MovieReviewMave

IN A NUTSHELL: First, I need to say that I absolutely loved the first Moana movie. It was so fantastic and makes me cry every time I watch it! I rewatched it again last week in preparation for seeing the sequel. Is it as good as the original? Well…simply stated, I was underwhelmed and disappointed. The film was directed by David G. Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller. Too many cooks in the kitchen? Writing credits go to Dana Ledoux Miller and Jared Bush. The animated movie was produced and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures and Animation Studios. Already, the movie has been nominated for “Best Original Song” (“Beyond”) and “Can I Get A Chee Ho?”. It has won an animation award by AAPI Cinema & Television. With all of the hype that Wicked has been receiving, Moana 2 doubled box office sales the first week and dominated every other movie! THINGS I LIKED: The animation itself is incredible. The movie looks gorgeous. The water, textures, and details are so impressive. Everything has stunning colors, painted with magical florescents. The talented voices come from Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson, Auli’I Cravalho, Alan Tudyk, and more. Temuera Morrison did his own singing as Tui in the sequel, replacing Chris Jackson. The dance moments are always cute. It’s sweet to see ceremonies and learn about the spiritual traditions of the island people. All of the personalities in the village are so adorable and entertaining. We see some of our favorite moments from the first movie repeated in cute, new ways. Keep watching during the final rolling credits for another little scene. THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: There’s a lot of humor, but unlike in the first movie, the humor in this one really appeals more to the kids. In fact, the entire movie feels more like a kids movie than a family-friendly movie. There is a lot of exposition to explain the new plot. The songs didn’t grab me this time for some reason. The reason: the brilliant Lin-Manuel Miranda didn’t rejoin the team this time around. His absense is greatly felt. The vocals sounded way softer than the background music. I was really looking forward to songs I could sink my teeth into and something different from all of the Wicked songs I’ve been singing, but not a single one of them grabbed me. Who did the music this time? Not all of the humor lands. Melu? Is such an annoying character The first movie was on land and sea. In this movie, we’re in non-earth places that we don’t understand, watching Moana try to play by rules we don’t quite understand either. They’re under the water but not really under the water? The first movie makes me cry every time, but I didn’t quite feel the emotional power in this one. TIPS FOR PARENTS: People and creatures are in perilous situations There’s a lot of talk of tattoos Someone important dies

IN A NUTSHELL: The story is about a young boy who mails his Christmas wish list to Santa with one crucial spelling error, sending his letter to Satan. The dark comedy was directed by Robert Farrelly, who also co-produced the film. Writing credits go to Ricky Blitt and Peter Farrelly. THINGS I LIKED: Jack Black plays Satan in “the naughty flesh”. His voice is super deep. He charms, sings, and works his quirky magic. His face on the poster will definitely draw in audiences. Jack Black and the director worked together on the movie Shallow Hal back in 2001. Cute movie. Robert Timothy Smith plays the young boy. He, too, is charming and adorable and does a great job. Other cast members include Keegan-Michael Key, Hayes MacArthur, P.J. Byrne, Brianne Howey, and two adorable kids: Kai Cech, Cate Freedman, and Jaden Carson Baker. There’s a funny cameo in Act 3. No spoiler! You’ll recognize his voice. Post Malone gets a serious shout-out and quite a bit of screen time. There’s a funny reference to the movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. There’s an interesting conversation between the parents about why bad things happen in this world. Keep watching after the final rolling credits to see another funny scene. I always love movies that feature making 3 wishes just because the ensuing scenarios and consequences can be so intriguing. There are a couple of plot twists. I love twists. The movie actually has more heart than you would think. THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: A lot of Christians are disturbed by this movie and the whole idea of it. There’s a lot of humor but not all of it lands. One of the scenes wastes way too much time on potty humor, the lowest level of humor. TIPS FOR PARENTS: I would NOT call this a family-friendly movie. Some profanity and other words like “fudge nuts” and “Ho Ho Fricken Ho!” Some crude comments Lots and lots of farting A married couple bickers and fights a lot. Talk of cancer Bullying We see some satanic images Talk and demonstration of dyslexia Talk of God vs. Satan vs. Santa

IN A NUTSHELL: The movie was adapted from Richard McGuire’s 2014 graphic novel of the same name. The film reunites the director, writer, and stars in the movie Forrest Gump: Robert Zemeckis, Eric Roth, Tom Hanks, and Robin Wright! The story is about several families who inhabit the same house over generations, and the many moments of their lives. Already, the movie has been nominated for various awards such as “Best Time Capsule” and “Best Intergenerational Film”. THINGS I LIKED: Tom Hanks. I’ll watch anything with him in it. He’s so fantastic in everything he does. Robin Wright also does a great job. The entire cast is terrific and includes Michelle Dockery, Jonathan Aris, Beau Gadsdon, Ophelia Lovibond, Kelly Reilly, and Paul Bettany (I adore him), among others. The de-aging effect is incredible! We see a few actors turn old too. Tom Hanks and Robin Wright looked like they were back in Forest Gump! I liked the idea of showing a piece of land and the people who inhabited it over centuries, experiencing life’s big and small moments. If you enjoy history, you’ll get a kick out of watching the time periods come and go. It’s really fun to see the changing technology, cars, entertainment, music, fashion, and décor. I’ve always been fascinated by one-location movies. They did a great job showing the passage of time, all from one room. It was sobering to see the Black father teach his son how to handle the situation if/when he ever got pulled over by a cop. The camerawork and filmmaking is terrific. The entire movie is filmed from a camera that stays in one place the entire time (mostly) .The movie did a great job balancing sadness with joy. The ending brought tears to my eyes. The musical score by Alan Silvestri is so lovely, especially at the end of the film. It drips with nostalgia and melancholy. The camera only pans out at the end of the movie to show us other areas of the house, reminding us that our perspective changes throughout our life. The film definitely THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: The timeline goes back and forth in time, which might be a bit confusing at the beginning of the film, but then you quickly understand what’s happening. There are frames that come and go on the screen, identifying exactly where something happened in the room. Not all of the characters and families are given equal time on the screen. Perhaps, that represents how long they spent in the house. TIPS FOR PARENTS: Kids will be bored. So will some adults. A baby falls off an ottomon, which is horrifying (but thankfully, looks like CGI) Some profanity Some alcohol Talk of a “premarital relationship” that results in pregnancy

IN A NUTSHELL: The story is about an up-and-coming chef and a recent divorcee who find their lives forever changed when a chance encounter brings them together in a decade-spanning, deeply moving romance. The film was directed by John Crowley, who previously worked with Andrew Garfield in the 2007 movie A Boy. Writing credits go to Nick Payne. Among the group of Executive Producers was actor Benedict Cumberbatch. The studio that presents this moving film is A24, known for its previous creative movies that don’t often look like the typical box office offerings. I really enjoyed it. THINGS I LIKED: All you have to see are the names Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield in order to want to watch this movie. They are both Oscar nominees and Marvel characters! (not in this movie) Their chemistry together was magnetic. Florence Pugh is one of the best actresses of her generation. In the movie, her character is 34, but in real life, she’s only 28! We can expect MANY more great films from her. One or both of them may be nominated for their great performances during the upcoming awards season. Other standout cast members were Lee Braithwaite, Adam James, and Douglas Hodge. Everyone looked like “real” people and not actors reciting lines. The whole movie felt very authentic. The emotional rollercoaster is raw and extremely effective. I used to teach classes at the famous Le Cordon Bleu Culinary College, so it was fun to watch the cooking competitions and see all of the beautiful food. Florence Pugh’s character is a chef. You’ll learn the best way to crack an egg, among other things. We see Florence Pugh’s pregnant body several times. It looked extremely real, even though she was really pregant at all! Incredible special effects, I guess! One of the most powerful scenes in the movie is when she gives birth at a very unconventional location. They practiced with a doll a few times for 2 days and then used a real-life newborn baby in the scene! Florence stated that filming this movie was one of the highlights of her career. Rumor has it that they both sat in silence after filming the last cut. Fun fact: Florence Pugh had to miss the premiere because she had another filming commitment, so Andrew Garfield took a life-sized cutout of her to join him. Be prepared: the ending is sad but sweet. THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: The nonlinear structure of the storytelling can be confusing and create a disjointed viewing. Some people won’t like it, but I thought it was an intriguing way to show the different “times” this couple lived in and how fickle time can be. It’s also an effective way to show fragments of memories. Andrew Garfield’s character is so sweet, always doing kind things for Florence Pugh’s character, who is full of secrets and a snarky attitude. Granted, she was going through a lot! Sometimes, the dialogue is spoken in whispers, making it hard to understand what is said. A lot of people won’t be interested in watching such a devastatingly sad movie this is. We learn that Andrew Garfield’s character works for Weetabix, a British cereal. It’s part of several conversations in Act 1 but then is never talked about again. I wonder how much Weetabix paid for that product placement. TIPS FOR PARENTS: Kids will be very bored. We see a topless woman several times We see a fully nude pregnant woman from the side We see the naked bum of a man A couple makes out in bed We see a violent car accident Some profanity and many F-bombs We see a woman give birth Lots of vomit

IN A NUTSHELL: (clap, clap…LISTEN!”) This is part 1 of the movie adaptation of the HUGELY popular Broadway musical Wicked. The story is about Elphaba, a misunderstood young woman because of her green skin, and Glinda, a popular girl at school, who become friends at **** University in the Land of Oz. After an encounter with the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads. It’s the origin story of how Elphaba becomes the Wicked Witch of the West. The film was directed by Jon M. Chu. Writing credits go to Winnie Holzman, Dana Fox, and Gregory Maguire. Already, the movie has been nominated for and won several awards. No doubt more will come! Heartland Film awarded it “Truly Moving Picture Award”. Well deserved. You WILL laugh. You WILL cry! THINGS I LIKED: Cynthia Erivo is really great. She looks terrific. I loved her in the movie Harriet, so it’s fun to see her in this. The witch’s black hat and glasses certainly give us what we expected, yet with an entirely new twist. Fun Fact #1: Elphaba gets her name from the initials of the author of the book Wizard of Oz, L. Frank Baum…L-F-B. Ariana Grande is completely adorable and has mastered the cute “toss toss” of Galinda, which always got a laugh from the audience when she did it. She just lit up the “stage” any time she’s on it. The two of them sang live on set. Cynthia Erivo is actually singing “Defying Gravity” while flying! The music is, of course, FANTASTIC. I recently watched a video about how the musical score has Easter Eggs that fans of the Judy Garland movie The Wizard of Oz had in its melodies. There are plenty of visual and spoken Easter Eggs too. It’s wonderful to see Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, and Jonathan Bailey. They’re all fantastic and all sing! Speaking of Jonathan Bailey, he actually did all of that dancing and footwork in the musical number “Dancing Through Life.” Additional standouts in the film are Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode, Bowen Yang, Keala Settle (I adored her in The Greatest Showman), and Peter Dinklage (did you recognize his voice as Dr. Dillamond the goat?) Notice the unique logo for Universal Pictures! The pink globe represents Glinda, and the green name of the company represents Elphaba. Fun fact #2: They actually planted 9 MILLION tulips for one of the scenes! Paul Tazewell did an absolutely incredible job as the imaginative costume designer, showcasing masterpieces that illustrate the characters’ personalities. He was inspired by mushrooms to create Elphaba’s grounded designs, while Glinda’s dresses are light and bubbly. Rather than create a blue dress for Glinda, like the Broadway production’s color, he reflected back to Glinda’s pink dress from the original movie The Wizard of Oz. The ruby slippers have changed color over the years in various productions, but the new crystal slippers for Nessarose with the tornado design is brilliant. Just like the Broadway stage production, there is a lot of humor blended perfectly with touching moments. I loved loved the cameos! I won’t tell you all of them (no spoiler for the best ones!) but I had just watched an interview with the writers of the screenplay and musical composer Stephen Schwartz, so it was super fun seeing them on screen! (You have to look fast to see them.) Really good visual and special effects. Absolutely gorgeous and creative set designs. Everything was stunning. I especially loved the imaginative library. The cast is large but the crew and everyone behind the scenes is enormous! Kudos to everyone for pulling off one of the best and biggest movies of the year! THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: Fans of the Wicked musical have complained that the stage production is being split into two movies. The good news is that the first part will end on a high note so that the audience is satisfied. Part 2 is supposed come out in 2025. Some people have been surprised that pop-star Ariana Grande was selected to play Glinda, the Good Witch. She actually got her start on Broadway! The P.R. team has been put through the ringer with the film’s production. Ariana Grande has been going through scandalous marital problems, Cynthia Erivo went on an embarassing rant about a fan’s artwork, and the box for the figurine toys includes the incorrect website that accidentally points kids who purchase the dolls to a porn site. EEK! Despite all that, people still adore Wicked and are rooting for the success of this movie. No new songs were written for Part 1; however, composer Stephen Schwartz promises some for Part 2. TIPS FOR PARENTS: Young kids might really like this! No profanity Some people and animals are in dangerous situations We see some animals in cages Witchcraft

IN A NUTSHELL: The story is about Ellian, a tenacious princess who must go on a daring quest to save her family and kingdom after a mysterious spell transforms her parents, the king and queen of Lumbria, into monsters. The film was directed by Vicky Jenson. Vicky Jensen also cowrote the story with Lauren Hynek and Elizabeth Martin. The director gave composer Alan Menken and lyricist Glenn Slater for givint the movie its soul. The director stated, “Spellbound is about what it is that really makes a family. It speaks to kids and their parents and the kinds of alienation that can happen between them, as well as the steps we have to take toward each other, how we can weather it together, to come through to the other side with better understanding.” THINGS I LIKED: This definitely feels and looks like a Disney princess movie! That is, in large part, due to the team that has worked on Disney movies in the past. The musical score by Alan Menken is very Disney-esque too and sweeping with emotion and triumph. This is his second animated film to not be from Walt Disney Animation Studios. The lyrics are all about relationships with some deep, complicated emotions. Some of the songs reminded me of the difficult, dark moments in Frozen 2. John Lithgow is perfect. I love him in everything he does. Rachel Zegler stars as the singing princess and has such a lovely voice. She sounds like a Disney Princess! She has been in the news a lot recently due to snarky and disrespectful things she said about Trump, as well as the troubled production of Disney’s live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast. Because of it, she’s losing fans quickly. The king and queen in the story are voiced by Javier Bardem and Nicole Kidman. They both sing too! Other cast members include Jenifer Lewis, John Oliver, Tituss Burgess, and Nathan Lane. They’re all fantastic. The Royal Postmaster was hillarious with all of the bird poop all over his clothes and his long moments of silence to honor all of the pigeons who were petrified in the Dark Forest of Eternal Darkness. There are some beautiful details, such as when rain drops land on piano strings, leading into a lovely song .The costume/clothing is unique, lovely, and whimsical with an Indian/Indonesian flair. Absolutely gorgeous, rich colors, animal and nature design, and textures. So many clever, creative ideas. Visually, the movie is a scrumptious feast. Every kid is going to want a flink! Totally adorable. I love the illustration of how being angry fills you with darkness and how being positive fills you with even more light. It’s absolutely true. There’s a lot of humor, magic, and fun. THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: There’s a scene made just for parents where someone says, “Here’s Monster!”, referencing the movie The Shining, something kids definitely won’t pick up on. Some of the lyrics aren’t ones that your kids will happily sing because the emotions are intense. TIPS FOR PARENTS: A bird gets his petrified head torn off. Funny, but kind of a dark moment for a kid’s movie! No profanity People and creatures are in dangerous situations. There are monsters but they’re very fuzzy and cute. Some parents may not like that the two wise oracles are a gay couple.

