In the category of movies that gear on secrets and political corruption which are based on actual events, Official Secrets is a thriller that is faithful to sticking to its facts and evidence regarding Katharine Gun. Official Secrets is one of those movies that leaves viewers thinking about the consequences of actions involving the government and foreign countries. It is a thought-provoking, daring, psychological rollercoaster ride of deceit, dishonesty, and legal factors that causes viewers to wonder what will have the most consequences for Katharine Gun. Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Ralph Fiennes, Rhys Ifans, and Matt Smith are all the right cast members for this movie, and it is directed by Gavin Hood. He directed Eye in the Sky (2015) which was quite good, but this is better.

The plot of Official Secrets is the true story of Katharine Gun (played by Keira Knightley). Katharine is a British whistleblower and spy who finds information that she believes the world needs to be aware of. She comes across a confidential NSA memo that contains information linked to both the US and UK regarding illegal spying involving members of the UN Security Council. The goal of the memo is to blackmail small, undecided member states into voting for war. Katharine leaks that information out to the public and it falls in the hands of the journalist Martin Bright (played by Matt Smith). Martin comes together with his journalism colleagues to write an article and uncover more confidential information about the leaked memo.

Tension starts to rise as the film uncovers more important secrets. Martin’s colleague, Ed Vuliamy (played by Rhys Ifans), is serious about the story and wants the world to know. The problem is that Katharine is initially anonymous that she leaked the information.  However, she does admit she is at fault once Martin’s article is written about what she leaked. With the new article and Katharine admitting she is the one who leaked the information regarding the political corruption, Official Secrets opens many doors to frustration, revenge, and trust. And, once Katharine admits what she has done she becomes the target instead of the information she has leaked.

During Official Secrets, there are moments where I thought there was going to be safety and progress for Katharine Gun, but my expectations were often wrong. That is because her government job working for a spy department allowed confidentiality to be waved in many circumstances.  She seeks legal advice from a lawyer, but then other members of the government inform her that she is only digging herself in a deeper hole because the legal advice creates a more negative image. Her lawyer, Ben Emmerson (played by Ralph Fiennes), is up for the challenge it takes to help Katharine get out of the issue she has created for herself. That is because in his mind he knows that she meant no harm, she simply wanted the world to be a safe place which is why she leaked the information.

What makes this film the most intriguing is the dialogue which is in-depth centering on the central conflict.  Viewers are curious about who is being more serious with Katharine regarding her legal troubles. As Katharine is frustrated with the media, viewers witness her yelling at her TV, “Just because you’re the Prime Minister, it doesn’t mean you get to make up your own facts.”  Clearly, Katharine knows much more about how politics work in the world and the reasons behind the corruption during this time period. Katharine is the fighter in this movie.

The film’s main character is not the only one who is dealing with issues regarding corruption. The people who work for the newspaper do as well. Martin and Ed start to feel that their sources may not be accurate regarding the leaked information.  Ed has the most negative feelings towards the media which make him argumentative and confrontational in most every conversation. Martin, on the other hand, shows he is stressed and serious, but he is quite mellow. Official Secrets characterization also adds intensity to various scenes throughout the film.

I find Official Secrets to be one of the best films of the year so far. I walked in thinking this movie looked but good had the feelings that it would be predictable. But it is not predictable, it keeps viewers thinking about which conversation is most important for the film’s main conflict and if that conversation is ever going to be revisited. The film has lots of irony and personification where it feels like viewers are reading a book and putting the pieces together. I loved this movie and I hope it is one that people see, especially because it is based on actual events. Three and a half stars.

For films that gear on greed, sex, schemes and trust, Hustlers portrays all of these factors in a serious instead of a raunchy way like other films set in strip clubs.  Hustlers is written in a similar fashion to Adam McKay’s The Big Short (2015). However, McKay is one of the producers and the screenplay writer and director is Lorene Scafaria who is still new to directing big feature films. Hustlers grabs viewers’ attention by looking back at the years when people were struggling with the 2008 market crash. It focuses on the business of stripping during that period and how some strippers found creative ways to make money and lives for themselves based on various schemes. It may be advertised as an enchanting movie with cute actresses, but it is a thrill ride of suspense and top-notch dialogue that is interesting and disturbing.

