(2019)Action (Netflix) Ben Affleck, Oscar Isaac, Charlie Hunnam, Garrett Hedlund, Pedro Pascal, Adria Arjona, Louis Jeovanny, Juan Camilo Castillo, Rey Gallegos, Madeline “Maddy” Wary, Johan Ochoa, Francisco Martinez, Pablo Cesar Sanchez, Kevin Vasquez, Jose Rodriguez, Enzo Morales, Hilliard Joshua Meeks, Amber Stone.Directed by JC Chandor
JC Chandor has made several films that look with an unblinking eye at the drawbacks of American capitalism, and in this movie, an action movie with a fine cast, he surprisingly does so again. A group of former U.S. elite Special Forces operatives who for the most part have been struggling adjusting to civilian life (none more so than Affleck’s “Redfly” Davis) are talked into taking on a new mission, staking out a South American drug lord’s mansion for the purpose of robbing him blind. However, what seems to be a great idea goes sideways and quickly turns into a fight for survival, particularly as greed begins to rear it’s ugly head.
Although the cinematography is lovely and the action sequences well-staged, the movie suffers from a been there-done that plot, a lack of character development and a surprisingly over-the-top performance by Affleck. Isaac distinguishes himself here, adding to his reputation of being one of the best and most consistent actors in Hollywood today. This is a movie with a lot going for it on paper that sadly doesn’t translate well to the finished product.
REASONS TO SEE: Terrific cast, with Isaac standing out in particular. REASONS TO AVOID: Fairly standard for what it is. FAMILY VALUES: There is profanity and violence. TRIVIAL PURSUIT: Tom Hardy and Channing Tatum were originally attached to the project in the lead roles, but dropped out due to creative differences with the rewritten script. Paramount dropped the project shortly afterwards, but after Affleck and Isaac were cast Netflix picked it up. BEYOND THE THEATERS:Netflix CRITICAL MASS: As of 1/4/22: Rotten Tomatoes: 71% positive reviews; Metacritic: 61/100. COMPARISON SHOPPING:The Wages of Fear FINAL RATING: 6/10 NEXT:The Matrix Resurrections
(2021)Science Fiction (Warner Brothers) Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Jason Momoa, Stellan Skarsgård, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Chang Chen, Dave Bautista, David Dastmalchian, Zendaya, Charlotte Rampling, Babs Olusanmokun, Benjamin Clementine, Souad Faress, Golda Rosheuvel.Directed by Denis Villaneuve
Frank Herbert’s 1965 sci-fi epic novel Dune has very much informed the landscape of science fiction; its themes crop up in the Star Wars saga as well as in literally dozens of movies thereafter, including Tremors and even Game of Thrones. The novel was largely considered unfilmable, although visionary Mexican director Alejandro Jodorowski attempted it until the production fell apart of its own weight, and David Lynch finally succeeded in getting a version filmed in 1984 which he has since disowned; the studio cut it to shreds, making the film nearly incomprehensible, even to people familiar with the book. A 2001 SyFy miniseries fared somewhat better, but many feel it still didn’t capture the essence of the novel.
Acclaimed director Denis Villaneuve is the latest to attempt a shot at Dune. He takes the familiar story, but in a perhaps wise move, elected to divide the novel into two parts. Part two wasn’t greenlit at the time of the movie’s release, although it has since, so there was no guarantee that the sequel would ever be filmed, which was taking a huge risk, but it eventually paid off.
Young Paul Atreides (Chalamet), son of Duke Leto (Isaac) and the duke’s concubine Lady Jessica (Ferguson) has been having dreams of a blue-eyed warrior woman on a desert planet. Paul is aware his father, head of the House Atreides, has been ordered by the Emperor to take over spice production on Arrakis, a world known more colloquially as Dune. It is a lucrative offer; the main rival of House Atreides, House Harkonen, has held onto Arrakis for more than 80 years and has amassed an immense fortune. Spice, you see, is the drug that prolongs life and allows space navigators to fold space, which makes interstellar travel and commerce possible. The drug is found only on Arrakis.
But Duke Leto smells a trap and he’s right. Baron Vladimir Harkonen (Skarsgård), a devious corpulent man with an anti-gravity belt, means to put paid to his enemies the Atreides with the aid of the Emperor’s own troops. Arrakis is therefore a trap, and Harkonen has an ace up his sleeve.
