Blog Archives
Flash Movie Review: Arbitrage
Just because someone has financial wealth does not mean they are smarter or better; there is not a different set of rules for them, though they may think so. I have a relative who became wealthy and felt they could tell everyone else what they “should” be doing in life. It is quite annoying listening to them. I am certain there is more going on in the business world besides the Bernie Madoff types and Enron style scandals, that we do not hear about in the news. One could add from this movie Robert Miller, played by Richard Gere (Brooklyn’s Finest, Chicago), to the list of immoral, corrupt greedy businessmen. While Robert was in the middle of delicate negotiations to sell his company, he was involved in a terrible accident. If news were to get out about the incident, the ramifications would be monumental to his firm and family. How far would the unscrupulous Robert go to maintain control over his life before his greed ripped him and his empire apart? Richard Gere was excellent in this role, being smooth and sexy with a venomous bite. Susan Sarandon (Robot & Frank, Mr. Woodcock) did a beautiful job playing Robert’s wife Ellen, the charitable good spouse with a steely spine. The story was evenly paced, allowing the suspense to build long enough to keep my interest. A couple of noteworthy performances I want to mention were Brit Marling (Another Earth, Sound of my Voice) as Robert’s daughter Brooke and Nate Parker (The Great Debaters, Red Tails) as Jimmy Grant, the son of a former employee of Robert’s firm; who was trying to make a better life for himself. Except for the choice of ending that was not very satisfying to me, this was a solid adult movie that showed the ugliness of greed we have all seen before.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Secret in Their Eyes
Though it is a cliche, I firmly believe the eyes are the windows to the soul. There have been people where I looked into their eyes and only saw a dark, thick aspic. Then I have gazed into other people’s eyes and saw my peripheral vision expand; as I stared into veils of color stretching for miles, sharing a common pulse. I have always been leery of anyone who does not make direct eye contact with me. In this outstanding thriller, the eyes were essential in the telling of this dramatic story. Benjamin Esposito, played by Ricardo Darin (Nine Queens, Son of the Bride) was a retired federal agent for the justice department in Argentina. Hoping to write a novel based on one of his former closed murder cases, Benjamin returned to his old office to meet with department chief Irene Menendez Hastings, played by Soledad Villamil (Red Bear, Life According to Muriel). Using flashbacks, we observed the determination of Benjamin and his partner as they tried to find the killer of Liliana Coloto. But when it came to things closer to his life, Benjamin was incapable of acting upon them. Would revisiting the case give him the courage to express what had been laying inside of him for all these years? This movie captured me from the start, with its exciting story and wonderful acting by the entire cast. Each scene was perfectly placed and filled with a rich layering of emotions. The film, rightly so, won the Oscar for best foreign movie. What really moved me about this film was the way the actors used their eyes to convey their feelings and move the story forward. A couple of scenes with blood and violence. Spanish with English subtitles.
4 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Robot & Frank
Things would be easier if memories were filed in some type of arrangement, such as a card catalog or power point presentation. My memories reside in this vast sea where they float about, swirling below and rising to the surface, depending on the current. Gratefully I can simply fish them out when needed. But what will happen if the waters become murky? In this story set in the near future, ex-jewel thief Frank, played by Frank Langella (Frost/Nixon, Unknown), was at a point in life where his children Hunter and Madison, played by James Marsden (Hairspray, X-Men franchise) and Liv Tyler (Armageddon, The Lord of the Rings franchise) were concerned for his well-being. The solution was to provide Frank with a robot assistant. At first, Frank looked at this intrusion with disdain; however, once the robot assisted Frank with a heist, a new partnership was formed. This comedic drama set itself apart with firm acting by the cast. The exchanges between the robot and Frank were fun; I loved the deadpan delivery by Peter Sarsgaard (Jarhead, An Education), who voiced the robot. There were parts of the story that dragged for me; but with the other parts being so good, it was not a major concern. The added story line of librarian Jennifer, played by Susan Sarandon (Enchanted; Jeff, Who Lives at Home), being replaced by a robot was an interesting twist among others. Who knows what the future holds, but this movie provided an interesting answer both in an amusing and poignant way.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Visitor
Just from a chance encounter, one’s life could be forever changed. I believe each of us receives a gift from every person we meet. It may not be easily identifiable or reveal itself quickly, but at some point this gift will add to our awarenesses. In this wonderful film there was a tremendous transformation that began with an unusual meeting. College professor Walter Vale, played by Richard Jenkins (The Cabin in the Woods, Friends With Benefits), lived his daily life disengaged from everything around him. Lonely after his wife had died; Walter was stuck, unmotivated enough not to even update the lesson plan he had been using for years, for the one class he taught at the college. Assigned to attend a conference in New York, Walter reluctantly made the trip from Connecticut, staying at the apartment he and his wife had kept in New York. Upon his arrival Walter was shocked to find people living in his place. Tarek and Zainab, played by Haaz Sleiman (American Dreamz, Dorfman) and Danal Gurira (Ghost Town, My Soul to Take), were two illegal immigrants who were duped into believing they were renting an empty apartment. In total shock, Walter’s dormant life would never be the same. It was so good to see Richard finally getting a leading role; he has always been a solid supporting actor. He was superb in this movie and totally deserving of his best actor Oscar nomination. The interactions he had with Haaz and Danal were lovely. With a quiet gentleness, the story hesitantly spread its wings to deliver an emotional love tap for the viewer. If you were not a believer beforehand; after watching this beautiful movie, you will understand the magic of a chance encounter.
