Friday, August 12, 2016

Arch Campbell's Weekend Movie Guide (8/12/16)

Ben Foster & Chris Pine (r) star in Hell or High Water

From our friend, Arch Campbell...

Best New Opening Hell or High Water - 4 Stars. A modern day western with Jeff Bridges as a Texas Ranger pursuing Chris Pine and Ben Foster, bank robbers hoping to steal enough money to avoid foreclosure on their family ranch. A brilliant portrait of the last days of the “Texas myth.”

The Jungle Book - 4 Stars. Dazzling Disney live-action update of the classic animated cartoon.

Finding Dory - 3½ Stars. Pixar’s follow-up to “Finding Nemo” provides fine and funny moments, and even a tear or two.

CafĂ© Society - 3½ Stars. Nostalgic Woody Allen story of lost love in glamorous 1930’s New York and Los Angeles. Nice roles for Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart.

Arch with Will Ferrell & Zach Galifianakis (r)

Florence Foster Jenkins - 3 Stars. Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant make sweet comedy of the true story of a tone deaf Manhattan society matron and her love of performing.

Indignation - 3 Stars. Logan Lerman as brilliant, angry young man who leaves his parent’s butcher shop for college, but loses focus in an affair with an experienced, blonde Goddess.

Love & Friendship - 3 Stars. Jane Austen adaptation of seductive, conniving Kate Beckinsale looking for a new husband for both her and her daughter.

Ghostbusters - 2½ Stars. Update of the 80’s comedy with Melissa McCarthy & Kristen Wiig and breakout performers Kate McKinnon & Leslie Jones. The first hour sparkles with hilarious one-liners. The last hour sags with tiresome CGI effects.

Nerve - 2 Stars. Emma Roberts joins an online thrill contest with Dave Franco as her partner. A zippy 90 minutes.

Jason Bourne - 2 Stars. Matt Damon Bourne again. Not enough.

Suicide Squad - 2 Stars. Fun at first, but gradually tedious. The government recruits a group of super bad comic book characters to save the world. Yawn.

Visit Arch's website for his (unrivaled) take on movies. He remains the only other (we're not self-hating) critic, whose opinion we admire and respect.'