Profile

THE GIST: Hoping to land a stable gig, a British journalist goes undercover to infiltrate the Islamic State's online recruiting network that specializes in entrapping young girls, especially Europeans, to join their cause in the Middle East. Slowly, she starts feeling the allure of joining the fascinating man she's talking to.

Profile is a good thriller, albeit based on a very simple premise, and is another example of a movie entirely staged on electronic screens (similar to Unfriended and Unfriended: Dark Web), which sounds weird but works surprisingly well.

Valene Kane and Shazad Latif (a good actor whom I first discovered on the TV series Star Trek: Discovery) excellently play their game of cat and mouse.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Definitely recommended for the story, which is based on factual events, the curiosity of the format, and the tragic themes explored.

Grade: 7

A Day of Remembrance

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Separation

THE GIST: A little girl's odd puppets, the brainchild of her father's comics' designs, suddenly begin to haunt the house they're living in.

As usual, I've tried to keep any spoilers out my summary - hence its brevity - but it's very hard to review Separation without mentioning its utter lack of focus, which ultimately dooms the project.

By that I mean that the movie tries to juggle too many storylines: there's family drama, there's legal fights, there's marital strife, there's house hauntings, there's apparitions and manifestations, and that's just for starters!!

Rupert Friend, Brian Cox, and Simon Quarterman are all well proven actors, and do the best they can with the material at hand, but it's just not enough.

THE BOTTOM LINE: A wildly rambling script turns a promising kernel of a story into a muddled mess. What a pity!

Grade: 3

Ready for Its Closeup

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Minari

THE GIST: Hoping for greater fortunes, Jacob moves his family from California to Arkansas to start farming Korean vegetables, hoping to sell them to other immigrants like them. It won't be smooth sailing.

Perhaps I fell victim to the hype surrounding Minari, especially leading up to this year's Oscars, but I felt a bit underwhelmed, in all honesty.

Still, the story is interesting, the script is well written, and the actors all do a very good job.

In fact, the movie was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Director, Original Screenplay, Score (for Emile Mosseri), and Lead Actor (for Steven Yeun), and actually won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress (for Yuh-Jung Youn).

THE BOTTOM LINE: Ultimately, I feel like the story was worth telling - and watching - but doesn't really leave a mark. I actually struggle to understand how this film earned such accolades and a Best Picture Oscar nomination.

Grade: 7

Little Devil

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And Then We Danced

THE GIST: Merab is a male dancer in the highly competitive world of Georgian traditional dance. One day, another male dancer shows up, posing some serious, albeit friendly, competition.

And Then We Danced is a nice coming-of-age story that perfectly juxtaposes the tenderness of the feelings this young man starts experiencing with the harshness of life in a very patriarchal society, infused as it is with toxic masculinity mores.

Levan Gelbakhiani and Bachi Valishvili are both excellent in their respective roles, and Ana Javakishvili is great as well.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Absolutely recommended. A nice story told in a way that always keeps you wondering what is going to happen next. Two thumbs up!

Grade: 8

Samantha

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The Arches

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Those Who Wish Me Dead

THE GIST: A young kid is pursued through the Montana wilderness by a couple of assassins because of some sensitive information he's carrying. He stumbles into a firefighter, who helps him trying to get away, but a huge wildfire gets in the way of everybody.

Those Who Wish Me Dead is an action packed thriller that fails to reveal enough of the backstory that gets introduced at the onset, but benefits from the relentless action and great visual effects when it comes to the fire.

Young Finn Little shows a lot of promise; Angelina Jolie and Jon Bernthal are quite good; Aidan Gillen and Nicholas Hoult are very good bad guys. I think Hoult should consider playing the villain more often, as we're used seeing him in more heroic roles but here really shines.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Nothing memorable or exceptional, but entertaining enough to generate a good adrenaline rush.

Grade: 5.5

Seagull and Stick

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Spiral: From the Book of Saw

THE GIST: An apparent Jigsaw copycat is on the loose, delivering his own version of twisted justice to his victims. Detective Banks is in charge of the investigation, though soon realizes he might be getting played by the serial killer.

After several chapters in the Saw franchise, making it rather successful, a reboot was almost inevitable. Spiral: From the Book of Saw manages to be interesting enough to sit through, but hardly good enough to leave a mark.

Chris Rock and Max Minghella do a pretty good job; Samuel L. Jackson is good, but seems to be phoning it in; Marisol Nichols is new to me, and doesn't impress.

THE BOTTOM LINE: A few interesting scenes, but the whole plot seems to unspool a bit too fast. Only really for the fans of the franchise.