That’s just a VERY rough outline of the plot, which is much more intricate and confounding than I make it out to be. Most of the really interesting performances are coming from characters with more or less minor roles with the exception of Rebecca Ferguson, who is absolutely superb as the regal Lady Jessica, who schemes to deliver to the Bene Gesserit order of space witches the Galactic savior the order has long prophesized about, but that also exists as a legendary deliverer on Arrakis.
Describing the movie would really take up more time and space than you’d probably be willing to peruse; suffice to say that the scale of this movie rivals essentially anything you’ve ever seen in a cinema before. The sets are massive and absolutely gorgeous and each planet, like the stormy ocean world of Caladan where House Atreides is based to Geidi Prime, the iron caverns where House Harkonen schemes and Arrakis itself, have distinct personalities in architecture yet each retains its own individual grandeur. It is an absolutely gorgeous film to look at, made even more impressive by a large-format movie screen (or even a regular movie screen). The sandworms are spectacular, so let’s get that straight; so too are the spacecraft which Villaneuve uses comparative scaling; in space they are tiny but on the planet surface they are enormous, the size of a small city. The scale of this movie is unbelievable.
The trouble with epic movies is that often something has to get lost, and here there are so many wonderful characters and actors, many of which are onscreen for only a scene or two, that they get lost in the shuffle. Jason Momoa, as sword master Duncan Idaho, brings a larger-than-life presence to the part which barely was featured at all in the 1984 version. Charlotte Rampling has little screen time as the imperious Reverend Mother Helen Mohiam but is impressive in it for the brief time she’s around. There are a number of other actors who have moments that resonate but are quickly dispatched or fall out of the story.
The story revolves around Paul Atreides and indie film darling Chalamet does a fairly decent job in the role, although I found him a bit too doe-eyed and pretty for the part of a young man who was also supposed to be an outstanding warrior; his fight scenes are particularly unconvincing. It is one of the movie’s biggest drawbacks (but not it’s biggest one; see below).
Truth be told, I always had a soft spot for the 1984 version, even though I recognize that it was flawed. It wasn’t the movie that Lynch wanted to make, which was a blessing and a curse; the movie he wanted to make may well have ended up bloated beyond all recognition. Fans have been clamoring for a director’s edition of that Dune for decades but it will never happen; Lynch isn’t interested in revisiting it, and even if he was, I doubt that Universal would even allow it, given that Warner Brothers holds the rights to the property now. The legal ramifications would make even Frank Herbert’s head spin.
In any case, if spectacle is what you’re after, this movie has it in spaces. It is slow-moving in places and the plot can be pretty convoluted which is really going to put some people off, but it is a lot more easily understood than it’s 1984 predecessor. Is this going to be the definitive version of Dune? Probably. At least I’m looking forward to Part 2 when it is released in October 2023. After that there is a whole series of novels based on the Dune universe written both by Herbert and his son, after the author passed away. Potentially, this can be a franchise filling the coffers of Warner Brothers for decades to come. Let us hope so.
REASONS TO SEE: One of the most epic movies (in scope) of the past decade. Terrific work by Momoa and Ferguson. REASONS TO AVOID: Slow-moving during the first half and occasionally confusing. FAMILY VALUES: There is violence (some of it graphic), disturbing images and some sexuality. TRIVIAL PURSUITS: The first trailer for the film used composer Hans Zimmer’s orchestral version of the Pink Floyd song “Eclipse.” This was a nod to the aborted Jodorowski version in which the Mexican director had planned to have Pink Floyd score his movie. BEYOND THE THEATERS:HBO Max (through November 21) CRITICAL MASS: As of 11/11/21: Rotten Tomatoes: 83% positive reviews; Metacritic: 74/100. COMPARISON SHOPPING:Starship Troopers FINAL RATING: 7/10 NEXT:Silent Hours
(Warner Brothers)Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Jason Momoa, Stellan Skarsgård, Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, Dave Bautista. Directed by Denis Villeneuve
Possibly the most anticipated movie of 2021 is here! In the distant future, the young scion of a noble house travels to the most dangerous planet in the galaxy to confront a destiny he can’t begin to comprehend, while malevolent forces collide to take control of the most precious resource there is. But young Paul Atreides will discover an incredible secret even as he fights to protect those he loves.
