to kick in. 

-We learn that Amy does eventually get the surgery she needed and got her own happy ending, thank goodness.

Auntie Mame (1958)

 Pros: Rosalind Russell is utterly divine as Mame Dennis, a sort of bohemian former actress living in New York City when she inherits her young nephew, Patrick (first Jan Handzlik, then Roger Smith) whom she immediately adores. The plot is also solid on how Mame lives an eccentric and varied lifestyle while her brother has only traditional, conservative plans for Patrick and the dinner scene toward the end is utterly brilliant.

Cons: Based on a stage play, it is portrayed in a similar fashion with fade outs and spotlights as the scene is preparing to change which is such a shame. The one scene with Mame and her editor, Brian O'Bannion (Roger Hughes) is also borderline assault. Those are my only problems with the film, as this is one of the few that actually includes an epilogue.

Recommend: Yes

Grade: A-

Side Notes:

-This was daring for showing what is believed to be an unmarried, pregnant woman, Mame's former secretary, the geeky Agnes Gooch (Oscar-nominated Peggy Cass, great), though as it turns out, she didn't dream her wedding after all. 

-Tuna is already puréed, it doesn't need to be blended again. 

-Going to school in the nude is always bizarre.

-Sure, Mame tried to upstage her friend, Vera (Coral Browne), but their friendship was stronger than that. 

-Despite Mame being an educated, worldly woman, she fails at several entry-level positions, though to be fair, being a switchboard operator is terribly confusing. 

-Once we saw Patrick with Pegeen (Pippa Scott), Mame's new secretary, we knew it was all over with his fiancé, the brassy Gloria (Joanna Barnes), and thank goodness.

-This film also touches a bit on anti-Semitism and how Mame is appalled by that and how she exacts her revenge. 

-I'm glad Mame wrote a book, she certainly lived a crazy and interesting and worthwhile life. 

I Want to Live! (1958)

 Pros: Susan Hayward is great and fully deserved her Oscar as Barbara Graham, a former call girl and mob mistress with a rap sheet longer than her arm though she wasn't even there when the murder happened, given her record, she goes down for it anyway and is soon on death row, despite having a young child. The realism of the prison cells and gas chamber are told with intricate details which is shocking to be seen in a film from that era. It even shows Barbara's husband (Wesley Lau's) addiction and withdrawal with frankness.

Cons: They never show the murder or what actually happened and they don't truly show where Barbara was on the day of the crime. And you don't really understand why Barbara ends up marrying that bartender.

Recommend: Yes

Grade: A-

Side Notes:

-Simon Oakland gives a good supporting performance as the journalist, Ed Montgomery, who at first condemns Barbara but eventually becomes a champion for her.

-It is clever when Ed turns off his old-fashioned hearing aid as he can't stand the racket after Barbara's death.

-It takes a lot of people to kill a person. 

-I wonder why she didn't have her friend Peg (Virginia Vincent) take custody of her young son, instead leaving him with her mother-in-law instead. 

American Graffiti (1973)

 Pros: Flawless acting and the solid twists and turns in the screenplay make this film something different. The plot is simple, four mismatched friends have one last night to enjoy their youth before some of them leave for college but nothing is ever as simple as that, some change their minds, several times over, others need to leave in order to save their future. The acting is also impeccable. The soundtrack is also flawless.

Cons: Teenagers apparently never need sleep and there is one scream overheard that never receives an explanation and sure, the plot is basic but it stills manages to be fascinating, though you don't always understand why the characters make the decisions that they do.

Recommend: Yes

Grade: A-

Side Notes:

-The cast is great, Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Charles Martin Smith, Paul LeMat, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips and a young Harrison Ford. However, not as many of them became as famous as you would have thought.

-Richard Dreyfuss aged poorly in four years. By the time he won his Oscar, he was already going gray.

-Richard Dreyfuss never finds the girl he seeks and is forced to join a gang along the way, not wanting to commit crimes, he escapes to college though he had just changed his mind.

-Ron Howard decides to stay though he hates his little California town but choices to stay after his long-term girlfriend nearly dies. 

-Two of the four friends meet tragic, untimely endings.

-Out of the entire cast, only Candy Clark, a lookalike to Connie Stevens was Oscar-nominated and while she's great, it is hard to extoll her performance above all the others. Personally, I thought Mackenzie Phillips was great as the little girl desperate to be older. 

-The editing is also very consist throughout the film. 

Paper Moon (1973)

 Pros: Tatum O'Neal was great as the wise, observant con-artist. Orphaned after her mother's death, she befriends Bible salesman, Moses Pray (Ryan O'Neal) and the two form a fragile and co-dependent relationship but eventually their shady schemes catch up to them, but it is a wild ride until then.

Cons: It is unclear as to why Moses shows up, late, at the funeral in the first place and Addie's (Tatum's) father remains unknown. And yes, they are bad people preying on the naivete of others, still, the film is largely a solid one.

Recommend: Yes

Grade: A-

Side Notes:

-Madeline Kahn has another shiny supporting role as Trixie, one of Moses's girlfriends who gets in the way of the long con Addie and Moses have going on.

-Addie may a truly talented con-artist but she's observant and doesn't wish to instill more harm on those suffering but takes advantage of the super wealthy.

-P.J. Johnson is also great in her smaller role as Imogene, Trixie's maid though that its being kind as she is seldom paid but she is a true ally and friend for Addie.

-I wonder where Addie gets her dress.

-Randy Quaid has a crazy, little cameo. 

-When Tatum O'Neal won her Oscar, neither of her parents attended the ceremony, which is just sad.

-This film probably didn't help with the difficult relationship she has with her father. 

Ghost World (2001)

 Pros: Great performances by actual teenagers portraying actual teenagers, recent high school graduates, Enid (Thora Birch) and Rebecca (Scarlett Johannsen), this film is an interesting little film, a great character study. Initially both Enid and Rebecca are on the same page, find some sort of job and get an apartment together, forgoing the tradition choice of college. Each actress is pitch perfect as the aimless teens, having few hobbies between the two of them, though they feel everyone around them is lame. Steve Buscemi is great as Enid's kindred soul and eventual friend, Seymour, a fellow vintage music lover.

Cons: The plot is thin though the fascinating characters keep it steadily moving forward, though I wish something had worked out for any one of them as they are ultimately decent human beings and deserve happiness.

Recommend: Maybe

Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-I can't help but wonder if the bus is a metaphor for death as the bus doesn't have a route on that road anymore and it first collects the old man and then drives off with Enid at the end, despondent that her life has gone nowhere.

-Though there isn't much plot, everything is intricately thought out and ties together brilliant, uniquely and honestly, probably relatively realistically. 

-Illeana Douglas is great as the bizarre art teacher who adores the simple over the complex and is even okay with plagiarism as long as its explained properly. 

The Good Girl (2002)

 Pros: Jennifer Aniston is brilliant as Justine, a simple woman who works a mindless, mundane job in the retail store, upset that she settled for her boring husband, Phil (John C. Reilly) and she finds a kindred soul in Holden (Jake Gyllenhaal), a troubled, young man, but they have an affair nevertheless, though it ends badly. Despite the bare bones plot, the performances are great and the scenery realistic. 

Cons: Despite Phi's anger at Justine being unfaithful, it is never okay to hit another person. And why did Justine ever find Phil a catch, so much so that she gave up college for him? I feel that was a vital piece of the film that was missing.

Recommend: Probably, solely for Jennifer Aniston's performance

Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-Holden is an incredibly troubled soul and loves Catcher in the Rye, and the parallels to his own life are numerous, though the film Holden is an incredible creep.

-Tim Blake Nelson is Phil's fool of a friend, Bubba.

-Phil is a painter and loves to smoke pot with his friend and yet he wonders why is sperm count is basically nothing.

-Despite her faults, Justine swears that the baby is Phil's, though we all know that can't be the case. 

-Bubba's dog is the worst. 

Mr. Malcolm's List (2022)

 Pros: In the vein of Bridgerton, this is another great example of cold-blind casting for a pre-Victorian romance, complete with flawless acting and solid performances all around, from Frieda Pinto's Selina Dalton, the poor country girl, daughter of a vicar to Sope Dirisu's regal, but stiff and unyielding titular Mr. Malcolm

Cons: The plot is a bit trite and filled with unfortunate misunderstandings, the characters don't give enough credit nor do they trust their gut, not to mention the whole thing is rather stupid, a mere trifle but the film managed to be a good time.

