Blog Archives
Flash Movie Review: A Prophet
There is one train of thought that we come into this world with both good and evil inside of us. An individual has free will on which way they will go. The other possibility is that we are born with only good inside of us, that evil is something we have to learn. With that being the case and under the circumstances he faced, prisoner Malik El Djebena, played by Tahar Rahim (The Eagle, Black Gold) did not have free choice. Newly incarcerated into an adult prison; Malik was singled out by Cesar Luciai, played by Niels Arestrup (War Horse, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly), leader of the Corsican inmates. The naive Malik was forced into servitude; he either had to kill a prisoner or be killed by Cesar’s minions. From this introduction into prison life and though he was of Arab heritage, Malik would be under the protection of the Corsicans. This was an intense prison movie with stabbings, fights and bloodshed. What kept me enthralled was the progression of character development, especially with Malik’s growth. The story had steady pacing with solid intensity. I want to mention there were racist remarks, but I understood what the writers were doing in setting up the conflicts between the different ethnic groups in the prison. One of the better movies of this genre, this film was exciting in a different way. With the prison being a breeding ground for evil, the excitement was watching how the prisoners chose to use it. French and Arabic with English subtitles.
3 1/3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Savages
I paid very little mind to the man next to me who left his seat, never to return. Maybe he was a theater hopper, I thought. However, during the last half of the movie I noticed more people had left their seats and were not returning. This new Oliver Stone movie had bloody violence and graphic torture scenes; I wondered if I had just become jaded towards it. By the end of the movie at least one quarter of the audience had left early. As the film ended and the lights came on a manager announced apologies for the theater’s broken air conditioning. I had no idea that was the reason people were leaving during the movie. Did those individuals miss a great movie? Not really, but some aspects of it were good. The best part was Salma Hayek (Frida, Once Upon a Time in Mexico) as Elena, the head of a Mexican drug cartel. She was crazy good in this role. Another standout was her henchman Lado, played by Benico Del Toro (The Wolfman, Che: Part One and Two). Their cartel was determined to take control of the California based drug operations of Ben and Chon, played by Aaron Johnson (The Illusionist, Kick-Ass) and Taylor Kitsch(John Carter, Battleship). As I mentioned earlier, there were intense torture scenes in Oliver Stone’s version of violence. Though there were tight action scenes, I felt the character development was insufficient. The way Mr. Stone chose to do the ending was a turn off for me. On the plus side, this film kept my attention for me not to be aware of the theater’s lack of air conditioning.
2 2/3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Freedom Writers
There are teachers that inspire us and there are some that damage us. I had a teacher who would ring a bell to get the class’ attention, then hold up preprinted instructional signs for us to follow. A music teacher expanded my knowledge and love of music. It only goes to show you that in every profession there is someone who had to graduate at the top of their class and someone who had to at the bottom. This dramatic movie was based on the book written by the same teacher portrayed in this film. It was a beautiful testament to those teachers that have inspired their students. Erin Gruwell’s, played by Hilary Swank (Million Dollar Baby, Boys Don’t Cry), first teaching position was at a disadvantaged school. With segregated ethnic groups, gang fights and killings were the norm. The teaching staff had resigned themselves to the reality they were more like prison guards than educators. Erin came in with innovative ideas and frank discussions to find commonality between the different factions and to gain their trust. Her drive and dedication was astounding as she took part-time jobs to help pay for various supplies the school could not provide. Though being a supportive mate, her husband Scott, played by Patrick Dempsey (Enchanted, Made of Honor), felt their marriage was suffering the strain of disconnection between them. Hilary did such a good job in the role; I had tears in my eyes. Though there has been similar movies done about individuals doing extraordinary things for others, I felt this wonderful film was especially well done. There is no greater gift than the gift of education.
3 stars — DVD
moviejoltz 