Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #1 — 1917.

 

Should have known all of the “hype” typically indicates a clunker. And what a clunker "1917" was...geez!  I would have been angry to pay $10 to see it in a theater. Thankful for Dale's server so not a nickel exchanged any quarantined hands. Skip this waste of 2 hours! Stay tuned for further movie reviews.

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #2 Bad Moms

A funny Mom-romp as "imperfect" but trying like hell mothers rebel against the "perfect" moms that control the local school PTA.  The movie moves quickly with no drop in comedy, action, partying nor on-point music. Star studded ladies fill the cast with Kathryn Hahn hilarious in the role of Carla. A good quarantine movie for sure. You won't be disappointed particularly if you are a mother of relatively young children. Funny stuff.

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #3. "The Party."

A Blake Edwards/Peter Sellers combination that hits the silly comedy button on the nose. Particularly if you are a fan of their "Pink Panther" collaborations and if you've had a couple of quarantine-inspired cocktails. My cats were wondering why all the laughing. Typical British lead-up to the visual punchline movie but Peter Sellers "sells" it each time which makes it funny. You almost know what's coming but when it does it still makes you laugh. Of course there is an underlying love interest for the Sellers' character (yes Ted, Claudine Longet) and I won't spoil the ending (duh, figure out who gets the girl). Definitely worth a quarantine inspired viewing or even if there were no quarantine a good laugh to be had. BTW....this flick is from 1968 so don't be fooled by a film from 2017 with the same name (but not an updated version). Birdie num-num? Now you'll have to watch it to find out what that means.

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #4. "Ford versus Ferrari."

Christian Bale and Matt Damon. A powerhouse duo, no? Well that's about where any powerhouse ends in the punchless fairly tale that is based on a true story.  Should have called this movie "Ford versus Ford" as the real battle by Ford to overtake Ferrari in the racing world is hardly addressed. Aside from the typical "throw more money at it" business philosophy, there is no look at Carroll Shelby who should have been the hero of this corporate battle. Not sure how there was so much Hollywood talk about the fine racing scenes. There were better racing scenes in Talledega Nights and we all know how bad that film turned out. Disappointed to say the least. Don't waste your time on this piece of garbage.

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews; review # 5. "Bombshell " starring Charlize Theron and Nicole Kidman.

Based on a true and all to recent story of Roger Ailes' downfall as the head of Fox News due to sexual harassment of several females over the course of many years. Despite the basis of the Ailes' downfall being the lawsuit brought by Gretchen Carlson (Kidman's character), the film focuses more on Megyn Kelly (played by Theron who looks and sounds more like Kelly than the real Kelly). The center line of the film is good but it does stray when a third "main" character is brought into the mix despite it being fictional and provided just for some "punch " to the overall storyline. Other "real" female Fox News broadcasters are identified at various points in the movie but with no real explanation as to whether they were or were not part of the harassment. That was strange as it leaves it up to the viewer to figure out if they were or not somehow involved. In any case, "Bombshell" is worth viewing particularly if you are familiar with the whole Ailes/Fox News situation. And you will be amazed at how Charlize Theron and Megyn Kelly could be the same person. Actually I'm just about convinced they are one and the same.

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews; review #6. "Richard Jewell."

A Clint Eastwood project which hits all good points in my movie-watching world. Based upon and stays somewhat close to actual events; no ridiculous fictional add-ins that have nothing to do with the story; and the film has a good pace with no dead end storyline. Film depicts how an innocent man was railroaded by the media and the government essentially ruined his life. Ambitious female newspaper reporter persuades (shall we say) an FBI agent for a scoop on leads relative to the bombing in Centennial Plaza during the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. Investigation triggers are developed in the film albeit a bit quickly (hint-Piedmont College). This is one of the only films I have seen (not that I've watched many) where I wanted to read-up on the actual events. I suspect it may do the same for you. Ironically the reporter who started this public lynching firestorm died a few years prior to Jewell's untimely death at age 44. MWRWMDMR gives this one a "must -see" rating.

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #7. "Secret Life of Pets."

Here is one for the kiddies or if you just need some mindless animated comedy. The movie is fun and a good distraction from all of the current goings on. Brings me back to the good ole' Saturday morning cartoons (although not nearly as clever as the Bugs Bunny genre toons). Enjoy it! Stay safe.

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #8. "Wine Country."

From the ladies of SNL comes a friends vacation comedy set in Napa Valley wine country. Led by Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph (to name only a few of the ex-SNL cast), a group of high school friends now in their middle age get away for a ladies only wine and fun vacation. What starts out as all fun and games, quickly turns into snipping and bitching. The laughs aren't out loud in this flick as the story seems to be several SNL skits woven into a larger comedic blanket. It's not disappointing yet the expectation was not met given the strength of the cast. A somewhat funny piece-part from Tina Fey helped. Maya Rudolph was funny in her role while the others were"OK" at best in their efforts.  Worth a quarantine viewing with a glass of wine or two at hand to help get you through it.

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #9. "About Schmidt" from 2002 starring Jack Nicholson.

As is somewhat typical with roles for Nicholson, his character runs the gamut of emotions in this somewhat complicated movie. Is it a heart-breaker? Is it a comedy? Is it a story of life's purpose?  Jack is brilliant in the role of Schmidt in that he easily transitions between sad sap, depressed, funny, emotional wreck, caring and whatever state of mind the role calls for in any given scene. He plays a recent retiree who has no other enjoyment except his work and after his wife dies, he sets out to stop the wedding of his daughter to a waterbed salesman he feels is a loser. My favorite thread throughout the movie is hearing Nicholson narrate the inner feelings of Schmidt through letters he writes to a child in Tanzania as part of a "Feed the Children" charity his character saw on TV one day. This narration guided me through the emotional roller coaster of the Schmidt character throughout the film.  Despite Schmidt leading a seemingly mundane life in Omaha and thinking he will eventually die without making any contribution to the world, a gearshift as with most Nicholson films with redemption in the end. Film isn't the greatest as far as pace (my ADD kicks in every so often) but it is a  good script, excellent acting (in addition to Nicholson you have Kathy Bates and Dermot Mulroney with funny efforts) and relatable scenes. Worth the two hours of quarantine time particularly if you are a Nicholson fan.

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #60. “Broken Flowers.”

A search for long lost love and perhaps a son from that relationship takes Bill Murray (as the lead Don Johnston) on a cross country journey. Not sure where to categorize this movie.....perhaps a comedic mystery?? Unfortunately, there is little mystery and even less comedy. The script is disappointing and never takes advantage of the comedic skills Murray typically brings to the screen. Big name stars Sharon Stone and Jessica Lange have roles with little impact. The ending leaves one wondering if there are technical difficulties with the TV or perhaps the writers quit before finishing the script. Maybe the quirkiness of the plot is more appropriate for a snooty-film festival audience and not the quarantine-numbed brain of MWRWMDMR. A better title would have been “ “Broken Script.” A clunker of a quarantine viewing.  MWRWMDMR gives “Broken Flowers “ ⭐️

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #89. “Walk Hard. The Dewey Cox Story.”

After a few clunkers and handful of serious topic movies, it was time for MWRWMDMR to have a little comic relief. Unfortunately, “Walk Hard” provided exactly that, little comic relief. A Jude Apatow co-written script spoofing the humble beginnings singer to self-destructive star to redeemed soul littered throughout the entertainment world. John C. Reilly stars as Dewey and surprisingly he does a good job with the singing and is funny despite a lacking script. Jenna Fischer co-stars as Darlene, the back-up singer who steals Dewey’s heart.  We see Dewey’s life from his country upbringing (where as a child he accidentally cuts his brilliant brother in half with a machete) through his final performance after years of the sex, drugs and touring lifestyle. Film comedy staples and SNL alum Kristen Wiig, Jack Black, Chris Parnell, Harold Ramus and Tim Meadows have limited but funny roles. There are funny scenes worthy of a good laugh but not enough to make this comedy as good as the plot concept should have been given all of the big names in the movie. Too many dead zones in the movie which stalled any hope of comedic success. Proves to me that there are two forces controlling Hollywood movie-making decisions; money and drugs. “Walk Hard” is definitely a product of the “drugs” part of that equation. If you are a bottle of wine or 6 beers into the evening, “Walk Hard” will still be tolerable as a quarantine viewing. MWRWMDMR gives “Walk Hard. The Dewey Cox Story” ⭐️ 1/2

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #88. “Frost/Nixon.”

This Ron Howard directed,  2 hour Netflix drama is based on the actual David Frost interviews with then ex-President Richard Nixon in 1977.  I’ll spare the history lesson for those that lived through Watergate and the political shenanigans of Nixon. For those unfamiliar, give GOOGLE your undivided attention for 10 minutes and it will be worth the history lesson.  The movie delves into the events leading up to and the interview itself. This isn’t a partisan expose of the Watergate scheme. As is typical with these Ron Howard historically based movies (see Apollo 13), the action is gripping with much intensity focused on individuals and their actions under pressure. MWRWMDMR has not seen the actual Frost/Nixon interviews (28+ hours edited down to 6 hours actually broadcast) but a bit of rudimentary research reveals that despite some inaccuracies and artistic license, the gist and brawn of the interviews holds steady. Frank Langella is magnificent as the irascible Nixon and Michael Sheen does a nice job as the worldly Frost. The gamesmanship in politics is not just a current state of affairs as loyal readers can see in this flick and the previously reviewed “Hamilton” and “The Campaign.”  This film is an interesting viewing for those familiar or unfamiliar with Nixon’s fall from grace. Worthy of a quarantine viewing. MWRWMDMR gives “Frost/Nixon”
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #100. “Argo.”

The much (what?) anticipated 100th movie review from MWRWMDMR since the early days of the pandemic. Argo is the 2012 fact based suspense thriller about the CIA’s mission to rescue 6 Americans who evaded being taken hostage at the American embassy in Tehran when overrun by Iranian militants in November of 1979. Argo is directed by and stars Ben Affleck who gives a strong performance as CIA operator Tony Mendez, leader of the exfiltration plan of the Americans who are hiding at the residence of Canadian Ambassador in Tehran. The ruse concocted to extract the hostages is to portray them as a Canadian movie crew in Tehran scouting locations for their script “Argo.” The suspense in much of the film mounts from the overrun of the American embassy, the escape of the six Americans to the Ambassador’s residence, through the final extraction plan and escape. Recreating the embassy takeover scene by the militants and the bizarre religious fanaticism in Tehran is both chilling and enraging, particularly when the Marines at the embassy were not allowed to fire on the militants (thanks Jimmy Carter). Alan Arkin does a particularly strong job as slick has-been movie producer Lester Siegel and John Goodman is nicely cast as famous movie prosthetic makeup artist John Chambers, both of whom are key ingredients to the concocted film scheme. Bryan Cranston is likewise strong in his role as the CIA ops director. The action has much intensity but is interrupted at times with Mendez reaching out to his son and estranged wife. Although somewhat touching, these scenes bring that boiling action level to a screeching halt. The fact that the film is based on real events makes the ruse of the fictional “Argo” riveting. This is a powerful movie which reveals not only the crisis faced and dangers encountered by the 6 Americans (and those harboring them), but may enlighten some to the hatred of America by many in the world. Unfortunately, a few disappointments in the script linger for MWRWMDMR this day after viewing Argo. There is little exposure of the true impact played by the Canadians in facilitating the escape (and the fact that the escapees are actually hiding in 2 Canadian official residences in Tehran). The film alludes to the British and New Zealand embassies turning away the escaped Americans which is not true. And the airport sequence is ridiculously reminiscent of those dopey Die-Hard movies. How does a WWII era truck carrying the apparently now inept elite Iranian Revolutionary Guard and police cars out of the Adam-12 era all keep up with a 747 at full throttle on the Tehran airport runway as it takes off? Last I looked those jets need to be at about 175 mph to get off the ground. The airport scene, although tense for a few minutes, was a disappointing climax to an otherwise riveting movie which knocks a 1/2 ⭐️ off the rating. A very good quarantine movie worthy of viewing. "Argo," the 100th film reviewed by MWRWMDMR, garners a rating of ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #99. “Quick Change.”

This 1990 comedy stars former SNL’er Bill Murray cast as a fed-up New Yorker ( I know how he feels) who crafts a bank robbery in order to escape the expense, crime and grit of Manhattan. Greena Davis and Randy Quaid costar as his accomplices with Davis also being the love interest. The robbery sequence is clever with a few laughs as one might expect from Murray. The escapades kick into gear as the trio grind their way towards JFK Airport to effect their getaway and ultimately freedom from NYC for the tropics. The cracks at life in NYC are funny particularly if you pay attention to some of the movie elements going on in the background (such as the hot dog vendors fighting for position as the crowds gather to watch the bank robbery) combined with Murray’s quick wit make the film worthwhile. MWRWMDMR didn’t laugh until crying, but there were enough comedic scenes to keep things moving during the 90 minute run. Movie buffs might enjoy Jason Robards’ performance as the Chief of Police who tracks the trio of bank thieves. Overall, an enjoyable flick that highlight the multiple talents of Bill Murray. The movie inadvertently gives you a glimpse of the ugliness in NYC currently returning under the DeBlasio regime. Worthy of a quarantine viewing. MWRWMDMR gives “Quick Change”
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #98. “The Two Popes.”

A 2019 NetFlix drama depicting the leadership of the Catholic Church going through a papal transition a few years ago and the struggles during that transition. Apparently much of the interaction between the two main characters is fact based speculation, if that makes sense, with the screenwriter taking some liberties as to what may have transpired with the portrayed one on one conversations. The two main characters are Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, a German who becomes Pope Benedict XVI, and Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, the Argentinian who is the current Pope Francis. Anthony Hopkins, as Ratzinger, and Jonathan Pryce as Bergoglio both are masterful  with performances worthy of their Academy Award nominations. Writer Anthony McCarten likewise was nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Screenplay category. As a footnote, McCarten is responsible for the screenplay of previously MWRWMDMR reviewed and 5-star awarded “The Darkest Hour.” Not going to opine on the many issues with the Catholic Church but the movie does take some of those head-on. There is drama, introspection and at times a tad of humor with Hopkins and Pryce most convincing in delivering throughout. The only disappointment is that the film did not delve into the Vatican Leaks scandal which apparently played a big part in the resignation of Pope Benedict. One need not be Catholic nor religious for that matter to view this film. Worthy of a quarantine viewing even if you watch for nothing else but the great acting of Pryce and Hopkins. MWRWMDMR sees the white chimney smoke and gives "The Two Popes"
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #97. “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure.”

Stoners celebrate! MWRWMDMR has viewed your triumphant masterpiece! Too bad it isn’t in the wheelhouse of MWRWMDMR. This corny film stars a very young Keanu Reeves and the little heard from since Alex Winter. As high school buddies who are about to flunk out, they set off on a time machine journey to bring historical figures into the (1988) present and have them be part of their essential history class presentation. George Carlin provides the means of transporting Bill & Ted between different time periods in history with a souped-up telephone booth. The time travel sequences have convinced me that George Carlin actually invented the information superhighway with telephone booths being the first effective computers. In any case, the few funny lines and script swipes at the French (Napoleon bullying kids in the present at a water park and ice cream parlor) don’t save the movie from being a snore-fest.  Keep your eyes open for cameos from musicians who must have been friends with the director (Clarence Clemons, Jane Wiedlin, Fee Waybill and Martha Davis) which further leads me to believe that this film was pieced together at some Hollywood cocaine dinner party. At least the director had the good sense to keep the film to only 90 minutes or perhaps figured the 1988 audience would be in a marijuana induced sleep by that point anyway. I won't spoil the ending relative to the future world and if you never watch the movie it won't matter. Sorry Keanu fans, let him stick with the action genre with John Wick, Speed and Point Break. Not worthy of a quarantine viewing. Gets an extra 1/2 star ONLY because of George Carlin and the swipe at the French.  MWRWMDMR gives "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure " ⭐️

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #96. “John Wick: Chapter 2.”

