My View: San Andreas (2015) PG-13 For years California has been trying to prepare for the “Big One,” and now it has happened. A series of earthquakes occur, and rescue chopper pilot, Ray (Dwayne Johnson), is making every effort to find his daughter (Alexandra Daddario). This is your standard disaster film where California, especially San Francisco, is falling apart due to massive earthquakes. Dwayne Johnson plays a fire and rescue guy who forgets that he is a public servant, passing up thousands of people in need of rescue to go and find his wife and daughter. In this two-hour movie, he rescues a total of four people…four, which is the same amount of vehicles that he flies or rides. The effects are fun to watch and there are a couple of scenes that are spectacular looking (the start of the film is some of the best part of the film), but the storyline is weak and some of the dialogue is laughable. The film is a disaster movie that doesn’t bring anything new to the screen. The film was shot in 3D, but I didn’t notice the 3D effects, so save your money and see it on a regular screen. My Rating: Bargain Matinee San Andreas Website
My View: Aloha (2015) PG-13 Brian (Bradley Cooper), a former Air Force pilot, comes back to the site of some of his biggest triumphs and his most spectacular failures. As a private defense contractor, he has to work closely with a gung-ho Air Force Pilot (Emma Stone), and against his better judgment, he starts to fall for her. Complicating matters is his ex-wife (Rachel McAdams) who still lives in the area. Watching this movie is like walking into a conversation that has been going on for two hours. It took me a long time into the film to figure out what was going on, and I still don’t know exactly what Bradley Cooper’s job is. Is he a fighter pilot? Is he a computer coder? I just don’t know. I didn’t like how Emma Stone’s character was such a strong, independent woman at the start of the film and then boom, she is in love and can’t do anything without Bradley Cooper’s character. Bill Murray is fun as an owner of a private company that is launching a satellite, but his scenes are few and far between. Rachel McAdams is wasted as the ex-wife of Cooper’s character, and John Krasinski is used even less. There is a comedic scene near the end of the film that is quite funny, but the scene’s tone (broad comedy) doesn’t fit the rest of the movie. This is another one of those films whose cast is let down by the film’s script and director. By the way, there is a bonus scene during credits but like most of the film, I have no idea what is going on during them. My Rating: Bargain Matinee Aloha Website
Indiefest: I’ll See You in My Dreams (2015) PG-13 Carol (Blythe Danner) is a widow who lost her husband 20 years ago. Her beloved dog dies, which propels her to make changes in her life. With the help of her pool guy (Martin Starr) and a possible romantic encounter with a rich man (Sam Elliott), she just might succeed. "I'll See You in My Dreams" is that rare film, part romantic comedy, part drama, whose main character is over sixty and a woman. The film doesn't always work, but it's an earnest attempt at exploring the possibilities of life when older and alone. Danner and Elliott have incredible chemistry on screen, and their scenes together are some of the best of the film. I also loved the scenes between Martin Starr and Danner. They work well on screen, and their experience at a Karaoke bar is a lot of fun. The weakest points of the film are when the film tries to go into broader comedy, especially the scene where Carol and her friends try marijuana. Overall, this is a sweet and moving film with some outstanding performances. My Rating: Full Price I'll See You in My Dreams Website
Indiefest: Sunshine Superman (2015) PG A documentary about Carl Boenish, who started the sport of BASE jumping – where you skydive off of buildings, bridges, and mountains. I loved this documentary. Boenish is a character and is extremely likable. He gets excited just talking about jumping off of buildings or cliffs. The footage is remarkable as Boenish was an early adopter of the helmet mounted camera. While the film documents Boenish’s attempts to make BASE jumping a legitimate sport (you see how they avoided the police after jumping off of a downtown building), but it’s also a love story, as he finds his future wife through the sport. I highly recommend this beautiful and exciting film that is a blast to watch. It’s a sport that I would never participate in, but I could watch this movie over and over. My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again Sunshine Superman Website
Indiefest: Good Kill (2014) R Major Thomas Egan (Ethan Hawke) used to fly fighter jets. Now he flies drones from an air-conditioned building in Las Vegas. His job is to hunt the Taliban, and he is very good at it. After fighting a war from thousands of miles away, Egan starts questioning if this war is creating more terrorists than he’s killing. The film tries to explore too many ideas, making the film feel full of stops and starts. The problem is the film never fully explores these ideas with any conviction or purpose, making it those scenes seem just another part of the film. Ethan Hawke, as the brooding pilot is at no time asked to do too much, and much like the character that he plays, it's a lackluster performance. Hawke's character rarely interacts with anyone, never giving him a chance to explore his character. The film never quite connects with its audience, failing to give anything other than a rather predictable story that can't settle on what its message is. My Rating: Bargain Matinee Good Kill Info
Forgotten Film: Reversal of Fortune (1990) The film is based on the true story of Sunny von Bulow (Glen Close), who was in a coma, possibly at the hand of her husband Claus (Jeremy Irons). He is put on trial and convicted. He then hires the brilliant lawyer, Alan Dershowitz (Ron Silver). The whole cast is dazzling with Jeremy Irons standing out as the creepy, egomaniac Claus. The story is fascinating, and the tension builds as you, along with Dershowitz, try to figure out what happened. My Rating: Full Price Reversal of Fortune Info
Weird Credits: From the credits of Aloha: Pashto Voice Actor
Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You: Me and Earl and Dying Girl (2015) PG-13 It’s the senior year of Greg (Thomas Mann), his friend Earl (R.J. Cyler), and Rachel (Olivia Cooke). Rachel has been diagnosed with leukemia and is determined to live a normal life as possible. Any film with Connie Britton and Nick Offerman (who play Rachel’s parents) is a film I want to see. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl Website
Until Next Time!
