Movie Review: The Stunt Driver

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B+

A strong character study. 

This film tells the true story of Ken Carter, a stunt driver (don't call him a daredevil), who plans to jump the St. Lawrence River in a rocket car.

As this film started, I wasn't sure if I was going to like it. The main character seemed like a jerk and someone I would not care to spend time within real life. However, as the movie went on, I saw that he was more complex than was first apparent. I began to see what I originally didn't like about this character was actually partly a front (put on for himself as much as others), due to his insecurities and fear. When I started to see this, I saw a lot of myself in this guy. Then I forgave his flaws because he now came off as a flawed but deeply human character. All of this was perfectly captured Jay Baruchel's performance. Critics are calling this his career best performance, and I can't argue with that. He is truly wonderful here. He perfectly captures the outward confidence as well as the inner insecurity. Despite his massive flaws, we find ourselves very much rooting for this guy. Because of this, though the tone is light for most of the film, when the movie wants to pull on our heartstrings it is very successful in doing so. 

The visual filmmaking here is also excellent. The movie blends this new acted footage with real footage from a documentary seamlessly. Though this is more of a character study than an action film, the stunt scenes are quite exciting. 

  This movie does try to mix in some quirky comedy into the drama. Unfortunately, this is rarely that successful. Most of this comedy simply falls flat. I also felt that the movie sometimes seemed to go on a little long and repeat itself. These however are small flaws for what is a very strong movie. 

An excellent film. 

Movie Review: I Wanna Dance With Somebody

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B

A quite moving, if flawed, biopic of Whitney Houston. 

What really makes this movie work so well is the wonderfully heartfelt performance by Naomi Ackie. She does a wonderful job of playing Whitney from her 20's to her 40's. At each of these ages, she feels completely natural and believable. This is no easy feat, and it is incredibly how well this young actress pulls it off. She also does a wonderful job of pulling you the emotion of every scene. Many of the emotional scenes here work so well because of her performance. While she messes up and hurts people, the way she plays this role makes the only natural reaction to want to give her a hug. This film in general does a wonderful job of having you deeply care about Whitney, while still showing her human faults. It is painful to watch her hurting and feel like she has no one who truly cares about her. You can see people who truly care about her but at the same time see her trust people who do not have her best interest at heart. This can become hard to watch but it only increases how emotionally effective the film is. 

The most obvious praise for this movie is the music. There is a reason Whitney Houston's music has been so greatly praised and why there are so many fans of her music. It is simply wonderful music and her voice was simply incredible. Luckily the filmmakers realized how incredible her voice was and knew to use Whitney's own voice on the soundtrack. The selection of music used here (ranging from her greatest hits to lesser-known songs by her) is simply wonderful and I am sure many who see this will leave fans of her music, even if they previously haven't really listened to it. Though the soundtrack is Whitney, Naomi Ackie does an incredible job of making you believe you are actually watching her perform the songs. During these scenes you can swear that you are watching an actual Whitney Houston performance. 

This movie has the same major fault that many biopics do. That is that it tries to do more than can be done in one movie. This film tries to cover multiple decades of her life and do so in a way that covers many aspects of her life. Even though this isn't a short movie, this results in a pretty rushed movie. Often times it feels like it can jump from one idea to another with no warning. This often feels abrupt and jarring. The worst cases of this are when after an emotional scene, it quickly switches focus, without giving us time to full take in the emotion of what we just saw. This can take away from scenes that should be even more emotional effective. It can also sometimes give this movie a bit of an unfocused feel. 

This may not be a perfect movie, but everything that works here works very well.   

Movie Review: The Silent Twins

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B+

An often hard to watch but very moving biopic of writers June and Jennifer Gibbons (who hardly spoke to anyone but each other for nearly 30 years). 