This will be the first movie sequel review in the MWRWMDMR portfolio and typically sequels aren’t as good as the original. So buckle up. JW2 is molded identically from the original with badass Keanu Reeves portraying the likable assassin John Wick and doing so with convincing ease. Despite the fact that Wick has different facial cuts during the same fight sequences, the action is high octane and non-stop. Stepping well outside of my “keep it real” comfort zone, I went into this film with an open mind that it will be compete fantasy so as not to be disappointed by things that would never happen in the real world. Thankfully, the frantic pace of the action made for a very entertaining, albeit violent, movie. Quick plot: JW is given an ultimatum by  Italian kingpin Santino to assassinate Gianna (Santino’s sister) so that he can ascend into her position at the High Table of crime bosses. Wick reluctantly carries out the murder and then a bounty is put on his head. Wick starts to whip ass and take names as others attempt to cash in on the bounty. Eventually Wick tracks Santino who has double-crossed him by placing the bounty. You can imagine what happens then. From a pure entertainment standpoint, the movie is good with constant action yet some sympathetic vibes for Wick (harking back to his dead wife, his dog and his car from the first movie). The villains are different and the story a bit choppy, but still an entertaining two hours. Contrary to many, MWRWMDMR found the original to be a tad better because of the storyline, but just splitting hairs. If you aren’t turned-off by constant butt kicking and shootings in a movie, then this is worthy of a quarantine viewing. Otherwise, stay away. MWRWMDMR gives “John Wick: Chapter 2” ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #95. “Goodfellas.”

While Mrs. MWRWMDMR was busy watching the latest episode of “Big Brother,” I took the opportunity to fully watch “Goodfellas” never having seen it from start to finish. Despite the film being on commercial cable, those TV timeouts didn’t discount from the excellence of the film. The Martin Scorsese directed story of the rise and fall of Henry Hill, a NY gangster predominantly operating in the 70’s and 80’s, along with several prominent associates, leading a ruthless life of gambling, theft, drugs, extortion and murder. The film script is based on the factual events of Hill’s criminal life and the book “Wiseguy, Life in a Mafia Family.” Scorsese does a masterful job of weaving the main characters  and multiple crime events into a cohesive, action filled story without sensationalizing any of the participants or activities. The cast is stocked with star power including Ray Liotta as Henry Hill and Bobby D (don’t forget MWRWMDMR is on a first name basis with DeNiro) as strongman Jimmy Conway (based on the very real life of Lucchese crime family gangster Jimmy Burke). Joe Pesci is his typical wonderful self in portraying the loose cannon gangster Tommy  DeVito. Lorraine Bracco and Paul Sorvino are equally excellent in their roles while some unknown actor named Samuel L. Jackson makes his initial big time movie debut. Enjoyed the narration of events (by Liotta’s Henry Hill character) to maintain continuity of the story but the final narration sequence of Hill leaving the witness stand while narrating directly to the camera was a bit out of place. If you are a bit skitterish with violent films then you may want to take a pass. But otherwise, the brilliant acting, close-to-the-facts storyline and cohesive tempo make this movie a great quarantine viewing. MWRWMDMR stamps “Goodfellas” with
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #94. “Drunken Parents.”

Found this on Netflix listed in the current “popular movie” list and decided to give it a whirl given the seemingly strong cast. Alec Baldwin and Salma Hayek lead as the husband & wife duo that despite great financial difficulties and loss of jobs send their daughter off to college. There is booze, shifty dealings to quickly make money and much hijinks with Baldwin and Hayak trying to stave off creditors and keep their daughter, relatives and friends from knowing the depth of their financial despair. Unfortunately, the script doesn’t deliver many good lines given the rather comical premise of the plot. Baldwin seems to mail-in his performance but he does have a few funny  lines. Hayak is surprisingly funny and swears like a longshoreman but the script abruptly exits many of her scenes when the laughs are just starting. Jim Gaffigan is understatedly comedic in a supporting role but unfortunately Colin Quinn and Will Ferrell are given small roles that aren’t funny nor make much sense to the plot. “Drunken Parents” is a misnomer for this film as there isn’t much focus on their drinking. The film is mildly amusing but could have been so much better with a tad more effort from Baldwin and some clean-up on the script. You won’t throw your bottle of Montepulciano d’abruzzo through the TV screen, but drinking the contents first might at least get you through the flick. The two saving graces are the length of the film being only 97 minutes and Hayak’s performance. A marginal quarantine viewing at best. MWRWMDMR gives "Drunken Parents" ⭐️ ⭐️

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #93. “The Name of the Rose.”

This 1986 film starring Sean Connery and (a teenage) Christian Slater is set in a circa 1300’s dark age Abbey somewhere in rural Italy. The bleak lighting and whispered voices of the actors lend credence to the director’s attempt in portraying an abysmal life as a monk in these times but it does make the film tough to watch and hear. The plot is a bit convoluted with suicides and murders occurring at the Abbey then Sean Connery arrives to solve the caper. There are overtones, at least to MWRWMDMR, of the script being critical of religious leaders in that they try to ensure their own riches by continuing the fantasy of fear. For example, a quote from an elder of the Abbey, “...without fear there can be no faith because without fear of the Devil there is no need of God.” Several points in the script insinuate monk related homosexuality, sex for goods exchanges with local poor, anti-woman insecurities, fear mongering and the general weirdness amongst the monastery inhabitants . Spooky for sure. And I won't even get into the ridiculous attempt at depicting a papal envoy debating with the monks which was more of a cross-dressing contest that really has no bearing on the storyline. The story itself is a James Bond whodunnit set 700 years ago without the Walther PPK nor Aston Martin but with the ever-cool Connery tracking the killer through strange crime scenes and the uber-weird (and physically impaired) villain hidden in a dark impenetrable monastery that eventually blows up in spectacular flames at the end of the movie. Ironically, this is the second consecutive movie I have reviewed that not only has a James Bond-ish feel, but  co-stars former Bond villain Michael Lonsdale. Who cares, right? The book may be much better but the movie is a stretch for me. Gets a extra 1/2 star for the pretty good acting as the monks creeped me out. Only worthy of a quarantine viewing if you’re into the Game of Thrones genre and/or enjoy poorly lit movies with barely audible dialogue. MWRWMDMR gives “The Name of the Rose” ⭐️ ⭐️

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #92. “The Day of the Jackal.”

MWRWMDMR goes from a fake French wine film to a story about bungled assassination attempts of French President Charles de Gaulle. Not sure where this French trend is coming from but surely one loyal reader is thrilled by the coincidence. This is the original 1973 version of the film (not to be confused with Bruce Willis in the 1997 remake) of a fictional assassin hired by a French terror organization (OAS) to “off” the President. There are some truths within including the existence of the OAS led by a group of clandestine French
ex-military and the fact that OAS attempted to assassinate de Gaulle previously (but of course in true French military form they failed miserably). The assassin is hired by OAS, gives himself the code name Jackal and then he alone commences his planning and strategy. The story is somewhat James Bond like with the Jackal (played by someone you’ve never heard of) leading the viewer along a web of intrigue and deception whilst he develops his plan and avoids detection. To ferret-out the Jackal, the French assign their “top investigator” Inspector Clouseau. Oh, sorry, I meant to write Inspector Claude Lebel (played by Michael Lonsdale whose claim to fame was as Hugo Drax, the villain in 007’s “Moonraker”). We’ll leave the balance of the plot here but needless to say the cat and mouse chase between the assassin and the French inspector is the best part of the film. Found the movie to be interesting with some corny coincidences but I’ll chalk that up to the director wanting to keep the suspense level elevated and the movie pace accelerated. There are a few plot twists in the story keeping this viewer interested despite the fact that Mrs. MWRWMDMR didn’t share that same opinion (if playing cellphone video games is any indication). If you are into the James Bond genre of films, this one may be for you. Should you not care for the 007-type, then skip this one. Worthy of a quarantine viewing. MWRWMDMR gives “The Day of the Jackal”
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #91. “Sour Grapes.”

This Netflix documentary delves into the scam perpetrated by a gent named Rudy Kurniawan in the high-end wine segment. After Kurniawan appears out of nowhere on the wine collecting scene in California and New York, he sucks in high rollers with his superior wine knowledge and his prowess for buying rare wines. Eventually his exploits in reselling super rare wines at auction is called into question by a French vintner and a private investigator hired by the duped billionaire Bill Koch. The FBI is brought into the case and Kurniawan’s complex plan starts to unravel. There are implications that others are involved but only Rudy gets the kick in the teeth with his conviction on fraud charges. The film is not your classic deep-dive documentary as it follows more of a made for TV route such as one might see in a “Dateline” report. Not a bad thing as it keeps the viewing to a concise 85 minutes (an extra 1/2 ⭐️). It did force MWRWMDMR to check the wine cellar to ensure that the rare bottles are indeed the real deal. Good news; all the screw-tops are sealed and look good to go. This is an interesting look at the “f-you” monies the rich throw around can spawn fraud with people wanting what no one else can have. What I really want to know is what the hell is Bill Koch doing with 43,000 bottles of wine? A few loyal readers will enjoy this documentary because it spends some time with French Burgundy region wine producers, others will be intrigued by the monies tossed around in the wine collecting world and most find interest in the cat and mouse game exposed by those investigating the scheme. Sit down with a nice glass of Burgundy for this one and enjoy. Worthy of a quarantine viewing. MWRWMDMR gives “Sour Grapes”
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #90. “P.S. I Love You.”

Let’s classify this as a romantic light hearted comedy with a twinge of the film “Ghost” in the plot.  Young married couple in NYC are struggling to find their path in life when the husband dies. He leaves a series of letters for the young widow to try and guide her through the grief as she is lost. Simple enough plot with a few holes in it. #1; no man or woman on this planet would go through the process of preparing a series of letters and a life plan for their surviving spouse. That’s called a last Will and Testament, not telling your spouse what to do with their life once you’re in the ground. #2; Hillary Swank’s character (Holly) needs to grow up as she can’t seem to find anything in life that seems to make her happy (outside of her marriage). Gerard Butler (of the dud “Hunter Killer” fame) plays the Irishman husband Gerry who dies early in the film only to come back in spirit and through these dopey letters. Eventually dead-Gerry has Holly return to Ireland for a vacation and apparently to rehash some of their family in-law baggage and past first encounter. Let’s leave it at that so as not to spoil the ending.  Not being sexist here so keep your letters and death threats to yourself: no man on the planet will throughly enjoy this film. The whole concept of leaving a series of letters and planning out the next year of life for your widow is not only incomprehensible but degrading of the woman’s capabilities to move on.  Perhaps soaking in the film as a bit of a fantasy makes it a bit more palatable? Certainly could have used more of the scenes in Ireland as I can attest that the good craic in the pubs and lush green rolling hills lift the human spirit. The acting isn’t terribly exciting with Swank and Butler in the leads but Lisa Kudrow does provide some comic relief. Harry Connick Jr. is uncomfortably out of place in his role as the potential post dead husband love interest. MWRWMDMR is not a fan of these romantic flicks but viewed the film with an open mind. Sorry to say that “P.S. I Love You” hasn’t changed my outlook. A bit of a downer given the high praise from several loyal readers. If quirky love stories or a fan of Gerard Butler is your cup of tea, then perhaps a quarantine viewing is worthwhile. Otherwise, avoid this film quarantine or no quarantine. MWRWMDMR gives “P.S. I Love You” ⭐️ ⭐️

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #87. "Inglorious Basterds."

Another Quentin Tarantino walk in the park that will either make you want to throw a brick through the screen, think about the deeper intent of the screenwriter or laugh at the overboard characters and script. MWRWMDMR chose to look at the deeper meaning of the film  (Tarantino's intent is open to discussion). This film is well off the beaten path for me not being a fan of Tarantino, but upon the recommendation of a spokesperson for the Alexandria (VA) Fire Department, I decided to give it a whirl. Quick plot overview: WWII setting, US Army sends a small group of Jewish soldiers to kill Nazi's with an aside storyline of a Jewish girls' revenge plot to likewise kill Nazi's. Brad Pitt stars as the leader of this gruesome group of American soldiers albeit with a strange Tennessee mumble mouth accent and he handles Tarantino's quirky script well. This is probably one of those films that you need to view two or three (or 95) times before a sensible script interpretation can be made. Tarantino portrays his Nazi hierarchy roles (particularly that of Hitler) as paranoids with homosexual overtones who are eventually led into an alternate closure to WWII. The storyline points the bayonet of revenge at the Nazi's for their Hitler-led atrocities against Jews with a few gruesome depictions of said revenge.   MWRWMDMR will not spoil who eventually rises above as the hero but there is the sweet bouquet of revenge to close the story. Is the film quirky with a few snarky characters? Absolutely. Does that detract from the film? Depends on your demeanor at the time of the viewing hence the opening statement of either hating, thinking or laughing. Worth a quarantine viewing but don't send any hate mail if you think I'm way off base on this one. MWRWMDMR gives Inglorious Basterds ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews. Review #86. "Hamilton."

The much hyped, pop culture phenomenon musical from Broadway now streaming on Disney+. Disclaimer: MWRWMDMR is NOT a fan of Broadway musicals but took this on after a recommendation from a loyal reader in Texas. No need to get into the plot of "Hamilton" as you either are aware of the story from the hype or your spaceship just landed in Idaho and you've got other concerns at the moment. Skeptical is an understatement as the opening of the play hit the TV screen; but quickly the genius of creator and star Lin-Manuel Miranda became evident. The hip-hop themed musical was a little overwhelming at first given my diminished hearing, but viewing this more as a movie versus a musical play helped with my comprehension of Miranda's script. All of the music isn't hip-hop nor is this a rap concert in early American clothing. Miranda script hits the main points of Alexander Hamilton's powerful yet tumultuous short life. Miranda also demonstrates that political shenanigans and marital infidelity are nothing new in American government (nor I suspect in any government). I am blown away as to how Miranda went from reading a biography of Hamilton's life in 2008 (written by Ron Chernow) to creating a completely new Broadway style with the success of "Hamilton." A rather obscure topic for most young Americans told in a way that is targeted for those very same young Americans. Perhaps "Hamilton" has opened the eyes of many to read and understand a bit more as to how this nation first stood on its own. "Hamilton" had MWRWMDMR thinking much of the night as to how best write a  review given the unique Broadway play/movie platform it was presented and to describe the brilliance of Miranda for bringing all of this to fruition. Might be a tad tough for some of my generation to get up to speed on the hip-hop dialogue in the opening few scenes but other than that, I would think most loyal readers will enjoy "Hamilton" and appreciate the work of Lin-Manual Miranda. The acting, directing and music are all first rate. Definitely worth a quarantine viewing. An extra ⭐️ for this review in total admiration and awe of Miranda's creative genius. MWRWMDMR gives "Hamilton"
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews. Review #85. “The Monuments Men.”

