If You Have Been Missing Rom-Coms... (I know I have)!

[I review the rom-coms "Office Romance," "Jane Austen Wrecked My Life" and "La Dolce Villa."]

I know rom-coms can be formulaic and often silly, but sometimes there is nothing better to take your mind off of the trials of the world than some love stories you can count on, especially when they take place in romanic locations. And here are three good ones (well, maybe the office isn't romantic but Paris and Italy certainly are)! 

Office Romance (2026)

Jackie Cruz (Jennifer Lopez) is the CEO and President of Air Cruz, a major airline company founded by her father. She runs a tight ship especially when it comes to office romances.  But she never expected to meet Daniel Blanchflower (Brett Goldstein).

Jackie (Lopez) is under a lot of pressure from her company board and her demanding father (Edward James Olmos).  She desperately wants her father's respect, so she is a no-nonsense manager who enforces a rigid, anti-fraternization policy.  And so goes her personal life as well. It's no-nonsense, rigid and very isolated.

Enter reserved and very British Daniel Blanchflower (Goldstein), who is newly hired as the company's legal counsel and wouldn't you know?  He is assigned a high-stakes litigation case that forces him to work closely with Jackie. Sparks fly and now Jackie has to deal with her own fraternization issues.

Well, you know where this is headed, right?  Let the rom-com tropes begin!  Boy meets girl. Boy and girl fall in love.  Boy and girl break up because there is some kind of misunderstanding or challenge that needs to be overcome.  Boy and girl get back together.

Yes, those tropes are in play here to a certain extent, but what sets this rom-com apart from Hallmark and other lightweight love stories is the smart writing by Goldstein and writing partner, Joe Kelly, the smart direction of Ol Parker, interesting characters like Jackie's very pregnant assistant, Sydney (Betty Gilpin), who adds a fun comic element and almost steals the show, and the side plot about the family matter that has brought Daniel to America.  It's not your usual rom-com, though it's got rom and it's got com.

J-Lo was made for rom-coms and writer/actor Brett Goldstein must agree with me.  He wrote this movie for her.  And this is the kind of movie I enjoy seeing her in. She is a beautiful, luminous woman who radiates warmth from the screen. I think she actually looks better now at 56 than she did when she first starred in "Selena."  Who wouldn't fall in love with her?  I did. I have been a big fan of hers from the start. But this is a bit of a departure for J-Lo, even in the rom-com genre.  In her past rom-coms, she would usually start out needing to improve her life - think "Maid in Manhattan" or "Second Act." - but here she is already at the top as a CEO. She just needs a little romance and you know (whisper)...sex. And Goldstein makes a great leading man and foil for Jackie, though I had a hard time trying to forget him as Roy Kent on "Ted Lasso," with that colorful language of his. But here he is toned down, handsome, sensitive and very sexy and the two have great chemistry.  And rumor has it that Goldstein and J-Lo have a real life romance.  I want that to be true.

Rom-coms used to be everywhere in the "old days."  Where are the new versions of "Sleepless in Seattle" and "You've Got Mail" when you are craving a romantic getaway?  Rom-coms seem to have gone the way of the albatross in lieu of super heroes, sci fi and horror, but perhaps the success of this film will bring them back. We need those kinds of films when we are tired of super heroes, sci fi and horror and, yes, the sometimes horror of real life.

Rosy the Reviewer says...got my rom-com fix, and I have to say that this is one of the best rom-coms I have seen in a long time (Netflix).

Jane Austen Wrecked My Life (2024)

A lonely Parisian bookseller yearns to be a writer but keeps not only messing that up but her love life as well.

Agathe (Camille Rutherford) is a French bookseller who works at the famous bookstore Shakespeare and Company in Paris and aspires to be a writer.  She lives with her sister and her sister's young son and cycles everywhere, as she is too anxious to ride in cars anymore since her parents were killed in a car accident in which she was injured. Agathe is a strange duck. She is a huge Jane Austen fan and has a difficult time relating to her own real life, feeling like she is living in the wrong century. She has no romantic life, instead only manifesting itself in her writing and yearning for a love story worthy of a Jane Austen heroine.

One evening, after Agathe imagines a handsome naked man in a restaurant, she is inspired to write the beginning of a romance novel in English.  Her friend, Félix (Pablo Pauly), with whom Agathe is very close, reads her work and secretly sends it to the Jane Austen Residency, a two-week writing retreat held in England. When they accept her, Agathe reluctantly gets into a car and lets Félix drive her to the Channel ferry. As she is about to board, they kiss for the first time.

Agathe is met at the ferry by Oliver (Charlie Anson), a distant descendant of Jane Austen's (his parents run the Residency). There is a meet cute moment when en route to the Residency, Oliver's car breaks down and they have to spend the night in the car. Agathe insults him in French under her breath, and he surprises her when he informs her he is fluent in French. Oops. And he also informs Agathe he thinks Jane Austen is overrated. Double oops. The next morning they are rescued by an apple-cart.

This is one of those romances where there is hostility at the beginning of the relationship. Oliver is an arrogant Mr. Darcy type and Agathe doesn't like him but slowly a connection develops.  At the same time, though, Agathe experiences writer's block and Felix shows up creating a dilemma for Agathe.

Will Oliver and Agathe fall in love?  Or will she choose Felix?  And will she finish her novel?

