christine

Christine

“Christine” is based on the story of Christine Chubbuck (Hall), an investigative news reporter in Florida, where she lived with her mother, Peg (Smith-Cameron).  The most compelling part , and it is fascinating, of this sluggish film is watching people behind the scenes at a news station in the 1970’s, work with the tools they had to work with to run the news in the pre-digital age.  They were still cutting film together before the advent of video tape and it’s especially interesting watching them scramble to put a segment together last minute from the very expensive film they were then using.  This is where we find, Christine; behind the eight-ball, unhappy at work and depressed.  Her editor, Mike (Letts), wants Christine to do more “exploitive” work.  Mike wants his reporters to work on stories that have grit; stories that sensationalize and grab the attention of the audience.  What she wants is to be taken seriously by the public and do good work; work that will get her a promotion.

She struggles with the difference between what he wants and what she believes is right and when she finds out she has a tumor, Christine insists she leave her mark on the world even quicker.  Sadly, the film doesn’t concentrate on one subject long enough to give her one true and distinctive reason to be banal.  She’s unhappy but what can bring a person to be so tormented to bring them to do what she ultimately does?  She gives her editor what he wants, though.  She gives him a gripping story and a television first.

The film does exploit what eventually happens to Christine.  She gave Mike his story and she got the attention she dreamed of at the same time.  Unfortunately, the film depicts her as the coldest and most dreary individual ever born, with incredibly dry and humdrum dialogue.  Too dull that it becomes fatiguing to actually watch.

She gives her editor what he wants, though.  She gives him a gripping story and a television first.
Shari K. Green

Sr. Film Writer and Community Manager, tmc.io

Learning that Christine had never had love in her life, never had a sexual relationship and clearly was not able to cope with the cards she was dealt any longer that she commits suicide on television for all to see, got people to tune into the news and might be what gets you to tune into this, however, had director, Campos, concentrated on how Christine could get to this point and gone back further in her life, rather than jump all over the place, (even making it unclear as to exactly who Peg was at first), “Christine” could have had you more engrossed in the story, in who she was and quite heartbroken when she takes her life; rather than just mildly touched, a bit surprised and not sure of the films true purpose.

Inferno

Dan Brown as authored three books with a protagonist named Robert Langdon; ‘The Da Vinci Code’, ‘Angels & Demons’ and ‘Inferno’. All have now been made into a movie with Tom Hanks playing Langdon. The most recent ‘Inferno’ uses imagery from Dante’s description of Hell. So now the audience knows what they are in for…

Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) is a famous professor at Harvard. Yet he wakes up in a hospital room in Florence, Italy. He has no memory of the last few days. Dr. Sienna Brooks (Felicity Jones) has been helping take care of him, but there is an assassin who comes in and attempts to kill Langdon. Brooks helps Langdon escape.

After much lengthy exposition, they find clues to a super virus designed by a mad biologist-billionaire named Bertrand Zobrist (Ben Foster). He planted a virus to wipe out 90% of humanity. Zobrist was being chased by international agents of the World Health Organization (WHO), and when cornered, he killed himself rather than reveal the location of the deadly virus.

Zorbist hired a super-secret security firm run by Harry Sims (Irrfan Khan). They were supposed to carry out his final wishes, but Sims finds out that the virus will be fatal to most of the world’s population. So he joins forces with the head of WHO, named Elizabeth Sinskey (Sidse Babett Knudsen). She does not trust him, but she has no choice.

Christoph Bouchard (Omar Sy) finds Langdon and Brooks, and he wants to know the location of the virus. He lied about working for WHO, because he wants the virus to sell it on the black market. Langdon and Brooks go from Florence to Venice, and then to Istanbul. Langdon uses his special knowledge of ancient history and symbols to find the location of the virus.

If this all sounds fascinating and exciting, then you would be mistaken. The characters exist only to spout off overheated rhetoric and exposition. Every conceivable situation feels contrived and over-the-top. People know way too much about ancient languages and historical artifacts. Main characters seem to change in a blink of an eye from a reasonable person to money-hungry would-be arms dealer or even a Zobrist inspired bio-terrorist.

Every person in this movie has difficulty being believable, but mostly that is because the story line makes them say and do things that are absurd. Irrfan Khan comes off the best, because his character is somewhat mysterious and morally ambiguous. Tom Hanks has a lot of dialog, but he appears to ‘sleep talk’ his way through it all. Felicity Jones is weighed down with an improbable switch of her character arc midway in the movie.

There is a lot of talking and running, and going from one museum or city to another. There is much movement, but very little in plot development. The major bad guy has committed suicide at the beginning of the movie, and he is not around to fight against Langdon. There is a supposed prior love interest of Langdon’s that is brought up, and that never is resolved. Many doors are opened, but nothing comes from any of it.

