12 Years a Slave (2013)

Genre: Historical / Drama

Directed by: Steve McQueen

Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Lupita Nyong’O, Sarah Paulson

Running time: 134 minutes

Based on the slave narrative memoirs of Solomon Northup, 12 Years a Slave tells the story of how a free African-American man living with his wife and kids in the New York area was enslaved for over a decade. Northup, who was making a living as a violinist, was invited to perform in Washington by two white men, who then drugged him and sold him to a slave pen. It would take 12 years of hardships before he would get his freedom back. Solomon Northup would then become an advocate for the abolition of slavery.

This film is not for the faint of heart. Some scenes can be hard to take, as the violence is very graphic and feels quite real. That being said, the subject matter demanded such realism. As it was long ago, we tend to forget about the atrocity that was slavery, but, at least, a movie like 12 Years a Slave did a great job shining a bright light on it.

All of the actors involved did a solid job here carrying their respective characters. The makers of 12 Years a Slave had a loaded cast to work with, with names such as Michael Fassbender, Paul Dano, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Giamatti and Brad Pitt. In some cases, these actors had smaller roles. Fortunately, in all cases, the appearance of these well-known actors did not feel like cameos and they did not take away from the whole package.

12 Years a Slave is a film that has to be seen, at least once, if not more. I highly recommend it.

Rating: «««««

Bad Santa 2 (2016)

Genre: Christmas / Comedy

Directed by: Terry Zwigoff

Cast: Billy Bob Thornton, Tony Cox, Kathy Bates, Christina Hendricks, Brett Kelly

Running time: 92 minutes

Many years have passed since Willie was stabbed in the back by his partner in crime Marcus. Now a free man, he gets fired from his valet parking job because of another incident in the workplace. As Willie is about to commit suicide in his apartment, Thurman Merman, who is now 21, comes in and tells him that someone has sent him money and a phone. The gift is from Marcus, who is apologetic and wants Willie to go in the crime business with him again. Marcus also has another partner also, in the person of Sunny, Willie’s estranged mother. Though he is hesitant at first, due to his hatred for the woman who gave birth to him and for the man that turned on him, Willie will be convinced to get on board to steal money from a charitable organization before Christmas.

As one could expect, this sequel to the 2003 Christmas black comedy is lewd, crude and vulgar. And, really, it is part of its charm. While not as good as the original, which remains a favorite of mine, the second one is not without charm. Sure, some of the magic was gone and a little too much emphasis was put on constant punchlines, at the expense of the story, but I was still entertained by this movie.

The role of Willie is tailor-made for Billy Bob Thornton. He did a great job in it. Kathy Bates, as the brash crooked mother figure, was an awesome addition to the cast. The lovely Christina Hendricks was also a nice touch.

Overall, Bad Santa 2 needs to be taken for what it is: A raucous black comedy not meant to make you think too hard. It doesn't feel as fresh as the original, but, if you have seen the first one and love the characters, it is worth watching for the entertainment value.

Rating: «««

About Alex (2014)

Genre: Drama

Directed by: Jesse Zwick

Cast: Nate Parker, Jason Ritter, Maggie Grace, Max Greenfield

Running time: 96 minutes

A group of longtime friends from college reunites for a few days at a country house after one of them, Alex, tries to commit suicide. They are all at a sort of crossroads in their respective lives, and things are sure to unravel following the traumatic events.

In reviews, About Alex has suffered greatly from comparisons to The Big Chill. The plots are indeed quite similar.

That being said, I still enjoyed this 2014 drama greatly. The story was compelling, the acting was good and the bond between the characters, quite tenuous at times, felt quite real. Every character is very self-centered, but that is the nature of the beast with this generation.

All things considered, though it certainly does not reinvent anything storytelling-wise, About Alex is still a compelling drama about life and friendships.

