Mini Review - Hostiles
Hostiles (out Dec 6) is set in 1892 and follows a disgruntled soldier (Christian Bale) forced to escort a Cheyenne war chief back to his tribal lands. We've seen this type of movie before but the story is well told and avoids clichés. Grade: B+.
Mini Review - Roma
Roma (out Dec 6) is a black & white Mexican film from Oscar winning director Alfonso Cuarón and is the story of a maid who works for a wealthy family in Mexico City. This is a beautiful character study that offers much to reflect upon and will stick with audiences as they leave the theatre. Grade: A-.
Mini Review - Second Act
Second Act (out Dec 6) is the story of a woman who, after being continually denied a promotion at work, get the chance to pursue a more exciting career path. There are a few laughs but for the most part, it's a movie where almost every plot development feels impossible to believe. Grade: C.
Mini Review - Mortal Engines
Mortal Engines (out Dec 6) has a creative setting but a not-so-creative storyline. It transports us roughly 1,700 years in the future where a cataclysmic event has all but annihilated the human race. I liked the cities on wheels and the green-eyed robot but the heroes and villains in this ensemble are too simple and easy to read. Grade: B-.
Mini Review - Anna and the Apocalypse
Anna and the Apocalypse (out Nov 29) fits into a genre with which I am not familiar - a zombie Christmas musical comedy. There are some amusing songs but the storyline isn't adventurous and it runs out of gas in the final act. Grade: B-.
Mini Review - Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Can You Ever Forgive Me? (out Dec 6) is based on the true story of Lee Israel, a struggling writer who forged personal letters from deceased authors in the 1990s to help pay the rent. Melissa McCarthy and co-star Richard E. Grant deserve praise for creating rich, complex, interesting characters. Audiences will form different opinions of them but hopefully most will agree this is one of the year's best films. Grade: A.
Mini Review - The Nutcracker and the Four Realms
The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (out Nov 22) is loosely based on Marius Petipa's 19th Century ballet and is the story of a young girl who travels to a mysterious kingdom and must intervene when war breaks out. There's not a huge amount of depth to the narrative here. Grade: B-.
Mini Review - The Grinch
The Grinch (out Nov 29) is an animated film based on the much loved 1957 children's book from Dr. Seuss. This is acute film that should appeal to kids in the lead up to Christmas. In particular, I enjoyed the attention to detail in the town of Whoville and the rhyming narration from Pharrell Williams. Grade: B+.
