Lone Lotus Flower

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Godzilla vs. Kong

THE GIST: Dormant since last protecting the planet from its latest threat, Godzilla suddenly attacks humans, a behavior at odds with his modus operandi. What could be triggering it? Meanwhile, containing Kong has become almost untenable, and if the two alphas were to face off . . .

Godzilla vs. Kong is the latest entry into the MonsterVerse, the universe of monsters from Legendary Entertainment and Warner Bros. Pictures.

Following the very successful example set by Marvel Studios with their MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) formula, this movie completes Phase 1, which started out really well with Godzilla, followed by the similarly well received Kong: Skull Island and Godzilla: King of the Monsters.

Unfortunately, this movie is not as successfully, largely because of a script that treats every single human character, some of whom we've encountered before, as cardboard placeholders, ostensibly there simply to fill the air in between monsters' fights.

Kyle Chandler's character, for example, had a big role in King of the Monsters, and is now working for Monarch. Yet, both he and the organization are barely mentioned in this movie, even though Monarch is supposedly in charge of everything related to the monsters.

His daughter, played by Millie Bobby Brown, was a key character in Monsters as well, and features prominently here, but she utters trite lines and does unrealistic things. The two guys who help her don't fare much better; in fact her sidekick, played by Julian Dennison, comes across as a complete loser.

The cast includes names like Alexander Skarsgård, Demián Bichir, Brian Tyree Henry, Eiza González, and the great Lance Reddick, but their characters are either underdeveloped or criminally underutilized. What a pity.

THE BOTTOM LINE: If all you care about are the two oversize guys getting top billing, than fear not, because they never looked better and their time onscreen is definitely entertaining. But if you're expecting a well rounded story, with some human depth, you'll likely be disappointed. Like I was.

Grade: 5

Bright Path

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The Unholy

THE GIST: A discredited journalists stumbles upon a girl to whom, supposedly, the Virgin Mary speaks. She starts performing miracles, and hordes of believers flock to the town. Could this be his ticket to redemption?

The Unholy is a boilerplate horror movie that explores the power of faith and religion on people, specifically when it's unclear whether God or Satan are really at work.

The first half isn't terrible, but then things start unspooling too quickly to sustain a minimum of believability.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan works pretty hard to sell the weak script and Cricket Brown is quite good at playing the girl with the visions.

THE BOTTOM LINE: I've seen worse horror movies, but I've seen better as well. It's not a bad story, but it shows weaknesses that drag it down.

Grade: 5

Secluded Cabin in the Woods

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The Oath

THE GIST: In a politically divided America, the administration introduces an oath of allegiance to the country and the president that smells of fascism. A couple refuses to sign it on principle, but when Thanksgiving arrives, and the visiting relatives have probably all signed it, will peace be kept?

The Oath is a very simple comedy that tries to tackle a fairly serious subject with hilarity.

It succeeds in generating a few laughs, but at some point it veers into surreal territory, and the lead, while sympathetic at first, starts morphing into a bigot.

I wasn't expecting much from it, but ultimately it feels more like a comedy skit drawn out to feature length.

Ike Barinholtz is pretty good, but it's Tiffany Haddish who has a more commanding role here.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Check it out if you're looking for some light fare, but don't expect too much from it.

Grade: 5

Two Women

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Soul

THE GIST: Right after landing a dream gig, a musician ends up in the hospital. However, his soul refuses to move on and will try anything to get back into its body.

Winner of the Best Animated Feature Oscar, Soul is the latest wonderful creation of Pixar Animation Studios, and it's a virtual balm for the soul.

Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, and Jon Batiste also won the Oscar for Best Original Score for their beautiful work.

Wonderful animation that unspools on a solidly written screenplay. It doesn't get much better than this.

Plenty of effort went towards portraying Black characters that reflected Black people's real lives, and it shows.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Not just for the little ones, this movie has a message for everyone, no matter their age. Two thumbs way up!

Grade: 9

Coming and Going

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The 93rd Academy Awards - The Winners

So finally, after a huge delay, last night the Academy Awards for the year 2020 were handed out in a ceremony that turned out to be pretty intimate but good. Los Angeles's Central Station was large enough to accommodate all the attending nominees and certainly looked great.

It's a bit puzzling what the Kodak Theater was reserved for. I figured the night's performances, for stuff like Song of the Year or others, were going to take place there; instead it was only shown once, to hand out the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award to an organization (the first time) that apparently has done a lot over the last century to help people working in the movies when in need.

But the prize wasn't handed out on the stage, and those in attendance were kept in what looked like the foyer. Even more puzzling, the nominees for Best Song of the Year all performed live, but during the pre-show, ordinarily the red carpet, when few people tune in at all. I completely missed them and only know this because a friend saw them and told me.

I figure something must have happened at the Kodak Theater that forced a scrambling and reordering of whatever was supposed to happen there, and that was that. But who knows?!

