Thirteen Lives

So if you haven't watched the National Geographic documentary, The Rescue, then this is your chance to watch the remarkable dramatization by director Ron Howard, starring Viggo Mortensen and Colin Farrell. I loved "The Rescue" and I'm not sure there was a need to make a dramatization, however they did, and well, it's one of the best films of the year. What's it all about? This is the true story of a young soccer team and their coach (13 of them) who became trapped in a lengthy Thailand cave when the monsoon rains came early and floated the cave - this is the tale of how they were rescued. It's truly a fascinating and almost unbelieve tale of survival. Viggo Mortensen is as good as I have ever seen him and Colin Farrell, the same - lots of walking around in wetsuits and looking pensive but they do it oh-so-well. If you are claustrophobic, this one gets real tight and you might find it hard to breathe. Catch it on Amazon Prime. 

Prey

"Prey," is a "Predator" prequel, set 300 years ago on the land of the Comanche Nation (another franchise film from the original 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger one where muscly, glistening, dudes descended into the jungle and battled an alien hunter from outer space -yes ridiculous but fun!). There have been five other "Predator" sequels/reboots if you count the two "Alien Vs. Predator" spin offs. "Prey" marks the sixth sequel. It is by far the best and, dare I say it, might even be better than the original. What's it all about? Amber Midthunder play Naru, a young Comanche woman who wants to be a hunter like her brother and his friends, a role that in 1711 seems to be predominately male run. She has learned the way of medicine, so she is brought along for for help. She secretly practices throwing her tomahawk - and she is an ace with it. But against one of the most deadly hunters in the galaxy? Really? Surprisingly "Prey" find ingenious ways to keep this battle fresh and somewhat believable. The entire film looks great - the French colonialists are a treat. Did I mention Amber Midthunder is fantastic! I have seen quite a few films of late where Indigenous  women have taken the lead (which is great) but "Prey" is by far my favourite. Catch it streaming on Disney +. 

The White Lotus

HBO has a sassy, whip-smart, dark comedy series entitled, "The White Lotus." It's about eight VIPs checking into the swanky Hawaiian hotel and spa, The White Lotus. There is a newlywed couple, Shane and Rachel Patton - he is young, rich, and his mommy booked them the pineapple honeymoon suite. The hotel manger, Armond (Murray Bartlett) double booked the room. Shane won't let it go and it becomes the unravelling of the manager. I hope Murray Bartlett gets a Golden Globe for this. Then there is a family of four plus the daughter brought along a friend. The family are rich, white, rude, selfish, and narcissistic. Steve Zahn plays the father and he has to come to terms with his own father's past. The daughter is a spoiled little bitch (the black friend, not so much). The son spends all his time on his tablet, gaming. The last guest is Tanya McQuoid (Jennifer Coolidge - Stifler's mom from "American Pie") plays a sad, rich, drunk flake, trying to dispose of her abusive mother's ashes. Tanya, without even being aware of her own actions, strings along the woman running the spa with promises of "going into business together" because the spa lady is just so wonderful. All the characters are well drawn, like razor sharp - because they feel so real, it makes the show oh so compelling. And the music! The Hawaiian whistling theme of the show is force driving everything forward. Check in immediately to "The White Lotus." on CRAVE/HBO.  

Resurrection

 Rebecca Hall has given us one of the most riveting performances of the year. Knowing the Oscars, I doubt she will even be nominated. Whatever. Let me tell you, Hall's performance grips you and you believe it. She plays, Margaret, a single mom to an almost 18 year old girl. Margaret has a senior position in a company, big office - I'm not exactly sure what she does but she is orderly, tidy, and in command. She seems to have her shit together, that is, until she spies out of the corner of her eye, David (Tim Roth) at a conference. Margaret has a full blown panic attack and takes off running all the way home. Suddenly Margaret is unravelling. We suspect maybe a volatile former relationship. When David makes a few more peripheral appearances in various locations, Margaret goes to the police for, you guessed it, no help at all. David and Margaret's sordid past comes out when she confesses everything to a young intern at her work. Let me tell you, it's bonkers. Without spoiling anything (or too much), David would make Margaret perform what he called, "Kindnesses." They were forms of both physical and mental torture. Present day David says he will leave Margaret and her daughter alone if she would just do a few more of these kindnesses for him. Tim Roth has never been so evil! The ending of the film will stick with you for the rest of the year! Do yourself a kindness and check out this thriller in rep cinemas or on streaming services when you can.

