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Flash Movie Review: Perfect Sense
The melody rolled out of the radio sitting on my desk and I felt I had just been transported to a spacious open aired room draped with flowing veils. It only took a couple of beats from the song before my ears focused on the music like a new born baby to its bottle. The classic musical piece had been used for years by a multitude of ice skaters at the Olympic Games. Hearing it at my desk had an immediate effect on me; the tight shouldered stress I was experiencing literally collapsed inside of me and I was left in a peaceful oasis. I have many reasons to be grateful that I have all of my senses. Though I may not always be appreciative of them each day, there certainly are times where they are prominent in my consciousness. On vacation at a national park as I stand by a cliff looking out into a centuries old canyon, I am absolutely grateful I have my eyesight so I can see such a spectacular sight. Now I am not sure there is actual scientific proof, but it seems when a person loses one of their senses the remaining ones reach for a heightened state of awareness. I think about the various musicians and composers who have lost their sight or hearing yet they still create incredible music. It is as if they are hearing a combination of notes that reside in a different range than the average listener. There is another example I just remembered about a world famous chef from my city that had to deal with tongue cancer. Can you imagine what that must have been like for him? This film festival winning movie will show you what could happen when one of our senses disappears. JUST as Susan and Michael, played by Eva Green (Dark Shadows, 300: Rise of an Empire) and Ewan McGregor (Star Wars franchise, Jane Got a Gun), begin to get to know each other a plague starts to form that robs humans of their senses. This romantic drama was also classified as a science fiction film. I do not know if I would list it as such because it really was not what the average person would consider as a sci-fi story. This movie captivated me; I thought Eva and Ewan were wonderful together. Even the supporting cast like Connie Nielsen (One Hour Photo, Gladiator) as Jenny and Denis Lawson (Star Wars franchise, The Machine) as Boss did a good job of acting with their roles. The story was unique for me; I found myself imagining what I would do as some of the scenes started to play out. Granted there were some slow parts throughout the film, but my curiosity was strong enough for me to want to see what was going to happen next. Seeing the loss of a sense could be a rather bleak experience; I appreciated the fact that I could watch this DVD.
2 ½ STARS — DVD
Flash Movie Review: The Young Messiah
There has always been a curiosity inside of me to learn about a person’s childhood. It did not matter if it was a neighbor, a friend or a celebrity; I wanted to know what took place in their childhood that contributed to the person they were now. I never discriminated against anyone. Even a sadistic classmate was someone I especially wanted to learn about and see what caused them to be so mean. It was partially due to this curiosity that I started out my college years studying psychology, considering psychiatry as a future career. While taking courses in school I became particularly curious about the famous people we studied in my other subjects such as history and literature. Individuals like Queen Victoria, Charles Dickens, Catherine the Great and even Adolf Hitler were people I was so curious about that I would take out from the school library any biographical books about them. World figures like these individuals fascinated me to no end. Now here is where the writer in me came out; if I could not find or there was nothing available about the life of a historical figure, I would amuse myself by imagining their childhood. Maybe it was the influence of my psych classes but I would create family dynamics, possible heroes they may have idolized or historical influences; the who, when, what and where of my creations did not make a difference whether they were reality based or not. This pastime provided me much pleasure. I see from this dramatic movie I am not alone in the type of activity, where creative license was amply used to write about Jesus’ childhood. SEVEN year old Jesus, played by Adam Greaves-Neal (Sherlock-TV, All at Sea-TV), did not quite understand why he felt different from other children. His parents Mary and Joseph, played by Sara Lazzaro (Ten Winters, Andarevia) and Vincent Walsh (Saving Private Ryan, 300: Rise of an Empire), avoided telling Jesus about his birth as a way to protect him from the Romans. As I mentioned earlier the use of creative license did not bother me; I was curious to see what the writers had in store for young Jesus. What helped them was the adult actors who were cast. Besides Vincent there was Sean Bean (The Lord of the Rings franchise, The Martian) as Severus and David Bradley (Harry Potter franchise, The Holding) as the old Rabbi. The issue I had with the script was the lack of a better story. I mean there was my curiosity being piqued but for such a subject I felt it would have been beneficial if more emotions were involved in the story. It felt like one long, at times meandering, chase scene. Even the cinematography was poorly done, creating stereotypical shots like the sun’s rays bursting through a cloud bank. Once done I left the theater feeling unsatisfied, both my curiosity and movie watching sides.
