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Letterboxd Reviews

So as you know, I stopped writing lengthy reviews on this site this year, keeping the blog as more of a film diary of sorts.  Lo and behold,...

Saturday, December 22, 2018

Good Time

Good Time (2017)
Starring Robert Pattinson, Benny Safdie, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Buddy Duress, Peter Verby, Taliah Webster, and Barkhad Abdi
Directed by Benny Safdie and Josh Safdie
Written by Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie
***This film is currently streaming via Amazon Prime***

Summary (in 500 words or less):  When a bank robbery lands his brother (Benny Safdie) in prison, criminal Connie (Robert Pattinson) does what he can in order to break him out of jail.


The RyMickey Rating: B

Friday, December 21, 2018

I Feel Pretty

I Feel Pretty (2018)
Starring Amy Schumer, Michelle Williams, Rory Scovel, Emily Ratajkowski, Busy Philipps, Aidy Bryant, Naomi Campbell, and Lauren Hutton
Directed by Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein
Written by Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein

Summary (in 500 words or less):  After hitting her head at SoulCycle class, insecure and incredibly body-conscious Renee (Amy Schumer) suddenly becomes a confident woman who decides to go out and get everything she wants.




The RyMickey Rating: D+

Thursday, December 20, 2018

Mary Poppins Returns

Mary Poppins Returns (2018)
Starring Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ben Whishaw, Emily Mortimer, Pixie Davies, Nathanael Saleh, Joel Dawson, Julie Walters, Colin Firth, Meryl Streep, Angela Lansbury, and Dick Van Dyke
Directed by Rob Marshall
Written by David Magee

Summary (in 500 words or less):  The iconic Mary Poppins returns to help Jane and Michael Banks save the family home on Cherry Tree Lane.



The RyMickey Rating:  B

Wednesday, December 19, 2018

Mary Poppins

Mary Poppins (1964)
Starring Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, David Tomlinson, Glynis Johns, Karen Dotrice, and Matthew Garber
Directed by Robert Stevenson
Written by Bill Walsh and Don DaGradi 

Summary (in 500 words or less):  A magical nanny (Julie Andrews) arrives at the Banks household and changes the lives of the children (Karen Dotrice, Matthew Garber) and adults (David Tomlinson, Glynis Johns) therein.



The RyMickey Rating:  B+

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Widows

Widows (2018)
Starring Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki, Cynthia Erivo, Colin Farrell, Brian Tyree Henry, Daniel Kaluuya, Garret Dillahunt, Carrie Coon, Lukas Haas, Jacki Weaver, Robert Duvall, and Liam Neeson
Directed by Steve McQueen
Written by Gillian Flynn and Steve McQueen

Summary (in 500 words or less):  After their criminal husbands are killed while attempting to complete a robbery, their widowed wives are forced to contemplate committing a crime of their own when a shady man demands money their husbands owed him.
 


The RyMickey Rating:  B

Saturday, December 15, 2018

Jungle

Jungle (2017)
Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Thomas Kretschmann, Alex Russell, and Joel Jackson
Directed by Greg McLean
Written by Justin Monjo
***This film is currently streaming via Amazon Prime***

Summary (in 500 words or less):  Based on a true story from the 1980s, Israeli explorer Yossi (Daniel Radcliffe) travels to the Amazon rainforest where he meets fellow adventurers the Swiss Marcus (Joel Jackson) and his American friend Kevin (Alex Russell).  The trio decide to travel into the Amazon jungle on an expedition led by a mysterious Austrian man (Thomas Kretschmann) and find themselves in a chaotic situation struggling to survive.


The RyMickey Rating: B-

Friday, December 14, 2018

Christmas in July

Christmas in July (1940)
Starring Dick Powell, Ellen Drew, Ernest Truex, and Raymond Walburn
Directed by Preston Sturges
Written by Preston Sturges

Summary (in 500 words or less):  Jimmy MacDonald enters a $25,000 contest to create the new catchphrase for Maxford House Coffee.  When his friends send him a joke telegram saying he won the contest, Jimmy goes on a spending spree that is complicated by the obvious notion that his winnings were predicated on a joke.

