"The Landline Detective"

 2020 1h 58m  The title of this little indie film pretty much sums up the plot. In it, Jimmy Furuta (Dann Seki) a sweet retiree is home alone. His wife has just left on a trip with her friends and he's decided to use his time to start an ambitious project--to organize a lifetime of photographs and put them in albums. While perusing the photos, he noticed something unusual in a Polaroid snap his daughter took 35 years ago. It's revealed that his sister-in-law was murdered in 1982 while her husband was away fishing.The date on the photo reveals that his car was parked in the neighborhood of the murder the day before the murder was committed. 

This starts Jimmy on some sleuthing using only his landline as his gateway to the truth. He's, shall we say, somewhat technical challenged. He doesn't have a smartphone or internet. So he uses his wits to try to solve a crime that has been largely forgotten. 

The film was made over a five-day period with a limited budget. This shows at times as in the use of still photographs for flashbacks. Some of the effects are a bit cheesy, but this adds to the overall charm of the film. We never see any of the people he communicates with, but only hear their voices. He's an engaging enough actor to pull off this one man play, er, movie. 

3 1/2 out of 5 stars

Currently streaming on Hoopla, Plex, Tubi, and Prime. 

"Long Story Short"

 2021 * R * 1h 30m   What an unexpected surprise this film is. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I'm glad I watched it. It's a little bit like "Groundhog Day" but not as goofy and much more romantic. If fact, "Groundhog Day" is referenced several times in the movie. The story revolves around Teddy (Race Spall), who is the ultimate procrastinator. One day he meets an older woman in the cemetery, where he's having a conversation with his deceased father. The woman basically tells him to "seize the day", and make every moment count. This is where the story really begins. 

Right after he gets married to Leanne ( Zahra Newman) weird things start to happen. Every hour or two, he wakes up to find a whole year has passed and it's his anniversary. As you'd expect, a lot happens from year to year, and he tries to figure out what's going on and how to react. Spall does an outstanding job acting befuddled, trying hard to fill in the blanks. Although his relationship takes a major turn for the worse, he's never been out of love with his wife. 

This is another one of those great Australian films you never hear about in the States. Just a fun little film I really enjoyed. Without giving away the ending, lets just say you'll smile when it's over. 

3 1/2 out of 5 stars

Currently streaming on Netflix and Prime Video.

"The Peanut Butter Falcon"

 2019 * PG-13 * 1h 37m  I saw this film a couple years ago and just loved it. The oddball title intrigued me, and sure enough, it lived up to its quirky name. I thought I’d give it another watch before reviewing it, and it was just as delightful the second time around. It’s described as a modern-day take on the “Huckleberry Finn” story, and I think that’s an apt description. But it’s a whole lot more. I remember reading Mark Twain’s classic novel as a kid and wanting to run away from home and travel by raft through the Great Lakes.  Watching The Peanut Butter Falcon may have the same effect on you. 

 We first meet Zak (Zach Gottsagen), a Downs syndrome patient who’s been placed in a nursing home. While dining in the facility’s lunchroom, he surreptitiously slips the older woman across from him a note, telling her to fake choking to create a diversion so he can escape. Well, he’s immediately caught and when he returns to his room, there are now bars on the window. Not five minutes into the film, I knew I was in for something special. 

 

Zach’s roommate is Carl (Bruce Dern), who’s in cahoots with him. He helps Zak flee and the adventure begins. We then meet Tyler (Shia Labeouf), in one of his finest performances to date.  Tyler is a down on his luck fisherman who gets into a bit of trouble. After committing arson, he’s on the lam. As luck would have it, he and Zak run into each other. Not only do the two of them become partners in crime, they quickly form a close friendship. I have to say, these two are so convincing, I quickly forgot they were acting and just being themselves. Tyler sort of becomes a big brother to Zak.

