Tag: Sebastian Stan

THUNDERBOLTS* – Review

(L-R) Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), John Walker (Wyatt Russell), and Red Guardian/Alexei Shostakov (David Harbour) in Marvel Studios’ THUNDERBOLTS*. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2024 MARVEL.

May has finally arrived which means it’s time for those flowers to start popping up, after those torrential April showers. Well, that’s what most folks think of this month, but for movie fans, it heralds the start of the Summer cinema season. And as with most Mays since 2008, the first big flick out at the multiplex is from Marvel Studios. Now they did have a film open just about three months ago, but it was really an appetizer for a big sprawling “multi-hero” epic. Hold up, they’re not getting the “band back together” as in an assembling of Avengers. And the really major team, the “first family,” is still a couple of months away. So, rather than the “A team,” this is more of the “B team”, or for you baseball fans, the minor league “farm” squad. We have seen them all before, and a couple of the characters are true “scene stealers”. So, can these “second-stringers” work together as the THUNDERBOLTS*? Hang on, true believers!

The story begins with one of those “supporting players”, Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), who is finishing a mission in Malaysia, but just seems to be “going through the motions” (can a former Black Widow have an existential crisis). Afterward, back in the states, she pays a long-overdue visit to her papa Alexei (David Harbour), the former Red Guardian, who now drives a limo, but wants to be “back in the game” freelancing like Yelena. On her way out, she checks in with her employer and requests a more high-profile, “in front of the camera” gig. Her boss agrees to it after the completion of her next job. Turns out Yelena’s boss has a lot on her plate. We then go to Washington, DC, for the impeachment hearing of the CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus). Seems she’s also the “consultant” for a shadowy tech company OXE Group. A newly elected senator is also in the chamber, James “Bucky” Barnes (Sebastian Stan). After the hearing, Valentina instructs her assistant Mel (Geraldine Viswanthan) to make sure her forces converge on a defunct OXE lab site to destroy evidence of past shady experiments. And that’s where Yelena shows up, but she’s not the only one. Soon, the dusty research facility is a battle arena between her, US Agent AKA John Walker (Wyatt Russell), the first intended replacement for Captain America, the density-altering villainess Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), who last fought the ANT MAN AND THE WASP. and another former Widow, the mimic assassin Taskmaster (Oleg Kurylenko). Oh, and there’s an unknown there, too. Scrambling in the shadows is the timid, confused young man who goes by “Bob” (Lewis Pullman). Finally, the quartet realizes that they’ve been “set up” by Valentina. So just how will Bucky AKA the Winter Soldier” come into play, along with the Red Guardian? And is there more to Bob than meets the eye? Perhaps these hopeless heroes will be destroyed before they can ever join forces against a common enemy. So who could that be?

So who’s the MVP of this ragtag bunch? I’d say that it’s the always compelling Ms. Pugh as the forlorn ball of energy, Yelina. She positively crackled when paired with her sister Natasha in the BLACK WIDOW solo flick (almost ditto with Kate Bishop in the Disney+ “Hawkeye” streaming show), but that fiery twinkle in her eyes has dulled. Pugh is fierce in the action scenes and funny and heartbreaking as she confronts her losses and her “sins of the past”. She also shows her nurturing side as the protector of Bob, played with a twitchy, mysterious edge by the terrific Pullman. He keeps us anxious as Bob keeps his secrets as we wait for his truth to be revealed. The big comedic scene stealer may again be Harbour as the loud, gregarious Red Guardian, a man trying to recapture all of his former glory, but falling very short as he almost explodes out of his worn-out, dingy uniform. Louis_Dreyfus is also funny as Valentina, which is no great shock, but she surprises us with her devious deceit and manipulations, giving us a very interesting villainess. Plus, she’s the “boss from Hell” with Viswanthan as the abused aide who finally sees Val’s true colors and tries to thwart her schemes. Many fans will be surprised that Stan’s Bucky isn’t really at the forefront of the story, as he uses his spy skills in DC and eventually gets back into super-warrior mode. More interesting is Russell as the bitter, arrogant, and abrasive US Agent, a man who thinks that leadership is a prize due to him alone. Luckily, John-Kamen is there to put him back on his heels with her scathing retorts and withering gaze.

Prestige TV director Jake Scheier (who also helmed the features PAPER TOWN and ROBOT & FRANK) keeps the multi-character adventure moving at a fairly brisk pace. He manages to balance the big action sequences with intimate emotional exchanges, bringing great depth to these “sideline supers”. Yes, we get the usual MCU carnage on the city streets, but the biggest battles are fought inside the minds of the core teammates. Childhood traumas are built up into a desperate showdown for NYC in the film’s surprisingly dramatic and sometimes touching tender finale. And just to set our heads spinning, screenwriters Eric Pearson and Joanna Caio stun us with some big “turnarounds” sprinkled with lots of keen media satires (love the end credit headline montage prior to the usual bonus scenes, which are pretty big). And it’s all enhanced by the music score from the band Son Lux. This wrap-up of MCU’s “Phase Five” is a tightly-woven dramedy that satisfies while getting us invested in the franchise’s future. It’s a super team tale that doesn’t match the scope of AVENGERS: ENDGAME, but provides an involving look at the psyche of these “upstarts”. And the superb cast led by Pugh and Pullman really brings an electric charge to these THUNDERBOLTS*. Nuff’ said (till July)!