Recommend: Maybe

Grade: B

Side Notes:

-There is a glaring inconsistency, Mr. Malcolm's mother (Dona Croll), once calls her son Jeremiah when he's always been introduced as Jeremy, so that's an issue.

-The relationship between Julia (Zawe Ashton) and Captain Henry Ossory (Theo James) is half-baked at best and probably more interesting than the main relationship though Julia is the villain of the film also so you have to take her happy ending with a grain of salt.

-Julia's servants are supposed to be comedic relief and that falls flat. 

-Rich people have far too much time on their hands.

-We never really learn what the Corn Laws were all about. 

A Jazzman's Blues (2022)

 Pros: Solid acting fills every inch of this independent film and the plot is a twist on something old that's already been done before with echoes of Passing and Emmett Till's life. Bayou (Joshua Boone) falls in love with the light-skinned Leanne (Solea Pfeiffer) but her nasty, cruel gold-digger of a mother, Ethel (Lana Young) takes her away only to return with both of them passing for white, Leanne married to a white man. Despite Bayou's thriving career in Chicago, at his brother's (Austin Scott's) expense, he returns home to disastrous results. 

Cons: Honestly, there were just so many nasty characters, too many to choice from and though you finally start feeling some sympathy for Willie Earl (Scott), he ruins it by turning his brother over to the racist sheriff and while Bayou's loyalty to his mama is admirable, he was a fool for returning when there was a price over his head. 

Recommend: Yes

Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-I don't think we ever learn Bayou's real name.

-For the thousandth time, use protection, though in this case, I can't figure out how Leanne's baby turns out to be Bayou's when she's very married and that baby looks white, but you sort of just have to go with it.

-The frame story is stunning and is actually probably one of the best frame stories I've seen recently.

-Amirah Vann is Bayou's mama and she's fantastic and should have a bigger career.

-Joshua Boone should also have a great career.

-Ryan Eggold is the manager and Holocaust survivor though I'm surprised at how quickly his career took off in such a short time. 

The Nun's Story (1959)

 Pros: Audrey Hepburn's best performance as Gabrielle Van Der Mal, aka Sister Luke, a young woman who becomes a nun so she can become a nurse in the Congo. She is superb as the character suits her perfectly though it could not have been an easy role, given how difficult it was to be a nun, not only did they have to shed their worldly possessions but they also had to abandon their memories of their past so her performance is a very internal one but she packs an emotional punch in the few scenes where she shows emotion. And she's surrounded by an all-star cast, all of whom are also superb.

Cons: The plot is a bit oddly paced and parts are painfully dated, such as when Mother Mathilde (Dame Peggy Ashcroft) calls the native people of the Congo savages. And the plot spends far too much time while Sister Luke is a postulant and novice and not enough action in the Congo, such as glossing over her shining moment when she saves Father Andre's (Stephen Murray's) leg.

Recommend: Yes

Grade: A-

Side Notes:  

-The supporting cast includes Beatrice Straight, Edith Evans, Mildred Dunnock, Patricia Collinge and Margaret Phillips as the villain Sister Pauline.

-Peter Finch is the atheist Dr. Fortunati who develops an unrequited crush on Sister Luke as he truly respects her intelligence and work ethic.

-Colleen Dewhurst as a wicked little cameo as a patient on the mental ward who assaults Sister Luke.

-It is never correct or ethical to ask someone to purposely fail a test. 

-Hopefully Sister Luke continues to work for the resistance after abandoning her vows. Hopefully, she lives a happy life. 

Room at the Top (1959)

 Pros: I loved the twist of the title. I went in thinking that the affair occurred in a room at the top of the house, hidden away but rather it meant room at the top of the social pyramid, which Joe Lampton (Laurence Harvey) is trying desperately to climb, trying to fall in love with Susan (Heather Sears), the daughter of a millionaire while his heart truly lays with Alice (Simone Signoret), an older, married woman. And the acting is truly solid. There is also some inventive cinematography to liven things up. 

Cons: I can't get over the old-fashioned thinking that 35 is old and Joe isn't exactly a great character, a little mean and unappealing at times plus he's unfaithful and doesn't know what protection is, so he's not really a good catch for either woman though Alice's husband is worse, refusing to do the right thing and divorce his wife and we never find out why Alice married him in the first place.

Recommend: Maybe

Grade: A-

Side Notes:

-Despite my issues with Joe, he at least refuses to take a buyout and disappear from Susan's life.

-As he was a POW, he's probably still suffering from PTSD though that wasn't considered a thing back then.

-Though Joe is brutal to Alice in the end, he did need to marry Susan to do the right and while she was depressed, she's a grown woman and should have never gotten behind the wheel after drinking that much; she's responsible for her own choices.

-Despite the film being set in England, the accents are nearly non-existent for most of the characters, which is just odd. 

Unforgiven (1992)

 Pros: After a woman, a prostitute, Delilah (Anna Thomson) is assaulted and branded, the others pool their resources to offer reward money so revenge can be obtained. So, yes, while it is depressing that they must rely on a man (or three) to get the revenge, the screenplay is pretty solid. The acting was good too, with Gene Hackman being the stand out, winning his second Oscar for the sheriff who is full of tall (perhaps) tales but often overly cruel for the situation. 

Cons: There is a ton of violence, far too much as William Munny (Clint Eastwood) does shoot several unarmed men which is unacceptable and this film missed the chance for a good romance, which in my book, is the actually unforgivable part of this flm.

Recommend: Maybe

Grade: B+

Side Notes: 

-Though this film is filled with old men, at least it isn't entirely old white men, thanks to Morgan Freeman.

-We needed more of The Kid's (Jaimz Woolvelt's) backstory. And also, if you want to me a bounty hunter, you should have a good eyesight. 

-It is cruel and unusual how Ned (Freeman) is treated upon arrest.

-There is a Native American character who has absolutely no lines, which is a total shame. 

-The side plot involving English Bob (Richard Harris) is a bit odd and out of place, distracting us from the main story. 

Schindler's List (1993)

 Pros: One of the best films of all-time though it is painfully sad, nearly completely capturing the Holocaust, a horrific part of the world's history that should also never be forgotten. Liam Neeson is memorizing as the business owner determined to profit and take advantage of the war though he eventually comes to realize that the Holocaust, the complete and shameless murder of Jews isn't right as they can also contribute to society so he fights to save them and becomes a hero in the process.

Cons: Honestly, not really any, though I do wonder how Schindler finds Stern (Ben Kingsley) in the first place and gets him to help cook the books, so to speak, but other than that, the film is a flawless masterpiece.  

Recommend: Yes, though this film should come with a trigger warning

Grade: A

Side Notes:

-The cinematography is in black and white except for the prologue and heart-wretching epilogue save for the little girl's vivid red coat and the candles at the sabbath celebration.

-Ralph Fiennes is one of the countless Nazi villains in this film, standing from his balcony, just shooting and killing random Jews just because he can. He kills the engineer and then follows her advice. 

-The epilogue consists of the actual survivors from his factory laying rocks on his grave along with the actors who portrayed them.

-Jews had to be clever, hiding in some of the grossest places around, but at least they survived.

Jurassic Park (1993)

 Pros: This film managed to keep my attention for the entire time, which is no small feat and the acting is fine which is good as the cast is packed, Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Samuel L. Jackson and BD Wong. And the dinosaur animation is great, they almost seem real.

Cons: I think John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) is one of the dumbest characters is cinematic history. I mean, who would think that having a theme park with actual dinosaurs is a good idea. It is a horrible idea and several people die though that is largely to a greedy employee (Wayne Knight), who is basically the same character here as in Seinfeld. It is a shame that the entire idea is stupid as it is a waste of a good film. 

Recommend: Sure

Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-It is amazing that the children (Joseph Mazzello and Ariana Richards) survive their ordeal with no serious injuries.

-Laura Dern is underused.

-Martin Ferrero, the attorney, is also a coward, abandoning the children when a dire situation arises.

-Leaving the dinosaurs in control of the island is also probably not a good idea. 

-Making all the dinosaurs female might seem like a good idea on paper but it probably won't work in the long run.

-Dinosaurs must have a very short intubation period as the embryos hatch overnight.  

-I wonder what PETA had to say about the cow and goat getting eaten by the dinosaurs. 

The Crying Game (1992)

 Pros: In addition to the superb, flawless acting, the script is a great twist on the classic tale. Fergus (Stephen Rea) is partially responsible for the death of a British soldier, Jody (Forrest Whittaker) and then follows through on his promise to care for Jody's love, Dil (Jaye Davidson) but his past catches up to him even after Dil's big reveal which is where the twist comes in so the plot constantly takes unexpected twists and turns and that is always refreshing even though this film doesn't necessarily have a happy ending.

