Unplanned

Film Review by Kam Williams

Adaptation of Memoir Recounts Abortion Counselor's Spiritual Transformation

Abby Johnson (Ashley Bratcher) was recruited by Planned Parenthood to do volunteer work when she was still an undergrad at Texas A&M. Her first job was to escort women seeking abortions from the parking lot into the building, past picketers calling them baby killers.

 

Upon graduating from college, she was hired as a counselor at the controversial, reproductive health services provider's clinic in Bryan, Texas. Over the course of the next eight years, she rose up the ranks to office director, even though she was privately conflicted over whether the organization's primary function was to inform pregnant women about their options or merely to perform abortions.

After all, she not only came from a conservative, pro-life family, but felt overwhelming regret about the two abortions she had undergone herself earlier in life. So, between pressure from her parents and the almost daily confrontations with demonstrators, Abby's conscience began to get the better of her.

The moment of truth arrived the day her help was urgently needed in the operating room. And, for the first time in her career, she observed an actual abortion. 

She was shocked by the gruesome procedure which left her convinced that the fetus was a baby. In fact, she felt so guilty that she decided to resign and join the pro-life protesters marching outside the building.

That is the touching transformation convincingly conveyed in Unplanned, a poignant, cinematic portrait co-directed by Chuck Konzelman and Cary Solomon. Unfortunately, abortion is such an incendiary issue, this is the sort of film audiences will be inclined to judge without seeing based on their political persuasion, although it's adapted from Abby Johnson's very personal memoir.

A riveting reminiscence recounting a Planned Parenthood exec's unlikely conversion to outspoken anti-abortion activist.

Very Good (3 stars)

Rated R for disturbing images

Running time: 110 minutes

Distributor: Pure Flix Entertainment

To see a trailer for Unplanned, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBLWpKbC3ww

Yardie

Film Review by Kam Williams

Elba Makes Directorial Debut with Jamaican Coming-of-Age Drama

Dennis “D” Campbell (Aml Ameen) had the misfortune of growing up in the slums of Kingston, Jamaica in the Seventies at a time when the 'hood was infested with drugs. Orphaned at an early age, he was raised by an older brother he admired, Jerry (Everaldo Creary).

Besides serving as a surrogate father, Jerry was a peacemaker who risked his life pressuring the gangs ruining the community to end their bloody turf war. But Dennis was left traumatized at 13 when his sibling was senselessly shot dead by Clancy (Raheem Edwards), a young member of the Tappa crew.

Fast forward a half-dozen years and we find D doing the bidding of King Fox (Sheldon Shepherd), the leader of Spicer, Tappa's rival gang. When he is asked to smuggle a kilo of cocaine on a plane bound for London, he leaps at the opportunity because not only does Clancy live there now, but so too does Dennis' daughter (Myla-Rae Hutchinson-Dunwell). So, the risky assignment will afford him an opportunity to avenge his brother's murder while reuniting with loved ones.

That is the intriguing set up of Yardie, a coming-of-age drama marking the noteworthy directorial debut of Idris Elba. Adapted from Victor Headley's 1992 novel of the same name, the film is narrated by its intrepid protagonist, a conflicted soul eternally torn between good and evil. 

 

A gritty tale of survival slightly marred by a tendency to telegraph its punches.

Very Good (3 stars)

Unrated

Running time: 101 minutes

Production Companies: Warp Films / BFI Film Fund / Studio Canal

Distributor: Rialto Pictures

To see a trailer for Yardie, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qItW6evHbE8

Five Feet Apart

Film Review by Kam Williams

Romance Drama Revolves around Forbidden Love between Hospitalized Teens

Stella Grant (Haley Lu Richardson) is a typical 17 year-old in most regards. However, she is also suffering from Cystic Fibrosis (CF), a genetic disease which makes her very susceptible to a variety of breathing disorders.

Consequently, she spends much of her time in the hospital receiving a “tune up” for this or that malady. She's currently receiving treatment for bronchitis on a ward with several fellow CF patients, including her gay BFF, Poe (Moises Arias), although there is a strictly-enforced rule that they stay at least six feet apart at all times, because they could easily infect each other. 

