The Enchanted Cottage 1945

     This film is based on a play by Arthur Wing Pinero and first made into a film in 1924.  Oliver Bradford and his fiancé come to see a cottage located on the seaside in New England.  They would like to rent the cottage for three month for their honeymoon.  Oliver is an Army Air Force pilot and he is called up for WWII before they can get married.  He’s sent back home after he is wounded in the war.  He comes to stay at the cottage alone.  He can’t face anyone, including his family and his former fiancé.  Mrs. Abigail Minnett owns the cottage and she’s hired Laura Pennington to help her as a maid.  They take care of Oliver and they begin to forget about how he looks and his wounds.  Major John Hillgrove is a neighbor and he doesn’t know or mind Oliver’s appearance because the Major is blind.

     Oliver and Laura fall in love and Mrs. Minnett explains to them that the magic of the cottage is that they both seem beautiful to each other.  They believe it’s because happiness was instilled into the cottage by honeymooning couples previously renting the cottage. 4* (I really liked this movie) 

 

91 min, Drama directed by John Cromwell with Dorothy McGuire, Robert Young, Herbert Marshall, Mildred Natwick, Spring Byington, Hillary Brooke, Richard Gaines, Alec Englander, Robert Clarke, Eden Nicholas.

Note:  Imdb 7.6 out of 10, 83% critic 82% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon 4.6* out of 5* with 306 reviews, TCM Leonard Maltin 2.5* out of 4*, users 4.7* out of 5*.

Special Note:  Herbert Marshall in the role of Major Hillgrove lost a leg in WWI.  May McAvory appeared in the original film from 1924.  She attended this premiere.  She wanted to visit the set during filming but she was fearful people would think she was making a bid for publicity?  There was a 60 minute radio adaptation of this movie aired on September 3, 1945 with Young and McGuire reprising their film roles.

Metropolitan 1990

     Almost every night a group of Manhattan friends from the New York upper class meet at an apartment.  They talk about social mobility, play bridge and discuss Fourier’s socialism.  There is Audrey and she is a Jane Austen fan.  Nick is a cynic, Charlie is philosophical and Sally is a party girl.  Tom meets the group on the street one night and they invite him to join them.  He’s not part of their social structure and he has a much simpler and poorer background.  His parents are divorced, his mother is a writer and Tom feels critical about the upper class lifestyle of this group.  He doesn’t know if he should keep meeting with them or go his own way.  He feels drawn to Audrey.

     I previously attempted to watch this film and I could not get interested.  I realized I had already seen part of this film after a few minutes of watching.  I had other work I could do this time to distract me so I continued to watch.  I think a LOT of the discussions and the lives of the people here are not the least bit interesting.  Just because a person has social status and money doesn’t make them more interesting or what they do or what they say interesting??  There are those who do and those who talk??  2 ½* (This movie is so-so)  

98 min, Drama directed by Whit Stillman with Carolyn Farina, Edward Clements, Chris Eigeman, Taylor Nichols, Allison Parisi, Dylan Hundley, Isabel Gilles, Bryan Leder, Will Kempe, Ellia Thompson, Stephen Uys, Roger W. Kirby.

Note:  Imdb 7.4 out of 10, 91% critic 85% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon 3.9* out of 5* with 106 reviews, Roger Ebert 3 ½*.

Special Note:  Filmed in Cornwall, Manhattan, Southampton, New York.  Director Whit Stillman wrote the script.  He started writing in the summer of 1984 and finished in November of 1988.  Carolyn Farina in the role of Audrey was working the perfume counter at Macy’s and she waited on Stillman’s wife.  This was a lucky break and she had no previous acting experience.  Linda Gillies plays Audrey’s mother and she is the real mother of Isabel Gillies playing Cynthia McLean.  Linda was cast after Stillman saw her visit her daughter on the set.  Another lucky break!!  Most of the cast did not continue acting after this first film and only three or four went on to have acting careers.

Additional Note:  Fourier’s socialism refers to Francois Marie Charles Fourier (April 7, 1772 – December 10, 1837).  He advocated a reconstruction of society based on communal associations.  

Endeavour: Season One 2012

     Detective Constable Morse has been transferred to CID after only two years as a uniformed police constable.  But, Morse has become disillusioned after his two years and he begins typing his resignation.  Before the submission of his letter, Morse is sent with other detectives to Oxford City Police’s Cowley Police Station.  Having studied at Oxford but not received his degree, Morse has advantages and disadvantages in dealing with Oxford's ‘town and gown’ divide.  After his transfer, Inspector Fred Thursday begins training Morse.  The first case for Morse is a string of complex multiple-murders.  Some of his superiors take offense at the assignment of this case to Morse.  Especially peeved is Detective Sergeant Jakes and Chief Superintendent Bright.  Thursday will have to keep an eye on Morse and also a closer eye on the grousers.  Thursday and Police Constable Strange encourage Morse to take the Sergeant’s exam.  Moving up in the ranks will allow Morse to move on from general duties.  His latest case could change his mind about his resignation or the exam?  Mary Tremlett is a fifteen-year-old schoolgirl, she is missing and Morse is the only one able to discover any relevant clues.

