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Flash Movie Review: 20 Feet from Stardom
Look closely at a favorite picture or photograph; I mean really take a good look at the details. The use of shadowing, the way brushstrokes accentuate the hair or how color is used for depth; each component adds to the richness of the picture. One of my favorite pieces of art was created with tiny dots of paint. The same concept of layering applies to music. There is the use of instruments, in some cases random noises, besides sound levels; each part makes an important contribution to the ultimate musical piece. I was already aware of background singers; but after seeing this remarkable documentary, I can now refer to them as musical angels. You may not be familiar with the names of Lisa Fischer, Darlene Love, Merry Clayton or Judith Hill to name a few; but I know you have heard them sing. I loved the way this film took an iconic song and used multiple interviews to create a frame of reference on its creation. Some of the musicians interviewed were Mick Jagger, Sheryl Crow, Sting, Patti Austin, and Bruce Springsteen. What made this movie special was hearing the back up singers’ recollections of the songs they performed. If that was not enough to make you tap your feet to the beat, the old film clips that were used were incredible to watch. The beauty of this film festival winning film was how it took human emotions and thoughtfully infused them into scenes, where I would tear up at one point and then suddenly be chuckling at the next. Talk about unsung heroes; listening to the lives of these singers, I have a whole new level of appreciation for them. To see their drive, determination, passion, their souls, just to do what they love; it truly was inspirational to witness. One of the best films I have seen this year. With yesterday’s movie review, I certainly am having a musical week. After seeing this film, I dare you to try and not hum one of the songs from the movie as you leave the theater.
4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Inside Job
I would have been angrier if I had seen this documentary a few years ago. Having survived the global financial crisis of 2008, I know I am one of the lucky ones. Seeing co-workers being let go, consoling friends who lost their homes to foreclosure, worrying about uninsured family members with health issues; I do not recall ever being so overwhelmed with all the negative news. Every generation grows up with the expectation to have an easier life than the previous group. For the very first time in modern history that is no longer the case. Because the wealthiest group of people make up only a small percentage of the population, the average citizen may not have an understanding of derivatives or credit default swaps; I certainly have no need to pay attention to such things. However, I do know what the words greed, selfish and power hungry mean. This Oscar winning film presented the crisis in laymen’s terms without choosing political sides. Not that I now understand the financial markets any better, but at least I can see how people’s thirst for money and power nearly brought down the world economy. The hardest part was seeing how these people barely suffered the consequences of their actions. Director and writer Charles Ferguson (No End in Sight) did an incredible job piecing together the events that led up to the financial meltdown of 2008. Matt Damon (Promised Land, Contagion) was the narrator, taking us through charts and interviews with politicians, economists, professors and former chairmen to name a few. Now you may think this all sounds like it would be dry and boring to watch; it was not the case. I credit the style of questioning that was done. Interviewees were either asked straightforward questions or requested to comment on their past speeches and published articles. I will say there were times I liked seeing some of these individuals squirm when their past conclusions or actions ran contrary to current facts. There is nothing I can do to change the past; I can only use history as a teaching tool as I try to live each day in a responsible way. It was a shame other people did not have the same idea.
4 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Blancanieves
Whether they were read, seen or told to us; fairy tales are stories that have stayed with us from our childhood. Who did not want to be a princess or a prince when they were a little kid? I was convinced that when I grew up; one day, I would swoop in and rescue who would become the love of my life. There was something about fairy tales that not only gave me a sense of hope; they provided me with an outlet to let my imagination grow and explore new passageways through my mind. Right from the beginning of this movie, I felt a kinship with writer and director Pablo Berger (Torremolinos). Using the tale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves as a foundation, Pablo took the story and pushed it towards a dark, humorous, creative drama; that was a visual masterpiece. Some of you know I was not a fan of the silent film The Artist. Where I thought it was more of a gimmick for that movie; in this one, I absolutely loved the silence of no spoken words. The soundtrack came to the forefront to steer the story to some incredible heights. Set in Spain during the 1920’s; famous bullfighter Antonio Villalta, played by Daniel Gimenez (Bad Education, A Painting Lesson), had a beautiful daughter named Carmen. There was only one person who did not like the young girl and that was her evil stepmother Encarna, played by Maribel Verdu (Pan’s Labyrinth, The Blind Sunflowers). The richness of this black and white film only increased the enormous screen power of Maribel. This Oscar nominated movie was magical to me; I had no sense of time passing and felt I was taken to a different world. Absolutely beautiful to watch, I am willing to say this film will become a modern classic. Spanish with English subtitles.
