Category Archives: true stories

“All the Money in the World” Christopher Plummer Interview with Ridley Scott And Trailers

drama, true stories, , , , , ,

Directed by Ridley Scott, All the Money in the World follows the kidnapping of 16-year-old John Paul Getty III, played by Charlie Plummer, and the desperate attempt by his devoted mother Gail, played by Michelle Williams to convince his billionaire grandfather, played by Kevin Spacey, to pay the ransom.

Getty Sr. refuses, and Gail attempts to sway him as her son’s captors become increasingly volatile and brutal. With her son’s life in the balance, Gail and Getty’s advisor, played by Mark Wahlberg, become unlikely allies in the race against time that ultimately reveals the true and lasting value of love over money.

Watching the movie’s trailer, the acting is superb and the story will drive the movie. I didn’t even recognize Spacey, which is awesome. It looks like he is truly playing a different role than is usual tough guy image.  Michelle Williams as the distraught mother is brilliant. I am sensing Mark Walberg is in a career-defining role.

Oscar nomination for Christopher Plummer with Ridley Scott.

The story is straight from the headlines and based on a true story. All the Money in the World looks like a winner.

“Goodbye Christopher Robin” Trailers, Featurettes, and Interviews

adventure, based on a book, family movies, true stories

Winnie the Pooh will always be in the soul of children of all ages. There is something about Pooh’s innocence that draws readers to his adventures. Watch these trailers, featurettes, and interviews; audiences will gain a deeper understanding of the reasons for A.A. Milne’s stories about these awkward and unique animals in the forest.

“Dunkirk” Trailer and Clips

action, adventure, true stories,

Directed by Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk is a story mentioned in films or television shows. I don’t believe it has ever been a dedicated movie. It is an amazing story, and World War II has so many stories to tell. The movie is a courageous story at an amazing time in our history.

With that, in May 1940, Germany advanced into France, trapping Allied troops on the beaches of Dunkirk. Under air and ground cover from British and French forces, troops were slowly and methodically evacuated from the beach using every serviceable naval and civilian vessel that could be found. At the end of this heroic mission, 330,000 French, British, Belgian and Dutch soldiers were safely evacuated.

The movie tells the story of how these fishermen pulled it off.  I am excited about seeing this movie.

“Stronger” Trailer and Clips

drama, romance, true stories, , , ,

Directed by David Gordon Green, Stronger is a true story following Jeff Bauman, played by Jake Gyllenhaal. Jeff is a 27-year-old working-class Boston man who was at the marathon to try and win back his ex-girlfriend Erin, played by Tatiana Maslany.

Waiting for her at the finish line when the blast occurs, he loses both his legs in the attack. After regaining consciousness in the hospital, Jeff can help law enforcement identify one of the bombers, but his battle has just begun.

Watching the trailer, the story unfolds. We see Jeff tackling physical and emotional rehabilitation with Erin and his family. The trailer is filled with raw emotion. Stronger also stars Miranda Richardson and Clancy Brown.

David Gordon Green’s signature movie is Pineapple Express. Quite different from this true story based on the 2013 Boston Marathon tragedy.

“Thank You For Your Service” Trailer, Featurette, Interviews

based on a book, drama, true stories, , , , , , , , , ,

Directed by Jason Hall, Thank You for Your Service follows a group of U.S. soldiers returning from Iraq. They struggle to fit in with a “normal” life, such as being with family and living in general civilian life. It is the memories of a war that threatens to destroy them long after they’ve left the battlefield.

The story is told with a strong ensemble cast led by Miles Teller, Haley Bennett, Amy Schumer, Joe Cole, Beulah Koale, Scott Haze, Keisha Castle-Hughes, Brad Beyer, Omar J. Dorsey, and Jayson Warner Smith. The story is based on the bestselling book by Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and author David Finkel.

This is Jason Hall’s directorial debut. He received recognition for his screenplay American Sniper. He also wrote the script for this heart-wrenching drama.

