My Movie Picks and Pans for December 2025

[I review "The Kiss of the Spider Woman (the musical starring Jennifer Lopez)," "Blue Moon," a new one from director Richard Linklater starring Ethan Hawke, "Oh.What.Fun," an all-star Christmas movie that defies the Hallmark tropes, and "The Wrong Paris," a little rom-com with one very handsome star]

Kiss of the Spider Woman (2025)

• 
• A new movie version of the 1993 Broadway musical.

I can't believe it has taken this long to make a movie out of the musical version of this story (the musical opened on Broadway in 1993 and won a Tony for Best Musical).  Yes, I know it was originally a 1976 novel by Manuel Puig which was made into a movie drama starring William Hurt (he won an Oscar), and then it was a Broadway musical, but 32 years before a movie version of the musical?  I guess that says something about the waning popularity of movie musicals over the years, right? That makes me sad because I love musicals.

Anyway, enough about me.  On with the show!

It's 1983 in Argentina during the "Dirty War," and Valentin (Diego Luna), a political prisoner and Molina (Tonatiuh), his cell mate, who is there for "public indecency," pass the time with Molina sharing the story of his favorite Hollywood musical, "Kiss of the Spider Woman." It transports them out of their dreary confines into a imaginary world.

So, okay, "public indecency" is code in some countries for someone being gay and that is the case with Luis Molina. He is in a cell with Valentin Arregui Paz who is a political dissident involved with a revolutionary group in a time in Argentina when the country's military dictatorship was rounding up and imprisoning left-wing opponents and civilians who disagreed with the regime. Molina is obsessed with the old Hollywood movie "Kiss of the Spider Woman," and despite Valentin's irritation with Molina's flamboyance, he lets him recount the story of the movie. The film flips back and forth between the dark existence of the two men in the jail cell and the bright lights of the silver screen depicting the story of "Kiss of the Spider Woman." It's a movie within a movie.

So here's that story.

The "Kiss of the Spider Woman" film stars Ingrid Luna (Jennifer Lopez) as Aurora, a successful magazine publisher (Molina's retelling also casts himself as Kendall, Aurora's assistant and a closeted homosexual and Valentin as Armando, a photographer and Aurora's love interest, because remember this is all playing out in their minds). Aurora and Kendall accompany Armando to a shoot in his and Aurora's home village. Aurora and Armando fall in love, but when Aurora learns that the village is protected from malevolent spirits by the Spider Woman (also played by Lopez) in exchange for the regular sacrifice of a native woman's lover, Aurora worries that this means Armando will be taken from her. 

But to find out what happens to Aurora and Armando, you will have to listen along with Valentin as Molina tells the story.

In the meantime, the warden has coerced Molina into spying on Valentin in exchange for potential parole. Despite being eager to be released from prison as his mother is ailing, Molina starts to have feelings for Valentin and Valentin for Molina. Can Molina betray Valentin?

Written for the screen and directed by Bill Condon, there is a change of scene from the original, but it is still a dark story of political persecution and prison life and the need to escape, at least mentally.  And the two men escape into Aurora's world. Luna and Tonatiuh are compelling together as Molina tells his tale and Valentin tries to resist but is eventually drawn into both the fantasy story and Molina's own story as well.

And this is Jennifer Lopez as you have never seen her.  She stretches her acting, singing and dancing chops here. I have always been a fan of Jennifer Lopez, but not so much for her singing, so I was pleasantly surprised to see what a great job she did with that. Her dancing was great, too, but that wasn't really a surprise because I remembered that she had been a dancer on "In Living Color," one of the Fly Girls. Lopez has shared that it has always been her dream to do Broadway and this film would be a close second to that. I also heard her say getting an award for this would be a dream come true. Sadly, though I think she was wonderful in this and deserved a nomination, she was snubbed by the Golden Globes.

I was pleasingly surprised about how much I enjoyed this, because it wasn't on my list of favorite musicals (in fact I had never seen it). I wouldn't say that the songs by John Kander and Fred Ebb (they also wrote the songs for "Chicago" and "Cabaret") are particularly memorable, but they are enjoyable, and with the vivid, extravagant costumes by Colleen Atwood and Christine L.Cantella and the glittery production values during the musical numbers, the whole thing works. 

Just as the retelling of a movie musical helps these two prisoners escape  their dreary and scary lives, so, too, do musicals take us away from our own cares of the world as we watch. That's why musicals are an important art form.

Rosy the Reviewer says...an homage to musicals, and I was reminded how much I love and miss them. I throw a kiss to the movie musical! (For rent or purchase on Amazon Prime)

Blue Moon (2025)

A night in the life of Lorenz Hart.

The film begins with a quote from Mabel Mercer: "He was the saddest man I ever knew."

