Stories We Tell 2012

     Sarah Polley interviews every member of her family about her mother’s life.  She had discovered a few years earlier that her biological father was not the person she knew as her father.  She discovered from her filming that truth depends on who’s telling the story.  Truth and memory are elusive.

     My one question throughout this film is that I wondered if Sarah’s story is any more important, compelling and interesting than any other person’s story?  If a person is involved in the film industry, does that make their story more worthy of telling?  I also wondered if I could keep watching this since the main character has passed away and she cannot contribute her side of the story?  3* (This movie is OK)

108 min, Doc directed by Sarah Polley with Michael, Mark, Joanna and Sarah Polley, Susy and John Buchan, Harry and Cathy Gulkin, Marie Murphy, Robert MacMillian, Anne Tait, Deirdre Bowen, Victoria Mitchell.

Note:  Blockbuster 4 ½*, imdb 7.7 out of 10, 95% critic 80% audience on Rotten Tomatoes.

Therese 2012

      This film is an adaptation of a classic novel by Francois Mauriac.  Therese Larrouque is a housewife in the 1920’s of the Landes region in provincial France.  She is locked in a loveless arranged marriage to wealthy and landowning Bernard Desqueyroux.  During this time marriages were used to merge land holdings and to build powerful families.  Therese realizes what she has lost in this marriage when she meets the dashing Portuguese suitor of Anne, Bernard’s sister.

     Too much of Therese’s inner turmoil is conveyed with a frown, deferring her gaze or a worried stare.  I was left wondering why about almost everything she does?  Bernard and his family treat her horribly but public displays must be of an impeccable relationship.  3* (This movie is OK)

110 min, Drama directed by Claude Miller with Audrey Tautou, Gilles Lellouche, Anais Demoustier, Catherine Arditi, Isabelle Sadoyan, Francis Perrin, Jean-Claude Calon, Max Morel, Francoise Goubert, Stanley Weber.

Note:  Blockbuster 4*, imdb 6.1 out of 10, 52% critic 37% audience on Rotten Tomatoes.

The Bank Job 2012

      This film is based on an actual London bank robbery in 1971.  The case baffled the authorities and fascinated the public.  Terry is a car dealer and small time criminal.  Martine is from his old neighborhood and she tells Terry about a foolproof plan to rob a Baker Street Bank.  They are going to steal from the safety deposit boxes instead of the vault.  They are counting on a lot of cast, jewelry and items customers will not report as missing.  One thing the crew did not know is the boxes contained secrets implicating politicians and underworld gangsters. 

     I didn’t realize I’d seen this movie before until the beginning scenes.  Many interesting and different characters are involved in this story.  It seems remarkable that everything is true.  3 ½* (I liked this movie)

110 min, Crime directed by Roger Donaldson with Jason Statham, Saffron Burrows, Stephen Campbell Moore, Daniel Mays, James Faulkner, Aiki David, Keeley Hawes, David Suchet, Michael Jibson.

Note:  Blockbuster 4 ½*, imdb 7.3 out of 10, 79% critic 74% audience on Rotten Tomatoes.

Frances Ha

     This film follows Frances, she lives in New York but she doesn’t have an apartment of her own.  She apprentices for a dance company but is not really a dancer.  She throws herself into her dreams for the future and often takes steps that keep her from realizing her dreams.  She flies to Paris for two days on a new credit card even though she can’t afford to go.  She goes back to her college to make some money and practice her dancing but she’s not allowed to practice.  She has a best friend Sophie but they aren’t really speaking anymore.  Will anything she wants come true?

     This is a different kind of film and shot in black and white.  Sometimes it makes you wonder if you are really in the world of Girls with Lena Dunham?  I wondered if I could continue to watch this and would it be worth it if I did?  Gerwig makes you think this is her life, she’s the director and this is her film but that is not the case.  The story is of the director Noah Baumbach.  3* (This movie is OK)

86 min, Comedy/Drama directed by Noah Baumbach with Greta Gerwig, Mickey Sumner, Adam Driver, Michael Esper, Michael Zegen, Charlotte d’Amboise, Grace Gummer.

Note:  Imdb 7.5 out of 10, 92% critic 79% audience on Rotten Tomatoes.

Barbara

     The setting of this film is East Germany of the 1980’s.  Barbara is a Berlin doctor banished to a remote rural hospital because she applied for an exit visa.  She is frustrated and only finds happiness in her secret meetings with her West German boyfriend, Jorg.  He is formulating an escape plan for Barbara to leave for West Germany.  The authorities are wary of her leaving and they come to her apartment to search for money multiple times.  Andre is another doctor at the clinic sent there from a large hospital because of a mistake with new equipment for premature babies.  Stella comes to the clinic with meningitis and she is pregnant.  Barbara and Andre work closely together to treat this patient and also a young man who tried to commit suicide. 

     Barbara and Andre go through a lot of difficulties because of the political situation in East Germany at this time.  Just across the border is freedom and professional advancement.  On the East side there is constant surveillance, informants everywhere and you cannot be yourself in public.  For quite a while you don’t know what Barbara is going to do about leaving and don’t expect anything in East Germany to be humorous.  3 ½* (I liked this movie)

105 min, Drama directed by Christian Petzold with Nina Hoss, Ronald Zehrfeld, Rainer Bock, Christian Hecke, Jasna Fritzi Bauer, Mark Waschke.

Note:  Blockbuster 5%, imdb 7.2 out of 10, 93% critic 77% audience on Rotten Tomatoes.

Planes 2013

     This film is a spinoff of Cars.  Dusty is a humble crop duster dreaming of being a great air racer.  He has two problems connected with this dream, he’s afraid of heights and he has a small engine.  Skipper, a military veteran aviator helps him train for a race against the reigning circuit champ. 

     A lot of the story is related to Cars, the hopeful little guy against his betters.  Convincing his team that he can do this with a little help.  There has to be the good guys and the bad guys plus the side switchers.  I have it on good authority that the facts are accurate.  Entertaining if you set aside your skepticism!!  3 1/2* (I liked this movie)

91 min, Animated directed by Klay Hall with the voices of Julia Louis-Dreyfus, John Cleese, Val Kilmer, Dane Cook, Anthony Edwards, Brad Garrett, Stacy Keach, Carlos Alazraqui, Cedric, Priyanka Chopra.

Note:  Blockbuster 2 ½*, imdb 5.6 out of 10, 26% critic 51% audience on Rotten Tomatoes.

The Host 2013

     This film is based on a novel by Twilight author Stephenie Meyers.  Most of the human race has been taken over by something from outer space.  There are only small groups of regular humans left and the soul humans are searching them out to change them.  The invaders capture Melanie and she nearly kills herself trying to escape.  The invaders restore her to life and full health by taking over her body.  Melanie’s inner spirit is very strong and it is not letting the new spirit fully take over.  She returns to the hidden group of humans she was taken from and they don’t want to trust her because she has been changed.

     You can tell the humans from the souls by the difference in their eyes.  The souls have a bright pale blue circle.  This film is overlong and I wanted to stop watching many times.  The scenery is nice since most of the filming was in New Mexico.  Ronan does a good job but the other acting is bad and there are lots of very serious conversations that all sound like farewells.  2 ½* (This movie is so-so)

126 min SciFi/Fantasy directed by Andrew Niccol with Saoirse Ronan, Diane Kruger, Chandler Canterbury, Max Irons, William Hurt, Frances Fisher.

Note:  Blockbuster 2 ½*, imdb 5.8 out of 10, 8% critic 50% audience on Rotten Tomatoes.