Movie Review - The Circle

The Circle

Starring: Emma Watson, Ellar Coltrane, Glenne Headly, Bill Paxton, Karen Gillan, Tom Hanks, John Boyega, Mamoudou Athie, Patton Oswalt, and more.

Directed by: James Ponsoldt Screenplay by: James Ponsoldt and Dave Eggers Based on the Novel by: Dave Eggers Cinematography by: Matthew Libatique Music by: Danny Elfman

Premise: Thanks to a friend, Mae gets a chance to interview at the prestigious company The Circle. A social media giant, The Circle is pushing for 100% transparency across the world. As Mae embraces the culture of her new employers, she begins to see that total transparency can cut two ways. Her willingness to share all inadvertently affects others around her in negative ways. Are the company's and her own ideas going too far? (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: A lot of new and familiar faces appear in this film. Emma Watson does a great job as Mae. Her suffering and helplessness with regards to her father's illness really came across. Her open-eyed eagerness to embrace the ideals of the company, even as she scoffs at some of the directions they are heading in, were very well done. Tom Hanks and Patton Oswalt were slick as the company's leaders. Karen Gillan as Mae's friend Annie brought several angles to the tale as well as a lot of energy. John Boyega as Ty proves yet again that you can be alone in a crowd and not just when you're by yourself. :P Major kudos to Bill Paxton and his portrayal of someone with MS. 

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: The film had tons of subtle special effects. The cool compound for The Circle when viewed as a whole. The user interfaces for the different pieces of software. The frames around the visuals to make the scene look as if it were being viewed through a camera. And let's not forget all the neat pop-ups on the screen as you'd see on your phone screen. A lot of the comments were fun all on their own. (Some a little freaky too!) :P

The section with the kayak in the dark, the fog, and the ship came out very well. The medical software was cool as well.

3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: This type of story can go terribly wrong, but luckily they treated it right. Both sides of the question were evenly weighed. Thus allowing the audience to see the pros and the cons rather than the film just picking a side and making the movie preachy or heavy handed. As with all power, the question that must always be asked is "who watches the watchers?". Anything powerful enough to make a difference always runs the risk of being abused. The film is quite thought provoking.

4) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Lots of lovely cinematography, especially of the Bay and The Circle compound. Tons of different sites in California were used to create the illusion of The Circle. There were some beautiful beach shots for our intro to one of the men controlling the company. 

Conclusion: Good, thought provoking film. Both sides are shown evenly, leaving the audience to draw their own conclusions.

Rating: 3.75 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission)  

Movie Review - Inferno

Inferno

Starring: Tom Hanks, Felicity Jones, Omar Sy, Irrfan Khan, Sidse Babett Knudsen, Ben Foster, Ana Ularu, Ida Darvish, and more.

Directed by: Ron Howard Screenplay by: David Koepp Based on the Novel by: Dan Brown Cinematography by: Salvatore Totino Music by: Hans Zimmer

Premise: Robert Langdon wakes in a hospital in Florence, Italy. He has no memory of how he got there. A cryptic email from a friend and the fact someone tries to kill him make it clear that he's gotten himself into some kind of mess. The weird hallucinations of blood and hell don't help matters. Aided by the young doctor at the hospital, Professor Langdon tries to put the broken pieces back together. (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Tom Hanks reprises his role as Professor Robert Langdom for the third film of the series. He has great rapport with his rescuer Dr. Sienna Brooks. Felicity Jones does a great job as Brooks, showing multiple facets of her complex personality quite well. Irrfan Khan turns out to be a real treat in the film as the pragmatic Harry Sims. There's some real sizzle between Tom and Sidse Babett Knudsen once some of the secrets are revealed. Great job from all parties.

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: There are special effects of all kinds in the film. Lots of surreal imagery with lots of detail. There's a painting in the Hall of the 500 in the Palazzo Vecchio which gets brought to life. Looked fantastic. 