IN A NUTSHELL: The first Gladiator movie with Russell Crowe earned 5 Academy Awards and deserved them all. It is a tough act to follow but Sir Ridley Scott wanted to go for it! I just re-watched last month in preparation for this sequel. Fans of the first movie showed impressive enthusiasm for this sequel: when the first trailer came out, it received 128 million views within the first 24 hours! The film offers some Easter eggs to its devoted fans, such as Maximus’ shield, sword, and ring. Nice! Already, the movie has been nominated for a couple of awards for cinematography and Best Original Score. The sequel is about Lucius, whose home was conquered by Roman soldiers. Tyrannical emperors now lead Rome, relishing in the many gladiator shows in the great Colliseum. Lucius fights for revenge and freedom. THINGS I LIKED: The story goes that Paul Mescal took his shirt off to reveal his buff physique while doing the play A Streetcar Named Desire in London. Some Paramount Studio executives in the audience were impressed with him, as well as how enthusiastic the women in the audience were about him! When I first saw Aftersun, I never would have guessed that Paul Mescal would become the next Gladiator! Two-time Oscar winner Denzel Washington was excited when Sir Ridley Scott told him he had written a tough-guy role for him in this film. He’s the only one in the movie with an American accent; everyone else uses a British accent. Denzel was criticized for his British accent when he did the 1988 film For Queen & Country, so that might have factored into his decision to not do it again. Apart from that, Denzel gives a great performance, elevates the cast, and even provides some humor to the film. Do we smell another Oscar nomination headed his way? The first few scenes of the film immediately made me feel like Ridley Scott loves this story and franchise, carefully protecting its visual continuity so it belongs to the first movie. The dramatic cinematography by John Mathieson was extremely effective. Wow, those fighting babboons! Intense! We also see other animals in the battlefield. All of the fight sequences are brutal. During the very first week of filming, six crew members were accidentally burned. If you’re looking for lots of action, you’ll be happy with the quantity of fight scenes and close-up, gritty shots. We see a few characters from the first Gladiator movie: Connie Nielsen, Djimon Hounsou, and Sir Derek Jacobi. I’ve been to Rome a couple of times. Everything about it is bigger than life. It was fun to see how the movie recreated the glory days of Rome in the set design. The set designs were built in Malta and Morocco and look amazing. If you don’t like this sequel, check out the other version that was written by Russell Crowe and Sir Ridley Scott many years ago! It’s super creative! This feels, sounds, and looks like an epic Hollywood blockbuster. THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: Some of the explosions and fireballs looked totally fake. Sharks in the Collesium? Unrealistic but very creative! Some have complained that the leading gladiator should have been more engaging. We didn’t really get to know him in the beginning, but we knew we were supposed to cheer for him. Paul Mescal did a good job but he’s no Russell Crowe in this role. The trailer revealed some plot points that could have been a fun surprise for audiences if they hadn’t already learned about them. Some of the dialogue isn’t as elevated or compelling as it should be. Some of the story points seemed like a simple rehashing of ones in the first movie. TIPS FOR PARENTS: There is a lot of bloody, gory violence. Tons of battle scenes with a very high dead-body count Various weapons are used.

IN A NUTSHELL: The story is about Andy Goodrich, whose life is upended when his wife enters a rehab program, leaving him on his own with their young kids. Goodrich leans on Grace, his older daughter from his first marriage as he slowly evolves into the father she never had. Hallie Meyers-Shyer both wrote and directed this touching film. She said she wrote the script 100% with Michael Keaton in mind to the point where if he had said no, she would have buried it and herself in the backyard. Excellent choice. He is phenomenal in this movie. Already, the film has won the “ReFrame” Award for supporting diversity and LGBTQ+ communities. THINGS I LIKED: “I’ve been a Michael Keaton fan since forever. He gives an absolutely stellar performance in this. I love that Michael Keaton’s work involves artwork, as we see that our lives are our most important creative work. We choose every day how we will design it, and the masterpiece can’t fully be appreciated until the end. Mila Kunis is fantastic. The fact that she has 2 kids with Ashton Kutcher added great maturity and depth to her performance. She and Michael Keaton have really great chemistry together. Danny Deferrari plays an incredible young father who gives the greatest speech to a woman in labor. That whole hospital scene brought tears to my eyes. I felt all the feels. Other standout cast members are Andie MacDowell, Kevin Pollak, young Vivien Lyra Blair, Andrew Leeds, Michael Urie, and Carmen Ejogo. The film’s poster does a great job of illustrating how we often feel so overwhelmed that we think we’re drowning. Most of the characters in this story feel that way and it’s interesting to see how they deal with it. I love it when films talk about other films. Michael Keaton’s character watches the 1942 Casablanca film with his kids while commenting how awesome it is. (It is.) There are huge life lessons here in this movie. The message about prioritizing family came through loud and clear. It’s true, you know. Work, money, awards, hobbies…nothing matters more and will bring you more deep happiness than family. I enjoyed every minute of this. THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: It’s a bit of a slow burn but well worth the time. TIPS FOR PARENTS: Kids will be bored. Some profanity and F-bombs A gay man kisses a straight man. A pregnant woman drinks alcohol. We see a pregnant woman yell in pain in labor.

IN A NUTSHELL: Santa gets kidnapped just a few days before Christmas, so his Head of Security has to reluctantly team up with an infamous bounty hunter in a globe-trotting, action-packed mission to find and save The Red One. The movie was directed by Jake Kasdan. Writing credits go to Chris Morgan and Hiram Garcia. Already, the film has been nominated for “Best Original Score” by Henry Jackman at the Hollywood Music in Media Awards. THINGS I LIKED: I love Dwayne Johnson in all of his movies. He’s such a stud-muffing and always looks like he’s having a blast. He should be having fun because he just got paid $50 MILLION dollars to star in this film. Academy Award winner J.K. Simmons does a great job as a different kind of Santa. This is actually his second time playing Santa! His first Santa role was in the 2019 movie Klaus. Bonnie Hunt is always so great. I loved the sweet moment where she didn’t even say a word, but lovingly put her hand on Dwayne Johnson’s face. She said so much with that kind gesture. It hurts my heart just a little bit to see Chris Evans as a bad guy…a level 4 Naughty-Lister. He should be Captain America forever. Ha ha Both he and Dwayne Johnson were named “People’s Sexiest Man Alife” in 2016 and 2022. On a related note, Prince William just recently beat out Dwayne Johnson as “Sexiest Bald Man”! It was also fun to see Kiernan Shipka, Lucy Liu, and Kristofer Hivju, who all did a good job. Santa’s village sure has gotten a high-tech upgrade. There are all kinds of new kinds of creatures as Santa’s helpers in the E.L.F. team. Cute. We’re also introduced to a lot of creative “bad guys”. The giant reindeer were cool even though they looked super CGI. Fun stunts! The action sequences and fight scenes are very creative. Some of the special effects are pretty cool. There’s a lot of humor. The makeup and prosthetics team did a fantastic job .You’ll never look at a snowglobe the same way again. If you like superhero movies, this kind of felt like one. There’s a lot of heart in the story and I felt all the feels at the end. If you’re looking for a different kind of Christmas movie, here ya go! THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: Film critics have been hating this one, awarding it an extremely low 38% on Rotten Tomatoes. It’s not a perfect film, but I, clearly, enjoyed this a lot more than other film critics! There is a lot of good to be found in this fun flick. I don’t know what was going on with Dwayne Johnson during the filmming of this movie, but apparently, he consistently showed up on set late, causing everyone to wait for hours and an extra $50 budget increase. Not cool, Rock. Ironically, he criticized Vin Diesel for doing the same thing while filming the 2017 movie The Fate of the Furious. Santa kept calling the reindeer “ladies”. Aren’t they all guys, traditionally? Yes, they are; however, only female reindeer keep their antlers during the winter! This should be a kid’s movie, but the content is a bit too mature and inappropriate for young kids. TIPS FOR PARENTS: Some profanity. There’s a moment when a character is just about to drop an F-bomb and then a funny glitch kind of bleeps it out. We see some women in skimpy bikinis. We see a lot of bad behavior. Young kids probably won’t know about the legend of Krampus, who plays an important and entertaining role in this movie. Lots of violence. There’s a witch that might be too scary for young children. People and creatures are in dangerous situations.

IN A NUTSHELL: The story takes place in 1985 Ireland when a devoted family man discovers disturbing secrets kept by the local convent, in addition to shocking truths of his own. Magdalene laundries functioned in Ireland until 1996. Unwed, pregnant teenage girls were sent to the convents to give birth and forced to give up their babies to adoption. Rumors turned to evidence that the young girls were being mistreated and abused as cheap labor. The film was directed by Tim Mielants. Writing credits go to Enda Walsh and Claire Keegan. Cillian Murphy loved Claire Keegan’s novel “Foster” while on a train and admitted that he had to pull his hoodie over his face because he was crying. Despite the same last name, Enda Walsh is not related to Eileen Walsh, who stars in the movie. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck were two of the producers of the film. Already, the film has been nominated and won awards at various film festivals. THINGS I LIKED: Academy Award winner Cillian Murphy stars in movie and gives an excellent performance, as expected. He says so much with his body and face without saying a word. Hopefully, he’ll receive another “Best Actor” nomination for his role. He shows us the skill and power of not overacting in a role. Academy Award nominee Emily Watson is a standout as Sister Mary. She will give you the chills. The entire cast is fantastic. Other cast members include Eileen Walsh, Clare Dunne, and Zara Devlin. The camera work and direction are fantastic. There are more moments of silence and deep contemplation than actual dialogue Some might wonder why a film would focus on Cillian Murphy scrubbing his coal-stained hands in the sink every night after work, but I thought it was powerful imagery of washing the world off of him, trying to forget what he had both seen and heard during the day. It’s somewhat rare to have a movie without a musical score. The atmosphere and effective silence fill that space. All of the Irish accents seemed spot on. I had the great pleasure of finally visiting Ireland a couple of years ago! I love it when directors pay attention to details. We see that in this film. For example, to give us an idea of what the old Irish churches built of stone felt like, we see the cold air coming out of Emily Watson’s mouth as he speaks a sermon to local parishioners. I like the title of the film because it refers to both the small things that Cillian Murphy witnessed, the small efforts he made to help one soul, and the small things that build up in our heart over the decades that cause sadness. This is a somber film filled with sadness that forces us all to reflect on what we accept about ourselves and society. THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: The timeline jumps back and forth, which might confuse some viewers in the beginning. The movie is a slow burn, taking its time to reveal how the experiences of a young boy have affected a grown man. Some viewers are complaining that more time should have been spent on the actual Magdalene laundry girls; however, it’s extremely effective to show an ordinary man’s perspective of what he thinks and knows is happening right under his nose. Many of the conversations take place as whispers, so it’s sometimes hard to understand what is being said. TIPS FOR PARENTS: Kids will be completely bored. We see some evidence of physical and emotional abuse. No profanity Cruel religious people are portrayed.

IN A NUTSHELL: What’s going on with Hollywood lately that they’re putting out movies that attack various churches’ beliefs? We had Conclave, Small Things Like These, and now Heretic, all within a month’s release. Of course, Hollywood has put out dozens of other movies before that point an ugly finger at people’s belief in God and how they choose to practice their faith. I can’t stand movies that tear down other people’s faith in God, no matter the religion. The story is about two Mormon missionaries who are drawn into a game of cat-and-mouse in the house of a dangerous heretic. I don’t normally like bloody, gory, horror movies like this but I was really curious to see how the Mormon missionaries would be portrayed. THINGS I LIKED: Hugh Grant, as it turns out, is a very effective villain with a charming dark side. He’s absolutely fantastic in this. He has taken on quite a few roles as villains in recent movies and always crushes it. His endearing British accent and humor has always drawn audiences in. In this film, he plays a heretic, which means somone who disagrees with beliefs that are generally accepted. You can be a heretic without murdering people. This movie should be called “Lunatic.” In 2016, Hugh Grant made a statement about his own religious stance in real life, declaring, “I wish I could believe, but I can’t. I’ve tried and I’ve failed.” If that’s true, he must have taken a special delight in playing this role. The sister missionaries are played by Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East. They both did an excellent job. I read that the they both grew up in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It’s a shame they didn’t know their own religion better to correct the MANY mistakes about the church and its doctrine that are talked about in the film. It’s true that missionaries are not allowed to enter homes if the opposite sex is the only one there. The film portrayed that idea well. It’s a wise policy. I really like A24 as a studio because it’s always presenting new ideas and styles of film to us. The soundtrack includes lyrics about belief and utilizes such songs as “Creep” by Radiohead, an appropriate selection. There are quite a few illustrations of control versus choices. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ believe that free agency is VITAL. No one is forced to do anything; everyone must decide for themselves how they want to live their life, and to believe or disbelieve. I liked that the film, in some ways, challenges the typical stereotype of naiive missionaries by showing young women who have chosen to believe and are smart enough to figure out certain things about Mr. Reed’s lies, flawed logic, and plan. THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: This movie made me so frustrated. There are sooooo many things about Mormons and missionaries that are NOT true at all. I also can’t stand that the TV show “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” continues to spread lies about what Latter-day Saints actually believe. If you want to know what Latter-day Saints actually believe, you should visit www.churchofjesuschrist.orgFor example, the movie starts off with a ridiculous conversation about porn and sex that the sister missionaries are having. Hollywood has a really hard time comprehending that not everyone is obsessed with sex. Mormons also do not believe in reincarnation and do not practice plural marriage. The writers also seem obsessed with talking about “magic underwear” that Latter-day Saints wear. They’re not magic; they’re symbolic and even biblically based. Some LDS members do have special garments they wear under their clothes, but they definitely don’t call them “magic underwear”. If you crack a history book, you know that many religions wear special clothing that symbolizes sacred things to them. Everyone should show respect to those who take their religion seriously. The writers think they’re smarter than they are. Some of the arguments are ridiculous and full of holes. I ran into a few people like Mr. Reed who thought they knew everything about the church and just wanted to debate the young missionaries for entertainment rather than to actually learn anything new. If they were honest, they would talk to an older leader in the church who understood the deep doctrine better. It’s true that the young missionaries don’t know everything yet, but their faith and willingness to serve others is inspiring. TIPS FOR PARENTS: This is not appropriate for children. Bullying – some girls pull down the skirt of one of the missionaries. Violence Blood and gore Talk of porn and sex Kidnapping and abuse

