The Iron Lady

An intimate look at Margaret Thatcher, the first and only female Prime Minister of The United Kingdom.

Meryl Streep is amazing.  She is to Margaret Thatcher as Helen Mirren in to the Queen of England.  Such a magnificent job. Not only Meryl Streep but the entire cast really stepped up and owns their characters. Jim Broadbent and Harry Lloyd are both fabulous in their own right.

The story overall is fascinating and historically accurate, however much like that of J. Edgar it is told in flash backs and flash forwards and still slightly drags. If told as a linear story it would have been extremely boring.  Still the acting alone makes it worth seeing.

*** Must See


Rated PG-13 (language and some violence)

Hugo

Hugo Cabret is an orphan, living within the walls of a Parisian train station.  His job there is to wind the clocks, but his obsession is to solve a mystery that his late father left behind.

I was delightfully surprised that this Martin Scorsese flick was sweet, entertaining and not excessively long.  In fact at two hours and six minutes, it is possibly Scorsese's shortest movie.

This was fun and children friendly while historically charming.  A magical film based on a true story.


*** Must See


Rated PG (for mild action)

War Horse

A horse named Joey is drafted into the British army during World War One.  Joey's journey takes him to occupied France. There he has an impact on many lives from German soldiers to French children.

This was an attempt at an epic drama. It failed miserably. This is not The Black Stallion nor is it Lawrence of Arabia. There is a lack of connection with the main characters or the horse itself.  It is the length of an epic drama, but lacks the depth or story of one.  This is clearly made for children and yet isn't interesting enough for kids or adults.

Great cinematography but certainly not Oscar worthy and was nominated for sentimental reasons alone.

** Rentable


Rated PG-13 (for war violence and language)

The Artist

A movie stars marketability is threatened when sound is introduced to film in the late 1920's. As his star fades a new one is found in the young actress that he has fallen for.

Like A Star is Born meets Singing in the Rain -- all without sound, this movie was kind of like watching a Tom and Jerry cartoon.  Interesting in the beginning the story drags on a tad long. However they do a magnificent job of developing character without the help of dialogue.

This was interesting and I am glad I saw it, I can't say that I would ever want to sit through it again. I am somewhat surprised it was nominated for Oscars as it is a bit cliche, reverting back to black and white, no sound, and title cards.  As Hollywood seems to have moved past this, I would assume audiences have as well.

** Rentable


Rated PG-13 (for a suicide attempt)

Shame

Brandon is a porn addict. With the unexpected arrival of his sister his world begins to spin out of his control as his addiction is now seeping into every aspect of his life.

Although all about sex, there is nothing sexy about this movie. It is a very dark and realistic portrayal of a porn addict.  The story is very well developed as we fall down the spiral of shame that true porn addicts experience, from prostitutes to chronic masterbation, to the inability to perform or be satisfied by women and eventually men. This is a scary and horrifying glimpse at how pornography completely desensitizes the human mind and body, making one incapable of real relationships or love.

This is obviously not for everyone, but frankly all teenage boys should watch this movie and learn what porn does to the human mind. Very well done and cruelly honest.

*** Must See


Rated NC-17 (for explicit sexual content, nudity and language)

My Week with Marilyn

A young intern ends up on the set of the "The Prince and the Showgirl" starring Sir Laurence Olivier and the one and only Marilyn Monroe.  As production on the film continues, tempers fly and the tension builds due to the starlets peculiar and unprofessional way of working.  The intern seems to be Marilyn's only friend and the one she turns to during the final week of filming.

This is an interesting movie.  The historical elements are fascinating but the drama was a tad boring. To see the difficulty that this bombshell brought to the set of almost every film she was on is amazing. However, Michelle Williams who is beautiful in her own right, is not stunning enough to pull off the sultry and hypnotizing looks of Marilyn Monroe.

Slow and deliberate, interesting and frustrating.

** Rentable


Rated R (for language)

A Dangerous Method

A Russian woman arrives at a clinic in Austria to be treated for hysteria.  Her treatment contributes to some of the greatest strides in psychiatry, however unethical they might seem today.

This is a semi-interesting look at the history between Carl Jung, Sabina Speilrein, and Sigmund Freud, all great contributors in the field of psychiatry.  It's faults are that it is way too slow and drawn out.  In an attempt to create drama, there are lengthy scenes of conversation with voiced over narrative.

Meh. When it is all said and done this was not spectacular or really very entertaining.

* 1/2 Barely Rentable


Rated R (for sexual content and language)

Carnage

Two sets of parents get together to work out the differences that have exploded on the playground between their two sons.

This is a Roman Polanski flick, many people are off put by him as a director or better yet a person. Nevertheless, this is an amazingly entertaining movie. Based on a play, to see two sets of parents that come from completely different backgrounds as well as different parenting styles forced together for eighty seven minutes in an attempt to work out a solution for their un-present children. The escalation is hilarious and the ending a tad unpredictable.

*** Must See


Rated R (for language)

We Bought a Zoo

After the death of his wife a young journalist tries to redefine the life that he and his children lead by moving. With the purchase of his new home comes along a few obstacles.  A Zoo.

This was sweet and cheery.  It was extremely predictable but still managed to develop the characters just enough that it doesn't become boring.

The real star of this flick is Maggie Elizabeth Jones, she plays Rosie, the daughter of Benjamin Mee (Matt Damon).  She steals every scene she is in.

The rest of the cast is mediocre, and really doesn't seem invested in the script. Nevertheless this isn't an amazing movie. Just something kind of sweet, and forgettable.


** Rentable


Rated PG (for language)

The Adventures of Tintin

A young reporter and his dog get caught up in a unsolved mystery that is generations old. After they are kidnapped they set off around the globe to gather clues with the help of the drunken Captain Haddock.

This was such an unexpected surprise! I was absolutely in awe of how fun and entertaining this movie was.  In general I am not a fan of motion capture films, however, this was really well done.

Not only were the special effects well done, but the story was fantastic. It was like Raiders of the Lost Ark meets Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.  Really, really fun and exciting.


I would say that its' PG rating is a tad off.  It is a bit violent and a tad bloody. So I would be cautious with the little ones. However for anyone over the age of 8 -- loads of fun!


*** 1/2 - Must See


Rated PG (for violence and language) 

Sundance!

It's the greatest time of year! The annual pilgrimage home to the great state of Utah. There for ten blessed days the Sundance Film Festival comes to life and the screenings begin!

This year I was fortunate enough to be asked to be on a screenwriters panel as well as be a judge for some short films -- it was amazing!!

So here is the list of films that I saw:

Robot and Frank
The Queen of Versailles
Celeste and Jesse Forever
Red Lights
Lay the Favorite
Fungus
Your Sister's Sister
Goats
Hilary's Straws
The Other Dream Team
That's What She Said
Scarfobia
Fate
One
Dream
Speech
Fight
Leach
Hellion
My Best Day
The First Time
Bear
Safety Not Guaranteed
Don't Hug Me I'm Scared
Kid-Thing
Bachelorette
Four Suns
The End of Love
Wuthering Heights
Smashed
LUV
The Words
2 Days in New York
Save the Date
Ethel
Liberal Arts
For A Good Time, Call...

Reviews to come shortly!

MOVIE MARATHON 2012!!!

Happy New Year!!!

Here is the schedule for this year:

• We Bought a Zoo
• Carnage
• A Dangerous Method
• My Week With Marilyn
• Shame

Reviews to come shortly!!!