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Flash Movie Review: The Holdovers
ONE YEAR I WAS ENROLLED IN an overnight camp, and it turned out to be the only time I agreed to such a thing. It was fun to be with friends morning and night, though I was anxious about the bunkbeds. I was assigned to an upper bunk and desperately did not want it because of being overweight. Not that I was any type of extreme heaviness, but my little kid’s mind had blown it out of proportion. I remember slowly climbing the ladder one rung at a time, testing to make sure it would support me. The food served us was picked more for nourishment instead of taste, so I did not care for it. The thing that upset me the most were the organized activities like swimming and baseball. I knew how to play them, but I was never competitive; the counselors always turned them into a contest to see who was the “best.” I must tell you I was one of those “weird” kids who brought a book to read; there were not many others who did such a thing. Thinking about it and how today I live a very structured life; back then, it was the structure I was rebelling against. I did not like being told when I could eat or shower. By the end of the session, I could not wait to be back in my own home. OVERNIGHT/SUMMER CAMP WAS NOT THE only thing I disliked. I never cared for school field trips. It was not the destination so much, but the going and coming I truly could not stand. First, my good time was based on who was on my bus. If our bus had any troublemakers, then I knew for sure our ride to whatever place we were going would be hellish. It would always be worse if one of the troublemakers sat close to you because it was more than likely you would become one of their targets. Another reason I did not like the bus rides was because if someone happened, through the luck of the draw, to be sitting by themselves then the teacher or one of the chaperones would take up residency next to that lone student; or worse, have them join them at the front of the bus. It always stressed me out with kids shoving and pushing, singing ridiculous songs, the adults yelling and for what? Sometimes we did go to cool places but other times they were lame and boring. The way I feel about such things, if I found myself in a situation like the main characters in this comedic drama, I would have run away. STUCK WITH NOWHERE TO GO, A teacher, cook and student are stuck over the Christmas holiday break at their prep school. None of them want to be there. With Paul Giamatti (Jungle Cruise, Billions-TV) as Paul Hunham, Da’Vine Joy Randolph (The Lost City, Rustin) as Mary Lamb, newcomer Dominic Sessa as Angus Tully, Carrie Preston (True Blood-TV, They/Them) as Miss Lydia Crane and Brady Hepner (The Black Phone, Resisting Roots) as Teddy Kountze; this film was a joy to watch. The acting was wonderful, and the script was intelligent with its mix of humor, sadness and drama that kept me engaged with the story early on. I also thought the characters were well developed. There were not necessarily laugh out loud moments, but there were humorous spots that were appropriate for the story. What really made this film stand out was its adult storytelling and script. It was refreshing to sit back and watch a good story unfold without the special effects or brand marketing. The other thing that set this film apart were its details. For example, there actually was one special effect, but a good many viewers may not even be aware of it taking place. This picture is an Oscar contender and rightfully so.
3 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Godzilla Minus One
THE FIRST MONSTER MODEL I EVER built was the Bride of Frankenstein. We were on a road trip, passing through a small town, where we stopped for lunch. There was a toy store next to the restaurant. I remember this because attached to the inside of the door of the toy store was a little bell. Evey time the door opened and closed; the bell would jingle. I was allowed to buy one model without using any of the allowance money I brought with me on the trip. There was a section, or more like a large bookcase that was filled with toy model sets. I was already good at building and painting them, mostly doing racing cars, planes, and battleships. On one shelf there were several kits of different monsters. Prior, I never had a desire to build a creature but there was something about the assortment on display that intrigued me. There was the Creature from the Black Lagoon, a werewolf, and a mummy amongst the kits. I considered them but decided they were too easy to paint, and I was at a stage where I wanted more details. I continued looking through them and came upon the box showing the Bride of Frankenstein on the front. There was something about the hair that I thought would be fun to paint. I had never seen someone with two stripes in their hair. As soon as we were back from our trip, I built and painted the model of her and placed it in our China cabinet in the dining room. FROM THAT FIRST MONSTER MODEL KIT, I started to collect other monster kits. One of them was Godzilla, who I had seen on television. Every Saturday afternoon, there was a TV program that aired movies. Looking back, I would say most of them were “B” or campy movies geared to a younger