Director: Andrea Berloff
Writers: Andrea Berloff
Stars: Melissa McCarthy, Tiffany Haddish, Elisabeth Moss

Synopsis: The wives of New York gangsters in Hell’s Kitchen in the 1970s continue to operate their husbands’ rackets after they’re locked up in prison.

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The Kitchen is one of those films that had me excited to see it the minute I finished watching the first trailer. It is loosely based on a graphic novel of the same name. I made sure to read a bit of it before seeing the film. Unfortunately, this comic book adaptation did not work for me. It wasn’t bad, it wasn’t great, something just felt off. From what I read, it didn’t take much from the comics at all, but that’s not necessarily required. But in this case, I think the film should have kept to the comics plotline a bit more. I think this story had the potential to be a great crime drama, but would have been better served as a tv show or mini-series. The problems with the storytelling could easily be resolved by splitting up the plot into episodes. I hope this does get picked up or redone as a show, I’d be very interested in watching it.

The Kitchen tells the story of three women, wives of members of the Irish Mob in 1970s Hell’s Kitchen. After their husbands are sent to jail and they’re not given the promised financial support by the new guy in charge, the women band together and start running things themselves. Melissa McCarthy plays Kathy Brennan, a stay at home mom and the one who comes up with the idea to take over. Tiffany Haddish is Ruby O’Carroll, wife of the heir apparent of the Irish mob. Elisabeth Moss is battered wife Claire Walsh, who gains self-confidence and power while her abusive husband is behind bars. Even with the film’s story problems, this trio of strong women and their journey to power is one of the highlights of The Kitchen.

One of the questions I had going into this film was: Can Tiffany Haddish deliver in a serious role? Yes, yes, she can. I think the role of 70s housewife turned mob boss was perfect for her. I also think she should only be allowed to dress in 70s fashion from now on because she looked fabulous. (So did McCarthy and Moss, but no one can rock a jumpsuit like Haddish.) Moss gave the strongest performance in the film, followed closely by Domhnall Gleeson who plays hit man/Vietnam vet Gabriel O’Malley. Haddish and McCarthy were also great considering what they had to work with. I was pleasantly surprised with Haddish. She kept her usual over-the-top comedy in check, but we still got subdued moments of it to remind us of her comedic background. Other positives for me would be the costumes, makeup, soundtrack, and sets. From the minute the film started, you were transported back to the late 70s and it never faltered. I also noticed a lot of nods to other mobster films, and to current events at the time (even a jab at a millionaire’s son developing lots of real estate and not hiring union workers…)

My biggest complaint about the movie was the flow of the story. There were no discernable breaks in the plot to help move the story along. It just kept going and going and felt like nothing important was happening and then it was over. It had its moments of action, it wasn’t boring, but it just felt weird. It’s hard to describe. It was also a lot more violent than I was expecting. It definitely earned its R rating with more than language (don’t worry, there’s plenty of that too).

So overall, The Kitchen was a disappointment. It’s not enough like the comic to convince comic fans to see it, and it’s not good enough on its own to advise people to run to the theaters to see it either. I didn’t hate it; it definitely has some praise-worthy performances and entertaining moments in the story. But in general, it didn’t work. The wonky flow of the story killed most of the fun I had watching it. Thankfully its trio of magnificent leading ladies (and Domhnall Gleeson) made the trip to the theater worth it for me. I hope they realize what potential they had here and try it again as a tv show. Please Netflix, Amazon, HBO, anyone? Pick it up and give me a good adaptation of The Kitchen.

Overall Grade: C-

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Director: André Øvredal
Writers: Dan and Kevin Hageman & Guillermo del Toro; Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton (story); Alvin Schwartz (books)
Stars: Zoe Colletti, Michael Garza, Austin Zajur, Natalie Ganzhorn, Gabriel Rush, Lorraine Touissant, Javier Botet, Troy James, Mark Steger

Synopsis: A group of teens face their fears in order to save their lives.

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Death Note smesh note: There’s another book on the shelf that is more proficient in doling out demises. It does require the bloodthirsty writer to do more than just jotting down names, however. “Caveat auctor” then?

Not so to Sarah Bellows (Kathleen Pollard), a formerly alive (and not exactly gone) resident of Mill Valley, Pennsylvania, the dreamy-by-day and chilling-by-night setting of André Øvredal’s second knock on horror’s door. With a pen that leaks crimson “ink,” she can construct the final moments of her target in whatever way that pleases her, rendering them the doomed protagonist of a self-contained scary story that is always titled, suspenseful and economical. It’s a method that the late author Alvin Schwartz also employed, for 82 times — or three books, but thankfully his writing adhered to the rules of reality and only those i.e. it’s dread rather than death that gets to folks.

Kudos to the five writers of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, one among them is Guillermo del Toro, who’s also producing, for finding the soundest way to translate Schwartz’s texts to the big-screen, removing their discreteness and tying them together with the well-acted youthful quintet — Stella (Zoe Colletti), Ramón (Michael Garza), Chuck (Austin Zajur), his sister Ruth (Natalie Ganzhorn) and August (Gabriel Rush) — that stumble upon Sarah Bellows’ tome on Halloween. While none of the characters are developed to the point that they can affect, which is unfortunate, they have been given existences that complement the setting to an incredible degree. Mill Valley, despite often bathed in explosive falltime colors through Roman Osin’s lensing, is where conservatism thrives. Our young characters are circles among squares (Stephen King says hello), as expected, but the mismatching stems from unrealized wants and needs and not embedded eccentricities. This point is most apparent in Stella and Ramón, the former a horror writer who believes it’s wiser to not share her work and the latter a visitor whose Hispanic identity makes him susceptible to racist attacks.

Then there’s the presence of Nixon at key points in the film, a name closely attached to one of the scariest — and true — stories there is: The Vietnam War. Take note of this when you watch the film — it might add another layer of context to the effect of Bellows’ dangerous words. This is also further proof that the writers’ ability to build the background stuff is nothing short of excellent. If only the same applies to the humans in the foreground…

But whether at a distance or in your face, the monstrosities, once 2-D and static as illustrator Stephen Gammell intended, will always be the high point of the film. With Spectral Motion’s gorgeous makeup work, talented performance artists and director Øvredal’s knack for using space to oppress, Harold, The Red Spot, The Rotting Corpse, The Jangly Man and (especially) The Pale Lady all receive an impressive upgrade, bringing to Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark an unprecedented level of terror. Gruesomeness, too, at times. Don’t be surprised if you too find yourself trapped in a red room with an advancing bulbous, grinning lassie at bedtime. That said, viewer beware: There will be some undercooked character beats to contend with before the surprisingly nerve-fraying encounters, so have patience and don’t forget that there is goodness to gather in the well-realized environs of 1960s U.S.A.

Overall Grade: B

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Director: Garret Price
Stars: Anton Yelchin, J.J. Abrams, Sofia Boutella

Synopsis: A portrait of the extraordinary life and career of actor Anton Yelchin.

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For every generation of actors, there always seems to be dozens that never get the recognition or success they deserve. A particularly section of them always place roles in big films, but don’t seem to break out into the mainstream. One of the actors that immediately springs to mind is Anton Yelchin, an actor that you’ve seen before in J.J. Abrahm’s Star Trek series, Jim Jarmush’s Only Lovers Left Alive, and a wide variety of smaller films as well. Bringing a strong sense of conviction and raw talent to every role, Yelchin could rotate from being a nebbish romantic in 5 to 7 to a threatening loser in Thoroughbreds. The news of his passing in 2016 left his legacy feeling incomplete, as he never had a singular, defining role. Garrett Price’s Love, Antosha hopes cement Yelchin’s career in the history books by showing how insightful, smart, and wonderful this actor was.

Yelchin’s career started with his parents. The documentary slowly moves through his childhood, and his parents’ relationship with him until it arrives at his first real role. After a few TV appearances, including an emotional episode of ER, Yelchin made the switch to movie rolls with the little remembered 2000 film entitled A Man Is Mostly Water. Over the course of Love, Antosha, his relationship with mother becomes the strongest throughline, as the title is taken from the way he would sign notes to her. Using stunning and firsthand home videos, archival footage, and interviews with Anton’s friends and family, Price compiles a hagiography that feels almost justified in it’s hero worship.

What’s particularly wonderful about Love, Antosha is that the film doesn’t focus primarily on what we lost in Yelchin’s passing, but it commemorates what we had when he was alive. By taking us through his personal life and career, the documentary perfectly shows him age and mature overtime. Towards the beginning of the film, it’s revealed that his family showed him Scorsese classics like Taxi Driver, Mean Streets and Raging Bull at a young age. It’s understandable as those films are all part of cinema history, and important for a budding actor to see. What makes the scene surprising is when Yelchin makes the thoughtful (although not new) hypothesis that the character Travis Bickle is a reflection of cinema’s masculinity. We soon find him filling his scripts with notes, reading novels like On the Road, and becoming more social, talented and intelligent as the film progresses. It’s just the start here, as we soon see Anton expand his horizons into numerous interests including music and photography. From his blues rock bands to his late night risque photoshoots, Yelchin was always pushing himself in a fascinating direction, if only to zig the other way whenever he got bored. His interests and insights come to life in his diaries, which are narrated here by Nicholas Cage.

