Top 16 of 2017

— Here are my 16 favorite films from 2017:

• "Battle of the Sexes"
• "The Big Sick"
• "Call Me By Your Name"
• "The Disaster Artist"
• "Dunkirk"
• "The Florida Project"
• "I, Tonya"
• "Lady Bird"
• "Lady Macbeth"
• "Mudbound"
• "Phantom Thread"
• "The Post"
• "The Sense of an Ending"
• "The Shape of Water"
• "Three Billboards Outside
      Ebbing, Missouri"
• "Wind River"

Eleven other films almost made the list:

• ”Baby Driver"
• ”Blade Runner 2049"
• ”Columbus"
• ”A Ghost Story"
• ”The Greatest Showman"
• ”Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2"
• ”The Hero"
• ”Menashe"
• ”Stronger"
• ”Victoria and Abdul"
• ”Wonder Woman"

Darkest Hour

— Gary Oldman is definitely the reason to see “Darkest Hour.” His performance is remarkable and, if the details of the script are true, the story’s interesting as well. But as a film, it wasn’t extraordinary. There were two very nice street scenes of London from a moving vehicle, one on a sunny day and one in the rain, but otherwise the cinematography was unremarkable. There were also a few too many “keyhole” views in the film, perhaps for continuity, but really just for no good reason. Keep in mind the story’s good and the acting good, so the film is well worth seeing and I enjoyed it, but I enjoyed “Dunkirk” more and it’s hard not to compare the two.

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[2017. 125 min. Directed by Joe Wright. Starring Gary Oldman, Lily James, Kristin Scott Thomas, and Ben Mendelsohn.]
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/21/movies/darkest-hour-review-gary-oldman.html

I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore

— A young woman who’s been worn down by rudeness and selfishness goes a little over the edge when her house is burglarized, joining forces with a neighbor who’s a little hair-triggered too. They track down the thieves when the police don’t, finding themselves uncertain as to what they expect as retribution. I’m always interested in characters pushed to the edge by a preponderance of incivility and this depiction rings true, so all the humor and absurdity can come along without guilt. It’s not the best film of its kind, but it has the right spark and plenty of nice curves. It’s also another film that missed theaters and went straight to streaming [Netflix.]

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(2017. 93 min. Written and directed by Macon Blair. Starring Melanie Lynskey and Chris Doubek.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/i-dont-feel-at-home-in-this-world-anymore-2017

Tramps

— A charming little film that missed theaters and went straight to streaming. "Tramps" is about an unlikely duo pulled together for a caper where things go awry and they spend the rest of the film trying to set them right while learning a bit about life and each other. The story’s kind of fun and paced incredibly well, and both of the main actors are perfect in their ability to play tough and vulnerable, street smart and naïve. There are lots of nods to the past and people looking for an action/suspense film won’t be happy, but if you’re up for a quiet film with a romantic comedy tinge, where the caper is just a way to get from beginning to end, you’ll like it. [Netflix.]

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(2017. 82 min. Written and directed by Adam Lee. Starring Callum Turner and Grace Van Patten.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/tramps-2017

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

— I don’t go to these things for a life-changing kernel of truth. I go to be entertained, to be wowed, to escape, and marvel at the effects. I also go to be reminded how the heck a series started in 1977 with ten or more episodes and three or four trilogies is still going strong. It’s because even the bad ones are pretty good and “The Last Jedi” is not a bad one. It even gives people who haven’t been watching since 1977 a quick leg up, offering the information they need to know in the first couple of minutes so you don’t need to be a Star Wars’ aficionado to enjoy it. In some ways, it's formulaic, with clear good and bad guys, and always a cute new breed of critter or two, but who cares? It's fun and it's well made. Go see it.

