Category Archives: movies

“A Horse Tale,” a Family Story

drama, family, movies, romance, , , , , ,
horsetale

Directed by Brad Keller, A Horse Tale received the Dove “Family-Approved” Seal for all ages.  The story follows a typical uptight city accountant, Michael Thompson, played by Patrick Muldoon. He is raising his daughter on his own and is overprotective. His daughter, Chloe, played by Mandalynn Carlson, has an unpleasant incident at school, and her dad stresses out.

So much so that his assistant recommends they move to her Uncle Cliff’s horse farm. Her uncle needs help with the books, anyway, before the merciless bankers take the farm away from them.  With Christmas coming up, it is the perfect time to visit the family and help save the horse farm.

Cliff, played by Rick Herod, is grateful for Michael’s help. But Samantha (Sam), played by Dominique Swain, is in charge of running the farm. She has a hard time with the idea of a city guy stepping in to help. Sam is not interested in any assistance from an outsider. They smooth over the rough edges and decide working together is the best way to avoid losing the farm.

The story is predictable.  But it is a good family movie because it promotes getting to know your family and working together toward a common goal. It also touches on the importance of accepting help when you are trying to overcome a problem.

The movie even offers a message to parents: No matter how hard it may seem, let your children grow up and be in command of their own lives. Be willing to let them make mistakes on their own.

“I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story”

children, documentary, legend, movies, review, true story, , , , , ,
IAmBigBird DVD-3D

The big yellow feathered bird on Sesame Street has been a household icon for decades. The documentary I Am Big Bird celebrates more than Caroll Spinney’s life and contributions performing Big Bird for over 40 years. The movie celebrates the making of the Muppets and puppeteers far and wide.

Directors Dave LaMattina and Chad N. Walker keep the pace even as they feature family home movies of Spinney’s beginnings in both his personal life and career. Interviews with Spinney, his family, the original cast and crew of Sesame Street relate tales of early educational television.

For example, Spinney and some of the crew tell a time in the early days when he almost quit the Muppets because he felt he wasn’t contributing enough to the show. But he was talked out of it, and soon Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch, Spinney’s other Muppet persona, became well-known puppets on Sesame Street.  Eventually, Big Bird became the most popular character on the show.

The interviews openly discuss his first marriage, which resulted in three dearly loved children, who are also interviewed in the documentary, clearly showing their love for their dad. Unfortunately, he and their mother divorced, and Spinney suffered through the ordeal.

He met the girl of his dreams after three unsuccessful attempts to date her. Debra tells the story so pleasantly. You can’t help but admire their relationship. Debra is interviewed at length in the movie, and her love and understanding of Spinney are very clear. Other items in the documentary are surprising and out of the ordinary. Never explained was why they didn’t have children of their own.

Finding out the staggering complexity of Spinney’s work in the puppet costume is spellbinding.  The demands alone for being a Muppet are amazing, but Big Bird is so much more complex and taxing on Spinney’s body. You need to see it. Just being a Muppet is highly demanding, but to be Big Bird is even more so.

The documentary shines a light on Muppets creator and genius Jim Henson. Clearly, a very good friend of the Spinney, seeing Henson, is heartfelt. The documentary shows footage and memories of working alongside Henson. Big Bird sang “It’s Not Easy Being Green” before the packed cathedral at Henson’s funeral, one of the most memorable scenes in the documentary.

Bogdanovich’s “She’s Funny That Way”

comedy, legend, movies, romance, , , ,
She's Funny That Way

She’s Funny That Way is a good movie, coming across sometimes funny and sometimes serious, but has a great cast that keeps the show on the road.

Directed by Peter Bogdanovich, who helmed such winners as Paper Moon and The Last Picture Show, does a fine job with this movie as it seeks an amicable ending.  Another favorite of mine, Wes Anderson, who directed such witty movies as The Grand Budapest Hotel and Fantastic Mr. Fox, is one of the many producers of this movie.

It starts off with a sit down interview with Izzy, played by Imogen Poots, who is a hooker-turned actress and now successful. She talks about her rise to stardom and her first Broadway role.  She reflects on the people involved in her breakout role, and the movie cuts to that time on Broadway, where they are thrown into a state of romantic uncertainty and confusion.