The RyMickey Rating: C-

Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Schindler's List

Schindler's List (1993)
***viewed in theaters for 25th anniversary release***
Starring Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, Ralph Fiennes, and Embeth Davidtz
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Written by Steven Zaillian

Summary (in 500 words or less): Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson) attempts to save hundreds of Jews in danger of being sent to Auschwitz by hiring them to work at his factory during WWII.
 


The RyMickey Rating:  A-

Saturday, December 08, 2018

Creed II

Creed II (2018)
Starring Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashad, Florian Munteanu, and Dolph Lundgren
Directed by Steven Caple, Jr.
Written by Juel Taylor and Sylvester Stallone

Summary (in 500 words or less): Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) is approached by a wrestling promoter to take on a bout against Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu), son of Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) who defeated and killed Creed's father in the ring decades ago.



The RyMickey Rating: C

Friday, December 07, 2018

The Glass Castle

The Glass Castle (2017)
Starring Brie Larson, Woody Harrelson, Naomi Watts, Ella Anderson, and Max Greenfield
Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton
Written by Destin Daniel Cretton, Andrew Lanham, and Marti Noxon
***This film is currently streaming via Amazon Prime***

Summary (in 500 words or less):  In the 1970s, a family with four children moves from place to place as they live in poverty that is self-inflicted by an artist mother (Naomi Watts) and an anti-establishment, anti-government father (Woody Harrelson).  When the 1980s roll around, the children have grown and left their parents, but find themselves having to reconcile with their past.



The RyMickey Rating:  C-

Thursday, December 06, 2018

Gaga: Five Foot Two

Gaga: Five Foot Two (2017)
Directed by Chris Moukarbel
***This film is currently streaming via Netflix***

Summary (in 500 words or less):  A documentary focusing on Lady Gaga in the months leading up to the release of her album Joanne and her halftime performance at the Super Bowl.
 


The RyMickey Rating:  C-

Wednesday, December 05, 2018

Okja

Okja (2017)
Starring Tilda Swinton, Paul Dano, An Seo Hyun, Byun Heebong, Steven Yeun, Lily Collins, Yoon Je Moon, Shirley Henderson, Daniel Henshall, Devon Bostick, Woo Shik Choi, Giancarlo Esposito, and Jake Gyllenhaal
Directed by Bong Joon Ho
Written by Bong Joon Ho and Jon Ronson
***This film is currently streaming via Netflix***

Summary (in 500 words or less): Teenager Mija (An Seo Hyun) has raised a genetically engineered super pig for nearly a decade in the mountains of South Korea, but when the Mirando Corporation headed by Lucy Mirando (Tilda Swinton) comes to take their pig back in order to begin selling its meat, Mija takes matters into her own hands with the help of an animal rights organization.



The RyMickey Rating: D+

Tuesday, December 04, 2018

Pottersville

Pottersville (2017)
Starring Michael Shannon,  Judy Greer, Ron Perlman, Thomas Lennon, Christina Hendricks, and Ian McShane
Directed by Seth Henrikson
Written by Daniel Meyer
***This film is currently streaming via Netflix***

Summary (in 500 words or less):  After discovering his wife (Christina Hendricks) wants to leave him, small town store clerk Maynard (Michael Shannon) goes on a nighttime drunken romp through the town of Pottersvilee in a gorilla costume.  When he wakes up the next morning, Maynard discovers that the town is all abuzz with a sighting of the mythical Bigfoot the night before.  Upon realizing how much Pottersville community has come together over this Bigfoot excitement, Maynard decides to continue dressing up in the gorilla costume in order to keep the town at its best.



The RyMickey Rating: C-

Friday, November 30, 2018

Boy Erased

Boy Erased (2018)
Starring Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman, Joel Edgerton, Joe Alwyn, Xavier Dolan, Troye Sivan, Britton Sear, Flea, Cherry Jones, and Russell Crowe
Directed by Joel Edgerton
Written by Joel Edgerton

Summary (in 500 words or less):  When Jared (Lucas Hedges) comes out to his parents after a semester at college, his preacher father (Russell Crowe) enrolls his son into a gay conversion program. 


