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Daddy’s Home 2

November 10, 2017 Published by Shari K. Green

If you’ve been burned by a sequel you thought would be amusing and it didn’t deliver, don’t let that experience keep you away. If you liked Daddy’s Home, be on the lookout for more of the same here. More of the same isn’t a bad thing. It’s the holiday’s and there’s nothing like a festive holiday comedy to share with the gang, or if your case happens to be that a film gives you a little break from that reality, that works, too.

In the first film, we meet the very epitome of cool, in dad Dusty (Wahlberg), and the easygoing, cordial stepdad to his children by the name of Brad (Ferrell). What unfolds is the story of two dad’s showing the difference in being a more confident and masculine male as opposed to being more modest or in touch with your famine side. The struggle is more within Brad as one might imagine. Immediately upon seeing Dusty, he feels as though he has already lost the fight.

Sara (Cardellini), the children’s mother, has learned to cope with them but it wasn’t easy at times. Now that it’s Christmas the men, who have worked out a pretty good system themselves, have decided that instead of dividing the children, they’ll have a ‘together Christmas.’ This decision is made after young daughter Megan, played by the ever-adorable Scarlett Estevez from TV’s Lucifer, says she doesn’t like Christmas because it’s not normal for her as it is for friends who don’t have to bounce from house to house.

The holiday also brings visits from grandpa’s Kurt (Gibson) and Jonah (Lithgow), who resemble one another as much as Dusty and Brad do. A suggestion is made to rectify this imbroglio they’re in by renting a vacation home away from home for a few days. Not only do they all have to continue being nice to one another up close but so do their fathers. For extra kicks, Kurt is negative and seems hellbent on causing problems, starting with asking Dusty how could he stand asking permission from another man to see his own children.

Brad’s father is the complete opposite. He’s supportive of everyone and gets all the love and attention a grandfather could want… deservedly so since Kurt isn’t the loving sort though Dusty has tried his best.

The family retreat creates many a hysterical scene from the actors, especially little Scarlett who knocks it out of the park whenever she interacts with anyone. This is also when the macho between the four men jettisons to eleven. In the audience, both men and women alike, will chuckle and truly appreciate the humor of a scene involving one of their other daughters ‘fiddling with the thermostat’ which sends all the men in the house into hysterics. Laughs were plentiful and I heard many an, ‘I’ve been there!’ comment from where I was sitting.

John Cena Makes an appearance near the end as another dad. Every time I see him in a comedic role I hope he gets one with of larger significance. However, maybe what makes it so striking is that he says something uncharacteristic of what he looks like and who he seems to be that it wouldn’t work, but I’d sign up to find out. His presence is strong and as the alpha male he’s used very well.

Though Daddy’s Home 2 has its downsides and moments that make you roll your eyes, it’s hard not to enjoy a Sean Anders film, even when he has Lithgow using silly terms such as ‘buttquack.’ Anders, who wrote Sex Drive, Hot Tub Time Machine and We’re the Millers, knows his way around a joke and how to deliver it. He directed and helped write the first Daddy’s Home and you’ll be glad it stayed in his hands this time around, too. He creates opportunities for the main cast to strut their stuff. He most likely told all involved that they could use his film as a vehicle to frolic, let loose and rejoice. That advice clearly worked from what they showed us in their performances.

Daddy’s Home 2 was quite good comparing it to other comedies this year. I rather liked it. This testosterone-filled comedy is, for the most part, is one to take your family to the movies to see this holiday season. Not only for the comedy but for the reason it shows you how far acting like someone you’re not will end up costing you in the end.

Murder on the Orient Express Movie Review

November 10, 2017 Published by Shari K. Green

This film is about detective Hercule Poirot and his train ride into hell. Actually, that might make for a more pleasing introduction, but it doesn’t really fit here. Poirot isn’t the sort of character the underworld would have their sights on. That aside, he’s just short of irritating, as a matter-of-fact. His mustache is way over the top and I couldn’t help but think of Peter Seller’s incredible ‘Inspector Clouseau’ when he spoke. The comparison didn’t help matters as I often found myself drifting and wishing I was watching a Seller’s classics instead. They entertained me much more.
Also, if you’ve read the book this is based on or seen the original film, you might not want to grab a seat on this train as there’s no station it could pull into that you haven’t already dropped your bags. It’s really that simple. It’s ‘Clue’ (the mystery, thriller based on the popular game), on a train only it’s not as much fun.