3 out of 4

THUNDERBOLTS* is now playing in theatres everywhere

THUNDERBOLTS*. © 2024 MARVEL.

Check Out The Awesome New Trailer For THUNDERBOLTS*

In 1969 the master of the American western, Sam Peckinpah, directed a stellar cast in THE WILD BUNCH, a controversial film that breathed new life into the genre and broke ground in the realistic portrayal of screen violence. Receiving two Academy Award nominations, this bitter, brutal story of magnificent losers in a dying West remains one of the screen’s all-time classics. An explosive adventure drama about the last of the legendary lawless breed who lived to kill – and killed to live. The cast included William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Ryan, Edmond O’Brien. Warren Oates and Ben Johnson.

Now comes a bunch of a different kind. the THUNDERBOLTS* – an unconventional team of antiheroes – Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, Red Guardian, Ghost, Taskmaster and John Walker. The cast features Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, Olga Kurylenko, Hannah John-Kamen and Julia Louis-Dreyfus and also includes newcomers to the MCU – Lewis Pullman (The Sentry/Robert Reynolds), Geraldine Viswanathan, Chris Bauer and Wendell Edward Pierce.

On Superbowl Sunday, Marvel Studios released a new trailer and poster for the upcoming feature film THUNDERBOLTS*. After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap set by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, these disillusioned castoffs must embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts. Will this dysfunctional group tear themselves apart, or find redemption and unite as something much more before it’s too late?

Watch the fun new trailer.

Wow – this is such a good trailer and kudos to whoever cut it together! We’re all excited for THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS movie, but Marvel needs a fun action packed movie to start of the summer. Fans have missed this from a Marvel movie as of late, and this gang has such good one-liners and great chemistry. Plus the trailer gave us a look at The Sentry – one of the most powerful villains in Marvel Comics – who could crush the team. In the comics he’s shown with the power to rip planets in half so the trailer’s emphasis on how the members of the Thunderbolts are not Heroes, not Super, not giving up, makes me want to see even more how all of this will play out.

In THE SENTRY/FANTASTIC FOUR 1 (2001) #1, Bob Reynolds has always been the best friend of Reed Richards. As the Sentry he stood by Mr. Fantastic against Dr. Doom and traveled with him into the Negative Zone. And Reed was the best man at Bob’s wedding! So if the Sentry remembers these monumental moments…why doesn’t anyone else?

Will there be a connection to the Fantastic Four and Earth 616? And how will The Void play into the next phase of the MCU?

The studio also announced the exciting news that Son Lux will be scoring THUNDERBOLTS*. The three-member, American experimental band was Oscar and BAFTA-nominated for their score for 2022’s best picture “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”

Jake Schreier directs THUNDERBOLTS* with Kevin Feige producing. Louis D’Esposito, Brian Chapek and Jason Tamez serve as executive producers.

Marvel Studios’ THUNDERBOLTS* opens in U.S. theaters on May 2, 2025. 

L-R): Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian (David Harbour), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), John Walker (Wyatt Russell) and Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) in Marvel Studios’ THUNDERBOLTS*. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2025 MARVEL.

THE APPRENTICE – Review

Jeremy Strong, left, as Roy Cohn and Sebastian Stan as Donald J. Trump in THE APPRENTICE. Briarcliff Entertainment

It is not the old TV show but Donald Trump’s “apprenticeship” under his attorney and mentor Roy Cohn, the corrupt lawyer whose ruthless approach to the law did so much to make the young Trump who he became. Starring Sebastian Stan as Donald Trump and Jeremy Strong as Roy Cohn in powerhouse performances, THE APPRENTICE is a making-of-the-man drama that starts out with a darkly comic bent but then shifts subtly to a more serious one as the relationship between mentor and apprentice shifts.

While the filmmakers are clearly not pro-Trump, the tone of THE APPRENTICE has a surprisingly neutral tone towards the people in the film, treating them as just people and letting events unfold without commentary. It even seems a bit sympathetic towards the young, almost naive Donald Trump as he encounters the legal pit bull that is Roy Cohn, someone often described as evil, then at the top of his powers as a New York fixer. But even Cohn is treated as a human being, just one with a very different view of ethics.