     This is interesting and I didn’t know the divide between the communities was the ‘town and gown’ reason?  I didn’t figure out who killed Mary Tremlett either.  I thought it was disgusting the attitudes of Jakes and Bright!!  Are these men or children??  They couldn’t stomach being shown up by a new arrival!!  3 ½* (I liked this series)

98 min, crime, TV series directed by Colm McCarthy written by Colin Dexter and Russell Lewis with Shaun Evans, Roger Allam, Flora Montgomery, Patrick Malahide, Jack Ashton, Daisy Head, Holly Ridley, Lisa Backwell, Jenna Harrison, Danny Webb, Richard Lintern, Sam Reid, Harry Kershaw, Maggie Ollerenshaw, Ian Gelder, Emma Stansfield, James Bradshaw.

Note:  Originally shown on PPS.  Imdb 8.6 out of 10, 87% critic 89% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon Video 4.7* out of 5* with 2217 reviews, Metacritc 80 out of 100 with 7 critics 8.1 out of 10 with 35 ratings,

Special Note:  Abigail Thaw appears in several episodes as Dorothea Frazil.  She is the daughter of John Thaw who played Inspector Morse in a television series from 1987-2000.  Roger Allam and Anton Lesser have both starred in Game of Thrones 2011.  Also, Patrick Malahide and Ian Gelder were in the pilot episode of Game of Thrones.

Just Getting Started 2017

     Duke is an ex-mob attorney in the Witness Protection Program.  He is now running a retirement community and he is the ‘top dog’ in every sense of the word!!  He is about to have a big surprise come into his life!!  Leo is an ex-FBI Agent and he wants to become a member of the community.  Duke and Leo become rivals in everything!!  Golf game finesse, expertise with the widows and who will be the ‘top dog!!’  Susan is paying a visit to the community to check out the books for Corporate.  She’s finding irregularities in the bookkeeping??  Suddenly, Duke and Leo find common ground.  Duke is about to be taken out in a mob hit!!  Leo can’t let this happen on his watch!!  Who will he spar with if Duke is out of the game?? 

     Romeo is Susan’s precious little dog.  He is very tiny but he gets into a LOT of trouble and causes a LOT of trouble.   Sometimes these films with an older cast are terrible but this one is actually OK!!   Tommy Lee Jones has a red F-150 Ford truck that is almost a character in this film!!  To Tommy, the truck is a family member!!   I thought there were some laughs here!!  3* (This movie is OK)    

91 min, Comedy directed by Ron Shelton with Morgan Freeman, Tommy Lee Jones, Rene Russo, Joe Pantoliano, Glenne Headly, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Elizabeth Ashley, George Wallace, Graham Beckel, Mel Raido, Jane Seymour, Johnny Mathis, Nick Peine, Kristen DeBore Rakes, Eli Goodman.

Note:  Imdb 4.2 out of 10, 5* critic 10% critic on Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon 3.1* out of 5* with 273 reviews, Metacritic 21 out of 100 with 10 critics 3.2 out of 10 with 18 reviews, Roger Ebert 1*, Plugged’n 1.5* out of 5* Paul Asay, Common Sense Media 1* of 5* Sandie Angulo Chen.

Special Note:  Filmed in Santa Clarita and Palm Springs, California.  This is the first time Jones and Freeman have co-starred in a film together.  Many of the actors have worked together in other films.    

Back to Burgundy (Ce Qui Nous Lie) 2017

     Jean has been away from his family for about ten years.  He’s been living in Australia with is girlfriend and they have a young son.  Jean didn’t return for his mother’s funeral because is son was a newborn and still in the hospital with his mother.  He returns home to Burgundy and his brother and sister are unhappy with him.  They do begin to understand when he explains his situation.  Their father is in the hospital and he dies soon after Jean’s return.  The siblings are tasked with running the family vineyard.  There is a 600,000-euro inheritance tax and they need to decide how to pay this.  They can sell the house, they can divide up the vineyard and sell parcels or they can sell everything?  It’s a tough decision and right now they need to get the harvest completed for this year.  There are complications for Jean because of his family living in another country and he is paying $1000 a month for his own domain in Australia.

     The scenery is very beautiful in this area of France.  You can see how much knowledge and work is involved in the harvest.  There is the timing of the harvest and the timing of the fermenting and bottling process.  Each one of the siblings has baggage from their childhoods too.  3 ½* (I liked this movie)  

113 min, Drama directed by Cedric Klapisch with Pio Marmai, Ana Girardot, Francois Civil, Jean-Marc Roulot, Maria Valverde, Yamee Couture, Jean-Maarie Winling, Florence Pernel, Eric Caravaca, Tewfik Jallab.

Note:  Imdb 6.9 out of 10, 70% critic 65% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 3*, Amazon 5* with 2 reviews, Metacritic 58 out of 100 with 13 critics, Washington Post 2.5* out of 5* Pat Padua.

Special Note:  This movie was filmed in the Beaune region (Meursault, Chassagne-Montrachet, Puligny-Montrachet, Corton Hill).  This area is in the wine capital of Burgund and located between Paris and Geneva.  If you are a tourist in this region, you can visit an ancient wine cellar, dine on authentic beef bourguignon, take a bike trip along the Voie des Vignes, go hiking in the Hautes-Cotes de Beaune, sail a barge down the Canal du Centre, visit Fontenay Abbey and the Notre Dame Basilica.  There is also the Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction of burgundy wine in November.   It is one of the key wine centers in France and the center of Burgundy.  The film budget estimated to be $9.2 million with a gross of $9.4 million. 