Cons: I did know the one plot twist going in though it was still thrilling to see how Fergus would react to the news but I was confused as to why Jody was kidnapped in the first place and why Fergus's co-workers kept finding him and pulling back into that deceptive world so I wasn't thrilled with that as I was expecting a more tender love story. 

Recommend: Yes

Grade: A-

Side Notes:

-Apparently, Jim Broadbent is the trusty bartender who also serves as a message passer.

-Miranda Richardson was the honey trap for Jody.

-While there is plenty of mutual respect, I don't really think the relationship Fergus and Dil have is healthy.

-I can't help but wonder if the song sung throughout the film, 'The Crying Game' is original to the film or not. 

I Came By (2022)

 Pros: A taunt thriller with a crazy, unpredictable plot line is always welcome, and while justice is served, there is much death and destruction along the way, especially two of three big named stars end up dead at the hands of a monster. However, I like a film that is interesting and this one is, in a painful sort of way.

Cons: You can't kill George MacKay off so soon in a film, even though his character was an asshole, but at least he wasn't a sociopath as Hugh Bonneville was. And though the film is perceived to be about two young guys tagging the homes of rich people, the plot is far more sinister and complex so I feel that it is a bit of false advertising. 

Recommend: Don't know

Grade: B

Side Notes:

-Smoking is utterly disgusting.

-Percelle Ascott is the true breakthrough star of this film; he's brilliant and a marvel in all his scenes.

-George MacKay's character is such a dick that when his friend needs to step aside, he is super pissed, not supportive of the news.

-Men can have their drinks drugged just like women.

-Also, men who have extreme power and connections are the utter worst. 

-This film covers a ton of time and it is shocking at how many people Hector Blake (Bonneville) probably ended up killing during that time. 

Father Stu (2022)

 Pros: Despite the spoiler alert in the title, Mark Wahlberg delivers a great performance, a character who shows real growth, Stuart Long. He's a wannabe actor who drinks too much and gets a DUI and then nearly dies when he runs a red light on his motorcycle (with no helmet) after he drinks too much yet again. He's a mess but through Carmen (Teresa Ruiz), he finds the Catholic Church and Jesus, despite his parents' (Mel Gibson and Jacki Weaver) objections. But he's popular and very much loved. And that twist (true story) is a devastating one.

Cons: Sure, the spoiler alert title and Stu is a bit creepy with Teresa, basically stalking her though the attraction eventually becomes mutual and she does put him off quite a bit, though not enough. But I don't believe she would have gone against her morals and have coitus with him before marriage, I'm not buying it. 

Recommend: Yes

Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-You have to feel for Stu's parents, even though one of them is (portrayed by) Mel Gibson, they would have to bury both of their sons, which is not the way it should be.

-I wonder how Stu was able to afford all his medical bills.

-He was at fault for his own injuries, however unfortunate they may be. He went through the red light.

-Even Stu was asked to perform sexual favors to get a (ridiculously lame) job, only difference is that he fought back. 

-There are a lot of bizarre reveals toward the end of the film.

-Despite being estranged from his wife, Mel Gibson's Bill does wear a wedding ring throughout. 

Out of Africa (1985)

 Pros: From the lush cinematography to Meryl Streep's flawless transformation, this film had a whole bunch going for it, including a great romance with some brilliant dialogue, and the barebones plot was good enough. The score is also great and flows with the natural plot. 

Cons: Sure, most of these are nitpicky, but a flaws nevertheless. Karen (Streep) somehow has a farm in Africa to grow coffee which doesn't seem to go that well, but the focus of this isn't on the farm, when it should have been in the forefront a bit more. And how does she get the farm in Africa in the first place? Where does all her money come from initially?

Recommend: Yes

Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-If my husband (or lover) ever gives me syphilis, I will kill him.

-Bror (Oscar-nominated Klaus Maria Brandauer)  gets his happy ending while Karen ends up heart-broken in the end after her lover, Denys (Robert Redford0 dies in a plane crash.

-Karen actually cares about the citizens of Kenya.

-I wonder what PETA had to say about the natural scenes.

-This film is rather different from the rest of films directed by Sydney Pollack.

-Do any epic romances have a happy ending?

-The Color Purple was a better film and should have won the Oscar for Best Picture, just saying.

Sweet Dreams (1985)

 Pros: Detailing Patsy Cline's (Jessica Lange's) marriage to Charlie Dick (Ed Harris), and how she still became a great country singer, this film has a good amount of material to make a great film. However, the only reason to see the film is the realistic nature of the film and the great performances and they were great.

Cons: While Coal Miner's Daughter managed to find a good balance of portraying both  Loretta Lynn's personal and professional lives, this film doesn't find the right balance at all, focusing a lot on her early career but not nearly enough on when she actually becomes quite famous, which is a shame.

Recommend: Maybe

Grade: B

Side Notes:

-I can't believe Ed Harris was ever that young. 

-Sure Charlie is an abusive husband but he had a traumatic youth and Patsy has a nasty mouth. However, he hits harder and is a nasty drunk.

-It must have been terrifying looking at your death in that instant before it happened.

-It's got to be super awkward to have a son named after your wife's manager.

-It is unclear if Patsy sings any original songs or writes her own lyrics as Loretta Lynn did. 

-Pay attention for a John Goodman cameo.

Unpregnant (2022)

 Pros: Ever relevant, the plot is good, albeit unrealistic in parts, but the acting is strong with the leads Haley Lu Richardson and Barbie Ferrara deliver great performances. And this film has a great portrayal of female friendship, which is always great. 

Cons: Certain parts are unrealistic and there are some changes from the book which I didn't appreciate, namely the one involving Kevin (Alexander MacNicholl). He's Veronica's (Richardson's) boyfriend. In the book, he poked holes in the condoms (jerkface!) whereas here, he mentions that he noticed one broke and didn't tell her. But his stalkerish habits remain in both. And of course all abortion stories need to include the religious extremists.

Recommend: Maybe

Grade: B

Side Notes:

-It is shocking that a seventeen-year-old has to drive from Missouri to Albuquerque just to get an abortion without her parents' permission.

-Also, stealing a car is wrong, but sending all those police officers, that was just a bit of an overkill. 

-Bob (Giancarlo Esposito) is probably the most interesting character in the whole film, very anti-government, a refreshing relief after most of the new characters. 

-Secret friendship handshakes are never not cool. 

Thirteen Lives (2022)

 Pros: Finally Ron Howard returns to form with this thriller based on actual events. The whole world was watching as divers and Navy Seals rescued those boys and their coach, trapped deep inside a cave, water surrounding them, and I remember the story and how relieved the journalists were when they were finally able to report the happy news and this film details (more or less) the true story behind the rescue and the controversial method used to extract the boys. The acting was solid, a truly ensemble piece and the sheer amount of extras make you feel like you were biting your nails in anticipation though fortunately, the ending is largely a happy one, though a Seal did die en route to deliver the supplies when his tank gets caught on the guide cord and another months afterward, from a nasty blood infection, but the boys survived. The setting was also brilliant and this film managed to do something truly difficult. It got me to feel and that is no small feat.

Cons: Honestly, not really anything major though I wish they would have showed more of the boys in the cave rather than just the rescue efforts as it must have been terrifying for them but yet they never appeared to give up hope and they probably should have focused on more parents.

Recommend: Yes

Grade: A-

Side Notes:

-Finally an American other than Meryl Streep can adopt a good British accent: Viggo Mortensen.

-Colin Farrell and Joel Edgerton are the other headliners for this film.

-Though all three are expert divers, all three have day jobs: Rick (Mortensen) is a firefighter who doesn't even like kids, John (Farrell) is a divorced IT guy and Harry (Edgerton) is a doctor, specializing in anesthesia. 

-Three of boys and the coach were not Thai citizens though after this ordeal, they were granted citizenship.

-Some farmers accepted water being diverted which subsequently ruined their crops just so the boys would have a better chance of survival. Imagine people sacrificing their livelihoods for the good of others, what a foreign concept. It was later mentioned that they did receive government compensation. 

The Lost City (2022)

 Pros: Despite the ridiculousness, this film brings the subject of romance novels front and center and how complicated they can be along with how popular and most-beloved they are even if their author, Loretta Sage (Sandra Bullock) thinks that they are beneath her. But in the end she discovers how important love is and how it affects people.

