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Flash Movie Review: 5 Flights Up
Living amongst them daily I am not always conscious of their significance. It is when someone is over to my place and asks about something hanging up on a wall or sitting on a surface that I experience the memory associated to that particular item. To the average person my home looks like a hodgepodge of different pieces of art and objects; but to me, each one has a story about my life. There is a large woven basket that sits next to an easy chair that I bought from a little non-profit store in Charleston, South Carolina. All the items in the store were made by disadvantaged women from third world countries, who were trying to improve their lives my selling their wares. That alone was enough reason for me to buy something at the store; however, I wanted something to remind me about the fantastic road trip I was taking through the southern United States. On a coffee table sits a turquoise vase that was originally placed on layaway by someone I was dating some time ago. I called the store and paid for it, asking the salesperson to call the phone number on the receipt and tell them the vase was accidentally knocked off the shelf and broke into pieces. It was a few minutes after the store must have called them when they called me to complain about the store’s incompetency. I never let on I knew, keeping the vase for a couple of months, until I wrapped it up and gave it to them for the holidays. I was greeted with several words I cannot print here. So you see I love having all of the things around me and their memories. I do not know how I could ever part with them, just like the couple in this dramatic movie. AFTER many years living in their Brooklyn apartment with the great view Ruth and Alex Carver, played by Diane Keaton (Mad Money, The Family Stone) and Morgan Freeman (Now You See Me, Driving Miss Daisy), felt it was time to downsize and move to a place more conducive for an older couple. They soon discovered there were challenges to moving 40 years worth of stuff. I wished I would have enjoyed this film more because the two actors separately were wonderful, though I did not feel much chemistry between them. The script was lame; quite predictable and cliched; the two actors needed more depth to their characters. It was a shame because I enjoyed the flashback segments of a younger Ruth and Alex at the beginning of what would be their long term relationship. And obviously I appreciated the acknowledgement of one’s memories associated to inanimate items. Too bad the memory I have of this picture is not very good.
1 3/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Housemaid
I only began paying attention when the customer in front of me started to raise their voice at the sales clerk behind the counter. Trying not to appear nosy I pulled out my phone to check my emails as the customer’s tone of voice turned condescendingly darker. The poor employee was trying to maintain their non-confrontational demeanor; I am sure all of the company’s customer service training was being strained at the seams by this irate consumer. The thing that bothered me was the customer’s attitude. Let us be real here, the sales clerk did not manufacture the defective product, nor said anything accusatory towards the customer; so there was no reason to yell at her using derogatory remarks. Based on what the customer was wearing, it appeared as if they were wealthy. I know I should not judge a book by its cover but by the jewelry they were wearing and the way their clothing was cut, it looked like they did not shop at a dollar store. But this is the thing, I have known some people who were financially wealthy but no one would know it; they carried themselves without any airs and did not flash their money around. On the other hand I have seen some rich individuals who because they had a lot of money, they considered everyone who did not have as much money to be inferior. I find that type of thinking grotesque and do not want to have anything to do with such a person. I would be curious to hear how you feel about the family in this dramatic thriller. WEALTHY businessman Hoon Goh and his wife Hae-ra, played by Jung-Jae Lee ( New World, City of the Rising Sun) and Woo Seo (Paju, Glass Mask-TV), were expecting twin babies. This was why their maid Byunk-sik, played by Yeo-Jeong Yoon (In Another Country, A Good Lawyer’s Wife), was instructed to hire more help. She found Eun-yi Li, played by Do-yeon Jeon (Secret Sunshine, The Contact), to take care of the couple’s young daughter. This film festival winner had a beautiful style to it. I loved the angle shots and the look of this film. Despite being unfamiliar with the spoken language, I thought all the actors did quite well with their characters. Finding out this was a remake I would like to see how the two compare because this script had more good moments than not. However, there were some parts that were odd to me. This film was listed as a thriller but I would not go that far; it was more suspenseful to me. If I were to compare this picture to a conceited wealthy person I would say it had a rich look covering up a not so nice interior. Korean spoken with English subtitles.
