Blu-ray thumbs

[Chris Knipp]

Pretty good for amateurs?

[Johann]

Yes with the exception of Ben Kingsley the cast is Amateur

[Johann]

THE PROFESSOR (2018)


This is by all accounts a flop, directed by Wayne Roberts.
Johnny Depp plays a college professor of Literature who finds out he has stage 4 lung cancer.
How he chooses to deal with this news is to drink, smoke, eat pot cookies, drink some more, have gay sex, wallow in misery and humiliate his class.
I searched for something redeeming- there was nothing.

[Johann]

THE BROTHERS BLOOM (2008)


This movie is saved by Rachel Weisz, who’s wonderful.
Adrien Brody and Mark Ruffalo are the brothers, whose reputation precedes them. They are well-known con-men, and this movie takes us around the world for their schemes. Love for Penelope (Weisz) threatens their cons.
Directed by Rian Johnson with beautiful cinematography/ locales, this film requires a little suspension of disbelief to buy it totally.
It’s a comedy, but I found the laughs few and far between.
It also stars the late Robbie Coltrane as a museum curator.

[Johann]

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME (2021)


Probably the best Marvel movie so far, I wasn’t sure I’d like the Multi-Verse concept, but it works.
Peter Parker asks for help from Dr. Strange (a fantastic Benedict Cumberbatch) and he gets it, in a way. Past Spider-Men are resurrected, along with their villains, who must be defeated again.
Great CGI and some great action sequences here.
It’s a long movie, but it’s satisfying, especially if you love Spider-Man movie lore.
Willem Dafoe and Alfred Molina chew scenery, they steal the movie.

[Chris Knipp]

THE BROTHERS BLOOM (2008)


This movie is saved by Rachel Weisz, who’s wonderful.
Adrien Brody and Mark Ruffalo are the brothers, whose reputation precedes them. They are well-known con-men, and this movie takes us around the world for their schemes. Love for Penelope (Weisz) threatens their cons.
Directed by Rian Johnson with beautiful cinematography/ locales, this film requires a little suspension of disbelief to buy it totally.
It’s a comedy, but I found the laughs few and far between.
It also stars the late Robbie Coltrane as a museum curator.

I wrote a review - though you may not want to read beyond the first paragraph.
http://www.filmleaf.net/showthread.p...2233#post22233

[Johann]

Good review Chris- you fill in the details.
You’re right that there’s not enough danger to the cons or the brothers themselves.

[Johann]

GET ON UP (2014)

Directed by Tate Taylor, this biopic does the Hardest Working Man in Show Business Justice.
I loved this movie. It doesn’t shy away from the unsavoury aspects of James Brown’s life.
No no no- it’s all here, his rough childhood, his mothers’ prostitution, his jail time, his abusiveness towards his wife- it’s warts and all.
But we also get incredible concert moments and performances. Chadwick Boseman deserved an Oscar.
He is James Brown. I had no trouble giving it up for him here.
Makes you want to buy some albums!
Two big thumbs up.

[Chris Knipp]

I remember how frustrating that movie was. But I felt it deserved a thorough going over. Rian Johnson - despite what Oscar said originally - that he didn't like BRICK, the debut that was almost a cult hit - led one to expect a lot more. And he did - he gave us LOOPER, he gave us 84 Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (not my thing, but good reviews) and he gave us KNIVES OUT. So BROTHERS BLOOM was sort of a sophomore slump. Now KNIVES OUT ii is on the way next month.