Adelaide McMillan

The *VERY* good simply is Josh Hartnett. He is a a really good actor, who elevates the movie just by being in it. The *good* is, the premise. It's a really fun idea, for which I had high hopes. And then.... everything else is pretty darn bad: dialogue is CLUNKY, story flow is non sensical and exposition abounds bc, apparently, we the audience cannot put 2 and 2 together without being hit on the head with (unnecessary) rambling from characters. Spoiler alert (you're warned, stop reading if you plan on seeing the movie) Had the confrontation between Lady Raven and The Butcher's continued instead of fizzling out, the movie would have been heaps better. But no, M. Night seems now unable to take a story to its end and gets lost meandering about and away from his most interesting protagonists. The lack of focus is simply astounding. Thank God for Josh Hartnett as he single-handedly saves the movie from being a dumpster fire. That is all.

So many dropped plot points (WHAT did Finn want to say to Rey????), so much unrealized character development (Poe Dameron turns out to be the new Han Solo, Rose's storyline is all but dropped from the film, Finn meets another deserter Storm Trooper), so many twists that make literally NO sense whatsoever (Han Solo? Leia? Emo Kylo or Sensitive Ben Solo? Palpatine has a son?!?!?!....).... And yet, TRofS feels more like a Star Wars film that the two previous installments Disney offered us, and in that way, I say, thank you. The visuals are, for the most part, truly stupendous (that battle on the defunt Death Star is incredible) and the dynamics between Poe, Finn, Rey, Chewie and the droids is on point. So what if there are plot holes that could accommodate an Imperial Cruiser (or ten)? I can't help but feel like Episode 7-8-9 could have been done so much better but this is what we got and we'll make do, I guess. Rey makes for an engaging (and sometimes quite daft) Jedi; Kylo Ren is ragey as ever and finds redemption in love (super duper corny but whatever), Leia is there but really should not have been as I feel it harmed the storyline to have her be alive for this episode; Lando Carrissian is charming as ever; Finn and Poe are a dynamic duo; the droids rocks; an assortment of space critters brings comic relief when coming relief is needed; and what really matters....Chewie finally gets his medal at the end. I didn't hate it, I didn't love it. Same for my friends who saw it with me. Let it be an unsastifying C-/B+ for all eternity.

A straightforward film that does justice to a complicated story. Movies about war are always at risk of being too maudlin or gruesome and "The Last Full Measure" manages the tightrope act of being neither, thanks in great part to a wonderful cast of great actors who all seem to agree that restraint is the only path that can do justice to the story of William H Pitsenbarger and the men he saved while in-country. I walked into the movie theatre knowing the absolute minimum about the film and I am glad I went in unspoiled and was able to follow the story "in real time", all the while marveling at how understated a treatment the director chose to go with. A solid film whose Vietnam scenes were shot in the jungles of Costa Rica (a detail that I appreciate as it lends credibility to the overhead scenery shots a place such as Hawaii could not), "The Last Full Measure" relies on the memories of several Vietnam vets, all wonderfully captured by acting giants such as the late Peter Fonda, William Hurt, Samuel L. Jackson (in one of his most subdued performances), and Ed Harris, to bring Pitsenbarger's story back to the forefront of our collective consciousness. The dedication these men put into the battle to honor William H. Pitsenbarger's sacrifice would have gone nowhere save for the dogged persistence (and initial reluctance) of a Pentagon lawyer (played by a nuanced Sebastian Stan) who gets tasked with figuring out why the fallen airman never received the Medal of Honor for his courage and sacrifice. And last but not least, a special mention to Christopher Plummer and Diane Ladd who inhabit the roles of William's parents. Their scenes with Sebastian Stan are so delicate and full of grace it would take one with a heart of stone not to feel the pride, pain and loss they have been living with all these years. But what sets "The Last Full Measure" apart is its willingness to show the lasting effects of war on those who came back from it. Peter Fonda is just *this* shy of being completely unhinged without being a caricature of PTSD; William Hurt's shame you feel but cannot articulate until he breaks down near the end of the film; and Ed Harris portrays a wounded man hiding behind a facade of normalcy while Samuel L. Jackson's guilt has him unable to speak to Pitsenbarger's father on the phone. And therein lies the true emotional nexus of "The Last Full Measure" for, in having William H. Pitsenbarger's gallantry and sacrifice finally recognized, his brothers in arms are then able to lay down part of the burden they have been carrying since the fateful day of his death, in 1966. "The Last Full Measure" is not "Saving Private Ryan". It is not "1917" either. It doesn't have over-the-top special effects, ear-shattering sound effects, impossible plot twists or ridiculous MacGuffins. It is not perfect, it is not "A-MA-ZING" and yet, for all its flaws, it *IS* a perfect and amazing film. It is subdued and subtle, a small gem that has fallen between the cracks of cineplex consumerism. It has heart, it has valor, it has courage, it has empathy and it has acceptance. And in its stark refusal to demonize one side or the other, it actually takes a pretty definitive stance for honor, valor and making the right choice, even when that is the most difficult path to tread. It is, in short, a movie that would fly over the heads of some that currently govern us, when they are the ones who need reminding of all these values the most. Give "The Last Full Measure" a chance if it is playing near you, as it deserves way more attention and recognition than it has gotten so far.I can assure it will not be a waste of your hard-earned dollars.

