ShortHandCritic

#TheShortHandCritic: Of all the nostalgic movies of better times, the 2003 #Disney hit #FreakyFriday did not seem one of the first choices to get a sequel (we still can’t even get #TheGoonies 2 made). However, with #JamieLeeCurtis fresh off her first #Oscar win and #LindsayLohan’s career comeback in full swing, making #FreakierFriday suddenly seemed more relevant—Particularly given the hullabaloo made these days of generations being pitted against each other. That is part of the theme here as we have 3 different ones colliding. This time around Lohan’s character Anna is getting married and the two daughters (#JuliaButters and #SophiaHammons) despise each other because one is from a different marriage. When they decide to ban together to wreck the wedding, they switch places with mom (Lohan) and grandma Tess (Curtis) via a psychic played by a ho-hum #VanessaBayer (wouldn’t it have been fun to cast say #HayleyMills?!) Similarities to #TheParentTrap abound, this sequel also majorly rehashes its own namesake, which is a shame but no surprise. Both Curtis and especially Lohan this time are wonderful. Yet they are fighting an overloaded script to please the masses that would have been better off to extract half a dozen characters including the new daughters. The movie has too much to handle, and its fast scenes particularly at the top of the film become mentally laborious. Of the original supporting cast, only #ChadMichaelMurray makes an undeniable impression, but we keep wondering why Anna or Tess don’t finally get with him. Disney does good with innuendos, and there are a few very funny moments here but not enough. Also, they corrected their mistake of Lohan not being able to sing in the original. Overall, we are better to have had the experience because of Lohan who truly jumps off the screen with charisma. A long time coming, but a message in never giving up for sure. Still the original is easily better. Perhaps it was the better days era of a more tolerable time filled with carefree hope gone but not forgotten. Then anything seemed possible—even switching bodies with your mother. ️ ️ 1/2 (Out of 4 Because 5 Stars Are For Restaurants & Hotels Only) #FilmReview #ShortHandCritic

#TheShortHandCritic: What are the lower middle-class to do when they can’t get ahead in a world that embraces privilege? Certainly not manipulation and murder, right? When lovelorn Oliver (#BarryKeoghan) makes friends with classically handsome Felix (#JacobLordi) in college, he is invited back to #Saltburn for the summer. The English estate is sprawling and castle-like. When Oliver meets Felix’s eccentric family his awkwardness is quickly shedded and replaced with **** abandon. Director #EmeraldFennell (of the terrific #PromisingYoungWoman) is easily one of the most distinct and modern visionary storytellers today. Fennell loves a good shock. Here, we get several. Mainstream audiences may not realize there is far worse out there. Fennell just knows how to teeter close to the edge of nonacceptance. Perhaps the lack of gay sex is anti-climatic—even if that was the intended irony. The performances throughout are outstanding in particular #AlisonOliver as the haunted sister. #RosamundPike is thankfully more subdued here which helps make the film’s antics more believable. Keoghan provides his naughty character with narcissistic qualities. But as an accumulative learned trait which is a result of the behaviors around him. By the end, we are meant to question whether Oliver loved Felix deeply. Those that feel he had one loveless goal are not looking deep enough themselves. The film is darkly funny but seems to beg for a good old-fashioned horror movie spree that sadly never comes. There are movements made in the screenplay that feel unresolved and a bit too abrupt. “Saltburn” is sure to become a hip gay cult-classic nonetheless. Afterall, anything that revives #SophieEllisBextor’s song #MurderOnTheDancefloor for those who somehow missed it the first time gets extra kudos. “Saltburn” often flirts with brilliance but is certainly always as cool as the coldness it leaves us with. ️️️1/2 (Out of 4 Because 5 Stars Are For Restaurants & Hotels Only.) #FilmReviews #ShortHandCritic

