We Live In Time

2024 A24

Rated: R

Length: 1 hr 48min

Drama ~ Romance

Starring: Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh.

Every Minute Counts

Andrew Garfield stars as Tobias Durand, a sales representative for The Weetabix Breakfast Cereal Company. He is going through a divorce and has received the divorce papers. In a hotel, after just getting out of the shower, he sits down in his robe and decides to sign the papers. The pen quits writing part way through his signature. Frustrated he grabs another and it doesn’t work, then another. Tobias completely loses it, throws the pen and leaves the hotel in his robe heading for the corner store down the street. He purchases a pen and heads back to the hotel walking on the side of the street when…….

Almut Brühl (Florence Pugh) happens by in her car, just as Tobias steps into the street, and hits him. Tobias passes out in the street and comes to later in the hospital with a neck brace and some pretty good facial bruises. He looks over and sees Almut who explains who she is and what happened. She apologizes and offers to buy him and his wife dinner at the restaurant where she is the Chef. He agrees and, not wanting to talk about his going through a divorce, the next evening he shows up alone. When Almut finally comes out of the kitchen, she asks Tobias about his wife and he explains that they are going through a divorce. In the very short time they have met each other, they both have feelings for each other and Almut invites him to go home with her.

And that is the start of their decade long romance and the beginning of a life together. And as with any couple they experience love, laughter, joy and heartbreak. They must also contend with some serious medical news about Almut, which they must make major life changing decisions about. They decide to enjoy every minute of every day, no matter what. As we all should. Throughout all of it they share their commitment and deep love for each other as they navigate the changes that life always seems to throw at you. Throughout the movie there are flashbacks going back to certain moments in their history together that reflect on their current circumstances. And you can see how one thing led to another. It is a little hard to keep up with, trying to figure out when they are flashing back to. But in the end it all makes sense.

I am being a little vague about the details because I don’t want to spoil it. I think Andrew and Florence did a fantastic job together with this movie. I honestly don’t think anybody else could have pulled this movie and story off the way they did. They were meant to play Tobias and Almut, their chemistry together carried this movie. I liked it, I really enjoyed Florence and Andrew together as Almut and Tobias. It isn’t a Hallmark Movie with a happy ending, you know, everybody smiling and riding off into the sunset, but I thought it was a real good Romantic Drama. That’s two thumbs up for Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield and We Live In Time.

Warfare

2025 A24

Rated: R

Length: 1 hr 35min

Action ~ Drama ~ War ~ True Story

Directed by: Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland

Starring: D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Will Poulter, Cosmo Jarvis, Kit Connor, Finn Bennett, Joseph Quinn, Charles Melton, Noah Centineo, and Michael Gandolfini.

EVERYTHING IS BASED ON MEMORY………

SYNOPSIS FROM THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE:

Written and directed by Iraq War veteran Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland (Civil War, 28 Days Later), Warfare embeds audiences with a platoon of American Navy SEALs in the home of an Iraqi family, overseeing the movement of US forces through insurgent territory. A visceral, boots-on-the-ground story of modern warfare, told like never before: in real time and based on the memory of the people who lived it.

THE REVIEW:

I was looking for a movie to watch when I saw this on Prime. I am not big on War Movies but did a quick google search and saw it had pretty good ratings, so I thought I’d give it a go. I have watched Saving Private Ryan and liked it, the first twenty minutes is pure hell to watch. I can’t imagine what our soldiers go through when they fight for our freedoms. I saw Warfare was by A24 as well, I love their movies. And Alex Garland directed this as well as Civil War, another newer War movie which I liked as well. I’ve seen it three times so far.

So anyway I decided to give it a watch. As it starts a Navy Seal platoon is taking sniper positions in support of a US Marines operation. Walking down a main dirt street in Ramadi, Iraq November 19th, 2006 on foot in the quiet of the night. They decide they are going to set up a surveillance outpost inside one of the homes on the street. They quietly break-in and clear all the rooms and put the family that lives there in the main bedroom with an interpreter. They proceed to the upstairs and are greeted with a block wall. The interpreter asks the family why it is there and they tell him that it is another apartment. Another family lives in the upstairs.

