Artsies:
— The Audition — German school drama — VOD rental, virtual cinemas (SLFS@Home) — TBD
Alex, a wide-eyed student, gets entwined in the complicated world of student acting under the tutelage of an elusive producer, Elliot, while trying to balance his academic and romantic life.
Writer: Edward Whelan
Stars: Romilly Carboni, Rose Galbraith, Jack Firoozan
— The Wild — documentary about salmon run — VOD rental, virtual cinemas (SLFS@Home) — 3 stars
— Ella Fitzgerald: Just One of Those Things — documentary about singer — VOD rental, virtual cinemas (SLFS@Home) — 3 stars
Canvassing six decades of Ella Fitzgerald’s astonishing trajectory from a teenager living on the streets of Harlem to her life changing appearance at the Apollo Theatre, JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS illustrates her sublime transformation, reconstructing the stale stock narrative into a well-rounded examination of her mixed fortunes.
Director: Leslie Woodhead
Stars: Sophie Okonedo, Sharon D. Clark, Ella Fitzgerald
— The Last Tree — British coming-of-age drama — VOD rental, virtual cinemas (SLFS@Home) — 3 1/2 stars
Femi is a British boy of Nigerian heritage who, after a happy childhood in rural Lincolnshire, moves to inner London to live with his mum. Struggling with the unfamiliar culture and values of his new environment, teenage Femi has to figure out which path to adulthood he wants to take.
Director: Shola Amoo
Writer: Shola Amoo
Stars: Nicholas Pinnock, Denise Black, Tuwaine Barrett
Fartsies:
— My Spy — Dave Bautista kid’s action movie — VOD rental, most platforms — 1 1/2 stars
MY SPY follows JJ a hardened CIA operative (Dave Bautista) who has been demoted and finds himself at the mercy of a precocious 9-year-old girl, named Sophie (Chloe Coleman) where he has been sent undercover begrudgingly to surveil her family. When Sophie discovers hidden cameras in her apartment she uses her tech savviness to locate where the surveillance operation is set. In exchange for not blowing JJ’s cover Sophie convinces him to spend time with her and teach her to be a spy. Despite his reluctance JJ finds he is no match for Sophie’s disarming charm and wit.
Director: Peter Segal
Writers: Erich Hoeber, Jon Hoeber
Stars: Dave Bautista, Chloe Coleman, Parisa Fitz-Henley
— Irresistible — Jon Stewart political satire — VOD rental, most platforms — 2 stars
Written and directed by Jon Stewart, Irresistible is a comedy about what happens when a small Wisconsin town becomes the main attraction of our political circus. After the Democrat’s top strategist Gary (Steve Carell) sees a video of a retired Marine Colonel (Chris Cooper) standing up for the rights of his town’s undocumented workers, Gary believes he has found the key to winning back the Heartland. However, when the Republicans counter him by sending in his brilliant nemesis Faith (Rose Byrne), what started out as a local race quickly becomes an out-of-control and hilarious fight for the soul of America.
Director: Jon Stewart
Writer: Jon Stewart
Stars: Steve Carell, Rose Byrne, Chris Cooper
— Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga — Will Ferrell comedy — Netflix — 2 1/2 stars
When aspiring musicians Lars and Sigrit are given the opportunity to represent their country at the world’s biggest song competition, they finally have a chance to prove that any dream worth having is a dream worth fighting for.
Director: David Dobkin
Writers: Will Ferrell, Andrew Steele
Stars: Natasia Demetriou, Rachel McAdams, Dan Stevens
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July 3:
— Aviva
— Desperados
— Hamilton
— John Lewis: Good Trouble
— The Outpost
— The Truth
