Movie #568 ........................."Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy"

Movie #568 "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" is a very detailed complicated story that I'm not convinced could be told in a 2 hour + film. It was a long book, that was made into a miniseries in the past (with Alex Guiness) and now becomes an academy award nominee vehicle for Gary Oldman, whom I think was better as Sirius Black in the Harry Potter series. In fact, he doesn't say a word for the first 30 minutes of the film, and seems terribly British and unflappable in the rest of it. Too many names, too much happening, that after awhile we don't really care. We know there's a double agent (what spy story doesn't have that) and the way it is played out, is not all that different from many of the other movies on the subject. What struck me is that I think the US does better with its espionage films --- we do it at a quicker pace, and they are more gimmicky in keeping our attention. The Brits seem to think you can talk to death the spies and they will consider that torture and give up. I enjoyed watching Colin Firth in his first movie role since winning the academy award and he definitely added to the movie. Otherwise, didn't need to see it on the big screen.





3 stars out of 5
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
(2011) R
John Le Carré's classic thriller of Cold War espionage follows an English spy as he returns to MI-6 under a cloud of suspicion. In the years since he was sacked by the agency, some suspect he's become an operative for the Soviet Union.
Genre:Thrillers, British Movies, Spy Thrillers, British Thrillers
This movie is:Cerebral, Understated

Movie #567 ........................."To Hell and Back Again"

Movie #567 "To Hell and Back Again" is a documentary that is nominated for an academy award this year and it is very deserving. It's well done because first of all when the documentarian started on this filming, he didn't know what was going to happen --- he didn't know the ending, and yet he played it out to the hit this guy took, and then followed him home to his therapy, etc. but then, when he presents the story to us, he juxtaposes the past with the present --- i.e., while he's showing the guy going to the doctor, trying to get a parking space at Walmart and then taking a wheelchair in, visiting with his doctor, etc., he cuts in between those scenes back to before he was hit --- and ends on him being hit. It becomes very powerful when you watch it that way. To add to the story, we really see what these soldiers have to go through to get the Afghans' help. We are shown to be a problem to them when he come to help --- they see us as a hindrance because they have to leave their homes, and they are further afraid of not only the Taliban but us and what we'll do. Very enlightening film and I recommend it.





I rate this 3.8 out of 5
Hell and Back Again
(2011) NR
In this unvarnished documentary set on the Afghan front line, U.S. Marine Sgt. Nathan Harris is wounded by Taliban machine-gun fire, then returns to his North Carolina home to grapple with the stress of civilian life.
Genre:Documentaries, Military Documentaries, Social & Cultural Documentaries
This movie is:Gritty
Availability: Streaming and DVD

Movie #566 .........................."Carnage"

Movie #566 "Carnage" is a don't bother movie in this academy- award -picture -ladened season. Maybe you can rent it further on down the year when it comes out on DVD, but there are so many good movies out there right now, you really don't need to see this one. Dave and I saw this play ("God of Carnage" ) when it was on Broadway, and not getting to see the original four people who played in it, we came out thinking that the people we saw didn't really connect all that well, and therefore it wasn't as funny. Now in the movie, we had 4 competent people, and though it does have some good moments, and the cast is really very good, it still isn't all that funny. It's kind of like George and Martha (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?) , peppered with some jokes, in that it is pretty mean-spirited. As one of the characters puts it so well by the end of the play, who really cares? And I'm afraid this audience member felt the same way by the end of the film (which is, incidentally, one of its most unsuccessful moments).





