Interstellar

My View:  Interstellar (2014)  PG-13 Earth is dying, and, when a wormhole is discovered, scientists come up with a plan to use the wormhole to travel through space.  A team of astronauts are assembled, led by Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) to fly the mission to find another planet where humans can live. This is an absolutely beautiful film, and I highly recommend watching it on the biggest screen you can find. I enjoyed this film, though it is full of scientific theories that are sometimes hard to follow. The film does take a while to get started (it’s almost 45 minutes until we get into space), but the action sequences are very cool and impressive.  McConaughey is on screen for almost the entire film and is superb in the role of a father who puts the needs of many others in front of the needs of his family. Out of the remainder of the cast (there are a few surprise actors in the film), I especially enjoyed Mackenzie Foy, who plays the smart and headstrong daughter of Cooper. This is a larger than life film, and its running time is almost 3 hours, but I guarantee it won’t feel that long.   My Rating: Full Price  Interstellar Website

Familyfaire:  Big Hero 6  (2014) PG  A young robotics engineer named, Hiro (Ryan Potter), and his plus-sized inflatable robot, named Baymax (Scott Adsit), uncover a criminal plot and put together a team of inexperienced crime-fighters to take on a masked villain.  I loved this film, which combines the super hero element of the Marvel films with the nice, personal touch of the Walt Disney films. You will fall in love Baymax and his little fist bump catch phrase. The film is enjoyable for both adults and children and teaches a wonderful lesson of listening to your conscience. The film is fast paced, full of colorful characters and has some exciting action sequences. I really didn’t notice the 3-D effects, so save a few bucks and see the 2-D version.  Be sure to stay through all the credits, as with most Marvel films, there is a bonus scene at the end that is worth the wait. The animated short, Feast, plays before Big Hero 6.  It’s a charming little tale of a dog with a big appetite.   My Rating: Full Price  Big Hero 6 Website

Indiefest:  Laggies  (2014) R 28-year-old Megan (Keira Knightley) is in a rut.  She lives with her high school boyfriend (Mark Webber) and not much has changed since her high school days.  When her boyfriend proposes, Megan freaks out and decides to take a week off from life.  She meets Annika (Chloe Grace Moretz) and starts hanging out with her and her high school friends.  Things are going well until Annika’s father (Sam Rockwell) enters the scene. If you love or even like Keira Knightley, you will enjoy this film. If you don’t like her, stay away as this is her film all the way. Knightley perfectly plays the young woman who just doesn’t know what she wants in life.  As usual, I also enjoyed Chloe Grace Moretz’s performance as the high school girl who is hurting from her mom leaving her and her dad.  This is a fun, smart romantic comedy that works well due to its stellar cast. My Rating: Full Price  Laggies Website

Indiefest:  Art and Craft  (2014)  PG  Mark Landis is a great painter.  Unfortunately, he is also one of the most prolific art forgers in US history. He doesn’t do it for the money, and, many times he has posed as a philanthropic donor, giving his work to museums.  After an investigator uncovers Landis’s work, Mark must now confront his own legacy.  This is a fascinating film about two men, one of which is Mark Landis, a disturbed man who for the past 30 years has fooled museums and art curators across the country with his forgeries. The second man is a former curator who has devoted his life to stoping Landis from fooling other museums.  Landis is a sad, but incredibly intresting man who is an extremely talented artist but one who only wants to make forgeries.  The film follows Landis as he goes about fooling galleries and museums, all the while people are trying to stop him.  My Rating: Full Price Art and Craft Website 

Forgotten Film:  Fat City  (1972) PG  This film, directed by John Huston, is about two boxers heading in opposite directions.  Stacy Keach plays a boxer who has seen better days and is haunted by the fight that got away.  Jeff Bridges plays the boxer whose career is on the rise but is slowly being held down by outside forces.  This is a gritty film that is fascinating to watch and is full of small dramatic moments.  Candy Clark stands out as the bride who has tricked the young boxer into marriage only to discover that it may not be everything she thought.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Fat City Info

In Case You Missed it (A film just released on DVD / Blu-ray):  Maleficent (2014) PG  I liked the special effects in this reworking of the Sleeping Beauty tale but I felt that the film had almost no plot.  It was if the art director made all the decisions on the film, making it a beautiful film without a lot of content.  My Rating:  Bargain Matinee  Maleficent Website

Weird Credits: From the credits of Big Hero 6:  Caffeinator

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  The Imitation Game  (2014) PG-13  Benedict Cumberbatch plays an English mathematician who helps break the Nazi code during World War II.  Cumberbatch could read the phone book on screen, and I would still go see that film but this film looks like it could be an Oscar contender.  The Imitation Game Website

Until Next Time!

