Review: You Hurt My Feelings

You Hurt My Feelings (2023)
R  ‧ Comedy ‧ 1 Hour 33 Minutes

Written by Nicole Holofcener

Directed by Nicole Holofcener

THE CAST

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tobias Menzies, Michaela Watkins, Arian Moayed, Owen Teague, Jeannie Berlin

THE STORY

(In their own words). From acclaimed filmmaker Nicole Holofcener comes a sharply observed comedy about a novelist whose long standing marriage is suddenly upended when she overhears her husband give his honest reaction to her latest book. A film about trust, lies, and the things we say to the people we love most.

Get my in-depth review by listening to the podcast or watching the video review at the bottom of the page. Here are the highlights:

THE BEST


The BEST things about the film

  1. The Writing
  2. The Directing
  3. Julia Louis-Dreyfus
  4. The Comedy

THE WORST

The WORST things about the Film

  1. It’s not nearly as quick as the trailer makes it seem. 

THE LESSON

Honesty is complicated when you are in a relationship. 

There’s a fine line between encouraging and creating delusion. 

IS IT REWATCHABLE

Yes

THE FINAL WORD

Julia Louis-Dreyfus shines while starring in this honest film that explores honesty in relationships. A very well-crafted film from writer/director Nicole Holofcener, this is one of those films that lingers in your mind long after the movie ends. It provokes thought and discussion and makes you examine your own actions in relationships. I think that’s when films really do hit their highest level…when they cause self-reflection. The ensemble cast is excellent as we see truth and honesty examined between all the different types of relationships in the film. 

THE VERDICT
My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It. 

You Hurt My Feelings gets a strong Like It.

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Review: Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3

Posted in Action, Adventure, Film Reviews, Film Reviews 2023, MCU, Scifi, Superhero by Silas Lindenstein – May 04, 2023

Review: Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3

Guardians Of The Galaxy Volume III (2023)
PG-13  ‧ Action/Adventure  ‧ 2 Hours 29 Minutes

Written by James Gunn
Directed by James Gunn

THE CAST Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Sean Gunn, Chukwudi Iwuji, Will Poulter, Elizabeth Debicki, Maria Bakalova, and Sylvester Stallone

(L-R): Sean Gunn as Kraglin, Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel), Chris Pratt as Peter Quill/Star-Lord, Karen Gillan as Nebula, Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper), Dave Bautista as Drax, and Pom Klementieff as Mantis in Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2023 MARVEL.

THE STORY

(In their own words). Still reeling from the loss of Gamora, Peter Quill must rally his team to defend the universe and protect one of their own. If the mission is not completely successful, it could possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them.

THE BEST
The BEST things about the film

  1. The Story – They took the wisest path for this movie; take a simple story and tell it well. And very importantly – relatable. 
  2. The Villain – The villain for this film, I think, is one of the scariest villains we’ve had in the MCU in a long, long time. 
  3. The Send-Off – It’s been widely stated that this is the final chapter and final film for the Guardians of the Galaxy, at least as we know it today, and I wasn’t sure how they would handle it. The story was a perfect culmination of all the films we’ve seen them in. It puts a bow on most of the character’s stories while setting the groundwork for individuals’ future tales. 
  4. The Comedy – I’ve had many complaints about Marvel squashing the serious moments in films by always making a joke happen and killing the seriousness of the film’s in-world moments. This felt like a departure from that. They let the funny moments be funny, and the serious moments have weight and importance. 
(L-R): Miriam Shor as Recorder Vim, Chukwudi Iwuji as The High Evolutionary, and Nico Santos as Recorder Theel in Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Photo by Jessica Miglio. © 2023 MARVEL.

THE WORST

The WORST things about the film

  1. I have only one minor gripe that comes near the end, and I don’t want to ruin anything for you, so I’ll save it for a discussion podcast. But it is minor; this is nearly a perfect action/superhero film for me. 
Zoe Saldana as Gamora in Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2023 MARVEL.

THE COMMENTS

For me, this is by far the best MCU film since Endgame, and it isn’t close. 