#TheShortHandCritic: #TheHoldovers is not your normal Christmas movie. Neither was #Carol but at least that was a brilliant film. Here, we have a unique premise. Students are left at a school during Christmas break, and a lonely teacher and cafeteria worker are left to care for them. What it tries to say is something meaningful—when we look back is it the softer moments after our burnout that push us the most on our life journey? Was it worth it or should we have moved on sooner or stayed?Unfortunately, the film doesn’t go the distance with this theme—perhaps for fear of becoming too melodramatic. Yet more drama is what we need. The bleak cold wintery feeling is set up nicely with vintage 1970s browns in the set dressing and overall direction of the picture. There’s just not enough substance in the situations involving the characters. This is particularly true for #DaVineJoyRandolph’s character. She doesn’t have enough to do and this lack of usage is a blaring mistake. Are the performances great? Yes. Particularly #PaulGiamatti who has us to almost tears near the end. The general absence of sentimentality works in the films favor at times, not in others. It’s not funny enough, it’s not sweet enough, it’s not dramatic enough. There’s just not enough of enough. This doesn’t mean it should have went over the top. Better films that’s tone feels similar are #HaroldAndMaude and #AlmostFamous. Still, it’s a well-intentioned film and worth a watch when and if the mood strikes. For now “The Holdovers” doesn’t seem as if it will be as easy to remember as it could have been. However, if time is surprisingly good to it (which can happen) another half a star can be added. Needless to say, this past year has not been the most excellent for film. Where’s the substance? Where’s the real raw heartbeat? How very telling for our time. ️️1/2 (Out of 4 Because 5 Stars Are For Restaurants & Hotels Only.) #FilmReview #ShortHandCritic

#TheShortHandCritic: Great movies that satirize the whole of a subject are hard to find. There is usually a blaring agenda. Although the balance is still uneven, #AmericanFiction is more successful than most at this. As an apparent tongue-in-cheek joke, a black writer crafts a stereotypical novel only to find it surge up the best seller list. #JeffreyWright is terrific as the troubled author. #SterlingKBrown plays the gay brother to varied results—yet manages to score a Best Supporting Actor #Oscar nomination. The main issue is his underdeveloped character and lack of screen time. Wright, however, is a solid choice for Best Actor with his nomination. His see-saw effect of comedy within drama is impeccable. If only there had been given more opportunity for it. The film seems like it’s missing about 15 minutes, and as a result the ending feels unintentionally unresolved. Regardless, it’s very fun to watch anything to do with novel’s rise to fame. #ErikaAlexander also shines as the love interest. Overall, the whole of the film is missing sharpness at its point. That may be the intended vibe. There is a powerful scene at an awards show that mostly makes up for anything that feels dulled down. Given that scene, the irony of “American Fiction” being a contender for Best Picture of the year does not go unnoticed. ️️️ (Out of 4 Because 5 Stars Are For Restaurants & Hotels Only) #FilmReview #ShortHandCritic

#TheShortHandCritic: When a young American woman (#NellTigerFree) moves to Rome to be of service to a church and orphanage, the eerie surroundings and questionable happenings there quickly take hold. Prequels rarely work well, and horror is a challenging genre to get right in general. #TheFirstOmen does justice to the original #TheOmen (1976) which is still one of the scariest and most underrated horror films of all time. It suffered unfair backlash amidst the critical acclaim of #TheExorcist. (Possible Spoiler) With “The First Omen” the idea of a cult-ridden church helping the Antichrist to be born in order to win people back to Religion is mindblowingly clever and scarily possible—if you chose to believe such things. If you don’t, the validity of such spiritual-based movies may be less powerful. Regardless, Director #ArkashaStevenson does a terrific job with atmosphere, mood, and enhancing the underlying message of abortion. Free is a marvelous new discovery and was well-cast here because we believe her. There’s a memorable convulsion scene where she shows true agony. The film is a bit predictable in its mystery. However, it’s easier not to mind because of the interest in the inevitable as well as the admirably creepy performances throughout. When far too many trendy comedy-horror films have taken over the genre, the unwavering terror of “The First Omen” is refreshing as hell. ️️️ 1/2 (Out Of 4 Because 5 Stars Are For Restaurants & Hotels Only) #FilmReview #ShortHandCritic

#TheShortHandCritic: If there were an award for everything, #Thelma would certainly be deserving of “Most Disappointing Movie Of The Year”. #JuneSquibb stars in the title role of a scammed woman who goes to retrieve her money back. Adventure ensues—if you want to call it that—via a two-seat scooter with owner Ben played by #RichardRoundtree. It’s one of those light-hearted movies that tries to be so tender—it’s hard to speak bad of. (So leave it to me your trusted reviewer.) This is a film where you try desperately to laugh, but there’s just nothing there that should be there—so you fake laugh out of respect. Both the writing and direction by #JoshMargolin are weak. A scene at a gas station where each party can clearly see each other from all sides stands out as well as the major let-down ending. Everything is just slightly “off” the intended beat and not in a good way. “Thelma” tries hard to be a unique action movie on the terms of seniors which just isn’t shot raw enough to work. Had the director dropped the act and leaned into the ending credit footage style of his real grandmother something special would be here. He wants this to be an homage, but it’s just a misfire. Everything is overglossed and misunderstood. Why is Margolin afraid to make the character of Thelma have spice instead of being a stereotypical “sweet grandma”? Additionally, the supporting cast is misguided and overplayed. There’s just nothing for them to do. Squibb is good and so is Roundtree, but it’s just not enough at the hands of an inexperienced writer/director. Too bad. So sad. I’m adding 1/2 star because more senior-themed screen work is needed, and at least that was admirably attempted here. ️ ️ (Out of 4 Because 5 Stars Are For Restaurants & Hotels Only) #FilmReview #ShortHandCritic

