Top 20 of 2015

— Here are the 20—really the top 23—films I've liked most from 2015. I may end up with more than 23 since I have not seen "The Lady in the Van", "99 Homes", or "Straight Outta Compton":

• The Big Short
• Black Mass
• Brooklyn
• Bridge of Spies
• Carol
• Clouds of Sils Maria
• Creed
• The Danish Girl
• The End of the Tour
• Ex Machina
• 45 Years
• Grandma
• The Hateful Eight
• I'll See You In My Dreams
• Inside Out
• Love & Mercy
• Mad Max: Fury Road
• The Martian
• Mr. Holmes
• The Revenant
• Scicario
• Spotlight
• Truth

Nine films almost made the list: "Far From the Madding Crowd", "Joy", "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl", "Mission Impossible–Rogue Nation, "Room", "Southpaw", "Spectre", "Steve Jobs", and "Testament of Youth".

If I include documentaries, I'd have to make room for "Amy", "Best of Enemies", "Cartel Land", "Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck", "The Look of Silence", "Meru", "What Happened Miss Simone", and "The Wolfpack.

The D Train

— An unusual look at male insecurity and sexuality. Jack Black’s Dan Landsman is the epitome of nerdiness and you just know he was mercilessly teased as a child. Twenty years later he’s still unpopular and uncomfortable but, somehow, he has a good-looking wife and two children. He’s on the high school reunion committee and, seeing former, popular classmate Oliver Lawless on a national sunscreen commercial, he sees him as having “made it” and decides to get the successful Oliver to the reunion so others will want to come too. Under the ruse of a business trip, Dan goes to LA and hooks up with Oliver for a couple of days of bars, drugs and, ultimately, seduction. The next day Dan is nonplussed and Oliver, who isn’t into labels, is unconcerned. When Oliver shows up for the reunion, the nuances of things are somewhat clarified but, overall, it’s hard for viewers to build up sympathy or understanding for anyone. The film’s interesting but not particularly successful. [DVD]

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[2015. 101 min. Directed by Andrew Mogel and Jarrad Paul. Starring Jack Black, James Marsden, Kathryn Hahn, and Jeffrey Tambor.]
http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/the-d-train-20150507

The Danish Girl

— Eddie Redmayne takes on a character the way Meryl Streep does. He becomes the character, in this case transgender pioneer Einar Wegener/Lili Elbe. “The Danish Girl” is an empathetic look at Lili’s awakening and confusion over her sexuality, efforts to deal with her dual identity, the reaction of most members of the medical community, and what was then experimental, gender-reassignment surgery. The script is definitely geared toward mass consumption and every effort is made to minimize any discomfort the audience could feel but Redmayne’s intimate portrayal mostly overcomes this shortcoming. We’ve come to expect this kind of acting from Redmayne, but Alicia Vikander was something of a surprise to me. She is superb as the fragile and steadfast wife who must wrestle with the reality of the situation and figure out her own path. The film is beautiful and, although its restraint and straightforward narrative are a little disappointing, it is well worth seeing.

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[2015. 119 min. Directed by Tom Hooper. Starring Eddie Redmayne, Alicia Vikander, Amber Heard, Ben Whishaw, and Matthias Schoenaerts.]
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/film/the-danish-girl/review/

The Big Short

— I expected to like “The Big Short” with its great cast, worthwhile premise, and great reviews. Well, it’s pretty good, except it has the indignation of a Michael Moore documentary, an uncomfortable humor, gives a nod to Frank Underwood and his penchant for speaking to the audience, and includes cameos by varied celebrities who help viewers understand financial terminology. Or maybe because of it—at least with the cutaways and the humor, there’s no mistaking this for a documentary. The film seems like a mixed bag of tricks and, in its fervor to point fingers, it identifies everyone except those who were hurt as culpable. It’s the methodology employed by the protagonists as they come to understand what’s happening that makes the film work. First it’s a numbers game derived from printouts and statistics that leads to the realization that the housing market could implode but, as the film goes on and the main characters begin to bet on the implosion, the faces of the greedy financial traders and the clueless sellers and advisers, along with so many overextended and greedy homeowners, makes the millions made on the implosion by the film's protagonists perhaps more legal but not necessarily ethical.

