Bench and Birdhouse

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Old Church

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Escape Room: Tournament of Champions

THE GIST: Zoey and Ben decide it's time to stop whoever was behind their Escape Room nightmare from subjecting anyone else to it ever again. As soon as they get to New York, they get surreptitiously trapped into a new Escape Room together with four strangers, all of whom had won their own previous rounds.

Escape Room: Tournament of Champions is the sequel to Escape Room, which, while not great, certainly felt fresher and wittier than this movie.

Too many occurrences here are way too convenient and unrealistic, starting in earnest with how the six players come together.

Also, while the producers might have felt the urge to top the original's room setups, this time they made them so vast and complex that they also end up feeling unrealistic.

Finally, the runtime of this movie is under 88 minutes, which is hardly enough time for any real character or story development (and it shows); and such a compressed timeline forces the actors to run through their lines, as well as the solutions to the various puzzles, at warp speed, needlessly straining the believability factor further.

THE BOTTOM LINE: If you liked the original, like I did, you might want to check this out in case they make a third chapter, but expect to be frustrated by the end result.

Grade: 4.5

Active Measures

THE GIST: A thorough, clear-eyed, jaw-dropping analysis of the rise of Vladimir Putin to the all-powerful position he still holds and the invasive, aggressive actions he undertakes against all enemies foreign and domestic in order to advance his interests and those of Russia. His many connections to Donald Trump, his family, and his businesses make it crystal clear that Trump's time in the White House was all in the service of Putin.

Active Measures is a really well-made documentary that should be required viewing for any American voter from this point on.

It's incredible how skilled a dictator Putin is and it's really alarming to realize how close we came to a real catastrophe here in America.

Hopefully, Trump will never have access to America's political levers of power again, but his influence on the GOP is still very worrisome.

And who knows who Putin is grooming right now for the future.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Absolutely recommended to anyone, no matter your political inclinations. This documentary is a real eye-opener. A must-see.

Grade: 8.5

Unfurled Petals

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Sleep-Walking

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Sinister

THE GIST: A true crime writer, who hasn't published a successful book in years, moves with his family into a home whose previous owners were murdered. He's researching their deaths for his new book, and a box of old home movies found in the attic hints at a possible connection to other murders, suggesting a serial killer on the loose. Or is there something more sinister going on?

Sinister tells a fairly interesting story with a well-positioned twist that very slowly becomes apparent, until it's fully revealed at the end.

It's not a great horror movie simply because there are a few things that are hard to accept as a viewer, starting with what would convince a man to move his family, with two young kids in tow, into a house where an entire family was brutally murdered.

Still, if you can overlook that and a couple other things, it's fairly enjoyable. Ethan Hawke does a pretty good job, flanked by Juliet Rylance and James Ransone.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Not a great horror movie, but not bad either. I'm not sure whether there will be sequels, but the story certainly lends itself to more chapters, thanks to that twist I mentioned earlier.

Grade: 6.5

In the Line of Fire

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The Croods

THE GIST: The Paleolithic times are full of dangers and unknowns, but a family of cave dwellers is able to survive largely thanks to the father's constant fearmongering. Then, one day, his teenage daughter meets a young guy outside their cave, and things starts careening out of control . . .

The Croods represents another successful addition to the DreamWorks's stable of animated hits. Aside from Pixar, which was eventually absorbed by Disney, DreamWorks Animation is really the only other studio that consistently puts out quality fare that can compete with the venerable studio Walt Disney founded.

Their films are oftentimes quite original (think Shrek or Kung Fu Panda) and even when they don't necessarily reinvent the wheel, they still feel fresh.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Guaranteed to keep the little ones entertained, there are enough lines in the script to enthuse even the adults in the crowd.

Grade: 7

Wrong Turn

THE GIST: A group of friends hiking the Appalachian Trail decides to take a sightseeing detour and ends up face to face with the people of The Foundation, a full-fledged community of settlers who have lived in isolation since before the Civil War . . . and who don't appreciate trespassers.

Wrong Turn is a middling horror/thriller that freely dips into the well-worn library of tropes the horror genre often showcases. While this isn't necessarily a strike against a movie, it is how those tropes are utilized that matters.

So while the movie might be mildly enjoyable, you still have to observe young adults doing stupid things when it doesn't make much sense; a middle-aged, inexperienced father making a long and tricky trek with little struggle and in no time; a secretive community that all too quickly comes to trust a new addition; lax law enforcement; town bullies who turn out to be the good guys . . . and so on.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Like I said, the movie isn't bad per se, but it's not memorable or original at all. Check it out on a slow night when you want some cheap thrills I guess.