This story is just absolutely beautiful. I was shocked at how much this film got me to care about an animated raccoon’s life and relationships. I was utterly sucked into the characters and their backgrounds. Marvel found what it’s been missing in the latest offering…a relatable story set in a sci-fi setting. This film is really about the scars inside us that we carry around. The latest movies have mostly been about God-like beings, other dimensions, and “greater than this world” events. Marvel stories are best when they are about the things we care about; love, hurt, moving on, and learning how to grow as a person. Films need to teach us more about humanity with a story grounded in something we can relate to or at least aspire to. The early MCU films like Iron Man and Captain America did this, and even so in the original Guardians of The Galaxy film. 

This film is Marvel at its best. 

(L-R): Dave Bautista as Drax and Pom Klementieff as Mantis in Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Photo by Jessica Miglio. © 2023 MARVEL.

THE LESSON

Scars on the outside are nothing compared to the scars inside us. 

Friends take care of friends. 

IS IT REWATCHABLE

Yes. Can’t wait to watch it again. 

THE FINAL WORD

The final chapter of the Guardians Of The Galaxy films ends on a high note. For me, this was the best film since Avengers: Endgame. A captivating story about exploring old wounds wrapped up in a Marvel blanket. It’s a simple story told really well. Humor in the right places without compromising the emotional impact of moments, which has been a flaw of MCU films as of late. This last film from James Gunn in the MCU world (most likely) shows how great of a director and storyteller he truly is. GoG Vol. 3 hopefully will be the guidepost for the type of films Marvel will keep making.

THE VERDICT 

My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It. 

Guardians of The Galaxy Volume 3 gets a Love It. 

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Review: Chevalier

Chevalier (2023)
PG-13  ‧ Drama/Music ‧ 1 Hour 47 Minutes

Written by Stefanie Robinson

Directed by Stephen Williams

Video and Podcast reviews are at the bottom of the page.

THE CAST

  • Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges
  • Samara Weaving as Marie-Josephine de Montalembert
  • Lucy Boynton as Marie Antoinette
  • Marton Csokas as Marc René, marquis de Montalembert
  • Alex Fitzalan as Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans
  • Minnie Driver as Marie-Madeleine Guimard

THE STORY

(In their own words). The illegitimate son of an African slave and a French plantation owner, Joseph Bologne rises to improbable heights in French society as a celebrated violinist-composer and fencer, complete with a love affair and falling out with Marie Antoinette.

THE BEST


The BEST things about the film

  1. The Story – It’s a story that I never heard of, a fascinating story that is supposedly based on true events and people. It’s engaging, really pulling you into the characters. I really like that they chose to just do a short period of the life of Joseph Bologne. That is a better choice for biopics, in my opinion. When they try to squeeze too much of someone’s life into a two hour movie, it just never feels satisfying.
  2. The Themes – A drive for excellence. Being unapologetically excellent at something and demanding respect for it.  It really resonated with me on a personal level, especially being someone who was involved with the arts for so long.
  3. The Acting – I think the entire cast did a wonderful job. The scenes between Bologne and Marie-Josephine and between Bologne and Marie Antoinette were just absolutely full of fireworks. So many golden pearls of acting moments. Kelvin Harrison in particular is an incredible actor in the film. I hope that he gets remembered around awards season. 

THE WORST

The WORST things about the Film

  1. Language – I don’t even know if this is that bad but rather really funny….It takes place in France but there’s hardly a French accent. And when someone speaks another language Bologne says, in English, that French is the preferred language. I get…I get it, a mainstream movie audience wouldn’t have gone for a French language film and many of the actors in this movie wouldn’t have been able to do it. But it feels odd how they did it. 

THE COMMENTS

There’s so much to this film. Even as I write this review, I keep thinking more about it. It comments on slavery without actually being a movie that depicts it. It is about social class, uprising, about having power over people by birthright. It is about people unable to find happiness because of the people in power. It is about breaking down barriers when you excel at something, but how people will never let you forget where you came from. 

THE LESSON

Dare to be excellent.

It doesn’t matter how good you are, some people will never accept you. 

BEST LINES THAT DON’T SPOIL MOVIE

“Whatever pleases you sounds like heaven.”

“The greatest evil isn’t what they’ve done to our bodies, it’s what they’ve done to our minds.”

IS IT REWATCHABLE

Yes, absolutely. 