IN A NUTSHELL: The story is about an aging gangster who attempts to reconnect with his children and rectify the mistakes of his past, but the criminal underworld won’t loosen their grip willingly. The film was directed by Hans Petter Moland. He also played the character “Larry the Drunk.” Writing credits go to Tony Gayton. THINGS I LIKED: I’ve always been a fan of Liam Neeson, even though I recognize he basically plays the same character in all of his recent movies. Here we go again. He has lost a lot of weight and is definitely looking older and weaker in this. His mustache makes him look like a 1970s child molester. That being said, he gave an excellent performance. Other cast members include Ron Perlman, Yolonda Ross, and Frankie Shaw. The movie was filmed in Boston. I adore Boston. There IS some action in the movie, but the scenes only add up to a few minutes out of the entire movie. Wham! Bam! Done! Every character is damaged. You can feel the years of bad decisions and pain. You will leave feeling immense sadness, but hopefully, determined to live a better life. THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: It’s usually pretty fun watching Liam Neeson kick bad-guy butt, but in this movie, he IS the bad guy. I couldn’t relate to any of the characters. If you’re looking for a fast-paced action flick, this is not your movie. It’s super sad watching people die with regret. TIPS FOR PARENTS: Tons of profanity, including a zillion F-bombs We see an unmarried couple in bed. Alcohol We see a suicide attempt A man goes to a brothel where we hear moans and see a naked couple going at for a split second. Bloody, violent murders

IN A NUTSHELL: Most people don’t like watching documentaries, but this is one you will want to! If you’re a cinephile, you MUST watch this! If you love music, you should watch this! It’s wonderful to see such an incredibly talented man earn the praises and accolades of so many people who clearly adore him. His scores are instantly recognizable and a huge part of the world’s movie ****’s in his 90s and still appears so spry. It’s delightful to see him get a documentary about him before it’s a tribute after his death. I grew up with his musical **** documentary was directed by Laurent Bouzereau. THINGS I LIKED: What an incredible man John Williams is. A true genius in our lifetime. He grew up surrounded by music in his family, served in the military, started out as a jazz guy, and found himself writing music for TV shows. Most of us don’t know how he got his start scoring films. It’s hard to believe the talented John Williams scored the TV show Giligan’s Island! I used to watch that sitcom when I was a little ****’s fascinating to hear what his family members have said about **** appears to be such a genuinely nice **** studied music composition his entire life. YouWe get to watch some famous movie scenes with and without John Williams’ legendary scores, which is such a great illustration of the power of **** learn about John William’s childhood and what influenced his musical style and **** list of celebs who are interviewed in the film is extremely impressive, including epic directors, famous actors, and esteemed musicians: Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard, J.J. Abrams, Chris Columbus, George Lucas, Seth MacFarlane, Alan Silvestri, Chris Martin (Coldplay), Itzhak Perlman, Yo-yo Ma, Branford Marsalis, and on and on!An interesting point was made of how Maestro John Williams wrote music the hard way, the painstaking way where each note was thought up and written down by hand. Nowadays, AI can create music in a practially a split second.Williams talks about the passing of his young wife and what a profound effect it had on his life. He sweetly explained that he felt the presence of his wife over the years helping him with his music from the other ****’s so great to hear John Williams talk about the various movies he scored that we have all fallen in love with over the decades. I agreed with him 100% when he stated “Saving Private Ryan is one of the greatest, if not THE greatest WWII movie of all time.” One thing that many people said in the documentary was how John Williams was able to capture the magic of wonder and childhood in so many of his blockbuster movie scores. Amen! Think of Harry Potter, Home Alone, and ET! Equally as effective is his ability to evoke feelings of adventure and awe such as in Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones, and Star **** you know that John Williams scored the Olympics? Amazing, right? His body of work over his career has been so diverse.John Williams has been nominated for 54 Oscars, which isn’t surprising, considering how brilliant his music is. What did surprise me is that he only won 5 of them! It’s so great to see Williams honored, but even more, this documentary is an opportunity for the world to say “thank you” to him for giving us so many unbelievably magical moments of music.What a wonderful way to fill a career and lifetime, surrounded by gorgeous music and talented coworkers.THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: Absolutely nothing. TIPS FOR PARENTS:Young kids might be bored, but older ones will learn a lot about some of their favorite movies if they do watch this!No profanity. Nothing objectionable.Family friendly and magical

IN A NUTSHELL: The story is about a family man who, while serving as a juror in a high-profile murder trial, finds himself struggling with a serious moral dilemma and a secret he could use to sway the jury verdict and potentially convict – or free – the wrong killer. The film was directed by legendary actor and director Clint Eastwood, who announced that he is going to retire after this film. He’s 94 years old. Impressive! THINGS I LIKED: The starring roles in this legal thriller are performed beautifully by Oscar Nominee Toni Collette and Nicholas Hoult. Way back in 2002, they played father and son in the movie About A Boy. Clint Eastwood was super impressed when he learned that Nicholas Hoult is the great nephew of British actress Anna Neagle. Eastwood loved the 1950 movie she was in called Odette. This movie was released on Toni Collette’s 52nd birthday. The rest of the cast is absolutely fantastic and includes: Oscar winner J.K. Simmons, Chris Messina, Zoey Deutch, Primetime Emmy winner Kiefer Sutherland, Amy Aquino, Gabriel Basso, Cedric Yarbrough, and Adrienne Moore.Kiefer Sutherland wrote to Clint Eastwood to tell him he was such a huge fan of the director, saying that he would love a role in one of his movies. That’s how he ended up in this movie! The story is smart and layered…and not a superhero movie! As the viewer, you get to decide how to interpret the ending. Some audiences may not like that ambiguous ending; however, I like movies that end like that because it gets people to talk and evaluate what they just watched. THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: The critical scenes in the movie were filmed at night time, making it extremely difficult to see what happened, especially for viewers who will be watching this on a small device when the movie goes to streaming. The big twist is revealed very early in the movie. Perhaps, a slower reveal could have created more mystery and tension…?The twist was also revealed in the trailer. Some think that is what made people more interested in watching it. Others think it was foolish to spoil the surprise for audiences. What do YOU think? As great as Clint Eastwood is in telling a good story in his acting and directing, this movie’s direction felt a little too straightforward. I would like to have seen something…I don’t know what…something more special about the filmwork itself? J.K. Simmons and Kiefer Sutherland must have been thrilled just to be able to work with Clint Eastwood, but I was disappointed with how small their roles were. TIPS FOR PARENTS: Kids will be bored. Talk of homicide We see an unmarried couple drunk and fighting in a bar We see a dead girl’s body Some profanity

IN A NUTSHELL: The story is about a scientist who gets trapped in her car after a car accident she caused out in the wilderness. She reflects on past relationships and decisions she’s made. The film was written and directed by S. J. Creazzo. THINGS I LIKED: Kristanna Loken is the star of the movie. You might remember her from Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. It drove me nuts to watch her character reading notes while she was driving instead of paying attention to driving. The consequence was immediate and realistic. If you’ve been watching the TV show Cobra Kai, you’ll get a kick out of seeing Martin Cove. The rest of the cast includes actors from other TV shows you’ve probably seen before: Paola Paulin, Jesse Kove, Gabrielle Kalomiris, and Courtney **** film was shot on the scenic landscapes of Windham and Prattsville in New York state. The scientist tries to figure out what caused a worldwide strain, which provides an interesting mystery throughout the story. There are some great nuggets of wisdom in the dialogue. THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: The movie bounces from the car accident to conversations with loved ones. In the beginning, it’s hard to know if the protagonist was thinking of a memory or if her mind was inventing the new conversation. That might confuse some viewers. Occasionally , the car radio turns on and off. It’s hard to know if that’s really happening or, again, if the protagonist is making it up in her head. Some of the dialogue feels very forced and wooden. Not all of the acting is great. TIPS FOR PARENTS: Kids will be bored. Some profanity, including F-bombs We see some bloody wounds.

IN A NUTSHELL: The story is about two criminal misfits who embark on a road trip of revenge. They strike a dubious deal too enticing to refuse, and find redemption amid shady circumstances. The film was directed, produced, and written by multiple award winner Jeffrey Reiner. In press notes, he shared that he watched the movie The Killers was immediately hooked on the film noir genre. He said, “The film was dark, dangerous, violent, sexy, and funny.” That description describes Lake George well. THINGS I LIKED: Shea Whigham does a terrific job and gives us an underdog character we want to root for. Carrie Coon never disappoints. She’s great at creating multi-layered, interesting characters. Other outstanding cast members are Joey Oglesby, Glenn Fleshler, Max Casella, The road-trip duo holds our attention and offers a lot of humor and charm. They’re fantastic together. Beautiful cinematography by Tod Campbell. There are a few entertaining twists that surprised me. THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: Most people will find it extremely difficult to relate to any of the criminal characters. This is the kind of movie that makes you laugh and feel sad at the same time. TIPS FOR PARENTS: This movie is absolutely not appropriate for kids Crude language, profanity, and F-bombs Violence with blood splatters and death Lots of criminal activities We see a couple start to go at it (dressed) in a hallway

IN A NUTSHELL: The story is about a former DEA agent and a former undercover operative who revisit their romance during a fateful weekend in Taipei, Taiwan. The action film was directed by George Huang. He also co-wrote it with Luc Besson. THINGS I LIKED: I’ve been a big fan of Luke Evans for years. He’s convincing in action movies, comedies, and even musicals!Other cast members include Sung Kang, Lun-Mei Gwei, and Wyatt **** get to spend time in Taipei. I’ve been to Asia many times, but still haven’t had the opportunity to visit Taipei yet. What a fantastic location for an exciting film. We also get to spend a couple of minutes in Paris. I was just there last summer! We see some gorgeous cars, particularly a Ferrari. Sadly, a lot of them crash and get destroyed. Many of the fight sequences are humorous and well choreographed. The soundtrack is a lot of fun. You might get a kick out of a fight scene in a movie theater. A Zhang Yimou martial arts movie plays on the screen while two men fight in front of it. An old lady in the audience asks, “Is this a 3D movie?” ha ha Shoutout to the Marriott hotel. There is a lot of humor, which shows the movie is self-aware and doesn’t take itself too seriously. Keep watching during the final credits for some cute photos that tell you what happens next. THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: It’s super convenient that everyone in Taipei speaks English. Ha ha Some of the scene transitions were super choppy. Some of the acting isn’t very good. Some of the stunts made me laugh out loud because they were so ridiculous. Cool, but ridiculous. Most of the characters are unrelatable. TIPS FOR PARENTS: Lots of violence with blood and gore. A young boy gets beat up by adults Profanity Very high dead body count Lots of weapons of various kinds. Some Mandarin and Taiwanese Hokkien are spoken without subtitles.

IN A NUTSHELL: The story is about a single father and two women who risk their lives in order to save the life of a young boy during a post-apocalyptic time in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado when strange aliens have killed 95% of the earth’s population. The film was directed by George Nolfi. Screenwriting credits go to John Glenn, Jacob Roman, Kenny Ryan. THINGS I LIKED: The presence of Anthony Mackie on the movie’s poster will definitely attract the attention of fans of his Falcon character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Captain America: The Winter Soldier in 2014. He does a great job and shows some impressive emotional depth. Morena Baccarin is always so glamorous and beautiful. I’ve never seen her look so disheveled like she does in this film (on purpose). She’s rough and tough and gives us a very different character than we’ve seen her do before. Other cast members include Maddie Hasson, Shauna Earp, and Danny Boyd Jr. The story offers tension and suspense with heart-pumping moments. The cinematography by Shelly Johnson is very good. There is a mystery to be solved about who these aliens are and what they are doing on Earth. The alien/monsters looked pretty cool and real. The tagline “Don’t go down without a fight” on the movie poster is clever because “going down” has double meaning. The movie was filmed in real places like at a ski resort in Colorado where they used real chairlifts, as well as in a real mine, a mile underground, that is in active use today. Impressive. The director did a great job telling a story but also asking a question to the audience: “Is the very technology and intelligence that helped us evolve and create great civilizations also driving us toward destruction?” THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: There are some moments that are so bad that both my husband and I laughed out loud. All of the characters are ridiculously stubborn and often unlikeable. One of the characters is super annoying and acts like a know-it-all. For example, she’s supposed to be tough and skilled at marksmanship, but she breathes in deeply while aiming (which you’re supposed to do) and then the barrel of her rifle shakes like crazy when she actually shoots. Lame. The sound effects often don’t align with what we’re seeing on the screen. I love it when a director pays close attention to detail. In this film, a lot of things were missed. TIPS FOR PARENTS: The aliens might be too scary for young children. Profanity, including F-bombs Various weapons are used Talk of the death of millions of people A young boy has a serious medical condition that puts his life at risk, requiring medication that is running out. We see some violence that results in death.

IN A NUTSHELL: The story is about a boy who puts together a haunted house with his friends. When his grandfather dies, his father sends him on a journey to understand death. The film was written and directed by Matt Green-DeLanghe. THINGS I LIKED: It’s great to see Brian Cox in something again! As always, he does a great job. Some other actors you’ll probably recognize from popular TV shows are Judah Abner Paul, John Palladino, Torrey DeVitto , and Andy Comeau. The young cast is new at this but did a good job. A standout is Devin Trey Campbell who is a natural. I enjoyed the nonlinear style of storytelling, although it might confuse young children watching it with their families. It’s fun to watch how the effects for the haunted house are made and it’s cute watching a group of kids go through it. Even kids will understand the importance of family as the main theme for the film. While flawed, the film has a lot of heart. THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: Most of the acting is pretty amateur. Some transitions are pretty rough. There are long lectures on grief that can be meaningful for adults, but will be boring and unrelatable for young kids. The montage scenes of construction are way too long. It feels and looks like a low-budget indie film because…it is. Kudos to the team for pulling this off. We learn about the game “Skelly” in the beginning of the movie, but then that piece of the story line is pushed back when the kids start working on their haunted house. TIPS FOR PARENTS: A teenager smokes cigarettes Parents and smart kids will be amused by the spelling errors. The haunted house has special effects that show a guillotine, people with fake blood, aliens dissecting a human, and other things that might scare young children.

