Breaking News in Yuba County (2021)

 Genre: Comedy / Drama
Directed by: Tate Taylor
Cast: Allison Janney, Mila Kunis, Awkwafina
Running Time: 96 minutes

 

Sue Buttons is a Kentucky woman going through a boring life with nobody paying any attention to her wants and needs, not even her husband Karl. She catches her husband having an affair with another woman, but he dies from a heart attack right after the act. So she buries the body and stages his disappearance, hoping to finally get some attention for herself.

Reading the premise, I expected a fun comedy. What I got was a silly little flick with not much laughter to offer. There were a few moments, but they were few and far between. The script did not offer much, and the acting was uninspired.

Rating: ««

Rachel Getting Married (2008)

Genre: Drama
Directed by: Jonathan Demme
Cast: Anne Hathaway, Rosemarie DeWitt, Bill Irwin, Debra Winger 

Running Time: 114 minutes

 

Kym Buchman gets a temporary release from drug rehab to attend her sister Rachel’s funeral. From the moment she arrives, tension starts to build from a long and complicated family history, casting quite the shadow over the proceedings.

This is a compelling story delivered on screen by a good director and a solid team of actors. The characters are multi-layered and complicated, so the talented cast has a lot to sink their teeth in too. At times, it dwells a bit in the melodramatic, but such can be family life sometimes I guess. All things considered, this is a very good film.

Rating: ««««

Batman & Robin (1997)

Genre: Superhero
Directed by: Joel Schumacher
Cast: George Clooney, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Uma Thurman
Running Time: 125 minutes

 

Batman, Robin and Batgirl team up together to attempt to foil the evil plans of Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy.

Honestly, I do not expect to spend much time reviewing this one. It is so bad, it is hard to believe it came out. The story is stupid, the acting is uninspired and the attempts at humor are lame. Honestly, I watched it again for posterity to add it on here, but, unless you are starved for punishment, avoid it.

Rating: «

Bo Burnham: Inside (2021)

 Genre: Comedy
Directed by: Bo Burnham
Cast: Bo Burnham 

Running Time: 87 minutes

 

This is a special comedian Bo Burnham filmed from inside his home during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also wrote, directed and edited this film. In what I will loosely call a comedy special, Burnham looks at society, at the state of his own mental health and at the woke movement, amongst other things.

There is a great deal of humor in the songs and sketches of this special. There is also a lot of  serious talk. There are so many levels that it is probably a good idea to watch it more than once to grasp it all. It is a little too much to take in one serving. Nonetheless, I was entertained, I was touched. This was greatly inspiring in my own quest for expression through creativity.

Rating: ««««

Heat (1995)

Genre: Drama
Directed by: Michael Mann
Cast: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer

Running Time: 170 minutes

 

LAPD detective, Lieutenant Vincent Hanna, is on another case. He knows the man he is looking for is career criminal Neil McCauley. He just has to catch him in the act. This cat-and-mouse game between the two is taking its toll on each man’s private life.

Al Pacino and Robert De Niro are two of my favorites. As such, I truly love this film. It is funny to think that both lead actors have but just a few scenes together in this movie. But, such scenes. Two brilliant actors at work. The supporting cast is also solid here, and Michael Mann did an awesome job bringing this story to life on screen.

Over almost 3 hours, there were times where the story dragged on a tad bit, but, overall, this is a movie well worth seeing more than once.

Rating: ««««

 

The Lucky One (2012)

 Genre: Romance / Drama
Directed by: Scott Hicks
Cast: Zac Efron, Taylor Schilling, Jay R. Ferguson
Running Time: 100 minutes

 Logan Thibault is a US marine fighting over in Iraq. As he stops to pick up the picture of a young woman off the ground, a sneak attack kills many soldiers, but barely misses him. Unable to find out who is on that picture he keeps it with him. Upon his return to the States, he sets out on a mission to find and thank that woman that inadvertently saved his life.

This film is based on the Nicholas Sparks novel of the same name. As such, it is overly emotional, sappy and predictable. But, thanks to some decent acting and a compelling storyline, this movie remains entertaining, in spite of the evident flaws.

Rating: «««

Batman Forever (1995)

Genre: Superhero
Directed by: Joel Schumacher
Cast: Val Kilmer, Tommy Lee Jones, Jim Carrey, Nicole Kidman
Running Time: 120 minutes

 

Batman must now protect Gotham City from two new evil masterminds, The Riddler and Two-Face, who have a devious plan to capture precious information from the minds of its people. In the process, the Dark Knight will gain another ally in Robin.

This installment in the Batman have different feel than the previous two, with Joel Schumacher assuming the director’s job and Val Kilmer taking over the lead role from Michael Keaton. Both did a fine job. While this is not a grand film by any means, Tommy Lee Jones and Jim Carrey brought a lot of energy to the mix, in spite of the animosity of the former towards the latter. This is a fun film, with lots of action. It is overloaded and a little silly at times, but it is entertaining.

Rating: «««