Category Archives: Dramedy
Drama/Comedy
Flash Movie Review: Quartet
Growing old is like watching a balloon expand with each breath, never knowing when that one breath will cause the balloon to pop. As my friends and I age, the subject of how we may need assistance in our old age comes up more often. It is particularly important to those of us who are single; we wonder what will happen to us. An idea we have kicked around is buying an apartment building, where we can all live. It would allow us privacy but we would always have someone close by if help was needed. In a similar situation this sweet movie was about a home for retired musicians. Idyllic days filled with music and singing, building up to the annual charity concert celebration, received a surprise interruption. It was the arrival of new resident opera diva Jean Horton, played by Maggie Smith (Harry Potter franchise, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel). Her appearance was even a bigger surprise to her former husband and resident Reginald Paget, played by Tom Courtenay (The Golden Compass, Billy Liar). With the heavy weight of clashing egos, could the show survive and still be a success? For his directorial debut, Dustin Hoffman (Last Chance Harvey, Finding Neverland) did an admirable job in telling this safe, predictable story. I think Dustin’s job was made much easier by his impressive cast. Besides Maggie and Tom, there was Billy Connelly (Mrs. Brown, The Debt Collector) playing the flirtatious Wilf Bond, Pauline Collins (Albert Nobbs, Shirley Valentine) as the forgetful Cissy Robson and MIchael Gambon (Harry Potter franchise, The King’s Speech) as concert director Cedric Livingston. From the film’s entire cast there was a true sense of history behind the characters, that was proven at the start of the ending credits. An easy and enjoyable movie to watch. A thought came to me as I left the movie theater: When I take my last breath, I only hope it comes at the end of a movie’s credits.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Hyde Park on Hudson
The challenge in reviewing this movie based on true events was not letting my belief in faithfulness bias my observations. Unfaithfulness is a foreign concept to me. Whether I am called old-fashioned or traditional, I believe loving a person unconditionally incorporates being faithful to them. Once I am in a committed relationship I only have eyes for them, no matter how corny that may sound. I was surprised by this movie; I had no idea one of the story lines was concerned with President Roosevelt’s love affairs. The object of his affection was his distant cousin Margaret “Daisy” Stuckley, played by Laura Linney (The Savages, The Truman Show). From the trailers I thought this film was all about the first visit of a reigning British monarch to America. Samuel West (Van Hesling, Notting Hill) and Olivia Colman (The Iron Lady, Tryannosaur) played the King and Queen of England. In the summer of 1939, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth came to visit President Franklin D. Roosevelt, played by Bill Murray (Lost in Translation, Moonrise Kingdom), at his home in upper state New York. Fearing Britain would be pulled into the war waging across Europe, the King hoped to persuade the President in becoming an ally. If the story would have stayed with this part, the film would have been much better. The scenes with the President and King together were well acted and wonderful. At the start of the movie we were presented Daisy with little back story, as she became the narrator of the film. However, as the story continued she became more of a secondary character, blatantly showing the poor quality of the under developed screenplay. It was a shame because I was curious to see more of the cultural differences between the two countries. Those scenes had a gentle, sweet humor to them. Laura Linney who I have always enjoyed was sadly wasted in this film; granted she did not have much to work with in her role. This movie was like being on a bad date; I was not attracted to it, but did not want to appear rude by leaving early.
