Monday Moments - The Invite

 I watched an episode of Hot Ones on YouTube and Penelope Cruz was the guest. She was pushing this movie The Invite, and it sounded intriguing.  

Well, it was different, angsty, very all talkie, amusing at times, cringe worthy, and I can't recommend it. 

But - I was interested enough to stay and watch. Does that make sense?  This was a Thursday matinee and there were two other ladies in  the theater. As we were leaving, the one said, "Well, I guess I'm not allowed to pick a movie for awhile."     Ha!

Olivia Wilde directed this and also starred as Angela.  She's married to Joe (Seth Rogan).  She's invited the upstairs neighbors to dinner. Joe is not happy and pretty much promises  to be rude. 

 Ding dong - doorbell rings and here's Hawk (Edward Norton) and Pina (Penelope Cruz).  They are obviously very cool and exude an exotic flair.  Here's where  Penelope shines - she just pops on the screen. She has the best lines and you can tell Joe is feeling her vibe. 

Well the conversation does take a racy turn....I won't say more. But  the tempo of the movie picked up, the stress of the awkwardness heightened, and let's just say someone might need to move!

Hey - the theater was air-conditioned and I killed two hours. I did laugh out loud at some lines - Seth can be amusing in his delivery.  And thumbs up to Penelope - she is damn hot and a good actress. 

This was my public service announcement for you. 

Movie Review - The Fabelmans

 Dear Steven Spielberg

        I love your movies sir and your reputation as a filmmaker is impeccable. The Fabelmans is your semi-autobiographical salute to your family, your youth, and to the love of film. We watch Sammy Fabelman (you) grow from  odd kid to odd youth, to an odd, enthusiastic creative young man. Your young man self  well played by Gabriel LaBelle realizes he has the touch, the eye, the magic to make films. With your eye behind the lens and the film churning, you can watch via your home films, the dissolution of your parents marriage. Your beloved father Burt (a superb Paul Dano) has worked hard. He loves you and the family and his quiet genius has perhaps missed some clues in regards to his wife. 

The creative bubbly mother, Mitzi (a glowing wistful Michelle Williams) is your muse. She can clown and she can collapse. And there's just a little  something  about "Uncle Bennie" (Seth Rogen) that doesn't seem quite right. 

I liked The Fabelmans. The acting was great, the filmmaking  solid (duh, you are  Steven Spielberg after all), and it was a good ode to the magic of cinema. 

However, one complaint.  Edit.  Edit. Edit.   This movie was  too long. We did not need 2-1/2 hours. Tighten things up sir. 

Your  fan

Joanne

Movie Review Madness - The Lion King

As Ray and I walked into the theater, Ray overheard a kid say to his mom, "I'm excited. It's going to be tough to not sing out loud."

Well, it wasn't that hard actually. Hakuna Matata is darn catchy. Circle of Life soars.  But I'm going to place The Lion King movie (live action CGI version) third behind the original animated version (first place), and the Broadway show (second). This movie version is good, but a bit slow, a bit ponderous, and just lacked that super wow factor I felt when I watched director Jon Favreau's version of the Jungle Book.  Kids were getting restless in the audience, and I admit I checked my watch.

The CGI filming is awesome. It's quite amazing and I appreciate that part of the movie magic. The voice acting is good - you can't go wrong with James Earl Jones as Mufasa, Chiwetel Eijofor is evil as Scar, Donald Glover is good as Simba, and Beyonce rules as Nala. Seth Rogen cracked me up a lot as the warthog, Pumba.

I was entertained, glad I saw it on the big screen, but there was just something missing - maybe I set my expectation bar a tad too high. I'd watch the original again in a heartbeat, this version - maybe not.   The Lion King did not ROAR in capital letters in my opinion.

Movie Review Madness - This is the End

This is the End is a hard R rating, nutso, rude, crude, and really funny. You have to go into this flick with an open mind and be ready to laugh at pop culture references, but ignore the over-the-top disgusting parts. The finale is worth it. So with those caveats - Seth Rogen, James Franco, Craig Robinson, Jonah Hill, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride, and Emma Watson - all play themselves.


They are partying in Hollywood and end up at Franco's house. Lots of behind the back jabs at each other until an earthquake or something hits. Well, open the front door and it's an inferno. Truly the end of the world. A big sinkhole gulps up a multitude of stars. It's fun to pick folks out - Rhiannon, Mindy K, etc. A huge variety. So - the folks I named above are left. Now what? Franco has some movie props. They gig Seth about what he learned from Green Hornet movies. They are soft and start turning on each other.

One of my fave lines - "Hermione stole our liquor." Yep - Emma Watson with an axe and a bag. Very funny.

So, they pick on each other, vote one out of the house, and he ends up turning cannibal. It's zany and hilarious. Finally, do they get chosen for the Rapture and beamed to heaven. You have to watch the movie to find out. It's laugh out loud bizarre and wacky perfection. Not for everyone's taste, but This is the End amused this critic.