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SCENE IT ALL BEFORE

Oil And Water Do Not Mix

9/29/2016

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Deepwater HORIZON rEVIEWED

For a long time there were two gas stations I refused to go to: Exxon-Mobil and British Petroleum. But the closest gas to my new house is currently a BP, and as I’ve settled into the area I found myself pulling in to fill up. Rather than being mad, I felt appreciative of how cheap the gas was. But after watching Deepwater Horizon this week I found myself angry for having forgotten what made me feel this way before.

Deepwater Horizon is based on the true events of a 2010 oil rig accident that led to the loss of human life and was the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history. The story primarily follows electrical engineer Mike Williams (Mark Wahlberg), who is a just guy who enjoys the simple things, like skyping with his wife while he’s at work. He also loves seeing the boss, Mr. Jimmy (Kurt Russell), fight with the boss from BP, played by John Malkovich with a weird Cajun accent. If you ever need to cast a duplicitous and greedy corporate stooge, Malkovich should be at the top of the call list. These two men are fighting over the need to begin drilling despite having skipped some critical safety tests.
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Going into the movie I was not at all worried about our lead character Mike Williams. I actually have a theory that while Mark Wahlberg has transformed into a decent actor over the years, he never learned how to properly die. Have you ever seen it happen? He starred in a movie called Lone Survivor for Christ sakes. Even at the beginning of Deepwater we hear the real-life testimony of Mike Williams about that fateful night, so we know he’ll be okay. Yet I still found myself on the edge of my seat worried about the outcome of my protagonist.

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Great pacing throughout the movie, it never feels like the story is dragging
I think the most impressive aspect of the movie was the development of the family dynamic. Kate Hudson plays Felicia, Mike’s wife, and does a lot with the limited amount of screen time. It’s something director Peter Berg has always done well, even back in his time as showrunner for Friday Night Lights This aspect of any true-life action movie is often a missed opportunity to raise the stakes, and the fact that it’s done well here led to many a sniffle happening in the theater, even a couple from yours truly.
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The total run time of the movie is a brisk 107 minutes. It provides the perfect amount of build-up to the accident where you’ll find yourself screaming internally at the screen hoping someone will stand up to the BP cronies. It also doesn’t linger on the explosions just for the sake of showing explosions. Using the phrase “based on true life events” allows the movie to take some dramatic liberty though after going back and watching footage of the real explosion, I wonder how much was added, because it sure looked like everything was on fire while the crew was trying to escape.

Reading the epilogue detailing what happened post-accident reignited my anger. I was mad at how light BP got off after what happened and I was mad at myself for forgetting. My partner saw the movie with me and she found herself emotional as well, but was instead sad about the lives lost and for the emotional impact this event no doubt left on rig workers and their families. There was a conflict among the survivors over the making of this movie, with some thinking it was disrespectful and others wanting their story to be told. I hope they are happy with how Deepwater Horizon turned out.
B
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Who Wants To See Denzel Ride A Horse?

9/22/2016

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The Magnificent Seven Reviewed 

For the uninitiated, The Magnificent Seven is a remake of the 1960 film of the same name, which is itself a remake of the 1954 movie The Seven Samurai. I would be surprised if many of my readers have seen both of these movies. Watching movies this old can sometimes seem like homework. But trust me when I say both of these predecessors are near perfect films and worth the watch. A modern day remake has a lot to live up to for big film needs, but for those who don’t know any better, I think you will like this movie.

The story doesn’t get much simpler than this—a town hires a group of seven gunman made up of gamblers, outlaws, murderers and whatever Vincent D’Onofrio was (more on him later) to stop an even worse man from taking over the town of Rose Crick. This is a classic Western movie with a classic Western feel.  

The Magnificent Seven opens on a meeting taking place in a church as the town tries to figure out how to stop Batholomew Bogue (Peter Sarsgaard). I swear I will stop comparing the two movies after this, but Sarsgaard is no Eli Wallach. Wallach was one of the best parts about the 1960 movie and while the new opening sets the tone, Sarsgaard doesn’t seem as formidable.  

In the very next scene we are introduced to our hero Sam Chisholm (Denzel Washington) who is more or less a bounty hunter. He is looking for a wanted man and Chisholm showcases his skill with a gun when met with hostilities at the saloon. I feel bad saying this but as this scene was happening I kept expecting someone to mention something about the fact that a black cowboy just walked into the bar. After all, this is a movie is set in the South, during the 1870s, where the recent Civil War is still referred to as The War of Northern Aggression. I thought for sure someone would let the N word slip but it never comes. Director Antoine Fuqua talked about this and simply said that was not the movie he wanted to make; he wanted to make a movie about Denzel Washington riding a horse and shooting guns and you know what, I can get behind that.
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Pratt solidifies himself as a star standing next to Denzel as an equal
As the leader of this group Chisholm assembles six other men from all walks of life and the first person he recruits is Josh Farraday (Chris Pratt). Pratt serves as the comic relief and his character is definitely not a good person. He throws out the occasional race related jab, shoots defenseless man, but it’s all done with a wink and smile and the audience eats it up.

