James' World 2

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…

Pieces of a Woman is a drama directed by Kornél Mundruczó, from a screenplay by Kata Wéber. An American-Canadian co-production, the film is directly related to Mundruczó and Wéber’s 2018 stage play of the same name, performed by the artistic ensemble of TR Warszawa. Martin Scorsese serves as one of the executive producers. A young woman is traumatized after giving birth at home — somewhat slow and definitely depressing but well-acted.

Martha Weiss (Vanessa Kirby) and Sean Carson (Shia LaBeouf)are expecting their first child. Martha goes into labor and Sean calls their midwife, Barbara who is unavailable. Martha has started labor and is upset that Barbara is with another mom in labor but after speaking with her on the phone, she allows Barbara to send another midwife, Eva Woodward (Molly Parker), in her place. Martha struggles with nausea as well as pain during contractions.  When she reaches ten…

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm is a mockumentary comedy directed by Jason Woliner in his feature directorial debut. It is a sequel to 2006’s Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. The film is about a young girl who is being offered as a bride to Vice President Mike Pence during the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 presidential election. I didn’t like the first Borat movie and I disliked this sequel even more.  Too crass and too absurd for me.

Kazakh’s journalist, Borat Sagdiyev (Sacha Baron Cohen) is released after 14 years of labor in a gulag.  The order was given by the country’s Premier,  Nursultan Nazarbayev (Dani Popescu), who has chosen Borat to embark on a mission and deliver Johnny the monkey to Donald Trump.  Johnny is Kazakah’s most famous porn actor. The Premier is hoping to redeem Kazakh as a nation from the previous…

The Trial Of The Chicago 7 is a historical legal drama written and directed by Aaron Sorkin. The film follows a group of anti–Vietnam War protesters. Branded the name of “The Chicago Seven”, they have been charged by the federal government with conspiracy and crossing state lines with the intention of inciting riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. I didn’t know I wanted to see this film until I saw it — The Trial Of The Chicago 7 definitely gets my vote, well done!

In August 1968, Abbie Hoffman (Sacha Baron Cohen) –  a founding member of the Youth International Party (Yippies), Jerry Rubin (Jeremy Strong) – a founding member of the Yippies, Tom Hayden (Eddie Redmayne) – a leader and one-time president of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), Rennie Davis (Alex Sharp) – an organizer in Chicago for the National Mobilization Committee to…

Sound of Metal is a drama directed and co-written by Darius Marder.  It tells the story of a heavy-metal punk drummer who loses his hearing. While Sound of Metal moves along fairly fast conquering the life of this drummer, it stumbles along the way with gaps offering no explanations or viable future for the impending problem. I was, however, delighted to see a different perspective into the world of the deaf.   In my opinion, Sound of Metal turned out to be a pretty interesting movie.

**** SOME SPOILERS BELOW ****

Ruben (Riz Ahmed) is a drummer and his girlfriend Lou Berger (Olivia Cooke), is a singer. Together they make up the metal duo called ‘Blackgammon’. They live in a modest RV and drive across the country to perform gigs. Suddenly, Ruben panics as he discovers that he is beginning to lose his hearing. He then goes to a pharmacy in…