Blog Archives
Flash Movie Review: Me and Orson Welles
There is something magical when the lights dim and the audience settles into momentary silence. The heavy curtain purrs as it takes flight and there standing before you is a scene that wakens into life. I love the experience of live theater (such an odd term that suggests there is dead theater) with actors claiming their parcels of stage land. My close friend, who was a theater major, has the most fascinating stories about theater life; I love listening to them whenever the subject comes up. Finding this treasure of a film was sweet, since I backed away from it when I saw Zac Efron’s (The Lucky One, 17 Again) name attached to it. But gratefully the story captured my attention by combining two of my favorite things: movies and theater. Zac played Richard Samuels, a boy who skipped a school day to venture into the heart of New York City and the lights of Broadway. As a 17 year old Mr. Efron was okay for this role, even with his somewhat thin acting abilities. I will cut him some slack here; since he, along with the majority of the cast, had to go up against a tour de force performance by Christian McKay (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Mr. Nice) as Orson Welles. I was riveted to my flat screen by Mr. McKay’s performance. The movie was set in the 1930’s when young Orson was opening up his Mercury Theater, with a modern version of Julius Caesar. There are thousands of stories about Mr. Welles’ ego and character; they all got played out with Christian’s amazing acting. He dominated every scene, every line, every actor; he even looked like the real Orson. Everyone was a pawn to this bombastic man, even Zac’s character who was hired on the spot to be in the opening night production. I will say Claire Danes (Stardust, Temple Grandin) did an admirable job playing Orson’s ambitious assistant, Sonja Jones. This was an excellent movie to watch; that combined my love of theater and movies into one decent production.
2 3/4 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Trishna
How many of us as little kids fantasized about whom we would share our life with when we grew up? I am sure there were a multitude looking for their Prince Charming, Princess Jasmine, Superman or even their Wonder Woman. I have a cousin who used to insist she was adopted and that she would return to her royal birthright when she found her prince. There are some people who believe they can rise in status by marrying the right individual. But what if you belonged to a culture where there was a strong divide between the classes? This film’s story was an updated version of Thomas Hardy’s novel, Tess and the d’Urbervilles, set in India. Trishna, played by Freida Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire, Immortals) came from a poor rural family. As the movie started I was surprised with the opening scenes showing a group of guys partying, wondering where the writers were taking this tale. One of the friends named Jay, played by Riz Ahmed (Four Lions, The Road to Guantanamo), happened to notice Trishna. From this chance meeting began a slow transition into the beginnings of a love relationship. Jay, the son of a wealthy Indian businessman, was the perfect gentleman at first; however, as the movie progressed the budding romance between the two took on a sinister flavor. Freida was lovely in this role as her rural upbringing clashed with Jay’s upper class sensibilities. I was lost though on Jay’s character development, never fully understood his motives. The story broke apart halfway through for me and I lost my interest in the unfolding events. It was a good idea bringing the story into a modern setting, in an exotic locale; but it needed more drama and explanation to make it a good movie. There were a couple of scenes that showed blood.
2 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Farewell, My Queen
“Let them eat cake” is a famous quote that we attribute to Marie Antoinette. Actually there is no record of her really uttering those words, but the quote has come to symbolize the disconnect between the wealthy upper class and the impoverished lower class. Many of us were taught about the French Revolution in our high school European history class. This movie dealt with the final days of Louis XVI’s monarchy. What fascinated me about this wonderful film was how it was seen through the eyes of Marie Antoinette’s reader. This was way before there were electronic readers and books on tape. Sidonie Laborde, played by Lea Seydoux (Midnight in Paris, Robin Hood) was the servant assigned to read to Marie Antoinette, played by Diane Kruger (Unknown, Inglourious Basterds). I found the concept of a reader a bit odd, but I so enjoyed the way this version of the monarchy’s downfall unfolded. Diane was beautiful in this role as the remarkable queen holed up in the opulent Versailles castle, carrying out her daily desires, keeping her female confidant close by; while word of an uprising in Paris spread throughout the gossiping servants. With tension building among the members of the royal court, chaos sputtered into life through the castle. We had the beauty of Versailles on display, the consistent pacing and fine acting which made this film a fresh version of French history. No readers will be allowed into the theater; you will have to do your own reading, since the film was done in French with English subtitles.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Station Agent
I have mentioned in previous reviews, that I spent a good portion of my life trying to fit in. My goal was not to stand out and once I had my weight loss, I felt my chances became better at being just average. You can see I was not known as an overachiever. At least in my world I had the option to change myself, but what if a person had no opportunity to blend in with the majority. That is exactly why Finbar McBride, played by Peter Dinklage (Death at a Funeral, Game of Thrones-TV), decided to leave the life he knew behind after his only friend had died. Having been stared and talked about due to his dwarfism, Finbar moved into an abandoned train station on a plot of land that his friend had left him, to begin a reclusive life. But that did not turn out to be the case when he encountered Olivia Harris, played by Patricia Clarkson (Easy A, Larts and the Real Girl) and Joe Aramas, played by Bobby Cannavale (Win Win, The Other Guys). This charming movie was a joy to watch as Peter, Patricia and Bobby were wonderful in their roles. What I appreciated most about this story was the affirmation it gave me, regarding my belief that people should not be judged by how they look. This indie flavored movie came with a big heart.
