December Films.

Best of November: Detroit. 2017
Best Foreign Language Film: On Body and Soul. 2017. Hungary.
Worst: Atomic Blonde

Best:Mechanic:Resurrection, Remember, & The Book of Henry... in the order.
Worst: Alien Covenant

Best: King Arthur-Legend of the Sword
Worst: The Circle

Saw 4 movies on DVD this weekend-

Dragon Blade
2.5/ 5 stars
Do not see this movie, this had a all star cast but they could not keep this film afloat, it was terrible and what was with Adrien Brody's hair. I could not keep my eyes off of it. It would have looked good on him if he was a woman. This was a wreck!


Chips
2.5/5 stars
This was just a terrible train wreck though some of the action scenes were pretty good. Crude humor is the main go to in this film.


Get Out
4/5 stars
I really enjoyed this film about a young man who goes home to meet his girlfriend's family and there is something very off about them and the people they hang out with.
This film reminds me of the writer Ira Levin and his novels/films, especially The Stepford Wives and Rosemary's Baby. There is Oscar buzz on this film so it will be interesting to see if this is nominated for anything.


This Beautiful Fantastic
4.5/5 stars
A odd, young English woman is about to get kicked out of her rental because the yard is a mess. In the meantime the neighbor's cook is fed up with his boss and quits to go help out the neighbor with her problem. I loved this sweet and funny film with its unusual characters. Wonderful cinematography!

>4 JulieLill: I haven't heard of This Beautiful Fantastic. I will rectify that forthwith. Thanks Julie. I vaguely remember my review of Dragon Blade...It was something about Hollywood actors turning up on the wrong film set and not knowing what the hell was going on.

The Outlaws. 2017 Korean crime/action. A turf war breaks out when a gang of Chinese criminals try to take over from the incumbent local Seoul mobs. Supposedly based on fact with big chappie Ma Dong-seok swearing a lot and throwing his weight around as a local cop. I've seen it all before. 3/10

Gook. 2017. Drama. I'm usually left cold by U.S. urban dramas, but this had a very original feel. Two Korean American brothers are trying to keep their struggling shoe store in a poor neighbourhood. Set at the time of the Rodney King trial, the city of LA is on the brink of boiling over and the resentment of the black community seems to be aimed at these young second generation Asians. The bad feeling is compounded by the friendship the brother's have with an 11 year old African American girl, who gets little affection at home. Not the most cheery of films, but definitely worth a watch if only to see the other side of the "American Dream". Nice performance from writer/director Justin Chon. 7/10

KIngsman: The Golden Circle. 2017. Action comedy. Taron Egerton, Colin Firth and Mark Strong reprise their roles in the sequel to the surprise (to me, anyway) spoof spy hit film of 2014. This time some big American stars have been roped in to save the world. Julianne Moore plays the "misunderstood" drugs cartel head, wanting some recognition for all her hard work. The London branch of Kingsman has been wiped out, so Eggsy and Merlin must join their American equivalent to track down and destroy her organisation. It was OK, but I felt it was all whizz and no bang!. I've NEVER found Elton John vaguely amusing and Poppy Delevingne needs to stick to modelling frocks with her equally hapless sister, Cara. There was one moment that actually made me wince. Does a comedy film need to be so crass? 5/10

SILENCE (2016) 4/5 stars

I enjoyed this awful religious movie about doing away with Christianity in Japan in the 1600s.

>10 C2.: I wish I could enjoy awful films, C2.

Barracuda. 2017. Relationship drama. A strange young English woman declares that she is the illegitimate daughter of a dead country singer, and insinuates herself into the life of his legal daughter. Who is she and what does she want? I clung on till the end waiting for the tell, but it didn't come. The leading ladies did a real good job, but I didn't like the music enough to enjoy the film. 3/10

>11 .cris: Unpleasant subject...didn't think I was going to like the movie...I predicted the end a bit. Just affirmed that no one can truly know another's heart.

