Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

My View:  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows:  Part 2:     As the film begins, things are not going well for Harry, Ron and Hermione.   They are on the run from the Dark Lord and are having to make deals with people they don’t trust.  Their mission is to destroy the remaining Horcruxes that Voldemort needs to kill to continue his quest for immortality.   This film is amazing because it has spanned eight films over ten years, and the leads, Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson, especially, have grown into talented, adult actors who can handle complex roles.   It also doesn’t hurt when you have quality actors as Maggie Smith, Ralph Fiennes, Alan Rickman, and Helena Bonham Carter rounding out the cast. The film does a brilliant job of wrapping up the series, and fans will be happy with the touching, exciting ending that takes place where the series started…Hogwarts. By the way, the film was not shot in 3-D, so save your money and enjoy it in 2-D.  My rating:  Full Price   Harry Potter Website

The 50 (a movie from my best/worst film of time)

#39 Best Film

Red River  (1948)  Howard Hawks directed this sweeping western about a Texas rancher, played by John Wayne, who, with his adopted son, played by Montgomery Clift, embark on an ambitious cattle drive.  Wayne plays a driven man who is set in his ways and is used to his word being the law.  Clift, while respecting Wayne, comes to realize that his father’s ways are not correct.  The film portrays the ultimate power struggle between father and son with great performances from Wayne as the flawed father and Clift as the son who must challenge his father’s ethics.  A great, majestic score and crisp, clear cinematography make this one of the all time classic westerns.   Red River Info

Forgotten Film:  The Flamingo Kid  (1984)  Matt Dillon plays Jeffery Willis, who, after graduating high school, gets a summer job at The Flamingo Club, an upscale beach resort.  There he meets a flashy car dealer, Brody (played by Richard Crenna) who begins to fill Jeffery with ideas of fame, money and the good life.  Throughout the film, it looks like Jeffery will  fashion his life and lifestyle after Brody’s until he discovers that maybe the “good life” isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, especially if you have to leave behind your friends and family.    The Flamingo Kid Info

In Case You Missed it (A Film Just Released on DVD):

Limitless  (2011)   Bradley Cooper stars as a burnt out writer who discovers a pill that makes him so brilliant that he quickly becomes rich and famous.  But, there’s a price to pay, and he soon becomes involved in a complicated plot where he attempts to stay one step ahead of a  ruthless businessman (played by Robert De Niro).  This is one of those films that, if you want to enjoy it, you just have to let the film kind of run by you.   Don’t put too much thought into the plot and just try to enjoy the performances.   My Rating:  Bargain Matinee   Limitless Website

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I’ve Only Seen in Trailers but Just Looks Like a Bad Idea);  The Change-Up   Jason Bateman plays a family man, and Ryan Reynolds plays his best friend who is single and sleeps around.  After a drunken wish (while peeing into a fountain), the two men wake up to discover that they have switched bodies.  This looks just like a raunchy version of Freaky Friday, and my pee-in-a-fountain-wish would be that this film will just go away.   The Change-Up

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Project Nim:  Primate Choreographer

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  One Day   Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess meet on the night of their college graduation and decide to continue to meet for one day every year.   Directed by Lone Scherfig (An Education) and a possible Oscar nod for Hathaway, this romantic comedy could be the perfect end to the summer.   One Day Website

Until Next Time!