Review by John Delia
Very enlightening and interesting, the movie Mr. Jones brings you back to sometime before the Germans invaded Russia taking them into WWII. The film gets deeply into Russian problems of feeding their country since the Communist run Parliament took over. It also involves Stalin’s draining the Ukraine of all their grain in order to feed the Russian people. It’s about the worst of time and the even darker times of being a vulnerable nation on the brink of war. Read more…
Review by John Delia
With a huge cast of fine actors, nice cinematography, amazing period costumes, perfect locations and dynamic direction the drama Sunset enters this weekend’s theatrical releases. Although a bit long and drawn out, the movie, laced with history that complements the storyline, becomes a showy drama that plays out seamlessly for lovers of mystery period pieces. Read more…
Review by John Delia
On a rare occasion a movie documentary will come along that compels, intrigues, inspires and entertains, and Ask Dr. Ruth fits the bill. A well thought out, directed and informative biography of one of the most iconic women who ever lived, the film can be expressed in one word, magnetic. And, it keeps on giving way beyond the comical overtones, deep Holocaust memories, to her devotion to helping people appreciate the captivation of sex. Read more…
Review by John Delia
An alluring period piece, the biography/drama The Chaperone makes for good viewing for its target audience females 35 plus. It’s just a snippet on the seductive actress Louise Brooks with the real story going to her companion Norma Carlisle. The film has some of the best cinematography I’ve seen in a drama in recent past and combined with perfect retro costume, sets, locations and make-up the film’s a winner. Read more…
Review by John Delia
It’s Julianne Moore at her best showing the great performer she is in a romantic comedy with heartbreak. As Gloria Bell she makes the lead role compelling and full of life giving her all and even more. It’s perfect for a date night so grab your best guy or gal and check it out. And it has an explosion of a sound track that includes “Gloria†by Laura Branigan and “Total Eclipse of the Heart†by Bonnie Tyler. Read more…
Review by John Delia, Sr.
Putting the pieces together is not the only reward in the movie Puzzle as the film takes you into the inner sanctum of a woman who finds that there is more to life than living on everyone else’s level. Its a story of fiction, but with an interesting resolve that most woman dare not take. Nicely acted and directed, the film is a treasure and an eye opener for women 30 plus, but, if you are a woman who believes in Agnes’s choice, it may open a door leading to a road of no return. It is nice finding this gem in the middle of an action filled movie summer breathes fresh drama air back into the cinema. Read more…
Review by John Delia
Continuing with their franchise, the producers of The Purge bring you the beginning of the free to kill program with The First Purge. There’s no reason given for needing to show how it all started, because if you have seen any of the other three, the idea is mentioned offhandedly in each one. In this episode the mayhem, savagery and killing continue at a fast pace until the siren gets blown after 12 hours. Read more…
Review by John Delia
The madcap adventure The Nice Guys opens this weekend and it’s a doozy. The cast makes the film work with Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling in the leads and a feisty 13-year-old Angourie Rice backing them up. It’s a lot of fun with this throwback to 1979 that has the feel of a Chinatown, but with a lot of comedy. Actually more like Lethal Weapon, because the writer and director Shane Black scripted that series featuring two buddy cops getting into the same kind of awkward and dangerous situations. Read more…
Review by John Delia
One of the better foreign films I’ve seen this year Marshland (La isla minima) paints a very morbid picture of a serial killing. Well-acted the film grips you from the very beginning never letting you go till the credits roll. Although it may give you a feeling of déjà vu from the myriad of both screen and TV films that feature the same subject, this film puts a different twist on the sordid crime. If you are not tired of the worn out theme and would like to see what Spain has to offer, check out Marshland opening in theaters this weekend. The film took 10 statuettes at the Goya Awards (Spain’s Oscars). Read more…
Review by John Delia
Looking for a very cool romantic comedy for a night out, then look no further. Gemma Bovery opens today in select theaters and has a very good plot that will keep you intrigued, romantically tangled and completely entertained. At first I thought Madame Bovary the novel by Gustave Flaubert, a steamy sexually charged book that titillates and sets minds in forbidden dreams. Actually as the film opens there’s a direct relationship to the winsome story, but only in the mind of a man who in the twilight of his life has romantic thoughts and an imagination as impetuous as Flaubert. Read more…
