In TYLER PERRY’S DUPLICITY, high-powered attorney Marley (Kat Graham) faces her most personal case yet when she is tasked with uncovering the truth behind...
Love is in the air AND in the palm of our hands as the new sci-fi romantic thriller, Companion, pushes all the right buttons for an instant cult classic.
Filmmaker Drew Hancock’s directorial feature follows a seemingly happy couple, Iris and Josh, who go on a weekend getaway with friends at a remote cabin. But things take a chaotic and bloody turn when it’s revealed Iris is a robot companion. The less you know about this plot the better, as the number of twists and turns are endless. But “Companion is already being raved about as the first best film of the year. What I can tell you is that it excels through enthralling performances by the entire cast, especially stars, Jack Quaid and Sophie Thatcher.
Horror fans may recognize Thatcher from the popular series, Yellowjackets or more recently the acclaimed psychological thriller, Heretic. But after this role, it’s safe to say, Thatcher is going to be an unforgettable talent we will be seeing a lot more of. Aside from the fact that she can cry from one eye at a time on command, she impressively emotes a robotic character who is truly in love and can feel every emotion. And we feel for her. Quaid, who normally plays the good guy, tackles the villainous role in a subtle and humorous manner. All the while the two have great on-screen chemistry. There isn’t anything too revolutionary in the film, but it does entertainingly warn audiences about the dangers of technology and why it’s best not to have full control of your partner.
Companion” touches on feminism, greed, loneliness, and hones in on how we should treat our significant others with respect, while taking audiences on an unpredictable and hilarious thrill ride. It’s an unexpected must-see that’s sure to capture your heart.
From an iconic sculpture to a wild robot. Peter Brown’s literary sensation comes to life in one of the most talked about films of the year. The Wild Robot is already a front runner for Best Animated Feature as its moving story is touching the hearts of all audiences.
The film follows an intelligent robot called Roz, who’s voiced by Academy Award winner, Lupita Nyong’o. After a shipwreck, Roz is stranded on an uninhabited island where to survive the harsh environment, she bonds with the island’s animals. After accidentally crushing a goose nest, a single egg survives and hatches to reveal a little baby goose. Roz decides her purpose on this island is to now raise the goose, now named Brightbill, as her own and help get him ready for the upcoming winter migration. She gains the help of a scheming Fox, voiced by Pedro Pascal and the three of them naturally become family. Roz is goal is to complete this mission before finding her way back home.
While the animation is stunning, the beauty of this movie is the simplicity. Director Chris Sanders has taken Peter Brown’s story and effectively touched on the current state of humanity, the impacts of global warming, and most importantly, the significance of compassion and motherhood. It may sound like a basic or familiar plot, but through its characters, visuals, and subtly it’s a surprisingly refreshing tale. Lupita Nyong’o and Kit Connor’s mother-son relationship is breath-taking and will likely make you want to immediately hug your own mother or parental figure in your life. It also reminds us; you don’t have to give birth to a child to give them life.
And though the film may have you reaching for tissues, The Wild Robot is also filled with plenty of laughs and thrills. It’s a wonderfully immersive family adventure featuring a superb cast with an unforgettable message audiences of all ages can relate to.
“The Wild Robot” is currently playing in theaters.
Audiences seemed to have mixed feelings about the songs performed in Joker Folie a Deux. This might have to do with the fact that the original film was not a musical and the unexpected addition to the serious drama feels a little out of place. The original film was not even meant to have a sequel, but maybe having Lady Gaga sign on to play the iconic Harley Quinn, was a musical opportunity that director Todd Phillips couldn’t pass up. But just because Gaga’s voice is incredible doesn’t mean that’s enough to make this film worth the watch.
Joker: Folie a Deux follows Arthur Fleck while in Arkham and awaiting trial for his crimes as Joker. While struggling with his dual identity, he not only stumbles upon true love with Harley Quinn, but also finds the music that’s always been inside him. It’s upsetting to say that this film is probably not at all what fans will be expecting. Gaga fans should be warned from the start, she is severely underutilized. However, what we do see of her and Joaquin Phoenix is still incredible. The problem is not the performances, it’s the material these actors were given. The lack of substance and purpose, makes the sequel struggle to find the energy and emotion it’s so desperately seeking.
The musical numbers are fine, but they bog down the story and never really push it forward. And at a runtime of nearly 2 and half hours, it’s likely audiences will get anxious. However, visually Phillips succeeds in bold, striking theatrics. But sadly, any good in this movie is going to be overshadowed by the bad. The first Joker was critically acclaimed for its realistic portrayal of a Batman villain with mental health issues who we understood and sometimes empathized with. It was so good, Pheonix won his first Oscar for it. So, to go from that film to this somewhat random musical is an unfortunate miss.
Joker Folie a Deux will likely not be everyone’s cup of tea and moviegoers should set low expectations for the plot but have fair expectations for the vocals and performances by Pheonix and Gaga. If you’re fan of the Batman universe, or even more so a fan of The Joker, you’ll still be curious and want to form your own opinion.
“Joker: Folie a Deux” opens in theaters October 4, 2024.
After a family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River. Still haunted by Beetlejuice, Lydia’s life is turned upside down when her teenage daughter accidentally opens the portal to the afterlife. I review the long-awaited sequel to one of Michael Keaton’s legendary roles, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice”.
“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” is currently
playing in theaters.
This week I review the thrilling new sequel starring Glen Powell and Daisy-Edgar Jones, “Twisters”. How does it compare to the original? Find out by watching my full interview in the video below!
This week I review the new romantic comedy, “Fly me to the Moon.” The film follows marketing maven Kelly Jones (Scarlett Johansson), who wreaks havoc on launch director Cole Davis’s (Channing Tatum) already difficult task. When the White House deems the mission too important to fail, Jones is directed to stage a fake moon landing as back-up.
“Fly Me to the Moon” opens in
theaters on July 12, 2024.
Academy Award nominee, June Squibb has been acting for 60 years and at 93 years old she’s landed her first lead role in “Thelma”. The film is about a grandmother who gets duped by a phone scammer pretending to be her grandson and sets out on a mission to reclaim the money stolen from her.
I had the opportunity to speak with June and director Josh Margolin about the movie.
“Thelma” opens in theaters nationwide June 21, 2024.
I got a chance to sit down with Academy Award winning director, Damien Chazelle for his new film, “Babylon”. We discuss the changes in the industry that affected him, who was the first person to recognize his talent, and more!
I got the chance to sit down with the stars of the new, groundbreaking romantic comedy, “Bros.” Billy Eichner and Luke MacFarlane discuss a time they tried to impress a significant other and what the representation in this film means to them. They also answer some rapid fire questions related to the movie in this hilarious and fun interview!
I got a chance to speak with director, Joe Wright (“Pride & Prejudice”, “Atonement”) and actors, Haley Bennett (“The Magnificent Seven”) and Kevlin Harrison Jr. (“Waves”) for their new film, “Cyrano”.
The film opens in select theaters on February 25, 2022.
