Blog Archives
Flash Movie Review: Coriolanus
The words spoken came from the 1600’s, but the story was timeless. For Ralph Fiennes (Harry Potter franchise, The Reader) not only did he portray Caius Martius Coriolanus in this dramatic film; he was also the director. For a first effort Ralph did a beautiful job directing; having a good eye for lining up each scene for maximum visual effect and pacing. Set in modern Rome, Coriolanus was a war hero who protected the city from the forces led by Tullus Aufidus, played by Gerald Butler (P.S. I Love You, The Bounty Hunter). With battle scars from the bloody fighting, the world of politics became Coriolanus’ next battleground. There was enough backstabbing, forged alliances and manipulation that one could easily make comparisons to present governmental systems. As the political tide turned against Coriolanus, he joined forces with his archenemy to overthrow the country. Vanessa Redgrave (Anonymous, Atonement) who played Coriolanus’ mother Volumnia was outstanding as the matriarch of the family. I had a hard time listening to Shakespeare’s words being spoken in a modern setting. My brother found it easier to turn the subtitles on the DVD. There were bloody violent scenes in this dynamic version of a classic story.
3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: We Need to Talk About Kevin
I’m not a parent but know I would be a “tough love” type of Dad. I do not understand those parents who let their children run wild in a store or restaurant. And don’t get me started on the ones that bring their underage kids to an R rated movie–I am talking like a 6 or 7 year old! But what do you do if it turns out you do not like your child? The Kevin in this movie would really test a parent’s love. This intense film was too much for me to watch all the way through; I had to take a break from it. Since birth it appeared Kevin and his mother Eva Khatchadourian, played by Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton, Adaptation) never got along. Or maybe they just did not like each other. Tilda was extraordinary in this challenging role. As the teenage Kevin, Ezra Miller (Another Happy Day, City Island) not only looked like he was Eva/Tilda’s son, but his acting was just as remarkable. Playing the father Franklin, John C. Reilly (Cedar Rapids, The Promotion) was reduced to a minor character compared to the mother and son. I did not care for the direction, finding the use of flashbacks annoying. There were times I was trying to figure out why something was taking place. If you were to ask me if I enjoyed watching this movie, I would have to say no, not really. I wanted to see the acting since Ms Swinton was Oscar nominated. And yet, maybe this was a good film since it elicited a strong response in me. I have one other question I would like to ask: Should a parent be held responsible if their child grows up to be a sociopath?
3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Headhunters
Nothing like walking into an unfamiliar movie and being taken on a wild ride of surprising thrills. I needed a seat belt due to my squirming from the tension that was built up in this action movie. Based on the best-selling mystery novel by Jo Nesbo, the screenplay had a mixture of fear, disgust, intrigue and humor rolled up into it, forming a tightly paced film. Roger Brown, played by Aksel Hennie (Buddy, Max Manus: Man of War) was a successful executive recruiter. He lived in an incredible house, had a beautiful wife, drove a nice car; yet, it wasn’t enough. To supplement his income, he moonlighted as an art thief. Tipped off by his wife, who happened to own an art gallery, about his recent client’s priceless painting; Roger set out to steal the masterpiece. The client was Clas Greve, played by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (At World’s End, Game of Thrones-TV), a former mercenary. With excellent acting and some utterly crazy scenes; this was an exciting movie to watch, even though I found it hard to mix tense action with immediate humor. Also, some of the scenes were extremely violent and bloody. By the end of the film, I was tired but satisfied that my money was well spent by seeing this movie. Norwegian with English subtitles.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Men in Black 3
Others have tried but failed (think Will Ferrell’s Land of the Lost) when they tampered with the space-time continuum, in their movies. In regards to this action comedy, going back in time was the best thing to have happened in this film franchise. The special effects were up to the same excellent caliber as the previous two movies and Will Smith (Independence Day, The Pursuit of Happyness) as Agent J still had his quick witted delivery of endless jokes. Ten years since the previous sequel, this science fiction thriller aged well. A seriously bad alien criminal with a long history tied to Agent K, played by Tommy Lee Jones (No Country For Old Men, The Fugitive), went back in time to kill the agent, thus changing the course of history. Agent J had to go back in time to prevent the death of a much younger Agent K, played brilliantly by Josh Brolin (True Grit, Milk). Mr. Brolin executed the mannerisms and tone of Tommy Lee’s character perfectly. I also suspect baby boomers will get a kick out of time traveling back to 1969, I certainly did. Except for the need of tighter editing and lack of depth in the script, this 3rd installment did not disappoint me. I had a good time watching this film and believe the space-time continuum was returned to order, with the help of a few good laughs.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Battleship
Take an older stoic movie star, a pseudo action hero, a pop singer, a hot television character, a model/actress, a group of aliens and what do you get? You get a half-baked dumb movie. The powers that be must have sat down and gone through a list of options, picking out the ones that would interest a wide swath of the general population. Unfortunately, this left no one to focus on the story, for it was silly. I mean seriously, aliens could travel across the universe, but could not move out of the way of a communications satellite’s path? The gist of the story was scientists beamed a signal out into the universe and something not so friendly answered it. Poor Liam Neeson (The Grey, Taken) as Admiral Shane tried his hardest with the cheesy script. I was embarrassed for Alexander Skarsgard (True Blood-TV, Melancholia) as Commander Stone Hopper with some of the lines he had to utter. Rihanna as Petty Officer Cora “Weps” Raikes was still Rihanna. And if it was not bad enough being part of the biggest movie flop in history, Taylor Kitsch (John Carter, The Bang Bang Club) had to endure being in this mess as Lieutenant Alex Hopper. On the plus side, the real marines used in this film must have had a fun time hanging out with the cast and crew. The only reason to see this science fiction thriller would be to give your brain a break from thinking.
