Thursday, June 26, 2014

Movie #931 .........................."The Company Men"


Movie #931 "The Company Men" was worth watching, and I'm glad I streamed it last night to watch.  The cast is highly talented, and they help make the film enjoyable to watch, even though the subject matter is very sad, and actually frightening because it deals with the death of the American Dream.  The film follows 4 men (and their families) dealing with big deal downsizing that is going on in their company (for Tommy Lee and Chris Cooper, they've been there since the beginning, so it's even harder for them, in some respects).  The owner Craig T. Nelson is best friends with Tommy Lee and has known and worked with all of these men for a long time, but doesn't blink an eye, really, to let all of them go (such greed!).  On the other side of the coin, it bothers Tommy Lee a lot that his division is the one chosen to downsize so much -- Chris Cooper has kids to send to college that he's worried about, and Ben Affleck has a nice house, car, and two kids who worry about him and pray for him!  I really found this enlightening as to what some people in the business world have had to go through, and at times it was painful  to watch; however, the ending made me smile (I don't want to give anything away) and well worth the wait.  But before we get there, we are subject to a very believable and human story of our downsizing society and how we let it get so far!














The Company Men2010R105 minutes     I'd give it 4 out of 5 stars
Written, directed and produced by John Wells, this indie drama stars Ben Affleck as a successful businessman who comes face-to-face with America's downsizing epidemic when he loses his job and is forced to take a construction gig.
Posted by at No comments:

Movie #930 .........................."Chef"

Movie #930 "Chef" is a delectable comic stew, with a sizable portion of father/son bonding,  a little bit of what it takes to be a chef, a wonderful, toe-tapping musical soundtrack, lots of footage of gorgeous dishes of food, just a smidgen of a sweet love story, some concern shown about our media-defined culture (it even introduces how to use (or how not to abuse) twitter, and a big portion of laugh-out-loud-moments!  I loved it (and the two people I was with loved it, too)  What a fun watch --- and in this day and age when it is so hard to find a good comedy, well, here it is --- but it's not for little kids (high school and up is fine!)  It is truly a feel good film, and I can't remember ever putting that in a blog, but this one is!  And It's my favorite movie this year, so far -- and I highly recommend it!  Thanks to everyone who suggested I see this gem, and this will be the one picture I probably end up buying to represent this year to me!  And I fell in love with this little boy ---- such a screen presence.  I hope he isn't tainted by the Hollywood scene!







Chef

2014 NR                      I give it 5 out of 5 stars.  Go see it!
When chef Carl Casper's plans for opening a restaurant in Los Angeles fail to pan out, he returns home to Miami and debuts a food truck instead. While trying to regain his zest for cookery, Carl also tries to mend his fractured family ties.
Cast: Jon Favreau, Sofía Vergara, John Leguizamo
Posted by at No comments:

Saturday, June 21, 2014

Movie #929 ........................."They Met in Bombay"



Movie #929 "They Met in Bombay" was a movie Dave was telling me about that he watched the other morning, and I didn't recognize it, so my brother found it in the library for me to watch.  I'm glad I did because it was putting two actors together that I would never think would be successful together, but they are apparently good enough to work with anybody --- in this case, it is Gable and Rosalind Russell ---- they are two cons and meet stealing a very expensive Indian necklace, and end up in China.  Along the way, they meet up with Peter Lorre (what's new about that?  he's playing a Chinese boat captain) and he always adds fun to any film.  I liked it; it's a bit different, but in 1941, it couldn't end any other way, really.  There's nothing like a good con story, in my opinion, and this one is cute.





They Met in Bombay     1941               I would give it 3 stars out of 5
A jewel thief and a con artist are rivals in the theft of a valuable gem as the Japanese army invades China.

