Category: Drama

CONCLAVE

CONCLAVE

CONCLAVE follows one of the most ancient rituals of the world, selecting a new Pope.

The reigning Pope has just died. What follows are time honored steps to selecting a new Pope, but during this current season a trail of secrets that are left in the dead Pope’s wake comes to light and if exposed could do great harm to the Catholic Church and the process of selecting a new Pope. The story unfolds from there….

CONCLAVE is Dramatic, Suspenseful and Riveting. Ralph Fiennes is absolutely awesome in his role. 

CONCLAVE is one of the best movies not receiving a lot of hype. The 2 Hour Running Time goes by really fast.

The reason I went to see CONCLAVE is because of the stars, Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci and Isabella Rossellini. I love them and they are awesome actors. They did not disappoint.

The movie is loosely based on the Best-Selling Novel of the same name by Robert Harris.

“CONCLAVE” is worth a look.

This is a 5 Star Movie!!

1992

1992

It’s April 29, 1992 in Los Angeles, CA. During this time in history, Los Angeles faced a lot of racial and political issues. Those issues are the backdrop for “1992”.

Mercer (Tyrese Gibson) is desperately trying to rebuild his life and his relationship with his son amidst the turbulent 1992 LA uprising following the Rodney King verdict. Across town, another father and son (Ray Liotta and Scott Eastwood) put their own strained relationship to the test as they plot a dangerous heist to steal catalytic converters, which contain valuable platinum, from the factory where Mercer works. As tensions rise in Los Angeles and chaos erupts, both families reach their boiling points when they collide in this tension filled crime-drama. The story unfolds from there…

The execution of this movie starts off well enough, but soon falls off the rails as there are several small stories that are not completed or explained. There is Political Tension / Uprising that is continuous while a major robbery is plotted and attempted. Too much goes unexplained and you are left to wonder the “What, “How” and “Why”.

The Political Uprising that occurred in Los Angeles in 1992 was a very terrible time for that city. To see it depicted in a movie is really eye opening, disturbing and sad.

On a positive note, Snoop Dogg was the Executive Producer, so in some ways what was depicted was to make a point. There was nothing “Sugar-Coated”. 

“1992” is one of Ray Liotta’s final movies. If you are a Ray Liotta fan, check out “1992”.

This is a 3 Star Movie!!

Twisters in AMC Dolby

Twisters in AMC Dolby

I do not normally see Weather-Related Disaster Movies like this, but the trailer looked entertaining, so here goes…

Kate Cooper (Daisy Edgar-Jones) is a former storm chaser haunted by a devastating encounter with a tornado during her college years who now studies storm patterns on screens safely in New York City. 

She is lured back to the open plains by her friend, Javi (Golden Globe nominee Anthony Ramos, In the Heights) to test a groundbreaking new tracking system. 

There, she crosses paths with Tyler Owens (Glen Powell), the charming and reckless social-media superstar who thrives on posting his storm-chasing adventures with his raucous crew, the more dangerous the storms, the better. As storm season intensifies, terrifying phenomena never seen before are unleashed. Kate, Tyler and their competing teams find themselves squarely in the paths of multiple storm systems that converge over central Oklahoma in the fight of their lives. The story unfolds from there…

The movie is entertaining. The cinematography and special effects are on point. The execution is loaded with Drama and Sparks Flying. It’s like being on a constant Roller Coaster Ride. You are not sure if you want to get off once it stops or go for the thrills again. It’s been a very long time between this installment and the original. This seems fresh though and not too close to its predecessor.

If you are looking for an adventure and thrills check out “Twisters”

This is a 4 Star Move!!

Civil War in AMC Dolby

Civil War in AMC Dolby

“Civil War” follows the journey of a group of Military embedded Journalists as they report and photograph a dystopian future America. This group of Journalists race against the odds to get to Washington DC before the Rebel Factions descend upon the White House. The story unfolds from there…

“Civil War” is not about what you think it is. Once you understand that it is essentially a Horror Movie without the “Boogie Man”. It’s more like a larger version of what happened at the Capitol on Jan 6th, but on a much larger scale involving more states across the US with a lot more casualties and a total collapse of Political Power.

The movie was executed very well, but the dialogue in the movie was extremely lacking. This was actually discussed amongst several patrons as we were walking out of the theater. The movie is “In Your Face” Bloody, Unsettling, Tough and Very Suspenseful. 

Stream it or Watch it on Cable. 

This is a 3 ½ Star Movie!!

Air

Air

Its 1984 and Nike owns 17% of the Sports Shoe market. Converse owns 56% and Adidas comes in somewhere in between. “Air” is about the unbelievable game changing relationship that was born between Nike and NBA Super Star Michael Jordan.

