Tag: NetFlix

NYAD – Review

Sometimes we just need to see a flick that gets us motivated. To get us off our “duff”…after we watch it, of course. That was certainly the case with the original ROCKY series which carried over into the current CREED franchise (who hasn’t heard Bill Conti’s score as they begin a run). Yes, the sports genre can be inspiring, plus you can double that when it’s a true tale, a “sports-biopic”. But could you triple the “push” when the movie’s subject is still with us? It’s a good possibility when a couple of superb actresses combine talents with two Oscar-winning documentary filmmakers to tell the tale of the long-distance swimming legend known as NYAD.

This film begins with a montage of archival footage of the tile champion, as she competes in tournaments, breaks records, and is interviewed by the undisputed “king of late night”. Now that’s right as she attempted to swim from Cuba to Key West, Florida way back in 1978. But strong winds made for rough seas that prompted doctors to remove her from the “shark cage”, despite her passionate protests. The film then jumps ahead 31 years as Diana Nyad (Annette Bening) is embarrassed by a surprise 60th birthday party orchestrated by former swimming coach (and romantic partner) Bonnie Stoll (Jodie Foster). After the guests leave, Diana drops a “bombshell” on her: a return to long-distance swimming to finish the Cuba to Florida trek. Bonnie is stunned and refuses to aid Diana, insisting that the years have taken its toll. Undaunted, Diane begins her endurance training at the local pool, and eventually Bonnie drops by to see her progress…and finally agrees to this “project”. Thus begins a multi-year odyssey as the duo struggles to get sponsors, enlist a crew, plot out a strategy, and gather the necessary tools. Those being the proper swimming gear and most importantly, a “guide boat” to navigate the waves beside her. Although team Nyad has a testy first meeting, Captain John Bartlett (Rhys Ifans) agrees to be at the wheels while monitoring the weather conditions. Oh, and this time there will be no protective cage around Diana, as two men in a raft will dangle “sound wires” that emit a hum that repels sharks. They’ll be on the other side of her, but what of the other “sea menace”, the box jellyfish, whose sting can quickly kill? At least Bonnie will be there to make sure that Dyan gets her “fuel” (pasta on a pole and liquids through a very long straw). The team endures multiple setbacks as Diana strives to prove that she’s not ready to “sit it out”. But will time sap her strength and stamina?

Those two powerhouse actresses propel this film past the standard “against the odds” biopic. Naturally it all sinks or swims on the efforts of the title interpreter. As is often the case, Ms. Bening is the epitome of fierce determination as the warrior who pushes through the pain. But her take on Ms. Nyad isn’t always on a “pedestal”. In the opening scenes, we see her hesitation and discomfort in social situations. Plus there an uncertainty as she watches the “younger set” glide past her in that public pool. Then we see Bening “re-charged” as the big day nears. And there’s much more of that fighting spirit as she pushes hard against the well-meaning efforts of her crew. Most protective is Bonnie played by Ms, Foster as the very definition of a supporting role. We can see her frustration as, like Pacino in his third time as the Don, she’s “pulled back in”. Foster shows us how the hours at sea wear on Bonnie, as she tries to gauge the condition of her friend, protecting Diana even as she rebuffs her concerns. Much the same can be said of Ifans as the crusty “old salt” who breaks through his own negative space to embrace Nyad and Bonnie’s dream of beating “ole’ King Triton”. Ifans shows us how Bartlett slowly embraces his role on the team, even letting a bit of optimism into his noggin’.

It’s hard to fathom (sorry) that this is the first narrative feature for directors Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyl and Jimmy Chin as they make several bold narrative choices that create as much tension as their Oscar-winning doc feature FREE SOLO, a true “nail-biter”. Working from Julia Cox’s screenplay adaptation of Nyad’s book, the duo finds a way to make us feel as though we’re floating alongside Diana while navigating through her memories. She’s fighting the repetition, the cold currents, the weather, and her memories of childhood trauma. Nyad first endures the breakup of her family as she’s torn away from her beloved, nurturing Greek papa, then must deal with horrific sexual abuse from a surrogate father figure, her high school swimming coach. We piece this together via the flashes in Diana’s brain as she tries to block out weird images as the illusions creep in. Happily, the directing duo doesn’t allow the film to get bogged down in the plans and special devices and gizmos (aplenty), though some of them seemed lifted from a spy caper or a science fiction story (Diana wears an odd full face-hugging mask that makes her a resembles a blank-featured alien, much like Odo on “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”). As with Bening’s last nonfiction role of screen vamp Gloria Grahame, the archival footage of the real person isn’t jarring in the least. The cast and the filmmakers realistically convey all the hardships and triumphs of these two remarkable women as they make a place in the history books (and websites) for the astounding athlete named NYAD.