Written and directed by Laura Piani in her feature debut, this is a quiet film, beautifully atmospheric, but how can you go wrong with the beauty of Paris and the English countryside looking like a Constable painting at every turn? Rutherford, who reminded me a bit of a younger version of Katie Holmes, is believable and charming as the awkward, anxiety-ridden Agathe.and Anson reminded me of a young Hugh Grant, perfect for a sweet, but complicated, rom-com. 

What sets this apart from other rom-coms is that this is not just about a young woman finding love but more about a young woman finding her artistic path.  You go girl!

Rosy the Reviewer says...if you love Jane Austen, Paris and the English countryside, you will love this romantic homage to literature and writing. (Netflix in English and French with French subtitles).

La Dolce Villa (2025)

An American businessman travels to Italy to stop his daughter from spending all of her money restoring an old villa, not realizing what is in store for him.

Fifty-something American widower Eric Field (Scott Foley) returns to Italy to try to stop his 24-year-old daughter, Liv (Maia Reficco), from blowing her inheritance on rebuilding a villa. Eric has taken time off for the first time in years from his restaurant support company out of concern that Liv is possibly jeopardizing her future. Liv has had a difficult time deciding what she wants to do.  She has been spending time in Italy as a tutor in Milan, a nanny in Florence and even worked harvesting olives, but then she discovered the village of Montezaraand decided she wanted to settle down there. 

Montezara is part of the 1-euro Housing Plan, a new economic plan to help remote parts of Italy. It involves selling abandoned heritage villas "as is" for one Euro, so Eric and Liv check out the potential properties, and while doing so, meet the town mayor, Francesca (Violante Placido). She is wholeheartedly in favor of the 1-euro project, hoping to revitalize Montezara. They also meet Bernardo (Tommaso Basili), the local surveyor whose job it is to oversee construction projects and he is not in favor of the project, concerned about non-italians buying up properties.

Liv chooses a property and Eric decides to handle his business remotely and stay to help Liv with the renovation despite a tense on-going relationship with her and business problems at home.  As the renovation moves forward, Eric gets an idea of turning the property into a cooking school, but more problems arise and not just with the cooking school plan. As Eric starts to have romantic feelings for Francesca, Bernardo is not happy to have a rival for Francesca's affection. 

So who will Francesca choose?  And will Liv and Eric strengthen their father/daughter bond?  And what about that cooking school?

The actors are believable and Foley and Placido make a handsome couple.  Placido is a particularly lovely actress.  Hubby was drooling over her the whole time! 

Written by Elizabeth Hackett and Hilary Galanoy and directed by Mark Waters, this film is light as a feather with some Hallmark Channel vibes, but I appreciated the generational romance aspect: we have Eric and Francesca, two people of a certain age in a romance, but also Liv and a local young chef are attracted to one another. It's also a father/daughter story as Liv and Eric work through their problems. But this is also a love letter to Italy as the film is visually beautiful and showcases the beauty of Tuscany (the town of Pienza stands in for Montezara).

Rosy the Reviewer says...if you like your romance set in a beautiful Italian location with some reno and Italian house hunting thrown in, and you don't mind some predictable plot lines, you will enjoy this light, but charming rom-com. ( in English and Italian with English subtitles - Netflix)

See You Next Time!

If you enjoyed this post, feel free to like it and share it on Facebook, X, or other sites; email it to your friends and/or follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/rosythereviewer where I share short reviews about TV shows I am watching, books I am reading and all sorts of other fun stuff that doesn't appear here!

And next time you are wondering whether or not to watch a particular film, check out my reviews on IMDB (The International Movie Database). Go to IMDB.com, find the movie you are interested in.  Scroll over to the right of the synopsis to where it says "Critics Reviews" - Click on that and if I have reviewed that film, you will find Rosy the Reviewer alphabetically on the list (NOTE:  IMDB keeps moving stuff around so if you don't find "Critics Reviews" where I am sending you, look around.  It's worth it)!

If You Like Documentaries...Part 2 (2026)

[I review the Martin Short documentary, "Marty, Life is Short" as well as "The Crash," #1 on Netflix right now and "Man on the Run," all about Paul McCartney and Wings)

Marty, Life is Short (2026)

Martin Short is one of the funniest men on the planet but his life has not been funny.

Yes, Martin, or let's call him Marty, has had a great career in sketch comedy, creating some of the funniest characters both on SCTV and "Saturday Night Live" - Ed Grimley, Jiminy Glick - but he is also a movie star - "Three Amigos," "Father of the Bride" -  and is currently enjoying success with the Hulu series "Only Murders in the Building." He also has two Primetime Emmy Awards, two Actor Awards and a Tony under his belt and was made an officer of the Order of Canada in 2019.  Oh, you didn't know he was Canadian?

But Marty's personal life has not been as fortunate.  He lost his older brother and both of his parents by the time he was 20 and lost his wife of 38 years, Nancy Dolman, a talented actress/singer in her own right, to whom Marty was devoted, in 2010.

The youngest of five children, Marty grew up in Hamilton, Ontario.  His father was a corporate executive for a Canadian steel company and hailed from Ireland.  His mother was Canadian and the concertmistress for the Hamilton Symphony Orchestra. "People were funny in my family." So says Marty.  But sadly, both parents died within two years of each other and Marty's older brother was killed in an accident. 