This film is very different from your standard movie biopic. There is a shroud of mystery that hovers over the subjects of this film and there is nobody (but the two real people) who will ever know what was going on through their minds at any time. This film keeps that shroud firmly in place and never attempts to explain the actions these girls take. Instead we simply watch the story unfold and make of it what we will. This is the type of movie two people can watch and have completely different perspectives on. However this is the way the film should and has to be. To give any sort of explanation or have any deep character study would miss the point and do a great injustice to the real story. It would also take out just what makes this movie so compelling. Yet despite this (or perhaps because of this) there is an emotional power that is very effective, and the ending scene hit me hard in a way I did not expect. Many of these scenes can make the film hard to watch as they can make you feel emotions that you may not be willing to feel at times. This is also true as the movie moves into darker places as the film goes on. The subject matter (I don't wish to delve deeper into what this subject matter is as I feel it is best to approach this film knowing as little as possible) takes us to some dark places that are uncomfortable to go to, but that are necessary to make this film so effective. This movie is also enhanced by wonderful stop motion scenes (by Barbara Rupik, who has directed and animated some great short films (this is her first time working on a feature film)) based off some of the girls' stories. These scenes are in many ways delightful to watch but there is also a darker edge to them that grows all the more prevalent as the film goes on. 

This movie does have its faults though. The movie can drag at times, especially during the middle portion, and therefore it feels longer than it actually is. This movie can also have quite a bit of dialogue that feels forced or awkward. This is quite understandable and easily forgivable as this is the first English language feature by the brilliant Polish director, Agnieszka Smoczynska (if you have not seen her horror-inspired fairy tale, The Lure (Córki dancingu) (2015), you really should). The same can be said about many other great filmmakers' first time making a film in a new language. 

This is an excellent film, even if it can be hard to watch at times. 

Movie Review: Elvis

 

Michael’s Movie Grade: A-

This is honestly one of my favorite music Bio-pics to come out in quite a while. 

Let me get this out of the way, I am a huge Elvis fan. With that said I have to say this movie did a wonderful job of reminding me just why I love Elvis so much. Much of this is due to Austin Butler’s incredible performance. While no one can quite capture the magic of Elvis, Austin Butler comes as close as anyone else can. He oozes pure charisma every second he is on screen and watching the scenes where he is performing on stage it is easy to understand why the audiences are going so wild. Yet he never feels like he is doing an Elvis impersonation because he feels so natural. This true not only of his scenes on stage but also in the scenes showing Elvis as a person. He even seems perfectly at home singing some of the king’s songs. Some of the songs use Elvis’ actual voice and some use Austin’s voice. While if you are Elvis fan you can easily tell which is which, there is no doubt that Austin’s versions still sound quite good. 

A problem with many biopics is they simply try to cover too much and lose focus. While certain scenes can feel rushed, the movie remains focus quite well despite covering such a long time period. That is because the film focuses on Elvis and Colonel Tom Parker's relationship first and foremost. This works great because it keeps the film from trying to do too much and that there is a lot of great drama in the relationship between these two men. The Colonel is played by Tom Hanks in a very different role for him. As much as he is known for playing incredibly likable characters, here he plays "the villain of this here story." While his accent takes a while to get used to, once you get used to it, he does a great job. The character himself maybe a little over the top, but so was the real Colonel Parker and he never becomes an outright caricature. This relationship also gives the movie some of its best and most heartbreaking moments. While the movie can be over the top the heartbreak in the last act of this film is very effective. 

Those familiar with director Baz Luhrmann, know that nearly all his films are filled with visual extravagance and this movie is no exception. Here it works very well, because Elvis himself was no stranger to visual extravagance. More than that though this film is simply a joy to look at. It looks and feels larger than life and if you don't see it in theaters than you are missing out. Yet all of this still feels in service of the story and never distracts from but only heightens the emotions. 

Of course, the music is also very important to an Elvis film and it is excellent here. Many of the songs that Elvis recorded are loved for a reason and they are showcased incredibly here. There are a few remixes featuring modern artists, which I admit are a bit distracting considering the time period the movie takes place in but they still sound great. I would definitely say that if I wasn't already a fan of Elvis' music beforehand, I would have left the theater as one, and I hope that this movie has that effect on many people. 

