Author: James Hathaway

Inferno

This is the third film adaptation by Director Ron Howard from Author Dan Brown.  First was The Da Vinci Code and the Second was Angels &Demons.  It must be said, we loved these films and the storylines.  So it should come as no surprise we would love Inferno too.

The critics…well, let’s say reviews overall has been tepid.  It is hard to say why.  Inferno has all the same ingredients except without the heavy church overtones.  It is filled with as many twists and turns as the previous movies.  It is another romp to incredibly wonderful destinations of Florence, Venice and Istanbul.  And what could be more important than than half the planet’s population?

Actors included a tight cast with Tom Hanks, Felicity Jones, Irrfan Khan, Omar Sy, Sidse Babett Knudsen and the Ben Foster as a really bad guy.

As with most of the series, the film production was first rate.  We were fortunate enough to watch it at Vue, London’s Westfield Center in Shepherd’s Bush.  It was showing in the Extreme theater, screen 30 feet high and over 70 feet wide, capacity over 800.  We were the only two in the theater for the 9:30 AM show.

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Queen of Katwe

This story is heart wrenching and inspiring at the same time.  It spans several years of the true story of Phiona Mutesi’s emergence from the slums of Kampala, Uganda.  She joins a club to help young people learn how to play chess.  Phiona has a natural talent, become a Chess Champion with a path to an education and eventually out of poverty.

The film is based on the book by Tim Carothers.  The movie was produced by Disney and ESPN.  It was directed by Mira Nair.  It is a powerful look at poverty, determination and perseverance. The acting was excellent, starring the Oscar Award actress, Lupita Nyong’o as Phiona’s mom.  Additional noteworthy performances by David Oyelowo, Madina Nalwanga as Phiona, and Ethan Nazario Lubega as Phiona’s little brother.

Run time is a whopping 2 hours and 4 minutes.  Rated PG.

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NOTE TO ALL:  Tomorrow we embark on our second cruise for the next two weeks.  We will assume no access to first run movies for the duration.  That will put the pressure on us when we return as we will be in the middle of the historical Oscar season.  Nonetheless we commit to getting up to speed and will be sure to keep you posted on all the Oscar buzz!

J&J

It is with apologies no movie reviews have been posted the last few weeks.  We had virtually no access to current movies during our travels to Italy, Spain, Portugal or France.

Alas, we are in London with time and access to newly released films.

We are likely to experience the same thing on our next cruise.  This should make for an interesting Fall as so many potential Oscars hopeful releases typically occur from now to the end of the year.

J&J

Note: While we are traveling, our posts are being created on an Apple iPad.  Unfortunately we are unable to download movie posters at this time (read not happy with new iso10, growl, apology!)

Trolls

This animated Adventure/Fantasy from Dreamworks might sound like yet another cartoon smurf-like movie.  This would be very inaccurate.

Instead, be prepared for a visually stunning ride to another dimension of animation.  Add incredible music with voice overs by Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Jeffrey Tambor, Gwen Strfani, James Corden, Russell Brand, the awesome Christine Baranski!

This will surely get attention by the academy and give Kubo and Finding Dory a run for the best animated trophy.

There are numerous layers of social and contemporary topics skillfully woven into this storyline.  This is sure to become an instant classic.

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The Girl on the Train

This story is based on the runaway bestseller written by Paula Hawkins.  There has been a lot of chatter about the departures (pun intended) the film makes from the book.

Nonetheless, this film is intriguing, confusing, exciting and beguiling.  There are more twists and turns and who done what to whom than a dozen romance novels.

The acting is compelling, brilliant and creepy and often at the same time.  Fasten your seat belts, because you are in for a wild ride!

Emily Blunt performs at her best!  Simply superb. Haley Bennett and Rebecca Ferguson are scorching hot.  Justin Theroux, Luke Evans, Edgar Ramirez, Darren Goldstein and Ross Gibbs all deliver powerful and sometimes steamy performances.

Labeled as a Mystery/Drama at almost two hours, it delivers a whole lot more.

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Jack Reacher: Never Go Back

This latest release of the second Jack Reacher franchise is getting mixed reviews among the film industry stalwarts.  Not sure why, the formula is exactly the same as the well received first rendition.

Tom Cruise cruise dominates almost every scene and most of the script, action sequence and hero/villain scenes.  It is kind of an updated Mission Impossible redo with a little soft spot thrown in.