#TheShortHandCritic: Finally, the original 1996 disaster film #Twister gets an admirable sequel. We sure waited long enough. After its slightly predictable beginning, #Twisters settles in for a surprisingly engrossing story—that trades in suspense for compassion and depth. Despite the meandering elements of terror never really giving us a steady build like the original, it was a risky choice that pays off. After the tragedy of a school experiment gone wrong, Kate (played wonderfully by #DaisyEdgarJones) is swayed back to chasing tornadoes years later with the hopes of helping others. Perhaps the most irritating thing about this movie is the over-glossed sentimental nature in which it spoon-feeds us to believe these characters do good things. The helping people in peril borderlines on becoming cheesy rather than inspiring. This is particularly so with the macho-egotistical performance of #GlenPowell as the viral-hungry Tyler. It’s apparent the writers really want us to like him despite it all. But do we? With expectations of a follow-up, the movie cleverly leaves us on a cliffhanger of sorts—not ending the romantic way expected. The climatic theatre scene is very well done as are the slight homages given to the original. (It’s chickens this time instead of cows.) By comparison, both films are on par with each other. What the other lacks in, the other makes up for. ️️️ (Out of 4 Because 5 Stars Are For Restaurants & Hotels Only) #FilmReview #ShortHandCritic #️

#TheShortHandCritic: Just when all hope seemed lost—the sequel to #Beetlejuice is resurrected from the grave. #BeetlejuiceBeetlejuice finds the Deetz family selling off their iconic white house when the patriarch of the family has passed. Lydia (#WinonaRyder) begins to sense that her childhood demon (whose name we shall not speak) is tormenting her from the afterlife again. Her daughter Astrid (#JennaOrtega) doesn’t believe in her mother’s abilities—however Beetlejuice is about to make a believer out of her. Ortega plays her character with the same spoiled **** that many of her roles have required of her. It’s rather tiresome at times. #CatherineOhara has her moments, but her performance feels like a subset of #SchittsCreek. #MichaelKeaton is on fire again as the wild and irresistible title character. However, this time the movie belongs to Ryder who reminds us of that kooky old school charm that the Ortega-generation just simply can’t seem to match. There’s unexpected dimension in Lydia proving Ryder is still a terrific actress. Other characters played by #MonicaBellucci, #WillemDafoe, and especially #JustinTheroux are just bland, cardboard and unwelcome in the mix. Thankfully, the spirit of the film is very winning because we are so happy to finally get our sequel-wish. However, it just is not to compare to the 1988 classic. A lot of the special effects and make-up somehow feel jankier now—which is a surprise given how much delicate passion director #TimBurton put into the original. Even the sequel’s lighting feels off—making the afterlife scenes feel less moody and spooky. The story is all over the place—only a great subplot involving a romance with Astrid and the famed “Ghost House” TV show Lydia hosts resonates but are short-lived. The climax doesn’t hit right, and it’s just not as scary or funny as the original. But who are we kidding—there’s no matching the randomness of the original Shrimp Cocktail Dinner Dance sequence. It’s one of the funniest scenes in film history. Retreads like sandworms and weddings need replacing with new random ideas like the fun “Soul Train” bit—and we’d be ready to party with “Beetlejuice” again. Still the nostalgia is entrancing. Sequel: ️️ 1/2 Original: ️️️️ (Out of 4 Because 5 Stars Are For Restaurants & Hotels Only) #FilmReview #ShortHandCritic

