Action for Winter, Oscars for Liberalism

GLASS

SUPERHERO/THRILLER

PLOT:    The final chapter of the Unbreakable trilogy.

                In Unbreakable, we are introduced to David Dunn (Bruce Willis), a man who is indestructible and Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson) who is very intelligent but his bones are fragile-like glass.  In the movie Split Kevin Wendell Crumb (James McAvoy) has 24 different personalities and kidnaps young girls.  They are in the same mental institution Raven Hill supervised Dr. Ellie Staple (Sarah Paulson) whose specialty is people who think they are superheroes.  WTF!!!  The film is interesting and has plot twists but it is slow and strange too.  If you didn’t like the other two movies-don’t see this!  If you did like it by all means go for you know the characters and you want to know the outcome.

UPSIDE

COMEDY/DRAMA

PLOT:    A handicapped man gets an ex-con to assist him.

                Phillip Lacasse (Bryan Cranston Breaking Bad) is very rich and paralyzed from the neck down.  Out of spite to his good friend Yvonne (Nicole Kidman) he picks Dell Scott (Kevin Hart), a parole to take care of him.  The film is a remake of a French movie The Intouchables made in 2011.  It is not as funny as you think from the trailer but it does have funny moments. It is about friendship, responsibilities and not judging people of what they look like.  Cranston and Hart are very good-especially Hart.  He has very touching moments.

ALITA:  BATTLE ANGEL

SCI-FI/ ADVENTURE

PLOT:    In the distant future a cyborg-woman will rise and become a hero...

                Alita has a human brain, a human face but she is a robot.  She is  found by Dr. Ido (Christopher Waltz) in a junkyard.  He puts her together based on her daughter’s body.  Alita  learns about her past, falls in love and finds out she is very powerful!  OMG is this good! It is Manga (Japanese comic) brought to life.  Alita has big anime eyes and fearless like a warrior.  The visional are amazing and the action sequences are fantastic.  The only thing is the story.  You have seen the same story done a thousand times but the special effects and action makes it all worthwhile.

IF BEAL STREET COULD TALK

DRAMA

PLOT:  Young black couple are in love then he is arrested for rape.

                Tish Rivers (Kiki Layne Captive State and TV show Chicago Med) is 19 and falls in love with Alonzo “Fonny” Hunt (Stephan James, Race, Selma and TV limited series Shots Fired).  They have their lives ahead of them when Alonzo is accused of sexual assault to a Latino woman.  Tish is under stress for she is having a baby for him, she is trying to pay the lawyer and family is angry with her for they are not married.  It is based on a James Baldwin novel. The cast is great especially Regina King trying to keep her family together and get Trish’s boyfriend out of jail.  It is a sloooow movie and a lot of flashbacks. 

  

THE FAVOURITE

HISTORICAL DRAMA

PLOT:    Queen Ann who is sickly makes very bad decisions.

                Queen Anne (Oscar winner Olivia Colman) has gout yet she must make tough choices for England in the 18^th century. The real queen in charge is Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz) manipulates Queen Anne until Sarah’s distant cousin, Abigail comes to be a maid but she is a social climber.  The film is called The Favourite because Sarah and Abigail fight for Queen Ann’s affection! Hard to believe this is a true story! The film is beautifully film for such a low budget.  The acting is good.  If it was modern film it would be on Lifetime movie or on Masterpiece Theater!  It is funny, strange not for everybody.

THE WIFE

DRAMA

PLOT:    A woman questions her life choices while her husband wins the Noble Peace Prize for literature.

                     Joan Castlemen (Oscar nominee Glenn Close) is married to writer Joe Castlemen (Jonathan Pryce) and wins the Noble Peace Prize for literature.  She is happy for him as any wife should be but she was born at time (in the 50s) where women could not excel, be successful in anything so she becomes his ghost writer.  It is nice to see people talk with intelligence to each other-at times.  Close is amazing as a woman who is reserved but filled with rage and when she makes a decision it is tragic.