Grade: 5

Sunflowers

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Woman with Parasol

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Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot

THE GIST: After a car crash leaves him paralyzed, lifelong alcoholic John Callahan embarks on the arduous path to recovery, during which he discovers a passion for art, specifically drawing cartoons. His creations bring him notoriety, and with it a second chance at life.

Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot tells an interesting, albeit upsetting, story about redemption and finding meaning in one's life.

It features a great cast, led by Joaquin Phoenix, who gives a great performance, along with Jonah Hill, Rooney Mara, Jack Black, Beth Ditto, and Carrie Brownstein.

THE BOTTOM LINE: A good movie about the hopefulness of life, the power of love, and the importance of friendship. It's also based on a true story.

Grade: 7

Tree By the Staircase

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Black Widow

THE GIST: In hiding for violating the Sokovia Accords, Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, is forced to revisit the darkest chapter of her past when she discovers a vast and dangerous conspiracy that hints at the survival of a bad guy she thought she killed a long time ago.

Long delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic, Black Widow finally premiered, delivering a good origin story for a beloved superhero whose powers rely on skills and training rather than special powers.

The script is well-written and loaded with information about where Romanoff comes from, her family, and how she became Black Widow.

Scarlett Johansson is joined by Florence Pugh, Rachel Weisz, and David Harbour, all of whom face off against a delightfully baddy Ray Winstone.

THE BOTTOM LINE: A nice addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, even though it doesn't rise to the level of other entries. I had been longing to know the origins of Black Widow and it's nice to see a female superhero get her due.

Grade: 7.5

Giant Little Ones

THE GIST: High-schoolers Ballas and Franky have been best friends since childhood. One night, an incident sends both their relationship and their lives in a tailspin.

Giant Little Ones is a very well-written, slowly building coming-of-age tale about life and the unexpected bumps in the road we often encounter growing up.

Josh Wiggins and Darren Mann are both excellent, along with a great Taylor Hickson.

Kyle MacLachlan plays a gay man and is the perfect example of the complicated argument that gay roles should only go to openly gay actors. He is, as usual, very good, and also totally believable, so it's really a question of whether or not it's important to give more visibility (and work) to openly gay actors, not of whether one would get a better performance. A good actor will always deliver.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Definitely recommended for the public at large. A very relatable tale with a solid script and good acting.

Grade: 8

The Golden Hall

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Monster Hunter

THE GIST: Lt. Artemis is leading her Rangers on a rescue operation when a sudden and violent storm seems to transport them to what looks like a different world. Attacked by huge and terrifying monsters, they will have to fight for their lives.

Monster Hunter is definitely one of the worst film adaptations of a successful video game I've ever watched.

I never played the game, and wasn't aware of its origin going in, and that's strike number one: when you make a film adaptation, you should strive to make the film enjoyable for the uninitiated as well as the game's fans, so that everyone walks away satisfied (examples such as Wreck-It Ralph or Tomb Raider come to mind).

There's virtually zero character development for even the top three most important ones, and that's strike number two: if we don't know the characters, we can't empathize with them and therefore won't care what happens to them.

Strike number three is the complete lack of an ending that brings the film to a reasonable close. I can understand the need to build in a sequel (we see that all the time nowadays), but that's done via either a strong cliffhanger or extra scenes in the end credits. Here, we don't get a feasible ending to the story we just watched; the final fight clearly is meant to resume in the sequel, which hopefully will never get greenlit given how poorly this one was developed. I certainly won't be sitting through it if it ever gets made.

Certainly, Milla Jovovich is very entertaining and once again proves her credentials as an action star. The visual effects also are impressive, which is a minimum in a movie such as this.

THE BOTTOM LINE: If you know and love the game you might give this a try, but anyone else would be better off watching a painting hanging on their walls for two hours.

Grade: 2.5

Long Forgotten

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The Forever Purge

THE GIST: A resurgence of unrest has brought the NFFA back to power, and they waste no time in reinstituting the yearly Purge. The morning after, however, a good number of participants decide that this time they will continue purging until all those they consider not "real Americans" are extirpated from their country.

After four movies in the Purge franchise it looked like the end of the road, but I guess there was enough financial incentive for a new chapter, which brings us to The Forever Purge.

