Freeze Frame

October 8, 2021 Arts & Culture, Podcast, Short Segment

“No Time to Die” (PG-13), “The Many Saints of Newark” (R), “South of Heaven” (R)

What do you want in a James Bond movie? Great Bond girls, nasty villains, fast cars, cool gadgets, exotic locales and plenty of action? Well, if so, the 25th installment in the franchise, “No Time to Die," delivers on all counts. It's a wildly entertaining if overlong saga that showcases a tired and world-weary Bond, forced yet again to save the world from imminent disaster. It's an apt swan song for Daniel Craig's solid tenure as 007 and, under Cary Joji Fukunaga's proficient direction, "No Time to Die" manages to create a real sense of peril. The $250 million production budget is all up on screen, too, so see it in a theater if you can. "No Time to Die" is a good time at the movies.

If you were a fan of the TV series "The Sopranos," the prequel film "The Many Saints of Newark" delivers the goomba goods. Others, beware. Allesandro Nivola leads the cast as the conflicted, amoral mobster Dickie Molisanti, a hero and role model for his young and impressionable nephew Tony Soprano, played by Michael Gandolphini, the son of the late James Gandolphini who created the role. While it's absorbing, the storytelling meanders and will strike many viewers as inconsequential. Still, if a two-hour dip back into the world of "The Sopranos" sounds appealing, then "The Many Saints of Newark" is your cup of compari.

Plot holes, cliches and implausibilities engage in a battle royale to thwart the efforts of a strong cast in the misguided drama, "South of Heaven." Kansas City's own Jason Sudekis is fine in a straight dramatic role as a recent parolee who tries to stay out of trouble for the sake of his dying fiancé, played by Evangeline Lily. No such luck. Dark, violent and frustrating, "South of Heaven" isn't the least bit heavenly.

All of your local art house theaters are offering online viewing options for a number of intriguing movie titles. More information is available at nelson-atkins.org, Screenland.com, and fineartsgroup.com.

October 1, 2021 Arts & Culture, Podcast, Short Segment

Freeze Frame: “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” (PG-13), “The Guilty” (R)

It’s certainly no surprise when a Marvel movie is a box office hit. But the 2018 action flick “Venom,” featuring a villain from the Spider-Man universe, was universally panned. It still drew big crowds anxious to see the deadly alien parasite’s origin story. But “Venom” was an uneasy and absurd mix of gory CGI action and goofy comic bickering between Tom Hardy’s journalist character Eddie Brock and the wisecracking. Brain-eating symbiote that invaded his body. The sequel “Venom: Let There be Carnage” commits many of the same sins as the original movie…and will likely still click with Marvel fans. Go figure. This time out, Eddie attempts to resuscitate his damaged journalistic career by interviewing a notorious serial killer, played by Woody Harrelson. But things get complicated when the killer is invaded by another symbiote and, voilà, Carnage. The A-list cast also includes Michelle Williams and Naomi Harris, but in spite of their efforts, it all seems like retread material.

The 2018 thriller “The Guilty” was a riveting Danish film about a police officer confined to an emergency dispatch room as a disciplinary action. He desperately tries to help a caller who turns out to be a panicked kidnap victim. The Americanized remake stars Jake Gyllenhaal in what is essentially a one-man show. All of the action in “The Guilty” takes place in two rooms at the emergency dispatch center as the officer works to resolve the tense situation while wrestling with his own demons. Gyllenhaal is excellent as the conflicted officer and Antoine Fuqua’s direction is taut. “The Guilty” shows that talent and intelligence are more important than a extensive production values.

Good news for movie buffs, the Liberty-based B&B Theater chain has reopened the Mainstreet Theater downtown in the Power & Light District. More information is available at bbtheaters.com.

All of your local art house theaters are offering online viewing options for a number of intriguing movie titles. More information is available at nelson-atkins.org, Screenland.com, and fineartsgroup.com.

September 24, 2021 Arts & Culture, Podcast, Short Segment

Freeze Frame: “Dear Evan Hansen” (PG-13), “The Starling” (PG-13)

The acclaimed Broadway musical "Dear Evan Hansen" makes a bumpy transition to the big screen. Ben Platt reprises his Tony Award-winning role as a trouble, outcast teen who tries to gain sympathy by pretending to be the friend of a kid who dies by suicide. Oh, what a tangled web we weave. Social media, peer pressure and the generation gap are all subjects of derision. The popular score is intact, and the songs are well sung by a terrific cast that includes Julianne Moore, Amy Adams, Kaitlyn Dever and Amandla Stenberg. But the inherent artificiality of the musical genre makes dealing with the subject of mental illness seem awkward on film. Some things just work better on the stage. While it doesn't deserve the drubbing it's getting from many critics, "Dear Evan Hansen" is, at best, a well-meaning curiosity. Fans of the show, however, will forgive its flaws. Bring tissues.