See the trailer here
For more on the movie this is the website
Genre: Science Fiction
Now Playing: Wide (also on HBO Max) Rating: PG-13 (for sequences of strong violence, some disturbing images and suggestive material)
Becoming Cousteau
(National Geographic)Jacques-Yves Cousteau, Vincent Cassel, Louis Malle, Philippe Cousteau. A man’s love for the sea becomes his ticket to exploration, invention and ultimately, unwanted celebrity. Cousteau’s name became synonymous with the oceans of our world, and he became one of the first conservationalists as he witnessed firsthand the damage being done to the deep.
See the trailer here
For more on the movie this is the website
Genre: Documentary
Now Playing: Regal Pavilion Port Orange, Regal Winter Park Village Rating: PG-13 (for brief strong language, some disturbing images and smoking)
Every Last One of Them
(Saban)Paul Sloan, Jake Weber, Taryn Manning, Richard Dreyfuss. An ex-Black Ops soldier hunts for his missing daughter and finds the chilling truth behind her disappearance. His quest for justice turns into an obsession for revenge as he uses all his skills to find those responsible.
See the trailer here
For more on the movie this is the website
Genre: Action
Now Playing: Studio Movie Grille Sunset Walk Rating: R (for violence, sexual assault, drug use, language throughout and nudity)
The Harder They Fall
(Netflix)Jonathan Majors, Zazie Beetz, Idris Elba, LaKeith Stanfield. When a gunslinger learns his bitter enemy has been released from prison, he puts together his old gang to confront his rival in this new school Western.
See the trailer here
For more on the movie this is the website
Genre: Western
Now Playing: Cinemark Orlando, Cinemark Universal Citywalk, Premiere Fashion Square Rating: R (for strong violence and language)
Ron’s Gone Wrong
(20th Century) Starring the voices of Zach Galifianakis, Jack Dylan Grazer, Olivia Colman, Ed Helms. When a socially awkward middle schooler gets a digitally connected device that walks and talks, it feels at last like he might just fit in. But when the device begins to malfunction in humiliating ways, it seems like he will be more of an outcast than ever.
See the trailer /www.imdb.com/video/vi481674009here
For more on the movie this is the website
Genre: Animated Feature
Now Playing: Wide Rating: PG (for some rude material, thematic elements and language)
The Velvet Underground
(Apple)John Cale, Lou Reed, Maureen Tucker, Sterling Morrison. The story of the band that became far more influential than successful, the darlings of the New York literati and who were championed by Andy Warhol. Diected by indie darling Todd Haynes.
See the trailer here
For more on the movie this is the website
Genre: Music Documentary
Now Playing: Enzian Rating: R (for language, sexual content, nudity and some drug material)
Warning
(Lionsgate)Alex Pettyfer, Alice Eve, Thomas Jane, Annabelle Wallis. As humanity becomes more dependent on technology, we grow more distant from each other. When a massive global storm wreaks havoc with electronic equipment, the consequences are terrifying.
See the trailer here
For more on the movie this is the website
Genre: Science Fiction
Now Playing: Studio Movie Grille Sunset Walk Rating: R (for language, sexual content, a sexual assault, some drug use and nudity)
COMING TO VIRTUAL CINEMA/VOD:
At the Ready
Broadcast Signal Intrusion
The Green Wave (Thursday)
Introducing Selma Blair (Thursday)
Shirobako: The Movie (Tuesday)
Skull: The Mask (Tuesday)
Somewhere With No Bridges (Tuesday)
The Subject
SCHEDULED FOR REVIEW:
At the Ready
Becoming Cousteau
Dune
The Harder They Fall
Introducing Selma Blair
Ron’s Gone Wrong
The Velvet Underground
(Columbia)Tom Hardy, Woody Harrelson, Michelle Williams, Naomie Harris, Reid Scott, Stephen Graham, Peggy Lu. Directed by Andy Serkis
Eddie Brock continues to have problems reigning his alien symbiote Venom in, but all that changes when serial killer Cletus Kasady gets a symbiote of his own, the evil Carnage.
See the trailer here
For more on the movie this is the website
Genre: Superhero
Now Playing: Wide Rating: PG-13 (for intense sequences of violence and action, some strong language, disturbing material and suggestive references)
The Addams Family 2
(United Artists) Starring the voices of Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, Chloë Grace Moretz, Wallace Shawn. Everyone’s favorite creepy and kooky family decide to take one last family vacation in their haunted camper in an attempt to reclaim the bond that they once had before the kids began to want a life of their own. But this will take them out of their element and into an America that may not be ready for them.
See the trailer here
For more on the movie this is the website
Genre: Animated Feature
Now Playing: Wide (also on Premium VOD) Rating: PG (for macabre and rude humor, violence and language)
American Night
(Saban)Emile Hirsch, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Paz Vega, Jeremy Piven. When a highly prized Andy Warhol original appears on the market, a ruthless New York City art dealer and the head of the New York crime syndicate will stop at nothing to obtain it.
See the trailer here
For more on the movie this is the website
Genre: Action
Now Playing: Studio Movie Grille Sunset Walk Rating: R (for violence, sexual content, nudity, and language throughout)
The Jesus Music
(Lionsgate)Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Toby Mac, Kirk Franklin. The story of how Contemporary Christian music rose from a Sixties counterculture movement to become a worldwide phenomenon.
See the trailer here
For more on the movie this is the website
Genre: Music Documentary
Now Playing: AMC Altamonte Mall, CMX Lakeland Square Rating: PG-13 (for some drug material and thematic elements)
The Many Saints of Newark
(Warner Brothers)Michael Gandolfini, Vera Farmiga, Corey Stoll, Ray Liotta. The prequel to the legendary HBO series charts the rise of Tony Soprano in the volatile streets of Newark as he rises in the crime family, fueled by the example of a beloved Uncle whom he idolizes.
See the trailer here
For more on the movie this is the website
Genre: Crime
Now Playing: Wide (also on HBO Max) Rating: R (for strong violence, pervasive language, sexual content and some nudity)
Prisoners of the Ghostland
(RLJE)Nicolas Cage, Sofia Boutella, Nick Cassavetes, Bill Moseley. A bank robber with little or no moral compass is sprung from jail by a ruthless warlord who wants him to find his adopted daughter who has run away. She is in the wilds of the Ghostland, and he has five days to find her, otherwise the suit that he is locked into will self-destruct and him with it. Cage has said this is the wildest movie he has ever done, and that’s saying something.
See the trailer here
For more on the movie this is the website
Genre: Action
Now Playing: Enzian Rating: NR
Republic
(Zee)Sai Dharam Tej, Aishwarya Rajesh, Jagapathi Babu, Ramya Krishnan. A corrupt system protects The Collector, a ruthless man who runs his country without pity or conscience. Brave men must take on an entire system to bring him down.
See the trailer here
For more on the movie this is the website
Genre: Thriller
Now Playing: Amstar Lake Mary Rating: NR
Titane
(Neon)Agathe Rousselle, Vincent Lindon, Garance Marillier, Lais Salameh. A father is reunited with his son who has been missing for ten years.
See the trailer here
For more on the movie this is the website
Genre: Sci-Fi Horror
Now Playing: AMC Altamonte Mall, AMC Avenue 16 Melbourne, AMC Disney Springs, Cinemark Universal Citywalk, CMX Plaza Orlando Rating: R (for strong violence and disturbing material, graphic nudity, sexual content, and language)
COMING TO VIRTUAL CINEMA/VOD:
The Amityville Moon (Tuesday)
Bingo Hell
Black as Night
Coming Home in the Dark
Diana: The Musical
Falling for Figaro
The Ghost and Molly McGee
The Guilty
Implanted
Mayday
Stop and Go
There’s Someone Inside Your House (Wednesday)
The Universality of It All
V/H/S/94 (Wednesday)
Witch Hunt
SCHEDULED FOR REVIEW:
The Guilty
The Jesus Music
The Many Saints of Newark
Stop and Go
Venom: Let There Be Carnage
(2018) Animated Feature (Columbia) Starring the voices of Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld, Lily Tomlin, Mahershala Ali, Brian Tyree Henry, Luna Lauren Velez, Zoe Kravitz, John Mulaney, Kimiko Glenn, Nicolas Cage, Kathryn Hahn, Liev Schreiber, Chris Pine, Natalie Morales, Oscar Isaac, Jorma Taccone, Lake Bell.Directed by Bob Perischetti, Peter Ramsey and Rodney Rothman
Spider-Man has been perhaps the most popular character in the history of Marvel Comics. So much so that the hero has progressed beyond Peter Parker; there are a number of iterations of the character in the comics; some serious, some not.
Miles Morales (Moore) is one of those characters. A young, African-American/Hispanic teen, he likes hanging out with his Uncle Aaron (Ali), and less so with his cop father (Henry). He’s a very smart kid, but not so interested in school and a little on the timid side. When he’s bitten by a radioactive spider, he gets the powers of Spider-Man. He relies on the comic books to kind of guide him through.