3 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
Flash Movie Review: Take This Waltz
When the emotional aspect is gone, love tends to turn bittersweet. I have seen and been a part of it; where it felt I had newly empty space around my deflated heart. There are some people who can survive in their relationship without the emotional attachment. I am not one of those people. Margot, played by Michelle Williams (Blue Valentine, Wendy and Lucy) and her husband Lou, played by Seth Rogan (Superbad, Funny People); jokingly say torturous things as terms of endearment to each other. On the surface they appear to be a playful couple with varied interests. Their daily lives idly move along, avoiding the highs and lows of emotions. Not until Margot meets the new neighbor, does she acknowledge the empty spaces in her life. I thought Michelle’s role was the better one; I did not quite understand Seth’s character. Also, I find his dramatic roles can only go so far. There were several loose parts to this film, such as the lack of character development. As the film dragged on, I became less interested in the characters. Missing from the roles were assertiveness and drive to the characters’ actions. It seemed as if Margot and Lou were waiting for someone to tell them what to do. Maybe that was the point of this film, but I found it boring. In my experiences, affairs of the heart are rarely sedate. In this bland movie what was needed was more heart.
2 stars
Flash Movie Review: La Mission
In the Latin community, so I have been told, the males need to be machismo, manly. I do not buy that, but I am aware that there is a strong focus on being a family. We can all assume that when a child is brought into this world, whatever their parents’ backgrounds, they will love their child unconditionally. If only that were really true. I have witnessed the horror of a child being kicked out of the house by their parents, because they announced they were gay. These parents only loved him as long as they believed he was straight. What made this situation worse was how the parents had nothing to do with him from that day on…until they found out years later how successful their son had become in the business world. Then all of a sudden they tried re-establishing a relationship with him. For these reasons, I was intrigued when I saw the trailer for this movie. In the mission district of San Francisco lived Che Rivera, played by Benjamin Bratt (Miss Congeniality, Law & Order-TV). He was an ex-con, recovering alcoholic and a single dad. Respected by some, feared by others; Che’s world spun out of control when he discovered his son Jes, played by Jeremy Ray Valdez (Constantine, All She Can), was gay. Though this story can and has played out in many ways, I felt having the setting take place in a hyper masculine, Hispanic neighborhood gave the conflicts more intensity. Benjamin and Jeremy did a wonderful job of acting, in spite of several undeveloped scenes. Even if I had never known about my friend’s parents, I would have still found this dramatic film to be a truthful story. In my world, love is either an all or nothing proposition.
2 3/4 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Temple Grandin
The brain is an amazing organ. I have always been fascinated on how it works. A child’s ability to learn multiple languages without an accent prior to a certain age, to a stroke victim who can only utter one word but think they are talking in complete sentences; I am in awe with the functions of the brain. In the world of autism, there is a wide variance of functionality. This biographical movie is about the remarkable woman, Temple Grandin. Amazingly played by Claire Danes (Stardust, The Hours), her portrayal was eerily similar to the real Ms. Grandin. At a time where we had less understanding of autism, Temple grew up being noticeably different. With the support of her loving mother Eustacia, played by Julia Ormond (My Week With Marilyn, Sabrina) and encouragement from Dr. Carlock, played by David Strathairn (The Bourne Ultimatum, The Tempest), Temple was able to grow and make some considerable contributions that changed the way we treat animals. In fact, one of her ideas has been used in the treatment of stress reduction for autistic people. I have always been a champion in celebrating people’s differences. Just as differences were shown through this movie, I believe they are played out in our daily lives to varying degrees. And with a chance meeting and the acceptance of one’s differences, look at the achievements we can all benefit from. This was an amazing movie about an awe-inspiring woman.
3 1/2 stars — DVD
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
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