3 1/3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Lawless
With a smoldering Brando vibe and a piercing, steely stare; make no mistake about it, this was Tom Hardy’s (Inception, The Dark Knight Rises) picture. If he and his management team continue to make the right career choices like Warrior and avoid the wrong ones such as This Means War; Tom will be one of our top rated actors. He portrayed Forrest Bondurant, who with his brothers Howard, played by Jason Clarke (Death Race, Public Enemies) and Jack, played by Shia LaBeouf (Transformers franchise, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps), ran a successful bootlegged liquor operation in Franklin County, Virginia during the depression. When corrupt special agent Charlie Rakes, played by Guy Pierce (The King’s Speech, Factory Girl), came into town; he rounded up the authorities to aid him in getting a cut of the brothers’ growing earnings. Where Tom played his character as a dark, simmering man with a deadly reputation; Guy’s character was an arrogant, mean, sadistic man who was fussy about keeping a pristine appearance. Both actors were amazing. Based on a true story, this was a graphic violent, bloody film; as we saw the brothers fight to maintain a hold on their operations. I, along with everyone else in the theater, sat absolutely still through the entire movie; the story never lagged. Both Tom and Guy were the major players on the screen. The issue I had with this otherwise great film was Shia LaBeouf. This boy could not handle the role given to him. It was so apparent when any of the other cast was in his scenes; he could not elevate himself to their level of acting. Despite Shia, this was one heck of an intense movie to view and I was serious when I said the entire audience sat still in their seats. None of us wanted to miss a single thing.
3 1/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Gaslight
Back in college, one of my sociology professors had a variety of colorful terms in describing people’s marriages. One of his favorite terms was “holy deadlock,” which described a married couple who should not be married to each other; but stay together for reasons that have nothing to do with love. This teacher was an expert in the field, at least that is what he would tell us. I wonder what he would have to say about the couple in this movie. Ten years after her aunt’s murder; newlywed Paula Alquist, played by Ingrid Bergman (Anastasia, Notorious), returned to her aunt’s house with her new husband Gregory Anton, played by Charles Boyer (Barefoot in the Park, Tales of Manhattan). Returning to the house where her aunt’s body was found, Paula soon started to experience strange oddities; each one driving a wedge between the couple. Ingrid won her 1st Oscar with the wonderful performance she did in this psychological thriller. Charles brought a sophisticated darkness to the role that was creepy to me. The supporting cast filled out the spaces around the leads, giving each scene an added rich texturing to the story. It was something to see the film debut of a young Angela Lansbury (Bedknobs and Broomsticks; Murder, She Wrote-TV) as Nancy, earning her an Oscar nomination for her incredible acting. The Oscar winning art direction made this beautiful black and white movie a visual treasure. This was a breathtaking masterpiece on all levels, proving that some movies are simply ageless.
