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Flash Movie Review: I’ll See You in My Dreams
You see them with their heads bowed, peering down at the item in their hand. If you did not know better you would think everyone standing in the aisle was having a moment of silence. What they are looking for is the defining answer on whether they will purchase that particular item; it all depends on the expiration date. If the date is close or even past the day’s date, the food item is placed back on the shelf and the shopper looks for a fresh container. Thank heaven love doesn’t have an expiration date, though seeing some people’s reactions to an elderly couple being affectionate makes me wonder. If two people can find each other and form a long lasting love relationship then I say more power to them. I am not comfortable when I see anyone performing public displays of affection that go way over the top, where you want to tell them to go get a room. For those types of individuals I think they are doing it more for the people around them than the recipient of their affections. However, when I see a couple holding hands or one has their hand gently resting on the other person’s leg or back I think those two people have a comfortable connection. When I am in a relationship I enjoy resting my hand on the person’s arm or leg, especially at the movies because I can get an extra read on how they are reacting to the film. So why should it matter how old a person is if they can still find and enjoy being in love? CAROL Peterson, played by Blythe Danner (Meet the Parents franchise, The Lightkeepers), had been a widow for many years. Encouraged by her friends she attended a speed dating event. It only reaffirmed why she preferred to be alone all these years; but did she really prefer it? This comedic drama had everything working in its favor. Blythe was so good; she may get a nomination for best actress for this role. I cannot believe this was Blythe’s first starring role; she was in every scene and was wonderful. Joining her in this story were June Squibb (Nebraska, Scent of a Woman) as Georgiana, Rhea Perlman (Matilda, Cheers-TV) as Sally, Martin Starr (Knocked Up, Adventureland) as Lloyd and Sam Elliott (Tombstone, Draft Day) as Bill. The script was smartly written, allowing characters to grow in a real and organic way; I was quite taken by this movie. The script felt fresh and was not predictable. Whether you are young or old, I feel everyone could connect to this picture on some level. Love is a powerful force; it would be hard to resist it and this film.
3 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Crude
It made a cool spaceship without its razor blade. There was an old metal razor in the cabinet below the sink that I would take out and pretend it was a spaceship. I would hold out the length of my arm and fly it around the house. The best part was how the tip of the handle would turn and the top of the straight razor would open up like dock doors. This is where my spaceship hid its laser cannon. I don’t even know if they make these types of razors anymore because I use disposable plastic ones. I can remember a time when a host wanted to give you leftovers; they would be on a dinner plate covered in tin foil. Now everyone has these disposable plastic containers in every imaginable size. When I am hosting a dinner party I buy several of these to give leftovers to my guest. Most people appreciate it because let us face it, who wants to wash and take care of someone else’s dinnerware until you can give it back to them. I actually do not give the containers a single thought once I turn them over to someone else; I do not expect them back. Everything is becoming disposable these days it seems. When I accidentally stepped on the plastic lid of a storage container and cracked it, I just threw it out and bought a new one. It is a mindset I acquired from everything around me; it never occurred to me to stop and think about what was the real price paid to stock all of this plastic stuff found on store shelves. Now that I have watched this film I give it a lot of thought. INVOLVING thousands of people and billions of dollars, this film festival winning documentary felt like a legal drama. This movie was about the lawsuit that the people of Ecuador brought against one of the largest multinational oil companies. Director Joe Berlinger (Brother’s Keeper, Under African Skies) did an incredible job of making this film interesting, informative and startling. I thought showing the opposing lawyers talking about the case was a perfect way to engage the viewer. Seeing some of the damage that had been done to the Amazon area, to the people who live there; I have to tell you I felt like I contributed to these people’s hardships by having a laissez-faire attitude towards disposable items. I think that really says something for the writers and director on the way they made this unbelievable documentary. For example they touched on human rights, politics, the environment and the loss of culture to name a few. When I was done watching this DVD I really wished I had that straight razor instead of those damn plastic disposable razors.
