Category Archives: Drama
Drama
Flash Movie Review: The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete
Each of us starts out with a blank slate when we come into this world. I believe no one is born knowing about prejudice, hatred, discrimination or the difference between good and bad. So what could be the factors that influence the way a child behaves as they grow older? If we open this up for discussion I am sure we would still be discussing it well into our twilight years. The aspect I find fascinating is when parents and their children are opposites of each other. So many times on the news I have seen quiet, gentle parents talk lovingly about their child who was just charged with manslaughter or some other heinous crime. On the flip side there are the human interest stories where an individual from a disadvantaged background became successful. I have to sit and wonder if child rearing is more like a game of chance instead of some set formula. You will see what I am talking about in this dramatic film that came out of the dark to me. I wound up seeing this movie because it was the only one that was not playing in 3D at the time I had available. Without any awareness of it, I was taken by surprise on how much I enjoyed it. The story was about two inner city boys who had to struggle on their own when their mothers were taken away from them. Skylan Brooks (Our Family Wedding, Seven Pounds) and Ethan Dizon (How I Met Your Mother-TV) played the two boys, named Mister and Pete. For being so young, they were terrific in their roles. Another surprise for me was seeing Jennifer Hudson (The Secret LIfe of Bees, Dreamgirls) playing Mister’s mom, Gloria. I would have thought with her being attached to this film I would have seen a commercial or at least one movie trailer, but nothing at all. The movie even had Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Bullet to the Head, Lost-TV) as Sergeant Pike and Jordin Sparks (Sparkle, American Idol-TV) as Alice. I am not implying that Jordin made the movie; in fact, I did not fully understand her role. But with higher profile people, I found the lack of advertising odd. Irregardless, I fell right into the beauty of this story. People who know me have heard me say, “If you need a license for a dog, then I feel you need a license to be a parent.” See for yourself by viewing this film festival winning movie.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Fifth Estate
With a single word or phrase a story can take on a different meaning. The same holds true for a newscast or written article. When I watch or read the news I know I am getting a fragment of the whole story. It is understandable due to time constraints or limited space. Being a naturally curious person, I enjoy finding out the backstory to what was reported to the public. It could be almost anything from entertainment to science to government; hearing the details on an individual’s thought process behind what they did or created is something that has always fascinated me. In regards to this movie, I was looking forward to discovering something new on the how and why Julian Assange created the site WikiLeaks. As some of you already know, I am not here to judge if something is right or wrong, legal or not, ethical, etc.; I am reviewing the movie on its entertainment value. Benedict Cumberbatch (12 Years a Slave, Star Trek into Darkness) played the role of Julian. Daniel Bruhl (Rush, Winning Streak) played Julian’s collaborator Daniel Domscheit-Berg. Both actors did the best they could with what was given to them. For a movie that claimed it was a dramatic thriller based on real events, the script was a real mess. I was bored through a major portion, finally becoming engaged in the last third of the film. It really was a shame considering the cast also included Laura Linney (Mystic River, Hyde Park on Hudson) as Sarah Shaw and Stanley Tucci (Margin Call, The Terminal) as James Boswell. All of them were good but the way the story played out with short scenes that did not go anywhere; there was not a cohesive trail to follow. With all the controversy regarding WikiLeaks and the way it received anonymous covert data; I wished the writers would, if not enhanced, at least have allowed more time to look at an event from multiple points of view. I did not gain anything new regarding Julian, the site and more importantly I was not entertained. A story so current needed an exciting script and offer something extra to grab the attention of the viewer. If not then one should just watch the news.
1 3/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Carrie
It will all depend on what type of experience you had in school to see what you found scary in this horror film remake. If you were poplar, smart, participated in some type of sports activity or involved in any type of club, chances are you will find the bloodshed and killings mortifying in this movie. But if you were picked on, bullied or did not quite fit in with the majority of your classmates; the actions of the students in this drama will be scarier for you. For those of you who read my review of the original film back in the beginning of November 2012, you know this movie has special meaning for me. My high school years were rough; the first week I was punched in the stomach because I was the only student in class who knew the composer Ludwig van Beethoven. Things only got worse for me afterwards. So, I had some hesitation to see this updated version. Chloe Grace Moretz (Hugo, Let Me In) took on the iconic role of Carrie White, the shy quiet student who discovered she had a special talent. I thought Chloe did an admirable job in the role. The issue I had with her version had more to do with the script. I understand I am comparing this film to the original but I feel I should mention it. With this script Carrie came across as being slightly aggressive. Where Sissy Spacek portrayed confusion and shock regarding her special power; this Carrie seemed to relish her secret gift. It gave the gymnasium scene a different attitude in my opinion. Julianne Moore (Don Jon, What Maise Knew), who I think is a wonderful actress, did a crazier version of Carrie’s zealously religious mother Margaret White. The rest of the cast did not stand out for me compared to Julianne and Chloe. I think part of the reason had to do with their characters. Seeing the mean teasing being done to Carrie caused an immediate reaction inside of me. My body kept tensing up as my brain tried going numb, just as it did in high school when I would see one of the bullies walking towards me. If you have never seen the original movie, you might be interested in seeing this one. To be honest with you, I still prefer the original one directed by Brian De Palma (Scarface, The Untouchables). There were several scenes where blood was shown.
