Saving Mr. Banks Review

5.0 Stars

Saving Mr. Banks from Walt Disney Pictures is the story of how Australian born author Pamela Lyndon "P. L." Travers (Emma Thompson) reluctantly agreed to allow Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) turn her best selling stories into a Hollywood movie.  We are all familiar with the popular Disney movie entitled Mary Poppins released in 1964, but the film was based on a series of books written by Travers in the 1930's in London.  Despite her less than modest upbringings, Travers found quite a bit of success from her books.  This film takes place at an important crossroads: Walt Disney has expressed interest in turning her books into a full length feature film right at the same time her funds from the book sales (which isn't selling any more) are completely gone.  Travers is in danger of losing her house and has no money left which is the only reason she agrees to even consider allowing her stories to be made into a movie.

The first rule in writing is simply to write.  The second rule, often debated as being the first, is that there are no rules.  That rule is usually followed with a series of "guidelines" for an aspiring author.  But the best, yet often most misinterpreted rule, is to write what you know.  Pamela Travers (born Helen Goff and later changed her name after her father Travers Goff, played by Colin Farrell) never had a nanny fly in from the clouds with a talking parrot umbrella.  But, in 1906, that's what it felt like to a little girl who was losing her father, her hero, when her aunt came to their shack of a house to care for them.  By the same token, Walt Disney never knew a talking mouse.  But, as a boy of 8 when his father made him and his older brother Roy walk morning and night in the snow delivering papers for his father's company else they felt the scorn of the buckle on his belt, that mouse was a good and dear friend to young Walt.  These were escapes, these were creations that stemmed from emotions that came to life either through written word, through drawings, or through movies that stirred common emotions in their audiences.  

A creator's greatest fear is not being criticized or told their creation is no good.  A true creator is not looking for praise, but a shared experience.  Criticism is actually good because it means people are talking about what you wrote or made.  No, a creator's greatest fears are that they will have no one to share their creation with, no audience to laugh or cry or think or become enraged or frightened.  A creator is also afraid that their work might be altered, corrupted, misrepresented and no longer true.  And that was Travers' biggest fear.  She didn't want Disney taking her family, her memories, her emotions and turning them into one of his cartoons.  Confused, Walt comments that she is talking about a "flying nanny with a talking umbrella" sent to save the children.  Her worst fears are realized when she rebuts saying, "You think Mary Poppins came to save the children?"

Saving Mr. Banks is the story of two stubborn, nearly immovable forces posing as two people looking to find a common ground.  Despite their best efforts, they actually do.  It takes Walt a while to understand the personal attachment Travers has to the books and their characters.  When it hits him, he realizes how close to home her stories really are.  It's then he is able to convince her that this story needs to be told and that he is the perfect one to tell it.  If you can set aside that this isn't a completely historical document, but rather based on the true events that transpired, if you have ever written or drawn or created or sang or built anything that came from your heart, this movie will entertain you and delight you and touch you as it did me. 

And perhaps that's why I gave this a perfect 5 star rating.  I cannot wait to own this movie.  As a writer, I also feel the sadness that my creations may never be shared with the world.  I also fear that if my creations do take flight, someday they may be twisted and bastardized to lose their true feeling that prompted their inception.  There are several touching scenes in the movie.  The limousine driver Ralph (Paul Giamatti) has a wonderful scene with Travers on the lawn outside the Disney Studios.  The scene in which the musical geniuses the Sherman brothers (B.J. Novak and Jason Schwartzman) finally propose a song that meets Travers' approval will almost have you applauding.  But for me, the scene that made me tear up the most, was the escort Travers received into the theatre at the premiere of Mary Poppins.  She was misunderstood to be a cold and unfeeling woman and that couldn't be further from the truth.  She had no family that would notice she was gone, no true friends (even envied those who gathered in the bar in the lobby of her Beverly Hills Hotel), and barely any human contact outside of her publisher and her maid.  Yet she spoke of emotions and life experiences that touched so many.  Though they didn't know the story, they knew the feelings.  And once Walt identified with those feelings, he knew he could tell the story.

I highly recommend this movie.  I'm sure this movie won't get the highest marks from everyone who watches it, but it moved me in such a way that I wouldn't feel right giving it any other rating.  So, what movie will be on my mind next?  We shall see.

Saving Mr. Banks Preview

Saving Mr. Banks from Walt Disney Pictures is the story of how Australian born author Pamela Lyndon "P. L." Travers (Emma Thompson) reluctantly agreed to allow Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) turn her best selling stories into a Hollywood movie.  We are all familiar with the popular Disney movie entitled Mary Poppins released in 1964, but the film was based on a series of books written by Travers in the 1930's in London.  Despite her less than modest upbringings, Travers found quite a bit of success from her books.  This film takes place at an important crossroads: Walt Disney has expressed interest in turning her books into a full length feature film right at the same time her funds from the book sales (which isn't selling any more) are completely gone.  Travers is in danger of losing her house and has no money left which is the only reason she agrees to even consider allowing her stories to be made into a movie.  

Saving Mr. Banks is also about two personal journeys.  Disney is riding high on the success of his movies and recent opening of his crowning achievement, Disneyland.  Though his intentions are good, he is surprised that Travers doesn't enthusiastically leap at the opportunity to grant him the authority to transform her children's stories into another Disney blockbuster movie.  Travers has grown rigid and closed-off over the years and it frustrates her and terrifies her to admit to herself or to anyone else that she needs anyone else's help with anything.  Both egos are put to the test as they slowly break down barriers to reach an agreement on what quickly becomes obviously more than just a series of fantastical tales for kids.

Travers grew up in Australia with her father (an unsuccessful bank manager who falls deep into alcoholism to cope with his failures), her mother, and her sister.  Though they fell on hard times, her father encouraged them always to dream big and tried to make the best of their situations for his family. Travers began making her own success in her teens as a published poet and budding actress.  She moved to England in the 1920's and began writing her Mary Poppins books in 1933.  Travers was always inspired and even somewhat emulated the writing of author J.M. Barrie who penned the Peter Pan story.  On the surface, Mary Poppins appears to be the story of a magical nanny sent to save the children in the story.  At least, that's what Walt assumed.  Travers further put up her guard against the whole idea of the movie responding, "You think Mary Poppins is saving the children?" It is clear that Travers was against the notion from the beginning and only entertained the idea out of sheer desperation for money.  She fights Walt every step of the way, but eventually the two manage to reach each other, to understand each other, and to touch each other's lives.  

Interestingly, this Disney movie about how Disney got the rights to make Disney's Mary Poppins is rated PG-13.  That should tell you already this movie is going to be deeper than dancing animated penguins singing alongside slapstick actor Dick Van Dyke (who also Travers protested vehemently).  The rating stems from some mild language, but mostly from the scenes that will take us to the darker world of her father's increased alcoholism and the effects it had on him and his family.  Saving Mr. Banks looks like it will be filled with laughs and tears and Oscar-worthy performances by Hanks and Thompson.  I'm predicting 4.5 stars, a movie I'd say was well worth the money to watch in theatres, one I'd probably pay to see again, and has a great likelihood of making it to my home collection.  Am I right?  We shall see. 

