Archives for : movie
Netflix has so graciously brought back the romantic comedy genre with a slew of rom-coms to choose from their library. Just in time for the holiday season, they have treated us with another delightful romance with the new film, “Holidate”.
It’s Christmas Day and Sloane (Emma Roberts) is, once again, being hounded by her family to meet someone and settle down before she gets “too old”; and becomes like her aunt Susan (Kristin Chenoweth). Instead of listening to her mom, she is inspired by her aunt’s holidate. Susan brings a different man to each holiday event, allowing her to avoid feeling lonely while having no emotional attachment.
After a horrible Christmas, Sloane runs into, Jackson (Luke Bracey), another lonely single looking to date with out the commitment. They soon pledge to be each others’ platonic plus ones for every holiday in the year ahead. The film is as predictable as it sounds and is self-aware of that, pointing out that in every rom-com the two leads don’t have real obstacles. And in the “Holidate”, it’s pretty clear that there is no real issue besides the default “scared of commitment”.
What “Holidate” does offer is two strong romantic leads with great chemistry and hilarious banter. Emma Roberts shows off her comedic chops and Bracey might actually give Chris Hemsworth a run for his money. We all, at some point in time, have felt lonely during the holidays, and a holidate is a fun concept to see played out. It’s entertaining to see these how these two celebrate each occasion together. Who knew there were so many holidays?!
There are some messages you can take away from the film, like don’t let the of fear of getting hurt stand in the way of a potential love. But, you shouldn’t go into this film expecting anything deep. This is more of a raunchy, well-made Hallmark Christmas special. It’s a lighthearted escape that reminds us of how we use to celebrate the holidays before tragic times.
Rating: 4/5
“Holidate” is available on Netflix October 28, 2020.
THE PRINCESS BRIDE will be shown at Alamo Drafthouse Las Colinas on Sept. 26 along with dinner and drinks benefitting HopeKidsNorth Texas!
HopeKids allow families who have a child with a life-threatening illness to escape the struggles for a moment and reconnect and recharge. Whether it’s the family screenings that Alamo Drafthouse hosts for HopeKids families each month, tickets to concerts, sporting events or a trip to the museum or the Stockyards, the list of partners they work with is impressive and helps to provide more than 300 events each year.
Click the link to purchase tickets and more information! https://www.hopekids.org/reelhope/
The whole Mamma Mia gang is back! But this time we’re looking back to see how it all started.
Ten years ago the first “Mamma Mia!” introduced us to Donna (Meryl Streep) and her daughter Sophie (Amanda Seyfried). At the time, Sophie was engaged to her then fiancée Sky (Dominic Cooper), and wanted to know her father was so that he could attend the wedding. Given that there were three possible candidates, she invited all three of her mother’s past lovers, Sam, Harry, and Bill (Pierce Brosnon, Colin Firth, and Stellan Skarsgard) to her wedding. After meeting the three men, they fall in love with Sophie and they all commit to being her father.
Now in “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again,” Sophie is pregnant and this sparks a stroll down memory lane. Flashbacks allow us to see when her mother met her fathers, and how it eventually led to her birth. Right after college, young Donna (Lily James) decides to take a European trip. Along the way she runs into a much younger Harry (Hugh Skinner), Bill (Josh Dylan), and Sam (Jeremy Irvine). All three newcomers do a fantastic job and leave lasting impressions.
But it’s Lily James who steals the show with her striking beauty and incredible voice. Who knew this girl could sing!? James’ energy and charisma leaps off the screen. However, she’s not the only one with popping vocals. Amanda Seyfried continues to sing with voice of a Disney Princess, and her on screen Grandma played by the one and only, Cher, brings down the whole house with her powerful vocals.
The only thing more stunning than the music was the setting in Greece. The crystal blue waters and landscape is eye candy to even someone who doesn’t care about what else is going on.
“Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again” is a film that moves quickly. Since we are given brief moments in about a song length capacity with each man Donna meets, the film never lags. Although, I would not have minded seeing a longer storyline between young Donna and Sam. James’ and Irvine’s romantic chemistry makes us realize why the two characters immediately fall for each other again in the first film.
Though the plot is corny and the random bursts into song can be cheesy at times, it just doesn’t matter. Take “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again” for what it is; and that’s a fun, toe-tapping musical that everyone can enjoy.
Rating: 3.5/5
“Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again” opens in theaters July 20.
To promote the “12 Strong” movie, two of the members of the real life U.S. Special Forces team (Mark Nutsch played by Chris Hemsworth and Bob Pennington played by Michael Shannon) went on tour. I enjoyed a remarkable interview with them as we discussed how they felt seeing their story brought to life, the importance of portraying the alliance with the Afghanistan Army and much more.
“12 Strong” hits theaters January 19.
