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Flash Movie Review: Twelve
Wisdom comes with age and if that is the case then I am still a teenager. Well at least it does when it comes to my driving since I visited South and North Dakota, where they have no posted speed limits. If no one is in the car with me, I am an assertive driver. I cannot understand why cars want to keep getting in my way. Now before you think I am some reckless maniac, I at least do not text or brush my teeth in the car. Except for the driving thing, I was never one for acting out in public. Who knew how true it was when my folks, along with my aunts and uncles, told me I would understand when I got older. If I only had the sense back then that I think I have now. After seeing this dramatic thriller, I wondered if the characters could say the same thing. I do not know if it had to do with not being a party animal or part of the popular group, but I felt old watching this movie. The parties I attended in high school and college were nothing like the ones shown here. Chace Crawford (The Covenant, Gossip Girl-TV) was drug dealer White Mike. Ever since his mother died of cancer, White MIke had stayed on the fringe with his peers. He purposely kept his childhood friend Molly, played by Emma Roberts (Nancy Drew, Wild Child), in the dark about his drug dealing, telling her he worked at his father’s restaurant. When his cousin was murdered, White Mike’s life began to unravel, the effects being felt all around him. I found individual scenes interesting; but when pieced together with Kiefer Sutherland’s (24-TV, The Reluctant Fundamentalist) narration, the drama waned. The acting was decent from Chace and Emma, along with Rory Culkin (Signs, You Can Count on Me) as Chris, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson (Real Steel, Morning Glory) as Lionel and Esti Ginzburg (Movie 43) as Sara Ludlow. Part of the problem was director Joel Schumacher’s (The Phantom of the Opera, Phone Booth) reliance on the story being told to us instead of showing it. If teenagers really act like they did in this film, then I am glad I am old. A couple of brief scenes with blood.
2 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Love is All You Need
There has not been a wedding I have attended where there was not at least one character in the crowd. It never fails that there is one person who has had too much to drink. Since I am a people watcher, I am fascinated with what people wear to such occasions. I remember attending a wedding ceremony where I swear a woman was dressed up like an entertainer from a gentleman’s club; if you get my drift. There has been several wedding receptions where one person refuses to sit near someone else, making the wedding planners crazy as they try to accommodate the requests. These days I attend these functions assuming I will be getting dinner and a show. In this romantic comedy I felt I was one of the guests at the affair. The difference was I did not know a single soul. However, by the end of the movie I knew a lot about those in attendance. Pierce Bronson (The Ghost Writer, After the Sunset) played British company owner Philip. His son Patrick, played by Sebastian Jessen (Nothing’s All Bad, Rich Kids), was engaged to marry sweet Danish woman Astrid, played by Molly Blixt Egelind (Okay, Fighter). Finished with her last treatment for cancer; Astrid’s mother Ida, played by Trine Dyrholm (A Royal Affair, The Celebration), was well enough to travel to the wedding taking place in Italy. Ida was going alone since she refused to travel with her husband Leif, played by Kim Bodnia (Bleeder, Pusher). Maybe it was because I was not related to either family, but I had a good time watching this film. The fact that it was mostly filmed in Italy did not hurt either–the scenery was breathtaking. There was more heft to the story than the usual romantic comedy movies I have seen. Trine’s face was so expressive that I could feel her emotions. The chemistry between her and Pierce had a mature realness. Except for Patrick’s aunt and cousin, I thought the writers created believable characters, while avoiding cheap humor for a quick laugh. Just like a real wedding, this film gave me a reason to laugh, to shed a tear and to smile; I was glad I attended. Some Danish and Italian with English subtitles.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Great Gatsby
The haves and have nots, the rich get richer while the poor get poorer, the upper class exploiting the lower class, wealthy husbands and their mistresses; any of these topics can be found in today’s headlines. They also are part of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel, The Great Gatsby. Brought to the big screen by director/writer Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge, Australia), we saw the lavish surroundings where the wealthy play; oblivious to those of lesser means. The marketing of this movie has been intense, showing glimpses of spectacular parties, classic cars, mansions; all accompanied by a heavy hip hop beat. Leonardo DiCaprio (Inception, Django Unchained) played Jay Gatsby, a mysterious wealthy man whose life had been motivated by his love for one particular woman. Carey Mulligan (Drive, Shame) was Daisy Buchanan, a wealthy socialite married to the unfaithful Tom Buchanan, played by Joel Edgerton (Warrior, The Odd Life of Timothy Green). Set up as the narrator of this story was midwesterner Nick Carraway, played by Tobey Maguire (Spiderman franchise, Brothers). I enjoyed the performances from each actor; they did their best with what was written for them. The costumes and sets were brilliantly reproduced to reflect the era of 1920’s Long Island, New York. With such detail given to the look of this film, I found the choice of music to be a distraction. At a particular scene I glanced down at my watch to make a mental note of the time. It was approximately 50 minutes into the story before I started caring about any of the characters. I found the 1st half of the film to be bloated as it lumbered along. The last half of the movie contained most of the drama, almost force feeding it to the audience. The heavy handed way the story was told made it sag under its own excessiveness. This extravagant film could have benefitted from an austerity program. A couple of brief scenes with blood.