Cons: Though this film was certainly extremely entertaining, it also incredibly stupid and beyond ridiculous and that island was just way too large to have a hidden grave like that, untouched and undiscovered for years. And Abigail (Daniel Radcliffe) is just not a girls names. And there is no way Loretta and Alan (Channing Tatum) would have been able to avoid capture for that long and Alan's personality is well, boring and almost non-existent. 

Recommend: Despite it being awful, I would gladly watch it again.

Grade: C+

Side Notes:

-Sandra Bullock looks great for her age and certainly remains in great shape. Despite the large age gap, she and Channing Tatum have great chemistry together.

-We needed more background on the villain, Abigail Fairfax, though Radcliffe seems to have fun with the role even though he was an unsympathetic villain.

-Da'vine Joy Randolph, Oscar Nunez and Patti Harrison give excellent supporting performances. 

-We learn painfully little about Loretta's late husband, John, even though his role in her life remains terribly important. 

-Romance novels are incredibly popular even if bookstores won't give them the time of day, which is such a shame as we need to believe in the happy ending. 

Boogie Nights (1997)

 Pros: True, this film is a bit meandering and plodding, but the screenplay is genuinely strong, with plenty of unexpected twists and turns and the acting is filled with top-notch actors and top-notch acting, great music and great film mechanics.

Cons: As this film is about a young Eddie, later Dirk (Mark Wahlberg) breaking into the business of pornography and then drugs and then there is a good amount (okay, probably way too much) violence toward the end, none of which is my cup of tea but at least everything was done well.

Recommend: Probably

Grade: A-

Side Notes:

-The cast is superb including Julianne Moore and Burt Reynolds (truly great), both Oscar-nominated for this film, Don Cheadle, John C. Reilly, William H. Macy, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Nicole Ari Parker, Thomas Jane (an unexpected villain), Phillip Baker Hall, and Luis Guzman.

-Dirk's mom lashes out for no real reason.

-Dirk is tragically not good with money.

-Rollergirl's (Graham's) real name is Brandy.

-Amber's (Moore's) real name is Maggie.

-The film covers roughly seven years of Dirk's life.

-It is amazing that Don Cheadle's Buck wasn't questioned for that crazy bakery robbery. I mean, who would rob a bakery, they give people carbs which make them happy. Why would someone want to ruin that happiness?

-Dirk's car runs out of gas, a similar scene would happen in a far more recent Paul Thomas Anderson film, Licorice Pizza. 

Titanic (1997)

Pros: The art directors did fully deserve their Oscar as you do truly feel like the Titanic, in all its 1912 glory has been recreated solely for this film. The costumes are magnificent, the editing solid and the performances are relatively good. And I am a sucker for a good love story, even one as unrealistic as this one is. And the ending contains a great, killer twist which is always appreciated.

Cons: The plotline is utterly ridiculous, far-fetched and honestly, pretty stupid. It's the Titanic, they had so much source material and stories which were actually true to pick from and instead, they have to make one up and it isn't even realistic and the frame story is mostly boring until old Rose (Gloria Stuart) comes along, livening up the boring scientists. The dialogue is often clunky and the talented actors, except for Kathy Bates's unsinkable Molly Brown, is wasted. 

Recommend: It's hard to say

Grade: B

Side Notes:

-There was room on the door for Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio). I don't care what the critics say, he could have survived.

-There is no way on God's green Earth that Cal (Billy Zane) would have been able to present Rose (Kate Winslet) with a present in her dressing room without a chaperone present. 

-Same with her and Jack strolling the deck together. 

-The foreshadowing in this film is ridiculous.

-At least we did learn from Titanic's mistakes, and changes were made to ships afterwards so a tragedy like this never happens again. 

-I do appreciate that they showed the third class passengers being shut out of being saved.

-I can't help but wonder how many lawsuits stemmed from this sinking. 

-Rose is a complete fool jumping out of that lifeboat. 

-While I'm glad that little girl survived, it is low to use her just because you are too scared too die, here's looking at you, Cal.

-Why Kate Winslet doesn't get top-billing, I'll never understand.

-Rose survived out of sheer willpower. 

-As much as I love Kate and Leo, their chemistry was significantly better in 2008's Revolutionary Road, where, ironically enough, Kate is the one who dies, by her own, tragic making. 

-I love how Rose travels with her dog and goldfish. 

Montana Story (2022)

 Pros: Though simple, the story unravels slowly, with solid characters, this film manages to bring something just slightly different to the screen which is always lovely to see. Haley Lu Richardson and Owen Teague deliver master class performances as the estranged half-siblings of a wretchedly abusive father who now is dying of a stroke, lying their in that portable hospital bed a shell of his former self.

Cons: It was nice to see a film with tons of minorities even though the leads were white, and this film succeeds with such a small cast though it would have nice to have a bit more background on their corrupt father and what made him so evil. And why did a lawyer want such a large piece of land, as it was wasting away around him.

Recommend: Probably

Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-The father was so mad at Erin (Richardson) after she exposed him for the corrupt attorney that he was, he killed her horse, beat Erin within an inch of her life (though she refused to tell the hospital the truth), so he is truly a wretched excuse for a human being.

-Cal (Teague) didn't defend his sister back when they were in high school but he dabbles with his father's ventilator, letting him die. 

-Humans should have a living will for this very reason.

-The horse is allowed to roam free in Montana, the retirement he deserved.

-I wonder how they handled the title for that old truck and trailer. 

Where the Crawdads Sing (2022)

 Let me just preface by saying, I utterly adored this book. It will probably always without a doubt, be one of my favorites. I even named my second cat after the main character.

Pros: I love the base plot line. Abandoned child, Kya (Jojo Regina and then Daisy Edgar-Jones) grows up surrounded by nature and finds solace in that after being physically and emotionally abused by her father (Garrett Dillahunt) after her mother (Ahna O'Reilly) leaves. She soon falls in love with two town boys, each very different from each other: Tate (Taylor John Smith), lonely and intelligent in his own right who is kind and sympathetic to Kya and they develop a deep friendship and Chase (Harris Dickinson), the golden boy whose needs are not fulfilled by his crystal fiancé, Pearl (Caroline Cole) and needs side piece and feels that she should be grateful that he's gracing her with his presence. So there's a love triangle and then a murder mystery and trial, sprinkled in with Kya's career as a naturist. Fortunately, the acting (at least by the main characters) is also solid and the setting was also great as you feel like you are out there in the marsh along with Kya.

Cons: Despite the solid plot, the film uses the trial of Kya, charged with Chase's murder, as the frame story while the book is linear, and honestly, while each is great, they are not blended together sufficiently, and the source material deserved much, much better. Also, I found the responses of the courtroom audience to be canned and overly done, certainly not realistic and not subtle, so that was ridiculous. Not to mention, while Edgar-Jones is a good actress and gives a good performance, she was often too clean and had too many outfits. 

That all being said, the love story between Kya and Tate is one of my favorites of all-time, so yes, I will gladly see this film again and again.

Recommend: Yes, but prepare yourself, the book is better.

Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-David Strathairn is good in the supporting role of the retired lawyer who feels the need to defend Kya, with good success.

-That ending twist is truly shocking.

-This is one of the few films, recently, that nearly made me cry. That is becoming increasingly rare these days in my old age (I'm 31). 

-While I do not condone violence, Chase is an absolute asshole who wanted to have his cake and eat it, too and would not have stopped as he'd never been told no before and couldn't handle it. Tate was correct, she deserved better. 

-You would think that one of Kya's siblings would have insisted she come with them, after all, she is the youngest. 

-Okay, I have to call it out, when her brother (Logan Macrae) and his family come to visit, how in the world do they get a car up there as her home is only accessible by boat. 

-Kya's family boat never breaks down, both in the film and book. I feel that that must mentioned. 

-Ahna O'Reilly, where have you been since The Help? 

-Does it ever rain in the marsh?

-Accents were a little all over the place, which required some sort of explanation.

-The film was written, produced and directed by women. 

-I love how men say that sex will get better for the woman, that's beyond demeaning. 

-Though Tate was a fool for standing her up, I'm glad she forgave him and that they stayed together, separated only by death. 

-Taylor Swift better be nominated for an Oscar for her song played over the end credits. 

Cyrano (2021)

 Pros: Honestly, the performances were truly the only solid (mostly) item in this film until the flash forward, when finally, I was interested. Sure, the dialogue was good and clever, with tons of brilliant rhymes, but this film just couldn't keep my interest, until the ending.

Cons: The accents were all over the place, which was super annoying and despite the lush cinematography and choreography, it was boring, mundane film about such vain characters and, until the end, the plot was very paint by the numbers. 

