Blog Archives
Flash Movie Review: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
What does our physical age really mean? If we are 66 years old, does that mean we cannot enjoy ourselves on a roller coaster? Or what if we were 15 years old; we should not consider climbing Mt. Everest? I have always felt the body was rented, including its daily changes. What was inside was always more important for me and I acted accordingly, never wanting to limit myself. I just try to take pleasure out of the things I do without paying much mind to other people’s notions of how I should act. This beautiful movie really turns our ideas of aging upside down. Benjamin Button, played by Brad Pitt (Moneyball, Fight Club), was abandoned at birth by his father. Though he was just born, Benjamin appeared to be a tiny, elderly man. Believing he would not live long, no one wanted anything to do with the unusual baby. No one that is except for the loving Queenie, played by Taraji P. Henson (Think Like a Man, Date Night), a worker at a senior citizens home. She took in Benjamin as her own son. It was at this home where a resident’s granddaughter named Daisy took an interest in the curious child. Though the movie was long, I was never bored. For me, it felt more like it was of an episodic nature; like watching a book coming to life on the big screen. The film followed the mature Daisy, played by Cate Blanchett (Robin Hood, The Lord of the Rings franchise), as she grew older through the years; while the elderly Benjamin continued to grow younger with each passing year. Everyone was wonderful in their roles, with each pristine scene looking as if it were a part of a family’s cherished photo album. A magnificent movie that showed age to be whatever you wanted it to be.
3 1/2 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Temple Grandin
The brain is an amazing organ. I have always been fascinated on how it works. A child’s ability to learn multiple languages without an accent prior to a certain age, to a stroke victim who can only utter one word but think they are talking in complete sentences; I am in awe with the functions of the brain. In the world of autism, there is a wide variance of functionality. This biographical movie is about the remarkable woman, Temple Grandin. Amazingly played by Claire Danes (Stardust, The Hours), her portrayal was eerily similar to the real Ms. Grandin. At a time where we had less understanding of autism, Temple grew up being noticeably different. With the support of her loving mother Eustacia, played by Julia Ormond (My Week With Marilyn, Sabrina) and encouragement from Dr. Carlock, played by David Strathairn (The Bourne Ultimatum, The Tempest), Temple was able to grow and make some considerable contributions that changed the way we treat animals. In fact, one of her ideas has been used in the treatment of stress reduction for autistic people. I have always been a champion in celebrating people’s differences. Just as differences were shown through this movie, I believe they are played out in our daily lives to varying degrees. And with a chance meeting and the acceptance of one’s differences, look at the achievements we can all benefit from. This was an amazing movie about an awe-inspiring woman.
3 1/2 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
I have always said that our bodies are rented; that the mind is what defines a person. This was one of the reasons why I was offended by individuals who ignored me when I was heavy. After I lost my weight, these same people started acknowledging me. I was no different inside, yet some people never went past my surface. Granted this movie may be an extreme example, but it truly showed the amazing power of the human mind. Based on the true story of Elle magazine editor Jean-Dominique Bauby, actor Mathieu Amalric (Quantum of Solace, Munich) did an outstanding job portraying, what friends would call the 43 year old editor, Jean Do. After regaining consciousness from a massive stroke, Jean Do was almost completely paralyzed. The only thing he had control over was the blinking of his left eye. With his cognitive skills functioning, Jean Do explored the memories he had, letting his imagination take him to wonderful places. The cinematography was simply gorgeous in this stunning film. Being left with no way to communicate with the people around him; a special nurse came up with an inspired idea, which allowed her to communicate with Jean-Dominique. Reciting letters from the French alphabet, she asked the patient to blink once for yes or twice for no, until she was able to form words out of the letters. After having seen the Intouchables a few weeks ago and now this incredible movie, I am so in awe with the capacity of the human mind.
3 1/2 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: The Emperor and the Assassin
The incredible Great Wall of China, the buried Terra Cotta Army near Mount Li, the massive national road system of China all have something in common. They came out of the monarchy of Qin Shi Huang (Ying Zheng), who became the first emperor of a unified China. This dramatic movie was massive on several levels. The historical factor was fascinating to me and the drama in the king’s life played out like a Shakespeare tragedy. He was the man who conquered the several kingdoms of China to create one unified country, going from a king to an emperor. The underlying story in this overwhelming production was about a plan the king formed with his concubine, where he would send her to hire an assassin to kill him. The goal was to use the attempted assassination as a catalyst to attack one of the kingdoms. While the concubine Lady Zhao, played by the incredible Li Gong as Gong Li (Raise the Red Lantern, Memoirs of a Geisha) was away, she discovered the king’s compassion was a facade. Playing the king was Xuejian Li (The Blue Kite, Happy Times), who brought a dramatic flair to his role. There were many aspects to this period film that were enormous. From the sets to the amount of extras, the film portrayed what I imagined the royal court must have been like back in those days. My attention was completely captured by this film with its huge battles, royal secrets, political backstabbing and historical significance. There were some scenes with blood. Chinese with English subtitles.