Early on, attorney Roy Cohn teaches his young apprentice his three rules, the ones he follows in his legal business. Number one: Attack, attack, attack, in every case. Two: Deny, deny, deny, no matter what the facts. And three: No matter what the outcome, always declare victory. Roy Cohn built that ruthless reputation in the Cold War “Red Scare.” Roy Cohn first made a name for himself as a relentless commie hunter for his role in prosecuting the Rosenbergs, and pressing for Ethel’s execution despite her being the mother of young children. He continued the hunt for suspected communists with a young Richard Nixon, and then Sen. Joe McCarthy. When McCarthy’s unethical methods fell out of favor, Cohn moved on to became a powerful “fixer” for corporate interests.

When the two first meet, Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong of “Sucession”) is at his height as a powerful, crooked New York lawyer who was a mover-and-shaker in New York City, while young Donald Trump (Sebastian Stan) is a small-time real estate businessman with bigger ambitions. Young Trump and his father Fred are facing federal charges for racial discrimination in renting apartments when the young Donald caught Cohn’s eye at a posh restaurant frequented by the notable and notorious, inviting the tall, blonde young businessman to join him and his party for dinner in a private room.

The meeting was an eye-opener for Donald, and he immediately sought out Cohn, despite his real estate dealer father Fred’s opposition to Cohn as a crooked lawyer. Young Trump chased Roy Cohn until the attorney reluctantly took the Trumps’ case, which he got dismissed through a combination of delaying tactics and a little blackmail, using Cohn’s extensive of “dirt” he continually collected on any and all public figures. Trump is hooked, although at first, young Trump is a bit shocked and taken aback by Cohn’s lack of ethics.

Sebastian Stan is having a heck of a year, starring in this film as well as the thought-provoking A DIFFERENT MAN, but it is “Succession’s” Jeremy Strong who steals this show. His Roy Cohn is perfectly sleazy but also hypnotic. Strong takes his Cohn from scary beyond words at the start but with a sharp intelligence and magnetic personality, to a sadder, eventually even pitiful as the power shifts and Cohn’s health declines, as he suffers from AIDS, which he always denied having, even suing anyone who said he was gay.

Roy Cohn makes a deal with Trump to aid each other and be friends, rather than having a paid attorney-client relationship, clearly seeing a useful potential in the tall, blonde, handsome young man to gain entry to spheres of power less open to the short, less attractive, closeted-gay lawyer.

Roy Cohn imparts to his apprentice his three rules – always attack when confronted with an adversary or obstacle, always deny no matter what the facts, and always declare yourself the winner not matter the outcome. Cohn follows this rule in his legal work but not her personal life, but his apprentice takes a different path. In the first part of the film, the mentor is in charge but tables turn in the latter part.

At first, Trump is Cohn’s faithful accollite, and Cohn even becomes like a second father to him, a more supportive one than his own criticizing father. The film delves into the Trumps’ family dynamics, including his father Fred’s harsh treatment of Donald’s older brother, Fred Jr. It also shows us Trump meeting and wooing Ivana (an excellent Maria Bakalova), following their romance and marriage, and it’s final souring, including a controversial rape scene.

The film keeps us grounded in historical events by giving us markers with little news video snippets, starting with Nixon and his “I am not a crook” speech, then Reagan footage and references.

Scriptwriter Gabriel Sherman and director Ali Abbasi strike a perfect neutral tone that lets the actors work their characters and events unfold without commentary, making the film more powerful.

This is an impressive film, one that treats the people in this historical drama as human, and even sympathetic at times, while being clear-eyed about the facts. That is no small feat, and boosted by riveting performances, especially by Jeremy Strong, this is a must-see for anyone to understand the man running for president, Donald Trump.

THE APPRENTICE opens Friday, Oct. 11, in theaters.

RATING: 4 out of 4 stars

A DIFFERENT MAN – Review

Sebastian Stan in A DIFFERENT MAN. Credit: By Matt Infante. Courtesy of A24.

Sebastian Stan plays Edward, an aspiring actor with a medical condition that causes facial disfigurement, whose life is dramatically transformed by a new medical treatment. With a new face and a new life, Edward now has a dream life, but his dream changes to nightmare when he finds himself now shut out of the role he was born to play. In writer/director Aaron Shimberg’s darkly comic horror thriller A DIFFERENT MAN, Sebastian Stan gives an impressive performance in a tale that centers on identity, and the contrast between outward appearance and the inner person, in this very clever, original, horror film-tinged and darkly funny film.

Edward (Stan) struggles to find acting work, and suffers from loneliness and isolation in his cramped city apartment. When a pretty playwright, Ingrid (Renate Reinsve), moves into the neighboring apartment and even befriends him, a ray of hope enters his life. Edward is falling for her but crushing insecurity about his looks prevents him from doing anything about it, even when the playwright talks about writing a play specifically for him. Meanwhile, Edward’s doctor tells him about a new experimental medical treatment for his condition, and the actor seizes the chance and enrolls as a test subject.

