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Flash Movie Review: The Scent of Green Papaya
The majority of the people who asked me if I was paying attention never knew how much attention I was actually devoting to them. I was probably studying their face as they were speaking to me. Looking at the shape of their ears, studying the color of their eyes, listening to the sound of their speech, checking their teeth for any errant food particles, noticing any unusual smells wafting off of them; I was trying to expand and fine-tune my senses. Our five senses, some say six, is something I never took for granted. I thought everyone practiced exercising their senses; it never occurred to me that someone would not be doing it. Growing up I thought the more I used my hearing the farther and clearer it would be able to hear sounds. The idea of hearing a colony of ants on the sidewalk as they systematically moved particles of sand fascinated me to no end; I thought with practice one day I would hear them. Little did I know in the adult world hearing or should I say listening would almost be a lost art form. I have encountered so many people who do not hear what a person is telling them. The same can be said about seeing; haven’t you ever walked down the street with a friend and at some point asked them if they saw that stranger standing at the store window or say bus stop? They did not see anyone and have no idea what you are talking about. I have had this happen to me more times than I can count. There is so much going around us in our daily lives that I cannot imagine not being able to experience even a little of it each day. If you are not totally convinced maybe this beautiful drama will help you. TEN year old Mui, played by relative newcomer Man San Lu, was sent to live with a family who had experienced a tragic loss, to become their servant. Nothing was taken for granted in this household. This film festival winner and Oscar nominated movie had a gentle, quiet story. I say quiet because scenes focused on some of the simplest things but were able to produce exquisite results. With a beautiful music score I thought the script was well done and the actors such as Tran Nu Yenkhe (The Vertical Ray of the Sun, Cyclo) as the adult Mui and relative newcomer Thi Loc Truong as La mere were all totally believable. I enjoyed the way the story moved forward; things were subtly introduced instead of being too overt. In some ways I felt this produced calmness to the story even when there was an issue brewing underneath the surface. In addition, the use of dialog was kept to a minimum. This was the type of picture one could easily sit down to watch and absorb the action with one’s senses. Vietnamese was spoken with English subtitles.
3 1/2 stars — DVD
Oscar Predictions 2016
Five people are lined up waiting for the starting bell. When it goes off they race as fast as they can to the finish line. It seems as if the race was over just as fast as when it started. Under these circumstances I agree on naming one of the contestants the”winner.” The person was the fastest human on the planet. You see all five people ran their hearts out to get to the finish line first; but they were timed, so one came in first, the next one second and so on. Truthfully I have no issue with this type of contest because it seems more like physics to me. The Oscars on the other hand are different; how does one judge art? It is that time of year that everyone (that is right I am pointing my finger at you) is all abuzz about who will get an Oscar award. I do not know what methods other people use to decide who deserves the award (notice we no longer use the words win or winner, example: …and the Oscar goes to ___), but this is how I choose the acting roles: the actor who is the most convincing and totally becomes the character, where I no longer see them as “so and so” portraying a character, they are the character; they get my vote. My bottom line for how I choose in the other categories is how much did that nominee or aspect contribute to the entire film watching experience and teleport me from my theater seat into the picture and story.
With no further ado I present to you my choices on who I would like to see get the Oscar award and who will probably receive it.
MY PICKS THEIR PICKS
BEST PICTURE:
SPOTLIGHT THE BIG SHORT
BEST DIRECTOR:
ALEJANDRO GONZALEZ INARRITU ALEJANDRO GONZALEZ INARRITU
BEST ACTOR:
LEONARDO DICAPRIO LEONARDO DICAPRIO
BEST ACTRESS:
BRIE LARSON CHARLOTTE RAMPLING
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
SYLVESTER STALLONE MARK RYLANCE
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
ALICIA VIKANDER KATE WINSLET
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:
SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:
THE BIG SHORT THE MARTIAN
BEST FOREIGN FILM: (I DID NOT SEE ALL THE NOMINEES)
SON OF SAUL
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: (I DID NOT SEE ALL THE NOMINEES)
INSIDE OUT
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE:
THE HATEFUL EIGHT THE HATEFUL EIGHT
As the past Oscar season is about to come to a close, I want to wish all of you an Oscar day filled with unexpected joy, happy surprises and as always good health. Thank you for joining me on this journey to discover that elusive 4 star movie.
Let the show begin!
