Monthly Archives: January 2019

“Roma” – Oscar Winner Best Director and Foreign Film, Cinematography – Movie Clip

drama, foreign movie, ,

Written and directed by Alfonso Cuaron, Roma is an autobiographical story of Cuaron growing up in Mexico City in the early 1970s. The movie spans a year in the life of his middle-class family’s maid, Cleo, played by Yalitza Aparicio.

The movie is available on Netflix and is nominated for 10 Oscars, including Best Picture of the Year and Best Foreign Language Film of the Year.

The movie clip shows the cleverness of the screenplay and the detail of the scenes. The cinematography by Cuaron is stunning. Cuaron wrote, directed, and shot the movie. The details of the story are so powerful.

Cuaron, who won an Oscar for Gravity, has already captured a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Director. Aparicio is nominated for an Oscar for
Best Actress. Marina de Tavira, who plays the mother of the household, is nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.

The movie is a well-told story about a time in Mexico when the culture began to change. The film is in Spanish with English subtitles.

“A Dog’s Journey” Trailer and Poster

adventure, based on a book, drama, family movies, kid movies, , , , ,

Sappy, sappy, and tears, I am a sucker for a movie about dog souls returning to their masters or mistresses. What a great story about how friendships transcend lifetimes. The movie trailer tells the whole story, but heck, I am sold. I want to see this movie.

Directed by Gail Mancuso, who won an Emmy for TV’s Modern Family, it creates a movie about how some friendships transcend lifetimes. A Dog’s Journey is the sequel to the popular film A Dog’s Purpose. Bailey finds his new destiny and forms an unbreakable bond, leading him through unconditional love and companionship.

Bailey, voiced by Josh Gad, is living the good life on the Michigan farm of his “boy,” Ethan, played by Dennis Quaid, and Ethan’s wife, Hannah, played by Marg Helgenberger. His new playmate is Ethan and Hannah’s baby granddaughter, CJ.

The movie is available on Blu-ray and DVD and streaming online.

The problem is that CJ’s mom, Gloria, played by Betty Gilpin, decides to take CJ away. As Bailey’s soul prepares to leave this life for a new one, he makes a promise to Ethan to find CJ and protect her at any cost. 

Thus begins Bailey’s adventure through multiple lives filled with love, friendship and devotion as he, CJ, played by Kathryn Prescott, and CJ’s best friend Trent, played by Henry Lau, experience joy and heartbreak, music, and laughter.

“Everybody Knows” Trailer, Featurette, Interview and Movie Clip

drama, foreign movie, mystery, suspense, ,

Directed by Asghar Farhadi, Everybody Knows follows Laura, played by Penelope Cruz, a Spanish woman living in Buenos Aires. She returns to her hometown outside Madrid with her two children to attend her sister’s wedding. However, the trip is upset by unexpected events that bring secrets into the open.

Javier Bardem stars opposite Cruz (who are a real-life couple) as a former lover. The upset on her trip is tragic. The movie trailer indicates a kidnapping or disappearance. It’s not clear, but someone is missing. I believe it is her daughter.

The movie is in Spanish with English subtitles.

After watching the movie clip “Call the Cops.” we find out Laura’s daughter is missing and, at best, kidnapped.

The movie is being called a big-screen thriller. It is scary and intense. This was not obvious in the last clips and trailers. The featurette shows how intense the movie truly is.

The full interview with Cruz is now available for you to view. She explains the story, her character, and her character’s relationship with everyone involved in the story. Cruz talks about working with her husband as well. It’s a beautiful interview, and you get to be with her for a little over 8 minutes.

“We Die Young” Trailer and Poster

action, drama, thriller, , ,

Directed by Lior Gellar, We Die Young follows a ten-year-old boy named Miguel, played by
Nicholas Sean Johnny. Elijah is mixed up with the MS-13 gang in the crime-ridden burg of Washington, D.C. He works as a runner for the gang and is connected to the gang’s ruthless drug lord, Rincon, played by David Castaneda. His big brother Lucas, played by Elijah Rodriguez, desperately wants to keep him safe, so they flee for their lives.