​The other stand out performance for me was Vincent D’Onofrio who walks out as this big bear of a man and then starts talking in a combination of bible quotes and pure gibberish. in a squeaky voice. At first I found it distracting, but the more I saw how over the top the other actors were trying to be, I relented and started laughing. D’Onofrio is either a genius or insane; either way you do you Vinny D.
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I think fans of the Western genre that can let The Magnificent Seven stand on its own merits without constant comparison to the old movie will like this movie. If Fuqua wanted a more modern update he would have cut out some of the chit chat and kept this movie under two hours, but that is not what he wanted to do. Fuqua wanted to watch Denzel Washington ride a horse in a classic Western—and if that’s what you want, too, you will like this movie. B-
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Bridget Jones's I-Pad

9/15/2016

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Bridget Jones's Baby Reviewed

I have a confession to make that may negate everything I have to say about Bridget Jones’s Baby and it is this: I have never seen Bridget Jones's Diary. I know –how could I, a self-proclaimed lover of romantic comedies, have never seen a movie with both Colin Firth and Hugh Grant? Somehow it has just never crossed my path. I know full well while writing this that fans of the original may dismiss my opinion, but I can answer something equally important. Does the latest movie in the Bridget Jones trilogy stand on its own 12 years after the first? Can you bring someone who hasn’t seen the other two Bridget Jones movies and expect them to still enjoy themselves?

Some of you may be wondering why Hugh Grant isn’t in this movie. Grant decided not to sign on to do a third movie
after reportedly having a problem with the script. Bridget Jones’s Baby is the first movie in the series not based on the corresponding novel. The producers instead decided to make an original script with the help of the author of the novel, Helen Fielding. Grant, however, didn’t like the new direction of the story and opted out.

But how would the producers explain the absence of Daniel? They kill him off of course. The movie opens and within the first five minutes Bridget is attending the funeral of Daniel, who died in a plane crash. But don’t worry it’s not a downer; in fact I found myself laughing a couple times, which is rather odd, but it helps to set the tone for the movie. At the funeral Bridget sees Mr. Darcy (Colin Firth) with his new wife, because after all this time Mark and Bridget still haven’t been able to make it work.

The second thing they do is introduce a new character and love interest for Bridget Jones in Jack (Patrick Dempsey). After spending another birthday alone, one of Bridget’s new friends decides to take her out to a musical festival and there she meets Jack. At the festival Bridget gets a little bump and grind in the form of a one night stand and then one week later does much the same with Mr. Darcy after finding out he’s getting a divorce. Thus we have two potential fathers for Bridget Jones's baby.
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Still trying to make it work at a hospital huh McDreamy?
Fans of the trilogy will no doubt be rooting for Colin Firth’s Mr. Darcy to be the father of the child. I have no prior allegiances to these characters and I don't know any of the backstory. The only thing I do know is Patrick Dempsey is delightful. He has a great smile, a chiseled chin, and he’s funny. Dempsey’s Jack isn’t like Daniel Cleaver; Jack is actually a good guy. I enjoyed being around him much more than the all-work-no-play Mr. Darcy. Throughout the movie we get a glimpse of Mr. Darcy and Bridget’s dating life and it just didn't seem like it worked out too well. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed Firth’s performance. His delivery was dry in the best way for some of the bigger laughs in the movie – he’s just not my type.

As I was leaving the theater I heard a lot of women laughing and telling friends, “Oh my God, that is so me.” One of Renee Zellweger’s best attributes is she connects with the audience, likely because the character of Bridget comes naturally to her. I did hear one woman complain that she was disappointed Bridget was portrayed as thin at the start of this movie; I hope it comes as a small condolence to this fan that for the other half Bridget was carrying another person inside her, and also that she’s not real.

I think fans of the series will be happy with Bridget Jones’s Baby. I can also confidently say if you have never seen another Bridget Jones movie there is enough in the story for you to enjoy it as well. The narrative works independently of the other movies, the characters are well-developed and funny, and added bonus Emma Thompson is in the movie too and she’s great. The only warning I will give you is that if you find yourself rooting for Patrick Dempsey don’t say it out loud. The Darcy faithful will have none of it. 
 B
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Shorter Than A Flight To Florida

9/8/2016

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Sully REVIEWED 

On Jan. 15, 2009 a US Airways plane made a miraculous emergency landing on the Hudson River and somehow every passenger and crew member survived. At that time the news was overrun with stories about the housing market collapse, Bernie Madoff, and violence from around the world; people were looking for a hero and found him in Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger. He was on the cover of every magazine, interviewed by the national news and late-night TV hosts, and there were books written about the ordeal from multiple perspectives. The story of the “Miracle on the Hudson” was begging for a movie, but could the story work on the screen?

Sully is about 95 minutes long and I would say that there is about 60 minutes worth of good material. I’m actually impressed it was that much considering the landing on the river and the rescue all took place within the span of 24 minutes. To expand the story, the movie is framed around the investigation featuring flashbacks to the incident and other moments in Sully’s life.

