Movies Showing This Week (May 4, 2012)

A Little Bit of Heaven

Cast: Kate Hudson, Gael Garcia Bernal, Lucy Punch

Synopsis:   

A woman discovers that she has a cancer. During her treatment, she meets a new guy whom she deeply falls in love with.

Death of a Superhero (Limited)

Cast: Andy Serkis, Sharon Horgan, Michael McElhatton

Synopsis: 
A teenage artist is suffering from leukemia. He finds solace in  his comic work and ventures into the fantasy world.

First Position (Limited)

Cast: Aran Bell, Gaya Bommer Yemini, Michaela Deprince

Synopsis:

This is a documentary of six young ballet dancers who are preparing for the Youth America Grand Prix. This is one of the most prestigious ballet competition with hundreds of ballet dancers competing against each other.

Last Call at the Oasis (Limited)

Cast: Erin Brockovich-Ellis, Jay Famigliette, Peter H.

Synopsis:

An interesting documentary about the water crisis that the world is facing right now. 

LOL

Cast: Miley Cyrus, Demi Moore, Douglas Booth

Synopsis:   

This a comedy drama film centers on the life of a teenage girl who faces peer pressures, high school romance and bearing the trouble of her divorced parents.  

Meeting Evil

Cast: Samuel L. Jackson, Luke Wilson, Leslie Bibb

Synopsis:   

A man has been recently fired from his job and faces depression. He helps a stranger which would bring him into a bigger problem.

Mother's Day (USA, Limited Theatrical)

Cast: Jaime King, Patrick Flueger, Rebecca de Mornay 

Synopsis:

A horror film about members of a wicked family. They return to their old home and plan to terrorize the new home owners.

The Avengers

Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson

Synopsis:   
This is an exciting action packed film in which it brings together the super hero icons from the Marvel Comics. Iron man, Thor, Captain America and the rest of the team join forces to take down their biggest nemesis.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Cast: Julie Christie, Judi Dench, Tom Wilkinson

 

Synopsis:   

Some British senior citizens travel to India. Something great will await them in this place.

The Perfect Family

Cast: Kathleen Turner, Emily Deschanel, Jason Ritter

Synopsis:

Eileeen Cleary got a nomination for the Catholic Woman of the Year Award. A final test should be done before she can achieve the most coveted award.  She must introduce her family to the board.

Jesus Henry Christ Movie Review

Director: Dennis Lee

Writer: Dennis Lee (screenplay, short film)

In Theaters: April 20, 2012 (USA)

Running Time: 92 minutes

Genre: Comedy, Family
Rated: PG-13

Cast: Jason Spevack, Toni Collette, Michael Sheen

Synopsis:

Henry James Hermin (Jason Spevack) is conceived through artificial insemination. He is a gifted child and is raised by his feminist mother. As he grows older, he tries to find his biological father.

Reaction:

With the modern science and technology, there is no wonder that more and more people resort to the idea of artificial insemination. Well, this movie does not really centers on this topic but it is part of the story for a 10 year old boy to find out his real father. Anyway, I can say that the film is quite good though I can see several scenes that may not be necessary. Take for example, the family story of Patricia Herman (Toni Collette). It took more time just to show what happened to her family. There were some stories about the deaths of her family members which were shown in a light and funny way.

This film got its funny moments though sometimes there were some boring scenes. As for me, I admit I got bored from some scenes but later on, I got to enjoy this light comedy family film. The actors were good especially Toni Collette and Jason Spevack. 

This film may not be appealing to some viewers as they might find it slow and boring. I would give this film a rating of 5 out of 10. One would enjoy watching this during a lazy weekend. You can watch together with your family.  

Check out its Official Movie Trailer:

Smitty Movie Review

Director: David M. Evans

Writer: Michael Baumgarten

Running Time: 94 minutes

Genre: Drama, Family

Cast: Brandon Tyler Russell, Mira Sorvino, Peter Fonda

Synopsis:

Ben got into another mischief again. He is given a choice to spend his time in the Juvi hall or spend his summer in Iowa with his estranged grandfather. Ben does not enjoy his first day at the farm. However, his grandfather takes him to an animal shelter to get a smart farm dog for him. Soon, Ben forms great friendship with his dog and a friendly neighbor, Mr. Smith. Before the summer is over, Ben learns great lessons about life, family, friendship and even the value of responsibility.

Reaction:

I love watching dog stories since I was a kid. Dogs have a special place in my heart. Like the rest of the dog stories I watched in the past, this film is a good family film. Kids would definitely enjoy watching this. It offers great lessons that you can share with your kids. This film does not centers primarily on Smitty (dog) but mostly about Ben, his grandfather and mom. It is good thing to see how they are all able to bridge the gap in their relationships.

Anyway, acting wise, I would say that the main actor, Brandon Tyler Russell looks kinda awkward when he delivers his lines. Good thing that the supporting cast perform quite well. Well, for kids, they will not mind about the acting at all so long as it is fun and entertaining. The setting of this film is almost shot entirely in a farm. It is just so serene watching those great views. 

All in all, I would highly recommend this film for the family and friends. Sometimes, it is just quite nice to watch feel good movies that would inspire us and make us realize that there is more to life. My rating for this film would be 5 out of 10.

Watch its Official Movie Trailer:

 

Movies Showing This Week (April 25 & 27, 2012)

Payback (April 25, 2012)

Cast: (not available)

Synopsis:   

A documentary about indebtedness. This is an adaptation of the book written by Margaret Atwood. 

96 Minutes (April 27, 2012)

Cast: Brittany Snow, Evan Ross, Christian Serratos

Synopsis: 
Four kids got caught into trouble one night. Each has their own stories to tell and ended up together in a car.

Bernie (Limited)

Cast: Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine, Matthew McConaughey

Synopsis: 
A mortician befriends a rich widow. However, he is faced with great trouble on how to cover up his deed after he killed the widow. He must make up an illusion that the widow is still alive.

Citizen Gangster

Cast: Scott Speedman, Kelly Reilly, Kevin Durand

Synopsis: 
Eddie Boyd is a vet and a family man. However, things does not work well for him that he turns into a bank robber. He is following a dark path of danger and tragedy. 

Elles

Cast: Juliette Binoche, Anais Demoustier, Joanna Kulig

Synopsis: 
This film follows an investigation on some young female students who got involve into prostitution in order to pay for their university studies.
 

Headhunters

Cast: Aksel Hennie, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Synnove Macody Lund

Synopsis:   

A corporate headhunter got involved into a big trouble after he stole a painting. He  faces Clas Greve who would hunt him anywhere.

Restless City

Cast: Herve Diese, Mohamed Dione, Ger Duany

Synopsis: 
An African immigrant is trying to survive his life in New York. He has great passion for music. However, he falls in love and would he dare to risk everything?

Safe

Cast: Jason Statham, Catherine Chan, Chris Sarandon

Synopsis:   

An action packed film involving an ex elite agent. His main task is to save a Chinese girl from the Triads. Along the way, he is entangled into more complicated tasks.

Sound of My Voice

Cast: Christopher Denham, Nicole Vicius, Brit Marling

Synopsis:   
A journalist together with his girlfriend conducts an investigation on a certain cult whose leader claims to be from the future. 

The Broken Tower (Limited)

Cast: James Franco, Michael Shannon, Stacey Miller

Synopsis:   

This is a life story of Hart Crane, an American poet. He took his life by jumping off from a steamship.

The Five-Year Engagement

Cast: Jason Segel, Emily Blunt, Chris Pratt

Synopsis:

This is a comedy film about an engage couple . They face several challenges in the course of their five year engagement.

The Giant Mechanical Man

Cast: Jenna Fischer, Chris Messina, Topher Grace

Synopsis:   

A romantic comedy story between a street performer  and a zoo worker. The soft spoken woman falls in love with him.