The RyMickey Rating: B-

Thursday, November 29, 2018

Mudbound

Mudbound (2017)
Starring Carey Mulligan, Garrett Hedlund, Jason Clarke, Jason Mitchell, Mary J. Blige, Jonathan Banks, and Rob Morgan
Directed by Dee Rees
Written by Dee Rees and Virgil Williams
***This film is currently streaming via Netflix***

Summary (in 500 words or less):  The saga of a white and black family living on a farm in WWII-era Mississippi.


The RyMickey Rating: B+

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018)
Starring Melissa McCarthy, Richard E. Grant, Dolly Wells, Anna Deavere Smith, and Jane Curtin
Directed by Marielle Heller
Written by Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty

Summary (in 500 words or less):  The true story of biographer Lee Israel who, despite having a best-selling book, is no longer able to get her old-school-styled works published.  In 1991, desperate to make a living, she turns to a life of literary crime, creating letters in the voices of famous writers -- like Noel Coward and Dorothy Parker -- forging their signatures, and passing these fakes off as the real deal in an attempt to get money. 



The RyMickey Rating: B

Monday, November 19, 2018

Roman J. Israel, Esq.

Roman J. Israel, Esq. (2017)
Starring Denzel Washington, Colin Farrell, and Carmen Ejogo
Directed by Dan Gilroy
Written by Dan Gilroy

Summary (in 500 words or less):  When his law partner at his small practice dies, Roman J. Israel (Denzel Washington) joins a bigger practice and discovers some facts about his new bosses that go against his morals.



The RyMickey Rating: C-

Sunday, November 18, 2018

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)
Starring Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Zoë Kravitz, Callum Turner, Claudia Kim, William Nadylam, Jude Law, and Johnny Depp
Directed by David Yates
Written by J.K. Rowling

Summary (in 500 words or less):  The evil Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) escapes from custody while being transported from the USA back to Europe.  He settles down in Paris and prepares his evil wizards to stand up to the rules set forth by the wizarding world while also attempting to track down the young Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller) whose powers are some of the strongest known to wizards.  Meanwhile, Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) and Tina Goldstein (Katherine Waterston) try and track him down.



The RyMickey Rating: C-

Saturday, November 17, 2018

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)
Starring Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Samantha Morton, Jon Voight, Carmen Ejogo, and Colin Farrell
Directed by David Yates
Written by J.K. Rowling

Summary (in 500 words or less):  In 1926 New York City, wizard/British author/magical creature zoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) finds himself caught up in a city under siege by some mystical entity that seems to be a beast that he may be able to catch.  Can the magical wizards keep their secrets from the Muggles of the USA?



The RyMickey Rating: C

Friday, November 16, 2018

The Last Word

The Last Word (2017)
Starring Shirley MacLaine, Amanda Seyfried, Thomas Sadoski, Tom Everett Scott, AnnJewel Lee Dixon, and Anne Heche
Directed by Mark Pellington
Written by Stuart Ross Fink
***This film is currently streaming via Amazon Prime***

Summary (in 500 words or less):  Harriet Lauler (Shirley MacLaine), an aging curmudgeonly woman, enlists the help of the young obituary writer of the small local paper, Anne (Amanda Seyfried), to help write her obit while she's still alive.  Along the way, the two different clashing personalities realize that they need one another in order to live their best lives.



The RyMickey Rating: C+

Thursday, November 15, 2018

Theatre Review - Woman in Mind

Woman in Mind
Written by Alan Ayckbourn
Directed by Jackson Gay
Where: Thompson Theater at the Roselle Center for the Arts
(University of Delaware, Newark, DE)
When: Sunday, November 11, 2pm

Photo by Evan Krape  / The REP
 
Interesting. 

That's what I'll say about the University of Delaware's Resident Ensemble Players' latest production -- Woman in Mind by Alan Ayckbourn.  Although I may have often been befuddled as to what I was seeing unfold in director Jackson Gay's presentation, I was never bored as the story unfolded.

Susan (REP's Elizabeth Heflin) is a seemingly "average" British mother.  Her adult son (REP's Mic Matarrese) has left the family home and her time is now spent wallowing in a loveless marriage with her vicar husband Gerald (REP's Lee Ernst) who cares less for her than he does for a book he's been writing for years about their town.  Or maybe Susan is a fascinating writer or a brilliant heart surgeon who is married to the loving Andy (REP's Hassan El-Amin) who fawns over her.  This Susan has a smarmy brother (REP's Michael Gotch) who spends much time at Susan and Andy's country home and also has a charming daughter (Sam Morales) who is preparing to go to college.  So who is the real Susan?  