 

That regulation is put to the test upon the arrival of newcomer Will Newman (Cole Sprouse), a CF victim with a bacteria which would prove fatal should Stella catch it from him. For, the two kids fall in love at first sight, so they find it hard to resist their raging hormones' urge to merge.

Luckily, nurse Barb (Kimberly Hebert Gregory) is there to monitor the movements of the young patients. She has been particularly vigilant to prevent any rendezvous on her watch, ever since an incident that led to a tragic ending.

Thus unfolds Five Feet Apart, a bittersweet romance drama marking the noteworthy, feature film directorial debut of actor Justin Baldoni (Jane the Virgin). Baldoni deserves considerable credit for coaxing impressive performances out of Haley Lu Richardson and Cole Sprouse who manage to generate convincing chemistry in challenging roles where they can't touch each other.

The movie's sole flaw rests in its unnecessarily adding a melodramatic twist more appropriate for a soap opera. During the picture's climactic moment, we suddenly learn that Stella's prayers for a lung transplant might have miraculously just been answered. A distracting rabbit-out-the-hat development that almost ruins an otherwise poignant love story.

Very Good (3 stars)

Rated PG-13 for profanity, mature themes and suggestive material

Running time: 116 minutes

Production Companies: CBS Films / Wayfarer Entertainment

Distributors: CBS Films / Lionsgate

To see a trailer for Five Feet Apart, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtgCqMZofqM

Cold Pursuit

Film Review by Kam Williams

Grieving Dad Goes Vigilante in Remake of Gruesome, Norwegian Crime Thriller

Nels Coxman (Liam Neeson) is Kehoe, Colorado's most reliable snowplow driver. He was recently named the popular ski resort area's “Citizen of the Year” for keeping its treacherous mountain roads clear during the blizzards which routinely threaten to disrupt the town's tourist season. 

 

Not used to making public appearances before an audience, the shy civil servant needs some help from his wife (Laura Dern) dressing and preparing an acceptance speech. Unfortunately, tragedy strikes the night of the awards dinner when their son (Micheál Richardson) dies of a drug overdose in nearby Denver.

After identifying the body at the morgue, Grace (“We didn't know our own son.”) is inclined to accept the police explanation that Kyle had been a heroin addict. But hubby Nels (“Kyle wasn't a druggie!”) is very skeptical, since the kid had no history of drug use and had been gainfully employed as a baggage handler at Kehoe's airport at the time of his demise. 

 

So, the grieving dad decides to do a little digging on his own and soon discovers that Dante (Wesley MacInnes), a co-worker of Kyle's, had stolen a kilo of cocaine from a drug cartel. As it turns out, Kyle was ostensibly murdered in a case of mistaken identity on orders from a kingpin known as Viking (Tom Bateman).

That's little consolation to Nels who suddenly becomes blinded by rage. The mild-mannered pillar of the community morphs into a sadistic spree killer determined to track down the powerful mobster who ordered the hit on his boy. However, Viking has an army of minions running interference, which means Nels must negotiate a perilous gauntlet en route to his well-protected target.

Thus unfolds Cold Pursuit, a riveting vigilante thriller directed by Hans Petter Moland. The movie is a faithful, English-language adaptation of In Order of Disappearance, a gratuitous gorefest which Moland made in his native Norway in 2014. This equally-gruesome remake similarly veers back and forth between slaughter and slapstick, never fully committing to comedy or drama. 

 

Whether we're supposed to laugh at or recoil from the escalating body count, Cold Pursuit, at heart, is a wanton splatterflick certain to satiate the bloodlust of fans of the genre.

Very Good (3 stars)

Rated R for profanity, drug use, sexual references and graphic violence

Running time: 118 minutes

Production Company: Paradox Films / StudioCanal

Distributor: Lionsgate / Summit Entertainment

To see a trailer for Cold Pursuit, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0phuNQQ_gHI

Jihadists

Film Review by Kam Williams

Shocking Documentary Delivers Jaw-Dropping Profile of ISIS

How much do you know about ISIS, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria? Sure, you probably know that it is an extremist Muslim sect which claims to be a caliphate headquartered in Syria. 

 

You are also are undoubtedly aware of the radical outfit's terrorist attacks in America, France, Belgium, England and elsewhere around the world. That's because ISIS is media savvy and quite skilled at recruiting followers over the internet.

