Monthly Archives: July 2012
Flash Movie Review: Savages
I paid very little mind to the man next to me who left his seat, never to return. Maybe he was a theater hopper, I thought. However, during the last half of the movie I noticed more people had left their seats and were not returning. This new Oliver Stone movie had bloody violence and graphic torture scenes; I wondered if I had just become jaded towards it. By the end of the movie at least one quarter of the audience had left early. As the film ended and the lights came on a manager announced apologies for the theater’s broken air conditioning. I had no idea that was the reason people were leaving during the movie. Did those individuals miss a great movie? Not really, but some aspects of it were good. The best part was Salma Hayek (Frida, Once Upon a Time in Mexico) as Elena, the head of a Mexican drug cartel. She was crazy good in this role. Another standout was her henchman Lado, played by Benico Del Toro (The Wolfman, Che: Part One and Two). Their cartel was determined to take control of the California based drug operations of Ben and Chon, played by Aaron Johnson (The Illusionist, Kick-Ass) and Taylor Kitsch(John Carter, Battleship). As I mentioned earlier, there were intense torture scenes in Oliver Stone’s version of violence. Though there were tight action scenes, I felt the character development was insufficient. The way Mr. Stone chose to do the ending was a turn off for me. On the plus side, this film kept my attention for me not to be aware of the theater’s lack of air conditioning.
2 2/3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
There are some people who have an acute sense of smell, that makes you wonder if they have canine genes in their genetic make-up. An example would be my nephew the perfumer. Walking into his office is like walking into a laboratory out of Hogwarts, with vials of ingredients lined up row after row along the walls. Then there are other people who lack even a rudimentary sense of smell; where they cannot detect the foul odor coming out of a co-worker’s mouth. In this intoxicating film; Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, played by Ben Whishaw (I’m Not There, Layer Cake), was born with an extraordinary sense of smell. His capability on deciphering the essences of scents was almost magical. These skills did not go unnoticed by elderly perfumer Giuseppe Baldini, played by Dustin Hoffman (Last Chance Harvey, Finding Neverland). As he was learning the craft of perfume making, Jean-Baptiste’s desire to create the ultimate scent grew daily. With this hunger growing inside of him, he started on a malevolent pursuit to capture new ingredients. This film had beautiful scenes that were as close as possible to giving off a a visual scent to the viewer, even scenes that had blood. Though I understand the book goes into greater detail; I was grateful the director held himself back and instead, presented a beautiful period piece of a movie.
3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: To Rome with Love
There have been so many wonderful movies made in Italy. Having been there, I understand why a movie studio would want to film there, to use the beautiful country for a backdrop. Just with the title of this movie, I figured I could not lose; at the worst I would get to see gorgeous scenery. Well, that was all I really got out of this redundant movie. I think Woody Allen (Scoop, Annie Hall) over extended himself by doing the writing, directing and starring in this film. There were concurrent multiple stories and I felt none of them were solid enough to stand on their own. The humor was stale and to a degree cheap, as if Woody mined his previous movies and old monologues for jokes. There was an ensemble of actors such as Alec Baldwin (The Departed, It’s Complicated), Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network, Adventureland) and Greta Gerwig (Lola Versus, Arthur). I did not find any of their roles enjoyable; they were either looney or boring. This film was a let down for me since I loved Woody’s last film, Midnight in Paris. I assumed this comedy would be another winner with the cast and location; I was wrong. After the movie I came back home, opened up a carton of ice cream (imagining it was gelato) and went through my photos of Italy. I had a better time then I did at the movie theater.
