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Flash Movie Review: The Guilty
WITH ALL OF THE JOBS I have had, from working in a shipping department to selling kitchen and bathroom products door to door, I have always had a sense of pride with the work I produced. Seeing results from actions I took always spurred me on to do better. Working in the credit and collections field, there has always been a tangible level of satisfaction I felt whenever I saw payments coming in from the customers I contacted. The other strong sense of pride I feel concerns the various fitness classes I have taught. Seeing a member, who has been participating in my class repeatedly, physically and mentally change before my eyes has been one of the most satisfying events in my life. I understand there is perspective and though I am not doing brain surgery or irradicating a disease, there has been many positive moments I have experienced in the world of fitness. It is funny, I had a member who went through a transformation during their time in my classes. At one point they shared part of their story with me, and I must tell you, I quickly discounted their accolades for me when they said they were an air traffic controller. Talk about having the responsibility of someone’s life in your hands, every plane they control is a major life event for them. in my opinion, it is an intense job. ANOTHER JOB THAT I CONSIDER INTENSE, is being the operator at a 911 call center. The reason I say this is because I knew someone who worked as one. The stories I would hear would easily make for a startling story line in a movie. There was the call from a crying woman who barricaded herself in a room to keep her abusive husband from beating her. Another call came in from a good Samaritan who witnessed a hit and run car accident, asking for medical help for the injured. He and I were each talking about our jobs one day and I came to find out he got little satisfaction from the work he was doing. I asked him why he felt that way because from where I stood, I thought he was close to being a land-based angel. The reason he felt that way was due to the fact he rarely ever saw the final results to the call he took. Many times, he would only have to contact the police or fire department; he never really found out what happened to the individuals he spoke with on the phone. He felt my job in fitness was more exciting. I did not see it that way; see what you think if you wish to watch this dramatic, crime thriller. REASSIGNED TO WORKING AT THE 911 call center, a police officer takes a call that would stir up such emotions that he could not let the call go. With Jake Gyllenhaal (Nocturnal Animals, End of Watch) as Joe Baylor, Riley Keough (Logan Lucky, Mad Max: Fury Road) voicing Emily Lighton, Peter Sarsgaard (The Sound of Silence, Garden State) voicing Henry Fisher, Christina Vidal (See No Evil, Magic Man) as Sgt. Denise Wade and Adrian Martinez (Focus, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty) as Manny; the main driver of this picture was Jake’s performance. It was one of the better performances I have seen from him. The premise of the story was captivating; however, I thought the script was muddled. Some scenes did not ring true to me and I thought the flow of them was disjointed. As a result, there were times I was riveted to the action, but then suddenly a change would make me lose interest. Nonetheless, there is no denying Jake put everything he had into this film since he was in nearly every scene. For such an important line of work, I had wished this movie would have honored it in a better scripted way.
2 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: I Feel Pretty
TOO MANY OF THE CLOTHES IN our closets have power over us. This unusual strength was not woven into the fabric or sprayed with a special enhancing elixir or studded with armor plating; it simply was chosen to hide our insecurities. I see it in my fitness classes all the time. Some members walk in with a sense of purpose, a directness that stands out from those who feel intimidated or uncomfortable about themselves. The reason I am even aware of it is because I am guilty of the same lack of confidence as they are; however, I hide it in different ways. When members enter the studio they have the option of where to place themselves. The ones who feel comfortable about themselves tend to wear more colorful clothing and pick places closer to the front of the class, while those with less confidence tend to don darker colors and drift into the back rows. What a member wears can say something about their attitude. For myself I wear workout clothing a size larger so I can shut down the critical side of my mind that has always judged how I look. This has been going on for years and is caused by a lack of confidence. CONFIDENCE HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN elusive creature for me. I do not believe people are born with it; it is something that has to be nurtured and fed to grow inside of us, starting when we are very small. There also has to be the right amount of encouragement and positive reinforcement to avoid getting a swelled head. I have a tuxedo hanging in my closet and it is amazing how much influence it has over me. When I am wearing it I feel like I am a different person; I have confidence, feel good about myself and get a sense that I belong. Yes I am aware that sounds ridiculous but nonetheless that is how I feel. Intellectually I am aware it comes down to confidence; I feel more confident because I am dressed in a tuxedo. Part of the reason why I feel this way is because of marketing. Have any of you ever seen a person dressed in a tuxedo and assumed they were a geek? No, you probably think that person is suave and debonair just like James Bond or George Clooney, when they are wearing a tuxedo. The message in this comedy film will show you what I mean. AFTER BEING KNOCKED UNCONSCIOUS IN her cycle class Renee Bennett, played by Amy Schemer (Snatched, Thank You for Your Service), came to and was stunned to see her transformation. She was ready to take on the world and reach her dreams. She needed to be careful for what she dreamed for. With Michelle Williams (All the Money in the World, Manchester by the Sea) as Avery LeClaire, Tom Hopper (Game of Thrones-TV, Merlin-TV) as Grant LeClair, Rory Scovel (The House, Dean) as Ethan and Adrian Martinez (Focus, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty) as Mason; I absolutely was on board with the message this film was trying to convey. However the script never dug below the surface, keeping everything on predictable levels with easy jokes. It really was a shame because the writers could have done so much more to make the story a better-rounded one. I actually did not find much humor in the scenes except for maybe a couple of them. Most things were done with a heavy hand as if the writers wanted to drive the point home because they felt the viewers would not get it. Almost in an ironic way I felt the script was written with too much confidence that took the strength away from the message.
1 ¾ stars
moviejoltz 