The Last Word Movie Review

March 12, 2017 (updated March 12, 2017) Published by JMcNaughton

When a person dies, there is usually a line, a paragraph or an entire page in the obituary section. It depends on how notable that person was, and how connected they were. Or perhaps, if you are the control-freak type, you hound the local newspaper obit writer and you make the final decisions about what should be in “The Last Word”.

The control-freak is Harriett (Shirley MacLaine) who is a former business leader in the small town. She is divorced with one adult child, whom she never sees. She has a snippy attitude towards everyone, because – obviously – they could never do as great a job as she can. She berates the gardener and harasses the cook. And one night she has too many sleeping pills with her bottle of red wine.

When she recovers, he doctor asks if it was actually just an accident. Of course, she replies, “I was very tired and I was very thirsty!”. But Harriett starts thinking that some day an obituary will be written for her. So, by God, while she still has the gumption, she will make sure it is written correctly!

The local paper has an obituary writer named Anne (Amanda Seyfried). Really, how many obituaries will they need in a week? Harriett uses her influence to have Anne ‘assigned’ to her full-time, so that Harriett can properly get “The Last Word” done to her liking. Anne objects to her boss, saying that Harriett puts the “bitch” in obituary…

Anne is stuck with Harriet, so she starts interviewing people from her past. Harriet turns out to be none too popular, even getting the thumbs down from her pastor. Anne wants to find out about Harriett’s family, her ex-husband Edward (Phillip Baker Hall) and her daughter Elizabeth (Anne Heche). But Harriet has more immediate needs.

Anne takes Harriett to a school for at-risk kids, so she can ‘connect with a disadvantaged child’. A young girl named Brenda (AnnJewel Lee Dixon) thinks Harriett is only there for court-ordered reasons. Brenda has foul attitude, and a mouth to match. She is as feisty as Harriett, so they wind up being a good match.

Harriett still has some tricks up her designer sleeves. She takes Brenda and Anne to a local radio station, one that actually uses live DJs. She impresses the station manager with her eclectic tastes that he actually does give Harriett a morning DJ slot. Anne is finding out her first impression of Harriett was incomplete, and she does have many more talents than anyone knew.
Harriett, along with Anne and Brenda, take a trip to visit Elizabeth. But she does not want to reconnect with her mother. Harriett goes to see her ex-husband Edward, and they realize that they could never live with each other, but they do miss each other. Harriett has a few snappy words when she first meets Edward…

Edward: As I live and breathe..
Harriett: Well, from what I see, you have not been too successful at either activity!

Harriett learns that sometimes people can be good to her, if she is good to them. Anne becomes like a substitute daughter. Anne finds a new purpose in her writing, and wants to make a substantial impact with her work. Brenda learns to believe in herself and knows that she can make a difference in the future.

The story does follow a typical formula and it has more than a few loose ends. The ending seems unlikely. Harriett is a local pariah one day, and then in the course of a few months, people would flock to her funeral and have nice things to say about her. The way that Brenda gets squeezed into the plot is a bit hokey.

Shirley MacLaine is the star of the show. She has a command of the screen and can look in to be in total control in any situation. Her role is pretty interesting, and she appears to have fun playing a grumpy old lady. Amanda Seyfried has a paper-thin character and can do nothing more that react to the Harriett character. She could use a little more depth in the role, but there is not much to offer.

Anne Heche and Phillip Baker Hall have little more than a cameo in the movie. They are good in the roles, but there is nothing that adds to the movie. AnnJewel Lee Dixon is a cute little hell-raiser, and does a great job. But you just want to wash out her mouth with soap afterwards…

“The Last Word” is a cute little movie that hints how great Shirley MacLaine could have been with a much better written role. This one will give you a few chuckles while you watch, and eventually you can rent it and watch it with your mother. She probably knows a few grumpy old ladies herself…

The Ottoman Lieutenant Movie Review

March 10, 2017 (updated March 10, 2017) Published by JMcNaughton

At the onset of World War I, it was a dangerous time to be in Europe. Even more dangerous was to be in Turkey, and greater still was the border between Turkey and Russia. The Ottoman rulers of knew that war was coming. The people in the wrong place at the wrong time were American medical staff at a volunteer hospital in Turkey.

