Quick takes on Old Henry and other films

Red Notice is a fairly ho-hum action comedy film, with superstar power in its leads: Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot. The plot revolves around the theft of 3 bejeweled eggs originally gifted to Cleopatra by Marcus Antonius. Thief Nolan Booth (Reynolds) is attempting to steal each of the three, knowing there is a big payout if they are all brought together to the right buyer. Booth is being hunted by FBI agent John Hartley (Johnson), who has teamed up with Interpol to follow Booth around the world. However, both are being played by a mysterious super thief known only as Bishop (Gadot), who wants the three eggs and the payout it will bring all to herself. If you are a fan of Reynolds style of humor (and I am), you will find plenty of laughs, but that is about the only saving grace is this chaotic mess. Too many twists to keep track of, and honestly not worth the effort for what is ultimately a pretty forgettable action film. Pre-pandemic, this is the kind of movie that would rely on its star power to pack the seats for a summer blockbuster, but watching it on Netflix doesn’t carry the same weight. ★★

Whereas the cast of Red Notice couldn’t hold that movie up, the excellent cast of The Harder They Fall is able to better. The introduction prepares you for the violence ahead: a preacher, his wife, and their child are sitting down to dinner when a group of outlaws interrupts. The leader of the gang, Rufus Buck, has obviously been hunting this preacher for a long time. The man begs for the lives of his family, but Buck shoots the wife and then the preacher. He spares the son, but carves a cross into his forehead. 20 years later, the boy has grown up to be Nat Love, and he has made it his life’s goal to hunt down and kill every man who ran with Rufus Buck. The only one left alive now is Buck himself, who’s been in jail. However, he is about to be released, thanks to a pardon from the governor for having his latest gang take care of some nefarious business for him. Love is ready to finish what he started. He puts together a team of fast draws and snipers, including the law man who who originally put Buck away, but doesn’t want to see him free after all the hurt he’s caused, and they set out to bring justice. Buck’s new crew is just as deadly as his old one though, so it will not be an easy adventure. This is a raw and grungy anti-western, with a top billed cast including Idris Elba, Regina King, Jonathan Majors, Zazie Beets, Delroy Lindo, and more. Western film fans should find plenty to like. ★★★½

After two (sometimes over-the-top) Hollywood films, I was ready for something a little quieter. Sophie Jones was the ticket. A little indie film from a first-time director and an unknown cast (including the director’s cousin in the lead), this film is about a teen trying to find herself in the year after her mother died. Sophie is an average high school junior, but she feels like the rug has been pulled out from under her. She defiantly insists to her therapist that she’s doing fine, that she hasn’t turned to drugs or other vices to help her cope, but in reality, she’s turned to sex. Previously a virgin, she finds control in her life over the one thing that she can control, and that’s her body. She sleeps with a couple guys, dumps her only boyfriend when he starts asking for more than casual sex, and even tries to make a move on her longtime friend, who has obviously had a crush on her for awhile. The film doesn’t present easy answers for Sophie, or a clear way out of her predicament, and lets her find her own way. It’s not a fast or easy path, and it shouldn’t be. Very realistic film, though the unprofessional actors were a bit off-putting for me. Or maybe teens really talk this way now and I’m just out of touch. Still, excellent film for indie lovers. ★★★½

I love a good musical, and am a big fan of Rent, so of course I’ve been looking forward to the film version of Jonathan Larson’s Tick, Tick…Boom! I went in fairly blind, only knowing Larson wrote this before Rent, and it was biographical about his worries regarding turning 30, and frustrations in breaking in to the Broadway scene as a writer and composer. Larson is portrayed by Andrew Garfield, who sets the scene by explaining this is the workshop (what musicals go through before hitting the stage, to pursue funding and “work out the kinks”) for Tick, Tick… Boom! In the show-within-a-show, we see Larson of two years ago, in his tiny New York apartment, and he’s been struggling on writing the a show, Superbia, for many years. What continues to drive him is some praise he received from the legendary Stephen Sondheim (R.I.P.) during a theater class awhile back. Larson is about to lose his roommate, who came to New York with him, but never made it as an actor, and is settling into his corporate advertising job, in fact, getting ready to move out and into a posh new place. If he’s not careful, Larson will lose his girlfriend too; a dancer, she was just about to get her break when she had a literal one, breaking her ankle and now seeming to have missed her chance. She’s considering taking a teaching job to pay the bills, but Larson cannot see himself doing anything but writing musicals. Fans of his know how this turns out: Larson dies at the age of 35 on the day of Rent’s first Off-Broadway performance, the musical that would go on to win multiple Tony’s and a Pulitzer, all awarded posthumously to Larson. This filmed version is chuck full of Broadway legends in roles and cameos (far too many to note) and was directed by Lin Manuel Miranda, in his film directorial debut. It features plenty of catchy rock tunes that will keep Rent fans happy, and is a great story about following your dreams. ★★★★

Musicals aren’t for everyone, but plenty will like Old Henry, a more grounded and traditional western than The Harder They Fall. Henry is an old farmer working the land with his son Wyatt. They live alone on a secluded farm, when a riderless horse trots up, with a splash of blood on his saddle. Henry follows its tracks and finds a man near death, shot, and with a gun and bundle of cash nearby. After a thought of leaving him, Henry pulls him over his horse and rides him, his gun, and money back to his farm. When he comes to, the man claims to be Curry, a lawman who was set upon by outlaws, and stole their already stolen money. Shortly after, three men do indeed come to Henry’s door, but they claim to be the law, and are seeking a thieving Curry. Henry plays dumb to get the men to leave, but he smells something is amiss. The three go and round up some more bad men, and come back. But this time, Henry is ready, and he’s not just a farmer. The big surprise is a bit over-the-top, but if you can accept it and go with it, this is an extremely fun and action packed film. The climactic gun fight is as good as it gets in this genre. Outstanding performance by Tim Blake Nelson in the lead, who seems he was born to play a gritty cowboy. ★★★★

• TV series currently watching: Foundation (season 1)
• Book currently reading: Hades by Mark Danielewski