Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Peace Love & Misunderstanding

I had reservations about a film where Jane Fonda plays an aged hippie grandmother, but Peace Love & Misunderstanding was surprisingly good. Fonda shows her style and grace eloquently in this film. The plot is a bit predictable, but I'll forgive that for a nice cast giving good performances. An unexpected pleasure.

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Silver Linings Playbook

Crazy people make interesting subjects in film. In Silver Linings Playbook each character carries their share of crazy. There are many levels. When Pat gets out of the hospital, he runs into crazy on a search for sanity. In the end, we realize that crazy is just people who want to be listened to. The performances in this film are outstanding and the story is heartwarming.

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Sound of My Voice

When a journalist and his girlfriend infiltrate a cult to make a film, they are pulled into a mystery they did not expect. Sound of My Voice is a good thriller with a mystery and  twist I enjoyed.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Abraham Lincoln:Vampire Hunter

If you see Lincoln first, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is highly entertaining. With the history fresh in my mind, introducing vampires to Lincoln's life story was fun. Bloody, but fun. Do not mess with Mary Todd. I was surprised by how much I liked this one.

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Lincoln

As a child, I was obsessed with the life story of Abraham Lincoln. I even dressed as him one Halloween. In the film Lincoln he is depicted exactly as I imagined him. The words he speaks in the film are written by one of my favorite writers, Tony Kushner. It is poetic and mesmerizing. The politics surrounding the 13th amendment are fascinating and at times disturbing. A star studded cast brings this time in history to the screen quite masterfully. Well done.

The Sessions

In the film The Sessions, Mark O'Brien relies on an iron lung due to a childhood bout with polio. He wants to experience sex, and goes about it with a sex surrogate. He not only gets help from the the surrogate, but also his care-givers and friends. Even his priest. This story is as much about the relationships Mark has as it is about sex. The dialogue is smart, funny and honest. Such a good story based on a real man.

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Skyfall

Skyfall is a dynamic dance, masterfully choreographed to a dramatic soundtrack, punctuated by gunfire. Bond is back, and we learn more of his background as he and MI6 battle a sadistic villain. We get to know the characters better in this installation and the music carries us through the action sequences beautifully. There are many nostalgic nods to past Bond films, which had me grinning in the dark. The chase scenes and crazy final act make this a solid addition to the 007 film dynasty. Skyfall is a wonderful celebration of 50 years of Bond. Loved it!

Friday, November 16, 2012

2 Days in New York

Back in the spring, my daughter and I stood in a rush line for 2 hours to see 2 Days in New York. We did not get in to see the film. Out in DVD, I finally got to see this comedy. Adeptly written and directed by Julie Delpy, we see the chaos caused by a visit from Marion's family. It is delicious. Would have been worth the wait in NYC, but I was just as happy to see it at home. Well done.

Wednesday, November 07, 2012

Prometheus

The story in the movie Prometheus is full of holes and there's a lot of hokey acting, but this film is so gorgeous it made it worth watching. Glad I did.

Sunday, November 04, 2012

Cloud Atlas

Brilliant editing, intricate makeup and stories that span centuries and generations make for an intriguing film in Cloud Atlas. The stories are easy to follow and the editing carries us along on this journey. Film as art can be very satisfying.