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Flash Movie Review: Gleason
One of my mantras in life is no one has the right to tell someone how they should feel. Everyone has the right to feel the way they wish without judgment. I feel all emotions are valid; there are no good or bad ones. There was a portion of my life where this was not the case and it had to do with the emotion of sadness. There were many reasons for this but there was a time where I would never cry. Hearing taunts such as “crying is for sissies” or “you’re such a crybaby” affected me and taught me I better hide my emotions if I did not want to become a target. Seeing a baby bird fall out of its nest and die is sad to me. I have always found it curious why people would comment by telling you not to cry. At one point in time (I hope no one still believes this) it was assumed girls were more emotional, so that is why they cry. Boys were perceived to be tougher if they did not cry. Can I ask you; where did this idea come from? Why was it important that boys be tougher than girls? I could get into a lengthy debate about stereotyping but I prefer not going down that path at this time. I feel it is healthy to express one’s emotions. In fact, when I see someone laughing, crying or feeling depressed I feel a kinship with them. I felt this on such a strong level while sitting in the movie theater watching this incredible documentary. FORMER New Orleans Saints football player Steve Gleason found out he and his wife Michel were going to be parents a week after he was diagnosed with ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis a/k/a Lou Gehrig’s disease. He wanted his child to know what type of man was its father. Written and directed by Clay Tweel (Print the Legend, Finders Keepers), this film festival winner was extremely hard to watch; but it was so worth it. Not being a team sports fan, I have to tell you the way the director interspersed sports footage with current reality was the ideal way to blend the two aspects of Steve and I was quickly sold early into it. On one side there was the hero Steve who sparked a city into healing civic pride after Hurricane Katrina’s devastation and the other side was Steve watching his body shutting down. It was such a stark contrast, but what the movie audience saw was this thoughtful, insightful, inspirational human being. As I mentioned earlier this was a tough picture to sit through; not only was I crying, there was out loud sobbing from audience members. Everyone was experiencing the same emotions at the same time. By the way sadness was only one of many emotions; I do not want to paint a picture of us sitting and crying the whole time as if we were at a funeral of a loved one. Though this film may be challenging to watch it is worth seeing, just bring a handkerchief with you.
4 stars
Flash Movie Review: De Palma
The first time I saw an Alfred Hitchcock (Rear Window, The Birds) movie it was on television. I never made it all the way through because it scared me too much; the film was Psycho. It caused nightmares and made me afraid of the bathroom shower curtain when I was a little kid. Not until I got older did I finally see the movie in its entirety. Back then I did not understand the genius of Alfred Hitchcock. When I got older I started to appreciate the way he directed his pictures. His movies like Vertigo, To Catch a Thief and North by Northwest were a marvel to watch even on the small screen of a television. I remember when I learned Alfred always did a cameo in his films; searching for him added to my enjoyment level. If memory serves me correctly I believe Alfred had a weekly television show. I have a vague memory of him standing on a box or chair with a noose around his neck. His show bordered on the macabre I believe. As my love of movies grew and I was exposed to other directors I never quite found another director who had a similar style to Alfred. Not until I saw a Brian De Palma (Dressed to Kill, The Untouchables) film did I recognize familiar traits and here is the funny thing, no one ever told me Alfred was Brian’s idol. Just from watching one of Brian’s movies I saw such a resemblance to those old Alfred Hitchcock pictures, I immediately became a big fan of Brian. For someone who has admired his work through the years, this documentary provided an oral history to his films. SITTING in front of a fireplace it seemed as if Brian was spending the day telling me about his movies. As the consumer I was thrilled to listen to him talk about the back stories to some of his famous films such as Carrie and Blow Out. Directed by Noah Baumbach (The Squid and the Whale, Frances Ha) and Jake Paltrow (Young Ones, The Good Night), the two directors for the most part let Brian sit and go through his films in chronological order. There were no actors or other directors doing any tributes or dishing, it was just Brian alone and I have to say he was very entertaining. If one is not a big movie lover I feel this documentary may become tedious after some time, though there were a variety of film clips shown where he explained what they had to do to achieve a certain affect or look in the scene. For me this was a treat and I could appreciate the hard work it must have taken since CGI was not available back then to the standard it is now. I find it amusing that yesterday’s movie review talked about listening and for this film listening would be a requirement. Except for the film examples there was no action or drama, simply a man discussing his passion for making films.