I rated this 3 stars out of 5
Carnage
(2011) R
In this comic drama from director Roman Polanski, two sets of parents meet in the aftermath of an incident in which one of their children bullied the other. As the evening progresses, the adults confront each other in increasingly hostile ways.
Genre:Dramas, Foreign Movies, Foreign Dramas, French Movies, French Dramas

Movie #565 ........................."Terri"

Movie #565 "Terri" --- this is a movie that made someone's top 10 list so I ordered it --- big mistake! It has some interesting moments about being a teenager, being big and therefore being bullied, being a misfit and finding other misfits to befriend you so you aren't alone, liking the girl in your home ec class, taking care of your uncle who takes so many pills he's zonked out most of the time, but on the whole the pace is way too slow, and the acting is way too mediocre to be a good film that I could recommend. This one you can skip. There are much better films on the subject. I thought it would never end............in fact, I'm watching the ending now, and wondering if it will ever get there..............it has turned rather raunchy and more mediocre as it climbs to the high point ---- come on, where's the poignancy? where's the quirky? where's the comedy? this is just raunchy. Skip it.





2.6 out of 3 stars
Terri
(2011) R
This poignant coming-of-age tale follows Terri, an overweight orphan who, while struggling to find acceptance with his peers, forms an unlikely friendship with his vice principal, who also knows all too well what it's like to be alone.
Genre:Comedies, Dramas, Independent Movies, Independent Dramas, Independent Comedies
This movie is:Quirky, Understated

Movie #564 ........................."Saint Ralph"

Movie #564 "Saint Ralph" -- what a funny movie that pokes fun at growing up, "boys will be boys," the Catholic Church, and friendship yet while allowing us to laugh at these kids, the film makes us think about some serious subjects like grief, dealing with tragedy in the family (mother is in a coma), living alone when you are only age 14, being bullied by others, taking on a goal to win the Boston marathon against all odds, and running, running, and running. I usually don't like movies about religion, but this was a really good one and I recommend it.





I ranked it 3.8 out of 5 stars
Saint Ralph
(2004) PG-13
Ralph (Adam Butcher) is a typical teenager with atypical questions, the largest of which concerns his mother. She's fallen into a coma, and the 14-year-old has set his sights on winning the 1954 Boston Marathon in a makeshift barter with God to make his mother well. His teacher, Father Hibbert (Campbell Scott), wants to encourage his dream, but in doing so, he goes up against the reserved, ever-realistic Father Fitzpatrick (Gordon Pinsent).
Genre:Dramas, Faith and Spirituality, Independent Movies, Independent Dramas, Sports Dramas, Faith & Spirituality Movies, Sports Movies, 20th Century Period Pieces
This movie is:Emotional, Inspiring, Sentimental, Feel-good

Movie #563 ........................."The Iron Lady"

Movie #563 "The Iron Lady" is a movie worth seeing for a number of reasons, most of them dealing with Streep and the director Phyllida Lloyd's work with Streep and the editor. I have been watching all these wonderfully photographed movies this year, including "War Horse," "Hugo," "Tree of Life" and the list goes on, and usually editing is pulled out of one of those films to be honored for the academy awards --- and that makes sense. However, to me, from the movies I have seen this year, the editing in this particular movie actually MADE the story work here. If you put "J. Edgar" next to this film, you would understand what editing can do to a film ---- make or break it. In "Edgar" it broke it, here it "made" it. The story is so much more fascinating because of the WAY it is told. She is unlikable and controversial, like Edgar, but still "attention must be paid" to the character in this film. I think Leo is almost as good as Streep, there's no doubt he has done as much work as she --- they could be comparable, if anyone could to Streep, yet she USES all the moments--- both characters are complex and you want to know what is on their minds, but the actor fills in the gaps, or should. Here, Streep is able to do that. I loved her before walking into the theatre (all my life, actually) , and this movie just underlined her ability. I thought it was Viola Davis's year to win best actress. Now, I'm not sure. Streep is very, very good! If there were any year for a tie, I'd want it to be this year. I know it has happened before ---- and to someone comparable to Streep (K. Hepburn), but I'm not sure it will go that way. And that's too bad because this year really has two great actresses, and two great films that should tie for best picture! (Midnight in Paris and Help) Anyway, Hats off to the director and Streep for making me want to put a Margaret Thatcher book on my to read list this year! Good flick!