I will admit that there are some scenes that feel too over the top, considering this movie was based on real events but they never take away from how great the rest of this movie is. 

If you are an Elvis fan or even if you aren't, you should definitely see this movie. 

P.S. As a country music fan I can tell you the depiction of Hank Snow was kinda disappointing for me. 

Movie Review: Benediction

 

Michael's Movie Grade: A+

A top-notch biopic of British poet, Siegfried Sassoon. 

This is simply a beautiful movie. It offers a complex portrait of a complex human being. It shows both his virtues and faults in an unmistakable way. The film neither makes him the hero or the villain but simply a human being trying to deal with an emptiness inside of him. Though he tries to escape from this through poetry and meaningless affairs that emptiness is still there. This is something that any of us can relate to. Most of us have felt an unexplained emptiness sometime in their life and felt unable to fill it. This deals with that problem in a very intelligent way that offers us food for thought as we leave the theater. Meanwhile this film also gives us an intelligent look at such subjects as being a solider who feels morally opposed to his orders. The movies also has some of the sharpest and best written dialogue I have heard in a modern movie in quite sometime. There is a real All About Eve style wit to much of this dialogue. Much of which is sharply funny with a biting edge that I simply found irresistible. Not only does this keep the film from becoming too depressing but it often adds another layer of depth to the characters. Because all of this dialogue comes out of the characters it only helps to make them feel more real and therefore makes the drama feel more real. As well as this witty dialogue we get to hear the poems that the people represented in this film wrote. These poems are incredibly beautiful and moving. These poems are often accompanied onscreen by montages of what the characters are talking about, giving a greater cinematic feel to a film that could have easily felt too talky. 

Overall this is simply a masterpiece of a movie.  

Movie Review: Being the Ricardos

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B

A surprisingly good movie about an especially difficult week's filming of I Love Lucy. 

I admit to being very skeptical about this movie. The previews did not impress me much and I was skeptical about some of the casting. While some of my fears turned out to be true, what worked about this film really worked. First off Nicole Kidman did a surprisingly good job playing Lucillie Ball. She may not have always physically resembled her and no one has the perfect comic timing of Lucille Ball, but she nailed the voice. It was amazing just how much she can sound like Lucy. Yet she never seems to be doing an imitation of Lucy. I do feel she is a bit better in the real-life scenes than she is in the scenes in which she is recreating comedic moments from the classic sitcom (though no one could top the actual Lucille Ball in that department no matter how funny they were). Yet she is so good in those dramatic scenes, that her performance completely pulls you in. As long as I am talking about performances, J.K. Simmons is perfect as William Frawley. I love William Frawley in every movie and TV show, I have seen him in, but dang it if Simmons didn't perfect capture everything I love about that great actor. This film's script (while not completely factual) is very absorbing and smart. There are lines of dialogue that are extremely clever and the discussions about politics, sexism and racism are extremely well handled. They never feel forced or preachy but rather insightful and natural. Being about I Love Lucy this movie obviously has its fair share of humor as well. While not every joke hits perfectly, those that do are very funny. The best comedic scenes come from the staff in the writing room. The talk about a seven-year-old actor having to sign something to prove he was not a communist, especially cracked me up.

This movie does have its faults though. As well as traditional bio-pic scenes, this film also includes actual interviews with those who worked on the show. While this is not a bad idea and some of the interviews are interesting, they are not very well integrated into the movie. Sometimes they feel like they are simply interrupting the film as there is no real transition to these scenes. Instead, they simply seem to pop up out of nowhere and this is distracting. The flashbacks in this movie can also feel too forced and there is a lack of a smooth transition from the "present" to the "past." Unfortunately, Javier Bardem is miscast as Desi Arnaz. He is a great actor, but he is not Desi. This is not only due to the fact that he looks and sounds nothing like Desi, but also due to not being able to capture that instant charm Desi had, although who could.

