Alien at the Movies

Cruella

It’s “The Devil Wears Prada” meets “Oliver Twist” meets “Snow White” meets Fashion Week parading to the sounds of the sixties in this Disney villain origin story. Disney has already done an animated & a live action version of the 101 Dalmatians story but now they have given villainess Cruella (Emma Stone) the princess treatment. Young Estella is unique, clever, & mischievous. With the lost of her mother Catherine, Estella becomes a grifter in London who joins up with 2 wayward boys, Horace & Jasper, who are pickpockets & thieves. Aspiring to be a fashion designer, Estella eventually comes to work for the Baroness (Emma Thompson). Both Emmas are fabulous & perfectly cast. Estella dons the alter ego of Cruella de Vil as she decides to take down the arrogant Baroness. Fans of the Disney originals can look for the many Easter egg nods. It’s a delightful tale of revenge but stay seated for one more mid credit surprise.

Alien gives it 3½ “born brilliant, bad, & a little bit mad” stars out of 4.

A Quiet Place Part II

John Krasinski has masterfully developed a prequel/sequel to his 2018 horror hit. He answers a couple of questions from the original by showing us day 1 & then jumping to day 474. With their home destroyed, the Abbott family is forced to venture outside of their sand path & comfort zone. As they search for a safe sanctuary, they find some other dangers besides those of the super fast, teethy, blind alien creatures with hyper-sensitive hearing. The returning cast of Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe, & Krasinski are now joined by Cillian Murphy & Djimon Hounsou. All of them are terrific & very convincing at selling the terror they must face. Deaf daughter Regan (Simmonds) steps up to take over the lead role with her mother Evelyn (Blunt) & brother Marcus (Jupe) each having monster moments. You’ll see more of these creepy creatures & be startled by some scary situations. If you liked the original, you are in for more frightening fun with the resourceful & resilient Abbott family. Part 2 wasn’t originally planned but now will there be a part 3? We can only hope.

Alien gives it 3½ “Beyond the Sea” stars out of 4.

Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse

Three months after a covert hostage rescue mission in Syria, an elite Navy SEAL team member John Kelly (Michael B. Jordan) becomes a pawn in a political plot involving the CIA & the Russians. When bodies start to fall, Kelly makes it personal & seeks revenge. Jordan & the action both ramp up their intensity as the mystery & intrigue cloud the situation. Who’s responsible for these deaths? There is plenty of gunfire & explosions to keep you on the edge of your seats. The supporting cast includes Jodie Turner-Smith, Jamie Bell, & Guy Pierce. Don’t leave too soon when the credits start to roll because it ain’t over until it’s over.

Alien gives it 3 “say her name” stars out of 4. 

Blast Beat

Set in 1999, this coming of age story is about 2 teenage Colombian brothers, Carly & Mateo (played by real life brothers, Mateo & Moises Arias), As political refugees, their family immigrates to the US in search of the American dream. The brothers are polar opposites. Older brother Carly is focused, into metal music, & science oriented with dreams of working for NASA. Mateo is artistic but aimless. Faced with racism & struggling to fit, their family situation worsens as they find themselves caught between a rock & a hard place. The direction of this bilingual film took me awhile to latch onto, perhaps due to my difficulty trying to speed read through the subtitles. The supporting cast includes Daniel Dae Kim & Wilmer Valderrama. 

Alien gives it 2½ “satellite project” stars out of 4.

Dry

Set in drought stricken Australia, Aaron Falk (Eric Bana) returns home for the funeral of his childhood friend, Luke, who was involved in a murder/suicide. While trying prove Luke’s innocence, Aaron is constantly harassed by the townspeople for another suspicious death over 20 years ago. It’s a slow plodding story with repetitive flasbacks. See if you can sort out the truths from the lies, maybe you can solve these mysteries before Aaron.

Alien gives it 2 “out shooting rabbits” stars out of 4.

Those Who Wish Me Dead

Angelina Jolie is “Lara Croft” reincarnated as a US Forestry firefighter & must rescue a boy (Finn Little) from 2 relentless professional hit men (Nicholas Hoult & Aidan Gillen) with a scorch the earth & take no prisoners policy. These killers light up the Montana sky with road flares & invite 2 reluctants (Jon Bernthal & Medina Senghore) to the party. Eventually, the hunted get trapped between an assassin & a hot place. Jolie, Hoult, & Gillen put on quite a show in this intense thriller. Check it out. You might enjoy yourself & maybe learn some survival skills.

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

Dream Horse

Set in South Wales, store clerk/bar tender Jan Vokes (Toni Collette) goes from racing pigeons to racing horses when she suddenly fancies breeding a race horse. With little to no experience or knowledge about the sport or raising a horse, she is forced into partnering with some of her mining village neighbors, each contributing £10 a week. This sports comedy/drama is based on a true story & is a classic feel good underdog story. Collette is always terrific & has Damian Lewis in the supporting cast. Look some of the real life faces appearing amongst the cast in an encore tribute to Wales’ most famous singer, Tom Jones, during the credits roll.

Alien gives it 3 “Welsh Grand National Steeplechase” stars out of 4.