3 out of 4

NYAD is now playing in select theaters

OLD DADS – Review

It looks like another stand-up comic has decided to expand on his stage persona and make the jump to a feature film. Of course, that’s nothing new as comedians have been doing this since the first filmed pratfall or wise-crack. Things are a bit more welcoming now as the onslaught of streaming services have put out a big “welcome mat” to the jokesters, raking in lots of new subscribers with taped comedy concerts, usually running about an hour or so, perfect for those needing a quick fix of laughter. It has worked for Kevin Hart and Amy Schumer, and Jo Koy’s autobiographical EASTER SUNDAY certainly found an audience at the multiplex. Will the same happen to this touring comic who pushes against the current culture? Well, it’s going straight to streaming, which might be the perfect home for a trio of OLD DADS.

The de facto leader of the threesome (think Moe without the bowl haircut, or no hair at all) is Jack (Bill Burr). He’s living the good life in the suburbs of Pamona, CA in a home with his gorgeous wife Leah (Katie Aselton) and their adorable five-year-old son along with one “on the way”. Oh, Jack is just past the big “5-0”, hence the flick’s title. Speaking of, the other dads are his best pals. There’s high-energy Connor (Bobby Cannavale), who loves to have fun as long as he can hide from his intimidating wife Cara (Jackie Tohn), who lets their five-year-old son run wild. And there’s Mike (Bokeem Woodbine) who’s living with his gorgeous much younger girlfriend Britney (Reign Edwards) after getting his two sons from a previous marriage into college. These days the guys are especially happy since they’ve sold their sports apparel business and are now senior employees . But this doesn’t sit well with twenty-something new owner Aspen (Miles Robbins) who wants to revamp the place and toss out anyone over 35. To keep in his “good graces” the guys go on a disastrous road trip. This gives Jack more agita when dealing with the “touchy-feely” head of his son’s ritzy private school, the “doctor” (Rachael Harris), who enlists him and Connor to run the big school fundraiser. And then Britney drops a bombshell on Mike. Suddenly it feels as though the entire world has turned on the old-fashioned “ordinary Joes”. Can they ever catch a break or will the new social rules of the 21st century crush them?

Since this film is an extension of his stand-up monologues, the first in the cast would be Mr. Burr (who also is a big force behind the camera). He seems fairly comfortable in this lead, and quick with line delivery while not given a big emotional range. Jack goes from affable “bro” to enraged alpha at almost regular intervals, though we get a bit of his softer side as he deals with his wife and son. Cannavale has more to do, as he must become the modern henpecked hubby, then shift into the “over-served” wildcard, before eliciting the most laughs as he desperately tries to be hip with the younger staff at work, while checking himself for wrinkles and grey hairs. Much more mellow is Woodbine whose Mike gets great delight in testing the boundaries of modern race relations, especially for fans of rap music while never flaunting what appears to be his charmed homelife. As for their “better halves”, Aselton does a variation of the long-suffering but adoring missus since often in modern sitcoms like “The King of Queens”, who has her hubby’s back despite her snarky asides and eye rollings. Tohn is effective as the cartoonish new age shrew who has a fast sneer for anyone questioning her parenting “style”. On the “flip side”, Edwards is the sweet “pixie girl” of Mike’s (and most guys) dreams who shows her strength when fate throws the couple a big “curve”. As for the “cancellers”, the too-sensitive villains, the “work jerk” is the obnoxious Aspen played with an aloof arrogance and casual cruelty by the wispy Robbins. But the real “big bad” may be the passive-aggressive “back-biter” who’s the head of the school played with eyebrow-arching relish by the delightfully devious Harris who earns the jeers and hisses of the audience.

Oh BTW, Mr. Burr is the film’s director and the co-writer of the script, as I hinted earlier. It’s the showcase for his character who delights in “pushing buttons” as he “melts the snowflakes”. It may play better as a standup set as the ranting and confrontational sequences become grating and abrasive after the first act or so. It feels as though the whole thing is a verbal comic riff on the “crime alley” training exercise for police trainees. Jack enters another area, a “way too woke” doofus pops up, and he must mow em’ down with a nasty but well-deserved “burn”. Yes, they’re true “cardboard” targets in his takedown on the irritants in society of the new world. Burr’s longtime fans will take great delight in Burr’s battle, but “newbies” will be tempted to grab the remote and start a’ scrollin’. And the use of hidden cameras to take down the trio would never fly for an instant despite the “softening” of the culture. It all comes together in a strip club finale (perhaps to get some of that HANGOVER vibe) and a cliched race to the hospital that sadly involves a beloved veteran actor in a thankless cameo, this after a current gifted thespian is wasted in a “throw-away” bit. The whole film is shot like a flat one-camera sitcom, with a structure that feels like several episodes strung together. I appreciate that Cannavale was putting an energetic effort into Connor, but only rapid fans of Burr’s specials will relish this feature-length farce with him as the general leading the charge of these OLD DADS.

1.5 Out of 4

OLD DADS streams exclusively on Netflix beginning on Friday, October 20, 2023

Annette Bening And Jodie Foster Star In Trailer For Netflix’s NYAD

Netflix has released the brand new trailer for NYAD. NYAD tells the remarkable true story of athlete Diana Nyad who, at the age of 60 and with the help of her best friend and coach, commits to achieving her life-long dream: a 110-mile open ocean swim from Cuba to Florida.