This is far from a perfect movie yet what works very well. 

Movie Review: King Richard

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B

A well made and engrossing biopic. 

More than a sports movie or an underdog story, this film is a character study of a complex character. I honestly don't watch sports at all and before this movie was only familiar with Venus and Serena Williams through seeing TV commercials. If you were to mention Richard Williams to me, I would have thought you were talking about the animator. Because of this I have no idea how truthful or fact based this depiction of Richard Williams is, but I know I found him a really fascinating character. While this movie paints him as a good man, it does not ignore any of his flaws. In fact often they are often front and center. In these moments you can get frustrated or even infuriated with him but never so much as to make him too unlikable. There were times I wish the film could have delved deeper into the darker ramifications of how he tried to run and plan out these two girls lives, but that would have made a very different movie. This film does a lot to make sure that we understand where he is coming from on each of his decisions, right or wrong and it is because of this that we become emotionally involved in the story. Adding to this character is an excellent performance by Will Smith. Will Smith is often known for playing fairly one note characters that don't allow him to stretch his acting range. However this film shows that he is a really good actor and that given the right role he can turn in a great performance. However he is not the only performance that makes this movie, Saniyya Sidney as Venus Williams is also excellent. Even at a young age and with a brief filmography, Saniyya has already had quite a film career under her belt having also appeared in such critically praised movies as Hidden Figures and Fences. Her she turns in an extremely fine performance that adds a lot of emotion heart to this movie. In the ending scene you can see just what a good actress this young girl is.

 This movie's climatic tennis scene is an excellent example of suspense filmmaking. By cutting back and forth from the game to scenes with Venus' family, director Reinaldo Marcus Green creates a very engaging sequence that will even keep those who (like me) find sports boring rooting for Venus. 

On the downside this movie is much longer than it needs to be and it can drag at times. As much as this film lets us get to know Richard, Venus and Serena, the other characters can come off as bland and boring, even the other siblings. 

While far from a perfect movie, this is a delightful biopic and character study with truly great acting. 

Movie Review: Sabina - Tortured for Christ, the Nazi Years

 

Michael's Movie Grade: A

A truly top notch Christian film that can stand up there with some of the best secular films of this year. 

This is a movie that goes beyond simple platitudes and one that could never be considered to simply be pandering to its Christian audience. Instead it is honest, open and frank and will cause any Christian watching it to examine their own walk with the Lord. It never sugarcoats its message but looks at what a real Christian worldview should be an why it is so difficult for any of us living in this world. This is done through its characters (based off real life people) being real three dimensional characters who hurt and struggle just like any one else. Though what they have done, hiding Jews from the Nazis and trying to convert the Nazis to real Christianity and repent of the horrible deeds they committed despite being of Jewish decent themselves, are things nearly of us could never imagine doing, they are not shown to be superhuman and it is obvious that without Christ they would never be able to do it. This becomes obvious in the early scenes before they are converted. Sabina herself holds a hostility toward Christians, because people who claimed to be Christians bullied her for being Jewish. With this in mind it is obvious that she could never be one to show kindness to anyone persecuting her race without Jesus Christ having changed her from the inside. Yet this movie never plays down what the Nazi's did, and the horrors they inflicted. This is a truly honest movie that would never sugarcoat one of the greatest tragedies in the history of man kind. Yet at the same time it reminds us that as long as one is on this Earth it is never too late for them to turn to God and change themselves completely. This is a powerful message but one many of us (like Jonah) do not want to hear. To approach such a subject so intelligent and thoughtfully is something that sadly too few Christian films would even attempt. 

This movie is also as great as it is because of the wonderful performances by Raluca Botez and Emil Mandanac as the leads and a tight direction and great script from John Grooters (one of the best Christian filmmakers of our time). 

Movie Review: Spencer

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B

An intense and heartbreaking look at Princess Diana.

