The Beekeeper-Protector of the Hive

    Everyone LOVES a Jason Statham movie. The ladies love him for his accent, his swag, his muscles, his presence, and just the way he portrays his characters. Men love him because he plays characters who are tough, gritty, and violent. Both groups know there will be some thrilling action in any movie he's in-a win-win situation in my books!

 

    Well, get ready for his next action thriller, The Beekeeper! Along with Jason Statham, the film stars Phylicia Rashad, Jeremy Irons, Emmy Raver-Lampman (who starred in The Umbrella Academy on Netflix), Josh Hutcherson (who starred in The Hunger Games franchise), Minnie Driver, and so many more. This film is directed by American film director, producer, and screenwriter David Ayer. Some of his films include Fury and Suicide Squad.

 

    The film starts out so calm and serene. The story starts in a beautiful rural area of Massachusetts. Jason Statham's character's name is Adam Clay. This man is so humble, modest, and unassuming-just a cool dude taking care of his bees.

 

    Let's talk a little about what the function of a Beekeeper is. Beekeepers have a deep appreciation for the ecological importance of honeybees. Our agriculture and society are dependent on bees for a couple reasons:

 

#1: They pollinate crops.

#2: They produce six hive products: honey, pollen, royal jelly, beeswax, propolis, and venom. (Look up the ones you are unfamiliar with; I learned a lot about them while doing my research.)

 

    Therefore, the primary role of the Beekeeper is to safeguard the well-being and productivity of the honeybee colonies they attend to; in other words, the Beekeeper protects the welfare of the bees. So, my man, Adam Clay (Statham), is chilling and minding his bees.

 

    Inevitably, as things unfold in the story, he is forced to take action. At any rate, we know what's coming: someone is going to get beat up, shot, or tortured. He goes about this in a very calm, very chill, and always cool way. Don't you love it? I do!

 

    Immediately after the action gets going, it is a constant. adrenaline-pumping ride. To make it even more enjoyable, there is some humor sprinkled throughout the film. The director's humor is found even in some of the costuming choices. Make sure you look for them. Let me know if they make you chuckle like I did.

 

    Furthermore, once the action starts, be ready to hang on to your seat as you watch and enjoy the “cool hand Luke” of action strut around doing his thing. Be forewarned: the violence and gore are constant. If that isn't your cup of tea-you might want to find another drink!

    Lastly, as to the question of whether you should take your children to see this movie, I would say this: “Hell to the no." This movie is hard-core. It is not appropriate for children. It is rated R for strong violence, pervasive language, sexual references, and drug use.

Let me know what you think about this review and/or the movie when you see it. I, myself, can't wait to see it again!

 

I give it 5/5 "Charms."

🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀

 

 

Just a Mom Who Loves Movies

 

The Book of Clarence-A Tall Tale Told in Biblical Times

    Comedic movies are a hard genre for me. It's hard to make me laugh, so I find most comedies just stupid. There've been some surprising exceptions. I loved Bullet Train (I've seen it three times) and laughed throughout it each time I saw it. I loved the combination of comedy and action. As for a TV series that is comedic, hands down, Abbott Elementary. The episodes are often a highlight of my night.

    Although comedy isn't my thing, I was looking forward to seeing The Book of Clarence. The all-star cast includes: LaKeith Stanfield, Omar Sy, RJ Cyler, Anna Diop, David Oyelowo, Micheal Ward, Alfre Woodard, Teyana Taylor, Caleb McLaughlin, Eric Kofi-Abrefa, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, James McAvoy, and Benedict Cumberbatch.

    This film is written and directed by Jeymes Samuel, who is a British singer-songwriter, music producer, and filmmaker. His directorial debut was Harder They Fall on Netflix. Producers include Jeymes Samuel, Jay Z, James Lassiter, and Tendo Nagenda.

    Although this film is classified as an Adventure/Western, I would also describe it as a Comedy. It was hysterically funny—it had us laughing so hard that we sometimes missed the next line that was spoken! My daughter said that's why she likes watching everything with subtitles! Or, in other words, “She hears with her eyes.” Whatever that means...

    So, let's get into it.

    The movie opens with an introduction by Jeymes Samuel. He tells us this film was 2000 years in the making. He tells us he wanted to make a film that was as epic as the likes of Ben-Hur. Let me tell you, he did not miss!

    Filmmakers strive to create movie sets that set the tone and atmosphere to grip the audience, and this filmmaker does just that. The story takes place in ancient Jerusalem. The scenery in this movie was remarkable; it felt like we were actually watching footage from that time period. Not only was the movie set great, but the costuming was just as I'd imagined the people from that time would dress—it was on point.

    The film’s story is broken down into three parts, or "Books," as you will. Ok, I've revealed more than I wanted to, so I will not tell you the names of those "Books". The only other “spoiler” I’ll give is that the Romans were Romans. They were every bit of what you’d imagine Romans or any oppressors to be like.

    What's more, LaKeith Stanfield is outstanding in this film. I loved his roles. Have we ever seen David Oyelowo in a comedy? Nothing comes to mind if he has. He is absolutely hilarious in this film. You just have to see Benedict Cumberbatch in this film. The audience was roaring with laughter.

