Choice. Consequence. Color. Cats. These and more make up the palate of Welcome to Happiness, a quirky and charming fable from debut writer-director Oliver Thompson. Blending Wes Anderson-esque quirkiness with a light spiritual touch, Welcome to Happiness uses bright visuals, a likable cast and delightful music to weave its tale about the choices we make,…
Ratchet & Clank. Another more than appropriate film title — well, at least the “Clank” part. I have written in the past that movies inspired by video games usually fall into two categories: Bad (“Doom,” “Super Mario Bros.,” “Tomb Raider”) or terrible: (“Mortal Kombat,” “Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li,” “Max Payne”). Recently, “Hitman: Agent…
If cinematic quirkiness exists on a spectrum that ranges from charming to obnoxiously grating, then surely try-hard rom-com 3rd Street Blackout is pushing towards the latter end. Every character in the movie speaks and acts as though they know they’re in a quirky indie flick, but there’s no meta subtext at work as a result….
Keanu is an effortlessly enjoyable comedy film, bleeding with the comedic chemistry of its stars. Jordan Peele and Keegan Michael-Key can add another success to their belt in an untouched category that is hopefully just beginning.
Greta Gerwig plays Maggie, a young woman who wants to have a baby, but without the icky complications of the normal method. It’s artificial insemination all the way for her, and she has a guy picked out. His name is Guy, which is a good example of the offbeat humor in Maggie’s Plan. The plan…
Evidently filmmaker Garry Marshall cannot seem to get away from his tediously formulaic playbook of themed movie-making and certainly the tepid and toothless Mother’s Day reinforces this cinematic sentiment. Marshall is determined to exploit these cornball conveyor belt holiday-based movies that shamelessly boast an all-star cast, shallow sentimentality, heavy-handed and forced nuttiness and the gimmickry of…
So the cinematic imagination is put to the ticklish test when two of the most iconic figureheads from the 70’s meet on an impromptu spur of the moment. The Oval Office handshake involving the beleaguered minds of rock-n-roll legend Elvis Aaron Presley and presidential enigma Richard Milhouse Nixon is the off-kilter subject matter of director…
