Hippos: Africa’s River Giants 2020

     All hippos are dependent on water for their survival.  In Botswanna, hippos face a challenge as deep floodwaters dry to dust in a matter of months.  Their quest for water is a perilous journey.  They still must protect their families, face their enemies and show their true nature.  They are surprisingly highly sensitive and intelligent.  Even with a stocky shape and sort legs, they are capable of running 19 mph over a short distance??

     Hippos are considered to be semi-aquatic mammals and ungulates native to sub-Saharan Africa.  They are the third largest type of land mammal and the heaviest.  There are also pygmy hippopotamus animals.  They have a physical resemblance to pigs but actually their closest relatives are whales, dolphins and porpoises.  

     About 55 million years ago the hippos diverged from the ocean animals.  Hippos have barrel-shaped torsos, wide-opening mouths with large canine tusks, nearly hairless bodies, columnar legs and adults average 3,310 pounds.  Territorial males preside over rivers, lakes and mangrove swamps with groups of five to thirty females and young hippos.  They stay in water or mud to remain cool during the day.  At dusk they come out of the water and graze on grasses.  There is a LOT of information that I didn't know before and it's very interesting!!  5* (I really liked this movie)  

60 min, Doc directed and produced by Brad Bestelink, narrated by David Attenborough and also produced by Bill Murphy. 
Note:  Originally shown on PBS January 15, 2020.

Special Note:  Hippos are threatened by habitat loss and placing for their meat plus the ivory canine teeth.  There are five subspecies:  Great northern, East African, Cape or South African, West African or Tchad, Angola.  Amazingly, this is an aquatic mammal that cannot swim.  Also, a vegetarian and the most dangerous animal in Africa. 

Sarah’s Key 2010

    This film is adapted from a 2007 novel by Tatiana de Rosnay.  In 1942, there was a tragic and shameful moment in French history. Over 10,000 Parisian Jews were rounded up by French officials and it was called the Vel’ d’hie Roundup.  These people were taken to local camps and later over 8,000 were sent to German concentration camps.  Sarah Starzynski was ten years old when the Nazi-affilliated Vichy government came to arrest her family.  She tried to protect her brother by locking him in a bedroom closet.  Her parents were sent to Auschwitz but she escaped the holding camp with another girl.  Their intent is to rescue her brother.  In 2009, Julia Jarmond an American journalist living in Paris discovers Sarah's story.  Her architect husband begins a remodel on the apartment originally owned by Sarah's family. 

    This is very good and really pulls you into the story of Sarah and also of the American writer Julia.  Sarah and her family represent so many other families killed during this time by the Nazi war machine.  History from 1942 moves into our time period through information from ownership of the apartment.  This is an intense drama and the Holocaust sequences consist of about a third of the film.  There are some interesting and powerful history lessons.  4* (I really liked this movie)

111 min, Drama directed and written by Gilles Paquet-Brenner and also written by Serge Joncour with Kristin Scott Thomas, Melusine Mayance, Niels Arestrup, Frederic Pierrot, Michel Duchaussoy, Dominique Frot, Natasha Mashkevich, Gisele Casadesus,Aidan Quinn, Sarah Ber, Arben Bajraktara, Karina Hin, James Gerard, Joseph Rezwin, Kate Moran, Paul Mercier.

Note:  Goodreads gives the book 4.16* out of 5* with 407,831 ratings and 28,725 reviews, Imdb 7.5 out of 10 with 15,605 views, 72% with 116 critics 82% audience with 9,374 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 2 1/2*, Common Sense Media Jeffrey M. Anderson, age 14+, 2* positive, 1* role models, 4* violence, 2* sex, 1* drinking, drugs & smoking, Amazon 4.5* with 914 reviews, Metacritic 59 out of 100 with 30 critics (17 positive, 11 mixed, 2 negative)  6.4 out of 10 with 24 ratings (14 positive 7 mixed 3 negative, Letterboxd 3.4* out of 5*.

Special Note:  This was the most successful French movie in the Netherlands.  It was due to the popularity of the book.  Later The Untouchables 2011 became the record holder.  Kristin Scott Thomas was also in two other films about WWII, The English Patient 1996 and Suite Francaise 2014.  Kristin Scott Thomas has lived in France since she was 19 years old.  She brought up her three children in Paris.  Sometimes she considers herself more French than British.  She was born 24 May 1960 in Redruth Cornwall.  She is divorced from Francois Olivennes, a French gynecologist and the father of her children.

World on Fire Episode 4 2019

     Lois has returned to England from singing for soldiers.  Harry is leading a platoon in combat abroad.  He is stationed in Louvain Belgium and Germans are quickly sweeping closer.  Gregor and Konrad are still on the run fugitives.  They are sleeping in the forest and Gregor wakes up when he hears a tank approaching.  Konrad shoots one of the smolders and then they are on the run.  Kasia is still leading German soldiers to the resistance to be killed.  She spots an SS officer in church and she chooses him for her next target.  Her comrade is late getting to them and Kasia has to shoot the man herself.  As retribution for the death of an SS officer, 25 Polish citizens are placed in front of a firing squad.  Kasia is guilt ridden and distraught over the deaths of her countrymen and women.  Webster is treating wounded soldiers from the front lines in Belgium.  
     Albert is receiving all sorts of hate.  One night, there is a red swastika on his door.  Herr Rossler has reluctantly joined the Nazi party to spare his daughter Hilde who has epilepsy.  Douglas also wants to protect his daughter Lois and he goes to see Robina, Harry’s mother.  Previously, Robina and Jan went to see Douglas to tell him that Harry had married Kasia.  Nancy tries to smuggle a story on the Nazi euthanasia program out of Germany.  Hilde Rossler and her mother leave Germany to stay at a lake house.

     No one is safe anymore in Poland.  There is a LOT of turmoil in Britain over the fate of the English troops.  Lois is restating her independence about her pregnancy and she doesn’t want help.  Kasia believes she can still continue to bring German soldiers to the resistance but it’s not safe to bring the SS Officer.  Robina doesn’t believe she needs to do anything in the way of support for Harry’s child that Lois is carrying.  Gregor and Konrad join forces with a British army unit since there is usually safety in numbers.  There is a lot of tension in this episode and you wonder how the situation can become worse in Episode 5?   

TV series, PBS Masterpiece series with seven episodes, each episode is one hour long, directed by Adam Smith, Thomas Napper, Andy Wilson, Chanya Button and written by Peter Bowker with Sean Bean, Julia Brown, Yrsa Daley-Ward, Arthur Darvill, Blake Harrison, Jonah Hauer-King, Helen Hunt, Patrick Kennedy, Lesley Manville, Ewan Mitchell, Parker Sawyers, Brian J. Smith, Zofia Wichlacz, Charlie Creed-Miles, Tomasz Kot, Agata Kuleza, Victoria Mayer, Max Rieselt.  

Note:  Imdb 7.2 out of 10 with 2,589 views, Rotten Tomatoes 85% with 27 critics 54% with 13 user ratings, Amazon 4.4* out of 5* with 1,152 reviews, Metacritic 74 out of 100 with 12 critics (11 positive 1 mixed) 5 out of 10 (3 positive 2 negative), indiewire.com Grade B-.

Special Note:  Commissioned by the BBC in October 2017, casting began in October 2018.  Filmed in Prague, Chester, Liverpool, Lytham St. Annes, Wigan and Lyme Park.

Melancholia 2011

    Two sisters find their already strained relationship challenged as a mysterious new blue planet named Melancholia threatens to collide with Earth?  Justine is an emotionally troubled newlywed, she is given a lavish wedding party by her sister Claire and her brother-in-law John.  A stretch limo taking the bride and groom to the party can't navigate the narrow road.  Claire and her new husband need to walk John's home and they are two hours late.  There are a lot of conflicts because of this lateness and the guests previous history with each other. 
    In the beginning it is difficult to figure out what is going on but it becomes clear later on.  Performances by Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg are excellent and they are not shy about showing their emotions on their faces.  This movie is very different from other films and it has a strong sense of terror.  There are a lot of overwhelming emotions and also depression.  There is also a lot of arguing, yelling and tension.  There is infrequent use of language and characters occasionally drink alcohol at the wedding. 4* (I really liked this movie)

130 min, Drama directed by Lars von Trier with Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Kiefer Sutherland, Alexander Skarsgard, John Hurt, Charlotte Rampling, Stellan Skarsgard, Jesper Christensen, Cameron Spurr, Brady Corbet, Udo Kier, James Cagnard, Deborah Fronko, Charlotta and Claire Miller.

Note:  Imdb 7.2 out of 10 with 160,921 views, 80% with 200 critics 67% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 3 1/2*, The Guardian 3* out of 5* Peter Bradshaw, RollingStone 3 1/2* Peter Travers, empireonline.com 5* Kim Newman, Common Sense Media Jeffrey M. Anderson, age 17+, 1* positive 1* role models, 2* violence, 5* sex, 4* language, 2* drinking drugs & smoking.

