Category Archives: Drama
Drama
Flash Movie Review: I Origins
I imagine it being a vast, rolling drum that continually tosses the contents within its hold. Random pieces stick together as if they were covered in velcro before they exit to settle down in what will become a new being. This is what I think takes place with our genes; it just seems so random to me. I have always been fascinated with the way characteristics, mannerisms and appearances get passed down within a family. There is a family of 5 where one child will look like a clone to one of the parents, but another child bears no resemblance to either; how does that happen? I find it freaky when characteristics skip a generation; I have been told I have some of the same mannerisms as my deceased grandfather. Though it is curious how this all happens, how about when individuals are not related to each other? The word is doppelganger and when I looked up its definition it said it was a ghost or double walker. Essentially it is a person who is an apparition or double of a living person. I experienced such a being when I was at a restaurant and thought a member from my class was sitting near me. As I walked up to her and began talking I noticed the strangest look come across her face, a mixture of confused fear. It was not her though she was even dressed similarly to the woman in my class. REINCARNATION was a theme explored in this Sundance Film Festival winning movie, written and directed by Mike Cahill (Another Earth, Boxers and Ballerinas). Michael Pitt (Seven Psychopaths, Last Days) played molecular biologist Ian who had concentrated his studies to the human eye. Like fingerprints a person’s eyes were unique and different for each other. It had always been the case until Ian and his lab assistant Karen, played by Brit Marling (The East, Sound of My Voice), discovered a set of eyes that matched another pair. The story in this dramatic film was original and intriguing; the concepts regarding the meaning of this finding were thought provoking. Everyone acted wonderfully in this picture, including Astrid Berges-Frisbey (Angels of Sex, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides) as Sofi. I cannot begin to tell you how bummed I was that the first half of this movie was slow and felt like it was going nowhere. It was not until the 2nd half where things came together to deliver an interesting and memorable film. This movie was listed as science fiction but I did not consider it to be. One brief scene had blood shown in it.
2 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: My Life Without Me
The sudden unexpected passage a person travels to death from life delivers a debilitating punch to those who remain behind. In that moment of stunned disbelief, memories pour down from your mind trying to fill the space emerging where the walls of your heart are crumbling into brittle chunks. There was no way you could have prepared yourself since the signs of dying never emerged from the individual. It is different when someone has been suffering from an affliction. You see the person morphing right in front of you into a stranger that bears little resemblance to who has been residing in your thoughts for all these years. In society we are led to believe the older generation is supposed to go first, followed by the next; it is the natural order of things we are told. I have experienced both kinds of death and though neither are easy, after seeing the one who had suffered a long time, I felt a sense of relief when they were done. If I were given the choice of knowing or not knowing when I was going to die, I honestly do not know if I could choose. SADLY that was not the case for young mother Ann, played by Sarah Polley (Dawn of the Dead, Splice). After being told she only had a short time left to live, that jolt of information was what she needed to finally live her life. This film festival winning drama had an eclectic group of actors to help keep the story from turning into a melodrama. Musical artist Deborah Harry (Elegy, A Good Night to Die) played Ann’s mother, Scott Speedman (Underworld franchise, The Vow) played Don, Amanda Plummer (Pulp Fiction, Girlfriend) played Laurie and Mark Ruffalo (Begin Again, The Avengers) played Lee. Out of this cast I have to say Sarah and Mark were the best with their roles. It was interesting to me how the entire film had a general look of resignation due to the locale, the jobs and people’ attitudes; yet, there were strong connections made between the characters. Obviously Sarah was the focal point to the story, but her strong sense of practical resolve and determination helped to keep the story engaging. There were a few scenes that felt out of place to me, a couple of which were to the point of being non-believable. I know for myself this picture had an affect on me regarding my avoidance in thinking about the course of my life; it would be pretty hard not to think about it. Not that this was a bad thing, I felt this movie showed a true and honest way in dealing with one’s own mortality.