Before graduating from college (he eventually did), Marty moved to Toronto to try his hand at acting and eventually was cast in a production of "Godspell" where he worked with Victor Garber, Gilda Radner, Eugene Levy, Dave Thomas, Andrea Martin, Catherine O'Hara and Paul Shaffer, who would all play significant roles in Marty's career, and many of whom, along with Marty, would eventually become a part of Toronto's version of Second City, then the Canadian sketch comedy show SCTV and eventually "Saturday Night Live." The rest is comedy history. 

Marty also met his soon-to-be wife, Nancy, during that production of "Godspell," and some might say she was the biggest influence on his life and her presence is felt through this film.

This is an intimate look at Martin Short's life and career. Home movies and some of Marty's best comedy bits abound as well as interviews with his fellow comedians, including the late Catherine O'Hara, who was a significant influence on Marty (the documentary is dedicated to her) and Steve Martin, who has a special bond with Marty and, can I say, doesn't look a bit different from how he looked 30 years ago?!

Marty didn't want to do this documentary, but his good friend, director Lawrence Kasdan ("The Big Chill," "Body Heat"), wanted to do it and direct it, so Marty relented, and I am so glad he did because this is not just about the facts of Marty's life and his many character and comedy moments, it is a highly inspirational journey that you don't want to miss. It's a joyful journey.  Despite the many tragedies in Marty's life, he chose to focus on joy.

Rosy the Reviewer says...this is not your dry facts of a life documentary.  This is an intimate, poignant and inspirational look inside the life and career of, not just a wonderful comedian, but a wonderful husband, father and overall good guy. It was so inspirational and joyful, in fact, that, I must sayyy, I cried a little. And I must sayyy, it's a must see film! (Netflix)

The Crash (2026)

A seventeen-year-old crashes her car into a brick wall at 100 miles per hour, killing her boyfriend and his friend.  Was it an accident or murder?

On July 31, 2022 Mackenzie Shirilla crashed her vehicle into a brick wall in Strongsville, Ohio, killing her boyfriend, Dominic Russo and their friend, Davion Flanagan. Shirilla was a wannabe TikTok influencer, and she and her boyfriend, Dominic, lived together at his parents' house.  They had been together since he was 16 and she was 13.  Davion was a student athlete and part of their large friend group.  

Russo and Flanagan were pronounced dead at the scene while Mackenzie was taken to the hospital seriously injured.  The police initially thought the crash was an accident but an examination of the vehicle deemed it in good working condition and the onboard computer system indicated the accelerator was being pressed at the time of the crash. And it didn't help that the couple had frequent conflicts with Shirilla dominating and threatening Dominic whenever he tried to break up with her. So Shirilla was arrested and tried for murder. And Shirilla doesn't come off well in home movies and social media as she struts around, smokes weed and flips off the camera, but does that make her a murderer?

Though Shirilla was convicted of murder and is currently serving time at the Ohio Reformatory for Women, she has vehemently denied that she murdered her friends, that she does not remember that night and there is a bit of a twist regarding her lack of memory. Her parents and other supporters are also vehement that it was an accident. 

Directed by Gareth Johnson, this documentary is currently the #1 most viewed movie on Netflix and shows footage of the grizzly crash, covers her trial and interviews Shirilla in prison as well as family, friends, supporters and doubters, and leaves it up to the viewer as to whether or not justice was served in this case. 

Rosy the Reviwer says...accident ot murder? You decide. (Netflix)

Man on the Run (2025)

What's a Beatle to do when he is no longer a Beatle?  Well, he reinvents himself.

Contrary to popular opinion, according to Paul, he wasn't the one who broke up The Beatles.  It was John!  However, if you are a hard-core Beatlemaniac, there might not be any real revelations here, but this is an engaging retelling of rock and roll history as Sir Paul himself recounts trying to reimagine his life as an ex-Beatle and coming up with the idea of Wings and what happened after. 

After the Beatles broke up, Paul worried that he wouldn't be able to write again, and according to him, he got into Scotch and drinking too much.  But then along came Linda, who Paul attributes to saving him.  I think Linda always got a bad rap. She was criticized for being American, for being in the band (Paul wanted her there), she couldn't sing, she couldn't play an instrument, yada, yada, yada...but think about it.  She gave up her career as a photographer, lived on a remote farm in Scotland, had four kids and went on the road with Paul, so I am thinking she was probably one of the best things that ever happened to Paul and to his credit, he gives her credit.

Putting Wings together was not easy.  Paul likens it to the movie "Spinal Tap." When he was interviewed by the press he was asked- "Are you too old for rock and roll?"  Paul was 33.  But he was not deterred.  In fact, Paul was the ultimate performer and unleashed himself in Wings. And then Wings played their last concert December 29, 1979 and Paul had to reinvent himself again.  And he did...as Paul McCartney.  His solo career began and the rest is rock history.

The film was directed by Morgan Neville, and McCartney fans will eat up the ’70s home videos, unseen archival footage, performances, and off-camera interviews with family and band members, plus some insightful voiceovers from Chrissie Hynde, Mick Jagger and Sean Ono Lennon (Paul and John made up before John's death), but it's the insights from Paul himself that are intimate and fascinating.

Rosy the Reviewer says...as a young girl, I thought I was going to marry Paul.  I learned so did every other young girl, including Oprah.  So, yes, I ate this up and so will you. (Amazon Prime)

See You Next Time!