The Death of Stalin 2017

     This film is based on a French graphic novel.  The setting is early 1953 in Moscow.  Joseph Stalin was ever watchful and there was a heavy cloak of state paranoia throughout Russia.  Any person in living Russia could be dragged out of their beds in the night and driven away from their homes to be executed!!  Unexpectedly, Stalin suffers a brain hemorrhage and he dies.  After the discovery of his body, panic spreads like a virus throughout the government.  Power is the name of the game and how will this new power be distributed?  There is the panic among winners and losers alike!!

     I think an interest and knowledge of the game players in Russia at this time is needed to fully understand the power struggles?  I don’t have this information in my head and I have no desire to obtain it!!  I was at a disadvantage determining the players, their motives and their positions?  I also didn’t find this to be funny??  I didn’t find it to be interesting??  My lingering questions about this film are not important enough to gain the required information!!  1* (I hated this movie)   

 

107 min, History directed by Armando Iannucci with Steve Buscemi, Simon Russell Beale, Jeffrey Tambor, Olga Kurylenko, Tom Brooke, Paddy Considine, Justin Edwards, Adrian McLoughlin, Simon Russell Beale, Michael Palin, Paul Ready, Yulya Muhrygina, Jeremy Limb.

Note:  Imdb 7.2 out of 10, 96% critic 77% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 3 ½*, Amazon 3.7* out of 5* with 93 reviews, Metacritic 88 out of 100 with 42 critics 7.4 out of 10 with 127 reviews, Rollingstone 3 ½* out of 4*, New York Times 4.6* out of 5* with 656 reviews.

Special Note:  Filmed in Kyiv, Ukraine; Moscow, Russia; London, England, UK.  There was widespread visual censorship in the USSR.  The Soviet government erased some figures from Soviet history by altering their images or deleting them from pictures.  This film was banned in Russia on January 23, 2018, two days before the release.  A claim was made that the release in advance of the 75^th anniversary of the end of the Battle of Stalingrad would be an affront to Russia’s WWII veterans.  After hearing Stalin collapse on the floor, the two guards debated about entering without permission.  There was a penalty of death for disobeying an order by Stalin.  They stayed at their post until given the notice to leave.

Please Stand By 2017

     Wendy has autism, she is high functioning, she lives with Scottie and Scottie's son Sam.  Scottie has been working with Wendy since her mother passed away.  Wendy’s sister Audrey is married and she has a young daughter.  She didn’t think she could take care of Wendy herself but she is planning a visit soon.  Audrey is very nervous about relating to Wendy.  It is announced that Paramount Studios is having a contest for a new Star War’s script.  Wendy writes a script but she didn’t get to put it in the mail on time.  She decides to leave the home where she lives with Scottie and Sam.  She’s going to get a bus to Los Angeles.  Wendy has a little dog Pete and he wants to go with her, she doesn’t want him to go but she can’t get Pete to go home??  They get on the bus and Pete needs to pee!!  The bus driver tells Wendy that the restroom is broken? Pete pees in the bus aisle and the bus driver immediately stops the bus to let them out at the side of the road!!

     Pete can't help it!!  He's just a little dog, he loves Wendy and he didn't want to stay home!!  Production teams for Star Trek, Deep Space Nine and Star Trek Voyager never ran a script writing contest.  They did allow amateur writers in the general public to submit episode scripts for consideration.  Some scripts were actually filmed.  I thought it was interesting how her autism drives the daily life of Wendy.  It also determines how her sister and other people around her react to her behavior.  She is very determined and she doesn’t allow very much to stop her goals.  3* (This movie is OK)

83 min, Drama directed by Ben Lewin with Dakota Fanning, Toni Collette, Alice Eve, River Alexander, Marla Gibbs, Jessica Rothe, Michael Stahl-David, Presley Haslam, Elaine Anne Furst, Poppy Gagnon.

Note:  Imdb 6.8 out of 10, 65% critic 69% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon 4.4* out of 5* with 119 reviews, Roger Ebert 2 ½*, Metacritic 49 out of 100 with 12 critics 7.3 out of 10 with 14 reviews.

Special Note:  Filmed in Los Angeles and San Francisco, California.  There is a mistake when Wendy’s recites her daily schedule.  She says to herself to get on the 321 bus but when the bus arrives it is the 0614 bus. 

Molly's Game 2017

     This film is based on the true story of Molly Bloom and the book she wrote.  She was an Olympic-class skier and she went from that to running the most exclusive high-stakes poker game.  She became a target for the Russian mob and also the FBI.  17 FBI agents arrested her in the middle of the night armed with automatic weapons.  The government seized her money and she doesn’t have the money to hire an attorney.  In her book but she left out a LOT of information, especially names.  She will go to trial but she will have to pick and choose what she says.  She's determined to protect the men and their families from a public scandal.  Her players were Hollywood personalities, sport stars and business titans. The game players were also important men with the money to bet and the money to lose.

