Movie #1213 ........................."Light Between Oceans"

Movie #1213 "Light Between Oceans" is my kind of movie.  I was thoroughly involved from beginning to end.  This has a very tight story with some excellent turns along the way.  There are several times in the story that you can tell the character after this moment (after this decision) will never be the same, so it is very intriguing to me how it plays out.  This is a very satisfying adaptation of an equally excellent book, with only a few minor changes.  The book plays a tad better with the letter writing (it is used in a couple of key moments) and with believability --- i.e. whenever several years go by, I tend to believe less when seeing it in comparison to reading about it.  Even so, this story still works, and works especially well due to the acting ----- The three key characters, two of which are very strong women, are all strong actors and among my very favorite who are in hollywood today.  In addition, the setting is gorgeous and adds so much to the conflicts, the mood, the symbolism, etc. in the book/movie.  Editing is another plus that keeps the pacing going smoothly and swiftly from one scene to the next.    Last but never least, the book & movie have strong themes and topical subject matter, such as:  post traumatic syndrome, grief when parents lose their  child (either before or after the baby is born) ,who really is the mother -- the one who raises her or her birth mother, what happens when you make a quick decision and don't think about all the consequences of your actions, what happens when you get in a problem so deep, you can't see your way out, what is true love, how we always have to make decisions that are best for the child, and there are so many others.  We read this book for our book club and I'm glad many of us also saw the film because I think it will serve as a great starting point for a very good discussion on this book.  The moral dilemmas the story offers are quite emotional and heart wrenching and worthy of our attention.  I give it 5 out of 5 stars, but like I said, this is my kind of movie --- it might not be yours.  I took 8 women with me and we all were quite tearful by the end of the film.  But I do not believe in the term "chick lit" because of its stereotyped tagging, and I do feel that men would enjoy this film, as well.  It's just getting them there, I'm afraid.

The Light Between Oceans

2016 PG-13 2 hours & 15 minutesRated PG-13

rated 3.7 stars

3.7

Off the coast of Australia, a lighthouse keeper and his wife's efforts to have a child prove futile, until one day an infant in a rowboat washes ashore. Their choice to raise the girl as their own, however, later places them in a difficult situation.

Cast: Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, Rachel Weisz,

Movie #1212........................."Sully"

Movie #1212 "Sully" was a well done film, which we found quite entertaining.  And that was not an easy thing to do, I'm thinking, because the main character is so laid back, so quiet, so shy and humble, that editing helped tell his story better than he does, because he's reluctant to talk about it.  He doesn't think of himself as a hero, and the movie actually finds itself addressing that point quite often because it deals with an investigation.  We all know the story about the plane that lands IN the Hudson safely, or we think we do.  There was a lot going on behind closed doors about it, though, and we get the scoop in this movie.  So the film can't tell the whole story at the beginning but Eastwood choose to go back and forth and change points of view to keep it going....and it's a tribute to Tom Hanks that the tools he usually relies on to get a character across, namely dialogue, is most of the time gone here, so he needs to depend on other things, so it's interesting to watch his choices here.  As Sully is the heart of the Hudson story, Hanks is the heart of the film, and I felt he came through quite nicely.  Only one negative comment I have and that deals with some info that I thought was left  out --- so I wanted to know even more of the story.  Otherwise, well done!  I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Sully

2016 PG-13 Rated PG-13

rated 3.1 stars

3.

Viewers around the world were astonished in 2009 when airline pilot Chesley Sullenberger safely landed an Airbus 320 on the Hudson River after both engines were disabled. This fact-based drama illuminates Sullenberger's life and heroic achievement.

Cast: Tom Hanks, Aaron Eckhart, Laura Linney

Movie #1211 ........................."Hail, Caesar"

Movie #1211 "Hail, Caesar" was another Coen brothers' attempt at a different genre --- and I think it did the musical part of it well ---- the comedy, not so well.  Pacing was slow and there weren't enough pokes at the genre and the time period in Hollywood to make it that funny.  There were some bits --- esp. with Tilda Swinton and the musical number with Channing Tatum, but honestly, it was a tough one to stay awake through.  The sets were cool, and you could really feel the time period as you watched it, but otherwise, I wouldn't recommend it.  That's too bad, too, because the trailer was one of the best I have seen in a long time.  Made me want to see it.  Now, I'm not so excited! 2.8 out of 5 stars.

Hail, Caesar!

2016 PG-13 Rated PG-131hr 46m

rated 2.0 stars

In 1950s Hollywood, Eddie Mannix labors behind the scenes to "fix" the indiscretions committed by a major film studio's marquee stars. But Eddie has his work cut out when some angry scriptwriters abduct a screen idol from a movie set.

Cast: Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Alden Ehrenreich

Movie #1210 .........................Tallulah

Movie #1210 Tallulah is a movie I highly recommend.  Tallulah (Ellen Page), a young vagrant, cares for a toddler abandoned by her mother. With no family to turn to, she enlists her ex-boyfriend's mom (Allison Janney) for help in this drama written and directed by Sian Heder. Tallulah premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival.  111 minutes. NR

This is a taut drama that held my interest throughout;  it is well acted, well directed, with strong secondary characters.  And the story works!    Wow!  The three main women do a great job of acting, and that alone makes it necessary to see!  This is really terrific  and available to stream on Netflix!!!!  5 out of 5 stars!   P.S.  Gosh it is good to see Ellen Page in something this good again!  

Movie#1209 ........................."Jason Bourne"

Movie #1209 Jason Bourne was a very entertaining and busy film--- very little  out of the ordinary for this franchise.   Oh,  Matt Damon looks a bit older, he dodges bullets a little less quickly, he limps after car chases, but, as usual,  he speaks very little --- the dialogue probably numbers less than 20 pages.  Bourne movies usually have less dialogue and more chase scenes, more punching, more shooting, more....general action and violence    James Bond movies have lots of sets and beautiful women, and this franchise has lots of car chases ---- that's what it is known for.  The plot here is pretty thin --- now that Jason found the truth about treadstone, he's considered a renegade, and the government is trying to bring him in because he knows too much --  Tommy Lee Jones is the head of the agency trying to get Bourne in (or kill him) and Alicia Vickander (a great add, in my opinion) is his assistant who knows her way around the computer.  Of course, you aren't sure if she is a good guy or a bad guy which intensifies the drama throughout --- someone close to Bourne dies and he's out for revenge --- the guy he is after is out to get Bourne for revenge --- and that's pretty much the plot --- revenge never works for me for a basis of a plot, but the stunts are so well done, that it boosted  the rating up to 3 stars  for me   --- that is, I think most people will find this enjoyable, somewhat.  What i didn't like about this film is the editing, which is supposed to make things clear or emotional or poignant --- but this editing is just "all over the place" --- it causes a lot of confusion --- the film is tough to follow but after awhile, I stopped caring.  But still the film entertains and isn't that what the Bourne franchise is all about?  I had a feeling through the whole film that this was the end of the Matt Damon part of the story --- The franchise started with a grand car chase, and this one ends with probably the biggest one I have ever seen ---the story seems tied up for the most part, so I wouldn't be surprised if this was the last hurrah for Matt Damon as Bourne.  Time will tell.

Jason Bourne (2016) PG-13  |  123 min 3 stars out of 5