SnoopyStyle Reviews

British Agent (1934)

movie lacks the tension of the story

[5/10 · 9 June 2024]

It's WWI. The Bolsheviks are taking over Russia. The British fear that they would sign a separate peace with Germany which would redirect all its forces against the west. Moura (Kay Francis) stumbles into the British embassy after shooting at a Cossack. She is saved by junior diplomat Stephen Locke (Leslie Howard). She turns out to be Lenin's secretary. After the takeover, Locke essentially represents Britain as the last diplomat left behind. He tries desperately to keep the new Russian government in the war.

The movie feels a bit simplified like a highlight reel. After the peace treaty, I don't understand Locke's position without government support. It's a little unclear where the money comes from. I don't know if he has any more British contact. It's all a bit murky. The situation is rushing by and the characters don't have the required urgency. This should be a tense movie, but the tension is simply not there on the screen. Maybe the book has all the gritty realism and the movie is dumbing it down for the movie goers.

A Priceless Love (2022 TV Movie)

light weight but fine

[6/10 · 9 June 2024]

Second-hand store owner Rose McGovern (Erin Agostino) joins her friend at an antiques appraisal show. She grabs a teapot from the store and is surprised at the $80k appraisal. Antique dealer Joe Everett (Luke Humphrey) is desperate to buy it for an important client. She insists on finding the prior owner before selling it.

This is a Canadian TV movie. It is similar to Hallmark or Lifetime or something like that. While I don't recognize the actors, they're doing fine and the characters are nice especially the girlfriend. The story is a bit thin. While I myself wouldn't try to find the old owner, I get the premise but after talking to Vicky, Rose really has no more reason not to sell. She needs to explain more about her work motivations. I wish this is more enlightening about small business or the second hand resale world. Luckily, being light weight is not a deadly sin in this genre.

Tension at Table Rock (1956)

like to keep it smaller

[6/10 · 9 June 2024]

Wes Tancred (Richard Egan) became infamous for killing someone thought to be his friend and gets immortalized by a song. In reality, Wes had uncovered some of the friend's unsavory actions. The friend's seductress wife Cathy (Angie Dickinson) isn't helping matter. After his release, he is ostracized by the community and beaten. He adopts a new name as he travels the land. He is befriended by a father and son operating a remote stagecoach stop. Three gunmen take over the place in preparation to rob the approaching stagecoach. The father tries to fight back and gets killed. Wes manages to kill the gunmen and he's left to take the son to his relatives in Table Rock where troublesome cowboys are approaching with their herd of cattle.

I would have liked to keep this story smaller. I like the opening setup. I really like the small stagecoach stop. This could have been a great little thriller with the three gunmen waiting for the approaching stagecoach. Its arrival could ignite a big gunfight. In the end, Wes would ride off into the sunset with the kid. As it stands, the movie has a lot of starts and stops. It's an average western.

Next of Kin (1982)

small Australian horror

[6/10 · 9 June 2024]

Linda Stevens returns home after inheriting her family's estate from her late mother. Over the years, the mansion has been turned into a retirement home for a dozen elderly folks. There are strange happenings afoot and the old people keep dying.

This is an Australian horror. It could be considered a cult classic with the praise coming from Tarantino. While I get the stylistic love, ultimately I find the story not that compelling. It is fine psychological drama. I thought maybe they were vampires or something. There are a couple of good scenes. I like the flooding bathroom. It's good, but I don't see it as great.

In Caliente (1935)

Busby Berkeley dance numbers

[6/10 · 9 June 2024]

Larry MacArthur (Pat O'Brien) is a hard-drinking fast-talking magazine editor. His publisher Harold Brandon Shanghais him to Mexico to sober him up and escape his gold-digging girlfriend Clara. He is about to run back home to marry the three-time successful gold-digger. Brandon recruits Mexican dancer Rita Gómez (Dolores Del Río) to seduce MacArthur although the men seem to have forgotten that MacArthur had written a scathing review of her. She certainly hasn't.

Busby Berkeley did the big musical numbers. This showcased Mexican entertainer Dolores Del Río to the American audience. I do like the starting premise. I just wish that she does more to get back at MacArthur. The possibilities are endless. She could get embarrassing photos of him. She could steal all his money. She could leave him stranded in the desert. It's endless. So she gets to whip him once. First, it's not that imaginative and it's a bit violent. It needs to be funnier.

Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness (2022)

everything but the name

[7/10 · 9 June 2024]

Peter and Lapin are hare brothers searching for the Hamster of Darkness. While that quest comes up empty, Peter does find a baby and adopts Chickenhare. The baby is a hybrid of a chicken and a hare. Peter would become the greatest adventurer of the land and King. Chickenhare is often bullied for his oddity and fears being a disappointment to his father. To prove himself, he needs to recover the Hamster of Darkness and join the Royal Adventure Society. In order to get it, he needs a book from imprisoned uncle Lapin, but he inadvertently helps him escape. Lapin and his goons are ahead of him in the quest. Chickenhare and his turtle sidekick Abe recruit intrepid skunk Meg to join them.

This is an European animated film. I like the premise although the first act could be more simple. I like the three main characters and their designs. The animation is solid if not the most advanced. The no-name voice work could be better. I wonder if kids would sound better or more cartoonish voices. Now, I really love the pigs. They remind me of Angry Birds. Despite that, I really really love the pigs. It is all very good except one thing does keep bugging me. I don't like the name Chickenhare. First, Peter would never choose to name him that. It sounds like an insult nickname picked by his bullies. That's what Chickenhare should be. The French version seems to have named him Hopper. That sounds much better. Chickenhare does not roll off the tongue easily and it should be a name created by his bullies. Every time someone calls him that, it bugs me. Aside from that, this is a fun animated adventure for the family.

Under Paris (2024)

people are the problem

[4/10 · 9 June 2024]

Sophia Assalas leads a scientific research team on the great floating garbage patch in the Pacific Ocean. They are tracking sharks when they are attacked. It's 3 years after the tragic event and those sharks have adapted. They have swam up the fresh waters of the Seine into the heart of Paris where a triathlon championship is to take place.

It is yet another shark B-movie. The positives are the great locations. One can't go wrong with the Eiffel Tower in the background. The sharks look pretty good for the most part except for a few bad CGI scenes. It's the people that I have a problem with. It starts with Sophia being nonchalant with the sharks at the beginning. I can overlook it as a clueless scientist and for the sake of the plot. However, there are more and more of those people. Sure, the politician can be that, but the others get on my nerves. Then there are the ammunition. This is probably not the Olympics' favorite movie. The people are dumb and the movie is kind of dumb. For a bit of dumb shark movie action, this could fulfill that desire, but I am annoyed by all the dumb people.

Jam Session (1942)

early music video

[7/10 · 9 June 2024]

This is a three minute short of Duke Ellington and his Orchestra performing 'C Jam Blues'. It is kind of like an early music video. I really like the listing of each band members' names. Most of the times, they are just nameless musicians in the background. This is basically the guys playing in a bar-like room with a few babes walking down the stairs and enjoying their music. All the elements are there for a modern music video except for the quick sharp edits. The problem is I don't know where they would show this. It has to be group together with other shorts in and around the theatrical features.

The Flag of Humanity (1940)

historical WB short

[6/10 · 9 June 2024]

With the approaching war, this short goes back to 1861. Clara Barton (Nana Bryant) fights off rigid Army rules to help the battle wounded. She would later help usher in the birth of the American Red Cross. She continues to fight for an international treaty and help in times of disasters until her death in 1912.

With war engulfing the world, this educational short is shown in theaters. I do wish they show more advanced planes in the opening scene. This plays like one of those educational shorts shown to high school kids on a slow day. It is very standard and very old fashion without any edginess.

Hit Man (2023)

Richard Linklater and Glen Powell

[7/10 · 9 June 2024]

In his regular job, Gary Johnson (Glen Powell) is a mild-mannered professor of psychology. He moonlights for the police undercover squad as the tech guy. Police officer Jasper (Austin Amelio) pretends to be a hit man for hire. When Jasper gets sidelined, Gary is pushed into the role and he's good at it. He gets many convictions in murder for hire cases and then he meets Madison Figueroa Masters (Adria Arjona) who wants to kill her controlling husband. Not only does he talk her out of murder, he starts secretly dating her as the fake hit man.

Filmmaker Richard Linklater and Glen Powell got together to make this movie. The film is injecting a lot of comedic tones in a dark crime thriller black comedy. It is a balancing act between Glen Powell smirking at the material and him having fun with the material. Sometimes, his light touch does take away the tension. This movie should be spiraling in intensity as he gets trapped by his secret relationship. The two tones of comedy and paranoid crime thriller do not always easily mix. Despite that, this is some light fun with the crime thriller.

Carnival Day (1936)

developing the colors

[7/10 · 8 June 2024]

This is the fairgrounds at Pomona, California. There are various characters going about their day. There is some dancing, some music, some jokes, and Technicolor fun. It may be a fictional day, but I like the general realism of the place. I can almost smell the peanuts. Most importantly, this is a showcase for Technicolor. The colors are bright. Tony is carry around balloons of every colors for a reason. That one blue balloon is doing some heavy lifting. It's all about showcasing the different colors in this process. The skin tone is a bit too red, but that's something that they need to learn.

