Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

 

A young blade runner's discovery of a long-buried secret leads him to track down former blade runner Rick Deckard, who's been missing for thirty years.

Highly successful sequel to a sci-fi classic, visually stunning and with an even more bleak neo-noir vision of the future, assembles an excellent cast for its complex, a bit overwrought - and overlong - story.

On re-watching: like the original it's simply worth taking in all the visual style. 

Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)

 

Diana must contend with a work colleague and businessman, whose desire for extreme wealth sends the world down a path of destruction, after an ancient artifact that grants wishes goes missing. 

Although this sequel is a step down from the first film (with quite a silly plot), it still is enjoyable tongue-in-cheek entertainment with an accurate 80s feeling to it, lots of over-the-top action and some credible romance; and Gal Gadot once again proves that she is the absolutely best choice to impersonate this superhero.

The Conspirator (2010)

 

 

Mary Surratt is the lone female charged as a co-conspirator in the assassination trial of Abraham Lincoln. As the whole nation turns against her, she is forced to rely on her reluctant lawyer to uncover the truth and save her life. 

Made in good taste and excellent period detail and with a capable cast ensemble, this historical drama focuses on an interesting aspect of the Lincoln assassination, but without much suspense or giving the story the importance it actually has. 

Maltin**1/2: "'Historical drama never achieves the urgency it should, but McAvoy's impassioned performance is worth seeing."  

A Most Wanted Man (2014)

A Chechen Muslim illegally immigrates to Hamburg, where he gets caught in the international war on terror.

Chilly adaptation of a  John le Carré spy thriller emphasizes the political implications, competently made with a top-notch cast.

Robin Wright

Bio:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Wright

A Christmas Carol (2009)

An animated retelling of Charles Dickens' classic novel about a Victorian-era miser taken on a journey of self-redemption, courtesy of several mysterious Christmas apparitions.

Unnecessary adaptation of the Charles Dickens' classic is very showy with lots of flashy action and visuals, but hardly conveys the heart of the tale.

Maltin**1/2: "...this hybrid of animation and live action serves no apparent purpose except go flying over and around the streets of Victorian London. The story is still effective but it's been told much better before."

State of Play (2009)

When a congressional aide is killed, a Washington D.C. journalist starts investigating the case involving the congressman, his old college friend.

Solid direction and good cast don't quite make this more than a standard conspiracy thriller; the twist ending disappointingly disavaows any political implications made before.

Maltin**1/2: "Engrossing, well-cast thriller is also a paean to the dying newspaper business - but drops the ball at the finale, which simply isn't satisfying."

Everest (2015)

The story of New Zealand's Robert "Rob" Edwin Hall, who on May 10, 1996, together with Scott Fischer, teamed up on a joint expedition to ascend Mount Everest.

Detailed rendtion of a major mountaineering tragedy is extraordinarily well produced with some breathtaking cinematography; large cast succeed in making the dramacredible.

The Congress (2013)

An aging, out-of-work actress accepts one last job, though the consequences of her decision affect her in ways she didn't consider.

Interesting but a bit confusing adaptation of Stanislaw Lem's classic sci-fi novel does skillfully add animated sequences to indicate virtual reality - until you don't know what is real or not.

The Princess Bride (1987)

While home sick in bed, a young boy's grandfather reads him a story called The Princess Bride.

Ambitiously tongue-in-cheek, but quite dated fantasy has some nice sequences; however, the humor is rather stale.

Halliwell*: "Rather strained fantasy with occasional bright moments."

Maltin**1/2: "Revisionist fairy tale/adventure...Some wonderful scenes and character vignettes are periodically undermined by a tendency toward comic shtick...and occassional incoherency...Best of all: the swashbuckling sequences."

 

Wonder Woman (2017)

When a pilot crashes and tells of conflict in the outside world, Diana, an Amazonian warrior in training, leaves home to fight a war, discovering her full powers and true destiny.

This over-average super-hero movie has a conventional plot for its genre, and the exposition is a bit overlong, but it wins with an enjoyably refreshing feminist stance, its amiable hero perfectly cast with Gal Gadot, great action sequences and a fine sense of humour.

Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

A young blade runner's discovery of a long-buried secret leads him to track down former blade runner Rick Deckard, who's been missing for thirty years.

Highly successful sequel to a sci-fi classic, visually stunning and with an even more bleak neo-noir vision of the future, assembles an excellent cast for its complex, a bit overwrought - and overlong - story.

Message in a Bottle (1999)

A woman discovers a tragic love letter in a bottle on a beach, and is determined to track down its author.

Unrestrained tearjerker on the verge of parody, not for the squeamish.

Halliwell (no star): "Soporific and soft-centred romantic drama that is yet another nail in the coffin of Costner's career."

Maltin**1/2: "Sappy, old-fahioned romance...Too long, too slow, but enjoyable escapism if you buy into it, with Wright Penn nicely cast against type, and Newman in fine form as Costner's starchy father."