A Complete Unknown

Rated R

2 hours 21 minutes

Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Edward Norton, Elle Fanning, Monica Barbaro

To be honest, I haven’t seen many movies lately that I’ve really liked. Thankfully, I decided to give this one a chance – and it blew me away! It covers Bob Dylan’s rise from a young musician starting out in New York to becoming a star, along with many of his trials along the way. Some of these challenges were definitely in his relationships, which suffered with how much he was focused on his music and songwriting. Timothée Chalamet is incredible as Dylan and I loved that he actually sings all of the songs himself rather than lip syncing, which makes it even better. Besides Chalamet, Edward Norton was amazing as Pete Seeger, who helped guide him through his journey to fame. The way I connected to this film reminded me of how I felt the first time I saw Bohemian Rhapsody, which was another great movie! I think one of the main things I enjoyed was how Dylan didn’t seem to want to “sell out” and eventually was able to do his own thing, whether it was what he was being told to or not. It was like he was seeing and feeling things in his songs and lyrics before anyone else could and was able to bring this to the masses. Before watching this, I wasn’t even a big fan of Bob Dylan, but I feel like I will be now!

Library Link: A Complete Unknown (DVD)

Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1

Rated R

3 hours

Starring: Kevin Costner, Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington

This movie didn’t do very well at the box office. I wouldn’t say that it’s bad, but it did seem a little hard to follow. And it’s long. Very long at three hours. The story is set during Civil War times and covers a 15-year span trying to show different sides of what people dealt with during the settlement of the west in America.  As far as the movie goes, it just felt like I was dropped right in the middle of scenes and had to figure things out for myself without much to go on. There were people protecting their land, people getting revenge, people traveling through, people on the run, people trying to survive, and people just trying to live their lives and find some meaning along the way. I felt like there were just too many stories and subplots to keep track of and remember who was doing what and why. Also, did I mention it was LONG??? I didn’t hate it and feel like there was a lot there; but, in some ways, felt like they should have gone into the character’s stories more and explained things better with maybe a few less storylines. This is just the first of four parts planned, with Chapter 2 set to release later this year. I’m thinking I might like it better as more parts are released and maybe fill in more of the story. Kevin Costner has been working for years on this and putting his own money into the production. I’ve heard him say that it might not have been appreciated right now, but that he hopes it will have staying power in years to come. I normally like his movies, so I’m hoping he’s right.

Library Link: Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1 (DVD)

Gran Turismo

 Rated PG-13

 2 hours 14 minutes

Starring: David Harbour, Orlando Bloom, Archie Madekwe

Imagine being one of the best video game players in the world and getting a chance to experience the "game" in real life! That's the concept for this incredible true story based on the life of Jann Mardenborough. Jann is a world-class gamer when it comes to playing the PlayStation game Gran Turismo. After winning an online tournament using racing sims (racing simulators with screens, pedals, and steering wheels that feel just like a real car), he gets a shot to actually race on the track against the best drivers in the world. Today, drivers use racing sims to train and “race” against their heroes, but 10 years ago, they were almost considered a joke. Even his own family has trouble supporting him after watching him spend most of his life playing these games. When Jann finally has the chance to prove himself in a real car, he must work through having a crew of underdogs, not getting any respect from his competitors, and having to overcome tragedy that has left him doubting his place in this new world. It’s a feel-good movie that will have you believing that anything is possible if you have the drive to make your dreams come true!  

Library Link: Gran Turismo (DVD)

 

Elvis (2022)

Rated PG-13
2 hours 39 minutes

Starring: Austin Butler, Tom Hanks

Elvis has left the building! What a film!  I’ve read so many great things about the actor, Austin Butler, who plays Elvis, that I finally sat down and watched the movie. He was fantastic!!  He “was” Elvis for all intents and purposes. He absolutely stole this film from Tom Hanks.

 I did some research on Austin and this is what I found.  He spent about 3 years doing nothing but preparing for this role. He didn’t just want to do an impersonation of Elvis, he wanted to embody who he was from the inside out.  I also found out that Austin did his own singing.  He sang all of the earlier years in the film, then for the older years they mixed in Elvis’ voice with his.  He also plays guitar. 

On to the review:

Tom Hanks plays Colonel Tom Parker, who was Elvis’ manager. The movie starts off with Col. Parker telling his side of the story of how he made Elvis a big star and without him – he would’ve been a nobody.  Much has been written on him and the way he used Elvis for his meal ticket all those years, so you get the feeling he’s the villain of the story.

The film itself has a different feel to it.  It goes through Elvis’ life from the beginning of what inspired him to want to sing to how it all slipped away from him at the age of 42.  The movie was done in snippets of time periods.  It showcased other musicians at that time who influenced Elvis’ life and the twists and turns that Col. Parker put him through to keep using him.

The best part about this whole film is Austin Butler though.  When I watched him perform as Elvis – I saw Elvis.  I never saw Elvis in person, but I felt like I was in the audience clapping my hands with stars in my eyes!!  I wish the film showcased more of the singing and the way Elvis brought people to tears because Austin knew every move that Elvis did and every look.  It was Elvis who took that stage and Austin who brought him back to life for one more show.  Well done!

Library Link: Elvis (DVD)

 

Ticket to Paradise

Rated PG-13  

1 hour 44 minutes

Starring: George Clooney, Julia Roberts, & Kaitlyn Dever

Good movies seem hard to find anymore. I wanted something that was fun and an escape from reality and this romantic-comedy made me laugh so much!  lt also surprised me with how good of a story it was too.

George Clooney and Julia Roberts play ex-spouses that can’t stand to be in the same room as each other.  Their daughter, Lily, (played by Last Man Standing daughter, Kaitlyn Deaver) has just graduated from law school.  She and her best friend go to Bali to rest and relax.  While she’s there, she falls madly in love with a young man who’s a seaweed farmer and they plan on getting married.  The parents, who came for the wedding, decide to team up and prevent their daughter from throwing away her future career on some guy she just met. They soon find out that it may be harder than they think.

I enjoyed George Clooney and Julia Roberts so much in their roles. They were so funny!  It’s the first time I felt like they just let their hair down in a movie and had silly fun!  The heart of this film is family and even though it’s not the paradise they wanted for their daughter, they found out love in paradise comes in many wonderful ways.

Library Link: Ticket to Paradise (DVD)

 

Beast

Rated R
93 minutes
Starring: Idris Elba

You might not recognize the actors name, Idris Elba, and wonder what you know him from.  He’s been in movies and TV shows such as, Luther, The Mountain Between Us and Fast and Furious: Hobbs and Shaw, just to name a few

Idris Elba plays Dr. Nate Daniels, who takes his two daughters to South Africa to a game reserve.  He has a friend that lives there and he wants to show his daughters the beauty of the country.  On their trip they find out that something has killed a village of people. They soon find out that it’s a lion and its next victims are the doctor and his daughters!

A lot of chills and thrills and some jump scares.  I didn’t think the lion was very scary, but enough that you can still enjoy the movie. If you’re looking for more of an intense movie about lions that attack, The Ghost and the Darkness is one you should watch.

The Ghost and the Darkness came out in 1996 starring Michael Douglas and Val Kilmer.  It’s based on actual events that happened in 1898 in Kenya when two man eating lions stalked the British railroad camp for about a year, killing many of the workers.  Val Kilmer and Michael Douglas’ characters are the lion hunters who were asked for their help in killing of the lions. Very good thriller!  Either way you go, these are both good movies to pass time with.

Library Link: Beast (DVD)