"The Interview"

Stupid. Offensive. Vulgar. Sexist. Outrageous. I.E., Just about what you'd expect from a Seth Rogan movie. It definitely appealed to the inner 14-year old high schooler in me! I  laughed out loud several times, which I really do watching a movie. It stars Mr. Rogan and James Franco and about a popular interview show that Kim Jong Un is a huge fan of. He invites the team to North Korea for an interview. When the CIA gets wind of it, they plot to have them assassinate the feared leader. It's fairly predictable, but I thought the writing was top notch. One of the funnier movies I've seen in a long time. In these troubling times, it's a great hour and a half diversion.
4 out of 5 stars

"All the Bright Places"

I've been a huge fan of Elle Fanning since I saw her in one of her first films, "Phoebe in Wonderland."  What a gifted actor. And she absolutely shines in this Netflix movie. The story, based on an international best-selling novel, is about a young couple with emotional and mental issues. Together, they help each other heal, come out of their protective shells, and discover the beauty of the world around them. The movie is somewhat slow paced, as it needs to be, however I was captivated from the first few minutes in. If you're a fan of Ms Fanning, I highly recommend this one.
4 out of 5 stars

"Rich Kids"

This a perfect example of why I love indie films. It's fairly low budget, but features a brilliant script and excellent acting from a relatively unknown cast of young actors. On the surface, the story is simple. A group of poor, teenage Latinos break into the estate of some rich people who are away on vacation. They play in the swimming pool, raid the bar, and dress up in the family's fancy clothes. But the story goes a lot deeper. They explore their relationships with each other and the world in general. It gets pretty deep and philosophical and ends up in places I didn't expect when the film started. And the acting is practically flawless. I also enjoyed the soundtrack. Highly recommended.
4 out of 5 stars

"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