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Flash Movie Review: The Ghost Writer
Conjuring up the directional spirit of Alfred Hitchcock, this intelligent suspense movie was beautifully directed by Roman Polanski. Atmospheric scenes added to the thrilling story as Ewan McGregor (Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, Miss Potter) introduced himself as the Ghost aka the ghost writer. He was hired to complete the memoirs of former British Prime Minister Adam Lang, played by Pierce Brosnan (Die Another Day, Mamma Mia), when the previous ghost writer died from an accidental drowning. As Ewan’s character delved into Mr. Lang’s past, he discovered something unusual. My attention was totally captured by this exciting film. Without the use of explosions or hi-tech wizardry, this movie steadily built up the anticipation with the aid of a smart script. The characters were all believable to me and with Mr. Polanski’s trained eye for making each frame appear full, I loved the way the tension kept a steady pace throughout the movie. The casting of Pierce in the role of prime minister was bloody brilliant. The only complaint I had about this film was my disappointment in the way it ended. However, it was not traumatic enough for me to have lost my enthusiasm for having been a witness to this gripping movie.
3 1/3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: The Messenger
The closest I have come to witnessing some of the events in this movie have been from a co-worker’s stories, who is part of a patriotic honor guard riding group. What was special about this movie was the fact there was no political bent or one-sided criticism of war. This was not a typical war movie per se; the only battle was between protocol and compassion. After being injured, Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery played by Ben Foster (The Mechanic, Birds of America) was assigned to assist Captain Tony Stone, played by Woody Harrelson (Rampart, The Hunger Games). The two of them had the task of informing family members on the death of a loved one. Having never experienced this situation, I was moved on what it took to perform such a monumental task. The acting by Woody and Ben was believable, at times heart wrenching. I could see why Woody received an Oscar nomination for this role. He brought such intensity to this character who was trained to do things by the book, no matter how conflicted he may have been. Also, I was completely impressed with Ben’s performance; he was amazing in this tough role and was able to keep up with Mr. Harrelson. This emotionally charged drama, with such strong characters, truly did justice in showing an aspect of war not usually covered in other military movies.
3 1/3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Chimpanzee
There is something special about chimpanzees, where people can quickly place human characteristics on these fascinating creatures. I have a special spot for the animals because my very first stuffed animal was of a chimpanzee. Zippy was his name and he had been handed down to me from my brothers. This documentary did not disappoint on the visuals, from beautiful landscapes to incredible close ups of the chimps, every scene was a treat. Where the movie did not do itself justice was who they had narrate the story, Tim Allen (Home Improvement-TV, Wild Hogs). Along with his annoying inflections, I also had to place blame on the script he was given to read. I understand the idea of making this film for the entire family by adding a dramatic story line; however, it started to feel as if I was on one of the rides in the Animal Kingdom theme park at Walt Disney World. A 2nd clan of chimpanzees were portrayed as the bad guys; lead by Scar the alpha male. Tim’s grunts and excited reading was ridiculous to me. Instead of observing chimpanzees in their natural habitat, we were given a sanitized tale of little Oscar’s plight within the group. At the end of the movie statistics were presented on what the chimpanzee poplulation used to be and what it was currently, with no explanation on the reasons why. This film was made to entertain the whole family and on some levels it accomplished the task. However, I only wished they could have let the chimpanzees be themselves and avoid being turned into drama queens.
2 2/3 stars
Flash Movie Review: The White Ribbon
For a small German village there seemed to be an ever increasing amount of mysterious incidents. It began when the doctor, played by Rainer Bock (War Horse, My Best Enemy), was thrown from his horse by a thin wire strung across the path. We learned of these events from the school teacher, played by Christian Friedel (Chicken with Plums), who played a sympathetic character in this film. The cinematography was exquisite, with almost each frame worthy enough to be hung in an art museum. And this was why the movie worked so well; amongst such beautiful visuals there was an underlying uneasiness as a menacing evil was taking hold. In the beginning of this amazing film, the pacing was kept to a slow pace as we were being introduced to the villagers. With some of the incidents having violent overtones, the villagers became afraid and suspicious that the person or persons responsible could easily be a neighbor. I would classify this former Oscar nominee as a dramatic mystery. For those who are uncomfortable with the sight of blood, there is only one quick scene and I would gladly share with you where it took place in this movie. German with English subtitles.
3 1/2 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: The Lucky One
After the movie ended and I had to climb over the woman dabbing at her moist eyes with a wad of tissues, I was wondering who was the lucky one. Maybe she felt fortunate for seeing this movie; I know I certainly did not, I was the unlucky one. My teachers used to tell me before you give a negative comment, always start out with something positive. I liked the coming attractions. Now that I got that out of the way, let me start with the lead character Logan played by Zac Efron(17 Again, New Year’s Eve). He was so wrong for this movie and shame on the director for not pushing Zac to at least try and act in this movie. I felt he was too young and pretty while he tried to portray a three tours of duty marine. After finding a photograph of a woman, Logan felt it was a good luck charm that protected him, keeping him alive during his military stint. He made a promise if he survived the war, he would find this woman and thank her. The photo he kept close was of Beth played by Taylor Schilling (Dark Matter, Mercy). Her acting was decent, but there was absolutely no chemistry between her and Zac. Besides being passionless to the point of almost painful, this movie was predictable. Syrupy music was used throughout as we were exposed to extended shots of the sun setting or rising. I did not read the book, but I think with a different cast and director this film could have been a better movie and a more believable story.
