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Flash Movie Review: And So it Goes
It takes real effort for a person to act mean. Because everyone has the potential for good and evil I believe, it comes down to making choices. For example the brother who invites all but one sibling to his son’s special event or the person in the elevator who sees you running towards them and does nothing to prevent the doors from closing just as you are about to reach them. These people were acting mean in my opinion. Now there are some individuals who look mean, display a tough exterior, but beneath it they are completely sweet. I have a friend who cuts an imposing figure. Well over 6 feet tall and bulky, the irises of his eyes are as black as his pupils. His pale complexion only intensifies the glare of his deep set eyes when he is looking at you. I have seen many strangers move out of his way when he is walking down the street. Once you are familiar to him, his piercing eyes look more like the button eyes on a stuffed teddy bear and his physical size diminishes into soft edges. I know meanness can be based on a person’s perception; but unless one has evidence, don’t you think most people determine if someone could be mean by the way they look? BEING mean was what realtor Oren Little, played by Michael Douglas (Last Vegas, Falling Down), thrived on when he had to deal with people. All he wanted to do was sell one last big property so he could retire. His plans were blown when the granddaughter he never knew he had Sarah, played by Sterling Jerins (The Conjuring, World War Z), was dumped at his front door. Not interested in the 9 year old girl Oren tried to push her off on his neighbor Leah, played by Diane Keaton (The Godfather franchise, Mad Money), so he could continue on his way. Just how mean could Oren remain towards the two females? This comedic drama was utterly predictable which was why I gave you more information about the movie than usual. I found it sad that Michael and Diane were both stuck with the script; it did not offer one single new thing. Directed by Rob Reiner (The Bucket List, When Harry Met Sally), there just was not much one could do to try and make this film pleasurable. The crowd in the theater who were all older had an equal mix of positive and negative comments as they were exiting at the end of the movie. I know the movie studio was not trying to be mean by boring me for the duration of this picture; however, they were not very nice to make a poorly written film.
1 3/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Magic in the Moonlight
Early exposure to the art of magic gives us permission to draw outside the lines. When we see something that defies logic it opens us up to accepting additional possibilities to a situation. Some people may say this directly affects our minds, while others will say it definitely stirs our hearts; either way magic certainly can influence us. I can remember my first exposure to magic (not taking into account peek-a-boo) happened when I was nearly 3 years old. There was a relative who would always grab my nose then show it to me sticking out from their closed fingers. I would inhale as much air as my little lungs could hold, to try and get back my nose. It wasn’t long before I realized by relative’s thumb and not my nose was poking out between his clenched fingers. There was another relative however who really performed magic or at least I thought so. Anytime he was visiting he would come up to me and ask me what was sticking out of my ear. I would rub my ear but never found anything. He would reach down, touch my ear then show me the quarter he pulled out before handing it to me. I would always check my ears afterward to see if I could find any money in them, but never did. BELIEVE it or not magic played a central character in this dramatic comedy. Written and directed by Woody Allen (Sweet and Lowdown, Midnight in Paris), this romantic film was about a magician and a soothsayer. Colin Firth (The Railway Man, A Single Man) played Stanley, a man who pretended to be a Chinese magician. When not in costume Stanley was considered the expert in disproving psychics and fortune-tellers. Hearing news about a young, incredible soothsayer named Sophie, played by Emma Stone (Easy A, The Amazing Spider-Man franchise), Stanley set out to show the world she was a fake. Both the music and sets were beautiful in this movie that depicted a bygone era. I thought the acting was quite good, especially from Jackie Weaver (Silver Linings Playbook, Animal Kingdom) as Grace. There were 2 major issues I had with this picture. The first had to do with Colin and Emma; their characters did not come across as a believable couple. Yes they both acted well but I found the idea of them being in any type of relationship just odd. My other concern was the story itself. Though the concept was good, the execution came across a bit tired to me. It felt more like a rehash of Woody’s previous films. There were times I found this film dull. For a movie about magic, I really wished it would have magically taken me out of my theater seat and into its story.
