Blog Archives
Flash Movie Review: The Secret of the Grain
In my family once we sit ourselves down at the kitchen or dining room table, we are there for the night. None of this retiring to the den or let us go to the basement stuff; we just sit and enjoy our food all the way through dessert. I like to say life is uncertain, eat dessert first. When I was little I realized the seat of power was my mother and her sisters sitting around the kitchen table. All decisions were decided by them as my father and uncles were seated around the television set. Because of my upbringing, I enjoyed this simple, bittersweet movie. Watching the extended family with its love for each other and their dysfunctions brought back memories to me. Sixty year old Slimane Beiji, played by newcomer Habib Boufares, was struggling with his dockyard job at the port of Sete. His hours were reduced to the point he was struggling to make ends meet. One form of payment was his ability to bring fresh fish to his children and ex-wife, who would make the best fish couscous. As Slimane’s family crowded around the table sharing stories and food, he retired to his small room, that he rented nearby. When a plate of food was sent to him, Slimane saw an opportunity to make a dream he had come true. He would open a restaurant. With little resources, Slimane would need to depend on his family to make it happen, plus his ex-wife’s couscous. The majority of the cast were non-actors which made family scenes more believable. I loved the way the intimacy was formed with the close up filming. The family dynamics seemed utterly real as events played out. This multi film festival winner was a touching story that made the heart ache. French and Arabic with English subtitles.
3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Robin Hood
I do not want to be biased here; but when I hear the words Robin Hood, I think of Errol Flynn. I cannot think of anyone else playing this role besides him. When I received this DVD I assumed the story would have a different spin on it, due to the director being Ridley Scott (Prometheus, Black Hawk Down). More than a spin, the movie was a prequel to the Robin Hood story most of us have seen before. Robin Longstride, played by Russell Crowe (A Beautiful Mind, Gladiator), was an archer in King Richard’s army. Upon Richard’s death, Robin returned to England, to bring the sword of deceased Sir Robert Loxley, played by Douglas Hodge (Vanity Fair, Mansfield Park), to his father Sir Walter Loxley, played by Max von Sydow (The Exorcist, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close). Hearing the news of his son’s death, Sir Walter Loxley convinced Robin to become his son, which would protect his land holdings. In doing so, Robin had to step in and become the husband to the widow Marion Loxley, played by Cate Blanchett (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Notes on a Scandal). With the English monarchy being threatened by the French, Robin would have to do battle with Sir Robert Loxley’s killer. Are you confused yet? It took me a while to get a grasp of what was taking place in this odd movie. I found Russell Crowe a poor choice; he brought no emotion to the role. Cate, on the other hand, was her usual stellar self. The story made no sense. An entire town was to believe Robin was Sir Robert Loxley? Also, having a battle scene that looked like it was copied from Private Ryan was weird. Instead of robbing from other movies, why couldn’t they make a decent story for us poor viewers? Violent and bloody scenes.
2 1/4 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: A Prophet
There is one train of thought that we come into this world with both good and evil inside of us. An individual has free will on which way they will go. The other possibility is that we are born with only good inside of us, that evil is something we have to learn. With that being the case and under the circumstances he faced, prisoner Malik El Djebena, played by Tahar Rahim (The Eagle, Black Gold) did not have free choice. Newly incarcerated into an adult prison; Malik was singled out by Cesar Luciai, played by Niels Arestrup (War Horse, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly), leader of the Corsican inmates. The naive Malik was forced into servitude; he either had to kill a prisoner or be killed by Cesar’s minions. From this introduction into prison life and though he was of Arab heritage, Malik would be under the protection of the Corsicans. This was an intense prison movie with stabbings, fights and bloodshed. What kept me enthralled was the progression of character development, especially with Malik’s growth. The story had steady pacing with solid intensity. I want to mention there were racist remarks, but I understood what the writers were doing in setting up the conflicts between the different ethnic groups in the prison. One of the better movies of this genre, this film was exciting in a different way. With the prison being a breeding ground for evil, the excitement was watching how the prisoners chose to use it. French and Arabic with English subtitles.
3 1/3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
I have always said that our bodies are rented; that the mind is what defines a person. This was one of the reasons why I was offended by individuals who ignored me when I was heavy. After I lost my weight, these same people started acknowledging me. I was no different inside, yet some people never went past my surface. Granted this movie may be an extreme example, but it truly showed the amazing power of the human mind. Based on the true story of Elle magazine editor Jean-Dominique Bauby, actor Mathieu Amalric (Quantum of Solace, Munich) did an outstanding job portraying, what friends would call the 43 year old editor, Jean Do. After regaining consciousness from a massive stroke, Jean Do was almost completely paralyzed. The only thing he had control over was the blinking of his left eye. With his cognitive skills functioning, Jean Do explored the memories he had, letting his imagination take him to wonderful places. The cinematography was simply gorgeous in this stunning film. Being left with no way to communicate with the people around him; a special nurse came up with an inspired idea, which allowed her to communicate with Jean-Dominique. Reciting letters from the French alphabet, she asked the patient to blink once for yes or twice for no, until she was able to form words out of the letters. After having seen the Intouchables a few weeks ago and now this incredible movie, I am so in awe with the capacity of the human mind.
3 1/2 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Lorna’s Silence
The way the world works these days, there usually is an alternative solution that will get you the same results, albeit not legally. I may believe I have some street smarts, but I would be fooling myself if I did not think there are a lot of undocumented things happening around me. At present one of the hot political topics has to do with immigration. I had a crash course in the legalities of the issue when my niece became engaged to a wonderful man from France. Lorna, played by Arta Dobroshi (Late Bloomers, Magic Eye), worked at a cleaners, but hoped to open a snack shop one day. To get to her goal, she agreed to enter into a sham marriage arranged by local, small time mobster Fabio, played by Fabrizio Rongione (The Kid with a Bike, The Child). Besides the financial gain, Lorna would more importantly obtain Belgian citizenship. Everything was going smoothly until her husband, a junkie, asked for her help in getting clean. At the beginning of this dramatic film, I was not sure where the story was going; I felt out of synch with it. However, I soon realized that is what the directors had in mind. Lorna and her husband were not so dissimilar after all. The range of feelings they displayed felt like I was watching a tennis match; going from dominance to weakness to manipulation. This film did not take a page out of the Hollywood handbook; it was a bare bones story that fully used its actors’ abilities. A raw tense movie, this Cannes and Lumiere winning film gave a glimpse into what I am sure has been a real occurence in life. French, Albanian, Russian with English subtitles.
3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Priceless
A funny movie that captured the screwball comedy genre of the 1930’s and 40’s, I got a big kick from watching this DVD. The setting was the French Riviera where seated at the hotel bar was Irene, played by Audrey Tautou (The Da Vinci Code, Coco Before Chanel), celebrating her birthday. Her companion, a much older wealthy gentleman, had fallen asleep in their hotel room. You see, beautiful Irene was a gold digger. Spotting the well groomed Jean, played by Gad Elmaleh (Midnight in Paris, The Round Up), she believed she found a younger replacement for her aging boyfriend. Plus it did not hurt that Jean, a bartender at the hotel, brought her up to one of the swanky suites, pretending it was his place. From this point on, the movie took off on a madcap game with Irene and Jean as the contestants. I thought the chemistry between the two stars was flawless, along with Gad’s impressive comedic timing. There was something about his demeanor and facial expressions that reminded me of Buster Keaton. The film kept a steady level of zaniness and the reading of the subtitles was not an issue for me. It was a wonderful surprise to experience that old time Hollywood fun via France. French with English subtitles.
3 stars — DVD
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