3 ½ stars for movie aficionados 3 stars for the average moviegoer
Flash Movie Review: Older Than Ireland
If I need proof to substantiate my belief that age is only a state of mind, I only need to look around me. I truly believe a person who thinks they are old will become old. The saying “act your age” is a double edged sword as far as I am concerned. No one should have influence over another person, telling them how to act; at least that is my way of thinking. The obvious place where I see multiple examples of age only being a state of mind is at the fitness centers where I teach. There is a member who participates in one of my cycle classes that is in their 80s; you would never know just by looking at them. Someone who used to take one of my aerobic classes I still see at the club; they are currently 90 years old and still work out in the swimming pool. Can you believe it? I admire so many people at the club and it re-enforces another of my beliefs: use it or lose it. Even if I did not have the examples from the fitness centers, I had a neighbor who was in her 90s that would still climb up a ladder every year to clean out the gutters of her house. The physical marvel alone would be enough for me but to hear these people’s history is such a treat. Presently I have a neighbor who has been involved with a city organization for over 60 years. Hearing her stories about the place with its evolutions has provided me with insight on how the city has grown. It is like having a live history book living next to me. Though I have heard second hand stories that originated from century old individuals, I have never actually been around centenarians. This documentary is the next best thing. WRITER and director Alex Tegan (The Irish Pub, Mad Made Men) developed this film around a group of elderly individuals from Ireland who all were at least 100 years old. Their history could fill a book. I had not heard or seen anything about this sweet, charming movie; it was an email from a friend who told me I had to go down into the city to see it playing at only one theater. It was worth the trip for I was fascinated by the amount of people interviewed who were over 100 years old and especially the ones who appeared to still be living independently. Take a moment and just imagine the amount of history all of these seniors have seen. There may be some viewers who may lose a bit of interest since the film essentially is a series of interviews. I found it amusing that subtitles were included with the conversations but I was glad; some of the individuals were hard for me to understand. It was fascinating listening to the variety of topics the people chose to talk about. After sitting through this picture one of the things I wanted to know was what factors contributed to the long lives of these incredible people. Where can I find their fountain of youth?
3 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Weiner
The word personal is defined as relating or affecting a particular individual without the intervention of another. I may have mentioned this before but there are 2 things I avoid discussing: religion and politics. It is not because I am not interested in say one’s religious customs or beliefs, but I resist getting into a conversation with someone who feels their religion or political viewpoint is the “right” one. For me my political and religious thoughts are personal; I have no desire to foster my opinions onto other people. I would not say I am a well informed voter when it comes to political elections, but I do read the news and pay attention to the media coverage of candidates. That is the extent of my research, though I never realized how much social media sites can play a part in elections. On the downside I find out more than I wish to sometimes about people’s beliefs and opinions on my various web sites. It is such a curious thing when it is a known person who has leanings that are opposite of what I imagined they would be. In fact there are some friends in my circles who I never talk politics with because we ride different trains of thought. The reason I am telling you all of this is to convey to you I have no political ambitions, activism (except for voting in every election) or pastimes; no one would consider me a political news junkie at all. So imagine how stunned I was watching this documentary about a political figure. FORMER New York congressman Anthony Weiner decided to pin his political comeback on the mayor’s race for New York City. This documentary would cover the entire campaign from beginning to end. The first thing that amazed me about this film festival winning movie, co-written by Eli B. Despres (Blackfish, Wilderness Survival for Girls), was what appeared to be the unlimited access the filmmakers were granted by Anthony and his wife Huma Abedin. With the amount of election coverage all of us are exposed to these days, I know I am only seeing only the façade of a campaign. Nearly every word and gesture has probably been planned unless the candidate trips up. I normally do not pay much attention to the marketing paraphernalia from any political candidate; so being able to go behind the scenes of the campaign in this picture was fascinating to me. And I have to tell you getting backroom access to Anthony’s journey during the 2013 mayoral race was mind blowing. On one side there were scenes with Huma that were just heartbreaking; on the other side watching Anthony was part circus, part train wreck and part stubbornness all rolled up into one. I was glued to this documentary; I felt I was watching a live theater production. How ironic, I initially was not too excited to see this film at first; but I was immediately won over. Let me mention I absolutely loved writer Eli B. Despres’ Blackfish documentary, so it now makes sense that I would love this political story.
