The Nice Guys (2016) The two guys in The Nice Guys are anything but nice. Holland March (Ryan Gosling) is a sleazy private eye and single father with a serious drinking problem, and Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe) is a hired thug who will “put a hurting” on someone for as little as twenty dollars. The only nice character here is Holly March the eleven year old daughter and the conscience of the film. The Nice Guys is a classic LA noir…
2015 Was a good year for movies with many that I enjoyed. The movies listed below are ones I liked enough for a second viewing. I will include my usual disclaimer: I’m not saying these are good, just that I liked them. The Big Short (2015) It turns out the 2008 financial meltdown that left many homeless, jobless, and moneyless was anticipated by a few astute financial wizards. The Big Short takes a complex financial situation and makes it accessible to…
I love time travel movies. They are fun, they can be great, and they can be silly. I believe they exist in their own genre, and not necessarily a subset of science-fiction, since many exist without any scientific rationale and or weird time traveling equipment. Many are built on the case of a single what-if. What if I could go back in time but only if I am naked like in The Terminator (1984) or what if I could travel back in…
Mumford (1999) A long time ago in a town not so far away there lived an unusual man. This man was a great listener and if you met him you might feel so comfortable you would tell him your troubles. The fact that he was a psychologist and was paid to listen is just a happy coincidence. Mumford stars Loren Dean, Hope Davis and a young Zooey Deschanel in this unusual tale of a psychologist and an odd little pacific northwest town….
Gone Girl (2014) Why would anyone want to get married? Love, right? Children, could be. Money, yes there are financial advantages. Sex, certainly. Fear, maybe. Fear of being alone? Balanced against the fear of loss of independence? The big question is this “Is this person really who they say they are?” After watching Gone Girl most married people will probably sleep with one eye open and one foot on the floor. If a couple is planning a wedding they might just…
Begin Again My constant struggle in talking about movies is giving enough information to encourage viewing, while not spoiling the fun bits that are so much more enjoyable when you don’t know they’re coming. The trailer for this movie gives away some good moments, but not all of them, so if you see it fine, if you don’t see it, that’s even better. Unfortunately it’s insufficient to say “Please go see this movie,” and leave it at that. You will want to know…
New to Netflix: Short Term 12 Looking for a solid drama to stream tonight? Look no further. Grace and Mason run a group home for teens not placed by the foster care system. These teens are troubled, hurt, angry, and unwilling to be helped, just like most kids but more so. Parenting is hard, but without the advantage of a biological connection it’s almost impossible. Grace slowly builds trust while overcoming her own childhood traumas. Great writing, directing, and acting make…
Her (2013) “Her” is a love story, but not one you’ve heard before. It’s a sure thing you’ve seen a movie about a boy and his dog, or even about a girl and her horse. But a love story about a boy and his computer is not nearly as creepy as you might think. In “her” we are immersed in a highly believable and not-so-distant future. Details have been removed except those essential to the viewer. The object of desire…
2013 Ticket Stub Review. Fifty six tickets stubs were in my 2013 manilla envelope that I use as a memory aide. Some movies I had to look up on in IMDB in order to recall (not a good sign for my memory or the movie’s quality). In short order I narrowed it down to my favorite eight. Four of them I had reviewed previously, and the remaining four movies I highlight below. American Hustle (2013) Absolutely the most fun I had…
The great thing about streaming is if you don’t like it, you can bail. Here are six Netflix streaming movies I watched all the way through. I am not saying they are good, just that I liked them. Safety Not Guaranteed – Is he crazy? Is he a genius? You have to watch to the end to find out. Jeff, Who Lives at Home – He is a clueless loser stoner, but pot allows him to see “the fundamental interconnectedness of all things”….