Melissa McCarthy gives it her all in the uneven and somewhat heavy-handed comic drama, "The Starling," now streaming on Netflix. She plays a woman suffering from the loss of her child while also dealing with her husband's mental illness. And furthermore, she’s enduring dive bomb attacks from the movie's titular bird. Melissa seeks advice from a veterinarian/psychologist, played with low-key charm by Kevin Kline. While the metaphors and sentiment are all a bit too obvious, McCarthy utilizes both her considerable comic and dramatic chops to help keep "The Starling" grounded, even if it never quite takes flight.

Good news for movie buffs, the Glenwood Arts Theater is finally back in operation. More info is available at fineartsgroup.com.

All of your local art house theaters are offering online viewing options for a number of intriguing movie titles. More information is available at nelson-atkins.org, Screenland.com, and fineartsgroup.com.

September 17, 2021 Arts & Culture, Podcast, Short Segment

Freeze Frame: “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” (PG-13), “Come From Away” (TV-14)

Although she was often the butt of jokes for critics, the late TV evangelist Tammy Faye Bakker was an inspiration and an icon for many others. With her over-the-top enthusiasm, her warbly singing, her gaudy attire and exaggerated makeup, she became a cultural phenomenon. Jessica Chastain gives an appropriately exuberant performance as Bakker in the new biopic "The Eyes of Tammy Faye." It chronicles her rise and fall as she and her husband Jim Bakker faced both success and scandal. It's the perfect example of a film that relies entirely on the lead performance to carry the day and Chastain's work screams, "Don't forget about me, Oscar." Andrew Garfield is equally good as her ethically challenged husband, Jim. Unfortunately, this conventional film only skims the surface and doesn't provide much insight into Tammy Faye's inner life. But it's got Chastain, and that's enough to merit a "Hallelujah."

"Come From Away" is a filmed recording of a live stage production of the hit Broadway musical now streaming on Apple TV+. It tells the remarkable true story of the tiny island town of Gander, Newfoundland that housed over 7,000 airline passengers from around the world who were stranded after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. While it doesn't quite provide the same level of energy as an actual live theatrical event, "Come From Away" is cleverly staged and well sung. Like the adaptation of "Hamilton,” the filmmakers utilize creative camera movement and placement to prevent the action of a stage play from becoming too visually static on the screen. "Come From Away" is a warm salute to the kindness and generosity of these stalwart, selfless Canadians.

Good news for movie buffs, the Glenwood Arts Theater is finally back in operation this week. More info is available at fineartsgroup.com.

Your local art house theaters are offering online viewing options for a number of intriguing movie titles. More information is available at nelson-atkins.org, Screenland.com, and fineartsgroup.com.

September 10, 2021 Arts & Culture, Podcast, Short Segment

Freeze Frame: “Queenpins” (R), “Kate” (R), “The Lost Leonardo” (PG-13)

The wacky comedy “Queenpins” is, oddly enough, based on a bizarre true story. Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste star as a couple of Phoenix women who made tens of millions of dollars by counterfeiting manufacturers’ coupons and selling them online. The filmmakers turn the story into an offbeat farce that pokes fun at the inept authorities charged with tracking them down. The cast is fun, but Paul Walter Hauser steals the movie as a self-absorbed loss prevention officer for a grocery store chain. “Queenpins” may be ethically indifferent, but it’s an entertaining lark.

The Netflix thriller “Kate,” on the other hand, is a thoroughly unpleasant experience. Mary Elizabeth Winstead takes the title role in this excessively bloody action flick about a highly skilled assassin who seeks revenge on a man who has poisoned her. Trouble is, Kate only as a few hours to live to exact vengeance. The body count is high, and the believability is low. “Kate” manages to waste the talents of Winstead and Woody Harrelson, who plays her mentor. The only thing the movie has going for it is the interesting Osaka, Japan setting. Coincidentally, the current thriller “The Protégé” covers much of the same territory as “Kate,” but is a much better action option.

The batty world of high-end art gets the face palm treatment in the sharp and enlightening documentary, “The Lost Leonardo.” It deals with the iffy provenance of the famous Da Vinci painting “Salvator Mundi” which brought the highest auction price for any painting in history, $450 million. But the film is really about greed, personal biases, and international financial intrigue. “The Lost Leonardo” is an eye-opening investigative exposé.

Your local art house theaters are offering online viewing options for a number of intriguing movie titles. More information is available at nelson-atkins.org, Screenland.com, and fineartsgroup.com.

September 3, 2021 Arts & Culture, Podcast, Short Segment

Freeze Frame: “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” (PG-13), “Worth” (PG-13)

The Marvel Cinematic Universe just got a bit more diverse. Newcomer Simu Liu stars in the rousing adventure “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” an impressive visual spectacle that will ultimately tie in with other movies in the ongoing superhero series following the events of “Avengers: Endgame.” Liu plays a martial artist trained to be a reluctant assassin by his estranged father, a powerful criminal obsessed with ten rings which provide him supernatural powers. Can Shang-Chi break the chain of criminality and save his mother’s homeland from destruction? Under the direction of Destin Daniel Cretton, best known for quiet social dramas, “Shang-Chi” is involving and entertaining for its first hour and a half. But like so many other action films, it becomes repetitious and overblown in the final act. Still, “Shang-Chi” is a diverting popcorn movie that should provide Marvel fans with the action fix they yearn for.

Michael Keaton gives an Oscar-worthy performance in the compelling Netflix drama, “Worth.” In this true story, Keaton plays Ken Feinberg, the lawyer commissioned by the U.S. government to head the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. It was Fienberg’s job to figure out how to set aside the appropriate amount of money to give to victims’ families…and get them to agree not to sue for more. In other words, he had to decide what a human life was worth and essentially get the families to agree to that amount. What could have been a stuffy legal procedural becomes a compelling drama as numbers-cruncher Feinberg is forced to do some soul-searching when confronted with the staggering individual tragedies. “Worth” is an intelligent and empathetic drama that’s definitely worth your time.

Your local art house theaters are offering online viewing options for a number of intriguing movie titles. More information is available at nelson-atkins.org, Screenland.com, and fineartsgroup.com.

August 27, 2021 Arts & Culture, Podcast, Short Segment

Freeze Frame: “Candyman” (R), “No Man of God” (Not rated), “Vacation Friends” (R)

Who can creep out viewers? The “Candyman” can. Twenty-nine years after the scare-fest “Candyman” dared viewers to “Say my name,” a woke sequel slithers into theaters. This time out, “Candyman” has some social context to go along with the chills, skewering gentrification along with a heap of human bodies. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II plays a painter whose art obsession with an evil supernatural figure becomes his undoing. While it’s well-acted and disturbing, it can’t quite tie all of its themes together. Still, “Candyman” provides the grisly shocks for horror aficionados.

“No Man of God” purports to be based upon actual recorded interviews between notorious serial killer Ted Bundy and noted FBI profiler, Bill Hagmaier. As such, it promises viewers some insight into the mind of a murderer. Luke Kirby and Elijah Wood are fine as Bundy and Hagmaier and the movie is a respectable effort even though it comes off a bit more like a filmed stage play than a movie. If you’re looking for an understanding of Bundy’s twisted obsessions, “No Man of God” doesn’t quite fulfill that promise. By comparison, “Silence of the Lambs” seems more insightful.

If you’re looking for a dumb comedy so that you can turn off your brain circuits for a couple of hours, the Hulu farce “Vacation Friends” might just fill the bill. John Cena and Lil Rel Howery lead the cast in the story of two couples who meet while on vacation in Mexico. They enjoy a week of unbridled hedonism, but their recklessness comes back to haunt them when they return to the States. “Vacation Friends” is shameless, goofy and forgettable.

Your local art house theaters are offering online viewing options for a number of intriguing movie titles. More information is available at nelson-atkins.org, Screenland.com, and fineartsgroup.com.

August 20, 2021 Arts & Culture, Podcast, Short Segment

Freeze Frame: “The Protégé” (R), “The Night House” (R), “Sweet Girl” (R)

Maggie Q plays a super-skillful assassin out for revenge in the slick and sleazy action flick. "The Protégé." Samuel L. Jackson does his usual thing as Maggie’s hired-killer mentor and Michael Keaton goes against type as Maggie's nasty nemesis. There's plenty of bloody mayhem under the workmanlike direction of Martin Campbell who cut his teeth on 007 movies like “GoldenEye” and “Casino Royale.” There's nothing here that we haven't seen before, but " The Protégé " is a tolerable time-waster for action addicts. 

