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Flash Movie Review: Dear White People
Labels should be used for products like canned vegetables and stereotyping should be used for elements like the weather. There is no useful purpose using either of these on human beings. Keep in mind I believe in calling things as I see them; in other words, I have no problem referring to someone as ornery (how often do you get to hear this word?), or some other adjective if indeed that is how they are acting. But to label or stereotype someone based on where their ancestors were born, their skin color or their religion is simply wrong. Before my first name was common, when I told someone my name, there were times they would immediately ask me if I practiced a certain religion. I would be perplexed, trying to understand how they made that leap from my name, which by the way is the name of a river, a food item and a sports figure; to a religion. You see they were making an assumption without even knowing me. The same thing could be said whenever we were picking sides for a sports activity in school. Because I used to be larger I was usually one of the last ones picked to be on someone’s team. No one realized including me that I had one of the fastest throwing arms among the players. Literally, it was years before I was even given a ball to throw and then everyone was stunned at my speed and accuracy. All of this due to me not looking what people felt an athletic person should look like, thanks to stereotyping. JUDGEMENTS were multiplying throughout this comedic drama about the students of an Ivy League college. Stereotyping and labeling students based on their skin color was the norm in this satirical story. A film festival winner, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. Some of the cast members were Tyler James Williams (Everybody Hates Chris-TV, Unaccompanied Minors) as Lionel Higgins, Tessa Thompson (For Colored Girls, When a Stranger Calls) as Sam White, Kyle Gallner (Jennifer’s Body, A Nightmare on Elm Street) as Kurt Fletcher and Teyonah Parris (How Do You Know, Mad Men-TV) as Colandrea “Coco” Conners. Everyone did a fine job, partly because of the smartly written script. I found conversations to be authentic even when it was obvious the scene was lampooning a stereotype. The director kept the story moving forward at a steady pace. While watching this picture I was curious how true some of the scenes were for the writer/director because the satire was spot on. Though this was a fun film to watch and I had no complaints, there was a little bittersweetness for me at the end, realizing there will be some people who will watch this movie and not get the joke.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Prom Night in Mississippi
A grocery store is the perfect example to show you. Within the store the aisles are broken down into categories. As you walk down let us say aisle 3 you find boxes of cereal, each with its own colorful markings to entice you like proud fan-tailed peacocks. Those boxes are grouped together by manufacturers; however, if you keep pushing your cart down the aisle you will find boxes of cereal that have different packaging but the contents are similar to the first group of cereals you passed. You see each box has something in common; except for a slight difference in its properties, every kind of cereal starts out with some type of grain. After the grain is chosen a variety of ingredients are mixed in with the grains. Depending on the amounts, the cooking time and the molds; the cereals will have varying degrees of sweetness, color, shape and texture. Despite these differences all cereals (Yes, I know I am being kind here) provide the same thing: nourishment. It is the same way I think of human beings. Our outer surfaces may vary from person to person, but our insides come with the same common organs such as lungs, liver and heart; though I have come across some individuals where I questioned if they really had a heart. All I am saying is our bodies are simply rented vehicles to keep our true essence contained within us. To judge someone solely based on what they look like is at the very least abhorrently repugnant to me. BACK in 1997 actor Morgan Freeman (The Dark Knight franchise, The Bucket List) made an offer to the Charleston, Mississippi school board; he would pay all the expenses if the board agreed to have only one prom for the high school seniors. Up until that time the high school held 2 proms, one for its white students and one for the black students. The school board turned Morgan down. In 2008 Morgan, who grew up in Charleston, returned to town to present his offer again. This film festival winning documentary showed what happened when Morgan met with the school board about his proposal. Maybe I am naive but I was stunned while watching this film. I know the world is filled with discrimination; but to see it at the school level, a place of higher learning, was startling for me. Incorporating interviews with the parents, students and officials helped to keep the story moving forward in an important way. I not only felt this movie was worth watching, I also enjoyed being reminded of my own prom; the difference being I did not have to dress up in a tuxedo.
