The Mystery of Lord Lucan 2013

     This film is based on a true story that happened between 1972 and 1974.  This DVD has two parts and two discs.  John Pearson interviews John Burke and Susie Maxwell-Scott in 2003 for a book he is writing titled The Gamblers.  The Clermont Club was a Mayfair casino run by John Aspinall who was also a zookeeper.  One of his regular clients was John Bingham also known as Lord Lucan who also has the nickname Lucky.  It is not because he has luck with the gambling, it’s the opposite, he is very unlucky and he loses a lot of money every week.  Lord Lucan is married to Veronica, they have three children, two girls and a boy.  When Veronica starts to complain about their outstanding debts and his gambling, he becomes violent and slaps her.  He begins to think he will try to have Veronica committed for insanity and he will obtain custody of the children.  He has moved out of the family home into a flat and this will cut his expenses back to one home if she dies. 

     The first disc is about the gambling and the family.  The second disc is nearly a decade later about a trial relating to the family.  I thought this was very interesting and different.  There were so many times I wanted to hit my TV because of Lord Lucan’s attitudes and behaviors!!  Lucan only cares about himself, what he wants to do and what he needs.  3 ½* (I liked this movie)

214 min, TV Movie, Crime directed by Adrian Shergold with Paul Freeman, Matthew Flynn, Rory Kinnear, Christopher Eccleston, Rufus Wright, Rupert Evans, James Bradshaw, Alan Cox, Ann Bell, Anna Walton.

Note:  Imdb 6.8 out of 10, BBC.com 5*, Amazon 3.8* out of 5* with 18 reviews.

Special Note:  Filmed in London, England, UK.

Boulevard 2014

     Nolan and Joy Mack have been married for 30 years, they are in their 60's and they have always seemed to get along.  Nolan has worked at the same bank branch for 26 years.  His boss has recommended him for a promotion at another branch.  Nolan has been visiting his father at the hospital and he meets Leo when he turns down a different street than he usually uses.  He gives Leo a ride and they start staying in contact with each other.  Leo’s life is complicated and Eddie bullies him.  Nolan wants to help Leo but it’s making Nolan’s life more complicated.  This is threatening his marriage and his current job plus the possibility of a new job

     This is the last movie filmed by Robin Williams.  I really wish it had been a better movie.  There is only so much actors can do with a script and this is also a low budget film.  2 ½* (This movie is so-so)

88 min, Drama directed by Dito Montiel with Robin Williams, Roberto Aguire, Kathy Baker, Giles Matthey, Eleonore Hendricks, Bob Odenkirk, Henry Haggard, Gary Gardner, Crystal Gray, Joshua Decker.

Note:  Imdb 5.8 out of 10, 52% critic 29% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 3 ½*, Amazon 2.8* out of 5* with 288 reviews.

Special Note:  Filmed in Nashville, Tennessee.  The script was originally titled, Santa Monica Boulevard.

Eye in the Sky 2015

     Colonel Katherine Powell is a military officer based in the UK and working at a base in Sussex.  She has command of a top-secret drone operation and she has been following a group of terrorists for years.  She discovers several Al-Shabaab militants are planning a suicide bombing.  She has have surveillance follow them to their safe house in Nairobi, Kenya.  Kenya is politically considered a non-hostel country.  Originally, the mission was to capture the targets but now it has been switched a kill situation because of the suicide vests.  At a base in Las Vegas, pilot Steve Watts and his assistant will be in charge of preparing and shooting from a drone with two Hellfire missiles.  An international discussion between begins politicians at Whitehall in London and the U.S. Secretary of State now on a visit to China.  A percentage value must be determined for collateral damage outside of the strike zone.  Time is of the essence since the targets will stay in position for a limited time frame.

     This is a taunt film with a lot of tension.  The targets are very dangerous and could cause a high number of deaths in a suicide mission.  What about the value of innocent people within the kill or injure percentage zone?  I wonder how much back and forth really happens when contemplating a drone strike?  How much of this film is true and how much is drama?  4* (I really liked this movie)

102 min, Drama directed by Guy Hibbert with Helen Mirren, Aaron Paul, Alan Rickman, Carl Beukes, Babou Ceesay, Barkhad Abdi, Jeremy Northam, Iain Glen.

Note:  Imdb 7.8 out of 10, 92% critic 88% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 3*.

Special Note:  Filmed in South Africa.  There are two small drones in this film, one the size of a bird and another much smaller like a large insect.  Currently, these drones are in development but may not be in use yet because of battery life.  There is a note in the credits:  “Produced with the assistance of the Department of Trade and Industry in South Africa.”  Barkhad Abdi was the lead Somali pirate in the film Captain Phillips of 2013.

Never Forever 2007

     Sophie is married to Andrew Lee, he is a successful businessman and they live in New York.  His family is very devout Korean Catholic, they regularly attend Church services and meet together to pray.  His father has recently passed away and the couple has been struggling to have a child.  Andrew feels extreme depression because medically he is the reason they can't have a child.  He tries to commit suicide,he lives and he begins to recover.  Sophie decides to take matters into her own hands.  She goes to a fertility clinic but they will not let her use a donor without permission from Andrew.  She meets a Korean man at the clinic who has come to donate and she decides to contact him with a financial arrangement. 

     This is complicated and you wonder where this is going to go?  Will Andrew find out about her plan?  Will Jihah agree to help her?  How will this affect her marriage and her relationship with her husband?  If Andrew does find out about her plan, what will be his reaction?  A lot of questions!!  I know the answers but I can't tell you because it will spoil the movie for you!!  4* (I really liked this movie) 

104 min, Drama directed by Gina Kim with Vera Farmiga, David Lee McInnis, Joseph Y. Kim, Shirley Roeca, Steve Greenstean, Marceline Hugot, Colleen Quinlan, Trisha LaFache, Jun-woo Ha. 