In their Telluride Film Festival review, Variety’s Peter Debruge says: “it’s the private glimpses of vulnerability that make “Nyad” so effective, along with the personal scenes between Diana and Bonnie — dramatized moments when no cameras were present in the real world. Audiences want to see Diana Nyad succeed, but the pleasure of the experience comes from watching actors become these characters. No matter how tricky such feats must have been to re-create, you get the impression that everyone involved was having a blast.”

A remarkable true story of tenacity, friendship and the triumph of the human spirit, NYAD recounts a riveting chapter in the life of world-class athlete Diana Nyad. Three decades after giving up marathon swimming in exchange for a prominent career as a sports journalist, at the age of 60, Diana (four-time Academy Award nominee Annette Bening) becomes obsessed with completing an epic swim that always eluded her: the 110 mile trek from Cuba to Florida, often referred to as the “Mount Everest” of swims. Determined to become the first person to finish the swim without a shark cage, Diana goes on a thrilling, four-year journey with her best friend and coach Bonnie Stoll (two-time Academy Award winner Jodie Foster) and a dedicated sailing team.

NYAD. (L-R) Annette Bening as Diana Nyad and Jodie Foster as Bonnie Stoll in NYAD. Cr. Kimberley French/Netflix ©2023

The Washington Post’s Ann Hornaday says in her review: ““Nyad” is a prime showcase for Bening, who delivers a brave, bravura turn as a woman who is frankly not that likable, but whose arrogance and selfishness mask devastating buried wounds. But her characterization would be monotonous and even alienating if it weren’t for a superlative supporting cast, including Rhys Ifans as navigator John Bartlett, a crusty, unsentimental sea dog who can give as good as he gets, and whose knowledge of the Gulf Stream proves crucial, not just to Diana’s completion of the swim, but to her survival. Ifans is one revelation in “Nyad.” But by far the biggest and most gratifying is Foster, whom generations have watched grow up on-screen, and who here reminds us why she’s among the most beloved actors of her time.”

NYAD. (L-R) Jodie Foster as Bonnie Stoll and Annette Bening as Diana Nyad in NYAD. Cr. Kimberley French/Netflix ©2023

The inspirational film marks the narrative directorial debut of Academy Award-winning documentary filmmakers Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin (Free Solo, The Rescue). NYAD is produced by Andrew Lazar, p.g.a. and Teddy Schwarzman, p.g.a. with a screenplay by Julia Cox, adapted from the memoir “Find a Way” by Diana Nyad.

Look for NYAD in select theaters on October 20th and on Netflix on November 3rd.

FAIR PLAY (2023) – Review

Now what would be more cozy on a brisk Fall evening than a film about an office romance? Y’know, just like Pam and Jim on that TV sitcom set in the previously mentioned locale. The flirting, the smoldering glances, and the eventual declarations of affection. Ah, but what if employee intimate relationships are frowned upon, or just plain verboten, at the company? That too has been fodder for sitcoms like “The People’s Choice” and “Occasional Wife” and…I’m really, really aging myself. In this week’s new release, that notion isn’t played for laughs as the stakes are truly high. So, if all’s fair in “love and war”, then what could truly be considered FAIR PLAY when the “going gets tough” and desperate?


This tale starts with the story’s main couple full of the excitement of, often physically exhausting, romance. Twenty-somethings Emily (Phoebe Dynevor) and Luke (Alden Ehrenreich) twirl away from the dance floor of a wedding reception into the ladies’ lavatory! They don’t get “busted”, instead Luke “pops the question”. Emily gives him an excited “yes”, but insists that they keep it “under wraps” for a bit (except for their folks). The passion continues at the NYC apartment they share, allowing themselves a brief slumber before they get to work. The duo go their separate ways out of the subway. Luke arrives at the headquarters of the hedge fund firm One Crest Capital and hops into an elevator. Before the doors close, Emily also jumps in. Ah, they both work at OCC, which has a no “inter-office romance” policy (they hope to “prepare” everyone, and maybe have a “back-up plan”, before “coming clean). At their desks (several feet apart), the two, along with the rest of the staff, observe the firing of an MP (management partner) who has disappointed OCC’s tyrannical owner Campbell (Eddie Marsan). As the former MP is led away, Emily overhears some “scuttlebutt”, which she passes on to Luke: he’s next in line for the vacated spot. That night in the apartment is celebratory, only interrupted by constant nuptial calls from Emily’s abrasive mum. Finally, an important call comes through from one of the other MPs at OCC. Emily needs to join him at the preferred “watering hole”. Though it’s late she jumps in a cab, and enters the pub, but can’t find him. Oh oh, she does see Campbell. Joining him for “last call”, he offers her the MP job. She giddily accepts, but how will Luke react? Can he handle being passed over…for her? And can their engagement handle this added stress, or will “love conquer all”?

