8/28/13

Austenland

Hmmm... A young American woman is so obsessed with Jane Austen that she has decorated her bedroom with a life-size image of Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy in the BBC version of "Pride and Prejudice," plus she has doilies, pillows, flowers, ribbons, dolls, and other frilly, girly stuff right out of Austen's books. In this PG-13 cringe-worthy calamity, our fixated sweet thing finds a British theme tour devoted to All Things Austen, so thither she goes! In my personal opinion, this dame has a screw loose.

Writer/director Jerusha Hess ("Napoleon Dynamite") has assembled a sterling cast (numerous awards and honors), then subjected them (and us) to this lame offering.

I blushed for:
  • Keri Russell ("August Rush") is Jane, ready to spend her life savings just to experience a Jane Austen moment. Problem is, she can't afford the premium tour, so is assigned a small room in the servants' wing at Pemberly.
  • JJ Feild ("Northanger Abbey") is Mr. Henry Nobley, who immediately starts giving off antagonistic vibes to our heroine (hint, hint). As you can see, Mr. F. already has credibility in an Austen story.
  • Jennifer Coolidge (Lots of TV) is Miss Elizabeth Charming, a daffy, obscenely rich guest at Pemberly. Not even Coolidge with her considerable talent could save this thing.
  • Jane Seymour ("The Family Tree") is Mrs. Wattlesbrook, the proprietress of this ridiculous venture. She hasn't a benevolent bone in her body.
  • Bret McKenzie (TV series "Flight of the Conchords") is Martin, the handsome stable hand who offers Jane a friendly shoulder.
  • Ricky Whittle (Lots of TV) looks for all the world like the guy in the Old Spice commercial; this strapping fellow rips off his shirt at the slightest provocation...and we're glad he does...small blessings. ...smile...
Did I rate it? Yes - WSF (Worst So Far, which I've only used one other time this year) based on script, plot, acting and production design. I realize that all the stuffed chickens, peacocks, lambs, etc., were supposed to look phony, but these were insultingly so! I hated the fake birth of the colt and I cringed at the awkward references to "Emma," "Persuasion," "Sense & Sensibility," etc., etc., etc...

The young, estrogen-stoked women in the screening audience were vocal and upbeat throughout this ordeal; they applauded (!) at the end, while I apologized to my companions for subjecting them to this travesty. I enjoy Chick Flicks, but this one is in a league of its own. YOYO (You're On Your Own)
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Here is a preview:
http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1871030553/
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Closed Circuit

In London there are about 500,000 closed circuit cameras monitoring people's activities. This is a result of the terrorist bombings by the IRA in years past, but they are essential in today's tense climate. Inspired by actual events, our film opens with a fictional bombing in a crowded marketplace as viewed by a number of these ubiquitous cameras.

With a tightly crafted screenplay by Steven Knight ("Amazing Grace") and capably led by award-winning director John Crowley ("Boy A") this cynical view of international terrorism left me so paranoid I suspected every person on screen with the possible exception of the Queen.

Here are the players:
  • Eric Bana ("Munich") is a divorced barrister assigned to take over a case from a colleague who has committed suicide.
  • Rebecca Hall ("Iron Man 3") has been assigned the defense of the accused terrorist. BTW, she's the worst thing that ever happened to our divorced barrister.
  • Ciarán Hinds ("In Bruges") is a reassuring sounding board for our hero, who has become more and more alarmed as he delves ever deeper into the case.
  • Jim Broadbent ("Cloud Atlas") is the Attorney General who reassures us that everything the government does MUST be transparent to its citizens; THAT is how a democracy WORKS.
  • Julia Stiles ("The Silver Linings Playbook") is an American journalist who began digging into the case long before our hero, so she is very well informed.
  • Denis Moschitto (Lots of TV) is the accused terrorist. Problem is, for some reason the case is so sensitive he isn't allowed to see the charges against him. He is profane, angry and frightened. (And his son is in jeopardy!)
Because so much of this plot revolves around the monitoring devices, we feel that everyone is under surveillance but no one is safe. This R-rated thriller is exciting, tense, and funny in places but has no sweaty bodies or gunshots. You'll come out jarred by a couple of plot holes, but in my opinion Bana can carry any movie.
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Here is a link to a preview:
http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1179756057/
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8/24/13

In a World...

