Book Club puts the sex back into sexagenarian

Movie Title:  
    Book Club

Grade:  B-

Rating: PG-13, 104 minutes

In a Nutshell:  I guess you could say that this movie puts the sex back into the word “sexagenarian", although the majority of the leading ladies are in their 70's and 80's.

Sex is the main focus of this movie which, honestly, disappointed me because this talented cast could have done so much more.  There are so many interesting topics that could have been explored to develop the characters better.

The stellar cast includes four Oscar winners and two nominees: Jane Fonda, Diane Keaton, Candice Bergen, Mary Steenburgen, Andy Garcia, and Richard Dreyfus.    

Designed for an older viewing crowd, the audience I sat with laughed non-stop, while I mostly rolled my eyes.

                                                 

Tips for parents: 

• Some profanity, crude language, and 1 F-bomb.  As Candice Bergan’s character says in the movie, “Must you always be so crass?”  Exactly.
• TONS of wine.  Someone is drinking wine or some other kind of alcohol in almost every single scene.
• Lots of sex out of wedlock and LOTS of talk about sex, often with metaphors. Just so you know, the four women in the BOOK CLUB read all of the books in the Fifty Shades of Grey series, which is what triggers the focus.  Sharon says, "I'm not sure this qualifies as a book."  Exactly.

Uplifting theme: 

• “Reaching millions of people doesn’t come close to reaching just one you love.” – Arthur (Don Johnson)
• “I know I’m getting older, but I’m still learning and one of the things I’ve learned is that I deserve to be happy.” – Diane (Diane Keaton)
•  Friendship
• Self-esteem
• Love and connection
• The power of books!

                                            

Things I liked:

• I thought Candice Bergan’s character was the most enjoyable and realistic.  As a federal judge, I thought it was cute that she named her cat after Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg.  She's 72 in real life.  By the way, have you heard her famous hit TV show Murphy Brown: Season 1 is coming back to TV?  I used to love that show and am excited to see what they do with its revival.
• The food at the ladies’ Book Club gatherings always looked so good.
• Jane Fonda is 80 and looks amazing.  Have you seen her recent TV show Grace And Frankie Season 1 ?  She's really great in it and looks stunning.
• You should read Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken.”  It’s great and referred to in the movie.  What do YOU think it means?
• Keep watching the rolling credits at the end for a few more scenes.
• Craig T. Nelson and Mary Steenburgen also played a married couple in the movie The Proposal.  She is only 65, the youngest in the group.  He's 74.
• This was Bill Holderman’s directorial debut.  Hopefully, he’ll bring more older actors and actresses to the Big Screen.  As evidenced by the large audiences I saw for this film on opening day, there is definitely a market there.  Jane Fonda revealed that studio bosses wanted younger stars to play the characters in this movie. Ageism is alive and well in Hollywood.

Things I didn’t like:

• As much as I adore Diane Keaton, and I do, she pretty much plays the same character in all of her movies, including her clothing style with scarves, hats, and pant suits.  She even wore an Annie Hall hat in the pool scene.  It’s like she’s just playing herself in movies.  In fact, her character’s name in this movie is Diane.   Ha ha
• There is such a huge age difference between Ed Begley Jr.'s character and Mircea Monroe's character that it was ridiculous.  I know this is a comedy, but it was just silly.
• This is a true rom-com Chick Flick where all of the men fall all over themselves to please the women (except one). 
• Sometimes it’s annoying when everyone in a movie has unlimited time and money to do whatever they want.
• The second half of the movie really dropped for me. 
• Andy Garcia played Diane Keaton’s nephew in The Godfather, so I thought their ages were unmatched in this film.  In this movie, she says she was born in  1951.  In real life, she was actually born in 1946 and is 72 years old.  Andy Garcia is 62.
• The movie franchise of Fifty Shades of Grey is so pornographic and I’ve never understood how those movies could ever make it to mainstream box offices.  Don Johnson, who is one of the leading men in this movie, is the real-life father of Dakota who stars in those sadistic sex movies.  Gosh, isn’t he proud?
• Blatant brand merchandising always annoys me.  This movie had tons, including Zillow, Bumble, Buca de Beppo, Brooks Brothers, Mercedes, and more.
• Diane Keaton’s character never says “goodbye” when she talks on the telephone.  Do you know people in real life who do that?  So annoying.
• I wanted to see more of Richard Dreyfuss and Wallace Shawn.  They're both so awesome.