IN A NUTSHELL: The story is about a veteran who battles depression. He decides to bring awareness to veteran suicide by hiking the Appalachian Trail from Maine to Georgia, while carrying 363 name tapes from the uniforms of other soldiers who committed suicide after returning home. The movie was directed by Angus Benfield and Kendall Bryant Jr. It’s about the touching, true experiences of Veteran George Eshleman from the U.S. Marine Corps. Screenwriting credits go to Veteran Todd Tavolazzi of the U.S. Navy. Hooah! Thank you, all for your service to our country .Already, the film has won a dozen awards from various film festivals, including “Best Picture”, “Best Song”, and “Best Veteran Film”. Congratulations to the team! We get to see photos of the crew at work during the final rolling credits. The director explained that the vision for The Keeper was “to retain the authenticity of the story and its environment and to not over-stylize or sanitize the substance of the story or the setting of is world.” Mission accomplished. The film felt very grounded and focused. THINGS I LIKED: The director, Angus Benfield, also stars in the movie as the protagonist. He’s believable and instantly someone you root for.I love that the cast and crew included quite a few veterans. This isn’t a big Hollywood production. Its small budget and cast size are perfect to tell this intimate story of individuals’ struggles. The earnest and sincere cast also features Michael Maclane , Haley Babula, Nicholas Asad, and Andrew Ferguson. Gorgeous cinematography of the Appalachian Trail from Maine to Georgia by Richard Galli. This movie really hit me because of one of my sons is currently in the Army. He loves the brotherhood that exists in the military. The story is about George Eshleman who served in the U.S. Army. The director did a great job of blending the military community with the hiking community. This movie is ALL heart. We all feel sorry for the veterans who committed suicide, but the movie also does a good job talking about the cowardice and selfishness of killing one’s self without thinking about what their loved ones will go through in the aftermath .I’m always amazed at people who have the time to hike the whole trail in one attempt. The ending is very sweet and has a powerful message for all of us. Before the rolling credits at the end, we see a list of all of the names George Eshleman carried during his 2,189 miles of walking across the Appalachian trail. Appropriately, the song “Taps” plays respectfully while we try to grasp what all of those veterans must have endured and suffered. As the credits continue to roll at the end, we get to hear an inspirational song called “Keep On” written and performed by Ruth Benfield and Scott Oatley. THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: I would have recommended that the film take on a different name since so many other films have already used “The Keeper”, but it’s the trail name that George Eshleman is given by other vets who were hiking the trail. If you were hiking that trail, what trail name would YOU give yourself?In some scenes, it’s hard to understand what everyone is saying. TIPS FOR PARENTS: A young woman takes a cigarette away from a man to prevent him from smoking. He says to her, “You just saved me about 6 minutes of lung life; I appreciate that.” A man tries to kill himself with a gun. There is some profanity, including an F-bomb. Talk of suicide. Talk of ****.

IN A NUTSHELL: The riveting movie is based on the Robert Harris novel of the same name that came out in 2016. Robert Harris co-wrote the screenplay with Peter Straughan. The movie was directed by German-born Edward Berger, who also brought us All Quiet on the Western Front in 2022, which was nominated for 87 awards and won 57 of them! Already, Conclave is receiving well-deserved Oscar buzz. THINGS I LIKED: The cast is absolutely fantastic and includes three Oscar nominees: Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, and John Lithgow. All three are sure to be nominated again for their roles in this movie. They were THAT good. Other standouts in the film include Isabella Rossellini, Lucian Msamati, Sergio Castellitto, and, of course, Carlos Diehz. The film is absolutely gorgeous to look at. Visually, it’s stunning. There are so many perfect vignettes that look like artistic masterpieces. The cinematography by Stephane Fontaine will probably get her nominated for awards for her work in this film. Secrets and scandals are uncovered slowly enough, yet so constantly that keep you on the edge of your seat. The film was shot in Rome, Italy. Nothing was actually filmed inside Vatican City, but the set designs are extremely convincing. The twist at the end is generating a lot of buzz. No spoilers here! I had heard it was ridiculous and it did make several audience members I sat with in the theater laugh; however, I thought it was actually touching and even sweet. It provided insight on how our weaknesses can actually become strengths. Many of the scenes take place in the famous Sistine Chapel at the Vatican. Of course, movies can’t actually be filmed inside Vatican City, but the set looks extremely convincing. I’ve been there twice and would readily return. I love that the film illustrated the sweet, and often invisible, service of the nuns instead of only focusing on the cardinals. There are many ways to serve God and our fellow man. The beautiful music by Volker Bertelmann was potent, especially when mixed with moments of only tension-filled sound effects. I loved the subtle, visual moments that were filled with nuances. For example, we see a cardinal look out an open window as a light breeze blows on his face, suggesting the winds of change taking place inside the Vatican. The turtles were a cute touch. I used to own 2 pet water turtles just like the ones shown in the movie! THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: Some viewers have complained that the film attacks the Catholic church and its traditional values by showing how flawed the leaders are. The flaws of humanity are exactly what the movie is about. None of us is perfect. It’s our flaws and weaknesses that often compel us to be humble in a world that often demands unrealistic expectations. Roman Catholic theology states that the pope is infallible…but an important distinction needs to be made. He is infallible when teaching doctrine and discussing matters of faith. He IS, however, allowed to make mistakes in other matters. The only man who never sinned was Jesus Christ. I was worried that the movie would turn woke and bash Catholic faith. I do wish movies would portray Christians with more respect and not simple-minded buffoons, which is often the case in Hollywood films. TIPS FOR PARENTS: Kids will be bored. No profanity. Yay! Alcohol Cigarettes Italian and Spanish are spoken with and without subtitles. Talk of an illegitimate baby Talk of misconduct and rumors of scandals by previous popes and current cardinals

IN A NUTSHELL: Venom has long been one of Marvel’s most complex and entertaining characters. This film attempts to close the trilogy of the story between Tom Hardy’s character and his symbiote “Venom”. They’re on the run, being hunted by both of their worlds. Marvel knows how to work magic, but this franchise has been tricky for them. Most people really enjoyed and were intrigued by the first Venom movie. The second one was problematic. And here we are with the finale. It’s receiving mixed reviews, so my advice is to lower your expectations and then you might have fun with it. Come on, Marvel… The film was directed by Kelly Marcel, who also served as one of the producers. She and Tom Hardy co-wrote the story together! It feels like a bromance road trip for one last hug. If you’re a fan, you’ll get some closure and fan service. If you never liked this franchise, feel free to skip it. THINGS I LIKED: Playing double-duty, Tom Hardy returns to his role as Eddie Brock and the voice of Venom. He also worked as one of the producers of the film. The rest of the cast did a great job and includes Chiwetel Ejiofor, Juno Temple, Rhys Ifans, Stephen Graham, Cristo Fernandez, and Alanna Ubach. Dash McCloud is totally adorable. Thankfully, the movie is self-aware so that you don’t take anything too seriously. There’s a cute scene where some people sing the David Bowie song “Space Oddity” with some sweet conversations afterward that give you all the feels. Fun soundtrack. At the very end of the film, we see a bunch of sentimental clips from each of the Venom movies in the franchise. **** always in Marvel movies, keep watching during the closing credits for another short clip that reveals this isn’t really the last dance. There are a lot of action sequences, as well as heartfelt moments. The special effects are good, although there is a lot of CGI. The movie poster looks pretty doggone cool. THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: Tom Hardy’s character has become a mumbling, defeated man Venom’s banter is relegated to campy one-liners. In other words, most of the humor doesn’t land. The movie tried too hard to be funny with the Dancing Queen number, but I still liked it. I thought it was funny when Eddie asked, “When did you two practice this?” Just so you know, you can NOT get that close to Area 51. Military cars will prevent you from driving within miles in every direction. The telling of the story is a bit messy. For example, sometimes, we’re propelled into a new scenario without much transition. There are some annoying plot holes. The action sequences are a swirling jumble of blur. Some characters appear in Act 3. They’re fun but seem super random and a blatant attempt to manipulate our tear ducts and funny bones. We get a new villain but don’t learn enough about him to care about his character. TIPS FOR PARENTS: Lots of violence We see some human blood and alien gore. Venom and some of the other symbiotes might be way too scary for young kids. We see a man urinate on a wall and on someone’s shoe Some profanity, including 1 F-bomb. Lots of destruction. People are in dangerous situations.

IN A NUTSHELL: The story is about a precocious, 11-year-old girl in New Zealand. When her mother ends up in the hospital due to a toaster accident, the estranged father (a washed-up magician from America), comes to look after her. He agrees to take her camping to find a mythological beast known as the Canterbury Panther. The sweet film was directed by Ant Timpson, who also co-wrote the story with Toby Harvard. Already, the movie has won the “Audience Award Gold” at the Fantasia Film Festival. THINGS I LIKED: Elijah Wood and Nell Fisher carry the load of this film squarely on their shoulders. They have endearing charm and chemistry together. This sweet childhood adventure is filled with real and illusionist magic. The true magic is found in the relationship between the absentee father and his newfound daughter. Beautiful cinematography by Daniel Katz. We get to spend time in New Zealand. That must have been fun for Elijah Wood because he spent so much time there playing Frodo in The Lord of the Rings. By the way, that’s my favorite trilogy ever. It’s absolutely brilliant in every way. The banter and barbs are often amusing and clever. In an age of CGI, it’s refreshing to see a film take place in the real world…and a beautiful one at that. Each “chapter” of the story shows intriguing title cards on the screen. There are some sweet breakthrough moments between father and daughter. Karl Solve Steven created a lovely musical score that is never overbearing. There are some villains in the story, but the wilderness is also another one. We learn some interesting skills about wilderness survival in New Zealand. Keep watching during the rolling credits to see some more clips, particularly about the mysterious black panther. THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: Some of the camera angles are odd choices. Sadly, the last scene is too forced. What kind of name is “Strawn Wise”? That’s just one more element that feels way too forced. Considering how “rare” the Canterbury black panther was supposed to be, it was ridiculous how many times the father-daughter team ran into them. The outcome is extremely predictable, yet also doesn’t resolve all of the issues. TIPS FOR PARENTS: Farting and talk of farting We see a dead deer with blood Some profanityTalk of kidnapping We see a robbery Talk of a one-night stand and its resulting pregnancy A strange, married couple films inappropriate content about their intimate relationship that we have to see. It was supposed to be funny but should not have been in a film targeted to children or families.

IN A NUTSHELL: Todd Phillips directed the film, as well as co-wrote it with Scott Silver. Todd Phillips crushed it in the last Joker movie, but audiences and critics are hating on this sequel. THINGS I LIKED: The French words in the title “Folie a Deux” has double meaning. It’s a rare psychiatric syndrome when two or more people share a delusional belief system, such as the Joker persona and Arthur Fleck. It also refers to a “madness of two” or “shared madness” such as the romance between Joker and Lady Gaga’s character. Joaquin Phoenix won an Academy Award for his performance in his last Joker movie. He’s incredible in this sequel too. We hear him sing and dance too. He was really nervous about the singing portions, so Lady Gaga coached him every day. Believe it or not, this is his first sequel in his entire career! He is so dedicated to his craft. He lost so much weight to play this role. Both Joaquin and Lady Gaga required all of the cast and crew to call them by their character names so they could disappear in their roles. Mission accomplished. I thought Lady Gaga was terrific in the movie A Star Is Born, so I was excited to see what she would do in this one. She won her Oscar for the song she wrote and sang in that film. She gives us a very different version of Harlequin (Harleen Quinzel) than previously seen by Margo Robbie. In this movie, she goes by Lee. I was sad to see her smoke because it could be harmful to her beautiful voice. She released a companion album called “Harlequin” to tie into the film’s launch. I loved the music. My mother was a nightclub singer and sang many of the songs in the film. Joaquin isn’t a great singer like Lady Gaga, but he gives an impressive emotional performance. All of the other cast members did a great job and feature Zazie Beetz, Jacob Lofland, Harry Lawtey, and 3 Academy Award nominees: Steve Coogan, Brendan Gleeson, and Catherine Keener. This is the first DC Comics movie to be launched under the new DC Elseworlds banner. DC Comics created the name back in 1991 for movies that would take stories out of the “cannon” of their regular stories that were set in alternate realities like this sequel is. Clearly, people have been interested in this sequel. Within the first 24 hours of releasing the trailer for this movie, it received 167 million views. I wish this movie had some foreshadowing of a Batman-type character. The only thing we really get is a sign that says “Wayne” for Wayne Enterprises that a motorcade passes on the way to court. Look closely and you might notice the rooftop set during one of the musical numbers was also used in the 2017 movie The Greatest Showman! I love that movie! I love Easter eggs. For example, there’s a cartoon short at the beginning of the movie where we see someone in the crowd holding the sign that Arthur Fleck had stolen in the last movie that said, “Everything Must Go”. Another Easter egg shows up in the first song that Arthur and Lee sing together: “Get Happy” by Judy Garland from the 1950 movie Summer Stock. Arthur’s mother called him “Happy” in the last movie. Visually, the movie is fantastic. THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: Why would a someone who was put in an asylum for burning down a building be given a pack of matches? The storytelling drags. Quite a few scenes could have been cut or shortened to take the film to a shorter watch. The trailer showed an intriguing scene that doesn’t actually appear in the movie. It showed Arthur Fleck and Lee dancing down the courthouse stairs. Lee wears a blue dress that emphasizes her pregnant belly. There were other things in the trailer that also didn’t make it into the film. The film’s budget was $200 million, which is more than three times what the first Joker cost. So many are complaining that this movie shouldn’t have included musical numbers. I disagree. I think it allowed us to enter his fantasy and psychotic mind. It’s the shared, altered reality between Arthur and Lee. The director doesn’t seem entirely sure what he wants to say. Is the movie a look inward and emotional trauma or an outward look at our broken society today that creates monsters like Joker? Can a movie effectively do both? TIPS FOR PARENTS: Tons of profanity, including F-bombs An animated clip shows blood splatter, violence, and the rear end of a man We see an intimate act (mostly clothes on). Violence with blood

