JoeMama's Movie Reviews

Sentimental Value Starring Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgard, Inga Ibsodder Lilleaas, Elle Fanning Directed by Joachim Trier When we think of our home, we don't think about its history. Who lived there before we did? What was our childhood like living there? Is the house itself an entity all its own, keeping memories and moments like a valued hope chest that you can open to reminisce about the past? What happens inside the home is oftentimes a mystery, known only to those living in it and the house itself, and both the good and the bad shapes not just the people, but the house as well. What also resides in the house serves as sentimental value for people - pictures, objects, things seemingly so mundane have prolific effects on you because it brings you back to those moments in time. "Sentimental Value" is a hauntingly beautiful tale of a broken family, and the struggle to piece the broken parts back together. Nora Borg (Renate Reinsve) is an actress who, along with her si...

Train Dreams Starring Joel Edgerton, Felicity Jones, Kerry Condon, William H. Macy Directed by Clint Bentley Oftentimes we go to movies to escape our reality and witness something fantastical. Other times we go to movies to be moved to tears by heartwarming tales of true adventure and lives well lived. Still there's times where we go to mediate on the mundane, to witness a tale that seems factual but is actually poetic beauty brought to life on the big screen, a story of a man who lived the American dream and who endured the highs and lows of a long life lived well. "Train Dreams" shows that you don't have to live a huge luxurious lifestyle to be happy, but also understand that life isn't always guaranteed happiness. Orphaned as a young boy, Robert Grainier (Joel Edgerton) grew up in the small town of Bonners Ferry, Idaho, and when he got older he got a job working for the Spokane International Railway, building train tracks for the newest invention in the still-g...

Strange Harvest Starring Peter Zizzo, Terri Apple, Andy Lauer, Jessee J. Clarkson Directed by Stuart Ortiz For the last decade or so, the idea of true crime has fascinated the American populous. Television series like "Dateline," "Forensic Files," "The First 48" and so many more draw in viewers in the millions who are intrigued by the latest murder. Podcasts litter the landscape centering on the whos and whys of killers and what motivates them, and there's an odd fascination with the prolific serial killers like Bundy and Dahmer. What is it that draws people to such things? Not really sure, but Hollywood has capitalized on this wave for awhile, and "Strange Harvest" is one such medium - a horror film shot like a "Dateline" expose on a prolific serial killer in California that feels as real as watching an actual show. From 1995 to 2010, the serial killer known as Mr. Shiny brought fear to the citizens of San Bernardino, California. N...

Kiss of the Spider Woman Starring Jennifer Lopez, Diego Luna, Tonatiuh, Tony Dovolani Directed by Bill Condon Ever wonder why movies, books, comics, television shows, video games and the like have been so popular since their iterations over the centuries? Because people need a way to escape from their dreary, depressing existence - not that everyone's lives are terrible, but the world we live in oftentimes highlights the negative aspects rather than the positive. By escaping into a good book, a great movie, or binge watching a television series, you lose yourself in the fantasy of another life and your cares and worries disappear. It's a magical thing when you think about it. "Kiss of the Spider Woman" - a novel turned movie turned stage play turned a Tony-winning stage play turned to movie - shows what happens when two men escape their dreary circumstances and lose themselves in the story filled with Technicolor hopes and dreams. In Argentina during the Dirty War, Va...

East of Wall Starring Tabatha Zimiga, Porchia Zimiga, Scoot McNairy, Jennifer Ehle Directed by Kate Beecroft Back in 2020, a little film called "Nomadland" emerged, and the result was numerous Oscar wins including Best Actress for Frances McDormand, Best Picture, and Best Director for Chloe Zhao. The movie centered on a group of real-life nomads who live in their vans and travel the west, and apart from McDormand and one other, all the other actors in the film were real-life nomads playing fictionalized versions of themselves. Zhao filmed the movie with pinpoint precision, giving the viewers a lavish, unadulterated look at the modern wild west, and the visuals themselves were stunning, as was the performances. "East of Wall" feels like a Chloe Zhao film, but it's by first-time director Kate Beecroft, and features two actual actors - all the others are real-life horse trainers playing fictionalized versions of themselves. While not on-par with "Nomadland,...

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple Starring Ralph Fiennes, Jack O'Connell, Alfie Williams, Erin Kellyman Directed by Nia DaCosta There hasn't really been a franchise as disjointed as the "28" franchise, and that's to its strength. Just like a snowflake, no two movies are the same, and that helps in the unpredictability of it. You never know where each film will take you, and spanning twenty-eight years of a Rage virus can result in different outcomes. How do those infected with the Rage virus act years after being infected? Do they entirely lose their humanity? How do they survive in the wilds, and how many are there? "28 Days Later" and "28 Weeks Later" seem to show multitudes of infected, who run wild through the streets of England biting, infecting, and killing anyone they come across, like a massive killer wave. "28 Years Later" shows a different take: there's very few infected we see, and a whole community has sprung up that bri...

Primate Starring Johnny Sequoyah, Jessica Alexander, Troy Kotsur, Victoria Wyant Directed by Johannes Roberts January is notorious in cinema for having movies that studios want to dump with little fanfare because hardly anyone goes to the movies after a busy holiday season and the chilling cold, but there's times where a movie comes in January that blows everyone away. A movie so good, so innovative, so unique and so fascinating that people can't help but talk about it for months to come. "Primate"...isn't one of them. However, it's more fun that I was expecting, and blew away my low expectations - but that's not saying much. Lucy (Johnny Sequovah) returns to her Hawaiian home to visit her father, successful writer Adam (Troy Kotsur) and younger sister Erin (Gia Hunter), and brings along some friends including her best friend Kate (Victoria Wyant). She also wants to visit the other member of her family - Ben, a chimpanzee, who's been with the family fo...