Adnerb the Movie Nerd

Movie reviews from a middle school teacher's perspective

21 Bridges

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What makes this police action thriller rise above the usual ‘cop out for vengance’ movie is the performance of Chadwick Boseman.  I wasn’t sure about another action oriented cop drama.  But I loved him as Jackie Robinson in ’42’ and as T’Challa in ‘Black Panther,’ and so I was willing to give his latest a go.  In this movie, he takes on a role that Denzel Washington might have played back in the day.  The plot is simple.  Two young men are interrupted in the middle of a robbery by some policmen.  When the dust and bullets finally clear,  seven officers are dead.  Precinct Captain McKenna (J.K. Simmons) is out for vengeance for his men, and feels that rogue detective, Andre Davis (Chadwick Boseman) – who has used his weapon to kill 8 suspects in as many years – is the only person who can make this right.  Davis is saddled with a with a tough partner in Narcotics agent Frankie Burns (Sienna Miller).  She seems to know her stuff, but is that all she knows? The perps are caught on a traffic camera, and identified.  Andre is able to deduce that they are probably still in Manhatten.  In a somewhat unlikely plot device, all 21 bridges that lead into Manhattan are blocked off so that no one can get in or out, including the killers.  As Davis gets closer to the perps, he begins to suspect that not all is as it seems.  The resolution is tense and action packed, if not totally believable.  But, if you like action thrillers, there is nothing here that will disappoint you.

Glass

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If you liked M. Knight Shyamalan’s “Split” and “Unbreakable,” you are probably going to like “Glass,” even though it is not as good as either one.  That being said, it was nice to see some of these characters return.  I especially enjoyed Bruce Willis as David Dunn, the very reluctant super hero who uses his free time to find bad guys, and provide a little justice.  But he most notably is looking for  James McAvoy’s Kevin Wendell Crumb.  As the story begins, Kevin, and his many personalities, have kidnapped some female cheerleaders, and some of the personalities are warning the young women that ‘The Beast’ is coming soon.  We know that bad things will happen when The Beast arrives.  Just in time, enter David Dunn, and before you know it, the authorities – who’ve been watching for the two of them – have them both in custody.  Things get murky from here on.  Kevin Crumb has some 30 personalities, and James McAvoy is so spot on as he plays each one to perfection.  At some points, he flips from one to another with such facility and realism that you will be amazed that he is playing them all so quickly and believeably.  Samuel L. Jackson is back as the very breakable Mr. Glass, but I found his character too one-dimensional and unbelievable..  It wouldn’t be an M. Knight movie, though without some twists, which I will not spoil of course.  Part of the problem with this movie that keeps it from being really good is the character of Dr. Staple  played by Sarah Paulson.  She gets way too much screen time as a shrink trying to prove that the three main characters are not the super heroes they seem to believe they are.  The addition of the characters of Glass’ mother, Dunn’s son and the one cheerleader who escaped Kevin’s earlier attentions spread out the plot points, but not always to best advantage.  They are essential to a resolution that is essentially unsatisfying and a touch of that M. Night weak-ish resolution we all know. These parts of the movie lag, and it gives you time to notice many plot holes that you wouldn’t have otherwise bothered looking for.   But there are not a lot of great movies playing out there right now, so if you want to see some great acting by James McAvoy, the return of Bruce Willis, and a scene-stealing twitch, this is the movie for you!

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!’

A Quiet Place

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Finally after a short string of less than great movies, John Krasinski and his wife, Emily Blunt, star in a horror movie that is tense, suspenseful, but not chock full of cliche!  Krasinski also directed and co-wrote “A Quiet Place,” which reminded me alot of movies like “Cloverfield” and “Signs”.  However, this movie has a creative spin that you just don’t expect in today’s movies.  There is very little dialogue spoken, because to do so, means instant death!  Apparently some strange alien creatures have come to earth.  They can’t see and are outfitted with inpenetrable armour, but they have supersensitive hearing.  As long as you stay quiet, you are safe.  Speak, or make more than the tiniest noise, and you will find how fast these creatures can move to where you are!  In this day and age of super special effects and unending noise, it is kind of nice to watch a movie where you must be focused on the screen.  Look down at your phone and you might miss a key scene or cue.  The quietness of the movie (there are sounds and a bit of dialogue) will not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I think you should give it a chance.  I almost gave “A Quiet Place”  a golden apple but I didn’t care for one key scene, even though I understand the reasons for it.  If you are looking for a quiet, tense little triller, look no further!

Ghost in the Shell

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In this sci-fi thriller movie version of the Japanese anime series, Scarlett Johansson plays Major, a cyber-enhanced human (well, she has a human brain anyway).  I love these futuristic dystopian movies that depict life in a brave, new world of tomorrow, especially if cyborgs or robots are involved.  In this movie, Major is a human whose brain is put into a “shell” or synthetic body after being ‘saved’ from a terrible boating tragedy.  The “ghost” is her essence, or spirit.  She is turned into the perfect soldier and is tasked with stopping the world’s most dangerous criminals from doing their nefarious deeds.  The cinematography is exquisite and had me totally immersed in futuristic Tokyo.  Scarlett Johansson is pretty good playing a robotic-like woman who is starting to realize that her creators may not be telling her the complete truth about what has been done to her.  I also liked Pilou Asbaek as her sidekick Batou, who has a soft spot for dogs.  However, I found the story was slow-paced and the plot very simplistic.  Despite, those drawbacks, and poor reviews from other venues, I think if you see this movie, you will enjoy it.