MWRWMDMR plucked this film from his loosely planned “must watch” list as the real events seemed interesting about the Allied forces attempt to save important cultural buildings and recover precious artwork from the Nazi’s during the latter stage of World War II. George Clooney’s script (co-writer) and lead role acting however, utterly disappoint. Perhaps George wanted to redo the flower garden at his Como Lake villa in Italy for Amal so he banged out this clunker to make a few quick bucks. In any case, the film is stuck in Hollywood artistic license hell with the script and acting much too snarky with events depicted all too conveniently coincidental all the while being unimaginably far from the truth. I can’t even begin to describe how dopey this film is without being angry with myself for wasting two hours of what’s left in my life. Suffice it to say this film is not worth a quarantine (or other) viewing unless you are having trouble sleeping. This film will cure that sleeplessness issue. Filing this waste of time in the same category as the previously reviewed “1917” and “Hunter Killer,” MWRWMDMR gives “The Monuments Men” ZERO stars.

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews. Review #84. “The King of Staten Island.”

This much-hyped film from Judd Apatow is loosely based on the frantic and often lost life of SNL comedian Pete Davidson who co-wrote and handles the lead role. The movie is best classified as a very late blooming “coming of age” story with Davidson’s character still cocooned at home with Mom despite being 24 with no real prospects of a good job and a penchant for smoking weed with his equally useless friends. There are a few interspersed subtle comedic moments throughout and some backhanded compliments of life on Staten Island but don’t expect a raucous laugh-fest. Davidson’s character is exhaustingly depressed and conflicted about his deceased firefighter father, the new dating status of his mother and about his own inability to get his life aspirations in gear. Marisa Tomei and comedian Bill Burr (who is actually very good in his role) co-star as Davidson’s protective mother and her new boyfriend respectively. The film moves along with a decent story line but the inner demons that challenge Davidson’s character made it a bit of an uphill climb for MWRWMDMR. The movie ends rather abruptly with no indication of how things are or aren’t resolved. Not what I expected from the movie and that is probably my own fault as a biting comedy was anticipated. Not a bad quarantine viewing but I was exhausted afterwards. MWRWMDMR gives “The King of Staten Island”
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews. Review #83. "Born Racer."

This documentary delves onto the life of Indy car multiple-time champion driver Scott Dixon and the 2017 racing season. Most loyal MWRWMDMR readers will check out of this review at this point. But for the few who have a niblet of race fan in you, this documentary might be of interest. There is no hype nor filmmaker creative license in this almost 90 minute NetFlix documentary, just facts and insights into Dixon, his family and the rollercoaster 2017 racing schedule. Deep moments include Dixon's wife admitting she doesn't want to be next in line of the wives who have had their husband hurt badly or killed while racing. The racing scenes are intense with a good mix of commentary from team engineers and strategists. The only disappointment for MWRWMDMR is the limited view into how Dixon came to America from his native New Zealand and ended up becoming a 5 time champion of the Indy car series. We see his drive (no pun intended) and determination, but little of his path to these racing heights. If you aren't a racing fan, then skip this one as it will be if little interest to you (unless you're in the mood for some great racing footage). If you have any interest in racing, then perhaps this doc will provide some valuable insight. It did for me, particularly seeing the racing footage and getting to better understand what 230+ mph really looks like up close. A good quarantine viewing if you like racing otherwise don't take the green flag and simply pass on it. MWRWMDMR gives "Born Racer" ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews. Review #82."Greyhound."

MWRWMDMR makes it 3 Tom Hanks diddies in a row with this WWII drama not only starring the famed actor but he's penned the screenplay. The film is squarely centered on Hanks' character who is for the first time in battle Captain on a small escort destroyer accompanying a supply flotilla of ships across the U-Boat infested waters of the North Atlantic. The story somewhat brings to light the little known but hugely important life-line of supply ships crossing from America to Britain during the war and the dangers faced by those ships from the stealth attacks of Nazi submarines. Hanks' script thankfully forgoes most of the typical war movie pre battle leaving home and goodbyes to loved ones with the focus on the events of this particular convoy trying to get their 30+ supply ships safely across the North Atlantic. There tense times of the few escort ships as they try to outmaneuver and react to those pesky U-Boat "Wolfpack's" hunting the ships of the convoy. Good action in much of the film with the evident struggles and self-conflict of Hanks' rookie Captain keeping the battle sequences tense. Disappointed in the all-too-Hollywood scenes where there is just too much going on with Hanks' ship Greyhound (how many U-Boats are hunting this convoy?) and the not believable sequences where Greyhound a) nearly collides with one of the supply ships; b) has a torpedo skim off its hull; c) can't sink a U-Boat that surfaces alongside. Seems as though everything is happening to Greyhound in a 48 hour period. Throughout Hanks' character remains at the helm until his feet bleed but he remains perfectly clean shaven. What? C'mon, grow a little stubble to keep up with the image of being battle weary. The scenes with a U-Boat Captain taunting the Greyhound over the ship's own radio are way off the charts of reality not to mention that the Germans' voice sounded incredibly similar to that of General Burkhalter from Hogan's Heroes. Hanks, as usual, was stellar in his performance. The believability of his script left much to be desired. If you appreciate accuracy of actual events this movie will disappoint. If you simply want a WWII action flick with Mr. Hanks at the helm without care of event accuracy, then this might be for you. MWRWMDMR is a big proponent of accurate portrayal of events which will reflect in the rating. Not a bad quarantine viewing. MWRWMDMR gives "Greyhound" ⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews. Review #81. “Apollo 13.”

MWRWMDMR follows up one Tom Hanks stellar performance with another as he leads a group of headliners in “Apollo 13.” Hanks stars as Jim Lovell, commander of the troubled Apollo 13 space mission slated to land on the moon in 1970. This Ron Howard directed film provides a comprehensive story of the mission including gripping scenes of the tense days inside the stricken craft and the Herculean efforts of those in Mission Control scrambling for solutions in order to bring the astronauts back from space safely. The script and superb acting will keep you glued to this dramatic movie regardless of your familiarity with the actual events surrounding the ill-fated mission. A much needed great movie after the Mr. Rogers clunker and a little reminder of what patriotism looks like as the whole nation came together in hopes of the safe return of the astronauts. A great quarantine viewing, particularly if you have a few hours over this 4th of July holiday, to perhaps remind us of the good in this country. MWRWMDMR gives “Apollo 13”
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews. Review #80. “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.”

One would think that this film starring Tom Hanks would be a biography of Fred Rogers of the famous “Mr. Rogers” children’s TV show (oh please don’t tell MWRWMDMR that you’ve never heard of that show!). Well it’s not. The script is largely a look at the strained relationship a magazine writer has with his father. The connection to Mr. Rogers is evident when this writer is sent to do a fluff piece on Fred but ends up doing an lengthy article that chronicles how Mr. Rogers positively influenced the relationship with his father. Sure, there is some examination of the calming influence Mr. Rogers had on a generation (or two or three) of kids but nothing in-depth as to how he even got into the children’s TV business. For all I know, Mr. Rogers could have been an axe murderer on XANAX and that’s why he is so damn calm. The movie is based upon the real life article written by Tom Jurod for Esquire magazine in the late 90’s. Not having read that article, it’s impossible to say if the depictions made in the movie are accurate. Hanks, as usual, is stellar in his performance but unfortunately there wasn’t much of him to see. Disappointed that the marketing of this film pointed towards it being about Fred Rogers, which it’s not, and completely letdown with the script. Only Hanks’ performance gives this film any glimmer of light. Not worthy of a quarantine viewing unless you are interested in the relationship of some Esquire writer and his father. MWRWMDMR sure wasn’t interested. MWRWMDMR gives “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood “ ⭐️ 1/2

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews. Review #79. “Eurovision Song Contest. The Story of Fire Saga.”

MWRWMDMR returns from an unannounced hiatus and despite public outcry to remain on said hiatus to review this Will Ferrell co-written NetFlix comedy. The story revolves around Icelanders Lars (Ferrell) and Sigrit (Rachel McAdams), childhood friends from a small fishing village with dreams to become pop stars and champions of the Eurovision Song Contest (a multi-country version of The Voice). After years of toiling in the local town pub as unimpressive lounge singers, Lars and Sigrit (their band known as Fire Saga) somehow end up being the representative of Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest. The Lars lead role somewhat follows Ferrell’s Ron Burgandy pattern of character (unintentionally funny but loveable) with Sigrit being the unannounced love interest throughout. Not a laugh out loud movie but a good number of comedic undertones throughout. I gather that there are a number of real life cracks at former Eurovision Song Contest performers and situations, but never having seen nor heard of the contest before this viewer was not in tune with that comedic orchestration. The final few scenes bring this comedy to a close nicely unlike some other comedic films that just seem to end as if the writers ran out of time. Dan Stevens is funny as fellow contest competitor Alexander (the Russian entry) as is Pierce Brosnan in the role of Lars’ dad who has little confidence in his son. Will the movie make you fall of the sofa with laughter? No, but it is entertaining and has enough funny moments to keep it moving along. And perhaps the Ja-Ja Ding Dong song will rattle around in your brain long after the movie much like it has in MWRWMDMR's coconut. Aside from the long movie title, this film is worth a quarantine viewing. MWRWMDMR gives “Eurovision Song Contest. The Story of Fire Saga"  ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews. Review #78. “The Iron Lady.”

Meryl Streep stars as Margaret Thatcher in this film laden with flashbacks of her rise to power and a small handful of moments as British Prime Minister. Unfortunately, the script fails in conveying much detail about the life of Thatcher that resonated with this viewer. Instead the movie focuses on the later years of life as she falls into the grips of dementia and continually interacts with her long deceased husband. The incessant flashbacks interrupt any continuity of the film’s main point which is Thatcher post-Prime Minister and important steps in her political life. The multitude of scenes with Thatcher confused or hallucinating as she falls deeper into the grasp of dementia is disturbing. I get the point, she has dementia, don’t beat me to death repeating it over and over. Too bad that Thatcher’s legacy of critical thinking, righting the British ship out of terrible labor troubles, work not handouts mantra and her signing the
Anglo-Irish Agreement are hardly touched.  Streep’s acting is incredible and she was rewarded with an Oscar. Unfortunately, the movie wasn’t nearly in that class of work. Disappointing at best and not worth a quarantine viewing. MWRWMDMR gives “The Iron Lady” ⭐️

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews. Review #77. “The Lincoln Lawyer.”

Took a flyer with viewing this on NetFlix as MWRWMDMR is not a big fan of the snarky Matthew McConaughey who stars as attorney Mickey Haller. McConaughy's car commercials force me to change the channel but in this role I’ve got to give the SOB credit as he delivers a fine leading performance, much like he did in the previously reviewed “Dallas Buyers Club.” A twisting and turning, mind-game thriller, “Lincoln Lawyer” delivers with attention grabbing scenarios. I haven’t read the book of the same name but apparently author Michael Connelly was pleased with the film outcome. The plot has too many twists preventing MWRWMDMR to eloquently describe (and I’m tired from the heat & humidity today). McConaughy’s Haller lawyer character does start off the movie with a know-it-all attitude which is a bit overbearing, but that quickly dissolves and the entertaining plot twists ramp up keeping your attention. Ryan Philippe is effectively creepy in his role as defendant Louis Roulet and Marisa Tomei is convincing as Haller’s ex-wife who happens to be a prosecutor in the DA’s office. Two reasons why a 5 star review isn’t awarded here: a bit too much with the wise-cracking during the first 10 minutes and an ending where the timeline seems a bit too compressed. But that’s just me being hyper-critical as MWRWMDMR doesn’t toss those 5 stars around like tic-tacs. A very good quarantine viewing that should keep you guessing while glued to the TV. MWRWMDMR gives “The Lincoln Lawyer”
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews. Review #76. “Marriage Story.”

A 2019 NetFlix soft-drama with riveting lead performances by Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver as wife (Nicole) and husband (Charlie) going through some choppy martial waters eventually leading to a bi-coastal divorce. With the custody of their child at stake, Nicole & Charlie try counseling without success and attempt a “no lawyers necessary “ amicable solution. Charlie believes that path is working but is blindsided by Nicole who hires powerful divorce lawyer Nora Fanshaw (Laura Dern). The strain of coast to coast travel (Nicole and son have moved from NY to LA where her family resides), while trying to maintain his theatre directing mojo and running out of money takes a huge toll on the process for Charlie. There are peeks and valleys between amicable and ugly as the proceedings continue with Charlie eventually bringing in his own big time lawyer (Ray Liotta who amazingly has aged to the point where he looks like William Shatner). Enough of the plot. This drama is well written and very well acted albeit one might say this divorce is “rich people problems” given the fact that the two main combatants don’t seem to be terribly concerned with getting to a 9 to 5 job everyday. In any case, the story kept me engaged throughout with only one disappointment which was the rather abrupt conclusion. It wasn’t confusing nor an unreasonable ending, but just happened rather quickly after two hours of anticipation (MWRWMDMR subtracts 1/2 a star). The film was nominated for numerous Academy Awards which is understandable with Laura Dern winning for Best Supporting Actress. An entertaining drama and well worth a quarantine viewing. MWRWMDMR gives “Marriage Story”
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews. Review #75. “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.”

Given the fact I was crunched for time and a glowing recommendation from a loyal reader out of Virginia, chose this ninety minute 2009 computer animation flick (found on Netflix). Coincidentally, this is the third consecutive film viewed by MWRWMDMR with a plot focused largely on a parent/child relationship (in this case, animated father and animated son). Nerdy island dwelling Flint is a pseudo inventor from a young age. His sardine bait & tackle shop owning father doesn’t much understand Flint’s passion and wants him to forgo the inventing and join him in running the shop. The island was once the sardine capital of the world but since has fallen on hard times as the world has discovered how disgusting sardines actually taste (can’t argue that point). Now the island inhabitants have to eat largely the plentiful sardines and apparently they’re sick of them too. Flint comes up with an invention that once sent into the sky produces whatever type of food he commands to rain down on the island, much to the delight of the variety starved residents. Things go a bit haywire with the device and I’ll leave it at that as to what direction the movie heads. The film is fun with some gags and comedic one-liners littered throughout the fast moving storyline. Relationships are explored, mainly that between Flint and his father but also Flint and a nerdy weather girl; and Flint with the local police officer. The film grossed over $240m worldwide so it had to be doing something right and certainly would be appealing to the 5 to 12 age group (none of whom read these daily dopey quarantine reviews). Will it be appealing to us so-called adults? Perhaps not but it is entertaining, fast paced and has a good ending. Not a bad quarantine viewing. MWRWMDMR gives “Cloudy with a Chance if Meatballs”
 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews. Review #74. “Guess Who.”