Treatment transforms his face and his life. Edward looks like a different man, not just “normal” but handsome (this is Sebastian Stan, after all). Strangers greet him warmly, people flock to him, and women fall into his arms. Adopting a new name and concealing his past identity, his future look bright and unlimited. Sudden his fortunes rise, socially and financially, but in changing his identity, he lost track of his pretty neighbor.

But all this dream-come-true comes with an ironic twist, when the actor comes across a play that seems made for him, or who he was in his old life. With any role now available to him as an actor, Edward becomes obsessed by a role that would have been perfect for him with his old face, even though he would now need to wear a mask to play the part. He becomes particularly unsettled when a different man, Oswald (Adam Pearson), who also has a similar facial condition, appears on the scene.

To outward appearances, Sebastian Stan’s character is changed into a different man on the outside but inside he is still who he was. The new guy, Adam Pearson’s Oswald, is a different man inside and out – outgoing, confident, talkative and displaying a range of talents and skills. Plus he’s just fun to be around.

The dark humor is drives this tale but underneath is a challenging topic to tackle in a movie, how people are judged by their outward appearance. This is particularly so, since movies are a medium where appearance dominates so much. However, writer/director Shimberg tackles it well, and brings some personal credentials to making a movie on such a difficult subject, having been born with a cleft lip. Early on, Shimberg reminds us about the bias people have for the more attractive, something well established in research studies, and then goes on to use his film to highlight how people are commonly, rightly or wrongly, by judged by surface appearance, while slyly underlining the differences between the outer form and inner person, through this cleverly funny dark tale.

A DIFFERENT MAN starts out like a drama but there are plentiful horror film references lurking around and the film develops and edgy tension. But then it takes an unexpected turn, slowly morphing into dark, satiric, absurd comedy. Edward’s life is changed repeatedly, first by a ray of hope in the form of a pretty playwright who moves into the next apartment and befriends him, then by his medical miracle that transforms his outward appearance and how he is perceived, and then by the arrival of a different man who looks something like how Edward used to look, who steps into the part that the actor feels born to play but now must wear a mask to play it.

Things get even crazier as Shimberg’s film unfolds. Sebastian Stan does an impressive job with this character who goes through so many changes, in his looks and in his life. Adam Pearson is charming and charismatic throughout as Oswald, which makes Stan’s character’s rage at him all the funnier. Their scenes together are wonderful, and the same can be said for scenes with Stan and Renate Reinsve as Ingrid, whose own flightiness, selective memory, and penchant to pick up and drop romantic partners quickly and with little feeling, adds to the boiling pot. There is plenty of laugh-out-loud moments but Shimberg makes razor-sharp points underneath it all.

A DIFFERENT MAN is an impressive film, sincere and deep but filled with snappy, smart dialog, original, fearless storytelling and fine performances, although it’s quirkiness and dark commentary might not appeal to all. Some might quibble about the pacing, which is a bit slow at times, but really, this is such an original and effective film, that it hardly seems to matter.

If you have a taste for dark humor, an appreciation of original filmmaking and of fine acting, A DIFFERENT MAN is a different film that should not be missed.

A DIFFERENT MAN opens Oct. 4, 2024 in theaters.

RATING: 3.5 out of 4 stars

Check Out The Unlikely Band of Misfits In New THUNDERBOLTS* Poster And Trailer

THUNDERBOLTS*. © 2024 MARVEL.

Today, the teaser trailer and poster for the upcoming feature film,  “Thunderbolts*” debuted.  Marvel Studios and a crew of indie veterans who sold out present “Thunderbolts*,”an irreverent team-up featuring depressed assassin Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) alongside the MCU’s least anticipated band of misfits.

The film also returns to the screen Marvel Cinematic Universe characters Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Red Guardian (David Harbour), John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) and Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), in addition to some exciting new faces.

Jake Schreier directs “Thunderbolts*”with Kevin Feige producing. Louis D’Esposito, Brian Chapek, Jason Tamez and Scarlett Johansson serve as executive producers.

Marvel Studios’ “Thunderbolts*” opens in U.S. theaters on May 2, 2025.

(L-R): Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian (David Harbour), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), and John Walker (Wyatt Russell) in Marvel Studios’ THUNDERBOLTS*. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2024 MARVEL.

DUMB MONEY – Review

Nick Offerman and Seth Rogan star in DUMB MONEY.

‘Dumb money” is what hedge fund managers call ordinary people investing in the stock market, as in “the smart money is on…” DUMB MONEY is highly entertaining movie based on a real thing, when those little guys turned the tables on the big investors and kept a little company called GameStop afloat – which burned some hedge fund guys who had “shorted” the stock, essentially betting it would fail.

You probably heard this story, since it was all over the news because it was so crazy, about stock in GameStop, the mall stores that sell video games, suddenly becoming hot and soaring high, to the moon, even.

Wealthy hedge fund managers calling individual “retail” investors the “dumb money” is mean but it is also kind of true. Due to their vast resources, hedge fund mangers have an enormous advantage over any small investors, so the little guy doesn’t stand a chance.