THE FINAL WORD

Chevalier is probably the most exciting film about classical music I’ve ever seen. The story is compelling, the acting is terrific, and the writing is music to my ears. This film is based on true events and people, sort of a biopic about Joseph Bologne, but written so that key life events occur over just “mostly” a few months. The filmmaking alone merits seeing the film, but beyond that, this is the story of one of the most gifted violinists in France that was nearly erased from history books. It’s a story of Black-French excellence, which is important to see, and it’s crucial to support stories like this where you also learn something. 

THE VERDICT
My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It. 

Chevalier gets a Love It.

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Review – Showing Up

Showing Up (2023)


PG-13  ‧ Drama  ‧ 1 Hour 48 Minutes

Written by Jonathan Raymond and Kelly Reichardt

Directed by Kelly Reichardt

THE CAST

  • Michelle Williams, Hong Chau, Maryann Plunkett, John Magaro, André Benjamin, James Le Gros, and Judd Hirsch

THE STORY

(In their own words).A sculptor preparing to open a new show must balance her creative life with the daily dramas of family and friends, in Kelly Reichardt’s vibrant and captivatingly funny portrait of art and craft.

THE BEST


The BEST things about the film

  1. The Acting – Solid acting throughout the film. 
  2. Hidden Meaning – This is a very subtle film. There are messages and meanings behind a lot of things that I do not believe are apparent right away. 
  3. Thoughtful – This is piece designed to make you think; about art, its process, why we make, how we explore it, etc. 

THE WORST

The WORST things about the Film

  1. Not Much Happens – There isn’t a lot that happens during the film. It’s a kind of simple story with little things happening along the way. It’s easy to walk away from the film wondering why it was even made.
  2. Lack Of Impact – Kind of made me feel like a Vulcan when I left the film. I didn’t really have any feelings about it. Didn’t hate it, didn’t love it, nothing really stood out as a big moment for me. 

THE COMMENTS

Films like this are interesting because they remind me of why I loved theatre. It definitely doesn’t feel like a play, but you know there is a lot of thought put into it. There’s things in the film that are metaphors, like the broken wing of the pigeon the two leads are trying to help mend. So few things happen in the story, you know when something does, it is symbolic or important to the director and/or writers. So then you catch yourself thinking about the movie wondering why certain elements are in it. So it lingers. The film just lingers with you in the back of your mind as your subconscious is working out what you see. That’s what is so fascinating by this film. 

I’m writing this two days after having seen it and I still can’t figure out what the point of the film is….and I want to know! I wasn’t bored during the film. I was interested in the characters, it was building toward some dramatic tension at the end, that to me, felt like a misdirection. But mostly likely intentional. The director did a good job keeping me engaged when very little was happening. And that’s a real good thing when so many movies these days are non-stop faced paced action machines. Sometimes, you just need to sit in the moment.

This film is somewhere between a “slice of life” piece and a “character driven” piece. I would go with the former because I think a good character piece needs to have an arc around one or more of the characters and not much changes for any of them through the film. 

I have no doubt this film is going to be under-appreciated by most people, including myself. 

THE LESSON

I honestly don’t know yet. But here’s my guess, “you are not as broken as you think you are.” I might have a different one tomorrow. 

IS IT REWATCHABLE

Maybe. I don’t know. If I did, it would be for a class probably. I’m not excited about seeing it again, but I might be okay with it. See if I get more meaning. 

THE FINAL WORD

There’s a lot more beneath the surface of this film. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it. It’s well-acted, well-crafted, and is an exercise in finding the deeper meanings in the things you see on screen. Part “slice of life” part “character” it is a much slower pace than a lot of the movies I’ve seen lately, but it also has a lot more meaning than most of those. The film really delves into the making of art and those who create it. A simple film with a lot going for it, but it isn’t one I expect to leave a lasting impression. 

THE VERDICT
My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It. 

I’m giving Showing Up a “Like It” because it did really get me thinking about the film and that is an accomplishment. I’m still trying to figure out parts of it…in a good way. 