God's Waiting Room

Let's do a 180 from "The Gray Man" to a small indie film from a first-time director, Tyler Riggs. I'm far more excited to write about this film. Like "American Honey," "Honey Boy," "Zola," "The Florida Project," and "Red Rocket," (I could keep going!) "God's Waiting Room" shares an intimate and candid portrait of its subjects in an almost documentary style. In all of these films, we are dealing with working class to impoverished people, substance abuse, and people hustling to get out of their horrid situations. In this case we have Rosie (Nisalda Gonzalez) who is living with her single dad, Nino (Ray Benitez) who works doing interlock driveways for wealthy homeowners in central Florida. Rosie wants to be a song writer/singer. Her dad wants her to go to school. Rosie has been hanging out with Jules (Matthew Leone) - a small time hapless drug dealer - to the disapproval of her friends and father. The story also follows a young man just released from prison after serving 12 years for murder, played by Tyler Riggs. Tyler Riggs - what a talent this guy is! He wrote, directed and stars in this movie and it's really good. I'm not sure if the songs that Rosie sings were also written by Tyler Riggs but they are truly special and Ms. Gonzalez sings the shit out of them. These kids, these people, they felt real to me and you could feel the sticky humidity of Florida on your skin. Films like "God's Waiting Room" are why I love going to the movies - there is beauty and tragedy at play here and it would well be worth your time to have a seat in "God's Waiting Room." Catch it at your local rep cinema, if possible, or on streaming services. 

The Gray Man

Looking for a big, dumb, fun, action film? This year's "The Gray Man" with a reported 200 million dollar budget, is the James Bond-like, hail of bullets, over-the-top car chases, ridiculous ride you want to handcuff yourself to your couch for. The Plot, (like it matters) is about Six (Ryan Gosling) who was offered a get-out-of-prison deal (basically a "La Femme Nikita" ripoff) if he became a hitman for the CIA. Fast forward twenty years or so and Six has become a lethal machine. When his latest assignment turns out to be killing one of his own, things change. His target is carrying proof that the CIA is abusing it's power! What? No way? Who could be behind such abuses? Why it's Captain America with a moustache! (Chris Evans) Billy Bob Thornton play Six's CIA mentor and segregate father figure. When Bad Captain America captures him and his niece, Six has to rescue them and bring the information of abuse to light. It's all ridiculous but hey, I enjoyed myself. I only regret I didn't see it on the big screen. Catch this CIA agent on the run, on Netflix. 

Nope

Okay, I admit it, I was disappointed. What a way to start a review about films I recommend! But wait, hear me out. So, when Jordan Peele released "Get Out," I thought it was good but I didn't love it the way some reviewers did. I watched it again at the Mustang Drive In in Prince Edward County and liked it much more the second time. Then came "Us." I really liked it - it made the blog! So I had high expectations for "Nope," largely due to the trailer. I think Peele is just as an important film maker for black culture as Spike Lee has been, and Peele is as good creatively on the horror front as M. Night Shyamalan. So Peele has raised the bar high. I think I set it too high in my mind. This is Peele's third film and he swung for the fences. He almost made it - and for that, he makes the blog. "Nope" is one of the most interesting films of 2022 and it's full of great imagery which has stuck with me long after the movie ended. What's it all about? It's about OJ Haywood (Daniel Kaluuya) and his sister Emerald Haywood (Keke Palmer) who runs a horse business for Hollywood. There is something in the sky and Emerald wants to get it captured on film - get rich off of it. At the neighbouring ranch, Ricky Park (Steven Yeun) also has a similar idea, but he wants to sell tickets to see the thing in the clouds, make it a show - sell alien toy dolls and slushy drinks. Well it doesn't work out well for anyone. There is also a back story about a chimpanzee named Gordy. It was my favourite part of the film and I won't say anymore about it. I suspect I will like "Nope" more the second time I watch it. Catch this sci-fi Western in theatres while you can.