This one shocked me. I was expecting a documentary about voice-over artists but instead was treated to an R-rated Woody Allen'esque comedy with confused young singles, unfaithful marrieds and jealous parents. And yes, I confess I was a bit let down.

Here's the cast:
  • Lake Bell ("No Strings Attached") is an unemployed voice artist who teaches wannabes. She doesn't have very good manners and I had to agree with her father when he asked her to move out on her own.
  • Michaela Watkins (Lots of TV) is our gal's sister, happily married but just a bit bored. Now she has her sister under foot!
  • Rob Corddry ("Warm Bodies") is one of the two characters I actually liked. He is our heroine's patient (and forgiving) brother-in-law.
  • Fred Melamed (Lots of TV) is our heroine's father, a renowned voice artist who is slated to receive a "Life-Time Achievement Award" for his work. He is absolutely positive there is no place for female voices in his profession.
  • Alexandra Holden (Lots of TV) everyone should have a step- mother like this one!
  • Demetri Martin ("Contagion") plays a sound engineer who believes in our gal's voice. He is the second likable character.
  • Ken Marino ("We're the Millers") is a successful voice artist who is prepared to accept the torch from the retiring king; he presents the "Life-Time Achievement Award" to his former competitor.
  • Geena Davis ("The Long Kiss Goodnight") in a surprise cameo, has a surprise disclosure for our gal.
Of course we are treated to the dulcet tones of the pros (some of them in a steam bath). There are cameos by many major voice artists...even an archival bit that features the legendary Don LaFontaine.

I still wanted a documentary...sigh...
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Here is a preview:
http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3460998681/
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8/23/13

The World's End

A Simon Pegg/Nick Frost movie is sorta like an R-rated Snickers Bar. It's sweet, nutty, simplistic, a little silly and has a gooey center. Remember "Hot Fuzz?" It's the same sort of wildly implausible script, funny (and profane) dialogue, plus LOTS of action!  You know, mayhem in the men's room and brawling in the bar plus a smidgen of sci fi in the mix. You wouldn't believe it if I told you, so....

Back when they were young bucks, our gang was going to do the "Golden Mile," i.e., do twelve pubs and drink a pint in each one, ending their epic pub crawl at a place called "The World's End." Back in the day ...they failed: they got too drunk and the evening fizzled before they made the full tour.

Let's watch:
  • Simon Pegg ("Run, Fatboy, Run") doesn't think it's too late to try again. He's the spark plug for the group and will NOT take no for an answer. I've never seen Pegg so enthusiastic and macho.
  • Nick Frost ("Shaun of the Dead") absolutely does NOT want to join the old gang. He still has scars from that first round decades ago.
  • Martin Freeman ("The Hobbit" he's Bilbo Baggins) refuses to hear of his sister's exploits with his chums when they were all teens.
  • Paddy Considine ("The Bourne Ultimatum") never dared tell that girl long ago how he felt about her.
  • Eddie Marsan ("Sherlock Holmes") works at his father's car dealership and never got over being bullied in school.
  • Rosamund Pike ("Jack Reacher") is that much-admired girl from long ago, all grown up and even better than before. I've never seen this actress do knock-down comedy before!
  • David Bradley ("Captain America") is a key character in the town where our heroes go for their reunion. This actor is in EVERY- THING! "Harry Potter," "Game of Thrones," "Broadchurch," "Reckless," "World Without End," it goes on and on....
Because this script suffers from second-act problems, Director Edgar Wright ("Scott Pilgrim vs the World") has ramped up the action to overload, so my attention wandered, but I adore Simon Pegg in anything. And this does end with a big grin!
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Here is a sample:
http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2087953945/
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8/22/13

The Grandmaster

Make no mistake, when a film is directed by Wong Kar Wai ("2041"), it will be artistic no matter what audience expectations may be. Naturally he includes martial arts, but as we already know, most martial art films depend heavily on visual and audio editing. Remember "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" with the gravity-defying action? There is a bit of that here as well, but the visual editing is perfection: each scene is framed with loving care and a careful eye.

