Exodus: Gods and Kings 2014

     In 1300 BC, Ramses and Moses are on equal footing as sons in the home of the Egyptian Pharaoh Seti.  Moses is sent to the city of Pithom to meet with the Viceroy who oversees the Hebrew slaves.  While he is there, Nun

tells Moses that he is actually a Hebrew.  He was sent down the Nile River in a basket to save him from being killed by the Egyptians.  The daughter of the Pharaoh found him and he was taken with his sister Miriam to live with the royal family.  Moses becomes very angry and he doesn’t believe this story.  The Viceroy is informed of the history of Moses and he reports this information to Ramses since he is now the Pharaoh.  Moses, his adopted mother and Miriam are sent into exile.  Moses settles in Midian where he marries Zipporah and they have a son.  Moses sees the burning bush and he is asked by God to return to Egypt.

     This film is overlong at 150 minutes and there are other problems.  Not much character development, slowness of pacing and very little emotion from the actors.  'None of this is much of a big deal' is the attitude?  2 ½* (This movie is just so-so)

150 min, Action directed by Ridley Scott with Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton, Bewn Kingsley, John Turturro, Aaron Paul, Ben Mendelsohn, Maria Valverde, Sigourney Weaver, Isaac Andrews, Hiam Abbass, Indira Varma, Ewen Bremner, Golshifteh Farahani, Ghassan Massoud, Tara Fitzgerald.

Note:  Imdb 6.1 out of 10, 27% critic 36% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 1 ½*.

Special Note:  This film uses many visual effects and 3D immersion.  There are many liberties taken with the truth.

Mood Indigo 2013

     This film is based on a novel written by Boris Vian, he is also passionate about jazz music and he is a singer.  Colin is a wealthy bachelor working on developing a

cocktail-making piano called a pianocktail.  His chef Nicolas makes complex wonderful meals for Colin.  Colin finds out his best friend Chick has a new American girlfriend.  He attends a friend’s party hoping he will find love himself.  He meets Chloe and while dancing to Duke Ellington they find themselves falling in love.  Unfortunately, Chloe becomes ill with an unusual illness.  A lotus flower begins to grow in her lungs?

     I could not get interested in this movie.  Everything is in unreal colors and there are unreal events.  It switches to black and white when Chloe becomes sick.  Colin’s house begins to decay and his own pet mouse abandons him.  The movie yells everything is fine but we know it can't be?  2* (I didn’t like this movie)

94 min, Comedy directed by Michel Gondry with Romain Duris, Audrey Tautou, Gad Elmaleh, Omar Sly, Aissa Maiga, Charlotte Le Bon, Sacha Bourdo.

Note:  Imdb 6.5 out of 10, 63% critic 52% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Netflix 2 1/2*, Roger Ebert 2 1/2*.

Special Note:  The title in French is L'ecume des jours and this movie was filmed in Paris, France. 

The Quiet Man 1952

     This film is based on a 1933 Saturday Evening Post short story written by Maurice Walsh and titled The Green Rushes.  Sean Thornton travels from America to the small Irish village of his birth.  He immediately buys his family’s homestead from the widow Mildred Natwick.  This purchase greatly upsets the squire Victor McLaglen because he wanted this property next to his own for himself.  Sean saw Victor’s sister Mary Kate McLaglen leading her sheep in the countryside and he thought she was a bonny lass indeed.  Sean enlists the aid of the town matchmaker Michaeleen Flynn to arrange the details of their meeting and courtship.  Because the land purchase has rankled Victor’s temper, he refuses to give his consent to the marriage.  Unless she has his blessing, Mary Kate will not be allowed to marry Sean. 

     This is good, the plot, the scenery and the characters.  Also, romantic and funny.  There are a lot of peculiarities in the customs of this small village but it is filled with good people except for the squire.  4* (I really liked this movie)

129 min, Drama directed by John Ford with John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara, Barry Fitzgerald, Ward Bond, Victor McLaglen, Mildred Natwick, Francis Ford, Eileen Crowe, May Craig, Aruthur Shields, Charles B. Fitzsimons, James O’Hara.

Note:  Imdb 7.9 out of 10, 89% critic 92% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon 4.5* out of 5* with 1,658 reviews.

Special Note:  This film won Oscars for Best Cinematography and Best Director.  Also nominated for, Best Picture, Supporting Actor, Art Direction, Sound Adapted Screenplay.  John Ford was determined to make this film because of his own Irish heritage and he was also going to make this in Technicolor even though it was much more expensive during this period of filmmaking.  The film was a financial success and grossed $3.8 million the first year of release, one of the top ten grossing films of 1952 and the 7^th most popular film for British audiences.

The Boy Next Door 2015

     Claire Peterson and her husband Garrett are separated.  Claire is a teacher of English classics at a local high school.  Kevin is their son and he goes to the school where Claire teaches.  Noah Sandborn has moved in next door to live and to help his ill elderly uncle.  Noah starts to spend time with Kevin but he becomes infatuated with Claire. 

     It doesn’t take very long for this movie to get out of hand.  Kevin is not even a step away from being crazy, he’s really crazy.  There isn’t much distance with Kevin next door and also at Claire’s school.  There is a lot of excitement in the concluding scenes.  3* (This movie is OK)

91 min, Mystery directed by Rob Cohen with Jennifer Lopez, Ryan Guzman, Ian Nelson, John Corbett, Kristin Chenoweth, Lexi Atkins, Hill Harper, Jack Wallace, Adam Hicks.