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Review: Renfield

Renfield (2023)


R  ‧ Horror/Comedy ‧ 1 Hour 33 Minutes

Written by Ryan Ridley from a story by Robert Kirkman

Directed by Chris McKay

THE CAST

  • Nicolas Cage as Dracula, a legendary Transylvanian vampire
  • Nicholas Hoult as R. M. Renfield, the long-suffering servant of Dracula
  • Awkwafina as Rebecca Quincy, an aggressive traffic cop 
  • Ben Schwartz as Teddy Lobo, a mob enforcer
  • Shohreh Aghdashloo as Ella, a mob boss and Teddy’s mother
  • Adrian Martinez as Chris Marcos, a traffic cop and Quincy’s co-worker
  • Brandon Scott Jones as Mark, a support group leader
  • Jenna Kanell as Carol, a support group member
  • Bess Rous as Caitlyn, a support group member
  • James Moses Black as Captain J. Browning
  • Caroline Williams as Vanessa

THE STORY

(In their own words) Renfield, the tortured aide to his narcissistic boss, Dracula, is forced to procure his master’s prey and do his every bidding. However, after centuries of servitude, he’s ready to see if there’s a life outside the shadow of the Prince of Darkness.

THE BEST


The BEST things about the film

  1. The comedy – this isn’t just a horror/comedy, it’s more of a slapstick horror.  It is outrageous and campy and it really works well.
  2. Excellent story – It’s a fun story that I haven’t seen before. I’ve enjoyed films and plays within the Dracula lore that give good time to the character of Renfield, but I’ve never seen anything fully focus on the servant character. So, it gives us a unique point of view for film, which is exceptionally wonderful considering how many Dracula films there have been. 
  3. Great Ensemble – The entire cast really worked well together and there wasn’t really a bad actor in the group. 
  4. Nicolas Cage – He was clearly having fun playing Dracula, my understanding is that it is a dream role of his and it shows in this. He’s having fun, so we are having fun. 

THE WORST

The WORST things about the Film

  1. The Gore – It is comical gore, but is still gore. There’s a lot of blood. Lots of body parts and dismemberments. This won’t be for everyone. And That’s okay.  But it is definitely rated R for a reason. The trailer doesn’t really express how gross it gets at times. 
  2. The Camp – I won’t deny that this film gets campy. But I won’t deduct any points for that either because I had a great time. 

THE COMMENTS

This film is definitely more comedy than horror. If you are looking for a film that will legitimately scare you, this isn’t for you. But if you want something that makes you laugh at overly exaggerated “gorey” over-the-top decapitation scenes, this might be the film for you. 

This film is ludacris in all the right ways. 

THE LESSON

Toxic relationships are even worse when you are immortal. 

Don’t let other people take your power. 

IS IT REWATCHABLE

Yes. 

WHAT MY FRIENDS SAID

My Guests for this film were two comedians; Emmett Montgomery and Laura Lyons.

Emmett said: “Cage at his best. Real good. That was fun!”

Laura said: “Powerful message delivered in a fun way. “

THE FINAL WORD

Nicholas Cage is outstanding as the source of Renfield’s anxiety, depression, and all around toxicity, Count Dracula. This slapstick horror-comedy is as full of laughter as it is gore. Highlighted by a fresh and fun story, Renfield may not change how you see the world, but it makes living in it a lot more fun. Sure, deep inside of the film are some messages about fighting the monsters in your life who bring you more pain than pleasure and how finding the power inside you will help you slay life’s demons….but I think it’s a really fun film. 

THE VERDICT
My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It. 

Reinfield gets a Love it.

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Review: Air

Air (2023)
R ‧ Drama ‧ 1 Hour 52 Minutes

Written by Alex Convery

Directed by Ben Affleck

THE CAST

  • Matt Damon as Sonny Vaccaro
  • Ben Affleck as Phil Knight
  • Jason Bateman as Rob Strasser
  • Marlon Wayans as George Raveling
  • Chris Messina as David Falk
  • Chris Tucker as Howard White
  • Viola Davis as Deloris Jordan

THE STORY

(In their own words). It is based on true events about the origin of Air Jordan, a basketball shoeline, of which a Nike employee seeks to strike a business deal with rookie player Michael Jordan. 

