Author Archives: moviejoltz
Flash Movie Review: Saving Mr. Banks
There is a place where all the should do’s, have to do’s and suppose to do’s in life cannot infiltrate; it is in one’s memories. Some of these remembrances may be average such as a friend’s phone number or a bank account number; however, there is a special area where the cherished memories are stored. It is in this place where I keep my fondest memories that get quick access to my heart. I remember my favorite babysitter who had a way of reading a story where the characters would come to life for me. She had a quiet gentleness that I found soothing. The reason she is presently closest in my thoughts is due to this comedic drama about a nanny. This film reveals the true untold story of how Walt Disney gained the rights to create what was to become the iconic film Mary Poppins. In that place where my fondest memories reside is the memory of the first time I saw this film about the unusual nanny, Mary Poppins. Since I can perfectly recall that experience I was concerned this biographic film would taint my memories. I can honestly say it did no such thing, instead it added a new depth of color to my vivid memories. Emma Thompson (Sense and Sensibility, Pirate Radio) played the fiercely protective author of Mary Poppins, P.L. Travers. Tom Hanks (Captain Phillips, The Terminal) played Walt Disney, the creative genius who spent 20 years pursuing the author for the rights so he could keep a promise he made to his daughters. This film received a brilliant performance by Emma, who was as difficult and unyielding as anyone could be against the creator of Mickey Mouse. The scenes where she had to sit with the creative team of Don DaGadi, played by Bradley Whitford (Scent of a Woman, The West Wing-TV), and brothers Robert and Richard Sherman, played by B.J. Novak (Knocked Up, Inglorious Basterds) and Jason Schwartzman (The Darjeeling Limited, Moonrise Kingdom), provided me a wild history lesson to some of the cherished songs from the Mary Poppins movie. The one complaint I had was the use of dual story lines because I thought each story could be its own film. Though I will say I thought Colin Farrell (Total Recall, Pride and Glory) did a touching, emotional job as P.L. Travers’ father. The insertion of Mary Poppins film clips in this Golden Globe nominated movie added to the heightened amount of joy I experienced during this film. I am happy to say my childhood memory of seeing Mary Poppins now has a new coating of fondness due to this beautiful movie. Please make sure you stay through part of the credits to hear the actual recordings of P.L. Travers.
3 1/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Tyler Perry’s A Madea Christmas
Part of being a friend is being a sounding board for them. I have learned that it is best to offer advice when asked, but to never tell a friend what they should do. In fact, the word “should” is something I have strived to eliminate from my vocabulary. Besides offering help when I am asked, I have depended on the advice from friends to provide me a clearer picture to a variety of dilemmas I have encountered. I do not know if the right side of my brain is more dominant than my left, but some of the solutions I come up with to a problem tend to be more creative than reality based. Gratefully the advice my friends offer me is direct and cuts to the heart of the matter, bringing clarity to my concerns. I do the same thing for them as I have been know to say, “What is the bottom line?” The question cuts to what will it take to make them comfortable with their decision. Not one for having things sugarcoated, I have appreciation for the directness in the way Madea doles out her advice. Played by Tyler Perry (Alex Cross, Good Deeds), Madea agreed to take a trip with her friend Eileen, played by Anna Maria Horsford (Our Family Wedding, Broken Bridges) to Alabama where Eileen was going to surprise her daughter Lacey, played by Tika Sumpter (Salt, What’s Your Number?), for Christmas. Arriving at their destination would not only be a surprise for Lacey, but would be for the small country town once they got a dose of Madea. This latest dramatic comedy in the escapades of Madea was as tired as a bloodhound on a hot summer day. I found the jokes predictable with the better ones having already been used in the movie trailers. To its favor, I am sure these films with Madea keep a positive economic stream flowing through the Atlanta area where the studio is located, keeping people employed. However, this film was stale from the start. At least I enjoyed Kathy Najimy (Sister Act, Hocus Pocus) and Larry the Cable Guy (Witless Protection, Delta Farce) as wife and husband, Kim and Buddy. For me the best part of this film was the gag reel used during the credits. I know Tyler is not interested in my advice, but I feel Madea needs a makeover for a fresh new look.
