MR HOLMES
Directed by Bill Condon
Screenplay by Mitch Cullin
Starring Ian McKellen; Laura Linney; and Milo Parker
The story is set in 1947, following a retired Holmes (McKellen) living in a Sussex village with his housekeeper Mrs. Munro (Linney) and rising detective son Roger (Parker). Holmes's memory isn't what it used to be, still, he is still haunted by an unsolved case, but he only remembers fragments of the case: a confrontation with an angry husband and his beautiful but unstable wife.
I will not talk about the case he is working on because I think that could be a spoiler. However I will touch on the film and it's view of the elderly Holmes.
There is a sadness in this film. Holmes is now elderly, and failing in health and mind, which as we all know his mind was always sharp. He is becoming unreliable to himself, which obviously frustrates him.
So, he lives a quiet life now. He tends to bees/honey making while fighting Drs and fighting father time. He still wants to solve a case that is eating him up, but he cannot remember why. So now he realize on Roger and his sharp young mind to help him with his memory, as he tries to solve/grasp more about the mystery. As the film gets to the end we all see that solving mysteries while ignoring an emotional element, that Holmes was known for, may not resolve the whole problem.
Well McKellen will get an Oscar Nom without a doubt. Linney is so quiet and so patient and at the same time so hard as the Housekeeper. Then Milo Parker, he steals every scene he is in. His character worships Holmes and sometimes he just watches from a distance not saying a thing but saying so much. A very good film that seems to fly by at 105 minutes.
4 out of 5 stars for Mr. Holmes. An entirely different spin on Sherlock Holmes. As he pretty much says, Watson was full of crap in those books.
Well as always thanks for your time from the shadows.
TRAINWRECK
Directed by Judd Apatow
Screenplay by Amy Schumer
Starring Amy Schumer and Bill Hader
Amy is well, a trainwreck, a commitment-phobic career woman,who may have to face her fears when she meets a good guy.
The funniest film of the year so far hands down. At the same time there is a sweet love story mixed in with all the humor.
Schumer is fantastic as you would expect. Hader, fantastic also as you would expect. What is great is that there are sooo many comedic moments from other actors. Tilda Swinton is funny!!! Who would have thought??!! Then there are moments that surprise you like an hilarious sex scene with a bare ass John Cena. Lebron James with great comic timing and playing a cheap bastard!! A movie within a movie about dog walking!! Ezra Miller (Perks Of Being A Wallflower) another hilarious sex scene.
I could keep going but if I mention more of the funny parts I feel like I am spoiling the film.
Negatives? Well the film is much too long at 125 minutes. Also, it has a last act that is funny, however it did not seem to fit with the film. The film is soooo well written but the last 10 minutes did not seem believable, it was almost like they did not know how to close the film.
Well, they were just small negatives, 4 1/2 out of 5 stars for Trainwreck. Funniest film this year so far.
ANT-MAN
Directed by Peyton Reed
Screenplay by Edgar Wright; Joe Cornish; Adam McKay; and Paul Rudd
Starring Paul Rudd; Michael Douglas; Evangeline Lilly; and Corey Stoll
Armed with a super-suit with the ability to shrink, but increase in strength, former criminal Scott Lang (Rudd) is asked by Dr. Hank Pym (Douglas), plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.
I did not look forward to seeing another superhero film, they are starting to run together in my head and they all seem to come close to having the same plot lines. Then here comes ANT-MAN. This is much different and it works.
What works?
First, the script. It is more of a heist film, where the ANT-MAN and his helpers of insects and people are ploting to break into a lab to destroy a dangerous agenda. Think Oceans 11, but much weirder.
Casting! The casting was spot on, Douglas as a mentor. Lilly as the instructor of sorts. Stoll as a great bad guy. Michael Pena, who is always good as Lang's friend. We even get Anthony Mackie showing up as the Falcon. Still, best of all is Rudd, perfectly cast with his everyman good looks and his comedic timing which is much needed with the ridiculousness of, well, being the size of an ant. It all works.
Negatives? The plot moves slow, in fact the first hour is all about the training of Lang to be the ANT-MAN. It takes awhile for things to happen.
Also there is a fight scene at the end that seems to go on waaaay to long, and as opposed to crushing office building which most superhero fights are these days, this one just destroys a house.
Well 4 out of 5 stars for ANT-MAN. A couple quick notes: 3D really helps with this film it really shows much needed depth while ANT-MAN is....well...ANT-MAN. Also, stay through middle and end of the credits.
Each Wednesday I pick out three trailers and judge the film just by watching the trailers Yay Or Nay!! Play along!!
GOOSEBUMPS
Release Date October 16 2015
Wow this looks like fun for the whole family. And at Halloween it works!!! It looks like Black is playing R.L. Stine and it works because as we saw in School Of Rock he plays off children well. Plus,as noted yesterday, when talking about Paul Blart 2, that it is rare to find a new release of a live action family film.
I also like in the days of PS4's or 10's or whatever, words from books can bring excitement also.
YAY!!