2 1/3 stars
Flash Movie Review: A Long Way Down
No one has the right to tell you how you should feel is one of my strongest mantras. Among all the individuals within the circles of connections in my life, everyone knows there is no reason to cover-up, modify or hide one’s feelings. If someone is in a foul mood, so be it. I am not one to offer platitudes like “things will get better” or “it will be a brighter day soon.” When I am sad or depressed I certainly do not want someone around trying to cheer me up. I just want someone to be accepting and understand this is how I am feeling right at the moment. The phrase “misery loves company” comes to mind and there is some truth in it. I have noticed a stronger connection forms between 2 people when they are commiserating about similar circumstances. It is true for me when my friends and I are at a concert or on a trip, shared excitement only accentuates the experience. The same holds true during a somber or sad experience. It all comes down to the ability to relate to another being, to know there is someone else who is feeling the same way as you. COINCIDENTALLY, the four individuals in this comedic drama accidentally discovered they were each feeling the same way with the same idea. It was New Year’s Eve and expecting to be alone Martin, Maureen, Jess and JJ; played by Pierce Brosnan (Love is All You Need, The Ghost), Toni Collette (The Way Way Back, Little Miss Sunshine), Imogen Poots (Jane Eyre, That Awkward Moment) and Aaron Paul (Need for Speed, Breaking Bad-TV); all found themselves on the top of a high-rise building at the same time with plans to jump off the roof. Instead of ending their lives that night, they form an unusual pact to help support each other through their troubled times. Based on the novel by Nick Hornby (High Fidelity, About a Boy), believe it or not this film offered a few amusing moments. The subject may be morbid for some; but I found the script did a decent job of handling the subject matter, mixing doses of lightheartedness with darkness. Though the acting was this movie’s strongest feature, it could not help save this dramedy. I found the story jumped around too much, never allowing time to offer further explanation to the scenes. With things coming across piecemeal, the story never fully developed and fell flat. Not that I expect you to agree with me on every one of my movie reviews, but I feel comfortable there will be many who will feel the same way I do after they see this film.
1 3/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Secondhand Lions
They say a picture paints 1,000 words and for the most part it can. However, there are some pictures/photographs that I feel would be a perfect accompaniment to an oral history. Family photos are one example that comes to mind. Whether they are from my family or friends, I have always been curious to hear the stories associated with the pictures. Some of those old sepia toned photos pasted onto hard cardboard, where the people are staring straight ahead with stern faces, can provide some interesting tales. Among my photographs I have sat and wondered what future generations would think about them. There is the photo of a dog’s head lying on a pillow with a blanket pulled up to his chin. They have no idea that in the middle of the night when I would get up to use the bathroom, our dog would jump up onto the bed into my spot and pull the covers up over himself. I would come back to bed and see him looking at me as if he were asking me, “What do you want?” That dog was such a character. BECAUSE I feel family stories are important and need to be shared; I thoroughly enjoyed what was being said in this film festival nominated movie. Taking place in Texas, Haley Joel Osment (The Sixth Sense, Pay it Forward) played Walter, a young boy whose mother Mae, played by Kyra Sedgwick (Gamer, The Closer-TV), planned to drop him off with his eccentric uncles so she could go to school out of state. Uncle Garth and Uncle Hub, played by Michael Caine (Children of Men, Sleuth) and Robert Duvall (The Godfather franchise, Crazy Heart) were 2 of the most unusual men, who told strange stories, Walter had ever seen in his life. This comedic drama had such a pleasant way of letting the stories unfold from scene to scene. There was a sense of homeyness and familiarity that many viewers could identify to their own families. Though some of the roles verged on being cartoon like, I thought the cast’s acting was incredibly good. Michael and Robert were perfect, giving even doses of abruptness and quiet sweetness out of their characters. With the story set in the 1960s, this family film had a different pace and simpleness where some individuals might have a hard time relating to it. I, on the other hand, found such a feeling of comfort and deepening between the characters in this picture that it made me yearn for those family get togethers where the older relatives would share their family histories with the younger generations.