But then the Kingpin (Schreiber), a corpulent villain, opens up gateways to a multitude of parallel universes, threatening all of them. Spider-men from all around the multiverse begin to flood in, including a tired and nearly broken Peter Parker (Johnson), an iteration in which Gwen Stacy (Steinfeld) becomes Spider-Gwen, a black and white character from the 30s called Spider-Noir (Cage), a porcine cartoon pig named Spider-Ham (Mulaney) and a sprightly teen from the future named Peni Parker (Glenn). Together they will have to face down against the Kingpin and his scientific advisor Doc Octopus (Hahn) if they are to save the multi-verse.
Visually, this is a striking film that is meant to look more like a comic book than conventional animated features. It is certainly meant to appeal to Spider-Fans, with lots of little in-jokes and Easter Eggs for those who follow the character in the comics, but even for those unfamiliar with the various Spider-Man characters, there is some clever dialogue to keep the story moving, even though at just a hair under two hours long it might be too much for the attention-challenged. Still, this was the Oscar winner for Best Animated Feature at the 2019 Academy Awards and quite honestly, it deserved to be.
REASONS TO SEE: Wonderful animation. Plenty of Easter Eggs for fans. Clever dialogue. REASONS TO AVOID: A bit too long. FAMILY VALUES: There is some cartoon violence, mild profanity and thematic material. TRIVIAL PURSUIT: Both Steve Ditko and Stan Lee, the original creators of the Spider-Man comic, passed away during production of the film. BEYOND THE THEATERS:AmazonAMC On Demand, AppleTV, Fandango Now, FlixFling, Google Play, Microsoft, Redbox, Vudu, YouTube CRITICAL MASS: As of 5/12/20: Rotten Tomatoes: 97% positive reviews, Metacritic: 87/100 COMPARISON SHOPPING: The Incredibles FINAL RATING: 8.5/10 NEXT:Hope Gap
(2018) Romance (Amazon) Olivia Wilde, Oscar Isaac, Annette Bening, Antonio Banderas, Mandy Patinkin, Jean Smart, Olivia Cooke, Sergio Peris-Mencheta, Laia Costa, Alex Monner, Samuel L. Jackson, Isabel Durant, Lorenza Izzo, Jake Robinson, Adrián Marrero, Kya Cruse, Charlie Thurston, Gabby Bryan, Jordana Rose, Caitlin Carmichael, Bryant Carroll, Carmela Lloret.Directed by Dan Fogelman
Life Itself (not to be confused with the 2014 Roger Ebert bio-documentary) has some mighty tall aspirations. It means to show us through all the pain and suffering through life, we can find solace in that love finds us because it is destined to. I’m sure there are plenty of lonely people who would take exception to that theory.
Will (Isaac) and Abby (Wilde) are a young couple who met in college, fell in love, got married and are expecting a child. Or, at least, they were; we see most of that through flashbacks and we meet Will during a therapy session with a sympathetic psychiatrist (Bening) who is trying to guide Will through the ruins of his life after Abby leaves it. We meet their daughter Dylan (Cooke), a petulant young girl who fronts a punk band but is hiding great pain and not hiding it very well. We also meet Rodrigo (Monner), a young boy traumatized at a young age and brought up by a mother (Costa) who is afflicted with cancer and two fathers – his biological dad (Peris-Mencheta) and the wealthy landowner (Banderas) for whom his father works and who has been part of his life since the beginning. We also meet Elena (Izzo), the narrator who has connections with nearly all of these people in some way.
This is a movie that is riddled with sorrow; plenty of the folks I just introduced you to meet tragic ends, but there is also a lot of joy in the relationships with spouses, parents and caring friends. It feels like Fogelman has tried to cram way too much into the movie which helps to give it the feel that it’s going on too long. Some astute viewers will note that Fogelman has become well-known for the TV show This Is Us which this resembles in tone and construction which is probably why my wife likes this movie so much.
Most critics don’t, however, and I count myself among them. Like life itself, the movie has problems and triumphs in equal measure. There are some nice performances – Costa, Isaac, Wilde and Patinkin stand out, and Jackson in what amounts to a cameo at the very beginning of the movie might have caused problems by making viewers think this was going to be a different kind of movie than it actually was. Frankly, I thought that Fogelman should have stuck with the Sam Jackson movie; it’s a much better one than the one he actually made.
