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THE CHOSEN (2019) series review
Category: Family friendly
AERONAUTS (2019) Amazon Prime movie review in haiku
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ROMAN HOLIDAY (1953) movie review
This is it. If I have to choose a favorite film. I think this is it. Top 5 at least.
Audrey’s first starring role as the illustrious Princess Ann proved her perfect for the post in posture, eloquence, and manners. She was born to play a princess. 
In this story, her life takes a drastic turn the night her daunting schedule full of royal duties becomes too much for her and she decides to run away. Her rescuer is the soak-em-for-a-buck fast-talking journalist Gregory Peck. He knows who she is and decides to take advantage of the opportunity for an inside scoop. Their adventure around the city of Rome tours the best of all sites: the Trevi Fountain, gelato on the Spanish Steps,
scootering past the Coliseum and Vatican City, a walk through the forum, a ride past the wall of memories, a boat dance in the evening, and best of all a trip to the “Mouth of Truth.” Watch for Audrey’s real reaction to Peck’s joke there.
I’ve been to Rome, and other than the newer scooters and larger crowds it is all the same. Go. Visit Rome today via this film. Ride along with Joe and Anna, the one they call Smitty. Get to know the city with their good pal Irving the photographer. 
It is well worth the few hours away and the lessons you’ll learn about love and duty will always haunt you.
To watch the trailer : Roman Holiday (1953)
SABRINA (1954) movie review
Audrey Hepburn wears the crown as golden age actress of class from her era. In every role, she carries herself with the ethereal grace of a princess. Even in her quintessential black leggings and flats, she remains the icon of fashion, elegance, and simplicity. 
In Sabrina, she plays the innocent chauffeur’s daughter in love with the son of the rich family for whom her father works. What begins as a rags to riches tale becomes more cat and mouse as the older brother seeks to dissuade the girls affections for the younger to maintain a business relationship. 
Playful and fun seeming on the outset, this story bridges more moral conundrums than seem common in a rom com, even one in black and white. You can always trust a Billy Wilder film to tell a simple seeming story with heart and complexity. Genius. Humphrey Bogart, of course, plays the much-too-old-for-her love interest who saves a young Sabrina from attempting to take her own life.
Such tragedies pursue the hopeless romantics cursed with unrequited love. We weep. We waiver. We wander. And she wanders all the way to Paris, to a cooking school, where an odd friendship helps her see her own value before she returns home as an independent woman. Or does she?
Will she allow her heart to swell as it once did for the fabulous playboy brother David, played by William Holden? Or will she fall for the one person in the world who listens as she speaks her mind and is surprisingly teachable, despite his foreboding manner. Bogart proves as lovable in Sabrina as in Casablanca, despite the less believable winter/spring fling potential.
He is charming and she is mature. He is lonely and she is in the way of his big business merger. He has to risk something, even his own heart. It becomes less a question of how than why ever not?
It’s a lovely princess story and a nice follow up to her treasured Roman Holiday performance. 
The 1995 remake with Harrison Ford, Julia Ormond, and Greg Kinnear proves equally as endearing, if justly a bit more aware of the darker tones and painstakingly fearful endeavor that those first steps into love truly are. Harrison and Humphrey, two charming loves who will always have my heart. 
Here is the original trailer: Sabrina (1954)
And Sabrina (1995)
TOY STORY 4 (2019) movie review in haiku
Bo Peep meant more to
Woody than the toy crew knew.
A spork will speak truth.
Tom Hanks, Tim Allen,
Tony Hale, and Key & Peele,
Keanu outshines
LITTLE WOMEN (2019) movie review
When given the challenge of reviving a generational classic, Greta Gerwig called upon her faithful, dramatic compatriots (Saoirse Ronan and Timothee Chalamet) and broadened her incredible team (Laura Dern, Meryl Streep, Florence Pugh, Emma Watson, Eliza Scanlen, Bob Odenkirk, Chris Cooper, and more) to reinvigorate Little Women as we’ve never seen it before. 
This film is a triumph in artistic vision and storytelling vigor. It’s a walk through the Musee d’Orsay; each scene is reminiscent of a famous painting. Each character is a Pinterest board of fresh takes and favorite moments from classic renditions of these films, all adaptations of the beloved novel by Louisa May Alcott.
But this is Gerwig’s finest chess move. She plants author’s DNA into the main character. Jo March is a strong, verbose, witty, lively heroine confined to the constraints of an era in which women were doomed to demure domesticity. She was a writer and a visionary. Like Alcott. Like Gerwig. So her characters investigate the struggles of home-life in a time of civil war, when money is king yet scarce, and when imagination and family bonding provide rare escape from discouragement. 
Loss determines destiny for most, but strength of spirit and courage of will allow the March women to rise above all.
Don’t miss this newly deemed classic. It’s pretty nearly perfect.
THAT THING YOU DO (1999) movie review in haiku
One hit One-ders tour U.S.
So, take us there, Skitch
Directorial
debut for actor Tom Hanks
Playtone Galaxy
Charlize got her start
Captn Geech Shrimp Shack Shooters
most quotable film
Lennie, the comic,
Bass, Guy, and Jimmy – alone
in his principles
Song stuck in your head
Try in vain to get it out
It’s that thing you do
The world will remember the music of Adam Schlesinger who wrote the Title track of this film and so many others. He died April 1st, 2020.
TROOP ZERO (2019) Amazon original movie review
Zero to hero. Christmas Flint is a tiny girl with a dream. She wants to win the scout medal and be chosen to send her voice out into space on the ‘77 Golden Record. Since her Mama died and became a star, Christmas has been trying to find a way to reach her. So, she bands together a crew of outcasts to win merit badges and perform at the final competition; the prize is a spot for their voices on that Record!
McKenna Grace, Jim Gaffigan, Voila Davis, and Allison Janney lead this perfect cast of misfits to gold.
It’s a rare film that you rewatch knowing that you’ll cry. This one sits up there with family films that I’ll always love, quotable comfort films that changed us and will be overplayed because they heal us somehow, films like “The Kid” and “Hook” and “Inside Out.” Add Troop Zero to the list and be inspired (even through that wild, uncomfortable end scene).
PADDINGTON 2 (2017) movie review
The fabulous and famously snuggly bear with a blue coat has been living joyously with a family in London for the past few years, and he is now ready to find a job in the real world. His motives pure, it’s the execution of his big ideas that always gets him into – often very literal – sticky situations.
Sweet Paddington Bear makes his small world a better place, even when his world shrinks again and when he ends up behind bars.
Even when all of his friends seem to turn on him, his thoughtful, genuine, neighborly heart wins the city’s affections and teaches us all not to judge a book by its cover and that a bit of marmalade can heal all.
Don’t miss Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Jim Broadbent, Brendan Gleeson, and Hugh Grant in their silly-sweetest roles to date.
Life is a stage in Paddington 2, and all players look to be having the time of their lives.
MARY POPPINS RETURNS (2019) movie review in haiku
Blunt shines as Poppins
Bath is an ocean, chipped bowl
A cartoon circus 🎪
Splatter: on FILM 