Mr. K. Butler

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It's the subtleties that I love about this movie. Whether it is the meeting of George Nelson (aka "Baby face" George Nelson) or Tommy Johnson (aka Robert Johnson) and his "crossroads" (song) just to name a couple, that puts a smile on my face. Don't get me wrong, the entire ensemble provides a solid performance and the music provides the perfect backdrop for the film's era. Following their other critically acclaimed movies, "Raising Arizona" (1987), "Miller's Crossing" (1990), "Fargo" (1996), and "The Big Lebowski" (1998), the Coen brothers hit this one ("O' Brother Where Art Thou") out of the park!

Tim Blake Nelson is one of those underrated actors that continues to portray convincing characters. Whether it is Delmar O'Donnell in the Coen brother's "O' Brother Where Art Thou" or Wade Tillman (Looking Glass) in HBO's series "Watchmen" or Henry McCarty in writer/director Potsy Ponciroli's latest "Old Henry", Nelson continues to gives a solid performance. It is evident that Ponciroli is a fan of the Western genre as he serves up a grittier version of Western tales in "Old Henry". You get a sense of the isolation Henry and his son have on their farm; the suspicions of "new" people riding on their farm; and the hardships they have endured. While the film borrows the standard plot conventions of a stranger entering the lives of an unsuspecting pair (father and son) and there are others in pursuit, the film delivers a few twists along the way to keep it entertaining. There is foreshadowing that does give away some of its "secrets" enough for the viewer to figure out. Ponciroli has written a fairly decent story set in Americana folklore. He solidly delivers "Old Henry" without having to rely on CGI (as seems to be the case in every movie these days). If you are a fan of the Western genre or you just want to be entertained, I would recommend "Old Henry".

I enjoyed Neill Blomkamp's "District 9" film so when someone recommended "Chappie", I thought I would take a look. Unfortunately, I should have passed. "Chappie" was just plain "dumb". There was nothing I had not seen before. The backdrop of Johannesburg, Africa did not help this story. All I could think of was "Hugh Jackman has gone from blockbuster money-making movies...to this?" "Did Jackman need to pay off a debt?" And Sigourney Weaver's "star-power" has been descending for decades that she has finally hit the surface. "Chappie" felt like a "Robocop-lite" ripoff. It also felt like a showcase for the music group, "Die Antwoord" (which included their music every chance they got) as "Yolandi" and "Ninja" didn't even bother to change their character name for the movie. Perhaps they wouldn't remember their lines? Take a pass on this one. If you want to see a movie about an "ex-robocop" fighting villains, see the original "Robocop" with Peter Weller. It will be far more entertaining and less painful than this turd-hurdler. I definitely would not recommend this movie.