tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55962274488272786722024-03-16T14:50:28.417-04:00Arch CampbellI hope you see something good at the moviesArch Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669097672748368232noreply@blogger.comBlogger1033125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596227448827278672.post-83160204400832442932024-03-15T16:30:00.001-04:002024-03-16T14:13:29.481-04:00Movie Guide<div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0JKYnqALhtaWi6MgpP2x70cHpvFoZOJKT4QOzVtpFXQrTUWhwhOc7hS4tNAmSUPi1sJdchVHEOKK1B2hRI0mxpj3T4-wxa4ZDz1T2eLUMpKAiWeKmiIpQ2irzp2ip4Pyym3al_ugosxtPC8IKAkgPdBV12MTb7KzhiyV5_sbYyS207IuallG0bZr5/s1240/6240.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="744" data-original-width="1240" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0JKYnqALhtaWi6MgpP2x70cHpvFoZOJKT4QOzVtpFXQrTUWhwhOc7hS4tNAmSUPi1sJdchVHEOKK1B2hRI0mxpj3T4-wxa4ZDz1T2eLUMpKAiWeKmiIpQ2irzp2ip4Pyym3al_ugosxtPC8IKAkgPdBV12MTb7KzhiyV5_sbYyS207IuallG0bZr5/s320/6240.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mark Rylance stars in The Phantom of the Open</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><b>Oppenheimer - </b>4 Stars - STREAMING - THEATERS - July 21, 2023 - The rise and fall of a great man. In this case, J. Robert Oppenheimer, father of the atomic bomb ending WWII. Ambition, guilt and genius build him up and tear him down. A brilliant true life epic. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Perfect Days - 4 </b>Stars - December 1, 2023 - THEATERS - STREAMING - A beautifully simple story of a Tokyo public toiler cleaner and why he chooses the life he leads. Will stay with you long after watching. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>The Zone of Interest</b> - 4 Stars - THEATERS - STREAMING - February 2, 2024. The Commandant of Auschwitz and his wife live a beautiful life while millions die on the other side of their garden wall. Powerful and un-nerving. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Maestro - </b>4 Stars - NETFLIX - December 1, 2023 - Bradley Cooper recreates 20th Century icon Leonard Bernstein, with music, dance, and exuberance. The great man is seen through the eyes of Cary Mulligan as long-suffering wife and muse. Portrait of a not very nice genius. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>May/December</b> - 3 1/2 Stars - NETFLIX - November 10, 2022 - Natalie Portman as actress visiting notorious couple Julianne Moore and Charles Melton to prepare for a film on them. Moore had sex and a child by Melton when he was 13. The new triangle upsets this apple cart. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>American Fiction</b> - 3 1/2 Stars - STREAMING - THEATERS - December 22, 2023 - Jeffrey Wright stars as a frustrated writer who challenges outdated stereotypes of the Black community in ways both thoughtful and funny. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Nyad - </b>3 1/2 Stars - NETFLIX - October 20, 2023 - Thriller chapter of swimmer Diana Nyad's quest to swim from Cuba to Key West after turning 60. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>The Holdovers - </b>3 1/2 Stars - STREAMING - November 10, 2023 - Paul Giamatti plays prep school professor assigned to watch over students left behind for the holidays. Teen Dominic Sessa proves his match. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Flora and Son - </b>3 1/2 Stars - APPLE TV - September 29, 2023 - Irish single mother struggles with her 14-year-old son. They bond over music including online guitar lessons from a surprising Joseph Gordon-Levitt</div><div><br /></div><div><b>The Burial - </b>3 1/2 Stars - AMAZON PRIME - September 11, 1023 - small businessman Tommy Lee Jones hires charismatic lawyer Jamie Foxx to take on the giant corporation trying to buy him out. Delightful David and Goliath tale. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Past Lives - </b>3 1/2 Stars - STREAMING - June 7, 2023. Childhood sweethearts break apart when her family immigrates to America. He stays, reconnects, they stop, and then they meet. Wistful and thought provoking. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Air - </b>3 1/2 Stars - AMAZON PRIME - April 7, 2023 - Matt Damon and Ben Affleck recreate Nike's decision to create the Air Jordan sneaker for Michael Jordan. Viola Davis steals the movie s Michael's mother. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>You Hurt My Feelings - </b>3 1/2 Stars - STREAMING - May 26, 2023 - Julia Louie Dreyfus delights in a post Woody Allen Manhattan centric comedy of marriage and manners. The plot revolves around an unexpected word of truth. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Killers of the Flower Moon - </b>3<b> </b>Stars - NETFLIX - Moments of brilliance<b> </b>recreate story of 1920s murder of Osage Indians for their oil wealth. Martin Scorsese takes too long and tacks on a jarring ending. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Dream Scenario</b> - 3 Stars - STREAMING - November 10, 2023 - Nicolas Cage can't figure out why he shows up in everyone's dreams. A fun, bizarre, trip through fame and ill fortune. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Theater Camp - </b>3 Stars - HULU - July 14, 2023 - Spinal Tap style mockumentary of theater summer camp on the brink of bankruptcy until an unknown saves the big show. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Barbie - </b>3 Stars - MAX - July 21, 2023. Greta Gerwig lampoons and celebrates the iconic doll with barbed and insightful humor. As Barbie, Margot Robbie delights. </div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Saltburn</b> - 2 1/2 Stars - THEATERS - November 17, 2023 --- Oxford student makes friends with rich kid who brings him home for the summer. A slow build to a scorching ending. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Boys in the Boat - </b>2 1/2 Stars - THEATERS - December 25, 2023 - depression era rowing team goes to the Olympics. By the numbers inspiring sports story. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Poor Things</b> - 2 Stars - THEATERS - December 8, 2023 - Update of <i>Bride of</i> <i>Frankenstein,</i> this time she discovers sex. Big Oscar winner, but not for me. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Anatomy of a Fall</b> - 1 Star - STREAMING - October 13, 2023 - Mentioned as Oscar contender but not in my book. Dull mystery of unhappy wife accused of killing her husband. In Franch/English. R</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Arch Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669097672748368232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596227448827278672.post-39649669511598292452023-12-28T17:46:00.006-05:002024-01-03T12:29:09.920-05:00Some Great Movies from 2023 <p> Best Movies of 2023 </p><p>1. Oppenheimer - History as epic </p><p>2. Maestro - the Price of Genius </p><p>3. Killers of the Flower Moon - Criminal epic </p><p>4. Past Lives - Delicate Romance</p><p>5. Zone of Interest - Corporate Evil </p><p>6. The Holdovers - Teacher/Student Break Through </p><p>7. Nyad - Exuberant Sports Triumph </p><p>8. American Fiction - Biting Satire </p><p>9. Barbie - Biggest of the Year </p><p>10. Still - Michael J. Fox inspires </p><p><br /></p><p>Honorable Mention: </p><p>Air, The Burial, Theater Camp, No Hard Feelings, The Lost King, Dream Senario </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Arch Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669097672748368232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596227448827278672.post-986756487088122602023-12-07T11:23:00.003-05:002023-12-07T11:23:27.584-05:00Saltburn - 2 1/2 STARS - THEATERS - November 7, 2023 <p><i>Saltburn c</i>reates yet another riff on Scott Fitzgerald's great line "The rich are different from you and me." Boy, are they ever in this comic thriller. Young Oliver Quick, played by Barry Keoghan, arrives at Cambridge on scholarship, out classed, out dressed, out socialized. An encounter with golden boy Felix Catton changes things. Soon poor waif Oliver runs with the in crowd, earning a trip to the Catton's family estate Saltburn for the summer. The parents played by Rosamund Pike and Richard Grant, happily ignore life's annoyances. <i>Saltburn</i> takes it's time like a slow burn, until the concluding few minutes when it catches fire and blazes. </p>Arch Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669097672748368232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596227448827278672.post-53375108455964838752023-12-04T17:37:00.006-05:002023-12-04T18:05:58.263-05:00May/December - 3 1/2 Stars - November 17, 2023 - NETFLIX <p>Director Todd Haynes specializes in slightly disturbing off kilter female centric tales. He's produced a doozie in <i>May/December. </i> Based on the tabloid story of a woman in her thirties who falls for and has sex with a 13-year-old boy, <i>May/December </i>poses this what if: what if the couple gets married when the older woman gets out of jail, has more children, and settles down to a placid suburban life. Twenty years pass, and their children prepare to leave the nest. Julianne Moore plays Gracie, married to Joe played by Charles Melton. As the couple prepare for the empty nest, actress Elizabeth Berry arrives to shadow the family an upcoming movie. The triangle heats with anxiety and tension, as Elizabeth channels Gracie, and Joe begins to question the relationship. <i>May/Decembe</i>r feels like a car crash. It dares you to look