Zombieland: Double Tap

 

The sequel to 2009’s Zombieland; Double Tap brings us back to Tallahassee, Columbus, Wichita and Little Rock as they make their way to Graceland, while trying to keep their makeshift family together by staying alive against advanced zombies. 

Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin all reprised their roles from the original film which was unexpected but great to see. Everyone looked great and aged well over the course of the 10 year gap. Additionally, there were some fun new castings including Zoey Deutch, Rosario Dawson and Luke Wilson. I thought that they all brought something new, fresh and funny to their roles.

The plot moved quickly and kept me engaged with a good twist at the end. There were also some very entertaining action and fight sequences. The script was clever and funny. The makeup for the cast, especially the zombies, was gross and gory, which means it was done well. The only issue I had was that the cinematography at times highlighted or prolonged an unnecessary amount of nauseating scenes and overall felt more gruesome than the first.

However, with all that being said, I would still say that this was a solid follow up to the original. If you are looking for an action comedy mixed with a walk down memory lane, check this one out.

The Best of Enemies

 

The Best of Enemies is based on the book The Best of Enemies: Race and Redemption in the New South by Osha Gray Davidson. Set in Klu Klux Klan occupied Durham, NC in 1971, this true story depicts the conflict between civil rights activist Ann Atwater and KKK leader C. P. Ellis. Starring Taraji P. Henson, Sam Rockwell, Anne Heche and Yellowstone’s Wes Bentley. 

The plot was engaging and easy to follow. I had never heard this story before so I found it very interesting and inspiring. The hair, makeup and costumes were appropriate for the early 1970s and really helped to connect you to the time.

There was a descent amount of character development, so it was easy to understand the characters motives. The cast worked well together. Sam Rockwell and Taraji P. Henson did a great job carrying this film. Sam’s portrayal of C. P. Ellis’ conflict within was quite compelling. Taraji P. Henson’s portrayal of Ann Atwater showed how fierce she was in her convictions but also kind, when she didn’t need to be, to those who didn’t necessarily deserve it and to those were less fortunate than her. Anne Heche was a surprising addition, she did a great job as Mary Ellis, the wife of C.P. She brought an independent spirit to the character, as she didn’t share in his beliefs, and challenged him to think outside of his box.

This event in history wasn’t that long ago and a lot of the themes resonate even today. So I found the movie to be motivating and in the end, quite heartwarming. It shows that people can change and when exposed to people who are not like them and they can learn and grown a lot from it. During these trying times, this is story people need to see.

RBG

RBG is a very interesting documentary about Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s life. It covers her early years in school, to her time working with the ACLU, during which she presented and won a number of cases that went to the Supreme Court, and of course her time as a justice on said court.

As a pioneer and a breaker of glass ceilings, she started fighting for gender equality at an early age and when making it to the Supreme Court at 60, she often championed having more women on the court, even saying all the justices should be women. As a defender for women’s rights, she was not afraid to speak her truth and even dissent against her peers when the majority voted against her, she spoke out uncharacteristically against Trump, as Supreme Court Justices normally do not do that, but it was a great moment that gained her popularity as the Notorious RBG, a nickname that she actually seemed to like.

The documentary did a great job of helping you to better understand the human side of Ruth. Seeing her interact with her grandchild and hearing how her children and friends described her, she was a serious person who loved the opera but also had appreciation for comedy and was able to make the most unlikely of friends. I also liked the footage that they had of her and her late husband, they had an adorable relationship and were such a compliment to one another.

Something that will stick with me is something she always used to say, “The way to win an argument is not to yell, because often that will turn people away more so than bringing them to your table.” For those more curious about RBG this is a great documentary to check out.

On The Basis of Sex

 

On The Basis Of Sex is a biographical legal drama that focuses on the early years of Ruth Bader Ginsburg; from her time at the male dominated Harvard Law School in 1956, through her first job as a professor teaching sex discrimination and the law, until her early career practicing law in the 1970s. 

