MOVIE REVIEW: TULLY

Marlo, a mother of three, is gifted a night nanny by her brother. Hesitant to the extravagance at first, Marlo comes to form a unique bond with the thoughtful, surprising, and sometimes challenging young nanny named Tully.

Director: Jason Reitman

Cast: Charlize Theron, Mackenzie Davis, Mark Duplass, Ron Livingston

Release Date: May 4, 2018

Genres: Comedy, Drama 

Rated R for language and some sexuality/nudity

Runtime: 1h 36min 

Review:


Tully, the third collaboration between Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody, is an impressive thoughtful and raw look at motherhood.  Reitman and Cody have found their muse in Charlize Theron, the trio shined in the thoroughly unappreciated 2011 film Young Adult, who once again proves she’s one of the strongest actresses in film business.  Theron gained 50 pounds for the part to truly capture the character but it’s more than a physical transformation.  Theron has an ability to bring rawness to her character.  There’s a strong theme of melancholy throughout the film even as it moves from touching to outright funny.  Mackenzie Davis is more than capable of holding her own with Theron as the titular Tully.  Reitman and company carefully lead you down one path before the film takes an unexpected turn in the final act which totally changes the complexion of the film and story.  It’s a master stroke of direction and story telling that gives the film an emotional punch that it would have lacked if the story had played it safe.  Tully is a rare film that truly captures something real and relatable to most mothers, a real gift.

A

MOVIE REVIEW: AVENGERS INFINITY WAR

Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk and the rest of the Avengers unite to battle their most powerful enemy yet -- the evil Thanos. On a mission to collect all six Infinity Stones, Thanos plans to use the artifacts to inflict his twisted will on reality. The fate of the planet and existence itself has never been more uncertain as everything the Avengers have fought for has led up to this moment.

Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo

Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Don Cheadle, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Josh Brolin, Chris Pratt

Release Date: April 27, 2018

Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action throughout, language and some crude references.

Runtime: 2h 29min
 

Avengers Infinity War is the culmination of a massive and unprecedented shared universe.  The biggest question is does this huge ensemble of A list actors work, the answer is mostly.  Infinity War is an intensely busy film that carries multiple story lines throughout the film.  Most directors would easily get lost but Anthony and Joe Russo have steadily been prepping for this moment.  They expertly juggle everything while avoiding most of the pitfalls that could easily pop up and don’t make it a chore to watch.  The film has a strong verve to it mainly due to the collection of characters which have such wonderful charisma.  The interplay between all these characters makes the whole thing chug along.  Familiarity helps since we’ve been exposed to these characters in the past, so even if a particular role is small in this film, we’re invested.  The actors and actresses are all on their game, so it’s fun to watch all these top level talents appear onscreen like some sort of cinematic red carpet.  The biggest surprise though is Thanos, the CGI super villain voiced by Josh Brolin, who has far more depth than expected.  It’s a strong cog to the entire film which delivers epic action and iconic moments.  There is only a tad bit of fatigue that starts to set in before the final act starts.  It’s not surprising with so much happening and the finale is a somber closer but it’s hard not to see the set up for the next installment.  So while the film delivers real deaths, some of them do seem like they’ll be reversed as soon as the next film starts.  

B+

Cindy Prascik's Review of Avengers: Infinity War

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for Avengers: Infinity War.

 

Regarding spoilers: Because it's essential to my overall impression of the movie, I have to drop a pretty consequential "what" without giving away the "who," "how," "where," or "when." If you are overly concerned, by all means, put this aside until after you've seen the movie.

 

Onward to the review that's nearly as long as the film...........

 

The Avengers & Company face their (and the universe's) greatest threat yet in the mighty Thanos.

