STRANGE BUT TRUE Will Shock and Jaw Drop

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray and Digital from director Rowan Athale, CBS Films and Lionsgate is a family in mourning until a shock knocks on their door with a story that is STRANGE BUT TRUE.

It has been five years and Philip (Nick Robinson) is a young man deal with the death of his brother Ronnie (Connor Jessup) and how it has effect mom Charlene (Amy Ryan) and estranged dad Richard (Greg Kinnear). Making things more interesting is the knock on the door by Melissa (Margaret Qualley), Ronnie's girlfriend at the time of his death.

The shock is that Melissa is very pregnant and tells Charlene and Philip that the father is Ronnie. Unable to explain why she believes it, Charlene immediately goes into freak out mode. Trying to understand why she would make up such a story, Charlene begins to research her thought process.

In the meantime, Melissa is living in a small house on the property of friends Gail (Blythe Danner) and husband Bill (Brian Cox). The couple see her as the daughter they never had and are mystified about her reason for keeping the identity of the baby's father from them.

Philip begins to friend Melissa and wants to help, especially because she could be telling the truth about the baby's paternity. Charlene reaches out to Richard trying to find answers since he is a doctor. They can't help but snap at one another because of the hurt feelings and animosity that has grown over the years between the two.

That doesn't stop Charlene from slowly ruling out scenarios but the secrets are starting to slowly unravel on their own. In the cross of it are Philip, Melissa and the truth about her baby!

Robinson as Philip is a young man dealing with the death of his brother but getting his own life twisted in the meantime. That's why he reaches out to Melissa as a connection to Ronnie by someone who cared for him just as much as he did. Robinson has a scene where he finally speaks out about his feelings and it is full of all the emotions his character has been keeping hidden, this young actor nails it.

Ryan as Charlene is full of anger for both the death of her son and the death of her marriage. Ronnie's girlfriend is the last person she wants to see let alone see her pregnant with a story about paternity. Ryan gives this character righteous anger and emotions of a mother who can't find a place for her grief. Kinnear as Richard looks for solace from his grief far from home and with someone else. He has secrets of his own and the question is how much longer can he kept them hidden?

Qualley as Melissa believes what she believes and doesn't concern herself with whether anyone trusts her word. She knows that her friendship with Gayle and Bill will give her time to have her baby and go from there. Danner as Gayle is a loving friend who never had children of her own. Friending Melissa makes her feel as if she has a chance to be motherly. Danner is always a force on the screen no matter if it's big or small. Cox as Bill loves his wife dearly and lets her know it. His concern for Melissa is ever present and sees her child as something joyful for Gayle and that's important for him. Cox is not front and center in the film but his presence is palpable.

Other cast include Janaya Stephens as Pilla, Mena Massoud as Chaz, Sarah Allen as Holly, Darryl Flatman as Vaughn and Allegra Fulton as Chantrel.

Lionsgate is a global leader in motion picture production and distribution for theatres, television, home entertainment and more. Theatre franchises include THE HUNGER GAMES, and DIVERGENT along with JOHN WICK. Now, adding this film to its 16,000 motion picture and television titles you can see everything coming soon as well as available now at http://www.lionsgate.com.

STRANGE BUT TRUE is a film that has so many twists and turns one could easily get whiplash. In the mixture of grief and anger are two stories that will merge together but not with an ending anyone would expect. This is an interesting cast that has been put together to tell the story because as each secret comes out, the reaction and next secret just muddies the waters again so well done.

So don't blink or the connections will fly by and don't make too much noise eating popcorn or you won't hear what is shocking or you'll forget you have a mouth full of popcorn because your jaw will be dropping. STRANGE BUT TRUE is reinforces what happens when a family has secrets, tells themselves lies and let anger control every move.

In the end - some things are impossible to conceive!

LATE NIGHT Tackles Funny

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to theatres this Friday from director Nisha Ganatra, writer Mindy Kaling and Amazon Studios is the funny found in LATE NIGHT.

Katherine Newbury (Emma Thompson) is the host(ess) of television's LATE NIGHT. An icon of late night she is also having difficulty in the ratings. Part of the problem is that she seems a little out of touch and always dominating her all male writer's room.

Brought to her attention by Brad (Denis O'Hare), she makes it clear that hiring a female writer for the team is top priority. The writing staff of head writer Tom (Reid Scott), Charlie (Hugh Dancy), Burditt (Max Casella), Mancuso (Paul Hauser), Reynolds (John Early) and others are surprised when Molly Patel (Mindy Kaling) walks in the door.

A chemical plant worker by day, Molly has a dabble of experience in comedy and that's enough to be hired for. The team tries to come up with ideas to save the show when they discover that the head of the studio Caroline Morton (Amy Ryan) has taken enjoyment with the announcement. 

Newbury is in a state that even her husband Walter (John Lithgow) can't get her out of. That's when Molly kicks her ideas into high gear and the team beings to crank out comedy that it working. 

As much as Tom fought against Molly, Molly finding a workplace romance and Newbury fighting change - it takes one work to the media to potentially bring it all down.

That's when comedy does its best work!

Thompson as Katherine is a strong woman who has become a tad complacent about her show. Fighting the change that could have kept her on top, it is a changing of the guard that makes her realize she will try anything once - twice if it will get ratings. Thompson is a favorite of mine so it's always good to see her go in a different direction. 

Kaling as Molly brings out all the big guns in her character and honestly doesn't do a thing for me. She uses every excuse in the book for her lot in life from calling herself a "diversity hire" to jokes about "white privilege" and all I could think was 'and she wrote this?'. I don't mind films that bring out issues but when it’s every issue on the planet you lose me quick.

