In honor or Memorial Day we chose to watch The Messenger.It is important to remember that no war is without its casualties and Memorial Day gives us in impetus to stop and honor all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.
The Messenger centers on the lives of two soldiers who notify families when their loved ones die in war.Woody Harrelson plays Tony, the older, wiser veteran, while Ben Foster plays Will, recently injured in battle and back in the states to finish his tour of duty.
At first Will seems to hate everything and everyone.While away fighting, his girlfriend became engaged to another man, his body is slowly recovering from his injuries and he just doesn’t like Tony much.As the movie progresses, you see that Will doesn’t hate everything, he’s so afraid of losing things he loves that it’s easier to have nothing than to lose something special.
Tony is battling demons of his own.His life has never reached its potential because he never saw action in war.He spends his life overcompensating for his supposed shortcoming.You have preconceived notions about Woody Harrelson as an actor, but he smashes them with this quietly smoldering role.
In the end both men find ways to relieve the pressure building in their own heads.Unfortunately, some of these methods are unhealthy and make the stress worse in the end.These men are constantly being pulled in two directions; hurt and machismo.
The Messenger gets four and a half stars.The acting is superb and the message is impeccable.It is fascinating to see different families receive the news and the impact of their reactions on the two main characters.My only gripe is that the pacing is a bit slow.I highly recommend The Messenger.It’s a great representation of a modern day war movie.
In honor of Memorial Day, Michelle suggested we review a movie with a strong military theme. As is the case with Michelle, she had two very appropriate selections, which were The Hurt Locker and The Messenger. We took some time to reach our decision; however, we thought based on the holiday we are celebrating that The Messenger would undoubtedly be the best choice.
As I sat down to watch this Oren Moverman film, I was expecting to witness another typical war-like movie with exploding body parts and collateral damage. From the onset, I quickly realized this was going to be a completely different viewing experience. There would be no war scenes or even flashbacks, which would help describe the story.
The film begins with Sgt. Will Montgomery (Ben Foster) reporting to his commanding officer and resulting in his immediate appointment to the Casualty Notification Office, which is responsible for contacting the next-of-kin (NOK) when a soldier is killed in the line of duty. With only a few months before his enlistment is up, Montgomery finds himself reporting to Capt. Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson). The two immediately find contempt for each other as their personalities collide in a way not quite understood at first.
As the movie develops, we come to understand the two character’s personalities and why they react in such a different manner. Montgomery is fighting the demons of the past, whether that be his dead-beat drunken father or a self-perceived mistake in the heat of battle, his attitude and perception on how to deliver the message to the NOK is outside the scope of his commanding officer, which creates conflict throughout the movie.
On the other hand, Capt. Stone is a by-the-book bearer of bad news type of fellow. He relates to the NOK as he lives his life, which is to say that he is so guarded that raw human emotion can not penetrate his hard outer shell. The realization that Stone is always seeking that human attachment, but always keeping everyone just an arms-length at bay seems counter productive unless one would have to do his job each and every day. There are two thoughts when delivering bad news, either sympathize with the family or be stone cold and do your job.
This film moves into a controversial issue when Montgomery gives Samantha Morton (Olivia Pitterson) the message that her husband was killed serving his country. A strange attraction between the two develops, which I can call really kind of creepy as Sgt. Montgomery seems to stalk Samantha for several days after the delivery of the message. The two cultivate their relationship even at the cost of circulating rumors regarding their seemingly inappropriate union. Is it true love or is it the affections redirected because of grief? You’ll have to watch the movie to determine the answer.
This film was powerful and moving in ways that are unimaginable. This is not a feel good movie, so don’t rent this on a “not-so-good” night if you are looking for a pick me up. This movie represents verbal communication in the highest and fastest form, which is amazing based upon the numerous scenes involving non-verbal messages.
This featured film gets four stars. I think there could have been some scenes deleted to help with the flow of the movie, but overall it was a delight to watch. The acting was flawless, the cinematography (at times made me sick) was unique and created the illusion of walking up to knock on the door with our messengers, the story line was absolutely first rate. I realize it’s Hollywood; however, if this has any glimpse of truth to what their job entails, I can only stand in awe of those soldiers who must deliver these heart-wrenching messages.
We (myself included) often say we “support our troops”. I wonder if we truly understand what that means. Perhaps we should do more than just say it! If you want to get a new perspective on the lives of our military families, I highly encourage you to watch this film.
To all of my friends in the military (past and present), thank you for your service! To those who have lost loved ones, we are forever in your debt!
Freedom Writers is a movie I had wanted to see.It just didn’t seem like a movie I needed to move to the top of my Netflix queue.I decided I would wait until it made its slow ascent to the top of my list of 500 movies.Matt encouraged me to move it up and I’m glad the opportunity came along.
