Movies

Movies The Jungle Book

ANIMAL LOVERS ALERT: DON’T MISS “THE JUNGLE BOOK”

The animals in Disney’s latest version of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book are as realistic as they are incredibly appealing. Especially the wolf pack. Kids will learn to appreciate and respect the computer generated jungle creatures (including armadillos) who all have their own amusing personalities. (And, of course, there are a few lessons to be learned.) The director, Jon Favreau, had a hard time finding the right boy to play Mowgli – he auditioned thousands of kids before he found New Yorker Neel Sethi and he’s absolutely perfect. The only drawback to this exquisite film is the violence. It’s a shame to see kids get accustomed to and NEED violence to hold their attention. Sensitive children under 10 might get quite upset. Sometimes we long for the old Disney films that relied on stories rather than conflict. But overall, this movie is a delicious experience.
Above, Jon Favreau and Neel Sethi at the Paris premier

Photo Credit: AKM-GSI

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By Janet / April 12, 2016

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Movies

WHATEVER YOU DO THIS WEEKEND, DO NOT MISS THE MOVIE “10 CLOVERFIELD LANE!”

If you happen to love smart science fiction thrillers – RUN, DO NOT WALK to the nearest theater to see 10 Cloverfield Lane. And DO NOT read a word about it before you see it! We will not reveal any spoilers here because that would be a crime. The less you know about this movie the more you will enjoy it! What we CAN say is that it is full of surprises and a few real shockeroos. For once, a sci-fi movie that isn’t loaded with clichés. It is a perfectly cast, cleverly written gem. Take our word for it, you are going to LOVE this unexpectedly original movie!

Photo: Paramount

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By Janet / March 10, 2016

5 Comments

Caesar! Movies

HAIL, CAESAR: PRETTY TO LOOK AT, NOT SO PRETTY TO SIT THROUGH

It’s got a great cast and Technicolor visuals, but the Coen brothers’ movie Hail, Caesar! is as lame as the title. What could be more fun than a Hollywood studio loaded with stars and drama in 1951? The Coens drained most of the fun out of it with heavy doses of religion, morals and politics, but most of all, their elitist view of early Hollywood was just NOT FUNNY. It fell flat. Two redeeming features: Tilda Swinton’s Lilli Anne inspired suits, and a cute singing cowboy named Hobie, played by Alden Ehernreich (above) struggling to play a drawing room socialite.

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By Janet / February 3, 2016

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Brooklyn Movies Saoirse Ronan

WE STILL NOMINATE “BROOKLYN” FOR BEST MOVIE OF THE YEAR

Saoirse Ronan (we still can’t pronounce her name!) is in New York promoting her incredible movie Brooklyn, and she needs all the help she can get. It’s a magnificent film and not getting the attention it deserves. It’s not flashy and features no big name stars, so you may not have heard a lot about it. But it’s beautifully and sensitively written and acted, and transports the audience to another time and place. It happens to be surprisingly timely because it deals with immigration and adaptation. You walk out feeling like you just read a great book – with a happy ending.

Photo Credit: Pacific Coast News

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By Janet / January 12, 2016

11 Comments

Daddy's Home Mark Wahlberg Movies Sisters Will Ferrell

“DADDY’S HOME” IS SMARTER AND FUNNIER THAN “SISTERS”

Wanna take a break from the holidays and have a few laughs this week? Head to your local movie theater and see “Daddy’s Home.” We hate to admit it, but Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg’s comedy leaves Tina Fey and Amy Poehler’s “Sisters” movie in the dust. It’s not that Tina and Amy aren’t as funny – they just have a lame script to work with. Surprisingly, Will and Mark’s movie is not only entertaining, but suitable for kids. Translation: it’s less vulgar than “Sisters.”

