‘Movie Corner’ Archives
Between the Temples
from the series Movie Corner... 4.5/5 Stars Comedy/Drama/ RomanceSony Pictures Classics By HOWARD MCQUITTER II Howard McQuitter II A quadragenarian cantor at a synagogue is burdened with sadness and even suicidal tendencies after his wife’s death. (Her cause of death is revealed later in the film.) His name is Ben Gottlieb (Jason Schwartzman) and he lives in the basement of his mother’s (Caroline Aaron) house along with her partner Judith (Dolly De Leon). Both his mother Meira Gottlieb and Judith are hoping Ben moves out of their house soon. Ben ‘s depression is not only from his wife’s death but he has lost his singing voice.What happens next for Ben is serendipitous when he meets Carla Kessler (Carol Kane) at a bar. A patron has just punched Ben for his abrasive behavior. She lends a hand to Ben which in turn spawns a friendship. She’s much older than him which doesn’t seem to matter to him. Carla realizes she’s seeing a man in deep grief and in a crisis [...]
Twisters
from the series Movie Corner... 4/5 Stars Action/Adventure/DramaUniversal Pictures By HOWARD MCQUITTER II Howard McQuitter II I had a wild dream shortly after I retired that turned into a storm (tornado) chaser dream. I thought a tornado chaser had to be a more fun, more dangerous and more frenzied job than an ambulance chaser. I haven’t seen a tornado touchdown since I was a kid growing up in Minneapolis. (I have seen the aftermath of that violent, twirling mass of nature, though.) Remembering that dream, I went to see director Lee Issac Chung’s, (director of Minari 2020, Munyurangabo 2007), Twisters - a spinoff of director Jan de Bont’s Twister (1996) starring Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Twisters is such a high octane affair at certain times, it leaves one hyperventilating from what’s up on the screen. (In the original Twister a cow floated across a truck’s windshield during a tornado.) Kate (Daisy Edgar-Jones), born and raised [...]
Janet Planet
from the series Movie Corner A24 Films, Compliments of the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival By Howard McQuitter II Howard McQuitter II Annie Baker won the Pulitzer Prize for writing The Flick and her directing debut film is Janet Planet. I will regretfully say, watching Janet Planet is more than a challenge and uncompelling to say the least.I can also comment that the film takes place in a picturesque New England in 1991, when a single mother, Janet (Julianne Nicholson) and her very manipulative, eleven-year-old daughter, Lacy (Zoe Ziegler) live in a cabin. Lacy is not enjoying summer camp so she tells her mother if she doesn’t come and get her, she will kill herself. The girl has already lied to the camp leaders by saying her mother’s boyfriend had been in a car accident and is dying. A24 As for Janet, she seems to go through three transitory relationships. First, she has a slow-witted, weird boyfriend, Wayne (Will Patton) who looks like he [...]