Special Note:  The camera style is shaky and there are quick movements to the sides.  The color tones have a lot of sepia and the music is very dramatic.  These conditions caused me to have motion sickness and I had to go outside of the theater for a short period to recover.  I felt very warm and nauseous, popcorn and perfume became very strong smelling.  I could not figure out what was wrong for a while??  The ticket seller told me that others have left because of this same reaction.  I found that watching from the back and alone was much better.  It was cooler and I could close my eyes when necessary.  I have never had this experience before while watching a film??

An Invisible Sign 2010

     This film is an adaptation of Aimee Bender's novel An Invisible Sign of My Own.  Mona Gray is a young girl who uses mathematics as a means of dealing with a her father's devastating mental illness from a stroke.  Formerly, her father was a brilliant mathematician.  Mona is superstitious and she has compulsive behaviors.  She begins to eliminate everything in her life that she enjoys as a sacrifice to somehow make her father well again.  At the age of 20 years old, she is evicted from her home by her mother.  She is supposed to forget the past and get on with her life?  Her mother lies to Ms. Gelband, a school principal.  Mona’s mother says tells Ms. Gelband that Mona Gray has graduated?  Ms. Gelband hires Mona to teach mathematics to third grade students.  Lisa Venus is an orphan in Mona’s class.  Her odd behavior attracts the attention of teacher Ben Smith.  There is an incident at school and the life of Mona Gray changes. 
    Appearance can convey a lot about a character but it can't convey everything and be the only method of expression.  No one seems to know what they are doing in this movie or what they are trying to show?  A viewer can relate more to the children in the class since they are are far more interesting than the adults.  This is not a typical romance and not a typical feel good movie.  There are good messages about learning to deal with situations beyond your control.  Learning acceptance and coming to terms with inner turmoil plus letting go.  2 1/2* (This movie is so-so)

96 min, Comedy directed by Marilyn Agrelo and written by Pamela Falk, Michael Ellis and Aimee Bender with Jessica Alba, Chris Messina, Sonia Braga, John Shea, J.K. Simmons, Sophie Nyweide, Bailee Madison, Marylouise Burke, Ashlie Atkinson, Crystal Bock, Mackenzie Milone, Jan Colletti, Jake Siciliano, Stephanie DeBolt, Joanna Adler, Dovovan Fowler, Daniel Pearce, Ian Blackman .


Note:  Imdb 5.4 out of 10 with 3,917 views, 0% with 15 critics 33% audience with 1,959 ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, Slant Magazine 1/2* out of 4* Andrew Schenker, Common Sense Media S. Jhoanna Robledo, age 14+, 2* positive, 2* violence, 2* sex, 2* language, 1* consumerism, Amazon 3.9* out of 5* with 61 reviews, Amazon gives the novel 4.2* out of 5* with 81 reviews. Letterboxd 2.6* out of 5*.
Special Note:  Filmed at Steiner Studios, Tarrytown, Tottenville and New York City.  America Ferrera was originally cast as Mona Gray but she dropped out of the cast.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules 2011

    This film is based on a series of fiction books written by author and cartoonist Jeff Kinney.  This is the second Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie.  The first was Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2010.  Greg is in the 7th grade now and still facing school and home problems.  His parents want Greg to get along with his older brother Rodrick and the results are mixed.  Their mom begins Mom Bucks as an incentive.  Greg and Rodrick will receive receive rewards for getting along.  Rodrick isn’t the only problem bothering Greg.  He has to deal with conflicts involving Holly Hills and other embarrassing situations at school.
  
    This is funny!!  Picked on in school, liking the cute girl but they never like the social misfit boy.  Caught in the middle, older brother’s constant torment.  Younger brother always getting away with everything because he’s the youngest  Greg tries way too hard to be popular in school and Rodrick throws a wild party while his parents are out.  Teens are drinking from anonymous red cups and they act crazy.  There is no mention or implication of alcohol because what is in the cups is not mentioned?  Students call each other loser, jerk, butt brain and other kind and endearing words.  3 1/2* (I liked this movie)

99 min, Comedy directed by David Bowers with Zachary Gordon, Devon Bostick, Rachael Harris, Steve Zahn, Connor and Owen Fielding, Peyton List, Karan Brar, Laine MacNeil, Grayson Russell, Terence Kelly, Fran Kranz, Bryce Hodgson, Andrew McNee.

Note:  Imdb 6.5 out of 10 with 24,590 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 47% with 99 critics 61% with 33,396 user ratings, Amazon 4.7* out of 5* with 1,250 reviews, Common Sense Media Jeffrey M. Anderson, age 9+, 2* positive 2* role models, 2* violence, 1* sex,1* language, 1* consumerism, 2* drinking, drugs & smoking, Metacritic 51 out of 100 with 23 critics (7 positive 15 mixed 1 negative) 6.9 out of 10 (57 positive 18 negative 9 negative), indiewire.com Grade B-, Letterboxd 2.9* out of 5*, dove.org 1* language, 1* violence, 1* drugs, 2* nudity, 2* lying to parents but confess to a few lies, teen driving too fast, denying the truth to parents but then recanting, turns in brother’s paper instead of actual paper and is confronted.

Special Note:  Devon Bostick in the role of Rodrick learned to play the drums for this film.  Laine MacNeil in the role of Patty Ferrell did her own singing for her talent show number.  Most of the gags in a clean-up scene were improvised on set by the actors.  There is a mistake in a scene with the boys taking multiple bites of hot dogs.  In the next shot the hot dogs are completely whole again?

Dolphin Tail 20

   Inspired by the true story of Winter, a dolphin who was rescued off the Florida coast after her tail became caught in a crab trap.  She is found by a fisherman and Sawyer, a young boy that Winter bonds with immediately when she senses he is trying to help her.  Without some kind of human intervention, Winter’s chances of survival on her own are slim.  Because of the expertise of a dedicated marine biologist and a brilliant prosthetic doctor plus the devotion of a young boy, Winter has the help she needs.  She is taken to Clearwater Marine Hospital for treatment.  Part of her tail needs to be amputated because ropes cut off the circulation for too long a period.  Also, she has an infection and she must have an amputation.  Sawyer has been struggling with being lonely and friendless.  He believes that Winter would be able to swim normally if she had a prosthetic tail!!  

    This is enjoyable and you are really hoping that Winter will be able to live without part of her tail.  Winter also changes Sawyer’s life.  Before meeting her, he is so shy he can barely talk to anyone.  He bonds with Winter and the people working to help her swim again.  It is very unfortunate that sea animals are killed and injured by fishing practices.  There is no way viewers cannot become involved with Sawyer, Winter and the doctors.  There are messages about courage and survival.  There is also a children’s book about Winter’s rescue and lesson plans for middle school students.   5* (I really liked this movie)  

113 min, Family directed by Charles Martin Smith and written by Karen Janszen and Noam Dromi with Harry Connick, Jr., Ashley Judd, Nathan Gamble, Kris Kristofferson, Cozi Zuehisdorff, Morgan Freeman, Austin Stowell, Frances Sternhagen, Austin Highsmith, Betsy Landin, Juliana Harkavy, Megan Lozicki, Jim Fitzpatrick, Kim Ostrenko, Michael Roark.

Note:  Imdb 6.9 out of 10 with 21,648 views, 81% with 112 critics 80% audience with 45,365 ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 3*, Common Sense Media Sandie Angulo Chen, age 7+, 2* educational, 4* positive, 4* role models, 1* scariness, 1* consumerism, Amazon 4.7* out of 5* with 2,347 ratings, dove.org 1* language, 1* violence, 1* drugs, 1* nudity, Metacritic 64 out of 100 with 31 critics (23 positive 8 mixed) 6.9 user score and 63 ratings (42 positive, 16 mixed, 5 negative), Letterboxd 2.7 out of 10.

Special Note:  There are scenes with Winter swimming around both without and with the prosthetic tail.  Initially, the aquarium had issues with keeping the tail attached to her and still secure and comfortable.  They reached out to a local medical manufacturer, ALPS South located in in St. Petersburg Florida.  They partnered with Hanger Orthopedic Group and developed the liner.  It is specifically designed to comfortably and securely fit Winter’s prosthetic tail.  Dr. Clay Haskett, the prosthetic doctor, carves a dolphin pendent for Sawyer and it doesn’t have a tail just like Winter.  A radio controlled helicopter is used is some scenes and it it real except when filming inside the building.  Then it is computer generated.

Little Sparrows 2010

     The setting is an Australian summer and we meet three sisters, Christine is a medical student and she hasn't yet come to terms with her sexuality.  Anna is an aspiring actress unhappily married to a film maker.  Nina is a widow with two young children.  At the center of the sisters is their mother Susan who has had a recurrence and spread of breast cancer.  Each sister is trying to resolve the problems in their own lives and also deal with the fact their mother is dying.  It could possibly be their last Christmas together.  This film is about the life and the unconditional love of a mother.  Also, it is about each sister confronting their own personal changes and growth.
    This is not a light or uplifting movie.  The characters do not draw you in so you care enough to be involved with their struggles.  I felt totally on the outside of this movie and barely able to identify who was on the screen in each scene.  2 1/2** (This movie is just so-so) 

88 min, Drama directed and written by Yu-Hsiu Camille Chen with Nicola Bartlett, James Hagan, Nina Deasley, Melanie Lyons, Arielle Gray, Scott Jackson, Nick Candy, Whitney Richards, Simon Lockwood, Christie Sistrunk, Kristin Loa Candy, Marc Pinto.