Lillie Rowe (Hera Hilmar) is a young woman training to be a nurse. She comes from a very wealthy family, and since her older bother died, she is listless. She hears a plea from a young idealist doctor named Jude (Josh Hartnett) who needs funds for the far-off hospital. Lillie is strong-willed, and takes her brother’s truck and fills it with medical supplies to be shipped to Istanbul.

Lillie cannot trust anyone else to deliver the supplies, so she takes it there herself. In Turkey, there are wild bandits out on the border. So she gets a Turkish military man, Lieutenant Ismail Vitaly (Michiel Huisman) to escort her to the hospital. They are attacked and lose everything, and they barely escape with their lives. They make it to the hospital in one piece.

The hospital founder is Dr. Woodruff (Ben Kingsley) who is an older disillusioned grumpy man. His advice is to leave and go home. Lillie stays to tend to the sick, and her nurse training finally pays off. But there is too much tension in the air. The Turks are fighting with the Armenians, and the Muslims do not trust the Christians. The Great War will be on their doorstep soon.

Lillie ignores the puppy-dog longing from Dr. Jude, and she instead has an inner longing for the Lieutenant. They are different religions, and they follow different customs and both come from cultures. But the love between them is too great. It is not forbidden, but is not at all encouraged. They sneak away when they can to take a sailboat out on lake. Or they ride their horses through the wild wheat fields. It is so romantic and poetic that nothing could come between them. Nothing except War, of course…

This movie wants to be an ‘Epic’. It does come close, but there are some issues. The storyline is not all that believable. A young woman alone in the hinterlands of Turkey just before the Big War would have a nightmare experience. Instead, you are shown that she is having a grand old time, with love just around every corner. The American flag above a remote hospital in a hostile area would draw bombs and machine gun attacks, not the praise of the local military.

Michiel Huisman does a believable job as the Ottoman, but Hera Hilmar is a weak leading lady. Her occasional voice-over work during the move is flat and monotone. There is not much of a spark between the two of them as ‘star-crossed’ lovers. Josh Hartnett does a reasonable job, but looks like John Denver with round wire-rimmed glasses. Ben Kingsley classes up the movie, but he does not have enough of a part to make it soar like it should.

So if you want a real Ottoman Lieutenant, then take a trusted military officer to a home furniture store to find the right piece. Then you can put your feet up on the ottoman and watch “Lawrence of Arabia’ or ‘Gone with the Wind’. Any true War Epic will do…

Kong: Skull Island Movie Review

March 10, 2017 (updated March 10, 2017) Published by Shari K. Green

It’s invigorating to see that Kong: Skull Island isn’t just a remake of King Kong. It has a few similarities, such as beast still digs beauty, but that’s about all. It stands alone on its own giving director Vogt-Roberts something to be very proud of having a part in. Speaking of beauty, however, I did like the more substantive presence of the ape in the 1970 movie King Kong, where you could see Jessica Lange pull at Kong as she begs him to not let her go. This gives you the chance to feel for him much more. That realism isn’t in this version where Kong is CGI. However, if you have a heart, you’ll still hope the best for the guy. Why he keeps falling, literally, for these woman is beyond me, though! You’d think he’d learn by now! I digress.

Far be it for me to suggest you can learn something from a monster movie but I’m going to. You can learn something from this monster movie. You can learn, if you haven’t already, that sometimes with nature things are better left alone. Though we don’t always pay attention to it, there is a natural order of things and if you interrupt or disturb that order, in the name of helping mankind, you could be doing just the opposite. Such is the case here.

Kong is set in the early 70’s in the time of Watergate. Research scientist Bill Randa (Goodman) is in Washington and looking for some money and a military escort to an uncharted island he’d like to explore for the possible medicinal cures it holds. Insert political statement here as Randa stands outside and proclaims that there’ll never be a more screwed-up time in Washington. The Nixon bobblehead is a nice touch, as well.

