"Daliland"

2022 * Not Rated * 1h 37m  I knew Salvador Dali was a genius and crazy as well. I guess when it comes to the arts, you can't have one without the other. This film perfectly captures just how mad Dali was, especially in his later years. And Dali is played to perfection by the great Sir Ben Kingsley. 

The story takes place in 1973, when Dali was getting ready for a big show in New York. A young gallery assistant James (Christopher Briney), is tasked with helping him prepare. He travels to Europe with Dali and his entourage and oh, the adventures he gets involved in. Dali loves to be the center of attention and he throws elaborate and legendary parties with a whole cadre of famous and eccentric people in attendance. It's great fun to witness such debauchery. 

James also witnesses the unusual relationship Dali has with his wife Gala (Barbara Sukowa). She's a force to be reckoned with and seems to be the driving force behind Dali's genius. She also nags him constantly to produce art. And we discover what a greedy, scheming witch she is as well. I'm not sure how closely the story sticks to the truth, but does it really matter? It is a film about Dali after all!

3 1/2 out of 5 stars

Streaming for free on Hoopla with your library card. Also on Hulu and to rent on Prime Video.

 

"Skyscraper"

 2018 * PG-13 * 1h 42m If you're looking for a well-made, edge-of-you-seat, action-packed thriller, then this should do nicely. It's one of those mindless, sit back and enjoy the ride movies, complete with plenty of explosions, a million close scrapes and brushes with death that make for a fun evening of entertainment. 

The plot is pretty simple. After getting a little background about Will Sawyer (Dwayne Johnson), we jump to the near future. He has a job handling security for the tallest building in the world, which is nearing completion. He moves to Hong Kong with his wife Sarah (Neve Campbell), and their two young children. Then all hell break loose when an enemy of the skyscraper's builder Zhao Long Ji (Chin Han), decides to destroy the massive structure. Will's family is trapped in their apartment on an upper floor of the building and naturally he'll do whatever it takes to save them.

The action scenes are way over the top. With every turn, he's about to drop 200 stories to his death. And he barely hangs on (both literally and figuratively) for dear life. The special effects are quite impressive. Plus the CGI is remarkable--you feel you're right there battling the elements and the enemy with him. I'll bet this was even better on the big screen!

3 1/2 out of 5 stars

Currently streaming on Netflix and to rent on Prime Video.

"Joyride"

2022 * Not Rated * 1h 34m  Take one of my favorite genres: The Road Trip. Add one of my favorite actors: Olivia Coleman. Set it in beautiful Ireland. And what do you end up with? One charming, entertaining little indie drama! It's just a crazy, fun adventure you can't help but be charmed by. 

The story opens on a young boy Mully (Charlie Reid), at a fundraiser for his family who's just lost their mother. Mully grabs the wad of cash and bolts out of the pub and steals a taxi. Well, to his surprise, he discovers a drunk woman Joy (Coleman), in the back seat. And there's an infant to boot! As it turns out, Joy had the baby unexpectedly and has decided she's going to give it to one of her dear friends to raise. Thus the adventure begins. 

Joy knows absolutely nothing about taking care of an infant. And Mully is distraught about losing his mother, and his father James (Lochlann O'Mearain), has been less than supportive of him He's basically a self-centered drunk. So the two mismatched pair are perfect for each other. They encounter a series of madcap incidents as they traverse the gorgeous Irish countryside. There's a very funny scene where the young lad teaches Joy how to breastfeed her baby. The two leads have incredible chemistry together--they could almost be mother and son in real life. 

It all adds up to a rollicking buddy film you won't soon forget. If you're looking for a fun little movie, I highly recommend this gem!

3 1/2 out of 5 stars

Currently streaming for free with your library card on Hoopla and Kanopy. Also on Hulu and to rent on Prime Video. 

"It's Kind of a Funny Story"

 2010 * PG-13 * 1h 41m  When I saw Jim Gaffigan and Zach Galifianakis were in this movie, I just assumed it was a comedy. Boy was I wrong, Sure, there were some amusing moments and situations in it. But it wasn't really a comedy at all. It's a story revolving around teen suicide and takes place mostly in a mental hospital. So much for the laughs, eh?

A teenager Craig (Keir Gilchrist) is a typical kid, suffering from the usual angst like a lot of young people. Only he suffers from severe depression and has taken himself off his meds. One evening he seriously considers committing suicide and checks himself into a hospital. There he's assigned a room and is told he'll be kept for observations for the better part of a week. Even when he tells his doctor (Viola Davis) he feels better, he's told it's for his own good to remain under their care. 

While he's in the hospital, he meets quite a few unusual characters. They include fellow patient Bobby (Galifianakis), his roommate Muqtada (Bernard White) who never leaves his bed, and Noelle (Emma Roberts), a troubled young girl who he picks up a relationship with. It's a very touching, well-written and acted movie I'd never heard of. If you're looking for a heartfelt teen drama that never really gets sappy, (al right, it gets a little mushy at the end), give this one a shot. You won't be disappointed. 