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[2017. 152 min. Directed by Rian Johnson. Starring Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Mark Hamill, Adam Driver, and Carrie Fisher.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/star-wars-the-last-jedi-2017

The Disaster Artist

— An interesting film with what I think of as a James Franco "feel" to it. It may be a little slow at the start, but I thought I was there to see a movie about a moviemaker—the story of how Tommy Wiseau came to write, direct, and star in 2003’s “The Room”—and it ended up being a film that can gnaw into the back of your heart because it's really about friendship and dreams. It’s a little weird and sometimes uncomfortable, but touching too, and the care with which Franco recreates scenes from the original, now cult, film is downright fascinating. By the time it was over, I was a fan.

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[2017. 104 min. Directed by James Franco. Starring James Franco, Dave Franco, Seth Rogen, and Ari Graynor.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-disaster-artist-2017

Collateral Beauty

— An incredible cast and an intriguing premise fall short of working. It's a shame too, because I was rooting for it come together [DVD].

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[2016. 97 min. Directed by David Frankel. Starring Will Smith, Edward Norton, Kate Winslet, Michael Pena, Helen Mirren, Naomie Harris, and Keira Knightley.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/collateral-beauty-2016

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

— This is my kind of movie. Feisty Frances McDormand appears to be righteously pitted against a beloved sheriff and his hair-triggered deputy who haven’t focused on her daughter’s rape, murder, and immolation. It doesn’t take long until we’ve been introduced to the main characters, all of whom have their various strengths and flaws. McDormand is perfect in her part, but Harrelson and Rockwell hold their own very well too. It’s a clever story of outpouring emotions and emotions held in check, touching on lots of issues that look so black and white in today's social media—police brutality, racial profiling, righteous revenge, spouse abuse, religion, homophobia, grief and anger. The list goes on and on as the story evolves and it’s the evolution that makes for the fun in this dark comedy or “dramedy.” In the end there are no heroes, and there’s a reminder of the infinite gradations between black and white, but mostly there’s a feeling that the path to redemption is circuitous but open to all. Others have compared the film to a Flannery O’Connor story and it’s hard to watch it and not think the same thing. This is definitely one of my favorites of the year.

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[2017. 105 min. Written and directed by Martin McDonagh. Starring Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, and Sam Rockwell.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/three-billboards-outside-ebbing-missouri-2017

Lady Bird

— I’ll join everyone else in liking this one. It’s an amazing coming of age story where every character is so precisely crafted that you come to understand them all. Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson is a Sacramento high-schooler who wants nothing more than to escape Sacramento…and, probably, her mother. Her world is inhabited not by stereotypical parents and boyfriends and best friends, but by fairly complex characters. We end up with a mosaic of her world that reveals a lot about friendships, family, love and sex, and money and success and happiness. If you don’t go away reminded that everyone is just trying to do the best they can, you’re missing something important. Gerwig’s script is a joy and her direction, with its very crisp edges, counterbalances the glimpse of her free-wheeling mind you can see from the subject matter. It’s one to see if you can. Oh, and Laurie Metcalf is amazing.

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[2017. 94 min. Written and directed by Greta Gerwig. Starring Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts, and Lucas Hedges.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/lady-bird-2017

Wonder

— This is a better film than you might expect given the storyline that seems tailored to tug at your heartstrings. It is a glimpse at the life of a boy with a craniofacial condition who, after many surgeries, still is noticeably different from the rest of his classmates as he enters 5th grade after being home-schooled until then. It ends up being a thoughtful, heartwarming look at his experience told by multiple narrators, allowing for different perspectives. In a way, it’s just a film about being kind, but that’s no small thing. Julia Roberts makes acting look easy and is part of the reason the film stays linked to reality instead of ending up a sentimental mess, and Owen Wilson is both believable and brings a bit of humor to things. The film does what it does well and was a good way to spend a couple of hours and feel better for it.