Director:

 

Writers:

  (screenplay), (screenplay), 2 more credits »

Stars:

 , , 
Posted by at No comments:

Movie #928 ........................."Jersey Boys"


Movie #928 "Jersey Boys" is really good -------- a tad long, but it has a lot of numbers to get across.  For a movie that depends more on story, really, than choreography (the 4 guys sings and do a couple of foot moves, but that's it --- we who know the musical aren't surprised at all in this, since that is what was done mostly on stage), I enjoyed the tweaks Eastwood did to the movie. He knows how to tell a story, so it moves along much like the musical did, with each guy (except for Frankie ) narrating a big segment of the film (I'm glad he kept that!)  Another thing he did write was to cast 3 out of the 4 guys with actual Broadway people, and one in particular (Frankie Valli) who won the tony award for playing the character.  So everyone (but Tommy) looked very comfortable in the musical numbers and that helps because there are a lot of them, and the whole idea of the film (and the musical) is "Oh what a night" it was when they could just sing, and not think about the money stuff or the family stuff that got in the way of their singing career.  Eastwood tries to be faithful to the music, so at one point he has a full orchestra on stage to back up Frankie, and that makes a pretty exciting moment, not to mention the wonderful curtain call, and the high point (that works well, too, because he has taken time to get across all the characters and how they feel about Tommy's mishandling of the group.  It's still the same story about how important it is where you come from, the old friends are worth holding on to, that family is everything, that working hard can bring success (instead of trying to make it happen by doing something illegal), that making music with others can be a natural high when money doesn't get in the way of the friendships!  Critics are being a bit harsh on this one, but I think it's because we tend to use a tighter meter on our musicals and comedies..........so, critics, give this one some slack.  I think it might be a musical that will bring in as many men as women, and that's not a bad thing with musicals.











Jersey Boys2014NR                              I would give this 4 out of 5 stars!
Adapted from the hit Broadway musical, this nostalgic look at the Four Seasons and their bumpy offstage lives stretches across four decades. Each of the musical act's four original members presents a different set of memories from their shared past.
Posted by at No comments:

Movie #927 ........................."Citizen Ruth"

Movie #927 "Citizen Ruth" I have wanted to watch for a long time --- it's an early endeavor for one of my favorite directors Alexander Payne ("Election," "Descendants," "About Schmidt," "Sideways," and "Nebraska."  It was recently mentioned by Laura Dern in an interview on the Today show, and that made me want to know more about this film even more.  She is outstanding here --- the film is all her, even though there are a lot of famous people playing small roles in this (Good for you, Mr. Payne, such as Tippi Hedrin, Burt Reynolds, Swoosie Kurtz, and Mary Kay Place).  This is a very dark comedy, I must warn, and it tackles with the Abortion issue full force --- but not head on --- it gets across the issue by showing you what the media does by putting pressure on a young girl who doesn't really know what to do with a possible unwanted baby.  By tackling the subject, it makes us aware of how a citizen like Ruth can be misused and even abused by the news media that worries more about getting the story, than getting help for someone like her.  It is somewhat dated, but then again, the issue isn't, and I found this quite fascinating.  But I'm not surprised, since I am a big fan of Mr. Payne's movies and can't wait for the next piece of art!









Citizen Ruth1996R105 minutes   I would rate this 3.8 out of 5
In this satirical look at a controversial issue, unfit mother of four Ruth Stoops (Laura Dern) discovers while in jail that she's pregnant again. The judge charges her with endangering the fetus, but tells her he'll reduce the charges if she has an abortion. When word of this gets out, Ruth's caught in the middle of a tug-of-war between anti-abortion and abortion rights activists who want to use Ruth to get their messages across.
Posted by at No comments:

Movie #926 ............................"Slightly Dangerous"

Movie #926 "Slightly Dangerous" was a fun 1943 screwball comedy that really has a performance that steals the movie ---- that of Lana Turner.  I have never really been a fan of hers, but I haven't seen her in enough films, evidently.  I've seen a lot of what would be termed "modern" portrayals she has done, but not really her early stuff.  Through this whole film, I marveled at how much she looks, talks and acts like Marilyn Monroe, but she is so much better, has so much more depth to the characters, so many more nuances.   I was so impressed ---- she even did some soft shoe in this one!  She really glows in this film, and her work with Robert Young (she actually makes him less stuff) and Walter Brennan (less mean) softens both of the men so much.  Now, the plot is a bit far fetched (and confusing at times, even for a screwball comedy) but I like the complexity of it.  Added to that, the ending is pretty brave --------telling the truth is kind of a rule at the end of a romantic comedy, coming clean, etc.  But this film had a twist, and I liked it a lot.  It was a fun adventure to be newly introduced to this old film, so if you see it listed  on the  TCM schedule, why no check it out?  It's fun viewing!



