5 Broken Cameras 2011

     Emad Burnat bought a video camera to have a film record of his fourth son.  Instead he begins using it both to film his son and to record the struggle between his Palestinian people and the Israeli settlers.  Each time his camera is damaged in protests, he gets it repaired or replaces it with another camera.  Over five years, he films his son and the peaceful protests over a separation barrier and the taking of land from their village.  It’s a struggle to preserve their land and their way of life.

     Burnat is Palestinian farmer who has teamed up with an Israeli director to make this film about the West Bank village of Bil’in.  The settlements by the Israeli’s are illegal because they are on Palestinian land plus they are breaking laws passed by the Israeli courts.  Tear gas and bullets from the Israeli soldiers are the every day normal.  Nominated for an Oscar in the best feature documentary category.  3 1/2* (I liked this movie.

90 min, Doc directed by Guy Davidi, Emad Burnat with Soraya, Mohammed, Yasin, Taky-Adin, Gibreel, Intisar, Eyad, Riyad, Khaled and Jafar Burnat, Bassem, Adeeb and Ashraf Abu-Rahma.

Note:  Blockbuster 3 ½*, imdb 7.6, 95% critic 86% audience on Rotten Tomatoes.

Zero Dark Thirty 2012

     After the attacks by Al Qaeda on 9/11, the CIA began the interrogation of suspected agents across the globe.  Maya spends a decade of her life tracking down Osama bin Laden.  Many false leads and dead ends cause numerous delays and suicide bombings continue across the Middle East and Europe.  It seems the trail has gone cold after the reported death of a close contact with bin Laden.  A file is discovered that shows vital new information.  Maya keeps pursuing the leads and demands teams be sent in to track phone calls believed to have been made by a bin Laden messenger.

     I really liked this movie!!  It’s taunt, tense and seems incredibly accurate in it’s year-by-year detailing of the search for a terror mastermind.  Computers were used to track bin Laden and he was using computers to attack us at the same time.  A lot of mistakes over the years but none were made in the final mission of elimination.  The only drawback is that someone else stepped up to take bin Laden’s place.  4 ½* (I really liked this movie)

155 min, Drama directed by Kathryn Bigelow with Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, Jennifer Ehle, Harold Perrineau, Jeremy Strong, Reda Kateb. 

Note:  Blockbuster 3 ½*, imdb 7.5 out of 10, 93% critic 81% audience on Rotten Tomatoes.

Special Note:  This film has won 19 awards but only one Oscar for Sound Editing, a tie with Skyfall.  Democrats Dianne Feinstein and Carl Levin along with Republican John McCain applied pressure due to complaints over the showing of water boarding.  OK, this method of information extraction was used, approved and we know about it but we are not supposed to see this happen?  Would this be a head in the sand approach?

Rust and Bone 2012

    Alain leaves Belgium for his sister’s house in Antibes.  He becomes the sole guardian of his five-year-old son, Sam.  He finds a job as a bouncer in a nearby nightclub and things start to look up for Ali and Sam.  There is stability, a place to live and money coming in for both of them.  He breaks up a fight in the club and meets Stephanie, she works at Marineland as a trainer with the orca show.

     Stephanie and Alain seem like they would not be able to blend together as a couple but unusual circumstances changes the odds.  Alain steps up to the plate and gives Stephanie what she needs to continue living.  Alain's circumstances change and he begins to need Stephanie too.  4*( I really liked this movie)

 

122 min, Drama directed by Jacques Audiard with Marion Cotillard, Matthias Schoenaerts, Armand Verdure, Celine Sallette, Corinne Masiero, Bouli Lanners, Jean-Michel Correla.

Note:  Blockbuster 4*, imdb 7.5 out of 10, 82% critic 80% audience on Rotten Tomatoes.

Jumpin’ Jack Flash 1986

     Terry Doolittle is a computer operator for a large New York City bank.  She receives a post from a British agent asking for help to get out of Russia.  He asks her to take a coded message to the British Embassy.  He is using the false name of Jack Flash from the song by the Rolling Stones.  She goes to the embassy but no one there seems to understand what she is talking about.  Soon she finds other agencies and their agents are after her.