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[2017. 113 min. Directed by Stephen Chbosky. Starring Julia Roberts, Jacob Tremblay, and Owen Wilson.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/wonder-2017

Mudbound

— “Mudbound” concerns two families, one black and one white, living on the same, muddy, Mississippi farm. Both families have a member returning home from World War II and dealing with the realities of life when they return home. The film sometimes moves a bit slowly, but the conversations are often more telling than actions. It’s a good look at perception, hatred, confusion, and friendship told with heart and detail. Occasionally it drifted a tad too close to melodrama for my liking, but it didn’t take away from a powerful story well worth seeing. [Netflix]

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[2017. 134 min. Directed by Dee Rees. Starring Carey Mulligan, Garrett Hedlund, Jason Clark, and Jonathan Banks.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/mudbound-2017

The Florida Project

— I went to see the film more because I like those Florida colors (stunning violets, bright oranges, Pepto-Bismol pinks, oversaturated blues) instead of those wimpy big city grays and blacks. What I got was all that and much more. I’m not keen on wild kids, spoiled kids, neglected kids, or loud kids, but the kids in this film, often left to wander the environs around their Orlando motel home, have warm souls and a good deal of resourcefulness. The film seems a little long, but it’s made up of scenes in the lives of people living in the cycle of poverty and having few options. They’re treading as fast as they can and making the most of not much. I was won over watching daily events centered around a fairly normal child who doesn’t seem to understand how unsolid her mother’s footing is, managing to embrace what’s available. I’m not sure I appreciated the ending, but getting there was definitely worthwhile. Willem Dafoe is incredible in his supporting role.

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[2017. 111 min. Directed by Sean Baker. Starring Brooklynn Prince Bria Vinaite, Willem Dafoe, and Valeria Cotto.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-florida-project-2017

John Wick: Chapter 2

— This may be the worst film [DVD] I’ve seen in a while in terms of body count. It is what I imagine a video game must be like where you get points for killing people. There are more choreographed gunfights and knife fights and fist fights than you can count, and no wall is left without blood splatter. Pretty quickly you start watching the technique as much as anything, and you start marveling at Keanu Reeves’ successful career which seems to exist in spite of emotionless portrayals and minimal acting chops but quite a bit of charisma. If you can get past some of the content and appreciate the artistry, the action, and the presence Reeves brings to the film, you’ll like it. If you're appalled by violence, steer clear of this one.

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[2017. 122 min. Directed by Chad Stahelski. Starring Keanu Reeves, Riccardo Scamarcio, and Ian McShane.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/john-wick-chapter-two-2017

Thor: Ragnarok

— Who can argue with fun? This is one of the Marvel films that knows how to laugh at itself while most the cast members try to save their planet from a few particularly nasty characters who’ll do anything they can to thwart things. It’s nice when superheroes don’t take themselves too seriously and Chris Hemsworth manages to make us all laugh at his human qualities even if he is the God of Thunder! Believe me, earlier Thor films were okay, but this one manages to almost move into the world of “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Deadpool” and “Ant Man.” Of course, even with the fun, there are lessons to be learned about what makes a home, the strength of family, and the redeeming qualities hidden in almost everyone. Tessa Thompson is a great addition as the Valkyrie , Cate Blanchett is wonderfully evil, Jeff Goldblum is wonderfully wacky.

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[2017. 130 min. Directed by Taika Waititi. Starring Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Tessa Thompson, Idris Elba, and Jeff Goldblum.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/thor-ragnarok-2017

Marshall

— "Marshall" is a fine looking film by Hollywood standards, but a little overdrawn for my tastes. Still, I can’t argue with its message and if theaters can be littered with the Marvel universe of heroes, I applaud them for sneaking in a Black attorney as hero, particularly one whose victories became the blueprint for the 1964 Civil Rights Bill and the 1965 Voting Rights Act. The acting was sometimes a little exaggerated, and the music sometimes seemed out of place, but the images were gorgeous, the editing was well done, and even if it played a little loose with the facts of the case, the audience enjoyed themselves and rooted for the man who, 27 years later, became the first African-American Supreme Court Justice.

