42 (2013) I confess I’m not a big fan of baseball, but then again I’m not a fan of racism either. Because of the latter this movie worked for me. 42 is about Jackie Robinson the first black man to play major league baseball. The story of how America ended slavery, and the war for racial equality covers many years, has many players, and Jackie is one of them. Post World War II 1946 in America was so drastically different than…
Starbuck (2011) Absurd, funny, and touching. Starbuck is a modern day fairy tale about a man with so many children he didn’t know what to do. And no he didn’t live in a shoe, he lived in Quebec, which is almost as bad. Starbuck is the pseudonym used by the protagonist while donating man-juice to the local fertility clinic for extra money. In a weird turn of events Starbuck needed a lot of cash, and his many donations resulted in…
The Way Way Back (2013) Ever had a day that went horribly horribly wrong? How about an entire summer? In “The Way Way Back” you have a summer vacation that goes horribly horribly right. This coming-of-age story is about an awkward adolescent named Duncan who is trying to tread the churning post-divorce blended-family waters. These waters are infested with snarky teenage girls, a loving but flawed mother, her dysfunctional boyfriend, and other interesting characters. Duncan is a likable blend of anxious, shy, pensive, and…
World War Z (2013) This might have been called “Zombies, Zombies, and more Zombies”. Seriously there are a ton of zombies, in “World War Z” and not the slow sluggish ones either, these babies can really move. WWZ plays out like a who-done-it with Brad Pitt trying to save the world. He trots around the globe in search of clues while still managing to call home every day to his wife. It has some amazing visuals, great action, and pretty…
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…
Following the lead of FilmSpotting, I decided to list my favorite movies with Christ-Figures: Babette – Babette’s Feast The Iron Giant – The Iron Giant Spock – The Wrath of Kahn Mateo – In America Victor Laszlo – Casablanca Babette in “Babette’s Feast” is really worth viewing if you get the chance. It tells the story of a lavish feast bestowed on people and how they are changed by this incredible kindness. Also “In America” is just an amazing movie about an Irish family moving to…
Limitless (2011) “One pill makes you larger, and one pill makes you small”, so says Jefferson Airplane. But what if one pill makes you smarter, and another one makes you smarter still? This is the basic premise of “Limitless” staring Bradley Cooper. Eddie Morra the aspiring writer turned genius, just can’t lose. He is smarter, better looking, more inspired, more driven, more everything than all the other fish in his little pond. He is the proverbial shark in a tank…
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
A Bag of Hammers (2011) What do you do when life hands you lemons? Everyone knows the answer to that question. How about when you’re handed “A Bag of Hammers”? Really, what can you make from hammers? This small drama about two slacker/thieves living in LA. gives you one possible poignant solution. Satisfied with their life of petty crime these two man/boys are forced to deal with their troubled past in order to prevent the same misery from repeating…
Looper (2012) One of my favorite movies from last year, which I just re-watched after buying the DVD. I enjoyed it just as much the second time. You will probably want to see this if you like action/drama/romance movies with a little time travel mixed in to setup the story. It tackles the big questions like fate vs free will and nature vs nurture. And in the smaller scope it tackles the importance and outcome of making sacrifices. I don’t…