"Oppenheimer" Review

 

by John Zenoni

‘Oppenheimer’, directed by Christopher Nolan, is without a doubt a modern day masterpiece in terms of filmmaking. The direction, lighting, cinematography, special effects, editing, sound - all are just amazing and so in-synch with each other it's just like a smooth machine. That's really the best way I can describe it. Even the smallest scene involving a green apple and the image of what appears to be water - but is actually medicine - flowing out of and down the side of the apple is captured perfectly.

The acting though, by everyone in the film (of which there is a laundry list of first-rate actors), is absolutely brilliant and is what stands out, particularly the performances of Robert Downey, Jr., who portrays Lewis Strauss, and Cillian Murphy, who portrays J. Robert Oppenheimer himself. These two are at the heart of the film and both do an amazing job, especially Murphy. Murphy truly outdoes himself and he definitely should be a shoo-in as a nominee for the Best Actor Oscar category (if not the winner) this coming year. He gives an absolute tour-de-force and is to be commended for his role.

Even though a long film, right at 3 hours, the images, dialogue and scenes keep you engrossed. However, and I know many will probably disagree with me on this, I don't recommend seeing this film in a dome-type theater, such as a planetarium. I did this and - perhaps it was this facility itself - the seats were not comfortable and seeing it like that actually took away from the film for me. It was way too far stretched so I felt like I missed some scenes and had to strain my eyes and neck to capture it all. I wish now I had seen this in a regular theater with IMAX or RPX. But it's definitely an important film that I highly recommend!

"Sound of Freedom" Review

 

by John Zenoni

I have to say I'm very impressed with the Angel Studio release, ‘Sound of Freedom’ and can see why people are flocking to see it (it actually grossed higher money one weekend than the latest ‘Indiana Jones’ film and is still near the top of the box office). For one, it's very well-made and is not the ‘Hallmark-ish’, ‘Lifetime-ish’ type film I was expecting it to be. Second, and most importantly, it focuses on an important topic that impacts millions of lives today.

The film is an anti-human-trafficking movie made by filmmakers Eduardo Verástegui and Alejandro Monteverde and stars Jim Caviezel, who is most well known for portraying Jesus Christ in the film, ‘The Passion of the Christ.’ It's definitely a hard film to watch at times, with what's going on with the characters but also because you know the subject matter is real.

Caviezel portrays Tim Ballard, a government agent who helps track down online predators and in one particular case is able to help locate a missing child. When he learns that the little boy’s sister is also missing, he decides he has to take action to try and find her as well. Needless to say, he does all he can, including quitting his job, to keep on until he finds her. His life was even in jeopardy during his search for this little girl. The film is based on a true story, which also adds to its intrigue and makes you want to finish it to see how things turn out. Is this a great or excellent film? Perhaps not, but it's an important one and the acting, score, and direction are well done (you can't help but fall in love with the two main children, who are the primary focus in the film). I do recommend this as one to watch.

"Wham!" Review

 

by John Zenoni

As a huge fan of music and growing up in the 80’s era with pop, punk, new wave, etc., I had to check out the Netflix documentary about the pop duo, Wham!, as they definitely were a big name in the early part of that decade. Yes, while many will consider this short-lived duo (I didn't realize they were together musically for only 4 years) bland and lifeless, in terms of their music, one cannot deny the attention they received during their prime and especially the solo talent of George Michael (he has sold an estimated 100 to 125 million records worldwide, making him one of the world's best-selling artists of all time) that would come out of the pair. The fact that they were the only - at that time - Western pop stars to be allowed to perform in Communist China is interesting to note.

The documentary itself is very in-depth in terms of getting into the backgrounds of both Andrew Ridgeley and George Michael, such as where they grew up, how they met, what their goals were, etc. It showcases their early musical beginnings all the way up to the last concert and you cannot deny the friendship that existed between the two. Call the music fluff or sugary, they both were strong songwriters and knew how to make hits. Even Sir Elton John himself acknowledges this in the documentary when George Michael is presented with a songwriting award.

As Michael gets more into the spotlight, you can see Ridgeley realize that the public is focusing its attention on his friend and so willingly gives up the group without a fight (at least that's how it's perceived in the documentary). The music is also the star of this well-made documentary and definitely lightens the mood. At the end, there is an acknowledgment of Michael’s passing. It's hard to believe that the world lost this enormous talent at such a young age, who in my opinion had one of the best voices of his time. ‘Wham!’ is fun to watch for the music and reminiscing, if nothing else.

"Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One" Review

 

by John Zenoni

Whether you have seen the previous ‘Mission: Impossible’ films with Tom Cruise or not, I definitely encourage you to check out the latest, ‘Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One’; it's so good in terms of the action sequences alone. The film is long - just over 2 hours and 40 minutes - but overall the pace is just fine (more on that in a minute) with the story, chase scenes, action and beautiful scenery.

It's definitely a wild ride once the action starts and you'll definitely enjoy the latter part of the film with the motorcycle and train scene in the Alps! Absolutely insane! The actors all do a fine job, as does, of course, Tom Cruise, and I cannot wait for them to come back in the follow-up (well, those who can). While I said earlier the pace was fine, there are a couple of scenes that could have been trimmed down to keep the film from lagging a bit, but I'm overlooking this because of everything else about the film. Definitely a summer film worth watching!

"Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" Review

 

by John Zenoni

I have not read any reviews of the latest Indiana Jones movie and do not plan to if I can help it, as I really enjoyed this latest entry, ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.’ No, it's not better than the original, by any means, but it's the best one since the original, in opinion. The storyline is great and I enjoyed the actors in their roles, especially the interaction and chemistry between Harrison Ford and his goddaughter, Helena, played by Phoebe Waller-Bridge. I really felt like this was a return to the roots of the original as far as the action, archeological hunt(s) and fight with the nemesis. I did hate the loss of one character early on but will not say which, so as to avoid any spoilers. As far as the use of the CGI, it didn't bother me as much as I had expected it would and think overall it was a job well done. This is a great popcorn flick!

"Asteroid City" Isn't Funny At All

 

by John Zenoni

I know a couple of people who are huge Wes Anderson fans, and honestly, I just don't get their fascination with his work. I don’t understand why critics rave over his films (well, the majority anyway) and actors all but fall over themselves - even reducing their salaries - just to be in his movies. I did give ‘The Great Budapest Hotel’ a try and admit I did find some of it amusing. The key word being amusing, not hilarious. I also watched the one about the fox as well as the one about the island of dogs and they were ok. But this latest, ‘Asteroid City’, is just flat out weird and not funny at all. I think I heard maybe one or two chuckles in the theater but that was it. Definitely wish I had saved my money on this one. Watch at your own risk!