Mission: Impossible - Fallout

"This is a bad idea."

"Is it ever a good one, honestly."

Two years after their leader, Solomon Lane (Harris), was captured, the Syndicate is back, now called the Apostles.  The Apostles plan to obtain three plutonium cores off of the black market.  The IMF sends Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and his team are sent to purchase the plutonium cores first, but when his team is threatened, the Apostles steal the cores.  IMF Secretary Alan Hunley (Alec Baldwin) respects Hunts decision, but is forced to add CIA Agent August Walker (Cavill) to the mission.

Hunt and Walker travel to Paris to capture anarchist John Lark (Liang Yang).  Lark is supposed to meet with arms dealer Alanna Mitsopolis (Kirby), also known as "the White Widow," to purchase the plutonium.  The plans puts them into conflict with Ilsa Faust (Ferguson) and brings back Lane.  Can Hunt, Walker, Luther Strickell (Rhames), and Benji Dunn (Pegg) find the plutonium before the Apostles destroy more lives?


This is the 6th film in the Mission: Impossible film franchise (following: Mission: Impossible, Mission: Impossible II, Mission: Impossible III, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, and Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation).  This was the first direct sequel in the franchise and the first to have a repeat director (Christopher McQuarrie).

The Good:
Once again the action is impressive and keeps you on the edge of your seat.  Actor Tom Cruise is known for doing his own stunts and his dedication is on display in this film.  Once again Ving Rhames appears as Luther and is the only actor, besides Cruise, to appear in every film in the franchise.  Simon Pegg also returns and his character Benji continues to grown in his role as an IMF agent.  Henry Cavill works well here, he can handle the action and humor of the series and is a good fit for the character.  The casting is good and doesn't distract from the story or action.

The Bad:
Not much.  Unlike the previous films, this one is tied to the previous entry: Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, and features the return of the villain and the female lead.  It works, but it does require you to see the previous film to understand what is happening... while the other films stood on their own.  I don't consider this a negative, but it makes it slightly harder to dive into the series.

Other Thoughts:
-There are some subtle call-backs to previous films: like the character of Max from the original film and Hunt's wife from the third film.
-It is a fun, action-packed adventure with a strong cast and entertaining villains.  It holds your attention from the beginning and doesn't disappoint.  If you enjoy the Mission: Impossible franchise and action films, check this out.
-They wrap up the story well, but also leave it open for potential films in the future.

Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018) 147 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for violence and intense sequences of action, and for brief strong language
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt
Henry Cavill as August Walker
Ving Rhames as Luther Strickell
Simon Pegg as Benji Dunn
Rebecca Ferguson as Ilsa Faust
Sean Harris as Solomon Lane
Angela Bassett as Erika Sloane
Vanessa Kirby as Alanna Mitsopolis
Michelle Monaghan as Julia Meade

The Reluctant Debutante

Jimmy Broadbent (Harrison) and his wife Sheila (Kendall) have invited his American daughter Jane (Dee) to visit.  At the airport, they run into busybody Mabel Claremont (Lansburgy) and her daughter Clarissa (Clare).  Clarissa is 17 years old, like Jane, and is preparing for debutante season.  Mabel talks up the event and Sheila decides that Jane should join the festivities, even though Jane is reluctant.

Jane is bored by all of her dance partners, until her father introduces her to American David Parkson (Saxon).  Jane enjoys dancing with David, especially when she learns that he is the drummer in the band.  Sheila refuses to accept the match and tries to push Jane towards David Fenner (Myers).  Jimmy and Jane find David Fenner very boring, but he seems to be taken with Jane.  As Jane's party approaches, can she get the right David to be her date.


The film is based on William Douglas-Home's 1955 play "The Reluctant Debutante."  The play debuted in the United Kingdom with Anna Massey in the role of Jane.  The show was a big success and premiered on Broadway in 1956, with Massey reprising her role.  Wilfred Hyde-White played the role of Jimmy Broadbent in both productions.  Due to the plays success, MGM purchased the film rights and hired Douglas-Home to write the screenplay.

The story is ok... but it doesn't hold-up well.  The costumes in the film are gorgeous.  The ladies get to wear beautiful gowns for all of the party sequences, and are continually statement pieces.  Everything looks wonderful.

The teenage characters don't get much personality.  Peter Myers' David Fenner is annoying and Diane Clare's Clarissa doesn't do much.  John Saxon and Sandra Dee fare a little better, but still are not interesting characters.  The adult characters are much more interesting.  Rex Harrison is great as Jimmy.  He drifts in and out of scenes with a bemused are exasperated look on his face.  Kay Kendall, who was married to Harrison in real life, as Sheila walks the line between physical comedy and genuine affection.  She steals every scene and keeps the character from veering too far into caricature.  Angela Lansbury rounds out the adult cast as Mabel.  Mabel is an irritating character, but you can't look away from Lansbury and her continual chatter.

It is a beautiful film, with game performances by Harrison, Kendall, and Lansbury.

The film was remade in 2003 as What a Girl Wants, starring Colin Firth and Amanda Bynes.

The Reluctant Debutante (1958) 95 minutes
Director: Vincente Minnelli
Starring: Rex Harrison as Jimmy Broadbent
Kay Kendall as Sheila Broadbent
John Saxon as David Parkson
Sandra Dee as Jane Broadbent
Angela Lansbury as Mabel Claremont
Peter Myers as David Fenner
Diane Clare as Clarissa Claremont

Murder at the Gallop

"Agatha Christie should be compulsory reading for the police force."

Wealthy recluse Mr. Enderby (Currie) dies of a fatal heart attack.  His death is witnessed by Miss Marple (Rutherford) and her friend Mr. Stringer (Davis) who believe it is murder.  They eavesdrop on the reading of the will and learn that Mr. Enderby's sister Cora also believes it is murder.  Miss Marple goes to visit the Cora, but finds her dead.

Inspector Craddock (Tingwell) is on the case, but Miss Marple wants to investigate further.  She arranges to stay at Hector Enderby's (Morley) Gallop Hotel and riding school.  The remaining families members are also staying at the hotel: George Crossfield (Urquhart), Rosamund Shane (Douglas) and her husband Michael (Villiers), and Cora's companion Miss Milchrest (Robson), are also staying at the hotel.  Can Miss Marple find the murderer before anyone else is killed?


This was MGM's 2nd Miss Marple film, following Murder She Said in 1961 (they made 2 more Miss Marple films in 1964: Murder Most Foul and Murder Ahoy!).  It was based on Agatha Christie's 1953 novel "After the Funeral."  The novel featured Hercule Poirot as the detective, but MGM turned it into a Miss Marple film with Margaret Rutherford in the title role.

The story is weaker than it's predecessor.  The cast is great, but the movie itself is not that interesting.  I have not read the original novel, but it was adapted again in 2006 for the TV show "Agatha Christie's Poirot".  I assume the problem is not Christie's novel, but in the adaptation.  Rutherford is great, but the film is not.

Once again they embrace humor and slapstick, while sticking to the basics of Christie's story.  They also mention Christie by name (she is Miss Marple's favorite mystery author).

I'm still interested in watching the remaining films in the series, but I did not enjoy this film as much.

Murder at the Gallop (1963) 81 minutes
Director: George Pollock
Starring: Margaret Rutherford as Miss Marple
Stringer Davis as Mr. Stringer
Robert Morley as Hector Enderby
Flora Robson as Miss Milchrest
Charles Tingwell as Inspector Craddock
Gordon Harris as Sergeant Bacon
Robert Urquhart as George Crossfield
Katya Douglas as Rosamund Shane
James Villiers as Michael Shane
Noel Howlett as Mr. Trundell
Finlay Currie as Old Enderby

The Thin Man Goes Home

"You're driving me crazy. This case is serious and all you do is fuddle around and guzzle cider."
"I'll switch to prune juice."

