Category Archives: Dramedy
Drama/Comedy
Flash Movie Review: Little Voice
I think most people have something they can do or use when they want to escape from reality. Some people get lost into their knitting, while others may disappear into their work shop for hours. For me it was playing piano when I was younger. These days I escape by watching movies. In this film I could certainly appreciate how the character LV (Little Voice) removed herself from her oppressive reality. After her father had died, LV played by Jane Horrocks (Brother of the Head, Absolutely Fabulous-TV) would hole up into her room, singing along to her father’s old vinyl records. When she would sing, LV was no longer the quiet, shy girl of her loud and abusive mother Mari Hoff, played by Brenda Blethyn (Atonement, Pride & Prejudice). Little Voice was able to shine just like the popular singers from the records she played. When one of Mari’s sleazy boyfriends, Ray Say played by Michael Caine (The Dark Knight, Inception), heard LV’s incredible singing; he thought he had a chance to make a profit–if only he could convince her to sing at a nightclub. Everyone’s performance in this movie was wonderful, especially the knock out singing from Ms. Horrocks. I, also, loved the way the writers subtley moved the characters out of their comfort zones into new territory. Not only was this emotional movie a perfect escape for me, it was a great movie to watch.
3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Magic Mike
I just experienced my first bachelorette party and I have to say some of you ladies are just nasty! Going to this movie I knew I would be in the minority of men; the audience was approximately 80% female. From the opening scene, the women in the audience were hooting and hollering at the movie screen. It was more fun for me to watch the audience than the movie. The story was about Magic Mike, played by Channing Tatum (The Vow, 21 Jump Street), a male stripper who had aspirations of owning his own business, doing one of a kind furniture pieces. Unfortunately the story splintered into several parallel stories that never grew in depth. Getting real here, most people are not going to see this titillating movie for the character development or life’s lessons. They are going because they want to see bouncing booties and sweaty, chiseled chests. As a fitness instructor I will tell you Channing’s dancing was way beyond anyone else in the cast. I was not surprised since the idea for this story came from him. Before hitting the big time, Channing briefly did a stint as a stripper. He did an admirable job with what he had to work with in this movie. The other stand out in the film was Matthew McConaughey (The Lincoln Lawyer, Bernie) who played Dallas, the owner of the club. It looked like he really enjoyed playing his character. In conclusion, the movie was weak with its narrative; but, on the flipside or should I say backside, you may want to bring dollar bills for the dancers.
2 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
If I knew the world was coming to an end, no carb would be safe near me. Having had to spend most of my years thinking about what I was eating, I would consume anything and everything I could get my hands on. It really would be a dream come true. Right at the beginning of this movie we found out the final attempt to destroy the asteroid Matilda had failed. It was still headed on a collision course with earth. Dodge, played by Steve Carell (Date Night, Evan Almighty), and his wife (real life wife Nancy) heard the news while they were in the car. She bolted from the car in a panic, never to be heard from again. Even with such a morose topic, the humor did not seem out of place to me. When back at his apartment, Dodge witnessed his neighbor Penny, played by Keira Knightley (A Dangerous Method, Pride & Prejudice), breaking up with her boyfriend. From this point on I felt the story began to break down. With chaos exploding around them, Penny and Dodge wound up taking a road trip; he to find the first love of his life and her to get back to her family. Keira did a good job with what she was given in the script. She certainly has that single tear rolling down the face thing that Demi Moore used to be known for. My problem with this film was how scattered it came across. Going from funny to sad, improbable to silly; I quickly lost interest. Another reason could have been Steve Carell; he was not strong enough to be the lead in this role. And here again, I blamed the script for most of it. Sitting in my seat I was more preoccupied with seeking relief at the movie ending than the world coming to an end.
