Blog Archives
Flash Movie Review: Hitchcock
Executives of sanitation and water plants could not explain the sudden drop in water usage. There were many people walking around with a musty smell and slightly unpolished look. Hotel employees were perplexed in the sudden cancellation of room reservations. Well, maybe things were not that bad; however, you cannot tell me there were not a lot of people who thought twice about taking a shower, after they saw the movie Psycho. I remember the first time I saw this movie and how my heart raced. When a film is considered a classic, I enjoy hearing the back story on how forces came together to create such a great movie. This was one of the reasons I wanted to see this film, along with Anthony Hopkins’ (Thor, Proof) performance as famed director Alfred Hitchcock. When the story focused on the birth of Psycho it was fascinating. Even with all the success Hitchcock had with the movie studio, they balked at his plans, refusing to finance the project. I got a kick out of all the tidbits surrounding the filming process. It was fun to see Scarlett Johansson (Lost in Translation, The Avengers) and James D’Arcy (W.E., Cloud Atlas) playing Janet Leigh and Anthony Perkins. In some scenes Anthony Hopkins was believable as Hitchcock; but at times, it seemed as if he slipped out of character and the makeup was odd. For me, the star of this movie was Helen Mirren (The Last Station, The Debt) as Alfred’s wife Alma Reville. I had no idea, if the story here is true, that she was as influential as she was portrayed. The problem I had was when the story veered off the making of Psycho and delved into the relationship Alma and Alfred had, it did not make for a cohesive story line. I appreciated the things I learned from this interesting movie; I just wished it had been more.
2 3/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Lincoln
Like most young children, I wished I had superpowers. I wanted to fly 6 feet off the ground, skimming over the heads of people. As to why that particular height, I believe it was because I knew no one over 6 feet tall. Another power I wanted was to have the ability to time travel. The capacity to travel back to historical events and meet famous people has always fascinated me. After all these years my wish came true with this amazing movie. I was watching Abraham Lincoln not Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will Be Blood, My Left Foot), the actor that portrayed Lincoln. His performance was more than outstanding; it was real, causing me to tear up every time he spoke. Daniel will be the one to beat in this year’s Oscar race. Sally Field (Forrest Gump, The Amazing Spider-Man) brought a deep understanding to her character as Mary Todd Lincoln. Honesty there was not a bad performance from any of the cast which included Tommy Lee Jones (Hope Springs, In the Valley of Elah) as Thaddeus Stevens and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Inception, The Dark Knight Rises) as Robert Lincoln. The story focused on the time surrounding the creation of the 13th amendment to the constitution, which would ban slavery. Tony Kushner (Angels in America, Munich) wrote the rich screenplay, allowing a majority of characters in the movie to have their own special moment. I appreciated the work involved in recreating the sets to exact details, having read director Steven Spielberg (War Horse, Saving Private Ryan), Daniel and Tony each visited the Lincoln Library in Springfield, Illinois for research. For example, Steven recorded the sound from Lincoln’s pocket watch and recreated the exact titles of books for the bookcases in the White House. The only fault I can say about the movie was several scenes seemed implausible to me. I felt they were manipulated to create a more heartwarming experience for the viewer. With that said, this movie was one of Steven Spielberg’s finest creations. When the lights came up in the movie theater, I could finally say I met Abraham Lincoln. I left my seat with a better understanding of our country’s history, feeling uplifted. Brief scenes of blood and violence.
3 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Ray
With my family’s predisposition for hearing loss, I am grateful I still have my hearing. In fact, I am lucky that I still have use of all my senses; it is something I do not take for granted. Whether I am in the house or driving my car, I always have music playing. The idea that composer Ludwig van Beethoven wrote a symphony while he was deaf truly amazes me. Have you noticed when a person has lost one of their senses, the other ones become heightened? Look at Stevie Wonder or Jose Feliciano; they were great musicians who did not have the ability to see. Do you think the lack of sight fine tuned their other senses and pushed their musical capabilities higher? I think it did. One of the most influential figures in the music world has to be Ray Charles. He was without sight by the age of seven, but that did not hold back his musical genius. He was the first person to blend rhythm and blues with gospel music, creating a whole new sound that captivated millions of people. I love the quote in this movie from Ray’s mother Aretha Robinson, played by Sharon Warren (Glory Road). She said to a young Ray, “Never let nobody or nothing turn you into no cripple.” It was a great line. C.J. Sanders (First Sunday, Beautiful Loser) was excellent as the younger Ray in this biopic. As an adult Ray Charles, Jamie Foxx (Dreamgirls, Law Abiding Citizen) was stupendous in the role. Having the opportunity to sit down with Ray Charles, Jamie did a flawless impersonation; even wearing prostheses on his eyes, to create a true sense of blindness as he acted. Kerry Washington (Lakeview Terrace, The Last King of Scotland) did a beautiful job playing Ray’s wife Della Bea Robinson. The story traced the life and career of this musical genius who was not a perfect man, by any means. It was an honor for me to watch and listen to this wonderful movie.