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[2015. 103 min. Directed by Adam McKay. Starring Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, and Brad Pitt.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-big-short-2015

Joy

— Jennifer Lawrence brings Joy Mangano’s character to life and, even as David O. Russell jumps from scene to scene at a quick pace, she manages to be the tether holding it all together. Mangano invented a self-wringing mop that sold like hotcakes, eventually making her a QVC network star. It ends up the film is only loosely based on Mangano’s life and, good as Lawrence and her supporting cast are, the film is fun to watch, particularly as the characters are introduced and as Joy struggles to get her mop to market, but it falls a little flat in the end. Lawrence manages to make seeing the movie worthwhile, but David O. Russell’s previous two films are far better films.

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[2015. 124 min. Directed by David O. Russell. Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Bradley Cooper, Diane Ladd, Virginia Madsen, Edgar Ramirez, and Isabella Rossellini.]
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/25/movies/review-jennifer-lawrence-as-a-modern-day-cinderella-in-joy.html

Mad Max: Fury Road

— This is another film I missed in theaters so I picked up the DVD. It is a really, really good installment in the “Mad Max” series. I have to admit I loved the original dystopian film from 1979 and I liked the next installment (1981, “Mad Max: The Road Warrior”) almost as much. I was faithful when Tina Turner joined the in the fun in 1985 for “Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome” but I was beginning to think things were getting a little too glitzy. Maybe George Miller thought the same thing and that’s why he waited 30 years to come out with the fourth installment. Chases have been always been an integral part of Mad Max films, but “Fury Road” takes it the extreme and the entire film is a chase. Honestly, I know that sounds dull, particularly since there isn’t much dialogue either, but it isn’t dull at all. I was easily mesmerized by the post-apocalyptic ride with sand blowing everywhere and noise blaring, with fireballs and wanton destruction. It’s a wasteland where things are black and white, where you make your own mark or leave no mark, where people like Max wander in search of their better selves.

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[2015. 120 min. Directed by George Miller. Starring Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, and Nicholas Hoult.]
http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/mad-max-fury-road-20150513

Brooklyn

— “Brooklyn” is a gorgeous film, the kind where you can almost feel the texture of every floral print, all those cotton shirts and wool slacks are perfectly ironed, and every home reminds you of the past. Luckily, it has more going for it than just a pretty face. The story unfolds more like you’re reading the novel than watching the film so most things move at a slower but appropriate pace. At first it almost seems like it’s just another immigrant love story, well-crafted perhaps, but nothing special, and then the story expands to consider sibling love, the meaning of home, the price of change, the value of heritage and of cultural blending, the need for both earnestness and acceptance, and the cost of personal growth. There’s just the right amount of nostalgia and anticipation in this tale of a woman torn between two generations, two countries, and two loves.

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[2015. 111 min. Directed by John Crowley. Starring Saoirse Ronan, Emory Cohen, Domhnall Gleeson, and Jim Broadbent.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/brooklyn-2015

Clouds of Sils Maria

— I missed this film when it was in theaters but I’m sure glad I checked it out on DVD. It’s an incredibly complex and intimate film. Juliette Binoche is wonderful as Maria, a 40-year-old star no longer able to play the parts she wants, whose personal assistant, Val, played with amazing finesse by Kirsten Stewart, is her able organizer, confidant, and friend. Maria has been signed to play in a stage version of the film that made her famous when she was 18, but this time she’ll be the vulnerable older boss instead of the young, personal assistant seducing her boss, a role to be played by an up-and-coming star who is comfortable as fodder for the TMZ world. There isn’t a straight path in this film and there’s plenty of dialogue as the scenes unfold, touching on the complexities of art and reality, youth and experience, and beauty and wisdom. With several layers and subplots started but not continued, it’s no surprise the story itself doesn’t exactly end even if the film does. If you like neat packages or definitive ways of living, this may not be your film. For me, even the parts that seemed a little too rambling were still fascinating since all the dialogue seemed real and the vaguely blurry line between stage and life only reminded me of the blurry lines we all have as we step among the parts of our lives.