1 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Some of the things home means to me are comfort, peacefulness, safety and refuge. This pertains to my present location. Home also has a special meaning when I think of the place where I grew up. There were neighbors who lived across, below and around the corner from our apartment. If I wanted to talk to my cousins who lived on the other side of the building all I had to do was open the bathroom window and call out their names. The other neighbors in the building were just like family to me. It meant nothing to go pick up something at the grocery store for a neighbor, especially since they would give me extra money to buy myself some candy. Years later when I found out our old apartment building was going from rentals to condominiums I was heartbroken. How could the apartment I was born in now be owned by someone? As long as it was a rental I could still imagine each person living there was only temporarily residing in my childhood apartment. Home can be a powerful connection which explains the motivation that drove the dwarves of Erebor to reclaim their land taken away by the greedy dragon Smaug. Led by Thorin, played by Richard Armitage (Captain America: The First Avenger, Robin Hood-TV), the dwarves were helped on their perilous journey by the Hobbit Bilbo Baggins, played by Martin Freeman (Love Actually, The World’s End) and Gandalf the Grey, played by Ian McKellen (X-Men franchise, Gods and Monsters). The landscape that director Peter Jackson (King Kong, The Lovely Bones) laid out in this fantasy film was exquisite. It looked as real and amazing as any of the incredible landscapes that would be considered a wonder of the world. The action was close to nonstop as possible to the point where I felt it was overkill. For me this was the movie’s downfall. There were so many action scenes that the story never developed fully. For the life of me I have no idea what was the reason for the secondary story line regarding the elf Tauriel, played by Evangeline Lilly (Real Steel, Afterwards); it came out of the blue and made no sense to me. Due to the excess of fight scenes in this adventure film, their repetitiveness only added to the times where I was getting bored. Clocking in at 2 hours and 41 minutes, this was a movie that felt longer because it did not have the magic that was present in the The Lord of the Rings franchise. To end on an up note I thought the dragon Smaug was a technical achievement. It was a shame the dwarves not only had to fight evil forces if they wanted to get back their homeland, they had to battle a bad script.
2 3/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Hanna
Something I have been saying for years is if you need a license to drive a car, then you need to get a license to have and take care of a child. I have not fathered any children, nor have anything against parenthood; I only base my statement on things I have seen throughout the years. When a baby is born they have a pure, blank slate. They do not know anything about racism, sexism, hatred or have preconceived opinions that are not based on reason or actual experiences. I have always been curious about this idea because it begs the question, “How do people get theses traits?” I do not mean to offend anyone nor be judgmental, but I have always felt it was the parent’s responsibility to teach their child to be an independent thinker. Maybe I should just say show them the difference between right and wrong. In regards to this action thriller, when I said a parent needs a license to raise a child I did not mean a license to kill. Saoirse Ronan (The Host,The Lovely Bones) played Hanna, who was raised in a remote area of Finland by her single dad Erik Heller, played by Eric Bana (Munich, Closed Circuit). Erik had spent years raising his daughter to be the perfect assassin before sending her out into the world. Once Hanna ventured out of their safe haven she soon discovered her father did not teach her everything a young girl should know. Not only did I think Saoirse did an excellent job of acting, but I was surprised with her fight scenes. They were well choreographed with clean straight forward action. To me Eric’s character was not a major role compared to Cate Blanchett’s (Blue Jasmine, Babel) role as Agent Marissa Wiegler. I really enjoyed Cate’s character. The story was a good idea; I liked the contrast of having a young innocent character being a lethal killer. What did not work was the screenplay; there were scenes that I found ridiculous, where I could not find any logical reason for them. In the case of this adventure film I think it could have used a license to make sense. There were a few scenes with violence and blood in them.
