Tag Archives: Sunday Screening

My 2 Cents… Free Solo

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Would you prefer to watch the video review, instead of reading it? CLICK HERE

MV5BMjMwYjcwNWQtNTQ5YS00MzVlLTkxYzMtNDIwZWIxZTE4Zjg2XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQxNzMzNDI@._V1_SY1000_CR0,0,666,1000_AL_Title: Free Solo
Genre: Documentary (2019 Academy Award Winner for best documentary feature)
Directors: Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi
Stars: Alex Honnold, Tommy Caldwell, Jimmy Chin, Dierdre Wolownick, and Sanni McCandless

SHOW RATING OVERVIEW
Writing: N/A
Cinematography: ★★★★★
Story: ★★★★★
Acting: N/A
Overall: ★★★★★ (5)

STORYLINE:
Follow Alex Honnold as he becomes the first person to ever free solo climb Yosemite’s 3,000 ft high El Capitan wall. With no ropes or safety gear, he completed arguably the greatest feat in rock climbing history.

MY 2 CENTS:
WOW!!! This beautifully filmed documentary is filled with breathtaking views, shocking athletic feats, sadly emotional admissions, and a love not truly reciprocated.

free solo

“Free Solo” Nat Geo

Through simply stunning visuals directors Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi were able to capture the substantial life-threatening risk this climb entails. Although going in, I already knew Alex Honnold’s climb was a success, I was on the edge of my seat worried he would get injured, fearful he wouldn’t make it, and wondering what kind of stress it was putting on his friends to watch him risk so much.

Alex Honnold is a truly amazing athlete, accomplishing something no one else has even dared to try. The amount of training, not to mention self-confidence, it must have taken to not only say, ‘Yeah, I think I’ll try that,” but then to do it and complete the climb in just four hours is incredible. This film gives you a look inside the man… not only at his physical challenges but also the mental challenges he endured throughout this process.

I felt bad for Sanni, Alex’s girlfriend. She seems to truly love him, but unfortunately, he will always put climbing before her. Climbing is his passion and he was very upfront and clear with her that she does not mean as much to him as climbing. I hope that one day, she will learn what it means to be that passionate about something… that she will also look at her life and decide if she wants to continue to be placed second… third… or even forth. Alex doesn’t deserve a girlfriend like her, I hope she realizes that someday.

free solo

Directors Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin on location for “Free Solo” National Geographic/Chris Figens

With all that said, I am amazed… and awe inspired by this film. I do wish the footage of the actual climb had been longer, but what they did give the viewers was nothing less than astonishing.

MY FAVORITE QUOTE:
“I think it’s the best thing in life to be able to take the one thing you love the most and have it, like, work out that you can make a living that way.”

Check out my YouTube channel and the video review below… and make sure you hit subscribe so you never miss a video.

https://youtu.be/jRqtmfowbeI

You can watch the official trailers and video clips here:

My 2 Cents… Set it Up

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Title: Set it Up
Director: Claire Scanlon
Writer: Katie Silberman
Stars: Zoey Deutch, Glen Powell, Lucy Liu, and Taye Diggs

SHOW RATING OVERVIEW
Writing: ★★★★★
Story: ★★★★ (The only reason this is 4 stars and not 5 is because of the predictability of the script).
Acting: ★★★★★
Overall: ★★★★★ (4.66)

 

STORYLINE:
Two young assistants in New York City realize they can make their lives easier by setting up their workaholics bosses to date. While trying to perpetuate this romantic ruse between their nightmare bosses, the assistants realize they might be right for each other. Written by https://teaser-trailer.com

MY 2 CENTS:
I was in the mood for a fun, predictable, romantic comedy… Set it Up did not disappoint! I loved the chemistry between Zoey Deutch and glen Powell who played off of each other perfectly and looked great together. Even the supporting characters; the guy in the elevator, the best friend/roommate, and the waiter played their characters perfectly.

The script was tight, with little to no plot holes our unanswered questions. Although I had predicted the ending, long before, I was still crossing my fingers and rooting for the characters.

This film has a little bit for everyone… romance, humor, sports, etc. It is a feel-good film that is perfect for a rainy day.

