Savages

Last night I did not have any type of movie in mind to watch. The first listed movie on HBO GO was Savages, an Oliver Stone movie. I thought that I probably could not go wrong with an Oliver Stone movie, but was intrigued by the title, Savages. I found that it is not your normal Oliver Stone movie, but I enjoyed it even with all of its graphic violence. Savages stars  Blake Lively, Taylor Kitsch, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Benicio Del Toro, and Salma Hayek.

Best friends pacifist Ben (Johnson) and former Afghanistan soldier Chon (Kitsch) have made a lot of money in a thriving marijuana business in Laguna Beach.  Ben and Chon share their fortune plus a beautiful woman named O (Lively). Offered an opportunity to join a powerful Mexican drug cartel run by Elena (Hayek), the boys decide to close up shop rather than agree to such a dangerous union, forcing Elena to intensify her demands by sending enforcer Lado (Del Toro) to kidnap O, using this brazen act to bend Chon and Ben to her will. Unwilling to abandon their love, the pair work out a way to steal money from the cartel to pay for O’s release, only to watch the situation spiral out of control. Left with few options, Chon and Ben work the angles to outwit Elena and Lado, hoping to secure their freedom and O using information provided by crooked FBI Agent Dennis (John Travolta) and hacker banker Spin. 

You can see things are somewhat convoluted in this film, but I still recommend action-packed flick.

The Host

While perusing movies to watch last night I came across The Host. It sounded familiar, and, with a little thought, I realized that I had read The Host, a novel by Stephenie Meyer. One of the reasons I remembered is that it was one of the first e-books I read on my Kindle, just after they were released in 2009. The Host stars Saoirse Ronan, Diane Kruger, and Max Irons.

As the movie opens, we are informed that the world has been invaded by a peculiar species of parasite that enters a body through a slit in the neck and eradicates the host's personality. Humans are now an endangered species, with well over 99% of Earth's population having been converted. The remaining people, small clusters of rebels, are scattered and largely impotent. One of these dissidents, Melanie Stryder (Ronan), is captured by a "Seeker" (Kruger) when attempting to distract the aliens from finding her brother, Jamie, and lover, Jared (Irons). Melanie becomes the host for an alien named Wanderer and the two struggle for control of her mind. Eventually, they reach a state of detente; when the Seeker threatens to remove Wanderer from Melanie's body, she escapes and goes in search of the rebels, who are led by her uncle, Jeb (William Hurt). When she finds them, she is not given a friendly welcome. 

The movie closely follows the book which means that it is about average. It is one of those movies that is neither good nor bad. You may want to see this movie if you like sci-fi romance flick.

The Age of Innocence

Last night I was interested in seeing a mega-picture, and I selected The Age of Innocence, Edith Wharton's novel, directed by Martin Scorsese and staring Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Winona Ryder. What I saw was a masterpiece. All components of The Age of Innoncence are superb. Few movies can you watch and enjoy at so many levels. However such films are not for everyone, and if you lack an appreciation for subtlety then you may want to see something else.

Michelle Pfeiffer plays Ellen Olenska, a neo-feminist who flees from her failing European marriage to the home of her blood relatives in 1870's New York society. She has been away for most of her life and the States are foreign to her, but she quickly realizes that she is viewed as threat. Daniel Day-Lewis plays Newland Archer, an up-and-rising patriarch who sees something in her that no one else in his rich circle could offer him: an independent viewpoint to life. As a lawyer and a powerful member of his family, he bravely tries to protect Ellen from basically everyone, especially members of their own family. Despite all of her difficulties, Countess Olenska refuses to part from her individuality: she smokes in front of Newland, does not hide from men in social situations, and criticizes her surroundings. Archer doesn't necessarily fall in love with her as a person but with what she represents: Romanticism and escape.

There is a lot to like about this film, which is more like a piece of art than a movie. Every scene and every bit of dialogue denotes elegance and brutality simultaneously. I highly recommend this movie.

Dark Matter

When I found Dark Matter, a film about a Chinese graduate student in cosmology, I thought that it would be something that I might like. Not until I watched Dark Matter did I discover that it was based on a tragic true story. It stars Meryl Streep, Ye Liu, and Peng Chi. However, Mery Streep only plays a secondary role in this movie.