2 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Blancanieves
Whether they were read, seen or told to us; fairy tales are stories that have stayed with us from our childhood. Who did not want to be a princess or a prince when they were a little kid? I was convinced that when I grew up; one day, I would swoop in and rescue who would become the love of my life. There was something about fairy tales that not only gave me a sense of hope; they provided me with an outlet to let my imagination grow and explore new passageways through my mind. Right from the beginning of this movie, I felt a kinship with writer and director Pablo Berger (Torremolinos). Using the tale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves as a foundation, Pablo took the story and pushed it towards a dark, humorous, creative drama; that was a visual masterpiece. Some of you know I was not a fan of the silent film The Artist. Where I thought it was more of a gimmick for that movie; in this one, I absolutely loved the silence of no spoken words. The soundtrack came to the forefront to steer the story to some incredible heights. Set in Spain during the 1920’s; famous bullfighter Antonio Villalta, played by Daniel Gimenez (Bad Education, A Painting Lesson), had a beautiful daughter named Carmen. There was only one person who did not like the young girl and that was her evil stepmother Encarna, played by Maribel Verdu (Pan’s Labyrinth, The Blind Sunflowers). The richness of this black and white film only increased the enormous screen power of Maribel. This Oscar nominated movie was magical to me; I had no sense of time passing and felt I was taken to a different world. Absolutely beautiful to watch, I am willing to say this film will become a modern classic. Spanish with English subtitles.
4 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Reluctant Fundamentalist
It is one thing to have a first impression of a person; it is another to act on it. When I first meet someone and form a first impression, I consider it a photograph that I stash in an imaginary photo album. After I really get to know the person, it is fun to go back and see how close my first impression was to the real individual. I am reminded of a man who used to be in one of my yoga classes. When he first walked into class I sensed a sudden shift of energy in the room. Several participants quieted down as they warily gazed at the thick, 6+ foot tall imposing figure with shaved head and piercing dark eyes. They were reacting to his looks, assuming he was a certain type of person. In actuality he was a fun, gentle addition to the class. This movie posed a powerful question that involved impressions; it is one of the reasons I went to see it. Riz Ahmed (Four Lions, Shifty) played Changez, a U.S. educated, rising Wall Street star from Pakistan. During one of his business trips abroad, the World Trade Center in New York City was attacked. His return flight back home would bring him to a changed country. Riz was excellent in this role, as was Kiefer Sutherland (Phone Booth, 24-TV) playing Riz’ boss Jim Cross. I thought Liev Schreiber’s (Defiance, Repo Men) role as Bobby Lincoln was an excellent character for him. In what was a total miscast, Kate Hudson (Almost Famous, Bride Wars) was absolutely wrong for the role of Changez’ girlfriend Erica. Not only was her acting poor, I found her character’s story arc ridiculous. With the exception of her, I was able to appreciate what the director and writers were trying to do with this film based on the best selling book. What could have been a thought provoking, powerful movie instead was a film that was too long, filled with melodramatic moments and a sprinkling of intense thrilling scenes. Lesson learned: Do not always believe your first impressions from the movie trailer. Brief scenes with blood in them.
