It's Showtime!
May. 7th, 2016 12:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gilda_eliseI seem to have made up for the previous month. *g* Some real gems, so enjoy!
Apr 6 - The 33 (2015)
Based on the real-life event, when a gold and copper mine collapses, it traps 33 miners underground for 69 days.
Director: Patricia Riggen
Stars: Antonio Banderas, Rodrigo Santoro, Juliette Binoche, Lou Diamond Phillips, Cote de Pablo, Gabriel Byrne
I’d read the book that the movie was based on, but was never able to completely visualize what the mine looked like. The movie did a good job showing the viewer its size and dangers. A good, solid movie, with some fine acting, especially by Banderas and Phillips.
Apr 6 - Steve Jobs (2015)
The movie takes us behind the scenes of the digital revolution, to paint a portrait of the man at its epicenter. The story unfolds backstage at three iconic product launches, ending in 1998 with the unveiling of the iMac.
Director: Danny Boyle
Stars: Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslet, Seth Rogen. Jeff Daniels
Interesting take on Jobs’ life. He could obviously be an unpleasant man, but the movie shows you why that was so, while also showing that he could be a loving and kind man, too.
Apr 7 - The Intern (2015)
70-year-old widower Ben Whittaker has discovered that retirement isn't all it's cracked up to be. Seizing an opportunity to get back in the game, he becomes a senior intern at an online fashion site, founded and run by Jules Ostin.
Director: Nancy Meyers
Stars: Robert De Niro, Anne Hathaway, Rene Russo, Adam DeVine
Sort of silly, but not a bad movie. Just not a really good one. Given the quality of the actors, I think it could have been much better.
Apr - 8 - Miss You Already (2015)
The friendship between two life-long girlfriends is put to the test when one starts a family and the other falls ill.
Director: Catherine Hardwicke
Stars: Drew Barrymore, Toni Collette, Dominic Cooper
Sort of like Beaches, but without the sap. Well worth watching.
Apr 9 - Trumbo (2015)
In 1947, Dalton Trumbo was Hollywood's top screenwriter, until he and other artists were jailed and blacklisted for their political beliefs.
Director: Jay Roach
Stars: Bryan Cranston, Diane Lane, Helen Mirren, Louis C.K.
A dark time in our nation’s history shown with a slightly comedic bent. Interesting, and a good movie.
Apr 15 - Self/Less (2015)
A dying real estate mogul transfers his consciousness into a healthy young body, but soon finds that neither the procedure nor the company that performed it are quite what they seem.
Director: Tarsem Singh
Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Natalie Martinez, Matthew Goode, Ben Kingsley
I really like this movie, but then I really like Ryan Reynolds. *g* Throw in a science fictiony plot, and I’m there.
Apr 16 - Concussion (2015)
In Pittsburgh, accomplished pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu uncovers the truth about brain damage in football players who suffer repeated concussions in the course of normal play.
Director: Peter Landesman
Stars: Will Smith, Alec Baldwin, Albert Brooks, David Morse
A really fine movie, with great acting from Will Smith. I understand more now why the Black community was so upset about there not being any black actors nominated for an Academy Award, because Smith deserved one.
Apr 20 - What We Did on Our Holiday (2014)
Doug and Abi take their kids on a family vacation. Surrounded by relatives, the kids innocently reveal the ins and outs of their family life and many intimate details about their parents. ... See full summary »
Directors: Andy Hamilton, Guy Jenkin
Stars: Rosamund Pike, David Tennant, Billy Connolly
I didn’t think I was going to care for this movie at first, but I hung in there and it turned out to be quite lovely. Any movie that can change three brats into three really wonderful kids, without actually changing their personalities at all, is worth the watch, in my book.
Apr 21 - Pride (2014)
U.K. gay activists work to help miners during their lengthy strike of the National Union of Mineworkers in the summer of 1984.
Director: Matthew Warchus
Stars: Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton, Dominic West
A funny, heartwarming story. Not to be missed.
Apr 22 - Dream/Killer (2015)
In 2005, 20-year-old Ryan Ferguson was convicted and sentenced to 40 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, causing his father, Bill, to embark on a 10-year campaign to prove Ryan's innocence.
