A Quiet Place Part II

After 2 tries (I walked out of a crowded theater yesterday) I have finally returned to the movies. Know your comfort level. I started where I left off. The last film I saw before lockdown was Portrait of a Lady on Fire at Mystic Luxury Theater. Today, 15 months later, I saw A Quiet Place Part II at Mystic Luxury Theater. There were a handful of people spread out around the theater, the film was great and I enjoyed a beverage and popcorn to make the experience complete. The staff seemed so happy to see people (tip your servers) and it just felt good. The film? A solid scary story. The less you know going in, the better. I got my share of jump-scares, monsters and rescues. It was a cool movie afternoon.

Katherine Hepburn: All About Me

Kathryn Hepburn: All About Me is a detailed look at the life and career of Katheryn Hepburn in her own words. A lovely documentary.

Mighty Joe Young

In Mighty Joe Young the technology for 1949 is impressive. The story of white men exploiting and abusing animals is disturbing. Fire scene is especially dramatic and epic. What a classic.

Baby Doll

 Controversial in its day, Baby Doll, a Tennessee Williams revenge story, directed by Elia Kazan, is mild by today's standards. Performances, music, cinematography, sound design and direction are all rather brilliant. Well worth watching the "making of" featurette. Glad I rented this film. "We got nothing to do but wait for tomorrow and see if we're remembered or forgotten." 

The Last Shift

By no stretch of the imagination is The Last Shift a comedy. It is a rather somber comment on the state of the world. Good performances, but this film goes nowhere.

Minari

 Minari is an authentic family story. A Korean family runs a farm with all of the challenges that brings. The personalities are very real, especially the grandmother. Excellent film.

The Father

In The Father we are drawn into the mind of a man dealing with age and dementia. Battling to figure out what is real and what is not, this film does an artful job of portraying his struggles. This is a little confusing, until you figure out what the point of view is. Excellent film.

Supernova

Supernova is an emotional, honest and compassionate story of dementia. The performances are so genuine. I liked this film a lot. "Let me be with you."