IN A NUTSHELL: The buddy story is about two underworld “fixers” who suddenly meet on the same job trying to cover up a prominent New York District Attorney’s scandalous mistake. They’re forced to work together as their night spirals out of control in ways that neither one of them expected. The film was directed and written by Jon Watts, who is most known for his work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Already, the movie has won the “Nave d’Argento for Best OTP” at the Venice Film Festival. Congrats to the team! By the way, OTP in film jargon means “One True Pairing”, which is often used to describe the perfect romantic relationship or best on-screen couple. In this case, it refers to Clooney and Pitt with all of their fantastic chemistry and awesomeness. THINGS I LIKED: The cast includes two heavy-hitters and fan favorites: George Clooney and Brad Pitt. Their chemistry is undeniable and it’s fun to see them together again in this bromance. They first starred together in the hugely popular hit Ocean’s Eleven in 2001, as well as in the 2004 and 2007 sequels. We don’t learn their characters’ names; instead, they’re listed as “Margaret’s Man” and “Pam’s Man”. Amy Ryan did a great job but is only in the movie for a short time. Austin Abrams was impressive. He’s had smaller roles in quite a few movies for years, but this one put him on the map for me. He did his own stunts which were pretty intense. We get to hear the voice of Academy Award winner Frances McDormand. Too bad we don’t get to see her, but her voice adds intrigue and her talents don’t go unnoticed. The slow-motion crash sequence where a guy gets hit by a car and lands on his feet was pretty amazing. There is humor, both spoken and visual. The musical score by Theodore Shapiro perfectly set the mood for every scene. The title gets its name from a conversation between George Clooney’s character and a bad guy. George Clooney’s character coldly states, “I got a job to do.” The bad guy, played by Zlatko Buric, says, “Oh, I see. The professional. The lone wolf.” Both Brad Pitt and George Clooney believe they are each a lone wolf, only to discover they’re basically the same person, doing the same thing, dressing the same, and even talking the same, as another character later points out. Now, as an English professor and author, I readily admit that when I first saw the spelling of the title for this movie, it hurt my heart just a little bit. Once I understood the concept, I decided it was actually pretty clever. The banter was entertaining. The action sequences are done very well. Keep watching during the final rolling credits for some amusing footage from the cameras that were talked about in the story. Audiences who love Clooney and Pitt together are already excited about the possibility of a sequel of this comedy action. I’d watch it. THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: It’s odd that this film didn’t get a bigger marketing push considering the huge star power featured in it by Brad Pitt and George Clooney. There is a really long racing car scene that doesn’t quite make sense. Clooney speeds along for miles, trying to catch a runner who couldn’t possibly travel as far as the speeding car would suggest. Then, without explanation, Pitt’s character is magically able to show up without any kind of transportation. Some are complaining the story isn’t anything particularly new or fresh. I didn’t mind. I was still entertained because I’m such a fan of both actors. TIPS FOR PARENTS: The very first word we hear is an F-bomb. There are a million more to come, as well as other profanity. We see a dead body and blood splatters in the first 2 minutes. Again, there is a lot more to come. Talk of illegal drugs. We see several blocks of cocaine. A man runs around in his “tighty whiteys” for quite a few scenes. Violence Various weapons People die bloody deaths

IN A NUTSHELL: The film was beautifully directed by Robert Kolodny in his debut. Screenwriting credits go to Steve Loff. Robert Greene served as one of the producers and also as the film editor. Already, the film has been nominated for and won awards at several film festivals, including “Best Director of a Narrative Film”, “Best Director”, and “Grand Prize”. Congratulations to the team! THINGS I LIKED: James Madio does an excellent job as Willie Pep. And, yes, Willie Pep was a real-life boxer who held the title of World Featherweight champion two times between the years 1942 and 1950. His real name was Guglielmo Papaleo. James gives an excellent performance and truly disappears in the role. The rest of the cast also does a fantastic job and includes Ron Livingston, Stephen Lange, Ruby Wolf, Keir Gilchrist, Michael Siberry, and Lawrence Gilliard Jr. You might remember that Ron Livingston, Frank John Hughes, and James Madio were all in the hit TV series Band of Brothers in 2001. That’s such an incredible show. The American-Italian, east-coast accents were terrific. We get to see what is made to look like old footage, as well as actual clips, taking us back to Pep’s glory days and the 1960s. The film truly captures the spirit of the period. The goal of the film was to give it the look and feel of a documentary. It includes interviews with various people, old photographs and video clips, providing Italian translations into English when needed, and names of characters written on the screen like the ones we see in documentaries. It’s almost crazy to think of a 42-year-old as a has-been, but in sports, that’s kind of true. The film does a great job illustrating how we can hang on to our past and wish we could go back to our younger, better selves, but that we need to set new goals to move forward in life. I loved the smile at the fight at the end of the movie. It said SO much. The music is never overbearing. That final song was really great and matched the feeling of that last scene so well. THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: There’s a LOT of shaky cam, intentionally trying to imitate an old documentary film. It’s effective, but shaky cam makes me so dizzy. It’s also partly an insult to documentary filmmakers, insinuating that they can’t hold the film steady. Some scenes could have been tightened up to hold the audience’s interest better. TIPS FOR PARENTS: Young kids will be extremely bored. Teens might be interested if they’re into boxing and/or history. Cigarette smoking Lots of alcohol Talk of pre-marital relations and infidelity Some profanity and F-bombs Bickering adults Illegal drug use is portrayed. Some Italian is spoken with subtitles.

IN A NUTSHELL: This heartwarming film was directed by Academy Award nominee Christopher Sanders. The story was adapted by the director from the bestselling 3-book series of the same name, written by Peter Brown. The author explained that he got the idea after he drew a sketch of a robot in a tree, wondering what an intelligent robot would do in a wilderness. After a shipwreck on a deserted island, a robot named Roz has to learn how to survive the harsh environment and bond with the native animals. Already, the movie has won the “Truly Moving Picture Award” in 2024! Congratulations to the team! No doubt there will be more awards to come. I really loved this. TIPS FOR PARENTS: This is perfect, family-friendly viewing for all ages. Animal bullies No profanity. Yay! Some creatures are in perilous situations. THINGS I LIKED: The voice talents are fantastic and include Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, Catherine O’Hara, Bill Nighy, Mark Hamill, Ving Rhames, and Stephanie Hsu. The young actor, Kit Connor, voices the baby duck who experiences just as much of a coming-of-age journey as the wild robot does! Everyone did a terrific job. The musical soundtrack and score by John Powell are just lovely. Several of the songs were by Maren Morris, Kris Bowers, Tony K, and Reem. I just barely finished watching the movie and am already listening to the soundtrack on Spotify. You’re going to really like it. This film is all heart. So sweet. The animation is adorable. There is so much humor, both spoken and visual. If you see this in theaters, consider the 3D glasses option for even more fun! The character “Thunderbolt the Falcon”, voiced by Ving Rhames, was not in the original novels Bring tissues. You just might drop a tear or two. I did. This is the kind of movie you’ll actually want to watch again. THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: The big villain doesn’t appear until Act 3.

IN A NUTSHELL: The story compares the fall of the Roman empire to our modern-day world. The city of New Rome is the main conflict between Cesar Catilina, a brilliant artist in favor of a utopian future, and the greedy mayor, Franklyn Cicero. Between them is Julia Cicero, her loyalty divided between her father and the man she becomes obsessed with. Award-winning director Francis Ford Coppola financed this passion project himself to the tune of $120 million. Critics are hating on this film and audiences are calling it a complete disaster. Despite that, the director has already been nominated for a Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Laurence Fishburne said that Francis Ford Coppola began discussing this film’s idea way back in 1979 when they were filming Apocalypse Now. THINGS I LIKED: I love Adam Driver. I fell in love with his genius in the jaw-dropping scene where he completely loses it in the film Marriage Story. He readily accepts risky scripts in the movies he chooses and seems to truly respect the craft and art of filmmaking, pushing the boundaries and forcing us to look at life through a different lens. I admire that but recognize that not all audiences want that. What a cast! It’s filled with Academy Award winners and nominees, including Laurence Fishburne, Shia LaBeouf, Dustin Hoffman, Jon Voight, Nathalie Emmanuel, Giancario Esposito, Aubrey Plaza, and Chloe Fineman. The director also cast his sister, Talia Shire, and his nephew, Jason Schwartzman. The creative hairstyles and costume design of the men and women definitely make you think of ancient Roman styles. Surely, costume designer Milena Canonero will, at least, be nominated for some awards for her clever adaptations. A surprise is watching America’s Got Talent winner, Grace VanderWaal, perform a couple of musical numbers. The movie is dedicated to Eleanor Coppola, the director’s wife, who recently passed away during post production. The entire apocalyptic film is extremely imaginative. Is the film’s chaos supposed to cleverly reflect the state of democracy today or is it the result of an aging director who doesn’t care what others think because he’s regarded as a genius already? Someone mentions the concept of architecture as frozen music. Cool perspective, right? THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: The movie is a messy, overstuffed pot of ideas that’s often difficult to understand and watch. This film is WAY too long to say what it wants to say. It’s a true test of patience for the audience who is hoping it’s all going to make sense somehow. Most of the sets look like sets. Rather than getting lost in a story, you’re always fully aware you’re watching a movie. An entirely different cast was selected to do table reads before the project was scrapped after the 911 attacks because one of the scenes foretold of such a terrorist attack. After that, the actors dropped out of the project one by one. Because the director worked on this film for decades, it still feels like a jumble. TIPS FOR PARENTS: This movie is not appropriate for kids. Sexual content (clothed) Profanity, including F-bombs Lots of scantily-clad women We see several women kiss. Infidelity Transvestites

IN A NUTSHELL: The movie was inspired by the life of Elizabeth (Lee) Miller. Her family granted the production full access to the archives and trust. It was based on the only authorized biography of her life called “The Lives of Lee Miller” written by her son Antony Penrose. The film was directed by Ellen Kuras. She had worked with Kate Winslet before on the movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind in 2004 and A Little Chaos in 2014 as the film’s cinematographer. Kuras found the book about Lee Miller and thought Kate Winslet looked like her, so she shared a copy of that book with Kate, who didn’t read it until after she happened to buy an antique table owned by Miller and wanted to know more about her. It was Kate who invited Ellen to direct the movie. Kate was a very hands-on producer of the film. Writing credits go Liz Hannah, Marion Hume, and John Collee. Already, the film has been nominated for awards at various film festivals. THINGS I LIKED: The cast is absolutely stellar and includes Kate Winslet, Alexander Skarsgard, Andy Samberg, Marion Cotillard, Josh O’Connor, Noemie Merlant, James Murray, and Andrea Riseborough, many of them handpicked by Kate herself. Check out that impressive list of Oscar nominees and winners! We see several photos in the movie that were actual photographs Kate Winslet took while filming on set. The budget for the movie was small, so Kate Winslet personally paid the crew’s salaries for 2 weeks with her own money. This was truly a passion project for her. Believe it or not, Lee Miller actually did take a photo of herself in **** bathtub in real life in 1945. Several of Lee Miller’s other photos were recreated in the movie. Filming was shot in Dubrovnik, Croatia, as well as in Hungary. I had the great pleasure of visiting Dubrovnik a few years ago. What a gorgeous city! I was just in beautiful Hungary last month! Yes, that’s Andy Samberg from Saturday Night Live! We’re used to seeing him do comedy, but it turns out he handles drama pretty well too! I appreciated all of the little details like the way Kate Winslet knew how to use her camera, and when some of the characters wrapped fabric over their noses to show us how horrific the smell must have been when they opened a train compartment filled with dead Jews from the Holocaust. Be prepared to see some heart-wrenching imagery of WWII and the Holocaust in the last 30 minutes of the film. There is an intriguing twist at the end. Keep watching at the end to see photos and words on the screen that tell you more about the people involved in the events seen in the film and what happened to them afterward. THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: Quite a few film critics and fans have criticized the movie for being too “flat”. I understand why they say that; however, it’s hard to call ghastly images of the Holocaust “flat.” I thought the film was powerful and inspiring in many ways. A lot of biographies get criticized for playing with a timeline to tell the story. This one follows suit. TIPS FOR PARENTS: This film is completely inappropriate for kids. We see several topless woman quite a few times in the movie, including Kate Winslet, who proved in the movie Titanic that she didn’t mind baring her chest. Smoking, alcohol. Unmarried people are seen in bed together, as well as talk about their intimacy. Some French is spoken with subtitles that must be read on screen. Profanity, including a few F-bombs We witness an attempted **** We see bloodied, dying soldiers We see pictures of dead, naked Jews

IN A NUTSHELL: Ronald Regan was one of the rare politicians that was well respected from both sides of the political aisle. Unfortunately, liberal film critics today are having a hard time seeing the good in this film due to their own bias. The movie isn’t a Christian film; however, Conservatives have been embracing it because Reagan discussed his faith several times in the film and in real life. The film was directed by Sean McNamara, and written by Howard Klausner. THINGS I LIKED: Dennis Quaid was hesitant to play the legendary Ronald Reagan. Those are big shoes to fill. He did a really great job! There are many times you’ll be impressed with how much he looks like Ronald Regan! Dennis Quaid just turned 70 years old when the movie was released. Ronald Regan turned 70 years old a month after becoming president of the United States. Fun fact #1: Dennis Quaid also played U.S. President Bill Clinton in The Special Relationship in 2010. Penelope Ann Miller and Eloisa Huggins who play mother and daughter in the film are actually mother and daughter in real life! The entire cast does a great job and includes Mena Suvari, Jon Voight, C. Thomas Howell, Lesley-Anne Down, Kevin Sorbo, Olek Krupa, David Henrie, and Robert Davi. During the production of the film, they had a Covid outbreak among the crew. Fun fact #2: The movie was shot in several cities in Oklahoma. The Oklahoma City Capitol Building was used as the United States Capitol Building. The Temple of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry in Guthrie was transformed to be The White House. Pat Boone is represented in one of the scenes in the movie. He actually appears in the scene as Reverend George Otis. The movie does a wonderful job illustrating the real-life deep romance Ronald and Nancy Reagan had during their lifetime, something not often seen in movies. Biopics are notorious for showing volatile marriages. We see a lot of newspaper headlines, images, and video clips from real-life events that effectively pull us into history. Narrating the film from a retired Russian spy voiced by Jon Voight was an interesting way to tell the story. I loved the relationship the movie showed between Reagan and Tip O’Neill. It was a good example of how people can still be friends even if they disagree politically. Many years ago, back when I was a Legislative Assistant for a Congressman in Washington, D.C., I met Tip O’Neill and got a huge hug from him, which was a little odd but also really kind. He was the Speaker of the House at the time. It was a good example to me of the quote, “It’s nice to be important but it’s more important to be nice.” The film does a good job hitting the highlights of Reagan’s life. I love that it pictured a president who completely understood that he was a servant of the people. We learn that Ronald Reagan’s favorite movie of all time was The Sound of Music. Good choice! What’s yours? That epic moment when Reagan boldly demanded, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” gave me goosebumps in real life, as well as while watching the movie. President Reagan, himself, would have loved that the movie ended with him riding off into the sunset on a horse with his cowboy hat on. It’s a bit cheesy but perfect for him. Keep watching during the rolling credits to see more actual footage of Reagan. THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: Some of the de-aging effects on certain characters was a bit distracting. Some have complained that the film glosses over any weaknesses or character flaws in Reagan. I disagree. He even talks about them himself in the movie. TIPS FOR PARENTS: Most kids will be bored. Alcohol and cigarettes A man gets shot We see someone at a funeral. Portrayal of kid and adult bullying Talk of Communism and Alzheimer’s

