Monday, July 1, 2024

GOD IS A BULLET - Starz

What we like:

• A new Cassavetes! Okay…so it’s a new Nick Cassavetes. But he directed The Notebook!

• Always rooting for these co-stars: Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Maika Monroe, Jamie Foxx.

What we don’t like:

• We can’t think of a single reason this movie needs to be 156 minutes long (which it is).

MEMORY - Paramount+ w/Showtime

What we like:

• Jessica Chastain and Peter Sarsgaard in capitol-A acting mode. Sarsgaard even won the Volpi Cut Best Actor prize at last year’s Venice Film Festival.

• One of our favorites, Merritt Weaver, has a supporting role.

What we don’t like:

• Sarsgaard’s Venice acting prize didn’t translate to much Oscar attention.

SNACK SHACK - MGM+

What we like:

• This under-the-radar comedy is one of 2024’s most overlooked gems. It may not reach the comedic heights of something like Bottoms, but it’s well worth checking out.

• The movie was supported by a $200,000 grant from the Nebraska state government and filming occurred entirely within the state. Not everything has to be shot in Georgia!

What we don’t like:

• The movie was too under-the-radar. Co-lead Connor Sherry even took to the streets to try to drum up promotion for the film:

Tuesday, July 2, 2024

FIREBRAND - $14.99 Sale / TBD Rental

What we like:

• Brazilian director Karim Aïnouz’s take on Katherine Parr, Queen of England and the wife and widow of Henry VIII.

• Great to see Alicia Vikander back in a leading role.

What we don’t like:

• The critical consensus on this one is not great.

KIDNAPPED: THE ABDUCTION OF EDGARDO MORTARA - $14.99 Sale / TBD Rental

What we like:

• Marco Bellocchio’s riveting drama was nominated for 11 Italian Oscars (called David di Donatellos) and won 5, including Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Sets and Decorations, and Best Costumes.

• It was selected to compete for the Palme d’Or at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, though it didn’t end up winning any prizes.

What we don’t like:

• The film tells the story of Edgardo Mortara, a young Jewish boy who was taken from his family by the Papal States and raised as a Catholic. Gotta say...the poster makes it look effectively disturbing!

Wednesday, July 3, 2024

BEVERLY HILLS COP: AXEL F - Netflix

What we like:

• We have a soft spot for Axel Foley and the Beverly Hills Cop movies (well...at least the first two). And this one brings back many of the original characters/actors.

• Word is this third sequel is very satisfying and delivers. Here’s hoping the film has a longer shelf life than Murphy’s 2021 sequel Coming 2 America, which also was a direct to streaming release. Does anyone ever talk about that movie?

What we don’t like:

• This would have been huge at the summer box-office. For all the talk about how PVOD and shortened windows are killing theaters, it’s really Netflix that’s doing the most damage. Not having Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F in theaters removes hundreds of millions of dollars from the theatrical marketplace.

Thursday, July 4, 2024

GODZILLA X KONG: THE NEW EMPIRE - Max

What we like:

• A big fat hit in the Spring, Warner Bros delivered a one-two punch of big action spectacles with Dune and Godzilla x Kong. Without these two titles, the first half of the year would have been catastrophic for theaters.

• We love that Rebecca Hall can collect a big paycheck for a Godzilla movie and then transition to passion projects. Her directorial follow-up to Passing looks to be shaping up.

What we don’t like:

• This was a completely serviceable Godzilla movie, but it really paled in comparison to Godzilla Minus One.

SPACE CADET - Prime Video

What we like:

• The Legally Blonde-blueprint: Seemingly clueless bombshell tackles elite institution and triumphs through moxie. Sure…it’s a formula, but when done well, it can be very satisfying.

• Gabrielle Union has a supporting role, and we love her! More Gabrielle Union in movies, please!

What we don’t like:

• Hoo boy. That poster. That arm in that poster. Yikes.

Friday, July 5, 2024

BACK TO BLACK - Peacock

What we like:

• Marisa Abela is a terrific actress, and she’s fantastic on the HBO series Industry. Here she bravely tackles portraying a music icon, including using her own vocals for the songs. That takes balls.

• Lesley Manville plays Amy Winehouse’s beloved nan, and we will always revere Lesley Manville.

What we don’t like:

• Okay…where do we start? Well, the film certainly seems to whitewash the role both Winehouse’s parents and husband Blake Fielder-Civil played in her struggles with addiction. Not surprising considering Winehouse’s father is an executive producer on the film.

• While competently made and well-acted, this feels like a very rote music biopic that’s not worthy of its talented subject.

THE IMAGINARY - Netflix

What we like:

• An animated film that comes from Studio Ponoc, a Japanese animation studio founded by Yoshiaki Nishimura, former lead film producer of Studio Ghibli.

• The film is produced using hand-drawn animation, which we love.

What we don’t like:

• It’s not the film’s fault, since it’s been years in the making, but this is the third movie in as many months that deals with an imaginary friend. Let’s retire this trope for a year or two.

THE MONK AND THE GUN - Hulu

What we like:

• This drama from last year was Bhutan’s selection for the Best International Feature Oscar. It was one of the 15 finalists on the December shortlist, but ultimately was not nominated.

• The film takes place in 2006, as Bhutan prepares to hold its democratic election. The Bhutanese government stages a mock election as a training exercise, and what follows is a timely political satire that underscores the fragility of democracy.

What we don’t like:

• The fragility of democracy! Sadly, this film is more relevant than ever.

• We won’t call anyone out by name, but someone on social media went apoplectic when we posted this title, ranting about how ridiculous is was that a monk had a gun. They thought it was a Liam Neeson-stye action movie. Which…maybe would work?

Happy Streaming Everyone!