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[2015. 124 min. Directed by Olivier Assayas. Starring Juliette Binoche, Kristen Stewart, and Cloe Grace Moretz.]
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/10/movies/review-in-clouds-of-sils-maria-a-celebration-turns-into-a-memorial.html?_r=0

Suffragette

— “Suffragette” was a little disappointing and not very rousing. Instead of letting me witness the British suffrage movement, this film presents everything in retrospect for today’s sympathetic eyes, leaving little sense of the opposing view. That very filter makes it nearly impossible to feel a part of the struggle or even as sympathetic to the cause as I would have expected. Carey Mulligan’s subtle expressiveness is really about all that saved it from just being a heavy-handed, one-sided flick for those who need to look at the past with a narrow focus. It does raise questions about when violence is justified and to what extent, martyrdom, patriarchy, and why, all these years later, issues like economic equity remain unresolved.

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[2015. 106 min. Directed by Sarah Gavron. Starring Carey Mulligan, Anne-Marie Duff, Helena Bonham Carter, Brendan Gleeson, and Ben Whishaw.]
http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/suffragette-20151022

Creed

— After all these years, something of the original “Rocky” is at work again in “Creed”. This is a decently scripted, directed, and acted boxing film. Both Michael B. Jordan’s character and Sylvester Stallone’s are more complex than expected and their relationship and emotions add some extra layers to the film. It’s not a great film, but it is old-fashioned entertainment along with a bit of nostalgia that was worth the price of admission.

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[2015. 133 min. Directed by Ryan Coogler. Starring Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson, and Phylicia Rashad.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/creed-2015

The Heat

— Female buddy films are a mixed bag. “The Heat” does a pretty good job of merging plot and humor, thanks to its able costars, but it doesn’t hold a candle to the Lethal Weapons or Beverly Hills Cops. It’s fun but easily forgotten. [DVD]

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[2013. 117 min. Directed by Paul Feig. Starring Sandra Bullock, Melissa McCarthy, Damian Bichir, and Marlon Wayans.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-heat-2013

Secret In Their Eyes

— Julia Roberts looks downright plain and haggard in “Secret In Their Eyes” but she’s still someone who has no trouble holding your attention. Nicole Kidman, looking far from plain, is also more than capable of holding your attention. This is an interesting thriller with a few good twists and plenty to keep it moving along with only a few slight bumps. Even so, it seems a little flat and I’m not sure if that’s because there are a few bumps in either the script or the pace, or if my memory of the somewhat better 2009 Argentinian film on which the current film was based got in the way. In any event, even if this new version doesn’t measure up to its predecessor, it still is a cut above mediocre.

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[2015. 111 min. Directed by Billy Ray. Starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Nicole Kidman, and Julia Roberts.]
http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/nov/19/secret-in-their-eyes-review-chiwetel-ejiofor-julia-roberts-nicole-kidman-english-language-remake

Spectre

— After more than fifty years, this franchise still knows how to tweak a good thing every year or two and “Spectre” has all the trademark components so it’s fast and fun, along with Daniel Craig who brings his brand of introspective realism, humor, and allure to his fourth bond film in nine years. I liked “Skyfall” a little more than “Spectre” but this one’s still fun as it pays homage to earlier films along the way. I miss Judi Dench, but Ralph Fiennes is an acceptable replacement. The nearly two and half hours went quickly. It’s good entertainment and, after more than twenty films, it’s a formula that works.

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[2015. 148 min. Directed by Sam Meendes. Starring Daniel Craig, Christophy Waltz, Lea Seydoux, and Ralph Fiennes.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/spectre-2015

Room

— "Room" will bring a tear to almost anyone’s eye, but they may not know for sure if it’s from joy or sadness. This is the story of a 5-year-old boy who’s been held captive in a windowless backyard shed with his mother since birth. His mother’s turned their room into a safe and satisfying environment for him but the time comes when they hatch a plan to escape, only to find the obstacles in the world outside may be even more difficult to maneuver. As the plot unfolds, lots of issues surface—a mother’s nurturing and instinctive protectiveness, a child’s love, what really constitutes freedom, the loss of childhood, restrictive vs. privileged lives, adaptation, comfort, and survival. Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay are excellent, as is Joan Allen. This is a warm and compassionate film and it reminds you of the beauty in even the smallest things. It’s definitely one of the better films so far this year.

