Some Women Always Need"The Last Word"

The Last Word (2017)

Rated R

Starring Shirley MacLaine, Amanda Seyfried, AnnJewel Lee Dixon, Tom Everett Scott,

Directed by Mark Pellington

The Story:

Harriet (MacLaine) is a retired businesswoman who is used to controlling everything in her life. Everything. As a result, she decides to let the local obituary writer, Anne (Seyfried) write her obituary now, while she's still alive, so she can approve it. However when Anne interviews everyone on Harriet's list, let's just say it's not the most flattering final thoughts on someone's life. Not content with that, Harriet tries to make some changes before it's too late, with Anne along for much of the ride. It won't just be Harriet's life that will change along the way.

If there's any doubt that MacLaine's still got it as an actress, those should be put to rest by now. She's still able to give a dramatic or comedic performance at the drop of a hat, and she seems to relish the role as Harriet.

Seyfried returns to the screen in what seems like the first time in ages. Still able to play the wide eyed girl, but now with a touch of maturity on her side so that she can seem both naive and tough as the case requires.

The two make a great duo, and then they are given the responsibility of Brenda (Dixon) a precocious troubled youth who makes Harriet feel like the grandma she always wanted to be.

There's laughs, there's tears, there's a good solid movie to be had.

Insert my usual rant about the language keeping this one from being a) a better film and b) finding a wider audience, and there you go.

Still, I'd say definitely worth a look.

Final Grade: B-

Van Damme Likes To Keep His "Enemies Closer"

Enemies Closer (2013)

Rated R

Starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Tom Everett Scott, Orlando Jones, Linzey Cocker

Directed by Peter Hyams

The Story:

Henry (Scott) is a park ranger near the US/Canadian border. Clay (Jones) has an issue with something Henry did in the past, and has come to the park to kill Henry. Xander (Van Damme) is a ruthless criminal who has come to the area looking for a plane that crashed carrying a lot of drugs on it. Their paths are about to cross.

It's weird seeing Van Damme as the bad guy.

Nearly his whole career has been spent playing the action hero we're all rooting for.

Come on, don't lie, you know you've watched his movies before.

:)

So while his movies may not hit the big screen, these direct to video B movie gems are floating around out there, and when the Hollywood machine doesn't churn out anything I really want to see during a week, I let the old Netflix queue send me some blast from the past.

It rarely disappoints.

Don't get me wrong, it's got flaws, and plenty of them. From some clunky dialogue to some just flat out head scratching moments, but the three leads: Scott, Jones and Van Damme  never give anything less than 100% out there, and they keep it interesting.

It's Van Damme as the villain with a thousand quirks, he keeps things interesting whenever he's on screen.

He's clearly relishing the chance to be the bad guy after all these years, and he's having a blast doing so.

Final Grade: C+