3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Tracks
Imagine if every cellular, radio and other invisible electronic pulses each had a distinctive color we could see; we would all be walking through a brightly hued fog in our daily lives. It seems as if the separation between man and machine has narrowed over time. What with the passwords, computer screens, key strokes, computer glasses, ear buds, tablets, smart phones and computer watches; no wonder we need to unplug once in a while. One of the ways I unplug is to visit a national park. I do not know if it is true but I had heard the United States is the only country that has a national park system, where the lands are protected to avoid any harm at the hands of mankind. There is nothing like walking along a tree covered trail where suddenly the trees momentarily part to reveal a tall, tumbling waterfall with a veil of trailing mist; it is a breathtaking yet peaceful sight to me. Seated at the rim of a deep canyon, where violent weather had mauled its walls while the setting sun casts its bright eye on slow moving dark shadows, provides me endless battery free entertainment. What I tell the members in my yoga class applies to me as well when I am visiting various parks, let the mind soften and release all the should do’s, have to do’s and supposed to do’s; so I can be in the moment and let my whole body relax. ALONE except for 4 camels and her dog, Robyn Davidson, played by Mia Wasikowska (Albert Nobbs, Only Lovers Left Alive), decided she needed to walk. Her walk if successful would cover nearly 2000 miles of western Australian arid and deserted lands, taking her all the way to the Indian Ocean. This film festival nominated movie was based on the true story of Robyn’s sojourn that was turned into a bestselling book. The scenes of Australia with their wide expanses were beautiful; it really made me yearn to see the country. Mia was excellent playing Robyn, showing equal sides of vulnerability, strength and courage. Adam Driver (This is Where I Leave You, Girls-TV) as National Geographic photographer Rick Smolan started out as a minor interest for me; however, as the film progressed his acting brought out a truthful and real side to his character. Be prepared for this film took its time to stroll out the story and especially for animal lovers, there were a couple of scenes that were hard to watch. My methods of unplugging may pale by comparison to Robyn’s, but after watching this picture with its incredible story, I felt as if I had been unplugged in a whole new way.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Boxtrolls
Guilt by association can be a decision based on a visual observation. What someone is essentially doing is making a judgement about you without having any knowledge of you. I have always taken offense to this type of discrimimation. It does not matter if it was family members or friends; I could never understand how people just assumed everyone in a group was the same, as if we were all made out of the same mold. The first time I became aware I was being judged was in school. Having been a larger sized boy than the average student, when it came to any athletic activity, I was usually one of the last students still standing before being picked for a team. Though I was too young to really understand the mindset, it did not take long before I became aware of many incidents involving me and various other students. The interesting aspect was witnessing how if a person repeated the same misconception over and over, others started to believe it was true. The outcome sometimes would be upsetting, other times humorous. ARCHIBALD Snatcher, voiced by Ben Kingsley (Hugo, Iron Man 3), was determined to capture every single last Boxtroll if it was the last thing he would do. He had made a promise to Lord Portley-Rind, voiced by Jared Harris (Pompeii, Natural Born Killers). Eggs, voiced by Isaac Hempstead (Closed Circuit, The Awakening), who had been raised by Boxtrolls since he was a baby, needed to seek out townsfolk who would believe him when he said Boxtrolls were decent and good. It was the only chance he had to save his family. This stop action animated comedy was so much fun. The clever animation was done in such a creative way that I sat with my eyes glued to the screen. With the array of different actors’ voices, including Elle Fanning (Maleficent, Super 8) as Winnie, I found myself believing the characters. The script had its twist of British humor that was not only amusing, but made one pay attention to the sly comments that were being scattered about. Also, the distinctive look of each character worked splendidly with the script’s speech. I am not sure young children will understand some of the humor; however, with a bad villain, wild scenes and plenty of physical comedy they will still enjoy watching this adventure movie. As a fan of most film genres and my avoidance of any movie publicity before seeing a film, this picture reaffirmed one of the reasons I love movies; it provided a joyful surprise with its uniqueness. Never assume just because it is an animated movie that it will be a cartoon. There was an extra behind the scenes segment in the middle of the lively credits.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Guest
