Knives Out

Knives Out PG-13

My Rating 4.5 Stars

Knives Out is a Murder Mystery / Who Done It type movie with a lot if heart and the right amount of funny bone added in. It is such a fun ride the entire time that the 2 hours you spend in the theater flies by and you don’t want it to stop.  

It definitely takes queues from a Sherlock Holmes or a Murder on the Orient Express but is not typecast by them either. And the cast, oh what a cast. I still do not understand how they can pay for this amount of talent and still afford to make the movie but what a movie they made.  Between the easy dialogue, nervous energy, and intriguing characters that are continually on display, this movie makes for one of my more enjoyable viewings this year so far.

There is one criticism I have with the movie, however it is not something I can get into without giving away parts of the movie.  I will just say, for me, it could have been a little different and I would have loved it more.

With that being said, this is still a great movie and should be seen ASAP and enjoy!!

Terminator: Dark Fate

Terminator: Dark Fate 

My Rating 3 Stars

In yet another time traveling killer robot movie, Terminator: Dark Fate tries to make us forget everything that happened after T2 and almost works. The Terminator is on point, Sarah Connor is great and a well aged but jaded hero and T-800 is the Arnold we remember. The problem is everything else is generic and had been previously done but now has new faces on it. Unfortunately while this movie was fun, I will not remember it as the best Terminator 3... or was it 6, no it is 3.1.5.

Just wait until Redbox.

Midway

Midway 2019 PG-13

My Rating: 4 Stars

Midway is a very unique movie in that it is not a documentary, at all, in any way, and yet it is almost as factually based and accurate that it could be easily mistaken for one if not for the high Hollywood production value a few small embellishments that are taken.  It is being praised by the U.S. Navy because of this and that should say a lot.  If for no other reason, this should be enough for you to go see this movie but luckily for you, there are many more reasons and let's get into some of them now.

The way the flight sequences are shot, give you a full view of what is going on over the battle field while also quite literally putting you in the pilots and gunners seats better than any movie I have seen before.  It really is a feat all unto it’s own how they pulled this off and made it feel both authentic and exciting.

The cast of Ed Skrein, Patrick Wilson, Luke Evans, Woody Harrelson, Mandy Moore, Dennis Quaid, Alexander Ludwig, Nick Jonas, and more all put in so much effort to pay tribute to the real people they were playing and all the care they took with their characters shined through.

The only problem I have with Midway is the run time, more specifically, it needed to be longer.  With everything they try to put into this movie, it is a little abrupt in its jumps of story lines because of editing and with 20 or 30 more minutes it could have been so much smoother.

However that does not take away from the fact this this is still one of the most factual and well done WWII movies I have seen and should really be seen on the big screen by anyone who has even a passing interest or respect for American history.

Phantom Thread

Should I Go or Just Say No?

Phantom Thread: Rated R

My Rating: 5 Stars

I will start off this review by stealing one my my favorite sayings from Grey’s Anatomy, this movie was “Dark and Twisty” and all the better for it.  If feels like a movie that was actually filmed in 1950’s London and then forgotten about until just now and released.  The camera shots, music, costumes, and dialog is so authentic that it almost makes your heart aches for how real it is.

Phantom Thread follows the ins and outs of of the House of Woodcock, a renowned dress maker Reynold Woodcock in London who is at the top of his professional game and at the bottom of his mental one.  Daniel Day-Lewis delivers a very believable performance of mental strain and artistic brilliance combined with an emotional wanting.

Vicky Krieps has a powerful and surprisingly loving yet difficult relationship with Woodcock as the unforgettable Alma.  The Strength and Quietness she brings to the role is both shockingly amazing as it is so out of the norm for what we are used to seeing for a women in the 50s and because of this, it is a wonderfully refreshing performance.

Lesley Manville plays Woodcocks sister Cyril and gives what seems like a more typical 50s ladies role until it doesn’t.  She also gives a perfect performance that deserves every bit of Oscar but she is getting.

Phantom Thread is a movie that cares deeply about the story and feel of the movie and uses every way it can to tell you it instead of just using dialog like most drama’s recently.  In that respect if reminds me a lot of Stanley Kubrick’s Space Odyssey 2001.

So with all that said it is time to answer “The Question”.  Go, you must Go to this movie if only to see something that is so unique and heartwarming in its twisted brilliance.  This While most people will not be able to guess every twist and turn in this movie, some of them may make people mad.  But for me, that is part of the fun.

Please enjoy and leave me a comment with what you think of the movie when you see it.