Check out my YouTube channel and the video review below… and make sure you hit subscribe so you never miss a video

https://youtu.be/RhphTXUVotM

You can watch the official trailers and video clips here:

https://youtu.be/X-eRc9PF3TU

My 2 Cents… Velvet Buzzsaw

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 Would you prefer to watch the review, instead of reading it? CLICK HEREVB

Title: Velvet Buzzsaw
Director: Dan Gilroy
Writer: Dan Gilroy
Stars: Jake Gyllenhall, Rene Russo, Zawe Ashton, Toni Collette, Natalia Dyer, and John Malkovich

SHOW RATING OVERVIEW
Writing: ★★
Story: ★★
Acting: ★★★★
Costumes: ★★★
Overall: ★★★ (2.75)

 

Storyline:
After a series of paintings by an unknown artist are discovered, a supernatural force enacts revenge on those who have allowed their greed to get in the way of art.

My 2 Cents:
Being a horror movie lover, I was excited to see what this was all about. I felt like the concept… an art-world satire/horror where art comes to life and kills…was intriguing, but the end result was underwhelming to say the least. The first 2/3 of the film was fine, a bit slow, but fine. The last 1/3 of the film seemed to forget the actual plot or purpose. Instead of one dead man’s art coming to life and killing… all the art starting to kill people, even the tattoo on one of the character’s shoulder. That, was just one of many moments where the film script lost focus completely.

ACTORS: The cast lineup was impressive with Jake Gyllenhall, Rene Russo, Toni Collette, Natalia Dyer, and John Malkovich and their performances did not disappoint, despite the poorly written script and minimal character development. With that said… this felt more like a role that James Franco would play, rather than Jake Gyllenhall. 

STORY: Honestly, I felt that Velvet Buzzsaw was a mess. I enjoy a good b-movie horror, but this didn’t even live up to that.

WRITING: The writing, in my opinion, was all over the place.

EDITING: The editing was choppy and the felt forced.

Do I recommend this one? No.
Would I see it again? No. I feel like that was two hours of my life that I will never get back.

Check out my YouTube channel and the video review below… and make sure you hit subscribe so you never miss a video.

https://youtu.be/vQUoWaZSACA

You can watch the official trailers and video clips here:

https://youtu.be/XdAR-lK43YU

My 2 Cents… The Favorite

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The Favorite

Title: The Favorite
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Writers: Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara
Stars: Olivia Colman (Queen Anne), Emma Stone (Queen’s Maid), and Rachel Weisz (Lady Sarah)

SHOW RATING OVERVIEW
Writing: ★★
Story: ★★
Acting: ★★★★★
Costumes: ★★★★★
Overall: ★★★★ (3.5)

 

 

Storyline:
Early 18th century. England is at war with the French. Nevertheless, duck racing and pineapple eating are thriving. A frail Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) occupies the throne and her close friend Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz) governs the country in her stead while tending to Anne’s ill-health and mercurial temper. When a new servant Abigail (Emma Stone) arrives, her charm endears her to Sarah. Sarah takes Abigail under her wing and Abigail sees a chance at a return to her aristocratic roots. As the politics of war become quite time-consuming for Sarah, Abigail steps into the breach to fill in as the Queen’s companion. Their burgeoning friendship gives her a chance to fulfill her ambitions and she will not let woman, man, politics or rabbit stand in her way. Written by Fox Searchlight Pictures

My 2 Cents:
I really don’t even know what to say… I read all the amazing reviews and was so excited when the DVD from SAG showed up for my pre-award screening. Then, I watched the film and wondered, what am I missing?

I will admit that the acting was wonderful. If it weren’t for Emma Stone, who played her role beautifully, I probably wouldn’t have made it to the end credits. She was wonderful, with what she was given. Olivia Colman is a strong actress as is Rachel Weisz, but what they had to work with wasn’t worth their talent.

The costumes and even the accuracy of the set was very well done.

The script was bizarre… weird… and poorly written and seemed to have no real plot. The directing was artistic in a pretentious way, rather than a thought-provoking way.

The soundtrack drowned out the dialogue so badly that I’m sure I missed major aspects of the plot (if there was a plot). It annoyed me to the point where I found myself distracted.

Honestly, I feel like I waisted time that I will never be able to get back.