The film is loaded with Eastern aphorisms which floated in one ear and out the other, although I liked the one about two martial elements: horizontal and vertical. If you are vertical at the end of a bout... you won. Even I can understand THAT one!

Along with the visual excellence I always expect from this director, I had the pleasure of watching two of my favorite Asian actors:
  • Tony Leung ("In the Mood for Love") is Ip Man, our martial arts master who, after tragedy and fundamental changes in his life, eventually ends up in Hong Kong and establishes the school where Bruce Lee trains.
  • Ziyi Zhang ("Memoirs of a Geisha") is Gong Er, the gifted daughter of a martial arts grandmaster; she had the misfortune to be born female. She is the master of a specialized school of martial arts but swears to never disclose her secrets.
If you have been lucky enough to see "In the Mood for Love" you know not to expect gunshots or sweaty bodies but you also know there will be an achingly poignant love story. The sound track has a touch of western music that we recognize, plus some eastern pieces, as well.

We see two star-crossed lovers as they and their families are caught up in the invasion of China by the Japanese, WW II and a sea change in the way Hong Kong is governed. We see starvation and cruelty, elegance and beauty, i.e., the full panoply of Far Eastern history in the mid-1900s.

And those actors are STILL two of my favorites!
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Here is a preview:
http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi4109412633/
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8/16/13

Prince Avalanche

In 1987, 43,000 acres burned in Texas, four people died and extensive clearing and repair were needed. This entry to the 2013 Seattle Inter- national Film Festival from the USA is a remake of "Á annan veg" ("Either Way") from Iceland. We follow two men who are charged with the task of painting the lines in the newly repaired road in a remote part of Texas, mile after boring mile.

We see:
  • Paul Rudd ("Admission") is the boss. He is in charge of each day's tasks; he oversees the camp site, the tent, the cooking and the general well-being of his charge. He loves the isolation because he can study German, read, and improve himself.
  • Emile Hirsch ("Killer Joe") is the underling. He has been given this job because the boss is engaged to his sister. His family hopes this might help him grow up. He just wants to get to town so he can meet girls!
  • Lance LeGault ("Stuntmen") is a trucker who comes by their job site a time or two. He always seems to have some spare moon- shine that he is willing to share.
This is mostly two men talking, and talking, and arguing, and talking. I really didn't admire either one of them....
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Take a look for yourself:
http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2805638681/
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8/15/13

The Spectacular Now

This entry from the US to the 2013 Seattle International Film Festival worried me. I was afraid it was going to be non-stop talking heads. We join a blabbermouth young man who is clearly a sociopath, says everything right, charms everyone in his path and serves his own needs, all the while taking liberal sips from his ever-present whiskey flask. We soon realize he is experiencing black-out drunks, so we start to worry. Eek!

When Director James Ponsoldt crafts a second-act meeting with the young man's long-absent father, things start to gain traction.

We watch:
  • Miles Teller ("Footloose" 2011) is our hard-partying hero, never at a loss for words, impervious to insults and indifferent to school. This charming character is a far cry from his pathetic lost boy in "Rabbit Hole." Good for Teller!
  • Shailene Woodley ("The Descendants") is the awkward misfit who is unexpectedly targeted by our hero because she is a "nice girl." It starts as a lark, but once he gets to know her...
  • Jennifer Jason Leigh ("Revenge") is our hero's mother, distracted by her responsibilities and reluctant to mar his happy memories of his father.
  • Kyle Chandler ("Zero Dark Thirty") is that absent father, whom our hero tracks down so they can reminisce about his happy childhood.
Several things were said that I appreciated: a Geometry teacher says, "If a student fails, the teacher fails." A classmate meets with him and as he leaves he turns and says, "You're not the joke everyone thinks!" A friend says he needs "someone to yank you out of neutral!"