1 3/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: 10 Cloverfield Lane
There was a time when the words, “Do you have any change you can spare,” meant someone needed something. Sadly times have changed or maybe I have because when I hear those words from a stranger my first reaction is disbelief. Let me give you an example why I do not trust as many people as I once did. I was standing on the crowded train platform one morning. There was a man going up to each waiting passenger and asking them for money. He would point to his wife and 2 children sitting on a bench, so it sounded like he needed money to feed his family. Under these circumstances who could refuse the man? I saw a few people gave him some money, but before he could get to me the train pulled up to the station and the man walked over to his family. Since it was not my train I watched them as the wife and 2 kids walked onto the train first. The individuals who had given this man money had all entered the train cars by now; however, the man did not follow his family inside. He just stood by the doors until they finally closed and he went back to sit down on the bench. I thought it strange, not understanding at first why he did not go with them. The reason I soon found out was because the woman and 2 children were not his family; he pretended they were to get more sympathy out of his story, for as soon as the train platform became crowded with new passengers he did the same thing, except now his family was an elderly couple he would point to as he told people they were his parents he was taking to the doctor. I ask you, “Who can you trust?” WAKING up from a bad car accident MIchelle, played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Smashed, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World), found herself chained to a bed. A man named Howard, played by John Goodman (Love the Coopers, Argo), who came into her room told her he had saved her. Saved her from what she thought. This dramatic science fiction mystery was twisted in all the right ways. John and Mary Elizabeth were amazing; this was one of John’s best roles. I cannot call this a sequel per se because I barely remember the first film from 8 years ago and did not see where it would be necessary to watch it before this suspenseful one. The directing beautifully played to the audience’s fears about trust and beliefs; I appreciated the way the story created this tense atmosphere without the need for violence or fighting. The script was absolutely generated by the actors; they pushed the story along and kept the intensity up throughout. The soundtrack was an additional help. I could see where this movie could spawn a new direction in the franchise; the question I have to ask you is, “Do you trust me?”
3 1/3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Backtrack
There are some things we think we have let go of but they have only settled somewhere in the still pools of our mind. They live submerged, below the surface while consciousness sails above it. A person cannot say their life is unaffected by it taking up residence inside of them because while it lives in the unconscious depths, it asserts its presence onto random decisions that one makes in life. Not only have I seen the results of this arrangement but I have experienced it myself. There was a person I knew who was in an abusive relationship. Once they were able to disentangle themselves from the abuser I noticed several decisions they made came from a weak position. In other words, they never gave enough credit to their true abilities; as if they were not worthy or good enough for something better. I had to point it out and encouraged them to seek out help since their psyche had been beaten down for so long. As for myself there was a period of time where I had to endure emotional trauma. The way it affected me was through migraine headaches. I would get these at the same period of time like clockwork. Now I know other individuals who suffered from re-occurring nightmares, where they could not understand why they were getting them. I shared the information I got from my schooling, where we were taught that the main character of a dream is a representation of ourselves. It really is amazing what the mind can do to a person. PSYCHOLOGIST Peter Bower, played by Adrien Brody (The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Pianist), stumbled onto an odd discovery about his patients; they all had something in common. Written and directed by Michael Petroni (The Book Thief, Queen of the Damned), this mystery thriller had the good fortune of having Adrien in the lead role. I thought he brought intensity to the story that was at best average. The reason I say this is due to the idea of it; this picture felt like a light version of a theme that had been done several times before. Included in the cast was Sam Neill (Jurassic Park franchise, Event Horizon) as Duncan Stewart and Robin McLeavy (The Loved Ones, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter) as Barbara Henning. The movie as a whole had a good look to it that matched the emotional darkness on display. However, I felt drama was lacking in the scenes; there could have been a heightened level of it given to the characters. This movie kept my interest for the most part, even though it started out slow. I also was surprised with the turn of events in the story. I would have to say this is not a film that one needs to run out and see; instead, it would work just as well waiting to see it in the comfort of your home.
