The Whale – A Movie Review

Lay was dying to see this. I admit to feeling a bit less enthusiastic and a little uncomfortable. There’s a part of this movie that I was apprehensive about even before going in. Is it exploitative? More than probably, yes. Is it phobic in a certain way? It isn’t impossible to think that. It was a hard film to watch. Not because of any exploitation but because of the deep emotional impact and intensity of the story and the actors. It was stunning in nearly every way, and to a one, the actors were outstanding.

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The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley-A Movie Review

The story of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos has inspired quite a bit of content, including a NYT Best Seller, an ABC podcast, a movie starring Jennifer Lawrence, and now an HBO documentary directed by “Going Clear” director, Alex Gibney. If you want a great overview of the story that concentrates on Holmes, this is an excellent two-hours you can spend. I’m going to give it a 7, what say you?

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1917 – A Movie Review

April 1917, the Western Front. Two British soldiers are sent to deliver an urgent message to an isolated regiment. If the message is not received in time the regiment of 1,600 men will walk into a trap and be massacred. To get to the regiment they will need to cross through enemy territory. Time is of the essence and the journey will be fraught with danger, and Sam Mendes will make you feel like you’re running every mile with them.

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Joker-A Movie Review

Joker centers around an origin of the iconic arch nemesis and is an original, standalone story not seen before on the big screen. Todd Phillips’ exploration of Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix), a man disregarded by society is not only a gritty character study but also a broader cautionary tale.

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Richard Jewell – A Movie Review

Based on a true story, Richard Jewell tells the story of security guard Richard Jewell who likely saved many lives from an exploding bomb at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, but is vilified by journalists and the press who falsely reported that he was a terrorist. Me and Lay watched this at AMC Westshore Plaza Saturday, January 4, 2019, and here’s my review.

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Downton Abbey-A Movie Review

No spoilers from me other than anybody who saw the trailer knows the entire movie centers around a Royal visit to Downton Abbey. All the usual performances are as good as in the Television production but I really enjoyed the addition of Geraldine James as Queen Mary and Imelda Staunton as Lady Bagshaw cousin to the Dowager Countess Violet Crawley played beautifully as usual by Maggie Smith. And the Dowager Countess was as sharp-tongued as ever and made me chuckle out-loud more than once.

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BlacKkKlansman – A Movie Review

Ron Stallworth, an African American police officer from Colorado Springs, CO, successfully manages to infiltrate the local Ku Klux Klan branch with the help of a Jewish surrogate who eventually becomes its leader. Based on actual events. We watched this movie last night on Amazon. We both thought it started slow but built nicely, and we enjoyed it. I’m giving it a six and Lay rates it about the same. Let us know below what you think.

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Green Book – A Movie Review

In 1962, Tony “Tony Lip” Vallelonga, a tough bouncer, is looking for work when his nightclub is closed for renovations. The most promising offer turns out to be the driver for the African-American classical pianist Don Shirley for a concert tour into the Deep South states. Based on the true-life story, ‘Green Book’ is a surprise effort by Writer-Director Peter Farrelly, who is known for madcap comedies delivers a more sensitive and slower-paced film than his usual fare and delivers a road-film that explores friendship and racism in a thoughtful way. I liked it a lot.

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How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World-A Movie Review

OK, so neither of us had seen the first two, but our niece wanted to see this, so off we went to Park Place in St. Pete. Now I want to watch the first two. In short, it was a fun story, great acting (voices), and the animation was simply stunning. The characters are well fleshed out, the stakes feel high, and the plot is meticulously crafted. Also, nearly every piece of dialogue in this film is hilarious!

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Bohemian Rhapsody-A Movie Review

Wow was all I could say as the credits started to roll on this film. What a great story and great movie, and I can’t say enough about how much outstanding music they got in and how well it advanced the story. I had goosebumps, tears and laughs throughout, and this might be one of my favorite movies of all time. You’ve gotta watch it.

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Vice – A Movie Review

This is one of the best films I’ve seen this year. It’s a pseudo-documentary/dramedy biopic that tells the story of Cheney’s political career while skewering the Republican Party and Washington DC politics in general, from the Nixon administration to today. Outstanding casting and excellent portrayals of the characters by everyone makes it a very believable story.

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