"He was dynamic and fun to be around." - Oscar Hammerstein II

They were both talking about Lorenz Hart who with his writing partner, Richard Rodgers, wrote 28 Broadway musicals and some 500 songs: "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered," "Where or When," "Isn't It Romantic?" "My Funny Valentine," "Spring is Here," "The Lady is a Tramp" and, of course, "Blue Moon," to name a few. They were considered the American Gilbert and Sullivan and wrote together for 25 years.

But now it's March 31, 1943, opening night for the new musical "Oklahoma!," and Lorenz Hart (Ethan Hawke) is in the audience but slips away and heads over to Sardi's, where the opening night celebration will be. Hart is a bit down in the dumps because it looks like the show will be a hit and he is not a part of it. His former creative partner, Richard Rodgers (Andrew Scott), has written the show with Oscar Hammerstein II (Simon Delaney) and not him. Rodgers and Hart "broke up" after a string of very successful musicals and hit songs because Hart's drinking made him unreliable.

But now Hart is newly sober and very talkative.  He holds court with the bartender, Eddie (Bobby Cannavale), who tries not to serve him liquor, but you know how those things go. Morty (Jonah Lees) is at the piano and the two commiserate with Hart as he complains about the sensational success of Oklahoma!, which he declined to write, and the state of his own career. Declaring himself "omnisexual," Hart reveals his infatuation with Elizabeth Weiland (Margaret Qualley), a Yale art student and aspiring production designer. After months of correspondence and an unconsummated weekend with the 20-year-old Elizabeth, 47-year-old Hart believes this is the night to win her over.

Meanwhile, Hart recognizes writer E.B. White (Patrick Kennedy) sitting nearby, and seeks out his opinions as a fellow writer in a fun little digression.  White reveals he is working on his first children's book and Hart intrigues White with the story of a mouse who keeps coming back to his 19th floor apartment. White asks if he'd named the mouse and Hart comes up with "Stuart."  Well, we all know how that turned out, right?

As the playgoers, Elizabeth, and Rodgers and Hammerstein arrive at Sardi's and the rave reviews for "Oklahoma!" pour in and it becomes clear that Elizabeth doesn't think of Hart "that way," he becomes more and more depressed, so he drinks.

It doesn't end well for Hart.

Nominated for a Best Picture Golden Globe, this film, directed by Richard Linklater, and written for the screen by Robert Kaplow (based on the letters of Lorenz Hart and the real life Elizabeth Weiland) is a wonderful recreation of 1940's New York and boasts a first-rate ensemble cast.  

But this is a tour de force for Ethan Hawke, who is completely transformed into Hart, who was less than five feet tall (Hawke is 5' 11" in real life) thanks to the direction of Linklater and Hawke's acting abilities (he is also nominated for a Best Actor Golden Globe). Hawke even shaved part of his head to achieve the comb over that Hart sported. And it's all him, all of the time, holding forth in Sardi's as Hart, lamenting what could be unrequited love for the 20-year-old Elizabeth and bitter about what could perhaps be the end of his career.  I think Hawke said recently he had more lines in this movie than in all of his movies for the last ten years (or something like that). And he is just remarkable.  I forgot I was watching Ethan Hawke and for an hour and 40 minutes, I felt like I was in Lorenz Hart's world.

Rosy the Reviewer says...if you love classic musicals, you will have fun getting all of the references (and see if you spot a young Stephen Sondheim), but even if you aren't particularly interested in musicals, if you appreciate great acting, this will be an enjoyable experience. I see an Oscar nod for Ethan Hawke. (in theatres and for rent or purchase on Amazon Prime)

Oh.What.Fun (2025)

An homage to the true heroes of the holidays, the Moms who make Christmas happen for their families.

Texas housewife Claire Clauster (Michelle Pfeiffer) spends the entire year planning the perfect family Christmas for her husband Nick (Denis Leary) and their kids. Channing (Felicity Jones), the oldest, is home for the holidays with her husband, Doug (Jason Schwartzman), and two kids; middle child Taylor (Chloe Grace Moretz) is gay and has a reputation for bringing a different girlfriend home every Christmas and this year she has brought Donna (Devery Jacobs); and Sammy (Dominic Sessa) is in a funk because his girlfriend just dumped him. 

But Claire is doing everything she can to make the holiday merry and bright and all she wants for Christmas is for the kids to nominate her for the Best Holiday Mom contest, which would result in an all-expenses-paid trip to Burbank to meet her idol, self-help guru and talk show host, Zazzy Tims (Eva Longoria). She has been hinting about that to the kids but not only don't they get the hints, they take all of her efforts for granted.

And then the final straw.  Claire has gotten tickets to a show and everyone climbs into two cars - and they forget Claire.  Think "Home Alone," except instead of forgetting Kevin, the family forgot Mom!  So that's it. Claire decides to leave and drive to California where she gate-crashes Zazzy's live televised broadcast.