Randa gets his grant, a photographer (Larson), a rather large escort and his own tracker (Hiddleston); they set off to explore Skull Island which is shrouded by vicious storms. Going only so far by water, the teams, which are led by Colonel Packard (Jackson), take to the air the rest of the way. However, once they clear the dangerous weather another danger appears; Kong. He immediately senses danger and begins to protect his turf which looks more like swatting at flies, to be honest. This scene was well placed as it’s not too far into the film, wasting no time getting you into some heavy action. Packard takes the attack personally. Losing many of his men in the battle he’s now hell-bent on killing the creature. He must prove to Kong that man is King. Jackson’s look is fiery and savage as his Packard stares Kong down for a moment before being whisked away at the last minute. Getting stomped on like a cockroach might have ruined his already horrible day.

Helicopters are scattered and the teams separated. One group meets an indigenous tribe and Hank Marlow (Reilly), also known as the comic relief, a paratrooper who has been stranded on the island since WWII; twenty-eight years to be exact. Through Marlow, the team hears all they need to know of who Kong really is… he’s King. To the people of the island, he’s God. Without him, the Skullcrawlers would dominate and kill every living thing on the island. Kong keeps the skeletal creatures in low numbers and below ground. If not for him, all would perish and not only would they take over the island but they’d begin to take over the planet.

During their lesson, other teams are meeting and in some cases, wiped out, by other inhabitants of the island. If spiders aren’t your thing… this might not be the movie for you but the thought of taking the mother of all spiders down in a wicked way would be spectacular then remember this is a Kong movie, not a spider movie, and get your butt to the theatre. What’s left of the team meet and make their way to the destination point so they can leave the island and you can leave the theatre but don’t do that too soon! There is an after credit scene so make sure you stay all the way until lights up. What they will be assuring you of here is that the MonsterVerse will continue and who could be coming up next. If you like monster movies, you’ll like Kong: Skull Island. You might not like the way Hiddleston overplays his role as Larson’s love interest but the CGI is great and the motion capture performance really pulls you in. Those reasons alone are worth spending the extra money on seeing this at an IMAX theatre if you can. ENOY!

Logan Movie Review

March 3, 2017 (updated April 3, 2017) Published by JMcNaughton

LOGAN MOVIE REVIEW BY JMCNAUGHTON

“Logan” proves out the old adage from the Bible: “Those who live by the adamantium blade will die by the adamantium blade”, or something like that. Logan being the X-Man called Wolverine who has been enhanced with the indestructible metal called adamantium; this movie shows the difficult end times of the former superhero. His strength and powers of regeneration are almost gone, and the years have not been kind.

In 2029, Logan (Hugh Jackman) is visibly aged. We is emotionally and mentally drained. All other ‘mutant’ being are thought to be long dead. But Logan is hiding a frail Prof. Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), who is up into his nineties. Xavier’s mind is fading and starting to fail, and at times he seizes up and sends telepathic waves that will cause a state of paralysis. One other mutant exists, called Caliban, who helps tend to the disabled Xavier.

Logan meets a woman who begs him to take a young girl named Laura (Dafne Keen) to North Dakota. Logan is driving a limo in El Paso to make money, but the woman offers a large amount to protect the child. There are evil forces from a government-run research industry. The security team headed by Pierce (Boyd Holbrook) finds and kills the woman, and then comes for Logan and the girl.

Soon there is a wild fight at Logan’s Mexico hideout, but he escapes with Xavier and Laura. The girl is shown to be a super-powered Wolverine Junior, with the retractable blades and such. Her fighting skills are as sharp as her weapons. Logan finds out that the research company was raising many children in Mexico and they were turning them into miniature weaponized mutants. Pierce and his crew of bounty hunters, called Reavers, will stop at nothing to get them all.

Before you can ‘road trip’, the group are heading across country to get to a special ‘safe place’ that Laura read about in the X-Men comic books. Logan is mortified that any of his past exploits were put into a comic book. Prof X has another seizure and it causes a lot of grief for everyone around them. They barely escape, and they are running low on medicine for Prof X. Pierce and the head of the research place named Dr. Rice (Richard E. Grant) are closing in.

