Grandma

This is the k my movie I probably actually like with Lilly Tomlin. She pulls of the curmudgeon elderly lesbian like I never would have thought possible. Grizzled, negative and sarcastic, Tomlins' character sets out to help her 18 year old granddaughter get the funds for an abortion. Although not comedic in theme, there is quite a bit of comedy and dramatic flair. A great supporting cast featuring strong performances from the likes of Sam Elliott, Judy Greer and Julia Garner really round out this singly enjoyable and relatable movie. The family dynamics regardless of sexuality ring strong for the audience. This is definitely worth a watch in the theaters!

Easily a 9 AT-AT out of 10

I Smile Back

Sarah Silverman plays a housewife suffering from bipolar disorder who stops taking her lithium and starts a downward spiral that ultimately alienates her from her husband and two children.

She does a superb job with the complex nature of mental disorder and addiction, in a role that I never thought she would be capable of playing. Surprisingly good writing by Paige Dylan and Amy Koppelman allowed the audience to witness and feel the truth in the performance. 

Not a lot to say about this movie other than it is worth watching - maybe not in the theater but definitely as a rental. It is hard for someone to relate to the character of Laney (Silverman's) but one can certainly admire the performance and its truth and brutality.

6 R2 units out of 10

Z for Zachariah

This movie is fairly bold in the way that it leaves a lot up to your imagination. Like the space between panels of a graphic novel, the audience is forced to figure out a few core plot points.

Margot Robbie gives a good performance - it's hard to not like her on screen. I did notice that the first scene she has her natural Australian accent, and then subsequently switches to a Midwest drawl.

Chiwetel Ejiofor gives a very good performance. He brings an intensity to each of his roles that increase the believability of the character. 

Chris Pine acts as the catalyst for change in this movie- his character of Caleb forces Robbie's Ann to choose one of the two men.

The climax of the movie is about 10 minutes before the ending so there is a lot of setup to that point and you are not rewarded with a clean understanding of what transpired. That is not a bad thing as discussion afterwards left you seeing  numerous possibilities which makes it smart and fun. I would recommend seeing this film. I do wish there were a few things better explained - like what happened to the world that left just 3 people in it? We know there is radiation concerns, but it's not clear what happened. You see some bombed out buildings but again - that doesn't explain radiation.

I give this movie 8 Star Destoyers out of 12

The Nightmare

The Nightmare is an interesting movie that finds seemingly coincidental patterns in the dreams of 8 people geographically diverse. 

The interesting part of the way this was communicated to the audience was through the reenactment of each persons dreams. Creepy yet interesting, it visualized these people's dreams. 

I am not sure what it means that there are similar aspects to these people's dreams but I do find that it is nearly identical to most Close Encounters descriptions of abductions.

Nothing really profound to say - the underlying purpose must have been to educate about sleep paralysis.

I give this movie 5 bounty hunters out of 8.

True Story

True Story is the "true story" as written by Michael Finkel about the Christian Longo case from a number of years back. 

As I watched this movie all I could think about is why it focused on the story of Michael Finkel and not Longo. Jonah Hill played Finkel well enough, but the character was flatly written I feel. The most interesting part about him was in the first 5 minutes of the film. 

Longo was played by James Franco, nuanced and slightly creepy. He left you not knowing if he really did it or not. Clearly the more interesting story was his, but it was not really explored until the literal last 20 minutes of the movie.

The story felt rushed and not particularly noteworthy. If you like a dramatic performance by Franco go see this movie. Otherwise there is no harm waiting until it comes out on Netflix soon.

I give this movie 4 proton torpedoes out of 20

Don Verdean

Don Verdean is a movie about the repercussions of propagating a lie. The story illustrates this through the hilarity of a religious artifact archaeologist who employs zero science and mostly dumb luck to find treasures for the Christian faith. 

Sam Rockwell plays the lead character Don, in a flat - deadpan delivery reminiscent of most Leslie Neilsen roles. Disappointing to most followers of Rockwells' career, he does not dance in this movie. 

Amy Ryan gives a unremarkable performance. Her character is not fully explored nor was it particularly interesting. There was the hint of some potential at the beginning as she goes about her role with a wide eyed innocence of what is transpiring. 

Danny McBride plays the role of a popular minister who commissions Don to find artifacts to restore his diminishing flock. His delivery is just as you would expect with a confidence that comes from the role of a guy who knows he is Right. His wife is played by Leslie Bibb, in a role you have basically seen before in Taladega Nights.

Jemaine Clement plays an Israeli assistant to Don in a quirky voice and essentially steals every scene. Without Sam's dancing, Jemaine performs his own ethnic versions of Sam's moves.

I feel like this movie isn't some of Jared Hess' best work. He had greater success in the past. There was plenty of comedic mends but I feel that Rockwell was under utilized. There could have been more with Amy Ryan's character. The ending wrapped everything up nicely but left you wishing for a better version of the movie.

I give this movie 2 Wompas out of 30.

People, Places, Things

This was a very watchable movie! 

Themes of acceptance and what it means to be a parent are explored wih Jemaine's character getting over his feelings for his ex wife and how he grows as a parent from start to finish.

Jemaine delivers a strong quirky Everyman in the same way we have come to expect and love. Oddly I could have easily seen Jason Bateman in the same role and done equally as good.

The ex wife played by Stephanie Allynne has nuances that are endearing and also upsetting. You really get the feeling she is lost in her life. 

Though both of the character are bound by their twin girls, whom they clearly love, they are destined to never be more that parents together.

The subplot of the film is also about Jemaine's character possibly finding love with the character played by Regina Hall. We never get clear closure on this plot but the audience is left with the expectation that the two of them end up together.

The audience was very energetic at the end and stayed for the Q&A with the director and Jemaine. 

I gave this one 14 Tie Fighters out of 10.