1 3/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: People Like Us
Though me and my brothers look nothing alike, we each share similar traits. I have always been fascinated with the differences and similarities between siblings. How two siblings could be at a family function or what I prefer to call it, a “family dysfunction” and have opposite reactions. Is it genetic, environmental or learned that plays in family members’ traits. From a mysterious request received at the reading of his father’s will; Sam, played by Chris Pine (Star Trek, This Means War) was supposed to give a stash of cash to this unfamiliar woman Frankie, played by Elizabeth Banks (The Hunger Games, Our Idiot Brother). Playing Sam’s mother Lillian was Michelle Pfeiffer (Hairspray, Dark Shadows), who I thought did a much better job of acting here than in Dark Shadows. Technically there was nothing wrong with this dramatic movie; the acting was decent, the story was interesting and the characters were given some depth. But what I did not like about this film was how obvious its intentions were in manipulating the audience. Scenes were laid out to give maximum crying time to the viewers, becoming quite predictable. It was a disappointment for me; I felt the writers could have taken this story and gone deeper with each character. Instead, it seemed as if everyone involved with this movie sat down and made a list of sad scenarios and places where they could be inserted into the script. It was a bit dysfunctional for me and believe me, when it comes to dysfunction, I know what I am talking about.
2 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
I have always said that our bodies are rented; that the mind is what defines a person. This was one of the reasons why I was offended by individuals who ignored me when I was heavy. After I lost my weight, these same people started acknowledging me. I was no different inside, yet some people never went past my surface. Granted this movie may be an extreme example, but it truly showed the amazing power of the human mind. Based on the true story of Elle magazine editor Jean-Dominique Bauby, actor Mathieu Amalric (Quantum of Solace, Munich) did an outstanding job portraying, what friends would call the 43 year old editor, Jean Do. After regaining consciousness from a massive stroke, Jean Do was almost completely paralyzed. The only thing he had control over was the blinking of his left eye. With his cognitive skills functioning, Jean Do explored the memories he had, letting his imagination take him to wonderful places. The cinematography was simply gorgeous in this stunning film. Being left with no way to communicate with the people around him; a special nurse came up with an inspired idea, which allowed her to communicate with Jean-Dominique. Reciting letters from the French alphabet, she asked the patient to blink once for yes or twice for no, until she was able to form words out of the letters. After having seen the Intouchables a few weeks ago and now this incredible movie, I am so in awe with the capacity of the human mind.
3 1/2 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: The Amazing Spider-Man
The only thing I get when I walk up into my attic is cobwebs in my face. I wish one of the spiders living up there could give me a bite like the one Peter Parker received, that gave him his special abilities. This movie was one of the better ones that fall into the prequel/reboot category. Andrew Garfield (The Social Network, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus) as Peter Parker/Spider-Man had the perfect blend of teenage angst mixed with new found cocky confidence. Real life girlfriend Emma Stone (Easy A, The Help) who I love, was perfect as his love interest, Gwen Stacy. The spider-man suit was no where to be found in the first hour of this action film and I did not feel as if I were missing out on something. We were shown more back story about Peter and his absent parents, leading to a clue that may explain their disappearance. When Peter’s body began to transform, the humorous scenes showing the changes were fun. I felt the pacing kept everything moving forward as the action increased when Spider-Man took to the streets. Great visuals and special effects were plentiful in this super movie. And with any of these type of super hero movies there has to be a villain; I thought the writers did a good job in the way the villain was introduced into the story. This certainly will be one of the best comic book summer movies this year along with The Avengers. Be sure to sit through the first set of credits.
3 1/3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Little Voice
I think most people have something they can do or use when they want to escape from reality. Some people get lost into their knitting, while others may disappear into their work shop for hours. For me it was playing piano when I was younger. These days I escape by watching movies. In this film I could certainly appreciate how the character LV (Little Voice) removed herself from her oppressive reality. After her father had died, LV played by Jane Horrocks (Brother of the Head, Absolutely Fabulous-TV) would hole up into her room, singing along to her father’s old vinyl records. When she would sing, LV was no longer the quiet, shy girl of her loud and abusive mother Mari Hoff, played by Brenda Blethyn (Atonement, Pride & Prejudice). Little Voice was able to shine just like the popular singers from the records she played. When one of Mari’s sleazy boyfriends, Ray Say played by Michael Caine (The Dark Knight, Inception), heard LV’s incredible singing; he thought he had a chance to make a profit–if only he could convince her to sing at a nightclub. Everyone’s performance in this movie was wonderful, especially the knock out singing from Ms. Horrocks. I, also, loved the way the writers subtley moved the characters out of their comfort zones into new territory. Not only was this emotional movie a perfect escape for me, it was a great movie to watch.
3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Ted
If Kathy Griffin and Fozzie Bear had a child together, with Sarah Silverman and Andrew Dice Clay as the godparents, it would be Ted. Get ready to meet the most foul mouthed, funniest, furry teddy bear you have ever seen. The one liners came quickly and cut deeply; I could not help but laugh out loud. From a childhood wish that came true; John Bennett, played by Mark Wahlberg (Contraband, Date Night), and his talking teddy bear Ted were the best of friends. Even when John grew up, he and Ted were always there for each other. But as many of you know, when one of those two best friends falls in love, the dynamics of the friendship change. What would John do when his girlfriend Lori Collins, played by Mila Kunis (Black Swan, The Book of Eli), suggested it was time for Ted to move out? I won’t tell you, but what I will say is writer and director Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy-TV, American Dad-TV) created a gold mine of hilarious opportunities for laughter. In addition, he included a couple of themes for the viewers to mull over and possibly see if they could relate to them. Not only was Mila excellent in this movie; but Mark, who I have not been crazy about for some time, did a good job with his character. The goal of this comedy was to make the audience laugh and it succeeded. Just remember this bear is for adults only.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Emperor and the Assassin
The incredible Great Wall of China, the buried Terra Cotta Army near Mount Li, the massive national road system of China all have something in common. They came out of the monarchy of Qin Shi Huang (Ying Zheng), who became the first emperor of a unified China. This dramatic movie was massive on several levels. The historical factor was fascinating to me and the drama in the king’s life played out like a Shakespeare tragedy. He was the man who conquered the several kingdoms of China to create one unified country, going from a king to an emperor. The underlying story in this overwhelming production was about a plan the king formed with his concubine, where he would send her to hire an assassin to kill him. The goal was to use the attempted assassination as a catalyst to attack one of the kingdoms. While the concubine Lady Zhao, played by the incredible Li Gong as Gong Li (Raise the Red Lantern, Memoirs of a Geisha) was away, she discovered the king’s compassion was a facade. Playing the king was Xuejian Li (The Blue Kite, Happy Times), who brought a dramatic flair to his role. There were many aspects to this period film that were enormous. From the sets to the amount of extras, the film portrayed what I imagined the royal court must have been like back in those days. My attention was completely captured by this film with its huge battles, royal secrets, political backstabbing and historical significance. There were some scenes with blood. Chinese with English subtitles.
3 1/2 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Magic Mike
I just experienced my first bachelorette party and I have to say some of you ladies are just nasty! Going to this movie I knew I would be in the minority of men; the audience was approximately 80% female. From the opening scene, the women in the audience were hooting and hollering at the movie screen. It was more fun for me to watch the audience than the movie. The story was about Magic Mike, played by Channing Tatum (The Vow, 21 Jump Street), a male stripper who had aspirations of owning his own business, doing one of a kind furniture pieces. Unfortunately the story splintered into several parallel stories that never grew in depth. Getting real here, most people are not going to see this titillating movie for the character development or life’s lessons. They are going because they want to see bouncing booties and sweaty, chiseled chests. As a fitness instructor I will tell you Channing’s dancing was way beyond anyone else in the cast. I was not surprised since the idea for this story came from him. Before hitting the big time, Channing briefly did a stint as a stripper. He did an admirable job with what he had to work with in this movie. The other stand out in the film was Matthew McConaughey (The Lincoln Lawyer, Bernie) who played Dallas, the owner of the club. It looked like he really enjoyed playing his character. In conclusion, the movie was weak with its narrative; but, on the flipside or should I say backside, you may want to bring dollar bills for the dancers.
2 1/2 stars
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