Paris Can Wait Movie Review

May 19, 2017 (updated May 30, 2017) Published by Shari K. Green

This film is pure escapism. Anne (Lane), wife of Michael (Baldwin), a movie mogul who is so successful he’s usually too busy to spend time with her, is on a car trip from Cannes to Paris with her husband’s business partner, Jacques, played ardently by Arnaud Viard, to then meet her husband there for vacation. They live in L.A. but are in Cannes for the film festival and always end up in Paris after.

This time the trip will take her to Paris by land, rather than by air as she usually does. She’s never seen the countryside in France, though she had always wanted to. Lucky for her, she gets a chance to see it by an enthusiastic escort. She assumed the trip will be seven hours but it turns out to be two days. When she admits she had always wanted to see the lavender in bloom, and beams with joy when they drive passed some, Jacques knows he can’t let her get to Paris without experiencing all France has to offer.

They stop for the night and have a romantic dinner; a dinner that Michael never would have been interested in taking her on, as well as one that he couldn’t have taken her on. He hasn’t the knowledge of the land nor does he have an interest in pleasing her quite so much. She is being treated to the vacation of her dreams. They have tastes of almost everything on the menu and, fluent in French, Jacques speaks romantically of the dishes and the wine and speaks to her with palpable delight.

As the miles closer to Paris dwindle, the film becomes more and more romantic. There’s flirtation and both parties drop obvious hints of interest but things are fairly innocent. Lane’s Anne is very sweet and gracious. They stop at such beautiful places that she can’t help but jump out and take pictures, a new hobby of hers. Jacques can’t help but ask to see them and is quite taken with her eye. His genuine interest in her passions arouses, springs back to life, something in Anne that had been long expired. You get the feeling that romance may be on Anne’s mind but she’s too innocent to ever act on it. When the car breaks down and he suggests having a picnic rather than tending to it immediately, she tries to persuade him to get them back on the road but he reminds her that the car will be there when they’re done and so will Paris.

The trip is lovely and she opens up a little yet a private tour through a museum, where a friend of Jacques works, shows her that men are not to be trusted, especially French men, and a piece of her heart seems to break a little. The trip segues’s enough and along with her smiles she imparts on him a tragic and painful loss. This scene is magnificent; everything about it delicate and done with a qualified touch, come to think of it, everything else about the film is, too. It’s written and by Eleanor Coppola, wife of filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola (Apocalypse Now). Though she isn’t new to filmmaking, this is her first narrative feature… and she’s 81 years of age. This film is quite an accomplishment for a newbie.

Paris Can Wait felt very much like a Woody Allen Film in its subject matter, style and in how the male lead, Jacques, expresses his dialogue and what the dialogue in the film reveals. It’s even in France, a favorite location that Allen shoots. It also has beautiful and appropriate music that accompanies us on our journey with these characters; it lightly flutters about in the background and between lines of dialogue belonging to Jacques and Anne. I really liked it and would recommend it to anyone who likes romance and wouldn’t mind a character in a film giving you a tour through France. From beginning to end, it held my interest seeing these two get close. I liked how it ended and I hope that this isn’t the end for Coppola. I thought she did a fine job and I’d be first in line to see what’s next.

The Wedding Plan Movie Review

May 19, 2017 (updated May 30, 2017) Published by Shari K. Green

A devoutly religious woman by the name of Michal (Koler), an Orthodox Jew, is dumped by her fiancé, Gidi, as they are making their wedding plans. He acts strangely; she asks ‘why;’ he scolds her to put it all on her and then tells her he doesn’t love her. Nice guy. Regardless, it breaks her heart and she feels terrible about herself. She wants to know what is wrong with her but being a woman who never questions God she knows she is loved by Him; therefore, he has a divine plan. This being the case than the proposed ceremony should still go on. It isn’t Gidi she needs to love her; God does and He will provide. She has to believe it and trust Him.