This is an edited review. While I originally gave the limited series 2 stars, I am now coming back to the drawing board and bumping it up to 4 stars because, well, I am a moron. I am one who was left seething by the original run's ending. I always said to anyone who would isten (and many who didn't) that Dexter's only legitimate ending would have been his death. The dude IS a psycho, no matter how affable and friendly the character was made to come across. A bonafide, no-holds-barred psychopath who was responsible for the deaths of many a person who did not deserve to die. So imagine how irate I was when Dexter was made to walk away from the mayhem all but scot-free. While many of the points of contention I raised in my original appraisal of Dexter New Blood still stand, I have now come to realize that it was all for a reason. Jim Lindsay/Dexter Morgan's fate should have been painfully obvious as soon as I realized how small a town Iron Lake really is. After all, blending in in SmallTown USA is quite a different proposition from blending in in a metropolis the size of Miami. In short, Jim Lindsay was doomed the moment he gave in to his Dark Passenger again. Dexter New Blood's finale is everything the previous series' was not. It allowed for Dexter to finally be confronted about his psychopathic tendencies, not by a ghost (Harry's, Deb's) but by someone who is very much alive and whom Dexter has grown to love. The last two episodes truly redeem much of the earlier ones' inconsistancies as far as I am concerned. Well done, All. Well done. ORIGINAL REVIEW: I am watching till the end because I started it but man, this is costing me. There are way too many instances of my having to suspend disbelief - and yes, I do understand that verisimilitude is not necessary the world Dexter (the show) inhabits, however this new iteration is taking it a step (or 17) too far. Case in point (warning, spoiler for episode 8), a ME who does not notice a very obvious puncture wound to the neck...just, ugh. And I am not even going to bring up how ridiculously disruptive the heavy-handedness of some interactions are (Hello, Angel Batista). And what to say of the fact that Dexter was able to fall off the radar for 10 years but is then found out by a 16 year-old, without much trouble it seems? Who came up with that brilliant piece of storytelling??? Then there is TGODP (The Ghost Of Debra Past). Too shrill, too loud, too overbearing. Yes, yes, yes, she is a representation of Dexter's inner conflict, I get that. I just don't want to hear about it in such an unpleasant fashion. While I don't necesarily subscribe to the "woke/liberal left/conservative right" debate some other reviewers bring up, I can honestly attest that *some* plot points are entirely unnecessary and actually do take away from the uniqueness of Dexter the character. This is when the show is at its shakiest, to be honest. Point is, Dexter New Blood is lacking in wit and charm. Jim Lindsay (Dexter's alter ego in Iron Lake) is a pent-up bore and the current storyline is so far-fetched it takes my entire concentration to make it through an episode without sighing myself to death.