Lee Daniels' The Butler Review

3.0 Stars

Lee Daniels' The Butler stars Forest Whitaker as White House Butler Cecil Gaines. Gaines grew up in the 1920's as a sharecropper and is offered a position as butler in the White House in the 1950's.  A model of professionalism and discretion, Gaines' career spanned several decades allowing him to serve under several Presidents, witness the effects of the American Civil Rights Movement, the Vietnam War, and other significant events in the history of the United States.  While America struggles with these issues, Cecil struggles at home with family issues.  His wife Gloria (Oprah Winfrey) battles her addictions and his son Louis (David Oyelowo) defiantly strives to find justice in the world. 

The Butler was a bit of a let down.  I know it was based on a true story, but I felt the way the story was told was very unbalanced.  There were so many times when they were focused on Cecil's work in the White House that I was wondering how this would affect his family and there were just as many times when the focus switched to his family life that I found myself longing to see him more in the White House.  Though Forest Whitaker gave an amazing performance, quite possibly Oscar-nominating worthy, I felt the film dragged. 

The Butler featured a veritable who's who of Hollywood's A-list actors that really didn't get publicized in previews.  One of the ways I knew this was moving slowly was that I was more intrigued by the "game" of who is going to make a guest appearance next.  Like JFK, the Oceans Trilogy and The Departed, every actor shy of Kevin Bacon seemed to get in on the action of this movie.  Mariah Carey and Oprah Winfrey starred as Gaines' family.  Vanessa Redgrave as slave owner Annabeth Westfall.  Terrence Howard lived next door and Gaines worked with Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Lenny Kravitz in the White House.  James Marsden and Minka Kelly played John and Jackie Kennedy, Alan Rickman and Jane Fonda appeared as Ronald and Nancy Reagan, Liev Shreiber was Lyndon B. Johnson, John Cusack played Richard Nixon and Robin Williams portrayed Dwight D. Eisenhower. 

This movie had all the potential in the world to be an Oscar contender for Best Film.  I'm not sure what went wrong with all the star power they had working for them, but for me, it was not all it could or should have been.  It was an original concept, but poorly executed.  I gave The Butler 3 stars as I did enjoy it, but this will not be making it to my DVD collection.  So what movie will be on my mind next?  We shall see.

Lee Daniels' The Butler Preview

Lee Daniels' The Butler stars Forest Whitaker as White House Butler Cecil Gaines. Gaines grew up in the 1920's as a sharecropper and is offered a position as butler in the White House in the 1950's.  A model of professionalism and discretion, Gaines' career spanned several decades allowing him to serve under several Presidents, witness the effects of the American Civil Rights Movement, the Vietnam War, and other significant events in the history of the United States.  While America struggles with these issues, Cecil struggles at home with family issues.  His wife Gloria (Oprah Winfrey) battles her addictions and his son Louis (David Oyelowo) defiantly strives to find justice in the world.  

The Butler is a look at some hard but formative years in the shaping of the United States from the 1950's to the 1980's. Running at over two hours long, not a lot of action seems to drive this movie, but rather it's a look at American history through the eyes of this humble butler.  When done right, these are the types of movies that become Oscar Nominated films.  When done wrong, these movies drag on and on and the viewer is begging for the end credits to roll.  Oscar-winning movies Argo and Lincoln are two such movies.  Both are a look into a specific time in history and both were gripping stories which brilliant character portrayals and superb dialogue that didn't need explosive action to keep the film moving.  And if anyone can pull off the demands of a movie like this, it would be Oscar-Winner (The Last King of Scotland, 2007) Forest Whitaker.  

I predict The Butler will be a moving and epic story of America's History as told by White House butler Gaines.  I predict tears and cheers with solid and Oscar-worthy performances from the cast.  Look for this movie to not only rake it in at the box office, but to at least be nominated for several Academy Awards.  I predict a 4.0 rating, well worth the money and likely to make my DVD collection.  Am I right?  We shall see.

Oscars Results

Well, the Oscars Awards Ceremony is over and the trophies have been given.  So how did I do in my predictions?  Below are all the nominees.  My predictions are in Bold and Underlined.  The actual winners are colored red.

BEST PICTURE:

• Amour
• Argo
• Beasts of the Southern Wild
• Django Unchained
• Les Miserables
• Life of Pi
• Lincoln
• Silver Linings Playbook
• Zero Dark Thirty

BEST DIRECTOR:

• Amour – Michael Haneke
• Beasts of the Southern Wild – Benh Zeitlin
• Life of Pi – Ang Lee
• Lincoln – Stephen Spielberg
• Silver Linings Playbook – David O. Russell

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE:

• Bradley Cooper – Silver Linings Playbook
• Daniel Day-Lewis – Lincoln
• Hugh Jackman – Les Miserables
• Joaquin Phoenix – The Master
• Denzel Washington – Flight

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE:

• Jessica Chastain – Zero Dark Thirty
• Jennifer Lawrence – Silver Linings Playbook
• Emmanuelle Riva – Amour
• Quvenzhane Wallis – Beasts of the Southern Wild
• Naomi Watts – The Impossible

 BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE:

• Alan Arkin – Argo
• Robert DeNiro – Silver Linings Playbook
• Philip Seymour Hoffman – The Master
• Tommy Lee Jones – Lincoln
• Christoph Waltz – Django Unchained

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE:

• Amy Adams – The Master
• Sally Field – Lincoln
• Anne Hathaway – Les Miserables
• Helen Hunt – The Sessions
• Jacki Weaver – Silver Linings Playbook

WRITING ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:

• Amour
• Django Unchained
• Flight
• Moonrise Kingdom
• Zero Dark Thirty

WRITING ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:

• Argo
• Beasts of the Southern Wild
• Life of Pi
• Lincoln
• Silver Linings Playbook

Not too bad, six out of eight correct.  As my friends will attest, though I believed Lincoln to deserve Best Picture and Director awards, I told them not to count Argo out of the race, especially after taking home first place at nearly every other awards ceremony that exists for motion pictures.  Many have felt that Director Ben Affleck was actually snubbed by the Academy for not being nominated for Best Director.  That could be one of the downfalls of expanding the Best Picture category to nine nominees and keeping the Director category at only five. In fact, over the last 25 years, only 5 times has the Best Picture not guaranteed the Best Director awards.  2013 marks the 6th historic time this has occurred, and it certainly won't be the last.  

Oscar Predictions

The 2013 Oscar Awards will be presented tonight.  I am going to make my predictions based on the movies I've seen.

