Michael Kelly

Grande and Erivo deliver the goods on this political satire, well dressed in green. The metaphorical implications range from exposing racism, class struggle, and a potentially Fascist state led by The Donald. Wolfee Donuts would be proud Ariana! The dual intent does not forget our very young viewers with all the magic of Oz, the birth of blue flying monkeys and Elphaba's first flight. Wicked follows in the footsteps of Mission Impossible with a planned sequel to be released in November of 2025--one that may be worth seeing.

Eisenburg really delivers on this singular journey motif. The dialogue between the two protagonists is both witty and poignant. I haven't laughed this much in a movie theater in quite some time. The subject matter extends beyond the legacy of The Holocaust and allows for an interpretation of Benny's character which is inundated with compensatory avante guard interjections to suggest an unrealized life in a polarized contrast with his cousin's accomplished professional and home life. A film ripe for intelligent exchange.

Hugh Grant makes for a convincing debunking homicidal maniac bent on instilling a wider point of view for two young missionaries from the Mormon church. His arguments are quite impressive in addition to some metaphorical comparisons, including one about the evolution of Monopoly as it makes know the flaws of religion and its desires to control the masses. British wit, as only Hugh Grant can deliver, makes for an even more monstrous impression, as it is juxtaposed with his psychopathic intent. See it for both a good scare and some existential exercise.

Mr. Murphy breaks new ground here with a singular performance unlike any role he has previously enacted. We are there with him through convincing facial expressions and body language reflecting upon a melancholic past and an observant present. The horrific abuse by the Irish Magdalene Sisters is strongly conveyed through Watson's Mother Superior smug and subtlety coercive interactions with Murphy. It takes me back to all those sexually repressed nuns who beat us with impunity in Catholic grade school. The denouement, however, does provide deliverance and not in some sappy, sentimental fashion. Cheers, Mr. Murphy!

Unfortunately, a feeble attempt at an existential exercise in the meaning of life as it relates to time, life altering choices, and death. I always admired Tom Hanks' diversity in his acting, but not even the CG age reversal can save this formulaic, disjointed, sentimental harangue. The plot was predictable and foregoes any delving to deliver a satisfactory engagement. Save your money and wait for a free viewing on Netflix or Prime.

Ok, Fasten your seatbelts! You are in for quite the singular piece of religiosity that lies in The Vatican. Jockeying for the Papacy is not the only attention grabber here, as plot's twists and turns keep one guessing exactly where the chips may fall in this revelatory piece on power, sin, and hypocrisy. Fiennes, Tucci, and Lithgow all perform in a nothing less than convincing craft. Is it any wonder The Roman Catholic Church is diminishing year after year? I don't believe Jesus intended such a Plutocracy. But, wait... there is a promising ending to this film 📽️.

Megan Park gives quite the convincing performance in this American bildungsroman. Her coming of age protagonist is subject to both internal and external conflicts which provide for exceptional didactic intent via a haluccinogenic exchange with her 39 year old self. The writing is inundated with sardonic wit and a few unsettling epiphanies. Ultimately, we gain perspective in reviewing our own lives and perhaps some insight germane to how we should proceed.

Without reservation, this is Ms. Ronan's finest performance. She embodies the textbook alcoholic replete with genetic predisposition and childhood trauma. Her resurrection is well acted and painfully convincing. The cinematography captures the extended metaphor for the isolation and transmogrifying nature of nature which parallels the protagonist's riveting trudgery from dipsomania to sobriety. Lastly, the film's denouement does not reduce itself to a Hollywood formulaic "feel good" ending but one that can be interpreted as an earned reality.

Although this movie begins with a formulaic/ fairytale employment replete with the wealthy neurosurgeon and ripped abs, it does somewhat up its game in addressing several important contemporary issues. Domestic violence seems to be an inheritance here, one the protagonist can't seem to escape. And, no matter what upper mobility may come with the "ideal" catch, the price paid for such opulence is a repeated one of melancholic dismay. Never fear, the denouement is poetic release from the prior. Wait for free viewing on Netflix.

On the positive side, Moore makes a marked comeback with her performance and the suggested analogy to the ongoing Hollywood obsession with the superficialities of appearance and female exploitation is a demure given here. Dennis Quaid's histrionic performance embodies the latter. However, the MOVIE then devolves into this cheap horror conglomerate of ridiculously transmogrified figures previously inhabitated by a well maintained Ms Sparkle--a feeble attempt at a Shellian didactic. Someone dropped the ball on the denouement. Wait to see it for free on Amazon.