Bombshell

Bombshell (2019)

Starring Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, Margot Robbie, John Lithgow, Malcolm McDowell, Allison Janney, Kate McKinnon, Connie Britton, Liv Hewsen, Brigette Lundy-Paine, Mark Duplass, Rob Delaney, Stephen Root, and Robin Weigart

Directed by Jay Roach

Written by Charles Randolph

Click here for my Letterboxd review

The RyMickey Rating: C

Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood

Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood (2019)

Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Emile Hirsch, Margaret Qualley, Timothy Olyphant, Julia Butters, Dakota Fanning, Bruce Dern, Luke Perry, and Al Pacino

Directed by Quentin Tarantino

Written by Quentin Tarantino

Click here for my Letterboxd review

The RyMickey Rating:  D

Mary Queen of Scots

Mary Queen of Scots (2018)

Starring Saiorse Ronan, Margot Robbie, Guy Pearce, David Tennant, Jack Lowden, Joe Alwyn, and Gemma Chan

Directed by Josie Rourke

Written by Beau Willimon

Click here for my Letterboxd review

The RyMickey Rating:  D+

I, Tonya

I, Tonya (2017)

Starring Margot Robbie, Sebastian Stan, Allison Janney, Julianne Nicholson, Paul Walter Hauser, McKenna Grace, and Bobby Cannavale

Directed by Craig Gillespie

Written by Steven Rogers

***This film is currently streaming via Hulu***

Summary (in 500 words or less):  The story of Tonya Harding (Margot Robbie) and her involvement in the attack on fellow figure skater Nancy Kerrigan told in a mock-documentary-style.

Click here for my Letterboxd review

The RyMickey Rating:  C

Movie Review - Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (2016)

Starring Tina Fey, Margot Robbie, Martin Freeman, Alfred Molina, Christopher Abbott, and Billy Bob Thornton

Directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa

**This film is currently streaming via Amazon Prime***

A film about an embedded American news reporter in Afghanistan from 2003-2006, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot works for its first half when its goal is a fish out of water comedy.  However, as it progresses and becomes a bit more serious, it falls apart.  It's no fault of Tina Fey who plays Kim, the central character of the piece who leaves behind a serious boyfriend to try and find her career calling as an on air cable news reporter in the war-torn Middle East.  Fey holds our attention and does a nice job of balancing her character's comedic moments with the weight of her character's situation of being a woman in a society that treats women in a much different light than America.

Still, while Fey balances things well, the film itself doesn't succeed in that regard.  When it shifts to be something way too serious in its final half, it stands in too stark contrast to what came before it.  Like Fey, the cast is engaging, but the likes of Margot Robbie, Martin Freeman, and Billy Bob Thornton aren't enough to lift this one above being a disappointment.

The RyMickey Rating:  C-

Movie Review - Suicide Squad

Suicide Squad (2016)

Starring Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, Cara Delevingne, Jai Courtney, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Ike Barinholtz, Ben Affleck, and Viola Davis

Directed by David Ayer

***This film is currently streaming on HBO Now/GO***

After the disaster that was Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, there was an inevitable sense of dread as I began to watch Suicide Squad, the next film to unfold in the DC Universe.  Yet somehow, despite the horrid reviews (or perhaps because of them lowering expectations), I found this irreverent comedy-action piece a tiny bit better than the film that preceded it.

***SPOILERS from Batman v Superman below***

Notice that I just said "a tiny bit better" because in the end Suicide Squad is pretty bad as well.  However, at least writer-director David Ayer tries to inject a little bit of fun into the proceedings as it introduces a motley crew of imprisoned criminals brought together by government intelligence officer Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) in an attempt to help America fight big-time criminals following the death of Superman.  Unfortunately, bringing this whole group together in a single film gives little time to develop backstories beyond those of ace sniper Deadshot (Will Smith) and psycho criminal Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) who happened to be the love interest of the criminal mastermind Joker (Jared Leto) prior to her incarceration.  There are other folks that make up the squad including an alligator guy, an Australian bloke, and some Asian girl, but they are so disturbingly pushed to the sidelines that their existence in the film ends up being laughable by the time the credits roll.  And let's not even discuss the villain -- an evil spiritual entity that enters the body of archeologist June Moore (Cara Delevingne) and then proceeds to create zombie-like creatures that run rampant.

Despite the music video-esque series of introductions we get to each member of the Suicide Squad (which became immediately ridiculous by the time Ayer introduces his second or third character), I was onboard during the film's opening act.  As Amanda Waller rounds up the criminals, something was working for me and then it all devolves into the horrible dark and dreary DC Universe aesthetic with an hour-long finale that isn't the least bit compelling.  Unlike many I've spoken to about this disappointing flick, I didn't dislike Jared Leto as the Joker (although I'm obviously not attached to these characters in any shape or form) or Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn (who at least injected some light humor into the darkness that surrounds her), and I actually think Will Smith plays a nicely grounded character in Deadshot.  Still, Suicide Squad isn't good and it continues the rather abysmal track record for DC.

