Cha Cha Real Smiith - 3 1/2 Stars - June 17, 2022 - APPLE TV

Writer/Director/Actor Cooper Raiff creates a charming young adult story in Cha Cha Real Smooth.  New graduate Cooper returns with his degree to live at home with his mother and little brother and his mother's boyfriend.  Unable to find a proper job, he sells hot dogs by day.  One night his mother needing a break asks him to take his little brother to a Bar Mitzvah.  At the party, he discovers his talent as a "party starter"---that is a guy who encourages kids to dance and mingle.  He bonds with a young autistic girl named Lola played by Vanessa Burghardt.  Their connection wins the attention of her single mother played by Dakota Johnson. Their meeting turns into an intriguing "will they or won't they" romance. Dakota Johnson gives one of her most charismatic performances.  I will look forward to whatever Cooper Raiff does next.  

The Phanton of the Open --- 4 Stars --- STREAMING

In 1976, an out of work crane operator named Maurice Flitcroft entered the British Open Golf Championship, the world's snootiest golf tournament.  Flitcroft wanted to follow his dream, even though he'd never played an actual round of golf, just studied a book and hacked around on the beach.  Once in the Open, his score of 121, put him firmly in last place but the heart he showed making those 121 strokes won him fans around the world. In The Phantom of the Open Mark Rylance plays Flitcroft with a twinkle in his eye.  He elevates a possible one joke movie into something heartwarming.  Sally Hawkins adds depth as Flitcroft's supportive wife.  A family dynamic involving a disapproving oldest son and his disco dancing twin brothers made my head spin, in a good way.  I'm sure The Phantom of the Open stretches a point here and there but it mostly checks out.  Even the part about Flitcroft reentering the Open under assumed names wearing ridiculous disguises.  I personally love his entry as "Arnold Palmtree."  You don't have to love golf to love The Phantom of the Open.  Golf is secondary to this delightful story of an eccentric and the family that spurs him on. The Phantom of the Open arrives the same weekend a handful of greedy PGA players jump to a Saudi financed tour. Maybe they ought to watch this and remember the days when they played for fun.   

Top Gun: Maverick --- 3 Stars May 27, 2022

The floor shakes, the speakers rattle, and Tom Cruise sparkles as Pete "Maverick" Mitchell in the sequel to the 1980's flyboy drama Top Gun.   Forty years have passed, and Mitchell remains a Captain, even though he's the Navy's best pilot.  The film opens with Maverick aiming for outer space until his plane disintegrates.  thrown off that base, he gets the call to teach his tricks to a new generation and ultimately lead them on a secret mission to bomb an enemy nuclear weapons facility.   Along the way, Maverick utters a string of cliches, sparks a romance with an old girlfriend played by a smashing Jenifer Connolly, and bonds with the son of Maverick's old friend "Goose" who may or may not have died because of him.  Top Gun Maverick feels familiar, tells an easy to like story, it's fun, it's loud, and everything turns out swell.  Tom Cruise has done it again.  He helms the movie that may save movies for a new generation.  Yeah, maybe it's not great or new, but Heck, you can't have everything.  

Downton Abbey: A New Era - 3 Stars - STREAMING - May 20, 2022

Who needs another season of Downton Abbey (there were six of them on PBS) when we've got the Downton movies?  Not me.  I joined a sprightly audience of grey hairs to take in the latest at my neighborhood independent cinema, the Avalon.  My shaved hit fit perfectly with the senior demographic to which I certainly belong.   Maggie Smith returns to fling barbs as the plots revolve around her inheriting a villa in the south of France. It sems she had a fling many years ago resulting in the gift which she plans to give to her granddaughter Sybbie, whose mother died in season three after marrying the family chauffeur who has successfully moved up in class.  Class, that's what it's all about.  And money, which Downton needs to repair the roof.  Lady Mary, now head of the estate, rents the place to a film company laying the groundwork for a plot that echos Singing in the Rain.  It's 1928 and movies are changing to talkies and the lead actress has a rather low-class accent.  Downton Abbey offers no explosions or car chases but rather celebrates dialog and costumes and occasional dollops of humor.  I won't call it great, but I will call it a lovely way to spend an afternoon.  I must warn that we lose a major character this time, but I'm wondering how the family will change during the Depression, and what about the World War in their future?   

