The Sessions is a charming film about love, respect, and the need for intimacy. It evokes a sense of kindness and patience that simply leaves you feeling good—no matter how the inevitable ending of the story arrives. John Hawkes as Mark is superb in his role, showing the depth of a human no matter the…
Watching the recent film version of Anna Karenina, I couldn’t help but think, “And I spent all those hours reading (the listening to) this classic just to be sure I’d read it before the movie? Why?” The film initially gave me a feeling as if I was living somewhere in the mind of a person…
My first officiall 2013 film…. Side Effects. This movie twists and turns at such a rate that careful attention to all the details is a must, lest you miss the “how” or the “when” by the “who” of the “what.” What I thought going in based on the trailer was debunked. What I thought later…
I had wanted to see this film since I saw the trailer. And I’m glad I did. I wasn’t sure how I would feel, but I went. After the press went south for the subject, I had hesitated. And I had waffled—-how did I feel about such? But every time I waffled, I rested on…
Dark. Twisted. Vulgar. Peculiar. The Paperboy takes you on a journey I’m not sure I was ready for—-or one that left me feeling I had not been anywhere worthy of a postcard. It is gritty in a way that allows you to feel the humidity of the southern Florida swamps while it glimpses sex and…
There was great talk (and a few nominations) over Rachel Weisz’s performance in The Deep Blue Sea. Frankly, I wasn’t able to make it through the entire movie without fast-forwarding through parts to the end. I’m sure mindset has a lot to do with how we interpret and receive films, and whatever mine was, it…
Having read the book, I was unsure how Ang Lee would be able to depict this story on the screen. But he did an excellent job. Yes, some of the story is a bit different on the screen than it was in the book, but it was just as heartwarming. The movie too leaves the…
The Impossible is a beautiful movie that reminds us how amazing—-in so, so many ways—-the world is. In watching this, through the tears that flowed often, I wanted to believe it was fiction—-that there is no way this could happen. But in watching this, through the tears that flowed often, I knew how true the…
Arbitrage—–it’s a bit Wall Street, a bit thriller, a bit mystery, a bit legal drama, a bit family saga, and more. It is greed, deception, desperation, and fraud. It is family trust and love, hidden, lied about, and lost. It is, sadly, probably a glimpse into the trust of some people’s lives. Gere is better…
Bernie. Fun. Light. Deep. Dark. Texas. East Texas. What an enjoyably odd story. Jack Black is, perhaps, at his best. He brings to Bernie a depth and whimsy that just makes him oddly likeable. And oddly intriguing. And oddly, well, odd. He’s certainly easy to like, no matter what he’s done. The movie mostly just…
I can admit that I knew the ending. Goodness, I knew the major plot highlights. Still, what a great movie. What a great story. What a great moment in history. All of that said, of course, the movie also greatly highlights the dirt that is politics. And the low that the deals were as portrayed…
After the blood and violence of Django, the mental illness of Silver Linings Playbook was a nice change. Yes, I simply said, “nice.” Don’t get me wrong, Silver Linings was a good movie, but I did not see in it the raves that it’s gotten. (Maybe I’m still numb from the shooting by QT. Not…
I should start with a confession: I’m not a huge Tarantino fan. Nope, I’m not. I did not care for Inglourious Basterds. Pulp Fiction was entertaining, but it didn’t ado for me what it seemed to do for so many others. And Reservoir Dogs? Huh? But I wanted to give this one a chance. I…
What a fantastic few hours I had losing myself in the recent movie version of Les Misérables. The story itself is grand—–with traditional romantic love, with great familial love, with forgiveness and kindness and angry grudges, with revenge and shenanigans, with government oppression and religious salvation . . . . and with fabulous comedic relief…
Wow. I saw the television previews for this flick. And I was wholly misled. I expected a suspenseful movie about a plotted cover-up and conspired set-up. What I got was a deeply emotional and biting glimpse into a sad, heart-wrenching life as affected by addiction. Denzel grabs this role with both hands and cannily dazzles…