Change Your Image
devojonesy1977
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
The Holdovers (2023)
DECENT MOVIE, QUESTIONBLE CASTING
I agree with another reviewer about "The Holdovers." It just didn't connect with me the way that I REALLY wanted and hoped that it would. I loved the cimenatography and the way it looked, it really looked like it could have easily been made and released in 1970-71 and that was the engaging factor in the previews for me until I actually SAW the film. The redeeming factors for me was the always perfect performance of one Paul Giamatti who is excellant in everything he has done as an actor (maybe with the exception of his turn as The Rhino from The Amazing Spider Man 2) And he DESRVED the Golden Globe that he won.
The unredeeming aspects for me was that it didn't always FEEL like it was taking place in the 70s'. The film seemed for me to lose it's realism with the other two leads, namely Dominic Sessa playing a 17 year old Angus Tully (a high schooler even though he looks like he's in his late 20s.) And Da'Vine Joy Randolph playing school lunch lady Mary Lamb (the ever present rude angry black woman). And before the name calling starts, I'd like to point out that I myself am a Black man.
Those two characters slowed and sometines ruined the film for me in certain scenes. Sessa as Angus Tully seemed more like a whiny entitled and rude millennial or Gen'zer than a kid who was growing up in the 1970s. It just seemed his character wasn't growing up or dealing with the possibility of going to military school or being drafted into Vietnam. And Da'Vine Joy Randolph playing Mary Lamb (the sassy, angry and sometimes rude Black Woman that is so prevelant in every movie that you see nowadays couldhave been softened). It's a stereotype that was already stale 30 years ago. It seemed unealistic some 52-53 years ago.
If these two characters were written with heart and genuine emotions, this film would have been aces with me. But it seems that this oversight of a genuine 1970s feel was lacking and THAT was the major drawback. "The Holdovers" isn't a TERRIBLE film, but it could have been SOOOOO much better had a little more thought, and good writing from a human aspect were included.
To Leslie (2022)
OSCAR WORTHY!!
Andrea Riseborough shines in this film. Sure the subject matter was similar to a made for TV movie about a lack of morals and substance abuse. But Riseborough's performance as Leslie was the best I've seen this year..by far. She really commited to the character of Leslie (even losing weight to make the character more believable). Leslie is a character that never REALLY lets you in, it's like you're watching a documentary about this charcter as opposed to an actress playing the role.
Another great performance includes the always spectacular Allison Janney as the conflictive character Nancy. In fact the whole cast gave spectacular performances.
It's really a shame that I'm just hearing about this film, (and Riseborough's performance being "Oscar worthy) it was mostly spread through word of mouth by OTHER great actors/actresses including Kate Winslet, and those of us who still enjoy great performances by great actors/actresses.
Bones and All (2022)
They may eat people..But I WATCHED garbage
I have to start out by saying that I disappointed myself with this film being my first watch of 2023.
I couldn't tell which was worse, the horrible acting or the story. It starts off with Taylor Russells character Maren. (with Russells performance being the most deadpan performance that I have ever seen in a motion picture by a so called actress.) She barely speaks or even acknowledges her father before chewing off her new "besties" finger at a sleepover. When she meets Lee (played by Timothee Chalamet) she becomes Chatty Cathy. You finally get to hear Maren speak..and she still has nothing of ANY INTEREST to say. The jump shots (apparently to look artsy) only added MORE confusion to a pretty shoddy film. Notable good acting standouts were Sully, played admirably by Mark Rylance, and the father played by André Holland, and a very brief cameo by the legendary Chloe Sevigny playing Marens handless mother Janelle. This film failed on soo many levels that it's hard to pick just one problem. But for starters, Ms Russell might want to attend a few more acting classes before she is featured in another motion picture as a lead. And the director Luca Guadagnino, and screenwriter David Kajganich really didn't think this one out, it's like they had little or no interest in creating or telling an interesting story, that had an intersting premise. I'm sure original writer Camille DeAngelis was just as disappointed as I was to see her vision literally destroyed on screen. This might be an interesting film to "Gen Z" 13 year old females. But anyone over 13 with a semblance of respect for a good story? SKIP THIS!!!!
Amsterdam (2022)
NOT FOR THE SPOON FED!