Funny lines:

• “The last time she went on a date, she got pregnant.” – Sharon (Candice Bergen)

“I don’t think that’s going to happen this time.” - Vivian (Jane Fonda)
*  "They say that memory is the second thing to go." - Arthur (Don Johnson)
    "What's the first?" - Vivian
    "I don't remember." - Arthur

Interesting lines:

• “Cupid is blind.” – Sharon
• “The choice should be ours.” – Vivian  

                               

                                           @trinaboice

Deadpool 2 is over-the-top with surprising depth

Movie Title:       Deadpool 2

Grade:   B+

Rating: R, 119 minutes

In a Nutshell:   Marvel is on a roll.  The X-Force team assembles under the guidance of the most disrespectful, irreverent superhero ever, Deadpool, played expertly by Ryan Reynolds.

As Ryan Reynolds says in the movie, “The Academy’s watching.”  The sequel is definitely bigger....is it better than the first?  Umm....probably not.  Did it make me laugh?  Definitely.  

                                    

Tips for parents: 

• Deadpool says in the beginning, “Believe it or not, Deadpool 2 is a family movie.”  Nope.  Not true.  This is a true rated R movie.  If you set filters on VidAngel to delete profanity, violence and gore, this would be a 20 minute movie. 
• Crude language and TONS of F-bombs.  I hate it when kids swear especially, which Julian Dennison does as Russell.
• Scoutmaster pervert joke.  Ouch.  I have 4 sons.
• Lots of severed limbs and brutal, gory deaths.
• Lesbians
• You see a bottomless little kid’s junk full Winnie the Pooh style and a man’s naked rear end.
• Super high body count, destruction, violence, crude gestures.
• Guns.
• Some fun music, but other songs with very crude lyrics.

Uplifting theme: 

• “We all need that sense of belonging.  We all need a genuine sense of home.” – Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds)
• “Kids – they give us a chance to be better than we are…better than we use to be.” – Vanessa (the beautiful Morena Baccarin)  
• Family
• Sacrifice for others
• “Pain teaches us who we are.” – Blind Al (Leslie Uggams)
• “No child is hopeless.” - Blind Al

Things I liked:

• The trailer was hilarious. I loved the crack about Superman’s mustache in the trailer, referring to when DC had to use CGI to remove Henry Cavill's mustache in the movie Justice League.   
• I got a kick out of the opening credits.  Most of the time, we just ignore them, but read them this time!
• This is the year of Josh Brolin as the evil villain.  He voices a fantastic Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War
• Great action sequences.  As Deadpool says, “Big CGI fight coming up.”  Yep, LOTS of them.
• Tons of fun jokes and visual gags, all lightning fast.  You’ll have to see the movie again in order to catch everything.
• We learn a lot more about Wade Wilson, making his character development more deep and grounded.
• You’re going to get a kick out of some new twists.
• Keep watching after the credits for a couple more fun scenes, but there’s nothing at the very, very end of the music.
• The Logan music box in the very beginning scene got the audience I sat with to immediately start laughing.  There is a running gag about Logan during the entire movie.  So funny.  For example, both films played the same music during the death scenes.  Ha ha
• Tony Robbins.  Love that guy.
• Wade and his girlfriend watch the movie Yentl  I always loved that movie and the music.  Deadpool points out that the song, “Papa, can you hear me?” is the same tune as Frozen’s “Do you want to build a snowman?” I never noticed that!
• X-Men – trainee!  Ha ha
• I like Dub Step too.  Ha ha
• Several Canadian jokes.  A lot of locations in Vancouver were actually used in the movie. 
• At the end of the movie, it says that 15,000 jobs were created to make the movie.  The stunt work was amazing.  Sadly a stunt woman, Joi Harris, died while filming one of the stunts on a motorcycle. Production stopped for two days.
• Tons of fun Easter eggs.  For example, Deadpool refers to Cable, played by Josh Brolin, as "One Eyed Willy", which was a character in the 1985 movie The Goonies which starred Josh Brolin.
• Tons of movie, song, and pop culture references.  One of the movie posters shows Deadpool in a Flashdance pose on a chair with bullets raining down on him.  He definitely takes a beating in this film.

