Erik M.

Sleeping with the Enemy has Julia Roberts as the victimized wife of an abusive and controlling successful man that she escapes by faking her own drowning during a boat trip. She reinvents herself and attempts to keep in touch with her elderly mother and restart her life far from the posh home that she had shared with her possessive and compulsive husband, but her happiness is short-lived and soon she must face her tormentor in this dramatic thriller. Patrick Bergen plays Martin, the mustachioed maniac who doggedly follows her from Cape Cod to Iowa. Can Laura (known as Sara in Iowa) have a happy ending?! Will Martin get his revenge for his wife leaving him? See the climatic ending to find out.

Erik M.

An Unfinished Life star Robert Redford, Jennifer Lopez and Morgan Freeman in a story about a broken family and forgiveness...A Wyoming Rancher has to come to terms with his son's death and the widow and granddaughter he hardly knows; an seriously injured man must face his fear and help rescue the bear that had mauled him; and they must stand together against an abusive brute. A drama that's a bit old-fashioned and Hallmark-ready, An Unfinished Life is nonetheless fairly well-acted and interesting as almost a modern western.

Erik M.

The Relic is a monster-running-amok movie that stars Tom Sizemore and Penelope Ann Miller as a Chicago Homicide detective and a Biologist dealing with a huge, bizarre and bloodthirsty mutant creature that preys on people at a large museum soon after cargo arrives from South America. The beast, referred to as a Kothoga, is as strange a combination of insect, boar, human and gecko (?) as can be conceived by a combo of CGI and practical effects, while the stars provide both background and sometimes unintentional levity while the beast rampages. This is one of those films that is at once cheesy and somehow hard to turn away from, as you want to see more of the thing just to comprehend what you're looking at and piece together the odd backstory.

Erik M.

Always is Steven Spielberg's romantic fantasy drama about a hotshot firefighting pilot named Pete who loves a fellow flier named Dorinda dearly, but she has a bad feeling that his days are numbered just when they want to be together. As fate would have it, Pete dies in the line of duty...and becomes a spirit able to influence others. When he realises that without him, Dorinda's life is without direction or energy, Pete must help her-and himself-move on, by assisting her in becoming a great pilot in her own right and finding a chance at love with Ted, a new pilot. John Goodman has an early role as Al, both Pete and Dorinda's best friend and also a fellow pilot. Not nearly as romantic as Ghost but sharing some commonalities, the simple plot is easy to follow and there's no big surprises here-it's mildly entertaining and perhaps one of the least memorable of Spielberg's films.

Erik M.

Dreamer is a family drama based upon a true tale where a man who was a celebrated racehorse trainer regains his confidence and desire thanks to the boundless love and dedication his daughter has for a badly-injured horse that seems destined to fail. Together with a few friends and the trainer's estranged father, the horse not only recovers but becomes a possible contender for the coveted Breeder's Cup, much to the dismay of one of the wealthy competing sponsors and their villainous lackey, who tries to buy the horse and then cause an incident to re-injure the filly before the race commences. Family movies being family movies, there's not much insofar as surprises here-it's meant to be uplifting and affirming, with Kurt Russell playing the dispirited father who must mend bridges with his dad and a young Dakota Fanning provides the heartbreaking waif who refuses to give up on her beloved "Sonya." Cute, well-meaning and mostly tame.

Erik M.

Peppermint stars Jennifer Gardner as Riley, a young mother whose life is nearly taken from her along with her husband and daughter when criminals gun them all down during a day at an amusement park on the child's birthday. Fueled by rage at a criminal justice system that let the perpetrators go and at all those involved in the murders, Riley reinvents herself into a lethal vigilante who is willing to go to extremes to seek justice and break the cycle of crime around her in Los Angeles. A mix of Death Wish, The Brave One and Law-Abiding Citizen, Gardner's Riley is a one-woman army that handily decimates every bad guy she can while becoming a folk hero to the downtrodden in this fast-paced revenge action thriller. Fun, if familiar and mostly improbable.

Erik M.

1992's thriller, Single White Female, stars Bridget Fonda as Allie, a software developer who takes into her home and life a young woman named Hedy, who happens to want to "become" Allie and destroy her life along the way! Jennifer Jason Leigh plays the troubled woman who soon becomes clingy, unstable and increasingly violent, leading to the need to stop Hedy once and for all. While not as nuanced as, say, Fatal Attraction, Leigh's portrayal of Borderline Personality Disorder is suitably disturbing and will leave an impression.

Erik M.

The 1987 classic thriller Fatal Attraction features Glenn Close as the manipulative and dangerous Alex Forrest, a mentally unstable woman who participates in an steamy affair with family man Dan Gallagher, played by Michael Douglas. Things quickly deteriorate and become violent when Dan tries to end their relationship and return to his wife and daughter, culminating in a deadly showdown! Notable for its portrayal of Borderline Personality Disorder/stalking behaviors, Glenn Close makes for a memorably disturbed character that drives others to their breaking point as they try to deal with her obsession.