3 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Herb & Dorothy
I remember the first time I went to their house. It was nighttime during the winter so it took me some time to get to their place out away from the city. After greeting me at the door they excused themselves for a second to finish up before we were going out for dinner. Standing in the front hallway I looked to see what was around me. There was a darkened room to my left; it had to be a living room or something since there was no doorway. I stood at the edge of the room because I did not want to appear too nosy but quickly jumped back. Something was staring at me. As my eyes started to adjust to the darkness I was wrong, there was a bunch of people looking at me. I was in such shock I had not heard the footsteps on the staircase as they came back downstairs to stand behind me. “You must be looking at my collection,” they said. I told them I was trying to figure out what was staring at me. They walked over to the light switch on the wall and when the room burst into light, what I saw staring at me were porcelain dolls that had been placed all around the room. There were a couple of child sized dolls seated in chairs, smaller ones were placed on bookshelves and in china cabinets. Adult sized ones were hanging up on the walls, posed in different positions. I was speechless; the only time I had seen so many dolls in one place was at a toy store. My next thought was how long did it take to dust all of them? I am not one to judge; it does not matter to me what a person collects. However, I enjoy and want to hear the motivation and reasons why a person collects certain things. LIVING modestly on his postal clerk and her librarian salaries, Dorothy and Herb managed to create what would become a world famous collection. This film festival winning documentary was not only astounding to watch, it was charming to see the lives of this elderly couple. Directed by Megumi Sasaki I was never bored watching this DVD. The variety of interviews, the commentary from Herb and Dorothy, the meetings, their apartment; all of these components put together formed an entertaining movie. Now here is the thing, the works this couple collected are things that I do not usually gravitate towards; they get lost on me. However, I can appreciate their importance and actually learned a few things from some of the commentary segments offered up in the film. Also, I was amused at the juxtaposition between this nondescript elderly couple and the body of work they amassed. One of the messages I took away after seeing this movie was one does not have to limit themselves to fulfill their passion.
3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Dark Horse
To physically excel at something does not always mean money is required for success. I do not know when it was decided that someone of wealth is better than someone else. There was a fitness club I used to work at that had a wide range of members coming from different economic backgrounds. They would judge each other based on what town they lived in. You see, some suburbs had higher property taxes and wealthier residents than others next to them; so based on where a person resided was how they were classified into certain groups at the club. This had nothing to do with management or employees; this was a bizarre phenomenon that the members did amongst themselves. It took me a while before I could even pick out the towns members lived in based on their appearances. Trust me, I am not one to judge anyone based on their looks, but it was so strange to see how the people from wealthier places looked down at the members who were not as “rich.” Those who walked into the club with full makeup, designer workout clothes or excess jewelry were most likely from the higher economic status neighborhoods. As an instructor I could not care less about any of this and I have to tell you a secret: when I was teaching a format that included partnering up, I always chose people from different backgrounds to match up for the routine. To do yoga poses or strength training exercises did not take a large wallet; anyone could do it. Maybe this is one of the reasons why I always root for the underdog and enjoy hearing a good story about them, like the one in this true story. PEOPLE in the horsing world scoffed at the idea that the working class residents of a small village could breed and train a racehorse for competition. It could be the reason why the horse was named Dream Alliance. This film festival winning documentary was such a good story to watch on film. I should first tell you I am fond of horses; I think they are beautiful creatures. Now with that being said, I enjoyed learning about the different residents who made up this group that dreamed of having a racehorse. The director Louise Osmond (Deep Water, The Blitz: London’s Longest Night-TV) did an admirable job in showing the camaraderie among the townsfolk who all had a single goal in mind. On the other hand I thought the amount of race footage being shown was excessive. With those film clips there were a couple of scenes that could upset viewers, especially animal lovers. Because of the story this movie could be considered more like a drama than a documentary. There were parts in it however that I felt were going slow. I would have preferred to have heard more about how the idea came about instead of seeing multiple group scenes at the pub or restaurant. Overall I am glad I saw this film; however, if one doesn’t want to spend the money then it would be perfectly fine to wait and see it on DVD or online.
