Words On Bathroom Walls (2020)

A movie about schizophrenia that struck the right balance between dread and upbeat. Some parts felt a bit contrived, but I’m not an expert on mental illness. In the end, the film has a nice message about acceptance and understanding, which are good life lessons for all of us, no matter the issue at hand. 

Rating: C+

The Way Way Back (2013)

A great coming of age movie with some fun performances. It managed to avoid many of the schmaltzy and clichéd pitfalls similar films have fallen prey to.

Rating: B

Jumper (2008)

Cool premise for a movie, but I had the distinct impression that a good portion of the book was missing from the screen. The movie should have started with him at age 5, when he made his first jump. It should have more thoroughly explained why his mother left, and how she became involved with the jumper hunters, or whatever they call them.

Why are they trying to kill the jumpers anyway? I mean, besides the ridiculous reason they provided in the movie. A lot of potential, but it lacked foundation. Sometimes we want a little more plot with our action. Don't shortchange us.

Rating: C

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)

One of my favorite books as a kid, so I was really hoping they would nail it on screen. Something I didn't feel the original pulled off. For the most part, this was a good edition. I loved the beginning of the film, the way everything was set up and the choice of characters.

I was skeptical of Depp's portrayal of Willy Wonka. He was a bit odd, but not odd enough to really annoy me. I thought the second half of the movie turned slightly sour. Visually stunning. Worth seeing. But there is room for improvement.

Rating: C+