 

The duo builds a raft and continues on their way to freedom. Tyler’s dream is to settle down and buy a charter fishing boat while Zak fanaticizes attending wrestling school with the “Salt Water Redneck” and become a big time wrestling champion. Behind the scenes, they’re being pursued by a couple of fishermen whose traps Tyler has destroyed. And Zak is being tracked down by Eleanor (Dakota Johnson), a sweet, good-hearted nurse from his nursing home. To add to the story, the two of them meet a number of characters along the way. And they spend a lot of time talking about life and their futures. 

 

The Peanut Butter Falcon is one of the most delightful movies I’ve seen in quite a while. Just about everything about it is perfect—beautiful scenery in the Outer Banks, excellent acting, a charming story, and noteworthy cinematography. There are also quite a few laugh out loud moments, and several tender scenes as well. The only criticism I have is that I felt the ending was a bit abrupt. Especially considering the rest of the movie had such a subtle, gentle pacing to it. But if that’s the only negative, that’s still pretty good! 

 

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the story behind how the movie came to be—it’s absolutely magical. Apparently the directors met Zach Gottsagen at a camp for disabled people and he told them he wanted to star in a movie. They were so taken with him; they ended up writing a movie around him and his dreams and aspirations. Thus, The Peanut Butter Falcon was born. How great is that? 

 

Ah, and where does the title come from? You’ll just have to watch this little gem and find out for yourself.

5 stars! 

 

Currently streaming for free on IMDB TV and on Prime Video

"Into the White"

 2012 * R * 1h 44m   Definitely not your typical WWII movie. Into the White is based on a true story. In it, a British pilot and gunner are shot down over Norway. In the same air battle three Germans also crash. During a blinding snowstorm, the five men arrive at a hunting cabin in a remote part of the country. Since the Germans arrive first and are armed, they decide they control the cabin and take the Brits prisoner. At first, there's an air of tension as the two sides bicker and test each other's wills. Slowly, they come to the realization that they need to cooperate in order to survive. 

As the movie progresses, they open up about their lives and a guarded friendship develops between the men. The film was well scripted and acted. And the way it was shot really gives you a sense of claustrophobia. It hits home that we're all just humans trying to get along in the world, in spite of what out leaders would have us believe. 

Four out of five stars

Numerous watch options including Hoopla, Tubi, Plex, and Pluto TV.

"The Hand of God"

***** 2021 * R * 2h 10m  In Italian with English subtitles.  What an absolutely gorgeous film, from opening scene till the end credits roll. If you enjoyed Fellini's Amarcord, (One of my favorite movies of all time), then you're certain to love The Hand of God. It's a coming of age film that takes place in the 1970s in Naples and focuses on the exploits of the Schisa family. Young Fabietto is a huge soccer fan and a budding filmmaker. His parents Maria (Teresa Saponangelo) and Severio (Toni Servillo, the dashing star of The Great Beauty) have a rocky relationship, to say the least. It's the backdrop of the whole town buzzing about with the prospect of luring Maradona, the Argentinian superstar to their professional soccer team, that the action takes place. 

The film is filled with wonderful characters including the beautiful yet crazy aunt. And the scenery is absolutely gorgeous. It'll make you want to hop on the next plane to Italy. I though the soundtrack was also noteworthy. It had a quiet, melancholy feel to it, and contributed to the film's nostalgic atmosphere. The film clocks in at just over two hours, but I could easily have watched another hour of this marvelous movie! I must say, I'll be very disappointed if The Hand of God doesn't win the Best Foreign Film Award at this year's Oscars.

Streaming of Netflix and in theatres.

"The Adam Project"

***1/2 

2022 * PG-13 * 1h 46m
If you’re looking for a fun movie the whole family will enjoy, don’t miss this new release from Netflix. The film features a great cast that includes Ryan Reynolds, Mark Ruffalo, Jennifer Garner, Catherine Keener, and the young and talented Walker Scobell. It’s a time-travel, adventure movie with almost non-stop action, great special effects, and a steady volley of funny one-liners. I especially enjoyed Reynolds performance. He seems to be on a roll these days, as his recent film “Red Notice” will attest to. Reynolds knows he’s Mr. Studley, but he has no problem engaging in self-deprecating humor. His irreverent style of comedy makes his films a joy to watch. 