After her breakout role on the Netflix streaming sensation “Bridgerton”, Ms. Dynevor confidently dives into a most modern romance, as a woman doing her best to balance her personal and professional lives. Her Emily is smart and savvy, but never cutthroat as she tries to maneuver through the big business “boys club”. Through Dyvenor’s darting eyes and hesitant line delivery, she conveys that Emily is “weighing her words” She tiptoes, briskly, through that stock market minefield. Somehow she seems to be most careful and deliberate in her dealing with her true “partner” Luke. It’s great to see that the engaging Mr. Ehrenreich has bounced back professionally from the box office “drubbing” he endured after trying to fill some big “space boots” as Chewy’s co-pilot. Only a few months ago he shined as part of the big OPPENHEIMER ensemble, Ehrenreich utilizes that leading man charisma as the likable Luke who believes he can keep treading water and evading “the sharks”. We’re rooting for him even as we can almost smell Luke’s sweaty desperation as he strains to make the “big score” in order to be on the same level as his lady love. But can anyone keep their cool when they’re on the receiving end of a dead-eyed glare from the thuggish Campbell, played by the always impressive Mr. Marsan? He’s the seething barrel of venom as he appears to sniff out weakness and failure in his “fiefdom”. At his side is the cold-blooded sycophant, and “hatchet-man” Paul played with creepy passive-aggressive spite by with equal evil banality by Rich Sommer, in quite a change from his affable “Mad Men” role. Speaking of that classic series, one of his co-stars, Patrick Fischler has a tasty cameo as a self-help guru who seems to be throwing out a life preserver to the floundering Luke.


This modern cautionary fable marks the feature film debut of TV series veteran writer/director Chloe Domont. She has an excellent ear for workplace dialogue, matched by the quieter scenes after hours. Domont keeps the action and exchanges in low light, giving the film a claustrophobic and often intimate aura. This makes the greatest impact in those moments of raw passion, whether Emily and Luke are exploring each other’s bodies or verbally hammering away at their inner demons. Some viewers may feel quite queasy by the sexual content, but the intense emotions may prove the most unsettling. Fragile egos and ambition prove to be the true destroyers of this couple. This makes the story’s final act so frustrating as the lead characters go “off the rails” while these big “blow-ups” have consequences that don’t mesh with the established setting. And then it sputters with a final encounter that feels exploitive and violent (from verbal to visceral). The actors are compelling while in the political “Thunderdome” of Wall Street, but the script’s collapse will have many screaming foul play at the uneven FAIR PLAY.

2.5 Out of 4

FAIR PLAY is now playing in select theatres and is streaming exclusively on Netflix

Go Behind The Scenes Of Zack Snyder’s REBEL MOON Featurette – On Netflix December 22

REBEL MOON: (L-R) Doona Bae as Nemesis, Ray Fisher as Bloodaxe, Staz Nair as Tarak, Michiel Huisman as Gunnar, Sofia Boutella as Kora, Charlie Hunnam as Kai, E. Duffy as Milius and Djimon Hounsou as Titus in Rebel Moon. Cr. Clay Enos/Netflix © 2023

On Saturday at Netflix’s Tudum: A Global Fan in São Paulo, Brazil, a brand new video for the highly anticipated REBEL MOON was unveiled. Front and center in the new featurette are star Sofia Boutella and director Snyder himself, who says that he has been dreaming up the Rebel Moon universe for more than two decades. 

TUDUM 2023: A Global Fan Event. Cr. Helena Yoshioka / Netflix © 2023

SAO PAULO, BRAZIL – JUNE 17: The Netflix’s Tudum: A Global Fan Event 2023 at Fundação Bienal de São Paulo on June 17, 2023 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. (Photo by Alexandre Schneider/Getty Images for NETFLIX) *** Local Caption ***

From Zack Snyder, the filmmaker behind 300, Man of Steel, and Army of the Dead, comes REBEL MOON, an epic science-fantasy event decades in the making.

Netflix has released a first look video on the making of the film as well as a few scenes from the upcoming film.

https://www.netflix.com/title/81464239

Snyder released the poster for the film over on Twitter.

When a peaceful colony on the edge of a galaxy finds itself threatened by the armies of a tyrannical ruling force, Kora (Sofia Boutella), a mysterious stranger living among the villagers, becomes their best hope for survival. Tasked with finding trained fighters who will unite with her in making an impossible stand against the Mother World, Kora assembles a small band of warriors — outsiders, insurgents, peasants and orphans of war from different worlds who share a common need for redemption and revenge. As the shadow of an entire Realm bears down on the unlikeliest of moons, a battle over the fate of a galaxy is waged, and in the process, a new army of heroes is formed.

Rebel Moon hits Netflix on Dec. 22 — and Part Two will follow soon after. 