Despite being about the life of Princess Diana, this film is anything but a traditional biopic. This movie has a strange dreamlike and purposely unreal feel to it. This is because the film is more interested in putting you into the mental state of our main character than our character's actual life. If you are like me and never really paid attention to British royals or their lives, then you will still know very little about this subject afterwards. However this is not a fault of the film at all because what it does, it does quite well. The idea of feeling like you are somewhere you don't belong or that you are forced to live a life and be a person who is not you is something that all of us can relate too. While we have never had it to the extreme that Princess Diana does in this movie, we can still to some extant understand and feel for her. As such I could feel my heart break for her during many scenes and there were times the film could even be difficult to watch for this reason. Much of this though is not only due to her situation but to Kristen Stewart's fantastic performance. This is one of the best performances of her career and I am sure it will cause many who have written her off to stop and take notice. There is never a moment where her performance ever feels anything less than completely real. The emotion is also perfectly captured by the visual filmmaking of director, Pablo Larraín and cinematographer,  Claire Mathon (who has worked on plenty of French films including Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)), both of whom create a film that visually is as emotional as any on screen performer can be. Jonny Greenwood's musical score is also great and not only a joy to listen to but perfectly fit the action on the screen.

This movie does have its faults though. Though we get emotionally attached to our main character, the rest of the characters are quite bland and boring. This fault is at its worst when it comes to her kids. These kids are supposed to be the one light in her life. Because of this they should be some of the most likable characters in the film, but they are not interesting in the least bit. This movie also suffers from getting too into its own dreamlike state and this simply takes you out of the film. There is also quite a bit of dialogue that feels a little forced. 

This may be flawed but it is a unique and emotionally impactful movie. 

Movie Review: Respect

 

                                                             Michael's Movie Grade: B+

                                    An excellent biopic.

                              I'll start this review off with the most obvious praise. The music is fantastic. There is a reason that Aretha Franklin's music is so revered, it is incredible music that moved audiences when first released and will continue to do so for as long as people continue to hear it. Though no one can replace Aretha, Jennifer Hudson does an incredible job with these songs and reminds us why we love them so much. Aretha Franklin personally picked Hudson to play this role and when you hear her perform these songs, you will quickly understand why. This is not to say that she is not impressive in the dramatic scenes, because she does a truly great job with them. However I must also give equal credit to child actress Skye Dakota Turner (in her film debut) who does a fantastic job playing Aretha as a young girl. She does not have an easy role to play here, but her performance captures the emotion of these scenes perfectly. What I also really appreciated about this movie is that the characters felt real. I admit to not being an expert on Aretha's personal life, so I don't know how much they are like the real people. Still I bought into the reality of these characters perfectly. The characters have both major faults and really likable traits as well instead of being the simple cardboard good or bad highlights they could be. After so many biopics which makes some people simple black and white villains or heroes, this is very refreshing. Many of the emotional moments in this film work quite well, and some are legitimately moving. 

Like many biopics, this movie does have the problem that you can not tell this whole story in one movie. Because of this certain elements can feel rushed or not fully played out (Aretha's involvement in the Civil Rights movement is a major example of this). The film can also jump from one element of the story to another with a real abrupt feeling. 

All in all this is an excellent if faulted biopic. 

Movie Review: I Still Believe

Michael's Movie Grade: A-

An excellent and moving Christian film that will satisfy Christians, fans of Jeremy Camp and those who love movie romances.

The most obvious thing to praise in a musical bio-pic is the songs. So I'll start there. There is a reason Jeremy Camp is one of the most popular Christian artists today. His music is fantastic and it is a joy to listen to them here.

This movie tackles a subject that is hard for many Christians including myself. This is how to have faith when it is hard to understand why he is letting things happen. This film does nor sugarcoat any of this, letting the full hardness and heartbreak of these situations and the crisis in faith they can cause. We have to understand though that God can use these moments for his own good even if that seems impossible to understand. The title song (which I already liked) takes on a whole new meaning when put into the context of the true story. It is important to remember this among the large amount of Christian movies that either kind of address this issue or don't at all. Yet despite this difficultly this film helps one find the hope among the hard times and does this in a very intelligently but instantly understandable way.