All that said, there is just enough to peek your interest for this nearly two hour story labeled as a mystery/crime/drama.

We saw it in a premium Dolby theater.  Maybe that extra pazazz made it a big more satisfying.

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Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

This is a most peculiar film by Tim Burton.  This fantasy set in current time is based on the grandson, Jake, and his journey to connect to his Grandfather’s life long stories about a mystery world.

It is a world within the current world where paranormal children and those who would harm them live together.  There are good guys and bad guys each with “special powers” that are often in conflict with one another.

It is often macabre, often dark, emotional yet also intelligent, intriguing and eerie.  This adventure/fantasy movie is rated PG (but I would caution parents, some scenes are pretty intense).   Run time is 2 hours, 7 minutes.

It has a very impressive cast: Eva Green, Samuel Jackson, Judi Dench, Allison Janney, Rupert Everett, Terence Stamp, Chris O’Dowd, and Kim Dickens.

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SPECIAL NOTE:  With John’s retirement this week, we are departing in a few hours for a five week journey to Europe.  We will keep in touch via our blog and e-mail every few days or so.

We will try to catch a few movies here and there so the reviews will keep coming.

Cheers to all!

J&J

The Magnificent Seven

First, a short history lesson: The first Magnificent Seven of 1960 was chock a block with stars of the day, Yul Brynner, James Coburn, Eli Wallach and Steve McQueen.  It was based on the 1954 Akira Kurosawa film Seven Samurai which remains a classic.

The release of the newest The Magnificent Seven features a large cast that includes Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, the awesome Lee Byung-hun, Vincent D’Onofrio, Haley Bennett, a creepy Peter Sarsgaard, a great performance by Martin Sensmeier and at least eight others.

Director, Antonie Fuqua pulls out all the stops as the town is bullied by the evil mining barron.  The townspeople freak out as a bold heroin collects money and seeks gunfighters to defend the town.

The production is a Western spectacle with a run time of 2 hours, 12 minutes, rated PG-13 for extended and intense violence, some language and suggestive material.  We enjoyed it.

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Blair Witch

This is a followup to the Blair Witch Project of 1999.  This Blair Witch follows a similar updated style with a trek into the woods, guided by an odd local pair. Things get creepy and interesting the first night and incrementally intense after that.

The critics were not very complimentary to this film.  We agree, there is nothing ground breaking here (pun intended).  But it did do its job of being inventive, primal and startling.  Isn’t that what audiences want from a horror flick?

Rated R for language, terror and some disturbing images.  We do not suggest viewing by children.  Run time is 1 hour, 29 minutes.

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Demon

As October approaches along with Halloween on the horizon, we discovered another drama/thriller worth a look, Demon, a 2015 Polish release about a young couple’s wedding in a remote family country estate.

There are many twists and turns not typical in American films.  That makes this film dark, intriguing and exciting.  It is an Israeli-Polish production filmed in a small town in Southern Poland.

The acting is very good with a talented cast.  Critical reviews were quite high and the production received numerous awards in Europe.  It is catagorized as “Art House”, International, Mystery and Suspense.  Rated R for language and sexuality/nudity.  Run time is 94 minutes.  Polish and Yiddish with English subtitles.

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In Order of Disappearance

No doubt our pick of the week is In Order of Disappearance.  Released just a few weeks ago, we were surprised to discover it was already gone in our theaters. Much to our delight, we found it on Pay Per View.  Perfect for a Sunday afternoon.

What a great surprise!  A unique story, told in a clean crisp way, plenty of intrigue and surprises.  Don’t be deturred by the 2 hour run time or the multiple languages: English, Norwegian, German, Swedish, Danish and Serbian, all with English subtitles.

This is a world class production, easy to watch, often visually stunning.  It is a bit of a black comedy but it shines as a Fantasy Thriller.  It has a great cast, most notably Stellan Skarsgard, but you may also recognize Bruno Ganz, Pal Sverre Valheim Hagen, Kristofer Hivju, and Brigitte Hjort Sorensen.

Don’t miss this one! We would love your thoughts after seeing it.

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Snowden

Oliver Stone bring us his docudrama/thriller of Edward Snowden, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and the story behind the discovery and leak of classified data collected by the US government on foreign governments, terror organizations and anyone using any form of digital communication.

The film is told almost exclusively from Snowden’s point of view.  It reminds the viewer that this was real.  It is still unfinished.  Snowden remains in exile and still wanted for numerous felonies associated with his actions.