So, from Shimi, the man who owns the wedding hall, Michal keeps the date as it was, (the eighth night of Hanukkah) books the hall and sends out the invitations to her guests. Her groom will come. This is a small task for God to get her a husband. She may lack courage but he is omniscient. So, with faith in hand, she gets some matchmakers on the job so she can meet more men to speed up the process of the remaining days for her prince to come.

These men are, we’ll say, interesting! One captivating scene is with a quirky man who won’t look at her because he only wants to gaze upon his wife. He does like her and during this blind date, actually, proposes. I’ll let you find out what happens next but it is amusing and their behavior is thought-provoking. Everything she does is thought provoking. It’s quite something watching her grow as a person. Maybe because she cleanses herself by admitting that she desperate and doesn’t want to be alone anymore but in searching for someone to love her she’s finding her true self; her own identity, something she doesn’t think she poses or has the right to. She tells her Rabbi, who is appauled she’s asking for a miracle, that she isn’t asking anything from God, only asking herself to believe in His plan. However, she does want to know, at this point, why she was created if she’s a phony with little hope. Still, she remains resolute.

She sees her sister in a crazy marriage of fighting for the other’s attention and she doesn’t want this but wants the life of a married woman, even if that’s what she ends up with. She wants a life where she isn’t only being invited places but is doing the inviting. She wants respect and she knows this will all come from having a spouse. At thirty-two, Michal thinks she’s practically a spinster. As the date she’s given herself to find Mr. Right draws near, family and friends are starting to have doubt but she’s holding firm. Of the blind dates she’s endured, one possible match, Assaf, has stood out above the rest. He may be the one but it seems he won’t be back in town before the day of the wedding. She meets a gorgeous, very sweet, genuine, caring popstar, Yos (Zehavi) who is interested in her. She’s almost certain he’s having fun with her but will he be the one?

I really enjoyed this movie! It’s a great concept and the execution couldn’t have been better. The cast was absolutely outstanding and the music! Oh, the music is wonderful. Soundtrack purchase for this gal! The songs Yos sings are heard throughout the movie and they’re deep and meaningful and each piece is piercing and memorable. Zehavi is beautiful in the film and gives the audience the glimmer of hope that Michal will be fine in the end. Koler, in her first film role, took Michal on and showed her strengths, her weaknesses; she was cute, charming, she was nasty and could be cruel. She was incredibly honest in her betrayal of someone who has always hidden from the truth. I recommend The Wedding Plan highly. I had a visceral reaction to this film because I got so involved in Michal’s outcome that I may or may not have hit the screen a few times. Anyway, it is in subtitles but you can handle it. It’s a marvelous story… one that comes down to the wedding day. She’s at the alter in her dress; waiting. Will someone come? If so, is it the right one… the one you want her to be with? Watch and find out.

Phoenix! It’s playing starting today at Harkins Camelview at Fashion Square!

Everything, Everything Movie Review

May 18, 2017 (updated May 17, 2017) Published by JMcNaughton

Who’s ready for a teenage girl version of “The Boy in the Plastic Bubble”? What, no show of hands? Well, get ready anyway – because “Everything, Everything” will have you wishing you were inside your own bubble. The disease that forces you keep away from everything, everything is severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID). This is reason for the main character never leaving the house.

Maddy (Amandla Stenberg) is 18 and she has been kept in a sterile cocoon that is her house, where she lives with her mother, Dr. Whittier (Anika Noni Rose). Dr. Mom has lost her husband and son in a terrible car crash 16 years ago, so she is determined never to lose Maddy. So Maddy has been determined to have SCID, and as a result, her Dr. Mom has made the house into a germ fortress. There is an airlock at the front door. There are antibiotic soaps everywhere, and the place is kept spic and span. Maddy has a nurse, Carla (Ana de la Reguera) who tends to her when Dr. Mom is on duty elsewhere.

One day some new neighbors move in next door. They have a son about the same age as Maddy. His name is Olly (Nick Robinson), and he is very different that Maddy. Olly wears black, and he has an attitude. Maddy wears white and she always thinks of pleasant and interesting things. They have rooms that face each other on the second floor, so soon they are texting away. But since Maddy is not allowed out, and Olly is not allowed in, the movie makes many of these texting conversations as if they are done in real life. Maddy has a great imagination, so she imagines the actual Maddy and actual Olly – being together in a small model of a diner, or model of a library.