But just this one time, the giant didn’t win over the little guy.

DUMB MONEY is such great fun because it is such a classic David versus Goliath underdog story (which Americans have historically loved) and because it is a true story, with arrogant, greedy rich guys as the villains. Director Craig Gillespie, who also directed I, TONYA, also strikes a perfect balance between comedy and human drama in this feel-good story in DUMB MONEY. On top of that, it fills the parts with the perfect cast. Done and done.

But beware: don’t try this at home. This was a special time and this turn of the worm took Wall Street by surprise. Now that they’ve seen it, Wall Street won’t be fooled again this way. You can’t catch this financial lightning in a bottle a second time.

The film is the perfect mix of humor and serious, and is filled with a cast perfectly suited to their parts. That spot-on casting starts with Paul Dano as Keith Gill, a nerdy young guy with a wife (Shailene Woodley), a baby, and a low-level job at Mass Mutual, who under the name Raging Kitty, hosts a YouTube blog on investing in the stock market from his basement.

When Keith Gill graduated from college with a finance degree, it was just in time for the Wall Street meltdown and the Great Recession, so he started doing dabbling in the stock market as a way to make a little cash – a gig job. His Raging Kitty blog has followers for his talks on his investment strategy, but things take a big turn up when he decides to talk about his recent decision to buy stock in GameStop. The big money guys are “shorting” it – meaning they are essentially betting that is will go under – but Raging Kitty thinks it is undervalued and, basically, he “likes the stock.”

Surprisingly, others do too, and start buying GameStop stock. Maybe it is because there is something mean-spirited in betting a company will fail, or because of resentment towards the one-percent fat cats that Raging Kitty thinks got GameStop wrong, and maybe even because of a fondness for a familiar brand where they bought games as kids. Whatever, the reason, when others start buying GameStop, the stock that was declining starts going up.

Millionaire hedge fund owner Gabe Plotkin (Seth Rogen) responds to the little-guy investor interest by scoffing – and doubling down on his investments. Plotkin is spending the lock-down in luxurious comfort in Florida, while staying in touch with billionaires Ken Griffin (Nick Offerman) and Steve Cohen (Vincent D’Onofrio). “Dumb money” they all say, their term for small investors who lack their resources, a play on “the smart money is on…” They are the “smart money” and they know dumb money never wins. Ever.

But something unexpected happens, as you may recall from news reports. Raging Kitty and the GameStop stock become a meme, and suddenly things take off. Really take off – “to the moon,” as the people on Reddit say. A new app that makes small investments easy, run by start-up millionaires Vlad Tenev (Sebastian Stan) and Baiju Bhatt (Rushi Kota), helps make the boom happen. And then it becomes a national news story, and the tale of the “little investors that could” versus the big fat cats who couldn’t believe it could happen, is off and running.

This makes for one fun and funny movie, with something meaningful and satisfying to say about our current state of our have-and-have-not economy. Among the “retail investors,” as the ordinary people are called, are a nurse played by America Ferrera, a single mom struggling as an overworked, underpaid “essential worker.” There are also a couple of college students, (Talia Ryder and Myha’la), who already have piles of student loan debt waiting for them, and a guy who actually works at GameStop (Anthony Ramos), which has been allowed to stay open during lock-down by claiming to be an “essential” business because it also sells computer supplies.

Not everyone is on board with Raging Kitty’s investment plan, including his snarky younger brother Kevin (Pete Davidson), who is working delivery for Door Dash. The same for the nurse’s co-worker (Larry Owens) and the GameStop clerk’s store manager (Dane DeHaan)

One of the best things this film does is list every character’s net worth along with their name, just to underline their socioeconomic standing. There are actually three tiers: ordinary working folks, millionaires, and billionaires, each as far apart as the other in many ways.

Every one of those parts are so perfectly cast, that the mix of humor and human drama just rolls out effortlessly. Paul Dano is a standout as a shy, smart nerdy guy who is both defiant and aware he is in over his head, while the scenes with him and Shailene Woodley as his supportive wife are both funny, believable and warm. Dano’s scenes with Pete Davidson as obnoxious brother Kevin are brilliantly funny and one of Davidson’s best. The outgoing, unfiltered brother are as the two very different brothers interact, with Davidson’s loud, unfiltered Kevin relentlessly teases Dano’s shyer “nerdy” brother, who fights back by pointing out that at least he’s not living in their parents basement. Their scenes, and those with the whole family, are both hilarious and completely believable. Much the same – funny and believable – can be said of the other investors and their social circles.

In a brilliant bit of casting against type, Seth Rogen is also a standout, on the other side of the investing equation. Living in luxury that puts the pandemic as a distant event, Rogen’ Gabe Plotkin is laughing and mean-spirited, mocking the retail investors while buying a seaside home in Florida or meeting even bigger rich guy Nick Offerman at the tennis resort where the billionaire moved his business headquarters during the pandemic. The millionaire and the billionaire socialize and seem at ease at the start, but as the impossible tale unfolds, there Seth Rogen’s Gage shows a growing fear of both sides, the army of little investors nibbling his profits on one and the big money shark circling on the other.

