Week of Oct. 30 to Nov. 5 (Rhoades)

Tropic Overview

From True Stories to Scary Tales, Tropic Cinema Delivers Variety

Reviewed by Shirrel Rhoades
Film Critic, Key West Citizen

Seven is your lucky number, that being the variety of films showing this week at Tropic Cinema.

 Number One in the lineup is “Truth,” based on the true story about how CBS-TV anchor Dan Rather and “60 Minutes” producer Mary Mapes got fired for running an unvetted story about George W. Bush’s National Guard service. Here we have Robert Redford as Rather and Cate Blanchett as Mapes, star power a-plenty. The Miami Herald calls it “an apologia for the critical errors made by Mary Mapes, an award-winning producer for CBS News….” Seattle Times finds it “mesmerizing, entirely because of Blanchett; this is one of those movie-star performances in which every detail, every gesture feels right.” And Chicago Sun-Times notes, “Redford does a terrific job of capturing Rather’s on-air cadence and his larger-than-life off-air persona.”

Second up is “The Intern,” a sweet comedy about a retiree who takes an internship with a dot-com company headed by a vulnerable young woman. Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway are winning in those respective roles. The Atlantic describes it as “a gentle, enjoyable fantasy-and certainly director Nancy Meyers’s best film in more than a decade.” And Cine Premiere observes, “The chemistry between Hathaway and De Niro feels sincere and is what keeps the story up and going.”

Bring your sweater to see “Everest 3D,” the true-life drama about climbers who face death on the world’s highest mountain (29,029 feet). The expedition includes Jake Gyllenhaal, Josh Brolin, Jason Clarke, and John Hawkes. WOW247 says it’s “worth seeing for its terrifying action sequences and its stunning visuals.” And Dark Horizons calls it “a welcome throwback to the testosterone-heavy adventure flicks of past decades.”

“Sicario” follows a young FBI agent as she joins a task force on the trail of a Mexican drug lord. Emily Blunt and Josh  Brolin lead the chase. Cinenceuntro finds it to be “a powerful, tense and exciting movie that also boasts great performances.” And the Ooh Tray sees it as “a story designed to crush your idealism and open your eyes; objectives resoundingly achieved.”

Bill Murray fans will want to catch “Rock the Kasbah,” the comedy about a loser talent manager who winds up on a tour of Afghanistan where he discovers a new singer. Los Angeles Times says it has “an acclaimed film director, a legendary comic actor, lots of fun rock and pop songs, and a noble story at its core.” And Examiner proclaims, “Bill Murray is as fantastic as ever….”

For those of you in the Halloween spirit, there’s “Hotel Transylvania 2,” the animated romp featuring your favorite ghoulies and monsters -- Dracula (Adam Sandler), Frankenstein (Kevin James), Phantom of the Opera (Jon Lovitz), and more -- all gathered at their favorite resort. Daily Telegram says, “Like the first entry in this animated Sony Pictures franchise, the film is spirited, engaging, and has an idea: it’s about mutual tensions between the undead and the living, who have forged a truce up in the Carpathians.” And Movie Crypt sums it up, “Essentially, if you enjoyed the original, you’ll enjoy the sequel, but it's more of the same.”

“Crimson Peak” is Guillermo del Toro’s Gothic romance about a young woman (Mia Wasikowska) who marries an Englishman (Tom Hiddleston) who lives with his strange sister (Jessica Chastain) in a spooky old mansion. Cinegarage calls it “one of the most violent love stories ever told....” And Butaca Ancha concludes, “Visually and narratively Del Toro achieves to bring influences of Alfred Hitchcock, Max Ophus, Martin Scorsese, Stanley Kubrick and many other great directors without loosing his own signature and style.”

Seven films filling four screens. Lucky you.

srhoades@aol.com