#TheShortHandCritic: #TheDeliverance is a throwaway horror movie that was made memorable by the unexpected performance of #GlennClose as Alberta. Close sinks her teeth into the role—surprisingly avoiding camp (something, let’s be honest, she has danced around more often than she should in her career) while clearly eyeing another #Oscar nod. Unfortunately, her role of the reborn abusive mother to #AndraDay’s character Ebony may not be written big enough to support it. Day plays a drunken mother who mirrors the behaviors she grew up dealing with. She tries her best to still make Ebony lost but likable, but it’s a challenging feat. Had the movie been simply a drama like in the first act—it would have been far more interesting. Instead it submerges into a possessed house horror flick that feels out in left field. Nothing adds up the way it should—the dynamics of the mother/daughter relationship go back and forth between believability. It’s flimsily directed by #LeeDaniels, and the stereotypical writing is even worse—it being based on an apparent true story. In different hands of those with more skilled concentration, this could have been a great movie. But it’s simply awful and—not scary. The curiosity factor of Close’s excellent performance is almost enough to recommend it for a viewing… almost. ️1/2 (1/2 Added Only For Close’s Performance/Out Of 4 Because 5 Stars Are For Restaurants & Hotels Only) #FilmReview #ShortHandCritic

#TheShortHandCritic: Elizabeth Sparkle (#DemiMoore), an attractive fading Oscar-winning star, gets the boot from her workout show and is slipped an invitation to try a hush-hush mystery tonic sure to change her life, looks, and body into another better version of herself. However, once injected there’s a challenging upkeep and diabolical trust that goes along with it—if not adhered to you face the dire consequences. #TheSubstance owes a great deal to the fantastic satire #DeathBecomesHer as well as (believe it or not) #Frankenstein. However, this film leans harder into the horror realm and reaps the wild harvest as a result. It’s anchored by a powerhouse throw all caution to the wind parody performance by Moore. Consider this a comeback—and rightly so—as a personal best, it could finally secure her a Best Actress #Oscar nomination. The terrific monster movie Make Up Effects will garner attention as well. There’s buckets of glorious gore, so it’s not for the squeamish. Many comedic elements mixed in really work—with the exception of a far too over-the-top performance by #DennisQuaid. Moore and a luminously fierce #MargaretQualley understand #CoralieFargeat’s ravenous direction of the film better as they supported the seriousness of the absurdity with integrity. This is key to the film’s success. That and the tension which becomes perfectly unsettling alongside the undercurrent of sadness brought on by the theme of vanity. #TheSubstance is a mouth-dropping allegory of Hollywood’s obsession with youth, the male-gaze, and disposability. We are made to contemplate if we are our own worst enemy or has society conditioned us to be. This film is a must-see but don’t say you haven’t been warned. It’s absolutely bonkers, and the exhilaration it produces will be hard to shake by the inevitable end. Wow. ️️️1/2 (Out of 4 Because 5 Stars Are For Restaurants & Hotels Only) #FilmReview #ShortHandCritic

#TheShortHandCritic: Woe is me. This one hurt. #JokerFolieADeux has been greatly anticipated given the casting of #LadyGaga as Harleen “Lee” Quinzel for what seems like years. While Joker (played by #JoaquinPhoenix) is literally withering away in a nasty prison. He meets Lee just in time for his trial for the murders in the previous film #Joker. Once together sparks fly as they get whisked away to a fantasyland filled with irreverent musical numbers. You heard that right—this is a musical. What the film was going for with the random music is intriguing, but it does not work at all. Each time the film pauses as if to crank up another buffoonery of song it induces the internal plea “Oh God—please not another one!” The musical numbers are neither flamboyant nor raw enough to attract memorability. But even they are more impressive in their nonsense than the actual screenplay. It meanders creating surprising boredom which aiding the film’s already overly depressive tone by director #ToddPhillips. The story is as flat and uninvolving as a Sprite left open in a hot car all day. Perhaps it’s the underwriting of Lady Gaga’s character that is the real stake in the heart of this production. She’s given little to do, and there are so many moments the audience anticipates excitement, but Phillips veers another direction trying to be clever and keep us on our toes. It fails miserably, and the film loses steam, sending it into a downward spiral. This causes any sizzle between the supposed mentally unstable duo to fall to the wayside, and Gaga, who seems game to play the femme fatale, deflates before our eyes like a pool toy with a hole in it. It’s just a sad, major letdown by the end and that’s not because the actors didn’t give it their all. They were just forsaken by their own creators. Further proof that new, edgy writing talent should be allowed into the elite club known as Hollywood. The budget that was spent on this is appalling for it to end right back where we started with floundering themes of influence, madness transference, and a witless love-fantasy gone wrong. This sequel is an injustice to the brilliance of the original. We would need a Part 3 to redeem Gaga’s should-have-been-a-bomb-not-a-firecracker character, but no one’s going to want to gamble sitting through a mess like this again. ️1/2 (Out of 4 Because 5 Stars Are For Restaurants & Hotels Only) #FilmReview #ShortHandCritic

