Exodus: Gods and Kings

My View:  Exodus: Gods and Kings  (2014) PG-13 Moses (Christian Bale) has always known he was different than his brother, the future Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses (Joel Edgerton).  He learns that he was born a slave and that his destiny is to lead his people to freedom. Exodus: Gods and Kings is director Ridley Scott’s latest attempt to dazzle us with big action sequences and lots of brooding by Christian Bale.  Bale plays Moses, whose brother is the future pharaoh Rameses, played by Joel Egerton.  Egerton, doing his best Marlon Brando imitation, is given the task of performing on-screen with the scene chewing Bale. The film wastes a marvelous cast.  Aaron Paul barely says a word, and I think Sigourney Weaver, who plays Rameses's mother, has two lines, at best. It's Egerton and Bale’s movie.  Rameses is written as a real jerk, who is willing to kill any slave who dares to rebel. Moses is portrayed as a man who doubts  that he is worthy of God's faith, constantly debating God's decisions. The story of Moses leading 600,000 slaves out of Egypt has been told many times in film and TV. Ridley Scott brings nothing new to the story. The film feels very cynical and lacks the wonderment that biblical films usually have. The film is 150 minutes long but feels more like the 4 hours that Scott's first cut was rumored to be. The special effects are drab and lifeless.  Even (spoiler alert) the parting of the Red Sea seems boring and almost an afterthought. And it's not worth seeing in 3-D as I rarely noticed the 3 D effects.  It’s a film that you will want to avoid like a plague of locust.  My Rating: Cable  Exodus: Gods and Kings website  

My View:  Wild (2014) R  In 1994, a troubled young woman, Cheryl (Reese Witherspoon) decides to hike, alone, more than a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail. This is a very deep and spiritual film that, at times, is funny and, at other times, is quite sad.  Cheryl has made a mess of her life, and it has gotten to the point that she has alienated everyone who is important to her.  To find herself, she decides to go on a hike that even the most experienced hikers have a hard time completing.  Witherspoon is brilliant in this film, and gives a gritty, brave, no-holds-barred performance that is sure to get her an Oscar nomination.  She takes what is a quite unlikable person and makes her sympathetic, getting us to root for her.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Wild Website

Indiefest:  Top Five  (2014) R  A comedian (Chris Rock) is trying to make it as a serious actor.  His fiancée (Gabrielle Union) convinces him to allow their wedding to be broadcast on her reality TV show. Everything is going well until a reporter (Rosario Dawson) shows up to do an interview that just may change his life. I loved this witty, sometimes raunchy comedy written and directed by Chris Rock.  The film, while very funny, also has a lot of heart.  There is great chemistry between Dawson (in one of her best performances) and Rock.  They spend a great deal of the film on screen together, and their back and forth banter feels natural and relaxed.  The cameos are what make this film work, and there are plenty of them.  Cedric the Entertainer stands out as a brash promoter who spends a wild night with Rock’s character involving some ladies of the evening and alcohol.  The film also looks at what it’s like to be successful and still have doubts about your life and your career.  My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  Top Five Website

My View:  The Babadook (2014) A young boy, Samuel (Noah Wiseman) suffers from insomnia when he believes that monsters will come out of his closet or from under his bed.  In order to get him to sleep, his mother, Amelia (Essie Davis) reads the boy bedtime stories.  When the mother reads Mr. Babadook to the boy, both mother and child realize that they have just made a mistake that could cost them their lives.  This is one of the scariest and inventive horror films that I have seen in a long time. Smartly done and with incredibly scary scenes, this film will terrify you.  It’s refreshing to have a horror film that doesn’t get too bloody or go for the cheap “gottcha” scare tactics, but instead builds the tension till you just can’t stand it anymore.  This is one of the best horror films that I have seen in many years.  My Rating: Full Price  The Babadook Website

Indiefest;  Antarctica: A Year on the Ice (2014) PG  This documentary looks at the scientists and researchers that work in one of the most isolated places on earth, Antarctica. It's tough to live there in "summer" but imagine living there in winter, where two months the sun never comes up, and they endure category 1 hurricane winds at least once a week.  This is a fascinating film that has beautiful time lapse photography that capture a place that we will never visit in person. The film does a brilliant job of showcase the people that choose to live their, giving us insight into what draws them there and why they continue to come back. This a must see for any fan of nature documentaries.  My Rating: Full Price  Antarctica: A Year on the Ice Website

