You Can't Run Forever
Sensational Simmons
PRAISE: If you are a big J.K Simmons fan and you would like to see him as an unflinching, murdering psychopath/sociopath this is the movie for you. I really enjoyed this movie about a serial killer who chases an already off balance young woman through the woods. Simmons performance definitely helps raise this film to different levels as he is cold as ice and makes jokes and quips as he goes on his murderous rampage. As the young woman he's pursuing named Miranda Isabelle Anaya does a pretty good job . The character is dealing with her own inner demons as she also attempts to avoid her pursuers bullets. No one quite does a "I'm Done With You Stare" like Simmons. I thought how a couple of story threads were put together was really well done,with slowly but surely reveals about the main characters. Good use is made of the scenic and wooded areas in the movie.
PROBLEMS: The movie definitely stalls at times and I wondered if it really needed to be an hour and fourty two minutes. I guess I can assume how a story thread came to be ,but I thought it was a major turn and was dissapointted when it wasn't explained.
Scale of 1 to 10 an 8
Back to Black
Biopic with Blandness
PRAISE: I believe Amy Winehouse was an old soul who was only here for a brief period of time to give people her songs...that five minutes to forget your problems that she spoke of and then she was gone. If I was to take the reincarnation view of her life I would say she was here during that era of classic jazz which she loved and came back briefly to display her love for it.
The best things about this movie are the amazing sounds of her soulful voice and the voice of Marisa Abela,who portrays Winehouse. She truly gives it her all in the performance. Also quite good are Lesley Manville as her grandmother Cynthia and Jack O’Connell as the charming and devilish love of her life Blake.
PROBLEMS: The movie fails to capture Winehouse's true love of music and why she wrote songs the way she did. It feels like the movie loads up on footnotes right to the very end. Sometimes when an entertainers family is deeply involved in a biopic they try to omit things that would make their actions towards her obvious demons and addictions look like plain old obliviousness . Why did her management and music studios behind her let her go out and perform in her condition? So much is left out about why she turned to alcohol even though the film lamely nods to a couple of things. Sure they touched on Blake's part in enabling her but it's summed up quickly. People will be better served watching the documentary about her life 2015's Amy.
Scale of 1 to 10 a 6
The Strangers part 1 2024
Short on Strangeness
PRAISE: This movie at least had me from the beginning with its creepy town setting filled with creepy people foundation.
The 2008 version left me with a bleak and haunting feeling. I did like that this movie supports my stance on one of the reasons why to NEVER stay at an Airbnb. The story this time around is about Maya (Madelaine Petsch ) and Ryan (Froy Gutierrez) who are traveling across the country when they take a wrong turn and all of the usual tropes fall into place. Director Renny Harlin comes up with some creepy fun moments. Some work and a couple actually reminded me of the Killer shark bit from Saturday Night Live.
PROBLEMS: The decision to make this movie the start of a trilogy waters down a lot that happens in the movie which is very short. Something like this would work better as a series. There's just a repetitive feel to it because it's saying to me oh we have to hold back because possibly the good stuff will come in the next two movies.
There are a few to obvious turns and predictable moments.
Scale of 1 to 10 a 5
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