The plot was interesting and engaging. They jump though time quickly though and the characters don’t age, so at times you struggle to figure it out where we are in the sequence of time. The fashion was superb. Some of the costumes worn in this movie I’d wear now.

The movie does a great job depicting the discrimination and disrespect Ruth faced in school and all throughout her career and daily life because of her gender; and her perseverance though it all. She never gave up during the ups and downs of her life including during her husband’s bout with cancer.

The cast is star studded. Rogue One’s, Felicity Jones did a pretty good job as Ruth Bader Ginsburg. My only critique is that she struggled with the accent. As an English actress her Brooklyn accent would go in a out quite a bit during the course of the film. I’m not a huge Armie Hammer fan but I enjoyed him as the ever doting, funny and supportive husband, Martin "Marty" Ginsburg. I particularly enjoyed their dynamic together. They were really able to bring to the screen a strong and loving bond. The rest of the cast also did well in their roles with Justin Theroux unrecognizable as Melvin "Mel" Wulf. Kathy Bates was a surprise addition and I found her role as the no nonsense, feminist, attorney Dorothy Kenyon rather enjoyable. Additionally, I’ve seen Sam Waterston and Stephen Root in other projects as well and thought that they both did well in their antagonist roles.

Overall this movie was well made and informative. It tugs at the heartstrings almost immediately and is well worth the watch.

Tenet

Tenet is an action packed drama following a CIA agent who is recruited into a covert government program called Tenet, whose end goal is to prevent World War III. The movie stars John David Washington and Robert Pattinson. 

The cinematography was very much within the writer and director, Christopher Nolan’s, wheelhouse. The way they were able to manipulate time in the film was unlike anything I had seen before. It was incredibly visually stunning with Inception-like vibes.

The acting was great from the entire cast, with a lot of familiar faces including one of Nolan’s favorite repeat actors, Michael Caine. John David Washington was quite the leading man. He carried this movie well. He brought a strong presence and polish throughout and also had some descent fight sequences. Robert Pattinson was a nice addition to the cast as well. He was illusive and cunning in his sidekick role. Once again Pattinson brought something different to the screen. He has been quite impressive as of late with his movie selections. He’s come a long way since his 2008 breakout role in Twilight.

Where the movie lost me was in the plot. It was hard to follow and I’m not sure if it was because of the conversations around the complexity of the time manipulation and travel, and perhaps requires another look, or because it just didn’t make any sense. At this time I'm going to go with the former and because it was so interesting, I will run this movie back to figure out this riddle.

Emma

 

Emma is a romantic drama/comedy based off of Jane Austen's 1815 novel of the same name. It is the story of an aristocratic young woman who has more joy in being a matchmaker than looking for love herself. Emma is a high fashion perfectionist who is naïve when it comes to the world around her. She thinks she is doing a service when helping to pair her friends but comes to an awakening when she realizes some of the relationships she’s pushing are not meant to be. 

Set in early 19th century England, I enjoyed the cinematography, costumes, hair and makeup which really help to bring you to that place in time.

The script and the pace of the film keep you engaged throughout. This is a coming of age story about growing up and being open to change. I liked the themes around loyalty to family and love.

I thought that the acting from the entire cast was well done. American, Anya Taylor-Joy, who gained fame in Split, Glass and Peaky Blinders, carried the movie as Emma Woodhouse, and did a wonderful job. Her English accent was impeccable and her most impressive acting came from her ability to subtlety show her feelings without any dialogue. She brought a level of confidence and class to this role that perfectly fit the character.

The 1995 movie Clueless is also based off of this book. Growing up a Clueless fan I saw a lot of the parallels between these two movies, of which I thoroughly enjoyed. So for all of the Clueless fans out there, and anyone else who likes a good period film, I would definitely recommend checking out this light-hearted and fun flick.

