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Film reviews

Magic Mike’s Last Dance

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The concept of the Magic Mike films did not grab my attention when Magic Mike was released in 2012. However, Steven Soderbergh as the director was what caught my attention and caused me to give the first film a shot. Soderbergh did not direct the second film, Magic Mike XXL, in 2015 which was directed by Gregory Jacobs. In the third and final film, Soderbergh is back which is why Magic Mike’s Last Dance is quite fun and cheerful. Based on my experience, Magic Mike’s Last Dance is a decent conclusion, because this film has more meaning and does not rely solely on provocative repeats.

What I mean by “decent conclusion” refers to the approach Soderbergh took with the way the third film begins. In Magic Mike’s Last Dance, Channing Tatum is back as Mike Lane. It seems as if Mike is just doing gigs being a bartender at events and other side gigs to make ends meet. It seems as if the world of being a stripper has been dismissed from his lifestyle. This all changes when, through the grapevine a rich socialite becomes aware that Mike has experience as a dancer. This socialite is Maxandra Mendoza, played by Salma Hayek. Mike instantly grabs Maxandra’s attention, and she brings him into a project in London to put on a show. For Mike, this may be a chance to redeem himself, but also prove he is more than he thinks. When bigger things abound in Magic Mike’s Last Dance, viewers will come to understand my opinion that this film is a  “decent conclusion.”

There is more exploration into the depths of talent that lies within Mike. Maxandra sees that in him as well. Soderbergh’s directing of the connection between the two invigorates their mindset regarding success and talent. This time around, the art of dancing can be taken seriously. Admittedly, I had a hard time taking the dancing seriously in the first two films. With Soderbergh back as the director, he places more emphasis on the skills that Mike has honed over the years and is now using in the show he is working on with Maxandra. Magic Mike’s Last Dance channels the artistic value in Mike’s choreography and those he trains for the theatrical production. The film continues to build on elements more spectacular than just partying and stripping. The seriousness lacked in Magic Mike XXL, but it is regained with Soderbergh back as the director.

The film thrives on the theatricals of dancing and blending intimacy while Mike proves he can play an important role. This time around, he has so much more to offer than his sexy moves. What stands out in Magic Mike’s Last Dance is that Mike is taken seriously for a change. Of course, there are many intimate moments with Maxandra, but for once there is a person in his life to prove what he is worth. There is more interest and value in Mike’s character in this movie.  While it is a conclusion of many fond memories from the previous two films, the film builds for a big shot for Mike. In Tatum’s final time playing Mike, he regains his confidence and finally realizes that there is more to his art and his moves than to just get the ladies excited.

Linking back to my “decent conclusion” assessment, the film includes several theatrical concepts to fulfill its mission of being a monumental finale. It begins where the previous two films left off but doesn’t involve constant dancing and stripping. In Magic Mike’s Last Dance, the dance performances have a higher purpose, and no one could play the roles better than Tatum or Hayek. Magic Mike’s Last Dance is a fun finale even though it’s still a bit cheesy in parts. Three stars for Magic Mike’s Last Dance.

Film reviews

Sharper Review

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Sharper is another name for a swindler, especially at cards. In the movie Sharper, there is a whole lot of that going on. Directed by Benjamin Caron, the film blends con artists with a mixture of other characters in a way that is genius and enticing.

Sharper begins with a manager of a bookstore, Tom (played by Justice Smith). He meets a girl, Sandra (played by Briana Middleton), who seems to be a hardworking student, and they find romance rather quickly. Things change when Sandra tells Tom she has a brother with criminal problems who also owes someone money. Tom offers to help Sandra, but she leaves to make money (supposedly) for her brother.


The film continues with Sandra, and there is more to her story than the we realize. Her life is a web of unexplained behaviors and situations. Sandra meets Max (played by Sebastian Stan), and he offers to show Sandra how to be a con artist. After this, Sharper continues down a dangerous road. Max meets a woman, Madeline (played by Julianne Moore), who is supposedly his mother. Madeline has a new man, Richard (played by John Lithgow), who is a wealthy entrepreneur. Max acts like he has lots of problems, but his problems are a lie and Madeline knows it—but what does Richard know? What does anyone know about each other in this film? What’s true and what’s a lie? The theme of Sharper is to trust no one.