2 1/2 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Magic Mike XXL
I get mixed emotions when I see advertisements for upcoming shows or concerts headlined by artists who are in the twilight of their careers. There are some artists who are still vibrant and continue to make contributions to their art; just take a look at Tony Bennett who is traveling with Lady Gaga in sold out concerts. However, there are some artists I have seen where I wonder what is the motivation that keeps them plugging along; is it due to financial reasons, the need for people’s continued adulation or maybe the fear of retirement. I hope this is not coming across as judgmental but I do have an issue when someone says they are retiring but then a few years later decide to come out of it for a world tour. I tend to see it as a money grab. Maybe because I take people for their word I react this way; however, if they would have said they are retiring from touring but may do a concert once in a while it would sit better with me. Looking at my fitness level as I age I wonder how I will be in my cycle class when I get older. If I could not keep up with my classes I would want to step down from teaching and become instead a participant. Of course when the time comes for me to retire I hope to end on a hight note with a packed class as we go on one last intense fun ride. This is why I was able to understand what the male entertainers wanted to accomplish in this musical sequel. THREE years has passed and Mike, played by Channing Tatum (Foxcatcher, Dear John), has finally seen his dream come true with the start of his custom furniture business. But when his old dance troupe buddies wanted to get together one last time for a contest, would Mike be willing to don his thong one last time? The difference between this sequel and the first film was like night and day. Where the original was fun with solid dancing routines and acting ability from Matthew McConaughey; this movie came off as a crass knockoff. The cast of men such as Joe Manganiello (Sabotage, True Blood-TV) as Big Dick Richie and Matt Bomer (The Normal Heart-TV, In Time) as Ken were joined by Jada Pinkett Smith (Reign Over Me, Matrix franchise) as Rome who was ridiculous because of the script. What surprised me the most was how bad the dancing was this time; it was uninspired with tired stripper pole moves. I will say this did not stop some of the people in the audience from hooting and hollering during several scenes. As for me this group should have quit while they were ahead.
1 3/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: A Little Chaos
I listened and looked but still did not quite understand how the relationship worked. In its infancy there was a given intimacy as a comfortable space was created to allow for growth. The amount of attention given was at a high level so that everything that would help keep things fresh had an opportunity to do so. For years I was a bystander as I listened to friends talk about their gardens. The relationship they had with their gardens provided them with a pleasure that made little sense to me. Sitting in a friend’s backyard watching them prune and weed patches of open land that were thriving with vibrant colors only perplexed me. Yet after all these years something has happened inside of me. I have been visualizing seeing mounds of ornamental grasses with feathered tops out my back windows, watching how breezes would tickle the tops and cause the grass to sway. Besides the tall grasses there was a row of plants in different stages of colorful growth going down the width of my house. So I decided to dig in and bought 10 plants that I planted in the same way as in my visualizations. And wouldn’t you know it, everything I saw my friends do to their plants I am now doing to mine. Little uninvited sprouts of green invaders keep trying to circle my plants but I find myself stopping by each plant everyday to violently remove these interlopers. I have a new appreciation for what it takes to create a beautiful garden. King Louis XIV, played by Alan Rickman (Harry Potter franchise, Nobel Son), wanted and expected the gardens around his palace in Versailles to be something that no one had every seen anywhere in the world. The responsibility befell Andre Le Norte, played by Matthias Schoenaerts (Far From the Madding Crowd, Rust and Bone), who was taking a big risk in hiring landscape artist Sabine De Barra, played by Kate Winslet (Finding Neverland, Labor Day). This romantic drama had as you can imagine a beautiful look to it. I thought the story’s premise was wonderful and loved the idea that some of the things portrayed in this film could have a basis of truth in them. All the actors were so believable and really commanded the viewer’s attention. I had to hand it to Alan, not only was the role a perfect fit for him but he was also the director and one of the writers for this period piece. Maybe he took on a bit much because the script lacked a deeper level of drama, along with keeping the characters two-dimensional. On the plus side I liked the feminist angle the writers were trying to convey. This picture about the gardens of Versailles needed a little more pruning.