audience. When Godzilla blew that fiery stream from its mouth, I thought it was so cool. It did not matter to me that Godzilla looked like a man dressed in a rubber suit, or that the buildings looked like model kits; I enjoyed all the action and explosions. From that Saturday program I think I have seen every Godzilla movie; ones where it would fight other monsters like Mothra, King Ghidorah and the robotic version of itself, Mechagodzilla. Looking back at them now with fondness, I can appreciate the entertainment value, even if the special effects were poor. Through the years, things may come and go but Godzilla always lives on. And with that, how could I not see this latest version? I was not expecting much, but I wound up leaving the theater with a whole lot more. IT WAS THE END OF THE WAR and Japan was starting the process of rebuilding itself. Its plans would quickly get derailed when a monster appeared at its shore. With Minami Hamabe (The Promised Neverland, Shin Kamen Rider) as Noriko Oishi, Ryunosuke Kamiki (Noise, Dr. Coto’s Clinic) as Koichi Shikishima, Sakura Ando (Shoplifters, Love Exposure) as Sumiko Ota, Kuranosuke Sasaki (Aircraft Carrier Ibuki, The Pass: Last Days of the Samurai) as Seiji Akitsu and Munetaka Aoki (Silence, Independence of Japan); this action, adventure drama stunned me. Sure, it had the trappings of a Godzilla film; however, it had a story with a lot of heart in it. I loved the way the writers wove personal stories into the script; it took this movie genre and raised it up to a different level. The way the characters developed in the middle of this disaster film was refreshing. For me, this picture tickled my memories of those Saturday afternoon films; this is one I will not forget. Japanese was spoken with English subtitles.
3 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Radical
NO SOONER AFTER THE FOURTH-GRADE teacher started telling me about the visitors she had at her school, I knew this was going to be a heartwarming story. A group of graduating high school seniors returned to their elementary school for a special assembly. During their visit, a group of them went to pay a visit to their fourth-grade teacher. She was totally surprised when they walked up to her and luckily, she said she was able to recognize a good portion of them. She told us the students wanted to see her because her class had been their favorite one all through elementary school. They said it was because of her they found excitement and fun in learning. I was happy to hear this because I knew how hard she worked to make her classes a safe, exciting place for her students to explore the world around them. She would be working on lesson plans and activities at home, early in the morning before the school day started, and even at weekends; she was dedicated to her job. I could tell she was moved by the experience, more so when she said the students wanted her to know that each one of them was going to college. This bit of news truly made her day, and I was thrilled for her; she deserved it. I HAVE ALWAYS SAID ONE OF the hardest and most important jobs is being a teacher. They are entrusted with the task of expanding a child’s mind by teaching them everything from the alphabet to music to history to art to science. Compare the work and pay they get for it to a sports figure (baseball, basketball, football player for example), there is no comparison. In my opinion, it is completely lopsided. Not to “knock down” any sports figures, but having an inside look into teachers’ lives, they are underpaid. Of course, there are some teachers who should never have become teachers; I have seen and experienced them for myself. However, there are so many dedicated teachers who just want to make a difference in a child’s life. My music teacher was the one who solidified my love of music, exposing the class to all types of music from around the world. I also had a great literature teacher who instead of having us give book reports, wanted us to create something to depict a scene or theme from the assigned book. It was such an imaginative way of teaching, I thought. It all comes down to caring, I believe, on what makes a teacher great. A perfect example can be found in this drama based on a true story. IN A SMALL MEXICAN TOWN, FILLED with violence and neglect, a new teacher arrives who wants his students to have a better chance for opportunities in life. With Eugenio Derbez (Overboard, Dora and the lost City of Gold) as Sergio, Daniel Haddad (Murder City, All the Freckles in the World-TV) as Chucho, Gilberto Barraza (The Land of Silence, Rage) as Papa Palome, Enoc Leano (Roma, Parientes a la Fuerza-TV) as Administrator and Erwin Veytia (The Black Minutes, Go Youth!) as Sr. Garcia; this was such a feel-good story that I enjoyed watching all the way through to the end. Eugenio was outstanding in his role and the rest of the cast was so good as well. The story was fascinating to me; I am positive there was so much more to this story than what was depicted in this picture. And that is the issue I had with this movie; it had a predictable factor that I was able to figure out upcoming scenes. Despite this, I still feel this was a worthwhile film to view and I am glad I got to see it. Spanish was spoken with English subtitles.