2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Peace, Love and Misunderstanding
The bond between a mother and daughter can be a beautiful and loving connection. That was not the case in this comedy. After her husband declared he was divorcing her; high strung Diane, played by Catherine Keener (The 40 Year Old Virgin, Into the Wild), left with the children and reluctantly went to visit her aged, hippie of a mother. It had been 20 years since mother and daughter had last seen each other. Jane Fonda (Monster-in-Law, Agnes of God) was the pot smoking, laid back, free loving mother Grace–a total opposite from her tightly wound, uptight daughter. All staying under one roof; Grace, Diane and the grandchildren needed time not only to adjust to each other, but to heal issues from the past before they could go forward. The bright spot for me in this clunker of a movie was Elizabeth Olsen (Martha Marcy May Marlene, The Silent House) playing the granddaughter Zoe. I have been so impressed with Elizabeth’s brief career in acting so far; she really has a gift for it. There were parts of the story that interested me; however, what turned me off was Jane Fonda’s character. It was so over the top stereotypical, I was annoyed by it. I would be curious to know why Jane took this role. With no surprises in this movie, it was not long before I started glancing down at my watch–never a good sign. Though Elizabeth and Catherine were good, it was not enough to save this lame movie.
1 3/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Cold Souls
Imagine the possibilities if you were able to swap out your soul for another or just have it removed to avoid some type of distress in your life. For example, maybe you are a lawyer about to go to trial and you want to have the soul of one of the top lawyers in the country. It is an intriguing concept and this dark comedy chose the perfect actor for the role: Paul Giamatti (The Illusionist, Win Win). Playing himself, Paul was struggling in rehearsals for a production of Anton Chekov’s Uncle Vanya. Seeing a magazine article about a storage facility for souls, Paul made an appointment to see Dr. Flintstein, played by David Strathairn (Heavens Fall, The Whistleblower). Mr Giamatti has a gift for quickly changing emotions, going from a humorous point to an intense frantic state with the simple use of his expressive face. The movie with its science fiction vibe had several funny bits throughout it. Paul went from being a soulless actor, much to the director’s chagrin, to a brillant actor with the aid of his temporary soul. I wish the writers would have stayed with this story line instead of bringing in the secondary story involving the Russians. It would have made for a stronger film. Fans of Paul Giamatti will certainly enjoy this movie. For those of you not familiar with his work, this DVD would be one to rent to see his excellent acting skills on display.
2 2/3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Your Sister’s Sister
How many incidents can trace their root cause to the consumption of alcohol? I may not be an expert on the subject, but I certainly have had my share of over served people around me–I was always the designated driver. In this wonderful film Jack, played by Mark Duplass (Safety Not Guaranteed, Humpday), was still struggling with the death of his brother. Iris, played by Emily Blunt (The Five Year Engagement, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen) was not only the brother’s girlfriend but also Jack’s best friend. She offered him the use of her family’s remote getaway home, hoping it would help Jack come to terms with his loss. Upon his arrival, he discovered Iris’ sister Hannah, played by Rosemarie DeWitt (Rachel Getting Married, How I Got Lost), was staying at the home, having just gotten out of a 7 year relationship. With both people suffering; it did not take long for the two to sleep together after a night of drinking. What followed was a story filled with raw emotions, humor, incredible performances and convincing characters. Some of you already know how much I enjoy Emily Blunt and you will understand why after she showed up to surprise Jack. This film had no special effects, no hidden twists, just a realistic story about flawed individuals who were honest enough to recognize their flaws and simply work through them.
3 1/3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Moonrise Kingdom
Do you remember your first love or infatuation? I remember my first love or should I say what I thought was love when I was in the 5th grade. For my very first date, my mother took Diane and me to an afternoon movie–natch. This quirky film was about first love. It took me a short time before I could get into the rhythm of this funny movie. Set in the 1960’s; Sam and Suzy, played by newcomers Jaren Gilman and Kara Hayward, were the young couple in love. They decided to run away which brought the citizens of their small, New England town to come out and search for them. The director Wes Anderson (The Royal Tenenbaums, Fantastic Mr. Fox) assembled an eclectic group of fine actors for this film. For example, there was Edward Norton (The Illusionist, Fight Club) as the Scout Master, Bill Murray (Lost in Translation, Groundhog Day) as Walt Bishop and Bruce Willis (Die Hard franchise, The Sixth Sense) as Captain Sharp were among the ensemble of notable actors. Each character had a different view about the fleeing 12 year old kids, who wanted to get married. The way Mr. Anderson filmed the scenes, my eyes were constantly treated to novel shots filled with nostalgic trappings. I almost felt as if I needed to see this movie again because I may have missed something. From an innocent time long ago, with a cast of characters, everything was set into motion with the onset of first love.