To me, this is notable for several extremely long single-take scenes between the two young stars. Very few older actors can sustain scenes this long. Kudos!

First reviewed 05-04-13, this R-rated drama has gained a lot of positive attention from reviewers and has now gone into general release. Expect some sexuality, lots of drinking, and a bit of profanity, but two people you want to root for.
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Check out this preview:
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8/14/13

Jobs

(The original title was "jOBS.") This bio-pic details the corporate life of Steve Jobs, the legendary entrepreneur who founded the Apple conglomerate. The more we scrutinize his life, the more we love him AND hate him.

We see:
  • Ashton Kutcher ("New Year's Eve") as Steve Jobs, college drop- out, social misfit, brilliant strategist and ruthless businessman. This doesn't gloss over his personal failings or his intractability; it does touch on his lack of personal hygiene...smile...
  • Dermot Mulroney ("Jolene") is Mike Markkula, the first venture capitalist to take a chance on Jobs (please see my review of "Something Ventured).
  • Josh Gad ("Love and Other Drugs") is Steve Wozniak, one of the original garage gang who shared Jobs' dream. His departure is wrenching.
  • Lukas Haas ("Lincoln" and he was the little Amish boy in "Witness") is Daniel Kottke, the long-time friend who did drugs with Jobs during their Reed College days in Portland and went to India with him.
  • Matthew Modine ("The Dark Knight Rises") is John Sculley, recruited by Jobs to bring a friendly face into the board room.
  • John Getz ("Blood Simple") is Paul, Steve's father, whose garage workroom they used to build their first 500 circuit boards.
  • J.K. Simmons ("The Words") one of Hollywood's premier utility players, portrays Arthur Rock, the practical rock blocking the path of our impractical protagonist.
This is rated PG-13, so you can expect mild profanity and some drug use; but be prepared for a LOT of corporate shenanigans and power plays as Jobs is fired by his own hand-picked board. This does NOT probe into his foray into movie making (i.e. Pixar), his health problems, nor his marital situation. What DO we see is a brilliant, complex man portrayed by an actor who surprised me in every frame!
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Here is a trailer:
http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1522182425/
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The Butler

The full name is "Lee Daniels' The Butler" but that is only because of a legal dispute over the title. Director Daniels ("Precious") has once again evoked powerful performances from the entire cast, some of whom have worked with him before.

Inspired by an article written by Wil Haygood about a real White House butler named Eugene Allen, this film creates a fictitious gentleman who, over three decades in the White House, serves as a butler to eight presidents. Had this been better explained, it would have avoided the controversy that followed the movie's release.

This story encompasses a turbulent period in the history of the American Civil Rights Movement, but Danny Strong's Forrest Gumpish screenplay made me feel a bit manipulated as we went to Selma, Birmingham, Oakland, etc., etc., where we witnessed hide-your-eyes events that triggered (but ultimately advanced) the movement.

We see:
  • Forest Whitaker ("The Last Stand") is mesmerizing as Cecil Gaines who first becomes a butler for Dwight D. Eisenhower and continues his service into the Reagan Administration. Whitaker ages convincingly and is in top form for this year's Oscars.
  • Oprah Winfrey ("Ocean's Thirteen") is his wife Gloria, who seems to be in chronic rivalry with her husband's prestigious job.
  • David Oyelowo ("Jack Reacher") is their son Louis, who becomes increasingly radical, much to his parents' dismay.
  • Lenny Kravitz ("Precious") is one of five other White House butlers who provide social commentary and humor.
  • Liev Schreiber ("Defiance") steals the presidential show as Lyndon B. Johnson because LBJ's profane bombast is so theatrical.
  • Mariah Carey ("Precious") is our hero's mother, raped, abused and ultimately mad.
  • Alan Rickman ("Galaxy Quest" ...smile...) is Ronald Reagan, the fellow who listened to our hero and finally raised the salaries of the black staff to match those of the whites. Ronald and Nancy invite our hero and his wife to be guests at a White House dinner.
There are far, far too many other fine actors to name, space doesn't permit me to identify all the players in this 132 minute outing. Be prepared to laugh at the generation gap as Gaines and his wife encounter changing attitudes, clothes and politics through their son. "Black Power? What does that mean?" and "Shaneequa? What kind of a name is that?"

