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