Widows

First Hit: Despite all the strong actors, just didn’t think this film held together very well.

In the attempt to put complexity in this story, director Steve McQueen mishandled this screenplay. The issue with the story is that to make the wives of thieves the heroes, they create a story about a crime boss wanting stolen money back from the wives who, for the most part, knew little of their husbands ventures. I don’t think the story needed to be this overly complicated to make a film about four women who become heroes of a heist. The story tried to make us care and it didn't work.

Veronica (Viola Davis) is married to Harry Rawlings (Liam Neeson) who heads up a group of guys he pulls jobs with. Florek (Joe Bernthal), Carlos (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), and Jimmy Nunn (Coburn Goss) are killed, along with Harry, during a job when they rob Jamal Manning (Brian Tyree Henry) a Chicago crime boss. Their significant others, Veronica, Linda (Michelle Rodriguez), Amanda (Carrie Coon), and Alice (Elizabeth Debicki) are being pressured to return the money by Jamal and his strong arm son Jatemme (Daniel Kaluuya). The supposed reason is that this money was going to be used by Jamal to finance his campaign to become alderman.

Jamal is running for alderman against a family dynasty, the Mulligans. Outgoing Tom (Robert Duvall) is very much the prototypical version of an Irish Chicago alderman; controlling, suppressing anyone or anything that takes his control away and wanting to keep his meal ticket in place by having his son Jack (Colin Farrell) run for the office.

Pressed by both Jamal and his strong arm lackey son, Jatemme , Veronica needs to find a way to pay back the $2 million. She finds a detailed plan that Harry created to make a heist that will net them $3 million after they pay back the $2 million their husbands stole from Jamal.

There are amusing times when the women have to buy a getaway car and guns, but the planning and getting everyone on the same page it was the seriousness of Veronica.

There are other complications, including one of the widows is hesitant to participate, and when Veronica and Harry’s driver, whom she recruited to drive their getaway car, gets killed by Jatemme, they hire Belle (Cynthia Erivo) who is Linda’s babysitter.

There’s a twist with Amanda and why she doesn’t participate in the robbery with the other widows and it is an odd reveal.

Davis was OK as the lead widow. I didn’t sense or feel a real connection with her husband Harry. Neeson was mediocre as the double-crossing husband and thief. Rodriguez was strong as the woman who wanted to show up and make things happen. Debicki was excellent as the woman tired of being abused and taking charge of her life and becoming a critical part of the widows team. Erivo was very good as the babysitter pressed into action as driver. Duvall is strong as a character he embodies in many roles, controlling, mean, and cantankerous. Kaluuya was excellent as the over the top, mean, strong arm enforcer. Coon was OK as the widow that doesn’t participate in the robbery and has a secret. Henry was good as the crime boss wanting a piece of the semi-legitimate pie the alderman’s post would give him. Farrell was OK as the reluctant son who was being pressed into running as alderman, thereby keeping the family tradition alive. Steve McQueen and Gillian Flynn wrote this somewhat misguided screenplay. The misguidedness led to McQueen’s mediocre direction.

Overall: Some of the scenes didn’t fit together well and seemed pressed, while the overall film lacked cohesiveness.

The Judge

First Hit:  A very good film and it could have been better.

Having Robert Downey Jr. (as Hank Palmer) and Robert Duvall (as his father Joseph) in the same film can only spell amazing possibilities.

Estranged son Hank is a defense attorney who seems to always get his man freed. He knows the law, how to pick a jury and how to exploit them both to keep his high-end, high ticket clients out of jail. Joseph is a 42 year sitting on the bench judge in the same small town where Hank was raised.

Hank was a difficult child and Joseph felt it important to be a tough, no-nonsense, father. What brings them together in this story is the death of Hank’s mom, Joseph’s wife. The difficulty between the two men is quickly set forth when he sees his father for the first time and Dad simply greets him with a handshake.

On the night after the funeral, Joseph is accused of killing a former criminal by hitting him with his car and leaving the scene of the accident. Of course Hank tries to be his dad’s defense lawyer and there is where the story of reconciliation takes place. Both of these actors have a depth that wasn’t fully mined in the script.

The stubbornness and rigidness that Duvall can bring and the quick witted intelligent banter that Downey is known for was only partially displayed. One the other side of the story the scene of father and son in the bathroom while Hank’s daughter Lauren (Emma Tremblay) knocked on the door to be let in was beautifully executed.

Downey was the perfect person for the part and with a stronger script, more could have been made of his history. Duvall was the perfect person for the part of father and judge. Tremblay was great as Downey’s daughter. Vera Farmiga was divine as Hanks old high school girlfriend Samantha. Billy Bob Thornton as the prosecuting attorney was wonderful. Nick Schenk and Bill Dubuque wrote this engaging but not deep enough script. David Dobkin directed this film and made good use of Duvall and Downey but there was more available to make this film great.

Overall:  I laughed, was touched, and found the story intriguing but it was not quite all it could be.

Jack Reacher

First Hit:  Cruise is Cruise which means you always know it is Cruise playing a character and because his presence is generally intense, the film is entertaining.

The film is about a young Iraqi vet who is framed for shooting 5 people on the river bank in Pittsburgh, PA. All the evidence points to him and while he is being interrogated he writes down on a piece of paper, “Get Jack Reacher”. Why?

The DA Rodin (played by Richard Jenkins), the head detective Emerson (played by David Oyelowo) and the defense attorney Helen (played by Rosamund Pike) who is also the DA’s daughter, all think he's guilty and don't understand who Jack Reacher is or why he would know anything about this case. Reacher (Cruise) lives anonymously after leaving the Army. He has no phone, car, or home. He arrives unannounced at the police station.

