‘American Made’ reproduces a truly wild story

“American Made” – Thirty-one years ago, Tom Cruise “owned” the skies and movie theatres everywhere by playing a hotshot U.S. Navy pilot in “Top Gun” (1986).  This flashy, testosterone-filled box office juggernaut cemented Cruise’s big screen appeal after his breakout role in “Risky Business” (1983), just three years prior.  In 2017, Cruise plays a pilot again, another daredevil who takes massive risks, but sports a very, very different career in the wild, true story of Barry Seal, who made an American fortune in “American Made”. Barry’s tale of fortune begins during…

Dench shines in an uneven ‘Victoria and Abdul’

“Victoria and Abdul” – In 1887, Abdul Karim’s (Ali Fazal) life dramatically changed.  A British officer selects him to present a coin to Queen Victoria (Judi Dench) at Buckingham Palace.  Along with another local from Agra, India – Mohammed (Adeel Akhtar) – Abdul sets sail for England for a ceremonial event, which seems like an awfully long journey for just a three-minute role during a royal dinner, but when in Rome….err, London. While on the palace grounds, a few officials specifically instruct the two newcomers to avoid looking into the…

‘The Disaster Artist’ is a triumphant comedic companion to ‘The Room’

“The Disaster Artist” – “I did not hit her.  It’s not true.  It’s b*******.  I did not hit her.  I did not.  Oh, hi Mark.” – Johnny (Tommy Wiseau), “The Room” (2003) For legions of “The Room” (2003) fans, the aforementioned, nonsensical line of dialogue is just one of 99 moments of cult cinema goodness crammed into a 99-minute runtime.  Written, directed, produced, promoted, and starring Tommy Wiseau, “The Room” offers a surreal experience that really cannot be compared to any other, but its popularity – via midnight screenings in…