IN A NUTSHELL: The story is about a family that is invited to spend a whole weekend in a country home of another couple they had recently met while on vacation. The weekend reveals startling lies and an unimaginable dark side. This is an American remake of the 2022 Danish film. It’s unusual to get an American adaptation of a film so quickly! The movie was directed by James Watkins who also cowrote it with Christian Tafdrup and Mads Tafdrup. Christian and his brother co-wrote the screenplay, while Christian directed it. James McAvoy said that he did not watch the Danish film before he began filming because he didn’t want it to influence how he performed and presented the story. Twenty-four hours after they finished filming, he watched the original and said he was extremely impressed. Just so you know, the original Danish version is much more violent and brutal. The director of the unsettling Danish movie revealed that a real-life experience he had inspired the film. He and his wife met a Dutch couple when they were on vacation. Later, that couple invited them to visit them in the Netherlands. He and his wife declined the invitation because they thought it would be awkward. He let his mind wander and explore the worse-case scenario to see how far and horrific this movie could go. THINGS I LIKED0: I don’t really like horror movies, so the only reason I wanted to watch this was to see the incredibly sinister performance by James McAvoy. I’ve been a huge fan of his and knew he would be amazing in this. The’s absolutely nothing he could have done better in this role. His creepy performance was stellar. The rest of the cast also did a great job and includes Mackenzie Davis, Scoot McNairy, Aisling Franciosi, and the two darling kid actors: Alix West Lefler and Dan Hough. There are so many times in Acts 1 and 2 where we see red flags and feel extremely uncomfortable. As you become more aware of what’s really happening, you want to yell at the screen to warn the characters not to do what they’re about to do. That’s what a good horror can do: evoke fear and passion in the audience. Mission accomplished in this film. The movie was filmed in Gloucester, England and also in Croatia for a week. The title takes on an interesting meaning in several ways. Because you know the madness is coming, you feel the tension from the very beginning of the film and throughout every scene, wondering when the chaos will begin. The dialogue does a great job injecting some humor along the way. THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: Fans of the original Danish movie might be disappointed that the American film changes some plot points, especially the ending. Like most horror movies, there are always characters who make dumb decisions that put themselves in even more danger. Some viewers might complain that the story is slow-moving because they want to get to the crazy action sooner. The horror begins at the last 20 minutes of the movie. Sometimes, it was hard to understand what everyone was saying. TIPS FOR PARENTS: This frightening film is inappropriate for kids. Bloody, brutal violence ProfanityTalk **** period Talk of divorce Stealing Portrayal of intimate relationships (fully clothed under a table)

IN A NUTSHELL: The story is about three sisters who gather in their father's New York City apartment to care for him and say goodbye during his last few days of life. This film hit me hard and was difficult to watch because last year, I lost 3 parents in 3 months. Having to say goodbye to parents is hard enough if everyone is on good terms, but everything becomes much more complicated with siblings and half-siblings, like in this film. The movie did a great job illustrating how difficult it is to navigate all of that. Waiting for the imminent death of a loved one is truly brutal and heart wrenching .The film was written and directed by Azazel Jacobs. Already, the movie has won an Honors Award as the 2024 Winner by the San Francisco Film Awards. Congrats to the cast and crew! THINGS I LIKED: The three leading ladies are absolutely terrific. Excellent performances all around. The cast truly spotlights the talents of Natasha Lyonne, Elizabeth Olsen, and Carrie Coon. Great camera work, especially in tight spaces! I've always liked one-location movies. This film utilizes the apartment spaces extremely well. Something really sweet and profound happens toward the end of the movie. Netflix purchased the worldwide rights for this movie for $7 million. The clever dialogue offers some much-needed humor to balance the sorrow. A lot of profound wisdom is seen and heard in this script. THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: Audiences need to know this is not a feel-good movie. There is love there, but it's still a depressing, hard-to-watch film. Bring tissues. The tears will flow. Mine did. Hospice workers may not be pleased with how they are perceived in this movie. Two of the workers in the film are shown to be either unsympathetic or offering illegal advice to the sisters. TIPS FOR PARENTS: Kids will be extremely bored. Profanity, including many F-bombs One of the sisters smokes quite a few joints. Talk of DNR (Do Not Resuscitate)Lots of talk of death.

IN A NUTSHELL: The film was directed by Josh Cooley, his very first one outside of his filmography with Pixar. Screenwriting credits go to Andrew Barrer, Gabriel Ferrari, Steve Desmond, and Michael Sherman. The movie gives us an origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron, and explains the birth of their motivations. I was happy to see that Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg served as two of the producers on this film to ensure it had a good blend of action and heart. I was a bit worried that this franchise had petered out, but this new addition really breathes fresh air into it. Well done! THINGS I LIKED: This animated version of a Transformers’ movie is a great way to tell the story! Can you believe it has been 38 years since the last animated Transformers movie in 1986? The idea for this movie has actually been in development since 2014 after the success of the movie Transformers: Age of Extinction. It’s amazing how expressive pieces of steel can be! At the very beginning of the film we’re given information on the history of the transformers. Helpful. The voice talent for this is terrific and includes Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, Laurence Fishburne, Jon Hamm, and Steve Buscemi. Chris Hemsworth worked hard to disguise his regular voice, but the director actually wanted Keegan-Michael Key to use his real voice for Bumblebee. There is plenty of visual and spoken humor throughout. Bumblebee steals the show. The director, Josh Cooley, admitted that he and his generation were somewhat emotionally traumatized by the deaths in the 1986 movie The Transformers: The Movie, so he wanted to create a different film that would do that to kids! Fun Fact: In order to align the Transformers lore between Hasbro, the cartoons, the video games, TakaraTomy, and the live-action movies, they created the “Binder of Revelations”, a 345-page documentary of the history of all the characters. Unfortunately, it gathered dust for years, but was pulled out of a drawer somewhere and handed to Director Josh Cooley, who studied it before making this movie. While some plot points and characters are different, Josh Cooley loved and respected the franchise, committed to doing the best he could for continuity’s sake. Fun Fact #2: This is the very first trailer to debut in space! On April 18, 2024, a drone was launched that pointed a camera at a small screen that showed the trailer to a live audience. Cool! All of the main characters get a good amount of screen time and growth. This is the first time we get to see a feature film located entirely on Cybertron. Just like a phrase spoken in the movie, this film is “more than meets the eye.” THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: Surprisingly, the movie isn’t doing well in South America. The reason is that the characters Bumblebee and Megatron were voiced by unknown actors who didn’t have any experience with this kind of work. Fans have demanded that Paramount will change the voices and release a new/better version of the film. If you’re not interested in Transformers, this movie is not for you. TIPS FOR PARENTS: This is a great choice for a family-friendly movie! My sons would have loved this when they were little! Robot violence and battles Various robotic weapons are used. Some “mild” profanity. Bumblebee says a particular line about him being “Bada$$atron” which your kids might start repeating. Fair warning!

IN A NUTSHELL: Tim Burton definitely has a unique style with a huge following of fans and list of 20 popular films. Others might not like his quirky macabre content. Brad Pitt was one of the producers of this movie. Writing credits go to Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, and Seth Grahame-Smith. Fans of the original Beetlejuice will get a kick out of this. We’ve waited 36 years for it! Already, the movie has won a Grafetta d’Oro award for Best Film at the Venice Film Festival, and been nominated by The **** for the 2024 “Next Big Thing” award, and nominated for “Most Anticipated Movie” by Astra Midseason Movie Awards. THINGS I LIKED: Who doesn’t love Michael Keaton? I’ve been a huge fan of his for years. He has created so many memorable characters throughout his career, Beetlejuice being one of them. In March 2014, he stated that this is the only sequel he was interested in ever doing. Of course, he DID reprise his role as Batman in a cameo in The Flash last year. He said that he had even more fun making this sequel of Beetlejuice than he did making the original movie. Tim Burton stated that Michael Keaton didn’t even rehearse before going on set to film! The entire cast does a fantastic job and includes Willem Dafoe, Catherine O’Hara, Burn Gorman, Arthur Conti, Danny DeVito, and Justin Theroux. All of the returning women look great in this! Winona Ryder was hoping this Beatlejuice sequel would happen, so she told Matt and Ross Duffer that they’d have to give her a break from filming “Stranger Things” if the filming created a scheduling problem. They said yes! Monica Bellucci’s makeup took 3 hours each day before filming. She has an incredible backstory sequence. She and Tim Burton started dating during making of the movie. We get a quick recap of all the main characters from the first movie to see what they’ve been up to. Fans of Netflix’s Wednesday will absolutely love seeing Jenna Ortega in this. Director Tim Burton was the executive producer of Wednesday, which is what he said inspired him to create this sequel to the 1988 Beetlejuice film. Fun soundtrack Cool special effects and practical effects. Director Tim Burtin wanted to make sure there was less technology so the sequel would retain the same feel as the first movie. We see a lot of animatronics, puppets, and creative design. The visual and spoken humor fly fast and furiously. Lots of Easter eggs and nods to the original movie. Fun fact: Wynona Ryder hosts a TV show in the movie called “Ghost House.” That was actually going to be the name of the original movie, but Tim Burton kept pushing for “Beetlejuice” until he got his way. We get to hear the Banana Boat Song at a funeral in the movie. Nice touch! Soul train. Ha ha We see people dressed in 1970s clothing, dancing to that decade’s popular music, as a joke that disco is dead. THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: Beetlejuice doesn’t even appear in the movie until almost 20 minutes. Sadly, Geena Davis isn’t in this sequel. Jeffrey Jones’ character conveniently dies in this sequel. Ironically, he has retired from acting because he was accused of being a sex offender in real life. There are a lot of characters and story lines that get rushed. TIPS FOR PARENTS: Lots of creepy, bloody body parts We see a lot of dead people in the form they died. Talk of death and the afterlife. Dark humor Some inappropriate jokes

IN A NUTSHELL: The story is about a powerful London theater critic who becomes entangled in a web of deceit and murder. The film was directed by Anand Tucker. Writing credits go to Patrick Marber and Anthony Quinn. The film was adapted from Anthony Quinn’s novel Curtain Call. I’ve considered my role as a film critic many, many times. My goal has always been to help people decide for themselves which movies they want to spend their time and money on by explaining film content and quality in my reviews. Movie ratings are different across countries around the world, and can’t be trusted to paint the true picture. THINGS I LIKED: Ian McKellen was absolutely stellar and deserves another Oscar nomination and, finally, a win at 84 years old. He created such a delicious, narcissistic character that made me laugh and cringe and hurt inside. Gemma Arterton was wonderful as well, giving us a nuanced performance while looking beautiful in every scene. She gives us an extremely vulnerable character who desperately craves validation and make sacrifices for her ambitious career in theater. I was proud of her for breaking off an affair once she found out her lover was married. I’ll never understand women who can carry on with married men. Despicable. Other standouts in the cast were Alfred Enoch, Mark Strong, Lesley Manville, Ben Barnes, Romola Garai. Ian McKellen previously starred with Mark Strong and Ben Barnes in the cute 2007 movie ****. I just recently watched it again a couple of weeks ago! When the movie first appeared at the TIFF film festival, the dark ending received mixed reviews. I don’t know what it was then, but it was reshot. There were definitely two ways the movie could have ended and I would have liked them both. Excellent costume design in this period piece. There is quite a bit of humor in the dialogue in Acts 1 and 2, yet takes a back seat to the dark crimes featured in Act 3. The set designs are rich, sultry, and beautiful. THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: The incredibly talented Lesley Manville was only given a small role. Still it was great to see her. The tone shifts from act 1 to act 3. I hadn’t seen a trailer for this, so I was surprised by the turn. Some **** fascism is introduced, but it doesn’t go any further. Some viewers have criticized the presence of too many characters, but I didn’t feel pulled into too many directions. As pretentious as Jimmy Erskine was, I was surprised he didn’t insist everyone call him James. TIPS FOR PARENTS: Kids will be bored. Profanity, including F-bombs We see a naked man in a bathtub several times but we only see his bare chest Cigarettes, alcohol Talk **** man’s “proclivities”. We see gay men arrested in a park. (This was a time when it was illegal to be gay in public in the U.K.)Talk of an affair We see the naked backside of a woman in the dark Suicide and murder take place off screen. Several people have affairs.