Director: Andrew Jenks
Stars: Charles Erickson, Bill Ferguson, Leslie Ferguson
Wow, unless you have a lot of money, I’d advise against being arrested for anything in this country, even if you’re innocent. Maybe even because you’re innocent. This documentary is a real eye-opener.
Apr 23 - Suffragette (2015)
The foot soldiers of the early feminist movement, women who were forced underground to pursue a dangerous game of cat and mouse with an increasingly brutal State.
Director: Sarah Gavron
Stars: Carey Mulligan, Anne-Marie Duff, Helena Bonham Carter, Meryl Streep
Interesting, tragic, yet uplifting at the same time. Another good, solid movie.
Apr 27 - Learning To Drive (2014)
As her marriage dissolves, a Manhattan writer takes driving lessons from a Sikh instructor with marriage troubles of his own. In each other's company they find the courage to get back on the road and the strength to take the wheel.
Director: Isabel Coixet
Stars: Patricia Clarkson, Ben Kingsley, Grace Gummer
I love how each character learns from the other, both becoming better people in the process. Clarkson and Kingsley are wonderful together.
Apr 28 - I Smile Back (2015)
Laney Brooks does bad things. Married with kids, she takes the drugs she wants, sleeps with the men she wants, disappears when she wants. Now, with the destruction of her family looming, and temptation everywhere, Laney makes one last desperate attempt at redemption.
Director: Adam Salky
Stars: Sarah Silverman, Josh Charles, Skylar Gaertner, Thomas Sadoski
The Silverman character is so unpleasant that it’s hard to root for her. So is “bad things happen to bad people” the premise of the movie? I’m not sure.
Apr 29 - Room (2016)
A young boy is raised within the confines of a small shed.
Director: Lenny Abrahamson
Stars: Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay, Sean Bridgers, Joan Allen, William H. Macy
An amazing story. I enjoyed the book, but enjoyed the movie more because it focused more on the part of the boy’s life that I wanted to know about.
Apr 30 - Labyrinth of Lies (2014) “Im Labyrinth des Schweigens” (original title)
A story that exposes the conspiracy of prominent German institutions and government branches to cover up the crimes of Nazis during World War II.
Director: Giulio Ricciarelli
Stars: André Szymanski, Alexander Fehling, Friederike Echt
It’s hard to imagine that something like what the Nazis did could be covered up, so watching how one man worked to expose the conspiracy was maddening, and sad, and inspiring. This movie should be watched by everyone.
Apr 6 - The 33 (2015)
Based on the real-life event, when a gold and copper mine collapses, it traps 33 miners underground for 69 days.
Director: Patricia Riggen
Stars: Antonio Banderas, Rodrigo Santoro, Juliette Binoche, Lou Diamond Phillips, Cote de Pablo, Gabriel Byrne
I’d read the book that the movie was based on, but was never able to completely visualize what the mine looked like. The movie did a good job showing the viewer its size and dangers. A good, solid movie, with some fine acting, especially by Banderas and Phillips.
Apr 6 - Steve Jobs (2015)
The movie takes us behind the scenes of the digital revolution, to paint a portrait of the man at its epicenter. The story unfolds backstage at three iconic product launches, ending in 1998 with the unveiling of the iMac.
Director: Danny Boyle
Stars: Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslet, Seth Rogen. Jeff Daniels
Interesting take on Jobs’ life. He could obviously be an unpleasant man, but the movie shows you why that was so, while also showing that he could be a loving and kind man, too.
Apr 7 - The Intern (2015)
70-year-old widower Ben Whittaker has discovered that retirement isn't all it's cracked up to be. Seizing an opportunity to get back in the game, he becomes a senior intern at an online fashion site, founded and run by Jules Ostin.
Director: Nancy Meyers
Stars: Robert De Niro, Anne Hathaway, Rene Russo, Adam DeVine
Sort of silly, but not a bad movie. Just not a really good one. Given the quality of the actors, I think it could have been much better.
Apr - 8 - Miss You Already (2015)
The friendship between two life-long girlfriends is put to the test when one starts a family and the other falls ill.
