The Nice Guys

— Another throwback to the 70s, this time a slapstick buddy film with Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe giving it their best. Unfortunately, while they have some chemistry and provide some entertainment, it falls well short of being at the top of its genre. It works as a summer diversion and it becomes more interesting once it settles in a groove about halfway through, but it’s still not really worth making much effort to see.

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[2016. 116 min. Directed by Shane Black. Starring Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling, Angourie Rice, and Matt Bomer.]
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/20/movies/the-nice-guys-review-ryan-gosling-russell-crowe.html

Money Monster

— This film certainly comes with a great pedigree and it pays off, making something that pays homage to 1970's films (think “Dog Day Afternoon” meets “Network”) into an enjoyable summer suspense film even if it’s a little too neatly packaged. It touches on plenty of interesting topics—the state of television programming, ethical behaviors, financial shenanigans, issues packaged as entertainment, anger toward big business, and the short attention span of the American public—but doesn’t really make much of an impact. I enjoyed it and it was interesting to watch but not much to think about afterwards.

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[2016. 98 min. Directed by Jodie Foster. Starring George Clooney, Julia Roberts, and Jack O’Connell.]
http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/money-monster-20160512

Captain America: Civil War

— This really is a lot of characters in spandex, and the plot’s a little thin, but it was still a very good addition to the Marvel cinematic universe. It focuses on worthwhile issues—things like friendship, vengeance, duty, resolving moral dilemmas—while introducing us to some new superheroes in some pretty exciting fight scenes. I liked it a lot, particularly after the dismal “Batman v Superman” released just a few months ago. Good entertainment and more.

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[2016, 146 min., Directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo. Starring Chjris Evans, Robert Downey, Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Don Cheadle, Jeremy Renner, and Chadwick Boseman.]
http://www.cinemablend.com/reviews/Captain-America-Civil-War-69827.html

Green Room

— Here’s a film that attracted a more diverse audience than I normally experience, including a larger than usual crowd of under-30-somethings. Maybe it’s the punk music or the overall dark look of the film. Maybe they can just spot a really good B movie when it comes out. I’m no expert on the horror-thriller genre, although I’ve seen my share of gore, but this film doesn’t pull many punches with bloodletting and it was okay with me because most of the film was pretty tightly wound and well edited. It moved from a few laughs, including a poorly placed fart joke, to some general feeling of uneasiness, to being downright tense and on to all out slaughter. Although it was intense, I wish the story line had been more complex. If you appreciate this sort of thing, it really does it right. (By the way, with only one showing as a sample, under-30-somethings are more likely to arrive after the lights have dimmed and previews are showing, eagerly using the flashlight apps on their iPhones to find seats.)

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[2016, 95 min., Written and directed by Jeremy Saulnier. Starring Anton Yelchin, Imogen Poots, Alia Shawkat, and Patrick Stewart.]
http://variety.com/2015/film/festivals/green-room-review-1201498852/

Midnight Special

— This film is right up my alley—a rural Texas, sci-fi, chase film “where a father named Roy and his young son Alton find themselves on the run, first from religious extremists and then, once an Amber Alert is issued, from local authorities." It’s directed by the same guy who directed “Mud”, an incredible coming of age film. “Midnight Special” has a good feeling about it with its rural settings and expanse of flat Texas roads, and it’s nicely restrained but perhaps too much so. I appreciated the unquestioning conviction of the characters and I liked the way incidents eventually came together and formed the crux of the story, but I wanted much more of the backstory. Lucky for everyone Kirsten Dunst and Michael Shannon were able to add a much appreciated parental intensity to the film. Critics seem to like this film more than I did—maybe they're more forgiving of skimpy plot lines than I am.

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[2016, 112 min., Written and directed by Jeff Nichols. Starring Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton, Kirsten Dunst, Jaeden Lieberher, and Adam Driver.]
http://variety.com/2016/film/reviews/midnight-special-film-review-1201703551/

The Jungle Book

— I wasn’t sure why “The Jungle Book” was being remade until I saw it. I’ve never seen the 1994 version where none of the animals speak so my only point of reference is the original musical version. The current version is nothing like it. Instead of being transported to a jungle of animated, giddy, singing and dancing critters, we’re in a much more threatening environment among believable computer-devised wolves, cats, monkeys, and other creatures of the wild. A few of the songs are still there but this isn’t a musical by any stretch of the imagination. Instead, it’s a well-done, tight, clear tale raising all the right questions about family, environment, loyalty, the animal world, and the nature of man. It’s the kind of film Disney does well, holding our attention while tugging at our heartstrings. All the star power behind the animals’ voices pays off and Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, and Christopher Walken are particularly noteworthy. This really was fun, even if I was teary-eyed in the end.

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[2016. 105 min. Directed by Jon Favreau. Starring Neel Sethi. Featuring the voices of Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba, Lupita Nyong’o, Scarlett Johansson, Giancarlo Esposito, Christopher Walken, and Garry Shandling.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-jungle-book-2016

Chi-Raq

— I tried, really I did, and the darn Netflix disc sat on my counter day after day taunting me, questioning why I was avoiding life in a gang-ravaged Chicago with a Lysistrata plot. Well, I just didn’t want to go there and I ended up sending the disc back unwatched. Maybe I’ll be overcome with guilt and have it sent back to me a year or two from now but, in the meantime, I’m breathing a sigh of relief to have it out of my house.

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[2015. 127 min. Directed by Spike Lee. Starring Nick Cannon, Teyonah Parris, Wesley Snipes, Angela Bassett, Samuel L. Jackson, John Cusack, and Jennifer Hudson.]
http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/nov/25/chi-raq-review-spike-lees-urgent-angry-and-very-sexy-midlife-masterpiece/

Hello, My Name Is Doris

— The somewhat thin plot is more than enough for an actress like Sally Field who can do comedy with flawless timing and keep things believable enough to tug at our hearts too. In the hands of a less talented actress, this could have been the creepy story of a lonely woman who lives with a cat and stalks an unsuspecting young man instead of the tender story of an older woman besotted with a much younger co-worker and taking love advice from her best friend’s teenage granddaughter. I laughed more than I expected to, even as I worried about where Doris’ life was headed. Field’s quirky character manages to get us thinking about aging, loneliness, love, and moving on. Tyne Daly, as Doris’ best friend, also helps make this more than it could have been. I had fun watching it.

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[2016. 95 min. Directed by Michael Showalter. Starring Sally Field, Max Greenfield, and Tyne Daly.]
http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/hello-my-name-is-doris-20160311