The title of Godzilla vs. Kong has meaning, but the hype that fans anticipate lacks in some areas. The film takes its time to get to the point of the battle sequence and has many unstructured moments. It seems to focus on almost the opposite of what many would anticipate in a Godzilla film. Yes, Godzilla films usually do not have much of a plot, but instead feature scary moments with roars and action between Godzilla and his enemies.  Given the title of Godzilla vs. Kong, I found myself enjoying the action scenes.  However, when it resorted to various unexplained scenarios of the film, I was lost trying to put together which monster stood to have more importance. I will not give away details regarding which monster gets the most attention in the beginning of the film, but I will say that much of the background leading up to the battles is not established well. The film resorts too much to CGI, crazy sound effects, and frequent explosions to get fans in the mood.

The film is the next chapter in the Monsterverse series of two icons, Godzilla and Kong, who had their separate films. Godzilla had the remake of Godzilla in 2014, and then Godzilla: King of the Monsters in 2019. Kong had Kong: Skull Island in 2017. Godzilla is the most established monster and the two now come together as enemies set for an epic battle. The characters Nathan Lind (played by Alexander Skarsgard), Ilene Andrews (played by Rebecca Hall), Bernies Hayes (played by Brian Tyree Henry), and Mark Russell (played Kyle Chandler) are all part of the conflicts involved in controlling the crazy outbreaks of danger given what Godzilla and Kong can do to demolish what is around them. However, these characters lack in substance because the film is solely geared on the aspects leading towards the battle, instead of giving the characters meaningful roles. 

I had fun with the cinematic aspects, but they were not as amazing as I expected although still visually stunning in small fragments.  The film is mediocre in that it did not deliver the action the way I anticipated. This may be related to the fact that Hollywood and the studios are trying to get back in business after the pandemic put a halt on the production of many projects and some are now being rushed for release. It sure seems like Godzilla vs. Kong was rushed in moments. The sound effects and the action are still awesome, it is just that the lead up to them is boring.

For these reasons, I am going to give this film two stars. My expectations were high, and the experience was not as visually intriguing as anticipated. For a Godzilla fan like me, I expected it to be spectacular especially when many Godzilla films have been successful using a similar approach. This one includes some fun visual action scenes, but just feels very rushed.

The Father has received six Oscar nominations including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Best Film Editing and Best Production Design.  Director and writer, Florian Zeller delivers a film that is touching, emotional, and brilliant. Anthony Hopkins is fantastic as Anthony (the main character) and Olivia Colman is also outstanding as Anne (Anthony’s daughter). The film is a tour-de-force of emotions as it navigates the challenges that Colman’s character must deal with due to her father’s denial of his health and memory issues.  Anne tries to maintain taking care of him, but she knows he may need to live in a home. Hopkins is stellar as his character struggles with what is going on in his everyday life and tries to put together the pieces of events that may or may not have happened. The film leaves a trail of questions and concerns as the frustrations and emotions build between Anthony and Anne.

Anthony is in his 80s and refuses any kind of assistance that is offered to him as he ages. Anne tries to provide for him, but she tries to help him maintain normalcy in his life. The hardest element for Anthony is that as his mind deteriorates, his doubts of who is there for him starts to blur and the way he sees reality declines. Anne hires someone to come and help him and that person is Laura played by Imogen Poots. Anthony’s obnoxious behavior and opinionated sense of humor starts to push the boundaries of both Laura and his own daughter. Worst of all, however, are the many times when Anthony gets confused and can’t distinguish what is reality. 

The Father is setup as if the audience is watching a play, and that is because it is written as a play. I found the many moments showing frustration by Hopkins’ and Colman’s characters almost surreal. They portray many of their emotions as if they are happening in the present moment. It is so well done that I can envision this film leading to Oscars for Actor in a Leading Role, Best Supporting Actress, and Adapted Screenplay.  The acting in The Father is both thought-provoking and spellbinding. The question that it leaves with its audience is whether Anthony be OK without the extra assistance.   

The Father is an amazing film. I found myself questioning who to trust with the difficult question about caring for the character Hopkins portrays. The truth is there are no easy right or wrong answers, it is more a matter of f trying to find ways to help Anthony feel connected and provide him support without allowing him to chase people away with his rude behavior. It is a touching portrayal of the aging process and relationship between a father and daughter story.  The film will make viewers cry, but also laugh in amusement at the unexpected catastrophes that occur. Three and a half stars for The Father.

PVT Chat is a low-budget, independent drama flick that displays a stressful situation, but lacks in quality. Despite its shortcomings, the film portrays the haunting and introverted life of Jack in New York City as a brutal journey filled with horrid and unexpected turns. Director and writer Ben Hozie is truly adept at showing Jack taking many risks, and it mostly works. However, the film begins to have its boring moments by trying too hard to continue to provide shock value.  A great deal of time is spent building up and putting the pieces together. PVT Chat is a predictable puzzle of deception, addiction, and consistent poor judgment by Jack on his MacBook computer.

Peter Vack plays Jack. Jack makes a living off from internet gambling in New York City. He does not make the right financial decisions and displays terrible habits when it comes to financial responsibilities. He does fine with his online gambling and with a budget he could get by on.  But Jack uses his gambling money on a cam girl he has grown to be obsessed with named Scarlet (played by Julia Fox). Jack is always thinking about Scarlet and feels he is finding a connection, with her.  Things seem too good to be true when he comes across her presence in a grocery store. This leads Jack on a journey of addiction and answers in hopes that Scarlet can be the women of his dreams.  As he continues his life of poor spending and online gambling, things spiral out of control with debts, unexplained financial situations, and not being able to successfully keep his life straight. The film displays many of the same stressors that people felt in the Safdie Brothers’ Uncut Gems (2019), but this time around the storyline focuses on the addiction to online activities for one young New York stud.

PVT Chat involves a subject matter that is not unheard of in today’s world of technology, and it is brutally honest. The film displays how dangerous the outcomes of online web activities can be, and especially for those who become addicted to people they meet online. Jack’s addiction to Scarlet is one he finds difficult to overcome, and he keeps doing what he can to keep her in his life.  Unfortunately, he does not understand that his decisions have irreparable consequences. Still, he keeps giving her money online to keep her in his life but has no idea that he is going down a rabbit hole of catastrophe. Scarlet may be an attractive and gentle soul in Jack’s head but could turn out to be the complete opposite.

When I watched PVT Chat I could not help but imagine how much stress this situation could add in today’s already difficult times. Especially when the job market is tight, much of the economy is in dire need of restoration, and many are having mixed emotions due to the anxiety of being furloughed or trying to feed their families. People’s minds have been all over the place in these weird pandemic times and for someone like Jack, it is easy to see how addictions can spiral out of control. The film is a representation of the dark web displayed in a realistic and disturbing way, but it is just more graphic than it needs to be during many scenes. Two and a half stars.