That’s not to say that there isn’t some form of catharsis throughout the movie for you to hold onto. There certainly is, but the tone shifts are so abrupt and violent that we are left feeling curiously off-balance, which is kind of what we watch movies to get away from. Life Itself is too much like life itself in many ways and I don’t think most of us love life itself enough to want to watch a movie about it.
REASONS TO SEE: Jackson is incandescent in his brief appearance. REASONS TO AVOID: Excessively maudlin. FAMILY VALUES: There is more than a bit of profanity, some sexual references, some violent images and brief drug use. TRIVIAL PURSUIT: Fogelman listened extensively to Bob Dylan’s 1997 Time Out of Mind album in order to set the mood of the film which blends love and melancholy. In fact, the track “Love Sick” plays over the opening credits. BEYOND THE THEATERS: Amazon CRITICAL MASS: As of 1/9/20: Rotten Tomatoes: 14% positive reviews: Metacritic: 21/100 COMPARISON SHOPPING:This Is Us FINAL RATING: 5/10
NEXT:The House With the Clock In the Walls
(2018) True Life Drama (MGM) Oscar Isaac, Ben Kingsley, Mélanie Laurent, Lior Raz, Nick Kroll, Michael Aronov, Ohad Knoller, Greg Hill, Torben Liebrecht, Michel Benjamin Hernandez, Joe Alwyn, Greta Scachi, Peter Strauss, Haley Lu Richardson, Pêpê Rapazote, Rainer Reiners, Simon Russell Beale, Rocio Muñoz, Rita Pauls, Ania Luzarth, Tatiana Rodriguez, Antonia Desplat. Directed by Chris Weitz
When describing Adolph Eichmann, one of the architects of Hitler’s Final Solution and who organized the transportation of millions of Jews to concentration camps, historian Hannah Arendt coined the phrase “the banality of evil.” Eichmann was one of two high-profile Nazis who managed to escape Germany before the Nuremberg trials (Josef Mengele was the other). This film is about the efforts of the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad and their efforts to capture Eichmann who had fled to Argentina and bring him to trial in Jerusalem.
Kingsley plays Eichmann with as a man of iron wrapped in a cardigan sweater. He is hunted by a team dispatched by Mossad chief Isser Harel (Raz) and led by Rafi Eltan (Kroll) with operatives including interrogator Peter Mendel (Isaac) and physician Hanna Elian (Laurent). Mendel is particularly haunted by the deaths of his sister and her family at the hands of the Nazis.
Told in the style of a spy thriller but lacking the twists and turns of a good one, Weitz manages to keep the dramatic tension at a decent level (although not an extraordinary one) and benefits from powerful performances from Kingsley, from whom we have come to expect them, and Isaac who is rapidly becoming a big star in his own right.
The movie flew under the radar when it was released in the dog days of August back in 2018 which is a bit of a shame; it deserved a better fate. That can be rectified however as you have the opportunity to catch this via a variety of streaming platforms, listed below. It is worth your while to do so.
REASONS TO SEE: Strong performances by Isaac and Kingsley. There’s a good sense of dramatic tension. REASONS TO AVOID: At times the film feels a little bloodless. FAMILY VALUES:The themes are decidedly adult and there are some graphic images related to that; there is also some brief profanity. TRIVIAL PURSUIT: Michael Benjamin Hernandez is the younger brother of Oscar Isaac. BEYOND THE THEATERS: Amazon, AppleTV, Epix, Fandango Now, Google Play, Hulu, Microsoft, Redbox, Vudu, YouTube CRITICAL MASS: As of 1/12/20: Rotten Tomatoes: 60% positive reviews: Metacritic: 58/100. COMPARISON SHOPPING: Munich FINAL RATING: 7/10 NEXT:The Wife
(Disney) Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, John Boyega, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Domhnall Gleeson, Richard E. Grant. Directed by J.J. Abrams
Forty years and ten movies on, and it all comes to this; the final chapter in the saga of the Skywalker family, from Anakin to Luke and now the last generation, the story that has spanned four decades comes to a conclusion. Is it going to be as emotionally satisfying as the MCU finale earlier this year? Probably not.
See the trailer here For more on the movie this is the website Genre: Science Fiction Now Playing: Wide Release Rating: PG-13 (for sci-fi violence and action)
A Hidden Life
(Fox Searchlight)August Diehl, Valerie Pachner, Maria Simon, Tobias Moretti. The true story of Austrian farmer Franz Jägerstätter who refused to fight for the Nazis during the Second World War at great personal cost to himself and his family. This is the latest from recently prolific director Terrence Malick.