The Outfit - 3 1/2 Stars - THEATERS March 22, 2022, Prime Video

Mark Rylance quietly goes about his business designing tailor made clothing for the men of 1950's Chicago, including the mobsters who use his store as a front.  Quietly biding his time and keeping his secrets, events pull him into action one murderous night.  The Outfit plays on slang for the mob and descriptions of the bespoke suits Rylance lovingly creates.  The plot unfolds like a play, confined mostly to the shop, where a drama unfolds involving betrayal, a double cross, and a possible informer or rat. Think Cagney chanting "You rat, you dirty rat."  The Outfit captures the feel of those great gangster movies with the added attraction of a first class who done it.  Now streaming, The Outfit captured me from the first moments.  It'll capture you too.  

Windfall - NEXFLIX - 3 Stars - Opens March 18, 2022

Alfred Hitchcock would love it.  Windfall opens with Jason Segel wandering around the desert home of a multi rich CEO.  He enjoys a glass of orange juice, lounges on the furniture, and manages to find some cash and a Rolex.  Suddenly, the owners arrive.  Forced into action, Segal takes Jesse Plemons and Lily Collins hostage.  One thing leads to another with the uber wealthy Plemons sort of helping Segal rob him.  Clipping along at a nice ninety minutes, Windfall suddenly catches fire, building to a wham-o ending.  With one set and only four characters, Windfall feels like a play.  Certainly Covid-19 considerations shaped this production.  Excellent acting helps, especially from Jesse Plemons, whom I came to admire in Breaking Bad and who snagged an Oscar nomination for Power of the Dog.  Windfall's revelation is Lily Collins.  Known for her frothy series Emily in Paris, don't underestimate Lily Collins.  Believe me. 

Deep Water (R) (HULU) - 2 Stars - March 18, 2022

In Deep Water, Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas play Vic and Melinda Van Allen, partners in a deeply unhappy marriage which includes a young daughter.  Their unspoken bond allows her to take a number of lovers as long as she stays in the marriage.  Tension builds as an alarming number of her lovers disappear.  Affleck tells her newest boyfriend that he killed the former boyfriend.  Others drop, drowning in a pool or showing up at the bottom of a creek.  A neighbor, played by Tracy Letts, suspects Ben but can't prove anything.  Ana de Armas plays the straying wife to the hilt.  Affleck lumbers through the story like Frankenstein's monster. Deep Water's plot seeps out slowly and comes to a not especially satisfying end.    The plot comes from a 1957 story by Patricia Highsmith, author of many of Hitchcock's favorite tales including Strangers on a Train.  The result is watchable but not great.   

The Worst Person in the World - 4 Stars - STREAMING - February 11, 2022 (In Danish subtitled)

The Worst Person in the World won me over right from the start.  Charismatic actress Renate Reinsve plays a young woman not sure what to do next.  Her choices bounce from extreme to extreme as does her love life.  In the space of a couple of hours, The Worst Person in the World taps into memories of one's twenties, when you're not sure who you are or what path to follow.  This is a lovely captivating story.  I suppose there will be an American remake and I hope it's half as good as this Norwegian original.  Nominated for best foreign film and best screenplay.

Flee - 3 1/2 Stars - IN THEATERS - January 28, 2022

Flee uses animation to great effect to tell the story of a gay Afghan refugee's escape to Denmark.  We learn his story in flashback, of a happy childhood turned serious when Soviets invade.  The journey of a refugee who must choose between family and freedom comes tumbling out of the main character.  The result is moving and by the end uplifting.    

Jockey - 3 Stars - IN THEATERS - January 21, 2022

Jockey reminds me a little of Seabiscuit.  Both films tell a story of an aging rider and a once in a lifetime horse.  Jockey adds a father - son or father -mentor plot to the mix.  Clifton Collins Jr. brings worn out realism to the role of Jackson.  Molly Parker adds depth as longtime friend and employer.  Moises Arias fills out the story as the son Jackson may or may not have.  Several scenes feel improvised adding realism.  

