Thank You for Your Service – Movie Review

Thank You for Your Service centers around three servicemen Schumann (Teller), Solo (Koale) and Waller (Cole) when they’re discharged from the Army after serving together in Iraq.  It starts by showing an incident that haunted each of them when it happened and also now that they’re out.  In 2007, they’re caught on a roof being shot at by a sniper when a soldier named Emory (Haze) is struck in the head.  Schumann tries his best to save him.  He advances down some stairs, carrying Emory on his shoulders.  Unfortunately, before Schumann gets to the bottom of the steps and out the door, he drops him.  With the taste of Emory’s blood in his mouth, it’s a moment he’s having a hard time forgetting.

We don’t see a lot of combat in the movie because the purpose of the film is not to show you a battle on the field but the battle each soldier has upon returning home.  We see the issues they have due to the stress they were under either in combat themselves or what they saw returning from the frontlines.  Not wanting to admit they need it but realizing they do, the struggles they have trying to get care for themselves is colossal.  The significance of the film is to tell the citizens of this nation that soldiers aren’t given help immediately just because they need it.  Tangled in a bureaucracy of red tape, administrators and office after office travel, they have to fight just as hard to be heard and to be helped with their afflictions in America as they did in the deserts overseas.  They also find their own homes not to be the same place as when they left.

Schumann is a married father of two.  He was in charge of his unit of a dozen men and his expertise was looking for bombs everywhere they traveled, something he may never stop doing for the rest of his life.  Waller, about to marry his longtime girlfriend, can’t wait to get home.  Thinking about his impending nuptials is what gets him through from one day to the next.  On their trip back to the states, he talks to his buddies about the wedding.  Then there’s Solo who doesn’t actually want to leave the Army but due to memory loss and other problems after this last deployment, the Army questions his fitness to return.

All three feel the anxiety and pressure of having been at war and should get help now that they’re stateside, right?  This film shows the sad reality that people willing to die for their country are treated with respect while serving but forgotten about when they’re no longer under fire.

It’s hard enough for them to admit they need help but when they turn to find it and are told to take a number, for one it’s too late and it’s heartbreaking to see the others fight to get any help for the PTSD they obviously have.

Solo reveals he’d rather have missing limbs than to have to endure what is going on in his mind any longer; he doesn’t feel like a war hero because he doesn’t look like one.  Each man hides the truth deep inside especially Solo who thinks himself a lesser man for being harmed mentally, not physically.  He’s filled with anger and frustration when an event they lived through continues to attack him.  Eventually, he attacks back, to whoever is around.  Koale does an outstanding job portraying a man breaking down inside, trying diligently to hold onto who he once was; hardly recognizing his past, unable to see his future.

Schumann’s wife Saskia (Bennett) works rigorously to get her solid and stoic husband to open up and tell her what’s wrong but having to be in control on the battlefield is so deeply ingrained in his psyche, he refuses to show any weakness now, even for her.  Finally, after and a wake-up call and some soul-searching, he calls a number he was given to a location in California that can help men in their position and Schumann takes the first step to getting them the help they need.  I won’t reveal what happens to them during the course of the film but see this to understand how important each of us is to a Veteran, and why.  Also, stay to see some images of the people on which the story was based.

The Killing of a Sacred Deer

The Killing of a Sacred Deer might be one of the hardest films to review.  It was a brilliantly haunting and dark thriller that sent chills down my spine as it built to a very creepy climatic ending.  I’m not sure what I saw because the experience of watching it was not unlike being inside of a dream or a nightmare.  Not so much in that the film is scary or filled with blood and gore or that it overuses scenes of a sadistic nature but it leads you inward and you root around alone in the dark for two hours caught somewhere between who you were when you sat down to watch the film and who you are when you stand up to walk away from the screen.  In fact, you might not be able to stand right away.  As if under a trance of some sort, you will still be in the grips of the story and these characters; still be controlled by whatever it is that controls the characters themselves.