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[2017. 118 min. Directed by Reginald Hudlin. Starring Chadwick Boseman, Jash Gad, Kate Hudson, and Sterling K. Brown.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/marshall-2017

Suburbicon

— Based on early reactions to this film, I was expecting a confusing mess of a film. It is a little confusing as two storylines are advanced, one that’s darker and more suited to the Coen Brothers and the other softer and suited to Clooney. Both make some overlapping points (and share a backyard) about the myth of suburbia in the 1950s where houses were similar, lawns were manicured, and residents valued surface similarities over inclusion or multiculturalism. In “Suburbicon,” it doesn't take long to realize anger and violence aren't too far under the surface, and it doesn’t take long for groups to become gangs. I’m kind of fascinated by the film and its pedigree, and I wish I could fully understand what Clooney’s ambitious vision was since I don’t think he fully realized it.

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[2017. 104 min. Directed by George Clooney. Written by Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, Goerge Clooney, and Grant Heslov. Starring Matt Damon, Julianne Moore, and Oscar Isaac.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/suburbicon-2017

Stronger

— When watching “Stronger,” it’s hard not to remember “Patriots Day”, the other film focused on the Boston Marathon bombing. If you’re going to pick one to watch, watch “Stronger.” Jake Gyllenhaal is wonderful, as is Miranda Richardson, and the focus on a Jeff Bauman’s road to recovery after losing both his legs in the bombing works well. The emotional struggles he faces, including his doubts and anger and depression while the city of Boston turns him into a symbol of hope, strength, and survival, remind us how fragile the human spirit is…and how resilient as well.

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[2017. 119 min. Directed by David Gordon Green. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Tatiana Maslany, and Miranda Richardson.]
https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2017/09/stronger-movie-review/540774/

Only the Brave

— Good acting and good cinematography elevate this one above some of the other dramatic looks at horrible things, but not enough to take away the ambiguity I always feel watching a fictionalized version of a real disaster.

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[2017. 133 min. Directed by Joseph Kosinski. Starring Josh Brolin, Miles Teller, Jeff Bridges, and Jennifer Connelly.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/only-the-brave-2017

Battle of the Sexes

— I went to the theater for a light look at a media event I’m old enough to remember as something of a turning point in women’s athletics and the women’s movement as a whole. I expected it to be another look back at attitudes that are hard to imagine from today’s perspective and I was a little concerned when it started focusing on LGBT issues too since I had Billy Jean King pigeonholed as forwarding mostly women’s athletics, but the film reminded me that there are women’s issues and LGBT issues and all kind of other group’s issues but, in the end, they’re all equality issues. This is a thoughtful story with good actors that sometimes gets a little bogged down with both King's and Riggs' personal matters, but those same personal matters do make it more than a typical sports triumph film.

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[2017. 121 min. Directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris. Starring Emma Stone, Steve Carell, Elisabeth Shue, Bill Pullman, Alan Cumming, Sarah Silverman, and Andrea Riseborough.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/battle-of-the-sexes-2017

Blade Runner 2049

— Flat out, this is a good film, particularly given the veneration bestowed on its 1982 forerunner. As you might imagine, special effects aren’t held back, but they also aren’t senselessly used and the story unfolds at a pace that almost seems slow given the current predilection for breakneck action. Somehow, Villeneuve manages to offer plenty of nods to Ridley Scott’s original film and continue the story in such a way that new audiences will appreciate it. Of course the search for identity and the question of what makes us human still top the list of considerations and at times the film is a bit obvious as it considers these things. Again, it’s a peek at the not too distant future, making the darkness all the more frightening and alluring. It’s an engaging, dark, sci-fi story with great images, intriguing music/sounds, decent acting, and enough humanity to keep it from looking tethered to reality.

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[2017. 164 min. Directed by Denis Villeneuve. Starring Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Ana de Armas, Robin Wright, Dave Bautista, and Jared Leto.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/blade-runner-2049-2017

Victoria and Abdul

— Judi Dench really knows how to play Queen Victoria and Stephen Frears really knows how to direct British historical dramas. If you like this sort of thing, you’ll like “Victoria and Abdul.” For that matter, if you like buddy films or you like love stories, you’ll probably like it as well. Lucky for me I like all three types of films. It’s fun and it’s always good to see someone who’s just going through the paces suddenly spark up because something new and different comes along, widening their perspective and opening their heart. There are not oodles of depth to the film and it certainly takes historical liberties, but it’s more than enjoyable.