Each character in Sharper has an ego, an addiction, or a resentment with someone. The tensions and secrets continue to stir the pot. Is Max really who he claims to be? Is Sandra who she claims to be? Is Madeline who she claims to be? Audiences will not know who can be believed, and everyone is a liar on some level. The con artists also present themselves as high-class, but they are actually anything but high-class.

The full picture of Sharper is hard to explain, but the complexity is one of the things that makes it heart-pounding. The lies, improvisations, and deceit are never ending. Tom, Sandra, Max, Madeline, and Richard all intertwine in a world of creative lies in their attempt to profit, and their lies take them down a dangerous slope of irreparable consequences. This clever and dangerous puzzle of a film makes for a stellar masterpiece. Four stars for Sharper.

Film reviews

Skinamarink Review

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Experimental scary films have always fascinated me. Movies where the scary aspects are hidden or around corners and the jump scares come out of nowhere. Skinamarink is that type of horror film and is one of the most creative and intense films I have experienced in a long time. The camera is shaky, the cinematography is saturated, and the terror is blended with the sound effects throughout its hour and a half plus running time. Skinamarink required me to think and anticipate unexpected moments of terror. It takes the cake in its brilliant writing, directing, and settings created from the mind of director Kyle Edward Ball.

The estimated budget of Skinamarink falls at $15,000 which is relatively low. However, for its low budget, it is surreal. Ball really put his mind into making this project creative, fascinating, and something different. He worked to make a memorable film where his audience leaves with many questions in the back of their minds. I am still pondering some questions after experiencing Skinamarink. Despite some confusion throughout the film, I was astonished by the film overall.

Skinamarink is a film that takes place entirely in a house. The credits of the film roll before the movie begins and then it jumps right into its setting. Do not expect to sit after the credits. The film consists of a family in a home. There is the mom and dad (played by Jaime Hill and Ross Paul), and their children Kevin and Kaylee (played by Lucas Paul and Dali Rose Tetreault). Do not expect to see much of them but expect to hear their voices. The film’s focus is that Kevin and Kaylee wake up and realize that their parents are missing, their windows are gone, their doors are gone, and because of their ages they do not understand what is going on.

The film has that feeling of a glitchy camera which adds to the film’s suspense. There is no scoring or terrifying music, just the consistent shots of the low-budget camera following the quiet suspense. This means that there is some supernatural terror going on in the home. The supernatural terror paces itself in long fragments and focuses in on the many corners of the home. There are sound effects in the background, including a TV, the voices of the children, and whatever noise may be occurring in the house. Given all this, Skinamarink may make some feel scared. It reminded me what it felt like to be scared at a young age, especially when you don’t yet understand how the world works.

The film’s saturated cinematography is like The Blair Witch Project (1999) in that it effectively utilizes technicalities for added suspense. Skinamarink has the camera be more still and does not have its audience feel like they have motion sickness like The Blair Witch Project did. Skinamarink is a horror film with a limited budget made with the purpose of scaring the audience and finding questions about the source of the evil that lurks through the film. Where did Kevin and Kaylie’s parents go? Why did their windows and doors disappear? Why is the film being presented through a video camera? The many questions to Skinamarink’s creative use of mind-boggling technicalities are where its realism is truly demonstrated.

Skinamarink is intriguing and inviting. The film may start in a boring way given the credits rolling before the film starts instead of at the end of the film. After that, however, it grasps your attention as horrors evolve when the many terrors come out of nowhere. Skinamarink is Paranormal Activity on acid and in my opinion is better than the Paranormal Activity franchise. This one puts its horror to the test, and it is a revelation.

Is there light in Skinamarink? Is there a way to prevent the horror that is happening silently? Will Kevin and Kaylie be safe? Skinamarink is imaginative in its display of ghost knowledge as it reveals more unknown fragments of unexplained spirits. Three and a half stars for Skinamarink.