Every time I see a film based on a wartime true story with a horrific premise, I always leave the theater with a sense of awe and a gut-wrenching feeling, because they are presented in a way that are painstakingly realistic and graphic. Films such as "Schindler's List" '93, "The Pianist" '02, "Valkyrie" '08 and even "Monuments Men" '14 are films that test the psyche and one's emotional state.
This is the extraordinary story based on true events of Operation Anthropoid, the World War II mission to assassinate SS General Reinhard Heydrich. The Reich's third in command after Hitler and Himmler, Heydrich was the main architect behind the Final Solution and the leader of occupying Nazi forces in Czechoslovakia whose reign of terror prompted self-exiled Czech and Slovak parachute soldiers Josef Gabcik (Cillian Murphy) and Jan Kubis (Jamie Dornan) to hatch a top-secret mission that changed the face of Europe forever. The others that helped including Jan Zelenka-Hajsky (Toby Jones) decide to pair these two soldiers with Marie (Charlotte Le Bon) and Lenka (Anna Geislerova) as their lovers so as to fit in without causing suspicion in public, so they can infiltrate. However, soon they are overwhelmed by nervousness and fear over the importance of their assignment.
Others to round out the cast are Harry Lloyd as Adolf Opalka, Marcin Dorocinski as Ladislav Vanek, Bill Milner as Ata Moravec, Sam Keeley as Josef Bublik, Jiri Simek as Karel Curda, Mish Boyko as Jan Hruby, Alena Mihulova as Mrs. Moravcova, Brian Caspe as Antonin, Roman Zach as Father Petrek and Sean Mahon as Dr. Eduard.
This was directed with intensity and clarity by Sean Ellis ("Cashback" '06, "The Broken" '08, "Metro Manila" '13). The staging and pacing in this was delineated well and was where Ellis was able to get his actors to channel their emotions in just the right way at the right times. It was equally written well by Ellis and Anthony Frewin. This was written in a, for all practical purposes, real time format so one felt like you were privy of their plan at hand with all the nuances of ideas. Other than a cople of very small slow areas about a third way into the film, this script was tight and cohesive, not to mention gripping and intense.
If this film succeeds at all, it definitely tells us that war is hell and that it is amazing of how many ways we can create to torture and kill our fellow man. We have become a society in which we are far removed from what constitutes a 'bad day'. These people were, quite literally, under the gun wondering if they were going to live another day, where we have gotten to a point in our present day world where if we have a bad day at work or have a bad hair day or if we can't find our smart phone, we're having really a bad day. This film was incredibly sobering in that I and most people have no idea what really constitutes having a bad day is.
This is not a film designed for the mass audience appeal, but it's a film a lot of people should experience. After seeing this film, you will leave with the feeling of being so-o appreciative of what kind of life you have, especially living in a country that is as free as this one is.
Out of 4 Stars: 3.5 Rated: R 120mins.
We've all seen fantasy films that Hollywood has produced for decades--the list, suffice it to say, is limitless. And even though we've also seen a plethora of reboots in just the last 10+ years, some can be deemed as successes even though we'd like to think that a reboot is just a way out of originality. One of the most recent successes of a reboot I've seen was "Ghostbusters" which surprised me tenfold. So when I realized that Disney was rebooting their classic animated film, "Pete's Dragon" into a live version, I hesitated and then went to see it and I was amazed.
After his parents are killed in a car accident, a young boy named Pete (Oakes Fegley) finds an unlikely caregiver in the form of a dragon (whom he dubs "Elliot) living in a forest in the deep woods of the Pacific Northwest. Years later, a forest ranger, Grace (Bryce Dallas Howard) discovers Pete and takes him in. But his attempts to adjust to a normal life are complicated by a logger, Gavin (Karl Urban) who subsequently sees Elliot and decides to hunt him down. Even though Pete is eventually supported by Grace's husband, Jack (Wes Bentley), their daughter, Natalie (Oona Laurence) and Grace's father, Meacham (Robert Redford), living in a civilized setting simply proves inhospitable and impossible for Elliot to survive. What will it take to reunite this gentle giant and Pete--the only family Elliot has ever known?
Others to round out the cast are Isiah Whitlock Jr. as Sheriff Gene Dentler, Marcus Henderson as Woodrow, Aaron Jackson as Abner, Phil Grieve as Bobby and Steve Barr as Deputy Smalls.