Written by Chandler Baker and Michael Showalter and directed by Showalter, I was really looking forward to this film.  It had a great line-up of stars and none of the Hallmark Christmas movie tropes. The idea that Moms would get some props seemed to be a refreshing idea, but sadly, overall the movie was very disappointing. 

Though the competition between Claire and her neighbor, Jeanne Wang-Wasserman (Joan Chen), who appears to have the perfect family and who seems to do everything right much to Claire's annoyance, was kind of fun, it all fell apart for me when Claire goes to the mall to get a candle for Jeanne that will outdo the one Jeanne gave Claire, and finding the checkout line too long, Claire walks out of the mall with the candle.  Security tries to stop her and chases her, but she gets away and that's that. Huh? No knock on the door later, no police, she gets away with it?  All I could do was talk to the screen and say, "What? Didn't they get her car's license number and report her to the police?" That whole scene didn't need to happen. And then why was Doug so needing to get Taylor's approval?  Made no sense. And then it all kept going downhill from there for me. Too many unbelievable plot holes, too many questions and I just didn't care anymore.

Rosy the Reviewer says...despite an all-star cast and a good idea, it was NOT so.much.fun. It made me wish for those Hallmark movie tropes! (Amazon Prime)

The Wrong Paris (2025)

Twenty-five-year-old aspiring artist, Dawn, has been admitted to art school in Paris but doesn't have the funds to pay for it.  What to do?  Why, go on a dating show, what else?

Dawn (Miranda Cosgrove) lives in a small Texas town with her two sisters and grandmother Birdie (Frances Fisher). Dawn is thrilled to be accepted to an art school in Paris, but is short of funds after spending some of her savings on Birdie's medical expenses.

A huge fan of the dating show - "The Honeypot" - a bachelor-type show - Dawn's sister, Emily (Emilija Baranac) talks Dawn into auditioning for the show, as the  appearance fee would help cover her studies. Dawn reluctantly goes to an audition and is surprised to learn she is cast for the upcoming season, which will be taking place in Paris. Later, the two sisters go out for a drink and to play pool to celebrate, and Dawn connects with one very handsome cowboy. They have a few moments together and then part, thinking, that's that.  Well, this is rom-com.  You know how that goes.

But here's the twist for Dawn and the viewer.  The show is not going to take place in Paris, France, but rather Paris, Texas!  And guess who the bachelor on the show is going to be?  You got it.

So though Dawn likes the cowboy bachelor, Trey (Pierson Fode), she doesn't like the fact that she is in Paris, Texas, and not Paris, France, so she wants off of the show and does everything she can to get kicked off. But this is rom-com. Again, you know how that goes.

Yes, I know, this isn't "Citizen Kane," but sometimes it's fun to watch a little airy rom-com, especially if it stars two nice looking people, especially one very handsome cowboy.  Sorry.  I gush. 

Written by Nicole Henrich and directed by Janeen Damian, this definitely feeds into my obsession, er... tendency to watch dating shows. I enjoy watching handsome and beautiful people fall in love, but this little movie is also a satire of that genre, poking fun at it e.g. all of the girls are kind of wacky and none of them will eat in front of the camera (kind of true - think about it) and when Trey chooses who stays, he asks "Will you accept this...spur? Lol! But that aside, the movie is also one of those "what if" stories.  What if there is a girl on a Bachelor-type reality show who really doesn't want to be there? Fun ensues.

Rosy the Reviewer says...if you enjoy dating shows, you will enjoy this, and even if you don't, this is a light refreshment. Yes, it's far-fetched and has a certain amount of slapstick, but what's wrong with that?  But I thought it was fun, and I am accepting the spur! (Netflix)

See You Next Time!

And Happy Holidays!

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)!

What's The Deal With Those Hallmark...er... Netflix Holiday Movies? Netflix? What?

[I review the holiday movies "Jingle Bell Heist," "Champagne Problems" and "The Merry Gentlemen"]

Hallmark holiday movies have reigned supreme during the holidays, despite the fact that each and every one of them has the same predictable tropes: a big-city professional returns to his or her small and charming town and ends up saving a bakery or inn.  He or she is also a fish out of water but finds romance, usually an unlikely one where they don't like each other at first; the road to love is rocky and then there are encounters with odd characters followed by a major plot point involving the holidays with an uplifting message reminding us of what the holiday season is supposed to be about.  And then there is snow.

But now Netflix is giving Hallmark a run for it's money when it comes to holiday movies and don't expect the usual tropes. Netflix has found some new ways to celebrate the holidays. But never fear.  Yes, there will be an unlikely romance.  There has to be.  And yes, there will be an uplifting message...and sometimes snow.

So cuddle up by the fire, grab a hot drink and take a break from the hassles of real life and get in the holiday mood.  These are hot on Netflix right now.

