MOVIE REVIEW: WIDOWS

A police shootout leaves four thieves dead during an explosive armed robbery attempt in Chicago. Their widows -- Veronica, Linda, Alice and Belle -- have nothing in common except a debt left behind by their spouses' criminal activities. Hoping to forge a future on their own terms, Veronica joins forces with the other three women to pull off a heist that her husband was planning.

Director: Steve McQueen

Cast: Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki, Cynthia Erivo, Colin Farrell, Brian Tyree Henry, Daniel Kaluuya, Jacki Weaver, Carrie Coon, Robert Duvall, Liam Neeson

Release Date: November 16, 2018

Genres: Crime, Drama, Thriller

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

Runtime: 2h 9 min

Review:

Steve McQueen’s Widows is a densely packed heist thriller.  Beautifully shot and thoroughly engaging, the film is never boring.  McQueen packs so much into his film that it might be necessary to give it multiple viewings.  He touches a multitude of topics from gender and racial politics all while unfurling a well crafted heist film.  The film moves at a methodical pace, never rushing from one scene to the next.  Instead it allows you to enjoy and appreciate the series of fine performances on display.  Viola Davis leads the film with her steady hand which makes you feel every bit of determination commingled with grief.  Elizabeth Debicki is just as impressive playing an abused trophy wife who is left picking up the pieces to her life after her husband’s death.  Michelle Rodriguez delivers as strong a performance as she can turn in but it’s hard not to notice the difference in talent level between her and her cast mates.  Colin Farrell and Robert Duvall make for a fascinating father and son duo and they deliver one of the film’s most impactful moments.  Brian Tyree Henry and Daniel Kaluuya are both just as interesting with limited screen time.  Widows is quiet at the level of Michael Mann’s Heat but its pretty close.

B+

Cindy Prascik's Review of The Judge & Dracula Untold

Dearest Blog, today it was off to the pictures for what looked like an Oscars/Razzies double bill of The Judge and Dracula Untold.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.

First on the docket was The Judge. (See what I did there?)

A hotshot big-city attorney (Robert Downey, Jr.) returns to his smalltown home for his mother's funeral, but ends up defending his father (Robert Duvall)--a respected judge--against a murder charge.

The Judge layers family drama with legal thriller in an interesting, if unsurprising, tale. It's Awards Season, so it goes without saying the movie runs long, and I suppose it's meant to give you a case of the warm fuzzies about smalltown America (versus the big, bad city), a ploy that never, ever fails to annoy me. The Judge is littered with respected and decorated actors: Duvall, Vera Farmiga, Billy Bob Thornton, and Vincent D'Onofrio. Most everyone has the opportunity to weep his or her way through a potential Oscar clip or three, but it's Downey who will get you through the movie's bloated runtime without looking at your watch.

He is the most watchable person making movies today, and round about the 90-minute mark, you'll be ever grateful for that, trust me. To gauge The Judge's true merit, then, it's only fair to ask: How good is this movie if it stars somebody else? The answer is maybe a little better than average.

The Judge clocks in at 141 minutes and is rated R for "language, including some sexual references."
Minus Robert Downey, Jr., The Judge is a well acted but predictable and excessively-long drama. With Robert Downey, Jr., it's infinitely watchable and easily forgiven for its sins.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Judge gets seven.

Next up was Luke Evans' first real starring vehicle, Dracula Untold.

Having left life as "the Impaler" behind him, Prince Vlad Tepes makes a deal with the devil to protect his family and his people.

Dear reader(s), as something of an expert on the subject, I want to remind you up front that Luke Evans is a truly talented, multi-faceted actor, and his films have yet to scratch the surface of his potential. It's important for me to make that clear for reasons that will become apparent later.
Dracula Untold is more like Dracula Untrue, turning the fabled Count into a bizarro mix of superhero and romance novel cover boy. Evans can't be blamed (much to the relief of this longtime fan), and, to his credit, he manages to pull off the silly action and terrible dialogue with a fair bit of charm. The usually reliable Dominic Cooper is miscast as the movie's villain...and where ya goin' with that accent, Coop?? Blandly pretty Sarah Gadon is...erm...bland and pretty as Drac's missus, but in the end both she and the role are entirely forgettable. Though the movie is smart enough not to wear out its welcome, and there are some decent effects scattered about, it is, for the most part, a laughable exercise. Having said all that, you really should go see Dracula Untold, because Luke Evans: a.) kicks ass, b.) makes out, and c.) takes off his shirt. That's worth your ten bucks any day.

Dracula Untold runs 92 minutes and is rated PG13 for "intense sequences of warfare, vampire attacks, disturbing images, and some sensuality."

It's nowhere near as silly as Twilight, but Dracula Untold isn't the movie vampire fans have been waiting for, either.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Dracula Untold gets five. (But I'm sure I'll be seeing it again and again!)

Until next time...

So...uh...see you at the theatre, then?

Movie Reviews: THE ROAD

Saturday, November 28, 2009
Movie Reviews: THE ROAD
IN THEATERS

THE ROAD

A father (Viggo Mortensen) and his son (Kodi Smit-McPhee) try to keep the dream of civilization alive as they wander through a post-apocalyptic landscape.

Cast: Viggo Mortensen, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Robert Duvall, Charlize Theron, Guy Pearce


Director: John Hillcoat


Opened ..November 25, 2009..


Runtime: 1 hr. 59 min.


Rated R for some violence, disturbing images and language


Genres: Road Movie, Sci-Fi Disaster Film, Science Fiction


Review:


The film adaptation The Road requires the viewer’s patience and attention as it pontificates on various elements of human nature and civility in extreme circumstances. Strikingly bleak yet inspirational and hopeful, John Hillcoat’s film can be a slight chore to trudge through but that’s kind of the point. Hillcoat doesn’t attempt to give the audience any glimmer of anything resembling a ..Hollywood.. style happy ending. The majority of the film is shot in weather worn greys and blacks, sapped of color and life mirroring the plot. The characters all look like walking cadavers; most look like they could barely be considered living breathing human beings. It’s a tough movie to watch and not the type that has a clear path, instead it meanders almost aimlessly. The plot isn’t concerned with the destination as much as the journey and the pivotal relationship between father and son. Viggo Mortensen delivers an Oscar worthy performance, his face a mixture of melancholy and quiet strength. Determined but devastated, Mortensen allows the audience to feel every painful step of this harrowing journey. Newcomer Kodi Smit-McPhee also delivers fine work as Mortensen’s onscreen son only occasionally bordering on irritating. It’s a challenging role and could have easily been drowned out by Mortensen’s shining work but Smit-McPhee more than holds his own. The two share strong on screen chemistry as demonstrated by some gut wrenchingly tough scenes near the film’s conclusion. Robert Duvall and Guy Pearce are nearly unrecognizable in small roles but both make the most of their limited screen time. Charlize Theron has an equally small role her but is nearly forgettable in comparison. Small issues aside the cast provides strong work across the board. Hillcoat’s adaptation of Cormac McCarthy best selling novel, maintains all the power and most of the shocking imagary of the book. The Road is a fasicinating visual parabable about the human condition and the perserverance of the human spirit, a rewarding excursion that might not be for everyone.


B+