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By Janet / December 27, 2015

8 Comments

Amy Poehler Movies Sisters Tina Fey

“SISTERS” TINA FEY AND AMY POEHLER ARE TOO SMART TO LOOK THIS DUMB

We REALLY wanted to love Tina Fey and Amy Poehler’s new comedy “Sisters” but we ended up feeling embarrassed for them. Generally the girls are snappy and entertaining, but this movie script (they didn’t write it) dumbed them down considerably. You’d THINK the script was originally written for a pair of man-children on the Adam Sandler level of comedy. Lots of bathroom and tampon jokes, penis jokes and gross-out humor. The writer took a perfectly good idea – one sister is organized and prissy and the other is a raunchy disaster and they get together to have one last blow-out party before their parents sell their childhood home. There are a few funny moments but it never rises above slapstick and these girls deserve better.

Photo: Universal

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By Janet / December 16, 2015

5 Comments

Eddie Redmayne Movies

THE DANISH GIRL: WOMEN LOOK BETTER IN SUITS THAN MEN DO IN DRESSES

We are obviously among the few moviegoers who were not particularly impressed with Eddie Redmayne’s performance in The Danish Girl. The movie itself, set in Copenhagen in the 1920’s, is quite lush and beautiful to look at – costumes and locations are exquisitely photographed. Alicia Vikander, who plays Redmayne’s character’s artistic wife is delightful. Eddie’s character was enchanted with women’s apparel and this supports our theory that fashion plays a very large part in a man’s desire to become female. It’s all about the lipstick and silk undies. Anyway, Eddie plays the trans character in female attire as geeky, simpering, and coy. Is THAT what he thinks women are like? Insulting. Fortunately, the female characters in the movie were powerful and smart, so it’s not a total loss.

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By Janet / November 29, 2015

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Bradley Cooper Movies

BRADLEY COOPER IS IN SEVENTH HEAVEN

Bradley Cooper is curled up on the phone like a dreamy teenage girl in the fifties. He’s sitting in Hudson River Park looking blissful after taking a walk with his model girlfriend Irina Shayk. The holidays are a great time for him. Last Christmas his film “American Sniper” was released and he and the movie got Oscar nominations. This year his film “Joy,” costarring Jennifer Lawrence and Robert DeNiro, is also being released on Christmas day, and it’s expected to be another Oscar contender. No wonder he looks content.

Photo Credit: Pacific Coast News

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By Janet / November 17, 2015

7 Comments

Angelina Jolie Brad Pitt By The Sea Movies

BRAD AND ANGELINA’S “BY THE SEA” IS A MONUMENTAL BORE

Anybody who is fond of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie should be warned to stay as far as possible AWAY from their movie “By the Sea” which opens this weekend. Why Angelina wrote such a self-absorbed and unlikeable character for herself is a mystery. And Brad doesn’t fare much better as an alcoholic writer with writer’s block. They play a married couple with some kind of problems – they rarely speak to each other and the movie is filled with unbearably loooong silences. Even the European seaside location is stagnant. The story never makes much sense and the scenes are endless and boring. Oh, and Angelina’s wig was consistently distracting. Don’t waste your money.

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By Janet / November 12, 2015

15 Comments

Brooklyn Emory Cohen Movies Saoirse Ronan

“BROOKLYN” – PROBABLY THE BEST MOVIE OF THE YEAR

Last night we fell in love with a movie. And it’s been a long time since THAT happened. “Brooklyn” is a brilliant and subtle masterpiece. It’s the kind of deeply personal story that you rarely see on screen any more. It’s about leaving a comfortable home and being brave enough to take on a whole new world. Saoirse Ronan plays a young Irish girl given the opportunity to leave her small town and move to Brooklyn, New York in the 50’s. Her performance is so achingly real and identifiable that she deserves an Oscar. The script is beautifully written, both funny and sentimental, and all the acting is delicate and precise. Emory Cohen as a young Italian Brooklynite is a revelation. Unfamiliar faces make the characters really come to life. Don’t miss this one.

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By Janet / November 4, 2015

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