Note:  Imdb 5.4 out of 10 with 176 views, 29% audience on Rotten Tomatoes with 139 user ratings, Amazon 3.1* out of 5* with 46 ratings, Letterboxed 5*.

World on Fire Episode 3 2019

     Kaisa is facing deportation and so are many others.  Tom’s ship has been in the south Atlantic and it was been sunk by a German ship.  Tom received treatment for minor injuries, some of his mates were killed and others have serious injuries.  Douglas, Tom’s father listens to the radio nervously about news of the ship but the reception is too fuzzy.  Harry and Lois have not yet witnessed combat.  Harry leads a British unit digging foxholes.  Lois is touring military bases to entertain soldiers.  A son of the Rossler’s is also in danger, he’s in the German army in Warsaw.  Kasia is bringing German soldiers to the resistance so they can be killed.  It is Jan’s birthday, Robina gives the other boys at his school a stern lecture about their bullying and Jan’s bravery.  Jan’s older brother Gregor is in Eastern Poland with his fellow fugitive Konrad.  They beg a farmer for food and a short stay in the cellar.  There are many meaningless killings in Berlin and Warsaw. 
     The Rossler’s are horrified that Nancy has talked to Dr. Voller and then come to their apartment to warn them.  They believe she was followed and it will be only a short time before the Germans will come to collect their daughter Hilde!!  They are very worried because she has epilepsy and she would be taken from them for "treatment" by the Germans.  Lois and Harry meet again, she tells him she doesn't need him and she can look after herself.  5* (I really liked this series)

TV series, PBS Masterpiece series with seven episodes. each episode is one hour long, directed by Adam Smith, Thomas Napper, Andy Wilson Chanya Button and written by Peter Bowker.  Sean Bean, Julia Brown, Yrsa Daley-Ward, Arthur Darvill, Blake Harrison, Jonah Hauer-King, Helen Hunt, Patrick Kennedy, Lesley Manville, Ewan Mitchell, Parker Sawyers, Brian J. Smith, Zofia Wichlacz, Charlie Creed-Miles, Tomasz Kot, Agata Kuleza, Victoria Mayer, Max Rieselt.

Note:  Imdb 7.2 out of 10 with 2,589 views, Rotten Tomatoes 85% with 27 critics 54% with 13 user ratings, Amazon 4.4* out of 5* with 1,152 reviews, Metacritic 74 out of 100 with 12 critics (11 positive 1 mixed) 5 out of 10 (3 positive 2 negative), indiewire.com Grade B-.

Note:  Imdb 7.2 out of 10 with 2,589 views, Rotten Tomatoes 85% with 27 critics 54% with 13 user ratings, Amazon 4.4* out of 5* with 1,152 reviews, Metacritic 74 out of 100 with 12 critics (11 positive 1 mixed) 5 out of 10 (3 positive 2 negative), indiewire.com Grade B-.

Special Note:  Commissioned by the BBC in October 2017, casting began in October 2018.  Filmed in Prague, Chester, Liverpool, Lytham St. Annes, Wigan and Lyme Park.

World on Fire Episode 2 2019

     Harry has married Polish citizen Kasia and he planned to bring her to American with him.  At the last minute, Kasia pushes her youngest brother Jan on the train and he is to be saved instead.  Harry doesn’t know what to think!!  Only one person was allowed to go on the train with Harry and Kasia chose Jan.  Harry takes Jan to stay with his mother Robina and she doesn’t have very many maternal skills!!  Another complication for Harry is that he loves Lois but she has pushed him away.  It is because of his mother’s complete disapproval of her because she works in a factory.  Lois is singing on the Palais stage and she tries to tell Harry she loves him. She doesn’t get a chance when she’s called back to the stage.  Nancy’s censor allows her to report on a prediction about the Jews but he sees these actions as a matter of national security.  Lois is now singing for the ENSA, Entertainments National Service Association.  Tom is a seaman on the HMS Exeter, Harry is a 2nd lieutenant in the British Expeditionary Force, Kasia is working in the cafe but also for the underground in Poland, Jan is enrolled in school by Robina.

     Another interesting aspect of Nancy’s investigations are that she learns about the Child Euthanasia Program headed up by Dr. Voller.  Any child with a mental or physical defect is taken to the hospital under the guise of receiving treatment.  Nancy witnesses children going into the facility by bus.  What she learns is that there is no treatment other than euthanasia!!  The Rossler’s have a young daughter Hilde with epilepsy and Nancy goes to talk to them about what the program really means.  Everything about these episodes seems like it is happening in real time!!  5* (I really liked this series.  

TV series, PBS Masterpiece series with seven episodes. each episode is one hour long, directed by Adam Smith, Thomas Napper, Andy Wilson Chanya Button and written by Peter Bowker.  Sean Bean, Julia Brown, Yrsa Daley-Ward, Arthur Darvill, Blake Harrison, Jonah Hauer-King, Helen Hunt, Patrick Kennedy, Lesley Manville, Ewan Mitchell, Parker Sawyers, Brian J. Smith, Zofia Wichlacz, Charlie Creed-Miles, Tomasz Kot, Agata Kuleza, Victoria Mayer, Max Rieselt.

Note:  Imdb 7.2 out of 10 with 2,589 views, Rotten Tomatoes 85% with 27 critics 54% with 13 user ratings, Amazon 4.4* out of 5* with 1,152 reviews, Metacritic 74 out of 100 with 12 critics (11 positive 1 mixed) 5 out of 10 (3 positive 2 negative), indiewire.com Grade B-.

Special Note:  Commissioned by the BBC in October 2017, casting began in October 2018.  Filmed in Prague, Chester, Liverpool, Lytham St. Annes, Wigan and Lyme Park.

World on Fire 2019 Episode 1 2019

     The setting of this film is Britain, Poland, France, Germany and the United States.  This is the first year of WWII beginning with Germany taking over Poland.  The date is 1939 and there is a threat over all of Europe.  American journalist and broadcaster Nancy Campbell is at the Polish-German border and she witnesses the start of the German invasion of Poland.  
     
     This first episode of the series is very good because it is about everyday people living in the countries impacted by the war.  The fates of several ordinary families are traced from 1939-1940.  Poland is the first to fall and then the Germans move forward to Paris.  Not satisfied with their significant progress through two countries they move further onward.  Journalist Nancy Campbell is trying to get out as many announcements as she can about what is really going on in the cities and towns.  Her censor wants her to delete as much as she can but she doesn't listen!!  How is the information going to get out to people is she is silenced??  5* (I really liked this series)

TV series, PBS Masterpiece series with seven episodes, each episode is one hour long, directed by Adam Smith, Thomas Napper, Andy Wilson, Chanya Button and written by Peter Bowker.  Sean Bean, Julia Brown, Yrsa Daley-Ward, Arthur Darvill, Blake Harrison, Jonah Hauer-King, Helen Hunt, Patrick Kennedy, Lesley Manville, Ewan Mitchell, Parker Sawyers, Brian J. Smith, Zofia Wichlacz, Charlie Creed-Miles, Tomasz Kot, Agata Kuleza, Victoria Mayer, Max Rieselt.

Note:  Imdb 7.2 out of 10 with 2,589 views, Rotten Tomatoes 85% with 27 critics 54% with 13 user ratings, Amazon 4.4* out of 5* with 1,152 reviews, Metacritic 74 out of 100 with 12 critics (11 positive 1 mixed) 5 out of 10 (3 positive 2 negative), indiewire.com Grade B-.

Special Note:  Commissioned by the BBC in October 2017, casting began in October 2018.  Filmed in Prague, Chester, Liverpool, Lytham St. Annes, Wigan and Lyme Park, England.

The Housemaid 2010

    This is a remake of a movie from 1960 with the same title.  Eun-yi is hired by Ryung-sik to work for a very wealthy family in this drama from Korea.  Hae-ra, the wife and mother, is pregnant with twins and they also have a young daughter Nami.  The family lives in an opulent home and no expense is spared for wine and food.  Both Byung-sik and Eun-yi are treated as servants and not as "real" people.  Hae-ra and her husband Hoon seem to be happy but Hoon becomes attracted to Eun-yi.  The cold stone center of this household is Mrs. Cho.  Eun-yi finds herself up against two women, Mrs. Cho and Hae-ra’s mother.  These women have wealth, power and no conscience

    This movie really shows how in some instances the world of privilege and power completely separates people from kindness, caring, consideration or any other expression of feeling for others not in the same position.  I wanted to ending to be different but I see how it was used to fully illustrate the theme.  3 1/2* (I liked this movie)

107 min, Drama directed and written by Im Sang-soo with Do-yeon Jeon, Jung-Jae Lee, Yuh-jung Youn, Woo Seo, Ji-young Park, Seo-Hyun Ahn, Jung-min Hwang, So-Ri Moon, Jin-ahKim, Yi-yeong Shim, Tae-back Chae, Sin-hwan Jeon, Sang-min Noh, Soon-kyu Jang, Young-jae Cho.

