Movie #913 ........................."The Sapphires"

Movie #913 "The Sapphires" was slow going at first, but then it is the kind of film that grows on you. At first, the pacing of the film suffered miserably, start, stop, long pauses..........but once the girls go on the road, the story picks up.  The film is based on a stage play, and I think you can kind of tell that with the pacing.  It is evidently based on a true story, and that, plus it deals with A real-life Australian aborigine singing group, and its star is Chris O'Dowd (whom I love from the IT Crowd and "Bridesmaids") are three reasons I enjoyed the film, and I think others would, as well.  Rottentomatoes gave it 91%, and I wouldn't go that far, but it is a fun watch, if not just for the music, which is really sung by the girl who plays Julie (her name is Jessica Mauboy --- I'll have to look out for her in the future because she really sells the songs in spite of the fact that we have enjoyed the original performers so much).














The Sapphires2012PG-13100 minutes     I would give this 3.5 out of 5 stars

The spirit and vitality of 1960s soul music are at the core of this film about a real-life Australian aborigine singing group and their bumpy career. Three sisters and a cousin are brought together as the Sapphires by a talent scout with a plan.

Cast:

Chris O'Dowd, Deborah Mailman, Jessica Mauboy, Shari Sebbens, Miranda Tapsell, Tory Kittles, Eka Darville

Genre:

Showbiz Dramas, Indie Dramas, Social Issue Dramas, Drama

Movie #912 ........................."Music for Millions"

Movie #912 "Music for Millions" - caught this one on TCM the other night, and I had never seen it before.  Being a huge Margaret O'Brien fan when I was little, it is a wonder i missed it, esp. with the great June Allyson as her sister.  The women in the orchestra are strong secondary roles to support the two major parts, Miss Allyson and Margaret, playing her sister Mike. However, it shows its age in a number of ways:  you can tell Margaret O'brien was hired for the tears she can muster, and with a not-so-strong script, you can tell even more; there are long passages of Jose Iturbi playing and conducting (we know he's great so we really don't need so many numbers), and then Jimmy Durante is the piano player in the orchestra (why?  I'm not sure because he doesn't seem to fit, but heck, he's Jimmy Durante) --- he tries to steal every movie he is in, but his competition is pretty steep here, what with the two ladies mentioned above.  So the movie ends up a bit uneven, and one that shows its age.  But like I said the women are strong, and the film reminds us (or informs us) of what the women had to go through living during WWII back at home.  So I moderately recommend it for that reason.

"Music for Millions" made in 1944         I would give it 3 stars

Six year old "Mike" joins her sister Barbara Ainsworth who plays in a classical orchestra during WW II.

Director:

 Henry Koster

Writer:

 Myles Connolly (original screen play)

Stars:

 Margaret O'Brien, José Iturbi, June Allyson 

Movie #911 ........................." The Amazing Spiderman 2"

Movie #911 "The Amazing Spiderman 2" was a bit uneven.  Overall, I would recommend it, but there were a lot of stories going on here, and it was hit and miss how they connected and ended, I thought.  The scenes with Sally Field, Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone worked well, for example; they are competent actors and they are able to take some mediocre dialogue, at times, and do well with it any way...........some sounding actually improvised, at times.  Those three characters are well delineated characters in the script, also, so their arcs work pretty well.  It's the bad guys that come across cartoony and not as believable ----- esp. Harry, who I thought was very weak.  Also, the German guy inflicting pain on Electro --- yikes, recited lines, and no more.  Jamie Fox's intro went well, but then when he becomes Electro, it's all special effects, and very little of characterization.  Be warned, there are some rough scenes in here for the little kids (the way Peter's parents die, etc.) and there's a big turn toward the end that might be disturbing to some, as well.  But I do like that the film evidently follows the comic book a tad more than the first, so this one is differentiated from the Tobey Maguire Spiderman that we all saw already.  That gives a good reason why the film was remade and so soon.  Too many cars flying through the air for me, though.  Not my favorite genre.  But I do appreciated the humor that this Spiderman brings to the situations he finds he is in on a daily basis.













The Amazing Spider-Man 22014PG-13          I gave it 3 out of 5 stars

Spider-Man squares off against the Rhino and the powerful Electro while struggling to keep his promise to leave Gwen Stacey out of his dangerous life. Meanwhile, an old friend resurfaces, and Peter Parker uncovers new clues about his past.

