James' World 2

Wolfwalkers is an animated fantasy adventure directed by Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart. The film is the third and final installment in Moore’s “Irish Folklore Trilogy”, following his previous films The Secret of Kells (2009) and Song of the Sea (2014).  An international co-production led by Cartoon Saloon and Mélusine Productions. I really enjoyed Wolfwalkers, it follows a young apprentice hunter who arrives in Ireland with her father during a time of superstition and magic to wipe out the last wolf pack.

In 1650, the residents in the town of Kilkenny, Ireland are working to clear the nearby woods under orders from the authoritarian Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell (voice: Simon McBurney), putting them at odds with a wolf pack. English hunter Bill Goodfellowe (voice: Sean Bean), with his rebellious daughter Robyn Goodfellowe (voice: Honor Kneafsey), has been summoned to Kilkenny by the Lord Protector to exterminate the…

The Midnight Sky is a science fiction film directed by George Clooney, based on the 2016 novel Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton. It’s about a scientist who must venture through the Arctic Circle to warn off a returning spaceship following a global catastrophe. The Midnight Sky was interesting and riveting at times. It was a pleasure to journey through this film with the likes of Mr. Clooney.

Scientist Augustine Lofthouse (George Clooney) has devoted his life work to finding habitable planets where humanity can grow. He meets Jean Sullivan (Sophie Rundle) after giving a presentation at a gala and the two form a romantic relationship. After a pregnancy scare, Jean leaves him because of his obsession with work and inability to bond with other human beings. Several years later, Lofthouse encounters her again and she tells him that they have a daughter, whom he chooses not to meet.

Thirty…

Mulan is a fantasy adventure drama produced by Walt Disney Pictures. Directed by Niki Caro, with a screenplay by Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, Lauren Hynek, and Elizabeth Martin. It is a live-action adaptation of Disney’s 1998 animated film of the same name, which was based on the Chinese folklore story, “The Ballad of Mulan”. Mulan is about a female who has to disguise herself as a male warrior to stand in for her ailing father. I anticipated this movie with hopes it would be a spectacular story of Avatar-like quality with brilliant special effects. I guess “One out of two ain’t bad”.

In Imperial China, Hua Mulan (Yifei Liu) is an adventurous and active girl, to the disappointment of her parents Hua Zhou (Tzi Ma) and Hua Li (Rosalind Chao), who hope that one day she will be wed to a good husband. As a young woman, Mulan is scheduled to…

Emma is a period comedy-drama directed by Autumn de Wilde, from a screenplay by Eleanor Catton, based on Jane Austen’s 1815 novel of the same name. The film follows the story of a wealthy and elegant young woman living with her father in Regency-Era England. This version of Emma, in my opinion, was not as good as others I’ve seen but managed to be quite entertaining.

During the Regency-era England, wealthy, beautiful Emma Woodhouse (Anya Taylor-Joy) who lives in the Hartfield Estate with her father Mr. Woodhouse (Bill Nighy), searches for a new companion after her governess, Miss Taylor (Gemma Whelan) marries and becomes Mrs. Weston. Emma settles on Harriet Smith (Mia Goth), a younger girl whom Emma assumes is the unclaimed child of a gentleman. Harriet’s parents are unknown, but her education has been provided for. Emma learns that Mr. Robert Martin (Connor Swindells), a…

Hillbilly Elegy is a drama directed by Ron Howard from a screenplay by Vanessa Taylor and based on the 2016 memoir of the same name by J. D. Vance. The film follows a Yale law student who must return to his family in Ohio after a family emergency. Powerful performances by the cast that could have easily been nominated for best picture.

A sermon looms as Hillbilly Elegy opens in 1997 in Jackson, Kentucky. J.D. Vance (Gabriel Basso – adult / Owen Asztalos – young adult) is a teenager who is on summer vacation visiting his Kentuckeon side of the family, along with his mother Beverly “Bev” Vance (Amy Adams), his sister Lindsay Vance (Haley Bennett), his grandmother Bonnie “Mawaw” Vance (Glen Close), and his grandfather Pawaw Vance (Bo Hopkins). As they are loading their car up for the ride back to Ohio, JD rides off…

One Night in Miami is a drama directed by Regina King in her feature film directorial debut. The screenplay is by Kemp Powers, based on his stage play of the same name. The film is a fictional account of a real-life meeting in February of 1964 between Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali (formally known as Cassius Clay), Jim Brown, and Sam Cooke at the Hampton House.  They were initially there to celebrate Ali’s surprise title win over Sonny Liston. Significant conversations about inequality toward Blacks as well as their personal future paths were discussed.  I thought One Night in Miami was well done, kudos to Regina King.

One Night in Miami opens in 1963, with Cassius Clay (Eli Goree) almost losing a boxing match to Henry Cooper at Wembley Stadium in London. Meanwhile, at the Copacabana in New York City, soul singer Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.) suffers through performing in…