Recommend: Probably not

Grade: B

Side Notes:

-Peter Dinklage and Haley Bennett are delightful as the leads with Kelvin Harrison, Jr in great support.

-Harrison has just been everywhere the past several years, though I have to admit, so far, his best performance is in 2019's Waves, a truly remarkable film. I'd watch that one instead.

-Dinklage is a very talented swordsman.

-Roxanne's family is seemingly very poor though they still manage to have a servant.

-Cyrano's final words will haunt me: "And I loved my pride." 

-Spoiler alert: he dies at the end meaning Roxanne has lost both loves of her life. 

Persuasion (2022)

 Pros: Honestly, it is hard to find a solid pro about this film, but the acting wasn't bad (not great either) so I don't really know what to put here as not even the plot was something I could fully get behind. However, the sets were great and I liked the song at the end. Yeah, pulling at straws here.

Cons: Okay, my time to shine. While I normally love Jane Austen's film adaptations (see 1995's Sense and Sensibility), this time, the plot wasn't thrilling, I didn't find the characters engaging and many were downright annoying and even the dialogue wasn't particularly great as there was far too little witty banner between William (Henry Goulding) and Anne (Dakota Johnson). Some of the costumes seemed out of place and while the viewer needed stuff explained, the narration was odd and over used. Though Frederick Wentworth (Cosmo Jarvis) is supposed to be the male hero, he's certainly one of her dullest characters and honestly, I didn't find Anne to be that interesting as she's heartbroken for much of the first half of the film and then struggles to figure out where her true feelings lie and her support system was weak at best. Her two sisters were total tools but at least her nephews were cute and though I thought she was going to end up with William, he was hellbent to ruin her father's (Richard E. Grant's) happiness just so he could inherit the estate. 

Recommend: Doubtful

Grade: B-

Side Notes:

-Dakota Johnson does alright as the British heroine.

-She also has a pet bunny for unknown reasons.

-Of course in every good Austen novel, the heroine suffers a change in fortune, this film is no exception. 

-Jam makes a good mustache, in a pinch.

-Marriage was considered purely transactional.

-As in Bridgerton, color blind casting (keeping the families the same) is used, to solid success. 

-How does Frederick get out of his engagement to Louisa (Nia Towle)?

Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)

 Pros: One of the few films where Woody Allen isn't super annoying. The plot is solid and the dialogue is good as is the acting and I'm glad that the film ended happily though Hannah (Mia Farrow) was incredibly naïve when it came to her husband Elliott (Michael Caine) true colors.

Cons: Because there are so many characters, it is hard to appreciate the solid development of Mickey (Allen) is a bit wasted as it is just stuffed in there with so many other plots. And of course, this just has to be about an acting family, people can never have real careers in films.

Recommend: I guess

Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-Mickey is a TV show producer and has a skit which includes child molestation, which is ironic as Allen turned out to have sex with his stepdaughter before she turned eighteen.

-It has got to be awkward when you marry your sister's ex-husband.

-It also must be awkward to have a crush on your wife's sister.

-Lloyd Nolan and Maureen O'Sullivan star as the parents and deliver great performances albeit in supporting roles. 

-Despite the stacked cast only Caine and Dianne Wiest were Oscar-nominated though they both would win. 

Platoon (1986)

 Pros: True this film is grittily realistic and painful to watch, but the plot and screenplay are solid and the acting is brilliant as you feel as though you are both on those tragic crimson fields near the Cambodian border, and each character does have a unique personality which is always refreshing to see and the cast is relatively diverse though the three leads are all white.

Cons: Honestly, Captain Barnes (Tom Berenger) is a wretched, sorry excuse for a human being and Charlie Sheen who stars as Chris Taylor probably could have been a bit better but his performance was at least workmanlike even if it fell just short of being brilliant. 

Recommend: Yes, though this film isn't for the faint of heart

Grade: A-

Side Notes: 

-The cast is jam-packed with good actors including Willem Dafoe as the humane but doomed Captain Elias, Forest Whitaker, Keith David, Kevin Dillon and a blink and you'll miss him, Johnny Depp. 

-American soldiers were truly nasty to the civilians of Vietnam. 

-While the soldiers are supposed to be fighting the Vietnamese but they are also fighting each other as the leaders are completely different from each other and the men just take sides and thus hostility is created between the two of them. 

-Being a soldier must have been extremely dreadful as the weather is wretchedly hot, the hours long and the work grueling. 

-Of course Chris Taylor survives at the end though neither Elias or Barnes remain. Elias is shot as Barnes's hands and though Taylor kills a gravely wounded Barnes at the end of the film. 

Save the Tiger (1973)

 Pros: Jack Lemmon delivers a brilliant performance as Harry Stoner, a man who somehow need money and is so desperate he calls his arson guy to burn down one of his outlet factories. He's not a bad guy, or at least, he doesn't want to be a bad guy but his real dream lies with baseball and he remains haunted by his memories of battling in World War II. And I do like films that show every day life, though Harry is hardly a typical American as he lives in Beverly Hills and has a housekeeper but the film has a very real feel to it nevertheless.

Cons: Despite his great performance, the film is a bit plodding and boring at parts especially when they talk about areas of business I'm not familiar with, which is a shame as his performance along with the rest of the cast deserved better.

Recommend: Maybe

Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-Despite Harry seemingly believing in love with his wife, Janet (Patricia Smith), he nevertheless takes a hooker because his wife has to go to New York for some reason.

-Apparently pornos were pretty expensive viewing pleasures in the early 1970s. 

-Harry does show a good bit of humanity at the end by insisting the arsonist keep his co-worker, Phil (Jack Gilmore) out of it. 

-Harry does refuse to talk no for an answer, if he wants to eat Chinese, he will even if Phil wants to eat something different. 

Elvis (2022)

 Pros: This opulent bio-pic had tons of material to work with and it paints Elvia (Austin Butler) as both a hero and genius but also a deeply flawed drug-addict who never seems to have enough love surrounding him, never fully recovering from his mother's (Helen Thomson's) premature death largely due to alcoholism. This film is also impressive in that it appeared that hundreds of extras were used despite the COVID restrictions so despite the lush sets, costumes and everything, concessions must have been made though the viewer would never suspect. And the acting is great and this should be, deservedly so, Butler's break-through role and he is truly excellent.

Cons: The film is over-stuffed and despite it being titled Elvis, the narrator is actually Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks), the controversial manager of Elvis, so the film tries to have two leads which doesn't really work. It should show how Parker specifically mismanaged Elvis's money and estate. That is the main issue with the film, though there are also a ton of characters and often they aren't introduced correctly. 

Recommend: Yes

Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-The supporting cast is filled largely with unknowns mixed in with established actors: Olivia DeJonje (as Priscilla, great), Kelvin Harrison, Jr (as BB King apparently), Richard Roxburgh (the duke from Moulin Rouge) as Elvis's Daddy, Xavier Samuel, Dacre Montgomery, David Wenham and Kodi Smit-McPhee (in the cameo of the year so far).

-Though Elvis did plenty throughout his career, if he had a different manager, he could have done so much more. 

-Elvis longed to be a talented movie star like Jimmy Dean.

-He originally met Priscilla in Germany when she was just 14, yeah, that's more than just a little gross.

-Parker had an unnatural control of Elvis.

-It must have been nice in the1950s when the nation was only divided on Elvis, rather than issues which actually matter, as it is nowadays.

-Elvis shakes his hips to soothe his nerves but it makes him a global sensation as it is probably the closest many of his fans have gotten to sex thus far in their lifetime. 

The Sting (1973)

 Pros: Well, the plot is top-notch and I liked that it was divided into chapters and the acting is superb as it should be, considering the caliber cast. Sure, the plot is complicated but not painfully so, as that is what makes the film interesting, with quick dialogue and mischievous characters. The film mechanics are also solid. 

Cons: None of the characters are particularly redeeming as they are hopeless gambles, cheaters, con artists and thieves but the film was effective nonetheless. 

Recommend: I suppose, as it was solid, but just not my sort of film.

Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-The cast includes Paul Newman, delighting in him outwitting his enemy Robert Shaw, Robert Redford was Oscar-nominated, Charles Durning, the simple cop, Eileen Brennan and Sally Kirkland. 

-Sally Kirkland is just one of the characters who tries and nearly succeeds at double-crossing Robert Redford's Johnny Hooker.

-Paul Newman is a master cheater at poker.

-His front is a simple carousel. 

-Edith Head designed the costumes which is why all the men look absolutely dapper. 

-The twist at the end was great though even I couldn't see that the FBI organization was also on the inside.