3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Boyhood
How many of us can say we knew who or what we would become when we were young? During our formative years, the blossom of youth began to mold and form us into the future adults we would become. Family members, friends, peers and even the media played a part in our development. Recently I was sitting with relatives looking at old photographs and was fascinated with their reactions to seeing themselves. The majority scowled, looking like they had just bit into a sour piece of fruit. They would quickly turn the photo over to get it out of their eyesight. As I watched them I was recalling my impressions of them when they were young, compared to who they were now. It was curious to see how our life experiences altered each of us. Where some events seemed major back then, today they appeared inconsequential; however, they did steer each of us in a different direction. If photographs could initiate these thoughts imagine what would happen if your life was being documented year to year. WRITER and director Richard Linklater (Me and Orson Welles, Dazed and Confused) had an audacious idea for a movie, to film the life of one boy for 12 years. This film festival wining drama was the end result as it followed the life of Mason, played by Ellar Coltrane (Fast Food Nation, Lone Star State of Mind), from a young 6 year old until he reached 18 years of age. Ethan Hawke (Sinister, Snow Falling on Cedars) and Patricia Arquette (Ed Wood, True Romance) played his father and mother, while relative newcomer Lorelei Linklater played his sister Samantha. The story was simple and straightforward as the movie viewer became a witness to the family’s reactions to life throughout the years. I found myself taking a different mindset while I watched this film. There were no surprises or twists to the story; one simply sat and observed this average family dealing with whatever came their way, like most of us do on a daily basis. The acting was amazing considering the cast would come together once a year and have to pick up where they left off the previous year. A tidbit for you from an interview I read with the director: he would not let the younger cast see playbacks on any of their scenes, only allowing the older cast members because Richard did not want the young actors to be influenced from seeing themselves in their roles. I found it especially unbelievable that the scenes seemed seamless as the story aged. There will be some of you who will feel the story dragged at times and I understand. I enjoy seeing anyone’s old family photographs, so watching this film felt like I was an invited guest of this family.
3 2/3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Dear Frankie
There is a particular strength of the fiercest kind that emanates from a mother protecting her young. I cannot count how many documentaries about animals I have seen that showed situations where the odds were stacked against the mothers and their children. It made no difference for those mothers used everything they had to push back an adversary. When I was a tutor in college I saw many mothers arguing with their children’s instructors; even when it was clear, at least to me, the mothers were in the wrong. They would argue and yell sometimes at the professor, demanding certain conditions, wanting what they thought was best for their child. I realized right there that a parent’s protective instincts may not always serve them well. Like anything in life there is always an extreme to every situation. Where a parent could be the biggest advocate for their offspring; on the other end of the spectrum,a parent could be detrimental to their child’s well-being. EMILY Mortimer (Lars and the Real Girl,Hugo) played Lizzie, a mother who would do anything to protect her deaf son Frankie, played by Jack McElhone (Nowhere Boy, Young Adam). Afraid to tell Frankie the truth about his dad, Lizzie had secretly been writing letters to Frankie, pretending to be his father who was traveling the world aboard the HMS Accra. All was good until Frankie discovered the ship was scheduled to return back home to port. Lizzie would have a hard time trying to explain why Frankie’s father was not on that boat. This film festival winning movie had a special gentleness that filtered up out of the story. I thought Emily and Jack really blended well together, creating a loving relationship between mother and son. Gerard Butler (Law Abiding Citizen, Machine Gun Preacher) surprised me as the stranger; there was a sweet softness to his character that played well with the rest of the cast. I want to especially point out the scenes where Frankie went to school. The writers did an honest and believable job of showing how children encounter and react to a peer with a handicap. If there were parts where the action slowed I was not much aware of it because I enjoyed the way the story unfolded, revealing a couple of surprises for me. A person does not need shared bloodlines to become a parent. One only has to start with love, care, support, encouragement and protection to form a bond with a child. The mother in this dramatic picture was just as special as her child.
3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: God’s Pocket
I feel very fortunate that I grew up in the city, in an established neighborhood. Before I knew our neighbors they already knew me. You see, everyone knew each other from the block. My first playground was essentially the hallway of the apartment building where I was born. I used to crawl up and down the staircases, visiting any neighbor who happened to have their front door open as I came by. Once I was able to go outside to play, I quickly became friends with the other kids who lived on the block. Unbeknownst to us at the time, there were always at least a couple of mothers watching us while we played. We felt we owned the streets and alleys as we would set up forts made of snow in winter and during summer we would use any bushes or leaves as a cover for our secret spy meetings. It constantly baffled us how each of our mothers already knew what we were doing before we would come in to tell them about our day. As they say a mother always knows and the proof can be seen in this dramatic film. GOD’S Pocket was a tough, gritty neighborhood of Philadelphia. After she found out her son Leon, played by Caleb Landry Jones (No Country for Old Men, Antiviral), died at work Jeanie Scarpato, played by Christina Hendricks (Drive, Life as We Know It), was convinced it was not an accident. She wanted her husband Mickey, played by Philip Seymour Hoffman (A Late Quartet, Capote), to find out what really happened to her son. This Sundance Film Festival nominated movie captured the look and feel of a rugged, economically depressed area during the 1960s. There was a general heaviness that weighed on everyone including the viewer. Besides Philip and Christina performing on a high level, I thought John Turturro (Fading Gigilo, Barton Fink) as Arthur “Bird” Capezio and Richard Jenkins (The Cabin in the Woods, The Visitor) as Richard Shellburn stood out in the cast; though everyone did a convincing job of acting. The downfall to this picture was all in the script. The story was filled with cliches, did not offer anything original. There were moments where I wondered if the writers intended the scene to be funny, but it only created a messiness that left me perplexed. What a shame for this to be one of Philip Seymour Hoffman’s final films; the story did no favors for anyone. It boiled down to tough luck in a tough neighborhood. A couple of brief scenes with blood.
2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Third Person
They live in my head and do everything I tell them to do. Some of them may have started out as real people like my very 1st friend who lived in the same apartment building where I was born. We were preschool age, but I still remember when we shared a box of colored dog biscuits, thinking they were just extra hard cookies. Over the years that memory was manipulated to fit into a story I was working on for college. I have many fictional characters that reside in my mind, ready to be employed for an article, a story or even just a mental exercise to keep my imagination active. This is the life of a writer or at least of me. Having a dominant right sided brain, my life has always traveled along the perimeter between reality and fantasy. It was a world I was always attracted to because of its ability to be both a crowded and lonely place at the same time. The world inside a writer’s mind can be as present and alive as our daily lives. Liam Neeson (Non-Stop, The Grey) played Michael, an author who traveled to Paris to work on a new book and be with his mistress Anna, played by Olivia Wilde (Rush, In Time). During the same time there were two other stories taking place in this romantic drama. In New York City Julia and Rick, played by Mila Kunis (Black Swan, Ted) and James Franco (This is the End, Palo Alto), were in a bitter custody battle after their son was injured. The third story took place in Rome where Adrien Brody (King Kong, The Pianist) was Scott, a businessman of knockoff designer wear who got involved with a troubled woman who was desperately trying to get her daughter back before being forced into prostitution. The acting was alive and engaging in all three stories, though I found the Mila and James story the strongest. With attractive settings the overall look to this film was pleasing to me; however, it only went so far before the weight of the lumbering script dulled the viewing experience. Written and directed by Paul Haggis (Crash, In the Valley of Elah) I found the stories repetitive. It really felt like the drama went to a certain level and remained there with no variance. I was able to follow all three stories as their scenes switched back and forth between them and figured out relatively early what was going to happen. By the end of the film I did not feel completely satisfied. The concept of peering into a writer’s mind was an excellent idea; in my mind, I would have done a major rewrite of the script.