Dark Matter follows Liu Xing (Liu Ye), a brilliant student of cosmology from Beijing University. Liu is one of several elite students chosen by the Chinese government to study in the United States. He becomes the protege of Jacob Reiser (Aidan Quinn), a leading cosmology professor. In letters to his mother, shown toiling as a laborer in grimy industrial settings, Liu writes of his academic triumphs. But as the initially harmonious relationship between him and Reiser begins to sour, Liu, who dreams of winning the Nobel Prize and marrying a blond American, starts telling fantasies.

The unraveling begins when Liu innocently challenges Reiser’s theories about dark matter and the Big Bang theory, foolishly imagining that Reiser will be impressed by his originality of thought. Reiser, offended by what he views as Liu’s disloyalty and feeling his own career threatened by Liu’s radical theories, angrily lectures him about waiting for his turn and being a team player. Then he sets about sabotaging his protege’s future. The consequences are dire.

That is all I will say, but I did see one or two fellow graduate students who, like Liu, were far more intelligent then some of ourr professors. This always creates problems.

I recommend Dark Matter if you like a "dark" drama.

The Lucky One

I knew what I was getting into last night when I watched The Lucky One and I saw

 in the opening credits that it was written by Nicolas Sparks. His books/movies are all predictable which is neither good or bad. With that being said I enjoyed the story and the acting. It stars Zac Efron, Taylor Schilling, and Blythe Danner. Both Efron and Schilling did a great acting job in The Lucky One.

In Iraq, the marine Sergeant Logan (Efron) finds the photo of a young woman with the message "Keep Safe X" on the back in the debris of a construction and he keeps it in his pocket. His action saves his life from a mortar fire and he believes that the girl is his guarding angel that protects him.

When he returns to Colorado, he has difficulties to adjust to the civilian life with his sister's family and he decides to seek out the woman. Logan researches the landscape and finds that the place is Hamden, in Louisiana, and he walks with his dog Zeus to Hamden. 

He discovers that the woman is Beth Green (Taylor Schilling), who is the owner of the Green Kennels with her grandmother Ellie (Blythe Danner). When Logan meets Beth, he is unable to tell the reason why he had traveled to Hamden. She assumes that he wants a job that she had advertised and Ellis gives the job to Logan. Soon Logan befriends Beth's son Ben (Riley Thomas Stewart) and becomes close to the family. But her former husband, Sheriff Keith Clayton (Jay R. Ferguson) does not want to make Logan's life easy.

I have said enough. Watch The Lucky One if you enjoy a well-acted romantic drama.

Monsieur Lazhar 

Last night I decided to watch Monsieur Lazhar, a Canadian film in French. I thought I was selecting a good flick because, Monsieur Lazhar was nominated for an Academy Award, which it did not win, but it won a bunch of other movie awards around the world. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this sad movie. Monsieur Lazhar stars Mohamed Fellag, Sophie Nélisse, and Émilien Néron.

What happens when a class of 6th graders lose their beloved teacher to suicide? What happens when an Algerian immigrant applies to be their new teacher in a culture he is just beginning to understand? What is behind the teacher's stillness, his smile and his sad eyes? This film is about love and loss, but also about hope. 

Monsieur Lazhar has a striking opening scene. It is Simon's day to pick up cartons of milk and deliver them to his Montreal fourth-grade classroom before the school day begins. Looking in through the door, he realizes that his teacher has hung herself from a ceiling pipe. Only one other student sees this before the teachers usher all the students back into the playground.

This incident, reported in a Quebec newspaper, is the inspiration for Bachir Lazhar (Fellag) to present himself at the school principal's office and volunteer to teach the class. He is a legal immigrant from Algeria, he explains, where he taught primary school for 19 years. The principal is Mme. Vaillancourt, who like most school administrators these days, is rigid in conforming to the rules. Hiring Monsieur Lazhar is a bit of an excursion for her, but he is a well-spoken, presentable man and makes a good impression.

That's all that I will reveal. I highly recommend this movie.

Closer 

Last night I was flipping through the HBO GO selections and I ran across Closer. I thought why not watch this movie that has four really good actors,  Julia Roberts, Jude Law, Natalie Portman, and Clive Owen and was directed by Mike Nichols. What I saw was an excellent film with much to discuss. So what is the storyline of Closer?

Alice (Portman), a former stripper, is hit by a car in London as she forgets to look right. Dan (Law) comes to her rescue and guides her to the hospital before guiding her into his life. Dan writes obituaries but soon finds a novel in himself thanks to Alice. While shooting the photo for his book he falls for the photographer Anna (Roberts) who pulls back from him given that he's with Alice. For revenge Dan sets up Larry (Owen) in an internet sex chat room to meet Anna thinking this will embarrass him and her. Cupid backfires thus throwing Larry and Anna into a relationship of their own.

