The Gentlemen

Actors: George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman, Mark Strong, Andrew Scott, Richard Madden, Claire Duburcq, Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch  

Rating: 8 out of 10, This was Guy Ritchie attempting to return to his earlier themes of quirky British criminals. Matthew McConaughey leads off as a career marijuana impresario assaulted on all sides from one Ritchie’s typical mixture of bad guys - Chinese mobsters, Russian mobsters, and American mobsters. The cast is genuinely superb and this is the first movie I really enjoyed Charlie Hunnam in as he makes his way from the small to the large screen. He plays McConaughey’s second in command who has to manage the chaos swirling around the various sub-plots. Michelle Dockery also shines as the more than capable wife. Colin Farrell however steals the movie as possibly the one sort of good guy. He nails every scene he’s in as a hyper boxing trainer trying to shield his charges from the criminal world. The thick British accents were a challenge at times for a Yank but it’s definitely one of the movies I’ll see again, knowing I missed some things during the rapidly evolving plot. It was the funniest movie I’ve seen in a while and definitely a return to form for Ritchie.

MVP: Hunnam as Raymundo, the understated but very lethal consiglieri

1917

Actors: George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman, Mark Strong, Andrew Scott, Richard Madden, Claire Duburcq, Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch  

Rating: 10 out of 10, The buzz is real and well earned. A fascinating look at a small unit action from the trenches of World War 1. Two British lads are given a mission to sneak across no-man’s land to warn another unit about an impending disaster. This is one of the movies you leave wondering how the hell they did it. The movie is basically one long shot of continuous action with only one pause during a period of unconsciousness. The camera moves around the two guys as they travel and encounter a variety of challenges and there never seems to be a break. They used two relatively unknown actors for the lead roles but some distinguished actors show up throughout the movie in very small parts, a very cool technique. The film is also an eloquent comment on the brutality of war along with glimpses of humanity, courage, pride, and nobility. It’s a movie that will stay with you for a long time and not just because you’re still trying to figure out how they did it.

MVP: MacKay as Lance Corporal William "Will" Schofield, well done lad

The Rise of Skywalker

Actors: Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Anthony Daniels, Kelly Marie Tran, Naomi Ackie, Domhnall Gleeson, Richard E. Grant, Lupita Nyong'o, Keri Russell, Joonas Suotamo, Ian McDiarmid, Billy Dee Williams

Rating: 10 out of 10, Everything I hoped it would be. I fell in love with the first movie back in 1977 and subsequently heard a total of nine films were planned. When that information came out the 9th film couldn’t’ be expected before the early 2000s which seemed like a really distant future back in 77. We ended up having to wait even longer but it was worth it, except for losing Princess Leia all too soon. This last move connects all the dots and answers all the questions with the usual combination of action, humor, and pathos. We learn why Rey’s parentage was so closely guarded and how Kylo Ren was turned. There are subtle homages to the earlier films liberally spread throughout and I’ll definitely see the movie again to catch the ones I missed. I know some critics are unhappy with the movie but this was never intended to be Citizen Kane. It brings the beloved franchise home in spectacular fashion. Ignore the critics for a poignant ride back in time to that distant galaxy.

MVP: Daisy Ridley as Rey really comes into her own carrying this massive franchise to the finish line