A very good week for home viewing. Three really good films to grab your attention!!
LION
Directed by Garth Davis
Screenplay by Saroo Brierly and Luke Davies
Starring Dev Patel; Nicole Kidman; Rooney Mara; and Sunny Pawar
What a surprise. A well written, well acted, beautiful looking, and an edge of your seat emotional true story.
I really liked this film about a 5 year old boy played wonderfully by Sunny Pawr, who gets lost hundreds of miles from home. Then we see him as a young man trying to find his way home.
See this film. It has an Oscar nomination, and it is well deserved.
Dev Patel and Sunny Pawar are really amazing in this.They really do not have many lines but they say so much with expressions and looks.
Now Nicole Kidman is good also, however I did not get the Oscar love. Just because she is barely in the film. She does not have much to do or say. Still she plays an important part in this film.
If I had a negative comment it would be two things:
I felt like the front end with Pawar could have been edited a bit. While the back end seemed rushed with a story about Patel's adopted brother seemed like it was getting in the way of the story. That could have been cut out then the back end of the story could have more time.
Also one of my favorite actors Rooney Mara seemed wasted here. I think it goes back to the back end being rushed cutting out some character development.
Still, it is a wonderful film 4 1/2 out of 5 stars for Lion. See it.
SING
Directed by Christopher Lourdelet and Garth Jennings
Screenplay by Garth Jennings
Voices by Reese Witherspoon; Matthew McConaughy; Scarlett Johansson; Seth Mcfarlane; Tori Kelly; Taron Egerton
I see so many films. Yet I love when I see a nice surprise. I really did not want to see this. Coming off Zootopia, I was not looking forward to seeing a land where only animals live again.SURPRISE!!! It was a wonderful film. To a point where it was the best animated film in 2016.
Yet no Oscar Nom!!! What the ....!!!
It is a basic old fashion screenplay. Lets put on a show!! Cheer for the underdogs!!
And it works. Throw in wonderful music and many laughs. It all works.
Then the voice work, and by voice work I also mean singing voices (Except for McConaughy who was wonderful but did not sing). They did their own singing!!! Also singing songs we know which makes it fun also, like American Idol, but....not. And they are wonderful. Plus there is also character development. Yes it takes time and gives us a background on each contestant.
It just works. Like noted it is basic and just fun.
If had a fault it felt long at an hour and 48 minutes. After awhile cut the background stories and lets get to the show!!
4 1/2 stars out of 5. The best animated film of 2016 for kids and adults.
MISS SLOANE
Directed by John Madden
Screenplay by Jonathan Perera
Starring Jessica Chastain; Gugun Mbatha-Raw; John Lithgow; Alison Pill; and Jake Lacy
Jessica Chastain plays Elizabeth Sloane, the most sought after Lobbyist in Washington.
I will get to the meat of an issue I have here in a bit, but first let me note this:
The acting in this film is spot on. Of course Chastain and Lithgo are wonderful. When are they not, really?
Mbatha-Raw is a force!! Another strong performance by her. I do not think we can call her a new comer anymore (See Belle and Free State Of Jones).
Jake Lacy seems to always be good and he always makes it look so easy. He is overlooked.
Pill who sometimes overacts. Is wonderful here, her character hangs in the back. It is a tough part to play hanging in the back but being tough.
As for Perera's screenplay, it is timely. And spot on. It follows Chastain who fearless as a lobbyist. Being a lobbyist is her football, it is her sporting event. She uses strategy and stays one step in front of the opponent. To a point that she has no personal life, and she pushes people away because she cannot risk loss of focus. For such a boring subject the movie flew by and I was on the edge of my seat. If I had an issue with the plot it would be the twist at the end. I loved the twist to a point I wanted to stand up and cheer!! However it stretched belief a bit (A cockroach?).
Now the meat of an issue. First of all, I have seen many people say they hated this film because she is such a bitch. Wait a minute!!!! This is real. If this was a man acting this way as a lobbyist would you say the same thing???!!!
Second: I read it is a anti-gun film. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! It is a political corruption film using a modern controversial issue to show this. People have to get out of their own head sometimes.
I give Miss Sloane 4 out of 5 stars. It kind of surprised me.
From the shadows as always thanks for your time.
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