Just a month ago, President Trump declared, “We have defeated ISIS,” before ordering the withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Syria. However, soon thereafter, four Americans were killed by an ISIS suicide bomber in the city of Manbij.

If you'd like to understand the ideology fueling these fanatics, have I got a film for you. Co-directed by Francois Margolin and Lemine Salem, Jihadists is an eye-opening expose' shot by filmmakers who embedded with the extremists.

Fair warning, this is not a documentary for the faint of heart. For, it features raw footage of ISIS foot soldiers doling out the cult's cruel brand of justice. 

 

So, brace your self to see drive-by shootings of unsuspecting infidels, gays tossed off buildings, adulterers beheaded or stoned to death, thieves whipped or have their hands chopped off, and Coptics Christians caged and shot in the head, one-by-one.

Again and again, the perpetrators rationalize their ghastly crimes against humanity by quoting from the Koran. Members of ISIS are so-called Salafists who believe in a literal interpretation of the scriptures.

In the film, we hear wild-eyed imams weigh in on everything from Israel (“We are in an endless war with Jews.”), to America (“Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib have stirred up our hatred of the West.”), to females (“A woman cannot be considered equal to a man.”), to assassinating cartoonists (“Insulting the prophet Muhammad is a serious offense. Charlie Hebdo got what it deserved.”).

Apparently, there are ISIS strongholds not just in the Middle East, but all across sub-Saharan Africa, in such countries as Mali, Nigeria and Mauritania. Its adherents are fearless on their mission to “purify the world” because of their belief that paradise awaits in the afterlife.

A chilling documentary banned in France, but available in America despite fatwas, thanks to this country's undying commitment to freedom of speech.

Very Good (3 stars)

Unrated

In French with subtitles

Running time: 75 minutes

Production Company: Margo Cinema

Distributor: Cinema Libre Studio

To see a trailer for Jihadists, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHxfwbzL7u4

A Dog's Way Home

 

Film Review by Kam Williams

Separated Pet Embarks on Perilous Journey in Heartwarming Family Adventure

Life has proven to be quite a challenge for Bella (voiced by Bryce Dallas Howard) from the start. Soon after birth, the puppy was separated from her mother, though she was lucky enough to be nursed back to health by a stray cat. 

 

The lovable mutt eventually lands at an animal shelter where receptionist Olivia (Alexandra Shipp) introduces it to the cute volunteer (Jonah Hauer-King) she has a crush on. Lucas decides to adopt Bella, hoping she might help lift the spirits of his mom (Ashley Judd), a military veteran suffering from PTSD. 

 

Terri does take to the playful pooch, although she is subsequently threatened with eviction for violating her lease's “no pets” provision. A further complication arrives when Denver's dogcatcher (John Cassini) incorrectly labels mixed-breed Bella as a pit bull. He warns that a local ordinance allows him to euthanize any pit bull not on a leash in public.

The plot thickens the day Bella impulsively leaps through a window to chase a squirrel down the street. She's spotted and seized by Officer Chuck who is eager to put her to sleep.

But the hound's life is spared thanks to a compromise whereby Bella is shipped to New Mexico to live with Olivia's Uncle Jose (Darcy Laurie). 

 

Unfortunately, Bella is miserable without Lucas and Terri, and it's not long before she runs away, embarking on a 400-mile journey home. That very eventful odyssey, marked by love, altruism, loyalty, unlikely liaisons, close brushes with death and even a terrible tragedy (which might upset tykes), fuels the fire of A Dog's Way Home, a touching tale directed by Charles Martin Smith (Air Bud). 

 

The movie is based on the novel of the same name by W. Bruce Cameron whose best seller, “A Dog's Purpose,” was successfully adapted to the screen a couple of years ago. Though not technically a sequel, this is another inspirational adventure narrated by an anthropomorphic canine.

The sentimental storyline is designed to appeal to dog lovers of all ages. Don't be surprised if you just can't resist the transparent attempts to tug on your heartstrings, despite the fact that this is a flick which telegraphs it punches.

Fairly formulaic, but it works! 