1 3/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Sound of My Voice
I felt as if I had just been dropped out of the sky in the first few minutes of this unusual movie. With no explanation given; Peter Aitken, played by Christopher Denham (Shutter Island, Charlie Wilson’s War) and Lorna Michaelson, played by Nicole Vicius (500 Days of Summer, Last Days), were going through a prescribed set of directions before meeting Maggie, played by Brit Marling (Another Earth, The Recordist). The precautions were necessary because Maggie was from the future. I hesitate to explain why Peter and girlfriend Lorna wanted to meet this individual. The two were filmmakers who wanted to infiltrate Maggie and her followers; but at what cost? An interesting story that I found engaging, to the credit of Brit Marling who shared in the writing credits. I enjoyed her performance here as much as I did in her movie Another Earth–both off center, but with emotional depth. What pulled me into this movie were the scenes when the followers were assembled before Maggie. It felt creepy, watching individuals losing their identity. There were some scenes I did not understand and the ending felt rushed to me. When the movie was over, I was left trying to figure out what was real.
2 2/3 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Hunter
Was there really a Tasmanian Tiger living in the Tasmanian wilderness? These animals were thought to have been extinct. This was why mercenary Martin David, played by Willem Dafoe (The Walker, Daybreakers), was hired by a biotechnology drug company, to track down and capture this unique animal. I had never heard of such a creature, so was intrigued to see this film. Mr. Dafoe was very good in his role as the solitary Martin. One could readily see his discomfort while boarding at the house of Lucy Armstrong, played by Frances O’Connor (A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Timeline). With his seasoned face, he easily added depth to his character, who would be camped out in secluded areas for weeks at a time. Being an enthusiastic traveller, I enjoyed the camera shots of the beautiful landscapes of Tasmania. I am embarrassed to say, but the only knowledge I had of this country was with the cartoon character, the Tasmanian Devil. The pacing of the story was too slow for me in this dramatic thriller. It wasn’t until halfway through the movie that things became exciting. The story was curiously different; I enjoyed parts of the movie overall. However, it took some time to connect the parts and become interested in the hunt.
2 2/3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Safe
Finally, here is someone who I am sure could open up those absolute, awful hard plastic clamshells used in packaging merchandise. He could do it all; at least in this movie. What can I say about Jason Statham (The Bank Job, The Transporter) that would make you think he would be any different in this movie? I cannot think of anything and to his credit, what he does in movies tends to be consistent–his fighting abilities. In this action thriller Jason played ex-cage fighter Luke Wright. He became involved with a special 12 year old girl, who was being chased by some of the same villians that had killed his wife. What I like about Jason is his ordinary looks. He looks like an average Joe instead of a souped up, steroid pumped action hero. This movie had plenty of fight scenes as Jason tried to protect the girl Mei, played by Catherine Chan (Aftershock), from the Russian mob, the Chinese mob along with corrupt police officers. Mr. Statham took them all on, in this fight fest film. Though the story was confusing, it won’t matter. The hook was not only Jason’s battles but that they were being used to protect an innocent little girl. Doesn’t that just grab you in the heart? This was a typical Jason Statham movie; as long as you know that from the start, you will not be disappointed. One only goes to see him kick the crap out of the bad guys.
2 1/3 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Ghost Writer
Conjuring up the directional spirit of Alfred Hitchcock, this intelligent suspense movie was beautifully directed by Roman Polanski. Atmospheric scenes added to the thrilling story as Ewan McGregor (Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, Miss Potter) introduced himself as the Ghost aka the ghost writer. He was hired to complete the memoirs of former British Prime Minister Adam Lang, played by Pierce Brosnan (Die Another Day, Mamma Mia), when the previous ghost writer died from an accidental drowning. As Ewan’s character delved into Mr. Lang’s past, he discovered something unusual. My attention was totally captured by this exciting film. Without the use of explosions or hi-tech wizardry, this movie steadily built up the anticipation with the aid of a smart script. The characters were all believable to me and with Mr. Polanski’s trained eye for making each frame appear full, I loved the way the tension kept a steady pace throughout the movie. The casting of Pierce in the role of prime minister was bloody brilliant. The only complaint I had about this film was my disappointment in the way it ended. However, it was not traumatic enough for me to have lost my enthusiasm for having been a witness to this gripping movie.
3 1/3 stars — DVD
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