                                                      

Things I didn’t like:

• This is the first Marvel film to NOT give Stan Lee a cameo performance!  Drats!  I always look forward to those little moments.  Instead, you can see him in a quick picture montage.  Definitely not as good.
• Sometimes trailers are deceiving.  In an earlier trailer for DEADPOOL 2, Deadpool says, "Pump the hate brakes, Thanos," referencing Josh Brolin's role as Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, but in the actual movie, he's talking to two lesbians and he says, "Pump the hate brakes, Fox and Friends."
• I don't read the comic books, but Domino's character and alliances are much different there than in this movie, as well as her color and eye circle.  It certainly didn't bother me, but some fans might be annoyed.  Zazie Beetz did a fantastic job.
• SPOILER:  Have you seen The Terminator?  Yeah, that's this plot.

Funny lines:

• “Forgive me for being late.  I was busy gathering all the gluten in the world so it can not NOT hurt us.” – Deadpool
• “That is why the man bun is just the Millennial mullet.” – Deadpool
• “So dark.  Are you sure you’re not from the DC Universe?” – Deadpool
• “Mission accomplished?” – Dopinder (Karan Soni)

“Well, in a George W. sort of way.” – Deadpool

• “Every family film starts with a vicious murder…Bambi. Lion King. Saw 7.” – Deadpool
• “It’s time to get back on LinkedIn.” – Weasel (T.J. Miller)
• Vanisher….ha ha  IMDB shows his face listed as Brad Pitt!  The studio actually wanted Brad Pitt to play Cable, but he had to decline that role due to scheduling conflicts.
• “Never underestimate a man with a mustache.” – Deadpool
• “I have no idea what’s happening.” –  Blind Al

“It’s probably best.” - Deadpool

Interesting lines:

• “Family was always an F word for me.” - Deadpool
• “You are not your father.” – Vanessa
• “I fight for what’s right.” – Deadpool

                                           

                                           @trinaboice

Traffick puts the spotlight on human trafficking in the USA

Movie Title:  Traffik

Grade:  C-

Rating: R, 1 hour 36 minutes

In a Nutshell:   

I was in the Las Vegas airport recently and saw a sign on the bathroom door stall that gave an emergency phone number for women who were trapped in human trafficking.  

The number is 1-8888-3737-888.   That’s a fantastic idea and easy number to remember, but I wonder how many girls who get kidnapped happen to have a cell phone on them.  Right?

At the end of the movie, it says, “It is estimated there are 1.9 million women being trafficked in the United States.  Worldwide, 21 million victims of human trafficking generate illegal profits each year of 150 billion dollars.”  For more information about this despicable crime, go to www.polarisproject.org or www.endslaverynow.org

I applaud writer/director Deon Taylor for trying to create a movie that puts the spotlight on an important issue, but the film itself has some serious flaws.  One of my biggest gripes about this movie is that it attempts to criticize human traffickers who exploit women, yet the movie itself spends a LOT of time sexualizing Paula Patton.

                                                         

Tips for parents: 

• Profanity and lots of F-bombs.
• Pre-marital relations
• Lots of cleavage and skimpy clothes.  You see a woman’s naked backside.  The rest of the time, she has a hard time keeping her shirt strap on.
• Crude gestures
• Violence with blood splatters
• Parents, talk to your daughters about how to be safe and avoid being a victim.

Uplifting theme: 

• Be aware of your surroundings
• Think smart

                                                             

Things I liked:

• It was suspenseful a few times, although there were some fake jumps and scares that annoyed me.
• Paula Patton didn’t use a stunt double.
• I think this was the first time I have ever seen Missi Pyle in a dramatic role.  Good for her.  Did you know she’s also a great singer?  She always wanted to be in a rock band, which she did for a number of years.
• Roselyn Sanchez is so beautiful.   You’ve seen her in  Act of Valor and  Rush Hour 2.

Things I didn’t like:

• The movie tries to be a romantic thriller with meat, but it doesn’t quite get there.
• Dumb slow-motion bad guy scene.
• Laz Alonso’s character is so over-the-top and ridiculous that the audience laughed almost every time he opened his mouth.
• Some of the acting and crying is really bad.  Lots of useless whimpering.
• This is one of those movies where people make dumb choices.
• I didn’t feel any chemistry between Paula Patton and Omar Epps.
• For some reason, this movie isn't even listed on Rotten Tomatoes, but it's getting mixed reviews on IMDB.

Interesting lines:

• “This is the real world.  Everything is trafficked.” –  Deputy Sally Marnes (Missi Pyle)

                                 

                                         @trinaboice

Isle of Dogs displays style and detail in a stop-motion treat for dog lovers

Movie Title: 
      Isle of Dogs

Grade:   A-

Rating: PG-13, 101 minutes

In a Nutshell:  I went to Japan with my family last summer for the first time.  It was so amazing that I know it won’t be the last time.  I absolutely loved it. 

The ground crew at the airport in Tokyo actually bowed in unison to all of the passengers on our airplane right before we took off.  I mean, how could you not love a country that does that?

My kids went crazy for Japan too.  It’s an incredible country with so much to offer, so I really got a kick out of this movie’s story and Japanese-influenced style.  

This stop-motion film is fresh, different, and extremely entertaining.  Some might even call it a work of art.

                                              

Tips for parents: 

• Your kids are probably going to want to adopt a dog after seeing this movie.
• This is only the 3^rd stop-motion in the USA that is rated PG-13.  While this is an animation, the movie is really geared more toward adults.  That's not to say there is a lot of profanity or suggestive material; there isn't.  The humor is just more sophisticated and subtle.

Uplifting theme: 

• Loyalty
• Friendship
• Pet ownership

                                                  

Things I liked:

• The talented voice cast includes Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Live Schreiber, Scarlett Johansson, Jeff Goldblum, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand, Harvey Keitel, Greta Gerwig, and Koyu Rankin. Most of those actors are either Oscar winners or nominees.  Pretty impressive.
• Director Wes Anderson showcases his talent for detail.  Sooo much detail.  I love detail.
• The introductory back story was hilarious.
• The locations were so full of depth.  Each trash zone area was unique and named according to what happened there. For example, "Spots’ Landing,”  “Drone Beach” and “The Crash Site.”
• Clever humor.

Facts that showcase the craft in this movie:

• Many of the newspapers seen in the film include real articles that have been translated into Japanese.
• All of the shots from the dog’s perspective don’t have red or green in them since dogs can’t see those colors.
• Spoken in English, “Isle of Dogs” sounds like “I love dogs.” 

Things I didn’t like:

• A lot of Japanese is spoken with no subtitles, so you have to assume dialogue based on context. There is also a lot of written Japanese.  I wish I could have read it.
•  Some of the cleverness turns into smugness.

Funny lines:

• “Da## it.  I’ve got a crush on you.” – Foreign exchange student Walker 

                                                      

                                          @trinaboice

Blumhouse's Truth or Dare gets my grade of D for dumb

Movie Title:   Blumhouse's Truth or Dare

Grade:   D for dumb

Rating: PG-13

In a Nutshell:  Brought to the Big Screen by the same producers as the award winning Get Out   and Happy Death Day this horror teen flick scored a terrible 15% on Rotten Tomatoes for being lame.  

It's so bad that I can see teens renting it on Red Box so they can laugh at it in their mom’s basement while snacking on Cheetos on a Friday night.

                               

Tips for parents: 

• Peer pressure
• Spring Break “debauchery”
• Where are the parents in this movie?
• Where are the bras in this movie?
• Some profanity and crude language.
• A teen sets a woman on fire
• Underage drinking and drunk teens
• Talk of sex and lots of kissing
• Gay teens kissing
• People die in brutal ways.
• Creepy voices and faces
• Lots of risky behavior
• Guns
• Talk of suicide 

Uplifting theme: 

• Choice and accountability
• Sacrifice for others
• Don’t get drunk and make stupid choices 

                                             

Things I liked:

• Shout-out for Habitat 4 Humanity
• My kids make that same creepy face that the “truth or dare” demon made people make, so it actually made me laugh. I'm sure it's supposed to be scary, but everyone just laughs. 

Things I didn’t like:

• Most of the characters are tools, so it’s hard to care very much about them.  You pretty much WANT them to die.
• Super clichéd dialogue
• Super cliched scenes
• Plot holes
• Snapchat opening sequence, which was kind of interesting and lame at the same time.  I hate Snapchat. 
• When one of the friends would die, the other friends never even stopped to mourn, but would just go about their day.
• The last few scenes were just stupid.
• The best friends constantly turn on each other.
• The back story between Olivia and Markie was just lame.
• Stupid jump scares.
• Halfway through the movie, the rules of Truth or Dare change. Lame.
• If you want to see a fun horror movie with a PG-13 rating and still in theaters now, go see A QUIET PLACE.

Funny lines:

• “Your dad didn’t know you were gay?  Your ring tone is Beyonce.” – Lucas Moreno (Tyler Posey)

“Everyone loves Beyonce.” – Brad Chang (Hayden Szeto)

                               

                                          @trinaboice

I Feel Pretty just might give women more confidence

Movie Title: 

    I Feel Pretty

Grade:   B+

Rating: PG-13, 110 minutes

In a Nutshell: 
Every female is going to relate to this movie.  I think it’s fairly safe to say that every woman has insecurities about herself.  

Whether it’s a lack of confidence about how we look or speak or do certain things, we all wish we felt better about ourselves.  We can be our own worst enemy. The mirror certainly doesn't help.  This isn’t a movie about body shaming, but one of having self-confidence and trying to be your best self. In an interview with with Gayle King, Amy Schumer explained it as a journey, both the struggle for feeling good about one's self and her own career.

It’s kind of a mix between Jack Black’s comedy Shallow Hal and Tom Hank’s charming movie Big (I loved both of them).  It’s a fun chick flick…meaning, take your besties to the theater, share a giant bucket of popcorn, and don't beat yourself up for not being so perfect.

                             

Tips for parents: 

·      Some profanity.

·      You see a lot of Amy Schumer’s cleavage, mid-section, and bare naked back side a couple of times, complete with tramp stamp.  There is also a scene with a bunch of beautiful women in skimpy bikinis.

·      There is a lot of talk about sex, as well as a super awkward sex scene where you see some skin.  Pre-marital relations.

·      2 gay men.

·      Renee (Amy Schumer) gets drunk.

·      One of the girls confesses she has HPV and explains it away by saying, “Everyone has HPV.”  Um….nope.  That’s not true.  Guess what?  If you don’t sleep around, you won’t get it.

 Uplifting theme: 

·     “Believe in yourself.”  - Renee Bennett (Amy Schumer)

·      It’s confidence that makes you beautiful and sexy.

·      “Change your mind, change your life.” – Soul Cycle teacher

·      “We are real women.  What a great thing to be.” – Renee Bennett

·      Do YOU really see people?  Do you judge people just by how they look?

                                                      

Things I liked:

·  Michelle Williams is hilarious and awesome.  She's so effective in dramas, but it's also nice to see her in a comedic role.  She has had an amazing few months in the success of The Greatest Showman , as well as All The Money In The World .  We'll see her again in the upcoming movie "Venom." She's on a roll!

·   Most young people won’t know who Lauren Hutton is.  There is a picture towards the very end of the movie that shows Lauren Hutton when she was at the peak of her modeling days as a young woman.  I thought it was really fun to have her in the movie as Lily LeClaire.

·      Yep, it’s true.  Kentucky Fried Chicken does use Hidden Valley Ranch dressing.

·      I liked that the Soul Cycle teacher told all of the class participants to “set an intention.”  If we were all more mindful and proactive about our lives, we’d be surprised at how much better things turned out.  Renee (Amy Schumer) wears a sweatshirt at the beginning of the movie that says “Get it Girl!” which is the anthem of the movie.  Take your flaws and STILL believe in yourself.

·      It’s refreshing to see how brave Amy Schumer is about making fun of herself and flaunting her more than size 2 body.  Her stand-up comedy bits have always been completely honest, although extremely raunchy. I admire that she doesn't let Hollywood make her feel terrible about herself.

·      I’ve been a big fan of Saturday Night Live ever since my college roommate and I would watch it together on a tiny TV in our dorm room.  I love seeing a lot of the comediennes from SNL on movies lately.  This one features the talented Aidy Bryant and Sasheer Zamata. 

·      You’ll see a lot of beautiful women like Naomi Campbell and Emily Ratajkowski.

·      I laughed at the beginning when the camera scanned all of Renee’s beauty products in her bathroom.  Most of us spend ridiculous amounts of money on products, hoping they will FINALLY be the magic pill to make us look prettier and feel better about ourselves.  The ironic thing about this movie is that Renee works for a cosmetic company and her speech at the end sells more make-up.
*  I loved Renee's color-coordinated boxes behind her desk in the China town basement.  

Things I didn’t like:

·   You know what else is attractive?  Virtue and humility.  While Hollywood has been pumping out a lot of "be who you are" movies lately, there is a serious lack of movies that celebrate women, or men for that matter, who are virtuous and humble and chaste.  Religious values are, more often than not, mocked in Hollywood movies. Yeah, that doesn't exactly get laughs or sell box office tickets, but I sure would like to see more well-behaved, good girls in movies being honored for a change.

*  Everyone loved Amy Schumer when she first hit the scene, but for some reason, it’s now popular to hate her.  Her stand-up routines are super trashy and she seems to celebrate being a skank, but I love that she doesn’t apologize for not being the skinny model that Hollywood thinks she should be.

·   I thought it was funny that they grouped Busy Philipps with the “average” girlfriends, because I’ve always thought she was pretty.
*  I thought for sure that some time during the movie we'd hear a modern version of the famous  West Side Story song, I Feel Pretty.  Nope, it never played.  Missed opportunity, right?
*  Women are definitely going to appreciate this movie more than men.

Funny lines:

·      “Can I be you when I grow up?” – Ethan (Rory Scovel) 

Interesting lines:

·   “I think a lot of people are confused about themselves.” – Ethan

·      “I started to believe that if I wanted it bad enough, all my dreams could come true.” – Renee Bennett

·      “What if we never lost that little girl confidence?” – Renee

·      “This make-up line won’t change your life – only you can do that.” – Renee

·      “I know I look good.  I don’t need a room full of drunk guys to confirm it.” – Renee

·      “I am brave.  I am blonde.  And I got this!” – Mason (Adrian Martinez)

                                                     

                                                @trinaboice