An updated and reversed version take-off of the 1967 classic “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” this 2005 flick stars Bernie Mac as Percy Jones and Aston Kutcher as Simon Green. I trust you either have seen or heard about the original but put any preconceived notions aside. The script is flipped as the Simon is engaged to Percy’s daughter, Teresa (Zoe Saldana). Simon and Teresa arrive at her parents' home for the weekend and the plan to announce their engagement but the fact that Simon is white and recently unemployed pushes Percy into a tizzy. The more Simon tries to impress Percy, the worse things get. Bernie Mac is his usual funny and hyper sensitive self in this comedic societal romp with Kutcher & Saldana providing solid performances. This film is not nearly as topically controversial thankfully given that time has somewhat softened the interracial marriage stigma. “Guess Who” is dialed more towards the comedic while still taking on the race relations topic with the culmination being the relationship between a father and his daughter. A fun and entertaining quarantine viewing. MWRWMDMR gives “Guess Who”
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews. Review #73. “Uncorked.”

A Netflix family-dynamics film chronicling a father and son relationship. Mamoudou Athie plays Elijah, torn between taking over his family’s barbecue restaurant in Memphis much like his father (Louis, played by Courtney B. Vance) took over the business from the grandfather, or following his passion of becoming a master sommelier. The thought of his son going into the wine business puzzles Louis and there is an emotional struggle between he and Elijah. Add in other family, girlfriend and work dynamics and the pressures on Elijah mount. I won’t give away the particulars of the plot but the cultural and family business versus such an unusual personal aspirations does make for an interesting storyline. The script by Prentice Penny is well done with interjections of some comic relief amidst the family struggles and the music is on-point without being overbearing. Athie portrays the soft spoken Elijah nicely with excellent supporting roles from Vance and Niecy Nash (cast as the mother, Sylvia). Not your typical father/son can’t get along film with endless bickering and car door slamming, Uncorked” is definitely worthy of a quarantine viewing. MWRWMDMR gives “Uncorked”
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews. Review #72. “Hot Rod.”

No, MWRWMDMR has not lost his quarantined mind and decided to review some porn flick (sorry if I disappoint). This “Hot Rod” is a comedy out of the SNL stable starring Andy Samberg as Rod with fellow Saturday Night alumni Bill Hader and Chris Parnell. Rod believes his deceased father was a motorcycle daredevil in the Evil Knievel mold and is following in that path albeit remarkably without success. Rod lives with his mom and stepfather from whom he apparently gets weekly ass—kickings. Rod wants nothing more than to raise money to fund a heart transplant for his stepfather for one reason; so he finally can punch his lights out. The story meanders through many painful daredevil exploits by the mindless Rod. Unfortunately, that meandering storyline is absent of much comedy. Sophomoric at best, Samberg acts like an Adam Sandler wannabe (and I’m no fan of the childish fools that Sandler often plays) with little knack for the full length movie. No wonder Samberg hasn’t had any other leading roles in the movie world. Laughs are few and far between. MWRWMDMR recommends that Samberg stick with his “Dick in a Box” routine alongside Justin Timberlake and avoid the village idiot roles. Not much of a quarantine viewing with the only saving grace being the film length of only 88 minutes. MWRWMDMR gives “Hot Rod” ⭐️

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews. Review #71. “John Wick.”

Despite popular demand, MWRWMDMR returns from the 2nd intermission and springs out of the box with Keanu Reeves as badass ex-hit man John Wick. Retired from the Russian mob, Wick is living the happily married life but his wife passes away. As a final gesture of love and a wish for him to carry on with his life, she has an adorable puppy delivered to the house for Wick. Everything in Wick’s life is super-cool; his house, car, clothes, hair, etc. and now add the puppy. Not knowing who he is f-ing with, the son of the Russian mob king comes to the super cool house and steals Wick’s super cool prize 1969 Mustang and kills the super cool puppy during the robbery. Then the fun & games begin as Wick seeks full and unequivocal revenge. The film is full of graphic violence and has some quirky components (example: a fancy hotel catering to assassins) in a slightly over the boundary lines of the real world but not in a disappointing way. “John Wick” is full of action, intrigue and Reeves kicking butt without taking names as he ruthlessly searches for revenge. MWRWMDMR can best describe the movie as a Steven Segal flick but with a coherent story line, greater acting and using better (modern) special effects. “John Wick” gets an extra 1/2 star for being succinct (only 105 minutes), having an underlying comedic tone (at times) and for Reeves’ unflappably perfect portrayal of the tender-at-heart but ruthless Wick. An enjoyable quarantine viewing if you need some ass kicking in your life. MWRWMDMR gives “John Wick” ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #70. “Dark Waters.”

This chilling corporate greed film is based on the true story of attorney Rob Bilott’s unlikely legal fight for the residents of Parkersburg, WV against chemical behemoth DuPont for manufacturing and dumping unregulated chemicals associated with Teflon into the ecosystem. Mark Ruffalo is brilliant in the lead as Bilott who at first is conflicted about investing DuPont as he has just made partner in a large law firm that traditionally represents chemical corporations. The film examines the sad state of affairs relative to government regulation and oversight of chemical manufacturing and residual discharge of/from those chemicals. Legal maneuvering from DuPont entangles the first case brought by Bilott and those cases he eventually brings against the company for years upon years. All the while manufacturing of the dangerous product continues. If this movie doesn’t either make you think, scare the hell out of you or both, then MWRWMDMR has some prime real estate at Love Canal to sell you. A sobering must-see quarantine viewing. MWRWMDMR gives "Dark Waters" ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #69. “Trumbo.”

Bryan Cranston proves worthy of his Academy Award Best Actor nomination in this 2015 film (now on Netflix) as Dalton Trumbo. An elite Hollywood screenwriter, Trumbo is blacklisted  for being a member of the American Communist Party in the 1940’s. With WWII just having ended, the Cold War kickstarts and Congress gets involved along with a few Hollywood names (John Wayne for example) in jailing Trumbo (plus others) and blacklisting them from working in Hollywood. I’m just touching the plot here as there is more of a lead-in to how the work stoppages in Hollywood during the 30’s and 40’s  festered the contempt between some of these Hollywood combatants and the eventual work-around that studio heads took in order to get Trumbo back to screenwriting. Aside from the brilliant Cranston, this biographical drama stars Diane Lane as Trumbo’s wife and Dame Helen Mirren as the prickly Hollywood insider gossip columnist Hedda Hopper. A good introduction into the blacklist “era” with a good script (one would expect a good script about a movie screenwriter) and excellent acting. Younger loyal readers will find this film proof that political/economic gamesmanship isn't a new concept. Politics aside, a very good quarantine viewing. MWRWMDMR gives “Trumbo” ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #68. “Father of the Year.”

Another David Spade led drunken comedy that gets going but never hits high gear. Spade plays Wayne, a loser living in a dumpy trailer park who can’t go 2 minutes without a beer. Wayne’s son graduates from college and stops for a few days to see his dad before heading to a big time job in NYC. They eventually end up in jail for the night and the son loses his job in NY as a result. Some funny Spade moments but the rest of the cast is left with little script comedy to act upon throughout the film. This 2018 Netflix comedy is only 90 minutes so not a disaster but I wouldn’t go out of my way to see it. A rather blah quarantine viewing. MWRWMDMR gives “Father of the Year”
⭐️ ⭐️

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #67. “Always Be My Maybe” written and starring Ali Wong & Randall Park.

Another Netflix rom-com but this time much more "com." Sasha (Ali Wong) is a latch key child spending much of her time at the home of her neighbor and pal Marcus (Randall Park) while becoming close with his parents. Eventually time and circumstance take them on different paths in life with comedic reconnections after 15 or so years. Marcus is unknowingly afraid to leave his Asian roots in San Francisco while Sasha embarks on a successful national restaurant career. This <2 hour journey is funny with enjoyable social commentary, smartly acted by Wong and Park. An extra 1/2 star from MWRWMDMR for the hilarious scenes with Keanu Reeves as the high profile boyfriend of Sasha. Fun, enjoyable and well paced, the often used Netflix rom-com formula actually works well in this one.  Side note: after viewing “Always Be My Maybe” MWRWMDMR took a flyer on Wong’s standup comedy special on Netflix, “Hard Knock Wife.” It is absolutely hysterical and provides depth to the comedic talent of Ali Wong. Both the movie and stand up special are definitely worth a quarantine viewing. MWRWMDMR gives “Always Be My Maybe”
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #66. “Set it Up.”

Another Netflix boilerplate rom-com which has a cute plot idea but the acting is a bit snarky and doesn’t add much to the film. The gist of things: two admins for high powered workaholic bosses who happen to be in the same office tower conspire for some workload relief by setting up those respective bosses for a date. Through some relatively funny sequences the hatched plan actually works. Things take a dramatic turn when one of the bosses (Taye Diggs) is found to be only in this newly minted relationship to make his ex-wife jealous. As with many of these meat grinder rom-com’s, the admin main roles (Zoey Deutch and Glen Powell) eventually find their water level in life. Deutch and Powell are a bit too chipper, Lucy Lu a bit too bitchy and Diggs is off the charts over the top in their respective roles. Pete Davidson, of SNL fame, plays a small but very funny role as Powell’s gay roommate. The film is OK at best with good pace so at least you won’t be bored out of your mind. MWRWMDMR will give this an extra 1/2 star merely for the good pace and quirky plot concept. A mildly fun quarantine viewing, better if you are two good glasses of wine in before trying it on for size. And a Happy Quarantine Birthday to loyal reader and best goddaughter ER🎂 !MWRWMDMR gives “Set it Up” ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #65. “Almost Famous.”

The semi-autobiographical film written and directed by Cameron Crowe. The story follows 15 year old  William Miller (marvelously played by Patrick Miller) who thanks to his older sister has a bit of a rebellious attitude and a passion for writing about rock and roll then leaves home to chronicle life on the road with a band for Rolling Stone. The story is incredible given the fact that Crowe actually became a writer for that very magazine at the age of 15 through a series of luck, hard work and circumstance. Kate Hudson plays a large part in the film as band groupie Penny Lane who mentors (for lack of a better term) William on the particulars of touring with a rock band.  The film is filled with excellent music and a good pace all the while allowing the viewer a peek inside the world of a touring band (use your imagination here). Crowe’s real world road experience with the Allman Brothers and relationships with the likes of Zeppelin, Bowie, Clapton and other big rock names proved to be a good compilation on which to base the fictional Stillwater rock group depicted in the movie. An interesting journey packed into 2 hours of entertainment. A good quarantine viewing. MWRWMDMR gives "Almost Famous"
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #64. “True Grit.”

Should have known that any film written and directed by the infamous Coen Brothers was going to be quirky and a bit convoluted. Jeff Bridges essentially spins his "Big Lebowski” persona (another Coen brothers joint) into a Western version and stars as Marshall Rooster Cogburn who is given a bounty by an aggressive know-it-all 14 year old (Hailee Steinfeld) to hunt and bring to justice the man who murdered her father. There is endless lead-in as Mattie (Steinfeld) arrives in town to first identify his body and settle his financial affairs. Mattie then flips the revenge switch and hires the surly alcoholic Cogburn to do the job. The tracking and eventual gunfight scenes aren’t bad but I just can’t get past the quirkinesses of the screenplay. Sorry to say I have no baseline to compare not having seen the original version with John Wayne. Overall the film is mildly entertaining (I didn’t pause it time and time again as I did with the insufferable “Big Lebowski”) particularly  the encounters with the hunted criminal. Matt Damon is another big name in the film but his character seems to be torn from the pages of a comic book. MWRWMDMR expects little agreement from the loyal readers on this review as “True Grit” has been highly touted. But I just can’t get over those Coen boys and their need to be cinematically unorthodox.  Maybe the 1969 version is better so happy to have reader reaction. An OK quarantine viewing. MWRWMDMR gives “True Grit” ⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #63. “She’s the Man.”

A coming-of-age film from ‘06 starring a very young Amanda Bynes and some unknown dude named Channing Tatum. The quickie plot overview: Bynes takes the place of her twin brother at boarding school in order to play on the boys soccer team (since the girls team at her high school was defunded). Tatum is the stud soccer player at said boarding school who has a “softer side” belying his tough guy shell. They end up as roommates and their relationship gets a bit convoluted. The undertones speak to the inequalities between male & female scholastic sports and the struggle for empowerment of women. Eventually the hard nosed coach of the soccer team is the unlikely hero but I won’t spoil the denouement (how do you like that EAK?). There are other societal issues touched upon (teenage angst, interracial relationships, homophobia as examples), or maybe MWRWMDMR is just reading too much into the film. “She’s the Man” is entertaining, mildly funny, quick moving all wrapped up in a movie with a message. The acting isn’t worthy of DeNiro but there is no expectation for it to be at that level. The music is pretty good and is interwoven well. Thanks for the recommendation loyal reader KK. An entertaining 105 minutes worthy of a quarantine viewing. MWRWMDMR gives “She’s the Man.”
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #62. “How to Steal a Million.”

This 1966 (most of you will stop reading this review now that I’ve mentioned 1966) romantic comedy stars the legendary Audrey Hepburn along side Peter O’Toole. Not going to delve into the plot as you’re not going to watch it anyway. The film is mildly funny but does take a long buildup to get into the amusing scenes. The typical rom-com of the 60’s with a criminal twist, corny background music and incompetent French security men. The really funny part is that MWRWMDMR’s quarantine beard, eyebrows and hair look as wild as that of Hugh Griffith who plays Hepburn’s forger-of-famous- paintings  father. And who knew there was an actor named Moustache?? In any case, “How to Steal a Million” might have been more enjoyable if it was 90 minutes instead of over 2 hours. This is an OK quarantine viewing if you are a fan of Inspector Clouseau genre flicks minus the bumbling  comedic genius of Peter Sellers. MWRWMDMR gives “How to Steal a Million” ⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #61. “The Upside.”

This polar opposites become buddies pseudo drama, pseudo comedy stars Kevin Hart (Dell), Bryan Cranston (Phillip) and Nicole Kidman (Yvonne). The plot follows how a sometimes rocky, sometimes strong relationship is built between quadriplegic multimillionaire Phillip and his ex-con, street wise unlikely caregiver Dell with all the trappings of a lifestyle on Park Avenue in Manhattan. This two hour film is based on the true story of such a pair in France (book: “A Second Wind) and depicts how their strange relationship developed along with outside influences pushing both main characters. One might expect Kevin Hart to be full of laughs but that’s not the case. While he has some funny lines, his character is compassionate, motivating and convincing with Hart doing a nice job combining all of those traits. Cranston is likewise convincing with his acting skill having to be channeled through mostly sharp dialogue and facial expressions.  “The Upside” won’t make you laugh throughout. It isn’t an end to end drama (although the ending does make you think...). MWRWMDMR can best to describe the film as entertaining. A worthwhile quarantine viewing that will make you chuckle, think, react and think some more. MWRWMDMR gives “The Upside” ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #59. “Dallas Buyers Club.”