It’s clever and entertaining but it really doesn’t pile on a lot of financial detail. This is no THE BIG SHORT, the brilliantly biting, brainy docudrama about the sub-prime mortgage meltdown and Wall Street shenanigans that led to the Great Recession. This movie, this story, is really more about people, and that human focus makes it completely accessible to those who go cross-eyed at numbers.

However, be warned: This is not investing advice, as fun as this film is to watch. You won’t be able to do this yourself now because this crazy fun ride happened because of special set of circumstances during the pandemic and because Wall Street was so convinced it couldn’t happen. Now they know it can and Wall Street has closed off those chinks in its armor. One clue that this might not be a good investment strategy is in the film’s credits: the Winklevoss twins are listed as producers. You remember them, the rich and privileged brother in THE SOCIAL NETWORK? So don’t get giddy and get fooled. Just have fun watching this satiric wild ride, but remember nothing on Wall Street was really changed by what happened.

While it didn’t really change Wall Street, several unique factors came together to make this miracle happen, include the pandemic with a huge number of people online and isolated at home with little else to do, the rise of memes and Reddit, and an app that made it easy. Pair those with with the hedge fund managers’ arrogant “it can’t happen” assumptions of the big “smart money” guys – who weren’t so smart this time.

There is nothing as satisfying as seeing jerks get their just desserts. With sharp dialog, perfect casting and a terrific story told with humor and heart, DUMB MONEY is a crowd-pleasing winner with something to say about economic fairness.

DUMB MONEY opens Friday, Sept 22, in theaters.

RATING: 3.5 out of 4 stars

Win Passes To The St. Louis Advance Screening Of DUMB MONEY

DUMB MONEY is the ultimate David vs. Goliath tale, based on the insane true story of everyday people who flipped the script on Wall Street and got rich by turning GameStop (yes, the mall videogame store) into the world’s hottest company. In the middle of everything is regular guy Keith Gill (Paul Dano), who starts it all by sinking his life savings into the stock and posting about it. When his social posts start blowing up, so does his life and the lives of everyone following him. As a stock tip becomes a movement, everyone gets rich – until the billionaires fight back, and both sides find their worlds turned upside down.

DUMB MONEY also stars Pete Davidson, Vincent D’Onofrio, America Ferrera, Nick Offerman, Anthony Ramos, Sebastian Stan, Shailene Woodley and Seth Rogen. Directed by Craig Gillespie, written by Lauren Schuker Blum & Rebecca Angelo, based on the book “The Antisocial Network” by Ben Mezrich.

Rebecca Angelo, Writer/Executive producer, Lauren Schuker Blum, Writer/Executive producer, Teddy Schwarzman, Producer, Aaron Ryder, Producer, and Craig Gillespie, Director, attend the gala screening of DUMB MONEY at the Toronto International Film Festival. 

In their review, The Hollywood Reporter says: the film receiving its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival proves entertaining enough, thanks to its canny screenplay relating the story as a Frank Capra-style battle between the little people and the rich bigwigs hoisted by their own petards, and the fun performances by a terrific ensemble.

https://www.dumbmoney.movie/

DUMB MONEY opens in St. Louis September 29th.

Advance Screening is on Tuesday, September 12th at 7pm at Marcus Ronnies Cine.

Note: We suggest a 5:30PM – 6PM arrival to secure seats.

Seats will not be guaranteed.

Enter at the link below.

https://events.sonypictures.com/screenings/unsecured/main/screeningInfo.jsf?code=WAMGDM

SHARPER – Review

With this film’s release so close to the big “hearts and flowers” holiday, you might think that it’s a modern twist on the old romantic stories of boy meets girl. And you’d be mistaken, except for the “twist” angle. Yes, it does begin with a “meet cute”, but soon the filmmakers take us down a road of deception and devious designs, full of, yes, twists and turns. Now it’s not another thriller built on that cybercrime of “catfishing” as in the very recent MISSING. This tale owes much more to the previous “con capers” like THE STING, BODY HEAT, and, naturally THE GRIFTERS. Ah, but these “players” are aiming for much larger stakes as they go after their NYC high-society “marks”. That’s why they have to aspire to be SHARPER.

