Rami Malek

The Amateur

  • Title: The Amateur
  • IMDb: link

Half Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan and half revenge fantasy, The Amateur stars Rami Malek as CIA cryptographer Charlie Heller who blackmails his way into the field with some incriminating evidence against his boss (Holt McCallany) after the death of Charlie’s wife (Rachel Brosnahan). Out of his element, but not without some skills of his own, Charlie gets a crash course by another operative (Laurence Fishburne) before disappearing and chasing down those responsible for his wife’s murder.

The Amateur Read More »

Amsterdam

  • Title: Amsterdam
  • IMDb: link

Loosely based on real events, David O. Russell‘s uneven film follows the travails of three friends and survivors of World War I (Christian Bale, John David Washington, and Margot Robbie) who for a time lived together in Amsterdam before being reunited later in New York and embroiled in a murder mystery involving a poisoned general (Ed Begley Jr.) and the daughter (Taylor Swift) who police mistakenly believe the two men pushed in front of a moving car. True events involve a mysterious organization and their plans to overthrow President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Amsterdam Read More »

No Time to Die

  • Title: No Time to Die
  • IMDb: link

Daniel Craig‘s tenure as British Secret Agent James Bond comes to an end as the troubled No Time to Die (first delayed by a director swap then by COVID) finally makes it into theaters. More than Craig’s last film, the four writers credited to the film set out to make it Bond’s last film creating a scenario where Craig both begins (Casino Royale) and ends Bond’s legacy. For those agree that Craig is the definitive Bond, the choice may be easier to swallow than those of us who believe, at best, he ranks third or fourth in a franchise spanning nearly 60 years.

No Time to Die Read More »

Bohemian Rhapsody

  • Title: Bohemian Rhapsody
  • IMDb: link

Bohemian Rhapsody movie reviewWhile Bohemian Rhapsody had a troubled road to make its way to the big screen (including firing director Bryan Singer halfway through production), the biopic centered around the lead singer of British rock band Queen satisfies largely due to a terrific lead performance from Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury and the band’s extensive discography that fills the film with music without needing to repeat itself.

One of the most interesting choices of the film is using the music of Queen not just to underline specific events and themes but foreshadow, and even explore, them. Staying true to the biopic formula, Singer and his cast deliver a film that builds slowly, focused primarily on Mercury (to the detriment of the other band members) and climaxes in Queen’s performance at Live Aid which provides true movie magic.

While not as inventive as the Queen themselves, the film is a fitting tribute to the band’s legacy, a humorous response to those who wrote the band off early on, and a nod to the band working to include the audience in their music, particularly the live performance. It also proves to be an intriguing character study of Mercury himself.

Bohemian Rhapsody Read More »

Mr. Robot – eps2.1_k3rnel-pan1c.ksd

  • Title: Mr. Robot – eps2.1_k3rnel-pan1c.ksd
  • wiki: link

Mr. Robot - eps2.1_k3rnel-pan1c.ksd

After a short pre-credit sequence showing us how fsociety ended up setting up their operation in a rundown arcade, “eps2.1_k3rnel-pan1c.ksd” begins with Elliot (Rami Malek) attempting to get rid of Mr. Robot (Christian Slater) through drugs as multiple members of the group begin turning up dead. After popping enough Adderall to overdose an elephant Elliot’s grip on reality isn’t initially improved given a hallucination of shadowy figures torturing him on one of the most unusual ways possible. However, beginning a more controlled regimen Elliot finds himself temporarily free… although there are some side effects.

Mr. Robot – eps2.1_k3rnel-pan1c.ksd Read More »