I’m sure most have heard and/or viewed this 2013 film given that star Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto won Academy Awards for their lead and supporting roles respectively. The plot follows the real story of oil field working, rodeo cowboy tough guy Ron Woodruff (McConaughey) beginning in 1985 when he is diagnosed with HIV and is given only 30 days to live. Being a very active heterosexual, Woodruff at first refuses to believe the diagnosis but then turns to vigorous documented research on varying medicines to help prolong his life. Eventually he travels to Mexico seeking alternatives and thus starts his “Buyers Club” in offering other HIV patients access to different treatments. The film looks at Big Pharma, FDA and government involvement with the new crisis of HIV and AIDS. Some inaccuracies between what really went on with how Woodruff was treated by various agencies and the hospital versus the portrait painted in the movie, but understandable to a certain extent to keep the brut force of the plot moving. There are points in time where Woodruff is smuggling meds from Mexico, Japan and elsewhere with little trouble which just doesn’t make much sense. Plus the rise in popularity of his Dallas Buyers Club is not examined in much detail but just “happens” rather quickly. Leto is terrific in the role of Rayon, an AIDS ridden homosexual who teams up with Woodruff to spread the word of the buyers club. But his character pops in and out of the movie which, at least to me, didn’t add much to the film. The film packs some punch in the context of these events happening at the start of the HIV crisis and all of the uncertainties surrounding treatment. McConaughey is very good in the lead role but aside from he and Leto, much of the other acting is lost in the soup. Some of the hospital scenes are reminiscent of daytime soap operas with patients wandering freely into doctors offices or just up and leaving the place. This is a powerful story shot in a pseudo-documentary way, unfortunately MWRWMDMR was a bit disappointed in the final product. Only wish it hadn’t strayed so far from the real story.  Not a bad quarantine viewing but don’t get all hyped despite the Academy Awards dished our to a McConaughey and Leto. MWRWMDMR gives “Dallas Buyers Club”
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #58: “The Lovebirds.”

Looked like a worthy MWRWMDMR candidate so took a flyer on this Netflix romantic/crime/comedy. It didn’t disappoint continuing the string of good post- intermission viewings and not to be misconstrued as a softening of critique on my part. “The Lovebirds” is led by two folks I’ve never heard Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani. In fairness, they’ve probably never heard of MWRWMDMR either. In any case, this “in the wrong place and the wrong time” production is quick moving, has (mild) suspense and overall is funny. Rae and Nanjiani are very good being comedic while not going way over the top. The 90 minutes flew by given the continuous plot twists and turns. Classify this one under “enjoyable.” A good quarantine viewing. MWRWMDMR gives “The Lovebirds” ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #57. “Molly’s Game.”

The real life story of Molly Bloom, a Olympic caliber skier who takes a different path from law school after a serious skiing injury. Post injury and prior to enrolling at law school, Molly decides to take some time to clear her head (and get away from an overbearing father) and she moves from Denver to LA where she gets involved with putting on a weekly high stakes poker game. One thing leads to another and Molly ends up in hot water with the Feds. Jessica Chastain is convincing in the lead as Molly and Idris Elba is excellent as her lawyer. The film is interesting despite Bloom’s refusal to “name names” (with the exception of 4 players exposed by another player). After a bit of research to find that some of the high profile card players at her table included Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Afleck, Toby Macquire and
A-Rod, the impact of the story rose to another level (earning an additional
1/2 ⭐️). MWRWMDMR’s daughters will be shocked to know that their once favorite Philadelphia Eagle Jeremy Bloom is Molly’s younger brother. Definitely worth a quarantine viewing. MWRWMDMR throws his cards on the table and gives “Molly’s Game”  ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #56. “The Highwaymen.”

This real life Bonnie & Clyde chase thriller focuses on the two ex-Texas Rangers who stalked and eventually (with others) killed the criminal duo. Kevin Costner plays renowned Texas lawman Frank Hamer who is brought out of retirement to put a stop to the vicious Bonnie & Clyde crime spree. Hamer recruits fellow ex-Texas Ranger Maney Gault portrayed by Woody Harrelson. The  gist of the film is based on the true story of Hamer and Gault hunting down  Bonnie & Clyde which has its riveting moments. There are a few scenes where artistic license outweighs factual events but not so much as to be detrimental to the movie. I can understand the difficulty of trying to jam the actual 3+ month manhunt into a two hour Netflix movie. There is little focus on Bonnie & Clyde throughout but a few powerful scenes do depict their incredible brutality towards police and their unimaginable popularity in time period pop culture. MWRWMDMR enjoyed the suspense of Hamer and Gault tracking B & C as they try to outwit the criminals and anticipate their next move. Costner and Harrelson are good in their co-lead roles but the script does take them astray at times with the aforementioned artistic license.  This is a very good crime drama and worthy of a quarantine viewing. MWRWMDMR gives “The Highwaymen”
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #55. “The Wrong Missy.”

A Netflix comedy starring David Spade (Tim) and Lauren Lapkus (Missy). Tim is bucking for a promotion as his company goes through a merger. A corporate retreat in Hawaii is Tim’s one and only chance to impress the new boss man. Spouses/significant others are invited to the retreat and Tim inadvertently texts and invites the “wrong” Missy with whom he had a disastrous first date a few months earlier. I’m not sure where Lauren Lapkus has been hiding but she is so damn funny, the female version of Will Ferrell. Lapkus is totally the star of this flick which is a tough task given that Spade in the lead role is strong in his usual low key funny way. Rob Schneider makes an appearance as pleasure boat deckhand Komante and will make you laugh out loud. MWRWMDMR took a chance on this 90 minute comedy and it far exceeded any expectation. Check your brain at the door and you will laugh throughout the film. Good comic relief during this quarantine and well worth a viewing. MWRWMDMR gives “The Wrong Missy” ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #54. “The Irishman.”

Stepping outside of my comfort zone as typically the attention span doesn’t last more than at most two hours and fifteen minutes. “The Irishman” clocks in at 3.5 hours and this Martin Scorsese directed film is worth every minute. Leading big names include DeNiro, Pacino and Pesci, all of whom deliver magnificently. Film is based on the life of Frank Sheehan (played by Bobby D), a WWII veteran who takes a job driving a meat delivery truck after the war. Needing to kick up the income a notch, Frank begins to deal some of the wholesale meat intended for customers instead to a Philly mob honcho’s restaurant. Through a series of circumstances, Frank ends up becoming part of the Philly mob scene as the loyal “strong arm” for mob family head Russell Bufalino (Pesci). Much of the plot and action is centered around Pacino’s Jimmy Hoffa character (for those youngsters out there in MWRWMDMR land, Hoffa was the ruthless head of the Teamsters Union back in the late 50’s and 60’s who disappeared off the face of the earth in 1975) who brings on Frank as his personal bodyguard and they become close friends. Majority of the movie is filmed as a flashback with the opening sequence being Frank in a nursing home recounting his mob and personal life. Scorsese does a great job with these flashbacks so as not to slow the movie at all. Hearing only the “hype” surrounding the great cast and director, MWRWMDMR was pleasantly surprised this wasn’t a fictional film about the Irish mafia but instead a biographical account (how much is fact is open to discussion) of a man’s involvement in low level mob activities eventually leading to one of the more fascinating mysteries (Hoffa’s disappearance). Loved this film from start to finish. Story is on point; acting is superb; isn't unnecessarily violent or gory. A great quarantine viewing if you can invest the time. MWRWMDMR gives "The Irishman"
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #53. “The Campaign” starring Will Ferrell as incumbent Congressman Brady and Zak Galifianakis as unlikely congressional candidate Marty Huggins.

The film continues the string of strong comedies coming out of the MWRWMDMR self imposed intermission. It pushes the comedic buttons on underhanded and outrageous political campaigns (and candidates). Ferrell is in prime form as a long time, get nothing accomplished Congressman who believes that he will win the election by merely throwing his glove on the field. Galifianakis is the hysterically unaware small town guy that is thrust into the race by a pair of profit-hungry billionaires (I’m sure a swipe at the very real Koch brothers). There is mud-slinging by both candidates, Ferrell’s insatiable sexscapes, and win at all costs campaign managers. Wrapped this all up into a surprisingly funny yet probably not too far from the truth flick in the  bizarre world of American politics. A very good supporting cast includes Dan Aukroyd, John Lithgow, Dylan McDermott and Jason Sudeikis. There are
 sight -gags, innuendo and boneheaded political inner workings laughs filling the scenes. A very good quarantine viewing providing a barrel full of chuckles. MWRWMDMR gives "The Campaign "
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #52. “Best in Show.”

MWRWMDMR searched for a movie with a juicy, typically off script Fred Willard role in order to pay his respects to the comedic star. Loyal reader DM suggested “Best in Show” and the film came through to win the blue ribbon. Another Christopher Guest/Eugene Levy mockumentary, the plot comedically explores the bizarre world of dog shows. Levy (whose character Gerry has two left feet and buck teeth) and Catherine O’Hara (Gerry’s wife Cookie who has slept with half the men on the East coast) are brilliant as slumps with a pooch that has little chance to win. John Michael Higgins as the over the top city slicker (along with his partner Michael McKeon) is equally as brilliant in his role as Scott. Larry Miller as Max, the very unsuccessful hostage negotiator and an ex-lover of Cookie, steals a scene with his craziness.  But best in show for sure of this adlib extravaganza is Fred Willard as TV dog show host Buck. Fred is hysterically so off the path of the dog show with his deadpan comments that you will laugh out loud. The flick is funny throughout and probably not too far from reality when you look at some of the real world goings-on with these dog shows. MWRWMDMR will miss Fred as will many loyal readers. Definitely worth a quarantine viewing particularly if you need some cheering up. MWRWMDMR gives "Best in Show" ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #51.

“Couples Retreat.” The title reflects the plot of this comedy to a tee. One nutty couple, apparently who use PowerPoint in their friendly discussions, convince three of their (couple) friends to attend a resort that specializes in couples therapy. The zaniness starts from the opening scene and continues throughout. The start studded cast is terrific and the comedy is not overplayed (as sometimes happens with Vince Vaughn movies). A few zany characters working at the resort only add to the fun and festivities. A most refreshing start coming out of intermission for MWRWMDMR. You will enjoy this film, a very good quarantine viewing. Side note: RIP Fred Willard, comedy genius. MWRWMDMR gives "Couples Retreat "
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #50. “Guardians of the Galaxy.”

MWRWMDMR steps outside of the comfort zone with this one. Not being a fan of superhero films, this was a leap of faith and based on a recommendation from a loyal reader in Virginia. I won’t delve into the plot specifics as there are too many galactic names/places for me to keep up but you get the gist of it from the movie title. The movie is fun, full of good action, lively music and some lovingly snarky characters. Chris Pratt leads this intergalactic cast as Quill,  the on & off hero with the funky taste in music. For those who are into comic/superhero movies, Guardians should be a definite must see. Those not into such movies, it still might be a enjoyable viewing as it was for me. A good quarantine movie that is fun and easy to watch with a funky beat. MWRWMDMR gives “Guardians of the Galaxy”
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #49. “ The Big Lewbowski.”

Another Cohen brothers joint which is exactly what they must have been smoking when they wrote this movie. Thought this was a comedy but instead got a quagmire of Hollywood Insider innuendoes that I don’t understand. I can’t even begin to follow the main plot line as it’s all smoke to me. Thankfully John Goodman is actually funny in the supporting role to Jeff Bridges. The “Dude” (Bridges’ role) is a pot-smoking unemployed hippie that lives for getting high and bowling. He ends up in an unending series of misidentification, swindles, beatings and general misfortunes. This flick was a gutterball from the start. MWRWMDMR doesn’t smoke so perhaps that is why the point was missed. “The Big Lewbowski” is not worth picking up the TV remote  unless you are experiencing a buzz worthy of Cheech & Chong. Would rather have watched “Hunter Killer” again and we all know where that movie ended up on the review list. Not worthy of a quarantine viewing. John Goodman saves this from ZERO stars. MWRWMDMR gives “The Big Lewbowski “ 1/2 star.

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #48. “RBG.”

On the advice of loyal reader RS in San Francisco, MWRWMDMR switched things up a bit and viewed this documentary on Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The documentary touches on points from RBG’s birth through her current cult status on the highest court in the nation. Details include her struggles being amongst the first females attending Harvard Law, her devotion in helping her husband through law school while he was receiving cancer treatments (not to mention the care of their infant) and her journey fighting for equal rights for women and men. She was the first woman to present a case before the US Supreme Court including a landmark victory for men in receiving Social Security benefits should they be a widower with dependent children. The doc delves into RBG being appointed to the Supreme Court and unwittingly reaching cult status with many. I’m touching a few points of interest in this documentary as there are too many to delve into with any justice (no pun intended). Political or legal differences aside, RBG provides a good history lesson of her life and the many hurdles she overcame to achieve a position on the Supreme Court. The doc gets a bit slow here and there but overall a good quarantine viewing. MWRWMDMR gives RBG ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #47. “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.”

This Cold War era spy plot is an entangled web of espionage based upon the believe there is a Soviet “mole” within the high ranks of the British intelligence agency, MI6. Filled with snippets of clues and innuendo, achieved through current day and flashback (oh these damn flashbacks!) scenes requiring the viewer to put together all pieces of the spy puzzle. No clear good versus evil or world-threatening villain to track down. The action is calculated, muted and mildly sinister. MWRWMDMR has not read the
John Le Carre book but perhaps that would have helped better connect the dots. The film required too much brainpower to dissect the nuances of the story particularly with my current quarantined state of mind. Perhaps in time with a better frame of mind or after reading the book this film would make more sense. Gary Oldman was fantastic in the George Smiley role and the supporting cast were very good so no disappointment on that front. Just too many damn flashbacks and too many sand particles in piecing together the castle for my taste. Unless you have a clear and vibrant mind at the moment, this is not a good quarantine viewing. Perhaps another time. MWRWMDMR gives “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” ⭐️ ⭐️

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #46. “Saving Mr. Banks.”

Sing along with MWRWMDMR as we honor Mary Poppins....just a spoon full of sugar makes the medicine go down, the medicine go down, the medicine go down. Unfortunately....it would take a shovel full of medicine to make this movie palatable. Emma Thompson and Tom Hanks star in what could have been a revealing story of Walt Disney ( Hanks) and his many attempts spanning over 20 years to obtain the film rights to “Mary Poppins” from author P.L. Travers ( Thompson) who is reluctant, to say the least, to sign over the rights. In 1961, Travers finally acquiesces (as she is going broke) and agrees to meet with Disney and his film development team before signing. Amidst a plethora of flashbacks (not fan of flashbacks!) Travers works with Disney’s team but makes every day miserable as she wants total control over the film before she will agree to signing over said rights. These flashbacks take us to her youth and the troubles her family endured in rural Australia. Obviously Travers finally signs over the rights to the powerful and convincing Disney but it wasn’t easy for ole’ Walt. Though based on a true story, the film is filled with “creative license” and I couldn’t tell you how close it is to the actual events. Does Disney actually follow Travers back to England and convince her to sign over the rights (with a Mickey Mouse doll present)? I understand the insinuation that Travers’ difficult childhood played a big part in developing the characters for Mary Poppins but it doesn’t help save the movie. Too much bouncing back and forth to Travers’ flashbacks which ground the progression of the movie to a standstill each time. Hanks is convincing as Walt Disney and Emma Thompson is a good choice as the stubborn Travers although neither performance make the medicine go down any easier in this flick. Not much of a quarantine viewing unless you are a super fan of the Mary Poppins books. MWRWMDMR gives “Saving Mr. Banks” ⭐️ ⭐️

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #45. “Serpico.”