A salacious, but bleeding heart director, played convincingly by Owen Wilson, hires Izzy, a former hooker he solicited, now turned actress, to star alongside his wife, played humorously by Kathryn Hahn, and his wife’s ex-lover, played by Rhys Ifans. Playing on the outer edge of this confusion and adding a lot of hilarity are Jennifer Aniston, Cybil Sheppard and Will Forte. There are also numerous cameos, including Tatum O’Neal, Quentin Tarantino and Peter Bogdanovich himself.

The movie really gets fun when the director’s wife (Hahn) discovers his fetish for soliciting and then helping call girls. It comes to light when one of the more recent call girls he helped, Izzy, auditions for a role in the play he is directing. She does a fantastic reading because she is reading for a call girl, typecasting. A hilarious scene follows where his wife, who wants to get back at her husband, rehearses with the lead actor (Ifans) in a passionate love scene, and she makes real sexual advances toward him. The director tries to stay professional, as her husband is jealous. I was laughing at his reactions, so funny all the way through, and Wilson is hilarious.

Jennifer Aniston plays someone that I have never seen her play before, an unlikable character, so I was uncomfortable with it at first. She does a great job of being the typical psychologist who totally makes the patient feel inadequate and weak. Adding to that, in their face, telling them what is wrong with them. Aniston is great and funny.

There are so many good qualities in this movie. The reason I really enjoyed it is that the director, Peter Bogdanovich, brought together all these fine actors, some of whom I had worked with before. He is such a wonderful director, and I am delighted to see him working again.

“What We Did on Our Holiday” Scottish Comedy

comedy, holiday, movies, , , , , , , , ,
whatwedid

There are several things that I really liked about What We Did on Our Holiday. It is a Scottish comedy, and it takes place in the Scottish Highlands.

The subtle jokes are funny, but you have to be a Scot or familiar with the culture to really understand them. The movie follows three children of estranged parents.  All played wonderfully by Emilia Jones, Bobby Smalldridge, and Harriet Turnbull.

The movie has two directors, Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin. After the notable success of their BBC series Outnumbered, they weave an unsteady story about a family visiting their children’s grandfather, played truthfully by Billy Connolly. He is dying of cancer, so his whole family is celebrating his 75th birthday with a huge weekend bash as a final good-bye.

The parents of the three children, Doug, played by Harry Potter’s (David Tennant), and his wife Abi, played by Gone Girl’s Rosamund Pike, are divorcing and hope to keep it a secret from the rest of their family. They tell their children not to let anyone know about their pending divorce while visiting them over the weekend. Keeping a secret or lying about one’s parents affects the children, and they end up telling their grandfather the truth.

The parents are constantly battling over issues such as telling the truth, even if the truth is sad or shocking.  It is not just Doug and Abi who are having a rough time.  The children’s aunt and uncle (Doug’s brother and sister-in-law) are going through some rough times in their marriage as well.

The story really gets interesting when the children go to the beach with their grandfather, and he passes away there. Before he passes away, he tells them he is a descendant of the Vikings, and he wants to be burned out at sea as his Viking ancestors did a long, long time ago.

So, the oldest daughter goes back to the house to tell her parents that her grandfather has passed away. But their parents are arguing, as is the rest of the family. They are so busy arguing that they don’t even know the daughter is there and needs their attention. She decides to go back and handle the remains of her grandfather instead. The children honor his wishes and burn him at sea like a Viking, with repercussions in the 21st Century Scotland.

Other theatrics involving the repercussions of the Viking funeral and other family problems are quite funny. The fast-paced editing keeps the story moving and ties together nicely, like the ending of a Scottish tale.

“Mr. Holmes,” a Treasure With McKellen and Linney

drama, movies, mystery, , , , ,
Mr. Holmes

Mr. Holmes interested me because it is a movie about the legendary Sherlock Holmes.

My daughter praises the series on cable television, so I wanted to watch it with her. As the opening credits rolled, I noticed the director was Bill Condon. I thought to myself, “That is a familiar name. I recall he has directed some notable movies.”

So, I knew we were in for a treat.

Mr. Holmes is an extraordinary movie about getting old gracefully. We get to meet Sherlock Holmes, played by Ian McKellen, at an age when we probably never saw him. I was quite intrigued by his ability to play the middle-aged Sherlock in flashbacks and the older Sherlock on the edge of senility.  Mrs. Munro, his housekeeper, is played by Laura Linney, a fantastic actress. She did a great job as a homely, uncomfortable, and dissatisfied widow, caring for Mr. Holmes. Though he did not treat her poorly, he came across as harsh and mean.  In the long run, he showed his warmth through her son, which eventually reached her heart as well.

