New releases feature Oscar caliber actors in films that may or may not live up to their talents.
1. American Assassin (Lionsgate, 3,154 Theaters, 111 Minutes, Rated R for Strong violence throughout, some torture, language and brief nudity, Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer at press time: 36% Fresh [96 Reviews]: Michael Keaton is one of my favorite actors and one of Hollywood’s most underrated stars.
The reason why he is so underrated is that he has not always made the best career choices. While his resume contains legendary films such as Mr. Mom, Batman, and Beetlejuice, it was undone by films such as Touch and Go, The Dream Team and Jack Frost.
He’s undergoing a career resurgence as of late with Birdman, Spotlight, and Spider-Man: Homecoming. However, his choosing Bourne-lite films like these makes me worried he’s making the same mistakes again.
2. Mother! (Paramount, 2,368 Theaters, 121 Minutes, Rated R for strong disturbing violent content, some sexuality, nudity and language, Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer at press time: 71% Fresh [177 Reviews]: This film has been compared to Darren Aronofsky’s previous film, Black Swan. That’s all I need to know to avoid it.
Because I know what I will be getting. It will be esoteric to the point of being obtuse. You will be constantly trying to guess what is real and what is illusion, but never given enough evidence to make an argument for either. There will be an awkwardly placed love scene. The film will end, and you’ll get the feeling that there was a message that was being sent by the film, but you’ll neither care to find out what it is nor be sure it is what he meant even if you did.
I am in the minority. A lot of critics believe that the mess he creates is high art. But I found Black Swan completely annoying. Annoying enough to stay away from this one.
Next week, a new installment of the Kingsman and LEGO franchises hit the new releases. Come back then.