The Highest Pass

Cast: Eric Braff, Ariane de Bonvoisin, Paul Greene

Synopsis: 

Adam discovers from his Yogi guru that he would die at the age of 27. Later on, he joins Anand on a motorcycle journey. He would realize something important about life.

The Pirates! Band of Misfits 

Cast: Hugh Grant, Salma Hayek, Jeremy Piven

Synopsis:

Pirate Captain is on a challenging quest to fulfill his mission. It would take him to different places from the Blood Island to the streets of Victorian London.

The Raven

Cast: John Cusack, Alice Eve, Luke Evans

 

Synopsis:

A detective works together with Edgar Allan Poe after they discovered that a madman is on the loose trying to commit murders based from Poe's works.

Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale

Cast: Masanobu Ando, Umin Boya, Chi-Wei Ching

Synopsis:   
Two races were fighting in the mountains of Taiwan 80 years ago. One race believed in the sun while the other worshiped the rainbows.

The Cabin in the Woods Movie Review

Director: Drew Goddard

Writers: Joss Whedon, Drew Goddard

In Theaters: April 13, 2012 (USA)

Running Time: 105 minutes

Genre: Horror, Thriller
Rated: R

Cast: Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison

Synopsis:

Five friends decide to take a break to a remote cabin. When they arrive at the cabin, they find it a bit creepy but that does not stop them to have fun. They never thought that something horrible would await them in the night.  

Reaction:

Honestly, I did not expect much from this film knowing that most horror films today have a lot of things in common. Most of them tend to rely more on special and sound effects without giving much thought on coming up a good script. Like this film, I thought this is another typical teen slasher film with bunch of individuals trying to have the time of their life and then got stuck in a remote area with a ghost, a serial killer or maybe some zombies. And I was never wrong at least on the first few parts. There were several twists in the film that for me it lost its main theme. The film also got a stark resemblance to Evil Dead.

I guess the director aims to showcase to the viewers how most horror films are usually presented, Well, they were able to achieve that goal. However, those additional twists were overrated.  I cannot say it is an original story like what other reviewers were telling but it is a lame attempt at trying to put up everything horrific one can imagine in a film. And the outcome is not really that satisfying. I guess I might miss the whole point of the director but in my humble opinion, this is just like a "jack of all trade master of none" film. I do not know what to make of this film. It fails in its attempt to create a horror genre. At one point, I was on the verge of getting carried away with some scary scenes then the next moment I was brought back to another scene where the characters were exchanging some jokes. It just left me hanging. The finale is not that impressive though I was really surprised to see those familiar horror icons.

In fairness, I admire the director's brave attempt to come up with this kind of story. The film got its funny moments and thanks to Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford. They definitely make the film interesting. The cameo role of Sigourney Weaver is indeed powerful. I hope to see more of her in suspense thriller films. All in all, I would rate this film as 5 out of 10.

Watch its Official Movie Trailer:

Foster Movie Review

Director: Jonathan Newman

Writer: Jonathan Newman

In Theaters: August 30, 2012 (UK)
Running Time: 86 minutes 

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Family

Cast: Maurice Cole, Toni Collette, Ioan Gruffudd

Synopsis:

A married couple is struggling to cope up the devastating effect of their son's death. Years have gone and no matter how they try to build back their family, everything is not just working fine. Soon, they plan to adopt a child in order to start anew. They are shocked that just a day after visiting the orphanage, Eli (Maurice Cole) is knocking on their doorstep. Zooey (Toni Collette) and Alec Morisson (Ioan Gruffudd) take him in. They never thought that Eli would help them find the love that they once shared and rebuild their family.

Reaction:

First of all, I would like to applaud Maurice Cole. He is such a wonderful and witty child actor. He portrays his role well as a child knowledgeable enough for his age. I enjoy watching him delivering his lines on the most complicated topics. He is cute and brilliant for his age. I am looking forward to seeing more of his films in the future. Now, with Toni Collette and Ioan Gruffudd, though both are good actors in their own right but there is just no chemistry between them on the screen. The other supporting actors are quite fine.