The RyMickey Rating:  C-

Movie Review - Z for Zachariah

Z for Zachariah (2015)

Starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Margot Robbie, and Chris Pine

Directed by Craig Zobel

***This film is currently streaming on Amazon Prime***

In Z for Zachariah, a catastrophic radioactive event has seemingly killed everyone except for Ann Burden (Margot Robbie), a young woman from a Southern town nestled between two mountains.  Her family went out to search for other survivors...but that was a long time ago and they've never returned, so Ann spends her days with her dog trying to do as best she can alone in the world.  One afternoon, she spots someone removing a radioactive suit after his geiger counter tells him the area lacks radiation.  Ecstatic, the man runs to a nearby watering hole only to be greeted by Ann who tells him that the water where he is bathing comes from outside the mountain range and, thusly, is radioactive.  The man, John Loomis (Chiwetel Ejiofor), becomes deathly sick, but Ann nurses him back to health and the two become close friends, ready to do what is necessary in order to reignite civilization.  However, Ann and John's blossoming relationship is soon tested when another man, Caleb (Chris Pine) enters the picture and the three survivors must deal with jealousy, anger, and love - emotions that the trio had all but stricken from their psyches when they assumed they were the sole survivors.

I feel as if I've been watching a lot of slow-paced character-driven pieces over the past few days and Z for Zachariah is no exception.  While it's a tad too methodical for its own good, the allure of the film stems from the fact that there are only three actors and their chemistry and interactions with one another make up the entirety of the film.  Ejiofor and Robbie continue to prove that they are rising stars in the industry by taking on this small, indie piece to show us their considerable acting chops.  Pine, who I typically like, doesn't fare quite as well, but his character is the least developed so his intentions and motivations are the least explored.  Still, director Craig Zobel deftly explores the trio's emotions utilizing simplistic direction and production design in order to let his characters really be the defining aspects of the film.  The flick lacks forceful momentum and its heavy premise bogs things down, but it's an interesting, thoughtful, and well-acted piece.

The RyMickey Rating: B-

Movie Review - Focus

Focus (2015)

Starring Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Rodrigo Santora, Gerald McRaney, and Adrian Martinez

Directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa

There are moments of success throughout Focus in which stars Will Smith and Margot Robbie are so charming and charismatic as sly thieves, con artists, and lovers that the Glenn Ficarra and John Requa written-and-directed film almost makes you think that you're watching something that's worthy of your time.  And then the repetitive cat-and-mouse stereotypical double-crossing rears its ugly head and we realize that the story is rather tired and Ficarra and Requa haven't done enough to reinvent things despite making their film look crisp.

Smith is Nicky, a real big shot con artist who heads a fairly large group of crooks who pull off massive amounts of rather small heists that add up to a whole lot of dough.  He meets Jess (Robbie) one evening as she attempts to con him and the two end up falling for one another.  As Nicky trains Jess to be a better crook, we're essentially given two different films:  the first forty-five minutes showcase Nicky and Jess successfully running rampant in New Orleans over Super Bowl weekend and the final seventy-five minutes switch things to Buenos Aires where Nicky attempts to help a race car team owner (Rodrigo Santora) try and win some big race through underhandedness.

The problem with Focus is, ironically, the lack thereof in the film.  We're essentially getting two separate stories here and while the film's first act in New Orleans works in all aspects -- acting, direction, story -- the second act disappoints.  The audience is well aware that most of what they're seeing onscreen is simply double cross after double cross and it ultimately makes us care very little about what we're watching since we take everything we're seeing with a grain of salt, making assumptions that nothing we're seeing is "true."  Smith and Robbie carry the piece and help to ease the disappointment in the film's final hour, but Focus feels like two separate films that don't really come together as one.

The RyMickey Rating:  C-

Movie Review - About Time

About Time (2013)

Starring Domhnall Gleeson, Rachel McAdams, Bill Nighy, Lydia Wilson, Lindsay Duncan, and Margot Robbie

Directed by Richard Curtis

For some reason, I thought Richard Curtis was a much more prolific director than he actually is.  The helmer (and screenwriter) of one of the best romantic comedies of all time -- Love Actually -- has actually only gone behind the camera one other time since that 2003 flick with the disappointing ensemble comedy Pirate Radio.  Needless to say, I found myself a bit excited when I discovered he had a new film on the horizon, but About Time came and left the theaters very quickly in November and, admittedly, its trailers featuring a time-jumping main character left me a little perplexed (and, based off the poor grosses, left other moviegoers befuddled as well).

I'm quite happy to say, though, that About Time is a charming piece, lovingly crafted with humor and heart, and features some very nice performances from its cast.  While the film does definitely place an emphasis on time travel, the premise is actually easy to understand.  When we first meet the twenty-one year-old Tim (Domhnall Gleeson), he has had a disastrous evening at a New Years' Eve party at his parents' home in rural England.  While at the party, Tim's father (Bill Nighy) takes him aside and tells him that the men in their family have an unique ability to travel in time to places and times they have been before (hence, no jumping ahead).  The whole process takes some getting used to for Tim, but he eventually grows to utilize it to his advantage in order to achieve success in all aspects of his life including the romance department, particularly when he meets the American Mary (Rachel McAdams).  The two click fairly instantly and their romance blossoms.