If you enjoyed this post, feel free to like it and share it on Facebook, X, or other sites; email it to your friends and/or follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/rosythereviewer where I share short reviews about TV shows I am watching, books I am reading and all sorts of other fun stuff that doesn't appear here!

And next time you are wondering whether or not to watch a particular film, check out my reviews on IMDB (The International Movie Database). Go to IMDB.com, find the movie you are interested in.  Scroll over to the right of the synopsis to where it says "Critics Reviews" - Click on that and if I have reviewed that film, you will find Rosy the Reviewer alphabetically on the list (NOTE:  IMDB keeps moving stuff around so if you don't find "Critics Reviews" where I am sending you, look around.  It's worth it)!

Horror Movies! Some Pretend Horror to Take Your Mind Off the Horror of Real Life!

[It's a potpourri of horror tropes: monsters, children in jeopardy, a diabolical house and... sports.  I review "The Bride!" "Bring Her Back," "The Deliverance" and "Him."]

The Bride! (2026)

A remake of  "The Bride of Frankenstein."

There is the Jessie Buckley who played Agnes, Shakespeare's wife, in "Hamnet" for which she won a Best Actress Academy Award, and then there is the Jessie Buckley as the Bride, in this new version of "The Bride of Frankenstein" and never the twain shall meet. Well, they do, because between those two roles, Buckley is able to show her acting range. And then there's Christian Bale.  His twain has been met so many times that's not actually a descriptive phrase for him because he has played many more than two divergent roles, playing every oddball character there is to play. But believe it or not, he is toned down here and plays second fiddle to Jessie who is as out there as an actress can get both as Ida, who becomes the Bride and as Mary Shelley herself, the author of "Frankenstein," who keeps popping up and wishing she had written "The Bride of Frankenstein."  Sorry, Mary, but at least it was a movie.

Written and directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, this is a reworking of the original horror movie, an interesting film noir version but, as the movie progressed, the story and characters were so over-the-top that I suspected it was also a comic version, though very dark.  But I guess I could also say the original "Bride of Frankenstein" would probably come off today as a bit of a comedy. 

Anyway, the film begins with Mary Shelley (Buckley) speaking from the afterlife lamenting that she had died before she could write "The Bride of Frankenstein," so she comes back to life by possessing Ida (also played by Buckley), a woman living in 1936 Chicago, who drunkenly proceeds to discuss the criminal activities of crime boss Lupino while with a group in a bar. Lupino's henchmen Clyde (John Magaro) and James (Matthew Maher) are there and take her aside where she conveniently falls down a flight of stairs to her death. The Mary Shelley character keeps coming back throughout the film adding her two cents and possessing Ida and the proceedings, and that was a theatrical device I could have done without. I found it annoying.

Anyway, in the meantime, Frankenstein's monster, AKA "Frank (Bale)," arrives at the house of scientist Dr. Cornelia Euphronius (Annette Benning sporting some fake teeth to make her look more doctor-like, I guess). Having read about Euphronius' work on "reanimation," Frank begs her to create a companion for him because he has been alone for a century and is, well, lonely. He wants a mate, a relationship, okay...sex.  Euphronius and Frank just happen to dig up Ida's corpse and successfully revive her, but Ida loses her memory in the process. Frank takes advantage of this and states that she is his bride and lost her memory in an accident. Well, I guess falling down some stairs could be considered an accident.

So Frank and Ida get to know each other and go off to see a movie featuring Frank's favorite actor, Ronnie Reed. Frank is obsessed with Busby Berkeley-style movies and "The Dubious Detective" starring Ronnie Reed is his favorite (it's also an opportunity for Maggie's brother, Jake, to have a cameo as Reed). After the movie, they go dancing at a club. As they leave, two men attempt to assault Ida and Frank kills them as a monster is inclined to do. The two escape and stow away on a train to New York City. So now the police are after them and Detective Jake Wiles (Peter Sarsgaard) and his assistant Myrna Malloy (Penelope Cruz) are on the case and follow them to New York.

Since Ida can't remember anything from her past, Frank tells her that her name is Penelope Rogers (he wanted to call her Ginger Rogers in homage to his love of 30's musicals and dancing like Fred Astaire, but thought better of it, so he settled on Penelope). They crash a high class party where Ronnie Reed, Frank's idol, just happens to be a guest. Wanting to impress Reed, Frank begins to dance like Reed does in his films, with Penelope joining him, as well as the other party-goers, turning it into a dance very much like the Time Warp in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show."  So you get the idea.  This is a very original take on the Frankenstein story.  

But then things fall apart again because Ida/Penelope just can't shut up and the two are recognized. Their crime spree becomes publicized, Ida becomes a bit of a feminist icon and Mob boss Lupino (Zlatko Buric) recognizes her in a newspaper article and dispatches his minions to kill her. So now it's like Bonnie and Clyde, or I should say, Frankie and the Bride, on the run, not just from the police but also from the Mob.  

Why does the Mob want Ida/Penelope dead? And will these crazy monsters manage to escape, get married and live happily ever after?  Duh. C'mon, this may be a dark comedy, but it's still horror.

