Only the Brave

My View:  Only the Brave (2017)  PG-13  An elite crew of firefighters, named the Granite Mountain Hotshots, will risk everything to protect a town from an historic wildfire. This film is a fantastic true story about a group of firefighters who risk their lives to protect towns and their people from horrific fires. We get to know the firefighters and their families, and we experience the brotherhood of this group of men. The firefighting scenes are exciting and brilliantly done. There isn’t one bad performance in the bunch, and I loved the chemistry between Josh Brolin, who plays the supervisor of the firemen, and Jennifer Connelly, who plays his fiery but supportive wife. Miles Teller is perfectly cast as the down-and-out man who changes his life by joining the firefighters. Taylor Kitsch is brilliant as a team member who hates Miles Teller’s character at first but then becomes one of his best friends. Only the Brave is a inspiring drama about a group of men who would risk their lives for their brotherhood of firefighters.    My Rating: Full Price    Only the Brave Website

My View:  The Snowman  (2017)  R  Detective Harry Hole (Michael Fassbender) gets put on the case of a woman who has disappeared, and her pink scarf is wrapped around an ominous-looking snowman.  Oh, man this is a bad movie. The film takes place in Norway, but some actors speak perfect English, one actor keeps his British accent, and Academy Award winner J.K. Simmons has an accent from God knows where. The film is titled, The Snowman, and the serial killer leaves snowmen as his calling card, but not once do the detectives mention the snowmen. Val Kilmer has a small but important part, but because he was battling cancer at the time of filming, he had a hard time speaking, so his lines were dubbed in making Kilmer's scenes seem a little unreal. The storyline is confusing and, at times, seems like something is missing. It’s as if the director didn’t film 15 percent of the script. Oh wait, that’s exactly what happened. Those missing scenes probably wouldn’t have helped this mess of a film.    My Rating:  You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again   The Snowman Website  

Indiefest:  Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House  (2017)  PG-13  Mark Felt (Liam Neeson), the Deputy Associate Director of the F.B.I., is forced to become “Deep Throat,” the inside man who helped journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein uncover the Watergate scandal in 1974.  First, if you don’t know much about Watergate, then you should watch All the President’s Men before seeing this film. This film has an all-star cast with Liam Neeson as Mark Felt, Diane Lane as his supportive wife, Kate Walsh, Michael C. Hall, Tom Sizemore, and Tony Goldwyn. The problem with this film is the script never creates any tension even though it deals with a story of a Presidency that was taken down due to Felt’s inside information. The film never gets up to speed, and we never go in depth into Mark Felt’s reasons why he gives out the info. Liam Neeson gives a solid performance as Felt, and Diane Lane is even better as the loyal wife who becomes bitter when Mark is passed over  head of the F.B.I.. These performances, though, just can’t overcome a script that is incredibly dull.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Mark Felt Website

Indiefest:  Breathe  (2017)  PG-13  The story of Diana (Claire Foy) and Robin Cavendish (Andrew Garfield) whose life is shattered when, at age 28, Robin is paralyzed from the neck down by polio.  Base on a true story, Breathe is an inspirational story of a man who refuses to be locked up In a hospital, tied to a respirator while wasting away. Due to his loving and hardworking wife and very inventive friends, Robin not only was able to go home, but he was able to travel around Europe, lecturing doctors on how to free their patients from a hospital bed. Foy and Garfield have  marvelous chemistry together, and Garfield gives a moving performance. Excellent performances by the two leads are not enough to make this film more than just average as they were let down by a meandering script that never delivered the emotional impact the two characters and two actors deserved.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Breathe Website