Note:  Imdb 6.4 out of 10 with 8,766 views, 74% critic 52% audience on Rotten Tomatoes.
Special Note:  Filmed in Seoul, South Korea.  Worldwide gross for this film was $15,038,301 with $157,961 in the United States.

Bad Teacher 2011

    Elizabeth Halsey a seventh grade teacher, she drinks, smokes pot and swears.  She was engaged to a wealthy man but he broke it off.  She wants to get out of the classroom for good by marrying a rich substitute teacher.  She's not the only one looking at this new teacher prize!!  Scott Delacorte is a cute perky fellow teacher and Elizabeth has a huge crush on him.  Elizabeth plans to use some of her paycheck for breast implant surgery to up her chances with Scott.  When it is announced that the teacher whose class scores highest on the state exam will receives a bonus, she stops showing films and sleeping in class!!  There are also competitions for the affections of Scott!!  Fellow teacher Amy is a happy person but tightly wound.  Amy begins to dig for dirt on Elizabeth to get the bonus for herself. 
  
    This is funny but raunchy.  Instead of a laugh a minute, you get underwhelming and uninteresting characters.  Elizabeth is a terrible teacher, she is jaded, selfish and foul-mouthed.  When she finds out about the large check, she goes from a movie every day teaching to all out teaching.  Amy is the "best" teacher but she becomes the biggest tattletale.  Plenty of swearing, sexual references and innuendoes, dope smoking and drinking.  3* (this movie is OK)

92 min, Comedy directed by Jake Kasdan and wirtten by Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg with Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake, Jason Segel, Lucy Punch, Molly Shannon, John Michael Higgins, Erick Stonestreet, David Allen, Phyllis Smith, Jillian Armenante, Matthew J. Evans, Kaitlyn Dever, Kathryn Newton, Igal Ben Yair, Aja Bair, Andra Nechita, Noah Munck.

Note:  Imdb 5.6 out of 10 with 187,354 views, 44% with 187 critics 36% audience with 84,866 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 2*, Common Sense Media S. Jhoanna Robedo, age 17+, 1* positive 2* violence, 4* sex, 4* language, 2* consumerism, 4* drinking, drugs & Smoking, Metacritic 47 out of 100 with 38 critics (11 positive 18 mixed 9 negative) 5.4 out of 10 with 297 ratings (91 positive 143 mixed 63 negative), Amazon 4.3* out of 5* with 1,203 reviews 2.3* out of 5*.

Special Note:  Filmed in Chatsworth, North Spring Street, Plummer St & Oakdale Ave, D.C Stages, Santa Clarita, Los Angeles, California and Lawndale, Illinois.  Diaz usually wears Christian Louboutin red-soled shoes because there was a contract between the movie producers and Louoboutin.  Diaz and Timberlake were previously in a relationship but they have remained friends after amicably breaking up.  Bradley Cooper was considered for the role of Scott Delacorte. 

Beginners 2011

     The time period of this film is 2003.  This film is based loosely on the experiences of writer/director Mike Mills.  Oliver Fields is a 38 year old graphic artist and he has not had success in romantic relationships.  He meets French actress Anna and things are going well until he starts to believe that it can’t last?  He has also had recent sadness in his life.  His mother passed away and 5 years later he was taking care of his father during his last days.  He was shocked when his father suddenly announced that he has terminal cancer and he also has a young male lover?  Now he has his father's Jack Russell dog Arthur living with him.  Surprisingly, Olive had been taking relationship advice from his father Hal?  His father had a new outlook on life after the passing of his wife.  There are two possible obstacles to Oliver’s relationship with Anna?  Oliver has a very needy Jack Russell Terrier, Arthur and Anna is very much a vagabond.  Oliver is not a vagabond?  3* (This movie is OK)

    This is like a Woody Allen movie about relationships but not wonderful like his recent ones in Spain and France.  I expected this to be good with the reviews it has received but I just did not like it.  Everyone seems cut out with cookie cutters and living in a fog.  An example is how can Oliver make a living drawing when he can't relate to what a client would want and his idea is not practical for the application?  The best actor is Arthur the dog!!  Some frank but not overt sexuality and sexual references, a small amount of nudity, there is language and characters drink quite often but not to drunkenness.  The ill father takes several prescriptions drugs.  2 1/2* (This movie is so-so)
   
104 min, Drama directed and written by Mike Mills with Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer, Melanie Laurent, Goran Visnjic, Kai Lennox, Mary Page Keller, Keegan Boos, China Shavers, Melissa Tang, Amanda Payton, Luke Diliberto, Lou Taylor Pucci, Bambadjan Bamba, Hana Jane, Samuel T. Ritter.

Note:  Imdb 7.2 out of 10 with 84,734 views, 85% critic with 159 critics 77% audience on Rotten Tomatoes with 25,156 ratings, Roger Ebert 3 1/2*, Deep Focus Reviews Brian Eggert 4*, Metacritic 81 out of 100 with 36 critics (34 positive 2 mixed) 8.1 out of 10 with 254 ratings (209 positive 34 mixed 11 negative) Letterboxd 3.8 out of 5*, Common Sense Media Jeffrey M. Anderson, age 17+, 2* positive, 3* role models 4* sex, 4* language, 2* drinking, drugs & smoking.

Special Note;  Filmed in the Biltmore Hotel, Elysian Park, LA County Museum of Art, Tacos Arizas Food Stand, Akbar, Richard Neutra Health House, Cosmopolitan Counterpoint, Glendale Narrows, Berkeley Avenue, Redcliff Street, Los Angeles, California and New York City, New York.

Jexi 2019

     Phil lives in San Francisco and he has an addiction to his i-phone.  His number of friends is 0, is job is writing pop culture top 10 lists and his love life is also 0.  Phil is forced to upgrade his phone when it is damaged beyond repair.  The latest model comes with an app named Jexi.  The app is female and she is an A.I. life coach, virtual assistant and cheerleader.  Jexi becomes enamored with Phil and she wants him all to herself??  This is a BIG problem and it could limit his chances for success in life??

     This is a raunchy comedy with a phone turning Phil’s life upside down.  There is nonstop use of extremely strong language and lots of sexual innuendo.  References to pornography, virginity, sexting and more.  Adults drink and use marijuana.  On the plus side, this film does give insight on too much reliance on technology.  Placing importance on friendships and relationships should be before devices.  There are some funny moments and especially those with Wanda Sykes as an employee at the Apple Store.  This movie could have gone another direction with the voice of Jexi changed to a sweet voice and giving out good advice to a socially challenged person instead???  Possibly, this change could have boosted the box office money too?  3* (This movie is OK)

94 min, Comedy directed and written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore with Adam Devine, Alexandra Shipp, Rose Bryne, Ron Funches, Charlyne Yi, Michael Pena, Wanda Sykes, Kid Cudi, Justin Hartley, Gavin Root, Blake Grunder, Richard Harder, Ray Reinhardt, Diana Jackson, Aaron Wilton. 

Note:  Imdb 6.1 out of 10 with 13,508 views, Rotten Tomatoes 14% with 29 critics 71%with 1,226 ratings, Roger Ebert 2 1/2* Monica Castillo, indiewire.com 1 1/2* out of 5* David Ehrlich, Common Sense Media Sandie Angulo Chen, age 16+, 3* positive 2* role models, 2* violence, 4* sex, 5* language, 3* consumerism, 3* drinking, drugs & smoking, Metacritic 39 out of 100 with 11 critics (2 positive 3 mixed 6 negative) 3.3 out of 10 with 33 ratings (7 positive 6 mixed 20 negative), Letterboxd 2.2* out of 5* with 4,342 ratings.

Special Note:  Access to filming actions was hampered by an unusually heavy rainy seas in San Fransisco and the government shutdown in early 2019.  The shutdown resulted in the lack of access to federally owned property in the city.  This included Crissy Field in the Presidio.  Many last minute rewrites and location changes were required.  All of the lines for Jexi were recorded after filming and Adam Devine had an earpiece to hear her lines read to him by actress/voice over artist Laurie Burke.  Sometimes the earpiece would malfunction, Adam would take the earbud out and do the scene without hearing anyone talking??  This is the second romantic comedy with Adam Devine that came out in 2019.  The first was Isn’t It Romantic.  Some stock footage of San Francisco is used, the morning scene half way though the movie, one is a sunrise of the bay bridge (it is actually sunset because the sun is setting in the west and not rising in the east). There is a mistake, Jexi is on the cloud and can control any connected device, updating the OS on one device doesn’t disable it’s ability to control any other device not being updated??

