Monthly Archives: June 2013
Flash Movie Review: The Kings of Summer
Two of my constant companions during my adolescence were awkwardness and self-consciousness. Besides a case of acne and dealing with a body mass larger than my frame, I suffered from thick hair sprouting up on my face. I know I am not the only one who had to deal with these changes, but what made me want to be invisible was my dermatologist–that is what the state license crookedly hanging on his office wall said he was able to practice. I was constantly suffering from a rash of red bumps that kept appearing on my neck. The dermatologist determined they were flat warts and treated them with a cauterizing needle. In other words, he would burn them off my neck. I had a schedule of appointments where I would have this done and return to school with my neck looking like it had been attacked by a swarm of bees. You can understand why I wanted to disappear. Adding salt to the wound, I found out a few years later they were not flat warts, just ingrown hairs. I could sympathize with the young adults wanting to disappear in this quirky film. Fed up with the lack of privacy from his sarcastic father Frank, played by Nick Offerman (Sin City, 21 Jump Street), Joe came up with a plan to run away to a place where he could set the rules. Agreeing to go with Joe, played by Nick Robinson(Melissa & Joey-TV) was his best friend Patrick, played by Gabriel Basso (Super 8, Alabama Moon). Joining the best friends was the oddball Biaggio, wildly played by Moises Arias (Nacho Libre, Hannah Montana-TV). Fitting somewhat into the coming of age genre, what set this movie apart were the adults in the cast. Besides NIck’s wickedly good performance there was Megan Mullally (Smashed, Will & Grace-TV) and Marc Evan Jackson (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, The Slammin’ Salmon) as Patrick’s parents Mr. & Mrs. Keegan. I enjoyed the out of kilter vibe in this Sundance Film Festival nominated comedy and if for nothing else, the story lightened up my mood from recalling my adolescence. Stay for the credits.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Maid
It can be a struggle but I prefer being known for my actions than my profession. When I meet new people, I refrain from telling them I am a credit manager or a cycle and yoga instructor. Like most individuals, there are things I do to earn a living and there are things I do because I love doing them. There are times when someone hears I am a credit manager and forms false assumptions about me. Some people think I am all about the dollar or I have a tough personality. The same holds true if someone learns I am in the fitness industry. It is assumed that I only eat well balanced, healthy meals and can easily do any type of physical activity. Now grant you, I can easily figure out what each person’s share of a restaurant tab should be and I am a fast walker; but I do not want to be one of those individuals who live to work. I want to work to live. It is not always so easy to achieve. The main character in this Spanish dramedy was a perfect example. Catalina Saavedra (Old Cats, Trapped) was Raquel, a family’s maid for over 20 years. Her life had become so intertwined with them that she did not think of anything else but the family. When her employers Pilar and Mundo, played by Claudia Celedon (La Perra, Old Cats) and Alejandro Goic (No, Gloria), tried to hire additional help for the household, Raquel’s world was shaken to the point where she felt she had to defend her turf from the new intruders. This film festival winner had multiple scenes of humor and sadness, led by the wonderful acting of Catalina as Raquel. Having no experience with household servants, I was fascinated with the subtle nuances and posturing that took place between family members and hired help. With the introduction of Lucy, played by Mariana Loyola (The Dancer and the Thief, Cachimba), I enjoyed the way the story blossomed open. This was a touching movie that followed one person’s journey in discovering life. Spanish with English subtitles.
3 1/4 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: The East
I treat companies the same way I treat actors and musical artists. In my cycle classes I do everything I can to avoid playing music from artists associated with racist, sexist or prejudiced lyrics or actions. This applies to actors as well; I will boycott their movies, not even watching them on DVD or cable. I do the same thing with companies. When I travel, one of my guilty pleasures is to eat at fast food restaurants. Recently I discovered one of my favorite out of state places has discriminated against a group of people. Since I do not have a tolerance for people who are prejudiced, I no longer can visit that restaurant chain. Will it hurt their quarterly sales? Not at all, but I do not care. Morally I cannot purchase anything from them. A group of anarchists in this thrilling movie take things beyond what I have done. Brit Marling (Another Earth, Sound of My Voice) played Sarah, a skilled investigator working for a corporate security firm headed by Sharon, played by Patricia Clarkson (Married Life, Easy A). A radical group called the East has been targeting individuals from large corporations. Sarah’s assignment was to infiltrate the group and expose them. Led by the mysterious Benji, played by Alexander Skarsgard (What Maisie Knew, Battleship), the group was cautious around her before revealing their true purpose. This mystery was well thought out, building up the tension as Sarah delved deeper into the group’s activities. Brit worked on the script with the director, creating an intelligent, thought provoking story; I enjoyed watching this film. Ellen Page (Inception, Juno) as Izzy and Toby Kebbell (RocknRolla, Wrath of the Titans) as Doc were exceptional in the roles they played. Having seen Brit’s previous movies and now this one, I am impressed with her writing and acting abilities. She is certainly creating a smart body of work for herself. This action drama only reinforced the beliefs I have regarding certain public individuals and corporations. There were a couple of scenes where blood was shown.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Internship
The people who believe there is no age discrimination in the work place are the same ones who think their employer will always be loyal to them and never lay them off. I am here to tell you that is not the case. Listening to my friends’ ordeals in their search for a job, the baby boomers are under attack. One friend only got a job after he whitened his teeth and dyed his hair. Another one hired a trainer and a stylist to lose weight, tone up and update his wardrobe. No matter where they went the person interviewing them usually was a couple of decades younger. I have encouraged them to let their personalities come out if it is appropriate, because I believe humor can work to their advantage. In this comedy co-workers Billy McMahon and Nick Campbell, played by Vince Vaughn (The Break-Up, Fred Claus) and Owen Wilson (Wedding Crashers, MIdnight in Paris) were forced to look for a job after their company closed down. By some stroke of luck they landed in the internship program at the internet company Google. Not used to the high-tech ways of doing business, the two friends only had their sales skills to stand out from their younger competitors; but would it be enough? I wanted to sympathize with the characters Vince and Owen portrayed, they were easily relatable. The acting, however, was stale; Vince played the same character he has played in his past several films. There seems to be a trend starting where movie stars are being credited for the story, like Will Smith for After Earth and now Vince Vaughn for this movie. Based on these two films, it needs to stop because the scripts have been dreadful. I did not find anything funny here because the jokes were generic or maybe I should say geriatric. It is sad, but the trailer for this lame film should be considered the highlights reel. I am always being told you cannot believe everything you read on the internet. It seems that goes for movies these days that claim they are funny, but really are not. One would think with the internet company at their disposal, the writers could have looked for examples of humor to incorporate into this mess.
1 2/3 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Purge
There will always be people in the world who annoy or upset me, but I do not want to see them dead. My first apartment was on the 2nd floor of a six flat apartment building. The neighbor above me played his music extremely loud, to the point where I could feel the beat reverberating through my floor. Though it was annoying, I could deal with it during the day. However, when I was woken out of a sound sleep I went upstairs to speak with him. I was angry but since this was my first time confronting him I decided to take a different tactic. After not hearing me knocking twice, he only answered after I pounded on the door. Introducing myself, I mentioned I had knocked twice before he finally heard me over his music. I then told him if there had been a fire I would have had to leave him because he could not hear me, so could he keep the sound down. Do you think I was too subtle? He got the point of my conversation. In this thriller set in the near future, the government found a different way to achieve peace and prosperity for its citizens. Once a year there was a 12 hour period called The Purge, where all criminal activity would go unpunished. Ethan Hawke (Before Midnight, Sinister) and Lena Headey (Dredd, Game of Thrones-TV) played husband and wife James and Mary Sandin. Living in a gated community with their children Zoey and Charlie, played by Adelaide Kane (Goats, Donner Pass) and Max Burkholder (Daddy Day Care, Friends with Money); they were all set to spend a quiet night at home during The Purge. When an injured man appeared on the closed circuit surveillance cameras from the front of the house, Max decided to help; starting a life or death battle for the entire family. The movie started out well enough, but it never seemed quite sure what kind of story it wanted to tell. This was one of the problems of the film. Was it a making a statement on people’s obsession with violence, the battle for gun controls or a take on the survival of the fittest philosophy; take your pick. It just made a mess of the whole movie, besides the ridiculous choices the characters kept making throughout the film. And could someone tell me why was there a need to wear masks and dress up just to kill someone? Poorly written and acted, you would be better off reading “Lord of the Flies.” There were scenes of blood and violence.
1 3/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Before Midnight
Saying I am angry does not mean I do not love you. For years I was not the best person to have an intelligent discussion with over a disagreement. The only examples of verbal fights I saw were ones where people threw derogatory words at each other. Not only did it take a lot of growing up on my part; but it took seeing the sad face of someone I loved being hurt, before I fully understood how to have an adult conversation about my feelings. Replacing the word “you” with “I’ made a huge difference right from the start. I learned how to talk about my feelings, along with clarifying things being said to me by saying, “What I heard you say…”. One of the most important lessons I learned was to address any issues as soon as possible. Since my pet peeve was to have someone bring up something that happened in the past that caused them distress, I did not want to do the same to them. I guess this is what they call acting like an adult. For all you adults out there, I can honestly say the art of conversation lived in this beautiful, touching film. I barely recall the previous two movies in this series, so my review will be solely on the merits of this film. Ethan Hawke (Training Day, Daybreakers) and Julie Delpy (Broke Flowers, 2 Days in Paris) played settled couple Jesse and Celine. Away from their daily routine, vacationing in Greece with their young twin girls, the couple began to examine their life together and question what they wanted for their future. I cannot tell you how long it has been since I have seen characters having real, convincing mature conversations in a film. Part of the brilliance in watching this had to go to the director/writer Richard Linklater (Bernie, Me and Orson Welles). In a world where everything has to be quick and fast, the long takes in this movie allowed an authentic progression of thoughts and feelings to be on display. Ethan and Julie deserve accolades for their amazing acting and the sharing of the writing credits with Richard. This was a genuine story about a couple looking at choices made and figuring out what was important to each of them. An absolute joy to watch, this romantic film deserves an Oscar nomination or two.
3 3/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Father of My Children
Each person has their own way of handling the pressures and stress of daily living. For some people their stress builds up like overstuffed pieces of luggage that they try to balance as they trudge through the day. Other individuals get lost into books or spend their day seeking out rich, decadent foods to use in stuffing their feelings deeper inside of themselves. Depending on the level of stress I am experiencing, I will either focus on exercising or short circuit my brain by watching television shows and movies. For some reason visual stimuli is the fastest way to get my brain to take a deep breath and release the taut strangle hold it has over my body. This dramatic story showed two points of view on the pressures affecting the Canvel family. Louis de Lencquesaing (Elles, In a Rush) played Moon Films studio owner Gregoire Canvel. The mounting financial obligations on the company were taking a toll on Gregoire and his family. Chiara Caselli (Beyond the Clouds, Sleepless) played his wife Sylvia who expected her husband to be present and available for her and their children. The sensitive story in this Cannes Film Festival winner showed how stress affected each family member. I was particularly moved by the oldest daughter Clemence, played by Alice de Lencquesaing (Water Lilies, Summer Hours). As a movie buff I found the behind the scenes aspect of movie making interesting. The scenes depicting the family’s casual events I found touching and realistic, enjoying their interactions. By the end of the film I questioned my feelings about having seen it. I thought the emotional aspects were all valid, but I felt as if I was still missing something. Maybe from my own experiences I wanted to see stronger reactions from the characters; the ending seemed too abrupt for me. Everyone handles stress differently; it is not something to judge. One can only remain supportive of each other as they find their way through life. French with English subtitles.
3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Now You See Me
My first experiences with live magicians it turned out were not really performing magic. In fact, they were not even magicians. I would see them in stores surrounded by throngs of people. Each time I spotted one I would run up and join the crowd, enthralled with the magician’s flair during their presentation. I saw glasses that would never fog up, even if they were held over a steaming pot of water. There was the wonder knife that a magician would thrust up into the air to show its sharp gleaming blade, just before he used it to slice through a metal pipe. At the time I thought these individuals were doing magic; instead, they were product demonstrators. As a young kid I still could be entertained by the different demonstrations. It was the same feeling I had while watching this adventure film about illusionists. Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network, Zombieland), Woody Harrelson (Seven Psychopaths, Rampart), Isla Fisher (Wedding Crashers, Home and Away) and Dave Franco (21 Jump Street, Warm Bodies) played street performers who became The Four Horsemen, a popular magic act that appeared to rob a bank in the middle of their act. Mark Ruffalo (The Avengers, Shutter Island) played FBI agent Dylan Rhodes who was determined to catch the illusionists, but always it seemed was a step behind. Even with the help of Interpol detective Alma Dray, played by Melanie Laurent (Inglourious Basterds, Beginners) and magic debunker author Thaddeus Bradley, played by Morgan Freeman (The Prestige, Children of Men); it still seemed as if they were just pawns in the Four Horsemen’s high stakes game. The movie started out strong and fast; it was easy to keep up. The magic tricks kept getting bigger and more elaborate as they were expertly performed by the four actors. Everything was working to make this film a fun exciting experience to watch. But halfway through the story it became unfocused and lost steam. The quick editing and shifts in the story became too much to handle. Frantic pacing only deflated the thrills; I started to get bored. Now I may be gullible when it comes to magic, but I know when smoke and mirrors are being used in an attempt to create a passable story.
2 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Made in Dagenham
I learned a lot about people by standing behind a a cash register. When a new store opened in the city’s shopping district, I applied for a part-time position to see what it would be like to work in retail. It turned out to be an interesting experience for me. I discovered practically every customer showed some sign of being prejudiced towards the employees, however subtle it may have been. If a person came up to the counter to ask for directions they always asked me instead of any female employee. When it came to questioning the sizes of clothing or if items matched, I was always ignored. Both men and women consistently asked only the female workers. I found the whole thing amusing; curious how people’s perceptions were formed. Since we were all on the same pay scale it did not matter to any of us. In the scheme of things what I have just described was rather minor. If I had told you the female employees were hired at a lower pay scale then the men, I am sure you would have had a stronger reaction. Sadly that still happens in today’s world. Here is a perfect example of a movie being both informative and entertaining. This dramatization of a true story was set in England during the late 1960’s, at one of the country’s biggest employers of British workers, the Ford auto plant in the city of Dagenham. Sally Hawkins (Happy-G-Lucky, Never Let Me Go) played Rita O’Grady, one of the women machinists who worked on the cars’ interiors. Besides the poor conditions and hard work, Rita discovered the company was being discriminatory towards the women. She was pushed into taking some kind of action. Except for the hard time I had with the heavy British accents, I was fully drawn into the story of the women’s plight. The costumes and sets were perfect in depicting the era. I found the high level of consistent acting made for a cohesive storytelling experience. Bob Hoskins (Hook, Snow White and the Huntsman) as union representative Albert Passingham, Miranda Richardson (The Young Victoria, Sleepy Hollow) as Secretary of State for Employment Barbara Castle and Daniel Mays (Atonement, The Bank Job) as Rita’s husband Eddie were some of the actors that stood out for me. This was a story of historical significance that could be seen equally by women and men.
3 1/3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: After Earth
Since the National Spelling Bee was held last week, I thought we could do a word of the day. Today’s word is “dynasty.” The dictionary defines dynasty as a succession of people from the same family who play a prominent role in business, politics or in this case entertainment. I do not have an issue with actors bringing their children into the business. The only thing that matters to me is whether they are good actors or not. As for their personal lives I am not interested in the news that comes out of the tabloids. At one point while watching this science fiction movie, I felt a psychiatrist’s office would have been a better venue for Will Smith (Hancock, Seven Pounds) and his son Jaden Smith (The Karate Kid, The Day the Earth Stood Still). Playing father and son Cypher Raige and Kitai Raige, the two seemed out of synch. Based on Will’s story, if I had known M. Night Shyamalan (The Last Airbender, The Village) was the director; I would have seriously considered waiting to watch this movie on DVD and not waste my money. The story had nothing special to offer. Encouraged by his wife Faia, played by Sophie Okoedo (The Secret Life of Bees, Skin), Cypher brought his son along on his last space mission. The idea was for them to have some father and son bonding time; but when their spacecraft crash landed on a hostile planet, the inexperienced Kitai had to venture out alone to find the ship’s emergency beacon. The first thing that struck me about this film was the cheap looking props and poor CGI effects. Some of the items looked as if they were purchased from a home and bath decor discount store. After being mesmerized by the tiger in the film LIfe of Pi, all the animals in this movie looked phony. For a science fiction movie there was little science fiction in it. The nearly two hours were filled with stiff performances and corny lines. The problem with this film I believe is when someone is trying to build a dynasty; they do not want anyone around to question them or their motives. If Will wanted to have quality time with his son he should have taken him camping or on a road trip to check out potential colleges. Throw Mr. Shyamalan into the mix and you wind up with a science fiction movie this is stranger than fiction. A couple of brief scenes that showed blood.
1 2/3 stars
moviejoltz 