2 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Next Three Days
Besides babies and animals, there is nothing harder to witness than having a loved one ill or in distress. Seeing them nearly immobile from pain, you only wish your hug could remove the discomfort from their body, letting them fall into a quiet healing sleep. Though the relationship was several years ago, I can still recall sitting on the sofa while they were convalescing after a medical procedure. Suddenly there was a yell, followed by a roaring, tumbling sound. I sprang up and raced to the stairs where I saw them sprawled down at the bottom. My throat constricted as it tried to squeeze back my thumping heart that was so loud, it reverberated inside my ears. After making sure they had nothing broken; all I could do was hold them close in my arms, watching their hair sway back and forth from my heavy breathing. That same instinctive protectiveness is what attracted me to this compelling drama. Russell Crowe (Broken City, Les Miserables) and Elizabeth Banks (The Hunger Games, People Like Us) were husband and wife, John and Lara Brennan. Arrested for the murder of her boss, John felt increasingly helpless with his wife’s unsuccessful case appeals. As Lara became more despondent, John had to do something to keep his family together. The start of the movie had a great set up for the beginning of the story. Russell and Elizabeth blended well together, doing a fine job of acting. I liked the way the director built up the levels of emotion as the movie progressed. My problem started with the change in Russell’s character; I found it hard to believe. Because of that, the story started to fall apart for me. It annoyed me somewhat because the last 30 minutes of the movie offered tense excitement. I did get a kick out of Liam Neeson (Battleship, The Grey) doing a cameo as Damon Pennington. For the few scenes Brian Dennehy (Every Day, The Big Year) was in as George Brennan, he still was able to provide a quiet strength. It can be brutal watching our significant other in crisis; making some of us wish we could take their place. One scene had blood in it.
2 1/2 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Kon-Tiki
There is a risk venturing into something without having some prior knowledge on what you will do or see. I do not know if I would call myself a risk taker, but I prefer seeing a movie with as little information about it as possible. Call me an adventurer. This is why I keep my reviews short, not divulging too much information. If I am going to ask someone about a movie it would be to ask if there is a good time to run out and use the restroom. Being the way I am, there have been movies I have gone to where I have pleaded with my watch to speed up; the movie was that awful. However, I am willing to take my chances. When I go to a movie such as this one, I enjoy the surprise of experiencing a wonderful film. For example, I did not know this adventure film was an Oscar and Golden Globe nominee for best foreign film. The international version that was done in English was what I saw at the theater. The movie was a dramatization about famous adventurer Thor Heyerdal’s 1947 attempt to cross 4,700 miles of the Pacific Ocean, to prove that Polynesia could have been settled by natives from South America. Having seen the trailer for this film, I had to wonder if the movie would be able to keep my attention. Since I had seen the movie Life of Pi, I was not expecting this film to be as beautiful. Now here came the surprise: this movie was beautiful in its own way. I am sure scenes were added to keep a sense of drama and suspense for the viewer, but it worked. I was never bored, just astounded these men willingly agreed to sail across the Pacific Ocean on a wooden raft. The only thing missing from the story was getting more background information on each member of the crew. I wanted to know what drove them to commit to such a risky endeavor. Pal Sverre Hagen (Troubled Water, Amor) and Agnes Kittelson (Happy Happy, Tag) were admirable playing Thor and Liv Heyerdal. By taking a risk in going to this movie, I was rewarded with seeing an engaging film about an amazing feat. One brief scene with blood.
3 1/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: At Any Price
Having one’s family name as a company moniker must be a heady experience. There must be a sense of pride and dedication to maintain a good reputation for the family name. Future generations, I believe, would be groomed to uphold the standards that were set before them. At least that is what I thought; but found out it was not the case when I was employed at family businesses. I found the offspring of the owners to be spoiled brats, without a sense of decency. They had a sense of entitlement, treating their company as their own personal kingdom; or even worse, as their own individual bank account. As I watched Zac Efron (The Lucky One, The Paperboy) play Dean Whipple in this drama, I was getting a similar impression. The difference was Dean had no interest in following in his father Henry’s, played by Dennis Quaid (Vantage Point, The Words), footsteps. But then again could you blame him? He was his father’s second choice. The story revolved around the choices and results members of the Whipple family made in the name of their family business. I did not find the characters likable with the exception of the mother Irene, played by Kim Dickens (The Blind Spot, Hollow Man). Her strong understated performance felt the most real to me. Zac did not bring anything new to his acting which consisted mostly of blank stares from his unusually bright eyes. I found the way light reflected off of his eyes to be a distraction. There never was a time where I believed in his character. The poor script allowed disjointed scenes of melodrama that did not help to move the story forward. One of the big, momentous scenes used to change the story was a cheap ploy; I disliked it immensely. There was a simple pureness to the way the movie was filmed. If the writers would have added more intensity to their story, it would have made an interesting juxtaposition between the emotional turmoil and the pristine landscapes. Instead we were stuck with a movie that was as exciting as watching grass grow.