     Larry Bloom, Molly’s father is a clinical psychologist and professor at Colorado State University.  Char Bloom, her mother was a ski and snowboard instructor plus a professional fly-fisher with a line of clothing.  Molly Bloom’s younger brother Jeremy was also a skier.  He was a 3-time World Champion, 2-time Olympian and 11-time World Cup Gold Medalist.  Inducted into the US Skiing Hall of Fame in 2013.  He founded marketing software company Integrate.  Molly started out in Los Angeles as a cocktail waitress and she delayed her plans several time to go to law school.  Later, Darin Feinstein hired her in 2004 and he is one of the co-owners of The Viper Room.  Tobey Maguire approached Darin about hosting a high-stakes poker game in the basement of the club.  Bloom was his secretary but she was asked to take on the additional task of vetting the players, catering and managing the game.  She was forced out of the game job because Darin wanted to stop paying her for the secretarial portion of her job.  She wasn't going along with this cut in money and she formed her own business in 2007.  In 2009, she organized games in New York with women she recruited to help her and the games were smaller than her LA games.  After raids in Manhattan, she sifted her operation to Long Island.  She was served a $116,133 tax lien for failing to pay appropriate taxes.  I thought this film needed some scenes left on the cutting floor since I think it’s too long.  If you can set up these games and you try to keep it legal and you file tax returns, what’s the beef?  3*(This movie is OK)

140 min, Bio directed by Aaron Sorkin with Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Kevin Costner, Michael Cera, Jeremy Strong, Chris O'Dowd, J.C. MacKenzie Brian d'Arcy James, Bill Camp Graham Greene, Justin Kirk,  Angela Gots, Natalie Krill.

Note: Imdb 7.5 out of 10, 82% critic 84% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon 4.3* out of 5* with 458 reviews, Metacritic 71 out of 10 with 46 critics 7.5 out of 10 with 162 reviews, Roger Ebert 3*, Rolling Stone 3* out of 4* Peter Travers, The Telegraph 3* out of 5*.

Special Note:  Filmed in Collingwood, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Park City, Utah; New York City, New York.  It has been reported that Player X is based on Tobey Maguire.  Molly Bloom requested that Aaron Sorkin ask Jessica Chastain to play her in this film.  Bloom was banned from Canada because of her plea but this movie and the screening were in Canada.  She was granted a 48-hour pass to visit Canada for the movie premier at TIFF.  All of the extras in the card games are professional poker players.   Bloom said the most money she’d ever seen lost in a card game in one night was $100 million and the debt was settled the following day.  The actors played poker between takes with the professionals.  The extras were usually paid $90 for a 12-hour workday. Adding their winnings made them the highest paid people on the set.  Molly’s book with the same title has 4.5* out of 5* with 408 reviews.

The Shape of Water 2017

     The setting of this film is the Cold War era in America of 1962.  Elisa and Zelda are cleaning women inside a hidden high-security and secret government laboratory in Baltimore, Maryland.  Elisa cannot speak but she uses sign language, Zelda knows what she is saying and Elisa has never been able to speak.  Her co-worker Zelda is her only friend except Giles.  Elisa and Giles live in separate nearby apartments above a movie theater.  Elisa and Zelda discover what is going on with a secret classified experiment.  They would be in a LOT of trouble if anyone discovered that they know so much?

     I really liked this film and I knew there would be some scenes of violence since Michael Shannon was cast as one of the lead actors.  I was really drawn into this film and I really enjoyed watching.  I said out loud that it was one of the happiest days of my life when bad thing started to happen to Michael Shannon!!!  Usually he is the one dishing out the bad things!!  I didn’t notice this during viewing but Elisa wears more and more red clothing as the film progresses.  I did notice that she had purchased a pair of red shoes that she had admired.  The color green is also a recurring theme with the lime pie slices in Giles’ fridge as an example.  Hawkins has some underwater scenes in this film.  She learned after completion of this filming that there were also underwater scenes for her next film Paddington 2 of 2017.  4 1/2* (I loved this movie)

123 min, Adventure directed by Guillermo del Toro with Sally Hawkins, Octavia Spencer, Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Octavia Spencer, Michael Stuhlbarg, Doug Jones, David Hewlett, Nick Searcy, Steward Arnott, Nigel Bennett, Lauren Lee Smith, Martin Roach, Allegra Fulton, John Kapelos.

Note:  Imdb 7.4 out of 10, 92% critic 73% audience, Amazon 3.9* out of 5* with 1405 reviews, Roger Ebert 2 ½*, Metacritic 87 out of 100 with 53 critics 7 out of 10 with 778 reviews, Empire Online 5*.

Special Note:  Filmed in Hamilton and Toronto, Ontario, Canada.  At the premier of this film was held at the Toronto International Film Festival, the screening was shown at the Elgin Theatre.  In the movie, the apartments where Elisa and Giles live are above this Theatre.  Director Guillermo del Toro said that Sally Hawkins was his first choice and the only choice for Elisa.  He also wrote the movie with Sally in mind and also with Michael Shannon in mind.  The film Creature from the Black Lagoon of 1954 heavily inspired this story.  The Creature and a character in this film were both discovered in the Amazon River in South America.  Studio filming was used for 95% of this film and the limited exterior shots required lots of rain.  The rain needed to be artificially created and then warmed due to the chilly Canadian winter temperatures.  This film is the top grossing Best Picture Winner in five years.  It grossed over $194 million worldwide with a budget of about $19 million and it’s the first science fiction film to win Best Picture.  There is another film with the same title from 2006.   

