All the Money in the World – Movie Review

‘All the money in the world can buy you many things, but it can’t buy you love.’  Isn’t that how the saying goes?  Perfect title for this film because this movie is that very statement come to life.  With this project, director Ridley Scott has taken on a story about oil tycoon J. Paul Getty. 
Getty has amassed a great fortune, has become the world’s first billionaire, and has become hardened to love.  Since he has so much money, more than he could ever spend, it seems everyone wants a piece of it.  People even send him letters, on a daily basis, pleading their case to see if he’d be willing to give them a few dollars to get them out of their current woes but his prosperity has one nasty side effect… greed.  In his greed lies the true heart of this story.

Early in the film, you see a little history on Getty, who’s played magnificently by Christopher Plummer, and how he gained his wealth.  He made deals for Saudi oil and then brought the oil out of the desert by creating a supertanker to carry it all out.  His intellect and understanding of how finance works then made his money grow.  Scott takes us to May of 1973 where one of Getty’s favorite grandchildren, John Paul Getty III (Charlie Plummer; no relation to Christopher), is kidnapped.  The kidnappers want seventeen million dollars for his safe return.  The kidnappers try to get the money from his mother, Gail Harris (Williams), who is divorced from Getty’s son.  She doesn’t have seventeen million dollars so she tries desperately to get the older Getty to understand what Paul’s life means to her.  She points out that she and Paul aren’t people writing a letter to him to try and get a piece of his fortune but instead that Paul, his own flesh and blood, is in real danger.

For foreshadowing on who Getty has become, we cut to nine years earlier where Getty is explaining to his young grandson that everything has a price.  To his own son, John Paul Getty II (Buchan), he explains why he was never home.  He had a business to run and he couldn’t be ‘weighed down’ with family.  Pay close attention to the wonderful dialogue in the script regarding money and who Getty considered himself to be.  Plummer is priceless.  The film originally had Kevin Spacey cast in the role of Getty but after he was accused of sexual misconduct, Spacey was replaced with Plummer who seemed so perfectly cast you can’t imagine Scott ever had someone else in mind.  Plummer’s stone face and cold heart, when it comes to what should be an easy decision to make, were almost frightening.

Getty gives a reason why he has decided not to pay to get his grandchild back.  The main reason is that he has fourteen grandchildren and if he pays for one, they may all be kidnapped.  During this period, he buys millions of dollars’ worth of collectibles that appreciate in value, but people aren’t profitable so therefore expendable.  Getty does allow Fletcher Chase (Wahlberg) his assistant, an ex-spy who specializes in negotiations, to help try and retrieve the boy from the kidnappers without it costing Getty a penny.  Wahlberg and Williams have great chemistry.  This chemistry builds with the stress of her plight and a relationship between them builds with the stress of her plight.  It continues throughout the rest of the story when Chase shows more feeling toward what she’s going through than Getty does.  Time goes by and the kidnappers get more and more anxious.  For the audience, the tension increases with every one of their unmet demands.  The price is dropped yet still Getty refuses to pay.  One of the kidnappers shows warmth for the boy but even this doesn’t save him from getting an ear removed.

Scott does a sensational job of juggling the story of desperate kidnappers, the frightened abducted youngster and almost despondent mother who, in dire straits, still hangs on to hope that she can get through to Scrooge.  She never cries for Getty, instead, illustrates for him how Paul having the Getty name is what has put him in danger and that Getty, himself, has some responsibility to help him.

All the Money in the World is definitely one of the best pictures of the year and Plummer’s performance is easily one of the best of the year, as well.  It comes out today, Christmas 2017, and I recommend you see it as a gift to yourself.

SICARIO 2: SOLDADO Official Teaser Trailer

SICARIO 2: SOLDADO is in theaters June 29, 2018.

 

In Sicario 2: Soldado, the drug war on the US – Mexico border has escalated as the cartels have begun trafficking terrorists across the US border.

To fight the war, federal agent Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) reteams with the mercurial Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro).

Witness the next chapter of the Sicario saga in theaters June 2018. #SoldadoMovie #SicarioNeverDies

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In Theaters June 29th, 2018

http://www.fandango.com

First Trailer for Ocean’s 8 Starring Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett

Every con has its pros…

OCEAN’S 8:

The tide has turned and it’s a whole new “Ocean’s” when a group of 8 plan and execute a heist in New York.  #OCEANS8 is in theaters June 8th, 2018.

The film stars Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Rihanna, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, and Awkwafina.

