The Devil Is In The Details..."Incarnate"

Incarnate (2016)

Rated PG-13

Starring Aaron Eckhart, Carice van Houten, Catalina Sandino Moreno, David Mazouz, Matt Nable

Directed by Brad Peyton

The Story:

Dr. Ember (Eckhart) has developed a way to enter the subconscious mind of an individual. He does this to cast out demons who have taken over control of their hosts. He's not into religion, he treats this as science. However he is on a personal mission of revenge to find Maggie, the demon that killed his family.

Competent thriller that keeps you engaged for the duration.

Naturally, your tolerance of movies about exorcising the demon-possessed will go a long way on how, or if, you judge this one.

I still shudder when I think about watching the Exorcist many years ago, so I often approach these films cautiously, if at all.

: )

However, Peyton keeps you guessing throughout the film, even when you think you know how everything is going to turn out, right or wrong, with films like this, you second guess yourself every step of the way.

Eckhart is always a reliable lead in any film, and he doesn't disappoint here as a man who has lost everything, yet channels his rage to go on with life.

It's a different take on the genre, and that is always something to welcome.

Final Grade: C+

Possibly The Greatest "Race" In History

Race (2015)

Rated PG-13

Starring Stephan James, Jason Sudeikis, Jeremy Irons, William Hurt, Carice van Houten, Barnaby Metschurat, Eli Goree, Shanice Benton,

Directed by Stephen Hopkins

The Story:

Jesse Owens (James) heads to Ohio State, becomes a track legend under the tutelage of coach Larry Snyder (Sudeikis) and eventually becomes the Olympic hero that everyone remembers.

The time has come to tell his story, finally.

Why it took 80 years to get to the big screen is beyond me, but with the cooperation of Jesse's family, it's finally here.

Naturally, some things are going to be compressed for time, changed for dramatic emphasis, but the nuts and bolts of the story are all the same.

The pressure faced by the Olympic committee to even go to Germany in 1936 is presented.

So too is the pressure Owens himself faced, told by the NAACP to sit out the games as a protest.

I'd like to think that history has made that symbolic gesture seem pointless, as normally the only way to confront a bully is to look him square in the eye, and then punch him square in the face.

Owens did that, and more.

James is great as Owens, bringing to life one of America's greatest Olympic legends.

And he is presented, warts and all, and not lifted up as something other than a normal man, who just happened to be really, really fast.

The real revelation is Sudeikis playing a non-comedic role.

He gets a great chance to shine, and his scenes with James bring their chemistry to life.

Also of note, Germany filmed the games for the documentary Olympia, and that storyline also unfolds in this movie, and much of what they brought to that production is the backbone of televising modern sporting events.

Final Grade: Solid B