Empire of Light (2022)

 Pros: Despite the relatively simple plot and largely unknown cast, this film is memorizing. Hilary (Olivia Colman) is a mentally unstable theater supervisor who befriends and has a wild affair with her young co-worker, Stephen (Micheal Ward). Each have their own demons, not to mention a vast age gap. Hilary has a mental illness and Stephen deals with the vile racism in 1981 coastal England. It is a gentle story but one worth watching.

Cons: In addition to the mutual attraction between Hilary and Stephen, she is initially engaged in an affair with the theater owner, Donald Ellis (Colin Firth), despite him being married. However, after her breakdown and subsequent stay in a mental ward, he has moved, for unclear reasons. While that needed to happen as Hilary needed to return to the theater, it was too convenient for him to have left. Still, other than that, the screenplay (from director Sam Mendes himself) is top-notch.

Recommend: Yes

Grade: A-

Side Notes:

-Of course despite Hilary being a solid character, constantly pissed off and misused by men, I was rooting for Stephen to end up with Ruby (Crystal Clarke, Georgiana from Sandition) his first love, emotions clearly written all over his face.

-It is always hilarious when two people try to keep their relationship a secret and they such a bad job of it that their co-worker can't help but two and two together. 

-Films about the love of movies are always great; a better example is the brilliant 1989 Italian film Cinema Paradiso. 

-Toby Jones's character can't even remember why he left his son so therefore it mustn't have been for a good reason. 

Women Talking (2022)

 Pros: A taunt screenplay from director Sarah Polley and brilliant acting lead the way with a plot that is sadly becoming commonplace as a group of Mennonite women gather to discuss how to deal with the men of their colony who rape them en masse. It is disturbing especially since the men try to normalize everything and even rationale everything, telling the women that everything is in their heads. Each character is unique and perfectly acted; however, with so many good performances, the women probably cancelled each other out at the Oscars, leaving this film with a pitiful amount of nominations, though it deserved a lot more.

Cons: Seriously, you're going to cast three-time Oscar winner Frances McDormand in such a small role? She has literally three minutes of screen time and only about two lines, plus some great stern looks. That's it. The actress, film and viewer all deserve better.

Recommend: Yes but this film should come with a trigger warning.

Grade: A-

Side Notes:

-Their are brilliant performances from both the established and unknown including Rooney Mara, Jessie Buckley, Claire Foy, Ben Whitshaw, Judith Ivey, Sheila McCarthy, Liv McNeil, Michelle McLeod and August Winter.

-As the lone man, August (Whitshaw) is the schoolteacher who loves Ona (Mara) and is the only literate one present.

-Yes, that's right, the women albeit incredibly well-spoken, they are uneducated and cannot read or write.

-The tender love story between Ona, pregnant with her attacker's child and August is incredibly sweet though it cannot be.

-In the end the women decide to leave, while August stays behind, tasked with the impossible mission to educate the young boys to make better decision.

-The transgender character of Nettie/Melvin (Winter) is portrayed surprisingly well for women sequestered from the rest of the world. 

Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody

 Pros: Naomi Ackie gives a brilliant performance, covering nearly thirty years of Whitney's life, from her life as a high schooler/gospel singer, singing backup for her famous mother, to being discovered by Clive Davis (Stantley Tucci, solid), from her doomed from the start marriage to Bobby Brown (Ashton Sanders) to her tragic descent into drugs which subsequently ruin her career but more importantly, her exquisite voice. The film plods along pretty quickly and spares no expense, perfectly re-creating some iconic moments, but Ackie is worth watching.

Cons: Despite the film covering so much, you don't really understand why Whitney wants a husband and family, which is key as that decision drives her to leave her girlfriend, the solid and ethical Robyn Crawford (Nafessa Williams). Instead, she opts to marry Bobby, who openly cheats on her and is the person I blame for her downfall, though her father, John (Clarke Peters) also shoulders a large part of the blame, using her talent as his own personal vending machine. 

Recommend: Probably

Grade: B

Side Notes:

-Despite Whitney's massive wealth, she's always broke because her father starts a company and passes out corporate credit cards as though they are candy. Yikes.

-Whitney's brothers are mentioned only once along with her father's second wife.

-Tamara Tunie is great as Whitney's mother who is living to this day.

-For a biopic, Whitney only has two love interests.

-Pay attention to the fan who leaves Whitney his pen. The role is so small I don't even know who portrays her sneaky drug dealer. 

Bicycle Thieves (1948)

 Pros: A simple plot, detailing how important a mere bicycle is to a poor Italian family, struggling to stay afloat in the post-World War II era economy. Antonio (Lamberto Maggiorani) needs it for his good new job, but it is stolen on his first day and then he sets out in nearly a blind-rage to find it, making foolish, rash decisions along the way, ignoring his son, Bruno (Enzo Staiola, great), not even realizing Bruno's falling into a puddle. The plot is simple but brilliant and the acting, most of which is done by non-professionals is utterly heart-wrenching and makes this film a must-see.

