Movie reviews (new and old)

New:

CRUELLA 

I liked this more than Maleficent. It doesn't need to be over 2 hours long, and the soundtrack is kind of annoying. But it's a lot of stylish fun, and Emma Stone really rips into the role. Emma Thompson pretty much does a Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada ripoff. They've already announced they're doing a sequel, and that's cool. I wouldn't mind another. 

THE HITMAN'S WIFE'S BODYGUARD 

Remember The Hitman's Bodyguard? Of course you don't. Nobody does. I didn't even though I for sure saw it. Rewatching it I could see why. It's one of the most generically average action comedies maybe of all time. But apparently it made just enough of a return on investment to get a sequel made, so here we are. And this sequel is really one of the turkeys of the year so far.

Again it's hopelessly generic. Again it's not funny. But this time it's just loud and obnoxious and off-puttingly cruel at times. Everybody dials it up here, but nobody more than poor Salma Hayek, who is just insufferable. She sets back Mexican-American acting decades with this. Although she does get an on screen reunion with Antonio Banderas. And we get a couple scenes between Samuel L. Jackson and Morgan Freeman, who each pretty much owned acting in the 90's and early 2000's, before the paycheck roles really came calling, yet who had improbably never been in a movie together. Reynolds and Jackson are on auto pilot, doing unmemorable variations on personal they've used better in many other movies. Really this whole movie is just constantly reminding you of better movies you'd rather be watching. 

12 MIGHTY ORPHANS

It's almost impossible to screw up a football movie, and this one doesn't screw it up either. It plays quite loose with facts, as I learned with minimal research (whenever you see "inspired by true events" you can bet you're seeing fiction). But the bones of the true story are compelling, the ensemble is good (especially a feisty Martin Sheen), and the football action is pretty well done. 

CITY OF LIES

A LONG delayed movie about the Notorious B.I.G. murder investigation. This thing was shot way back in 2017 but got delayed due to legal issues involving Johnny Depp (or so Wikipedia says). Depp plays the detective, but it's one of those latter day sleepy, mumbly Depp performances. Better is Forest Whitaker as the journalist also on the case. It's not as compelling a movie as it is a real life story. 

Old:

MISBEHAVIOUR (2020)

A rather peculiar true life drama based on the women's liberation movement, set against the backdrop of a then popular beauty pageant. I dunno, maybe you had to already know the story to care, cause I didn't that much. Good performances though from Keira Knightley, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Jessie Buckley. 

NOVEMBER CRIMINALS (2017)

Ansel Elgort's friend is shot and killed, and he tries to find out who did it, cause the cops don't seem to give a shit. This isn't bad. The story gets you involved. David Strathairn is very good as Elgort's genuinely caring dad. And we get some really good Chloe Moretz here, looking about as cute as she ever has.

CODA (2020)

Patrick Stewart plays a world renowned pianist dealing with some late career issues. Katie Holmes is a reporter who befriends him. Not much happens here, and what does happen is predictable. But it's a pleasant movie, and a really good part for Katie, who gets to just be her warm self.