Category Archives: movies

Lords of London

drama, movies, murder, thriller, , ,

lordsoflondonWritten and directed by Antonio Simoncini, Lords of London is about family ties and loyalties being tested.  The thriller takes place in the dark city of London and exotic Italy with lush sunsets and beautiful, colorful landscapes. Ray Winstone (Snow White and the Huntsman) is billed as the star of the movie, but he is not in the movie all the much. Glen Murphy, Giovanni Capalbo (The Passion of the Christ) are the real stars of the movie while introducing Cassius Terence Murphy.

On the Internet, the reviews are not all that great, but the movie won Best Film at Italy’s Abruzzo Film Festival and New York Hell’s Kitchen Film Festival World Cinema.

We follow London gangster, Tony Lord, who is believably played by Murphy. Lord is the son of the notoriously ruthless Terry Lord, who is played very well by Winstone, which is a typical role you will see in other movies like The Departed.  He is a natural gangster while being shown in flashbacks and is not in the movie all that much. The story is about his son Tony, who must confront his father’s past. We see his father being violent and abusive toward his son.  The scenes work in the film because they build the tension of the storyline as a whole.

All in all, Simoncini crafts a well-honed movie through the editing of the film. He cuts from the present to the past, which is very effective as the story unfolds.

For Better or for Worse

comedy, movies, romance, television, , ,

For Better Or For Worse DVD 3D (1)For Better or for Worse brings former TV series The Facts of Life co-stars Lisa Whelchel and Kim Fields together again in two very different roles for each actress. If you like the former TV show, then you should find these two women together again a scream. Antonio Cupo also stars in the movie and is a regular in Hallmark movies, appearing in Love at the Thanksgiving Day Parade and I Do, I Do, I Do.

Based on the novel by Diana Hunt and directed by Marita Grabiak, Wendy (Whelchel) is a wedding planning coordinator. She is coming to grips with her grief of losing her husband.  In walks charming, and a bit of a thorn in the side, divorce attorney Marco (Cupo). He establishes his practice next door to Wendy’s wedding chapel. Rosanne (Fields) works for Wendy, is a good friend, and offers sage advice to the two business conflict with each other. A feud emerges as it becomes clear that weddings and divorces are like oil and water. When Wendy’s son and Marco’s daughter meet, fall in love and get engaged, Wendy and Marco are forced to team up and plan the kids’ wedding.  Opposites attract and well…you need to see the movie and find out how the romance blossoms between the two.

The movie is fresh and delightful as a romantic comedy and is a little too predictable for my tastes.  Yet, if you are a fan of Hallmark movies, then you will love this happy, go-round, and up and down movie.

My Boyfriends’ Dogs

drama, movies, romance, television, , ,

My Boyfriends' Dogs DVD-f (1)Hallmark movies have their own flavor of entertainment based on a formula that works most the time. My Boyfriends’ Dogs works for me because of Ericka Christensen, who plays Bailey Daley, creates a very believe able winsome character that you can’t help but love.  She is on her own, unattached, charming, cute in a funny way and attracts guys more often than one would think.

The crux of the story is each guy who approaches her turns out having a dealbreaker.  It’s not because they are criminals or killers. It’s because they are control freaks or just don’t like dogs, which Bailey says is the grounds for a breakup.

In spite of everything, she meets three different guys, played by Jeremy Gilbaut, Oliver Rice, Jesse Hutch, and she gets serious enough to be smitten with their dogs.  She ends up breaking it off with the guys, but keeps their dogs, a golden retriever, a Dalmatian and a Shih Tzu. Here, we begin our story with Bailey because the rest of the story is told in flashback.  I like it.

Being a Hallmark movie is a shoe in to have a happy ending, and for this movie, it’s called a twist of fate. But just how it happens is what makes the story interesting to watch until the end.  You will like Christensen, the dogs, and even the ex-boyfriends.  The story may seem a bit slow, but it is worth watching for all the talent on the screen.

Ladrones

comedy, foreign films, movies, , , , , ,

LadronesDirected by Joe Menéndez, Ladrones follows a pair of modern day hoods who rob the rich and give it to the poor.  This is the sequel to the hit movie, Ladrón Que Roba a Ladrón. Starring two of Univision’s biggest stars, Fernando Colunga and Eduardo Yáñez, they play Toledo and Guzman.  The hoods set out to steal the original 1848 Texas land grants and return them to their rightful owners. The grants were stolen from the lawful owners by Miranda Milroy, played by Jessica Lindsey. She plans on leveling the ranches in order to build a cultural center where she plans to sing opera.  How these two pull off this caper is quite good.

The movie is in Spanish with English subtitles throughout.  It feels like a movie made for TV, though.  Comedy is not raunchy but mild, so I can’t figure out why it is rated PG-13.  The storyline is simple with a little bit of action that makes the movie slow at times. On an upbeat note, Jackie played by Cristina Rodlo is funny as super intelligent, and her ranch hand boyfriend played by Vadhir Derbez is undoubtedly hired for just his looks. The characters keep the movie fun and entertaining, but the plot is just too straightforward with not enough hooks to keep me strongly interested.