The movie was hypnotic, the music and cinematography were masterful.  In fact, as the film opens, a black screen playing breathtakingly beautiful music crescendos to a beating heart during surgery, something you fixate on a bit, reveling in its importance to you and to everyone.  Though the heart is tucked away unseen, it is you, it is me yet there it is… so vulnerable.  ‘What must you be in for next??’, assaults your imagination as you look away from the screen barely able to watch the all-important and unquestionably magnificent organ do its thing.  

Soon we meet the characters, which are few.  Each is so awkward and basic they’re almost underdeveloped but you’re now within the world where director Lanthimos basks.  What made this film so much more unique than most you see is the language that is used.  The way the script was written and how the actors speak makes you feel as if you were witnessing a normal family but from another plane, unlike your own… maybe you were fantasizing all of this or peering into the future?  The application of an almost ‘Queens English’ style of language is so little used in modern society that hearing an entire movie dedicate its speech pattern to it may sound exotic, but it does take a toll on you, however, the movie couldn’t have the effect on you that it will had not every piece been in play so anything that may seem like a flaw works in its favor.

Steven (Farrell) and his wife Anna (Kidman), are the parents of a teenage daughter named Kim (Cassidy) and a young son named Bob (Suljic).  We see that all is well and their lives are fairly routine.  There’s nothing that stands out as unusual, people are just going through the motions until we meet who Steven, a Cardiologist, sees on a regular basis.  Martin, played exceedingly well by Barry Keoghan (Dunkirk), a lonely, possibly mentally impeded young man that Steven spends some of his days with comes into the picture.   After the death of Martin’s father, Steven becomes a father figure and gives the boy gifts and has meals and conversations with him when he’s asked to.  He has Martin over for dinner and Steven introduces him to his family who seems to like Martin right away, especially Kim who takes a particular interest.  Scenes like this play out for half the film and in the back of your mind you know something is wrong but what is it?!  As time passes, the cinematography by Thimios Bakatakis, who has worked with Lanthimos before, becomes more engrossing.  Camera angles get stranger, the music gets more intense and piercing and before long we are told why we have that strange prickling in the back of our necks. 

This is a story of ‘an eye for an eye’ and its revelation is presented so matter-of-factly that you’ll be creeped out by Keoghan to such a degree you may never be able to see him in any other way again.  It’s safe to assume that we are not seeing mere people at this point but instead good and evil.  Each actor portrays an important role in detailing the struggles of being one and fighting another; their eyes so intense that they practically leave an imprint on the screen when it cuts to the next shot.  The systematic breaking down of the children’s father and protector is regarded as nothing more than absurd and futile which brings you to feel uneasy, but Farrell does his best to make it seem he has control.  The acting here is outstanding.  Keoghan is very calculating and incredibly unsettling.  Kidman is his opposite; protecting her children at all costs whether they want it or not.  Though I felt the ending was a bit contrived, an ending for ending’s sake, this is a must see this weekend if you can handle the haunting tone.  If you liked The Lobster see The Killing of a Sacred Deer in the theatre as soon as possible.  It will show up during award season, for that I am sure.

“Only the Brave” Red Carpet Event PHOTOS

The cast of the ‘Only the Brave’, based on the true story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots made an appearance at Harkins Tempe Marketplace for a special red carpet screening.  The screening was also filled with Arizona firefighters and first responders.

The cast appearances included Josh Brolin, Miles Teller, James Badge Dale, Director Joseph Kosinski as well as Dierks Bentley, who wrote ‘Hold the Light’, a song featured in the film.  The public was welcome to come out to watch the event and even met some of their favorite stars.   

Photos by: Steven Fellheimer        

About Columbia Pictures’ ONLY THE BRAVE

It’s not what stands in front of you… it’s who stands beside you. Only the Brave, based on the true story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, is the heroic story of one unit of local firefighters that through hope, determination, sacrifice, and the drive to protect families, communities, and our country became one of the most elite firefighting teams in the nation.  As most of us run from danger, they run toward it – they watch over our lives, our homes, everything we hold dear, as they forge a unique brotherhood that comes into focus with one fateful fire.

