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Flash Movie Review: NYAD
I WAS FORTUNATE THAT I NEVER injured myself while teaching one of my fitness classes. My good fortune came about from a discussion I had with one of my earliest directors at the fitness center. When I first arrived there, many of the members thought I was the director’s brother because we were so similar in our coloring and temperament, though she was over a decade older than me. When she hired me, she explained her philosophy on teaching classes, which included how she not only paid attention to the members’ form and movement, but to own as well. Back when I started, high impact aerobics was still a thing and she told me to begin the exercise demonstrating the high impact moves, but to drop down to low impact to protect my body. It was great advice because, through the decades, I was able to maintain teaching 15 to 20 classes a week without any soreness in my joints or muscles. Though that early director retired from her position, she still maintained her training license the entire time I was working at the fitness center. She may have been the oldest trainer on the fitness floor, but she was still getting results out of each of her clients; she was and still is an inspiration to me. WHILE I WAS TEACHING FITNESS CLASSES, I decided to go back to school to become a yoga instructor. Once I completed my courses, I introduced yoga classes into the fitness center. One of the instructors that was hired was an older person. Nothing was said about it, this was just an observation. She and I struck up a friendship since we had similar styles in our yoga practices. Looking at her, I had to say she looked like she was in her 50’s. The yoga program was an enormous success for the center, and we were able to offer several classes throughout the week. At some point, in one of my conversations with this older instructor, she told me her age. I was shocked when she said she was about to turn seventy years old. I was only shocked because she did not look it, and no one could imagine she was that age based on the yoga poses she taught in her classes. During her time at the fitness center, I grew to admire her accomplishments based on the personal stories she shared with me. It is because of her and my earliest fitness director that I felt I could have a lengthy career in fitness/yoga. They taught me age was only a number; it did not need to represent me. THOUGH SHE DID NOT COMPLETE HER swim between Cuba and Florida decades earlier, a marathon swimmer never forgot her dream. She was determined to be the first person to complete the course, even when others said she was too old. With Annette Bening (Jerry and Marge Go Large, Death on the Nile) as Diana Nyad, Jodie Foster (Hotel Artemis, Flightplan) as Bonnie Stoll, newcomer Anne Marie Kemf as Candace, Rhys Ifans (The Amazing Spider-Man, Anonymous) as John Bartlett and Eric T. Miller (Separation, Redemption in Cherry Springs) as Coach Jack Nelson; this true story was a showcase for the acting skills of Annette and Jodie. They were wonderful in their roles, staying strong and solid throughout the film. The story is incredible; but more than that, I never found myself bored while watching the scenes unfold. I would have appreciated a little more background story to the characters because at times I did not understand why people were putting up with Diana’s behavior. Regardless, this was an entertaining and inspirational movie. Even if one does not find this biographical, sport drama appealing, one cannot fault the message, to never give up on one’s dream.
3 ¼ stars
Flash Movie Review: The Fate of the Furious
SITTING on the sofa after a satisfying meal I was waiting for the punch line to the story that was being told to us. It was not because the story was exciting, though it was the 1st time I heard it some years ago, or that the storyteller always had an animated way of telling a tale; I actually had heard this story enough to be able to retell it without any coaching. The reason I was waiting for the ending of the story was so I could get up and go to the bathroom without appearing rude to the story teller or the other people sitting around. The first time I heard the story I remember how all of us were laughing hysterically; it really was a funny set of circumstances that happened to the story teller. However after hearing the same story again and again, it had lost its surprise and funniness. For my way of thinking once a funny story has been told it needs to go into retirement, put away on a shelf only to come out on special occasions as a reminder about a particular person or period of time. THE retelling of jokes or stories only robs them of their uniqueness. After a time the listener you are trying to entertain is simply lulled into boredom. This reminds me of a person I know who does not fully grasp the art of joke telling. Every time they tell a joke they have to explain the portion of it that they find particularly amusing. This is never a good idea; if you have to explain a joke then it is not a joke. There have been times where I find myself sitting and listening to them and I immediately know anything I might find funny will be weighed down with this explaining thing that will make me cringe into wishing they would stop talking. Telling something over and over again is not exclusive to parties and family gatherings; it can be found in movie franchises. FAMILY was the most important thing to Dom, played by Vin Diesel (The Pacifier, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk). Then why did he turn his back on them? Starring Jason Statham (The Expendables franchise, The Mechanic franchise) as Deckard, Dwayne Johnson (San Andreas, Hercules) as Hobbs and Charlize Theron (Monster, Mad Max: Fury Road) as Cipher; the script for this action crime thriller was the weak link. The action scenes kept coming over and over, most connected by cheesy dialog. I will say the action was outrageous as the stunts were things the viewer has come to expect from this franchise. Another positive point about this movie was Charlize Theron; I found her acting to be above everyone else in the cast. After so many years with this franchise the writers needed to do something different in my opinion. I found some of the characters’ conversations were so typical of past films that I found myself becoming dazed and tired. Good thing there was always some over the top action scene ready to unfold right afterwards. This film franchise has had a long run but based on this installment it might be time for this group to take the exit ramp and take a rest. It might do wonders for them.
2 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Papa Hemingway in Cuba
Between the people slightly in front an arm was thrust towards me so I shook hands with it. I did not have time to see who was attached to the arm so I asked the person alongside me. It was a city politician who was walking the parade route. Funny this was now the 4th handshake I have had with a political figure. You can learn something from a person’s handshake; I still remember the feelings I experienced when I shook the previous hands. One politician’s handshake was more of a squeeze instead of a shake; he was tightly wound in my opinion. Another politician’s handshake was firm but respectful who deliberately made eye contact, exuding confidence. The most I have been able to say to them was something about being glad to meet them. I think my handshake conveys my feelings; it is direct and firm most of the time. If I happen to get a negative feeling from a person I keep the handshake light and less firm so I can remove myself quickly. Besides politicians the only other celebrities I have met were a couple of directors who came to the screenings of their movies. I have seen actors at different locations but I am not the type to go run up to them and carry on about meeting them out in public. However what I really would enjoy is being able to sit down with them for coffee or dinner and just have a conversation that goes beyond the surface. This would apply to anyone from any facet of life who I admired. I can only imagine how it must have felt for the journalist in this biographical drama. WHEN the phone rang at his office Ed Myers, played by Giovanni Ribisi (The Rum Diary, Ted franchise), could not believe who was calling him. The gentleman on the line said he was Ernest Hemingway. Based on a true story I had never heard of this event. The first thing I have to tell you is I thoroughly enjoyed watching the outdoor scenes in this film festival winner because they were shot in Cuba; talk about timing as the United States has moved away from its previous policy towards the country. Starring Adrian Sparks (The Manhattan Project, The Purge: Anarchy) as Ernest Hemingway and Joely Richardson (Event Horizon, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) as Mary Hemingway; I thought the acting was good, especially from Joely and Giovanni. Set during the late 1950s in Havana, Cuba the idea to film this story sounded like it would be a dramatic win-win situation. Now I did like this movie but I felt it did not do real justice to the characters; the script kept things too simple so some scenes came across manipulative and over-dramatic. The actual experience was more important than what was told in this picture; but I have to tell you, I would be just as excited as Ed Myers if I were to meet the person who I felt changed my life.
2 2/3 stars
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