BEST PICTURE:

• Amour
• Argo
• Beasts of the Southern Wild
• Django Unchained
• Les Miserables
• Life of Pi
• Lincoln
• Silver Linings Playbook
• Zero Dark Thirty

BEST DIRECTOR:

• Amour – Michael Haneke
• Beasts of the Southern Wild – Benh Zeitlin
• Life of Pi – Ang Lee
• Lincoln – Stephen Spielberg
• Silver Linings Playbook – David O. Russell

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE:

• Bradley Cooper – Silver Linings Playbook
• Daniel Day-Lewis – Lincoln
• Hugh Jackman – Les Miserables
• Joaquin Phoenix – The Master
• Denzel Washington – Flight

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE:

• Jessica Chastain – Zero Dark Thirty
• Jennifer Lawrence – Silver Linings Playbook
• Emmanuelle Riva – Amour
• Quvenzhane Wallis – Beasts of the Southern Wild
• Naomi Watts – The Impossible

 BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE:

• Alan Arkin – Argo
• Robert DeNiro – Silver Linings Playbook
• Philip Seymour Hoffman – The Master
• Tommy Lee Jones – Lincoln
• Christoph Waltz – Django Unchained

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE:

• Amy Adams – The Master
• Sally Field – Lincoln
• Anne Hathaway – Les Miserables
• Helen Hunt – The Sessions
• Jacki Weaver – Silver Linings Playbook

WRITING ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:

• Amour
• Django Unchained
• Flight
• Moonrise Kingdom
• Zero Dark Thirty

WRITING ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:

• Argo
• Beasts of the Southern Wild
• Life of Pi
• Lincoln
• Silver Linings Playbook

Flight Review

2.5 Stars

Flight is the story of commuter airline pilot Whip Whitfield (Denzel Washington).  He's good at his job, and a fateful trip from Orlando to Atlanta would prove just how good he is.  Shortly after takeoff, he maneuvers the plane through some extremely rough turbulence.  They think they're in the clear, but an apparent plane malfunction sends them into a nosedive.  Whip has no choice but to flip the plane and crash land in the closest field he can find.  He wakes in the hospital and finds that though 8 people on the plane have perished, he is solely responsible for saving the lives of everyone else with a move that no other pilot could duplicate.  However, after a routine blood test for this situation, it seems there was alcohol in his system and an investigation is underway to determine the actual cause of the crash.  Flight is the story of Whitfield fighting for his life both personally and professionally.

 Well, I certainly didn't see that coming.  The preview basically shows the first twenty minutes of the movie in which pilot Whip Whitfield (Washington) heroically saves the lives of most of the passengers on his flight.  The rest of the movie is about his full-blown alcoholism and drug addiction.  The FAA hires an attorney who agrees that the cause of the crash was a mechanical issue and that Whitfield is indeed the hero, and no one else could have done what he did.  All he has to do is stay clean and sober during the investigation and everything will be fine.  But he is such an addict that he can't and his personal and professional lives are ruined in the process.  I didn't get that from the preview and it was two hours of drinking and drugs.  It was often slow and borderline boring, completely different that the heart-pounding adventure the preview leads me to believe this movie would be.  Denzel's performance earned him an Oscar Nomination for best leading actor, but I didn't think it was that stellar.  He is always great, so maybe I have higher standards and expectations for him to warrant an Oscar nod.  And Denzel is up against Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln, Hugh Jackman in Les Miserables, Bradley Cooper in Silver Linings Playbook and Joaquin Phoenix in The Master.  I'm sorry, but there is no way his performance should be in this category with these other performances.  The preview for Flight was misleading and ultimately made the movie a disappointment.  It will definitely not be making it to my personal collection.  So what movie will be on my mind next?  We shall see.

Flight Preview

Flight is the story of commuter airline pilot Whip Whitfield (Denzel Washington).  He's good at his job, and a fateful trip from Orlando to Atlanta would prove just how good he is.  Shortly after takeoff, he maneuvers the plane through some extremely rough turbulence.  They think they're in the clear, but an apparent plane malfunction sends them into a nosedive.  Whip has no choice but to flip the plane and crash land in the closest field he can find.  He wakes in the hospital and finds that though 8 people on the plane have perished, he is solely responsible for saving the lives of everyone else with a move that no other pilot could duplicate.  However, after a routine blood test for this situation, it seems there was alcohol in his system and an investigation is underway to determine the actual cause of the crash.  Flight is the story of Whitfield fighting for his life both personally and professionally.

The preview shows a dramatic, spectacular crash landing in which pilot Whip Whitfield inverts a commuter airplane in order to save the passengers on board.  Whitfield awakes in the hospital and is informed that an investigation into the crash has been initiated and alcohol was found in his blood.  Whitfield's friend Harling Mays (John Goodman) is there to visit him and assure him that he's a hero.  I'm not 100% sure what to expect from this movie.  The tragic plane ride is the majority of the preview, so one would assume that most of the movie would be centered around the flight and what made it crash.  And the clips of that flight look absolutely amazing.  And it's Denzel Washington and John Goodman.  How can you go wrong with those two heavy hitters in the lineup?  I loved them in their last co-starring picture Fallen.  My concern is that the movie is over two hours long.  How much of that can really be watching one flight come crashing down?  How much of that is investigating the crash?  How much of that is about pilot Whitfield?  I'm hoping it's a gripping mystery that keeps me on the edge of my seat.  So I'm predicting a hesitant but hopeful 4 stars for this movie.  Am I right?  We shall see.

Zero Dark Thirty Review

4 Stars

On September 11, 2001, a terrorist group known as Al Qaeda carried out the worst attack by a foreign country on US soil.  In the decade that followed, several covert and overt operations have been carried out in retaliation against those responsible for the attack and in efforts to track down their elusive leader, Osama Bin Laden.  Zero Dark Thirty is the story of the success of a small military group knows as Navy SEAL Team Six in accomplishing this goal.  Maya (Jessica Chastain) is a new CIA operative and she has the uncomfortable job of overseeing the interrogation of prisoners after the Al Qaeda attacks.  Although she is reluctant to be a part of it, Maya truly believes this is the only way to get any viable information as to the location of Osama Bin Laden. After a decade of pursuit, Maya is sure she has discovered Bin Laden's whereabouts, and SEAL Team Six is sent to capture or kill the terrorist mastermind, but she is the only one confident in her findings.

As I stated in my preview, I said this looks to be an emotionally charged, gut-wrenchingly uncomfortable, frustrating movie.  Director Kathryn Bigelow did a marvelous job.  I'm not sure why there was so much hype over the torture scenes.  Like it or not, they happened.  This movie doesn't glorify or demonize them.  It was a part of the war.  They way she handled it was flawless.  Showed enough to understand what was going on, but torturing captives wasn't the point of the movie.  The point was the hunt for Bin Laden.  She addressed the topic, presented it and moved on.  Very well done.  

Another concern I had was that movies like this tend to do three things: point out how inept and inefficient our government is, demonize an entire race of people because of a small faction of radicals, and glorify the actions of those following orders as brave heroes. Again, Bigelow is to be commended for sticking to her story, Maya's hunt for Bin Laden.  It wasn't filled with gratuitous anti-American government sentiments.  It wasn't filled with anti-Muslim or anti-Pakistani rhetoric.  It didn't glorify torture.  And the final chapter of the movie with SEAL Team Six going into the compound and doing their job was breath-taking. 