The film stars Josh Brolin, Miles Teller, Jeff Bridges, James Badge Dale, with Taylor Kitsch and Jennifer Connelly. Directed by Joseph Kosinski and written by Ken Nolan and Eric Warren Singer, based upon the GQ Article “No Exit” by Sean Flynn, the film is produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Michael Menchel, Erik Howsam, Molly Smith, Thad Luckinbill, Trent Luckinbill, Dawn Ostroff, and Jeremy Steckler.

HERE is our review of the film.

To learn more about ONLY THE BRAVE and how you can support the wildland firefighter communities through THE GRANITE MOUNTAIN FUND, go tohttp://www.onlythebrave-movie.com/site/

Killing Gunther movie review

The opening scene for Killing Gunther, including the credits, is fantastic.  It sets up the story perfectly.  Right away, we learn that the film is coming from the point of view of a documentary crew.  This film is that documentary.  Blake (Killam) is a contract killer who hired the crew for proof of his actions.  He explains that Gunther (Schwarzenegger) is at the top of the contract killing business, the king so to speak, and if you’re going to dethrone the king as Blake plans to do, you’re going to need the proof that you had been the one that took him out.

Blake proceeds to explain how he plans to do this.  The reason he feels he’ll be successful is that he has put together a team of people he knows will get the job done.  There’s Donnie (Moynihan) a man good at killing but not at relationships.  Not surprisingly, he’s mostly comic relief.  There’s Sanaa (Simone) who started killing at the age of eight.  She wants to be recognized for her skills not for being her deadly father’s daughter.  Watch out for his character.  When he, whose nickname is ‘The Nightmare,’ enthusiastically fawns all over his daughter, he’s absolutely priceless.  There’s a young hacker, a ‘human computer’ named Gabe (Brittian) who’s new to the group.  He joined because there’s more money in all of this than just your ‘standard hacking.’  We also meet Ashley (Sixto) who doesn’t show up too much.  I’ll let the film explain the reason why.  With Ashley, who Blake introduces as his secret weapon, being on the team, he’s convinced there’s no way he can fail at his mission.

When a problem arises and Blake needs an extra man, he puts the word out that he needs someone.  There are some very witty moments while he interviews some candidates for the job, especially when the criminals realize they’re being filmed and don’t want any part of it.  Each of these cleverly written characters stands out in unique ways that you’ll appreciate. 

Not far in, the documentary crew reveals the real reason that Blake wants Gunther.  He can say it’s to be number one all he wants but it’s actually because of Lisa McCalla (Smulders), a retired hitwoman and… his ex-girlfriend!  Lisa and Blake had been together for four years and she left him for, you guessed it, Gunther!  When he’s confronted by the crew with Lisa’s name and what they know of her, Blake denies he ever heard of a Lisa.  He proclaims that they must have been misinformed.  What happens after that is quite memorable and something worth rewinding and watching more than once.  It’s side-splitting and moments like this are all over the landscape of this film making it worth seeing more than once lest you overlooked something.  During their conversations with Lisa, she informs us that she’s much happier not killing people anymore.  

During the film, problems arise that I don’t want to give up here but Blake does end up confronting Gunther.  Gunther informs him that his group had been infiltrated in several ways and he knew what Blake had been up to the entire time.  There’s a special treat for the audience, in meeting Gunther.  We get to hear a few classic action film lines which, no matter what you thought of the film up to this point, makes it an instant smash for any comedy fan.  There are a few issues such as the budget and having to use cheesy effects, but Killam makes even that work to his advantage.  It’s incredibly silly so don’t take it too seriously, just have fun!  Oh!  And watch the credits, as well. 

*Opens at AMC Arizona Center and On Demand October 20th

Only The Brave Movie Review

“Only The Brave” deals with the tragic death of the 19 Hot Shot firefighters in Yarnell. They died as they were fighting a huge wildfire in 2013. But the end of the story only enforces the prior build-up of these brave men. They were ordinary people put into extraordinary situations, time and time again. The purpose of the Hot Shot crew was to be the ‘Seal Team 6’ of wildfire control. They went into dire and deadly circumstances with little more than 50-pound packs and knowledge of the terrain. The Hot Shot crew stood between a forest fire and the local community and towns that were in peril.

