'Dominique' Reviews: "an absolutely ferocious action movie with stunning plot twists"

        On October 11, 2024, Lionsgate released 'Dominique', which has earned predominantly positive reviews from critics. In the film, "Dominique, a well-trained assassin, flees from her troubled past in an attempt to begin a new life in South America." The ensemble cast includes Oksana Orlan, Maurice Compte, and Chase Coleman. Read the full review round-up below.

       Julian Roman of MovieWeb says, "Oksana Orlan, a statuesque fashion model turned actress, writer, and producer, will kick your ass and break a foot doing it in Dominique, an absolutely ferocious action movie with stunning plot twists. The film initially seems like another mindless and forgettable VOD entry we've seen countless times. That expectation changes dramatically when a razor-sharp first act goes in a truly shocking direction. Every character is fair game once ruthless and sadistic baddies are unleashed. Steel yourself for shock, awe, and heartbreak. There are no sacred cows or boundaries here." Adding, "Director/writer Michael S. Ojeda, who previously worked with Orlan in The Russian Bride, stirs up a second act hornet's nest with a big reveal. Jaws will hit the floor. What transpires is visceral, ugly, and completely reframes the story. Ojeda deserves credit for not being predictable. He baits the audience into a false sense of security, then delivers a narrative wallop that hits like a freight train. Ojeda raises the stakes to the point of no return. Dominique must choose to follow her conscience or allow a bad situation to get worse. That's not an easy thing for someone who's always chosen self-preservation."

       Avi Offer of NYC Movie Guru notes,, "Dominique (Oksana Orlan), a ruthless assassin, hides out with a police chief, Santiago (Maurice Compte), and his family after killing members of the mafia. When the mafia kills Santiago, she sets out for revenge against them while trying to protect his family in Dominique. The screenplay by writer/director Michael S. Ojeda doesn't get any points for originality. Of course, there's a MacGuffin which, in this case, happens to be a laptop with a recording of a mafia killing that would incriminate them if it were to go public. It's essentially a less bonkers version of John Wick set in a jungle with a female lead instead of a male in the lead role. Oksana Orlan commands the screen in an electrifying performance which helps to elevate the film well above its mediocre screenplay. There are a few surprisingly moving moments between her and some of Santiago's family members who she's defending. The action scenes are decent, but nothing exceptional. Fortunately, Ojeda maintains suspense from start to finish and doesn't allow the film to overstay its welcome or become exhausting by keeping the running time under 2 hours. At 1 hours and 34 minutes, Dominique is an explosive, gripping and exhilarating action thriller. It opens at Cinema Village and on VOD via Lionsgate."

Photo by Katie Goertzen on Unsplash

'Haunted Wedding' Reviews: "With a few tweaks and changes, Haunted Wedding could have been such a fun movie, but its disjointed tone and broad characters distract from a promising premise."

         On October 12, 2024, Hallmark Channel premiered 'Haunted Wedding', which has earned a mixed reception from critics. In the film, the wedding between two ghost hunters is disrupted by a spirit that believes the groom is dead fiancé. The ensemble cast includes Dominic Sherwood, Janel Parrish, and Cassandra Potenza. But what did the critics say?

Photo Courtesy of Hallmark Media and Stephen Ackerman

        Rebekah's Readings and Watchings says, This one started out great but lost its way, got pretty confused, and floundered around aimlessly to the inevitable happy conclusion. It’s a shame because the premise was a fresh one for Hallmark, the two lead actors were good and likable as were the characters they played, and in the beginning, there were several cute lines in the script. It opened with a spoof of Ghost Hunter-type reality shows with which I am very familiar because a lot of reasons. Ghost hunting is our couple Jana and Brian’s hobby and the movie opens with them doing just that. They really nailed the usual lingo and crazy machines that all respectable ghost hunters would not be without. It turns out that on this occasion Brian has lured Jana into a haunted insane asylum to propose marriage. It was cute. I really liked their relationship and that they were so enthusiastic about the unusual hobby that they shared in common. 6 months later they arrive at the (3-tombstone rated!) Keystone Manor, a haunted inn that they have chosen as their wedding venue. And this is about where it all starts to go downhill." Adding, "Hardly anything in this movie made sense. For over 200 years Angelique has not been able to communicate with or be seen by anyone until the arrival of Jana and Brian. They are her one chance to finally be reunited with Malcolm and they vow to help her do so. They are ghost hunters. Brian is an ancestor of Malcolm. What could be more coincidentally fortuitous?  Yet Angelique is spiteful and hostile off and on (mostly on) throughout the movie. She sabotages their wedding preparations and plays mean tricks like turning their wine into vinegar. This ghost has powers outside the realm of the usual poltergeist activities. She whines all the damn time. She would have been well served if Jana and Brian left and had their wedding at “The Radisson (like normal people)”."