2 1/2 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Twice Born
There could be a raging storm with uncontrollable rain crying down, flooding the ground. An elevator stops between floors and the passengers are stuck in place for a couple of hours. A kitchen chair being moved accidentally scratches the tiled floor, where the edges of the slashed part are rough and jagged. With any of these scenarios there are some people who can find something positive to say about the circumstances. You may have heard it referred to as “every cloud has a silver lining.” I am not one of those individuals; in fact, I am as close to opposite as one can be. Do not get me wrong, I admire people who try to find something positive to say about troubling situations. These people would be called optimists; a word I do not have in my vocabulary. Because of this I was curious about the story in this dramatic romantic movie. Penelope Cruz (Blow, Volver) played Gemma, a mother who decided to take her son Pietro, played by Pietro Castellitto (Don’t Move, Love & Slaps), to Sarajevo. It was the place of his birth and where his father had died. The trip would stir up old memories in Gemma of the chaotic time when she fell in love with the photographer Diego, played by Emile Hirsch (Speed Racer, Milk). The strongest part of this film festival nominated movie was Penelope’s acting. I felt she gave a rich and layered performance that kept me interested in her character. At first I thought it was an odd choice to have Emile as her love interest, but it worked in a carefree childlike way. Where the weakness came in had to do with the multiple stories that jumped back and forth in time. It became too much to track and keep up with the story lines. The other issue I had with this film was the poor script. I found it trite, going for cheap emotional shots instead of letting the characters grow and develop. The character Gojco, played by Adnan Haskovic (Body Complete, Sevday za Karima), was interesting to me but I could not tell you much about his motivations. The Bosnian war was used as a backdrop I felt to heighten the aspects of the romance. I wish I could find a silver lining with this movie but it was not good enough to overcome my pessimistic nature. There were multiple scenes that included Italian and Bosnian dialog with English subtitles.
2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Adventures of the Penguin King
My first encounter with exotic animals took place at a zoo. It was a family outing and our first time going to the zoo. I remember how excited I was as we passed through the zoo’s tall metal gates. There were signposts that had wooden cutouts of animals standing on arrows, pointing the way to where we could find them. I was struck by the pungent smell as we entered some of the indoor pavilions. My two favorite animals I wanted to see were the tigers and the chimpanzees. There was something about the way the tigers moved that mesmerized me. As for the chimps, my favorite stuffed animal was Zippy the Chimpanzee that was handed down to me from my brother; I wanted to see some of Zippy’s relatives. After spending the entire day at the zoo, the last thing we did before exiting was to visit the gift shop. It was here where the magic of the day solidified for me. Standing in a corner of the shop was a machine that looked like a jukebox. Instead of records there were wheels and molds that would come together and create a wax model of your favorite animal. That was it for me; I deposited the quarters that were given to me and watched as the machinery created a golden tiger. Once I got home I placed the wax figure on the top shelf of my bookcase so it could watch over me as I slept. There were so many wonders discovered on that first trip that vividly remain with me today. If you never had a similar stirring experience regarding the sight of live animals at a zoo then you might enjoy watching this family adventure film. Tim Allen (Wild Hogs, Big Trouble) was the voice of Rex, a king penguin who returned home to Penguin City on South Georgia Island near Antarctica. The movie followed Rex as he struggled against harsh conditions to find a mate and start a family of his own. This sanitized drama confused me; I thought it was gong to be a documentary. When I looked for a movie trailer, I discovered this film was released a year ago as Penguins 3D. It seems as if they added more footage and created this story. I did not see this in 3D nor find anything that had not been shown before in TV shows or movie documentaries. With Tim narrating, the humor was kept at a mild children’s level. If you know nothing about penguins or have a child that has never been to a zoo, then it would be okay to see this movie. For me, it did not provide any joyous wonder.
2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Out of the Furnace
In our everyday life things we don’t know do not necessarily cause us stress or anxiety. In a math class, there may be an unknown variable in an equation you must figure out. Maybe you have an appointment in a part of the city that is not familiar to you or you were invited to a party where you do not know what type of gift to buy for the host. As I said before, these scenarios should not be too stressful for you. Now if the unknown is the whereabouts of a loved one that would be a different story. I have been fortunate not to have experienced such an awful thing. When newscasts report on a missing child or relative, they usually show family members in distress. Days or weeks can go by without any news and the relatives just want to know what happened to their loved ones. This type of scenario was the premise for this dramatic crime thriller. Casey Affleck (Gone Baby Gone, Gerry) played Iraqi war veteran Rodney Baze Jr. Experiencing a hard adjustment to life back home, in the small steel mill town, Rodney could not find employment except for some clandestine fighting matches. When he did not return from one of his matches his older brother Russell, played by Christian Bale (American Psycho, The Prestige), could not wait for the local police to find him. He took matters into his own hands. From the start, this intense film created heaviness within me. It felt as if each scene was created to convey a sense of resigned depression. The cinematography which was beautiful further helped convey those feelings. As for the acting it was subtly superb by Christian and Casey. Then there was Woody Harrelson (Rampart, No Country for Old Men) playing Harlan DeGroat. He was as wickedly sinister as he has every been. I also thought Willem Dafoe (The Hunter, The English Patient) was perfect for his role as John Petty. The disappointment in this film festival winner came from the script. I found it weak as it lost steam by the end. If the actors’ incredible acting had a stronger screenplay, this movie would have been close to a 4 stars rating. Instead I left the theater knowing I had seen a great cast, but not knowing what the writers were thinking when they wrote the screenplay. There were scenes that had violence and blood in them.