I finaly had a chance to see Amsterdam for myself (despite reviews from people who think the Fast and Furious franchise was great art) and I enjoyed it for what it was. Being a fan of more obscure European cinema, Amsterdam fits in quite well. This movie is for those of us who don't need car explosions, gun battles, shock humor or men with capes to follow a plot. The plot, albeit is not "simple" but it's certainly not complicated either. It's not crude, slapstick humor, but it's more dry, sarcastic,observational humor. And if intelligent humor is your thing, or a plot that has a story that evolves? Amsterdam might be the film for you. Forget the spoon fed reviews and watch Amsterdam and judge the movie for YOURSELF. There was nothing wrong with the pacing of the story (especially if you were paying attention) and the acting by Christian Bale in particular was inspiring as well as those of John David Washington and Margot Robbie. And albeit the rest of this stellar cast have more brief appearances, the movie still worked as a piece. And to be honest too few films have the charm and writing that Amsterdam does.
Blonde (2022)
It's FICTION people...relax!
After watching "Blonde" by director Andrew Dominik and starring the alluring and brilliant Ana De Armas. I can honestly say that I expecting to be dissapointed..but I wasn't. Based on a FICTIONAL novel by author Joyce Carol Oates, I think Dominik did a fantastic job of bringing this FICTIONAL work to the screen. I can't claim to be a Marilyn Monroe fan, but I don't see how this depiction gave Monroes legacy a black eye. I can see how some people would claim that it was simply a play on sensationalism on Dominiks part, and that could be true. But as a film..and as a FICTIONAL film, this isn't the worst I've ever seen. Ana De Armas portrayal of a FICTIONALIZED Marilyn Monroe is indeed Oscar worthy. In fact, one of the best Monroe portrayals that I have ever seen. And the portrayals of Joe Dimaggio (played by Bobby Cannavale) and Arthur Miller (played remarkably by Adrien Brody) were great as well. But the two standouts for me were Ms. De Armas of course, and a brilliantly casted Julianne Nicholson as Gladys Baker (Norma Jean's metally ill Mother).
I understand some people thinking this is blasphemous in a sense towards Marilyn Monroe, and I understand that.( I remember how upset I was after reading "The Lives of John Lennon" by Albert Goldman) but it was at best a work of FICTION. And if you suspend your disbelief, this isn't a bad film at all. And perhaps you can enjoy it as a work of art and FICTION...not fact.
Frasier: The Show Where Woody Shows Up (1999)
FRAZIER THE SNOB OUTGREW CHEERS
From the start I thought a Cheers spinoff featuring Kelsey Grammars character Frazier was a bad idea. In the Cheers role the Frazier character was one of the Cheers gang. In the series Frazier the character becomes a snobby twit who is surrounded by other snobbish twits, and the appeal just wasn't there for me because there weren't opposites for Frazier to interact with. Sure Frazier won awards and that...but it is/was boring. After years of NOT watching the show I decided to watch the cameos of Cheers characters visiting the Frazier character in Seattle. And it was heartbreaking. It seems that the Frazier character has outgrown the gang at Cheers, and only "indulges" them when they visit Seattle. It was never more apparent than the episode "The Show Where Woody Shows Up". Even the title is demeaning, but the series had the same title when Ted Dansons Sam Malone character made a cameo. I don't care for Frazier outside of Cheers, and his pompous, arrogant characters spinoff proved me right.
Scum (1979)
Scum= weak shock garbage!!
Scum was a film labeled "cult favorite" before I even had a chance to see it. Being an admirer of actor Ray Winstone, I was intrigued to watch the young actor in the making. I was never more disappointed.
The film starts out bleak, and pretty much remains that way throughout. There is no real story to watch nor is there a hero or protagonist in the film to relate to. It's all shock and awe, and considering what we see in films today, it was not all that impressive in those aspects. Director Alan Clarke who directed the far superior " The Firm" completely misses the mark on this one. And writer Roy Minton would hve been better off having his "vision" made into a proper documentary instead of boring glorified violence.
I know these sort of films appeal to some people who are as easily entertained by watching someone perform yo-yo tricks. But for a true movie fan who enjoys great acting along with a great story, this movie is neither. A definite MUST NOT see.
