Dumb and Dumber To

My View: Dumb and Dumber To (2014) PG-13   It’s been 20 years since their last adventure, so the boys (Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels) are ready for a new road trip. This time Lloyd and Harry try to find Harry’s daughter. If you are a fan of the first film, then stay away from this one. This film isn't funny (I saw the film with a screening full of fans of the first film, and not much laughter occurred.).  This film is mean-spirited and badly written, and, too often goes for the easy, predictable joke. The first film has a sweetness to it, a film about really stupid but loveable guys. This film is full of fart jokes, harmful practical stunts and a plot that takes way too much time to get going. Apparently, you can get too dumb with your material. There is a very short bonus scene at the end of the credits but it's not worth staying to see it.  My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again  Dumb and Dumber To Website

My View: Beyond the Lights (2014)  PG-13  A young musician (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) has been trained her whole life by her manager / mother (Minnie Driver) to become a pop star at any price. It all becomes too much until the striving star encounters a knight in shining armor - a police officer named, Kaz (Nate Parker). This is a good film made better by the amazing performance of Gugu Mbatha-Raw as the talented pop star who is trying to find her place and get out from under her dominating mother. Mbatha-Raw just radiates on the screen, as your eyes just constantly follow her. The film has a great supporting cast including Minnie Driver as the mother and Danny Glover as Nate's father. The film moves at a nice pace and will remind you of the old Whitney Houston / Kevin Costner film, The Bodyguard (1992). It's a feel-good romantic movie that hits all the marks.  My Rating: Full Price  Beyond the Lights Facebook page

Indiefest: Rosewater (2014)  R   Journalist Maziar Bahari (Gael Garcia Bernal) was back in his home country of Iran to cover the national elections for the BBC. After reporting on protests going on in the country, he was arrested and held for more than 100 days in solitary confinement, enduring both mental and physical torture. This is a good, first effort from director / writer Jon Stewart. Bahari, played by the talented Garcia Bernal, uses humor as one of his coping mechanisms, so this film isn't all torture and despair. There are some moving scenes in the film, and Gael Garcia Bernal gives it his all. While it is a film about the power of journalism, at its core, it's really a film about the importance of family and love.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Rosewater Facebook page

Indiefest: The Theory of Everything (2014) PG-13  The love story between the famous physicist Stephen Hawking (Eddie Redmayne) and his wife, Jane (Felicity Jones). Redmayne and Jones are extraordinary in this film about the love between two people who decide to live every day like it could be their last. They give unbelievable performances and have an incredible chemistry on screen. It's a beautiful story and has a lot of up and downs, as two people team up to achieve remarkable things, not only in their professional lives but also in their personal lives. If you are a fan of romantic films, then this one is for you.  My Rating: Full Price  The Theory of Everything Website

Indiefest: The Way He Looks (2014) PG-13  Leonardo (Ghilherme Lobo) is a blind teenager who is searching for his place in the world. His world changes when Gabriel (Fabio Audi) enters his life. This is a great coming-of-age film that is a sweet, touching look at first love. Lobo is perfect in the role of Leonardo, a boy who is a little shy but is determined to live life on his own terms. This Brazilian film has won awards at a number of film festivals, and it doesn't disappoint, hitting it out of the park. This is a film that will move you and make you root for the underdog.  My Rating: Full Price  The Way He Looks Website

Forgotten Film: A Simple Plan (1998) R  Hank (Bill Paxton), Jacob (Billy Bob Thornton) and Lou (Brent Briscoe) find a deserted plane out in the woods filled with millions of dollars. They figure out a plan to claim the money, and then everything goes wrong. This is a combo of a rather dark comedy, mixed in with a bit of a mystery/thriller vibe. Paxton and Thornton give some of their best performances in this film that explores what happens when ordinary men are overwhelmed by greed.  My Rating: Full Price  A Simple Plan Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Rosewater: Audience Engagement Strategist

Coming to a Theatre Near You: Into the Woods (2014) PG  A witch (Meryl Streep) sets out to teach important lessons to various characters of popular children's stories. The film has an outstanding cast, including Anna Kendrick, Streep, Chris Pine and Emily Blunt. The trailer for this film makes you want to buy your tickets now! Into the Woods Website

Until Next Time!

Whiplash

Indiefest:  Whiplash (2014) R A promising young drummer, Andrew (Miles Teller), is promoted to the top jazz band at a music conservatory.  He seems to have the world by the tale: a cute girlfriend (Melissa Benoist), a supportive father (Paul Reiser) and an immense talent. But Andrew’s dream gig turns into a nightmare due to the band’s nightmare of a leader (J.K. Simmons).  The two leads of this film, Teller and Simmons, give amazing, unbelievable performances that are both gut wrenching and sometimes terrifying. This film is almost a horror film about music as the band leader played by Simmons puts Andrew through some of the most sadistic mind controlling sessions that are both moving and believable. Teller is perfect in the role and shows us a range of emotion that is necessary for this movie to hits its emotional marks. Teller is vulnerable, and yet we sense that this is a young man who will be able to fight back when needed. Simmons gives us an Oscar worthy performance as the man who will do anything to ensure that his music is played exactly the way he envisioned it. My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   Whiplash Website

Indiefest: White Bird in a Blizzard (2014) R  When Kat (Shailene Woodley) is 17 years old, her mother (Eva Green) disappears. The husband (Christopher Meloni) is left shattered, wondering what he did to make her leave. Kat tries to figure out her place in the world without her mother to help her. Part mystery, part coming-of-age film, Kat must figure out, with the help of friends (Gabourey Sidibe and Mark Indelicato)and her psychiatrist (Angela Bassett), how she feels about her mother, someone with whom she didn't always get along. But Kat also slowly puts together that her mother's disappearance may be due to more than just an unhappy housewife wanting to leave. Woodley gives us her first real adult performance as a woman who, while still channeling a young person, is trying to become an adult, with all the responsibilities and feelings that go along with it. Eva Green, who plays the mother (mostly shown in flashbacks), gives us another multi-layered role as the housewife who may have a secret or two. Christopher Meloni is exceptionally cast as the milquetoast father, and I especially enjoyed Gabourey Sidibe as Kat's best friend. But, this is Woodley's movie, and she carries it off with ease.  My Rating: Full Price  White Bird in a Blizzard Website

Indiefest: Nightcrawler (2014) Lou Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal) stumbles across a career he never knew existed, freelance news cameraman. Once he learns the ropes, he chases the sirens to the crashes with the best of them. Selling footage of crime scenes and multi-car crashes is big money, and Lou will stop at nothing to get his shot. Gyllenhaal is incredible as the obsessed Lou, making him one of the creepiest characters ever on the screen. I loved Rene Russo as the news director who encourages Lou to push the boundaries. My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  Nightcrawler Info  

Indiefest:  Horns  (2014) R  Ig Perrish (Daniel Radcliffe) has been accused of killing his longtime girlfriend (Juno Temple). Even his family doesn’t know if he did it, and it gets worse - he starts sprouting horns from his temples. I enjoyed this movie far more that I thought I would. It's a little bizarre and goes overboard with the symbolism, but it's a fun ride as a murder mystery with a bit of fantasy thrown in. Radcliffe is growing as an actor, and this film let him expand his repertoire a bit. He is right for this part as a man who has a girlfriend who is a little out of his league. The best performance of the film is Juno Temple, playing the sweet girlfriend, who lets us slowly see that she has a lot more going on that what appears on the surface.  The film does a good job of mixing mystery with fantasy, which makes it an enjoyable film to see.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Horns Website

Forgotten Film:  Flatliners (1990) R A group of medical students decide to explore what it's like to "flat line," i.e. die.  This is a well thought out thriller that starred some of the hottest young talent in Hollywood, including Julia Roberts, Oliver Platt, Kimberly Scott, Kevin Bacon, William Baldwin and Kiefer Sutherland. The film becomes intriguing when the students start trying to "one-up" each other, staying dead longer and longer, all to better explore the experiences of the "after-life."   My rating: Bargain Matinee  Flatliners Info  

In Case You Missed it (A new release on DVD / BluRay): Into the Storm (2014) PG-13  This is a fun ride that doesn’t take itself too seriously. The dialogue is bad, and the acting mediocre, but the specials effects are cool. I mean, who doesn’t want to see a tornado made of fire?  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Into the Storm Website   

Weird Credits: From the credits of Horns: snake handler

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Rosewater (2014)   Comedian Jon Stewart makes his directorial debut with this film about a Newsweek journalist (Gael Garcia Bernal) who is held in Iranian prisons for over 100 days accused of being a spy for the West. The film is gaining a lot of momentum on the Film Festival circuit.  Rosewater Facebook page

Until Next Time!