Movies in Review: "Brotherly Love"

There wasn't a great deal of heavy promotion for this movie. I honestly wouldn't have heard about it if the trailer hadn't come across my FB newsfeed...good ol' FB...lol. Anyway, for those of you who also haven't heard of this film check the trailer. Cute movie right? Yeah I thought so, and found myself more than interested to see it.

Not a bad urban drama. What I enjoyed most is that a lot of our talented actors of color got a chance to let their talents shine...and shine they did. I don't dislike Cory Hardict, but I don't think I've had the chance to see what kind of talent this young man has. Hardict holds down the lead in this movie. I enjoyed him from beginning to end. He owned every scene, and I would hope his performance will lead to other major roles. Keke is one of the most seasoned actors in the movie, but she wasn't really my favorite. However her and Quincy Brown were excellent together. As a matter of fact I was quite surprised by Brown. Not a bad job at all ~knodding head. This isn't a story we haven't seen before, so I found myself less impressed with the story, but surprisingly impressed by the talent on the screen. These kids made something out of nothing. The production was a little weak, making the movie feel like it would have fared better as a made for TV film...but whatever...

I enjoyed the movie. There was a nice twist, but too many holes and storylines left without closure. With only a running time of 1.2hrs, there wasn't enough time to give the story time to close properly. Not a bad movie though, but more suitable as a rental or cable viewing...C+ (I would have given it a B- if it was marketed for TV)

Movies in Review: "Ex Machina"

Didn't hear anything about this movie until I was mapping out weekend movies to check. This weekend's new releases were looking weak, but I decided to check the trailer for this film and immediately wanted to see it. Technology thrillers are always fun...right, and with the cast (both male actors I adore) I wasn't about to miss this one.

I loved the setting for this movie, a very secluded area. It added to the thrill of the film. This story was cool, with great performances from Oscar Isaac and Domhnall Gleeson. I think I got everything I would expect from a movie like this, suspense, intrigue, and by the end I was totally freaked out. This is one of those movies where the details and the story is important. There are no over the top theatrics to hide behind, and this movie still delivers.

The ending wasn't my favorite part, but everything in between and leading up to it was pretty damn good. I enjoy a good twist, and this one delivers...B+

Movies in Review: "The Water Diviner"

If it wasn't for movie scheduling, I would have missed this movie all together. The trailer didn't interest me at all, even with Russell Crowe (one of my favorite actors)in the lead role. But since I had time to spare in between the starting time for my next movie, I took my chance to pop in and see this...

There is no doubt Russell Crowe is an amazing actor, however his directing skills are questionable. This was definitely not the best directed film I've seen, and it caused the story to lose focus. The movie seemed to be all over the place in the beginning. Things didn't start coming together until mid-point, but by then I was starting not to care. I also wasn't a fan of the writing, although the scenes in the Turkish hotel were some of the best scenes in the movie...unfortunately. Everything about this movie was too hard to believe, and made little sense overall.

I think I got just what I had expected from this film, a great performance from Crowe, but nothing more than that. If it reaches your cable channel, you will be more satisfied than a ticket purchase at the movie...C-

Movies in Review: "The Age of Adeline"

I'm not the biggest fan of Blake Lively, but I do love a good romance film. Besides the trailer being interesting, my intrigue was sparked by wanting to see if Ms. Lively had the acting chops to hold down this lead role. The Age of Adeline didn't look spectacular, but I was still interested in seeing what it had to offer.

I didn't love...it was actually kind of meh. I don't know...Blake is getting much praise from critics on her performance but to me she was as dry as always, relying on her beauty to steal the show...smh. I thought I would have enjoyed this movie more, but the story was less compelling than I had hoped. The story was kind of dry, and lacked the depth needed to really tell Adeline's story. I enjoyed Harrison Ford, but his role was too short to make a positive impact on the movie.

I usually can find joy in any romance film, and rarely find myself leaving the theater with a negative vibe. Unfortunately this movie didn't move me one way or the other. I kinda left the theater feeling nothing...lol. I can't say I recommend this movie, unless you're a Blake Lively fan and are interested in admiring her beauty, because she does look absolutely amazing. If not, missing this one won't cause a shift in the atmosphere...C-

Movies in Review: "Child 44"

When I watched the trailer for this film, I knew I was in for a hit. The trailer appealed to all of my senses as a fan of movie thrillers. Not to mention, Tom Hardy is cast in the starring role, with Gary Oldman in a supporting role. You may not have even been aware of this film release, I only saw the trailer once. It's based off a novel of the same name, Child 44 trailer. Recently released films have underwhelmed. I was looking forward to this movie bringing some life back into cinema.