2 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: 12 Years a Slave
I first learned about prejudice in elementary school, but it was not from school books. My first exposure had to do with religious differences. After answering a classmate’s question on what was my religion, he told me I was dirty. At the time I was confused by his comment, remembering I looked down at my hands to see if they were unclean. Shortly after I discovered other classmates were treated to the same encounter. If you were not the same religion as this boy, he believed something was wrong with you. The next form of prejudice I witnessed occurred later when a new student was enrolled into my class who was African American. There was no overt actions taken against her; however, she was shunned by several students. I did not understand why classmates would react in such a way, let alone try to figure out the reasoning behind it. My elementary school years were only a prelude to the horrors I would encounter when I entered into high school. One of the reasons I started this review by writing about the prejudices and discriminations I saw at such a young age was to prepare you for what were the most realistic depictions of them that I have ever seen in a movie. Based on Solomon Northup’s memoir, this movie should be required viewing in every school. Chiwetel Ejiofor (Children of Men, American Gangster) was unbelievable playing Solomon; a free black man with a wife and two children, living in upper state New York who was kidnapped, shipped to Louisiana and sold into slavery. Directed by Steve McQueen (Shame, Hunger), I have never experienced the range of intensity and hatred portrayed in a film about slavery like it was done in this film festival winner. Relative newcomer Lupita Nyong’o was outstanding in her role as Patsey, the slave of cotton plantation owner Edwin Epps, played by Michael Fassbender (A Dangerous Method, Prometheus). The story was amazing to watch on film; I can only imagine what Solomon Northup’s book must be like to read. Even with some actors such as Paul Dano (Prisoners, Ruby Sparks) as Tibeats and Benedict Cumberbatch (Atonement,War Horse) as Ford having brief screen time, they still made every minute count with their characters. This is a movie that needs to be seen by everyone. Now I certainly would not be considered an optimist, but forgive me if my hope is the human race would be better by witnessing the ugliness of prejudice and slavery shown in this magnificent film. There were several scenes that showed blood and violence.
4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Romeo and Juliet
In love; when one is experiencing it, everything in the world appears to have taken on richer hues. Each step a person takes lands on soft pillows with an ah, instead of hard concrete. There is a refreshing lightness that is always ready to be swept up into the breezes of affections and dreams. For every waking moment, the imprint of a deep hug remains to caress, calm and soothe the body. But when one has it and then it is gone, love can reach deep into the body to squeeze the heart of its breath. The loss is replaced with a pain that thrives in the veins of the soul as it seeks out new ways to cripple daily functions. I will go with the notion everyone is familiar with the story of Romeo and Juliet; two young lovers from two feuding families, the Capulets and the Montagues. So story wise, there is not much a screenwriter can do to change the story if they want to stay true to the Shakespeare piece. In this latest film version I felt the writer was updating the story for a new generation. Douglas Booth (From Time to Time, LOL) and Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit) played Romeo and Juliet. For me, they were the main reason I had issues with this movie. The two actors were way over their heads with their characters. There was no connection, no emotion, no desire between them; their performance came across as an amateur school production. To make matters worse, the adult cast had several wonderful actors such as Paul Giamatti (Win Win, Barney’s Version) as Friar Laurence, Damian Lewis (Dreamcatcher, Homeland-TV) as Lord Capulet and Lesley Manville (Another Year, Vera Drake) as Nurse. The acting from these gifted artists was on a completely different level than Hailee and Douglas. Visually I enjoyed this beautiful movie with its gorgeous scenes around the city of Verona and surrounding areas. With such a disconnect for me between the familiar story and the lead actors, I was bored for a good portion of the time. Honestly, if someone wanted to see a film version of this classic story, I would recommend seeing writer and director Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 movie. Knowing a thing or two about love, I can certainly say I did not love this film.