I rated it 4 out of 5 stars
The Iron Lady
(2011) PG-13
Meryl Streep provides a subtle and nuanced portrait of Margaret Thatcher, the first female prime minister of Britain, whose political career and determination changed the rules that had limited women's opportunities for leadership.
Genre:Dramas, Political Dramas, British Movies, British Dramas
This movie is:Dark

Movie #562 ........................."A Better Life"

Movie #562 "A Better Life" was an emotional film about the immigration problem in the US. It's a very touching story about how much a father will go through for his son. I have read books on the subject, but this shows the plight of one Mexican immigrant who is trying his best to raise his teenage son, just when he's at the point of going toward something else in order to survive. A heartbreaking ending. This movie reminded me of a modern day "Bicycle Thief" because the same things seem to be going on here.





I rate it 3.5 out of 5 stars
A Better Life
(2011) PG-13
This candid social drama tracks the relationship and conflicts between Mexican immigrant gardener Carlos and his teenage son Luis, whom he's trying to interest in earning an honest living rather than drifting into the East L.A. gang scene.
Genre:Dramas, Crime Dramas, Social Issue Dramas
This movie is:Emotional, Gritty, Heartfelt

Movie #561 ........................."The Heartbreaker"

Movie #561 "The Heartbreaker" is a very good find. It is witty (as it says below), funny, "out there," and a twist on the romantic comedy genre. The two stars are not drop dead good looking, and that was something I liked about the film --- they wear on you, the audience, after awhile. The scenery is gorgeous (filmed in Monaco), and the group of people who helped the lead with his heists are very funny and talented with disguises, etc. I enjoyed the newness of the story, but then at the end of the film, I was finding myself guessing where it was going --------that's because the ending is almost exactly a replica of "It happened one night"---- I don't know if that was on purpose and it's an homage to that Capra great, or if the writers just stole it. I opt for the first choice, and therefore I'm sticking with my 5 rating. This is certainly a find I will be recommending for a long time.






I rated this 5 stars out of 5
Heartbreaker
L'arnacoeur
(2010) NR
Alex (Romain Duris) and his sister, Mélanie (Julie Ferrier), and her husband, Marc (François Damiens), earn money by breaking up relationships. But when Alex falls for a client's (Jacques Frantz) daughter, Juliette (Vanessa Paradis), he has to decide if he'll bust up her wedding to Jonathon (Andrew Lincoln), who's truly perfect for her. Pascal Chaumeil directs this romantic comedy filmed in Monaco.
Genre:Comedies, Dramas, Foreign Movies, Romantic Movies, Foreign Comedies, Romantic Comedies, Foreign Dramas, Romantic Dramas, Romantic Foreign Movies, French Movies, French Comedies, French Dramas
This movie is:Romantic, Witty

Movie #560 ........................."Young Adult"

Movie #560 "Young Adult" was crap! I went with Dave and alum Deb Hoffman, and we all felt the same, so it's not just me. I feel so strongly about how bad this movie is that my mission now is to tell everyone possible that this is NOT WORTH SEEING AT ALL! There is really nothing redeeming about this. I've never really given a zero to a movie, but I thought twice about doing it for this one --- but it can't be the worst film I've seen, can it? No, but it comes close. I guess if I listed what was bad about it, I'd convince you not to see it and that the critics are wrong on this one. I would then feel better about seeing it, thus the redeeming value would come in the film critiquing and not the film watching. So here goes. 1) Charlize Theron, though a very good actress, doesn't bring it home in this one --- she crosses the line from depressing, psychotic bitch to crazy stalker who should be hospitalized --- not funny. Compare this "acting" job to Kristin Wiig's in "Bridesmaids" and you'd see that Wiig was able to accomplish a tough task --- to take a depressing psychotic bitch on a journey to something better, and make her endearing on the way. 2) the script is drivel -----the pacing is so slow I could have baked a cake or emptied the dryer and come back to watching and still not missed anything important 3) everyone is mean in the film, pretty much --- compare that to a far better film "Mean Girls" where you have the same type of meanness, and you can see what could have been done in better hands 4) the music is repetitive and drivel, too 5) the character does not go through any major change and thus redeem the film ----- i.e. the ending sucks! sorry for the language but that's true. I don't care how many "chances" this director is taking to be "different" in a so-called comedy (which really isn't a comedy because we don't find psychotic bitchy alcoholics who are really mentally ill and need help to be funny). To have redeeming qualities a film needs to DO something --- teach us, change our minds about something, make us laugh or cry, something! This does nothing. So don't bother. What makes this experience worse is that I trusted the critics, Charlize Theron, and the director (who did an amazing job with "Up in the Air") -- and they were all wrong! That doesn't usually happen. so thus the 1.