3 1/2 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: The Intouchables
One of the best movies I have seen this year. I was taken by surprise with the amount of humor in this exceptional film from France. Who knew that putting a wealthy quadriplegic man and a poor individual from the projects together in one story would be so funny? In addition this was all based on a true story. What really captured me from the start was the affirmation of my belief that a person should be judged by what is inside of them, not on the outside. The story was about two men who discovered something about themselves through the eyes of the other. Philippe, played incredibly well by Francois Cluzet (Tell No One, French Kiss) was the rich man who got injured in a paragliding accident that left him a quadriplegic. Omar Sy (Micmacs, Those Happy Days) was outstanding as Driss; a poor man from the projects who was simply looking to get a signature for his unemployment form. To his surprise he was hired to be the caretaker for Philippe. This dramatic comedy was never slow to me and I had no issue reading the subtitles. Along with the audience I laughed out loud during multiple scenes. The message I got from this movie re-enforced my thinking that what was inside of a person truly made up one of the most important factors of what gives each of us our humanity. I had such a good time watching this movie that I left the theater feeling great. French with English subtitles.
3 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Children of Heaven
With this being their first feature film, the two children that played brother and sister were like a slice of heaven. A former Oscar nominated movie, the beauty of this film was in its simplicity. There were no special effects, no big Hollywood type budget, only the sweetness of a brother’s love for his younger sister. Amir Farrokh Hashemian and Bahare Seddiqi were brother and sister Ali and Zahra. What I found incredible was the fact that this being the child actors’ first major role and they were unbelievable. Wait to you see the innocence they brought to their characters; I was stunned at the emotion they conveyed in their roles. The base story had to do with Ali losing his sister Zahra’s shoes. Afraid to tell their parents, knowing they would be upset, Ali came up with a plan where they would share one pair of shoes. There was much more to this heartfelt film; I was moved by the honest portrayals. To see the pureness of a family’s love for each other throughout this excellent film was refreshing for me. Being bombarded with so many dysfunctional people on reality television, I was grateful to this dramatic movie for reminding me what being real was all about. Persian with English subtitles.
3 1/2 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Lars and the Real Girl
My mind was blown by this amazing movie about a man and his inflatable life-sized doll. Before you jump to conclusions; trust me, this wonderful film was nothing what you are thinking now. The movie for me was a perfect reminder that when confronted with someone different or out of the ordinary, acceptance and kindness could have a powerful affect on them. Troubled Lars Lindstrom, played by Ryan Gosling (Drive; Crazy, Stupid Love) had a hard time relating to people. Not until he ordered and received his blowup doll did he begin to come out of his shell, with the added help from his family and neighbors. Emily Mortimer (Hugo, Our Idiot Brother) was especially sympathetic to Lars, playing his sister-in-law Karin, as he began introducing “Bianca” as his girlfriend. Most of you know I am a big fan of Ryan Gosling from my previous reviews of his films. His performance in this unusual story was brilliant. The mix of emotions throughout this tender, funny film were just perfect. This movie was a testament to the power of acceptance and kindness.
3 1/2 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Standing in the Shadows of Motown
This documentary hit all the right notes with me. You have to understand, music has always been a part of my family’s lives. From my brothers holding me up to dance to their records when I was two years old, to my niece being put to bed with the sounds of a symphony, to my nephew playing in a band; everyone in the family was a music lover. That is why I was thrilled watching this wonderful film about the Funk Brothers. They were the group of musicians Berry Gordy assembled to play backup to what would become some of the biggest artists from his Hitsville U.S.A./Motown recording studio. Here is an interesting fact for you: These musicians were on more #1 singles than Elvis, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Beach Boys combined. How cool is that? With the aid of archival footage, interviews and celebrity guests such as Chaka Khan, Gerald Levert, Joan Osborne and Meshell Ndegeocello interpreting some of those classic hits with the remaining Funk Brothers; this music film would be the perfect choice for any music lover. After watching this incredible documentary, I was filled with wonderful memories of where I was when I heard some of these great songs.
3 1/2 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: The White Ribbon
For a small German village there seemed to be an ever increasing amount of mysterious incidents. It began when the doctor, played by Rainer Bock (War Horse, My Best Enemy), was thrown from his horse by a thin wire strung across the path. We learned of these events from the school teacher, played by Christian Friedel (Chicken with Plums), who played a sympathetic character in this film. The cinematography was exquisite, with almost each frame worthy enough to be hung in an art museum. And this was why the movie worked so well; amongst such beautiful visuals there was an underlying uneasiness as a menacing evil was taking hold. In the beginning of this amazing film, the pacing was kept to a slow pace as we were being introduced to the villagers. With some of the incidents having violent overtones, the villagers became afraid and suspicious that the person or persons responsible could easily be a neighbor. I would classify this former Oscar nominee as a dramatic mystery. For those who are uncomfortable with the sight of blood, there is only one quick scene and I would gladly share with you where it took place in this movie. German with English subtitles.
3 1/2 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Undefeated
The fact that I do not follow team sports activities, preferring individual sports, and becoming so involved with this movie, should be a testament to the powerful story it told. After seeing the trailer and it winning the Oscar for best documentary, I decided to see it. The story was about volunteer football coach Bill Courtney and his Manassas Tiger high school football team from North Memphis. Having fallen on hard times when the major employer closed their factory, the crime and poverty rates had soared in the city. The football team, which should have been a source of pride, was on a long losing streak as the team had to deal with students dropping out or getting in trouble with the law. This film gave the audience an intimate glimpse into Mr Courtney’s life, as he devoted his time and energy to making something good happen for the players. Talk about reality, why don’t television networks make a reality show like this story? It was absolutely inspirational to see the transformation in the students, the coach, his family and the student’s parents as the football players started to work together as a team. For those of you, who saw the movie The Blind Side, think of this film as a grittier, real version of it. I do not know if I would even call this a documentary. It was so well done in telling the story about this incredible individual Bill Courtney, I would have walked out of the theater thinking Hollywood finally got it right.
3 1/2 stars
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