Category: Uncategorized

Shyamalan’s ‘The Watchers’ is an intriguing and eerie watch

Jeff Mitchell

“The Watchers” (2024) – Mina (Dakota Fanning) runs an errand.  She’s a 20-something American living in Ireland’s County Galway, but this glum loner also runs from her past, estranging herself from her family, including her sister, Lucy.  In the present, she’s asked to transport a bird, a parakeet or parrot of sorts, to Belfast, and this talking feathered friend frequently repeats, “Try not to die,” because the night before, Mina unfortunately said to it, “I’m going out.  Try not to die.” Oh, Mina, please be more deliberate with your words. …

‘Problemista’ is an inventive, eccentric comedy, but a couple of problems trip it up

Jeff Mitchell

“Problemista” (2024) – Alejandro (Julio Torres) has a problem.  The 20-something, wide-eyed New York City upstart – with a slight frame and a mop-top haircut with a sometimes-noticeable cow lick – just lost his job at FreezeCorp, a cryogenic stasis outfit that dresses its clients in a tube to sleep for – perhaps – hundreds of years.  Alejandro didn’t calculate differential equations to pinpoint the math behind these science-fiction devices in the here and now.  He handled the Sleeping Beauties’ personal belongings, or for one client, an artist named Bobby…

‘Spoiler Alert’: Straight away, this touching romantic drama reveals its ending

Jeff Mitchell

“Spoiler Alert” (2022) – Has a friend, colleague, random stranger, or movie critic uttered a key plot point of a book, television show, or movie BEFORE you read a publication or watched a program or flick?  On a personal note, my worst experience occurred at the Portland International Airport around 2004.  While waiting for the boarding announcement, I held a copy of the “The Di Vinci Code”, and the bookmark visibly stuck above the binding, about 50 pages into the story.  Another passenger pointed at the precious literary cargo and…