The film has an all-star cast but this movie is all about Jessie. Yes, she is totally over-the-top, unhinged at times, but I can't help but be impressed by an actress who is so all in, no matter what.  And she is.  And Christian? He let's her have the spotlight, but he's still Christian Bale. He's always all in. But here he also shows his tender side because Frank clearly loves Ida.

And if I was still wondering if this was a comedy or not, "Monster Mash" plays at the end over the credits.  So, yes, it's a a sort of comedy, though a dark one and, yes, it's about monsters, but it is also a romantic story, in a monster kind of way. And speaking of the credits, be sure to keep watching the credits, because there is more.

Rosy the Reviewer says...if you like Monster Horror that is really wild and uninhibited with a feminist bent, you might like this, but I recommend that if you go for it, that you add a big glass of wine (or a cocktail) and an open mind because it's a wild ride. (For rent or purchase of Amazon Prime)

Bring Her Back (2025)

Seventeen-year-old Andy and his visually impaired sister, Piper, find their dad, Phil, dead in the shower, leaving them orphans.  And then things get worse.  They get the foster mother from hell.

When Andy (Billy Barratt) and his sister, Piper (Sora Wong), are orphaned, they are sent to live with eccentric former counselor Laura (Sally Hawkins), who is also fostering a pre-teen boy named Oliver (Jonah Wren Phillips). Laura claims Oliver has stopped talking since the death of Laura's daughter, Cathy, who was also visually impaired and drowned in their backyard pool. Oliver is a bit of a mystery. Let me just say that he is one creepy kid, especially when he tries to eat a kitchen knife.  Oliver clearly has issues. But then there is Laura, who seems to inappropriately favor Piper. How she ever became a counselor is beyond me. She steals a lock of Phil's hair at his funeral and kisses his corpse, which is strange enough, but then the kids discover a secret that Laura has been keeping and things go from bad to worse for these kids.

There is a whole very, very convoluted plot about Laura's plan and how Andy and Piper figure into that plan, but in the meantime, she wreacks havoc on Andy and Piper and tries to drive them apart.  And what's the deal with Oliver? It's not a pretty sight watching Oliver eating inanimate objects as well as parts of his own body, but, okay, like I said, he has issues. Who doesn't?  But who is this kid?  Well, we eventually find out his story too.

Directed by Danny and Michael Philippou and written by Danny and Bill Hinzman, this has your classic horror tropes of young people in jeopardy, a creepy child and a malevolent caretaker which makes for good creepy fun, er, horror, and the film does a good job of creating tension and suspense. Nothing really scary happens for the first 40 minutes but then it goes from zero to 100 very quickly.  The ending is horrific...but also sad. 

Sally Hawkins is always good in quirky, and sometimes, creepy roles. Here she shows what can happen to someone who is consumed by grief. There is horror in that alone.  If you are not sure who Hawkins is, she won an Academy Award nomination in 2018 for "The Shape of Water" where she fell in love with an amphibian. Like I said, some creepy roles. But by the way, that movie won the Best Picture Oscar. But kudos, too, to Barratt and Wong who are also wonderful in this.

Rosy the Reviewer says...there is some very quirky and over-the-top gross "children in jeopardy" horror here, but at the same time, this is also a poignant take on grief and the lengths someone might go to assuage that grief. (HBO Max) 

The Deliverance (2024)

Single mother Ebony Jackson has just recently moved into a new house with her three children, not realizing it is the portal to hell. 

This is the third move in a short time for single mother, Ebony Jackson (Andra Day) and her eldest teenage son Nate (Caleb McLaughlin), teenage daughter Shante (Demi Singleton), and youngest son Dre (Anthony B. Jenkins). They are joined by Ebony's recently-turned religious mother Alberta (Glenn Close), who has cancer. She struts around in various wigs and revealing clothes and has no problem criticizing Ebony, who is ironically struggling financially because she has been paying Alberta's medical costs. The two have a very contentious relationship.  It doesn't help that Ebony has a criminal past and issues with alcohol.  Child Protective Services has been involved and Ebony must work with caseworker, Cynthia Henry (Mo'Nique), and Ebony is not happy about that. Let's just say that Ebony and Cynthia also have a contentious relationship.

Shortly after moving, Dre begins speaking to and about an unseen presence he calls Tre, claiming it lives alternately in the basement and his bedroom closet. Dre gets catatonic from time to time especially after being down in that basement, and Nate and Shante also begin acting strangely. All three children experience unexplained psychiatric episodes at school and are hospitalized. However, doctors find no underlying issues, and they are discharged. 

Then there is the strange woman in the car watching the house.  She eventually approaches Ebony, introducing herself as Rev. Bernice James (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor), a Pentecostal pastor who tells Ebony she had tried to stop a tragedy in Ebony's house 20 years prior.  A woman had killed her family before killing herself, because she was possessed by a demon and James insists that the demon is still in the house. Uh-oh. That certainly explains some things.

Well, you know how these possessed house stories go, right? And there is always a basement, right? That's so we can yell at the screen - "Don't go down there!"  But of course the characters always do. But I get that particular horror trope. In real life, dark basements scare me.  Growing up we had one with a basement door off the kitchen.  When that door was open, and I couldn't see down the stairs, I would sneak up on the door and quckly slam it shut, just in case there was something down there. Dark basements are a horror unto themselves. 

This film was actually inspired by the real story of Latoya Ammans who encountered strange happenings and disturbing behavior by her children in her house in Gary, Indiana in 2011 where a priest eventually performed an exorcism.  