2 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Hunt
It may have only been a snippet of a conversation or a brief moment seeing someone in the middle of an activity, but it was all you needed to make an assumption. With all the ways humans now can communicate with each other, I feel we lost the most important part: face to face. For me face to face provides the adjectives or better yet the emotions, the intentions to a person’s conversations. However, there is a pitfall embedded in this way of communicating. Have you noticed how people tend to believe someone if they talk louder or give an impassioned speech? I abhor talking or mentioning politics, but I have only recently noticed that after politicians debate or give speeches, the news services provide a fact check on the politicians’ claims. It is amazing to me how many falsehoods these news sources reveal. The scary part about this is how some people do not care if things are true or not, they just want to be part of a group or majority. I still remember a fight that took place after school hours. One of the combatants had spread a rumor about the other; so there was a small crowd circling the two fighters, cheering and yelling. They believed the rumor was true. It looked like a school of piranha for the scene turned into a feeding frenzy, where bystanders were adding punches and kicks when the opportunity presented itself. You know it only takes one person to plant a seed of an idea into people’s minds before that group mentality mindset takes over to motivate individuals to become joiners. As adults we should know better, but what if that seed came out of a child’s mouth? STRUGGLING to get back on his feet after a bitter divorce Lucas, played by Mads Mikkelsen (Casino Royale, Hannibal-TV), had a steady teaching job and was fighting for equal visitation rights for his son Marcus, played by relative newcomer Lasse Fogelstrom. Plans changed when the principal of the school heard what one of the students named Klara, played by newcomer Annika Wedderkopp, said about Lucas. This Oscar nominated and film festival winning movie was an intense, thought provoking drama. With Thomas Bo Larsen (The Celebration, Pusher) playing Theo as part of the cast, the acting was outstanding. The actors were so good that they kept me glued to the TV screen, tensely wondering what was going to happen next. I can see why this picture was nominated for best foreign movie by the academy. Even the newcomers of the cast were just as convincing as the adults in this story. I have been a fan of Mads for some time and after you see him in this role I believe you will feel the same way. After the movie was over I stayed seated, going over the story in my head. Do not be surprised if you too mull over the story in your head. Danish was spoken with English subtitles.
4 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: The Scent of Green Papaya
The majority of the people who asked me if I was paying attention never knew how much attention I was actually devoting to them. I was probably studying their face as they were speaking to me. Looking at the shape of their ears, studying the color of their eyes, listening to the sound of their speech, checking their teeth for any errant food particles, noticing any unusual smells wafting off of them; I was trying to expand and fine-tune my senses. Our five senses, some say six, is something I never took for granted. I thought everyone practiced exercising their senses; it never occurred to me that someone would not be doing it. Growing up I thought the more I used my hearing the farther and clearer it would be able to hear sounds. The idea of hearing a colony of ants on the sidewalk as they systematically moved particles of sand fascinated me to no end; I thought with practice one day I would hear them. Little did I know in the adult world hearing or should I say listening would almost be a lost art form. I have encountered so many people who do not hear what a person is telling them. The same can be said about seeing; haven’t you ever walked down the street with a friend and at some point asked them if they saw that stranger standing at the store window or say bus stop? They did not see anyone and have no idea what you are talking about. I have had this happen to me more times than I can count. There is so much going around us in our daily lives that I cannot imagine not being able to experience even a little of it each day. If you are not totally convinced maybe this beautiful drama will help you. TEN year old Mui, played by relative newcomer Man San Lu, was sent to live with a family who had experienced a tragic loss, to become their servant. Nothing was taken for granted in this household. This film festival winner and Oscar nominated movie had a gentle, quiet story. I say quiet because scenes focused on some of the simplest things but were able to produce exquisite results. With a beautiful music score I thought the script was well done and the actors such as Tran Nu Yenkhe (The Vertical Ray of the Sun, Cyclo) as the adult Mui and relative newcomer Thi Loc Truong as La mere were all totally believable. I enjoyed the way the story moved forward; things were subtly introduced instead of being too overt. In some ways I felt this produced calmness to the story even when there was an issue brewing underneath the surface. In addition, the use of dialog was kept to a minimum. This was the type of picture one could easily sit down to watch and absorb the action with one’s senses. Vietnamese was spoken with English subtitles.
3 1/2 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Eddie the Eagle
As I walked into the conference room I saw most of the seats were filled with participants. There was energy in the air; the only way I could describe it was nervous anticipation. This was going to be a workshop with active participation. Most of the people I saw as I looked for a seat were talking and laughing; it seemed as if a lot of participants knew each other. At the edge of one of the many rows of lined up chairs sat an older man. Upon first glance he looked like he was sitting on a deserted island because no one else sat around him. In his lap was the same course materials everyone else had received. It struck me as odd that all the seats around him were empty. I decided to take one of the seats behind him and settled in as I pulled out my paperwork from my messenger bag. While I looked for this workshop’s outline I was able to hear the conversation from a small group seated a couple of seats down from me. Out of the corner of my eye I quickly realized their comments were about the older man. I do not think he realized their conversation was about him or if he did, there was no reaction on his part. It surprised and saddened me that anyone would question a person’s desire to learn something new. Just because he was older and did not “look” like the average participant was no reason to make fun of him. If you are wondering, I did walk over to them to express my feelings. No one has the right to squash another person’s dreams. INSPIRED by true events Michael “Eddie” Edwards, played by Taron Egerton (Legend, Kingsman: The Secret Service), always wanted to be an Olympian since he was a little boy. No amount of bruises, broken bones or taunts would stop the strongest muscle in his body, his heart. This film festival winning comedic drama had a ready-made, feel good story. With Hugh Jackman (X-Men franchise, Pan) as Bronson Peary and Christopher Walken (Jersey Boys, The Deer Hunter) as Warren Sharp I did not recognize Taron at first. His acting made for a believable and lovable character. I enjoy an underdog type of story and only had wished the script was not so comical. It took away the authenticity of the characters in my opinion and the soundtrack did not provide any help either. There was a predictability to the script that did not allow for much character development. At one point it seemed as if I was just watching one sight gag after another; I was missing the drama to the story. I think what saved this film was indeed the incredible story and that is why I think the writers did not invest as much as they could in developing the story. Besides c’mon, who does not like to root for the underdog?
2 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Risen
One can gain added insight when re-visting a book or movie. There have been times where I have seen the same film more than once because I either enjoyed it immensely or felt I may have missed something the first time. Regarding books I have done the same thing; more than likely because I felt I had a relationship like a friendship and I wanted to visit with them again. When it is of my choosing the experience is always pleasant. Now when someone else is involved in telling a story again, it may not always be a good thing. Think about your schooling where you may have studied the same topic multiple times. Depending on the instructor the repeated story could be a boring experience for you. On the other hand it can also sound fresh and exciting with a skilled storytelling teacher. In my circle of friends and acquaintances there have been times where I have heard the same story being told several times due to a different mix of friends being together, where some had not yet heard the latest news. Not to be rude but there are some people who are not the best in telling a story; they get stuck on tiny details that have no real bearing on the outcome. Things like a stranger’s name or which corner of an intersection; these are minor details that will not enhance the listening experience. The same thing can happen when a movie studio decides to redo a previous film or story. Depending on the script, a film’s story can appear new and fresh or dull and boring. ROMAN military tribune Clavius, played by Joseph Fiennes (Enemy at the Gate, Shakespeare in Love), and his second in command Lucius, played by Tom Felton (Harry Potter franchise, Belle), were assigned the task of finding the stolen corpse of Yeshua, played by Cliff Curtis (Training Day, Three Kings), before his followers proclaim Yeshua was resurrected from the dead. This adventure drama will be a familiar story for many viewers. I thought the script had a good idea to tell this story through the eyes of one Roman soldier. It made this retelling a bit different for me. I thought Joseph’s acting and screen presence were an asset to this movie. Though I appreciated hearing this well known story from a different perspective, I though the script could have been better. I do not know if this will make sense but the entire picture had a discounted feel to it. The scenes, the acting and the sets did not go to any extremes; in other words, everything seemed minimal as if no one was totally invested in the project, nor much money either. There were a few times where I felt the story even dragged; I found myself getting bored several times. The idea behind this production was novel to me, but the outcome did nothing to excite me.
2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Race
If it was in the textbook then it had to be true; this is what I grew up believing. I was convinced newspapers and books only contained the truth. In fact it was not until college before I learned I was wrong. In classes we learned newspaper editors could put their personal slant on a story, giving it a whole different meaning. Book publishers may have wanted to only publish the truth, but there could have been outside circumstances like government agencies that did not want the truth to come out. I remember a history class where the instructor showed the class the difference between 2 history books, one printed in the US and the other from a foreign country. The professor read about a specific wartime battle out of both books. It was startling to me because according to the US book American forces won the battle, but per the other book they lost the fight. How was that possible I wondered as I sat in my seat in total disbelief. As far as I knew history was like a science class, it dealt in exact facts; there was no margin of error or acceptable fabrication. So there I sat re-evaluating my entire belief system in what history meant to me. One of the aspects I soon realized about history that could not change was its ability to teach humans to become better by showing them where they came from. I do not mean logistically but by recording mankind’s transgressions and feats. I could show you no better example than the true story depicted in this sports drama. Germany’s 1936 Olympics was supposed to show the world that Adolf Hitler’s creation of an Arian nation was going to be the best in the world. American athlete Jesse Owens, played by Stephan James (Selma, Home Again), wanted the chance to prove them wrong. With a cast that included Jason Sudeikis (We’re the Millers, Sleeping with Other People) as Larry Snyder, Shanice Banton (Degrassi: The Next Generation, A Day Late and a Dollar Short-TV movie) as Ruth Solomon and Jeremy Irons (Margin Call, Dead Ringers) as Avery Brundage; the story was a remarkable one. Stephan James was wonderful in the role as Jesse; there was no denying this was an incredible story that is just as relevant today. This just makes it harder to say the script did not live up to this American hero. I found most of the script let its drama come from the historical events without going deeper into the characters; the scenes appeared almost cut and dried, nothing extra to offer. However even with everything I have said, I still was entertained watching this biographical picture. Just seeing such a humble man from humble beginnings reach the world stage and remain true to himself was beyond refreshing. I would say it is a feel good story but if I do I feel it does not acknowledge what Jesse continued to experience after the Olympics. Nothing could change the fact that this was an important chapter in our history.
2 3/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Life in a Day
It does not always occur to me; only when I am telling someone the significance of an item I am showing them. The things I have purchased to display in my house all have a story. There are a few friends and family members who know the stories behind the items, but they are in the minority. There is a woven basket sitting next to a living room chair. To the naked eye it just looks like a round basket with a lid that was woven with sturdy reeds. Only a couple of people know that I bought this basket when I was in Charleston, South Carolina; at a store where all the items stocked in it were made by disadvantaged women from third world countries. The owner told me she was trying to help show these women that there was a market for their wares, with the possibility of earning a living. Almost every item in my house has some type of history that will get lost when my time here is done. For example I have a filigreed silver wine cup that came from my great, great grandfather; it looks like an oversized thimble. Since I do not have a picture of him, I can only imagine where and what he was doing with this cup since it does not look like your average dinnerware. In a way my house, I guess all of our homes; can be considered a time capsule of our lives on some level. One of the reasons I so enjoy looking at photos is because I get to see friends and family frozen in a particular time. To see what they were doing or how they lived is cool to me. You may get a better understanding why once you see this documentary. THOUSANDS of videos were submitted after the request went out, asking people from around the world to record what they were doing on July 24, 2010. A group of directors that included Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland, State of Mind) and Hiroaki Aikawa (Japan in a Day) took the videos and narrowed them down to create this fascinating montage of what people from all over the world were doing on this particular day. This film festival winner was utterly fascinating. I was mesmerized watching all the different clips; from the mundane to the extraordinary, the idea behind this dramatic documentary I felt was brilliant. The reason being, there are a variety of things we all see on television and social media that can be noteworthy events, usually celebratory or tragic kinds. A fight or hate crime can be shown, but the world is not made up of only these types of occurrences. Seeing what ordinary people were doing in their daily lives, I am a bit sad to say, offered a refreshing perspective from the abundance of violence and politics that tend to be broadcast these days. For me this was a wonderful time capsule of a single day on our planet in July.
3 1/4 stars — DVD