Nick (Powell) and Nora (Loy) travel to the town of Sycamore Springs to visit Nick's parents: Dr. (Davenport) and Mrs. (Watson) Charles.  Nick has given up alcohol and is planning to enjoy a relaxing trip, but Nora is not convinced.  Everyone in town thinks Nick is on a case, even though he denies it.  Peter Berton (Brooks) visits the Charles home to speak to Nick, but is shot on the front porch.

Nick says he doesn't want to interfere in the case, led by Police Chief MacGregor (MacBride), but he secretly begins investigating.  Nora thinks he should take the case to impress his father.  As they begin looking into the murder, the number of suspects grows: there is dramatic Laurabelle (DeHaven) who was Peter's only friend, her tycoon father Sam (Minor Watson), Laurabelle's jealous boyfriend Tom (Paul Langton), Helena Draque (Vinson) who collects Peter's paintings, Helena's her anxious husband Edgar (Ames), the town recluse Crazy Mary (Revere), and Peter's boss Willoughby (Morris Ankrum).  Can Nick solve the case and impress his father?


This is the fifth film (of 6) in the Thin Man series (following The Thin Man, After the Thin Man, Another Thin Man, and Shadow of the Thin Man).  This film takes Nick and Nora out of the city and into Nick's childhood home.  Unlike the other films in the series, Nick does not drink any alcohol.  Nick and Nora's son does not appear in this film, but he is mentioned.

William Powell and Myrna Loy still have excellent chemistry (they made 14 films together).  The characters a little older, but still up to their usual actions.  They are joined by a new group of actors / characters.  Edward Brophy appeared in the original Thin Man film, but plays a different character here.  Harry Davenport and Lucile Watson are great as Nick's parents and have a natural relationship with each other and Powell's Nick.

The story is interesting and keeps you guessing.  And like it's predecessors, it ends with Nick calling everyone together to reveal the murderer.  I prefer some of the previous films, but it was an entertaining film.

This was the first entry in the series that was not directed by W.S. Van Dyke (he died in 1943).  Richard Thorpe took over directing duties on this film, but did not return for the 6th film.

The Thin Man Goes Home (1945) 100 minutes
Director: Richard Thorpe
Starring: William Powell as Nick Charles
Myrna Loy as Nora Charles
Lucile Watson as Mrs. Charles
Gloria DeHaven as Laurabelle Ronson
Anne Revere as Crazy Mary
Helen Vinson as Helena Draque
Harry Davenport as Dr. Bertram Charles
Leon Ames as Edgar Draque
Donald Meek as Willie Crump
Edward Brophy as Brogan
Lloyd Corrigan as Dr. Bruce Clayworth
Anita Sharp-Bolster as Hilda
Ralph Brooks as Peter Berton
Donald MacBride as Police Chief MacGregor

Murder on the Orient Express (2017)

"I have the advantage. I can only see the world as it should be so the imperfections stand out."

Hercule Poirot (Branagh) is probably the greatest detective in the world.  After solving a case in Israel, he is looking forward to a vacation, but needs to return to London for his next case.  He runs into Bouc (Bateman), an old friend who is the director of the Orient Express.  Bouc makes arrangements for Poirot to travel in the first class car on the Orient Express.

During the trip, American businessman Edward Ratchett (Depp) asks Poirot to be his bodyguard.  The next morning they find Ratchett's body with multiple stab wounds.  No one entered or exited the first class car overnight and the train is stuck in the snow.  Poirot agrees to investigate the murder, with help from Bouc, and focuses his investigation to the first class passengers and staff.  The suspects include Ratchett's assistant Hector MacQueen (Gad), butler Edward Masterman (Jacobi), talkative American divorcee (Hubbard), missionary Pilar Estravados (Cruz), Dr. Arbuthnot (Odom Jr.), teacher Mary Debenham (Ridley), professor Gerhard Hardman (Dafoe), Italian car salesman Biniamino Marquez (Garcia-Rulfo), elderly Princess Dragomiroff (Dench) and her maid Hildegard Schmidt (Colman), violent Count Rudolph Adrenyi (Polunin) and his wife Countess Andrenyi (Boynton), and train conductor Pierre (Kenzari).  Can Poirot find the killer before the train reaches it's destination?


This film is a remake of the 1974 film Murder on the Orient Express, which is based on Agatha Christie's 1934 novel "Murder on the Orient Express."  The story was inspired by the Charles Lindbergh case in 1932.  She chose the location based on the 1929 story of when the Orient Express was stuck in the snow for 5 days near Istanbul.

Christie wrote 45 stories featuring Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, this is the 10th story and 8th novel.  He was one of her most popular characters, along with Miss Marple.  The character has appeared in several films and TV shows.  20th Century Fox announced their plan to adapt the novel in 2013.  They hired Michael Green to write the script and Kenneth Branagh to direct and star as Hercule Poirot.

Branagh called on his friends and frequent costars to fill the main cast.  Branagh is a good Poirot and drives the film and the action.  Each member of the cast delivers a compelling and interesting performance.  The setting is lush and colorful and helps immerse you in the world.

I prefer the 1974 version, but this film is still interesting and worth checking out.

The final scene of the film sets up a potential sequel, based on Christie's 1937 novel "Death on the Nile."  20th Century Fox and Agatha Christie's estate were pleased with the film and are developing a sequel, Death on the Nile, and hope to adapt more Hercule Poirot stories.  Branagh will again direct and star in the film.

Murder on the Orient Express (2017) 114 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for violence and thematic elements
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Starring: Kenneth Branagh as Hercule Poirot
Tom Bateman as Bouc
Penelope Cruz as Pilar Estravados
Willem Dafoe as Gerhard Hardman
Judi Dench as Princess Dragomiroff
Johnny Depp as Edward Ratchett
Josh Gad as Hector MacQueen
Derek Jacobi as Edward Masterman
Leslie Odom Jr. as Dr. Arbuthnot
Michelle Pfeiffer as Caroline Hubbard
Daisy Ridley as Mary Debenham
Olivia Colman as Hildegarde Schmidt
Lucy Boynton as Countess Andrenyi
Marwan Kenzari as Pierre Michel
Manuel Garcia-Rulfo as Biniamino Marquez
Sergei Polunin as Count Rudolph Andrenyi

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

"The best things in life, the very best things happen unexpectedly."

Five years after her almost-wedding, Sophie Sheridan (Seyfried) is preparing for the grand re-opening of her mother's inn.  Her mother, Donna (Streep), died the year before and Sophie is dedicated to having a successful opening in her mother's honor.

As opening day approaches, Sophie reflects to young Donna's (James) journey to the island.  With help from Donna's best friends Tanya (Baranski) and Rosie (Walters) and her three dads, Sam (Brosnan), Bill (Skarsgaard), and Harry (Firth), can Sophie honor her mother's legacy?

Ten years after the success of 2008's Mamma Mia!, Universal Pictures reunited the cast for a sequel.  The film serves as both a sequel and prequel to the story of Mamma Mia.  The main story continues Sophie's journey, but it also features flashbacks to Donna's youth and how she ended up on the island.

Ol Parker served as the director and screenwriter.  He keeps the basics of Catherine Johnson's story, but makes some changes to the storyline and character backgrounds.  The story alternates between the present day with Sophie's journey, and young Donna's journey to the island.  Once again, all of the songs from the film were written by the band ABBA.  ABBA members Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson cameo in the film.  And some cast members from the original stage production of Mamma Mia appear in the "When I Kissed the Teacher" sequence, as teachers on the stage.

The present scenes focus on Amanda Seyfried's Sophie.  Seyfried has a beautiful voice, and sings most of the songs in the present.  She is joined by Dominic Cooper as her beau Sky.  He isn't in much of the film, but they have great chemistry when they are together.  Christine Baranski and Julie Walters are hilarious as Donna's friends Tanya and Rosie, and they get to sing a few songs with Seyfried.  Pierce Brosnan, Stella Skarsgaard, and Colin Firth return as Sophie's dads Sam, Bill, and Harry.  They don't get to do as much in this film, but they all sing in "Mamma Mia."  And despite the negative comments from the first film, Brosnan sings a couple lines on his own, and it works with the emotion of the scene.