 

Very Good (3 stars)

Rated PG for peril, mild epithets and mature themes

Running time: 97 minutes

Production Companies: Columbia Pictures / Pariah / Bona Film Group

Studio: Sony Pictures

To see a trailer for A Dog's Way Home, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pKdCHvH310

Ben Is Back

 

Film Review by Kam Williams

Addict Unexpectedly Arrives Home for Christmas in Dysfunctional Family Drama

Holly (Julia Roberts) and Neal (Courtney B. Vance) are raising a family in a quaint country home in upstate New York ostensibly far removed from the sort of woes which plague the inner city. It's Christmas Eve, and we meet Holly in church where she's patiently watching three of her four kids practicing for the Christmas pageant.

However, looks can be deceiving, since missing from the idyllic picture is her eldest child, Ben (Lucas Hedges). For, the troubled 19 year-old has been living at a drug rehab center where he's managed to keep clean for the past 77 days. 

 

But Ben has left the facility without permission to be with the folks over the holidays. And the trouble starts when he breaks into the house when nobody's there upon his arrival. 

 

Understandably, Holly and Neal have different reactions to Ben's return. She naively welcomes her Prodigal Son with open arms. Meanwhile, his African-American stepdad is very skeptical about allowing the addict to stay, pointing out that, if he were black, he'd probably be in prison rather than a halfway house. 

 

Neal's not only concerned about the prospect of Ben using again, but about the welfare of Lacey (Mia Fowler) and Liam (Jakari Fraser), his impressionable, young offspring with Holly. By contrast, teenage stepdaughter Ivy (Kathryn Newton) is well aware of Ben's tendency to relapse, and is dead set against an impromptu reunion.

Unfortunately, headstrong Holly gets the final say. Against her better judgment and Ben's own warning that he can't be trusted, she agrees to a one-day visit. What ensues is a harrowing 24-hour nightmare the gullible mom will come to regret.

Thus unfolds Ben Is Back, a timely cautionary tale written and directed by Peter Hedges (Pieces of April). It stars his son Lucas in the title role opposite Julia Roberts who proves quite convincing as a mom in denial who becomes increasingly frazzled over the course of the misadventure. 

 

As chilling a depiction of the suburban opioid epidemic as you are apt to find onscreen.

Very Good (3 stars)

Rated R for drug use and pervasive profanity

Running time: 103 minutes

Production Studio: Black Bear Pictures / 30 West / Color Force

Studio: LD Entertainment / Roadside Attractions / Lionsgate

To see a trailer for Ben Is Back, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MI9NdYktzfE

Instant Family

Film Review by Kam Williams

Altruistic Couple Adopts Three Siblings in Inspirational, Real- Life Drama

Pete (Mark Wahlberg) and Ellie Wagner (Rose Byrne) are speculators who make a living flipping real estate in their hometown of Atlanta. The couple's latest acquisition is a fixer-upper with five bedrooms they hope to sell to Ellie's sister Kim (Allyn Rachel) and brother-in-law Russ (Tom Segura).

However, Kim and Russ aren't in the market for a house that needs so much work. Furthermore, they're childless with no plans to start a family. So, they simply have no use for a place that large.

Pete and Ellie don't have kids either, but they have been seriously considering adoption. In fact, they've even been checking out photos of available orphans online.

Next thing you know, they're visiting a foster care facility during an adoption fair run by administrators Karen (Octavia Spencer) and Sharon (Tig Notaro). While being escorted around the grounds, Pete hits it off with Lizzy (Isabela Moner), a headstrong, 15 year-old obviously in need of a father figure.

Trouble is, Lizzy has been serving as a surrogate mother to her little brother (Gustavo Quiroz) and sister (Julianna Gamiz), and she doesn't want to be separated from her siblings. Do the Wagners have enough love in their hearts to adopt all three?

Of course they do, and the ensuing adjustment to parenthood is the sum and substance of Instant Family, an inspirational biopic co-written and directed by Sean Anders. The semi-autobiographical adventure is based on Anders own real-life experience.

To its credit, Instant Family does tackle a variety of serious themes ranging from drug abuse, to sexual abuse, to racial tolerance, even if the issues are generally resolved fairly easily. An uplifting adventure apt to lead to an uptick in applications for adoptions.

