I haven’t been to a movie in a minute. Check out Cherry_LA’s review of Legend of Hercules
Movies
Quick Movie Review – Closed Circuit
You don’t have to know much about British intelligence or like British people to enjoy this film. All that you need to know is that uptight Brits racially profile their subjects like crazy, have cameras everywhere, have serious PTSD from terrorist attacks and wear weird white wigs in the courtroom. Closed Circuit begins with a marketplace bombing that kills 120 civilians. As barristers (ahem.. attorneys), Eric Bana (Deadfall, The Time Traveler’s Wife, Nero from Star Trek) and Rebecca Hall (The Awakening, The Town) fight to prosecute and defend the suspect, respectively. The strange thing about Farroukh Erdogan is that he ain’t talking – not even to save his own skin. As the “why” behind his silence slowly unfolds, the body count starts climbing and the games begin. The expression of emotion is so repressed in these characters that you only realize that they’re afraid when they start running. Irish great Ciaran Hinds (The Woman in Black, The Debt) and Jim Broadbent (The Debt, Another Year) brought a dab of intrigue to this thriller.
Available on DVD January 7, 2014
Quick Movie Review – 12 Years a Slave
After reading the reviews of the film and listening to the debates of “another slave” movie, I finally saw 12 Years a Slave this past weekend. Solomon Northup is an educated freeman living with his family in Saratoga, NY in the early 1840s. A violinist, Solomon is offered a job touring with a circus for a brief time; he jumps at a chance to make a good salary. Upon arriving in Washington, DC, Solomon soon discovers that he has been sold into slavery. His battle to survive begins.
12 Years is a good film with great performances. The stylistic choices of the Steve McQueen prevents this film from being elevated to the level of a great one. McQueen’s habit of lingering shots pull the viewer out of the strong performances. Chiwetel Ejiofor is a wonderful actor but I was unable to emotionally invest in Solomon’s horrible plight because I didn’t get to know him as a man. We only get a glimpse of his life in Saratoga; there are only a couple of scenes with family so we don’t get a real sense of Northup’s life as a freeman. Once enslaved, Solomon now known as Pratt does not connect with his fellow slaves as he still sees himself as an outsider. This distance creates a remote feel to the movie. The heart and soul of the movie is Patsey (Lupita Nyong’o). Patsey, the best cotton picker on Epp’s farm, she is trapped in a hellish existence with no way out. Epps’ (Michael Fassbender) twisted love for her is the source of her torment. Epps is disgusted by his feelings and brutalizes Patsey as a coping mechanism. Epp’s wife (Sarah Paulson) fueled by jealous, tortures Patsey in her own way. Lupita Nyong’o’s presence gives this film it’s emotional heft.
While isn’t a great film it’s still an important one and hopefully it will continue to find its audience.
For another perspective see Cherry Davis on YouTube
Quick Movie Review – Gravity
Gravity is a tense drama that stars Sandra Bullock (Dr. Ryan Stone) as a medical engineer on her first space mission. George Clooney (Matt Kowalski) is the know it all veteran on his final mission. Something happens blah blah blah and everyone is in danger. The plot really isn’t what’s important – this movie is all about the filmmaking. Alfonso Cuarón, cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, and visual effects artist Tim Webber have created a visual feast.
The way Gravity was shot and edited makes the viewer feel like he or she is on Explorer’s mission right along side the astronauts. In one scene Stone floats through the International Space Station like she is actually weightless. I don’t know how they filmed it and I don’t want to know. I want to believe in the magic of filmmaking. Space one again seems like a wondrous place – the silence of space the canvas of stars a place of endless possibilities.
It’s a must see in 3D and IMAX.
Quick Movie Review – Riddick
I’m a little late to the party but here it is:
If you were not amused by Vin Diesel’s character from Pitch Black and The Chronicles of Riddick don’t bother seeing this movie. Riddick picks up from Riddick’s reign as the lord of the Necromongers. This film doesn’t spend the first five minutes explaining his past. It just jumps right in assuming you’re a fan. It’s a little slow in the beginning reestablishing Riddick’s lone wolf persona, but with this installment you’re getting more action, more suspense and a new planet with some strange creatures on it. Now that his interplanetary reputation has gone from menacing murderer on the run to the crowned leader of an invading army, Riddick’s every move becomes legend. Enjoy the ride.
Quick Movie Review – Prisoners
The suspense and intensity in this movie are enough to make your blood pressure rise. In a wintry suburb tucked away in nowhere-specifically-America it’s Thanksgiving Day. The Dovers (Hugh Jackman, Maria Bello) and The Birchs (Viola Davis, Terrence Howard) are breaking bread together as a creepy RV is parked down the street. With the 2 teenagers from both clans parked in front of the television in a tryptophan haze, the two sets of parents suddenly realize that their youngest daughters never returned from a trip to the Dover home for a whistle. The RV is gone and so are the girls.