After stopping to help a farmer with some wild horses, Logan, Prof X and Laura are invited to take a break. But things do not work out well for anyone, and more death and mayhem occur. Logan and Laura get back out on the road to find the safe zone, where Laura hopes to find the other mutant offspring who escaped with her from the research facility. If she can make it there, they can all cross the border to Canada, eh!

But every time he fights and every bad guy killed by Logan keeps draining him of his powers to heal and rejuvenate. He is looking all the worse for wear, and the days have been rough. As Indiana Jones would say “It’s not the years, it’s the mileage”. Logan is feeling every little ache and pain that was inflicted on him for all those years/miles.

You may have heard that this is Hugh Jackman’s last performance as the Wolverine (or Logan). He has intended to make this final movie the most bad-ass swan song ever. He has made sure that the movie cuts to the core of Wolverine. It is brutal, violent and profane. The movie is rated R, and for very good reason. The language is very rough; the fighting is bloody and sometimes gory. It perfectly suits a character like Wolverine.

Jackman worked with director James Mangold to get everything just right. The theme resembles an old Western in which the heroes are being chased over the frontier hills and valleys. The tone of regret and despair falls over everyone. All the super powers are nearly gone, and days of a quick recovery turn into weeks of pain and agony. Will there be any redemption for Logan?

Hugh Jackman has taken this character over seventeen years of X-Men movies to this one as the final conclusion. His performance is distinct and precise, and evokes a great deal of inner pain and mental anguish. He plays it all to the letter, and does not hit any false notes. Patrick Stewart is also terrific as a mentally diminished Professor X. He is pained by the fact that is losing control of his mind. He lapses into a seizure and the world around him gets a taste of his telepathic skills gone very wrong.

Dafne Keen gives a masterful performance as a little girl who has been raised to be a brutal killing machine. She has a physical presence that can give you chills when you see her become angry. You know that something very, very bad is about to happen. But she can do that with her stance and the glare in her eyes. It is quite an impressive feat for this young actress. All the rest of cast are also well-cast in their roles, but main three are the ones that count.

Is this the end of X-Men, and the end of Wolverine? It is for Hugh Jackman, and he has done well by having a long phase of his career playing the super-hero. If you can stand the harsh language and the bloody violence, then you can see that Jackman has gone out on his own terms. He ends it with a brilliant performance surrounded by a talented cast.

Logan movie review by JMcNaughton

Table 19 Movie Review

March 3, 2017 (updated March 3, 2017) Published by Shari K. Green

If you’ve ever found yourself as the party guest who has been invited to the party but can’t be super involved due to the placement of your table, then you’ll understand why this movie was made. It was made for all the odd men out who have watched all of the festivities from afar. So far away in some cases that you can barely even say you were there! You were practically scuttled off into another room or the hallway, at least this is how you begin to feel. If you have ever sat and scanned the table in which you’re seated and noticed you’re at a table full of strangers rather than with those who invited you, and your tablemates seem not to fit in with the other guests, you need to do one thing… examine why you’re at that table, too. Consider this movie a wake-up call if you’ve ignored this happening to you, especially if it has happened more than once.

Writers Mark and Jay Duplass have either been there or have put people there; waaay back there at Table 19 because they certainly hit the nail on the head as to how a guest would feel when realizing they’ve been relegated to the outskirts of a given gala or celebration. They did a good job writing a script that empowers anyone who has felt shunned in this manner. At a lost, distant table, one can find hope, friendship and maybe love, if they just open their minds to it. I liked how it championed for those who should have checked no on their RSVP, but the movie goes out of its way to make a few characters likable that just aren’t.

It starts off well, revealing Eloise’s’ (Kendrick) reason for being at the bad table. She’s the ex-girlfriend of the bride’s brother, Teddy (Russell), and now ex-maid of honor. One by one, explanations for the other characters at the table are established. They’re even accompanied by flashbacks. We have some witty banter which at times, especially when dispatched by Walter (Stephen Merchant), have you laughing and at other times has you feeling sorry for this group of misfits, which isn’t good when you made your way to the theatre, promised a comedy, and are having a hard time finding a reason to chuckle. It is labeled on IMDB as a comedy, drama but who are we kidding?! Duplass writing for this cast?! I’ll not highlight that too soon. Back to the characters.