Eric Marsh (Josh Brolin) is known as “Supe”, as the Superintendant of the firefighting crew in Prescott. They had 20 members who were all young and ready to take on the worst that Mother Nature can give them. When a couple of openings pop up, one of them is filled by Brendan McDonough (Miles Teller). Brendan was a low spot in his life; with a recent drug habit and felony record, plus an unplanned child from a past girlfriend. He can barely make it through an initial run up a mountain, but he perseveres. Eric sees that Brendan can have the discipline to make it, while the other members of the crew scoff at him.

Eric’s wife Amanda (Jennifer Connelly) is very supportive, but she wants Eric to stay around more so they can plan a family. But it all changes when the local fire chief Duane Steinbrink (Jeff Bridges) tells Eric that the US government has approved his crew with an official Hot Shot status. Eric and his second-in-command Jesse Steed (James Badge Dale) look forward to being sent around the region to fight the biggest blazes. Brendan does everything he can to make things right with his old girlfriend and get to know their little girl. Chris MacKenzie (Taylor Kitsch) at first rejects Brendan, but he soon sees the attitude and spirit in him that keeps the team going. All the other team members also accept his hard work to better his life.

The Granite Mountain Hot Shot team is born, and the group gets called on for fighting fires all over the state of Arizona. They do amazing work, and every place they go, their reputation grows. Eric leads them in a tough but fair manner. He does not expect anything more from his team than he expects from himself. He has his own demons inside, from the past, living in a bottle. Brendan and his addiction problems hit Eric very close to home. Jesse, Chris and all the other crew accept Brendan as an equal. Many of them have wives and children of their own, so family is very important to them. Almost as important as making a dent in a raging wildfire…

They go on deeper into the fire season, and they finally get to June 2013. There is a new fire in the rocky hills near Yarnell. Brendan had a recent leg injury and has limited mobility. Eric Marsh sends him up to a ridge to be a lookout. Brendan is nearly overtaken by a fire roaring up the hill. Another Hot Shot crew finds him and takes him back to the base camp. Eric and the other 18 fire fighters lose contact with Brendan and with everyone else. They decide to hike/run back to the base camp. They are unaware of a major firestorm and winds that have pushed the fire right over the ridge. They are trapped on all sides by the raging blaze. They deploy the safety shelters that they carry, to hide them from the flames. But their luck has burned out…

“Only The Brave” does a spectacular job recreating the personalities and the environment that was the Granite Mountain Hot Shot team. The scenes of the forest on fire are totally realistic. The work and sweat of each crew member is shown in detail, along with ways in which they saved homes, property and lives. The story is true-to-life and makes for a compelling viewing, even when you know the sad outcome. The only issue is that with 20 different characters, it is very hard to know any but selected few. Also, the wives and family are important, but they take second-place to the few main characters.

Josh Brolin and Miles Teller are both excellent in their roles (Eric and Brendan). James Badge Dale and Taylor Kitsch are also very good (Jesse and Chris) but they are not quite as well-defined. Jennifer Connelly is very powerful as Amanda, Eric’s wife. All the other acting is great, with Jeff Bridges even getting a chance to sing and play guitar. The story of the Granite Mountain crew is examined in detail, and it shows the dedication of each member. The soundtrack (Joseph Trapanese) is very noble and moving, and suits the firm perfectly. Director Joseph Kosinski has taken a careful look at these very special people and has creating a very fitting tribute to their life and their life’s work.

This movie really has almost no downside, unless you are afraid of fire. It does go a tiny bit long, and it does limit the people who are the main characters. But each and every one of that crew would give anything for their fellow Hot Shot. On June 28, 2013 – the ‘Seal Team 6’ of Granite Mountain Hot Shots made their last stand.

A Red Carpet preview was held at Tempe Marketplace with many of the people involved with making this film. See the terrific pictures from that event, with many of the stars from this movie…

Photos from the “Only the Brave” Red Carpet event

The Snowman Movie Review

As Anna from ‘Frozen’ might say – “Do you want to build ‘The Snowman’?”… Well not exactly this ‘Snowman’. He is a mysterious serial killer from the novel by Jo Nesbø. In his novel there is a literary detective named Harry Hole, who is not a run-of-the-mill gumshoe on the Oslo, Norway police department. He is a force to be reckoned with, and when Norway’s first serial killer pops up and taunts Harry, he faces great odds to catch the perp. The popular character from a series of books now comes to the screen.

Oslo Detective Harry Hole (Michael Fassbender) is a brilliant police officer, whose grueling work is studied at the Police Academy. Yet his troubled life and relationships feed his aloofness and alcoholism. He has broken up with a long-term girlfriend named Rakel Fauske (Charlotte Gainsbourg). She and her young son Oleg (Michael Yates) and her new lover, a doctor named Mathias (Jonas Karlsson), still let Harry hang around now and then. Harry is close to being a father to Oleg, but they are not related. But now Harry’s got a new problem regarding missing people.

Several women have gone missing, and there is some speculation about a return of a serial killer from about nine years ago. Back then, a detective in Bergen, Norway named Gert Rafto (Val Kilmer) had found some dead women after they had gone missing. They had the same profile as the ones that Harry is researching. Rafto believed that he had found the killer, but soon after he told his partner Svenson (Toby Jones), Rafto was found dead. His death was ruled a shotgun suicide, but there were many things unanswered. Such as – who was Rafto’s suspect for the killings?

 

Harry Hole is partnered up with a new officer named Katrine Bratt (Rebecca Ferguson), fresh from the Academy. She is very interested in the missing women. She also has an unusual interest in local business tycoon Arve Støp (JK Simmons). Støp is leading the campaign to get the Winter Games set in Oslo Norway. He also has a keen eye for ladies of a particular age and look. He is assisted in his ‘lady search’ by Dr. Vetlesen (David Dencik), who runs a local clinic for women’s health. But soon, there is a discovery of bodies, or at least body parts. The serial killer has returned, and he is taunting Harry.

The missing women turn up dead, and they are found in pieces. There are letters being sent to Harry, with menacing notes that come from ‘The Snowman’. Whoever is killing the women is also stalking Harry. He and Katrine are finding no luck in locating the killer. But Katrine has a more personal reason to find him. It becomes clear later on that she has ulterior motives to study this murderer and she has personal reasons to do so. But there could be many suspects, like Støp, or Vetlesen. Until the good doctor is found dead of a ‘shotgun suicide’, similar to Gert Rafto. Very suspect, indeed…

Harry Hole is a flawed hero, with many character flaws and addictions. But will he continue to be mocked and taunted by ‘The Snowman’? Will he resolve the attraction he feels for his new partner Katrine, or find a way back to his past love Rakel? Can he find closure for the kidnappings and murders of the young women in Oslo, and find the truth behind the death of Rafto? Can the audience find a reason to stay involved with this overwhelming mess of a plot?

Jo Nesbø has a reputation for writing popular books about flawed people finding refuge in work. However, his novel has undergone a massive change, and it is not for the better. In this adaptation, almost all of the structure is gone; replaced by a hodge-podge of police procedures and unconnected sequences. Many characters are introduced, but with little context as how they relate to the entire story. There are numerous red herrings raised that make you think it might have some significance. But they fly away like the sea gulls that gather around a dead body up in the snow-covered hills.

 

Michael Fassbender does a heroic job attempting to portray the anti-hero character Harry Hole. Rebecca Ferguson and Charlotte Gainsbourg play Katrine and Rakel with a real purpose, and do fine work. The rest of the actors are also OK in their roles, but none of them stand out totally. The entire cast is set back on their heels because of the messy plot. The story must have gone through various rewrites and reshoots. However, One person does stand out. Val Kilmer makes a short appearance, and not in a good way. He no longer looks like ‘Iceman’ from “Top Gun”. The movie has many beautiful shots of snowy landscapes and falling snow.

