Knives Out

Knives Out (2019)

Starring Daniel Craig, Ana de Armas, Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, Lakeith Stanfield, Katherine Langford, Jaeden Martell, and Christopher Plummer

Directed by Rian Johnson

Written by Rian Johnson

Click here for my Letterboxd review

The RyMickey Rating:  C+

Movie Review - Alex of Venice

Alex of Venice (2015)

Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Don Johnson, Derek Luke, Katie Nehra, Chris Messina, Skylar Gaertner, Reg E. Cathey, and Timm Sharp

Directed by Chris Messina

***This film is currently streaming on Netflix***

There's a simplicity to Alex of Venice, the directing debut of actor Chris Messina, that adds charm to the titular character's (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) newfound struggles following the leaving of her husband (Messina), the possible Alzheimer's diagnosis for her father (Don Johnson), and the arrival of her sister (Katie Nehra) who comes to the titular California town to look after Alex's son Dakota (Skylar Gaertner) while Alex works on an important environmental law case.  While that charming simplicity makes Alex of Venice innately watchable, it also doesn't provide much of a backdrop for what should be a slice of life story that feels as if it's trying too hard to cram too many "big" life moments into its short running time.

Winstead is captivating as the beleaguered mother who has spent so much time dealing with work that she's abandoned her family.  Her character feels grounded in reality as do most of the inhabitants of the film including Don Johnson's understated portrayal of an actor coming to grips with the onset of memory loss.  However, the flick -- the first screenplay for two of three credited screenwriters -- feels too kitchen sink-y to really resonate.  Divorce and abandonment and environmental protests and medical issues and even playwright Anton Chekov feel as if the writers just didn't know where to draw the line when it came to editing.  The Chekov inclusion, in particular, feels much too "final college thesis" rather than theatrical film to be anything other than laughable.

Admittedly, I'm making Alex of Venice sound worse than it is.  It's a watchable indie drama with decent performances that unfortunately is hampered by a script that doesn't do its cast any favors.  While it wouldn't necessarily be a bad watch, there are better things to stream on Netflix.

The RyMickey Rating:  C

Movie Review - Cold in July

Cold in July (2014)

Starring Michael C. Hall, Sam Shepard, Vinessa Shaw, Wyatt Russell, and Don Johnson

Directed by Jim Mickle

East Texas 1989.  Richard Dane (Michael C. Hall) kills a home invader only to have the criminal's father Russel (Sam Shepard) begin to stalk Dane and his family.  Although Cold in July begins with this premise, the flick shifts about a third of the way through and despite some plot holes which probably should've bothered me, I found the gritty film noir a rather enjoyable mystery.

This is again one of those flicks that I almost gave up on.  The opening act does tend to plod along -- how many scenes of Russel skulking around the Dane house can we witness before we start to go a little crazy?  However, things definitely kick into a little higher gear -- or at the very least a different direction -- and the unexpected change of events gives the film a bit of a refreshing angle.  Jim Mickle brings a grittiness to the flick that is certainly befitting of the plot and Michael C. Hall, Sam Shepard, and a humorous (though not overly so) Don Johnson all feel natural in their surroundings without feeling hokey which sometimes happens in film noirs.

I'd like to talk more about Cold in July, but to do so would be a moderate spoiler, so I'll leave this review as simplistic as it is.  While not mind-blowing and certainly containing a few flaws, Cold in July proved to be better than I expected given its rather lukewarm beginning.

The RyMickey Rating: B-