Not having picked a host for the second year in a row -- a poor choice in my opinion -- each subsequent presenter was tasked with filling the air with some anecdote before listing the nominees and declaring a winner. This obviously took time, fairly longer than we're used to with regular Oscar presenters, but the information was occasionally interesting.

I'm just wondering, since the ceremony flowed pretty nicely and went only slightly overtime, whether we'll see songs, dances, and (my favorites) montages at the Oscars ever again. They might all get the cut just like the host, so no more entertaining opening numbers either.

And now some random thoughts about the night:

• Original Screenplay went to Emerald Fennell: very happy this multi-hyphenate got to go home with an Oscar
• The director of Another Round gave a very emotional and touching acceptance speech. I can't imagine the pain they went through for losing their daughter so suddenly
• Very happy for Daniel Kaluuya; he's a very talented actor whose work I really admire
• Super happy for Chloé Zhao's Best Director win; Nomadland is a real masterpiece and she deserves the credit; it's also nice to see another woman finally land this prize -- way overdue! She also gave a really nice speech
• Sound of Metal's win for Best Sound was awesome, especially given the amount of work that went into creating the particular sounds of the movie, which are a huge element of its success. The movie also took home the prize for Editing, which only adds  to its luster
• Several speakers acknowledged the precariousness of the times we live in right now, whether related to all the pandemic deaths, systemic racism, inequality, police brutality, or general divisiveness. Social activism was definitely at the Oscars last night, and that's a good thing. We definitely need the people that have the most visibility to speak up and engage their fans for the common good
• I just saw Soul and loved it, so I was very glad it won Best Animated Feature as well as Score, which is obviously a key element of it success
• I haven't seen Minari yet, but I heard only good things about Yuh-Jung Youn, so her win seems well deserved and certainly historic
• Despite its shortcomings, Mank is a technical wonder, so I was happy to see its Production Design and Cinematography get recognized
• I wasn't very familiar with all the Best Song nominees, but I know H.E.R. is a very accomplished artist, so I was happy for her
• I was ecstatic that Nomadland took home the top prize, since I loved that movie, and I was happy for Frances McDormand too, who is absolutely phenomenal throughout. I almost wished to see Viola Davis win as it would have been, I believe, the first Black actress to earn two Oscars, but I haven't seen the movie yet, so I can't speak about her performance (though I'm sure it's great -- it's Viola Davis!)
• One sour note here: this is McDormand's third acting Oscar, and there were no protesting voices about her "already having gotten her due" and "already having won twice" like there were when Meryl Streep looked a favorite to win her third Oscar a few years back, after an almost 30-years-long drought. Just saying . . .
• The final award, for Best Actor, was the big shock of the night, with my beloved Sir Anthony Hopkins winning his second Oscar for what sounds like the best work of his career. I couldn't have been happier. I understand a lot of people wanted to see Chadwick Boseman being recognized posthumously, but this is an award for the Best Performance of the year, it's not a memorial for a beloved actor no longer with us. There are other Oscars for that, and I can't imagine there's anyone who can say that Hopkins isn't deserving of a second statuette (which made him the oldest recipient of an acting Academy Award ever, by the way). Posthumous Oscar shouldn't become a thing. It's hard enough to get nominated for one, let alone win, that one shouldn't also have to compete with plain sentimentalism

So that's it. I enjoyed the night and was overall happy of where the wins landed. One thing is sure: the Academy's revamping of its membership, after the #OscarsSoWhite campaigns, really is working, bringing about changes that will only widen the appeal of movies for years to come.

Here's the list of the winners:

Best Motion Picture of the Year

Judas and the Black Messiah

Mank

Minari

Nomadland

Promising Young Woman

Sound of Metal

The Father

The Trial of the Chicago 7

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

Anthony Hopkins, The Father

Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

Gary Oldman, Mank

Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal

Steven Yeun, Minari

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

Andra Day, The United States vs. Billie Holiday

Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman

Frances McDormand, Nomadland

Vanessa Kirby, Pieces of a Woman

Viola Davis, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah

LaKeith Stanfield, Judas and the Black Messiah

Leslie Odom Jr., One Night in Miami

Paul Raci, Sound of Metal

Sacha Baron Cohen, The Trial of the Chicago 7

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

Amanda Seyfried, Mank

Glenn Close, Hillbilly Elegy

Maria Bakalova, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

Olivia Colman, The Father

Youn Yuh-jung, Minari

Best Achievement in Directing

Chloé Zhao, Nomadland

David Fincher, Mank

Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman

Lee Isaac Chung, Minari

Thomas Vinterberg, Druk

Best Original Screenplay

Will Berson, Shaka King, Kenneth Lucas, Keith Lucas, Judas and the Black Messiah

Lee Isaac Chung, Minari

Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman

Darius Marder, Abraham Marder, Derek Cianfrance, Sound of Metal

Aaron Sorkin, The Trial of the Chicago 7

Best Adapted Screenplay

Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines, Dan Swimer, Peter Baynham, Erica Rivinoja, Dan Mazer, Jena Friedman, Lee Kern, Nina Pedrad, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

Chloé Zhao, Nomadland

Kemp Powers, One Night in Miami

Christopher Hampton, Florian Zeller, The Father

Ramin Bahrani, The White Tiger

Best Animated Feature Film

A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon

Onward

Over the Moon

Soul

WolfWalkers

Best International Feature Film

Colectiv

Druk

Quo vadis, Aida?