-At least Robert Redford and Paul Newman are alive at the end of this film. They both died in their previous film pairing. 

-This film nearly treats the sole African-American character with the same respect as his white counterparts. Except for the fact that he's killed off rather quickly, but his death sets the main plot in motion. 

Sunshine on Leith (2013)

 Pros: The second half of this film is a true masterpiece, piecing together numerous songs by The Proclaimers, the cast is filled with realistic characters portrayed by talent actor, the film contains three love stories: Davy (George MacKay) and his sister's co-worker, Yvonne (Antonia Thomas), his sister Liz (Freya Manor) and his friend, Ally (Kevin Guthrie) and his parents, Jean and Robert (Jane Horrocks and Peter Mullen), ready to celebrate their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. Everything is going fine and then seemingly all three couples implode at the same time, one never healing. Still, it is a great, little film.

Cons: The first half flies by, which is incredibly unfortunate, The meet-cute between Yvonne and Davy is non-existent, and their courtship is heavily rushed albeit realistic. And the scenes between songs are sometimes rushed, especially in the aforementioned first half of the film. The pacing was certainly lacking cohesion in the beginning of the film, which is just devastating especially when the second half was so good. 

Recommend: Yes

Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-The fact that this film wasn't George MacKay's breakthrough is mind-boggling and unacceptable. Instead, we would have to wait six years until 1917 for him to receive the credit he deserved, though his supporting turn in 2016's Captain Fantastic was likewise brilliant. 

-Antonia Thomas would find success on The Good Doctor when she is capable of so much more, such as headlining her own show. 

-I have to nitpick, where does Yvonne's bag go for the last scene?

-You should never blame the child for the sins of their parents. 

-It is sad that Ally re-enlists just so he feels wanted.

-This film does touch on some important subjects, including PTSD and does so well, without bogging it down and making this a truly depressing film.

-Liz picks herself over a man, a move that rarely happens in so-called rom-coms but it is refreshing to see as she wouldn't have been happy in the long run had she settled down with Ally. 

-The songs do fit in pretty well with the plot, thank goodness, the film would have failed without that.

-However, hardly any of the talented extras (especially from the final scene) are credited, which is a huge mistake.

-Dexter Fletcher (Rocketman) is the director, for the record. 

-I have to thank Youtube's Ms. Mojo for bringing this little film to my attention. 

Night Must Fall (1937)

Pros: A solid plotline filled with great performances, this film was originally a stage play but transferred to the big screen well. While this film may be dated, it was at least interesting, with Robert Montgomery's charming Danny, Rosalind Russell's cynical Olivia, who doesn't buy into Danny's endless charm while her rich Aunt (Dame May Whitty) does. But you should always beware of the charming ones. And the plot of a murder mystery never gets old. 

Cons: Accents are all over the place. The film is set in England and while some of the maids and Danny have solid accents, Russell still sounds all American while the British Whitty just sounds super regal. And yes, the set is limited, taking place mostly in Whitty's huge house, though a select few scenes occur elsewhere. 

Recommend: Yes

Grade: A-

Side Notes:

-We all know what was in that wicker basket, the victim's head. 

-I hate when men say women are more attractive without glasses. While it may be true, being able to see your surroundings is also sexy.

-I like that Russell ended up with her aunt's kind-hearted lawyer rather than the male lead.

-Both Montgomery and Whitty were Oscar-nominated for this film and certainly deserved those nominations with complex and layered roles. 

They Won't Forget (1937)

 Pros: This film had a good albeit barebones plotline, more like bullet points which needed to be filled in, but still, the plot had a unique twist, turning it from something ordinary into what should have been extraordinary, but wasn't. However, the cast (and its a big one) is all pitch perfect, too bad the screenplay let them down.

Cons: Well, while the plot had the material to be something great, it failed on all accounts. Mary Clay (Lana Turner, in her screen debut) is murdered but we receive no details as to how she was killed, just that her body was found in the basement. And the DA, Andrew Griffin (Claude Rains), not to be confused with Andy Griffith needs big win so he charges northern professor, Robert Hale (Edward Norris) with the crime though there are several more viable suspects, but it was at least nice to see that the African American janitor (Clinton Rosemond) wasn't charged. Still, this film should have been so much better if there was more screen time and that pesky Hays code wasn't a factor.

Recommend: Albeit an important film, no, because it just wasn't good enough for the material and cast it had.

Grade: B

Side Notes;

-Seriously, who murdered Mary Clay? I need to know. My opinion, I think Mary's death was actually a tragic accident. She heard a noise and tripped down the steps, falling to her death. But the autopsy is never revealed. 

-Mary's boyfriend (Elisha Cook, Jr.) had been with her for four years and barely kissed her, only in the south in the 1930s would that actually be the case.

-The north and south had different days to celebrate Memorial Day and it was called something different up in the north.

-I find it hard to believe that Hale would hold classes on Memorial Day as he should have aware that the students had the day off of classes. 

-Hale is also largely convicted by heresy, public opinion and rumors, which is sad. 

The Cider House Rules (1999)

 Pros: The solid, albeit slightly predictable, plot line along with the solid acting (even from Tobey MaGuire, though he's the same character here as in Pleasantville), and the great scenery, this film is what I would consider a must watch, though it wasn't as groundbreaking as American Beauty, it is worthy of being watched just as much and remains as relevant then as it is now.

Cons: Well, I wasn't thrilled with predicting one of the main twists (Homer [MaGuire] was going to finally perform an illegal abortion on his co-worker, Rose [Erykah Badu], despite him being against the same), and I also didn't understand why Candy (Charlize Theron) had an abortion in the first place when Wally (Paul Rudd) was supportive and they seemed to be in love.  

Recommend: Yes

Grade: A-

Side Notes:

-While Delroy Lindo's character seems like a good guy, it is made to seem like he had sex with his daughter. I still suspect she was raped by her co-worker as he was a nasty man.

-The orphanage does need more funding as the only film Homer's ever seen in King Kong.

-The issue of abortions never seems to go away.

-One young woman died because of a botched abortion, which is something that should never happen in a first world country. 

-The cast is great, with great support from Charlize Theron to Kate Nelligan, Jane Alexander, Kathy Baker, Kiernan Culkin and Michael Caine who did win his second Oscar for this role. Plus J.K. Simmons a very small role. 

-Caine's doctor Larch also had an issue and needed ether to go to sleep which isn't good.

-Homer ends up back where he started but he needed to leave how much the orphanage valued him. 

American Beauty (1999)

 Pros: The acting is excellent. Kevin Spacey won his only Best Actor Oscar as Lester Burnham, a man who is sick of being a pushover, but Annette Bening's Carolyn is just as good. Thora Birch may not have been nominated, but she was great. The plot is also good. Pulling something out of Billy Wilder's bag of tricks, this is narrated by a dead man, and you have to figure out what happens. The film also has good mechanics, which is always a must to be a good film.

Cons: Parts of the plot are just icky, namely Ricky (Wes Bentley) is a creeper. And drug dealer, but mainly a creeper. Sure, his feelings toward Jane (Birch) are genuine, but it is just gross that he constantly films the house next door. And Lester wants to have sex with Jane's sexually charged friend, Angela (Mena Survari), which is gross. Sure, she wants it but she's a child and fortunately Lester realizes that just in the nick of time. 

Recommend: Yes, though this film is a bit overrated, it is still solid.

Grade: A-

Side Notes:

-A side plot is that Ricky's strict, abusive military father, Frank (Chris Cooper) wrongly believes that his son is a homosexual, which he finds appalling though he is also has those tendencies. He shoots Lester after Lester rebuffs his advances.

-Carolyn cheats on her husband with her real estate rival, Buddy Kane (Peter Gallagher) and has sex with him in some super awkward positions.

-Pay attention for a blink and miss it cameo from John Cho.

-Allison Janney is Frank's suppressed wife as she shows no emotions throughout.

-Ricky has a crazy but efficient little drug dealing operation going. 

-His film is the floating plastic bag is truly beautiful.

The Green Mile (1999)

 Pros: Wow, the acting is utterly superb, for starters, with realistic (some good others genuinely sadistic) characters and a solid, if unrealistic plot and screenplay. Despite the odd and painfully sad ending, this is a solid film, with great mechanics, score, editing, cinematography and scenic design.

Cons: Well, while this film needed a twist, magic realism, in this case, with convicted killer John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan) having magical healing powers and an ageless mouse with a simple talent of rolling an empty spool of thread toward his owner, is just odd and breaks with the extreme realism of the rest of the film. Still, the film is solid enough to nearly overcome this issue.