3 1/2 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Mad Max: Fury Road
There are various reasons to chase someone and I think I have experienced most of them. I can remember as a small child the thrill of having a relative chase me around the house. Funny for their size and age it was surprising they did not catch me more times than they did back then. I understood this better when I started being asked by my younger relatives to try and catch them. Then there was the time I was riding my bicycle in the neighborhood and a neighbor’s dog ran after me when I passed in front of its house. I was huffing and puffing as I sped away, not sure if the dog was being friendly or protecting its territory. Another form of chasing is when you spot someone you know in a crowd and you try to catch up to them. Out of the different reasons for being chased the one that produces the most adrenaline is the one where you feel you are about to receive bodily damage if you are caught. In that split second when you realize the person or the group assembled in front of you wants to hurt you, your entire body springs into a hyper accelerated gear as you try to run away. All of your senses fine tune themselves to accept clues from your surroundings at a faster clip. The eyes continuously scan for clear paths; the ears listen beyond their usual range to keep track of your attackers and you feel your temperature rising to keep every muscle and fiber from tearing apart under the added exertion. An example of this can be found in this action adventure film. WITH humanity broken and barely surviving on a spent planet two rebels dream about a better place. Such a dream could get them killed. Writer and director George Miller (The Witches of Eastwick, Happy Feet franchise) did not create a remake of his original Mad Max movies here; he produced a fierce, fiery adrenaline fueled science fiction fantasy that was utterly intense. Though I could barely understand some of the dialog, this film was meant to be a visual experience. Tom Hardy (Warrior, Child 44) and Charlize Theron (The Italian Job, Monster) as Max Rockatansky and Imperator Furiosa were awesome. I loved the female empowerment angle to the story. Honestly, you can say whatever you want about the story; it really doesn’t matter because this was a visual masterpiece. There was so much action during what was essentially one long continuous chase scene that I was just amazed with the retro feel to everything. I could not tell what was CGI or what were actual stunts; even the motor vehicles were like individual characters. This picture was one stripped down, raw, death defying road trip without a seat belt. There were scenes with blood and violence.
3 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story
All the way to the amusement park we kept hearing about this fictional being that flies in the air. The adults in the car knew it was just a marketing tool to entice children into the park and more importantly into the gift shops. When we finally endured the long lines, mosquitoes and conveniently located souvenir stands; we were all sitting down in our seats in the theater. When the lights went down and the fictional being, who was a person wearing a costume, appeared on stage I looked down at the small child next to me and saw pure innocent wonderment. They had a stuffed toy of this thing that they slept with at night, one of their books and now it was live up on stage; I will never forget the look on that child’s face. It is too bad that innocence does not last longer in all of us. I am reminded of a conversation I had with a relative recently. They were telling me about their young daughter who was traumatized in class when a classmate said the Easter bunny was not real. Up until that point she had believed the bunny was real. This film reminded me what it was like to be a child again, steeped in an imaginary world. FROM a childhood of abuse and teasing emerged one of the biggest cultural icons; yet no one would ever recognize him walking down the street. For over 40 years puppeteer Caroll Spinney has been doing Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch, from the Muppets. Nearly 80 years old, he has no plans to stop being them. This film festival winning documentary was filled with so many memorable moments from the past that I could not help but relive parallel memories as I watched this magical movie. I cannot imagine any viewer sitting through this picture without making some kind of personal connection. I was stunned by what Caroll had to do to manipulate Big Bird’s costume; wait until you see him getting ready to perform. Hearing the different stories from the human Muppets like Frank Oz (Miss Piggy, Yoda) and Jim Henson (Kermit the Frog, Ernie) only endeared me more to these people and their creations. Now I did wonder if some things were told or depicted through sanitized lenses because they were a bit too cloyingly sweet. Another way of saying this would be, “A bit too schmaltzy.” However I absolutely forgave the minor faults, like the fuzzy home footage, of this film because of the high entertainment value it provided me. Maybe there are some people who do not want to see the reality behind these magical puppets, afraid it will burst their memories. I on the other hand got to be a little kid again for the night.
