Interstellar

Interstellar (2014) is a movie directed by Christopher Nolen and starring Mathew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain.

I was able to watch this movie in the full IMAX exeprience at the Bob Bullock Museum and not the converted theaters that have good, though smaller screens.  I was greatly pleased with this movie.  It was clear that Nolan paid homage to Stanley Kubrick and the epic 2001: As Space Odyssey. This nod to Kubrick is found in music that is familiar and the detail given over to special effects. 

Too many movies these days rely on multiple conflicts on a myriad of levels or resort to heavy special effects to entertain the audience.  This is not the case with Interstellar.  The film has a solid story, great writing, acting and cinematography which is adorned but not overwhelmed by the special effects necessary to tell a story about space exploration.

I keep finding myself wanting to go back and watch it again only to remember that I saw it in the theater and it is not out on disc yet. Interstellar ranks very high on my list of favorite movies.

Vanilla Sky

Vanilla Sky (2001) is a movie staring Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruz with Cameron Diaz, and Kurt Russel.  It is hard to describe this movie without giving too much away.  It is about a man who has everything, has a friend who he has an on and off again relationship when he finds what he sees as true love.  He survives an accident and the movie goes from there. It is sometimes hard to follow the story line but there is a reason for this.  The movie comes together in the end and has a great payout. I find myself watching the movie, in particular the ending over and over again.  The movie has more than its share of intimate scenes.  However, I found towards the end one of the most powerful and palatable scenes of true love between two people I have ever found in the movies.

Dredd

Dredd (2012) is a movie staring Karl Urban and Olivia Thirlby. The movie is set in a dystopian world where Urban, who Stars as Judge Dredd, and Thirlby as a Judge (probationary), out for a day of crime fighting.  They find themselves trapped and alone in a building massively high and densely populated but under the control of a drug kingpin.  The movie is a battle of the Judges attempting to arrest, convict and punish the kingpin while the kingpin is attempting to destroy the Judges with her massively large army of thugs.  The movie is tightly filmed with good acting from the cast.  It is a very violent movie but low on the gore.  I find myself thinking about it from time to time so I would say it is definitely memorable. It has a following and people are clamoring for a sequel.  Dark, moody, severe with great directing and cinematography.  It has a refreshing undertone in an unflinching sense of justice from Judge Dredd as he is assailed from all angles with the injustices of the day.

Ruthless People

Ruthless People (1986) is a movie Danny DeVito and Bette Midler who star as Sam and Barbara Stone and Judge Reinhold and Helen Slater who star as Ken and Sandy Kessler.  The Kesslers decide to get justice by kidnapping Barbara Stone and demand a ransom.  Sam Stone, who sees freedom in his future, decides to ensure that his wife does not come back alive.  Through the greed on Sams part and the ineptness on the Kesslers part the movie twists and turns throughout with one humorous moment followed by another.  There are a few crude references but overall the humor is more above brow.  When I was training for our Relax the Back Stores I would use a couple of scenes from this movie to show positive and negative sales approaches modeled by Ken Kessler, a salesman in what was equivalent to an electronics store.  No one actor out shadows another but Danny DeVito is in rare form in this movie.

V for Vendetta

V for Vendetta (2006) is a movie staring Hugo Weaging and Natalie Portman.  It is about a near future totalitarian Great Britain that is ruthless and oppressive to it's people.  Hugo Weaving stars as "V" who is attempting to overthrow the government under the symbolic Guy Fawkes motif*.  Natalie Portman is a young and average person working in the TV business on a show that is hosted by a character staring Stephen Fry. It is a brooding but well done movie and has a surreal tone underlying the whole movie where the allegories between the fiction and reality can be seen throughout.  The acting is great and Natalie Portman does a great job in a not too familiar role.  The movie has developed a following and the mask used for the character V is familiar to many and shows up from time to time as a symbol of the common man against the oppressor.