Broken Hill 2009

    An Australian teen tries to leave behind his rural roots in the Outback to become a musician.  He’s a sheep rancher’s son and definitely not used to leaving the sheep station!!  His father doesn’t think Tommy McAlpine has what it takes and he’s not very supportive?  Tommy gets distracted by a new American student at his school and her name is Kat.  Tommy wants to impress her and he gets into hot water with the local police.  He is arrested for a prank and he selects community service at a nearby prison.  He needs musicians who can play his music and he manages to find a group of talented inmates to help him? 
     This is good, both teens hear the music inside themselves but it's a tough sell to teach jail inmates to sing and play instruments.  Tommy has a love for conducting and music.  He is also determined and he can’t think of anything else except pursuing his dream.
     The scenery of the Outback is very beautiful but this is rugged country!!  Kat and Tommy bump heads until they find out they are not all that different?  Then, the music becomes a reality for them.  There are some bumps but Tommy his father and Kat find its all about the music!!  There is predictability and and there are a LOT of cliches??  3 1/2* (I liked this movie)

102 min, Drama directed by Dagen Merrill with Luke Arnold, Timothy Hutton, Alexa PenaVega, Peter Lamb, Andy McPhee, Che Timmins, Rhys Wakefield, John Clarke, Leo Taylor, George Kapiniaris, Ebony Ween, Luke O'Loughlin, Adam Grocke, Todd Telford, Hung Le.

Note:  Imdb 6.3 out of 10,  Rotten Tomatoes 50% with 6 critics 61% audience with 310 ratings, Common Sense Media S. Jhoanna Robledo, age 13+, 3* positive, 3* role models, 1* sex, dove.org 1* sex, 2* violence, 1* nudity, 1* disrespectful actions regarding others, Amazon 3.5* out of 5* with 55 reviews, Letterboxd 3.1* out of 5*.

Special Note:  Broken Hill, Adelaide Plains, Thebarton, Athelstone, Kent Town, Broken Hill Norwood, Port Adelaide, Kent Town, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.  This is Luke Arnold’s first feature film.

Horrible Bosses 2011

    A workplace comedy about three frustrated employees who hatch a plan to kill their micromanaging bosses.  Nick (Jason Bateman) hates his boss Dave Harken (Kevin Spacey) because his hours are long, a minute late is a crime and he's blackmailed so he can't quit.  Dale (Charlie Day) also hates his dentist boss (Jennifer Aniston) because of her unwanted advances and he’s on a list of child offenders so he can’t quit.  Kurt (Jason Sudeikis) actually likes his job but his boss dies (Donald Sutherland) and is replaced with his coked-out psycho son (Colin Farrell).  The economic times are very bad so who would be crazy enough to quit their jobs?  Dale and Kurt drunkenly and hypothetically discuss how to kill their bosses.  The next thing they know, they have hired a murder consultant to help them pull off the three deaths??  

    There is a lot of gross-out humor, obscenities and coarseness.  Only funny at times and raunchy many times.  Heavy sexual innuendo and almost constant foul language.  One character has a cocaine problem and the main characters accidentally get high and drink too.  One character is a womanizer.  A different role and look for Jennifer Aniston.  I’m not a Kevin Spacy fan so I can picture him as a horrible boss!  3* (This movie is OK)

98 min, Comedy directed Seth Gordon and written by Michael Markowitz, John Francis Daley with Jason Bateman, Steve Wiebe, Jason Sudeikis, Charlie Day, Lindsay Sloane, Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx, Colin Farrell, Donald Sutherland, Julie Bowen, Isaiah Mustafa, Michael Albala, Jennifer Hasty, Reginald Ballard, George Back, Barry Livingston.

Note:  Imdb 6.9 out of 10 with 410,202 views, 69% with 220 critics 70% audience on Rotten Tomatoes with 106,618 ratings, Amazon 4.4* out of 5* with 2,873 ratings, Metacritic 57 out of 100 with 40 critics (21 positive 14 mixed 5 negative) 7.6 out of 10 with 45 ratings (401 positive 116 mixed 28 negative, Letterboxed 3* to of 5*, Common Sense Media Jeffrey M. Anderson, age 18+, 1* positive, 3* violence, 4* sex, 5* language, 1* consumerism, 3* drinking, drugs, smoking, Roger Ebert 3 1/2*.
Special Note:  Filmed Los Angeles, Torrance, Glendale, Los Angeles, California.

Cold Weather 2010

     Doug was studying forensic science at a college in the Midwest. After a few months he feels burned out.  He leaves to move back to his hometown of Portland Oregon.  He's living with his sister and gets a job at an ice making plant which requires just a little bit of effort.  He had originally planned to work with the police because of his passion for classic detective fiction like Sherlock Holmes.  Suddenly, a real life case appears when his former girlfriend disappears.  Doug and his co-worker Carlos put their love of old detective novels to good use to try to solve this mystery!!

    This movie is good if you are washing dishes, reading the newspaper, combing or washing your hair or considering which came first, the chicken or the egg?   The camera shots are 5 minutes long (it seems) of scenic vistas and the plot is very thin.  Also, I did not like the ending.  It does have quirkiness and an indie feel?  2 1/2* (This movie is so-so)

96 min, Drama directed and written by Aaron Katz and also written by Bredan McFadden and Ben Stambler with Cris Lankenau, Trieste Kelly Dunn, Raul Castillo, Robyn  Rikoon, Jeb Pearson, Brendan McFadden, Ben Stambler, Katy and Paul Rothert, Jerry Moyer, Virgil L. Howell, Barry Seltzer, Orianna Milne, Elliott flick, Josh Locy.

Note:  Imdb 6.2 out of 10 with 2,137 views, Roger Ebert 3 1/2*, 78% with 63 critics 52% audience with 2,050 ratings  on Rotten Tomatoes, The Guardian 2* out of 5* Peter Bradshaw, Amazon 3* out of 5* with 30 reviews, Letterboxd 3.3* out of 5*,
Special Note:  Filmed in Portland, Cannon Beach, The Dales, Oregon.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo 2011

     This film is based on a Swedish novel written by Stieg Larsson and adapted in English.  A discredited journalist, Michael Blomkvist and a computer hacker, Lisbeth Salander work to solve the mystery of a 40 year old murder.  A wealthy patriarchs niece disappeared?  This is a remake of a 2009 Swedish movie with the same name.  The deeper they dig for the truth, the closer they come to a confrontation with the killer.  Salander has many piercings, tattoos and she is excellent at delving into computers.  There is one  important item they have learned.  It is that there was immense corruption beyond anything they have seen or imagined to cover up this murder.

    Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara and the other actors are good in this movie but there are only a few differences from the 2009 Swedish release.  Noomi Rapace has the role of Lisbeth Salander in the Swedish version.  This film does seem to be at a faster pace and easier to watch because there are no subtitles.  But, what is the point of making a second movie almost identical to the first?  I expected more people to be in the theater but word of mouth may have caused a loss of viewers?  3 1/2* (I liked this movie)

158 min, Crime directed by David Fincher and written by Steven Zaillian with Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgard, Steven Berkoff, Robin Wright, Yorick van Wageningen, Joely Richardson, Geraldine James, Goran Visnjic, Donald Sumpter, Ulf Friberg, Bengt C.W. Carlsson, Tony Way, Per Myrberg.

Note:  Goodreads gives the book 4.13* with 2,474,477 ratings and 67,287 reviews, Blockbuster 3 1/2*, Imdb, 7.8 out of 10, 85% critic, Rotten Tomatoes 86% with 246 critics 86% audience with 118,888 ratings, Roger Ebert 3 1/2*, RollingStone 2 1/2* out of 4* Peter Travers, Amazon gives the book 4.3* out of 5* with 9,772 ratings.

Special Note:  This book is the first of a trilogy and now a tetralogy with writers David Lagercrantz and George Goulding finished with the The Girl Who Lived Twice novel.  They used the manuscripts Larsson left behind prior to his death.  The other film titles are The Girl Who Played with Fire 2009 and The Girl who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest 2010.

The Hangover Part II 201

    This film is a follow-up to The Hangover I of 2009.  The time setting of this film is two years after the first film in Las Vegas.  Phil, Alan, Doug and Teddy travel to Thailand to see Stu get married.  Stu has vowed to keep his bachelor party very low key with a subdued brunch prior to the wedding after their previous Las Vegas fiasco.  It is a quiet night on the beach with beer and toasting marshmallows.  In the morning, Stu, Alan and Phil wake up in a seedy apartment in Bangkok?  Doug is at the resort and Teddy is missing?  There is  monkey with a severed finger.  Alan’s heads is shaved.   Stu has a tattoo on his face and they cannot remember anything?  They attempt to retrace their steps through strip clubs, tattoo parlors and the place where they got the cocaine dealing monkey?  It is very important that they find Teddy before the wedding!!
    This doesn't seem to be as good or as funny the Hangover I film or maybe the concept has already been pushed to the limit?  This film attempts to surpass The Hangover I by being cruder and more explicit than the Hangover I film.  There is non-stop swearing throughout this film.  Possibly, the only redeeming quality is the beautiful scenery of Thailand?  3* (This movie is OK)

102 min, Comedy directed by Todd Phillips and written by Craig Mazin, Scott Armstrong, Todd Phillips with Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha, Ken Jeong, Paul Giamatti, Mike Tyson, Jeffrey Tambor, Mason Lee, Jamie Chung, Sasha Barrese, Gillian Vigman, Aroon Seeboonruang, Nirut Sirichanya, Yasmin Lee, Bryan Callen.

