From filmmaker Christopher Nolan (âInterstellar,â âInception,â âThe Dark Knightâ Trilogy) comes the epic action thriller “DUNKIRK,” in theaters July 21, 2017.
Starring: Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Mark Tylance and Kenneth Branagh
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From âShakespeare in Loveâ director, John Madden, comes âMiss Sloaneâ, a furiously clever film that has todayâs politics in mind but is not its only theme. Itâs the story of a very efficient and skilled, nay cutthroat, lobbyist, Elizabeth Sloane, played by Jessica Chastain, who takes no prisoners when she wants to win for a client, putting any and everything in peril, including friendships, to do so. One thing the film does more than anything, especially at a time when the country seems to really need it, is make it clear to a filmgoer exactly what a lobbyist does. Letâs start with the definition of a lobbyist; one who engages in âlobbyingâ; trying to influence public officials to support a position on legislation. Itâs fairly obvious where the term may have derived from which is from these particular individuals waiting in the lobby outside a public officialâs office. Yes. A story about a lobbyist just became compelling
Screenwriter Jonathan Perera penned such a monumental script that Madden had to direct and knew right away who to cast. Itâs so intense that he knew the very diverse Chastain had to be in the lead role. He had been searching for the right project for her and this was it. Of her as Sloane he told me, âOkay, now we have it!â Youâll agree when you see her transformative performance; the best Iâve seen from her to date.Â
This will most likely be considered a political thriller as it centers on the D.C. lives of lawyers and lobbyists but itâs much more. Sloane is a master manipulator and at the heart of this movie is the ambition within her to win at any cost. This cold, hard woman who could be placed in any position, anywhere; who would have any ruler at her feet, doesnât have to be pegged into a certain hole nor does the film. Itâs a thriller, plain and simple and you get to see Chastain work both ends of the spectrum. Iâll let you discover that on your own.  There is so much I want to tell you but I refuse to spoil it all the same.
Maddenâs cast is exceptional. Chastain will get an Oscar nod. Her character is brilliant and her performance is, possibly, twice as good as the film as she goes deep to find this steely woman inside of her. Perhaps some of the tedious language of the political rhetoric in the film would have you thinking youâd rather skip this movie. Donât make that mistake. A lobbyist advocating for or against gun control may be a point in the film; itâs no way the main topic but rather a catalyst to move Miss Sloane forward. The pacing of the movie is such that youâre always consumed, helped by Maddenâs foresight to capture you further with the perfectly chosen music so make âMiss Sloaneâ your choice this weekend at the theatre⌠no waiting until Netflix for this one. Â
âJackieâ is a film about what Jacqueline âJackieâ Kennedy had to endure directly after the assassination of not just the President of the United States of America, the country she loved so much and the man she most admired, but the assassination of her husband, Jack Kennedy, who was that President. Itâs an accurate portrayal of a woman in agony. She loses the husband she always had to share with the world and has to share the pain of this, as well. Nothing can be personal; nothing private. The delicate nature of the story itself is handled beautifully. To your joy, what is evident from the first moment she speaks is that Portman will not only get a Best Actress nomination but quite possibly win the Oscar this year. She is Jackie.Â
To begin the film the theatre goes dark and sounds of gun shots fill the house. Itâs November 22, 1963.  Dallas. We also spend time in 1961 when the First Lady is giving a tour of the White House. This is broadcast on television and is, some would consider, the defining moment for the American people, who fell in love with Jackie when Kennedy first took office, that she was their queen. Why weâre flashing back to her life becomes clear when we are suddenly in a room on her estate in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts with âthe journalistâ (Crudup) from Life Magazine who is there to talk to her for his publication about the assassination and her life since.Â
Many have told the Kennedy stories in books and on film but not so have they delved quite so deeply into the woman behind the man especially when it comes to touching the sensitive subject of her life directly after the his death.Â
Quite addled, she clings to what she has left of the soon to be past position she held of First Lady with more than high acclaim in the world. There are key moments in the film where we see her pain and if youâve done any Kennedy reading youâll recognize the truth telling of this piece, especially about why she wore her blood-stained dress, âLet them see what theyâve doneâ, and how difficult it became for, not only her, but for the Johnsonsâ to get her to leave, which is why I appreciated this movie even more.
Using real clips mixed in with those of director of photography, StĂŠphane Fontaine, who also shot this years, âCaptain Fantasticâ, one of my top five for 2016, LarraĂn creates for us the real trauma that was happening at the time. The story may not be pretty but it does her justice in a way that it shows not only her vulnerability and vanity but her misery and contempt for what âtheyâ did to her. Writer Noah Oppenheim tells of one of the darkest times, the story of Jackie planning Jackâs funeral procession. She wants the world to know that a good man was murdered and much to the chagrin of all around her, she wants the parade to be long and large, one like that of Lincoln. Being, clearly, a very intelligent woman, she knew her children were at risk so she takes certain precautions with them during this time.