The film serves as a perfect memorial of Yelchin. Compiling how outstanding he was as a person, while also chronicling his artistic achievements, Love, Antosha is all you could want out of a documentary commissioned by the subject’s family. At the same time, it’s more than just a hagiography. It’s a celebration of a life lived at its fullest, even if Yelchin was just twenty seven when it ended. There’s a joyous and inspiring feeling throughout which thankfully transcends the biographical documentary genre altogether. Love, Antosha will make you want to dive into the actors work, and it may even inspire you achieve more. If Anton can do this much in 27 years, imagine what you could do with the rest of your life.

Overall Grade: B+

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnIesrmL-p0

Director: David Leitch
Writer: Chris Morgan
Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Idris Elba, Vanessa Kirby

Synopsis: Lawman Luke Hobbs and outcast Deckard Shaw form an unlikely alliance when a cyber-genetically enhanced villain threatens the future of humanity.

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2019 has given us some fantastic films but the one thing I think it’s been lacking is a traditional summer blockbuster. Thankfully, Hobbs & Shaw is that perfect summer popcorn flick. If you are a fan of cheesy action movies from any era, aren’t afraid to admit you enjoy everything Michael Bay has directed, or love anything Nicholas Cage has starred in, then this is the movie for you! It literally takes every gimmick, from every era of great action b-movies and makes them work, gloriously, on the big screen. I know many people will disagree with me, but I love this movie and am not ashamed to say so.

Hobbs & Shaw picks up two years after The Fate of the Furious and is the first official spin-off in the series. Other than a cameo or reference here and there, you don’t really need any prior Fast & Furious franchise knowledge, but it does add to the viewing experience. This film reunites DSS Agent Luke Hobbs (previously in Fast Five, Fast & Furious 6, Furious 7, and The Fate of the Furious) and former spy/mercenary Deckard Shaw (Furious 7 and The Fate of the Furious). Even though they despise each other, they must work together to save the world from a deadly programmable virus. The film also introduces us to Shaw’s MI6 Agent sister Hattie, played by the amazing Vanessa Kirby, and features a cyber-genetically enhanced bad guy named Brixton Lore (Idris Elba).

Hobbs & Shaw may not appeal to everyone, but it does have a lot going for it. The macho-man banter between Statham and Johnson is funny. The action starts pretty early in the film and never lets up. It embraces highlights the differences between Jason Statham and Dwayne Johnson’s typical action-star tactics- Statham is martial arts driven and tactical, while Johnson usually takes the “hulk smash” approach. Though this film is mostly explosions and Dwayne Johnson punching people, it occasionally reminds you of its Fast & Furious origins. There are several intense car chases and stunts, plenty of vehicular eye-candy, and bad guys on futuristic motorcycles.

Idris Elba is an excellent b-movie bad guy. He embraced and delivered every cheeseball line of dialogue he was given with Oscar-worthy precision. It’s one of the reasons I think this movie worked for me, it didn’t take itself seriously and it fully committed to its over-the-top, campy style. One of my complaints about previous films in the series is their over complicated plotlines and convoluted ways to make “precision drivers” needed by super-secret government organizations. Hobbs & Shaw keeps it simple with a traditional “save the world on a time crunch” plotline. Another positive for me was how amazing and bad-ass Vanessa Kirby was. Even when sharing the screen with Johnson and Statham, two huge guys with even bigger personalities, she stood out and held her own. She’s an interesting character, who can take out bad guys just as easily as her macho costars.

The film does have a few faults. The beginning is a little rough. Hobbs and Shaw trying to outdo each other with insults and their manliness is exhausting, but eventually the film finds the right balance. It also felt a tad long at two hours and fifteen minutes, but most of that dragging was felt in the first act. Other than that, I have no complaints.

So, to wrap up, Hobbs & Shaw is exactly as advertised. It’s a fun action flick, with gratuitous violence, crazy stunts, and lots of entertaining bickering between Jason Statham and Dwayne Johnson. It has surprise cameos (people and cars) and stellar performances from Vanessa Kirby and Idris Elba. If you’re looking for a film to turn your brain off and help you escape or are craving a high-octane action adventure, then I highly recommend you see Hobbs & Shaw in the biggest and loudest theater possible.

Overall Grade: B+

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