In Theaters June 8th, 2018

http://www.fandango.com

Bright Advance Movie Screening

Movie Screening Summary: Set in an alternate present-day where humans, orcs, elves and fairies have been coexisting since the beginning of time, this action-thriller directed by David Ayer (Suicide Squad, End of Watch, writer of Training Day) follows two cops from very different backgrounds. Ward, a human (Will Smith), and Jakoby, an orc (Joel Edgerton), embark on a routine night patrol that will alter the future of their world as they know it. Battling both their own personal differences as well as an onslaught of enemies, they must work together to protect a young female elf and a thought-to-be-forgotten relic, which in the wrong hands could destroy everything.

Release: December 22
Distributor: Netflix
Genres: Action & Adventure
Director: David Ayer
Cast: Will Smith, Joel Edgerton, Noomi Rapace, Lucy Fry, Edgar Ramirez, Ike Barinholtz, Enrique Murciano, Jay Hernandez, Andrea Navedo, Veronica Ngo, Alex Meraz, Margaret Cho, Brad William Henke, Dawn Olivieri, and Kenneth Choi.
Writer: Max Landis
Producers: David Ayer, Eric Newman, and Bryan Unkeless
Run Time: 117 Min

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Advance Movie Screening For BRIGHT

Find your chance to receive special advance movie screening passes below.

 

Phoenix, Arizona

Advance Movie Screening Details

Movie Screening Date: Wednesday, December 20
Location: Harkins Arizona Mills
Movie Screening Time: 7:00pm
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Advance Movie Screening Information

To redeem a pass, simply click the Get Passes button. You will taken to our movie screening partner site (where you can sign up for a free account). Once you’ve done so, you’ll be able to print out your pass and bring it with you to your screening or event.

Admittance into a screening or event is not guaranteed with your pass. Events and advance screenings are filled on a ” first come, first served ” basis. To ensure that you stand a good chance of being admitted, we recommend that you show up 30 minutes to one hour early.

The number of admissions that are permissible for each pass are printed clearly on the ticket that you print out. You are allowed to bring as many guests as is indicated on your pass. For example, if your pass is for ” Admit Two, ” you can bring yourself and one guest. If you have an ” Admit One ” pass, you can bring only yourself.

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All the Money in the World

ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD follows the kidnapping of 16-year-old John Paul Getty III (Charlie Plummer) and the desperate attempt by his devoted mother Gail (Michelle Williams) to convince his billionaire grandfather (Christopher Plummer) to pay the ransom.  When Getty Sr. refuses, Gail attempts to sway him as her son’s captors become increasingly volatile and brutal.  With her son’s life in the balance, Gail and Getty’s advisor (Mark Wahlberg) become unlikely allies in the race against time that ultimately reveals the true and lasting value of love over money.

  Directed by: 

Ridley Scott

Written by: 

David Scarpa

 Based on the book by: 

John Pearson

Cast: Michelle Williams, Christopher Plummer, Mark Wahlberg, Romain Duris, Charlie Plummer and Timothy Hutton

In Theaters December 22nd

http://www.fandango.com

Roman J. Israel, Esq. – Movie Review

Another fabulous film coming at you before we close out 2017 is Roman J. Israel, Esq.  If you love Denzel Washington, see it now because in this film you’ll see him, simply put, in a way you’ve never seen him before.  His character Roman is a criminal attorney with a civil-rights background who has been working for low wages for thirty-six years.  Instead of becoming a lawyer to get what he can out of people who hurt for his expertise those most, he became one because he’s passionate about helping those individuals who are in desperate need.  He fights for those who have been wronged and despairs when he sees the lawyers of the day allow their first-time offenders to receive sentences of ten years in prison rather than spending the time to go to bat for their clients as they should. 

Roman J. Israel, Esq., so named for the dignity the title possess, is a bit of an egghead and a savant, with a photographic memory.  He believes in social justice and wants to do the right thing as did his mentor and his hero’s but as it becomes harder to be an idealist in a world who’ll fight you tooth and nail for their right not to be protected, Roman feels the earth his career was based on begin to shift out from under his feet.  That earth is not as steady as it once was. 

Washington brings Roman to life so convincingly that you wonder if this wasn’t the real Washington all along.  Going through the loss of all that is dear to him, Roman gets upset and nervous and it shows.  When he’s most troubled, Washington gives him ticks such as playing with his glasses, pulling at his hair.  He displays other behavioral abnormalities that ultimately sell the role.  His performance is magnificent and as the story builds to its inevitable conclusion the more you’re lost in this character and feel for his circumstances.  We learn he’s a forceps baby which tells Roman that he’s fully aware of this world not being one he wanted to enter, especially since he sees what others choose to ignore but in a city that has hardened from corruption, his heart has remained in the right place… until now, that is.