Director: Catherine Hardwicke
Stars: Drew Barrymore, Toni Collette, Dominic Cooper
Sort of like Beaches, but without the sap. Well worth watching.
Apr 9 - Trumbo (2015)
In 1947, Dalton Trumbo was Hollywood's top screenwriter, until he and other artists were jailed and blacklisted for their political beliefs.
Director: Jay Roach
Stars: Bryan Cranston, Diane Lane, Helen Mirren, Louis C.K.
A dark time in our nation’s history shown with a slightly comedic bent. Interesting, and a good movie.
Apr 15 - Self/Less (2015)
A dying real estate mogul transfers his consciousness into a healthy young body, but soon finds that neither the procedure nor the company that performed it are quite what they seem.
Director: Tarsem Singh
Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Natalie Martinez, Matthew Goode, Ben Kingsley
I really like this movie, but then I really like Ryan Reynolds. *g* Throw in a science fictiony plot, and I’m there.
Apr 16 - Concussion (2015)
In Pittsburgh, accomplished pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu uncovers the truth about brain damage in football players who suffer repeated concussions in the course of normal play.
Director: Peter Landesman
Stars: Will Smith, Alec Baldwin, Albert Brooks, David Morse
A really fine movie, with great acting from Will Smith. I understand more now why the Black community was so upset about there not being any black actors nominated for an Academy Award, because Smith deserved one.
Apr 20 - What We Did on Our Holiday (2014)
Doug and Abi take their kids on a family vacation. Surrounded by relatives, the kids innocently reveal the ins and outs of their family life and many intimate details about their parents. ... See full summary »
Directors: Andy Hamilton, Guy Jenkin
Stars: Rosamund Pike, David Tennant, Billy Connolly
I didn’t think I was going to care for this movie at first, but I hung in there and it turned out to be quite lovely. Any movie that can change three brats into three really wonderful kids, without actually changing their personalities at all, is worth the watch, in my book.
Apr 21 - Pride (2014)
U.K. gay activists work to help miners during their lengthy strike of the National Union of Mineworkers in the summer of 1984.
Director: Matthew Warchus
Stars: Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton, Dominic West
A funny, heartwarming story. Not to be missed.
Apr 22 - Dream/Killer (2015)
In 2005, 20-year-old Ryan Ferguson was convicted and sentenced to 40 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, causing his father, Bill, to embark on a 10-year campaign to prove Ryan's innocence.
Director: Andrew Jenks
Stars: Charles Erickson, Bill Ferguson, Leslie Ferguson
Wow, unless you have a lot of money, I’d advise against being arrested for anything in this country, even if you’re innocent. Maybe even because you’re innocent. This documentary is a real eye-opener.
Apr 23 - Suffragette (2015)
The foot soldiers of the early feminist movement, women who were forced underground to pursue a dangerous game of cat and mouse with an increasingly brutal State.
Director: Sarah Gavron
Stars: Carey Mulligan, Anne-Marie Duff, Helena Bonham Carter, Meryl Streep
Interesting, tragic, yet uplifting at the same time. Another good, solid movie.
Apr 27 - Learning To Drive (2014)
As her marriage dissolves, a Manhattan writer takes driving lessons from a Sikh instructor with marriage troubles of his own. In each other's company they find the courage to get back on the road and the strength to take the wheel.
Director: Isabel Coixet
Stars: Patricia Clarkson, Ben Kingsley, Grace Gummer
I love how each character learns from the other, both becoming better people in the process. Clarkson and Kingsley are wonderful together.
Apr 28 - I Smile Back (2015)
Laney Brooks does bad things. Married with kids, she takes the drugs she wants, sleeps with the men she wants, disappears when she wants. Now, with the destruction of her family looming, and temptation everywhere, Laney makes one last desperate attempt at redemption.
Director: Adam Salky
Stars: Sarah Silverman, Josh Charles, Skylar Gaertner, Thomas Sadoski
The Silverman character is so unpleasant that it’s hard to root for her. So is “bad things happen to bad people” the premise of the movie? I’m not sure.
Apr 29 - Room (2016)
A young boy is raised within the confines of a small shed.