Swank stars are Erin Gruwell who takes a teaching job in a rough school straight out of college.She sees so much potential in her students, but can’t seem to reach them through the fog of gang violence, poor parenting and race relations.All her attempts to reach the students seem further thwarted by a department chair who refuses to take a chance on these throw-away kids.
Swank begins to reach her students by opening their eyes to history, particularly, the Holocaust.She instructs her students to begin writing daily in diaries (ala Anne Frank) to express their feelings.Through the love and attention these student get at school, the students begin to see a life for themselves outside of the gangs.
I was a little wary of watching this movie because all inner city school movies (Stand and Delivery, Dangerous Minds, etc.) seem to be the same.The teacher starts off very naïve and idealistic.The kids are brimming with potential, but are locked into bad situations based on their upbringing.And the administration doesn’t seem to care about helping the students.These movies seem to be a bit interchangeable. I’m sorry to say Freedom Writers falls into the same trap.
Freedom Writers gets three stars.The script is very formulaic and the pacing slow.There was never a second of this movie when you didn’t know what was coming next.However, the acting of Hillary Swank made the movie enjoyable to watch.Swank saves this movie from disaster because she makes it virtually impossible to dislike like her character.
Freedom Writers is inspired by a true story, which is written and directed by Richard LaGravenese. It should be noted, that this movie, by all accounts, has been written by the people it portrays. Upon researching this movie, I learned that Erin Gruwell also helped write the film with LaGravenese. However, the inspiration comes from the students this picture features.
When I started watching this movie, I thought to myself, oh boy, another teacher do-gooder. I have seen many of dramas in this genre and thought this would be just another in a long list. Fortunately, I gave this film the benefit of the doubt and I was pleasantly surprised.
The movie sets up the gang banger mentality of the students attending the high school, which Erin Gruwell (Hillary Swank) will soon be teaching. Gruwell, fresh out of college, is eager to spread her educator wings and soar into the realm of underprivileged and underserved youth. She interviews with the administrator of the high school, Margaret Vail (Imelda Staunton - think prude little red-head from the Ministry of Magic in the Harry Potter movies), who tries subtly to inform Erin that the students she will be teaching are really a lost cause.
Gruwell starts her first day of class and it begins with a fight between two rival gang memebers who just can’t stand each other. Her class is divided by different ethnic groups, its obvious that each gang has their own territory even in a classroom setting. Erin attempts to relate to the troubled youths; however, an explosive scene where the students push back because she “demands” respect as a teacher. The students indicate that she must earn their respect it isn’t just given because she is an educator. An especially charged exchange between Gruwell and Eva (pronounced Ava - April Lee Hernandez) shows the depth of hate availed to our culture. Eva has such a deep hate that she has no problem letting Erin know that she “…hates white people on site.”
As would be expected, Gruwell slowly starts to win over the class until one day an exceptional teachable moment presents itself. A picture of a young black male is circulated around the class, which has exaggerated facial features. Gruwell intercepts the picture and goes into a full blown lecture of the holocaust. The only problem is that not one person, with the exception of the lone white student, had ever heard of the holocaust. She wants to expose the kids to more culture; however, meets with strict opposition from Margaret Vail. The two are at odds the entire movie; however, as would be supposed our heroine does prevail.
This movie was good, but not as good as it could have been. I will say this about the picture, it wasn’t Oscar worthy, but the story was heartwarming and a bit of a tear-jerker at times. I would give this film 3.5 stars, but say that it’s definitely worth watching. Erin Gruwell is an amazing person and she was able to find “common” ground for these young gang members. She made a difference and made kids see that even though they are different they share many of the same life issues.
Overall, the acting was ok, the music mediocre, but the message is first rate. The story itself is just too inspiring to ignore. What could we do if we just all worked together and put our biases aside for the betterment of our world and lives. If you haven’t seen this movie, I would suggest you take a peek, but grab the tissue box if you’re prone to tear-up, because this film has plenty of those moments. I hope you enjoy Freedom Writers as much as I did!
I thought Matt might be trying to kill me.He asked me to do this blog with him and I was so flattered, then he made me watch a monkey movie and a second movie with subtitles.Since I’m an adventurous soul (when it comes to movies) gave him the benefit of the doubt and dove into the Dutch-Belgian film Character.Matt didn’t steer me wrong this time.
For me, the true sign of a great foreign film is when I forget I’m reading the subtitles.It’s not that I don’t appreciate foreign films; I just like to do other things when I watch movies and it is impossible to work on the computer or crochet when I’m reading.I was so riveted to this movie from the onset that I didn’t even miss having something to do with my hands.
