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