Very Good (3 stars)

Rated PG-13 for sexuality, profanity, drug references and mature themes

Running time: 118 minutes

Production Studio: Closest to the Hole Productions

Studio: Paramount Pictures

To see a trailer for Instant Family, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUfZq3DUd3Y

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

Film Review by Kam Williams

Latest J.K. Rowling Romp Revolves around Familiar Clash of Good vs. Evil

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is the second in a series of five Harry Potter prequels being written and produced by author J.K. Rowling. The movie was directed by David Yates who made the original Fantastic Beasts as well as Harry Potters 5 through 8.

Set in 1927, the film unfolds six months after the first which ended with the apprehension and imprisonment in New York City of the evil Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp). However, while being transported across the proverbial pond to Europe, the dark wizard escapes his captors with the help of his minions.

Next thing you know, he's hatching a diabolical plot to establish a new world order by breeding a race of pure-blood witches and wizards to rule over all “muggles,” aka ordinary people. Ultimately, the hope for saving humanity will rest on the shoulders of the picture's protagonist, Newt Salamander (Eddie Redmayne). 

 

This good wizard is a “magizooligist,” meaning he has an army of supernatural animals at his disposal. Trouble is, Newt has been grounded by the British Ministry of Magic since inadvertently making such an embarrassing mess in the Big Apple during FB1.

Following a successful appeal of the harsh sentence, the unassuming hero's wand and travel rights are restored, setting in motion a series of events leading to an inevitable showdown with the megalomaniacal Grindelwald. Still, the deliberately-paced tale takes a number of nostalgic detours prior to the monumental clash of good vs. evil, thanks to Newt's fervent desire to remain neutral.

So, we're first treated to a string of extraneous subplots, like distracting sidebars revolving around reunions with Professor Dumbledore (Jude Law) and Newt's old flame, Leta Lestrange (Zoe Kravitz). Diehard fans of the franchise are apt to appreciate such time-filling folderol while average audience members might grow increasingly impatient for the visually-captivating action sequences.

Overall, FB2 proves to be an entertaining episode ending on an engaging enough note to keep you curious about the next offering in J.K. Rowling's incomparable Wizarding World series.

Very Good (3 stars)

Rated PG-13 for action

Running time: 134 minutes

Production Studios: Heyday Films / Warner Brothers Pictures

Studio: Warner Brothers Pictures

To see a trailer for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bYBOVWLNIs

First Man

Film Review by Kam Williams

Neil Armstrong Biopic Explores Emotional Angst of Legendary Astronaut

Neil Armstrong made history on July 20, 1969 when he became the first person to walk on the moon. In retrospect, the NASA astronaut proved to be the ideal pick for the honor, since he never subsequently sought to cash in on his celebrity status.

Instead, the reluctant hero modestly eschewed fame and fortune, withdrawing from the limelight in favor of sharing his pearls of wisdom with future generations in the classroom as a college professor. He even discouraged biographers until he finally agreed to cooperate with James R. Hansen on “First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong.”

Published in 2005, the 768-page opus has now been adapted to the screen by Oscar-winning scriptwriter Josh Singer (for Spotlight). However, the biopic covers only 1961 through 1969, Armstrong's early years in the space program, ending with Apollo 11's historic lunar landing.

The picture reunites Damien Chazelle and Ryan Gosling whose collaboration on the delightful musical La La Land (2016) netted the former the Best Director Academy Award and the latter a nomination in the Lead Actor category. First Man is a relatively-sober affair which divides its time between chronicling the astronauts' perilous training regimen and speculating about the ever-stoic Armstrong's inscrutable psyche.

The movie's somber tone is set not long past the point of departure when Neil and wife Janet's (Claire Foy) 2 year-old daughter Karen loses her battle with brain cancer. In lieu of mourning, he throws himself into his preparations for space flight, and his emotional unavailability puts an unspoken strain on their relationship. 

 

Meanwhile, the risks associated with the Gemini and Apollo programs only further intensify Armstrong's palpable angst. After all, numerous astronauts died in accidents during training, including his close friends Ed White (Jason Clarke) and Elliot See (Patrick Fugit).

