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The Current War, Harriet, Motherless Brooklyn, Terminator: Dark Fate

Here’s a look at the new movies I saw this week.
The Current War
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Michael Shannon, Tom Holland, Nicholas Hoult, Matthew Macfadyen, and Katherine Waterston
Synopsis: This biopic is about Thomas Edison (Cumberbatch), George Westinghouse (Shannon) and the battle between the two to bring electrical power to America. The film has been long advertised, and the version we’re getting right now is billed “The Director’s Cut,” making you wonder about other versions. But this version is quite good, with some wonderful performances. It also illuminates a topic that many, myself included, likely didn’t know a lot about. I enjoyed the journey, the pieces of history and the story that was told. Cumberbatch is great in the lead role as Edison, as is Shannon as Westinghouse. Their back-and-forth is quite compelling though the action in this film is primarily great speeches. I thought it moved at a good pace and was the right length at 102 minutes. It tells an interesting story well.
Rating: PG-13 for some disturbing/violent images, and thematic elements.
Verdict: Three stars out of four.
Harriet
Starring: Cynthia Erivo, Leslie Odom, Jr., Clarke Peters, and Joe Alwyn
Synopsis: This biopic is about Harriet Tubman, the former slave who became the most famous and successful conductor on the Underground Railroad. Many have heard the name, but few probably know the depth of the story laid out here. This is a rich and beautiful narrative, one that paints a picture of history, Tubman’s work and her rich life of faith. And Erivo is quite good in the lead role, communicating so much with her facial expressions and the richness of her performance. She draws you to the screen and the story even when some of the other production, and performances, don’t live up to her good work. This is an important story and an important piece of our history, and a tale of courage under tough circumstances that should be remembered and celebrated. It’s a good and ambitious film that falls short of greatness, but it’s still well worth checking out.
Rating: PG-13 for thematic content throughout, violent material and language including racial epithets.
Rating: Three stars out of four.
Motherless Brooklyn
Starring: Edward Norton, Alec Baldwin, Bruce Willis, Willem Dafoe, and Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Synopsis: This is a pulpy detective story set in New York in the 1950s. It’s based on a novel, and comes from Norton, who wrote the script, directed the film and stars in the lead role. His voice is the first and last you hear, and he’s crafted nothing short of a compelling masterpiece. His lead character is a detective trying to unravel a case while keeping his foibles, specifically a condition never named but basically Tourette syndrome, under control. As the film opened, in the first five minutes I was already nervous about the set up. (Also, fair warning, I’m not a Norton fan.) I thought I was going to be in for a tough time, but as the film unwound over the course of about two and a half hours I found myself sinking into the story, the production, the world and Norton’s great lead performance. He is an incredibly talented actor, and a very talented filmmaker. And I found myself really drawn into this story and moved by what I saw. This is one of the most pleasant surprises for me in 2019, and a film I’d urge fans of the genre not to miss.
Rating: R for language throughout including some sexual references, brief drug use, and violence .
Verdict: Four stars out of four.
Terminator: Dark Fate
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Mackenzie Davis, Gabriel Luna, and Natalia Reyes
Synopsis: The world of “Terminator” has been around for 35 years, and has spawned many, many films. But aside from the 1984 original and the sequel in 1991, many have been regarded with a shrug. This latest film returns producer James Cameron, who originated the world, alongside the original stars, Hamilton and Schwarzenegger. It also picks up the action in 2019, but assumes that this movie follows the events of the 1991 sequel, as if the other films never happened. (Oh, that it were so…) Davis is the new warrior from the future, one who is human but suped up. Luna plays the new Terminator, and Reyes is a new hero, one who will save the future. Hamilton’s Sarah Connor stopped Judgement Day, and changed the future. But machines still rise and dominate humanity. Only this time it’s not John Conner, who died as a boy, but Dani Ramos (Reyes) who is key to the survival of humanity. And Sarah Conner must team with the thing that killed her son to protect the future. I thought the performances were good here, and this story works well. Davis is a great addition, and I really enjoyed her character. This feels like a fitting end to the series, though it’s hard to say if it will be. At the least, it’s a fun action film that knows the limitations of its story and format.
Rating: R for violence throughout, language and brief nudity.
Verdict: Three stars out of four.
Upcoming Releases:
Friday, November 8: “Last Christmas,” “Midway,” “Doctor Sleep,” “Playing With Fire”
Friday, November 15: “Ford vs. Ferrari,” “The Good Liar,” “Charlie’s Angels”
Friday, November 22: “Frozen 2,” “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” “21 Bridges”
Wednesday, November 27: “Knives Out,” “Queen and Slim”
Friday, November 29: “Dark Waters”