Shaonian de ni

The Man Who Sold His Skin

Best Documentary Feature

Colectiv

Crip Camp

El Agente Topo

My Octopus Teacher

Time

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score)

Terence Blanchard, Da 5 Bloods

Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Mank

Emile Mosseri, Minari

James Newton Howard, News of the World

Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Jon Batiste, Soul

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song)

Richard Göransson, Savan Kotecha, Fat Max Gsus, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, "Husavik"

H.E.R., D'Mile, Tiara Thomas, Judas and the Black Messiah, "Fight for You"

Diane Warren, Laura Pausini, La vita davanti a sé, 'Io Si (Seen)"

Leslie Odom Jr., Sam Ashworth, One Night in Miami, "Speak Now"

Celeste, Daniel Pemberton, The Trial of the Chicago 7, "Hear My Voice"

Best Achievement in Cinematography

Judas and the Black Messiah

Mank

News of the World

Nomadland

The Trial of the Chicago 7

Best Achievement in Film Editing

The Trial of the Chicago 7

Nomadland

Promising Young Woman

Sound of Metal

The Father

Best Achievement in Production Design

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

Mank

News of the World

Tenet

The Father

Best Achievement in Costume Design

Emma.

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

Mank

Mulan

Pinocchio

Best Sound

Greyhound

Mank

News of the World

Soul

Sound of Metal

Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling

Emma.

Hillbilly Elegy

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

Mank

Pinocchio

Best Achievement in Visual Effects

Love and Monsters

Mulan

Tenet

The Midnight Sky

The One and Only Ivan

Best Documentary Short Subject

A Concerto Is a Conversation

A Love Song for Latasha

Colette

Do Not Split

Hunger Ward

Best Animated Short Film

Burrow

Genius Loci

If Anything Happens I Love You

Já-Fólkið

Opera

Best Live Action Short Film

Feeling Through

The Letter Room

The Present

Two Distant Strangers

White Eye

WolfWalkers

THE GIST: Young Robyn lives with her hunter father in a village on the outskirts of a forest. Her father's job is to hunt the wolves to extinction, to make the area safe for people. One day, Robyn disobeys her orders to stay put and ventures into the forest, where she meets Mebh, a supposedly mythical creature who can walk among, and control, the wolves. Will Robyn succeed in stopping the hunt?

Nominated for a Best Animated Feature Oscar, WolfWalkers is a throwback to the hand-drawn animation of yore, although it has some inkling of anime-style animation as well.

The story is certainly quite original, although the little ones might be a bit scared off by the amount of violence (seen or implied), and yet there were times when I found myself a bit bored. Not that it lacks action, mind you, and I find it really hard to pinpoint what it is that actually left me wanting.

THE BOTTOM LINE: An animated tale that's a bit different and darker than usual. Check it out if you like the medium.

Grade: 7

Burning (Beoning)

THE GIST: Jong-su and Hae-mi, onetime neighbors, stumble into one another and hit if off right away. Back from a planned trip, she introduces Jong-su to Ben, whom she met abroad. Ben is very mysterious, though seems nice, but their relationships grow complicated.

Burning is an interesting film that really takes its time to build suspense and create curiosity around the lives of the protagonists.

A lot is said, but what is actually true is hard to discern.

THE BOTTOM LINE: A very slow-burn mystery (it clocks in at almost two and a half hours), it's rewarding to stick around for the finale.

Grade: 7

Mandy

THE GIST: Red and Mandy's idyllic life in the woods turns to nightmare when the members of a hippie cult with a satanic bent stumbles upon them, turning Red into a vengeful man on a rampage.

Mandy can very appropriately be described as a vivid hallucination, or a revenge trip bathed in acid.

Whether you enjoy it or not, I think no one could argue that Nicolas Cage doesn't give it his all. He tears through his scenes with a passion and physicality and commitment that are seldom seen onscreen.

He makes you completely believe the pain he's going through. No question about that.

Andreas Riseborough and Olwen Fouéré are also pretty good, while Linus Roache, always a good actor, sometimes falls into the farcical.

THE BOTTOM LINE: The film asks you early on to join it in going on a semi-crazy trip. It's not memorable, but it's not disappointing either.

Grade: 6

Radiating Out

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The Trial of the Chicago 7

THE GIST: It's the summer of 1968, and the nation is on edge, torn apart by the Vietnam war and the civil rights battles. Peaceful demonstrations can easily turn violent, and during one such riot seven people (plus a Black man) are arrested and put on trial on what looks like drummed up charges.

Nominated for six Academy Awards, The Trial of the Chicago 7 is writer-director Aaron Sorkin's brainchild through and through, imbued as it is with his trademark style of interconnected and rapid-fire dialogue.

The cast is really extraordinary, especially Eddie Redmayne, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jeremy Strong, John Carroll Lynch, Mark Rylance, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Frank Langella.

It is astounding to see how egregiously the government went after these people simply for political reasons, aided by a judge who should have been removed from the courtroom and never given that kind of power over any defendant ever again.

THE BOTTOM LINE: A fast-moving drama about a very interesting chapter of American history. Well written and acted as well.

Grade: 8

Unfriended: Dark Web

THE GIST: A young man joins a group of friends on a group chat for game night. He just bought a used laptop, but soon discovers that the previous owner is logged into it and wants it back.

Unfriended: Dark Web is the sequel to Unfriended, but the only thing the two have in common is really just the storytelling device of having the actors interact exclusively through the gadgets they're using, such as web cams, smartphones, laptops, etc...

Just like in its previous incarnation, the setup works amazingly well, although this is definitely a movie to watch on a big screen, or really up-close. Since a lot of the interactions are written in chat windows or phone messaging apps, the text can only be so big, so if you're too far, you might have trouble keeping up, which is what happened to me (I had to switch to watching it on the computer screen, so I could be closer).

The age of the cohort this time is a bit older, and the actors all do a pretty good job.

I actually have to commend the creators here, because I've watched the bonus features at the end and there are three alternate endings, and none of them is better than the one they chose.

THE BOTTOM LINE: I enjoyed the sequel even more than the original, so definitely recommended for those seeking a few thrills.

Grade: 7

Mank

THE GIST: A series of flashbacks show us key moments in the life of Herman Mankiewicz, while he's bedridden and under intense pressure to finish his screenplay for Citizen Kane.

Nominated for ten Academy Awards, Mank became this year's hope for Netflix to finally nab that much coveted Best Picture Oscar, but the odds are not in its favor, and rightly so.

The movie is a throwback to old Hollywood in all its glory, presented in a gloriously lush black and white, and showcases sets, props, costumes, and makeup from that bygone era that certainly look exquisite. Even the camerawork recalls the movies of old.

The screenplay is rich with details, and monologues, and dialogues, but perhaps it goes a bit overboard, with lines delivered in rat-a-tat fashion that leave the audience almost breathless . . . and overwhelmed. Unsurprisingly, it wasn't nominated.

Certainly the cast does a great job, with Gary Oldman delivering one of his finest performances. There are just so many characters and things happening at any one time, that it's hard to keep up at times.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Certainly enjoyable for any cinema aficionados out there. Might be a bit heavy for the general public.

Grade: 7.5

The Croissants

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Palm Springs

THE GIST: A guy is getting ready for his girlfriend's best friend's wedding while acting very nonchalantly. He also seems to know everything that's about to happen.

I know that summary is very vague, and yet to say anything more about Palm Springs would mean giving away its basic premise, which is best discovered on one's own.

And even though we've seen this concept before, this comedy still manages to feel fresh and original in its own way.

A big part of that is certainly due to Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti, who have a lot of chemistry together. I should also mention J.K. Simmons, a character actor who always manages to steal the thunder whenever he's onscreen.

THE BOTTOM LINE: If you're looking for a comedy, don't pass this one up. It's definitely entertaining.

Grade: 7

News of the World

THE GIST: After the Civil War, Captain Kidd has carved out a living by traveling from town to town and reading the news to the often unlearned locals. One day, he stumbles upon a blonde little girl who seems lost and only speaks a local Native American language. Unable to find anyone willing to take her home, they embark on a long and perilous journey across the plains of Texas.

News of the World is a western style movie whose focus is really the developing relationship between Tom Hanks and Helena Zengel's characters. The two actors are both very good, and the latter even received a Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe nomination for her work.

The film also garnered four Academy Awards nominations, for Best Sound, Production Design, Cinematography, and Score (for James Newton Howard), and the entire technical apparatus is top-notch.

THE BOTTOM LINE: A nice, heartwarming tale that packs plenty of action and drama in a nice little package.

Grade: 7

Django Unchained

THE GIST: Django, a Black slave, has information Dr. Schultz, a German bounty hunter, needs. Once freed, the two pair up to work together and to track down Django's wife, who has been sold to a powerful and unscrupulous plantation owner.

Django Unchained is one of Quentin Tarantino most successful movies, both among critics and audiences. It was nominated for five Academy Awards (Best Picture, Supporting Actor -- for Christoph Waltz, Screenplay -- for Tarantino, Cinematography, and Sound Editing), of which it won two, Acting and Screenplay.

The movie is clearly an homage to the old westerns of yore, specifically the Italian Spaghetti Western genre. Tarantino hired famed Italian composer Ennio Morricone for the score, and there's even a cameo by Franco Nero, both huge names back when that style of western was all the rage.

