Young Woman and the Sea

Let me spoil the drama for you: she makes it, eventually. That’s not really much of a spoiler, since Gertrude Ederle accomplished her famous swimming feat a hundred years ago; only the most historically ignorant will go in not knowing the outcome. So any suspense in this film must come from the journey to the moment of triumph. Really, though, there are no surprises here—it’s all very standard sports biopic stuff. There’s humble beginnings, family conflict, obstacles and doubts, allies and enemies, and ultimate success—all the beats you expect from this kind of movie. So why, then, does this seemingly run of the mill flick merit its positive purr? Two reasons: one, the extraordinary nature of Ederle‘s achievement (and its echoing legacy throughout the years and right up to this day in women’s sports); and two, the uplifting presence of daisy Ridley, who seems positioned to corner the market on the “heroic young woman” genre. She captures the essence of her character’s spirit, of the determination that helped her overcome long odds, cruel nature and social rigidity. It all makes for a great story. Dive in on this movie—your viewing experience will indeed go swimmingly.

Star Wars: Episode IX -- The Rise of Skywalker

It's hard to say whether this is a good movie or not. It's hard to say much of anything about it. Partially, that's because, at this point, what is there to say about any of these movies? Partially, it's because this entry caps a series of films that some of us have been watching practically our entire lives; it is virtually impossible to filter out one's personal associations with the franchise versus its actual accomplishment (or not) as a piece of filmmaking. This episode has taken a big chunk of critical bashing; I doubt those complaints are sincere reflections on the nature of this work, rather than the verbal posings of those who want to burnish their intellectual bona fides by not throwing their lot in with the hoi polloi. I'll try to avoid that trap. Simply put, this movie works as a descendant of the early, Saturday matinee serial action adventure shorts, to which the series owes so much. If one recognizes it as such, then the viewer can appreciate the offering to a substantial degree. Anyone expecting Oscar-bait will not only be disappointed, but will be walking into the theater (or, at a future date, sitting down in front of a home screen) as a fool. Best to be wise and enjoy the simple pleasures--they're there in this piece, despite the critical carping--one last time, at least along this storyline.

Murder on the Orient Express (2017)

A mystery that has long since been solved is no mystery at all. Hence, if you're making a remake of a mystery movie--especially if it is perhaps the most famous mystery of all time--then obviously that film has to be about something more than solving the case. So it is here, where the heart of the exercise comes in the form of style and personality. Director and lead Branagh comes through in both aspects, delivering a visually sumptuous film while also crafting a lively and fun version of Hercule Poirot. The rest of the cast acquits themselves well, too. The only real issue lies in the writer, believe it or not. Christie's plot and solution, seen through the perspective of a lack of surprise, is frankly absurd and something of a cheat. But, again, this outing is not really about the solution anyway. Go ahead and board the train; you'll have a good enough trip for your ticket price.

Star Wars: Episode VIII -- The Last Jedi

The previous installment was a very "green" movie: lots of recycling. This one's more along the "reuse" lines; elements we've seen before come back at us again, but with just enough turns to show different facets and seem like something (almost) new. The viewer can even believe that something truly surprising is about to happen at more than one point in the proceedings, though it never really works out that way. And if the twist of the climactic scene is telegraphed...well, it's still a good bit of work anyway. You can say that very thing about this whole film: it's very strong conceptually, the execution is nearly flawless, and--most importantly--it is immensely entertaining throughout. Forceful indeed.

Star Wars: Episode VII--The Force Awakens

Those of a cynical mind might view the derivative nature of this outing--it is an almost blow by blow remake of the original 1977 story--as purposeful exploitation of a) an older, captive fanbase audience, and b) a new, younger generation of potential audience members who don't know from the original anyway, and won't be able to recognize the recycling. It is very likely that that cynical view is 100% true, but that does not necessarily toss this film onto the trash heap. The characters old and new are engaging (the newcomers acquit themselves very well), the movie looks beautiful, and at no point did I find my attention wavering during its relatively long running time. Ultimately, one should probably take this installment for what it is: a decent "soft" reboot of the franchise that, perhaps, raises a new hope for better things to come.