Category Archives: drama

“Ad Astra” Posters, Trailers, Clips & Featurette

action, adventure, drama, science fiction, , , ,

Co-written and directed by James Gray, Ad Astra follows Astronaut Roy McBride, played by Brad Pitt, who travels to the outer edges of the solar system to find his missing father, Tommy Lee Jones.

Brad Pitt plays an astronaut in search of his father.
An interview with Brad Pitt at the NASA premiere in Washington, D.C.

His and the space program’s reasons are more than finding his missing father. He is sent to unravel a mystery that threatens the survival of our planet. His journey will uncover secrets that challenge the nature of human existence and our place in the cosmos.

The trailer, with tearing music, sets up a thriller, magical story about coming to terms with our concepts of the mysteries of the universe.

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

Gray’s directing credits are impressive in genres like The Immigrant, The Lost City of Z, and Two Lovers. Ethan Gross co-wrote the screenplay with Gray, and it appears they have worked together on most of Gray’s movies, receiving “special thanks” for some. Gross also writes for the episodic Fringe.

The cast includes Ruth Negga, Liv Tyler and Donald Sutherland.

The second trailer shows a decadent society, and whether the location is on Earth or another planet appears unclear. I am sensing a thriller and mystery of a secret society is at play.

As a symbolic gesture, the studio released the featurette on the 50th anniversary of man landing on the moon. The featurette shows more clips and gives us insight into the movie.

The IMAX trailer says very little about the movie in general. The prior trailers tell more about the movie – espionage or government secrets. Having phenomenal visuals is cool, but the film will be worth watching if the ending is impressive and not wasted time.

The sneak peek shows how fantastic the movie will be with all the CGI and good guys against the bad guys, including a moon rover chase.

The following movie clip shows a grave, solemn side to the story. I am guessing this clip is where the movie heads toward the third act, where more action will occur.

The following clip, “Lima Project,” is astoundingly intense. Pitt knows how to show the intensity and use the camera to communicate the undertones of discovering that his father is still alive.

“Ford v Ferrari” Posters, Clips, Featurettes, and Trailers

based on a book, drama, , , , , , , ,

Directed by James Mangold, Ford v Ferrari comes from a true story of the remarkable Shelby car from car designer Carroll Shelby, played by Matt Damon, and the fearless British-born driver Ken Miles, played by Christian Bale. 

Watch Ford v Ferrari with Christain Bale and Matt Damon

The movie is now available on Amazon, so that you can watch it in your living room.

The two men take on corporate interference, the laws of physics, and their demons to build a revolutionary race car for Ford Motor Company and take on the dominating race cars of Enzo Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France in 1966.

Any racecar aficionado who followed racecar driving knows this story. It is an intense and fun story to see on the movie screen. The rest of the cast includes Jon Bernthal, Caitriona Balfe, Tracy Letts, Josh Lucas, Noah Jupe, Remo Girone, and Ray McKinnon. I am sure you recognize Balfe, the star of Starz’s popular series Outlander.

Letts, who plays Ford II, stars in quite a few movies as a supporting role, but in The Lovers, he stars with Debra Winger as a lost, married couple, which plays like a dry comedy. 

The second trailer is different from the first but tells the same story. The characters are angry and are ready to fight each other.

The movie clip seems ridiculous and nonsensical. I am looking forward to seeing better scenes that make more sense.

The featurette shows an interview with Bale and Damon with cuts to the movie’s intensity.

The following movie clip is beautiful.

The following clip tells it all. Why did Ford back the Shelby car for the Le Mans?

The following featurette talks about the friendship between Miles and Shelby.

“Downton Abbey” Movie Clips, Posters & Trailers

BBC, drama, historical, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Although Downton Abbey, directed by Michael Engler, is no longer a television series, many fans followed the lives of the Crawley family and the servants who worked for them at the turn of the 20th century in an Edwardian English country house.

The movie is streaming and available on Blu-ray and DVD. The first motion picture of Downton Abby is a keeper.

I saw the movie opening weekend; it is everything I imagined it to be and more. The film is like a television series with a significant storyline and many subplots that entertain the audience. Julian Fellowes’s screenplay’s fast-paced and witty dialogue is a pleasure to follow, with the same characters as if nothing has changed. A revelation happens at the end, but other than that, we know everyone else will return.