Poirot tells is that he’s good at what he does because he always sees things as they should be. This is both a blessing and a curse for him as he can’t so much as have a conversation with somewhat that he isn’t sniffing out their every flaw. Having the shade his mustache affords him for cover and being the straightforward man, he is, he also has no trouble pointing these flaws out to the person on the opposite side of his spyglass. When Poirot lands on the train he quickly begins meeting his fellow passengers. All of them open up to him who is, as I mentioned, sizing them up while conversing with them.
His character isn’t set up anymore beyond this. You know he’s a detective but what you don’t understand is why you need other characters literally telling you that for the entire opening of the film. As far as the setup, not much is known about any of the other characters in the film either, which is a big loss with a cast such as this. The elements are in place for this to be a massive success but it fails to deliver which ultimately falls on Branagh’s shoulders. I think most of his attention went to his acting instead of on the rest of the film.

All in all, the actors did a fine job portraying their characters but as the story moves forward you don’t find them very memorable. They remain nothing more than background in a mystery that you have already solved, except for the puzzle in your head that’s still unworking. It stares up at your asking why have the amazing cast if you’re not going to use them better? I digress. My original point is that it is quite obvious who the killer is. I won’t tell you but when our master detective finds the victim, the ‘whodunit’ of it all isn’t too hard to figure out. For me, this meant the film wasn’t as engaging as I had hoped it would be.
Maybe I expected too much. I’ve enjoyed most of Kenneth Branagh’s work but this one misses the mark. I’m all for interesting camera angles but some overhead shots seemed unnecessary and useless. He continued using perplexing and erratic camerawork throughout which didn’t win him any favors, however, the performances and music might make it worth the trip for you. There is a slight hint that there could be another film with Poirot on the way so, if that’s the case, I hope he learns from his mistakes with this one.

Last Flag Flying Movie Review

November 10, 2017 (updated November 9, 2017) Published by JMcNaughton

The movie “Last Flag Flying” is a somber reflection of the human costs of war, and it just happens to have a wild and raucous fun side. It deals with the start of the Iraq war, when a man loses a son in combat, but then calls on old Viet Nam war buddies to help him out. The result is a quiet declaration that war is never good, but that the military way of life is required (and preferred) in a dangerous world. And that patriotism is more than flying flags, it is being ready to defend your way of live and your beliefs.

Larry “Doc” Shepherd (Steve Carell) seeks out an old friend in Portsmouth named Sal Nealon (Bryan Cranston). Sal runs a run-down bar and grill (with no grill). They both served in Viet Nam many years ago. There is some unspoken reason that Doc spent a couple of years in the brig. But they brush that off and go to find one other pal from that old war. Richard Mueller (Laurence Fishburne) is now a Baptist pastor and is happily married. When they were back in the war zone, the former Marines were not holy, but a Holy Terror.

Doc reveals that his reason to seek out his buddies is that could help him bury his son. Larry Jr. was also a new Marine who went over to Iraq in 2003, but he returned in a military casket. Doc needs the help of Sal and Mueller so that he can cope with the loss of his only son. Also, on top of that is the death of his wife earlier that year. So, the aging crew gets on the road to travel first to Arlington, then to Dover – to where his son is delivered from overseas.

They meet a young Marine named Washington (J. Quinton Johnson) who was a close friend of Larry Jr. and he tells them how he was killed. Doc refuses to have his son buried in Arlington, instead he wants to transport his body to his home in New Hampshire. The initial thought is to rent a U-Haul truck, and that has limited success. The Marine corporal in charge will help in getting the body and casket to Doc’s hometown. But he ordered Washington to take the train and stay with the old fogeys and with the casket as a moving Honor Guard.

There is not a huge action-packed sequence that happens, and most activity happens in cars, trucks and trains. But the amazing thing to watch is not the events or action, but the perfectly cast actors in each role. They each have a very distinct character and they interact with a wit and sparkle that brings each to life. The old war dogs have a deep secret that they eventually talk about, and they do everything that they can to right an old wrong.

All the acting of Steve Carell, Bryan Cranston and Laurence Fishburne is excellent. Cranston has the most frantic and watchable role. But Carell does an incredible job with the role as a broken man. Fishburne is a middle-ground of dignity and reason between the other actors. They have a very observable way of making the old friends who have not met in over twenty years look believable and natural. Also, Richard Linklater style of direction fits the story well, as it flows and meanders to the conclusion.