Flash Movie Trailer: Cafe De Flore
The sun’s light provides you with vitamin D. If you get too much sunlight you could damage your skin, even get a disease. Water is a vital component in maintaining a healthy body, however too much of it could wash out important nutrients or do something worse to your body. There are some people who fill their life with extremes. You may have heard someone say, “they play hard” or “party hard,” which means the individual does something to excess. I used to work with someone who would constantly come into the office hung over from a night of drinking. There are just some people who do not have the word “moderation” in their vocabulary. If I think about it is there anything one can do to an extreme without it being harmful in some way? At the health club I have seen people work out for hours; it cannot be healthy since they not only look like skeletons, they are creating hormonal changes in their bodies. Or have you ever been with someone who quickly wants to become part of your life? I have dated a couple of these individuals and I have to tell you I found it creepy. You may have experienced something like it. They start liking the same things you do, start using your funny catch phrases or sayings and want to be with you every minute of the day. Whether you say excessive or obsession it is not a good thing. A relationship with obsessive love will be an unhealthy one, filled with side effects. SUCCESSFUL Montreal based DJ Antoine Godin’s, played by Kevin Parent (The Calling, La Maison du Pecheur), love ended his marriage. Parisian native Jacqueline, played by Vanessa Paradis (Fading Gigolo, Heartbreaker), experienced the same thing but for totally different reasons. This dramatic romance had two parallel stories running at the same time: one set in Paris during the 1960s and the other in present day Montreal. It was not hard going back and forth between the stories in this film festival winning movie because each of them covered weighty topics. The actors were well suited to handle the script; they kept things interesting for me. There was an element of mystery or maybe I should say suspense in the way the stories revealed little things that tried to tie the two together; however, I could not figure it out. It had the feeling of mysticism or psychic connection I believe, as several scenes introduced were dream sequences. This was confusing for me. Separately I was interested in each story though I was more involved with the story line for Jacqueline. I am guessing many viewers of this film have seen or reacted similarly to the actions of the characters; that is what kept my interest. However, I felt if the movie studio had done two separate films for the stories each would have been stronger. French was spoken with English subtitles.
2 1/4 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Don Verdean
No matter where you look, from a corporation to a charitable organization to a health care facility, there will always be someone there who has the power. I have seen so many times where an individual changes once they get themselves into a position of power. It takes a strong internal makeup not to get corrupted by its force or to use it for one’s own advantage. At a former company where I worked there was an individual who did any and everything to get a particular title attached to their name. They did some sneaky and underhanded things to other employees just to get ahead in their career. The thing that really got me was when their actions were questioned by any of their co-workers (the ones that even talked to them) they would claim they had to act that way because it would benefit the company. This was rarely the case as far as I could tell. Even on the world stage haven’t we all seen individuals who claim their actions were for the greater good? I have such a hard time listening to people who claim to be righteous but they do not act it. I know an individual who is active in their religion and is quick to use their activities as proof that they are devout in their belief. However if you heard some of the prejudicial remarks that came out of their mouth you would never believe they were a religious person. To top it off, I have seen their friends who all believe this individual is the poster child for goodness. Do you think their title of vice chairman has anything to do with it? BIBLICAL archaeologist Don Verdean, played by Sam Rockwell (The Sitter, Seven Psychopaths), was approached by Pastor Tony Lazarus, played by Danny McBride (Your Highness, This is the End), to form a partnership where Don’s discoveries would go on display at Pastor Lazarus’ church. The pastor believed this would greatly increase the size of his congregation and Don did not want to disappoint him. This comedy had a well seasoned cast; besides Sam and Danny, it had Amy Ryan (Escape Plan, Gone Baby Bone) as Carol Jensen and Jemaine Clement (What We Do in the Shadows, Men in Black 3) as Boaz. The story was a satire or more precisely a spoof on people’s willingness to believe anything depending on how it is presented to them. I thought the idea for this comedy was okay but as the movie continued I realized nothing was making me care about any of the characters. As the story played out it dropped into a madcap mode that came across as ridiculous. The actors did try to help but by the end of the film I was left with a blah feeling; there was nothing great or bad about this picture, it was innocuous if you can believe it.