The final one-sheet says it all.

Over its six seasons, the series garnered three Golden Globe Awards, 15 Primetime Emmy Awards, and 69 Emmy nominations. It acknowledges Downton Abbey as the most nominated non-US television show in the history of the Emmys – even earning a Special BAFTA award and a Guinness World Record for the highest critically rated TV show along the way. 

The movie arrives in all its signature storylines. Watching the second movie trailer, we can see those storylines picking up where the television show left off. The benefit of a visit from the King and Queen of England proves to the fans that even though the popular television series is now a movie, nothing is different; Downton Abbey is the same.

The movie is like its television show but with more grandeur. The sneak peek shows the actors’ perspective of returning to Downton Abbey.

The movie clip shows how dialogue can move a story along with the action in the scene.

The following two clips show how the movie is just like the television show. That is an intelligent decision by the producers. The story moves along at a quick pace without any meandering.

Do you recognize Imelda Staunton? She is a Harry Potter alumni and played the caustic evildoer Dolores Umbridge.

The following three clips prove the movie is exactly like the television series: the same women bicker, the same downstairs staff, and the same love between husband and wife.

“The Art of Racing in the Rain” Poster, Clips, Featurette & Trailer

based on a book, drama, romance, , , , , ,

Directed by Simon Curtis, The Art of Racing in the Rain is based on Garth Stein’s bestseller. Kevin Costner narrates the witty, heartfelt, and philosophical dog named Enzo.

Enzo gets to know his owner, Denny Swift, played by Milo Ventimiglia, while he develops his career as a Formula One race car driver. Enzo gains tremendous insight into the human condition. He discovers that the same techniques on the racetrack can be applied to life.

The movie is available on Blu-ray or DVD; you can download or stream it. People embraced the book, and the film received mixed reviews but was entertaining.

The movie accompanies Enzo as the story follows Swift and the loves of his life – his wife, Eve, played by Amanda Seyfried, and their young daughter, Zoe, played by Ryan Kiera Armstrong. Ultimately, the story is about Swift’s best friend, Enzo.

Enzo, a wise old dog, inspires dog lovers with his thoughts about life experiences. Ultimately, they prepare him to protect his family when they need him the most.

Curtis’s impressive directing credits include My Week With Marilyn, Woman in Gold, and Goodbye Christopher Robin.

The movie also stars Gary Cole, Kathy Baker, and Martin Donovan.

Bring plenty of tissues to the movie. The movie trailer is a tearjerker.

The camera angles from the dog’s point of view help keep the movie engaging. The clip is about the couple meeting for the first time – a good scene to watch.

The best way I can describe the “Pick of the Litter” clip is it relaxed me. The movie seems refreshing and delightful, and this clip proves it.

The following clip seems like a Hallmark movie with the intensity of racing at a low grade.

The featurette explains the relationship between Denny and Enzo — universal.

Denny and Enzo

The movie clip is adorable. Kevin Costner’s narration is endearing and heartfelt.

“American Woman” Poster, Trailer & Clips

drama, mystery, ,

Jack Scott directed American Woman in a small, blue-collar town in Pennsylvania. We meet Debra, a 32-year-old woman whose teenage daughter went missing, leaving her to raise her infant grandson alone.

The story is told over 11 years, from when her daughter vanishes, through the trials and tribulations of subsequent years looking for closure, leading to the long-awaited discovery of the truth. In the movie trailer, we get a slight glimpse of the truth.

Scott’s directing credits are minimal, though he directed Welcome to the Rileys. 

The screenplay is by Brad Ingelsby, whose writing credits include Out of the Furnace, starring Christian Bale, and Run All Night, starring Liam Neeson.

They screened the movie at TIFF, and the reviews were positive. The cast also includes Christina Hendricks and Aaron Paul.

The movie clip “Please Set Down” seems random, but the scene shows how tormented Debra is over her daughter’s disappearance. She is accusing someone, but it is hard to tell who because the sound is slightly off.