Read more on it here: https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/rebel-moon-release-date-photos

REBEL MOON: (L-R) Director/writer/producer Zack Snyder and producer Deborah Snyder on the set of Rebel Moon. Cr. Clay Enos/Netflix © 2023

REBEL MOON: Charlie Hunnam as Kai in Rebel Moon. Cr. Clay Enos/Netflix © 2023

REBEL MOON: (L-R) Sofia Boutella as Kora and Djimon Hounsou as Titus in Rebel Moon. Cr. Clay Enos/Netflix © 2023

REBEL MOON: Director/writer/producer Zack Snyder on the set of Rebel Moon. Cr. Clay Enos/Netflix © 2023

Must See: Eddie Murphy Stars In Netflix’s YOU PEOPLE This Friday And The Hilarious Interview With Jimmy Kimmel Discussing Star Trek And Planet Of The Apes Movies

You People. (L to R) Jonah Hill (Writer-Producer) as Ezra and Eddie Murphy as Akbar in You People. Cr. Tyler Adams/Netflix © 2023.

For those of us who grew up with comedian and actor Eddie Murphy, our first exposure to this gifted entertainer was on Saturday Night Live’s “Mister Robinson’s Neighborhood“.

For decades now, Murphy has always been there, whether on TV or in the movies, and continues to have loyal, diehard fans who grew up in the 80’s to his hilarious standups “Delirious” and “Raw”, as well as his pop single “Party All The Time”.

Personally, while my siblings and I were in high school, after moving cross country from Connecticut to Idaho, Murphy saved us as we listened repeatedly to the cassette of Delirious in 1984. He had us laughing and made us forget our feelings of being the “new kids” in a new town at a new school.

This was true comedy gold!

In a career that has spanned five decades, Murphy’s multi-faceted and moving performances, such as his role as singer James Thunder in “Dreamgirls,” have earned him a Golden Globe Award, SAG Award, Emmy Award, and Academy Award nomination.

His latest film premieres on Friday titled YOU PEOPLE.

A new couple learns that opposites attract but some families don’t when they find themselves confronting their parent’s clashing views of their relationship in this comedy written by Jonah Hill and Kenya Barris. You People starring Jonah Hill, Lauren London, David Duchovny, and Nia Long with Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Eddie Murphy comes to Netflix on January 27. https://www.netflix.com/title/81194505

In case you missed it on Wednesday, Murphy joined Jimmy Kimmel for a fun and light-hearted interview.

The actor talked about the recent earthquake in LA, receiving the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globes, sending texts back and forth with Tracy Morgan quoting Planet of the Apes, the reason he turned down a Star Trek movie, watching Cocoon at Sammy Davis Jr’s house, his friendship with Michael Jackson, meeting Bubbles, making a documentary about his life, getting snowed in Rick James’ house for two weeks, his new movie You People with Jonah Hill.

Recently Murphy was honored with the coveted Cecil B. deMille Award at the 80th Annual Golden Globe Awards.

Star of films such as 48 Hours, Trading Places, Beverly Hills Cop, Coming to America, The Nutty Professor, Dreamgirls, and others, Murphy accepted the honor at the 2023 Golden Globe Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023.

Murphy was most recently seen starring in the Amazon streaming hit “Coming 2 America,” the long-awaited sequel to his 1988 box-office hit, as well as portraying legendary underground comic personality Rudy Ray Moore in the Netflix biopic “Dolemite Is My Name,” a performance that garnered him Golden Globes nominations for Best Picture Comedy/Musical and Lead Actor Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.

DOLEMITE IS MY NAME!, 2019

In 2020, he received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his return to Saturday Night Live.

Murphy starred in the 1997 hit comedy The Nutty Professor in which he portrayed multiple characters and received Golden Globe and other award nominations. He also was the voice of Donkey in the Oscar-winning animated film Shrek and its sequel, Shrek 2, which is the top-grossing animated film of all time. Murphy won an Annie Award and earned BAFTA and MTV Movie Award nominations for his performance in the first Shrek, and he reprised the role of Donkey in the final installment of the hugely successful franchise, Shrek Goes Fourth. Murphy’s additional feature credits include Mulan, Dr. Dolittle, and Dr. Dolittle 2, Life, Bowfinger, Nutty Professor II: The Klumps, Daddy Day Care, Norbit, and the drama Mr. Church. Murphy’s upcoming projects include co-starring in the romantic comedy You People and producing and starring in Beverly Hills Cop 4. 

In 2015, Murphy received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor Award from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Photo: Netflix

Director Yeon Sang-ho’s JUNG_E Trailer Features The Ultimate A.I. Combat Warrior – On Netflix January 20

January 20, only on Netflix, comes JUNG_E. In this gripping sci-fi thriller, humans have escaped Earth, which has been devastated by drastic climate change. And to end the war taking place at the shelters, the brain of the legendary mercenary Yun Jung-yi is cloned by those trying to develop the ultimate A.I. combat warrior. The film is written and directed by Yeon Sang-ho.

Check out the trailer and watch on Netflix https://www.netflix.com/title/81465109

“With the brain data from Captain Yun Jung-yi, we will create the ultimate A.I. combat warrior.”

Earth has been devastated by drastic climate change, and humankind migrates to new shelters in outer space. The civil war that occurs there continues on for decades, and Yun Jung-yi (Kim Hyun-joo) becomes a legendary mercenary and military strategist with countless victories to her name. But one failed mission puts her in a vegetative state. Kronoid, a military A.I. development company, attempts to create the ultimate combat warrior by cloning her brain.

