BRIDGE OF SPIES
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Screenplay by Mat Charman; Ethan and Joel Coen
Starring Tom Hanks; Mark Rylance; and Amy Ryan
\
An American lawyer/insurance man James Donovan (Hanks) is recruited by the CIA during the Cold War, to defend a Soviet spy, and then to help rescue a pilot detained in the Soviet Union by making a spy swap.
Well lets be honest.....what we have here....one of the best directors ever in Spielberg......one of the best actors ever in Hanks.....one of the best stage actors ever in Rylance....and the Coen brothers involved in the script. How can it be bad?
This is a very good film it takes you right to the heart of the cold war. Hanks is like a Jimmy Stewart character fighting for America and rights for all. Then there is Rylance. He shows up here with two Olivier awards and three Tony awards and, lets face it, stole this film out from under Hanks. He is so soft spoken he pulls you in. So calm and so unfazed, you think he is up to something but in reality, he is just calm and unfazed, it makes you laugh a couple times. Whenever Hanks and Rylance are going one on one in a scene you cannot help to feel this is a moment!!! It is an acting class!! They are the top.
This film is close to a perfect film. Except....editing!!! 2 hours and 20 minutes!!! And it feels like, 2 hours and 20 minutes. Yes, The Martian is about that long but there was some movement and some action. This film is a talky and it is pretty much 2 hours and 10 minutes of deciding and negotiations, deciding and negotiations, deciding and negotiations. Then 10 minutes of a tense prisoner exchange. Yes, I know it is a true story and they want to get everything in because it is true, but still more editing was very much needed. This falls on the shoulders of Spielberg and his long time editor Michael Kahn. They have to control it a bit. I mean at one point the story ends I got up and realized NOOO it has another end!! I do not know if this film is one of best film of the year because of that.
Please, I do not want to push you away from one of the better films of the year, in fact for home viewing it may work better. You can watch it in two halves if you prefer!! I just wanted to point out what keeps this from being a perfect film, which other reviewers out there may not want to point out because...well it is Spielberg.
4 1/2 stars out of 5 for this intriguing film. Screenwriting...Direction...The Look.....The Acting...James Donovan is a true American hero.
OOOH Amy Ryan love her and is so good here in the second small role she was in for 2015 (Spies and Goosebumps).
OUR BRAND IS CRISIS
Directed by David Gordon Green
Screenplay by Peter Straugham
Based on the Doc by Rachel Boynton
Starring: Sandra Bullock; Billy Bob Thornton; Anthony Mackie; and Juaquim De Almeida
An American woman, Jane (Bullock) well-versed in political campaigns, is sent to the war-torn lands of South America to help install a new leader (De Almeida) but is threatened to be thwarted by a long-term rival (Thornton).
This film is real bad. It made my top ten worst films of the year.
The script is boring. The cast almost looks bored as they seem to move slow, almost sleep walking through the scenes. Yes it is boring but also...I did not care. I did not care about anyone in this film. Plus, watching a campaign? I can watch that on TV. I try to avoid doing that!!! Politics can be dirty and I know that. I don't care enough to watch it on the big screen.
Now the end. No spoilers here. However we already know politicians who make promises on the campaign trail, often cannot fulfill those promises. I think we are suppose to think that Bullock's character has an epiphany after seeing certain things. I again did not care.
Positives? Bullock is good. Zoe Kazan as LeBlanc is great and I wish the movie was about her playing a political almost dirt digger.
1 1/2 stars out of 5 if you plan on watching this remember you will never get those two hours back.
ROCK THE KASBAH
Directed by Barry Levinson
Screenplay by Mitch Glazer
Starring Bill Murray
A down-on-his-luck music manager discovers a teenage girl with an extraordinary voice while on a music tour in Afghanistan and takes her to Kabul to compete on the popular television show, Afghan Star.
This film has it's moments, however it is a mess. It has no direction, it is all over the place.
Zooey Deshanel is only in this film for 10 minutes!! 10 minutes and she is all over the trailer. WTH happens to her.....I have no idea. The shame of it is, Zooey and Murray have really good chemistry.
Kate Hudson is in this film and is beautiful and has a interesting part, but, I have no idea why she is in the movie. There is no need for her. The relationship between her and Murray is odd and uncomfortable.
Bruce Willis. Really Bruce? Why?
Bill Murray!! Bill Murray is really good when the movie lets him be Bill Murray. I laughed out loud a couple times but then even Murray got bogged down by the script.
There is a alot going here. You have a clash of cultures. You have some kind of arms deal. You have a music show. You have a pretty girl who has nothing to do. You have Bill Murray being Bill Murray. Just a mess.
A real quick note...a young talent in this film Leem Lubany. I do not know if she does her own singing but she kind of steals every scene she is in.
2 out of 5 stars for Rock The Kasbah. May be worth a look for home viewing.
From the shadows as always thanks for your time
No comments:
Post a Comment