There is a surprisingly large cast including solid performances by Shailene Woodley, Zachary Quinto, Nicolas Cage, Tom Wilkinson and Rhys Ifans.  This film is well worth a look.

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Special note:  If this topic interests you, seek out the Oscar winning documentary Citizenfour released in 2014 shortly after Snowden leaked NSA documents to the press.  Snowden speaks for himself first hand.  Riveting!!

Kubo and the Two Strings

This animated feature film tells the story about a young Japanese boy, his Mom and a romp through the spirit world.  It is clever, unique, sometimes dark, sometimes confusing, always a visual delight, charming and insightful.

The voice overs include the young Art Parkinson as Kubo, Charlize Theron as Monkey, Matthew McConaughey as Beetle and Rooney Mara as The Sisters.  The animation is from the studios of Laika (remember last year’s The Boxtrolls and earlier Coraline?).  Directed by Travis Knight, film producer, former rapper and lead animator.

This will probably get an Oscar nomination although it looks like this year will be chock-a-block crowded with lots of new animated releases still scheduled for this Fall and Winter.

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Bridget Jones’s Baby

The new chapter of the Bridget Jones franchise is an interesting evolution of the character. Bridget, Rene Zellweger, is now over 40 and single once again.  Billed a a Romance/Comedy, it is a bit light on both counts.

Nonetheless, it is still worth a look.  The acting is solid.  The script is pretty crisp. The humor is a bit off beat but funny.  Emma Thompson, the Doctor, is a hoot.  She also co authored the Screenplay.

The competition between the Demsey and Firth characters is also well done.  I imagine they had a blast doing these characters.  The always great Jim Broadbent has a bit part.

Overall, the critics liked it a tad more than we did.  So if you have a free afternoon or want a couple of hours to fly by on a plane ride, give this film a look.

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Author: The JT LeRoy Story

This is a remarkable, if not extraordinary,  documentary about a San Francisco author, Laura Albert, posing as the fictional author by the name of JT LeRoy who is HIV positive, ex-prostitute transgender male.

His/her books are a massive literary success with the entertainment industry and the literary public at large around the world.  This film is the authors explanation of what really happened from her perspective.

What is so fascinating about this story is everything is both real and fictional at the same time.  Mix in snippets of Winona Ryder, Courtney Love, GusVan Sant, Bono, Dennis Cooper and Asia Argento and you have all the ingredients for an unbelievable story.

At almost two hours, it is both amazing and exhausting.

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Hands of Stone

I must first disclose I am not a boxing fan, and in general, not a fan of boxing movies.  Nonetheless, now and then, movies are released that are worthy of a watch.  Hands of Stone is such a movie only because it is based on real events, is well written, acted and produced.

It is also worth a look because of the reminder of the life and career of lightweight boxer Roberto Duran played by Edgar Ramirez.  He grew up as a scrappy poor kid in Panama and rose to world class boxing matches.

He’s not a very likable character: arrogant, cocky, angry, abusive.  By contrast, he is driven, sometimes charming, playful, and generous.

Robert De Niro is the accomplished trainer and anchors the story line. John Turturro has an unremarkable bit part as a gangster.  I am pretty sure there won’t be any Oscar nods for this film but if you have the time and interest it is worth the ticket price.

Note:  We saw it in Wisconsin at the economy hour with a senior discount.

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The Light Between Oceans

This unique movie is set in post World War One Austrailia, (actually filmed in New Zealand).  It has a great cast of actors.  Alicia Vikander, Michael Fassbender and Rachel Weisz all deliver powerful and compelling performances about passion, grace and sacrifice.

Many critics were tepid about the film, with comments like ‘soap opera’ and ‘melodrama’.  I think that is too harsh.

The chemistry between Vikander and Fassbender is compelling and poignant.  I bought it hook, line and sinker.  It is not perfect.  There is a certain amount of angst and betrayal. Much of the most important part of the story feels a little fast tracked in the last 20 minutes.

Nonetheless, this film is satisfying and thought provoking, romantic and dramatic.  Directed and Screenplay by Derek Cianfrance and based on the book by the same title.

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The Hollars

This is a quirky but charming drama/comedy about a dysfunctional family and the challenges they face when the matriarch, brillantly played by Margo Martindale, faces a brain tumor.

Produced, Directed and Acted by John Krasinski.  Anna Kendrick plays his love interest.  Sharlto Copley is a hoot as the divorced brother.  Richard Jenkins is perfect as the sobbing Dad.  And Charlie Day is perfect as the surragate Dad.

