Nobody's Fool

First Hit: Although a few funny bits, it was overdone, too long, and way too predictable.

You’d think with a good cast including Tika Sumpter (as Danica), Tiffany Haddish (as Tanya), and Whoopi Goldberg (as Lola) there would be a funny redeeming story with meaningful exchanges but this fails at both ends.

Here Danica is a advertising executive trying to get promoted. One of her team members Kalli (Amber Riley) is appropriately loyal, however her boss Lauren Meadows (Missi Pyle) is so far-fetched it makes the agency they work for seem fake and foolish. It was either a huge mistake to cast Pyle in this role or to make this role look foolish. The meetings with Meadows teams vying for the opportunity to create the ad program for a new fragrance were stupid.

Danica is a very controlled person who has done everything she can to put her life together, work hard, and create a nice life for herself. Tanya is her sister, who spends a fair amount of her time in jail for drugs or prostitution. As the film begins Danica gets a call from their mom, Lola, telling her that Tanya is getting out of jail and that Danica has to pick her sister up and also provide a home for her. Reason is that the last time Tanya stated with her mom, she ripped out all the copper wire and plumbing to sell for dollars. It cost Lola $35,000 to fix the home.

Danica was also dumped by her fiancé one week before their wedding and for the last year has been emailing, texting and having phone calls with Charlie (Mehcad Brooks) who is an engineer on an oil derrick. She’s never met him, seen him, skyped him (he says bad Wi-Fi connections), but is in love with him. She claims that he’s the perfect man, meets everything on her list and cannot wait to meet him.

Adding to this story Danica is being actively pursued by the owner of a local coffee store. The owner Frank (Omari Hardwick) gives Danica her daily coffee for free and it always comes with a single red rose. But despite his pursuit Danica doesn’t pay him any mind because he doesn’t meet the items on her list.

The hilarity sections ensue when Danica picks up Tanya from prison and takes her back to her apartment. Tanya is so overboard you cannot help but laugh at some of the dialogue. Because Tanya needs a job and needs to attend AA meetings, Danica escorts her to her office to help her get started. On the way they stop by the coffee store and Frank offers Tanya a job because she fixed and served coffee at the prison. Then Tanya and Danica discover that Frank hosts AA meetings in the store after hours because he also has a prison record and wants to make his life right.

Tanya also believes that her sister Danica is being “Catfished” by this unknown entity named “Charlie.” This is because there’s never been any real face to face contact between him and Danica.

With these setups there is bound to be some hilarity and funny scenes, and there are. But the ending is obvious, it takes too long to get there, and the office scenes are unfathomable.

Sumpter is OK as Danica. Her character is too smart to fall in love with a phone voice and the story's handling of the office she worked in was poorly done. Sumpter had to walk a fine line in this film to make it work, and unfortunately, she didn’t get much help from the script or director. Haddish’s role is over the top and for the most part doesn’t work. There are a few hilarious scenes but they rely on a gross pushiness of her character. Goldberg’s role as their mom was minor and mostly useless. She had a few good lines but overall, I’m not clear why the role was needed. Hardwick was excellent and the best part of this film. His consistently honest character, a person working to make his life right, was wonderfully portrayed. Pyle’s role was horrible. I do not believe that anyone acting like this would actually be in a position of leadership in any advertising agency. This was an issue with Pyle, the script, the director or all three. Brooks was OK. I thought his caricature of a suave man on the internet and when he first meets Danica, then turning into an obnoxious self-focused jerk at dinner was to far a stretch of the character. Riley as Danica’s team member was OK. She seemed to be acting the role versus being the role, and that’s not a good thing. Tyler Perry wrote and directed this mess. It is unfortunate he overdid all his characters and made this film seem cartoonish. The film ended up not being un-funny and not dramatic.

Overall: Unclear idea and overdone execution made me wonder how this film got made.

The Old Man & The Gun

First Hit: Once again Robert Redford shows why he’s one of the best in this, his swan song.

In 1994 I was standing at the United Airline's counter verifying my seat assignment. To my left was the First-Class counter and there was a gentleman standing there being served. We both left our respective customer service agents at the same time and ended up walking down the concourse together. I looked over at him and said, “where are you headed?” He smiled and said “Salt Lake City, you?” “Same” I said.

I mentioned that I was doing some work for the State of Utah and that I loved the beauty of the state. “Yeah, he said, it’s beautiful county.”

We continued walking towards our plane, but I couldn’t help but notice most of the people walking towards us were smiling and pointing at us. It was mostly women that were doing the pointing and nudging, with smiles on their faces, the person they were walking with.

I looked over at him and he looked back smiling when I said, “they must be looking at you, because I’ve never been looked at while walking in an airport." Then, as the smile creeped across his face, I said, “oh my, my mother is going to really be excited when I tell her I walked down the airport concourse with Robert Redford.” He laughed and said, “I get that a lot.”

