Eye in the Sky

This is basically about the moral dilemma that exists in any war- is killing civilians (albeit one little girl) as collateral damage  in order to prevent more loss of life (in this case from suicide vest terrorists)  morally wrong.  I have no idea how real the chain of command is that is portrayed in this storyline. Helen Mirren is the British colonel in charge of the decision of whether or not to allow a drone to bomb a house where terrorists are suiting up. Keep in mind, it takes 1 hour and 45 minutes of back and forthing before you get to get up and leave. And despite its exhausting "yes or no" and contacting other countries, etc, it is at least thought provoking.  If you have wondered how civilians get caught up in things, go see it. I personally felt that any parents who let their little girl venture out into a Jihadist neighborhood to sell bread are pretty bad parents. What would it take you to keep your child safe? And another point was that the little girl was not allowed to play- she is in a community where she will have no future and possibly be stoned to death, or mutilated for some crummy infraction of the male rules. The potential death of a child - one with little or no future- is deliberately done by the writers of this. It makes the entire premise a conundrum.  I'll give it 3 stars because it really does make you think. People say war is impersonal now because of drones- I'd argue it is far more personal when the person sending the drone has to watch it hit a human target.

Mission Impossible- Rogue Nation

Let's get the most pressing questions out of the way- Tom Cruise looks younger than he did in what was my favorite movie of his (Collateral-2004). So what is the difference? I'll tell you- he looks positively baby faced- a little rounder with no wrinkles. So either he has secret Thetan stem cell cream, or he has had some incredibly good fillers. My dentist uses fillers on herself, and she looks like Madam the puppet. But he just looks smooth. I am a little sorry because he is playing a manly manly role and yet he looks weirdly baby faced. (Go find Collateral and you'll see that is a much better look for him). Ok- I'm done on that. If you've seen any of the Mission Impossible movies or tv shows from back when, you do know that, basically, the missions really are impossible. So you get to see a lot of fancy impossible stunts that make everything come out as you predicted from the time you bought your ticket. It has a minimum of car chase stuff- which is a blessing and deserves an extra $1 right there. I liked it a lot because I like stuff that isn't so real that it can bother me. It was a nice addition to put a female spy in there- also doing some very fanciful things that most women could never do. The director does a good job of making the short Tom and short Jeremy Renner look bigger. (Tom's bio says he is 5'7" so that means he is 5'6 and Renner is 5'10 but I've seen him and he is about 5'8").  I'll go see a Tom Cruise movie no matter what the reviews are but this one lives up to the reviews.

Ant Man

Heh- I know- if you aren't familiar with Ant Man- then you'd think, hey, it's an ant- why can't anyone just squash it? I have to say that I loved this movie. The whole concept of a man who is dressed in an ant logo suit being able to have super powers just has to grab you some kind of way. I had to see it for that very reason. There is a story, and it is kind of fun, and the premise is really sort of silly and impossible. (Unlike a man who turns into a green monster).  Paul Rudd is always SO likeable- you want him to win. There is the usual bam-pow stuff from the genre, and there is romance, etc. But if you want to just spend a couple of hours in the air-conditioning having a little fun, then go see Ant Man. Remember- critics aren't always right. But audiences are- and audiences have loved it.

The Imitation Game

The Imitation Game is, as you know, a widely anticipated movie with some mixed reviews, but mostly good, just like this one. If you don't know what the enigma machine is and what it did, well, you are poorly educated and shouldn't go to movies at all because you will think everything you see in every movie is true anyway. Here is what is true- Alan Turing was brilliant with a dose of functional autism and his invention, a computer that cracked the enigma code, saved millions of lives and shortened WWII. Mr.Turing was also a homosexual at a time when that meant jail or a "chemical castration" with estrogen shots. Alan Turing was one of those  British boys who did not do well at boarding school with the bullies and dumbasses that seem to frequent those places. The movie doesn't side step that. It is told in flashbacks. Now, you should read up on what the machine is and why it and Turing's work to solve it were important before you go, because that is what gives the film the minimal suspense it has. The movie takes liberties with the roles of the others at Bletchley though. It adds a few characters and gives one a job as Soviet spy (which did not actually exist). I sort of resented that since it was totally unnecessary to add that to the movie- Hollywood is incapable of sticking to the story in biopics. Dumb. Now people who can't read will think that really happened that way. And, somewhere in heaven, Joan Clarke is looking down and marveling that Kiera Knightly is playing her. If they make a movie about me, I'd say "I'll settle for Kiera Knightly"- especially since someone FINALLY broke her of that annoying pout she'd make to show emotion.  It is a very touching film. You'd have to be a tad cold in spots of your heart not to shed just ONE tear at the end. Not because Turing was gay- but because it really must be a special hell to be brilliant. I'll never know.
Anyway, the movie can be slow in spots. It is the last half hour that really is best. And the other moral question about who lives and dies, well, it is a sad dilemma indeed.