Jingle Bell Heist (2025)

An American ex-pat and a British ex-con meet in London and plan a Christmas Eve heist together. Just your usual holiday fun!

Sophie Arbus (Olivia Holt) works two jobs, one at Sterlings department store and another at a pub in London.  She is in London for cancer treatment for her mother. Sophie also happens to be a pick-pocket, and doesn't have a problem lifting the occasional wallet. 

While working her job at the department store, Sophie steals a diamond encrusted dog collar from a rude customer and while dropping it off in the store's vaulted security room, she steals some petty cash as well and eyes some expensive jewelry being kept there, not realizing that she is being watched by Nick O'Connor (Connor Swindells) on the department store's video feed. You see, Nick installed the security camera system but, unfortunately, he was fired for his trouble and falsely accused of stealing from the store which led to his spending two years in prison.  Now he is struggling financially and trying to stay connected to his young daughter and ex-wife. But, he still has access to the store's video feed and, of course, he wants revenge on the store.

Nick approaches Sophie, tells her he saw her in the vault and tries to blackmail her into helping him rob Sterlings.  She says no at first, but when she learns her mother needs some expensive treatment she can't afford, she says yes and the two plan a heist for Christmas Eve.

There are many bungled attempts and a big twist before the Christmas Day reveal.  Will these two prevail?  More importantly, will they fall in love?

Written by Abby McDonald and Amy Reed and directed by Michael Fimognan, this holiday movie defies the tropes. No charming, rural small town, no bakery to save. There isn't even any snow, but the production values are first rate, and it was actually filmed in London, which is not often the case with the Hallmark movies, which even if set in London are most often filmed in Canada. Anyway, this is a charming film to get you into the holiday mood.  Holt and Swindells make charming thieves, and believe it or not, the dialogue and story are also charming. I loved it!

Rosy the Reviewer says...if you are a bit of an Anglophile (I am a big one!), you will enjoy this British take on a holiday movie. Did I say it was charming?

Champagne Problems (2025)

A company executive travels to Paris during the Christmas holiday to secure the acquisition of a renowned champagne brand and meets a handsome Parisian.  Gee, Paris, Christmas, handsome guy.  Do you think there will be romance? Duh.

"Champagne isn't just a drink, it's a celebration!" 

During a meeting at her company, The Roth Group (TRG), Sydney Price (Minka Kelly), who is in charge of acquisitions for the company, suggests they enter the Champagne business, whereupon her boss Marvin (Mitchell Mullen) asks her to go to Paris to buy the Champagne Chateau of Hugo Cassell. 

In Paris, Sydney checks out a bookstore called Les Etoiles, where a French gentleman, Henri (Tom Wozniczka), directs her to a section she is looking for. He admits that he doesn't really work there, but wants to eventually open a bookstore that also serves wine. He offers to guide her around the city, and she accepts. They embark on a tour of the city, and on a Ferris wheel that stalls, the two have plenty of time to share their stories and begin a romance.  And wouldn't you know, the next morning when Sydney arrives for her meeting with Hugo Cassell (Thibault de Montalembert), there, in the meeting, is Henri, who just happens to be Hugo's son.  Awk...ward.

In the meantime, Sydney is not the only one vying for acquisition of Champagne Chateau.  There are Roberto Salazar (Sean Amsing) and Otto Moller (Flula Borg) who provide some comic relief as well as Brigitte Laurent (Astrid Whettnall), Hugo's business partner, is also in attendance at the meeting and Hugo invites all of them to the Chateau. But Sydney's boss, Marvin, is not feeling that Sydney is up for the job, so he sends Ryan Garner (Xavier Samuel) to assist her.

It's all very beautiful and decorated for the holidays at the Chateau, but a dark cloud descends when Ryan arrives and announces that the ultimate plan for the Chateau Cassell is to be sold to a Japanese company for a big profit.  Henri overhears and is not happy.  Sydney tries to voice her opposition but Ryan threatens to have her fired if she doesn't follow the plan. 

All kinds of machinations involving the acquisition of the Chateau ensue as well as misunderstandings between our lovers. 

Yes, even though this is a Netflix movie, the Hallmark tropes are in place and we all know how this is going to end. Written and directed by Mark Steven Johnson, it's the usual formula, but that doesn't mean this is not an enjoyable film. It is.  Beautiful actors, beautiful location, who cares if there are a few cliches? Minka Kelly, who is probably best known for her role in the TV show "Friday Night Lights," is a lovely, believable actress and the rest of the cast and the production values raise this film above the usual TV rom-com. It's a warm, comforting little movie just right for this time of year. We love these kinds of movies despite their predictability because we love the holidays, but more importantly, we love love, and when we see an attractive couple falling in love, we remember how our first (or second or third) great loves looked at us with love in their eyes and we get to relive it.  Well, that's my theory and I'm sticking with it! And it doesn't hurt if you also love champagne.

