Movie Reviews 2014

STILL ALICE:  Julianne Moore richly deserved her Oscar for Best Actress for her portrayal of a top-flight university professor of linguistics who slowly discovers she is forgetting small details of her every-day life - and is soon diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease.  Her husband, quietly (and beautifully) played by Alec Baldwin, at first tries to convince her that she’s just under too much stress.  Eventually, her disease becomes a test for the entire family (three grown children).  

It’s an emotional drama that easily could have devolved into one of self-pity - but an outstanding cast and good dialog make this one a must-see.  Baldwin, Kate Bosworth, Hunter Parrish, and...

...Kristen Stewart (Bella of the Twilight series and subject of constant gossip page fodder) does a surprisingly good job as the black sheep of the family (she wants to be an actress, while Type A mom wants her to go to college to prepare herself for a real career).  Great family dynamics unfold as Moore’s disease quickly becomes debilitating.

If you’ve haven’t seen this yet, you’ve probably already missed it at a theatre (it didn’t come to Sacramento until after Oscar night), so put it on your Netflix queue.

8½ stars

KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE:  Best described as James Bond on steroids (and with an absurd sense of humor).  If you liked the Bond series, this one’s for you.

Colin Firth, a British super agent, recruits a new, raw hire (Taron Egerton) to replace one of his men; let the action begin!  Great support from Michael Caine, Samuel Jackson and Mark Hamill.

Funny and action-packed, with some over-the-top violent scenes, this one is better than the mediocre reviews it received.  Clearly not for everyone, however.

8½ stars

THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING:  Eddie Redmayne is pitch perfect as scientist Stephen Hawking in this superb movie.  Felicity Jones plays his first wife, Jane Wilde, also in an Academy-nominated performance (the movie is actually based on a book written by Jane).  It’s a human success story (the brilliant Hawking is given two years to live after being diagnosed with early-onset ALS while in college) woven around an unlikely love story.  

Hawking himself said it best, after viewing the movie:  He thought at times it was him playing the lead role.

I’ve got to admit that I am shocked at some of the average reviews this film received from reputable reviewers.  Some complained that there wasn’t enough emphasis on his scientific work (as if any of them might understand it!) and too much on his personal struggles.  Oh, well.  Perhaps they should view one of the documentaries made on his life.

I highly recommend this movie if you only get to a couple a year.  Redmayne will be a strong favorite to win the Oscar; and Jones may give Julianne Moore a run for her money, too.

[Note:  One of the film's four producers, Lisa Bruce, was a distinguished '79 grad of Coronado HS (I was class of '69); her former high school teachers are more than proud (of her, of course).]

9½ stars

INHERENT VICE:  If your taste in movies requires incoherent dialog, a clumsy plot, uneven spacing and odd-ball characters, then this one’s for you.  Joaquin Phoenix, Josh Brolin, Owen Wilson, Martin Short, Reese Witherspoon & Katherine Waterston star in this Academy-nominated screenplay adapted from a book (by Thomas Pynchon); hallucinogenic drugs must have used in the making and filming of this movie  Phoenix is a hippy dippy private eye, but I can’t tell you much beyond that.  I didn’t fall asleep, but a two-hour nap would have been a preferred alternative.

I’m rapidly losing my patience with imdb.com viewers, who give this a 7.3 rating to date.  Almost 70% rate this at 7 or above.  They must have watched a different movie than I did.

3 stars (a half star for each chuckle)

AMERICAN SNIPER:  It’s no surprise that Bradley Cooper and this movie are headed to the Oscars; it’s only shocking that director Clint Eastwood is not.  

This is an intense study of the life of Chris Kyle, considered one the greatest snipers in U.S. military history (step aside, Bob Lee Swagger).  Based on Kyle’s 2012 biography, we follow the patriotic Kyle as he goes from rodeo cowboy to Navy SEAL (after watching the twin towers come down in 2001), legendary Navy sniper, husband (to Sienna Miller) and father of two - while serving four tours of combat duty in Iraq.

