May movie reviews

In theaters:

MICHAEL

Like almost every "controversial" movie these days that riles up the internet, Michael is really neither good enough nor bad enough to be worth all the fuss.

The good: Both actors playing Michael are good. Some of the recreations of performances are enjoyable. A handful of scenes actually try to make us understand Michael as a person.

The bad: Even if you don't know anything about the production, it has a veneer of inauthenticity. And it's so uncreative, just following the biopic formula every step of the way.

MORTAL KOMBAT 2

I remembered virtually nothing about the original of this rebooted franchise from a few years ago, but I don't think that mattered much. This is a to the point movie that delivers a bunch of crazy fights and some wild kills. 

IN THE GREY

The ever prolific Guy Ritchie's latest, a way too convoluted thriller about covert ops and Middle Eastern bad guys and a bunch of stuff that I didn't follow. Worth it mostly for a ravishing Eiza Gonzalez. 

IS GOD IS

An exploitation revenge film done as a largely serious drama, with flashes of dark comedy. Fantastic performance by the 2 lead (and new to me) actresses. Tons of style. 

OBSESSION

This has become a massive hit, and I agree with the masses. This is a great one: nasty, unpredictable in ways few horror films ever manage to be, very funny at times, and highlighted by an incredible performance by the dazzling Inde Navarrette. 

BACKROOMS

This has also become a massive hit, but this time I'm not on board. I was with this for about half its runtime, as it builds a creepy mood and has good performances at its center (Chiwetel Ejiofor needs to be in more things). But it becomes deadeningly repetitive and quite annoying in how it never amounts to anything. And no, it's not okay just because the short films were vague too. Different format. 

I LOVE BOOSTERS

Boots Riley's new one, a goofy, surreal, completely untethered to reality comedy about shoplifters. I was never bored, that's for sure, even though Riley has yet to make a film as great as his obvious talent. 

Everything else:

HOPPERS

Pixar's most successful original film in a while, in which the simple idea of being able to communicate with animals spins off into a very enjoyably wacky and clever good time. 

BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID

Dipped into the unseen classics for this one, a 1969 western starring Paul Newman at his most charming and Robert Redford at his most cool. The movie is oddly structured, in that it montages away large parts of the story, but then it's the two leads getting into and out of trouble it is a lot of fun. 

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