See the trailer here For more on the movie this is the website Genre: Biographical Drama Now Playing: Regal Winter Park Village, Rialto Spanish Springs Square Rating: PG-13 (for traumatic material including violent images)
Bombshell
(Lionsgate) Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, Margot Robbie, John Lithgow. A group of women at Fox News take on Roger Ailes to try and change the toxic masculine atmosphere he created, leading to a profound shakeup at the official network of the Republican party.
See the trailer here For more on the movie this is the website Genre: True Life Drama Now Playing: AMC Altamonte Mall, AMC Disney Springs, AMC Lake Square, AMC West Oaks, Cinemark Orlando, Cinepolis Hamlin, Cinepolis Polk County, Cobb Daytona Luxury, Epic Theaters of Clermont, Regal Oviedo Marketplace, Regal Pavilion Port Orange, Regal The Loop, Regal Waterford Lakes, Regal Winter Park Village, Rialto Spanish Springs Square Rating: R (for sexual material and language throughout)
Cats
(Universal) James Corden, Judi Dench, Idris Elba, Jennifer Hudson. At long last comes the screen version of the hit Broadway musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, depicting a group of cats meeting to determine which one of them will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and return to a new and better life. The film has gotten a great deal of blowback due to the trailer which some found the CGI make-up effects disconcerting.
See the trailer here For more on the movie this is the website Genre: Musical Now Playing: Wide Release Rating: PG (for some rude and suggestive material)
Dabangg 3
(Yash Raj) Salman Khan, Arbaaz Khan, Mahie Gill, Girish Taurani. India’s beloved badass cop Inspector Chulbul Pandey is back to take on a new case.
See the trailer here For more on the movie this is the website Genre: Action Now Playing: Cinemark Universal Citywalk, Touchstar Southchase Rating: NR
ALSO OPENING IN ORLANDO/DAYTONA:
Hero</em Prati Roju Pandage Ruler Thambi
ALSO OPENING IN MIAMI/FT. LAUDERDALE/KEY WEST:
Hero Only Cloud Knows Prati Roju Pandage Ruler Thambi
ALSO OPENING IN TAMPA/ST. PETERSBURG/SARASOTA:
Ruler
ALSO OPENING IN JACKSONVILLE/ST. AUGUSTINE:
Prati Roju Pandage
SCHEDULED FOR REVIEW:
A Hidden Life Bombshell Cats Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
(Paramount) Will Smith, Clive Owen, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Benedict Wong, Ralph Brown, Douglas Hodge, Linda Emond. Directed by Ang Lee
An elite assassin finds himself targeted by a younger man who seems in all ways to be his equal. It turns out, there’s a very good reason for that.
See the trailer, clips, interviews, video featurettes and B-roll video here For more on the movie this is the website Genre: Science Fiction Now Playing: Wide Release Rating: PG-13 (for violence and action throughout, and brief strong language)
The Addams Family
(United Artists) Starring the voices of Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, Chloe Grace Moretz, Bette Midler. Although better known as an iconic television series, the Addams’ originally started off as a series of cartoons by illustrator Charles Addams. Now they come full circle in this animated feature about the creepy and kooky family.
See the trailer, clips, interviews and video featurettes here For more on the movie this is the website Genre: Animated Feature Now Playing: Wide Release Rating: PG (for macabre and suggestive humor, and some action)
Fronteras
(Vertical) Steven Sean Garland, Wade Everett, Cortez Chappell, Larry Coulter. A Hispanic border patrol agent must confront his own sense of morality when a task force arrives to contain a deadly narcotic that is beginning to sweep through the Southwest.
See the trailer here For more on the movie this is the website Genre: Action Now Playing: Touchstar Southchase Rating: NR
Jexi
(CBS)Adam DeVine, Alexandra Shipp, Michael Peña. Rose Byrne. A millennial addicted to his phone and with no appreciable life gets an upgrade which includes Jexi, a kind of cyber-life coach and cheerleader who helps him develop a better life. Unfortunately the A.I. begins to get jealous of her human’s new-found friends and wants to keep him all to itself.