It’s clear that Kyle can’t do all of the above successfully, and mostly because his heart and mind are on the battlefield, where he’s most comfortable.  

But here’s the bigger surprise:  Was it a pro-war or an anti-war film?  Given Eastwood’s political leanings and the protagonist’s world view, it’s most likely the former.  Kyle’s world is painted in black and white; if you have to kill a child who’s a threat, it might make him squirm, but you do what you have to do to protect your men and, in Kyle’s mind, the honor of your country.  But this is no John Wayne and The Green Berets.  Men die, battered soldiers end up in VA hospitals and even the bravest and the strongest of men (and women) are susceptible to post-traumatic stress disorders - while their families suffer the consequences.

I was surprised when The Hurt Locker won the Oscar for Best Picture five years ago, so this one is clearly a contender.  

9 stars

FOXCATCHER:  I was unaware of the history of John du Pont, a patron of the arts and strong supporter of the U.S. Olympic wrestling team and other amateur athletes.  This movie tells his story vividly - and disturbingly.

It’s a quiet movie, with Steve Carell going far out of his comfort zone (complete with prosthetic nose and a stilted walk) to portray an eccentric man with some odd personality disorders.  Jon Stewart said it best when Carell showed up for an interview on Comedy’s Channel’s The Daily Show (for those not in the know, it’s where Carell got his comedic start):  

“Steven, you’re going to have to explain something to me.  I don’t mean any disrespect.  I go to see the movie, Foxcatcher.  It’s a brilliant movie; the performers are incredible...but you’re not in it.  (Laughter.)  You were on this show for years; I never knew you had talent.  (More laughter.)  Why didn’t you say anything?”  See the interview here.

Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo play talented wrestling brothers who get caught up in du Pont’s web of patronage - and they all make you forget you’re watching a movie.

A bit strange at times (and slow moving), but a wonderful effort that’s worth your watching on the big screen or on DVD at some point in the not-so-distant future.  You’ll never look at Steve Carell the same way again.

8½ stars

THE IMITATION GAME:  This was an outstanding movie based (loosely, perhaps) on the life of the brilliant mathematician, Alan Turing, who was an essential part of the British effort to crack Germany’s “Enigma Code” used during World War II.

Benedict Cumberbatch, without doubt, will receive an Academy nomination for Best Actor; I haven’t seen all of the other likely nominees yet, but I have to assume that he will be one of the favorites.  He plays a hard-to-get-along-with “team player” on an effort to break the code; while everyone else is trying to do so by trial and error, Turing works to develop a machine - a “computer” - to help break it.  The always darling Keira Knightley does a good job as one of his own recruits - and a sort of, kind of love interest.

Known as the father of computer science, Turing (and the rest of us) paid a price for his living in a time of regressive social mores.

Oh, and if British films turn you off because you have difficulties understanding the dialog (as I often have), no worries here.  This is a must-see prior to the Academy Awards show.

9½ stars

SELMA:  This was one powerful movie, taking a look at Martin Luther King, Jr. as he steers the non-violent civil rights movement through the days between the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.  Newcomer David Oyelowo nails it as the introspective King, whether in discussions with his fellow organizers or with President Lyndon Johnson; Carmen Ejogo was spot-on as Coretta Scott King.

The violence in this movie moved me to disgust as I recalled the vivid images on our black and white television from my early teen years.  Great original footage also was used later in the movie to fine effect.  This is a must-see movie.  

(Note: Almost 10% of imdb.com voters gave this movie a 1; methinks people gave it that who have no intention of ever going to the theatre to see it.  Perhaps they’re the off-spring of some of the racist cops and city folks who stood in the way of the Selma marchers.)

