Alien at the Movies

Greenland

Shades of Chicken Little. The sky is falling, the sky is falling...

Estranged husband & structural engineer, John Garrity (Gerard Butler), desperately tries to get his wife & kid to a secret government sanctuary hidden underground somewhere in Greenland bunkers as a potential planet killing comet races towards Earth. The family spends a harrowing couple of days on their perilous journey. If you like over the top disaster films, you’ll probably have an exciting good time. Is it a bit contrived & far fetched? Yeah, but you kind of expect that from this genre & can choose to suspend your disbelief in order to enjoy the thrill ride. You might chuckle to yourself & just move on. You’ll see the best & worst of humanity as some desperate people panic & lose their sense of rational thought while others remain calm & helpful. At the heart of this film is the sense of family & doing what you must to protect it. Will mankind survive the apocalypse? If anything, this is a good temporary diversion from our current global pandemic.

Alien gives it 3 “fire in the skies” stars out of 4.

Songbird

For those seeking some escapism entertainment during these pandemic times, this film may be an odd choice.

In 2024 Los Angeles, Nico (KJ Apa), a bike courier with immunity to COVID-23, races against time to save his girlfriend Sara. Scripted & film entirely during our current 2020 worldwide pandemic, this is a nightmarish escalation of today’s real life situation. The film centers around just a few interwoven character storylines bounded by these obstacles hindering society: the deadly disease itself, the strict quarantines, & controlling martial law. Bradley Whitford, Demi Moore, & Craig Robinson round out the cast.

Alien gives it 3 “lockdown” stars out of 4.

Sylvie’s Love 

Sylvie (Tessa Thompson) has a summer romance with Robert (Nnamdi Asomugho), a saxophonist hired as temp help in her father’s record store. Set in Harlem during the late 1950’s to early 60’s, they become star crossed lovers separated by circumstance & reunited by chance years later. The incurable romantics will feel the joys & heartaches of their love. This film captures the sights, sounds, attitudes, & values of this period in history. Thompson & Asomugho are terrific. What sacrifices are you willing to make for your true love?

Alien gives it 3 “see you later, alligator” stars out of 4.

 Wild Mountain Thyme

Based on a Broadway play, this is a romantic tale of two lonely farmers set in beautiful rural Ireland. They are Rosemary Muldoon (Emily Blunt) & Anthony Reilly (Jamie Dornan), star crossed lovers & neighbors. She has had a crush on him since she was 10. He is awkwardly shy. When Anthony’s father (Christopher Walken) decides to sell is farm to his American nephew Adam (Jon Hamm), everything gets more complicated. The cast is excellent. The Irish countryside is gorgeous. The lyrical dialogue with its Irish accents is quaint & charming reflecting old country ways & values. This doesn’t play like your typical American rom/com. It is just too frustrating watching these two beating around the bush.

Alien gives it 2½ “crows, 2 gates, Swan Lake, & honey bee” stars out of 4.

Minor Premise

It’s “Frankenstein” meets “Jeckyl & Hyde” when an obsessed neuroscientist, Ethan, with daddy issues, tries to map the human brain in order to visualize memories. Bouts with blackouts & a drinking problem adds to his conflict with his colleague, Malcolm, & necessitates enlisting Alli as an assistant. Although the film seems rather confusing & fragmented in the beginning, it’s a very well-made low budget sci-fi film sans the big CGI special effects.

Alien gives it 3 “collimation failed” stars out of 4.

Team Marco

Old country ways clash with today’s high tech/video gamer passion in this generation gap comedy. Marco is a 11 year old boy obsessed with his iPad, playing video games, & hardly leaves his house. Marco’s 76 year old grandpa is old school Italian & loves playing bocce ball with his old pals. Divorced mom & daughter to these two convinces each must look after the other. This plot is fairly predictable but entertaining as it explores the difficulties of parenting & learning social values. Family is at the heart of this movie.

Alien gives it 2½ “My Sister’s Teeth” stars out of 4.

 I'm Your Woman

In the 1970s, a dependent housewife (Rachel Brosnahan) with a newly “adopted” baby must go on the run when her shady husband double-crosses some of his partners in crime. With a little help from others, she transforms from a terrified paranoid mom into a woman who must save herself & her friends. This film plays out rather slowly & keeps you in the dark about what is happening in the beginning. If you hang in there, this girl power film will reveal to you some surprises along with some bursts of violence.  

Alien gives it 2½ “Mary, Harry, Cal, & Teri” stars out of 4.

Half Brothers

It’s “The Odd Couple” meets “Road Trip” on a scavenger hunt when when 2 half brothers follow clues in order to unlock the secrets of their dying father’s past. A uptight aviation executive & a free-spirited screwup reluctantly team up to understand their father. This lighthearted comedy is about sibling rivalries, father/son relationships, & Mexican/American relationships. There are a few subtitles. See what parts of their dad’s puzzling requests that you can solve before the brothers.

Alien gives it 3 “ELOISE” stars out of 4.