Tag: AppleTVPlus

Ghosted

Published on by DanielaLeave a comment

The ever popular Ana De Armas and Chris Evans are back on our screens, teaming up to star in action adventure romantic comedy Ghosted. When Cole (Evans) meets Sadie (De Armas), he’s sure he’s found the one. They spend an unforgettable day and night together and then she vanishes into thin air. When he eventually tracks her down, he discovers her deep dark secret: she’s a secret agent! Suddenly Cole is swept up until Sadie’s lifestyle as they embark on a mission to save the world.

Not going to lie, I was really looking forward to this one. The two leads alone boasted what I thought would be a home run for Apple TV +. And while I had an overall fine time with the film, there wasn’t much to write home about.

De Armas and Evans are in top form here. This is now the third time that they have worked together and you can tell that their chemistry is completely and totally organic as a result. It’s just not their fault that the script wasn’t tighter and that not all the jokes managed to land. There were some good one liners and the meet cute between Cole and Sadie that took place in the first part of the movie balanced it out though.

I wasn’t entirely invested in the action part of the story, there were still some hardcore fight sequences and chase scenes that kept the movie entertaining. Having Adrien Brody as the villain was a fun choice. I enjoyed the soundtrack choices (Are You Gonna Be My Girl? and Uptown Funk were some great fits), but I had the best time spotting all those cameos.

Although Ghosted wasn’t as amazing as I’d hoped it would be, there were some positive things about it. The two leads were definitely up there and I would happily watch a million more titles with them as the stars. All in all, not too bad for a Friday night in.

Rating: ♥️♥️.5

Luck

Published on by DanielaLeave a comment

Sam Greenfield (Eva Noblezada) is the unluckiest girl in the world. Having grown up in the foster care system, she never found a forever family. Now that she is eighteen, it’s time for her to get her own place and find a job. On her first day, she wakes up late, locks herself in the bathroom, struggles with the toaster and notices that her bike has a flat tire. When she stumbles upon Bob (Simon Pegg), a talking cat, she is whisked away to the Land of Luck where she hopes to turn things around for herself.

From John Lasseter of Pixar and Disney comes Luck, the first title from Skydance Animation. While their aim is to tell entertaining stories that will capture the hearts of audiences everywhere, I have to say that their first venture didn’t hit the mark for me.

I appreciated how, despite her misfortunes, Sam was able to stay upbeat and how she put the needs of those around her before her own. While it didn’t seem very realistic to me (I’d get annoyed if I was in her position), her outlook on life was admirable for the most part. The cast of characters were also magical and full of fun. Simon Pegg, complete with a Scottish accent, was brilliant as Bob the cat. It was great hearing the voice talents of Jane Fonda as The Dragon, Whoopi Goldberg as The Captain and Colin O’Donoghue as Gerry and I enjoyed getting lost in the Land of Luck.

However, the film, overall, fell short for me. There was nothing exciting about the storyline and while predictability is not always a bad thing, I felt like the emotions that were supposed to come across here didn’t quite hit like they should have. Here I was, expecting the next Inside Out, and instead I was left yearning for more.

Luck may have some important messages at the end of the day, but that’s about it. Definitely aimed towards a younger audience, the film is fine for some casual viewing though I won’t be running back for a second watch anytime soon.

Rating: ♥♥

Cha Cha Real Smooth

Published on by DanielaLeave a comment

Written, directed and starring Cooper Raiff, Cha Cha Real Smooth is about recent college grad Andrew who is trying to find his place in the world. Working a dead-end fast food job and living at home with his mother (Leslie Mann), stepfather (Brad Garrett) and brother (Evan Assante) he takes on a side gig as party host for the summer’s Bar Mitzvah circuit. That’s where he meets the mysterious Domino (Dakota Johnson) and her autistic daughter Lola (Vanessa Burghardt). Little does he know, they will change his life forever.