Mulan

Mulan is the Disney produced live action remake of the 1998 animated version of the same name. It is based on a fictional folk story of a Chinese heroine set in 4th century AD. Unbeknownst to her ageing father, who has just been drafted, she takes his place in the army by disguising herself as a man.

I like that the character of Mulan. She is not your typical Disney damsel in distress. She doesn't need anyone to save her and being the best and brightest in her regiment she also helps to save her fellow soldiers. She’s independent, brave, smart and confident which makes for a great role model for young people.

There were a number of strong themes around having confidence in yourself and your gifts, not dulling down your light, and honoring your family,

The cinematography was visually stunning with vast landscapes. The costumes and makeup where very relevant for the time and helped to easily transport you to that era. The fight sequences were smooth but exaggerated and unrealistic. It was very Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. When a movie goes live action I expect something more convincing but instead it took more of a fanciful direction.

The move flowed smoothly but the story seemed rushed. I would have liked more character development and detail in the plot. I would have also liked for the characters to have spoken in their native tongue with English subtitles vs having them all speaking in English, which obviously is not culturally accurate.

Overall I thought that the movie was good. Not worth checking out in theatres but it was nice to watch from home. One critic called it the best live action Disney adaptation but I’d have to give that crown to the Maleficent franchise.

Da 5 Bloods

Da 5 Bloods is a Netflix produced, Vietnam Era, fictional story directed by Spike Lee. The plot follows four black Vietnam War veterans about 40 years after the war, on a trip back to Vietnam searching for a deceased brothers remains and some long lost gold. 

The sets and the costumes were the only good parts about this movie. They were realistic and were able to properly transport you to the 60s and also bring you to the current time.

The acting was forced from a lot of the co-starts, they didn’t properly cast the younger versions of the main stars in the flashback scenes and the character development was so weak that you couldn’t really connect to any of the protagonists.

The monologues toward the end were unnecessary and even though a good amount the dialogue was appropriate for the age range of the characters, the script was corny.

The cinematography was outdated, the edits were terrible and the soundtrack reminded me of a late 90s movie, like Air Force One.

Although this movie is fictional it does draw on some historical accuracies and real-life experiences of Black soldiers during the Vietnam War. The re-telling of a story about the Black experience during Vietnam is important, and should be told, it is just unfortunate that it was filmed in such a cheap and trite B-movie type of way. Spike had all these statements that he wanted to make about the culture but could not translate it properly to film. I’ve noticed after watching a number of Spike Lee joints that they are hit and miss and for me this particular film was a huge miss.

Marshall

Marshall is a biographical legal drama set in the early years of Thurgood Marshall’s time as Chief Counsel for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund in the 1940s. It follows him during one of his first cases, the State of Connecticut v. Joseph Spell. The movie stars Chadwick Boseman as Thurgood Marshall, Josh Gad as Sam Friedman, an insurance lawyer, who at first, reluctantly agrees to work with Marshall and Sterling K. Brown as Joseph Spell, the man accused of rape and attempted murder of his employer. 

The story was easy to follow, a bit predictable but still very interesting. The script, costumes and sets were realistic for the time which really helped to transport you back to the Jim Crowe era.

The casting was well done with everyone portraying their respected parts believably and flawlessly. Boseman really transported into Thurgood Marshall, I didn’t even see him the actor; I only saw the character he was playing. I’ve known Josh Gad as more of a voice actor so it was great to see him in this role where I felt like he was really able to hold his own with Boseman. I especially enjoyed their connection on screen; their comedic banter and chemistry was infectious. Additionally, the character development was pretty good all around. You were able to understand and connect with each protagonists’ motives.

I knew that Thurgood was the first African American Justice on the Supreme Court but I didn’t know much about his early work, so I thought that this was able to provide some really informative historical context while also still being quite entertaining. I think this movie is great for everyone, especially those who are a fan of Chadwick Boseman’s craft and are looking for more of his diverse and compelling work.