1 3/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Brooklyn’s Finest
If there was a crack in a building’s foundation, the more weight added would only widen the crack, I would think. In regards to human character, if there was a fracture in one’s moral character; what would happen to them if they were put under extra pressure? This was a question I pondered as I watched this action film about three New York policemen. Each one was broken in some way; I just did not know if they were already broken by the time they joined the police force or if the force pushed them into their current state of mind. The grittiness and rawness of these officers was perfectly played by Richard Gere (Nights in Rodanthe, Pretty Woman), Don Cheadle (Hotel Rwanda, Iron Man 2) and Ethan Hawke (Training Day, Gattaca). In fact, the acting was what made this movie worth watching. The story followed each officer as they did whatever they could to get out from under their personal demons. Richard as Eddie had to get through one final week before retirement; Don as Tango was being consumed by his undercover job and Ethan as Sal was frantic to get his hands on any cash, by any means. Each one’s struggle was leading them to a deeper desperateness. I had a hard time believing some of the scenarios in this crime film. I mean, not all police officers wind up disillusioned, do they? Without a strong script, I also found this film choppy in places and sadly, the excellent acting got wasted in this movie.
2 1/2 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Appaloosa
What is it about the western movie genre that attracts a loyal following? My maternal grandmother loved them and both my parents were big fans for years. I think it is because there is a no-nonsense purity to them. They depict a time in our history where everything seemed to have a direct cause and effect mindset. For these reasons, that is why this movie worked well on several levels. The story began straightforward enough about a town hiring law men partners Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch, played by Ed Harris (The Abyss, Pollock) and Viggo Mortensen ( A History of Violence, The Road) respectively, to protect itself from the menacing rancher Randall Brage, played by Jeremy Irons (Margin Call, Georgia O’Keefe). This was Mr. Harris’ project since he was director, actor and part of the writing team. He, along with Viggo’s fine acting, really made this movie worth watching; both were outstanding in their roles. In the hands of these two actors, the script was better than I thought it would have been with different actors. The two deputies found their job becoming complicated when Allison French, played by Renee Zellweger (Miss Potter, My One and Only) arrived in town. In spite of a few slow parts, I reckon this old fashioned western is worth renting, if nothing else to see the mighty fine acting.
2 3/4 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: The Deep Blue Sea
Only a particular group of people, I believe, would want to see this movie. If you always base your decisions on what your heart feels, even if you sense it may not be the best choice, then you will understand this film. I am the first to admit there have been times where I let my heart sway my actions; I still am an old fashioned romantic. It was easy for me to understand the main character Hester Collyer, incredibly played by Rachel Weisz (The Lovely Bones, The Constant Gardener). Feeling her marriage was not providing her with what she needed, Hester believed she could find passion with the dashing, jet fighter pilot Freddie Page, played by Tom Hiddleston (Thor, Midnight in Paris). The emotional roller coaster ride that Hester rode through this film was perfectly conveyed by Rachel’s acting. This was one of her best performances in my opinion. The movie had a dark, heaviness to it as if each character’s burdens grew heavier over time. Also, the film had an authentic 1950’s London appearance to it. There were no big exciting moments per se, there was drama as the movie moved at a slow pace. By the end of the film I felt drained; that same type of feeling I get when I realize my heart had me invested in a poor relationship.
2 2/3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Mrs. Brown
From a simple title came a powerful actor driven movie. At the time, the most powerful woman in the world had secluded herself away from her subjects, still grief stricken over the death of her beloved husband, Prince Albert. The woman I refer to was Queen Victoria and she was portrayed brilliantly by Judi Dench (Quantum of Solace, J. Edgar). Notice how she used her entire face, especially her eyes and her body to convey her feelings. When she became angry, her eyes would turn lethal with their fiery stare. Having been part of the staff of her late husband, Queen Victoria summoned John Brown to become her personal servant. This simple Scotsman, filled with admiration and love for his Queen, was wonderfully portrayed by Billy Connolly (Timeline, White Oleander). With stubbornness, determination and devotion to her, John had a profound effect on her royal majesty. From her deep sorrow, Queen Victoria slowly came back to life as the two grew to share a special bond. As I watched this film, I felt I was seeing a piece of history come to life; every detail of the Queen’s court, the protocol were easily created in this beautifully done film. Love was the healing force here and in this case, a country and world would benefit from it.
3 1/4 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: October Baby
This movie made me angry and it was not because of the politics of the story. I am going to do my best not to get into the controversy brewing around this film. The main and most important issue I had with the entire movie was that it was not a movie. It was one big marketing campaign. The acting was dreadful; at one point I felt it was striving so hard to be a classic tearjerker. With schmaltzy songs that were used as a bridge to the next scene; it was pitiful. And as for the script, it had no character development, was simplistic and I felt it was unabashedly manipulative. Shame on everyone involved with this movie for putting out this rubbish and calling it a movie. I was just about to write that this movie played like a made for TV movie, but that would be an insult to all the wonderful work studios do for the small screen. If you ask me, if the studio would have made this as a documentary I could see this story working. Here is the story: college freshman Hannah, played by relative newcomer Rachel Hendrix, discoverd she was adopted and a survivor of a failed abortion. Trying to find answers and reasons, she goes on a journey with her friend Jason, played by Jason Burkey (Losers, Take All), to find the woman who tried to abort her. For a film that tried to make the audience weep, the four women sitting in front of me laughing, were not buying it. And neither was I.
1 star
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