In terms of special f/x, First Man tends to telescope tightly on what transpired in the cockpits, so brace yourself for lots of hand-held camera work from the astronauts' point-of-view, as opposed to the awe-inspiring God shots you ultimately get from the lunar surface.

A fitting tribute to an American icon best remembered as a humble, vulnerable soul with human frailties.

Very Good (3 stars)

Rated PG-13 for peril, mature themes and brief profanity

Running time: 141 minutes

Production Studio: Amblin Entertainment / Perfect World Pictures / Dreamworks / Universal Pictures / Temple Hill Entertainment

Studio: Universal Pictures

To see a trailer for First Man, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSoRx87OO6k

Support the Girls

Film Review by Kam Williams

A Day in the Life of Gutsy "Den Mother" In Charge of Beleaguered Sports Bar

Double Whammies is an unremarkable watering hole located along a desolate strip of highway outside Austin, Texas where truckers and regulars can slip in and out quietly without drawing much attention to themselves. The seedy sports bar, a la your typical Hooters, is known for its booze and finger food served by scantily-clad waitresses in cut-off jeans and low-cut tops. 
 
The place is run with an iron fist by Lisa Conroy (Regina Hall), a very-protective den mother who takes seriously her mission to shield her employees from perverts inclined to cross a line to fraternize improperly. Though she shows her tough side to the clientele, the tenderhearted manager handles her staff with big kids' gloves. 
 

Lisa's motley crew ranges from naive newcomers to hardened pros, and she's blessed with a knack for knowing precisely what sort of support each needs. Unfortunately, she's not appreciated by Double Whammies' owner, Cubby (James Le Gros), probably because the club always seems to have a host of unresolved woes. 

 

For example, at the moment, there's a burglary in progress thanks to a hapless perp who got himself stuck in a ceiling vent. Lisa knows the show must go on, so instead of summoning the police, she has her own way of dealing with such a distraction which keeps the wheels turning but frustrates her skeptical boss. That's just the way it goes at this quirky haunt. 

 

Written and directed by Andrew Bujalski (Beeswax), the film features many of the hallmarks of the low-budget genre on which the Mumblecore maven built his career. The picture effectively paints a poignant portrait of a day in the life of a humble, dedicated, working-class heroine just trying to make a buck. 

 

Remember how the indie-flick Paterson (2016) managed to elevate a lowly New Jersey poet/bus driver? Well, this tale of female empowerment pulls off a similar feat. Raw-edged cinema verite' cut to the bone, if that's your taste.

Very Good (3 stars)
Rated R for profanity, sexual references and brief nudity
Running time: 90 minutes
Production Studios: Burn Later Productions / Houston King Productions
Distributor: Magnolia Pictures



To see a trailer for Support the Girls, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gp-8oB53P7k

Life of the Party

Film Review by Kam Williams

Just-Dumped Divorcee' Returns to College in Bawdy, Midlife Crisis Comedy

Deanna Miles (Melissa McCarthy) was a junior in college when she got pregnant and dropped out of school to have the baby. She married her boyfriend, Dan (Matt Walsh), who finished his degree and kickstarted his career while she remained a stay-at-home mom.

Fast forward to the present and we find the couple dropping now-grown Maddie (Molly Gordon) off at their alma mater, Decatur University, where she's about to begin her senior year. She's happy to be moving back in with her girlfriends living at Theta Mu Gamma sorority house. 

 

On the drive home, Dan drops a bombshell on Deanna. He's canceled their planned, month-long vacation in Italy in favor of filing for divorce. Furthermore, the callous creep wants her out of the house, since it's in his name alone. 

 

To add insult to injury, he's putting it on the market with the help of his mistress Marcie (Julie Bowen), a realtor in town. And he has the temerity to rub salt into his shocked wife's wounds by explaining the ongoing affair with, "I just needed an upgrade." 

 

That cruel behavior frees Deanna to put some of his favorite belongings in a pile and set them on fire. Still, she's left in a quandary about what to do next, not having worked and or even graduated from college. 

 

Then she comes up with the bright idea of returning to Decatur to do her senior year right along with her daughter. Too bad Molly's mortified about the prospect of having her mom on campus.