3 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: King of Devil’s Island
They were different times back then; an age prior to the sheen of political correctness and the term, “time out.” Back then punishments were doled out with non-negotiable terms. Not only could one’s own parents differ in their style of implementation, each set of parents in the neighborhood varied tremendously on what they considered to be a just punishment. I remember one mother down the street would stand on the porch and threaten her son that she was going to send him away to a bad boy’s school. Another parent would impose a curfew on any of her children if they acted up; usually this meant they could only go outside to go to school, but then come straight home and stay in the house. I can still remember a couple of friends who would get smacked in the head if they got in trouble. No one ever questioned these actions nor did anyone call the Department of Children and Family Services. I am a firm believer in doling out a proper punishment for the “crime.” Granted it is steeped in a foundation of reasoning and I know there are some times one cannot reason with a screaming child. However, I like the idea of explaining if these actions continue then this will be the consequences…and follow through with it. Some of you may recall a few of the stories I have mentioned previously about the things that took place in my high school. This dramatic action film could give my school a run for its money. BASTOY was an island where juvenile delinquent boys would be sent to do time. Harsh punishment was the norm for any infraction, but that did not seem to stop the newest boy named Erling/C-19, played by Benjamin Helstad (Body Troopers, Permafrost). The rumor going around was Erling had been sent because he had murdered someone. This film festival winning dramatic movie was based on a true story and what a story it was. Set in the early 20th century in Norway, the entire look of the film was a continuous grim harshness. It worked perfectly for the well done script. Speaking of the script, I enjoyed the way it drew the viewer into the story. With actors such as Stellan Skarsgard (The Avengers, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) as Bestyreren, Trond Nilssen (All That Matters is Past, Sons of Norway) as Olav/C-1 and Kristoffer Joner (The Monitor, Next Door) as Brathen; I thought the entire cast did a wonderful job with their characters. As I sat and watched this film I wondered how different the story would have been if it had taken place today. A frightening thought either way. Norwegian and Swedish was spoken with English subtitles.
3 1/2 star — DVD
Flash Movie Review: City of Life and Death
Our usual ammunition was snowballs and squirt guns, with the occasional water balloon bombs. But when a friend came up with the brilliant idea to freeze the water balloons first, our parents put a stop to it when one friend on the enemy’s side got a black eye from one of our frozen balloons. In wintertime when a heavy wet snow would fall, my friends and I would be outside building forts, stockpiling them with snowballs. During summer we would choose different apartment buildings to be our designated headquarters as we would sneak through alleys and gangways for a surprise attack on our enemies. This was the extent of our war games; it was based on what we learned about warfare in school. From our textbooks and videos we saw war as a distant game filled with bombs and guns. There really was no personal connection for most of us. It was not until new neighbors moved into our apartment building, that I got a deeper understanding of how war affects all of us. One of the new neighbors had a series of numbers tattooed on her forearm. It was the first time I had seen such a thing so I asked her about it. She explained to me how she was a concentration camp survivor which led to multiple questions from me. From that point on, whenever the subject of war came up in class, I would always go and ask her opinion. I discovered there were and had been many horrors done throughout the world. AFTER defeating the Chinese troops in the city of Nanking during the year 1937, the Japanese troops settled into a six week reign of terror against the city’s residents. Though I was familiar with the history of this event, this film festival winning drama was utterly riveting. Filmed in black and white, the story unfolded with the assistance of seeing things through the eyes of three different individuals. There was Hideo Nakaizumi (Who’s Camus Anyway, Scout Man) as Kadokawa, Wei Fan (Back to 1942, Set Off) as Mr. Tang and Yuanyuan Gao (Beijing Bicycle, Caught in the Web) as Miss Jiang. I thought it was brilliant the way the director shot this historical war movie; there was a direct approach that needed no special effects or swooning melodrama. Honestly, this was one of the most realistic portrayals I have seen in a World War II film. It also had some hard scenes of brutality and horror, besides violence and blood. Speaking to a friend after seeing this picture, she asked me why I watch such movies. The reason is to remind me that war is not a kid’s game. Chinese, Japanese, German and English was spoken with English subtitles.
