MOVIE REVIEW: Yesterday

The collaboration of two of my favorite people in the film world: writer Richard Curtis, who penned some of the best comedies in our lifetime among them Love Actually, Four Weddings and a Funeral and Notting Hill and Danny Boyle, who continues to astound us with films as diverse as the Oscar winning Slumdog Millionaire to the trippy Trainspotting resulted in arguably  2019's best comedy Yesterday.

A struggling musician Jack Malik (Himesh Patel in a breakout role) can't seem to have a big break in his musical career. Ironically, an accident resulting from a cosmic glitch made him an overnight sensation. He woke up in a world in which the Beatles didn't exist. Jack sang some songs to his friends and family and they were impressed by his "songwriting" skills. It even caught the attention of real life pop superstar Ed Sheeran playing himself and Jack Malik never had better.

Curtis' touches are evident in the film: wonderful yet quirky friends of the lead. As well as Boyle's sginature one man's struggle in the world scenario. Yesterday is such a feel-good film anchored by the well-loved songs of the Beatles and great performances from the cast. Yesterday is the 3rd straight entertaining film about British music starting from Bohemian Rhapsody to Rocketman.

MOVIE REVIEW: Toy Story 4

Just when we all thought that the Toy Story franchise would conclude in the 3rd movie released 9 years ago, Disney/Pixar released a 4th one. It doesn't have the grandeur of the last installment but just like the other 2 movies after the 1st film, you can see the growth of the characters, animation and the story. 

Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) and the rest of the toy gang are now with their owner Bonnie (voiced by Madeleine McGraw), a shy, timid girl who finds happiness with her toys. When she's about to start kindergarten, Woody tags along and in her first class project, the teachers asks the students to make a pencil holder. With his help, Bonnie was able to make one from a spork, pipe cleaner and some googly eyes Woody got from the trash bin. It had a life of his own when Bonnie wrote her name on the popsicle stick feet. She named it Forky (voiced by Tony Hale) and Woody had to watch it's every move since Forky considers himself as "trash" and always finds a way to go back into the garbage bin. 

Aside from Forky, there are other new characters introduced in the film that will endear to moviegoers. Most notable is the guy of the moment Keanu Reeves voicing Duke Kaboom, a Canadian daredevil motorcycle stuntman who yearns for his owner who neglected him. The sensational comic duo of Key and Peele: Keegan-Michael Key and Oscar winner Jordan Peele bring their toned-down humor as carnival prizes Ducky and Bunny respectively. 

Toy Story 4 is also a love story anchoring on Woody's accidental reunion with his  longtime love Bo Peep (Annie Potts), who used to be his former owner Andy's younger sister's old toy who was disposed off early in the film. 

The Toy Story franchise keeps getting better and better. The ending might feel like a conclusion but I wouldn't mind a 5th installment of it.

MOVIE REVIEW: Captain Marvel

Captain Marvel rises above most superhero origin stories primarily because of its casting. With Oscar winner Brie Larson playing the titular lead with four nominees led by Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury as well as Jude Law, Djimon Hounsou and the regal Annette Bening in supporting roles, it's indeed a marvel to see the acting greats of our era don costumes, do a comic book film and have fun.

Told in flashbacks, it builds a great structure as to who she is and/or was before. It doesn't have the flashiness and pomp of Black Panther, the mythical grandeur of Thor and the new age charm of Doctor Strange but it evokes nostalgia of the nineties. Just like the recent Transformer film Bumblebee, both films have a strong female lead and a soundtrack defining its era. The Transformers reboot was all about the eighties, Captain Marvel is the period of songs ranging to Garbage to Nirvana. 

As in any other film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Captain Marvel is connected to an upcoming one. You can easily guess what that is and yes the excitement over it is still there. There's also a heartfelt tribute to Marvel's main man Stan Lee done in a unique way.

MOVIE REVIEW: Glass

Exactly two years, Director M. Night Shyamalan rebounded from his misfires (After Earth, The Happening and Lady in the Water among others) with Split. The film starred James McAvoy playing Kevin Wendell Crumb who's wrestling with multiple personalities among them, a mutant like persona with cannibalistic tendencies known as "The Beast". The beauty in Split aside from a tour de force performance from it's lead actor is that it's actually connected to another Shyamalan movie 2000's Unbreakable starring Bruce Willis as David Dunn aka the movie title, a reluctant superhero and Samuel L. Jackson as Elijah Price - the complete opposite of Dunn. His bones are brittle giving him the name of Mr. Glass. He is a comic book obsessed catalyst on the lookout for other people like him resulting in bringing in together Dunn and Crumb. This is a great setup on what could have been a brilliant film on the genre now dominated by films starring Marvel and DC characters.

Shyamalan though, took the wrong route and made Glass into an anti superhero film loaded with unnecessary lecture on the connection of comic book heroes, villains and psychology. It would have a treat if McAvoy, Willis and Jackson's characters were let loose outside on the streets of Philadelphia instead of being confined in a mental institution 90% of the film. It is headed by a sleepy and underutilized Sarah Paulson who plays a doctor that downplays the leads capabilities and strengths. 

 Movie buffs who loved Unbreakable and Split will surely be entertained by it. Those who didn't saw the two previous films prior to this will surely be confused. Better watch Unbreakable and Split first.

Glass isn't that bad. It could have been better.