 *Guy Fawkes, for those of you who do not know, attempted to overthrow the British government centuries ago and was caught before they could successfully blow up Parliament.  This is of particular interest to me as my first school was a British school in what is now Bangladesh.  My first holiday of memory, other than Christmas, was Guy Fawkes Day where we burned the Guy in effigy and shot off all kinds of fireworks.

Witness

Witness (1985) stars Harrison Ford and Kelly Mc Gillis.  A young Amish boy played by Lukas Haas is on a trip outside of their community when he inadvertently witnesses a brutal murder.  Ford plays a detective, John Book, who learns the terrible truth of the identity of the murderer and takes the boy and his mother into hiding back in the Amish Community.  The cinematography, directing, acting, music, and almost all other aspects of the movie are at their very best.  The supporting cast is a stellar group of actors as well.  The compelling story behind the story is how two people from two different worlds can somehow make sense of feelings that develop as they spend more and more time together.  At first the boy and his mother are fish out of water and then it is Book who finds himself as a fish out of water.  Can a person from one world completely give everything up and walk into another world.  This movie was nominated for multiple awards and won two Academy 'Awards.

The Ref

The Ref (1994) stars Dennis Leary and Kevin Spacey.  Leary stars as Gus, a burglar who, on Christmas Eve ends up with a burglary gone wrong.  Spacey stars as Lloyd a henpecked businessman who is having marital problems and the family on the way for Christmas.  Leary finds his only choice is to take the family hostage.  It is here that the movie takes off with Leary trying desperately to find a way out while keeping the family from melting down.  Excellent repartee between Spacey and Leary ensues from the time they meet until the very end. A well done comedy that relies more on the dialogue than any form of slapstick.

Attack the Block

Attack the Block (2011) is a British movie about a street gang of young kids ends up having to defend themselves, and their council estate (housing project) alone against alien attack.  The movie is full of action, humor, suspense interspersed with some, but not overtly too much gore.  The movie is a solid B movie which is, according to various sites,, becoming a cult classic.  the lexicon is British and therefore may be hard at times to understand what is being referred to.  For movies of this genre I found it to be a fun experience.

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967) is a movie starring Sydney Poitier, Katherine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy.  Tracy and Hepburn play the Drayton's who's daughter announces that she is engaged to be married and that her fiance and his parents are coming to dinner so that they can all meet.  The hitch is that her fiance is black and she is white.  At the time of the making of this movie it was still illegal to have an interracial marriage in 17 states.  By the middle of the year interracial marriages were no longer illegal in the united states.  This movie explores the coming to grip with race and how each person and mix of  people struggle with their perspectives and feelings on the impending marriage.  The performances of the entire cast are powerful. It is clear as you hear the different arguments and discussions between the fathers, mothers, and the mix of the two as well as those of the intended couple you realize how pertinent the issue is still today.  This is Sydney poitier at his best and sadly Spencer Tracy's last film as he died two weeks after filming.

Wait Until Dark

Wait Until Dark (1967) is a movie starring Audrey Hepburn, Alan Arkin and Richard Crenna.  Hepburn plays Susy, a blind woman who finds herself besieged in her apartment, with little or no help, trying to defend herself against drug dealers who believe a secret stash of drugs is hidden in her apartment.  The movie lives up to its categorization as a suspenseful thriller.  Audrey Hepburn does an exceptional job in this role. Even when watched for a second time the suspense is still strong and edgy.

Charade

Charade (1963) is a movie starring Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant.  The movie also co-stars Walter Mathau, James Coburn and George Kennedy.  Both Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn are my favorite actors from that era and it was surprising when I learned that this was the only movie that they did together.  The chemistry works well between Hepburn and Grant.  The story revolves around a mysterious stash of money Hepburn's newly deceased husband allegedly hid away.  There are several people after the money and you don't quite know who is who at any given time.  The movie holds together quite well and the acting is delightful.  Audrey Hepburn breaks out into a slightly different role than she usually plays in this film.