4 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Redacted
With this gripping film, we return to a theme I covered previously: Are some people simply born evil or is it something they learn? When the media covers a story, depending on the spin; we can believe a person is innocent or guilty. I find especially true these days, a news story gets twisted in a positive or negative way based on the news station’s affiliations. One of my favorite directors, Brian De Palma (Scarface, The Untouchables) wrote and directed this intense docudrama about a group of soldiers manning a military checkpoint in an Iraqi town. I had a hard time remembering this was a fictional piece; it seemed so real to me. The idea of having soldier Angel Salazar, played by Izzy Diaz (If I Had Known I Was a Genius, several various TV show episodes), documenting his time by video taping it, was brilliant. We were able to see what Angel was recording through his viewfinder. It was fascinating to see how some of his informal scenes were later covered by the media. Witnessing fellow soldiers B.B Rush’s and Reno Flake’s, played by Daniel Stewart Sherman (The Briefcase, Mr. Popper’s Penguins) and Patrick Carroll (several various TV show episodes), heinous behavior was disturbing. I wondered if they always had that type of behavior or if it came on due to the environment. One of my best friend’s brothers never spoke of his time overseas during the Viet Nam War. I was always curious what life was like for him. In truth, the only ideas I have of military life in battle is what I have seen on the news. After watching this movie, should I assume war nourishes the seeds of evil in some individuals? Blurring the line between fact and fiction, this haunting story could easily be someone’s nightmare. Bloody, violent scenes.
3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Killer Joe
Though Matthew McConaughey (Magic Mike, Bernie) bares his posterior again with this movie, he is not accepting your dollar bills. Oh no, he is taking much more here. As Killer Joe Cooper, Matthew was this creepy, menacing character who was a police detective with a little business on the side. He was a hired killer. It was one of the best performances I have seen out of him. Right now thinking about some of his scenes sent a shudder of dread through me. Hired by deeply in debt Chris Smith, played by Emile Hirsch (Into the Wild, Milk), to kill his mother for the life insurance money; Joe Cooper extracted much more than what this trailer trash dysfunctional family had planned. As you just read the previous sentences, I am certain you will be stunned to learn as I was, that this film was part comedy. The utterly outrageous predicaments filmed in a raw yet beautiful way by director William Friedkin (The Exorcist, The French Connection) gave this movie a film noir look and feel to it. The entire cast was excellent, particularly Gina Gershon (P.S. I Love You, Bond) as Chris’ stepmother Sheila Smith; who was okay with the murder plot against her husband’s first wife. Adapted from his own play, Tracy Letts (August: Osage County, Bug) wrote the screenplay. This crime thriller’s NC-17 rating was well deserved with its brutal bloody violence, nudity and foul language. In other words, this is one of those movies you will either love or hate. In one moment I would cringe at a scene, to immediately burst out in laughter in the following; this was one intense wild movie. If you have the stomach for this type of film, you may very well be a witness to future Oscar nominees Matthew McConaughey and Emile Hirsch.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Repo Men
These guys could easily be foot soldiers in Hannibal Lecter’s army. At the very least I wish I could hire them for my credit department; it would be one way to get my customers to pay on time. Set in the future, best friends Remy and Jake, played by Jude Law (Hugo, Sherlock Holmes franchise) and Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland, The Experiment), were bad ass repo men. Their employer was in the business of selling body organs. If you had a bad heart or liver, they could easily provide a brand new one, along with a finance plan to make payments. But be careful because if you are late on your payments, the company will send out their collectors to repossess the organ. Remy and Jake were two of the top collectors. Having heard every excuse and promise for making payments; they stayed emotionally detached, doing their job with complete disregard to the health of the poor debtor. I totally understood this considering my position as my company’s credit manager. When one of Remy’s retrievals went wrong, the tables were turned on him as he became the recipient of a top of the line, new heart. This futuristic story touched on topics that are currently being discussed on this country’s health system. There was plenty of action in this film, with Jude and Forest doing an admirable job of acting. I found parts of the movie interesting; that made me think, for example, about the impact of large corporations’ policies on our society. The ending of this violent movie felt like a cop out for me; leaving the parts I did not understand incomplete. There were bloody and graphic scenes throughout this film and are in the movie trailer.
2 1/2 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
Take a little Lohanish lunacy, a handful of Gibsonish anger, with a touch of Jacksonish rivalry and what you get would be the dysfunctional family in this suspenseful film. The difference being this toxic family was lethal. Two brothers desperate for money, devise a plan to rob a jewelry store. It was a particularly significant store because their parents were the owners of it. As I said, this was one screwed up family. Brilliantly directed by famed director Sidney Lumet (Dog Day Afternoon, Network), the entire cast was superb. Older alpha brother Andy, played by Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Ides of March, Capote), cajoled his younger brother Hank, played by Ethan Hawke (Training Day, Before Sunset); into what he thought would be the perfect plan. I found this movie totally thrilling, powered by a strong story that was executed with intense acting. Do not let the slower pace in the beginning fool you; it only laid the groundwork for explosive events that followed. How can a plan be perfect when its creator was damaged. With events spiraling out of control, the damaged family members took dysfunctional to new heights in this startling story.
3 1/3 stars — DVD
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