An acting tour-de-force in one of the best examples of American Cinema-Verite of late. He is a hustler. He is a charmer. He is a schemer He is a liar and a thief. He is a (not completely cold hearted) snake.. He is Mikey, an aging, washed-up, down-on-his luck porn star who shows up on his separated-from wife's doorstep one bright morning in Texas city and has to deploy all his charm to convince her (and her mo ther) to let him crash there for a few-turned-many days. The man is his own kryptonite. He is as repelling in character as he is attractive in looks. A man who lives with the misguided notion he can reinvent himself one more time but gives up (and in) as soon as the flimsiest opportunity for a quick buck appears. That, in and of itself, would make for an interesting movie. What takes it a notch above is the relationship that develops between Mikey and Strawberry, a 17 year-old girl who works at the local donut shop. This is when the movie goes from interesting to fascinating, in that it toes a very fine line between exploration and exploitation, between character study and character assassination. But Mikey's shaky character needs no assassination, in that it expires the moment Mikey decides to eschew gainful employment (hard to come by in conservative Texas when one is unabashedly proud and vocal about one's past in the adult entertainment business) in order to make a quicker buck selling drugs. From that point on, the viewer must surely realize there is no redeeming in sight for Mikey. Each and every one of his decisions is more calamitous than the previous and culminates in his mulling whether he can convince Strawberry to come to California with him, not because he is infatuated with her but rather because he sees her as his ticket to turning his professional luck around. Obviously there are adult themes being explored in the film, with graphic depictions of intercourse and full frontal male nudity. What doesn't need saying is that the central relationship in the film (Mikey and Strawberry's) is dicey by legal standards. Even Mikey acknowledges that he is pushing boundaries but never dwells on the fact long enough to stop himself from actively grooming Strawberry. He does graciously wait until she turns 18 to have sex with her, though -as if that one particular act of unusual restraint is enough to cancel out all the other icky decisions he makes without as much as a shadow of a moral dilemma in sight. I have read many a review and article openly decrying this fact and I cannot join in all the pearl-clutching, as I feel the story is designed to make you sit in discomfort. After all, not experiencing some measure of moral quandary would be the alarming factor here. The characters - Mikey, both charming and manipulating; Strawberry, innocent yet not completely guileless; Mikey's wife, jaded yet not completely hopeless...- each offer up a particular peek into the American Zeitgeist and, as a whole, offer a pretty compelling picture of the American Dream life cycle. The story and its treatment might be uninteresting, gross, and repulsive to you and that's alright. What isn't is to undermine what it has to say by boiling it down to its most lurid aspects. It's a gritty tale -one that is bound to leave some viewers with a sour taste in their mouths-and an extraordinary example of American "cinema verite". It is also an inherently unflinching look at a certain eco-system that does exists, even though it is invisible to most of us.

It's ...okay. I am a lover of sports movies and this one looked promising. It is in fact a good film, just not one that transcends. I wasn't familiar with Kurt Warner' (did not grow up watching US football) and this movie does a nice job of laying out the beginning, middle and final act of Warner's NFL story. It is told in a linear fashion with just enough exposition to flesh out the main characters, their backstories, motivations, goals, dreams and faith. As a non-Christian, I appreciated the fact that the religious aspect of the story was painted on with a light brush. It certainly helps to understand what sustained the Warners while Kurt was chasing his dream of playing in the NFL. The cast works well together and it is a nice touch to have Dennis Quaid play the Rams' coach so many years after he himself starred in a movie about an unlikely sports hero (The Rookie). On the downside, much is made of Kurt and Brenda's relationship (budding and established) to the detriment of the sport aspect of the film. I would have been interested in knowing how Warner's kept himself in shape in all the years between college ball and finally playing in the league. Also, I would have appreciated getting better insight on how Warner eventually landed on the Rams' radar after so many years out of the scouting circuit. But alas, that is not an aspect of his story that made it to the final cut. Those gripes notwithstanding, I enjoyed the film even if I find it mostly forgettable. Someone more hardcore about football and less picky about their films might even have a great time watching it.

Every so often, a movie comes along that exists in a state of nostalgic grace in that it manages to tug at heartstrings without being maudlin or treacly, and reminds you of that "life is your oyster" feeling we all experienced while coming of age. I present you, Licorice Pizza. This is the story of Alana Kane, a 25-year old Jewish girl who is trying to get her grown-up act together while being doggedly pursued by 15 year-old Gary Valentine -a child actor who can not be deterred from auditioning for parts he is now too old for, all the while hustling to strike it rich with one semi-lopsided business idea after another. The two young people come of age in Encino, CA in the early 70s and cross paths with a number of more-or-less washed-up show-biz types and other political aspirants. Gary is hell-bent on achieving his dreams -may they be in show business, business or love- while Alana works with a fluid compass that takes here and there. They sometimes lose sight of each other, these two. Alana does her best to deflect Gary's attentions, only to find herself miffed when he takes intermittent interest in more age-appropriate girls; in turn, Gary does his best to ignore Alana's rebuffs, and never loses sight of his belief that she is "the one" even when their paths diverge for a while. The movie never loses its pace and never sells its two main characters cheaply. The exploration of the bond that this unlikely pair develops is a balancing act of laughter and emotion, layering teenage awkwardness and the seeds of adult bravado to paint one of the most enthralling portrait of young love and lust for life I have seen in a long while. As for the two main actors, what a revelation they are. Cooper Hoffman and Alana Haim are equally charismatic and handle their load with wonderful care and dexterity -he, the lovable, enamored and remarkably focused teenage goof and she, the conflicted, emotionally haphazard young woman. And if you have any doubt as to whether they indeed are great actors, look no further than the scene when Gary is cuffed to a police station bench as well as the scene when Alana realizes the minor political figure she thinks has asked her out on a date has other ideas in mind for her. Watching these two young actors at work is akin to listening to someone play music with a crystal glass. Masterful and rare. As I am about to turn 50 in a few days, this is a welcome if slightly bittersweet birthday present of remembering when we thought every was still possible and we would rule the world.