Recommend: I think so

Grade: A-

Side Notes:

-As this film occurs in the death row section of a Louisiana prison, there are some truly despicable characters, including the nasty child murderer William Wharton (Sam Rockwell) and the nasty prickish warden, Percy (Doug Hutchison) who doesn't understand or care of the importance of wetting a sponge for electrocution so the poor guy fries to death, leaving the audience horrified. 

-It is shocking that so many people would want to attend an electrocution.

-I never thought I would hear Tom Hanks play with a mouse.

-Most creative excuse for not wanting to have sex with your wife: "My water works is still having trouble and I don't want to pass it on to you." Yes, that's the actual line.

-Bonnie Hunt and Patricia Clarkson are the wives and each do well with their painfully small role. 

-James Cromwell, David Morse and Barry Pepper provide excellent support for Hanks. 

-The two evil men do get their just desserts, with Wharton being shot to death and Percy needs up lobotomized, more or less, in a mental institution. 

-Graham Greene's role is painfully small. He needs more good roles in more good films.

-Gary Sinise also makes a cameo appearance as Coffey's defense attorney who thinks he's guilty. 

Dear Evan Hansen (2021)

 Pros: Yikes, it's hard to find a true positive thing about this film, which is such a shame, as there was so much potential, from the big name cast including Julianne Moore and Amy Adams, not to mention Ben Platt reprising his Tony-winning role as the titular Evan Hansen. Sure, the songs are great, but they were such a minor part of the film, it's a shame when they were the best part.

Cons: I feel that Platt wasn't miscast as many. Yes, he was too old and his hair was awkward, but I felt he did well with the role, considering he's done it hundreds of times before. Evan is a loner, with issues and while he makes a huge mistake, worming his way into a family who wished their actual son was as kind as Evan, he is still a leading character we need in Hollywood. However, the plot was offered an opportunity to highlight mental illness in teenagers, as Connor (Colton Ryan) clearly had some huge issues and honestly, thank goodness he only killed himself (which is still sad), it didn't focus on those very relevant issues, skimming over them instead, and that's unacceptable as so many are on anti-depressants and other medications to deal with the pressure of being a human. And also, while the songs were great (Requiem was especially a highlight), this film is not a musical, but rather a drama with songs sprinkled in. I guess the ending is a happy one, but it also fizzles out. And it's a shame that Amandla Stenberg's and Kailtyn Dever's performances were wasted as they are two of the most talented actresses of their generation. 

Recommend: Probably not

Grade: C+

Side Notes:

-Evan is undoubtedly a lonely child, as his father left and his mother works a lot as it is difficult to support the two of them without any financial support, so there is a wealth discrepancy between the two families as well. 

-Zoe (Devers) has no lost love for her brother, and he was largely a bully, misunderstood, but a bully nonetheless. 

-This is also one of the few films where the male and female leads don't end up together.

-The plot twist of Evan actually wanting to die is chilling and while devastating, certainly the best part of the film. 

The Straight Story (1999)

 Pros: An intriguing story of the stubborn, elderly Alvin Straight (Richard Farnsworth) who insists on making amends with his brother and as his eyesight is so bad, he can't drive, he rigs a John Deere lawn mower with a trailer and sets out for the 260 mile journey, so the story is simple but fascinating. Farnsworth is also a revelation. Sissy Spacek provides great support as his daughter and caretaker who has a bad stutter.

Cons: Though the plot portrays some of his struggles along the way, I can't believe that he would be hauling the supplies to butcher a deer and you also never see him go to the bathroom or drink a beverage until the end when he finally splurges on a beer. Also, there were no minorities whatsoever. 

Recommend: Yes

Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-Farnsworth's best scene is when he randomly meets up with another World War II veteran and explains how he accidentally shot his scout, thinking it was a wayward German soldier and how that still haunts him to this day.

-Spacek's Rose lost custody of her children due to the state misconstruing her mental capabilities, but where was there father? He's never mentioned. 

-It is also surprising that no one ever had a problem with Alvin just camping for the night on their property.

-Smoking is a disgusting habit, just saying.

-We never learn why there was a rift between brothers.

-Harry Dean Stanton has a cameo as Alvin's brother, Lyle. He's great in his teeny, tiny role. 

Operation Mincemeat (2022)

 Pros: The screenplay is tight, though complex, with several twists and turns (don't forgot to pay attention to the waiters), and the acting is excellent, as it should be with a stacked cast. And yes, the good guys win.

Cons: Honestly, not really any, though the one twist is a bit odd and you don't fully understand it until Ewen (Colin Firth) explains it and while the entire plot seemed improbable, a dead corpse on Spain's shores carrying classifying documents which need to be led to Hitler, as a specific series of steps need to ensue, but somehow, they happen. 

Recommend: Yes

Grade: B+

Side Notes: 

-Colin Firth and Matthew MacFadyen both star, vey for the girl, Jean Leslie (Kelly MacDonald) and both previously portrayed Mr. Darcy. While you can figure that out for Firth, MacFayden is nearly unrecognizable here. 

-Firth and MacDonald previously starred in Nanny McPhee. In that one, they ended up together.

-Penelope Wilton delivers great support as the devoted secretary to Ewen.

-Pay attention for a quick glimpse of Ruby Bentall, Verity, Poldark's unsung hero and voice of reason in Season One.

-Personally, I'm glad that Jean didn't marry either Charles (MacFadyen) or Ewen as Ewen was married and Charles was a jerk to her in that one scene, though he probably could have redeemed himself, if necessary.

-Ian Fleming (Johnny Flynn) was the narrator and played a small, but vital role as an ardent supporter of Mincemeat.

Two Women (1961)

Pros: Sophia Loren is great as Cesira, an Italian shopkeeper, widowed in the middle of World War II. However, while she delivers the performance of a lifetime (winning an Oscar), her character makes dubious decisions, including leaving the bombed out Rome and sleeping with a married man. Eleanora Brown as her daughter Rosetta is also great. The setting, lightning, cinematography and score are also great and painfully realistic.

Cons: The plot. Yeah, I had huge issues with it as Cesira first is desperate to flee Rome and then she gets to the hamlet where food is scarce and wants to head back to Rome and the timeless, as apparently at least a year passed and you wouldn't have known it. And that's a shame as Loren's superb performance was utterly wasted in this film, which is nothing more than mediocre at best.

Recommend: No

Grade: B-

Side Notes:

-Of note, the f word appears in a subtitle and a woman offers to feed them breast milk as her baby was killed by the Germans. The rape scene is relatively realistic, painful to watch but there isn't any blood shown afterwards.

-Mussolini is mentioned several times. His son would soon marry Sophia's younger sister.

-Jean-Paul Belmondo is cast as the male lead, an educated man living in the small village. His character feels oddly out of place and as the actor is French, he is also miscast. Still, he does the best he can with his role. 

-The ending is awful. I'm not upset that it was a sad ending, it's just that they were trying to get back to Rome, endured plenty of tragedy, but ends with them in a random village, in a stranger's house, holding each other, without any finality. But yes, there is growth of Cesira's end. She does finally admit that she can't always be strong. 

-Despite Loren's great performance, Natalie Wood was better in Splendor in the Grass. 

-This film pales in comparison to Vittorio De Sica's masterpiece Bicycle Thieves, though he directed this one also. See that one instead. 

Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)

Pros: Audrey Hepburn playing a near normal person is great to see. She comes from a humble upbringing, determined to better herself and yet, it doesn't seem to be completely going her way. Despite her excellent wardrobe, she's a call girl and can't stand real human relationships. She's great, and it's hard to hate an Audrey Hepburn film and at least she's a real character here, with a range of emotions, much better here than in that cheesy Roman Holiday, which is good but she's not as good as she is here. And the ending's happier. 

Cons: Paul Varjack (George Peppard) doesn't have much to do and tries but never fully embodies his character, plus, he's a bit of a jerk at times, though he does hit the nail on the head when he snaps at Holly, stating that she's already put herself in a box, he doesn't have to do it for her. Also, the plot is almost a pre-curser for Pretty Woman, only Paul isn't rich. 

Recommend: Yes

Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-Poor Cat, he really goes through a lot, getting thrown into a closet door and then she leaves him out in the rain, though fortunately she does come to her senses and rescues him.

-The supporting cast is solid with one notable exception. Patricia Neal, Buddy Ebsen and Martin Balsam shine in their supporting roles though Mickey Rooney is grossly miscast as the Japanese neighbor. It is probably one of the grossest casting mistakes in the history of Hollywood, though The whole cast of The Good Earth is also certainly on the list.