Despite his outstanding performances as an actor, he’s never won an Oscar for acting and was nominated once for The Sting. I can tell you, that his performance as The Man in All Is Lost, is beyond amazing. He’s the only actor and the whole film is shot on a sailboat that is in distress. If you’ve never seen it, do so to watch this enigma of a man show you how to capture the whole screen all the time.

In The Old Man & The Gun, it’s been reported that this is his last film as an actor. And, as Forrest Tucker, Redford moved through this story like silk. As a lifetime bank robber he knows no other life. He’s been caught 16 previous times and escaped prison each time only to go back to the only profession that makes him happy.

We watch him rob banks by himself and with two partners, Teddy (Danny Glover) and Waller (Tom Waits). Hoping to catch the “Over the Hill Gang,” as the newspapers call them, is Police Detective John Hunt (Casey Affleck).

When Forrest robs a bank, he’s kind, thoughtful, and only shows the gun to the manager or teller. He waltzes in and out, no muss no fuss. He's a gentleman at all things.

During the initial robbery, he stops during his getaway to help Jewel (Sissy Spacek) who is stranded because her truck is stranded. What the audience knows it is also a away to take the heat off himself because the cops who are chasing him—drive right past.

He likes Jewel and they began to see each other and this story line provides the film much needed grounding.

Redford as Tucker is wonderful. He fits the enigmatic way Forrest goes through his life and I can see why Redford was attracted to this character. Spacek is fantastic. She’s so grounded and fully meets Redford’s character with grace. Affleck was strong as the determined detective that also has a heart to understand Tucker. Glover and Waits were great in their small but pivotal roles. Tika Sumpter as Affleck’s wife, Maureen, was sublime. I loved how she supported Hunt. David Lowery wrote and directed a wonderful story giving Redford a wonderful platform to say goodbye.

Overall: This was a joyous romp through Forrest Tucker’s life as a robber.

Southside with You

First Hit:  This was a very sweet story about how Barack Obama and Michelle Robinson’s first date might have gone.

Based on publicly available facts, Richard Tanne developed a wonderful script and directed this film creating a space for two amazing actors Tika Sumpter (Michelle) and Parker Sawyers (Barack) to reflect our current first family’s initial date.

I liked the feel of this very uplifting story and how it transferred to film. It showed the intelligence of both our President and First Lady. Their personal charm, goals, aspirations, and willingness to cautiously open up to each other about their upbringing and future ambitions were nicely presented.

The film follows the couple from when he first picks Michelle up in a car that has part of the floorboard missing; then they trek to a museum, take a walk in a park, go to a community meeting where Barack speaks, see a Spike Lee film, and have ice cream together.

Throughout these events, their dialogue is wonderfully scripted and brings out information that gives the audience a peek at the how and why they are together.

Sumpter is very strong at showing an intelligent strong Michelle while being cautious about starting a relationship with someone who works in her firm. Sawyers was very good as showing us the articulate well-spoken President we’ve come to know. Tanne did a wonderful job of creating a script and directing his two actors.

Overall:  I found this story and film to very sweet and enjoyable.

Ride Along 2

First Hit:  Not much of a film and felt forced in all ways.

The upside was seeing Olivia Munn although I sensed she knew this was a stinker of a film.

This retread of a film came off as a throwaway. Kevin Hart as a newly minted, on probation, police officer Ben Barber who is engaged to Angela Payton (Tika Sumpter) that happens to be Detective and fellow officer James Payton’s (Ice Cube) sister.

James doesn’t think much of Barber’s unqualified police and detective skills. Barber doesn’t help his case much because he’s always talking. He is incessantly chattering away about something or nothing.

Not sure if the script had it this way or they just let him loose but it was tiring. With all the noise he was creating it was extremely difficult to hear any good stuff that would make the film funny.

Together Barber and James are off to find a guy who is a drug supplier to a dealer they tried to bust. The investigation takes them to Miami where they meet Munn (as Maya) a detective with the Miami Police Department.

The villain is Antonio Pope (Benjamin Bratt) who is half wise guy and half stupid. His scripted toughness lacked an intelligent storyline for his obvious success.

Therefore, we end up with a stupid insipid story bouncing along hoping that Hart’s jokes and banter will make this film interesting or funny; it was neither.

Hart’s role was one of constant needless jabber. It was almost as if the director and producers hoped he'd talk so much that it would make this film funny or interesting. It didn't. Hart needs to take on roles that have some depth and story behind them and use his quick wordiness more sparingly. In other words quit throwing shit on the wall hoping some sticks. Ice Cube:  I’m always so surprised that I see him in something like this. This was the guy who came Straight Outta Compton? Really, you’re doing mindless drivel like this. Where did your soul go? Sumpter is OK as the engaged girlfriend of Barber’s. She barely rose above the level of the film. Munn was fun to see and she did her best to keep the role focused and on target. The scriptwriters and director let her down. Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi wrote this stupid script that had little direction or focus. As director, Tim Story, never told one.

Overall:  This film was really a follow-up to the first one and showed NO originality or reason for existing.