We Need to Talk About Kevin

Indyfest (A Look at a Small, Indie or Foreign Film):   We Need to Talk About Kevin  (2012)  A mother (Tilda Swinton) deals with bringing up a difficult child, who, from day one, behaves badly towards her but acts lovingly towards his father (John C. Reilly) which creates a more troubling experience for the mother.  Swinton is astonishing as the mother who, no matter what she does or says, is treated badly by her son.  It's sad that the Academy Awards didn't honor Swinton with a nomination because she was just as good as the five women that got them.  Several actors play the boy's character through the years, but Ezra Miller stands out as the teen boy who commits an act of violence that destroys his family and also his community.  This is an extremely tough film to watch if you are a parent, but is worth seeing for the amazing performances of this talented cast.  My Rating:  Bargain Matinee   We Need to Talk About Kevin Website

The 50 (A Movie From My Best/Worst Films of All Time) 

25th Best Film:

The Third Man  (1949)  This classic mystery is set in postwar Vienna where novelist, Holly Martins (Joseph Cotten) travels to the city at the invitation of his old friend Harry Lime (Orson Welles) with the promise of a job. When Martins arrives, he discovers that his friend, Harry, has died under very mysterious circumstances.  Martins decides to investigate and becomes involved in the seedy world of liars, black markets and espionage.  This film is a beautiful example of Film Noir , with bewitching Black and White cinematography, where everything seems to be covered in long, dark shadows.  Welles gives one of his better performances in a career of memorable roles.   The Third Man Info

Forgotten Film:  Fantastic Voyage  (1966)  A defecting scientist is nearly assassinated and develops an inoperable blood clot in his brain.  The only way to save him is to use a top secret technology that allows people and machines to be shrunk to almost microscopic size.  A team, led by top scientists (Arthur Kennedy and Donald Pleasance) and a submarine filled with wonderful gadgets undergo the procedure, are inserted into the body of the stricken person and have only one hour to destroy the blood clot before they return to their normal size. The special effects are really excellent, but who am I kidding, the reason to watch this film is Raquel Welch, who plays a doctor's assistant, wearing one stunning looking form-fitted suit.   My Rating:  Bargain Matinee   Fantastic Voyage Info

In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD):  Hugo  (2011)  This five time Oscar-winning film, directed by Martin Scorsese, is the story of a young orphaned boy (Asa Butterfield) who lives in a Paris train station in the 1930s.  He goes on a quest to solve a mystery of an object that his dead father left behind, a quest that leads him to interact with some rather interesting characters.  This film will lose something if you do not see it in 3-D, and I did not enjoy the "bad guy" of the film, the Station Inspector, who was played way-over-the-top by Sacha Baron Cohen.  My Rating:  Bargain Matinee   Hugo Info

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I've Only Seen in Trailers but Just Looks Like a Bad Idea):  A Thousand Words  (2012)  Remember when Eddie Murphy used to make good adult-oriented films, like 48 Hrs, Trading Places and Beverly Hills Cop?  Unfortunately, this film, about a literary agent who gets cursed with a magical tree, looks more like the Eddie Murphy of recent flops, such as Norbit and Meet Dave.   A Thousand Words Website

Weird Credits:  From the credits of The Vow:  Channing Tatum's Music Coach

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Silent House:  A young woman (Elizabeth Olsen) becomes trapped in her family's lakeside home and, as minutes tick by, it becomes very apparent that something or someone does not want her to leave.  This film was shot in one long, continuous take and takes place in real time.  Olsen showed she can act in last years Martha Marcy May Marlene, so lets hope this material is worthy of her acting talents.   Silent House Website

Until Next Time!