3 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Entergalactic
ONE OF THE BEST PIECES OF advice given to me was I need to love myself before someone can love me. Never having a great self-image of myself, it took a long time to find my way to accepting and loving myself. Prior to getting to that place, I went through a period where I had a series of multiple dates that each one did not last more than two or three months. Looking back, I can see one factor that did not work in my favor. By not feeling good about myself and/or where I was in life, I was not able to connect with others on a deeper level. I stayed very guarded, not willing or to be more precise, not able to express a sense of joy and wonder about life. Most of my first dates were more like an interview, with me as the interviewer. It was easier for me to hear about someone else’s issues and try to fix them than me working on myself. I especially enjoyed the challenge when a first-time date talked about their ex, which many people say is a red flag. It never bothered me unless it sounded like they missed and wanted to get back with them, which has happened to me. On some level, hearing about someone else’s troubles with a previous partner made me feel like I was not the only one suffering from a bad relationship. FROM MY EXPERIENCES, WHEN ASKED I have offered advice to my friends who are dealing with dating issues. I have one friend who has avoided looking at their recent past relationships that ended with sadness. It is as if they take all their feelings and emotions and put them in a box to be stored somewhere in the back of their brain. I remember when their previous relationship ended and one week later, they were out on a date. When they finally asked me for advice, I asked them if they saw a pattern taking place from each breakup. Maintaining a safe environment for them to finally open up about it, they discovered certain things they do in each relationship. Once that connection was made, they got into exploring more about themselves and I could not be happier that today they are in a loving relationship that turned into marriage. When things fall into places where one feels good about themselves, their career, their life, then they can really make connections with other human beings. And I am not only talking about connecting on a love relationship, but with friends and family, the world opens for them to spread and share that love. I saw it in this animated, musical romantic comedy. AFTER GETTING HIRED BY A POPULAR publishing company and moving into a dream apartment, a graffiti artist finds himself balancing the aspects of his new life. He can also forget about the girlfriend who dumped him…or could he? With Kid Cudi (Need for Speed, X) voicing Jabari, Jessica Williams (Fantastic Beasts franchise, Booksmart) voicing Meadow, Laura Harrier (Spider-Man: Homecoming, White Men Can’t Jump) voicing Carmen, musical artist Ty Dolla Sign voicing Ky and Timothee Chalamet (Dune, Call Me by Your Name) voicing Jimmy; I found this film exciting. The reason is because it took a generic rom-com scenario and injected it with a new, creative flair that made viewing and listening to it so enjoyable. I thought the animation was excellent, to the point where one could almost see the characters as living, breathing human beings. The musical soundtrack fit the story perfectly and I liked the way the songs were introduced during it. Even when scenes were predictable, it did not matter to me because of the way the movie told the story. This was a confident and well-done production all around.
3 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Girl in the Picture
I KNEW IN THE FIRST CLASS of the new session; something was wrong with a participant. It was a yoga class, and this teenager came in with, who I assumed was her mother. The mother threw herself into the poses. She struggled with some of them and had to stop and sit down on her mat to catch her breath from time to time. Through it, I used non-verbal ques of encouragement to keep her engaged. The daughter on the other hand rarely made any eye contact with me. I immediately felt something was wrong. With any of the poses that required bending at the waist or placing hands on the floor, she would start the pose then get out of it to keep tugging down her oversized T-shirt as if she was trying to cover herself up. Or she would come out of a pose to brush her long hair off her face. It crossed my mind to get a rubber band from the front desk, so she could put her hair in a ponytail. I did not know how to handle the situation; it was obvious the teenager was uncomfortable and appeared defeated even before she attempted any pose. I have mentioned before that I do not believe there are any accidents; there is a reason for everything and sure enough after a few weeks the mother came up to me after class. Her daughter was not with her. As we talked about the poses, I asked if her daughter was getting comfortable with the poses. Surprisingly, the mother said she was not sure and asked me why I was asking. I felt this was the opening I needed. KNOWING THE OUTCOME, I CAN CONFIDENTLY say that night changed things for the teenager. From my conversation with her mother, the mother went to talk to the daughter’s school counselor. Without divulging personal information, it was determined the girl was getting bullied and picked on in school. I did not know to what degree, but from my own experience when I watched her, I knew something was going on for her to appear and act so withdrawn. Because she appeared okay being with her mother in class, my guess after that first yoga class was someone or a group of kids were abusing her. The mother worked with the school to root out the troublemakers and set things straight for the daughter to flourish. They remained in my class for approximately one year and the transformation in the daughter was remarkable. She took an interest in diet and exercise; she made better eye contact with people (me included), and she overall seemed happier. For those who have never been in a position of being abused/bullied, you might not recognize the symptoms. They can greatly vary, but you can see what it is like when you watch this true crime mystery. THE DEATH OF A YOUNG WOMAN and the kidnapping of her son starts an investigation that will require detectives to put pieces of clues together that have to be retrieved from years ago. The case being built will shock everyone who knew the young mother. Directed by Skye Borgman (Dead Asleep, Junk Dreams), this documentary was riveting. There were times I found myself doing shallow breathing because the story was so frightening. The story jumps back and forth in time and though I usually am not a fan of this technique, I found it enhanced the story and gave more life to the individuals. Some scenes had re-enactments mixed in with the archival and personal interview scenes. Listening to the testimonials only made the tragedy more real for me. All I can say about my experience watching this film is that I have always known there are evil people in this world. This story is proof, I am sad to say.
3 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: The Covenant
WHEN WE WERE KIDS, WE WERE always changing the rules while playing a game. Of course, they were changed only if everyone agreed. I remember one game we played, a trivia based one, where the answer had to be the famous person’s last name. We decided to make it easier by allowing the use of the person’s first name, if we could not remember their last name. Think about the made-up games many of us did when we were children; the rules were never set in stone, going through revision after revision until we were pleased with the outcome. As I got older, I noticed how important it became for some individuals to be the winner of the game. I was never competitive in a game, except with myself. It was more important to me to improve my game than trying to beat someone else who was playing it. Being my own worse critic, I had plenty of drive inside of me to get better. Nowadays, I am bit more relaxed about it; however, there are certain people I refuse to play with because they are so extreme. They yell at teammates if they do not make the right move/play and they are always trying to stretch the rules to their advantage. I am a rule follower and to play a game with someone involves a certain level of trust. One cannot suddenly change the rules to suit their needs. THERE IS ANOTHER REASON WHY I am selective when it comes to who I will play with for a game. I have been at some game night events where it becomes too cliquish for me. Certain players secretly make alliances with other players; others make promises but then renege on them. I am not comfortable getting involved with people who do this; I do not find them trustworthy which leads to me not having a good time with them. I have said this many times; the one thing that every human being can offer to another is their word. Giving your word is sacred. I cannot tell you how annoying and disappointing it is for me when someone tells me they are going to do something but then does not do it. I would rather they just never said a word about it and kept it to themselves. I sort of feel like some people feel if they just talk about doing something it is enough to make the people, they are telling it to, to feel good; trust me, it does not. You can see for yourself in this dramatic, action thriller. DURING THE WAR IN AFGHANISTAN, A soldier and his local interpreter find themselves struggling to escape the clutches of the encroaching Taliban fighters. If ever there was a need for trust, this would be the time. With Jake Gyllenhaal (Ambulance, The Guilty) as Master Sergeant John Kinley, Dar Salim (The Devil’s Double, Loving Adults) as Ahmed, Sean Sagar (Blue Story, Our Girl-TV) as Charlie “Jizzy” Crow, Jason Wong (The Gentlemen, Panic) as Joshua “JJ” Jung and Rhys Yates (Bloodyminded, Unforgotten-TV) as Tom “Tom Cat” Hancock; this film directed by Guy Ritchie was extremely intense with heart stopping fight scenes. I thought everyone in the cast was exceptional, especially Jake and Dar. Jake’s specialty in my opinion is his ability to display such intensity in his characters and in here he does not disappoint. The action was steady throughout and the script kept things tightly moving forward. I do not know if the story was based/inspired by true events, but I could easily see how it could be possible. From beginning to end I was engaged with the story and was even a little exhausted when it was over.