See the trailer, clips and interviews here For more on the movie this is the website Genre: Comedy Now Playing: Wide Release Rating: R (for strong/crude sexual content and language throughout, some drug use and graphic nudity)
Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool
(Abramorama) Miles Davis, Carl Lumbly, Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock.Davis was one of the greatest innovators in the history of jazz. This is his story.
See the trailer here For more on the movie this is the website Genre: Music Documentary Now Playing: Enzian Theater Rating: NR
Polaroid
(Vertical) Kathryn Prescott, Mitch Pileggi, Grace Zabriskie, Tyler Young. A high school student discovers a vintage Polaroid camera and begins to take photos of her friends until she discovers the horrifying truth; that those whose pictures are taken by the camera meet grisly ends.
See the trailer here For more on the movie this is the website Genre: Horror Now Playing: Touchstar Southchase Rating: PG-13 (for violence/terror, thematic elements, brief strong language, some teen drinking and drug material)
The Sky is Pink
(Gravitas)Priyanka Chopra, Farhan Akhtar, Zaira Wasim, Ronit Saraf. The relationship of an Indian couple is seen through the eyes of their teenage daughter who is battling a lethal disease.
See the trailer, clips and a video featurette here For more on the movie this is the website Genre: Family Drama Now Playing: AMC West Oaks Rating: NR
ALSO OPENING IN ORLANDO/DAYTONA:
Adhya Rathiri Cuck Dilili in Paris Family History Indian Horse Lucky Day The Parts You Lose Semper Fi
ALSO OPENING IN MIAMI/FT. LAUDERDALE/KEY WEST:
Adhya Rathiri The Dead Center Durj El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie First Love High Strung Free Dance Lucy in the Sky Where’s My Roy Cohn?
ALSO OPENING IN TAMPA/ST. PETERSBURG/SARASOTA:
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie Family History Raise Hell: The Life and Times of Molly Ivins
ALSO OPENING IN JACKSONVILLE/ST. AUGUSTINE:
Adhya Rathiri El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie
SCHEDULED FOR REVIEW:
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie Gemini Man
FILM FESTIVALS TAKING PLACE IN FLORIDA:
South Asian Film Festival, Maitland Tampa Bay International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, Tampa
(Fox Searchlight) Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz, Emma Stone, Mark Gatiss, Nicholas Hoult, John Locke, James Smith, Carolyn Saint-Pé. Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos
During the reign of Queen Anne, two courtiers vie for the position of companion to the frail but mercurial queen; one woman seeking to attain power and return to the aristocracy she was born in, the other trying to retain power. Lanthimos has become a favorite among film cognoscenti with such titles as The Lobsterand The Killing of a Sacred Deer to his credit.
See the trailer and video featurettes here
For more on the movie this is the website
Release Formats: Standard
Genre: Comedy
Now Playing: Enzian Theater Rating: R (for strong sexual content, nudity and language)
At Eternity’s Gate
(CBS) Willem Dafoe, Rupert Friend, Oscar Isaac, Mads Mikkelsen.The life and times of renowned painter Vincent van Gogh, as taken from his letters, contemporary accounts, gossip and just plain fiction, from director Julien Schnabel who wowed audiences a few years ago with The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.
See the trailer and a clip here
For more on the movie this is the website
Release Formats: Standard
Genre: Biographical Drama
Now Playing: Regal Winter Park Village Rating: PG-13 (for some thematic content)
Mirai
(GKIDS) Starring the voices of John Cho, Rebecca Hall, Daniel Dae Kim, Victoria Grace.A four year old boy, jealous of the attention his baby sister Mirai is receiving from his parents, storms off into the garden only to meet people from the past, present and future who tell him the incredible story of his family.
See the trailer here For more on the movie this is the website Release Formats: Standard Genre: Animated Feature Now Playing: Wide Release (Saturday only) Rating: PG (for thematic elements including some scary images)
ALSO OPENING IN ORLANDO/DAYTONA:
The Appearance Back Roads Bennie the Dolphin Kedarnath Subramanypuram Swimming with Men Three Words to Forever Weightless
ALSO OPENING IN MIAMI/FT. LAUDERDALE:
Asher Lila’s Book Narcissister Organ Player Revival! Subramanypuram Three Words to Forever Twiceland
ALSO OPENING IN TAMPA/ST. PETERSBURG:
All the Devil’s Men Bernie the Dolphin Kedarnath Subramanypuram
ALSO OPENING IN JACKSONVILLE/ST. AUGUSTINE:
Kedarnath Subramanypuram Three Words to Forever Wildlife
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