Blog Archives
Flash Movie Review: The Wind Rises
Even before I knew what dreams meant, music has always been around me. Once I learned how to walk I was immediately placed on any tabletop or chair seat where I instinctively would begin to move to any music that was playing in the house. From those basic dance moves, as I got older, a dream was born inside of me to become a dancer. Visions of me dancing on Soul Train, being a go-go boy or becoming a part of the Solid Gold Dancers lingered at the front of my mind until I realized I was not disciplined enough to forge through the actual work of becoming a dancer. However, my dream did not totally deflate because it still played a part when I became an aerobic and group fitness instructor. My aerobic classes were not your usual type of class. Being a long time member of the licensing agencies ASCAP and BMI (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers; Broadcast Music, Inc.), I would choreograph every move to music from the actual artists. The members felt they were dancing at a concert. That dream of me being a dancer morphed into a career that has brought me unlimited joy, even to this day. Dreams are the fuel that ignites willful desire and in this English speaking version of the Oscar nominated film for best animation, there was a man whose entire life revolved around one simple dream. Joseph Gordon-Leavitt (Don Jon, Looper) voiced Jiro Horikosai, who only dreamt of flying. Due to his nearsightedness preventing him from flying, Jiro kept his dream alive by becoming an aeronautical designer like his idol Count Caproni, voiced by Stanley Tucci (The Hunger Games franchise, The Terminal). Written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle), this dramatic movie was utterly beautiful to watch. The way the colors and scenes would move and evolve were stunning to me. I did not realize the film was a tribute to a real person; if I had known this I might have felt a stronger connection to the story. As it was, I thought the story was slow in parts. If it was not for the flawless animation I would have been less entertained. I cannot vouch for the accuracy of all the events shown in Jiro’s life, but I could easily relate to a man living out his dream.
3 1/3 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Fifth Estate
With a single word or phrase a story can take on a different meaning. The same holds true for a newscast or written article. When I watch or read the news I know I am getting a fragment of the whole story. It is understandable due to time constraints or limited space. Being a naturally curious person, I enjoy finding out the backstory to what was reported to the public. It could be almost anything from entertainment to science to government; hearing the details on an individual’s thought process behind what they did or created is something that has always fascinated me. In regards to this movie, I was looking forward to discovering something new on the how and why Julian Assange created the site WikiLeaks. As some of you already know, I am not here to judge if something is right or wrong, legal or not, ethical, etc.; I am reviewing the movie on its entertainment value. Benedict Cumberbatch (12 Years a Slave, Star Trek into Darkness) played the role of Julian. Daniel Bruhl (Rush, Winning Streak) played Julian’s collaborator Daniel Domscheit-Berg. Both actors did the best they could with what was given to them. For a movie that claimed it was a dramatic thriller based on real events, the script was a real mess. I was bored through a major portion, finally becoming engaged in the last third of the film. It really was a shame considering the cast also included Laura Linney (Mystic River, Hyde Park on Hudson) as Sarah Shaw and Stanley Tucci (Margin Call, The Terminal) as James Boswell. All of them were good but the way the story played out with short scenes that did not go anywhere; there was not a cohesive trail to follow. With all the controversy regarding WikiLeaks and the way it received anonymous covert data; I wished the writers would, if not enhanced, at least have allowed more time to look at an event from multiple points of view. I did not gain anything new regarding Julian, the site and more importantly I was not entertained. A story so current needed an exciting script and offer something extra to grab the attention of the viewer. If not then one should just watch the news.
1 3/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Jack the Giant Slayer
It can be a word or a phrase I hear and I immediately get flooded with memories from a long time ago. Hearing “Just a spoonful of sugar…” and I see myself sitting in an ornate downtown theater with my mother, aunt and cousins watching Mary Poppins on the big screen. Afterwards, we walked across the street to a department store where my cousins and I were each able to pick out one toy to buy. When I hear “I’ll get you my pretty” I can picture my aunt’s house where everyone was gathered; with all the kids in the basement sitting on the floor, in front of the television watching a special presentation of The Wizard of Oz. As soon as I heard Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum in this adventure movie; I was swept up into a mixture of childhood memories with storybook characters coming to life. Nicholas Hoult (Warm Bodies, About A Boy) played Jack, the boy who went to town to sell a horse and received magic beans for payment. Except in this updated version there were a few twists to the story. When Princess Isabelle, played by Eleanor Tomlinson (The Illusionist, Alice in Wonderland) was caught and lifted away in the growing beanstalk to the land of the giants; her father King Brahmwell, played by Ian McShane (Deadwood-TV, Snow White and the Huntsman), dispatched a rescue party to save her. Leading the party were Isabelle’s fiancee Roderick and guardsman Elmont, played by Stanley Tucci (The Hunger Games, Margin Call) and Ewan McGregor (The Impossible, Big Fish). Director Bryan Singer (X-Men franchise, The Usual Suspects) did a perfect balance between story and wonderful special effects. I enjoyed the almost cartoonish quality to the characters of Ewan and Stanley as they had to endure a more physical type of role. Surprisingly, the two leads Nicholas and Eleanor were just okay compared to the other actors. This was a fun movie, that was easy to watch with consistent pacing. It may not have had many surprises, but how could it really when one has grown up with the fantasy story.
2 3/4 stars
moviejoltz 