There is a wonderful young actor who plays the housekeeper’s son, Roger, played by Milo Parker. He’s smart, intriguing, and likable. Other characters, such as the bees, add spice to the story. Each character plays an important part in the whole story as it all comes together at the end.

There’s also a mystery in the story, which I really liked. However, in the long run, the mystery is easy to figure out. It could have been better, but I felt as if the movie moved along quite well. At the end of the movie, I felt satisfied.

I felt that everything having to do with the production and direction was wonderful. Bill Condon has a great reputation as a director, having helmed movies such as Gods and Monsters, Dreamgirls, a couple of Twilight films, and other notable films.

His talent was clearly demonstrated in the movie.  I recommend Mr. Holmes for adults. Though my daughter is 15, she watched it and enjoyed it because she is a fan of the current Sherlock Holmes series.

“Christmas Trade” Similar to “Freaky Friday” and “18 Again”

children, family, holiday, movies, ,
christmastrade

Directed by Joel Souza, Christmas Trade is similar to 18 Again or Freaky Friday. Only this time it’s during Christmas.  Mitch Taylor, played by William Baldwin, is a workaholic attorney and widower with a 12-year-old son, Robbie, played by Michael Campion.

Of late, Mitch has been having a hard time balancing his life as a dad and a breadwinner. He is really trying to be a good dad, keep his demanding, hard-nosed boss happy, and make partner at the law firm.  Even his impatient girlfriend is a great effort for him to maintain the relationship. He feels he can’t keep up with it all.

Add to the fact that Robbie has troubles of his own with the school bully. Robbie has become the bully’s most recent target.  That is not all. There is a girl he likes while trying not to be a complete geek in front of her.  There is nothing he can do as he has unwillingly been cast as the lead role in the Christmas Pageant.

Robbie hopes his dad will celebrate Christmas the way they should, but he didn’t last year and isn’t certain about this year. They both think the other has the best life, from growing up and being independent to being young without any responsibilities. Then, a strange toy mysteriously causes them to switch bodies. The father and son are required to experience what it’s like to spend the holidays in each other’s bodies.

This was an amusing, family-friendly movie in tandem, but the acting was not impressive. The story was enjoyable and brought a bit of fun to an evening with my family.

Christmas Movie “Paper Angels”

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paper angels

During the holidays, we will notice Christmas tree displays with paper angels hanging from their boughs. If you look closely, you will see the name of a child. Below the child’s name is a list of items the child wants or needs for Christmas.  The idea is for you to take one and buy the items on the list.  You, then, return the gifts to the location of the Christmas tree display.  The heartwarming tradition has been done for at least a hundred years.

Directed by David Winning, Paper Angels is based on the book of the same name by Jimmy Wayne, a Billboard Top Ten country music artist.  The movie is a gorgeous look at what happens to an abused wife, played by Josie Bissett, who leaves her alcoholic husband and moves with her children to another town.

The story follows her son Thomas, played by Rustin Gresiuk, as his mother tries to build a new life for her and her children.  Thomas sees her experience many of the challenges the whole family faces.  That is where the paper angels come into play. The Salvation Army enables a child to enjoy a blessed Christmas through its traditional paper angel program, which they run every year.  Thomas fills out a paper angel in hopes of making life easier for his mother.

Thomas encounters a disillusioned businessman, played by Mathew Settle, who picked his name from the tree.  As the story unfolds, we see through Thomas that there is more to a person than how they look on the outside.  The story gives us hope, resolve, love, commitment, and thoughtfulness. Sure, Thomas experiences disappointment, hurt, and anger. In the end, it is an uplifting story that highlights the season’s spirituality.

Paper Angels is one of the best Christmas TV movies I have seen in a long time.  It is well worth your time to watch and share with your family and friends.

Theron and Sheridan in “Dark Places”

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darkplaces

French director Gilles Paquet-Brenner helmed Dark Places as a drama-mystery about an impoverished Kansas City farming family. All but two members of the family were murdered three decades ago.

The story is told through Libby Day, played by Charlize Theron, as she flashes back to a younger Libby Day, played by Sterling Jerins. Libby and her brother, Ben, played by Corey Stoll, are the two remaining family members from the night of the murders. Ben is serving a life sentence for the murders.