A Family Man (2016)

making a point

[5/10 · 8 June 2024]

Dane Jensen (Gerard Butler) is an aggressive corporate headhunter who is willing to do anything to get his. His boss Ed Blackridge (Willem Dafoe) is looking for a successor. It's between him and Lynn (Alison Brie). He and wife Elise (Gretchen Mol) have three young kids. Lou Wheeler (Alfred Molina) is an older client who has been without a job for a year.

These are not nice people and it's hard to like them. Some of what he does is interesting. He's basically a con-man when he needs to be. Interesting cons are fun. On the other hand, his family life is rather annoying. As much as I don't like him, I don't like Elise either. The Thanksgiving scene is bad. Who's the idiot doing the Thankful bit? The couple could have at least taken it outside. It's melodrama for melodrama's sake. I guess that's the movie. It is trying very hard to make a point. It isn't about any drama. I like Frank's house, but the ending is a bit too sincere.

Tipline Mysteries: Dial 1 for Murder (2024 TV Movie)

good for Hallmark Mystery

[6/10 · 8 June 2024]

Maddie Moore (Holland Roden) is a hotel concierge who moonlights at the phone tipline for the Detroit Free Press newspaper. She is a crime buff who often passes the tips onto unhelpful retiring robbery/homicide Detective Grazier but he always ignores them. Beeks (Chris McNally) received the highest grade and replaces Grazier. Maddie receives a tip on an impending jewelry store robbery.

Roden is an energetic spark plug. She has good conflict with McNally. The main drawback is that this is a Hallmark Mystery and the production is no more than TV movie level. I like the fast-talking Roden and McNally is a good grump. I would suggest turning on the closed captioning. It makes it easier to follow the mystery.

This Man's Navy (1945)

Beery being Beery

[6/10 · 7 June 2024]

Talkative Navy balloonist Ned Trumpet (Wallace Beery) falls out of his basket into the middle of nowhere. He befriends farm boy Jess Weaver. He has been telling tall tales about his fictional son which gets more and more elaborate. In reality, he never got himself a family. He tries to recruit Jess into the service and then Jess reveals a lame leg. He introduces unsuspecting Cathey Cortland (Jan Clayton) to Jess. Before he knows it, he has his fictional family.

This is Wallace Beery being Wallace Beery in a lower level wartime war movie. The family story is sentimentality mixed with Beery's sweet brutishness. I'm perfectly happy with that part. The war fighting is less convincing and the military drama is less engaging. It's fine for some wartime fare.

River Wild (2023)

swimming against type

[6/10 · 7 June 2024]

Joey Reese (Leighton Meester) is a doctor joining her older recovering addict brother Gray Reese (Taran Killam) on a white river rafting trip. He and longtime troublesome friend Trevor (Adam Brody) are local river guides. The trio grew up on the river but there is history among them. Karissa (Olivia Swann) and Van (Eve Connolly) are their paying customers.

This is not the Meryl Streep movie although there are some similarities. This has real life married couple Meester and Brody. Taran Killam is more known for SNL. This movie does need some upgrade in ruggedness. While Killam may not the woodsman type, I would still switch him and Brody. Brody is swimming hard against type and the current has him. He's not this guy. I get that actors want to stretch, but one can break that way. The movie is simple and it works. There are some good river stunt work in the last act. Most of it can't be CGI. It's old fashion trick editing and it's good work. All in all, this is a solid indie thriller.

Wicked Little Letters (2023)

fun and loving Buckley

[8/10 · 7 June 2024]

It's 1920's in the small English town of Littlehampton. Someone has been sending obscene letters to religious spinster Edith Swan (Olivia Colman) who lives under her mother and belittling father (Timothy Spall). Unladylike Irish migrant single mother Rose Gooding (Jessie Buckley) had moved in next door with her daughter. At first, they seem to becoming good friends but events force them apart. After many letters, Edith reluctantly points the finger at Rose and the police is all too eager to arrest her. Police Officer Gladys Moss (Anjana Vasan) is uncertain of the case, but the new woman police officer is powerless in the force.

