Mission: Impossible - Fallout

— “Mission Impossible” is what it is—an espionage film with a budget to make it spectacular, fun, summer entertainment. I’m a little embarrassed to like such things but this is the sixth film in the franchise and I’m still going to see them in theaters. The M:I plots get more and more unbelievable with each new film but somehow they’re tethered enough so you feel like you haven’t stepped completely off the reality cliff. Of course, there’s plenty of what’s expected and Tom Cruise’s character is chased on a motorcycle, freefalls from an airplane, dangles from a helicopter, leaps from rooftop to rooftop, and climbs a cliff without a rope, in addition to holding his own in numerous encounters with knifes, fists, and guns. When I see Cruise, famous for doing his own stunt work, and realize he’s just 56, I have to wonder if he made a deal with the devil to age so slowly. Another miracle for this film is the fact that Henry Cavill, not known for his acting ability, is plausible as the stiff CIA agent assigned to chaperone Cruise’s Ethan Hunt. It doesn't take itself too seriously and it’s a good formula for escape so, when the first notes of M:I’s theme started up, I knew it was time to enjoy the show…and I did.

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[2018. 147 min. Directed by Christopher McQuarrie. Starring Tom Cruise, Henry Cavill, Ving Rhames, and Simon Pegg.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/mission-impossible---fallout-2018

Leave No Trace

— “Leave No Trace” is a low-key, richly textured, poignant story about an Army veteran and his daughter, devoted to each other and living off the grid outside Portland. They’re not homeless; they’ve just chosen to live in harmony with the forest and there’s a peacefulness and intimacy to their daily existence that is ultimately threatened when they’re discovered by the authorities and taken in for all types of testing and assessment, forcing them to consider their own happiness and stability. Both try to demonstrate that they are adapting, but the daughter’s natural curiosity and newfounded desire to interact with the outside clashes with her father’s need for reclusiveness brought on by some form of PTSD. As she tentatively begins to like life in a society, her father’s need to return to the woods only increases until a resolution must be reached. There’s a tenderness to their relationship that touches viewers' hearts. This is a wonderful film by a remarkably talented filmmaker. The images and issues are still in my mind a day after seeing it and they don’t seem likely to fade quickly.

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[2018. 109 min. Directed by Debra Granik. Starring Thomasin McKenzie and Ben Faster.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/sundance/sundance-2018-leave-no-trace

Gifted

— A better film [DVD] than you'd expect since it sounds like a made-for-Lifetime-TV bit of tear-jerking sensitivity complete with a cute kid as star. It's actually toned down and with some decent performances.

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[2017. 110 min. Directed by Tom Flynn. Starring Chris Evabns, Mckenna Grace, Lindsay Duncan, and Octavia Spencer.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/gifted-2017

Ant-Man and the Wasp

— The first “Ant-Man” was one of my favorite Marvel films and this one continues in the same vein with an unlikely superhero whose good heart makes up for any ineptitude. The story’s a little far-fetched but the low-key humor and focus on family give it a warmth that doesn’t come when gods are saving the universe in most other Marvel films! There’s still a good mix of action with the comedy and drama, and you don’t have to try to figure out what the heck the Quantum Realm really is, just go with the flow. For a summer blockbuster, there is probably less action than, say, an “Avengers” flick, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t good. I liked it.

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[2017. 116 min. Directed by Michael Berk. Starring Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron, Priyanka Copra, and Aexandra Deddario.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/ant-man-and-the-wasp-2018

Patti Cake$

— An odd, art house, underdog film about Patti (a.k.a "Patti Cake$"), an unlikely white girl with dreams of becoming a rap star. On the surface it’s pretty formulaic—Patti’s mother offers no encouragement and offers a bleak home life, Patti doesn’t look like popular girls and seems to only have a few friends, and her life is pretty much one heartbreak after another, but Danielle Macdonald manages to bring more to the role than it deserves, infusing the film with real emotion. Amid the strip clubs and strip malls, there’s something captivating about Patti and her life—somehow she rises above the despair and disappointment and becomes an unusual hero. I wish I enjoyed rap more, but the film is still worth seeing. [DVD]

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[2017. 109 min. Written and directed by Geremy Jasper. Starring Danielle Macdonald and Siddharth Dhananjay.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/patti-cake-2017