St Vincent

Bill Murray pulls out all of his tricks but leaves his smarm behind in St Vincent. If he was hoping for recognition from the Academy for the role of his life, this might be it. Murray has a tendency to be smug and trite in a lot of his acting. He has it in his comedy, too. But this time, his quirks are suppressed and tempered by the excellence of his young co-star, a rather serious but game little boy played by Jaeden Lieberher. Some actors should never act with kids, and probably Bill Murray is one of them. But since Murray seems to understand that this is a great child actor and trying to out act the kid would NOT be a good idea, it seems to work.  Of course, you know how it will turn out because it is as formulaic as it can get. After the first 10 minutes, you could write the story- but not the script. The script is funny is just the right places. And it is a tear jerker near the end for all the right reasons. Never mind how this would have played out in real life- you don't go to movies to see real life. (You go to see documentaries and then feel depressed about things that will never affect you).  I highly recommend this movie despite the predictability. You'll get a nice touch of Melissa McCarthy as the sad mom and a very entertaining Naomi Watts as a Russian "lady of the night".   I do think it is worth 3 stars.  And after it, go rent Millions- that's an even better  movie. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/millions/

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Fury

Brad Pitt is the rugged tank commander who heads into the heart of Germany in the final months of the war with his rag tag team of survivors a tank named Fury,  and a newby 19 year old recruit who was only trained to type 60 words per minute in training. The movie is about the intricacies of the camaraderie of war when people who are unalike until they are forced to change into soldiers. It runs long, but is never boring. Because it is war, it is violent. And every time you are having a moment of relief, the war picks up and savages every one again. Men have fought wars since the dawn of man. Suddenly, we live in an era where many Americans think of war as unnecessary- which will never happen as long as there are humans who can convince others to follow their malevolent schemes. But in the meantime, I wonder how the men in the theater felt about what they were seeing. It isn't as if WWII was that long ago. I am one generation away from it. It is hard to believe that humans can destroy one another as persistently as they do- but they do. I am not sorry I saw it, but it is not for the people who don't think about what they see. I congratulate Brad Pitt for doing a WWII movie that feels more real than Saving Private Ryan did. And I look forward to his wife's efforts with Unbroken. I hope people feel the horrors the Japanese perpetrated on other humans. They deserved what they got. It is a somber reminder of the cost of war.

The Skeleton Twins

In a predictable story, with the plot twists telegraphed well ahead of time. Kristin Wiig and Bill Hader take a huge step into dramatic storyland. Most of the cast are highly recognizable as recycle television actors, be it on cable shows or standard network. But I have to say that the real story for me was the relationship between fraternal twins who grow up with a quirky, depressed father and the worst kind of mother- naracissistic new agey and irresponsible. The twins have a sort of contrived past split over an incident involving Hader's character as a teen ager. It is now 10 years later, and Hader's and Wiig's potential suicides bring them back into one another's lives. Luke Wilson reappears on film as Wiig's enthusiastic and kind husband.  Flashbacks let the audience see the tender past the twins shared in their own little word of imagination and invention where they escaped their reality. Hader is gay, and Wiig is nurturing, so the twins are close.  That is as much as I can say, but I did like this movie. I didn't focus on the contrivances and predictability; I focused on the relationships and the toll that miserable parenting takes on innocent and vulnerable children. Some kids do okay, but most don't.  I thought that it was handled rather touchingly. Without the flashbacks, it might have been a really bad movie that's been done on Lifetime TV before. But I really felt for these two. There is a really cute musical number which just screams SNL skit. But hey, those two are such talented comedians that it would have been a shame not to showcase just a little of that. But for the future, if they want to do more serious roles, they'll have to drop the schtick.

