Month: February 2022

A team of ex-Navy SEALs and corrupt cops, including Chiwetel Ejiofor, Aaron Paul, and Clifton Collins Jr., conspire to kill another police officer Casey Affleck in order to create a diversion to pull off a heist for the Jewish-Russian Mafia led by Kate Winslet. Despite having an incredible cast, this movie is dull and way too convoluted for a heist film. The heisting gets completely overwhelmed by the many interpersonal relationships and cop drama, which could be fine but the Mob angle is very silly and the ‘good’ cop isn’t worth rooting for.  

When ex-CIA agent Bruce Willis and his girlfriend Mary-Louise Parker are targeted by assassins, he reunites a team of fellow retired agents to get to the bottom of the conspiracy. It’s refreshing seeing a mix of older actors (Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren, John Malkovich) in an action film and they do indeed all kick ass in their roles. The main downer is Willis, and Parker by extension. He’s the only one really given anything as a character and his acting offers not an ounce of depth or development in any of those scenes. It’s light fun otherwise. 

After getting on the wrong side of a corrupt alderman, Chicago reporter John Belushi needs to lay low for awhile and is given an assignment in the Rockies to interview reclusive bald eagle researcher Blair Brown. Though initially butting heads, the two grow to respect and love each other. It’s rare to see Belushi playing a soft romantic role and he’s rather adorable during those parts of the movie. The weakness in the film is its uneven tone. It throws in comedy to maintain some levity, but it comes at off putting times. 

In a gritty New York City, Sylvester Stallone and Billy Dee Williams are a pair of police detectives who have been recruited to an anti-terrorism squad to hunt down ruthless international terrorist Rutger Hauer. While on the squad, Stallone is challenged on how ruthless he needs to be in order to defeat the bad guys. None of the main cast are treated as superstars so the story is able to concentrate on the action and drama without becoming overwhelmed to making the stars shine. The makeup department went overtime here making Hauer unrecognizable so he could allude capture halfway through the film and also making Stallone convincingly pass off as female.    

I had been wanting to watch this version of the musical when I was working through Paul Robeson’s filmography. I was further spurned on after reading a biography on Hattie McDaniel and from having an impending trip on the Mississippi River planned. Irene Dunne is the protagonist of the story, a teenager on her parents’ show boat who is promoted to actress after the star of the show was forced to leave because of her mixed race heritage. The film follows Dunne’s career as she, and later her daughter, becomes a famous stage actress. There’s some very weird acting on her part. I’m still not sure if some of her dancing was supposed to be sincere or farcical. I had come in to see Robeson and McDaniel and their unfortunately small supporting roles are worth it. While they’re sadly steeped in racial stereotypes, their singing and chemistry together is quite enthralling.