9 stars

WILD:  Not having read the book, it took me a little while to understand what was going on with this confused woman (Reese Witherspoon, looking lovely without her normally caked-on make-up!) who was heading out into the Mojave Desert to begin a 1,000-mile trek northward along on the Pacific Crest Trail.  Having done plenty of backpacking in my younger years, she was certifiable for trying it alone and with no previous experience whatsoever - and for starting in the desert heat of all places.  But with flashbacks and the progress of the movie, you get a better idea of Reese’s motivations (again, not that they were smartly carried out).  

The subtitle for this movie could have been, “And Men Are Pigs,” as you (as a male) re-learn the dangers that women - especially single women alone - encounter in their every-day lives (not that packing alone can be considered normal activity).

Reese did a very good job, as did Laura Dern in flashbacks as her troubled mother.  Too bad the movie itself didn’t hold up to their performances.  Expect Witherspoon & Dern to be award-nominated at least; one of my favorites, Nick Hornby, did the adapted screenplay.

7½ stars

THE GAMBLER:  Mark Wahlberg usually shines in this type of movie, but this time he felt me flat.  It showed promise at times, but then seemed too formlulistic.  Wahlberg plays a hip English professor at a chichi college with a major gambling addiction problem - and a rich mother (Jessica Lang) too willing to bail him out of his problems....”For the last time!”

Leave it for your Netflix queue.

6½ stars

INTERSTELLAR:  I saw this with two friends (Tracy doesn’t do SyFy) at an IMAX theatre hoping the experience would enhance the movie.  It didn’t.  I kept wanting this to be good - much like Gravity from last year - but it dragged, and the dialog was difficult to understand.  Turns out the dialog was supposed to be difficult to hear!  Really; who does that?

The plot was interesting enough: scientists Mathew McConaughey & Anne Hathaway fly into the outer reaches of the solar system in search of a planet to colonize while Earth is dying of over-pollution.  The cinematography - again, much like Gravity - was very realistic.  But it got weird...and far too slowly for my tastes.  Frankly, I got bored.

Clearly, my opinion is in the minority on this one, as imdb.com users have given it an 8.9 rating to date, making it the 16th best movie of all time.  Are they serious?

6 stars

TOP FIVE:  Clearly, I am not hip enough to have appreciated this Chris Rock-Rosario Dawson comedy.  Perhaps the two hours would have been better spent cleaning out our gutters (which, quite frankly, is from where much of the humor emanated).

2 stars

ROSEWATER:  Jon Stewart directs this very good true story of an Iranian journalist, Mazier Bahari (played by Gael Garcia Bernal - note: a Mexican playing an Iranian!) who returns to his native country (where his mother still lives) to cover the 2009 presidential election for Newsweek magazine.  Caught in the middle of the post-election demonstrators who believe the election had been rigged, Bahari films the protests and is later arrested and accused of being an American spy.

Stewart got involved in this project because one of his comedy show correspondents, Jason Jones, interviewed Bahari for a segment on The Daily Show; Jones purported to be a spy in the segment, so, ergo, Bahari must be a spy.

While hundreds of journalists were jailed in Iran during this time, Bahari received enormous support in the U.S., including from then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Stewart acquitted himself well in his directing debut, and the movie moves in spite of the boredom of being locked up for months on end.  Very touching scenes as Bahari has imaginary talks with his dead father and sister during his confinement.  Worth a visit to the theatre; otherwise, put it on your Netflix queue when it’s released.

8 stars

WHIPLASH:  Love him or hate him for this controversial roll, J.K. Simmons put himself on the Academy radar screen playing a drill sergeant-like music instructor at a prestigious and cutthroat music conservatory.  Simmons explodes on the screen with his bi-polar, misogynic and homophobic rants, mostly aimed at Miles Teller, his up-and-coming drummer, who hopes to become an elite jazz drummer.  Great camera work on both men; good music, too.

Teller’s solitary personality does not lend itself to standing up to Simmons’ style, but we see Teller’s music and resolve grow as the movie progresses.  A family dinner party sheds much light on his upbringing and his position in the family pecking order and helps to explain his social awkwardness (which also manifests itself in his relationship with his sort of girlfriend).