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[2015. 118 min. Directed by Lenny Abrahamson. Starring Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay, and Joan Allen.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/room-2015

Spotlight

— It’s hard not to see “Spotlight” as similar to “All the President’s Men” except it’s the Boston Globe doing the investigative reporting and they’re looking into the scope of child sexual abuse by Catholic clergy, whether there was a cover-up, and if so, how high up the hierarchy the cover up went. It’s a film with a perfect ensemble cast, each doing their part to help uncover the pieces of the story. Running through is the question of how it could have gone on for so long without parents, priests, police, politicians, lawyers, reporters, teachers, or anyone else speaking out. It may have been some patriotic pride of place that kept Bostonians from exposing the underbelly of their city, or it may have been a human condition that makes us unable to accept a horrible truth. And of course, in a town with so many Catholics, the ingrained belief in the goodness of ever cleric may have played a part. And it may just be that we now are more willing to hide behind doing a job no matter who is hurt or what is allowed to continue. One attorney says “If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a village to abuse one” and that may be key; plenty of people had some part in what happened. This is an excellent, perfectly paced film and well worth seeing. The script is excellent and the cast is incredible.

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[2015. 12807 min. Directed by Tom McCarthy. Starring Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Live Schriber, and John Slattery.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/spotlight-2015

Our Brand Is Crisis

— This is an uneven film that’s neither satire nor comedy nor drama. It’s lucky to have Sandra Bullock associated with it since, whatever she’s doing, she seems to grab our attention, and Billy Bob Thorton is good as her rival. It’s also based on a very good documentary, an interesting trend this year. The film seems like it could have been better—just dropping the discordant ending would have helped—but it was still worth seeing. Political strategist Bullock battles Thorton, using American tactics to bolster an unpopular Bolivian presidential candidate’s re-election campaign, and the result is both disturbing and entertaining, perhaps more so in the midst of our current presidential campaigns and knowing the situation is based on an election about ten years ago. The film was more appealing than I had expected it to be but my expectations had been greatly lowered given the bad press “Our Brand Is Crisis” and “Burnt” both received.

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[2015. 107 min. Directed by David Gordon Green. Starring Sandra Bullock, Billy Bob Thorton, and Anthony Mackie.]
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/30/movies/review-in-our-brand-is-crisis-the-war-room-goes-to-bolivia.html

Truth

— This is quite the cast and they make a gripping journalistic thriller out of the events that led to Dan Rather’s downfall at CBS. It raises lots of issues about journalistic integrity, bias, sensationalism, profit making vs. serving the public good, and corporate and political pressures on news journalists. The story is told from the perspective of Mary Mapes, the producer who also lost her job and on whose book the film is based. The film manages to relay how complicated and elusive truth is, since once anything other than pure fact is presented, some perspective necessarily exists. Although the incident was a significant journalistic blunder, it was a little hard to focus on the actual event in the film, just as the documents CBS used as support of their story made it hard to focus on the truth of the story itself. Although it’s never clear if this is a biopic or a look at the fusion of news and entertainment, it remains a good film. Cate Blanchett’s performance is particularly noteworthy and Robert Redford is surprisingly believable as Rather.

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[2015. 121 min. Directed by James Vanderbilt. Starring Cate Blanchett, Robert Redford, Dennis Quaid, Topher Grace, Elizabeth Moss, Bruce Greenwood, and Stacy Keach.]
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/16/movies/review-truth-treads-a-perilous-political-tightrope.html

The Water Diviner

— A somewhat tedious but lovingly photographed tale of a father looking for his sons' remains after the battle of Gallipoli. It’s easy to see why so few people saw this film (DVD). The dialogue's not very good, the story’s a little farfetched, and the camera spends a little too long looking longingly at things. Crowe’s direction is weak but Crowe’s acting is the film’s saving grace. I’d wait for it to be on late night, free TV.

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[2014. 111 min. Directed by Russell Crowe. Starring Russell Crowe, Olga Kurylenko, and Jai Courtney.]
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/24/movies/review-in-the-water-diviner-russell-crowe-revisits-gallipoli.html

Steve Jobs

— This is a much better film than I expected. My guess is I just wasn’t paying attention to the people who are involved with it—Danny Boyle, Aaron Sorkin, Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslet, Seth Rogen, and Jeff Daniels. This is a dialogue-heavy film but it’s extremely well-written, well-acted, and well-directed dialogue! Depending on your perspective, it’s easy to think of Jobs as a brilliant, creative, demigod or a self-absorbed, egotistical prima donna. This film paints him to be some of both and the tug between businessman and artist is apparent throughout. My friend Judy Routhe, who recommended the film, said she’d read the book and, at the end of the film, turned to her husband and said “they didn’t finish the book!” The ending did seem to come early, but I suppose Sorkin's script focused less on Jobs’ life than on his motivation so the last dozen years of his life didn’t need to be included. I liked the film a lot and am grateful to have a few decent films in theaters again.

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[2015. 122 min. Written by Aaron Sorkin. Directed by Danny Boyle. Starring Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslet, Seth Rogen, and Jeff Daniels.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/steve-jobs-2015

Bridge of Spies

— This is a spy thriller reminiscent of the best ones. The story unfolds and, even if you remember the U-2 overflights and the capture of Gary Powers, there’s still an uneasy feeling throughout the negotiations that only good, direction, acting, and writing can bring. Enter Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and writer Matt Charman and rewriters Joel & Ethan Coen. Added to the very interesting storyline is a view of mob fear and prejudice, of fickle public opinion, and of civil rights denied in the name of public good. Hanks role as James Donovan, an attorney defending a Soviet spy, reminds us of Atticus Finch, bringing another positive note to the film. This is just a very well done espionage film.

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[2015. 141 minutes. Directed by Steven Spielberg. Starring Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, and Alan Alda]
http://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/Spielberg-s-Bridge-of-Spies-is-much-more-6566815.php

The Walk

— Sometimes films based on true stories are a little empty because, while the story may have been fine as a documentary, the story just doesn’t have enough meat to exist as fiction. “Man on Wire” was a very good documentary and I wasn’t sure there was any reason to have a re-creation, but “The Walk” is visually stunning. Even before the main event, every scene is beautiful and Joseph Gordon-Levitt's enthusiasm is contagious. I have problems with heights and there were times when I cringed but there were also times when I got caught up in high-wire act itself. Because the walk involved the Twin Towers, another dimension surrounds the walk that didn’t exist when it occurred. The World Trade Center itself is an adversary and a lover, and now a bittersweet memory. In the end, “The Walk” does seem like what you’d want a documentary to be if you could know how it ends before it begins, frame every shot perfectly, film every scene from every angle, and adjust the facts a little. It’s technically a very good film, but it’s not going to be among my five favorite films of the year.

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[2015. 123 min. Directed by Robert Zemeckis. Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Charlotte Le Bon, and Ben Kingsley.]
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/film/the-walk/review/

Sicario

— I liked “Sicario” even if it is another Mexican drug cartel film. It just happens to be a very nicely crafted one that doesn’t spend every minute with quick cuts and over-amped music. Yes, there’s action—it is a suspense thriller after all—and there are bloody scenes too, but there’s a lot more as well. It may be awfully bleak, but it's also perfectly taut and I’m a sucker for films that linger in the grays, looking at situations where everyone’s ethics are challenged and there doesn’t appear to be much moral high ground for the greater good. If you like these kinds of things, “Sicario” is worth checking out. This film and Denis Villeneuve’s three previous films (“Incendies”, “Prisoners”, and “Enemy”) have moved him up on my list of filmmakers even if he is something of a newcomer.

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[2015. 121 min. Directed by Denis Villeneuve. Starring Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin, and Benicio Del Toro.]
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/09/21/dark-places-cinema-lane

The Martian

— This was a wonderful film, holding my attention from start to finish. It’s not very intellectual nor does it take itself too seriously, but it is a film that tugs at the emotions and takes you back to a time when we thought the nation was united in its goals, when taking things step-by-step could result in success, and when everyone was a little less selfish. It’s an odd twist on science fiction since it’s a little more of a feel good film than speculation about technological change on some future society. In some ways, I would have expected this to have a summer release since it was so engaging. Well worth seeing with Matt Damon doing a fine job in the title role.

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[2015. 141 min. Directed by Ridley Scott. Starring Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Jeff Daniels, and Michael Pena.]
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/02/movies/review-in-the-martian-marooned-but-not-alone.html

The Intern

— This isn’t as much fun as some of Nancy Meyer’s films, but it was fun nonetheless thanks to both De Niro and Hathaway who don’t have any trouble making improbable comedy probable. I’m not sure what other generations might think, but I hooted at a couple of the senior jokes. It ended up being an interesting premise with nice intergenerational observations. It probably doesn’t need the “big screen”, but I like to see films in a theater even if they’d be almost as good on a smaller screen.