You can watch the official trailer here:

https://youtu.be/rJl36o_tq_c

My 2 Cents… VICE

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VICE

Title: VICE
Director: Adam McKay
Writers: Adam McKay
Stars: Christian Bale (Dick Cheney), Amy Adams (Lynne Cheney), and Steve Carell (Donald Rumsfeld)

SHOW RATING OVERVIEW
Writing: ★★★
Story: ★★★★
Acting: ★★★★★
Makeup: ★★★★★
Editing: ★
Overall: ★★★★ (3.6)

 

 

Storyline:
The story of Dick Cheney, an unassuming bureaucratic Washington insider, who quietly wielded immense power as Vice President to George W. Bush, reshaping the country and the globe in ways that we still feel today.

My 2 Cents:
If you’ve been reading my movie reviews, you’ll notice I added two more categories to this one (Makeup and Editing) because I really believe they needed to be mentioned. Let me start with makeup… OMG!!! The makeup was phenomenal in this film and if it doesn’t win some awards, I will be truly shocked. Just check out the photos below:

Editing… well, that left much to be desired. The movie was all over the map in terms of timeline, and maybe it was because I was watching a SAG Award Viewer Copy, but the weird credits that ran in the middle of the film making it feel like the end of the film was just weird. Not to mention the fact that the timelines were all jumbled up, which made the story hard to follow.

I can’t blame it all on the editing… the writing wasn’t top notch either. Maybe it was true to the situation, I don’t know. I guess I’ll never really know.

The story… well, it was based on a true story, so I guess its only as good as real life can be.

Acting… Other than makeup, the acting is where this film excelled. Christian Bale, Amy Adams, and Steve Carell were outstanding in this film. They embodied their characters, and even when you hated them you could appreciate their commitment to their roles.

You can watch the official trailers here:

https://youtu.be/aSGFt6w0wok

Amy Adams as Lynne Cheney was AMAZING… Check out her performance here:

https://youtu.be/L1tDnzx-5iA 

My 2 Cents… Bohemian Rhapsody

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Queen

Title: Bohemian Rhapsody
Director: Bryan Singer
Writers: Anthony McCarten and Peter Morgan
Stars: Rami Malek (Freddie Mercury), Lucy Boynton (Mary Austin), Gwilym Lee (Brian May), Ben Hardy (Roger Taylor), Joseph Mazzello (John Deacon), Aidan Gillen (John Reid), Allen Leech (Paul Prenter), Tom Hollander (Jim Beach) and Mike Myers (Ray Foster)

SHOW RATING OVERVIEW
Writing: ★★★★★
Story: ★★★★
Acting: ★★★★★
Overall: ★★★★★ (4.66)

 

Storyline:
Bohemian Rhapsody is a foot-stomping celebration of Queen, their music and their extraordinary lead singer Freddie Mercury. Freddie defied stereotypes and shattered convention to become one of the most beloved entertainers on the planet. The film traces the meteoric rise of the band through their iconic songs and revolutionary sound. They reach unparalleled success, but in an unexpected turn Freddie, surrounded by darker influences, shuns Queen in pursuit of his solo career. Having suffered greatly without the collaboration of Queen, Freddie manages to reunite with his band mates just in time for Live Aid. While bravely facing a recent AIDS diagnosis, Freddie leads the band in one of the greatest performances in the history of rock music. Queen cements a legacy that continues to inspire outsiders, dreamers and music lovers to this day. Written by Twentieth Century Fox

My 2 Cents:
My husband and I both really enjoyed this film. I’ve been a Queen fan for years and believe this is a beautiful tribute to the band and to Freddie Mercury. Rami Malek was perfectly cast. He showed no hesitation to dive right into such a dramatic and charismatic role.

I enjoyed learning more about Freddie Mercury, the band, and the origin of many of the songs. Although, I wish the movie had included his struggle with AIDS and his death, not because I think he needed to die in the movie to give closure, but because I had hoped to see the relationship between him, his band mates, and Mary throughout his last few months. With the strong acting and wonderful script, I believe they could have brought the movie full circle with his life. This was the only reason I didn’t give it a full 5-star rating… the story was lacking a conclusion… I wanted more!

Even if you aren’t a Queen fan, this movie is worth your time. I wish I had seen this one on the big screen. If it’s still available, I highly recommend going to the theatre… see it on IMAX… get the full concert effect and enjoy every minute of this masterpiece.

