Blog Archives
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
Flash Movie Review: Little Voice
I think most people have something they can do or use when they want to escape from reality. Some people get lost into their knitting, while others may disappear into their work shop for hours. For me it was playing piano when I was younger. These days I escape by watching movies. In this film I could certainly appreciate how the character LV (Little Voice) removed herself from her oppressive reality. After her father had died, LV played by Jane Horrocks (Brother of the Head, Absolutely Fabulous-TV) would hole up into her room, singing along to her father’s old vinyl records. When she would sing, LV was no longer the quiet, shy girl of her loud and abusive mother Mari Hoff, played by Brenda Blethyn (Atonement, Pride & Prejudice). Little Voice was able to shine just like the popular singers from the records she played. When one of Mari’s sleazy boyfriends, Ray Say played by Michael Caine (The Dark Knight, Inception), heard LV’s incredible singing; he thought he had a chance to make a profit–if only he could convince her to sing at a nightclub. Everyone’s performance in this movie was wonderful, especially the knock out singing from Ms. Horrocks. I, also, loved the way the writers subtley moved the characters out of their comfort zones into new territory. Not only was this emotional movie a perfect escape for me, it was a great movie to watch.
3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: The Emperor and the Assassin
The incredible Great Wall of China, the buried Terra Cotta Army near Mount Li, the massive national road system of China all have something in common. They came out of the monarchy of Qin Shi Huang (Ying Zheng), who became the first emperor of a unified China. This dramatic movie was massive on several levels. The historical factor was fascinating to me and the drama in the king’s life played out like a Shakespeare tragedy. He was the man who conquered the several kingdoms of China to create one unified country, going from a king to an emperor. The underlying story in this overwhelming production was about a plan the king formed with his concubine, where he would send her to hire an assassin to kill him. The goal was to use the attempted assassination as a catalyst to attack one of the kingdoms. While the concubine Lady Zhao, played by the incredible Li Gong as Gong Li (Raise the Red Lantern, Memoirs of a Geisha) was away, she discovered the king’s compassion was a facade. Playing the king was Xuejian Li (The Blue Kite, Happy Times), who brought a dramatic flair to his role. There were many aspects to this period film that were enormous. From the sets to the amount of extras, the film portrayed what I imagined the royal court must have been like back in those days. My attention was completely captured by this film with its huge battles, royal secrets, political backstabbing and historical significance. There were some scenes with blood. Chinese with English subtitles.
3 1/2 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Magic Mike
I just experienced my first bachelorette party and I have to say some of you ladies are just nasty! Going to this movie I knew I would be in the minority of men; the audience was approximately 80% female. From the opening scene, the women in the audience were hooting and hollering at the movie screen. It was more fun for me to watch the audience than the movie. The story was about Magic Mike, played by Channing Tatum (The Vow, 21 Jump Street), a male stripper who had aspirations of owning his own business, doing one of a kind furniture pieces. Unfortunately the story splintered into several parallel stories that never grew in depth. Getting real here, most people are not going to see this titillating movie for the character development or life’s lessons. They are going because they want to see bouncing booties and sweaty, chiseled chests. As a fitness instructor I will tell you Channing’s dancing was way beyond anyone else in the cast. I was not surprised since the idea for this story came from him. Before hitting the big time, Channing briefly did a stint as a stripper. He did an admirable job with what he had to work with in this movie. The other stand out in the film was Matthew McConaughey (The Lincoln Lawyer, Bernie) who played Dallas, the owner of the club. It looked like he really enjoyed playing his character. In conclusion, the movie was weak with its narrative; but, on the flipside or should I say backside, you may want to bring dollar bills for the dancers.
2 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
If I knew the world was coming to an end, no carb would be safe near me. Having had to spend most of my years thinking about what I was eating, I would consume anything and everything I could get my hands on. It really would be a dream come true. Right at the beginning of this movie we found out the final attempt to destroy the asteroid Matilda had failed. It was still headed on a collision course with earth. Dodge, played by Steve Carell (Date Night, Evan Almighty), and his wife (real life wife Nancy) heard the news while they were in the car. She bolted from the car in a panic, never to be heard from again. Even with such a morose topic, the humor did not seem out of place to me. When back at his apartment, Dodge witnessed his neighbor Penny, played by Keira Knightley (A Dangerous Method, Pride & Prejudice), breaking up with her boyfriend. From this point on I felt the story began to break down. With chaos exploding around them, Penny and Dodge wound up taking a road trip; he to find the first love of his life and her to get back to her family. Keira did a good job with what she was given in the script. She certainly has that single tear rolling down the face thing that Demi Moore used to be known for. My problem with this film was how scattered it came across. Going from funny to sad, improbable to silly; I quickly lost interest. Another reason could have been Steve Carell; he was not strong enough to be the lead in this role. And here again, I blamed the script for most of it. Sitting in my seat I was more preoccupied with seeking relief at the movie ending than the world coming to an end.
2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Dolphin Tale
After recently watching and reviewing The Cove, I had reservations about seeing this movie. Could I write an unbiased review while I still had disturbing images of helpless dolphins swimming in my brain? With some trepidation, I slipped the DVD into the player and viewed this film that was inspired by a true story. Sawyer Nelson, played by Nathan Gamble (The Dark Knight, Marley & Me), was riding his bicycle by the beach when a man was calling for help. Going up to him Sawyer saw why the call for help; there was a beached dolphin with its tail stuck in a crab trap. Trying to help the poor animal, Sawyer felt a special bond to it. When Dr. Clay Haskett, played by Harry Connick Jr. (New in Town, P.S. I Love You), arrived from the marine animal hospital; it took a group effort to secure the dolphin and transport it back for some needed care. With Sawyer checking in on the animal, a transformation emerged that changed the life of the young boy. I found myself drawn into the story, understanding the reasons why the writers made it schmaltzy. The goal was to pull at the viewers’ heart strings. For me it was too forced and manipulative. Besides being predictable, I felt the movie was way over the top in being cute and heartfelt. All it needed was a swelling of violin music. With that being said, I still shed a couple of tears in the appropriate places. My heart is built to go out to the disadvantaged.
2 1/2 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: The Nines
I thought the surprise in this movie was seeing Octavia Spencer (The Help, Dinner for Schmucks), Elle Fanning (Super 8, We Bought a Zoo) and Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids, Pretty Ugly People) at an earlier stage of their careers. It is a kick for me to see how actors started out or watch their earlier films before they hit the big time. The other surprise about this film was the outcome from three separate stories and discovering the connection. Without giving too much away, the stories could be broken down into a comedy, drama and a fantasy. This unusual film started with Ryan Reynolds (Safe House, The Proposal) as Gary, a troubled actor who burned his girlfriend’s house down. Under house arrest, he was supervised by sweetly tough publicist Margaret, played by Melissa McCarthy. As the days pass, Gary begins to hear voices, find mysterious notes he does not recall writing and thinks he is seeing glimpses of himself in the large house. By the end of the story I was confused, not sure where this movie on a whole was going to take me. The second segment started out providing me no help in my confusion. All I will tell you is to stick it out in watching this movie. There was some interesting points to the stories and I found myself being drawn in to discover the conclusion. Was it the best acting I have seen in a movie? Certainly not; however, I enjoyed the entertainment value this film provided me.
2 2/3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Lorna’s Silence
The way the world works these days, there usually is an alternative solution that will get you the same results, albeit not legally. I may believe I have some street smarts, but I would be fooling myself if I did not think there are a lot of undocumented things happening around me. At present one of the hot political topics has to do with immigration. I had a crash course in the legalities of the issue when my niece became engaged to a wonderful man from France. Lorna, played by Arta Dobroshi (Late Bloomers, Magic Eye), worked at a cleaners, but hoped to open a snack shop one day. To get to her goal, she agreed to enter into a sham marriage arranged by local, small time mobster Fabio, played by Fabrizio Rongione (The Kid with a Bike, The Child). Besides the financial gain, Lorna would more importantly obtain Belgian citizenship. Everything was going smoothly until her husband, a junkie, asked for her help in getting clean. At the beginning of this dramatic film, I was not sure where the story was going; I felt out of synch with it. However, I soon realized that is what the directors had in mind. Lorna and her husband were not so dissimilar after all. The range of feelings they displayed felt like I was watching a tennis match; going from dominance to weakness to manipulation. This film did not take a page out of the Hollywood handbook; it was a bare bones story that fully used its actors’ abilities. A raw tense movie, this Cannes and Lumiere winning film gave a glimpse into what I am sure has been a real occurence in life. French, Albanian, Russian with English subtitles.
3 stars — DVD
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