1 3/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Creed
I gained new friends after I finished reading the book. Once the novel was back safely on its shelf the characters remained alive for me; I found myself thinking about them from time to time. As days turned into weeks I found myself wondering what a certain character would be doing now if the story had not ended. Do you ever find yourself doing the same thing? From a book or movie, maybe even someone you used to know? I have known several people who spend time online looking up individuals they used to have contact with in the past. Some may have been business contact, friends or romantic ones; they just wanted to know what happened to them. The same curiousity can be applied to the cast in a movie. There have been times where I enjoyed a film so much I wanted to experience the same characters in another story, hence the reason for sequels. Like any movie there have been excellent and poor sequels made by the film studios. I do not know if you feel the same way; but when I watch a sequel of a movie I praised highly, if the sequel is not good I feel cheated. It makes me not receptive to anything else the studio tries; I just want to preserve the good feelings I still have with the original one. In regards to this movie today, I thought Rocky was an excellent picture. Once the franchise was over I never gave it any thought; in fact, I did not know I even wanted to know something more until I saw this total surprise of a film. GROWING up without knowing his famous father Adonis Johnson, played by Micael B. Jordan (Fruitvale Station, Fantastic Four), never wanted anyone to know he was the boxing champion’s son; instead, he wanted to make a name for himself. With his athletic abilities Adonis felt the only person who could help him hone his skills was the former boxing champion Rocky Balboa, played by Sylvester Stallone (The Expendables franchise, Escape Plan). This dramatic sport film was simply a stunner for me. I never imagined a story would be created that moved the Rocky franchise from years ago to current times. The writers did an incredible job of tying the past to the present and I was amazed at how good Sylvester was playing a much older Rocky. With Phylicia Rashad (Good Deeds, Just Wright) as Mary Anne Creed and Tessa Thompson (Selma, Dear White People) as Bianca, everyone in the cast did their part to create an honest and real film that totally kept my interest. Even with the tough bloody scenes, I remained focused into this beautifully told story. Some of you may be surprised with this review and I want to tell you no one is more surprised than me. I want to know what will happen next to Adonis Johnson. Several scenes had blood and violence in them.
3 1/3 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Last Witch Hunter
Except when it concerns weight, most instances of loss more times than not are associated with sadness. Even from a scarf to a pair of sunglasses, I have never heard someone say they were happy about losing them. Sadness can be overwhelming when it comes to the loss of a loved one. And if the death was sudden like a heart attack, the survivors can experience shock along with the sad feelings flooding over them. Though I would never say anything, I never understood when someone would say, “We lost her/him today.” I have always wondered if people were just uncomfortable saying the word “died,” maybe because it sounds so final or abrupt as compared to passing away or gone. Now there is another aspect of loss that I think must be harder to deal with and that is when the death is unexpected. Maybe due to an accident or killing, I can only imagine how awful it must feel. There were a couple of different people I knew who had experienced such a tragedy and it was heartbreaking. Though I will say when it comes to this form of death I can understand why a person would have a vein of anger and revenge mixed in with their unhappiness. Hopefully I will never have to experience such a horrible thing in my life. I would rather be exposed to this type of event as an observer while watching a movie. Or at least I thought so until I saw this fantasy adventure. CURSED by a witch with immortal life Kaulder, played by Vin Diesel (Fast & Furious franchise, The Pacifier), would spend his life throughout the centuries protecting the world from such wretched witches. This action film was all about the CGI effects. There were a couple of scenes that were actually good. I thought the idea behind the story was decent; however the script was as dull as an old rusty nail. With Elijah Wood (The Lord of the Rings franchise, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) as Dolan 37th, Michael Caine (Harry Brown, Inception) as Dolan 36th and Rose Leslie (Game of Thrones-TV, Downton Abbey-TV) as Chloe; the actors had nothing to work with to try and make this film at least somewhat exciting. As for Vin, with his limited acting range, this role did not suit him at all. With his monotone speech, I found him boring. Maybe part of the issue was the direction the actors were getting because I did not care for the way scenes jumped back and forth in time; it made for a frenzied viewing experience. I will say I did not mind Rose Leslie’s character and wished there were more scenes with Michael; though even his character seemed like one I have seen him play before. This is one film I would not be sad if the movie studio lost.