Neither Susan nor the audience are quite sure as the play bounces back and forth between these disparate sides of her mind and director Gay does a great job in capturing these distinct juxtapositions.  Similarly, Heflin's Susan (who never leaves the stage over the production's runtime) may be confused about what is going on in her mind, but the talented actress never confuses the audience as to what Susan is feeling, seeing, or thinking, capturing both humorous and emotional moments with her talent.  Even in her befuddled state, Heflin adeptly shows us the many facets to the character she's portraying.

And, to me, that's what Woman in Mind is about -- the many facets that make up a woman.  Perhaps in her real life, Susan is "just" a housewife...but that entails so much more.  To her young son in day's gone by, she may have been a doctor fixing his various booboos or injuries.  To her writer husband, she may have spouted off ideas after ideas that he has added to his work.  Maybe I'm reading Woman in Mind in an incorrect way -- maybe it is really about someone with psychological issues -- but in my interpretation, I found the play to be -- to quote the first word of my review -- interesting.

The entire ensemble does great work with nary a disappointment in the bunch.  The group is able to mine the piece for its dark comedy in addition to making some of the more intensely dramatic moments hit the mark as well.  Special kudos to Kathleen Pirkl Tague as Susan's unintentionally hilarious sister-in-law who steals the show when she walks onstage.  As is often the case with the REP, production values are superb.  The set design -- this time by Takeshi Kata whose work for the REP is always exquisite -- is beautiful thanks to its vividly colorful design.  Costumes by Katherine Roth are elegant and appropriate for the proceedings. 

Woman in Mind is certainly a play that makes you question what you're watching, but in the end, I enjoyed what both the playwright and this production brought to the stage, giving the REP another solid show for the 2018-19 season.

Thursday, November 08, 2018

Beautiful Boy

Beautiful Boy (2018)
Starring Steve Carell, Timothée Chalamet, Maura Tierney, LisaGay Hamilton, Kaitlyn Dever, and Amy Ryan
Directed by Felix Van Groeningen
Written by Luke Davies and Felix Van Groeningen

Summary (in 500 words or less):  The college-aged son (Timothée Chalamet) of a concerned father (Steve Carell) deals with a debilitating addiction to crystal meth.


The RyMickey Rating: C+

Saturday, October 20, 2018

First Man

First Man (2018)
Starring Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, Corey Stoll, Pablo Schreiber, Christopher Abbott, Patrick Fugit, Lukas Haas, Shea Whigham, Olivia Hamilton, Brian d'Arcy James, and Ciarán Hinds
Directed by Damien Chazelle
Written by Josh Singer

Summary (in 500 words or less):  A look at Neil Armstrong (Ryan Gosling) and the struggles he faced -- both familial and professionally -- to become the first man to walk on the moon.
 


The RyMickey Rating: A


Thursday, October 18, 2018

Call Me by Your Name

Call Me by Your Name (2017)
Starring Armie Hammer, Timothée Chalamet, Michael Stuhlbarg, Amira Casar, and Esther Garrel
Directed by Luca Guadagnino
Written by James Ivory

Summary (in 500 words or less):  In the summer of 1983, seventeen year-old Elio (Timothée Chalamet) living in Italy with his parents (Michael Stuhlbarg, Amira Casar) forms a friendship with a twentysomething graduate student (Armie Hammer) of his professor father who visits them for the summer.  The friendship begins to blossom into something more with Elio coming into his own in terms of his sexuality.


The RyMickey Rating: B-

Tuesday, October 16, 2018

A Star Is Born

A Star Is Born (2018)
Starring Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga, Sam Elliott, Rafi Gavron, Anthony Ramos, Dave Chappelle, and Andrew Dice Clay
Directed by Bradley Cooper
Written by Eric Roth, Bradley Cooper, and Will Fetters

Summary (in 500 words or less):  A grizzled alcoholic rocker (Bradley Cooper) falls for a young budding songwriter (Lady Gaga) and their relationship goes through ups and downs as their careers begin to take different paths.