Janet King: Season One 2014

     Steven Blakely is the police commissioner and he is accused of giving his cancer-stricken wife a fatal dose of morphine.  Senior Prosecutor Janet King has just returned from maternity leave and she is assigned to the case.  Soon after the start of the investigations, Steven Blakely is missing.  It could be a possible suicide and can be determined if his body is found?  Danny Novak is questioned after he is seen on surveillance camera with Blakey on the day he was last seen.  Janet King and Erin are accused of an affair and this must be the reason Erin was promoted?  Someone in the Department has leaked this false news to the press?  Janet’s car is blown up in front of her home.  This incident endangered Janet, Ash and their two children.  Janet is assigned protection and relocated temporarily.  Ash and the children are separated from Janet and also taken to an unknown destination for their safety.

     There is a lot going on in this season and a covered up child pornography ring may be behind some of the crimes.  The inside person giving false information to the press needs to be severely reprimanded.  Another complication is the investigation of Janet by Judge Renmark.  He is a master of intimidation and he advises Janet that the only way to salvage her career would be to go into private practice.  Don’t ever enter into a stare down with Janet!!  3 ½* (I liked this series)

8 part TV series, 3 discs, 3 episodes on 2 discs and 2 episodes on the final disc, Crime with Marta Dusseldorp, Vince Colosimo, Damian Walshe-Howling, John Howard, Hamish Michael, Ella Scott Lynch, Andrea Demetriades, Indiana Evans, Jeanette Cronin, Peter Knowitz, Lewis Fitz-Gerald, Christopher Morris, Aimee Pedersen, Sonia Todd, Anita Hegh.

Note:  Imdb 7.9 out of 10, Amazon 4.3* out of 5* with 294 reviews, New York Times 4.6* out of 5* with 656 reviews, Acorn Online 4.5* out of 5* with 278 reviews.

Special Note:  Filmed in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.  This series was created as a spin-off from the 2011 legal drama Crownies and there are three seasons.  Marta Duseldorp and Anita Hegh were also in Paradise Road of 1997.

The Coroner Season One: 2015

     Coroner for the Crown Jane Kenneday returns to the small Devon coastal town of Lighthaven.  She left when she was a teenager and now she's come back.  Her department investigates sudden, violent and suspicious deaths.  She works with Davey Higgins and he has become the local Detective Sergeant for the South Dart police.  Formerly, they were childhood sweethearts.  Jane lives with her teenage daughter Beth and her mother Beatie.  Her mother now has a live-in boyfriend Mick Sturrock.  Beatie and Mick run the local tavern together. 

     I thought this series was good and many of the crimes are difficult to solve.  I didn’t figure out who was the perpetrator in several of the cases.  The scenery of the small coastal town is very beautiful.  This series reminds me of Doc Martin because of the look of the town and the manner of the inhabitants.   3 ½* (I liked this series. 

45 min each episode, 10 episodes, 446 min total, TV series, 3 discs, episodes created by Sally Abbott with Claire Goose, Matt Bardock, Beatie Edney, Oliver Gomm, Ivan Kaye, Grace Hogg-Robinson, Simon Armstrong, Charles Babalola, Till Blackwood, Tessa Churchard, Maya Gerber, Peter Gunn, Carla Mendonca, Robert Morgan.

Note:  Imdb 6.8 out of 10, Amazon 4* out of 5* with 46 reviews, BBC Shop 5* with 16 reviews.

Special Note:  Filmed in Dartmouth, Totnes, Devon and Cargreen, Cornwall, England, UK.  Clair Goose and Matt Bardock starred together in another series titled Casualty.  This is a TV series from 2012-2014.  There is a second season from 2016 and then it was cancelled.  Originally shown on the BBC network.

Murder on the Orient Express 2017

     Based on the classic novel by Agatha Christie.  The year is 1934 and the Orient Express will be leaving from Istanbul precisely on time.  Hercule Poirot is the best detective in the world and he decides to take this winter train journey.  Later, a small snow avalanche causes the engine and several cars in the front of the train to derail.  The passengers will have to wait for the arrival of a crew from the closest station.  Hercule discovers a murder has committed and a passenger on the train must be the perpetrator.  In order to lesson the danger to his fellow passengers, Hercule will need a solution before the trains begins renews its journey.

    The main focus of this film is Hercule Poirot and the case is based on a real case in the United States that occurred on March 1, 1932.  In this film, only minor details of their backgrounds are given for most of the supporting characters.  The train stops on a dangerous trestle but there doesn’t seem to be any worries from the passengers or the crew members?  At least no comments are made about the train falling down the mountainside?  I thought the scenery was very beautiful, especially in the snow scenes.  I could see why this would be a journey for the wealthy and an interesting experience.  Possibly a once in a lifetime journey.  Very luxurious even for 1934!!  In 2018 the lowest price is 1,592 Euros and the highest price is 10,656 Euros.  The conversion rate is 0.85 Euro to one dollar.  1,592 Euros would be $1,864.59 and 10,656 Euros would be $12,481.38.  3 1/2* (I liked this movie)  

114 min, Crime directed by Kenneth Branagh with Elliot Levey, David Annen, Kenneth Branagh, Joseph Long, Johnny Depp, Andy Apollo, Hadley Fraser, Daisy Ridley, Leslie Odom Jr., Ziad Abaza, Nari Blair-Mangat, Luke Brady.