Helen is curious as to why he’s there and what he can do to assist the case. Reacher is a former Military Policeman and he doesn’t make mistakes. He's there because he’s the best and only the accused knows it. The accused knows that Reacher will find out the real truth. Well as you might imagine he discovers the entire plot which has to do with Russians that take over businesses.

Fairly lame plot, but Cruise surrounds himself with the best and therefore the film works, there are few mistakes so it works, but it isn’t memorable by any stretch of the imagination.

Cruise is perfect at acting this role and we always know it is Tom Cruise. This thought never left me as I watched this film. Jenkins is fine as a powerful, righteous and rich DA. Oyelowo is good as the head cop. Pike is very good as the DA's daughter and as a main character in the film. Werner Herzog is interesting as a one eyed former prisoner named "The Zec". Robert Duvall is amusing as "Cash" a shoot range owner. Christopher McQuarrie wrote and directed this unimpressive but cleanly executed film

Overall:  This is the kind of film one can sit and watch realizing there is nothing of real value but it is entertaining. 

Get Low

First Hit: Better film than what the previews showed and Duvall is strong in quirky character role.

Get Low is the phrase Felix Bush (Robert Duvall) uses to talk about dying and being put in the ground. Bush is a self-imposed hermit for over 40 years. People have stories about him but as he says in his clipped sentence sort of way; just because that's their story doesn’t mean it is true.

Bush lives by himself on 300 acres of land and shoots at most people that trespass on his land. He’s starting to feel that he is nearing the end of his life so he hires a funeral parlor run by Frank Quinn (played by Bill Murray) and Buddy (played by Lucas Black) to give him a party before he dies. He wants people to come to the party and tell stories about him.

However, what he really wants is to tell his story. He asks his best friend and Reverend Charlie Jackson (played by Bill Cobbs) to tell it for him but Cobbs refuses. To promote interest he offers anyone his land by asking people to send in $5.00 to Quinn Funeral Parlor and with the $5.00, the person gets a chance in the lottery.

Sissy Spacek plays Mattie Darrow who “had a go” with Bush many years earlier and even takes a walk with him on his land. As the day arrives, hundreds of people show up to hear the truth as Bush experienced it.

Duvall makes the most of this role and the minimal dialogue he is given. He carries the burden of the unspoken truth with conviction and it works well. Spacek is good but nothing exceptional as his one time girlfriend. Murray as the funeral director Quinn is solid and is one of Murray’s better serious roles. Black was very strong as Murray’s assistant and becomes Bush's new friend. Aaron Schneider directed this film with the kind of subtlety required to make it work.

Overall: Although not a great film it was solid enough to keep my interest and told a good story.

Crazy Heart

First Hit: Jeff Bridges fully embodies “Bad” Blake in this extremely well acted performance in a really good film about redemption.

Jeff Bridges plays “Bad” Blake a rundown, broken down, and down on his luck drunken country singer who, at age 57, finds himself playing small bars and bowling alleys.

Scott Cooper (director) did a great job of giving the audience a strong picture of who “Bad” is prior to hearing him sing for the first time at a bowling alley. He arrives at the alley, climbs out of the old beat up Suburban he drives and slowly buttons up his pants and buckles his belt.

We see that he drives a long ways between gigs and because he has a sizable gut, he unbuttons his pants and belt buckle while he drives to make himself more comfortable. He walks into the bowling alley to check the place out and discovers they won’t cover his bar bill but will only cover room and food because his reputation as a drinker has precedes him.

The alley owner tells him there is no smoking in the building but he can finish the one in his mouth. He checks into the dumpy motel they've set up for him, then heads out to find some alcohol. The leader of the backup band comes to his room and tells him the band wants to rehearse. He deflects him by giving him sheet music, the playlist and a CD to listen to, saying everything you need to know is here.

The band leader insists he come to the rehearsal so “Bad” says he’ll be there in an hour, but we already know he won’t show. He finds more booze, lights up another cigarette and lies in the motel in a drunken haze but gets up in time to get to the alley for his first set.

The backup band is waiting for him outside and “Bad” mumbles something like; I’ve never been late or miss a show in my life whether I’ve been drunk or not. He invites the boys to follow him to start playing some music.

Climbing on stage, strapping on his guitar, they begin the first song, and you see why he’s still able to make a living – he’s good, damn good. We follow “Bad” to his next gig where he meets Jean Craddock (played by Maggie Gyllenhaal) who wants to interview him.

A relationship begins to develop and it is here that we begin to see a slow transformation of Bridge's character.

Bridges gives the kind of performance that sets him apart from other actors in that he fully embodies this character. Not only is Bridges a credible drunk, loner and washed up has been, he does an outstanding job of singing and playing guitar which brings life to “Bad’s” existence. Gyllenhaal is wonderful as a mother who must measure her feelings of love for a high risk man against what will be good for her and her son as she becomes involved with “Bad”. Robert Duval credibly plays “Bad’s” friend Wayne and is there to help “Bad” through the rough times along with giving him some advice along the way. The most detrimental part of this film was the casting Colin Farrell as Tommy Sweet who was mentored by “Bad” and became a Number 1 Country Star. Farrell seems to carry his head down and doesn’t look at the person he is talking to most of the time. It was as if he was embarrassed by the part or his job in the part.

Overall: This was a wonderful film about how it is never too late to step back into one’s life fully.