Lily James steals the show as Young Donna.  She lights up the screen and has a beautiful voice.  She sings the majority of songs in the film, and sings with each of her suitors.  Hugh Skinner, who previously appeared in Les Miserables, plays Young Harry.  He gamely dives into the movie and hams it up with James in "Waterloo".  It is a fun song and it looks like they are having a blast.  Josh Dylan is the womanizing Young Bill.  He sings "Why Did It Have to Be Me" with James, which is my favorite duet in the film.  Jeremy Irvine is Young Sam and joins James on "Knowing Me, Knowing You."  Unlike the other duets, he sings with Donna at the end of their relationship, and it is a more serious song than the other suitors.  The suitors are all attraction men and have good chemistry with James, but they do not look much like their older counterparts.  Broadway vet Jessica Keenan Wynn is Young Tanya alongside Alexa Davies as Young Rosie.  They act the most like their older counterparts, and bring some of the humor to the scenes in the past.

Greek actor and singer Panos Mouzourakis plays Lazaros, who owns the bar where Young Donna sings, and sings "Kisses of Fire."  It is a funny scene, and he pops up a few more times in the film.  Comedian Omid Djalili is the Greek custom official and steals every scene he is in.  Stick around after the credits for a scene between him and Young Harry.  Cher and Andy Garcia are good in their roles, and Cher sings "Fernando."

The film ends with the cast, in character, singing "Super Trouper."  It is the only part of the movie where the entire cast appears together, and it looks like they are having a blast.  Cher, Seyfried, James, and Meryl Streep take the lead on the song, backed by the rest of the cast.  Seyfried, James, and Streep also sing the emotional "My Love, My Life" together.

I went to see this film with my mom and we had a good time.  We both preferred the first film, but agreed that it was an enjoyable film.  The film is emotional, especially as the present scenes deal with the groups shared grief over the loss of Donna.  But it still captures the joy from the original film.  We laughed, we cried, and we left with ABBA songs in our heads.

If you didn't like the original, or musicals in general, you probably won't enjoy this film.  If you are looking for a musical that doesn't involve much thought, but will have you dancing in your seat, then check it out!

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018) 114 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for some suggestive material
Director: Ol Parker
Starring: Amanda Seyfried as Sophie Sheridan
Meryl Streep as Donna Sheridan
Lily James as Young Donna
Dominic Cooper as Sky
Christine Baranski as Tanya Chesham-Leigh
Jessica Keenan Wynn as Young Tanya
Julie Walters as Rosie Mulligan
Alexa Davies as Young Rosie
Pierce Brosnan as Sam Carmichael
Jeremy Irvine as Young Sam
Colin Firth as Harry Bright
Hugh Skinner as Young Harry
Stellan Skarsgard as Bill Anderson
Josh Dylan as Young Bill
Cher as Ruby
Andy Garcia as Fernando Cienfuegos

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Juliet Ashton (James) is on a book tour around England to read exerts from her latest book.  The book is very popular, but Juliet wants to write something else.  She receives a letter from a man named Dawsey Adams (Huisman), who found a book she used to own and is looking for another book by the same author.  She sends him a book, and they begin exchanging letters.  Through the letters, Juliet learns about Dawsey's book club "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" and is intrigued by the members.

She cancels part of the book tour, despite the protestations of her friend and editor Sidney Stark (Goode), and travels to the island of Guernsey.  Her arrival is a surprise, but the book club hold a special meeting so she can meet everyone: Dawsey, Eben Ramsey (Courtenay), Eben's young grandson Eli (Connor), Amelia Maugery (Wilton), and Isola Pribby (Parkinson).  They formed the group when their island was occupied, and it became an escape from the pain in their lives.  As Juliet spends time with the society, she gets swept up in their lives and puts her own life on hold.


The film is based on the 2008 epistolary novel "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society."  I discovered the novel a few years ago and devoured it in a single weekend.  Authors Mary Ann Shaffer (who died before the book was published) and Annie Barrows stumbled onto the idea for the story while reading histories of the German occupation in WWII.  The story is interesting and in 2010 producers were circling the story.

The script sticks close to the novel, only removing a characters / story lines from the novel.  They assembled a great cast of British actors, many of whom appeared on the TV show Downton Abbey.  Lily James is good as Juliet and it is easy to see how she would get swept up in the lives of society.  The cast have excellent chemistry and are believable in their roles.  The film was shot in Guernsey.  The modern scenes are beautiful and colorful, while the past scenes reflect the tragedy around them.  The costumes, by Charlotte Walter, are beautiful.

The film received a theatrical release in the United Kingdom, and was distributed by Netflix around the rest of the world.

It is a well-made, well-acted film with a compelling story.  It has a nice balance between the horrors of the war, and moments of levity.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (2018) 124 minutes
Director: Mike Newell
Starring: Lily James as Juliet Ashton
Michiel Huisman as Dawsey Adams
Glen Powell as Mark Reynolds
Jessica Brown Findlay as Elizabeth McKenna
Katherine Parkinson as Isola Pribby
Matthew Goode as Sidney Stark
Tom Courtenay as Eben Ramsey
Penelope Wilton as Amelia Maugery
Bronagh Gallagher as Charlotte Stimple
Kit Connor as Eli Ramsey
Florence Keen as Kit McKenna

Murder She Said

"I'm quite sure you mean well, Inspector, but if you imagine that I'm going to sit back and let everyone regard me as a dotty old maid, you're very much mistaken."

Miss Marple (Rutherford) is enjoying a murder mystery novel on the train, when she looks up to see a murder happening in another train.  She reports the crime, but Inspector Craddock (Tingwell) is not convinced.  Miss Marple turns to her friend, Jim Stringer (Davis), who shares her love for murder mysteries, and decides to investigate.  Their search leads to Ackenthorpe Hall that borders the train tracks.

She decides to get a job as a maid at Ackenthorpe Hall.  The Ackenthorpe family is run by prickly and ailing patriarch Luther Ackenthorpe (Justice) who barks orders from his bed.  The Hall is also home to Ackenthorpe's long-suffering daughter Emma (Pavlow) and his snarky grandson Alexander Eastley (Raymond), along with shady gardener Hillman (Golden) and miserable housekeeper Mrs. Kidder (Hickson).  And he receives regular at-home treatments from Dr. Paul Quimper (Kennedy).  Ackenthorpe has a challenging relationship with his three sons: Albert (Cross), Harold (Phillips), and Cedric (Walters), and son-in-law Brian Eastley (Howard), who were all at the house for the weekend.  Can Miss Marple find the body and the killer before anyone gets hurt?


This film is based on Agatha Christie's 1957 novel "4:50 from Paddington."  The story was the 7th novel to feature beloved character Miss Jane Marple.  She was one of Christie's most recognizable and popular characters (alongside Belgian detective Hercule Poirot), and starred in 12 novels and several short stories.

When MGM adapted the novel, they made some changes.  The biggest change, was the portrayal of Miss Marple.  Marple, as portrayed by Margaret Rutherford, is more comedic than written.  Christie did not like the film, but did dedicate the 1962 novel "The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side" to Rutherford.  Rutherford has great reactions.  The film keeps the the seriousness of the story, while also adding a touch of comedy.  They also added the new character of bookstore owner Jim Stringer, played by Rutherford's husband Stringer Davis.

The film was a success and MGM made 3 more Miss Marple films with Rutherford: Murder at the Gallop in 1963, Murder Most Foul in 1964, and Murder Ahoy! in 1964.

Murder She Said (1961) 87 minutes
Director: George Pollock
Starring: Margaret Rutherford as Jane Marple
Arthur Kennedy as Dr. Paul Quimper
Muriel Pavlow as Emma Ackenthorpe
James Robertson Justice as Luther Ackenthorpe
Thorley Walters as Cedric Ackenthorpe
Charles Tingwell as Inspector Craddock
Conrad Phillips as Harold Ackenthorpe
Ronald Howard as Brian Eastley
Joan Hickson as Mrs. Kidder
Stringer Davis as Jim Stringer
Ronnie Raymond as Alexander Eastley
Gerald Cross as Albert Ackenthorpe
Michael Golden as Hillman

Shadow of the Thin Man

"What really worries me is that jockey."

