Week of March 27 - April 2 (Rhoades)

Tropic Overview

Six Differing Films Fight For Attention at Tropic

Reviewed by Shirrel Rhoades

Film Critic, Cooke Communications

From creepy to colorful, stiff upper lip to stiff, uh, extremities, the Tropic Cinema again covers a wide vista in this week’s film lineup.

 

"It Follows" is a scary supernatural horror flick, the tale of a curse that’s passed on through sexual congress. No, we don’t mean an STD. The curse is the ability to see people that no one else can see, spooks that will kill you if they catch you. The Examiner tells us that it’s "a unique concept that somehow combines elements from some of your favorite supernatural films with cult classic slashers …." And Philadelphia Inquirer observes, "The matters of sex and lost innocence work like a thematic undertow, pulling the characters down into the dark, psychological depths."

Still playing is "The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel," the second film about a group of Brits who have retired to a colorful old hotel in India. The manager wants to expand, and the guests want to find love. Arkansas Democrat-Gazette calls it "...a sweet and often funny movie populated by likable actors who know their business." And SSG Syndicate sees it as a "satisfyingly soapy sequel, culminating in a gloriously pseudo-Bollywood dance spectacle...."

"Queen and Country" is the WWII misadventures of a young British chap you last met in "Hope and Glory." This is an autobiographical tale from director John Boorman. Toronto Star says, "The director gets all the period detail exactly right and there are plenty of historical and cultural references that evoke a sense of nostalgia." And Oregonian adds, "Boorman is 82; ‘Queen and Country’ is being called his final film in a career that included ‘Point Blank,’ ‘Deliverance’ and ‘Excalibur.’ If this really is it, congratulations."

For naughty moviegoers, there’s "50 Shades of Grey," the semi-erotic seduction of a young woman (Dakota Johnson) by a kinky young exec (Jamie Dorman). Huffington Post calls it "a syrupy soft-core melodrama with perhaps too much dialogue." And Seven Days notes, "Perhaps it’s time for all of us to recognize that fantasies come in a great many more than 50 shades -- and that they're not real."

What more? There’s "The Wrecking Crew," a documentary about an L.A. music group of that same name. Advocate describes it as "a music-filled, appreciative but not fawning account of the session musicians who helped make so many of the 1960s records great." And ReviewExpress says, "Fans of those great old recordings of the late ‘60s and ‘70s will lap this up."

And just for the fun of it, there’s "Kingsman: The Secret Service," a fanciful spy flick in the old James Bond mold. Colin Firth is a secret agent with a private British group that protects the world from the likes of Samuel L. Jackson. 2UE That Movie Show says, "Imagine a Roger Moore James Bond with the potty mouth of Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and the action from The Raid. " And MediaMikes notes, "Firth does a good job as the proper English spy and looks like he's having a good time."

You’ll have a good time at the Tropic too!

srhoades@aol.com