Panned by critics (29% on Rotten Tomatoes), Stanley & Iris rests almost entirely on the talent, and charms, of the two leads, Jane Fonda and Robert De Niro, rather than the script. Fans of either of these legendary actors will get something out of this rom-melodrama.
The Monster isn’t terrible, not even close, but for horror fans might be disappointed especially how the movie was marketed. There are some fine performances for sure, though, especially by Zoe Kazan and the young Ella Bellentine, just a shame the script didn’t do them any favors.
Two for the Road is a charming little romantic drama featuring two charismatic leads in legendary actors Audrey Hepburn and Albert Finney (when he didn’t mumble his lines like he had as of late).
The Girl on the Train has to be one of the more disappointing movies of the year as I am a fan of mystery-crime films however the acting isn’t bad led by Emily Blunt with honorable mentions to both Hayley Bennett and Rebecca Ferguson, but even with a so-so script, it might be worth a rental.
I guess its apt timing for this to come out after the New Year’s Eve quasi meltdown, but 2001’s Glitter was as bad as it was 15 years ago; the acting is at best spotty and the story clichéd.
Dressmaker is a well done movie highlighted by a fantastic cast including Kate Winslet, Judy Davis and Hugo Weaving. The story does have a familiar feel but with a darker crime twist that makes it all the more investing.
Death Race 2050 might not be very good but the filmmakers weren’t trying to make it very good and as a throwback to the 1975 original it certainly does the job well. That said, watching it solo, it wasn’t all that fun with the gimmick wearing thin early on but I suspect if you watched in a group, there might be some entertainment value.
In a Valley of Violence was somewhat of a surprise for a (basically) direct-to-video release mainly because, in spite of a familiar story and Western clichés, featured some solid performances by Ethan Hawke and Taissa Farmiga.
Southside with You is a simple, and incredibly short (74-minutes w/o credits), romance-drama that works more for the two lead performances by Tika Sumpter and Parker Sawyers who do great work going beyond impersonating and giving the future President and First Lady depth.
Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life is a safe and harmless film mainly for families however for anyone older, the jokes don’t quite land though I’d be lying if I didn’t say it was mildly entertaining.
A bit on the lengthy side (152-minutes), The Bullet Train is still an exciting thriller that, albeit familiar for fans of Speed, features an in-depth story and formidable, and not-cartoonish, villain combined with some adequate visual and special effects for its time.
Come and Find Me actually isn’t a bad movie by any stretch but with a predictable story from beginning to end in conjunction with the development of the two leads, in spite of fine performances by Paul and, for the most part, Wallis, there wasn’t much to enjoy. That being said, this at least might be worthy of a rental.
I.T. may not be a good movie and certainly the script could’ve gone through a few more re-writes, but thanks to Pierce Brosnan’s earnest performance, and a cameo from Michael Nyqvist, this is worthy of a rental but not much more than that.
Ultimately Oliver Stone actually does a disservice what Snowden did in revealing the illegal surveillance program by embellishing some aspects to the point that it calls into question some of the other actions taken, but to be clear, what was done I approve, just not a fan of the messenger
Count Dracula’s Great Love is another poor adaptation from the 1970s and in spite of a respectable enough performance by Paul Naschy, there were far more unintentionally funny scenes instead of scary. This would probably serve well as a Saturday night flick to watch, and mock, with friends.