Note:  Imdb 4.6 out of 10, 10% critic 35% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 1 ½*.

Special Note:  The estimated budget for this film was $4,000,000 and it has already earned $35,385,560 in the US as of 3/6/15.  There is a mistake in this movie.  Kevin gives Claire a first edition of The Iliad but this story was passed down as an oral tradition.  The most complete manuscript dates from the 10th century. 

Foxcatcher 2014

     This film is based on true events occurring in 1988.  Mark and Dave Schultz are brothers and both are Olympic Gold Medal winning wrestlers.  They have been there for each other since they were kids and their parents divorced.  Mark receives a call from multimillionaire sponsor John E. du Pont and he is purposing that the brothers come to his training center.  He will coach, help them train and offer monetary support for them personally and the Olympic Wrestling Team as well.  Dave isn’t sure about this and he feels he needs to stay where he is living now.  His wife and son are happy and would not like to move.  Mark begins to see John as a father figure.  Later, Dave and his family come to live on the du Pont property.

     This is an entirely different role for Steve Carell.  He is wearing a prosthetic nose to make his features more resemble du Pont.  John is more interested in Dave than Mark being involved in this project.  He feels it will be easier to approach Mark first and have him get Dave interested.  Mark is more of a loner with no friends, Dave has made a career as a coach and he has a family.  John has been riding on the coattails of his family’s money and influence all of his life.  He feels entering wrestling as a coach will be something of his own and bring him the attention he wants.  John's mother is against all of this because she thinks wresting is coarse.  I didn’t see the culmination of all these forces coming together to form the ending?  3* (This movie is OK)

134 min, Bio directed by Bennett Miller with Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo, Sienna Miller, Vanessa Redgrave, Anthony Michael Hall, Guy Boyd, Brett Rice, Jackson Frazer, Samara Lee, Francis J. Murphy III.

Note:  Imdb 7.1 out of 10, 88% critic 67% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 2*.

Special Note:  This movie was filmed in Pennsylvania.  Initially, the cast and crew were afraid of Steve Carell as John du Pont and they tried to avoid being with or around him. 

Spare Parts 2015

     This film is based on a true story.  Fredi is hired as a substitute science teacher at a local high school.  He is between job and he knows this job is just temporary.  One of the students shows him a flyer for an underwater robotics competition.  Fredi tells him they can take on the project if he can recruit more students for the project.  Four students want to participate and they come up with a plan.  They make a scale model and then go in search of donations to be able to build.  They come up with just enough money with Fredi chipping in to make $800.  They need to scale down their purchases and compromise on price to match the money they have. 

     All the students are in this country as undocumented immigrants.  They have a constant worry that they could be deported back to Mexico at any time.  Their school doesn’t have any advantages and is always just scraping by.  This contest really helped the teacher and all of the boys gain more personally than just entering a contest.  It also helped the students and the faculty of the school with how they felt about themselves.  3 1/2* (I liked this movie)

83 min, Drama directed by Sean McNamara with George Lopez, Jamie Lee Curtis, Mariso Tomei, Carlos PenaVega, Jose Julian, David Del Rio, Oscar Javier Gutierrez II, Allessandra Rosaldo, J. R. Villarreal, Aubrey K. Miller, Kevin Wiggins, Alexa PenaVega.

Note:  Imdb 7.2 out of 10, 52% critic 83% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 2*.

Special Note:  This movie was filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Five Easy Pieces 1970

     Bobby Dupea comes from a musical family and he has talent as a pianist.  Instead of pursuing this life, he’s working in the oil fields of California.  Bobby’s friend Elton got him the job, Elton is married to Stoney and they have a young son.  Rayette is Bobby’s girlfriend, they live together and she works as a waitress.  Bobby contacts his sister Tita and he learns his father is very ill.  He decides to head to the family home in Puget Sound off the coast of Washington (State) and he reluctantly invites Rayette to travel with him.  When they arrive, Bobby leaves Rayette at a local motel so he can check out the family situation before she comes to meet them.  Rayette runs out of money at the motel, she takes a cab to see Bobby and to meet the family.  Bobby gets fed up with his family and also Rayette.  They leave and drive away.

     Bobby can’t decide where he belongs.  Blue-collar life including bars, bowling alleys, motels, mobile homes or the more rarefied life of a classical concert pianist.  He feels he doesn’t want to be tied down with heavy responsibilities in either life.  Nicholson started acting in 1958 but didn’t get his big break until the film Easy Rider released in 1969.  This film still seems relevant for today and I liked the story.  I also liked the cars, clothing and hair of this period.  3 ½* (I liked this movie)

98 min, Drama directed by Bob Rafelson with Jack Nicholson, Karen Black, Billy Green Bush, Fannie Flagg, Sally Struthers, Marlena MacGuire, Lois Smith, Helena Kallianiotes, Toni Basil, Susan Anspach, Ralph Waite, William Challee.

Note:  Imdb 7.5 out of 10, 86% critic 85% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 4*.

Special Note:  The title refers to a book of piano exercises practiced by Bobby as a child.  This film was nominated for several Academy Awards.  Best Picture, Actor, Supporting Actress, Screenplay, Drama.  Golden Globe nominations were for Best Picture, Actor, Director Supporting Actress, Screenplay.  Karen Black won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting.