9 minute read
Entertainment
Movie Reviews and Upcoming Release Dates
By A.D. Beal
IN THEATERS
“Sundown”
A man stays in the country he vacations in after his family leaves. At best, you can say that “Sundown” is a lovely looking film with nothing on its mind that repeats itself endlessly to get past that 70-minute mark. At worst, it’s a shallow take on the wealthy’s fear of the “other” that shows you the protagonist destroying his life without actively challenging him. But realistically, director and writer Michael Franco just wanted to travel for a month or two and tried to stitch together a narrative. Tim Roth and Charlotte Gainsbourg, two usually fantastic actors, seem bored here, restricted by the lack of material. Repetitive storytelling is not inherently bad, but there still must be some brains behind it. There’s nothing to be found with “Sundown.”
“Moonfall”
A group of misfits go on a high-risk mission to stop the moon from falling to Earth. It’s called “Moonfall,” and it’s exactly what you think it is - a bombastic film with not a lot of brains but surprisingly a fair amount of heart. Halle Berry and Patrick Wilson carry the film, giving emotionally flawed characters that could be stale but are helped by the actors’ charm, which make up for the dull supporting cast. But what you’re here for is the spectacle, and thankfully the film doesn’t disappoint. It shows some visually impressive and exciting moments of destruction, with the most creative one being a car crash that happens on earth. It also has some of the most bizarre but weirdly intriguing world building. It’s a lost 90s film in the best and worst ways, but if this is your kind of film, it’s one to seek out.
“Jackass Forever”
The “Jackass” gang reunites, with some new faces, for one last rodeo. “Jackass” has gotten its legacyquel moment, and even as someone not as into “Jackass,” it is a great film. It clearly has that feeling of friends getting back together for the first time in years and they’re happy to see each other again. With their reunion we see the stunts and pranks they’re known for, managing to still one-up themselves in disgust, hurt and humor. The new recruits also are a lot of fun, fitting in with Johnny, Steve-O and company while bringing a new personality to it. Most of all, what’s surprising is how detailed the filmmaking is—really capturing each injury and hit in as much detail as possible and bringing a strange sense of scale. It’s an absolute blast of a picture.
“Death On The Nile”
Hercule Poirot finds himself in a new mystery while on holiday in Egypt. There’s an aura of tragedy all over “Death On The Nile,” paralleled with its themes of doomed love. There are multiple couples in the film, almost all of whom (save for our main one unfortunately) have undeniable chemistry, making you fear for their safety as the mystery progresses. A full half of the film is spent before the murder happens, which can make or break the film for some, but I believe it utilizes it well to establish our characters and make you suspicious of them. The lovely views of the Nile contrast the dark atmosphere well too. It takes a second to get going, but Kenneth Branagh’s second Poirot mystery is an improvement.
NEW RELEASES
March 4
• “The Batman” • “After Yang”
March 18
• “Downton Abbey: A New Era” • “Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre” • “The Unbreakable Boy” • “X”
March 25
• “The Lost City” • “Everything Everywhere All At Once”
ACROSS
1. Short for specification 5. Knave 8. *Like President Eisenhower’s head 12. *One fourth of a Presidential term 13. Take-out handout 14. The Beast’s problem in “Beauty and the Beast” 15. *Pres. Eisenhower established this space agency 16. Thought 17. Body of water 18. *#22 and #24 20. First-rate, slangily 21. Terminate, as in mission 22. Lingerie staple 23. Public speaker 26. Ivory tickler 30. “Fresh Prince of ____-Air” 31. Most likely to win 34. Pot contribution 35. By surprise 37. Indian restaurant staple 38. Lacking justification 39. Office communique 40. Greece and Bulgaria peninsula 42. Overnight stop 43. Indifferently 45. Sturdily built 47. English course abbreviation 48. “_____’ it easy” 50. Oliver Twist, e.g. 52. *University of Virginia founder 56. African prairie 57. *Second most-popular Presidential birth state, after Virginia 58. Arm bone 59. Poem at a funeral 60. German title 61. Arnold Lobel’s “Mouse ____” 62. High school club 63. Clinton ____ Rodham 64. Hitler’s Deputy
DOWN
1. Update a FitBit 2. Sound of bells 3. “At ____, soldier.” 4. Modern tie forerunner 5. Aromatic lumber 6. Beside, archaic 7. Two of the same 8. *The only President who was a bachelor 9. ____ 51, Nevada 10. Law school entry requirement, acr. 11. Bear’s room 13. Edith Piaf’s hit 14. Meat of coconut 19. Digital tome 22. Trash container, e.g. 23. *One of three Presidents to win a
Grammy 24. James Dean’s famous role 25. Remember this battle 26. *First to serve coast to coast 27. Indo-Aryan, as in languages 28. Did not smell good 29. Like yellow polka dot bikini 32. June 6, 1944 33. Salt in cocina 36. *a.k.a. Silent Cal 38. Loosen ropes 40. Deli acronym 41. ____ ____ help 44. Hawaii’s number 46. Mob offensive 48. High-pitched laugh sound, in print 49. Like Bananas Foster 50. “All’s well that ends ____” 51. Away from wind 52. *Second most common Presidential first name, after James 53. Type of gin 54. Cross to bear 55. Midday slumbers 56. Chill, with ‘out’
SOLUTION ON PAGE 23.
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SOLUTION ON PAGE 23.
Filling A Retirement Savings Gap
Renee A. Hanson, CFP® , ChFC®, CEP®, CDFA™ , CFS®, BFA®, APMA®
Are you on track to achieve your retirement savings goals? It’s important to establish a target savings amount and regularly make retirement plan contributions. It’s also vital to regularly check your progress so you know if you are on the right track. Should you determine that you are falling behind on your savings goals, it’s time to try to rectify the situation.
Any or all of the following solutions can help you overcome a retirement savings gap:
#1 – BOOST YOUR SAVINGS
The first option to make up for a retirement shortfall is to boost your savings. For example, if you set aside $200 more per month in your retirement accounts, that could add up to more than $63,000 in 15 years (assuming a 7% average annual return before fees and taxes).
Find that money by reducing current living costs, particularly discretionary expenses. You may want to refinance your mortgage to reduce house payments or transfer balances on high interest credit cards to lower your monthly payouts. Be sure to take full advantage of an employer’s matching contribution to a workplace retirement plan if you have access to one.
#3 – MOVE YOUR RETIREMENT DATE
You can choose to take more time to meet your retirement savings goal. That might mean working longer than you initially expected and continuing to set money aside to close the savings gap. If you planned to retire in your 60s or earlier, you should have some room to maneuver. Assuming you are in good health, adding a year or two of work may be feasible.
#4 – ADJUST YOUR RETIREMENT EXPECTATIONS
If you are too close to retirement to make a significant dent in your retirement savings gap, you may need to adjust lifestyle expectations when you are done working.
Take a closer look at your retirement income needs and determine where you can cut back on discretionary expenses in the years to come.
Look for help
Even if retirement is a long way off, you want to stay on top of your progress and make sure you are taking all of the steps you can to make your goals a reality. Talk to a financial advisor to help you assess where you stand and what you can do to avoid or erase a savings gap.
#2 – UPGRADE YOUR INVESTMENTS
For most people, time is on their side when investing retirement assets. This provides flexibility to invest your money in a way that can generate a competitive return because you have time to overcome short-term market fluctuations. If your savings isn’t generating the return you expected, you may want to reassess your holdings and seek out a combination of investments that have the potential to earn a higher return within your tolerance for risk.
Renee A. Hanson, CFP® , ChFC® , CEP® , CDFATM , CFS®, BFA® , APMA® , is a Private Wealth Advisor with Affinity Wealth Advisory Group, a private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC. in Phoenix, Arizona. She specializes in fee-based financial planning and asset management strategies and has been in practice for 31 years. To contact her visit www.affinitywealthadvisor.com or call (602) 923-9800. Her office is located at 7010 E. Chauncey Lane, Suite #200, Phoenix, AZ 85054-3115. Investment advisory products and services are made available through Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC, a registered investment adviser. Investment advisory products and services are made available through Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC, a registered investment adviser. Investment products are not insured by the FDIC, NCUA or any federal agency, are not deposits or obligations of, or guaranteed by any financial institution, and involve investment risks including possible loss of principal Putting the needs of clients first is the approach I believe in. I’ll work with you to find and fluctuation in value. the right financial solutions to help you plan for your unique goals. And together, we’ll Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC. Member FINRA and SIPC. © 2022 Ameriprise Financial, Inc. All rights reserved. track your progress over time, adjusting your plan along the way to help get you where you want to go.
Renee A. Hanson CFP®, CEP®, CDFA®, CFS®, ChFC®, APMA®
Private Wealth Advisor
Affinity Wealth Advisory Group
A private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC
602.923.9800
7010 E. Chauncey Ln Ste 200 Phoenix, AZ 85054 renee.a.hanson@ampf.com affinitywealthadvisor.com
Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC. Member FINRA and SIPC.