2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Patch Adams
Everyday I have to remind myself I cannot control things that are out of my control. You would think after all these years I would have learned this lesson by now. I do not know if I would call it a defense mechanism; but whenever I find myself in an uncontrollable situation, humor has always been my immediate reaction. This is something my brothers and I have always done, getting it from our father. Just before I was about to go under for a medical procedure, I asked the doctor if I would be able to play the guitar afterwards. When he said absolutely, I told him I was excited since I always wanted to be able to play the guitar. This is why I was fond of the main character in this heartwarming comedy. Robin Williams (Dead Poets Society, Jumanji) was the perfect actor to play in this movie based on the true story of Hunter “Patch” Adams. After having committed himself to a mental institution, Hunter realized he wanted to be a doctor. Seeing how patients were being treated more like numbers than as human beings, he believed humor would be an important factor in the patient’s well being. The problem was his idea was contrary to established practices. Having seen Robin Williams perform in concert early in his career, I cannot say he was even acting in this role; he was just playing himself. If you are not a fan of his then you will not care for this movie. The supporting actors did a good job, such as Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Master, A Late Quartet) as Mitch, Michael Jeter (The Green Mile, Jurassic Park III) as Rudy and Monica Potter (Along Came A Spider, Parenthood) as Carin. I found the story predictable and far-fetched in spots. However, since Patch Adams and I believe laughter is important to a person’s health; I enjoyed watching this DVD. I do not know about you; but as far as I am concerned, I never want to have a grumpy doctor touching me.
2 1/4 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Playing for Keeps
I am more comfortable with diversity, whether it is in my classes or in my neighborhood, than everyone being the same. There is more opportunity for learning with a diverse group in my opinion. For example, I am uncomfortable with a group of people who all act as if they are part of the Stepford Wives. This is one of the reasons why I lost interest with the characters in this predictable movie. I found the soccer mom characters to be simply icky. The message coming across was that soccer moms were unsatisfied, desperate to find physical affection. Catherine Zeta-Jones (Chicago, The Terminal) as Denise and Uma Thurman (Pulp Fiction, Gattaca) as Patti would be examples of the poorly developed characters in this dull film. Gerard Butler (Chasing Mavericks, Law Abiding Citizen) played George, a former soccer star who was down on his luck. Divorced and having been an absentee dad to his son, George decided to coach his son’s soccer team in hopes of getting back into his son’s life again. Jessica Biel (The Illusionist, Total Recall) played George’s ex-wife Stacie who had moved on with her life and was about to get remarried as George came back into her life. Besides the story being silly, I felt the characters were one dimensional. Dennis Quaid (The Day After Tomorrow, Pandorum) was ridiculous as smarmy character Carl, cheating husband to Patti. The acting was not memorable and came across as being stilted. I could appreciate the idea of Gerard’s character wanting to be a responsible father to his son, but the writers veered off from it by filling scenes with silly filler. Relative newcomer Noah Lomax was very good playing the son Lewis. I felt bad for this character; not as much for having an absentee father as for being stuck in this loser of a movie.
1 2/3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Roxanne
An act of cruelty to me is when someone discards a person based on their looks. I have experienced it both professionally and personally. At a health fair where I was a presenter, a participant left after my introductions. Physically I am not a chiseled, large muscled human found in fitness magazines. On a personal level, I have experienced blind dates that lasted under 15 minutes. Was there food stuck in my teeth or an odor wafting off of me I was not aware of? It has always puzzled me when someone gets judged solely on their outer appearance. This dilemma was humorously handled in this sweet comedy. The story was an updated version of the classic novel Cyrano de Bergerac. Steve Martin (It’s Complicated, The Jerk) wrote the screenplay and starred as fire chief C.D. Bales. The lovable chief was sensitive about his unusually large nose. Though he agreed to help his new employee Chris, played by Rick Rossovich (The Terminator, Pacific Blue), woo astronomer Roxanne, played by Daryl Hannah (Splash, Kill Bill: Vol. 1), C.D. secretly had a crush on her. How could he compete against the strapping big fireman for Roxanne’s affections? Could she ever see past his nose? The way the story played out with humor and gentleness, made for an enjoyable time. The cast did an exceptional job with their characters, including Shelley Duvall (The Shining, Annie Hall) as Dixie and Michael T. Pollard (Bonnie & Clyde, Scrooged) as Andy. More than a light hearted romp; I felt this film was a wonderful testament for anyone who has held themselves back from taking a chance, solely due to the fear of what people will think of their looks. Allow me to share with you something I have always told my friends: The body is rented, changing every day. It is constantly gaining and losing things; but, what takes place inside of it is the important stuff.