The biggest problem of the movie is that the crux of the story happens in 208 seconds. Given the short climax, director Clint Eastwood decided to manufacture a villain in the investigation team. Early in the movie, after the first of many meetings in a hotel conference room, Captain Sullenberger (Tom Hanks) tells his co-pilot Jeff Skiles (Aaron Eckhart) that the investigating board is just doing their job and I would agree. An investigation after a major crash is hardly suspect. I doubt anyone would suspect these pilots to go through so much scrutiny considering everyone survived, but it was worth including in the movie for added tension, considering everyone knew the ending.
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The other thing Eastwood does to add to the runtime is cut back to the accident four times from three different perspectives: from inside the cabin, from the passengers’ point of view, from the perspective of the rescue teams, and then back in the cabin. I probably didn't need to see it happen a fourth time but I guess they thought — if it’s only four minutes long what’s the harm in showing it again?
PictureIs there anyone more delightful than Tom Hanks? Yes. Tom Hanks in a mustache.
Despite Sully only being an hour and a half I still found myself getting emotional. When the movie cuts to the perspective of the passengers I was on the edge of my seat. These scenes almost made me forget how the movie ended. That could be because Eastwood himself survived a plane crash in the ocean during his time in the military. He knows the fear these people felt and transferred that emotion to the audience.

Sully was shot using IMAX cameras, and given the events of the movie I imagine it bolstered the plane scenes. I, however, didn't get the chance to see it in IMAX. Watching these moments on an IMAX screen was probably pretty extraordinary, though I doubt it added anything to the hearings.

Tom Hanks is also undoubtedly one of the best parts of the movie as the titular character. Hanks had a ton of access to his subject and was able to perfectly embody what was going though Sully’s head. I think anyone can identify what it’s like having your work questioned by a superior, so it’s easy to identify with our hero. Plus Hanks is so damn likable that the earnestness of the performance and stoic nature of Captain Sullenberger really shines through.

There's an interesting story in Sully and I'm glad I saw it however, there's just not enough to fill 95 minutes. But with 60 quality minutes I’m sure there are worse things you could do with the other 35. Given what movie prices are now I think you either need to gamble and see it in IMAX, or wait until it comes out on Netflix, because while Sully is a story worth watching it doesn't quite justify a trip to a normal theater.
B-/C+

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Baby On Board

9/1/2016

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The Light Between Oceans Reviewed

A warning to all people who are thinking about getting pregnant, who have recently been pregnant, or who have had kids ever–The Light Between Oceans is going to give you the feels. Based off the 2012 book of the same name, it was also listed in Oprah’s magazine as the book most likely to make you curl into a ball and cry for a week. And you should know the movie is aiming for the same goal before you walk in the theater.
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Tom Sherbourne (Michael Fassbender) is a returning veteran of the Great War. He is quiet, brooding, gorgeous, and definitely has PTSD. Sherbourne requests to work as a lighthouse keeper on an isolated island to silently suffer for his perceived wartime sins. Along the way he meets Isabel Graysmark (Alicia Vikander) and there is nothing a beautiful young woman from a small town loves more than a grizzled man with personal demons. The two quickly fall in love, get married, and decide to start a family.

Originally I was annoyed that within the first twenty minutes our two leads meet, write a couple letters, and get married. I know it's the early 1900’s, but damn—can’t a girl get to know a man? But Fassbender and Vikader made it work: the connection is genuine, the trauma feels real, and you can even understand the questionable decisions these characters make. Their on-screen sparks probably explain why the two actors started dating once filming finished. I also thought back to previous reviews where I complained about movies taking too long to get to the heart of the story. The Light Between Oceans is not about two people who get married and fall in love; it’s about a married couple and their daughter. 
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I want to live between Michael Fassbender's arms. One day.....
Michael Fassbender is fantastic in this role, although if he ever were to give up acting, stoic lighthouse operator feels like the natural next choice. His performance is subtle and he’s perfectly cast as the damaged veteran. Also perfectly cast is Alicia Vikander, the recent Academy Award winner who loves nothing more than going back 100 years and making you cry. She loves it. Rachel Weisz is the third name to appear in the opening credits, but doesn't appear until halfway through the movie, so you can probably figure out her role in the story. The impact she leaves on the screen is tremendous and she can make the audiences’ allegiance waiver from our protagonists. Your heart goes out to all three characters thanks to strong performances and brilliant casting.

But really the story goes beyond just knowing what role Rachel Weisz is going to play; everything about this movie feels inevitable. Your heart aches for all these characters who are trapped by horrible yet somehow understandable circumstances. At no point do you ever think to yourself, “You know what; I think this is going to work out for everybody.” It feels like you are on a non-stop freight train to heartbreak city. That’s not necessarily a bad thing—for some people this is exactly the kind of movie they want to watch. Just don’t expect any small moments of levity to break up the tension; you are going to need your hanky on standby at all times.
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The Light Between Oceans is romantic, heartbreaking, and beautiful all at the same time. From the landscape and cinematography to the characters’ interactions with one another, everything about this movie is touching. Add in the movie’s score and you can tell director Derek Cianfrance has only goal­–to make you feel feelings. For some the manipulation of emotions can feel disingenuous, but I fell for it completely. The strength of the movie lies in the actors’ performances; they’re the only thing that will help you bear all the emotional gut punches. B-
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