"Yes. Still dead,, huh?"

Nick (Powell) and Nora (Loy) Charles go to the racetrack for a relaxing, kid-free day.  When they arrive at the track, everyone assumes they are there to help the police investigate the murder of a jockey.  Lieutenant Abrams (Levene) is the lead investigator on the case, and asks Nick for help.  Later that evening, they are approached by Major Jason Sculley (O'Neill) and reporter Paul Clarke (Nelson) to take down a corrupt gambling ring, led by businessman Link Stephens (Smith).  That evening Paul is found in Stephens' office with a gun and the body of reporter Whitey Barrow (Baxter).

Abrams arrests Paul immediately, but Nick and Nora do not believe he is guilty.  Paul's girlfriend Molly (Reed) worked for Stephens and gave him the key to the office to find evidence against Stephens.  Whitey had a laundry list of enemies and people that wanted him dead, including Link's girlfriend Claire Porter (Adler) and his second in command Fred Macy (Anthony).  With the help of their faithful dog Asta, can Nick and Nora find the real killer before anyone else gets hurt?


This is the fourth film in The Thin Man film series (following The Thin Man, After the Thin Man, and Another Thin Man).  The story picks up a few years after the previous film, and Nick Jr. is now a little boy, reveling in his parents favorite past times.  He is played by Dickie Hall in this film, but other actors portrayed him the remaining films.

William Powell and Myrna Loy have excellent chemistry and appeared in 14 films.  Once again they are great as Nick and Nora.  They have a natural banter and make their relationship and sleuthing careers look easy.  Once again they are surrounded by a colorful group of people, all with strong motives for murder.  Unlike most detective movies, the real culprit is not obvious from the beginning, and you can enjoy the case with Nick and Nora.

The film is still well-written and acted, even on the fourth entry in the series.  I look forward to watching the final two films.

Shadow of the Thin Man (1941) 97 minutes
Director: W.S. Van Dyke II
Starring: William Powell as Nick Charles
Myrna Loy as Nora Charles
Barry Nelson as Paul Clarke
Donna Reed as Molly
Sam Levene as Lieutenant Abrams
Alan Baxter as "Whitey" Barrow
Henry O'Neill as Major Jason I. Sculley
Stella Adler as Claire Porter
Loring Smith as "Link" Stephens
Joseph Anthony as Fred Macy
Louise Beavers as Stella
Dickie Hall as Nick Jr.

A Night at the Opera (Marx Brothers): 1000th Review

Finally made it to 1000!

100 Monty Python and the Holy Grail  /  200 Duck Soup  /  300 Super Troopers  /   

400 Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein  /   500 The Odd Couple  /  600 Stir Crazy / 700 Tommy Boy / 800 Jack and the Beanstalk / 900 Caddyshack

"Could he sail tomorrow?"
"You pay him enough money, he could sail yesterday."

Otis B. Driftwood (Groucho) is a business manager looking to find his fortune.  His client, wealthy widow Mrs. Claypool (Dumont), wants to invest in the New York Opera Company and the great tenor they want to sign, Rodolfo Lassparri (King).  Driftwood goes to the Opera to sign the tenor first, but he signs Ricardo Baroni (Jones) instead.  Baroni is a talented singer, but is overshadowed by Lassparri.  Baroni is dating the leading lady, Rosa Castaldi (Carlisle), who is also invited to sign with the New York Opera.

Driftwood and Mrs. Claypool travel to New York with New York Opera manager Herman Gottlief (Ruman).  Baroni, his manager, Fiorello (Chico), and Tomasso (Harpo) hide in Driftwood's bag so they can be with Rosa.  Can they make it to New York before the autorities and Gottlief find them?


This is one of the most iconic and popular Marx Brothers films (along with Duck Soup).  After Duck Soup performed poorly at the box office, Paramount Studios terminated their contract with the brothers and Zeppo left the act.  Two years later, they started making films with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.  Irving Thalberg served as the producer, and created a new format for their films: tone down the crazy and bring in romantic leads to anchor the film.  Sam Wood stepped in as the director (for this film and the next one, A Day at the Races).  The film was a success and led to more Marx Brothers films at MGM studio, with A Day at the Races keeping the same team behind the scenes.

The Brothers performed bits from the movie on vaudeville to test audience reactions and gauge the amount of time needed between jokes.  The jokes in this film are memorable and have taken on a life of their own in popular culture.  Decades later the film is still funny.  The stateroom scene, pictured above, is the real stand-out here, as they keep stuffing people into Groucho's tiny room.

Kitty Carlisle, who played Rosa Castaldi, and Allan Jones, who played Ricardo Baroni, were singers and performed all of their own songs in the film.  Walter Woolf King, who played Rodolfo Lassparri, was also a trained singer, but he did not sing in the film.  His songs were performed by Metropolitan Opera tenor Tandy MacKenzie.  The songs include classic opera staples, along with some original songs.  The song "Alone" became a hit for both Castaldi and Jones.  The songs are ok, but you don't watch a Marx Brothers film for the music... the comedy is the true winner here.

For me, this ranks as in the top 2 of the Marx Brothers' films, after Duck Soup.

You can find another review of this film (and the other Marx Brothers films) at http://theageofcomedy.laurelandhardycentral.com/niteoper.html.

A Night at the Opera (1935) 93 minutes
Director: Sam Wood
Starring: Groucho Marx as Otis B. Driftwood
Harpo Marx as Tomasso
Chico Marx as Fiorello
Kitty Carlisle as Rosa Castaldi
Allan Jones as Ricardo Baroni
Margaret Dumont as Mrs. Claypool
Sig Ruman as Herman Gottlief
Walter Woolf King as Rodolfo Lassparri
Robert Emmett O'Connor as Sergeant Henderson

Jane Eyre (1943)

"Are you always drawn to the loveless and unfriended?"

"When it's deserved."

As a child, Jane Eyre (Garner), is orphaned and sent to live with her wealth aunt, Mrs. Reed (Moorehead).  Mrs. Reed sends Jane to the Lowood Institute for girls to give her discipline.  Jane is excited to make new friends, but the headmaster, Mr. Brocklehurst (Daniell) makes her an outcast.  Her only friend is Helen Burns (Elizabeth Taylor), who dies young.

Ten years later, Jane (Fontaine) has finished her studies and accepts a governess position at Thornfield mansion.  She is hired by housekeeper Mrs. Fairfax (Barrett) to care for young Adele Varans (O'Brien).  Adele is the ward of Edward Rochester (Welles), the owner of Thornfield.  Jane is captivated and confused by the mysterious and brooding Rochester.  She enjoys life at Thornfield despite the strange noises and locked rooms.  Everything changes when a group of guests arrive at Thornfield.


This film is based on Charlotte Bronte's 1847 novel "Jane Eyre."  The novel was not initially a success, but it grew in popularity over time.  Since the 1910s the story has been adapted to film, television, radio programs, theatre, and literary sequels.

"Jane Eyre" is my favorite novel and I have been leery of film adaptations.  I stumbled onto this version and was impressed with the cast and crew lists.  While this isn't 100% faithful to the book (and at 97 minutes, it cuts out quite a bit), I still enjoyed the film.

Joan Fontaine is an interesting choice for Jane.  She is ok, but doesn't fully capture the heroine from the novel.  Orson Welles is good as Rochester, dark and brooding.  Throughout the film, Rochester is shot with a shadow across his face.  Jane is always well-lit.  Margaret O'Brien is adorable as Adele: precocious without veering into annoying.  This was one of the first film roles for Elizabeth Taylor, who has a small and uncredited role as Helen Burns.  Taylor is sweet as Helen, and works well with Peggy Ann Garner as young Jane.  Garner is heartbreaking.  Agnes Moorehead always plays prickly characters and she is the perfect choice to play Mrs. Reed.  Henry Daniell also excels as a villain, here.  I adore John Sutton and he is wonderful as Dr. Rivers.  Dr. Rivers is a new character, but takes his name from St. John Rivers (who does not appear in the adaptation).  They made the interesting choice to not show Bertha, but focus on her aftermath.  I think it is an effective choice for this film and adds to the suspense.