Dante’s Inferno was his representation of Hell, put down in words. The movie ‘Inferno’ is just a reimagining of the same Hell, but as a movie experience.

Oasis: Supersonic

Oasis: Supersonic

Ever wonder what happened to the British pop group that came up with the smash hit song “Wonderwall” and why it happened?  Wonder no more and take a peek over that wall and into the lives of the band Oasis and the often contentious and belligerent Gallagher brothers, Liam and Noel.  Executive producer Asif Kapadi, director of Academy Award winning “Amy”, the Amy Winehouse biopic, along with director Mat Whitecross, saw a good story in the band that rose too fast and peaked too soon and worked with clips of the band on their rise to the top.

They gathered snippets and collages of interviews and behind the scenes videos and with effective and creative editing came up with an inexplicably engaging documentary you’ll most likely want to watch for the soul reason you might have asked yourself some time ago, ‘What’s their story?’  It’s all here in this documentary “Oasis: Supersonic” that the brothers helped to produce but still couldn’t work together enough to dub their voiceover tracks together.  Well, they’re still Liam and Noel who, perhaps forever, will look back in anger at one another but not regret a thing as their time in the band, good or bad, gave them the best experiences they could have hoped for… which was everything they dreamed of.

The film catches a lot of bitter moments but it also lets you in on how such passionate music came from these two creative souls.  They became who they did because of an abusive father who abandoned them and because sibling rivalry, which was always an issue.  There are five years between them but they seem more like twins, calling themselves “head-cases”.  They have an older brother, Paul, who Noel is a year younger than, that you see a few times but it’s clear these two were close once they started to share a love of music.  Liam, who seems to be the more erratic of the two, wants to thank the person who hit him over the head with a hammer for it was this moment his melodic future was born.  Noel, the songwriter, released his anger toward his father over abuse, stating that he, ‘beat the talent into me.’

The film spans their 1994 debut through the inevitable breakup in 2009 as it shifts from bad moments to good; from members that come and go and the beautiful music that happened in between.  During the journey you see the fans who worshipped them and the people who wanted their money and how both affected them greatly.  The press could be cruel to them for saying what they wanted to, when they wanted to and doing what they wanted to when they wanted to but that was them.  They were rock and roll stars and weren’t going to be controlled… not even by each other.  In the end, the good outweighed the bad and I’d have to say that for this, as well.  In fact, there is no bad.  It’s a fantastic documentary and if you’re a fan of Oasis music, it’s one to add to your movie collection.  This will have you praying they get back together.  The thought that excites me is that they watch this and think that very same thing themselves.  Let’s hope!  They can’t go off into the Champagne Supernova just yet.

american-pastoral

American Pastoral

Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning Phillip Roth novel of the same name, “American Pastoral” follows an American family through a personal tragedy; the ultimate reason for it and result of it being very much the focus of that generation of American youth and the young generation of today.  In the 1960’s there were protests over war and protests for the rights of African Americans that got incredibly violent but there was something else going on with many of the protestors that went deeper than the known movements.  “American Pastoral” is a very powerful film about a father, Seymour ‘Swede’ Levov (McGregor) attempting to save his daughter amidst this chaos and ultimately save her from herself.

At a very young age, Merry (Fanning) felt she was in competition with her mother Dawn (Connelly) for her father’s attention.  This assertion needed a defense and she developed a stutter that her perfect mother didn’t have but which Merry always garnered pity and sympathy.  Though very young, she was aware of self.  Merry knew what she wanted; believing that, ‘life is just a short space of time in which you are alive.’  She lived her life with this frame of mind and still quite early in her mental development she witnesses, on television, the Vietnamese Buddhist Monk who burned himself to death in Saigon.  The reason the man did this was because to protest the South Vietnamese Diem regime’s pro-Catholic policies and its banning of the Buddhist flag.  This leaves a heavy impression on Merry and she grows into an angry young woman filled with guilt for her parents’ wealth, self-condemnation for living the good life when so many others have nothing and a general hatred for all things, making it difficult for her parents to know who she truly is.  She suddenly disappears after a post office bombing that leaves one man dead.  Her parents start to fall apart as the accusations and evidence against Merry begins to grow.  They begin to change during this process and the story goes from a sweet loving family to one divided as Seymour never gives up on finding his daughter, ultimately clearing her name and helping her.  When he finds his darling child and she admits her guilt, he still refuses to give up on her, loving her through the wrong she’s done and the shame she feels toward herself for being born.

