Boss (2013)

Boss is better than its promotion might imply (and if you think that poster art is bad, you should see the others). It stars Akshay Kumar as an estranged son who is taken in by a local gangster. Boss grows to be as feared and respected as his mentor/father figure, but he hasn't forgotten his roots nor his prideful father (Mithun Chakraborty). When contracted by a corrupt minister to kill an innocent man, Boss gets an opportunity to act upon what's still in his heart.
The exuberance of Bollywood is in every facet of Boss' character, which gives the film and its lead a truly bigger than life feeling. And slow-mo heavy finale aside, the action scenes are some of the best that I’ve seen from there, even if they are mostly stolen ideas from popular US, French and Thai movies. It takes a dive once or twice (the awful party song), but mostly it keeps buoyant.

3 rocking chairs out of 5

First Knight (1995)

A retelling of the Arthurian legend that eschews much of the lore so that it can push the love triangle to the fore. Alas, the majority of what was removed was useful, weighty stuff that gives the story both its epic feeling and magical spark, and the love story alone has problems. One third of which is Arthur, already an aged King with all the drama of his rise to power left unsaid, betrothed to Genevieve (Julia Ormond), young enough to be his granddaughter, when the film begins. And finally, the dashing but disruptive swordsman Lancelot, the film's 'first knight', is a passionless Richard Gere.
Costumes and settings are pretty to look at, and there's a wonderful round table scene, but it's primarily Connery as the pained (Scottish) British King in the latter half that gives the film anything of note in the acting department.

2½ ambushes out of 5

Dogtown and Z-Boys (2001)

It's probably pretty obvious to an onlooker that skateboarding was influenced by surfing, but for the story of how advancements in technology enabled an explosion of creativity, and how a collective punk attitude shaped the current state of the sport, you need to go to Dogtown; i.e. Santa Monica in the mid 70s. Directed by a key member of the original Zephyr team (Stacy Peralta), it's a spirited look at both the activity itself and the attitudes of the skaters who pushed it beyond mere pastime into a fully expressive way of life.
The old 8 and 16 mm footage is a highlight, but so too is the soundtrack: Black Sabbath, Bowie, Alice Cooper, Pink Floyd, Stooges, Hendrix, Neil Young, and more. When put together they make a good documentary even better. And if you don't like the format, there's a dramatised biopic version of the story.

3½ points of evolution out of 5

10 to Midnight (1983)

Charles Bronson is probably best remembered for playing characters that operated outside of the law. In 10 to Midnight he plays a seasoned police lieutenant named Kessler whose duty requires him to stay within it. His partner is a younger man (Andrew Stevens) who strives to meet Kessler's standards; he's okay with the situation, until he's required to meet his own. The duo hunt an ego-driven serial killer (Gene Davis) who murders with a knife while naked.
Even though it's a police drama, it relies on Bronson's anti-hero persona much of the time. The violence walks a fine line between exploitative and daring, but may not seem like either if unfairly judged by today's standards.

2½ poker hands out of 5

Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu (2012)

Twenty-five-year-old Rahul Kapoor (Imran Khan) hasn't lived up to the differing expectations that his overbearing parents have for him. He's introverted, wears a tank-top and likes to keep things tidy. Riana Braganza (Kareena Kapoor), on the other hand, lives for the moment - preferably if the moment involves a party. They couldn't be more different, which makes them the kind of ingredients that get thrown together in movie rom-coms.
Set in Vegas and India, it begins on Xmas, progressing through approx two weeks, but it encompasses Rahul's entire life thus far, because before you can come out of your shell you first have to place yourself inside of one. Like its leading man starts out, the film is a clear-cut case of lacking a vital spark.

2½ toppings out of 5

The Order (2001)

After an opening scene set in the year 1099, telling of the First Crusade in Israel, the film jumps to modern day Ukraine where Rudy Cafmeyer (Jean-Claude van Damme) is stealing something that he's no legal claim to. Later, after some poorly acted scenes, the charisma-vacuum goes on a quest to find his archaeologist father. There's an Israeli police lieutenant (Sofia Milos) who exists to be a helpful cliché, and, because it's 'movie' Middle East, a religious zealot (Brian Thompson) with a bomb who wants to start a Holy War.
In a way that the filmmakers likely hadn't planned, viewing The Order enriched my life, because I vow that the next time I see a film with JCVD as the leading man, I won't waste a single second of my time on it.

1 pleasure trip out of 5

Triple Threat (2019)

If art for arts sake is a widely accepted philosophy, then action for action's sake must also be a thing. And while I acknowledge that a visual media like cinema can exist without any didactic need to explain itself beyond its own autotelic value, I prefer to have a little story in my action movies. Triple Threat delivers both, with emphasis on 'action' and the 'little' being literal.
A mission to free Thai prisoners from Indonesian captors ends in a massacre and a double-cross, leaving wronged parties on both sides. What follows is a story of payback involving many squibs and some of Southeast Asia's best martial artists, the kind who prove that well-choreographed action can itself be an art form. The dialogue is mostly English language, with some Chinese and Thai. It's occasionally badly dubbed, but it's tolerable.

2½ local assistants out of 5

The Devil and Father Amorth (2017)

Over four decades after he staged a pretend exorcism (and made cinema history as a result), director William Friedkin filmed a "real" one performed by Father Gabriele Amorth, a revered and respected member of the Diocese of Rome. Friedkin presents and narrates his own footage, referencing often the film that made his name, so expect spoilers for The Exorcist (1973).
Prior to the main event there's interview footage of authors William Peter Blatty and Jeffrey Burton Russell. Afterwards the medical community, experts in the fields of neurosurgery and psychiatry, comment on what the viewer has just seen. There's no definitive resolution. Instead, as with the fictional film, a viewer will likely see in the footage their own beliefs reflected back at them, with regards both sides of the incident; i.e. authenticity or artifice.

2 trance states out of 5

The Duel (2016)

Texas Ranger David Kingston (Liam Hemsworth) is sent to investigate the disappearance of a number of Mexican citizens in Mount Hermon, a Texan town, which brings him into contact with a man he's not seen for twenty-two years. The man is Abraham Brant (Woody Harrelson), who, since their last meeting in rain and blood, has supposedly been "touched by God".
There's a decent sense of hostility in the townsfolk, but Hemsworth is pretty bland much of the time, coming alive only when armed and angered. In contrast, there's a hint of Colonel Kurtz about Harrelson's Abraham, leading with a hospitality that's threatening. The supporting characters feel very 'written' for purpose, including Abraham's son Isaac (Emory Cohen), who's both a thorn in the Ranger's side and a bitter disappointment to his father.

2½ dust coverings out of 5

Ponyo (2008)

aka Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea

A creepy human-faced fish hitches a ride on a jellyfish, leaving behind its equally creepy-faced siblings. Ponyo, as the free-loader comes to be called, is rescued by five-year-old Sōsuke, and so begins a magical friendship.
At least, that was the idea, but it didn't feel very magical to me for a long time. Besides a spectacular scene involving Ponyo and a storm, the first hour felt more like two. But things changed for the final third. The relationship between the two children grew deeper and it became reminiscent of My Neighbour Totoro (1988). Ponyo's 'everything is new and exciting' attitude became uplifting, and the adventure took on new life. The destructive tides and planets situation seemed a step too far, but the story redeemed itself emotionally, which is what saved it in my eyes. But I won't watch it twice.

3 nap times out of 5