Prisoners

My View: Prisoners (2013) R  When Keller Dover’s (Hugh Jackman) young daughter and her friend go missing, the families of the two girls start to panic.  A main suspect is released due to lack of evidence, and that’s when Keller decides to take matters into his own hands.  How far will he go to find his daughter?  The film is highlighted by two brilliant performances by Jackman, as the father who will do anything to find his daughter, and Jake Gyllenhaal, a detective who has always solved his cases.  The problem with this film is its length (almost 2hours and thirty minutes), and its pacing.  It just takes forever for anything in this film to develop.  The film does have some nice twists and turns to the plot that keep you guessing, but I would have liked to have gotten to the end quite a bit sooner. My Rating:  Bargain Matinee   Prisoners Website

Indiefest:  Thanks for Sharing (2013) R   Adam (Mark Ruffalo), Neil (Josh Gad) and Mike (Tim Robbins) come from different backgrounds and seem like they wouldn’t have anything in common, except they are all addicts in a support group… a support group for sex addiction.  Ruffalo is outstanding as the troubled Adam, a man who is tempted at every corner by provocative ads but is determined to stay clean.  Josh Gad is becoming one of my favorite actors, and he does a great job playing Neil, a doctor who hasn’t fully realized that if he doesn’t change his ways, his life could be ruined.  I also like Pink (acting under her given name of Alecia Moore), a sex addict who becomes friends with Josh Gad’s character.  The film tackles a tough subject with humor but too many times goes into melodrama, which make the characters, especially Adam’s new girlfriend (played by Gwyneth Paltrow), seem one-dimensional.    My Rating:  Bargain Matinee  Thanks for Sharing Website

Family Faire:  The Wizard of Oz  (1939) PG  Dorothy (Judy Garland), her dog Toto, The Scarecrow (Ray Bolger), The Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr), and The Tin Man (Jack Haley) are off to see The Wizard (Frank Morgan).  The Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton) is out to stop Dorothy from finding a way home.  This timeless classic is worth seeing in the theatre because the restoration brings out the vibrant colors in the film, and it is so much fun to experience the film with an audience, especially kids who haven’t seen it before.  At the screening that I attended, kids were laughing and having the best time watching this beautiful film.  The 3-D aspect doesn’t add too much, but seeing the film on the big screen is a great experience.  My Rating:  I Would Pay to See it Again  The Wizard of Oz Website

Indiefest:  The Short Game  (2013) PG  The World Championship of Junior Golf brings 1500 young golfers from 54 different countries to compete in a tourney that will crown the next possible “Tiger Woods.”  This entertaining film follows 8 young golfers, ages 7 and 8, from around the world, in their quest to win the championship.  Some of the kids are adorable, including little Sky Sudberry, who is a tiny little girl with a big heart, and Zamokuhle Nxasanna, a roly-poly kid from South Africa, who is just there to make friends, play as well as he can and have fun.  There are a couple of kids that you sort of root against, including Alan Kournikova, the brother of tennis star Anna, who is the epitome of the rich, stuck up kid who thinks he’s God’s gift to golf (and he maybe, since he is that good), and Amari “Tigress” Avery, who is coddled by her dad and has temper tantrums on the course when she hits a bad shot.  This is a must for any golfer, though throughout the film,  you will say to yourself “Man, why can’t I hit the ball like that?”  My Rating: Full Price   The Short Game Website

Forgotten Film:  The Last Waltz  (1978)  PG   A documentary, directed by Martin Scorsese, about the last concert that the legendary group The Band performed at in 1976 at San Francisco’s Winterland.  The film contains interviews with the band members about their 16 years of being on the road.  Singers such as Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and Emmylou Harris appear on stage to sing in celebration of one of the ground breaking groups of the 60’s/70’s. This is one of the best concert films of all time.   My Rating:  Full Price  The Last Waltz Info

In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD / Blue-ray):  World War Z  (2013)  PG-13  Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) just might be the world’s only hope to stop the zombie apocalypse that is at the brink of destroying all mankind.  Pitt is a former UN investigator who served in some of the world’s worst war-torn areas.  He is given the job to find out where the Zombie outbreak came from and determine if he can find some sort of cure. I really didn’t like this film as I felt the film had dull moments, the Zombie attacks were mostly shown in long shots, and the ending was ill-conceived and a little forced.  My Rating:  Bargain Matinee   World War Z Website

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Prisoners (2013):  prop body and snakes

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  12 Years a Slave  (2013) R  This film about a free black man (Ehiwetel Ejiofor), who is abducted and sold into slavery, was the talk of the Toronto International Film Festival.  The film is being talked about as a sure thing for a nomination for Best Picture.

Until Next Time!