Ewan McGregor gives a stirring performance and captivates the audience in his directorial debut.
Shari K. Green

Sr. Film Writer and Community Manager, tmc.io

Ewan McGregor gives a stirring performance and captivates the audience in his directorial debut.  What little you see of Fanning is compelling and she, as well as her characters chilling beliefs, leaves an impression on you that is hard to shake.  Outside of the unnecessary narration and how the story begins, which is a conversation at a reunion, the movie is powerful and haunting.  This will be considered for nominations this year as it speaks to past civil unrest and what we’re still going through in present day.    

Logan Official Trailer

Set in the future, Logan and Professor Charles Xavier must cope with the loss of the X-Men when a corporation lead by Nathaniel Essex is destroying the world leaving it to destruction, with Logan’s healing abilities slowly fading away and Xavier’s Alzheimer’s forcing him to forget. Logan must defeat Nathaniel Essex with the help of a young girl named Laura Kinney, a female clone of Wolverine.

Assassin’s Creed Official Trailer #2

Through a revolutionary technology that unlocks his genetic memories, Callum Lynch (Michael Fassbender) experiences the adventures of his ancestor, Aguilar, in 15th Century Spain. Callum discovers he is descended from a mysterious secret society, the Assassins, and amasses incredible knowledge and skills to take on the oppressive and powerful Templar organization in the present day.

ASSASSIN’S CREED stars Academy Award® nominee Michael Fassbender (X-Men: Days of Future Past, 12 Years a Slave) and Academy Award winner Marion Cotillard (The Dark Knight Rises, La Vie en Rose). The film is directed by Justin Kurzel (Snowtown, Macbeth); produced by New Regency, Ubisoft Motion Pictures, DMC Films and Kennedy/Marshall; co-financed by RatPac Entertainment and Alpha Pictures; and distributed by 20th Century Fox. 

american-honey

American Honey

American Honey is sweet and wholesome; the film that bares that name is anything but.  It’s a raw portrayal of a slice of Americana that we want to believe doesn’t exist; that we prefer not to think about.  It’s captured with intimate camera work that masterfully puts its audience in the story with, even as, the lead character, Star (Lane).  Lane is a newcomer and does a stellar job of giving us a peek at Arnold’s idea of the challenges the young people in America face today trying to know one another and know themselves.  With particular interest cast on the poor youth of this nation, the story can be uncomfortable to watch.  They are expected to raise themselves and their siblings, while also having to try and keep up with the fast paced and changing world of technology that they might not be able to afford.  It’s true that text messaging and social media has kept us from speaking face to face, this is not so in Stars life.  She sees day to day what matters and faces some daily confrontations most never have.  She is also very aware of the planet and understands the need to save it… one honey bee at a time.  The environment and trying to save it is a very powerful message throughout the film, which does not go by unnoticed.

 

Star has strong convictions but she’s not otherwise worldly.  When she joins an enthusiastic and somewhat feral group of young traveling magazine salesman, she meets who might be her first love, Jake (LaBeouf), who she surprises with her confidence and her ability to love.  She’s wide eyed, has never been anywhere outside of town and hasn’t seen much, but that doesn’t mean she’s easy.  Fighting off advances from family members and being witness to countless problems befall her family she’s aggressive and fierce when she needs to be.  Taking on the task of sales, she tries the honest route instead of allowing Jake to teach her the way their boss Krystal (Keough, granddaughter of Elvis Presley) wants her to sell.  She’s unorthodox but gets it done.  Being stubborn and bullheaded does land her in some hot water more than once, however, watching this naïve girl grow up and become a part of something and discover herself as she bounces from city to city is incredibly fascinating… even though you cringe a few times.

The soundtrack, one I’d like to own, by the way, feeds the mood, especially the moment when the title song, “American Honey” by Lady Antebellum, is played and the entire crew sings with it.  The actors who expertly pull you into the narrative turn the movie into a musical from time to time and make it more relatable and moving.  The length is never an issue, in fact, I never once thought I was watching an almost three hour long movie.

Several scenes are surprisingly pornographic but they fall in line with the organic ambiance of the film.  It’s compelling, novel, and peculiar and about as uncommon as they come, which is why I celebrate this work and suggest you go to a theatre this weekend to examine it for yourself.

It’s one of the best films of the year.  

Why Him? Official Red Band Trailer

Over the holidays, Ned (Bryan Cranston), an overprotective but loving dad and his family visit his daughter at Stanford, where he meets his biggest nightmare: her well-meaning but socially awkward Silicon Valley billionaire boyfriend, Laird (James Franco). A rivalry develops, and Ned’s panic level goes through the roof when he finds himself lost in this glamorous high-tech world and learns that Laird is about to pop the question.