There was nothing they did that caused you to be alarmed. They were pleasant, engaged and most importantly attentive to your friend. Though the two of them had been dating for a few months, this was the first time you were meeting them. This was known as moving the relationship to the next stage, where it was time for the boyfriend/girlfriend to meet the best friend. Hoping to keep the get together as stress free as possible, it was decided that everyone would meet for lunch; nothing else was planned in case by some small chance there would be any kind of friction between the two. In spite of everything going well, there was something about them that set off a tiny alarm in your head. You could not explain it but you had a sense that something was not right about them. The tough part was deciding whether you should tell your friend about your feelings; it was a no win situation. Though there would be several more get togethers, you were always on guard; looking for something concrete you could casually bring up to your friend to see how they would react. You were smart enough to know when a friend was involved in a relationship it was your job to be supportive and not say anything unless something blatant was being done by the girlfriend/boyfriend. HESITANT at first, the Peterson family quickly opened up their home to the stranger David, played by Dan Stevens (A Walk Among the Tombstones, Hilde), when he explained he and their deceased son had been friends in the military. With Laura and Spencer Peterson, played by Sheila Kelley (Matchstick Men, One Find Day) and Leland Orser (Independence Day, Taken franchise), insistent that David stay with them for a while, it was soon after he had settled in that a couple of accidental deaths occurred. This film was a surprise for me with it retro vibe and fun script. Dan Stevens was so good in the role; he easily commanded the viewers attention. Like those scary thrillers from a decade ago, the tension came more from the chase instead of the violence. Now granted there were a few violent scenes with blood, but they were almost minor compared to the buildup. Another aspect of the movie that i enjoyed was the script; it had a fun dose of cheesiness, yet made the characters real to the point where I was feeling concerned for them. In addition, just when you thought the story was going in one direction, it veered off in another direction. This sounds strange to say but I really had a fun time watching this film, despite my initial wariness. A few scenes had violence and blood in them.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Starred Up
A baby is born into the world helpless and dependent on their parent. It may take a period of time before the baby can walk or feed on their own. The birth of a human child is amazing and wonderful in its own right. In the animal world I have witnessed some births that were surprising due to the different outcome compared to the human way. Watching a pregnant horse in labor can be shocking because as soon as the little one is born they struggle a bit but then stand up on all 4 legs. i remember standing there in shock and awe, witnessing this baby horse instinctively working to get up. Once the mare is able to stand up on her own, her baby follows her around and the learning process begins. No matter which species you talk about, most offspring learn by example. The 3 year old sitting in her car seat who yells out the open car window to the driver next to them, “Move that #$%@ car,” had to learn that from somewhere. Having been to a number of parent/teacher conferences, I can tell you the majority of kids who were bullies had parents that acted like bullies to their children. A child does not wake up one day and start acting out inappropriately. TOUGH and mean was how one would describe Eric Love, played by Jack O’Connell (300: Rise of an Empire, Eden Lake). Arrested and convicted to prison, Eric was not afraid of what he would find; he could easily take care of himself. What he did not count on was someone tougher than him being there; his father Neville Love, played by Ben Mendelsohn (The Place Beyond the Pines, Killer Elite). This film festival winning drama was an intense film to watch, with several bloody violent scenes. The script produced a steady pace despite the land mines of action and tension that would erupt on the screen. All the actors including Rupert Friend (The Young Victoria, Pride & Prejudice) as Oliver Baumer were convincing to the point where I believed they were actual prisoners in prison. The scenes showed everything I imagined jail to be. I will say I had a challenging time understanding some of the dialog due to the heavy accents, at least to me, being used by the actors. What I found to be the major strength of this film was the evolving relationship between father and son in the story. Babies are born into this world with a clean slate; their behavior forms based on what they observe. A few scenes had blood and violence in them.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: The One I Love