Ladyhawke

Ladyhawke (1985) is a movie about two lovers separated by a curse, he a wolf by night and her a hawk by day; forever together but always apart.  The movie stars Rutger Hauer as Etienne, the knight/wolf and Michelle Pfeiffer as Isabeau, the damsel/hawk.  There is an underlying web of love throughout the movie. the love between characters is not solely delegated to the two lovers in the story but between each character and the others that find themselves part of the tragic tale before them.  It is portrayed in a heartfelt manner and helps to endear each protagonist to the viewer.  There is a subtle humor brought into the tale from time to time to assuage to some degree the painful tragedy between Isabeau and Etienne.  The movie relies mostly on dialogue and the telling of the story with little in the arena of time wasting fight/action scenes.  The movie is entertaining, engaging and does not disappoint.

The Mission

The Mission (1986) is a movie set in 18th century South America Staring Jeremy Irons, Robert De Niro along with Aidan Quinn and Liam Neeson.  Jeremy Irons plays Gabriel, a Jesuit Priest who is establishing a mission in the interior regions of South American to convert and serve the Guarani Indians.  He is accompanied by Rodrigo (Robert De Niro) who portrays a soldier who is doing so as a penance.  This is an exceptional movie.  The acting is powerful, the cinematography is breathtaking and the music is inspiring.  The story is one of human triumph accompanied closely by tragedy.  The movie explores how the beauty of humanity and how it fares when confronted by greed and politics.  The music, by Ennio Morricone, is still played
often on classical radio stations.

Rear Window

Rear Window (1954) is an Alfred Hitchcock movie starring Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelley.  It is by far my favorite Hitchcock movie and still as gripping today as when I first saw it.  Jimmy Stewart plays a convalescing photographer who thinks he witnesses a terrible event though he can't prove it.  The entire movie takes place from his room.  The story is compelling while the acting superb.  While the movie takes place you are witness to life in the 50's as seen from one apartment to others, and without air-conditioning being common the windows and lives of others are open for all to see.

Popeye

Popeye (1980) is a movie starring Robin Williams, Shelly Duvall and Ray Walston.  The movie takes place in Sweethaven where a newly arrived Popeye is trying to find himself.  The movie is both a comic strip come to life and a musical.  Overall I enjoyed the movie and love the songs that are sung.  The movie sets are well done giving a surreal presence in real life.  Robin Williams does a great job as Popeye as well as Shelly Duvall in her portrayal of Olive Oyl.  It is a movie you will either really like or not like at all.

Zoro: The Gay Blade

Zoro: The Gay Blade (1981) is a movie staring George Hamilton, Lauren Hutton, Brenad Vaccaro and Ron Liebman.  George Hamilton stars as the son of Zoro who inherits the responsibilities of being Zoro upon his fathers death.  He also plays the role of his gay brother who has to come to his assistance.  While the movie itself is more of a "B" movie, it is filled with memorable lines and humorous situations.  The reason I found the movie merits mention is that since I first saw the movie in the theater in 1981 I am still quoting lines from it to this day.  Another example was a situation at work that mirrored a scene in the movie.  I was able to find the scene on Youtube and the result was laughter.

Broadchurch

Broadchurch (2013)is an ITV British television series Starring David Tennant (of Dr. Who fame) and Olivia Colman.  It is a detective show that covers the story of a small town faced with the murder of a young boy.  The season covers the stories of the detectives (Tennant and Colman), the family and the residents of the small, closely knit seaside community.  The acting is powerful and the stories evolve deeper and deeper as each persons life comes under scrutiny.  Broadchurch is not the typical British detective series that I have become quite familiar with.  It stands out in a unique way not unlike the series Luther has, though not as dark.  I watched the entire season in three days and was pleased to see that a second season is currently being filmed.