    Beware; there is some debauchery shown in this film. I'm not trying to preach here, but there's scripture in The Bible that speaks of debauchery. Jeymes Samuel literally gives us a glimpse of what that may have looked like. It made me think, yes, stuff like this HAD to be happening during this time period.

    Moreover, I found this story to be relatable. Would you agree that sometimes it takes a minute to figure out who you are? What you stand for? What you want to do in life? What you want to accomplish in life? What you want your life to look like? Clarence was undoubtedly trying to figure it all out.

    Amongst all the hilarity, there are some life lessons. It shows us what teamwork looks like (whether it’s for good intentions or not), that family dynamics can be far from perfect, how deceitfulness affects all those around us, what redemption is, and lastly, what it looks like to be forgiven—and not necessarily in the Biblical sense either.

    It is important to add that some in the Christian community will have a problem with the film. Some may think it's sacrilegious; others may think it's blasphemous. Just remember: it's not a retelling of The Bible; it's just an artistic rendering of how someone named Clarence may have lived at that time.

    Not to mention, there are lots of artistic freedoms taken to describe this time period. Remember, it's meant to entertain. Not to tell a true Bible story. There are also all kinds of miracles flying around in this film, so be prepared.

    Furthermore, some may have a problem with a mostly Black cast. There are many debates about what the people during this time looked like. I’m pretty sure they didn’t look like Charleston Heston either… but I'm not going to get into all that. Altogether, just enjoy the movie for what it is: a funny movie set in ancient Jerusalem with a modern twist to it.

    Lastly, as to the question of whether you should take your children to see this movie, I would say this: “Hell to the no." In all seriousness, just because adults find a movie funny doesn’t mean kids will, or that the humor is appropriate for them. If you have a teenager who is mature enough to view this, then by all means take them. Personally, I would not have taken my children to see this movie at any age. That's the type of parent I was. I felt they would be exposed to the world soon enough, so it was imperative I protected their childlike innocence. Don’t we all long for that inner child often? This film is rated PG-13 for strong violence, drug use, strong language, some suggestive material, and smoking.

    This tall tale most assuredly deserves some awards when award season comes around next year; hopefully it won't get lost in the shuffle. It’s a long time from now until the end of the year. I'd love to know if you feel the same way.

Let me know what you think about this review and/or the movie when you see it. I myself can't wait to see it again!

I give it 5/5 "Charms."

🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀

 

“I'm rooting for everybody black.”

 

Just a Mom Who Loves Movies

Night Swim-Swimmingly Disappointing

    Raise your hand if you love a good horror film, because I’ll tell you what: They can be hard to come by. Personally, if I don't scream several times during a movie it's “no go” for me. Would Night Swim actually get me to scream multiple times? Nope, it didn't. 

    The film is written by Rod Blackhurst and Bryce McGuire; it is also directed by the former. It’s based on a 2014 short film the two created by the same name. The cast includes:  Wyatt Russell (son of Kurt Russell), Kerry Condon, Nancy Lenehan, Ben Sinclair, and Jodi Long.

    Curiosity killed the cat, so my interest caused me to ask myself several questions before stepping into a movie about a possessed pool of all things. Was it a pool that only gets possessed at night? A pool that gets possessed if someone swims in it? 

    Unfortunately, I only screamed once! Imagine me as Commodus in Gladiator giving a thumbs down. I was really disappointed. 

    Although it was only 90 minutes long, it seemed longer. It took a long time to get through the background stuff and get to the “meat and potatoes” of the horror part of the movie. To be honest, they could’ve kept their meat and potatoes.

     One apparent factor in all horror films is that common sense seems to leave the characters. What is up with that? It was true in this movie too. They weren't using it not one bit. They were ignoring things they shouldn’t have and falling for things they should've ignored.

    I’m not gonna lie, I tend to chat sometimes at the movie screen — but who doesn’t? It especially happens when I'm watching a horror film; “Girl why you doing that?” “Girl you better move!” You know, stuff like that.  If only they could hear me and stop what they’re doing. I most definitely would be saving a lot of lives.

    Overall, I would say this movie was more creepy than scary. The scares didn't make me scared. I was just creeped out. That counts for something I guess right? 

    In my humble opinion,” it's a no for me dawg”. You should not pay to see this movie. You will be disappointed if you do. It's not either scary or entertaining enough. Towards the end, I even predicted what would happen. 

    It really should have been a straight to streaming film. The only reason I think it wasn't was because it had two producers who are giants in the world of horror; James Wan and Jason Blum. Some of their work include The Conjuring franchise and Get Out, respectively.  Save your coins, wait for it to be streaming on Peacock.

    Lastly, as to the question of whether you should take your children to see this movie, I would say this: “Hell to the no."  In my experience, horror movies give children nightmares. Children would not find it entertaining in the least bit. If you have a teenager who is mature enough to handle horror movies, then you may want to take them. Personally, I didn't take my children to horror movies. I didn't want to deal with the fallout from it. This film is rated PG-13 for terror, some violent content and language.

    If you go see it in the theater or if you wait to stream it, I'd love to know what you think. Leave me a comment.

I give it 1/5 "Charms."

🍀

 

Just a Mom Who Loves Movies