Category Archives: Drama
Drama
Flash Movie Review: The Namesake
How does one go forward if they do not see where they came from? There is nothing wrong with looking to the past to find answers in the present. Based on the best-selling novel, this wonderful movie could easily have been about any group or individual; besides the family in this beautiful story about one’s name and heritage. In my family we are named after a deceased relative, honoring their memory. As a child I did not appreciate this since I was the only one who had my name until I was in high school. It wasn’t until I became an adult (or close to one) that I learned to love and respect my name. Kal Penn (Harold & Kumar franchise, Epic Movie) as Gogol/Nikhil went through such a transformation as the son of immigrant parents Ashima and Ashoke, played by Tabu (Shock, Chandni Bar) and Irrfan (Slumdog Millionaire, The Darjeeling Limited). The biggest surprise for me was Kal’s admirable acting. Seriously, I had no idea he could handle this role and add such believability to it. Tabu’s and Irrfan’s acting was sublime as the transplanted Indians navigating their way between the modern world they lived in with the traditions and customs of their culture. A majestic movie about love, family and the honor given to one’s name.
3 1/3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Once
When one hears the notes of a song harmonizing with their own heartbeat, it can be euphoric. Music is essential for me; I have songs that remind me of a number of friends, family members and past loves. This charming film to me was a musical, because the music was vital in moving the story along. The fact they cast musicians in the roles only added to the joy of watching and hearing this movie. When Glen Hansard, the male lead, was not fixing vacuum cleaners in his father’s store; he could be found on the streets of Dublin singing and playing his beaten up, old guitar. One day Marketa Irglova, the female lead, stopped to listen to his moving songs of love that immediately resonated with the chords of her own heart. From this crossing of paths, the two found the catalyst to push them closer to their dreams. Not typical Hollywood fare, this low budget independent film perfectly blended emotions into songs, which moved into scenes, that led to creative passion; all the while staying simple and real. This was a wonderful movie to watch, which allowed my heart to open up and replay some of its stored songs of love.
3 1/3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Half Nelson
I wanted to hold off reviewing this movie, since I recently did Lars and the Real Girl. But when an actor consistently creates excellent roles, I want to see more of them after seeing one of their films. Ryan Gosling (Drive; Crazy, Stupid, Love) is who I am referring to and in this exceptional movie he does an incredible job as Dan Dunne. A motivating junior high school teacher during the day and a drug addict at night, Ryan’s performance was brilliant. Having known an individual addicted to crack cocaine, Mr. Gosling had the mannerisms, the nuances in perfect synch to what I remembered about this troubled person. Shareeka Epps (My Sould to Take, The Winning Season) as Drey showed some powerful acting as the student who discovered Mr. Dunne passed out in the bathroom. Instead of walking away or reporting it, she helped in reviving him. An unlikely friendship began between the two deficient characters. Now I know what you must be thinking: in this day and age a pairing of this kind would be highly suspect. Just go with it, because in this film it leads to some deep emotional turmoil. With a steady string of memorable performances, it appears Ryan Gosling can do no wrong and neither will you by watching this movie.
3 1/3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Sound of My Voice
I felt as if I had just been dropped out of the sky in the first few minutes of this unusual movie. With no explanation given; Peter Aitken, played by Christopher Denham (Shutter Island, Charlie Wilson’s War) and Lorna Michaelson, played by Nicole Vicius (500 Days of Summer, Last Days), were going through a prescribed set of directions before meeting Maggie, played by Brit Marling (Another Earth, The Recordist). The precautions were necessary because Maggie was from the future. I hesitate to explain why Peter and girlfriend Lorna wanted to meet this individual. The two were filmmakers who wanted to infiltrate Maggie and her followers; but at what cost? An interesting story that I found engaging, to the credit of Brit Marling who shared in the writing credits. I enjoyed her performance here as much as I did in her movie Another Earth–both off center, but with emotional depth. What pulled me into this movie were the scenes when the followers were assembled before Maggie. It felt creepy, watching individuals losing their identity. There were some scenes I did not understand and the ending felt rushed to me. When the movie was over, I was left trying to figure out what was real.
2 2/3 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Hunter
Was there really a Tasmanian Tiger living in the Tasmanian wilderness? These animals were thought to have been extinct. This was why mercenary Martin David, played by Willem Dafoe (The Walker, Daybreakers), was hired by a biotechnology drug company, to track down and capture this unique animal. I had never heard of such a creature, so was intrigued to see this film. Mr. Dafoe was very good in his role as the solitary Martin. One could readily see his discomfort while boarding at the house of Lucy Armstrong, played by Frances O’Connor (A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Timeline). With his seasoned face, he easily added depth to his character, who would be camped out in secluded areas for weeks at a time. Being an enthusiastic traveller, I enjoyed the camera shots of the beautiful landscapes of Tasmania. I am embarrassed to say, but the only knowledge I had of this country was with the cartoon character, the Tasmanian Devil. The pacing of the story was too slow for me in this dramatic thriller. It wasn’t until halfway through the movie that things became exciting. The story was curiously different; I enjoyed parts of the movie overall. However, it took some time to connect the parts and become interested in the hunt.