This was certainly directed with such passion and compassion by David Lowery ("Deadroom" '05, "St. Nick" '09, "Ain't Them Bodies Saints" '13) plus shorts and TV. This filmmaker definitely can't be blamed in directing similar fare as with a lot of his directing counterparts. By his very resume, this guy is a chameleon, which takes a lot of guts, especially in this day and age of huge budgets and a good deal of politics in Hollywood these days. His ability to get his actors to emit a right amount of emotion without coming across as sappy was executed well. If you want to see this guy's true ability of fine directing, watch his "Ain't Them Bodies Saints" which is superb. It was equally written well by Lowery and Toby Halbrooks (shorts). Even though Halbrooks has limited experience at the laptop, this script was cohesive, well thought out and tight, especially with Lowery's experience. If you want to see more from these filmmakers, another version of "Peter Pan" has been announced for 2018 which is directed by Lowery and written by Lowery and Halbrooks. Truly, another version of "Peter Pan" is something we need like a hole in the head, but with these two guys spearheading it, I would be interested in seeing what they could do with a story that's been done and redone a bazillion times.
Unless one has absolutely no element of heart, this has got to touch even the most cynical. It has heart, adventure, redemption and reconciliation all because of this fantastical creature otherwise known as Elliot. Kudos to Disney and especially Lowery and Halbrooks for allowing this film to come to life.
Out of 4 Stars: 4 Rated: PG 108mins.
Biopics have become a mainstay in the Hollywood machine in that a lot of times, truth is stranger than fiction. "Florence Foster Jenkins" is a story based on true events that has an outlandish premise as the characters are quirky and over-the-top. We've seen other biopics, however not quite as remarkable as this one.
Heiress and socialite Florence Foster Jenkins (Meryl Streep) longs to become an opera singer and star in 1940's New York, despite possessing a horrible singing voice. With the help and encouragement of her husband, St. Clair Bayfield (Hugh Grant) and a talented musician, pianist Cosme McMoon (Simon Helberg), she finds a very strange kind of success as a performer and recording artist.
Jenkins' dream was to perform at Carnegie Hall and her husband knew that, so he went out of his way to ensure that her dream was to be carried out, especially considering that she was very sick and was seeking to finish her 'bucket list' while she still has the strength. She even hired a voice coach to help her with her vocal range, but nothing seemed to help. But because everyone simply loved her persona, most either got caught up with extreme respect for her or because of the love they had for her, especially her loving husband St. Clair, they just accepted lack of a voice.
Others to round out the cast are Rebecca Ferguson as Kathleen, Nina Arianda as Agnes Stark, Stanley Townsend as Phineas Stark, Allan Corduner as John Totten, Christian McKay as Earl Wilson, David Haig as Carlo Edwards, John Sessions as Dr. Hermann, Brid Brennan as Kitty and John Kavanagh as Arturo Toscanini.
This was brilliantly directed by veteran Stephen Frears ("My Beautiful Laundrette" '85, "Prick Up Your Ears" '87, "Dangerous Liaisons" '88, "The Grifters" '90, "Hero" '92, "Mary Reilly" '96, "High Fidelity" 2000, "Fail Safe" (TV movie) 2000, "The Queen" '06, "Lay the Favorite" '12, "Philomena" '13, "The Program" '15) plus others and TV. Frears, by his very resume, has this knack of being able to put his characters in situations whereas they are challenged to become different and sometimes even better, and does so with finesse and style. He makes his actors appear to 'be' the characters so it looks as though the actors have become the people they are portraying. It was written by relative newcomer Nicholas Martin who actually only has TV projects to his credit. This is the first theatrical feature film he has written, and because of this fact, it is meticulously written where each character is delineated with clarity and style. This isn't to say there are no problems--a few slow spots and a small bit of choppiness, but there are many seasoned writers out there that would kill to write this talented of a screenplay. And both Streep and Grant had an irresistible chemistry that transcended to an all together different plane-- hey, we're talking Streep! And Grant certainly exceled in this where he just didn't play his usual role one constantly sees him in.
If superb acting, directing and a taught script is something that you can sink your teeth in, this film will be that movie one can revel in. And in this season where silly comedies, big- budget, high adrenaline, high explosive films are all the rage, it's great to see something with better quality that you can revel in and be truly entertained.
Out of 4 Stars: 3.5 Rated: PG-13 110mins.
Back in the 80's and 90's, Hollywood produced a plethora of films that had animals and infants talking, such as "Babe", "Look Who's Talking", "Dogs & Cats" and the like. Although these films were funny for its day, I think audiences have changed since then and what was once funny and original, has now been tapped out and isn't as funny as back then. Case in point: "Nine Lives", whereas we have gone back to those years to try to rekindle that humor once again.
Tom Brand (Kevin Spacey) is a daredevil billionaire at the top of his game. His eponymous company FireBrand is nearing completion on its greatest achievement to date-- the tallest skyscraper in the northern hemisphere. But Tom's workaholic lifestyle has disconnected him from his family, particularly his beautiful wife, Lara (Jennifer Garner), his adoring daughter, Rebecca (Malina Weissman) and even his son, David (Robbie Amell) who works with his dad, Tom. Rebecca's 11th birthday is here, and she wants the thing she wants every year, a cat. Tom hates cats, but he is without a gift and time is running out. His GPS directs him to a mystical pet shop brimming with odd and exotic cats-- where the shop's eccentric owner-- Felix Perkins (Christopher Walken), presents him with a majestic tomcat named Mr. Fuzzypants. En route to present his daughter with her dream pet, a bizarre turn of events finds Tom trapped inside the body of Mr. Fuzzypants. Adopted by his own family, he begins to experience what life is truly like for the family pet, and as a cat, Tom slowly begins to see his family and his life through a new and unexpected perspective.
Others to round out the cast are Cheryl Hinds as Madison Camden, Tom's ex-wife, Mark Consuelos as Ian Cox, one of Tom's executives, Talitha Bateman as Nicole Camden, Madison's daughter, Teddy Sears as Josh Myers, Jay Patterson as Benson and Jewelle Blackman as Dr. Cole.
This was directed by Barry Sonnenfeld ("The Addams Family" '91, "Addams Family Values" '93, "Get Shorty" '95, "Men in Black" '97, "Wild, Wild West" '99, "Men in Black II" '02, "Men in Black 3" '12, "Beverly Hills Cop" (TV movie) '13) plus others and TV. This filmmaker's trademark has got to be comedies with a tongue and cheek approach, which I find refreshing in this day and age of 2-dimensional, lackluster characters and situations. His two best are probably "The Addams Family" and "Men in Black" whereas they were rich in character development with emotions that definitely fit the characters at hand. Although where the direction was effective, the writing by Matt Allen, Daniel Antoniazzi, Gwyn Lurie, Caleb Wilson and Ben Shiffrin was fairly unoriginal and was predictable as well. We've seen these stories many times over: someone is self-centered, egotistical, usually wealthy and clearly needs an attitude makeover. Something has to transform this person to be a better person or something horrid will happen. One can go as far back as "A Christmas Carol" with Ebenezer Scrooge being that difficult individual, and many others since. But even though this wasn't overly original, it still had promise in that it was a great family film presenting a good message for young people and adults as well. These writers have limited experience-- two have no other experience except this film, but with this, it could've been worse, especially with as many writers involved in this. Surely, given more experience for these writers, it would be interesting to see their scripts five years from now. I suspect practice makes perfect, but since this isn't pulling in its audience, these guys may have to work a little bit harder and longer to get this biz to trust them again.
If family films are your fare, you'll love this. The cast was adequate, but the one that shined was Walken. He always gives that eclectic, quirky performance that only Walken can pull off. Now, if you're looking for a less predictable script, you may want to pass on this one.
Out of 4 Stars: 2.5 Rated: PG 87mins.
This summer we've seen a plethora of quintessential summer season flicks to grab that 18-34 single male demographic and not only woo them into the multiplex, but to keep them glued to their theater seats as well. Between super heroes and/or villains, good guys and bad guys, we've seen them all. So what makes us think that the fun won't last? Depending on the film, the fun could end or possibly not. It all depends on one's definition of fun. Well, after seeing "Suicide Squad", fun will certainly depend on one's perspective.
It feels good to be bad... Assemble a team of the world's most dangerous, incarcerated Super Villains including Deadshot (Will Smith), Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Boomerang (Jai Courtney), Diablo (Jay Hernandez), Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), Slipshot (Adam Beach) and Katana (Karen Fukuhara), provide them with the most powerful arsenal at the government's disposal, and send off on a mission to defeat an enigmatic, insuperable entity. U.S. intelligence officer Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) and her military leader, Rick Flag (Joel Kinnamon), has determined only a secretly convened group of disparate, despicable individuals with next to nothing to lose will do. However, once they realize they weren't picked to succeed but chosen for their patent culpability when they inevitably fail, will the Suicide Squad resolve to die trying, or decide it's every man for himself. As this is going on, one of the squad's cohorts, The Joker (Jared Leto) is only causing their lives more grief for his own selfish means.
