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Flash Movie Review: For Greater Glory: The True Story of Cristiada
Looking back in history, it seems as if religion usually played a role in war. At least that has been my belief. Without any prior knowledge I was shocked I had never heard of the Cristeros War (1926-1929), that took place in Mexico. Simply put, this was a war against the Catholic Church. Mexico’s secular government was led by President Plutarco Elias Calles, played by Ruben Blades (Safe House, The Devil’s Own), who essentially declared war on the Catholic Church with the help of the government he set up. For example, church property could now be seized whenever the administration saw fit. There was a ban on all religious orders besides the elimination of any foreign born priests–even if it meant killing them. Civil war broke out led by Catholic rebels called Cristeros, Christ fighters. To solidify their ranks and become more like a disciplined army, the Cristeros enlisted the help of war hero Enrique Gorostieta Velarde, played by Andy Garcia (City Island, Smokin’ Aces). I felt the writers did a disservice to this historical based film. With this chapter already played out in Mexico’s past, the writing should have only elevated the dramatic moments or bridge the gap between story lines. Clocking in at 2 hours and 25 minutes, the movie was way too long, much in need of some serious editing. It would have given several parts more impact. A surprise to me was Andy Garcia’s poor acting; I expected better from him. What a shame to take a David and Goliath type of story and turn it into a mediocre soap opera. This movie had several graphic scenes.
1 3/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Five Minutes of Heaven
The act of forgiveness has always been mercurial at best for me. When I was younger, if someone broke my trust or crossed me I would wipe them out of my life. Just like deleting data from a disk or setting fire to the film negatives of all the memories I had of them; I would never think about them again. These days I have had some success on being a forgiving person. Inspired by real life individuals, this Sundance Film Festival winning movie dealt with the powerful acts of forgiveness, redemption and revenge. Alistair Little joined the UVF (Ulster Volunteer Force) at a young age. The time was during the conflict in Northern Ireland and Alistair’s goal was to kill a Catholic. The victim’s little brother witnessed the whole murder. Fast forward to a peaceful time and the media came up with a marketing idea to have the younger brother and killer meet and shake hands as a true sign of peace in the country. It was from this point that this film really worked for me. The adult Alistair was played by Liam Neeson (The Grey, Wrath of the Titans) and the surviving brother Joe Griffen was played by James Nesbitt (Coriolanus, Match Point). These two men took the intense script and added a knock out emotional punch to it. Mr. Nesbitt was riveting as he dealt with his red hot anger for revenge. I was glued to my television screen as each man dealt with their demons and thoughts on meeting once again. There was one quick bloody scene in the beginning of this dramatic film.
2 3/4 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Freedom Writers
There are teachers that inspire us and there are some that damage us. I had a teacher who would ring a bell to get the class’ attention, then hold up preprinted instructional signs for us to follow. A music teacher expanded my knowledge and love of music. It only goes to show you that in every profession there is someone who had to graduate at the top of their class and someone who had to at the bottom. This dramatic movie was based on the book written by the same teacher portrayed in this film. It was a beautiful testament to those teachers that have inspired their students. Erin Gruwell’s, played by Hilary Swank (Million Dollar Baby, Boys Don’t Cry), first teaching position was at a disadvantaged school. With segregated ethnic groups, gang fights and killings were the norm. The teaching staff had resigned themselves to the reality they were more like prison guards than educators. Erin came in with innovative ideas and frank discussions to find commonality between the different factions and to gain their trust. Her drive and dedication was astounding as she took part-time jobs to help pay for various supplies the school could not provide. Though being a supportive mate, her husband Scott, played by Patrick Dempsey (Enchanted, Made of Honor), felt their marriage was suffering the strain of disconnection between them. Hilary did such a good job in the role; I had tears in my eyes. Though there has been similar movies done about individuals doing extraordinary things for others, I felt this wonderful film was especially well done. There is no greater gift than the gift of education.
3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Disgrace
I can only imagine what the award winning book must be like after watching this movie adaptation of it. A powerful yet bleak look at race relations after apartheid ended in South Africa. Professor David Lurie, played by John Malkovich (Dangerous Liaisons, Burn After Reading) was a womanizer. He was brought up on charges for having a sexual relation with a student he gave a false, passing grade to on a test. Without remorse or justification Professor Lurie left his post, his home and traveled to the East Cape to live with his daughter Lucy, played by Jessica Haines (White Wedding, The Lost Future). Adjusting to rural living in the remote area, father and daughter tried to find common connection to each other. The dynamics quickly changed however when they were brutally attacked and robbed by three black men. Was it a random attack or were they targeted? John Malkovich brought his incredible intensity to the role, able to convey his feelings without speaking. But, his accent was not always present. I found the juxtaposition of beautiful open landscapes with characters weighed down by their own despair to be an interesting mix. Covering such topics as racism and sexism, this was not a feel good type of movie. I found the script left some questions unanswered; so, I will have to read the book to get the full story on what was a fascinating story.
2 2/3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: The Runaways
After trashing Kristen Stewart’s (Twilight franchise) performance in Snow White and the Huntsman, I found it an interesting coincidence that her movie The Runaways came in the mail this past week. Playing rocker Joan Jett, Kristen redeemed herself by doing a better job of acting here than as Snow White. This biopic was about the formation of the all girl band The Runaways. With the help of seedy manager Kim Fowley, played by Michael Shannon (Take Shelter, Revolutionary Road); Cherie Currie, played by Dakota Fanning (Man on Fire, The Secret Life of Bees), was brought in to be the sexy lead vocalist. How many of us can say they saw that musician or band before they became famous? I do not know whether everything in this movie was true; for example, Kim bringing in kids to heckle and throw things at the girls while they performed. Truthfully, it did not matter to me for the story kept my interest. On a sour note, I thought the directing did not serve this movie well. Seeing the abundance of drugs and alcohol that played a part in the girls’ every day life became monotonous for me. Seeing what these pioneers of punk went through, especially with Joan’s determination, I have a new appreciation for their music.
2 2/3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Moonrise Kingdom
Do you remember your first love or infatuation? I remember my first love or should I say what I thought was love when I was in the 5th grade. For my very first date, my mother took Diane and me to an afternoon movie–natch. This quirky film was about first love. It took me a short time before I could get into the rhythm of this funny movie. Set in the 1960’s; Sam and Suzy, played by newcomers Jaren Gilman and Kara Hayward, were the young couple in love. They decided to run away which brought the citizens of their small, New England town to come out and search for them. The director Wes Anderson (The Royal Tenenbaums, Fantastic Mr. Fox) assembled an eclectic group of fine actors for this film. For example, there was Edward Norton (The Illusionist, Fight Club) as the Scout Master, Bill Murray (Lost in Translation, Groundhog Day) as Walt Bishop and Bruce Willis (Die Hard franchise, The Sixth Sense) as Captain Sharp were among the ensemble of notable actors. Each character had a different view about the fleeing 12 year old kids, who wanted to get married. The way Mr. Anderson filmed the scenes, my eyes were constantly treated to novel shots filled with nostalgic trappings. I almost felt as if I needed to see this movie again because I may have missed something. From an innocent time long ago, with a cast of characters, everything was set into motion with the onset of first love.
3 1 /4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Martian Child
Where is it written that you have to fit in to the norm? Yet how many of us growing up tried our best to be part of a group? I know I felt different from an early age, like a minority within a minority. Sure I did my best to be considered “normal” but my brain was not programmed for it. My imagination would take me to far away lands just by pretending my pen was a space ship. And let us be honest here, you must have realized I was different by the amount of movies I watch–right? This is why this gentle movie resonated with me. The story celebrated the joy of being comfortable with one’s uniqueness. David, played by John Cusack (High Fidelity, Must Love Dogs), was a widowed science fiction writer who lived a solitary life. He began to wonder if he could become a father when he met an unusual foster child named Dennis, played by Bobby Coleman (Snowmen, Must Love Dogs). Dennis was afraid of the sun, preferred standing inside a big cardboard carton box and believed he was from the planet Mars. This child actor was gifted in this role. Having recently grown tired of John’s roles, I felt he went beyond the ordinary in his work here. The chemistry was perfect between the two of them. For anyone who has felt different or has an overactive imagination, this exceptional movie will ring true for them. For all others this wonderful film will show you a larger world we all live in.
3 stars — DVD
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
