Film Review -- Venus and Serena

This documentary follows the 2011 season of the world-famous tennis champions, the Williams sisters. It features the commentary of Venus, Serena, John McEnroe, Anna Wintour, and Chris Rock, among others. An intimate look at each sister's battle with injury to start the 2011 season, as well as footage from their earliest years, the film chronicles the rise of two poor African-American girls from Compton, California, in a fairytale-like success story. No two women have ever been more revolutionary in their sport as Venus and Serena, and the fact that they are sisters makes their story even more remarkable. I have been a lifelong fan of Venus and Serena, and follow them closely in every tournament they play, so it was a real treat to get a glimpse into their lives off the court. While I wish that the documentary had delved deeper into the controversies surrounding their careers, and the challenges they face with racism, I enjoyed this rather lighthearted film about two of my favorite athletes of all time.

Should you see it: Yes
Grade: A-

Film Review -- Jack Reacher

This crime thriller stars Tom Cruise, Rosamund Pike, Richard Jenkins, and Werner Herzog. Jack Reacher (Cruise) is a mysterious and nomadic former military cop who is summoned by former army sniper James Barr (Joseph Sikora) to prove the latter's innocence in a seemingly random shooting of five people. Reacher begins working with Helen Rodin (Pike), Barr's defense attorney and District Attorney Alex Rodin's (Jenkins) daughter, which pits father and daughter together in a battle to determine Barr's fate. While all believe that Barr must be guilty, Helen's and Jack's further investigation begins to uncover a completely different truth -- leading them straight to the Zec (Herzog), and to the knowledge that someone they trusted is in on the conspiracy as well. I didn't expect to like this film very much, but I must say that it was a pleasant surprise. I really enjoyed the plot, and while it has some questionable moments common to most films, the story kept me intrigued the entire way through. I was actually almost impressed. It is not a masterpiece, but a solid script and some solid performances make Jack Reacher a better film than I anticipated.

Should you see it: Yes
Grade: B

Film Review -- Iron Man 3

The third installment of the mega-successful franchise stars Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Jon Favreau, and Ben Kingsley. The charming and always witty Tony Stark (Downey Jr.) is back and ready to fight a new enemy: the Mandarin, a mysterious terrorist that employs superhuman soldiers. With the help of Colonel Rhodes (Cheadle), he must defeat the Mandarin to save his girlfriend, Pepper Potts (Paltrow). But what do scientist and entrepreneur Aldrich Killian (Pierce) and former Stark flame, botanist Maya Hansen (Hall), have to do with it all? Stark is about to find out as he suits up once again to defeat evil. The film is very entertaining, but the plot is a little lackluster. There could definitely have been more depth in the story, as well as more action. The film does, however, have some very strong points, including a hilarious cameo by Ben Kingsley -- I won't ruin his character for those who haven't seen the film yet, but he is simply brilliant, as always. I didn't leave the theatre overly impressed, but it is a very solid action film that avoided the usual plummet in quality as a franchise churns out sequel after sequel; this one holds up pretty well. Plus, you will get your daily dose of cuteness with the film's littlest star, Ty Simpkins!

Should you see it: Yes
Grade: B

Big Winners at the Cannes Film Festival

As the biggest film festival in the world winds down, here is a complete list of the winners, with the lesbian coming-of-age drama Blue is the Warmest Colour winning the top prize.

Palme d'Or (Best Film)

La Vie d'Adele - Chapitre 1 & 2 ("Blue is the Warmest Colour") by Abdellatif Kechiche (France)

Grand Prix (Runner-up)

Inside Llewyn Davis by Ethan and Joel Coen (U.S.)

Jury Prize (Third Prize)

Soshite Chichi Ni Naru ("Like Father, Like Son") by Kore-Eda Hirokazu (Japan)

Camera d'Or (Debut Film)

Ilo Ilo by Anthony Chen (Singapore)

Best Director

Heli by Amat Escalante (Mexico)

Best Screenplay

Tian Zhu Ding (A Touch of Sin) by Jia Zhangke (China)

Best Actress

Bérénice Bejo in Le Passé ("The Past") (France)

Best Actor

Bruce Dern in Nebraska (U.S.)

Short Film

Safe by Moon Byoung-Gon (South Korea)