Amazing Grace

THE GIST: An exhaustive look at the seminal performance by Aretha Franklin with the New Bethel Baptist Church choir from 1972.

I'm not a religious person at all, but even I was moved by this documentary.

I've always been a big fan of Aretha Franklin's voice and music, so to see her in her prime and to witness the almost mystical connection she has with her God and religion is almost visceral.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Unfortunately, the recordings aren't of the highest grade, but even so, this is a thoroughly engrossing documentary.

Grade: 7.5

An Understanding Gaze

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Ma

THE GIST: Under the guise of safety, a lonely woman accepts to provide alcohol for a group of teenagers, who would get it anyway, and lets them party at her house. The teens can't believe their luck, until the lady starts getting possessive and obsessed with their lives. They try to pull away, but she won't be denied.

Ma is a great cautionary tale about the ordinary people one meets who might have ulterior motives for befriending you. The message is that you never really know where someone's coming from and the experiences they lived in their past.

I thought Octavia Spencer was fantastic in this movie. She shows an incredible range, going from friendly to sadistic to victim to predator. She's such a great actress!

THE BOTTOM LINE: I don't want to give too many details away, but I found this thriller-horror movie to be entertaining and scary, and Spencer is reason enough to see it.

Grade: 7

The Fate of the Furious

THE GIST: Just when everything seems to be going well, Toretto is coerced by an elusive terrorist known as Cipher to betray those closest to him by going rogue. Because of his actions, Hobbs ends up in the same maximum security prison where he relegated Deckard Shaw, who cherishes the opportunity to get revenge. Toretto will have to use all of his skills and smarts to outwit Cipher, stop her anarchic plans for the world, and clean his name.

By now the franchise has earned such a reputation that it's able to attract talent of Charlize Theron's caliber, which says a lot. The Fate of the Furious continues in the grand tradition of high-speed races and chases, featuring bigger vehicles and explosions than ever before, raising the stakes higher still.

Paul Walker's absence is felt in Vin Diesel's lack of his trusted wingman, so the script wisely assigns him a solo role, while Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham easily take over the yin-yang banter.

Helen Mirren in a small but important role is delightful as always.

THE BOTTOM LINE: The franchise is once again lacking one of its original stars, but this time the production is able to keep it together and deliver another thrilling movie.

Grade: 7

Furious 7

THE GIST: Thanks to the full pardons they all received, Toretto, O'Conner & Co. go back to living their normal lives. Meanwhile, Owen Shaw, the mercenary they helped Hobbs stop, is in a coma under heavy surveillance when his brother Deckard, a special forces assassin gone rogue, breaks in to visit and swears revenge on all responsible. On top of that, there's a new terrorist mastermind who wants to get his hands on a powerful piece of surveillance software, God's Eye, which a certain Mr. Nobody is trying to prevent.

The seventh chapter in this long running franchise doesn't disappoint, once again. Furious 7 delivers plenty of high-octane thrills, but frankly goes a bit over the top for my tastes (hence the slight drop in the grade).

The addition of a veteran action-star such as Jason Statham yet again works well, bringing a well developed character into the fold.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Although the series continues going strong, this chapter represents the end of the line for star Paul Walker, who died suddenly in a car accident after production wrapped. The final few minutes of the movie pay homage to him in a very touching way.

Grade: 7

A Stroll on the Beach

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Fast & Furious 6

THE GIST: The payout from their Brazilian heist means financial security and freedom from deportation, but not complete freedom. That is what is offered Toretto, O'Conner & Co. if they help Agent Hobbs take down the criminal organization set up by Shaw, a former special-ops military man, who's now a dangerous and ruthless mercenary intent on stealing highly classified tech.

With each chapter in the franchise the stakes keep rising and Fast & Furious 6 certainly delivers on that end. The gadgets are flashier and bigger and at some point they might seem like too much, but the cooperation with law enforcement makes it reasonable here, especially when the military gets involved as well.

The addition of Dwayne Johnson to the franchise in Fast Five proved to be a considerable plus, so it's not surprising to see him back here, and to good effect.

THE BOTTOM LINE: This franchise doesn't show signs of aging or staleness, so if you're a fan, fret not, as this movie brings on more of the fun.

Grade: 7.5

Fast Five

THE GIST: Both Dom and Brian are once again wanted fugitives, now in Brazil. They decide to go for a heist with a huge payout in order to buy themselves financial security and freedom. Pursued by both the law and a powerful and corrupt businessman, they assemble a team of experts and set their sights on the target, but the arrival of a tough and highly-skilled special agent, Luke Hobbs, throws everything into question.

Apparently, thunder can strike twice, and in a row! After Fast & Furious put the franchise back in its rightful tracks, Fast Five takes the baton and delivers another win.

This time the stakes are higher still, but the script is written well and things don't careen off the cliff.

The fifth chapter sees the arrival on the scene of well-established action star Dwayne Johnson, who dovetails very nicely with the established testosterone-driven team of Paul Walker and Vin Diesel at the helm.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Well, if you've made it this far, then by all means don't stop now. This one is definitely entertaining, and the racing is probably the most eye-popping yet, which says a lot!

Grade: 7.5

Fast & Furious

THE GIST: Wanted in the US, Dominic Toretto self-exiled in Mexico, leaving all behind; until the news of his ex's death brings him back to LA to find those responsible. Meanwhile, Brian O'Conner, now with the FBI, is pursuing a ruthless drug dealer. The two men will once again find themselves on a collision course.

After a blowout with 2 Fast 2 Furious and a misfire with The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, the studio finally got it right with Fast & Furious, delivering a high-octane spectacle full of action, suspense, and thrills.

The screenplay is solid, the stakes credibly high, and the characters have a plausible and realistic sandbox to play into.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Vin Diesel and Paul Walker are both back and suddenly (and finally) the franchise is back to firing with all pistons. If you enjoyed the first one, do yourself a favor and don't miss this one.

Grade: 7

The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift

THE GIST: Teenage Sean is sent to live with his father in Japan to avoid jail time in the US after once again getting in trouble because of illegal car racing. Once there, it doesn't take long before he gets involved with the local racers, who have mastered a whole new technique he knows nothing about. Some of them, however, have links to the Yakuza, the local, ruthless mafia.

After an haphazard attempt at making a sequel to The Fast and the Furious resulted in 2 Fast 2 Furious, the studio apparently decided to throw the template it had out the window, hire a whole new cast, and change locale, all in the hopes of another hit.

While I actually found the third chapter in the series to be better than the second, it doesn't look like the studio was satisfied by the reception.

I consider this attempt an improvement primarily because the script is less nonsensical and opportunistic than that of its direct predecessor. It also doesn't hurt that Lucas Black, playing the lead, can actually act.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I enjoyed the change of pace in this sequel, as opposed to the one that came right before it.

Grade: 5