Nightmare Alley

 

Set in 1941, this film noir/psychological thriller is exactly what you’d find in the pages of those True Crime pulp fiction dime novels that sold in drugstores and newsstands of the day  and kept you on the edge of your seat until the final page.  Bradley Cooper is our “antihero”, Stanton “Stan” Carlisle, and from the first scene to the last, you know he’s just somehow a bit off.  He plays a homicidal grifter and we all know the saying, “you can’t con a con man”.  We get a view from the backside of Carny life, not as romantic as “Water for Elephants”, but as stylistic and visceral as any good film from the 30’s and 40’s that plays on your fears.  This one’s in color and it’s blood red.  Cate Blanchett is in top form as psychoanalyst, Lilith Ritter.  She slinks through the film like a snake in the Garden of Eden wearing Edith Head designer gowns.  The set-design and cinematography is a---mazing.  Guillermo Del Toro doesn’t hold back on the gross factor, there’s sex, drugs, séances, and living the high life on razorblades.  If you’re not a vegetarian after watching this, you may give it another thought, just sayin’.  Definitely not for the kiddies.  Rating:  Tastes Like Chicken and Everclear aka 3.75 stars.  Trailer:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PN9y_r3FtrQ

The King of Staten Island

So here’s my take on the King of Staten Island, a semi-autobiographical dramedy starring Pete Davidson.  You know Pete, he’s on Saturday Night Live, looks a bit like a wonky version of Mick Jagger.  His mouth is huge, that’s why I said Mick Jagger, not a Grouper.  Anyway, he has a lot going on for someone who, at the age of 24, has been living with his widowed ER/School Nurse mother (Marisa Tomei), is trying to start up a business combining tattoos and food, a restaurant ink parlor, and I bet you can’t guess the name.  It’s actually pretty brilliant. The only drawback is that his talent hasn’t be honed to work in a parlor.  That being said, it’s rare that you, unless you’re living like this, get to see what happens if you’re directionless in life and making questionable, if not downright stupid, choices.   

His major relationships, mother-son, brother-sister, friends, girlfriend, mother’s new boyfriend (comedian Bill Burr) and the irony that he’s a fireman, just like Pete’s father who passed when he was 7 years old, are blended together beautifully.  There is plenty of drug use, swearing, not as much sex as you’d think, crimes gone way wrong and Steve Buscemi*, what more could you want?  I, for one, was just happy when the film stopped acting up, i.e., pausing and buffering in the middle of a scene, and got to see the whole shebang from start to finish (streaming can sometimes be fraught with peril).  Not recommended for children by any stretch of the imagination, but a good guide for parents who have kids that just can’t seem to leave the nest.   

Rating:  Bong hits for Jesus, belly button cat’s behind tat, mental health awareness celebration, and a hot time in the old town tonight…3.75 stars  *Was a New York City Fire Department Fireman (thank you for your service, Steve).  

Harriet

Cynthia Erivo commands the screen.  You believe that she is Harriet Tubman nee Minty, who wouldn’t rest until all of her people were free.  History is unfolded and this visual representation of what it means to be free and uphold the rights of human beings, is a compelling look into the change Ms Tubman made by her beliefs, her determination, and her compassion for others.  Ms Erivo is a singer, songwriter, and actress and is well on her way to being considered as Best Actress in all of the upcoming contests, and will more than likely be considered for best song.  The story seems larger than life, but it’s not a story, it’s a reenactment of what occurred in the 1800’s before and during the Civil War.  Direction is stellar and the entire cast provides a peek into history and it’s profound effect on abolishing slavery and the future of civil rights.  Bravo. 4 big stars.

Parasite

Unless you’ve been living under a rock or you just don’t care about anything to do with the entertainment business, you probably know that Parasite took two major awards at this year’s Academy Awards Ceremony.  They won Best International Film and Best Picture for 2019.  First time ever in 92 years.  That could have happened last year with Roma, however, they were one best award shy.  Personally, that’s okay with me.  I enjoyed this much more than Roma, although I speak only a tiny amount of Spanish, and absolutely no Korean.  The basic premise…the Kim family is poor, living hand-to-mouth, the Park family is affluent.  A chance encounter by the Kim’s son with a former school chum connects the two families, although there are several complications, secrets, and downright lies that keep the Parks from connecting the dots.  Deftly orchestrated, near misses abound and the twists and turns keep you on the edge of your seat.  Rating:  ooo - - ooo- o- o-o ooo   (check your Morse Code)