It’s not a perfect movie; for example, other than one other musician, no one else is singled out for Simmons’ rants.  Have they already passed his rigid standards?  

This movie is not for the faint of heart or those completely turned off by this teaching style (does it really work?) - but expect it to be honored come Academy night.  Worth a look if you’re so inclined.

9 stars

NIGHTCRAWLER:  Jake Gyllenhaal nails his role as a creepy, anti-social, driven entrepreneur fascinated by his new-found profession as a “nightcrawler”: a crime “journalist” who films grisly crime/accident scenes for sale to local TV networks.  He starts with a small camcorder, but his talent quickly allows him to graduate to more sophisticated tools and methods, with his nightly goal of getting ahead of the response of emergency personnel.  

What corners is Jake willing to cut, and how far will his low-life personality go to feed his need for bigger and better scores?

Rene Russo plays an equally creepy news director of a low-rated Los Angeles TV news room willing to show the more grisly film that Jake sells.  There’s a terrific scene toward the end of the film when Russo is giving explicit direction to the news anchors about how best to exploit scenes from one of Jake’s films to maximize public fear.

Not great, but an outstanding performance by Gyllenhaal (Academy worthy?) makes this disturbing film hard not to watch.  And it reinforces my need NOT to watch local news!

8½ stars

THE JUDGE:  Robert Downey, Jr. is outstanding as a high-end, fast-talking, Chicago defense attorney who returns home to small town Indiana (filmed in Massachusetts!) to bury his mother and re-engage with his estranged father, Robert Duvall, who is brilliant as a hard-nosed local judge.  But before he can get out of town - not fast enough - his father is questioned as a person of interest in the hit-and-run death of a young thug.  The father-son struggle continues as Downey attempts to take over his father’s defense from a local attorney who clearly is out of his league.

The Downey-Duvall face-offs make this movie memorable and Oscar-worthy.  (They got so intense that Downey has professed in talk shows that he wasn’t sure if Duvall liked him or not.)   But the support cast excels, too: His two brothers (Vincent D’Onofrio & Jeremy Strong), his former high school girlfriend (Vera Farmiga), the prosecutor (Billy Bob Thornton), and others.

If Downey & Duvall face off as Oscar nominees, for whom would you vote?  It may happen.

9 stars

GONE GIRL:  This one disappointed me.  I thought this was a so-so novel, with just too many silly twists and turns, and the movie proved itself true to the book.  Far too many ‘are-you-kidding-me?’ moments.

Ben Affleck is good as the grieving husband who wants to know what’s happened to his wife (Rosamund Pike).  The entire community comes together to help in the search, but public opinion is swayed as more and more information leaks out about their not-so-perfect relationship.

Sorry, but this one was over-hyped.  If you haven’t wasted your money (and time - it’s 2.5 hours!) already, save it for DVD.

6 stars

MY OLD LADY:  How can Maggie Smith not steal scene after scene?  Here she plays a “squatter” in a lovely Parisian apartment inherited by Kevin Kline from his estranged father; unfortunately for him, he can’t seem to get rid of her legally because of the contract signed by his father (who’s getting revenge from the grave?).  So Smith and her daughter, Kristin Scott Thomas, team up to thwart his efforts to move them out.

It’s not a great movie, but it has charm and is worth a place on your DVD queue.  My Mother enjoyed it, too!

7½ stars

THE DROP:  Start with the obvious:  This is sad because it’s James Gandolfini’s last role.  And he leaves us wanting more.  But, frankly, it‘s a bit of a downer movie, too, as Gandolfini finds himself whip-sawed among opposing forces, including his own ethical behavior.

Gandolfini owns an Irish bar in a seedy part of Brooklyn, subject to an economic downturn and a powerful and ruthless Chechen gang; grittiness prevails.  Tom Hardy is excellent as the main bartender who doesn’t fully understand the need to operate as an extension of the gang’s illegal activities.  Noomi Rapace (she of the Swedish The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo series) continues to add to whatever movie she’s in.

