Boy, those 5G phones really are strong. If you try to explain it, the concept of time travel as a cinematic device is pretty preposterous. It’s like a magic eraser that lets the screenwriter fix any plot problems, because, you know, time travel. And yet, when done properly, it cashes in your willing suspension of disbelief and pays you back tenfold. “Don’t Let Go” (2019) asks you to believe that the magic of cellular technology can allow a cop (David Oyelowo) and his niece to try to solve two murders, two weeks apart. It works. Just promise to stay connected.
Archives for posts with tag: David Oyelowo
There have been a lot of these movies. You know, pick from the following create-a-story list: the hapless protagonist, the crime, the double-cross, the mistaken identity, the triple-cross, the bigger crime, the mobsters/cartel, the feds, the plot twist, etc. It becomes a comedy of errors, on one level or another. You know. There have been a lot of them. But the films that can spin enough of those a la carte plates to keep things interesting without making a mess are really good. Like “Gringo” (2018). David Oyelowo is the perfect hapless protagonist. Please ignore the violations of car-wreck physics.
It’s rare that a movie can seem to be moving too quickly, but that’s how the beginning of “A United Kingdom” (2017) felt, almost like a montage. However, the story of the biracial love affair that ultimately gave birth to the nation of Botswana would have been at least three hours long if it had followed the typical pace of movies involving Africa, a love story, and lots of people in period garb with British accents. So there’s that. Otherwise, it’s an interesting film, not spectacular, less an artistic achievement than a pleasant trip across a forgotten page of history.
100wordreviews 