Others to round out the cast are Scott Eastwood as Lt. GQ Edwards, Cara Delevingue as June Moon/Enchantress, Common as Monster T and Ezra Miller as The Flash.
This was directed by the action, adventure king, David Ayers ("Harsh Times" '05, "Street Kings" '08, "End of Watch" '12, "Sabotage" '14, "Fury" '14). This guy knows how to bring out the right emotions that characterize the development of characters. I definitely see this in this film with such a different array of character development that as rich as the amazing makeup and costumes in which they wear. If you like Ayers form of direction, he has "Bright" in pre-production at this time. It was also written by Ayers ("U-571" 2000, "The Fast and the Furious" '01, "Training Day" '01, "Dark Blue" '02, "S.W.A.T." '03, "Harsh Times" '05, "End of Watch" '12, "Sabotage" '14, "Fury" '14). I'm perplexed with the writing with this since Ayers has a good deal of talented writing to his credit. I say perplexed because although the premise of the film is uproarious and unique, the execution of it simply meandered all over the screen with too many subplots ergo having too many characters to keep track of. These characters are the quintessential anti-heroes with all the eclectic issues depending on the character, but there were clearly places that were not necessary, and there were too many villains--I mean the worse villains the group were battling. As one would surmise, the visual effects predominantly created by MPC (Moving Picture Company) and SPI (Sony Pictures Imageworks) were seamless as was the special effects makeup by KNB FX Group.
Again, the idea and character development simply rocked in this, but it's too bad thata Ayers had a bad day at the laptop writing this. If he would have delineated his script and polished it a bit more, it would have been the film that it was meant to be. But hey, it was still worthy of a viewing on the large screen to take in all the rollicking fun and amazing effects.
Out of 4 Stars: 2.5 Rated: PG-13 123mins.
Hollywood is fascinated with high-adrenaline, high-stakes, highly suspenseful films, and while these are very much in demand attributes in a lot of films today, they should never be the mainstay of what carries a well-crafted film. So with this said, I truly went to go see "Nerve" with great trepidation only to realize while the film was unfolding before me, it was, by my surprise, an interesting and entertaining film all the while teaching us a valuable lesson.
Industrious high school senior, Vee Delmonico (Emma Roberts) has had it with living life on the sidelines. When pressured by friends, specifically best friend, Sydney (Emily Meade) to join this popular online game Nerve (a rather truth or dare game minus the truth part), Vee reluctantly decides to sign up for just one dare in what seems like harmless fun. Her dare? She has one minute to find a stranger in a public place and kiss them in order to win a $100.00. She finds Ian (Dave Franco) and so succeeds at her dare. Of course as the winnings of the subsequent dares increase, so do the risks. But like a lot of things that become addictive, she finds herself caught up in the thrill of the adrenaline-fueled competition partnered with her new friend/stranger Ian, the game begins to take a sinister turn with increasingly dangerous acts all manipulated by 'watchers' of the game. She, along with other 'players' of the game culminate into a high stakes finale that will determine Vee's and others' entire future.
Others to round out the cast are Miles Heizer as Tommy, friend of Vee's, Kimiko Glenn as Liv, Marc John Jeffries as Wes, Colson Baker as Ty, Brian Marc as J.P., Juliette Lewis as Nancy, Vee's mom, Ed Squires as Chuck, Josh Ostrovsky as Dirt Beard, tattoo artist and Samira Wiley as Hacker Kween.
This was amazing well directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman ("Catfish"(Documentary) '10, "3 x 3" (TV movie) '11, "Paranormal Activity 3" '11, "Paranormal Activity 4" '12) plus shorts. Considering these filmmaker's relative newness to the theatrical biz, these guys are a natural. The emotion each one of these characters exuded was definitively realistic, especially given how the youth population responds to certain things in a much different way than that of their adult counterpart. Of course, these two directors being young themselves obviously had an inside track into the way young people think and react. It was also creatively written by Jessica Sharzer based on a novel by Jeanne Ryan. Again, this writer, like the directors, doesn't have a ton of experience to her credit, however she was able to pull off an interesting, fresh and original script, which is more than I can say for many of the seasoned writers out there today. Surely there were places of a bit of choppiness and places that just dropped, but certainly not enough to take away from my attention to the storyline at hand. After this film, I'd like to see what these filmmakers could do with another project. Actually, the two directors have "Viral" coming out soon. I suspect we'll see. Not sure what Sharzer (the writer) has planned in the future--something soon I hope.