What Dreams May Come

What Dreams May Come (1998) is a movie about life after death staring Robin Williams.  Most discussions and representations of life after death in movies is polarized and stereotypical.  In this movie the discussion goes beyond those characterized in the former movies.  The exploration digs deep into what is real and what is not, what is heaven and what is hell, how our actions can also be our realities.  This is Robin Williams at his best.  In this more serious role he covers the emotions of a person that is just beginning to understand what life after death really is.  The cinematography is spectacular and enhances the story line most effectively.  It won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.

Mother

Mother (1996) is an award winning film starring and directed by Albert Brooks.  Brooks plays a newly divorced writer who has writers block.  He decides to go home unannounced to stay with his mother until he finds a way to start writing again.  The interaction between Brooks and his mother, played by Debbie Reynolds, is wonderful.  Brooks finds himself not only working on his own problem but is also trying to bring some life to his mother.  He very insecure and jealous brother, played by Rob Morrow, tries to insert himself between his mother and brother from his home across the state.

The interaction between mother and son is priceless.  He continues to try and understand his mother who buys cheese in bulk and freezes it, who purchases off brand product whether it tastes good or not and even finds himself perplexed that she has a name for the frozen ice found on the top of the sherbet "protective ice." As with most Albert Brooks films, the story and dialogue take center stage.  There are many things I found in the interaction that could have clearly been said by either myself or my mother and in this I found myself laughing throughout the movie.  It is nice to enjoy a movie that relies on humor other than slapstick and this one most definitely pleases.

Defending Your Life

Defending Your Life (1991) is a film starring Albert Brooks, Meryl Streep, Rip Torn and Shirley MacLaine. The movie starts off with Albert Brooks who dies in a car accident.  He finds himself in Judgment City where he has an attorney and must defend his life so that it can be determined where he will go after final judgment. His experience, which is anything but pleasant, is foiled by that of his new found friend played by Streep who seems to be having a great time and no problems with her hearing.

The movie is well done and, as expected with Albert Brooks, a lot of verbal sparing.  The movie relies heavily on dialogue and discourse exploring life and life after death.  Freewill and predestination are key elements to the story and the movie has a rewarding story line.  

Arsenic and Old Lace

Arsenic and Old Lace is a film from 1944 starring Cary Grant along with Peter Lorre and Raymond Massey. The movie starts with the marriage of confirmed bachelor Mortimer Brewster who goes home to his two Aunts boarding house.  Before he can leave he finds a secret and must try to make sense of the situation he finds himself in.  The movie has doting aunts, a brother who thinks he is Teddy Roosevelt and a killer with his side kick to boot.  The role of his brother, the killer, is played by Massey who takes the place of Boris Karloff who had the role in the play.

This film is humorous, suspenseful, endearing and extremely well done in its execution and screenplay adaptation.  Carey Grant does a phenomenal jo
b in this film and the supporting cast is fantastic in their performances.

The Court Jester

The Court Jester is a 1955 film starring Danny Kaye.  Danny Kaye plays a partisan who is doing his part to remove an usurper to the throne.  He is tricked into posing as a famous court jester who then, in a most bumbling way, falls into the midst of multiple plots and schemes at the palace.  It takes everything and more for him to keep his wits and head in the process.  The movie also stars Basil Rathbone and a young Angela Landsbury.  The movie is entertaining, humorous and enjoyable.

This film has garnered accolades in later years and, as Wikipedia reports,  is one of the films that the Library of Congress has chosen to preserve as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."  I count this movie as one of my favorites and I still watch it from time to time.

Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947).  The original film starred Danny Kaye, Virginia Mayo and Boris Karloff.  Walter Mitty is an unappreciated editor who is taken advantage of by his boss, taken advantage of by others and whose fiance blatantly flaunts her flirting with his best friend.  He escapes from this world through the mechanism of daydreaming.  The worlds of daydreaming and reality become more and more intertwined.

While the movie is dated in some aspects it is quite entertaining and I still find it enjoyable.  Danny Kaye plays the innocent well.  The movie has a quick pace and the story is fulfilling.


