#Middlebury #DVD
“Bombshell” (R) – Ripped from the headlines of the news networks themselves, “Bombshell” exposes the top-down sexism of FOX News, told from three distinct perspectives of on-air personalities. Nicole Kidman plays Gretchen Carlson, who was fired after attempts to combat workplace harassment made her unpopular. She sued the network and made claims that she had been preyed upon by CEO Roger Ailes, igniting a hotbed of controversy. Charlize Theron impeccably apes Megyn Kelly, the reporter who was mocked by the president and not defended by FOX. Meanwhile, a young, beautiful producer – a composite character played by Margot Robbie – is mortified by the advances of Ailes (John Lithgow), offered as a tit for tat as she climbs her way up the newsroom ladder.
Scene from “Spies in Disguise” (Twentieth Century Fox photo)
“Spies in Disguise” (PG) – Will Smith and Tom Holland star in this sweet animated comedy about superspy Lance Sterling (Smith). When he is framed, his only resource is the plucky but weird inventor Walter Beckett (Holland), who was just fired from the agency for equipping Sterling with his brigade of sunshine weaponry – nonlethal but effective gadgets. (The kitten bomb is brilliance.) Beckett is working on an untested invention that accidentally turns Sterling into a pigeon, and the two reluctantly pair up and must use newfound strengths to save the world and the agency operatives from a massive drone attack. It was delightful.
“Uncut Gems” (R) – Adam Sandler goes deep drama as Jewish-American jewelry dealer and gambling addict Howard Ratner in New York’s Diamond District. Smooth-talking and critically flawed, Ratner trades on an uncut black opal and a relationship with pro basketballer Kevin Garnett to bet away his considerable debts. While attempting to orchestrate a big win, he must manage his cold, estranged wife (Idina Menzel), his employee girlfriend Julia (Julia Fox) and his brother-in-law bookie Arno (Eric Bosogian), to whom he owes much cash.
“Charlie’s Angels” (PG-13) – Imagine a brave new world with teams of Angels – highly trained and effortlessly gorgeous operatives – each with its own handler named Bosley. Such is the new iteration of the security agency of Charles “Charlie” Townsend, to which an engineer named Elena (Naomi Scott) turns to expose the weaponization of some serious technology she’s developing for her sinister boss – tech that’s gone missing. She’s partnered with Angels’ Sabina (Kristen Stewart) and Jane (Ella Balinska). From there, it’s a globe-trotting girl-power action sequence. The problem is, there’s not much holding the sequences together – no gripping back stories, no comical personal struggles. Yawn. Director Elizabeth Banks’ reimagining of the Charlie’s Angels universe, unfortunately, falls flat from lack of a compelling story.
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