2 2/3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Elstree 1976
For such a small detail, I do not know how many would even notice the importance of it. When looking at a painting that displays a face in it, carefully check out the eyes if they are open. Somewhere within the iris there will be a dot of white or a lighter shade of color than the iris. It is easy to overlook; however, that single tiny spot of lighter color is what makes the eyes come alive in a painting. Isn’t that amazing? Out of all the colors and paint strokes, this one seemingly insignificant drop of paint can make a world of difference. Without it the eyes look lifeless like 2 pieces of coal one would use to make a snowman. I know when I am watching a movie and there are scenes that show people in the background I am aware of them but I may not necessarily focus on them because of the main actors. However having those people in the scene makes it genuine. Imagine an outdoor scene say at a park or even a store and there are no people except for the main actors; it would look odd as if the actors were living in a place where they are the only inhabitants or survivors. A friend of mine was an extra in a movie where he had to sit on a park bench reading a newspaper while the 2 actors strolled by hand in hand. You probably would not recall seeing him but his presence added validity to the scene, giving the park a realness and vitality. Call me quirky but I enjoy scanning everything that is incorporated into a scene, so I cannot tell you how excited I was to finally hear some of the behind the scenes stories to the original Star Wars movie from 1977 in this documentary. Whether it was by happenstance, planned or luck; none of these extras realized at first how this movie would change their lives. The idea of finding the extras who worked on this picture to interview was brilliant in my opinion. Part of the individuals that participated was David Prowse (A Clockwork Orange, Up Pompeii) who played Darth Vader, Jeremy Bulloch (Octopussy, Doctor Who-TV) who portrayed Boba Fett and Paul Blake (Some of My Best Friends, The Second Victory) who played Greedo. I loved hearing their stories about getting the job, their experiences, their blunders and their life afterwards. However I felt the director spent way too much time on their personal lives instead of sharing more memories about the filming of Star Wars. As the movie progressed I essentially learned some individuals were arrogant, depressed or greedy; this was something I really did not want to associate with such a major film. In spite of this, I did enjoy the way the director made the extras stand out in the original scenes; I felt I was playing a game of “Where’s Waldo.” All in all this was a light film history lesson that added on a few tidbits of information to my fond memories of such a monumental movie. Fangirls and Fanboys will give this film a higher rating.
2 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Last Man on the Moon
I used to think that each of us had a finite amount of breaths inside of us; once you used them up you were done. So I was careful with my breathing, trying not to sacrifice any of them needlessly. This took place when I was a kid. Though I grew out of that phase I still believe everyone has to sacrifice something to achieve a goal. Recently I met someone who wants to start writing a movie blog. Their enthusiasm is contagious with the excitement they display when talking about their recently seen films. The screen does not matter much to them for they watch movies on their television screen, cellular phone, computers and when possible at a movie theater. If I remember correctly, for the month of January they had seen something like 70 films. You just know this individual had to give something up to devote so much time to movie watching. With my own movie site I know I have had to sacrifice social interactions with friends and family so that I could get to the movie theater. Besides there are not many people who can or want to sit with me watching 3 films in a row when I am forced to do it at times. Heck, I even have to sacrifice housework sometimes to get to a movie theater, but this I do not mind too much. The point is each of us who want to get or do something has to give up or sacrifice something to make it happen. I refer to this as the pluses and minuses of life; for every plus you gain there is a minus that comes with it. If you don’t believe me watch this documentary about the last man to have flown to the moon. ASTRONAUT Eugene Cernan did not start out wanting to be an astronaut; he just absolutely loved to fly, the faster the better. This film festival winning biographical movie was its own little time capsule of American history. With personal and never before seen footage, interviews with fellow astronauts like Alan Bean and Eugene’s commentary; this was an interesting adventure picture. The way I can describe this movie’s affect on me is to say I felt like the history I knew about the Apollo space program just got colored in with more details. The tidbits Eugene offered about NASA along with archival footage kept my interest throughout the film. Oh, and before I forget I wanted to make sure to mention I loved the quote Eugene’s wife stated about staying home. One does not need to be a science fan to enjoy this documentary because the story really was about the sacrifices and effects one experiences as they strive to reach a goal in their life. Luckily we are able to be witnesses to a memorable event that was not only historic but personal. In the scheme of things seeing this movie would fall into the plus column of one’s life.