If high-adrenaline, high-suspense is your thing, this smart, tight little independent film will fit the bill. If nothing else grabs you, the message of we need not spend too much time with our technology is something that hopefully will hit home with many, especially youth. This film doesn't market on star power, but that just makes the script that much more important for any effectiveness toward its audience. All's I can say is, "game on"!
Out of 4 Stars: 3 Rated: PG-13 96mins.
As with all of Woody Allen films, "Café Society" is rife with deprecating, dry 'New York edge' humor that only Allen can convey in that way he does. When he stars in his own films, he, himself, is self-deprecating, so when he doesn't star in one of his films, someone else has to pick up the baton and carry it.
A New Yorker named Bobby Dorfman (Jesse Eisenberg) moves to Hollywood in the 1930's and ends up working for his uncle Phil (Steve Carell), a powerful and well-connected film agent. Bobby's mom, Rose (Jeannie Berlin) calls her brother Phil Stern to ask if he can help Bobby with some sort of employment, so Phil reluctantly agrees. Subsequently Bobby soon falls for Phil's secretary Vonnie (Kristin Stewart), unaware that she's secretly having an affair with his uncle. In time, a disillusioned Bobby returns home to run a nightclub for his gangster brother, Ben (Corey Stoll) unbeknownst to Bobby fully that Ben is this tough gangster. Is Bobby able to meld in with his new responsibilities of his job along with being married once he got back to New York to Veronica (Blake Lively) and still keep his head above water?
Others to round out the cast are Ken Stott as Marty Dorfman, Bobby's dad, Sari Lennick as Evelyn, Bobby's sister, Stephen Kunken as Leonard, Sheryl Lee as Karen Stern, Phil's wife, Paul Schneider as Steve, Parker Posey as Rad Taylor and Anna Camp as Candy.
This was written and directed by Woody Allen ("What's New Pussycat?" '65, "Take the Money and Run" '69, "Don't Drink the Water" '69, "Bananas" '71, "Sleeper" '73, "Annie Hall" '77, "Hannah and Her Sisters" '86, "Crimes and Misdemeanors" '89, "Deconstructing Harry" '97, "Small Time Crooks" 2000, "Hollywood Ending" '02, "Match Point" '05, "Whatever Works" '09, "Midnight in Paris" '11, "Blue Jasmine" '13, "Magic in the Moonlight" '14) plus many others and TV. Allen's trademark brand of comedy has evolved through the decades, with the exception of his deprecating type of humor. He's gone from wacky comedy to more sophisticated, dry type of humor. As mentioned above, even when he doesn't star in his films, a deprecating essence still carries in his films, Eisenberg being the one in this film that must carry that baton of self-deprecation. As a side note, when, not if, when a biopic of Allen's life is being made, probably after his death or retirement, Eisenberg would be perfect casting as a young Woody Allen. Allen's style is certainly not for everyone, but I believe he doesn't shoot for the mass audience appeal--probably never got into that mindset. I can definitely respect and appreciate this concept, because I've not loved all his films, because they can have a oddity about them that's difficult to hold on to. If you Netflix or rent, "Take the Money and Run", "Small Time Crooks" and "Midnight in Paris" these are probably some of his best film (funny wise).
If you are an ardent Allen fan, this will simply be another notch on that movie going experience, however, if one is not expressly familiar with a lot of Allen's work, you might want to start with one of his funnier films, because although this has funny moments and lines, it's not quite as funny as I was hoping it would be, even though it is well written and directed.
Out of 4 Stars: 3.5 Rated: PG-13 96mins.
Every time I see a film based on a wartime true story with a horrific premise, I always leave the theater with a sense of awe and a gut-wrenching feeling, because they are presented in a way that are painstakingly realistic and graphic. Films such as "Schindler's List" '93, "The Pianist" '02, "Valkyrie" '08 and even "Monuments Men" '14 are films that test the psyche and one's emotional state. 
