Sunday, November 23, 2014

Belle - A Sweet - and Important - Love Story

BELLE is inspired by the true story of Dido Elizabeth Belle (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), the illegitimate mixed race daughter of a Royal Navy Captain. Raised by her aristocratic great-uncle Lord Mansfield (Tom Wilkinson) and his wife (Emily Watson), Belle's lineage affords her certain privileges, yet the color of her skin prevents her from fully participating in the traditions of her social standing. Left to wonder if she will ever find love, Belle falls for an idealistic young vicar's son bent on change who, with her help, shapes Lord Mansfield's role as Lord Chief Justice to end slavery in England. Written by Fox Searchlight Pictures







My favorite movies are often those based on a true story, and I love historical romance.  Add in a story line in which an underdog wins, and you have me hook line and sinker.  That is exactly where I found myself while watching Belle.  

It is my sincerest hope Gugu Mbatha-Raw finds herself nominated this awards season.  What a beautiful, talented actress!

This one is already available online - you can see it now on Amazon instant streaming.  I highly recommend!

Rated PG

Interstellar....a disappointment

In the near future, Earth has been devastated by drought and famine, causing a scarcity in food and extreme changes in climate. When humanity is facing extinction, a mysterious rip in the space-time continuum is discovered, giving mankind the opportunity to widen its lifespan. A group of explorers must travel beyond our solar system in search of a planet that can sustain life. The crew of the Endurance are required to think bigger and go further than any human in history as they embark on an interstellar voyage into the unknown. Coop, the pilot of the Endurance, must decide between seeing his children again and the future of the human race. Written by Warren D'Souza

Rated PG13




The bad part of living in the middle of nowhere is having to drive about an hour to participate in a movie "experience" - meaning 3D/Imax stuff.  Since I am not a sci-fi fan, this doesn't usually present much of a problem. It's not like I needed IMAX to see Ben Affleck's package in Gone Girl...(wait maybe I did because I TOTALLY missed it)

Anyway - it took me a while to get to Interstellar because of my geographic challenges.  I was listening to all the advice about - YOU MUST SEE IT IN 3D etc.

Fast forward to a free Saturday and a willing date (daughter Tawni) and yesterday I found myself  all settled in at  the beautiful AMC Barrywoods IMAX Theater.

Maybe I am just not smart enough.  I didn't understand Inception - what made me think I would be able to follow Interstellar?   I just thought it was was too deep - I needed a notepad to keep track of everything.  

My apologies to everyone who is going on and on about this film - to all those folks who are buying the ticket that allows a person to see it as many times as they want. Seriously?  But Why?

I did enjoy all the previews in IMAX though - especially the Exodus God & Kings  trailer....so it wasn't a complete loss.




Friday, November 7, 2014

Movie Review - Rudderless


I was pretty excited when I saw this facebook post a couple of weeks ago (@TivoliKC):



"Also! Rudderless opens this weekend! It's the directorial debut of William H. Macy and stars Billy Crudup and Anton Yelchin. 

Not only are we the only theater in KC that you can see this film for it's debut week, but ALSO* screenwriter and former Kansas Citian CASEY TWENTER will be here in person to introduce the 7:00pm screenings on Friday, October 24 and Saturday, October 25.
Casey will also offer an audience Q&A following.  Get your tickets now!!"
...and here is why;
  1. I LOVE interacting with filmmakers, screenwriters, actors.  It brings me immense joy. 
  2. I have been a big Billy Crudup fan since #AlmostFamous - which still ranks in my top ten favorite movies of all time.
  3. I love Westport on a Friday night.
"A grieving father in a downward spiral stumbles across a box of his recently deceased son's demo tapes and lyrics. Shocked by the discovery of this unknown talent, he forms a band in the hope of finding some catharsis." - IMDB  Rated R





I hadn't heard  of @Rudderlessmovie until I saw that post, so  I went straight to IMDB to bring myself up to speed, googled Casey Twenter and sat my plan in motion to convince Jay Erdman this is what we should be doing (please note:  The Royals were in the playoffs).  Surprisingly, he went for it.

Directed and co-written by William H. Macy, “Rudderless”, stars Billy Crudup as Sam, a successful ad man whose world is shattered by the tragic death of his son. His death causes Sam to lose his job, become an alcoholic, and spending his days painting houses and hiding from the pain.

For reasons no one can understand, Sam wants nothing to do with the the memory of his son.  Faced with boxes of his son's belongings, he eventually takes out the guitar and teaches himself to play, which leads to an open-mic performance at a local pub, where he meets an awkward teen named Quentin (Anton Yelchin).
It's hard to say who befriends who, but it is obvious these two misfits need one another.  Together with a few other musicians they form an indie-leaning rock band that I would gladly pay to see in real life.  (Great Soundtrack!)
The twist halfway through “Rudderless” will take your breath away. It’s a ballsy move, and it makes you rethink  everything & beg for a rewind.   It answers the questions I think all parents have asked themselves while watching news reports of school shootings.  What would we do if?  How would we survive?  Would we survive?
It is a brilliant film - I loved every minute of it.   It happens to be available on Amazon already - if you are looking for something to do this weekend - just do it.  

St. Vincent - Bill Murray SHINESI

"St.Vincent is an old Vietnam vet whose stubbornly hedonistic ways have left him without money or a future. Things change when his new next-door neighbor's son, Oliver, needs a babysitter and Vince is willing enough for a fee. From that self-serving act, an unexpected friendship forms as Vincent and Oliver find so much of each other needs through each other. As Vincent mentors Oliver in street survival and other worldly ways, Oliver begins to see more in the old man than just his foibles. When life takes a turn for the worse for Vincent, both them find the best in each other than no one around them suspects." - Written by Kenneth Chisholm 

St. Vincent is rated PG-13






It's a rare thing to have a free Sunday AND a husband agreeing to see a movie - but that is just what happened last weekend.  I gave him two choices - St. Vincent or Nightcrawler.  I told him one was a comedy and one was a "cop drama".  He chose St. Vincent.  About 20 minutes in I knew I was wrong about it being a comedy.

I know Bill Murray's choices are not always predictable - but I was still betting on a laugh out loud comedy - especially since the hilarious Melissa McCarthy was his co-star.

Murray plays Vincent McKenna, a crotchety, drunk New Yorker with a stripper girlfriend from Russia.  (By the way, Naomi Watts was outstanding!) 

We soon meet his new neighbors - single mom Maggie (Melissa McCarthy) and her son Oliver (Jaeden Lieberher).

Like a scene straight from Gran Torino, his new neighbors wreak havoc on his daily life.  He is broke and Maggie needs a babysitter, so you know things are about to get crazy.

Just as it starts to feel predictable, something unexpected happens, making you fall in love with Vincent in ways you would never have expected.

Don't get me wrong - there are plenty of laughable moments. It has lots of happy spots.  But let me put it this way;  as we left the theater - two teenage boys were waiting to clean up.  They said, "why is everyone crying?"   It seems they were as shocked as the rest of us.

Whether on a first date or looking for something to pass the time, you won't be disappointed in St. Vincent.  There is something for everyone - I highly recommend.