Movie Review Thank You For your Service

Thank You for Your Service (2017)

Directed by Jason Hall

Written by Jason Hall 

Starring Miles Teller, Haley Bennett, Joe Cole, Amy Schumer, Scott Haze 

Release Date October 15th, 2017 

Thank You for Your Service is a deeply respectful and respectable movie about veterans and PTSD. The film stars Miles Teller as Staff Sgt. Adam Schumann who is just returning from Iraq from a traumatic third tour of duty. Having been praised for his unique ability for locating roadside mines, Adam’s last experience in Iraq was seeing a friend shot in the head and him having dropped that friend as he carried him down the steps of a building under fire by terrorists

The guilt and shame are overwhelming and demonstrate one of the many ways that PTSD can manifest in a soldier. Adam’s two closest friends, Billy Waller (Joe Cole) and Tausolo ‘Solo’ Aieti (Beulah Koale) have their own kinds of PTSD. For Billy, the trauma is waiting back at home where his fiancée has cleared out their apartment and left without telling him. For Solo, he’s suffering from post-concussion syndrome, PTSD with a deep effect on his memory.

PTSD takes so many different forms that it is impossible to come up with one catchall treatment as we find out when Adam and Solo attempt to navigate the Veterans Affairs system and find themselves unable to find help that isn’t weeks or months away. The VA is swamped with PTSD patients whose traumas are manifested in numerous different ways. That there is no cure for PTSD. There’s barely even a proper diagnosis. It’s no wonder our vets are eager to go back to combat; it makes more sense than the bureaucracy waiting back at home.

Thank You For Service never shies away from portraying the hurt and trauma that comes from PTSD and the betrayal soldiers feel after making incredible sacrifices for their country only to spend weeks wrapped in red tape when they go for help. Suicidal ideation is one of many symptoms of PTSD and much of that may simply stem from the hopeless, helpless feeling engendered in waiting in endless VA lines only to buried in paperwork and delays in treatment.

Find my full length review in the Serve Community on Vocal 

Movie Review She is Love

She is Love (2023) 

Directed by Jamie Adams 

Written by Jamie Adams 

Starring Haley Bennett, Sam Riley, Marissa Abela 

Release Date February 3rd, 2023 

Published January 28th, 2023 

Through some trick or fate, oddball Patricia ends up a cottage somewhere in England that happens to be the same cottage that her ex-husband, Idris (Sam Riley), is staying at with his new love, Louise (Marisa Abela). Patricia and Idris have not seen each other in 10 years and that, along with the supremely awkward scenario, becomes the subject of Jamie Adams' comedy of modern manners, She is Love. All of it playing out in Jamie Adams' intimate fly on the wall fashion. 

Reminiscing is a fascinating subject. We all have memories we share with others, and it is fascinating to compare how you remember things. She is Love engages with that idea between Patricia and Idris and the power of their memories together is palpable. Their chemistry remains even after nearly a decade apart. Bennett and Riley's conspiratorial glances and emotional bond bubbles with life and energy. Scene after scene they find odd little asides, things to do to fill the seemingly endless amount of time they have in this cottage. 

Neither appears to have any reason to be where they are. Louise is here for a movie role. We see her reading lines and struggling to get into character. Ironically, the dialogue she's practicing mirrors the situation she's in as her character laments not wanting to spend time reflecting on the past. Louise is very much an outsider in this situation and her insecurity isn't played for laughs, nor is her cluelessness as she leaves her boyfriend alone with his ex-wife. 

At one moment, the film stops to allow Louise to express all of her tense emotions in a lonely dance to an upbeat French song. It's a lovely and revealing moment, capturing the anxiety of both her professional and personal struggle. I love the small ways that Adams allows her the space to explore her emotions. She's not a foolish character. In other, lesser movies, she'd be the villain standing in the way of true love between a pair of exes. Jamie Adams doesn't waste time on such things. 

Find my full length review at Geeks.Media linked here

Movie Review Music and Lyrics

Music and Lyrics (2007) 

Directed by Marc Lawrence 

Written by Marc Lawrence 

Starring Hugh Grant, Drew Barrymore, Brad Garrett, Campbell Scott, Haley Bennett, Matthew Morrison

Release Date February 14th, 2007 

Published February 14th, 2007 

The biggest stars of the romantic comedy genre at this moment are Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore. Grant has starred in some of the highest grossing romantic comedies of all time and some of the most critically acclaimed including Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill and Bridget Jones' Diary. Drew Barrymore is a master of crowd pleasing romance from films like The Wedding Singer, 50 First Dates and Fever Pitch.

Bringing them together in Music and Lyrics, director Marc Lawrence never had a moment's worry about chemistry or comedy. His true achievement was not simply falling back on his lovable stars, putting them together in a smart, funny send up of the music industry and pop culture.

Alex Fletcher (Hugh Grant) has been. With his band 'POP' he became a huge star in the 1980's. However, when his co-lead singer left and became a huge solo star, Alex was left to live off his past glory. Now making a living off state fair tours, high school reunions and a standing gig at Knott's Berry Farm, Alex gets one last chance at the big time.

A pop star named Cora Corman (Haley Bennett), bigger than Britney and Christina combined, according to Alex's manager Chris (Brad Garrett), was a huge fan of Alex's band and wanted him to write a duet for them to sing together. Unfortunately, Alex hasn't written a song since his disastrous solo record years earlier. Lucky for him, his plant girl Sophie (Drew Barrymore) just happens to be pretty good with words.