2 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Rover
Stuff just becomes stuff after time has passed. Things that seemed important now only take up space in your home. I can still remember the 1st piece of advice I received when I was learning how to drive, “A car can always be replaced, but not a human being.” So when I look around my house I have a different perspective on what objects are important to me. If there was some kind of impending doom about to happen to my place, I would save my photo albums and postcard collection. The photographs span decades of living, starting before I was born. I took over the job of photographing everyone when I received my 1st camera when I was 13 years old. All the postcards have been mailed to me by friends and family, from places all over the world. With the photos and postcards I feel like I have a little piece of the person close to me; capturing a moment of their time that will always be a memory. I know I sound like a greeting card, but these items provide endless pleasure with their retro feeling. I never want to lose them for they are dear to me. Just as important to Eric, played by Guy Pearce (Lawless, The King’s Speech), in this crime drama was his automobile. When his car was hijacked right in front of him, Eric would have to track down the thieves through the challenges of the Australian Outback. There was no guarantee he would succeed let alone survive. With the story done by actor Joel Edgerton (Warrior, The Great Gatsby), I found the camera work and music score captivating. Maybe because the landscape looked so bleak and different to me, the sense of doom seemed to be more prominent. Guy was so intense in the role that I became increasingly anxious as the story progressed. The big surprise for me was seeing Robert Pattinson (Twilight franchise, Remember Me) in a role where I totally forgot he was Edward the vampire and believed him as the injured Rey. He was as convincing as Guy was determined in getting his car back and they were excellent together. The downside of this picture was the lack of explanation in several scenes. I felt some of the drama was just being repeated but with different characters. Eric’s actions led me to assume he was a certain type of individual but it did not jive with part of the story. There is a chance some people will not like the ending to this film festival nominated movie. However, you cannot fault someone for fighting to hold on to those things that were important to them. There were several scenes with violence and blood.
2 2/3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Jersey Boys
There are two very important elements needed to transform a dream into reality: passion and determination. One must feel a deep desire inside that bubbles over the flames of possibilities. In addition, one must have the strength to remain committed to their long term goal. When I started out to become an aerobic instructor I had to audition in a variety of undesirable places across the metropolitan area. I would be placed in racquet ball courts where my recorded music would bounce off the walls, creating a blur of musical tones as I strained to remain on the beat. At a few clubs I was introduced to the fitness director who would look at me with disgust, as if they had just scrapped me off the bottom of their shoes. None of this deterred me; I was determined to get my style of teaching into health clubs and eventually succeeded. Regarding my movie reviews, I have had to do some creative scheduling to make sure I can see the new releases as quickly as possible. Sometimes this means I am seeing 3 to 4 films in one day; but it does not phase me, I am determined to offer the best possible service I humanly can. Would I like to be a paid movie critic someday; you better believe it. I keep the dream alive and the dream keeps me alive. There was a man in this dramatic musical film who also was determined to see his dreams come true and his name was Frankie Valli, played by John Lloyd Young (Jersey Boys-Broadway). Though you may be familiar with the voice and the music, there was a story of failure and success behind the singing group Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Inspired by a true story this biographical film was directed by Clint Eastwood (Gran Torino, Unforgiven). The singing numbers were the best part of this movie. I found the story to be as dramatic and startling as a classic opera; however, due to the script and direction, there was no life in this dull picture. Having seen the staged play, this production had the life sucked out of it. Personally I do not enjoy seeing an actor come out of character to talk to the viewing audience; it was done here multiple times. For me it took away the magic of the story, creating a pause to the dramatic build up. The strongest character in the cast was Christopher Walken (The Deer Hunter, Stand Up Guys) as Gyp DeCarlo. I am sure there are many people whose dream was to see this story come to the big screen; it was a shame it could not have been told better.