Rivers of blood running down modern city streets. Physical renditions of Dante's Inferno as painted by Botticelli. Reality and myth all wound together in disturbing imagery. Tons of lovely work. 

There are a couple of falling deaths that were well done. Both looked incredibly painful. The work on the second body and the closeup on the face were gruesome and poignant. 

3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: Doors are a main theme. Those we open, those we close, and those whose frame we stand in. The play with the concept is rather fun and viewed in many angles. Love and its many facets are also explored.

I don't want to say too much and inadvertently spoil several of the surprises in store. Watch for the 'odd socks' as they are hints. A thing or two that seem like mere plot devices are actually something else. 

Overall, it all holds together pretty well. They do pound a couple of things more times than necessary, but didn't prove overtly irritating. 

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: The film isn't filled with them, but the few there are were well done. The knife fights were quick and well choreographed. A little shaky-cam was used during a water fight, but it didn't detract too much.

5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: One of the best parts of the Professor Langdon movies are the locations! Salvatore Totino has been involved in the cinematography of all three films. As you view the lovely exotic locations you'll realize why. Several gorgeous panning shots of Florence and other locals will fill the screen. The aerial views from the drone in the park by the Palazzo Vecchio looked great. There's a shot of Istanbul with a huge setting sun that was fantastic. Lots and lots of lovely vistas. I very much enjoyed all the shots of the historical places, especially the areas where normal visitors are not allowed. :)

Super loved the location for the climax. Looked so cool! 

Conclusion: Inferno is a nice addition to the Professor Langdon historical mysteries. Another cool puzzle buried in historical trivia and awesome locations. Even has food for thought!

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price)

Movie Review - Sully

Sully

Starring: Tom Hanks, Aaron Eckhart, Laura Linney, Valerie Mahaffey, Delphi Harrington, Mike O'Malley, Jamey Sheridan, Anna Gunn, and more.

Directed by: Clint Eastwood Screenplay by: Todd Komarnicki Based on the Book by: Chesley Sullenberger and Jeffrey Zaslow Cinematography by: Tom Stern Music by: Christian Jacob and the Tierney Sutton Band

Premise: After landing flight 1549 on the Hudson River in NY, Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger finds his life turned upside down. Immersed in a surreal environment; he must deal with PTSDs and self-doubt. But also fans, and several agencies hoping to prove his water landing was a mistake rather than a miracle. (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Tom Hanks continues to amaze with his developed acting skills. He's a master at taking a average people and surprising you with unexpected depths of feeling when you least expect it. Laura Linney gave a wonderful performance as Sully's wife. Aaron Eckhart, who played first officer Jess Skiles, did an amazing job as well. All the acting was top notch.

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: I loved the subtlety of the special effects on the film. The nightmares as well as the actual landing looked real. Cool engine explosions as well. 

A ton of kudos for actually using an interior of a plane that is realistic! Narrow aisles and all! lol. The deployment of the emergency equipment and the slow flooding and sinking of the plane looked amazing!

3) Plot/Story - Total Thumbs Up: The film starts in the middle of a nightmare - giving the audience their first hint of Sully's PTSD's and stress as he waits to meet with the different agencies to discuss the events of January 15th, 2009. As the story unfolds the audience is taken back and forth to learn more of the man and also the day of the event.

One thing I liked about how they told the story is the inclusion of the lives of others. While a standard film tactic in disaster films, it worked even better in this context. 

We see the captain's own doubts and fears as the media and other agencies try to wear him and his family down. And as the day gets relived in the film, we get to see the events unfold from all sorts of angles. A nice well rounded look at an amazing event.

One neat thing I realized later about the film is how they subtly acknowledged how the successful landing touched the lives of New Yorkers. This is a city that less than a decade before, had suffered a major disaster at 9/11. The fact Sully was able to avert another disaster from staining the city visibly touched the souls of those around him. The Manager at the Courtyard by Marriott shows this unspoken feeling more aptly than words ever could. 

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up:  The chaos inside the plane, people jumping into freezing water or shooting down wet slides, showing the jobs of rescue personnel - the stunt crew did a great job on all of it. It is the efficiency of those doing their jobs as they would on any given day that makes the acts even more amazing.

Conclusion: "Sully" is a fascinating look at the man, the people and the events of flight 1549. The deed is easy, it's the aftermath you have to look out for.

Rating: 4 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission)

**After you see the film or if you're not going to see it, check out this cool website called 208 Seconds. 208 seconds is the interval of time from takeoff to landing in the Hudson. Mind boggling!** 

Movie Review - Bridge of Spies

(Took a day off with hubby and we went movie watching! In order of awesomeness - Bridge of Spies, Crimson Peak, The Last Witch Hunter. Only have time to review one though, so picking the best of the three.) :)

Bridge of Spies

Starring: Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Domenick Lombardozzi, Joshua Harto, Alan Alda, Austin Stowell, Dakin Matthews, Mikhail Gorevoy, Sebastian Koch, Will Rogers, Nadja Bobyleva, Michael Gaston, and more.

Directed by: Steven Spielberg Written by: Matt Charman, Ethan Coen, and Joel Coen Cinematography by: Janusz Kaminski Music by: Thomas Newman

Premise: After a Soviet spy is caught on American soil, James B. Donovan is asked by his firm and peers to represent Rudolf Abel in a criminal trial for espionage. Accepting, Donovan tries to fight for Abel as he would any other client, believing that a fair trial and due process encompass what makes America and Americans what/who they are. When one of our own is shot down over Soviet Airspace, Donovan gets asked by the government to act as a mediator for negotiations for a prisoner exchange to had Able over for Powers, but he must do so as a private citizen. The murky waters he swam in before, just got deeper and darker. (PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Awesome performances all the way around. Tom Hanks was very likeable as the "boy scout" James B. Donovan. Mark Rylance was fantastic as Rudolf Abel - he is one capable spy! "Cool as a cucumber", too! And a nice guy to boot. Lots of fun give and take between Tom Hanks and Mikhail Gorevoy and Sebastian Koch.

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: From drive by's to exploding spy planes, all the special effects were top notch.

The train scene will stay with you for a while. :) The building of the Berlin Wall was disturbing in all sorts of ways.

3) Plot/Story - Total Thumbs Up: The film is based on "true events" but these occurred a little before my time, so I can't state on the accuracy one way or another. But it seemed thorough, giving multiple sides of a number of issues. I liked the fact you didn't get a lot of 'cutout' characters in the story. If anything, they surprised me several times in this area and they even gave unexpected depth to side characters which made them seem more real, and this in turn added to the believability and depth of the story as a whole.

People are people - and the plot doesn't shy from showing that. Even the good guys can be bad and the bad guys be good. And what the public or others believe is not always the truth. Also shows plainly how the interests of different parties can make even simple things extremely complicated. Oi!

As good movies do, you feel fully invested and moved by what's going on by the end of the film. The fact they show how Donovan's home life and family were affected by the decisions he made, added a nice touch, and some depth to what he might lose. There were also a ton of little moments full of levity, which just made the movie all the more fun.

4) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Filmed in multiple locations in Germany as well as in the US, the camera work was excellent. Lots of attention to detail in recreating the late 1950's at home and abroad. As I mentioned earlier, the train scene (you'll know the one, you can't miss it) will stick with you - and the cinematography for it worked extremely well there and again when done in a different but correlating way in Brooklyn.

Following Pryor as he bicycles down the road looking for a break in the quickly rising Berlin Wall and the chaos on both sides made for a subtle but strong scene. Especially when he comes back.

5) Music - Total Thumbs Up: The soundtrack by Thomas Newman is very reminiscent of John Williams' work, which Spielberg has used on a lot of his films (and for good reason!), and was the perfect touch for setting mood and pacing during several places in the film.

Conclusion: Bridge of Spies is a thought provoking, fascinating film on a topic and period of our history not often talked about. Strong actor performances and plenty of little touches and surprises make the whole work a definite worthwhile experience.

