The Pursuit of Happyness

The Pursuit of Happyness: If this had to be a 2 word review: Heart Warming. Will Smith plays Chris Gardner, a real life salesman who was pushed to the point of homelessness in an attempt to reach his life goal. The movie is based on true events and the script is actually adapted from the book Chris Gardner wrote about his struggles. When the story opens we find Chris selling or I should say “trying” to sell bone density scanners – something it turns out most hospitals are not in need of. With bills piling up, taxes to pay, and a young son to take care of, the Gardner’s are struggling to get by. When Chris decides to try a new career path (becoming a stock broker), his wife decides she has had enough and leaves the family. The struggles really get bad when Chris enters a training program as an intern at a brokerage firm. The program is 6 months long with no pay and no guarantee of a job when he is done either. We see a man literally hang it all out on the line to reach his dream. I have to admit I am a sucker for these kinds of stories. Seeing a person against all odds reach his goal always strikes a cord with me. As for the performance of Will Smith – brilliant, probably his best work to date. Will Smith carries this story from start to finish. His real life son, Jaden Smith, plays his on screen son and was serviceable (the good thing being he was not distracting like some young kid actors can be). The ending is uplifting and emotional and it all works in large part to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air……Will Smith.
* * * and ½ or Grade: B+

If this movie had parents they would be: Rudy & Trading Places

With a run time of 117 minutes
This film is rated PG-13

The Last King of Scotland

The Last King of Scotland: Forest Whitaker gives a stellar performance as Idi Amin, a brutal Ugandan dictator that reigned in the 1970’s. The story actually centers around another character, Nicholas Garrigan (played by James McAvoy). Garrigan is a recent medical school graduate from Scotland. He chooses to go to Uganda for two reason, for one – he wants to make a difference in the world and secondly he wants to get away from his egocentric father who is also a doctor. While working at a mission in Uganda, Garrigan treats Amin after a mild car accident. Amin is intrigued by Garrigan who is from Scotland, a country he greatly admires. Soon after, he invites Garrigan to come work at his hospital in Kampala and to also serve as his personal doctor. The naïve Garrigan accepts. The plot thickens as Garrigan becomes Amin's most trusted adviser as he slowly gets deeper and more involved in the inner workings of Amin's regime. The film is one very “tense” ride which can be credited to Whitaker 's stellar portrayal of Amin. He creates such a mad man on screen, a loose cannon if you will. I sat in my chair, palms sweating, literally afraid of him. On top of that, the story is engrossing from start to finish. By the time the credits rolled I felt exhausted. Bravo to Forest Whitaker and to all involved in this film! Check this one out.
* * * and ½ or Grade: B+

If this movie had parents they would be: Hotel Rwanda & Match Point

With a running time of 121 minutes
This film is rated R

Letters From Iwo Jima

Letters From Iwo Jima: Clint Eastwood found himself so immersed in the story of Flags of Our Fathers, that he figured the only way to do the whole story justice was to tell it from both sides. The film depicts the battle at Iwo Jima from the Japanese perspective (told in Japanese with English subtitles). It opens up with the Japanese military on the island preparing for the American invasion by digging out caves and ditches. The Japanese commander, General Kuribayashi (Ken Watanabe) is informed upon his arrival that supplies, ammunition, food, and soldiers are running low and would not be replenished or reinforced. His mission, along with all of the Japanese on the island, is to hold the Americans from taking control of the island all knowing very well it is not a matter of winning, but delaying the inevitable. They all made the ultimate sacrifice to keep their homeland sacred if only for a few extra days. The beauty of the movie is its ability to show that neither side was a “dark enemy”. Both sides were doing what they felt was right. The movie itself is shot in a blue gray tint, with very little color, showing how colorless and cold blooded war is. I did however find the story to move at a slow pace, keeping me from becoming too emotionally involved. It also failed to “wow” me at any point – going into a film like this you expect a “wow” moment. Along with Flags of Our Fathers, Letters from Iwo Jima is an excellent account of a historical battle, but I found myself wanting a little more from both.
* * * or Grade: B-

If this movie had parents they would be: Flags of Our Fathers & Tora! Tora! Tora!