This movie will not ask you to stand up and cheer for foreign wars, whether they be in the South Asian Pacific or in the Middle East. It will ask you to silently bow your head to honor those whom have made great sacrifices to ensure America’s freedom. Hoorah…

Thor Ragnarok Movie Review

November 3, 2017 (updated November 2, 2017) Published by JMcNaughton

Thor is one of the superhero characters from Marvel Comics Avengers team. Now after two stand-alone movies featuring Thor, and the two movies with all Avengers, Thor is back in action. But this time he will have a new adventure that will ‘Ragnarok’ his World. But first, a bit of an introduction to Thor…

Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is the Norse God of Thunder and the son of Odin (Anthony Hopkins). Thor has a half-brother named Loki (Tom Hiddleston) who is the God of Mischief. Thor can always count on Heimdall (Idris Elba) the protector of the access point between Thor’s world of Asgard and the other realms. Thor has just conquered a monster which could bring about the Ragnarok, an end-of-times destruction of Asgard.

Thor returns home and finds that things are not quite right with Asgard. Odin is lounging about and Loki is nowhere to be seen. Except that Loki is pretending to be Odin and is running the place. Loki leads Thor to Earth to find Odin, but they run into a Supreme Sorcerer. Yes, Dr. Strange (Bennedict Cumberbatch) is watching over Earth and does not want Loki around. Odin is hidden in Norway, and when the brothers find him, he explains about Hela (Cate Blanchett). Hela is the first-born and the true leader of Asgard, but only when Odin is gone.

Hela is unknown to the brothers and they want to fight her off. But she sends them into exile into a distant planet called Sakaar. This planet is ruled by a strange person named the Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum) who is an oddball. He runs the planet that is a trash dump of the universe. Thor is captured by Scrapper 142 (Tessa Thompson) who is a bounty hunter, but also was a prior Adgardian Valkyrie warrior. Thor is chosen to fight in a gladiator-style face-off with the Grandmaster’s current champion.

The current champ turns out to be Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), who the alter-ego of Bruce Banner and another of the Avengers. But now Hulk is powerful and adored for his fighting skills. Thor finally gets Hulk and Scrapper 142 to agree to escape and head back to Asgard. Oh yeah, they also take Loki, who had landed on Sakaar and had become a favorite to the Grandmaster.

Meanwhile, Hela had been ruling Asgard by killing off anyone who did not agree with her. She had raised an army of dead warriors, and had destroyed most of the population. She has an ally with Skurge (Karl Urban) who is a warrior torn between Hela’s power and the destruction she creates. Heimdall is in hiding and saving as many of the Asgardian people as he can. He cannot wait until Thor comes back to challenge Hela.

While the plot does cover a wide range of places and characters, it never drags or never seems to be forced. The interaction between Thor and Loki is always interesting. Also, the interaction between Thor and the Hulk is very amusing. Even later, when it is between Thor and Bruce Banner it is really fun to watch. There are many places for some broad humor and many gags that are really great. This movie chooses not to take everything too seriously.

The director Taika Waititi has done mostly smaller independent comedies and minor films. But now he has been given a much larger canvas, and he paints a beautiful picture. The story gives Thor and Hulk some time to bond and to become closer. There are plenty of the standard Marvel action CGI sequences, but the story still has fun with many of the smaller sequences. Dr. Strange makes for a nice crossover appearance. And also, there is a short segment in Asgard where a play is being put on to honor Loki, and you can guess the actors who show up to play Odin, Loki and Thor.

All the acting is straight out terrific, with special regards for Tessa Thompson and Idris Elba. They both play such tough warriors who want also to save as many as possible. Chris Hemsworth is dependable as Thor, and Mark Ruffalo plays the big green Hulk (in motion capture) and also Bruce Banner. The dialog is sharp and right to the point.

The 3-D aspect is a basic conversion after the main work is done, so it does not add too much to the overall movie. The scope and overall design call out to see this movie on the biggest screen possible, including an IMAX presentation. The colorful design of Sakaar is fantastic and the world is brought to life.

“Thor Ragnarok” is a worthy entry into the ever-growing number of great movies created by the Marvel Movie Machine. This will leave you anxious for the next time the Avengers return for “Avengers: Infinity War”.

Acts of Vengeance – Movie Review

October 27, 2017 Published by Shari K. Green

If you don’t mind a little Philosophy with your action movies ‘Acts of Vengeance’ is for you! The movie is told in parts, each start with quotes such as, ‘Action is the only truth.’ from the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius’ writings from the book, Meditations. Antonio Banderas plays a lawyer named Frank Valera who loves his wife and daughter very much. He’s at work but on a phone call to his child, he makes a promise to her that he will make it to her performance in a talent show later in that night. You know what’s going to happen next and so does he. He is held up at work and knowing his wife and daughter are probably angry, he excuses the fact that they don’t come home right away but as the evening hours tick by, he becomes more concerned. Around midnight, the police come to his door; his wife and daughter have been found murdered. Banderas does an adequate job of not holding back the pain that a revelation of this magnitude would bring him.

