Movie Reviews 2018
My Best of 2018:
A Star Is Born**
Green Book** (Academy Winner)
Bohemian Rhapsody**
First Man
My Best of non-2018 films:
Disobedience
**Oscar nominated
BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY: Not being a Queen fan (defined by not owning any of their music or really knowing their playlist other than the obvious), I was a bit skeptical going in. While the movie does drag in places, you are so mesmerized by the performance of Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury that it carries you right through to the end. That he won the Academy Award for best actor was not a surprise. I even re-watched this on Delta Airlines when we flew across country recently.
8½ stars
GREEN BOOK: I felt with Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali, it was tough for this one to go wrong. But to bring home the gold? (My favorite was A Star is Born.)
The two form an unlikely bond: Ali (Best Supporting Actor winner) is the accomplished musician who, in the 1960s, needs a driver to take him through venues in the south that are a ever-so-not-friendly to a musician of color, no matter his talent and the rich, white audiences that come out to see and hear him. Even Mortensen (Oscar nominted), the Boston area Italian-America is skeptical of his boss.
If you haven't, you should see this; it's good, and the nominations and awards prove it.
8½ stars
A STAR IS BORN: Bradley Cooper was warned not to take this project on (directorial debut; co-star), so no pressure, right? Well, the legend of Bradley Cooper lives. He did a great job as an director, actor, singer and songwriter, and Lady Gaga, too, may be Oscar-bound for her extraordinary performance; we knew she could sing, but now we know she can act as well.
You probably know the story line: Aging rock star gloms onto a rising star he "discovers" in a bar, and he reluctantly passes the torch to his young protege, who also becomes a love interest. Cooper is excellent as the alcohol and drug-fueled rocker, managed by his older brother (great role for Sam Elliott). The songs are powerful. This one's a must see.
9½ stars
FIRST MAN: We all remember Neil Armstrong posing for the NASA photo with his helmet at his side. His wane smile and All-American good looks made it appear as if he didn't have a care in the world. This movie about his life, however, shows that that photo, 1/60th of a second, belies the man's incredible life story. He was the first non-military astronaut in space (he'd had a decorated stint in the Navy as an officer/flyer during the Korean War); he and his wife endured their young daughter's cancer diagnosis and death at age two; his life as a civilian test pilot was not without its ups and downs, pun intended.
Ryan Golsing does an excellent job portraying the humble and highly-intelligent Armstrong; Claire Foy (Queen Elizabeth in The Crown) is a strong-willed wife who married Neil because she expected a "normal life." Both could be contenders for Oscar nominations.
Just like Apollo 13, you know how it ends, but the drama is intense. Excellent special effects and cinemetography; it's difficult to believe that it wasn't filmed in space and on location on the moon.
Director Damien Chazelle (Oscar winner for La La Land) may be up for this film, as well.
8½ stars
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE - FALLOUT: I may not be a great fan of Tom Cruise, the person, but as an action hero, he sure can act. This seemingly non-stop Mission Ridiculous film (this is Cruise's fourth stint as Ethan Hunt) is as entertaining as this genre can be. You can't go wrong if this type of film is your thing.
8 stars
DISOBEDIENCE (2017): A smoldering drama starring two of my favorite actresses, Rachel Weisz & Rachel McAdams. Weisz is an avant-garde New York photographer who returns to her London orthodox Jewish community to mourn the death of her father, the synagogue's lead rabbi. Her appearance elicits cold shoulders from those mourning her father's death, all bothered by her sudden departure from the community. The rabbi's protégé, Dovid Kuperman (coolly played by Alessandro Nivola), invites Weisz to stay with him and his wife, Rachel McAdams. We soon learn that the three had a past - a past that promises to explode the status quo.
This was released in late 2017, but it just opened in Sacramento today. Look for it at an indie theatre near you.
8½ stars
GAME NIGHT: This looked way overdone and silly in the trailers (as much as I love Rachel McAdams), but on the advice of friends, we gave it a try. And we were not disappointed.
The plot was simple (too simple?): Game night among friendly couples got mixed up with a real-life burglary and take-down of one of the friends who burned a local mob. What's real, what's not? As obvious as some of the humor was, the movie entertained. Jason Bateman was fun as Rachel's husband.
Check it out on DVD.
7½ stars
I FEEL PRETTY: This one got slammed by the critics for reasons I'm not sure about. Amy Schumer was great as the pudgy, insecure office worker who hits her head and wakes up thinking she is the prettiest and most capable person there ever was. And she continues to show you what confidence can mean. She carried the movie; the always wonderful Michelle Williams played a weird role as her eccentric boss.
Another one for DVD viewing.
7½ stars
BLACK PANTHER: These Marvel comic book action adventures just don't do it for me (except the funny Guardians series). The critics loved it; the non-racist movie reviewers did so, too. It killed at the box office - and you've either already seen it or have no desire to do so.
Chadwick Boseman and Michael Jordan continue to grow as actors.
One of the better ones (of the few Marvels I've seen). Just not me.
7 stars
THE ACCOUNTANT (2016): Missed this at the movies, probably because of bad reviews (Metascore = 51). So I was somewhat surprised when we finally saw it on DVD. No barn-burner - and plenty of flaws - but Ben Affleck plays a mild- mannered, autistic accountant who is a stone-cold killer at night.
Raised with a younger brother by his Army dad who did not believe in treatment for his son (breaking all sorts of rules), the Treasury Department is in hot pursuit of an unknown accountant who is employed by an array of some very bad people. Plenty of action; not a lot of logic - but it moves at a good pace. J.K. Simmons & Cynthia Addai-Robinson are the feds on Affleck's tail; Anna Kendrick is a mousy accountant helping Affleck figure out missing money from a tech company's books; Jeffery Tambor and John Lithgow give heft to the supporting cast.
7 stars
AMERICAN MADE (2017): Tom Cruise has the great looks to pull off this based-on-a-true-story, arrogant role: a commercial airline pilot who finds he can make a lot more money by going rogue and running drugs for the CIA. Again, one we missed at the theatres (I saw it on a flight from Seoul to Hanoi!).
A well-done action film that expertly weaves in true-life events during the Reagan years (Iran-contra!) to keep you interested. Worth a place on your Netflix queue.
7½ stars
VICTORIA & ABDUL (2017): Another film I saw on a long flight last month. This truth-based story was panned by the critics (Metascore = 58) and was excrutiatingly slow at times. But you can't go wrong with Judi Dench, an aging and cranky Queen Victoria who befriends an Indian peasant (well-played by Ali Fazal) chosen to be an emissary from the British colony. The two maintain a fascinating friendship that has enough humorous moments to keep you on your toes. If nothing else, by accident, I assume, it unmasks the absurdity of royalty.
7½ stars