Note:  Imdb 6.4 out of 10 with 447,721 views, 35% critics, Amazon 4.5* out of 5* and 2,071 reviews, 33% with 245 critics 52% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Letterboxd 2.6* out of 5*, Metacritic 44 out of 100 with 40 critics (10 positive 22 mixed 8 negative) 5.7 out of 10 with 665 ratings (256 positive 284 mixed 125 negative), Common Sense Media S. Joanna Robledo, age 18+, 3* violence, 5* sex, 5* language, 1* consumerism 5* drinking, drugs & smoking, Dove Review 4* sex, 5* language, 2* violence, 5* drugs, 4* nudity disrespect of the police and spitting in the face of a person.

Special Note:  During filming of the scene with Stu discovering the tattoo on his face, Bradley Cooper genuinely broke out into laughing.  Co-Writer and Director Todd Phillips decided to keep the take in the film.  Ed Helms in the role of Stu was severely sick from food poisoning when he danced in the street shirtless.  After each take, Helms would assume a fetal position until it was time to film again.  Development began two months before The Hangover 2009 was released.  In the original script Alan played by Zach Galifianakis was meant to have his beard shaved instead of his head.  Zach refused!!  There is a mistake with the Delta plane shown landing in Thailand?  It is an Airbus A300.  Delta has never had the A330 in their fleet and the A310 was retired in the mid- 1990’s.  There is also The Hangover III 2013.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes 2011

    Caesar is a genetically engineered chimp who was created in a San Francisco lab by an ambitious scientist.  A substance called ALZ-112 is designed to help the brain repair itself and it gives advanced intelligence to a chimpanzee.  Will Rodman the creator of the drug and he rescues the baby chimp when the project is cancelled by the lab after an adult chimp escapes the enclosure.  The chimp is raised like a child by Rodman and primatologist Caroline Aranha.  Caesar’s mother Bright Eyes passed the gene alteration on to him and he has remarkable intelligence plus green eyes.  There is an altercation between Will's father who has dementia and a neighbor.  Caesar attempts to rescue Will’s father but he uses too much of his extra physical power.  He is placed in an ape sanctuary in San Bruno until a hearing is held in three months.  Things are not what they seem at the ape sanctuary?

    This is supposed to be sci-fi & fantasy but it is actually a comedy?  It is an origin story with less sci-fi and more about relationships.  It is also more about the relationship of animals and humans co-existing when there is no intelligence barrier.  The location is San Francisco so it makes everything seem more real?  It is also REAL acting for James Franco to keep a straight face during some of the action!!  Are there that many apes in the City?  Not much language, sexuality or drinking but the animal-human scenes get intense in the second half.  The apes smash cars, throw spears, push police officers off a bridge and wreak havoc.  This does make you want to go back to the original movies!!  3 1/2* (I liked this movie)

105 min, Sci-Fi directed and written by Rupert Wyatt and also written by Amanda Silver with James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow, Andy Serkis, Brian Cox, Tom Felton, David Oyelowo, Karin Konoval, Terry Notary, Richard Ridings, Christopher Gordon, Devyn Dalton, Jay Caputo, Tyler Labine.

Note:  Imdb 7.6 out of 10 with 484,710 views, Rotten Tomatoes 82% with 267 critics 87% audience with 449,051 ratings, Roger Ebert 3*, The Guardian 4* out of 5* Peter Bradshaw, Metacritic 68 out of 100 with 39 critic reviews (27 positive 12 mixed) 7.8 out of 10 with 964 ratings (827 positive 112 mixed 25 negative), Letterboxd 3.6* out of 5*, Common Sense Media Sandie Angulo Chen, age 13+, 2* positive 2* role models, 3* violence, 1* sex, 2* language, 1* consumerism, 1* drinking, drugs & smoking.

Special Note:  Filmed in Stanley Park, The Agrodome, Pacific National Exhibition Grounds, Robert Burnaby Park, East Burnaby, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Wellington, New Zealand; San Francisco, California; Oahu, Hawaii; Louisiana, USA.  This is one of the first movies to use motion-capture in an on-location setting.  Motion-capture had been limited to special studio set-ups with special motion-capture cameras in very clearly defined surroundings.  Caesar is shown putting together a stature of liberty model/puzzle and he is holding the spiked crown of the statue.  This is a key scene in Planet of the Apes 1968.  Koba, the scarred lab ape in this film and some apes at the Gen-Sys and the sanctuary are bonobos.  This species was assumed until very recently to be a subspecies of chimp and that explains its absence in previous films.  When the apes climb the tree to escape the dome, they form a double helix, the symbol of DNA and the Gen-Sys logo.

The Grace Card 2010

     Police officer Mac McDonald has never recovered from losing his son in a tragic accident eighteen years ago.  He has spent these years in rage and hostility and his relationships both with his family and on the force are crumbling.  Mac is passed over for promotion because of his attitude.  He begins to boil over when he is partnered with an officer who has been promoted.  Sam Wright is a part-time pastor and he is also a loving family man.  These two men have many differences.  Sam starts out with the idea that every day we have the opportunity to build relationships and heal deep wounds.  We are able to do that by asking for and receiving grace.

     A little bit soap opera and predictable but this is still interesting.  Relationships are not easy at home or work for Mac but eighteen years of bitterness and anger is a large obstacle to overcome.  Finally, Mac realizes he could lose the one son he has left.  He needs to decide to remain angry or to ask for help?  There is some humor in this film but there are also battles with racist behavior.  3* (This movie is OK)

101 min, Drama directed by David Evans and written by Howard Klausner with with Louis Gossett, Jr., Michael Joiner, Michael Higgenbottom, Joy Parmer Moore, Dawntoya Thomason, Rob Erickson, Kiana McDaniel, Taylor Ollins, Cindy Hodge, Chris Thomas.

Note:  Imdb 6.4 out of 10, 33% with 27 critics 82% audience with 3,963 views on Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic 43 out of 100 with 14 critics (4 positive 6 mixed 4 negative) 7.2 out of 10 (2 positive 3 negative) , dove.org 2* language 2* violence 1* drugs, 2* racism.

Special Note:  This is the first film role for Rob Erickson as Blake McDonald.  Michael Joiner as Bill 'Mac' McDonald lived and studied in Los Angeles for ten years.  He went on three hundred and fifty auditions and he landed forty roles.  He moved back to Kansas City, Missouri and two months later, he got the call to play the lead role in this movie without an audition.  This is a small-budget film made by the Memphis’ Calvary Church.  It was inspired by and modeled after a film released by Sherwood Baptist Church in Georgia titled Fireproof, Facing the Giants.  David Evans has been a non-profit director for many years.  He directed several successful Passion plays for his home church.  This is his first job as a film director.

Cropsey 2009

     This film is a documentary about a legend that was originally started to keep kids from exploring abandoned buildings, especially the Willowbrook State School.  The school is abandoned now but it was for the mentally disabled.  Two filmmakers realize that the urban legend of their youth has actually come true??  They delve into the mystery surrounding five missing children.  Is there a real-life boogeyman linked to their disappearances?  A man is arrested, tried and convicted but is he really guilty?  Later he is tied again for an earlier abduction and convicted again but the question is still, is he really guilty again?

     Many local people are interviewed and the known facts are presented but cameras are not allowed into the courtroom.  The defendant does not testify in the second trial because his criminal record could influence the jury.  This movie seems weak since there is only a partial resolution to the case plus the same scenes are shown multiple times?  It is a troubling story and the film doesn’t set your mind at ease or prove the arrested man is really guilty??  3* This movie is okay)  

84 min, Doc directed by Barbara Brancaccio and Joshua Zeman also written by Joshua Zeman with Bill Ellis, Dorothy D’Eletto, Joshua Zeman, Geraldo Rivera, Barbara Brancaccio, Karen Schweiger, David Navarro, Donna Cutugno, Ralph Aquino, Bobby Jensen, Ernie Anastos.

Note:  Imdb 6.3 out of 10, Rotten Tomatoes 91% with 44 critics 61% with 2,679 user ratings, Amazon 3.6* out of 5* with 265 reviews, Metacritic 73 out of 100 with 14 critics (13 positive 1 mixed) 6.3 out of 10 with 18 ratings (11 positive 5 mixed 2 negative), Roger Ebert 3*.

Special Note:  Filmed at Staten Island, New York City, New York, USA.  The film was awarded a Hammer to Nail’s Grand Jury Prize for best documentary at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival.  Loosely structured around the criminal trials of Andre Rand.  He was convicted of kidnapping two of five children who disappeared on Staten Island between 1972 and 1987.  Joshua Zeman and Barbara Brancaccio both grew up on Statin Island and they remain neutral about the case.  They struggle to untangle folklore from forensics.  Geraldo Rivera presented a 1972 television special based on the Willowbrook State School.