Grade: 5

The Mauritanian

THE GIST: Rounded up along with hundreds of other suspects after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, a Mauritanian man is held captive in Guantanamo Bay by the US government without charges for years, until a civil rights lawyer decides to take up the case, regardless of his alleged guilt, because his unlimited confinement violates the US Constitution.

The Mauritanian poses some tough questions about the law, the protections it affords, and the methods of detention and interrogation applied after the worst terrorist attack on US soil shook the nation to its foundations.

The excellent cast is led by the always great Jodie Foster, along with Shailene Woodley, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Tahar Rahim in the role of the Mauritanian. The latter was unknown to me before, but is really good indeed.

THE BOTTOM LINE: A well-acted, well-written drama about a problem that is sadly still ongoing after 20 years.

Grade: 7.5

Soft Petals

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The Hitman’s Bodyguard

THE GIST: Michael Bryce is charged with safely delivering a notorious assassin from his jail cell to the International Criminal Court so he can testify against a despot charged with ordering atrocities. The two know one another because the hitman had tried repeatedly to kill Michael in the past, so it's no smooth sailing, especially with the strongman's thugs on their tail.

The Hitman’s Bodyguard is an action comedy with a decently written script whose real strength lies squarely in the casting of two actors who are both very good at comedy: Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson.

Salma Hayek is not on screen a lot, but when she is she nails it, which is probably why they gave her top billing in the upcoming sequel.

Gary Oldman as the villain is alternately viciously scary and a bit boring. It's almost like he lost interest at some point during filming and started phoning it in. Still, it's Oldman, so he's still effective.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Definitely recommended for a fun night of relentless action peppered with comedy throughout. I'm looking forward to the sequel.

Grade: 7.5

Red Door

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The Ritual

THE GIST: A group of friends are on a hike in the mountainous wilderness when a leg injury forces them to cut the trip short. They decide to take a shortcut through the forest instead of continuing on the established route, but they soon discover that they're not alone in the secluded woods.

The woods have often been a prime location to generate suspense by leveraging our primal fears about what could be hiding among the trees. The Ritual joins in that long tradition and doesn't disappoint.

The plot if fairly basic, but the streamlined script keeps the pacing tight and the action rolling, so the end product is quite good.

I also found the casting to be spot on. I didn't know Rafe Spall before, and found him to be a pretty good actor.

THE BOTTOM LINE: If you like horror movies, you could do a lot worse frankly, so go ahead and check it out!

Grade: 7.5

Portrait of Young Man

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Wrath of Man

THE GIST: H gets a job at an armored truck security company that was recently targeted by robbers. He acts very mysterious and some of his co-workers are a bit miffed. When the next band of robbers hits his truck, he snaps into action, leaving everyone baffled.

As a Guy Ritchie confection, Wrath of Man is pretty much what we've come to expect: an action thriller with more twists and turns than we can count, headlined by a tough guy who wastes no time in getting his way.

The tough guy this time is Jason Statham, facing off against Jeffrey Donovan and Scott Eastwood, and everyone does a good job in their respective roles. Eastwood especially should consider playing more villainous roles, as this was perhaps his best work to date.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Chases, firefights, layers of mystery, and battles of wills between macho-men. It could have gone wrong in so many ways, but thanks to Ritchie's assured direction, we get a winner.

Grade: 7.5

Gondolas in the Park

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Here Today

THE GIST: Charlie Burnz has had a pretty successful career as a screenwriter, even though now his fame has dimmed considerably. A chance encounter with an aspiring singer sees the birth of an unlikely friendship, one he'll soon have to come to rely on.

Here Today is the brainchild of Billy Crystal, given that he not only starred in, but also wrote and directed it. Crystal's ability as a comedic actor is well known and still in full display, but the script is a bit weak.

His character gets plenty of space to come into focus, but the others not so much. Tiffany Haddish, always super funny, barely has time to show up that her character has to start making some pretty tough choices, straining credibility.

Crystal's family gets even less of a chance to appear as anything more than cardboard cutouts, which is a real pity.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Some laughs are a given with two actors such as these getting top billing, and the topic at the center of the story certainly deserves to be scrutinized, but this movie will very quickly fade from memory.

Grade: 5.5

Raya and the Last Dragon

THE GIST: Raya has been trained by her father to protect a dragon's magic gem that a long time ago saved the realm from an invading dark force. When a dispute ends up breaking the gem, the dark force shows up again, and all Raya can do is trust that a legend about a surviving last dragon is actually true.