This is worth a visit to the theatre if it’s still playing; definitely watch on DVD when it’s released.

8½ stars

CHEF:  This is an enjoyable, if shallow, story about a hot-headed, acclaimed Los Angeles chef (perfectly played by Jon Favreau, who wrote and directed it, as well) who’s convinced by his ex-wife (Sofia Vergara, who’s capable of convincing any red-blooded male of just about anything) to buy a food truck and run his own business.  So he buys a truck in Miami and so begins a road trip across country, cooking along the way - all the while restoring his relationship with his young son.  

Not a great movie, but heart-warming and silly at the same time.  Oliver Platt, Robert Downey, Jr., Dustin Hoffman & Scarlett Johansen don’t add a lot but do remind you of Favreau’s Hollywood clout (he produced and directed the Iron Man series).  I doubt it will win many awards, but it may leave you smiling.  Nice soundtrack, which never hurts.

7½ stars

BLUE JASMINE (2013):  Cate Blanchett dominates this Woody Allen (writer and director) film that’s set in New York and San Francisco.  Blanchett’s marriage to Ponzi-scheming Alec Baldwin ends, and the socialite is left as a - well, an unemployed and broke socialite.  What’s one to do except move 3,000 miles away into the arms of her sister, whom she has snubbed most of her life, and try and find a job!  Her sister - wonderfully played here by Sally Hawkins (an Academy nominee for Best Supporting Actress) - welcomes her and is willing to forgive, even though Baldwin had blown through her and her ex’s small lottery jackpot.  

This one’s better than I expected it would be; and it’s clear why Blanchett is up for Best Actress.  She bi-polars her way through this one in wonderful fashion.  

One large mess-up, however, as my friend d2 pointed out:  How is it that a Woody Allen film set in two such cities failed to take advantage of the settings?  

Worthy of a place on your Netflix queue, whether or not Blanchett and/or Hawkins captures an Oscar.

8 stars

THE HOURS (2002):  Clearly we missed this one when it hit the big screen 12 years ago; it’s withstood the test of time, however.  

An all-star ensemble cast led by three depressed women in three different eras, all affected by Virginia Woolf’s novel Mrs. Dalloway:  Nicole Kidman as Woolf in 1923 (and briefly in 1941); Julianne Moore as a 1951 housewife/mother; and Meryl Streep as a modern day New Yorker publisher.  Kidman won the Academy’s Best Actress Award; the movie received eight other nominations, including Best Picture, Ed Harris (as a dying AIDS patient) and Julianne Moore.

At first you figure the format will be confusing as it segues from era to era and back again, but it’s easy to follow - even if it’s depressing throughout.

If you, too, miss it, give it a look.

8½ stars

3 DAYS TO KILL:  This one is just plain silly.  Kevin Costner plays an aging and dying CIA hit man who’s forced into one last assignment in trade for an experimental drug that might prolong his life.  So, while trying to rekindle a relationship with his teenaged daughter (Hailee Steinfeld) - and wife - Costner is shooting up bad guys and avoiding bullets and speeding cars, all the while having to deal with the drug’s side effects and being egged on by his handler, Amber Heard (Johnny Depp’s fiancé).  Plenty of groan moments.

4 stars (generous)

THE MONUMENTS MEN:  This movie got panned by the critics, and I have a tough time understanding why (you're not allowed to add comic situations to a war movie?).  You probably know the story (thanks to endless trailers):  A small group of Americans, Brits and French art buffs join forces (and the military) and attempt to find and protect European art that had been confiscated by Hitler - some for his own edification and some destined to be destroyed. 

The movie is based on a true story and, despite the Hollywood angles, it’s pretty good.  It’s clear there are obstacles to their effort, but it has the support of FDR so it’s a legitimate military mission.

George Clooney leads the mostly aging group: Matt Damon, John Goodman, Bill Murray, Jean Dujardin, Hugh Bonneville & Bob Balaban.  Dimitri Leonidas is their German translator and Cate Blanchett does a wonderful job as the former secretary to the German command in Paris.  Perhaps it’s too short of a movie to expect deep character development from so many good actors, so look at it as a good ensemble cast taking one for Team Clooney.  Who wouldn’t?

Worth a look.

8 stars

THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE (2013):  Sure, Jennifer Lawrence (as Katniss Everdeen) has moved so far past this genre of movie that it’s odd to see her continue in this series (hey, she has two more sequels to follow!).  But there was a clear gasp in the audience when Philip Seymour Hoffman appeared as the new “gamekeeper” for President Snow (Donald Sutherland).  Damn, he’ll be missed.

Elizabeth Banks again is hilarious as the overly-made-up escort to Katniss and her District 12 companion, Peeta; Stanley Tucci is terrific as the Hunger Games host; and Woody Harrelson is snarly as ever as the mentor to Katniss and Peeta.

We listened to all three Hunger Games books on two long trips, so we felt compelled to see how they moved on to book two.  You’re not missing a lot if you forgo the series, but, for us, it beats some of the other silly syfy series we’re subjected to via movie trailers.  Really, another RoboCop?  Sigh.

7½ stars

FROZEN (2013):  Disney hits a home run with this animated adaptation of The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Anderson.  Kristen Bell (House of Lies with Don Cheadle) is a terrific voice for Anna, the younger sister to her “icy” sibling; her singing abilities were a great surprise to me.  And here I thought she was just another pretty face with acting talent.

Good story, excellent animation and what will become a classic Disney soundtrack.  Take the kids and grandkids.  Or, at least, buy them the video for their next birthday.

9 stars

JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT:  Much better than I expected (always a plus).  Chris Pine is the new Jack Ryan (previously played by Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford - twice - and Ben Affleck), and this Bourne-like roller coaster ride is well done.  Kevin Costner is Ryan’s handler in a low-keyed role.  Keira Knightly plays Ryan’s love interest.  Ryan goes undercover on Wall Street trying to ferret out a terrorist plot - which eventually leads the three to Russia.  An old style spook film!

Nothing that needs to be seen on the big screen but worthy of a place on your Netflix queue.  Good romp.

7½ stars

THE FIRST GRADER (2010):  After years of British colonial rule, Kenya earned its independence in 1963; but it wasn’t until 2003 that the government announced free and universal primary education for all.  One Mau Mau warrior and now dirt farmer, Kimani Ng’ang’a Maruge, who spent 10 years in a British prison camp enduring unspeakable horrors - including seeing his family executed - is now 84 years old and wants to learn to read.  So he limps to the school, asks for admittance, but he is brusquely told that the primary grades are for children only.  Clearly, Maruge (wonderfully played by Kenyan actor Oliver Litondo) is no quitter - and neither is the teacher, superbly played by English actress Naomie Harris.

This is an outstanding biopic, beautifully filmed in Kenya.  Two complaints, though:  First, the torture scenes are vivid enough to keep young kids from watching this film, - a film that offers wonderful lessons about the value of an education.  Second, several references to the Obamas are silly; all of this happened before he/they were on the front burner of American politics.

You get a good sense of the struggles Maruge endured in flashbacks to his youth and days of being a fighter for independence.  It’s a moving story of perseverance.  If this film does not move you to tears, there’s little hope for you.

9 stars

STAGE BEAUTY (2004):  Claire Danes struts her stuff as England’s first female actress, pushing aside Billy Crudup, who was the most celebrated “lady” of the stage.  Rupert Everett plays a whacky King Charles who’s convinced by his mistress to allow women to perform on stage.

The fun ensemble cast include Tom Wilkinson and Hugh Bonneville (prior to becoming Lord Grantham of Downton Abbey fame).

Much better than I would have thought (it won the Phoenix Film Critics Society award as the Most Overlooked Film of the Year!); perhaps the poor man’s Shakespeare in Love (which won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture).

7½ stars