Indiefest:  The Florida Project  (2017)  R  Moonee (Brooklynn Prince) lives in an extended stay hotel near Disney World with her mother, Halley (Bria Vinaite). It's going to be a long summer.  This heartbreakingly beautiful film is a brilliant look at people living on the edge of homelessness. Brooklynn Prince as the fiery kid named, Moonee, is the best thing in this film. Her role is an intense and scintillating performance that will cause you to fall in love with her. Willem Dafoe gives a masterful performance as the downtrodden hotel manager who has to deal with a not so reliable client base. He portrays the manager as a man who feels bad for his guests but realizes that he still has a job to do. The Florida Project is not a glamorous film, and it’s quite sad most of the time showing us all the aspects of living with very little, but you will want to spend time with little Moonee and her gang.   My Rating:  Full Price   The Florida Project Website

Indiefest:  Lucky  (2017)  Lucky (Harry Dean Stanton) is a retired US Navy veteran who loves his rituals: his morning exercises, his walk into town, going to the diner to work on a crossword puzzle. Lucky senses that his time on Earth is almost up, and he must reassess his life and what he believes in.  Harry Dean Stanton gives a magical performance that is sure to get an Academy Award nomination. He gives the film heart as he stumbles around his small town meeting his friends at the diner or at the neighborhood watering hole. The entire cast is splendid, especially David Lynch as a friend of Lucky’s whose best friend is a 100-year-old tortoise, Ed Begley Jr. as Lucky’s longtime doctor, and Tom Skerritt as a Marine vet who meets Lucky at the diner. The film lovingly treats Lucky as a treasured soul who loves his routine and his town. Lucky is a beautiful ode to a man who made the world a better place. It’s too bad there won't be more films with Harry Dean Stanton in them, but he couldn't have chosen a better swan song to go out on. We all feel lucky that Stanton could join us for one last walk to his town.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   Lucky Website

Forgotten Film:  Near Dark  (1987)  R   Caleb (Adrian) is a young man living a dull life in a small town. When he meets a young drifter named Mae (Jenny Wright), he thinks his luck has changed, that is until he finds out she is a vampire. Caleb gets bit by her and is forced to join her gang of vampires that is led by the charismatic Jesse (Lance Henriksen). Now he is part of a group of vampires that is roaming the west, causing death and mayhem. This is a cross between a vampire film and a biker film and it works due to the brilliant cast and a unique storyline. A fun ride from start to finish is a must for anyone who likes a good vampire film.   My Rating: Full Price   Near Dark Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Only the Brave:  Tattoo Manufacturer

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:   Last Flag Flying  (2017)  R  Thirty years after they served together in Vietnam, Larry Shepherd (Steve Carell) reunites with his old buddies Sal (Bryan Cranston) and Richard (Laurence Fishburn). They go on a road trip to pick up the body of Larry’s son, who has died in the Iraq War. The funny and touching trailer makes this look like a movie that you won’t want to miss.     Last Flag Flying Info 

Until Next Time!

Battleship

My View:  Battleship (2012): When a distant planet is discovered to have the same conditions for life as Earth, the government begins a project to contact the planet.  Five years later, Alien ships arrive.  One crashes into downtown Hong Kong, and the other four land just outside the Hawaiian Islands.  Now it’s up to the U.S. Navy, commanded by Admiral Shane (Liam Neeson), to stop the Alien invasion. Taylor Kitsch plays Lieutenant Alex Hopper, a headstrong, always in trouble, junior officer who just happens to be dating the Admiral’s daughter (Brooklyn Decker). You know you have a film that just isn’t going to work when a former Sports Illustrated swimsuit model (Decker) has more screen time than your biggest star (Neeson).  I did enjoy Rihanna as a kick ass Petty Officer who likes blowing up things, but the film made it look like she was the only female serving in the Navy.  This film’s plot is so full of holes and asks you to believe so many unbelievable things that the audience whom I saw the film with was laughing at almost every twist and turn. It's a big mess of film that thinks it can just put some cool looking alien spacecraft in front of you, and you will be happy with it.   If you do make it to the end of the film, and I am not sure you will, there is a bonus scene at the end of the final credits.  And, by the way, no one ever says, “You Sunk My Battleship,” but maybe they should have.    My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again   Battleship Website