All-in-all I was very impressed and gave Zero Dark Thirty a solid 4 stars.  I would definitely see it again and there's a good chance I'll see this in my personal collection some day.  Well done.  So what movie will be on my mind next?  We shall see.

Zero Dark Thirty Preview

On September 11, 2001, a terrorist group known as Al Qaeda carried out the worst attack by a foreign country on US soil.  In the decade that followed, several covert and overt operations have been carried out in retaliation against those responsible for the attack and in efforts to track down their elusive leader, Osama Bin Laden.  Zero Dark Thirty is the story of the success of a small military group knows as Navy SEAL Team Six in accomplishing this goal.  Maya (Jessica Chastain) is a new CIA operative and she has the uncomfortable job of overseeing the interrogation of prisoners after the Al Qaeda attacks.  Although she is reluctant to be a part of it, Maya truly believes this is the only way to get any viable information as to the location of Osama Bin Laden. After a decade of pursuit, Maya is sure she has discovered Bin Laden's whereabouts, and SEAL Team Six is sent to capture or kill the terrorist mastermind, but she is the only one confident in her findings.

Based on actual events, Zero Dark Thirty looks to be an emotionally charged, gut-wrenchingly uncomfortable, frustrating movie.  Movies like this tend to do three things: point out how inept and inefficient our government is, demonize an entire race of people because of a small faction of radicals, and glorify the actions of those following orders as brave heroes.  The preview, unfortunately, looks like it has the real potential to accomplish all three of those.  More than ten years after 9/11, many are still left with doubt and questions about how the attacks on our country actually happened, and many more are still cynical about our countries military response to those attacks.  Although I don't know anyone, Republican or Democrat, conservative or liberal, who doesn't agree it was a victorious day when we found and killed Osama Bin Laden, this film is sure to make everyone take a moment to reflect on what it took to get him and ultimately poses the question: does the end justify the means?   

This type of movie is difficult as a viewer because you are constantly debating how much is Hollywood liberty with telling an entertaining story, and how much is actually true.  Regardless of how much of either is represented in Zero, I just hope I don't walk away feeling like this movie was propaganda of any kind towards the United States, Pakistan, or any military branches.  With all the hype, I'm hoping for 4 stars.  With all the controversy, I'm not expecting more than 3.  So I'll call it in the middle and predict 3.5 stars.  Am I right?  We shall see.

Argo Review

4 Stars

Argo is the name of the 1980 science fiction movie set in Iran with a storyline and feel similar to Star Wars.  The film was never made . . . and they never intended to make it either.  During the Iran hostage crisis, six Americans were able to get free when the embassy is invaded by Iranian protestors and found asylum in the home of Canadian ambassador Ken Taylor (Victor Garber).  When the CIA ordered that they be rescued and brought home, it was up to CIA exfiltration expert Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) to figure out a way to do just that. Argo was his elaborate plan: a Canadian movie set in Iran.  Mendez posed as one of the film's producers, the CIA set up a fake Canadian film studio and sent out press releases advertising the movie, even members of Hollywood's film industry were brought in to bring legitimacy to the film that was never going to be made.  Based on true events, the plan was to get their phony film crew into Iran, make contact with the six refugees, and sneak them out of the country as part of their film crew.

I predicted 4 stars and Argo was a solid 4 star experience.  The preview was spot on: an incredible and almost unbelievable story, great characters, and a non-stop heart-pounding ride that keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time.  Ben Affleck was great as Ben Affleck, or Tony Mendez. Affleck is one of those actors who is pretty much the same character in every one of his movies, but I still like him.  I think he's been in some bad movies (Gigli), but I don't think he performed badly in any of those movies.  But I don't ever see him delivering an Oscar-worthy performance.  So, he should set his aspirations of trophies and commendations to behind-the-scenes work, like Good Will Hunting.  And Argo is up for an Oscar for Best Picture.  I'm not sure why Affleck didn't get recognized for his job Directing this movie, but Beasts of the Southern Wild Director Benh Zeitlin and Silver Linings Playbook Director David O. Russell did get nominated.  

Speaking of nominations, Alan Arkin was nominated for Actor in a Supporting Role for his part as Hollywood Film Producer Lester Siegel. He was great for the whole ten to fifteen minutes he was in the movie, but I don't think that warrants an Oscar Nomination, especially being put up against Tommy Lee Jones (Lincoln) and Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained).  Regardless of the awards this movie should or should not be receiving in my opinion, Argo was thoroughly entertaining, extremely well-done, rivetingly intense and well worth the price of admission.  I will definitely see it again and there's a good chance of it making my home collection.  So, what movie will be on my mind next?  We shall see.

Argo Preview

Argo is the name of the 1980 science fiction movie set in Iran with a storyline and feel similar to Star Wars.  The film was never made . . . and they never intended to make it either.  During the Iran hostage crisis, six Americans were able to get free and found asylum in the home of Canadian ambassador Ken Taylor (Victor Garber).  When the CIA ordered that they be rescued and brought home, it was up to CIA exfiltration expert Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) to figure out a way to do just that. Argo was his elaborate plan: a Canadian movie set in Iran.  Mendez posed as one of the film's producers, the CIA set up a fake Canadian film studio and sent out press releases advertising the movie, even members of Hollywood's film industry were brought in to bring legitimacy to the film that was never going to be made.  Based on true events, the plan was to get their phony film crew into Iran, make contact with the six refugees, and sneak them out of the country as part of their film crew.

The preview shows an almost unbelievable story told by an amazing cast.  Directed by and starring Ben Affleck, Argo looks to be intriguing, entertaining, and a nail-biting story of epic heroism. Alan Arkin, Bryan Cranston, and John Goodman lend their talents to the film and seem to be in top form. In 2010, Ben Affleck's last project in Directing and Acting, The Town, earned an Oscar nomination for Supporting Actor Jeremy Renner and an AFI award win for movie of the year.  Argo has been nominated for seven Oscars including Best Picture of the Year and Best Supporting Actor for Alan Arkin.  Is this the year Affleck takes home the trophy? He's certainly up against some stiff competition.  Judging from the preview, this movie will earn those nominations, though I'm not so sure about actually winning them when you look at the other films and actors who were also nominated.  I'm predicting a 4 star experience overall that is worth the price of admission and might make it to my home collection.  Am I right?  We shall see.