Raya and the Last Dragon is a really good addition to the Disney canon, as far as female heroines are concerned.

The film is also quite original, which nowadays is a rarity, when so many animated movies are simply rehashing previous plots with a few aesthetic changes.

The animation is absolutely magnificent, and Awkwafina, who plays the dragon, is fantastically adorable. As far as I'm concerned, she improves every movie she's in.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Definitely recommended for families but also for animation fans in general. A really good movie.

Grade: 8

Curious Little Boy

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After the Rain

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Ammonite

THE GIST: Mary Anning is famous for her museum-grade fossil finds, but largely ignored because of her gender. One day, a fellow fossil enthusiast comes by to meet her before embarking on a trip, leaving his ailing wife behind in the sea town to get better. Her worsening condition, however, forces Mary, who just met her, to care for the woman. Slowly, the two become very close.

Ammonite gingerly tells the story of a forbidden love between two women who couldn't be more different, and whose views on life are similarly eons apart.

Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan are both magnificent, especially Winslet, who wholly embodies the character of a woman who loves her life in spite of the many hardships.

THE BOTTOM LINE: The film progresses deliberately at a slow pace, which suits the story well. A nice love story.

Grade: 7

Hotel over the High Line

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Ravenous (Les affamés)

THE GIST: An unknown event causes some people to turn into cannibals and start attacking the uninfected. The dead pile up, while a few survivors come together to try and find a safe refuge.

Ravenous doesn't reinvent the wheel when it comes to movies about the zombie apocalypse, but it doesn't pretend to, and is nonetheless very effective in creating tension without relying on too much gore.

And not knowing some stuff doesn't hinder the enjoyment factor; it instead helps put the viewer in the shoes of the survivors, who also don't know much about what is going on.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Definitely recommended for the horror fans out there.

Grade: 7.5

The Staircase

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Papillon

THE GIST: Wrongfully convicted of murder, Frenchman Papillon is sent across the ocean to a penal colony in French Guiana. On the way, he meets Louis Dega, whose considerable wealth makes him a target in the eyes of every convict. Papillon offers him protection in exchange for money to escape.

Papillon, a remake of the original starring Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman, is well paced and quite enthralling. The note at the beginning that mentions a basis in reality helps ground the audience's attention.

Charlie Hunnam and Rami Malek are well cast in their respective roles, and wholly sell the deep friendship that slowly germinates between the two men.

Beautiful cinematography and an excellent set design that, according to the pictures of the real places shown along with the end credits, perfectly recreates the era and locations.

THE BOTTOM LINE: A good drama about the resilience of the human spirit. Very enjoyable.

Grade: 7.5

Village on the Mountainside

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Nobody

THE GIST: Hutch's life consists of a monotonous progression of boring, predictable, unexciting days that simply roll off the calendar. One night, a break-in at his house reawakens something that had been long dormant.

Nobody is a pretty unassuming story that quickly picks up the pace and becomes quite entertaining.

Bob Odenkirk is really good in the role of the silent type who knows how to handle a hassle, and the rest of the casting is spot on.

THE BOTTOM LINE: The story might be similar to many others we've seen before, but the character of Hutch is so well rounded, and his backstory seems so rich, that I would totally sign up for a sequel!

Grade: 7.5

The Headstone

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The Father

THE GIST: Anthony has reached a point in his life when he's no longer lucid enough to be by himself. His daughter Anne does her best to care for him, but he refuses any external help she tries to hire. How long can she go on?

The Father is one of those little cinematic gems that every now and then come along and leave an indelible mark.

Nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Adapted Screenplay, Editing, Production Design, Supporting Actress (for Olivia Colman), and Lead Actor (for Anthony Hopkins), it took home the golden boy for Screenplay and, quite unexpectedly, for Sir Anthony Hopkins.

This was his second, and well deserved, Oscar in a long and rich career that hopefully will go on for a little while longer. He has at this point become my favorite male actor, so I'm looking forward to whatever else he will still regale us with.

Hopkins became the oldest winner, at 83 years old, in a competitive acting category!

THE BOTTOM LINE: This is a really good movie whose narrative structure itself is meant to make the viewer start doubting whether what they're seeing is real or not. Along with two masterful performances, this is definitely a must-see!

Grade: 9

In Memoriam

Milva (July 17, 1939 - April 23, 2021)

Milva (real name Maria Ilva Biolcati) was one of Italy's most famous and beloved singers, but her fame wasn't limited to that country, instead it spread all over (from Wikipedia):

Popular in Italy and abroad, she performed on musical and theatrical stages the world over, and received popular acclaim in her native Italy, and particularly in Germany, where she often participated in musical events and televised musical programmes. She released numerous albums in France, Japan, Korea, Greece, Spain, and South America.