away. The conclusion feels eerie, weird, and creepy---in the best sense of the word. </p>Arch Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669097672748368232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596227448827278672.post-48228880306938614592023-12-03T14:03:00.003-05:002023-12-04T18:03:45.260-05:00Maestro --- 4 Stars --- December 1, 2023 --- THEATERS --- Netflix <p><i>Maestro</i> sweeps us into the whirlwind of composer/conductor/celebrity Leonard Bernstein, one of the most creative minds of the 20th Century. Bradley Cooper's screenplay views Bernstein through the eyes of his wife Felicia, played by Carey Mulligan. Her view steers us away from hero worship or greatest hits into the exasperation of a straight woman married to a bi-sexual genius. The Bernstein we see overflows with talent and ideas almost to the point of exhaustion. The first third, in black and white, showing their courtship, celebrates American culture of the 40's and 50's. They mingle with names casually dropped: Aaron Copeland, Bruno Walter, and Lorenz Hart. A party scene with Betty Comden and Adolph Green delights. Early on, director and star Bradley Cooper whisks Bernstein from his bed into the balcony of Carnegie Hall and onto the stage as a substitute conductor in a performance that makes him famous. The lovers gallop from one setting to another, landing in the middle of Bernstein's "On the Town" ballet. This creative genius comes with narcissism and a toll on those in the orbit. <i>Maestro's</i> balance tilts toward Felicia, the grounding influence making Bernstein's success possible. Bradley Cooper soars as Bernstein, however Carey Mulligan wins our attention. I listen to classical music every day. I have fond memories of a high school band teacher taking us through the brilliant score of <i>West Side Story. </i>I never admired Bernstein's conducting style---arms flying like a windmill. I thought he distracted from the music. I'm dropping my grudge after watching <i>Maestro.</i> </p>Arch Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669097672748368232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596227448827278672.post-31195764499785153532023-11-24T16:27:00.001-05:002023-11-24T16:27:09.554-05:00Killers of the Flower Moon - 3 Stars - THEATERS - October 20, 2023 <p><i> Killers of the Flower Moon</i> shines a light on history that needs repeating. Set in 1920's Oklahoma, fate changes the plight of the Osage Indians, starving on their reservation land as the story begins. Oil bursts from the ground, making members of the once impoverished tribe wealthy. Wiley rancher William Hale, played by Robert De Niro, notices the number of white men marrying Osage women and sharing in their oil rights. Taking his young nephew, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, under his wing, De Niro suggests the young man find a wealthy Osage woman. He finds Mollie, a gentle spirit played by Lily Gladstone. Soon, the couple forms a family. DiNiro makes a great villain, whispering orders to DiCaprio much as Don Corleone whispered to Michael in the Godfather. <i>Killers of the flower Moon</i> recreates 1920's Oklahoma beautifully, providing epic landscapes to an epic story. The much discussed three and a half hour running time feels fine until the last hour. Director Martin Scorsese has produced an epic with moments of brilliance. He wraps with a head scratcher of an ending, breaking the spell so carefully created. </p>Arch Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669097672748368232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596227448827278672.post-11979053058380091922023-11-23T16:19:00.003-05:002023-11-24T16:28:52.672-05:00The Holdovers - 3 1/2 Stars - November 10, 2023 - THEATERS <p><i>The Holdovers</i> reunites actor Paul Giamatti with director Alexander Payne, the man who turned their last collaboration into the delightful film <i>Sideways.</i> Payne also charmed audiences with <i>Nebraska</i> and <i>The Descendants</i>, arguably one of George Clooney's greatest roles. So, what I'm saying is, they had me at "Hello." Giamatti teaches ancient history at a prep school somewhere in the far northeast. The guy isn't exactly Mr. Chips, in fact, the students hate him, making fun of him behind his back. Even the administration doesn't like him, which explains the set up. The professor is required to stay in school over the holidays babysitting several young students unable to go home for various reasons. A twist of fate leaves Giamatti with the excellent young actor Dominic Sessa. The school cook played by Da'Vine Joy Randolph rounds out the characters, who ultimately take off on a road trip where everyone learns a thing or two from each other. Although the plot is fairly predictable, it's good predictable. I