Rating: 4 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Paying Full Price to See Again)

Mind Sieve 6/8/15

Had A-kon this past weekend and FanExpo the weekend before, as well as month end at work so I am running behind!

This will be a quick one! :)

Bridge of Spies Official Trailer #1 - looks good!

Z for Zachariah Official Trailer #1 - Proving yet again two is company, three is a crowd. Lol.

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation Official Trailer #2 - Booyah!

Have an awesome Monday!

Movie Review - Saving Mr. Banks

Saving Mr. Banks

Starring: Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Annie Rose Buckley, Colin Farrell, Ruth Wilson, Paul Giamatti, Bradley Whitford, B.J. Novak, Jason Schwartzman, Lily Bigham, Kathy Baker, Melanie Paxson, Rachel Griffiths, and more.

Directed by: John Lee Hancock Written by: Kelly Marcel and Sue Smith Cinematography by: John Schwartzman Music by: Thomas Newman

Premise: After a twenty year pursuit to get the rights to the character of Mary Poppins, Walt Disney finally has managed to get author Pamela Travers to come to LA. Despite money troubles, however, the last thing the author wants to do is give her treasured character away. As the battle of wills continues, a secondary story unfolds giving a deeper insight of why and what has shaped these two great people into who they are. (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Emma Thompson was a force of nature as the indomitable Mrs. Travers. Throughout the film she gives the audience little visuals cues which help the audience learn more about who she really is. As events proceed, it is easily visible as she opens herself more and more to the world again. Tom Hanks gave an excellent performance as Walt Disney. Colin Farrell was superb as Mr. Goff - just the right amounts of dreamer, father, and eventually broken man. Ruth Wilson too was quite excellent as Mrs. Goff - she had few lines, but her face and expressions told so many things. Annie Rose Buckley was too delightful as the free spririted Ginty. Paul Giamatti as Ralph added such an extra nice touch to everything. To be honest, all the actors, regardless of the size of their roles, added so very much to every single scene they should all be applauded.

2) Story - Total Thumbs Up: One of the things I totally loved about this film was the fact they took the mantra every writer must follow - "Show, don't tell". Because half the film is from the point of view of a young girl, there's a lot of information the audience needs which is given to us visually. This placed more than the usual weight on the actors, but they pulled it all off perfectly.

There were also some wonderful parallels between Mr. Goff, Mrs. Travers, and Ginty. Mrs. Travers has survived, but also hidden her true self so deep down, she's almost dead in everything but fact. The film also centered a lot around what makes us who we are. Adversity can make us push harder, do better, as well as crush us. The different results are there for all to see.

This is not a movie for kids. It's most definitely for adults. But for all those who've ever seen the film "Mary Poppins" the nostalgia levels will be very high. This makes the watching of the film all the more poignant as we discover all the background and effort and lifetimes that made "Mary Poppins" what it was.

Even the film's title holds multiple pieces of significance. This was a very multifaceted film. Kudos.

3) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Following the strictures of "show, don't tell" the locations played a very important part in conveying the story. The original Goff house as the Goff family departs, and the eventual arrival at their "new" home but the first of many visual clues. Just seeing the two locations imparted a tremendous amount of information to the audience.

The recreations of the 1960's Disney World and the production offices were great. And the hotel room where Mrs. Travers stayed at - the extreme attempt made to try to make her feel welcome - it screamed of desperation. Lovely.

4) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: From the clothing in 1906 Australia to 1961-1964 Los Angeles, there was an awesome amount of attention to detail. You never doubted which of the two timelines you were watching at any given time.

Conclusion: "Saving Mr. Banks" is a great film. I think it is a "must see" for anyone who's ever loved or seen "Mary Poppins". However, this is not a film for kids. It's a serious film with serious topics. It will, however, definitely enhance your appreciation for the 1964 film. If you get in the least bit emotional at movies, take tissues with you! I guarantee that you'll need them. Also, make sure to sit through most of the credits - between the photos and a recording they shared, it clinched the whole experience.