Silver Linings Playbook Review

3.5 Stars

Silver Linings Playbook is the story of Pat Solatano Jr. (Bradley Cooper) who was just released from a court ordered stint at a mental institution. He was placed there as a result of being diagnosed with bipolar disorder which was decided after he beat up his wife Nikki's (Brea Bee) lover. Pat was released after eight months of treatment on the condition that he move back in with his parents in Philadelphia.  Pat has lost his house, his job and his wife (who also has a restraining order against him), he's a newly released mental patient, and supposed to be taking medications to help with his disorder.  Against all odds, Pat is determined to set things right and is convinced he can do it all by making healthy life choices rather than through self-medication.  On his journey, he finds he's not the only one with problems: his father Pat Solatano Sr. (Robert DeNiro) has become a bookie to pay the bills, his best friend Ronnie (John Ortiz) is quietly seething inside over his controlling wife Veronica (Julia Stiles), and Veronica's widowed sister Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) is a recovering sex addict.  But it's Tiffany who throws the biggest wrench into Pat's plan to get his job, his wife and his life back as they develop a love / hate relationship stemming from the help they find they can offer each other in their journeys.

The preview for Silver Linings Playbook is pretty spot on in it's representation of the movie.  I said that it looks like a cute, smart, sweet, heart-felt story of pain, recovery and growth.  It's exactly that.   I did think it was an original story: Pat Solatano Jr (Cooper) gets out of a court-ordered mental facility after beating the man his wife was cheating with. He moves in with his parents as part of the condition for his release.  His father (DeNiro) has turned to gambling to pay the bills which gets interesting with his OCD paired with severe superstition.  His best friend Ronnie (Ortiz) has lost the love and passion in his marriage and feels whipped by his wife Veronica (Stiles).  Veronica's sister Tiffany (Lawrence) has her own issues getting over her husband's death and being labeled as the town slut, a title she earned by sleeping with all of her co-workers.  Somehow, Pat and Tiffany find they just might have the ability to positively affect each other, help each other grow and heal, and somehow actually find they are perfect for each other.

My biggest concern was Bradley Cooper and his ability to pull off the lead role in a movie like this.  I thought he was funny as part of an ensemble in the Hangover movies, and I thought he was also good as part of an ensemble in the romantic comedy He's Just Not That Into You.  And he did a really good job in Silver Linings; but ultimately, it was basically taking his ensemble part in Not Into You and expanding it to a sole lead.  And the movie was on par with a movie like Not Into You as well.  And I thoroughly enjoyed that movie, as I did this one.  I thought DeNiro was great, as is to be expected.  I thought Jennifer Lawrence was smart and sharp and sexy and love her more and more with every role I see.  But I just don't see why this was nominated for 8 Oscars.  Again, I really enjoyed it, I give it 3.5 stars.  I'll probably watch it again, but doubt it will make it to my collection.  But Best Picture? Best Director? Best Actor?  I didn't see it.  Maybe best screenplay.  But I could be wrong.  We'll find out in a few weeks.  So what movie will be on my mind next?  We shall see.

Silver Linings Playbook Preview

Silver Linings Playbook is the story of Pat Solatano Jr. (Bradley Cooper) who was just released from a court ordered stint at a mental institution. He was placed there as a result of being diagnosed with bipolar disorder which was decided after he beat up his wife Nikki's (Brea Bee) lover. Pat was released after eight months of treatment on the condition that he move back in with his parents in Philadelphia.  Pat has lost his house, his job and his wife (who also has a restraining order against him), he's a newly released mental patient, and supposed to be taking medications to help with his disorder.  Against all odds, Pat is determined to set things right and is convinced he can do it all by making healthy life choices rather than through self-medication.  On his journey, he finds he's not the only one with problems: his father Pat Solatano Sr. (Robert DeNiro) has become a bookie to pay the bills, his best friend Ronnie (John Ortiz) is quietly seething inside over his controlling wife Veronica (Julia Stiles), and Veronica's widowed sister Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) is a recovering sex addict.  But it's Tiffany who throws the biggest wrench into Pat's plan to get his job, his wife and his life back as they develop a love / hate relationship stemming from the help they find they can offer each other in their journeys.

The preview makes Silver Linings Playbook as a cute, smart, sweet, heart-felt story of pain, recovery and growth in Pat Solatano Jr (Cooper) and those around him including his father (DeNiro), best friend (Ortiz) and friend / love interest (Lawrence).  Jennifer Lawrence is quickly making a name for herself with such movies as The Hunger Games and X-Men: First Class and looks to be on the rise to becoming one of the greats.  And what can you say about Robert DeNiro? He looks as sharp as ever.  My biggest concerns are Chris Tucker and Bradley Cooper in this movie.  I liked Cooper in the Hangover movies and think he's great as part of an ensemble cast like He's Just Not That Into You, but I'm not sure about him taking on the sole responsibility of leading man putting out an Oscar worthy performance.  And I just don't see Chris Tucker being a part of any Oscar worthy film.  But perhaps Director David Russell has what it takes to bring out Oscar performances from these men.  He certainly did in his last directing project with The Fighter, earning him an Oscar Nomination and Oscar wins for Christian Bale and Melissa Leo in their supporting roles.

So I'm optimistic but not getting my hopes up too much about Silver Linings Playbook.  It looks like a movie I'll enjoy.  I'm sure I'll laugh and even well up at some points.  Ultimately, though, it looks like it will be a 3 star movie that most likely won't be finding a home in my personal collection.  But I could be wrong.  Am I right?  We shall see.

Lincoln Review

4.5 Stars

Through the Emancipation Proclamation, Lincoln granted freedom to the slaves in our nation's history as the Civil War continued to divide and threaten to destroy our young country.  Lincoln faced fierce opposition to his declaration and so he set out to make his decision permanent by passing a thirteenth amendment to the Constitution.  Stephen Spielberg directs Daniel Day-Lewis as President Abraham Lincoln in the story of the trials he faced to get that Amendment passed, to bring an end to the Civil War, bring peace to the United States, and bring freedom to the slaves.

Spielberg has struck gold once again with Lincoln. Astounding from start to finish.  I don't know if it's comforting or disturbing to see that our House of Representatives is just as effective now as it was even in the 1860's; however, I wonder what happened to the way our meetings of the Representatives are run.  It looks like it used to be a lot more interesting and entertaining 150 years ago.  I also wonder what happened to our way of speaking and communicating.  It used to be so much more colorful and bold and effective:

Thaddeus Stevens: "How can I hold that all men are created equal when here before me stands stinking the moral carcass of the gentleman from Ohio? . . . You are more reptile than man George, so low and flat that the foot of man is incapable of crushing you."

Thaddeus Stevens:  to Fernando Wood "Some of us breathe oxygen and we find the mephitic fumes of his oratory a lethal challenge to our pulmonary capabilities."

And not only was Lincoln a great orator, he loved to tell stories (seemed to have one for every occasion) and had an amazing sense of humor, which is quite impressive considering all he endured.  While talking to enlisted black soldiers from the north:

 

Private Harold Green: You got springy hair for a white man.
Abraham Lincoln: Yes, I do. My last barber hanged himself. And the one before that. Left me his scissors in his will.

