Qs Reviews – February 2, 2015

Mortdecai.  Dreadful. Johnny Depp and Gwyneth Paltrow can’t save this silly spoof. Stupid Russians, stuffy British Mi5 agents, international terrorists and posh society nymphomaniacs are all part of the blessed mess. Depp is foppish art dealer Charlie Mortdecai whose domineering wife (Paltrow) insists he banish his moustache – a gag that never ends. Charlie chases around the world to recover a stolen Velasquez that may have some secret codes to locate missing Nazi gold. All that is missing is the Keystone Kops.   Rated R for some language and sexual material.

The Loft.  Five married guys agree to share a loft in a new building as their trysting haven.   They can live out their fantasies in secreted style.  Their fantasy becomes a nightmare when the dead body of a beautiful, young blonde woman is found in the bed. Their need to protect themselves from the wrath of their wives and the questioning of the police tests their friendship as they try to concoct a story that will get them out of the mess. Through flashbacks their complex lives and deceit is revealed as we discover things aren’t, as they seem. The film’s plot has too many twists and turns, as the ultimate resolution of the dilemma is just absurd. Rated R for sexual content, nudity, bloody violence, language and drug use.

Black or White.  A slightly better than average melodrama that tackles modern issues of race, but is just too contrived to matter much. Kevin Costner is a grandfather who suddenly finds himself solely caring for his 9 year-old granddaughter. His daughter died in childbirth and his wife is killed in an accident.  The paternal grandmother (Octavia Spencer) seeks custody. The little girl is caught in the middle as the two families, one white and one black who lose sight of what is really important. As the families fuss and fume at one another, they must face deep-seated issues with race. When they learn how to forgive and how to better understand one another, issues of black or white fade away. Rated PG-13 (on appeal from an R) for brief strong language, thematic material involving drug use and drinking, and for a fight.