Jake Gyllenhaal plays laid back Detective Loki with a record of solving all of his cases. His cool as a cucumber demeanor severely clashes with the two families already at their boiling points. As Loki keeps a cool head and searches for the kidnapper, Keller Dover takes matters into his own hands by kidnapping the man he thinks is responsible. Prisoners has many spicy twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat. It’s hard to take a side when you don’t know who the bad guy is. So I guess you’ll just have to wait until the end.
For another take check out (i.e. listen to) Cherry Davis vlog Prisoners Review
Quick Movie Trailer Review – Gravity
The only reason to see Gravity is Alfonso Cuaron. With a Cuaron film it’s surely going to be a visual feast. The plot is pretty straight forward – two astronauts struggle to survive in space after an accident. But this movie is not about the plot or the actors but about what a top notch director can achieve at the height of his career.
Release date: October 4
Quick Movie Review – Mortal Instruments: City of Bones
Riding the ebbing tide of movies based on Young Adult books, Mortal Instruments has finally hit the theaters. My approach to these movies is to leave my brain at the door and (hopefully) enjoy the ride. Unlike my previous experiences with Hunger Games and Beautiful Creatures, I haven’t read these series of books yet, so I had no expectations going in.
To my surprise I quite enjoyed the film. Clary Fray (Lily Collins) is your typical teen lead with luxurious hair and a slightly rebellious spirit. As her eighteenth birthday approaches she begins to draw a particular symbol over and over and has no idea why. She and her BFF, Simon, decide to hit a poetry reading and a later on a club to celebrate. Once she arrives at the club, that’s where all the fun begins. She starts to see people and incidents that no one else around her notices. A sexy pair Jace and Isabelle attack and kill one of the club goers. And of course, Clary is shocked that no one arounds reacts. Jace intrigued by the fact that Clary noticed him sets off to find out why. I won’t give away to much of the plot but it contains the usual Supernatural suspects, big spooky headquarters, Vampires, Witches, Warlocks, Werewolves, oh my. Nothing new is done with these characters but there are a few entertaining elements here and there.
There are a few plot holes that one needs to overlook and there’s obviously scenes up set to be revealed in the planned sequel, but the movie has a fast pace and a likable cast so it is an enjoyable diversion. Unfortunately, Lena Headey and Jared Harris are completely wasted in their roles with the material given them. But Jonathan Rhys Meyers chews the scenery like no one else can and there is plenty of eye candy with Godfrey Gao in a small role as Bane.
My cohort and fellow blogger Cherry Davis and I have decided to implement a new feature — dueling reviews. So check her thoughts at cherrydavis.org.
Quick Movie Review – Elysium
After hitting a home run with his debut picture, District 9, Neill Blomkamp hits the dreaded sophomore slump with this follow up Elysium. Matt Damon (Max) plays an average man in Los Angeles, year 2154. The earth has been wrecked by overcrowding and pollution. The uber-rich are able to leave the Earth and live in a paradisal space station, Elysium, orbiting the planet. Back on earth, Blomkamp draws parallels to modern society ills: police brutally, high unemployment, lack of health care, etc. Jodie Foster (Delacourt) is the Secretary of Defense on Elysium and it falls under her domain to get the less desirables for access the space station in search for a better life. Sharlto Copley (Kruger) is the psychopathic bad guy hired by Foster, to help her achieve her goals.
One of the many weaknesses of the movie is the lack of empathy for the main characters, We meet Max and his childhood BFF, Frey in flashbacks and see a tiny window of their bond. We never see the relationship between Max and Frey as adults, so there is no investment as to what happens to them. Matt Daman is his usual affable self but is given very little to work with. Jodie Foster is one of today’s best actors but in Elysium, she comes across as very stiff and mannered. Sharlto Copley is clearly miscast as the bad guy. As great as it is to see a diverse group actors on the screen, the dueling accents: South African, Mexican, Brazilian and whatever the hell Jodie was doing was very distracting.
Neill Blomkamp is an interesting director and I hope he returns to form with his next feature film.
Quick Movie Review – Trance
Trance tried really hard to be as complex and intellectual as Inception (2010), but only succeeded in making less sense than Memento (2000) or The Butterfly Effect (2004). Famous paintings have hit the auction block in England and somebody’s wants to steal one. Despite the training the employees have received on how to protect the artwork, James McAvoy’s character Simon drops the ball and gets suffers a head injury during the robbery.
Once the criminal mastermind behind the scheme (Vincent Cassel from Black Swan) realizes that Simon hid the painting without detection, he makes it his mission to pick up where he left off once Simon is released from the hospital. Rosario Dawson’s (Unstoppable) character Elizabeth Lamb is a hypnotherapist whose skills are employed to help Simon remember where he hid the painting. Unfortunately, her inability to keep her clothes on throughout the film discredits her clinical contribution, weakens the strength of her character and feels like a desperate attempt to make a simple story racy.
5 out of 9
Guest Blogger from Seattle
Sci Fi Maven 