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[2015. 121 min. Director by Nancy Meyers. Starring Robert De Niro, Anne Hathaway, and Rene Russo.]
http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/oct/01/the-intern-has-been-panned-by-male-film-critics-why-am-i-not-surprised

Black Mass

— Johnny Depp’s pretty darn good as Whitey Bulger but the film itself is a little disappointing. It’s certainly not in a league with the Godfathers, Little Caesar, Public Enemy, the French Connection, Scarface, Goodfellas, and similar films. Just the same, it was kind of interesting and after about the first half hour I got into it. Worth it for Depp but not a “must see”.

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[2015. 122 min. Directed by Scott Cooper. Starring Johnny Depp, Joel Edgerton, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Dakota Johnson.]
http://variety.com/2015/film/festivals/black-mass-review-johnny-depp-whitey-bulger-1201570428/

Grandma

— Lily Tomlin is amazing in this “little” film that’s big on humor and poignancy. Tomlin plays Elle Reid, a feisty—some would say caustic—Lesbian poet/teacher who’s on her own after her long-time partner died 18 months earlier. The story looks at a single day when Elle’s granddaughter shows up at her doorstep looking for help, and ends up being a road trip that looks at intergenerational relationships, feminist issues, love, insecurities, aging and dealing with one's personal history. I loved the film but Tomlin’s character and her granddaughter’s situation may be upsetting or off-putting to some. This is not a tender film about traditional families, but it is a very good film and Tomlin’s best film role in 40 years.

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[2015. 79 min. Directed by Paul Weitz, Starring Lily Tomlin, Julia Garner, Marcia gay Harden, Judy Greer, and Sam Elliott.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/grandma-2015

A Walk in the Woods

— A pleasant enough look at male friendship, a shared experience, and aging. Luckily, Redford and Nolte are perfect as two friends who haven’t seen each other for many years and decide to trek the Appalachian Trail. They’re both sharp old guys but they really don’t spend any time looking at the path their lives took or discussing their own mortality. Don’t get me wrong, this is a lovely little film aimed more toward the Medicare crowd than anything, with some good touches of wit and humor. I enjoyed it even if I was a little sad there wasn’t more there. In the back of my head I kept remembering how much more there was to “Wild”, last year’s far better trail walking film.

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[2015. 104 min. Directed by Ken Kwapis. Starring Robert Redford, Nick Nolte, Emma Thompson, and Mary Steenburgen.]
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movie/a-walk-woods/review/766367

Taken 3

— Now that Liam Neeson’s used his “particular set of skills” when his daughter was taken (“Taken”), then when he and his wife were taken (“Taken 2”), and now when he’s accused of a murder and needs to clear himself and protect his daughter still another time (“Taken 3”), you’d think it would be getting old. Well, this franchise may be predicable and this one took a little longer to get into, but Neeson’s still great and the film [DVD] does what you’d expect.

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[2014. 109 min. Directed by Olivier Megaton. Starring Liam Neeson, Forest Whitaker, and Maggie Grace.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/taken-3-2015

No Escape

— Oh dear. This really is racist and “ripped from the headlines”. Although there’s no denying Owen Wilson’s fatherly zeal as he protects his family from harm, all the hype about this being so full of stereotypes you should avoid it at all costs is probably right. RogerEbert.com is correct when it says this is “a dreadful and creepily exploitative would-be thriller, low-grade trash that it is too silly and stupid to be as offensive as it frequently comes close to being throughout." I’m a little embarrassed to have sat through it.

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[2015. 103 min. Directed by John Erick Dowdle. Starring Owen Wilson, Lake Bell, and Pierce Brosnan.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/no-escape-2015

Aloha

— This is a gorgeous film with gorgeous people, gorgeous scenery, and gorgeous photography, but it really isn’t very focused. It’s not a bad film, but it is poorly paced and a little preachy. It’s too bad these actors didn’t end up in a more coherent film. This is certainly among Cameron Crowe’s less successful efforts, but it’s still far from a complete stinker.