The younger Ben, played by Tye Sheridan, is seen in flashbacks. There are also present circumstances that keep the story interesting. A true crime club that solves crimes and proves those who are wrongly accused innocent. The club is headed by Lyle, played by Nicholas Hoult. The club holds strong evidence that Ben is innocent. It was younger Libby’s testimony that sent younger Ben to prison. Lyle leans heavily on Libby to prove her brother’s innocence. As the movie unfolds, past and present meet and the truth about the night of the murders is unraveled.

Dark Places is based on the book by Gillian Flynn, who wrote the bestseller Gone Girl and the screenplay for the same-titled movie. Gone Girl did well at the box office and nabbed some award nominations. Even though Dark Places had a limited release, I thought it played better than Gone Girl because the story seems more real in its circumstances and characters. Both stories are intricately folded and twisted, but Dark Places wraps up nicely while Gone Girl leaves a few points and characters entangled.

Theron makes the story believable because she is an outstanding actress.  Like Gone Girl, the film has minor storylines that drew me in. Paquet-Brenner led the cast with honest acting in a very well-paced movie. I am kind of surprised it didn’t have a wide release because it is so good. So, if you see the movie streaming or on the DVD shelf, I suggest you grab it and watch it. You will be entertained.

“Christmas at the Cartwright’s” Charming Hallmark Movie

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christmascartwright

Like most Hallmark movies, Christmas at Cartwright’s is a charming holiday film that airs each year around Christmas. Cartwright’s is a fine example that Hallmark movies are innocuous, amusing and heartwarming to watch.

Directed by Graeme Campbell, the story follows Nicky Talbot, played by Alicia Witt, who is a single mother and, without prior notice, becomes unemployed.  With Christmas just around the corner, being without a job is going to be tough. Finding a way to earn money to give her daughter, Becky, played by T.J. McGibbon, an engaging and cheerful Christmas with a few gifts.

Nicky learns that a local department store, Cartwright’s, is hiring extra staff for the holiday shopping season. She applies for a position. Nicky is happy because it appears she will have a job, but Fiona Aldrich, played by Gabrielle Miller, a senior executive at the store, puts the kibosh on her plans and turns her down.  Fiona is jealous of Nicky because she has seen her with Fiona’s would-be boyfriend named Bill.  Gabriel Hogan plays Bill, who is the store manager.

Along comes Harry Osbourne, played by Wallace Shawn, who suggests Nicky work as the store Santa. That way, she can keep her identity hidden from the other workers.  We are talking Hallmark magic here on the storyline. It is a little unbelievable for a young woman playing an older man as Santa. It gets funny at times, but still hard to believe.

Christmas at Cartwright’s is a fun movie to watch with the whole family.  All the actors are great. Their roles are believable and engaging. The movie is timeless because it is like a fairy tale, where you have to believe what is happening to get into the holiday magic. Like all fairy tales, the story is worth seeing again every Christmas.

“Vendetta” WWE Film Directed by Women

action, movies, police drama, , , ,
vendetta

Directed by twins Jen and Sylvia Soska, Vendetta is a movie shot predominately in a prison, which keeps the production cost down. Produced by the WWE and starring wrestler Paul “The Big Show” Wight as a massive villain.

Vendetta is billed as an action movie, and the male-dominated tone surprises me that two women directed this WWE brand of entertainment.

The movie stars Dean Cain as Mason, a strong, crusty detective who we meet in the opening scene. He apprehends Victor, played by Wight, but is released on a technicality. Victor is out for revenge and arrives at Mason’s home and beats his wife, played by Kyra Zagorsky, to death and gets caught.

Mason snaps and embarks on a vendetta against the man who shattered his life. He kills Victor’s brother, played by Aleks Paunovic, and is thrown in the same prison where Victor is serving his time.

Victor wields considerable power in the prison and calls the shots. Getting involved in one violent altercation after another, now a former cop, Mason meets the prison’s sleazy warden, played entertainingly by Michael Eklund. He called him into his office after one of his attackers was placed in the hospital by Mason.

The warden scolds Mason and decides his pal Victor can eliminate Mason for him.  Mason asks his former partner in the police force, played by Ben Hollingsworth, to help him nail the corrupted warden and his cohorts.

How the story unfolds from here is endless fight scenes showcasing Cain’s muscular body.  Cain is good and delivers a physical performance worth watching. Wight’s massive body roars as he struts like a professional wrestler, choking out opponent after opponent.

The story builds to a prison riot as the movie ends.