Note:  Imdb 6.5 out of 10, 57% critic 54% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 2*, Metacritic 52 out of 100 with 46 critics 6.4 out of 10 with 313 reviews, Common Sense Media 3* positive messages, 2* role models, 3* violence, 2* sex, 1* language 2* drinking, drugs, smoking, Rolling Stone 3 ½* out of 4* Peter Travers, Amazon 4.1, 556 reviews.

Special Note:  Filmed in Istanbul, Turkey; Valletta, Malta; Vale D’Aosta, Italy; Sursee, Kanton Luzern, Switzerland; New Zealand; France; London and Longcross Studios, Chobham Lane, Longcross, Surrey, England, UK.  The original Orient Express route starting in October 4, 1883 was from Paris, Gare de l'Est to Giurgiu, Romania via Munich and Vienna.  Passengers were ferried across the Danube to Ruse, Bulgaria to pick up another train to Varna.  The Classic Orient Express ran between Paris and Istanbul via Strasbourg, Munich, Vienna, Budapest and Bucharest.  The train in this film is the Simplon Orient Express from Milan, Venice, Belgrade and Sofia.  Many of the cast and extra are made up of Kenneth Branagh’s closest friends and acquaintances.  Many have been directed by Branagh, co-starred or have been a member of the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company.  After seeing the trailer, many Agatha Christie fans complained about Branagh’s interpretation of Poirot’s iconic moustache.  Big screens with animations of moving landscapes were installed on the set to create the visual effect of a moving train.  Josh Gad experienced some motion sickness because of this visual.  Branagh is the fifteenth actor to portray Herucle Poirot on screen in works by Christie.  There is another film with the same title and subject from 1994.

Lady Bird 2017

     Christine MacPherson likes to be called Lady Bird instead of Christine.  She is a 17 year old high school senior and she attends Sacramento Catholic high school.  This is not where she wants to be!!  She doesn’t want to live in Sacramento, and she doesn’t want to go to this school!!  Her parents want her to go to UC Davis for college since it’s nearby.  She could also go to Berkeley and her brother graduated from Berkeley.  Lady Bird has a lot of new events in her life this senior year.  She has her first romance and her first love.  She has a part in the school play and she’s really thinking about college.  She thinks her mother doesn’t like her and her dad is kinder but he loses his job.

     I didn’t know anything about this film except it was filmed in Sacramento, directed by Greta Gerwig and starred Saoirse Ronan.  I also knew that it had received a LOT of awards.  Her mother is a psychiatric nurse and I wonder if she forgets some of her training or she doesn’t want to use it at home?  She works double shifts since they need the money so she’s got to be worn out all the time?  She wants Lady Bird to go to a college that’s cheap!!  Lady Bird doesn’t know what she wants except she wants anything her mother doesn’t want!!  I thought Ronan was older than 17 and she was 23.  This is listed as a comedy but I found it to be a drama.  I’m torn 50% liking this film and 50% wondering what all the fuss is about and how did it win all the awards?  3 ½* (I liked this movie)    

   

94 min, Drama directed by Greta Gerwig with Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts, Lucas Hedges, Timothee Chalamet, Beanie Feldstein, Lois Smith, Stephen Henderson, Odeya Rush, Jordan Rodrigues, Marielle Scott, John Karna, Jake McDorman, Bayne Gibby, Laura Marano.

Note:  Imdb 7.5 out of 10, 99% critic 79% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 3 ½*, Commonsense Media 2* positive messages, 2* positive role models, 1* violence, 5* sex, 4* language, 1* consumerism, 4* drinking, drugs, smoking, Metacritic 94 out of 100 with 50 critics 7.4 out of 10 with 654 reviews, The Guardian 5* Peter Bradshaw, Plugged In 1.5* out of 5* Bob Hoose, Amazon 3.6* out of 5* with 1092 reviews.

Special Note:  Filmed in Sacramento, South Pasadena, Sierra Madre, Los Angeles, Van Nuys, California and New York City, New York.  Writer Greta Gerwig’s first draft of her script was 350 pages long and this would make a movie nearly six hours long?  Gerwig has said that her behavior was the polar opposite of Lady Bird and she grew up in Sacramento.  She was strait-laced and not at all rebellious!!  In Sacramento, billboards were put up congratulating Gerwig on her awards for this film.  Ronan's acting for this role was inspired by her memories of watching Saved by the Bell of 1989.  I thought this film resembled Saved by the Bell during my viewing??  This film was the highest-grossing film of the production company A24 as of December 2017.

Awards:  Best picture:  Golden Globe, New York Film Critics Circle National Society of Film Critics, Chicago Film Critics; Best Actress for Saoirse Ronan:  Golden Globe, New York Film Critics, Gotham Independent, Chicago Film Critics; Best Supporting for Laura Metcalf: National Society of Film Critics, Chicago Film Critics; Best Screenplay for Greta Gerwig: National Society of Film Critics, Satellite Auteur, Chicago Film Critics.

The Same Kind of Different as Me 2017

     This film is based on a true story and also based on a book by Ron Hall and Denver Moore.  Ron and Debbie Hall are a married couple with a teen son and daughter.  Somehow they have drifted apart and Ron has been having an affair.  Debbie tells him they need to fix what is happening with their marriage.  She calls Ron’s girlfriend and tells her that Ron won’t be seeing or caller her again.  They do work on their marriage and Debbie tells him said had a dream about a man who is homeless.  She has been working at a food kitchen for the homeless and she gets Ron to join her in the work.  They start helping Denver Moore and he’s the man in her dream.  He has had a difficult life since his grandmother died years ago.  They change Denver’s life but they also change their own lives.

      This is an interesting film and tells a different kind of story about how to change your own life, your marriage and the lives of others.  It’s about putting yourself second and others first.  It’s a journey that many aren’t able or ready to take.  Some people looking at this work from a distance think it’s too dangerous.  It is possible for it to be dangerous?  The life of anyone can change quickly.  A job is lost, an illness is discovered, a death in the family and many other circumstances.  3 ½* (I liked this movie)

119 min, Drama directed by Michael Carney with Greg Kinnear, Renee Zellweger, Djimon Hounsou, Jon Voight, Olivia Holt, Austin Filson, Geraldine Singer, Daniel Zacapa, Dana Gourrier, Thomas Frances Murphy, Ann Mahoney, Theodus Crane, David Dino Wells Jr., Pedro Lucero.

Note:  Imdb 6.4 of 10, 33% critic 88% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 2*, Amazon Video 4.6 of 5 with 133 reviews, Plugged In 4* of 5*, Metacritic 47 out of 100 with 7 critics 6.6 of 10 with 11 reviews.

Special Note:  Filmed in Jackson and Canton, Mississippi.  There was a sequel published for the book and also a children’s adaptation.  Ron Hall and Denver Moore have traveled the United States raising money to help the homeless.  This film was originally scheduled to be Renee Zellweger’s first film after six years away from acting.  Bridget Jones’ Baby of 2016 became her first film appearance and the release of this film was pushed to February 2017.  It was 17 years ago that Zellweger and Kinnear starred in Nurse Betty of 2000.

Downsizing 2017

     The setting of this film is in the not too far future.  Dr. Jorgen Asbjornsen and his partner in Norway have discovered how to downsize people.  This process could save the planet.  Smaller people require much less of everything and they can have an affordable lifestyle with less money.  Audrey and Paul Safranek have been living in the home Paul lived in with his mother.  They would like to buy a different home but they can’t seem to afford anything that’s available.  They decide to downsize together and move to a new community with smaller people.  Audrey didn’t know that she would need to have her head shaved and also her eyebrows.  She backs out of the procedure and she divorces Paul.  This is a huge surprise to Paul and he can’t even consider going back to his old life now that he’s a small person.

     I think there needed to be more concise editing since the film is over 2 hours?  It's  listed as a comedy but I didn’t think this was funny?  The majority of the downsized people live in Leisureland where everything is “perfect?”  Surprisingly, what most of the residents don’t know is outside of Leisureland there are shantytowns.  The smaller people who do the cleaning and manual labor for a small wage live in these towns.  I may have changed my mind too if I was facing having all my hair cut off and also my eyebrows?  Sure, they would grow back but you never know what color or consistency?  Plus, your eyebrows might decide not to grow back at all??   2 ½* (This movie is so-so)

135 min, Drama, directed by Alexander Payne with Matt Damon, Christoph Waltz, Hong Chau, Kristen Wiig, Rolf Lassgard, Ingjerd Egeberg, Udo Kier, Koren Pilmark, Jason Sudeikis, Maribeth Monroe, Jayne Houdyshell, Phil Reeves, James Van Der Beek, Alison J. Palmer.

Note:  Imdb 5.7 out of 10, 51% critic 22% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 1 ½*, The Guardian 3* out of 5* Peter Bradshaw, Metacritic 63 out of 100 with 48 critics 5.5 out of 10 with 146 reviews.

Special Note:  Filmed in Trollfjord, Lofoten; Bergen, Hordaland; Tysfjord, Norway.  Omaha, Nebraska; Toronto, Waterloo, Markham Mississauga, Ontario, Canada; Lancaster, California.  Unfortunately for Matt Damon, his father passed away on the same day this film opened in the U.S.  This project is one of the most expensive projects to date for Director Alexander Payne.  The budget was $68 million and the opening weekend generated less than $9 million at US box offices.  The worldwide gross was $54.6 million for a loss.  Pre-production began in 2009 but was put on hold when Payne decided to focus on The Descendants and then Nebraska. 

The Detectorists, Season 3: 2017

     Andy and Lance are very much interested in going out in a field and looking for any kind of treasure with their metal detectors.  Andy was formerly out of work but now he has a job working on a building site looking for any archaeological items at the site.  He finds a mosaic under the dirt but the foreman tells him to cover it up.  When he comes back the next day, the mosaic is gone?  The foreman says there isn’t any money in a Roman mosaic and it would hold up construction?  Andy gets really angry!!  Lance is having difficulties with his daughter living with him.  She is messy and Lance is a neat freak.  Lance has a girlfriend but she lives on a boat and Lance gets severe seasickness even at the dock?  He tries hypnosis but it doesn’t work. 

     I like this series and I’ve seen Series 1 and 2.  Andy is such a sad sack and he’s always down plus he always looks down.  Lance can’t stand for even the corners of cheese to be cut off?  He claims it makes it more difficult to slice?  His girlfriend’s boat is a canal boat and they don’t have much of a rocking movement when they are out on the water?  I would think it would be impossible to feel seasick??  The characters are funny!!  4* (I really liked this season)

TV Series, 6 episodes, 60 min each with Mackenzie Crook, Toby Jones, Rachael Stirling. Gerard Horan, Pearce Quigley, Divian Ladwa, Aimee-Ffion Edwards, Lucy Benjamin, Adam Riches.

Note:  Imdb 8.6 out of 10, 100% critic 100% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Blue Print Review 5* with 22 ratings, Amazon 4.7* out of 5* with 213 reviews,

Special Note:  Filmed in Framlingham; Orford, Suffolk and Ipswich, Suffolk, England, UK.  There is a yellow Triumph TR7 in some of the scenes.  Mackenzie Crook owns it  but Lance is the owner in the series.  Crook stars in this series and he is also the writer.  Diana Rigg plays Rachael Stirling’s mother and they are actually mother and daughter.  Lance’s last name is Stater and this is a type of ancient Greek gold or silver coin that could be uncovered by a detectorist.

Black Butterfly 2017

     This film is based on the 2008 French film Papillon Noir.  Paul is a writer and he lives in the woods 2 hours away from Seattle, Washington.  He goes into a small town to pick up supplies and he’s under a lot of pressure!!  He can’t seem to get over his writer’s block?  There is a semi ahead of him and the driver doesn’t want to let Paul pass in his Jeep?  Paul almost hits a motorcyclist when he tries to pass but he does get around the semi.  Paul is also meeting a real estate agent at the market/diner in town.  He'd like to sell his house and property because he’s running out of money.  The driver in the semi starts comes into the diner, he's giving Paul and Laura a hard time.  Jack is also in the diner and he takes the semi driver outside for a near beating!!  When Paul is back on the road, he sees Jack walking and offers him a ride.  They go to Paul’s house and Jack stays a while for room and board in exchange for doing handyman jobs on the house.

     There are two big surprises that you don’t see coming in this film?  I think this film needs to be restructured?  I didn’t know what was going to happen and how this was going to end and that’s OK.  What happens previously doesn’t necessarily go along with the big changes in the surprises?  It is all explained in the short ending but it seems like a big ‘duh’ instead??  3* (This movie is OK)  

93 min, Thriller directed by Brian Goodman with Antonio Banderas, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Piper Perabo, Vincent Riotta, Brian Goodmkan, Katie McGovern, Jake Daley, Craig Peritz, RandallPaul, Cristina Moglia, Abel Ferrara, Nicholas Aaron, Nathalie Rapti Gomez, Gioia Libardoni, Tracy Green.

Note:  Imdb 6.1 out of 10, 44% critic 42% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 1*, Amazon 4* out of 5* with 23 reviews, Metacritic 43 out of 100 with 7 critics 5 out of 10 with 12 ratings, Slant Magazine ½* out of 4*, Common Sense Media 3* out of 5*, no positive messages, no positive role models and representations, lots of language, drinking, drugs, smoking.  Threats, yelling, fighting, punching, kicking, choking!!

Special Note:  Filmed in Rome, Monte Livata, Campaegli, Lazio and Campo di Giove, Abruzzo, Italy.  I didn’t know this was filmed in Italy?  The black butterfly is seen in many different parts of the world as a symbol of misfortune or an omen of death.  Director Abel Ferrara has also worked on Driller Killer and Ms. 45.  He has a cameo as the store owner Pat.  There are other films with the same title from 2006, 2010 and 2012.

Proud Mary 2018

     Mary is a successful hit woman working for an organized crime family in Boston.  She meets a young boy, Danny and he’s working for a rough drug dealer.  Mary regrets that she previously killed Danny’s father in a hit.  She has kept track of Danny and she sees it’s time to step into his life and change his direction.

     There is a LOT of action in this film but you know as you are watching that all of this has been done before?  Usually done by men but Henson never gives up at any time.  I think the cast deserved a better script!!  She knows how to organize her closet with plenty of guns!!  I really liked the way she drivers her Maserati!!  She never stays at the speed limit.  She doesn’t blink an eye when the car is riddled with bullets and the driver’s door is torn off!!  Later, she gets back into the car with Danny and they speed away as if it was just like new??.  This is no way to treat a Maserati!!  I would've definitely shed some tears!!  3* (this movie is OK)  

       

89 min, Action directed by Babak Najafi with Taraji P. Henson, Billy Brown, Jahi Di’Allo Winston, Neal McDonough, Margaret Avery, Xander Berkeley, Rade Serbedzija, Erik LaRay Harvey, Danny Glover, Adobuere Ebiama, Owen Burke, Bo Cleary, Therese Plaehn, James Milord, Alex Portenko.

Note:  Imdb 4.8 out of 10, 28% critic 49% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 2 ½*, Amazon 3.7* out of 5* with 169 reviews, 35 out of 100 with 23 critics 4.3 out of 10 with 27 reviews.

Special Note:  Filmed in East Boston, Lawrence, Lowell, Massachusetts.  This film is loosely based on the movie Gloria of 1980.  Henson was also a hit woman in Smokin’ Aces of 2006.  Budget was estimated to be $14 million and gross as of January 2018 was $39,322,706 million with a profit of $25,322,706 million.  There should be enough money for a new Maserati!!  There is another film with the same title from 2007.