1 3/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Captain Phillips
Part of my responsibilities, in my role as a credit manager, has been the preparation of documents to present to the bank for payment from a letter of credit. A letter of credit is a legal document issued by a bank to pay another bank (usually in another country) that guarantees payment for goods we ship under specified conditions. The portion of the paperwork I enjoy reading about is the trail our shipment travels from our docks to the customer. Starting out by truck, our product may switch to rail before reaching a port of departure. Here is where it gets fun for me as the goods are loaded onto a container ship that sets sail, to travel to all parts of the world. I have learned so much about different cities and countries based on where the shipments are destined to land. All of it had seemed exciting and exotic until I saw this riveting drama based on a true story. My fanciful daydreaming about sailing to new and faraway places came to a screeching halt at the reality of what happened to Captain Richard Phillips, portrayed by Tom Hanks (Larry Crowne, The Terminal). Based on Richard Phillips’ memoir, “A Captain’s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALS and Dangerous Days at Sea,” this movie skillfully brought the story to life. It was one thing to read articles or see newscasts about Somali pirates, but to have it shown right up in my face made this movie a more tense and dramatic film viewing experience. The story was about the 2009 hijacking on the container vessel Alabama by Somali pirates. Director Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Supremacy, Bloody Sunday) did a wonderful job in keeping the story’s pull at a constant tautness. When Tom Hanks is firing on all cylinders, as he was in this role, he shows why he is considered one of the better actors in Hollywood. Newcomers Barkhad Abdi and Markhad Abdirahman as Somali pirates Muse and Bilal were outstanding. The scene where Muse says, “Look at me, look at me; I am the captain now,” was a brilliant piece of ad libbing. For me, the movie was getting so intense I started to cry at a particularly emotional scene. If you are like me and plan on seeing all the major Academy Award nominated films before the Oscar telecast, you might as well get an early start with this outstanding movie. There were a few scenes where blood was shown.
4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Rush
The racetrack had to have elaborate turns, at least one bridge, hills and a long stretch of flat road. These were my requirements when I would set up my slot car racing track when I was a kid. Back then it was all about the speed; how fast could I navigate the course without the car spinning off the track. My interest in fast driving continued into adulthood; as long as I was behind the wheel I would get a thrill from driving. However, if I was in the passenger seat or a spectator I lost all interest. Because of that I have no desire to watch auto racing competitions; they leave me bored with their cars repeating the same track over and over into a monotonous blur of metal and sound. This is why it was all the more amazing to me how director Ron Howard (A Beautiful Mind, Apollo 13) got me totally interested in this action film based on a true story. The film followed the rivalry between 1970’s Formula 1 racing car drivers James Hunt and Niki Lauda, played by Chris Hemsworth (Thor, Red Dawn) and Daniel Bruhl (Inglourious Basterds, Good Bye Lenin!). I do not know how accurate the depiction of hard partying British playboy James and no nonsense Austrian Niki were to the real men, but for this drama it worked in propelling the story forward. With Chris and Daniel playing the central figures the rest of the cast was left in the background. Olivia Wilde (Drinking Buddies, In Time) as James’ 1st wife Suzy Miller was forgettable for the most part; but Niki’s wife Marlene Lauda, played by Alexandra Maria Lara (Downfall, Youth Without Youth), had more staying power. If I had not known this was a Ron Howard film I would have never guessed he was the director; the film had a fast pace with quick editing shots that made me dizzy at times. Action and speed were the main drivers (get it?) for this story which did not allow much time for character development. The CGI effects were seamless to the point I was not even aware of them. I appreciated the different angles the director used in filming the racing scenes, from driver perspectives to overhead long shots. With the use of voice-overs, I felt the story was well rounded enough for the viewer to get a good sense of these championship drivers. I especially enjoyed the way the movie ended. Please do not tell the state police, but after the movie I made it home in record time. A few scenes had blood in them.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Behind the Candelabra
There was something about the piano that attracted me to it. I did not play with musical toys as a baby, but I had two aunts who each had a piano in their home. Whenever we would visit these relatives invariably I would be found sitting at the piano, pressing the keys in different patterns. I never pounded on the keys; in my mind I thought I was actually playing a song, though I could not read a single note of music. What fascinated me was the infinite combinations I could create with all those keys at my fingertips. It was later when I realized other musical instruments had the ability to create the same combinations, but it did not have the same flourish like a pianist. I remember one of the first concerts I attended had a pianist front and center. The way his fingers rippled across the keys, creating sounds as soft as a cat’s purr to booming roars of harmonic fireworks; I wanted to play the piano just like him. For eight years I took piano lessons so I have an appreciation for any skilled musician. If you add outlandish outfits and lavish sets, you will have the star of this biographical drama. Michael Douglas (Falling Down, Wonder Boys) was amazing with his performance playing Liberace. The story was based on the autobiographical book written by Scott Thorson, who had a tumultuous relationship with the entertainer. Though Michael Douglas won an Emmy for his performance, Matt Damon (Elysium, Promised Land) as Scott was equally as impressive with his acting in this Emmy winning movie. Directed by Steven Soderbergh (Side Effects, Magic Mike), there was a steady layout of scenes. It was during the quiet scenes where the story really shinned. To balance out the weighted dramatic parts, Rob Lowe (Wayne’s World, The West Wing-TV) as Dr. Jack Startz and Dan Aykroyd (The Blues Brothers, Trading Places) as manager Seymour Heller handled the comedic elements. One of the biggest surprises for me was finding out who played Liberace’s mother Frances. I am not going to mention her name in this review and I hope you do not try to find out before seeing her in this film. With the understanding we are seeing the life of Liberace through Scott’s eyes; this still was a glimpse behind the flash of rhinestones and sequins only to find a dark, troubled life from a different era.