"The Night House" commits the cardinal sin for a horror movie: It's dull. Rebecca Hall's stars as a woman whose home may or may not be haunted by the spirit of her late husband who recently committed suicide. The plot offers up some interesting ideas and Hall gives an exceptional, wrenching performance. But none of this prevents "The Night House" from becoming an excruciating and frustrating watch. It wants to be a slow burn, but The Night House” never quite catches fire.

The Jason Momoa action flick “Sweet Girl” is mostly what you’d expect, a by-the-numbers revenge drama. But think again. Momoa chases some baddies whom he believes are responsible for his wife’s death while trying to protect his teenage daughter, played by Isabela Merced. But the filmmaker’s throw some plot twists into this Netflix thriller that are so absurd that you won’t know whether to laugh or throw something at the TV. The real victim here is logic. “Sweet Girl” is a perfect example of a movie that thinks it’s clever but is just too clumsy for its own good.

Your local art house theaters are offering online viewing options for a number of intriguing movie titles. More information is available at nelson-atkins.org, Screenland.com, and fineartsgroup.com.

August 13, 2021 Arts & Culture, Podcast, Short Segment

Freeze Frame: “Free Guy” (PG-13), “CODA” (PG-13), “Beckett” (Not rated)

The star of "Deadpool" and the director of "Night at the Museum" team up and the results are just what you'd expect. “Free Guy” is a visually elaborate comic fantasy with a snarky PG-13 edge. Ryan Reynolds plays a background character in a violent video game who doesn't know he isn't real. Things get tricky when he achieves artificial intelligence and tries to break out and exert some self-control. Reynolds' charisma and a buoyant tone help make up for some over-the-top silliness. "Free Guy" will seem a lot better if you see it for free.

"CODA" was the big winner at this year's Sundance Film Festival. Emilia Jones plays a teenager, the only hearing member of a deaf family, who runs into resistance when she pursues a scholarship to a music school. Oscar-winner Marlee Matlin plays her confused but empathetic mom. While it’s predictable and a bit earthy for a PG-13 movie, "CODA" is a sweet natured and touching drama with terrific performances. By the way, “CODA” stands for Children of Deaf Adults.

John David Washington again shows his leading man mettle in the Hitchcock-like thriller, "Beckett." Washington plays an American tourist in Greece who experiences a tragic accident. He goes on the run after a series of coincidences puts him deep in a political conspiracy and in the crosshairs of the police and criminals. “Beckett” stretches credibility to the limit but is an entertaining and zippy action flick.

The 21st annual Kansas City Jewish Film Festival is taking place through August 21st in virtual formats, that is, any electronic device with a wi-fi connection. The eclectic lineup includes a number of intriguing titles including nine award-winning films from around the world. More information is available at www.kcjff.org.

Your local art house theaters are offering online viewing options for a number of intriguing movie titles. More information is available at nelson-atkins.org, Screenland.com, and fineartsgroup.com.

August 6, 2021 Arts & Culture, Podcast, Short Segment

Freeze Frame: “The Suicide Squad” (R), “Nine Days” (R)

“The Suicide Squad" is a reboot and reimagining of the disappointing 2016 DC Comics movie "Suicide Squad," about super villains manipulated into serving a shady government agency. Writer/director James Gunn of "Guardians of the Galaxy" fame gives this decadent R-rated action flick a wacky, comedic grindhouse edge. Some of the stars from the first film return to their roles, including Margot Robbie in her third go-round as Harley Quinn, Joel Kinnaman as Col. Rick Flag and Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, the head of the government’s shadowy Task Force X program. New to the cast are Idris Elba, John Cena, Sylvester Stallone and Kansas City’s own David Dastmalchian as Polka-Dot Man. The movie’s tone and execution are much different…and much better this time around. Irreverent and funny in a midnight movie way, "Suicide Squad" is a shameless guilty pleasure.

Actor Winston Duke may be best known for his roles in the comic book movie “Black Panther” and the horror entry “Us.” Duke gives a powerhouse performance in the offbeat supernatural arthouse entry, "Nine Days." He plays a conflicted gatekeeper who decides which souls are granted a chance for life on Earth. The thorny philosophical questions that these candidates are faced with are intriguing and provocative. The notable cast also includes Zazie Beetz, Benedict Wong, Tony Hale, and Bill Skarsgard. While it’s slow moving and its reach exceeds its grasp, "Nine Days" is nonetheless a thought-provoking film about the value of life's individual moments. It marks an impressive feature film debut for Brazilian writer/director Edson Oda.

Your local art house theaters are offering online viewing options for a number of intriguing movie titles. More information is available at nelson-atkins.org, Screenland.com, and fineartsgroup.com.