-Hepburn might have just have a baby before filming, but she's still super shiny and other than the pastry at the beginning, she doesn't eat anything throughout the course of this film and her only attempt at cooking is a disaster. 

-Her cigarette holder is almost deadly. 

-The scene where Holly and Paul attempt (and succeed) to steal from a Five and Dime is a work of genius.

-The score is utterly brilliant as well and the song 'Moon River' is a classic for a reason. 

Isadora (1968)

Pros: Vanessa Redgrave is a revelation as Isadora Duncan, who revolutionized dance, not to mention opened several dance schools across Europe.  She is unapologetic with how she lives her life, including having both her children out of wedlock, simply not wishing to get married. This film realistically shows an actress as pregnant and in labor, which was not common for the 1960s so that's refreshing to see. And the sets are great with flawless choreography. 

Cons: Well, in addition to the painfully tragic life Isadora led, losing all three (though only two are shown in the film) tragically young, there are other holes in her life, namely, how does Isadora become so famous in Europe? Sure, she's immensely talented, but we are not shown how she rises from a lonely dance hall gal to selling out large venues in Europe. And they show her death, which is a tragic fluke, death by scarf.

Recommend: Maybe, Redgrave is that good

Grade: B

Side Notes:

-James Fox, Jason Robards and Ivan Tchenko give good support as some of Isadora's numerous lovers.

-Isadora's costumes are similar to what is shown on Dancing with the Stars so they must have been downright scandalous for the time.

-What a performance goes awry, Isadora pulls down her blouse, barring her breasts to the conservative American audience.

-Though she does get married, the reasons seem weak to me, not to mention, Sergei (Tchenko) is borderline abusive and certainly a tortured artist. 

-It must have been difficult having out of wedlock children in the early twentieth century. 

The Lion in Winter (1968)

Pros: Peter O'Toole and Katharine Hepburn shine as King Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, who is painfully underportrayed in Hollywood, though she certainly lived a rather adventurous and colorful life. The acting is top notch, as each actor chews the scenery off the wall in each scene. Hepburn fully deserved her third Oscar for this film.

Cons: Despite the solid acting and top-notch dialogue, all the characters are conniving and cunningly cruel, each son wants the thrown and each parent has their favorite, and they each have their own wants that they are desperate to fulfill. In the end, none of them win, and the brothers hate each other more than when they started and Henry and Eleanor still both love and hate each other. And King Philip of France (Timothy Dalton), son of Eleanor's first husband, might or might not be at war with them, over some disputed land.

Recommend: Yes

Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-Hollywood has tons of films and TV shows and/or miniseries about the British monarchy but not enough about Eleanor, a rare woman landowner in the latter half of the 12th century. Plus, she had two rocky marriages and gave birth to ten children.

-Anthony Hopkins is brilliant as a young Richard the Lionheart and he's magnificent.

-A homosexual relationship between Richard and Philip is heavily implied. 

-The setting is rather stark and cold though I suppose it was realistic as everything was crude and simple back then. 

-Though the film occurs at Christmastime, it is far from a cheery celebration, though Eleanor is finally out of prison. Yes, that's right, Henry has her confined because that's how much she pisses him off. 

Parallel Mothers (2021)

 Pros: Penelope Cruz is a wonder as Janis, a photographer who gets pregnant later in life. She delivers a brilliant performance. Milena Smit is also great as her teenage counterpart, Ana, surprised at her pregnancy when she's so young and from different circumstances. 

Cons: I did have issues with the plot, predicting that the baby girls (Cecelia and Anita) were switched at birth as they both needed to be taken in for observation, noticing that Janis's Cecelia appeared Asian in descent, and then the tragedy of losing Anita (Janis's biological daughter, raised by Ana). I also found the growing relationship between Janis and Ana turning romantic was a step that could have been avoided. Still, while I love a happy ending (Janis is pregnant again), I needed more clarity on if she and Ana were back together. Though the screenplay was clever and solid, I just didn't like where it went necessarily.

Recommend: Maybe

Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-Anita dies of a crib death, aka SIDs, which is rare.

-Though Janis places a call to a lawyer, it is unclear if any repercussions were pursued against the hospital, as they are to blame.

-Though Janis changed her phone number, when called out, she simply gives out her new number freely.

-Ana's relationship with her mother (Aitana Sanchez-Gijon) could have a film in itself.

-Ana is essentially gang-raped, having sex with the first guy freely while the others watched. They then blackmailed her into having sex with them or else the tape would be released. That's just sick. 

Goodfellas (1990)

 Pros: Well, I don't really know where to go with this. Sure, the film was great as a whole, with a solid screenplay, top-notch filmmaking, creative editing and cinematography and superb acting, and yes, trigger-happy Tommy (Joe Pesci) gets his revenge but it is just so violent and drug-fueled, about people who think they are better than everyone else and deserve special treatment. And normally over narration is annoying, but I felt that it really worked for this film.

Cons: As I mentioned above, these are greedy, nasty people not to mention violent. For example, the lead Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) is the only able who's allowed to beat his wife, Karen (the great Lorraine Bracco). And God forbid you cross someone, they will whack you. It's absolutely insane.

Recommend: It is a classic for a reason, but I'd rather not watch it again. 

Grade: A-

Side Notes:

-The only reason I would watch this film again is because I didn't notice that Samuel L. Jackson has a small role as Snatch, who ruins a large heist for them by getting high.

-The film also stars Robert De Niro and Paul Sorvino as the two rival mob leaders. Each have their own unique styles of controlling and ways to make business. 

-Karen and Henry have an interesting first date as he isn't even interested in her and then stands her up and she gets super pissed. As she yells at him, he falls in love with her. 

-Cocaine is Henry's downfall, which he gets involved with once he actually has to go to prison.

-For Henry's first arrest and vacated conviction, they treat him as though he just lost his virginity. 

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

 I finally watched this film. Beware, spoilers ahead.

Pros: This film is a classic for a reason. Though it is gruesome and painfully tragic, everything about this film screams realism, from the elaborate set to carefully coordinated battle scenes and the gritty performances. Despite the weak points in the plot, this screenplay is still quite solid as there were just so many details to make sure come together beautifully. There were also some twists, including having another James Ryan (Nathan Fillion) being located first, before the one they were looking for. The cast is also top-notch and each are brilliant, truly inhabiting their roles.

Cons: I did have a few issues with the screenplay. While I do believe that a mother could easily lose three sons to the war, I find it hard to believe that all would die seemingly at once, and this whole time I was expecting James Ryan (Matt Damon) to die, when it is the lead, the captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) who dies, laying down his life so James's mother doesn't have to bury her remaining son. So even I managed to be surprised. I went into this film thinking that Private Ryan died, so I was shocked. And yes, they made Private Ryan was quite noble, refusing to take the easy way out, not leaving his post, despite the orders.

Recommend: Despite the grim body count, yes.

Grade: A-

Side Notes:

-The excellent supporting cast includes Paul Giamatti, Edward Burns, Tom Sizemore, Adam Goldberg, Barry Pepper, Ted Danson, Bryan Cranston, Vin Diesel (who tragically dies trying to save some kids who are never seen again) and Dennis Farina.

-Other than the young French girl, I don't think females uttered any lines in this film.

-Some soldiers wear wedding rings; others including Captain Miller does not.

-No wonder Miller understood the poet, he teaches English composition.

-So many die upon the Normandy landing that the tide is red.

-The men barely eat, drink, sleep or go to the bathroom during the course of this film.

-Though I am largely a pacifist, even I clapped when Jackson (Pepper) took out the German sniper. 

Leaving Las Vegas (1995)

 Pros: A gritty, realistic film, Nicolas Cage is not just acting like an alcoholic, you truly believe that he is an alcoholic and Elisabeth Shue is solid as Sera, the prostitute who somehow falls in love with him and while the rest of world judges Ben (Cage) for being an alcoholic, she just accepts him for what he is. Of course, there is no happy ending and, for a change, I'm oddly okay with that.

Cons: Despite the screenplay being nominated for an Oscar, I found it jumbled with Ben appearing to hit rock bottom and run out of money before losing his job so those scenes seemed out of order to me with no explanation given. Intercutting Sera's scenes with a therapist after Ben's death was also odd. 

Recommend: Honestly, probably not

Grade: B

Side Notes:

-There is also a gruesome rape scene but done realistically, with bleeding afterward.

-Apparently, Laurie Metcalf is the landlady at the complex where Sera lives. 

-We never receive true clarity on what happened to Ben's wife and son.

-Starting a fire in your house is never a good idea.