liked where it took me. You won't find <i>The Holdovers</i> on one of your screening services for a while. That's ok. This one's worth trekking to the theater to watch. </p>Arch Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669097672748368232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596227448827278672.post-45670745704455002252023-11-23T16:18:00.001-05:002023-11-24T16:29:59.270-05:00Nyad - 3 1/2 Stars - October 20, 2023, NETFLIX<p><i>Nyad</i> turns a true life sports story into a compelling film. Annette Benning plays competitive swimmer Diana Nyad, whose achievements included swimming around Manhattan and breaking the open ocean record tackling the swim from the Bahamas to Florida. Decades pass, and on turning 60, Nyad decides to train for the one swim that eluded her---the swim from Cuba to Florida, a 103-mile marathon. Benning does much of her own swimming. Cheered on and coached by her friend Bonnie Stoll, Nyad endured several failed attempts. As Stoll, Jodie Foster turbo charges the story, which moves at a clip from the opening frame. I especially liked the manner in which the filmmakers explain Nyad to those who might not remember her achievements. Foster and Benning make as great a team as the real Nyad and Stoll. I found <i>Nyad</i> one of the year's best. </p>Arch Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669097672748368232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596227448827278672.post-16276940175429972582023-11-23T15:58:00.004-05:002023-11-23T15:58:56.443-05:00Anatomy of a Fall - 1 Star - October 13, 2023 - THEATERS <p>The critics are buzzing over <i>Anatomy of a Fall</i>, (French subtitled some English) a mystery surrounding a disintegrating marriage. As the story begins, a young woman arrives to interview a successful writer played by Sandra Huller. During the meeting her husband, working a few flights above, plays music so loud the interview must stop. The couple's son leaves the chalet to walk the family dog. On returning, he discovers his father has fallen from his attic room to his death. Who done it? Did Ms. Huller push him, or simply drive him to suicide. The French justice system will leave those of us unfamiliar with it scratching our heads. Gradually clues drop, and pieces of the puzzle fall into place. The conclusion, for me, falls as flat as the husband's descent from his attic room. <i>Anatomy of a Fall</i> suffers from too high expectations. Lower yours if you go. I'm waiting to watch Huller in another highly touted film <i>The Zone of Interest.</i> </p>Arch Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669097672748368232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596227448827278672.post-37829099439856403402023-10-15T19:18:00.001-04:002023-10-15T19:18:21.197-04:00The Burial - 3 1/2 Stars -AMAZON PRIME - October 13, 2023 <p><i>The Burial</i> teams Tommy Lee Jones and Jamie Foxx - a small businessman and charismatic lawyer taking on a giant corporation. Jones owns a string of funeral homes. A large corporation offers to buy part of the business, then delays completing the contract. The adversaries go to court, and the drama heats. Bill Camp provides an excellent villain - a one percenter who conducts business on his multi-million-dollar yacht. <i>The Burial </i>addresses the issues of race and corporate greed with subtle aplomb. The stakes increase as Camp hires one of the most powerful Black firms in the country to fight Foxx, whose firm specializes in personal injury cases. Jurnee Smollett arrives with credentials and attitude. <i>The Burial </i>tells its predictable story with great humor and heart. The plot, most certainly enhanced for dramatic effect, comes complete with echos of <i>Erin Brockovich.</i> Nothing wrong with that in my book. </p>Arch Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669097672748368232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596227448827278672.post-23105938456946859342023-10-01T13:19:00.001-04:002023-10-01T13:20:52.814-04:00Flora and Son - 3 1/2 Stars - APPLE TV - THEATERS - September 29, 2023<p> A single mother struggles with her 14-year-old son. One afternoon she rescues a guitar from a trash heap in hopes the gift will bring them together. The guitar achieves its purpose just not the way you expect. <i>Flora and Son</i> arrives courtesy creative genius John Carney, the filmmaker behind the naturalistic musical <i>Once.