Blog Archives
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
Flash Movie Review: Beasts of the Southern Wild
As the screen went dark and the credits began to roll, it took me a moment to remember that I had just been watching a movie. I felt I had witnessed a real life story in real time. My other surprise was the incorrect assumption I had that this incredible story took place in a third world country. From the movie trailers, I thought the characters lived in a remote backwoods village. This film was a perfect example on why I love movies. It transported me out of my reality into the character’s lives. The main reason was the phenomenal acting of the two main characters. For both of them this was their acting debuts; it made this movie even more special. Quvenzhane Wallis as Hushpuppy was unbelievable. At the time of auditions for this role, she was under the age requirement. The five year old did not let that stop her. She went into the audition and I can only assume blew the studio’s mind. She may become the youngest actress to get an Oscar nomination; that is how good she was in this role. Playing her father Wink was Dwight Henry, who in real life is the owner operator of a bakery cafe in New Orleans. I think it would be better to go into the theater with as little information as possible, to enhance the movie experience. Let me just say the story was about a father teaching his daughter how to survive in the world. Except for the hand held camera work when used, this was one of the best movies I have seen this year. It was an original pure story and had outstanding acting; I can see why it was a winner at the Cannes and Sundance film festivals.
3 2/3 stars
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: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
I have always said that our bodies are rented; that the mind is what defines a person. This was one of the reasons why I was offended by individuals who ignored me when I was heavy. After I lost my weight, these same people started acknowledging me. I was no different inside, yet some people never went past my surface. Granted this movie may be an extreme example, but it truly showed the amazing power of the human mind. Based on the true story of Elle magazine editor Jean-Dominique Bauby, actor Mathieu Amalric (Quantum of Solace, Munich) did an outstanding job portraying, what friends would call the 43 year old editor, Jean Do. After regaining consciousness from a massive stroke, Jean Do was almost completely paralyzed. The only thing he had control over was the blinking of his left eye. With his cognitive skills functioning, Jean Do explored the memories he had, letting his imagination take him to wonderful places. The cinematography was simply gorgeous in this stunning film. Being left with no way to communicate with the people around him; a special nurse came up with an inspired idea, which allowed her to communicate with Jean-Dominique. Reciting letters from the French alphabet, she asked the patient to blink once for yes or twice for no, until she was able to form words out of the letters. After having seen the Intouchables a few weeks ago and now this incredible movie, I am so in awe with the capacity of the human mind.
3 1/2 stars — DVD