So is there really a demon possessing Ebony's house and can these characters overcome it?

This is supernatural horror, but it's not your typical gotcha horror film, because it also explores the psychological horror of family dysfunction, and there is lots of that here too. It takes about an hour before the real horror begins, but director Lee Daniels, who won an Oscar for his film "Precious," creates tension early on in this beautifully and stylishing directed film written by David Coggeshall and Elijah Bynum. And Daniels makes you care about the characters. Even though Ebony has some big issues, you care about her.

And speaking of Ebony, Andra Day is excellent here, as are all of the actors, but the revelation is Glenn Close. We have always known Glenn Close is one of our great actresses, but this is Glenn Close as you have never seen her. In her wigs and tarty clothes and bitter mouth, she isn't your typical mom and grandmother. She is actually kind of a monster.  But then she goes from monstrous mom to a real monster. Prepare yourself for some epic teeth!

Rosy the Reviewer says...this film has a "Get Out" vibe with some of "The Exorcist" thrown in, so if you like supernatural horror featuring a classic diabolical house with a scary basement that will have you saying to the screen "Don't go down there," you will like this one. (Netflix)

Him (2025)

Rising football star, Cameron "Cam" Wade gets the chance to train with his idol, legendary quarterback Isaiah White - but things take a very dark turn.

The film begins with young Cameron "Cam" Cade watching his favorite football team, the San Antonio Saviors, win the league championship. But his joy turns to distress when his quarterback idol, Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans), suffers a violent, possibly career-ending injury while scoring the winning touchdown. Cam's father tells him that real men are willing to make such sacrifices. He says to young Cam, "Who are you?" And young Cam replies, "Him!"

Fast forward.  Now, Cam's father has died, and Cam (Tyriqu Withers) is himself a rising football star. Encouraged by his family and girlfriend Jasmine (Heather Lynn Harris), he trains for the league Combine, but while practicing late on an empty field, Cam is ambushed and assaulted by an unidentified figure in a goat costume, causing a head injury that endangers his career.

However, despite his brain injury and motivated by his agent, Tom (Tim Heidecker), Cam plans to still attend the Combine to pursue the Saviors' quarterback position, even though he risks permanent brain damage if he incurs another injury. Tom later reveals to Cam that Isaiah White is considering retirement and has offered to train Cam for a week at a remote desert compound. Cam accepts and travels there, encountering some crazed Isaiah fans, which sets the tone for the crazy stuff that is going to ensue ata Isaiah's compound. 

Of course, Isaiah's compound is out in the middle of nowhere "horror movie style," and looks more like a prison than a house. When Cam arrives, Isaiah says Cam is going to experience "radical detachment" - no phone, no porno, no Grinder, no Only Fans, just football. Is that what Cam was using his phone for? 

Cam is put through some disturbing challenges, such as a practice drill where a Jugs machine hits a player every time Cam misses a pass. Also, Cam secretly receives shots of Isaiah's blood, which he is led to believe is an energy booster, and he experiences frequent hallucinations of masked figures, which he attributes to the concussion. Isaiah's wife, Elsie (Julia Fox), is a nutter and tries to seduce Cam and that whole thing with Isaiah's blood?  It's part of Isaiah's evil plan.

Written by Skip Bronkie, Zack Akers, and Justin Tipping and directed by Tipping, the film is beautifully produced and very operatic, but isn't that just like most sports - beautiful, dramatic and often tragic? Sports fans might enjoy the football motif and drills and horror fans might enjoy the requisite blood and gore, which comes eventually, but though I got football as a metaphor for the drive to be the greatest no matter what and how professional sports can chew up and spit out players, the film is almost too symbolic, nutty, even, and much is unexplained. So despite an interesting idea, good acting and good production values, the film just lost its way.

But speaking of acting, this is the first big feature film role for Withers after toiling in several TV series, and I predict a long career for him. He is a good actor and a handsome film presence. And Marlon, the younger brother of Keenan Ivory and Damon Wayans, who appeared with them on their comedy show "In Living Color." has come a long way from those days and shows his ability as a dramatic actor. I just wish the film had a been a better showcase for them.

Rosy the Reviewer says...sports can be a horror for anyone who doesn't like sports - okay, now, now, I'm kidding - but this film actually uses football as a metaphor to highlight the horrors of wanting fame at all costs. However, I just wish the film had been better. (Netflix)

See You Next Time!

If you enjoyed this post, feel free to like it and share it on Facebook, X, or other sites; email it to your friends and/or follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/rosythereviewer where I share short reviews about TV shows I am watching, books I am reading and all sorts of other fun stuff that doesn't appear here!

And next time you are wondering whether or not to watch a particular film, check out my reviews on IMDB (The International Movie Database). Go to IMDB.com, find the movie you are interested in.  Scroll over to the right of the synopsis to where it says "Critics Reviews" - Click on that and if I have reviewed that film, you will find Rosy the Reviewer alphabetically on the list (NOTE:  IMDB keeps moving stuff around so if you don't find "Critics Reviews" where I am sending you, look around.  It's worth it)!

Oldies But Goodies: Some Movies You Might Have Missed the First Time Around!

