Reel Entropy

Photos courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures.

Steven James
@StevenLeeJames

A mystery, buddy and odd-couple film with funny violence, oddball characters and an entertaining bewilderment at the center of an interesting story, The Nice Guys is one of the most original movies you can currently go watch in a theater. Seriously, just go.

Hired enforcer Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe) uses brass knuckles to beat people to a bloody mess, though he says in a voiceover he would like to become a private investigator because they help people. Private detective Holland March (Ryan Gosling), an alcoholic and a buffoon, has the words “You will never be happy,” with a smiley face underneath, written in permanent ink on his right hand. The two meet because aspiring porn star and political activist Amelia Kutner (Margaret Qualley) believes Holland is stalking her in a non-professional manner, and hires Healy to make him stop. Healy enters Holland’s home and fractures a few bones in his left arm. Then, Healy gets attacked at his apartment by two unnamed hitmen (Keith David and Beau Knapp) who are looking for Kutner, and believe Healy knows where to find her. He does not, and teams with Holland to find the missing porn actress. Her disappearance is linked to the death of fellow porn star Misty Mountains (Murielle Telio), believed to have committed suicide by crashing her car. At first, they are confused as to why people are getting murdered because of the release of an “experimental” pornography film, but then discover the problem is much bigger, involving corruption in the automobile industry and in certain counties’ justice departments.

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Photos courtesy The Weinstein Company.

Steven James
@StevenLeeJames

Sing Street is an Irish coming-of- age jukebox musical that can be described in two words: fun and typical.

In Dublin 1985, 15-year-old Conor “Cosmo” Lalor’s (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) parents force him to transfer from his expensive private school to the free, state-sponsored Synge Street CBS. The family is suffering from major financial issues. Conor’s father, Robert (Aidan Gillan), and mother, Penny (Maria Doyle Kennedy), are in a crumbling marriage. Conor’s brother, Brendan (Jack Reynor), is a college drop-out who lives at home and spends most of his time getting high, listening to music and hanging out with his siblings. His sister, Ann (Kelly Thornton), is attempting to become an architect like her father, but with hopefully a more successful career.

Conor Lalor meets pretty girl and aspiring model, 16-year-old Raphina (Lucy Boynton), who lives across the street from Conor’s school in the local girl’s home and decides to form a band. He meets manager Darren (Ben Carolan), who shoots the band’s music videos, as well as bandmates Eamon (Mark McKenna), Larry (Conor Hamilton), Garry (Karl Rice) and Ngig (Percy Chamburuka), Sing Street’s Token Minority. Brendan convinces Conor to change Sing Street from a lame cover band into an edgy, rock ‘n’ roll group to impress Raphina, and to write most of his lyrics about her.

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