Blow the Man Down 2019

     Mary Beth and Priscilla live in the village of Easter Cove on Maine’s rocky coast.  Mary Beth and Priscilla’s mother has just passed away and she had been in a hospital.  After receiving guest at their home, Priscilla tells Mary Beth that they can’t afford to keep the house.  Mary Beth had planned on going to college?  There isn’t money for that either.  Mary Beth leaves and goes to a local bar to drown her sorrows.  She meets Gorski at the bar and she leaves with him.  She drives his car and crashes into a local monument of a Maine fisherman.  Gorski opens the trunk and Mary Beth see blood inside.  He immediately tries to attach Mary Beth but she runs away.  He follows her and she spears him in the next with harpoon.  He is still alive so Mary Beth hits in his the head with a brick.  She gets Priscilla to help her clean up this mess!!

     The theme song is sung by the Sea Chanty singing group from Easter Cove.  The coast of Maine is a formidable location to live.  There is a LOT of cold, snow and strong winds coming off the sea.  Some items to consider about this area are the job market, adapting to a rural community, finding the right school for kids.  A period of several storms can drop 4 feet of snow.  The roads are plowed with a snowbank along the sides.  There is a living to made harvesting the ocean but a rugged life.  An interesting film.  4* (I liked this movie)       

91 min, Drama written and directed by Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Drudy with Margo Martindale, Marceline Hugot, Morgan Saylor, Meredity Holzman, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Sophie Lowe, June Squibb, Annette O’Toole, Linda Shary, Owen Burke, Skipp Sudduth.

Note:  Imdb 6.3 out of 10 with 1,760 views, Rotten Tomatoes 99% with 88 critics 79% audience with 104 ratings, Roger Ebert 3*, RollingStone 3* out of 5* David Fear, Washington Post 3* out of 4* Ann Hornaday, Datebook SF Chronicle clapping Mick LaSalle, Metacritic 72 out of 100 with 19 critics 4.8 out of 10 with 8 ratings, Letterboxd 3.3* out of 5*, Amazon 3.8* out of 5* with 448 ratings.

Special Note:  Filmed in Cundy’s Harbor, Will’s Gut, Cundys Point Rd, Holbrook’s General Store, Bailey Island Cribstone Bridge, Orr’s Island Cemetery, Orr’s Island Meetinghouse, Islands Rd, Orr’s Island, Harpswell and Bath, Maine.

Father Brown, The Celestial Choir 1/2020

     This is the eighth season of this series and it is based on short stories by G.K Cheston.  The time setting is the 1950’s and Father Brown is a mild-mannered Roman Catholic priest.  The stories are about the happenings in and around the fictional Cotswold village of Kembleford.  The Kembleford Choristers have won a singing competition and they are on their way to Worcester Cathedral for the final round of singing.  There are problems along the way with the church’s omnibus breaking down.  It has been sabotaged by the cutting of the fuel line?  Father Brown and the singers make their way across the farmland to try to catch at train to Worcester.

     Other problems with the Choir are one of the female members is ill on the day of the final.  Lady Felicia is asked to take her place.  During a heavy rain storm, the group takes refuge in a barn.  It is discovered that there is a warning written on the side of barn for the group to go home?  The writing is suspected to have been done by one of the other two choirs?  At the last moment the Choir arrives in Worcester.  The plots of this series are good, the actors look like real people and the stories and issues come from real life in the UK.  I thought this episode was interesting and funny at times.  5* (I really like this series)

44 min each episode, 10 episodes, Crime directed by Paul Gibson and written by Rachel Flowerday, Tahsin Guner, Kit Lambert with Ashley Campbell, Nancy Carroll, Sarah Ingram, Daisy Maywood, Joseph Prowen, Hugh Sachs, Roger May, Emer Kenny, Sorcha Cusack, Jack Deam, John Burton.

Note:  Imdb 7.8 out of 10 with 78 views, dailymail.co.uk 5*, Amazon 4.6* out of 5* with 81 ratings, Rotten Tomatoes 100% average audience score. 

Special Note:  This series began in 1974 on television and as of January 17, 2020, 90 episodes have been shown.  A ninth series will be broadcast in 2021.

A Handful of Dust 1988

     This film is based on a novel by Evelyn Waugh published in 1934 and the setting is England during the 1930’s.  Lord Tony and Lady Brenda Last live on Tony’s enormous estate in Hetton with their young son John Andrew.  Tony is not interested in parties and Brenda loves London society.  She starts going to events with John Beaver, he is penniless and a hanger-on at Tony’s club.  John’s mother sees money in Tony and Brenda so she encourages John to see Brenda.  She begins to spend more time in London and Tony thinks she is living with a female friend.  Unfortunately, Tony and Brenda experience a tragedy in their lives.  Brenda decides to reside in London and Tony learns that John also lives with Brenda’s female friend.  Brenda files for divorce and Tony reluctantly agrees.  He refuses to finalize the divorce because he cannot afford the 2000 pounds a month that she is requesting.  Tony would need to sell the estate to pay Brenda the money and he refuses to do that.  Instead, he meets an adventurer and he heads out on an expedition to Brazil.  Now, Brenda has no money and John has no money.  Only John’s mother has money and she is thrifty with her money??

     Tony very much enjoys the role of country gentleman and he keeps them poor by spending his fortune maintaining his Victorian-Gothic manor.  The bedrooms are named Guinevere, Galahad, etc and there are 61 bedrooms.  Brenda and Tony are both devoted to their young son John.  Brenda pines for the gaiety of London.  John Beaver is colorless and without flair.  He is known chiefly as London’s only spare-man-about-town.  John is invited to Hetton for a weekend.  Brenda feels sorry for John and she decides to ask him to show her around London on her trips.  Incredibly, she falls in love with John??  Brenda’s demands for alimony are to provide for the needs of John.  There are the parties, casual drinking at club bars and serious drinking at low dive bars plus cigarettes.  Then there is Tony’s exploring expedition to find the Lost City of the Amazon?  Is this trip solely for the purpose of getting out of paying 2000 pounds a month??  5* (I have seen this before and I really liked this movie)  
       
118 min, Drama directed and written by Charles Sturridge and also written by Tim Sullivan and Derek Granger with James Wilby, Kristin Scott Thomas, Richard Beale, Jackson Kyle, Norman Lumsden, Jeanne Watts, Kate Percival, Richard Leech, Roger Milner, Tristram Jellinek, Angelica Huston, Rupert Graves, Judi Dench, Pip Torrens, Beatie Edney, Stephen Fry, Graham Crowden.
Note: Goodreads gives the book 3.92* out of 5* with 22,272 ratings and 1,167 reviews, Amazon gives the book 4.3* with 190 reviews, Imdb 6.7 out of 10 with 1,731 views, Roger Ebert 3*, Rotten Tomatoes 45% audience score with 1,966 reviews, Amazon 3.5* out of 5* with 96 ratings, Metacritic 84 out of 100 with 19 critics (18 positive 1 mixed) 7.2 out of 10 user scores with 5 ratings, Letterboxd 3.2* out of 5*.

Special Note:  Filmed at Highclere Castle, Highclere, Hampshire; Abbey Road Studios, St. John’s Wood, London; Twickenham Film Studios, St Margarets, Twickenham, Middlesex; England, UK, Canima National Park, Estado Bolivar; Ciudad Guyana, Venezuela; Brighton, East Sussex; Calton Towers, Selby, North Yorkshire; Windsor and Eton Central Station, Windsor, Berkshire; England, UK.  The Duke of Norfolk let his house be used and appeared as the gardener touching his forelock respectfully to Mrs. Ratterby.  James Wilby and Rupert Graves played love rivals in this movie but in the Merchant Ivory movie, Maurice 1987, they played lovers.  This movie was released 54 years after its source novel of the same name was published.  Nominated for an Oscar for the Best Costume Design Academy Award in 1989.  Lost out to Dangerous Liaisons 1988 and both films had George Fenton as the music composer.  Highclere Castle is the setting for the filming of the TV series Downton Abby.  It is also the home of the 8th Earl and Countess of Carnarvon.

Hunters: Season 1 2020

     This series is inspired by true events.  It follows a diverse band of Nazi Hunters in 1977 New York City.  They discover that hundreds of escaped Nazis are living in America.  They form a vigilante squad and they are on a quest for revenge and justice.  They soon discover a far-reaching conspiracy and a race against time to thwart the Nazis’ new plans for the Jews.