P.S. kudos to the Rattatouille guy --- and with the lines he was given. oh my. He has to constantly tell her how mean she is (as if we don't know that?) or that she's been drinking too much? (ditto) and then after he hasn't been in the previous scene, he has to ask her what happened (after we have seen it and then we have to sit through her retelling what we just saw). Bake a cake or do laundry instead. anything to prevent seeing this mess!




I give it 1 star and that's being generous out of 5.
Young Adult
(2011) R
Taken aback when she receives a letter from an old boyfriend announcing that he's just had a baby with his wife, divorced fiction writer Mavis Gary decides to return to her small hometown and reconnect with her former lover.
Genre:Comedies, Independent Movies, Dark Comedies, Independent Comedies
This movie is:Dark, Witty

Movie #559 ........................."Super 8"

Movie #559 "Super 8" --- well, this was a weird one to watch. I had lots of mixed feelings about it. It is one of those films that is well done, but you ask yourself why was it made? Now, disclaimer here.........I am not the target audience, and thus the mixed feelings. If you want to be scared to death, then a little kid would like it; however, it may be too scary for younger audiences. If you want to enjoy a really well- filmed movie that has a ridiculous plot, then you might like it at any age. Perhaps, you are looking for an homage to movies like the serial sci fi flicks in the 50s or the more modern "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" (which is not one of my favorite films, too slow and a ridiculous plot)? Then you might like this. How about those that want to see good acting and filming? Well, no doubt the filming is astounding here, but the acting is hit or miss --- the Fanning girl, however, is great and so is the boy who was discovered in making this film --- Spielberg hits it just right again with him! (like he did with the ET kids) the other kids, not so much -- but they look like kids in any neighborhood. Speaking of them, they said the funniest things (like "Drugs are so bad for you" when they are in a situation they can't drive away from because the teenaged driver is stoned) that enhanced the film for me . Yep, since the plot started in the real world and about 20 minutes in took a ridiculous turn for me, I could continue watching and laughing at the kids. So, bottom line, technically a very good film, but very weird if you aren't the demographic it was made for. Maybe just watch to laugh or be scared? It works on both those counts, I think.





I'd rate this 3.5 out of 5
Super 8
(2011) PG-13
With a nod toward producer Steven Spielberg's landmark sci-fi films of the 1970s and '80s, writer-director J.J. Abrams crafts a supernatural tale about six kids who witness something incredible while shooting a movie with their Super 8 camera.
Genre:Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Action Thrillers, Alien Sci-Fi, Sci-Fi Thrillers
This movie is:Exciting, Imaginative, Suspenseful

Movie #558 ........................."Tiny Furniture"

Movie #558 "Tiny Furniture" is an odd film --- it is one of those slices of life type pieces, and it starts at a crossroads for a twenty year old just done with school --- what to do now is the question? The film, however, doesn't give a lot of answers --- she doesn't seem to be changed by the end, so I disliked that part ---- in fact, the ending seemed to be mid sentence? Maybe I missed something there? It seemed very inadequate and unsuccessful and pretty much ruined the film for me. But there were some saving graces here ---- the twenty year old who wrote, directed and starred in the film was so normal looking (when she walks around pantless, it was refreshing to see the legs of a real person, instead of some skinny mini with a personal trainer who doesn't eat --- the type we usually see in films. Her interactions with her mother and sister (real one, in this case) felt realistic to me, too. But the dialogue was clunky many times, the journey unorganized and meandering, and the editing could have been crisper for my money. I don't think I'd recommend it too many people at all ---- only a few would find her journey halfway interesting, esp. without an end in sight.




I rate this 2.8 out of 5 stars
Tiny Furniture
(2010) NR
When twenty-something film theory major Aura (Lena Dunham) returns home after college to live with her artist mother in TriBeCa, she confronts a long list of personal and professional failures and wonders whether her dismal past will become her future. It's an early midlife crisis for sure, but there's hope on the horizon if Aura can figure out who she is and what she's really meant to do. Dunham also wrote and directed this wry comedy.
Genre:Comedies, Independent Movies, Independent Comedies
This movie is:Quirky, Understated

Movie #557 ............................"Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol"

Movie #557 "Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol" or what people will call it in the future, "Mission Impossible 4" was excellent ---- everything you'd want in a film like this (minus any love story, which really wasn't a requisite for me because I had fun watching the kick ass (literally) female (two of them actually), and one of my favorite scenes was when they take on each other! ) The movie is full of spills and thrills, car chases, surprises, an amazing Dubai hotel sequence, another amazing carport sequence, and 4 fun to watch people who make up the IMF for this adventure. I highly recommend it to all you action lovers!





I give it 4 stars out of 5
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol
(2011) PG-13
Super-agent Ethan Hunt dangles from skyscrapers and otherwise takes daring to new heights on another operation from the Impossible Missions Force. Helping Hunt get the job done is droll fellow IMF agent Luther Stickel.
Genre:Action & Adventure, Action Thrillers, Spy Action & Adventure
This movie is:Exciting

Movie #556 .........................."The Artist"

Movie #556 "The Artist" is, in my eyes, terribly over rated. For sure, if it was trying to prove just how necessary sound is in motion pictures, it definitely did that, but I don't think that was supposed to be the point. I think we were supposed to say things like: how creative, my isn't that original, how fitting that a movie about the time period SHOWS the time period by stripping the movie of sound ---- but wait. so the movie was trying to prove how unimportant sound was? see, we can still make movies without sound? Well, it didn't work with me --- because it didn't have sound there were sections I found annoying (like long sections where we are expected to read lips) , over acted, full of mugging for the camera. And when they finally have sound (which you need to know is like the last 10 minutes), and we see the lead tap dance, it was not that effective because he wasn't really that good of a dancer. So that indicated to me that maybe he should have found another job instead of wallowing in his apartment all of these years because the film industry left him behind. I had problems with the lead --- I didn't like him. To me, he was cocky and full of himself, patronizing to his audience, neglectful of his wife, unaware of people's feelings who are right next to him, neglectful of his driver, overly proud, etc. Are we to like him just because the dog likes him and another girl likes him? So bottom line: I didn't much care for him and really didn't care if film left him behind, unlike the Gene Kelly character in "Singin' in the Rain" --- which was so much better of a movie on the same topic. okay, perhaps I have reacted above too cerebrally to the film, and should just look at the artistry in the film --- after all, that is the title. Perhaps, the artist is the one MAKING the film. In that case, I applaud all the people involved who made this film look of the time period, playing with black and white, trying to continue to entertain us without sound in this modern age of film. One applause I'd like to especially dole out is to the set dressers, one of which is my nephew Zachary Uriah Kramer, who made the credits. I'm very proud of his (and his crew's) work on this film. I wish I would have liked it more.