        Liz Kocan of Decider notes, "As I watched Haunted Wedding, I kept coming back to the thought that this movie feels more like something you would have seen on Nickelodeon in the 1990s than something on the Hallmark Channel. The characters are all big and broad and are forced to deliver hacky lines, the physical comedy feels designed to make kids laugh, and and the paranormal aspect had a real O.G. Goosebumps feel to it. All of this to say that it feels very silly and a little too basic. And while basic and predictable can be fine if the performances elevate the material, in this case, they don’t. While I appreciated Sherwood in his dual roles and feel like he actually showed range as both Malcolm and Brian, and Janel Parrish is fine as Jana, the rest of the movie feels filled with stereotypes and silly characters who don’t act like real people." Continuing, "SKIP IT. With a few tweaks and changes, Haunted Wedding could have been such a fun movie, but its disjointed tone and broad characters distract from a promising premise."

Movies That Deserved Better: 'Not Suitable for Children'

         On July 12, 2012, 'Not Suitable for Children' was released by Icon Film Distribution to predominantly positive reviews from critics, currently holding 88% on Rotten Tomatoes. Unfortunately, the film never quite received the audience that it deserved. It's time to change that. In the film, "A womanizer (Ryan Kwanten) learns he has one month before he becomes sterile, so he tries to impregnate a woman before it's too late." But what did the critics say?

       Amber Wilkinson of Eye for Film says, "The words cancer and comedy used to hang out in very different movie circles. If cancer was present, comedy rarely put a foot over the threshold, let alone made a joke at its expense. Recently there has been something of a sea change, with 50/50 bringing the two together in a buddy film format and now, this Aussie flick insists that just because you have cancer it doesn't mean you're a responsible adult. Ryan Kwanten stars as Jonah, a 30something scraggy bearded hipster with a no-ties approach to relationships, with the exception of his housemates and best pals Gus (Ryan Corr) and Stevie (Sarah Snook). His mindset is about to change, though, not as a result of careful consideration of the holding pattern of parties and playgirls that his life has become but because a one-night stand has just noticed a lump on one of his testicles. A trip to the doc's later and Jonah discovers his life is about to change tack. The lump is cancerous and it's time to go under the knife - the only hitch being that when he has finished his treatment he'll be infertile. With the clock ticking faster than he ever thought possible, Jonah decides to take the plunge - with anyone, possibly everyone - in order to have a child." Adding, "The premise sounds like a playpen for vulgarity but Michael Lucas's script is smarter than that. While there is an obvious smut level involved in the loss of a testicle, the joke choices are much less crass than you might imagine. And the subject matter is as much concerned - rightly or wrongly - with modern day fears of commitment and insecurity as with illness. Lucas also ensures his characters are grounded in a believable reality and, winningly for audience members sick of second fiddle females in Judd Apatow cast offs, gives Sarah Snook's character a story trajectory that is as substantial as that of Kwanten's. Snook grasps the opportunity with both hands to the extent of almost stealing the film out from under Kwanten, amiable though he is."

Photo Courtesy of Jerod Harris via Getty Images on Wireimage.com 

        Tim Martain of The Mercury notes, "Breaking down some stereotypes and making you think about a common issue in an uncommon way, this is a smart little flick, with some top acting and fine humour to boot."

       Matthew Pejkovic of Matt's Movie Reviews was less impressed, stating, "With its unlikeable characters and comedy that is awkward at best, Not Suitable for Children does little for the modern secular family cause. This is a film that wears its modern-world-values-big-boy-pants proudly. With its young filmmakers and hip cast, Not Suitable for Children refuses to have its characters play slave to the traditional rules of boy meets girl, boy marries girl, boy and girl have a baby. This is 2012 and such thinking is no longer a part of the 20 something crowd. Well, at least according to this move it isn’t." Continuing, "It’s when Not Suitable… focuses on the central relationship between Jonah and Stevie that it finds its heart. Kwanten and Snook’s different energies work well together, and Snook is an especially warm presence amongst the darkly photographed inner west Sydney backdrop and perfectly counters the mugging theatrics of Ryan Corr who takes on the role of clown best friend, yet annoys instead of bringing the laughs. Snook can only bring so much to the table. This is a Ryan Kwanten vehicle and his Jonah is, simply put, an unlikeable prat: irresponsible, lazy, a symbol of the 20 something slacker at its most obnoxious. Not suitable for children? At the least."