     Jonah Heidelbaum is an aspiring weed dealer in the late 1970’s New York City.  His only surviving family member is his grandmother and she is murdered in what looks like a home invasion.  Jonah has been living with his grandmother and her death hits him very hard!!  Jonah sets out to investigate the murder on his own.  There is graphic violence, profanity, hate speech with racial epithets, many anti-Semitic rants.  There is also the exploration of ethics, morals and is is justifiable to kill people involved in acts of unspeakable evil?  I thought this was good but I didn’t like the conclusion.  4 1/2* (I liked this series)    
  
Note:  Amazon 3.3* out of 5* with 5.950 ratings, Rotten Tomatoes 63% with 104 critics 67% with 910 ratings, The Guardian 2* out of 5* Lucy Mangan, indiewire.com Ben Travers 
Grade B, Common Sense Media Marty Brown, Age 17+,2* positive, 3* role models, 5* vilence, 4* sex, 5* language, 3* smoking, drinking, drugs.

Titles:  (1) In the Belly of the Whale (2) The mourner’s Kaddish, (3) While Visions of Santa Danced in His Head (4) The Pious Thieves (5) At Night, All Birds are Black (6) Ruth 1:16 (7) Shalom Mother (8) The Jewish Question (9) The Great Ole Nazi Cookout of ’77 (10) Eilu v’Eilu.

Special Note:  It is possible there will be a season 2 but this has not been confirmed yet by Amazon Prime.  The reviews are polarizing.  There is criticism for its tone and pacing but praise for its performances.  Some criticism for an inaccurate use of the Auschwitz Concentration Camp, a depiction of prisoners being forced to participate in a game of human chess was called out as "dangerous foolishness and caricature."  The museum was also concerned that the show also "welcomes future deniers."  Director of the USC Shoah Foundation, Stephen D. Smith heavily criticized the show and concluded that "Amazon must not renew it for a second season."  Operation Paperclip was a secret US government program after WWII relocating 88 prominent German scientists to the US and many of them were Nazis.  At the same time, the Russian officials were scheming to get their technology for themselves.

Seven Samurai 1954

     Easily one of the best movies ever made.  It’s fun, smart, enjoyable and there were several reboots.  It does have a long running time and there are some boring parts.  Because of all the action the time seems to go by quickly.  The story elements flow and the events integrate and work really well together and almost flawlessly.  The time period is from the 12th century to the 19th century.  A samurai warrior is a member of a powerful military caste in Feudal Japan.  Especially a member of the class of military retainers of the daimyos, one of the great lords who were vassals fo the shogun.

     This film features a group of samurai who help a farming village defend itself against a gang of bandits.  There are multiple battles and the villagers, samurais and bandits suffer casualties.  Violence is not particularly bloody but it is accentuated through fluid camera movements and slow motion cinematography.  The samurai and the villagers have character flaws but ultimately they all stand together in the face of the ruthless bandits.  The bandits have not moved forward beyond their thieving impulses.  There is strong language in the subtitles but they are sparingly used.  4 1/2* (I liked this movie)

3 hours 27 min, Action directed and written by Akira Kurosawa, also written by Shinobu Hasimoto and Hideo Oguni with Toshiro Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Keiko Tsushima, Yukiko Shimazaki, Kamatari Fujiwara, Daisuke Kato, Isao Kimura, Minoru Chiaki, Seiji Miyaguchi.

Note:  Imdb 8.6* out of 10* with 298,946 views, Roger Ebert 4*, Rotten Tomatoes 100% with 62 critics 97% user Rating with 90,892 reviews, empireonline.com 5*, frenchfilms.com 5* James Travers, Letterboxd 4.5*, Metacritic 98 out of 100 6 critics (6 positive) with 8.8 out of 10 with 363 ratings (327 positive 16 mixed 20 negative), Amazon 4.7* out of 5* with 1,761 ratings, Common Sense Media David Gurney, age 13+, 5*, 3* positive, 3* role models, 2* violence, 2* language, 1* drinking, drugs, smoking.
    

A Film Unfinished 2010

    In 1942, more than two years after Nazi troops herded Poland's Jews into a ghetto in Warsaw, a few cameramen were sent to shoot material that was intended to be a German propaganda film.  They filmed scenes of daily life and horrific moments of death and despair.  The film was never completed, without a soundtrack and after the war the unedited footage was discovered in a German archive.  The unfinished German propaganda film titled Das Ghetto was taken two months before the inhabitants were removed from the ghetto.  Five survivors are interviewed and they talk about the film and their lives in the ghetto.   This film became a resource for historians seeking an authentic record.  There is also an elaborate propagandist construction to the film.  A later discovery of a reel that had been missing for a long time complicated earlier interpretations.  This reel shows the manipulations by the camera crews in the supposedly everyday scenes.  There are pictures of wealthy Jews attending elegant dinners and theatrical performances.  They now appear as unwilling but also complicit actors.  They are alternately fearful and also in denial of their own fates. 

    This is a tough film because many of the Jews are starving, some only have rags to wear with others are dressed up and wearing jewelry.  Later, the survivors have a difficult time viewing the scenes.  Many younger Jews were told about the Ghetto in stories from their parents or grandparents.  These stories sounded like they were unbelievable but the film proves that they are true.  When the Russians arrived at a new factory in Germany, they shot all the Poles who had been working as collaborators.  The WWII American veterans played a big role in working with the Jews and securing their freedom.  They gave their lives or returned with permanent scars to the United States after freeing the Jews from the Nazis.  3 1/2* (I liked this movie)

88 min, documentary directed and written by Yael Hersonski with Hanna Avrutzki, Luba Gewisser, Jurek Plonski, Aliza Vitis-Shomron, Shula Zeder, Janusz Hamerszmit, Eliezer Niborski, Alexander Senderovich, Mendy Cahan, Chava Alberstein, Gera Sandler.

Note:  Imdb 7.4 out of 10 with 1,675 views, Rotten Tomatoes 97% with 65 critics 86% with 1,248 user ratings, Slant Magazine 3* out of 4* Andrew Schenker, Amazon 4.3* out of 5* with 108 ratings, Metacritic 88 out of 100 with 19 critics (19 positive) 7 out of 10 with 13 ratings (10 positive 1 mixed 2 negative, Letterboxd 3.6* out of 5*.

Special Note:  Filmed in Waswa, Mazowieckie, Poland.  The Warsaw Ghetto housed about 444,000 Polish Jews.  The black & white footage was filmed during May 1942.  The premiere was held at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival and it received a World Cinema Documentary Editing Award. 

Nothing but the Truth 2008

     Political columnist Rachel Armstrong writes that the President ignored the findings of a covert CIA operative and ordered air strikes against Venezuela.  Rachel names the agent, Erica Van Doren.  She is a woman with young daughter in Rachel’s son’s class at school.  Rachel is hoping to be awarded a Pulitzer Prize for this article.  The government moves quickly to force Rachel to name her source.  She is jailed for contempt when she refuses.  The days in jail begin to add up because Rachel won’t change her mind about revealing her source.  Chaos begins to descend on Erica Van Doren’s life.  There is the First Amendment right but there is also national security.  There is marriage and motherhood but also separation.  What is the real value of a principle?

     This is a fictionalized retelling of the outing of a CIA agent.  The reporter writing the story takes a stand about freedom of speech.  She doesn’t cave in to the efforts by the government to make her reveal who told her about these events.  Freedom of the press is crucial and reporters must have the right to tell the truth to the public.  It doesn’t matter if the material contains classified information if the subject has enough importance.  The sources leaking the classified information have broken the law and not the reporter of the news.  But, since 9/11 national security wins over the First Amendment every time.  There is some strong language, a jail inmate beats another inmate, there is cigarette smoking and drinking alcohol, a woman is killed in front of her house, a husband cheats on his wife, a woman is separated from her child.  5* (I really liked this movie)
       
108 min, Crime directed and written by Rod Lurie with Kate Beckinsale, Matt Dillon, Angela Bassett, Alan Alda, Vera Farmiga, David Schwimmer, Courtney B. Vance, Noah Wyle, Floyd Abrams, Preston Bailey, Kristen Bouogh, Julie Ann Emery, Robert Harvey, Michael O’Neill, Kristen Shaw.

Note:  Imdb 7.2 out of 10 with 35,024 views, Roger Ebert 3 1/2*, Rotten Tomatoes 82% with 60 critics 73% audience with 12,769 ratings, Amazon 4.1* out of 5* with 173ratings, Common Sense Media Barbara Shulgasser-Parker, age 14+ 3* out of 5*, 3* positive, 3* role models, 3* violence, 2* sex, 4* language, 1* drinking, drugs & smoking, Rolling Stone 3* out of 4* Peter Travers. 

Special Note:  There is a scene where Erica Van Doren is given a lie detector test.  The CIA believes that she leaked her own identity.  The test proves that Erica is telling the truth about not leaking her identity.  There is a comment afterwards that it would be possible for a CIA agent to be trained to lie and not be detected by the machine?  This film loosely follows the real-life drama of former CIA agent Valerie Plame.  There is a film about Valerie titled Fair Game in 2010 with Naomi Watts in the role of Valerie.  Floyd Abrams plays the judge in this film and he is also credited as a technical advisor.  In real life Abrams is an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).  Filmed in Memphis and Shelby County, Tennessee; Los Angeles National Cemetery, Los Angeles, California.