Jo (Squibb) is a sweet old woman who all but raised the bride and is being treated horribly by her today. Rezno (Revolori) is an incredibly obnoxious and extremely unfunny virgin who figures, along with his mother, this is where he can land a drunken, foolish young woman to be his first. Drunk and foolish is what she’d have to be because no one in their right mind would be into this awkward nightmare of a character. Rezno was simply too far out to be believable and I thought the film would have been so much better had he not been a part of the story. Kudrow and Robinson are Bina and Jerry, a couple who has been married for years and are falling out of love. Though at a wedding, they don’t find it an issue at all to air their differences in front of everyone.

I liked some of what was going on. I can’t say that if you enjoy a character driven story that you shouldn’t watch this one but there is a lot wrong with Table 19. It, at times, shows real promise. The characters grow and you’re genuinely happy about that. I was having fun watching these flakes get to know each other and also wanting to help one another through the vexing situation they realize they’re all in but at times I actually found myself looking around the theatre to make sure I knew the location of the emergency exit. It was all over the place with what kind of movie it wanted to be.

I think had the writers focused on one genre, director Jeffrey Blitz (The Office and Parks and Recreation) would have had a much better script to work with. Choosing drama over comedy then switching back and… my head is spinning!! It got a little frustrating. Sure there’s comedy in misery but it was anguishing watching how miserable some of these poor things are. For Squibb, Robinson and Merchant, I’d say watch this when it hits cable. It isn’t a terrible waste of your time. But be sure you’re in the mood for a comedy, I mean, be sure you’re in the mood for a drama… well, you get the drift. When you don’t know what you want to see, seat yourself at Table 19. Sometimes that’s where you just find yourself being put but maybe you won’t mind being there.

Before I Fall Movie Review

March 3, 2017 (updated April 3, 2017) Published by Shari K. Green

In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was the king of Ephyra (now known as Corinth). He was punished for his self-aggrandizing craftiness and deceitfulness by being forced to roll an immense boulder up a hill, only to watch it come back to hit him, repeating this action for eternity. Through the classical influence on modern culture, tasks that are both laborious and futile are therefore described as Sisyphean. Why is this English lesson pertinent to this review? It’s not but it’ll help you better understand why it’s used in the movie and will help you grasp the intent behind the yarn.

Before I Fall starts with a voice of a young woman, Sam (Deutch), explaining that, ‘people may have a lifetime of days to waste but…’ and then throws some wisdom out that anyone only truly has today and warns that wasting time isn’t how one should see any moment they’re in. I try not watching the trailers of, or read too much about, movies before I screen them for review so that I don’t have any preconceived notions of what I’m about to see but it was obvious very quickly that I was in for the teenage dramatic version of Ground Hogs Day with this one. That being the case and not minding the idea, I got comfy and watched the story unfold.

Alarm clock belonging to Sam goes off and we meet Sam. Sam loves her friends Lindsay (Sage), Ally (Wu) and Elody (Rahimi). She is always with them and them her. They’re rich, spoiled and have no respect for anyone, including one another, but outside of sleeping, they’re pretty inseparable. Like any group, there is a pecking order and though rather high in position, Sam isn’t at the top. That honor goes to Lindsay who is anything but a likable person. She’s mean-spirited, loves to watch people squirm as she puts them in their place and enjoys gossiping behind their backs the moment they turn around. Unaware it happens to them, the pack ignores yet allows Lindsay to say and do as she pleases, as long as she’s nice to them. As she does every morning, Lindsay picks Sam and the others up one by one and off to school they go. However, this day is special; it’s different. It’s Cupid’s Day and they can’t wait to see who receives the most roses throughout the day as this determines who is the most popular.