 

The year is 2050 and a fighter pilot Adam (Reynolds), is being chased through Earth’s upper stratosphere. He creates a wormhole, which he enters and is transported back to 2022, where he crashes. It’s revealed that he was actually aiming for 2018, the destination his true love was heading to but never returned from. His miscalculation lands him in his childhood backyard, and he takes refuge in his dad’s shed. There his 12-year old self discovers him. The young Adam (Walker Scobell) is a smart, nerdy kid who’s constantly being bullied at school. He’s at home because he was suspended from school for fighting. 

 

It’s revealed that Adam’s father Louis (Mark Ruffalo) is a professor who invented time travel. He died about a year before and young Adam is having a hard time dealing with this loss. As a result of Louis’s discovery, a former student of his Maya Sorien (Catherine Keener) has used time travel to enrich herself and built an empire to the detriment of the entire planet. This isn’t clearly explained, unless I missed something. Adam’s goal is twofold. He wants to find out what happened to Laura (Zoe Saldana), and to prevent his dad from revealing the formula for time travel. The evil Sorien is hot on his tail aiming to destroy him before he can accomplish this.

 

The two Adams embark on their adventure together. It’s amusing to see them interact. Young Adam is a geeky shrimp who’s game for just about anything. He’s in total awe of the fact that he grows up to be a muscle-bound hunk. And older Adam is constantly teasing him with smart-ass comments and asides. They make a fun couple as they carry out their mission. 

 

The special effects are also quite entertaining. They owe quite a bit to George Lucas and the “Star Wars” franchise. Another factor I particularly enjoyed is the soundtrack. Normally I object to the use of pop tunes in a movie—I think it’s a cheap alternative to commissioning an original score. But this film is laced with catchy rock tunes from the late 60’s and early 70’s. They contribute to the overall fun spirit of “The Adam Project”. 

 

Time travel is one of my favorite genres. I read the amazing book “Time and Again” by Jack Finney in my teens and from then on I’ve been hooked.  I enjoy the romantic ones like “Somewhere in Time”, “The Lake House”, and “The Time Traveller’s Wife”. A ton of comical ones have been made including “Groundhog Day”, “Hot Tub Time Machine”, and “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure”. Then there are the serious ones like “The Terminator” and “Source Code”, and the hard-to-find “11 Minutes Ago”. One of my favorite ones is the thought provoking “Memento”. It’s so complicated there are several web sites devoted to explaining it. Just Google it and you’ll see what I mean. See you in the future! 

 

  

"The Good Heart"

 2009 * R * 1h 39m  Brian Cox plays Jacques, a crusty old bar owner who ends up in the hospital after another heart attack. There he meets Lucas (Paul Dano), a kindly street person who has survived a suicide attempt. After they're released Jaques tracks down Lucas and makes him a proposal. He offers to give him his bar after either he retires and moves to the Caribbean or passes away. And then the fun begins. 

Jacques is an ornery old sod who is short on conversation when it comes to his customers. He tries to instill this in Lucas who's the total opposite. As time goes on, the two slowly switch roles. One day, a beautiful young French girl April (Isild Le Besco), enters the bar. She was recently kicked out of dance school and has no where to stay. Of course Lucas falls in love with her. and secretly lets her sleep in his room This causes a major disruption in the way things are done in the bar, as it's strictly a guy's hangout. 

That's another factor that makes this film so much fun. The men who spend their hours in the bar are a bunch of quirky characters. It's quite amusing to see them interact. And it adds to the overall weirdness that makes this indie movie such a charming yet offbeat experience. If you're in the mood for something a bit different, give this one a chance. 

Four out of five stars.

Currently streaming for free on Kanopy and Tubi. Also on Plex, Pluto TV, Amazon and Prime.