She collaborated with European composers and musicians including Ennio Morricone in 1965, Francis Lai in 1973, Mikis Theodorakis in 1978 (Was ich denke became a best selling album in Germany), Enzo Jannacci in 1980, Vangelis in 1981 and 1986, and Franco Battiato in 1982 and 1986.

Her stage productions of Bertolt Brecht's recitals and Luciano Berio's operas toured the world's theatres. She performed at La Scala in Milan, at the Deutsche Oper in Berlin, at the Paris Opera, in the Royal Albert Hall in London and at the Edinburgh Festival, amongst others.

Having had success both in Italy and internationally, she remained one of the most popular Italian personalities in the fields of music and theatre. Her artistic stature was officially recognised by the Italian, German and French Republics, each of which bestowed her with the highest honours.

I had only recently gotten to know her music, since I wasn't into Italian music growing up, and came to like her voice, her verve, and her style.

Quite literally, a monumental loss.

A Rose

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Together Together

THE GIST: A single man in his 40s, desiring to become a father, finds a young surrogate to help him achieve his dream. Throughout the pregnancy, they get to know one another pretty intimately.

Together Together has a very simple premise but turns out to be pretty endearing, thanks to the captivating likeability of its two protagonists.

Ed Helms and Patti Harrison both do a good job, and the script hits all the right notes without falling into schmaltzy or preachy territory.

THE BOTTOM LINE: A light comedy about an serious topic, with two good leads. Go ahead and enjoy!

Grade: 7

The Pier at Coney Island

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Left Standing

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Tenet

THE GIST: A CIA agent is tasked with figuring out how a criminal mastermind is planning on bringing about worldwide death and destruction before it's too late.

Tenet, Christopher Nolan's latest cinematic confection, is another mind bending trip that you'll be all too happy you went on.

John David Washington and Elizabeth Debicki do a good job in their central roles, but it's Robert Pattinson's character who comes across as more charming and likable.

Kenneth Branagh is very good in the role of the bad guy who can bring about deathly consequences in the blink of an eye, but it's Aaron Taylor-Johnson who manages to steal the thunder whenever he's onscreen.

The excellent visual effects took home an Oscar, and with good reason. The soundtrack, by Ludwig Göransson, expertly matched with the sound effects, is also enwrapping.

THE BOTTOM LINE: If you're a fan of Nolan's work, don't pass this up!

Grade: 8.5

In Memoriam

Olympia Dukakis (June 20, 1931 - May 1, 2021)

A prolific actress on the big and small screens, as well as the stage, Dukakis had 121 credits under her belt, accrued in a long career that reached its pinnacle when she won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance as Cher's mother in Moonstruck.

She appeared in countless other famous films, like Steel Magnolias, Working Girl, and Mighty Aphrodite.

R.I.P.

War Horse

THE GIST: A farmer buys a thoroughbred instead of a work horse to spite his landlord. Times are hard however, and he's forced to sell the horse to the military at the start of World War I, albeit not before his son Albert forms a profound bond with the animal. Dejected, Albert eventually enlists, just so he can try and find his beloved horse again.

Directed by the great Steven Spielberg, War Horse was nominated for six Academy Awards, including for Best Picture.

Of note, and also nominated, are the cinematography and John Williams's soaring score.

The whole technical apparatus is excellent, with sets and costumes that perfectly recreate the era.

THE BOTTOM LINE: A heartwarming tale that's good for the whole family (in spite of some war scenes), and will certainly make you root for Albert and his friend's reunification.

Grade: 8

Still Water

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In the Earth

THE GIST: In the aftermath of a devastating pandemic, a scientist heads into a forest guided by a park ranger to follow up with an experiment.

In the Earth is a half-baked horror movie that seems to have a very timely premise, given the ongoing worldwide pandemic, but in the end leaves very little on the table.

I was a bit disappointed because the virus doesn't really feature at all, which means that it leaves you wondering why it was mentioned or used to begin with.

Sound and light are used to great effect to generate anxiety and engender fear.

Joel Fry and Ellora Torchia are also quite good in their roles.

THE BOTTOM LINE: In my opinion, the script needed a lot more work. Too many questions arise throughout the movie and go unanswered, and the finale also comes a bit unexpectedly. Frankly, I left the theater feeling cheated out of a better story.

Grade: 5.5

The Lighthouse

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