They go through their day as they usually do, being petty to parents and being mean to students. Sam gets an invite to a party being thrown by her old friend, and the films nice guy, Kent (Miller) and the girls decide to attend. At the party, Sam plans to lose her virginity to her boyfriend, Rob. While there, however, she watches Rob get horribly drunk and act like a fool and decides not to go through with it. Before leaving, the foursome drinks, do their usual teasing of a favorite victim named Juliet (Kampouris) and get in the car and go home. An accident occurs and then; cut to alarm clock… and the day starts over. Knowing the things that had happened throughout the day, you see where this is leading. Sam isn’t Lindsay. She isn’t mean at her core. She’s more of an obliging witness where she may play a hand on occasion but would rather not. If she isn’t dreaming, can she change things about her life?

The movie continues in this fashion for the rest of it. Sam learns a little each time she wakes up to the same ugly day that awaits her. Is she in hell? Can she do the right thing and be redeemed? Eventually, you notice one situation that she hasn’t necessarily made a big effort at correcting. A slight attempt at a stand but not the true attack it needs. Why? Could be because she’d see where she was at fault for having created it in the first place. Well, why is she on this day to begin with? By the end of the film, she gets it but is it too late? Are the answers in the actions she herself has made or in those of other people? Will she now pay a price for not being a virtuous soul? Will she have to sacrifice something herself to correct the course she’s now on?

I like that you don’t know these answers and that’s why I enjoyed the movie. I would hate to categorize it as a chick flick but I think I have to. The length of time spent with the teenage girls in the car, listening to music, hating on people and talking about boys makes it abundantly clear that the film wasn’t made for adult males. The audience it was made for, the teenagers will absolutely love it. Zoey Deutch is a good choice to play the sweet-faced martyr and Halston Sage does a good job of reminding us what we hated about high school more than even the homework. If you’re a fan of dramas packed with mystery and wouldn’t mind the Mean Girls vibe, check out Before I Fall and look for all of the answers to the questions above. Is she dead? You tell me.

Before I Fall movie review by Shari K. Green

Get Out Movie Review

February 27, 2017 (updated February 27, 2017) Published by JMcNaughton

Jordan Peele is well known as a comedian and a funny guy, but now he gets to stretch out his inner Hitchcock with “Get Out”. This story is written and directed by Peele, and it is a far cry from his stand-up sketch routines.

Fist Fight Movie Review

February 17, 2017 (updated June 13, 2017) Published by Shari K. Green

Fist Fight Movie Review By Shari K. Green

On the last day of the school year, all hell is breaking loose on school grounds. Students, especially those in the senior class, are playing pranks on all the members of the staff. They’re hiding things from their teachers, gluing items to their desks and getting down and dirty in an attempt to no doubt make their final high school day memorable… and possibly one-up the class that came before them. They’re especially cruel to Principal Tyler, Breaking Bad’s Dean Norris, even going so far as to disassembling his car and putting it back together again inside the school. There’s a lot going on in the background so don’t forget to pay close attention to what these wild youngsters have committed themselves to doing. Director Richie Keen, (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) spent the time looking up ways to make this realistic by researching pranks done by real students in the past. You’ll appreciate this attention to detail. If you’re a fan of silly comedies, a fan of Charlie Day especially, you’ll want to check this movie review out. He does an exceptional job portraying the kind and fair English teacher, Andy Campbell. When he rats on another teacher who loses his cool during class, Ron Strickland (Ice Cube), he is challenged to a fist fight and is now a man on the edge of a meltdown. This is a comedy, right? Well, the anger that comes from Strickland is so intense that you end up more or less feeling extremely sorry for Campbell which makes it hard to laugh to a large degree. Some may think this doesn’t work well for a comedy. Also, as far as character development goes, we never see any redeeming qualities coming from Strickland which may have helped you not dislike his character so much but unfortunately, as hard as you dig to find out where this anger is coming from, there’s simply nothing there.

Most eggs in Keen’s comedy basket relied on Day’s comedic abilities to hatch, both in a physical sense and how he conducts himself when he’s under pressure.

