Movie Reviews - "The Little Things" and "The Dig"

 

Got around to watching "The Little Things" last night.  From director John Lee Hancock, this one features an All-Star Ballot of a cast - Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, and Jared Leto, each of whom own a little trinket called an Academy Award.  What's not to look forward to?

Washington plays Joe "Deke" Deacon, a deputy sheriff in a hick county in California.  When he has to travel to Los Angeles to pick up piece of evidence, we are soon made aware that Deke used to be big time detective in LA, but something happened in his past that drove him away from the big city to the boondocks.  What could it be, and does it have anything to do with a serial killer that is currently terrorizing Los Angeles and is being investigated by rising young hotshot detective Jim Baxter, played by Malek?

Deke decides to take some vacation time and stays in the big city to investigate on his own, and Baxter, reluctantly at first, agrees to have Deke help him out in the investigation ("but if you end up pissing on my leg and tell me it's raining, we're through").  Deke soon uncovers a creep named Albert Sparma who comes under suspicion, and, trust me, Leto can do "creep" as well as just about anyone in show biz.

This movie is pretty standard fair police crime drama.  It won't make any top ten lists or win any awards, but it is quite entertaining, and it certainly does hold your interest.  The trio of Washington/Malek/Leto also lifts this one above the average cop potboiler.  I especially like Denzel Washington's hair in this one: cut very short and predominantly gray, much like The Grandstander's!!

Malek, Leto, and Washington

Three Stars from The Grandstander.

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We also watched "The Dig" on Netflix this week, and we both enjoyed it very much. We categorize it as a very "gentle" movie. It stars Carey Mulligan, Ralph Fiennes, and Lily James. Based on a true story of an archeological discovery on a wealthy widow's property in England on the very eve of World War II. Wonderful performances and beautifully shot. I like how my pal skip categorized it, "A love story on many levels, a home front war story, and an historical event all in one."

Two and Three-Quarters Stars from The Grandstander.