2 2/3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Begin Again
There are people who come into our lives to provide us with the glasses of confidence for us to see our true abilities. It can happen to any of us where the important things close to us cannot be seen. This movie review site is the perfect example. I had been content emailing friends and family my latest feelings about the movies I had seen. A few friends mentioned setting up a site where I would only need to type up one review of a movie and the site would forward it to those who signed up. One friend in particular was the catalyst for me to pull myself away from the fear of uncertainty and venture into the vulnerable world of the internet. He was a former talk show host out east, who was a gifted cook. His latest project was to create a blog where he could teach viewers how to cook. He had such an enthusiasm that was infectious regarding his blog that it spilled over onto me. With his encouragement and incredible positive attitude, I began the mental process of creating Moviejoltz. There are so many examples around us of individuals who have the ability to illuminate our seeds of hope; I could go on and on. INSTEAD I suggest you watch what took place in this comedic drama. Mark Ruffalo (The Avengers, Now You See Me) played Dan, a down on his luck music executive. Spiraling down into a world of alcoholism, one night Dan heard a voice in a nightclub that would change his life and the life of the singer/songwriter Greta, played by Keira Knightley (Anna Karenina, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit). Written and directed by John Carney (Once, The Rafters) this musical movie had a certain charm and sweetness to it, even if it was somewhat predictable. The best part was the acting. Besides Mark and Keira, Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit, Ender’s Game) as Dan’s daughter Violet and musician Adam Levine (American Horror Story-TV) as Greta’s boyfriend Dave were excellent with their characters. I will admit there was a part of me that felt the director was trying to recapture the magic of his movie Once, however having the story set in New York City along with the gifted cast, I found myself being entertained by the story. An additional surprise was seeing Keira carrying a tune which only added to my enjoyment of the soundtrack. Being a firm believer that we each are handed a gift from everyone we meet, I found the way the characters connected in this film to be life affirming.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Words and Pictures
I have always found it curious how some people read instructions to learn something while others acquire knowledge visually. I fall into the latter category. Though I love to read, when it comes to being taught a new computer program or learn how to use a piece of equipment, I prefer watching either someone else doing it or a video on the equipment’s functions. One of the best examples of these two different ways of understanding is giving directions to someone. There are individuals who require landmarks with their directions, such as a gas station is on the southwest corner where you want to turn. There are others who just want the facts written down like travel east for 2 miles then turn north on Newgard Street. I do not judge one way being better than the other; it is just the way we are wired. However, in this film festival nominated movie two camps were set up for students, those who prefer words and those who would rather have pictures. Set in a prep school, one side was led by English teacher Jack Marcus, played by Clive Owen (King Arthur, The Boys are Back), who was determined to prove words were more important than pictures a/k/a art. Jack would have a fight on his hands with art teacher Dina Delsanto, played by Juliette Binoche (Dan in Real Life, The English Patient), who was a well known artist. Their rivalry would have an affect on the entire school. Clive and Juliette tried their hardest with the script they were given in this comedic drama. I enjoyed watching them throughout the film. Part of the cast also included the competent Valerie Tian (21 Jump Street, Juno) as student Emily and Bruce Davison (X-Men franchise, Harry and the Hendersons) as fellow teacher Walt. What knocked this film down into just being average was the poorly written screenplay. Besides being predictable I found some of the scenes did not work well at all. It really was a shame because one of the positives i found was showing teachers who were not your typical instructors, who had the ability to motivate their students. Looking back at the teachers I had during my school years, the ones that taught differently than the majority were always able to motivate me on a deeper level. I wanted to like this romantic movie more than I did; it had two things I absolutely enjoy, literature and art. When it comes to these two things I do not favor one over the other, but with this film I did not care a lot for either.
2 1/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Chinese Puzzle
The word separation is an interesting word because it has two polar opposite emotions associated with it. A person would be relieved and happy to be separated from someone who was toxic to them. I can understand the feeling that would come over someone after being in an abusive relationship; in this case separating oneself would be a healthy thing. After being harnessed to a yoke, dragging fear and despair with them everywhere, the feelings of leaving has to be monumental. When there are people you love such as family, friends, or soul mates; a separation from them can feel as if your breath never quite fills your lungs, taxing your heart’s beat. Being apart from them can be sad and painful, where you worry each memory filled tear running down your face will feel like loved ones slipping away from you. It seems to me the act of separation can have a powerful affect on an individual. In this film festival winning movie being separated from his 2 children was more than 40 year old Xavier Rousseau, played by Romain Duris (Heartbreaker, The Beat That My Heart Skipped), could bear. When Wendy, played by Kelly Reilly (Flight, Sherlock Holmes franchise), the mother of his 2 kids decided to leave France and move to New York City, Xavier decided to follow and settle down near them in the foreign land. He would soon discover it was not an easy thing to do. This dramatic comedy had a lot going for it. I did not know this film was the third in a series, the two previous being L’Auberge Espagnole and Russian Dolls. After viewing this romantic movie I wished I had seen the previous ones because I felt I was missing out on something. The cast had an easy flow going between each other and were all believable. Part of the cast also included Audrey Tautou (Coco Before Chanel, The Da Vinci Code) as Martine and Cecile De France (Hereafter, High Tension) as Isabelle. The story essentially had no major potholes in it, things were pretty much kept at an even keel and that would be my major complaint. I did not find much contrast between any of the scenes; there was a chuckle here, a touching moment there. As I said before maybe my reaction would have been different if I had more history with the characters, watching them in their previous films. Granted I had very little negative things to say about the movie; I just felt a little left out. There was English, French, Spanish and Chinese languages spoken with English subtitles when needed.
2 2/3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Fading Gigolo
There is a force that is more powerful than any drug; that can turn us into valiant, strong fighters and yet can also bring us down to our knees, wallowing in a puddle of our lost dreams. Love is the force that can make and turn us into so many different variations of ourself. There are some people who love to be in love, where the person they are with may not be the sole focus of their affection. I have seen couples like this, where one person is not motivated to do kind gestures from their heart; they have seen or read about it and are just copying it. An example would be surprising your significant other with tickets to, let us say, a play or sporting event. The fact that they do not know if the other person would like such things does not matter; they just know it is something one is supposed to do. Then there are some people who are driven by their love of something, like money or food. Love can make people do such a variety of things and you will be able to see it for yourself in this dramatic comedy. John Turturro (Barton Fink, The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3) wrote, directed and starred as florist Floravante in this film festival winning movie. Since he was having a hard time making ends meet, Floravante agreed to the plan concocted by his friend Murray, played by Woody Allen (To Rome with Love, Deconstructing Harry). Floravante would be a male escort for a select group of clients. He would discover everyone had their own definition of love. My first reaction to this movie was it felt like it was trying to be a Woody Allen film. There was the same vibe and look to it and even had Woody playing Woody. I did not find much else in common, finding the script to be odd and disconnected in parts. Sharon Stone (Casino, Total Recall) and Sofia Vergara (Machete Kills, Modern Family-TV) as Dr. Parker and Selma were not believable in the least. All I saw on the screen was Sharon and Sofia, not there characters. A nugget of interest was generated with the story line involving Liev Schreiber (Salt, Defiance) as Dovi and Vanessa Paradis (Heartbreaker, The Girl on the Bridge) as Avigal but it never evolved and I disliked what happened to them. There were scenes that were amusing and others that were dull, making an unevenness that led to boredom. I think i knew what John was trying to do in this film but I did not love it.
2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Le Week-End
Even though it may have been painful to learn some of these relationship rules, I hold all of them close to my heart: No one can go to bed angry; Never raise your voice; Remember to talk about how you feel; If something is bothering you discuss it immediately, not months later; Realize there will be some things you will have to do that you will not like; Show your love. This is not a complete list and I realize each person has their own rules; but it is safe to say relationships require constant input as they evolve in time. I have seen couples that have grown distant from each other because they did not take into account that each of them was growing at a different pace and they did not talk about it. Communication is vital in my opinion and when I have met someone who never used the words “I” and “feel” in the same sentence, it immediately sent up a red flag for me. If you want to see a couple dealing with their changes in an adult, real and raw way then follow Nick and Meg, played by Jim Broadbent (Another Year, The Iron Lady) and Lindsay Duncan (About Time, Alice in Wonderland), in this award winning comedic drama. For their 30th wedding anniversary Meg and Nick decided to spend it in Paris, the place where it all began for them years ago. The beauty of the city remained the same but things looked different with older eyes. I do not think this movie would have worked if they had used any other actors besides Jim and Lindsay. They blended so well together that I was experiencing a nervous anticipation during some of their conversations. For his small role I thought Jeff Goldblum (The Switch, The Fly) was wonderful as Morgan, one of Nick’s former proteges. When I say this was an adult film, it is meant to express the real issues this couple was experiencing. Though I believe younger adults would find this film boring, I think the movie honestly shows what people go through in their relationships. I did find times where I was becoming bored with some of the bickering; it felt like the same subject was being rehashed. There will be some of you that will find the script too wordy. I know it is early in the season, but I can see Jim Broadbent being nominated for this role. When it comes to relationships, if you want to make them bloom you sometimes have to get your hands dirty.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Veronica Mars
I have always had a fascination with famous people. Not an obsession or wanting to learn everything I can about them, I just want to be near them. It is not because I think their good fortune will magically flake off and land on me, turning my life into a charmed existence. Basically I get a kick when I see or hear in the news something about the celebrity and I can say I saw them or was at the same place they visited. Growing up the closest I came to being near someone famous was a classmate in high school, whose family owned a yogurt company. Whenever I was at the grocery store and passed by his family’s products I would get a smile on my face, knowing I went to high school with their son. Yes, so I am a bit goofy; but I have to tell you, if I had gone to the same school with Veronica Mars it would have been so cool. Unfortunately watching this crime dramedy was my first time seeing Veronica Mars, played by Kristen Bell (Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Big Miracle). After viewing this film I wished I had seen the television show. Besides the enjoyment, I feel I would have understood more in this picture. The story took place after the TV show, where Veronica had attended law school and was on the verge of landing a job at a prestigious New York law firm. Before finding out if she was hired, Veronica traveled back home to visit her dad Keith, played by Enrico Colantoni (Galaxy Quest, Just Shoot Me!-TV). While there she would help her former boyfriend Logan Echolls, played by Jason Dohring (Deep Impact, Searching for Sonny), who was the prime suspect in the murder of his girlfriend. Even with her new calling, Veronica would soon find out old habits were hard to break. What sold me on this film was the snappy dialog and Kristen Bell. As I mentioned there were times I felt I was out of the loop, like there were inside jokes I was missing. The directing was consistently tight. I do not know if it is because I knew this came out of a television show, but I felt I was watching a TV series. The way the scenes changed seemed like they were timed to insert a commercial break. The writers did their best to include the cast’s back story without getting bogged down in voice over explanations. If I have one criticism of this movie it would be the lack of intensity to the story. It needed more drama and intensity for the characters; with a bigger screen one needs a bigger story. Now that I have experienced the charm of Veronica Mars I hope there will be another movie.
3 stars for Veronica Mars fans 2 2/3 stars for everyone else
moviejoltz 