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[2015. 105 min. Written and directed by Cameron Crowe, Starring Bradley Cooper, Rachel McAdams, Emma Stone, John Krasinski, Alec Baldwin, and Bill Murray.]
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-aloha-review-20150529-story.html

The End of the Tour

— This is an interesting film although a little tedious. Jason Segel is excellent as acclaimed novelist David Foster Wallace being interviewed by less-acclaimed novelist and Rolling Stone reporter David Lipsky (Jesse Eisenberg) during the last stop of Wallace’s book tour. I expected the focus to be of Wallace, which it was, but less a look at him than at the shifting views we all have toward things like fame, loneliness, jealousy, acceptance, love, and insecurity. I was particularly fond of what was referred to more than once as “the American story” we all live as we work toward goals, achieve them, and question their value. This is a slow-moving, well-written, dialogue-driven film that spends most of its time in the realm of ideas, philosophies, and fears. This kind of introspective work needs to be well done to succeed and I think this fits the bill. I liked it.

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[2015. 106 min. Directed by James Ponsoldt. Starring Jason Segel, Jesse Eisenberg, Mamie Gummer, Anna Chlumsky, and Joan Cusak.]
http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/the-end-of-the-tour-20150729

The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

— The first one was so much fun, why wouldn’t more of the same be just as much fun? Well, almost. With this cast, more of the same really is a good idea. (DVD.)    

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[2015. 122 min. Directed by John Madden. Starring Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy, Dev Patel, Celia Imrie, Penelope Wilton, Ronald Pickup, David Strathairn, and Richard Gere.]
http://www.theguardian.com/film/the-second-best-exotic-marigold-hotel

Insurgent

— There’s something troublesome about the current trend toward serial movies over series and “Insurgent” is a good example of that trouble. These serial films can be satisfying and reach some kind of conclusion at the end of an installment, but sometimes you feel like you’re just being fed the stuff you’ll need to understand the next installment, even if it’s a year or two away. That’s the problem with this film. Luckily, the cast is decent—Shailene Woodley is very good and Kate Winslet does more than most could with a somewhat two-dimensional role. I’ll still watch the next installment, but it might be better to hold off watching “Insurgent” (DVD) until “Allegiant”, the next film in the “Divergent” series, is released and you can see them nearly back-to-back.

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[2015. 119 min. Directed by Robert Schwentke. Starring Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Miles Teller, Ansel Elgort, and Kate Winslet.]
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movie/insurgent/review/778586

The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

— The best thing I can say about this mess is that the titles were pleasant. It went downhill from there which is too bad since bringing Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin back held lots of hope for a sleek, slick, and clever film with lots of action. Sadly, Henry Cavill is way too bulked up to be comfortable in a suit, much less refined and his acting skills don't appear to be up to the challenge of a speaking role. Armie Hammer demonstrates no talent other than perseverance for being able to vaguely tolerate Cavill. Worse, the action sequences are some of the more boring I’ve seen in a long time. What should have been stylish and smart is just the opposite and, aside from a bit of humor from Hugh Grant, the characters rely on double entendres for cleverness. This film was disappointing on almost every level.

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[2015. 116 min. Directed by Guy Ritchie. Starring Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, and Alicia Vikander.]
http://www.theverge.com/2015/8/14/9152039/man-from-uncle-movie-review-guy-ritchie

Ricki and the Flash

— I wasn’t sure about this film but Meryl Streep pulls it off, playing a less than successful, aging rocker with a seasoned band, the Flash, and a nearly permanent gig at a Tarzana bar. It reminds us that we may question our life decisions but, in the end, there’s not much point in looking back. It also reminds us how complicated every relationship is and what promise each holds, as well as that we’re better being ourselves instead what we others would like us to be. This is a film with more emotion than depth, and at one point I was ready to think it wasn’t going anywhere but, by the end, I was happy with it. Streep and Kevin Kline are great, of course, but it’s probably better suited for baby boomers than Generation X, Y, or Zers. I’m pretty sure if you don’t remember Sam the Sham & the Pharoahs or Canned Heat, you may be too young to fully enjoy this film.