Maddy convinces Nurse Carla to let Olly come in to visit. Awkwardness ensues, and it gets worse when Dr. Mom finds out. Carla is fired and Maddy gets her phone and internet taken away. Oh, heavens – child abuse! But she is still infatuated with Olly, and she finds it incredibly easy to get her own credit card. She buys her own stuff, including a trip to Hawaii for herself and for Olly. Even when she does not have any type of identification and would not be able to board the plane? Of coure she bought two tickets and expects Olly to go with but has not checked with him one bit if he even could…

But, what the hey, let’s go to Hawaii. Someone might pay for it, sometime… The two lovebirds stay at a plush resort, drive a rental Jeep around the island, find deserted beaches and go swimming. Olly teaches Maddy to sort-of swim, float mostly. Until she decides they should go cliff-diving, into deep water when she cannot swim. They go on the merry way and make love, and Maddy gets deathly sick. She wakes up back in her room. So what all just happened? She lost it in Hawaii, and then she got back home again. But how…

Dr. Mom is terribly disappointed in Maddy and her behavior. She will be locked down ever more from now on. Maddy has become pretty much a prisoner in her own home, thanks to SCID. Good thing Dr. Mom has all the paperwork and results from the testing years ago that showed Maddy had a very severe case… Maddy goes to find the paperwork, and guess what?

Good grief, this movie is silly and pandering. There is no character arc for anyone. Nobody can truly be considered an antagonist, and there is no conflict and no resolution. The story just floats along on one ridiculous premise after another. This is a version of reality that even a young middle-school girl could not believe. At least the lead actors are good to look at.

Amandla Stenberg has come a long way from playing young Rue in “The Hunger Games”. She is quite attractive and has a pleasant screen presence. Even with a flawed character, her performance is really good. Nick Robinson plays opposite her, and his role is to be her opposite. She wears white, and he wears black. She reads books, and he rides his skateboard. However, they do play the young lovers in a nicely awkward manner.

Would this movie been better if done as a “Hallmark Movie – Very Special Episode”? Yes, because there is very little that requires a full studio production, except for the sequences shot in Hawaii. Is there anything silly and trivial about this movie? “Everything, Everything”…

Home Again Trailer

May 12, 2017 Published by Shari K. Green

HOME AGAIN stars Reese Witherspoon (“Big Little Lies,” Wild, Walk The Line, Sweet Home Alabama) as Alice Kinney in a modern romantic comedy.

Recently separated from her husband, (Michael Sheen), Alice decides to start over by moving back to her hometown of Los Angeles with her two young daughters. During a night out on her 40th birthday, Alice meets three aspiring filmmakers who happen to be in need of a place to live. Alice agrees to let the guys stay in her guest house temporarily, but the arrangement ends up unfolding in unexpected ways. Alice’s unlikely new family and new romance comes to a crashing halt when her ex-husband shows up, suitcase in hand.

HOME AGAIN is a story of love, friendship, and the families we create. And one very big life lesson: Starting over is not for beginners.

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In Theaters September

http://www.fandango.com

The Big Sick Trailer

May 9, 2017 (updated May 9, 2017) Published by Shari K. Green

Based on the real-life courtship courtship between Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon, THE BIG SICK tells the story of Pakistan-born aspiring comedian Kumail (Nanjiani), who connects with grad student Emily (Kazan) after one of his standup sets. However, what they thought would be just a one-night stand blossoms into the real thing, which complicates the life that is expected of Kumail by his traditional Muslim parents. When Emily is beset with a mystery illness, it forces Kumail to navigate the medical crisis with her parents, Beth and Terry (Holly Hunter and Ray Romano) who he’s never met, while dealing with the emotional tug-of- war between his family and his heart.

THE BIG SICK is directed by Michael Showalter (Hello My Name Is Doris) and produced by Judd Apatow (Trainwreck, This Is 40) and Barry Mendel (Trainwreck, The Royal Tenenbaums).