3 ½ stars
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
I TOOK PIANO LESSONS FOR EIGHT years, but I did not want many people to know about it, particularly my classmates in school. The reason being, I loved classical music from such composers as Beethoven, Chopin and Tchaikovsky. One of the pieces I wanted to play on the piano was Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony; talk about a lofty goal. However, my piano teacher found sheet music for it and told me to work on it during my free time. The reason I did not want too many classmates to know was because everyone I knew was into the Top 40 songs playing on the radio. I enjoyed them as much as they did, but for piano playing I preferred the classics. That was not the only music I played but when it came to my piano lessons, we focused on music from the classical composers. On my own, I would go downtown to the music store that had a whole room filled with sheet music from all different genres. I would get lost as I leafed through bin after bin of sheet music, trying to narrow my choices down to a few instead of a multitude. For me, it was all about how the music moved me; it could be a song from a Broadway musical or one from a folk singer, it did not matter. But what was more important to me was fitting in with the rest of the student body. FITTING IN WAS OF THE UTMOST importance as far as I was concerned. I saw what happened to those who did not fit in and could never find out where was the cutoff from being a little different with no repercussions to doing something that made you a target for being shunned or bullied. I think it is harder when we are younger due to the lack of exposure to different people, cultures and life experiences. When we are young, I believe, we consciously or subconsciously gravitate to like kind. Anyone who doesn’t look the same or act the same tends to set off a warning sign in our heads. I am reminded of my time at a school’s orientation weekend, sharing a dorm room with another prospective student. Accompanying him were a couple of his pet praying mantises. I thought it was an odd thing to do but did not try to avoid him, unlike the other kids on the floor. He had the desire to fit in with the rest of the floor, based on our conversations; but he did not have the will to do anything about it. Some people do not care about fitting in while others do. I only want to do it when I know I can be my authentic self. This is why I give the brothers in this animated, action adventure a lot of credit. BY THE TIME THEY REACHED ADOLESCENCE, the Turtle brothers wanted nothing more than to go above ground and be with the humans. The problem was the humans did not want to be with them; at least most of them. With Micah Abbey (Grey’s Anatomy-TV, Cousins for Life-TV) voicing Donatello, Shamon Brown Jr. (The Chi-TV) voicing Michelangelo, Nicolas Cantu (The Fabelmans, The Walking Dead: World Beyond) voicing Leonardo, Brady Noon (Marry Me, The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers) voicing Raphel and Ayo Edebiri (The Sweet East, Theater Camp) voicing April O’Neil; this installment was one of the best out of the group. The animation was clever and outstanding, accompanied by a great soundtrack. The actors voicing their characters were fun and well-suited to bounce off each other. I did not have any idea this would be as good as it was, thanks to the skilled writing of Seth Rogan, Evan Goldberg and Jeff Rowe. The story works for children and adults thanks to the variety of one lined comments, besides the message; a message that I appreciated. There was no need to be concerned I would be the only adult without children, there were many. I could simply be myself. There was an extra scene in the middle of the ending credits.
