Wednesday, July 28, 2021

This Little Love of Mine
[Netflix streaming.]

[2021. 91 min. Directed by Joel Hopkins. Directed by Christine Luby. Starring Saskoa Hampele, Liam McIntyre, and Lynn Gilmartin.]
https://www.hollywoodinsider.com/this-little-love-of-mine-review-netflixs-new-tropical-romance-film/

Monday, July 19, 2021

Hampstead
[Netflix streaming.]

[2017. 102 min. Directed by Joel Hopkins. Starring Brendan Gleeson, Diane Keaton, and Lesley Manville.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/hampstead-2019

Saturday, July 17, 2021

A Quiet Place, Part II
[Paramount+ streaming.]

[2020. 97 min. Directed by John Krasinski. Starring Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, Cillian Murphy, Noah Jupe, and John Krasinski.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/a-quiet-place-part-2-movie-review-2021

Wednesday, July 14, 2021

Gunpowder Milkshake
[Netflix streaming.]

[2021. 114 min. Directed by Navot Papushado. Starring Karen Gillan, Lena Headey, and Carla Gugino.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/gunpowder-milkshake-movie-review-2021

Tuesday, July 13, 2021

Oslo
[HBO Max streaming.]

[2021. 118 min. Directed by Bartlett Sher. Starring Ruth Wilson, Andrew Scott, Jeff Wilbusch, Itzik Cohen, Sasson Gabai, and Doval’e Glickman.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/oslo-movie-review-2021

Saturday, July 3, 2021

Secret Society of Second-Born Royals
— This lackluster, superhero film has an interesting premise but not much more. Disney should have been able to do better. Instead, of focusing on the film itself, I think they were already looking ahead to a series or franchise. I doubt I’m alone in thinking one is more than enough. [Disney+ streaming.]

[2020. 99 min. Directed by Anna Mastro. Starring Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Niles Fitch, Isabella Blake-Thomas, and Olivia Deeble.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/secret-society-of-second-born-royals-movie-review-2020
The Ice Road
[Netflix streaming.]

[2021. 109 min. Written and directed by Jonathan Hensleigh. Starring Liam Neeson, Marcus Thomas, Laurence Fishburne, and Amber Midthunder.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-ice-road-movie-review-2021

Friday, July 2, 2021

The Tomorrow War
— This is definitely Chris Pratt’s show, and he does an admirable job taking viewers through the chases, explosions, shootouts, and time travel. It’s a good premise, although a little familiar. Time travelers arrive in the present, seeking help in an alien war being waged and lost thirty years in the future. A draft is instituted to ensure a steady stream of present-day people joining the fight, travelling back and forth through some kind of wormhole. One of the draftees is a former special forces soldier turned high school science teacher who has a loving spouse and an adoring child with futures to be safeguarded. Once it gets going, there’s plenty of tension and big-budget action befitting the task of saving the world! It’s not great cinema, but it is good blockbuster-ish summer entertainment. The fact that it’s pro-Science and has something of a “Wizard of Oz” (there’s no place like home!) message is icing on the cake. [Amazon Prime streaming.]

[2021. 140 min. Directed by Chris McKay. Starring Chris Pratt, Yvonne Strahovski, and J.K. Simmons.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-tomorrow-war-movie-review-2021
No Sudden Move
— This feels like it was pieced together carefully and methodically, and that care pays off in a decent crime thriller set in the 1950s and looking very much as if it belongs to the era. It comes with a great cast. (How many movies have enough names to fill the marquee, allowing them to have Matt Damon playing an uncredited part?) There’s a good script with some witty dialog and plenty of twists and turns, but it really is the look and feel that stood out for me. I’m not sure what to think when films like this and others from directors the likes of Steven Soderbergh aren’t even released theatrically and end up streaming on a single, somewhat expensive streaming service, but I don’t think the audience benefits. [HBO Plus streaming.]

[2021. 115 min. Directed by Steven Soderbergh. Starring Don Cheadle, Benicio Del Tore, David Harbour, and Jon Hamm.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/no-sudden-move-movie-review-2021

Thursday, July 1, 2021

Same Kind of Different As Me
[Netflix streaming.]

[2017. 119 min. Directed by Michael Carney. Starring Greg Kinnear, Renee Zellweger, Djimon Hounsou, and Jon Voight.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/same-kind-of-different-as-me-2017