Scott as Tom is a guy who doesn't like the idea of having Molly thrown into the mix with no experience. That would be said of anyone who took the job in the writers room but of course he's going to be raked over the coals. Dancy as Fain gets the chance to be a douchebag and plays it perfectly.

Lithgow as Walter is absolutely lovely and doesn't fit in the film at all. He's the quiet cheerleading squad to his wife's mania. O'Hare as Brad is constantly browbeaten so that is about the extend of his role. Two amazing actors used badly.

Casella, Hauser, Early, Slattery, Barinholtz and the rest of the writer’s room are made to look incompetent when in actuality they were just stuck in a room with their hands tied around their backs. 

Ryan as Morton is the iron fist that comes down on Katherine's head with plenty of enjoyment. So basically its one woman of power smacking down on another woman who thinks she has power. So much for lifting one another up eh?

Look, I'm sure there are those that will enjoy LATE NIGHT and it isn't that I totally hated it. There are moments that are funny even if they are far apart. 

I didn't know whether to cheer women, women of color, women taking care of their man, women for change, men being brow beaten, men living in job fear, blah blah blah blah. I couldn't invest myself in pretty much any of it because instead of it being a learning experience it felt like constant jabbing.

I'm not sure what Kaling was trying to prove here but for me it didn't work well enough for me to even watch it again on television. Not a fan of whining, blaming or poor me in general but when it's all in one film I pretty much check out early.

The sad part about this is that there are some very talented people in this film and, to me; it feels as if they have just been put in roles that they didn't deserve.

Oh well, that's how I feel about it anyway.

In the end - they are attempting to give comedy a re-write!

ABUNDANT ACREAGE AVAILABLE Deserves Your Consideration

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to theatres from writer/director Angus MacLachlan and Gravitas Ventures comes the story of siblings and history with ABUNDANT ACREAGE AVAILABLE.

Jesse (Terry Kinney) and his sister Tracy (Amy Ryan) are in mourning over the recent death of their father. Deciding to bury him in the middle of the crop field, Tracy wants her father to be in a fitting place and not a cemetery. Jesse tries to understand her reasoning’s and agrees to let it happen as long as when spring comes they take him to the cemetery.

A few days later Tracy discovers three elderly men sleeping in a tent on their farmland. Introducing themselves as Hans (Max Gail), Charles (Steve Coulter) and Tom (Francis Guinan) it becomes clear quickly that these men once lived on this very same farm. Jesse is fascinated with the men and their story but Tracy is immediately on edge.

Jesse decides without discussing it with Tracy that he wants to return the farmland to the brothers. Tracy is absolutely livid believing that he is making the decision for hurtful reasons. Trying to explain herself to Charles, they seem to have a connection of people who have spent their whole life taking care of other people.

Hans and Jesse spend a lot of time getting to know one another, especially when it is clear that both he and brother Tom aren’t in the best of health. Tom manages to shock every chance he gets with his outbursts of language that sets Tracy on edge. That’s when she speaks with Hans who wants one thing – for he and Tom to be buried with their father in the same way Tracy and Jesse buried their own father.

Still not knowing what decision Jesse will make, Tracy agrees to do what Hans asks. Finally Charles brings his family home to the farm and his decision gives Tracy hope, that is until Jesse lets her know that he has made his own decision as well.

Ryan as Tracy is absolutely fantastic and riveting to watch. She is a woman surrounded by men making decisions about her life when her whole life has been that way. The frustration and lack of respect for her feelings goes continually unnoticed or she is placated by the wants of the men around her. Overruled by her brother, her life is once again on hold. Ryan gives every ounce of that in her performance and it is painfully beautiful to watch.

Kinney as Jesse has issues of his own that are just crazy to my way of thinking. He makes decisions without consulting Tracy for reasons that are pure jaw dropping. It is almost as if he placates her to keep the peace but has no problem with continuing a course of action that is completely nuts. Kinney’s character is what I call quietly underhanded taking control of his sister instead of releasing her to live a life she has missed.

Gail as Hans watches the exchange between Jesse and Tracy but continues with his own plan of bringing the family ‘home’ as it were. In a final effort to reach Tracy, he lays in a field with his brother Tom begging to know that their wishes will come to pass by her hand. Guinan as Tom is the one character in this film that is never predictable and doesn’t have an agenda. He is remembering what he can of his childhood and throwing in a few moments of Tourette’s for good measure. This character brings out uncomfortable laughter in a situation that is already amazingly uncomfortable.

Coulter as Charles understands the frustrations that Tracy is feeling. There is almost a connection between the two and brothers Hans and Tom both see it. Wanting the best for their brother, they seem to push the two together wanting both Charles and Tracy to perhaps have a life together that both have missed.

ABUNDANT ACREAGE AVAILABLE is a slow paced story that takes every frame and makes the viewer beg to know which way it will all go. There is unpredictability and sadness in the story line that needs to be felt and boy did I feel it. Of course I sided with Tracy and not because she is the only woman in the film but because of how her family feelings were just set aside because of where she came from.

When I thought all hope for anyone understanding her was gone – the final scene is everything glorious. It is said that carrying the weight of pain and fear will break backs and Tracy has a moment of clarity releasing it all and I cheered for her…literally got up and cheered! Brava Amy Ryan, Brava!

Shot on a wide open farm with only five characters in a worn farmhouse forces us to strip back anything like cgi or effects and deal with the humanity and history of these siblings. Nothing like raw emotion!

In the end – a legacy comes home!