This is rated PG-13, so expect horrifying examples of racism, but no sweaty bodies, very little gunfire, and no blowie uppie stuff, but the "N" word is used repeatedly and the police dogs are scary. When I watch this again on DVD, I will relish the closed captions, although most of the audience clearly did NOT need them.
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Here is a preview:
http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1028236825/
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8/8/13

Blue Jasmine

If Cate Blanchett isn't short-listed for this year's Best Actress at the Oscars, there is no justice. As a matter of fact, in this assembly of award-winning actors directed by the perennial Woody Allen, there is not one weak performance.

I sat in the theater marveling at the talent and skill on display. Blanchett (from Australia) and Hawkins (from the U.K.) play American sisters without a hint of accent. Furthermore, no one in this film had to do that irritating Woody Allen stammer. This is one of Allen's most accessible films since "Match Point."

Look at this cast:
  • Cate Blanchett ("Hanna") is the pampered wife of an extremely successful New York businessman, her life suffers a cataclysmic shock and she loses touch with reality, so she seeks shelter with her divorced sister. (Blanchett has won an Oscar among many other honors and added 2014 Best Actress for this one.)
  • Alec Baldwin ("Rock of Ages") is her husband, suave, handsome and (we can tell) smarmy. Baldwin relishes roles like this. (He has won numerous Emmys.)
  • Sally Hawkins ("Made in Dagenham") is her sister, a single parent in a tiny walk-up, but willing to try to help. (She has won a Golden Globe.)
  • Bobby Cannavale ("Win Win") plays another ebullient character, outspoken, honest and very appealing. (He has won an Emmy.)
  • Andrew Dice Clay ("Entourage") is our gal's former brother-in-law; he has a way of condensing all of her faults into three statements. (He has won a Razzie(!)
  • Peter Sarsgaard ("An Education") walks into our gal's life just in the nick of time! (He has won BSFC Award.)
This excellently crafted PG-13 script slowly unveils events in Jasmine's past. We couldn't help but hear the mature-man/teenage-lover defense with Mr. Allen's notorious past in mind, and some of the relationships evoked echoes of Tennessee Williams' "Streetcar..." In fact, one talented reviewed described it as "Blanche Dubois meets Ruth Madoff." (I wish I had said that!)

Between Allen and Blanchett, they have created a realistic and relatable melt-down! I love it when there are no bad guys or good guys, just people with human failings and various levels of desperation, trying to get by.
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Here is a link to a preview:
http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2545264921/
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Elysium

Did you see "District 9?" I did. I found it audacious and memorable, so I've been looking forward to "Elysium" ever since I discovered Neill Blomkamp was the director. In this one, it is the year 2154 and only the rabble continues to live in squaller on a ruined Earth; the wealthy live on an orbiting space station called Elysium, where equality is the last thing on their minds...sort of a gated community.

On both habitats, the residents speak a polyglot of English, Spanish, French, and other assorted tongues. When the dialogue isn't in English, there are captions to help us out. (A person who speaks three languages is trilingual; two languages, bilingual; one language, American...smile...)

Look at this cast:
  • Matt Damon (The "Bourne" franchise) is Max, a former felon determined to meet the terms of his parole and stay out of jail. He has never forgotten his little playmate Frey, now grown up and a medico in the cluttered chaos of Earth.
  • Alica Braga ("On the Road") is Frey; even though she's a doctor, the equipment to cure her daughter of acute leukemia is up on Elysium and she has no legal way to get there.
  • Diego Luna ("Casa de mi Padre") is Julio, Max's loyal friend.
  • Jodie Foster ("The Beaver") is Delacourt, the icy Frenchwoman in charge of security on Elysium. She takes her job very, very seriously.
  • Sharlto Copley ("The A-Team") is Kruger, Delacourt's enforcer.
We see a large, capable cast. The horrific industrial accident that causes radiation poisoning feels authentic and our hero's subsequent medical treatment made me hide my eyes.

