JoeMama's Movie Reviews

Portrait of a Lady on Fire Starring Noemie Merlant, Adele Haenel, Luana Bairami, Valeria Golino Directed by Celine Sciamma I've never been able to draw or paint anything remotely beautiful, and I've always admired artists who are able to create something out of nothing, and to do more than just that - but capture the sheer essence as well.  Some paintings tend to speak to the observer in deep, personal ways, while others appear bland and almost inconsequential, and it all comes down to the vision of the artist: if it's something out of an abundance of their desire, the painting takes on a life of its own.  Conversely, if an artist is hired by someone to paint something wholly unoriginal and not within the painter's own view, it'll still be pretty to look at, but lacking the depth of soul that an artist intrinsically releases from themselves into the canvas. "Portrait of a Lady on Fire" is much more than just about a painting, and much more tha...

I Still Believe Starring KJ Apa, Britt Robertson, Gary Sinise, Shania Twain Directed by Andrew & Jon Erwin The music biopic subgenre has had its fair share of highs ("Straight Outta Compton," "Rocketman") and lows ("All Eyez On Me"), and has exploded on the scene in recent years.  It was only a matter of time before the Christian community got into the game with their own music biopic, a film based off Christian music's biggest mainstream hit, "I Can Only Imagine."  Christian films - to say the least - aren't very good, and don't really appeal to anyone outside the coveted Bible-loving crowd, but to my surprise I was actually quite moved by "I Can Only Imagine" due to its strong performances and emotional depth that didn't make you feel like you were being manipulated into feeling something, but the feelings were genuine due to the characters on screen. So when the Erwin brothers (who directed "Imag...

Worst2First:  My Top Ten Most Disturbing Films Not every film has a happily ever after.  Not every film features superheroes who overcome an unstoppable enemy to win the day and save the world.  Not every film will leave you with warm fuzzies and happiness.  Some films are downright disturbing, unforgettable in all the worst ways, and yet like a car wreck, we can't seem to look away. Here are my personal top ten most disturbing films, worst2first... **THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS** #10 The Mist  This list wouldn't be complete without at least one film based off the works of the famed Stephen King.  "The Mist" centers around a group of small town citizens who find themselves trapped in a department store as alien bugs attack them from the outside - but learn that the dangers aren't all on the other side of the door.  Starring Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden (in one of her most delectably devious roles), Laurie Holden, Andre Braug...

Worst2First:  My Top Ten LGBTQ Films June is Pride Month, a time to celebrate the LGBTQ community and all the positives that they've given to the world.  Hollywood for decades has managed to shed a light on this often-forgotten group of people, offering numerous films about love, overcoming adversity, and real-life heroes in the LGBTQ community.  Here are my top ten personal favorite LGBTQ films, worst2first... **THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS** #10 Love, Simon While it's more socially acceptable to come out as gay, it can still  be something extremely difficult for some kids to do, especially when they're still in high school trying to maintain an image.  Nick Robinson stars as Simon, a closeted gay teen who secretly longs to be in a relationship, but is afraid to come out to his friends and family for what he thinks would happen negatively.  He begins to talk to someone named Blue in his school that's also secretly gay through e-mail...

Sister Act Starring Whoopi Goldberg, Maggie Smith, Harvey Heitel, Kathy Najimy Directed by Emile Ardolino "Sister Act" will always have a special place in my heart.  I remember seeing it in theaters in 1992, and after that I didn't see another movie in theaters until 1998's "Godzilla" because I spent most of my high school years without any friends and no one to hang out with, and I would never go to a theater by myself (now I mostly prefer it, unless there's something out there that my friends want to see, and always enjoy their company).  So for six years I never set foot in the theater, and my last memory there was seeing this movie.  Watching it again, I realized how much I actually remembered about it, even though it's been at least fifteen years since I saw it last - and not just the lines and songs, but even facial expressions some of the characters had or the editing where I remembered they'd cut from the choir to other moments...

Worst2First:  My Top Ten African American Films  of the 21st Century So Far Standing tall on the shoulders of greats such as "The Color Purple," "Malcolm X," "Do the Right Thing," "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner," "Glory," and many more, the African American community has showcased its resilience, tenacity, fortitude, and hunger to tell their stories on the big screen in profound ways.  Whether they're telling a true-life story of people who would've gone unknown, or inspiring young girls that they too can be princesses, or that anyone can be a superhero, the 21st Century has seen some amazing African American-centric films that demand to be seen. Here are my personal top ten African American films of the 21st Century so far... **THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS** #10  The Princess and the Frog  For decades Disney has given young girls the hopes and dreams that they can be princesses like Cinder...

Kids Starring Leo Fitzpatrick, Justin Pierce, Chloe Sevigny, Rosario Dawson Directed by Larry Clark "Kids" was released in 1995, when I was fifteen years old, so the storyline was practically tailor-made for me - however, since it was rated NC-17, I couldn't see it, although honestly I never heard of it until I was well into my twenties.  Watching it now, it's shattering and unnerving, an unflinching documentary-style film showcasing the depravity of a group of teenagers who see life as nothing more than getting high, finding your next lay, stealing, beating people up, and basically living a life of uncaring narcissism.  While it was released fifteen years ago, many of those same concepts hold true in the lives of teenagers today, with a darker, more pronounced feel. Telly (Leo Fitzpatrick) is a teen who only has one real desire: to deflower as many virgins as he can, because in his mind it'll make him immortal because he feels that the girls will nev...