The true story of NYC police officer Frank Serpico set in the 1960’s and early 70’s. Al Pacino stars as Serpico. The NYPD is fraught with corruption and political coverups. Serpico is vocal about not taking bribe money but his superiors crush his attempts to have the illegal activities investigated. His fellow officers don’t trust him and make no secret of that distrust. For those of us older folks who lived through these times in NY, the mayor’s indifference and maintaining the status quo in an effort to retain office bring back memories of ugly times that lasted through the 70's. Having read the book many years ago, I was anxious to see the movie. It does hold true to events of Serpico's experiences (at an accelerated pace to fit into 2 hours). Pacino is spot-on as Serpico and the storyline is compelling.  If you want to take a look at the underbelly of an ugly time in the history of New York City, “Serpico” is the movie to see. A very good quarantine viewing. MWRWMDMR gives "Serpico" ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #44.  “Baby Mama.”

Tina Fey (Kate) and Amy Poehler (Angie) lead a very good cast in this one-liner filled comedy. Kate is a single, career oriented 37 year old infertile woman who longs for being a mom. Kate tried adoption but is told there is at least a five year wait so she turns to the surrogate route. Angie is a streetwise girl living a confused, doesn’t want to face adulthood life who now wants to make a few quick bucks. The two get connected through a surrogate agency and the offensive Angie ends up moving in with Kate. I won’t delve further into the plot which despite being somewhat predictable, it does unfold nicely. “Baby Mama” is funny from start to finish. You won’t split your side from laughter, but the visual gags and one-liners are very funny. A terrific supporting cast, including the understated but hysterical Steve Martin, Sigourney Weaver and Dax Shepard fill out the comedic portrait. Martin is especially brilliant in the role of Kate’s boss Barry. The movie is funny, well acted and paced perfectly. He A very good quarantine viewing with laughs and a nicely tied knot to conclude the movie. MWRWMDMR give “Baby Mama” ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #43. “Uncut Gems.”

I will admit to not being a fan of Adam Sandler and  his typical 13 year old sounding dopey characters. As the lead in “Uncut Gems,” Sandler actually impresses as a NYC high rolling jeweler to rappers and athletes. Sandler’s Howie is a wheeler dealer but usually ends up on the losing end of bets keeping him racing in a  roulette wheel of heavy debt to a number of, shall we say, undesirables. Howie keeps an apartment in Manhattan where his girlfriend is stashed while his marriage is falling apart on Long Island.  He envisions all problems will be solved once a rare uncut opal arrives in his store from Ethiopia which might fetch a million dollars at auction. The plan derails at high speed keeping Howie juggling his excuses to keep the loan sharks (and others) off his fragile back. The ending is unexpected but not shocking. MWRWMDMR has one word for this flick: EXHAUSTING. From the git-go there is nonstop chaos, deception and enough gutter language to make a longshoreman blush. Not that I’m offended by the language but it just never stops. Sandler is uncharacteristically convincing in the lead but the supporting cast is relatively vacant of depth. The warp speed of the film has me worn out. Heard good things about this flick but found it to lacking any foundation of a believable story. It’s not  meant to be a comedy so don’t come looking for laughs. If you are a Sandler fan, this might be worth a quarantine viewing,  otherwise take a pass. MWRWMDMR gives “Uncut Gems” ⭐️ ⭐️

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #42. “Pale Rider” starring Clint Eastwood.

This 1985 Western gold prospecting film is classic Clint. Down from the hills, Clint (as Preacher) quietly appears on horseback to save the day for small gold prospectors who are being pushed off their claim by big time landowner and politically connected Coy LaHood (Richard Dysart of L.A. Law fame). Clint demonstrates his usual ass kicking skills and various do-goods while the ladies swoon over him. I suspect there are some religious undertones to the whole “Pale Rider” movie theme with Preacher perhaps viewed by the bad dudes as a ghost of death. Maybe MWRWMDMR is reading too much into it and this is simply “Dirty Harry” in a cowboy outfit riding around on a pale colored horse. In any case, the film gallops along at a medium pace with no surprises as to who is coming out in top in the end. Not a classic Western, but it’s OK if you need to see Clint bust a cap or two during this quarantine. MWRWMDMR gives “Pale Rider”
⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #41.“Darkest Hour."

Wow.....a great movie! Time: May, 1940. Britain is up against the advancing Nazi Wehrmacht that have all but decimated Western Europe and on the verge of reaching France’s coast of the English Channel. Neville Chamberlain, British Prime Minister, resigns under pressure and Winston Churchill succeeds him. The aggressive Churchill takes leadership over a nation  faced with their army being annihilated on the beaches of Dunkirk and a likely invasion from Hitler's advancing military. At a pivotal point in WWII, Churchill refuses to negotiate with the Nazi regime under the assumption that Hitler would not abide by any negotiated peace agreement. The previously MWRWMDMR reviewed “Dunkirk” should be a prerequisite to viewing “Darkest Hour” as it depicts in greater detail the British military’s predicament confronting Churchill.  Gary Oldman portrays Churchill and is terrific in that lead role. The movie is primarily focused on the Churchill character with little deviation making it that much more riveting.  Relatively close to the actual events but I will leave the inaccuracies to be identified by loyal reader E.A.K. Jr. A great quarantine movie and better history lesson. A must see. MWRWMDMR gives “Darkest Hour”
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #40. “Mr. Right.”

I suspect this 2015 film would be classified as a romantic comedy but in a scattered buckshot kind of way. As if James Bond, Inspector Clouseau and Steven Seagal were jammed into a blender and this movie was the resulting concoction. Sam Rockwell plays Francis, an assassin who now kills those who hire him. Anna Kendrick plays Martha, a scorned girl in New Orleans who just witnessed her boyfriend bring home another woman. They hookup and the adventure hits overdrive.  MWRWMDMR found the flick to be absurdly entertaining if that makes sense and made it easily through the 90 minutes without difficulty (or complaining). Some of the action scenes were “out there” but yet somewhat humorous. Rockwell and Kendrick both do a good job and are fun in the lead roles. The script is a bit all over the map but the story/action move along quickly which kept my limited attention.  RZA appears as hired a assassin turned pal for all of you Wu Tang Clan fans out there. A so-so quarantine viewing if some mindless action flick is needed. MWRWMDMR gives “Mr. Right” ⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #39. “Bridge of Spies.”

Tom Hanks is masterful as NYC insurance lawyer James Donovan who is asked to represent a Soviet spy arrested by the CIA during the late 1950’s Cold War. Donovan defends the spy, Rudolf Abel (portrayed by Mark Rylance), not only against the charges but while facing the wrath of many for representing Abel during the height of the Cold War. Abel is convicted but Donovan convinces the judge to spare him the death sentence. Gary Powers, a US Air Force pilot, is shot down over the Soviet Union while taking photographs in the famous U-2 spy plane incident (circa 1960). He is sentenced to prison and subjected to torture in an effort by the Soviets to get information. Somewhere in that same timeline, a grad student from Yale studying in Germany was arrested by the East Germans and held captive. Much of the movie focuses on the Abel spy trial. The real punch of the plot is how Donovan defends Abel and then (a few years later) his skillful negotiating the exchange of “prisoners” with the US, Soviets and the East Germans (involving Abel, Powers and Pryor). Steven Spielberg directed this fine movie and Hanks is fantastic as Donovan. The film is generally on point historically with the major inaccuracies being the compressed timeline of events (somewhat understandable for the movie) and the fact that there is no mention of Donovan’s prior work as counsel in a government intelligence agency. The film is gripping, moves steadily ahead and stays close to the actual events. A very good quarantine viewing. MWRWMDMR negotiates a rating for "Bridge of Spies" of
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #38. “The Pink Panther Strikes Again."

MWRWMDMR needed a mindless comedy on this April 37th to give the brain a break from the pandemic and constant news bombardment. Turned to the always dependable Inspector Clousesu for some pratfalls, oblivious escapes from death and inadvertent “sol-ved” of the sinister crime. No Pink Panther diamond to be recovered such as the other films in this franchise, but still plenty of evil deeds for Clouseau to bumble. The plot for this laugh-fest has the former Chief Inspector Dreyfus escaping from a mental institution where he has been held for attempting to kill Clouseau. The hijinks kick into high gear as Dreyfus kidnaps a British scientist who has invented a doomsday machine and forces world powers to send assassins to kill Clouseau. Clouseau is typically hysterical in his utter ineptitude while thinking he is as cool as James Bond in his trek to rescue the scientist from Dreyfus’ grasp. This film has several classic moviedom quotes that last a lifetime (remember the “does your dog bite?” exchange with the hotel clerk). Peter Sellers is great, as always, in the bumbling and stumbling Clouseau role.  Herbert Lom is good as former Chief Inspector Dreyfus; Burt Kwouk is great a Clouseau’s manservant Cato. Special cameo from the ever-suave Omar Shariff as one of the assassins. The Henry Mancini musical score is terrific and even Tom Jones provides a song. What more can one ask? A good, dependable laugh which makes this film a perfect fit for a quarantine viewing. MWRWMDMR gives "The Pink Panther Strikes Again"
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2.

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #37. “Ted.”

Seth MacFarlane’s talking teddy bear bro-mance comedy from 2012.  Marky Mark stars as a 35 year old sometime stoner who is still attached at the hip to his childhood talking teddy bear, Ted. Wahlberg’s character John has been dating a successful woman (Lori, played by Mila Kunis) for 4 years but can’t make the marriage commitment partly because he’s so attached to Ted. In addition to collaborating on the screenplay, MacFarlane is the voice of Ted and does so with his “Family Guy” innocent street humor and political incorrectness.  The plot concept is catchy and there are parts of the film which are rather funny with love triumphant in the end. The teddy bear is at times hysterical, reminiscent of Danny DeVito’s boozing, drug-taking, womanizing and foul mouthed character on “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” An appearance by “Flash Gordon “ himself Sam Jones is a brilliant comedic scene. Wahlberg and Kunis are very good as the human leads while talking teddy bear Ted (understandably) steals the movie. Joel McHale is excellent as the Lori's creepy boss. Not a classic comedy by any stretch of the imagination, but an OK quarantine movie. Might help to loosen up with a glass of wine or a cocktail during the viewing. MWRWMDMR gives "Ted" ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #36. “JoJo Rabbit.”

This dark comedy examines a  snippet of time in the life of a 10 year old boy in Nazi Germany during the final days of World War II.  The screenplay is written by Taika Waititi who takes the viewer on a rollercoaster ride of comedic high swipes at Hitler and hate-filled Nazi party then crashing towards the ground lows depicting the ugly reality of war. Obvious references to Hitler’s (and other Nazi party members) drug use, paranoia, gang mentality and homosexuality are weaved throughout the film. Most of those references are made with a chuckle from the viewer but the point is made as to the very real evil of Hitler and his loyalists. The plot centers on Jojo, a 10 year old boy who is gung-ho to join a faction of the Hitler youth. Jojo’s imaginary friend is Adolf Hitler who continually encourages the young boy to fight for the fatherland while also asking Jojo for hugs and if the kid wants a cigarette. Jojo’s mom is a proponent of peace and not sympathetic towards the Nazi party. Additionally, the mom is hiding a Jewish girl in her house and all of this tears at the soul of young Jojo. The rollercoaster continues with several sharp twists and turns in the plot, some of which may make you chuckle while others are serious and brutal views of the pain of war. The film touches on the very real desperation of Hitler particularly during the scene where the Allies are taking control of Jojo’s town while the clearly outmanned and overmatched German soldiers turn to old men, women and the Hitler Youth to help defend against the attack. Waititi (who portrays Hitler as the imaginary friend) focuses much his screenplay on the relationship between Nazi wannabe Jojo and Elsa, the Jewish girl hiding in the house. The film has a few chuckles but does make you think about how such a maniac can stir such blind loyalty from a nation. MWRWMDMR isn’t a big fan of the dark comedy genre of movies however“JoJo Rabbit” is decent. Caution of a few slow interludes in the script but not a bad quarantine viewing (although I don’t get all of the accolades the film received last year). MWRWMDMR gives "JoJo Rabbit" ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #35.

“The In-Laws” starring Peter Falk and Alan Arkin. This zany comedy has reckless Vince Ricardo’s (Falk)  son preparing to marry the daughter of straight laced Manhattan dentist Sheldon Kompett (Arkin). They future in laws finally meet at the Kompett home for dinner a few days before the wedding. Vince is all over the emotional map and telling bizarro-world stories during the dinner causing Sheldon to push his daughter to call off the wedding. She refuses and Sheldon reluctantly agrees to give Vince the benefit of the doubt. The next day Vince shows up at Sheldon’s crowded dental office and convinces him to leave the office for five minutes as he needs a quick favor. The wacky adventure bursts ahead at that point as Sheldon is thrust into Vince’s high octane world of espionage and intercontinental intrigue.  Falk is magnificent as the reckless, quick thinking, street-wise Vince Ricardo with sharp comedic timing. Comedy icon Arkin is perfect playing the ying to Falk’s yang. Arkin’s deadpan comedy is opposite of Falk’s but they skillfully make those traits complimentary in this movie. MWRWMDMR laughed and laughed at the zany dictator General Garcia played by Richard Libertini. Look him up, you’ll know his face. General Garcia is so wacky that his trusted political advisor is his own hand puppet. The “serpentine, serpintine!” scene is likewise laugh out loud. A very funny quarantine movie. MWRWMDMR gives “The In-Laws” ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #34. “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.”

The 1969 James Bond franchise entry and the first without the true 007, Sean Connery. Apparently after a squabble over money and a bit bored with the character, Connery stepped aside and George Lazenby arrived for his first and only Bond. No surprise plot here as Bond sets off to the Swiss Alps to foil SPECTRE chief Ernst Blofeld’s plan of bacteriological attacks across the world. There are several love interests, as always, but Bond finally takes a wife in this entry.  As I understand it, there are those Bond fans who consider “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” one of the better films in the 007 franchise as it mirrors  Ian Fleming’s novel more than most entries. Haven’t read any of the Fleming novels,  keeping me entertained for 90 minutes is my only barometer. No Bond aficionado on this sofa, but from the MWRWMDMR vantage point the early Connery/Bond films are best of the series. I will leave the ranking and/or comments as to the entire Bond franchise films to loyal reader and Bond authority "MT." Lazenby was disappointing and perhaps a tad boring but thankfully not an over the top caricature of Bond (as some of the later versions became). Telly Savalas of Kojak fame (those under 50 will have to GOOGLE that reference) was actually quite good in the Blofeld role outside of the quirky ski and bobsled scenes. Just an observation; chuckled at the thought of this film being released today and the uproar created given all of the politically incorrect occurrences strewn throughout the film, some evident and some not so evident. The film is decent but not up to expectations. Music is good, some very cool late 60’s cars and the Swiss Alps backdrops are spectacular. Don’t go out of your way for this one. MWRWMDMR gives “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” ⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #33. “Midnight Run.”

Bobby D (De Niro and MWRWMDMR are on a first name basis) and Charles Grodin star in this comedic chess game. De Niro’s character (Jack Walsh) is a disenfranchised former Chicago cop now freelancing as a small time bounty hunter in LA. Walsh is tasked a big time job in locating and returning fugitive Jonathan Mardukas, aka “The Duke” (Charles Grodin) back to LA. “The Duke” is an accountant who stole over $15m plus inside secrets from mob boss Jimmy Serrano (Dennis Farina) and has been on the lamb for years. The F.B. I., the mob, other bounty hunters and various police  are involved in a cross country chase as Walsh is trying to bring back “The Duke” and collect his once in a lifetime large bounty. “Midnight Run” is  akin to “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” given the comedic theme of a long journey with many hurdles and hiccups along the way between drastically different but yet oddly similar lead characters.
De Niro's portrayal of Walsh is brilliantly uncontrolled and hysterically funny while keeping a rough edge reminiscent of his “Goodfellas” effort. Grodin is terrific in the typical Grodin-like unemotional way while being understatedly witty. The film is evenly paced, clever and kept me trying to guess the next chess move. De Niro’s brilliance alone is worth a quarantine viewing. MWRWMDMR gives “Midnight Run”
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #32. “Dinner for Schmucks.”