Overhearing Alex working on the song, Sophie begins to offer a few words and after some prodding from Alex she becomes his lyricist. Together they write the song but when the pop star offers her thoughts will Alex compromise their hard work for the sake of his fame?

Director Marc Lawrence, the creator of TV's Family Ties, brings a solid professionalism to the crafting of Music and Lyrics. The story unfolds with little fat on the edges and a clear eyed purpose in the storytelling. Of course, Lawrence's most important contribution is helping to cast Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore, a can't miss romantic comedy duo.

The film is very smart about music and the industry of cool surrounding it. Young Haley Bennett skirts the edge of parody with her Cora Corman character. The character could easily tip over the edge into caricature, but Bennett gives the character a little more heart than what is on the page. Great laughs are mined from the Cora character without turning into a mean spirited attack on the Britney's and Christina's of the pop world.

Music and Lyrics are too sweet and light-hearted for that kind of hard satire. The light jabs at Cora and the excesses of pop stardom are pitched to the films overall genial nature.

With his can't miss charm and deprecating wit, Hugh Grant shows once again why he is the pre-eminent male star in this genre. As Alex Fletcher Grant delivers the film's biggest laughs; zinging one liners that provide comment on the scene in front of him and biting self analysis of his highly aware character. The real surprise in Grant's performance is that he is a more than credible pop singer. Yes, Grant did all of his own singing and hip gyrating dancing in the picture and he is quite impressive.

Drew Barrymore is her usual impishly cute self. Her lovability factor continues to be off the chart. Sophie is a scattered, slightly ditzy girl with a heart of gold. As written the shy, sweet character is likable but in the person of Ms. Barrymore the lovability is through the roof. Barrymore however, does not merely trade on her cuteness, she is a terrific comedian and the perfect off kilter foil for Grant.

The music of Music and Lyrics really sell the story. Director Marc Lawrence is careful to make sure the music is authentic to the time period and the film opens with a spot on spoof of classic 80's music. The video for "Pop Goes My Heart" captures perfectly the goofiness of videos of the time from bands like Soft Cell, Flock Of Seagulls and A-Ha. In fact "Pop Goes My Heart" is really as catchy and spirited as anything those real 80's bands ever made.

Not quite as strong but equally authentic is the song that Grant and Barrymore's character's craft for the pop star. The song called "Way Back Into Love" is not a great song but it is the kind of song that might click well with a pop audience. It's easygoing and unexceptional and entirely disposable, which is basically all modern pop music has become.

That the song means something to Grant and Barrymore's characters but isn't very good, doesn't necessarily hurt the characters, it just means their musical radar is a little different than mine.

Big laughs and big love, Music and Lyrics takes great advantage of the comic and romantic talents of its two wonderful stars to craft the rare romantic comedy that delivers on the promise of a good trailer. Drew Barrymore and Hugh Grant are truly the stars of this genre. She with her unending cuteness and comic timing and he with his deprecating wit and charm are a can't miss duo.

Movie Review The Haunting of Molly Hartley

The Haunting of Molly Hartley (2008) 

Directed by Mickey Liddell 

Written by Rebecca Sonnenshine, John Travis

Starring Haley Bennett, Chace Crawford, Annalynne McCord, Ron Canada 

Release Date October 31st, 2008

Published October 31st, 2008 

If PG-13 horror movies get anymore tired they are going to have to sell Starbucks coffee with every ticket. I needed an extra strength caffeine back-up to stay awake during the latest mind numbing PG-13 'horror movie,' The Haunting of Molly Hartley, a slow witted, formulaic piece of over-marketed junk.

Haley Bennett is Molly Hartley, a pretty but troubled young girl whose mother tried to kill her. Mom stabbed Molly but she survived and mom went away. Now Dad (Jake Weber) has moved her to a new High School where she befriends the most popular and handsome boy in the school, Joseph (Chace Crawford).

But, of course, Haley's past can't help but follow her to the new school. First it's terrible nightmares about her mom's attack. Then word gets around that her mother is in an asylum, kids can be so cruel. Then Molly begins to have her own psychotic freak outs, just like mom's and then... well things get even worse with one last twist.

First time feature director Mickey Liddell directed The Haunting of Molly Hartley with all the skill of a sledgehammer hitting cement. The film offers thuddingly loud jump-scare sounds, whipsaw camera tricks and faux suspense to build what little atmosphere it can in order to hold us in place till the big twist is revealed.

It doesn't work. By the time we get to the 'twist' the audience's minds have drifted to other things such as, dinner after the show, laundry, ceiling tiles, napping., stamp collecting, texting, crossword puzzles, the stimulus package, navel lint, favorite beers, ear hair, other movies, is it cold enough for a winter coat or warm enough for a jacket?

Should I go back to the gym? Did I bring my checkbook? That was a good milkshake? Was that my phone? What's that stuck to my shoe...

Oops sorry, The Haunting of Molly Hartley is so deathly dull and preposterously forgettable that I managed to drift off during my review. You can go ahead and skip the rental on The Haunting Of Molly Hartley, unless your most inane thoughts need a dull bleating soundtrack. Then maybe.