Doctor Who: Thirty Years in the TARDIS (1993)
LOVE IT....ALWAYS HAVE....ALWAYS WILL
I remember having or recording ths special on VHS back in the early 90s'. And to this very day, it never gets tiring. A great (although brief) documentary of the greatest british sci-fi series to ever grace our television sets.
Old (2021)
I blacked out too..I awoke leaving the theater.
I have to admit, when I heard the premise of this movie, I was intrigued. People dealing with a strange time dillema aging etc. I thought how could this go wrong? Everything about this film was god awful. There were some notable actors/actresses in this garbage but the dialogue and characters they were given were so over the top ridiculous it was almost a comedy. None of the chracters were remotely believable. People trapped on an island where death is all around them and they start confessing their feelings? Really??? I heard/read somewhere that Shyamalan had contributions from his children (nothing wrong with that) but in THIS case THAT is evident. The WORST film this year...hands down.
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Too much bland comedy.
Don't get me wrong, it wasn't a bad movie by any means. What left me disappointed was the lack of clever writing for Thor and Banner. Reducing Dr. Banner (Yes, DOCTOR Banner) into a stumbling baffoon instead of an intelligent scientist was the wrong way to go. Instead the writers decided to turn Banner into hapless victim, first in Ragnarok and then in Infinity War, it seemed that the writers found a way for Ruffalo to get more face screen time out of the character rather than the CGI created Hulk. Thor seemed to have suffered the same fate after.
The Many Saints of Newark (2021)
Chase could have kept THIS!!
Finally saw the "prequel" to The Sopranos- The Many Saints of Newark. After a year of anticipation for this film, I was especially excited to hear the voice of Christopher Moltisanti (voiced by the original actor Michael Imperioli) during the opening, narrating from the grave.
After that, it was ALL DOWNHILL.
Being a fan of The Sopranos, there are a few things that I remembered from the show and the characters backgrounds. This film seemed to ignore these facts. Firstly, I remember from the series that Tony had a young crew that consisted of Ralph Ciffaretto, Giacomo (Jackie) Aprile and Silvio Dante to name a few, so how was it that in this movie, Silvio was older than Tony and already in the Johnny Boy Soprano crew while Tony and Jackie were robbing ice cream trucks? Didn't add up. It was inconsistencies like these (and other factors) that ruined The Many Saints of Newark for me.
Another of the things that ruined this film was the very idea that an entire film about a basically nonexistent character from the series could fly on it's own. Who thought that an entire film about Dickie Moltisanti was a great idea? How about a film about Johnny Boy or Junior Soprano or even the origins of the Dimeo crime family?
Honestly, when I saw that Ray Liotta was involved, I thought that perhaps he would play Ercoli Dimeo or a younger Feech Lamanna, but instead Liotta plays the father AND uncle who just happen to be identical twins. REALLY? Even fictional Chrissy Moltisanti wouldn't have approved of a script this awful
And why the whole racial strife aspect of 1968 Newark? Why even include this aspect of history into a film about the mafia? Why is THAT in the film at all? This was NOT what Sopranos fans were waiting for for two years. Did David Chase lose a bet? Did he owe someone money?
Onto the acting? Well all that I saw were actors imitating characters from the series notably Silvio, Sal (Big Pussy) and Paulie. I didn't really see any acting from these actors, just imitations. And sadly, Michael Gandolfini (other than resembling his dad in certain scenes) didn't really capture the fire or mannerisms that you would imagine a young Tony Soprano having at 16 years old. Again, THAT didn't measure up either. Overall I could have waited ANOTHER year for the writers to rethink/recast/rewrite this whole movie idea before releasing it. DISAPPOINTING.
The Mitchells vs the Machines (2021)
Do yourselves a favor and have a good time with this one.
In a world of reality tv and ridiculously vile cartoons, it was good to see a film like this that had a family aspect to it. And I have to admit that The Mitchells vs. The Machines was a refreshing change. Sure there are a lot of jaded reviews on this film, but see it for yourselves before you take ANYONE'S opinions as facts. All of the voice overs were done excellently and the comedy was better than most live action films that I've seen recently. Do yourself a favor and have a good time with this one..