#TheShortHandCritic—Time Capsule Tribute: Director #JohnCarpenter followed up the success of #Halloween with 1980’s #TheFog. That off-the-wall choice alone deserves consideration. This is a curious little slow-burn chiller. Its rhythmic vibe and energy is just slightly off-beat. Yet that is what makes it linger in the memory like, you guessed it, fog. This clever direction divided critics of its day, and the film slipped away into the beyond until later gaining a cult-following. This has given it the staying power it deserves as “The Fog” is very unique and peculiar. The cast includes the first pairing of #JamieLeeCurtis from “Halloween” and her mother #JanetLeigh from #Psycho—although their screentime together leaves something to be desired. The story is lean but slick involving a radio DJ (#AdrienneBarbeau) hulled up in the top of a lighthouse warning the town of an eerie fog rolling in claiming that—“There’s something in the fog!” The best scene takes place on the roof of the lighthouse where a scary attack ensues with Barbeau delivering the goods. It seems unfathomable that it was not even part of the original cut and came about from a necessary reshoot to jive up the chills. The fog effects are great in their rawness. The major complaint is not seeing more random townspeople being effected by the terror. It would have been easy to incorporate this into the vengeful denouement as the DJ was directing everyone to safety—yet we see no one but the main cast. Still, “The Fog” has an old-fashioned ghost story feel and a creepy score by Carpenter that gets under the skin and haunts. Like Hitchcock’s #TheBirds—you will never see fog the same way again! And that’s saying something. ️️️1/2 (Out of 4 Because 5 Stars Are For Restaurants & Hotels Only) #FilmReview #ShortHandCritic

#TheShortHandCritic: A terrific cast encompasses #Conclave. This is a story from a 2016 book by #RobertHarris of the Pope passing and each Cardinal from around the globe come to a private sequestered meeting to vote on who will take his place. #RalphFiennes has never been better and brings an unexpected softness to Lawrence the manager of the meeting who has the weight of the world on his shoulders. Both #JohnLithgow and #StanleyTucci are worthy of Best Supporting Actor #Oscar Nominations, but the triumph will certainly go to #SergioCastellitto and/or #CarlosDiehz who have splashier roles—particularly the latter given the story. The Cinematography by #StephaneFontaine is exceptional at artistic angles and giving a feeling of claustrophobia that keeps this dramatic-thriller simmering. However, without the splicy Editing by #NickEmerson the shots would not resonate as much. Considerable praise should go to Director #EdwardBerger for not heavy-handing the political obviousness of the plot and downplaying the social commentary which could have had disastrous results given the surprise ending. (One captivated man in the theatre even leapt to his feet and shouted in absolute shock at the screen.) Perhaps the films biggest flaw is not allowing the fierce #IsabellaRossellini to have more screentime and deeper purpose to the plot as the Nun who has the rare advantage of having more accesss than all females shut out of the church. She nonetheless rattles at each chance she gets. There have been the critical naysayers who don’t understand the theory of divine intervention meant to be the reason for a bomb scene. We must not take away the fact that religious views are still a very important part of our culture—like it or not. Limiting realism to advance personal views only hinder filmmaking. The corruption of politics leaking into the Church are well-played here without teetering too close to the edge. This intelligent film could have used a bit more mystery, perhaps regarding the death of the Pope. However, “Conclave” thoroughly holds your attention and that’s what the very best pictures do. ️️️1/2 (Out of 4 Because 5 Stars are for Restaurants & Hotels Only) #FilmReview #ShortHandCritic

#TheShortHandCritic: Care to go on a Grade-A Nostalgia Trip? #MyOldAss contemplates what it would be like for your older self to appear one day right in the middle of presumably your best youthful days. In the case of Elliott (played by #MaisyStella), this is the final summer ever spent at their families lakehouse. In the hands of most, this script would have sank into the comedic realm of stupidity faster than a rock tossed into water. What we have here is a sensitive and bittersweet darling of a film with timely relevance that is so truthfully directed by #MeganPark. There’s such care in the development and poignancy in its approach. It’s clear that Park has a real connection to the heartwrenching measures the passage of time can have on us—or at least those strong enough to be in tune with it. Nothing will prepare you for the absolutely beautiful performance given by Stella. She’s a revelation worthy of Oscar consideration as she goes through all the stages **** performance with wisdom well beyond her brief years in the business. #AubreyPlaza plays her older self—and while the films only gnawing flaw is that we see so little of her—Plaza still lays a lasting impression on us. It’s a travesty when films like “My Old Ass” seem to slip through the cracks. However, this one could be likely rescued by the irony of time finding it in a more accepting era—or just #Oscar voters getting off their own asses and finally considering movies out of their normal nomination playbooks. Watch this movie now. The end. ️️️1/2 (Out of 4 Because 5 Stars Are For Restaurants & Hotels Only) #FilmReview #ShortHandCritic

