Movie Review Madness - Nocturnal Animals

Nocturnal Animals had some early Oscar buzz but it fizzled at the box office and reviews were mixed. And rightly so. This is a very weird, rather cold movie. And yet oddly compelling at times. The acting is superb. Amy Adams is truly excellent. She should be Oscar nominated for Arrival, but she shows her versatility with this film too.   The initial opening of the film credits is wacky. I truly thought, “What the heck is going on?” Turns out it was an art opening and Amy is the gallery owner. However, she and her husband (played by Armie Hammer – just there to look awesome) have a troubled marriage and they are living the façade of luxury while drowning in debt. It’s tough to maintain appearance in the fancy crowd. Amy does weary well and we feel how jaded she’s become.

She gets a book delivery – an early copy from her former husband, played by Jake Gyllenhaal. As she reads her “disguised story” In flashback we see them meet, fall in love, defy her parents, exude exuberance for life, and then she screws it up with Armie.  Is this book revenge? There’s definitely a lot of twisted junk going on. The acting is really good and I liked Jake a lot. He’s the sensitive poor writer that the parents do not think are worthy of their daughter. Well snobbery can backfire.

Tom Ford, the designer, directed this film. It is quite posed with beautiful people, but it’s cold. Perhaps that’s the point. I can’t say I liked this film – not at all. I can’t recommend it. I know I see some weird crap…some of it I can give a thumbs up. Nocturnal Animals is ultimately a thumbs down. Consider this a public service review. I am saving you.   You are welcome.

Movie Review: The Man From U.N.C.L.E

The Man From U.N.C.L.E  movie revels in the 1960s glory days of the Cold War. It was a popular television show that perhaps should have stayed on the small screen. Audiences are not embracing it, but I think you’ll be amused if you wait for DVD or streaming. Henry Cavill is Napoleon Solo, the oh so slick American agent. Armie Hammer is the stoic Russian spy. The two are first seen trying to kill each other in a mission. Then they find they are being assigned to work together to keep a nuke out of the hands of evildoers. Their key is Alicia Vikander, the daughter of a famous physicist who’s being held captive.  

Stylish clothes, stylish digs, fancy travel, and old fashioned teamwork keep the plot moving along. Then there’s an appearance by Hugh Grant as a British spy coordinator. His bumbling graciousness adds class to the project. The movie is very light and rather silly, but that’s okay. It pales next to Mission Impossible, but that’s okay. If you don’t want to think too hard, The Man From U.N.C.L.E is okay.

 

Movie Review Madness: The Lone Ranger

What's up with the mask? That's a running joke in The Lone Ranger and it does get laughs. However, this movie is way, way too long and is not for young kids. At 2-1/2 hours, I found myself checking my watch. It's a shame because with a whole lot of editing (down to one plot line please), it could have been hilarious. Johnny Depp as Tonto is a crazy man. You're never sure what he'll do or say, and he keeps you laughing.


Armie Hammer as the Lone Ranger is a fine manly specimen. He's a good looking guy with a nice sense of humor and is actually a bit of a klutz. His sidekick, Tonto, seems to always save the day. The filmmaking and stunts are fine. There's plenty of action, gunplay, and explosions. It's just not cohesive. When they are on a roll, we seem to meander off to a plot with Tom Wilkinson, the rich guy in town who's amassing even more. Fine, he needs to be stopped. But let's do it, not talk about it.

Westerns seem to have trouble attracting audiences and this is no exception. They put a lot of money into this film, but forgot the goal - entertain us. The final twenty minutes with the Lone Ranger theme blaring and some Hi-ho-Silver ended up exciting and fun. But it took a long time to get there. Wait for DVD and you'll be amused. We came out laughing, but also tired of sitting. I give The Lone Ranger a C for cumbersome plots, and a special grade T for Tonto. Johnny Depp is a weird creative man.