Slightly Dangerous                  I give it 3.8 stars out of 5

Storyline

Peggy is 21 and bored. She has just been awarded a certificate for starting work on time for 1000 days. She decides that she needs a change so she leaves a note, which is taken to be suicidal, and heads for New York where she gets a make over. A new outfit, a new look and an freak accident gets her in the paper as a amnesia victim, just because she does not want to be Peggy Evans any more. The paper thinks she may be an heiress so she searches for a few clues from back issues of the paper and finds that Carol Burden was never found. Cornelius Burden, however, has sent dozens of frauds to jail already and she must trick him and Baba to keep out of jail. Next, she must stop her old manager, Bob Stuart, from spilling the beans about her.

Directed by 

Wesley Ruggles

Writing Credits  

Ian McLellan Hunter...(story) and
Aileen Hamilton...(story)
 
Charles Lederer...(screenplay) and
George Oppenheimer...(screenplay)

Cast (in credits order) verified as complete  


Lana Turner...
Peggy Evans aka Carol Burden
Robert Young...
Bob Stuart
Walter Brennan...
Cornelius Burden
Dame May Whitty...
Baba
Posted by at No comments:

Movie #925 ........................."Tapped"

Movie #925 "Tapped" was just an okay documentary.  I had higher expectations of it than what was delivered.  I thought it would convince me never to use bottled water again, but it didn't.  The focus was pretty wide here, and it didn't zone it on what the average consumer could do about the problem, which we don't really cause here, unless we don't try to recycle.  We were told, as a society, that if we used bottle water, it would be very safe and goof for the environment, because the bottles would be recycled.  Well, we were sold a bill of goods, because there aren't that many places that are worried about recycling them.  So the bottles, according to this film, land in our oceans.  Also, the movie spends a lot of time telling us that companies, esp. Nestles, invade areas, and without asking permission, pump the water out to put into the bottles.  I think that both those problems are not caused by John Q. Public, directly, and that focus should be on better recycling of the bottles so they just go back into making new bottles that we can use, or make them out of something bother than plastic.  But the decision this film comes up with, I think (though not stated, really) is that we just shouldn't buy them.  I don't like that answer.  I liked bottled water.  It's convenient, and I recycle the bottles.  Always.  I have never drunk so much water  than when I can carry bottled water around, in my purse, in my hand, etc.  I DO NOT like those metal or plastic bottles.  I have about 10 of them and I don't use them at all ---- I've tried all kinds and I either don't like the taste or they are too big and cumbersome to fill and carry around.  If this movie was made for us to stop and think about the issue, then it was successful that way, and  it made me  esp.  angry at Nestle's and the original people who told us bottled water would be safe and environmental, when it isn't, I guess.









Tapped2009NR76 minutes                  I give it 3 stars out of 5.
The high cost -- to both the environment and our health -- of bottled water is the subject of this documentary that enlists activists, environmentalists, community leaders and others to expose the dark side of the bottled water industry. Americans may rethink their obsession with bottled H20 when they learn of the unregulated industry's willingness to ignore environmental and health concerns, and the problems that arise as a result.
Posted by at No comments:

Monday, June 16, 2014

Movie #924 ........................"Maleficent"


Movie #924 "Maleficent" was entertaining from the opening frame of the film until the end.  I was intrigued with the story, the special effects, and the two lead women:  Jolie and Fanning, the light and dark personalities of the movie.  With all the boy-oriented films that flock movie theaters as of late, esp. during summer, it is a welcome to see strong females with some depth in the script and characters.  I may be alone in this feeling, but I have never been a big fan of the story "sleeping beauty"  --- I thought there was never much to it, and the ending was just plain silly to me.  But then, that's me.  This is so much meatier ---- the story is involved, it is humanized (as much as it could be) --- now I'm not saying that everything makes sense, but I am saying  that it can be easily followed even though there's depth in the characters.  (well, not all of them --- the three stoogesh fairies are goofy, but gosh, the audience needs some silliness and fun in this story --- it can't all be dark and doom! and those three very competent actresses do well with the scenes they have)  I know critics have been saying this movie is all Angelina Jolie, and yes, she inhabits the character very easily and very well --- she has a stage presence like no other, and she easily cops the sarcastic attitude, but there's a lot more here.  For example, the costumer (man, those wings!) and makeup artist, the special effects artist (academy award winner in the past for "Life of Pi"), and Elle Fanning are all stunning.  How can you not marvel at Elle's Aurora marveling at all the creatures in the moor.  That face is as stunning & light  as Angelina Jolie's is creepy and dark.  So I didn't think there was a lot of scene stealing.  Now, what I disliked about the film is all the fighting in it.  Okay, I get that there has to be conflict, but that still didn't warrant the army of men that get mowed down by trees.  Yes, there were animated trees in "Wizard of Oz" but they threw apples  --- they weren't as violent as in this film.  And I really didn't think that scene needed to be that long.  I also didn't like the very end.  No, the kiss scene was fine, it was the dad vs. Maleficent one ---- I know we have to get rid of one of them, but can't we offer the kids who watch this a clash of wits, perhaps?  something other than pushing people over balconies, etc.???? I guess I worry about kids watching the film and seeing in film after film after film that adults (whether they be fantastical or not) try to solve everything through fighting --- and then the film ends, so it worked!  And then everyone is smiling in the next scene, and we don't have to deal with the consequences of the fighting.  Okay, enough on that, but I just wanted to explain why I didn't like the ending of this very entertaining film ---- very good up until the end for me!










Maleficent2014NR         I give this 3.9 out of 5 stars
Turning the classic fairy tale "Sleeping Beauty" on its head, this fantasy drama retells the story from the point of view of evil godmother Maleficent. While defending her homeland from invaders, the young Maleficent is dealt a cruel blow by fate.
Posted by at No comments:

Movie #923 ........................"The Fault in our Stars"


Movie #923 "The Fault in our Stars" was a very good book --- I am happy to say that the movie does it justice.  This is my kind of film.  I came across a comment on this film that I would like to share:  "Big movies have their embedded lessons in heroism, but it's nice to have tales of human-scale fortitude."  And that is what I felt as I left the movie theatre.  This movie isn't about a superhero, a sci fi hero, a good or bad witch, a soldier, or whatever.....it is about common people dealing with a common fear/tragedy, that of their own death, and they do it with such dignity and humor that they become heroes to the viewer.  I felt that way when I read the book, and I felt the same in the film.  The actors were able to embody these characters, and that took some doing to walk that thin line between weepy maudlin manipulation and honest/truth.  This film is actually worthy to recommend to 12 year olds  (short love scene that just shows so much and stops, which was a nice decision on the filmmakers' part)  and up because it has a lot that goes into young love (yep, it shows it, warts & all) , and it has thought behind it all.  These kids are thinkers.  Example from Gus' piece of dialogue toward the opening of the film, explaining why he has a cigarette in his mouth:  "They don't kill you unless you light them. And I've never lit one. It's a metaphor, see: You put the killing thing right between your teeth, but you don't give it the power to do its killing. A metaphor."   It's so refreshing to see that in a modern day film about teenagers.   It isn't flawless; I 'm not a big fan of inserting the author character from Amsterdam to get them there and tie in a shared book title --- I think he plays a too prominent role in the book and the movie, but that's just me, I think.   The change (though slight) they make with him toward the end of the film, I guess they thought would help, but I remember the reveal scene at the end to be better in the book.  But all in all, there are slight changes between book and movie, but one I esp. like is  the way Ann Frank's words are juxtaposed to what's going on with the two teens visiting in her museum.  Good, brave moment there.   In fact, doing the whole movie is a sign of bravery, because there will always be naysayers with a film that can so readily induce tears in its audience (the first time I cried was out of happiness!  go figure!) ---  "weepy" films are notoriously called maudlin, cringe worthy, manipulative ----- I've said this before in this blog --- I don't have a good measurer for manipulation by a film, because if the film is embedded in honesty to me, the characters just take me with them.  As they did in this film, and I so enjoyed the ride, even through the tears!                      