Rating: ««««

Romance & Cigarettes (2005)

Genre: Musical / Romantic Comedy

Directed by: John Turturro

Cast: James Gandolfini, Susan Sarandon, Kate Winslet, Steve Buscemi

Running time: 105 minutes

Set in the modern day working class New York City, this musical tells the story of Nick Murder, a man whose marriage to his wife Kitty Kane is on the rocks after she finds out about his affair with another woman, named Tula. Nick is now torn between his passion for Tula and the family life with his wife.

This movie, which was written and directed by John Turturro, a talented actor in his own right, reunites a great ensemble cast on screen. With names such as James Gandolfini, Susan Sarandon, Kate Winslet, Steve Buscemi, Christopher Walken, Aida Turturro and many more, a lot of talent was on the set.

With the cast involved, and the music in the soundtrack, which was great, I so wanted to love this movie. Unfortunately, I did not. The premise was compelling, but I found the way they brought the story to life on screen silly and hard to follow. In spite of all the talent involved, this film never really captivated me. I kept tuning it out. In the end, it was a big disappointment to me.

Rating: ««

Poltergeist 3 (1988)

Genre: Horror

Directed by: Gary Sherman

Cast: Tom Skerritt, Nancy Allen, Heather O’Rourke, Lara Flynn Boyle

Running time: 98 minutes

After her recent bouts with malevolent spirits looking to take her away, young Carol Anne Freeling has been sent by her parents to live with her aunt and uncle in Chicago. But, as you would expect, the evil spirit of Reverend Kane still manages to find the young girl and he still needs her, so her purity can lead him into the light.

The scariest thing about this horror film is the sight of young Heather O’Rourke. She was sick during the shooting of this film and it showed. Her face was all bloated and she did not seem well at all. Sadly, she passed away months before the release of the film, due to intestinal issues.

The rest of the movie is so bad it is laughable. The script is horrible and the acting is putrid. Zelda Rubinstein worked well in small doses in the first film, but she was given more and more lines to deliver in the two sequels, and it did not go well. The rest of the cast was not much better. Julian Beck had died, so the character of Reverend Henry Kane was portrayed on screen by Nathan Davis and looked totally cartoonish. That was unfortunate, as Kane was the only highlight in the bleak second Poltergeist movie.

All things considered, this film should be avoided at all costs.

Rating: «

Mercenaries (2014)

Genre: Action

Directed by: Christopher Ray

Cast: Kristanna Loken, Brigitte Nielsen, Vivica A. Fox

Running time: 90 minutes

During a visit to Kazakhstan, the daughter of the US president is taken hostage for ransom by a female warlord. At a loss as to how to get the first daughter back home safe, the CIA recruits a group of female convicts with special skills for this very special mission.

Mercenaries is your typical ass-kicking action movie where very little emphasis is put on writing a compelling story that makes sense. It was a nice touch to have strong female ass-kickers in this film, but, beyond that, this film has not much more than your usual clichés to offer. A few scenes made me chuckle, but this remains a very forgettable title.

Rating: ««

Hot Tub Time Machine (2010)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by: Steve Pink

Cast: John Cusack, Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson, Clark Duke

Running time: 99 minutes

After their friend Lou ends up in the hospital for carbon monoxide poisoning, following an incident they suspect was a suicide attempt. Adam and Nick, whose respective lives are going nowhere, decide to book a trip to a ski resort where they use to go when they were younger. The three longtime friends bring along Jacob, Adam’s young adult nephew with them on the trip. Following a night of drinking, they go for a soak in the hot tub, but some bizarre circumstances will bring them back in time to 1986. As they look for a way to go back to their normal life, they must insure that things go as they did in their past so as to avoid the butterfly effect on the present they want to go back to.

In spite of its silly premise, the finished product is still a very entertaining comedy. The cast was solid, considering the genre and the material. They made what could easily have become a stupid mess a good film.

Hot Tub Time Machine is a comedy that is well worth watching. Some zaniness and funny business, with many great tracks from the 80’s; overall, it is a fun and movie.

Rating: ««««