3 1/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Where to Invade Next
Do you ever look at a situation and start analyzing it from different angles? I am so guilty of this which is referred to as “over thinking a situation.” I received such a great piece of advice from a former boss who constantly reminded me not to over think the problem; the answer did not have to be that complicated. I know I do this but do you ever ask someone their advice but do not heed it until you have asked one or several more individuals? Sometimes you have gone through so many people that when you finally act upon the situation and it works, you share your excitement with that first person you sought advice from and they get annoyed because they told you the same thing weeks ago. The reason I get multiple opinions is so I can learn something new because I know some of my reasoning, oh alright, a good portion of it comes out of the right side of my brain; it is more creative than it needs to be at times. There is the proverb: necessity is the mother of invention; I just may go a little further with my creativity in solving a problem. I feel it is important to have one’s creative side working alongside the scientific one because creativity can spawn new ideas. Imagine how an off the wall idea can wind up being beneficial to all of us, just look at the creation of sticky notes. I know I could use some work on finding the balance between over thinking and adding too much creative license to a problem. However when the balance is met and the solution turns out to be easily solved, it is a wonderful thing. As I sat through this documentary I was continuously amazed at the simple solutions. MICHAEL Moore (Roger & Me, Bowling for Columbine) went on a mission. He would travel around the globe to seek out solutions he could take back to solve our country’s problems. First thing I must say to you is do not let the title of this film festival winner influence your decision on whether you will see it. I had no idea what this film was about and since the word “invade” was in the title I thought the subject had something to do with warfare. I could not have been more wrong. This documentary was more of a lighter fare compared to Michal’s recent films. It was so entertaining that the audience applauded at the end. What Michael did was go to different countries to see how they solved an issue that was still a struggle for the United States. I am sure there was creative editing involved and manipulative scenes but the bottom line here is this movie made you think. You were able to laugh at some of the solutions. Just notice the French schoolchildren’s reactions to seeing what the average American student eats for lunch. This was a great idea for a movie.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Life in a Day
It does not always occur to me; only when I am telling someone the significance of an item I am showing them. The things I have purchased to display in my house all have a story. There are a few friends and family members who know the stories behind the items, but they are in the minority. There is a woven basket sitting next to a living room chair. To the naked eye it just looks like a round basket with a lid that was woven with sturdy reeds. Only a couple of people know that I bought this basket when I was in Charleston, South Carolina; at a store where all the items stocked in it were made by disadvantaged women from third world countries. The owner told me she was trying to help show these women that there was a market for their wares, with the possibility of earning a living. Almost every item in my house has some type of history that will get lost when my time here is done. For example I have a filigreed silver wine cup that came from my great, great grandfather; it looks like an oversized thimble. Since I do not have a picture of him, I can only imagine where and what he was doing with this cup since it does not look like your average dinnerware. In a way my house, I guess all of our homes; can be considered a time capsule of our lives on some level. One of the reasons I so enjoy looking at photos is because I get to see friends and family frozen in a particular time. To see what they were doing or how they lived is cool to me. You may get a better understanding why once you see this documentary. THOUSANDS of videos were submitted after the request went out, asking people from around the world to record what they were doing on July 24, 2010. A group of directors that included Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland, State of Mind) and Hiroaki Aikawa (Japan in a Day) took the videos and narrowed them down to create this fascinating montage of what people from all over the world were doing on this particular day. This film festival winner was utterly fascinating. I was mesmerized watching all the different clips; from the mundane to the extraordinary, the idea behind this dramatic documentary I felt was brilliant. The reason being, there are a variety of things we all see on television and social media that can be noteworthy events, usually celebratory or tragic kinds. A fight or hate crime can be shown, but the world is not made up of only these types of occurrences. Seeing what ordinary people were doing in their daily lives, I am a bit sad to say, offered a refreshing perspective from the abundance of violence and politics that tend to be broadcast these days. For me this was a wonderful time capsule of a single day on our planet in July.
3 1/4 stars — DVD
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