Bernard Hermann wrote the score for the film and George Barnes was as the cinematographer.  Both do well here.  Director Robert Stevenson was later known for his work on on Walt Disney's live-action films, but he handles the dramatic story well.  The film did not win any awards, but it is a well-made and well-acted film.  I wish the film was a little longer and little closer to the novel, but I thoroughly enjoyed the film.

Jane Eyre (1943) 97 minutes
Director: Robert Stevenson
Starring: Orson Welles as Edward Rochester
Joan Fontaine as Jane Eyre
Margaret O'Brien as Adele Varans
Peggy Ann Garner as young Jane Eyre
John Sutton as Dr. Rivers
Sara Allgood as Bessie
Henry Daniell as Henry Brocklehurst
Agnes Moorehead as Mrs. Reed
Aubrey Mather as Colonel Percy Dent
Edith Barrett as Mrs. Fairfax
Barbara Everest as Lady Ingram
Hillary Brooke as Blanche Ingram

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir

"In my opinion, you are the most obstinate young woman I have ever met!"

"Thank you.  I've always wanted to be considered obstinate!"

Lucy Muir (Tierney), a young widow, is tired to following expectations.  Despite the protestations of her anxious mother-in-law, Angelica (Isobel Elsom), and domineering sister-in-law, Eva (Victoria Horne), Lucy decides to move to the seaside town of Whitecliff.  She falls in love with the inexpensive Gulf Cottage and decides to rent it, even though the locals say it is haunted.  She moves into the cottage with her young daughter Anna (Wood) and maid Martha (Best).  The first night in the house, she stumbles onto the ghost of Captain Daniel Gregg (Harrison).

Captain Gregg died in the house and has been scaring potential renters for years.  He and Lucy strike a deal: she won't change the house, and he won't bother anyone else.  They begin talking each day and start a unique relationship.


The story is based on the 1945 novel "The Ghost of Captain Gregg and Mrs. Muir" by R. A. Dick.  It was adapted to radio in 1947 with Charles Boyer and Madeleine Carroll.  It was adapted again in 1951 with Boyer reprising his role alongside Jane Wyatt.  It was also adapted as a TV show that ran from 1968-1970.

A friend recommended the film and I went in blind... only knowing the title and that Rex Harrison was the ghost.  And I was pleasantly surprised.

The story is simple, but intriguing.  Gene Tierney is ok as the lead, but she is far from the most interesting character.  Harrison is commanding as Captain Gregg.  I always enjoy George Sanders' performances, and as usual he is smooth and fascinating to watch.  The cinematography, by Charles Lang, is beautiful.

The film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography.  It was also recognized in the American Film Institute's (AFI) 100 Years... 100 Passions list.

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947) 104 minutes
Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Starring: Gene Tierney as Lucy Muir
Rex Harrison as Captain Daniel Gregg
George Sanders as Miles Fairley
Edna Best as Martha Huggin
Natalie Wood as Anna Muir

Support Your Local Sheriff!

"I guess you know what you're doing, Sheriff."

"I don't know what I could have said to give you that idea, Mayor"

The town of Calendar, Colorado is a lawless free-for-all.  The town has a thriving gold mine and has attracted the worst of the worst.  The town is also plagued by the outlaw Danby family, who waylay the gold from the mines and do as they please in the town.  No one wants to stand against the Danby's and the last 3 sheriffs have been killed or ran away.  All that changes when Jason McCullough (Garner) arrives in town.  McCullough wants to try his hand at gold mining before traveling to Australia for an adventure.  He takes the job as sheriff for the pay and the job and board offered with the position.

His first job is to stop a muddy street brawl and arrest Joe Danby (Dern) who murdered a man in the saloon.  With help from the "town character" Jake (Elam), he takes Joe to the jailhouse.  The town is especially proud of their jailhouse; it has everything the sheriff needs, except for bars on the cells.  He makes Jake his reluctant deputy and moves into the home of Mayor Olly Perkins (Morgan) and his hot-headed daughter Prudy (Hackett), the wealthiest woman in town.  News of Joe's arrest reaches his family, and his Pa (Brennan) makes a plan to scare off the new sheriff.  Can Jason clean up the town, outsmart the Danby family, and stay alive long enough to make his fortune?


This film, written by William Bowers (who also produced the film), is a parody of classic western films.  The story mimics the setup of many western films, while also laughing at the absurd situations.

James Garner stars as Jason, the reluctant hero who has to outsmart everyone else.  Most of the other cast members appeared in numerous western films.  Walter Brennan is the exasperated villain, surrounded by idiot sons: Bruce Dern, Gene Evans, and Dick Peabody.  Dern is entertaining as Joe, and the other brothers are mostly comic relief.  Joan Hackett is the feisty love interest, who is more than willing to dive into a fight.  Jack Elam is the quirky sidekick.

It is an enjoyable film.  It pays homage to westerns, while still appealing to fans of the genre, and brings lots of laughs.

The film was a success and Burt Kennedy repeated the formula two years later with Support Your Local Gunfighter in 1971.  The majority of the cast returned, in new roles, with Garner again playing the reluctant hero.  The gunfighter film is much funnier and a better all-around film than it's predecessor.

Support Your Local Sheriff! (1969) 92 minutes
Director: Burt Kennedy
Starring: James Garner as Jason McCullough
Joan Hackett as Prudy Perkins
Walter Brennan as Pa Danby
Harry Morgan as Olly Perkins
Jack Elam as Jake
Henry Jones as Henry Jackson
Bruce Dern as Joe Danby
Willis Bouchey as Thomas Dever
Walter Burke as Fred Johnson

Game Night (2018)

"You're like a double threat. Brains... and you're British."

Max (Bateman) and Annie (McAdams) love a competition.  They met at a trivia night and share a love for games of all kind.  Every week they host a game night with their closest friends: Kevin (Morris) and Michelle (Bunbury) who have been together since middle school and Ryan (Magnussen) who brings along dim-witted dates.  Every week they also try to avoid their sad sack neighbor Gary (Plemons), who is a police officer and used to be a part of game night until his wife, Debbie, left.

Max's brother Brooks (Chandler) is in town and invites the group to his home for game night the next week.  As the group arrives, including Ryan's co-worker Sarah (Horgan), they learn that the game for the evening is a murder mystery and the winner will receive Brooks' new car: a Corvette Stingray.  Two masked men enter the house, beat Brooks and take him away.  As the group starts following the clues, they learn that the evening is not as it appears.  Can they survive the evening and rescue Brooks?


I was intrigued by the premise of this film... but expected it to be a raunchy disappointment.  I didn't plan to watch the film, or learn anything about it, until it was recommended on my favorite podcast.  I re-watched the trailer and decided to give it a chance, while also noting the "R" rating... and I was pleasantly surprised.

The story is interesting: a murder mystery game turned into a real mystery, with real consequences.  As a whole, it delivers: it twists and turns and keeps you guessing.  The end didn't work for me, and feels like they were trying to hard.  The language isn't excessive, but is still too much.

Overall, the film is good, but not great.

Game Night (2018) 100 minutes
Rating: R for language, sexual references and some violence
Director: John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein
Starring: Jason Bateman as Max
Rachel McAdams as Annie
Kyle Chandler as Brooks
Sharon Horgan as Sarah
Billy Magnussen as Ryan
Lamorne Morris as Kevin
Kylie Bunbury as Michelle
Jesse Plemons as Gary

Coco (2017)

"What is going on?"

"You the Rivera family? ... Well, you're cursed."