Not once during this masterpiece did I see Daniel Day-Lewis.  He was Abraham Lincoln, flawlessly.  Sally Field made brave and strong choices as Mary Lincoln.  Most people only remember her to be increasingly insane from the death of their firstborn son to the trials and tribulations of being First Lady to the Civil War President of the United States.  Field was able to bring to light a caring, emotional and sharp Mary Lincoln.  Tommy Lee Jones was full of memorable quotes as Lincoln's Vice President Thaddeus Stevens.  Oh to have such smart, determined, effective and quick-witted Vice Presidents as was Stevens!  And James Spader as W. N. Bilbo, attorney, journalist, and cunningly crafty supporter of the Thirteenth Amendment was genius. 

The movie was not action-packed with bloody war scenes like Saving Private Ryan, but this movie was not so much about the Civil War as it was about Lincoln's crusade to pass the Thirteenth Amendment and free the slaves.  And this movie didn't need the action to keep the plot rolling.  It focused on a very specific topic and a very short period in the life of President Lincoln, but it was riveting as a story.  And with perfect performances by every cast member, Spielberg made it feel as though we were actually being given the gift of watching this historic period in our nation's history, rather than watching a movie about it 150 years later.  I give Lincoln 4.5 stars and cannot wait to see it again and own this film that is sure to be front contender at the Oscars.  So what movie will be on my mind next?  We shall see.

Lincoln Preview

Through the Emancipation Proclamation, Lincoln granted freedom to the slaves in our nation's history as the Civil War continued to divide and threaten to destroy our young country.  Lincoln faced fierce opposition to his declaration and so he set out to make his decision permanent by passing a thirteenth amendment to the Constitution.  Stephen Spielberg directs Daniel Day-Lewis as President Abraham Lincoln in the story of the trials he faced to get that Amendment passed, to bring an end to the Civil War, bring peace to the United States, and bring freedom to the slaves.

This is Stephen Spielberg's fifteenth nomination for an Oscar, though it's been a while since he's won.  His last trophy was awarded him for his Direction of Saving Private Ryan (1998), although the Best Picture honors went to Shakespeare In Love. And he's not the only Oscar winner associated with this movie.  Daniel Day-Lewis has won twice, Sally Field has won twice, and Tommy Lee Jones has won once.

So, the movie shouldn't be filled with any twists and turns that I don't see coming. It's the story of Abraham Lincoln.  Civil War President, freed the slaves, and was shot and killed while attending the theatre by John Wilkes Booth.  Sorry if that was a spoiler for anyone out there.     He has the opportunity to end the war and bring peace to the South, but he feels the need to end slavery.  With so much hostile opposition, his fellow politicians, his closest advisers, even his family tell him that he can do one or the other and that he should give up on freeing the slaves.  So since we all know the story, it's going to be about how it's told, and there's not many better than Spielberg to do so.  The preview looks like a perfect time period movie that will bring Lincoln to life in a way that's never been done before.  And with an all-star cast like Day-Lewis, Field and Jones (and many others), this has all the makings of an Oscar-sweeping film.  I'm predicting at least 4 stars.  Am I right?  We shall see.

Beasts of the Southern Wild Review

3 Stars

In a small shrimping bayou town known as The Bathtub, Beasts of the Southern Wild is the story of six year old Hushpuppy who is "raised" by her wildman of a father named Wink.  Her mother is not in the picture and she is more often left in the company of various wild beasts of the bayou rather than family.  At six years old, Hushpuppy believes that life in the bayou and in the universe is fragile and depends on everything fitting together perfectly.  Her world, and the world around her is rocked when Wink contracts a mysterious disease the same time global warming results in melting ice caps and the unleashing of prehistoric beasts.  A storm nearly destroys The Bathtub and Hushpuppy and Wink manage to survive.  Hushpuppy can't bear to watch her dying father so she sets out to find her estranged mother, learning about herself and the real world in the process.

I've been teetering on the fence about giving this 2.5 or 3 stars.   It was a decent movie.  The preview and the plot synopsis were a little misleading.  I was lead to believe that the father was more physically non-existent in young Hushpuppy's life.  The truth is, Wink raised her the best he could, preparing her to be a strong, independent woman who doesn't need to rely on anyone for anything.  Ironically, this completely contradicts Hushpuppy's view on life which is everything fitting together perfectly to keep the fragile universe working properly.  And anything that is done wrong, must be undone to set things in proper motion again.  The preview made it seem like this story would be more of a survival adventure weathering the storm and the aftermath; abandoning her ailing father in search of her estranged mother; epic prehistoric beasts on the loose.  Actually the storm sequence was over pretty quickly, the aftermath was pretty much life as usual in The Bathtub for those who chose to stay behind, she didn't abandon her father but came to understand and accept he wasn't fit to take care of her, the search for her mother lasted all of ten minutes and ended with a weird bayou brothel scene, and the prehistoric beasts were nothing more than a metaphor for those who lived in The Bathtub.

All that made me want to give 2.5 stars, but I bumped it up for the great performance of Quvenzhané Wallis definitely deserves recognition for her role as Hushpuppy.  Oscar worthy?  That may be a little stretch, but only a little.  She was great.  And I also give kudos to young director Benh Zeitlin for getting that performance out of Wallis.  Look for more great things from these two in the future.  So officially, Beasts of the Southern Wild gets 3 stars.  Worth catching a matinee or renting, but most likely won't be making my home collection.  So what movie will be on my mind next?  We shall see.

Beasts of the Southern Wild Preview

In a small shrimping bayou town known as The Bathtub, Beasts of the Southern Wild is the story of six year old Hushpuppy who is "raised" by her wildman of a father named Wink.  Her mother is not in the picture and she is more often left in the company of various wild beasts of the bayou rather than family.  At six years old, Hushpuppy believes that life in the bayou and in the universe is fragile and depends on everything fitting together perfectly.  Her world, and the world around her is rocked when Wink contracts a mysterious disease the same time global warming results in melting ice caps and the unleashing of prehistoric beasts.  A storm nearly destroys The Bathtub and Hushpuppy and Wink manage to survive.  Hushpuppy can't bear to watch her dying father so she sets out to find her estranged mother, learning about herself and the real world in the process.

Beasts of the Southern Wild stars Quvenzhané Wallis in the principle role of six year old Hushpuppy.  It's always tough when the main character is so young to predict how the movie will pan out.  This is her first credited role, so there's nothing to reference.  And this may sound harsh, but the temptation as a critic (and as a movie goer in general) is to somewhat lower your standards if the performance isn't perfect by saying, "Well, she's only six".  The "grown-ups" don't get that leeway and in fact are held up to the standards of DeNiro, Hanks, Streep and Close when the notion of Oscar is brought up.  So what about the director? This is only Benh Zeitlin's fourth credited title as a director and only his first full-length feature film.  Again, not much help in trying to figure out what to expect from Beasts of the Southern Wild.

I'm not sure if it's a good thing or bad for Beasts that I just watched Life of Pi which is also about a youngster facing tragedy with wild beasts all fending for their lives and learning about themselves and the world at the same time.  The problem is that Ang Lee created so many picturesque scenes in Pi that were just jaw-droppingly beautiful, it's hard not to compare that to Beasts of the Southern Wild.  And judging on that aspect alone, Beasts pales in comparison from the preview.  Again, it looks like a good, heart-warming story, but I'm skeptical of a six year old carrying the movie on her shoulders.  I'm predicting a great first effort by many involved in this movie, but we'll see if it lives up to the Oscar hype surrounding it.  I'm predicting 3 stars, but I'm hoping for more.  Am I right?  We shall see.

Life of Pi Review

4.5 Stars

Based on the best selling novel by Yann Martel, Academy Award Winning Director Ang Lee brings the story Life of Pi to the big screen. Pi is the son of an Indian Zoo Keeper who's family has decided to take their trade to Canada and has hitched a ride on a Pacific tanker ship to do so.  Tragedy strikes when the ship goes down leaving the 16 year old Pi to fend for his life adrift in the ocean with his fellow survivors: a Bengal tiger, a hyena, an orangutan, and a zebra.

Ang Lee is best known for his works directing such films as Brokeback Mountain and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.  Lee has enlisted unknown actor Suraj Sharma to play the principal role of Pi.  Quite the opportunity for a young actor's first role.  And he nailed the role, and Ang Lee nailed this film. Every shot of film in this movie could be clipped from the reel and blown up to a poster sized print and sold as art is was that beautiful, that breath-taking.  And that's exactly what the preview leads you to believe it will be.  However, unless you read the book, you wouldn't know from the preview that this isn't just a survivor story; but it's also a story of identity, discovery and doubt.  Young Pi is a smart and inquisitive boy, qualities that both get him into trouble, and ultimately save his life.  Some of the biggest questions he has are about religion.  Instead of rejecting anything, Pi seems to find the best of every religion to which he is introduced and ultimately becomes a devout Christian, Jew, Hindu, Muslim.  While his family is looking to start a new life in Canada, a tragic shipwreck and an unfortunately crew of co-survivors, Pi finds himself looking to not only survive with his castaway crew, but also survive from his castaway crew.  As if that wasn't enough to worry about every day, he was also looking for answers to his questions about God.

Along the lines of other best-selling spiritually reflective books like The Shack, Tuesdays with Maurie and The Alchemist, Life of Pi is a beautiful albeit familiar story, but it's told in such a beautiful way through the artful direction of Ang Lee.  This was a solid movie that completely accomplished what it set out to do and was quite accurately portrayed in its preview.  4.5 stars and I can't wait to see this again, and most likely add to my home collection.  So what movie will be on my mind next?  We shall see.

Life of Pi Preview

Based on the best selling novel by Yann Martel, Academy Award Winning Director Ang Lee brings the story Life of Pi to the big screen. Pi is the son of an Indian Zoo Keeper who's family has decided to take their trade to Canada and has hitched a ride on a Pacific tanker ship to do so.  Tragedy strikes when the ship goes down leaving the 16 year old Pi to fend for his life adrift in the ocean with his fellow survivors: a Bengal tiger, a hyena, an orangutan, and a zebra.

Ang Lee is best known for his works directing such films as Brokeback Mountain and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.  Lee has enlisted unknown actor Suraj Sharma to play the principal role of Pi.  Quite the opportunity for a young actor's first role.  And that's really about all we have to go on from the preview as well.  A no-name actor with no lines in the trailer makes it a little difficult to make any kind of prediction as to what this movie will actually be like.  The two minute preview, however, has enough gorgeous cinematic picturesque moments to fill a two-hour movie.  That alone makes me curious and I'm looking forward to seeing this film by Lee.  I am predicting a touching, reflective and introspective movie that is visually stunning.  As for the story, it seems it will be along the lines of Tom Hanks in Castaway where is mostly about survival and what it takes to stay alive and sane.  It will be interesting to see how well the story can keep me captivated and if it lives up to the beautifully painted scenes from the preview.  I'm willing to take a leap of faith and say this will earn a solid 4 stars, maybe even 4.5.  Am I right?  We shall see.

Django Unchained Review

4 Stars

Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained is the story of a slave name Django (Jamie Foxx) who's freedom is bought by Dr. King Schultz (Christopher Waltz).  Schultz trains Django to become a bounty hunter.  Django then uses his skills to confront the brutal Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio) to rescue his wife. 

Best known for his uncomfortably brutally funny movies like Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction and From Dusk Til Dawn, Django Unchained is bound to be another over-the-top gory and violent movie that is smart, well-acted, and so cleverly put together that you find yourself laughing and cringing at the same time and wondering how you could possibly be doing both.  The answer is simple: Quentin Tarantino.

And Django Unchained was exactly that.  Perhaps I'm getting a little old for movies like this, or maybe this movie was just particularly violent, but I really did find it to be uncomfortably violent at times and did find myself cringing in my seat.  I know Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs were violent movies, but I don't recall being this disturbed for this long at what I saw in a movie.  As for the laughing, it was more brief moments of well-timed brevity that were a much welcomed and much needed break from the otherwise non-stop bloodshed. 

That being said, it was still done very well.  It was smart, gritty, gruesome, but a touching albeit unconventional love story.  Jamie Foxx was sharp as the slave with a vengeance Django.  Christopher Waltz was perfect and stole the show for me as the dentist turned bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz.  I even enjoyed Leonardo DiCaprio's performance as the business man Calvin Candie.  Django Unchained gets a solid 4 stars for the original script, the well shot movie, the amazing acting performances, the choice in music accompaniment, and even the brutality which was probably more accurate than most movies dare to show about this era in our history.  Well worth the money, highly recommended, though not 100% sure I will add this to my collection, it's something I could see myself watching again . . . when I can stomach it.  So what movie will be on my mind next?  We shall see.

Django Unchained Preview

Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained is the story of a slave name Django (Jamie Foxx) who's freedom is bought by Dr. King Schultz (Christopher Waltz).  Schultz trains Django to become a bounty hunter.  Django then uses his skills to confront the brutal Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio) to rescue his wife. 

Best known for his uncomfortably brutally funny movies like Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction and From Dusk Til Dawn, Django Unchained is bound to be another over-the-top gory and violent movie that is smart, well-acted, and so cleverly put together that you find yourself laughing and cringing at the same time and wondering how you could possibly be doing both.  The answer is simple: Quentin Tarantino.  I'm a big fan of Tarantino's style of directing and Django looks to be right on par with one of his best.  I admit, I'm not a fan of Leonardo DiCaprio and I know that will make me unpopular with most of the world, especially the ladies, but that's even more credit to Tarantino for making me want to see this movie still.

From the previews, Django Unchained looks to be a cross between the bloody, action-packed, uncomfortably brutal scenes of Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs and the hilarious irreverence for a very serious topic (slavery) of Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles.  I predict Tarantino will work his insane magic once again and deliver on at least a 4 star movie that will have me waiting anxiously for the Blu Ray release to either watch again, or actually add to my collection.  Am I right?  We shall see.