The Fault in Our Stars2014NR        I give it 4.8 stars out of 5.
Teenager Hazel, who has pushed people away since her cancer diagnosis, reluctantly joins a support group, where she bonds with a boy named Gus. Together, they face the challenge of building a relationship under the shadow of terminal illness.
Posted by at No comments:

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Movie #922 ........................."Criminal"


Movie #922 "Criminal" is a heist film with a good, satisfying ending I did not see coming......that being said, I have to say that I am a sucker for heist films --- it's something my husband and I both like to watch, so we seek these out.  I bought this gem of a film at a Blockbuster close out for $2 and I'm glad I did because it was quite enjoyable.  Now it wouldn't be as enjoyable if you saw the original movie ("Nine Queens") which is what this film is based on, because you'd know the ending.  But if you didn't see it, John C. Reilly is fun to watch in here, and I think heist films are a delightful genre to spend time watching --- they are worthwhile because they become a think lesson for the audience member to try a figure out just what the real story is.  I'm going to quit while I'm ahead so I don't give anything away, but this is a good find.  And if you can't find it, just ask me to lend it to you because I own it.  hah!







Criminal2004R87 minutes                 I give it 4 stars out of 5
Con man Richard Gaddis (John C. Reilly) teams up with newbie Rodrigo (Diego Luna) for a heist that's a little bigger than his usual projects: They'll filch an antique currency note from a customer when he blows into town at the casino where Gaddis trolls for victims. But it seems the pair will need help, which lessens Gaddis's take. Plus, his sister (Maggie Gyllenhaal) seems dead-set on spoiling his criminal fun. (Remade from Nine Queens.)
Posted by at No comments:

Movie #921 ........................."Arranged"




Movie #921 "Arranged" --- I really enjoyed this movie a bunch!  It really helped that it concerned very young teachers, just trying to keep afloat, thrown into a very diverse school with an orthodox jew next door to a Muslim.  At first, you think oil and water --- even the kids question, "Hey, aren't you supposed to hate each other?"  And yeah, at first, it is very awkward, but eventually they discover they have a lot in common --- esp. arranged marriages their folks are planning!  And they want to have a big say in the "arranging" --- the title becomes ironic by the end of the film.  The two women are very good (I have seen the woman playing Rochel on the t.v. show "Whitney" last year --- and she plays a totally different person here --- hardly recognized her), and the story and its conflict were intriguing to me.  I recommend it  (it's in English).  Oh, did I also say that there's lot of humor in the film, as well?  





Arranged

2007NR1hr 32m
DONNA's rating:
4 stars  out of 5
Though others expect friction when Orthodox Jew Rochel and Muslim Nasira meet as teachers at a Brooklyn school, the women discover common ground.
Posted by at No comments:

Movie #920 ........................."My Name is Bill W."







Movie #920 "My Name is Bill W."  is about the founder of AA, and it is a lot like all the other movies on the subject of alcoholism.  It is difficult to watch and like someone who gets drunk and is abusive to the people who love him.  So the beginning of this movie I was about ready to turn it off because his character was such a turn off (excuse the pun).  But then it started to pick up when AA finally starts to come into existence.  What a simple, yet practical solution to a huge burden on our families and on our societies  --------- to have people with the same problem find each other and sit down and discuss what it's like to be an alcoholic.  And from that two person discussion he had with Bob, AA was born.  Once again, such a simple idea, but one that works ---- and it doesn't take a lot of money thrown at it ---- people do the work themselves and reap rewards out of it --- people who have made it, come out the other side and pull others along with them.  Why can't it work for other problems we have?  Something to consider.  I recommend this movie to those interested in how AA started.  It's well acted and shows the time period really well.