The following movie clip shows the positive aspect of the movie. Sure. There are some lows but some highs, which makes a good movie. It is a fun clip to watch.

The following two clips contrast with each other. I am unsure who Debra is talking to in the kitchen, but the moment is decisive, and two actresses pull it off. The editing is excellent because it’s so intense. I am guessing the scene is with her daughter before she disappears, but I am unsure because the season isn’t right.

The following clip is a brutal scene for Miller, who plays Debra. But it would be best if you gave the little boy credit for hanging in with her anguish. He is with her, believing it and sympathetic.

The following two clips reveal her daughter’s attitude toward her son’s father. She is immature and not taking her life all too seriously. The other clip is Debra’s grandson as a teenager and at least a decade since her daughter disappeared.

I saw the movie the other night. The acting is excellent, but there are not enough highs to stress the lows. So, when we hit the movie’s most depressing point, it does not do the story justice. Miller does an excellent acting job, as does the rest of the cast, so you can watch with that in mind. The movie is available online on Amazon.

“Angel Has Fallen” Trailers, Clips & Poster

action, drama, thriller, , , , , ,

Directed by Ric Roman Waugh, Angel Has Fallen begins with an assassination attempt on U.S. President Allan Trumbull, played by Morgan Freeman. His trusted confidant, Secret Service Agent Mike Banning, played by Gerard Butler, is wrongfully accused and taken into custody.

After escaping from capture, he becomes a man on the run and must evade his agency and outsmart the FBI to find the real threat to the President. Desperate to uncover the truth, Banning turns to unlikely allies to help clear his name, keep his family from harm and save the country from imminent danger.

The screenplay is by Robert Mark Kamen and Matt Cook with the story by Creighton Rothenberger and Katrin Benedikt.

Waugh is best known for being a stunt coordinator and doing stunts in tons of movies. He is also a screenwriter and directed a handful of movies.

The rest of the cast includes Danny Huston, Nick Nolte, Jada Pinkett Smith, Lance Reddick, and Tim Blake Nelson.

In the second trailer, Banning has a neurological issue from the attack on the President’s life. The overall feel for the movie is an action-pack intensity that is entertaining.

In this movie clip, we see the bad guy maneuvering the drones. He knows the Presidents entourage.

It’s good to see Nolte playing Butler’s dad. A little humor in the movie like this is good.

“Judy” Trailers, Clips, & Poster

biography, drama, legend, music, true stories, , , ,

Directed by Rupert Goold, Judy begins during the Winter of 1968. The showbiz legend Judy Garland, played by Renee Zellweger, arrives in Swinging London to perform a five-week sold-out run at The Talk of the Town.

It is 30 years since she shot to global stardom in The Wizard of Oz, but if her voice has weakened, its dramatic intensity has only grown. As she prepares for the show, battles with management, charms musicians, and reminisces with friends and adoring fans, her wit and warmth shine through.

The movie derives from the play End of the Rainbow by Peter Quilter and the screenplay adaption by Tom Edge. On the IMDB website, Quilter says Edge’s screenplay is more edger than the imaginative play.


Judy is available on Amazon Prime or wherever Blu-rays and DVDs can be purchased. 

Goold directing credits include True Story, King Charles III, and The Hollow Crown, which won Broadcasting Press Guild Awards for Best Single Drama. Goold works with executive producer Sam Mendes, who directed a couple of James Bond 007 movies. Mendes is not involved with the production of Judy.

The movie looks promising with Zellweger as Judy. We come to find even her dreams of love seem undimmed as she embarks on a whirlwind romance with Mickey Deans, played by Finn Wittrock, her soon-to-be fifth husband. Featuring some of her best-known songs, we celebrate the voice, the capacity for love, and the sheer pizzazz of “the world’s greatest entertainer.”

The next trailer shows more of the movie with is flashbacks and Garland’s drug dependency and separation from her children because she needs to go to London and make money. We see more of the other actors in the movie, including Jessie Buckley, Finn Wittrock, Rufus Sewell, and Michael Gambon.

Buckley is making quite a name for herself with her starring role in the award-winning Wild Rose.

Zellweger becomes Judy Garland, and she embodies her. She makes the movie.

