I found the first half of this movie much more believable, and entertaining, than the second half. In Money Monster, George Clooney’s character Lee is the host of a slightly zany financial tv show (think Jim Cramer’s Mad Money), with show producer being Patty as played by Julia Roberts. The show is held hostage on live tv when Kyle comes in with a gun and bomb vest, demanding answers for why Lee’s supposedly safe stock bet crashed, wiping out Kyle’s savings. Plausible, if a bit out there. The movie takes a twist in the last act though that definitely leaves reality behind. It is saved somewhat by the solid acting of Clooney & Roberts, and Jack O’Connell as Kyle. It is a new take on a tense hostage film, and worth at least a single viewing.
Popstar is hilarious. No two ways to say it. Andy Samberg and his friends in The Lonely Island put this movie together, produced by Judd Apatow. It is sort of a mockumentary about a rap group trio (sort of a cross between Beastie Boys and a boy band) who split up when one of them embarks on a solo career. There is a plot here showing their split in the past and how they come back together, but the film is really here just to make you laugh. There are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments from start to finish, especially for those fans of Samberg’s, with an endless supply of cameos from the movie and music scene. This one will not disappoint.
Nice Guys is a throwback buddy cop-style movie, with private investigators instead of cops. Set in the 70’s, Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling are brought together to get to the bottom of a missing girl and dead porn actress. Crowe is the tough guy with the determined attitude, whereas Gosling bumbles his way through, often getting results by accident. The case gets a lot deeper than they expected before it is all over. The darker moments almost have a film noir kind of feel, and the whole is certainly entertaining. It’s a solid action film with strong laughs too.
Our Kind of Traitor is an spy/action/thriller movie, light on the action but heavy on the spy and thriller. Ewan McGregor’s character Perry is on vacation with his wife in Morocco when he is pulled in to an international tug-of-war. Dima, a member of the Russian mafia, is there in Morocco as well, and recruits Perry to hand over information on his behalf to the English secret service. Perry agrees only because Dima insists his (Dima’s) life and his family’s lives are in danger otherwise. This film is cleverly written and has strong performances from McGregor, Stellan Skarsgard as Dima, and Homeland’s Damian Lewis as Hector, the MI-6 operative. The film is based on one of John le Carré’s novels, who has seen many of his books become successful and/or acclaimed spy movies.
The Ghostbusters remake would be a lot better if it had a different title, meaning it is actually OK despite the lukewarm reviews and awful box office showing, but it was never going to live up to the greatness of the original film. As you know by now this is a reboot featuring a female cast now. Directed by Paul Feig, this movie is much like his other films, where the comedy is a little on the silly side. While the laughs mostly hit, it just can’t catch the original movie. The original Ghostbusters was funny for sure, but was also tense, thrilling, and had heart too. The newest film is a straight up comedy, lacking in all of those more serious aspects. At times it almost felt cartoonish. Still, a decent film, and I’m sure those that never saw the first would enjoy it more.
Jons Movie Takes 