My View: The Dictator (2012): Sacha Baron Cohen stars as Admiral General Aladeen in this film about a ruthless dictator of a fictional North African country. On a visit to New York City, his life takes an unexpected turn, and he has to survive on his own in the Big Apple. This is a film that you are either going to love or hate. As with all the Sacha Baron Cohen movies, he goes too far with almost all his jokes. I did not like this film mostly because his character is an extreme racist who makes derogatory comments about everything and everybody, and I became almost numb to them.  I felt that, too often, he went for the easy joke - the easy pratfall.   And, poor Anna Faris, who plays his love interest in the film, is just wasted in this role as an environmental, loving, hippy manager of a health food store.  While I didn’t find this movie offensive (though some people will), I just thought it wasn’t very funny.  
My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again   The Dictator Website

Indiefest:  Darling Companion (2012): On her way back from taking her youngest daughter and grandchild to the airport, Beth (Diane Keaton) finds a dog by the highway.  Against the objections of her husband. Joseph (Kevin Kline), she adopts the dog. While out on a walk at their mountain vacation home, Joseph loses the dog and possibly loses his wife’s love and respect. Though I didn’t love this film, I did enjoy the way that the story-line developed with its very witty writing and strong characters. This is a dog lovers movie and shows the importance of the bond between people and man’s best friend.   It's also a film about relationships - new and long term.   My Rating: Full Price    Darling Companion Webiste

Indiefest:  Mansome (2012): This Morgan Spurlock (Super-Size Me, The Greatest Movie Ever Sold) documentary is about what it's like to be a man in today’s metrosexual, manscaping, modern day world.  Jason Bateman and Will Arnett, in a sort of bumper between segments of the film, are hilarious as they spend a day at a spa discussing all the trials and tribulations of what it means to be an man in today’s society...while they are getting facials and manicures.   Judd Aptow, Adam Carolla and Zach Galifianakis are all interviewed on various subjects like the pros and cons of beards /mustaches and if grooming products are for men.  It's not one of Spurlocks best, it’s still a fun ride through the world of manliness.   My Rating : Bargain Matinee    Mansome Website

Indiefest: First Position (2012): This documentary film follows six young ballet dancers (ages 9 -16) as they train and compete at the Youth America Grand Prix, one of the most prestigious ballet competitions and a competition that draws thousands of dancers from across the world. This is an interesting look at the dedication it takes from the young dancers and their families.  All the dancers are worth rooting for, but it’s especially true for Michaela, who was adopted from the war-torn country of Sierra Leone when she was five, and Joan, a teenage boy who is training in New York thousands of miles away from his family in Columbia.  This is a marvelous film that celebrates the joy of dance but lets you see the tears and hard work that make it possible.  My Rating: Full Price    First Position Website

Forgotten Film:  Our Man Flint (1966) When this film was released, four films about the British spy, 007 James Bond, starring Sean Connery, had already been released, so it was decided that America needed an answer to the super spy, and thus Derek Flint was created. Flint (played by the charismatic James Coburn) comes out of retirement to stop a group of mad scientists who use a climate-control apparatus to cause earthquakes, volcanoes and storms. This film is shot with its tongue firmly in cheek as Flint would rather spend time with his “playmates” than break a sweat, but he is willing to save the world if it doesn’t take too much time. Coburn is perfect in the role as the suave, ever cool Flint, and the film pokes fun several times at the 007 franchise. This is a film that never takes itself too seriously.  Flint just wants to have a good time while saving the world.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Our Man Flint Info


Weird Credits: From the credits of The Dictator: Physical Comedy Consultant 


Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Prometheus (2012) A Sci-Fi film about a team of explorers who journey to the outer limits of the universe only to discover that they may be facing the end of mankind.  Hey, any Sci-Fi film directed by Ridley Scott (Alien, Gladiator) and staring Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender and Charlize Theron has got to be interesting, if not great.   Prometheus Website

Until Next Time!