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[2015. 101 min. Directed by Jonathan Demme. Starring Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, Mamie Gummer, and Rick Springfield.]
http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/aug/04/ricki-and-the-flash-review-meryl-streep-mamie-gummer-kevin-kline

Irrational Man

— Mildly clever romp with signature Woody Allen wit, offbeat humor, and unfolding of storyline. The film gets better as it goes along, and Joaquin Phoenix is an interesting lead, almost speaking against the natural cadence of Woody’s writing and getting away with it, and working well with a delightful Emma Stone. It rambles a bit and the root of the main character’s existential crisis is never very clear, but the moral elasticity that brings him out of it and takes him from ethical dilemma to questionable ethics is interesting enough. Although I enjoyed the film—it was far better than last year’s dreadful “Magic in the Moonlight”—it wasn’t as enjoyable as some of Woody’s other films in the past decade, I liked “Midnight in Paris,” “Blue Jasmine”, “To Rome with Love”, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”, or “Match Point” more.

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[2015, 96 min. Written and directed by Woody Allen. Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Stone, Parker Posey, and Joe Stapleton.]
http://www.fandango.com/irrationalman_183883/movieoverview

McFarland, USA

— A pretty good, uplifting, true story that isn’t too schmaltzy, thanks to Kevin Costner’s on-screen charm and Caro’s somewhat subtle direction. The seven guys on the showcased cross-country team each hold their own and, even though we’re pretty sure things will end well, it’s a pleasant ride with an occasional, expected tug at our heartstrings. Better than many films with similar stories about an underdog team joining forces with a down-and-out coach and both being the better for it. (DVD)

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[2015, 129 min. Directed by Niki Caro, Starring Kevin Costner, Ramiro Rodriguez, Carlos Pratts, and Johnny Ortiz.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/mcfarland-usa-2015

Testament of Youth

— Vera Brittain’s intense and intimate story of love and the nightmare of war, of valor and honor and loss, is an excellent period piece, unfolding from the British countryside to the frontlines in France and Italy. The foolishness of youth and the loss of innocence are carefully told. It’s a fine film and almost poetic in spite of the devastating scenes of war and the disillusionment that follows. It’s powerful in the feminist and anti-war statements it makes.

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[2015. 129 min. Directed by James Kent. Starring Alicia Vikander, Taron Egerton, Colin Morgan, Dominic West, Emily Watson, and Kit Harington.]
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-testament-of-youth-review-20150605-column.html

Mission Impossible – Rogue Nation

— This is what mid-summer movies are supposed to be—lots of action, lots of gunfire, car chases, a love interest, and international espionage. There are nice bits of humor sprinkled throughout thanks to Jeremy Renner and Simon Pegg, and Tom Cruise hasn’t lost his star power. The film pretty much goes full speed for more than two hours, but that’s just what I wanted.

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[2015. 131 min. Directed by Christopher McQuarrie. Starring Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, and Ving Rhames.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/mission-impossible---rogue-nation-2015

Southpaw

— Jake Gyllenhaal has become a flat-out good actor. In “Southpaw”, he mumbles a little too much for my liking and the plot is awfully familiar, but it’s still good entertainment when the story is about a champion boxer who loses everything when his life suddenly falls apart, until he has a chance to reclaim his title and his daughter. Coupled with Gyllenhaal’s acting and Forest Whitaker smoothness, it’s a worthwhile film for people who don’t mind some scenes of blood and boxing. If you haven’t been following Gyllenhaal in the last couple of years, also check out “Nightcrawler”, “Enemy”, “Prisoners”, and “End of Watch”, all of which are worth seeing.

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[2015. 124 min. Directed by Antoine Faqua. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Rachel Adams, an Forest Whitaker.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/southpaw-2015

Mr. Holmes

— A nice little film about a somewhat odd old man who just happens to be Sherlock Holmes, retired to the countryside and in his 90s and dealing with his own mortality. Most of the time, it’s enough to just watch Ian McKellen’s subtlety as he totters along with his cane trying to remember the specifics of one of the many cases Watson fictionalized. A scene where Holmes is in a theater, watching a movie where an actor is playing the Holmes so popularized in the fictionalized accounts of his cases, is particularly intriguing—the fictionalized Holmes has in ways become real and Mr. Holmes himself something of an impostor. The need for fact, so crucial to the investigator, is questioned within the larger sphere of life, and in the end even Holmes sees the value of fiction when dealing with the human heart. Seeing the film is a pleasant sojourn, mostly because the temperament of the piece is so appealing.

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[2015. 104 min. Directed by Bill Condon. Starring Ian McKellen, Laura Linney, and Milo Parker.]
http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/jun/18/mr-holmes-review-peter-bradshaw-film-of-the-week-ian-mckellen