Erik M.

Blankman stars Damon Wayans and David Alan Grier as the title character and his reluctant but more physically-capable sidekick/brother in this spoof of superheroes. Inventive, cheerful but naive Daryl just wants to help others when he sees his Illinois hometown besieged by crime, so he dons a homemade costume and new identity as Blankman, then starts to inspire others to join his cause when his clumsy-but-earnest attempts gather attention and success. Robin Givens plays Kimberly, the love interest/fan of Blankman and unrequited object of desire of his brother, Kevin aka Other Guy. Silly and running like an overlong In Living Color skit, Blankman tries a bit too hard to parody the hero genre.

Erik M.

Lars and the Real Girl is a gentle comedy drama about loneliness, isolation and recovery in the modern age. Ryan Gosling plays Lars, a painfully introverted single male office worker who finds acceptance and comfort in his bonding with a full-sized doll he's named Bianca. He introduces the doll to his family and friends who try to support and accept Lars despite the strange devoted relationship he has with the inanimate object of his affections. Soon, even those who doubted Lars begin to care about Bianca, and he learns to interact with others as he explores connection, discovering the possibility of his being able to finally bond with a co-worker, Margo (played by Kelly Garner). Never silly, laugh-out-loud funny, offensive or bawdy, Lars and the Real Girl is subtle and situational, slow and a bit somber. Like in the movie Her, there's a certain plausibility in the premise of someone growing attached to a doll (or, as in that film, an A.I.) as actual social interaction declines and some turn to alternatives; he forms a platonic fantasy around a realistic sex doll until he's ready to move on. Bianca could easily have been an android or a poster-Lars just wants a friend. Not for everyone...but somewhat fascinating as an unusual love story.

Erik M.

Suicide Squad is essentially a spin on classic film The Dirty Dozen with DC villains like Harley Quinn, Killer Croc, and Deadshot being forced to work together to defeat a dangerous supernatural threat for a shadowy government agency or die. Despite such high stakes, the "expendable" villains strain at their leashes and test the patience of their keepers, namely Amanda Waller who's running the show, Colonel Rick Flag who acts as her enforcer and eyes on the ground, and a tormented female super-heroine named Katana, who serves to protect Flag and keep the mission intact. While there are some interesting concepts, the movie overall suffers from delegating the Joker to nearly a supporting role, barely developing any of the characters until a minor third act moment, a climax more appropriate for The Mummy or Ghostbusters than a DC film feature, and generally not utilizing the strengths of that cast of characters better. Margot Robbie pretty handily steals the show as Harley Quinn and, while the others had potential, they never really get a fair chance to reach their potentials onscreen. Want to watch villains grumble, threaten, be threatened and then face a glimpse of their backstories before a battle against a CGI-enhanced Cara Delevingne as the Enchantress?! This is the movie for you! It just should have been better, and more fun.

Erik M.

Capote stars Philip Seymour Hoffman as the famous American Writer as he researches a Kansas family murder for an upcoming book by interviewing the two convicted of the brutal crime over the course of 4 years. As he gets to know them, he is at once fascinated and horrified by one of the men, Perry, and while Capote travels through literary circles and enjoys his growing celebrity, he is also increasingly haunted by the case and the idea that the men he's grown to know were sentenced to death. Philip Seymour Hoffman plays the character as complex, conflicted and driven while the story slowly unfolds. This is not an action film or a very exciting tale but a dramatic look at a writer who at times gets too close to the subject and pays a price for it.

Erik M.

The Brave One stars Jodie Foster as Erica Bain, a radio personality who loves New York City and is set to wed someone she adores when, while they're walking their dog in the evening through Central Park, are senselessly and brutally mugged by cruel thugs, one of whom videotapes the assault that leaves her severely injured, her fiancé murdered, plus her dog and a ring stolen. The story follows Erica as she physically recovers but, with broken faith and full of anger and desire for vengeance against the criminals plaguing her memories and her city, obtains a gun and goes on a vigilante quest for justice. This is not Death Wish with a female hero, though the comparison does have some foundation-she's driven by her traumatic experience to seek out violent criminals and stop their predations on the innocent, despite her budding relationship with an active policeman who's investigating her assault as well as the vigilante activity occurring and the real danger she faces. She is a troubled, driven character and Jodie Foster gives Erica a spirit that is recognizable and sympathetic. If you've seen Jodie Foster in The Accused, one could say that this film's Erica would want to punish and permanently stop the rapists rather than see them jailed. If you like crime dramas with a vengeance angle or just want to see despicable individuals get shot by a rage-filled Jodie Foster, you may actually enjoy The Brave One.

Erik M.

