Soul

Depending upon who you are, and how you feel about your life, some of this story may hit a little too close to home. In a more general view, a lot of this movie may be difficult for viewers to get traction with, as a sizable part of the concept here involves characters who are abstractions, and abstraction is notoriously difficult for many people to relate to. Or perhaps that’s just this viewer trying to grasp at reasons why this film stayed somewhat at arm’s length from him, despite there being plenty of relatable emotional content herein. Maybe it’s due to the fact that I personally have never really appreciated jazz that this flick fails to completely crack my exterior. What also doesn’t help is the ending—it reeks of falsity; it seems like a decision was made to tack on a final note that was added on in order to make the ending “happier,” even though the honest ending would not have been all that sad, and is even hinted at in the earlier dialogue. I don’t know; there’s a lot of plus and minus here, all mixed up—but I’m conscious enough of my own personal failings here that I will give this work a pass, count it as a guarded MEOW, and leave it at that. Other than that, you’ll have to find this work's purpose for yourself.

Spider-man: No Way Home

I honestly don't know what to say about this movie. I've never been as hyped up about the Tom Holland iteration of the Spidey story, so I suppose I should have appreciation for this flick's special-guest-star gimmick--and it is good to see the previous actors showing their version of the character, particularly Maguire's version, which really laid much of the groundwork for today's hero-film landscape (and doesn't get nearly as much credit as is deserved these days). So it goes. As for this particular work, again, it's mostly a matter of fan service, though it does benefit from the presence of some really good actors reprising their previous roles. On the other hand, the relationship between Holland and Cumberbatch never quite hits the right note. Guess it's a good thing that the latter disappears for about half the running time. That's the sort of thing we have here--an odd melange of good and bad, weird and decent and exasperating all at the same time. Sure, you can have fun with this movie, but the original film, twenty-some years ago, proved this story can be fun and high-quality at the same time. Who knows if this goes any further--it's the third lead outing for Holland, so likely done for him now--though the best bet would be to just let this thing leave off here and come back with a new iteration in about 15 years or so. Will that happen? No--the MCU is a stickier web than anything this kid can shoot. I guess it's just a matter of shrug the shoulders and accept it as it is. Oh well...

Ray

A work about a genius is not necessarily a work of genius. This film is a case in point. The story of the music legend is presented here in an oddly old-fashioned style; many of the tropes seen here have been seen a thousand times before, and the notes played (so to speak) come through clearly, but are a bit obvious and render the story somewhat pedestrian--which hardly reflects the full breadth of the real-life tale. That’s the redeeming part of this movie: the extraordinary nature of Charles’ life arc helps the narrative overcome the film-making weaknesses. On top of that, Jamie Foxx’s dead-on take on the legend’s persona injects some appropriate excellence into the proceedings. And, it should go without saying, the music heard here is incredible. It’s certainly a film worth a look and listen, though it is perhaps not the amazing thing that its subject should have made it out to be.

Annie (2014)

It's tempting to view this "colorized" version of the old musical as something gimmicky and as an unwarranted attempt to "update" the look of what has long been considered a classic--but as you watch this film, it becomes clearer and clearer that this is a legitimate re-telling of the tale. Indeed, this is probably how the story should play in today's world; we should expect a modern-day Annie would be more Quvenzhané Wallis than Andrea McArdle. Having never seen the play or original movie (or even read the comic strip, for that matter), I have no opinion on how "true" to the original this version is; I can just testify that the story remains strong, its modern touches make sense and work within the plot, and the performances are mostly true and done well. This seems to have been an overlooked work when it came out, and unfairly so; I suspect most viewers will appreciate it greatly and enjoy it very much.

Django Unchained

Is it wildly entertaining? Yes. Does it have all the layers you’d typically expect from a Tarantino movie? Sure. Will you think about it for quite some time after you’ve watched it? Of course. Is it a great movie? Well...Perhaps we’re grading on too steep a curve; maybe Q is the victim of overly lofty expectations. Hard to say, but while I did like this film, I wouldn’t say it’s quite up to snuff for such an audacious and ambitious director. There’s lots to like--the performances by Waltz and Jackson are marvels--but you can’t help but think that, in practical terms, most of the second half of the film doesn’t make much sense. Certainly you should see it; just don’t elevate it into the pantheon.

Collateral

An enjoyable thriller, made that much more watchable by Michael Mann's usual stylish vision. The intriguing set-up, and good interplay between Cruise and Foxx, combine with that stylishness to craft a movie that's better than it would be in lesser hands.

Ali

Very stylishly done, but you expect that from director Michael Mann. The story is told more visually than textually, but the tale still comes strongly across. And Will Smith does an astounding job of capturing The Champ's enormous charisma. A very strong effort.

Any Given Sunday

I can't tell--did Oliver Stone make a stupid football movie because he's stupid, or because football is stupid, or is it both? The critique of the character of big-time football is welcome (apparently, everyone involved with it is a horrible person), but bluster and bullshit are not substitutes for an actual story.