4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Zero Dark Thirty
An image of my sister-in-law’s deceased cat came to mind while I was thinking about this movie I had just seen. If you had met TC in the house; he was an affectionate, sweet cat. But if you saw him outside; he was a cold, stealthy killer. The reason TC came to mind was due to watching Jessica Chastain (Lawless, Take Shelter) as CIA operative Maya in this tense dramatic movie. She was a slight wisp of a woman in a male dominated arena, whose single focused determination revealed her underlying strength. I found her performance to be one of her best. Since the September 2001 attacks, Maya’s only job was to find Osama Bin Laden. Her single-mindedness would push her to the gray areas of government policy. Whether this movie’s facts were true or not, it was the job of the director to take the story and make it believable to the viewer. In the case of this riveting movie about the hunt for Osama Bin Laden, director Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker, Point Break) created a compelling experience. If you have read my explanation of my rating system; you know for me to award 4 stars to a movie, I have to be swept into the movie and leave my world’s reality behind. As I sat in my seat watching the movie; the sounds of crunching popcorn, the clinking of jostled ice cubes in cups of soda and the rustling of winter coats being squeezed into the back of the theater seats all turned into a hushed silence. My peripheral vision latched onto the edges of the movie screen and stretched them all the way beyond me. I had entered into Maya’s world. Because of the experience I just described, I awarded this movie 4 stars. The directing was brilliant; attaining rock solid performances from the actors. Too many to mention, I wanted to at least acknowledge a few of the competent actors such as Jason Clarke as Dan, Joel Edgerton as squadron team leader Patrick and Kyle Chandler as Joseph Bradley. Everything you have heard about this movie is true; it easily could be the frontrunner for this year’s Oscar awards. Brief scenes with blood.
4 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Miracle Worker
Gaining physical strength is far easier than mental strength in my opinion. For my body to get strong I can lift weights, practice yoga or do pushups. It is more challenging for me to be mentally strong. I can still hear the negative comments that were thrown at me like poisonous darts that paralyzed the synapses of my mind. Even today when I try something new the echoes of negativity can be heard in my head. For the first review of the new year, I wanted to review a film that inspires strength. This classic movie was filled with tough courage and fortitude. The story was about deaf, blind and mute Helen Keller and her tutor Annie Sullivan. With no means to communicate with her family, Helen was nearly uncontrollable to the point her parents were thinking to institutionalize her. One last option was hiring Annie from the Perkins Institute for the Blind. What ensued literally was a battle of strength, stubbornness and love. Both Patty Duke (Valley of the Dolls, The Patty Duke Show-TV) and Anne Bancroft (The Graduate, The Elephant Man) won Oscars for their phenomenal performances as Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan. At the time Patty was the youngest person at 16 years of age to have won an Oscar award. With keen directing by Arthur Penn (Bonnie and Clyde, Little Big Man), the scenes in this film were just as powerful today as they were when the film first appeared on the big screen. Please understand by my film choice I am not setting up a comparison of our problems to Helen’s plight. The strength displayed in this drama is a motivation for me. I never make new year resolutions; so for the year ahead of us, I wish everyone emotional and mental robustness.
4 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Life of Pi
I wish I would have seen the 3D version of this exquisite movie. The fact that I am not a big fan of the 3D fad we have been experiencing, should tell you something about the visual aspect of director Ang Lee’s (Taking Woodstock, Brokeback Mountain) incredible masterpiece. Under his watchful eye both actors and animals commanded their scenes, placed perfectly for optimal effect. Based on Yann Martel’s best selling novel, the story was about the survivor of a shipwreck who found himself in a life boat with 4 animals from his family’s zoo. Newcomer Suraj Sharma was amazing as survivor Pi Patel. I found his ability to emote emotions without the use of his voice to be fresh for someone new to acting. Irrfan Khan (Taking Woodstock, Brokeback Mountain) did a beautiful job in his role, being properly confident yet reserved. Now I must talk about a third actor in this film, the tiger. I read that there were 3-4 Bengal tigers used in the picture except in scenes deemed dangerous. One would not have to take a big leap of faith here to realize a live tiger would not be used in scenes when Pi was in the same boat. The fact that I had read about the use of CGI effects made the computer graphic tiger more astounding to me. The big cat was so real looking I could not take my eyes off the regal animal. There was only one scene where the cat looked computer generated. Truly, the level of realism for all the animals was remarkable. I believe this movie will be a topic of conversation due to the different views the audience will walk away with from the open ended story. A breathtaking piece of work that I plan on seeing again in 3D.
4 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Other Son
The dirty words like the “F” and “S” word were okay to say in my family; they were used mostly as adjectives. My parents taught me and my brothers that slang words used to describe a person’s race, religion or nationality were bad words. Growing up I was always confused when I heard someone use these derogatory words. I wondered how that person became prejudiced, since none of us were born to be bigots. Knowing this about me, you will understand why I was so moved by this outstanding film. The story was thought-provoking, inspirational and fascinating to me. Can you tell I loved this movie? Imagine the shock two families faced when they each discovered the child they were raising was not their own. The two babies were accidentally switched at birth. If that was not horrific enough for each family, imagine what was going through the parents’ minds when they found out they were not the same–one family was Israeli and the other was Palestinian. Each family member not only would have to face their fears and beliefs, but would have their love tested like it had never been before. There was not one moment where my mind wandered away from this brilliant story. The actors did a beautiful job of conveying deep emotions with minimal effort. Emmanuelle Devos (Read My Lips, Coco Before Chanel) as Israeli mother Orith Silberg and Areen Omari (Private, Laila’s Birthday) as Palestinian mother Leila Al Bezaaz were incredible in their roles. Portraying a real mixture of innocence and fearfulness, the two switched boys were played by Mehdi Dehbi (Looking For Simon, He is my Girl) as Palestinian Yacine Al Bezaaz and Jules Sitruk (I, Cesar; Monsieur Batignole) as Israeli Joseph Silberg. This film did an exquisite job of being a reflection to people’s beliefs, fears and soul. French, Hebrew and Arabic with English subtitles. One brief scene of violence with blood.