    Personally, I found the film to be a unique gem that might not be for everyone. Honestly, if your movie taste is more traditional, it might not be for you.

'Citadel: Diana' Reviews: Series "is astonishingly good at both action and spycraft"

         On October 10, 2024, 'Citadel: Diana' was released on Prime Video, earning predominantly positive reviews from critics, earning a score of 75% on Rotten Tomatoes. In the series, "The global spy agency Citadel was destroyed by the syndicate, Manticore; since then, Diana Cavalieri, an undercover Citadel agent, is alone, trapped behind enemy lines; the only way out for her is trusting, Edo Zani, the heir of Manticore Italy." The ensemble cast includes Matilda De Angelis, Maurizio Lombardi, Lorenzo Cervasio, and Thekla Reuten. But what did the critics say?

        Isabella Soares of Collider says, "Back in 2023, Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Richard Madden played counterparts in the three-figure spy drama Citadel, produced by the Russo Brothers. Although the big-budget series was met with mixed reactions, it was still renewed for Season 2 and received Prime Video's approval for the making of international spin-offs. Citadel: Diana is a product of this Citadel Spyverse expansion, taking place in Italy with events paralleling the original series. Although I wasn't particularly floored by Citadel, its high-caliber cast and few twists and turns made it somewhat of an engaging watch. It was no Mission Impossible, but there were still qualities to be noted. As for the latest spin-off — which feels much less like a blockbuster — it doesn't amp up the stakes, nor does it bring a fresh take on the genre. In other words, if viewers were disappointed by Chopra Jonas and Madden's show, they'll probably be even more underwhelmed by this."

Photo by Alice Voigt on Unsplash

       Michael Clark of Epoch Times notes, "For me, if it ends here, fine. It all worked. If it continues, all the better, provided the writing remains of a high caliber. I can see it lasting for four or five seasons without any drop in quality."

       Kate Sánchez of But Why Tho? A Geek Community praises the series, stating, "More grounded than the first series, Citadel Diana is astonishingly good at both action and spycraft. Not without its science fiction edge, the series pulls on the reigns and brings the audience to a spy story steeped in romance and resiliency. The leads in this series are doing work, but they have a script that meets their talent in a way that resonates with every subsequent episode. The series is directed by Arnaldo Catinari and developed by Alessandro Fabbri, the head writer who wrote the series with Ilaria Bernardini, Gianluca Bernardini, Laura Colella, and Giordana Mari."

'Deceitful Love' Leaves Critics Cold

         On October 9, 2024, Netflix released 'Deceitful Love', which has received a negative reception from critics. In the series, "After turning 60, a wealthy woman suddenly falls in love with an attractive and much younger man, but her family raises doubts about his intentions." The ensemble cast includes Monica Guerritore, Emanuel Caserio, Giacomo Gianniotti, Francesco Del Gaudio, Dharma Mangia Woods, and Denise Capezza. But what did the critics say?

        Joel Keller of Decider says, "Deceitful Love has lots of sex, lots of foreboding music, and lots of overdramatic performances. Is it good drama? Not really. It’s a series about a woman who is finding her sexual self come back in force due to the attention of this mysterious younger man, the family who doesn’t approve of the relationship, and the man himself, whom nobody knows much about. It doesn’t feel like the show is all that complex, does it? There will likely be a lot of scenes of Gabriella getting railed by Elia, some arguments between Gabriella and Elia, then Gabriella and her kids, scenes of Stefano looking into who Elia is — more on that in a bit — and other soapy asides that don’t really contribute much to the story. Nico, the youngest, has identity issues, and Guilia, the middle child, keeps getting cosmetic surgeries for amorphous reasons. Do we care about them? Nah, not all that much. Of course, we’re all for seeing a woman in her sixties getting it on with a much younger man, because we really don’t see a lot of that, and Guerritore isn’t afraid of literally exposing herself to the cameras to make the story feel more realistic. It helps that she gives Gabriella a sexy confidence that seems to belie her belief that she’ll never fall in lust with anyone again." Adding, "The rest of the cast, including Gianniotti as Elia, we can take or leave. So much of the show is full of over-the-top melodrama that we were basically waiting for the next elegantly-shot sex scene and not really buying into the predictable story in between those scenes."