This 2010 comedy stars funny men Steve Carell and Paul Rudd as the main characters. Did not know until I checked the spelling of “schmucks” on GOOGLE that this is a remake of the French film "Le Diner de Cons.” One loyal MWRWMDMR reader has (likely ) seen the French version and would be the only person to rate the remake versus original. So I’ll stick to rating the remake. Rudd, as Tim, works as a hedge fund analyst trying to climb the corporate ladder. Tim is invited by the pompous company CEO to a dinner party where  execs bring only a “schmuck” as their guest. The exec who brings the most outrageous knucklehead to the dinner is deemed the winner and apparently gains favor with said CEO. Carell, playing Barry, is the schmuck who Tim accidentally runs into a few days before the dinner. Tim, having just struck schmuck golf with this chance encounter,  invites Barry to join him for the event. Then it’s “game on” as the shenanigans kick into high gear. Barry is completely oblivious as to how inadvertently annoying, intrusive and naive he can be (all at the same instant). Of course there is a love interest for Tim (Julie played by Stephanie Szostak) who is mortified by the notion of such a dinner for schmucks. Barry showing up the day before the dinner at Tim’s apartment only make matters worse. The movie has laughs throughout with Carell and Rudd delivering scene after scene of straight-faced comedy. I can only imagine the outtakes being filled with these two cracking each other up.  Many laugh out loud moments with Zach Galifianakis and Jemaine Clement piling on the insanity. A very good quarantine movie if you could use a few laughs. MWRWMDMR gives “Dinner for Schmucks “ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2.

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #31. “3:10 to Yuma,” the original from 1957 with Glenn Ford and Van Heflin.

Inspired by a recommendation from a new reader and the fact that Ted spent the better part of his weekend watching black & white movies, MWRWMDMR rolled out the 3:10 to Yuma (not to be confused with the remake from 2007). This classic black & white Western is full of energy and suspense from the opening stagecoach robbery scene in a very dusty and rural late 1800’s Arizona.  Suave outlaw  (Glenn Ford) leads his men on that robbery and eventually into town where he ends up being arrested (after bedding the barmaid of the local saloon—hence the “suave outlaw” comment). The good guy, played by Van Heflin (no relation to the band Van Halen for you youngsters out there), is tasked with transporting  the prisoner using some trickery and guile to another town whilst avoiding the other outlaw gang members who want to free their leader. The "3:10 to Yuma" title references a scheduled train that Heflin is to put Ford onto in getting the outlaw to a more secure jail in Yuma. Lots of back and forth between the main characters with heightened suspense as the gang reappear to free the boss man. The underlying music is typical of the old Western movies. Crescendoing high notes when the good guys appear and low note suspense-type music for those varmint Outlaws. A good quarantine viewing with action, suspense and the usual 50’s Western cheekiness love storylines.  MWRWMDMR gives the “3:10 to Yuma”
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #30. “Shawshank Redemption” starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman.

MWRWMDMR was holding this film in reserve when a night-off from movie viewing was necessary for the purposes of sanity. Having seen Shawshank before and again earlier during this quarantine not to mention after a few early beers yesterday, now is the time to roll it out for review. Most if not all have probably seen the movie as it has frequently been on TV over the past 20+ years so I won’t go into the scope of the plot. The movie from the start to finish is well done. Kept me glued to the screen and that is a tough task as I have the attention span of a gnat. Plot twists and turns coupled with a storyline of the hypocrisy in those running the prison breathe constant life into and throughout the movie. Robbins and Freeman are at the top of their acting game adding to the “wow” factor of the film. I can’t say if the movie mirrors the book not having read it. The movie is terrific. For the first time this quarantine season, a perfect score is achieved! MWRWMDMR gives Shawshank Redemption ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #29. “Senna,” a documentary of the Formula 1 auto racing career of Brazilian Ayrton Senna.

Arguably one of the greatest and most charismatic F1 drivers ever to have donned a helmet. This documentary is very much aligned with what MWRWMDMR prefers in a dramatic film. True story, no director additions or subtractions to the truth and no ridiculous coincidences attempting to enhance or influence. “Senna” sticks to the facts and only the facts. Allows the viewer to contemplate those facts and draw their own conclusions or simply absorb the story. Many loyal readers will have no idea as to is Ayrton Senna nor care about auto racing in general let alone Formula 1. For those who fall into that category, this documentary may not be your cup of tea. But for those who are somewhat familiar with worldwide (albeit outside of the USA) popularity of F1, this film may open your eyes to events and personalities that have formed current day F1.  Real racing footage taken from Senna’s car camera through many races in his illustrious career are interjected and put the viewer in the driver’s seat. Senna’s fight for safer race cars and tracks is examined. His relationship with one time teammate and four time world champion Frenchman Alain Prost is an intriguing part of the documentary. Perceived or real bias against Senna by Frenchman Jean-Marie Balestre (President of F1 governing body FISA) is examined (read between the lines here....Frenchman is President of the governing body; Frenchman Prost is a leading driver). Not a documentary to lift your spirits during this quarantine but one that is truly informative and riveting from start to finish. My only caution; if you have ZERO interest in auto racing, you may find “Senna” to be nothing more than an elongated news story. MWRWMDMR gives the documentary "Senna” ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #28. “Fletch” starring Chevy Chase back in his glory days of comedy and fame.

Fletch is a newspaper reporter working undercover on the beaches outside of LA in pursuit of exposing the drug trade problem. While undercover, Fletch is approached by a wealthy man (played by Tim Matheson of Animal House fame) who claims he has bone cancer and offers Fletch a large sum (for 1985) of money to murder him in a few days so his family will receive a boatload of insurance money. Fletch smells a rat but accepts the offer and triggers his newspaper reporter instincts to get to the bottom of the strange request. Reminiscent of “Beverly Hills Cop," this flick is comedic, fast paced, identical musically, action packed and has a decent storyline. Like the Eddie Murphy character in BH Cop, Chase brings his dry and quick thinking comedy excellence to the Fletch character. The movie has a number of twists and turns which intertwine Fletch’s investigation into the drug trade with the request that he murder the Matheson character. Good fun from start to finish with a few laugh out loud moments. The film demonstrates the comedy chops of Chase that made him famous back in his Saturday Night Live days. A good relief and well worth a quarantine viewing for a few laughs. MWRWMDMR gives Fletch ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #27. “Julie & Julia.” Starring Meryl Streep as Julia Child and Amy Adams as food blogger Julie Powell.

Misguidedly went into the movie assuming this would be Julia Child doing her famous TV cooking show while an amateur cook starts to follow recipes and ends up a wunderkind chef. Was I wrong but not in a bad way. The film is essentially two separate time periods and lives that interconnect somewhere in the parallel as the movie progresses. Streep portrays Child flawlessly in the late 1940’s early 1950’s in France (and other cities/countries) with her husband who is stationed there as part of his US diplomatic job. Child has no employable skills and is bored. After trying several hobbies to occupy her time (making hats for example), she starts cooking lessons. Completely opposite from my preconceived notion that she was raised in a cooking family. In any case, she works her way through French cooking school. Fast forward to a few years later and a thrilled  Julia gets a copy of her own cookbook which has taken years to develop, write and get widespread publishing. Lots of areas in the movie not mentioned here which give great insight to the real Julia Child albeit with little mention of her TV career. The Julie Powell character is strapped into a job in NYC which she dislikes in 2002 timeframe. A frustrated writer who never seems to finish anything she starts, Julie commits to cooking every recipe in Child’s “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” in 1 year just to prove she can complete a tough task. All 500+ recipes. Each day she writes a blog and for months this drags on with continued distain for her job and some angst with her husband due to the commitment to her new goal. Eventually the blog becomes popular and I’ll leave it at that so as not to ruin the ending. Both lives are examined with some depth and add that to the fine acting the sum of these parts lead to an interesting and entertaining movie. A definite “yes” on the quarantine viewing list. MWRWMDMR gives “Julie and Julia” ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #26. “American Pie.”

Looking for a little levity during this quarantine, MWRWMDMR turned to what has been widely accepted as a comic entering adulthood romp. American Pie doesn’t disappoint. Four high school seniors make a pact to lose their virginity no later than the quickly approaching senior prom. Their antics in trying to complete the goal are funny while not being over the top ridiculous throughout the movie. Second City veteran Eugene Levy along with Alyson Hannigan are especially funny while Jason Biggs in the lead role is steady. As expected, some of the laughs are sophomoric but overall the movie is a good quarantine watch, especially with a cold beer or glass of wine. If need be, several cold beers or a 1/2 bottle of wine work too. MWRWMDMR gives American Pie ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #25. “Hot Tub Time Machine.”

John Cusack stars in what could best be described as a “Back to the Future” genre film with not as good a storyline. Three down on their luck guys decide they need to rehash a  weekend blast at a ski resort reminiscent of a good time had 2 decades earlier as seniors in high school.  They drag along Cusack’s 20 year old loser nephew and off they drive to the resort. Only to find the once fabulous and partying town to be all but shuttered and the resort a mere shell of itself (think of the Pocono’s circa 1990). The boys decide to stay and drink their troubles into oblivion, ultimately ending up in the hot tub. Cue the “Back to the Future” light and sound effects tossing them back those 20 years smack into the very night they were partying at the same lodge in 1986. As in BTTF, the boys can’t change any of the occurrences from that evening in 1986 or it will impact their future lives. Or will they tempt fate? Chevy Chase plays the lodge janitor responsible for the hot tub maintenance and is rather funny in his typical understated way. Crispin Glover appears in a funny role as the lodge bellhop and perhaps as homage from the director to BTTF (remember George McFly??). The film has a few laughs throughout and keeps moving along the storyline with minimal dead zones. There are a few loyal readers who are into the 80’s rocking & rolling hair-bands (you know who you are) so the music will bring  back those good ole’ days. Won’t knock your socks off with comedy but is OK for a quarantine viewing. MWRWMDMR gives “Hot Tub Time Machine”
⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2.

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #24.”The Talented Mr. Ripley” starring Matt Damon, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Blanchett.

Viewed this film with anticipation of it being an edge of the seat thriller given the hype and cast lineup. What I got instead was a lackluster saga about a bathroom attendant sociopath, Mr. Ripley played by Damon, who wants to live a life of the rich and famous that he encounters everyday at his job. Mr. Ripley has other talents such as playing piano, singing and lying out of both sides of his mouth. He encounters a super rich shipbuilder who sends him off to Italy in hopes of bringing the playboy (and trust fund spending) son back to the US. Along the way Ripley encounters various characters in the story with whom he perpetuates the storyline of being wealthy living the good life in coastal Italy. The lying, conniving and identity theft continues as the movie drags forward with several coincidental path crossings with characters who are so dense they can’t figure out they are being bamboozled by Mr. Ripley.  Damon’s portrayal of Mr. Ripley is rather uninspired. Jude Law as the playboy son is good in the role. Gwyneth (MWRWMDMR is on a first name basis with her) is rather ho-hum until the last scene and Blanchett’s character iseemingly appears out of nowhere in Europe wherever Ripley happens to be. There are many scenes where Italian is spoken and with no subtitles to translate I was a little lost (perhaps need to watch the movie with my Italian daughter-in-law to translate for me). Story gets a little to outrageous when the billionaire father and a private investigator come to Italy but I won’t go any further into the plot so as not to be a spoiler. The film isn’t a complete disaster but rather a disappointment.  If you are a Matt Damon fan then perhaps you might want to do a quarantine viewing but otherwise nothing to go out of your way to watch.  MWRWMDMR gives “The Talented Mr. Ripley” ⭐️ 1/2.

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #23. "Dunkirk" starring people no one has ever heard of unless you like the boy band "One Direction."

The movie portrays a true event from World War II where British, along with other Allied troops, are surrounded in the port city of Dunkirk, France and are being evacuated to England. Instead of looking at the entire event, which would be overwhelming in a 90 minute span, the director takes the storyline of 3 participants. A young foot soldier on his own trying to escape Dunkirk; an RAF fighter pilot providing vital air coverage against the Luftwaffe in and around Dunkirk; and a citizen boat captain who has been requisitioned by the Royal Navy to take his small fishing boat to Dunkirk to assist with the evacuation. The movie has a few powerful, riveting moments but ultimately falls a little short in portraying the magnitude of the actual event. The overwhelmingly force of the Luftwaffe and Nazi Panzer tank divisions pushing the Allied troops into a pocket of Dunkirk and eventual decision to halt that "push" is never explored despite it being critical to the eventual evacuation of 325,000+ troops in a little over a week in late May and early June of 1940. Likewise the response of the RAF to the Nazi attack at Dunkirk is portrayed as being very limited when it was more substantial (and arguably led to halting the offensive by the Germans). The civilian boat flotilla sent to rescue troops is portrayed as being effective but doesn't show the huge numbers (said to be over 800) who volunteered themselves and their vessels. I understand the difficulty in trying to accurately portray the voluminous action on both the Allied and Nazi sides of the battle but with all of the computer enhancements available, the director missed an opportunity to at least delve into it a tad. The film will keep your attention if action and real-feel war battles is your thing as the director does a good job in that department. The dialogue is kept to a minimum allowing the action to speak for itself which was welcomed by this viewer. If you're in a good quarantine state of mind and/or not in the mood for a comedy, Dunkirk is worth a viewing. MWRWMDMR gives Dunkirk a commendable
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #22. "Limitless," starring Bradley Cooper and Robert DeNiro.

Thought this might be a good choice for a quarantine viewing given the strong leading roles in addition to  inspiration from having watched the "Flowers for Charlie" (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) episode earlier in the day which has a scantily similar theme. Plot synopsis; Cooper lives in a dump apartment in lower Manhattan playing an uninspired author trying to get started on his book. For what seems to be years, he can't find inspiration and life is further stepped on when the girlfriend calls things off. Miraculously on the day of said girlfriend leaving, Cooper runs into his ex-brother in law on the street. After Cooper describes his lousy situation, he gets a pill from the ex-brother in law and suddenly has super brain power including uncanny memory and incredible intellect. The catch; the pill effectiveness lasts only 24 hours. Needless to say the film spins into many different directions as Cooper relentlessly searches for more pills while creating a whole new life as a Wall Street wunderkind. DeNiro plays a polished Wall Street veteran who is revered and intimidating. The two get together and plot a corporate merger of gigantic proportion. Unfortunately, the movie writers interject different characters and storylines that take the film off track causing MWRWMDMR to lose focus given the unimportant sidebars. Cooper is mediocre in the lead role as he fails to overcome the bouncing script with his character becoming annoyingly paranoid and predictable. DeNiro is almost completely invisible which is shocking given his big name and star power. Frankly, I wish that Cooper's "American Sniper" character had put a bullet into "Limitless" before it got out of the editor's room. Some of you may enjoy the catchy filmography and overstated yet predictable suspense which dots the movie. MWRWMDMR is not impressed and gives "Limitless" a very limited ⭐️ 1/2.