THE BEST
The BEST things about the film

  1. Viola Davis – She delivers another fantastic performance as Michael Jordan’s mother.
  2. Matt Damon – Damon does a fantastic job as Sonny Vaccaro, possibly the only executive in sports marketing that understood what a tremendous talent that Jordan was going to be. His betrayal was nuanced, thoughtful and full of passion. This is probably one of my favorite performances by Damon. 
  3. The Story – The managed to make a really compelling story about signing Michael Jordan to wear Nike sneakers. I can’t even believe how interested I got in this, it was compelling. And I’m someone who really cares less about footwear. But they had me hooked in from the very beginning
  4. The Writing – Convery’s script is just fantastic. It sucks you in and it’s full of lines that are absolute gems. This is how I know I’ve watched a super well-written script. My biggest excitement for watching this movie again is so I can try and write down all the wonderful lines that were said during the film
  5. Direction – Ben Affleck is just such a fantastic director. I love his ability to bring excitement and find the correct tone for nearly every film he does. I really love the way he crafted this film together. 

THE WORST

The WORST things about the Film

  1. We never see the face of Michael Jordan in this film, and I understand why they thought it would be distracting, but I think it didn’t give the audience enough credit. And it’s a distraction point in the scenes he appears in. It is so obvious that they are trying to not show his face, that’s all I can think about in those moments.

THE COMMENTS

The 80s nostalgia opening was just wonderful to set the tone of what was happening at the time. I feel like it really got us to understand what a different time it was, how different people thought back then about business, especially shoes. I had no idea until this movie that it was unheard of at the time for an athlete to get paid a percentage of royalties if their name was on something. Crazy to think about now.  Or that Basketball wasn’t always the driving force for all of these companies. I didn’t even know that Nike wasn’t always the go to brand for Basketball shoes. 

THE LESSON

Believe in someone so much, you are willing to risk it all for them. 

IS IT REWATCHABLE

Very rewatchable. 

THE FINAL WORD

If you told me a year ago that I would absolutely love a movie about the signing of Michael Jordan to Nike to create the Air Jordans basketball shoe, I would have laughed in your face. But here I am getting dunked on. Air is a thoroughly entertaining and engaging film directed with absolute care and finesse by Ben Affleck, finding a perfect tone for this story to make me thoroughly engaged throughout the film.  Viola Davis plays Michael Jordan’s mom and, as usual, is absolutely incredible. Matt Damon brings to the character a level of passion that just forces you to root for him. I really loved everything about the film; the writing, the acting, the story, I even loved the nostalgia for the 80s that it infused. Nike says “Just Do It.” I say, “Just See It.”

THE VERDICT
My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It. 

Air gets a Love It

I’ll say “Just See It”

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Review: The Super Mario Bros. Movie

The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)
PG  ‧ Action Adventure ‧ 1 Hours 32 Minutes

Written by Matthew Fogel

Directed by Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic

THE CAST

  • Chris Pratt as Mario
  • Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach
  • Charlie Day as Luigi
  • Jack Black as Bowser
  • Keegan-Michael Key as Toad:
  • Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong:
  • Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong:
  • Sebastian Maniscalco as Foreman Spike
  • Charles Martinet, who voices Mario and Luigi in the Mario games, has various cameos. 
  • Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek

THE STORY

(In their own words). With help from Princess Peach, Mario gets ready to square off against the all-powerful Bowser to stop his plans from conquering the world.

THE BEST
The BEST things about the film

  1. Nostalgia.
  2. About half the time they did a great job translating the world of mario from a game to a narrative.
  3. Visually, sort of stunning. But not surprising. Some things are just really cool to see in a movie setting. 
  4. Jack Black is wonderful in the role of Bowser.

THE WORST

The WORST things about the Film

  1. Weak character development leading to not really caring whether Mario can save Luigi.
  2. They spent too much time being cute and not enough time working the a story.
  3. Some of the time early in the film where they tried to make the movie look like a game, was just kind of stupid. They did it much better later on. 
  4. The first half of the movie, I was honestly a bit bored. I didn’t active dislike the movie during that time, I just wasn’t engaged with it. 
  5. Really needed more humor. I’ve complaining a lot about the overindulgence of jokes in the superhero genre of films, but I felt like the reverse happened here. This could have been a great opportunity to inject a film full of humor to keep it moving. And while, it was silly at times, and I could see them trying to set it up as a funny scene, they too often just couldn’t deliver on a funny joke. It feels like they thought “hey, wouldn’t it be funny if “ so then created that premise, but never went back to finish the joke. 

THE COMMENTS

I think when the first trailer dropped for this movie, I was so distracted by the casting of Chris Pratt, but I didn’t really think much about what else could go wrong with the film.