Photo by Jack Ward on Unsplash

       Archi Sengupta of LeisureByte.com notes, "From the get-go, it’s extremely creepy to watch just how persistent Elia is when it comes to starting a relationship with Gabriella. The latter is lonely and just a little sorrowful. With no one to share a life with and with adult children around her, her life in her Amalfi Coast hotel is clearly one that will invoke a sense of pity among viewers. Unfortunately, Elia’s presence is both mysterious and concerning but you do understand why Gabriella falls for his charms immediately. The creators made sure to let us know that Elia is hot – he constantly takes his clothes off to bask in the glory of his underwear and six packs, so much so that the frequency of it gets a tad bit uncomfortable for viewers. Sex aside, one can’t help but wonder about this obsession that everyone in the family has with Elia. From the youngest son to the mother, everyone is taken with the mysterious and probably criminal Elia and we can only wonder what’s in Gabriella’s past that is making her ignore the red flags around her. Condescending and controlling sons aside, something’s clearly not right here with the visitor and the series makes us work to understand the mystery behind everyone’s odd behaviours." Continuing, "I think the series brings forth an important point somewhere between Gabriella’s hysterics and her children’s apathy surrounding society’s view on older women dating younger men. We hardly ever blink an eye when the genders are reversed but things seem to always get unacceptable when a younger man falls for an older woman. Watching Gabriella find her liberation is freeing in a way, but the path to it is fraught with several hysterical breakdowns and a son who just can’t seem to mind his own business. That being said, Deceitful Love doesn’t feel like it’s doing anything particularly new with its saucy relationship or its mysterious premise. The hot and cold relationship between Gabriella and Elia is just so annoying – we jump from her hating him to loving him and then back again over and over. It gets a little annoying and Elia’s mildly frustrated look into the distance gets old very fast. Personally, the problem is surrounding Gabriella. The Italian series isn’t like its British predecessor and hinges on an unhealthy amount of drama to be anything resembling serious or introspective. There are a ton of inconsistencies and the twists and turns feel frivolous and half-baked."

'Lonely Planet' Fails to Impress Critics

         On October 11, 2024, Netflix released 'Lonely Planet', which failed to impress critics, earning a score of 27% on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of this writing. In the film, "A reclusive novelist arrives at a prestigious writer's retreat in Morocco, hoping the remote setting will unlock her writer's block. While there, she meets a young man -- what starts as an acquaintanceship evolves into an intoxicating, life-altering love affair." The ensemble cast includes Laura Dern, Liam Hemsworth, Diana Silvers, and Adriano Giannini. But what did the critics say?

       Adrian Horton of Guardian says, "These characters are all in some way aspirational, though not particularly admirable. Owen and Catherine repeat the phrase “new and exotic” about Morocco a few too many times for comfort – lamenting how travel does not actually take you far from yourself, while bonding over an impromptu visit to a local village. Owen makes a passing effort to interact with Lily; Lily barely hides how boring she finds him, and is clearly taken with Rafih (Younès Boucif), who “wrote that beautiful memoir about his time as a child soldier in Libya!” (lol). All three of them are at times oblivious and self-absorbed and they say laughably on-the-nose things, particularly as Owen develops a moral conscience about private equity screwing over a family-owned coalmine in West Virginia." Adding, "Yet Lonely Planet proves to be smarter and more attentive than its beach-read feint. The film features plenty of tourism-ad footage of Morocco, from Marrakech to Chaouen, that elevates it above the overlit Netflix canon. But it also undercuts its own exoticism with a short and effective montage of service workers at the retreat cleaning up beer bottles, trash and a discarded bra after the group’s nightly revelry. All the character flaws, paradoxically, give heft to a likable central romance between two easily dislikable people, who are filmed with a winsome naturalness, and blurred edges like their tipsy circling of each other. Both Dern and Hemsworth bring their requisite qualities (luminous, layered neuroticism, sad eyes and abs) to the pairing, which feels spiky, surprising and tender, up to and including a very female gaze-y sex scene on the dresser."

       Monica Castillo of RogerEbert.com notes, "Written and directed by Susannah Grant, “Lonely Planet” did not assuage any feelings of loneliness–it might even have enhanced them. After all the Hollywood movies featuring older men hooking up with younger women, we can’t enjoy an older woman developing feelings for a younger man without worrying about his fragile ego or watching her pursue him because he won’t go after her. The movie gets some ingredients right for its retro romantic comedy, but it lacks the fantasy that gets viewers to believe in an unlikely match: that magnetic attention when eyes meet and can’t look away from each other or the longing stares and stray thoughts about what would you do if you could only get closer to that person. “Careful, I could fall for a kid like you,” Katherine purrs before accidentally wounding her love interest’s feelings, but he has nothing to worry about. There’s not enough chemistry to burn up the screen, or even warm it up."