35 years later, Jung-yi’s daughter Yun Seo-hyun (Kang Soo-youn) participates in this effort as the head researcher of the JUNG_E project.

When little progress is made despite numerous cloning and simulation attempts, Kronoid abandons the research to launch another project. Seo-hyun learns of their plans and resolves to save JUNG_E.

Thus begins the A.I. combat warrior JUNG_E’s escape from the research lab…

GLASS ONION: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY – Review

As the temperatures continue to dip, and some parts of the country are neck-deep in snow, a great way to spend the day is to curl up next to the fireplace, or space heater, with a mystery. Perhaps it’s one featuring a familiar investigating sleuth. Well, if you can make it out to the multiplex, then there’s a cinematic equivalent around for just a week, Oh, and the sleuth’s only been around since 2019. That’s when a filmmaker who just survived an entry in the biggest movie franchise ever, decided to create his own modern version of those Agatha Christie “all-star whodunits” (mind you that Kenneth Branagh had just donned the “stashe” for a new series). Well, it was a hit, so he and his hero star have returned with GLASS ONION: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY. Let’s find the clues and keep track of the suspects…and victims.

Talk about being modern! It all begins right in the middle of the height of the Covid pandemic. Political candidate Claire Debella (Kathryn Hahn) gets a delivery that’s definitely not what she ordered from Amazon. It’s a large, apparently solid (no lids or hinges) wooden box sent from an old friend. Immediately she gets into an online conversation with the other old friends who were in the sender’s group. There’s Birdie Jay (Kate Hudson), a former fashion model turned high-fashioned designer along with her aide Peg (Jessica Henwick), scientist Lionel Toussant (Leslie Odom, Jr), and Duke Cody (Dave Bautista), social media agitator/ men’s rights activist, who lives with his girlfriend media/co-creator Whiskey (Madelyn Cline) at his mom’s house. They soon figure out how to open the box which contains several puzzles that reveal an invitation to the island home of their old buddy, tech mastermind billionaire Simon Bron (Edward Norton). Oh, someone else, a stranger to them also gets the box: famous detective genius Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig). It’s not long before they’re all on a dock in Greece awaiting the transport boat to Bron’s island when all of them are stunned by the arrival of another invited guest, Cassandra ‘Andi’ Brand (Janelle Monae). Why stunned? Andi had sued Simon claiming that he stole her idea for the software that made Simon so rich. The group is greeted by their host at his lush resort-like island who tells them that they will be part of a fun “murder mystery” game. Still, Simon wonders why the “pro”, Blanc, is there. Of course, he easily wins the game, but things take a dark turn when a real murder occurs. Over the course of a long night (no boats can handle the tides till morning), Blanc puts his skills to the test to find a real killer before he, or she, strikes again.

Although it is a new, very different, case most film fans will focus on the return of that Southern-fried Sherlock Blanc played with a long drawl just a bit west of Foghorn Leghorn by Craig. And he appears to be having a blast not dodging bullets as that gentleman secret agent (his biggest risk here is trying to find a place to fire up a massive cigar). It’s a treat to see Craig indulge his comic talents as he goes from genteel to annoyed and outraged. Matching his intensity is Monae, who views everyone with apprehension and refuses to be the victim, not only of murder but intellectual thievery. As that thief Norton also seems to be having fun with his usual intellectual characters, making Bron a pompous “showboat” who’s not nearly as clever as he believes. His glee is close to that of Hudson as the high-fashion dimwit who is oblivious to the world’s sensitivities. Plus she makes a good duo with Henwick’s Peg, who wants to take a more aggressive and violent response to the situation. Now Birdie’s a beacon of tolerance compared to the near-neanderthal Duke played with lunk-headed confidence by the very funny Bautista. His blustering keeps us from wondering if pools and pistols are a great mix. Yet somehow he captures the affections of Cline whose sultry Whiskey may be a more deadly weapon than his sidearms (and she’s more than “side candy”). And it’s always great to see solid supporting players like Hahn and Odom, although the politico and the grim scientist aren’t as enjoyably wacky as their cohorts.No spoilers from me, but keep your eye, and ear, peeled for lotsa’ fun cameos.

This extraordinary cast is led and perhaps inspired, by director Rian Johnson, who also penned the very witty script. Sure, it’s a pretty great whodunit, but it’s also a wonderfully satiric comedy skewing social mores and media, from the pandemic to toxic tweets, while taking well-deserved aim at the “one-percenters”. Hmmm and just days after the also clever dark comedy THE MENU, which also involves an island and foul play amongst the “well-off”. Smart minds think, not alike but on “shared wavelengths”. The “icing on the cake” for this romp are the wild costumes (Birdie’s just a burst of flesh and pastels) and the gorgeous Greek locations (now there’s a beach backdrop for Bron’s excessive tribute to his genius). If you enjoyed the first outing, then you’ll relish this bigger, bawdier new caper. My only problem was the somewhat downbeat ending. Mind you the culprit’s revealed, but the world pays a hefty price for their indulgences (can’t say more). Everybody’s having a splendid time which is quite contagious as fans will be watching with engaging grins. This is another Blanc tale in the works, but it will be tough to top the marvelous mirth of GLASS ONION: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY.