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review # 21. "Forgetting Sarah Marshall."

Written by and starring Jason Segel. After enjoying "Get Him to the Greek" with the hilarious Aldous Snow rocker character, MWRWMDMR thought it might be fun to see where that zany act first appeared in film and hence the movie selection for last evening with Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Segal plays an uninspired TV soundtrack musician who happens to be dating the star of a hit TV show (played by Kristen Bell). Bell calls-off the relationship which sends Segal into the abyss of self-pity and hopelessness. Trying to get out of the funk, Segal runs through a string of one night stands with any woman he can talk into sleeping with him. This roulette of women doesn't break the funk so it's off to Hawaii (at the advice of Bill Harder as the step brother character) where Segal runs into his ex and her new beau, our rock & roll friend Aldous Snow. Russell Brand plays a rather subdued Snow (no booze or drugs but still sex-crazy) compared to Get Him to the Greek but is still very funny. Segal meets a number of folks working at the hotel in Hawaii who eventually work him out of his constant weeping and self loathing. A love interest is found (Mila Kunis) and things start to turn. I'll not spoil the ending which puts a nice icing on the cake of this story. There are moments of laugh out loud comedy and others where one-liners poking fun at the CSI genre of TV shows (as Bell plays a character on such a show) may make you chuckle. A very good cast ensure this comedy is consistently fun throughout. Music is good too with Aldous Snow playing a few songs along the way and Segal's finale of the movie. Worth a quarantine viewing. MWRWMDMR gives it a solid ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #20. "Get Him to the Greek."

This rock & roll comedy stars Russell Brand, Jonah Hill and P. Diddy ( or Sean Combs or Puffy or whatever he is calling himself these days). All are very good in their zany roles. Hill is tasked by his record mogul boss (P.Diddy) to bring a somewhat has-been, fallen off the wagon big time rock & roller (Brand) from England to LA for a once in a lifetime concert to try and resurrect his record company. That's where the fun begins. The laughs are essentially from Brand's zany sex, drugs and rock & roll lifestyle into which he devours a previously straight-laced Hill. Underlying relationship sagas are sewn into the plot between Brand and his family (ex-wife, child, mother and father) plus the angst this adventure brews between Hill and his fiancé. The relationship between Brand and Hill during the crazy journey fluctuates more than the current stock market. Get Him to the Greek is funny throughout with most of that comedy centered around the very believable lifestyle of an older rockstar. I can vividly see Keith Richards still doing these kind of things today. Cameos throughout by various other big names which adds to the comedy.  
Enjoyed the movie; funny, well written, well acted and no off-plot nonsense. MWRWMDMR gives Get Him to the Greek a raucous rock & roll
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️.

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #19. "Otherhood.

A NetFlix release starring Angela Bassett, Felicity Huffman and Patricia Arquette as middle-aged best friend moms who are feeling a bit rejected by their respective sons (who happen to be best buds too) particularly since it is Mother's Day. The sons live in Manhattan and have different levels of business and love-interest success. The suburban moms pack up and drive into Manhattan to spend some reconnection time with their sons and that's where things start to crank up. The theme of the movie is decent, the acting is very good and the underlying comedic nature  isn't overshadowed by the family friction/guilt trips. Found the movie to be enjoyable although not a laugh out loud comedy. I'm sure those younger MWRWMDMR readers will relate to the sometimes adversarial child/parent relationship depicted. Worth a quarantine viewing. MWRWMDMR gives "Otherhood"
⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2.

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #18. "Hunter Killer" starring Gerard Butler.

Here we go again, another Gerard Butler in the middle of a political coup movie. Quick plot overview: Butler plays a US submarine captain whom through miraculous historical coincidences saves the world from nuclear war. These coincidences are so far over the top that it makes Steven Segal blush with embarrassment. The US gets a SEAL team into what is supposed to be a heavily guarded Russian naval base (they essentially just walk right in unchallenged) and don't you know they happen to witness (while broadcasting a live video feed back to the Pentagon) a coup where the Russian President is taken hostage. Wow, what great timing! And the US has to rescue the Russian President now! Say what?Needless to say, the Russians speak English to each other sometimes, and in their native tongue at other times. What you talkin' bout Willis? Pick one or the other Mr. Director. The music is so loud and intrusive that it crushes much of the dialogue particularly the whispered interactions amongst the SEAL team and dialogue on the submarine. Literally gave MWRWMDMR a splitting headache. Four things I learned from this movie:
- no Russian can shoot a gun accurately;
- the largest Russian naval base apparently has only has 1 warship stationed there;
- submarines make lots of sparks when explosions occur outside of them.
- Gerard Butler must need a paycheck to make another piece of garbage (along with those ridiculous ".... Has Fallen" trio of movies).
MWRWMDMR will not spoil the ending of the movie so you'll have to suffer and find out yourself. As if you can't guess how it ends. View this movie at your own risk. Stars: 0

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #17. "The Departed."

As per a recommendation from a loyal MWRWMDMR reader, gave this one a whirl last evening. Hard to go wrong with a Scorsese directed, Nicholson, DiCaprio, Damon, Wahlberg (2 Walhberg's as a matter of fact), Sheen acted movie. Sure, I'm the only one on the planet yet to have seen this flick prior to yesterday. Given that fact, no need to venture into the plot. The film is action packed with a fairly good story line and well acted. The characters get a bit stretched in that apparently everyone is a "mole" for the opposition so it became a little overbearing. Thought it was funny how Marky Mark (sans the Funky Bunch) was always pissed off at everyone in the police department despite the fact he was a cop himself. What-up with that (speaking in my rap lingo)? And how does the Nicholson character not figure out that DiCaprio is the mole? He was a recruit in the State Police Academy and then the newest member of Nicholson's gang and that is when the trouble started. What??  Otherwise enjoyed the film. Would not recommend having a snack while viewing the film as it is very bloody. Thanks to loyal reader JL for the recommendation. MWRWMDMR gives "The Departed" 4 stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #16. "Crazy Rich Asians."

What would be classified as a Rom-Com, this film looks at the relationship between a young woman in New York and her boyfriend. The plot kicks into gear as they travel to Singapore in super-duper first class at which time she gets the first inclination that her boyfriend is wealthy. After landing in a Singapore, the magnitude of the boyfriend's wealth unfolds. Some comedic moments as the girlfriend meets the family and wanna-be suitors of her boyfriend. An underlying tone of disapproval towards the girlfriend as she doesn't fit the type of wife projected by his family. Funny moments sprinkled throughout from wacky and wealthy characters (providing the double- meaning of the movie title I suspect) portrayed by Ken Jeong, Nico Santos and Jimmy Yang. Awkwafina steals the "wacky" piece of the movie playing an Asian Miley Cyrus type who is over the top, loud but a true friend.  The love duo navigate through some rough waters, as one might expect, with the relationship being believable and touching throughout the film. Worth the two hours, particularly during the quarantine, if you are in search of a few laughs. A (somewhat) loyal reader of MWRWMDMR has requested a "Star Rating" system so here goes. Of five stars with 5 being the highest, the MWRWMDMR rating of "Crazy Rich Asians" is 3 1/2 stars.

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #15. "Lady Bird" starring Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf (of "Roseann" fame).

Film from a few years ago that I had never heard of and now I know why. Ronan is Lady Bird, a high school senior in Sacramento. She attends a Catholic high that appears to be mainly for the rich despite her being from " the wrong side of the tracks." Metcalf is cast as her hard working mother who insists Lady Bird go to the Catholic school instead of the local high and with whom she butts heads with constantly throughout the film. The centerpiece of their mother/daughter angst is Lady Bird's desire to attend a college in NYC much against her mother's wishes and means (the father being unemployed but yet very supportive of Lady Bird's ambitions). The film drags through the typical senior in high school growing pains and issues with parents. Lady Bird attempts to be somewhat rebellious against her mother by applying to colleges in NYC with the assistance and knowledge of her father. I guess all dads do love their daughters. But anyway, there is redemption in the end for both characters but MWRWMDMR will not spoil it for you. Right from the git-go this movie was a yawner. Lady Bird? What high schooler would walk around with the nickname of Lady Bird? I couldn't get LBJ and Lady Bird out of my head the entire movie (those under 50 will have to GOOGLE that to understand). Despite Ronan's lovely first name and Irish accent bleeding through plus Metcalf's excellent job as the distressed mom, the film essentially circles to exactly where one would anticipate. The 90 minutes boils down to a movie that should have been called "White Girl Problems." A snoozer, view at your own risk.

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews; review #14. "Spy" starring Melissa McCarthy.

A funny, fast paced spy thriller/spoof that had MWRWMDMR chuckling right from the 007 - like opening scene. As a matter of fact, the entire movie is very James Bond-esque with high society locales, spy gadgets, car chases and beautiful female villains. The plot has McCarthy as a CIA agent working behind the scenes in assisting a field agent (her love interest of course) globetrotting while creatively escaping  obstacle after obstacle in search of a stolen nuclear weapon. When he is "killed" (not going to spoil it here), McCarthy is thrust into the role of being the field agent running all over the world in pursuit of said nuke and the fun kicks into high gear. A strong cast with McCarthy leading the comedic lineup and she doesn't disappoint. Jason Statham and Jude Law as fellow CIA agents are funny without going overboard. Rose Byrne plays the villainous role perfectly and Peter Serafinowicz is absolutely brilliant in the role of sex-crazed Aldo. Even the credits rolling at the end of the movie are funny. "Spy" is definitely worth the 2 hours. Funny with good action, a decent storyline and a very good cast. Quarantine or no quarantine, MWRWMDMR approves!

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #13. "The Bucket List" with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman.

I'm sure most of you have already seen this popular movie from 10 or 12 years ago so apologies from MWRWMDMR in advance. No need to run through the premise of this movie as it is obvious to all loyal readers. Not sure whether this is a film classified as a mor-com (morbid comedy) or a redem-com (redemption comedy). Starts off dreadfully slow for what felt like the first hour of the movie. My cat falling asleep on my lap should have been a hint of how the movie was going to unfold. Ramped-up a bit as the Nicholson and Freeman characters adventure off in their pursuit of these "bucket list" items before their impending respective deaths. Globetrotting all over the planet in pursuit of checking of items on this "bucket list" they've put together provides for some comic relief. Unfortunately those scenes are truncated when they might have been better off as the focus of the movie. The last third of the movie again comes to a slow grind of morbidity for the Freeman chart with a glimmer of introspection for the Nicholson character. The final scene where Nicholson's ashes are placed adjacent to those of Freeman's as narration (voiced by Freeman) provides a nice summary of the movie. On a side note, Nicholson and Freeman are terrific in their roles. MWRWMDMR is likely in the minority here but the film didn't really do much for me. OK at best but a downer as a quarantine movie.

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #12. "The Invention if Lying."

Written and starring Ricky Gervais circa 2009. A comical yet hard to pull off premise where there is a world with no lying. Gervais is a 40 something year old film writer who ends up being fired and about to lose his apartment. His love interest, Jennifer Garner, has no plans to agree to a second date. Gervais turns to fibbing about a few things in order to stave off eviction and to "garner" a second date. His lying gets out of hand when he tells his dying mother that there is a happy place where she will go when she finally passes. That conversation with his mother in her hospital room as she dies starts a firestorm of religiously charged yet funny lies about a "man in the sky." I'll leave it at that as far as the plot is concerned. Gervais is funny in an understated way with the religious comedy perhaps his jab at the role of religion in our society. Particularly in a scene where he "lets himself go" and ends up looking like Jesus. This isn't the laugh out loud comedy that one might expect from a Gervais written script, but it is an easy watch. Aside from Garner, other big names in the film are Jonah Hill, Tina Fey, Louis C.K., Jeffrey Tambor, Rob Lowe, Jason Bateman and a few other Hollywood  stalwarts. Mark will catch the adjacency irony of Louis C.K. and Jeffrey Tambor. In any case, not a bad flick and worth a view during the quarantine. Easily can see why this wasn't a tremendously successful commercial release. NETFLIX was the platform where I found this film. Enjoy!

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #11. "Above the Law" starring the inimitable and self-loving Steven Seagal.

Geez.....I really feel bad for Andrew Davis who is the co-writer of this smash mouth, karate-chopping extravaganza. I'm sure he had a pretty decent plot in mind but then Seagal got his hands on the script and had to interject a number of "for no go reason" kicking ass and bloody scenes into the screenplay. I wasn't expecting much else than a typical ridiculously understated dialogue from Seagal (can he speak in anything above a whisper?) with over the top karate ass-kicking anyone he could get his hands on and collateral damage to every piece of property in the City of Chicago. And that's what exactly what I got so no disappointment on that front. Actually found many scenes to be quite comical. For example, what does Seagal whipping the butt of every Japanese person in his karate class at the beginning of the movie have to do with anything? Further comic relief (albeit unintentional) is Seagal's ability to speak (aside from his poor interpretation of a Chicago/Italian accent) Japanese, Spanish, Italian and Vietnamese. Seagal's Nico character gets suspended from the Chicago Police (too much ass-kicking) but yet he still drives his unmarked police car and has access to high tech devices used to help foil the bad guys. How's that Bubba? The plot, if you want to call it that, is all over the map as the gun play, fists-a-flying, car chases and explosions typical of a Seagal flick would lead one to believe he alone wrecked half of Chicago. Pam Grier, yes Foxy Brown herself, plays Seagal's police partner and of course you know how that usually turns out. Sharon Stone plays his wife and isn't much a part of the movie aside from being relocated for her safety from the bad guys and somehow that relocation is into some luxurious home. "Above the Law" is nothing short of a Seagal classic over the top bust-up-the-place flick. Good ole' Steven, bad slicked back mullet and all, is so unintentionally funny that it is just that, funny. I give the guy credit. He can't act a lick but somehow made a career out of these wreck everything in sight style of movies. It's worth the 90 minutes if you want a few laughs while watching Seagal opening a can of whoop-ass every 2 minutes throughout the movie.

Man Who Rarely Watches Movies Doing Movie Reviews: review #10. "Waiting for Guffman."

OK, I was looking for a little levity during this quarantine so upon a recommendation from a loyal reader of MWRWMDMR, this 1996 mockumentary was it for the evening movie. Written   by and starring Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy, the film takes a comical look at a local town theater production led by Guest's character Corky St. Clair. The toupee of Corky was in and of itself hysterical not to mention his quirky Broadway wannabe style despite directing a small local theater production. Joining the production are local star-seeking characters including Levy as the town dentist, fellow Second City alumni Catherine O'Hara and the dry-humor stylist Fred Willard as the husband and wife local travel agency owning tandem. I've learned that many of the films interactions were ad libs by the cast. Levy and Willard both excel in this spur of the moment comedy. Corky's big city theatrics in a small town setting are likewise funny. By example, Corky mentions his "wife" for whom he likes to shop for women's clothes despite that fact him being way over-the-top gay. Needless to say Corky's "wife" is never seen nor heard from by anyone. The setting for the movie is small town Missouri settled by explorers who thought they were in California having smelled "salt water."The local politicians are very funny in their interactions with one another at meetings and with Corky as he tries to get more funding for the production.  Waiting for Guffman won't be a laugh out loud affair for the 90 minutes but it is entertaining with a constant chuckle and some high comical points. Certainly worth the 90 minutes of quarantine time.

Past Reviews