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[2017. 111 min. Directed by Stephen Frears. Starring Judi Dench, Ali Fazal, Tim Pigott-Smith, Eddie Izzard, Adeel Akhtar, and Michael Gambon.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/victoria-and-abdul-2017

Columbus

— I believe in the power of architecture and have been to Columbus, Indiana more than once to see their buildings. I like films that pay attention to the images and take their time getting someplace and “Columbus” does all that and more. At its most simplistic level, it’s about two people dealing with parent issues who are attracted to each other with a town’s amazing architecture as a backdrop. I grew a little tired of what I’d call a mock-3D effect with the main characters in sharp focus and the background much softer but that’s about the only complaint I have. I liked thinking about attention spans and interests and perceptions. I liked thinking about art as a way to experience other’s feelings or isolate your own, as something that can broaden your life or give you a place to hide. I liked thinking about the hold our parents have on us and what it takes to realize you eventually have to take control of your life. I like thinking about asymmetry as it applies to architecture and to personalities. And I like that this is a little story about everyday people who are hurt, who love or fail to see love, who move forward with baby steps. It’s a good film.

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[2017. 100 min. Directed by Kogonada. Starring John Cho, Haley Lu Richardson, and Parker Posey.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/columbus-2017

American Made

— “American Made” is the story of a likeable but bored TWA pilot recruited by the CIA to take reconnaissance photos in South America. From there it’s a slippery slope toward bringing cocaine into the U.S. for Pablo Escobar, and running AK-47s to the Contras for the U.S government. It’s loosely based around one player in one of the biggest CIA operations in U.S history and the charm of the star works to mask the obvious ethical issues involved. That tension is one of the elements that make this black comedy worthwhile. Tom Cruise can ooze charisma, even more so when his life is a little out of control and he’s doing questionable things to give his wife and kids a better life. He’s also operating with a script that has plenty of comic lines and opportunities to break the 4th wall and grin at the audience. The film mostly skims on the surface of things while moving at a breakneck speed, letting you laugh with and root for a bad guy and then be jolted back to reality when things don’t end well for him.

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[2017. 115 min. Directed by Gary Spinelli. Starring Tom Cruise, Domhnall Gleeson, and Sarah Wright.]
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/28/movies/american-made-review-tom-cruise.html

Menashe

— This film was something of a surprise to me. Menashe is a New York City Hasidic widower who’s trying to obtain custody of his son even though his culture requires children to only be raised in traditional, two-parent homes and the Rabbi has said his son should live in his brother-in-law’s home until a matchmaker’s helped Menashe find a new wife. It’s a quiet story that feels very real, appropriate for the first dramatic feature by a talented documentary filmmaker. It’s told in Yiddish and, although the story itself is interesting, for a Midwesterner like me, its the texture of the film that's almost more interesting--the traditions, the clothes, the homes, and all the other layers that are part of such very orthodox living. It’s a gentle story that’s worth seeing.

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[2017. 82 min. Directed by Joshua Z. Weinstein. Starring Menashe Lustig, Yoel Falkowitz, Ruben Niborski, Meyer Schwartz, and Yoel Weisshaus.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/menashe-2017

American Assassin

— There are plenty of overly independent, slightly rogue, intelligence-trained, tough guys operating in films with plenty of special effects backing them up. In this case it’s the CIA’s Mitch Rapp who is young and short fused, but certainly competent thanks to training from his crusty, legendary, ex-SEAL mentor. He’s pitted against a particularly nasty enemy and triumphs in the end. Did any of us think he wouldn’t? It’s a shame he doesn’t seem to have much personality behind most of it. Meanwhile, the audience is forced to think about how emotions can cloud reason and the difference between revenge and retribution, de rigueur for these kinds of films. it’s not a bad film and I’d say it’s perfectly adequate end-of-summer action, but if this is the first of a series, they desperately need to pump up the backstory and add more personality to Rapp’s character. Right now his crusty mentor, played by Michael Keaton, is the best part of the franchise.

