Miles Ahead

You gotta give it up to Don Cheadle's performance as an actor and his film directorial debut in Miles Ahead.  Given his talent which is obvious and needless to say, he goes beyond not disappointing. The life of jazz musician Miles Davis is told with the exploration of a reference point in his life when he wasn't active in music and from there are the dizzying flashbacks to pivotal points in his life that shaped him to that moment and beyond.  Cheadle both in front of and behind the camera constructs and deconstructs the man to come out projecting the very meaning of the title in a way that truly honors one of the greatest musicians of America.  It's not conventional storytelling for sure, but that is also one of the very points of the exploration and ultimate homage. Kudos to Miles Ahead for it's unique tapestry.

Keanu

Keegan and Peele are some wickedly funny and conscious actor-comedians and this is so obvious in the absurdly hilarious Keanu.  What I really enjoyed about this film is how that absurdity, now a staple in mostly white films, can be adopted to a Black film, with the same humor and charm and all the while taking on the issues of race within the Black community and in this country.  These guys did it and did it well, while being Black.

The Infiltrator

Too bad this didn't get much traction at the theaters, because The Infiltrator is one nice almost sleeper like of a hit.  I say almost, because it should be obvious in the cast of Bryan Cranston, John Leguizamo, Benjamin Bratt, and Diane Kruger that the promise of stellar performances was sold. Cranston plays a U.S. Customs agent who infiltrates the organization of Pablo Escabar. Yes, the Breaking Bad star has obviously done this type of role before and it's no great stretch and yes, it's like Miami Vice taking place in the 80's and in Florida.  But in reality, it's a true story that is wholeheartedly interesting, thrillingly tense, and filled with interesting characters.  In recent years, there is much of a void in films or at least the film industry has been very much trumped by this golden era of high quality television series. When one of the best television actors takes the lead in a motion picture of this stature and similar genre of what he's most famous for, and still uniquely nails it, it's something to witness.  It would be easy to say Cranston was typecast and simultaneously naive to deny he helped to greenlight The Infiltrator, but it would also underestimate what he really brings as an actor to this role.  The film is certainly in good company with Donnie Brasco or a Carlito's Way in quality crime dramas.

The Magnificent Seven (2016)

Antoine Fuqua and Denzel Washington return to collaborate on this remake of the classic, The Magnificent Seven (a remake of Seven Samurai).  It also stars Ethan Hawke, Chris Platt, Vincent D'Onofrio,  and Byun-Hun Lee as part of the magnificent seven with Peter Sarsgaard as the nemesis. Seeing Hawke (Training Day) collaborating again with Washington was certainly a treat and great performances by the aforementioned along with D'Onofrio and Sarsgaard were acting highlights. Fuqua's remake certainly doesn't trump the originals, but it's a great effort with a talented cast and it's certainly obvious that they were having fun with the western genre. Fuqua excels in directing the action scenes and there's no denying that in this film.  Understandably so, it's a challenge in developing the characters and unique subplots, but The Magnificent Seven was in competent enough hands with writer Nic Pizzolato (True Crime). There are deficiencies in the film for sure, but it's mostly the type of film to entertain with the sheer star power and action scenes.  That, it does.  

SPL 2: A Time For Consequences

Supposedly, Sha Po Lang: A Time For Consequences (Kill Zone 2), the sequel to the 2005's Sha Po Lang though the recurring cast of characters are rearranged like musical chairs and the story is an exercise in melodramatic cinematic hyperbole gone awry.  Director Wilson Yip seems to be using the SPL vehicle as an excuse for bringing back an updated mix of actors and action stars. Returning in different roles are veterans Simon Yam and Wu Jing, but now with the addition of Tony Jaa (Ong Baak film series) and Zhang Jin (The Grandmaster). I must admit that is an exciting mix of folks, for sure.  For the most part, their respective talents do standout in the action sequences, especially as one would expect from martial artist Tony Jaa, Zhang Jin, and Wu Jing. It's Hong Kong meets Thai action, though action director and co-star Ken Lo certainly could have left out some of the fucked up wirework.  The story itself, strives to live up more to the mantra of Sha Po Lang in the story of a dying protagonist in Jaa's daughter and antagonist in gangster Louis Koo, both in need of medical transplants under the most extraordinary and ironic circumstances.   This is where it starts off murky in figuring out what the hell was going on in the first place.  So by the time there is some semblance of understanding amidst the action, I hardly cared anymore about the unbelievable nature in plot and character.  Just get to the action and finale. There is brilliance in SPL 2: A Time For Consequences somewhere because it is entertaining in the diverse combination of cast.  It has the right ingredients in that and even story arch.  However, it feels more like an unfinished sculptor lacking much refinement and direction.  Wilson could have thrown us a better bone after a decade.

Point Break

Gosh, where to begin here....  Point Break was such a mess of what should have been, at the very least, decent. Almost 25 years after the original, it makes the original look like a masterpiece.  Limp and unmemorable cast.  Enough keystrokes already wasted.

Jason Bourne

In one of the most highly anticipated sequels of the summer, Matt Damon returns in the latest installment Jason Bourne, directed and co-written by Paul Greengrass.  To get straight to the point, it's mediocre at best.  The story or more specifically, the lack of development of the story is a real problem.  Greengrass and Damon, in an effort to expound upon a once freshly proven formula that takes in the best moments from the previous Bourne movies, end up settling on a generic refabrication of those elements.  Essentially, Jason Bourne becomes a shell of itself, regurgitating nothing an audience can get behind in plot, barring the excellent action scenes.  In all fairness, it's been 9 years since Damon and Greengrass last teamed up for The Bourne Ultimatum.  In reality, the series that changed the game and forced other films of the same genre to step it up, is a bit of a distorted parody of itself, resting only on the laurels of its visceral action sequences, fight choreography, and cinematography.  It's a damn shame, too.  It's got a great cast in originals Damon and Julia Stiles with equally good newcomers in Vincent Cassel, Tommy Lee Jones, and Alicia Vikander.  Partial spoiler alert here.  The fuckin' cast is just wasted, particularly Julia Stiles who precipitates the whole story.  Jason Bourne of course comes with great expectations and I'm certainly not saying it's the worst film.  Even this is better than most action films to be sure and the push the limit action sequences and exotic locations are still all there for sure.  But it lacks conviction in the flat ass story and character development of Bourne to justify this after being away for so long.  While other movie franchises have gotten increasingly better as a result of The Bourne films (think Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation or Skyfall), the last 2 Bourne films have seemed to echo the opposite.