The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013).  This film stars and is directed by Ben Stiller.  He does a great job in the role.  Other than the daydreaming and seemingly ineptness of the main character; the movie, for the most part, does not follow the story line of its predecessor.  This version is entertaining with daydream sequences that are inlaid into the story with some skill.  The movie locations are beautiful and help keep the story entertaining.  While I did enjoy the movie it seemed to stretch long in some places.

Yes Minister

Yes Minister is a British comedy from the 80's. The show stars Paul Eddington, Nigel Hawthorne and Derek Fowlds.  The story follows the interaction between a newly appointed minister of the British government and his interaction with his career permanent secretary.  When the best intentions of the minister contradict the plans of the bureaucracy the intrigue, manipulation and verbal sparing go flying.  The show is very engaging and the banter witty which is good as most of the humor is verbal.  The humor is almost entirely verbal.  The final seasons of the show have the main character becoming prime minister.
 

Kikujiro

Kikujiro is a Japanese movie from 1999.  It is about a boy who lives with his grandma.  When school lets out he decides to go in search of his mother.  He leaves home and is discovered by a former neighbor.  The neighbor gives instructions to her idle husband to accompany the boy cross country on his journey.

The movie follows the adventures and miss-adventures of the two as they meet and interact with different people on their journey.  The story is lighthearted and deep at the same time.  I found it a very beautiful story and one of my favorite movies.
Takeshi Kitano does a fantastic job in this movie as the adult companion to the boy.

Flammen & Citronen (Flame & Citron)

Flammen & Citronen (Flame & Citron) is a Danish movie set during the German occupation of World War II.  It is a true story of two resistance fighters who successfully killed enemy officers and collaborators.  The film delves into the story of how they started, there brooding over their actions, their questioning of the motivation behind the killings and their part in partaking in the killings.  Who is good, who is bad and what is right or wrong become hazy lines as you watch the story unfold.  There is more than one profound scene of revelation that helps understand that in war there is truly nothing
as simple as black and white.

This movie has plenty of action but it is not an action movie, it is an exploratory movie of the story of two idealistic patriots during a time of occupation.  In 1951 they were

both given the Medal of Honor posthumously by United States President Harry Truman.

The Color of Paradise

The Color of Paradise is an Iranian film that revolves around a young boy who is blind.  The movie starts off with the boy waiting for his father who is late picking him up from school.  His father, who desperately wants to be remarried, does whatever he can to have the boy out of his life as he sees his son as an obstacle to his plans.  The acting is well done and the boy does an amazing job reaching out and connecting with the viewer. The movie takes place in the Caspian Sea region of Iran. I was touched by the beauty and the interplay of the children as they played in the fields.  This is my favorite region of Iran.  It made an impression on me when we went to visit relatives in this same area.

While the movie is profoundly beautiful it follows what we have come to expect in such Iranian movies where tragedy seems to loom around every corner.  Be prepared to laugh, smile, be hurt and yes cry.  I am not one to welcome such experiences but this movie was so beautiful it still resonates in my heart and mind.  I still reflect on the meaning and wonder at the many questions that arise in it.

My Favorite Year

My Favorite Year is a movie staring Peter O'Toole with an amazing cast in this movie set in the heyday of live television.  Mark Linn-Baker stars as a writer for a live comedy show charged with seeing that the current weeks guest, Peter O'Toole, stays sober and makes his appearance on the show.  Peter O'Toole plays a famous movie star (reminiscent of Errol Flynn), who is doing his best to work against Mark Linn-Baker while mentoring him at the same time.  Mark Linn-Baker is torn between his star struck attitude and the disappointment of seeing that same star more human though further down the scale than he would have thought.

This is a witty, humorous, comedic and classically funny movie.  The interplay of the plots and sub plots work well and there are several memorable lines that come from the movie.