I rated it a 3 out of 5
The Artist
(2011) PG-13
This modern-day silent film artfully recounts the poignant end of the silent-movie era in the late 1920s. The story contrasts the declining fortunes of a silent-screen superstar with his lover's rise to popularity as a darling of the "talkies."
Genre:Dramas, Foreign Movies, Independent Movies, Silent Movies, Foreign Dramas, Independent Dramas, Showbiz Dramas, French Movies, 20th Century Period Pieces

Movie #555 ........................."Lebanon, Pa'

Movie #555 "Lebanon, Pa" was a better than average film. I was very impressed with the young teen who is pregnant in this film, and when I looked her up on IMDB, this is the only thing she has worked on......ever. Hmmm. Makes you think. Anyway, I really liked watching Samantha Mathis, one of my favorite female actors, play a completely different role than I've ever seen her play, and it was good watching the transformation of this "all work and no play" guy (whom I guess stars in Cougar Town, I don't watch it) turn into more of a family man and definitely a better person all around. This seemed really real, for the most part, and I especially liked that style. I'm not sure of the title --- yes, the place is somewhat important, but not because it is in Lebanon or Pennsylvania -- but that it was home for him for a while, and he has come back --- it's that "you can't go home again" idea. People seemed really intolerant to people's differences, and I wasn't sure that it made me want to live there ---- or even visit, for that matter. So labeling the film that, wasn't very effective, in my opinion, but I could have missed the idea on the title. Overall, I felt the movie was a bit uneven. Some good scenes, right next to scenes that were overly wrought or underacted. However, I would recommend the film to people who would like this topic and possibly are at a crossroads in their lives and want to watch people working their way through theirs.






I rated this 3.8 out of 5 stars
Lebanon, PA.
(2010) PG-13
Urbane Philadelphia ad man Will (Josh Hopkins) heads to small-town Lebanon for his father's funeral, and the road leads not only to closure but to a revelation when the 35-year-old meets his precocious teenage cousin, CJ (Rachel Kitson), and her winsome teacher, Vicki (Samantha Mathis). As his friendship with CJ deepens and his warmth for the married Vicki grows, Will comes to realize that life can't always be summed up in a catchphrase.
Genre:Dramas, Independent Movies, Romantic Movies, Independent Dramas, Romantic Dramas, Romantic Independent Movies
This movie is:Romantic

Movie #554 ........................"Certified Copy"

Movie #554 "Certified Copy" --- this has been done before, and better, I think --- at least the dialogue was. The film is entitled "Before Sunset," a movie with two people who meet in Vienna and spend one beautiful night together --- by the end of the movie,if the audience has bought the premise, we can't believe they aren't soulmates ---- we ask: Why aren't they together? Thus, we buy the premise of the sequel: "Before Sunset" when they meet after 7 years this time in Paris. At the time the first film came out (2003) some critics loved it, and some said it was "an acting exercise." Well, the same thing can be said here, except with the first one, I LOVED it, but this one seemed like an "acting exercise " to me. Why the difference? A couple of reasons. Mainly, most of the dialogue here was antagonistic and angry, while the first one was flirtatious --- the beginning of a relationship, and this one, possibly on the down end. The other problem is the male in this one ---- he's an opera singer, and I'm sure a fine one, but not as good an actor (or comes anywhere near) as the great Juliette Binoche. Wow, she's the best thing in the film ---- but I wouldn't recommend it just for that. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone unless he/she wanted to see her acting skills, and maybe the beauty of Tuscany. Otherwise, don't bother. I only saw it because the two critics on Ebert's movie show raved about it, and one put it on his top 10 list for 2011. Nope. I don't agree.





I rated it 3 stars out of 5
Certified Copy
Copie Conforme
(2010) NR
In Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami's captivating meditation on art and love, British writer James Miller meets a beautiful gallery owner in Tuscany and begins -- or possibly continues -- a romance with her.
Genre:Dramas, Foreign Movies, Romantic Movies, Foreign Dramas, Romantic Dramas, Romantic Foreign Movies, French Movies
This movie is:Cerebral, Romantic

Movie #553 ........................."Happythankyoumoreplease"