2 1/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Mistress of Spices
The magical properties of food is something I already know all too well. Chocolate provides a soothing comfort, where calm thoughts cascade over me to still the turbulence of the day. I know many people eat ginger to combat nausea or an upset stomach. Peppermint has been used to take the fire out of a sore throat. There are individuals who swear the purple cornflower has anti-bacterial properties; you may have seen it being sold as Echinacea. From personal experience practically any flavor of ice cream removes the bad taste in one’s mouth from an awful meal. Since I believe there is a reason for everything, I look at all things around me having a purpose. Whether it is plant, land or sea based; I am not quick to dismiss what someone ingests for medicinal reasons. In fact, I have watched a friend prepare a meal for her pets where she looks like a chemist with all the powders and liquids she mixes into their food before giving it to them. She has raised the animals in a holistic fashion and they look vibrant and healthy to me. Already aware of the nutrients in food I was very much intrigued with the story in this dramatic romance. Being orphaned at a young age Tilo, played by Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (Bride & Prejudice, Jodhaa Akbar), was taught to use her intuitive abilities in finding the right spices to help an individual’s plight. There were only a couple of rules she had to follow and she did so perfectly until architect Doug, played by Dylan McDermott (Olympus Has Fallen, The Perks of Being a Wallflower), entered her spice shop one day. The whole fairy tale and magic aspect of this movie was a good idea. I enjoyed watching the different preparations Tilo performed with the variety of spices in her store. Along with her performance, these were the only things I liked about this picture. The script was not only poorly done, it was corny. Instead of infusing a real sense of drama, it only turned scenes into ridiculous melodrama. Many of the actors’ roles came across like empty cartoon characters. Actors such as Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Pompeii, Oz-TV) as Kwesi and Nitin Ganatra (Bride & Prejudice, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) as Haroun Rehman were wasted in this film. When I received this DVD it looked like it would be such a tasty morsel of a movie, but by the end I could not swallow it.
1 3/4 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: The Fault in Our Stars
It started out as a simple cough, nothing more. The advice given was to push fluids and rest. The cough got deeper, sounding as if it was trying to peel layers of lung up like faded paint chips. Everything that tried to suppress it only seemed to make it stronger. The color of their skin began to fade into the atmosphere around them and their facial expressions softened. Those little creases at the edges of their mouth got shallower and shallower as the eyes sunk further back into their skull. Besides hearing about it in the news, I have heard about people in a relationship who leave it when their significant other becomes ill. It is hard to imagine anything lower in a human being in my opinion. To love someone for life comes with a lot of responsibilities, it takes work; but the rewards enrich and color our experiences with added shades of hues from the palette of life. Unconditional means not subject to any conditions. The only way I know how to love someone is unconditionally. In this romantic drama decide for yourself if the love you see was an unconditional one. Shailene Woodley (The Spectacular Now, Divergent) played Hazel, a teenager whose only close friend was an oxygen tank due to her illness. Wanting to just live an ordinary life, Hazel felt stuck in a support group where she met Gus, played by Ansel Elgort (Divergent, Carrie). Her with her tank and him with his prosthetic leg, they made an odd couple. The major reason this film worked was the chemistry between Shailene and Ansel. Having played brother and sister in their recent movie Divergent, they were outstanding; I believed every word uttered by the two of them. What accentuated their roles was having Laura Dern (Wild at Heart, Tenderness) and Sam Trammell (Autumn in New York, True Blood-TV) play Hazel’s parents Frannie and Michael. Only recently being aware of the acting from Nat Wolf, he was quite good as Gus’ best friend Isaac. There was no getting around the fact the story was a tearjerker. I have not read the book but part of the script seemed to have an extra layer of melodrama, some of it predictable. On the other hand if you know how I rate the films I review, this movie allowed me to enter into the lives of Hazel and Gus, leaving my life behind. I cried like everyone else in the theater and despite my few minor gripes, I loved this film unconditionally.
3 1/2 stars
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