The Farewell

It's been a long time, a year and a half to be exact and my trigger finger is itching, not to mention my eyes.  I had eye surgery in June and dealing with a lot of death over the past year.  Death and how to  deal with the impending passing of a loved one is the subject of this review.  In this case, we have Billi (portrayed by Awkwafina) who learns of her grandmother's terminal illness.  Nai Nai (grandma) is in China, Billi and her mother and father live in New York.  The family has been told that Nai Nai has about three weeks to live, but she doesn't know it and everyone is expected to keep her in the dark by coming to visit for a fake wedding (but it's really to say goodbye).  That's a problem because the family thinks that they can leave Billi out because she won't be able to keep the secret and will spill the beans by the look on her face.  She talks to Nai Nai all the time, loves her grandmother to the moon and back, and really does her best to keep the secret.  It's a gently funny comedy dealing with family perceptions that are skewed by time and distance.  I've said it once and I'll say it again, if you want to make God laugh, tell 'em your plans.  This is a true story based on a lie, only the names have been changed to protect the innocent.  Great cast, wonderful soundtrack, see the real China, not a reasonable facsimile.  Enjoy a hot cup of tea, bad karaoke, odd fashion and interior design.  Rating:  I see an Independent Spirit Award or two or three in The Farewell's future.     

Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle

Before this was released nationwide, I, personally, had some trepidations about how this would transition from a movie about a board game come to life to something that the future generations would relate to since everyone has their noses buried deep in their phones.  Robin Williams, of course, wouldn’t be a part of this reboot, and the humor has been shifted to more mature themes.  Still, we’re talking about high schoolers who have to deal with some very dangerous situations.  Although you may not recognize some of the actors, if I told you that “the girl” is Nebula from Guardians of the Galaxy I and II and Amy from Doctor Who, does that help?  Nice to see her, Karen Gillan, not bald and with much less make-up.  Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Kevin Hart, and Jack Black round out the players and we have some references to Alan Parrish (rest in peace Robin), VanPelt, and instead of moving around the board, well, you’ll just have to check it out.  There are some elements that seem a bit reminiscent of The Hunger Games, but with a lot more tongue-in-cheekiness.  If I was a game designer and you told me this is what you wanted the results to be, I could totally understand that, but I’d also give the characters a chance to start over, different ways to get from point A to point B and so on and so on.  Overall, much, much, much better than I could have imagined and, although I’m not huge Guns and Roses fan, Axl Rose singing Welcome To The Jungle is the perfect cherry on top of this exploding cake of a film.  Rating:  hippos and jaguars and crocodiles, oh my, pecs that could crush walnuts, a mix tape of songs of the ‘90’s—best line ever…why am I not Instagramming this right now?  (3.88 stars)

Thor: Ragnarok

Trying to figure out how to write a review that encompasses the film Thor:  Ragnarok as a drinking game.  Key words:  Loki, Asgaard (or a reasonable facsimile of), Son of Odin, Thor, God of Thunder (or a reasonable facsimile of)/Hela, Goddess of Death, and Hulk Smash, Valkyrie, Grandmaster, and Melty Stick.  Everything works and sets the ground work for the next episode…these are plain and simple comic books come to life.  There’s snarky dialogue, over the top fights, sparks fly and depending on how you look at it, that’s a good thing.  If I had to pick my favorite Marvel Comics hero, my Norwegian ancestry points me in the direction of Thor Odinson, God of Thunder.  Chris Hemsworth is the ideal choice.  He’s epitomizes the Norse god to a “T”, hair, bod for battle, non-descript age, beyond belief chutzpah, only thing that’s always seemed funny to me is the accents.  None are even close to Scandinavian or even hint in that direction, but that’s just me…I was the same way with the How to Train Your Dragon films.  This is the most un-bloody (except for a spontaneous bit with the Grandmaster involving his cousin) fun, gotta kill them all film that kept me entertained pretty much throughout.  At the very least it was good enough to make me want to see it more than once or twice and learn all the lines, which, after about a dozen more times, I’ll be able to quote similar to Rocky Horror, unless, of course, the drinking game is pursued and I’ll get as smashed as Valkyrie.  Also, keep an eye out for Matt Damon, who makes a cameo and it’s really funny (but only if you’ve seen the film Dogma).  The soundtrack kicks butt, just like this unlikely group of heroes.  Rating:  an everlasting fire, holograms for days, not “get help” again, where’d you get that haircut? aka 3.87 stars