Click here for my Letterboxd review

The RyMickey Rating:  A-

Monday, October 15, 2018

Mine

Mine (2017)
Starring Armie Hammer, Annabelle Wallis, Tom Cullen, Clint Dyer, Geoff Bell, and Juliet Aubrey
Directed by Fabio Guaglione and Fabio Resinaro
Written by Fabio Guaglione and Fabio Resinaro

Summary (in 500 words or less):  A soldier (Armie Hammer) steps on a land mine while on a mission in Iraq and finds himself alone in a desert where personal demons begin to rear their ugly heads.




The RyMickey Rating: C+

Sunday, October 14, 2018

Happy Death Day

Happy Death Day (2017)
Starring Jessica Rothe, Israel Broussard, Ruby Modine, Rachel Matthews, and Charles Aitken
Directed by Christopher B. Landon
Written by Scott Lobdell

Summary (in 500 words or less): College student Tree (Jessica Rothe) finds herself in a Groundhog Day-esque time warp that has her repeatedly waking up on her birthday...only to find herself being murdered before the day is over.  She must figure out who her murderer is in order to live another day.




The RyMickey Rating: B-



Saturday, October 13, 2018

The Lure

The Lure (Córki dancingu) (2017)
Starring Marta Mazurek, Michalina Olszanska, Kinga Pries, Jakob Giersal, Andrzej Konopka, and Zygmunt Malanowicz
Directed by Agnieszka Smoczynska
Written by Robert Bolesto

Summary (in 500 words or less):  Two mermaids -- Silver and Gold  (Marta Mazurek and Michalina Olszanska) -- come ashore in Poland in the 1980s and begin working in a nightclub as singers/strippers.  However, these mermaids aren't the Ariel type -- they need human blood to sustain themselves on land.  Oh, and it's a musical because the goal is to make this as weird as possible.



The RyMickey Rating:  C

Friday, October 12, 2018

Verónica

Verónica (2017)
Starring Sandra Escacena, Bruna González, Claudia Placer, Iván Chavero, and Ana Torrent
Directed by Paco Plaza
Written by Fernando Navarro
***This filmis currently streaming via Netflix*** 

Summary (in 500 words or less):  This Spanish supernatural horror film places its attention squarely on its title character, a fifteen year-old (Sandra Escacena) who spends her spare time watching her three younger siblings while her mother runs a local bar.  On the day of a solar eclipse, Veronica and two of her high school friends use a Ouija board to conjure up the spirit of Veronica's dead father, however it's not her father that makes an appearance, but instead a horrific demon who is using Veronica to wreak havoc on the living.



The RyMickey Rating: B+

Thursday, October 11, 2018

A Cure for Wellness

A Cure for Wellness (2017)
Starring Dane DeHaan, Jason Isaacs, Mia Goth, Harry Groener, and Celia Imrie
Directed by Gore Verbinski
Written by Justin Haythe

Summary (in 500 words or less):  A young executive named Lockhart (Dane DeHaan) is sent to a wellness retreat in the Swiss Alps to retrieve his company's CEO Roland Pembroke (Harry Groener).  However, upon his arrival, he realizes that this retreat may be more than meets the eye.


The RyMickey Rating: C


Wednesday, October 10, 2018

Venom

Venom (2018)
Starring Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed, Scott Haze, Reid Scott, and Jenny Slate
Directed by Ruben Fleischer
Written by Jeff Pinkner, Scott Rosenberg, and Kelly Marcel

Summary (in 500 words or less):  Investigative reporter Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) is overtaken by an alien lifeform while he is visiting the bioengineering corporation Life Foundation run by billionaire Carlton Drake (Riz Ahmed) which causes him to take on the alter ego of Venom -- a nasty creature that has designs on taking over the earth for his kind.