Cons: Some of the dialogue is dated and there are some jarring and inconsistent editing cuts but those are minor details in one of the best films of all time.

Recommend: Yes

Grade: A

Side Notes:

-Antonio's wife, Maria (Lianella Careli) is long suffering, but supportive, immediately selling the sheets to get her husband's bicycle back. 

-While Antonio is upset that his wife goes to the fortune-teller, he nevertheless goes the next day to unsatisfactory results.

-Despite his inner turmoil, Antonio tries to steal a bike himself, but is caught. If only that many had been around to help him get his bike back. Fortunately, the bike owner takes pity on him and doesn't press charges, leaving Antonio, to return home, utterly defeated and in despair.

-While there might only be one thief, there is also the look-out so yes, the title, Bicycle Thieves, is the most accurate one. 

Everything, Everywhere All at Once (2022)

 Pros: Flawless acting from Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu and Ke Huy Quan make this film worth your time as they are the same person, but several different version of the same person and make each one utterly believable. The film mechanics are also brilliant, from the setting and mise-en-scene (aka aesthetics), make-up, costumes and editing, everything is top notch in a film that must have been difficult to piece together. 

Cons: I might be in the minority and based on the others in the theater, I certainly am, I found the film confusing (multi-verses normally are) and honestly, it was just too weird for me, though I did like the happy (I guess?) ending, with the family all back together though I'm not too sure how they can be whole after everything their alter egos did in the other worlds. 

Recommend: Honestly, probably not

Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-Jamie Lee Curtis earns her first Oscar-nomination for this film as the IRS auditor and while she's memorable in her brief role, Hsu is far better.

-James Hong is great as Evelyn's (Yeoh's) father. Other supporting characters are portrayed by Jenny Slate and Harry Shum, Jr.

-It must be interesting owning a laundromat/drycleaners. 

-The animals used in the film are clearly fake and thank goodness for that dog's sake.

-Other than the obviously fake animals, the special effects are superb. 

Ray (2004)

 Pros: Jamie Foxx delivers a brilliant performance, fully embodying the celebrated, albeit troubled singer, eyes usually sealed shut, his gait awkward and his singing and piano playing flawless. The film actually details his love life (which is wild), his career and his never-ending drug addiction, with flashbacks to his difficult and tragic childhood. While the screenplay gets a bit metaphysical and some important events are left out (for example, his first albeit brief marriage), it is still solid and as a result, this is one of the best musical biopics I've seen. The supporting performances and overall feel of film are also unforgettable. 

Cons: Again, this film leaves out several important events in Charles's life, and doesn't accurately gauge how old he is at the beginning, though the one bus driver easily believes that he's a World War II vet, blinded by the war, when in reality, he was just fourteen when the war ended. And you don't know how the feds or police figure out Charles has drugs on him, and I feel that is something important left out. Also, the film does focus a great deal on his drug addiction, when I felt it should have focused more on the music.

Recommend: Yes

Grade: A-

Side Notes:

-Kerry Washington, Aunjanue Ellis and Regina King star as three of the women in Ray's life with Sharon Warren as his mother, a lowly wash woman who instills a fierce sense of independence in her disabled son. 

-Ray is incredibly observant and he needs to be to survive in a cruel world, to both African Americans and people with disabilities. 

-Georgia eventually realizes their mistake and allows Ray to perform in that state again, which is certainly a crowing achievement for him. Quite frankly, I'm surprised they came to their sense so quickly (hah! after eighteen years) when some things still have not been resolved. 

-It was also surprising to me at how many genres Charles excelled in and the thought that he asked to own his masters, something that is vitally important for artists. 

What's Love Got to Do with It? (1993)

 Pros: The acting is great, even though Ike Turner (Laurence Fishburne) is a complete and total narcissistic prick who abuses his more talented wife, whom he named Tina (Angela Bassett), horribly and constantly. The film covers a lot in a relatively short amount of time, but the acting and feel of the film as a whole are completely solid, complete with excellent costumes and a great soundtrack and Bassett delivers an excellent performance.

Cons: Due to covering so much in so little time, there are a lot of gaps in the timeline and events that are brushed over, especially after Tina finally divorces Ike and is left penniless. Still, despite the odds, she rises and is better than ever, albeit heartbroken and crestfallen. 

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

Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-Tina Turner's actual name is Anna May Bullock.

-Jenifer Lewis portrays Tina's mother in this film but later on in Black-ish, she would be the ex-wife of Laurence Fishburne. 

-The mother of Ike's two oldest boys leaves them with him, which is just awful given how wretched he truly is.