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rlatson27
Reviews
Your Lucky Day (2023)
Damn Good Movie
If a robber & found money are staring you in the face, whose side are you on? Do the right thing, take that trauma, survive, & watch as no one gets to cash in that winning ticket... Or go along w/the robber, take that trauma, survive, & split the winnings... The moral gray area looks pretty damn good from the situation, b/c the cop stops the robbery by shooting the victim, not the thief. The victim dies instantly, but the cop gets shot in the shoulder; not the neck as it appears. Enter the cops, corrupt father, & his merry band of thieves... It's a damn good film, reminds me of The Lookout (2007), w/Joseph Gordon Levitt.
Angus was brilliant, & the film is dedicated to him. I immediately cared about the characters & none of them were all around wholesome. As the characters begin to discuss cashing in the ticket, it becomes imperative that the lotto commission isn't going to ask questions. Shady characters aren't going to pass muster & collect $156 million from the Cali Lottery. Human nature in these previous reviews seems to escape ppl. I'm guessing ppl never watched the Shield or any movie w/dirty cops. I saw a lot of disbelief, like it's science fiction or something. I detect a touch of misogyny as if this woman is supposed to be brain dead, b/c of her occupation & cops are some sort of infallible freaking geniuses. I read the news about ppl killing their own parents for less money, though. The films believable & a certified thriller, if you actually enjoy films.
The men are intent on double crossing each other, but once the final girl is all in; she's rock solid. I don't know why this so distasteful to other reviewers, but I enjoyed this. It's not a gimmicky movie.
Cerdita (2022)
One Viewing Was Enough
It didn't feel like a horror movie to me. The plot was simple, but the acting & directing really gave it dark twisty turns. The acting was totally believable. The protagonist, the bullies, the serial killer, & family are fully fleshed out personalities. The constant guessing game of why is our protagonist in such a long state of shock. Fear vs. Speaking the Truth. It really felt like thriller & not horror. It felt 30 mins too long. I did enjoy the movie, but there was too much suffering & cruelty heaped upon one teenager for me to stomach watch it again. I can't rate a movie higher than a 6, if I want to watch it again.
American Son (2019)
It's Adapted From A Play
Since so many ppl left less than fair reviews.... Spoiler Alert
It's a play adaptation & takes place at the waiting room of the police station; around 4am at night. The mother is frustrated & scared for her son, after receiving a phone call that her son's car was involved in an incident. After trying to report her son missing or get any info about his whereabouts, she tires of the rookie officer's "Idgaf" attitude. She becomes angry, cynical, & continues to basically beg the officer to check the database for any info.
Once her white FBI agent husband finally arrives more disturbing info begins to trickle in about their son.
Themes: The civilian pov that asking the police to be transparent, professional, & diligent is unreasonable from the cop pov.
The power trip & sheer pettiness of cops vs. The humanistic pain of the powerless civilian.
The social class vs lower class
The idea of being the perfect black man, b/c it doesn't exist.
The stereotypical attitudes/assumptions cops display, while denying it.
The presumption of guilt vs. The assertion of one's rights.
Uncle Tom vs. Educated Black Person Questioning Why Constitutional Rights Are Being Ignored.
Fear vs Pride
The parental dysfunction vs. Teen rebellion.
Most importantly a lot of reviewers missed the details being argued between the husband & wife. The fact that their separation & inability to communicate, has deeply affected their son. In attempting to protect their son & carry on a new normal, they have neglected to talk about the depth of their feelings/failings, & how their son's future is affected.
It's a niche movie, where these parents (who are highly educated & lead simple lives) are confronted w/systemic issues in the police dept. These cops have no sympathy or respect for these parents. These cops are well aware of racism, prejudice, & protect their own. At no point & time do any officers talk to these parents, as parents. The lack of professionalism & sheer contempt they show towards civilians, would get them fired from any hospital, military, or basic 9 to 5 job. And the cops know it, but continue to do the laziest of jobs.
The acting is top notch.
Maggie Moore(s) (2023)
Better Than Vengeance
Slattery got it right with this slow burn of a dark comedy. The movie succeeds in doing what ppl raved that Vengeance did last year. I was highly impressed w/this movie & it didn't get half the hype as Vengeance.