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[2017. 112 min. Directed by Michael Cuesta. Starring Dylan O’Brien, Michael Keaton, Sanaa Latham Taylor Kitsch, and Shiva Negar.]
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/reviews/travers-on-american-assassin-spy-thriller-is-irresistible-w503194

Mother!

— “Mother!” has to be one of the stranger things I’ve seen in a while. I’m still trying to decide if it rubbish or greatness. I’m leaning toward greatness but it’s so filled with darkness and allusion that it’s really hard to know if Aronofsky was just being divisive or presenting an ambitious vision. Either way, Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Ed Harris are mesmerizing, and it may be best to see it without preparation so you experience it and, later, try to figure out what it all means.

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[2017. 121 min. Written and directed by Darren Aronofsky. Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Ed Harris, and Michelle Pfeiffer.]
http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2017/09/19/darren_aronofsky_needs_to_stop_explaining_what_mother_is_about.html

Patriots Day

— Mark Wahlberg has a knack for picking sentimental, patriotic, action films and doing a good job with them. This one, focusing on events of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing follows that pattern, focusing on a few stories as the events unfold with Wahlberg’s character tying it all together. This one was good, although maybe a little long and not quite as good as either “Deepwater Horion” or “Lone Survivor.” [DVD]

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[2016. 133 min. Directed by Peter Berg. Starring Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Monagham, Kevin Bacon, J.K. Simmons, and John Goodman.]
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/feb/23/patriots-day-review-boston-marathon-bombings-mark-wahlberg

The Magnificent Seven

— A nice reminder of a classic Western with a better than average script (based on the original film which was based on Akira Kurasowa's "The Seventh Samurai"), a mostly stellar cast although the actors don't always portray the intensity of the situation, sweeping cinematography, and a recognizable score. It’s the constant nods to past westerns that make this version interesting because there’s not much original about it, but it’s still kind of fun. It would have been nice on a big screen, but it probably also would have been more disappointing, so seeing it on DVD or streamed may be the right choice.

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[2016. 132 min. Directed by Antoine Fuqqua. Starring Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Vincent D’Onofrio, Byung-hun Lee, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Martin Sensmeier, Haley Bennett, and Pater Sarsgaard.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-magnificent-seven-2016

Good Time

— This is a stark, loud, gritty crime drama reminiscent 1970s' crime films. Two brothers, one with some kind of cognitive disability, try to mask trauma from their past while constantly living on the edge in the present. Robert Pattinson’s role reminds you of an Al Pacino character or Dustin Hoffman’s Ratso Rizzo, so he successfully throws off his pretty boy image for a fast-talking criminal making one bad decision after another. Camera angles are often a little awkward with shots a little too close or at an odd angle, making quarters seem tight and dicey. It's world where police sirens are always in the background, along with guns, violence, blood, and drugs. As far as the brothers go, there’s as much conscience and nefariousness going on amidst breakneck action tightly crammed into 100 screen minutes. I was impressed by the film but I wanted people to stop shouting, and I wanted the lighting sometimes be less harsh, and I wanted the electro-rock score to fade a little more and a little more often. When it was over, I wished I’d brought ear plugs.

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[2017. 100 min. Directed by Benny Safdie and Josh Safdie. Starring Robert Pattinson, Benny Safdie, and Taliah Webster.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/good-time-2017

Wind River

— This film is vaguely like an episode of CSI set on a harsh, cold, Wyoming Native American reservation. It deals with issues to which I’m partial—things like grief, retribution, isolation, atonement, vengeance, disenfranchisement, and cultural differences—in a stark, cold, beautiful landscape with an unlikely duo leading the action. The script is good although a little symbolism goes a long way, and there’s plenty of soul searching and pensiveness as the details of the crime are revealed. There are also competent actors setting the perfect tone and gorgeous cinematography. I liked the film a lot.