2 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Infinitely Polar Bear
There was nothing more exciting than having one of our parents be a chaperone for a school field trip when we were in the early grades of elementary school. I remember how proud each of us was when it was our turn to bring our mother or father along on one of those trips to the zoo, museum and other places around the city. Funny by the time we reached between 6th and 8th grade, the last thing we wanted was to have one of our parents show up anywhere near us, especially at the school dance. Heaven help us if they decided to go out on the dance floor and “cut a rug” as their child stood in horror, wishing they could melt into the floor. I think all of us at one point in our lives did not want our parents to be around our friends for a variety of reasons. No kid wanted their parent to call them by their pet name or ask nosy questions of their friends. I remember one friend who’s mother had to know where he was every minute of the day. If we were playing out in front she would periodically stick her head out the window to look for us. If she could not see us her yell could be heard down the block as she screamed out his name. There were some parents who were odd to us kids; we just chalked it up to them being old, old being a relative term here. As far as I can remember none of my friends’ parents acted like the one in this dramatic comedy. MAGGIE, played by Zoe Saldana (Guardians of the Galaxy, The Words), was faced with a tough decision when she received her acceptance letter into the master’s program of the university. If she accepted she would have to go out of state to New York and leave her daughters Amelia and Faith, played by newcomer Imogene Wolodarsky and Ashley Aufderheide (The Slap-TV), with their father Cameron, played by Mark Ruffalo (The Avengers franchise, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), who suffered with bipolar disorder. This film festival nominated movie was fortunate to have Mark play this character. He was exceptional in the role where I totally believed him. As for Zoe, I thought it was a smart move on her part to tackle this type of role and she was wonderful. The script overall was fine though there were a few times throughout the movie where things felt disjointed for me; I felt myself getting bored. Still on the strength of the acting from the cast, this comedic drama that I understand was based on someone’s childhood was a compelling watch. I totally understood why the young girls did not want to have their friends over to their house.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Max
I used to think there were some dogs that were just bad, but I came to my senses. It turned out it really was the dog owners that were bad. My original train of thought was due to a loose dog in the neighborhood where I grew up, that tried biting me as I rode my bicycle down the street near its house. Luckily as I grew up there was a relative of mine that adopted a black poodle that changed my views about dogs. This poodle really showed my what it was like to have a dog be a member of the family. In my adult life I encountered many dogs that were the children of friends and family. I realized like children dogs were not born bad, they had to be trained or not be trained to act in a non-appropriate way. There was one dog in particular that touched me in a special way that cemented my feelings about dogs. This mixed breed dog was not only a loving creature, but was able to express empathy. I will never forget the time when its owner was lying on their bed crying and the dog quietly jumped up and lied down next to them, putting its front paw across their back. I was nearly speechless as I witnessed this sympathetic act. Now when I hear a story like I did last week from a member in my class about walking their dog when the neighbors 2 dogs ran out to attack her dog, I know it says more about the owner instead of their dogs. I believe this even more now that I have seen this heartwarming film. UNABLE to be handled by anyone else after his handler Kyle Wincott, played by Robbie Amell (The DUFF, The Hunters-TV movie), was killed in the line of duty; the military had only one option left to avoid putting down Max, the bomb sniffing dog. They hoped Kyle’s parents Pamela and Ray Wincott, played by Lauren Graham (Evan Almighty, Bad Santa) and Thomas Haden Church (Easy A, Sideways), would take Max in and make him part of their family. Would they and their remaining son Justin, played by relative newcomer Josh Wiggins, want to have this dog in their house, reminding them of their tragic loss? This adventure family film won me over simply by having Max star in it. I was unfamiliar with this breed of dog, thinking Max was a German Shepherd mix. The script would have been stronger if it remained on the main story instead of going off with Kyle’s buddy. Also, I was quite aware I was being manipulated but still teared up because at the end of the day there is nothing like seeing a heroic dog.