Starve the fighting and feed the relating when it comes to being in a relationship. I am never too old to learn from my past experiences and if there is one thing I have learned, it is never go to sleep angry. Communication is vital if a relationship is to survive in my opinion. I have seen couples where they think they are in love; but when they verbalize what they love about their significant other, I cannot relate to it because they are not attributes I look for in another person. There was one couple that loved the type of presents they would get from each other. Every gift was bought from high-end stores and they were primarily jewelry and electronic items. There was another couple that was very much into their appearance; I am talking the every hair in place, no room for wrinkle type of looks. I could only imagine what would happened to them as they aged. For me kindness and support are needed for a healthy relationship. I have always said relationships take work, but after seeing this original comedic drama I feel I need to rephrase it by saying it takes work until it becomes part of you. COMMUNICATION was sorely lacking as the marriage of Ethan and Sophie, played by Mark Duplass (Safety Not Guaranteed, Your Sister’s Sister) and Elizabeth Moss (Get Him to the Greek, Mad Men-TV), was falling apart. Hoping to salvage their relationship the couple agreed to their therapist’s, played by Ted Danson (Big Miracle, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation-TV), suggestion by going on a retreat to see if they could rekindle the love they once had for each other. At the beautiful secluded cottage recommended by their therapist, Ethan and Sophie would discover much more than what they had lost. Watching this film festival winning movie was like inhaling the first breath of fresh air after being deeply submerged in a pool of water. The story was original, curious and thought provoking. I honestly can say I am not sure I understood what I was watching but I did not care because the whole idea behind the story was fascinating to me. Mark and Elizabeth did an excellent job playing the troubled couple; I found them believable and enjoyed the subtle differences that were required of them. The script was smart and mature; presenting a realistic view of two adults struggling to find what was missing in their relationship. Without any fanfare or advertising as far as I could tell, this indie like film came out of nowhere to shine in a week that had been filled with some dreary movies.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Owl and the Sparrow
It seems as if everything in the world is evolving to become disposable and replaceable. I believe we are being conditioned to accept things will not last. As an example I have a friend who has to replace her hair dryer almost every year or sooner because they keep breaking. She is resigned to the fact that once something starts to go wrong with her dryer it is easier to throw it away and get a new one. Except for the cost factor I guess little energy has to be devoted to replacing material items these days. There is however something that survives even on the littlest amount of spirit from inside of us. When I think about it through the history of mankind, I find it to be one of the most resilient forces on the planet. What it is, is hope. Hope has the ability to carry a person through absolute perilous, debilitative times; yet, like an ember that remains lit in a pile of discarded brush, hope resuscitates the soul. From a thought, a kind word, a gentle action or even a locked glance; hope will rise within each of us to be that beacon of light, shining a picture of a brighter future on the inner walls of our mind. ORPHANED and forced to work in a bamboo factory; ten year old Thuy, played by newcomer Han Thi Pham, felt life had to be better almost anywhere else than her small village. Running away to Saigon, Thuy would discover a world filled with people who were each missing something in their lives. She was undeterred because she believed her hopes and dreams would come true one day. This film festival winning movie had a beautiful subtle charm to it. There was nothing overt or thrown in the face of viewers; the story maintained tenderness even during tense scenes. For a young girl, newcomer Han Thi Pham had a wonderful screen presence as she displayed a natural flair in her acting. Cat Ly (Journey From the Fall, 21 and a Wake-Up) as flight attendant Lan and The Lu Le (The Buffalo Boy) as zookeeper Hai both were similar in the way they were able to let their physicality express their feelings. I found myself being pulled further into the story as the movie unfolded. Though there were a couple of spots that were predictable, I never felt the story was contrived or manipulative. I not only enjoyed watching this sweet and gentle film, I also had a sense of hope by the end of the movie that more people around the world would continue to tell good stories on film. Vietnamese with English subtitles.