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[2017. 107 min. Directed by Taylor Sheridan. Starring Jeremy Renner, Kelsey Asbille, Julia Jones, and Teo Briones.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/wind-river-2017

The Hitman’s Bodyguard

— This may be just another buddy/bromance film, but it was just the kind of mindless entertainment I wanted. It stars Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson, rehashing characters they could play in their sleep, but they're good characters so why not? It has humor, a fast pace, and a straightforward story without the burden of something to think about after it’s over. (They did try to sneak in a bit of a moral amongst the action and bloodshed, but I ignored it.) Salma Hayek is also particularly fetching, feisty, and sexy. It’s perfectly acceptable end-of-summer fare.

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[2017. 118 min. Directed by Patrick Hughes. Starring Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, Gary Oldman, Salma Hayek, and Elodie Yung.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-hitmans-bodyguard-2017

Logan Lucky

— It’s hard to believe I chose to see a film whose one-line summary is “Two brothers attempt to pull off a heist during a NASCAR race in North Carolina.” This may be the perfect plot for an end-of-summer release, but without Stephen Soderbergh directing and some decent stars (Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, Daniel Craig, Katie Holmes), I’m sure I would have passed. It’s easy to see a bit of “Ocean’s Eleven” in the film and plenty of weird and deadpan humor, but it’s hard to know who’ll see the hillbilly humor as offensive and who’ll see it as just having fun. Either way, it’s a clever script in the hands of a crisp director, resulting in a good time without a lot of glitz and without a lot of angst.

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[2017. 119 min. Directed by Steven Soderbergh. Starring Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, Daniel Craig, Riley Keough, Katie Holmes, and Farrah Mackenzie.]
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jul/24/logan-lucky-review-steven-soderbergh-channing-tatum-daniel-craig

Lady Macbeth

— This is a beautifully photographed period piece with a lead actor who’s fantastic. It’s one of those films where you start off being uncertain whether you like or dislike the main character. I assumed my ambiguity was because I sometimes get a little tired of a particular type of feminist heroine, but pretty quickly the film darkens and it’s hard to decide if she’s victim or villain. In the third act, it gets even darker and ends somewhat abruptly, but you can’t help but be taken in by its visual appeal and bizzare plot. Definitely worth seeing.

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[2016. 89 min. Directed by William Oldroyd. Starring Florence Pugh, Cosmo Jarvis, and Paul Hilton.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/lady-macbeth-2017

Detroit

— I was a little embarrassed to be so completely taken in by “Detroit.” It’s hard not to think of it as factual when it’s really only based on fact and, probably, skewed to parallel current-day news stories and popular feelings about the police. I thought it was very good as long as viewers remember it is “fiction” even though it depicts something from the past, so the views may not reflect current day views, only remind us from where we come and what we had and have to overcome.

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[2017. 143 min. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow. Starring John Boyega, Anthony Mackie, Algee Smith, and Jacob Latimore.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/detroit-2017

A Ghost Story

— It’s been a while since I’ve been more irritated by a film. “A Ghost Story” is at its best when it’s over, because it grows on you once your patience is no longer being tested. It may have been too poetic or too meditative for my consumption. The first quarter of the film went on forever—long, long scenes with hardly any dialogue or narration and not much background music. From there it was nearly laughable as the ghost left the morgue wearing a sheet, appearing to have donned a cheap Halloween costume, and returned to his ranch home to watch his wife deal with her grief, while he dealt with his own loss of love and life. About halfway through, background music and dialogue were fully implemented, but the ghost could do little more than observe life without him, becoming the embodiment of sadness. Just before the film took a sudden shift for the better, I had begun to think about tedious foreign films of the 1960s and ‘70s, and I even fantasized about bolting for the exit when, onscreen, past and present and future became jumbled. The film managed to pull things together by focusing on human emotion, spiritual connections, and legacy—or something like that! What began as the dullest film I’ve seen in ages, left me scratching my head and wondering what the heck had just happened when the credits rolled. It raised lots of questions about love, loss, and legacy, but I think any answers are ours to find.

