The Mission

The Mission; Spectacular filming of the brutal dichotomy of colonial powers valuing South American indigenous peoples and territory for their subjugation to religion and exploitation of labour. The efforts to depict the scope and scale are unfortunately not given to the writing of the script; B+
 

Killers of the Flower Moon

Killers of the Flower Moon; A real slow burn of seedy, detestable characters subtly played expertly by an astounding cast. Despite its long runtime, Robertson’s score keeps the pace moving towards its tragic conclusion. Scorsese’s been a truth teller all his career, this story may be the ugliest; A-

Amsterdam

Amsterdam; Talented cast chews up dialogue in this important cautionary reminder of how history repeats itself when lessons of the past are dismissed or ignored. Film has a lot to say but struggles to find its footing with an uneven pace and too broad a scope to fluidly tell; B

Heat

Heat; Compelling cat and mouse between Pacino and DeNiro is bolstered by a stellar supporting cast and phenomenal direction. Heists provide a burst of action in between equally explosive relationship scenes. Parallels between cops and criminals are beautifully crafted; A

Angel Heart

Angel Heart; An overstuffed turkey of a film done w/enough skill to lean more towards cult or camp, rather than unwatchable territory. De Niro relishes his kooky role while Rourke mugs his way through it, steamrolling excellent character acting and Bonet’s compelling debut; C

Joker

Joker; Realistic portrait of what could potentially manifest a monster borrows heavily from gritty 70s films. Stylistic yet believably shot and acted, you will believe a Joker could exist through the stages the film endures. An origin story worth investing time with; A-

American Hustle

American Hustle; Fun, swinging acting class allows Bale, Adams, Bradley & Lawrence to play in 70s con game. Stylistically entertaining; A-

Silver Linings Playbook

Silver Linings Playbook; Simply told yet deeply emotionally profound portrayals of mental instability from stellar cast/director; Moving; A-

Fan, The (Pan and Scan version)

Directed by:  Tony Scott
Starring:  Robert De Niro, Wesley Snipes, Ellen Barkin
Running Time:  1h 56min

Two dynamic performances by two great actors spark this movie to its exciting climax.  Barkin plays a sexy and straight journalist, way beyond the role's original depth.  The movie doesn't really offer up any surprises as to what is going to happen; it's the journey through it all that's so exhilarating.  The Pan and Scan version makes many scenes awkward, and having seen it in the theatre, it doesn't take too much away.  A couple reactions lose their feeling but the two leads are still dynamic.  The best thing about this movie is that it avoids the two out, three men on, bottom of the ninth cliche in almost all baseball movies.  The darkness of the film increases with De Niro's descent into madness.  The over usage of Nine Inch Nails is ridiculous!

Grade: A-