Blog Archives
Flash Movie Review: The Intouchables
One of the best movies I have seen this year. I was taken by surprise with the amount of humor in this exceptional film from France. Who knew that putting a wealthy quadriplegic man and a poor individual from the projects together in one story would be so funny? In addition this was all based on a true story. What really captured me from the start was the affirmation of my belief that a person should be judged by what is inside of them, not on the outside. The story was about two men who discovered something about themselves through the eyes of the other. Philippe, played incredibly well by Francois Cluzet (Tell No One, French Kiss) was the rich man who got injured in a paragliding accident that left him a quadriplegic. Omar Sy (Micmacs, Those Happy Days) was outstanding as Driss; a poor man from the projects who was simply looking to get a signature for his unemployment form. To his surprise he was hired to be the caretaker for Philippe. This dramatic comedy was never slow to me and I had no issue reading the subtitles. Along with the audience I laughed out loud during multiple scenes. The message I got from this movie re-enforced my thinking that what was inside of a person truly made up one of the most important factors of what gives each of us our humanity. I had such a good time watching this movie that I left the theater feeling great. French with English subtitles.
3 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: We Need to Talk About Kevin
I’m not a parent but know I would be a “tough love” type of Dad. I do not understand those parents who let their children run wild in a store or restaurant. And don’t get me started on the ones that bring their underage kids to an R rated movie–I am talking like a 6 or 7 year old! But what do you do if it turns out you do not like your child? The Kevin in this movie would really test a parent’s love. This intense film was too much for me to watch all the way through; I had to take a break from it. Since birth it appeared Kevin and his mother Eva Khatchadourian, played by Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton, Adaptation) never got along. Or maybe they just did not like each other. Tilda was extraordinary in this challenging role. As the teenage Kevin, Ezra Miller (Another Happy Day, City Island) not only looked like he was Eva/Tilda’s son, but his acting was just as remarkable. Playing the father Franklin, John C. Reilly (Cedar Rapids, The Promotion) was reduced to a minor character compared to the mother and son. I did not care for the direction, finding the use of flashbacks annoying. There were times I was trying to figure out why something was taking place. If you were to ask me if I enjoyed watching this movie, I would have to say no, not really. I wanted to see the acting since Ms Swinton was Oscar nominated. And yet, maybe this was a good film since it elicited a strong response in me. I have one other question I would like to ask: Should a parent be held responsible if their child grows up to be a sociopath?
3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Headhunters
Nothing like walking into an unfamiliar movie and being taken on a wild ride of surprising thrills. I needed a seat belt due to my squirming from the tension that was built up in this action movie. Based on the best-selling mystery novel by Jo Nesbo, the screenplay had a mixture of fear, disgust, intrigue and humor rolled up into it, forming a tightly paced film. Roger Brown, played by Aksel Hennie (Buddy, Max Manus: Man of War) was a successful executive recruiter. He lived in an incredible house, had a beautiful wife, drove a nice car; yet, it wasn’t enough. To supplement his income, he moonlighted as an art thief. Tipped off by his wife, who happened to own an art gallery, about his recent client’s priceless painting; Roger set out to steal the masterpiece. The client was Clas Greve, played by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (At World’s End, Game of Thrones-TV), a former mercenary. With excellent acting and some utterly crazy scenes; this was an exciting movie to watch, even though I found it hard to mix tense action with immediate humor. Also, some of the scenes were extremely violent and bloody. By the end of the film, I was tired but satisfied that my money was well spent by seeing this movie. Norwegian with English subtitles.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Namesake
How does one go forward if they do not see where they came from? There is nothing wrong with looking to the past to find answers in the present. Based on the best-selling novel, this wonderful movie could easily have been about any group or individual; besides the family in this beautiful story about one’s name and heritage. In my family we are named after a deceased relative, honoring their memory. As a child I did not appreciate this since I was the only one who had my name until I was in high school. It wasn’t until I became an adult (or close to one) that I learned to love and respect my name. Kal Penn (Harold & Kumar franchise, Epic Movie) as Gogol/Nikhil went through such a transformation as the son of immigrant parents Ashima and Ashoke, played by Tabu (Shock, Chandni Bar) and Irrfan (Slumdog Millionaire, The Darjeeling Limited). The biggest surprise for me was Kal’s admirable acting. Seriously, I had no idea he could handle this role and add such believability to it. Tabu’s and Irrfan’s acting was sublime as the transplanted Indians navigating their way between the modern world they lived in with the traditions and customs of their culture. A majestic movie about love, family and the honor given to one’s name.
3 1/3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Once
When one hears the notes of a song harmonizing with their own heartbeat, it can be euphoric. Music is essential for me; I have songs that remind me of a number of friends, family members and past loves. This charming film to me was a musical, because the music was vital in moving the story along. The fact they cast musicians in the roles only added to the joy of watching and hearing this movie. When Glen Hansard, the male lead, was not fixing vacuum cleaners in his father’s store; he could be found on the streets of Dublin singing and playing his beaten up, old guitar. One day Marketa Irglova, the female lead, stopped to listen to his moving songs of love that immediately resonated with the chords of her own heart. From this crossing of paths, the two found the catalyst to push them closer to their dreams. Not typical Hollywood fare, this low budget independent film perfectly blended emotions into songs, which moved into scenes, that led to creative passion; all the while staying simple and real. This was a wonderful movie to watch, which allowed my heart to open up and replay some of its stored songs of love.