This is an R-rated actioner, so expect oodles of profanity and a lot of gun play, plus endless fisticuffs and blowie uppie stuff. There are no sweaty bodies but Damon can convey affection with just a crooked smile.

Of course we see almost non-stop Computer Generated Imaging...sigh... but the ramshackle vehicles, both on land and in the air made me think of "Mad Max."

Note: Key bits of dialogue are difficult to understand, so if you have any concerns, find a theater with closed captions or wait for the DVD.
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Here is a link to a preview:
http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2295768601/
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8/6/13

We're the Millers

Here's a great idea: Create a fake family to smuggle a large amount of pot from Mexico in their family RV. No one would suspect THEM! And these poor simpletons end up with enough marijuana in their vehicle to kill Willie Nelson.

This is one of the funniest (and most profanely vulgar) movies I have seen in a long time. Yes, it's predictable but we were surprised and delighted at every twist and turn along the way. Director Rawson Marshall Thurber ("Dodgeball") made each actor genuinely appealing. I have never been so impressed by Sudeikis or Aniston, while Roberts surprised me with her comic timing and Poulter is in a league of his own.

Here are the amateurs (and the professionals):
  • Jason Sudeikis ("Horrible Bosses") is an amateur smuggler; in real life he's a low-end pot dealer, a holdover from his college days.
  • Jennifer Aniston ("Wanderlust") is an amateur smuggler; in real life she's a professional stripper. The choreography for her dance is clever.
  • Emma Roberts ("Hotel for Dogs") is an amateur smuggler; in real life she's a street kid who robs newspaper vending machines.
  • Will Poulter ("Son of Rambow") is an amateur smuggler, in real life he's a dorky student whose mom left for groceries...last Tuesday. (This actor is British!)
  • Ed Helms ("The Hangover") is a professional drug kingpin who isn't above a "smidge" of lying and cheating. He's so rich he bought an orca, just because he could.
  • Nick Offerman (Lots of TV) is a vacationer in a huge RV just like the one our "family" uses.
  • Kathryn Hahn (Lots of TV) is his wife.
  • Luis Guzmán ("The Count of Monte Cristo") is a federale who is just looking for a bribe...sorta...
This silly (but funny) set-up has some deplorable moments with blink-and-you'll-miss-it male nudity, crass humor, lots of profanity, several gunshots, no blowie uppie stuff, and a laugh a minute.  Oh...and a tarantula!
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Here is a sample:
http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi544319001/
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Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters

Here comes the second chapter of this popular series, based on the book by Rick Riordan, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters. Directed by Thor Freudenthal ("Diary of a Wimpy Kid") whose main job here seems to be to produce Computer Generated Images... A movie based on a book this fantastical HAS to include CGI, so I'm not com- plaining ...this time. Plus I appreciate the fact that kids refer back to books on Greek mythology to read about the Golden Fleece.

The invisible shield that protects the half-bloods' safe haven has evaporated because the tree that created it is dying. Their only hope is the Golden Fleece because of its restorative powers.

