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Flash Movie Review: The Mistress of Spices
The magical properties of food is something I already know all too well. Chocolate provides a soothing comfort, where calm thoughts cascade over me to still the turbulence of the day. I know many people eat ginger to combat nausea or an upset stomach. Peppermint has been used to take the fire out of a sore throat. There are individuals who swear the purple cornflower has anti-bacterial properties; you may have seen it being sold as Echinacea. From personal experience practically any flavor of ice cream removes the bad taste in one’s mouth from an awful meal. Since I believe there is a reason for everything, I look at all things around me having a purpose. Whether it is plant, land or sea based; I am not quick to dismiss what someone ingests for medicinal reasons. In fact, I have watched a friend prepare a meal for her pets where she looks like a chemist with all the powders and liquids she mixes into their food before giving it to them. She has raised the animals in a holistic fashion and they look vibrant and healthy to me. Already aware of the nutrients in food I was very much intrigued with the story in this dramatic romance. Being orphaned at a young age Tilo, played by Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (Bride & Prejudice, Jodhaa Akbar), was taught to use her intuitive abilities in finding the right spices to help an individual’s plight. There were only a couple of rules she had to follow and she did so perfectly until architect Doug, played by Dylan McDermott (Olympus Has Fallen, The Perks of Being a Wallflower), entered her spice shop one day. The whole fairy tale and magic aspect of this movie was a good idea. I enjoyed watching the different preparations Tilo performed with the variety of spices in her store. Along with her performance, these were the only things I liked about this picture. The script was not only poorly done, it was corny. Instead of infusing a real sense of drama, it only turned scenes into ridiculous melodrama. Many of the actors’ roles came across like empty cartoon characters. Actors such as Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Pompeii, Oz-TV) as Kwesi and Nitin Ganatra (Bride & Prejudice, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) as Haroun Rehman were wasted in this film. When I received this DVD it looked like it would be such a tasty morsel of a movie, but by the end I could not swallow it.
1 3/4 stars — DVD
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: The Fault in Our Stars
It started out as a simple cough, nothing more. The advice given was to push fluids and rest. The cough got deeper, sounding as if it was trying to peel layers of lung up like faded paint chips. Everything that tried to suppress it only seemed to make it stronger. The color of their skin began to fade into the atmosphere around them and their facial expressions softened. Those little creases at the edges of their mouth got shallower and shallower as the eyes sunk further back into their skull. Besides hearing about it in the news, I have heard about people in a relationship who leave it when their significant other becomes ill. It is hard to imagine anything lower in a human being in my opinion. To love someone for life comes with a lot of responsibilities, it takes work; but the rewards enrich and color our experiences with added shades of hues from the palette of life. Unconditional means not subject to any conditions. The only way I know how to love someone is unconditionally. In this romantic drama decide for yourself if the love you see was an unconditional one. Shailene Woodley (The Spectacular Now, Divergent) played Hazel, a teenager whose only close friend was an oxygen tank due to her illness. Wanting to just live an ordinary life, Hazel felt stuck in a support group where she met Gus, played by Ansel Elgort (Divergent, Carrie). Her with her tank and him with his prosthetic leg, they made an odd couple. The major reason this film worked was the chemistry between Shailene and Ansel. Having played brother and sister in their recent movie Divergent, they were outstanding; I believed every word uttered by the two of them. What accentuated their roles was having Laura Dern (Wild at Heart, Tenderness) and Sam Trammell (Autumn in New York, True Blood-TV) play Hazel’s parents Frannie and Michael. Only recently being aware of the acting from Nat Wolf, he was quite good as Gus’ best friend Isaac. There was no getting around the fact the story was a tearjerker. I have not read the book but part of the script seemed to have an extra layer of melodrama, some of it predictable. On the other hand if you know how I rate the films I review, this movie allowed me to enter into the lives of Hazel and Gus, leaving my life behind. I cried like everyone else in the theater and despite my few minor gripes, I loved this film unconditionally.
