The Founder

I have a tendency to really like well done small movies, and this is quite good.  Michael Keaton stars in The Founder, as he plays Ray Kroc, the man who claims he was the founder of McDonalds.  You may have heard rumblings over the years if that is really true or not, and now you will know for sure.

Keaton is really good as the fast talking Kroc, and this has a very, very good supporting cast of perfectly casted actors playing their roles perfectly.  This is compelling from start to finish. This tells you a story that I am sure you don't really know in total.  You learn exactly who Kroc is, what drives him and why he does what he does.  This is wonderfully written, and certainly expertly directed.  The story is told very matter of factly and puts it all out there for you to decide.  Was he a genious, or was he simply dealing with simple people he could overmatch.

The Founder is strong as a movie, I could see this again.

Patriots Day

Mark Wahlberg continues to make important movies of stories that should be told well, in cimematic form.  Deepwater Horizon, Lone Survivor and now this.  Patriots Day is story of the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013.  This really focuses on the search for the bombers and not so much the bombing itself.

This honors the victims, the first responders and really puts a face on a really tough week in our nations history.  You will learn much.  And even though we all know how it all played out, this is compelling.  I always think that is a sign of great movie making.  This boasts a big cast that includes Wahlberg, Kevin Bacon, John Goodman, J.K. Simmonds and many more.  This is also incredibly well done in every regard.  Done as tastefully as can be, as this was well thought out.  Wahlberg has become the champion of worthwhile story telling.

Powerful, moving, violent, but  not needlessly so, and really good.

Hidden Figures

This has a good cast, and this is a story worth telling.  And for me, that adds up to a good day at the movies.  Although, this does come up a bit short of what it could have been, this is still strong.

This is the true story of three African American women working at NASA in the heat of the space race in the early 1960's.  It chronicles very well the struggle and difficulty that these women faced even in the face of a nation consumed by fear, and the need to get a man into space and pass the Russians.  What this really does, is showcase the culture at NASA, that sadly did mirror regular society in the years just before the Civil Rights Act.

This is very well done, well acted and looks great as well. This could have been edited a bit tighter as it does belabor some points to death. This cold have been shortened down some, but it's not a deal breaker.

This is pretty darn good.

Live By Night

Been a while since we've had a good classic gangster movie, but the Ben Affleck written and starred in Live By Night delivers nicely.  This is a strong story of the gangsters of the late 1920's and 30's. The acting here is superb, and so are the sets and costumes. This is a period piece that really takes you to the time.

This has a nice cast, a great look and a lot of action. Yes, this is violent, but those were violent times.  Wonderfully written, acted and directed, as this is a very adult film.  I have a tendency to love a good time travel movie and this one places you in a time gone by, ton a place that does not exist anymore.

Well done!

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