Miguel Rivera (Gonzalez) loves music and dreams of being a musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz (Bratt).  However, his family hates music.  The late family matriarch Mama Imelda Rivera (Ubach), banished music and musicians from her life.  The family has continued this tradition and focuses on the shoe-making business she started.  Miguel wants to follow his family, but cannot deny his love of music.  He has a special connection with his great grandmother Mama Socorro "Coco" Rivera (Murguia).  As the family gathers to celebrate the Day of the Dead, Miguel breaks a picture and discovers a picture of Mama Coco with her parents.  The father's face is missing, but he is holding de la Cruz's guitar, and Miguel believes de la Cruz is his ancestor.

He runs away to enter a battle of the bands and steals de la Cruz's guitar.  In the process, he becomes invisible to everyone around him, and he sees skeletons moving around.  He bumps into his skeletal ancestors, who take him back to the land of the dead to ask Mama Imelda how to fix the situation.  Mama Imelda offers to send him home, but only if he forgets music forever.  Unwilling to part with his dream, he seeks the help of con artist skeleton Hector (Bernal) to help him find de la Cruz and reclaim music in his life.  Can they find de la Cruz and get Miguel home before he turns into a skeleton?


This is Pixar Animation Studios 19th animated film.  The film is centered around the celebration of Dia de los Muertos.  Dia de los Muertos is the Mexican holiday of the Day of the Dead.  It is the celebration of family and remembering ancestors.

The screenplay was written by Adrian Molina (who co-directed the film) and Matthew Aldrich.  Lee Unkrich, who directed Toy Story 3 contributed to the original story and directed the film.  The story is interesting and full of vibrant colors and characters.

The score was written by Michael Giacchino, with original songs by Germaine Franco, Molina, and Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez.  The Lopez's are the duo who wrote the songs in Disney's Frozen.  The songs are heart-warming and catchy.  "Remember Me" packs a punch, but my favorite is the instrumental "Jalale" which is performed by the Mexician Institute of Sound.

The cast is comprised of all Latino actors.  The only exception is Pixar regular John Ratzenberger who has a single line.  Anthony Gonzalez is great as Miguel and is a talented singer.  Benjamin Bratt is convincing as the swaggering Ernesto de la Cruz.  He performs "Remember Me," but all of his other songs were performed by Antonio Sol.  Gael Garcia Bernal is fun as Hector.  It is a strong cast and everyone works well in their roles.

The film won numerous awards, including 2 Academy Awards.  Unkrich and Darla K. Anderson won for Best Animated Feature, which Unkrich also won for Toy Story 3 in 2010.  Anderson-Lopez and Lopez won Best Original Song for "Remember Me."  They won the same award in 2013 for "Let It Go."

Coco (2017) 105 minutes
Director: Lee Unkrich & Adrian Molina
Starring: Anthony Gonzalez as Miguel Rivera
Gael Garcia Bernal as Hector
Benjamin Bratt as Ernesto de la Cruz
Alanna Ubach as Mama Imelda Rivera
Renee Victor as Elena Rivera
Ana Ofelia Murguia as Mama Socorro "Coco" Rivera

Murder on the Orient Express (1974)

"Has it occurred to you that there are too many clues in this room?"

In December 1935, American millionaire Samuel Ratchett (Widmark) is murdered in the first class car of the Orient Express.  The train is stuck in snow and Signor Bianchi (Balsam), who works for the company that owns the train, wants the matter resolved before they reach the next stop.  He turns to his dear friend Hercule Poirot (Finney), a world-famous detective who is also traveling in the first class train.  Poirot believes the murder was committed by someone in the first class car as all of the train cars were locked at night and there are no tracks in the snow around the car.  He confiscates all of their passports and asks Bianchi and Dr. Constantine (Coulouris), who did not sleep in the first class car, to assist with the investigation.

Poirot interviews each passenger about the events of the previous night.  Ratchett was traveling with his secretary Hector McQueen (Perkins) and valet Edward Beddoes (Gielgud).  McQueen and Beddoes are not upset by their employers death and have secrets.  Harriet Hubbard (Bacall), who had the room beside Cassetti, is an American widow and claims a man was in her room that night and must be the murderer.  Greta Ohlsson (Bergman) is a Swedish missionary who struggles with English.  Count Andrenyi (York) is a Hungarian diplomat traveling with his wife Countess Andrenyi (Bisset).  Colonel Arbuthnot (Connery) is a British Indian Army officer who smokes a pipe and is always watching English teacher Mary Debenham (Redgrave).  Elderly Princess Dragomiroff (Hiller) is traveling with her maid Hildegarde Schmidt (Roberts).  Antonio Foscarelli (Quilley) is an Italian car salesman who talks like a gangster and Cyrus Hardman (Blakely) is an American theatrical agent.  French conductor Pierre (Cassel) is also a suspect, while aiding Poirot's investigation.  Poirot uncovers a deep connection to the famed Daisy Armstrong murder of 1930.  As the train breaks out of the snow, can Poirot discover the murderer and finally solve the missing piece of the Armstrong case?


This film is based on Agatha Christie's 1934 novel "Murder on the Orient Express."  Her story was inspired by the Charles Lindbergh case in 1932.  She chose the location based on the 1929 story of the Orient Express being stuck in the snow for 5 days near Istanbul.  This is the 10th of 45 stories (8th novel) featuring Belgian detective Hercule Poirot.

Christie disliked most of the film versions of her novels, but she was persuaded by the producers to allow this adaptation.  It was her favorite adaptation.

All of the main characters are played by well-known actors, delivering excellent performances.  Albert Finney does well as the quirky detective.  The majority of the film occurs on the train, but it never feels claustrophobic or boring.  The film takes a leisurely pace to setup the characters and the plot, but you are invested the entire time.  The film stays true to Christie's story, with only a few changes.

The film was nominated for 6 Academy Awards: Best Actor for Finney, Best Supporting Actress for Ingrid Bergman, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, and Best Original Score; but only Bergman won.  Bergman's small role has a 5 minute speech that runs the gamut of emotion, and was filmed in a single take.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film, everything worked well and fit the world of the story.  I want to see the 2017 version, with Kenneth Branagh as the director and star, but I think I will prefer this version.

Murder on the Orient Express (1974) 131 minutes
Director: Sidney Lumet
Starring: Albert Finney as Hercule Poirot
Lauren Bacall as Harriet Hubbard
Martin Balsam as Signor Bianchi
Ingrid Bergman as Greta Ohlsson
Jacqueline Bisset as Countess Andrenyi
Jean-Pierre Cassel as Pierre
Sean Connery as Colonel Arbuthnot
John Gielgud as Edward Beddoes
Wendy Hiller as Princess Dragomiroff
Anthony Perkins as Hector McQueen
Vanessa Redgrave as Mary Debenham
Rachel Roberts as Hildegarde Schmidt
Richard Widmark as Samuel Ratchett
Michael York as Count Andrenyi
Colin Blakely as Cyrus B. Hardman
George Coulouris as Dr. Constantine
Denis Quilley as Antonio Foscarelli

Thor: Ragnarok

"Last time we saw you, you were trying to kill everyone.  What are you up to these days?"

"It varies from moment to moment."

Two years after the events of Sokovia, Thor (Hemsworth) is looking for Infinity Stones.  He learns that his father, Odin (Anthony Hopkins), is dying and Ragnarok, the destruction of Asgard, is approaching.  On his deathbed, Odin tells Thor and Loki (Hiddleston) that they have a sister: Hela (Blanchett).  Hela is the goddess of death and Odin's death will release her.

Hela plans to lead the people of Asgard, by force if necessary.  She easily destroys Thor's hammer and defeats both of her brothers, who barely escape.  When Thor wakes, he is a prisoner on the planet Sakaar.  Scrapper 142 (Thompson) captures him and takes him to the Grandmaster (Goldblum).  The Grandmaster rules the planet and uses his prisoners as gladiators.

Can Thor escape the planet and save Asgard from Hela?


This is the fifth film in Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), it is also the third Thor film (Thor in 2011 and Thor: The Dark World in 2013).

