Identity Thief

My View:   Identity Thief  (2013)   Sandy Patterson (Jason Bateman) discovers that his identity has been stolen, and it’s causing him a world of problems. Sandy finds out that the identity thief is a woman named Diana (Melissa McCarthy) and that she is living large in another state. So, Sandy goes on a road trip to hunt down Diana and bring her back to clear his name. This film just isn't funny, and it’s a film that desperately wants you to like the two main characters, but you never really connect to either of them. The first twenty minutes, and yes it takes that long to set up the premise, feel more like a drama or a horror film, as it is really scary how quickly Sandy’s identity is stolen and how quickly his life gets torn to shreds. The plot is full of holes the size of Montana, and there are “comedy” bits that are so obvious, they might as well be put on a billboard. It seems that at no point in the film did the director let McCarthy loose and improvise her part, something that she has done so well in Bridesmaids and This is 40 . At one point, the mob is trying to kill Diana, and you begin rooting for the hit-men, just so that the film can end. And my advice to Melissa McCarthy, get a new agent, because you are far better actress than this and one who doesn’t need to be constantly put down by an array of fat jokes/situations. And a word of warning, the film is almost two hours in length but feels like three.   My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again   Identity Thief Website

                                                          

My View:   Side Effects  (2013)   Emily’s (Rooney Mara) husband Martin (Channing Tatum) is just released from prison for serving time for insider trading. But life is getting her down and, after an apparent suicide try, Emily agrees to see a psychiatrist, Dr. Jonathan Banks (Jude Law). He decides to treat Emily with a new product recently introduced to the public, a product that may cause deadly consequences. The best part of this film is the first twenty-five minutes, which has an incredible amount of twists and turns in the plot. The film does slow down after that, and I only really enjoyed it again near the end when some of the better plot twists were revealed. I liked Jude Law as the psychiatrist that gets in over his head but found that Mara’s portrayal of the troubled wife of Martin was lacking, as she didn’t quite give the performance that I expected.  I hope this isn’t the last film that Steven Soderbergh directs as it certainly isn’t one of his best.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Side Effects Website

Indiefest:    Café de Flore (2013) This film is about  two love stories set forty years apart. One, set in present day, is about a divorced woman, Carole (Helene Florent), who is convinced that her ex-husband, Antoine (Kevin Parent), is still the love of her life, and she is determined to get him back. The second story, set forty years earlier, is about the love a single mother, Jacqueline (Vanessa Paradis), has for her son, Laurent (Lucas Bonin), who was born with Down’s syndrome. She is determined to provide the best for her son, but it’s a struggle to keep him alive and well. This is a film that will stay with you quite a while and will be sure to trigger discussions. The two lead actresses are unbelievably good, especially Vanessa Paradis, who brings such passion to her acting that you can almost see the worry for her son dripping off her brow. This is a film that may not give you all the answers you want, but it will definitely make you think.    My Rating: Full Price   Cafe de Flore Website

Forgotten Film:   Run Lola Run (1998) This German film starring Franka Potente as Lola, is about a woman, who’s boyfriend has lost 100,000 German Marks that belong to the mob. The boyfriend is desperate, knowing that if he doesn’t provide the money, they will kill him. Lola convinces her boyfriend that she can get the money in twenty minutes before the mob shows up. The film then portrays three different “runs," all taking 20 minutes but all three take different directions, with the storylines changing due to the decisions/actions that Lola makes. The film is incredibly fast paced with numerous edits and transitions and reveals how even the littlest thing can change our future.   Some decisions we make in an instant, and some of these are the most important decisions of our lives. It is left to the viewer to decide which of the runs really happened.    My Rating: Full Price   Run Lola Run Info

In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD):   Flight (2012) This is one of those films where the lead actor is better than the part he is given. I love Denzel Washington as the brash, alcoholic pilot, but I felt the script was too full of clichés and was much too long.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Flight Website

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Film I’ve Only Seen in Trailers but Just Looks Like a Bad Idea): Beautiful Creatures (2013) Another in a long line of Young Adult based books turned into movie to try and replace the Twilight franchise. The characters in the trailer look and feel like they belong in a high school production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.   Beautiful Creatures Website

Weird Credits: From the credits of Side Effects: Blood Supplier

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:   Room 237 (2013) A documentary about the possible hidden meanings in the Stanley Kubrick film The Shining. I don’t know if I will believe any of the theories of the film, but it should be a blast seeing the filmmakers try to come up with ideas, such as the film, which is about how a haunted hotel drives a man to madness, is in reality a film dealing with the Holocaust.    Room 237 Website

Until Next Time!