Along with being a musical bio-pic and a Christian film this is also a romance. This is done extremely well. The love story is perfectly set up and extremely believable. The two leads (KJ Apa and Britt Robertson) had fantastic chemistry and it was a joy watching them share the screen. All this made the emotional scenes and the Christian message even more powerful and relatable.

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:18

-Michael J. Ruhland

Movie Review: Seberg

Michael's Movie Grade: D

A bland and rather forgettable biopic of a woman that deserved better.

At one point in this film a man asks Jean, "Who is Jean Seberg?" The problem is we could just as easily ask our selves the same question after watching this movie. She was a movie actress who had great success in France, she was a supporter of the Black Panthers and that got her into trouble. Unfortunately if we are to just go by this film that is all we know about her. This film never delves into who the person behind all this is.

Everything is extremely oversimplified here. Every character is either a clear cut good guy or a clear cut bad guy in the most black and white terms possible. This is an overtly political movie that jams a message we can surely understand down our throats. The message is so crystal clear, yet the film seems to believe that if it does not constantly have clumsy dialogue delivering this message in the most clear cut and obnoxious way possible we wouldn't get it. This made me feel extremely talked down to, as well as giving the film a repetitive and overlong feeling. All this made the film simply a chore to watch at times.

None of this was helped by very cliché storytelling that feels like a million biopics we have seen before. This is especially true when it comes to the dialogue. This dialogue is too on the nose and tries to sound exactly like every other biopic. This is just simply clumsy writing.

Kristen Stewart gives her whole hear to this film and turns in a surprisingly good performance (plus she looks a lot like Jean Seberg here). Still even this is hampered by the fact that she can only do so much with the dialogue she was given.

-Michael J. Ruhland      

Movie Review: A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Michael's Movie Grade: A-

What makes this movie so magical is what made Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood such a respected TV show. That is saying that this film tackles deep and important subject matter without an ounce of cynicism or ever talking down to its audience.

This movie could not be more different from director, Marielle Heller's last bio-pic Can You Ever Forgive Me? Unlike that film, we don't focus on a character who could easily push the limits of likability. Even if you are not a fan of his TV show, it is impossible not to respect or admire Fred Rogers as a person. This movie does discuss (albeit at times almost too briefly) Fred's more human faulted side, it does this in such a way that never gives us a more cynical view of the man. In fact it makes us respect him all the more as we learn that he worked hard to be the extremely nice person he was. Through his faith in God and his ways of finding positive ways to deal with negative feelings, he became the type of man many of us would aspire to be. However the focus is on the reporter who interviews him. It is hard not to relate to this reporter who is also shown to be a good man, but one who struggles daily with dealing with his negative thoughts. Here is where the movie hits its heaviest theme. That is how to forgive someone who hurt you deeply and how not to let that pain run the rest of your life. There is no one in the world who such a thing is easy for and therefore it is hard not to have an emotional connection to what we see. Most of all this film is about the effect Fred has on this young man.

This is also a masterfully made movie. The filmmakers know how to get the most out of so little. In fact one of the most powerful scenes in this movie involves two characters sitting in complete silence for about a minute.

My familiarity with Mr. Rogers is fairly limited. I never grew up with his show, since as a kid I was more into slapstick comedy. In fact many more serious "kids" movies and shows, I got more interested in once I grew up because as a kid I simply wanted something that would make me laugh. However this never once hampered my enjoyment of this lovely movie. So even if you never grew up with this show, I still can't recommend this movie enough.

This is the kind of feel good non-cynical movie that would be nice to see more often in today's times.

