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.

Over the years, I have become captivated by the films of Wes Anderson. Even though his recent movie Isle of Dogs (2018) is not my favorite, I view Anderson as someone who makes movies that grab his viewers’ attention through his creative sense of mind. He has many trademarks that speak to his audience (including me). What has spoken to me most about his movies is how he creates lengthy introductions of each character who all have a meaningful connection to the center of the problem in the film. He also ensures that his characters have quirky trademarks that are memorable for his viewers.

When it comes to Anderson, one of my favorite films where he utilizes his unique structure and setup in an enthralling format is The Royal Tenenbaums (2001). The film’s setup is a family of geniuses that are dysfunctional. The film stars Gene Hackman (as Royal Tenenbaum), Gwyneth Paltrow (as Margot Tenenbaum), Anjelica Huston (as Etheline Tenenbaum), Ben Stiller (as Chas Tenenbaum), and Luke Wilson (as Richie Tenenbaum). The characters live under the same roof, but the father does not live with them until he returns because of his terminal health issues. He has a case of cancer and hopes he can make things with his family right again. Throughout the movie, Anderson displays important facts and habits of his characters in brief descriptions.  When he does that, viewers start to develop an understanding of why there is tension between everyone in the movie. That is, in fact, what makes The Royal Tenenbaums so brilliant. It incorporates internal feelings and builds curiosity as to what the outcome of the movie may be. While the storyline features various problems, the film’s screenplay and acting give viewers hope for an attention-grabbing ending.

In terms of being inconspicuous, but also creative, organized, and filled with intriguing scenery, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) is also a piece of art by Anderson that I purely enjoy. In my younger days and not knowing much about Anderson, I found myself bored with this one. However, once I became quite engrossed with Moonrise Kingdom (2012), that is when I began to really grow into a huge fan of Anderson.  Even though his setup seemed slow and quiet, I found those elements to be why Moonrise Kingdom was my favorite movie of all time. Then I thought back to The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou and re-watched the film and loved it. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou involves a bizarre plot about an oceanographer who loses a friend due to a shark attack, and he wants revenge to find the shark and kill it. The oceanographer gathers up an odd group of people for assistance. They include his estranged wife, a journalist, and a man who claims to be his son. The film stars Bill Murray (as Steve Zissou), Anjelica Huston (as Eleanor Zissou), Owen Wilson (as Ned Pimpton), Cate Blanchett (as Jane Winslett-Richardson), and many other great characters in supporting roles, but are still important to the film’s central focus and conflict. What I love most about The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou is that it is a film where there is one goal, but with the people associated, it opens many doors to negative yet also satirical situations.

Currently, Wes Anderson is on his way to make another movie titled The French Dispatch which is set to open in 2020. Based on some the facts and back stories, this one looks to be better than Isle of Dogs. I did not completely dislike Isle of Dogs as it was captivating in some moments.  However, it was somewhat confusing, given the film was animated and its central point was dogs.  Personally, I could not understand which dog played the most important role because the graphics and colors were all quite similar. In this movie, I believe Anderson went above and beyond with art and creativity, but the graphics were such that it made it hard time to enjoy. With the French Dispatch coming out soon, I believe this will be a better film due to it being set during World War II.  My respect has grown for Anderson over the years due to how he uses real-life historical events and blends them with creativity of his own.

I decided to write this article because I was thinking of who I admire in terms of filmmaking.  While I have many favorite directors, Wes Anderson is near the top of the list. That is in part because whenever I read trivia about him or his movies, he is always trying to be sure that his films have meaning. He focuses on key aspects of his films to make sure they are significant to his audience. The written introductions and organizational setups in his films set them apart. When I attended Cannes back in 2016, I attended a roundtable discussion with Willem Dafoe and asked about his work with Anderson.  He described the visionary development process Anderson used on the films Dafoe has worked with him on. Dafoe told me that Anderson would set up figurines and do all kinds of drawings before filming even started in order to think the story through. Given this information, I view Anderson as an inventor of components that grow to have personification for the plots and characters in the films he directs and writes. Anderson is the true auteur of brilliance who pursues his passion so that his films truly speak to the audience.