What is the nature of each of these characters? Alice is presented as a young girl in need of saving, literally. Anna is a strong, independent artist who seems smart in her career and choices. Dan is a struggling, sensitive writer in search of a muse, someone to inspire and rescue. Larry is a sex-obsessed dermatologist and self-described caveman. With that being said, this is a film that focuses less on these individuals, and more on the relationships between those individuals. If the four characters in Closer were represented by four points on a map, this movie would be a study of the lines that cross between those points, rather than the points themselves. 

Closer pulls no punches when it comes to the ugly side of romance, of commitment, of love and of the need to be loved. I recommend that you see this interesting and thought-provoking film.

From Time to Time

When I saw a movie that stars Maggie Smith and Hugh Bonneville on Amazon Prime, I knew that I had to watch From Time to Time. If you do not know, both of the above are cast members of Downton Abbey. I very much enjoyed seeing this movie even though it has ghosts! What is the story?

 From Time to Time takes place in two time periods, World War II and the Napoleonic wars. Thus, we get the name for this film. In 1944 a young boy called Tolly is sent to stay with his Granny (Smith) in her old manor house while he waits for news of his father who is missing in action. Granny fears she will have to sell the house, and the movie has that air of pining for a lifestyle that can no longer be maintained. The family jewels, much of the family's wealth, were lost in the fire that destroyed half the house in the early 19th century. Tolly periodically escapes into this world and meets kind Captain Oldelknow (Bonneville), his lovely daughter Susan, and her helper, an escaped slave boy called Jacob. Together they fight the evil butler Caxton and Susan's resentful brother Sefton. 

I sincerely recommend this delightful movie.

The Bourne Legacy

I noticed that HBO GO was showing The Bourne Legacy so I decided to watch it last night. I was expecting much and I got the usual action adventure flick. What I did like was the acting of the two principal actors, Jeremy Renner and Rachel Weisz. I did not like the unidimensional role of a really good actor Edward Norton. The Bourne Legacy confused me throughout because I was expecting Jason Bourne. What I found was that Matt Damon is not here, but his Jason Bourne is on the sidelines, appearing as a phantom in documents and news reports, and spoken about in hushed tones.

The focus is Aaron Cross (Renner), another super-secret agent of the same ilk who takes special green and blue pills that give him a genetic edge. When he loses the pills in the field, he has to get more before his brain and body shut down.

Meanwhile, his covert operation is being terminated; all of its agents are being killed. He makes his way to the home of scientist Marta Shearing (Weisz), who likewise survived an attack on her lab. Together, hunted all the way, they escape to Manila, to another lab where they can make Aaron a permanent super-spy.

Well I had my fill of a Hollywood action/adventure flicks for a long time. I can only recommend The Bourne Legacy if you are in the mood for such a movie.

The Crying Game 

For some reason that I cannot remember I did not see The Crying Game when in was released in 1992. I decided to watch it last night. What I saw could best be called a masterpiece. It is a very special, powerful movie. Few movies reach the level of intensity as The Crying Game. It was nominated for a bunch of Oscars and won only one. I wonder why. It stars Forest Whitaker, and Miranda Richardson, Stephen Rea.

The Crying Game begins in Northern Ireland, where an IRA team takes a British soldier named Jody (Whitaker) as prisoner. Among the team of terrorists is the quiet Fergus (Rea), and the seductive Jude (Richardson), who guard Jody in an isolated forest shelter. As Fergus guards Jody, the two converse and develop somewhat of a relationship. Jody knows that his tragic fate nears, and shows Fergus a photograph of his romantic interest, Dil (Jaye Davidson), who lives in London. Jody asks Fergus to find Dil and tell her his fate after he was shot. Things soon go badly when the kidnapping turns incredibly ugly. As a result Fergus leaves the IRA and flees to London.

With a new identity and a job where the boss constantly chews him out, Fergus (now known as Jimmy) seeks out Dil, who works as a hairdresser. Jimmy falls madly in love with Dil, hiding his part in the death of Jody. What Jimmy does not know is the Dil is hiding something major from him.

Jude, now brunette and dressed to kill, finds Fergus and forces him into a suicide mission. This draws Dil into the mix, and leads into a nasty situation when Dil finds out the connection between "Jimmy" and Jude.

I guess I have said too much but this is a movie that you want to see, not only for the story, but with the perfection in almost all aspects of this film.