Cast:

Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Paul Giamatti, Dane DeHaan, Campbell Scott, Embeth Davidtz,Colm Feore, Sally Field

Genre:

Action Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Comic Books and Superheroes, Blockbusters, Action & Adventure

Movie #910 ........................"Belle"

Movie #910 "Belle" is a wonderful film, well acted, well scripted,  with beautiful scenery and costumes & an intriguing story with a strong theme.  Who could ask for anything more? This whole story plays out against the backdrop of the slavery issue, and the biracial girl, Belle's  great uncle, holding the highest judicial office  in England at the time, has to decide on the morality of slavery. The film shows strong females who have  to follow the caste system rules of finding a husband ---it also shows a time period where sons of clergymen were considered inferiors (along with the women) --- where husbands and wives were not chosen by those concerned, but their folks, and according to the money that is available. I found it to be a really good history lesson on an incident that precipitated the abolition of slavery, and I really enjoyed it and recommend it highly.  













Belle2014PG      I gave it 5 out of 5 stars

This period drama based on fact traces the life of Dido Elizabeth Belle, a biracial girl born in 1761 to a British admiral father and an African mother. Raised by her great-uncle, Dido finds her place in society despite her mixed ethnicity.

Cast:

Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Penelope Wilton, Miranda Richardson, Tom Wilkinson, Emily Watson, Tom Felton, Sarah Gadon, Matthew Goode, Sam Reid

Genre:

Political Dramas, Pre-20th Century Period Pieces, Indie Dramas, Drama

Movie #909 ........................."This Means War"

Movie #909 "This Means War" is predictable, but a shade better than what I thought it was going to be due to the casting of the movie with capable people.  I saw the trailer and guessed the ending and pretty much all the turns in the film.  So nothing new here, because you will probably guess all of it, too.  Rosemary Harris and Reese Witherspoon are always fun to watch for me, so they were the saving graces.  The two guys were fine pieces of "eye candy"  and capable in acting, so that added to the movie, as well.  Oh, and Chelsea Handler has a lot of good (but filthy) lines.  I lightly recommend it to people who like Romantic comedies.....but there are several that are better ("Sweet Home Alabama" with Reese, for one)










This Means War2012PG-1397 minutes   I would give this 3 stars out of 3

Each determined to win the heart of a sexy blonde bombshell, two best friends and CIA spies turn their secret-agent skills against each other, heedless of the ever-widening trail of wreckage and collateral damage they leave in their wake.

Cast:

Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine, Tom Hardy, Til Schweiger, Chelsea Handler, Abigail Spencer, Angela Bassett,Rosemary Harris, George Touliatos, Clint Carleton, Warren Christie, Laura Vandervoort, Natassia Malthe, Leela Savasta, John Paul Ruttan

Genre:

Action Comedies, Romantic Comedies, Action Thrillers, Action & Adventure

Movie #908 "The Deep Blue Sea"

Movie #908 "The Deep Blue Sea"  --- well, this one was a royal let down.  I thought I might like it because it is a remake of a Terrence Rattigan play, with one of my favorite actresses, Rachel Weisz, along with the actor who expertly played F. Scott Fitzgerald in "Midnight in Paris", Tom Hiddleston, but no such luck. It's a Blanch Dubois type of story that really didn't go anywhere --- she tells you the end at the beginning of the film.  The only thing the audience can do is watch it play through.  And it's painful to do that.  I don't recommend it.  Maybe it is better played on stage?  I'm not so sure about that.












The Deep Blue Sea2011R98 minutes --- I gave it two stars out of 5.

This remake of the original 1955 film, adapted from a Terence Rattigan play, stars Rachel Weisz as a wedded woman who falls hard for a younger man. Her determination and emotional obsession lead her into tragic conflict with the morals of the day.

Cast:

Rachel Weisz, Tom Hiddleston, Simon Russell Beale, Ann Mitchell, Jolyon Coy, Karl Johnson, Harry Hadden-Paton, Sarah Kants, Oliver Ford Davies, Barbara Jefford

Genre:

Romantic Dramas, 20th Century Period Pieces, Period Pieces, Romance