You can watch the official trailers here:

Watch the original Queen Bohemian Rhapsody music video here:

https://youtu.be/fJ9rUzIMcZQ

My 2 Cents… Bird Box

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Bird Box

Title: Bird Box
Director: Susanne Bier
Writers: Eric Heisserer (screenplay) and Josh Malerman (novel)
Stars: Sandra Bullock, Trevante Rhodes, John Malkovich, Sarah Paulson, Jacki Weaver, Rosa Salazar

SHOW RATING OVERVIEW
Writing: ★★★
Story: ★★★
Acting: ★★★★★
Overall: ★★★★ (3.66)

Blurb:
Five years after an ominous unseen presence drives most of society to suicide, a mother and her two children make a desperate bid to reach safety.

Storyline:
In the wake of an unknown global terror, a mother must find the strength to flee with her children down a treacherous river in search of safety. Due to unseen deadly forces, the perilous journey must be made blindly. Directed by Emmy winner Susanne Bier, Bird Box is a thriller starring Academy Award winner Sandra Bullock, John Malkovich, Sarah Paulson, and Trevante Rhodes. Written by Netflix

My 2 Cents:
I wanted to love this film, I really did. Sandra Bullock is one of my favorite actresses and although I didn’t love this film, I did LOVE her performance. Let me explain. I felt that the writing left to many things open-ended… without a clear picture of what happened to cause the mass suicides or a clear understanding of how, or even if, everything was resolved, everything in the middle was just filler.

If you’ve seen ‘The Happening’ or ‘A Quiet Place’ then you need not bother with this one. However, if you don’t care about plot and you just want to be startled and see Sandra Bullock at her best, despite a sub-par script, then sit down with some popcorn and watch.

Before you think I just completely hated this film, let me give props to the cast. You already know I enjoyed Bullocks portrayal of Malorie. Trevante Rhodes was excellent as Tom, John Malkovich was creepy good at Douglas, Sarah Paulson blew the small role of Jessica out of the park, and the children Vivien Lyra Blair (Girl) and Julian Edwards (Boy) were wonderful.

You can watch the official trailers here:

https://youtu.be/MPWMBITCudM
https://youtu.be/INJ2bPFy108

My 2 Cents… Ocean’s Eight

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Oceans Eight

Title: Ocean’s Eight
Director: Gary Ross
Writers: Gary Ross and Olivia Milch (Screenplay)
Stars: Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Awkwafina, Rihanna, and Helena Bonham Carter

SHOW RATING OVERVIEW
Writing: ★★★
Story: ★★★
Acting: ★★★
Overall: ★★★ (3)

Blurb:
Debbie Ocean gathers an all-female crew to attempt an impossible heist at New York City’s yearly Met Gala.

Storyline:
Danny Ocean’s estranged sister Debbie attempts to pull off the heist of the century at New York City’s star-studded annual Met Gala. Her first stop is to assemble the perfect all-female crew: Lou, Rose, Daphne Kluger, Nine Ball, Tammy, Amita, and Constance. Written by Coors71

My 2 Cents:
Let me just say up front that Sandra Bullock is one of my favorite actresses. As an actress myself, I’ve always wanted her career. I obviously don’t have it. With that said, I was sad to give this movie only a 3-star rating, but it just didn’t live up to my expectations. If I’m honest with myself, it probably shouldn’t have even been a 3-star rating, but I refuse to give it any less because it did keep me minimally entertained on the airplane… and it kept my mind off the fact that I was nauseous and hate to fly.

Admittedly, the cast lineup was fantastic. Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Sarah Paulson, Mindy Kaling, Helena Bonham Carter, and even Anne Hathaway.

However, what this movie proved was that even with an AMAZING CAST, you wont always end up with an amazing film. The directing was subpar – trying to live off the success of the previous Ocean movies… The script was predictable. It wasn’t humorous, the characters weren’t likeable, and worst of all there was no suspense. It was supposed to be a heist movie, where was the thrill, danger, suspense?

All in all, I’d say, if you’re really bored and there is nothing else on – go ahead and watch Ocean’s Eight. However, I wouldn’t rent it. Save your $3.99 and watch it when it becomes free on Netflix.