The Hunderd-Foot Journey

Here's a quick quiz- how many films about people's relationship with food have you seen? Don't forget Supersize Me, because that would count. Tick...tock...still counting? Well, here's another one to add to your list. An Indian family has their van break down in a charming French Village that just happens to have a 1 star Michelin rated French restaurant. They open an Indian restaurant 100 feet away, across the street. A widow runs the French place, a widower runs the Indian place.(ohhhh, wonder what happens there?)  Turmoil ensues. Young Indian son is  a great chef, he meets the aspiring young woman French chef, etc and on and on until the very predicable but sweet ending happens for everyone.  There you have it. A whole bunch of clichés are here. Don't do a drinking game based on them unless you have a designated driver. What carries the film is the cast of charming actors. I'll give it 3 stars because it was really relaxing. I love all things Indian in most movies, but I am not a big fan of Indian food. Maybe someone who is would have given it a higher rating because food does feel like home, and if you read my review of Chef, you'll see that home is New Orleans for me, not Mumbai.

The One I Love

In one line of the film, the Twilight Zone is referenced. Good idea - just stay in that mindset. This is a soft, elegant comedy about people who don't really get along anymore but don't know what to do. They go to a marriage therapist and try. But because the trust is gone, the going is rough. I say it is a comedy because I laughed more during this than I do at most SNL skits. But it is also a film with a very interesting and sci-fi sort of premise- and to explain it would ruin it for you. It is very well written- though the premise is, for the curmudgeons, ludicrous, it is also inventive and fun to watch unfold. It was nothing like what we thought it would be, and we almost didn't go- I am so glad I didn't miss it. Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men) and Mark Duplass (you've probably never seen him) play all 4 of the characters. The setting is beautiful. Special thanks were given to Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen- it could have been their house for all I know. We went to dinner after and talked about the logistics of the premise for quite a while. They could have done more to help explain it- it is explained in 20 seconds of dialogue near the end. But oh well- it was very nicely acted and very well written, and that is enough sometimes.

Guardians of the Galaxy

 What a slam bang 3D sci-fi movie! Lots of action, some really funny lines, a silly (of course) premise, a talking raccoon, a tree with a limited vocabulary, a few alien women with attitudes and Chris Pratt (not to be confused with Chris Pine).  They take on bad guys, and it all revolves around an orb with some magic powers- which really is just a device to move things along.  It's been a long time since the first Star Wars, and boy, the special effects are non-stop and really fantastic. I can see how it has made so much money. Don't sit too close- I think that is part of the trick. Our 3D glasses made the movie so dark that in some scenes, I had to take mine off. If you watch Halt and Catch Fire on AMC, you will enjoy seeing Lee Pace in the role of Ronan the Accuser. Even if you don't recognize him, you'll recognize his voice. If you like sci-fi action movies with plenty of shooting and some sly jokes, you'll like it. I am giving it 3 stars because I think it was a lot of fun. I took a star off for it being so dark that it was hard to see the action.

Dawn of Planet of the Apes

Wohoo! I'm a fan of the new Ape franchise. And this one is really remarkable. I think it could have been without sound and I still would have liked it. The special effects are just fantastic. We have grown used to special effects. I remember when 2001 was released, and we all gasped at the way it was done. Then Star Wars- we just didn't think it could get any better. But watching Dawn of the Planet of the Apes will just astonish you. The world is massively diminished in population (we aren't really clear how much because there is no electricity for communication) by simian flu. Of course, the simians didn't spread it- what could you be thinking?? Anyway, the apes have evolved a bit thanks to Caesar's educational skills. They can speak English (after a fashion). But obviously, they can't build worth a crap. They live in a Tarzan like ape slum. But hey, what do they need anyway? The humans enter the ape world to fix the dam so the water can flow to give them electricity.  etc. etc. In the end, it all points to a sequel, which is fine by me. If you don't like apes, do NOT go see it. And jeez louise, leave the little kids at home. 