3 1/2 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: The Salt of the Earth
Photographs are the vehicles that bring pieces of the world to our consciousness. Like a garden in full bloom, some pictures form perennial memories that come up in our thoughts from time to time. There are others that bloom large in our mind that only last for a short time before withering away into the autumn then winter of its life. My attraction to photography started at a young age. Early on my purpose was to capture moments in my and other people’s lives like cobblestones that would help build the path of our lives. In college I found other ways to use a camera to create art. There was one class where our goal was to shoot the ordinary and make it into the extraordinary; I went crazy in this class, shooting and developing photos every weekend. One of the photos was hung up in our school gallery. It was a close-up picture of bananas, but after blowing the size up and framing it, it looked like it was an old discarded toilet. For me there is a difference between scenes shown on a newscast versus a photograph. Seeing something on TV, even if it is disturbing, tends to be fleeting or separate from one’s self. I find photographs are more powerful, capturing more emotional deepness in my opinion. Maybe it is because of all these reality based shows these days, but I tend to assume most things being broadcast are being shown through a filter. Looking at a photograph can be a moving experience. PHOTOGRAPHER and cinematographer Sebastiao Salgado (The Spectre of Hope, Looking Back at You-TV movie) has been taking photographs for over 40 years. Through his camera lens he has seen some things no one should have to see; yet each one can become a chapter in a book about the world around us. This Oscar nominated and film festival winning documentary was amazing and hard to watch at the same time. Co-directed and written by Wim Wenders (Pina, Wings of Desire), there were some scenes that were quite uncomfortable to view such as the civil conflicts in Africa. However Sebastiao’s photographs on a whole were so beautiful; filmed in black and white gave them a special stark intensity. There were photos of events I had seen on the news, but displayed in this format made them more personal and intimate. The section of the movie that dealt with the Brazilian forest was fascinating to me. The other aspect of this film that I appreciated was listening to Sebastiao and Juliano Riberio Salgado (Paris la Metisse; Nauru, An Island Adrift-TV movie) talk about the photos and what was going on at the time. Watching this beautiful film felt like I was taking a walk through time; some of his photos will become new perennial memories in my mind. English, French and Portuguese was spoken through parts of the movie.
3 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Tyrannosaur
Some people assume I am good at detecting the anger inside of individuals because of my yoga background. While that certainly has helped me in recognizing the tension and anger someone may carry, the larger reason I can spot anger is because I have had an intimate relationship with it. I am not talking about spats, conflicts or disagreements; I am referring to that deep anger that boils inside, always on the verge of flaring up with any little spark. It is the type that is so out of proportion to the situation that bystanders stare in disbelief as you look like a cross between a paper shredder and volcano. I can remember how my anger would invade my brain, pushing everything aside into a single room as if it were being held prisoner. The anger and frustration would tense my body into stiffness. Luckily the release valve to my anger used a verbal route instead of a physical one. Though when I was younger, if something did not work the way I wanted it to, I would beat it apart to teach it a lesson. Yes I know it was stupid, but I did not know better at the time. I do not think anger ever leaves a person; at least I know it is still inside of me. The difference being it shares a space with my other emotions, willing now to work together with them. What worked for me may not work for someone else; each person has to find their own path in dealing with their anger. JOSEPH, played by Peter Mullan (War Horse, Trainspotting), was unemployed, frustrated and angry all the time; he was a time bomb without a fuse. Hannah, played by Olivia Collman (The Iron Lady, Hot Fuzz), was a Christian woman who felt she could save him through prayer. But who would save Hannah? This film festival winning drama was an incredibly intense viewing experience. There was some strong language, though I had a hard time understanding Joseph’s accent. Their acting was beautiful which may seem like an odd choice of adjective to use; but I loved their dynamics along with Eddie Marson (Sherlock Holmes franchise, God’s Pocket), who played Hannah’s husband James. I thought the story and script were dynamite, both figuratively and literally. There was never a moment where I was not either washed over by various emotions or feeling on edge with the intensity of the scene. This DVD was a total surprise to me; in fact, afterwards when I looked online to see if this picture had received any recognition, I could not get over the long list of accolades. It is funny how this movie that dealt with anger could make me glad I saw it. A few scenes had blood and violence in them.