3.5 out of 4

GLASS ONION: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY opens in select theatres for one week only beginning on November 23, 2022

GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S PINOCCHIO – Review

Aside from the serious somber Oscar contenders, and a few action blockbusters, the end-of-the-year holidays see the release of many family-friendly animated fantasies. And this pre-Thanksgiving weekend delivers a new version of a familiar children’s classic. Of course, some of that familiarity may come from its having a “new take” just a few months ago. Now, this spin is a bit more “low-tech”, as the former was a mix of live-action and “motion capture” magic, this one is done with stop-motion animation (fittingly often called “puppet animation”). Plus it adheres much more closely to the somewhat “dark” nature of the book. Which is a good match with its co-director/producer. who has helmed many a sinister fantasy fable. And just to drive that point home, his name is in the title, GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S PINOCCHIO, to make sure we know this “ain’t” your Uncle Walt’s lil’ “wooden boy”.


Now it begins in a setting we somewhat recall, An affable insect, Sebastian J, Cricket (voice of Ewan McGregor) guides us into a quaint, quiet Italian village. Then he tells us of the town’s elderly widower, woodcarver Geppetto (David Bradley) who shares his shop/home with his young son Carlo. Life is sweet until the boy is killed by a bomb accidentally dropped by the many planes that fly over. Oh, so this is not set in the pre-flight 1800s, eh? Yes, it’s happening during the 1930s reign of Mussolini. Well, a distraught, boozing Geppetto decides to recreate his boy as a wooden puppet and chops down the tree where Sebastian abides. Late that night, after the carving is complete, Geppetto “sleeps it off” as the magical wood sprites merge into an enchantress (Tilda Swinton) who bestows life onto the toy. The next morning he introduces himself to his startled, scared papa. Pinocchio (Gregory Mann) is more than a “handful”, spewing endless questions and wrecking the work area. The decision to send the lad off to school causes panic among his neighbors who treat the lad as an unholy monster. But Pinocchio catches the attention of the monkey Spazzatura (Cate Blanchett), who takes him to his master, Count Volpe (Christoph Waltz). He decides to make the boy his star attraction in his failing traveling carnival show. Later, when it’s known that Pinocchio is almost immortal, he’s drafted into the army by the town government liaison, Podesta (Ron Perlman), befriends his son Candlewick (Finn Wolfhard), and even performs for “Il Duce” before rescuing his pop from a ravenous sea monster.

Well, this is loads of fun, though it has a real somber “edge” to it, so it’s perhaps not ideal for the wee ones. Knowing the title director, some sinister imagery is expected…and delivered. As I hinted earlier, death plays a big role, from Geppetto’s early loss to the title hero, who pops out of a coffin several times, much to the chagrin of some shiny black-clad bunnies who’s rather be playing poker. And that’s part of the black humor of the piece, from flying cutlery to the steady punishment of the narrator who’s flattened frequently over the last act. Perhaps most surprising is the subtle political themes, as fascism almost swallows the hero (before the sea beast gets a chance). But then this harkens back to the filmmaker’s earlier masterwork PAN’S LABYRINTH, but this time mixed with a touch of the Frankenstein mythos (another obsession for Mr. del Toro). Mind you, the storybook look is there, gloriously rendered in stop-motion much as with the Rankin/Bass TV specials and the recent work from the Laika Studios (CORALINE). Much credit is due to the talented roster of artists, spearheaded by the co-director, stop motion maestro Mark Gustafson. But it would be merely pretty images (no, it’s beautiful) without the witty, often caustic script/adaptation by del Toro, Patrick McHale, and Matthew Robbins which had me chuckling throughout. The icing on the cake might be the delightful, toe-tapping songs from composer Alexandre Desplat which are propelled by stellar vocal talents. Who knew that Waltz was such a crooner, nearly as good as McGregor? But delivering most of the songs is Mann, who never goes for the maudlin, and instead makes the title hero are real hellion, menacing his papa as he engages in a dance of destruction. I’ll admit that I was one of the few critics that didn’t eviscerate the recent Disney remake, but this is one incredibly surprising spin on the oft-told tale, Perhaps not for the entire family, but the movie present for older, and more dark-humored fantasy fans, is GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S PINOCCHIO. And I’m not gonna’ “knock on wood” when praising it.

