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galewilliams
Reviews
Your Place or Mine (2023)
It is what it is, and I loved it
I really enjoyed this sweet film that gave us the opportunity to enjoy the luscious visuals of Jesse Williams, along with Ashton Kutcher and the always adorable Witherspoon. Yes, it's predictable, but that is almost the very definition of a rom-com. Three really really excellent aspects to this film-1, young Wesley Kimmel, who really steals every scene he is in but not in a Hollywood brat way; he made me want to adopt him. 2, the production design - the New York apartment and the LA bohemian bungalow were fantastic; personally, I want to live in the bungalow. Very charming. 3, Absolutely terrific soundtrack, and I am amazed no one else has mentioned this! They've put several new songs on my playlist, especially "Liz" by Remi Wolf.
Out of Death (2021)
A real stinker
This movie is SO BAD that I stopped 12 minutes in. If it had been in a theater, I would have walked out. Lala Kent is so horrendously and magnificently bad that it is almost comical. She is constantly sticking her lips out like she's doing duck lips for a selfie, and I have seen many high school students who were far better actors. All of this is a shame because I was really into watching Jamie King's scenes about her journey to sprinkle her father's ashes on the hilltop. Maybe Bruce Willis makes it better when he shows up - I'll never know. Please don't waste your time. Go watch Die Hard again.
Those Who Wish Me Dead (2021)
How I wish this were Wind River *SERIOUS SPOILER ALERTS*
Since I first saw Wind River and Hell or High Water, I have been a fan of Taylor Sheridan's work. His best work - the two titles I named here - are quiet, realistic, slowly built stories that could well be true, with characters we care about, and excellent actors who are up to the quiet but violent stories told.
Somewhere over the past few years, Sheridan seems to have lost his way, first by prostituting himself to write the ridiculously, offensively, and unrealistically violent series Yellowstone. That scene where they drive the new ranchhand off and throw him off a cliff, as one of just many who've met that fate -- really? What drug are you taking?
Now we have a story that the two of us here at home discussed at length over how it could have been better, but as it was, we have two paid assassins in a relentless quest for information that has clearly ceased to exist once it came into the hands of a teenager, only in the form of a folded piece of paper, which then endures near-drowning, gunfire, actual fire, mud and running -- how much of that folded piece of paper would remain? How many TV outlets would credence to a boy with such a story, with no other witness? No thumbdrive? None.
Then we have the stupid physical aspects of the film - a woman firejumper who not only is not an expert marksman, but does not own even ONE gun, when posted in a remote outpost, with no defense against coyotes, wolves, and bears? Really? And no toilet? Really? And no woodstove for cooking - only a small one for heat - Really?
And Angelina Jolie hurtles down a wire with deep cuts in her hands, not once, but three times - Really? Is she Supergirl? Really? And she is STRUCK BY LIGHTNING BUT DOES NOT DIE-- REALLY??
And Jon Bernthal wears a heavy bulletproof vest, but still is fatally shot-- Really?
And the forest fire is not started by violent lightning, which would have been logical, but by a stupidly steadfast assassin, who must know that he will soon be trapped in that same forest fire? REALLY??
And the assassin is shot at least four times, but still does not dies and keeps pursuing his victim - a boy - until he is finally shot in the head? Why not call it quits and say you couldn't find the kid?
And Nicholas Hoult - really? Let's have him get halfway hacked to death by a hatchet not very well wielded by a woman who's clearly not up to such a violent task? And then the woman who bizarrely does not even own ANY guns, leave him to die half dead in a forest fire? REALLLLLY??
And so I wonder, why has not Taylor Sheridan, one of the fastest-rising skilled screenwriters in the business, not hired a good solid editor who will say NO to him?
Because really, if you're looking for someone, here I am.
I wanted to give this movie 10 stars, but it really is only up to four. And that makes me really sad, because Taylor Sheridan, Angelina Jolie (! For Pete's sake!) and Jon Bernthal are all better than this.
Starman (1984)
Jeff Bridges. Sooo crushworthy
This film was the beginning of my decades long hard crush on Jeff Bridges. The film is an allegory of Christianity, a story of love and human kindness, with a beautiful human-not-human man who loves mankind, operates on love and compassion, and who has the power of resurrection. There are probably a thesis' worth of comparisons between this film and the story of Christ, all wrapped up in the beautiful body of Jeff Bridges and the luminously beautiful Karen Allen. Since this film, I've seen every film Bridges has been in - many Oscar-worthy roles and, I believe, two winners - but this one remains my favorite.
A few years ago, Rolling Stone ran a fantastic feature piece on Bridges that contained the adorable detail that Bridges still carries the photograph of his gorgeous wife Susan, taken on the day they met, in his wallet, 40-some years later. Good lord, ladies, how high has this man set the bar? How crushworthy is that? Starman? Four stars!
Shaft (2019)
Funny; best soundtrack
Set aside any PC sensibities, because this movie will offend every one of them, but the charming and self-deprecating performance by Jesse Usher and the cool we expect from Samuel L. Jackson make this movie worth watching despite that, and that is boosted along by the most downloadable soundtrack I've heard in a long while. Some truly funny dialogue makes the most of the dorky nerd son versus ultra cool dad theme. Extremely misogynist, but in the end I had to forgive that because it made me laugh.
Destroyer (2018)
Plodding, boring, and vulgar
I didn't think Nicole Kidman could be bad in a film, but I was really wrong. Not sure which is worse - the snail pacing of the film or Kidman's Clint Eastwood impression and muttered guttural half sentences throughout. I would have turned it off after 10 unmercifully boring minutes if my husband hadn't decided to commit to watching it. Some very talented cast members including Kidman include Bradley Whitford and Sebastian Stan (Marvel's Bucky in the Captain America films) are totally wasted. Watching a fire burn in the fireplace would be more exciting and not nearly as gross .