But that is precisely the premise of Life of the Party, a midlife crisis comedy directed by Ben Falcone and co-written by Ben and his real-life wife, Melissa McCarthy. The movie marks the couple's third and most successful collaboration, following the less funny Tammy (2014) and The Boss (2016). This offering is most reminiscent of Back to School (1986), the Rodney Dangerfield classic about a dad who decides to matriculate at the same college as his son.

While Melissa McCarthy has undeniably been hilarious in buddy flicks and as part of an ensemble, a la Bridesmaids (2011), The Heat (2013) and Ghostbusters (2016), she remains yet to prove an ability to maintain that level of laughter carrying a star vehicle. That being said, this female-centric variation on Back to School is well worth the investment.

Very Good (3 stars)
Rated PG-13 for sexuality, partying and drug use
Running time: 105 minutes
Production Studios: New Line Cinema/ Warner Brothers / On the Day Productions
Distributor: New Line Cinema / Warner Brothers Pictures

To see a trailer for Life of the Party, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTyfkQrr6M4

Kings

Film Review by Kam Williams

Period Piece Features Halle Berry as Mom Frantically Searching for Kids during Rodney King Riots

On March 3, 1991, five LAPD officers were caught on camera beating an unarmed black man who had led them on a high-speed chase instead of pulling over as directed. That driver, Rodney King suffered a broken ankle, a broken cheekbone, and numerous skull fractures and chipped teeth in the assault by billy clubs. 

 

A year later, riots broke out all over South Central L.A. after a jury acquitted all the officers involved in the arrest. By the time the dust had settled a half-dozen days later, 63 people had died and thousands of businesses had been looted and burned to the ground, resulting in over a billion dollars in damages. 

 

What was it like in the midst of the chaos and conflagration? That was the challenge accepted by Deniz Gamze Erguven in mounting Kings, a surreal saga chronicling a foster-mom's frantic search for her missing kids at the height of the Rodney King riots. 

 

You may remember that the talented Turkish writer/director made a spectacular debut a couple of years ago with Mustang, a female-centric, coming-of-age adventure which landed an Oscar nomination in the Best Foreign Film category. So, Kings is just Ms. Erguven's second feature-length movie, and her first in English. 

 

While the ambitious offering earns an A for the convincing way in which it recreates pandemonium, it only gets a C for coherency. For, the film unfolds less like a traditional narrative than a series of loosely-connected, impressionistic vignettes.

It stars Academy Award-winner Halle Berry (for Monster's Ball) as Millie Dunbar, an overworked single-mom with 8 foster kids. When civil unrest breaks out, she embarks on a quest to round them up with the help of her agoraphobic next-door neighbor, Obie, the last white guy living in the 'hood. The hunky shut-in, played by Daniel "007" Craig, summons up the courage to get out of the house for the sake of Millie's missing brood.

The plot thickens when the two are mistaken for looters by a gruff cop (Kirk Baltz) too overwhelmed by the situation to listen to any explanations. Millie and Obie end up handcuffed to each other which might not be entirely bad, since the close quarters affords them an opportunity to get better acquainted. So who knows, the old maid might even find a man in the midst of the mayhem. 

 

This otherwise grim period piece arrives blessed with a retro soundtrack featuring James Brown's African-American anthem "Say It Loud, I'm Black & I'm Proud," Bill Withers' haunting, R&B classic "City of the Angels," and Nina Simone's searing rendition of "Ooh Child." Nevertheless, consider Kings a harrowing descent into depravity that makes The Florida Project look like Leave It to Beaver.

Very Good (3 stars)
Rated R for violence, sexuality, nudity and pervasive profanity
Running time: 92 minutes
Production Studios: Bliss Media/ CG Cinema / Maven Pictures
Distributor: The Orchard Company


To see a trailer for Kings, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSjkrVUnLuA

Midnight Sun

Film Review by Kam Williams

Sickly Teen Finds Soulmate in Bittersweet Romance Drama

 

The biggest takeaway from Midnight Sun is that Patrick Schwarzenegger has a bright future as an actor. Fair warning: he's not a buff bodybuilder like his father, Arnold, so don't look for him to play he-man roles any time soon. 

 

However, in Midnight Sun he proves that he can hold his own as a leading man in a romance drama. So, he ought to have a certain appeal to females, between an endearing vulnerability and his rugged good looks.