The RyMickey Rating:  D+

Tuesday, October 02, 2018

The Star

The Star (2017)
Featuring the vocal talents of Steven Yeun, Zachary Levi, Gina Rodriguez, Keegan-Michael Key, Aidy Bryant, Kelly Clarkson, Patricia Heaton, Anthony Anderson, Kristin Chenoweth, Tracy Morgan, Tyler Perry, Kris Kristofferson, Ving Rhames, Gabriel Iglesias, Christopher Plummer, and Oprah Winfrey
Directed by Timothy Reckart
Written by Carlos Kotkin
***This film is currently streaming via Netflix*** 

Summary (in 500 words or less):  An animated retelling of the story of the birth of Jesus Christ told through the eyes of a young donkey traveling to Bethlehem.



The RyMickey Rating:  C-

Monday, October 01, 2018

Christopher Robin

Christopher Robin (2018)
Starring Ewan McGregor, Hayley Atwell, and Bronte Carmichael
Featuring the vocal talents of Jim Cummings, Brad Garrett, Nick Mohammed, Peter Capaldi, Sophie Okonedo, and Toby Jones
Directed by Marc Forster
Written by Alex Ross Perry, Tom McCarthy, and Alison Schroeder

Summary (in 500 words or less):  Having left behind his seemingly make-believe 100 Acre Woods friends decades ago, a grown-up Christopher Robin (Ewan McGregor) has an encounter with Winnie the Pooh that makes him question his workaholic ways that leave his wife (Hayley Atwell) and daughter (Bronte Carmichael) longing for his company.


The RyMickey Rating: B

Sunday, September 30, 2018

American Assassin

American Assassin (2017)
Starring Dylan O'Brien, Michael Keaton, Sanaa Lathan, and Taylor Kitsch
Directed by Michael Cuesta
Written by Stephen Schiff, Michael Finch, Edward Zwick, and Marshall Herskovitz

Summary (in 500 words or less):  After his girlfriend and many others are killed in a terrorist attack on a beach in Ibiza, Spain, Mitch Rapp (Dylan O'Brien) seeks revenge on the attackers, but eventually is taken in by the CIA who decide to train him to help America's intelligence agencies.


The RyMickey Rating: C-

Saturday, September 29, 2018

Peppermint

Peppermint (2018)
Starring Jennifer Garner, John Gallagher Jr., John Ortiz, Annie Ilonzeh, and Juan Pablo Raba
Directed by Pierre Morel
Written by Chad St. John

Summary (in 500 words or less):  When her husband and daughter are killed in a violent gang-related event, Riley North (Jennifer Garner) takes matters into her own hands after a corrupt justice system lets her family's murderers off the hook for their horrific crime.



The RyMickey Rating: C

Friday, September 28, 2018

1922

1922 (2017)
Starring Thomas Jane, Dylan Schmid, Molly Parker, Kaitlyn Bernard, and Neal McDonough
Directed by Zak Hilditch
Written by Zak Hilditch
***This film is currently streaming via Netflix***

Summary (in 500 words or less):  Desperate to keep the farmland of his wife Arlette (Molly Parker) which she wants to sell, husband Wilf (Thomas Jane) carries out an unthinkable act with his teenage son Henry (Dylan Schmid) -- the murder of Arlette.  However, this unthinkable act which was supposed to solve all of Wilf's troubles only exacerbates them.



The RyMickey Rating: C-

Thursday, September 27, 2018

Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool

Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool (2017)
Starring Annette Bening, Jamie Bell, Julie Walters, Kenneth Cranham, Stephen Graham, Frances Barber, Leanne Best, and Vanessa Redgrave
Directed by Paul McGuigan
Written by Matt Greenhalgh

Summary (in 500 words or less):  In the twilight of her career, Oscar winner Gloria Grahame (Annette Bening) begins a relationship with the young twenty something British Peter Turner (Jamie Bell).  This true story details their unlikely love for one another.



The RyMickey Rating:  B+

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

The Sense of an Ending

The Sense of an Ending (2017)
Starring Jim Broadbent, Harriet Walter, Michelle Dockery, Emily Mortimer, Billy Howle, Freya Mavor, Matthew Goode, and Charlotte Rampling
Directed by Ritesh Batra
Written by Nick Payne
Summary (in 500 words or less):  Sixty-something Tony (Jim Broadbent) receives a letter from the estate of the mother of a former college girlfriend stating that she has left him a document upon her passing.  The document is being held by Tony's former girlfriend Veronica (Charlotte Rampling) who Tony hasn't seen in decades.  Completely oblivious to what the document could be, Tony reflects upon his college career via flashbacks that showcase that memory is malleable.