3 1/2 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: The Immigrant
I wish it was not the case but I cast a cynical eye towards a kind gesture from a stranger these days. Where I first noticed a change had taken place over me was when I used to travel to Georgia. People were saying thank you for the simplest things, besides opening doors for each other. I realized I had not seen such actions for a long time. Then there were incidents I witnessed that began altering my perceptions. I used to know someone who was always eager to share their recipes with anyone who asked for them, but would leave out one small item from the list of ingredients. During my daily commute I cannot remember the last time someone slowed down to let me pull into traffic or merge into another lane due to construction. It seems as if people are becoming more isolated and protective of their surroundings. I partially understand it because of all the news that gets reported on Ponzi schemes, fake charities and internet scams. Last summer I answered the knock at my front door and there was a high schooler who was selling discounted subscriptions for the local newspapers. Yep, you are right; I gave him $20.00 but never saw a single newspaper. Life is hard and I would say it is partially due to the modern world we live in; however, one only has to look at history to see it is not a modern phenomenon. You could also see a horrifying example in this Cannes Film Festival nominated drama. Set in the early 1920s Ewa Cybulska and her sister Magda, played by Marion Cotillard (Contagion, The Dark Knight Rises) and Angela Sarafyan (Paranoia, Love Hurts), traveled from Poland to America to start a new life. During processing at Ellis Island Magda was quarantined, leaving Ewa to fend for herself on the streets of New York City. She had to rely on the kindness of strangers and Bruno Weiss, played by Joaquin Phoenix (Her, Walk the Line), was eager to welcome and help her. Marion Cotillard was made to do this romantic mystery movie. Her eyes alone could have done all the talking for her, she was mesmerizing. The story was filled with many opportunities to create a powerful piece; however, it never gelled for me. I did not believe Joaquin’s character, finding his performance odd. It really was a shame because the sets and scenes were beautifully appointed. Jeremy Renner (American Hustle, The Town) was a welcomed addition to the story playing the magician Emil. I wish I could offer a kind gesture to this film by giving it a higher rating but truthfully it does not warrant it.
2 2/3 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Other Woman
There are two kinds of lies, the good ones and the bad ones. Before you tell me there are no good lies, let me explain. A good lie is telling your friend you need them, just to get them out of their house long enough for their spouse to decorate it for a surprise birthday party. Or a friend asks you if they already told you about their business meeting and you tell them no because you know how proud they were of their recent success; so, it was worth hearing again to see how excited they got by telling their story. To me these are acceptable lies or what some people say are “white” lies. They are not meant to hurt or deceive someone for personal gain. Now the bad lies can be hurtful and drastically alter a person’s life. Your boyfriend or girlfriend telling you how much they love you while they sleep around with other people; I consider this a bad lie. Meeting a date for the 1st time who showed up 20 years older and 30 pounds heavier than they claimed would not only be a bad lie, but an ignorant one. Why would anyone do that and what did they think they would gain? How about you be the judge as you watch this romantic comedy. Cameron Diaz (The Counselor, Bad Teacher) played high powered lawyer Carly Whitten, who felt she finally found the right one when she met successful businessman Mark King, played by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Mama, Game of Thrones-TV). Everything was going well until Carly showed up at Mark’s house to surprise him and was greeted by Mark’s wife Kate, played by Leslie Mann (This is 40, Knocked UP). That was not going to be the only surprise the two women would encounter when they decided to join forces against Mark and his cheating ways. I was stunned at how quickly this film went from bad to worse. Sitting in front of me were at least a dozen 10 to 12 year old girls with a few mothers. Though the movie was rated PG-13, I thought the mature subject matter was inappropriate for these girls. The only reason I could think of these mothers taking these girls to see this film was to show them what not to be when they grew up. The script with its humor was predictable and infantile. An example would be the scene that involved a powerful amount of laxatives being consumed. Do I need to say anything further to you about this crappy film? I am not lying when I say the trailer was the only thing I liked about this movie.