Directed by Scott Speer (Step Up Revolution), Midnight Sun is loosely based on Taiyo No Ita, a Japanese tearjerker released in 2006. This English language version is basically the same story, except for a few tweaks of the script that don't alter the arc of the basic plot.

The title hints at the sickly heroine's affliction, Xeroderma Pigmentosum (XP), a rare skin disease that leaves her extremely allergic to sunlight. Consequently, Katie (Bella Thorne) is only allowed to leave the house after dark. 

 

Otherwise, she's your typical teenage girl. She enjoys music, keeps a journal, and has a crush on Charlie (Schwarzenegger), the tall, handsome neighbor who skateboards past her specially-treated windows everyday. They're both seniors at Purdue High, but he has no idea she even exists, since Katie completed all her schoolwork online.

Their paths finally cross one evening soon after graduation when she was hanging out alone at the local train station, playing her late mother's acoustic guitar. It's love at first sight for Charlie, but Katie doesn't want to frighten him off by telling him she has XP. 

 

They start dating and everything is peachy keen until the night they stay out almost until daybreak. Katie freaks out and is forced to share her big secret. 

 

Will Charlie bolt or stick around? That is the critical question at the heart of Midnight Sun. The movie earns such high marks for its sensitive handling of a seriously-ill patient's heartbreaking plight that I was willing to forgive its relatively-sappy portrayal of the star-crossed lovers. 

 

A sentimental soap opera guaranteed to make you weep in spite of yourself.

Very Good (3 stars)
Rated PG-13 for partying sensuality and mature themes
Running time: 91 minutes
Production Studios: Wrigley Pictures / Boies-Schiller Film Group / Rickard Pictures
Distributor: Open Road Films


To see a trailer for Midnight Sun, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WS-kCiCVEp0

Tomb Raider

 
Film Review by Kam Williams


Alicia Vikander Plays Acrobatic Superhero in Reboot of Action Franchise


Times have certainly changed when you find celebrated dramatic actresses opting to play action heroes in blockbuster movies. For instance, Jennifer Lawrence had already been nominated for an Academy Award (for Winter's Bone) when she agreed to star as Katniss Everdeen in the adaptation of The Hunger Games trilogy. And she's since been nominated for three more Oscars, winning for Silver Linings Playbook. 
 
Now we have Alicia Vikander taking a page out Jennifer's "playbook" by assuming the role of Lara Croft in the reboot of the Tomb Raider franchise. After all, Vikander had not only already won an Academy Award (for The Danish Girl), but also received critical acclaim for delivering mesmerizing performances in Ex Machina and Testament of Youth. 
 
The upshot is that Tomb Raider 2.0 is blessed with a versatile lead who is not only eye candy and kicks butt in convincing fashion but has the emotional range to induce the audience to invest in her character. What makes Vikander's accomplishments all the more impressive is the fact that English isn't even her native language, having been born and raised in Gothenburg, Sweden.

At the picture's point of departure, we find Lara eking out a living in East London as a bike courier, and training to be a kickboxer in her free time. She doesn't have to be so poor, given that she's the only heir to a massive fortune left behind by her parents, Lady and Lord Croft.

While her mother is really dead, there's no proof of her father's (Dominic West) passing. Lord Croft was an archaeologist/explorer who went missing seven years ago on an expedition to an uncharted spot in the ocean off the coast of Japan. He was searching for a fabled tomb rumored to contain a key to a supernatural realm. 
 
Instead of signing daddy's death certificate, accepting her inheritance, and living in the lap of luxury, Lara follows a set of mysterious clues he left behind leading to a an island resembling the Rock of Gibraltar. Upon arriving, she must rely on her wits and her acrobatic and archery skills to survive an epic fight to the death with a worthy adversary (Walton Goggins) and his gang of goons armed to the teeth.

Think "The Da Vinci Code," except with less talk and way more action.




Very Good (3 stars)
Rated PG-13 for violence and some profanity
In English and Cantonese with subtitles
Running time: 118 minutes
Production Studios: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer / Warner Brothers Pictures / GK Fims / Square Enix
Distributor: Warner Brothers Pictures

To see a trailer for Tomb Raider, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ndhidEmUbI