3 ½ stars
Flash Movie Trailer: Till
WHEN I WAS A SMALL BOY, I hated a bunch of things. Granted, most of them were food based. I hated tuna, broccoli, peas, grapefruit, and the school crossing guard who used to make fun of me. Back then the word “hate” was my go-to word; I did not fully comprehend how strong of a word was “hate.” It was nothing for two friends or neighborhood kids to tell the other they hated them for something they did or did not do. Whenever in a conversation with my friends about students in our classes or in school, it was not unusual for me to share my hatred of the students who wronged me in some way. My method of dealing with kids who I hated was to maintain my distance from them. I figured the less they saw of me the better off I would be. To be invisible, I had to make sure I never drew attention to myself; whether laughing or talking too loudly or spending too much time at my locker talking to a friend. The key was to keep moving with the flow of kids as much as possible. And the most important thing I had to make sure I was doing was to go right home from school, to never linger outside of the school’s exits in case a bully or antagonist was leaving the same time as me. THANKFULLY, THE SCHOOLS I ATTENDED DID an excellent job of teaching me all the aspects of “hate” and how strong of a word it could be. We saw and read examples of hatred, with the books we read, the movies we watched and the archived newspaper articles we viewed on microfilm. Seeing what humans did to other humans was frightening. Whether it was during a war or from a group or individual, I found all of it so disturbing and appalling that I realized I was using the word “hate” incorrectly. It became my goal to never or rarely use the word “hate” when I was saying or describing something to someone. To be honest with you, this promise was a challenge because I experienced forms of hatred early on in my schooling. Encountering people who hate you without even knowing or talking to you was so confusing to me. The trend continued when I finished school and found myself marching for causes that were important to me and witnessed hatred that was near flammable, it was so vile. Some of it was in the same vein as what was shown in this biographical crime drama. THOUGH THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI IS not that far from Chicago, Illinois; back in 1955 they were a world apart. Visiting his cousins in Mississippi required knowing how to act by Mississippi’s standards, something Emmett Till’s, played by Jalyn Hall (Bruiser, The App that Stole Christmas), mother knew all too well which explained her hesitation on letting him go. His trip would facilitate a change throughout the country. With Danielle Deadwyler (The Harder They Fall, The Devil to Pay) as Mamie Till-Mobley, Frankie Faison (Do the Right Thing, I’m Your Woman) as John Carthan, Haley Bennett (The Magnificent Seven, The Girl on the Train) as Carolyn Bryant and Whoopi Goldberg (Sister Act franchise, King of the Dancehall) as Alma Carthan; this film had a strong affect on me. Maybe because we are coming up to the anniversary date of Emmett’s date of death and the government just recently designating a national monument honoring him, I was glued to the story being depicted. Also, Danielle Deadwyler’s acting was outstanding and tragic at the same time, absolutely amazing. It was not easy watching several scenes in this movie; the amount of hate on display was startling and tragic. Everything came together, such as the sets, costumes, and direction to create a beautiful, sad movie about a mother’s worst nightmare.
3 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Oppenheimer
I BARELY UNDERSTOOD WHAT HER BOOK report was about, but I still enjoyed hearing her speak it. She was talking about cross-pollination and plants; I looked at the classmates within my field of vision to see if any of them looked like they understood what she was talking about. It was hard to tell. Some students were looking down at their desks, others were playing with their pens, twirling, or fidgeting with them. When she finished her report, the teacher commended her and said it was highly informative. I wondered, “For who?” I found it funny; because when talking to her, you would not necessarily know how smart she really was. I was friends with her and never felt like she was talking down to me or about topics and things that were complex and mystifying. She was like any of the other students in class. I knew she was a straight “A” student; I could not imagine her getting a lesser grade. Anytime we were together with our group of friends and there was a disagreement between a couple of them, she was the voice of reason. More times than not she was able to negotiate a compromise that both parties agreed to without feeling like they were getting cheated out of something. It was a skill I wished I could do. IT WAS NOT UNTIL I ENTERED the workforce that I discovered some super smart individuals were not nice people. At one of my first jobs, there was a man who claimed he was highly intelligent. I did not know, because he rarely talked to me; but I was able to hear him talking when he was near my area of the warehouse. To tell you the truth, I was glad he rarely spoke to me because he was arrogant with a mix of disdain. The way he would talk to employees was nauseating; talking to some like they were infants in this cloying, sadistic baby voice. If his claim of being so smart was true, then I could never understand why he wound up in sales. Not to say there was anything wrong with sales; but I would have thought he would have done something different for a profession. He may have been the first I encountered in my work history, but he was not the last. I met several people who possessed a high intellect. A few appeared to be on the spectrum; others had no sense of humor. There was a wide variety of individuals and characteristics. I appreciated the ones who could talk about something that I was not familiar with but said it in such a way that made it easier to comprehend. From watching this dramatic biography, I would have been fascinated to listen to what the main character had to say. And it turns out it was a good thing people listened. DURING WORLD WAR II AN AMERICAN scientist was drawn into a secret project that could change the world forever. It was a huge responsibility. With Cillian Murphy (The Delinquent Season, Peaky Blinders-TV) as J. Robert Oppenheimer, Emily Blunt (Jungle Cruise, Mary Poppins Returns) as Kitty Oppenheimer, Matt Damon (Air, Ford v Ferrari) as Leslie Groves, Robert Downey Jr. (Dolittle, Iron Man franchise) as Lewis Strauss and Aiden Ehrenreich (Cocaine Bear, Solo: A Star Wars Story) as Senate Aide; this history driven film started out rough for me. Not being a fan of jumping back and forth in time, the first 30 minutes made me wonder what all the talk was about for this picture. But then, the script kicked into gear and the actors took their characters and soared with them. The acting, the filming, the direction and soundtrack were all outstanding. Knowing nothing about the story except for the main character’s name, I was fascinated with what was being depicted on the big screen. While I sat in the theater, the thought came across me that I was watching a great film. What a monumental moment in history and the director Christopher Nolan captured it perfectly.