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[2017. 92 min. Written and directed by David Lowery. Starring Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/a-ghost-story-2017

Spider-Man: Homecoming

— I’ve seen the earlier Spider-Man films, some good and some not so good. I understand the allure of a high school kid thrust into superhero-dom, but at some point isn’t enough, enough? Evidently not. The good news is that “Spider-Man: Homecoming” may be the latest in a 15-year-old franchise, but it still feels a little fresh thanks to the focus on Spider-Man when he’s 15 years old and dealing with issues of puberty, geekiness, acceptance, and dating while experiencing Avenger-envy. Although it’s another CGI extravaganza, the focus stays on the human side of Peter Parker, leaving a film with plenty of action and a sometimes exasperating but always relatable teen hero.

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[2017. 133 min. Directed by Jon Watts, Starring Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Robert Downey Jr., Marisa Tomei, Jon Favreau, and Gwyneth Paltrow.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/spider-man-homecoming-2017

Baby Driver

— This one would be worth it for the music alone since the main character, Baby, always has earbuds and an iPod with a playlist going, but that’s just part of it. To enjoy it, I think you have to embrace plenty of clichés and smile as you see them pass before you. It’s fueled by high-speed chases, whacked out robbers, and a young driver who’s what I imagine his contemporaries think of as "cool as a cucumber." Of course, Baby’s a good boy in a bad situation and you have to love him. Oh, and did I mention it’s a love story too? Best line, and this pretty much says it, “Sometimes all I want to do is head west on 20 in a car I can't afford with a plan I don't have—just me, my music, and the road.” Don’t we all?

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[2017. 112 min. Written and directed by Edgar Wright. Starring Ansel Elgort, Jon Hamm, Eiza Gonzalez, Micah Howard, Lily James, Kevin Spacey, and Jamie Foxx.]
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jul/02/baby-driver-edgar-wright-ansel-elgort-review

Dunkirk

— I was amazed at how tense a nearly 2-hour film could be when the basic plot takes little more than a sentence to tell, but time flew by and my eyes were glued to the screen during “Dunkirk,” not because of bombs and bloodshed but because the very human emotions of the situation seemed so real. The story’s told from the perspective of a few, very normal people representative of the 400,000 Allied soldiers trapped by the German army on the beach at Dunkirk and of those trying to help them, but in a more subtle way so it isn’t a story in the American fashion with one or two swashbuckling heroes. Even the special effects are unusual—very well done but without endless blood and horror. It’s a film of long shots and close-ups with ambient sounds sometimes overpowering dialogue, depicting human triumph on a large-scale (about 300,000 people were saved) and a small scale (400,000 were specks on a beach and the more than 800 civilian boats that tried to help were specks in the ocean). If you’re not opposed to films of this genre, it’s worth your time to see. 

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[2017. 106 min. Written and directed by Christopher Nolan. Starring Fionn Whitehead Damien Bonnard, Aneurin Barnard, Mark Rylance, Barry Keoghan, Michael Fox, Tom Glynn-Carney, Tom Hardy, and Lee Armstrong.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/dunkirk-2017

The Hero

— Sam Elliott plays a once popular western star now in his early 70s and doing voiceovers for commercials. He’s been divorced for years and is estranged from his daughter, but he isn’t the cliché “old guy” we’re used to seeing in films. Instead, he’s just trying to survive while coming to terms with a life of missed opportunities, with past notoriety now mostly gone, and with considerably fewer days ahead of him than behind him. His fairly quiet life shifts in another direction when he meets a young woman with whom an unlikely romance eventually blossoms at about the same time he’s diagnosed with cancer. Elliott does a remarkable job of maneuvering the shifts and cycles, living in the here and now while his past pushes heavily on him. There’s a bit more sentimentality than I like and, after developing such a realistic character, I was a little dismayed when they chose a May/December romance as the vehicle to allow him to move forward, but through it all, Elliott is mesmerizing and you can't take your eyes off him any more than you can turn a deaf ear to his smooth voice. It’s not as full or layered as last year’s “I’ll See You in My Dreams”, but you can't help but see the similarities in both films.

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[2017. 93 min. Directed by Brett Haley. Starring Sam Elliott, Laura Prepon, Krysten Ritter, Nick Offerman, and Katherine Ross.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-hero-2017