Maleficent

My View:  Maleficent (2014) Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) puts a curse on  the child (Elle Fanning) only to realize that the child may be the key to peace in her kingdom.  This is a retelling of the “Sleeping Beauty” tale from a perspective of the villain in the film, a fairy instead of an evil witch.  Maleficent was good once but after being attacked and betrayed by humans, she turns vindictive and evil.  Jolie is the best part of the film, as she tackles the role with gusto.  The special effects are tremendous, and the film is worth seeing in 3-D, as there are a number of flying scenes that use the technology to great effect.  My problem with the film is that there is very little plot, it’s almost as if the film’s art director made all of the decisions, making the film look great without a lot of content.  A bit of warning, this film may be too scary for the 5 year old and under group. My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Maleficent Website

My View:  A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014) Albert (Seth MacFarlane) is a down on his luck farmer when he meets a beautiful woman named, Anna (Charlize Theron) and instantly falls in love with her.  She feels the same way. but there is a problem.  She is married.  And, not only is she married, she is married to the meanest, fastest gunfighter in the west (Liam Neeson).  You have officially been warned that this is an incredibly raunchy comedy and it not for everyone.  If you liked Ted and are a fan of MacFarlane’s Family Guy, you will like this film.  MacFarlane pushes the boundaries of comedy at just about every turn in this film.  I loved Theron as the cowgirl on the run from her mean husband.  There is a nice chemistry between Theron and MacFarlane and their scenes together are some of the best of the film.  I give kudos to Amanda Seyfried, who plays Albert’s ex-flame, because she allows MacFarlane in several scenes to make fun of her rather large eyes.  Some of this film doesn’t work, mostly due to the fact that we are supposed to instantly like Albert, and we really don’t. I would have liked more scenes with Neeson, who looks like he was having a blast with the part.  This film isn’t for everybody but I did find myself laughing at numerous scenes in the film and overall had a good time watching it.  Be sure to stay through all the credits, as there are two bonus scenes, one in the middle of the credits and one at the end of all credits.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  A Million Ways to Die in the West Website

                                                            

Indiefest:  Ida  (2013) Set in Poland during the 1960’s, Anna (Agata Trzebuchowska) is a young novitiate nun, happily preparing to take her vows.  She is content with her life and is looking forward to making the next step to become a nun. Her world is changed when she is brought into the Mother Superior’s office and told that before she can take her vows she must make a trip to see her only living relative, an aunt named Wanda (Agata Kulesza).  When she talks to her aunt, Anna discovers that her real name is Ida, and her Jewish parents gave her up for adoption to a Catholic priest before they were killed in World War II.  This is a heart wrenching, moving film from Poland that uses its black and white cinematography to full effect. Trzebuchowska is stunning in the role of the innocent young Anna, who has led a sheltered life and now has to deal with the harsh realities of her past.   It’s a moving performance and amazing film that will stay with you long after leaving the theatre. My Rating: Full Price  Ida Website

Forgotten Film: Sleuth (1972) Andrew (Laurence Olivier) and Milo (Michael Caine) are two friends who have something in common, Milo has just run off with Andrew’s wife. Andrew invites Milo to his house and hatches an elaborate scheme for Milo to break into his house and steal his wife’s jewels. That way, Andrew’s wife gets the jewels, and Andrew can get the insurance money.  But this cat and mouse gave quickly escalates and both men know that someone just might die tonight.  This is a fascinating film full of great twists and turns with two actors at the top of their games.  If you like smart, suspenseful films where both the dialogue and the acting are brilliant, this is the film for you.  My Rating: Full Price  Sleuth Info

In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD/Blu-ray):  The Monuments Men (2014)  An unlikely group of World War II soldiers is put together to create a platoon whose job it is to rescue stolen art masterpieces from the Nazis before they destroy them. The strength of this film is its cast with George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett, John Goodman, Hugh Bonneville, Bob Balaban and Jean Dujardin all making up the squadron that is in charge of trying to rescue the art.  I liked this film but with the cast this film has I should have loved it. The cast is let down by the script as it can never find the right tone for the film, and the film, at times light and funny, never seems to find the right mix to put in the hardships of war.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The Monuments Men Website

Weird Credits:  In the credits of Maleficent:  Weather consultant

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:   Tammy (2014)  A road trip movie starring Melissa McCarthy and Susan Sarandon.  Right there is enough to get me to watch.  Tammy Website

Until Next Time!