Flight

My View:  Flight (2012) Whip Whitaker (Denzel Washington) is an airline pilot whose quick thinking and brave flying saves a plane and its passengers from a fiery death. But when the authorities begin an investigation into the crash, questions arise and Whip comes under the microscope. This is Denzel’s movie, as he is on-screen almost the whole film and his performance is certainly Oscar quality. The crash sequence is absolutely the best one I have ever seen.  You really feel like you are a part of the flight. John Goodman makes a couple of brief appearances in the film as one of Whip’s buddies, and he takes over those scenes with humor that only Goodman can do. I do feel, though, that the script is a little lacking.  It’s too long, full of clichés that you generally anticipate and there is just too much of Denzel’s character brooding about in rooms. But the film is worth seeing because of Denzel and the crash scenes.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Flight Website

My View:  Cloud Atlas (2012) A tale that takes place over hundreds of years where the action of one person affects the lives of many in the present and in the future. If someone commits a horrible act in one life, can that person be redeemed by committing acts of kindness in their future lives? First off, pack a lunch because this movie is 172 minutes long. It’s a film that you have to pay close attention to because it does a lot of moving about from one time period to another, sometimes very abruptly. Each of the main actors play 5 to 6 characters in the film, and sometimes the makeup is so well done, you can’t tell which actor is portraying certain parts. It’s a gorgeous film, and there are quite a few action sequences to keep the film moving. While I did appreciate the film, and I really liked certain portions of the film, I found that it’s not a film that I want to ever experience again, because while I did enjoy the ending and how everything connected together, it just wasn’t that overwhelming of an experience that it should have been.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Cloud Atlas Website

Indiefest: The Sessions (2012) Mark O’Brien (John Hawkes) contracted polio at age 7. It’s the mid-80’s in San Francisco. Mark is now 38 and spends most of his time in an iron lung with almost no muscle control in his body. Mark has tried to start relationships with women, but has never found anyone who is willing to take a chance on him. Mark decides that time is running out for him, and he wants to lose his virginity, so he enlists counsel of his priest (William H. Macy) and the help of a sex surrogate (Helen Hunt) to accomplish his goal. It’s a goal that will not only change Mark’s life but will change the lives of so many people who know him. This is one of the better films of the year with incredible performances by Hawkes and Hunt, with Hawkes giving his performance with just his voice and his eyes. The film is based on a true story and is about 80 percent accurate, with the poems in the film written by the real Mark O’Brien. I am warning you that there are lots of nudity, and you do see the sex acts between Hawkes and Hunt, but they are tastefully done, with the scenes between the two characters filled with humor and warmth.  My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   The Sessions Website

Indiefest: The Details (2012) A family of raccoons has decided that Dr. Jeffrey Lang’s (Tobey Maguire) beloved backyard is the perfect feeding ground. Dr. Lang becomes obsessed with ridding his yard of the pests, by any means necessary. This war on the raccoons could destroy his yard…and his marriage. This is a dark comedy where Maguire’s character just gets caught up in more and more bad things, some are his fault, some the fault of others. Elizabeth Banks plays his wife, who seems to be the perfect wife until you see that their marriage is just about appearances, much like the yard that Maguire’s character obsesses about. Laura Linney is sensational in the role of the crazy neighbor, who becomes the key to all that happens to Maguire’s character. This isn’t a great film, but it does have some really creative scenes and a cast that is worth watching.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    The Details Info

Forgotten Film: Freaks (1932) This film, directed by Tod Browning (Dracula), is one of the scariest films I have ever seen. A beautiful trapeze artist, Cleopatra (Olga Baclanova), finds out that Hans, a little person working in the circus, is about to inherit a lot of money. She sets her sights on him and manipulates him into wedding proposal, all the while she is having an affair with the Circus strongman, Hercules (Henry Victor). Most of the cast is made of up of actual sideshow performers, such as Siamese Twins and Human Skeleton. When the sideshow performers find out that Cleopatra is just using Hans for his money, they set out for revenge. The ending of this film must be seen to be believed.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee Freaks Info 

Weird Credits: From the credits of Flight:   Addiction Consultant

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You: Life of Pi (2012) The story of an Indian boy name Pi, who, after a ship he was on is sunk in a storm, finds himself on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger. I know it sounds weird, but it’s directed by Ang Lee, and the word is that this is a magical film.    Life of Pi Website

Until Next Time!