[I review "Fly Me To The Moon," "Weird: The Al Yankovic Story,"  and the French foodie film, "The Taste of Things"]

 

Fly Me to the Moon (2024)

Remember that conspiracy theory about how the U.S. never really landed on the moon and what we saw was all faked?  Well, this rom-com has fun with that idea.

In late 1968, Manhattan advertising executive Kelly Jones (Scarlett Johansson) is offered a high-stakes job by Moe Berkus (Woody Harrelson), a covert government operative working for President-elect Richard Nixon. The U.S. space program had been put on hold partly partly because of the Vietnam War and the costs of running a space program but also because of waning interest in the Space Race in general.  The program was in need of some PR, and Berkus tasks her with revitalizing NASA's bad public image. "Sell the moon!!"  Kelly has a bit of a bad image herself and Berkus threatens to uncover it if she doesn't agree to take the job, so off to Cocoa Beach, Florida Kelly goes with her loyal assistant, Ruby.

Almost upon arrival, Kelly "meets cute" with Cole Davis (Channing Tatum), the serious and principled launch director at the Kennedy Space Center before either knows who the other is, but when they eventually meet at work, a love-hate relationship begins. There was immediate attraction between the two, but Cole is uptight and serious and doesn't approve of Kelly's techniques.  She is a force of nature and not above doing what she needs to do to get her way.  For example, when Cole tells her that his men don't do interviews, she hires actors to, not only pretend to be the space scientists so they can do interviews, but hires an actor to also be Cole. They also clash over Kelly's move to get corporate sponsorships e.g. the astronauts wearing Omega watches up in space and drinking Tang.

As NASA prepares for the historic Apollo 11 mission, Kelly suggests broadcasting the moon landing using a television camera on the Lunar Excursion Module (LEM), a proposal Cole dismisses as impractical. However, Moe secretly endorses the idea and reveals an additional, shadowy directive to Kelly: she must prepare a fake moon landing to be aired if the real mission fails, a project codenamed "Artemis," a name that is an eery forshadowing for today. Once again, Moe threatens to expose Kelly's past if she doesn't cooperate, and then it comes to light that Moe wants them to broadcast the fake transmission, no matter what, even if the launch is successful.

Kelly becomes increasingly uneasy with the deception, especially as she and Cole grow closer and their romantic relationship blossoms, though it still manifests some love/hate issues. This is an opposites attract kind of rom/com.

There are some twists and turns and bumps along the way, not only in the launch, but in Cole's and Kelly's relationship and a black cat figures prominently in the outcome.

Scarlett and Channing are two beautiful people playing in the usual "I love you, I hate you" rom-com. It's fun to see their relationship play out in this scenario, and it's especially fun to see all of the behind-the-scenes machinations that go into a space launch. It's also fun to be reminded of that old conspiracy theory that the moon landing never happened and was fake,which is especially appropos today two years after this movie was released with astronauts up in space right now, flying around the moon in a spaceship called "Artemis."

Scarlett is expecially good here playing a smooth saleswoman who will do anything to get what she wants.  And I couldn't help but wonder where she has been? She hasn't done many movies in the last few years. And Channing is more subdued but still a handsome guy to watch. Oh, and keep your eye out for a cameo by Scarlett's husband, Colin Jost.  If you blink, you will miss him.

With a screenplay by Rose Gilroy and directed by Greg Berlanti, this is one of those "what if?" scenarios, and though a bit overlong, it reminded me of those old feel-good rom-coms we don't see much anymore.  But it also unintentionally made me ask myself - with another war going on and so many domestic issues, does anyone really still care about space travel?

Rosy the Reviewer says...if you have missed seeing Scarlett Johansson or are a Channing fan and you are looking for an old-fashioned rom/com in an unusual setting, you might just love this to the moon and back. Or maybe not. (Apple+)

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (2022)

A biopic about the life and career of Alfred "Weird Al" Yankovic - well, kind of.

If you were expecting a straight forward and serious film about the life and career of Weird Al, you might be disappointed with this film, but if you can suspend disbelief and enter the world that is Weird Al's mind, you might find this very funny.

So I was an unsuspecting viewer. I thought this was Weird Al's real story, but when the film began with Al as a child interacting with his Dad (Toby Huss), I was thinking, "Gee, this film is really overdramatic and the actors are way over the top." But as the film went on and Al was a teen at a polka party and it got raided, I thought "Teenagers at a polka party?" I then realized that Weird Al wasn't called Weird Al for nothing. I was watching yet another Weird Al parody, a parody of his own life. 

Young Al's (Richard Aaron Anderson) Dad wants Al to follow him into the factory where he works, but Al wants to write parody songs.  Al's Dad is not happy, but Al's mother secretly purchases an accordion for Al. Years later, an older Al is living with his roommates Steve (Spencer Treat Clark), Jim (Jack Lancaster) and Bermuda (Tommy O'Brien), and is constantly rejected in band auditions as an accordion player, but while listening to "My Sharona" on the radio and fixing a bologna sandwich, Al is inspired to write "My Bologna," which becomes a huge hit and Al becomes a huge star...and a huge ego. 

The story goes on to show how Al wrote "I Love Rocky Road" and "Another One Rides the Bus," meeting his idol Dr. Demento (played by Rainn Wilson), who becomes his manager, how he got the name "Weird Al," and his love affair with Madonna who is dying for him to parody one of her songs - at this point, if you haven't already figured it out, that you are being drawn into a Weird Al parody of his own life, you will stop going "Huh?" When Al gets involved with a drug lord, you will certainly realize Al is having fun with you (he can't help himself), and when he eventually reconciles with his father, who shares that he grew up in an Amish community where he wasn't allowed to play the accordion, you will be shaking your head. And there is more, but you get the idea. 