3 1 /4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Charlie Bartlett
It took me one week to realize there was a pecking order in high school. The first time in my music class, I was picked on for knowing about Ludwig van Beethoven. For Charlie Bartlett, played by Anton Yelchin (Like Crazy, Star Trek), it only took one day. Granted, wearing a blazer on the first day in your new school was similar to waving a red cape in front of a bull, in my opinion. After being expelled from several private schools, Charlie’s mother Marilyn Bartlett, played by Hope Davis (Real Steel, The Weather Man), had no choice but to enroll him in a public high school. Like anyone going into high school, Charlie just wanted to fit in and be one of the popular kids, not one of the untouchables. Striking an alliance with one of his tormentors, Charlie set up a little business in the boys restroom. He would listen to classmate’s issues similar to being in a confessional and dispense pharmaceutical drugs to them. With any successful business, it did not take long for Charlie to get on principal, played by Robert Downey Jr (The Avengers, Sherlock Holmes franchise), Nathan Gardner’s radar. This offbeat comedy displayed in a quirky way, the angst and trials of high school life. I thought the acting was well done especially from Robert Downey Jr. No matter where you placed on the pecking order in your school, this movie is sure to bring back some memories for you.
2 3/4 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Waitress
Even with me not being a pie guy when it comes to desserts, this delectable movie made me hungry. The scrumptious looking baked pies added an extra richness to the wonderful story. Jenna Hunterson, played by Keri Russell (August Rush, Felicity-TV), was in a loveless marriage with her controlling husband Earl, played by Jeremy Sisto (Clueless, Into Temptation). Added to her misery was discovering she was pregnant with his child, extending or possibly cementing what she felt was her prison sentence. Only familiar with her work in August Rush, I was impressed with Keri’s acting. She was excellent in the role, beautifully displaying a full range of emotions. When she met new resident, Dr. Jim Pomatter, played by Nathan Fillion (Serenity, Castle-TV); little did she know how her life would change. Dreaming of having enough money to become independent and free of her husband, Jenna planned on entering one of her creations into the pie contest, with the hope of winning the 1st place cash prize. I was truly moved by this lovely, sentimental film. It was a shame Adrienne Shelly, the writer and director, did not live to see the finished movie about the strength of a sweet southern woman’s heart and her ability to pour it into her pies.
3 1/4 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Greenberg
At every social gathering there usually is one person who is the know it all, has an opinion about everything. At least that has been my experience and the reason why I enjoyed this movie. Ben Stiller (Tower Heist, Tropic Thunder) as Roger Greenberg was one of those annoying individuals. He was quite good in this character, that was not a typical role for him. Without the stereotypical sight gags and humor from Ben, his Roger was someone you could hate. Recovering from a nervous breakdown, Roger agreed to fly out and house-sit while his brother and family went out of town. Available to help Roger was Florence Marr the family’s personal assistant, played by Greta Gerwig (no Strings Attached, Arthur). It didn’t take long before she became a target for Greenberg’s mood swings. As Roger tried to navigate the responsibilities needed, he attempted to reconnect with old friends who’s memories were different from his own. Since there was not much action in the story, this film will not appeal to everyone. The acting, however, was what moved the minimal plot; for every actor was strong in their character. If nothing else, my poor opinion of Ben Stiller after seeing his Tower Heist movie has improved after seeing this DVD.
2 2/3 stars — DVD
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