Pitch Perfect

My View:  Pitch Perfect  (2012)  Music is Becca’s (Anna Kendrick) life, so much so that she wants to move to Los Angeles to become a music producer. Her father, who is a professor, though, wants her to get an education first, so he makes a deal with Becca – stay at the university for one year and join at least one group activity. So, Becca joins “The Bellas,” an all-female A Cappella group as they work to reach the A Cappella national championship. The only problem is their main competition is an all-male group on their own campus called, “The Treblemakers.”  I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this film.  The singing is highly entertaining and includes some fun sing-offs,  but I really was suppressed by the quality of  the humor in the film, especially anytime scene stealer Rebel Wilson was on-screen.  Anna Kendrick has a beautiful voice, and her auction for the group is an amazing performance piece.  Yes, this film is predictable and a little cheesy, but it's a whole lot of fun.  Think of this film as "a mix of Glee and Mean Girls."    My Rating:  Full Price    Pitch Perfect Website

My View:  End of Watch  (2012)  Two young police officers, Brian (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Mike (Michael Pena), are out to make a name for themselves on the mean streets of Los Angeles. When an ordinary traffic stop turns into a big drug bust, the officers lives may never be the same. It turns out the drugs belong to a Mexican drug cartel, and they won’t stop till they get their revenge.  I must admit, I had a little trouble getting my head into the film due to its language and heavy violence but as the film progresses, I really enjoyed it.  What makes this film is the relationship between the two young cops who are just trying to do the best job they can in a hard, hard world.  The director does a nice, new take on the "found footage" gimmick that a lot of films are using, and its use never gets old.  Yes, there is the drug cartel aspect of the film, but this film's heart and soul exhibits the day-to-day life of a cop on the street and off the street, when they go home to their families.  Be warned, there is not only extreme, realistic violence in this film, but there are disturbing scenes where you see the end result of violence the cartels dish out.  I liked Gyllenhaal and Anna Kendrick, who plays his girlfriend, but it's Michael Pena, his partner, who shines in this film.  There is Oscar talk about his performance.    My Rating:  Full Price     End of Watch Website

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

#15 Best Film

The Philadelphia Story  (1940)  Before this film came out, the star of the film, Katharine Hepburn, was labeled by the press as "Box Office Poison," as she had been in a number of films that had done nothing.  The Philadelphia Story is the film that made her a star, and rightly so, as she plays Tracy Lord, a wealthy divorcee who is about to remarry.  A reporter, named Macaulay (James Stewart), teams up with Tracy's ex-husband, Dexter (Cary Grant) to get the story behind the wedding of the year, though, it seems, Dexter wants to just cause a little mischief.  But, Tracy is in for the ride of her life as she begins to fall in love with both Macaulay and Dexter, all right before her big day.  This film is one of the best examples of the comedies of the 1940s with Hepburn, Stewart and especially, Grant at the height of their comedic talents.  This is a funny film that is also touching, as Tracy discovers that she has a lot to learn about her place in the world and with whom to fall in love.   The Philadelphia Story Info

Forgotten Film:  The Paper Chase  (1973)  Timothy Bottoms plays James, a first year law student who is struggling to find his way in the hard academic life at Harvard Law School.  His toughest professor is Professor Charles Kingsfield (John Houseman), a demanding but brilliant teacher. James, at first, is in over his head, but then he realizes that everyone else in the school is also underwater.  In fact, he discovers that he is doing better than some of his fellow classmates.  His life changes when he meets Susan, and he soon falls in love with her.  But, there is a catch.  James discovers, to his horror, that Susan has a secret - one that could wreck his career.  John Houseman won a Best Supporting Oscar for his role of the tough, but great teacher, Professor Kingsfield.  This film is full of complex characters with rich acting performances from such future stars as Edward Herrmann and Blair Brown, and gives us a satisfying ending to a wonderful and vibrant story.    My Rating:  Bargain Matinee    The Paper Chase Info

In Case You Missed It ( A Film Just Released on DVD):  The Avengers  (2012)  The big summer blockbuster hit was successful at the box office not only for its high energy action sequences, but also for the humorous dialogue.  I feel that audiences would have to see the film two or three times to be able to hear all the funny lines that were spit out like gunfire. Robert Downey, Jr. as Ironman, is what the storyline revolved around, but for many people, it was The Hulk, and his smashing everything in sight, that made this film so enjoyable.    My Rating:  I Would Pay to See it Again   The Avengers Website

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I've Only Seen in Trailers but Just Looks Like a Bad Idea):   Alex Cross  (2012)  Tyler Perry plays Alex Cross, aWashington DC detective, who has to take on a madman (played by a super ripped/0% body fat Matthew Fox).  The film has a good cast with Rachel Nichols, Jean Reno and Edward Burns, but will audiences accept a guy who usually plays an overweight woman as a bad ass P.I.?  I don't think so.    Alex Cross Website

Weird Credits:  From the credits of End of Watch:  Special thanks to the United States Submarine Force

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:   Flight  (2012)  Denzel Washington stars as an airline pilot who saves a flight from crashing, but soon, an investigation reveals that he may have been the fault of the near crash.  Lots of Oscar talk surrounding Denzel for this role.   Flight Website

Until Next Time!