REGRESSION
Release date August 28 2015
I really like Emma Watson and Ethan Hawke.
However the trailer did nothing for me, it was kind of boring, and by the way the end of August and first week of September are usually "dump a bad movie times" where the theatres are empty and studios try to recoop any money they can get with little compitition...so NAY!!
DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL
Release date August 7
Well it sure as hell looks different. I like the grainy 70's film look. I hope it is not too far over the top. I go with a slight YAY!
Well from the shadows as always thanks for your time.
Ex Machina
Direction and Screenplay by Alex Garland
Starring Alicia Vikander; Domhnall Gleeson; and Oscar Isaac
A young programming geek Caleb (Gleeson) is selected to visit the lab/house of Nathan (Isaac) an eccentric inventor. While there, Nathan is excited to show off his beautiful AI invention Ava (Vikander) and have Caleb put her(?) through a series of tests.
Different than any film you may have seen (Maybe the film HER?). Using a wonderful screenplay by director Garland; Rob Hardy's grey/dark fantastic Cinematography; and a haunting constant score by Rupert Coulson, brings a very intense feel throughout the film. The film is 110 minutes and it seemed to fly by.
Throw in fantastic performances by all three leads, mainly highlighted by Isaac, in a film that plays out like a stage drama. It is like a cat and mouse and I guess cat game that comes to an interesting conclusion. It simmers to a boil, in a film that asks the questions of how smart or realistic do we want our electronics/AI?! Who or what is playing who?
4 1/2 out of 5 stars for the almost perfect Ex Machina (Loses it's grip a just a little toward the end).....like I noted...it is definitely different but one of my favorite movies this year..
Interesting that the two male leads, Gleeson and Isaac are in the new Star Wars film.
Paul Blart 2
Directed by Andy Fickman
Screenplay by Kevin James and Nick Backay; Raini Rodriquez
Starring Kevin James and Raini Rodriquez
After six years of keeping our malls safe, Paul Blart has earned a well-deserved vacation. He heads to Vegas with his teenage daughter before she heads off to college. But duty calls in Vegas.
Critics trashed it. Many plot holes. Moments that were suppose to be funny just fall flat. Critics were a bit unfair. This film was not for them. It is a family film rated PG. The film did well in the theaters, it made its money back mainly because it is a live action film for the family filled with "Potty" humor that kids will laugh at and plot holes that kids will miss. A very rare thing to find a live action film these days that children can watch.
Paul Blart 2, I would give 2 out of 5 stars for kids.....1 1/2 stars for adults. It works for what it is suppose to be.
The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Screenplay: Ol Parker
Director: John Madden
Starring: Judi Dench; Dev Patel; Maggie Smith; and Bill Nighy
I really liked the original film The Marigold Hotel. When I saw that they were making a second I was kind of disappointed. I was happy with the way the first one ended. I did not need to know more. So I came into this film thinking I would be disappointed. Well I was not completely disappointed. This was a fun watch. Some great actors. I felt the writing was..just okay. Here are the storylines:
Sonny (Patel) is trying to expand and build another hotel, while prepping for his wedding.
Evelyn (Dench) and Douglas (Nighy) are trying to figure out what exactly their relationship is.
Norman ( Ronlad Pickup) and Carol (Diana Hardcastle) are now living together and I have no Idea what their storyline issue was.
Oh..Richard Gere is there now being Richard Gere.
I think the film was better than okay. It looked beautiful, Ben Smithard the cinematographer, captures the feel and beautiful colors of India. The acting, like the first film, fantastic, you cannot find a more talented cast.
The film is sweet, and it is a fun two hours, 3 1/2 out of 5 stars...for the Second Best Marigold Film.
It Follows
Direction and Screenplay by David Robert Mitchell
Starring: Maika Monroe
A high school students life gets turned upside down after a sexual encounter. Jay (Monroe) finds herself plagued by strange visions and the inescapable sense that something is following her, or chasing her that only she can see. She gets help from friends as they try to figure out how to stop the visions before they catch her.
It Follows. Critics were going nuts over it. So I was pulled in.
What the heck was this?! People who read my blog know what I thought of this film. I cannot explain to you how boring this film was!
I did not think the, whatever they were, chasing Jay were scary.
The ending was blah.
I was stunned that critics loved it.
I was watching trying to figure out what they loved. The grainy look, like Halloween films? The actress Monroe?
Critics are sheep. In which, maybe the top 3 critics love a film and the rest of the "lower rung" critics follow them and say they like a film, so they do not feel less or not as bright or not as astute as those more popular critics.
I have given too much time to this film already: 1 out of 5 stars for It Follows. Trust me it is not because I am not a horror fan, there is no horror, just boring. What is funny is I had a pass for the film Boondocks last week, I found that 85 minute film had more scares in the first half hour than It Follows did in the whole film.
The worst film I have seen this year.
The Longest Ride
Directed by George Tillman Jr.