4 out of 5 stars

Currently streaming on Netflix and available to rent on Prime Video. 

"The Forgotten"

 2004 * PG-13 * 1h 31m  If you're looking for a nail biting, sci-fi thriller, this one will not disappoint. I saw it many years ago, and when  it popped up on Kanopy I decided to give it another viewing. I must say, it was just as exciting the second time around. It's one of those mind-boggling flicks that you have to Google when it's over to find out exactly what happened. 

"The Forgotten" stars one of my favorite actors--Julianne Moore. She really makes this film something outstanding. She plays Telly,  a mother whose son died in a plane crash a little over a year ago. She's struggling to get over her grief. Then, things start to change. And not for the better. First her husband and then her shrink tell her she never had a son. Or more properly, he died in childbirth. One day she meets Ash (Dominic West) in a local park whose daughter was a friend of her son's. Only he claimed he never had a daughter. That is until she jogs his memory. 

It's not long before the NSA starts asking questions. Soon, she and Ash are on the lam, in hot pursuit by a relentless gang of suspicious characters. It's quite a ride right up until the end of the film. And it'll keep you guessing just what in the heck is going on. What an offbeat, exciting thriller it is!

4 out of 5 stars

Currently streaming for free on Kanopy (with your library card) and to rent on Prime Video. 

"Nancy"

 2018 * Not Rated * 1h 25m I put this one in my queue because it looked mildly interesting. I finally get around to watching it, expecting it to be an amusing diversion. But it turned to be quite captivating and far different that the description I read about it. I thought it would be one of those creepy films where a young woman poses as the dead child of an unsuspecting couple. 

Nancy (Andrea Riseborough) is a woman in her early 30s who's taking care of her ailing mom. We get a glimpse into her strange existence when she meets a man online and pretends she recently lost her baby. After her mother passes away, she hears a story about a couple whose child was kidnapped some 25 years ago. When the image of a computer generated photo of what their daughter would look like today appears on a tv special about the case, Nancy thinks she matches the girl almost exactly. She contacts the couple, who are extremely skeptical, but agree to meet with her. 

She drives to the home of Betty (Ann Down) and Leo (Steve Buscemi) and explains to them she was adopted and her past is a bit cloudy.. There's more hope than deception in her intentions, and while Leo is a bit suspicious, you can sense Betty is ready to accept her as their long lost daughter. I won't give any more of the story away, but it grabbed me from the opening minutes until the credits rolled. I thought the acting was fantastic, especially from Ms. Riseborough. Just another little film no one's ever heard of in spite of it winning several international awards including Sundance. 

4 out of 5 stars

Streaming for free on Kanopy and Hoopla (with your library card) and Tubi. Also on Plex, Pluto TV, The Roku Channel, and Prime Video. 

"This is Martin Bonner"

2013 * R * 1h 23m I reviewed the fine movie "Little Fish" a couple weeks ago. And it piqued my interest about the other films directer Chad Hartigan has done. I saw his "Morris from America" a few months back and enjoyed it. "This is Martin Bonner" looked right up my alley and I'm glad I watched it. Like his other films, this one is definitely character driven. There's not a lot of action and it takes its time to unfold. But what a beautiful film it is. That's due to the sensitive writing and the brilliant acting from the two leads--Paul Eenhoorn and Richmond Arquette. 

We meet Martin (Eenhoorn), an older gentleman who's recently moved from Maryland to Reno to start his life over. He has a job helping prisoners who are about to be released transition to their new lives. He's a gentle, kind man who speaks regularly with his daughter via phone, and tries relentlessly to reconnect with his son. Travis (Arquette) is free after serving 12 years for manslaughter while drunk driving. The two men meet and Martin takes Travis under his wing. 

The two men spend a great deal of time together. They engage in thoughtful discussions about their lives, and life in general. Martin is a loner, but never really lonely. He's a volunteer ref for the local girls soccer league. He also does a bit of speed dating at his daughters' insistence. Travis, meanwhile, tries to reconnect with his estranged daughter, who's bitter about him not being there during her formative years. 

Eenhorn's performance is an absolute wonder. He's quiet, unassuming, and has an almost priest-like aura about him. When you watch him, you wish you could hear his inner thoughts. When I did a quick check on him on IMDb, I noticed he hadn't played in any major films, which is a shame. I was also saddened to see he passed away in 2022. Godspeed to you Mr. Eenhoorn. 

"This is Martin Bonner" is a classic indie film. Like most movies of this ilk, it features excellent writing, great directing, and above all, fantastic acting.  Not surprisingly,  it's won several awards including the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival. 

4 out of 5 stars. 

Currently streaming for free on Kanopy (with your library card) and YouTube. Also available to rent on Prime Video.