Women in Love 2011

      This film is an adaptation of two novels written by D.H. Lawrence, The Rainbow and Women in Love.  In the first half, Ursula Brangwen is a schoolteacher and she lives with her parents in Nottingham.  She was engaged to be married and expecting a baby but she lost the child.  She was out in a field and horses stampeded which caused her to fall.  She’s sad that she won’t be having the baby but she doesn’t want to marry her fiancé.  Gudrun Brangwen is an artist and she lives in London.  She takes a trip to the coast with a married teacher.  The second half is after World War I.  Rupert pines for Ursula but Hermione keeps getting in the way.  Industrialist Gerald Crich sets his sights on Gudrun.

     Sometimes when people want to live by their own rules, the other person has "different" rules!!  The name Gudrun is taken from a heroine in Norse mythology.  Another film was made based on the book Women in Love by Ken Russell in 1969.  I thought this was interesting and good.  3 1/2* (I liked this movie)

181 min, BBC TV Drama directed by Miranda Bowen with Rory Kinnear, Rachael Stirling, Joseph Mawie, Olivia Grant, Rosamund Pike, Patrick Lyster, James Alexander, Grant Swanby.

Note:  Imdb 6.2 out of 10, Amazon 3* out of 5* with 27 reviews.

McCanick 2013

     When narcotics detective Eugene “Mack” McCanick finds out Simon Weeks has been released from prison, he goes on a manhunt in Philadelphia.  His boss, the Chief of Police, has told McCanick to let this go and leave Simon Weeks alone.  McCanick goes throughout the city looking for answers about how to find Weeks.  He has a new partner and they get into a situation in a stairwell that causes McCanick to accidently shoot his partner.  Instead of stopping, he continues to hunt for Weeks

      This film takes place over a single day even though it seems like a week?  Before watching this film, I wish I had looked at the reviews.  It’s cop gone mad on a violent and vengeful spree.  Some of it is not even understandable and it’s a complete waste of time with no reward.  Unfortunately it’s the last film for Cory Monteith.  1 ½* (I really didn’t like this movie and very close to hated it)

96 min, Crime directed by Josh C. Waller with David Morse, Mike Vogel, Cory Monteith, Rachel Nichols, Ciaran Hinds, Tracie Thoms, Trevor Morgan.

Note:  Imdb 4.9 out of 10, 13% critic 15% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 1*.

The Railway Man 2013

      This film is based on a bestselling autobiography recounting the epic true story of a British Army Officer.  During WW2, many Allied prisoners of war worked on the construction of the Burma-Siam “Death Railway.”  The Japanese soldiers at the camp treated the prisoners horribly.  They felt the Allied soldiers were cowards because they had surrendered instead of dying.  The work itself was very difficult and the constant heat didn’t help.  Eric Lomax was subjected to extreme harshness after he put together a radio and the prisoners were able to hear how the war was going.  The Japanese also could not understand why he had drawn a map.  His answer that he had always been interested in trains did not seem to be the true answer to their questions.  Years later in 1980, Eric is older now and living in Northern England but he has not recovered from or forgotten what happened in the war.  On a train, he meets Patti, she is a former nurse, they fall in love and they marry.  Eric doesn’t want to talk about anything that happened to him during the war and she see how much pain is still in his life.  Patti wants to help him come to terms with his past in order to for them move forward in their marriage.

     I didn’t know what this film was about and I didn’t see a trailer before viewing.  I also didn’t know until later that this is a true story.  Many of the war scenes are difficult to see and also the suffering of Eric and Patti.  It seems incomprehensible that everything is true?  You want to say, “How can this be!”  You want to say that over and over!  Firth and Kidman do a good job in their roles too.  4* (I really liked this movie)

116 min, Bio directed by Johathan Teplitzky with Colin Firth, Nicole Kidman, Stellan Skarsgard, Jeremy Irvine, Michael MacKenzie, Jeffrey Dauton, Tanroh Ishida, Tom Stokes, Bryan Probets, Tom Hobbs, Sam Reid, Akos Armont.

Note:  Imdb 7.1 out of 10, 66% critic 70% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 2 ½*.

Lovely, Still 2008

     Robert is an elderly grocery store bagger who lives alone in a big house.  Mary and her daughter Alex move into a house across the street.  Robert and Mary meet and they start to see each other.   It’s the Christmas season, the lights and festivities help their romance along.  Robert doesn’t know how he ever lived without Mary.  Mike, Robert’s boss goes with Robert to find the perfect Christmas gift for Mary.

     I didn’t see this ending coming because of certain items in the plot that don’t add up to this ending?  Their romance is lovely and you hope they can continue with Robert proposing marriage and Mary accepting.  The dream scenes are unnecessary and confusing?   3* (This movie is OK)

92 min, Drama directed by Nicholas Fackler with Martin Landau, Ellen Burstyn, Elizabeth Banks, Adam Scott.

