By Michael C. Woody | Lake Panorama Times
I had the opportunity to write this on a frigid mid-late January morning with the Oscar Nominations just being released (aka one of my favorite days of the year). Several of my reviews will be late-in-the-year releases that garnered nominations.
“Train Dreams”
This is not only one of the best movies of the year but also one that was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. I wholeheartedly agree with that nomination. It’s a quiet film about a man working for the railroad back when they were building tracks to cross our country. It is a beautiful film, and it deserves the multiple Oscar nominations. Joel Edgerton and Felicity Jones are great, and director/co-writer Clint Bentley delivers a wonderful film. The film also garnered nominations for screenplay, original song and cinematography. Super easy to watch on Netflix. GRADE: A
“Marty Supreme”
Also grabbing multiple nominations (picture, director, actor, screenplay, casting (a new category this year), cinematography, costume design editing and production design!) Wow! So is the movie any good? Yes. It is a crazy film that might turn off some people, but it is a wild and crazy ride with Chalamet leading the fun in a movie that you will need to pay attention to or you will quickly get lost. GRADE: B+
“Avatar Fire and Ash”
I’m on the record for loving the visuals from James Cameron with this series of films that are dominated with crazy good special effects at the expense of the story and performances. It is just not my cup of tea, but it is deserving of the nod for technology and visuals. GRADE: B
“The Housemaid”
OK, it looked like a fun movie about a beautiful and wealthy housewife (Amanda Seyfried) who hires a young woman (Sydney Sweeney) to help her around a massive home. This could have been an entertaining movie with the two women fighting over the sleazy but handsome husband. Unfortunately, it turned into a nasty, violent and disturbing movie that I considered walking out of. In hindsight, I should have. GRADE: D
“Greenland 2: Migration”
Most of the country never knew about a movie titled “Greenland.” It opened during COVID, and, from what I can tell, it was largely forgotten. Regardless, I thought I would see the sequel (which is pretty much a stand-alone film), and I am glad I did. “Greenland 2” is the continuation of a story about the planet going crazy and the many people living underground and craving to get back above ground. We follow one group led by Gerard Butler’s character and his family. It is a harrowing journey, as they need to keep away from bad people and the planet, which is still in upheaval. I liked this movie a lot and might actually track down the first. GRADE B+
“Is This Thing On?”
Films about unhappy marriages are not high on my list of entertainment, and this one falls in that category. We see a family with young children who are not in a happy place with their marriage. They decide to separate to see if they can rediscover happiness in their lives. He decides to try standup comedy, and she returns to coaching women’s volleyball. Will Arnet and Laura Dern play the couple. Bradley Cooper and Arnet play friends, and Cooper directs the film. They both begin to casually date other people, and they come to find that honesty is not always the best policy. It’s heavy at times, and not as funny as I expected, but the film is well done either way. GRADE: B-
“28 Years Later: The Bone Temple”
If you have seen one of these “28 Years” films, tread lightly. This is the third in the series with a fourth already in production. The first film, “28 Days Later,” was about a virus that threatened to take over the planet, a virus changed people into crazily possessed zombies. The second film focused on a man and his family trying to isolate themselves from these creatures. This one, “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple,” once again shows the zombies wreaking havoc on a small community. In a nutshell, the first film was really good, the second film borders brilliance, and the third film is not brilliant but still darn creepy. GRADE: C+
See you next month. Until then, pass me the popcorn.
Michael C. Woody has been reviewing movies on radio and television since 1986. He and his wife, Susan, are residents of Lake Panorama.