3.5 Out of 4

GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S PINOCCHIO is now playing in select theatres

THE GOOD NURSE – Review

So for Halloween weekend, what’s an excellent setting for some creepy cinema chills? Sure, big creaky dark mansions are usually the “go-to” locale, and if they’re next to, or even attached to, a crumbling cemetery, well they fit the bill…in many flicks. But what about a public place, not the museums (as in the NIGHT series), or a shopping mall (as in the original classic DAWN OF THE DEAD)? In this fright film, the main action occurs in a hospital. And unlike the second in the series, HALLOWEEN II, the shocks are more than doubled because this new one is a true story (or the “inspired by true events” genre). Oh, but this location is dedicated to healing and helping, right? And that’s the really frightening aspect. But the whole thing is not overly exploitive thanks to the Oscar-winning duo who portray a pair of healthcare workers. Needless to say, some of those patients aren’t fortunate to be treated by the one that’s THE GOOD NURSE.

The opening “prologue’ does involve a nurse, Charlie Cullen (Eddie Redmayne), who calls for backup when one of his charges takes a turn for the worst. From there the story changes its setting location and its focus to another nurse, Amy Loughren (Jessica Chastain) who is working the long night shift, seemingly alone. Lifting and moving her patients truly exhausts her, as she almost collapses in an empty supply closet. But she makes it till dawn and returns home to relieve her sitter and see her two pre-teen daughters off to school (their daddy is out of the mix). With the girls gone, Amy heads over for a heart check-up. Her doc insists that she make time for a valve repair, but Amy is months away from getting on the hospital health plan, so she’s got to “plow through” and keep her own health issues a secret. Luckily she gets a new co-worker for the late shift, as Charlie joins the staff. The two quickly bound over their failed marriages and custody conflicts. But then several patients unexpectantly expire. A grieving spouse contacts the local police where the investigation heads to two “plainclothesmen”, Braun (Noah Emmerich) and (Nnamdi Asomugha), who had come across a similar incident previously (then they were too late for a needed autopsy). Unfortunately, the duo is hampered by the hospital’s board of directors and their public relations exec Ms. Garran (Kim Dickens). But as the death toll rises, the PDs finally get to interview the workers and get some cooperation from the puzzled Amy. But will her friendship with Charlie silence the inner voice that warns her of a most deadly conspiracy? And will she put her career and family in jeopardy to learn the truth?


The title character (not giving anything away here) is superbly portrayed by Ms. Chastain in her first dramatic role (I’m not counting the excruciating action-thriller THE 355) since taking the Oscar gold for THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE. Like that former role, she brings a great deal of empathy and emotional and physical (just charging up a flight of stairs is harrowing) vulnerability as the working-class hero. Her pressures are towering both at work and at home, as she worries about being the “bad Mom” as her eldest constantly ‘tests her”. Her Amy needs a supportive shoulder which make her “awakening” and shift into “truth-seeker mode” more powerful and another triumph for Chastain. Though not a the forefront of the narrative, Redmayne as the mysterious Charlie, underplays in order to make the “gurney-pusher” non-threatening which aids his quest to almost merge in to the hospital’s shadowy corridors. He too, zeros in on a “work buddy” to share in his struggles, through his passive-aggressive demeanor and soft-spoken asides. It’s thanks to Redmayne’s skills that Charlie has some sympathy even as he destroys families while “glomming” onto Amy’s broken home (if he’s not the father figure, at least he’s the cool uncle). Speaking of “working stiffs”, the police pair (with Amy and Charlie as the medical duo) are played with steely determination by, starting with the senior lead PD, Emmerich as Braun who projects an affable persona, but is a keen observor whose gaze can seemingly “burn” into someone’s brain. At his side is Asomugha’s fiery Baldwin, who’s not doing the “good cop/bad cop” cliche with Braun, but rather he’s the more passionate. This helps when he’s doing the research, but can backfire in a memorable scene where he loses his cool with one of the “higher-ups”, though he had shown remarkable restraint. Testing that is Dickens, a superb character actress, whose Garran wants to be seen as an aloof, unflappable businesswoman, but conspires and manipulates with an icy cold hand.

In his English-language feature film directing debut, Tobias Lindholm imbues this story with a sense of dark dread. Really, the hospital proves to be a foreboding shadow space, especially at night. I’m aware that it’s not as well lit after “visiting hours”, but it’s a wonder that the staff doesn’t carry around some pocket flashlights. Of course, this amplifies the hidden evil there and the old adage that “light is the best disinfectant” since those in charge need to keep us, the public, “in the dark”. Aside from the visuals Linfholm keeps us “off-kilter” with an undercurrent of suppressed tension at the core of nearly every scene. This even goes for the detective subplot as the partners try to “run around” and “leap over” the near-constant obstacles in their way. The soundtrack by Biosphere is equally muted, like the cinematography, and doesn’t build up to the usual thriller tropes. The many fans of streaming true crime stories will eagerly consume this but may find themselves hungry for a resolution. There are no clear-cut reasons given for the crimes, much like Simon Oakland provided in the final moments of PSYCHO. Perhaps this is to drive home the fact that horrible real-life incidents can’t be “tied up cleanly with a bright shiny bow”. It’s awful and messy, but sometimes ordinary folks can put a stop to it. But the misery goes down a touch easier thanks to the terrific acting duo who make THE GOOD NURSE very good indeed.

3 Out of 4

THE GOOD NURSE is now playing in select theatres and is streaming exclusively on Netflix