Blog Archives
Flash Movie Review: Flash of Genius
From a mundane object a great idea was born. Based on the true story about Dr. Bob Kearns, played by Greg Kinnear (Little Miss Sunshine, Ghost Town), who had a great idea that would affect everyone who drove a car in the rain. He invented the intermittent windshield wiper. With the support of his wife Phyllis, played by Lauren Graham (Bad Santa, Evan Almighty), and children; Dr. Kearns created a prototype that he planned on selling to the Detroit auto makers. However, his dreams did not come true the way he had expected. This heartfelt movie told the story of the courage, determination, some say insanity of the Kearns family taking on the deep pocketed car manufacturers to protect Bob’s invention. I get fired up from a movie that roots for the underdog and this excellent movie had the perfect set-up for a battle between the every day man against corporate big business. Mr Kinnear was perfect in this role; giving a solid, believable performance to his character who had everything to lose, including his mental state. Also, Alan Alda (Tower Heist, The Aviator) gave an excellent performance as the lawyer who was willing to take on Detroit’s auto makers. One has to wonder how often this type of behind the back shenanigans takes place in the business world. A terrific movie that was about a great idea and so much more.
3 1/4 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Children of Heaven
With this being their first feature film, the two children that played brother and sister were like a slice of heaven. A former Oscar nominated movie, the beauty of this film was in its simplicity. There were no special effects, no big Hollywood type budget, only the sweetness of a brother’s love for his younger sister. Amir Farrokh Hashemian and Bahare Seddiqi were brother and sister Ali and Zahra. What I found incredible was the fact that this being the child actors’ first major role and they were unbelievable. Wait to you see the innocence they brought to their characters; I was stunned at the emotion they conveyed in their roles. The base story had to do with Ali losing his sister Zahra’s shoes. Afraid to tell their parents, knowing they would be upset, Ali came up with a plan where they would share one pair of shoes. There was much more to this heartfelt film; I was moved by the honest portrayals. To see the pureness of a family’s love for each other throughout this excellent film was refreshing for me. Being bombarded with so many dysfunctional people on reality television, I was grateful to this dramatic movie for reminding me what being real was all about. Persian with English subtitles.
3 1/2 stars — DVD
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