Though you think this is a guy’s movie, it is not. Families with older kids can watch this movie without much flack. Some points in the story go unexplained or are just too simple to bother me.  Like when Toledo and Guzman nabbed the land grants. The situation should be handled, but it didn’t. The conflict kept going, which didn’t make sense.

Born to Win

drama, foreign films, movies, , ,

BorntoWinWritten and directed by Frans Cronjé, Born to Win is a Christian Faith movie based on a true story that will get believers inspired and follow one man’s journey to find his faith.

From the producer of the hit faith movie Faith Like Potatoes, which sold over 2.2 million DVDs in 17 languages worldwide, Born to Win is not quite as good, but still tugs at your heartstrings.  The movie follows Leon Terblanche, played brilliantly by Greg Kriek (Momentum), a teacher at a school for disabled children. He finds himself confronted with the question: “Where is God?” This sets him on a journey where he discovers that he has never been alone through all the hurt and brokenness of his past. Leon learns that no matter how broken you are God is always our only living hope. Born to Win shows how God turns the hurt, frustration and emptiness of a man into hope, faith and victory to inspire people to be the winners they were born to be.

The movie is beautifully shot by Jorrie van der Walt with an endearing soundtrack by Simon Ratcliffe. Both set the movie’s rhythm and poise creating intense, realistic, and heart driven levels of pain with impossible odds. Leon goes through a failed relationship and circumstances beyond his control. What he experiences with the children is pure heartache.

The movie was theatrically released in South Africa in 2014 and received the Golden Crown Award for Best Evangelistic Film in 2015 (ICVM).  The movie is poignant with very touching performances by other cast members including Leoné Pienaar (Break Away), Nadia Beukes (Mooirivier), Cobus Venter (Skin), Marie Cronje (Faith Like Potatoes), Dorette Potgieter (Citizen Verdict), Anrich Herbst (Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom), Sylvia Mdunyelwa-Kobus (Tula Tula), Garth Collins (Zulu), Merlin Balie (Break Away), Tim Theron (Mooirivier) and  Leandie Du Randt (Semi-Soet).

Meadowland

drama, indie, movies, , , , ,

meadowlandHer directorial debut, Reed Morano’s Meadowland takes a brave look at two people who are in very deep pain.  They struggle with the darkness captivating one’s attention like crazy.

The first scene sets up the story and overall tone of the movie.  We meet a married couple, played brilliantly by Olivia Wilde and Luke Wilson. They are on a family trip and lose their young son. Abduction is what everyone assumes happened to the child.  The story follows the aftermath of their loss, one year later. Two people who were once in love are now individually alone.  The marriage crumbles from the inside while starting at the edges.  The mother wanders in the middle of the night going to the subway as her maternal love feels empty.  The father is a New York City cop, who turns cold, trying to resolve his issues at a support group, but failing to even make that go right.  They live in the past with only memories barely keeping them awake from the tragedy.

This is a very sad movie and as a parent, a hard movie to watch.  Yet, the performances are beautifully executed and capture the melancholy and carelessness followed by the loss of a loved one. The supporting cast, including Elizabeth Moss, Giovanni Ribisi, and John Leguizamo, offer deep, rich colors of despair. Reed Morano, who is known in the industry as a cinematographer for such notable movies as Frozen River and The Magic of Belle Isle, takes the viewers on an unbelievable and unforgettable journey as she guides these tormented characters.

Meadowland is beautifully shot and an expertly crafted movie, yet it is sad. Your mindset needs to be ready for a downer because the subject matter will turn your stomach inside out with emotion and fear of losing your own children.

A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story

documentary, movies, ,

ABraveHeartLizzieVelasquezStory_3D_DVDDirected by Sara Bordo, we meet a 26-year-old motivational speaker and author Lizzie Velazquez.  She is diagnosed with a rare congenital disease that thwarts her body from gaining weight. Soaking wet she weighs 58 pounds and can only see out of one eye. To make matters worse, she was subjected to bullying in childhood and even today she is bullied by random people.  The best word I can think about is “resilient” because she is powerfully intelligent with an amazing and beguiling sense of humor.  Velazquez turned for the best when she was seventeen. Surfing on YouTube, she came across video footage titled The World’s Ugliest Woman, and it referred to her.

What could she do? Turn the other cheek and continue avoiding the foreseeable looks and caustic backhanded remarks.  What would you do if you met her for the first time? Normally, people react and reflect on their reaction and correct themselves, so they can see her beyond her ugliness. Yet, there is a hit of guilt and even shame once they recover their humanity.  Under those conditions is exactly the way Velazquez approached her talks and wrote her books. Watching the documentary, one can’t help but admire her rare patience and understanding.