His partner and owner of the law practice, a well-known civil-rights litigator by the name of William Jackson, falls very ill.  While he’s in the hospital, Roman, who has always been the brains behind the operation doing a lot of the grunt work, takes on the cases.  He’s only to go to court and get continuances for the cases but due to his strong beliefs, he can’t help but get involved to try and right what he sees is wrong and fight against the racism, greed and authoritative tendencies of society in the United States and its court system.

George Pierce (Farrell), who was a former student of Jackson’s, handles the liquidation of the company after Jackson’s death and has to let Roman go.  Aware of his intelligence, George hires him for his company and the story picks up speed.  A lot of the dialogue here seems very deliberate, to speak of what is going on in the country today which, if you’re following politics at all, you could find very engaging and appreciate hearing.  It isn’t tedious and it doesn’t assault you but watching an optimist become a realist the way writer/director Dan Gilroy (Nightcrawler) shows Roman slowly become is both heartbreaking and frightening.  Working for George isn’t easy for him because he’s forced to do what he hates and he metamorphoses into what he ultimately despises.  He also becomes ‘Tired of doing the impossible for the ungrateful.’  However, as Roman loses himself, we see who he is turning around and that is someone with the power and control to achieve what Roman sadly never could.

I recommend Roman J. Israel, Esq. for anyone who likes a powerful story with characters driven not by lust or ambition but by the dedication and the commitment to do what’s right.  This is a heavy drama that requires your full attention and once you give it you’ll applaud what you get in return.   

THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI

Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri – Movie Review

Do not, under any circumstances, miss this movie.  It’s one of the most unique and highly entertaining films of the year.  Written and directed by the skilled and very distinguished Martin McDonagh (In Bruges, Seven Psychopaths), whose work never fails to impress, bewilder and engage you, likewise, Three Billboards will surprise you, shock you, delight you as well as alarm you.  I don’t know what I was expecting going in but what I got was purely visceral and elicited, more than once, a stirring of genuine discomfort for what Mildred (McDormand) was going through.

Important to pull you in, all characters in the film are rich in tone and have strong personalities.  From the target of the Billboards, chief of police Willoughby (Harrelson), to his hotheaded underling, Dixon (Rockwell), the players of the narrative are well developed and entrenched within a captivating and engrossing story about despair and hopelessness.  The film is beautifully shot with fitting music to accompany the actors who are expertly cast for each role.  All things considered, this is easily one of the best films of the year.

A tragedy happened in Ebbing, almost an entire year previous, that changed Mildred’s, an independent and strong divorced mother of two, life forever; her teenage daughter, Angela (Kathryn Newton), was raped and murdered.  In a flashback scene, we learn that Mildred has every reason to feel a little guilty for it happening.  Though Mildred has a son to live for, she has been devastated by her loss and refuses to let the police sit and allow her daughter’s death to go unsolved any longer.  Fearing they’re not doing as much as they should and that Angela’s death is turning into a cold case, she rents Three Billboards and posts messages to Chief Willoughby, reminding him that he has an unsolved murder on his hands, lest he had forgotten.  In a deep red with black lettering the signs read, ‘Raped While Dying,’ ‘And Still No Arrests?’ and ‘How Come, Chief Willoughby?’

After the billboards, with their very potent and direct messages of what happened to her daughter and who it is not doing anything about her murder, go up, Mildred draws unwanted attention from everyone in town.  She finds that Willoughby has many admirers and that the citizens of Ebbing don’t appreciate her attacking and questioning him the way that she has.  It’s at this point we learn more about his current situation and suddenly a suspect list begins to emerge; so do outstanding performances.

Every word McDormand’s Mildred utters is done so with such diligence and precision that the anguish Mildred is suffering through practically assaults you as the characters in the film assault one another.  You’ll agree that McDormand will be a strong contender for an Academy Award this year but so might Sam Rockwell be with his turn here as the slightly deranged mama’s boy of a police officer who’ll stop at nothing to support his boss.  With these two actors at the helm, and an almost muted offering by Harrelson who is carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, you’ll not only be happy you saw this movie this weekend but you’ll get back in line to watch it again.  The end leaves the audience to guess what ultimately happens so what better way to solve a mystery than to watch more closely and research everything once again for anything you may have missed.