All in all, Foster is a feel good film that makes everyone realize that life must go on after losing someone you love so dearly. That one should not live in the past so you can focus on your present. Well, the story itself is pleasant to watch with a bit of drama and comedy. Even though the film script is pretty simple and predictable, still I love to watch it since it is very inspiring. It is the kind of film that you would love to watch with your family and friends. This film may not be the best for those who love other film genre but it sure has a special place in my heart. It is just refreshing to ponder about life from time to time and see how we are doing so far. I would rate this film as 7 out of 10.

Check out its Official Movie Trailer:

 

Hysteria Movie Review

Director: Tanya Wexler

Writers: Stephen Dyer, Jonah Lisa Dyer, Howard Gensler

In Theaters: May 18, 2012 (USA)

Running Time: 100 minutes

Genre: Comedy, Romance

Cast: Maggie Gyllenhaal, Hugh Dancy, Jonathan Pryce

Synopsis:

Dr. Mortimer Granville (Hugh Dancy) is a struggling physician during the Victorian era. He has worked on several hospitals but unfortunately he always stays for a brief period of time in his work place. Then, he has his big break after he is hired by Dr. Robert Dalrymple (Jonathan Pryce) to work for him. He assists Dr. Dalrymple to help cure those women from hysteria. It is considered a mental problem at that time. Things work well for Dr. Granville until such time that he can no longer attend to his tasks anymore. During this time, he is able to come up with an interesting devise which is now commonly called as the vibrator.

Reaction:

This film is based on a true story about how the famous vibrator nowadays came to be. At that time in which medical science used crude tools and the medical practitioners got less knowledge, I realize how difficult life back then. A simple problem of hysteria which only rooted from women's lack of sex and stress from everyday life needs to seek  medical help. However, in this present time, it can easily be remedied. 

Anyway, I love the fact how this film presented the story in a light, funny and entertaining way. The actors were able to portray their roles well in a natural way. They did not make extra effort to make some scenes funny. Actually, the actors were quite serious in delivering their roles. The funniest scenes were those women who sought treatment for their hysteria. Those scenes were done in the most professional way with some funny touch in them.

There were several things to like about this film. Aside from the actors, the setting and the costumes were well defined. I love how the beautiful scenery were captured on the big screen. Watching the entire film made me smile and lighthearted. It is not common to see this kind of quality film these days.

I would rate this film as 7 out of 10. The script may not be that brilliant but it has the all the elements of romantic comedy film that I have been longing to watch for.

Watch its Official Movie Trailer:

Safe House Movie Review

Director: Daniel Espinosa

Writer: David Guggenheim

In Theaters: February 7, 2012 (New York premier)

Running Time: 115 minutes

Genre: Action, Crime, Mystery, Thriller

Cast: Denzel Washington, Ryan Reynolds, Robert Patrick

Synopsis:

Matt Weston (Ryan Reynolds) is a newbie CIA  agent who is assigned to man a safe house located in Cape Town. He must look after a fugitive, Tobin Frost (Denzel Washington). However, the safe house is attacked. Matt and Tobin escape from those attackers. Soon, Matt would discover a devastating truth about the CIA.

Reaction:

I have watched several films of Denzel Washington through the years. I can attest that he is a great actor. He is quite good at playing action films with mystery and some thrills. He always appears cool and in control. Among his films, I can say Safe House is one of the least remarkable. In fact, this is not the first time that he plays as a mentor to his co-actor. He also plays a cool mentor to another actor in the film Unstoppable.

Talking about other actors, Ryan Reynolds is good in this film. He portrays as the serious and determined young CIA. Too bad, the other cast were not given enough exposure. The whole film revolves around Washington and Reynolds. In addition, their characters were not developed too well. It lacks some details leaving the viewers hanging. 

Anyway, the script is not that interesting at all. Safe House is just one of those several films that got the CIA in some dirty deals. The good parts about this film are the two lead actors and of course its  entertaining action scenes. All in all, I would rate this film as 4 out of 10.

Watch its Official movie Trailer: