Toy Story 4

I had the pleasure of seeing Toy Story 4 with my granddaughter and daughter. Pixar revisits the toys coming to life in a new home with a few new characters. Still sweet. Still funny. I really enjoyed the character of Forky. Good for lots of laughs and a tear-jerker ending.

Mystery Train

Three parallel stories tell of the goings on in a seedy hotel in Mystery Train. The characters are out there and the way the stories come together worked well for me. Good rental.

The Gospel According to Andre

André Leon Talley is a fashion icon. As an editor at Vogue his influence is palpable. In the documentary The Gospel According to Andre his story takes shape and we learn his life story...in his words. Generous, creative, funny, warm and driven. His story is inspiring. Great documentary.

Becoming Astrid

The life of author Astrid Lindgren has a heavy tone in the film Becoming Astrid. Her early life was not a happy one, and the movie hits hard on the times of her childhood and young adult years. There were a few times where I almost turned the film off because the turn of events were so sad. This is a very heavy drama. An OK rental.

The Dead Don't Die

A zombie invasion of a small town lends itself to some very weird, very funny scenes in The Dead Don't Die. The cast is fantastic and some of the dialog is very self-aware that this is a movie, which is even more funny. Quite a ride.

Rocketman

The rise of the career of Elton John is done through a fantasy lens in Rocketman. We follow his meeting and collaborating with Bernie Taupin, his rise to stardom and the pitfalls of both. Taron Edgerton gives an outstanding portrayal of John and rocks this film and its costumes. I liked this film.

Her Smell

A punk rock diva takes the typical addiction / recovery route in Her Smell. The film has five distinct acts as we follow Becky through the trials an tribulations of success, addiction and recovery, and how it effects those around her.  The dissonant soundtrack gives her character an interesting tone that makes you so happy when the band finally rocks out. This is an interesting film.

The Baxter

In every group of friends there is a Baxter, the friend who behaves in a predicable fashion. In this story, he is trying hard to break out of his Baxterish life two weeks before his wedding. This is a cute comedy.

Vault

I met the director Tom DeNucci while he was working on the film Vault. Based on an interesting part of Rhode Island crime history I was impressed that this young film maker was interested in an event from the 70s. The result is a film that has a very accurate look for the period. The way it was shot, the cars, the clothes, the sets, all very authentic. And then there is the cast. Great performances that convey the menace of the mob in RI at the time and just the right amount of humor. I liked this film a lot. It was fun to see it in the theater with a lot of RI folks who remember those times. Well done.

Always Be My Maybe

The rom-com Always Be My Maybe is sharp, sassy and satisfying. When a celebrity chef reunites with a childhood friend things get interesting as they get to know each other as adults. There is a good twist, a good reveal and a great celebrity cameo. Good romantic comedy.

The Reluctant Astronaut

In light of the attention to space exploration around the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, the movie The Reluctant Astronaut came to my attention. Don Knotts plays an anxious young man who has an awkward experience at NASA. There are bits, there are laughs, there are skilled comedic actors doing a great job with this 60s comedy.

My Man Godfrey

A homeless man goes to work as a butler for an upper crust family in My Man Godfrey. He is clever, resourceful and likeable. How the family sees the situation, and how it really is are two different things. The twists are good and the performances are charming. A strong classic.

The Perfection

In a disturbing way, The Perfection takes the concept of the child prodigy and gives it a horror twist. The structure of the film is interesting as the story unfolds in non-linear style. It adds to the creepy aspect of the story. The less you know going into this one, the better the film experience. Excellent, creative, gory and shocking. I liked this film.