I also didn’t really think about how much of a kids movie they would be making. Because Hollywood is making a lot of money right now by making movies on intellectual properties that appeal to my Gen X peers. And we are a group of individuals that have strong nostalgia toward our childhood, and are at an age where we can start to afford to see the movies, buy the merchandise and visit the theme parks with our kids.  So, I thought they would attempt to make this movie appeal to us. In the sense that they filmed the movie full of Nintendo game nostalgia and include a nihilist perky star, I supposed they did. Gen X loves nihilist characters (or does everyone). But in the sense that the plot really being very simplistic and at times boring, lending itself to a Neftlix original kids movie, it wasn’t for us. 

Was I expecting it to be Oscar worthy? I don’t know, with competing animation studios doing some pretty awesome animated films now. Disney has done some rather amazing films lately that appeal to all ages and I shouldn’t only expect that from them. This film would have ended up making a lot more money if it spent less time trying to be cute and more time on the basics of moviemaking. And if you are spending the money to put big movie stars in the film, why wouldn’t you attempt to get adults on board who are more apt to spend lots of money on it, if they enjoy it also?

THE LESSON

Together, anything is possible. 

AFTER CREDIT SCENES

Two. Stay for them both. 

IS IT REWATCHABLE

Maybe with your kids.

THE FINAL WORD

I think when the first trailer of the movie came out I was so focused on the poor casting choice of Chris Pratt as Mario that I didn’t realize he was the red herring to lure my complaints to somewhere else. Visually, its animation is fantastic. It’s like watching a Mario video game on the biggest screen imaginable. And it gives you a chance to smile, yet rarely laugh, at all the nostalgia Nintendo can provide you, as you are reminded throughout the film of all the different video games you’ve played over the years.  It is a cute movie at times, but done at the expense of just focusing on creating an engaging story. They had the plot points that should have made a really good film, but the writers failed to add character development to the hero’s stories. At times I was actually bored, but the second half picked it up a bit for me. Jack Black is a stand out performer voicing Bowser. I didn’t hate this film, as I expected I would a week ago, but I can’t say I thoroughly enjoyed it. I do think my kids will really have a fun time watching it.  

THE VERDICT
My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It. 

I give it a “Like Minus”. If you miss it on the big screen, I would rather just play a mario game than watch the movie. 

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Review: Dungeons & Dragons:Honor Among Thieves

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)
PG-13  ‧ Adventure/Fantasy  ‧ 2 Hours 20 Minutes

Written by John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein & Michael Gilio

Directed by John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein

THE CAST

Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Rege-Jean Page, Hugh Grant, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis, Choloe Coleman, Daisy Head

THE STORY

(In their own words). A charming thief and a band of unlikely adventurers embark on an epic quest to retrieve a lost relic, but things go dangerously awry when they run afoul of the wrong people.

Michelle Rodriguez plays Holga and Chris Pine plays Edgin in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves from Paramount Pictures and eOne.

THE BEST


The BEST things about the film

  1. The Story – It’s a really fun and exciting story.
  2. The Ensemble – The actors really do a great job of giving the sense that these are people who know each other really well. It feels like long-time friendships and a clear loving bond between them all. They do wonderful jobs acting off of one another helping move along the script.
  3. The Humor – I found the film really funny. Played perfectly even within the ridiculous character situations they were put in. They consistently played the truth of the moment and brought on the laughter. 
Justice Smith plays Simon, Rege-Jean Page plays Xenk, Michelle Rodriguez plays Holga and Chris Pine plays Edgin in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves from Paramount Pictures and eOne.

THE WORST

The WORST things about the Film

  1. There are a couple of predictable elements in the film, but I am largely forgiving of them as they seemed to be inevitable things that had to happen in this type of story. 
Daisy Head plays Sofina in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves from Paramount Pictures and eOne.

THE COMMENTS

This Dungeons & Dragons film is everything I could have hoped for in an adventure film.  It was fresh, funny, moved along quickly, the acting was really good, the ensemble really played really well off of each other. 