3 1/2 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Postmen in the Mountains
The young boy was straining under the weight of the dumbbells. I was exercising on the weight bench behind, yet I could hear the father correcting his son’s posture. With a wide leather weight belt cinched around his waist, the man had the body definition of a serious weightlifter. Hearing and seeing his encouraging words to his son reminded me of the time I learned how to throw a football when I was a small boy. As I continued with my workout I had memories of past mentors and individuals who had a big influence on me. There was the building superintendent of the apartment building where I was born. I recalled how he would magically appear at the front of our place when I would be running towards it on my way home from school. It never occurred to me that he was aware I was being chased; he would just be there with a large grin on his jolly face, his bloodshot eyes barely blinking. In my adult life I was fortunate enough to have a yoga instructor who really showed me the wonders of yoga. This man was amazing to watch as he would bend his body in various positions to show us the difference between poor and ideal forms. He looked like one of those dolls where all the joints were unrestricted, the limbs able to fold from front to back. I have always been grateful that I was able to spend time with him in class and one-on-one sessions. HAVING spent his whole life as the postman for a rural mountainous region of Hunan province, China; being away from home for long stretches of time, it was time for him to retire and turn the responsibility over to the son, played by Ye Liu (Curse of the Golden Flower, Dark Matters), he barely knew. The father, played by Rujun Ten (A Love of Blueness, Xian’s Finest), instructed his boy on all the details of the job as the two took to the route that would deliver them something more than just the mail. This film festival winning drama had such a tender gentleness about it that it quickly drew me into the story. From the lush landscapes to the sweetness exuding out of scenes, I thought the story did a wonderful job in creating a believable and authentic dynamic between the father and son. From a technical standpoint, due to the time this film was made, the subtitles were primitive. There were a few improper words used and sometimes the subtitles flashed by too quickly. I think one of the added beauties of this film will be its ability to stir up warm memories in many viewers. Chinese language was spoken with English subtitles.
3 1/2 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Wild Tales
Anger is not something that leaves by its own free will. It does not get swept out of us like grains of sand with the evening tide. One needs to acknowledge it and devise a plan where it can safely leave the body. There are some people who are able to devote only a small amount of energy to their anger. They are able to sidestep the land mines that anger places before them. Then there are other individuals who store their anger in what they believe to be a reinforced tough vault deep inside of them, thinking they will come back to deal with the brooding anger at a later date. However, what tends to happen here is at some point a new flare-up of anger will spark the vault of stored anger into such a fireball that it will burst out of the individual like a volcano blasting through its cap, covering anyone close by. I am more familiar with this type of anger having experienced it in both my work and personal life. As a passenger in the backseat of a car I witnessed the driver exploding into anger when another car coming from the opposite direction knocked off their side mirror. In the middle of traffic our driver did a U-turn that forced the back end of the car to clip the retaining wall as oncoming traffic tried to veer out of the way. If you cannot relate to the anger I just described then there may be a possibility you will not get as much out of this hilarious comedy. EMOTIONS that got out of control fueled the characters to do irrational acts in the separate short stories of this Oscar nominated and film festival winning film from Argentina. With part of the cast including Dario Grandinetti (The Dark Side of the Heart, Talk to Her) as Salgado, Maria Marull (The Bottom of the Sea, Antes del estreno) as Isabel and Monica Villa (The Holy Girl, I Don’t Want to Talk About it) as Profesora Leguizamon; I was enthralled by each character in the multiple stories. There were so many scenes that were charged with outrageous behaviors that it would be hard to say if I enjoyed one story more than another. Each of them took an everyday occurrence and because of circumstances blew it out of proportion. I was thoroughly entertained by this Oscar nominated film for best foreign language with its wicked sense of humor. If by chance you are dealing with any anger issues presently, then this picture may be the perfect antidote for you. And if you are not, you still will get a kick out of this crazy movie. Spanish was spoken with English subtitles.
3 1/2 stars
moviejoltz 