The Navy Seals produce a sledge hammer from one of their backpacks and proceed to knock the wall down and escort the upstairs family down to the bedroom with the first family. The Seals set up a surveillance perimeter in the upstairs apartment, busting a hole in the exterior block wall for the sniper scope on a Seal’s Gun. They monitor activity from every direction through all the windows and with the high tech surveillance and satellite monitor they have with them. In constant communication with high command and other platoons on the ground, they become aware that their presence is known and their location has been compromised.

All hell breaks loose as they are fired upon with guns and grenades. And it is pure drama, action and warfare in every direction as they attempt to survive and leave the city of Ramadi. It is a very tense 95 minutes. It is not your typical war movie, it is as if you have been placed right there in the house with the platoon of Navy Seals. It is more like an immersive experience into being a Navy Seal deep in enemy territory on their own turf, fighting for every square inch. It is eye opening, I couldn’t believe the experience of being there with them and what they were going through. I also was very impressed by the brotherhood, camaraderie, and professionalism of the platoon in the face of mortal danger from every direction.

I was also impressed by how much gear these guys carry and I did a quick google search. Navy Seals can carry anywhere from 43 to 100 pounds of gear with them. Unbelievable, these are some tough guys, ready to go. It is a violent, intense, terrifying close up look at what war looks and feels like through the eyes of the Navy Seals Platoon. Ray Mendoza was part of the platoon that day and set out to make this movie for his Navy Seal Brother Elliot who lost a leg in the ordeal. He does not remember much of the mission nor how he lost his leg. Ray thought that he should make a movie based upon all the Platoon’s memories of that day, so that Elliot could see how it all happened.

I liked it but I’m not sure if you will. If you like war movies or have an interest in the Iraq Wars or the Navy Seals…..you should watch it. It is a good one, well done. I felt like I was right there in that room with them. Like I said, it was definitely eye-opening and I have an even greater respect for the Navy Seals and what they do for us now. So it’s worth watching for that.

Heretic

2024 A24

Rated: R

Length: 1 hr 51min

Horror ~ Psychological Horror ~ Thriller

Directed by: Scott Beck and Bryan Woods

Starring: Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East.

QUESTION EVERYTHING….

HERETIC MEANING:

A heretic is someone whose beliefs or actions contradict the established doctrines or principles of a particular religion, group, or institution. This term is often used in a religious context, particularly within Christianity, but can also apply to other areas where there are established systems of belief or practice.

In Christianity, a heretic is someone who holds religious beliefs that differ from the official teachings of their church, especially the Roman Catholic Church. While a heretic might also be a dissenter or nonconformist, the core idea is the contradiction of established doctrine or belief, rather than simply disagreeing.

Historically, and sometimes even today, being labeled a heretic has led to conflict, persecution, or even violence, as established authorities may view heresy as a threat.

SYNOPSIS:

Two young missionaries from the LDS Church, timid Sister Paxton (Chloe East) and confident Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher), arrive at the home of a reclusive middle-aged man, Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant). He invites them in, assuring them that his wife is preparing a blueberry pie in the back of the house. They begin to discuss religion, and Sister Paxton playfully expresses a desire to visit others, after death, as a butterfly that appears on the hands of her loved ones. During the conversation, Reed makes several uncomfortable comments about their faith. When Reed steps out of the room, Barnes realizes that the smell of blueberry pie is from a candle, the front door is locked, and they have no phone signal.