Rating: 4.25 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price to See Again)

Movie Review - Cloud Atlas

Cloud Atlas

Starring: Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess, Doona Bae, Ben Whishaw, Keith David, James D'Arcy, Xun Zhou, David Gyasi, Susan Sarandon, Hugh Grant, Robert Fyfe, and more.

Directed by: Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski, and Lana Wachowski Written for the Screen by: Lana Wachowski, Tom Tykwer, and Andy Wachowski Based on the Novel by: David Mitchell Cinematography by: Frank Griebe and John Toll Original Music by: Reinhold Heil, Johnny Klimek, and Tom Tykwer

Premise: The connections and actions of people can affect connections and actions of others and themselves in future times. Five concurrent stories that are united by the concepts of freedom, love, truth, and music. (Rated R)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: The roles in this film had to be as much a treat for the actors who played them as it was for the audience to watch. Not only did the acotrs have their physical aspects changed in each venue, but the characters were all different even if some aspects remained the same. Superb acting by all concerned. Tom Hanks is easily recognizable in all the roles he played, even with the amazing makeup. Halle Berry was also easy to spot. But most of Hugh Grant's and one or two of Hugo Weaving's roles I had no idea it was them. So make sure to sit through the credits as they'll flash all the characters each of the actors played. Keep a mental tally to if you spotted all of them of not.

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: Some of the effects for the different time frames were subtle, others quite grand. All the futuristic vehicles and technology were amazing. My favorite has to be the room Somni-451 is taken to by Hae-Joo Chang. Reminded me of the scene in the original "TRON" that was cut out (and unfortunately lost) after the sampling run of the movie at the time - the one where Tron lent power to activate his room. Totally awesome.

3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: Some viewers may find the mixture of the five stories a bit jarring or hard to make the switch without some mental funbling. Personally, once they fully established the distinct stories in the first few minutes, I used the visual cues provided and didn't have any trouble knowing which story we were watching at any particular time.

The film starts with a story teller and ends there as well. Circles are a major theme throughout the film. One bit of  fun was how the storyteller begins the tale and then one of those whose story is being told, apologizes and asks us to bear with him with regards to the shifting tales. This made the tale the storyteller and vice versa, as become obvious later still.

Other recurring themes in the plot are freedom, making a stand, truth, and love. Things that happen in the past make subtle appearances in the future related stories, even if only as a found button, a torn book, or a snatch of an old film. Connections are everywhere, and it was fun looking for them. Pay special attention to names as those are the main clues on several of the connected items, though many are visual as well.

For any authors out there, I believe the current day tale was partially written just for us! The Timothy Cavendish storyline was hilarious on several levels. It was nice that though some of these souls may have come back again and again, they weren't always the best they could be, at times giving into tendencies they'd won against in the past. One of the shifts with regards to one of the characters comes as a surprise. Gave the film more flavor that way. Even a seemingly innocuous joke about "Soylent Green" comes back to haunt us.

As the plots play along, a seeming synchronicity comes into play, for though in the beginning the five stories were circles that barely touched, they come to pile up on top of each other as the climax of the film is reached.

5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Each location for the stories was unique and totally immersive. They also help the audience know which story is being told. And the cinematography was excellent - whether of a real location, like San Francisco, or a CGI one, like Neo Seoul. Several of the views were quite breathtaking.

6) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: If they don't win an award for the costuming and makeup, I will be shocked. Not only did the past sequences look historically accurate (the 70's scenes gave me flashbacks), but the two future set stories had evolved fashions and even some mannerisms or ways of speaking unique to themselves, which made them all the more believable.

Conclusion: The film is 172 minutes long, but it won't feel that way. Between the five stories, the great visuals, the bits of mystery, and looking for all the fun little bits that have bled into the other stories, you'll be way too busy having fun.

Rating: 4 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission)