Freeze Frame Archiv

Yet again, Hollywood mistakes vulgarity for wit. Charlie Day and Ice Cube star in “Fist Fight,” an R-rated comedy about a wimpy teacher challenged to an afterschool brawl by a testy fellow educator. This mean-spirited vehicle manages to pummel a few crass laughs from the audience, but it may make you want to punch the screenwriters.   Style over substance isn’t necessarily a bad thing. But in the case of the gothic horror flick “A Cure for Wellness,” the style chokes out any substance. Filmmaker Gore Verbinski, best known for the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies, allows the visual razzle-dazzle to overwhelm an interesting premise and a strong cast. Dane DeHann is a business executive who travels to a creepy health resort in the Swiss Alps to bring back his vacationing boss, but winds up a patient instead. Overlong and overblown, “A Cure for Wellness” is too dark to be campy fun.   “Toni Erdmann” is an Oscar-nominated black comedy from Germany about a man who creates a fake persona to worm his way back into the life of his estranged daughter, an ambitious corporate type. It’s brilliant in a number of ways, but its deliberate pace, considerable length and…

It’s sequel mania at theaters this week, and at least two of them live up to the originals.   Who would have thought that an animated movie about toy building blocks would have been a hit, let alone a brash, cheeky and fast moving…wait for it…blockbuster? But 2014’s “The Lego Movie” was just that.   In the sequel, “The Lego Batman Movie,” Will Arnett reprises his role as a narcissistic and self-centered caped crusader whose lonely life of crime fighting is upended when Robin and Batgirl help him face his greatest challenge from The Joker and a wide assortment of other bad guys. This goofy and colorful romp is sure a lot more fun than Ben Affleck’s version.   Keanu Reeves is back for more R-rated bloody mayhem in “John Wick: Chapter 2,” about a super assassin reluctantly drawn back into the business. The ultra violent action thriller exists for one reason, and that’s to allow some of the best stunt people in the world to expertly ply their trade. Inspired by Hong Kong action cinema, this zippy flick has it all, including car chases, hand-to-hand combat, gunplay and a slew of bad guys being dispatched by all manner of…

The teen sci-fi romance “The Space Between Us” has an intriguing premise and good intentions. However, with its plot holes and eye-rolling circumstances, it could have been called “The Space Between its Ears.” Asa Butterfield plays Gardner, the first human born on Mars, the secret love child of an astronaut who dies in childbirth. After 16 years of being raised on the Red Planet, Gardner yearns to travel to Earth, find his father and meet a girl with whom he’s developed an Internet friendship. The scenes on Mars are fairly involving, but when Gardner finally rockets to Earth, the movie almost crashes and burns. The fine cast includes Gary Oldman, Carla Gugino and Britt Robertson and the production values are solid. But this kind of sentimentality requires deft touch of someone like Steven Spielberg to pull it off, and filmmaker Peter Chelsom isn’t quite there. As is, “The Space Between Us” is a sappy sci-fi soap opera.   Acclaimed Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodovar returns with his 20th feature film, “Julieta,” a beautifully produced drama about a woman’s troubled relationship with her daughter. In a series of flashbacks, we learn why they’re estranged as Almodovar slowly fills in the plot gaps.…

Since hitting the big time...

Kansas City native Janelle Monáe has proven herself to be a terrific musician. She can now add the title ‘acclaimed actress’ to her resume. She’s part of a strong acting ensemble in “Hidden Figures,” potent follow-up to her role in the current drama, “Moonight.” Monáe, Taraji P. Henson and Octavia Spencer star in the true story of mathematicians whose calculations helped propel NASA’s manned space program the 1960s, in spite of blatant sexism and racism. Kevin Costner is the NASA bigwig who relies on these female computers before IBM introduced mechanical ones. While the storytelling is standard, the cast of “Hidden Figures” is appealing, the production values are spot on and it is an inspiring tale that needed to be told. An allegory is given the big special effects treatment in “A Monster Calls.” It’s a spectacularly produced adaptation of Patrick Ness’s novel about a 12-year-old British boy named Conor who is trying to cope with his mother’s illness, an overbearing grandmother and local bullies. In his dreams, Conor conjures up a giant tree monster, voiced by Liam Neeson, who tells him three stories. Conor must tell a fourth story, or be eaten by the monster. Newcomer Lewis MacDougall plays…

At the close 2016, it’s time to look back the best movies the year had to offer. Here’s my list of the cream of the cinematic crop. 10) MOONLIGHT An […]

The post FREEZE FRAME: Russ’ 10 Best Movies of 2016 list. appeared first on KKFI.

Are American audiences ready for a full-blown movie musical about struggling performing artists in Los Angeles? I hope so, because “La La Land” is easily one of the best movies of the year. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are splendid in this magical romantic comic drama that was written and directed by Damien Chazelle, the man behind last year’s terrific jazz movie, “Whiplash.” “La La Land” is smart, poignant, tune-filled and funny. Those who love old-time musicals will be in heaven and those that don’t…will probably like it anyway. “La La Land” is a real gem. A terrific cast has gotten mired in a well-meaning but misguided dramatic mess called “Collateral Beauty.” Will Smith, Helen Mirren, Kate Winslet, Edward Norton, Keira Knightley, Michael Pena and Naomie Harris do their best to make a sappy script palatable. Smith plays an ad executive who has shut down emotionally after a grievous personal loss. His co-workers hire actors to play love, time and death in an attempt to shake him out of his funk. Only a cast this good could make a premise this odd seem remotely believable. “Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened” is a wistful documentary about the making…

Don’t be surprised if you hear the title “Manchester by the Sea” being bandied about a lot at awards time. Filmmaker Kenneth Lonergan’s heartbreaking drama about loss and grief is a skillfully written and impeccably acted ensemble piece. Casey Affleck plays a working class man who struggles with a past tragedy when he returns to his Massachusetts hometown for his brother’s funeral. I’ll warn you, it’s extremely bleak, but it’s also poignant and affecting. “Nocturnal Animals” is no exercise in sweetness and light, either. Celebrated fashion designer Tom Ford turns filmmaker, training his artistic eye on twin stories of revenge. Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaal lead a great cast in a very dark and violent tale that one could argue deserves an NC-17 rating, although it’s rated R. If art is meant to disturb, “Nocturnal Animals” more than qualifies. Jessica Chastain stars in “Miss Sloane,” an involving political suspense thriller about a hard-edged Washington, D.C. lobbyist who takes on a seemingly invincible organization. Chastain is solid as always and the setup is provocative, but the wheels nearly fall off when the plot takes an absurd turn near the film’s finale. “The Eyes of My Mother” is an elegantly shot, genuinely…

Earnest performances and good intentions don’t always lead to good movies. “Man Down” is a case in point. Shia LaBeouf gives a solid turn as a U.S. Marine who, upon his return home from serving in Afghanistan, discovers that his wife and child have fallen into the hands of some chaotic force. Is this a mystery, a sci-fi story or an apocalyptic drama? The answer isn’t clear until the movie’s final moments. Sadly, this well-meaning film never gets a grip on its subject and comes off as forced and pretentious instead of heartfelt and impassioned. If there is a bird lover in your family, you may want to consider taking them to see “The Eagle Huntress.” This beautifully photographed documentary tells the story of a 13-year-old girl who lives in the mountainous region of Kazakhstan. Her dream is to follow in her father’s footsteps, capturing and training a wild eagle for hunting. She meets steep resistance from the other hunters in their very patriarchal society. The film unfolds at a very leisurely pace, so it’s not for young children. But for those with an interest in all things aviary or in search of a film about female empowerment, “The Eagle…

Harry Potter fans who mourned the end of his book and movie franchise, take heart. J. K Rowling has revived that universe with her original screenplay, “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.” Eddie Redmayne plays an English wizard who finds trouble when he travels to New York in the 1920s with a bagful of magical critters. Even though it’s loud, dark and overlong, it’s a wildly entertaining and visually bewitching fantasy that serves as a welcome introduction to a whole new franchise. “The Edge of Seventeen” is one of the best teen coming-of-age comedies since John Hughes re-invented the genre in the 1980s. Hailee Steinfeld is excellent as a young girl who has difficulty traversing the minefield of puberty and family dysfunction. Although it earns it’s R rating, “The Edge of Seventeen” is a smart, thoughtful and very funny movie for adults and older teens. It’s a real contender for a Best Screenplay Oscar nomination. The documentary “The 13th” is filmmaker Ava DuVernay’s compelling, powerful and detailed look at what’s been dubbed America’s “prison industrial complex.” The mass incarceration of people of color is given valuable historical context through film clips, music and talking head interviews. It’s an enlightening…

