THE INTERN
Directed by Nancy Meyers
Screenplay by Nancy Meyers
Starring Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway
70-year-old widower Ben Whittaker (De Niro) has discovered that retirement isn't all it's cracked up to be. Seizing an opportunity to get back in the game, he becomes a senior intern at an online fashion site, founded and run by Jules Ostin (Hathaway).
This is the type of film that critics love to rip. Critics think all films have to make a statement about something. They want the world to see how smart and PC they are.
Me? I really love a film like this that just entertains and maybe throws in a small lesson here and there. I am a sucker these films.
As for this film? I had a great time watching it. Hathaway and De Niro have fantastic chemistry. There is one wonderful scene when they are in bed together (Get your mind out of the gutter, just talking) which is heartbreakingly sad and kind of funny. The film tries to make a statement on working moms and can they work and be successful and be a mom at the same time. If you throw in an AHole of a husband maybe not!!! I think the point is mind your own biscuits and life will be gravy (Thank You Kacey Musgraves).
Now I love Nancy Meyers films however one of the problems here, as in most of her films, is she has a lot of trouble closing. We see that in The Holiday, in It's Complicated and so on. Here we understand what Ostin decides to do about her personal life and her business (No spoilers here). We were pulled along with these issues, but in reality they were not resolved, she made a decision but it does not resolve the issue which pushed the movie along.. So the same problems are still there after the film. The ending is just flat. It is heartbreaking to me that the ending was so bad because the film was sooo good up to that point. I want to rewrite it!!!
Still getting to that end is fun and emotional like most of her films.
4 out of 5 stars for The Intern. One of De Niro's best performances in years...and Hathaway, even though her character is bossy she somehow makes Jules likable. See it is fun.
EVEREST
Dirtected by Baltasar Kormakur
Screenplay by William Nicholson and Simon Beaufoy
Starring Jason Clarke; Josh Brolin; Sam Worthington; Emily Watson: Keira Knightley and Jake Gyllenhaal
On the morning of May 10, 1996, climbers from two expeditions start their final ascent toward the summit of Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth. With little warning, a violent storm strikes the mountain, engulfing the adventurers in one of the fiercest blizzards ever encountered by man. Challenged by the harshest conditions imaginable, the teams must endure blistering winds and freezing temperatures in an epic battle to survive against nearly impossible odds.
Exhausting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And I was not even climbing!! I was just sitting there with some popcorn!!
Exhausting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is a very good film. Hold your breath excitement!! The film puts you right in the mess!!
Lead by director Kormakur and many talented actors, with a fantastic performance by lead actor Jason Clarke. Gyllenhaal and Knightly, who take minor roles in this film, really shine.
I am not going to give up too many spoilers here. Mind you. Yes it is a very hold your breath exciting film, however it is sorta sad and even though I really liked it, I am not sure I will want to see it again. So because of that I drop it down a notch and give it 4 1/2 out of 5 stars. One of the most exciting movies of 2015. Did I say exhausting?!
DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL
Directed by Marielle Heller
Screenplay by Marielle Heller
Based On The Book by Phoebe Bloeckner
Starring: Bel Powley; Kristen Wiig: Alexander Skarsgard
A teen (Powley) artist living in 1970s San Francisco enters into an affair with her mother's (Wiig) boyfriend (Skarsgard).
The acting in this film is fantastic.
Powley, whom I have never seen before, is in every scene and is incredible. She is 23 years old and is playing a 15 year old and it worked!!!
Wiig in her second drama this year (Welcome To Me), is so spot on as the mother who is just not there mentally for her child.
Skarsgard, whom I have not seen on the big screen before, here with a cheesy 70's mustache, just drips sleeze.
The film looks real good. It has a fade to it, like it is a 70's film, which I kind of liked.
As for the film itself? It is a tough watch. The subject matter is something that is not fun to sit through. This book has been floating around Hollywood for years. It is just a hard subject matter. You have a 15 year old young lady, Minnie, having sex over and over with an adult. You have a mom doing drugs in front other kids. You have an even younger daughter just being ignored. Then as the film goes on you have a 15 year old drinking alcohol and doing drugs. It is uncomfortable to watch.
As we get deeper into the second half we get to see Minnie start to draw and she sees she is more than what she thinks she is. However it is a uncomfortable wait to get to that point.
The trailer tries to make this film funny and quirky, and I understand this, you have to sell tickets.
Still, it is not funny or quirky, and just a little better than okay, mainly because of the great
performances but....still uncomfortable. 3 1/2 out of 5stars.
STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON
Directed by F Gary Gary
Screenplay by Jonathon Herman and Andrea Berloff
Starring: O Shea Jackson Jr; Corey Hawkins; Jason Mitchell; Neil Brown Jr; Aldis Hodge and Paul Giamatti
The rap group NWA rises from the shadows in Compton to be maybe the most influential rap group (Or Run DMC) in history.
Straight Outta Compton has been in development hell for a decades, maybe longer ,and now it has finally hit the big screen.
It has a really good first act highlighted by a fantastic performance by Jackson jr. playing Ice Cube. He has the mannerisms down (it helps that he is Ice Cubes son).
The first half is fun to watch these friends and kinda acquaintances get together and write about what they see and feel about life in Compton. They have fantastic instincts on how to put a beat to it and sell it. It is fun to watch.
The second half is when it starts to die...like a lot of success stories women/or men/hanging "oners" get in the way. Then as often happens money changes people. Paul Giamatti shows up with a ridiculous hair piece that is distracting and the movie slows down and just will not push forward. The movie clocks in at 2 hours and 25 minutes!!! It just needed more editing.
NWA changed music and it is an interesting story, I almost want to tell people to just watch 2 hours and then you are okay to go.
What should have been left on the floor? A little less Giamatti. I like watching the development of the music, however to hear it live in other factions could have been left out because you know what it sounds like. In other words something had to be left out, and the story is interesting so maybe some music has to go to speed the film up. Maybe that is why it has been in development hell all these years. They maybe had trouble telling the story, within the framework of the music.
3 1/2 stars out of 5 for a really good bio from game changers however the story dragged in the second half.
From the shadows as always thanks for your time
Straight Outta Compton has been in development hell for a decades, maybe longer ,and now it has finally hit the big screen.
It has a really good first act highlighted by a fantastic performance by Jackson jr. playing Ice Cube. He has the mannerisms down (it helps that he is Ice Cubes son).
The first half is fun to watch these friends and kinda acquaintances get together and write about what they see and feel about life in Compton. They have fantastic instincts on how to put a beat to it and sell it. It is fun to watch.
The second half is when it starts to die...like a lot of success stories women/or men/hanging "oners" get in the way. Then as often happens money changes people. Paul Giamatti shows up with a ridiculous hair piece that is distracting and the movie slows down and just will not push forward. The movie clocks in at 2 hours and 25 minutes!!! It just needed more editing.
NWA changed music and it is an interesting story, I almost want to tell people to just watch 2 hours and then you are okay to go.
What should have been left on the floor? A little less Giamatti. I like watching the development of the music, however to hear it live in other factions could have been left out because you know what it sounds like. In other words something had to be left out, and the story is interesting so maybe some music has to go to speed the film up. Maybe that is why it has been in development hell all these years. They maybe had trouble telling the story, within the framework of the music.
3 1/2 stars out of 5 for a really good bio from game changers however the story dragged in the second half.
From the shadows as always thanks for your time
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