Dismissed. 2017. Thriller. Mr Butler is trying to teach a class of disinterested, virtually comatose high-schoolers the beauty of Shakespeare and the classics. He tries not to get disheartened, so is thrilled when a new transfer student seems to be inspired by his teacher. Young Lucas produces an essay of epic proportions on Crime and Punishment, but Mr Butler is uneasy at the conclusion his student has reached, so gives him a B+. It all goes a bit down-hill from there. I thought this was quite entertaining in a TV movie sort of way. 6/10

Rewatch: Blade II. 2002. Having enjoyed my recent rewatch of Blade and fancying a bit of Donnie Yen. I got blankie, a glass of wine and settled down to enjoy the sequel...but I didn't. A mutant vampire has come into existence and the Vampire Nation have requested Blade to lead their finest fighting force in tracking down and killing the vampire who feeds on vampires. I'm not a fan of hip-hop (oddly enough). The first fight sequence looked very choppy so that the use of models was obvious. AND my Donnie got killed off before the second round of fighting. On the plus side, I was very happy that Kris Kristofferson was brought back from the dead and that the natural laws of nature don't exist in the world of Hollywood sequels. Dead doesn't necessarily mean dead....forever. 4/10

Rewatch: Okja. 2017. US/Korean drama. An ambitious CEO (Tilda Swinton) tries to give her traditionally exploitative family business a squeaky clean image by announcing a competition to find the best super-pig from those her company sent to 26 different worldwide destinations to be reared. Okja has spent ten years on a Korean mountain smallholding and is the best friend to little Mija, the farmer's orphaned granddaughter. She doesn't realise the pig is be returned to New York and slaughtered for it's meat. Enter stage left The Animal Liberation Front (lead by charismatic Paul Dano) who wish to unmask the multi-national organization for the bad dudes they are. I can see why film lovers might swerve this film. Meat IS murder, but we flesh consumers shouldn't be squeamish about the origin of our meals. Comedy, action and pathos. What more can a soul require? 8/10

This Beautiful Fantastic. 2016. Comedy/dram/romance. I love stories where an old curmudgeon find a purpose....✔ A character has OCD tendencies...✔ The romantic interest is a cutie....✔ It has British actors...✔ 8/10 Thanks Julie

The Party. 2017. Drama/comedy. On the other hand, I don't like films that feel like plays. Janet hosts a party to celebrate her new job as Shadow Minister for Health (shadow minister=for the party not leading the government). Unfortunately the gathering guests can't foresee the resentments and secrets to be aired in their near futures. This had a wonderful cast. I would watch Timothy Spall in absolutely anything and I'm forever grateful to Bruno Ganz for his amazing portrayal as Hitler in Downfall. Fortunately it was only a little over an hour long and Cillian Murphy does have pretty eyes, but I think it would have worked better on the stage. 5/10

>17 .cris: Why isn't this more popular- I loved it and even my husband sat through it with me.

>19 JulieLill: I did have to keep dragging my realistic brain away from the question as to how an assistant librarian could afford the rent for such a beautiful property in a desirable location, but I gave myself a good talking to!

24 Hours to Live. 2017. Action. I just recalled that I saw this last week. Ethan Hawke plays an assassin who's wife and child were murdered (Really? That old chestnut?) He has retired. (So he definitely won't take on one last job!). He takes on one last job after demanding a ridiculous amount of money. His target is about to testify and that can't be allowed. Everybody is killed except the target and the pretty girl (odd that!), and then he discovers he's fighting on the wrong side (That plot's never been used?) It was shit! (and I like Ethan Hawke). 2/10

Boss Baby
5/5 stars
In this animated film, a young boy has just gotten a new baby brother but he is not what he expected. I just thought this was just a hysterical film. Definitely not just for kids. Alec Baldwin is the voice of the new brother and he is so funny playing this baby's voice. This will definitely be on my top films of the year list.

