Cinema Cat

Queen & Slim Directed by Melina Matsoukas Daniel Kaluuya Jodie Turner-Smith If you're like this movie-lover, you start making predictions right away, from the opening scenes.  In Queen & Slim, we open to witness a Tinder date going poorly.  But you know these two are going to fall in love, right?  The draw is not knowing how it will happen.  We want to know.  We're already pulling for them and trying to imagine what the catalyst will be, how the facades will crumble away. Daniel Kaluuya 's character, who is never referred to as Slim, is without pretense, if cautious in his efforts to discover the chink in the formidable armor of Jodie Turner-Smith's character, who is never referred to as Queen.   But alas, the date is a bust.  He's driving her home - his license plate reads "Trust God" - when fateful events unfold.  A rogue, racist cop pulls them over and the first stones of dismay and disbelief tumble and trigger a

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Directed by Marielle Heller Tom Hanks Matthew Rhys Chris Cooper Maybe it's because we need kindness right now.  Civility.  We long to be seen and to be treated gently.  That could be what draws us to our childhood friend, Mr. Rogers. Still, an underlying fear that "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" would be a sappy two hours in the dark, leaving viewers tacky with sweetness, might keep you from rushing to the theater.  It did this movie lover.   And maybe that's why it proved better than expectations - expectations were not high. But, oh, happy day!  This is a good story and a good movie! We can always count on Tom Hanks .  From Forrest Gump to Sully , he delivers.  An in A Beautiful Day, he brings us a real, live, grown up Mr. Rogers. We already knew, of course, that Mr. Rogers was a gentle, loving man who put the highest value on kids.  If we watched Morgan Neville's docume

The Mustang directed by Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre Matthias Schoenaerts Bruce Dern Gideon Adlon Occasionally, a movie will seize you.   That movie might bring life and immediacy to history, or maybe it’s epic in its scope.   Maybe that long-awaited kiss between two flawed-but-fated people will satisfy the universal yearning in us for love, true love. The Mustang isn’t like that.   It doesn’t exactly seize you.   More like it slips into a corner of your brain and settles in.   It sits in your peripheral vision not too heavily, but not lightly either.   After all, we know how this story goes before we buy the ticket, right?   The trailer tells us we will not be let down.   We will settle into our reserved seats, elevate our feet, and be treated to a story of the redemption of a man imprisoned.   And, a key factor in his salvation will be a horse.   A horse!   A magnificent animal with an uncanny entre into the heart, and psyche, of a man.   Love

Gloria Bell Directed by Sebastian Lelio Julianne Moore John Turturro Michael Cera Alanna Ubach We cannot help wondering where Gloria Bell will end up. Played by Julianne Moore with a big heart and a fragile edge, Gloria's been on her own since her divorce 15 years ago.   She’s not going to inherit from her mom who’s living long enough and well enough to exhaust her own retirement money.    Her employer downsizes Gloria’s coworker, an older woman not yet ready to retire.   Puts her out the door with not a little foreshadowing as to what might lie ahead when Gloria herself triggers that same age + salary-schedule nexus.   Her kids are grown and immersed in their own lives.    And her goals are non-specific.   What does Gloria  want, beyond dancing? You might say Gloria’s prospects are thin. But there is something in Gloria.   Let’s call it an urge to live.   To live life.   To move forward.   To find a way, her way.   To ava

Us Directed by Jordan Peele Lupita Nyong’o Winston Duke Elisabeth Moss Here’s the thing about Jordan Peele ~ he’s so damn smart.   And he’s funny.   AND, he has something to say. You gotta love Jordan Peele.   If you never watched “ Key & Peele, ” find it now and watch it.   Right away.   That is some smart, funny, sketch comedy.   And it is thoughtful.   Good stuff.   Great.   Honestly. If you saw “ Get Out ,” written and directed by Jordan Peele, then, like me, you most likely felt so pleased for him and proud of him and happy to know him as much as a fan knows the subject of her admiration.   I’m pulling for this guy.   His success makes me happy. This was my mindset going into “Us.”   Oh boy!   Jordan Peele!   He’s made another scary movie!   I CAN’T WAIT to see it! So right there was my problem.   I sidestepped one of my own cardinal rules of movie going:   Don’t get caught up in the hype, even if it is of your own mak