Blog Archives
Flash Movie Review: The Water Horse
With imagination one can create incredible experiences, where some will remain in fantasy and others will lead to a new reality. As for the creature known as the Water Horse; I fully accepted it as being real in this film. It was easy to do with this beautiful story which was accompanied by excellent CGI effects. I was very surprised how much I enjoyed this DVD. Angus MacMorrow, played by Alex Etel (From Time to Time, Millions) was a lonely Scottish boy living with his mother near the shores of Loch Ness. It was the 1940’s and his father was off to war. One day while out by the shore, Angus found an unusual rock. Taking it back home for further inspection, the young lad found it to be a curious puzzle. Confiding in their handyman Lewis Mowbray, played by Ben Chaplin (Me and Orson Wells, Ways to Live Forever), Mr. Mowbray explained the legend of the Water Horse to the curious boy. The trick, however, was whether Angus could keep everything a secret–even when English troops were setting up camp to defend the nearby waters from German submarines. An ideal movie for the entire family; I cannot imagine anyone not being charmed by this layered, enjoyable story.
2 3/4 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Prodigal Sons
Returning to her Helena, Montana high school reunion, transgendered Kimberly Reed had no idea that this would be the easiest part of her trip. Kimberly in high school was Paul McKerrow, star quarterback of the football team. Maybe filmmaker Ms. Reed thought she was going to do a documentary about her class reunion; however, the bigger part of the film revolved around her attempts to reconcile with her adopted older brother, Marc. I was fascinated with the family dynamics as Kimberly and her siblings tried to interact under new definitions of themselves. But with each one coming home to their mother’s house, old rivalries and patterns crept up, making for high drama throughout this movie. I felt Kimberly did an excellent job of directing this movie, while starring in some hard, emotional scenes. One startling scene in particular was Marc discovering the name of his birth mother. Ultimately this well done film showed another example of sibling rivalry, but in a different light. No matter how far one buries issues inside of themselves, they always seem to find a way out.
2 3/4 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Breaking and Entering
Committed relationships are not always easy to maintain; they take effort and work from both parties. Within this dramatic movie, examples were presented of relationships that needed extra work. Will, played by Jude Law (Sherlock Holmes, Cold Mountain) felt like an outsider in his own home, living with Liv played by Robin Wright (Moneyball, A Home at the End of the World) and her daughter. After his architectural firm was broken in to twice, Will staked it out at night and spotted the perpetrator. From a series of events, Will discovered more then just the stolen items from his firm. The acting was exceptional from the entire cast. One of the stand outs for me was Juliette Binoche (Dan in Real Life, Chocolat) as Amira. The director, I felt, did an outstanding job keeping a steady pace throughout the film. I loved the examination of the different relationships portrayed in this movie. Whether it was mother and son or two lovers, the way they were connected into the story line was deftly executed. A well done film that was a surprise find for me; this thrilling drama kept me engaged with each of the characters.
2 3/4 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Flashbacks of a Fool
Within the opening scene of this film, I thought the title was aptly chosen. Little did I know the story was going to take me to a different place from what I had imagined. Daniel Craig (Quantum of Solace, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo) played self-destructive Joe Scott, a movie star on the cusp of being considered too old for the film industry. With the news of his childhood friend’s death, Joe reflects on old memories as he prepares to go back to his boyhood home and attend the funeral. In flashback we see a younger Joe, played by Harry Eden (Oliver Twist, Pure), in scenes that laid the foundation for Joe’s future path in life. I found the acting believable and quite good in the dual story line. Also, I was fascinated how the story took a startling turn of events and connected the past with the present. A well done movie that I enjoyed and admired in its depth of story telling. This was the type of movie where afterwards, I sat back and took a look at some aspects of my life to see how they led me on my current path.
2 3/4 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: 21 Jump Street
It is all about the timing; if I would have only been born later in life, I would have finally been part of the cool group in high school. This movie was certainly not the same as the television show and I was fine with it. Updated with a fresh coat of sarcasm and humor, I was surprised this film turned out better then I expected. Granted, when Jonah Hill (Moneyball, Superbad) is part of a movie, more than likely the humor is not going to be sophisticated, sinking instead to juvenile, potty-mouthed humor. Even though this funny film had its share of childish humor, there was an equal amount of witty, laugh out loud moments. I think a majority of viewers would be able to relate to the amusing twist given to the high school student pecking order. For me, I could identify with Jonah’s character Schmidt more easily than his partner Jenko, played by Channing Tatum (The Vow, The Eagle). After spending their high school years at opposite ends of the popularity spectrum, police officers Jenko and Schmidt further bond when they were sent undercover to bust a high school drug ring. The pacing was fast through most of the movie and I will give Jonah extra credit for his contribution to the writing of the script. I would never have thought, but I had a good time watching this movie. And I laughed at the surprise cameo appearance towards the end of this comedic action film.
2 3/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Being Flynn
Welcome back Mr. De Niro, you have been missed. For the longest time, Robert De Niro (New Year’s Eve, Goodfellas) has been more like a caricature of himself; doing some cheesy, crappy movies. I was grateful to see him take on the role of Jonathan Flynn; a delusional, self-proclaimed writer. As an absentee father to his son Nick, played by Paul Dano (There Will be Blood, Cowboys & Aliens), Jonathan re-appeared into his son’s life, when he walked into the homeless shelter where Nick was employed. With this set-up the audience was treated to some fine acting from father and son, as the conflicted Nick wondered if there was a chance to connect with his dad. I felt the scenes in the shelter were some of the best in the movie. The story periodically jumped from present to Nick’s childhood, where we were fortunate to see Nick’s mother, Jody Flynn played by the wonderful Julianne Moore (The Kids Are All Right, Chloe). For the latter part of the movie, I felt the story weakened, slowing down the pace. If nothing else, it was good to see Robert De Niro take on a decent role. I only hope he continues to take on challenging roles and display that fine acting we were used to getting.
2 3/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: John Carter
On my quest to see all 50 states, little did I know I had been to Mars on one of my excursions. While viewing this movie I recognized the landscape in several of the scenes. Did it distract me from the story? Not at all; it was about the images and it was obvious Disney poured a lot of money into this visual extravaganza of a movie. For me, the look of it reminded me slightly of Star Wars. There were fascinating alien creatures, big battle scenes and a love story involving a princess. Lynn Collins (The Number 23, The Lake House) played the strong, intelligent princess, Dejah Thoris. As for the story, I found it weak, leaving me confused in some parts. Civil War vet John Carter, played by Taylor Kitsch (X-Men Origins: Wolverine, The Covenant), unwittingly discovered he was transported to another planet, where he now had super strength and agility. Oh and those twelve foot tall aliens were another clue he was not on earth. There were several basic plot lines: a group of mysterious beings that I did not fully understand what their ultimate purpose was in the story; an individual who was determined to take over the entire planet and a search for some mysterious thing that would tip the scale of power among opposing forces. As I said, the story was not the best; however, the movie’s action was exciting and I enjoyed all the special effects. I only wish Disney would have spent just a little more money on disguising the locale they used, here on earth.
2 3/4 stars
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