Getaway

My View:  Getaway  (2013) PG-13   Brent (Ethan Hawke) is in a race against time after he' is forced to get behind the wheel of a tricked-out Mustang and do a mysterious man’s (Jon Voight) bidding to ensure that his kidnapped wife is not harmed. Along the way, he is joined by a computer savvy young woman (Selena Gomez) in his quest to get his wife back unscathed.  I’ll just say this right from the start - this is a bad film.  The staging of the car crashes/chases is horribly done.  There were times where I had no idea what was happening. Cars continually crash but often we don’t really know what caused the crash because the film direction is so bad.  We are asked to believe that Selena Gomez’s character can break into a computer system using just her iPad and that a majorly modified car can survive numerous shootouts and crashes.  The dialogue seems to be written by a twelve year-old, and I think the plot was conceived by Ford to show how much a Mustang can take. My Rating:  You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again.   Getaway Website

My View:  Closed Circuit  (2013)  R  Terrorists set off a bomb in a crowded shopping area in London that kills more than a hundred people. A suspect has been arrested, and it’s up to two lawyers, Martin (Eric Bana) and Claudia (Rebecca Hall), to see to it that the suspected terrorist gets a fair trial. Martin and Claudia soon discover that there is more than just terrorism going on here. There may be a government conspiracy covering up certain aspects of the bombing. Not only are Martin and Claudia’s reputations at stake, their lives could be, as well.  This is a well done legal thriller with all the twists and turns you want in a suspenseful tale. I think the chemistry between Bana and Hall is fascinating as we see from their first meeting that there is a bit of history involved.  The movie seems to be ripped directly from today’s headlines, but, while there isn’t a lot of action, it’s an interesting story that keeps you on the edge of your seat and wondering if everything is going to turn out alright. My Rating:  Full Price   Closed Circuit Website

My View:  One Direction: This is Us  (2013)  PG  A behind-the-scenes look at the British boy band as they embark on a worldwide tour.  Fans of the group will love this film as it gives them quite a bit of behind-the-scenes as the tour goes from city to city. The film shows their origins on the British X-Factor where Simon Cowell hand-picked all members of the group.  The concert footage does a good job of helping the audience experience what it's like to go to one of their shows.  Overall, though, I think the film doesn't really give us a good idea of who these guys really are and what they are like as I feel everything we are shown is staged to present the group in the best light. While the film was shot in 3-D, I don't think it adds anything to the experience.  It’s not a bad film, but to the non-fan, it could be boring.  My Rating:  Bargain Matinee   One Direction: This Is Us Website

Indiefest:  Ain’t Them Bodies Saints  (2013) R  Bob Muldoon (Casey Affleck) and his pregnant girlfriend, Ruth Guthrie (Rooney Mara) are on the run from the law. Their luck runs out, and they are captured after a shootout. Bob makes it his life’s mission to escape from prison and find his way back to his true love.  Affleck and Rooney are first rate in this film and they play off each other with ease, so much so that you really believe they are deeply in love.  Rooney gives a performance that has depth as her character is conflicted between the life she has now, and the one Bob will give her if he returns from prison. The film perfectly captures small town life in 1970’s Texas.  It’s an extremely well done film about two star-crossed lovers, a movie that just might break your heart.  My Rating:  Full Price

Forgotten Film:  Nashville (1975) R  This film takes place over five days and leads up to a political rally at the Parthenon in Nashville.  It centers around the music industry in the city where you see the country superstars mix with the up-and-coming singers.  The cast in this film is huge - more than twenty-four major parts.  Most of the cast wrote their own music for the film, including Keith Carradine, who won an Oscar for Best Original Song for ,“I’m Easy.”  The film was directed by Robert Altman, and with most of Altman’s movies, a great deal of the dialogue was made up on the spot, with the script being used as only a guide for the storyline.  Many of the performers are based on real C&W stars - Henry Gibson’s character Haven Hamilton is based on Porter Wagoner and Ronee Blakely’s Barbara Jean is based on Loretta Lynn.  The film contains lots of musical performances, some of which are outstanding.  It’s a strange movie as most of Altman’s films are, but it’s worth seeing this cast do some magic on-screen  My Rating:  Full Price   Nashville Info

In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD): The Great Gatsby  (2013)  PG-13  I did not enjoy this film.  It’s too long, and I think the use of hip-hop music doesn't fit the film.  I also feel that the director, Baz Luhrman, didn't let his cast act and put them in a very long music video. The cast of this film deserves a much better script.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The Great Gatsby Website

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Getaway:  Shelby interior maker

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Prisoners  (2013)  R When Keller Dover’s (Hugh Jackman) young daughter and her friend goes missing, the families of the two girls start to panic,  A main suspect is released due to lack of evidence, and that's when Keller decides to take matters into his own hands.  How far will he go to find his daughter?  The cast includes Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, Melissa Leo, Terrence Howard, Maria Bello, and Paul Dano.

Until Next Time!