Short Redhead Reel Reviews for the week of Oct. 2 – ECM Publishers

Rating system: (4=Don't miss, 3=Good, 2=Worth a look, 1=Forget it)

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Alice in Wonderland (PG) (3) [Fantasy action/violence involving scary images and situations, and a smoking caterpillar.] [DVD only] When an independent, headstrong 19-year-old woman (Mia Wasikowski) falls into a rabbit hole in Victorian England after being surprised with a marriage proposal from a geeky lord (Tim Pigott-Smith) in this colorful, imaginative, creative, three-dimensional, star-studded (Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Michael Sheen, Stephen Fry, and Crispin Glover), over-the-top Tim Burton fantasy adventure, which is based on the Lewis Carroll classics Alices Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, Alice ends up in Underland where she meets fascinating creatures, saves the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp) from the evil Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter), and takes up a sword for the White Queen (Anne Hathaway) to battle the fierce Jabberwocky (Christopher Lee).

Crude (NR) (4) [Subtitled] [DVD only] A powerful, eye-opening, anger-raising, insightful, controversial, informative, shocking documentary that examines the David vs. Goliath case in which 30,000 Ecuadoreans filed a $27 billion lawsuit in 1993 against Texaco for the horrific, toxic pollution of their environment due to drilling and oil spills and its irresponsibility in not adequately cleaning up the contaminated ground and rivers, which lead to immense destruction of the rainforest, an alarming increase in cancer-related deaths, a threat to indigenous cultures, and unimaginable human suffering.

The Dark Divide (NR) (3) [Opened Sept. 18 in theaters and virtual cinema, played on Sept. 25 as part of AARPs Movies for Grownups, and available Nov. 10 on DVD and VOD platforms.] Terrific cinematography and scenery highlight this quirky, moving, factually inspired, poignant, humor-dotted, star-studded (David Koechner, Gary Farmer, Cameron Esposito, Kimberly Guerrero, and Olivia Ritchie), 107-minute film based on Robert Michael Pyles novel Where Bigfoot Walks: Crossing the Dark Divide that chronicles renowned, grieving lepidopterist Dr. Pyles (David Cross) solo, arduous, dangerous, six-week journey in 1995 through Washingtons Gifford Pinchot National Forest after the tragic death of his beloved wife (Debra Messing) due to ovarian cancer by using a Guggenheim grant in the hopes of discovering new species of butterflies.

From Mexico with Love (PG-13) (2) [Sports violence, language, brief sensuality, and drug references.] [DVD only] An uninspired, predictable, 2009 film in which a tenacious Mexican fruit picker (Kuno Becker), who works for a tyrannical, greedy ranch owner (Stephen Lang) in Laredo, Texas, decides to follow in his fathers footsteps and train with a no-nonsense boxing coach (Bruce McGill) to prepare for a fight against the arrogant son (Alex Nesic) of his former employer to pay back money his owes to a snake wrangler (Steve Bauer) and to prove something to his girlfriend (Danay Garcia).

Frontier of the Dawn (NR) (2) [Subtitled] [DVD only] After a handsome French photographer (Louis Garrel) breaks up with a married, temperamental, emotionally-fragile actress (Laura Smet) whose husband (Eric Rulliat) was in Hollywood and then proposes to his new girlfriend (Clmentine Poidatz) two years later when he learns that she is pregnant in this depressing, unusual, black-and-white, 2008 film, he begins to unravel and question his love for his fiance when he begins seeing the ghost of his former lover.

The Glorias (R) (3) [Some language and brief lewd images.] [Opens Sept. 30 via streaming on Amazon Prime Video or you can buy it on digital platforms.] A moving, timely, well-acted, poignant, inspirational, factually based, intermittently choppy, star-dotted (Bette Midler, Janelle Mone, Lorraine Toussaint, and Kimberly Guerrero), 139-minute biographical film told in flashbacks and based on Gloria Steinems 2015 novel My Life on the Road that chronicles the smart, hardworking, feminist, strong-willed journalist and women's activist Gloria Steinem (Julianne Moore and Alicia Vikander) while growing up as a child (Ryan Kira Armstrong) and teenager (Lulu Wilson) with her parents (Timothy Hutton and Enid Graham) in 1940s Ohio to her rise as a worldwide influence on the womens liberation movement.

The Golden Boys (PG) (3) [Mild language and smoking.] [DVD only] When three longtime friends and rickety sea captains (Rip Torn, David Carradine, and Bruce Dern) in Cape Cod decide that one of them must marry in order to keep their house clean and their bellies full in 1905 in this charming, engaging, cameo-dotted (Charles Durning, Julie Harris, and John Savage) romantic 2007 comedy, which is inspired by the book Capn Eri, they advertise for a suitable housekeeping wife (Mariel Hemingway) and get more than they ever hoped for.

On the Rocks (R) (3) [Some language/sexual references.] [Opens Oct. 2 in select theaters and streaming globally on Oct. 23 on Apple TV+.] Relationships teeter on the edge when a successful, neglected New York writer (Rashida Jones), who has two young daughters (Liyanna Muscat and Alexandra and Anna Reimer) in Soho, with writers block suspects her ambitious, workaholic, well-meaning husband (Marlon Wayans) is having an affair in Sofia Coppolas offbeat, predictable, slice-of-life, well-acted, low-key, star-dotted (Jenny Slate, Barbara Bain, and Jessica Henwick), 97-minute comedic drama, her charming, impresario, womanizing, mischievous, legendary art gallery owner father (Bill Murray) convinces her to spy on her spouse which does not go as expected.

Second Act (PG-13) (3) [Some crude sexual references and language.] [Plays on Oct. 2 as part of AARPs Movie for Grownups and available on YouTube and other VOD platforms.] After losing a promotion to a dimwitted MBA graduate (Dan Bucatinsky) despite working at the grocery store for more than fifteen years in this entertaining, funny, unpredictable, star-studded (Treat Williams, Leah Remini, Milo Ventimiglia, Annaleigh Ashford, Larry Miller, Dierdre Friel, and Freddie Stroma), 103-minute, 2018, chick-flick comedy, a streetwise, determined woman (Jennifer Lopez) unexpectedly lands an interview at a high-powered cosmetics company due to a fake resume concocted by her godson (Dalton Harrod) and ends up as a corporate consultant competing with an ambitious vice president (Vanessa Hudgens) to develop within three months an all organic cosmetics line with the help of a chemist (Dave Foley) and her kinky assistant (Charlyne Yi).

Wendy Schadewald is a Burnsville resident.

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Short Redhead Reel Reviews for the week of Oct. 2 - ECM Publishers

Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero