"Chevalier" Is A Great Film

 

by John Zenoni

I hate it has taken me this long to review ‘Chevalier’ but I had a feeling I was going to love this one and I was right. I loved the music, the story, the characters, the drama, the actors - all of it. If there is anything regarding this film, based on the true life of composer Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, that I would like to have seen more of, it's the relationship between him and his mother, who he was taken from as a young boy. Bologne, the illegitimate son of an African slave and a French plantation owner, is an excellent violinist/composer and manages to rise in French society, even befriending Queen Marie Antoinette. Unfortunately, he falls in love with a young, married woman and his life takes a sudden turn for the worse. Bologne/Chevalier is portrayed by Kelvin Harrison, Jr., who gives an excellent performance in this starring role. Great film!

"Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume 3" Review

 

by John Zenoni

Not being a huge fan of the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ series, having seen the original and its sequel, I figured I may as well go ahead and see ‘Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3’ to see why this thing was making so much money! What I have found I do enjoy with these films is the music, and the latest was no exception. Definitely some great classics included in the soundtrack!

As far as the film itself, I did actually find the backstory of Rocket, and how he came to be, pretty interesting - sad, if not horrific, at times - and was rooting for him. The rest of the story and dialogue and film was ok. Not bad, but some of the dialogue was pretty corny and some of the humor felt forced at times. Some of the action was pretty good but the special effects were hit-and-miss and not consistently good, in my opinion. At this point, I think they should go ahead and close out this series.

"The Little Mermaid" is an Enjoyable Remake of a Classic

 

by John Zenoni

There is nothing I love more than taking my granddaughters to a movie and watching them look at the screen in wonder. And they definitely did that with the new live action version of ‘The Little Mermaid.’ What an enjoyable remake of the Disney animated classic! While it did follow most of the original, it also brought new things to the story, including great music and characters. The special effects were great as well as the cast of characters (all of the cast was great) and it provided a great new spin on the story. My family enjoyed this new version very much and appreciate it as a film on its own!

"The Boogeyman" Review

 

by John Zenoni

If you are into scary flicks, ‘The Boogeyman’ is one that I have to admit is pretty good. While not the best one made, it still has some moments that will make you jump a couple of times. The story itself is not too bad either and is pretty solid, with a good cast. The main character, the boogeyman itself, is a pretty ferocious monster as well. I know some will compare it to a couple of other modern day monsters (‘Stranger Things’, ‘A Quiet Place') but it's still pretty good on its own.

"Burden of Proof" Review

 

by John Zenoni

‘Burden of Proof’ is one intriguing, compelling and fascinating documentary that is hard to comprehend. A man goes on a personal mission to try and figure out what happened to his sister, who disappeared 37 years before, and has been restless about it ever since. The sad thing is the main people he suspects of having something to do with it are his parents. This is a mystery that has you thinking he's right but then some other twists come into play. Either way, the story is a sad one in that he does not have a relationship with his parents, nor they with their grandkids, and his sister is gone. You can only hope that he will eventually find the peace he needs.

"Unconditional" Review

 

by John Zenoni

‘Unconditional’ is a very heavy, sad and yet enlightening documentary that focuses on three families who are faced with physical and mental health challenges. The film is directed by a journalist, Richard Liu, whose father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and he took care of with the help of his mom and sister until the passing of his dad in 2021. In addition, the film profiles caregiving done by a husband whose wife is diagnosed with terminal cancer as well as a marathon runner helping her family and her military husband face the aftermath of war. The film talks with each family and gives insight into how they handle things each day and how hard it is on the loved ones who are struggling with a physical and/or mental challenge.

This is just a glimpse into the challenges everyday American’s face and it makes you appreciate your own life, particularly if you haven't had to deal with anything described in the film. Very well done!

"Hypnotic" is a Horrible Mess

 

by John Zenoni

It's amazing how an actor can make some really great films, give great performances, even get raves, including award nominations, and then turn around and make some absolute clunkers. That's exactly what Ben Affleck has done with the mess that is ‘Hypnotic.’ Horrible, horrible, horrible. It's one of the few films that I got about 35-40 minutes into and said, ‘I am done. I don’t even care how this turns out.’ It starts off so fast - I'm all about getting off to a good start - that you get very little intro about the main character and then you realize this ridiculous hypnosis is taking over people to cause them to do criminal things. And Ben Affleck’s performance, don’t even get me started. His dialect and voice is even a mess, not to mention his mannerisms.

All I'm saying is, in my opinion, don’t even stream this one. I haven't looked to see how much it cost to make it but I'm sure it's had to have lost quite a bit.

Don't Waste Your Money on "The Machine"

 

by John Zenoni

I didn't know who ‘The Machine’ (comedian Bert Kreischer) was prior to seeing the current film of the same name, but I can honestly say I have no idea what his appeal is. He's not funny, his gimmick of doing his onstage comedy with no shirt on makes no sense (and it is not funny either), and his actions and acting are atrocious. I almost didn't review this one but decided I had better in order to try and save others from wasting their money on this piece of trash.

"No Ordinary Thursday" Book Review

 

by John Zenoni

‘No Ordinary Thursday’, by Anoop Judge, is a well-written, family-driven story about Lena Sharma, a mother of two kids, whose life is turned upside down by an accident one evening. It changes not only her world but that of her children and friends as well. Lena belongs to a close-knit Indian community and some of the choices made by her kids, not to mention what happened to her, falls out of line with what the culture expects. But she is determined to keep her family together while surviving herself. This novel is one that touches on love, anger, disappointment and togetherness and ties it all together so well. Very well done and one I recommend.