I have to add that Paris is a special place at Christmas.  We flew there one Christmas day thinking that no one would be there because they would all be at home with their families.  We were wrong. I guess everyone else also thought Paris was a special place for Christmas and they were there too.  It was a madhouse.  But you can avoid the crowds and enjoy it watching this little movie from your comfortable chair, hopefully with a glass of champagne!  

Rosy the Reviewer says...this one has the Hallmark tropes, but hey, we get to hang out in France for the holidays! And it was actually filmed in France.

The Merry Gentlemen (2024)

Broadway dancer Ashley Davis (Britt Robertson) has rarely been back to her hometown in the 12 years since becoming a "Jingle Belle" on Broadway (think the Rockettes), but when she is fired from her job, it's back home she goes for the holidays. 

Yes, Ashley returns home to her small town of Sycamore Creek, and yes, her parents' bar, "The Rhythm Room," needs saving and yes, she "meets cute" with Luke (Chad Michael Murray), a handsome handyman, when she arrives (she gets snarled up in a holiday wreath he is putting up). Trope-de-trope-de trope, but that's where the tropes end.  Enter the male strippers!

But first, let me back up a bit.

When Ashley arrives in town and after running into Luke, she discovers that her parents, Stan (Michael Gross) and Lily (Beth Broderick), owe $30,000 in rent for their bar, and if not paid they will lose it. But when Ashley sees Luke with his shirt off, she gets the idea to have a male Christmas revue in the bar to raise the cash. She is a dancer, after all. She enlists Luke as well as her sister's husband, Rodger (Marc Anthony Samuel); Ricky (Hector David Jr.), a local taxi driver she met when she arrived; and Troy (Colt Prattes), the bartender; and dubs them "The Merry Gentlemen." And when Rodger twists his ankle, she recruits older bar customer, Danny (Maxwell Caulfield). When he agrees and is questioned about whether he can learn the choreography, he answers by saying he doesn't just drink when he sits at the bar. 

The troupe is a G-rated "Magic Mike" and they are a hit. All goes well and it is clear that Luke and Ashley have feelings for each other.  But then, Ashley is offered her job back on Broadway.  What will she do? Will she leave Sycamore Creek and Luke behind?

I don't think it's a spoiler if I say...duh. 

With a story by Jeffrey Schenck and Peter Sullivan, a screenplay by Marla Sokoloff (who also plays Ashley's sister) and directed by Sullivan, what saves this from being just another predictable Hallmark-type holiday movie is that it has characters you care about. Britt Robertson, probably best known for "The Longest Ride " and "Tomorrowland (both of which I reviewed favorably in 2015) is a lovely actress with a luminous quality that draws you in, and hey, there is nothing wrong with enjoying buff guys gyrating with their shirts off! 

Rosy the Reviewer says...despite the usual predictability, this has the holiday spirit we yearn for and is a heartwarming reminder that "there's no place like home."

See You Next Time!

And Happy Holidays!

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)!

Movies Now Playing in a Living Room Near You! "Tarot," "Find Me Falling," and "Summer Camp."

[I review "Tarot (a current Top Ten Movie on Netflix)," "Find Me Falling," and "Summer Camp" - a little horror, a little romance and a little mess of a movie to avoid]

Tarot (2024)

While doing a tarot card reading, in classic horror movie mode, a group of friends unknowingly unleash evil and death.

A group of college friends - Haley (Harriet Slater), Grant (Adain Bradley), Paxton (Jacob Batalon), Paige (Avantika), Madeline (Humberly Gonzalez), Lucas (Wolfgang Novogratz), and Elise (Larsen Thompson) - rent a creepy mansion in the Catskills for Elise's birthday. Haley and Grant have recently broken up so the group distracts themselves from the tension by playing with a tarot card set they have found in the basement.

Haley does some astrological readings using the tarot cards. Elise is matched with "The High Priestess" card that predicts she will "climb the ladder of success." Well, that's good, right? Lucas gets "The Hermit." Paige is matched with "The Magician" and Paxton "The Fool." Okay, not sure what those mean.  But then Haley pulls "The Hanged Man" for Madeline and "The Devil" for Grant. Haley gets "Death." Oops.

So... this is a horror film. The typical young people in danger scenario.  I am sure you can figure out what is going to happen when these kids get back to campus. Yes, they start dying in the manner of their tarot card. If you like horror films, the fun here is who, how and when.  The "how" is particularly good.

When the kids figure out, uh, things are bad, they consult Alma (Olwen Fouere), a tarot expert they find online. I mean, when you are looking for an expert, you go online, right?  She is able to identify the cards as those belonging to an 18th century astrologer who worked for a Hungarian Count.  After telling the Count that his pregnant wife and child would die in childbirth and it came true, the Count ordered his men to kill the Astrologer's daughter which really pissed off the Astrologer, who in turn, doomed the Count and his friends to death and cursed the cards.  Oops.  Alma tells the kids they need to destroy those cards. 