It's not the first time that I've had this opinion. I love Jessie Buckley. With the right material, she injects a jolt of fun sweet energy into any story. It does take me a second to get used to the broad comedic strokes being used here. If I have any complaints, I would like some of the characters to act less dumb, even a guy like Constable Papperwick. I get the comedic notions, but he's more annoying than funny. More than anything, I really don't like the women looking like complete idiots. It works at cross purposes with the main theme of the movie. Despite any minor issues, the biggest asset to this movie are its actresses. Colman and Buckley are amazing. Vasan is pretty good and completes the trio lead. This is fun although I don't know much about the real story.

Red Ball Express (1952)

material deserves better

[5/10 · 6 June 2024]

After D-Day, Patton's Third Army has outrun its supplies on their drive to Paris. A ragtag group of racially-mixed truck drivers is ordered on a mission called Red Ball Express. They are to drive supplies to Patton and unload and return and do it all again until the job is done. Lt. Chick Campbell leads the platoon and is in constant conflict with complaining wise guy Sgt. Red Kallek.

This is an ensemble cast. The biggest future star is Sidney Poitier although he doesn't have the biggest role. He does have an important role. This is a second tier war movie. I like the lesser known story material. I wish that this movie is worthy of the material. It has too many attempts at light weight comedy. I really hate this type of comedy which only detracts from any drama. It's a bit dumb. The characters are too broad. I don't know if the truck drivers would like to be represented this way.

Patagonia (2022)

informative and pretty

[8/10 · 6 June 2024]

CNN and others have produced this nature show. Patagonia is a mostly dry area east of the Andes Mountains on the southern tip of South America. It has much of the same epic natural scenery with all the creatures as other nature shows. On top of that, it has human participants doing important research into issues threatening the natural world. In that way, it's different than the usual pretty nature documentary series. It is news adjacent which makes sense for CNN. There is some investigative journalism with these stories. It's informative and pretty looking. Pedro Pascal is the narrator. There are six episodes.

Code Name: Emerald (1985)

espionage B story

[5/10 · 6 June 2024]

It's April 1944. The Nazis are desperate to capture an "Overlord", the code name for the few Allies who knew the time and location of the planned D-Day invasion. The Nazis have a plant inside British intelligence. His code name is Emerald. It's Gus Lang (Ed Harris) who was recruited back in 1934. The British already know this and has him as their man. He gives the Nazis a boat transporting fake Overlords. Col. Peters (Patrick Stewart) gives them a boat full of sacrificial lambs and the Nazis narrow the focus on young American Lt. Andy Wheeler (Eric Stoltz).

I am not sure why Gus would return back to Paris. The movie gives the excuse that the British had tasked him to tracking down Emerald. It seems very unlikely that the spy hunter would go behind the lines to do it. The Brits would have different spy hunters for the two sides of the line. It would be more reasonable for a new character to do the interrogation trap. Ok! Forget all that. This is a rather static drama inside the prison. Outside the prison, he wouldn't make contact with the resistance. That would be too risky with little to gain. A lot of this feels wrong. No matter which way Gus Lang goes. There is some flaw in the logic.

Gaga Chromatica Ball (2024)

Gaga concert film

[7/10 · 6 June 2024]

It's 2022. Lady Gaga is performing on The Chromatica Ball concert tour in Dodger Stadium in L. A. The tour was delayed due to COVID. By 2022, everybody was glad to be out without a mask. This is strictly a concert film. Lady Gaga is credited for everything. Most importantly, she's credited as director. Quite frankly, she should consider recruiting someone more skilled and experienced. This HBO special is fine. There is no behind the scenes footage or anything interesting outside of the concert.

The concert itself starts with Bad Romance and Gaga encased in an Autobot suit. One is enticed by her songs and her outfits. The problem with the first outfit is that it immobilizes her. There is a turn table but that's it. She needs more kinetic energy. She's not known for kinetic dancing. So it would be better to add theatrics. If she's immobilized, a bunch of hot shirtless men in hardhats should be ripping away the Autobot suit piece by piece. They could use heavy tools and sparks can fly. It's all for the drama. At least, it wouldn't be stationary with only the dancers to distract. All in all, this is a concert film, no more, no less. It's heaven for any Gaga fanatic.

The In Between (2022)

great meet-cute

[6/10 · 6 June 2024]

After a car crash, Tessa Benson (Joey King) sees both her body and her boyfriend Skylar (Kyle Allen) lying on the street. She wakes up in the hospital, but he's not there. There are various flashbacks to their relationship. She seems to be haunted by his spirit.

I love this meet-cute. I don't think that I've seen this one. Joey King is actually capable of being in an adorable romance when the premise isn't stupid. This is a fine romance. Some of it is a bit muddled. I like some of the flashbacks, but some of them are a bit jarring. I almost want the movie to flow in a straight timeline. As for the dead boyfriend, I kept waiting for a shocking twist. Early on, I thought she was the dead one. The car accident should be the shocking twist.