4 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Sting
My dark side flourished with evilness when I was younger. If I felt I had been crossed or had my trust broken, I would not walk away. Instead I would go on the attack. At a former company there was a co-worker who was friendly to my face, but then would go out of her way to put me down in front of management for her own gain. I decided if it was not business related I would not make a response to any of her actions, pretending she no longer existed. To drive the point home, whenever I brought a food treat into the office; i offered it to every single person but her. I discovered it drove her crazy, so I kept it up for 1 1/2 years. Looking back I realize my behavior was childish, but at the time it felt so good to do. Whether in a movie or real life I always vote for the bad person to get their just desserts. That is why this classic movie was so much fun to watch. Everything was precisely put into place from cast to story to director in creating this brilliant film. The time was the 1930’s in the midwest and young con artist Johnny Hooker, played by Robert Redford (The Natural, The Way We Were), wanted to get revenge on powerful gangster Doyle Lonnegan, played by Robert Shaw (Jaws, A Man for All Seasons), for ordering the hit on Johnny’s best friend. Knowing his limitations, Johnny needed help from master con artist Henry Gondorff, played by Paul Newman (Cool Hand Luke, Road to Perdition). The two men came up with an elaborate plan to get back at Lonnegan, hurting him where it mattered most. I have nothing negative to say about this dramatic comedy. With a wonderful score by Scott Joplin to the distinct titled segments; the Oscar winning movie was filled with surprise twists. From the outstanding acting, directing and writing; this cinematic treasure delivered pure good justice.
4 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Argo
I could not wait to post this review, pushing aside what I was working on already. After seeing this film last night, I am happy to report the hype you have heard is all true. Hollywood can confidently welcome into her arms a new generation of filmmakers in the form of Ben Affleck (The Town, Hollywoodland). They say the 3rd time is the charm and that is so true here with Ben’s 3rd outing as director of this movie based on a true story. Ben has shown his true talent is his amazing directing skills. A critical time in history, the story was set during the Iranian revolution and hostage crisis. Six Americans escaped from the American embassy as it was overrun by revolutionaries, finding refuge in the Canadian Ambassador’s residence. It would be only a matter of time before they would be found. Ben Affleck played CIA specialist Tony Mendez who devised an outrageous plan for what most believed was a no win situation. Pretending to be part of a Canadian film crew, he would fly into Iran to scout out film locations then fly the 6 Americans out as part of his crew. To accomplish this never before done rescue operation Tony would need to set up a fake film production company. He turned to film producer Lester Siegel, played by Alan Arkin (Get Smart, Little Miss Sunshine), and special effects expert John Chambers, played by John Goodman (The Big Lebowski, Roseanne-TV), to set up a fake film production company. The pacing of the story was well thought out, skillfully using Alan and John for comic relief as the tension rose to a crescendo. I loved the graininess to the film that added an authenticity to the period being shown. Here is the bottom line: this movie did everything right to give the viewer what I felt was a flawless experience. Along with prime acting, including Bryan Cranston (Drive, Breaking Bad-TV) as Tony’s boss Jack O’Donnell, the story was told brilliantly. Hollywood, the CIA, world governments and real people all expertly handled and meticulously placed in the gifted hands of Ben Affleck. C’mon Oscar nominations, this movie is waiting for you.
4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Samsara
Imagine taking a trip to 25 countries on 5 continents, seeing natural wonders to questionable man made structures, without the intrusion of the Transportation Security Administration and no need of a passport. All of this can be done from the comfort of your seat in your favorite movie theater. Five years in the making and 20 years since his incredible film Baraka; director Ron Fricke brought another absolutely gorgeous movie to the big screen. There was no dialog as the audience was transported to sights most of us will never see in our lifetime. And what I would like to think of as a gentle slap to the digital world, this movie was shot in 70 mm film. The results were massive and impressive to me. Where some movies depend on their musical score to distract from the lack of acting or story, the original music used in this great film was the ideal accompaniment; the perfect blend of spices to the visual stew of images that welled up before our eyes. Do you think I liked this movie? I loved this movie! The word samsara is sanskrit for “continuous flow.” Think of it as birth, life, death and rebirth. What I got out of seeing this movie was how ancient cultures/structures have been reincarnated over and over again. What is that saying that goes “Everything old becomes new again,” or something like it? I found it fascinating the way scenes from opposite spectrums were paired up to show, in essence, their similarities. This was truly a remarkable film. Walking out of the theater, I looked at the buildings around me in a different way; wondering where in a past time were these structures born before.
4 stars
moviejoltz 