       Alyssa Christian of Next Best Picture was equally as unimpressed, stating, "Overall, “Lonely Planet” is a visually pleasing film that offers moments of charm to keep you engaged, but the romantic arc feels half-baked, and the supposedly shocking or surprising twists do not land at all. The beautiful setting and Toprak’s lush score do much of the heavy lifting, leaving the central love story feeling more like a diversion than the heart of the film. It is a perfectly forgettable romantic dramedy that happens to take place in (and was filmed in) an exotic locale."

Photo by LexScope on Unsplash

'The Silent Hour' Reviews: "Anderson turns The Silent Hour into a lean, propulsive Die Hard riff, taking the characters’ disabilities into account without making them into weaknesses"

         On October 11, 2024, Republic Pictures released 'The Silent Hours', which has earned a mixed reception from critics. In the film, "Boston Detective Frank Shaw (Joel Kinnaman) returns to duty after a career-altering injury leaves him with permanent hearing loss. Tasked with interpreting for Ava Fremont (Sandra Mae Frank), a deaf witness to a brutal gang murder, they find themselves cornered in a soon-to-be-condemned apartment building when the killers return to eliminate her. Cut off from the outside world, these two strangers must lean on each other to outsmart killers they can't hear coming for their only hope of making it out alive." The ensemble cast includes Mekhi Phifer and Mark Strong. Read the full review round-up below.

       Josh Bell of Crooked Marquee says, "After starring as a mute crime victim in John Woo’s 2023 action thriller Silent Night, Joel Kinnaman now stars as a hearing-impaired cop in Brad Anderson’s action thriller The Silent Hour. Kinnaman’s characters experience similar anguish over the incidents that led to their injuries, although Boston police detective Frank Shaw is more stable, and he’s not out for revenge. Instead, he’s targeted by a gang of drug dealers while helping to interview a deaf witness to an underworld murder. It takes a little too long for Frank and Ava (Sandra Mae Frank) to end up trapped in a half-renovated apartment building with their assailants, but once everything is in place, Anderson turns The Silent Hour into a lean, propulsive Die Hard riff, taking the characters’ disabilities into account without making them into weaknesses. The story doesn’t amount to much (don’t strain too hard to figure out the relevance of Frank’s partner), but Kinnaman gives Frank a solid character arc amid the exciting, well-crafted action."

       Roger Moore of Movie Nation notes, "Even if the screenwriter is cribbing his “practice script” from Screenwriting 201 “dirty cops” thriller, there’s a lot going for this one, including director and the stars." Concluding, The picture’s task is to trap them in that nearly empty building with or without a phone, with or without a firearm, as bad guys — some wearing badges — try to track them down and silence them. The threat is palpable and laid-out in blunt strokes. The “solutions” to problems are likewise set up to be checked-off, one at a time. But the obvious foreshadowing doesn’t negate the film’s suspense or the occasional clever bit of “get out of this jam” problem-solving. We can be a step or two ahead of our couple in peril and still revel in the execution of the their various means of escape. Providing they do escape. Anderson lets us experience their plight as they do, in shocking blasts of silence when what they really need is that one sense that will tell them the head honcho of the villains (Mekhi Phifer, excellent) is closing in, chambering a round or calling for more minions to help him stop them. The script by Dan Hall is strictly paint-by-numbers — cut and dried and predictable. But the execution atones for some of that, and the performances give it that extra something that makes even a formulaic thriller worth your time."

Photo by LexScope on Unsplash

        Louisa Moore of Screen Zealots writes, "The Silent Hour” is a passable yet largely forgettable crime thriller that, despite director Brad Anderson’s attempt to inject a bit of originality from Dan Hall‘s screenplay, relies too heavily on familiar tropes and well-worn character types. This isn’t the type of movie that you’ll remember seeing a few months from now, nor is it destined to become a favorite, but it’s more than passable. The film stars Joel Kinnaman as Frank Shaw, a Boston detective adjusting to life after a career-altering injury leaves him with permanent hearing loss. Returning to duty, he is tasked with interpreting for Ava (Sandra Mae Frank), a deaf witness to a brutal gang murder. When the killers return to eliminate her, Frank and Ava find themselves cornered in a condemned apartment building, working together to outsmart the killers they can’t hear coming. The story tries to make something of its interesting angle (the unique challenges faced by a detective with hearing loss who is protecting a deaf witness), which does add a dynamic layer that’s mildly intriguing. This doesn’t set the film apart from the well-worn crime thriller formula, though, because Anderson doesn’t take the time to fully explore the emotional or psychological depths of living with these limitations. Instead, the movie focuses on the more immediate (and expected) tension of Frank and Ava being trapped in a condemned apartment building with gang members stalking them."