Sound of Falling is a German drama with the feeling of an epic, as it takes place over 100 years or so. Centered around the same little area and house, there’s four distinct timelines, and the events interweave seamlessly from scene to scene, but over all, death and its looming presence pervades. Sometimes from war, sometimes from old age, sometimes from sickness, sometimes sudden and unexpected, but death is a constant part of daily life. In 1910, stones are superstitiously used to cover the eyes of a dead person, and in the next scene, teenagers are playing with stones on a nearby river 100 years later, the same river where a girl drowned earlier in the 1940s. Each scene blends into the next in an almost surrealistic way. The movie also does a great job of showing the difference in childhood innocence, depending on the period/era, as kids in the early 20th century are generally much more world-wise than those in present day, but are still innocent in their own ways. All around a powerful, haunting film, full of trepidation and sorrow, with hints of a deeper meaning that would require multiple viewings to unravel. My favorite kind! ★★★★½
Mumu is a tearjerker family drama out of China. Xiao Ma is a single father doing his best to raise his 8-year-old daughter Mumu. Ma is deaf, which hampers his ability to get (and keep) a job to support his daughter, leading him to make poor decisions even when he thinks he’s doing what’s best. Ma’s ex-wife shows up 5 years after leaving him and suddenly wants her daughter back. Ma hasn’t been able to send Mumu to school, for lack of funds, so he’s afraid the court will side with his ex and take Mumu away from him. This leads Ma to getting involved in a car insurance scam, with the promise of big paydays (to afford his lawyer) but things go sideways quickly. I really liked the first half of the film, as the director and team do a great job of showing the restrictions Ma faces and even getting inside his head a bit, portraying how a deaf person reacts in a world full of sound (most of the actors in the film are really deaf), but the second half falls into the trap of being a bit too sensational. Still, it’ll tug at the heartstrings. ★★★
Send Help stars Rachel McAdams as Linda, a hard-working businesswoman who keeps getting passed over for promotions at her company, a victim of the “old boys club.” While she does all the work, others always get all the credit. The latest is Donovan (Dylan O’Brien), who is fast tracked for the latest promotion, though he’s a fairly recent hire, because he’s a fraternity brother to a higher-up. Linda will get her revenge though. On a private flight to finalize a company merger, the plane goes down over the Pacific Ocean. Linda and Donovan are the only survivors, scraping by on a small uninhabited island. Initially, Donovan is hurt and has to rely on Linda for everything, but thanks to her survival skills, she is able to build a crude structure, fish, forage, and even hunt a wild boar. However, Donovan doesn’t want to spend the rest of his life on a little island with Linda. One day he drugs her with some local foliage and tries to flee on a boat he built. He doesn’t get very far, and Linda becomes more resolute than ever to keep him her prisoner. But when others do come to their island, how far will Linda go? Over-the-top gore that is more comedy than horror, with some funny moments (often related to the bizarre horror elements of the story). Not terrible, but not the kind of movie I’d watch again. ★★½
Solo Mio is a family romantic comedy starring Kevin James. He plays Matt, a teacher who found the love of his life and is set to marry her in a destination wedding in Italy. Family and friends have gathered and Matt is standing at the alter, but Heather never shows. Literally left at the alter, Matt tries to “postpone” his planned honeymoon around Italy, but the monies have been paid and there’s no refunds. The hotel manager urges Matt to just do it solo. Matt befriends two other American couples in the area, and sets out to try to make the best of it. Of course there’s a new romantic involvement, a local Italian cafe worker, to help get Matt’s sense of self back on track. This is definitely an old-school family comedy, very safe with nothing that will offend anyone and lots of corny jokes, but it’s cute enough for a family movie night. ★★½
The Punisher: One Last Kill is a short film (called a “Marvel Special Presentation”) at a bit under an hour, and it’s always a good thing when a movie leaves you wanting more. It continues the story arc of the MCU’s Punisher, portrayed by Jon Bernthal, carrying over from his Netflix Daredevil/Punisher shows as well as tying in to his future appearances in upcoming Marvel films. Frank Castle is a shell of his former self, suffering from severe PTSD and living in a crime-riddled area in Little Italy in New York. Crime is rampant, mostly because of his own doing: after Frank killed off the Gnucci crime family in the first season of The Punisher, the vacuum left by their absence has led to anarchy. Even cops are afraid to go into Little Italy right now, with gangs roving the streets, terrorizing its inhabitants. Frank is oblivious to all of it, haunted by his own demons, hallucinating about people from his past, and broken up over the deaths of his wife and kids. When Ma Gnucci comes calling, telling Frank that he will be hunted one night, retribution for killing her family, with a bounty on his head, Frank must confront those demons and rise up to protect the people that need protecting. This is (by far) the bloodiest, most violent film or show that Marvel has released in their Cinematic Universe, and it fits The Punisher to a T. I loved every moment of it, and hope Frank Castle shows up again in an R-rated vehicle (the more family-friendly upcoming Spider-Man film, where he will appear, notwithstanding). ★★★★★
- TV series recently watched: The Madison (season 1), Lost (season 3), Scrubs (seasons 1-2), Daredevil: Born Again (season 2), Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (season 2), Dexter (season 1), Maul: Shadow Lord (season 1)
- Book currently reading: Knight of Blood by Richard A Knaak
Jons Movie Takes 