Skyfall

My View:   Skyfall (2012)   James Bond (Daniel Craig) must get back to basics to save M (Judi Dench) from a former spy (Javier Bardem) who is out to kill her and destroy MI6. This is a down and dirty, no frills James Bond film, with the exception of the open chase sequence (which is spectacular). It’s a film that is more about characters than gadgets, and James is questioning whether he can continue to be 007, both physically and mentally.  Craig gives us a much more layered performance than in past Bond films, and Javier Bardem is amazing as the complex , former spy who is now out to destroy MI6. I loved this film, with one of the best Bond villains ever, and even if you aren’t a James Bond fan, you will like it.    My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   Skyfall Website

Indiefest:  A Late Quartet (2012) A world-renowned string quartet is faced with a number of issues, including a possible life altering illness that may cause the group to break-up. Christopher Walken plays the leader of the quartet, the man who founded it some 25 years ago. Philip Seymour Hoffman and Catherine Keener play members of the quartet who are also married. And, Mark Ivanir plays the fourth member of the string group, a man who is as brash and confident in his life as he is in his playing . While the performances of the four are excellent, the standout actress in this film is Imogen Poots who plays an up-and-coming violinist whose parents are the Hoffman and Keeners characters. The acting makes this film worth seeing, but I feel the script let the actors down a little bit, going, too many times, for the easy cliché, which made the film somewhat predictable.    My Rating : Bargain Matinee    A Late Quartet Info

Indiefest:  Smashed (2012) Married couple Kate (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and Charlie (Aaron Paul), whose love is built on their drinking habits, are tested when Kate decides to get sober. This is one of those films that is very hard to watch, just because the characters go through so much pain. Mary Elizabeth Winstead is outstanding as Kate, who lies at a drop of a hat to cover up her drinking but realizes, after waking up too many times in strange places, that she must change her life. Aaron Paul doesn’t do a bad performance as her husband, but this is Winstead’s movie, and she runs with it. You truly hope that she can get her life together, but you also know that it’s going to take some major changes and sacrifices, including, probably, the sacrifice of her marriage.    My Rating: Full Price   Smashed Info

Forgotten Film: Charade (1963) Audrey Hepburn is Regina, a woman who is about to divorce her husband when he turns up murdered. She finds out that during World War II, her husband was in on a heist to steal $250,000 in gold. Now the men that were in on the heist want the money, and they think Regina has it. She meets a mysterious stranger, Peter (Cary Grant) who is either going to help her, or could be part of the gang that wants the money. This is a fast, funny film with a little suspense thrown in, that has some of the best banter between a couple (Hepburn and Grant) since the screwball comedies of the thirties.   My Rating: Full Price    Charade Info

In Case You Missed It (A Film just Released on DVD): The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) I enjoyed this retelling of the orgins of Spider-Man, with Andrew Garfield playing the Peter Parker role. But, it was Emma Stone who made this movie such a joy to watch. She is perfect in the role of Gwen Stacy, Peter’s first love. My biggest problem with the film was that it took too long to get going (it’s almost 20 minutes into the story before Peter is bitten by the radioactive spider), but Stone makes it all worthwhile.   My Rating: Full Price   The Amazing Spider-Man Website

Weird Credits: From the credits of Skyfall: Special effects teeth

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Anna Karenina (2012)  Keira Knightley and Jude Law doing a film written by playwright, Tom Stoppard, directed by Joe Wright, who has already shown that he can do a costume drama (Pride & Prejudice) - count me in.    Anna Karenina Website

Until Next Time!

The Amazing Spider-Man

My View:  The Amazing Spider-Man (2012): In this re-telling of the origin of Spider-Man, Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) is a teenager whose parents abandoned him at an early age. He encounters a genetically altered spider that gives him his spidey powers. Parker sets off to discover what really happened to his parents while he tries to win the heart of his high school crush, Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone). I enjoyed this film, and you should see it in 3-D as all the shots of Spider-Man flying through the city are spectacular. Garfield does an admirable job as the nerdy Parker, but what makes this movie worth watching is the wonderful Emma Stone as Peter's true love, Gwen.  Emma Stone plays her perfectly.  What I didn't like about this film was how long it was. There is too much time taken setting up the story, and I felt the bad guy in the film, Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans), was too cartoony of a villain. As long as Stone is in the Spider-Man films, I’ll keep going to them. Be sure to stay through the first part of the end credits as with many Marvel films, there is a bonus scene that sets up the next film.   My Rating: Full Price   The Amazing Spider-Man Website

