FINDING YOUR FEET

FINDING YOUR FEET:  Imelda Staunton shines as a snobbish middle-class matron who discovers that her husband is having an affair with her best friend, forcing her to take up residence with her older estranged bohemian sister (Celia Emrie). And we are off and running with a wonderful mix of humor and pathos.   This is a feel-good movie that will also bring you to tears.   And the last line accompanied by the last shot in the film will absolutely blow you away.   The supporting cast contains many stalwarts of the British cinema including Timothy Spall, Joanna Lumley and David Hayman, all turning in lovely performances.   I won't divulge any plot twists but the title refers to dancing and there is some wonderful steps to behold.  The script will be a bit predictable to some but just go along for the ride and enjoy it.  It's a beaut!   I left the theater smiling!

LOVE, SIMON

LOVE, SIMON:   The genre has been around for ever....the "coming of age" movie.  Well, this one has a twist, our "ager" is also coming out of the closet.   Nick Robinson plays Simon and never strikes a false chord  while Jennifer Garner and Josh Duhamel portray his parents, Emily and Jack.  And the supporting cast of unknown teenagers is superb.  This is a lovely, heartfelt film with great moments of truth.  It's about friendship, loyalty and most of all love it it's many forms.   And while this film was a long time coming it was well worth the wait as it examines the feelings of a young man finding his way.  It will move you to tears of  joy and should be required viewing for every young  person who has doubts about who they are.  It will become a classic in its own way.   Five stars in my book.  You'll be glad you saw it.

THE LEISURE SEEKER

Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland are Ella and John Spencer, a couple determined  to live out their last days as they see fit.  And why not in the old RV known as the leisure seeker?   On a trip from Boston to the Hemingway house in Key west, these two play their parts with relish, but unfortunately this meal requires more than that.  These are two adults playing adults but saddled with a rather childish script.  It has it's moments but you get a lot of  predictability i.e."been there, done that" along the way.  That being said, it is a joy to watch two pros who happen to have great chemistry with each other try to add the needed humor to this rather stilted script.   And they succeed in a great many scenes.   But alas, the ending is rather off-putting and slightly unbelievable.   There were too many other options.  But hey, it could have been worse in less capable hands. Cheer to the Mirren/Sutherland team!

A WRINKLE IN TIME

A WRINKLE IN TIME: While the juvenile stars (Storm Reid, Levi Miller and Deric McCabe are quite fetching and deliver very real performances, the supporting cast (Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine, Mindy Kaling and Zach Galifianakis) shines equally as bright.  But, the film is ultimately one big bore with too much technical mumbo-jumbo and two many messages to try to decipher.  Is this about family?  About bullying?  About self-worth?  It all becomes overwhelming and tiresome.   My biggest hate was Oprah's make-up.  Two much razzle dazzle for a character named Mrs.Which unless they were referring to what wig and what eyebrows she would wear next.
I will grant you that some of the special effects are unique (particularly the "flower" sequence)   But,  it was all a waste of time in my book.   The best thing.....The Christmas coming attraction for Disney's "Mary Poppins Returns."

RED SPARROW

RED SPARROW:  A thriller in every sense of the word, this Jennifer Lawrence starring film will keep you guessing. With a splendid supporting cast including Joel Edgerton, Jeremy Irons and Charlotte Rampling, the movie is a bit hard to follow at times but all is explained in the twist ending.
The plot involves a ballerina who is injured and must give up dancing, opting to enroll is "Sparrow School," a Russian intelligence service where she is taught to use her body as a weapon.   Her first assignment to bring down a C.I.A. officer ends up having repercussions that spreads to both countries.  The film is long and tedious at times with some gratuitous gore and nudity thrown in, but once the ball gets rolling, the last hour was edge of your seat stuff, with more twist and turns that a Coney Island Roller Coaster.   If this is your genre, you won't be disappointed.  And Lawrence pulls all the stops!