Each Thor film had a different director and style.  The original film was directed by Kenneth Branagh and build the world of Asgard.  The sequel was directed by Alan Taylor and took on a darker tone.  This film, under the direction of Taika Waititi, takes a more comedic approach.  The risks are still high, but they don't shy away from lightening the mood.

After sitting out Captain America: Civil War, this film pairs Thor and Hulk for an adventure of their own.  Chris Hemsworth and Mark Ruffalo have great chemistry and it is fun to see the relationship between Thor and both sides of Banner.  In this film, Hemsworth gets the chance to show his comedic side, while still staying true to the character.  Thor's trusty hammer, Mjolnir, is destroyed so he has to adjust fighting style for this film.  Ruffalo gets to do double duty, portraying Bruce Banner and voicing the Hulk (Lou Ferrigno voiced the character in the Avengers films).  Hulk gets a bigger vocabulary and a bigger role in the film.

Tom Hiddleston returns as Loki, along with Idris Elba as Heimdall.  The Warriors Three (Tadanobu Asano, Ray Stevenson, and Zachary Levi) make a brief appearance, along with Anthony Hopkins as Odin.  Cate Blanchett is the villain, clearly enjoying herself, with a little help from Karl Urban as Skurge, her executioner.  Jeff Goldblum plays to the rafters as the Grandmaster and Tessa Thompson adds attitude and more muscle as Scrapper 142.  And Waititi voices the character of gladiator Korg.

It is an interesting story that keeps the action and laughter coming.  The entire film takes place away from Earth (unlike the previous films), with most of the action on Asgard or Sakaar.

The mid-credits scene teases Avengers: Infinity War.

Thor: Ragnarok (2017) 130 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and brief suggestive material
Director: Taika Waititi
Starring: Chris Hemsworth as Thor
Tom Hiddleston as Loki
Cate Blanchett as Hela
Idris Elba as Heimdall
Jeff Goldblum as Grandmaster
Tessa Thompson as Scrapper 142
Karl Urban as Skurge
Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner / Hulk
Anthony Hopkins as Odin

Visages villages: Faces Places

Agnes Varda is a French director and photographer who was part the French New Wave Cinema.  JR is a French photographer and artist who is best known for street art: pasting large photographs onto buildings.  Agnes and JR team up to travel through villages in France.  They want to meet the people, take their pictures, and use the portraits to decorate old buildings.

Agnes is in her 80s and JR is in his 30s.  She has eye disease and sees the world blurry, while he always wears sunglasses and sees the world dark.  Their art and stories are different but both want to capture real moments in their art.


Prior to seeing this documentary, I was not familiar with the work of Agnes Varda or JR.  This documentary is about these two artists, who appreciate and enjoy each other and their art.  They travel around France to hear stories and take photographs.  It also has some quiet conversations between Varda and JR, where they talk about their past and future.  Both are slightly eccentric artists, with strong opinions... but the film is about their art and finding stories / truth.

Despite its short running time, the story moves at a slow and meandering pace, but it works here.  The film is in French, with subtitles.

This documentary was nominated for an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature in 2017 (Icarus won).

Visages villages: Faces Places (2017) 89 minutes
Director: JR & Agnes Varda
Starring: Agnes Varda
JR

After the Ball (2015)

"What would you do if you were in my shoes?"

"Get new shoes."

Kate Kassell (Doubleday) is a young fashion designer.  Her work is impressive, but no one will hire her due to her family's reputation.  her father, Lee (North), owns a retail company that remakes fashion looks.  With nowhere else to turn, she accepts Lee's offer to work at the company.  Her stepmother, Elise (Holly), runs the company and resents Kate's presence.  Kate is put to work sorting buttons in the stockroom, while Elise's daughters Simone (Hopkins) and Tannis (Krill) get large offices and the opportunity to design for the company.

Kate quickly befriends designer Maurice (Michael) and catches the eye of shoe designer Daniel (Grondin).  But Simone and Tannis ruin Kate's reputation and get her fired.  She turns to her godparents, Bella (Kuzyk) and Richard (Rota), who own a vintage clothing store.  They encourage her to fight back and save the company.  With her knowledge of fashion, Bella's knowledge of Lee, and Richard's coaching, Kate returns to the company as Nate.  Can she save the day and get the guy?


This film is a modern retelling of Cinderella, but writers Kate Melville and Jason Sherman also added some elements of William Shakespeare's "As You Like It."  The Cinderella elements are clear - the girl forced to do menial tasks for her stepmother and stepsisters, aided by her godmother and the man in her life gives her a shoe.  But Kate taking action and posing as a man is the plot of Shakespeare's "As You Like It."  The two elements work well and keep the story interesting.

I stumbled onto this film on Netflix a few years ago and added it to my queue.  It is an enjoyable diversion.  It isn't a big budget film, but it holds your attention and the cast is good.  The costumes / fashion works well.  I enjoyed it and would definitely watch it again.

After the Ball (2015) 101 minutes
Director: Sean Garrity
Starring: Portia Doubleday as Kate Kassell
Marc-Andre Grondin as Daniel
Chris North as Lee Kassell
Lauren Holly as Elise Adams Kassell
Anna Hopkins as Simone Adams
Natalie Krill as Tannis Adams
Mimi Kuzyk as Bella
Carlo Rota as Richard
David Michael as Maurice
Colin Mochrie as Frost

The Mystery of Mr. Wong

Priceless sapphire The Eye of the Daughter of the Moon was stolen from China.  The jewel is cursed, condemning it's possessor to death.  The gem ends up in the hands of antique dealer Brandon Edwards (Wallace), who knows the legend and expects to be murdered.  That evening he hosts a party along with his wife Valerie (Tree).  During the party he meets with private detective James Lee Wong (Karloff).  He knows someone will try to kill him and written down the name of the culprit, which is only to be read after his death.  Edwards locks the letter and the jewel in his office, and they return to the party.

Edwards is shot and killed during the party.  The police, led by Captain Sam Street (Withers), arrive to investigate the death.  Street and Wong discover that the jewel and the letter are missing, and suspect foul play.  The suspects include Valerie, who was afraid of her husband, his secretary Peter Harrison (Reynolds) who is in love with Valerie, singer Michael Strogonoff (Lebedeff), maid Drina (Long), and butler Sing (Gan).  Wong asks his friend Professor Ed Janney (Herbert), who was also a guest at the party, to help investigate.  Can Wong find the Eye of the Daughter of the Moon and the killer before more bodies appear?


The character of Mr. James Lee Wong first appeared as a series in Collier's Magazine.  Hugh Wiley wrote 12 short stories about Mr. Wong for the magazine from 1934 to 1938.  The character was popular enough for Monogram Pictures to make 6 films about him (Mr. Wong, Detective 1938, The Mystery of Mr. Wong in 1939, Mr. Wong in Chinatown in 1939, The Fatal Hour in 1940, Doomed to Die in 1940, and Phantom of Chinatown in 1940).  Five of the film were directed by William Nigh, with Boris Karloff in the title role.

The majority of the fine is confined to the Edwards home.  You know the murder was committed by someone in the house, and everyone remains in the house for the duration of the film.  The film is short and keeps your attention.  The mystery is good and gives the audience a pool of suspects with strong motives.  Boris Karloff is great as James Lee Wong, creating a compelling and intelligent character.  The rest of the cast is fine.  Grant Withers, who plays Captain Street, and Chester Gan, who plays Sing, are the only characters who appeared in this film and the previous Mr. Wong film.

Entertaining, but not great.

The Mystery of Mr. Wong (1939) 68 minutes
Director: William Nigh
Starring: Boris Karloff as James Lee Wong
Grant Withers as Police Captain Sam Street
Dorothy Tree as Valerie Edwards
Craig Reynolds as Peter Harrison
Ivan Lebedeff as Michael Strogonoff
Holmes Herbert as Professor Ed Janney
Morgan Wallace as Brandon Edwards
Lotus Long as Drina
Chester Gan as Sing
Hooper Atchley as Carslake

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

"A game for those who seek to find a way to leave the world behind."