3 1/3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Waitress
Even with me not being a pie guy when it comes to desserts, this delectable movie made me hungry. The scrumptious looking baked pies added an extra richness to the wonderful story. Jenna Hunterson, played by Keri Russell (August Rush, Felicity-TV), was in a loveless marriage with her controlling husband Earl, played by Jeremy Sisto (Clueless, Into Temptation). Added to her misery was discovering she was pregnant with his child, extending or possibly cementing what she felt was her prison sentence. Only familiar with her work in August Rush, I was impressed with Keri’s acting. She was excellent in the role, beautifully displaying a full range of emotions. When she met new resident, Dr. Jim Pomatter, played by Nathan Fillion (Serenity, Castle-TV); little did she know how her life would change. Dreaming of having enough money to become independent and free of her husband, Jenna planned on entering one of her creations into the pie contest, with the hope of winning the 1st place cash prize. I was truly moved by this lovely, sentimental film. It was a shame Adrienne Shelly, the writer and director, did not live to see the finished movie about the strength of a sweet southern woman’s heart and her ability to pour it into her pies.
3 1/4 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Greenberg
At every social gathering there usually is one person who is the know it all, has an opinion about everything. At least that has been my experience and the reason why I enjoyed this movie. Ben Stiller (Tower Heist, Tropic Thunder) as Roger Greenberg was one of those annoying individuals. He was quite good in this character, that was not a typical role for him. Without the stereotypical sight gags and humor from Ben, his Roger was someone you could hate. Recovering from a nervous breakdown, Roger agreed to fly out and house-sit while his brother and family went out of town. Available to help Roger was Florence Marr the family’s personal assistant, played by Greta Gerwig (no Strings Attached, Arthur). It didn’t take long before she became a target for Greenberg’s mood swings. As Roger tried to navigate the responsibilities needed, he attempted to reconnect with old friends who’s memories were different from his own. Since there was not much action in the story, this film will not appeal to everyone. The acting, however, was what moved the minimal plot; for every actor was strong in their character. If nothing else, my poor opinion of Ben Stiller after seeing his Tower Heist movie has improved after seeing this DVD.
2 2/3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Girl in Progress
One could assume from the title we would be watching a female who still had some work to do; let us say, in her personal growth. However, the title could just as well been called movie in progress. This film was a perfect example of taking a decent idea and ruining it with poor execution. Eva Mendes (Hitch, The Other Guys) as Grace was a single mother, trying to make ends meet, while carrying on an affair with a married man. Her daughter Ansiedad, played by relative newcomer Cierra Ramierz, believed she could speed up her transformation from an angst ridden adolescent to adult woman by following a list of experiences. Think of it as a “bucket list” for teens. Eva who I have liked in the past, I only found annoying in this movie. I thought Cierra did an okay job of acting with the horrible script. Several of the scenes in this boring movie were not believable to me. It really was a mess, where I suspected the movie studio used focus groups to determine what should be added or deleted from the story line. Bouncing between moments of drama to scenes of attempted humor, the film makers really had no idea what teenagers were all about. If I were to use the pass/fail grading system, this poor movie would receive a fail grade.
1 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Half Nelson
I wanted to hold off reviewing this movie, since I recently did Lars and the Real Girl. But when an actor consistently creates excellent roles, I want to see more of them after seeing one of their films. Ryan Gosling (Drive; Crazy, Stupid, Love) is who I am referring to and in this exceptional movie he does an incredible job as Dan Dunne. A motivating junior high school teacher during the day and a drug addict at night, Ryan’s performance was brilliant. Having known an individual addicted to crack cocaine, Mr. Gosling had the mannerisms, the nuances in perfect synch to what I remembered about this troubled person. Shareeka Epps (My Sould to Take, The Winning Season) as Drey showed some powerful acting as the student who discovered Mr. Dunne passed out in the bathroom. Instead of walking away or reporting it, she helped in reviving him. An unlikely friendship began between the two deficient characters. Now I know what you must be thinking: in this day and age a pairing of this kind would be highly suspect. Just go with it, because in this film it leads to some deep emotional turmoil. With a steady string of memorable performances, it appears Ryan Gosling can do no wrong and neither will you by watching this movie.
3 1/3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Sound of My Voice
I felt as if I had just been dropped out of the sky in the first few minutes of this unusual movie. With no explanation given; Peter Aitken, played by Christopher Denham (Shutter Island, Charlie Wilson’s War) and Lorna Michaelson, played by Nicole Vicius (500 Days of Summer, Last Days), were going through a prescribed set of directions before meeting Maggie, played by Brit Marling (Another Earth, The Recordist). The precautions were necessary because Maggie was from the future. I hesitate to explain why Peter and girlfriend Lorna wanted to meet this individual. The two were filmmakers who wanted to infiltrate Maggie and her followers; but at what cost? An interesting story that I found engaging, to the credit of Brit Marling who shared in the writing credits. I enjoyed her performance here as much as I did in her movie Another Earth–both off center, but with emotional depth. What pulled me into this movie were the scenes when the followers were assembled before Maggie. It felt creepy, watching individuals losing their identity. There were some scenes I did not understand and the ending felt rushed to me. When the movie was over, I was left trying to figure out what was real.
2 2/3 stars
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