It's difficult to know what is true and what is Al's imagination or exaggeration in this parody of his life written by Al and director Eric Appel.  For example, Al did become a great accordion player after a door-to-door salesman selling accordions stopped by his house when he was a young boy; Madonna did want him to parody one of her songs, but as far as I can tell, Al never had a love affair with her; nor did he take drugs despite the scene where he goes off on an LSD trip.  I also don't think he had to save Madonna from a drug lord or was on the cover of People Magazine as "The Sexiest Man Alive (duh)," but that's not the point.  This is a comedy. Al is making fun of himself, and it's a lot of fun.

Let's just say it becomes apparent very soon that this is not a biopic of Weird Al, but yet another parody from the weird mind of Weird Al. Daniel Radcliffe does a good job of playing Al and is joined by a star-studded cast of comedians in cameos playing other famous people - I mean Conan O'Brien as Andy Warhol? Will Forte, Patton Oswalt, Michael McKean, Jack Black and others make appearances.  It's fun to try to spot them.

Rosy the Reviewer says...an over-the-top biopic parody of Weird Al's life.  Can we expect anything different from Weird Al? (For rent on Amazon Prime)

The Taste of Things (2023)

Set in 1889, this film depicts the romance between Eugenie, a cook, and M. Dodin, the gourmet chef for whom she has been working for over 20 years.

Winner of several awards and chosen as the French entry for "Best International Feature Film" at the 2024 Academy Awards, the movie begins on a country estate in France in 1889. Eugénie (Juliette Binoche) works as a cook for Dodin (Benoit Magimel), a gourmet, who loves not only her cooking but it appears, he loves her too. Eugénie and Dodin, along with her assistant Violette (Galatea Bellugi) and Violette's young niece Pauline (Bonnie Chagneau-Ravoire), who is visiting for the day, prepare an intricate meal for Dodin's friends.The group meets regularly to eat and enjoy food and praise Eugénie for her artistry.  And let me tell you, they eat a LOT! 

And let me also tell you.  We see every... single... bit... of the preparation. The first 30+ minutes of the film is, well, cooking. Every ingredient gets its close-up (thank you, Mr. DeMille)! This is a film for major foodies. If there is such a thing as food porn, this is it. 

Eugénie and Dodin, both middle-aged, are in a sort of long-term romantic relationship, but maintain separate bedrooms. He has asked her to marry him several times, but she has declined, preferring that they maintain their relationship as they are. Somehow being his cook rather than his wife allows her to lock her bedroom door from time to time. However, their real joy is in developing new recipes and preparations together. 

For the first hour of the film, it's a quiet worship of food, but then Eugénie begins to experience fainting spells, and Dodin grows worried about her health. His doctor friend, Rabaz (Emmanuel Salinger), is unable to determine the cause, and Eugénie persistently claims she is fine. After one such scary fainting episode, Dodin cooks an intricate meal for her and includes an engagement ring hidden in a dessert. Talk about a slow burn. It's taken him 20 years to get that together. But Eugenie finally accepts Dodin's proposal, and they plan to marry in the "autumn of their lives."

He should have asked sooner.  

The French are known for their passion for fine food and wine, and this film captures that passion. Written and directed by Anh Hung Tran, Dodin is based on Dodin-Bouffant, from the 1924 novel by Swiss author Marcel Rouff - "La Vie et la Passion de Dodian-Bouffant, gourmet" ("The Passionate Epicure"). It is one of those slow-moving French films meant to evoke emotion through sight and sound.  And if you have emotion about food, this is for you! It's all very elegant, gentile and sensual.  The cinematography is glorious.  There is one scene where a large party is taking place on the grounds of the chateau and everyone is seated at a long table, and it looks exactly like a Renoir painting.

I love my cooking shows, so this film feeds right into that (pardon the pun), and I also love Juliette Binoche and I love love...so food, Juliette, love...what more could I ask for?  Who wouldn't want to watch the beautiful Juliette Binoche prepare gourmet food? She is a charming actress no matter what she does. She has been charming us in films for years, and she may be in the "autumn" of her life, but she is still beautiful and luminous.  I could watch her prepare food for hours.

Rosy the Reviewer says...this film might not be for everyone, but like dining at a five-star Michelin restaurant, it is an experience. If you consider yourself a foodie, you will want to see this.  It is food porn at its finest! (Hulu)

See You Next Time!

If you enjoyed this post, feel free to like it and share it on Facebook, X, or other sites; email it to your friends and/or follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/rosythereviewer where I share short reviews about TV shows I am watching, books I am reading and all sorts of other fun stuff that doesn't appear here!

And next time you are wondering whether or not to watch a particular film, check out my reviews on IMDB (The International Movie Database). Go to IMDB.com, find the movie you are interested in.  Scroll over to the right of the synopsis to where it says "Critics Reviews" - Click on that and if I have reviewed that film, you will find Rosy the Reviewer alphabetically on the list (NOTE:  IMDB keeps moving stuff around so if you don't find "Critics Reviews" where I am sending you, look around.  It's worth it)!