Here they are again:
  • Logan Lerman ("The Perks of Being a Wallflower") is Percy, our dauntless half-blood (his father is Poseidon, God of the Sea). He can (usually) control the seas...
  • Alexandra Daddario ("Percy Jackson: Lightening Thief"), Annabeth is determined to retrieve the Golden Fleece. She is sort of a Hogwarts Hermione: she READS!
  • Nathan Fillian ("Much Ado About Nothing") surprises us as a UPS guy/Hermes. His son Luke is mad at him... But he gives our hero some terrific packing tape!
  • Stanley Tucci ("Hunger Games") is Dionysus. Zeus is still mad, so he turns his wine into water. He has heard Christians have a god who can do the reverse..."Now THERE is a God!"
  • Brandon T. Jackson ("Tropic Thunder") is cloven-hoofed Grover, another half-blood and a loyal pal.
  • Jake Abel ("I Am Number Four") is Hermes' son Luke; he looks like a young Kevin Bacon! He has serious daddy issues and goes to the Dark Side.
This has a PG rating, so expect no nudity, no profanity, a bit of vehicular mayhem in a taxi (three hags driving it share one eyeball), lots of sword- play and fisticuffs but no blowie uppie stuff. There is a great storm at sea, though, and I liked the Greek myth depicted with animated stained glass figures.
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Here is a link to a trailer:
http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1181132313/
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8/5/13

Toast

This 2010 TV movie boasts some gently adult British humor centered around a petulant schoolboy who just wants a decent meal...and maybe some fresh vegetables. His ailing mother is strictly a canned peas kind of cook but she usually has to fall back to fresh toast.

Inspired by food writer, television personality and journalist Nigel Slater's memoir, this bio-pic set in the 1960s is all about FOOD. You've never seen cooking like his mum's; it's no wonder he wanted to do it himself. But wait until the cooking competition starts between him and his new step-mother.

Director S.J. Clarkson ("Bates Motel") used these ingredients:
  • Oscar Kennedy (Lots of TV) is young Nigel Slater, frustrated by his mother's cooking, his dad's short temper, and misled by a school chum's worldly advice.
  • Freddie Highmore ("August Rush") is adolescent Nigel, daring to follow his bliss and still striving for his father's approval.
  • Ken Stott ("One Day") is Dad, suffering from loneliness, bad digestion and a rebellious son.
  • Victoria Hamilton ("Lark Rise to Candleford") is Mum, it's no wonder she can't cook, she's very ill.
  • Helen Bonham Carter ("The King's Speech") is Mrs. Potter, that upstart from Council (Public) Housing who shows up in Nigel's home and seduces his father with her suggestive housekeeping moves. (You have to see it to believe it.)
Of major note is a beautiful father/son montage backed by Dusty Springfield singing "If You Go Away" that illustrates how much both of these fellows miss Mum. BTW, if you are tempted by luscious food, better stay away from this DVD! (But it DOES have Closed Captions.)
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Here's a nibble:
http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi2821824025/
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8/1/13

2 Guns

So these two guys are gonna rob a bank...

This is sort of a Spy vs Spy, as two undercover agents from two different government organizations, neither of whom knows of the other's link to his real employer, rob a bank, only to discover it's a set-up...plus there is waaay more than the $3M they expect: $43.125M! And these fellows can't even agree on what to have for breakfast.

Directed by Baltasar Kormákur ("The Deep" one of my favorites from the 2013 Seattle International Film Festival) with a screenplay by Blake Masters (Lots of TV) based on Boom Studio's graphic novels, this is fun all the way, with enough comedy to keep ME happy and enough action to entertain the screening audience.

We enjoy:
  • Denzel Washington ("Flight") is Bobby, the steady, focused DEA guy whose patience is sorely taxed by his gabby sidekick.
  • Mark Wahlberg ("Broken City") is Stig, a cocky, ebullient (and very funny) Naval Intelligence officer...plus he's a GREAT shot!
  • Paula Patton ("Disconnect") plays Deb, the beauty with the DEA who shares a history with Bobby.
  • Bill Paxton ("Big Love") his Earl from the CIA shows us what cruelty looks like.
  • Edward James Olmos (Lots of TV) Papi Greco leads a drug cartel (as if things weren't already complicated enough).
This R-rated actioner kept the audience involved every single minute. Expect very little profanity, partial nudity and no sweaty bodies, but a LOT of gunfire and vehicular mayhem. But (and this is a big BUT) NO discernible Computer Generated Imaging.

It was violent, wild, and had no socially redeeming value, but I enjoyed it!
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This link is for the International Trailer:
http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1587915033/
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