Both Jamie Foxx and Leonardo DiCaprio do a good job, but it's Waltz, along with Samuel L. Jackson, who really shine.

I do have to say that I'm not a fan of Tarantino's penchant for peppering some his movies with over the top elements like unnaturally big bursts of blood from gunshot wounds or exaggerated recoiling motions of a victim when shot with a simple hand gun. Unless you're making a parody, à la Airplane, inserting such scenes feels out of place and, frankly, breaks the "spell" one is under when watching a movie, which in itself requires a certain amount of suspension of disbelief.

Whenever he does that, I feel sort of ejected from the flow of the story, which is a pity. I figure these were elements that strongly fascinated Tarantino when he was a kid, first discovering the power of motion pictures, and now that he can make his own, he can't stop himself from adding them to his movies, even though they don't really belong there. It's kind of like a childish impulse he just cannot resist, but in my opinion they lower the overall quality of his work. It might also be part of the reason he has yet to win an Oscar for directing, in spite of several nominations.

Those bombastic elements are certainly a big reason why I disliked his Kill Bill: Vol. I movie, and refuse, to this day, to watch the second chapter. I remember that movie being overloaded of scenes like that, making it all but unwatchable by yours truly.

Oh well, to each his own, I guess.

THE BOTTOM LINE: A good film for either Tarantino fans or for those of Spaghetti Westerns.

Grade: 7.5

Capernaum

THE GIST: A poor, large, Lebanese family barely scrapes by. Zain, the oldest child, but still a kid, runs away when fed up with the cruelty of it all. He later meets a young illegal migrant and the two strike up a friendship, both unaware of the hardships to come.

Nominated for a Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award, Capernaum is quite stunning for its sheer rawness, the range of emotions the little kid so capably portrays onscreen, and the soul shredding lives people in those conditions have to endure.

As mentioned, young Zain Al Rafeea is just magnificent, as is Yordanos Shiferaw.

THE BOTTOM LINE: An excellent example of why it's so important for the most prestigious awards bodies in the world to hand out nominations and trophies to lesser known works that might otherwise never have a chance of being noticed. Absolutely recommended.

Grade: 8

The Mole Agent (El Agente Topo)

THE GIST: A private investigator tasked with finding out whether a client's mother is being abused in her retirement home, hires a very old guy to infiltrate the place as a mole in order not to raise suspicions.

Nominated for a Best Documentary Feature Academy Award, The Mole Agent offers up a view of what life is like for people who have reached a certain age and, very often, are no longer able to care for themselves.

The whole setup is pretty ingenious when one sees how it all works.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Not particularly memorable, it still manages to be interesting.

Grade: 7

Sticky Paws

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Destroyer

THE GIST: A police detective, whose life and career seem to be in freefall, starts investigating a homicide when she realizes some clues hark back to a failed undercover assignment from her past, whose results have been haunting her since.

Destroyer is a pretty cool detective story with a few unexpected twists.

The real draw here is Nicole Kidman, who delivers one of her grittiest and most visceral performances ever.

The whole cast is top-notch, and includes Toby Kebbell, Tatiana Maslany, Sebastian Stan, Scoot McNairy, and Bradley Whitford.

THE BOTTOM LINE: A good movie, intense and well put together.

Grade: 7.5

The Miseducation of Cameron Post

THE GIST: When her conservative guardians discover that she's in a same-sex relationship, Cameron is forced to check into a gay conversion therapy camp that is heavily centered around a religious message.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post is the transposition of every LGBT-youth's nightmare, and I'm sure it happens all too often.

Thankfully, many states and cities have banned conversion therapy for minors, but there are still many places that allow it, in spite of all the scientific evidence of the mental harm it causes.

Chloë Grace Moretz is very good in the lead, and the rest of the cast does an excellent job as well.

THE BOTTOM LINE: A good message movie that any parent, especially those considering such drastic and barbaric measures, should watch.

Grade: 7

The United States Vs. Billie Holiday

THE GIST: Targeted by the federal government with the excuse of her drug use, but really for her racial activism, acclaimed singer Billie Holiday chooses to endure prison time and a stunted career rather than backing down.

Andra Day was nominated for a Best Lead Actress Academy Award for her portrayal of Miss Holiday in The United States Vs. Billie Holiday, and well deservedly.

I knew her as a talented singer with a wonderful voice, but she was born to act, based on her work here. The rare hyphenate that hopefully we'll get to admire more in the future.

Directed by Lee Daniels, the movie recounts events I had no idea occurred, even though I count myself an admirer of Miss Holiday.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Definitely recommend as a history lesson, with awesome performances and great songs.

Grade: 9

Never Look Away

THE GIST: Kurt grew up in Germany during WWII, experiencing personal loss since childhood. Now a young man, he is a painter whose artistic vision is stifled by the ruling Communist party. Will an escape to West Germany allow him to finally break free of the yoke?

Never Look Away was nominated for a Best Foreign Language Film (as well as Cinematography) Academy Award, and for good reason. The film expertly weaves together different historical events and periods of time into a cohesive whole.

It really is unfathomable to think of the horrors people had to endure during the last world war, as well as during the following long decades under the oppressive rule of the Soviet Union.

The story is based on a German artist called Gerhard Richter, whose style of painting is recreated in the movie with jaw-dropping results.

THE BOTTOM LINE: A nice, multi-layered story that's well-written and showcases some excellent performances. Be aware that the runtime is over three hours . . . But they're worth it.

Grade: 8

Cold Bench

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Nomadland

THE GIST: Recently widowed, Fern lives in her van and works wherever she can find temporary jobs, all over the country. Along the way, she meets and befriends countless others, who lead a nomadic lifestyle like her, even though not all for the same reasons.

Nomadland is a scathing indictment of modern American society, a country where individualism is king and capitalism dictates all the rules; government is viewed warily, even when people would benefit the most from its interventions; and in the end you're really just left to fend for yourself.

Directed, written, and edited by Chloé Zhao, who created a real cinematic masterpiece, the story is told in almost hushed tones, with an unforgettable performance by Frances McDormand. You just want to hug her and be her friend forever!

Not surprisingly, the film has received countless accolades all over the world, and is up for six Oscars at this upcoming Sunday's Academy Awards' ceremony: Best Picture, Director, Screenplay, Lead Actress (McDormand), Editing, and Cinematography, which lends an almost elegiac feel to the movie.

There is also a wonderful score, but I guess it's not extensive or original enough to be counted for the Oscars. Too bad. It's by Ludovico Einaudi.

THE BOTTOM LINE: This should be viewed by every American, and if you love movies, it's a must-see.

Grade: 10

Slender Man

THE GIST: Four bored teenage girls decide to try to summon the Slender Man after seeing how obsessed people are about him on the Internet. Shortly after, one of them goes missing.

Slender Man is the typical horror movie that feels unfinished, and tries to achieve more than it can with its limited resources.

Sure, it manages to trigger a few jumps here and there, and the four girls certainly try their hardest (and the actresses are actually all pretty good), but when the movie is over you almost feel cheated.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Definitely skip it. It's too bad really, but there's just not enough here to warrant your time.

Grade: 3

Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood

THE GIST: Scotty Bowers is profiled, talking about his tell-all book, which recounts his countless experiences as a sexual procurer to the stars of Hollywood.

Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood is a spellbinding documentary that's sure to be of interest to anyone who's ever wondered about the lives of the big Hollywood stars of yesteryear.

Mr. Bowers certainly had an exciting and interesting life, and I'm glad he decided to share it with the public. Like Stephen Fry points out in the movie, he simply put a more human and humane face on these people, whom we think of as larger than life.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Not for the prudish out there, given the salacious revelations and several uncensored scenes, but certainly very interesting.

Grade: 8

Arctic

THE GIST: Having survived a plane crash in the Arctic, a man has to decide whether to wait for a rescue in the safety of the downed plane, or head out into the unknown and unforgiving landscape to seek help.

Arctic starts out pretty slowly, but it grabs your attention and never lets go.

Mads Mikkelsen proves once again to be a great actor, and I can only imaging how grueling the shoot must have been.

For anyone wondering, I checked out the featurette included on the disc, and the polar bear is not computer generated. It's the real thing!

THE BOTTOM LINE: A good drama that is well put together and doesn't disappoint.

Grade: 7

Crossing the East River

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Sound of Metal

THE GIST: Ruben is a heavy-metal drummer who suddenly loses most of his hearing. Freaked out, he seeks medical advice, but is told the loss that's already occurred is permanent. This throws his life, his career, and his relationship with his singer-girlfriend into upheaval. The fact that he's a former addict doesn't help things.

Sound of Metal is a really good movie that received six Oscar nominations, with nods for Picture, Lead Actor (for Riz Ahmed), Supporting Actor (Paul Raci), Screenplay, Sound, and Editing.

Olivia Cooke is also very good, and she and Ahmed have great chemistry together.

Ahmed, whom I first discovered in The Night Of, is astounding in the breadth of emotions he lays bare on the screen.

THE BOTTOM LINE: A touching story about a character with a big heart but who's rough around the edges. Aurally, it's an incredible experience.

Grade: 8.5

The US Has a Gun Problem

Whatever your political views and feelings about the 2nd Amendment, this should be worrisome to anyone who reads it (emphasis mine):

Starting on March 16, when eight people were killed at three Atlanta-area spas, the US has had at least 45 mass shootings, according to CNN reporting and an analysis of data from the Gun Violence Archive (GVA), local media, and police reports.

The US has seen at least 147 mass shootings in 2021, according to data from the GVA, a non-profit based in Washington.

CNN considers an incident to be a mass shooting if four or more people are shot, wounded, or killed, excluding the gunman; so does the GVA.

That's more than 2 shootings a day. That should be unacceptable in a modern society for all its citizens.

I rest my case.

From CNN.

Purple Lupine

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Honeyland

THE GIST: An aging beekeeper lives in a remote village with her infirm mother. A lifetime of experience has taught her how best to harvest the honey without harming the bees, but she now watches with apprehension when a large family moves in next door, and proceeds to set up multiple hives. Will her livelihood and lone source of income be threatened?

Honeyland was nominated for both Best Documentary Feature and Best International Feature Film Oscars and well deservedly.

The story is so simple and yet totally engrossing. It's almost like watching a scripted film.

It's actually unfathomable for people like us, used to "modern life" and its comforts and gadgets, to see how people eke out a living in the most dire of circumstances.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Absolutely recommended for everyone, even the little ones, who might benefit from seeing how other people live in the rest of the world.

Grade: 8

Follow the Trail

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Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

THE GIST: Jealous of the cozy relationships between Trump and the world's most famous despots, Kazakhstan's leader sends Borat back to America to deliver a gift that will ingratiate him to the famously fatuous and narcissistic American President.

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan has been dismissed by many as inane, but I found it to have an intriguing premise that basically justifies its existence, unlike many sequels, especially for its timeliness, coming just before the presidential elections of 2020.

I'm not alone in this either, given that the movie won a Best Picture and Best Lead Actor (for Sacha Baron Cohen) Golden Globe and garnered a nomination for Lead Actress (for Maria Bakalova) as well. Furthermore, the film is up for Best Supporting Actress and Best Adapted Screenplay Oscars as well!

The usual mix of silly gags are interspersed with a good dose of hard hitting parody and crude social commentary that are never misplaced.

Cohen does a great job in the role of Borat, but it's Bakalova who's a revelation. It's almost incredible to think of the pranks these two actors and the producers have been able to pull off!!

THE BOTTOM LINE: If you liked the first Borat, then definitely check out the sequel. I found it to be even funnier than the first!

Grade: 8

How History Will Remember Trump

I happened to read this CNN article and this part struck me for how accurately it summed up the horrors of Trump's lone (blessedly) term (emphasis mine):

When people look at Trump and say, "This is not America," they are wrong. His presidency personified a gap between America's liberal, urban, multiracial citizens and their White, rural, conservative counterparts. And his great sin as President was that he didn't try to build common bonds and language between an internally estranged people. Instead, he exploited the divide.

These facts are indisputable: Trump destroyed millions of people's faith in the US political system by refusing to accept his election defeat and inciting an insurrection against Congress. He inspired radical, far right White nationalists. He lied every day. His "beautiful" health care plan was a sick myth. He torched America's global reputation. And he incessantly exploited his job to boost his business, reversing President John Kennedy's admonition, "Ask not what your country can do for you -- ask what you can do for your country."

Trump did often raise questions that conventional politicians dodged: Shouldn't the US be tougher on an increasingly hostile China? When will someone actually help ghost towns in the Midwest and the South where industries died at the hands of elite free traders? Why don't prosperous Europeans pay more for their own defense? What is the sense in sending heartland Americans to die in the Middle East?

But he never answered these questions. And for all Trump's championing of "forgotten" Americans, his sole big legislative win was huge tax cuts for corporations and his rich cronies.

Trump mythologizes his skill as a builder, but he will be remembered for destruction. After losing the White House, the House and the Senate, being impeached twice and throwing tens of thousands of lives into the teeth of the pandemic, this one-termer has earned his inevitable historic ignominy as one of the worst US presidents, if not the worst.

Hopefully the nightmare really is over . . .

Ponte di Rialto

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Corpus Christi (Boze Cialo)

THE GIST: Daniel is a troubled young man who's already spent time in juvenile detention. There, he has undergone a spiritual awakening, but his interest in joining the priesthood can't go anywhere because of his criminal record. After his release, on his way to a new job, he stops in a small village, where he meets the local priest.

Nominated for a Best International Feature Film Oscar, Corpus Christi tells a fairly intimate story of the struggles of a person who would really like to do something, but he cannot because of the mistakes he made in his life.

The story is very well written and developed, and the entire cast does an excellent job.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Don't let the subtitles stop you from enjoying a really nice feature. Definitely recommended.

Grade: 8

Dangerous Liaisons

THE GIST: A scheming, cruel, high-society widow and a one-time lover, who prides himself on taking advantage of others, make a bet that he can seduce the meekly devoted and spiritual wife of a well-known man. Other unsuspecting souls fall prey to their intrigues.

Oh boy, what a disappointing bore Dangerous Liaisons turned out to be. I might have had too high expectations, possibly stemming from the fondness with which my friend Vittorio talks about this particular film (his favorite ever, really), but I hardly found it worthy of such lofty praise.

From a purely technical point of view, whether it's costumes, sets, or hair and makeup, everything is really well done. The direction is good and the acting appropriate to the period, albeit there are some weak spots.

Glenn Close is superb, giving us some of her best work. Michelle Pfeiffer is very good as well, in a part probably harder to sell than Close's as well. John Malkovich is good, but too theatrical, even though it might be argued that the character he was playing led a very theatrical life, in a sense.

Keanu Reeves and Uma Thurman, however, are really bad. I mean really, really bad. Weak roles, risible lines, delivered without conviction. Just a big no for me there.

Which leads me to the script, an adaptation of a literary work. That origin might have constricted its shape and scope, but the worst thing for me was its utter predictability. Virtually nothing came as a surprise and every character's moves were easily foreseen well in advance.

THE BOTTOM LINE: If you like Ms. Close than you should definitely check this out, but don't expect too much, or you'll be disappointed.

Grade: 6

Dog in the Park

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Pier and Bridge

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The Walking Dead

So, here's the timeline as far as I can make sense of it: season 10 was airing when the pandemic shut the world down. Apparently, AMC had all the episodes ready to go up to, but excluding, the season finale.

So on April 5, 2020, the second-to-last episode aired, leaving us on a cliffhanger until October 1, 2020, when the season finale finally aired, wrapping up the Whisperers storyline.

Season 11, the last one, premieres this summer. It's supposedly longer than normal (24 episodes instead of 16) and will be split in two, with the second half airing in 2022.

So far so good.

When AMC announced the return of the show in between the two halves of Fear the Walking Dead's season 6, I figured it was the first half of season 11, but I was mistaken.

AMC just aired six new episodes that don't belong to season 11, but rather are an addition to season 10, even though that one ended, very clearly, last October. Why? Who knows. Were they good? Hardly, except for the last one, because it was an origin story of Negan, one of the greatest villains of all time, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan is such a good actor, he made it good enough.

The others, while occasionally interesting, were hardly worth the time really. A couple even featured my favorite character, Carol, and yet they were overall a letdown.

And I believe the reason is simple: the scripts had very little to say, resulting in episodes that felt more like filler than anything else. It's what you'd ordinarily find on the floor of the editing room when you're making the final product. For some reason, the producers felt the need to put these scenes together and air them. Bad choice.

All in all, they added nothing to the canon (other than Negan's origin story, but even the books didn't bother with that), nor to the story overall.

Each episode also focused on one to three characters at most, sometimes introducing new ones, which probably increased the drag on the action. I've noticed the same dynamic in the current season of Fear the Walking Dead, and it's not going well on that show either . . .

So, watch them in case they're referenced later on, or as a curiosity. Just don't expect much from this add-on to season 10.

Grade - Season 10 addition: 6

Bathed in Sunlight

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The Shawshank Redemption

THE GIST: Sent to prison for a crime he says he didn't commit, Andy gradually strikes up a friendship with Red, who clearly knows his way around the prison. The two men have distinct views of their futures, with Andy harboring hope for better things to come, while Red is pretty much resigned to the status quo.

Nominated for a total of seven Academy Awards (Picture, Lead Actor - for Morgan Freeman, Screenplay, Score - for Thomas Newman, Cinematography, Sound, and Editing), The Shawshank Redemption is probably the most critically acclaimed adaptation of a work by Stephen King, one of my favorite authors.

Morgan Freeman is really, really good in an understated performance, and so is Tim Robbins (both actors were nominated for a Lead Actor Screen Actors Guild award).

Fundamentally, however, it's the story that really shines here, perfectly adapted by Frank Darabont, who also directed.

Finally, the soundtrack is one of the most iconic pieces of film music ever written.

THE BOTTOM LINE: A good film that should satisfy everyone's tastes. Definitely recommended.

Grade: 9

Playing with Fire

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Dolemite Is My Name

THE GIST: Rudy always had high hopes of making it big as a stand-up comedian and entertainer, but his moment never seems to arrive. One day, he has the idea of reinventing himself as Dolemite: he dons over-the-top costumes and starts rhyming his lines and delivering them in a pioneering new style that eventually will evolve into modern-day rap. It's an instant success, but is it enough for Rudy?

Dolemite Is My Name earned Best Motion Picture and Best Lead Actor Golden Globe nominations, and they're definitely well deserved.

The movie is funny but also poignant, because it tells the story of a real man, who poured his soul into entertaining people only to see his efforts fizzle time and time again. And then, a genial idea finally propelled him into the stratosphere, regardless of what the critics or the larger audience might have thought of his productions.

Eddie Murphy is really, really good at playing Rudy, perhaps precisely because he also has been struggling for the past several years to get some real recognition in the film industry, after playing countless comedic roles early in his career that led to him being viewed as a lightweight.

It's the well-known curse of the comedic theme or role that rarely get the recognition they deserve, perennially outshined by the dramatic themes or roles that always bring home the best awards.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Well written, with great performances from the whole cast, funny, and a true story to boot. Definitely recommended.

Grade: 8

Roots and Ladders

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