His strained voice is always worth a chuckle and it’s a blast observing him try to save his butt. It’s also heartbreaking watching him; knowing the reason why the poor thing is running all over the place. He goes to teacher after teacher and even calls 911, looking for a helping hand. Some teachers he approaches are comedy gold. Allow me to first mention one character that shouldn’t have existed at all and that’s Christina Hendricks’, Ms. Monet. She comes out of nowhere and should have stayed there. She really only served one purpose and not very well at that. Keen did bring on Tracy Morgan (30 Rock) to be the stereotypical, simpleminded coach whose work here you’ll dig. He also cast the witty Jillian Bell (Brides Maids) as Holly, the guidance counselor who can’t wait until certain students she’s been ogling from afar become legal and Kumail Nanjiani as a security guard who’s afraid of his own shadow. These faculty members may have special talents in their own right but are of no use when it comes to advising someone on how to take a butt-whoopin’ or especially how to avoid it from happening. Campbell must solve this mystery on his own.

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A charming piece of the story is by way of the lesson Campbell learns. I’m not speaking only of Andy but also of his daughter Ally (Alexa Nisenson). In the same way that he is dealing with a bully at work, we are introduced to this character who is discovering life to be miserable at her own school. When she finds the willpower to face her demons, by using a mic and the song I Don’t Give a F*ck by Big Sean, in a way you won’t soon forget, the movie finds the reason to be and is far better for it. When Campbell finally musters the strength to confront Strickland, Keen presents a fist fight that will allow you to forgive most of the jokes you saw coming and some of the unnecessary gags that didn’t work. When you see this, you’ll have fun picking out the obvious nods to films Keen must have liked, as well as his use of certain shots from them you may recognize. All of this notwithstanding I can’t promote this movie review for you to pay to see this opening weekend at the theatre unless you make it a matinee. Ultimately, the film has a good message regarding Campbells’ predicament. He was always walked on and treated as though his opinion didn’t matter but standing up to this challenge makes him a better man and, at long last, a better teacher.

Subsequently, whether he wins the fight or he loses doesn’t matter it’s all about the journey that he takes. By the way, stay for the outtakes at the end. Fist Fight movie review by Shari K. Green.

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A Cure For Wellness

February 17, 2017 Published by Shari K. Green

This movie is abnormally intriguing. It has a lot going on, much more than what is playing out visually. If you put some time into the movie mentally, after the flicker is done dancing on the screen, the examination will be well worth it. Your first impression will depend on what sort of audience member you are. If you assess your films by what you immediately see on the surface, you’ll see this cryptic yarn as a promised thriller that doesn’t quite get you where you were hoping it would. It provides the creepy elements that one would expect to see but doesn’t follow through with its promise to be a good intense, if I may, grabber.

The term psychological thriller does apply, however, and in the style of something you’d see straight from a legendary 70’s film. A list to compare its vibe to could be Chinatown, The Conversation, Play Misty for Me and Magic; all superbly shot, well thought out and their impact on cinema… ever lasting.

In A Cure for Wellness, Gore Verbinski, who helped write the story with screenwriter Justin Haythe (Revolutionary Road, The Clearing) digs deep into the essential nature of a person to live, care, love and to aid. His protagonist, Lockhart (DeHaan), is sent by the financial institution he works for to bring back the CEO, Pembroke (Groener) who is nestled in the Swiss Alps at a mysterious wellness center. He goes to retrieve Pembroke, knowing full well that the true desire of the board members is to pin its problems on him and use him as a fall guy.
On his way to the center, which uses hydrotherapy from an aquifer with unique purities, he learns of the center’s history and of the castle its inside. As he speaks to the chauffeur who is taking him to the castle, they’re in an accident and Lockhart ends up a patient himself, waking three days after a crash that had sent the car tumbling. Continually being urged to drink the water to better heal his broken leg, he finally grabs some crutches and wanders around the place, not only looking for Pembroke but looking around this odd establishment. From what he recalls the chauffeur saying, his suddenly odd and dark dreams and the behavior of the people around him he begins to feel more like an inmate in an insane asylum than as a willing patient.

When Lockhart meets someone by the name of Hannah (Goth), a special patient who has been there all her life, the story of the institution unravels more and more and Lockhart’s questions get larger and larger. Becoming suspicious that all is not well and obsessed with finding out more he suggests it’s bad for business for people to get well. This does not go well with Volmer (Isaacs) who insists Lockhart needs to be submerged in water and the toxins in his body be removed. This is a macabre scene as memories of Lockhart’s childhood and eels, yes eels, assault him.

