Friday, November 2, 2018

Arch Campbell's Weekend Movie Guide (11/2/18)

Rami Malek and Gwilym Lee (r) star in Bohemian Rhapsody

From our friend, Arch Campbell...

First Man - 4 Stars. Ryan Gosling blasts into space as strong, silent Neil Armstrong - the first man to walk on the Moon. The mix of biography and space gave me goosebumps.

Can You Ever Forgive Me? - 3½ Stars. Melissa McCarthy nails the story of writer Lee Israel, who faked a series of celebrity letters, when her career sputters. Funny and charming.

Bohemian Rhapsody - 3½ Stars. Irresistible, clichéd celebration of Freddy Mercury and Queen.

BlacKkKlansman - 3½ Stars. Spike Lee combines the true story of a 1970s KKK sting with a history of American racism from the Civil War to present day.

Arch Campbell with Will Ferrell & Zach Galifianakis (r)

Christopher Robin - 3½ Stars. Ewan McGregor as grown-up Christopher returns to the Hundred Acre Wood to learn a few life lessons from his childhood pals. Beautifully produced mix of live-action, animatronics, and animation.

Colette - 3½ Stars. Keira Knightly as the 20th Century French writer.

A Star Is Born - 3 Stars. The third remake's a charm, thanks to Bradley Cooper & Lady Gaga.

The Wife - 3 Stars. Glenn Close contends for this year's Best Actress award as long-suffering partner to a renowned writer.

Crazy Rich Asians - 3 Stars. Constance Wu meets the man of her dreams, not knowing he's Asia's catch of the century.

Free Solo - 3 Stars. Climbing without a rope. Hold on to your seat.

Halloween - 2½ Stars. Jamie Lee Curtis returns 40 years later to put an end to this Michael Meyers business once and for all. Fans will love.

The House with a Clock in Its Walls - 2½ Stars. Jack Black and Cate Blanchett fight evil with magic.

Suspiria - 1 Star. Overlong, overstuffed horror flick. Dakota Johnson joins a German ballet company run by Tilda Swinton, who also heads a coven of witches.

Beautiful Boy - 1 Star. Steve Carell as writer David Sheff, trying to deal with the drug addiction of his almost perfect son (played by Timothée Chalamet.) These good actors can't quite take this beyond manipulative and hard to watch.

Mid90s - 1 Star. Jonah Hill's directing debut tells the story of a 13-year-old kid trying to find his place in a group of street kids. At 84 minutes, it feels like a student project.

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.