RHODY LIFE

At the Warwick Showcase

Posted 8/4/21

At the Warwick Showcase STILLWATER **** (Mystery/drama/character study) At last, a movie that will make you get up from the couch and return to the big screen. "Stillwater" is an exciting drama about an Oklahoma redneck with a history of alcoholism and

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in
RHODY LIFE

At the Warwick Showcase

Posted

STILLWATER

****

(Mystery/drama/character study)

At last, a movie that will make you get up from the couch and return to the big screen.

“Stillwater” is an exciting drama about an Oklahoma redneck with a history of alcoholism and bad behavior who travels to Marseille to prove the innocence of his daughter (Abagail Breslin), who is in a French jail after being convicted of murdering her girlfriend.

Matt Damon has lost his Boston accent, gained a few pounds, and convinced his audience that he is indeed a complex, rough character with a soft side who wants to change and do what is right.

He meets a single mother (the fabulous French actress Camille Cottin) and her delightful 9-year-old daughter, Maya (Lilou Siavaud), who befriend him and help him on his quest.

Talk about culture clash. Bill is the epitome of the ugly American, a bull in a French china shop who never takes off his dungarees and plaid shirts, murders the language, and stands out like an American tourist.

In spite of the language barrier, Bill and Maya connect. It is obvious that he is making up for the neglect of his own daughter while she was growing up, but there also is a strong chemistry between the two.

Bill stays with Maya and her mom in a platonic relationship (at first), while mom helps him with translations as he seeks the truth, fighting the French system of justice, hitting roadblocks along the way.

On the surface, this is a movie about a man trying to prove his daughter’s innocence, but it is so much more. You will deeply care for the characters with all their flaws and misdirected well-meaning actions.

There are some interesting twists and turns as the movie reaches its conclusion and a surprising but very realistic ending.

It is rated R for some violence and profanity, but don’t let that stop you.

“Stillwater” has compassion and caring that will bring tears to your eyes, and characters who are so real and lovable.

See it!

JUNGLE CRUISE

**½ (adults)

***½ (children)

Take a bit of “African Queen,” add some “Indiana Jones,” top it off with a lot of Disney magic, and you get “Jungle Cruise,” a never-ending adventure through the Amazon to find an ancient relic while being chased by a bunch of Nazis.

Dwayne Johnson is no Humphrey Bogart or Harrison Ford, but he does make a strong captain of his fragile boat as he takes Emily Blount on an exciting and dangerous cruise down the rapids while being chased, shot at and attacked by wild animals.

The writers make Johnson’s Frank a punster and his lines are terrible. Blunt’s Lily is a spitfire, a woman who dares to wear pants in a man’s world.

The writers threw in a pansy of a brother for Lily, who gets on Frank’s nerves, and will certainly get on yours.

Frank is a bit of a con artist, starting out by fighting a “vicious” tiger, who turns out to be the star of the movie.

It’s lots of fun for the younger set, but will soon turn tedious for adults who have seen it before and can’t wait for the 2½-hour marathon to end.

The scenes of the Amazon, aided by patented Disney effects, make the movie pleasant to watch.

It is just a bit too much.

THE GREEN KNIGHT

**½ (Don)

*** (Joyce)

Dev Patel stars as Sir Gawain, King Arthur’s nephew, who accepts a challenge from the Green Knight, beginning a long-very long-quest to confront him a year later at his forest chapel.

“The Green Night” arrives at a Christmas celebration, challenging a brave knight to cut off his head and return a year later to be reciprocated.

Doesn’t make much sense to me. Either does the rest of the movie, but Joyce bought into the rest of the grueling slow-paced movie.

Gaiwain faces robbers, ghostly creatures, a talking fox, a seductress, weird naked giants, and other perils along his journey to the chapel.

The scenery is mystifying, but must of the scenes are shot in the dark and mist.

The movie is certainly different from anything we have seen before. That intrigued Joyce and bored me.

movies, cinema, film

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here