"Mr. Right"

It's petty rare that I laugh out loud watching a movie. But "Mr. Right" got me several times. It's so over the top, you can't help but enjoy it. After breaking up with her boyfriend, Anna Kendrick goes crazy, partying, cooking everything in sight and then meets Sam Rockwell. He warns her that he's an assassin, which she doesn't believe at first. He's on a mission to bump off all the folks who hire him to kill someone else. Mayhem ensues. It's so over the top, you just throw your hands up and let the movie take you along for a ride. I thought the dialog was clever, and the chemistry between the two leads was undeniable. Just a great hour and a half of pure escapism.
4 out of 5 stars

"The Foreigner"

This movie was way better than I expected. It's about a Vietnamese immigrant (Jackie Chan) whose young daughter is killed in a terrorist explosion in Belfast. He's out for revenge and calls on a high-ranking IRA minister (Pierce Brosnan) to help him find out who was responsible for his daughter's death. Because he was trained by the U.S. Special Forces, he's truly a force to be reckoned with. There are some martial arts fight scenes, but they're kept to a minimum. The two lead actors give noteworthy performances and the film keeps you hooked right until the end.
4 out of 5 stars.

"Chloe"

When a successful doctor, played by Julianne Moore, suspects her husband, Liam Neeson is cheating on her, she hires a prostitute to seduce him and prove herself right. The story is about the couple and their son, who are fairly dysfunctional and have a problem communicating. The plot takes a couple of unexpected twists and things get interesting. The acting and writing are above average. Not a great film, but very entertaining
4 out of 5 stars.

"The Last Face"

Powerful movie, but not for the squeamish. It weaves the complicated love lives of two doctors with the story of war-torn West Africa. Charlize Theron is an aid director for a humanitarian organization who is in love with a field doctor, played by Javier Bardem. The story jumps back and forth in time, which I found a bit confusing at times. The two spend quite a bit of time on the ground caring for the sick and injured. It's brutal and graphic at times, and often gets quite intense. My only complaint is that much of the dialogue between the two was just above a whisper, so I missed some of what they shared in their intimate moments. I guess I'll just have to watch it again. I thought the cinematography was some of the best I've ever seen. And how can you beat the two principals when it comes to riveting performances?
4 stars out of 5

"Nowhere Boy"

Although I'm a lifelong Beatles fan, I really didn't know anything about John Lennon's early life. This well-done biopic gives a great deal of insight into his formative years. It tells of his high school and early college days in Liverpool, where he was raised by his aunt. Unbeknownst to him, his mother actually lived a few blocks away. He eventually meets her and her other family and a somewhat strained relationship begins. The movie also covers his musical journey without the "And then they became famous and changed the world of music!" ending  I was expecting. Great acting and a nice vignette into late 50s Britain.
4 out of 5 stars

"Moonwalkers"

Just a fun little bit of cinematic escapism. The plot involves a CIA agent, brilliantly played by Ron Perlman, who's assigned to hire Stanley Kubrick to film a fake moon landing, just in case the real one fails. While in London, he meets a financially-troubled rock band manager who poses as Kubrick's agent. From here, things get crazy. It's a well done spoof on late 60s England, complete with an overdose of drug use, naked hippie girls, and a smattering of violence. I saw a few reviews comparing it to the Austin Powers films, which I guess is fair. But I enjoyed this silliness a bit more. Although it's just about as childish and mindless.
3 out of 5 stars

"The Danish Girl"

This is the true story of a married painting couple in 1920's Denmark. When the husband dresses up in his wife's clothes to pose for her, his feminine side is awoken. He slowly unleashes the woman locked up within him and is transformed into a full fledged woman. Eddie Redmayne's performance is absolutely riveting and his wife, played by Alicia Vikander, is equally great. It''s not surprising that she won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role. At first she feels betrayed, but over time, becomes totally supportive of his plight. Not only is the story fascinating, but the cinematography is almost painterly. In truth, I was tempted to stop the film countless times and do a screen grab, to use in a painting later.
4.5 out of 5 stars