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In Theaters June

http://www.fandango.com

Shooting Starts on “A STAR IS BORN,”

April 18, 2017 Published by Shari K. Green

SHOOTING STARTS ON “A STAR IS BORN,” STARRING

BRADLEY COOPER AND STEFANI GERMANOTTA (LADY GAGA)

Film Marks Cooper’s Directorial Debut

BURBANK, CA – Filming begins today on Warner Bros. Pictures’ reimagining of the musical “A Star is Born,” starring Bradley Cooper and introducing Stefani Germanotta, known across the globe as Oscar-nominated music superstar Lady Gaga, in her first leading role in a major motion picture. Four-time Oscar nominee Bradley Cooper (“American Sniper,” “American Hustle,” “Silver Linings Playbook”) is helming the film, marking his directorial debut.

Cooper plays Jackson Maine, a country music star who is on the brink of decline when he discovers a talented unknown named Ally (Germanotta). As the two begin a passionate love affair, Jack coaxes Ally into the spotlight, catapulting her to stardom. But as Ally’s career quickly eclipses his own, Jack finds it increasingly hard to handle his fading glory.

In addition to playing Ally, Germanotta, who earned her Oscar nod for the song “Til It Happens to You” from “The Hunting Ground,” has composed and will perform original songs in the film. The main cast also includes Andrew Dice Clay and Sam Elliott.

“A Star is Born” is being produced by Bill Gerber, Jon Peters, Bradley Cooper, Todd Phillips and Lynette Howell Taylor; with Basil Iwanyk and Ravi Mehta serving as executive producers. The screenplay is by Will Fetters & Bradley Cooper and Eric Roth, based on a story by William A. Wellman and Robert Carson.

Collaborating with Cooper behind the scenes are Oscar-nominated director of photography Matty Libatique (“Black Swan”), production designer Karen Murphy, three-time Oscar-nominated editor Jay Cassidy (“American Hustle,” “Silver Linings Playbook,” “Into the Wild”), and costume designer Erin Benach.

“A Star is Born” is being filmed entirely in Southern California.

Warner Bros. Pictures presents A Jon Peters Production, A Bill Gerber Production, A Joint Effort Production, “A Star is Born.” Slated for release on September 28, 2018, the film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Tommy’s Honour Movie Review

April 15, 2017 (updated April 15, 2017) Published by Shari K. Green

Director Jason Connery, son of actor Sean Connery, is usually in front of the camera. Appearing in over seventy films, he now has five directing credits to his name. Tommy’s Honour, a piece about the birth of the golf pro of today, is his latest achievement. Appearing in Film Festivals across the globe, the Phoenix Film Festival being one of them where it had the honour of closing the fest, it’s getting great buzz and as it’s now at a theatre near you, I must recommend you see it. It’s an engaging movie with history about the evolution of the professional golfer and in my opinion; you don’t have to be a fan of the game to enjoy the spirit within the movie. Interestingly enough, the players went from being paid employees, hired to play the game for rich men who bet on the winners, to then playing on their own terms… and it would not have been possible if not for Young Tommy Morris (Jack Lowden) who made it happen.

At the time Tommy was the best player, one that the members of the club St. Andrews for whom he played, could always count on. He, well aware of his skills and knowledge of the game, refused to continue to play and only take home a small percentage of his own winnings. Not appreciating how the men of St. Andrews have always treated his father Old Tom, (Peter Mullan), he rejects the idea of ending up like his dad, crawling around on the ground setting up Tees for men who only looked down at him. Tommy decides it’s time to redesign how players are seen and how the game is played and with one game he does just that. Shocking every man in the club, especially Alexander Boothby (Sam Neil), he makes some requests that the members deny, fearing that next Tommy will expect to be called a Gentleman and demand entrance through the sacred door.