So off they all go back to the mansion to destroy the tarot cards.  Not a good idea because there is more scary stuff to come, but for you squeamish folks, it's only mildly gory (I only had to put my hands over my eyes once).

Written and directed by Spenser Cohen and Anna Halberg (based on the book "Horrorscope" by Nicholas Adams) and starring a cast of talented and attractive unknown actors, this is kind of silly but it is fast-moving, stylishly done and is currently in Netflix's Top Ten Movies.  

Rosy the Reviewer says...I enjoy the occasional "gotcha" and "Don't go up there, in there, out there!" moments that horror films provide, and this film is full of them.  If you like stylish horror films, and especially if you are into tarot and astrology, you might enjoy this too.  (Netflix)

Find Me Falling (2024)

Rock star, John Allman, is licking his wounds in Cypress after his latest album bombed, and it doesn't help matters when he discovers that his remote cliffside home attracts unwanted "visitors." 

Morose John Allman (Harry Connick Jr.) is not happy to discover that his new home high on a cliff in Cypress is also a hotspot for suicides.  But, oh well, that fits his gloomy mood.  He is a musician and his latest album tanked.  He has moved to Cypress to escape and to hope no one recognizes him. That ain't gonna happen because not only is he recognized, but he runs into Sia (Agni Scott), a woman he had met in Cypress many years ago.  It just so happens that John's most famous song is about a woman he once met on a beach. And it just so happens that Sia is a single mother with a daughter, Melina (Ali Fumiko Whitney), who is also a singer.  Mmmm.

Sia and John rekindle their romance, but it is not without bumps on the beach especially when John writes a possible hit and contemplates returning to New York. In the meantime, lots of people continue to try to throw themselves over John's cliff, John gets caught up in village life, and we find out why Sia and John broke up years ago. There is also a twist that I saw miles before it was revealed (and you probably will too), but those miles you see are all over the picturesque Mediterranean location so like I always say, "It's the journey."

Harry Connick Jr. is not much of an actor, but he is a handsome guy, well-supported here by a quirky plot and interesting (sometimes quirky) actors, especially Scott, who is interesting, not quirky. I just wish there had been a bit more sexual chemistry between our two lovebirds. But the film, written and directed by Stelana Kliris, is very, very sweet, like a cupcake with frosting and then some sugar on top of that and there's nothing wrong with a little sugar. It makes you feel good.

Rosy the Reviewer says...if you are a Harry Connick Jr. fan or a fan of Hallmark Movies, you will like this.  It's a feelgood 90 minute getaway to beautiful Cypress. (Netflix)

Summer Camp (2024)

Nora (Diane Keaton), Ginny (Kathy Bates), and Mary (Alfre Woodard) have been close friends since they were children, spending every summer together at summer camp.  But life has kept them apart so when an opportunity arises to attend a summer camp reunion, they jump at the chance.

God knows I love films that showcase female friendships, and I wanted to believe that's what this movie would be, but when these kinds of movies go wrong, they go very, very wrong, especially when they are about women of a certain age.

First of all, let me say...Diane, Diane, Diane...what happened to you?  You used to be a serious actress or at least take yourself seriously.  I remember you in "The Godfather," "Reds," "Looking for Mr. Goodbar." But then along came "Annie Hall," a perfectly wonderful film, but for some reason, you have decided to embrace your Annie Hall persona in your Golden Years.  You now play a Dingbat practically every chance you get.  And you do it in real life as well right down to the way you dress.  I have never gotten over your appearances on "Ellen," when you would flutter onto the set and drink wine and fiddle-dee-dee your head off.  And that's what we have here.

So anyway, Nora, Ginny and Mary have known each other since childhood and "promised to stay best friends forever..." and now 50 years later they are getting together for a reunion at summer camp.  Ginny is a best-selling self-help author, who can't seem to help herself; Mary is a nurse who had really wanted to be a doctor but gave up her dream to marry a bad husband; and Nora is a recluse scientist, who doesn't know how to have fun.  Naturally, they all find themselves and solve their life problems after going through some wacky, slapstick stuff at camp, none of which are funny.

Written and directed by Castille Landon, what could have been a funny but heartfelt exploration of long-term female friendships was actually an exercise in bad dialogue and over-acting and not one laugh to be had.  Case in point.  Eugene Levy plays Stevie D, who we are supposed to believe is a longtime object of Nora's lust.  Nothing against Eugene Levy but kind of a stretch. And then, of course, we had to have the sex-starved older woman stereotype at play.