Final Account 

A film crew interviews elderly German citizens who survived growing up through the rise of Hitler’s Nazi regime. Learn how Germany’s youth & country were indoctrinated into the Nazi mindset of elitism & nationalism. Hear their frightening stories. See photographs & film footage taken back during those times. Spoken in German with English subtitles.

Alien gives it 2 “with a blind eye” stars out of 4.

P!nk: All I️ Know So Far

See singer/performer/mom P!nk on stage & behind the scenes trying to balance career & motherhood for her 2 young children. Learn how her childhood molded her stage act today. See her rehearse, retool, & perform on her European tour with her family. Witness her love fof her family & close knit tour group. Catch some magical moments behind the curtain. The shows are energetic & the kids are darling. This film is a highly entertaining look at a celebrity on & off stage. Some amusing clips play during the credits.

Alien gives it 3 “acrobatic aerial act” stars out of 4.

 Profile

It’s “Searching” meets “Unfriended” meets “Catfish” when a British journalist goes undercover to break a big story on ISIS recruiting young European women for their terrorist cause. Pretending to be a recent Islam convert & creating a fake social media profile, she connects with a charming man in Syria who tries to woo her into joining him. Will she be taken in by his sweet talk? Will she slip up & blow her cover? If you can’t stand trying to reading busy computer screens, you might want to avoid this film because all you get. It’s an interesting cat & mouse game but who is going to catch who?

Alien gives it 2½ “deception & exposure” stars out of 4.

 The Killing of Two Lovers

David & Niki are re-evaluating their marriage. They are living apart; he with his aging dad & she with their 4 kids. Although they have agreed to seeing other people, he becomes more & more frustrated with the situation & becomes desperate to change things. Their teen daughter Jesse is emotionally troubled by this separation. The film is set in small town America where everyone knows everyone. The bleakness of the film is set by the industrial toned soundtrack & the cold overcast weather. His dark thoughts take him to the edge.

Alien gives it 2½ “family man” stars out of 4.

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit

In 1933, a German Jewish family is forced to flee Berlin due to the rise a of Adolph Hitler & the Nazi party. Follow their struggles & journey to Zurich, to Paris, & finally to London. See their sacrifices & losses while learning new languages & adjusting to new customs. This semi-autobiographical story is told from the 9-year-old daughter’s perspective so it may seem sanitized as it’s colorized through a child’s eyes. This film focuses on the family as they go from well-to-do to poor. This little girl was forced to leave her favorite stuffed pink bunny behind as the family rushes away to safety & we later learn the Nazis confiscated everything they left behind. This film is spoken in German with some Swiss & French but subtitled in English.

Alien gives it 3 “loving family” stars out of 4.

In The Heights 

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s love songs to his old neighborhood, Washington Heights, comes to the big screen. The story is about a bodega owner & his neighbors living in a tight knit Latin community in New York City. Follow the drama as romance is in the air while people are struggling to follow their hopes & dreams amid a blackout during some sweltering heat. With interesting characters, the film marches to a hip hop/salsa beat with fantastic choreographed musical numbers. It’s a marvelous ethic slice of Americana. Stay thru the credits for one last clip to beat the heat.

Alien gives it 4 “suenñito” stars out of 4.

Duty Free

Seventy-five year old executive housekeeper Rebecca suddenly finds herself unemployed & about to be evicted from her home. With little savings, no safety net, & no job prospects, her 32 year old journalist son Sian-Pierre takes some desperate measures to break his mom’s depression. This will completely changes their lives. This is an inspirational & touching story highlighting the issues of ageism, the care crisis, & financial insecurity. See how Rebecca’s story began, how she reconnects with family, & how she learned to enjoy life.

Alien gives it 3½  “bucket list” stars out of 4.

Paper Spiders

This coming of age story starts out looking like an off beat, quirky dramedy but shifts gears to a touching & heartbreaking story. Melanie (Stefanie LaVie Owen) is graduating as her high school’s salutatorian & planning to attend her late father’s alma mater USC. She becomes attracted to a charming & persistent rich bad boy. But her world becomes upended when her mom (Lilli Taylor) starts to show signs delusional paranoia. Owen & Taylor are fantastic. This moving mother/daughter film puts a spotlight on substance abuse & mental illness.

Alien gives it 3½ “strained relationships” stars out of 4.

The Boy from Medellín

In this documentary, José Álvaro Osorio Balvin, better known as the popular Colombian raggaeton supertar singer J Balvin, is featured preparing for his big 2019 sold-out concert set in his hometown. After a brief introduction as to his background, audience get a back seat peek at the behind the scenes concert preparation. At the same time the streets of Colombia are erupting in violent protests against the government. Balvin must face his responsibility as an artist to the people who represent his fans. This is a great concert film with some social/political commentary.

Alien gives it 2½ “taking a stand” stars out of 4.

Sky Blossom 

Sky blossoms are paratroopers coming to the rescue of those in need. This moving & enlightening documentary follows 5 families as they struggle with the challenges of caring for a love one stricken with some disability, whether physical or mental. See how these children & millennials step up to take responsibility as caretakers. This is an emotional film relatable to everyone because sooner or later you may find yourself in this situation either as a giver or a receiver.  

Alien gives it 3½  “because they are family” stars out of 4.