Oh, as I mentioned this story takes place in Manhattan and opens on a quaint dusty used book store in one of the quiet upscale neighborhoods. And the literary theme is used with the film being divided into four chapters, each title after a character in this quadrangle. The first is the owner/manager of the shop, a quiet twenty-something named Tom (Justice Smith). His dull afternoon next to the register is ended by the arrival of a lovely college student named Sandra (Briana Middleton). Their conversation leads to his clumsy invitation to dinner and leads to a whirlwind romance that ends in tragedy and heartbreak. In the next chapter named for her, we look into Sandra’s past and her life-changing encounter with the enigmatic “groomer” named Max (Sebastian Stan). This leads to his chapter that gives us an insight into his complex relationship with his social-climbing mother Madeline (Julianne Moore), who has become the fiancee of a Fifth Avenue financial tycoon named Richard Hobbes (John Lithgow). With her chapter, the dots are “connected”, the story comes “full circle”, and the quartet wrestles for control and makes a grab for the “big brass ring”.


With this type of film, it’s tough to get into the actor’s performances without revealing too much of their characters’ secrets (the whole plot peels back the layers). However, I can attest that the talented, always interesting Ms. Moore adds another complex role to her impressive screen resume. Madeline is more than the tortured matriarch as she tries to correct her past while forging ahead toward a lush future. That past, embodied by Stan’s Max, is dark and full of potential danger as Stan projects an air of edgy laid-back cool aloofness punctuated by a snarling intensity. At the opposite end is Smith as the quiet, reflective Tom who’s been beaten down by life but sees this new love as a chance to start over on the road to happiness. As his shining beacon, Middleton dazzles as Sandra whose own dark past threatens to doom this new love as she tries to bury those demons. In a smaller supporting role, Lithgow projects the proper gravitas as the man of “old money” who knows that some “class -climbers’ see a golden target on his back.

The tale’s many curves and turns are expertly guided by director Benjamin Caron in his feature film directing debut. He confidently keeps the drastic time shifts on track in the taut screenplay from Brian Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka, which keeps us guessing and baffled till the final fade out (and at just under two hours). The Big Apple locations are superb, from the plush million-dollar-plus “cribs” to the cluttered Queen apartments and the neighborhood “dive bars”. And they’re lit with the story’s emotional shifts in mind. This is the cinematic equivalent to a good “page-turner”, something to devour on a rainy afternoon. As far as most dramatic thrillers go, I’d say that this is much, much SHARPER.

3.5 Out of 4

SHARPER opens at the Alamo Drafthouse in St. Louis and streams exclusively on AppleTV+ beginning on Friday, February 17, 2023

THE 355 – Review

(from left) Graciela (Penélope Cruz), Mason “Mace” (Jessica Chastain), Khadijah (Lupita Nyong’o) and Marie (Diane Kruger) in The 355, co-written and directed by Simon Kinberg.

So who’s ready to start 2022 with a bang? Or rather several bangs, lotsa’ chases, mixed-martial arts “throw-downs”, and more than a few teeth-rattling explosions? Well, this action extravaganza may be just the ticket, at least that’s what the studios and multiplexes are hoping for. Perhaps this’ll be the “franchise-starter” that will make up for the recent “franchise-enders” like the sputtering Matrix and Kingsmen, though the ‘web-spinner will keep swinging past more box office records. Oh, I neglected to mention that this flick’s action stars are all women. No, it’s not another reboot of CHARLIE”S ANGELS or a follow-up to OCEAN’S EIGHT. Yes see, they’re not private-eyes or con-artists. These ladies are secret agents who form an elite “rogue squad” known as THE 355.

This globetrotting adventure begins in the palatial estate of a drug kingpin in Colombia. Ah, it seems that he’s wanting to “diversify” as he sets up a “buy” with an arms supplier to international terrorists. So, what’s the weapon being offered up? A” mega-bomb” or a laser cannon, perhaps? Nope, for want of a better name, let’s call it the “Destructo-Driver Device”, an item the size of a cell phone that can hook into the internet and shut down cities, blow-up planes, and cripple national economies. Luckily some soldiers intervene before the “hand-off”, with one man, Luis (Edgar Ramirez), scooping the DDD up for himself. A bit later, the CIA learns of the DDD and brokers a “sale”. The “exchange” will be the next “super-secret” mission for top agents, and old pals, Mace (Jessica Chastain) and Nick (Sebastian Stan). Unfortunately, a rival German agent, Marie (Diane Kruger) botches the deal at a cafe in Paris. A jittery Luis brings in some “back-up” from his homeland which includes DNI agent/psychologist Graciela (Penelope Cruz). As Mace tries to “regroup” in the wake of a tragedy, she enlists an old friend and colleague, MI-6 computer whiz Khadija (Lupita Nyoong’o). When the DDD is grabbed during a “retrieval” of Luis, an uneasy alliance is formed. The female quartet track down the DDD to Morocco to stop that original arms dealer from finally acquiring it. But the women soon discover that they are trapped in a power plot with double and triple-crossers who will eliminate them and their loved ones with no hesitation in order to seize the “prize”.