Edge of Tomorrow

This is late because blogger kept eating the original review. Sadly, it wouldn't even give me access to the draft of it and ate that, too. So here is a quick summary- it was really good and if you haven't seen it, and if it is still playing in your neighborhood, GO see it!

Joe

Nicolas Cage does a great job as Joe, an ex-con who runs a crew that takes down the scrub trees so that the logging company can plant healthy, saleable trees. He meets a hard scrabble, hard luck kid who wants to make money for his derelict father in order to help support his family. Joe respects the kid and takes him as a crew member. As the kid's family life story unfolds, Joe sees his chance to keep this angry kid from being like Joe.  This is an indie film- a film so bleak at first that I thought it would never get to the point, and I might as well leave. Some indie films do that- self indulgence. But once the action starts, it is a dark, violent and somehow great story.  I really enjoyed this. It was a very limited release last month, so you may have to watch it on Netflix. But if you like Nicholas Cage, and sometimes I do, this is one of his movies that is a must see. Just don't worry about missing a little of the beginning.

The Lego Movie

Okay- let me get this off my chest first- the villain in this (Will Ferrell) is called President Business. Because God knows that in the film industry (industry being French for BUSINESS), business is always the bad guy. Rich, evil, beat down the workers, etc, Bad Guy. The irony should never be lost on the viewer that your kids are being manipulated by people who work in a HUGE businesses, are highly overpaid, and charge YOU gobs of dough to make those salaries possible. Not to mention that while you are sitting to watch this, everything around you (including the seat you are in) is made or made possible by businesses. The stupidity of these attitudes is something you should explain to your children.  Then tell them nothing stops them from having their OWN business one day.
Okay- now the review. At first, it is like watching subtitles- the action is sort of jerky, the characters look and move, well, like Legos (oh look, another BUSINESS rears its ugly head).  It is similar to the feeling you get while watching subtitles and suddenly your brain adapts, and you think you really did speak Italian (or Japanese, Chinese, etc). You do adjust and your brain starts believing these little animated bricks are real. Thank God. Because otherwise it would be quite the miserable experience. There is also a lot of adult humor, though Alex and I seemed to be the only ones who a) got it and b) laughed at it.    We thought it was fun. I realize I am 3 weeks late to this party because I just didn't think a Lego movie was worth the jillion dollars the evil businesses charge for 3D, but I pretty much think I got my money's worth.  I don't think seeing this on a small screen would be as good (if anyone actually HAS a small screen anymore- again those damn evil businesses building those big screen sets).  So try to catch it in 3D now.

Ender's Game

First of all, you must know that Ender's Game is actually from a sci-fi book that was written in the 80s. It is Young Adult (YA) in theme. Big parts of the book are omitted, so don't expect that from this film. That said, the use of children as strategic leaders is still the same. Ender is played by the very experienced Asa Butterfield (lately of HUGO). He does a wonderful job as the precocious child capable of hard decisions in the "battlefield", but empathetic enough to be a leader. It is a common enough theme, but Ender's Game adds an adult involvement that actually encourages that sort of child aggressiveness.  There isn't enough tension in it to make you too nervous- and you won't really be on the edge of your seat, because most of us know it is part of a serial, therefore, Ender won't be killed off right away, if ever. Harrison Ford looks positively CREAKY in this- he is physically stiff and somewhat rote in his performance. Hilariously,  Ben Kingsley shows up all dramatic in tattooed face. (really? yes.)  And Viola Davis is sort of the space academy shrink trying to put in her two cents about these being children, after all. I liked it a lot because I did not expect it to be Star Trek 21 or whatever. In fact, I had no expectations whatsoever. There isn't a lot of adult banter or inside jokes because there aren't any to be had. SO for adults, it might be a little beneath them. I can see a 12 year old boy going CRAZY over this. There is violence. But not shootings or stabbings- just beatings. The special effects are pretty good- I mean, I believed in the huge ants. So, if you like sci-fi and like being able not to be too worried about how things work out, this is your cup of formic acid. Just saying. 