 

Unfortunately, the story is about as chopped up as one of ‘The Snowman’ victims. The result makes it tough for all the actors, even one as talented as Michael Fassbender. The original story in the novel might have been much better defined, because this story melts quickly away, like the falling snow…

Blood Money Movie Review

A young woman is begging for her life, trying to escape the clutches of a sadistic… John Cusack?!  I know.  Doesn’t sound right, does it?  Exactly!  But, as he often does, he pulls it off even though he would never have fit the role… on paper, that is.  I don’t know what it is with him but he manages to always surprise his audience and never lets them down.  The movie itself, well, that’s a different story, but let me tell you the story first. 
The credits roll with extremely fitting music that puts you in the mood to see a good thriller.  Popcorn in hand, drink nearby… we’re ready for a good flick.  We start the process of learning who the characters in the film are and we’re on our way.  We meet three people right away, Lynn (Fitzgerald), the girl everyone wants, Vic (Coltrane) the clingy type, and Jeff (Artist) the one to use when all hope is lost.  They’re three friends about to enjoy themselves in the wilderness when we cut to a man we find out is Miller (Cusack) propelling himself out of a plane after he first tosses bags of cargo out the side door.  The plane then continues flying itself before crashing into the forest below. 

To our surprise (not really), our young wandering besties seem to be heading in the same direction the bags are tossed  They run into Miller and outside of Lynn thinking he’s sexy, which I assure you, unlike when he was in Serendipity, Cusack is NOT sexy in the film, they find him odd.  Why do I sense this is going to get ugly?  OH!  I know… because they already show that to me in the first few moments of the movie.  You’re watching the movie because you’ve already been intrigued by the trailer, am I right?  There is no need to jump ahead in the story when I’m already watching.  I digress. 
So, our campers continue their deep forest frolic filled with friendship and FRUSTRATION.  Frustration due to the green-eyed monster rearing its horrid head.   Our buddies are caught in a love triangle which has the only female in the group running off in a huff and, as predicted, running into the money.  You’d think that instinct would kick in and that she’s run like hell away from big black bags of cash but nope; she takes it without for one moment considering who might be looking for it.

Both Jeff and Lynn (I wonder if either of the writers, Jared Butler or Lars Norberg, are ELO fans), salivate at the idea of going home with this kind of money and are spending it before it’s even counted.  Vic, the wiser head, bails.  And here were get a bit weird.  As Vic treks through the woods alone, he runs into Miller again.  They begin talking and through their shared resentment or disenchantment with women, strike or sort of bond.  It’s an interesting plot twist to be sure. 

Cusack’s ability to deliver a line far exceeds Coltrane’s who’s too flat, but the filmmakers manage a few moments of cat playing with mouse and it works really well.  However, when we go back to Jeff and Lynn, things aren’t going quite so smoothly.  Lynn is getting a bit ridiculous and I don’t say that lightly.  She’s acting crazy.  The idea of being rich has turned her into a maniac.  The dialogue written for these two is a bit far-fetched, Lynn has become a cold, witch with a capital B but when we’re on Vic and Miller, the story is much more interesting.  What you find out as they get to know one another is that Miller isn’t a killer, isn’t a terrible, evil person but, much like the case with Lynn, he got the money and intends to do whatever it takes to keep it. 

It’s said that money changes people.  That would be the perfect tagline for this film because, damn!  The two people in the power play positions here are almost savage.

*Opens at AMC Arizona Center and On Demand October 13th

The Foreigner Movie Review

What’s old is new again, sort of. In the movie “The Foreigner”, Jackie Chan is – um – not young, but he can still hold his own against an army of bad guys. And the bad guys are — the IRA? Yes, the defunct Irish Republican Army comes back, but only in cinema, to be the evil doers. And they are led by James B… I mean Pierce Brosnan (who has played Bond in the past). And the movie is directed by Martin Campbell, who has also directed prior Bond movies. So three cheers for the AARP crowd!

In London, a simple noodle shop owner named Quan (Jackie Chan) drops off his beloved daughter at a SOHO dress shop to find a wedding dress. Blink your eyes and will miss the IRA terrorist attack on the street, which destroys the shop. Quan’s daughter is dead. He is heartbroken, but determined to find answers. He finds out about a Northern Ireland deputy minister who is part of the British government. Liam Hennessy (Pierce Brosnan) is a long standing politician in Belfast, and he once was a part of the old IRA.

