Dog’s Movie House: What to See!

 

Howdy folks!  It’s The Kendog here back from a month long absence to try and pull this thing together.  A rather serious health scare involving my wife kept me on the shelf for obvious reasons.  Thankfully, she is doing well and on her way to a full recovery and I am now trying to figure out a schedule to get thing s back on track!

 

For starters, let’s get caught up with some micro-reviews from the past couple of weeks.  Starting with “Avengers: Infinity War” a film that serves as a climax for the first ten years of the extremely successful Marvel Cinematic Universe.   The big bad here is Thanos (an excellent Josh Brolin), a godlike being who wished to restore the balance of the universe by killing half of its inhabitants.   To achieve this Thanos is after the six Infinity Stones, objects of such power that they will allow Thanos to accomplish his goal with a snap of his fingers.   Of course the Avengers and the rest of the superheroes object strongly to this idea and fight the Mad Titan and his Black Order to save the universe.

Directed with flair and assurance by Joe and Anthony Russo (“Captain America: Civil War”), this massive film never feels like it’s about to collapse under it’s own weight.  Everyone gets a chance to shine in this action packed piece of entertainment, with Robert Downey Jr (Iron Man), Tom Holland (Spider Man), Benedict Cumberbatch (Dr. Strange), and especially Chris Hemsworth (Thor) being the standouts.

Josh Brolin does a terrific job as the villain primarily because the doesn’t see himself as a bad gay.  The work he’s doing feels like a calling for him, requiring sacrifice on an immense personal level.  In changing the character’s motivation from the comics, Thanos becomes a sympathetic figure at times, especially when it comes to the arc with his adopted daughter Gamora (Zoe Saldana, really upping her game here from her already terrific performances in the “Guardians Of The Galaxy” films).  The writing by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely manages to make you feel for just about every character onscreen, making “Infinity War” about as far away from a soulless exercise in CGI as you can get.  The action is outstanding because it carries emotional weight (and because it’s just frickin’ cool!).

“Infinity War” also goes to places in its finale that very few comic book films have gone in terms of emotionally shocking storytelling.  Not that all hope is lost (there is going to be and “Avengers 4,” after all) but that the stakes in this film feel real, which is one of the few criticisms Marvel films have levied at them.

 

All in all, as a comic book film “Avengers: Infinity War” delivers one of the most powerful blockbuster experiences in recent memory.  Thoughtful, well-acted, written, and paced with some jaw dropping visuals, this film is the perfect way to kick off the summer!  5 Out Of 5 On Kendog’s Barkometer!

 

Next up we have “Tully,” a small indie film that is the opposite of “Avengers” in every way yet just as entertaining.   “Tully” comes from the team of director Jason Reitman and writer Diablo Cody, the duo that brought you “Juno” and “Young Adult.”  Charlize Theron is terrific as Marlo, an expectant mother who is about at the edge of her rope.  Between her unexpected pregnancy, a somewhat distant husband (Ron Livingston) and a couple of kids, one of which presents a unique set of challenges.

At the suggestion of her rich older brother Craig (Mark Duplass) she ends up hiring a “night nanny” named Tully (Mackenzie Davis) to help take care of the baby overnight so Marlo can actually get some sleep.  The two women bond and soon life starts to take a turn for the better for Marlo and her whole family, but Tully has some secrets of her own and revealing those could cost both women more then they are willing to pay.

Cody’s script is really good: the dialogue sounds natural coming out of these characters’ mouths.  Theron gets a chance to let Marlo’s exasperation bubble to the surface, but it doesn’t sound forced or scripted.  Instead it sounds and feels honest.  Davis is just as good as Tully, a young woman who seems wiser than her years would indicate, and Livingston is great as the loving but somewhat confused husband who finds that his wife’s interaction with Tully needs to serve as a wake-up call.

There is a third act reveal that, while initially surprising, actually makes a whole lot of sense in terms of the rest of the narrative.  Buoyed by strong performances, a smart script, and naturalistic direction, “Tully” is the perfect formula if you have a hankering to see real life heroes instead of costumed ones.  4 Out Of 5 On Kendog’s Barkometer!  So Sayeth The Kendog! 

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