2 3/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Forks Over Knives
For many years I would eat to feel good. Notice I did not say, “better” but good. At an early age I learned food could be a reward, a comfort or even a friend for me. When I would be playing at a cousin’s house, there would always be a time where the two of us would stop to get a food treat from my aunt. If she did not have homemade cookies or a cake we would be taken to the local candy store, where I usually picked out something with chocolate in it. Food became more of a comfort during my early school years. I still remember how at the end of the school day I would hide in an empty classroom until I thought it was safe to come out. Carefully leaving the building I would hunt down the distant tinkling bells of the departing ice cream truck, so I could get an ice cream cone and eat all of it before I got home. It was not until later when I decided I could not stand the way I looked anymore. I researched and learned how to eat to feel better. What I soon discovered was how certain foods could be used as a remedy for the human body. For example I found out eating ginger could relieve nausea and ingesting cinnamon could lower cholesterol. I was so surprised to find ways to heal the body without having to take medications. It made sense to me. If my eating habits were making me unhealthy, then if I started eating better I should be getting better, right? Now keep in mind I am not a medical expert, but I was fascinated with this documentary. Director Lee Fulkerson (Combat at Sea-TV, The Crash of Flight 191-TV) did a fine job of directing by letting his interviewees explain their findings. For example, Dr. T. Colin Campbell from the Center for Nutrition Studies was interesting to listen to as he explained one of his major achievements, The China Project. At times the movie felt like a reality show (I mean this in a good way) as it followed the progress of patients who adopted a new plant based diet. There were times where I felt the scenes were becoming repetitive and dull, but the topic kept my interest. All I could think of were my friends who are healthy eaters, wondering if they knew any of the facts that were being discussed in this film. I have to tell you, after watching this intriguing documentary I am moved to the point where I want to be a conscious eater.
3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Black Nativity
Each of us has had experience with it, yet we handle it in a variety of ways. Not all solutions are the healthiest for us, but we try as best as we can. What I am referring to are relationships that are toxic. It could be family, business or personal ones; it does not make a difference to how lethal the toxicity can be. I have experienced the effects of being in a toxic relationship and suffer both physically and mentally. A heaviness comes over me, where each step I take feels as if I am pulling the soles of my feet off from sticky wads of chewed up gum that cover the ground. My shoulders slouch down unable to maintain the excess weight that has been placed on them. Mentally my brain strains to process the images my eyes have taken in, coating them in thick dark syrup; I am only able to understand a portion of what I see. Now I can spend this entire review on ways we can protect ourselves in these types of relationships, but then I could not talk about this dramatic musical film. See for yourself how toxicity brewed inside the Cobbs family in this movie. Based on American Langston Hughes’ play, this updated version had a strong cast of actors who tried to carry the story. Jennifer Hudson (The Secret Life of Bees, Dreamgirls) played a single parent named Naima who had a son named Langston, played by Jacob Latimore (Vanishing on 7th Street). Having fallen on hard times, about to be evicted from their place, Naima had to send her son to her parents Aretha and Reverend Cornell Cobbs, played by Angela Basset (Strange Days, Gospel Hill) and Forest Whitaker (Platoon, Phone Booth). But there was a problem, they had not spoken to each other for many years. Though unhappy with the situation, Langston was desperate to find out what happened between his mother and these two strangers he was forced to stay with in New York City. My favorite part of this film were the musical numbers. I am partial to strong female vocals which Jennifer and the choir aptly provided. Sadly that is all I liked about the film. I am sure the original story on stage was a powerful piece; however, in this movie version it was so heavy handed, determined to show the viewer the struggles, that I was bored. Part of the reason had to do with the poor screenplay; it introduced scenes without providing character backgrounds. This movie was disappointing, though it did remind me of one of the biggest lessons I learned: I do not have to accept anything, just respect it.
1 3/4 stars