It is at the same time funny and likable, sad and uncomfortable.  Many critics were not kind in their reviews.  I think that is taking the movie too seriously.  Yes, there are some flaws in the production but I also think the pandemonium softens some of the life challenges that are just ‘on the table’ in this film.

Margo Martindale just may earn an Oscar nomination for her performance.

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Sully

This could almost be a documentary of the now infamous emergency landing of US Airways Flight 1549 on the Hudson River in January of 2009.  You may recall all 155 passengers and crew survived.

What makes this movie work is the story behind the story where the investigation challenges the judgement of the pilot, played by Tom Hanks, and the co-pilot, played by Aaron Eckhart.  The investigators play serious hardball with their evidence and accusations.  Laura Linney delivers a great performance as Sully’s wife.

This film does an excellent job of “peeling the onion” and appears to be completely accurate to the true events.  For those of us that fly a lot, the viewing experience can be a bit unnerving.  It truly was a miracle that cold sunny day.  Do not miss this one.  See it on a big screen with a good sound system.  Or, rent/buy it later if you have a decent home theater.

Directed by Clint Eastwood, classified as a drama/biography.  Run time is 1 hour 36 minutes.

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Lo and Behold, Reveries Of The Connected World

Famed filmmaker Werner Herzog creates a feature documentary worthy of our attention.  The focus is on the creation, the present and future of the internet.  There is no doubt the world wide web has transformed the planet as we now know it.

This film explores some very different perspectives on the topic.  Some of it disturbing, some if it bizarre, some of it enlightening.  Mr. Herzog takes us on the internet version of Mr. Toad’s wild ride from invention to a plausible prediction of global disaster.

The interviews are facinating including Spacex/Tesla’s Elon Musk, scientist Leonard Kleinrock, medical scientist Adrien Treuille, hacking expert Kevin Mitnick, self driving car experts Sebastian Thurn and Rajkumar and robot guru Joydeep Biswas.

I came away more than mildly concerned.  After all there are so many things that could go wrong…solar flares, global hacking, the implosion of international financial systems.  It probably would not be a good idea to pair the latest Planet of the Apes movie as a double feature.

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Ixcanul

Maya/Spanish with English subtitles.

This is a unique and visually satisfying film debut by Guatemalan director Jayro Bustamante.  Ixcanul means Volcano in the Mayan language.  More specifically the Kaqchikel dialect is spoken by the highlands community of farm workers.

The young are innocent and naive.  The adults are driven by ageless customs, and the daily struggle to eck out a living on the remote coffee plantations.  By contrast, there are deep rooted indigenous traditions that dictate their actions, family, business and social lives.

It feels like a facinating peek behind the curtain into another world and culture.  Largely acted by non-professionals and directed/produced by talent from Guatemala, France, and Spain.

There is a funny scene in the pig pen early on and a powerful ending that will generate conversation.  Do seek this one out.  It will be a unique movie experience.

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The People vs. Fritz Bauer

If you want to know what Germany was like during the 1950s trying to cope with the postwar Nazi regime, then you will like this film.  Watching it was like watching an old news reel.  It felt like you were an outside observer of the candid conversations of the government officials of the day.

Best of all, it is based on true events.  If you are a history buff, you may already know the story of the search for the war criminal Adolf Eichmann.  But this film reveals its plot in layers and they are many.  The film itself is a bit bleak at times.  Alternatively, it is stunning.

Some of the dialog clips along at a quick pace that can be challenging since the story is told in German with English subtitles.  Good acting, some noteworthy nuauces, lots of twists and turns, and a fair amount of energized banter.

This was certainly my favorite pick of the week.

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Equity

The critics were less than kind to this movie and we had a hard time finding this in the theaters even though it was only recently released.

The topic is women in senior positions in investment banks.  It is well done.  It was believable (mostly).  Directed by Meera Menon in her third movie release.  Written by Amy Fox, Sarah Megan Thomas, and Alysia Reiner who also costarred along with Anna Gunn.

These characters and the industry they work in require ‘tough as nails’ characters as they navigate the male dominated landscape.  The stakes are big and the drama is just as monumental.

On the fun side, I had to chuckle now and then, mentally reflecting on my time with a major financial institution and some of the politically powerful personalities I encountered.  I don’t miss it.  Try not to miss this film if possible.  Its message is laser on target.

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