Red Siren

Red Siren is a French movie but presented in English.  It is about a young girl fleeing from her sociopathic mother.  Asia Argento stars as a police detective that the girl first approaches in the movie. The girl is on the run from her mother while the detective is trying to help her but has to find her first.  The movies is entertaining and has some great action scenes.

Diva

Diva is a French movie filmed in 1981.  It is a beautiful story about the intertwining lives of musical diva, an obsessed fan, musical pirates, corrupt police, dark henchmen,  a French "Mr. Cool" and his Vietnamese side kick.  The movie brings all these characters together in a fluid and well written story.  The movie relies mostly on its dialogue and the story of the lives that come together throughout the story and the effect they have on each other.  The ending is both profound and beautiful.

This was the very first VHS movie I ever purchased.  This is the first French movie I had ever seen and may be partially responsible for my love of french movies.  Whenever I hear the aris from La Wally I am forever linking it to when it is sung by Wilhemenia Wiggins Fernandez who also has a role in this movie.  It is this aria that links everything together and the thread of the movie from the beginning to the end.

Wallander (Swedish)

Wallander is the original Swedish version of the movie adaptation of Henning Mankell's books.  Krister Henriksson does a fantastic job as a brooding, subdued and exceptionally good detective in the south of Sweden.  The stories are solid, engaging and gripping.

If reading subtitles are not a distraction and you enjoy detective shows then this will be one to watch.

Sherlock

Sherlock is a current and updated version of the Sherlock Holmes stories.  This is a refreshing series from the BBC.  The show uses some unique techniques that work well in telling the story.  The acting is spectacular and Benedict Cumberbach does an exceptional job as an odd, relentless and determined sleuth accompanied by Martin Freeman who plays a brooding Dr. Watson.  The two balance each other out quiet well in the show.

There are currently three seasons released and they get better with each show.  The directing and acting are amazing. If you like action, mystery, buddy movies or love to be entertained then this show will not disappoint.

Starbuck and Delivery Man

Starbuck is a French movie which starts out with a man who is informed that through his sperm donations years ago he has 522 biological children and a large group of those children want to find him.  His ineptness at the family business and a faltering personal life are impacted by this news.

 This movie is a delightful movie that is lighthearted and touching.  If you are looking for a movie that is not heavy and will bring a smile then this one is for you.




Deliverman is a remake of the French movie staring Vince Vaughn.  I was hesitant to watch this as I am not a fan of remake of French films.  However, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the movie.  One reason is that the film is a duplicate of the original almost scene by scene.  Even the names of the characters are mostly the same.  My more muted reaction to Deliveryman may be a result of having seen Starbuck first.

Of the two movies though, Starbuck edges out Deliveryman as the better film.

3 Days to Kill

3 Days to Kill is an espionage movie from a story by Luc Besson (The Fifth Element, Leon: The Professional, La Femme Nikita and many more) staring Kevin Costner and Amber Heard.  This movie shows a CIA agent in his end days taking on one more job.  This movie is an action movie interspersed with humor while interlaced with several small subplots.  One such subplot is the interaction between Ethan (Costner) and his daughter whom he is trying to reconnect with.

This is clearly a violent movie with plenty of shooting and car chases.  Costner does a great job in the lead and holds the movie together well.  Amber Heard, Hailee Steinfeld and the other actors do a great job keeping the story going and bringing life to the characters.  It was an enjoyable movie.

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit is a reboot of the Tom Clancy movie franchise.  The movie starts with the back story to Jack Ryan and how he progressed from college student to espionage.  The movie stars Chris Pine, Kevin Costner, Keira Knightly and Kenneth Brannagh who also directed the film.

Chris Pine does a believable job in taking Jack Ryan through his first missions.  Kenneth Brannagh shows one of his best performances to date and does an exceptional job in his role.  Kevin Costner did a great job in his supporting role as the recruiter.  The film is well paced and well acted.  No one star overpowers the other and the interplay is rich with well acted tension and depth. There will most likely be more Jack Ryan films to come.

