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When an eccentric but benign habitant of Wallis Island, Charles (Tim Key), manages to book his favorite musical act McGwyer Mortimer, to play an exclusive show on the island it would seem his dreams have come true. But, for artists Herb McGwyer (Tom Basden) and Nell Mortimer (Carey Mulligan) the booking may prove to be too much for their respective hearts and minds considering the two have been separated for years. Now with thousands of British pounds on the line each must attempt to put aside their differences in order to play the gig, but is it all too much, and what’s truly motivating all involved? Written by Tom Basden and Tim Key and Directed by James Griffiths, this entirely endearing British comedy lobs a nonstop barrage of dad joke quality one liners from stem to stern bringing the overall comedic water temperature to a roiling simmer with occasional boils. But the film’s heart is what counts in this soul searching gem for tortured artists and those who let a certain special catch get away. For all of its witty dialogue, the film’s strongest moments come with complete silence and vulnerability to provide a surprisingly emotional journey for the viewer; reminding us that not all films need to have massive budgets, special effects, and big names attached in order to leave a lasting impression. Rather, the power of this smaller budget gem is in its overall spirit, essence, and honest storytelling ability to make it the winner you didn’t see coming. Worth the hour and forty minutes of your time, The Ballad of Wallis Island is rated PG-13.

Elliot (Paul Rudd) is Legal council to a pharmaceutical CEO, Odell (Richard E. Grant), who’s health is in steady decline. So, when a weekend visit at Odell’s family estate is scheduled to discuss succession and legal matters it would appear everything is on the up and up. But, prior to their arrival, Elliot and his daughter Ridley (Jenna Ortega) have had the unfortunate and tragic experience of accidentally hitting a unicorn standing in the road with their rental car; but, killing the magical beast could have ramifications much worse than either would have imagined. Following the tales and tapestries uncovered from medieval times, Ridley and Elliot find themselves caught up in a wrestle between the magical and the entitled, a crisis that can only be solved with entrails and blood, hold on to your hat, the unicorn retribution is about to begin.Written and Directed by Alex Scharfman this dark comedy doesn’t aim to innovate the concepts surrounding the classic monster revenge genre; but instead plays out in straightforward and expected fashion yet having a blast all the while. Quick witted jabs and gags keep the chuckles bubbling as the splatter fest rolls on, albeit, we’re not talking full on knee slapper or awards for most creative death sequences, but the basic premise is fun and the ensemble carries the weight well. In particular the underplayed and common man conscience of Anthony Carrigan’s Griff, the family butler/servant, steals much of the show with his balanced doe eyed seething rage, well done. Plus with a runtime of one hour and forty seven minutes, welcomes are pushed but not overstayed. Looking for your offbeat counter-programming to March madness, Death of a Unicorn might just fit the bill, rated R.

Raised to be fair, just, and kind Princess Snow White (Rachel Zegler) is cast out of her kingdom by her evil stepmother Queen (Gal Gadot). Now, hidden deep in the woods she must find her strength to lead a band of outcasts and thieves to reclaim what’s hers. But, finding that inner strength will take the help from an unlikely group of dwarfs, seven of them to be specific, can she do it, or is it already too late? Adapting the work of Disney’s 1937 animated classic, based on the writings of Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm and present day Erin Cressida Wilson, and Directed by Marc Webb, this lightly re-imagined tale brings a sense of self empowered strength and independence to what audiences have been familiar with for nearly 88 years, a damsel in distress in need of being saved. And, while the film makes strides to entertain with new music in addition to the familiar classics Hi-ho, and Whistle While You Work, the newer songs by and large serve to move the narrative but lack the necessary hook to make them truly memorable despite remarkably strong vocal performances from Zegler and Gadot. Meanwhile from a visual perspective, the production choice to go with CGI dwarves as opposed to live actors has certainly been a point of controversy off screen; still the overall look of the film is visually consistent across the board. All this is to say, for all of its merits, there are often equal or slightly stronger de-merits to accompany throughout the film. Now, in the shadow of Wicked the high bar has been set, and Snow White doesn’t quite contain the same oomph to match or exceed. Yet, for families of young ones, don’t let the off screen banter dissuade you from a “pretty ok” film. Running one hour and forty nine minutes, Snow White is rated PG.