Meanwhile, the brothers befriend a veteran named, played by Jean-Claude Van Damme, who is still traumatized from being in the armed service. Daniel helps them find their revenge against Rincon and the MS-13 gang.

The movie is available on Blu-ray and DVD, or you can stream it online.

“Run The Race” Trailer and Movie Clip

faith-based, family movies, , , , ,

Directed by Chris Dowling, Run The Race follows two brothers, Zach and David Truett, played by Tanner Stine and Evan Hofer. Their lives are up and down with cheering crowds muted by a lonesome home. The faith-based story focuses on how the brothers are desperate and willing to sacrifice today for a better tomorrow.

Reeling from his mother’s death and his father’s abandonment, Zach is an All-State athlete and finds glory on the football field. He is working toward a college scholarship and the brother’s ticket out of town. Zach, an All-State athlete, finds glory on the football field, working to earn a college scholarship and the brothers’ ticket out of town.

A devastating injury puts Zach—and his dreams—on the sidelines. David laces up his track, cleats to salvage their future, and sends their lives toward hope.

Zach’s knee injury brought him closer to the hospital nurse named Ginger, played by
Kelsey Reinhardt. Things get serious, and Zach has uncertainties about God threatening to tear them apart. He turns to what comes naturally to him: running.

The movie clip establishes how Michael is contemptuous towards his father for neglecting his two sons after their mother died. The acting is real and heartfelt as we also find out why Michael drives to be a football star and breaks records.

“Hotel Mumbai” Poster, Trailer, Clips, and Featurette

suspense, true stories, , , , ,

Co-written and directed by Anthony Maras, Hotel Mumbai is based on true events that happened in 2008. Terrorists in Mumbai, India, sieged the famed Taj Hotel.

Among the dedicated hotel staff is the renowned chef Hemant Oberoi, played by Anupam Kher, and a waiter, played by Dev Patel. They both choose to risk their lives to protect their guests.

The movie shows how the world watches, and a desperate couple, played by Armie Hammer and Nazanin Boniadi, is forced to make unthinkable sacrifices to protect their newborn child. John Issacs also stars in the movie, but his character’s role in the story isn’t clear.

John Collee co-wrote the screenplay with Anthony Maras. Collee worked as a doctor in the UK and other countries around the world. Hotel Mumbai is Maras’ first feature movie. He’s produced and directed three shorts.

The movie trailer is intense, and I am impressed with the filming of the movie.

The featurette tells the true story of what happened at the hotel in 2008 when the terrorists arrived. The actors are interviewed and relate to when this happens in real life. There are real-life heroes in this story.

This movie is intense, with undercurrents of fear, distrust, and uncertainties. The fact that it is based on a true story makes it even better. The movie is a plot-driven story by the curiosity of their survival against constant intrusion.

“Spider-man: Far From Home” Trailer, Clips, Featurette, and Posters

action, adventure, based on a book, sequels, , , , , , , , ,

Directed by Jon Watts, Peter Parker, played by Tom Holland, returns in yet another chapter, Spiderman: Far From Home.

Screenplay by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers; this time, Spiderman decides to join his best friends Ned, played by Jacob Batalon, MJ, played by Zendaya, and the rest of the gang on a European vacation.

However, Peter’s plan to leave superheroics behind for a few weeks is quickly scrapped when he begrudgingly agrees to help Nick Fury, played by Samuel L. Jackson, uncover the mystery of several elemental creature attacks, creating havoc across the continent.

Jon Favreau, who directed and had a minor role in the Iron Man movies, plays the love interest of Mary Parker, played by Marisa Tomei.

Another superhero arrives in the Disney and Marvel movies. Mysterio, played by Jake Gyllenhaal. You get to see him at the tail-end of the movie trailer. Don’t blink because you might miss him.

The three posters show different aspects of the movie and how it rolls out for the moviegoers. Spiderman is traveling with his classmates. Each poster represents a location in Europe. In the first one, we see Spiderman in Berlin.

The second poster shows him in London on the London Eye, also known as a giant Ferris wheel.