The RyMickey Rating: D+


Monday, September 24, 2018

Theater Review - The Seafarer

The Seafarer
Written by Conor McPherson
Directed by Ben Barnes
Where:  Thompson Theater at the Roselle Center for the Arts
(University of Delaware, Newark, DE)
When: Sunday, September 23, 2pm

Photo by Evan Krape, courtesy of the REP

The University of Delaware's Resident Ensemble Players continue their success when it comes to portraying the Irish landscape with their production of Conor McPherson's The Seafarer which may very well be their best production since 2015-16's thriller Wait Until Dark.  Way back in 2012, the REP brought us McPherson's The Weir which I found fantastic and The Seafarer now proves that McPherson is a playwright I need to explore more.

McPherson drops us into the home of the Harkin brothers in Ireland on Christmas Eve -- "Sharky" (REP's Lee Ernst) has moved in to help care for his recently blinded brother Richard (REP's Stephen Pelinski).  Against his more subdued and sullen brother's wishes, the drunkenly boisterous Richard invites Nicky (REP's Michael Gotch) over for a Christmas Eve poker game.  Nicky is dating Sharky's ex-wife so their relationship is already a tenuous one and the tension is further increased when Nicky arrives with the mysterious Mr. Lockhart (REP's Mic Matarrese) whom Sharky seems to recognize, but can't quite place from where he knows him.  With Sharky's good friend Ivan (guest actor David Anthony Smith) onboard, the quintet sits down for a card game where the stakes prove to be much higher than expected thanks to the ominous presence of the darkly cryptic Mr. Lockhart.

Much like The Weir, The Seafarer is a bit deliberate in its pacing at its outset.  McPherson is slowly peeling back the layers of Sharky, a man whose past hasn't been perfect and has led him to develop some self-destructive tendencies which he's trying to curb with the help of his Catholic faith (this is an Irish play after all so religion plays a fairly major role) and his refusal to drink -- Sharky is the one member of the quintet who's been avoiding alcohol in an attempt to keep his mind clear.  However, the introduction of the devilish Mr. Lockhart into the mix unexpectedly rattles Sharky, sending him into chaos as he attempts to reconcile with his past misdeeds.  This is by far Lee Ernst's best performance in a REP production with his Sharky proving to be utterly captivating as the emotional center of the piece, allowing the audience to feel his grief about his past and his hope of creating a better name for himself.

The rest of the cast is spot-on, deftly handling McPherson's tricky balance of comedy and drama which director Ben Barnes is able to seamlessly blend.  Everything about this production feels as if it could've belonged on Broadway -- from the exquisitely designed Dublin apartment set by Todd Rosenthal (one of the best sets to grace the REP stage thus far) to the authentically "normal" costumes by Rachel Healey to the oftentimes creepy sound design by Rob Milburn and Michael Bodeen -- it's all high-level stuff on display and adds to notion that The Seafarer is one of the best productions the REP has brought to us in years.  Head to the box office and get your tickets today.

Friday, September 21, 2018

Theater Review - Lettice and Lovage

Lettice and Lovage
Written by Peter Shaffer
Directed by Steve Tague
Where: Studio Theater at the Roselle Center for the Arts
(University of Delaware, Newark, DE)
When: Wednesday, September 19, 2018

 Photo by E. Krape // Courtesy of the REP

The start of the University of Delaware's Resident Ensemble Players' 2018-19 season unfortunately fails to start with a bang with their production of the comedy Lettice and Lovage, a play that spouts a whole lot of words over its over two-and-a-half hour runtime, but lands very few of them with the expected laughs.  Beyond showcasing a growing, though tenuous, friendship between two women -- one who exudes eccentric theatricality and the other whose buttoned-up personality exhibits very little emotion -- Shaffer's play has very little plot and putters around for way too long without really getting anywhere.  I expected by the time the third act started to find some grand purpose for this play's existence, but that never manifested itself, nor did the third act create some theatrical set piece that at least warranted the need for this play to take itself to that third act.