The Secret Life of Bees is a sometimes sad and sweet drama set in South Carolina in the Mid-1960s during the Civil Rights Movement. Dakota Fanning plays Lily Owens, a young blonde teen who, when she was 4 yrs old, accidentally shot and killed her mother while she was struggling with her abusive husband in an attempt to leave him. Later Lily at 14, along with her African-American housekeeper, Rosaleen Daise, leave her home and come across a trio of African-American sisters--June (Alicia Keys), August (Queen Latifah) and May Boatwright (Sophie Okonedo)--who live independently as beekeepers. The women take in Lily and Rosaleen and try to help them, despite their running away from home. Unfortunately trouble soon finds Lily again and the fate of the young girl depends upon her courage and those of her supportive friends. While there is racially-insensitive slang and bias violence, it is used in historical context and not to sensationalize. The film is about a young girl who disregards racial barriers and forms a deep connection with the women who become her new family.

Erik M.

Few movies more effectively make a dog seem more frightening than the huge, disgustingly rabid, vicious and sickly St. Bernard in Cujo! When an adulterous mother and her delicate little boy get trapped in their broken car during a heat wave while being stalked by the sinister beast, she has to find the courage and will to survive to stop the menace. Grueling, claustrophobic and unrelenting, Cujo tries to sink his big teeth into Dee Wallace as the protective mother in Maine that was having an affair with a family friend. Beware of CUJO-this dog has some gross bite.

Erik M.

First Man has Ryan Gosling starring as Engineer Neil Armstrong and details the training and experiences that he, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins have before and after they leave earth and make history as the first astronauts to reach the moon! The film manages to capture quite faithfully the excitement and dangers of their mission while focusing on the Neil Armstrong and his family, who had just lost a toddler daughter when he is given the opportunity of his lifetime. If you enjoyed the documentaries and film footage regarding the moon landing, this movie brings it all together in a riveting way.

Erik M.

Red Sparrow stars Jennifer Lawrence and Joel Edgerton as two people on opposite ends of the Cold War in 2017-one is a former prima ballerina turned Special Agent referred to as a "Sparrow" who uses seduction, wits and survival instincts to become effective after being forced to serve as a spy in the interest of discovering a mole, and the other is a CIA agent who is trying to protect an asset abroad-in this case, a mole inserted in the upper government of Russia. Betrayals and violence threaten both individuals as time runs out and the stakes get increasingly higher. While not as romantic as Despite the Falling Snow (2016), there is sensuality, danger and intrigue to be found. Unfortunately, Joel and Jennifers aren't given much opportunity to become romantic and perhaps the chemistry wasn't meant to be or couldn't be found...despite that, you'll be intrigued to watch for whether the Red Sparrow flies free or remains in the cage she's in.

Erik M.

Stan and Ollie is a biographical comedy-drama about the famous entertainment duo Laurel and Hardy during their later years when, then in their 60s, demand for their movies in America had waned, TV shows were on the rise, while tensions between them and illness strained their relationship. Laurel and Hardy take their act live to Europe, where they enjoy some success, but at a high cost. John C. Reilly and Steve Coogan bring their humor and their struggles to life in the main roles near flawlessly and the film is a touching tribute to the men, their wives and their dedication to entertaining others.

Erik M.

Paul is a silly, humor-packed film about a pair of British friends on vacation who come to the U.S.A. to take in a comic-con and enjoy following the "UFO trail" in the Midwest when they run into Paul, a sometimes rude, crude but overall harmless and friendly extraterrestrial who has been grilled for decades by mysterious government types eager to exploit his knowledge and abilities. The film is an extended chase romp with lots of nerdy pop culture references, stoner jokes, some foul language, and plenty of poking fun at anything to do with aliens. Seth Rogan provides the voice of Paul, while Simon Pegg and Nick Frost play his new friends who try to keep Paul from falling back into the clutches of "the big guy" (Sigourney Weaver of the Alien franchise) and her minions. Puerile fun, though I'd suggest Parental Guidance for drug use and references, strong language/profanity and adult humor, and some mostly mild violence.

Erik M.

Contagion is a 2011 killer virus thriller like Outbreak and others that present the world on the brink of utter disaster once a hereto unknown illness sweeps across unprepared populations, causing a breakdown of society and millions dead while the cure is sought. Lawrence Fishburne and Marion Cotillard play dedicated doctors racing for the cure, Matt Damon as a father who suffers tragedy during the crisis, Jude Law as a conspiracy blogger who challenges the efforts to contain the spread of the bug and the timing of the crisis, Gwyneth Paltrow as one of the very first victims of the highly-infectious disease, and Kate Winslet as another doctor who goes out on the field to track, document and give ongoing assessment of epidemics. Effective and fairly plausible story with some disturbing portrayals of government mishandling, greed, widespread death and chaos.

Erik M.