Ginny and Mary do a makeover on Nora so she can seduce Stevie, and I kid you not, the outfit they put her in is...wait for it... an exact replica of an Annie Hall outfit, full-skirt, wide-cinched belt and even that dumb, I mean, signature hat that Diane wears all of the time. But no surprise, really, because Diane has been dressing like that for years in real life.

I know it is not easy for women of a certain age to find work in Hollywood and they are willing to put up with stereotypical and disrespectful roles to get work, but then think about 94-year-old June Squibb recently starring in the wonderful film "Thelma." She managed to find a film that didn't make her look like an idiot.

Rosy the Reviewer says...just awful.  Can someone please find these veteran actresses a vehicle worthy of their talents?  Until then, you can skip this one (for rent or purchase on Amazon Prime, but don't bother).

Thanks for reading!

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)!

More Good Movies You Might Not Know About, Part 2

[I review the new documentary "Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg," as well as an indie character study, "Mickey Hardaway," and the rom-com, "Somebody I Used To Know."] 

Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg (2023)

A documentary about a famous person you have probably never heard of....rock and roll muse, Anita Pallenberg, who was most famous for her relationships with the Rolling Stones (yes, more than one) in the 1960's and 70's, but who was much more than that. 

I was a child of the 60's and loved the Rolling Stones.  I knew who Anita Pallenberg was, but I didn't really know anything much about her.

What I knew:

She was a model and an actress who was the girlfriend of Brian Jones, then Keith Richards with a bit of dabbling with Mick Jagger.  Well, I didn't really know the Mick Jagger part. She was a style icon of the 60's and 70's, starred in some movies, and she and Keith were both addicted to heroin.

What I didn't know:

Born in either Rome or Hamburg (her early life is unclear), she moved to New York City at 19 and became part of Andy Warhol's Factory.  She became a model and traveled the world, meeting the Rolling Stones back stage in Munich in 1965. She was a free spirit who drew people to her infectious personality. Immediately attracted to Brian Jones (he was the handsome Rolling Stone), the two became an item and she gave up modeling and moved to London to be with him.  The two got involved in taking drugs, but Brian's drug use overtook him.  He was abusive to Anita, at which point Keith, who had always had a crush on her, moved in to rescue her, though she hardly needed rescuing.  When she and Brian would fight, she threw as many punches as he did. 

It didn't help the relationship with Brian when Anita discovered acting and starred in "Barbarella" and later the cult classic "Performance," the latter film also starring Mick Jagger. Those two hooked up briefly, though Anita always said she was never that attracted to Mick. By then, Anita had moved on from Brian to Keith and her affair with Mick upset Keith so much he wrote "Gimme Shelter." And when she went back to Keith, Mick wrote "You Can't Always Get What You Want." Drugs had always been a part of Anita's life but with Keith, the heroin addiction began in earnest and when Brian Jones died and she had her first child, she started going off the rails.  There was the death of a child, a breakdown and and break-up but like a phoenix from the ashes, Anita endured.  She died in 2017.

After watching this riveting documentary directed by Alexis Bloom and Svetlana Zill, now I know all about her and what a presence she was. Her impact on the Rolling Stones and others who knew her was enormous. She was the ultimate 60's rock chick.

Both of Keith's and her living children - Marlon and Angela (aka Dandelion) - weigh in on their mother's life and her impact on them.  At her death, an unpublished autobiography was found and in the film, Scarlett Johansson tells Anita's story "in her own words." Keith and Marianne Faithfull also weigh in along with others who knew Anita. The film is full of never-before-seen footage, film clips, photographs and home movies. 

Keith calls Anita "a piece of work (in a good way)," and others talk about her charisma, her intellect and talent and what a force of nature she was. Keith ends the film by saying "She made a man of me."  Mick does not weigh in.

Rosy the Reviewer says...an absolutely fascinating true story that is a must-see for Rolling Stones fans, and you Baby Boomers out there will enjoy reliving your youth. I know I did. (in theatres or for rent on Amazon Prime)

Note: A great double feature would be this film along with "The Stones and Brian Jones," another documentary I reviewed back in April. 

Mickey Hardaway (2024)

A young man tries to rise above the trauma and abuse he suffered as a child to follow his dreams.

Mickey (Rashad Hunter) is a talented artist who dreams of being a cartoonist and sketch artist, but he can't seem to rise above the abuse he suffered at school and at home. His father (David Chattam)not only beat him physically but beat down his dreams. He thinks art is a waste of time. But Mickey finds encouragement from his art teacher (Dennis L.A. White) and later his counselor (Charlz Williams) at the Art Institute where he was awarded a scholarship.  But sometimes, when abuse runs deep, even well-meaning people are not enough. After being taken advantage of by an employer who Mickey thought was going to help him with his animation career, he starts drinking and his life unravels.  But Grace (Ashley Parchment), his caring girlfriend, encourages him to seek help. He meets with Dr. Cameron Harden (Stephen Cofield Jr.), and in a series of flashbacks during his sessions, we see just what Mickey has gone through.