Frank’s mood darkens and he runs from life. He eventually decides that defending suspected criminals is not something he is interested in continuing to do so he leaves the law firm. He stumbles on an MMA ring which gives him the outlet that he needs to work out his frustrations and the loneliness that pursues him on a daily basis. As time passes, a police officer friend of his, Strode (Urban), informs him that the investigation into their deaths has gone cold. In an unnecessary voice-over, done in typical Banderas fashion (deeply and quietly), Frank tells us that he realizes he has been punishing himself but now it’s time to find the guilty party… if he has to himself.

Playing detective, he gets himself injured but happens upon a book that gives him some much-needed introspection and he starts to train harder and sharpen his mind to prepare for battle. He even stops talking so he can better listen to what’s important. During another confrontation, he’s shot and is helped by an ER nurse named Shelia. Predictably he leaves her immediately but the men he fought had a German Shepard who has grown attached to Frank and isn’t quite so easy to leave behind. As it turns out, the pooch ends up being more of an asset than a pest. Part 3 of the 5-part narrative starts by telling us that ‘There is nothing that hinders you from doing what must be done.’ A relationship develops between him and, oh did I tell you Shelia makes a return? Yes, Shelia is back, and they begin to bond. This confuses him because his life is changing for the better but he’s ill-prepared, still wanting only for the past to return.

Upon further investigation, he thinks he knows who the guilty party is. Not surprisingly, it’s friend Strode. He follows him and after breaking into his home, he finds the reason Strode would end the life of his innocent wife and child. They meet and during a melodramatic confession, Strode happily shouts out the reason… possibly in case you didn’t already figure it out yourself or read it in an earlier clip. In a life and death fight with Strode, Frank’s inner monologue echoes the words of whom he considers the greatest stoic of all which are, ‘The best revenge is to be unlike your enemy.’ Does he learn from the passages he has been reading all this time or does he break with Marcus Aurelius and kill Strode? You’ll have to find out yourself when you see Acts of Vengeance, out today at AMC Arizona Center and On Demand!

Wonderstruck – Movie Review

October 27, 2017 Published by Shari K. Green

Wonderstruck is a great title, would probably be a remarkable book to read but it’s not so much a wonderful feature film to sit through unless prepared. Watching it feels as if you’re reading it. Everything takes too long to happen. Not surprisingly, it is based on a critically acclaimed novel; one written by Brian Selznick. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying this isn’t worth a watch because it is in that it’s beautifully orchestrated, well-crafted and is quite inspiring to watch but it could be a dash too slow for some.

It starts introducing us to the main character, Ben (Fegley). In 1977, he lives through the death of his mother, Elaine (Williams), whom he admired so much. Being very independent and capable, she has told Ben very little about his father except for his name. She was the type of woman who knew enough to develop Ben’s curiosity but sees no reason to fill his head with the knowledge he doesn’t truly need. Instead, she teaches him what matters to her most such as a favorite quote by Oscar Wilde that also becomes Ben’s favorite, ‘We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars.’ She encourages his astute, youthful and insightful imagination when he asks about its meaning and instead of answering the questions she makes him tell her what it means. When she dies a short time later, he holds on dearly to all she gave and taught him.

Living with his aunt now, his interest in his father, who’s from New York, grows. To find out what we’re in for at this point, we can break the title of the film down. Wonder can mean to marvel and speculate about the origin of something like the solar system, which Ben does often. Struck is to encounter something suddenly or unexpectedly. Not only is Ben an admirer of the skies, wondering if his father was, too, but lightning strikes him when he’s on the phone and poor Ben loses his hearing. It’s here we cut to 1927 where a young deaf girl, Rose (Simmonds) fantasizes about a life beyond hers. She admires an actress named Lillian Mayhew (Moore) and decides to go to New York to find her.

Now the very accomplished director Todd Haynes (Carol) takes the material he has been given of these two youngsters and cleverly marries them by building a cohesive plotline. He manages to structure the suspense to keep you guessing as to what Ben and Rose are headed toward and why. Choosing music by the incredibly brilliant composer Carter Burwell, who has scored or composed over 100 films, (Three films this year; Goodbye Christopher Robin and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri, as well as this one) was genius on Haynes’ part. Flipping back and forth between the 1920’s and the 1970’s made the music incredibly important to remove you from one time period and plop you, emotionally and all, into the other on a continual basis. In fact, you feel as if you’re in two movies, but the music never loosens its grip on you and you’re firmly planted in the story.

