Peneflix MOVIE REVIEWS BY PENEFLIX
Again, Agatha Christie (1890-1976) commands center stage in theatres capturing the enigmatic, floating, watery wonderland of Venice in 1947; atmospherically lyrical, raucous rain clutches archival architecture on ghostly Halloween. An eerie, spooky soundtrack with dashing drawings, resembling works of Edvard Munch, Wiliam Kentridge, and Kara Walker prance across the screen while children render excitement and terror to the decaying mansion of “Rowena Drake” (Kelly Reilly) who has arranged a séance immediately following the children’s exit; mourning the drowning of her daughter “Alicia” (Rowan Robinson) hires a renowned medium “Joyce Reynolds” (Michele Yeoh) to call forth Alicia’s spirit. Into the muddled maze of protagonists enters retired detective, skeptical, Hercule Poirot (Kennath Branagh), dragged by his friend, mystery author “Ariadne Oliver” (Tina Fey). Predictable obfuscation taints the scenario as participants keep dying, creepy specters resurface, and perpetual Christie shenanigans, instead of titillating are resoundingly stale.
TWO & ½ STARS!!
DUMB MONEY (in theatres)
Keith Gill (Paul Dano) with guts and pertinacity delivers a pungent blow to Wall Street gurus. Behemoth hedge fund operators (Melvin Capital, Gabriel Plotkin (Seth Rogan), Ken Griffin (Nick Offerman), betting on the demise of GameStop, are felled by the “average” man, a “David” and those “inconsequentials” who bet their financial futures on his monumental belief in a stock, given short shrift by the so-called wizards, convinced of their own infallibility. Director, Craig Gillespie presciently proves there is no such thing as “Dumb Money”.
THREE & ½ STARS!!!
Peneflix