Captain Phillips

You know, I always rag on Tom Hanks for being such a Droopy Dog imitator. Always the same mugging- boring and overdone. But this time, I have to give him credit- this time, he is NOT playing his usual gig, he is actually ACTING. Now, from the beginning you pretty much know Hanks isn't going to die- except for Philadelphia-you know he'll be fine. So you can relax and watch the Hollywood version of a true story Somali pirate take-over of a cargo ship. Some reviewers said the Somalis wound up being sympathetic- you are supposed to identify with them, excuse them and feel sorry for them. That's a bad policy and stupid filmmaking because it implies that torturing and stealing and the occasional murder are just something one has to do. I didn't identify with them. It is made clear by the dialogue that we are supposed to see that it is so HARD to be moral in countries that are run by bullies and criminals. That may be so, but stealing ships and terrorizing and kidnapping the innocent people running them is NOT justifiable. Nope. I think Tom Hanks absolutely acts his hiney off in this. He is mesmerizing at the end. And now, I believe he is finally the actor he could have been if he hadn't been sidelined into some unfortunate roles along the way. I liked the movie, even though it is sort of  a lie- Capt Phillips is not only not beloved by his crew, he is evidently sort of a risk taking jackass in real life and is being sued by the real crew. 

The Heat

Hahahahaha. Just writing the title of this movie made me laugh. OF COURSE it is funny. Melissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock could make a movie with the two of them just standing there making faces and I'd be entertained. But put them together as cop/FBI crime solvers, and that is a combination that just screams fun.  Were there a few over the top, not too funny moments? Well, yeah. But sometimes you have to have those because otherwise the movie becomes a sort of torture of too much laughing. McCarthy's character is almost (key word here is ALMOST)  too much, but the fact that she can play it with a wink gets the viewer past the silliness. Bullock is, as usual, the restrained woman who loosens up. A lot. I highly recommend this IF you like movies like this. Most buddy movies have male leads- and this is a refreshing change. Just don't expect a cerebral experience of any kind and you'll do great.

Star Trek Into Darkness 3D

Of course I loved this- though it wasn't at all what I expected due to J J Abrams. You know what I mean by that. I was in high school when the very first Star Trek with wild Bill Shatner came out. I thought it was the campiest thing I'd ever seen. I still do. I assume it was a tribute to our naivete and obsession with outer space that made some people go stark, staring crazy over it. The only episode I liked was the one with tribbles. And there happens to BE a tribble in this one. But I have been a huge fan of the full-length movies that have been made. Enough of me. This is not quite as good as the last one, but it is good enough. The 3 D just didn't impress me. The edges were fuzzy on occasion. So so don't bother with the 3D. There was little "back story" in this- but I guess the special effects are supposed to make up for it. You will learn one VERY interesting thing in this movie. Something you've always wondered. That alone is worth the ticket.

Disconnect

After you see this film, and you should because it is one of those intersecting or parallel events kind of movie, you will a)sign up for lifelock b) demand all the passwords for every account your kid has and c) seriously think about going back to the good old days. It is about the power of misuse of the internet, and even though you think you are safe online, you never are. You truly are one programmer or support staff person away from having your identity stolen, your kids exploited, etc. Everyone comes close to disaster and some succeed. I'd recommend you see it as a not so gentle reminder of the age we live in. It isn't a 4 star movie because you've seen it before on reality shows, but it is well acted by several ensembles of good actors If you liked Crash, etc, you will like this.

The Place Beyond The Pines

There's good, there's great and there's some not so good. But overall, this movie really should have a wide audience. First, the not so good- it is too long. The first half of the film takes too long to establish something the audience all ready figures out- that Luke (Ryan Gosling) is a big screw up and it won't end well for him. The good is that the director really knows how to make the audience sit on the edge of their seats, and since the movie is new, no one really knows what to expect so the tension is palpable in the theater.  The great part is that once Bradley Cooper (looking rather plain as Avery, a feat in itself) steps in, the whole thing ramps up. It has a generational plot- the fathers- Luke and Avery- both have sons of the same age. And when the movie skips ahead 15 years, the depth of loss for everyone unfolds. It is a pretty good movie, and though it is in limited release, it should gain some traction and do well. I'd recommend it.