 

As regular reader(s) may remember, I'm often a little vexed by Marvel. On the one hand, there's Captain America: The Winter Soldier, second only to The Dark Knight as a benchmark of excellence for the superhero genre...or any genre, really. On the other hand, there's Age of Ultron and Civil War, a.k.a. "the eight-dollar naps." Spoiler junkie that I am, I knew a lot about Infinity War going in, and I was prepared to be both bored and annoyed by it. Thanks to a great cast and some spot-on humor, I was neither.

 

Infinity War is a jumble of plotlines that share a common endgame, but that never really feel like the same story. Marvel has thrown just about everyone in its existing cinematic universe at the screen for this one, the exclamation point at the end of the MCU's first decade. While it's iconic seeing them all (sort of) together, in many ways it makes a mess the film can't quite clean up, even with its ... erm ... "considerable" runtime. There are some eye-popping special effects, yet there's some wonky CGI as well, which I never understand in movies that cost this much to make. Alan Silvestri's score, much like the picture itself, reaches for epic without ever quite getting there. I think most everyone expected consequential deaths in Infinity War, but the movie goes for quantity rather than quality with the cull. So safe is it to assume most of what's done will be undone in part two that it's impossible to invest in any of it. It's easy to become frustrated with a film that's not much more than a setup for the next one and that doesn't achieve much of consequence (at least not much you can expect to stick) in its own right.

 

The good news is Infinity War is a supremely enjoyable two and a half hours. Credit first goes to its extraordinary cast, which is a delight almost to a person, both individually and in tandem. Whoever your favorites are, it's a fair bet they won't have enough screen time for your liking, but, really, everyone works together so well it's hard to complain. Being aware of real-world considerations like how many films certain actors have left in their Marvel contracts or the Marvel rollout schedule through 2022 may keep fans from taking the film's mammoth losses too seriously, but such complacency is entirely absent onscreen, and the cast proves itself more than capable of the emotional heavy lifting. Special shout-outs to Benedict Cumberbatch, a boundless genius; Tom Holland, the picture's heart and soul; Robert Downey, Jr., who is as good here as he's ever been; and Sebastian Stan, who expresses more with a single word or look than most actors do with a franchise. It's also worth saying again (and again and again) that Bradley Cooper doesn't get half enough credit for what he achieves with a CGI raccoon. It's easy to write off that character as comic relief, but Cooper's evocative work always gives Rocket real depth. Amidst the high stakes and great losses, Infinity War also has some legitimately funny stuff. The humor is organic and well placed, and not once did I feel my usual annoyance with Marvel shoe-horning in jokes and wisecracks that are ill-timed or ill-advised or sometimes both. As the end credits rolled, I was delighted and not just a little surprised to realize I'd hardly felt the passage of two and a half hours. The last time I could say that about a Marvel movie was never.

 

Avengers: Infinity War clocks in at two hours and twenty-nine minutes, and is rated PG13 for "intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action throughout, language, and some crude references."

 

Avengers: Infinity War is a big, fat mess and a tremendously good time, proof that a movie doesn't have to be technically great to be wholly worth seeing. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Avengers: Infinity War gets eight.

 

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: ISLE OF DOGS

When, by executive decree, all the canine pets of Megasaki City are exiled to a vast garbage-dump called Trash Island, 12-year-old Atari sets off alone in a miniature Junior-Turbo Prop and flies across the river in search of his bodyguard-dog, Spots. There, with the assistance of a pack of newly-found mongrel friends, he begins an epic journey that will decide the fate and future of the entire Prefecture.

Director: Wes Anderson

Cast: Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Greta Gerwig, Frances McDormand, Courtney B. Vance, Harvey Keitel, Liev Schreiber, Scarlett Johansson, Tilda Swinton, F. Murray Abraham, Frank Wood, Yoko Ono.

Release Date: March 23, 2018

Genres: Animation, Adventure, Comedy

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements and some violent images

Runtime: 1h 41min

Review:

Isle of Dogs, Wes Anderson’s 2^nd foray into stop motion, is a charming and thoughtful tale of mans best friends.  Wes Anderson’s film is filled with his usual hipster hallmarks which people either love or hate.  Its all here in spades so if you’re not a fan of his distinct style this won’t change your mind.  Those who do enjoy his style will find plenty to love here.  The direction and craftsmanship is top notch throughout making it one of the most visually arresting films of the year.  The voice cast is filled with Anderson regulars and a few newcomers like Bryan Cranston.  Cranston provides the emotional center of the film and really gives the story its heart.  Like most of Anderson’s films there’s a streak of sadness through the entire story.  Isle of Dogs does have a slightly bleaker outlook than usual and the story has a fairly obvious allegory to current events which makes it more dense than expected and one of Anderson’s best.

A

Cindy Prascik's Review of Rampage

Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for Dwayne Johnson's latest adventure, Rampage.

 

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

 

When mutant creatures attack Chicago, it's up to Primatologist!Rock and Geneticist!Moneypenny to save the city.

 

Rampage is one of those movies that is exactly as advertised. It's as dumb as a box of rocks, but if you didn't get that before you shelled out for a ticket, you couldn't have been paying attention. 

 

Dwayne Johnson is his usual charming self in the lead. Carrying action flicks is old hat for him by now, and he does it capably. Naomie Harris is a delight, though she's fighting well below her weight class here. The supporting cast boasts a plethora of familiar faces, including effrey Dean Morgan (playing a yet another character you wish would just shut up already), Joe Manganiello, and Will Yun Lee. All have limited screen time and, in particular, I wished Lee had had more to do. The beasts would have been plenty dangerous sans mutation: a gorilla, a wolf, and an alligator. Amplify their size and add a few scary perks (quills, anyone?), and, well, you couldn't blame Chicago for being terrified. The creature effects look pretty decent most of the time, though there's some wonky CGI scattered throughout the movie. Rampage features plenty of well-paced action to offset clunky dialogue and ham-handed delivery, but, sadly, the movie's humor uniformly aims at the lowest common denominator. (It's so bad I was saying the "funny" bits in my head before they happened.)

 

Rampage clocks in at 107 minutes and is rated PG13 for "sequences of violence, action, and destruction, brief language, and crude gestures."

 

Despite holding few surprises, Rampage is a fun way to kill a couple hours indoors until spring finally arrives...assuming it ever does. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Rampage gets five.

 

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: BLOCKERS

Julie, Kayla and Sam are three high school seniors who make a pact to lose their virginity on prom night. Lisa, Mitchell and Hunter are three overprotective parents who flip out when they find out about their daughters' plans. They soon join forces for a wild and chaotic quest to stop the girls from sealing the deal -- no matter what the cost.

Director: Kay Cannon

Cast: Leslie Mann, Ike Barinholtz, John Cena, Geraldine Viswanathan, Kathryn Newton, Gideon Adlon

Release Date: April 6, 2018

Genres: Comedy

Rated R for crude and sexual content, and language throughout, drug content, teen partying, and some graphic nudity

Runtime: 1h 42min

Review:



Blockers is a new entry in the raunchy coming of age teen comedies in the vein of Porky’s, Superbad and American Pie.  Flipping the script by focusing on 3 girls instead of horny teen boys makes for an interesting take.  It helps that director Kay Cannon has a cast that shares excellent chemistry and sport some strong comedic chops.  The trio of teen actresses are particularly impressive which is a big win for the movie overall.  If they weren’t as strong the movie would be a lot less effective and funny.  Leslie Mann, Ike Barinholtz and John Cena are just as funny across the board which isn’t a big surprise.  They make for an unlikely trio but it works with each playing well off each other.  John Cena, in particular, shines by displaying some great comedic timing even though he looks like a Cro-Magnon caveman.  The film is filled with all the filthy jokes you’d expect from the genre and most are sharply written.  Ultimately, the film’s message is decidedly sweet and thoughtful even though it’s wrapped in a naughty shell.

B+