Given that the previous movies already explored the dynamics of the purge, how it came into being, what the rationale behind it was, and what it resulted into, there was almost nowhere else to go for a new chapter but forward into further chaos.

Certainly if one can imagine an America that accepts a night of free killing, one can fathom an America in which the thirst for blood and exorcism can no longer be contained.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Overall, the movie works as much as its predecessors, even though a limited amount of character development results in one caring less then one should for what happens to these people. Certainly worth watching for fans of the franchise.

Grade: 5

The Old Barn

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Zola

THE GIST: After recently meeting Stefani, Zola agrees to go with her on a road trip to Florida to hit the stripping circuit and make some quick cash. The adventure doesn't turn out exactly as expected.

Zola is based on actual events that occurred to A'Ziah King, who co-wrote the script, is a real-life stripper, and first told her story via a stream of messages on Twitter.

Taylour Paige and Riley Keough play the two strippers with gusto, clearly having a great time.

THE BOTTOM LINE: The movie would be a hoot in and of itself, but the fact that it's based on a true story makes it that much punchier.

Grade: 7.5

Bench By the Statue

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Paris 05:59: Théo & Hugo (Théo et Hugo dans le même bateau)

THE GIST: Two guys meet and hook up in a sex club, falling fast for one another. However, the passion of the moment will be put to the test when they leave the club together and start to get to know each other better.

Paris 05:59: Théo & Hugo is one of the most realistic films about the gay experience I've ever watched. It certainly felt very relatable to me.

The two actors, Geoffrey Couët and François Nambot, are excellent and perfectly adorable in their own unique ways.

Be forewarned that the first 20 minutes or so of the film feature very explicit sex scenes, but if that's not your cup of tea, the rest of the movie is different, so stick with it.

THE BOTTOM LINE: A must see for any gay guy out there. I would probably count this one among the top ten best gay themed movies ever made.

Grade: 8

Portrait of Young Man

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The Invitation

THE GIST: After disappearing for two years, a couple invite their old friends over for a dinner party. While glad to get together again, something feels weird and suspicious about the hosts' demeanor.

The Invitation is a pretty well-crafted thriller whose strongest suit lies in the slowly building but unrelenting feeling of suspense about what is going to happen next.

Logan Marhsall-Green, Tammy Blanchard, and the always charming Michiel Huisman lead a very good cast, which includes an actor who's an expert at playing unsettling characters, John Carroll Lynch.

THE BOTTOM LINE: If you're looking for a thriller, this one will have you on edge for the duration. Definitely recommended.

Grade: 7.5

Urban Jungle

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B&B

THE GIST: A gay couple revisits a remote B&B whose righteous Christian owner had discriminated against them in the past, ending up getting sued. Their plans for mischief are complicated by the arrival of a new guest, whom they perceive as both mysterious and threatening.

B&B is a completely lopsided movie, with a first half that's silly and boring and a second half that's suspenseful and unexpected.

When the movie starts, you don't really know if you're watching a comedy, a drama, or a coming-of-age tale. Then there's a detour into a mystery, and eventually a thriller/crime genre. All this uncertainty ends up hurting the final product.

The slim cast does a pretty good job, but the thin script feels a bit more like a theater piece than a movie.

THE BOTTOM LINE: The tail end of the movie is salvageable, but I can hardly recommend it. Sorry.

Grade: 5

Tranquil Canal

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Shoplifters

THE GIST: A family of small-time crooks takes in a little girl who ran away from home to spare her from the bitter cold. Slowly, she herself becomes a member of the family, which hardly looks like a traditional one anyway.

Shoplifters is a good movie whose real strength lies in constructing something and then revealing it to be something totally different.

The actors are all excellent, even the two little kids; really impressive work.

THE BOTTOM LINE: I've started watching more movies from Asia and while they display a very different sensibility, they often leave a positive mark. This one is no different. Definitely recommended.

Grade: 8

Busy Bee

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I Think We’re Alone Now

THE GIST: The seemingly lone survivor in a post-apocalyptic world, Del fills his days burying corpses and cleaning around town. Then, one day, he finds an injured girl in a wrecked car.

I Think We’re Alone Now has an intriguing premise and good character development, but two big plot holes prevent a better, more complete end product.

Skip this paragraph to prevent spoilers. Number one, they never explain, nor even hint, at the root cause of everyone's death, which is clearly something the audience would be wondering about. Number two, they barely glide over the surgery/reconditioning occurring among the larger group of survivors without giving a complete picture.