2 2/3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Flash of Genius
From a mundane object a great idea was born. Based on the true story about Dr. Bob Kearns, played by Greg Kinnear (Little Miss Sunshine, Ghost Town), who had a great idea that would affect everyone who drove a car in the rain. He invented the intermittent windshield wiper. With the support of his wife Phyllis, played by Lauren Graham (Bad Santa, Evan Almighty), and children; Dr. Kearns created a prototype that he planned on selling to the Detroit auto makers. However, his dreams did not come true the way he had expected. This heartfelt movie told the story of the courage, determination, some say insanity of the Kearns family taking on the deep pocketed car manufacturers to protect Bob’s invention. I get fired up from a movie that roots for the underdog and this excellent movie had the perfect set-up for a battle between the every day man against corporate big business. Mr Kinnear was perfect in this role; giving a solid, believable performance to his character who had everything to lose, including his mental state. Also, Alan Alda (Tower Heist, The Aviator) gave an excellent performance as the lawyer who was willing to take on Detroit’s auto makers. One has to wonder how often this type of behind the back shenanigans takes place in the business world. A terrific movie that was about a great idea and so much more.
3 1/4 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: W./E.
Forgive me Madonna fans; I really wanted to like this film. The score was a wonderful accompaniment to this stylish film and the costumes were perfect. In fact, you had Madonna singing during the closing credits. She was the director and co-writer of this schizophrenic film. There were two stories being played out in this movie. The better of the two was about King Edward VIII, played by James D’Arcy (An American Haunting, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World), who abdicated the throne for the woman he loved, Wallis Simpson played by Andrea Riseborough (Happy-Go-Lucky, Never Let Me Go). The other story was about Wally Winthrop, played by Abbie Cornish (Bright Star, Sucker Punch), who became inspired by Mrs. Simpson’s life to find happiness in her own life. I have seen Abbie act and know she can be rather good; however, under this tedious and boring script, along with utterly lifeless direction from Madonna, Ms. Cornish was dreadful. Some of her scenes were ridiculous; I would have thought Madonna would have studied up on camera angles and how to set up a scene. Andrea’s performance as Wallis was the most real for me. Also, I found her looks to be quite interesting. With the curious idea of having two stories, one in the past and one in the present; it was a shame Madonna did not deliver a more fitting film. I stood on a folding chair in cowboy boots for 3 hours during a Madonna concert. Gratefully, I did not have to spend the money nor wait in line to see this messed up movie.
1 2/3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: The Messenger
The closest I have come to witnessing some of the events in this movie have been from a co-worker’s stories, who is part of a patriotic honor guard riding group. What was special about this movie was the fact there was no political bent or one-sided criticism of war. This was not a typical war movie per se; the only battle was between protocol and compassion. After being injured, Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery played by Ben Foster (The Mechanic, Birds of America) was assigned to assist Captain Tony Stone, played by Woody Harrelson (Rampart, The Hunger Games). The two of them had the task of informing family members on the death of a loved one. Having never experienced this situation, I was moved on what it took to perform such a monumental task. The acting by Woody and Ben was believable, at times heart wrenching. I could see why Woody received an Oscar nomination for this role. He brought such intensity to this character who was trained to do things by the book, no matter how conflicted he may have been. Also, I was completely impressed with Ben’s performance; he was amazing in this tough role and was able to keep up with Mr. Harrelson. This emotionally charged drama, with such strong characters, truly did justice in showing an aspect of war not usually covered in other military movies.
3 1/3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: The Lucky One
After the movie ended and I had to climb over the woman dabbing at her moist eyes with a wad of tissues, I was wondering who was the lucky one. Maybe she felt fortunate for seeing this movie; I know I certainly did not, I was the unlucky one. My teachers used to tell me before you give a negative comment, always start out with something positive. I liked the coming attractions. Now that I got that out of the way, let me start with the lead character Logan played by Zac Efron(17 Again, New Year’s Eve). He was so wrong for this movie and shame on the director for not pushing Zac to at least try and act in this movie. I felt he was too young and pretty while he tried to portray a three tours of duty marine. After finding a photograph of a woman, Logan felt it was a good luck charm that protected him, keeping him alive during his military stint. He made a promise if he survived the war, he would find this woman and thank her. The photo he kept close was of Beth played by Taylor Schilling (Dark Matter, Mercy). Her acting was decent, but there was absolutely no chemistry between her and Zac. Besides being passionless to the point of almost painful, this movie was predictable. Syrupy music was used throughout as we were exposed to extended shots of the sun setting or rising. I did not read the book, but I think with a different cast and director this film could have been a better movie and a more believable story.
1 3/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Appaloosa
What is it about the western movie genre that attracts a loyal following? My maternal grandmother loved them and both my parents were big fans for years. I think it is because there is a no-nonsense purity to them. They depict a time in our history where everything seemed to have a direct cause and effect mindset. For these reasons, that is why this movie worked well on several levels. The story began straightforward enough about a town hiring law men partners Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch, played by Ed Harris (The Abyss, Pollock) and Viggo Mortensen ( A History of Violence, The Road) respectively, to protect itself from the menacing rancher Randall Brage, played by Jeremy Irons (Margin Call, Georgia O’Keefe). This was Mr. Harris’ project since he was director, actor and part of the writing team. He, along with Viggo’s fine acting, really made this movie worth watching; both were outstanding in their roles. In the hands of these two actors, the script was better than I thought it would have been with different actors. The two deputies found their job becoming complicated when Allison French, played by Renee Zellweger (Miss Potter, My One and Only) arrived in town. In spite of a few slow parts, I reckon this old fashioned western is worth renting, if nothing else to see the mighty fine acting.
2 3/4 stars — DVD