THE REVIEW:

From the moment that the skies turn ominous, the rain starts and Mr. Reed opens the door, you sense it. It builds slowly as the two Sisters enter Mr. Reed’s house, a general sense of unease, of foreboding. As the two sisters sit in his living room, he assures them that his wife is baking a blueberry pie and will be out shortly to join them. Mr. Reed keeps disappearing into the other room and returning alone without his wife. The two sisters repeatedly tell Mr. Reed that as per Church rules they are not allowed to be alone with a man in his house, there must be another adult female present or they will have to leave. Sister Barnes turns around the candle that Mr. Reed had placed on the table and is dismayed to see that it is a Blueberry Pie scented candle.

Her mind quickly begins to sense trouble and rightly so. The two sisters start scheming and pretend they have a phone call from their Pastor and must return to the Church. Mr. Reed promptly informs them that they are lying because there is no cell service in his “metal” house. And a game of cat and mouse ensues as the two sisters desperately try to con their way into leaving as the kind and gentle Mr. Reed starts to appear a little more treacherous and deceiving. Using words and a conversation about Religion and Faith, and props like board games and different religious books like The Holy Bible and The Koran. Mr. Reed cons and tricks them step by step deeper into his house, into his wicked little game.

It is Hugh Grant as you’ve never seen him before. Dark, witty, evil, very smart and educated in the world of Religion. It is devilishly fun and very scary watching Hugh Grant turn from the nice Mr. Reed into the twisted demented Heretic who oversees a very wicked and evil game in his house. A game he has crafted and perfected over years of practice. The terror builds slowly until it is palpable and unescapable. It is terrifying, a true Horror movie that builds and builds until it strangles you with discomfort. It is thought provoking, and like a train wreck, you are sucked into it unable to look away.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

This is a good one, a truly psychologically terrifying Horror Movie. Hugh Grant is magnificently evil portraying a side we’ve never seen before. Bravo on that performance. Kudos to Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East as well. I loved Sophie Thatcher in this as well as Companion and I am going to have to watch her debut in the 2018 Movie Prospect as well as 2023’s The Boogeyman, but Chloe East really shines in this. Going from the innocent naïve young Sister to the worldly very smart young woman matching wits and outsmarting the Devil himself was a beauty to behold.

Highly Recommended!

Two Thumbs Up!

Companion

Baby Girl

2024 A24

Rated: R

Length: 1 hr 54min

Drama ~ Romance ~ Erotic Thriller

Directed by: Halina Reijn

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson, Sophie Wilde and Antonio Banderas.

This Christmas Get Exactly What You Want………..

Nicole Kidman stars as Romy Mathis, The High powered CEO of a Robotic Process Automation Company in New York City. Antonio Banderas plays her husband of 19 years Jacob Mathis who is a theater director in the city. In the opening scene we see Jacob and Romy having sex, and then Romy leaves the bedroom and goes into another room. She grabs a laptop, lays on the floor and pleasure’s herself while watching porn. This sets the stage for the movie. Romy and Jacob have been married for nineteen years and as we hear later in the movie, Romy has never experienced an orgasm with Jacob.

Enter Samuel…..

As Romy is headed into work walking down a busy New York Sidewalk, an angry dog runs towards her. Frightened she stops in her tracks as she sees a stranger take something out of his pocket and calm the dog. Romy heads into work and a little while later her assistant Esme (Sophie Wilde) brings in a group of Interns and Romy sees the stranger who calmed the dog outside in the group. During a break Romy sees the stranger, who’s name is Samuel (Harris Dickinson) in the breakroom and approaches him, wanting to know what he had in his pocket to calm the dog. He replies, “A cookie”. Soon Romy seems to see Samuel everywhere and he tells her he wants Romy to be his mentor in the Intern program.

What follows is a confusing game of attraction, sexual fantasies and fetishes between Romy and Samuel. It is an awkward relationship and is never really clear who started it. It leaves you wondering what is really going on the whole time. They seem to be playing a game exploring certain roles, but it isn’t clear who initiated it. It could be Romy, not being satisfied at home and seeing an opportunity to explore her deep sexual desires and fantasies with a young intern, pays Samuel to help her explore those fantasies. Or it could be Samuel, seeing an opportunity to take advantage of Romy’s interest in him and move himself up the company ladder.