The film’s two main characters are Destiny and Ramona (who are played by Constance Wu and Jennifer Lopez). They are both strippers, however Ramona is already at the top of her game and shows Destiny the ropes to making profits and becoming wealthy through stripping. When Destiny realizes that Ramona receives not only praise, but big money thrown at her consistently on the dance floor, Destiny becomes close friends with Ramona.  She too then starts to slowly make it to Ramona’s level of popularity in the clubs. Destiny and Ramona come together to form a crew of other strippers who appeal to wealthy Wall Street clients.  Those clients have no problem throwing tons of cash at the strippers, putting down their credit cards, and giving Destiny and Ramona what they truly desire because of how wealthy they are. Over time, Destiny and Ramona create a strategic plan to find the right clients and keep track of their credit card numbers.  However, things start to spin out of control when the 2008 market crash hits and the clients fail to show up at the clubs anymore.

The film then turns into a rollercoaster ride that is haunting and compelling. Clients end up in the hospital, there is lots of betrayal, and Destiny is starting to lose her faith in Ramona because there are times when Ramona is avoiding the problems that Destiny is encountering.  Many other challenges begin to arise, because if the authorities realize the tactics that Destiny and Ramona have used on their clients, they could face all kinds of complex legal issues.

The film is like watching The Big Short in terms of how it impacts the stripping business as opposed to the entire economy. I was intrigued by the outcomes with the main characters in the movie. There are moments that I expected and others that I did not expect. The theme of deception was pervasive.  And, the decisions that Destiny makes does not just impact her well-being, but also impacts how she can ensure her daughter is in a safe environment. The question for viewers is who is more to blame? Is it Destiny or Ramona?  Viewers will have to determine that once the movie comes to its climax and conclusion. I will give this one three stars.

“I prefer when movies target my heart instead of my mind.” Anton Yelchin’s films did indeed challenge his heart as demonstrated in many of his movies. Love, Antosha is one of the most thought-provoking, yet emotional documentaries I have seen. I found myself to be deep in thought and mesmerized, not just with the film itself, but with the backstory that led Yelchin to be the quiet and gifted actor he truly was. He was someone that took on all different kinds of roles, but managed to fit them all well, despite being the introverted and mellow child actor people viewed him to be.

Love, Antosha is directed by Garret Price and is a portrait of Yelchin’s life. The film is done in an interesting form. It begins chronologically with old footage of him at a young age showing his creative side and impersonating movies and people that he loved. Then from there, it slowly builds to how his career progressed as he got older. That is where there are interviews with directors, producers, his good friends, and actors he worked with. Love, Antosha’s filmmaking and interviews effectively show why Yelchin was a positive role model because of all he had to offer the world. And, it was not just about his acting, but also his nice and caring sense of humor, his concern for his craft and the creativity which helped him develop the talent that he already had at a young age.

I found the movie’s intention was to be as deep with Yelchin as possible. That is a major reason that Love, Antosha was so vivid and well-written throughout its two-hour time length. When the movie explores his childhood and the fact that his parents did not speak a word of English, that shows why Yelchin was determined to be a star. Both of his parents were figure skaters. They had fame and talent in another country, but then suddenly moved to Los Angeles while Yelchin was an infant. When the movie featured his younger days, I found myself thinking that it is no wonder why Yelchin was so well-liked. He was a deeply genuine and charming person from the very beginning of his childhood. Love, Antosha shows the inspiration, generosity, and kindness that Yelchin already had to offer before he grew into a celebrity in Hollywood.

What I truly loved about Love, Antosha was how many actors pointed out that he always had an entertaining element. He cared about others on set and creating a positive environment, but most importantly, he wanted to be a role model for other people.  I remember the movie that made me first look up to Yelchin. It is because of Charlie Bartlett (2007). I walked into Charlie Bartlett not expecting much from the film, given I was fourteen years old and it was an indie film and my horizons were not so much yet into those types of movies. When I saw Charlie Bartlett though, the character and Yelchin became my idol. That is because he plays a kid that is not popular and socially awkward, but people start looking up to him as the right person to talk to about their problems and he makes it his goal to be their inspiration for positivity. I was socially awkward at times, but I came out of my shell.  When I think back, I remember it was partially due to Yelchin’s Charlie Bartlett that I decided to become a better and more creative person in my life. Love, Antosha covers many of those memorable aspects about Yelchin and his unique qualities are elaborated on in various segments including interview with his parents, Simon Pegg, Chris Pine, John Cho, and others.

The portions of Love, Antosha where I found myself in tears were when they mentioned the small elements in life he had struggled with. Also, the moments regarding his accidental death were a challenge to watch.  It is especially difficult because Yelchin was this young and gifted actor who had so much going for him.   His death happened suddenly and now he is gone. I am sad because if he was still alive, he would have many more films and creativity to offer to the world. Love, Antosha is a masterpiece that is done right, and viewers cannot miss a film that is so touching and heartfelt.