Popcorn Perspectives with Danny Minton
Week of December 2, 2019
Dark Waters
Rated PG-13 for thematic content, some disturbing images and strong language
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%
In Theaters
In Mark Ruffalo’s second and unrelated film about fighting du Pont (recall 2014’s Foxcatcher), Mark plays a lawyer who takes on the du Pont organization after he discovers that their pan coating product Teflon was having deadly effects, especially on the families that lived near the production facility. Truly a David vs Goliath story, these types of tales are important for public consumption as they teach us many lessons while entertaining us, namely that they prove that corporations do not always police themselves and, much of the time, do what is best for the corporation without any regard to who is hurt along the way. The movie, through a heavy-handed one-sided approach attacks du Pont like a bulldog and while history proves that they deserve this treatment, the script could have been a little less overzealous. At times the film feels like a strong and heavy drama, and at others it begins to feel like a television movie of the week. And while Ruffalo’s performance is pitch perfect, much of the talented cast, including Anne Hathaway, Tim Robbins and Victor Garber seem off their game. Still, I think this is a worth-while film to watch with a great lesson that needs to be reflected upon as our corporations become more and more powerful with very little oversight due to the too-frequent deregulations we have been exposed to over the last several years. B-
Ready or Not
Rated R for violence, bloody images, language throughout, and some drug use
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%
Available on Disc and Streaming
Certainly up there with the recent release Crawl in regards to guilty pleasures of the year is this relatively low-budget horror film about a young girl who marries into an eccentric family only to find out that on her wedding night she must play a game of hide and go seek, where if they find her, they kill her. The movie doesn’t pretend to be anything but what it is, but by the end it is glorious fun as you watch the street smart young beauty turn the tides on her captors. It has a warped sense of humor with plenty of over-the-top performances by its talented cast. B+
Where’d You Go, Bernadette
Rated PG-13 for some strong language and drug material
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 49%
Available on Disc and Streaming
Richard Linklater’s latest follows Cate Blanchett as an eccentric architect who has lost her creative spark as she meanders about her life with her family in suburban Seattle. But upon a series of crazy and unfortunate events, she goes on a crazy journey to hopefully bring her back to life again. Quite honestly I was a little bored with much of the film, which is ironic given the story, but the tale has such a fun and inspiring ending that I found myself glad I made it through. The performances are all very good and I still have a love for Linklater’s story-crafting. While not one of his best, it is one worth watching. B
Game of Thrones: Season Eight
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 58%
Available on Disc and Streaming
Game of Thrones had a full head of steam on it heading into its eighth and final season, but the last two episodes made everyone so angry that unfortunately it has a bit of a black eye right now. Sure I would have loved to have seen a different turn of events. I had an ending in my head that would have made the series go out in a glorious blaze of glory. But they didn’t ask me, or you, and instead gave the show a finale, even if it wasn’t the one it deserved. Still, there are moments to love in this final season, such as the breathtaking “The Long Night” which might be a great place to stop watching the show if you haven’t been through it already by now. B-