2 3/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Manglehorn
If you love somebody, let them go, for if they return, they were always yours. But what happens if they do not come back? Let me tell you what happens; the vacated space in your heart will become listless for a time. Your memories go through a transformation that softens the hard edges, like water continuously running through a forming canyon. There may be times where a particular memory morphs with fantasy to create a totally new experience. You believe what you are recalling even though it never really happened. Remember that time where the two of you were supposed to celebrate your anniversary but they could not get away from work? Though at the time you were upset, you now look back at it with fondness because they made it up to you with a spectacular day. Never mind they were never really at work but out with friends and just did not want to tell you. Now you can say what you want, but unless you work really hard on confronting, dealing and expunging your anger over your breakup; your anger will always find a way to come out. And it may happen in the most inappropriate of ways. I know about these things because anger used to be a close friend of mine. One time my bathtub got stopped up and for some reason I bought this plastic pump contraption. I tried putting it together to make it work, but it only frustrated me and I exploded with anger, taking a hammer to it until it was in a million pieces. Just like the character in this dramatic film. LOCKSMITH A. J. Manglehorn, played by Al Pacino (Danny Collins, The Godfather franchise), lived a quiet life with his cat. Well, quiet only when he was not breaking his furniture. What made this film festival nominee attractive to me was seeing Al Pacino teamed up with Holly Hunter (The Piano, Raising Arizona) playing bank teller Dawn. The two of them were wonderful and I wished they had more screen time together. This was the issue I had with this film; the story needed to spend more time on them, instead of spending time with A. J.’s son Jacob, played by Chris Messina (Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Argo). His scenes seemed to be filler for the story; though I knew they were trying to make a point about Manglehorn. It all came down to the script in my opinion. The directing was fine but without a strong script I was never fully invested in the story. To me it seemed like it was never really going anywhere until the very end. Who knows maybe down the road I will look back at this film and like it more than I really did.
2 1/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Dope
She did not even give me a chance to show her what I could do. I noticed her looking me up and down as I walked into her office for the interview. After we went over my work history she asked me about my teaching style. I gave her a brief description and offered to give a demonstration. She declined the offer which confirmed by suspicions. The way she looked at me in the beginning told me she was judging me based on my looks. I did not look like the typical fitness instructor because I did not have a smooth chiseled body; I was pudgy (I preferred saying soft and malleable) and hairy with a full beard. She had no idea how committed I would be to the job, nor see how hard I would work alongside the members of the health club. Due to the challenges I had in PE classes during my school years, I pushed myself harder than other fitness instructors. Maybe I was trying to prove a point of just fight my way to acceptance; it probably was a mixture of both. I was upset that this fitness manager was basing her decisions on the way I looked; I wanted to tell her that true good health began on the inside. She had no idea that I was able to teach 3 classes in a row, giving each one of them 100% of myself. Sadly she was not the first person to judge me based on my looks. I understood it; however, it still stung because I was never one to make a judgement based solely on the surface of a person. The main character in this movie could relate I am sure. LIVING in a tough neighborhood was a challenge for high school senior Malcolm, played by Shameik Moore (Joyful Noise, Incredible Crew-TV). Added pressure coming from the upcoming college entrance exams, that he needed to help get him into Harvard, Malcolm took a break by going to a party with his friends. It was a party that would have a major impact on all of them. This film festival winning comedic drama offered a different take on the typical coming of age tale. There was grittiness to the story with the use of some strong language. With Tony Revolori (The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Perfect Game) as Jib and Zoe Kravitz (Mad Max: Fury Road, Good Kill) as Nakia, the cast was good though I did not always find them believable. The script had a hint of being a screwball comedy in places as certain events unfolded. There were a couple of people who walked out in the middle of this movie. Maybe they had preconceived notions of what this film was supposed to be.
2 3/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Inside Out
I could hear the two voices in a heated discussion about whether I should bring a jacket or not. Planning on attending an outdoor event recently, there was one voice in my head telling me to bring a jacket due to the possibility of rain showers. It was also telling me that I needed a jacket since I would be outside after nightfall and I could get cold. The other voice was saying I needed to leave my jacket at home because with the temperature going up into the middle 80s no one would be walking around with a jacket. This argument was going on while I was changing in the locker room of the health club. In the next bank of lockers there was a father with 2 young children, the youngest in diapers. As the older boy was amusing himself by opening and closing the locker doors around him, the father placed his daughter on her back on top of a bench. She immediately let out an ear piercing scream as she burst into wailing tears. The father quickly pulled out his phone, swiping the screen with his thumb like a gunslinger, to position it right in front of the infant’s face. Instantaneously all sounds out of her stopped and the tear ducts dried up. But here is the catch; as soon as the dad tried to move his arm back to change his daughter’s diaper, she revved right up again with crying wails. To me it looked like a Pavlovian experiment as the opposite reactions of the daughter kept flipping back and forth depending on where the smartphone was placed. I now understand how these opposing feelings could rise up so quickly since I have seen this imaginative movie. RILEY, voiced by relative newcomer Kaitlyn Dias, only knew her Minnesota home her entire life. Moving to San Francisco due to her father’s job, Riley’s emotions were sent reeling as her unhappiness grew as the family tried to settle into their new place. This animated dramatic comedy had a more sophisticated story than other animated films I have recently seen. I am not sure if very young children will sit through this movie. At least at the theater where I saw this visual jewel of a picture, the movie trailers and short film before the movie clocked in for a total of 25 minutes. The actors such as Amy Poehler (Mean Girls, Baby Mama) as Joy, Lewis Black (Man of the Year, The Aristocrats) as Anger and Phyllis Smith (Bad Teacher, The Office-TV) as Sadness were just perfect at voicing their characters. The imaginativeness displayed in this adventure has set a new bar of excellence in my opinion. Just the idea of these emotions working together as we reach our adolescence was brilliantly handled in this story. By the end of the film the joy inside of my head was jumping up and down.
3 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Madame Bovary
Labels on products have more meaning to me than labels for humans. When I hear people making introductions, adding the label of the person’s profession, I wonder why it is important that we know what the person does for a living. A couple of examples would be, “This is my husband Aaron, the doctor.” or “Let me introduce you to my girlfriend Emily, the lawyer.” What a person does for a living carries very little weight for me when it comes to what I think of a person. Yet I know there are some people who hunger to reach a certain status established in their mind, so they can feel successful. There was this person I used to know who would only date individuals from a specific list of professions. I would argue with them, trying to force them to look at how their love had conditions on it; bit it did not matter, my words fell on deaf ears. Maybe there is something wrong with me because I do not factor in monetary amounts when I am assessing a person’s character. A wealthy person for me would be one who is charitable, has long term friendships, is kind, has empathy; I could go on with my checklist if I had the time here. But the point I am trying to make is this, you could be with a rich successful accountant who cheats on you or a CFO who is a racist. I do not see that as being a wealthy person. MARRYING town doctor Charles Bovary, played by Henry Lloyd-Hughes (Anna Karenina, Dimensions), was the start of what Emma, played by Mia Wasikowska (Jane Eyre, Alice in Wonderland), hoped would be the wealthy life she deserved. How long could one be content however when there was no limit on when they would finally feel rich? This dramatic period piece’s landscape was filled with beautiful shots of the countryside mixed with authentic reminders of the era. The star of this film was Mia; she had a strong screen presence with a face that easily conveyed emotions. Included in the cast was Paul Giamatti (San Andreas, Love & Misery) as Monsieur Homais and Ezra Miller (The Perks of Being a Wallflower, We Need to Talk About Kevin) as Leon Dupuis; both had the ability to do a powerful performance but the script did not allow it. This film dragged miserably for me. I also found Mia’s character strange; for the time frame I could not believe her character’s actions which appeared to be easily made. The book I am sure provided more emotional layers to her that were lacking here on screen. This movie had all the trappings to be a rich dramatic story, sadly it did not succeed.
1 3/4 stars
moviejoltz 