3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: A Most Wanted Man
It is getting so hard to trust anyone, let alone anything these days. I may not be one to talk since I do not easily give out trust; it is something I have always felt gets earned. My trust was originally formed as a solid unblemished mountain on protected land. Through the years each untruthful statement whipped at the outer layers of my trust like pelting rain, eroding the surface away. Being told I was your friend only to find out I was not; being told the product I was purchasing would be compatible with my other devices only to find out it was not; being told I was the only one only to find out I was not; each of these hit my trust, leaving a gaping dark hole that became impossible to traverse. If all the negative news about recalls, stolen credit cards and fraud was not enough; the stories I see about people doing bodily harm to others scares me more. The way individuals gain access to places so they can do damage alarms me terribly. I am afraid to answer my front door unless the screen door is locked and I know I am not the only one who feels this way. TRUST was heavily tested in this thriller based on John le Carre’s novel of the same name. Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Master, Doubt) played Gunther Bachman, an agent in a highly secretive German government agency. After Issa Karpov, played by Grigoriy Dobrygin (How I Ended the Summer, 4 Days in May), illegally arrived in Hamburg to claim his father’s estate; a clandestine race of cat and mouse began as German and American agents attempted to find out Issa’s true intentions. This film festival nominee was one of Philip’s final completed films. It saddens me to say he was outstanding in this role because seeing him only reminded me there would be no further performances. He helped push the cast to a higher standard, where everyone was so believable they kept the viewer guessing through each scene. Part of the cast included Willem Dafoe (The Fault in our Stars, Out of the Furnace) as Tommy Brue, Robin Wright (Forrest Gump, Rampart) as Martha Sullivan and Rachel McAdams (Midnight in Paris, About Time) as Annabel Richter. The major disappointment about this movie was the script. The first half of the film was muddled and slow; I sat wondering when it would get exciting. Finally by the last half I got into the story, appreciating the acting even more. Due to the actors and plot source I trusted this movie was going to be an intense thrilling picture. It did not quite make it all the way, but Philip certainly would have had nothing to apologize for regarding his performance.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: My Life Without Me
The sudden unexpected passage a person travels to death from life delivers a debilitating punch to those who remain behind. In that moment of stunned disbelief, memories pour down from your mind trying to fill the space emerging where the walls of your heart are crumbling into brittle chunks. There was no way you could have prepared yourself since the signs of dying never emerged from the individual. It is different when someone has been suffering from an affliction. You see the person morphing right in front of you into a stranger that bears little resemblance to who has been residing in your thoughts for all these years. In society we are led to believe the older generation is supposed to go first, followed by the next; it is the natural order of things we are told. I have experienced both kinds of death and though neither are easy, after seeing the one who had suffered a long time, I felt a sense of relief when they were done. If I were given the choice of knowing or not knowing when I was going to die, I honestly do not know if I could choose. SADLY that was not the case for young mother Ann, played by Sarah Polley (Dawn of the Dead, Splice). After being told she only had a short time left to live, that jolt of information was what she needed to finally live her life. This film festival winning drama had an eclectic group of actors to help keep the story from turning into a melodrama. Musical artist Deborah Harry (Elegy, A Good Night to Die) played Ann’s mother, Scott Speedman (Underworld franchise, The Vow) played Don, Amanda Plummer (Pulp Fiction, Girlfriend) played Laurie and Mark Ruffalo (Begin Again, The Avengers) played Lee. Out of this cast I have to say Sarah and Mark were the best with their roles. It was interesting to me how the entire film had a general look of resignation due to the locale, the jobs and people’ attitudes; yet, there were strong connections made between the characters. Obviously Sarah was the focal point to the story, but her strong sense of practical resolve and determination helped to keep the story engaging. There were a few scenes that felt out of place to me, a couple of which were to the point of being non-believable. I know for myself this picture had an affect on me regarding my avoidance in thinking about the course of my life; it would be pretty hard not to think about it. Not that this was a bad thing, I felt this movie showed a true and honest way in dealing with one’s own mortality.
3 stars — DVD
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