Rather surprisingly, the film doesn't throw tons of obstacles in Mary and Tim's way, nor does it really prolong their courtship.  Instead, we look at their loving relationship and how Tim's time travel helps certain aspects of their life.  However, as Tim soon realizes, not every time traveling moment works to his advantage and just because he changes his actions in a "reboot" doesn't mean others around him will react to situations any differently.

The film succeeds on charm and humor and most of that stems from Domhnall Gleeson whom I vaguely remember from the Harry Potter films, but not much else despite being in several flicks over the past few years.  He's charismatic, quite adept at balancing the comedic and dramatic aspects of the plot, and completely sold me on the fact that his character would be a guy someone like Rachel McAdams would fall for.  McAdams' character is admittedly somewhat left on the back burner and, despite this being a film about their romance, About Time ends up focusing moreso on the relationship between fathers and sons -- a rather odd concept in a romantic comedy, but one that (perhaps because I'm a guy) I found refreshing and rather touching.   Bill Nighy is funny as always, but he's a bit more subdued here than in Love Actually or Pirate Radio and it's a nice change of pace.

I've been sitting on this review for awhile because About Time is one of those films that I really liked, but couldn't quite spit out why I liked it so much.  This review didn't really do it justice, but I strongly recommend this one.

The RyMickey Rating:  B+

Movie Review - The Wolf of Wall Street

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie, Matthew McConaughey, Kyle Chandler, Rob Reiner, Jean Dujardin, Joanna Lumley, Cristin Milioti, and P.J. Byrne 

Directed by Martin Scorsese

Much has already been said about the language, vulgarity, and loooong running time of The Wolf of Wall Street and I'll readily admit that it's full of f-bombs, various sexual proclivities, and rampant drug use throughout its 179-minute length.  However, I enjoyed the heck out of this one, finding myself constantly smiling at the sheer absurdity of the whole affair and almost being upset that my humdrum life couldn't hold a candle to the chaotic mayhem of Jordan Belfort's.  Granted, Belfort is a womanizing, scheming crook who contains nary a moralistic bone in his body and he's a horrific sleaze of a guy so my notion of trying to vicariously live like him faded really quickly, but thanks to a glorious performance by Leonardo DiCaprio and some vivacious direction from Martin Scorsese, this movie paints a vivid picture of the true story of the infamous stockbroker who duped thousands of people into losing boatloads of money.

While the overarching theme of the film is about the stock market and that aforementioned duping of the public by Belfort, Scorsese and screenwriter Terrence Winter wisely push that aside instead focusing on the wildly outrageous shenanigans of the rich Belfort (played by DiCaprio) and his cohorts as they spend their (well-earned or illegally earned?) dough on quaaludes, cocaine, prostitutes, yachts, extravagant homes, jewelry, flying dwarfs...I could go on and on.  Seeing the world of excess is admittedly at first a little exciting, but we all know that it's too good to be true.  This fantastical world is ripe for a breakdown and that certainly is the case here with Belfort's fall just as engrossing as his rise up the corporate ladder.

Front and center in nearly every scene of the movie is Leonardo DiCaprio, a guy who I've certainly come to appreciate in recent years for his acting prowess.  However, I've never seen him take on a role with such gusto and joie de vivre as he does here with Jordan Belfort.  With the perfect amount of sly charm, self absorption, self-confidence, financial smarts, and sex appeal, DiCaprio gives a performance that is loose, funny, and captivating.

While DiCaprio's Belfort certainly takes center stage, he isn't alone in shining onscreen.  Jonah Hill is quite good as a Long Island nobody whom Belfort grooms into his right hand man.  The jaw-droppingly gorgeous Margot Robbie plays Belfort's second wife and she's a stunning newcomer I can't wait to see more of in the future.  Additionally, Matthew McConaughey makes the most out of a mere ten minute scene as Belfort's first teacher in the stock trade.  He steals the show right off the bat (which DiCaprio then steals back from him) and sets the movie on a great path right from the outset.

All this praise I'm heaping on the film makes it seem as if this one's ripe for an "A" rating.  Well, that's not going to happen and the reason harkens back to that aforementioned running time.  This thing moves along at a fast clip for its first hour and its last hour takes us on a bit of a different journey with Belfort's world beginning to crumble, but that middle hour leaves a bit to be desired.  We've already borne witness to the hedonistic tendencies of Belfort and his crew and this middle act teeters on actually becoming a bit boring -- there's only so much coke snorting you can take.  Perhaps Scorsese was mirroring the excessive nature of Belfort with the excessive running time, but a trimming of maybe thirty minutes would've put this one right in the running for a top three spot of the year for me.  As it stands now, it's a very good film that could've been near perfect, buoyed by the best performance I've seen in 2013 in Mr. DiCaprio.

The RyMickey Rating:  B+