Tom, greenskeeper at St. Andrews, who’s responsible for establishing many of the game’s rules as well as making their balls and clubs, is fine with his station in life. When Tommy suggests rising above it, he gets a little nervous. Being a much better course designer these days than player, Tom is no longer asked to play; therefore he can no longer bring home the extra money his family needs. Having his son around to help run things and support the family has always been the plan. What starts concerning Tom, even more, is that at the time Tommy decides to carve his own path in golf, he also meets a woman, Meg (Ophelia Lovibond), who he falls instantly in love. Now his parents worry that he, along with this woman they do not trust, will destroy his future… and theirs.

What accent heavy dialogue you can make out in Tommy’s Honour, (you’re likely to miss a few words here and there so it’s worth mentioning), will affect you. It’s a thought-provoking and compelling story. With the characters being set up so well, you root for Young Tommy right away and want him to achieve his goals and prosper. You also feel for his family but when Meg enters the scene that may start to turn. As previously mentioned, Tommy has never been encouraged to dream or to love but he does now. With what he has achieved and where he sees his future heading, he insists on being his own man, no matter who likes it or who doesn’t. Suddenly, a sports movie about Tommy planning to tour different courses collecting his winnings and forever changing the face of the game turns into a heavy drama. Be prepared when it does… that’s all I’ll say about that.
Ophelia Lovibond is fabulous as she faces Tommy’s unforgiving mother and Peter Mullan expresses Old Tom impressively through not only dialogue but his face, especially when he sees his actions has cost him so much. This is an incredible cast in a wonderful story. See it playing in Phoenix at the theatres listed below or at a theatre near you, today.

Harkins Fashion Center 20

Superstition Springs 25

Harkins Arrowhead Fountains 18

AMC Desert Ridge 18

Shea 14 Theater

My Cousin Rachel – Trailer

March 22, 2017 Published by Shari K. Green

A dark romance, MY COUSIN RACHEL tells the story of a young Englishman who plots revenge against his mysterious, beautiful cousin, believing that she murdered his guardian. But his feelings become complicated as he finds himself falling under the beguiling spell of her charms.

Cast: Rachel Weisz, Sam Claflin, Holliday Grainger, Iain Glen, and Pierfrancesco Favino

Directed by: Roger Michell

Connect with MY COUSIN RACHEL Online:
Visit MY COUSIN RACHEL on our WEBSITE: https://www.mycousinrachelmovie.com
Like MY COUSIN RACHEL on FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/mycousinrach…
Follow MY COUSIN RACHEL on TWITTER: https://twitter.com/mycousinrachel
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#MYCOUSINRACHEL

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In Theaters June 9th

http://www.fandango.com

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…

Song To Song Advance Movie Screening

March 5, 2017 (updated March 5, 2017) Published by markdeli

In this modern love story set against the Austin, Texas music scene, two entangled couples—struggling songwriters Faye (Rooney Mara) and BV (Ryan Gosling), and music mogul Cook (Michael Fassbender) and the waitress whom he ensnares (Natalie Portman)—chase success through a rock ‘n’ roll landscape of seduction and betrayal. Director: Terrence Malick Writer: Terrence Malick Stars: Ryan Gosling, Natalie Portman, Rooney Mara Song To Son Opens Friday, March 24th in Phoenix and other select markets See more advance movie screenings from tmc

Advance Movie Screening For Song To Song

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

Phoenix, Arizona

Advance Movie Screening Details

Movie Screening Date: Monday, March 20
Location: Harkins Tempe Marketplace
Movie Screening Time: 7:00pm
[button link=”http://broadgreenscreenings.com/TMCSONG” type=”big” newwindow=”yes”] Get Passes[/button]

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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. If you have any other questions or comments, please contact us.

Tag: romance

Paris Can Wait Movie Review

The Wedding Plan Movie Review

Everything, Everything Movie Review

Home Again Trailer

In Theaters September

The Big Sick Trailer

In Theaters June

Shooting Starts on “A STAR IS BORN,”

Tommy’s Honour Movie Review

My Cousin Rachel – Trailer

In Theaters June 9th

The Ottoman Lieutenant Movie Review

Song To Song Advance Movie Screening

Advance Movie Screening For Song To Song

Phoenix, Arizona

Advance Movie Screening Details

Advance Movie Screening Information

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