</i> Fans will take particular notice of lead actress Eve Hewson who happens to be Bono's daughter. Actor Joeph Gordon-Levett adds another layer of delight as an online guitar teacher who takes Flora as a client when her son shows no interest in guitar. Gordon-Levett speaks to the love of music that drives <i>Flora and</i> <i>Son's</i> charm. A few sessions with him, and Flora finds her own voice. I especially love a scene in which Flora watches a video of Joni Mitchell singing her timeless <i>Both Sides</i> <i>Now</i>. I love the way <i>Flora and Son</i> lets the music play allowing us to cheer for these characters, even if we know where the story's going. Fans of the recent Academy Award winner<i> CODA</i> will warm to <i>Flora</i> <i>and Son.</i> The two films resonate. </p><p><br /></p>Arch Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669097672748368232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596227448827278672.post-33800296508944060712023-09-23T14:26:00.001-04:002023-09-23T14:26:04.518-04:00Theater Camp - 3 Stars - HULU - July 14, 2023 <p> <i>Theater Camp </i>opens with a crisis. The founder of a longtime summer camp for drama nerds falls into a coma, turning her beloved institution over to her clueless son. Also, the camp is on the verge of bankruptcy. But faster than you can say "Let's put on a show!" Theater Camp puts on a show and roars to a delightful conclusion complete with a last-minute Peggy Sawyer type coming to the rescue. That Peggy Sawyer reference is an in-joke which is to say theater buffs will gets plenty of in-house laughs, but even if you never took a drama course, you'll find much to like in this breezy mockumentary comedy. Molly Gordon (I loved her in season 2 of The Bear) and Ben Platt hold the camp together with personal drama, hot tears of despair, and heart. Jimmy Tatro makes a fine villain. Noah Galvin saves the day, in more ways than one, including a laugh out loud come out of nowhere turn. I confess, I spent my first year in college taking drama courses and acting as silly as the characters in <i>Theater Camp</i>. Of course, I loved it. One more thing, the young campers of this production are talented and delightful. They help <i>Theater Camp </i>fill 94 minutes with good cheer. </p>Arch Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669097672748368232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596227448827278672.post-32998966552078184192023-08-14T17:36:00.003-04:002023-08-14T17:36:36.778-04:00Asteroid City - 1 Star - Theaters May 23, 2023 PEACOCK - August 11, 2023<p>I love Wes Anderson's work. <i>The Grand Budapest Hotel </i>remains one of my all time favorites. In his career, Anderson perfected the art of making comedies that take place in beautiful portrait like settings. He sets his camera wide and lets the action take place within the frame. Somehow in the <i>Barbie</i> and <i>Oppenheimer</i> rush of the summer, I never made it to <i>Asteroid City.</i> Once it opened, I began to hear disappointing feed back. As of August 11th, Peacock began streaming <i>Asteroid City. </i>Thanks to my Peacock subscription,<i> </i>I can tell you it's as bad as everyone says. As the film begins, Bryan Cranston introduces the story of playwright Edward Norton working out his scenes of a visit to a New Mexico village famous for rumors of a spaceship landing. The playwright scenes come in black and white - much the same as the technique used successfully in <i>Oppenheimer. </i>The play within a play comes in full color, set in an arid desert with dollhouse like settings in which the characters explain themselves. The retro 1950's setting and look play tio Wes Anderson's strength. Once the dialog gets going, the story turns boring, so boring that Anderson's usual settings can't pull this off. I think I might download <i>Grand Budapest</i> again, or watch Anderson's masterful<i> The Royal Tenenbaums.</i> Thanks to streaming, I can watch the classics. And thanks to streaming, Peacock saved me a disappointing trip to a theater. </p>Arch Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669097672748368232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596227448827278672.post-30832791900484835012023-08-02T13:22:00.001-04:002023-08-02T13:23:28.562-04:00Barbie - 3 Stars - July 21, 2023 - THEATERS <p>Director/Actress Greta Gerwig seals her place as one of our time's cleverest filmmakers. In <i>Barbie,</i> Gerwig fashions a story that manages to both lampoon and celebrate the iconic doll, raising consciousness while delivering laugh out loud lines and situations. Margot Robbie makes a perfect <i>Barbie</i>, finding her way from Barbie land to the real world in a journey with echos of <i>The Wizard of Oz</i> and <i>Pinocchio. </i> She's the doll who wants to be a real girl. Ryan Gosling turns Barbie's boyfriend Ken into a punchline with a message. <i>Barbie</i> gives movie fans both enjoyment and conversation long after the credits. I miss the days when movies made their way into almost every conversation almost every week. Thanks, <i>Barbie</i>, for bringing that back. A shout out to America Ferrara, who plays a Mattel executive and cues up a stirring monologue. I remembered America's wonderful turn in <i>Real Women Have Curves</i> and the echos of that story in Greta Gerwig's <i>Ladybird.