Heather Fremling

This documentary is amazing. It follows four ACLU attorneys fighting four of the biggest cases during the beginning of the Trump administration. If you have any questions on whether the ACLU is absolutely necessary this movie will answer that question. And if you already know that answer but are interested in seeing the very human work and toll these people deal with daily this is a great depiction of that. Respect.

I don’t think I can put into words how this movie made me feel. It is authentically what I believe they tried to do with “Boyhood” but fell short. It is truthful, joyful, painful. The way the film overlaps art and timelines is like sheer poetry. I feel like it gave me a deeper understanding not of Val Kilmer (although yes it did that) but of the human experience itself in all its myriad of choices, frustrations and ultimately finite victories. Well done.

Ok it might have been my mood and my low expectations but this movie was way more fun than I thought it would be. I love Chloe Grace Moretz. Her acting is always great and she is fearless in her commitment to the material. The first half which is basically her alone in the turret was actually quite engrossing and the one very tense action scene was well done. I enjoyed that the guys in this one basically played the expendable characters or “damsels in distress” parts. If you feel like a Friday night popcorn film this is actually a fun and funny one.

Unwatchable. The actors are, depending upon the scene, chewing the scenery or wooden. Irredeemably gross without adding anything to the “plot”. Nonsensical writing. I got thirty minutes in before I did what the main character should have done in the first five minutes, left St. Agathas. After reading the reviews I’m so happy I did. This is why good horror is always a classic because there is so much bad, stupid, lazy, cliche horror out there.

I often put Will Smith in the category of stars who often play themselves but we like them so it’s ok. I’m taking that assessment off the table after “King Richard”. Fantastic performance of a complex man trying to raise strong, self assured, honest, successful women in a world and arena of adversity and pitfalls. It was a beautiful love letter from his daughters (executive producers) and life lessons for the rest of us on how to navigate harsh difficult waters with strength and grace.