-Michael J. Ruhland  

Movie Review: Judy

Michael's Movie Grade: B

For Judy Garland fans like me, you have to take this movie as a work of fiction to enjoy it. Judy never cussed out her audience (this change confuses me as it makes the character seem unlikable while also being completely false), Mickey and Judy's relationship was nothing like what was seen on screen, she never took her kids to any conventions but rather they performed with her on the best venues out there and these are only a few of the scenes that where completely made up for this movie. However if you take this as a film and not an accurate account of Judy Garland's life, it is quite good.

Renee Zellweger is incredible in the title role. When people say she is Oscar worthy for this performance I can't argue at all. She brings a powerful sense of both being larger than life as well as being full of human frailty. Judy as presented here is both a complete legend but also fully a human being. Since much of the story is rather depressing, Judy's humorous wit is very much appreciated. Many of her comments made me and other members of the audience laugh out loud adding some much needed levity to the sadder moments. Her performances of the classic songs are great, as long as you don't compare them to the real Judy Garland. The real Judy was a one of kind performer with a one of a kind voice and stage presence. Renee isn't able to capture this completely and there is never a moment during these song numbers when a Judy Garland fan will ever forget they are watching Renee and not Judy on screen. However taken on their own terms with no comparisons to Judy, these song numbers are excellent. Renee has an incredible singing voice and great charisma while performing these songs and these scenes extremely entertaining. Again Judy Garland fans just have to accept that it is a different voice and charisma than that of the real Judy Garland. Darci Shaw also turns in an incredible performance of Judy as a kid in a few flashbacks. With her playing the kid version of a character we mostly see as an adult will make her not receive the praise she deserves but she turns in a truly incredible and human performance.

I am split on the flashback scenes to be honest. This is not because of the scenes themselves which are excellent, but rather because they often feel forced into the film with no real transition. This is sad because they are fantastic scenes and honest highlights of the film, but they also simply don't seem to fit in the movie we are watching. A scene involving two fans that Judy befriends on the other hand could have been left on the cutting room floor. It feels embarrassingly awkward and forced. The dialogue is corny as all get out and for a movie that is supposed to be based off a real life story feels completely false. A later reappearance of the two men is even more corny and forced, if such a thing is possible.

Despite its faults this is a very moving and entertaining movie. However if you want to learn more about Judy Garland as a person, read a biography and know that this film is pure fiction.

-Michael J. Ruhland    

Movie Review: Rocketman

Michael's Movie Grade: B-

Review: This movie is definitely style over substance much of the time, but the style is fantastic.

Unlike most rock-star bio-pics, this movie presents its story in a way that was clearly inspired by Broadway musicals. The characters often break into song in a way that turns to big production numbers. These song sequences are often the highlights of the movie. Not only are the songs just as great as ever, but what you see on screen is often just as good. The visual filmmaking here is brilliant, perfectly creating a huge scope and many touches that perfect match the emotions of the song and scene. There is such a great energy here that is simply irresistible. This shows what a rock and roll musical should be, equally exciting audibly and visually. Just as importantly this is perfectly woven into the film. Never does a character breaking into song feel forced or out of place. Like good musicals should do each of these songs fits what is happening in the story and makes the emotion feel more real than straight dialogue ever could.

The performances in this film are equally excellent and Taron Egerton is perfect as the famous rock star. He gives truly emotional and human performance.

The story itself is fine, but rather predictable and typical for this type of movie. It starts off extremely well with young Reginald Dwight and how he became Elton John. This is all done fantastically and you quickly grow to root for this character with all your heart. However after he becomes famous the story becomes less interesting and more cliché. With the exception of the great musical numbers everything that happens after this point is what we have seen a million times in these rock and roll biopics. At times it can become rather repetitive and long at this point. Not helping matters is that one of the central characters (Elton's manager) is simply portrayed here as a bland one note villain (as well as one who is too similar to a character from the recent Bohemian Rhapsody). The story never becomes bad and there is more than enough to make it still work, but one can easily wish it remained as strong as it was earlier on.

This movie is a bit uneven, but what is good is excellent and I definitely will still recommend the movie despite its faults for that reason.

-Michael J. Ruhland