 

*Exclusively at Harkins Camelview at Fashion Square

Loving Vincent – Trailer

Directed by: Dorota Kobiela

Genre: Animation, Mystery, Art House, Biopic Dorota Kobiela

Length: 94 min.

Rating: Rated PG-13 for mature thematic elements, some violence, sexual material and smoking.

Technique Oil-painting animation or feature

 

Synopsis:

LOVING VINCENT is the world’s first fully oil painted feature film. Bringing the paintings of Vincent van Gogh to life to tell his remarkable story. Every one of the 65,000 frames of the film is an oil-painting, hand-painted by 125 professional oil-painters who travelled from all across the world to the Loving Vincent studios in Poland and Greece to be a part of the production.

 France, Summer 1891… After hearing that Vincent van Gogh killed himself, Armand Roulin (Douglas Booth), is given a letter from Vincent by his father, Postman Joseph Roulin (Chris O’Dowd), to hand-deliver to the Theo van Gogh, Vincent’s brother. In Paris, there is no trace of brother Theo. Armand’s search leads him to the paint supplier, Pere Tanguy (John Sessions), who tells him that Theo died shortly after Vincent, apparently destroyed by the death of his older brother. Pere Tanguy recounts how Theo helped Vincent on his incredible transformation from a down-and-out at age 28 to the new artistic sensation of Paris at the time of his death 10 years later. After hearing this story Armand believes he may have misjudged his father’s friend, and really wants to know why Vincent chose the moment of impending success to take his life: Pere Tanguy has no answer to this.

 Armand then journeys on to Vincent’s final destination, the quiet village of Auvers-sur-Oise to meet Doctor Paul Gachet (Jerome Flynn), Vincent’s doctor in his final weeks. He stays at the Ravoux Inn, where Vincent boarded for the last 10 weeks of his life, and where on July 29, 1890 he died of a bullet wound to his abdomen. Armand meets the Inn- keeper’s daughter, Adeline Ravoux (Eleanor Tomlinson) and also conducts interviews with Doctor Gachet’s housekeeper, Louise Chevalier (Helen McCrory), the Doctor’s daughter, Marguerite Gachet (Oscar nominee – Saoirse Ronan). Down by the river where Vincent often spent his days, he meets the Boatman (Aidan Turner).

 Armand gets the sense that much is being hidden from him by the villagers and is determined to root out the truth. A run in with the local police, a chance encounter with a second Doctor, and finally his much anticipated meeting with the mercurial Doctor Gachet, lead to unexpected and heart- rending revelations. Armand then finally understands and appreciates the passionate and surprising life of Vincent van Gogh.

In Theaters October 13th

Loving Vincent opens in Phoenix at Harkin’s Camelview Fashion Square and Tucson at Loft Cinema on Friday

Website: LovingVincent.com

Facebook: Facebook.com/lovingvincentmovie

Twitter: Twitter.com/LovingVincent

Instagram: Instagram.com/lovingvincentmovie

Official Hashtag: #LovingVincent

Loving Vincent – Movie Review

Loving Vincent is absolutely breathtaking.  A marvel.  It’s a journey back in time much like what we experience when we stare at any piece of art.  Filmmakers, Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman and a team of 125 painting animators immerse you in the world of one of the most loved artists of all, the Father of Modern Art, Vincent Van Gogh.  What has been accomplished here will unquestionably affect you, bowl you over, however you want to say it but this here, this film, is a bona fide treasure.

Allow me to give you a few facts about what it took to bring this amazing production to you.  It took seven, SEVEN, years to make and is the first of its kind.  Each and every one of the film’s 65,000 frames is an oil painting itself, employing the same bold technique as Van Gogh used.  The painters spent up to TEN DAYS painting just ONE SECOND of the film!  Loving Vincent is the first ‘fully oil painted feature film.’  After watching, there’s no doubt there will be more to follow. 

The movie seems like an impossibility in the way it not only shows you the filmmakers talents but tells you all about the subjects.  Luckily for us, Dorota Kobiela didn’t keep it a short film as originally planned.  Oh, the loss that would have been.  What Van Gogh accomplished in only nine years is remarkable and you learn so much about his work through Loving Vincent that you’ll want to run and find out more.  He created over 860 oil paintings and 120 of them were used, fused into the film with loving, caring, compassionate artists out to tell the world this phenomenal story with their awe-inspiring work. 

When the artists best for the job were found for the film, they were put through a 180-hour training program before they could start painting but before that, the feature, which is a difficult task all its own, had to be shot!! 