</i> Kharma is a wonderful thing. </p>Arch Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669097672748368232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596227448827278672.post-74785474467614937732023-07-28T14:25:00.001-04:002023-08-02T12:55:15.420-04:00Oppenheimer - 4 Stars - THEATERS - July 21, 2023 <p>Director Christopher Nolan creates an epic worthy of comparison to <i>Citizen Kane. </i> Cillian Murphy never loses our attention as the genius scientist recruited despite his left-wing past to organize and build the world's first nuclear weapon. <i>Oppenheimer </i>builds to a powerful high point leading to the atomic test in the New Mexico desert, followed by euphoria and equally deep depression. Cutting back and forth in time, and from color to black and white, <i>Oppenheimer</i> stiches the forces that will bring down the man credited with ending WWII. Passion and ambition. genius and betrayal combine for a rare grown-up epic </p>Arch Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669097672748368232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596227448827278672.post-77985122556841427592023-07-16T14:36:00.001-04:002023-07-16T14:36:23.097-04:00No hard Feelings - 2 Stars - June 23, 2023 - THEATERS <p>When I first heard about <i>No Hard Feelings, </i>I wondered why Jennifer Lawrence decided to do this. As things turn it, this mild comedy is easy to watch and likeable. Jennifer Lawrence begins the story as a sketchy character, about to lose the house her late mother left her to back taxes. Working as a bartender and uber driver, she hits a crisis when her car is repossessed. She spies an ad placed by a couple of helicopter parents, wanting someone to bring their 19 year old college bound son into adulthood. Payment comes in the form of a car---a Buick Regal. The son played by Andrew Barth Feldman has great fun proving opposites sometimes don't attract. It's a little odd watching a 30 something bartender try to seduce an awkward 19 year old, but <i>No</i> <i>Hard Feelings</i> provides a few laughs and a nicer than expected message. I enjoyed the funny side of Jennifer Lawrence in the kind of raunchy comedy they rarely make anymore. </p>Arch Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669097672748368232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596227448827278672.post-39745540878068235972023-07-16T14:12:00.002-04:002023-07-16T14:12:18.393-04:00Past Lives --- 3 1/2 Stars --- THEATERS <p>Childhood sweethearts meet in school as Korean children in Past Lives. Greta Lee plays Nora, whose family elects to immigrate to America. Teo Yoo plays Hae Sung whose family stays. Twelve years later the two reconnect on social media as young adults. She has become a modern American woman. He remains culturally Korean. They talk and she decides to stop. Twelve more years pass, and he comes to New York to visit. Even though she has married and is pursuing a career as playwright and teacher, she's curious. <i>Past Lives</i> explores a number of "What Ifs." What if she stayed? What if he immigrated? Would they be together? Why do they still care for each other? <i>Past Lives</i> will linger long after you watch. You might call a former lover. Or not. </p>Arch Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669097672748368232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596227448827278672.post-38188976824231039992023-07-16T13:57:00.001-04:002023-07-16T13:57:29.971-04:00Flamin' Hot ---2 1/2 stars---June 9, 2023 ---HULU <p><i>Flamin' Hot</i> refers to the spicy flavored Cheetos manufactured by Frito-Lay. Jesse Garcia plays Richard Montane, a former gang member gone straight working as a janitor at a Frito-Lay plant. Drawing on his heritage and love of spicy food, he knows in his heart that a hot and spicy version of Cheetos will sell. In rags to riches tradition, he calls the company President, and talks him into it. Tony Shalhoub adds a nice touch as the CEO who listens to the idea and ultimately promotes the janitor. <i>Flamin' Hot </i>has fun with this American dream of a story. Directed by Eva Longoria, the movie rolls out in straightforward no frills style. Recent reporting indicates it may not have happened this way, but the result is so much fun that if it didn't happen, it should have happened, and could have happened. I think the spicy Cheetos flavor comes from a lab and not Richard's kitchen, but that's just a hunch. I don't really like them because they taste like chemicals to me. Just