Indiefest:  To Rome with Love (2012) Writer/Director Woody Allen brings to the screen a story of love and relationships set in one of the most romantic cities in the world, Rome. This film has multiple storylines with a large ensemble cast that includes Roberto Benigni, Alec Balwin, Judy Davis, Jesse Eisenberg, Ellen Page, Greta Gerwig and Penelope Cruz. This is the first film that Allen has acted in since 2006, and his character has some of the best lines in the film. Not all the stories work, as some are rather silly, and the film feels a little scattered as some of the scenes take place over one day and others over a period of weeks.  This makes the film confusing.  To Rome with Love is beautiful film with a number of shots showing how much Allen loves the city, but I felt that the script wasn’t up to par with the great cast that Allen had assembled.   My Rating: Cable   To Rome with Love Website 

Family Faire: Brave (2012) In this animated film, Merida (voiced by Kelly Macdonald), is a princess in a Scottish kingdom. A contest is held to decide who will wed Merida, but she defies the custom, and chooses not to follow her parents’ wishes. She decides to use a curse to change her parents’ minds about the marriage, but that curse goes terribly wrong, and Merida has to be her bravest to break the spell and save her kingdom. Children five years old and younger should not see this film.  The villain of the movie is a very large and scary bear, and when I saw this film, a child started crying and had to be taken out of the theatre. The animation of this film is beautiful, and Pixar revamped their animation process to give better detail on-screen to visuals such as Merida’s hair, an amazing sight of curls intertwined with different lengths. The storyline, though, made me feel as if I were watching an ordinary DreamWorks or Universal animated picture and not the Pixar magic that we have seen in the past with films such as Toy Story 3, Finding Nemo or WALL-E. I also wanted Merida to be more heroic, as she comes off rather mischievous than brave. While this isn’t a bad film, it just doesn’t live up to the Pixar standard of excellence that we have come to know and love.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Brave Website

The 50 (A Movie From My Best/Worst Films of All Time)

#18 Best Film

It Happened One Night  (1934):  The winner of 5 Academy Awards, including Best Director for Frank Capra, Best Picture and Best Actor/ Actress for Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert. It is the story of an heiress, Ellie(Colbert), who runs away from her family to her husband whom she just married and a man her family disapproves of. She gets help from Peter (Gable), a man she meets on a bus. But Ellie doesn't know that Peter is an out of work reporter who sees Ellie's story as a way to get back into the business. This is the quintessential screwball comedy, one with incredible dialogue that Gable and Colbert rattle off with surprising skill, speed and grace. When I first saw this film, I kept looking at my watch, not because I was bored, but because I didn't want the film to end.  This film has become one of the greatest romantic comedies ever made.   It Happened One Night Info

Forgotten Film:  Murphy's Romance (1985) Emma (Sally Field) is a divorced mom who with her teen son, Jake (Corey Haim), moves to a small town to open a horse ranch. She meets Murphy (James Garner), the town druggist, and a budding relationship begins. Things get complicated, though, when Emma's ex-husband (Brain Kerwin) shows up, and Jake wants more than anything for his parents to get back together. What I love about this film is the chemistry between Field and Garner. They give such warm, real performances and Garner has some great, folksy lines.  My Rating: Full Price   Murphy's Romance Info

In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD):  21 Jump Street  (2012): This is a comedy, based on the TV series with the same name, where Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum go undercover, posing as high school students, to bust a drug ring. While I like the rapport that Hill and Tatum have, I didn't like how the film went for the easy joke too many times.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   21 Jump Street Website

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I've Seen Only in Trailers but Just Looks Like a Bad Idea):  Total Recall (2012) Why does Hollywood keep making remakes of films that weren't that good to being with?    Total Recall Website

Weird Credits: From the credits of The Amazing Spider-Man: Boy Soprano

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You: The Bourne Legacy (2012) Jeremy Renner takes the reins of a film franchise that Matt Damon thrived in. After Renner's great performance in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (2011), I think the series is in good hands.   The Bourne Legacy

Until Next Time!