2 3/4 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Silver Linings Playbook
There have been so many times I have heard someone say, “Act normal” and I just want to ask them, “What is normal?” Or when someone remarks, “They are the perfect family” I question them on what that exactly means. Where are these requirements written that describe the perfect family? As far as I am concerned, there is no such thing as acting normal or being a perfect family. To me it seems judgmental to compare one person or family to another. For these reasons I found this movie to be exceptional. The family was real to me; I loved all the characters…and I do mean characters. Bradley Cooper (The Words, Limitless) was outstanding as Pat Solatano, the recently released inmate of a state institution. Jobless and homeless, Pat had to move back in with his parents Dolores and Pat Sr., played by Jackie Weaver (Animal Kingdom, The Five-Year Engagement) and Robert De Niro (Being Flynn, Goodfellas). Spending his time thinking of ways he could get back with his wife; Pat was presented with an opportunity after he was introduced to recently widowed Tiffany, brilliantly played by Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games, Winter’s Bone). I am still processing why I felt these characters were like family to me; each actor was believable with their little neuroses and quirks. Having a well toned, hilarious script was certainly a big plus. Even Chris Tucker (Rush Hour franchise, The Fifth Element) who can be over the top was wonderful playing Pat’s friend Danny. The three performances that stood out for me came from Bradley, Robert and Jennifer. They did some of their best work in this romping good film. After you have spent some time here with the Solatano family, you may have to come up with a whole new definition for the word normal.
3 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Great Buck Howard
When I see advertisements announcing performance dates for any celebrity in their twilight years, my first thought has always been, “Do they really need the money?” I am not a fan who wants to see former headliners trying to maintain their youth as they perform in small clubs, attempting to recapture the good old times. Why don’t they instead do charity work, I have wondered. In this dramatic comedy, a law school dropout found himself becoming the assistant to an illusionist, when he answered an ad in the classifieds. John Malkovich (Con Air, Dangerous Liaisons) played Buck Howard, a long time performer who was trying to stage a comeback. I have had the good fortune to see John perform live on stage, years before he went on to the big screen. Back then I knew he was going to be an intense actor. He could easily switch from a raving, menacing lunatic character to a sweet, kind gentle man, in a heartbeat. As Buck Howard, John did an excellent job going from the pleasant showman to revealing the turmoil behind the facade. Colin Hanks (Looper, Orange County) was just ok for me in his role as assistant Troy Gable. However, I did enjoy the couple of scenes he had with his real life father Tom Hanks (Forrest Gump, The Green Mile), who also played his father in the movie. It was a nice surprise to see Emily Blunt (Looper, The Young Victoria) in the film, playing Valerie Brennan. However, I felt the direction her character took rang false. The actors who had cameo roles were fun. To tell you the truth, after seeing the scenes where Buck was performing in front of his audience, it occurred to me that I have been judgmental. Who am I to say who should perform or not; it does not really matter. If fans want to relive a fond memory they have of their idols and the celebrities are willing to keep the dream alive, then go for it. After I was done watching this DVD I wanted to search the web for The Amazing Kreskin.