3 1/3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Battle of the Year
It is not to see who will win that keeps my attention at competition events; it is the way the contest does not have any discrimination that attracts me. Having been exposed to the ugliness of prejudice at a young age, I tend to seek out things that create a level playing field for all. Whether it is a singing, dancing, musical or sporting activity; I enjoy seeing people from all over the world, from all walks of life coming together to perform the same activity. I never understood why country, race, religion or even physical appearance should matter to someone. Shouldn’t being human suffice? I admire the participants in any type of physical venue due to my background in fitness. Add in some music and I love it more; so, this dance competition movie was something I was curious to see. Inspired by the documentary film Planet B-Boy, the story revolved around a premier international dance crew competition that attracted teams from all over the world. America had not won in 15 years and Dante Graham, played by Laz Alonso (Jarhead, Constantine) wanted to change that statistic. Josh Holloway (Paranoia, Lost-TV) played former championship basketball coach Jason Blake who was hired by Dante to train a team of dancers to bring home the championship. Caity Lotz (The Pact, Death Valley-TV) as choreographer Stacy and Josh Peck (Red Dawn, The Wackness) as assistant Franklyn would help Coach Blake in this quest. My biggest complaint about this musical dance film was the awful way they filmed the dance routines. I did not understand why they were filmed either in slow or fast motion, making them look cartoonish. If the idea was to bring together the best dancers to form a team then I wanted to see them actually dance. The story was completely lame with all of its stereotypical cliches and ideas. With uninspired dialog the acting was simply pathetic. Josh looked like he was about to cry in every single scene. Maybe he had a clue on how bad this movie was turning out. The two best parts for me in watching this film were not paying to see it in 3D and the enjoyment of listening to a couple of good songs that were used during a few of the dance segments. I plan on viewing the documentary Planet B-Boy and if you are interested in seeing some real dancing, I recommend you take a pass on this film and get the documentary also.
1 1/3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Prisoners
The further technology advances the less personal it becomes is something everyone has heard. From what I have seen I believe it is true. For example, I have noticed a change in people’s reactions to amber alerts. Though everyone still acknowledges such news with sympathy, the feelings do not last long. Driving on the highways it is not uncommon to see an amber alert posted on the electronic signs hanging over the road. For myself, I will take note of the car’s description listed in the message but once I exit the highway the memory fades. With the immediate bombardment of news we get on a daily basis, the significance of each story bleeds into the next until all of it becomes this obscure sea of information that floats outside of us. That is not the case when it comes to this intense crime mystery movie; it brings the story down to a personal level. Hugh Jackman (X-Men franchise, The Prestige) in one of his best roles played Keller Dover, the father of a missing daughter. With his wife Grace, played by Maria Bello (Towelhead, Secret Window) suffering over the loss and Detective Loki’s, played by Jake Gyllenhaal (Zodiac, End of Watch), perceived inability to arrest a suspect; Keller would take matters into his own hands, doing whatever it would take to find his daughter. I was totally taken by Hugh’s wide-ranging performance; he was incredible. It was funny, at first I did not understand Jake’s character because I thought the acting was odd from him. But then slowly I began to grasp what Jake was doing and found his interpretation to be quite powerful. It was a different type of character for him and I felt he nailed it. Viola Davis (Won’t Back Down, The Help) as Nancy Birch and Melissa Leo (Frozen River, The Fighter) as Holly Jones were outstanding; Viola does suffering better than almost any other actress I know. The story was not simple; in fact, I feel I need to see this film again to really make some connections I thought I was missing due to some twists. This was a tough, emotional, in your face movie filled with raw emotions, prepare yourself. It is one thing to hear or read about a crime; it is another to see it unfold in front of your eyes. There were several scenes of violence with blood.
3 1/2 stars