1 2/3 stars
Oscar Telecast
There once was a little boy who was not very little. A majority of the people around him all looked the same which made him more self-concsious about his size. Not finding many places to fit in, to be like one of the others around him, he found a safe place in a palace. It looked like a palace to him with stained glass windows, smooth white colored brick walls, aged statues and a massive awning filled with colored lights perched above sets of pure glass doors with brass oversized handles. He not only felt safe inside but found a whole different world to the one he was living in. The first spot he would stop at once inside was the glass cases that were pieced together like a kid’s fort. Walking around he saw more types of candy than he had ever seen before. From there he would walk through a set of polished black doors that opened into a huge auditorium filled with row upon row of red velvet seats. He spent as much time as he could in this place because he discovered different worlds and experienced things he only saw in his imagination. Every week there would be a new movie that proved to him there were all types of people from all different places. He laughed, he cried, he yearned, he wished; and most importantly discovered he was okay just the way he was. FROM that point in time he has paid his respects to the magic of movies by watching the Oscar telecast every year. This year the show started out on a high note with the host Neil Patrick Harris doing what he does best, being a song and dance man. With the special effects around him that placed him into classic movie clips, things took a fun turn with Anna Kendrick and Jack Black. As the evening progressed Neil had more misses than hits as a host. The schtick with Octavia Spencer got old fast, though I give him points for honoring the film Birdman by walking out on stage in his underwear. One of my favorite moments was Lady Gaga’s tribute to the 50th anniversary of the movie The Sound of Music. Having seen her in concert where she sang live, she already had extra points in my book. Using a higher register of voice without losing her power; she did the movie proud. And if that was not enough to have Julie Andrews walk on stage was perfect for me. I wanted Mary Poppins to come to my house when I was a kid. For the best song from the movie Selma I thought the staging, the message and the vocals all contributed to the power a song has not only in a movie but in our hearts. THIS year the speeches took on a more personal aspect. The one everyone is talking about and deservedly so was the one given by Graham Moore for best adapted screenplay for The Imitation Game. Coming from the heart, his speech was the most inspiring in my opinion. Julianne Moore and Patricia Arquette both had strong speeches delivered in two distinctly different styles, yet each had potency in their words. Reese Witherspoon may not have given an acceptance speech but her #askhermore campaign is a wonderful idea. I understand all the designers are expecting shout outs for their handy work with the gowns the actresses are wearing, but is that all people want to hear about? Reese’s idea is for journalists to start asking more questions besides, “Who are you wearing?” OVERALL I am pleased with who received the Oscar award. To tell you the truth on one level I find it odd to place movies into a race with each other. My thing has always been if a movie can move you then it did its job. Just like there has to be someone who graduates at the top of their class and others from the bottom, some movies are phenomenal and others are awful. No matter what movie I am seeing, to this day there is a certain comfort and safety that comes over me when I sit down in a movie theater seat. So with the Oscars now given out the past year of movies has come to a close. May the new year of films stir something in our hearts and give us something to talk about.
Oscar Predictions
For the past year I have spent my time in a variety of movie theaters. Some had floors so sticky that my shoes refused to go with me when I tried to leave my seat. There were numerous occasions I had to ask people around me to shut off their phones; some did so obediently while others had to first glare at me. I did not care for I had a movie to watch and review. And what a year it has been; we learned there was a theory for everything and we had new guardians of the galaxy. The Chicago Bears finally caught a Fox and a man bonded with the avian world. There was another lesson on how to train your dragon while a woman went wild and another was just gone. We saw a boy grow up to be a mature young man and discovered a new hotel in Budapest. Such an eclectic group of films the past year; just the way I like it. As we come to an end this weekend during the high holiday of the Oscar awards, I want to thank each and every one of you for joining me on this journey that was filled with discovery, disappointment, joy, amazement, anger and love. Wow, doesn’t that sound just like an intimate relationship? Without further ado, here are my thoughts and predictions for who will take home the Oscar.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Patricia Arquette (Boyhood)
I would be very surprised if the academy awards this to Meryl. Personally my other choice would have been Emma Stone.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: J.K. Simmons (Whiplash)
This was my easiest decision; I felt he deserved it from the moment I saw him in this movie.
BEST DIRECTOR: Alejandro G. Inarritu (Birdman)
I believe the academy will choose Richard Linklater for Boyhood because the film was novel. However, I thought Alejandro with his seamless filming was extraordinary.
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: CitizenFour
Though I did not see all the nominees in this category I thought this film played out like an exciting thriller. My other choice would be Finding Vivian Maier.
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM: How to Train Your Dragon 2
Once again I did not see all the entries in this category but I felt this picture was the most well-rounded out of the group.
BEST ACTRESS: Julianne Moore
It is not only her time now but out of the group I thought she really stood out.
BEST ACTOR: Eddie Redmayne
This was my toughest decision and I feel there is a good chance the Academy will choose Michael Keaton based on his body of work. I would be okay with that decision. He was excellent but I felt Eddie’s detailed transformation made for a brilliant performance. My other choice would be Benedict Cumberbatch.
BEST MOTION PICTURE: Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Here again I feel the Academy might reward Boyhood though if I did not choose Birdman first I would choose The Grand Budapest Hotel.