2 1/2 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Liberal Arts
Going away to college was a liberating experience for me. Where a majority of fellow high school seniors planned attending the state school, I chose to go out of state. Moving to a place where no one knew me seemed the safest thing to do. Surrounded by people who had similar interests to mine was exciting. For one of my required courses I was responsible for the upkeep of a horse named Daiquiri. Doing so allowed me free horseback riding lessons which I thought made be cool looking. In this educational world I learned more about myself and felt I was coming back to life. There was nothing better than acquiring knowledge and being allowed to express myself. These feelings were rekindled as I watched this sweet touching film. Josh Radnor (How I Met Your Mother-TV, Not Another Teen Movie) deserves credit since he was the director, writer and star of this fresh thoughtful film. He played Jesse Fisher; a 30 something, recently single guy. When favorite college professor Peter Hoberg, played by Richard Jenkins (The Visitor, The Cabin in the Woods), invited him to his retirement party, Jesse agreed to travel back to his alma mater. The return to campus sparked fond memories in Jesse. When introduced to college student Zibby, played by Elizabeth Olsen (Martha Marcy May Marlene; Peace, Love and Misunderstanding), Jesse was taken by surprise with the strong connection that quickly formed between the two of them. Despite their age difference, both discovered they could still learn something from each other. This film had more to offer than what was shown in the trailer. I loved Elizabeth Olsen; she and Richard Jenkins were simply special with their acting. A surprise for me was seeing Zac Efron in this film and liking him for a change. This slice of college life with its sense of discovery, emotional upheaval and life’s lessons could easily make you want to enroll in school again.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Sting
My dark side flourished with evilness when I was younger. If I felt I had been crossed or had my trust broken, I would not walk away. Instead I would go on the attack. At a former company there was a co-worker who was friendly to my face, but then would go out of her way to put me down in front of management for her own gain. I decided if it was not business related I would not make a response to any of her actions, pretending she no longer existed. To drive the point home, whenever I brought a food treat into the office; i offered it to every single person but her. I discovered it drove her crazy, so I kept it up for 1 1/2 years. Looking back I realize my behavior was childish, but at the time it felt so good to do. Whether in a movie or real life I always vote for the bad person to get their just desserts. That is why this classic movie was so much fun to watch. Everything was precisely put into place from cast to story to director in creating this brilliant film. The time was the 1930’s in the midwest and young con artist Johnny Hooker, played by Robert Redford (The Natural, The Way We Were), wanted to get revenge on powerful gangster Doyle Lonnegan, played by Robert Shaw (Jaws, A Man for All Seasons), for ordering the hit on Johnny’s best friend. Knowing his limitations, Johnny needed help from master con artist Henry Gondorff, played by Paul Newman (Cool Hand Luke, Road to Perdition). The two men came up with an elaborate plan to get back at Lonnegan, hurting him where it mattered most. I have nothing negative to say about this dramatic comedy. With a wonderful score by Scott Joplin to the distinct titled segments; the Oscar winning movie was filled with surprise twists. From the outstanding acting, directing and writing; this cinematic treasure delivered pure good justice.
4 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Smashed
In social situations where my answer to drink requests was water; more times than not, I was asked if I had an issue with alcohol. I explained to the person that no, I did not like the taste of it; preferring to use calories on a chocolate chip cookie. As a child I remember being horrified as I saw relatives acting out from being drunk. Inevitably an argument would ensue making everyone around uncomfortable. It usually was not a pleasant situation when the drunk person’s date or spouse was not in a similar inebriated state. This comedic drama gave a straight forward, unapologetic look at the challenges encountered when one person in a relationship attempts to make a change. Kate and Charlie Hannah, played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead (The Thing, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) and Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad-TV, The Last House on the Left) had the best times together when alcohol was involved. From backyard games to night time drunken bicycle rides, life was a constant high. But after hungover Kate vomited in front of her 1st grade students, those good times seemed less fun. What could replace her’s and Charlie’s favorite activity? The story was well thought out in this compelling film. Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Aaron Paul were not only believable in their raw performances; they brought a subtle darkness to the characters. I was moved to the point where I felt a twinge of anxiety, similar to what I felt as a kid. The remaining cast for the most part were secondary; I thought Octavia Spencer (The Help, Seven Pounds) as Kate’s mentor Jenny could have been a stronger character. With an outstanding performance from Mary Elizabeth, this movie transcended from a story about two heavy drinkers to a keen observation on the choices one makes in life.
3 stars
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