Four high school students, Spencer (Alex Wolff), Fridge (Ser'Darius Blain), Bethany (Madison Iseman), and Martha (Morgan Turner), find an old video game called Jumanji.  They decide to take a break and play the game.  they select avatars, and are sucked into the game.

They land in the middle of the jungle as the avatars they selected.  Spencer is afraid of everything, but in the game he is the muscle-bound explorer Dr. Smolder Bravestone (Johnson).  Fridge is a star athlete, but in the game he is the short zoologist Franklin "Mouse" Finbar (Hart).  Martha is pretty, popular, and obsessed with her phone, but in the game she is middle-aged cartographer Professor Sheldon Oberon (Black).  Martha is a shy feminist, but in the game she is martial arts expert Ruby Roundhouse (Gillan).  Their mission, according to NPC Nigel Billingsley (Darby), is to save Jumanji from Russel Van Pelt (Cannavale), who has the ability to control animals.  Can they complete the mission and make it home safely?


In 1981, Chris van Allsburg wrote and illustrated the children's book "Jumanji."  The book focused on a pair of siblings, Judy and Peter, who find the game and then play it at home.  The book received numerous awards when it was first released and was popular enough for van Allsburg to write a sequel "Zathura."

In 1995 Joe Johnston directed the film adaptation of the book.  The film  starring Robin Williams and Bonnie Hunt and stuck close to the book.  The film stayed close to the book, but added the characters of Alan and Sarah.  This film is a sequel to the story, with brand new characters.  It also flips the story, in 1995 the game came to the real world... this film takes the players to the game world.

The screenplay was written by Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Scott Rosenberg, and Jeff Pinkner is fun and action-packed.  As a whole, it works and draws you into the action.  There were only 2 moments that took me out of the film, and both were unnecessary moments featuring Jack Black's character... they were meant to be funny, but were crass and pointless.

The cast works well together and are all equally entertaining.  Black is convincing as a teenage girl.  Dwayne Johnson deftly walks the line between hero and terrified teen.  Kevin Hart provides the one-liners and shouts frequently.  Karen Gillan uses a convincing American accent and performs some intricate choreography for her dance fighting scenes.  She has the most physical role in the film.  Bobby Cannavale is dark and disturbing as Van Pelt (which is also the name of the villain from the original Jumanji film).

It is an entertaining action film and loves its predecessor.  There are little moments scattered throughout the film for fans (the design of the statues, Seaplane's home, etc).  It works as a whole, except for the 2 scenes I mentioned in the previous paragraph.  It also enjoys the tropes of video games.

They are planning to make a sequel to this film, with Kasdan returning to direct.  The four main actors (Black, Gillan, Hart, and Johnson) returning.  The sequel, Jumanji: The Next Level was released in 2019.

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) 119 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for adventure action, suggestive content and some language
Director: Jake Kasdan
Starring: Dwayne Johnson as Dr. Smolder Bravestone
Kevin Hart as Franklin "Mouse" Finbar
Jack Black as Professor Sheldon Oberon
Karen Gillan as Ruby Roundhouse
Rhys Darby as Nigel Billingsley
Bobby Cannavale as Russel Van Pelt
Nick Jonas as Jefferson "Seaplane" McDonough

Crooked House (2017)

"Sometimes people don't know what they know."

Business tycoon Aristide Leonides (Gino Picciano) is found dead in his study.  His granddaughter Sophia (Martini) thinks he was murdered.  She asks private investigator Charles Hayward (Irons) to come to the family estate and dig into the death.  He consults with Chief Inspector Taverner (Stamp) of Scotland Yard and decides to take the case.

The entire Leonides family lives on Aristide's estate.  They resent Charles presence, but allow him to ask questions.  Aristide was a commanding presence in his business and family, giving him enemies at work and home.  Only his trophy wife, Brenda (Hendricks), and Sophia seem upset by his death.  His sister-in-law, Lady Edith de Haviland (Close), hated him.  His oldest son Philip (Sands), is a cigar-smoking academic and married to self-absorbed actress Magda (Anderson).  Their children, other than Sophia, did not impress Aristide.  Eustace (Nyman) is brilliant, but limps due to a bout with polio.  Josephine (Kneafsey) loves detective stories and enjoys spying on the family and recording their secrets to use later.  Younger son, Roger (McKay), runs the family business and resents his father's control.  His wife, Clemency (Abbington), is a scientist and hates the family.

Can Charles find the murderer before anyone else is killed?


This film is based off of Agatha Christie's novel "The Crooked House," published in 1949.  The novel was very popular and was reported to be Christie's favorite.  It remains on the list of Christie's best works.  In February 2008 it was adapted to 30-minute radio broadcasts for BBC Radio.

The story moves at a leisurely pace.  It takes the time to introduce and flesh-out the characters and their motivations.  The story is interesting and keeps you guessing, like any good mystery.  Director Gilles Paquet-Brenner keeps the integrity of the story, only making a few changes from the book.  Everything looks beautiful and cast is excellent.  Glenn Close is a standout, but all of the performances are great.  It is an interesting film and makes me want to read the book.

I'm also intrigued about the other 2017 Agatha Christie adaptation, Murder on the Orient Express.

Crooked House (2017) 115 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for thematic material and some sexual content
Director: Gilles Paquet-Brenner
Starring: Glenn Close as Lady Edith de Haviland
Terence Stamp as Chief Inspector Taverner
Max Irons as Charles Hayward
Stefanie Martini as Sophia Leonides
Julian Sands as Philip Leonides
Honor Kneafsey as Josephine Leonides
Christian McKay as Roger Leonides
Amanda Abbington as Clemency Leonides
Gillian Anderson as Magda Leonides
Christina Hendricks as Brenda Leonides
Preston Nyman as Eustace Leonides
John Heffernan as Laurence Brown

Step Sisters (2017)

Jamilah (Echikunwoke) knows what she wants out of life and goes after it.  She was the president of her sorority, captain of their step team, works for Dean Berman (Brown), and now has her sights set on Harvard Law School.  She needs a letter of recommendation from her parents, Langston (L. Warren Young) and Yvonne (Sheryl Lee Ralph), who are alumni.  They refuse to the write the recommendation, so she turns to the Dean for help.

The hard-partying girls of the Sigma Beta Beta franchise have embarrassed the college.  The Dean agrees to write a glowing recommendation letter, if Jamilah agrees to fix the reputation of the Sigma Beta Beta's.  She reluctantly agrees to turn the girls into a step team... but doesn't want anyone else to know.  The Sigma Beta Beta's fight constantly and don't respect each other.  Their leader, Danielle (Smith), hates the idea, but agrees to the deal.  The only one who is excited about the team is Jamilah's friend Beth (Sher).  Can Jamilah help the Sigma Beta Beta's get back on track and get her letter for Harvard?


Step-dancing or stepping has been a staple of traditionally black fraternities and sororities since the 1900s.  It is still popular in the Greek systems.

Like most dance films, the story isn't great.  The beginning is rough, but it gets better in the second half.  The dances, choreographed by Aakomon Jones, are great: intricate and mesmerizing.  Director Charles Stone III, who also directed Drumline, keeps the main focus on the dance so that you don't miss anything.  The dances are the main reason to watch.

The film was originally supposed to premiere in theaters in 2017, but that fell through and later that year Netflix acquired the distribution rights.

Overall, it is ok but not great.

Step Sisters (2017) 108 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for crude and sexual content, partying, language and drug references
Director: Charles Stone III
Starring: Megalyn Echikunwoke as Jamilah
Lyndon Smith as Danielle
Eden Sher as Beth
Gage Golightly as Libby
Alessandra Torresani as Amber
Nia Jervier as Saundra
Marque Richardson as Kevin
Robert Curtis Brown as Dean Berman
Matt McGorry as Dane
Naturi Naughton as Aisha
Ashlee Brie Gillum as Cheryl