1 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Only Lovers Left Alive
Once two people have a shared history of intimacy together, it will always reappear when one is in the presence of the other. They may have not seen each other in a long time; but as soon as they meet, that oasis of intimate vulnerability floats up from the recesses of their minds to create terra firma. A gentle puff of breath slipping across an ear can remind one how they were being held as they dove into a luxurious sleep. The scent of their hair can bring back the vision of a wide open vista of sun stained cliffs cascading into a deep canyon as both sat close, taking in the majesty of the moment. So knowledgeable of each other’s ways, the two created a world unto themselves that is separate from the reality around then. Two individuals who had this connection in this dramatic romantic film were Eve and Adam, played by Tilda Swinton (The Grand Budapest Hotel, Adaptation) and Tom Hiddleston (War Horse, Thor franchise). Aware of Adam’s despondent reclusiveness, Eve traveled from her home in Tangier, Morocco to be with him in Detroit, MIchigan. With the world around them in decline they had their own little safe haven until Eve’s sister Ava, played by Mia Wasikowska (Jane Eyre, The Kids are all Right), showed up at their front door. This film festival nominated movie grew on me like Spanish moss on a thick humid day. Tilda and Tom were so deliciously good together as the centuries old vampires. The whole cast was strong but I could not take my eyes off the two of them. They were able to convey a feeling, an emotion simply by the turn of the head or the gaze of their eyes. The script was smart and hip with quick spurts of fresh humor. Since some of the characters were vampires, the whole picture had a certain darkness to it; but, there was a subtle lightness that made for deep languishing scenes. I really enjoyed the way the director’s or maybe it was cinematographer’s penetrating use of light sources played with the blackness. Though this film was listed as horror, there was nothing I would consider scary in the traditional sense. If you are squeamish at the sight of blood, no matter the vessel it may be in, then yes there were scenes that had blood. However, I can only think of one scene that might be considered gory. Despite a bit of uneven pacing, by the end of the movie I felt I had visited an old couple who knew each other so well, they did not have to ask how the other one felt, they just knew. Brief scenes of blood were shown.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Lunchbox
It only took a couple of dates and I knew there was something special going on. There was an easy laughter and a nice flow of bantering between us. I was enjoying the direction both of us were going, into a possible relationship. However, suddenly a detour appeared in the middle of our road; they were being assigned to a work detail that would take them out of state anywhere from 6 to 12 months. We were so new to each other that we decided not to place any pressures on ourselves and to let fate play a hand in this new direction. Not only did we stay in touch by phone after the move, we started up a dialog that was carried out by cards and emails. Being a big fan of greeting cards, I had bought a huge stack of different types of cards and began a process of mailing at least 1 to 2 cards a week. I did not know if it was the cards that sparked our way of communicating, but the cards and emails took on a deeper level of emotional depth. I was allowing myself to be more vulnerable in the things I was writing, while the correspondence I was getting had a new flirty flavor that was intoxicating to me. Though we did not have traditional date nights, we both began to feel a special bond between us. In this dramatic romantic film I loved the way a simple mistake was able to unlock a person’s buried feelings. Nimrat Kaur (One Night with the King, Peddlers) played neglected housewife Ila. Using Mumbai’s lunchbox delivery system every day to send a meal to her husband’s office, one day her prepared meal was accidentally given to office worker Saajan Fernandes, played by Irrfan Khan (Life of Pi, The Amazing Spider-Man). Confused at first, the scrumptious packaged meal was a special treat for Saajan. With the start of a simple thank you note with the containers, a written dialog began between the two strangers. This delicate film festival winning movie carefully layered the story out from scene to scene. I enjoyed the clever way the writers used the character Shaikh, played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui (Kahaani, Gangs of Wasseypur), to play off of Saajan as his new replacement. The pacing tended to be slow at times but I did not mind it. A little more editing could have solved it. This film was such a sweet treat in the way it conveyed its message, showing me how there are no rules when it comes to love. The dialog was in Hindi with English subtitles.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Holiday
To this day I still experience an amusing delight when I receive a positive reinforcement of one of my beliefs. The one I am referring to is my belief that there are no accidents; there is a reason for everything. As I was working on today’s movie review I came across the following quote on one of my social media sites. It comes from the Irish writer Oscar Wilde and it reads: “You don’t love someone for their looks, or their clothes, or for their fancy car, but because they sing a song only you can hear.” This quote resonated deeply with me because in my own words I have always said the same thing. The surface of a person never influenced me unless there was an issue with their hygiene. The important stuff for me lies below, deep inside of them. I have no care about what car they drive or what they wear or what they do; who they are as a human being is what matters most to me. This quote came at the perfect time, for I was only in the beginning of writing my review. I am discarding it because this quote is the ideal way to lead off with today’s post of a classic film. Cary Grant (North by Northwest, His Girl Friday) played Johnny Case, a young man who fell in love with Julia, played by Doris Nolan (Moon Over Burma, Irene), who came from the wealthy Seton family. Looking to the future, Julia and her father could not understand why Johnny wanted to travel the world while he was still young, instead of settling down to work and make money. The only family member who seemed to understand what Johnny wanted to do was Julia’s sister Linda, played by Katherine Hepburn (Bringing Up Baby, On Golden Pond), the black sheep of the family. Directed by George Cukor (My Fair Lady, A Star is Born), this Oscar award nominated romantic comedy may be from a different era but the message it conveys is still relevant today. I do not think I need to tell you about the acting, directing or anything else about this movie. All you have to do is see how many stars I rated it below to know how much I enjoyed watching it. After viewing this film and seeing the quote, I feel everything fell into place to make this an extra enjoyable movie watching experience.
4 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Endless Love
The world quickly changes when you are experiencing your very first love. For some it may have taken you from receiving an allowance to carrying a purse or wallet; it is a new found independence. If you are the first to experience it among your friends, it can be unsettling for some of them. I remember one of my earliest dates was going to a carnival that came to the neighborhood. Both of our best friends came with us so no one would have to go on a ride alone if one did not like the ride. The two of us went on a ride similar to a Ferris wheel but at a 45 degree angle, with each car looking like a parachute attached to a seat. She was wearing a sundress and a big floppy hat; neither of us realized what the consequences would be on this attraction. Spinning faster than it looked from the ground, our seat veered further out on its axis and the generated wind hit us smack in the face. She let out a screech as her dress flew up while the flaps of her hat folded back. The ride seemed to continue on forever as she screamed the whole time with one hand holding down the front of her dress and the other hand pressing down the hat on her head. Luckily we both were able to laugh about this later in the day. This is a fond memory I have carried with me through the years. I do not know if the couple in this romantic drama will be able to say that with their memories. Alex Pettyfer (I am Number Four, Magic Mike) played high school senior David Elliot. Through the years he had admired classmate Jade Butterfield, played by Gabriella Wilde (Carrie, The Three Musketeers), but never had the courage to approach her. It was graduation time and David would only get one chance to talk to her. Could he do it even if he lived on the wrong side of the tracks? This remake of the 1981 film was painful to watch because it had so few redeeming qualities. The script was laughable; truly, the audience chuckled at some of the cheesiest dialog I have ever heard in a long time. The acting was horrid except for Joely Richardson (Anonymous, Nip/Tuck-TV) as Jade’s mother Anne. Bruce Greenwood (Star Trek franchise, Deja Vu) played one emotion for most of the film–angry, as Jade’s dad Hugh. Since seeing this picture I have seen a couple of reviews where they said Jade’s hair was one of the best parts in this awful film and they were right. The memory of this movie is something I hope I can soon forget.
1 1/2 stars
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