Back to Black (2024)

good biopic but

[6/10 · 6 June 2024]

This is a biopic of the late great British singer Amy Winehouse (Marisa Abela). Mitch Winehouse (Eddie Marsan) is her father. She falls for drug addict Blake Fielder-Civil (Jack O'Connell).

This is a well made musical biopic. Marisa Abela is great and she does a lot of the singing. While she's no Amy, she makes a valiant effort and all praise to her. I have no complaints about the actors or director Sam Taylor-Johnson. This looks great and has all the elements of a good biopic.

When a musician biopic has all the songs, it is always backed by the artist. In this case, it's her estate which means her family. More specifically, it is her father who definitely wants to rewrite popular opinion after his devastating portrayal in the documentary. That part does haunt the movie like the ghost of Christmas past. I don't want to ding this for perceived inaccuracies or slanted opinions. After all, he may have a point or half a point. In the end, I can't ignore that feeling. Some may also dismiss this for soft-peddling Blake. I look at this like Bobby and Whitney. They come into this relationship as two full-grown people, flaws and all.

Run & Gun (2022)

needs to be a bit smarter

[6/10 · 6 June 2024]

Criminal operator Ray (Ben Milliken) barely escapes with his life. He's hiding from a crime lord. He tries to go straight with an insurance job, his girlfriend, and her son. Grayson (Richard Kind) discovers his secret and blackmails him into one last job. It goes badly and he encounters Billings (Brad William Henke).

This is a small Australian crime thriller comedy. Ben Milliken is not quite leading man material but that's fine. Indies have limitations. The story is pretty basic except for the Mandela effect. That's a fun twist. My one big issue is that Ray should be smarter. He's set up as a superior street-smart criminal. When the tire gets slashed, he should know right away that someone is coming after the package. He can't waste time changing the tire. He needs to run and hide. He's also a little slow in a few other times. It's annoying when a smart character isn't quite so smart. The writing also has a few hiccups. A lot of this needs to be a bit smarter.

Irresistible (I) (2020)

written and directed by Jon Stewart

[5/10 · 5 June 2024]

Gary Zimmer (Steve Carell) is a Democratic strategist. Faith Brewster (Rose Byrne) is a Republican one. Trump defeats Clinton in 2016. It's the town of Deerlaken, Wisconsin. Mayor Braun is leading a motion to check IDs on immigrants. Jack Hastings (Chris Cooper) is a farmer and former Marine. His protest against the motion goes viral and Gary picks him to be the poster child of a rural Democratic resurgence. Diana Hastings (Mackenzie Davis) is his daughter.

This is written and directed by Jon Stewart. There is some bad meta going on here. First, this is a political comedy. It would work in another time, but politics is much more serious now. I don't even know if a reality-based political comedy would work nowadays unless it's full on Daily Show. It does go full wacky with robot man and I don't like that part. Then there is the realness of the place. It's funny that this is a fictional place with Hollywood actors and it's preaching how the Democrats have lost touch with real Americans when none of this is real. In many ways, this says more about Jon Stewart than anything else. As for Gary, he is too clueless sometimes. I get the comedy, but it's laughing at him. Here's my hot take. Change everything. Maybe keep Steve Carell but not as clueless. Make it an indie documentary-style drama with non-actors as the townies and comedy coming only from the clash of cultures. I'm not saying that I hate this. This strikes me as trying to cook something with half the ingredients. It could taste good, but something is off. (No Spoilers) Jon may see this movie more as a teachable film.

Moon Over Miami (1941)

fine

[6/10 · 5 June 2024]

Kay Latimer (Betty Grable), sister Barbara Latimer (Carole Landis), and aunt Susan Latimer (Charlotte Greenwood) are all working at a Texas roadside diner. Kay is tired of being poor and insists on marrying a millionaire who grow on trees in Miami. Aunt Susan pretends to be the maid and Barbara pretends to be Kay's secretary. Jeffrey Bolton (Robert Cummings) has been holding lavish parties at the hotel. Jack O'Hara (Jack Haley) is a hotel bartender. Phil O'Neil (Don Ameche) is a playboy.

It is gold-digging. It's 50's style. It's an old style escapist musical. It is fine for a rainy Sunday afternoon. Grable and Landis are beautiful ladies, but I'm not sold on these characters. Barbara is perfectly nice but Kay is another matter. I actually find the opening song at the diner rather fun. It is interesting to see an old time Florida white bread resort setup. This is fine.