FILM
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Captain Fantastic
Fences
Hidden Figures
Manchester by the Sea
Moonlight
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea
Andrew Garfield, Hacksaw Ridge
Ryan Gosling, La La Land
Viggo Mortensen, Captain Fantastic
Denzel Washington, Fences
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Amy Adams, Arrival
Emily Blunt, The Girl on the Train
Natalie Portman, Jackie
Emma Stone, La La Land
Meryl Streep, Florence Foster Jenkins
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Mahershala Ali, Moonlight
Jeff Bridges, Hell or High Water
Hugh Grant, Florence Foster Jenkins
Lucas Hedges, Manchester by the Sea
Dev Patel, Lion
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Viola Davis, Fences
Naomie Harris, Moonlight
Nicole Kidman, Lion
Octavia Spencer, Hidden Figures
Michelle Williams, Manchester by the Sea
Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble
Captain America: Civil War
Doctor Strange
Hacksaw Ridge
Jason Bourne
Nocturnal Animals
TELEVISION
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
The Crown
Downton Abbey
Game of Thrones
Stranger Things
Westworld
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
The Big Bang Theory
Blackish
Modern Family
Orange Is the New Black
Veep
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
John Lithgow, The Crown
Rami Malek, Mr. Robot
Kevin Spacey, House of Cards
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
Millie Bobby Brown, Stranger Things
Claire Foy, The Crown
Thandie Newton, Westworld
Winona Ryder, Stranger Things
Robin Wright, House of Cards
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
Anthony Anderson, Blackish
Tituss Burgess, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Ty Burrell, Modern Family
William H. Macy, Shameless
Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
Uzo Aduba, Orange Is the New Black
Jane Fonda, Grace and Frankie
Ellie Kemper, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
Lily Tomlin, Grace and Frankie
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a TV Movie or Miniseries
Riz Ahmed, The Night Of
Sterling K. Brown, The People vs. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story
Bryan Cranston, All the Way
John Turturro, The Night Of
Courtney B. Vance, The People vs. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a TV Movie or Miniseries
Bryce Dallas Howard, Black Mirror
Felicity Huffman, American Crime
Audra McDonald, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill
Sarah Paulson, The People vs. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story
Kerry Washington, Confirmation
Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble
Game of Thrones
Daredevil
Luke Cage
The Walking Dead
Westworld
LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Screen Actors Guild Annual Life Achievement Award
LILY TOMLIN
The Screen Actors Guild Awards will air Sunday, January 29 on TBS and TNT.
Jovan Adepo portrays Corey in Denzel Washington’s adaptation of August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize winning drama, “Fences.” I got a chance to talk with Adepo about the new film. We discussed how much someone’s career can affect their personal life, daily movie references and more!
“Fences” opens in theaters December 24.
Click Here to Watch Jovan Adepo Interview
Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy
- 20th Century Women
- Deadpool
- Florence Foster Jenkins
- La La Land
- Sing Street
Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy
- Annette Bening – 20th Century Women
- Lily Collins – Rules Don’t Apply
- Hailee Steinfeld – The Edge of Seventeen
- Emma Stone – La La Land
- Meryl Streep – Florence Foster Jenkins
Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy
- Colin Farrell – The Lobster
- Ryan Gosling – La La Land
- Hugh Grant – Florence Foster Jenkins
- Jonah Hill – War Dogs
- Ryan Reynolds – Deadpool
Best Motion Picture, Drama
- Hacksaw Ridge
- Hell or High Water
- Lion
- Manchester by the Sea
- Moonlight
Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama
- Amy Adams – Arrival
- Jessica Chastain – Miss Sloane
- Isabelle Huppert – Elle
- Ruth Negga – Loving
- Natalie Portman – Jackie
Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama
- Casey Affleck – Manchester by the Sea
- Joel Edgerton – Loving
- Andrew Garfield – Hacksaw Ridge
- Viggo Mortensen – Captain Fantastic
- Denzel Washington – Fences
Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
- Viola Davis – Fences
- Naomie Harris – Moonlight
- Nicole Kidman – Lion
- Octavia Spencer – Hidden Figures
- Michelle Williams – Manchester by the Sea
Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
- Mahershala Ali – Moonlight
- Jeff Bridges – Hell or High Water
- Simon Helberg – Florence Foster Jenkins
- Dev Patel – Lion
- Aaron Taylor-Johnson – Nocturnal Animals
Best Director – Motion Picture
- Damien Chazelle – La La Land
