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T.A. Moreland

T.A. Moreland

Downhill is doable. [Movie Review]

When a couple (Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Will Ferrell) and their two sons face a life and death crisis on a ski trip in Austria, the husband’s response to the situation leads the spouses to examine their entire relationship.

Downhill is an intense, psychological thriller and while it sometimes drags, overall, it’s a thought-provoking experience and earns a See It! rating.

Often in relationships, it’s not the major issues like cheating or abuse that threatens the bond. It’s an incident or response to a situation that causes individuals to question each other’s commitment. Not only was the wife greatly disappointed as to how her husband reacted to the threat, but that he wouldn’t even acknowledge his wrongdoing. Her frustration is exacerbated by his dishonesty even about cell phone conversations he has during the trip.

We often hear the cliché’ phrases like Oscar-worthy or Oscar-caliber performances. I’ll simply say Julia Louis-Dreyfus nails this role. This film does not work without her. There are also colorful characters like Charlotte (Miranda Otto), an amusing libertine that the family meets upon their arrival at the ski lodge.

Downhill is a downer when it comes to cast-diversity. Today, people of all colors ski, but that’s not reflected in this movie, earning Downhill an “F” for cast diversity.

The most valuable aspect of Downhill is, you’ll talk about it and strongly identify with this couple’s issues. Downhill is rated “R” (for language and some sexual material) and about 90 minutes in length.

Downhill is a See It!

The Photograph. See that Picture. [Movie Review]

When a young journalist, Michael Block (LaKeith Stanfield), visits the home of a veteran seaman, a living room photograph grabs Block’s attention. When Block returns home to New York City, his interest in the image leads him to ultimately meet the now deceased photographer’s daughter, Mae (Issa Rae) who also resides in the Big Apple. Their attraction is immediate. While Mae learns some truths about her mother, she and Block try to figure out if they’re meant to be.

Movies with rich, well-developed characters have always appealed to me. The Photograph is that kind of film. The characters are black. But there’s no violence. No one calling each other the “N” word. No one’s on drugs or in prison. They do fall in love. They have close family bonds and loving and supportive friends. It is important to note that this representation of African Americans is authentic because some see only portrayals of black people engaging in seedy behavior as realistic.

Michael and Mae sizzle together. Writer and director, Stella Meghie, has created very deep, very believable characters. When the couple discussed personalities, Mae wonders if we’re all just the people who fit in with those we’re with at that moment. There are also amusing and honest situations. One evening when the couple is alone, he notices that she seems to be praying. She admits that it’s for will power.

With a very strong cast across the board, the story travels back and forth through time when Mae’s mother is young and first moves to New York City, through Mae’s early childhood and then of course into her adulthood.

At $16 million, the film is low-budget by Hollywood standards and film quality is a bit grainy. The story is set in the mid to late 1980s, but only car buffs will realize that a lot of the cars, even those that are supposed to be new, are from the mid-70s.

The Photograph doesn’t reflect New York City’s true diversity. Other than Chelsea Peretti who plays Blocks’ quirky boss, there’s not a lot of non-blacks in this movie. And it gets a C- for cast diversity.

The Photograph, rated PG-13 for sexuality and brief strong language, is 106 minutes long, and is every bit a See It!

Sonic Soars! [Movie Review]

Sometimes you just have to get away from it all. That was the case with Sonic the Hedgehog (voiced by Ben Schwartz), who comes to Earth to escape sinister forces seeking to harness his faster than the speed-of-light abilities. Having adjusted to a new, secret life in Montana, he accidentally causes a massive power outage. The government enlists the assistance of the lunatic genius and roboticist, Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey) to capture Sonic. Meanwhile, the local sheriff Tom Wachowski (James Marsden) befriends the speedy rodent and helps him evade capture.

The key to successful filmmaking is a fully developed production. A film that has a strong story, superior acting, masterfully directed and state of the art technology - if it’s a sci-fi production. So many movies try to make it on a single device: a marque actor or fancy special effects or copying a story that’s been successful in another venue.

But Sonic The Hedgehog works because it has it all. It starts with Sonic’s journey from outer space, living on earth, and joining forces with the sheriff to battle Dr. Robotnik. Add in a great cast and special effects and it all comes together in an out of this world fashion.

You can’t have a truly great hero without a truly great villain. And Jim Carrey fills that role. It so great to see the master funnyman, Carrey, back on the big screen. Jim, we’ve missed you! He’s middle-aged now. But still has excellent comedic timing and is as good at physical comedy as he ever was. And the writers provide him with great lines. He belittles Sheriff Wachowski by telling him I was spouting out formulas at an age when you are spitting up formula.

The sheriff is played by James Marsden who is a natural in the role of good guy - leading man. His wife is played by Queens’ own Tika Sumpter. They are the obligatory cute leading couple. She’s attractive, smart (a veterinarian) and very supportive of her husband. The typical on-screen wife. The fact that she’s black and Marsden is white, is never even discussed in the film. Which is good. Her sister, however, is also a character we’ve seen before: overweight, sassy, and a single mother.
That leads us to our cast diversity rating. Sonic the Hedgehog gets an “A”. An African American woman in the lead female role. Sonic is blue. And there are people of color throughout the film. Also, the fact that much of the film is set in small-town Montana, this movie is adequately diverse.

Sonic the Hedgehog is rated PG for action, some violence, rude humor (Sonic farts) and mild language. Ninety-one minutes in length. It gets our highest rating, See IT! By the way, the ending screams they’ll be a sequel!

The Rhythm Section misses the beat.

Hollywood actress Blake Lively stars as a young woman struggling to overcome the excruciating pain of tragically losing her family in a plane crash. When a stranger tells her that the incident was not an accident, she starts down a darkly mysterious path to avenge their killing, while not knowing whom to trust. Jude Law and Sterling K. Brown co-star.

The Rhythm Section tries hard to be an entertaining and original action-filled, cloak and dagger adventure. But it’s out of step from the beginning, with the nonsensical notion that an average young lady would even be recruited by powerful international forces to be an agent, in the terrorism and counter-terrorism underworld. Further, the film is formulaic down to the obligatory “surprise” ending.

The cast does the best it can. Blake Lively is, indeed lively, in this role. She and her co-stars try hard to make this weak, implausible project work.

Maybe the best aspect of the film is the cinematography. The Rhythm Section is shot from some amazingly creative angles.

It gets an A- for cast diversity. While the cast is small; it does feature multiple men of color in leading and supporting roles.

The Rhythm Section is rated R for violence, sexual content, strong language throughout, and some drug use. And is reasonably timed at 109 minutes.

But this weekend, do yourself a favor, keep stepping past any theater playing The Rhythm Section, and rent it.

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