Cruella (2021)
UNORIGINAL MUSIC SCORE
Don't get me wrong, overall it was a "cute" film. What annoyed me was that there was no ORIGINAL music score. This movie borrowed HEAVILY on tunes from The Clash to ELO and everything in between. It seemed that every 5-10 minutes it featured great music that did not fit into this film at all. And that got pretty annoying pretty quick. Other than that, the performances were great especially Joel Fry and Paul Walter Hauser respectively as Jasper and Horace. But with a more original music score I would have liked it a lot more. More than being a memoarble film on it's own merit, it just made me want to go home and put on those great records.
Judas and the Black Messiah (2021)
MORE LAZY FILMMAKING.
As an African American who have seen and read documentaries and biopics on Fred Hampton, this movie I cannot recommend. Don't get me wrong, after all I've read and seen over the decades, I STILL can't say that I know the full Fred Hampton story. But I know THIS film isn't anywhere NEAR a true depiction. This movie here is just trying to get some empathy awards during/before Oscar time based on race and the BLM movement. All that "Judas and the Black Messiah" really is is a slow emotional buildup to a black mans assassination. The SAD part is that this film could have easily been about ANY black man, because it never once depicted the true Fred Hampton. The title " Judas and the Black Messiah" doesn't even focus on who Bill O'Neal (Judas) was and what his motivations REALLY were. All we know from the "filmmaker" is that she views O'Neal as a traitor. Why not tell us why? Because emotion kills logic, so there doesn't have to be any truth OR logic right? If there are any people who are interested in more truth about Hampton or BBP? Try any and every documentary on the subject before you use this film as the truth.
This movie is just more lazy filmmaking.
Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar (2021)
Just lazy.
To be honest, it's not the WORST film I've seen so far this year. It just really seems like since this covid outbreak, really great writers aren't even TRYING anymore. Wiig and Mumolo, who are great comedic writers, weren't giving THIS film the same attention or creativity that they had with the much superior "Bridesmaids". Sure it's unfair to compare the two, but it's hard not to. "Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar" just seemed all over the place. It never really came together as a wholesome hilarious film where you fell in love with the characters. It began to feel more like an "inside joke" between Wiig and Mumolo and the audience were left out. It also seemed to care more about the location than the development of the characters. And the plot was like something that these two women couldn't agree on, so it became this hodgepodge of sight gags and very little humor. I know we've all been shut in and feel uninspired during these times. But Wiig and Mumolo should have kept this one under wraps a little longer until the writing was truly DONE.
Da 5 Bloods (2020)
Da' dumbest movie of 2020
I have to admit to NOT being a huge Spike Lee fan. Don't get me wrong, I AGREE that he was robbed of the best director Oscar for Malcolm X in 1992. The film was a masterpiece. But how do you explain "Da 5 Bloods"??? As an African American, this was WITHOUT DOUBT the dumbest, most pointless film I have seen in quite some time. As some reviewers have mentioned, there were points where I wasn't sure if it was a comedy by intention or by default. I'm not understanding how some reviewers are giving this film anything higher than 3 stars (and that's for the comedic acting and dialogue alone) There were scenes like where Eddie (played by Norm Lewis) accidentally steps on a landmine, and the shockingly bad acting in response to this horrific event was laughable. I was really shocked at how awful most of the scenes and acting were. How a young Chadwick Boseman was in the same unit with 60-70 year olds was also laughable!! They never even tried to age the characters accordingly!!! How 100 gold bars just lay buried in shallow dirt for 50 years and NO ONE discovered them???? It was like Spike Lee had just discovered LSD! Nothing in this movie made sense, none of the characters were likeable or believable so there was ZERO empathy for any of them. This was just an up and down mess.
