AMERICAN SKIN
Is it a gun, is it a knife
Is it a wallet, this is your life
It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret)
No secret my friend
You can get killed just for living in your American skin
Bruce Springsteen
PRAISE : Before watching this film i asked my family to watch the trailer first because i knew some of the imagery and subject matter may be triggering for them.
Director,writer and star Nate Parker doesnt pull any pumches in this story of a war veteran seeks justice when police kill his unarmed son during a routine traffic stop.and im happy to see more of his work.
Powerful and heart wrenching performances from : Parker,Omari Hardwick,Theo Rossi, Shane Paul McGhie,
Milauna Jackson and Beau Knapp are coupled with a script laced with truth.
Parker constructs the film in a way that every voice is heard .From policeman,people from all walks of life,and those that are relentlessly harassed and judged just because of the color of their skin.This is true involving and visceral film making.
Some of the themes may be old hat and i have seen them in dozens of TV shows and films,but this struck an emotional chord in various new ways.
PROBLEMS : I thought the involvement of certain characters being placed in peril was a bit off.
Im conflicted when it comes to the ending of this film.Part of it i hated and part of it had it's truths about people being oblivious and making assumptions that become facts just because the person is on TV and has become a trusted source for information.
Another powerful work from Nate Parker .I hope to see more from him in the future.
Scale of 1-10 an 8
Locked Down
Pandemic Pairing
PRAISE : This film is us !! Our reality of stat at home,stay safe,having Covid and not having it,Zoom calls and wearing masks.Finding out a lot more about the the job's of family members as we over hear their conference calls.Anne Hathaway and Chiwetel Ejiofor are great as Paxton and Linda are a disgruntled married couple living in London amid the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. The banter between them is great as they talk about their lives and revelations about the past and present are put on the table.
The story is fun as we go through their ups and downs and i loved the celebrity cameos.Some of the story actually gave me a nice flashback of when i worked in retail.
High praise to Director Doug Liman and writer Steven Knight for being able to shape a story around all of the Covid confusion.
PROBLEMS: The film starts to run out of steam during it's last 30 minutes.Not as much fun as the first 90 minutes and a story thread i thought would be a lot of fun just dragged and was far to convenient.
Scale of 1-10 a 7
PIECES OF A WOMAN
Raw emotion and then some
PRAISE: Kata Wéber's Pieces of a Woman is a story of a heartbreaking home birth leaves a woman grappling with the profound emotional fallout, isolated from her partner and family by a chasm of grief.
This was a gripping and involving experience.If you ever suffered a loss similar to the characters of the film you may want to be very cautious about viewing it.
The performances by the entire cast are spot on Vanessa Kirby,Shia LaBeouf,Molly Parker,Sarah Snook,
Iliza Shlesinger, Benny Safdie,Jimmie Fails and last and by no means least Ellen Burstyn.
All of the blame,guilt ,acting out and trying to heal from a loss is on full display.There are scenes that are so powerful with imagery so stunning you cant deny the strengths of Director Kornél Mundruczó.
There will be plenty of awards and nominations for this film.
PROBLEMS : A couple of times i felt the film was to dwelling.There is a tacked on drawn out scene that i thought wasnt necessary.
Still with it's flaws it's one of the best movies of the year.
Scale of 1-10 a 9
OUTSIDE THE WIRE
Training Day with a cyborg
PRAISE: Im not even going to beat around the bush i had a lot of fun watching this movie.The story that takes place in the near future,of a drone pilot sent into a war zone finds himself paired up with a top-secret android officer on a mission to stop a nuclear attack was pretty good.
The pairing of Anthony Mackie and Damson Idris really worked for me.Idris as Lt. Thomas Harp, a drone pilot who isnt ready for the perilous and beyond dangerous mission hits all the right beats.
Mackie is definitely channeling Alonzo Harris from 2001's Training Day and having a great time doing it with his salty talk and scolding manner.
The action sequences were good and intense. I would say about 75% of the story worked for me.
PROBLEMS: There was a hollow feel to some parts of the story.Suspension of disbelief was asked of me several times.Another Netflix villain that doesnt measure up.
The last 20 minutes was very predictable.
It's not going to win any awards but it's a fun action romp.
Scale of 1-10 a 7½
This movie is great, the action/sword fighting is non stop. In like the first 30 minutes. It slows down a bit, but picks right back up. There is 6 movies in total. Of this story, and HBO MAX has all of them. This is the order that they are in
I was wondering did they think this would be a money maker, because there's nothing intriguing about it besides Tom Hanks being in it. It's predictable and it seemed like there were no stakes, because you knew nothing was going to happen to them.