I found performances spot on & nuanced.
The movie flows seamlessly from outlandish situations to believable niche characters that I enjoyed. Fey & Hamm have great chemistry as a hapless divorcee & a buttoned up widower, brought together by these murders. I was delighted watching the idiotic Hubby Moore rely on original murderous deaf guy to clean up this mess, more murders. I highly recommend this movie, it's quirky, well cast, & well done unraveling mystery.
Fresh Horses (1988)
Sad Story of Abuse
I was too young to see this movie when it was released, but I knew it wasn't Pretty in Pink 2. I'll say, as an abuse survivor, Ringwald's character Jewel is painted as a liar & manipulator by various male characters.
It's pretty difficult for McCarthy's character to decide who to trust. Ringwald's character is straight up traumatized & trapped by Green; abuse seems to be the only constant in her young life.
Oh course, she can't say the word for what's happened to her in the backseat of the car. She has no money, no car, & led to believe any illegal activity she's witnessed will also incriminate her too. The saddest part is all of these boys & men, justifying their actions towards Jewel, based on her beauty, lack of income, lack of education, & unfit parents! The movie ends on a positive note, but I can't agree that Jewel. Is an untrustworthy liar. She's as honest as she can be in an abusive situation, she wants out of. Young trauma/abuse survivors often cope by disassociating or blocking the trauma out completely.
Sister Wives (2010)
It's A Cult
Four wives, one man, & 23 kids devolved over 10+ yrs in front of the cameras... It's a slow moving reality show, that revolves around a narcissistic man who plays victim every episode... These women were raised/groomed to be susceptible to a twisted "religious cult" known as the UAB, nicknamed "The Work", & considered to be an off shoot of fundamentalist Mormonism...
It's a cult. Two of the wives were born into this, one wife was a sister in law before marrying this guy, & one wife was married to a Jessup "polygamy royalty".... It's all kinds of upheaval, drama, & trauma for their offspring!... Total trainwreck.
Kings (2017)
The Reviews Are Wrong
The movie is a small sliver of time during the televised trial of the officers that beat Rodney King. It starts w/the shooting of a young black girl in the back of the head by a Korean store owner. The trial results in a guilty verdict, but the judge angers the community w/no jail sentence & a fine.
Halle (Millie) plays a foster mother of about 10 kids. She has a multicultural brood, of kids whose parents are incarcerated. She bakes 7Up cakes (pound cakes) to small businesses for money as well.
The quick introduction of a young homeless classmate Nicole & William (neighbor of hers, whose mother is in jail) upsets the delicate household balance. The oldest Jesse spends too much time & attention on helping Nicole squat in a vacant apt... While William's quick temper & questionable morals; become a negative influence on the kids.
Millie finds out the verdict as the neighborhood explodes in rage. Ppl are attacking police officers & random motorists. The kids decide joining the looting is a good idea. Her angry neighbor Obie is unintentionally drawn into the drama, b/c she's clearly overwhelmed & he can easily see how much she loves the kids. And it's shown how much they love her.
It's partly coming of age drama, in the absolute most dangerous time in LA. As long as you can relate to the fact, it's about a window in time. Similar to Fruitvale Station.
Vice Squad (1982)
Cult Classic 80's LA
A mixture of late 70's storylines w/an 80's twist set in LA. Read other reviews that mistake this for a poor attempt at gritty raw LA street life. Hollywood Vice Squad (1986) starring Carrie Fisher & Robyn Wright is so much worse, w/it's predictable plot. The cat & mouse game between Princess & Ramrod is so much better plot wise to casting that it's not an exploration film. From beginning to end, the middle where all the action happens w/seedy LA underground as the backdrop doesn't feel forced.
In a time before cellphones were commonplace & every one had a landline, the urgency is felt as the cops search for Princess all night. Our tiny heroine hasn't given any afterthought to Ramrod & has returned to her corner to finish her night, which is bizarrely dark yet entertaining. This film is what other tried to emulate & improve upon w/films like the Angel trilogy (84-88)...
Believe it or not cable was just becoming a thing, so ppl who couldn't travel were fascinated w/hooker & cop movies, set in LA & NYC.