My View: About Time (2013) R When Tim (Domhnall Gleeson) turns 21, he discovers that the men in his family can travel in time and gain the ability to change what has happened to them in the past. He then meets Mary (Rachel McAdams) and is determined to do anything in his power to make her his girlfriend. The surprising thing about this film is that while it has aspects of a romantic comedy, it's more about the love of family and the small choices you make in your day that can enrich your life. Gleeson and McAdams have excellent chemistry, and you can see early on in the film why they are attracted to each other. The more significant relationship in the film isn't between Gleeson and McAdams, but Gleeson and Bill Nighy, who plays Gleeson's dad. When the dad reveals the time travel aspect of their life, he uses it to teach his son how to be a better husband and man. This is a warm, touching film that fans of director / writer Richard Curtis (Love Actually) will enjoy and savor for years to come. My Rating: Full Price About Time Website
My View: All Is Lost (2013) PG-13 On a solo voyage in the Indian Ocean, a man
(Robert Redford) finds that during the night, his 39-foot yacht has collided
with a shipping container floating in the sea.
The man makes a desperate attempt at repairing his boat before it takes
on too much water. If he doesn’t make the repairs in time, he could be in left
in the middle of the ocean with little or no hope of being rescued. In a tour de force performance, Robert Redford
is impressive in the role of a lifetime, a man who must overcome odds just to
survive on the high seas. Redford has
rarely been better, and the film does a masterful job of creating tension out
of the little things that he must overcome, like trying to figure out how to
repair his two way radio. The film keeps
a satisfying pace and never gets boring, even though there is almost no
dialogue. This is a film that truly inspires as it shows the travails of a man
battling the elements and at times, himself, surmounting incredible odds by
just having faith and trusting in his instincts. My Rating:
Full Price All Is Lost Website
Indiefest: Let the Fire Burn (2013) In 1985, the Philadelphia police lay siege to a building occupied by a radical group known as Move. By the end of the siege, the police have dropped, via helicopter, two pounds of explosives on the building which results in a fire that kills five adults, six children and wipes out sixty houses in the area. This is a fascinating documentary that doesn't take sides - it shows you when people don't communicate, things can quickly unravel and create confrontations that have disastrous results. Using Television footage from the siege and from the governmental hearings held later, the film gives insight into a horrible day in Philadelphia history. My Rating: Full Price Let the Fire Burn Website
Forgotten Film: The Straight Story (1999) G This film tells the true story of Alvin (Richard Farnsworth) who lives on the family farm with his daughter, Rose (Sissy Spacek). Alvin is in poor health and knows he doesn't have much time. Not having a driver's license, he decides to get on his riding lawnmower and travel from Wisconsin to Iowa to see his ailing brother. This could have been an incredibly sappy film, but under the skillful touch of director David Lynch and the brilliant acting of Richard Farnsworth, this becomes one of the best, most moving films of the 1990's. Farnsworth is perfect in the role of the tough, grizzled old man who wants to make one last journey on his own terms. My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again The Straight Story Info
In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD / Blu-Ray): R.I.P.D. (2013) PG-13 One of the worst films of this year. Ryan Reynolds and Jeff Bridges are supernatural cops in a film that was so bad I looked at my watch thirty minutes into the film, thinking it had been going on for two hours. My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again R.I.P.D. Website
Weird Credits: From the credits of About Time: Clapper Loader
Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You: Nebraska (2013) R One of the best films that I saw at this year's Austin Film Festival. Alexander Payne directs this moving film about a son (Will Forte) who is desperate to reconnect with his father (Bruce Dern). They travel across four states on a quest to turn in what the father thinks is a winning million dollar sweepstakes ticket. Nebraska Info
Until Next Time!
