Space Sweepers

Set in a future where people live in orbit, earth has been deemed irreparable, and colonizing Mars is the next mission. Orbit is messy, so junk collectors (the space sweepers) compete with each other to collect salvaged debris, trying to make money and keep orbits clear of junk. The crew of The Victory are the top dogs in this competitive world and they happen to salvage a weapon that could alter the power balance in the solar system. It so happens the weapon is a young girl. The plot details are revealed throughout the film just when they are needed (too early and you feel things are contrived, too late and you feel manipulated) to make this a proper space opera. Well done.

3 stars (out of 5)

Hustlers

A group of NY strip club dancers led by Jennifer Lopez form a co-op of sorts when the easy money falls out of the market in the 2000's. Their new take is to find a mark, drug them, max out all the credit cards they have on them. They figure no complaints will be filed since the marks will be too embarrassed to admit to being part of the event in the first place. What is clear is that the dancing lifestyle really is a hustle. There is not a lot more happiness or safety or anything positive really than we saw in The Deuce, which portrayed NYC in the 1970's. 

3 stars (out of 5)

Sentinelle

French film following the return home of a special operations soldier who is clearly suffering from PTSD. She is stationed as part of the Sentinel program which deploys soldiers on French soil to preemptively observe and prevent potential terror events. This station is, in her mind, a "beat cop" sort of job and way beneath her training. In this mental state she finds her sister has been raped and beat up by a foreign diplomat who is untouchable by the law. So... vigilante justice. What is a bit interesting to me is the difference between a French and US vigilante justice movie. The French version is much slower, letting the characters emotive state really show through slow and basically silent scenes. The slow pan is a common tool of the director. The action is present, but not dominant. Aside from the exercise of comparison though, this film did not wow.

2 stars (out of 5)

Outside the Wire

A near future sci-fi set in the European conflict in Ukraine where Russians, Ukrainians, warlords and resistance militia all engage in a battle for control. US troops are ostensibly "peacekeepers" in the region an have developed a large DMZ (inside the wire). In reality, the US military is using the conflict to develop and test military technology, including autonomous soldiers. The crux of the conflict is centered around access to former Soviet Union nuclear missiles, of which all parties are looking. And on the US side, a rogue drone pilot and an autonomous soldier are in the middle of the mix. I think this is supposed to be an ethical dilemma, and is supposed to be revealing a hard truth about war. But the supposed hard truth is that mechanized war only increases war and the amount of death. This seems to me to be self evident. So while the sci-fi imagery is pretty interesting and the imagination of what war might look like only 10 years in the future seems on point, the message of the movie falls flat.  

3 stars (out of 5)

Love Sarah

When Sarah is unable to start her bakery in London, her daughter, mother and best friend all join together to start it in her stead. And while the film is largely predictable and formulaic, I like the formula. Granddaughter and grandmother develop a new relationship, the shop pivots from British baking to somehow being a world market and neighborhood bakery at the same time. Everyone discovers something new about themselves, about those they care about and about the world. And it is all too easy by half. But that is also what makes it charming. 

4 stars (out of 5)

Biggie

The story of the rise of Notorious BIG, mostly through the piecing together of selfie video by BIG himself and his crew. We also get interviews and a little bit of voice over. Interesting in that this was not my world in the 90's and while I have listened to the music and heard the names, I didn't know the East Coast v West Coast rivalry or the backstory of some of these artists. Probably more interesting if you are a hiphop fan.

2 stars (out of 5)

Twilight's Kiss

This Chinese film set in Hong Kong tells the story of two retired men who find love. Both men have families and have led full lives, but in these later years are seeking relationship and meaning. Their meeting is subtle and their discovery of each other and of themselves is both tender and exciting. The weaving together of age, masculinity, family, and identity within the Chinese cultural norms warp together to make the developing relationship both complex and compelling. 

5 stars (out of 5)

Nomadland

Frances McDormand plays a 60 something woman who is has chosen to live out of her van and travel around the country. The story follows her as an exemplary figure of a group of "nomads" who have opted out of the traditional, capitalist lifestyle in search of something more real, more meaningful. She has certain waypoints to mark her journey (seasonal work at an Amazon distribution facility, annual gatherings of the "vandwellers", etc.) but effectively has no ties to society as we know it. And this comes with no safety net and no security, which are largely considered overrated by the nomads anyway. Well acted, and well cast (most of the cast are non-actor nomads who invited the filmmakers into their world). While it is definitely a pleasant view of life as a nomad, it is also dramatic and touching and makes you think about your own connection to the "capital" that is deemed so important in our lives. 

4 stars (out of 5)