Screenplay by Craig Bolotin
Based on the novel by Nicolas Sparks
Starring: Scott Eastwood; Britt Robertson; Alan Alda; Jack Huston; Oona Chaplin; and Lolita Davidovich
The romance of a young couple, Sophia(Robertson) a college student and Luke (Eastwood) a bull rider. Their lives intertwine with a much older man, Ira (Alda), as he reflects back on his love story brought to life by Chaplin and Huston.
Well, I have been noting over and over again...I am different from critics who want you to know how smart they are. I am here to give my opinion on whether I think you may want to spend time at home in the dark while watching a pretty good love story....here is one.
I am here to tell you this is the best Nicholas Sparks film adaption since The Notebook, and it kind of follows the same story line as The Notebook with flashbacks.
I only have one fault. I just think over two hours..a little editing is needed.
Now to what they got right. And they got a lot right while telling this love story.
The acting/casting is perfect:
Eastwood and Robertson. They have pretty good chemistry. He looks much older than her but I think it is because he so much bigger than her. I looked it up, there is only a five year difference between them. Eastwood, it is the first time I have seen him and he looks like his dad did at Clint's age. He is very charming in this role and he does looks like a cowboy. Robertson, I love her as an actress. I just saw her in a sad little film called Ask Me Anything, she is really good.
Alda. ugh he looks so old. Alan Alda cannot be old!!! But, he is great in the storyteller role. Don't get old Hawkeye!!
Chaplin and Hustin (Who you may have seen in Boardwalk Empire) have fantastic chemistry. Maybe better chemistry than the two leads. Oona Chaplin!! Wow, where did she come from??!! She shines!!
Corny. Sweet. Filled with love. The film also touches on the question of how much does a person give up for love and what is fair to have to give up for love. Eight seconds on a bull. Eight seconds, like life. An eight second decision can change life for better or worse, be it sharing an umbrella, or holding a door, or giving someone a hat, or getting on a bull. Life. Eight seconds.
If a love story is what you want.. SEE IT!! It delivers what the trailer says. 4 of 5 stars for this corny sweet love story!! Tissues!!
Oh by the way...Great music also!!
Each Monday I recommend a movie that may have passed you by, this week All Is Lost.
Director J.C. Chandor
Screenplay J.C. Chandor
Starring Robert Redford
After a collision with a shipping container at sea, a resourceful sailor finds himself fighting for his life on his boat.
I think this film was passed over along the way. I think people thought Tom Hanks in Castaway, or Suraj Sharma in Life Of Pi, and they think they have seen this plot before. I find this film much different. Hanks talked often to the volleyball so we can hear what he thinks. Sharma talked to the tiger (or was it?). However here, it is an interesting film where it plays out like as a silent film where Redford rarely says a word and you have to try to figure out each plan he is trying.
It is an exciting film, as we watch him fight off leaks...sun ....and sharks.
If I had to find a fault, I wish they would have started with a backstory, so we know more about where he comes from and why he is fighting for life.
4 out of 5 stars for All Is Lost. It is exciting and available for streaming and rental from Netflix.
"You are only as good as the people you hang out with". We have all heard this line. The strange thing after watching this documentary is...I think she was a good person and yet the people around her were not so much.
Some weeks back on a "Monday Recommended" I recommended Good Ol Freda..the story about Freda Kelly who was in charge of the Beatles fan club and almost PR agent. When reviewing the documentary I noted there has to be someone in charge of the machine as it moves at full speed be it the Beatles (they had Freda); Rolling Stones; New Kids; Backstreet Boys; One Direction; and Taylor Swift. They all have that one thing in common, they became/become more than their music. The sad thing is...Amy Winehouse had no one to control the machine and sadly at 27 she passed away after years of alcohol and drug abuse her body just gave out.
I went in to the documentary not really knowing much about Amy. I knew a couple of her songs that is about it. In fact I felt out of touch after seeing how popular she was in the film, especially in England.
The film is remarkable for the fact that there is so much to see. Music videos, photo sessions, concert footage, paparazzi shots, TV interviews, smart phone footage. She always seemed to be watched some how some way. Of course no one wants to take the blame for her health issues, from managers who say, "we could have slowed down if she said so". To friends who wanted to be in her presence at parties. To husbands/boyfriends (Blake Fielder-Civil) who seemed to always be pointing her in the wrong direction and no one around her stepped in. To a father who cashed in on her daughters fame. The machine had no one in charge to watch out for her.
I took away from the documentary that Amy was an overrated singer. To me most of the jazz songs seem to be all in the same tone or rhythm. However at the same time I found her to be an underrated writer where she seemed to be a Taylor Swift of that time writing about personal issues and relations. In fact it seemed like director Kapadia was also taken aback by her lyrics and made a very good decision of showing all her lyrics while she sang on the screen almost like in subtitles.
Like I noted I did not really know much about Amy going in but it left me close to tears because she seemed so overwhelmed and it is sad...you want to reach through the screen and stop the machine. I wish there were more Andrew Morris's in her life, Andrew was her bodyguard and saw everything, the look of sadness on his face is heartbreaking at the end.