Movie #553 "Happythankyoumoreplease" is my kind of film ---- quirky, good story, well acted, romantic and funny. The writer/director is none other than Josh Radnor from "How I Met Your Mother" fame, and he's done a great job with this. His acting is about the same, but the basic idea he has written about is cool ---- not to give anything away, he sees this little boy left on the subway, and trying to find the little boy's relatives who left him there, he learns that the little boy was in a foster home and didn't care much for it. So he decides to keep him for a while ---------meanwhile, there is a girl he has fallen in love with from afar and is trying to get courage to make a move, his cousin is having relationship problems with her guy who wants to move from beloved NYC to LA, and then his best female friend is looking for love in the wrong places. All the people are needing a positive boost of energy, thus the title --- it's a philosophy that suggests that you should feel good about your self, and when you find something good, ask for more -------instead of feeling that you aren't good enough for the good times. I enjoyed this and recommend it, but it might be a bit slow to people who only like action pics. It was a really good find, though, for those who like the indies.





You rated this movie: 4.6 out of 5

HappyThankYouMorePlease
Happy Thank You More Please
(2010) R
On the way to meet a publisher, aspiring novelist Sam (Josh Radnor) encounters Rasheen (Michael Algieri) alone on the subway. While struggling to decide whether to send the young boy back to foster care, Sam looks after Rasheen and learns a few important life lessons. Meanwhile, Sam's friends deal with various romantic tribulations. Radnor wrote and directed this comedy, which won the Best Drama Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival.
Genre:Comedies, Independent Movies, Romantic Movies, Romantic Comedies, Independent Comedies, Romantic Independent Movies
This movie is:Quirky, Romantic, Witty

Movie #552 .........................."War Horse"

Movie #552 "War Horse" is a very emotiona,l historical film --- kind of Lassie come home with a horse --- I should probably state right here that my call on sappiness is much more liberal in comparison to my call on stupidity in a film. i.e., I don't see sappiness like others do (after all, I love broadway musicals and romantic comedies, so what do you expect?); critics have been using the terms maudlin and sappy to describe this film, and I only saw it (possibly) in one scene. Bottom line: I don't think I'm a good judge of sap , because it doesn't bother me. So I can say that I enjoyed this film a lot ---- loved the photography, the editing, and the music. I gave it a 4 because I thought it could have been clearer on the switches from place to place and people to people, esp. since I like the historics of the film the most. Now, in comparison to the play? no comparison, the play is soooooooooooooo much better (because of the puppetry and creativity) but the story was clearer to me here. Overall, I would recommend it ---- toward the bottom of Spielburg's efforts, but still worth a watch.





I rate it 4 out of 5 stars
War Horse
(2011) PG-13
Adapted from a novel by Michael Morpurgo, this majestic World War I drama centers on Devon lad Albert and his steadfast horse, Joey, whose faithful bond cannot be shaken -- even when Joey is sold to the cavalry and sent off to France.
Genre:Dramas, Dramas based on a book, Military Dramas, Dramas based on contemporary literature, 20th Century Period Pieces
This movie is:Inspiring

Movie #551 ........................."The Wave"

Movie #551 "The Wave" hooked me from the first minute, with the loud, hard rock music playing in the teacher's car on his way to school in Germany. He enjoys being a popular teacher, and he finds he is stuck teaching an autocracy class for project week. He tries to switch with the teacher who is teaching anarchy but no luck so he decides to jazz it up a bit. It was tough going with the subtitles because they talked really fast, but once you get used to it, it kept my interest all the way to the very end. It certainly is controversial and should offer a lot of things to talk about --- some philosophical about how far a teacher should go to prove a point, why people might be attracted to autocracy, how Germans feel about the tragic mark on history their dictators made, bullying, and many more. I recommend this as an excellent thought piece, even though you may guess some of the twists and turns along the way.




I rated it 4 out of 5 stars.
The Wave
Die Welle
(2008) NR
To give his students a real-world example of how dictatorships can grow powerful, a high school teacher starts a social experiment that gives some of his students a strong advantage while leaving others subservient and powerless.
Genre:Dramas, Foreign Movies, Thrillers, Dramas based on real life, Foreign Dramas, Foreign Thrillers, German Movies
This movie is:Cerebral, Controversial