Won't Back Down Review

Maggie Gyllenhaal plays a single mother and bartender struggling to provide a life for her daughter who is struggling in school in Won't Back Down.  She teams up with one of the teachers (Viola Davis) to not only bring light to the problem of the failing school, but take head on the corrupt bureaucracy that is running the school. 

The preview starts with Jamie's (Gyllenhaal) daughter standing in front of her classmates being belittled by her peers and her teacher for not being able to read.  In fact, the teacher (sure to be a representative of the bureaucratic public school system that has failed our children) puts her in a supply closet to teach her a lesson. We also see another one of the teachers (Davis) at home with her own son struggling to perform at his grade level.  And the fight begins to fix the failing and corrupt school system.  Jamie teams up with the only honorable teacher around (Davis) and takes on the president of the teachers' union (Holly Hunter - returning to the screen after a seven year hiatus) and the principal (Bill Nunn) of the school.

So the preview for Won't Back Down is a little misleading.  Holly Hunter doesn't play the president of the teacher's union, she's a representative.  And she's not evil.  She is really caught between a rock and a hard place trying to truly do what's right and what's best for both sides involved.  The preview makes it look like Jamie (Gyllenhaal) is going head-to-head with her.  The preview also makes it seem like Viola Davis' character is the only teacher in the school who still cares and is willing to do anything about the situation when the truth is, the majority of those teachers are good people who readily stand up to make things right.  There is really only one teacher spotlighted as being completely void of compassion and completely inept at her job, rude to her students and often more interested in playing on her phone rather than the state of her classroom. 

The movie is two hours long, yet I felt there was a lack of scenes between parents and kids or kids in school to raise our emotional connection to the characters and their plight.   There was really only one scene between Davis' character and her son that really I found quite touching.  There have been so many more successful movies about failing schools and the few who dared to take a stand to make things right: Stand and Deliver, The Principal, Lean On Me.  This one pales in comparison as far as execution of the story and emotional attachment to the film.  Though Maggie Gyllenhaal and Viola Davis gave great performances, as usual, the film was a disappointment and will only be getting 2.5 stars, at best a renter.  So what movie will be on my mind next?  We shall see.

Won't Back Down Preview

Maggie Gyllenhaal plays a single mother and bartender struggling to provide a life for her daughter who is struggling in school in Won't Back Down.  She teams up with one of the teachers (Viola Davis) to not only bring light to the problem of the failing school, but take head on the corrupt bureaucracy that is running the school. 

The preview starts with Jamie's (Gyllenhaal) daughter standing in front of her classmates being belittled by her peers and her teacher for not being able to read.  In fact, the teacher (sure to be a representative of the bureaucratic public school system that has failed our children) puts her in a supply closet to teach her a lesson. We also see another one of the teachers (Davis) at home with her own son struggling to perform at his grade level.  And the fight begins to fix the failing and corrupt school system.  Jamie teams up with the only honorable teacher around (Davis) and takes on the president of the teachers' union (Holly Hunter - returning to the screen after a seven year hiatus) and the principal (Bill Nunn) of the school.

Won't Back Down is based on the true events in Los Angeles, California that lead to what is known as The Parent Trigger Law which gives control to the parents to make administrative changes in the public school system when the current administration demonstrates they are unwilling or unable to perform their duties with the best interest of the students in mind and fails to show positive results.  Some have critiqued the movie as nothing more than an emotional simplification of the problem with the agenda of propagating The Parent Trigger Law.  I hope that's not the case.  The preview for Won't Back Down certainly portrays the movie as highly emotionally charged; but I have to admit, I'm a sucker for these kinds of movies where the underdog stands up to corruption,  especially where children's education is concerned.  And I'm also a sucker for Maggie Gyllenhaal and can't think of anything she's done that I haven't enjoyed.  I'm predicting an infuriating movie, emotional ride with tearful moments and moments of joy.  I don't have expectations for an Oscar movie, but am hoping for a solid 4 star experience.  Am I right?  We shall see.

Prometheus Review

Director Ridley Scott returns to his Science Fiction roots with the alien thriller Prometheus. Prometheus is an exploratory vessel that is used to accept the "invitation" of an alien race documented by several civilizations on earth throughout history.  Only now do we have the technology to do so.  The plan was simple: go to their world, explore, report back, and leave.  While the crew of Prometheus hoped to discover clues or maybe even the answer to the oldest question ever "Where did we come from?"; instead they find they were lured into a trap.  This alien race isn't the answer to our origins, but the very real threat to our existence and it's up to them to stop the aliens.

 I was delightfully surprised at the restraint in the use of digital technology to create this film; and the computer graphics used were tastefully done and added to the effectiveness of the movie rather than distracted you from the story.  While watching Prometheus, it was more than just a little similar to Scott's Alien movie from over 30 years ago.  The plot of Alien is that the hibernating crew of the ship Nostromo is awakened while returning to earth when they intercept a strange transmission.  They go to investigate and find an egg chamber and one of them releases an alien that attacks one of the crew.  Breaking protocol, they bring it back on the ship where it ultimately begins to aggressively kill all of the crew.  One of the crew, Ash, is an android that is ordered by their corporate employers to bring the alien back to earth at all costs.  Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) foils that plan and decides to trap the alien on the ship, activate the self-destruct, and escape in a pod. Ripley finds the alien made it onto her escape pod and ultimate kills it leaving only herself and a cat to survive.

The plot of Prometheus is that a crew voluntarily spends two years in hibernation while traveling to an alien planet they believe to have the answers to their origins. The expedition is funded by a corporate employer who has his own agenda with the aliens.  They have their own android on board who is programmed to do the corporate bidding even at the expense of the crew's lives.  They discover a chamber of tubes that contain alien DNA that can use human bodies as incubation hosts.  In this chamber, they find a decapitated alien head and the android secretly stashes one of these DNA tubes, both of which are brought back onto the ship.  Ultimately they find the aliens are not looking to provide answers but to destroy earth and mankind.  One last alien is about to escape but the surviving crew of Prometheus decide to use their own ship to destroy the alien and ultimately we are left with one female crew member, Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and one final alien who bears more than slight resemblance to the creature in Scott's film from 30 years ago.

Upon further investigation, I found that originally Prometheus was to serve as a prequel to Alien.  Scott didn't want that, so they re-wrote the script so this story "precedes" the Alien movie, but isn't directly linked to that series.  Right.  Without even reading that, it was obvious this was more of an Alien re-make than a brand new original thought.  That being said, the previews are pretty accurate in what you get out of the movie.  It's a sci-fi scary alien movie.  Honestly, I would have liked to have a little more explored about our origins as a race rather than an abrupt turn into a violent alien war, but that's not what this movie was ultimately supposed to be about.  It was entertaining, moved right along, but still had the sense of "I swear I've seen this all before" throughout.  That being said, I was pretty close to my 3 star prediction, but think I will ultimately give it 2.5 stars.  It was worth renting, I don't think I'd see it again and it won't be in my collection.  So what movie will be on my mind next?  We shall see.