With a running time of 140 minutes
This film is rated R

Notes on a Scandal

Notes on a Scandal: Cate Blanchett and the “Dame” Judi Dench star in this very tense and exciting thriller. I love when such good acting in films forces you to feel uneasy as you watch. The acting performances by both lead actresses here is nothing short of spectacular. The story centers on Mrs. Hart (Blanchett), a new art teacher to a school who is befriended by one of the veteran teachers, Barbara Covett (Dench). Mrs. Hart begins an affair with one of her male students (only 15 years of age) and Barbara Covet becomes aware of the scandal. Barbara decides that she will not notify the authorities, as long as Mrs. Hart ends the affair. After their agreement, Barbara and Mrs. Hart form a stronger friendship, but Barbara has a secret agenda. I was very impressed with the writing in this movie. The characters and story are so well written – not a cliché in sight and engrossing right from the start. Dench, Blanchett, and the writer of the novel of the same name (Zoe Heller) did their homework on this one and developed characters that are so unique and believable. They are real and not at all over the top caricatures that we’ve come so used to seeing in these types of movies. The plot keeps getting more intense with every scene, building up to a final confrontation that is remarkable to watch. This is a small, focused story that is told EXTREMELY well – Make Note of it!!!!!
* * * * or Grade A

If this movie had parents they would be: The Talented Mr. Ripley & Single White Female

With a running time of 98 minutes
This film is rated R

DreamGirls

DreamGirls: Based on the Broadway musical of the same name, DreamGirls comes to the silver screen with some star-power. The film is loaded with good performances, but the two that really standout are Eddie Murphy as James “Thunder” Early and Jennifer Hudson as Effie White (I see Oscar nods for both). Jamie Foxx, Beyonce Knowles, and even the washed up Danny Glover all turn in terrific performances to round out the cast. The story spans roughly 8 years, as it follows 3 female soul singers from their breakthrough to the point when they are on top of the pop charts. Of course with success you always have some turmoil between the ranks. The turmoil between the girls and their manager (Foxx) is the meat of the story. For all that the film does right, it does wrong as well. Take the musical numbers for instance – there are many good ones, but they crammed too many of them in making me want to hit the fast forward button on the last few. The story which starts so well becomes very cliché, which I felt watered down the drama of the main plot. The film as a whole should have been 20 minutes shorter. I think director Bill Condon got a little too excited with the material and went over the top for the knock out punch when he did not need to. The good does outweigh the bad however, therefore I still recommend DreamGirls, it is just a case where “less could have been more...”
* * * or Grade B-

If this movie had parents they would be: Chicago & The Jacksons: An American Dream

With a run time of 131 minutes
This film is rated PG-13

Children of Men

Children of Men: The premise for this movie is enough to draw in any viewer: The year is 2027 and all the women in the world have become infertile. No babies have been born for 18 years, meaning the youngest person on earth is a little over 18 years of age. The human race is dying and with that the world is in total chaos. Enter our hero – Theo, played masterfully by Clive Owen (one of the best actors working today). Theo is an everyday man – depressed as everyone else in the world knowing there is no hope for the future. He is contacted by his ex-wife (Julianne Moore) to help get a young woman – Kee, across borders and check points and finally to a secret project, code named: Tomorrow. What is so special about Kee…….she is pregnant! The movie has plenty of action along the way, but it is the drama of the story that makes this film so captivating. On top of all that, Children of Men is probably the best made movie of 2006. The camera work and art direction are the best I have seen in many years! The world created is so authentic – not futuristic or gimmicky at all, keeping me totally immersed. Although the world created in this film is very dark, the message is one of hope and optimism. The movie makes you realize what we take for granted. It shows us the importance of children and the cycle of life. It makes you realize how precious life is, and reminds us that giving birth is truly a miracle. Intriguing – haunting – inspiring………simply put: an Exceptional Film.
* * * * or Grade: A

If this movie had parents they would be: Minority Report & Strange Days

With a running time of 113 minutes
This film is rated R

Pan's Labyrinth

Pan’s Labyrinth: Set in Spain in 1944 we follow a young girl – Ofelia, as she begins a new life with her pregnant mother and her mother’s new husband. The country is in a post civil war period and there is not much to be happy about. Ofelia’s step-father is a commanding officer at a nationalist military base. Ofelia sees evil in him and refuses to accept this man as her new father. The only good news for Ofelia is she discovers a labyrinth that leads to an underground fantasy world. This is a dark fantasy world geared more for adults than kids. There she is given three tasks to carry out before she can return to this fantasy world as the princess she once was long ago. Going into the film I was under the impression that the story would mostly take place inside this fantasy world, but that is not the case. The story stays above ground in the post war setting more so than the fantasy world, but both worlds are engaging. As the story plays out, we as viewers have to decide if the fantasy world is real or not. The film is done so beautifully that you are caught wanting to THINK one way, but FEEL another way. The ending is a powerful cry out to the beauty of innocence. The costumes, make-up, cinematography, writing, acting and the vision the film had are all among the year’s best. This is a movie that stands out as a piece of art.
* * * * or Grade A

If this movie had parents they would be: Life is Beautiful and Alice in Wonderland

With a running time of 128 minutes
This film is rated R