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Flash Movie Review: Trap
WE WERE EXCITED TO SEE THE production, especially because this was its first stop direct from Broadway. A small group of us bought tickets with the idea of meeting for dinner beforehand then walking over to the theater. It is always a crapshoot when one buys tickets before the reviews, but we lucked out because all the reviews had been glowing about this high-tech production. As we were walking up to the theater, I had everyone stand below the marquee to get a group photo. The theater was one of the larger ones in the city, having been built in 1906. So, it is this majestic, opulent space with mosaic tiled floors, vibrant red colors, statues, and friezes. There were so many people outside the theater, I figured the show had to be sold out. There was a reason, however, why so many people were congregated outside; everyone had to go through a security check. I started to feel like I was at the airport. Anyone carrying a bag or purse had to get it hand inspected. One person in line was stopped because they had a small bottle of orange juice in their pocket. The usher wanted to confiscate it, but the patron argued they needed it in case their blood sugar was dropping. The usher was not at first understanding until the patron explained the situation, saying it was a health issue and if they had a problem to call the manager. The usher backed off and allowed them to go in with the orange juice. IT WAS A SURREAL EXPERIENCE FOR me to have a security checkpoint to get into a Broadway show. Seeing people open their bags for security and seeing those with bulky coats having their pockets checked was weird in this venue. As they say, the times sure are changing. Having gone to numerous concerts and events when I was younger, there was no type of security except for the ushers, which came in all ages and sizes. Now granted, I remember a concert where someone threw a can of beer at the singer who got mad and stormed off the stage, but still nothing to prevent people bringing in things to the event. I understand we live in a different world, and I am not complaining by any means; heck, I am grateful to have TSA at airports and security measures at places where people congregate. After watching this psychological crime thriller, I do not know if I would even want to go to a concert now or if so, ask first what security measures have been put into place. TAKING HIS DAUGHTER TO A MUSIC concert, a father soon discovers there is another reason there is so much security positioned around the arena. With Josh Hartnett (Wrath of Man, Black Hawk Down) as Cooper, Ariel Donoghue (Blueback, Wolf Like Me-TV) as Riley, newcomer Saleka Shyamalan as Lady Raven, Alison Pill (Eric Larue, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World) as Rachel and Haley Mills (The Parent Trap, Wild at Heart-TV) as Dr. Josephine Grant; this film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan (Old, The Visit) had good intentions. I thought the beginning had a nice buildup of suspense which was immensely helped with Josh’s assistance. But soon after the script started falling apart when scenes became less believable. Then there were times where I felt the whole story was written to promote Saleka Shyamalan (his daughter) as a singer. By the end, the story was almost ridiculous. Granted, I am not a fan of M. Night’s movies; his past projects have always disappointed me. This picture had some good parts to it but just did not come together in a cohesive solid way. I just hope I do not think about it the next time I find myself at a pop concert.
2 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Knock at the Cabin
IT HAD TO BE THE HARDEST decision in the world; I could not think of anything worse. I was watching the news report about an accident involving a father and his two sons. They were on vacation, and something happened to the vehicle they were driving in. There were no details yet about what caused the vehicle to go off the road, but it wound up plunging down an embankment and into a rush of turbulent rapids. The young boys and their father were stranded in the water apart from each other at some point. Purely on instinct, the father made his way towards his children. However, with the strong current dragging the boys further apart from one another, the father was being forced to decide which son to head for first, to try and save. I could not even imagine! How could anyone make such a decision? I was grateful there was not a video of the scene; only thing the news report showed was the mangled vehicle in the water. Sadly, the father was only able to grab and save one son. The other boy was dragged under the water and was found a distance away near the edge of the river, face down. He did not survive. THAT STORY STUCK WITH ME FOR some time. Just the idea of having to choose, whether one wanted to or not, which family member to save was such a horrific position to be in; I honestly do not know what I would have done if I was in that type of situation. I do know what can happen when one has to make that type of decision, however. A friend of mine has a relative who caused an accident in the car she was driving. Her two children were strapped in the back seat. She had trouble undoing the seatbelt from one child’s safety seat. By the time she was able to free that child from their seat, the fire had spread past the front seat of the car. Though the temperature was getting intense, she tried to undo the second child’s seat. Her sleeves caught fire a few seconds before it spread to her arms. She kept trying but the heat got to be too intense and a policeman who arrived at the scene had to pull her back in case the car was about to explode. With the loss of her 2nd child, she turned to drugs and alcohol to numb her grief and pain. As I said, it was such a tragedy that she could never recover from. Because of my knowing about this, I completely understood the predicament the couple found themselves in inside this horror, mystery thriller. THE SETTING WAS PERFECT FOR THE family to have an idyllic vacation; but it all changed when there was a knock at the door. With Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, Glass Onion) as Leonard, Jonathan Groff (The Matrix Resurrections, Glee-TV) as Eric, Rupert Grint (Harry Potter franchise, Into the White) as Redmond, Nikki Amuka-Bird (Jupiter Ascending, Persuasion) as Sabrina and Ben Aldridge (Our Girl-TV, Pennyworth-TV) as Andrew; this movie was written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan (Old, The Visit). I thought Dave Bautista was a standout in this cast, playing a character that the audience could not tell was sincere or not. There were scenes that were excellently staged to keep the tension and thrills high; but, there were also spots that did not reach the same level due to the script. A majority of the time I was focusing more on myself, whether I believed what I was seeing was true or not. Also, the last quarter of the film turned weird for me, to the point where I left the theater feeling confused. There were a few scenes of violence and blood, though I appreciated the way they were filmed to prevent the audience from seeing the full results from the actions. I picked this movie to go see; maybe I did not make the smartest choice.
2 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Old
WHEN I WAS YOUNG, I THOUGHT FIFTY was an old age. Now, I think fifty is the new forty. I do not know if it is because the way we live is evolving or something in our genes has changed; but when I look at old photos of family members and realize I am the same age as the relative in the photo, I do not understand why they look so much older than me. Did they think they were old; I have wondered? Age, to me, is a state of mind. As long as I can remember, I have heard people say, “Act your age.” I have always wondered what that has exactly meant. Is there a set of rules handed out at each birthday to tell us how we need to be acting at the new age? Sure, an adult making silly noises during a business meeting would be suspect; but would an elderly person flying a kite or playing with a squirt gun be considered childish? I used to work with a woman who always talked in a baby’s voice. Since she was from a different department, I never said anything to her because I did not know if it was a medical condition. I did find it odd, but figured it was providing her some type of satisfaction. Besides, who was I to judge her? ONCE I FINISHED MY SCHOOLING AND had settled into the business world, I soon picked up this habit of wishing the time away. I am sure I am not alone in this. During work, I was constantly wishing the day would go by faster. If I were saving money to make a large purchase, I would constantly focus on the future, me with a new car or TV, imagining me using and enjoying the item. Even if it was going to take me over a year or two to save up funds, my attention was devoted to the future. I am not sure when I came to the realization that I was no longer living in the moment, but it took me a long time to figure it out. Even today, my tendencies are to dwell on the future while not paying attention to the things currently happening around me. Maybe because as I am aging, I feel time is moving faster. In my mind, I see the younger version of me still doing these strenuous activities that will tax my body; but in reality, I do not have the same level of strength as I did back then. I find it weird how my perceptions can be so different to my reality. However, it is not as odd as what the main characters were experiencing in this dramatic, horror mystery. A FAMILY ON VACATION FIND THEMSELVES on a deserted beach that was beautiful and peaceful. What they could not understand was the fact they were getting older. With Gael Garcia Bernal (Wasp Network, The Kindergarten Teacher) as Guy, Vicky Krieps (Phantom Thread, The Survivor) as Prisca, Rufus Sewell (Judy, The Father) as Charles, Alex Wolff (Pig, Human Capital) as 15-year-old Trent and Thomasin McKenzie (Leave No Trace, Jojo Rabbit) as 16 year old Maddox; this film, written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan (Glass, The Last Airbender), had an intriguing premise. I was curious about the story, but I thought the delivery of it was uneven. The movie dragged at first before I started to become fully engaged. Except for the gorgeous landscapes, there was nothing that went beyond being average. I thought Gael and Vicky had the most potential out of the cast; however, the script did not give them the opportunity to really explore their characters. This annoyed me because of the way the film ended; I did not care for it much. Now, I do not want to say I wasted my time by watching this picture, but there were times I had wished the film would have ended.
2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Split
THE only remaining open seat was next to me. I was sitting by the window gazing at the changing landscape as I was traveling downtown on the train. At the next train stop I did not pay attention to the person who sat down next to me. Before getting to the next stop the man commented on a building that came into view from out our window. I replied in agreement about the modern looking building and from that a conversation ensured between us. It appeared this man had some knowledge about architecture as he explained details about a couple of buildings that we noticed during our travels. I was surprised to hear his comments since I grew up in the city and had never heard about the things he was saying about these structures. AS we made our way down into the city he made a couple of comments that did not ring true to me. I cannot exactly explain why but some of the things he stated came out with a slight edge to them; do you know what I mean? A twinge of irritation or anger is the only way I could describe it. I did not react to these comments except for nodding my head since I did not want to appear confrontational. It did not matter however since something obviously set him off; his talking increased in volume. It wasn’t soon after that his comments were not making sense to me. Something about one of the buildings he had just commented on was setting him off on a tirade of expletives. Being stuck by the window with him in the next seat, I was getting extremely uncomfortable. If I excused myself to go stand in the aisle with several of the other passengers he may become offended and who knows what he would do. So instead I told him my stop was next. When we reached it I walked out and ran down the train platform to one of the other train cars before the car doors closed, so I could continue on my way. It was such an odd encounter, but at least I was able to leave which was not the case for the students in this horror thriller. CAPTURED and held against their will Casey, Claire and Marcia; played by Anya Taylor-Joy (Morgan, The Witch), Haley Lu Richardson (The Edge of Seventeen, The Last Survivors) and Jessica Sula (Honeytrap, Skins-TV); needed a plan to find a way out. However there appeared to be more than one kidnapper. This film festival nominated movie written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan (Lady in the Water, The Sixth Sense) was a big surprise to me because I enjoyed it so much; this was not the case for his past several pictures. What sealed the deal regarding this movie was the wonderful performance of James McAvoy (X-Men franchise, Wanted) as Kevin and Betty Buckley (Carrie, The Happening) as Dr. Karen Fletcher. The script was straight forward, but the pacing kept up the creepy intensity of the story. Though there were a couple of scenes that had showed blood, for the most part this was a psychological thriller which I enjoyed immensely. Be prepared for several different points of view in this film.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: After Earth
Since the National Spelling Bee was held last week, I thought we could do a word of the day. Today’s word is “dynasty.” The dictionary defines dynasty as a succession of people from the same family who play a prominent role in business, politics or in this case entertainment. I do not have an issue with actors bringing their children into the business. The only thing that matters to me is whether they are good actors or not. As for their personal lives I am not interested in the news that comes out of the tabloids. At one point while watching this science fiction movie, I felt a psychiatrist’s office would have been a better venue for Will Smith (Hancock, Seven Pounds) and his son Jaden Smith (The Karate Kid, The Day the Earth Stood Still). Playing father and son Cypher Raige and Kitai Raige, the two seemed out of synch. Based on Will’s story, if I had known M. Night Shyamalan (The Last Airbender, The Village) was the director; I would have seriously considered waiting to watch this movie on DVD and not waste my money. The story had nothing special to offer. Encouraged by his wife Faia, played by Sophie Okoedo (The Secret Life of Bees, Skin), Cypher brought his son along on his last space mission. The idea was for them to have some father and son bonding time; but when their spacecraft crash landed on a hostile planet, the inexperienced Kitai had to venture out alone to find the ship’s emergency beacon. The first thing that struck me about this film was the cheap looking props and poor CGI effects. Some of the items looked as if they were purchased from a home and bath decor discount store. After being mesmerized by the tiger in the film LIfe of Pi, all the animals in this movie looked phony. For a science fiction movie there was little science fiction in it. The nearly two hours were filled with stiff performances and corny lines. The problem with this film I believe is when someone is trying to build a dynasty; they do not want anyone around to question them or their motives. If Will wanted to have quality time with his son he should have taken him camping or on a road trip to check out potential colleges. Throw Mr. Shyamalan into the mix and you wind up with a science fiction movie this is stranger than fiction. A couple of brief scenes that showed blood.
1 2/3 stars
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