Maleficent

My View:  Maleficent (2014) Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) puts a curse on  the child (Elle Fanning) only to realize that the child may be the key to peace in her kingdom.  This is a retelling of the “Sleeping Beauty” tale from a perspective of the villain in the film, a fairy instead of an evil witch.  Maleficent was good once but after being attacked and betrayed by humans, she turns vindictive and evil.  Jolie is the best part of the film, as she tackles the role with gusto.  The special effects are tremendous, and the film is worth seeing in 3-D, as there are a number of flying scenes that use the technology to great effect.  My problem with the film is that there is very little plot, it’s almost as if the film’s art director made all of the decisions, making the film look great without a lot of content.  A bit of warning, this film may be too scary for the 5 year old and under group. My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Maleficent Website

My View:  A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014) Albert (Seth MacFarlane) is a down on his luck farmer when he meets a beautiful woman named, Anna (Charlize Theron) and instantly falls in love with her.  She feels the same way. but there is a problem.  She is married.  And, not only is she married, she is married to the meanest, fastest gunfighter in the west (Liam Neeson).  You have officially been warned that this is an incredibly raunchy comedy and it not for everyone.  If you liked Ted and are a fan of MacFarlane’s Family Guy, you will like this film.  MacFarlane pushes the boundaries of comedy at just about every turn in this film.  I loved Theron as the cowgirl on the run from her mean husband.  There is a nice chemistry between Theron and MacFarlane and their scenes together are some of the best of the film.  I give kudos to Amanda Seyfried, who plays Albert’s ex-flame, because she allows MacFarlane in several scenes to make fun of her rather large eyes.  Some of this film doesn’t work, mostly due to the fact that we are supposed to instantly like Albert, and we really don’t. I would have liked more scenes with Neeson, who looks like he was having a blast with the part.  This film isn’t for everybody but I did find myself laughing at numerous scenes in the film and overall had a good time watching it.  Be sure to stay through all the credits, as there are two bonus scenes, one in the middle of the credits and one at the end of all credits.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  A Million Ways to Die in the West Website

                                                            

Indiefest:  Ida  (2013) Set in Poland during the 1960’s, Anna (Agata Trzebuchowska) is a young novitiate nun, happily preparing to take her vows.  She is content with her life and is looking forward to making the next step to become a nun. Her world is changed when she is brought into the Mother Superior’s office and told that before she can take her vows she must make a trip to see her only living relative, an aunt named Wanda (Agata Kulesza).  When she talks to her aunt, Anna discovers that her real name is Ida, and her Jewish parents gave her up for adoption to a Catholic priest before they were killed in World War II.  This is a heart wrenching, moving film from Poland that uses its black and white cinematography to full effect. Trzebuchowska is stunning in the role of the innocent young Anna, who has led a sheltered life and now has to deal with the harsh realities of her past.   It’s a moving performance and amazing film that will stay with you long after leaving the theatre. My Rating: Full Price  Ida Website

Forgotten Film: Sleuth (1972) Andrew (Laurence Olivier) and Milo (Michael Caine) are two friends who have something in common, Milo has just run off with Andrew’s wife. Andrew invites Milo to his house and hatches an elaborate scheme for Milo to break into his house and steal his wife’s jewels. That way, Andrew’s wife gets the jewels, and Andrew can get the insurance money.  But this cat and mouse gave quickly escalates and both men know that someone just might die tonight.  This is a fascinating film full of great twists and turns with two actors at the top of their games.  If you like smart, suspenseful films where both the dialogue and the acting are brilliant, this is the film for you.  My Rating: Full Price  Sleuth Info

In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD/Blu-ray):  The Monuments Men (2014)  An unlikely group of World War II soldiers is put together to create a platoon whose job it is to rescue stolen art masterpieces from the Nazis before they destroy them. The strength of this film is its cast with George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett, John Goodman, Hugh Bonneville, Bob Balaban and Jean Dujardin all making up the squadron that is in charge of trying to rescue the art.  I liked this film but with the cast this film has I should have loved it. The cast is let down by the script as it can never find the right tone for the film, and the film, at times light and funny, never seems to find the right mix to put in the hardships of war.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The Monuments Men Website

Weird Credits:  In the credits of Maleficent:  Weather consultant

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:   Tammy (2014)  A road trip movie starring Melissa McCarthy and Susan Sarandon.  Right there is enough to get me to watch.  Tammy Website

Until Next Time!