Director: Lenny Abrahamson
Stars: Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay, Sean Bridgers, Joan Allen, William H. Macy
An amazing story. I enjoyed the book, but enjoyed the movie more because it focused more on the part of the boy’s life that I wanted to know about.
Apr 30 - Labyrinth of Lies (2014) “Im Labyrinth des Schweigens” (original title)
A story that exposes the conspiracy of prominent German institutions and government branches to cover up the crimes of Nazis during World War II.
Director: Giulio Ricciarelli
Stars: André Szymanski, Alexander Fehling, Friederike Echt
It’s hard to imagine that something like what the Nazis did could be covered up, so watching how one man worked to expose the conspiracy was maddening, and sad, and inspiring. This movie should be watched by everyone.
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no subject
Date: 2016-05-07 04:45 pm (UTC)Wow! You got through a lot. I'm not buying, renting, downloading or attending any flick which isn't free these days. Economy drive. I made an exception for The Force Awakens because, because...
I love Toni Collette, she's a fine actress.
The suffragette story is still mostly untold (imagine how sick we'd be of movies about it, if men had been fighting for the vote). The upside of this, is that there is still a lot of wonderful, unmined material.
And the miners and their gay supporters. As you probably know, the miners never forgot their debt and still march in support of gay rights. They have long memories in the pit villages.
I'd like to see some of these myself, when I have money. Which may be never, because I'm also considering a career change, but not into fashion - for which I expect the world is duly grateful!
no subject
Date: 2016-05-08 10:54 am (UTC)They did say in Suffragette that it was the story of a handful of women. As you say, there's no way they could have covered the entire story in one movie. I do remember seeing a made for tv movie about the movement awhile back. Still, I think I'm up for more.
That's part of what was so wonderful about Pride, that the relationships have lasted. At the end of the movie, they mention that, as well as what happened to some of the key players.
And good luck with your career change!
no subject
Date: 2016-05-08 11:08 am (UTC)Actually, I think they do - but I can't remember if it's free. I've had trouble about borrowing from the library since my health's been up the spout. I couldn't fit in with their opening times, but I've been heaps better recently. It might be time to investigate....
And thank you. I'm not sure what the future has in store at the moment, but for the first time in a long time, there are possibilities...
no subject
Date: 2016-05-09 10:53 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-05-09 07:06 pm (UTC)I think there was talk a while back of a nominal charge for films...but I'm not sure...
no subject
Date: 2016-05-07 06:21 pm (UTC)Some fascinating films watched! Thanks very much for the review.
no subject
Date: 2016-05-08 11:00 am (UTC)Trumbo is good. I'd seen other movies about the blacklisting era, but I think this one got into more detail, as to how much, and for how long, it affected some of the victims. I have Robert Vaughn's book on the subject, Only Victims, which I have finally pulled out and anded to my "to be read" pile.
Both What We Did On our Holiday, and Learning to Drive are really great film. Well worth the watching.
Glad you enjoyed the reviews. :-)
no subject
Date: 2016-05-08 11:13 am (UTC)His book is on my wish list!
I'm interested in his view - so I will be interested if you review it - because he was an insider at a time when the ramifications were still reverberating through the industry.
I understand he cites another work, which is considered authoritative, and I plan to get both.
no subject
Date: 2016-05-09 01:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-05-09 06:58 pm (UTC)According to the reviews, the book named is Victor Navasky's Naming Names.
Generally the reviews of the book acknowledge that it has limitations as general reading, because it was written as a piece of academia, but they pretty much all go on to say that, for all that, it's a very interesting read.
Whether St Crispin's has a view, I couldn't say. I've not asked.
no subject
Date: 2016-05-10 10:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-05-08 12:12 pm (UTC)That sounds awesome. :D
I would also like to see Concussion, and the German one.
These days, nobody (who can be taken seriously) denies the Holocaust, but I can very well see companies trying to deny their own involvement in it. ("yeah it happened, but we didn't help")
no subject
Date: 2016-05-09 11:00 am (UTC)Both movies are great, and both blow you away with what people can, and do, hide, either for their own gain, or from guilt.
But, hey, we hid our own almost total genocide of the Amerindian, telling ourselves that it was all their fault, that if they'd only been reasonable about giving up all their land, everything would have been just fine.