Let me start by saying that the hype for this movie is real. Receiving rave reviews at this year’s Sundance Festival, there was no way I would miss out on this one. I didn’t expect it to hit as hard as it did and yet here we are.

Although I am not familiar with Raiff’s work, he is quite the triple threat. His portrayal of Andrew is awkward and so very realistic; how many of us have struggled to figure out what we want to do after we finish school? It’s no secret that I’m a Dakota Johnson fan. Her performance here was endearing and honest and the two balanced each other well. The big stand out for me, however, was Vanessa Burghardt. Autistic in real life as well as on screen, she’s got such a career ahead of her and I can’t wait to see where it takes her.

The simplicity of the plot added a factor of intimacy I didn’t know I needed. It almost allowed me to look into the characters’ minds and learn exactly what makes them tick. I found myself laughing along with them, just as I found myself tearing up at certain moments. That conversation about depression, for example, was so on point that I couldn’t help nodding along in agreeance to what was being said.

Cha Cha Real Smooth is a movie that should not be missed. I don’t care if you don’t have Apple TV+. Find a way to watch it. I guarantee it will touch you in one way or another and will stay with you long after the screen turns black.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

CODA

Published on by DanielaLeave a comment

Ruby, (Emilia Jones) a seventeen year old girl who lives in Gloucester, Massachusetts is the only hearing member of a deaf family. All her life, she has gone above and beyond to help her mother Jackie (Marlee Matlin), her father Frank (Troy Kotsur) and her brother Leo (Daniel Durant). When her family’s fishing business finds itself in trouble, Ruby feels herself being pulled in two directions. She wants to be there for her family, but she just started singing in the school’s choir led by Bernardo Villalobos (Eugenio Derbez) who is aiding her to audition for Berklee College of Music.

All of the buzz surrounding CODA and the fact that it did so amazingly at the Sundance Film Festival is what made me want to watch it. I had a feeling that it would be something special. I just didn’t realize how much.

This was absolutely phenomenal. Based on a French movie called La Famille Belier, CODA had my heart breaking and mending simultaneously throughout. Ruby was such a relatable teen and yet I could never even begin to imagine how difficult it must have been for her to choose between her family and her dream. At the same time, I felt bad for her family who wanted to be treated as equals, but who were also scared to put themselves out there. The fact that actual deaf actors were casted in the roles of Ruby’s parents and brother made it all the better and more impressive. More films should take a cue from this one going forward.

I didn’t know what to expect going into CODA and it wound up completely blowing my mind. The storyline, the music – everything was perfectly executed. It’s a film that really makes you think and one that will definitely make you cry. I know I did.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Palmer

Published on by DanielaLeave a comment

Having just completed a twelve year sentence in prison, Eddie Palmer (Justin Timberlake) returns home. Trying to put his life back together, the former football star needs to find a job and check in with his parole officer every two weeks.

What Palmer doesn’t bargain for is meeting a young boy name Sam (Ryder Allen). Sam often spends time with Palmer’s grandmother Vivian (June Squibb) when his drug addict mother Shelly (Juno Temple) skips town. At first, Palmer doesn’t know what to make of Sam – the boy is unlike others his age. He loves playing with dolls and wants to be a princess. As the two spend more time together, Palmer’s feelings change and he learns that caring for Sam is what he is meant to do. It’s just unfortunate that his past keeps getting in the way.

I wasn’t sure if I even wanted to watch this at first. The story didn’t initially appeal to me, but I am very glad that I gave it a chance. There were so many things that I liked about it!

Justin Timberlake as an ex-con was a little hard to believe at times. Overall I did enjoy his performance though I have to admit that I am still on the fence if I prefer him as an actor or a singer. All I know is he is lovely to look at. Ryder Allen, on the other hand, was a revelation. I could not get over how precious that little boy was. For his first ever role, he really knocked it out of the park.

Palmer is a story about second chances and starting over. It hit me in all the right feels and I highly recommend it.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