A Simple Favor (Movie 2018)

It's been out for a while but I finally saw A Simple Favor. It is a fun little mystery/ thriller. Anna Kendrick plays Stephanie who is the over achieving mom. She will out do all the other parents at her kid's school by volunteering for everything. And in walks Emily played by Blake Lively who it's obvious in her high fashion clothes and shoes could care less about such mundane things as events at her son's school. She befriends Stephanie and the contrast between the two is really night and day. You definitely know something is off with Emily when she overreacts to Stephanie taking her photo. As the story goes on a lot of secrets come out and you start to wonder who's in on what. For me the stand out in this was Blake Lively. She plays this part with style, panache and you sense the wicked in her. The humor is slightly dark. A Simple Favor also stars Henry Golding.

The Old Man & the Gun (Movie 2018)

The Old Man & the Gun is an interesting character study based on a real life career criminal. It starts out in 1981. Movie legend Robert Redford plays 70 year old Forrest Tucker who has built a life on robbing banks and escaping from prisons. While making his get away from a bank robbery, he helps a woman played by Sissy Spacek with car trouble. He ends up forging a bond with her. You begin to see that for Forrest it is not about the money. For him it's the excitement and adventure of living this life. It's ingrained in him. He never used the gun. It was just a threat which of course still doesn't make it right. But even though he is criminal you end up, like Jewel (Sissy Spacek), liking the guy. I do enjoy seeing a resurgence of these smaller, lower budget movies where it's about storytelling and not special effects. This film also has a great supporting cast with Casey Affleck, Danny Glover, and Tom Waits.

A Star Is Born (Movie 2018)

A Star Is Born is not a new tale. The first big screen version was in 1937. Judy Garland starred in the 1954 movie. The one most remembered was from 1976 starring Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristoffeson...until now. Bradley Cooper has brought the story to 2018 by co-writing, directing, and starring with Lady Gaga. What all these versions have in common is the basic premise of a young, struggling female artist who gets taken under the wing of a male artist who has made it but has seen better days. In 2001-2006 I watched Bradley Cooper in the tv series Alias. Back then I had no idea he would one day turn in this kind of a solid performance. He really transformed into this singer Jackson Maine who is battling so many demons inside of himself. Lady Gaga has become a revelation. I knew she could sing and write songs which sometimes in the beginning did get a little over shadowed by some of the interesting ways she liked to present herself. But in this movie she has been able to show just what an incredible talent she is. Her acting was effortless. It was natural for her. Her singing was powerful. A great soundtrack for this film. What this film spoke to me about was love and all that comes with it-the joy, the agony, and the sacrifice. And more importantly, how we'll do anything for it.This movie also stars Sam Elliott, Dave Chappelle, and Andrew Dice Clay.

Phil Collins, TD Garden Boston, MA 10/09/2018

Phil Collins brought the Not Dead Yet Tour to TD Garden. There's no doubt this man has a sense of humor about his physical limitations these days. He walked on stage slowly using a cane and sat in a chair that was down center stage. Phil greeted the crowd and explained that he would be sitting most of the show because of his back and pointed down and said "the foot is fucked." This candor got the audience laughing. He opened the show with Against All Odds (Take A Look At My Now) with his band behind him still concealed somewhat by a sheer curtain.The curtain went up and the band came in hard on Another Day In Paradise. This song moves me now more than years ago being more aware of just how many homeless there are and how so many of us live paycheck to paycheck. We got the song I Missed Again and he had fun with Who Said I Would. He did a beautiful duet of Separate Lives with one of his back up singers and the sweet You'll Be In My Heart from the Disney animated feature Tarzan back in 1999. Since Phil isn't up to playing the drums anymore we got the proverbial chip off the old block. Behind the drum kit on this tour is his 17 year old son, Nicholas Collins. And when he got to do a drum solo this kid could give veteran drummers a run for their money. It was great to hear Something Happened On The Way To Heaven. And Phil only stood up to sing for one song the entire concert and that was In The Air Tonight. With the lighting on him and the power he gives that song it had all the drama and dark atmosphere you'd expect. The crowd had so much fun with You Can't Hurry Love, Dance Into The Light, Invisible Touch, Easy Lover, and of course the one and only Sussudio. And for the encore Phil took us home with Take Me Home. At the end it showed up on the giant screens someone holding a sign that said "Thanks for doing the tour Phil." Have to agree there. He mentioned at the beginning how he had said he wouldn't do this again but changed his mind because he missed all of us. We missed you. The body may not be as strong Phil but damn you can still sing those songs we love.

Searching (Movie 2018)

Searching is just one of those movies you should really see. This is no big budget blockbluster. It's a well told story that will take you on several twists and turns. It's point of view is strictly through computer screens, FaceTime, phones, etc. David Kim played by John Cho (Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle) thinks like so many parents that he knows his 16 year old daughter and what's going on in her life. But when she goes missing and he starts to dig into her life through her social media and laptop he finds out he really didn't know what was going on with her. Through this father's search for his daughter in both the literal and metaphorical sense, it gives us all pause for thought. How do we use the online world? How do we know what is real and what is fake? And truly so much of it is false. This feeling of being connected when really we're not. These days it seems people would rather FaceTime than be face to face. And for so many it's an escape-to avoid dealing with their emotions or their loneliness. We see in this film there's so much danger in that and so much to be lost. Debra Messing (Will & Grace) also puts in a strong performance. I recommend this one. Catch it if you can.

Crazy Rich Asians (Movie 2018)

Crazy Rich Asians is the new rom/com movie out this summer based on the bestselling novel by Kevin Kwan. The big news on this film has been that it is the first all Asian cast in 25 years since The Joy Luck Club. This cast did not disappoint. We get Constance Wu (Fresh Off The Boat) an endearing female lead. She plays Rachel Chu an American economics professor who gets invited by her boyfriend to go with him to his home country of Singapore for his friend's wedding. Her boyfriend Nick Young is played by newcomer Henry Golding. What I love about his performance was it was not heavy handed. He had a subtle way with the sweetness and charm that really did make him irresistible. But when Rachel gets to Singapore she discovers that Nick is from the one of the oldest, wealthiest families in Singapore. And she is in for a rough time with his family and his friends who think this American woman who has worked for what she has does not belong. Michelle Yeoh is steely as Nick's mother. Gemma Chan as Nick's cousin Astrid is glamorous, at times reminiscent of Audrey Hepburn and you do feel sympathy for her. Stand out comedy from Awkwafina as Rachel's old college friend Peik Lin. Also, great comedy from Nico Santos as Oliver and Ken Jeong as Peik Lin's father. This movie was definitely a postcard from Singapore. This is usually not a location used by production companies but I think that will change after this. The scenery is just beautiful. I hope one day we can get beyond making a big deal out of the fact of whether or not a film is an all Asian cast, etc. Because for myself, I saw beyond that and just enjoyed a wonderful escape into a romantic comedy. It was a very sweet story and yes I teared up at the end.

Sorry To Bother You (Movie 2018)

Now, I have to admit I went into this a little blind thinking it was going to be your run of the mill message movie. I was told that it was about the destructiveness of Capitalism. But the rapper Boots Riley who wrote, directed, and stars in it takes it to a surreal level to make his point. Sorry To Bother You has Cassius Green living in his uncle's garage in Oakland, CA. He's in desperate need to get up from out under and start to make it in this world. He gets work as a telemarketer. He is told that if he can really produce a lot of sales he can move upstairs to the land of Power Caller which is represented by golden elevator doors. Aaahhh Valhalla! But Cassius in the beginning isn't making any sales until another co-worker played by Danny Glover tells him he needs to use a different voice, a "white" voice or as he explains further a business like voice. It all starts to come together and success is at hand. But meanwhile his friends and co-workers are planning a strike to unionize and get more pay. Cassius does get bumped upstairs and leaves his friends to fight for the scraps. However, Cassius finds out moving up is basically selling your soul and this is where the movie really takes a turn into the strange and dark. This isn't a film you go to just for entertainment's sake. It makes you think about society. And whether or not you will agree with Boots Riley there is no doubt there are severe problems in the country and with the economy so the questions need to be asked. And, Boots does it in a funny, creative, thoughtful way.