Note:  I was able to find a multitude of reviews on Fandango.  Imdb 7.3 out of 10, 71% critic 75% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, New York Observer 75/100, Arizona Republic 70/100, New York Magazine 70/100, Village Voice 70/100, Los Angeles Times 70/100, New York Times 70/100, New York Post 63/100, Boxoffice Magazine 60/100, The Hollywood Reporter 30/100, New York Daily News 20/100.

Mildred Pierce 1945

     Bert and Mildred Pierce separate after an argument over Bert’s friend Maggie Binderhof.  Their daughters Veda and Kay are upset when they see their father drive away with his suitcase.  Mildred has a lot of bills to pay and no money.  She has not choice but to get a job as a waitress.  She knows her spoiled older daughter Veda will be upset over this but they need income.  Mildred works with Bert’s former real estate partner Wally Fay to purchase a property for her first restaurant.  Mildred becomes successful but her younger daughter Kay dies of pneumonia and there is ill will between Veda and Mildred.  The only way to win Veda back is to provide the luxurious life Veda craves. 

     I wanted to see this older version to compare this film with the later TV mini-series version I recently watched filmed in 2011.  There are many similarities between the two films.  This version is in black and white with the ending shown in the beginning.  The ending is different from the recent film and Mrs. Binderhof is shown as a real person but is just a name and voice in the new film.  Kay dies from a different illness because pneumonia is more treatable with modern medications.  Veda is just a MEAN in both films.  She needs several good spankings and a lot less luxury than she receives.  3 ½* (I liked this movie)

111 min, Crime directed by Michael Curtiz with Joan Crawford, Jack Carson, Zachary Scott, Eve Arden, Ann Blyth, Bruce Bennett, Lee Patrick, Moroni Olsen.

Note:  Imdb 8.0 out of 10, 82% critic 90% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, 4.8* out of 5* on Amazon with 257 reviews.

Special Note:  The reviews for the 2011 version were Imdb 7.7 out of 10, 50% critic 78% audience, Amazon 4* out of 5* with 936 reviews.  

The Cinder Path 1994

     This series is based on a novel by Catherine Cookson.  Edward MacFell owns a farm in Northumberland but he is a bully who likes to humiliate family members and workers.  One of the farm hands arranges for Edward to fall off his horse but he didn’t mean for him to die.  Edward’s son, Charlie inherits the farm and 2/3 of the money.  His mother receives 1/3 of the money but his sister receives nothing.  Chapman is a nearby farmer who wants Charlie to marry his daughter Victoria.  Charlie has money, Chapman has land and that makes for a good partnership?  World War I has started and Charlie is conscripted into the Army.  Unfortunately, he is doing his training under Sergeant Ginger Slater who used to work on the farm.  Charlie's father made Slater crawl on a path of cinders.  Slater is in Charlie’s face every minute of the training until Charlie is selected for a commission.

     Charlie didn’t have the courage to stand up to his father or the choices brought into his life.  He was kind to those around him but filled with self-doubt.  It seems like his only luck is bad luck.  This series is good but a bit melodramatic.  3* (This movie is OK)  

145 min, TV min-series with Catherine Zeta-Jones, Lloyd Owen, Polly Adams, Antony Byrne, Ralph Ineson, Maria Miles, Victoria Scarborough.

Note:  Imdb 6.8 out of 10, 29% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, 4.3* out of 5* on Amazon with 42 reviews.

Extant 2014

     Molly Woods left behind her husband John and their son Ethan to go into space for a solo journey of 13 months.  Ethan is a prototype android called a humanich and he was created in John’s lab.  When she returns home, she has a difficult time reconnecting with her work and her family.  Surprisingly, she learns from her physical that she is pregnant but she was alone on her journey?  Molly wants answers and she tracks down another astronaut to ask about his solo mission.  Molly’s boss tries to quarantine her after he learns she is pregnant.  Molly, John and Ethan retreat to a remote island to stay with her father.  When they return from the island, John begins to doubt Molly’s mental state and the pregnancy.  Molly is taken to a hospital and her baby is removed from her body and placed in an artificial womb.  Molly is determined to find her baby when she learns he is alive. 

     There is a lot going on in this series with many plots tossed into the air at the same time.  They go back and forth in the episodes.  Most of this is hard to believe but there was Sigourney Weaver as Ripley in Alien!!  This keeps you interested and waiting for the next episode.  3 ½* (I liked this series)

42 min for each episode, 13 episode TV series, Sci-Fi directed by Mickey Fisher with Halle Berry, Goran Visnjic, Pierce Gagnon, Hiroyuki Sanada, Grace Gummer, Camryn Manheim, Michael O’Neill, Maury Sterling, Sergio Harford.

Note:  Imdb 7.0 out of 10, 83% critic 65% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic 68%/100 critic 6.7 with 108 ratings.

Special Note:  Episode Titles: Re-Entry, Extinct, Wish You Were Here, Shelter, What on Earth is Wrong, Nightmares, More in Heaven and Earth, Incursion, Care and Feeding, A Pack of Cards, A New World, Before the Blood, Ascension.