The Lego Movie

Family Faire:  The Lego Movie (2014)  PG  For Emmet (Chris Pratt), every day is awesome. He enjoys his life working in construction until he meets a girl named, Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks). She is convinced that he is the “Special,” the greatest Master Builder who can save the Lego universe from the evil President Business (Will Ferrell). Now with the help of Batman(Will Arnett), Vitruvius (Morgan Freeman), Metalbeard (Nick Offerman) and Uni-Kitty (Alison Brie), Emmett must find the courage to fight President Business from using his secret weapon.  My biggest complaint about animated movies is three years are spent making the film but, then they seem to have scripts that took a weekend to write.  This is not the case with this film as it is one of the best animated scripts in the past ten years and encompasses highly imaginative, extremely creative filmmaking.  In the screening I attended, parents were laughing at times more than the kids because the film packs on the sight gags  and funny lines.  I liked Chris Pratt as the everyman Emmet, but it’s Will Arnett who steals the show as the voice of Batman.  He has the Batman voice down pat, as sort of a cross between Bale and Keaton.  Near the end of the film, the action slows down, but the rest of the film is such a fun, wild ride, you can overlook that part. By the way, there is a theme song in the movie called, “Everything is Awesome,” that shows up in various forms in the film. I predict that you will be singing the song with a smile on your face as you leave the theatre.  My Rating:  Full Price   The Lego Movie Website

My View:  The Monuments Men (2014)  PG-13  An unlikely group of World War II soldiers is put together to create a platoon whose job it is to rescue stolen art masterpieces from the Nazis before they destroy them. The strength of this film is its cast with George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett, John Goodman, Hugh Bonneville, Bob Balaban and Jean Dujardin all making up the squadron that is in charge of trying to rescue the art.  The film does have some very nice moments between some of the characters in the film, especially the relationship of Damon’s character, an art historian who tries to get a key French woman, played by Blanchett, to cooperate in the finding where the Nazis took the art work.  There's a nice chemistry between Blanchett and Damon in the scenes where they are trying to figure out each other’s motives.  There is also a great “bromance” between Murray’s very laid back character and the very stuck up character that Bob Balaban that is probably the best and funniest relationship of the whole film.  The cast is let down by the script as it can never find the right tone for the film, and the film, at times light and funny, never seems to find the right mix to put in the hardships of war.  The film tries too hard to touch on the heartstrings and almost begs us to care before we are given good reason to.  This is not a bad film, in fact, at times, it is very enjoyable, but it’s not the Oscar contender that the studio thought it had.  My Rating:  Bargain Matinee  The Monuments Men Website  

Indiefest:  Gloria (2013)  R  Gloria (Paulina Garcia) is a 58 year old divorcee' who is determined not to spend her nights alone. She hits the single scene, but it seems as though she can’t find love. That is until she met Rodolfo (Sergio Hernandez), an ex-naval officer who sweeps her off her feet. The question is, will this new romance last?  When people complain that movies aren't made for adults anymore, we should point them to this film. Garcia is a force on the screen as she plays a character who, while is comfortable being single, is still looking for love.  Her character has a love of romantic songs and dancing, which shows us that she is hopeful that she will find love again.  This is an interesting, and at times, delightful film, with a performance from Garcia that makes you want to see her find love again.   My Rating:  Full Price  Gloria Website

Forgotten Film:  The Limey (1999)  Wilson (Terence Stamp) is a recently released ex-con who flies overseas to L.A. to investigate the recent death of his daughter.  Once in L.A. he soon gets involved with the sleazy underworld of L.A. life, including his daughter’s boyfriend, Terry (Peter Fonda), who is a record producer with ties to drug trafficking.  Steven Soderbergh directed this taut crime drama that is told through flashbacks.  Stamp gives a performance of a lifetime as a man on the road to vengeance.  It’s a film where you'll discover new things with each viewing.  My Rating:  Full Price  The Limey Infor

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I’ve Only Seen in Trailers But Just Looks Like a Bad Idea):  Need for Speed (2014)  Looks to me like a rip off of the Fast & Furious franchise starring Aaron Paul.  This one, unlike the Fast franchise, looks like it takes itself way too seriously. I know Aaron Paul was in the TV show “Breaking Bad,” but this film just looks like it’s “Breaking Down.”  Need for Speed Info

In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD/Blu-ray):  Rush  (2013)  R  I like this movie about the 1976  season of Formula One racing.  The film has great racing sequences (the best I have ever seen), and Daniel Bruhl gives a riveting performance as driving legend Niki Lauda., one, which I thought, was worthy of an Academy Award nomination (alas, he didn’t get one to my dismay).  My Rating:  Full Price  Rush Website

Weird Credits:  From the credits of The Lego Movie:  Physical Objects Coordinator

Coming Soon to a Theater Near You:  Muppets Most Wanted (2014) PG  I don’t really care what the plot is (something about a Kermit look-a-like jewel thief).  All I care about is that it’s a film where the Muppets interact with Tina Fey and Tom Hiddleston!  Muppets Most Wanted Website

Until Next Time!