- Tom Ford – Nocturnal Animals
- Mel Gibson – Hacksaw Ridge
- Barry Jenkins – Moonlight
- Kenneth Lonergan – Manchester by the Sea
Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
- La La Land
- Nocturnal Animals
- Moonlight
- Manchester By The Sea
- Hell or High Water
Best Animated Feature Film
- Kubo and the Two Strings
- Moana
- My Life as a Zucchini
- Sing
- Trolls
- Zootopia
Best Motion Picture, Foreign Language
- Divines
- Elle
- Neruda
- The Salesman
- Toni Erdmann
Best Original Score – Motion Picture
- Moonlight
- La La Land
- Arrival
- Lion
- Hidden Figures
Best Original Song – Motion Picture
- Cant Stop The Feeling – Trolls
- City Of Stars – La La Land
- Faith – Sing
- Gold – Gold
- How Far I’ll Go – Moana
Best TV Series, Comedy
- Black-ish
- Atlanta
- Transparent
- Mozart in the Jungle
- Veep
Best Actress in a TV Series, Comedy
- Rachel Bloom – Crazy Ex Girlfriend
- Sarah Jessica Parker – Divorce
- Julia Louis-Dreyfus – Veep
- Gina Rodriguez – Jane the Virgin
- Issa Rae – Insecure
- Tracee Ellis Ross – Black-ish
Best Actor in a TV Series, Comedy
- Anthony Anderson – Black-ish
- Gael Garcia Bernal – Mozart in the Jungle
- Donald Glover – Atlanta
- Nick Nolte – Graves
- Jeffrey Tambor – Transparent
Best TV Series, Drama
- The Crown
- Game of Thrones
- Stranger Things
- This Is Us
- Westworld
Best Actor in a TV Series, Drama
- Matthew Rhys – The Americans
- Rami Malek – Mr. Robot
- Billy Bob Thornton – Goliath
- Bob Odenkirk – Better Call Saul
- Liev Schreiber – Ray Donovan
Best Actress in a TV Series, Drama
- Caitriona Balfe – Outlander
- Claire Foy – The Crown
- Keri Russell – The Americans
- Winona Ryder – Stranger Things
- Evan Rachel Wood – Westworld
Best TV Movie or Limited-Series
- American Crime
- The Dresser
- The Night Manager
- The Night Of
- The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story
Best Actor in a Limited-Series or TV Movie
- Riz Ahmed
- Bryan Cranston
- Tom Hiddleston
- John Turturro
- Courtney B. Vance
Best Actress in a Limited-Series or TV Movie
- Felicity Huffman
- Riley Keough
- Sarah Paulson
- Charlotte Rampling
- Kerry Washington
Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Limited-Series or TV Movie
- Sterling K. Brown – The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story
- Hugh Laurie – The Night Manager
- John Lithgow – The Crown
- John Travolta – The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story
- Christian Slater – Mr. Robot
Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Limited-Series or TV Movie
- Olivia Colman
- Lena Heady
- Chrissy Metz
- Mandy Moore
- Thandie Newton
The 74th Annual Golden Globes will air on NBC January 8th, hosted by Jimmy Fallon.
Emily Blunt isn’t the only one taking a ride in The Girl on the Train. The audience should be warned of the many back and forth jumps throughout this mystery thriller.
The film follows Rachel (Emily Blunt), a divorced alcoholic who spends everyday on a train ride that passes her old neighborhood. She watches a couple, Megan and Scott (Haley Bennett and Luke Evans), whom she views as “perfect” and almost lives vicariously through them. All the while she still tries to contact her ex-husband, Tom (Justin Theroux), who is now happily married and with a baby.
One day during Rachel’s usual stare at Megan and Scott’s house, she notices Megan kissing another man out on her balcony and freaks out! Completely wrecked by the fact that Megan would “throw it all away”, Rachel gets even more drunk and angry. When she stumbles off the train that night she sees a blur that looks like Megan. She wakes up the next morning in her place with a bloody head, and unaware of anything that happened the night before. Ironically, Megan has now gone missing, and Rachel is determined to find out what happened to her.
If you find reading that premise at all confusing, it’s even more of a mess watching it. To be fair, by the end everything ties together and there are no loose ends. But it might be a struggle getting there for some.
Yes, the plot might have been poorly executed, but that doesn’t make the story any less fun. From the moment the film began, I was on the edge of my seat trying to add up of every clue and anticipating the expected twist. Though the climax and the unveiling of surprises are far from Gone Girl standards, they were still satisfying none-the-less.
What’s certain is the subtle yet believable performance Emily Blunt gives as a functioning alcoholic. She stays committed the whole way through. So much so, that her character can be extremely frustrating at times.
The Girl on the Train may not please everyone. And yes, Tate Taylor’s direction is less than adequate as he struggles to give a steady flowing narrative. Luckily the mystery and story alone are enough to keep this ride interesting.
Rating: 3.5/5
The Girl on the Train opens in theaters October 7
“The Girl on the Train” Official Trailer HD
