Adnerb the Movie Nerd

Movie reviews from a middle school teacher's perspective

Bad Times at the El Royale

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What’s not to like about a movie where you can see Jeff Bridges and Chris Hemsworth acting together?  And throw in Jon Hamm, Dakota Johnson and a slew of others to round out the field and Bad Times at the El Royale will have you guessing from the get go as to what is going on and what’s going to happen to whom! Oh and did I mention that Hemsworth spends a lot of time without his shirt on?  This is one strange but interesting movie!  The El Royale is a fictional motel that straddles the state line between Nevada and California.  Which state do you want to stay in? If you opt for the California side, you will have sunshine but no alcohol, as that side of the hotel lost it’s liquour license.  If you stay on the Nevada side, it looks like rain but no gambling for a similar reason.  But it doesn’t really matter at all. Everyone who stays at the Royale on this particular night has something to hide, even the confused appearing desk clerk.  Jeff Bridges is Father Daniel Flynn.  Or is he?  What’s his interest in Darlene Sweet, the singer on her way to a gig in Reno?  What’s Dakota Johnson’s Emily Summerspring really after? One part Quentin Tarentino, one part film noir and one part Wes Anderson; this film will take you places you weren’t expecting.  I was especially impressed with Cynthia Ervio who plays the down-on-her-luck singer with integrity and plenty of grit. Chris Hemsworth is delicously creepy as Billy Lee, a cult leader a la Charles Manson at his most frightful. The action is fast paced and violence abounds. I found Bad Times at the El Royale, suspenseful, surprising and just a little bit proposterous… but never dull.

A Simple Favor

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Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively are spot on as two very different moms who become best friends.  This is a rare comedy thriller that works on both levels.  Paul Feig adeptly directs a snappy script by Jessica Sharzer, which was adapted from a Darcey Bell novel. We open with Anna Kendrick playing perky helicopter mom, Stephanie, who dishes helpful household hints via her vblog.  She is extremely  energetic and her vblog has a growing following (though her local “friends” from her son’s school find it, and her, as something to make fun of, due to her very  overinvolved personality).  Lively plays the drop-dead beautiful Emily, the fashion diva who asks the comparatively “plain” Stephanie to share a martini while their sons have a play date.  They have absolutely nothing in common, but Emily intrigues Stephanie with her brash and very earthy attitude.  Soon, Stephanie finds herself more and more involved with Emily, while wondering why they have become best buds in just a few short weeks.  Emily increasingly asks Stephanie to watch her son and she becomes more and more involved, meeting Emily’s sexy husband (Henry Golding) and becoming virtually a nanny.  Then, Emily calls with an emergency, and can Stephanie come yet again to watch both kids, which is the simple favor of the title.  As you probably can guess, Emily disappears leaving her son and sexy husband behind.  Sephanie begins to suspect that Emily she wasn’t who she appeared to be when a body is found!  What?!  The rest of the movie is compelling film-noir, with lots of twists, double-dealing and enough secrets to keep you guessing until the deliciously satisfying ending.  Yes, it is a little over the top, but so what?  This movie is so entertaining that you won’t even notice.  If you liked ‘Gone Girl,’  you are going to love ‘A Simple Favor!’

Inferno

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The DaVinci code was a smart, riveting book that was made into an exceptional movie.  The rest of his books/movies may not  be quite as good, but they are still entertaining.    There are a lot of plot holes in this one, and if you haven’t read the book I think you will be confused by the story a bit. But that shouldn’t get in the way of having an enjoyable movie experience.  Tom Hanks plays Robert Langdon, the Harvard symbologist whose expertise is needed to help the CDC stop a world-wide pandemic from happening.  As always, Langdon uses his brains, rather than his brawn, to solve the mystery.   I enjoyed Irrfan Khan’s ( you have seen him in Life of Pi and Jurassic World) performance as Harry Sims, even though I am not sure exactly what his character was all about.  Also, Felicity Jones gives a decent performance as a doctor who joins forces with Langdon after he is grazed by a bullet and sent to the emergency room. I do relish the way these movies feature art and literature and take us to famous landmarks and museums.  This one takes you to Venice, Florence and Istanbul among others.  The Da Vinci Code inspired my husband and I to make a trip to Rosslyn Chapel in Scotland.  Perhaps when we visit Italy, we may have to visit the Palazzo Vecchio to check out Dante’s death mask!