Quan goes to the police and to Scotland Yard, but gets no answers. He decides to try and get the names of the bombers from Hennessy, but he just shrugs him off. “Surely, I don’t have any knowledge of who did this” Hennessy tells Quan. But Quan is determined, persistent and trained by many years in Special Forces Jungle Ops. So Quan knows a thing or two about making a homemade bomb that will rattle the windows and the rattle the deputy minister. Hennessy is put on notice that Quan is not taking no for an answer. Quan does his best ‘Jason Bourne’ to take control of the situation.

Hennessy keeps having major difficulties with his prior IRA contacts, who hate him for giving up. He has problems with his wife (Orla Brady), and also with his mistress (Charlie Murphy) – who might be deeply involved in the terrorist action. He has a problem with his nephew, who is visiting from New York – but still many connections with the old IRA.

But mostly Hennessy has problems with Quan. Hennessy’s office bathroom gets bombed, and then Quan targets his country estate barn and his car. Then Hennessy loses a few men who try and track Quan. He will not give up until he finds the people who killed his daughter…

Jackie Chan is an actor who can use his physical abilities to comedic or dramatic use. He plays an older character than he usually does, and his age does require that. Quan is smart and noble and dedicated, and he can MacGyver his way into gaining the upper hand. Pierce Brosnan also plays a character who attempts to scrape and claw his way into keeping a good thing that he has going. He does not know that his actions have triggered a relentless time bomb called Quan.

“The Foreigner” has the distinction of raising the specter of IRA terrorism in the modern day and age. It might be straight from the original novel, but that was written well before the peace accords in Northern Ireland. Perhaps not since “Patriot Games” has the IRA been cast as a boogeyman. It does not ruin the story, but it really stretches out the plausibility.

 

This movie will make you want to allow Jackie Chan to overstay his visa any day!

 

Professor Marston and the Wonder Women Movie Review

The origin of Wonder Woman goes back to one man named William Moulton Marston. He was a professor and an inventor. He came up with the first functional lie detector machine. But using his pen name of Charles Moulton, he created the Amazon warrior who was the female superhero that the comic books where waiting for. Only Professor Marston was quite a bit more Hugh Hefner than he was Stan Lee…

“Professor Marston and the Wonder Women” takes a look at the unusual mindset of Professor Bill Marston (Luke Evans) and his wife Elizabeth (Rebecca Hall). Marston was a respected psychology professor however his wife was not allowed to earn a PhD. She was limited by her gender, but not by her abilities. Marston and Elizabeth had very open ideas of sexuality. They both wanted to have a young female student as an assistant. They select Olive Byrne (Bella Heathcote) to help them in their studies.

However, their studies get off-track into three-way love triangle relationships. The university fires Professor Marston and they all are out in the cold. Bill and Elizabeth drag Olive into the whole thing. They have no real future without any income from the university. Bill starts writing textbooks and Elizabeth and Olive take menial jobs. They have a lot of sexual attraction between them, and much of it is on the kinky side.

 

Bill Marston has some unusual ideas for the early 1940’s, and most of them include sex. He is a fan of dominance and submission, and his life’s goal is to see it promoted and accepted in society. So his brainstorm is a new comic book character that will be a strong woman – a Wonder Woman.  Of course, her comic book world will be filled with subtle propaganda, such as the ‘Lasso of Truth’, and frequently being tied up and bound by ropes or chains.

Marston gets a comic book publisher named Max Gaines (Oliver Platt) to back him. Soon Wonder Woman is everywhere. Her story lines always involve somebody getting tied up or restrained. Mostly because Marston is one big kinky guy. He and Elizabeth, along with Olive are now living the sweet life. That is until the Decency Society starts a campaign to get rid of Wonder Woman…

The movie “Professor Marston and the Wonder Women” might also have a different title: “Fifty Shades of Marston”. The type of open marriage and three-way affections that this group had were not in the norm during the 40’s. They lived a life on the edge, but Marston was able to turn his SMBD thoughts into comic book gold. It was a way to promote their lifestyle in a hidden agenda.

