I still actually prefer the remake (if only for Nic Cage), but the original Gone in 60 Seconds is pure entertainment for the car chases and that it was independently made. The acting isn’t the best, nor is the writing, but the stunt work was impressive.
These three movies by Claude Chabrol range from dark, to black dark to more light-hearted and each are, simply, well done with probably my favorite being The Swindle as I tend to enjoy crime-centric movies a bit more, however each feature great performances, most notably though Marie Trintignant.
The Edge of Seventeen might not be the second coming of the John Hughes teen-dramedy, though Kelly Fremon Craig was certainly inspired by the late great writer/director, but with such an obnoxious main character, it was hard to care about her however portrayed by Hailee Steinfeld, it does make the movie more tolerable.
Although it could’ve flowed better with some more editing, Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man is still a fine documentary that consists of the man himself and some interviews with those in the music industry so if that’s your thing, this is probably worth a watch.
Although I didn’t think Arrival was a masterpiece critics, and audiences, claimed it to be, there’s no denying that it is one of the more unique sci-fi films I’ve come across in that it’s less sci-fi and far more character driven with a positive message behind it.
Well intentioned as it might have been, and telling a World War II story that’s probably not familiar to the average American, USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage features lazy performances, especially by Nicolas Cage though he does have a couple okay scenes, and some laughable visual effects.
Queen of Katwe is a charming, uplifting true life drama featuring some fine performances by Madina Nalwanga and David Oyelowo under Mira Nair’s quality direction. The Blu-ray released by Disney offers up great video, solid audio and a nice selection of bonus material.
Cross Wars is just an all around bad movie. The acting is poor however they’re not helped with a shoddy script in conjunction with some laughable visual effects. All of that wouldn’t be so bad if this had the fun factor, it was anything but.
Bells Are Ringing is an absolutely wonderful musical-romance from the 60s and features two charming performances by Judy Holliday and the always suave Dean Martin and come catchy tunes.
Wait Until Dark is somewhat of a forgotten gem of a thriller with plenty of Hitchcockian elements and features amazing performances by Audrey Hepburn (who receive an Academy Award nomination), Richard Crenna and, especially, Alan Arkin who is absolutely frightening.
Justice League Dark is a middle-of-the-road entry into the DC Animated Universe. It’s also a bit inside baseball in that probably die-hard fans of the comics will get something out if it while others will find it crowded and the magical elements even made it harder to follow.
Life on the Line is a misfire of a movie if only that they could’ve told a great story of the unsung heroes who work to keep the power on in some of the most difficult circumstances. Instead, this film tosses in a terrible B-plot with unnecessary characters making this just another poor release starring an actor relegated to direct-to-video status.
The 9th Life of Louis Drax is a mix bag of a film, it’s weird enough to make it an engaging mystery-drama and the young man portraying Drax wasn’t half bad, however the soap opera aspect of the story wasn’t good. In the end, though, if the trailer manages to grab you, it’s probably worthy of a rental.
The Light Between Oceans isn’t half bad as heart-tugging rom-dramas go and it is better written and acted compared to your typical Nicolas Sparks schlock, but at the same time, despite a talented cast and some great scenes, I didn’t find this nearly as emotional and I can’t see much replay value.
Parents is a cult classic of sorts and while the first half was a fantastic satire on 1950s suburbia and had some genuinely creepy moments (no surprise when it comes to Randy Quaid) but it quickly loses steam in the latter half and by the end, I found it unrewarding and didn’t find it quite as funny.