JoeMama's Movie Reviews

Hotel Mumbai Starring Dev Patel, Armie Hammer, Nazanin Boniadi, Anupam Kher Directed by Anthony Maras The Story: At the majestic Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai, high-end guests are treated like gods, and no expense is spared to make their stay perfect.  Waiter Arjun (Dev Patel) reports for work late, and is reprimanded by head chef Hemant Oberoi (Anupam Kher) for not wearing proper shoes, and is given shoes too small for him to wear.  Meanwhile, Muslim Iranian-British heiress Zahra (Nazanin Boniadi), her American husband David (Armie Hammer), their nanny Sally (Tilda Cobham-Hervey) and their infant son Cameron arrive at the hotel, along with ex-Spetznaz operative Vasili (Jason Isaacs), and about a thousand other people. Outside the hotel, terrorists have waged war in Mumbai, attacking eleven different locations, and the Taj is next on their list.  As the guests eat and reside unsuspectingly, four young terrorists enter the hotel and start shooting and kil...

The Friday Five:  Saoirse Ronan Young Irish actress Saoirse Ronan is one of this generation's most talented actresses, someone who I could see being compared to Meryl Streep in decades to come.  At such a young age she's already received several Academy Award nominations and has appeared in some stellar films, and here are my personal five favorite Saoirse Ronan films. **THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS** #5  How I Live Now Saoirse Ronan plays an introverted, strong-willed American who's sent to stay with her aunt in the English countrside during a volatile war.  While there she finds love and encounters hardship as the war comes close to home, separating the family as she embarks on a journey to bring everyone back together again and find her lost love.  Ronan is in her element here, playing a strong-willed, determined character to perfection. #4  Hanna Although she's more known for her dramatic performances, Saoirse...

The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot Starring Sam Elliott, Aidan Turner, Larry Miller, Caitlin FitzGerald Directed by Robert D. Krzykowski The Story: As a young man in World War II, Calvin Barr (Aidan Turner) was tasked with doing the impossible  - killing Hitler.  He managed to accomplish his goal, but what he did haunted him ever since.  Now, decades later, Calvin (Sam Elliott) is living alone and doesn't talk to anyone except his brother Ed (Larry Miller), as he reminisces about his lost love Maxine (Caitlin FitzGerald). One night he's visited by American and Canadian officials who need Calvin's help.  The elusive Bigfoot has been contained, but he carries a deadly virus with him that could spread and kill the general populous if it's not killed.  Calvin's blood has an immunity to the virus, so they ask him to go in and kill the Bigfoot before it escapes.  Reluctant at first, Calvin does what he's always done and enters the woo...

Dumbo Starring Colin Farrell, Danny DeVito, Michael Keaton, Eva Green Directed by Tim Burton The Story: In a struggling traveling circus in 1919, former horse rider Holt Farrier (Colin Farrell) returns home after the war without an arm, and finds that his horses were sold by the circus owner Max Medici (Danny DeVito) to try to keep the circus afloat.  His two children, Milly (Nico Parker) and Joe (Finley Hobbins) also lost their mother during the time Holt was away, and now he's resorted to taking care of the elephants.  One of the elephants - Mrs. Jumbo - gives birth to a baby elephant that has abnormally large ears, and Medici refuses to let the young elephant be seen. Milly and Joe take a shine to baby Jumbo, and they discover that, once it sucks in a feather, it can fly.  Medici chooses to allow the public to see the elephant - now named Dumbo after being ridiculed by some of the patrons - and he soars above the crowd, but soon his mother is taken away...

The Friday Five:  Hugh Jackman Hugh Jackman is far more than one memorable character, and he's excelled at many different types of movies.  With his animated feature "Missing Link" coming out this week, here are my personal top five Hugh Jackman films. **THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS** #5 Prisoners Hugh Jackman as worked with amazing directors, and his work with Denis Villleneuve is no exception.  "Prisoners" is more than the sum of its parts, and provides an intense, heavily dramatic ride through the depths of despair and what a parent would do to save their child.  Jackman plays a father whose daughter goes missing, and must take the law into his own hands in hopes of finding her alive, and he truly gives an impassioned, top-notch performance. #4  The Prestige Along with Denis Villeneuve, Christopher Nolan is one of today's most thought-provoking directors who offer unique twists and turns when you least suspect t...

The Silence Starring Kiernan Shipka, Stanley Tucci, Miranda Otto, Kate Trotter Directed by John Leonetti The Story: After suffering an accident that left her deaf at thirteen, Ally (Kiernan Shipka) is now fluent in sign language as is her family, and she's adjusted well to being deaf.  Her father Hugh (Stanley Tucci), mother Kelly (Miranda Otto), grandmother Lynn (Kate Trotter), and younger brother Jude (Kyle Harrison Breitkopf) have all adjusted with Ally, and all have learned sign language for her. Unbeknownst to them, explorers have broken through a hidden cave a thousand miles under the Appalachian mountains, unleashing a horde of blind flying creatures that have been locked there for millions of years, and now they've come to the surface and begin attacking people who make noise.  As the violence intensifies, the family decides to head out of the city in hopes of finding a safe-haven, a place free from noise where they can survive. The Synopsis: Netflix...

Pet Sematary Starring Jason Clarke, Amy Seimetz, John Lithgow, Jete Laurence Directed by Kevin Kolsch & Dennis Widmyer The Story: Moving from the big city of Boston to a small town in Maine, Dr. Louis Creed (Jason Clarke), his wife Rachel (Amy Seimetz), young daughter Ellie (Jete Laurence), and young son Gage (Hugo & Lucas Lavoie) plan to enjoy a quiet lifestyle away from the hustle and bustle of the big city.  Apart from having a house so close to a busy road, Rachel and Ellie then discover a pet cemetery in their backyard after seeing a procession of kids wearing masks burying one of their pets. Ellie is drawn to the cemetery and returns, where she meets elderly neighbor Jud (John Lithgow), who becomes good friends with the family.  When Ellie's cat Church is killed on the road, Jud takes Louis to the pet cemetery to bury him, but after realizing Ellie truly loved the cat, Jud takes Louis past the cemetery to a hidden part of the woods where Louis bur...