Note:  Imdb 6.4 out of 10, 80% critic 71% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon 3.7* out of 5* with 191 reviews. 

Special Note:  Jun-woo Ha has won many awards and he has been acting since 2002.  Vera Farmiga originally planned to become an ophthalmologist but she started acting in 1996 and she has also won many awards.  Filmed in New York City and Queens.

Marnie 1964

     Mark Rutland gives a nod when Marnie is interviewing for a job at a publishing firm that indicates she should be hired.  He has seen Marnie before and she worked at another company.  He knows she stole money and left that job.  Mark stops her when she steals from this publishing firm.  He forces her marry him instead of running away like she always does.  Mark has a private detective look into her past and report back.  He believes something that happened to her as a child has caused her to steal.  She is terrified of thunderstorms and the color red. 

     Marnie needs a lot of psychological help but she won’t go to a doctor.  I wasn’t sure that Mark’s love and working with her would be enough to help her.  She seems so cool, collected and sure of herself but inside she’s very troubled.  4* (I really liked this movie)

130 min, Drama directed by Alfred Hitchcock with Tippi Hedren, Sean Connery, Martin Gabel, Louise Latham, Diane Baker, Alan Napier, Bob Sweeney, Mariette Harley, Bruce Dern, S. John Launer, Meg Wyllie.

Note:  Imdb 7.2 out of 10, 82% critic 73% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon 4.3* out of 5* with 361 reviews.

Special Note:  I saw while watching The Girl of 2012 that the last scene in this movie was the first scene filmed.  It is at a train station in San Jose, California.  Tippi Hedren knew when this film was completed that she would be free from the grip of Alfred Hitchcock on her life.

Ricki and the Flash 2015

     Linda had a husband and three children, two boys and a girl.  She had a dream of being a real rock star.  Years have gone by and Linda is now Ricki and she does have a band called The Flash.  She also works as a grocery store checker for a steady income.  Pete, her ex-husband calls from Indiana to tell her that their daughter Julie has had a breakdown because her husband left her for another woman.  Ricki has not been to see her children in a long time and they are all adults now.  She feels she really needs to be there for Julie so she takes the next flight out of Los Angeles.  Julie isn’t overjoyed to see Ricki and she doesn’t leave much doubt about her feelings.  Julie does start to perk up a little in a few days and Ricki also gets to see her boys.  Jack is getting married and Ricki doesn’t expect to get an invitation.  Ricki and Pete’s wife Maureen exchange words before Ricki flies back to LA.

     Director Jonathan Demme has made several Neil Young documentaries.  Diablo Cody wrote the script and she also wrote Juno and Young Adult.  There isn’t one single surprise in any scene of this film?  Everything goes by a standard check-off list?  I see how makeup can make Mamie Gummer look like she hasn’t slept for two weeks?  Streep did her own guitar and singing which isn’t bad.  Rick Springfield is her guitar player and her screen boyfriend, Joe Vitale is the drummer from the Michael Stanley Band.  On the organ is Bernie Worrell from Talking Heads and on bass is the late Rick Rosas who played with Neil Young on the album Heart of Gold from 2006.  2 ½* (This movie is so-so)

101 min, Comedy directed by Jonathan Demme with Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, Mamie Gummer, Rick Springfield, Ric Rosas, Jow Vitale, Bernie Worrell, Ben Platt, Peter C. Demme.

Note:  Imdb 6.0 out of 10, 64% critic 45% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 2*, Amazon 3.2* out of 5* with 565 reviews.

Special Note:  Filmed in Piermont and Yonkers, New York.  Meryl Streep and Mamie Gummer who plays Julie are mother and daughter in real life.  Streep looks younger than her 66 years but the rocker hairstyle and heavy makeup age her in this film.

Max 2015

     Kyle Wincott and his dog Max are a team in Afghanistan.  Max uses both his nose and his training to help the soldiers in the company.  He tells the men where weapons are hidden and whether to move forward or remain stationary.  Unfortunately Kyle is killed and Max is unable to accept another handler.  Kyle’s family is notified about Max and they agree to take him into their home.  This is easier said than done but Max begins to accept Kyle’s brother Justin as his new handler.  Kyle’s father Ray wonders if Max had anything to do with Kyle’s death?  Tyler was in Kyle’s company and Ray gives him a job at the storage unit Ray owns.

     This film is very realistic and I had a cramp in my stomach when bad things were happening to Max.  There is probably the statement at the end of the film that “no animals were harmed in the making of this movie.”  Max’s real name is Carlos and he had various stunt doubles too.  There are other dogs in this film but Max is the real star and he does better in his acting than some of the people!!  3 ½* (I liked this movie)

111 min, Adventure directed by Boaz Yakin with Thomas Haden Church, Josh Wiggins, Luke Kleintank, Lauren Graham, Robbie Amell, Mia Xitlali, Dejon LaQuake, Jay Hernandez, Own Harn, Josephy Juilian Soria.

Note:  Imdb 6.8 out of 10, 35% critic 71% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 2*, Amazon 4.6* out of 5* with 1514 reviews.

Special Note:  Filmed in North Carolina.  This film is dedicated to 26 dogs and 25 handlers killed in military service.  Max was also in the film Project Almanac and he is a Belgian Malinois, a type of Belgian Shepherd.  The two main breeds of police dogs are Belgian Malinois and German Shepherd.  The cost can be about $8,000 for the dog and then training up to about $12,000.  Rin Tin Tin was disqualified from winning the first best-actor Oscar because of his non-human status but he earned the most votes!!