So, my final take is there are a few disturbing scenes that play out and some I may never purge but for crazy good, alluring cinema, see A Cure for Wellness. It may not be Oscar worthy, but cinematographer Bojan Bazelli (King of New York, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, The Ring), couldn’t have shot this film more methodically and used his lens more perfectly to concentrate on the beauty of the set and the locations and also to create the feeling of anxiety and stress. It’s a masterpiece cinematically. What might have otherwise been seen as a clichéd tale by the end is made infinitely more interesting by camera angles, shots sizes and expressions he creates as well as the overall tone he designs. Again, by the time you finish watching it, you could be somewhat disappointed but don’t be. Yes, Verbinski could have decided on an ending before two hours had expired but enjoy the fact that there is a much deeper theme going on than first thought and you’ll get there, too. You’ll contemplate whether this person is alive, is this a dream, it that person in a coma? Decide for yourself and let me know what YOU thought!

A United Kingdom

February 17, 2017 Published by Shari K. Green

Your first thought upon walking out of A United Kingdom very well may be one of bewilderment at the story itself. Not that it could happen, of course, (look at today’s headlines, this type of forbidden love is still happening) but that a King was questioned and almost denied his wish. Anyway, you might next have the inclination to Google this to learn more about these individuals. It could also be, as it was mine, to gather all of the performances of David Oyelowo to date and, find out what he’s up to next so that you can see all of this man’s work.

Not to disparage the other performances in the production but he delivered the story of a man choosing love over country beautifully. He never waivered in his ability to sell us on the saga that deep within him, he believed the people of his county would, in due time, not require him to make that sacrifice and did so with the strength and compassion you rarely see with such balance.

It would be impossible not to be impressed with this entire cast and it would be nearly pointless to try and look beyond director Amma Asante’s (Belle) achievements with the film. She does an exceptional job with this labored piece and with only five directing credits under her belt, quite a feat, she handles the very difficult true life events like a master.

A United Kingdom was a hefty project to take on. It’s about Seretse Khama (Oyelowo) and Ruth Williams (Pike) and the political climate of their countries at the time they met in the 1940’s. He’s heir to the kingdom of Botswana and she’s a white woman from London and despite what their families feel about their union, they insist on being together and will be, even though they’ll be under great scrutiny. Her father has disowned her for being with a black man and his people, especially members of his own family, would prefer their leader be with his own kind. Not considering others feelings and only listening to their hearts, they marry and move to South Africa where, unfortunately for all, apartheid is starting to grow. Their union becomes widely known and a topic of great discussion. Ruth is a likable person and does her best to be friendly, learn the language and fit in as his family members do their best to make her want to leave. Oyelowo is outstanding when he addresses his tribe with a moving speech and speaks of Ruth with tears in his eyes, asking to see who would truly deny him his love. It’s a stirring confrontation and a memorable scene.

What ultimately doesn’t really work, but may have been better with a seasoned director, is the setup. This story is a pure and true love so strong that this couple defies all rules, family and country to be with one another should have had you cheering their achievements. However, as it’s told, you don’t really care. The reason for this is that we meet Ruth and Khama when they first meet and almost immediately they’re in love and getting married. There isn’t time for you to feel for these people or for the plight in which they find themselves. Asante does a wonderful job of keeping the rest of the story flowing, especially the focus on the British government wanting the diamonds and minerals on his land, but sadly, missing this crucial step of giving the audience time to identifying with what the couple is going through or to feel compassion for them, hurts her very efforts. It’s the single most important goal before telling the rest of the narrative for it to have worked as a well-structured and cohesive piece. It is a good drama about pressures put on them both and his overcoming his uncle asking him to renounce his birthright to the throne for marrying a white woman, but it isn’t as romantic as it claims to be. Keep in mind it is a true story… life doesn’t always come out as we plan.

I do recommend A United Kingdom but I’d say wait for VOD or DVD instead of paying to see this at the theatre.

Category: Reviews