The Tender Bar (AMAZON PRIME) - 3 1/2 stars - December 17, 2021

Based on the memoir of J.R. Maguire, The Tender Bar begins as J.R. and his mother move into his grandfather's rambunctious Long Island home.  The nine-year-old J.R. (played by a winning Daniel Ranieri) immediately takes to his Uncle Charlie, played by Ben Affleck.  Uncle Charlie runs a local bar, where he introduces the kid to a Cheers like cast of characters, tutoring him in the ways of the world as he knows it. Growing into adulthood, Tye Sheridan takes over as the older version of a boy who likes to read and wants to write.  The Tender Bar tells an easy to watch, easy to like story.  George Clooney directs what I suspect is exactly the kind of story he loves.  Me. too. I think I'll read J.R. Maguire's memoir next.  

Licorice Pizza - 4 Stars - THEATERS - December 25, 2021

Licorice Pizza comes out of the gate full speed as Cooper Hoffman (son of the late Phillip Seymour Hoffman) meets Alana Haim.  Hoffman plays Gary, a 15-year-old hustler who begins hitting on Alana the moment he sees her.  Never mind she's ten years his senior, he insists on taking her to dinner.  Their back and forth matches the best of the classic screwball comedies.  Somehow, they become friends and embark on a series of adventures that include a showbiz appearance, a waterbed store, and a pin ball parlor.  Set in the San Fernando valley in the early 1970's, Licorice Pizza often feels like American Graffiti a decade later.  Newcomer Alana Haim steals this show.  Like Gary, you won't be able to take your eyes off her.  The friendship between a 15-year-old boy and a 25-year-old girl has never been this entertaining.  

Nightmare Alley - 4 Stars - THEATERS - December 17, 2021

I confess.  I love film noir - the gritty crime dramas of the 1940's.  The 1947 version of Nightmare Alley (starring Tyrone Power) was one of my favorites --- until I watched Guillermo del Toro's update.  Wow!  This update sizzles---this cautionary rise and fall tale of a carnival con man goes deeper and darker than the original dared.  Bradley Cooper plays Stan Carlisle, working alongside Zeena the mind reader (Toni Colette), whose drunken husband (David Strathairn) holds back the act.  An accident eliminates the husband and paves the way for Stan to take Zeena's secrets on the road.  He drops Zeena, for good-hearted Molly (played by Rooney Mara) a beloved young woman who grew up in the carney community.  Soon, the couple hit the big time as star attraction of a hotel night club.  The Great Stanton amazes audiences with his power to read minds.  He meets his match when psychologist Lilith Ritter arrives.  Cate Blanchett vamps within an inch of high camp as the story's femme fatale.  Assessing Stan with an icy gaze and a gash of lipstick the color of a traffic light, Lilith suggests scamming millionaire Ezra Grindle, played by Richard Jenkins, in a beyond the grave seance.  This Nightmare Alley update looks wonderful, with color drenching the screen, highlighting carnival grime and art deco brilliance.  Great actors pop up in small roles in the lavish cast.  Del Toro improves the script, going where the original didn't dare.  4 Stars and a wow for one of my favorite films this year.   

Cyrano - 3 Stars - THEATERS - December 10TH

Peter Dinklage plays the unlucky in love swordsman and wordsmith in this update of the classic drama.  You'll be surprised to learn this version is a musical, based on an off-Broadway production from 2019.  Originally Cyrano possessed a giant nose ruining his romantic prospects.  In this version, Dinklage must deal with his unusually short stature.  Peter Dinklage has distinguished himself as a fine actor. He'll break your heart in this creative surprise.     

Being the Ricardos - 3 Stars - AMAZON PRIME - December 19, 2021

Nicole Kidman dyes her hair flaming red and produces a voice that sounds amazingly like Lucille Ball in Being the Ricardos.  The backstage drama of television's first massive hit includes most of the behind-the-scenes tidbits from various tell all books and articles:  Lucy accused of being a Communist; Desi cheating on Lucy; network and sponsor interference and the crisis of Lucy's pregnancy; Desi's brilliance; Lucy's brilliance; and on and on. Being the Ricardos feels more like fun than tension filled drama and that's ok. I winced a little watching Javier Bardem recreating Desi's songs and Nicole Kidman recreating Lucy's greatest moments.  I especially liked Nina Arianda as Vivian Vance and J.K. Simmons as William Frawley.  Simmons as Fred Mertz adds a touch of humanity to this tribute.  