Character begins with a man, Jacob, visiting an older man, Dreverhaven.Jacob is announcing his graduation from law school.Obviously, there is some animosity between these two men and Jacob ends up lunging for the older man’s throat.The next scene cuts to Jacob being arrested for the murder of Dreverhaven.The remainder of the movie is told in flashbacks from Jacob’s perspective.
The viewer soon discovers Dreverhaven is actually Jacob’s father.His parents never married and Dreverhaven didn’t contribute to Jacob’s upbringing.In fact, it seems Dreverhaven went out of his way to place obstacles in Jacob’s way.The tension between these two men over the decades was palpable.You could just feel the anger and resentment seething in both men.
Jacob worked through all the obstacles placed in his way to be a man of great respect and success.Unfortunately, the lack of a stable family life leaves him unable to establish social relationships.The lack of love is a great disappointment to him, but he accepts it in a pragmatic way.
To tell you the ending of this movie would be a great disservice to you, so I will refrain.I give Character a solid five stars.The actors are riveting, the story is loaded with twists and turns and the script is brilliantly written.Please do yourself a favor and clear some time in your schedule to give your full attention to Character.You will certainly be captivated.
Character is the Dutch brain child of writer-director Mike van Diem. Van Diem has stacked his film with Fedja von Huet, Jan Decleir, and Betty Schuurman to name just a few. As these are not your typical American actors, the names may not seem familiar to us; however, over seas they are readily known. Character was Van Diem’s first feature-film attempt as a writer/director and for his efforts he garnered an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film (1998). I have not done much research on the director; however, I am unaware of any other movies that he has either written or directed, which in my estimation is a shame. Deze film was geweldig en goed gericht! My apologies to the Dutch if my comments do not translate well!
The movie begins with the confrontation between two individuals who clearly are at odds with one another or so it appears. The younger man is upset and hateful and the older fellow is nonchalant and seems unfazed by the musings of his antagonist. The scene ends with the younger “storming” out of the room only to return moments later to jettison himself across the elder’s desk sending us all into utter darkness. Moments later, we see our youngster, Jakob Willem Katadreuffe (Fedja) wondering the streets in a blood-soaked and disheveled mess. Shortly after returning to his home, he is arrested by the police for the murder of his father, Dreverhaven (Jan Decleir), a relatively hated person among the local poor. The movie then begins as Jakob is questioned about his father’s murder, which triggers flashbacks into his life and relationships leading up to the fateful night.
Through this story we learn of Dreverhaven’s affair with his maid, which resulted in the conception of Jakob. Although the miserly father proposed to his faithful servant, she decides not to accept his offer and instead raises the boy on her own. However, a single woman with a child “back in the day” was looked at in a less fortuitous way and it did not take long for problems and issues to arise. Although Jakob was curious about his father, his mother would simply say that they needed “nothing from him.” The boy finally meets his father when during an arrest, for stealing, he claims his last name is Dreverhaven. His father strolls in and grabs the boy and looks right at the guard and says, “I’ve never seen this boy before in my life” and then continues to walk away without turning back. This was his MO, he never turned around when walking away except one time and I’ll let you see that in the movie. Jakob continues through life and looks for love but falls just short as his drive to succeed and desire to one-up Dreverhaven takes precedence.
This film was very well done. I thought I had this movie figured out from the very beginning, which was going to be a lesson on how to survive. Pleasantly, I was surprised at the end, it actually is about how sometimes we strive so hard for something that we overlook the love that most of us so eagerly seek. I give this foreign classic four and a half stars.
Once again, I’m not a fan of subtitles, but it seemed secondary as the acting and music just drew me in almost effortlessly. It’s amazing how music and pure acting can transcend language. I’m not sure if any of the actors won any awards within their own country; however, if they didn’t it would be a crime. The character development was intricate, the acting was marvelous, the cinematography and use of lighting was astounding. I usually don’t single out actors; however, in this film I will make an exception. Jan Decleir, Dreverhaven, was nothing short of perfection. I can not imagine another actor, American or otherwise who could of or would have performed the role as flawlessly. Character had a great deal of it! Mike van Diem needs to return to film-making and perhaps he could give us an American version of the Dutch classic. I think it would be a hit in the states. If you are interested in a foreign film, I would definitely recommend Character.
One word sums up this movie well: stupendous! That’s really all I have to say about this Tom Hooper directed and Oscar-winning film. Everything was perfect including the cast, which features: Colin Firth, Helena Carter, and Geoffrey Rush. The film grabbed me from the very beginning when the prince (soon-to-be King George VI) (Firth) has to make his annual radio address to the nation. The raw emotion and pain portrayed by Firth is palpable and heart-wrenching. I could not help but feel his pain as he stammered and stuttered through his presentation.
