3.5 Razors

Legacies – Mombie Dearest / Death Keeps Knocking on My Door

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Legacies – Mombie Dearest / Death Keeps Knocking on My Door
  • wiki: link
  • wiki: link

Legacies - Mombie Dearest / Death Keeps Knocking on My Door television review

The undead come calling in both “Mombie Dearest” and “Death Keeps Knocking on My Door” in a pair of episodes that help to explain just where all the mystical creatures are coming from and why they are so driven to find the knife. On Lizzie (Jenny Boyd) and Josie Saltzman‘s (Kaylee Bryant) 16th birthday the school is visited by Jo Laughlin (Jodi Lyn O’Keefe), their biological mother and the love of their father’s life. In “Death Keeps Knocking on My Door” its Rafael‘s (Peyton Alex Smith) girlfriend (Erinn Westbrook) who returns from the grave. The arrival of each, and the rise of less lovable zombies in the school’s graveyard, can be traced back to the Necromancer (Ben Geurens), the latest forgotten mystical creature who is driven by forces he doesn’t understand to acquire the knife. Geurens proves to be a fun guest-star as he toys with Hope Mikaelson (Danielle Rose Russell) and the others for his own pleasure.

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Vice

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Vice
  • IMDb: link

Vice movie reviewWriter/director Adam McKay‘s Vice is a look into the life and political career of Dick Cheney (Christian Bale). There are plenty of amusing moments which are bolstered by terrific performances by both Christian Bale and Amy Adams.

However, McKay takes a relatively safe approach here and the film fails to sink its teeth deep enough into the subject matter to elicit more than a handful of great moments. While not exactly toothless, the film lacks the bite and satirical wit to truly have fun with Dick Cheney’s political career. It’s too… nice. And it’s not like McKay was lacking in material to pull from. Remember, Cheney once shot a man in the face and had the political power to make the victim apologize to him on national television.

By the end of the movie, McKay is able to put Cheney’s vice presidency into historical context while cherry-picking diverting sequences to showcase along the way. That said, it’s in the performances more so than the subject matter where Vice finds the most success. Along with Bale and Adams, Steve Carell and Sam Rockwell add some comic relief as Cheney’s mentor Donald Rumsfeld and President George W. Bush.

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Roma

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Roma
  • IMDb: link

Roma movie reviewWritten, produced, and directed by Alfonso Cuarón, Roma is a semi-autobiographical film centered around the maid (Yalitza Aparicio) of family in Mexico City during the 1970s. With complete control of the film, Cuarón takes his time with the story as it unfolds slowly over the course of more than two-hours. This proves to be Roma‘s strength and curse.

While beautiful to look at, the glacial pace of the story borders on tedious at times (making one wonder if it is worth sticking around to the end). Then, in its final half-hour, Roma delivers like no other film this year. So, how to judge it becomes the question?

Let’s start with the look of the film, the intimacy of the family’s dwelling, and the long sweeping shots of the city. The sole credited cinematographer, Cuarón makes sure his vision is captured on film. And without doubt, Roma if a visual feast. On top of this is Aparicio’s grounded performance as Cleo who acts as the heart of the film. Available on Netflix, the plodding pace may deter some viewers who can switch the channel, but Roma does provide gifts that are worth waiting for.

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Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle

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  • Title: Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle
  • IMDb: link

Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle movie reviewRudyard Kipling‘s work has been adapted to film numerous times over the years. While some enjoyed Disney’s 2016 live-action version of their earlier animated film, the mix of a realistic look with Disney sensibilities (animals that both sang and danced and then brutally murdered) didn’t work for me.

Delayed because of the Disney release, Andy Serkis‘ version feels a bit more on point (and far more tonally consistent). The actor, who made a name for himself as one of the most famous CGI performers over the years, delivers a vibrant film making the most out of continued advancements of motion capture techniques. The film doesn’t run from the dangers of the jungle, or try to make the animals into cute sidekicks to sell toys and merchandise to younger viewers.

The story follows Kipling’s basic plot of a human baby raised by wolves. After brief set-up introducing Mowgli (Rohan Chand) to the tribe, the film jumps forward several years catching up with the man-cub when he’s old enough to begin questioning his world and his place in it.

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Can You Ever Forgive Me?

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Can You Ever Forgive Me?
  • IMDb: link

Can You Ever Forgive Me? movie reviewMelissa McCarthy stars as writer Lee Israel who resorted to forging documents from deceased authors and playwrights when her own career hit rock bottom. Can You Ever Forgive Me? has a couple of things going for it, the first being McCarthy. The dramatic role is quite a departure from McCarthy’s usual loud and obnoxious comedies. Although neither McCarthy nor the script (based on Israel’s own autobiography) can ever make the protagonist sympathetic, it is nice to see the actress take on a more serious role.

The second thing the film has going for it is Israel’s story. While forgery is quite common, hers was an unique tale showcasing the author’s hidden talent in crafting plausible fakes from literary’s best. Forgery by typewriter, however, does have a downside in that it isn’t very cinematic. Unlike movies about art forgery, Can You Ever Forgive Me? lacks great visuals to help sell the suckers (and the audience) on the con.

A common theme in films like this is the charming forger, who the audience begins to root for to succeed. That’s never an option here as McCarthy’s ball-busting portrayal is anything but sympathetic.

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