West Side Story - 3 1/2 Stars - THEATERS - December 10, 2021

Steven Spielberg puts his stamp on West Side Story in the opening frame, as the Jets leap among the rubble of the west side buildings demolished to make way for Lincoln Center.  Stealing cans of paint, the Jets deface a Puerto Rico flag mural, setting up the conflict between lower class white kids (Jets) and newly arrived Puerto Ricans (Sharks). West Side Story tells a story of love at first sight, when Tony played by Ansel Elfort glimpses Maria played by Rachel Zegler.  He's Polish, she's Puerto Rican.  The new version wisely casts Rita Moreno (Anita in the original 1961 film for which she won an Oscar), as Valentina, owner of the local drug store where Tony works.  Moreno gets her moment in a solo of "There's a Place for Us."   Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler have the right chemistry for this fable.  Sometimes Spielberg calls a little too much attention to his directing and staging.  Spielberg rearranges some of the scenes leading to a let down at the end.  Nevertheless, I spent most of the day after West Side Story humming and singing the music.  I bet you will too.  

Don't Look Up - 2 1/2 Stars - NETFLIX - December 5, 2021

In Don't Lok Up---a giant comet heads toward earth.  Scientists Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DeCaprio heads for earth.  They warn everyone but nobody listens.  Yeah I get it.  It's satire.  Sometimes funny but basically a one joke movie.  With Meryl Streep as a calculating President, and Cate Blanchett and Tyler Perry as bubblehead TV anchors.  

The Power of the Dog - 4 Stars - NETFLIX - December 3, 2021

Director Jane Campion spins a most unusual revenge tale in The Power of the Dog.  Set in the far west in the early 1920's, Benedict Cumberbatch as Phil, runs a massive spread with his brother George, played by Jesse Plemons.  Cumberbatch, once a promising scholar, takes his anger at being called to return to the ranch on anyone he perceives as weak.  When George marries a widow, played by Kirsten Dundst, Phil finds a new victim.  The arrival of the widow's effeminate son (Kodi Smit-McPhee in a brilliant turn) deepens the tension.  And then a series of unexpected twists conspire to knock you out of your seat.  This is not the western you were expecting.    

C'mon C'mon - 2 Stars - THEATERS - NOVEMBER 24, 2021

C'mon C'mon hooked me with one of the best coming attractions trailers of the year in which Juaquin Phoenix reads from the children's book Star Child.  That segment turns out to be the best moment in an otherwise annoying adventure.  Phoenix visits his sister, played by Gaby Hoffman.  She must leave her nine-year-old played by Woody Norman in order to care for her bi polar husband.  Work intervenes, and Phoenix must travel to New York, and then New Orleans for his NPR style program.  The kid comes along and behaves badly, throwing several tantrums.  Some may find this moving.  A little-known uncle bonds with his young nephew and helps out his estranged sister.  I found it exhausting and irritating.  Go at your own risk.  

The House of Gucci - 2 1/2 Stars - THEATERS - NOVEMBER 24, 2021

I can give you a quick one-word review of The House of Gucci.  Long---check your watch at the two-hour mark long as you wonder "Is this thing ever gonna end?"  Parts are quite fun.  The House of Gucci tells the true family feud of the Gucci family:  betrayal, financial malfeasance, ambition, sex, outsiders versus insiders, and paid for hit man ordered murder.   Lady Gaga plays Patrizia Reggiani who sets her sites on Maurizio Gucci as played by Adam Driver.  Al Pacino shows up as a favorite uncle and Jeremy Irons plays a disapproving father.  Lady Gaga is especially interesting on a big screen.  She's a fine actress and has something that compels you to watch her.  She has great chemistry with Adam Driver and gives it her all, in spite of an over long not very creative script. I'm thinking the filmmakers went for a feminine take on The Godfather.  They missed.  The script goes chronological and as the clock ticks chooses to skate over twists and turns that left me thinking "what?"  I thought Gucci might be an Oscar contender, but now I'm thinking maybe not.   It's a diverting way to kill two and a half hours.