Talk about your diverse, “planet-scanning” cast! Heading up this “multi-country” crew is the talented Chastain, who displays her considerable leadership skills and physical prowess. She’s confident in the big action “set pieces”, never just doing spy “cosplay”, giving her dialogue the same gravitas as any of her many somber dramatic roles. Mace is a pro, but we see the painful toll being collected with every groan and shudder. Kruger makes a formidable counterpart, and often reluctant cohort. This “hyper-focused” loner is the story’s “wild card”. Marie often pounces like a just uncaged beast, as Kruger’s wild-eyed glare tells all to “back off”.The inverse may be Nyong’o’s “Khad” who is almost a sister to Mace, sharing a warm bond and a dangerous past. But Nyong’o gives her a hesitancy and frustration at having to get “back in the game” again. She insists it is the “last round”, but her tired eyes tell us that she’s not optimistic. But still, Khad’s a calming influence on “Grizzy” the “office civilian” suddenly thrust into combat. Cruz conveys her confused panic as the bullets whiz past while she attempts to crawl inside her purse (perhaps burying her head in the sand). By the tale’s midpoint, she’s taking more of a stand, but Grizzy finally agrees to join the fight in order to protect her family. Oh, around that time the foursome adds a member with the cool, sinewy Bingbing Fan as Lin, the mysterious, enigmatic Chinese agent Lin. As for the “token males”, Stan balances charm and ferocity as the energetic Nick, another old pal of Mace, though he wants much more than shared missions with her. And Ramirez brings great intensity to the somewhat small role of Luis, the main catalyst for the whole race against the clock.

Surprisingly this thriller’s not based on an existing property, as it seems to fit with many similar comic book flicks. Perhaps it’s due to its director, Simon Kinberg, who has scripted many of those “tentpoles” and directed the most dismal entry of a big comics series, X-MEN; DARK PHOENIX. Plus he also produced this and co-wrote it with Theresa Rebeck and Bek Smith, which is the start of this new original flick’s many problems. While striving to be different with its unique casting, the screenplay somehow uses so many tired “undercover agent” cliches that I was literally calling out the twists and even bit of dialogue with great frequency. This might have been “fresh” and “edgy” 30 years ago, but ATOMIC BLONDE and last year’s BLACK WIDOW really shook up the genre while truly making us care about the ladies behind the lethal kicks and quips. Each “operative” is reduced to a tired trope that regurgitates the same spiel too often. Khad is, as Pete’s pal Ned calls himself, “the guy (or lady) in the chair “pounding a keyboard until the “we’re in” scene ender. But it’s not as tiresome as Grizzy’s mantra of “I must get back to my babies!” while trying to push away an offered weapon. There are so many things “wrong” that we must wonder if the script was rushed through. Is a phone call being traced, today (“keep her on the line”)? Then there’s the scene in Morocco with everyone but Mace in headscarves. And what’s her attire? It looks to be one of Victor Lazlo’s suits (with massive fedora) from CASABLANCA. And though the film wants to show how the women are as tough as their male counterparts, they still have to go “in disguise” at a swanky party, sporting tight, cleavage-baring gowns (of no use in combat). Yes, a group of actresses can headline a big loud bombastic popcorn flick. And it can be just as tiring and devoid of wit or logic as the fellas. Oh, they and we deserve much much better. The talented quintet will be back for better films, but this is hopefully the last mission for THE 355.

1/2 Out of 4

THE 355 is now playing in theatres everywhere

“The Falcon and The Winter Soldier” Debuts Friday On Disney Plus – Watch The New Trailer

In a few days the wait is finally over.

Marvel Studios’ “The Falcon and The Winter Soldier” debuts a new trailer today, ramping up the excitement for Friday’s debut of the new original series on Disney+.  “The Falcon and The Winter Soldier” six episodes explore the relationship between MCU favorites Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes—two strong-willed individuals who don’t always see eye to eye. Thrown into an unexpected mission that may hit too close to home, the pair find themselves in a world of intriguing characters where it’s hard to differentiate the good guys from the bad.

All eyes are on the shield, as Sam Wilson aka The Falcon, and Bucky Barnes aka The Winter Soldier decide to team up—or rather, work together—when a new global threat launches them into an unexpected mission that may hit too close to home.

The six-episode series star Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Emily VanCamp and Daniel Brühl. The series also features Erin Kellyman, Georges St. Pierre, Amy Aquino, Adepero Oduye and Danny Ramirez.

The show is directed by Kari Skogland with Malcolm Spellman as head writer. Skogland was pilot, multiple episode director and an executive producer of Showtime’s Golden Globe Nominated limited series “The Loudest Voice” starring Russell Crowe as Roger Ailes who won the Golden Globes for his work. She won several awards for her work as director on the hit series “The Handmaid’s Tale” and is recognized for the pilot episodes of AMC’s “NOS4A2” starring Zachary Quinto, and the pilot of Starz’s “The Rook.”

With a score by Henry Jackman (“The Comey Rule,” “Captain America: Civil War”), “The Falcon and The Winter Soldier” debuts on Disney+ March 19, 2021.