“Exhibiting Forgiveness”

(Drama: 1 hour, 57 minutes)

Starring: André Holland, John Earl Jelks, Andra Day, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor and Ian Foreman

Director: Titus Kaphar

Rated: R (Strong language, thematic elements and drug material)

Movie Review:

“Exhibiting Forgiveness” is easily one of this year’s Oscar contenders. It is an artful engaging drama about familial relationships, and how they manifest in everyday people’s lives. It is a well-acted screenplay by a very talented cast and astutely directed by Titus Kaphar, his first directorial debut for a full-length film.

The movie stars André Holland as Tarrell Rodin, an artist who paints events of his childhood on large canvases. He is a family man married to singer-musician Aisha (Day) and the father of Jermaine (Daniel Michael Barriere). He must face his past after his mother Joyce (Ellis-Taylor) asks him to communicate with his estranged father La’Ron (Jelks), who abused Terrell and Joyce.

This fine moves slowly to unravel this strained family relationship. Richly developed characters evolve at the same pace. “Exhibiting Forgiveness” allows one to see Tarrell’s past via the visual painter’s interpretation of what happened. As Tarrell paints, we see his life as a kid, agreeably nicely by Ian Foreman, and the abusive past’s relationship to the present.

Actors André Holland from the Academy Award-winning movie “Moonlight” (2016) and John Earl Jelks (television’s “Chicago Med”) create one the best dramas about a father-son duo this year. The actors are affecting and tangible personas, although some secondary characters are underused. Holland and Jelk offer superior acting. Others of the cast are also good.

Titus Kaphar is an international artist known for the short documentary “Shut up and Paint,” (2022). He uses flashbacks very well. He uses them to tell a story and not insert them as mere moments of artistic endeavors. The flashbacks give a backstory, but only when needed. The moments are rare, so the attention stays on the present.

This movie is artistic on many levels, beginning with the opening credits. Kaphar’s paintings are used also as props in this movie. The paintings become as much a part of the storytelling as the cast’s words. The director-writer uses his characters well and executes his story excellently.

Kaphar does not use unnecessary words or diverting sub-stories to tell a superb, potent narrative. His style is just as mentally stimulating as the art displayed. The visual arts, poetry, and philosophical prose by authors such as James Baldwin are scattered throughout this movie.

Kaphar makes this drama about an African-American family in an urban neighborhood a masterful cinematic experience. The screenplay does not dive into stereotypical tropes. It does not dwell on overhyped, dramatic moments or overplayed sentimentalism. Instead, it exists as a beautiful moment of people’s lives after awful experiences happen. Life continues amid the heartbreak and triumphs, a genuine artistic venture.

Hats off to Titus Kaphar’s artistry, a marvelous cast and a well-developed story that shines. It is a splendid capture of art and life imitating each other.

Grade: A- (A magnificent exhibition.)

“Smile 2”

(Psychological Horror/Thriller: 2 hours, 07 minutes)

Starring: Naomi Scott, Rosemarie DeWitt, Lukas Gage, Miles Gutierrez-Riley
Director: Parker Finn

Rated: R (Strong bloody, violent content, grisly images, strong language throughout and drug use)

Movie Review:

“Smile 2” is enjoyable if you only want thrills. However, it is also annoying. It attempts to keep fooling its observers until you no longer care about the lead character.

The movie starts with Skye Riley, played by Naomi Scott. The singer is an internationally known pop star. Just out of rehab, she decides to visit her long-time drug dealer Lewis Fregoli (Gage) for some pain medication. Shortly after arriving at Fregoli’s house, the drug peddler kills himself in front of Riley. The horrific moment transfers a malicious demonic spirit from Fregoli to Riley. Soon, scary events begin happening to the singer.

If one has seen the original “Smile” (2022), also directed by Parker Finn, one knows this demonic spirit is a supernatural, psychological parasite. A person becomes cursed after watching someone die. The demonic entity haunts people through disturbing hallucinations, including causing them to see people with very uncanny smiles on their faces.

“Smile 2” is bigger in many ways and provides superior frights. It also sets out to deceive audiences in the most disingenuous way.

No way exists to tell what is real and what is fake with this movie. What is real and what is a hallucination is blurred. It keeps playing with its audience to the point that what happens matters little. One just enjoys the rollercoaster of scary moments.