Unfortunately, this was not the case...You can agree from the trailer the movie seems to have a strong plot that is intriguing, but the movie waters this  down and kills the story with too many unnecessary subplots. The focus of the movie gets almost completely lost with only sprinkles of the main storyline here and there. This really annoyed me, because the subplots were a waste of time. If the story had stayed focused, this movie would have been excellent. Tom Hardy was the only piece that kept me into the movie. His performance was phenomenal. He was so good, you almost forget about the mess of a movie you just watched. If it wasn't for that confused and empty feeling I felt when I left the theater, I might have applauded this movie, but unfortunately Hardy wasn't enough to make this movie great.

This movie should have been way better than it was. It has thrills, but all in the wrong place and for the wrong purpose. The lack of focus may have you annoyed, but Hardy will definitely relieve some of that (he is really excellent). I can't say I would recommend spending any money on this. This is one of those movies that is cool to watch when it comes on cable, or purchased from Red Box. It's worth seeing, but not really worth paying movie ticket price for...C+

Movies in Review: "Woman in Gold"

There was nothing too spectacular about the trailer for this film. I am a huge fan of Helen Mirren, but I can't even say she was the reason I wanted to see this movie. It definitely wasn't Ryan Reynolds, who I adore, but his movie roles have been less than exceptional as of late. But I do adore movies based on true stories. It also helped that the film was based around that beautiful gold portrait of Adele by Gustav Klimt. There aren't many art pieces that catch my eye, or spark any interest, but this would definitely be one of those pieces that does.

Hmmmm...what do I say about this movie??? It was weird because I enjoyed it, but it had a monotone feel throughout it. There was very little that was moving about it. The history behind the painting was nice, but lacked power in the movie. I guess I got a little annoyed by the back and forth between present day and the Holocaust. The story felt a little empty in some areas, like I wish there was more about Maria's Aunt Adele. There were so many elements in the story some of it felt a little unfinished. The performance by Mirren and Reynolds were great. No disappointment there, but the story felt too easy...if you know what I mean.

Again I enjoyed the movie, but if I hadn't seen it, I think I would have been ok with that too...unfortunately. If you're interested in the arts and history films based on true stories, this one is ok. I'd do a matinee, but you might find a RedBox rental more suiting...C+

Movies in Review: "Furious 7"

This is one of the most anticipated movie franchise out now. Every movie has you waiting patiently for the release of the next. But Furious 7 had more than anticipation lingering with this one. With the untimely death of Paul Walker leaving us sadden, I know we were all thinking this was the end of Fast & Furious. Marketing began for Furious 7, and the release date couldn't come quick enough for me. I had to see how the death of Walker was handled. I think we were all looking for "closure"...right!?

Well...hmmmmm...so we know Statham was brought into the story at the end of 6, so of course the movie opened with Statham. I may be the only one feeling this way, but wasn't the opening scene a little too much??? He's 1 man, and I'm supposed to believe he did all of that!? Ummmmm...ok...whatever...moving on. The movie continues on in Furious fashion, and goes from outrageous to utterly ridiculous. The action sequences and story line wasn't as tight as seen in earlier movies. There were too many subplots introduced, and the action scenes were great but took a nose dive into unbelievable. Unlike the earlier movies, I found myself saying "come on son!" a lot. Kurt Russell was introduced into the story, but his impact in the story wasn't as strong as when they brought in The Rock, who was featured in minimal scenes. I found myself entertained, but also a little annoyed. They were doing too much with this movie. I was on the verge of dislike until it got to the end...smh. Please bring tissue for the ending. I couldn't have been more happy with the way they sent Paul Walker's character off. They did an excellent job with handling his story line. ~tear

Everyone will tell you this movie is great. But I will say that it's decent. If you like action, then this one is for you because. I like action, but when it teeters into ridiculousness, then I have a hard time dealing. There is entertainment value that is amplified if you leave all your common sense at the door...B