Judy Garland is an endearing soul who understood the hardships that life can bring. She lived tragically in the end. But I am sure she is doing well.

In this clip, I can see Judy Garland as Dorothy when she comforts the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion. Zellweger is brilliant, and I hope she gets nominated for both the Golden Globe and Oscar.

It’s heartbreaking to watch this scene because of Judy Garland’s life rollercoaster. Here she is on an upswing when we know it will be tragic again.

“Wild Rose” Poster & Trailer

BBC, drama, music, , ,

Directed by Tom Harper, Wild Rose follows just out of prison Rose-Lynn Harlan, played by Jessie Buckley. She is bursting with raw talent, charisma, and cheek. Reunited with her son and daughter, she wants to leave Glasgow and become a country singer in Nashville.

On the other hand, Rose’s mother, Marion, played by Julie Walters, has had a bellyful of her worthless nonsense. Forced to take strict responsibility, Rose gets a cleaning job, only to find an unlikely champion in the middle-class lady of the house.

Harper is best known for directing episodic television shows and feature films. He has BAFTA nominations for both television and British cinema.

Written by Nicole Taylor, Wild Rose has a message — follow your dreams but keep your responsibilities in check. Home is where the heart is. Taylor is known for writing episodic television. Buckley also started in War & Peace, playing Marya Bolkonskaya, for which Harper directed several episodes.

Buckley won several awards, including the Dublin Film Critics Award for her role in this movie. She also starred in Beast, for which she won an award.

Watching the trailer, you get a feel for the pure Scottish story.

“Brian Banks” Trailer, Clips & Poster

biography, drama, sports, true stories, , , ,

Directed by Tom Shadyac, Brian Banks is a true story about an injustice made right. The studios are calling it “inspirational true story” when in fact I feel treachery.

The true story follows Brian Banks, played by Aldis Hodge, an All-American high school football star verbally committed to USC. His life is upended when he is unjustly convicted of a crime he didn’t commit.

Despite lack of evidence, Banks is railroaded through a broken justice system and sentenced to a decade of prison and probation. Years later, with the support of Justin Brooks, played by Greg Kinnear, and the California Innocence Project, Banks fights to reclaim his life and fulfill his dreams of playing in the NFL.

Shadyac impressive credits offer encouragement for this movie to rock and entertain. He’s directed Ace Ventura, Bruce Almighty, and The Nutty Professional. Over the past decade or so, he’s involved himself in documentaries as director and producer. In 1983, he became the youngest staff writer for Bob Hope.

The cast also includes Sherri Shepherd, Melanie Liburd, and Morgan Freeman.

The injustice of what Banks went through is tough to face. The young woman lied and destroyed his life. The movie clip is a scene where Banks played the tap of the young woman confessing she lied.

The featurette tells what the story is about through the eyes of those who were there from Brian Banks as executive producer and Justin Brooks as executive producer to the actors who play the people who went through this tragic story about injustice.

The story is real, and injustice happens, unfortunately. In this clip, I understand what Banks mother is saying because I am a mother. I want nothing but good for my daughter.

“The System” movie clip sets the pace for going to trial.

Burning Truth of “Trial by Fire” Poster, Clips & Trailer

drama, true stories, ,

Directed by Edward Zwick, Trial by Fire is a true story that took place in Texas. It follows an unlikely bond between an imprisoned death row inmate, played by Jack O’Connell, and a mother of two from Houston, played by Laura Dern. The mother faces staggering odds and fights with all her skills and smarts for his freedom.

The real story is about Cameron Todd Willingham, a poor, uneducated heavy metal devotee with a violent streak and a criminal record. He ended up convicted of an arson-related triple homicide in 1992.

During his 12 years on death row, Elizabeth Gilbert, an unlikely ally, uncovers questionable methods and illogical conclusions in his case, and battles with the state to expose suppressed evidence that could save him.

The movie trailers show fine acting talent, and its good to see these to actors working together.

These two movie clips are the meat and potatoes of the movie with “Life is Fair” and “He Threatened You” as prevailing themes.

The story follows Dern’s character because she is the one who sees Willingham’s innocence. She believes more in him than he does in himself.