 Amazon Prime Video, 2024. New and available on Amazon Prime Video today is the romantic-comedy, "The Idea of You," starring Anne Hathaway as Solene, a single mom who gets entangled in a forbidden romance with the much-younger Hayes, a sensitive heartthrob played by Nicholas Galatzine...who just so happens to be a mega-star member of a popular boy band.
0 Comments
 Amazon Prime Video, 2023. For a film that promises to answer "the greatest mystery in sports history," "Bye Bye Barry" falls shockingly short.
But as a fond reminiscence of the greatest NFL running back of all-time, it's a wonderful, if bittersweet journey to take.  Amazon Studios, 2022. On the heels of the recent Lucy and Desi drama, "Being the Ricardos," a new documentary on the famous TV duo goes a bit deeper, and gives their fans a few more delightful hours of laughs, context and insights.
"Lucy and Desi" isn't what you would call a "hard-hitting" documentary, but more of a reverent celebration of their lives and legacies, and a must-see for any of the millions who fell in love with Lucy all those many years ago.  Amazon Studios, 2022. Valentine's Day weekend has seen its fair share of romantic comedies, and this year there are two...one of them represents everything that is wrong with the genre (see "Marry Me," or then again, don't) and the other shows how enjoyable the genre can be when things are done right.
"I Want You Back" is incredibly FUNNY, and that above all else makes it worth watching. It's a showcase for its two stars, Jenny Slate and Charlie Day, who are two of the very best, underrated comedic actors of their generation. Romantic comedies are often only as good as its central characters, and these two deliver in ways that we haven't quite seen since the days of "When Harry Met Sally," where Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal elevated an already hilarious script (by the late, great Nora Ephron) with their magnetic personalities, creating a classic in the process. Slate and Day are that good, and even if "I Want You Back" stumbles in its final stretch, it's still the best rom-com in many, many years.  Amazon Studios, 2021. You can tell that "The Tender Bar" might have worked better on the page as it was intended, for those that are into inspirational, personal, coming-of-age stories. But the memoir - by Pulitzer Prize-winning author, J.R. Moehringer - becomes a sloshy, melodramatic snooze-fest as adapted by director George Clooney, with a screenplay by Academy Award winning scribe, William Monahan ("The Departed").
 Amazon Studios, 2021. Surprisingly, the key to understanding the ambitious rock opera, "Annette," might be found in a documentary that came out earlier this year. That doc, "The Sparks Brothers," was about the 80s rock band Sparks, made up of brothers Russell and Ron Mael, whose quirky lyrics, music videos and rhythms led them to becoming one of the most influential bands of that decade, despite having never existed in the mainstream.
To call them and their music "eccentric" doesn't quite describe it. But their documentary is a good primer to trying to understand "Annette" - music and script by the Mael brothers - which is a film that by-and-large will not connect with most common movie-goers, and is even so bonkers and "out there" that it hasn't even been a sure-thing with critics either (as of this writing, it's clinging to a "Fresh" score of 70% on RottenTomatoes). If you've seen "The Sparks Brothers," it may help get you close to the wavelength in which "Annette" exists, but even then, it's an over-long, showy and mostly hollow musical, kept interesting in spite of the Maels, not because of them. That's because one of the finest actors of his generation, Adam Driver, delivers one of the most boldly dedicated performances of his career, giving us an anchor of emotion in a sea of lunacy.  Amazon Studios, 2021. "Revenge is a dish best served cold," Khan tells Captain Kirk, in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan." That film also featured Spock, an alien being who otherwise, was not capable of human emotion. Spock would have had what it takes to star in "Tom Clancy's Without Remorse," since showing emotion is not a prerequisite. Its subject, played by Michael B. Jordan, is a ruthless, cold and unfeeling individual who kills, kills, kills as he tries to hunt down his wife's murderer.
"Without Remorse" is a revenge tale not just served cold, but without any spice or flavor. It's a bland genre entry that renders its star useless. And come to think of it, Spock would have never touched this film, seeing how monumentally illogical the whole thing is.  Amazon Prime, 2021. Fans of the original 1988 "Coming To America" film will understand the following reference: "Coming 2 America" is to "Coming to America" what MacDowells is to McDonalds.
Is it inspired by the original or is it a remixed knock-off? Only time will tell what fans think of the long-awaited return of now King Akeem (Eddie Murphy), his lap-dog Semmi (Arsenio Hall), and the cast of characters big and small that return for "Coming 2 America." But even as this film was an underwhelming disappointment when compared to the original, I guess it's fair to ask: Exactly what did I expect? |
Looking for a specific movie or review?
Search Below: Categories
All
Archives
October 2024
|
tom santilli movie reviews
Tom Santilli is a professional film critic, TV personality, host and
the Executive Producer of Movie Show Plus.
He also is the featured film critic appearing on WXYZ Channel 7 Action News in Detroit,
and appeared weekly on FOX-2 in Detroit from 2016-2020.
Feel free to use the "search" below to find your favorite titles.
TOM'S GRADING SCALE:
B- and above: Thumbs Up
C+ or below: Thumbs Down
RSS Feed
Currently Airing:Check Local Listings
|
For more information on Movie Show Plus, Email: |