Sex Tape

My View:  Sex Tape (2014) R A married couple, Jay (Jason Segel) and Annie (Cameron Diaz), try to spice up their marriage by doing a sex tape. They wake up to discover that they have sent their video to the cloud network, where everyone they know can see it. Can they get the video back before the couple is exposed?  Yes, there are quite a few shots of Segel and Diaz having sex, and all the shots are done for comedy, and we mostly just see a tangle of legs and arms.  It’s a comedy that is slightly raunchy, and producers could have taken it farther, but they held back.  There are some funny scenes, especially when the couple visits Annie’s potential boss’s home, but the film quickly runs out of steam and is incredibly predictable.  It’s not a bad film, but it needed to be a whole lot funnier.  And, I never want to see Jason Segel’s butt ever again.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Sex Tape Website

My View:  The Purge: Anarchy  (2014) R It’s time for the annual Purge, a night where everything is legal, and if you want to survive, you better lie low. A number of citizens, including a young married couple (Zach Gilford, Kiele Sanchez), get caught out in downtown L.A. How will they survive the night? This is a sequel to the surprise hit, The Purge (2013), but this one is a much better film.  It has far more action and less political talk than the original. This is what I call a video game type of film - one that has lots of fighting and chases but not a lot of heavy dialogue. I enjoyed watching this film, most of which was shot at night on the streets of L.A. It moves at a quick pace, is easy to understand, and it keeps you guessing on who will survive and how.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The Purge: Anarchy Website

Indiefest:  Wish I Was Here (2014) R Aidan Bloom (Zach Braff) is a 35-year-old man who is having a mid-life crisis a little early. He is at a major crossroads that will force him to reassess his life, his career and his relationship with his family.  While at times funny and moving, this film too often goes for the easy joke or cliché plot point to make it a really effective film.  Braff is basically playing a less successful version of himself and doesn’t really bring anything new to the screen.  I did enjoy the performance of Kate Hudson, who plays Sarah, the wife of Aidan, who is in love with her husband and has supported his dream of being a full-time actor.  Also, Joey King, who plays the older daughter of Aidan and who is wise beyond her years, brings an honest emotional tone to the film.  I just wanted this film to be better than it is.  It’s enjoyable to watch and, at times emotional, but Braff doesn’t deliver a complete story, as this film feels more like several sketches pieced together.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Wish I Was Here Website

Forgotten Film:  Gone Baby Gone (2007) R A four-year-old is missing in the city of Boston.  The family feels that the cops aren’t moving fast enough and hires two private detectives (Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan) to find their baby girl.  The two P.I.’s start digging around and find out that this case is more complicated than just a simple abduction, and it could get them killed.  Ben Affleck directed this smart and tense film that has you guessing until the very end.  The casting is first rate, including Morgan Freeman, who plays a police investigator who is determined to find the girl.  Casey Affleck is at his best in this part, showing great range and bringing an emotional impact to the screen.  Ben Affleck knocks it out of the park with his first directorial job.   My Rating: Full Price  Gone Baby Gone Website  

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Sex Tape: Graphic Designer Specialty Tattoos

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Laggies (2014) R  A young woman’s (Keira Knightley) life is in a rut. She decides to take a week off and lay low.  She meets a teenager (Chloe Grace Moretz) and convinces her to let her stay at her home.  Is it okay for a grown woman to spend so much of her time with teenagers? This comedy film stars Moretz, Knightley, Sam Rockwell, Ellie Kemper and Gretchen Moll, so you know I will be there to watch it.  Laggies Website

Until Next Time!

The Fault in Our Stars

My View:  The Fault in Our Stars (2014) PG-13  Gus (Ansel Elgort) is a cancer survivor with a prosthetic leg.  Hazel (Shailene Woodley) has cancer, and her constant companion is an oxygen tank.  They meet  at a cancer support group and fall in love.  Just how long will this relationship last?  Get out your box of tissues (you will need a full box), and get ready for an excellent story of how thrilling first loves can be and how life can be so unfair.  Woodley, in her best performance to-date, is magical as the girl fighting cancer with her attitude and her heart. Elgort is perfectly cast as the boy with a great sense of humor who falls hard for Hazel. Their chemistry is amazing to watch, and there is a real connection between the two. While cancer is present in almost every scene (almost as its own character), the real heart of the story is about two people finding each other and accepting that they must make every moment count.  My only complaint (and it’s a small one) is that there were moments in the film where I got choked up, but there never was that big, hard hitting emotional spot, just a whole bunch of little ones. My Rating: Full Price  The Fault in Our Stars Website

Indiefest:  Cold in July (2014) R Awakened in the middle of the night, Richard Dane (Michael C. Hall) kills an unarmed intruder in his home.  When the dead man’s father (Sam Shepard) shows up, Richard feels threatened.  So he hires a private detective (Don Johnson) to protect him and his family, but things just get more and more complicated.  I loved this suspenseful film that had numerous twists and turns with one big twist that I didn’t see coming.  Hall does an excellent job of playing a man who gets deeper and deeper into a situation that he isn’t equipped to handle.  Shepard is perfect as a man who could explode at any moment. I loved Don Johnson as the outrageous P.I., chewing up scenery with gusto.  This is a brilliant film that keeps you on your toes.  My Rating: Full Price  Cold in July Website  

Indiefest:  Words and Pictures (2014)  PG-13 Dina Delsanto (Juliette Binoche) is an artist who has developed rheumatoid arthritis. She needs help on a daily basis to get around, so she moves to a new town and begins teaching at a prestigious private high school. She instantly clashes with the English teacher, Jack Marcus (Clive Owen), an alcoholic writer who hasn’t written anything in years. Now the question is which is more meaningful…words or pictures?  Binoche and Owen are let down by the script, which starts out strong but ends up being predictable and heavy-handed.  The film works best during the first half where the two characters are debating, but as the film progresses, and the two become more than just colleagues, their chemistry seems to fizzle. My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Words and Pictures Website

Forgotten Film: Klute (1971) R  John Klute (Donald Sutherland) is a Private Investigator who is hired to find out what happened to a businessman who has been missing for six months.  His only clue - a handwritten obscene letter written to a Manhattan call girl (Jane Fonda) by the missing man.  Now, Klute is part of a cat and mouse game where no one can be trusted and his life may be in danger.  This is an interesting film where you really don’t know what is going on or whom you can trust.  Sutherland is very different in this role, playing a man who isn’t too sure of himself or his abilities. Fonda is absolutely gorgeous and is perfect in the part of the call girl who is in way over her head.  It’s a film that will keep you guessing until the very end.  My Rating:  Full Price Klute Info

In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD/Blu-ray):  Son of God (2014) PG-13 The story of Jesus (Diogo Morgado) from his humble beginnings, his lifelong teaching, his crucifixion and to his resurrection.  Morgado is admirable in the role and has a pleasing presence on the screen with the perfect amount of charisma the part needs.  I felt that while Son of God isn’t a bad film, it just doesn’t bring anything new to the story of Jesus.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee Son of God Website

Weird Credits: From the credits of The Fault in Our Stars:  Textile Artist

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Wish I Was Here (2014)  Zach Braff is a father who, at age 35, is still trying to find his way.  His life is changed when he takes his kids out of private school and begins home schooling them.  I really enjoyed Braff’s first film that he wrote and directed, Garden State (2004), so I can’t wait for this one.   Wish I Was Here Website

Until Next Time!