Reviews
CONTRABAND, ACTION ADDICT’S DELIGHT
I can see why Contraband has been set for release in January, with December being action/adventure…
CARNAGE, Wit Wars
Bizarre and yet a tasty morsel, Carnage is one of those ‘fly on the wall’ films where in this case you get to watch the decay of one’s social skills and can laugh without them hearing you. It’s four stellar actors in a room with a very wacky script and a tall order of ego, all moving in opposite directions over a simple solution.
THE IRON LADY, A GIFTED PERFORMANCE
With a genuinely gifted performance, Meryl Streep depicts Margaret Thatcher one of the world’s greatest leaders in The Iron Lady. Thatcher served as the longest serving Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and during some of the most trying times. If you like biographies, real life stores and historical happenings, The Iron Lady is a must see.
JOYFUL NOISE, A HEAVENLY SOUND
If you have some time, want some cool entertainment and like updated gospel music then sit-in on Joyful Noise, a very entertaining musical. Director Todd Graff keeps the story simple, predictable yet enjoyable with a glowing cast, hip tunes and amazing vocals.
THE SCORPION KING 3, ON DVD AND BLU-RAY
Not the best of the three in the series, but still entertaining for those who like fantasy adventure films. The Scorpion King 3: Battle for Redemption, the third in the series that started with The Scorpion King (2002) seems to have hit the budget crunch with the lack of good CGI, low-grade special effects, a novice director and inferior make-up. Although it has other downfalls, the movie should screen well with male teens.
TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY, It’s Mind-Numbing
The British movie Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is not for everyone. It’s a mind-numbing film for audiences that crave an involving storyline, can deal with British accents and are into the underpinning of espionage that fueled The Cold War in the 1970’s.
Top Ten Movies for 2011
In 2011 I saw nearly 250 USA released films, not counting the Independent offers viewed at film festivals or sent to my home for comment. This was no year to brag about with too many sequels, enough superhero’s to save two planets, repetitious story lines, not enough good drama, a lot of raunchy romance with more skin and sex than in an art house, very few box-office blowouts, a small number of good acting newcomers, and some bad performances by our legends.
WAR HORSE, Emotional War Tale
[LARGE post]
Steven Spielberg adds another holiday film to the mix, but this one tends to skew higher on the age scale due the violence and cruelty. The film called War Horse has a bountiful cast of good actors, a bold story and brilliant cinematography that sometimes seems ‘too’ real. Although targeted to young boys, the film gets a little too strong for immature adolescents. For acting and story however, the movie is a must see.