The High Note is a fine music-drama-comedy with some good performances from Dakota Johnson and Tracee Ellis Ross, but can’t say this is a terribly memorable film and unlikely will remember a month from now.
Dark Waters is a well made, legal drama that’s in the same vein as 1999’s The Insider and while I don’t feel it’s as effectively directed by Todd Haynes, it is still well worth checking out.
The Equalizer has its share of problems, primarily with the pacing though some more editing would’ve made for a strong picture, but even so, the film does ride on Denzel Washington’s charisma and screen presence and that alone makes this at least worth a rental.
Can’t say Walking Out is a masterpiece of a survival-adventure film but it does features two solid performances from Matt Bomer and Josh Wiggins and some beautiful Montana cinematography.
Battle of the Sexes isn’t as great as it could have been, but I did admire the performances from Emma Stone, Steve Carell and Andrea Riseborough, all deserving of award recognition.
The Accidental Tourist is an interesting little drama that excels with its performances, particularly that of William Hurt and Geena Davis (who took home an Academy Award), more so than the story.
Independence Day: Resurgence is merely the latest example of why some sequels are not necessary. Although I don’t think this was awful, and frankly outside of the President’s speech, the first one is hardly great in terms of storytelling, there really is no reason for this to existl.
While 20 years later Independence Day doesn’t quite hold up, the entertainment and cheese factor at least still is there and makes for an enjoyable disaster flick, not to mention President Whitmore’s call to action speech still gives me goose bumps to this day.
Sibling Rivalry is a quirky fun, if not also forgettable, 1990s comedy with a semi-impressive cast of who’s who of that era. While the plot doesn’t work and performances that aren’t always the best, it’s still one of those watchable flicks that you probably won’t regret afterward yet have little interest in re-visiting anytime soon.
American Ultra has some things going for it from an interesting story that combines Bourne with Pineapple Express to fun performances by Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart who shows some actual charisma utterly lacking in many of her other movies; yet at the same time, and as outlandish and fun as the story is, it’s not terribly memorable.
The Equalizer has its share of problems, primarily with the pacing though some more editing would’ve made for a strong picture, but even so, the film does ride on Denzel Washington’s charisma and screen presence and that alone makes this at least worth a rental.
Lake Placid is a fun horror-comedy, with more emphasis on humor, that might not be the best written flick but it’s a breezy enough 82-minutes of sarcastic one-liners and characters, albeit mostly on-dimensional, that you actually enjoy watching, especially a fouled-mouthed Betty White in a small yet pivotal role.