Edge of Tomorrow

Edge of Tomorrow is a science fiction movie set in the near future where humanity is fighting what seems to be a losing battle against an alien invasion.  The movie stars Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt as soldiers involved in mankind's last hope for survival.  The movie starts off with an pending invasion of France reminiscent of the real invasion of D-Day.  Everything goes wrong and the movie progresses from there with a small nod to the movie Groundhog Day.

The film is balanced well between the acting and the not overdone special effects.  The plot, dialog and interaction of the various characters in the movie are well done.  I enjoyed the movie throughout and did not feel the time and money spent watching it in Imax 3D a waste.  I look forward to getting the Blueray when it comes out.

Big Trouble in Little China

Big Trouble in Little China (1986) is a fun "b" movie directed by John Carpenter and staring Kurt Russell and Kim Cattrall.  Kurt Russell is a typical anti-hero and finds himself increasingly involved, over his head, in a world that gets deeper and deeper into a magical world of Chinese folklore.

The story is about a young Chinese restaurant owner trying to rescue his girlfriend while Kurt Russell tags along to try and collect on a debt from that same friend.  This is an action and adventure movie laced with humor that hits at just the right time.

Daybreakers

Daybreakers is a vampire film with a twist.  The majority of the world is vampire and the blood supply is getting low.  Ethan Hawke stars as a vampire hematologist charged with solving the problem with synthetic blood.  The movie has a modern/retro look and does a good job showing night as the normal time of day and daytime as the quiet time of day.

The plot is intricate and maintains interest.  The cast includes some great performances by Sam Neil and William Dafoe.  Ethan Hawkes performance is what keeps the movie moving in a positive direction.  I found the alternative story line from other vampire movies quite intriguing.

The Devil and Miss Jones

The Devil and Miss Jones is a film from 1941 staring Jean Arthur and Robert Cummings.  It is the story of a department store which is in the throes of labor problems.  The owner, Robert Cummings, goes "under cover" to vet out the bad elements but things don't go as planned.

I was taken by this movie when I first saw it and highly recommend it.  This movie is delightful to say the least.  The weaving of characters through heartfelt situations are endearing and leaves you on a positive note.

Get Low

Get Low is a movie staring Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek, Bill Murray, Lucas Black among other excellent actors.

Get Low is an endearing story of a man, living a mostly hermetic life, who is held in disdain and fear by his community.  In approaching his mortality he decides plan a funeral party for himself.  The catch is he wants to do it while he is still alive to see who shows up.  The plot sounds simple but as the story goes on you get deeper and deeper into the background and story of this man's life.

It is a well acted movie with a well written plot.  The movie is deep, uplifting, sad and intense.  The  movie did not get a lot of press and the title is not one that would necessarily lead to being remembered easily.  This movie will not disappoint.

John Carter

John Carter is a science fiction adventure film based on the John Carter of Mars series of books written by Edgar Rice Burroughs.

My jaw dropped the first time I saw the upcoming previews  a year in advance.  My first "grown up" book that my father gave me was A Fighting Man of Mars which was the seventh book in the series.  I enjoyed the books and they remain special to me for the time and circumstances of my first reading.  I still remember the time and place where my father gave me the book and his comment that he had read them as a young man as well.

The movie was well done with a good mix of dialog and acting.  The sets were amazing and the special effects brought the characters to life.  The movie was faithful to the world and stories that Burroughs depicted.  I saw the movie with my daughter a week following watching the Hunger Games.  I thanked her for agreeing to see the movie with me as I really wanted to share the experience with someone.  She had never read the books, let alone seen them.  She said that she enjoyed the movie.

If you like action and adventure and don't mind a bit of science fiction thrown in then you should find this movie entertaining.

