Blonde — staring Ana de Armas, in a completely different role than Knives Out or No Time to Die, presents a sympathetic and searing portrait of Marilyn Monroe, unlike anything I’ve seen. While the movie is a bit flaky at times and has rough spots here and there, Ana’s performance is Oscar-worthy and merits watching the whole time. Spoiler alert: with overly woke producer, Brad Pitt, it’s no surprise that regarding Marilyn’s death, involvement of the Kennedys is totally ignored and that the viewer is led down an erroneous rabbit hole.

The Triangle of Sadness — this is the third movie I’ve seen in recent weeks where a select group boards a boat or cruise. Who knew that sailing was going to be so popular this season? The movie has some notable moments of pathos as well as humor. At about midpoint, it starts becoming silly. Skip this.

White Noise — starring an unrecognizable Adam Driver, offers a noticeably wasteful first 20 minutes. Then, even when the story gets rolling, there’s not enough here to make it compelling. None of the characters are interesting: There’s no one with whom to identify and the story is quickly forgettable.

Babylon — starring Margot Robbie, Brad Pitt, and rising newcomer Diego Calva suffers from trying to be too much, in too many directions, to too many people. Movies about actors, movies themselves, or Hollywood in general need a strong lead and singular focus, or be downright entertaining. Think: All about Eve, or Sunset Boulevard from the ’50s, or more recently, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Babylon is entertaining in stretches but it is noticeably shaking much of the way. The ultra-talented Margot Robbie, who is the focus for most of the film, starts off spectacularly, and then goes way over the top, into ‘not credible’ territory. Still, if you are an avid moviegoer, and can slink away for three hours, it’s worth watching.