MOVIE REVIEW: ESCAPE ROOM

Six adventurous strangers travel to a mysterious building to experience the escape room -- a game where players compete to solve a series of puzzles to win $10,000. What starts out as seemingly innocent fun soon turns into a living nightmare as the four men and two women discover each room is an elaborate trap that's part of a sadistic game of life or death.

Director: Adam Robitel

Cast: Logan Miller, Deborah Ann Woll, Taylor Russell, Tyler Labine, Jay Ellis, Nik Dodani

Release Date: January 4, 2019

Genres: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi

Rated PG-13 for terror/perilous action, violence, some suggestive material and language

Runtime: 1h 39 min

Review:

Escape Room is one of those January horror releases that pop up every year.  For all intents and purposes, it should be terrible and forgettable.  Escape Room is surprising in that it’s actually an entertainingly brisk sci-fi horror film.  The film itself plays out like a blood and gore less version of Saw, at least on the surface.  As the film goes on, you’d be hard pressed to ignore a more than passing similarities to the 1997 sci-fi gem Cube.  Nobody would ever accuse this film of being as intelligently written as Cube but it works more often than it doesn’t.  That’s because the film cast is surprisingly likeable even though their characters are written with only the most basic levels of layering.  Recognizable faces such as Deborah Ann Woll, Tyler Labine and Jay Ellis give the film a bit more clout than you’d usually expect from films of this ilk.  Sadly, the film does lose a bit of steam in its final act where it seems to rush through the conclusion only to set up a possible sequel, never allowing this original entry’s plot to settle.  Ultimately, Escape Room is one of those fast food style films where you’re liable to forget about it shortly after you leave the theater but then have a sequel pop up a year later.

C+

MOVIE REVIEW: ON THE BASIS OF SEX

Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a struggling attorney and new mother who faces adversity and numerous obstacles in her fight for equal rights. When Ruth takes on a groundbreaking tax case with her husband, attorney Martin Ginsburg, she knows it could change the direction of her career and the way the courts view gender discrimination.

Director: Mimi Leder

Cast: Felicity Jones, Armie Hammer, Justin Theroux, Jack Reynor, Cailee Spaeny, Sam Waterston, and Kathy Bates

Release Date: December 25, 2018

Genres: Biography, Drama 

Rated PG-13 for some language and suggestive content

Runtime: 2h 0min

Review:

On The Basis of Sex is an engaging if cliched bio pic that is elevated by it's direction and performances. Mimi Leder directs the film with a steady caring hand that treats it's characters with a gentle hand.  Leder moves the film at a steady pace but the film would have been better served focusing on a tighter timeline since it covers a fairly large portion of Ginsburg's life.  At the film's center is Felicity Jones who provides the story it's heart.  Jones turn as Ginsburg captures that intensity and drive that propelled her throughout her early years.  Sure her Brooklyn accent comes and in and out through the film but she does a fine job of carrying the film.  A swoon worthy Armie Hammer is excellent as Ginsburg's loving and ever supportive husband.  The supporting cast is made up of familiar faces along with a rare evil turn from Sam Waterston. There are a few missteps mostly due to the script which over does the schmaltz factor that makes certain sequences feel a bit too "Hollywood" which robs moments of authenticity.  Still it's a solid film enough biopic of an amazing woman who deserves this type of recognition.

B+

MOVIE REVIEW: IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK

In early 1970s Harlem, daughter and wife-to-be Tish vividly recalls the passion, respect and trust that have connected her and her artist fiancé Alonzo Hunt, who goes by the nickname Fonny. Friends since childhood, the devoted couple dream of a future together, but their plans are derailed when Fonny is arrested for a crime he did not commit.

Director: Barry Jenkins

Cast: KiKi Layne, Stephan James, Colman Domingo, Teyonah Parris, Michael Beach, Dave Franco, Diego Luna, Pedro Pascal, Ed Skrein, Brian Tyree Henry, Regina King

Release Date: December 25, 2018

Genres: Crime, Drama, Romance

Rated R for language and some sexual content 

Runtime: 1h 59 min

Review:

If Beale Street Could Talk is a fascinatingly dense film that tackles a bevy of themes while maintaining an incredible style and intimacy.  Barry Jenkins, adapting the book of the same name, delivers a ponderous film that asks for the audience’s patience while the cast unfurls the story.  KiKi Layne leads the film with an impressive performance that starts off full of innocence but slowly transforms over the course of the film.  She’s a capable and likeable lead, her and Stephen James shares believable chemistry together as the lovers whose story is beautifully tragic and real.  Its cinematography creates a sort of cinematic poetry that’s feels authentic even when it’s stylized.  Some might take issue with its methodical pace but ultimately it adds so much to the overall experience and it’s ruminations on race, love, gender politics and a handful of other topics.  

A-

MOVIE REVIEW: THE FAVOURITE

In the early 18th century, England is at war with the French. Nevertheless, duck racing and pineapple eating are thriving. A frail Queen Anne occupies the throne, and her close friend Lady Sarah governs the country in her stead while tending to Anne's ill health and mercurial temper. When a new servant, Abigail, arrives, her charm endears her to Sarah. Sarah takes Abigail under her wing, and Abigail sees a chance to return to her aristocratic roots.

Director: Yorgos Lanthimos

Cast: Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz, Nicholas Hoult, Joe Alwyn, James Smith, Mark Gatiss

Release Date: November 23, 2018

Genres: Biography, Comedy, Drama

Rated R for strong sexual content, nudity and language.

Runtime: 1h 59 min

Review:

At some point during Yorgos Lanthimos cynically funny film, you might get the sensation that you are watching a mash up of Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon and Milo Foreman’s Amadeus.  That’s hardly a bad thing but as the film moves on its genuinely funny script and biting wit take hold, carried ably by the top notch cast.  The three leads share the sort of chemistry that’s rare to find.  It’s instantly recognizable and they make you care about these fairly terrible human beings.  Olivia Colman, Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz are all in top form with each being given multiple moments to shine.  It’d be criminal not to mention Nicholas Hoult who finds a way to standout in supporting role.  The Favourite is truly a fun ride through and through filled with top notch performance and stellar camera work that’s sure to be iconic as the film ages. 

A