Pirates of Somalia. 2017. Biography drama. Based on the book by Canadian Jay Bahadur about his investigation into the reign of terror off the coast of Somalia. Jay, a wannabe reporter has an unexpected encounter with his journalistic idol Seymour Tolbin (Al Pacino). Seymour advises Jay to choose a location/subject that is unique and to follow his dream. Jay goes to Somalia to interview pirates. This could have been good, but I just didn't like Jay. He seemed to think that all the natives who were putting their lives at risk for his fame and glory were no more than he deserved, but I might have got that wrong. The film was stolen by the inclusion of ever exuberant Somali actor Barkhad Abdi. It was ironic to watch him watching the Captain Philips hi-jacking happening on TV, considering that it was that film that brought Mr Abdi to our attention. 5/10

5/5
The Accountant (2016)

Who's in this anyway? Ben Affleck, Anna Kendrick, J.K. Simmons

What's it About? Christian Wolff is a math savant with more affinity for numbers than people. Behind the cover of a small-town CPA office, he works as a freelance accountant for some of the world's most dangerous criminal organizations. With the Treasury Department's Crime Enforcement Division, run by Ray King, starting to close in, Christian takes on a legitimate client: a state-of-the-art robotics company where an accounting clerk has discovered a discrepancy involving millions of dollars. But as Christian uncooks the books and gets closer to the truth, it is the body count that starts to rise.

Do we eat the popcorn or throw the popcorn? Eat it by all means...order more. A thriller should be entertaining and smart, both of which The Accountant is. Christian is a brilliant accountant...but at the same time is autistic, He has a savant's grasp of facts and numbers much like Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man but a serious deficiency in communicative skills. The film connects with the viewer on so many levels and in ways that are not expecting...laughing, cheering...crying...you name it it's probably there.

Memoirs of a Murderer. 2017. Japanese thriller. A remake of the excellent Korean film Confession of Murder. (2012). A man steps into the limelight to publicise his autobiographical book about his days as the Tokyo Strangler. Due to a legal mix-up he cannot be punished for his crimes. His newfound celebrity status enrages the police and family member's of his victims, but what can they do? This was a terrible remake. It didn't make any sense. 2/10

Christmas Vacation (1986)
10/10

Who's in this anyway?: Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Juliette Lewis, Randy Quid

What's It About?: It's Christmas time and the Griswolds are preparing for a family seasonal celebration, but things never run smoothly for Clark, his wife Ellen and their two kids. Clark's continual bad luck is worsened by his obnoxious family guests, but he manages to keep going knowing that his Christmas bonus is due soon.

Do we eat the popcorn or throw the popcorn" I ordered an entire truck load of popcorn for this one. This is without a doubt one of my favorite Chevy Chase movies. My Christmas is filled with ritual...as I guess most people's are. Part of that ritual has become National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. It is the first Christmas DVD's that my mother and I watch. We have done this for the past 14 years that she has been with us. It is simply a hilarious, timeless comedy with a little bit of every family enshrined in it.

The Snowman. 2017. Crime. Adapted the from novel by Jo Nesbo. Harry Hole (Michael Fassbender) is mid alcohol binge when a new assistant joins his team. Together they must track down a serial killer who targets mothers of illegitimate children. The cast read like a who's who of good actors, but they mostly played pointless cameos. I'm glad I didn't cough up cash to see it at the cinema, but Mr Fassbender is never a complete waste of time. 5/10

I've been struggling to find anything to amuse me this week. I saw Sweet Virginia. 2017. A hit-man comes to town. Stuff happens and then it ends. Bored. The Merciless. 2017. Korean gangster film. Undercover cop infiltrates gang and then becomes unsure of his loyalties. The cop was ridiculously pretty and the gangster had a laugh like Tommy Cooper. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-s8zb8h3Zo4. Bored.

Lucky 2011
1/5 stars
This one starred Tom Hanks son, Colin Hanks (and I love him on Life in Pieces) but this was pretty much a stinker. He stars as a serial killer who murders girls who look like his neighbor. When he wins the lotto, his neighbor becomes more attracted to him and they finally hook up till she realizes something is not quite right about him. The cast stars Ann Margaret and Jeffrey Tambor but even they cannot save this terrible film.