Beasts of the Southern Wild

Beasts of the Southern Wild is a very different movie.  I first heard of it on NPR.  In searching for the setting the interviewee stated that he went as far out in Louisiana as he possibly could until he came to the end of the road and the setting of the story.  A small, displaced community out of step in both time and setting.  The story is about a young girl searching for her mother and a father who is trying to do his best to raise his daughter in the only way he knows.  My friends have described it in different ways including "I loved it but won't watch it again" and "it is a brutal movie."  To me it had many qualities including the harshness of living in a very poor rural southern community to how that community really was a community; a collective of disparate souls trying to make the best of life.  It could be that in some ways I was not as sensitive to the darkness as I grew up at one time in the rural south in poverty though not as bad as depicted in the movie.

On NPR the interviewee described their surprise at how deep the girl was who would end up with the leading role.  They asked her what she would do if the world was to end tomorrow.  She responded that she would brush her teeth and clean her room.

The movie is stirring, deep, liberating, inspiring and magical while every once in a while dipping into a more dark side of growing up with pain, loss and separation.

Paperhouse

Paperhouse is a British movie filmed in 1988.  I first saw this movie when it came out and searched for it again over the years.  It is about a young girl who becomes ill.  In the process of healing she draws a house and begins to dream what she draws including a boy that shows up and the story progresses from there.  Dream and reality become blurred.

It is described as a dark fantasy but it is a deep movie that stays with you long after you watch it.  It is available through Amazon and Itunes.  The movie will not disappoint
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Luther

Luther is a British crime show staring Idris Elba as a detective with issues. The plots are edgy and at times push the limits.  The supporting cast is excellent as well, especially Ruth Wilson as Alice.  Luther consists of three seasons with the promise of movies to follow.

Of all the British police shows I have seen this ranks up at the top of the list along with Sherlock.  If you like good acting and edgy police shows then this one will not disappoint.

Gattaca

Gattaca is a movie from 1997 which is set in the not too distant future.  It involves a disadvantaged person who is trying to simply make a dream come true.  His disadvantage is he is not genetically engineered.  The movie is clearly about working hard to attain your goals in spite of all odds.  The acting is stellar with great performances by Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, Jude Law, Gore Vidal, Alan Arkin and Tony Shalhoub among others.

Gattaca ranks high on the list of my favorite movies.  The film relies on the quality of acting and story line. The sets are subdued but effective.  Both Ethan Hawke and Jude Law perform at their very best.  I watch this movie often and can't help but be moved by it.

Derek

Derek is a Netflix original series filmed in Great Britain.  It stars Ricky Gervais as an orderly in a small nursing home in England.  I was hesitant to watch the show at first but gave it a shot.  I saw the first episode and was so taken that I watched the whole first season in one shot.  It was well acted and heartwarming.

The series finds you following the staff and to a degree the residence of the home.  The characters seem over the top at times but the overall fit works.  The older folks are quite convincing in the role of the residents.  I found myself laughing and at times brought to tears.  Ricky Gervais had fallen a bit for me with his obnoxious twitter posts but this show redeemed him for me.  He plays a very endearing role.

Oblivion

Oblivion is a science fiction movie that did not do as well at the box office as it was expected to.  It stars Tom Cruise and Morgan Freeman as the leads.  There are Tom Cruise movies and movies staring Tom Cruise.  This is a movie staring Tom Cruise.  The story is tight and well thought out.

Each actors performance is solid and though Tom Cruise plays the lead he plays it well without overpowering the story.  I know people who have not seen the movie simply because Tom Cruise is in it but I think they would be surprised at this one.  The movie was quite entertaining and left me feeling quite positive at the end.

Man on Wire

Man on Wire is a British documentary based on the events leading up to the Frenchman Philippe Petit's amazing high-wire walk between the World Trade Center Twin Towers in 1974.  The movie tells the story with film footage of the events leading up to the walk as well as interviews of the key players that facilitated this feat.  The movie tells a greater story of obsession, determination, persistence and the ups and downs that can happen both leading up to a dream and upon attaining that dream.

I found myself mesmerized at the whole process and what it took to do such an amazing feat.  This movie won the Academy Award for best documentary for 2008.