Adnerb the Movie Nerd

Movie reviews from a middle school teacher's perspective

Suicide Squad

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If you are looking for a movie with a deep plot and Oscar caliber performances, go see Captain Fantastic.  However, if you want to see a truck load of bizarre characters kicking butt with lots of explosions and a dash of humor, this the movie you have been waiting for.  It was nice to see Will Smith back in a watchable movie playing  a  “heartless” assassin, a role that  suits him well.  Margot Robbie and Jared Leto are dementedly twisted as devoted lovers who just can’t keep away from each other.  The biggest surprise for me was Viola Davis as a tough government official who has an intriguing and pretty far out plan to protect the planet.  The plot is very simplistic and you will probably see the ending coming from a mile away, but who cares?  This was my last day of freedom before I go back to teaching and this movie was the perfect way to end the summer with a mindless BANG!  By the way, if you go, stay until about half way through the credits for a little preview of the next Batman movie with Ben Affleck.

Florence Foster Jenkins

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Florence Foster Jenkins is my new hero.  This is a great movie about a rich society woman who didn’t let her TERRIBLE voice keep her from giving a singing concert at Carnegie Hall.  Meryl Streep is wonderful as this delusional lady who uses her money and social standing to promote her love of music.  Hugh Grant is a surprise and delight as her devoted husband who bribes reviewers (without his wife’s knowledge) and keeps her away from bad reviews. This movie made me laugh and brought a tear to my eye at the end.   Was Florence  brave or delusional?  Either way, you have to admire someone who loved music so passionately and wanted to share the joy she got out of  sharing it with the world.  Anyone who knows me, knows I am a dreadful but enthusiastic singer.  If you need proof, check out this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcPq69iOBgY  Florence Foster Jenkins and I live by this motto, “Some people can say I don’t sing well, but no one can say I didn’t sing.”  Check out this movie and be entertained, and perhaps just a little inspired to dare to try it.  What ever it is!

The Legend of Tarzan

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Let me start by saying that I have been watching Tarzan movies since I was a kid.  I have seen Tarzan in every possible situation you can think of, including New York!  So I was expecting a ho hum story full of the same, old same old.  I must say I was pleasantly surprised.  This Tarzan shows us Lord Greystoke, eight years out of the jungle, living in his palatial estate with lovely wife Jane. How he became Tarzan is told in flashbacks throughout the movie.  I loved the scenes between Tarzan and his ape family.  You could feel the love Tarzan and his mother had for each other.  The effects are top notch.  The main actors, Alexander Skarsgard, Margot Robbie, Samuel L.  Jackson ( providing some much appreciated comic relief) and Christoph Waltz, all do a nice job with a script that is full of holes and is kind of slow at times.  Even so, there is much action, the obligatory Tarzan yell and plenty of  animals.  If you have never seen or read about Tarzan, this movie isn’t a bad place to start.

Jason Bourne

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I know, I know.  We all know the plot of every Jason Bourne movie.  First, he is off the grid, looking for answers about his past.  He uncovers information.  Someone high up is involved.  They try to kill him.  He is outfoxes them, sometimes with help.  He is involved in several exciting chases and finally the bad guy gets killed.   But, there are unanswered questions so he has to go back off the grid until the next movie.  You know what?  It doesn’t matter because Jason Bourne movies with Matt Damon make a good action thriller and a great way to pass a few hours on a Saturday afternoon.  This movie has the added good sense to include Tommy Lee Jones, and this really isn’t a spoiler, as the baddie.  Even if the next Jason Bourne movie has this exact same formula, I will be right there watching.