Fear not for our stutter-hampered hero, because his ever-present and determined wife, Elizabeth (Carter), is certain she can find a resource to rid him of his childhood curse. Desperate to help her husband and future king, Elizabeth seeks the help of Lionel Lougue (Rush) who comes highly recommended. Through much angst and general rebellion, Firth agrees to meet with Lionel and the two develop a friendship, albeit difficult and strained at times.
The movie quickly moves into the death of King George V and the ascension of King Edward III (Firth’s on screen brother) to the throne. However, Edward is unable to maintain his lordship because of his future plans to marry a twice-divorced American mistress. The political pressure forces him to abdicate his position as king and places George squarely in the cross-hairs of next in line to lead his nation, which is on the brink of a World War.
This movie was simply sublime. I have no critical comments or aspersions to casts its way. The king ultimately finds his voice, which I believe is the message this picture represents. We all have a voice and regardless of how ordinary or simple we may appear, once we find it great things can be accomplished. This was a solid five star movie, which most likely doesn’t even do it justice. The acting was impeccable, the music eloquent, the storyline outstanding, and the setting and scenery indescribable. Do not let this one slip through your fingers, The King’s Speech is a royal treat!
As an avid movie lover, I have a goal of watching every Best Picture Oscar winner ever made.I’ve seen quite a few, but it will take me a while to get to them all.This year’s winner, The King’s Speech, has been lauded as one of the best movies in recent history, so I was eager to check it out.
The movie revolves around the stutter of England’s Prince Albert (Colin Firth).The prince was required to make an address to the nation once a year and dreaded the notion due to his stutter.His wife, Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter) wants to help him control his stutter and finds a speech therapist, Lionel (Geoffrey Rush).Albert thinks Lionel is an impudent commoner and refuses the therapy.
Things begin to change for Albert when his father dies and his brother ascends to the throne as King Edward the VIII.Unfortunately, his brother is in love with a twice-divorced American and his refusal to break off the relationship is a concern for the royal family and the government of England.Albert realizes he will be pressed into the role of king when he brother is forced to abdicate the throne.
This knowledge forces Albert to re-evaluate the stutter that continues to plague him.Knowing a life of public speaking is in his future, Albert decides to give Lionel another chance.Even though the therapy is unconventional, Albert begins to see improvement and continues to work on his stutter.As the therapy progresses, the two men grow to become friends, mainly because Lionel treats the King as a man and not royalty.This causes Albert to trust Lionel more than his other advisors.
The King’s Speech earns five solid stars.Everything from the title (which can be taken two ways) to the scenery is perfect.I am a huge fan of Colin Firth and can’t imagine anyone portraying a more dashing or vulnerable king.Geoffrey Rush is a phenomenal actor and you really see a genuine affection between the two main characters.The writing is sharp, the pace is perfect and the movie is shot beautifully.The King’s Speech certainly deserved to win the Best Picture Oscar and is a movie not to be missed.
I have started to write this review three times and just don’t know where to begin.This movie is strange, but I like strange so that isn’t the problem.The problem is that it’s almost impossible to explain Fallen in a brief and coherent manner; I’ll try.
Fallen is full of top tier actors, Denzel Washington, Donald Sutherland, John Goodman, Aida Turturro, Elias Koteas and James Gandofini to name a few.The story begins simply enough with a death row inmate (Koteas) asking to see a cop, Hobbes (Washington), before his execution.The inmate clasps Hobbes’ hand and begins speaking in an unknown language.While this scene is unsettling, it has yet to become complicated.
Koteas oozes creepiness as he sings and dances his way to the execution chamber.You wonder if something may save his life, but the execution goes off without a hitch.Soon after the execution strange things begin to happen to Hobbes.He starts getting strange phone calls leading him to murder victims.Oddly, the murder victims seem to be linked to the executed prisoner.Of course he couldn’t have killed them, so the cops assume there must be a copycat.However, the pieces of that theory never quite fall together.
Hobbes begins looking at alternate explanations and finds information about a dead cop who seemed to have been framed for murder.This revelation brings Hobbes to the idea that a supernatural element may be involved.He learns that fallen angels can inhabit the bodies of humans and discovers a demon named Azazel has been stalking him.He sets out to eliminate the demon.
I won’t give you the ending, it would definitely spoil the experience for you, but realize that nothing in this movie is as simple as it seems.The movie makes you think about religion and what you believe.If you believe in the goodness of a loving God, you must also accept the evils illustrated in the Bible.
Fallen gets three and a half stars (it lost a half star because of meanness to cats).The acting is certainly solid and the twists and turns are exhilarating.I also really enjoyed the use of music throughout the movie.However, I would like to have seen a faster pace, and certainly felt certain scenes could have been eliminated entirely.If you are easily creeped -out, I would pass on Fallen, but if you are an adventurous soul, this movie is quite entertaining.