saying. </p>Arch Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669097672748368232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596227448827278672.post-54353430285956192932023-05-29T11:29:00.003-04:002023-05-29T11:29:37.647-04:00You Hurt My Feelings - 3 1/2 Stars - May 26, 2023 - THEATERS <p>Honesty is the best policy until it isn't in <i>You Hurt My Feelings</i>, a lighter than air lifestyle comedy perfect for Julia Louis-Dreyfus. The story shows even the problems of the one per cent make an entertaining yarn. She's a writer, who teaches at the New School (already some post Woody Allen drift.) He's a therapist who discovers his patients don't exactly think he helps. One hilarious sequence features real life couple Amber Tamblyn and David Cross asking for their money back. The plot turns when Julia Louis- Dreyfus and her younger sister sneak up on their husbands, only to hear Julia's husband confess he doesn't think much of her writing, although he's praised it for years. The break in trust and pain that comes across Julia Louie-Dreyfus face produces a jolt. <i>You Hurt My Feelings</i> combines a wonderful cast (Jeannie Berlin, Tobias Menzies, and an especially good Michaela Watkins) with laugh out loud throw away lines. Nicole Holofeener directs. She makes a movie every few years. I fondly remember <i>Lovely and Amazing</i> from the early 2000s and Julia Louis-Dreyfus fans will remember <i>Enough Said. </i> I plan to remember Nicole Holofeener's name and look for whatever she creates next. In this time of Super Heros and Action Figures at the Cineplex, a little light comedy is a tonic. Holofeener's got the touch. </p>Arch Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669097672748368232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596227448827278672.post-1719288153602696772023-05-14T20:23:00.004-04:002023-05-14T20:23:51.790-04:00Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie - 3 1/2 Stars - May 12, 2023 - APPLE TV<p>Michael J. Fox says he never stayed still growing up. Always the smallest kid in his class, in high school, Fox discovered acting. He also discovered his small stature gave him a boost when a production needed someone who looked young but possessed adult abilities. <i> Stll: A Michael J. Fox Movie</i> mixes the story of his rise to fame - with his diagnosis with Parkinson's, the degenerative disease with no cure and a certainty of progression. Fox allows us to see his struggle in scenes of physical therapy sessions and in glimpses of his daily life. Interviews include his children and his longtime wife Tracy Pollan. The mix of Fox's great achievements - <i>Family ties, Spin City, Back to the Future</i> - contrast with his life with Parkinson's. <i> Still: A</i> <i>Michael J. Fox Movie</i> tells a powerful story with honesty and truth. Director Davis Guggenheim has fashioned one of the year's great documentaries. </p>Arch Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669097672748368232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596227448827278672.post-36525228160493874942023-05-13T20:19:00.004-04:002023-05-13T20:19:54.229-04:00BlackBerry - 3 Stars - May 12, 2023 - THEATERS <p>I faintly remember using a BlackBerry --- the mobile phone that sent texts and received e mail as well as made phone calls. Maybe you remember. The BlackBerry came with a small keyboard operated with your thumbs. The keyboard clicked, like a typewriter keyboard only more new age style. I'd just begun working for channel 7 and they provided me with a cell --- so they could find me and I could find them. Whatever phone Channel 7 gave me stopped working, and PRESTO! I received my first iPhone as a corporate tool. I never looked back.<i> BlackBerry</i> tells the somewhat hilarious and a little tragic story of the computer nerds who invented the BlackBerry, the shark who sells it, and the forces that made them miss Apple's coming dominance. Jay Baruchel plays Mike Lazaridis, a brilliant nerdy computer engineer with poor communication skills. Matt Johnson (who also directs) lays Doug Fregin, an equally brilliant engineer with a bit too much creative juice and a tendency to party rather than work. The triangle completes with Glenn Howerton as Jim Balsillie, a hard driven corporate shark who pushes the envelope to dizzying heights, only to watch it crash like the Hindenburg. I laughed out loud several times and gasped as the story unfolded. <i>BlackBerry</i> stands alongside <i>Air</i>, the story of Nike shoes and Michael Jordan. Except <i>Air</i> told a successful story. <i>BlackBerry</i> tells a mammoth rise and fall. Great fun. Also a bummer. </p>Arch Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669097672748368232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596227448827278672.post-74586862656983162782023-04-15T20:38:00.001-04:002023-04-15T20:38:23.316-04:00Air ---3 1/2 Stars --- THEATERS --- April 7, 2023 <p><i>Air </i>proves several things including: when Viola Davis makes a movie, it's worth seeing. Also, when Matt Damon and Ben Affleck team up, the result's usually great. <i>Air </i>takes the story of how Nike convinced Michael Jordan to endorse their basketball shoes and turns it into a compelling human story about business and sports and thinking outside the box. Matt Damon does the heavy lifting as basketball scout Sonny Vaccaro. Working for Nike, Sonny's determined to find the key to Nike basketball shoe marketing success. He keys on up-and-coming player Michael Jordan. Sonny's gut feeling leads him to challenge Nike founder Phil Knight, played with goofy charm by Ben Affleck. Ignoring custom, Sonny travels to Jordan's parent's North Carolina front door, where he meets Deloris Jordan played by Viola Davis. Once Davis enters she steals the movie. Nothing happens without her. <i>Air</i> takes viewers into the world of reptilian agents, represented by Chris Messina in a hilarious portrait of Jordan's agent Daivd Falk, as well as Nike office politics, including colleagues played with gusto by Jason Bateman and Chris Tucker. A great soundtrack and recreation of 80s style adds to the fun. <i>Air</i> melds a great business story, a great sports story, and a great story about a guy willing to ask the right questions at the right time. </p>Arch Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669097672748368232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596227448827278672.post-62795642789257908112023-04-15T20:12:00.004-04:002023-04-15T20:12:38.117-04:00The Lost King --- 3 Stars ---THEATERS --- March 31, 2023 <p>This really happened. In 2012, a woman named Philippa Langley convinced a group of researchers that the bones of long-lost King Richard III lay under a parking lot in Leicester, a small city 80 miles from London. Sally Hawkins brings Philippa to life, with chronic fatigue and a mousey appearance. She's the sort of person nobody pays attention to. One night, watching Shakespeare's <i>Richard III</i>, she finds inspiration to research his life which ultimately leads her to his bones. As the story unfolds, Philippa enjoys visits from Richard III's spirit, played by Harry Lloyd, who also plays the actor in the production that inspires her. <i>The Lost King </i>spins a delightful David versus Goliath story, hitting the right notes as others step in to take credit for her work. <i>The Lost King</i> sets the record straight and tells an entertaining story doing so. </p>Arch Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669097672748368232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596227448827278672.post-23111225000777540342023-03-12T16:01:00.003-04:002023-03-12T16:02:58.878-04:00The Quiet Girl - 4 Stars - March 10, 2023 - THEATERS <p>Nine-year-old Cait can't quite find her place in the rural Irish village where she lives. Her family calls her "The Wanderer" after her habit of disappearing into the fields to lie in the long grass. In desperation her pregnant mother sends her to live with relatives for the summer. Once on the farm, we gradually learn the source of the host family's grief and of Cait's dysfunctional home life. In a series of slow languid scenes, the couple and child grow together. <i>The Quiet Girl</i> tells a story of love and kindness. The young woman at the center of the story, Catherine Clinch, produces an extraordinary performance. <i>The Quiet Girl </i>competes for best foreign film at the Oscars. It's one of the best films of any type I've seen this year. </p>Arch Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669097672748368232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596227448827278672.post-24238034871135084962023-02-18T20:09:00.002-05:002023-04-15T20:39:28.269-04:00Sharper - 3 Stars - Apple TV - February 17, 2023 <p>Everybody's a con artist in the psychological thriller <i>Sharper. </i>The story begins as quiet bookstore owner Justice Smith asks bookish Brian Middleton to dinner on a whim. The couple bond and we think it might be the real thing until---she needs money. $350 thousand dollars later, we meet Sebastian Stan who has schooled Briana in the art of the con. Later we meet Julianne Moore, Sebastian's alleged mother now in a relationship with billionaire John Lithgow, who utters the key line in the movie "If you're going to steal---steal a lot." <i>Sharper</i> gives this cast a clever script. The great ensemble manages to get us beyond a couple of weak plot twists. For me, believing wasn't as important as enjoying the next twisty twist, and there are a lot of them - enough to make <i>Sharper</i> fun and watchable. </p>Arch Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669097672748368232noreply@blogger.com