#TheShortHandCritic: Hooker (played by #MikeyMadison) falls for rich guy. Heard it all before, right? Think again. #Anora is no #PrettyWoman. While it’s impossible to consider there wasn’t some sort of inspiration here—it tells the story closer to how the original “Pretty Woman” was supposed to go before it was changed from a darker more foreboding cautionary tale. “Anora” takes a somewhat unexpected turn away from the overload of sex, drugs and riches and into a violent quest. Ani’s new husband (#MarkEidelstein) ran away, and she must find him by the force of his rich Russian family. Eidelstein’s character is the epitome of annoying—till we realize that was the angle. Still, it would have been nice to see speckles of withered humanity produced by the actor. There certainly was opportunity for it. Nonetheless, this is Madison’s movie, and she gives us the intensity of a fiery freight train. Sparks fly when she cuts loose, and we are completely electrified. Madison will be a front-runner for an #Oscar as well as the film. Which has humorous undertones and a thrilling “Where is this going?” vibe directed to near-perfection by #SeanBaker. There are great supporting performances—particularly by the handsome men #YuraBorosov and #VacheTovmasyan. “Anora” penetrates your thoughts and leaves you contemplating the levels of cruelty and culture differences around us. We think of what hopes we’ve let go of and question if it’s possible to get back to the person we wanted to be rather than live as someone we don’t understand. We feel lost along with Ani. Powerful stuff. Not your average Cinderella story. ️️️1/2 (Out of 4 Because 5 Stars are for Restaurants & Hotels Only) #FilmReview #ShortHandCritic

#TheShortHandCritic: There are those movies that are hard to find fault in because they are innocent enough to slide under the radar. That’s #TheBestChristmasPageantEver for sure. Not that there’s anything so utterly wrong with it. It’s just “missing something”. That something seems to be less processed emotions. It’s a color-by-numbers film. It wants to have a heart of gold so bad, it succeeds in being too squeaky clean. Director #DallasJenkins could have embraced being rough around the edges. You might recall the premise from the book by #BarbaraRobinson and the stage play. The town’s well-known annual Christmas pageant is in jeopardy when a group of rebel children called the Herdman’s bully their way into the show. The film anchors itself on if the pageant will succeed in being “the best” when it’s clearly already in the title—or is it we find out how it is the best? If so, the ending could have afforded to be somewhat bittersweet and not bow tying up ever character in that dumb method of clips and what-happened-to-them taglines. It is a sweet film with a good child performance by #BeatriceSchneider as the main bully Imogene. The often-irritating #JudyGreer plays the mom-turned-director of the pageant. It’s perhaps her best performance (or is it most tolerable?) A major misstep was not having #GilmoreGirls#LaurenGraham as the narrator take the larger part. It would have made the film even more endearing. There is something nice about watching a wholesome movie every now and then. This one is on the fast track to become a Holiday staple, but it doesn’t quite measure up to other classics. There’s no big-little moments of pink bunny suits or cats being roasted by Christmas lights. But as a new family-friendly film it fills the void for the time being. ️️… (Why Not It’s Christmas)+️ (Out of 4 Because 5 Stars Are For Restaurants & Hotels Only!) #FilmReview #ShortHandCritic

#TheShortHandCritic: #Wicked has traveled a long way down the yellow brick road to get to here. As hip as the #Tony-Winning stage musical by #StephenSchwartz and #WinnieHolzman has become, we should never forget it was the original brain child of #GregoryMaguire from his 1995 novel. If we momentarily set aside the beauty that the musical and book created—we have an out-the-gate masterpiece in #WickedPart1. On one hand, it’s a big shame that #KristinChenoweth and #IdinaMenzel’s performances were never captured in a film version. Their absence is briefly felt near the top. However, #CynthiaErivo levitates her role as the wicked witch and #ArianaGrande grandly surprises as the good witch. The subpar Munchkin Land opening is the lowest point—the choice of stripping the outsider-feel depiction of the land was meant to be commending but is a misstep. Quickly, the film retaliated, and we follow green outsider Elphaba (an homage to #TheWonderfulWizardofOz writer’s name #LFrankBaum—say it slowly) to **** University where she meets pretty popular Glinda. How the two become unlikely friends is the main story this time around. It’s so much fun, we wish it were longer. This feeling helps the bittersweet knowledge at the end that things will never be the same. It’s almost paralyzingly powerful leading up to and into the monumentally wonderful song #****. Although #MichelleYeoh has little to offer in the singing department here, she is a welcome addition to the cast for playing the Headmistress with something up her sleeve. It would have been interesting to see a less glitzy version from director #JonNChu similar to the outstanding and brave cult film #ReturnToOz (still the best of ANY Oz movie). However, the art direction, special effects and costumes are knockouts and surely to nab an #Oscar in at least one such category. The real pleasure is knowing the hype is correct, and the two lead performances and the picture itself could and should score nominations as well. This is on track to be some sort of a record-breaker if ever a picture in the recent past or near future could. Only someone dead-set on defiance will not love “Wicked”. ️️️️ (Out of 4 Because 5 Stars Are For Restaurants & Hotels Only) #FilmReview #ShortHandCritic #TheWizardofOz