A Brave Heart follows her transformation from a budding victim to an inspiring personality. Bordo weaves the story of Velasquez’s journey, starting with a series of eloquent and expressive posts on her own YouTube channel, an autobiography, and presentation at TEDxAustinWomen discussing self-image that circulated quickly in discussions and on the Internet.

Bordo garnishes the documentary with interviews, home videos, and footage of her lectures.  We journey with Velasquez’s as she confronts her health issues, a condition continued undiagnosed for years, and she proceeds with being directed to never-ending tests and medical exams.

All in all, don’t expect an immediate resolve like a fairy tale. Velazquez still has her plight, though she has notoriety and success. Not all oddities or freaks have such luck. Let’s just love one another as we are not our bodies but shapeless souls with a common goal – be happy with who we are and love one another.

Little Dead Rotting Hood

horror, movies, , ,

rottinghoodDirected by Jared Cohn, Little Dead Rotting Hood maintains the idea that some low-budget horror movies are not worth watching unless you are an avid horror movie junkie who needs a fix.

The storyline works on paper but the production value needs work. The movie is described as something sinister lurking in the woods, and the residents of the small town nearby are falling victim to its bloodlust. When the town sheriff discovers that the wolves inhabiting the nearby forest are getting more aggressive and even deadly, he soon uncovers a danger beyond his imagination.

Different from the description, Little Dead Rotting Hood jumps around like ideas and the plot rarely meet with coherent understanding. Nothing is clear. The story is murky, even the significant twist near the end is awkward, just hard to make sense out of it all. I don’t want to share the key points because you will see the movie, and it is best for you to determine if you like it or not.

The movie is filmed well and captures the idyllic life of living in a small town. The surroundings are flourishing and stunning while the overall location looks perfect for the story. The acting works though with familiar faces, Eric Balfour and Patrick Muldoon.

Laura Beth Love did a marvelous job with the cinematography, and I’d like to see her work on a better movie, where she can really shine with a good plot.

Kill Game

horror, movies, murder, , , , , ,

Kill GameWritten and Directed by Robert Mearns, Kill Game is your typical low-budget, slasher and whodunit horror movie. Jimmy, played by Nathan Ross Murphy, becomes the first victim. The story meets a small group of close friends, who attend his funeral.  The cast in the small group are Sari Sanchez, Joe Adler, Pierson Fode, Michael Galante, and Laura Ashley Samuels.

They are close because they share a deadly secret that happened five years ago in High School.  They played a prank on a student who died from it.  Covering their tracks by masking the incident as a drowning accident, the group lives with the horrible crime, never realizing that their actions will soon haunt them, with deadly results.

Shortly after funeral, they come to terms that anyone of them may also become a victim.  The reason they believe they are next is because they not only played a prank that killed the student but played some pretty mean pranks on other students and teachers. Yet, they have no idea who the slasher is because they played pranks on a so many people.  Then, Jimmy’s twin brother shows up from out of town attending the funeral, and is trying to uncover what happened to his brother. He has no idea about the deadly prank relating to his twin’s murder.

The movie is hard to follow at times because the clues to the murder are all over the place. The sequence of discovery is not linear or easy to follow. For example, a mask was found, but how did the group relate it to the killer. The clues just didn’t add up like a good murder mystery.

It is obvious this is a low-budget horror movie that is full of clichés and empty on good substance.  I am sure most horror movie junkies will want to see this movie for what it is worth.

Some Kind of Beautiful

comedy, movies, romance, , ,

somekindDirected by Scottish television and film director Tom Vaughan, the movie follows Richard Haig, played by Pierce Brosnan. Haig teaches the Romantics at Cambridge where he encounters an American student named Kate, played by Jessica Alba. They start a relationship of sorts, after 6 months, she is having his baby. Richard is an honorable man and takes his new and young bride to Los Angles.  He meets Kate’s half sister, played by Salma Hayek. Now, we have a threesome happening here, and Kate has a baby boy.

Haig discovers his wife is leaving him, and his life is crushed. His entire livelihood is concentrated on his son while trying to get a new job.  His situation gets twisted around and he begins to have lusty and romantic feelings for Olivia. The problem is that his Visa renewal comes up. At this point, Richard needs to find a job, remain in the US, and find love with Olivia whom he never wanted to find love with in the first place.

The storyline is nothing new, but it is good to see these actors together. Vaughan has done his fare share of romantic comedies, yet this one misses its mark. The movie is way too predictable and not original with any surprises. Don’t get me wrong. It is funny and easy to watch, but Vaughan holds back the final punch for the knockout of laughs.  The actors do a fine job trying to save the movie from being too cookie cutter while the movie holds its own. Some Kind of Beautiful is worth a watch on cable or on a streaming network if you like these actors and can put up with a so-so, funny story.  But, watch the trailer…you’ll have a good laugh. Fun stuff.