MOVIE REVIEW: DUMB MONEY

 

Everyday people flip the script on Wall Street and get rich by turning GameStop into one of the world's hottest companies. In the middle of everything is Keith Gill, a regular guy who starts it all by sinking his life savings into the stock. When his social media posts start blowing up, so does his life and the lives of everyone following him. As a stock tip becomes a movement, everyone gets wealthy -- until the billionaires fight back and both sides find their worlds turned upside down.

Director: Craig Gillespie

Cast: Paul Dano, Pete Davidson, Vincent D'Onofrio, America Ferrera, Nick Offerman, Anthony Ramos, Sebastian Stan, Shailene Woodley, Seth Rogen

Release Date: September 15, 2023 

Genre: Biography, Comedy, Drama

Rated R for pervasive language, sexual material, and drug use

Runtime: 1h 44m

Craig Gillespie's Dumb Money takes the 2021 GameStop stock madness and breaks it down into an easily digestible and enjoyable annotated version of the true story.  He gives his film a chaotic energy which fits the subject matter perfectly even though the film describes the investing strategies at play.  The early exposition dump does a solid job of explaining the concepts in such a manner that any layman, myself included, can follow the ideas with general ease.  The story follows multiple angles of the story with the central focus being on Dano's Keith Gill who kick starts the events.  Additionally, we get moments with the hedge fund managers and retail investors as the stock situation explodes on the scene.  The ensemble does a solid job of making these moments engaging even if they don't offer the sort of depth that the main storyline is afforded.  Seth Rogen, Nick Offerman, Vincent D'Onofrio and Sebastian Stan make up the money side of the story with Rogen getting the most screen time and subsequently leaves the biggest impression. Offerman, D'Onofrio and Stan aren't asked to do much outside of looking smug or annoyed for a variety of reasons.   The rest of the ensemble played by familiar faces like America Ferrera and Anthony Ramos makes up the everyday retail investors who rally behind Gill's market play.  The characters themselves are composites of real people with the film content to use them to represent types of people as opposed to something a bit more nuanced and three dimensional.  Dano gets much more to work with his character getting more depth and texture throughout the film.  In turn he delivers a likeable, sincere performance that makes his character easy to root for from start to finish.  The film does gloss over some of the murkier details on the Reddit boards, other stocks that were part of situation and overall lasting effect of everything that went down.  There are plenty of documentaries that get into more the nitty gritty of what happened, but Dumb Money makes for a fascinating, well crafted cinematic retelling that captures the spirit of the moment.  

B+

MOVIE REVIEW: I, TONYA

Tonya Harding rises through the ranks of competitive figure skating only to find disgrace when her husband tries to eliminate her rival.

Director: Craig Gillespie

Cast: Margot Robbie, Sebastian Stan, Julianne Nicholson, Caitlin Carver, Bobby Cannavale, Allison Janney

Release Date: Dec 8, 2017

Genres: Biography, Drama, Sport

Rated R for pervasive language, violence, and some sexual content/nudity

Runtime: 1h 59 min

Review:

I, Tonya is a solid biopic that overcomes some of the story’s drawbacks with stellar performances from the cast.  Craig Gillespie keeps his film interesting by framing the film as a pseudo documentary with interviews spliced through the entire film.  What we get are 3 unreliable narrators who weave together a story stranger than fiction even as it occasionally veers into high end Lifetime movie territory.  That’s not to say it’s not intriguing as it touches on themes of tabloid fame and illusion of the American Dream.  At its center is Margot Robbie in the titular role.  Robbie presents Harding as a doggedly determined individual who can’t reach the summit because of a variety of reasons even if some are not entirely her fault.  Underneath it all, there’s a frayed and broken person who is looking for acceptance and love.  It’s an impressive performance that’s topped off with a silence sequence of Robbie looking into the mirror running a gamut of emotions before the climatic performance at the Lillehammer Olympics.  The supporting roles played by Allison Janney and Sebastian Stan are just as strong with each leaving a lasting impression.  Allison Janney gives the cinematic world another legendary evil mother to pantheon of evil mothers.  It’s an engaging and arresting performance that just as strong as Robbie’s.  Sebastian Stan’s turn as Jeff Gillooly equally impressive as he disappears into the role, he captures the mannerisms and vocal inflections perfectly.  The film builds to the final act where we’re witness to the bumbling cast of characters that lead to the attack on Nancy Kerrigan and the subsequent aftermath.  It’s all anti climatic since we all know how the story ends but watching this collection of actors deliver top notch performances is the real treat.