Where Hope Grows
3/5 stars
I liked this film. It is a feel good story about a single dad who is an alcoholic and trying to get ahead without much luck. A grocery clerk with Down syndrome befriends him and things start to change for him. This has a religious bent to it but I enjoyed the performances of the two leads.

Norman-The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer
2.5/5 stars
Richard Gere stars as a fixer who links people up and networks like crazy but a favor he did for a potential client helps him rise but is his ultimate downfall.
This got raves and some good reviews from critics. I liked it but did not love it.

Stronger. 2017. From the autobiography of Jeff Bauman‎. Jeff (Jake Gyllenhaal) lost both legs while watching his girlfriend take part in the 2013 Boston Marathon. I was expecting a film about a man with so much potential fighting back to be a better man, and it wasn't! Jeff is portrayed as a lazy, unreliable young man, happy to be bossed about by his drunken mother and coasting through life with the least effort. He is thrust into the limelight as a hero because of an iconic news photo of the aftermath of that terrible event and struggles to cope. Jake is always good, but Miranda Richardson, as his over-bearing mother (an odd bit of casting?) was remarkable. Not a cheerful film, as you might imagine, but good. 6/10

Bullet Head. 2017. Crime thriller. Three criminals (Adrien Brody, John Malkovich and A.N. Other) are stranded in a municipal warehouse waiting to be rescued, but they're not alone! If you're like me and believe capital punishment should be in place for men who train dogs for fighting, then you might find this difficult to watch (but we know it's not real, and the dog is just acting, don't we?) The film was very uneven, some of the dialogue between the two leads was good and the flash-backs were amusing but Antonio Banderas as the baddie was bloody awful. He came on like every stereotype "Mr Psycho" portrayed: a lousy shot with a machine gun (?), and talking his would-be victims to death rather than just killing them when he has the chance. 6/10 (for the good parts)

IT. 2017. Horror remake. A group of misfit kids investigate a spate of missing children in their small, unremarkable town. I'm not sure if I read the book or watched the original film, so I didn't know how it was going to turn out. It made me want to watch Stand By Me again, as there were unmistakable similarities, with the inclusion of a supernatural baddie rather than a corpse. There was a touch of The Goonies too in the make up of the friends. Happy to see that the female had the biggest gonads of them all. It was OK. Not sure why Bill Skarsgard got a lot of applause for his portrayal as Pennywise, most of his action appeared to be CGI'd. 6/10

The Mountain Between Us. 2017. Drama. Two strangers who's flights are cancelled due to bad weather, charter a plane. It crashes in a snowy wasteland and they must work together to survive. Idris was there so I guess Kate Winslet fell for him (who wouldn't?) My daughter called in while it was on so I only caught bits and pieces. I hadn't seem Beau Bridges (Jeff's big bro) in a while and I think the dog survived (which is all I was hoping for. It certainly wasn't compelling enough to rewind and rewatch.) Not rated.

Paradox. AKA SPL 3. 2017. Hong Kong m.a. action. A Hong Kong cop (Lois Koo - aka Mr Playmobil hair) goes to Thailand to find his missing daughter. He becomes enmeshed in an organ trafficking operation. The story was pretty good and it was reasonably entertaining until you add Tony Jaa and stunt co-ordinator Sammo Hung. Then it was lifted out of the mundane by a mile. Mr Jaa was only involved in one fight scene, but what a fight scene! Louis Koo and co-star Yue Wu are not martial artists, as far as I know, but they were made to look the part. There was just one shot where the laws of gravity and aero-dynamics appeared to have been forgotten, but Wilson Yip has directed an awesome action film (and you don't hear me use the word "awesome" too often). 7.5/10

The Story Lady (1991)
5/5

Who's in this anyway? Jessica Tandy, Ed Bagley,

What's it About? When Grace comes to live with her daughter and son-in-law, she is eager to find a way to be useful in the community. She loves to read stories to children, and decides to read one on public access television. The response is so strong that a large company hears about it and offers her a television series. Her life becomes complicated as she is forced to make some serious decisions. Through it all, Grace is able to help a young mother realize that time is the most valuable gift she could give to her daughter.