IN A NUTSHELL: This adventure-action movie is based on the best-selling video game of the same name. The crazy cast of characters goes on a mission to save a missing girl who holds the key to unimaginable power. The movie feels like a mixture of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Star Wars. The colorful film was directed by Eli Roth who also co-wrote it with Joe Abercrombie. Already, the film has been nominated for and won several awards at various film festivals. For what it’s worth, I’ve never played the video game, so I’m basing the movie’s value on face value. So many video games have attempted to translate their popularity into a feature film yet have not faired well. The Borderlands video game is one of the best-selling video game franchises in history. If you’re a fan of the video game, comment down below! I’d love to hear what you thought of the flick! THINGS I LIKED: The cast is absolutely fantastic and includes Academy Award winners Cate Blanchett and Jamie Lee Curtis. Arianna Greenblatt is adorable and hilarious in everything I’ve ever seen her in . She was so cute in Love and Monsters. Other cast members include Kevin Hart, Edgar Ramirez, Ariana Greenblatt, Olivier Richters, Haley Bennett, and the voice talents of Jack Black. Fun fact: Eli Roth had shot the first version of the movie back in 2021, but it was decided to market it as a PG-13 blockbuster, so Tim Miller took over the project. Based on the drastic changes to the tone of the film, Steve Jablonsky had to completely rewrite the musical score from what Nathan Barr had created. Lots and lots of action! Unfortunately, the sequences aren’t entirely memorable. The visual and spoken humor is quirky and irreverent. Most of the spoken humor comes from Jack Black’s robotic character. There’s a twist in Act 3 I didn’t see coming. Some of the CGI looked like it belonged in a video game. Plenty of interesting creatures to be entertained by. THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: I’ve heard from some of the fans of the video game that they have been super disappointed with this movie. None of the characters are very relatable. I had a hard time getting invested after only 15 minutes and was mostly bored throughout. It kind of feels like they just wrote a list of required elements and then checked off the boxes without really getting creative or even following the charm of the video game. You can feel the reshoots in the movie. There is something disjointed about the whole movie. Most of the humor doesn’t land. There are backstories but they’re easily dismissed and not shared with the audience. TIPS FOR PARENTS: Profanity and crude language Lots of violence (bloodless) Firearms, knives, bombs, and other weapons are used Tons of destruction

IN A NUTSHELL: The story takes place at a cabin deep in the wilderness. A man, his fiancée, and her old guy friend from childhood hang out and go hunting, only to find out they’re the ones being hunted. The film was directed by Adam MacDonald, who also co-wrote it with Joris Jarsky and Enuka Okuma. THINGS I LIKED: The cast features the lovely Missy Peregrym, Joris Jarsky, and Damon Runyan. I don’t know if they did their own stunts, but some of the scenes were pretty good, especially when Missy falls down a big hill. Gorgeous cinematography by Christian Bielz. There are a lot of intriguing camera angles that keep things interesting. The wolves and attacks look very real THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: A lot of time is wasted in Act 1 dancing around and drinking. Sophie’s fiancé is painted to be a real jerk in Act 1, so you just assume he’s going to be the first one to die. No love lost, right? Fortunately, it’s not quite that simple… There’s a nighttime bed scene that is super dark visually. It’s hard to see what’s happening, but it’s the pillow talk that’s more important than the visuals anyway. Arrows and knives don’t always work, but yelling at a wolf does? Lame. The movie kind of felt like a shark movie, if you know what I mean. It would have been more fun to fill the stories with more characters. That being said, the plot was fairly simple and straightforward. TIPS FOR PARENTS: Some profanity with F-bombs We see bloodied, bodies with broken, torn-up body parts We see a people and animals killed in bloody, gory, brutal, visceral ways Talk of young teens sleeping together

IN A NUTSHELL: The story is adapted from the popular New York Times best seller Colleen Hoover novel. It’s about Lily, who overcomes a traumatic childhood to embark on a new life. A chance meeting with a neurosurgeon sparks a connection but Lily begins to see sides of him that remind her of her parents’ relationship. The film was directed by Justin Baldoni who also stars in it. Writing credits go to Colleen Hoover, of course, and Christy Hall. For what it’s worth, I haven’t read the book, so I can’t tell you how close or far it is from the source material, but I’ve heard it’s a very good book-to-movie adaptation from those who love the book. If you’ve read it, please comment below. I’d love to hear your thoughts! THINGS I LIKED: Blake Lively is gorgeous and can act. What’s not to love? In the book, Lily’s character is only 23 and Ryle is 30, but in the movie, they’re about 10 years older. When fans of the book complained about the age difference, Colleen Hoover explained that she was correcting an error in her own book. She had been contracted to write college-age characters, saying she “didn’t know that neurosurgeons went to school for 50 years”! Of course, that was her joke, but she really did think she messed up. Blake also served as one of the film’s producers. Jenny Slate is always such a fun, quirky character, whether she’s in a live action movie or animation. She always brings a fun spark to any role. Other standout cast members include Brandon Sklenar, Kevin McKidd, Hasan Minhag, and Justin Baldoni, of course. Gorgeous flower shop! Lovely musical score by Duncan Blickenstaff and Rob Simonsen. The costume design by Eric Daman is elegant and even stunning at times. I’ve heard that readers of the book have been very pleased with how close to the source material the movie is. I must say, I did like the ending. I’ve heard the book doesn’t end on such a positive note. THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: The entire time I was watching this, I wondered what Ryan Reynolds thought about watching his wife make out with another man. That being said, she’s had to watch her share of other women making out with her husband. Alright girls, when you see a guy violently kick a chair, that’s your first red flag. No one is perfect but watch for those red flags. Here’s another warning for young women: Have some patience. Within minutes of meeting each other and after talking about the emotional damage their previous relationships had, they lean in for an intimate moment. A phone call stopped it from going any farther. Lesson: If you move that fast in a relationship without really knowing someone, the chances are very high it’s not going to end well. It’s very slow-moving. The movie is way too long to say what it needs to say. The title makes the movie’s end extremely predictable. TIPS FOR PARENTS: Kids will be completely bored. Alcohol consumption Pre-marital “relations” are seen Talk of a child and father who died. We see some passionate moments with skin but it doesn’t go into rated R territory I was surprised to see 10 people listed as stuntmen and women. This definitely isn’t an action movie, but there were a few scenes where we see some violence.

IN A NUTSHELL: The story takes place in a small village in Belgium amidst World War I. A grieving father becomes a hero by leading the villagers to safety while evading a relentless enemy driven by vengeance. The film was directed by Julien Hayet-Kerknawi, who also co-wrote it with Kate Wood. THINGS I LIKED: Fans of Game of Thrones will be thrilled to see Iain Glen star in this war drama. The lovely cinematography is by Xavier Van D'huynslager. We don't get to see very many war movies about Belgium, so it was nice to have this film added to the genre. There are a lot of shoot 'em-up scenes with lots of action. The film shows an emotional side to war by focusing on the Belgium families, as well as the villains' families. Casting James Downie as Iaian Glen's son was smart because they kind of look alike. Other outstanding cast members include Joe Anderson, Philippe Brenninkmeyer, Sasha Luss, David Calder, and James Downie. The focus is on fathers and sons on both sides of the battle line. That part was what provided depth and heart. THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: Shaky cam. I hate shaky cam. Sometimes, it's hard to understand what people are saying when they're crying or whispering. Some of the nighttime scenes are super dark, making it difficult to see what's happening. TIPS FOR PARENTS: Kids will be bored. Beyond that, this movie isn't appropriate for kids anyway. Lots of brutal, bloody violence A lot of people die Firearms, knives, and other weapons are used Talk of out-of-wedlock pregnancy Grief and mourning (Talk of family members who previously died) To see my full review, go to my Movie Review Mom YouTube channel!

IN A NUTSHELL: I love many of M. Night Shyamalan’s movies, but some are definitely better than others. He finances his own films, so he was able to continue filming during the SAG-AFTRA strike. The story is about a father and his teenager daughter who attend a pop concert only to realize they’ve entered the center of a dark and sinister event. The story is based very loosely on a real-life police operation from the 1980s. DON’T watch the trailer so that you’ll be surprised. THINGS I LIKED: Josh Hartnett gives a good performance as the conflicted dad. I would love to have seen even more subtle layers on his face like James McAvoy did in Split. The rest of the cast also did a good job in their roles and includes Ariel Donoghue, Alison Pill, and the legendary, Academy Award winner Hayley Mills. I love it when M. Night Shyamalan has a cameo in each of his movies. We get to hear some good music and see a “crispy” concert that looks like something straight out of Taylor Swift or Lady Gaga. Fun fact: He produced films that his two daughters were involved with, including this one and The Watchers, which was directed by Ishana Shyamalan. This movie is his daughter Saleka’s debut. She plays the pop star and is lovely. She’s a musician in real life and wrote 14 of the original songs for the movie. She even opened for Boyz II Men once. What a talented family! There’s a twist, but if you’ve seen the trailer, you won’t be surprised. The more fun twist would have been to switch who the real killer was at the last minute. One thing M. Night Shyamalan is good at is the use of creative and interesting camera angles. THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: The trailer was really good but gave away the secret of the big reveal. Thankfully, there is a small twist at the end. Some of the father/daughter conversations were odd. There should have been way more frightened looks and tears in Act 3. Everyone seemed to underact, despite the tension. There are some serious, unrealistic plot holes. TIPS FOR PARENTS: We see men peeing in a men’s restroom. People are in dangerous situations. People use firearms and knives Someone gets tased with a stun gun

IN A NUTSHELL: This is the first movie adaptation of the popular children’s book Harold and the Purple Crayon where Harold draws anything from his imagination with a purple crayon to have adventures with his friends, Moose and Porcupine. When he grows up (in this movie), he enters the real world and realizes he has a lot to learn about life and the power of imagination. The film was directed by Carlos Saldanha. Writing credits go to David Guion and Michael Handelman. Many film critics are giving very low scores for this movie; however, families are loving it. THINGS I LIKED: I adore the talented Zachary Levi. He’s perfect in this as a sweet Man Child. Zooey Deschanel is also so talented. It was great seeing her in a feature film again. It has been a while. I wish cute actresses wouldn’t mess with their beautiful faces. She looked different and I kept trying to figure out what work she had done. It looked like filler and Botox. I was distracted by her lips every time she was on screen. I instantly recognized Alfred Molina’s classic voice as the narrator. Nice choice. Lil Rel Howery has been showing up in all kinds of movies recently. Congrats to him. He always adds a fun touch. This is his 5th time using his voice talents in an animation. In this hybrid film, he is both a voice and live action character. Jermaine Clement makes an amusing villain. He’s not too scary, so young kids should be able to watch this movie without fear. He previously worked with the director as the voice of a **** in the animation franchise called Rio. The young actor, Benjamin Bottani, did a fine job. In the film, some of the characters travel to the real Crockett Johnson house, which has been turned into a museum in Rowayton, Connecticut. The draw-battle was cute and entertaining. Many of the scenes looked like cartoon sequences come to life…in a good way. The film will definitely spark the imagination of your kids! THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: How can you have a movie with talented singers like Zachary Levi and Zooey Deschanel and NOT have them sing together? So disappointing! What a missed opportunity. There is even a piano scene that could have easily turned into a singing moment. Drats. I was fully expecting the moose and porcupine to turn into live-action animals, not humans, in the real world. Spider fly. Ick and eww. Several plot points don’t make any sense. (No spoilers.) Dead parent. Cliched. There are some story threads that are just completely dropped. (No spoilers.) TIPS FOR PARENTS: No profanity. Yay! This is truly family-friendly for all ages, but I think young kids will enjoy it the most. Bullies are portrayed as adults and kids People evade the police Lots of destruction Be sure to point out the themes and lessons learned in the story to your kids. Some of the movie quotes I share below list them well.

IN A NUTSHELL: The story is about two robbers who go on the run with the help of a therapist after a theft doesn’t go as planned. The amusing heist movie was directed by Doug Liman. Writing credits go to Chuck MacLean and Casey Affleck. The beloved duo Ben Affleck and Matt Damon worked as the producers of the film. A lot of film critics hated this, but I think a lot of viewers will get a kick out of it, especially if they’re fans of certain cast members. I did. THINGS I LIKED: I love this cast. The movie features two Academy Award winners: Matt Damon and Casey Affleck. They’re both so natural on the Big Screen and always give us entertaining characters that always make us root for them. The rest of the cast was terrific and included Hong Chau (Oscar nominee), Alfred Molina, Ron Perlman, Andre De Shields, Toby Jones, Jack Harlow, Paul Walter Hauser, Ving Rhames, and more. Rob Gronkowski plays himself. All of the characters are fleshed out really well with clear motivations. I love it when Matt Damon uses his Boston accent and celebrates his roots. There’s plenty of action sequences, including several car chases. The food at that bakery looked delicious. The soundtrack is a lot of fun. The dialogue and banter is amusing and ridiculous. THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: Some of the plot points are a bit of a stretch. TIPS FOR PARENTS: Tons of profanity, including a million F-bombs Kids will be bored Criminals shoot and kill people. We see bloodied, dead bodies. People steal and commit other crimes Lots of destruction Someone flips the bird.

IN A NUTSHELL: The story is about a rock star who tries to get away from it all after a failed comeback album. He escapes to a dreamy Mediterranean island, only to discover that his new cliffside home has an unfortunate notoriety that attracts unwanted visitors and an old flame. The film was written and directed by Stelana Kliris. I really enjoyed it! THINGS I LIKED: Harry Connick Jr. does a great job in this. I love that we get to hear him sing too! We’re introduced to the talented Ali Fumiko Whitney. She has a lovely voice and some solid acting chops too. The title takes on a new meaning only minutes into the film when we see someone walk off a cliff to commit suicide. EEK! Then, we get additional levels of meaning in Acts 2 and 3. The movie takes place in the Mediterranean island of Cypress. We get immersed in its culture in the film. This is the first movie to be filmed in Cyprus for Netflix We get to see some delicious-looking food in Cypress. It all looked great except for the snails. Ick. We get to hear some lovely music. It was refreshing to watch a rom-com that wasn’t like all the others where two people meet, initially hate each other, then fall in love, then have a crisis, then fall back in love again. I really liked that there was history already between the couple and the movie gave us layers to their relationship. The movie illustrates how blood is thick and we need to love and support our family, especially through tough times and mistakes. I thought the very last scene was so sweet. THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: It’s hard to feel sorry for a rich celebrity at the beginning of the movie. I’ve read reviews from people who said the movie has family values, yet one of the earlier scenes shows a woman in church talking about how she hooked up with a guy the night before. TIPS FOR PARENTS: Kids will be bored. The first words we hear are profanity. We hear a lot of Greek spoken with subtitles. We learn a Greek swear word within the first few minutes. Cigarette smoking Alcohol Two unmarried girls get knocked up

IN A NUTSHELL: The mind-expanding story is about three children who are brought together when their mother refuses to move from a couch in a furniture store. The surrealistic film was written and directed by the young Niclas Larsson. He’s only 34! In an interview, he explained that there is a difference between entertainment and cinema. He stated that in cinema, you feel what the protagonist feels, while in entertainment, you’re presented with what you’re supposed to feel. Already, the film has been nominated and won an award for “Best Nordic Film” due to the director’s Swedish country of origin. THINGS I LIKED: The quirky music at the very beginning of the movie during the rolling credits lets you know immediately that this film is going to be different. The first thing we see on the screen are these words: “It was all very simple. They were looking for a dresser. Blood wouldn’t spill until later.” What an intriguing opener! I adore Ewan McGregor in anything he does. He has a knack for choosing artsy, different scripts. Here’s another one. His accent is, of course, different from his siblings’ and mother’s. It’s explained that his father is different from his siblings. He’s such a great actor and did a terrific job in this. Rhys Ifan‘s accent is described as his being from Wales. I didn’t even recognize Laura Flynn Boyle. In every scene she’s in, she pops a cigarette in her life with a frown. Taylor Russell is darling. Of course, legendary Ellen Burstyn stars at the titular mother. I would like to have seen more from her, but she’s 92 years old! Her character is so unlikeable by design. It is rumored that she accepted this role because she had never played a mother in her career who didn’t want children. I like the imagery of a couch, which is supposed to be warm and comfy. That’s how we expect our mothers to be, right? In contrast, we see a very cranky and even mean woman who never wanted to be a mother. Other cast members include Lake Bell and F. Murray Abraham. I hadn’t seen the trailer, so I didn’t know anything about this movie before I watched it. It wasn’t until Act 3 that I realized it’s a symbolic film about letting go of our parents and any emotional wounds that they may have caused us during our life. I really related to the final scenes with the flooding and rushing water. I had to say goodbye and bury 3 of my parents in 3 months last year. At times, I felt like I was drowning in all of the medical and legal decisions that had to be made before and after their passing. This movie illustrates how heartbreaking and overwhelming all of that can be. The very first shot of the sky as the camera pans down is the first glimpse that perspective is going to be a big part of the film. THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: The original scenario is absurd. There are many clues that let you know there is more to this story than meets the eye. Some viewers won’t see or understand the layers. Knowing this is an artsy-fartsy film before you see it will absolutely help you enjoy it more. While some viewers are calling this a dark comedy, the director described this as a horror movie. In an interview, the director said it’s okay to not like a film instantly after you watch it. What he wants viewers to do is think about it before deciding. TIPS FOR PARENTS: Kids will be extremely bored. So will some adults. Profanity, including F-bombs We see a naked woman in a shower, but she covers her chest with her hand. Warning: This movie is highly symbolic.