BEST ORIGINAL SONG: Glory
If for nothing else this movie deserved more nominations so the Academy will vote to give this the best song Oscar and I agree on the choice; it was the most memorable to me.
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: The Grand Budapest Hotel
I normally do not include this category in my predictions but because the movie was so different and fun, I wanted to list it as my 1st choice.
There you have it, this year’s predictions. No matter who wins, I had a great time watching all of these films.
The Power of a Movie
This weekend I was fortunate to see a live production of The King and I. Walking into the theater, where I had been to see a variety of plays and musicals many times before, I noticed the walls had been transformed into carved walls of a palace or temple. Hanging above were gold colored pagoda rooftops, placed symmetrically all around the perimeter of the stage lines. As the lights lowered the orchestra began playing the overture and I felt something welling up inside of me. The notes from the music rolled out into the theater; I felt my mind opening up, revealing a memory of me sprawled with a pillow on the floor of the living room from my childhood home. A spotlight opened up from its peaceful slumber; its ray of light illuminating on stage a young boy who was peering through a spyglass. It seemed as if each of my eyes were watching a different story. One eye was observing the activity on stage while my other eye was peering down on the younger me and my family who were placed around our television in the living room. We were watching the movie, The King and I, which was playing on TV. As the actors on stage acted out their scenes I felt myself getting drawn into their character’s lives. When one of them would break into song, I would remember what I was thinking the first time I had heard that song back in that living room.
As the King’s first wife sang the song Something Wonderful, I was taught love was an unconditional gift. Just because someone has a few faults doesn’t mean one has to love them less. Seeing Anna preparing everyone for the grand ball taught me how to find common ground within a diverse group of people. Across the stage Anna and the King were dancing in quick twirls, her satin ball gown with crystal jewels blazing in the spotlights. I not only learned how to be respectful of another person’s limitations, but saw how one needs to have fun in their life. One of the most important lessons I learned when I was that little boy on the floor watching that grand musical movie was not to have regrets; be able to, without fear, verbalize my feelings. During the final scene of the play my eyes which had been bathed in moisture a couple of times prior, opened wide to release their retention pond of tears. With the flood of memories from my childhood resting on me and the actors on stage taking their bows, my evening was perfect. A wonderful production of a great story and revisiting some of the important groundwork I learned from that incredible movie.
Razzie Award Predictions
This past Oscar season I have discovered new things about myself. From the nearby couple who kept talking during the movie I learned restraint; instead of asking them to look around and notice they are not sitting at home in their living room, I quietly whispered the “shhh” sound. During a particularly tedious film I realized I could do several yoga poses if I lifted up the armrests of my seat. Due to my keen observations I figured out to never sit near anyone who is carrying a large bag, purse or backpack; they inevitably have food in them, from candy to full size meals and cannot help but make munching, slurping or crunching noises. There is one other thing I learned and that is realizing how strong my determination can be. No matter how awful the film, I refused to nap or get up and walk out of the theater. As a result I have seen a whole bunch of movies I would normally never bother seeing. So I am going to try something new here and predict the Golden Raspberry Awards, also known as the Razzies. These awards for the worst performances and picture were started in 1980 by the American copywriter and publicist J.B. Wilson. If nothing else consider this my little gift to you in the form of a cheat sheet on what to avoid, thereby saving yourself time and money. Without further ado please find below the winners for the worst of last year.
Worst Actor: Johnny Depp in The Lone Ranger
This was close since Johnny was up against Sylvester Stallone who was nominated worst actor in three different movies. I chose Johnny because he coasted through this role, bringing nothing of value. Sylvester was simply trying not to act his age in boring movies.
Worst Actress: Halle Berry in The Call and Movie 43
With Naomi Watts being nominated for Diana and Movie 43, this could easily go her way. Both women were awful in their films. I did not see nominee Lindsay Lohan in The Canyons.
Worst Supporting Actor: Chris Brown in Battle of the Year
A pathetic performance for a silly film.
Worst Supporting Actress: Kim Kardashian in Tyler Perry’s Temptation
All my classes know not to mention the “K” word; not one family member’s name shall ever be uttered during class. So it kills me that Kim gets the award.
Worst Picture: Movie 43
I was torn here between this film and The Lone Ranger. Both would be suitable for worst film of the year; however, I went with Movie 43 because I found it offensive. The Lone Ranger was simply dumb.
May you avoid these lame movies unless you have a white elephant movie party, where everyone sits around and makes fun of the film.
moviejoltz 