It’s almost too much to comprehend but sets were built to mirror the images of Van Gogh’s paintings, Night Café, Portrait of Doctor Paul Gachet and Portrait of Adeline Ravoux to name a few of the 120 used.  With that detail and the use of green screen technology, you’ll thoroughly applaud the efforts to remove you from this world and drop you into his. 

His being, Vincent’s (Gulaczyk) but also Armand Roulin’s (Booth) world… the man trying to get a letter from Vincent to his brother, Theo (Cezary Lukaszewicz).  Arman is given the letter by his father, a postman by the name of Joseph Roulin (O’Dowd), both of them subjects of Vincent’s work.  The odyssey he finds himself on when he learns of Theo’s passing is not what he was expecting.  He wants only to try and find the rightful owner of the letter and instead finds himself entangled in a mystery.

After meeting several people who knew Vincent, Louise Chevalier (McCrory) who was not a fan of Vincent or his work, Adeline Ravoux (Tomlinson) the innkeeper’s daughter who is a wealth of information and Dr. Gachet (Flynn), himself a failed artist, Armand sees reason all around him to doubt whether Vincent took his own life or whether someone did it for him.  The film actually takes place in 1891, a year after his death so, some of the story is told in flashbacks which are the memories of the people he speaks with and what they feel compelled to recant. Vincent’s murder has now been suggested and if you weren’t aware of that, watching how the idea incubates here and how it unfolds is the perfect way to judge, chew on and then spread that very notion.
 

I’ll conclude with exclaiming that this is a must watch, a must own and a must see on occasion just to gaze upon the glory of it.  Subtle gestures, glances and movement are captured on canvas and exquisitely matched onto each frame so that you’ll be fully absorbed in the tale.  You’re so intoxicated by the movie that after a while you can’t imagine these characters having ever been only on film.  I have a deep affection for Vincent Van Gogh’s art.  I’ve read some of the letters that quotes in the film were pulled from and I utterly loved how they incorporated Vincent, his words, his affections and his illness and tragedy into this living, breathing display of craftsmanship and respect for the man.

Watch a Time-Lapse clip HERE

**Loving Vincent opens in Phoenix at Harkin’s Camelview Fashion Square and Tucson at Loft Cinema on Friday

 

Website: LovingVincent.com

Facebook: Facebook.com/lovingvincentmovie

Twitter: Twitter.com/LovingVincent

Instagram: Instagram.com/lovingvincentmovie

Official Hashtag: #LovingVincent

FUN! Let’s check out the suspects for MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS!! *Character posters with clues!!

Everyone has something to hide.  Every one of them is a suspect.

20th Century Fox has revealed new character posters for MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS. 
Get a closer look at all of the suspects aboard! 

From the novel by best-selling author Agatha Christie, “Murder on the Orient Express” tells the tale of strangers stranded on a train, where everyone’s a suspect and clues are everywhere.  Kenneth Branagh directs and leads an all-star cast including PenĂŠlope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Daisy Ridley and Josh Gad.
When everyone is suspect, clues are everywhere.
Make sure to look for NEW clues hidden within the character posters! 

Visit CluesAreEverywhere.com to uncover more clues and learn about the suspects aboard the Orient Express.

MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS hits theaters everywhere November 10, 2017!

MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS

Director: Kenneth Branagh

Screenplay by: Michael Green

Based upon the Novel by: Agatha Christie

Produced by: Ridley Scott, Mark Gordon, Simon Kinberg, Kenneth Branagh, Judy Hofflund, Michael Schaefer

Cast: Tom Bateman, Kenneth Branagh, PenĂŠlope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Johnny Depp, Josh Gad, Derek Jacobi, Leslie Odom Jr., Michelle Pfeiffer, Daisy Ridley, Marwan Kenzari, Olivia Colman, Lucy Boynton, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Sergei Polunin

SYNOPSIS

What starts out as a lavish train ride through Europe quickly unfolds into one of the most stylish, suspenseful and thrilling mysteries ever told. From the novel by best-selling author Agatha Christie, “Murder on the Orient Express” tells the tale of thirteen strangers stranded on a train, where everyone’s a suspect. One man must race against time to solve the puzzle before the murderer strikes again. Kenneth Branagh directs and leads an all-star cast including PenĂŠlope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Daisy Ridley and Josh Gad.

MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS Official Channels

WEBSITE: CluesAreEverywhere.com

FACEBOOK: Facebook.com/OrientExpressMovie

TWITTER: Twitter.com/OrientExpress

INSTAGRAM: Instagram.com/OrientExpressMovie/

#OrientExpressMovie