IN A NUTSHELL: It’s been 40 years since the first Beverly Hills Cop movie. Can you believe it? The story is about Alex Foley, who returns to Beverly Hills after his daughter’s life is threatened, and works with old pals John Taggart and Billy Rosewood to uncover a conspiracy. The cop comedy was directed by Mark Molloy. Writing credits go to Danilo Bach, Daniel Petrie Jr., and Will Beall. The film was produced by Eddie Murphy Productions and Jerry Bruckheimer Films. THINGS I LIKED: Everyone loves Eddie Murphy, right? He’s just as charming and funny as ever. We see the return of fan favorites from the first Beverly Hills Cop movies such as Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, and Paul Reiser. New faces to this franchise include Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Kevin Bacon, and Taylour Paige. We spend some time in Detroit at the beginning of the movie, but the bulk of the movie takes place in Beverly Hills, California. As expected, the movie has won an award for “Location Team of the Year” by the California on Location Awards. The movie feels like a love letter to fans and definitely doesn’t take itself too seriously. It felt like a 1980s movie. THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: I never saw the original movies, so I know I probably missed a bunch of Easter eggs and nostalgic nods to the franchise. Taylor Paige’s character was unappealing, probably because she complained about everything and held a huge grudge for 99% of the movie. My husband and I wondered if she was related to someone who produced the film because she didn’t seem to fit in the rest of the playful cast. While watching the movie, my husband commented on Taylour Paige’s perfect posture. She trained in ballet for many years, and later worked with choreographer Debbie Allen. Debbie Allen cast her in every one of her studio’s musicals for 9 years. The villain was super obvious the minute he stepped on the screen. TIPS FOR PARENTS: Profanity Axel F breaks a lot of rules and puts people in danger Guns and other weapons are used Lots of destruction

IN A NUTSHELL: The goofy story is about Rex, a Florida party girl, who turns out to be the only hope for the NASA space program after a fluke puts her in training with other candidates who may have better resumes, but don’t have her smarts, heart, or moxie. The film was directed and written by Liz W. Garcia. THINGS I LIKED: I really liked Emma Roberts in this. It was a great role for her. The rest of the cast includes a lot of women who are supposed to be better than the men in the film. So, what else is new? That describes just about every movie nowadays. The list includes Poppy Liu, Gabrielle Union, Kuhoo Verma, Desi Lydic, Dave Foley, the handsome Tom Hopper, and many more. The movie features a high school reunion. Have you been to one? They can be really fun and inspiring or else make you feel like you haven’t done anything with your life. Fun fact: The dormitory is the Ryan Stone Dormitory. Ryan Stone was the name of Sandra Bullock’s character in the movie Gravity. Did you see that movie? I got dizzy watching it but I loved the ending. The soundtrack is a lot of fun.I love slow-motion astronaut walking sequences. The title is perfect with double meaning. The ideal target audience for this movie is 9 – 13-year-old girls. THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: Rex seemed normal at the beginning of the movie and then suddenly turned into a crazy, wild girl once she got to NASA. The film has an error in it when they refer to meteors as meteorites. As if NASA wouldn’t have thoroughly researched all of the astronaut candidates. All of the characters are super over-the-top. So, is the lesson to lie your way to your dream? There’s a terrible musical number when the leading actors sing karaoke together. There is a green screen moment that is pretty obvious. Super predictable. If you’re looking for something realistic, keep looking. TIPS FOR PARENTS: We see women wearing skimpy clothes Lots of alcohol Talk of the death of a parent Profanity, including an F-bomb Drug references Racist joke about white people

IN A NUTSHELL: This is the 4th installment in Gru’s story in the popular Despicable Me franchise. The last one earned almost a BILLION dollars worldwide! This addition to the franchise is a family story that focuses on Lucy and Gru Jr. Gru’s newest nemesis is Maxime Le Mal and his girlfriend Valentina, who force Gru’s family to go into the Witness Protection Program. The animation was directed by Chris Renaud and Patrick Delage. Writing credits go to Mike White and Ken Daurio. THINGS I LIKED: The voice talents include returning fan favorites: Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Joey King, Will Ferrell, Sofia Vergara, Pierre Coffin, Steve Coogan, Stephen Colbert, Laraine Newman, and more. The animation is really great, as expected. I was completely enamored by Gru Jr. and his incredibly expressive face and eyes. So cute. I love all of the little details in the animation. So clever and entertaining. There is so much visual and spoken humor. There is something that will make all ages laugh in this. Yay! Fans of the old Terminator franchise will recognize some of the music moments used in this movie for humorous effect. There are quite a few musical jokes that will appeal to parents and grandparents for nostalgia’s sake. This movie won’t win any big awards, but you’ll laugh. As always, the minions are adorable at times and annoying at other times. Plenty of silly, chaotic shenanigans as expected. The soundtrack is energetic, culminating in the obligatory dancing finale to the song “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” by Tears for Fears. THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: There’s a Boy George reference. Will any kids or their young Millennial parents even know who he is? The target audience for many of the jokes seems like grandparents. We don’t get enough information or backstory to understand what Maxime’s evil plot is all about, although his special talents are unique. All of the villains are pretty easily overcome. If you’re a fan who pays attention to the details, you might wonder what happened to Valerie Da Vinci, who replaced Silas Ramsbottom in the third movie. We don’t get any information about her in this movie. There is a lot going on in this story that makes the telling of it a bit choppy. Not all of the jokes land. Ultimately, the movie is enjoyable but forgettable. TIPS FOR PARENTS: The “camera” zooms in on people’s rear ends when they’re dancing. Cartoon violence Lots of destruction Bullying

IN A NUTSHELL: The story is about two best friends who navigate pregnancy and childbirth, as it changes their relationship. The film was directed by Pamela Adlon in her directorial debut. Writing credits go to Llana Glazer, Josh Rabinowitz, who also co-produced it with Susie Fox, Ashley Fox, and Breean Pojunas. Already, the film has been nominated for awards by two film festivals. THINGS I LIKED: Michelle Buteau and Llana Glazer have fantastic chemistry together and are believable as besties since childhood. Llana Glazer was really pregnant while writing and filming this movie. She drew inspiration from her own experience with pregnancy and motherhood. I got a kick out of her physical humor as she played a spunky, energetic yoga instructor who gets knocked up after a one-night stand. There are a lot of funny moments that are often simultaneously cringe moments. Some audiences will love that. All of the secondary characters did a great job too, and include John Carroll Lynch, Oliver Platt, Sandra Bernhard, Hasan Minhaj, and Stephen James. I love it when New York City is one of the characters in a movie. New Yorkers are very different kind of people from the ones I live around. There is a raw honesty about motherhood. Hopefully, men who watch this film will better appreciate what women do. How lucky are those who have best friends like this who are fiercely loyal. THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: The film is extremely raunchy, disrespectful, and profane. It’s not my cup of tea, but I can absolutely see why some audiences will think it’s hilarious and smart. It reminded me that there actually are people out there who live and speak like this in real life. The content about bodily fluids and exhaustion is repeated over and over. While I wanted them to move on to new territory, I absolutely recognize that motherhood is filled with those things! One of the things that made me sad about this movie is the focus on the negative side of parenting. Yes, being pregnant and raising kids is exhausting, but it’s also the most rewarding thing a woman will ever do in her life. The ending is predictable, yet still made me a little teary-eyed. TIPS FOR PARENTS: This absolutely not appropriate for kids. No subject is taboo in this movie. TONS of super crude language and people We see a full nude pregnant woman. She tries to cover various body parts with her hands. We see two women take psychedelic shrooms An unmarried couple has a one-night stand (we don’t see the action) A woman tells a 3-year-old boy to watch a rated R movie with her: The Omen, which is a terribly scary movie for kids and incredibly inappropriate. He ends up writing 666 in red on the walls of his bedroom. When a doctor asks a pregnant woman if she wants to know the gender of her baby, she explains she doesn’t want to put a binary name on it. Lots of alcohol Lots of talk of intimate relationships (if you know what I mean)

IN A NUTSHELL: The story is about marketing maven, Kelly Jones, who wreaks havoc on Apollo 11’s launch director’s already difficult task of landing on the moon in 1969. When the White House deems the mission too important to fail, the countdown between fact and fiction truly begins. The fun flick was directed by Greg Berlanti. Writing credits go to Keenan Flynn, Rose Gilroy, and Bill Kirstein. Already, the movie has been nominated for Best Comedy and Best Romance by the Golden Trailer Awards. The movie takes true history and massages it into a fun romantic comedy with heart. I really liked it and have been surprised at how low other film critics have rated it. THINGS I LIKED: The cast is fantastic and includes Scarlett Johannson, Channing Tatum, Woody Harrelson, Ray Romano, Jim Rash, and a fun cameo from SNL’s news anchor Colin Jost. Scarlett Johansson has always been beautiful to look at, but she has become a truly fine actress. She gives an outstanding performance and is the heart of this movie. She also worked as one of the producers on the film. I love the line on the movie poster that asks, “Will they make it or fake it?” The film takes advantage of old conspiracy theories about faking the moon landing by offering it some legitimacy, and making it fun and clever. We get to go to NASA in Cocoa Beach, Florida. My husband and I went on the tour for the general public a few years ago and left very impressed. How could we not? Everything there feels bigger than life. I love the little details and research that went into this film. For example, they show a party at NASA and we see popular food on the tables such as “Pigs in a Blanket”, Jello molds, and other dishes from the 1960s. We get to see some clips from the real footage of the Apollo 11 launch. Amazing. There’s a black cat in the movie that plays a bigger role than you think it would. Cats have been showing up in a lot of movies lately, like the most recent A Quiet Place: Day One, Argylle, and, of course, The Garfield Movie. Despite the long length of the movie, the time flew by and I didn’t even look at the time once. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. Fun fact: The movie was originally going to go straight to streaming but, after testing it with audiences who loved it, it was decided to launch with a theater premiere. Good choice! Any movie about going to the moon should be seen on the biggest screen possible, right? The humor is smart and doesn’t talk down to the audience. The costume designs by Mary Zophres really take you back to the 1960s. THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: You KNOW there will be people who watch this movie who will believe it’s 100% fact. We don’t get to see the talented Ray Romano do much in his small role. TIPS FOR PARENTS: Young kids will be bored. Teens might get a kick out of it if they can stay off their phones for more than a minute. A public affairs lady lies and twists the truth in her marketing efforts. Some profanity Smoking Alcohol Dishonesty

IN A NUTSHELL: The story is about a woman who takes a very long cab ride from JFK airport to Manhattan. She engages in conversations with the taxi driver about the important relationships in their lives. The film was written and directed by Christy Hall. THINGS I LIKED: Sean Penn gives us a multi-layered character in one of his best performances. In the beginning of the movie, the look in his character’s eyes reveals that he’s attracted to Dakota Johnson’s character, so he engages in flirtatious questions. By the end of the movie, he looks at her as a father figure. The shift was subtle but noticeable. That’s great acting. Do I smell an Oscar nomination? Dakota Johnson is beautiful as a blonde or brunette or any color. Her skin is flawless. In the movie, Dakota Johnson’s character’s age is questioned. She doesn’t say how old she is, but in real life, she’s 34. She plays a young woman who is having an affair with a married man. I have no respect for women who can do that. She gives a very compelling performance. This kind of a movie is called a “two-hander”, which means there are only two characters in it. The weight of the success of this film rests firmly in this pair’s hands. The good news is that they are more than capable in their roles. That’s an especially impressive feat, considering the entire movie takes place in a small space inside a taxi. There is a conversation about Bucket Lists. I highly recommend making one! I used to just look at my Bucket List and say, “Someday”, but I decided to move the items on my list to my calendar to MAKE them happen. That has made all the difference in my life. Crossing them off one by one has been such a joy and empowered feeling. There is no action. This is 100% a character study that is dialogue driven. I’ve had experiences when talking with complete strangers has been so helpful and insightful. They’ve happened to me several times on long airplane trips. THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: The description of the movie promises stimulating conversation. Instead, we get a lot of profanity and talk of sex. I would be jumping out of the car if a taxi driver got that personal with me on a ride. I imagine a lot of viewers will walk out during the sexting portions of the film and be very bored and simultaneously shocked at how quickly the conversation turned to sex. We have to read a LOT of texts. This is not a movie you can have playing in the background while your eyes are doing something else. I wanted to shake Dakota Johnson’s character out of her dumb funk and leave the married man. TIPS FOR PARENTS: Kids will be bored. So will be some adults. Profanity and sooo many F-bombs Some crude texting, including a D*** pic and topless woman Talk of affairs