One of the first questions I get from people about the film is “Will I like it if I’ve never played Dungeons & Dragons before?” The answer is yes. I’ve only played it myself a couple of times, despite being a well-known nerd amongst my peers. So I did not notice most of the in-world references they made, but I never felt like I was missing anything, I didn’t even realize I missed little things until I talked to some of my guests at the screening. For our press screening I brought with me three people who in their own life play Dungeons & Dragons as Dungeon Masters, and they filled me in on a bunch of the little “inside baseball” jokes or references I didn’t catch. So, I will say that your experience will be even richer if you’ve played it before, but it’s still an amazingly entertaining movie without that knowledge.

Michelle Rodriguez plays Holga, Justice Smith plays Simon and Chris Pine plays Edgin in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves from Paramount Pictures and eOne.

THE LESSON

The love that is with you is more important than the love that you look back on. 

IS IT REWATCHABLE

Yes, I can’t wait to see it again. 

THE FINAL WORD

This film is the most fun I’ve had in the theater this year. It is a fast-paced, fun adventure, worthy of the Dungeons & Dragons moniker. Chris Pine leads a stellar ensemble with poise, humor, and foundation of love and friendship for this band of thieves. You do not have to have ever played D&D to enjoy this film, but if you have, you will really enjoy the insider nods to that world. This film has everything I could hope for from an adventure film. I was very much a skeptic that they would ever make a good film in this franchise and I am more than happy to be proven wrong. More action adventure films should be this well-made. 

Sophia Lillis plays Doric in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves from Paramount Pictures and eOne.

THE VERDICT
My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It. 

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves gets a Love It.

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Review: Rye Lane

Rye Lane(2023)
PG-13  ‧ Romantic Comedy ‧ 1 Hours 22 Minutes

Written by Nathan Byron and Tom Melia 

Directed by Raine Allen-Miller 

THE CAST

Vivian Oparah and David Jonsson

THE STORY

David Jonsson and Vivian Oparah in RYE LANE. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2022 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved.

(In their own words). Yas (Vivian Oparah) and Dom (David Jonsson), two twenty-somethings both reeling from bad break-ups, connect over the course of an eventful day in South London – helping each other deal with their nightmare exes, and potentially restoring their faith in romance.

THE BEST

Vivian Oparah and David Jonsson in RYE LANE. Photo by Chris Harris. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2022 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved.


The BEST things about the film

  1. Moment of Brilliance – The karaoke scene in this film where Yas and Dom sing Salt And Peppa’s Shoop together….is probably my single favorite scene of the last year. It’s an absolutely adorable scene that makes the movie for me. 
  2. The Creativity – This film elevates a seemingly simple romcom to a work of art through a bold color pallet, fun cinematography, and very clever writing. Interesting movies are less about the story they are telling and more about how they tell the story. This story is told in a very creative and wonderful way. 
  3. The humor – It’s a very funny romcom. The writing is clever, the actors delivery honest and fun performances that fit into this comedic world.
  4. Black Excellence – I don’t even want to talk about it because it really doesn’t have much to do with the film…but I feel like I would be remiss to not mention all the Black excellence in this film. This is a Black love story. It is full of wonderfully written Black characters, written by at least one Black Writer, Nathan Byron. To be honest, I couldn’t figure out if Tom Melia was Black as well (it’s very hard to find pictures of writers). The director, Raine Allen-Miller, is Black and is making an outstanding feature debut with this film. From head to toe, this film is pouring with Black excellence. 

THE WORST

David Jonsson and Vivian Oparah in RYE LANE. Photo by Chris Harris. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2022 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved.

The WORST things about the film

  1. While it is a super creative film, it does fall into the traps of many romcoms in making a clumsy ending wrap up the story. 

THE COMMENTS

While it is a romantic comedy, a big part of me want to tell you that this is a film about healing. I was once told that a breakup is kind of like a death. There is normally grieving from at least one party and it can be really difficult to learn how to move forward from after this change in your life. I think this film does a great job of exploring how these characters try to cope after a break up. 

THE LESSON

Breakups are hard. How you react to a breakup doesn’t necessarily define you as a person.

IS IT REWATCHABLE

Yes

THE FINAL WORD

David Jonsson and Vivian Oparah in RYE LANE. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2022 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved.

Rye Lane is a very special film. It is a very creative, British romantic comedy film that takes us through the lives of two people trying to process their recent breakups. The film features some wonderful writing, cinematography, and acting. It contains possibly my single favorite scene of the last year or so. Featuring a mostly Black cast, this film shows some wonderful promise from first time director Raine Allen-Miller. 