The next one is Spiderman in Venice, hanging out with the gondolas.

The following trailer offers spoilers for the recently released Avengers Endgame movie. With that, it is up to you to decide whether you want to watch this trailer.

The following clips show us what to expect when seeing the next Spiderman movie. Be careful if you have not seen the last Avengers movie because there are spoilers.

The Spiderman suits are a big deal in the movie. From this feature, it looks like he has two of them. I like the black one because he can do so much more wearing it. The red and black one is gorgeous.

“Fast Color” Trailer, Poster, and Clips

action, drama, thriller, ,

Directed by Julia Hart, Fast Color follows a young black woman, played by Gugu Mbatha-Raw, who is hunted by mysterious forces. Because she has supernatural abilities, she must go on the run when her powers are discovered.

She has nowhere else to go but flees back to her family and the farmhouse she abandoned long ago. A local Sheriff, played by David Strathairn, pursues her. She mends the broken relationships with her mother, played by Lorraine Toussaint, and daughter, played by Saniyya Sidney. It looks like her daughter has superpowers as well.

During this story, the black woman learns that her needed power is always inside her. The movie trailer shows a unique tale. I just hope the third act is worth it.

The following movie clips offer very little about the story. If it is just about the mother coming to terms with her daughter, who has the same ability, then the movie is slow. I hope there is an intense conflict with the local sheriff trying to catch her. If not, then the story is weak.

Three more movie clips were released, showing the movie’s storyline, relationships, and plot points.

“MIB: International” Trailers and Posters

action, based on a book, children movies, family movies, sequels, thriller, , , , , , , ,

Directed by F. Gary Gray, Men In Black: International follows an upstart known as Agent M, played by Tessa Thompson. She joins the group and partners with Agent H, played by Chris Hemsworth. MIB has always protected the Earth from the scum of the universe.  

However, in this new adventure, they tackle their biggest global threat to date: a mole in the Men in Black organization.

The movie also stars two stellar actors, Emma Thompson and Liam Neeson. Hemsworth looks yummy.

The third trailer tells us the whole story and what the CGI includes, with Thompson’s character stating at the beginning of the trailer, “We are a rumor.” It looks like a no-brainer and popcorn entertainment.

“John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum” Trailer, Interviews, Featurettes, Clip, and Posters

action, sequels, thriller, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Chad Stahelski directs Keanu Reeves as John Wick. They return in this third installment – Parabellum – of the non-stop action franchise about the super-assassin Wick. He’s Skyhook with a $14 million price tag on his head and an army of bounty-hunting killers on his heels. The movie trailer shows you precisely what is happening in the movie – just like the other two, but even more. It’s playing on Amazon.

After killing a member of the shadowy international assassin’s guild, the High Table, Wick is excommunicado, but the world’s most ruthless hit men and women await his every turn. The cast, including Halle Berry, Laurence Fishburne, Anjelica Huston, and Ian McShane, are extraordinary. I am so excited to see Huston in a movie.   

The Taxi clip is a bit odd, and I am not sure what it promotes to the fans of this franchise. Like the trailer, we see a lot of rain in New York City.

The next poster is colorful in an ironic way – too carefree and effervescent. It looks like he is in the tropics when most of the footage I’ve seen is in New York City.

The featurette explains the story to us. I like it. Anjelica Houston is seen briefly, but I love that she is in the movie. I hope her part is more extensive than what appears in the featurette.

Keanu Reeves is hyped about the third installment of the unique action movie. In this interview, he is obviously passionate about his character, the director, the style, and the story.

I chose Mark Dacascos and Asia Kate Dillon’s joint interview because they share Reeves’ working style with the cast and crew. They describe the story so well; it is eight minutes long with so much information in general.

The next featurette shows some astounding moves with the motorcycle chase. Seeing Reeves get so excited about a scene in his movie is fantastic.

Film legend Anjelica Huston is on the red carpet at the movie premiere. She talks about her character and the culture of the movie.

The featurette shows Reeves and Berry training for the movie. Watching the footage, they got a great workout and had so much fun.