3 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: A Thousand and One
WHEN YOU ARE A SMALL CHILD, all parents seem bigger and more powerful. So, when the mother showed up to confront the bullies who were picking on her son, I could tell those boys were scared. I tried to avoid those kids because I knew they picked on other students; it seemed to me it was whoever was in their sights when they were all together, which usually was before school started, gym class or recess time. If it was only one of them by himself, then they did not always start trouble. I guess they needed an audience of their friends around to make it worthwhile to tease or abuse someone. When the mother walked up to them, the bullies moved closer to each other. She yelled at them as she jabbed her finger close to each one’s face. I did not hear everything being said but did catch the phrase, “How would you like it if I did to you what you are doing to my son?” By this time, the bullies could only look down and stay silent, but she was not having it; she demanded they look at her when she was talking to them. After a few more words, which she ended by saying, “Next time I will bring the police with me,” she made her way to the open school entrance. All of us knew she was going to seek out the principal. I never saw them pick on her son again. ANOTHER MOTHER WHO STOOD OUT TO me was one I met in high school. She was a real character. The first time I saw her she was wearing hot pink colored short shorts, a white tank top and sparkling rings on both hands. The word that best describes her would be, “jolly.” She was always joking with her daughter’s friends, saying things that were on the verge of embarrassing; well, at least to her daughter who would just sit there and shake her head. But her mother volunteered for everything; it could be a field trip, a bake sale, a chaperone, whatever the school needed. I learned to respect and admire her because she was unapologetic. She was overweight and short, never letting it bother her. I was her daughter’s friend, so I probably had more interaction with her than other students. The thing I learned about her was though she had this fun cheerful side, she was very protective of her daughter. No one could even suggest something negative about the daughter without the mother confronting the person. She had no problem standing up for what she believed was best for her daughter and pity the person who was on the receiving end. Even having known these and many other mothers, I have to say I could not believe the perseverance and determination the mother displayed in this dramatic crime movie. REFUSING TO WATCH HER SON LANGUISH in the foster care system, a mother decides to kidnap him and find themselves a better life. With Teyana Taylor (White Men Can’t Jump, Miracles Across 125th Street) as Inez de la Paz, Aaron Kingsley Adetola (Rise, Superblocked) as Terry 6 years old, Aven Courtney (Strive, Aviva) as Terry 13 years old, Josiah Cross (King Richard) as Terry 17 years old and William Catlett (The Devil You Know, Charm City Kings) as Lucky; this story based in New York City was unbelievable. I was surprised how quickly I was captivated by Inez; the acting was close to perfection. I will say this was not an easy film to watch, simply because of the tough, emotionally intense scenes; but believe me, it is worth it to see such a well-done movie. The acting was superb by everyone because I had to keep reminding myself this was a made-up story not a documentary; that is how real it came across to me. I will say the ending was a bit of a letdown for me; it seemed to have lost some of its intensity. Despite that, I have a new appreciation for a mother’s strength.
3 ½ stars
moviejoltz 