Hello everyone! I’ve missed you! And I’ve missed writing for you and filling your head with nonsense. It feels great to be back! I hope your summer went well. Let’s take a look and see what’s available in theaters this weekend for your big-screen viewing pleasure!
HUSTLERS
This is a JLo vehicle about pole-dancing girls who gang up and get the better of their clients—or rather, a strip-club dramedy masquerading as female empowerment. Do any of you think drugging and subsequently robbing the working public to pay your bills is female empowerment? I didn’t think so either—there’s nothing empowering about stooping low. However, acting and production quality in this movie are good, and there are a few laughs. Constance Wu gives a great performance as (the lead) Destiny, and JLo’s pretty good herself in the supporting role of Ramona. Cardi B and Lizzo could’ve had bigger parts, but, oh well (was that JLo’s requirement?)… hey maybe there’ll be a Hustlers 2 where they will 🙂 Here’s the trailer:
THE GOLDFINCH
Roger Deakins’ valiant efforts have resulted in some fabulous cinematography here, but none of that can mitigate the snooze-inducing qualities of a boring script. Nicole Kidman stars in this story about a child (Oakes Fegley) who loses his mother due to a terrorist bombing. All he has is a painting of a goldfinch, which happened to be the exhibit at the museum they were strolling through the day of the bombing. The boy is taken in by a rich family (Kidman et al), but he is also influenced by those his (loser) father (Luke Wilson) —through whom he meets a Russian boy (Aneurin Barnard). And then the next twenty years unfold and the child grows up to be a man (Ansel Elgort)… and more things happen… which I cannot remember because they were ultimately a bore… sorry. Be sure to bring along a pillow. The takeaway? 1. Just because a book is a bestseller does not mean the movie will be amazing too. 2. Actors and crew need to read the script before committing to work on a feature, because agents are usually interested only in their percentage. Better luck next time to Kidman and Deakins. Here’s the trailer:
IT CHAPTER TWO
I know I’m late 😊 but for those who came in late, this is a nice follow up to Chapter 1, if formulaic. Pennywise (Bill Skarsgard), previously rebuffed, is returning to finish off the Losers three decades later. The acting is excellent: James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain, James Ransone and Bill Hader are all very good, but Skarsgard is outstanding as the villain. Sadly, the flashbacks featuring the child actors seem far more engrossing when compared to the overwhelming drama characteristic of scenes with the adult actors. Also, the preponderance of jokes chips away at the fear factor—which is unfortunate, because that ruins the tone of horror. Plus, I’m not so sure you’d enjoy it if you’ve not read the books… but that’s just me. Check out the trailer:
Have you already seen ANGEL HAS FALLEN – ? The critics panned it, but Gerard Butler somehow managed to rise from the ashes of countless s***** reviews to mountains of cash at the box office. Not sure how it happened, because this movie has all the earmarks of a crap fest: the almost-retired Secret Service agent, with the usual (family) burdens—this time enhanced with PTSD—wrongly accused of an assassination attempt. So not only does he have to figure out who’s out for him and save himself, he has to simultaneously save the President (Morgan Freeman) from the baddies. Sorry—it is a crapfest in every way imaginable. I’m not sure why it did so well at the box office. Because it was Labor Day weekend, and folks were feeling patriotic? Whatever it was, I’m glad for the guy—Gerard seems to be a nice dude. Here’s the trailer:
So tell me what you all thought about anything. Meanwhile, that’s it for this weekend. Next, Ad Astra! See you all out there!