Luke Evans, Rebecca Hall and Bella Heathcote play it all as high drama, and yet it could have had a lighter touch. They are not performing Shakespeare in the park, but they are more inclined for doing threesomes in the dark.  The subject material is fascinating, and the final result makes you want to reconsider why Wonder Woman has become so popular.

 

It all makes you ‘Wonder’ what she was dong in that invisible plane…

Marshall Movie Review

“Marshall” is a movie that centers on Thurgood Marshall, a black man who is the main lawyer for the N.A.A.C.P. organization. His goal is to find ‘colored’ people who have been unjustly accused of a crime, and he will work diligently to get them freed. Marshall later becomes the first African-American to serve on the Supreme Court of the United State. But this story happens much earlier in his career, in a case that unfolded in 1940 in Connecticut.

 

Thurgood Marshall (Chadwick Boseman) gets assigned to a case in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Marshall does not have a law license to practice that state, so the N.A.A.C.P. finds a local lawyer to handle the case and have Marshall as an ‘associate’ attorney in the courtroom. Sam Friedman (Josh Gad) is the local lawyer, who has never tried a criminal case before in his life. Marshall comes to town and completely dominates. Sam is put off by Thurgood’s manner, but he sees that the outsider is loaded with self-confidence and moxie. Sam is Jewish, and he knows a little about feeling like an outsider.

 

The case involves Joseph Spell (Sterling K. Brown), who is a ‘colored’ man working for a married couple. The wife is Eleanor Strubing (Kate Hudson). She has accused Spell of attacking her and raping her in her home. She then accuses him of driving her out to a lake and throwing her over a side of a bridge to drown. The local law enforcement has collected testimony and evidence.

 

They have the local District Attorney named Lorin Willis (Dan Stevens) who is ready to see Spell put away for a long, long time. Spell meets with Marshall and Friedman, and he tells them he is innocent. When the case begins, the Judge (James Cromwell) has no love for outsiders in his court. He orders Marshall to stay in his seat and remain silent. He can assist the main lawyer, Friedman, but he must not speak in court or be an active member of the legal team.

 

Despite the Judge’s orders, Marshall becomes a useful part of the Spell’s defense team. He instructs Friedman which jurors to select or reject. He and Friedman go out to visit the bridge where the ‘attempted murder’ occurred. They gather evidence and spot clues that the prosecution seems to have missed.

 

Thurgood Marshall has a very abrupt manner and he has a high regard for himself. This puts him at odds with many people around him, at times including Sam Friedman. Civil Rights for ‘colored’ people were still pretty backwards in the country. Even the Jewish community was met with some discrimination and intolerance. Friedman and Marshall at one point are attacked by loser bigots, but it strengthens the resolve of the two men to see that justice is done.

 

But any justice for Joseph Spell is a little ways off, because they learn he is an unreliable witness himself. But if they show that there is enough doubt in the testimony of Eleanor Strubing, they can perhaps win the case. What will the jury verdict be? And will Marshall be still in town, or be pulled off on another case and be elsewhere?

 

“Marshall” is a study of the Civil Rights lawyer in his beginning years out on the road helping the downtrodden black folk to get a fair shot at justice. But actually the main character is found in Sam Friedman. Chadwick Boseman is a perfect choice for the Thurgood Marshall character. But the big surprise is the strength of Josh Gad playing the Sam Friedman role. Boseman is a perfect fit for a true iconic character. However Gad, more noted for light comedy roles, scores major points here.

 

Thorgood Marshall is self-assured, almost arrogant, at the start of the movie. He is also that same way at the ending, so he shows little character development. Sam Friedman, on the other hand, is settled in doing menial work for insurance companies, and his character really undergoes a great change when he is selected to work with Marshall.  His attitude and his confidence change drastically by the end of the movie.

 

But nobody would be interested with a movie called “Friedman”. So Marshall is the title and the main character of this movie. But the actual primary character is the main lawyer who is central to the case. After all, Sam Friedman did not go on many years later to become nominated and then be approved to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court.