#TheShortHandCritic: When a dangerous drug cartel boss (#KarlaSofiaGascon) contacts an under-appreciated female lawyer (#ZoeSaldana) to help with a secret sex-change operation their lives are forever linked and changed. #EmiliaPerez is a bizarre Spanish language crime-musical that uses mostly dialogue-driven songs that curiously work wonders to tell the edgy story. The film reels you in, and you can’t easily guess where it’s going next. Director #JacquesAudiard also wrote the story that’s as creative as it is willful. It’s certainly worthy of a Best Screenplay #Oscar nomination right alongside Gascon. She plays both the male and female characters through the transition with brilliance. The films interesting catch is how Emilia feels remorse for what she has done as a man and wants to help reunite victim’s family members with their bodies while under the guise of someone that had nothing to do with it. This brings forth a unique analogy of the trans-culture, daringly making us question who we are vs. who we were. Gascon’s unique and questionably genuine pathos that other actors wouldn’t have thought of is remarkable. She has us on edge while always holding onto the fear that her old self could strike again at any moment. There are places the film does not work as well as it could have been strengthened with more explanation and less flippancy—particularly with the relationship of #SelenaGomez’s character. Gomez was smart to take this role as she displays the abilities to own characters of more depth and challenge. There seems to be a missing musical number that could have incorporated the gunmen and ending attack with enormous emotional energy. Still, “Emilia Perez” is one of the best pictures of the year for the performances and sheer originality that holds our attention through this strange journey. It breaks barriers in storytelling that never should have been there to begin with. ️️️1/2 (Out of 4 Because 5 Stars Are For Restaurants & Hotels Only) #FilmReview #ShortHandCritic #Netflixx

#TheShortHandCritic: At 94, #ClintEastwood has released his newest foray into directing with #JurorNo2. When Justin (played by #NicholasHoult) is called for jury duty on a murder trial, he soon realizes he is actually involved more than meets the eye. Should he stay silent and hope for the best? Reveal his involvement and suffer the consequences or guide the jury to the verdict he knows to be true? Sneaking in under the wire, what we have here is what some will conclude as one of the best movies of the year. While it’s not as emotionally engrossing as Eastwood’s #MysticRiver and, especially his best, #MillionDollarBaby, it is certainly a step up from his last Savannah, GA shot film #MidnightInTheGardenOfGoodAndEvil. What Eastwood lacks as a director sometimes works to his advantage. He does not revel in aesthetic details or mise-en-sin. Such attributes can often divide a film from being commonplace or a worthy Oscar-contender. Here, he should have produced more details even if they were soft to give the film texture. For example, Justin’s pregnant wife Ally (#ZoeyDeutch) is lying on the sofa. She turns her head to the sound of wind chimes outside the window—but the shot is absent. We also get a lack of “place” as there’s a lack in gorgeous southern cinematography. Regardless, this potboiler still produces excitement and a thought-provoking narrative. The cast is also wonderful particularly #ToniCollette as the prosecutor who nails her southern dialect with grace and not stereotype—which isn’t usually the case for actors tackling it. Hoult also rises to the occasion, despite that a more interesting actor would have been welcome. He fights through any such reservations to connect with a deeper emotion. The ending is haunting and leaves us with hope that Eastwood may produce at least one more film before the rumors of his retirement come to fruition. With just a little more power behind his swing, he could knock it out of the park once again. ️️️ (Out of 4 Because 5 Stars Are For Restaurants & Hotels Only.) #FilmReview #ShortHandCritic

#TheShortHandCritic: An erotic thriller should be both erotic and thrilling. #BabyGirl never fully reached its potential on either front. It’s only riveting aspect is #NicoleKidman’s performance as a powerful business woman who’s brought down to submission by a much younger intern (played unfortunately just on the cusp of narcissistic greatness by #****). Except with Kidman’s already fearless nature, this film and her performance comes as no surprise. Had director #HalinaReijn’s writing been as fearless as it’s being suggested out there and the story not literally flopped out like a wet salmon in the final act, we would be on an uncomfortable journey worth taking. As a director, Reijn curiously explores “the male gaze” in a way that isn’t tongue in cheek or modern. We see no exploration of the female turning the tables on the male behind the camera. She only carbon copies better films like #FatalAttraction, #BasicInstinct, and #Secretary. If “Babygirl” had more daring sex like the beautiful #BlueIsTheWarmestColor and a script as crisp, biting and relevant like #PromisingYoungWoman the attention would be afforded. As it stands, we have a film that struggles for meaning with little steam. At the very least it could have given us the been-there-done-that suspense required to bring us to a climax. Instead we are left wanting—and not in the clever “Oooh! I get it!” way. ️️ (Out of 4 Because 5 Stars Are For Restaurants & Hotels Only) #FilmReview #ShortHandCritic

#TheShortHandCritic: “Does evil come from within us or beyond us?” Asks Ellen (#LilyRoseDepp) the possessed young lady who the demon vampire Nosferatu (#BillSkarsgard) has claimed as his own. Such rich eloquent dialogue and thought-provoking concepts enrapture this astonishingly brilliant script by writer and director #RobertEggers. Performances particularly that of Depp are outstanding. The 1800’s visuals including the art direction, props and set dressing are stunningly beautiful. The sparse details surrounding #Nosferatu aid the lonesome and chilling cinematography by #JarinBlaschke. There’s a particularly eerie shot where Thomas (#NicholasHoult) is traveling far away from his new bride Ellen to a castle, and he comes to a crossroads in the woods. Such shots alone exude a tremendous amount of fearful feelings and mood. There’s rarely a misstep in this haunting gothic horror as it’s clearly one of the best films of the year. Perhaps more sexual mischief could have snuck its way into the film as it’s another vampire movie that sidesteps the bisexuality of the beast. This would have been an unsettling manipulation that could have been incorporated while additionally scratching the irritations of the viewers mind like the tip a claw. The film manages such very cleverly by suggesting the plague is a force of darkness or of Satanic mastermind. This trudges up maniacal concepts of the Corona Virus. “Nosferatu” is an example that some films can be reimagined in a unique and timely fashion, while most are dead on arrival. This film is like a dark poem or hypnotically disturbing funeral dirge that comes crawling out from the back of our minds where we tried to bury it long ago. ️️️1/2 (Out of 4 Because 5 Stars Are For Restaurants & Hotels Only) #FilmReview #ShortHandCritic

#TheShortHandCritic: Old Hollywood Monster Movies have struggled for years to be reimagined. The best thus far is still the clever #TheInvisibleMan (2020) with a terrific as usually #ElisabethMoss. With #Wolfman some of that same cleverness was incorporated here as well, but the story leaves far too much untouched. An emotionally struggling wife and husband decide to travel to a remote house in beautiful Oregon to clean it out after the death of a loved one. With them also is their only daughter who is closer to her dad. The trip meant to be a bonding experience, quickly becomes a fight for their lives when they cross paths with a legend known as Wolfman. There’s something uniquely special about #JuliaGarner that lifts whatever she is in to another level. However, there’s an adjustment to believability here as she feels a bit too young for the character. More insight into who she is via the screenplay is needed. #ChristopherAbbott is an interesting choice for this film, emotionally he seeks and attains the necessary sympathy from the audience. The make up and visual effects are stunning. Not quite as innovative as say #TheHowling (1981) though—a much more fun werewolf movie. Another forgotten folklore wolf movie is #TheCompanyofWolves (1984) which is visually masterful. Regardless of general sparseness, “Wolf Man” has several frightening (if often uneven) moments that make it worthy of a watch especially at Halloween. Because let’s face it that’s really why we are here. Nothing will compare to the haunting 1941 #TheWolfman with its shadowy black and white moonlit lighting and gypsy related plot. Perhaps if this film adapted some of that old school mystique—it wouldn’t be largely forgettable with the passing of time. ️️ 1/2 (Out of 4 Because 5 Stars Are For Restaurants & Hotels Only) #FilmReview #ShortHandCritic #