1 3/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Renoir
Depending on where I stand the light hits her eyes, making them glow brightly. I turn the corner and come upon a beautiful park with people leisurely strolling or relaxing on the ground. It looks so inviting and peaceful; but with my time constraints, I cannot stay and continue on my way. Walking into a dimly lit area I feel as if I have just fallen down the proverbial rabbit hole. Before me I see rooms too small for me to fit into with my sudden giant size; the chairs are only big enough to support something the size of a nickel. These are some of the escapades I experience when I visit the city’s amazing art museum. Since my mother was an artist, she started taking me to the museum when I was a little kid. Whether I was walking through a room filled with armored, battle ready mannequins or sitting and pretending the painted fields were gently moving in the breeze, each trip was an adventure for me. I had those same feelings as I sat and watched this gorgeous film about the artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Set in a country estate in the French Riviera, the landscapes were exquisite. The lushness was a counterpoint to the increasing physical pain taking place within Renoir; played by Michel Bouquet (The Bride Wore Black, All the Mornings of the World). It was the early 1900’s and Renoir’s son Jean, played by Vincent Rottiers (Last Winter, I’m Glad my Mother is Alive), came home to recuperate from a war injury. To his surprise he found the free spirited Andree Heuschling, played by Christa Theret (Twiggy, Le Couperet), a new model who seemed to have infused fresh life into his father. It was not long before Jean too became enchanted with the carefree woman. The biggest enjoyment for me in this film was imagining I was actually watching a part of Renoir’s life. I thought the actor was excellent in showing and creating the beauty that was all around him despite his physical agony. There was not much substance to the story; the film felt more like a painting that was coming to life. Sitting in the movie theater, memories of me walking around that art museum came to mind. I was mingling and sitting among gifted artists. French with English subtitles.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Switch
Before viewing this movie one has to ask if they believe a person can sustain a friendship with a member of the opposite gender. If the answer is no, I do not think they will buy into the story in this film. Not only do I think it is possible to maintain friendships with people of the opposite gender, I feel it is part of having a healthy life. My circle of friends surround me like the ever expanding rings caused by a pebble being dropped into a still pond of water. The first ring consists of my closest friends. In my inner circle I have one of my oldest, long term friends; we dated each other in 8th grade. She and I can share some of our most intimate thoughts without the fear of being judged. The following rings contain friends and acquaintances of various closeness. In this comedy best friends Wally Mars, played by Jason Bateman (Up in the Air, Disconnect) and Kassie Larson, played by Jennifer Aniston (Horrible Bosses, Wanderlust), had a similar relationship. However their relationship took on added meaning the night of a special party. After Kassie decided to have a baby by artificial insemination, she searched and found the perfect donor in Roland, played by Patrick Wilson (Watchmen, Insidious). The night of the donor party Wally became so drunk, he had no recollection of his actions. Let me first say I was not comfortable with the story’s premise. I know it was needed to make this film, but on some level what Wally did went against my grain. That being said, Jason and Jennifer worked well together. I thought the child acting brothers Thomas (The Protector-TV) and Bryce Robinson (Marley & Me, Valentine’s Day) as Sebastian did a wonderful job. In addition, it was fun to see Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic Park franchise, Independence Day) in a light comedic role as Wally’s boss Leonard. In reality this would be an unlikely story; but as a movie, it did offer some amusing scenes. I accept my friends with all their flaws and neurosis; it goes the same for this film.
2 1/3 stars — DVD
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