Do we eat the popcorn or throw the popcorn? No thrown popcorn here. This is one of the best "Christmas" movies that I have seen in some time. Actually it takes place at Christmas but it's a story for anytime of the year. A truly cute story of love and lessons about what is really important for the entire family.

Flatliners. 2017. Five medical students try to get an understanding of the afterlife by stopping their hearts and then restarting them, but they allowed something dark to enter their psyches. Unlike the original, the cast were all pretty much forgettable, with the exception of Diego Luna. A cameo from original Flatliner, Kiefer Sutherland, didn't do much to help. 3/10

Wolf Warrior 2. 2017. Chinese action sequel. Disgraced ex special forces operative Leng Feng (Jing Wu) becomes embroiled in a rebel attempt to overthrow the incumbent government of an African state. The Chinese government are unable to assist without U.N. permission, so it is up to Feng to rescue the workers from a Chinese factory singlehanded. Piece o' piss for this warrior who makes Jason Bourne look like a geriatric sloth. If you like a high body count, lots of hand-to hand fighting, masses of explosions, a smidgeon of romance and a child to be saved, leave you brain at the door and snuggle down with blankie. The African soldiers die if you look at them funny, but the foreign mercenaries i.e. pretty girl, pretty man, brick shit-house and no.1 baddie (Frank Grillo) take a bit more effort. I'm off to find the prequel. 7/10

Rewatch: Warrior King AKA The Protector. 2005. Thai martial arts action. Kham (Tony Jaa) plays the son of an elephant keeper. His father goes to town hoping his creature will be good enough to join the King's household, but the competition is a front for evil ne'er-do-wells. Meanwhile Kham loses a baby elephant in the market (not an easy thing to achieve!) and that too is abducted . He ends up in Australia, avoiding dirty cops and the transgender leader of the Triads. I gave this 7/10 first time around and couldn't figure out why. Tony Jaa is no great shakes as an actor, the Thai characters in Oz were virtually incomprehensible whenever they spoke, and investigations lead Kham to a secret building of debauchery that was the size of The White House and hidden in the back of a small restaurant (?), but then he lost his temper and went on a bone-cracking bender that sounded like the finals of a Pringle eating competition. The man is a martial arts genius, so still 7/10.

Absolutely Anything
3/5 stars
Simon Pegg stars as a teacher who has a out of control life and classroom. Space aliens pick him out to test the Earthlings worthiness as a race and to save the planet. He is given great power to use which affects his life in good and bad ways. I had never seen this before and it wasn't the greatest film but there was quite a few laugh out loud moments for me. I love the Monty Python actors as the the voices of the aliens.

The Christmas Visitor (2002)
5/5

Who's in this anyway?William Devane, Meredith Baxter, Reagan Pasternak, Dean McDermott

What's it About? A father struggles with the past. A daughter fights for the future. A mother searches for answers. The Boyajians have not celebrated Christmas in 11 years. They lost their faith when they lost their son to the Persian Gulf War. Now a stranger has joined them...around the same age the boy would have been. Is he a con artist or is this young man the miracle their family has been waiting for?

Do we eat the popcorn or throw the popcorn? Eat up...you won't be sorry. A word of warning...get your box of tissues before it starts and keep them handy.

Son John goes off to fight in the Gulf War and dies just before Christmas. The family gets the news on Christmas Eve and from then on they never celebrate Christmas again. Forward 10 years later: The daughter has a life threatening medical emergency just before Christmas. George, her father, asks for a sign from God to help them get their lives back. Out of the blue Matthew enters their lives and brings with him all the memories of their son John and the restoration of the Christmas spirit to their lonely household. How does he know so much about John that he's never met and what miracles can he perform?

