Locked & Loaded

Friday night’s movie fix, courtesy of Netflix by mail, was hardcore crime, Locked In (2021). The plot revolves around stolen goods stored in an unknown unit in a large facility. The criminals, played effectively by Jeff Fahey and Manny Perez, have no regard for human life. Bruno Bichir as the manager and Costas Mandylor as a detective are also fine. The workplace assistant has taken great strides in separating herself from her past as hooker/drug addict. She is played by Mena Suvari, now old enough to play the mom of a 17-year-old, played by Jasper Polish. Although “why” came to mind several times during the narrative, I still enjoyed the movie, especially since it was only 90 minutes. I also respect that writer/director Carlos V. Gutierrez is probably exploring whether people are locked into what they’ve been in the past, perhaps incapable of change or, at least, close to reversion under certain circumstances, a magnet for foul play. He has nine credits as Director, seven as Writer. 758 users at IMDb have rated Locked In, forging to a consensus of 4.2 on a scale of ten, too low in my opinion. I’ll go with a bit above average. Of course it strains credulity, but not as much as other genre fare. It should appeal to those who enjoy rides on the dark side, although the accent is on suspense rather than action. Anyone squeamish about violence or language should pass. Here’s a publicity still of mom and daughter in character, from Google Images:

Approximately half the country won’t care about this, headline from foxnews.com: “Chinese donations to Penn Biden Center are a ‘dark-money nightmare,’ says NLPC chairman.”

Also from FN: “7-Eleven stores in several states use classical music to shoo homeless people.” Cue Ludwig Van Symphony #5: “Get the hell out!” Photo from GI:

From FN: I double-dare you. This woman is on the 12th floor of a Colombia high-rise, no safety equipment. Photo from GI:

Snow flurries in the air, I chose to forgo the floating book shop on this cold and windy day that would have required a perfect parking spot that allowed me to sit in the car while waiting for customers to show. This always creates a feeling of something having gone wrong that usually dogs me into the evening. Fortunately, my book order arrived, bolstering my spirits. Tomorrow, or the next day weather allows, I will have all 14 on display for the first time. I don’t expect interest to increase. Here’s the new addition:

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