You can watch the official trailers here:

 

My 2 Cents… Ex Machina

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ex m

Title: Ex Machina
Director: Alex Garland
Writer: Alex Garland
Stars: Alicia Vikander, Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac, and Sonoya Mizuno

SHOW RATING OVERVIEW
Writing: ★★★★★
Story: ★★★★★
Acting: ★★★★★
Overall: ★★★★★ (5)

Blurb:
A young programmer is selected to participate in a ground-breaking experiment in synthetic intelligence by evaluating the human qualities of a breath-taking humanoid A.I.

Storyline:
Caleb, a 26-year-old programmer at the world’s largest internet company, wins a competition to spend a week at a private mountain retreat belonging to Nathan, the reclusive CEO of the company. But when Caleb arrives at the remote location, he finds that he will have to participate in a strange and fascinating experiment in which he must interact with the world’s first true artificial intelligence, housed in the body of a beautiful robot girl. Written by DNA FILMS

My 2 Cents:
OK, I’ll admit – I did not see this one in the theatre. Big surprise, right? I mean it did come out back in 2014 and I’m just now reviewing it. I had never even heard of Ex Machina until the image of it scrolled across my Netflix feed.

I had no clue what to expect, but I tend to like AI movies so I gave it a shot.

Ultimately, this movie is about a computer programmer, Caleb – played by Domhnall Gleeson, who “wins” a chance to be flown to the estate where the owner of the company he works for, Nathan – played by Oscar Isaac, lives. Caleb gets there… to what is basically this massive, underground bunker where Nathan lives, works, and creates. His boss makes him sign an NDA and then shows him this beautiful AI woman, Ava – played by Alicia Vikander, that he created and keeps locked up – secluded from the outside world. He explains that the reason he brought Caleb there was to spend a week talking with Ava, questioning her, etc. to see if she is a real AI or just another robot.

Tension… tension… tension…

This really was a tension filled movie. Basically, because the acting was fantastic!!! I was captivated by the acting AND the dialogue. I have to hand it to Alex Garland, the writer and director, for such a well thought out, thought-provoking script. I was so surprised to find out that this was the first movie he had ever directed. WHAT?!?! Yup, its true.

As the viewer, you don’t know who to trust… who to believe… who to care for. That is part of the genius behind the writing. It also gives credit to the execution of the acting and directing.

I’m not going to tell you what happens, and I really won’t tell you the twist at the end. Yes, there is a twist. What I will tell you is – this is an EXCELLENT MOVIE!!!! If you haven’t seen it, you need to rent this one, it will not disappoint.

You can watch the official trailers here:

 

My 2 Cents… The Nun

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The Nun

Title: The Nun
Director: Corin Hardy
Writers: Gary Dauberman (Screenplay)
Story by: Gary Dauberman and James Wan
Stars: Demian Bichir, Taissa Farmiga, Jonas Bloquet, and Bonnie Aarons

SHOW RATING OVERVIEW
Writing: ★★★
Story: ★★★
Acting: ★★★
Overall: ★★★ (3)

Blurb:
A priest with a haunted past and a novice on the threshold of her final vows are sent by the Vatican to investigate the death of a young nun in Romania and confront a malevolent force in the form of a demonic nun.

Storyline:
When a young nun at a cloistered abbey in Romania takes her own life, a priest with a haunted past and a novitiate on the threshold of her final vows are sent by the Vatican to investigate. Together they uncover the order’s unholy secret. Risking not only their lives but their faith and their very souls, they confront a malevolent force in the form of the same demonic nun that first terrorized audiences in ‘The Conjuring 2,’ as the abbey becomes a horrific battleground between the living and the damned. Written by Warner Bros.

My 2 Cents:
I was hoping for more. More scares, more story, more plot, more acting. Just more.

Ok, before you get the wrong I idea, I do still think this movie is worth watching. Rent it, don’t buy it. The story is subpar and the acting is just ok, but there were a few good jump scares – my favorite part of scary movies. Although, the best part wasn’t the movie at all – it was who I was watching it with. My daughter says she loves scary movies, but she screams the whole time. THE WHOLE TIME – even when it isn’t scary. So, her fear and excitement at being scared made the movie that much more fun for me too.

So, find a friend or a loved one who loves to be scared and jumps at everything and watch this movie with them.

I guess the only other things I can say about the movie is that the special effects were better than I expected and Bonnie Aarons, the actress who played The Nun, was awesome! I’m not going to lie – she was pretty creepy scary looking.

You can watch the official trailers here: