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Flash Movie Review: Project Hail Mary
THOUGH THERE WERE SEVERAL CHALLENGES FOR me, the month-long trip overseas went beyond all expectations and hopes. My latest thrill is visiting UNESCO World Heritage sites, which we were able to see several on this trip. There was so much history we delved into, that I am having a hard time keeping all the facts straight for each place. One of the biggest highlights for me was visiting the city where my Dad was stationed during the war. Hearing about the importance of the city’s place in history and walking the streets, I had this surreal feeling of connection. The issues I encountered the weeks I was away from home, gratefully, diminished due to amazing things we saw and did. One of my challenges was regarding foods. Since I do not eat red meat or pork, our home base country did not have a lot to offer me for meals since they are known for their beef. Chicken takes a far backseat on their diet. There were times I would wind up having two shrimp cocktails and a small side salad for dinner. The fact that I lost three pounds on the trip should tell you something. If that was not rough enough, I wound up catching a bug that caused digestive issues; so, there were a couple of days where I did not eat or drink anything throughout the day. I did not want to be caught in an embarrassing situation while on an excursion. ONCE WE WERE BACK HOME AND re-adjusted to our “normal” schedule, I wanted to see a movie that I could escape into, without much thought. This is why I chose this film; I wanted to watch something that had a visual, sci-fi vibe to it. I had no idea this picture would remind me of an encounter we had while on our ship. There was a married couple who were on a few of our excursions. We normally do not start up a conversation with strangers since we do not know if their beliefs are similar to ours; or, if they are not, they will not act on them, making it uncomfortable for us. The wife always had this sour look on her face; in my opinion, she looked mean. She never smiled or acknowledged us when we would see them repeatedly on other excursions. Granted, I do not think she acknowledged anyone as far as I could tell. One night as we were walking out of a restaurant, they were about to walk in. Before I could stop myself, I said the food was good and we ate a lot due to all the walking we did on that day’s excursion. To my surprise, they both laughed and shared their experiences on the trip. We come to find out they live in a town where I have a substantial amount of relatives; one of them was a friend of hers while in college. From that point on, we would see one another almost every day and stop to share our events of the day and became quite friendly. I had an extra reason to feel good after leaving this sci-fi, adventure, comedy, drama. AT FIRST DISORIENTED AFTER WAKING UP from suspended animation, a science teacher begins to remember why he found himself on a spacecraft, headed towards the sun. With Ryan Gosling (The Fall Guy, Barbie) as Ryland Grace, Sandra Huller (Anatomy of a Fall, The Zone of Interest) as Eva Stratt, James Ortiz (The Woodsman, Girls Against Boys) as Rocky, Lionel Boyce (The Bear-TV, Loiter Squad-TV) as Carl, and Ken Leung (Old, Lost-TV) as Yao, this movie surprised me. Based on the premise, I was not expecting the humor that was sprinkled into the script. I thought Ryan and Sandra did a wonderful job of acting and I was quickly drawn into the story. The visuals did not disappoint me, only adding to my enjoyment. In addition, I was touched on how the story took a turn by providing some touching moments. And kudos to the director for keeping things on track, consistently moving the story forward, while blending the emotional aspects. The extra treat for me, after seeing this film, was recalling how that couple we saw on the ship, that we were at first leery of, turned out being a pleasure to talk with and share our mutual experiences.
3 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Anatomy of a Fall
I HEARD THEM TALKING LOW, LIKE they were sharing a secret, so I stayed just outside of the room, listening to them. We were at a relative’s house, where I had been playing in the basement with my cousins. Getting thirsty, I came up the stairs to get a glass of water from the kitchen. This is where they decided to come and talk among themselves. What made me hesitate from walking in on them was hearing someone say something about the land they had all purchased together. My ears perked up, but my mind sparked into excitement. Did they get enough land to have all our homes near each other? Or did they buy enough land to put up a rental apartment; these were a couple of things that first came to mind. I stayed by the doorway for a couple of more minutes, but curiosity finally pushed me into the kitchen. Everyone in the room turned to me and I excitedly asked if we were moving. When I was told no, I mentioned I heard something about land, not caring if they realized I was spying on them. The answer they told me was literally one I could not comprehend at first. The look on my face must have been enough for them to figure it out, so a relative motioned me over and pointed to a pamphlet she had in front of her on the kitchen table. It was from a cemetery. My relatives had pooled their money together and bought cemetery plots for that whole generation. I was mortified. I WAS A SMALL KID AND had never had the thought that my relatives would be dying. And that was the reason I asked if someone was sick. After several chuckles, I was told no one was sick; that they decided to buy these plots now, so they would have them paid off before they got too old. I was also told not to worry about it. After a few more questions and answers, I was satisfied enough to go back downstairs and of course, tell my cousins. There are certain things a child does not want to hear. The first one is death of a loved one. At that early age, a child thinks their parents will live forever. Another thing no child wants to hear or think about is their parents being intimate with each other. How many of you remember when you were taught where babies came from? There are certain things a child would rather not have to hear or think about, which is why seeing what the young boy had to endure in this dramatic, crime thriller was tough to watch. LIVING IN A SECLUDED AREA IN the French Alps, tragedy strikes a family when the father is found dead outside their home. With no tracks in the snow, the prime witness looked like it was his wife. With Sandra Huller (The Zone of Interest, Requiem) as Sandra Voyter, Swann Arlaud (By the Grace of God, Romantics Anonymous) as Maitre Vincent Renzi, Milo Machado-Graner (Stuck Together, Waiting for Bojangles) as Daniel, Antoine Reinartz (School Life, 120 BPM) as Avocat general and Samuel Theis (Party Girl, Softie) as Samuel Maleski; this was one of the best films I have seen this year. The acting by Sandra and Milo was wonderful; they were able to wring out so much emotion from the script without any effort. There were multiple courtroom scenes that seemed so real and authentic that I felt as if I were sitting in the galley. This movie was created with thought, emotions and heart that left the viewer open to make their own decisions as the story unfolded. If I had seen this Oscar nominated film before the Oscars telecast, it would have made my job harder to choose what I thought would be mine and the academy’s best picks.
3 ½ stars
moviejoltz 