Q-Tips Reviews

Gretta (Keira Knightley) and her songwriting partner/lover Dave (Adam Levine) head for New York when he lands a record deal with a major label. However, Gretta is suddenly left on her own when Dave gives in to the temptations that come with his newfound success. Things take a turn for the better for her when Dan (Mark Ruffalo), a disgraced record executive, discovers Gretta performing in a club. A mutually life-changing bond forms between the pair as they work together on Gretta’s first album.

Q-tips say:  Really enjoyed this. It’s such a nice surprise, because so many so-called feel-good romantic comedies these days are pretty ordinary but there’s something special about this because there’s a level of reality to it in the performances in the situations.

Seen happier endings in movies, but this one feels genuine – and in an unexpected way, deeply satisfying.

Netflix – Sgt. Adam Schumann tries to readjust to civilian life after returning home from the war in Iraq. Fellow soldier Tausolo Aeiti must deal with the aftermath of a bombing that left him with a traumatic brain injury. Will Waller searches for normalcy after surviving several explosions, while Michael Emory must deal with the

effects of a sniper’s bullet to the head. With memories of the battlefield still lingering, the soldiers soon begin their long journey to physical and emotional rehabilitation.

Q-tips say: Yes, see it. Thank You offers a window into lives that most Americans never see, providing an almost visceral sense for what it was like to fight in Iraq and then come home after war.

The film doesn’t provide any easy answers to the issues surrounding the overwhelming number of veterans coming home and going into a system that isn’t designed for such volume. But it does ask all of the right questions.

Annie (Kristen Wiig) is a single woman whose own life is a mess, but when she learns that her lifelong best friend, Lillian (Maya Rudolph), is engaged, she has no choice but to serve as the maid of honor. Though lovelorn and almost penniless, Annie, nevertheless, winds her way through the strange and expensive rituals associated with her job as the bride’s go-to gal. Determined to make things perfect, she gamely leads Lillian and the other bridesmaids down the wild road to the wedding.

Q-tips say: A “just for fun” movie.  Big, brash laughs are coupled with a smart insight into women’s friendships. With laugh-out-loud displays of pettiness, pride and passive-aggression, the movie incisively examines the delicate dynamics of a female friendship group.

Netflix original film “Make Me Believe,” introduces us to Sahra (Ayça Aysin Turan) and Deniz (Ekin Koç) – childhood friends whose lives take an unexpected turn. The story begins with meddling grandmothers who believe in the power of love and set out to reunite the two.

Q-tips say: A nice feel good movie to watch. A bit predictable but still good. It’s filmed in the beautiful northwestern Turkey & a perfect Friday night movie.

Mrs. Q says: The scenery is awesome & the two meddling grandmothers make it a fun movie & their antics might may you laugh.

When nine-year-old Maya Kowalski was admitted to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in 2016, nothing could have prepared her or her family for what they were about to go through. As the medical team tried to understand her rare illness, they began to question the basic truths that bound the Kowalskis together. Suddenly, Maya was in state custody — despite two parents who were desperate to bring their daughter home. The story of the Kowalski family — as told in their own words — will change the way you look at children’s healthcare forever.

Q-tips say: We liked it. From anger to frustration to tears, Take Care of Maya delivers a deeply affecting look at the breakdown of a family when another says it’s broken. Portrait of one family’s baffling ordeal and the ensuing nightmare that befell them courtesy of a medical establishment that purportedly prioritized the welfare of kids and yet at every turn put its own interests first.

Inspired by true events during the 1942 Nazi occupation of Poland, LOVE GETS A ROOM is the story of a Jewish stage actress who must make the gut-wrenching decision to follow her heart or to escape the Warsaw ghetto. Told in real time like Cortés’ acclaimed BURIED, the film is a romantic tale of love and survival in the face of harrowing circumstances.

Q-tips say: Was ok but nothing special.

A dog unites a fractured community while searching for its master.

Q-tips say: We enjoyed it. A heartwarming tale about man’s best friend.

 The film may be a little clumsy, and a few of the characters more annoying than endearing, you are guaranteed to have a good heartfelt laugh and quite likely a little cry, thanks to this little Aussie legend.

Emotional dog tale features drinking, violence, and loss.

The highly anticipated sequel follows our four best friends as they take their book club to Italy for the fun girls trip they never had. When things go off the rails and secrets are revealed, their relaxing vacation turns into a once-in-a-lifetime cross-country adventure.

Q-tips say: We enjoyed it. No one watches a film like Book Club: looking for Shakespearean drama that tests the morals of humanity itself. The Book Club Next Chapter is for innocent and heartfelt fun which the film delivers on excellently. The Next Chapter is another easygoing lark that does zero that’s unexpected yet still generates just enough genuine laughter to make its sitcom-level simplicity bearable.

Mrs. Q says: If you are in the mood for a light comedy with some dynamic actresses who feel like genuine friends than Book Club: The Next Chapter is a great choice. I would love to live their life, travel with good friends, don’t even think about the cost of traveling, etc. & have great clothes & eat & drink that wonderful wine from Italy.

If you were in Italy or perhaps wondered how Italy is: THIS IS THE MOVIE FOR YOU! Awesome scenery. etc. The Q’s did visit Italy & this movie brought back many fun, good memories.

11-year-old Margaret (Abby Ryder Fortson) is uprooted from her life in New York City for the suburbs of New Jersey, going through the messy and tumultuous throes of puberty with new friends in a new school. She relies on her mother, Barbara (Rachel McAdams), who is also struggling to adjust to life outside the big city, and her adoring grandmother, Sylvia (Kathy Bates), who isn’t happy they moved away and likes to remind them every chance she gets. A warm, emotionally agile adaptation of Judy Blume’s much-loved 1970 novel.

Q-tips say: It is really funny and wonderfully awkward at times, but it doesn’t forgo sincerity either.

Mrs. Q says: I wish that the current generation of girls, and boys, take the opportunity to meet Margaret, and learn about life along with her.

Mrs. Q says: It’s the kind of movie that someone of any age can enjoy and find an access point to connect to.

6/26 – amazon –

The rise and fall of Pennsylvania polka sensation Jan Lewan, who ultimately fleeced millions from investors through his polka-related activities. amazon prime.

Q-tips say: Yes, we did enjoy it!

Truth is truly stranger than fiction in this unbelievable true story. Biography, Comedy, Drama, Music.  

It’s funny, even while it examines a frightfully corrupt human being. The film is spry, frequently hilarious, and at its very best dark-verging-on-deranged.

Crime doesn’t pay, but it sure makes for great stories.

Jack Black stands out in this completely bonkers true story of Jan Lewan, an American polka music legend.