As I previously mention, Portman is fascinating in this role. Billy Crudup isnât really given much to do but be a character for Portman to act opposite of. His character could have been a lamp and it wouldnât have mattered. Sarsgaard isnât the best Bobby but again, the film was not about him; itâs about Jackie and if you want to see a film where only one role is sufficient enough for the film to stand on its own, itâs this. Only she is truly necessary to move the story along. This is a must see for anyone who likes biographyâs and for anyone who lived through the Kennedy era and like to peek inside the dynasty that once was. Itâs a brave film. It isnât the tale of Camelot but a reminder of how it all ended; how one woman suffered through it and how we as a country were never the same.
WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES
Action/Drama
Release: July 14, 2017
Director: Matt Reeves
Written by: Mark Bomback & Matt Reeves
Producers: Peter Chernin, Dylan Clark, Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver
Cast: Andy Serkis, Woody Harrelson, Judy Greer, Steve Zahn, Amiah Miller, Karin Konoval & Terry Notary
SYNOPSIS
In War for the Planet of the Apes, the third chapter of the critically acclaimed blockbuster franchise, Caesar and his apes are forced into a deadly conflict with an army of humans led by a ruthless Colonel. After the apes suffer unimaginable losses, Caesar wrestles with his darker instincts and begins his own mythic quest to avenge his kind. As the journey finally brings them face to face, Caesar and the Colonel are pitted against each other in an epic battle that will determine the fate of both their species and the future of the planet.
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Date: Tuesday, December 8
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When a successful New York advertising executive suffers a great tragedy, he retreats from life. While his concerned friends try desperately to reconnect with him, he seeks answers from the universe by writing letters to Love, Time and Death. But it’s not until his notes bring unexpected personal responses that he begins to understand how these constants interlock in a life fully lived, and how even the deepest loss can reveal moments of meaning and beauty
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Location:Â AMC Town Square
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Date: Tuesday, December 6
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Time: 7:00pm
A woman lands a job at a powerful tech company called the Circle, where she becomes involved with a mysterious man.
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Is there an issue with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder? Of course there is, and it needs to be addressed. Is there a potential for family issues when a solider comes back to his family from the war front? Yes, and it can be quite severe. Is the best way to present these problems wrapped up in a movie that cannot decide if it is a serious look at the situation, or an overly dramatized version of the warriorâs mental disconnect?
That is âMan Downâ, which follows the solider named Gabriel Drummer (Shia LaBeouf) who is married to Natalie (Kate Mara) and has a young son named Jonathan (Charlie Shotwell). He joins the Marines with his best friend Devin (Jai Courtney). Gabe gets sent to Afghanistan, while Devin recovers from an injury back in the States. Devin soon joins him over there in the thick of the nasty action.
Later, Gabe has a sit-down session with Captain Peyton (Gary Oldman) about âthe incidentâ. It is finally revealed that a mistake by Gabe led to an ambush attack that had killed Devin. But then, later on when Gabe is back with his family, Gabe shuns his wife and his son to hang around with Devin. Eventually Gabe and Devin prowl about the bleak apocalyptic landscape for his son. But Devin did not make it backâŚ
The late Devin is Gabeâs closest friend and Gabeâs metal state is in question. Captain Peyton talked with Gabe about his reaction to âthe incidentâ, and Gabe is still in denial. So now Gabe and Devin are searching a destroyed cityscape searching for his son. They meet a guy named Charlie (Clifton Collins Jr.) who says he knows nothing. But there are many clues that he knows Gabeâs son, and where he might be hiding.
But how much of Gabeâs post-war travels with Devin are real? Exactly what happened in âthe incidentâ? And what happened back on the home front between Devin and Kate, when Gabe was deployed overseas? Does Captain Peyton know how broken Gabe is on the inside?
Any of these questions could be enough to construct a deep and meaningful movie. But the way that the various incidents and episodes are put together on the screen make a little too jumbled. The connection between the bleak deserted place and the happy home front does get revealed, and it is done in a very subtle way. But the various sequences do not seem to tie up as neatly as they should.
Shia LaBeouf does a workable job as Gabe. He is mostly very understated, but then at some points he is a little bit overemotional and melodramatic. Kate Mara and Jai Courtney have very cookie-cutter roles, and they do the best that they can. Gary Oldman puts some empathy into his character and makes a very good impression. Clifton Collins Jr. has a brief role, but is creepy and odd-ball as that character.
A movie a few years back about the mental tribulations of John Nash was called âA Beautiful Mindâ. This movie might be called âA FUBAR Mindâ. That would describe the nightmare of delusions that Gabe finds himself in during the movie. It is truly scary place to be. But is might not be the best way to bring attention to the real problems of soldiers.
“FENCES” is directed by Denzel Washington from a screenplay by August Wilson, adapted from Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play. The film stars Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Jovan Adepo, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Russell Hornsby, Mykelti Williamson, and Saniyya Sidney. The film is produced by Scott Rudin, Denzel Washington and Todd Black.
