See it at the Movies

By Joyce and Don Fowler
Posted 9/7/16

MORGAN * * * (Psychological Drama Turns Ultra Violent) What starts out as an interesting psychological drama turns into an ultra-violent chase and kill movie, saved by an unusual twist ending. Kate Mara plays Miss Weathers, a woman from the corporate

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See it at the Movies

Posted

MORGAN

* * *

(Psychological Drama Turns Ultra Violent)

What starts out as an interesting psychological drama turns into an ultra-violent chase and kill movie, saved by an unusual twist ending.

Kate Mara plays Miss Weathers, a woman from the corporate office assigned to check up on a genetic research project gone bad.

She encounters resistance from the close-knit team that has developed a young girl through an intricate DNA project, creating a creature with artificial intelligence.

When “Morgan” (Anya Taylor-Joy) violently turns on one of her caretakers, Corporate sends in Weathers and a psychiatrist (Paul Giamattit). The psychiatrist pushes Morgan’s emotions to the limit, with disastrous results.

The team is more concerned about “preserving the asset” than protecting others from violence, while Weathers is leaning toward shutting down the program.

It’s an interesting dilemma. Is Morgan a “she” or an “it”? Should we be playing around with Mother Nature?

The anger builds in Morgan as she figures out that people want to terminate her, so she goes on a gory killing spree, eliminating the team one by one.

Unfortunately, the plot turns into a big hide and seek to kill chase movie, saved by a twist at the end which you may see coming.

Rated a big R, with gory violence and some profanity. THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS

**1/2

(Tragic Romantic Melodrama)

Michael Fassbinder plays Tom, a veteran carrying around bad memories of the war, who lands a job caring for a lighthouse off the coast of Australia in 1918.

His desire is to be alone with his thoughts, but that soon changes when he meets Isabel, a local woman (Alicia Vicander) who quickly becomes the light of his dark life.

They marry. She moves to the island with him.

She has two miscarriages and melancholy sets in.

Hark. They spot a dory floating near the shore, and who is in the boat but a beautiful baby girl and her dead father.

What to do? Let’s bury the man and keep the little girl. No one needs to know. After all, she was pregnant the last time anyone on the mainland saw her.

When things get a little sticky, and the true mother (Rachel Weisz) is discovered, Tom is loaded with guilt, while Isabel is so attached to the little girl, she convinces Tom to remain quiet.

The moral issue of doing what is right becomes the center of the story that plays out slowly – very slowly – over two and a quarter hours.

We won’t tell any more of the story, although many people have read the novel and know the contrived ending.

The best thing about the move is the awesome photography of the island and the sea (actually New Zealand).

While the acting is good, the story is so melodramatic that you’ll either need a handkerchief or a quick escape route to the lobby, where Showcase Cinemas now serve alcoholic beverages.

Rated PG-13, with some sexual references.

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