Filmed in black and white, with a brief bit of color, this is a grim character study, very neo-noir and talky with some actors better than others, but, you will keep watching, because you want to see what will happen to Mickey.  Will he make it?  And you care because of Hunter, whose portrayal of Mickey is poignant and effective. And when Mickey says things like, "When you feel the world doesn't give a damn about you, you feel you have nothing to lose," you worry about Mickey, and, as the film progresses, and he says,  "It's hard to be good when all you know is evil," you worry even more as you get insight into why some young men turn to violence.

Written and directed by Marcellus Cox and based on his short film of the same name, this is his feature film debut, a bit of raw naturalism reminiscent of early Spike Lee, and a look at what can happen when someone feels he has nowhere to turn after years of abuse and disappointment.  

Cox says the film showcases "the generational trauma and mental exhaustion that people, in particular black men, have to endure and how we're taught to keep moving on with life without discussing our emotions and seeking help until it's too late and even then sometimes it's not enough once you find it...it's a conversational character study that doesn't seek to give you answers but more to show how folks, in a time more than ever with depression being a mainstay, reach their breaking points...with mental health being at an all-time high in the Black community, I really wanted to bring this subject to a much needed forefront."

And Cox has done that.

Rosy the Reviewer says...some grim realism but the film shines a light on the effects of generational trauma and mental illness, and for a first feature film, Cox shows promise for a long career as a serious writer/director. Make some room, Spike! (Tubi)

Somebody I Used To Know (2023)

Workaholic Ally returns to her hometown and reconnects with her old boyfriend - trouble ensues.

Ally (Alison Brie) is a showrunner for a reality show called "Dessert Island," that is part "Survivor," part "Love Island" and part "The Great British Baking Show (sounds like my kind of reality show)!" In case you didn't know, a showrunner literally "runs the show," so Ally is a bit of a workaholic and doesn't have much going on except work.  And she has never taken the time to evaluate her life and ask herself if she is happy, so when her show is canceled she decides to go back to her hometown - Leavenworth, Washington and visit her mother (Julie Hagerty).

While there, she runs into her old boyfriend, Sean (Jay Ellis), at a bar and they spend the evening together reminiscing. Ally had always wanted to leave town to follow her dreams to become a documentary filmmaker, but so far that dream as eluded her, but Sean likes it in Leavenworth, thank you very much.  He is close to his family and even has a house on their property. With no job and few prospects, getting back together with Sean seems very appealing to Ally. Maybe she made a mistake to leave. The evening ends with a kiss with Ally wanting to go further but Sean begs off.  She finds out why the next day - Sean is getting married the next weekend. Awk-ward!  And even more awkward is the fact that Sean's mother, Jojo, insists that Ally come to the wedding and film it! Ally jumps at the chance because now she thinks she should be with Sean, not his fiance, Cassidy (Kiersey Clemons). 

But wait, there is more awkward stuff.  With a nod to "My Best Friend's Wedding," Ally starts meddling in an effort to split them up.  But then things get complicated when Ally and Cassidy get to know each other and their initial suspicions about each other fade away. Things continue to be awkward and go from bad to worse... until they get better.

The Christmas-oriented Leavenworth, Washington makes for a scenic backdrop for a rom-com. Having lived in Washington for several years, I have personal experience about the cuteness of Leavenworth, and it has an interesting history.  It is a small town in the Cascade Mountains styled after a Bavarian village. In the 1960's when the lumber mills closed and the town was in decline, the city looked to tourism to revitalize the area.  They modeled the town after the Danish-themed town of Solvang, California, and today Leavenworth is a hotspot of tourism, especially at Christmas.  There are countless restaurants serving German food, pretzels and beer, a nutcracker museum and even a Snow Train from Seattle that takes visitors there (I've done that too)! 

Brie is a talented comic actress and she and Ellis are an engaging couple. Brie is especially good at awkward, and I mean that in a good way.  The rest of the ensemble are also first-rate and the town of Leavenworth also stars. 

Written by Dave Franco and Brie (who are married in real life) and directed by Franco, this is not your usual silly rom-com. It's a smart one with real, believable characters and a message about loving yourself before you can love anyone else. Instead of "boy meets girl, boy and girl break up and then get back together," this is more "boy meets girl and girl finds herself."  And there is even a satire on reality TV thrown in.

Rosy the Reviewer says...a sweet and enjoyable rom-com with a serious message. (Amazon Prime)

Thanks for reading!

See you next time!

If you enjoyed this post, feel free to like it and share it on Facebook, Twitter, or other sites; email it to your friends and/or follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/rosythereviewer 

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 "Critic 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)!