Indiefest:  Glen Campbell:  I’ll Be Me  (2014)  PG  In 2011 singer Glen Campbell was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Campbell was determined to go public with the diagnosis and also go on one last “Goodbye Tour.”  The tour was only to last for a few weeks but turned into a 151 show nationwide tour as Campbell and his fans got to say goodbye.  At times funny, sad and maddening, this film is an incredible inside look on what it’s like to deal with Alzheimer’s and its impact on not only the victim, but the family and friends that have to take care of the person.  It’s remarkable that Campbell was able to play and sing (with help from a teleprompter) for as long as he did.  This moving film that touches your heart and makes you want to do whatever you can to fight this deadly disease.  My Rating: Full Price  Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me Website

Forgotten Film:  Crimes and Misdemeanors  (1989)  PG-13  This is one of Woody Allen’s strangest films, as half is a comedy and the other half is a drama.  An adulterer (Martin Landau) decides that his mistress (Anjelica Huston) is getting to brash, and he decides to try and kill her.  Allen plays a filmmaker is a loveless marriage, falls in love with a co-worker (Mia Farrow) without much success.  Landau gives the performance of a lifetime and Allen is his usual funny, self-deprecating character. The film is an interesting take on love and relationships.  Just how far are we willing to go to find happiness once again?  My Rating: Full Price  Crimes and Misdemeanors Website

Weird Credits:  From the credits of The Babadook:  brush hands

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Red Army (2014) PG This documentary about the Soviet Union Ice Hockey team is getting great critical acclaim. Who doesn’t want to relive the “Miracle on Ice” ?  Red Army Info

Until Next Time!

Frank Miller's Sin City: A Dame to Kill For

My View:  Frank Miller’s Sin City: A Dame to Kill For  (2014) R The characters of Sin City, including Marv (Mickey Rourke), Nancy (Jessica Alba), Dwight (Josh Brolin) and Gail (Rosario Dawson), are back for another storyline. I enjoyed the first hour of this film, but the storyline takes too long to develop, and the last thirty minutes just seems to drag.  Mickey Rourke is amazing to watch in this film, and I always enjoy Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s work on-screen.  I thought the look of the film was creative and is much better than the first Sin City film.  I just wish the storylines were more-thought out and the timeline made sense. I felt the 3-D in the film wasn’t used to its potential, so I recommend the 2-D screening.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Frank Miller's Sin City: A Dame to Kill For Website

Indiefest:  If I Stay  (2014) PG-13  A young woman’s (Chloe Grace Moretz) world is changed in an instant when she lapses into a coma after a horrific car accident.  During an out-of-body experience, she must decide to wake up to a life that she never imagined she would live.  I probably enjoyed this movie more than I should have just because I love Chloe Grace Moretz, who I think is one of the better young actresses out there.  The dialogue is rather clunky, and there are way too many moments that feel clichéd and forced.  The film gets confusing, at times, due to the repeated flashbacks, and the ending is highly predictable, however, the critic sitting next to me at the screening starting crying about half way through the film and didn’t stop until it was over.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  If I Stay Website

My View:  When the Game Stands Tall  (2014) PG High school football coach Bob Ladouceur (Jim Caviezel) is a legend after leading his team to a 151-game winning streak.  His skill and compassion will be tested when he loses more than just a game.  This faith-based movie just never quite gets going with an incredibly low-key performance by Jim Caviezel who acts like he just woke up throughout the film.  This film never touches the heartstrings, and it goes on at least twenty-five minutes too long.  I did like Laura Dern who plays the coach's wife, and Michael Chiklis is a lot of fun to watch as the high-strung assistant coach. I think young kids will enjoy all the football action, but the rest of us will be bored.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  When the Game Stands Tall Website

Indiefest:  Alive Inside  (2014) This is a documentary about Dan Cohen, who tries to provide music to nursing home patients who are suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s.  The results are astounding as music apparently has the ability to combat memory loss and bring fulfillment to those suffering from it.  This is an intensely moving documentary that has some stunning moments in it.  To see the joy of music on the faces of people suffering from dementia is so beautiful to watch.  There are some unbelievable transformations in the film, including a 94-year-old man who rarely interacts with people and usually keeps his eyes closed and his chin on his chest, who comes alive when listening to music.  He even starts singing and dancing while seated in his wheelchair.  My Rating: Full Price  Alive Inside Website

Forgotten Film:  Mask (1985) R Rocky (Eric Stoltz) is an ordinary teenager with one problem -  he has a massive facial skull deformity.  He is being brought up by Rusty (Cher), a single mom determined that her son live a normal life.  Cher is the reason to see this film, and she does an impressive job of playing a woman who speaks her mind, making sure that her son is treated like any other kid. She has tremendous chemistry with Stoltz, which makes their relationship the center of the film.  Sam Elliott is perfect as Cher’s biker boyfriend.  This is a feel good movie that is inspiring to watch.  My Rating:  Full Price  Mask Info