B+

Cindy Prascik's Review of The Finest Hours

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for the action-thriller The Finest Hours. Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from that lone trailer you've been seeing every week since last May. 

 

When a T2 oil tanker splits in half during a brutal Nor'easter, it's up to a small, brave Coast Guard crew to mount an unlikely rescue. Ahhh...the bleak midwinter...that No Man's Land between the awards hopefuls tuckering themselves out and the Lenten glut of Bible stories, where Hollywood dumps all the movies it's given up on or has no idea what to do with. These are movies with no ulterior motive. 

 

They don't expect to win anything, and they certainly don't expect to save your soul; they just want to entertain you. These movies are my friends. The Finest Hours is an old-school adventure, perhaps too old-school for today's audiences. 

 

The heroes are traditional, Ken-doll types, the elements big and threatening, the romance sweet and chaste. There's not much chemistry between Chris Pine and the always-delightful Holliday Grainger, but both are likeable enough to get by. The movie's real star (outside of some nice water and disaster effects) is Casey Affleck, as the de facto captain of the disabled tanker. Ben Foster, perpetually one great performance away from knocking Russell Crowe out of my Holy Trinity, is fantastic in a smaller role, and West Virginia boy Josh Stewart is great as well, though also with not too much to do. 

 

The rescue itself is hold-your-breath tense, and plays out so Hollywood-perfect that I'd call it hokey if not for the fact they've stuck pretty close to true events. Though it may be an unremarkable picture in the grand scheme of things, The Finest Hours a perfectly enjoyable afternoon at the movies for anyone who isn't expecting an Oscar coulda-shoulda-woulda. 

 

The Finest Hours clocks in at 117 minutes and is rated PG13 for "intense sequences of peril." It may not win any awards, but The Finest Hours kept me well and propertly entertained for the duration. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Finest Hours gets seven. 

 

Until next time... 

 

MOVIE REVIEW: FRIGHT NIGHT

IN THEATERS

FRIGHT NIGHT



A suburban teenager realizes that his new neighbor is a charismatic vampire in this remake of the 1985 horror comedy hit. After years of climbing to reach the top of the social ladder, high school senior Charley Brewster (Anton Yelchin) finally rules the roost. Just as Charley ditches his best pal, "Evil" Ed (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), and starts dating the most popular girl in their class, however, a handsome new face appears in the neighborhood. It belongs to Charley's new neighbor Jerry (Colin Farrell), an outwardly amiable guy with a quick smile and a sharp wit. But when Charley sees a side of Jerry that everyone else seems to miss, he quickly becomes convinced that the nice-guy act is a cover for something truly sinister. Unable to convince his charmed mother (Toni Collette) that Jerry is a genuine bloodsucker, the suspicious teen turns to Las Vegas magician Peter Vincent (David Tennant) to help exterminate the demon before he drinks the entire neighborhood dry. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Craig Gillespie

Cast: Colin Farrell, Anton Yelchin, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, David Tennant, Imogen Poots

Release Date: Aug 19, 2011

Rated R for bloody horror violence and language including some sexual references

Runtime: 1 hr. 46 min.

Genres: Comedy, Horror

Review:

The Fright Night remake is one those of those remakes that could have gone terribly wrong. Luckily with a strong script, cast and director it succeeds in properly updating a cult classic respectfully but giving it enough new shine to entertain. Craig Gillespie directs his film with the right sense of horror and comedy, something the original did fairly well. He also gives the film a brisk feel that keeps the proceedings moving at a steady pace and never lets the film lag. Anton Yelchin is solid if somewhat unmemorable in his general blandness, it’s not overpowering or detrimental just noticeable. Colin Farrell though is magnetic and electric throughout. He exudes charisma, masculinity and a primal ferocity, it’s an impressive turn that the rest of the film revolves around. Christopher Mintz-Plasse is strong in the limited but pivotal role of Ed. David Tennant is also lots of fun as Peter Vincent, he leaves you wishing he was given more screen time. The 2 talented ladies that make up the rest of the cast, Toni Collette & Imogen Poots, are fairly underused and in all honesty anybody could have played either role. While I watched the film in 2D there was a noticeable sense of 3D set ups using some incredibly tired popout at you techniques. I’ve never hate the 3D thing as much as most but it looks like a massive ripoff here. As for the film itself, it’s fun and well executed showing that if you must remake films at least makes sure all parties involved are bringing their A material.

B