Quadrophenia (1979)
Wanted to see a film adaptation of a great album, but got THIS instead
Didn't get the connection between the album and this god awful "Scorsese wannabe" film. It was garbage!!! It really aped the Scorsese blueprint, complete with the pointless meandering, the endless parade of pointless characters and the racial epithets for shock value. Don't know what Pete Townshend was thinking, but most times albums are better left to the listeners imagination, not to be adapted into a God awful, stupid and pointless script with Towshend's tendency for homo erotic undertones. Listening to the great Quadrophenia album countless times BEFORE seeing this "film", I wasn't aware that the theme was about shiftless boring drug addicts riding around on mopeds going about 10-15 m.p.h. To add insult injury, most of the great songs from Quadrophenia weren't even included in this movie!! Perhaps the idea would have worked better had the album RESEMBLED the film. Perhaps it would have worked had this garbage been released BEFORE the album. But with all respect to The Who,or Townshend as an entity , a film maker or whatever they collectively should have kept THIS one. Some of the burgeoning talent of the day attached themselves to this mess, including Sting who was at a beginning of success with The Police. Others included legendary actors like Timothy Spall and Ray Winstone. Don't get me wrong, the acting was decent, but the premise? Check out your local dvd dust bins at Walmart etc and see for yourselves.
One Night in Miami... (2020)
THERE ARE SPOILERS AND CONSPIRACIES..hahaha
Loved the film. It's a great reimagining of this eventful night. Writer Kemp Powers I believe took some liberties which seemed to be his OWN philosophies and put them in the mouths of some of the characters, mostly Malcolm X. But overall I liked the "story" as it SHOULD be called.. simply a "story" Another thing that didn't sit right with me was at the closing of the movie, while playing Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come" Powers (perhaps purposefully) jumped straight ahead to the assassination of Malcolm X in Feb 65' without mentioning the murder of Sam Cooke in Dec 64' some two months earlier!! This almost deflated the movie for me. I'm not sure if this was an oversight, which would be impossible to believe, or simply a "preference for Malcolm over Sam Cooke. Also considering that the ENTIRE story is made up, I find it hard to believe that Sam Cooke would have suffered the verbal abuse handed to him by Malcolm X or anyone of the other characters. That's why the movie seemed "tilted". Some people in the AA community truly believe that Sam Cooke was a "sellout" and that he and Malcolm were worlds apart. I don't believe that narrative, but perhaps Powers does, who knows? But in the end, I had to remember that the movie is make believe, and for a make believe movie or "retelling" of this particular night in history, it was pretty solid.
20th Century Women (2016)
Sure this movie had some point..just wished I had seen it
This is more of a critique, than a review. Before I started the movie in my player, I read the reviews here on IMDB from others who have seen this film. I thought, nah, I'll watch it for myself. Well, for the most part, the reviews were right. Boring, tedious, preachy are words I would use on the surface for this film. Don't get me wrong, great performances from all the actors who were involved, but I never got THE POINT! Perhaps the message was lost because a male director/writer (Mike Mills)was writing/directing from a very screwed up female viewpoint. Was it a film about poor parenting? YES! Because THAT much was obvious. Was it a feminist/anti hetero male statement? Was it an anti smoker ad? Who exactly was spouting anti smoking garbage every 20 minutes back in 79?? Maybe Mills himself is a confused feminist? If being confused, or listening to confused people talking on and on for 2 hours is your thing? Then go for it. Don't really know, but I'm going with the majority on this one and say SKIP IT!!!
The Wrong Missy (2020)
Fun, but over the top.
Funny movie, no doubt about it. But the character of Missy (played by the absolutely adorable Lauren Lapkus) was a little too over the top for me. But the laughs were genuine nonetheless. There was a serious lack of ROMANTIC chemistry between Lapkus' Missy and the movies lead Tim (played by the always hilarious David Spade) And I think that's mostly because of the writing for the Missy character which again was way over the top. It was more buddy movie than romantic movie...and that's fine. Again a funny film to watch a FEW times, but if it's a convincing romcom thing you're looking for, this might not be the movie for you.
Never Rarely Sometimes Always (2020)
Slooooowwwwwww. But meaningful.
Didn't really know what to think of this film. The subject matter -while serious, never botheresd me or my beliefs. It was just the main character Autumn was soooo sullen, almost morose, played pretty convincingly by Sidney Flanigan. The character seeemed to lack ANY emotion until the very end of the film. Understandably this was probably done intentionally to portray a very scared and very angry young woman. Decent performances all around, especially the best friend/cousin Skylar, played by Talia Ryder. Poor Skylar seemed to burden Autumn's problem throughout the entire film, while Autumn sat stone faced and rude. While the character of Autumn was probably purposefully written that way, the acting was pretty good. And while the story may have been slow in pace, the subject matter is a must see for everyone.
The Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson (2019)
Not for the easily "triggered"
The "Trial of The Century"??? Wow how we forget old friends like Manson, Bundy etc. Hitler never lived to see a trial, but let's overlook the CRIME OF THE CENTURY. I understand that some people are still "triggered" by the O.j. Simpson trial and outcome. They want to see O.J. fry for whatever reason , even though WE ALL know why, they just won't admit in public. He was accused in the murder of Nicole Simpson who was such a wonderful,innocent angel who no one ever heard of until her tragic demise. The truth is that this IS a horrible film. It caught my attention because of Suvari and Manning, two actresses I admire alot. But some reviews claiming that O.j. was behind the production etc blah blah blah are obviously still triggered all these years later.
Little Women (2019)
OVERHYPED!!
After seeing the 1994 version of Little Women, I was curious to see ultra feminist actress Greta Gerwigs version of Little Women. Long story short? It made no sense. The casting ffs!! It's like Gerwig (or the casting director) just slapped together as many young millennial actresses that had some screen clout, and mixed it all together. The ages were hard to decipher if you're unfamiliar with the book. For instance, the lovely Florence Pugh playing the youngest March daughter? Really? It's not her fault but she's obviously looks older and more mature than the others. The gifted and talented Soarsie Ronan as the tomboyish Jo March, comes off as modern day feminist than any woman would have dared in those days. And that alone took away from the believability of the entire film. Poor Emma Watson as Meg March was completely overshadowed by the pro feminist slant the movie gave to the character of Jo, so Watson was indeed under used.
And with all of the young actresses together it gave off more of an all girl sorority house vibe than any genuine blood relations. All in all, it lacked empathy. I just never really CARED about the March girls (other than the young Beth played brilliantly by Eliza Scanlan) in this adaptation. Unlike my favorite version, the 1994 adaptation, the 2019 version (even though the I knew the story) just never clicked on an emotional level. How does that happen in a story told countless times?
Just ask Mz Gerwig who OBVIOUSLY wanted HER retelling to be considered Oscar worthy only because of the rise of feminism and the metoo movements. The film seemed rushed, and with the constant flashback and flashforwards it just comes off as confusing to anyone unfamiliar with the subject matter.
All in all this film is NOT Oscar worthy, It's too confusing, terribly miscast, and has a feminist message that is over done to nauseum. And all of the phoney imbd 10/10 ratings wont change that. So get your handkerchiefs out now and prepare to be dissapointed.
1917 (2019)
EMPATHY GETS YOU NOWHERE IN WAR
Just saw this film, and I have to say that it was visually stunning. As far as winning in the the Oscar for best cinematography, this film sould walk away with it hands down. The casting and acting was definitely top notch as well.
The only thing that made me twinge just a bit was the character of Blake, (played superbly by Dean-Charles Chapman). I found his character, while noble and brave, to be extremely naive. From his almost over zealous additude towards going into enemy territory, to his foolish empathy towards the enemy which eventually cost him his life- in the most careless way possible. The character seemed unfinished, perhaps a bit too young, which is probably what the writers intended.
Otherwise a great war film.
Jojo Rabbit (2019)
SIMPLY A GEM OF A FILM!!!
It has been a long, long while since I have seen a film that hits me like JoJo Rabbit. It scores on all points, hilarious, touching, and beautifully acted as well. And despite what pseudo critics jer* -offs like Peter Bradshaw from The Guardian thinks, this film is a true gem. I would gladly nominate it for film of the year. For those who wanted a more "serious" tone about the atrocities of WWII this is probably NOT the film for you. Any idiot (like Bradshaw) could easily tell from the trailers that this film wasn't going to be say.."Saving Private Ryan." It was going to be a comedy. And what a comedy it was!! I found myself laughing all the way through (albeit there are some heart wrenching parts where I was tearing up). But that's what a TRULY GREAT film should do.. make you laugh, feel and sometimes cry. Great performances all around (especially the newcomer to me) Archie Yates who plays Jojo's best friend Yorkie. What a beautiful film all around!! Screw the critics and see this magic for yourselves.