Naomi Scott plays Skye Raleigh well. The problem is the more flashback scenes happen the less likable the popstar loved by millions becomes. Riley is not a decent person as everyone believes. Because of this, any instinct to care about her is lacking. With this in mind, “Smile 2” is a horror movie, and when death becomes her, so what?

Grade: B- (Another reason to smile too.)

“Goodrich”

(Drama: 1 hour, 50 minutes)

Starring: Michael Keaton, Mila Kunis and Carmen Ejogo

Director: Hallie Meyers-Shyer

Rated: R (Language)

Movie Review:

“Goodrich” is another fine drama starring Michael Keaton as a father in a grim situation. This drama is very much like real life. It offers a subtle story that could be anyone’s life, but it is interesting throughout.

Andy Goodrich (Keaton) is a gallery owner and a workaholic. He receives a phone call from his wife that she is going into rehab and leaving him. Goodrich has a hard time with the breakup, especially since he is left taking care of his nearly 10-year-old kids. He needs assistance, so he calls on his adult daughter Grace (Kunis) from his first marriage. She is pregnant but agrees to help although she feels she never got the attention her step-siblings now receive from her father.

As Grace helps Andy, she begins to understand her father in a new light. Andy realizes he missed much of Grace’s life working to secure finances for his family.

“Goodrich” becomes a touching flick, even though the emotional ending appears staged. Directed by Hallie Meyers-Shyer (“Home Again,” 2017) This drama works with light humor that keeps it hopping and enjoyable.

Grade: B- (Richly good enough.)

“We Live in Time”

(Romantic Drama: 1 hour, 47 minutes)

Starring: Andrew Garfield, Florence Pugh and Lee Braithwaite

Director: John Crowley

Rated: R (Language)

Movie Review:

“We Live in Time” is a nonlinear melodrama. This structure explores the romance and sorrow of a couple. The execution is annoying, but it keeps the movie from otherwise being an overly emotive drama. Additionally, Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh have an effective vibe.

Director John Crowley (“Boy A,” 2007, which starred Garfield; “Brooklyn,” 2015) and writer Nick Payne execute this love story of tragedy jumbling the past, present and future moments of the relationship between Tobias Durand (Garfield) and Almut Brühl (Pugh).

Durand is a Weetabix representative. He meets Brühl, a former figure skater turned chef, after she strikes and injures him with her car. This incident leads to them becoming a couple. We see their relationship through a variety of instances.

Again, the moments of their life are not in chronological sequences. This probably made editing easier. One moment you see the couple meeting, the next they have moved in with each other while the next moment reveals their first date. These strewn scenes are messy on the surface, but they keep the movie from becoming a sentimental love story.

“We Live in Time” requires its audiences to understand this exploration of Tobias and Almut’s relationship through a series of events. While scenes appear all over the place, they are moments in time of a young couple played by likable and talented actors with chemistry.

Grade: B- (Scattered temporal fluxes still lead to a favorable romance.)

“Gracie and Pedro: Pets to the Rescue”

(Animation/Adventure: 1 hour, 27 minutes)

Starring: Danny Trejo, Bill Nighy and Susan Sarandon

Directors: Gottfried Roodt, Kevin Donovan

Rated: PG (Action/peril and rude material.)

Movie Review:

An animated adventure, an all-too-familiar plot is evident. A few times a year, a production debuts about animals crossing vast distances to find their home or loved one. Along the way, their trip becomes one of self-discovery. “Gracie and Pedro: Pets to the Rescue” fits that familiar pattern like this year’s “The Garfield Movie” where Garfield and Odie cross the country searching for Garfield’s father.

Gracie (voice of Claire Alan) is a small prissy dog, and Pedro (voice of Cory Doran) is a street-smart alley cat. They are the pets of a family of four. When the family moves to another state, Gracie and Pedro are left at the airport due to a mechanical malfunction of the luggage system. The two set across a vast distance to find their family. Along the way, they face multiple dangers including two con artist rats and an aggressive vulture desiring to eat them. Yet, Gracie and Pedro are resourceful and make a good team despite their petty arguing.

This movie may work for younger audiences who probably will not notice they are seeing a typical adventure. However, the subpar animation and lack of energetic endearing characters may lead older viewers to a quick nap during this movie’s runtime.

Grade: C- (Frantic animation about pets needs rescuing.)