My Name Is Bill W.

1989NR
Average of 36,617 ratings:
3.6 stars         I would give it 3 out of 5 stars
Based on the inspiring true story of the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, this moving drama stars James Woods in an Emmy-winning performance as Bill Wilson, a successful stockbroker who loses everything in the 1929 stock market crash.
Posted by at No comments:

Monday, June 9, 2014

Movie #919 ........................."Love Crazy"


Movie #919 "Love Crazy" pairs William Powell and Myrna Loy AGAIN, in something other than the thin man series, and it is screwball comedy from the get go.  How enjoyable!  And I came into this about 30 minutes late, so I missed the set up, but it was easy to follow, and watching these two actually arguing, for real, was lots of fun because that's something they don't seem to do much in the thin man series.  It's silly ---- almost too silly at times, but not enough to cross the stupid line --- just enough to carry the plot until the end.  Lots of fun, is all I can say............and it's so much fun to see these two at their best ---- antagonizing each other!  This is a classic, and I recommend it!











Love Crazy1941NR99 minutes     I'd give this 4 stars out of 5
Steve and Susan Ireland (William Powell and Myrna Loy) host Susan's mother (Florence Bates), who's recuperating from a sprained ankle. When a misunderstanding prompts her to goad Susan into divorce, Steve plays at being mentally ill as a defense. But Susan calls his bluff and has him committed. Gail Patrick, Sig Ruman and Jack Carson co-star in director Jack Conway's sidesplitting screwball comedy.
Posted by at No comments:

Sunday, June 8, 2014

Movie #918 ........................."Boy Meets Girl"











Movie #918 "Boy Meets Girl" should have been a film I was delighted to watch, but that wasn't the case.  I normally would enjoy a teaming up of Pat O'Brien and James Cagney in a farce on Hollywood writers, but I found it tedious and boring.  After 15 minutes, I was working on Facebook and not paying much attention.  And I was still able to follow the plot.  This one is a "don't waste time on it" film ---- skip it and go to something that is classical and worthwhile.  There are so many more screwball comedies out there that you WILL like. Enough said.



Boy Meets Girl (1938)  -  Comedy  -  27 August 1938 (USA)                       I give this 3 stars out of 5.

Gotta' credit Warner Bros. with a lot of guts for taking its top gangster star, James Cagney, and stiffly heroic Pat O'Brien and teaming them as a pair of screen writing con artists in a zany farce. But thanks to the wordplay of Sam and Bella Spewack, who adapted "Boy Meets Girl" from their Broadway hit, it works beautifully. And often hilariously. The set-up is simple. Challenged to come up with a script for sputtering cowboy star Dick Foran, Cagney and O'Brien are at wits' (or more like halfwits') end until commissary waitress Marie Wilson collapses while serving lunch. Seems she's about to have a baby (sans husband, a surprise given the strength of the Hays Office in 1938 although her slim figure suggests at least some degree of censorship.) The plucky screenwriters build a storyline around the baby who's born shortly thereafter and goes on to become an 8-month old superstar, eclipsing the increasingly furious Foran. There's also Ralph Bellamy as a pretentious mini-mogul, Bruce Lester as a British extra who's not what he seems, Ronald Reagan in a brief bit as a radio announcer, pre-Blondie Penny Singleton seen even more briefly as a manicurist, a squad of angry rock-throwing Indians and a relay team of slide trombonists to add to the comic confusion. All-in-all, a very entertaining movie -- and when Cagney illustrates a story point with an impromptu tap dance, you get a preview of the "Yankee Doodle" dandy he'll play five years later.

Director:

 

Writers:

  (from the stage play by),  (from the stage play by), 2 more credits »

Stars:

 , , 
Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)