     This is funny, the wardrobe that Whoopi wears is probably the funniest part and she has very bright shoes!  She gets in one situation that reminded me of Lucile Ball working in the chocolate factory with the candy going by on the conveyer belt.  I was surprised by the very low reviews, maybe it’s because I have not seen very many of Whoppi’s movies?  3 ½* (I liked this movie) 

105 min, Comedy directed by Penny Marshall with Whoppi Goldberg, Stephen Collins, Johathan Pryce, James Belushi, John Wood, Carol Kane, Annie Potts, Sara Botsford, Tony Hendra.

Note:  Blockbuster 3*, imdb 5.4 out of 10, 28% critic 55% audience on Rotten Tomatoes. 

Stolen Seas 2012

     An investigation into Somali pirates, the focus is on November 8, 2008 when the CEC Future was boarded.  This is a Danish merchant ship sailing between Somalia and Yemen.  The 13-man crew was held hostage for 2 months as negotiations were made over how much money would be paid for their release.  The price began at 7 million dollars, a cost of $538,461.538 for each man.  A study of what drives a group of people to feel justified in this type of extortion.

     The subject is current and compelling but I think you must be involved with ships at sea to find this interesting.  There are subtitles for some of the dialog and a solution is not suggested to solve this situation?  3* (This movie is so-so)

92 min, Doc directed by Thymaya Payne, written by Mark Monroe.

Note:  Blockbuster 3*, 7.3 out of 10, 100% critic 80% audience on Rotten Tomatoes.  

Lincolon 2012

     This film is about the final months of the Presidency of Abraham Lincoln in 1865.  He served as President from his election on 11/6/1860 until his death 4/15/1869, the civil war was from 4/11/1861 until 4/8/1865.  The Civil War is ongoing during this time but winding down and the 13th amendment to the constitution concerning slavery is coming up for voting.  Lincoln fears that if the war ends before the voting, the amendment will not pass into law.  He is torn because the sooner peace arrives, the less lives will be lost in this terrible war.  End slavery or end the war?

     Excellent performances by Day-Lewis, Field and Jones but you may need to be a history buff to love this movie?  The costumes and stage designs are wonderful.  The drawbacks of this film are the narrowness of scope, too much arguing between the politicians, wordy and uninvolving scenes in the script which are sometimes tedious, overlong length and the ending is already known.   The amendment was passed in January 1865, sent to the states for ratification and approved on 12/6/1865.

150 min, Drama directed by Steven Spielberg with Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jared Harris, David Strathairn, Jeremy Strong, Jackie Earle Haley.  3* (This movie is OK)

Note:  Blockbuster 4*,  imdb 7.6 out of 10, 89% critic 84% audience on Rotten Tomatoes. 

Special Note:  Maybe my expectations were set too high because of the reviews and awards? 

Skyfall 2012, 2nd Review:

     This is my second viewing and review of this film.  It was just as good or even better to see this again.  Three things I noticed in the difference between seeing this in the theater and then on DVD.  In the theater, I saw the hands of Berenice Marlohe as Severine shake holding her cigarette when she talked about fear and Silva.  When Silva is held by MI6, he talked about his capture and torture as an agent, I saw more of his facial disfigurement this viewing.  Maybe because I was expecting this revelation?  Also, in the ending scene with Judy Dench, you can see all her wrinkles and everything about her face since it’s such a large screen in the theater viewing.  Bravery on her part to have this all revealed but the British don’t seem to be as hung up as Americans on wrinkles and pores? 4 1/2* (I loved this movie)

143 min, Action directed by Sam Mendes with Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Judy Dench, Naomie Harris, Berenice Marlohe, Albert Finney,  Ben Whishaw.

Note:  Blockbuster 4*, imdb 7.8 out of 10, 92% critic 88% audience on Rotten Tomatoes.

Special Note:  The ratings have decreased over time, Blockbuster was 4 ½*, imdb 8.1 out of 10, 92% critic 89% audience on Rotten Tomatoes.