Unfortunately, those two issues end up being considerable, because that's all I could think of at the end.

Still, Peter Dinklage and Elle Fanning are very good, and Paul Giamatti and Charlotte Gainsbourg make the most of the short time they have onscreen.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Not much more than a curiosity, the film isn't bad, but it might leave you a bit frustrated at the end.

Grade: 6

Confident Mama

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One Night in Miami

THE GIST: Four of the most famous and recognizable Black people of the '60s come together to catch up and discuss their roles in the Civil Rights movement and the culture at large.

At the end of One Night in Miami, when the credits roll, I read that it is based on a theater play and I wasn't surprised. In fact, the first half, setting the scene and introducing the characters, feels a bit stuffy, in spite of the big historical names.

The second half, however, easily makes up for it, bringing the drama to the inevitable closing message about the assassination of Malcom X.

Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge, and Leslie Odom Jr. are all very good. The latter, along with the screenplay and an original song, was also nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Certainly interesting overall, if you do decide to watch this, make sure to get past the first half.

Grade: 7

Pier and Far Off Boats

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The Little Things

THE GIST: When Deputy Sheriff Joe Deacon is sent to Los Angeles to retrieve some evidence, the last thing he imagines is getting sucked into tracking down a serial killer whose MO resembles that of a perp he investigated years prior.

A stellar cast comprising Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, Jared Leto, Chris Bauer, Michael Hyatt, and Terry Kinney lifts The Little Things above the fray, but the movie also showcases a solid screenplay with a slippery and intriguing villain at its center.

Leto is really an unsettling presence, without ever doing anything outwardly violent. Washington is excellent in a part when you never really know what secrets he'll reveal next.

THE BOTTOM LINE: A very good, well written, and well acted thriller. Definitely recommended.

Grade: 8

At the End of the Day

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The Man in the High Castle

The final season of The Man in the High Castle doesn't disappoint, bringing to a close a show with the most shocking of premises that always felt intriguing, interesting, and exciting.

More aspects and effects of the multiverse are examined, with Juliana Crain and John Smith slowly converging towards their inevitable final confrontation.

Helen Smith comes to play a bigger and bigger role, and I've come to really appreciate and like the actress who plays her: Chelah Horsdal.

Overall a really good show, highly recommended even just to ponder what the world almost could have looked like if the other side had prevailed in World War II.

Grade - Season 4: 7.5

Grade Overall: 8

The Travelers

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F9

THE GIST: Dominic Toretto is reluctant to join his old gang in a rescue operation, until he realizes a very familiar face might be involved.

Delayed about a year by the pandemic, F9 had a lot riding on its shoulders, and certainly delivered as far as the box office is concerned. Alas, the same cannot be said when considering the story.

Sure, there are insane acrobatics and gravity defying vehicular chases, but the villainous plot is too fantastical to be believable, and when you send a car into space . . . it just feels like you've jumped the shark.

It's really a pity, because the Toretto brothers' backstory is cleverly developed and interesting, adding another branch to an already overgrown family tree.

Furthermore, bringing back a couple older characters (like Han and Sean) does add charm. Unfortunately, others (like Mia and Cipher) barely have anything to do, seemingly just showing up to collect their checks.

THE BOTTOM LINE: The Furious franchise certainly doesn't seem to be slowing down, and there will most assuredly be more chapters after this one. Let's just hope the producers put more money into the screenwriting process rather than the visual effects next time.

Grade: 5

Opening Up

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Judas and the Black Messiah

THE GIST: Facing jailtime, Bill O'Neal accepts to become an FBI informant in the Bureau's quest to snuff out the growing influence in the Black Panther Party of Fred Hampton.

Judas and the Black Messiah was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Original Screenplay, and Cinematography. It won the Oscar for Best Song (for H.E.R.) and for Best Supporting Actor for Daniel Kaluuya.

LaKeith Stanfield was also up for the Supporting Actor award, but Kaluuya's performance essentially sucked the air out of the field, allowing him to win award after award, to the point of becoming unstoppable.

No matter what, both actors regaled us with some of their best work to date. Both have appeared in some of the best films I've watched in the past couple of years, so I was not surprised. I'm sure Stanfield's time will come.

Of note are also Jesse Plemons and Dominique Fishback, along with the creepiest version of J. Edgar Hoover to ever hit the screen, courtesy of Martin Sheen.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Great performances and a story utterly incredible and yet based on factual events. Definitely recommended.

Grade: 8

The Sailor

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