Suspense Done Right There is something to be said for not showing or revealing too much too quickly and, while the trailer gives the main plot twist away -which I do deplore as not knowing for certain and for as long as possible whether Elizabeth Moss' character was crazy or not would certainly have added another layer to the story-, this new iteration of "The Invisible Man" is a solid and suspenseful thriller (?) that had my pulse quickening many more times than one. Moss' portrayal of Cecilia, a woman tormented by her ex- (and assumed dead) boyfriend, is very convincing. She teeters on the verge of a nervous breakdown for most of the film and at times it is very difficult to not want to scream at those around her (her sister, sister's boyfriend, the ex's brother, and various health and law enforcement officials) that they oughta take her seriously. But then again, we see the story unfold through her eyes therefore we are on her side from the get-go. To that effect, the ripe-with-tension first few minutes of the film very efficiently reel you in, in no small part due to the soundtrack (modern filmmakers are forever indebted to Christopher Nolan's "Inception" musical score, btw) which manages to transform the minimalist and open-concept house into an oppressive, quasi-claustrophobic set. From that point on, it is a deadly game of invisible-cat and mouse that unfolds in front of your eyes. Clues abound as to what Adrian's endgame might be but it is still not exactly child's play to piece it all together (not hard either, just a little bit more difficult than one would expect) therefore your attention is engaged and sustained throughout. If there is one bone to pick with the film at large, it might just be that Adrian's character is not fleshed out enough. Cecilia hints at the manipulation and mental anguish he put her through, and I feel it would have helped build tension even more had we been made privy to more of the backstory before the film's denouement. Other than this particular (and mostly inconsequential) nitpick, this is a very good film that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Good grief. Utterly formulaic, predictable and boring. And that's coming from someone who likes all the main players. Hard pass.

Masterful Trailer, Unpleasant Movie. This is really difficult review for me to write because I had been looking forward to this movie since seeing the trailer a couple months ago. I SO desperately wanted to love this film and I was convinced this was going to be another masterful acting turn on Sandler's part, the likes of which I have been looking forward since "Punch Drunk Love". And yet, I almost walked out halfway through (something I have never done in my 40+ years of going to the movies). To boot, based on the audience reaction (loud boos mixed with some lukewarm clapping), it is clear I am not the only who found it a difficult cinematic experience. Adam Sandler's performance is a tight-rope act, though: he plays a wheeling-and-dealing, morally defunct, high-on-thrills sleazeball with the desperate energy of an Al Pacino on crack, basically. In a vacuum, it would a commendable tour-de-force, even though his interpretation might not be to everyone's taste. Quite unfortunately, the syncopated direction, overly loud soundtrack, disjointed and indulgent storytelling choices ( among other things, the disorienting intro scene does this film a huge disfavor by creating a chasm between the expectations set in the trailer and the actual movie, for instance. It made me question whether I was seeing a reboot of "Blood Diamond" for a few seconds. As for the scene featuring The Weekend...what was its point exactly? To show that Howard is a jealous, irrational prick? That was pretty clear from the get-go, no?) and CONSTANT shouting and cussing prove exhausting; I am not a Goodie-Two-Shoes and can drop a sonorous F bomb with the best of them, yet there is something particularly off-putting to dialogue that relies almost exclusively on the use of profanity as a motor for building up tension (and exhaustion). This film is, quite simply put, a nightmare for the viewer with blood pressure issues: mine rose steadily throughout to eventually park itself in the vicinity of stroke levels until the very last scene of the film, which came like a punch to the gut - not because I was particularly invested in Howard but because the unexpected left turn made perfect sense in that it brings such complete and immediate relief one realizes it ought to have happened within the first 30 minutes, thus sparing us slogging through this noxious film while trying to create a bond with the mostly unpleasant, shrill and strident, largely unredeemable cast of characters. All this to say, I am sorely disappointed, seriously headachy and vaguely nauseated, three states of being I actively try to avoid as a general rule. Bummer, through and through. Edited to add: It's one week since I've seen the film and my distaste for it has only mounted. In the 7 days since, I have come back to these reviews and read as many as possible in an effort to *see* Uncut Gems from the viewpoints of those who rave about it; while I can sort of understand where they are coming from, I simply cannot rally. One positive review explains that "you are not supposed to like the characters". Okay, fine, I get that. I also understand that there actually IS a side of life that is closely related to what the movie depicts. Yet, movies only work when you can connect with some/an/any aspect of it. As far as I am concerned, there is nothing to connect with here: not the people, not the dialogue, not the struggles they are going through, not the mania, the screaming or the extolling of our basest instincts. Nothing at all about this movie, its characters and its story makes me want to say, "Yeah, I totally GET that". Which is, in my opinion, this movie's biggest failing.