I love time travel movies. They are fun, they can be great, and they can be silly. I believe they exist in their own genre, and not necessarily a subset of science-fiction, since many exist without any scientific rationale and or weird time traveling equipment. Many are built on the case of a single what-if. What if I could go back in time but only if I am naked like in The Terminator (1984) or what if I could travel back in…
I reviewed Stories We Tell last year and now it’s Streaming on Netflix. The Review can be found here and the movie can be found here. It’s a powerful documentary about the power of narrative and how we turn life into coherent stories. Sam
Stories We Tell (2012) Winston Churchill said “History is written by the victors.” and one advantage of the victors is to add narration, and guide interpretations of the past. Great story telling not only entertains, but it can subtly persuade. Each storyteller adds their own narrative and highlights their version of the truth in a sea of confusing issues, and opinions. In Stories We Tell the power of a single narrative and the confusing nature of multiple narratives is only one…
Chronicle (2012) Does power corrupt? According to “Chronicle” the answer is sometimes. Do teenagers engage in reckless and dangerous behavior? The answer is a resounding yes. Is this movie fun and intense? I think it’s both. Three teenage boys wind up going to a party, descend into a hole in the ground, touch some glowing rocks, and wind up with telekinetic powers. A common story right? It’s happened to us all at least once in our life. What makes this…
The great thing about streaming is if you don’t like it, you can bail. Here are six Netflix streaming movies I watched all the way through. I am not saying they are good, just that I liked them. Safety Not Guaranteed – Is he crazy? Is he a genius? You have to watch to the end to find out. Jeff, Who Lives at Home – He is a clueless loser stoner, but pot allows him to see “the fundamental interconnectedness of all things”….
Silver Linings Playbook I love to champion little movies and “Silver Linings Playbook” feels like one to me. And even though it garnered eight Oscar nominations I still maintain it’s just a little movie that was in the right place at the right time. I am also fond of movies with flawed characters and this is full of them. Pat, a man recently released from a mental institution and off his meds, is determined to restore his broken marriage. Pat…
The Sapphires (2012) “The Sapphires” tells the true story of four aboriginal girls who formed a singing group and toured Vietnam entertaining the troops during the late 60’s. Australians categorized the dark skinned natives as flora and fauna, and routinely stole the lighter skinned children and placed them with white families. That is the backdrop against which this lighter tale of fame and fortune is painted upon. Gail, Julie, Cynthia, and Kay are four cousins that start their musical career…
It’s a Disaster (2012) Did you ever have a guest that just would not leave? How about six of them? Now throw in a terrorist attack, some dysfunctional friends, a divorce announcement, a little infidelity and a glockenspiel? Did I mention that it is probably the end of the world? Now you are starting to get the picture. This is a talky drama, that despite the setup, is mostly comical and fun. This should be watched in the safety of…
In case you didn’t see this before, here is my 2012 end-of-year list: Argo (2012) Bernie (2011) The Cabin in the Woods (2012) Chronicle (2012) Flight (2012) Jeff, Who Lives at Home (2011) Looper (2012) – My review of Looper Moonrise Kingdom (2012) Safety Not Guaranteed (2012) Silver Linings Playbook (2012) Sleepwalk with Me (2012) The Sessions (2012) I will probably add reviews for most of these once I re-watch them. Sam
Take two 14 year old boys, a boat stuck in a tree, a fugitive hiding on an island in the middle of the Mississippi river, mix them together and what do you get? Not sure? What if you add in a trashy girlfriend? Still not sure? How about rich ex-father-in-law bent on revenge? Sound awful? Not even close. You get a gritty story about friendship, life, and the importance of the choices we make. The story centers around and hangs on these two…