“Arrival” is a science fiction opus that walks a razor’s edge. It could be hokey in the extreme or profoundly moving. Luckily, it mostly keeps its balance thanks to skillful direction from Denis Villeneuve and a touching performance from Amy Adams. When a number of alien spacecraft abruptly appear in various parts of the world, the US Military recruits an expert linguist, played by Adams, to see if she can communicate with them. Will she be able to discover their motives and intent before humanity reacts with violence? This very smart movie asks more questions than it answers, so this is not a movie for those who hate ambiguity. For many, however, it marks the arrival of a very impressive and thought provoking film. “Christine” tells the true story of Florida television news reporter Christine Chubbuck who gained instant fame in a shocking way. Actress Rebecca Hall portrays the brilliant but troubled newswoman whose personal and professional problems led to a tragedy that was broadcast on live TV in 1974. Hall’s disturbingly believable performance is the driving force behind this gripping but off putting drama directed with impeccable attention to period detail by Carlos Campos. “Christine” is a sympathetic look…

The 14th film from the Marvel Universe is easily the trippiest, yet. Benedict Cumberbatch plays “Doctor Strange” in a visually spectacular origin story about Marvel’s Sorcerer Supreme. While you may not be able to make heads or tails out of its plot about mysticism and treachery in multiple dimensions, there’s no denying that this well acted adventure is an involving mess. Cumberbatch is solid and although Tilda Swinton is miscast as his mentor, the Ancient One, she adds a welcome note of gravitas that leavens some of the silliness. “Doctor Strange” is one of the rare movies where the 3-D is actually worth the additional expense. “Hacksaw Ridge” is an outstanding WWII film based on a remarkable true story. Andrew Garfield plays Desmond Ross, a contentious objector who nevertheless enlisted, became an Army medic and saved the lives of 75 soldiers during horrific battles on the island of Okinawa. Director Mel Gibson’s approach is solidly old fashioned except for the ultra-violent combat scenes that put audiences in the midst of the grisly action. “Hacksaw Ridge” is a memorable tale of heroism that should garner multiple Oscar nominations. So, do we really need another animated musical about cute mythical creatures? Well,…

Tom Hanks and director Ron Howard may have gone to the well one too many times with "Inferno," their third entry in the Robert Langdon "Da Vinci Code" series by novelist Dan Brown. This time out, our intrepid Harvard symbologist tries to unravel his trickiest puzzle, yet, involving Dante, a deadly virus and a crazy billionaire. Howard's directorial style is as showy as ever and Hanks is solid as always. But in this case, the story's threads are so tangled that by the time you figure out what's really going on, you'll probably be rolling your eyes at all of the coincidences and plot holes. Langdon spends much of the movie in a drug-induced mental haze. I felt the same way without the drugs. The drama "Certain Women" sets a new standard for the term "low key." Three intertwining stories about small town Montana life feature actresses Laura Dern, Michelle Williams, Kirsten Stewart and Lily Gladstone. The acting is exemplary, especially from Gladstone. There isn't much drama, in the traditional sense in this extremely slow-moving glimpse into the lives of ordinary people. But for those patient viewers who allow the characters' concerns to become their own, it could prove to…

“Jack Reacher: Never Go Back” could be described as “’The Last Samurai’ with a Pistol.” Tom Cruise reunites with “Samurai” director Ed Zwick in Cruise’s second go round as Lee Child’s backside-kicking ex-military policeman turned lone vigilante. While it has a sufficient action quotient for undemanding genre fans, this modest thriller is mostly boilerplate fare. Tom seems to be operating on Cruise control. “Denial” is a taut, intriguing true story about an important British legal case. Rachel Weisz plays an American historian who is sued for libel by a Holocaust denier when she calls him a liar. Is someone lying when they really believe what they say is true, even when it isn’t? “Denial” should spark some interesting post-movie coffee talk. “Ouija: Origin of Evil” is a prequel to the 2014 horror hit. When a fake medium tries out a Ouija board, her daughter becomes possessed by an evil spirit. A very talented cast and taut pacing help make this low budget entry a surprisingly effective little thriller. “Keeping Up with the Joneses” is a spy spoof that should have been a lot better than it is. Zach Galifianakis and Isla Fisher are a suburban couple whose lives are upended…