Here are 32 recent and current films summarized in a single sentence on a five-finger scale from 0 (the Dreaded Fist of Badness) to a High Five. High Fives are terrific movies well worth the effort to locate and enjoy. Two Fingers are weak and not worth the money, Three are “just a movie,” and Four are well made and quite enjoyable.
Let me know if I’ve got them right or wrong. Everyone’s vote in film-watching is 100 percent correct and I always enjoy hearing your opinions.
This is the time of year when foreign gems often visit the U. S. box office, so take full advantage if some of these head your way.
Graduation – 5-finger High Five. A Romanian surgeon’s honorable life completely unravels as he desperately tries to help his daughter pass her final qualifying exam to escape Cluj by earning a scholarship into a prestigious London university the day after she is assaulted across the street from her high school.
Truman – 5-finger High Five. This great Spanish buddy picture about two best friends who reunite after too many years for what both know will be the final time is timelessly terrific and captivates on multiple levels.
Disneynature: Born in China – 2 fingers. John Krasinki’s emotionless monotone narration lets what little air was written into this script right back out of it in this disappointing cinematic postcard to snow leopards, monkeys, pandas, and antelope.
The Mayor – 5 finger High Five. This well directed and beautifully staged Korean drama about a ruthless mayor’s campaign for a third term en route to a run at the presidency has twists and turns that lure us in to care about a collection of damaged and at times reprehensible politicians.
How to Be a Latin Lover – 3 fingers. Four months in, 2017 has been nearly deserted of comedies and this fun, mindless story about a 46-year-old washed-up gigolo in search of his next ultra-rich old lady sugar momma features several laugh-out-loud scenes and a surprisingly fun and endearing cast.
The Circle – 3 fingers. Tom Hanks is back on form in this futuristic look at social media’s ultimate encroachment—total privacy invasion—and Emma Watson does a nice job as a young woman who ascends through the organization and challenges Hanks and The Circle’s growing, near-omnipotent power.
The Promise – 3 fingers. This grim drama about the Turkish genocide of 1.5 million Armenians a century ago tells an important story well, but has its overall impact diluted by an unnecessary, contrived romantic plot adjunct that does not fit and detracts from the film’s emotional impact.
John Wick: Chapter 2 – 3 fingers. Keanu Reeves plays a famous hit man forced out of retirement to pay back a favor, and who ends up rubbing out at least 200 bad guys one by one via an endless procession of grisly terminations.
Gifted – 4 fingers. Ten-year-old Makenna Grace is absolutely spectacular in this family drama about a young math genius orphaned by her also brilliant mother’s suicide, a broken life tragedy that causes a familial rift on multiple levels.
The Lost City of Z – 3 fingers. Based on British explorer Percy Fawcett’s early 20th century determined explorations to discover proof of an ancient civilization deep in the Bolivian jungle, this historical drama is hampered by a somewhat uneven script that limits emotional ties to its primary characters.
Colossal – 4 fingers. Anne Hathaway and Jason Sudeikis form a terrific team in this fresh, entertaining, high concept film about a pair of small town Maine drunks whose mysterious power to influence giant monsters terrorizing the streets of Seoul, South Korea adds an unexpected dimension to their otherwise lonely lives.
Toni Erdmann – 4 fingers. Although nearly three hours long, the German comedy about a reluctant young woman forced to spend time with her estranged father when he abruptly shows up to interrupt her otherwise private life is so well made its ultra-human tentacles wrap around you and somehow make you grateful you took the time to see it.
Passengers – 2 fingers. This is a really bad science fiction film that comes up woefully short of being worth paying to see, unless you want two hours to seemingly last forever.
Tommy’s Honour – 3 fingers. Golf fans will enjoy this historically based Scottish film about Old and Young Tom Morris, two of the sport’s legendary pioneers, but mainstream filmgoers may find the story a bit slow and uninspiring.
Moana – 4 fingers. Girl power is back in full force in this heartwarming family film about a determined young island girl’s ascension to power in order to save her family and friends.
Why Him – 2 fingers. James Franco plays a crude billionaire tech mogul with no filter who shacks up with a college student ten years his junior in this crass, predictable comedy that’s long on f-bombs but short on laughs.
Seve – 4 fingers. This interesting, well made biopic about late Spanish golf star Severiano Ballesteros reveals the remarkable journey his talent, charisma, and single-minded determination forged to lift him from an impoverished upbringing in rural Spain to a place among golf’s most unforgettable legends.
Beauty and the Beast – 5 finger High Five. Remaking a classic story is a tricky creative challenge, but this wonderful version showcases two extra special performances (Emma Watson and Ewan McGregor) and a wonderfully talented cast.
The Fate of the Furious – 2 fingers. This preposterously ridiculous story proves yet again that you don’t need to make a good movie to make a lot of money as long as the explosions are loud enough, often enough, and visual enough to cover creative sins.
I, Daniel Blake – 5 finger High Five. This terrific British drama by director Ken Loach about 59-year-old widowed carpenter with serious medical problems who is refused benefits by British authorities is superbly made and an outstanding motion picture.
Their Finest – 4 fingers. This clever film about the making of a morale boosting British World War II motion picture is fresh, inventive, and spotlights the always entertaining Bill Nighy as an egotistical actor who refuses to let the ravages of war dampen his proud self-image.
Going in Style – 2 fingers. A big name cast can’t overcome a diluted script written more for the actors than the changed story it struggles to tell, so this senior citizen bank robbery caper comes in a distant second to the 1979 original starring George Burns, Art Carney, and Lee Strasberg.
Life – 2 fingers. Only a decent ending plot twist saves this dreadful space alien knock-off movie from the Dreaded Fist of Badness; and the Martian monster would have done us all a favor had it killed all the astronauts before the opening credits rather than closing.
The Zookeeper’s Wife – 3 fingers. This story, based on a Warsaw zoo that hid 300 Jews during World War II, is so choppily made that even the always-entertaining Daniel Bruhl (as the German bad guy) can’t save it.
A United Kingdom – 4 fingers. Based on the back-story of the birth of Botswana thanks to a determined African king who takes a white British wife, this well made drama benefits from the fine work and inspired pairing of David Oyelowo and Rosamund Pike.
Kedi – 3 fingers. This scenic, gentle documentary showcases lives of a handful of the thousands of cats that roam free through scenic Istanbul and the impact a feline culture has on the historic city.
The Sense of an Ending – 3 fingers. Jim Broadbent is outstanding in this wistful story about an elderly British man forced to look back at a long, dark shadow cast during his formative years and examine its impact on the life he’s lived ever since.
Get Out – 4 fingers. This clever, refreshing dramedy from Jordan Peele’s black perspective spoofs the white establishment with many laugh out loud moments and entertaining twists throughout.
Kong: Skull Island – 3 fingers. He’s back—bigger and badder than ever—and, in an homage to Jurassic Park, gets really ticked off when a bunch of gun-toting military men show up to shoot up his quiet uncharted island.
A Dog’s Purpose – 3 fingers. Lasse Hallstrom’s controversial canine film about a loyal dogs various reincarnations is too formulaic and studio-serving for its own good but dog lovers will be more forgiving than cinephiles.
Logan – 5 finger High Five. It’s hard to ask any more of a story and performer than what Hugh Jackman delivers in his outstanding farewell to his comic book character Wolverine.
Split – 4 fingers. James McAvoy is chillingly good as a schizophrenic with 23 defined personalities in this entertaining thriller about what can happen when one man’s mind terrorizes the lives of many others.
That’s it for now. Hope to see you at the cinema — watching Guardians of the Galaxy 2 is where you’ll find me next — so take care and enjoy a fun night out.