3 1/4 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Into the Wild
Ultimately one must lead the life they choose for themselves, not the one someone has chosen for them. I remember years ago when I was between jobs, I received a great piece of advice: Do what you love and the money will follow. My mother always wanted me to be an accountant; yet, I knew I could never be one. The creative side of my mind would have shriveled up. Even when it comes to one’s personal tastes; do not let people impose their tastes on you. It is funny, no matter what length my hair was, my dad would always tell me to wear it differently. If it was long, he would tell me to cut it and if it was short, he would tell me to grow it out. It was maddening at times. Based on a true story; Chris McCandles, played by Emile Hirsch (Killer Joe, Speed Racer), had to live life the way he felt it was meant to be lived. Seeing the life his parents Billie and Walt McCandles, played by Marcia Gay Harden (Mystic River, The Mist) and William Hurt (The Incredible Hulk, Vantage Point), were living; Chris did not want any part of it. After graduating from Emory University, Chris decided to get rid of his material possessions and hitchhike to Alaska, to live with nature. His journey would lead him to unexpected adventures. Written and directed by Sean Penn (Milk, 21 Grams), this was a stunning movie. Sean slowly brought out an amazing performance from Emile; both in acting and with the incredible physical transformation that took place. The supporting cast never felt out of place; they added shading to the adventures. Some viewers may think Chris McCandles was crazy to do what he did. I felt it was better to try something, even if it were to fail; than go through life wondering what would have happened, if I had only tried.
3 1/3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Hotel Rwanda
With many stories that have scenarios filled with horror and terror, one can find individuals that shine with an amazing heartbeat. For me, it was a music teacher who became my savior; when the bullying in school was overwhelming me. She would stand outside her classroom, watching for me as I walked down the hallway towards class, making sure I was safe. There are people in the world who can make all the difference to a victim. One of these remarkable individuals was Paul Rusesabagina. Based on a true story, Paul was the house manager of a luxury hotel in Rwanda, back in the 1990’s. Played by Don Cheadle (Brooklyn’s Finest, Reign Over Me), Paul put his life in jeopardy by housing Tutsi refugees in the hotel; away from the Hutu militia, who were determined to slaughter any and all Tutsi civilians. This was a hard movie to watch due to the brutal and bloody violence on display; it was pure genocide. Besides telling myself this was only a movie, the flawless acting from Don Cheadle kept me riveted to my seat. There was a scene with Paul’s wife Tatiana, played by Sophie Okonedo (The Secret Life of Bees, Martian Child) that brought tears to my eyes. Another great performance was given by Nick Nolte (Warrior, The Thin Red Line) as Colonel Oliver. There are so many times where we come across the tagline: It only takes one person to make a difference. In regards to Paul Rusesabagina, he made 1000 differences. It was an incredible experience watching this moving movie about a special soul, surviving in the middle of man’s ugliness.
3 2/3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Invictus
Awestruck is what I have been while watching the Olympics. The athletes’ feats have been truly impressive. Not only did similar feelings get stirred in me from watching this uplifting movie; but after recently telling you I was not a fan of team sports, I have to say I became a supporter of the Springboks rugby team of South Africa. And that was in spite of not having a clue about the rules of the game. This was one of Clint Eastwood’s better directed movies in my opinion. It told the inspirational story about Nelson Mandela becoming the country’s first black president. There was already a built in base of dramatic events which Clint shot in a straight forward manner. The casting was brilliant as Morgan Freeman (Driving Miss Daisy, Evan Almighty) played Nelson Mandela and Matt Damon (We Bought a Zoo, The Bourne franchise) played rugby team captain, Francois Pienaar. After his long imprisonment, Nelson presided over a racially divided country. While attending a rugby game, he noticed the white fans were cheering their own country’s team, but the black fans were supporting the opposing team. He formed an idea: What if he could get both sides cheering for the Springboks? Mandela decided to reach out to Pienaar to discuss ways on improving the team’s mediocre performance and get the entire country behind their rugby team. Morgan was tremendous in his role, garnering an Oscar nomination, as well as Matt for his performance. A wonderful film about an incredible man; I understand why they named this film Invictus. It is the name of a poem that ends with the lines: I am the master of my fate. I am the captain of my soul.
3 1/3 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 Runaways
After trashing Kristen Stewart’s (Twilight franchise) performance in Snow White and the Huntsman, I found it an interesting coincidence that her movie The Runaways came in the mail this past week. Playing rocker Joan Jett, Kristen redeemed herself by doing a better job of acting here than as Snow White. This biopic was about the formation of the all girl band The Runaways. With the help of seedy manager Kim Fowley, played by Michael Shannon (Take Shelter, Revolutionary Road); Cherie Currie, played by Dakota Fanning (Man on Fire, The Secret Life of Bees), was brought in to be the sexy lead vocalist. How many of us can say they saw that musician or band before they became famous? I do not know whether everything in this movie was true; for example, Kim bringing in kids to heckle and throw things at the girls while they performed. Truthfully, it did not matter to me for the story kept my interest. On a sour note, I thought the directing did not serve this movie well. Seeing the abundance of drugs and alcohol that played a part in the girls’ every day life became monotonous for me. Seeing what these pioneers of punk went through, especially with Joan’s determination, I have a new appreciation for their music.
2 2/3 stars — DVD
moviejoltz 