THE VERDICT
My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It. 

Rye Lane gets a very strong Like It. 

WHERE TO WATCH

Streaming exclusively on Hulu

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THE MEME REVIEW

Review: Shazam! Fury Of The Gods

Shazam! Fury Of The Gods (2023)
PG-13  ‧ Action/Adventure ‧ 2 Hours 10 Minutes

Written by Henry Gayden, Chris Morgan

Directed by David F. Sandberg

THE CAST

Zachary Levi, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Rachel Zegler, Adam Brody, Ross Butler, Meagan Good, Lucy Liu, Djimon Hounsou and Helen Mirren

THE STORY

(In their own words) Bestowed with the powers of the gods, Billy Batson and his fellow foster kids are still learning how to juggle teenage life with their adult superhero alter egos. When a vengeful trio of ancient gods arrives on Earth in search of the magic stolen from them long ago, Shazam and his allies get thrust into a battle for their superpowers, their lives, and the fate of the world.

THE BEST


The BEST things about the film

  1. The comedy. It is a very funny film. For the majority of the film, the comedy is played really well. By that I mean the acting is played with purposeful intention with complete seriousness by the actors. The situation is funny and funnier because of how truthful and earnestly the actors are going at it. What doesn’t work for comedy is when the actors are “playing for laughs.” 90% of this film, they do the superhero comedy right. Honestly, there are a lot of ways they handle humor that I think Marvel could learn from. They let serious moments be serious, and comedy be comical. 
  2. Pacing. The film really moves quickly and keeps you fully engaged. 
  3. The actors. There are some top-notch actors in this film. Helen Mirren as a villain is just a wonderful treat. Make the best actors the villains because it just raises the stakes so much. 
  4. Story. The story really is interesting. They managed to keep it feeling a bit fresh for a superhero film because it is just different enough in tone. I really think it helps that they are leaning into the comedy aspect rather than just making it a super serious film that breaks up serious moments with a random joke (cough, MCU, cough).

THE WORST

The WORST things about the Film

  1. The overacting for laughs. As mentioned above, 90% of the film, the comedy is done right. But when it is done badly, it’s really hard to watch and I can’t stand the actor the moment they do it. At times it makes it feel like the actors are in different universes. The director has to be consistent and decide if the film is gonna have a slapstick over-the-top Nickelodeon kids’ comedy or it’s gonna be a good comedy.
  2. The ending. I am not really too pleased about how they make the moment at the end happen. I could write an essay about what is wrong with just the ending.
  3. Cringy age difference for love interests. I don’t want to get too into it and spoil things, but I will definitely talk about this in a discussion episode. 
  4. Too many characters. With all of the foster family kids superheroes now, there just isn’t enough time to really care about each of them. I think if they are going to continue this franchise, it might run better on the small screen as a series so we can get invested in all the characters. 

THE COMMENTS

The sequel to any film is really a challenge. Origin stories are usually always more interesting because there’s a lot of fun in watching characters discover who they are becoming. This sequel does a really good job in continuing the energy as Billy Batson is now comfortable with his powers but trying to figure out where he fits in the world as a superhero. He is at a crossroads of looking at graduating high school and not knowing if he can be with his superhero family much longer. The beauty of using teenage characters as superheroes is they are trying to figure out so much more than just their superpowers. They don’t even know who they are as a person and the powers and new responsibility just add to their personal chaos. 

THE LESSON

True power comes from working together. 

IS IT REWATCHABLE?

Yes. Very fun film. 

THE FINAL WORD

Lightning may have struck twice for this superhero sequel. They lean in strong on the comedy and it works 90% of the time. This franchise has probably done the best job of creating a comical world to play in. Really strong actors as our villains with Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu playing the daughters of Atlas really elevate the film. Shazam also manages to be one of the better sequels in the DC world. They manage to keep some of the naivety that origin stories typically have and bring it into the sequel. A benefit of having teenagers as the superheroes.
This isn’t a groundbreaking superhero film, let’s be clear on that. But it does have surprises, a level of freshness, and an extreme level of fun.  

THE VERDICT
My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It. 

Shazam! Fury Of The Gods gets a Like It.

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