NICHOLAS NICKLEBY (2002) Rewatch after 15 years - 4/5 stars

Always have enjoyed Charles Dickens stories that assist in upward mobility.

Rewatch: SPL: Kill Zone. 2005. Hong Kong action thriller. Having enjoyed Paradox (SPL 3) so much, I thought I'd revisit the first one. Inspector Kwan (Donnie Yen) is to take over a crime unit from their much-loved retiring boss (Simon Yam). In their eagerness to put away criminal Mr Big (in this case it's Mr Very Big, Sammo hung), they play dirty and Insp. Kwan is left to clear up the resulting chaos. The film really wasn't that good until the end, when Donnie fights the head henchman (Wu Jing) and then Sammo Hung. I'd forgotten how much I dislike Simon Yam's face. 6/10

Duckweed. 2017. Chinese comedy. Chao Deng plays Xu Tailang, a successful rally driver who is involved in an accident and travels back in time to meet his mother, who died young and his father (Eddie Peng) with whom he had a difficult relationship. I think his father was about to marry his childhood sweetheart, who was not Xu's mother but my mind drifted and I lost the plot somewhere along the way, so 3/10

Justice League. 2017. DC comics. I'm sure you're aware that I'm not keen on superhero films, but I don't seem to be able to leave them alone. It's a bit like eating a foodstuff that you KNOW is going to give you the trots. Bruce Wayne is feeling guilty at the death of Superman (was that a spoiler for Batman vs Superman?), and when a new threat hits our planet he must gather together a group of super-humans to deal with Steppenwolf and his flying monkey hench-thingies (No, that was Wizard of Oz). Anywho, something similar. Obviously, it had Aquaman (Jason Momoa), which was a maaaaasive plus for me and there was enough self depreciating humour to see it through. I can live with Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne, even though Christian Bale is my number one, but Henry Cavill as Superman. That's a definite no-no for me! I'm still waiting for some Asian superheroes, the fight scenes would be better, and there were instances when the CGI looked a bit suspect (the Amazons on horseback, for example), but it was fun, and what else could I possibly want? 7/10

Wolf Warrior. 2015. Chinese action. Jing Wu plays Leng Feng, a remarkable sniper who is signed up for the elite Wolf corps. While on training manoeuvres he is tracked by a group of super mercenaries in the employ of a villainous drug lord, Min Deng, determined, to make him pay the ultimate price for killing his brother. Whilst many of the troops are killed, Leng Feng organises his squad to fight off superior fire power. It was very nationalistic and jingoistic, but it's a Chinese film made for a Chinese audience, so that was acceptable to me, although I do hope they are not THAT paranoid about outsiders. It's not like Hollywood hasn't been churning out those types of films since the beginning of time. The bee-sting lipped troop commander was completely unbelievable, but I guess we have to give our hero some love-hope in his all-too-short life-expectancy. It wasn't a patch on the sequel, but Scott Adkins, you're a Brit! You can't be the evil enemy! 4/10

Bright. 2017. Action fantasy. In a world uneasily shared by Humans, Orcs, Elves and other mythical creatures, cop Daryl Ward (Will Smith) is forced to partner-up with the first Orcish policeman, Nick Jacoby (Joel Edgerton). They come across a wand and soon they are being pursued by gangbanger Orcs, dirty cops, Elvish FBI agents, low-life humans and a magical female (Noomi Rapace) who will stop at nothing to retrieve her wand. I had high hopes with this, expecting something on the lines of the marvellous District 9, but this was your run-of-the-mill cops who hate each other, shit happens, and then they love each other scenario. Will Smith playing Will Smith can be a little wearing after a while, but I do like Noomi Rapace. She's a great arse-kicker! 5/10

Shield of Straw. 2013. Japanese thriller. A convicted psychopathic child-killer is almost certainly guilty of another similar crime, but when the child's distraught grandfather announces a billion yen ($8 million) reward for who ever kills him (or is responsible for his death), he hands himself into the police. It then becomes the responsibility of five cops to transport him across country, with his every move being relayed to a dedicated website. How far will honourable cops go in order to protect a maniac? I would have put a bullet in his brain in the first five minutes and saved myself a couple of hours. It should have been full of tension and excitement, bad sadly, it wasn't. 3/10

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! Thank you for your postings -- appreciate!

>48 C2.: Right back at ya'

We always do a Christmas film with the family and this year it was -


The Shape of Water
4/5 stars
While the story line was not a new one, what a wonderful film it was and so beautifully filmed. A deaf, mute woman works for a secret government agency cleaning the lab and discovers a creature there that the government is examining. She bonds with the creature and wants to help him. Guillermo del Toro did a masterful job and I definitely would watch this again.

>50 JulieLill: Want!

Personal Shopper
3/5 stars
This is an interesting ghost story about a young woman who is a personal shopper/psychic who is awaiting a message from her brother who also was a psychic and who had recently died.
Was a little hesitant to watch this but found it intriguing from the start. It is a little slow and not so much scary but more unsettling. I liked this more than I thought I would. Stars Kristen Stewart.

>49 .cris: Thanks >50 JulieLill: Thanks for the posting, just saw add on TV.

Sami Blood. 2016. Swedish drama. The young daughter of a reindeer herder is sent to a boarding school specifically for Sami (Lap) children. She is a little in love with her pretty young teacher, but she suffers daily racist taunts from the local boys, a forced medical examination by anthropologists and learns that she cannot be a teacher because her ethnic background makes her unsuitable for further education. She distances herself from her family in her attempt to shuck off her background. Interesting subject, but slow. 4/10

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri. 2017. Drama. Frances McDormand plays Mildred a woman who's daughter was raped and murdered almost a year before, and no-one has been yet arrested. She decides to rattle some cages by putting up three huge billboards asking some valid questions. I won't bother saying anymore, other than I've rarely seen such an entertaining film. It's funny and sad and has some absolutely power-house performances from all concerned. I loved it, so it probably won't win any Oscars. Sorry cast and crew! 8.75/10

I, Tonya. 2017. Drama. Based on the story of ice-skater Tonya Harding, who gained notoriety when her Olympic rival, Nancy Kerrigan, was attacked and injured. Margot Robbie plays the trashy athlete with an appalling mother (Allison Janney) and wife beating husband (Sebastian Stan). I'm certain that Ms Harding's actual story wasn't nearly as entertaining as this film. I wasn't keen on watching it, but was pleasantly surprised, although I'll warn you of the high level of domestic violence. I can't figure out how they flawlessly joined Ms Robbie's face with an ice-skater's feet and body? Excellent. 7.5/10

>55 .cris:>56
Both are on my must see list.

A bunch of movies came in from the library so ...

Spider-Man Homecoming
3/5 stars
I have seen most of the Spider-Man films and thought I could not see another but I liked this version with Michael Keaton as the bad guy. Fun but not as great as the first series with Toby Macguire.


The Exception
3.5/5 stars
Another film which made me do research-this time on Kaiser Wilhelm II. Christopher Plummer (who still is very handsome and charming) stars as the Kaiser who has been in exile since WWI. A young soldier comes to investigate the Kaiser and (of course) falls in love with the help who turns out to be Jewish and in the resistance. I liked it.


The Promise
2.5/5 stars
This is the epic film of the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the slaughter of the Armenian people. Great cast and it motivated me to do some research on Armenians but it dragged in a lot of places and I could not wait till it was over.

Marshall. 2017. Biographic drama. A defining court case for future first African-American Supreme Court Justice, Thurgood Marshall. Set in the 40's, Marshall is a hot-shot lawyer for the NAACP, travelling the country trying to win cases for black individuals wrongly accused of crimes because of their race. He is sent to Greenwich, Connecticut to defend a house servant accused of raping his employer's wife, a rich, white socialite. The judge refuses him a temporary licence to defend the case and he must coach local Jewish lawyer, Sam Friedman, more used to civil court, to go up against the W.A.S.P. prosecution lawyer (Dan Stevens). Marshall (Chadwick Boseman) seemed arrogant and self-serving, not a likeable under-dog at all, although Josh Gad as the floundering lawyer, out of his depth, was a sympathetic character. Go rewatch To Kill a Mockingbird instead. 5/10

The Beguiled
3/5 stars
A soldier is injured during the Civil War and comes upon a girls school who take him in. This is the remake of the original film. I never really wanted to watch this but my husband did and he had seen the original with Clint Eastwood. Per usual my husband fell asleep during the film he insisted I get. However, I liked the film so it wasn't a total loss. Good performances by the cast enhanced the film.


Krampus
3/5 stars
My son got this film from the library and I again had no thought of watching this but ended up watching this while my husband slept through this one too. A dysfunctional family gets together for Christmas disappointing a little boy who unintentionally evokes the wrath of Krampus who wrecks Christmas for non-believers. Definitely a dark comedy but while not the greatest film I ever seen, it certainly was intriguing and had some laugh out loud moments.

Everything Beautiful is Far Away. 2017. Indie odd-ball?. Do you ever have those evenings when you're so indolent, the remote "off" button is three feet away, but your arm span is 2 feet 11 inches, so you just watch whatever is playing in front of you? This was one of those. A man and his robot head are walking in the desert...just walking. He meets a young woman who is also just walking in the desert, so they walk in the desert together. They find batteries for the robot head, so now there are three "people" just walking in the desert. Oddly enough it had quite a nice ending, but I'm not sure I could recommend it on those grounds. A side-thought: For a person walking all day, in the desert, that woman had the whitest legs I've ever seen! 3/10

The Disaster Artist. 2017. Biographical comedy (?). James Franco and brother Dave take on tailor-made roles for themselves. Tommy Wiseau (James) is a man of indeterminate age, ethnicity and background, with no lack of certainty as to his massive talent as an actor. Unfortunately he is alone in that view, so decides to make his own film, The Room, with the help of his best friend Greg (Dave). Tommy is mysteriously as rich as Croesus and manages to create a film written, produced, directed and starring himself, that is so spectacularly bad that it becomes a cult hit. So ironic! I cannot rate it, but expect some credit in my film-bank for watching it. No doubt it will win all the Oscars for 2018.

I have been busy catching up on some series', but in honor of the season I did manage to find time for my two favorite Christmas movies - Scrooged (Bill Murray ALWAYS makes me laugh) and Trading Places (remember when Eddie Murphy used to be funny?).

I also watched Bad Santa. I, um, I don't really recommend that one...

HAPPY NEW YEAR -- 2018!

ART SHOW BINGO (2017 Indie) 3/5 stars

I watched it because I like art, otherwise it's just okay...not too deep a movie.

Lady Bird.2017. Coming-of-age drama. I like Saoirse Ronan (so many unnecessary vowels). In this we follow Christine "Lady Bird" McPherson as she navigates the last year of high school. Love, loss and betrayal. She is believable and real, and you feel for her mother, who loves her, but has got stuck in the loop of nagging. The Oscars love a coming-of-age story, so it's in with a good chance. I wouldn't mind too much if it won. 7/10

Veronica. 2017. Spanish horror. I have to say that Ouija board films freak me out. Veronica is a prepubescent Catholic girl trying to raise her three younger siblings while her mother works long hours. She, and two school friends attempt to contact her dead father on the day of an eclipse, but they bring something else over from the other side. It was pretty creepy, although I have to say if I was going to bring my dad back from beyond the grave, I'm pretty sure I'd want him to be wearing clothes! 5/10

The Greatest Showman
4/5 stars
This is the story of PT Barnum. Though somewhat historically inaccurate, this was quite a nice film. Loved the music and it was beautifully filmed. Surprisingly, my husband actually enjoyed it.