Or is it Jacob? I find it hard to believe that for nineteen years, Jacob didn’t realize that his wife and sexual partner was not really fulfilled and living a lie sexually. It seemed odd that Samuel would show up unexpectedly at the house twice and Jacob just didn’t appear that surprised. And the fight that Jacob and Samuel have just didn’t seem that intense to me, it seemed staged. Jacob is a Theater Director and stages plays and works with actors. It is possible that Jacob staged the whole scenario to give his wife a controlled affair to explore her fantasies with someone Jacob trusted to keep their marriage together.

Or was the whole affair staged by Esme who knew Romy and concocted a scheme using Samuel to move herself up the corporate ladder? You could go in any direction with those theories, but it did seem as though Esme approaching Romy to, in essence, blackmail her for a better position at the company was only after Samuel told her about their affair. That kind of rules out Esme having orchestrated the affair.

Whichever way the plot was intended, it does come across as very awkward. I didn’t really feel any great chemistry between Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson, either because there wasn’t any or the whole affair was staged to begin with. I have seen Nicole in better sensual erotic movies with more chemistry and feeling. Dead Calm, Birthday Girl and Eyes Wide Shut come to mind. Babygirl also reminds me of Unfaithful with Diane Lane and Richard Gere, although I think Unfaithful is a way better movie.

So to wrap it up, for me it was just ok. The sensuality and fetishes were a bit over the top, I get they were exploring the power and submission thing but it just didn’t feel that real to me. Like a badly staged play. I didn’t think much of Harris’ Dickinson’s acting but then I haven’t seen him in anything else so perhaps it was just the awkwardness of the role in this movie. So yeah, meh……..

Sharper

2023 A24 Apple TV+

Rated: R

Length: 1 hr 56min

Crime ~ Drama ~ Thriller

Directed by: Benjamin Caron

Starring: Julianne Moore, Sebastian Stan, Justice Smith, Briana Middleton, and John Lithgow.

Sharper: One who lives by their wits, gambles, cheats and swindles.

TOM:

The movie opens with the ticking of a watch, and a close up of someone putting together a Rolex watch. Then we see the definition of a Sharper. Then we see the name Tom (Justice Smith) on the screen. Then we see a man named Tom working in a vintage book store named Stories. A woman walks in looking for an old specific book. Tom finds it for her and, liking her, asks her out for dinner after he closes up. Her name is…….

Sandra:

Sandra (Briana Middleton) is a Law student at a local University and needs the book for school. Sandra agrees to go to dinner with Tom. They hit it off and become good friends, eventually dating. Their relationship grows as they experience the city nightlife and build a life together. We flashback to a point in Sandra’s life before Tom and we meet….

Max:

Max (Sebastian Stan) has a mother he can’t stand. She is dating a much older businessman named Richard Hobbes (John Lithgow) and Max doesn’t think much of him either. Max and Richard clash and Richard decides that Max must get out of his life so he can marry Max’s mother……

Madeline:

Madeline (Julianne Moore) loves Richard and wants to marry him but doesn’t know what to do about her troubled son Max. Or something like that. That is a brief synopsis of the movie and how it plays out, or is it?

I can’t say anymore about the movie except you need to pay attention. One thing leads to another, or does it? Nothing is as it seems and everything is what it seems, or is it? It will keep you guessing until the very end. Twisting and turning, from one story to the next, from one character to the next. Right up until the very last scene.

I thought it was brilliant, well done. Lots of great nighttime city shots and sceneries. I loved the bookstore in the beginning, I could definitely spend some time in there. Julianne Moore was fantastic as always and also co-produced the movie. Justice Smith, Briana Middleton, and John Lithgow were all great as well.

I honestly can’t say anything more about it or I would spoil the adventure for you. I think it is a thrilling Crime Drama you need to immerse yourself in……take the journey, give it a go. Tune everything out and watch sharper with both eyes open, and a sharper mind.

Two Thumbs Up!