This moving story follows the career-defining gamble of an unconventional Marketing Team with everything on the line and the uncompromising vision of a mother who knows the worth of her son’s immense talent, and the basketball phenom who would become the greatest of all time.

You definitely get an inside look at what negotiations looked like and what it took to win Michael Jordan.

“Air” is definitely worth a look.

This is a 5 Star Movie!!

Death on the Nile

Death on the Nile

Set in the 19th Century…Image you and the love of your life are on your idyllic honeymoon. You are on a glamorous steamer floating on the Nile River. The scenic views and epic landscape are breath-taking but then tragedy strikes and suddenly your wonderful honeymoon is cut short…

This is the premise of “Death on the Nile”.

The movie is well acted. There are tons of suspense and intrigue. There are a lot of impeccably dressed travelers. The usual jealousy and envy take center stage. The Cinematography is on point.

“Death on the Nile” is a complex “Who done it”. It’s definitely worth a look.

This is a 3 Star Movie!!

Being the Ricardos

Being the Ricardos

I am a HUGE Lucille Ball fan, so when I learned that there was a movie coming out about her and Desi Arnaz’s professional and personal life, I had to see it.

To me this adaptation is a bit boring and confusing. Lucille Ball was larger than Life! She was so funny and light-hearted. None of that really came through in the scenes of this movie. 

A lot of what was shown was about the struggles that occurred behind the scenes of producing the “I Love Lucy” show. The squabbles over the script and even some political drama. 

The movie takes you into the writer’s room and the sound stage where you get a glimpse of how a TV show was made back in the 50’s and 60’s and also what happens during a critical production week.

Nichole Kidman’s star shines brightly, as she does an excellent job of being Lucille Ball. 

Aside from Nichole Kidman’s performance, the movie lacked the magic I was expecting. I fully expected to laugh out loud at some of Lucille Ball’s crazy antics, but I never laughed once… and a lot of her funniness was not displayed.

With all of that being said, “Being the Ricardos” is worth a look especially if you are a fan of Lucille Ball.

“Being the Ricardos” is in the theater and streaming on Amazon Prime.

This is a 3 Star Movie!!

A Journal for Jordan

A Journal for Jordan

“A Journal for Jordan” is based on a true story about First Sargent Charles Monroe King. Charles is one of many soldiers who deployed to Iraq after 911. After his son, Jordan was born Charles kept a Journal of his life, love and advise for Jordan to one day read. The movie revisits the relationship, love and devotion that Charles had for New York Times Editor Dana Canedy (Chante Adams), the mother of his child. 

This is a moving and emotional story, but of course it would be considering the subject matter. These types of stories are never easy to tell, but Denzel Washington directs this adaptation of the screenplay with kindness, care and respect. 

This is the type of movie that goes back and forth over the course of about 18 years.

A number of paid critics were a bit harsh on their rating, but I disagree with them.

“A Journal for Jordan” is worth seeing and is only available in the Theaters. 

This is a 3 ½ Star Movie!!!

King Richard

King Richard

In “King Richard” we get a view into the humble start of Venus and Serena Williams tennis careers. Richard Williams had a plan, a 78-page plan that he executed on and was determined to get his daughters, Venus and Serena into the Tennis Record Books. This movie is about that journey. 

The story starts off with the Williams family’s early life in Compton, CA. The Williams sisters trained on the neglected tennis courts in Compton, often times late into the evenings. Their Mother, Oracene provided the balanced perspective and great intuition to help keep the girl’s lives as normal as possible. The story continues to the family’s move to Florida and Venus’s signing with Reebok.

The movie is very moving! The execution is good. Will Smith is very impressive as Richard Williams. 

If you are a fan of Venus and Serena Williams, this movie is definitely worth a look. 

“King Richard” is in Theaters and Streaming on HBO MAX

This is a 5 Star Movie!!

The Last Duel

The Last Duel

“The Last Duel” is a cinematic feast and thought-provoking saga set in the midst of the 100 Years War (13th Century). During that time the ubiquitous power of men, the frailty of justice and the strength and courage of one woman who is willing to stand alone in the service of the truth is examined. This movie is based on actual events that did take place. The movie climaxes with what is known as France’s “Last Duel” between Jean de Carrouges and Jacques Le Gris who were once good friends that became bitter rivals. The Story unfolds from there…

This is a Ridley Scott production! Ridley Scott makes very good movies.

The story is Compelling, Intriguing from a historical point, Bloody and Violent. 

One interesting thing to note…Ben Affleck is Blond in this movie and I did not recognize me at first.

If you like historical drama, “The Last Duel” should not be missed.

“The Last Duel” is in Theaters.

This is a 4 ½ Star Movie!!