REP members Kathleen Pirkl Tague as the flamboyant Lettice and Elizabeth Heflin as the stoically resolute Lotte are both fine, although the play does little for them to explore their characters to any great depths beyond caricature.  It's always a bit tough as a layman's critic unfamiliar with the source material to know whether it's an issue with the playwright or the direction of a production, but I really feel like it's the former that's the issue here.  I'm not sure there was an abundance of laughs for director Steven Tague to mine here and there certainly wasn't any thorough plot to punctuate with moments of excitement.

Taking place in the university's small Studio Theater, the audience finds itself in close proximity to the actors which is always a treat, but the black box theater with its cushioned folding-chair seats only exacerbates the play's three-act runtime with a large majority of the younger crowd in the audience getting antsy as the play progressed because of its lack of plot.  There were many comments upon exiting that I overheard from the more seasoned crowd that were saying things like "That was fun," or "That was so good," so maybe there's some age thing going on here.  I fall into the middle of these two age groups and I found myself strongly veering to the youths' indifference to this one.  I'm perhaps being overly harsh here -- this production isn't awful, it's just a bit of a nonstarter.  It's unfortunate, but Lettice and Lovage isn't one that I can say I loved in the slightest.

Tuesday, September 18, 2018

The Wife

The Wife (2018)
Starring Glenn Close, Jonathan Pryce, Christian Slater, Max Irons, Annie Starke, Harry Lloyd, and Elizabeth McGovern
Directed by Björn Runge
Written by Jane Anderson

Summary (in 500 words or less):  When her husband Joe Castleman (Jonathan Pryce) is honored with the Nobel Prize for Literature, his wife Joan (Glenn Close) is forced to look closely at her past and determine a path for her future.



The RyMickey Rating: C

Sunday, September 16, 2018

I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore

I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore (2017)
Starring Melanie Lynskey, Elijah Wood, Devon Graye, David Yow, Jane Levy, and Gary Anthony Williams
Directed by Macon Blair
Written by Macon Blair
***This film is currently streaming via Netflix***

Summary (in 500 words or less):  When the home of a woman (Melanie Lynsky) is robbed and the police won't investigate what they consider a minor crime, she hunts down the criminals with the help of her neighbor (Elijah Wood).


The RyMickey Rating:  B-

Saturday, September 15, 2018

78/52: Hitchcock's Shower Scene

78/52: Hitchcock's Shower Scene (2017)
Directed by Alexandre O. Philippe
Written by Alexandre O. Philippe
***This film is currently streaming via Hulu***

Summary (in 500 words or less):  Referencing the 78 camera angles and 52 cuts in the shower scene in the movie Psycho, this documentary examines this scene's effect on both films in the 1960s and the cinematic landscape today.


The RyMickey Rating:  B

Friday, September 14, 2018

Mission: Impossible - Fallout

Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)
Starring Tom Cruise, Henry Cavill, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Sean Harris, Angela Bassett, Michelle Monaghan, Vanessa Kirby, Wes Bentley, and Alec Baldwin
Directed by Christopher McQuarrie
Written by Christopher McQuarrie

Summary (in 500 words or less):  When his team's mission fails, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his crew (Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg) are forced to be shadowed by CIA agent August Walker (Henry Cavill) at the behest of CIA director Erica Sloane (Angela Bassett).  At odds, Hunt and Walker attempt to track down missing plutonium before it falls into the hands of a terrorist group known as the "Apostles" who want to create several nuclear weapons and cause massive damage across the globe. 



The RyMickey Rating:  B+

Wednesday, September 12, 2018

The Lovers

The Lovers (2017)
Starring Debra Winger, Tracy Letts, Aiden Gillen, Melora Walters, Tyler Ross, and Jessica Sula 
Directed by Azazel Jacobs
Written by Azazel Jacobs
***This film is currently streaming via Amazon Prime***

Summary (in 500 words or less):  An unhappily married couple, Mary and Michael (Debra Winger and Tracy Letts), is ready to separate and go off with their respective lovers (Aiden Gillen, Melora Walters) since their badly kept secret affairs are ruining their home life.  However, as they're about to take the plunge and end their marriage, Mary and Michael begin to fall for one another again leading both of them to question what they really want in their lives.



The RyMickey Rating:  B+