Weird Credits:  From the film Frank Miller’s Sin City: A Dame to Kill For:  hair and makeup driver

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You: Life of Crime  (2014) R Two criminals (Mos Def, John Hawkes) kidnap the wife (Jennifer Aniston) of a corrupt land developer (Tim Robbins).  They demand 1 million dollars; the problem is the developer doesn’t want his wife back. Based on an Elmore Leonard novel, the film has been in pre-production since the 80’s.  This film has a great cast lead by Oscar nominee John Hawkes.  Life of Crime Website

Until Next Time!

Gimme Shelter

Indiefest:  Gimme Shelter (2014) PG-13   Apple Bailey (Vanessa Hudgens) has lived a hard life, living in foster homes while her-drug addicted mother (Rosario Dawson) is in jail. Fed up with her living conditions, she decides to try and find her father (Brendan Fraser), a man whom she has never met.  Hudgens, who is almost unrecognizable in the role, is the reason to see this film.  She is brave in her portrayal of a young woman who is trying to find her place in a very tough world.  Hudgens gives everything she has to the role but is let down by a script that never can quite capture the subject matter.  The film has a good supporting cast with James Earl Jones playing a priest who helps Apple and Ann Dowd playing Kathy, the woman who runs the shelter where Apple ends up.  This film is an earnest film that just doesn’t quite hit the mark, which makes it seem more like an “afterschool special” from the 1970’s.  My Rating:  Bargain Matinee  Gimme Shelter Website

Indiefest:  The Invisible Woman (2013) R  Charles Dickens (Ralph Fiennes), during his time, is the most famous person in the world. His books are best sellers, and his book tours sell out every time. It all could come crashing down when the married Dickens meets Nelly (Felicity Jones), a young actress with whom he becomes romantically involved. Will Dickens risk scandal to be with the love of his life? This is an extremely slow moving film, as it takes forever for Dickens to finally bed Nelly.  I thought that Jones was perfect in the role of the feisty girl who wants to be independent in a time that looked down on that thought.  I didn’t like Fiennes in the role of Dickens.  Dickens was a rock star of his time, someone who was instantly recognized and was known for his book tour performances.  Fiennes plays him as a rather restrained person, and I never got the Dickens charisma from Fiennes’ performance.  It’s an interesting film but doesn’t quite have the passion that it should have for the romance between two strong individuals.  My Rating:  Bargain Matinee  The Invisible Woman Facebook page

Forgotten Film:  Sisters (1973) R Brian De Palma directs this film which plays like a horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock.  Grace (Jennifer Salt) is a reporter with a reputation for being tough on cops in her articles.  She witnesses, from her apartment window, a murder of a man by a woman in an apartment across the street.  Grace calls the cops, but they can’t find any trace of the murder.  With the help of a private investigator (Charles Durning) she tries to find out if there really was a murder and, if so, who did it.  This murder mystery has so many twists and turns, it’s sometimes hard to figure out what is happening, but Salt is so good in the role of Grace that you will want to stay and help her figure out what really happened.  My Rating:  Full Price  Sisters Info

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I’ve Only Seen in Trailers But Just Looks Like a Bad Idea):  Planes: Fire & Rescue (2014)  Sequal to Planes (2013), which made many critics bottom ten lists.  Disney, please quit releasing to theatres movies that were meant to be direct to video films!  Planes: Fire & Rescue Info

In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD/Blu-ray):  Captain Phillips (2013)  PG-13 Based on a true story, the American ship, Maersk Alabama, captained by Richard Philips (Tom Hanks), becomes the first U.S. ship in two hundred years to be hijacked by pirates.  The Somali pirates want millions of dollars to return the ship and its crew.  Can Capt. Philips and his crew stall long enough for help to arrive? This is Tom Hanks' best performance in years as he plays the New Englander Capt. Philips to perfection.  The last five minutes of the film show why Hanks Oscar snub for Best Actor is so wrong.  My Rating:  I Would Pay to See it Again  Captain Phillips Website

Weird Credits: From the credits of The Invisible Woman:  Hair coordinator: crowd

Coming Soon to a Theater Near You:  Godzilla (2014)  The film has really excited the fan-boys because of a killer trailer where you only get glimpses of the monster.  The film had me at “starring Elizabeth Olsen and Bryan Cranston.”  Godzilla Website

Until Next Time!