On his quest, Ben meets Jamie (Michael), a child as alone as Ben who is looking for a friend. The pair goes to the Museum of Natural History and Ben is taken with what he has been missing from this world. They run all over the building, passing this display and that display while Rose, fifty years earlier is doing the exact same thing in the exact same building walking passed the very same pieces and display cases. As this happens and as the boys investigate an unbelievable coincidence, you’ll feel the interest in you intensify because this must be leading to a beautiful… something. But honestly, this is where the film lets you down. An incident here, an act of fate or chance there leads not to wonder or spectacle but to regularity and commonality that one was hoping in this world they’d be escaping. The film is beautifully done with gorgeous music and superb acting by all but the souvenir at the end of this trip was that there really wasn’t anything worth taking.

Suburbicon Movie Review

October 27, 2017 (updated October 25, 2017) Published by JMcNaughton

“Suburbicon” is new look at the 50’s era of massive suburban developments and the people who moved into these mini-cities. With a brilliant opening sequence, designed to look like a marketing brochure come to life, it takes some very different and dark turns. Since the original script is from Joel & Ethan Coen, there are many dangerous areas explored in the idyllic little town. These mostly deal with gangsters, dead bookies, possible insurance fraud and murder. The script also was touched by Clooney & Grant Heslov to include racial tensions and integration gone wrong. The two styles do not mix very well.

In Suburbicon, there is a black family who moves into the neighborhood. However, the Mayers arrival starts an over-the-top escalation of dismay, rudeness and hate from the lily-white people next door. The new family is blameless of course, but the racial taunting and bullying goes on and on. But across that backyard, something strange is happening at the Lodge residence. Gardner Lodge (Matt Damon) lives there with his crippled wife Rose (Julianne Moore) and son Nicky (Noah Jupe). Also visiting is Rose’s sister Maggie (also played by Moore).

A late-night break-in gets all the family tied up and helpless, and two thugs (Glenn Fleshler & Alex Hassel) use chloroform to make them all pass out. However, this puts fragile Rose into a coma, and then she dies. Nicky is heartbroken, and he does not get much love or support from his father, Gardner. He is also put off by his aunt Maggie, who will be staying with them for the time being to support the family. Maggie soon takes to emulating Rose in every way, dyeing her hair blond and wearing Rose’s clothes and jewelry.

The police say they have suspects, but in a line-up neither Maggie nor Gardner say they spot the men that killed Rose. But Nicky can see that they are hiding something. There is also an obnoxious insurance investigator named Bud (Oscar Isaac) who thinks that the life insurance policy on Rose has a bunch of issues. At the same time, there is a bigger and louder confrontation with the Mayer family in front of their house. Nobody is looking into the weird events at the Lodge’s house. But that same night, there are many things that all go wrong.

The insurance guy Bud comes back to threaten Gardner and Maggie. The two thugs are back to also threaten Gardner and Maggie. Nicky is scared and must fend for himself. But the crowd by the Mayers house is too involved to notice the nefarious deeds that are being done at the Lodge’s house. By the time the night comes to an end, so will the lives of several of these people…

When it all breaks down, this movie plays as ‘Coen Brothers Lite’. It has some of the risky, double-dealing, creepy behavior of the typical Coen brothers movie. But that aspect is downplayed and set against a backdrop of the unconnected racial tensions next door. There are characters whose motivations only come clear later as it continues, and only the young son Nicky is the innocent one. One initial bad thing brings a cascading domino effect of rotten mistakes and loser options. But the heavy-handed side-story dealing with of the persecution of the new black family does not connect to the main plot.

The acting is stiff and forced, perhaps as a way to better show the 1950’s era that the movie portrays. But none of the main characters have much to do, except perhaps young Noah Jupe. He puts in a terrific performance. Also Oscar Isaac makes a decent appearance, but has a very brief role. Matt Damon is very plain and cartoonish. He plays a character that could be called ‘Good Will Boring’. Julianne Moore plays two roles, and is stilted in both of them.

When a Realtor calls and says you can make an offer on a nice, quite little house in a place call Suburbicon, tell them to keep looking. This neighborhood is not that good.

Thank You for Your Service – Movie Review

October 27, 2017 Published by Shari K. Green

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

October 27, 2017 (updated October 27, 2017) Published by Shari K. Green

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

October 20, 2017 (updated October 24, 2017) Published by Shari K. Green

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/

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