The trailer and featurette with an in-depth interview with Jason Hall are awesome and touches on the battle our service men experience when they return home. Let’s help them by thanking them for their service and using green mental health treatments, not psychotropic drugs, because they are not the answer.

“American Made” Trailer

action, thriller, true stories, , , , , , , , ,

Tom Cruise makes movies that are worth watching because there is so much that happens in his movies, and he works with the best in the industry. He has said in interviews he likes to entertain his audience. That he does.

Directed by Doug Liman, American Made follows Cruise’s character as he juggles in this international escapade based on the outrageous (and real) exploits of a hustler and pilot unexpectedly recruited by the CIA to run one of the biggest covert operations in U.S. history.

Based on a true story, Liman and Cruise worked together on Edge of Tomorrow, the movie co-stars Domhnall Gleeson, Sarah Wright, E. Roger Mitchell, Jesse Plemons, Lola Kirke, Alejandro Edda, Benito Martinez, Caleb Landry Jones, and Jayma Mays.

Liman other credits include The Bourne Identity and Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Watching this trailer, I know this movie is going to be a rocket ride, never a dull moment. Just too much fun with lots of talented people in front of and behind the camera.

“Tommy’s Honour” Trailer and Clips

based on a book, legend, true stories, ,

Directed by Jason Connery, golf lovers will enjoy this movie and probably have heard of this true story.  Tom and Tommy Morris, father and son, pioneers of professional golf, relied on skill, business acumen, and working-class street smarts to make Tommy one of the world’s first sports superstars and found the modern game of golf.

Jack Lowden, Sam O’Neill, and Peter Mullan look grand in this movie.

“All Eyez On Me” Trailer

drama, true stories, , , , , ,

Directed by Benny Boom, All Eyez On Me follows the true, untold story of a prolific rapper, actor, poet and activist, Tupac Shakur. The movie begins with Shakur from his early days in New York City to his evolution into a successful and well-known rapper before his untimely death at the age of 25.  Shakur odds were against him, but raw talent, powerful lyrics, and a revolutionary mindset propelled him to become a cultural idol with a legacy that grew after his passing.

The trailer looks good, but as most trailers do, it tells the whole story of the movie. Shipp should look like Shakur, and I am impressed.

“The Zookeeper’s Wife” Trailer and Clips

based on a book, drama, true stories, ,

Directed by Niki Caro, The Zookeeper’s Wife stars Jessica Chastain as Antonina and her husband, Dr. Jan Żabiński, played by Johan Heldenbergh. They are the keepers of the Warsaw Zoo, one of the largest and most prolific zoos in 1930s Europe.

In 1939, Antonina opened the zoo gates as a crowd had gathered to view the many species on display. Her husband Jan, recently appointed the director of the Warsaw Zoo, faces the scornful yet envious advances of Dr. Lutz Heck, played by Daniel Brühl, the head of the Berlin Zoo, as “Hitler’s zoologist.”

Shortly, Antonina and her son Ryszard, played by Timothy Radford and later Val Maloku, are shocked to witness the aerial bombardment of Warsaw as German forces storm Poland. The zoo is not to be spared, and bombs destroy the cages and kill many of the animals. As Polish resistance collapses under overwhelming odds, Dr. Heck arrives at the zoo, beseeching Antonia to let him save the “prize” specimens, which she reluctantly grants, but then learns that his motives are suspect.

Warsaw becomes the scene of a monstrous upheaval with Jews first identified and their stores and shops looted. Jan and his wife decide to help a Jewish friend hide from the Nazis. The Zabrinskis devise an elaborate plan to spirit away Jews from the Warsaw Ghetto, even as it is being devastated by a relentless, murderous Nazi juggernaut. Snatching children and adults from the ghetto, over 300 “guests” inhabit the Zabrinski’s home on their way to freedom, with new identification papers and, sometimes, even a wig and a makeover to fool the Nazis.

Watching Chastain in the trailers and clips shows so much talent. She is so talented and from my hometown.

Films directed by Niki Caro:

Whale Rider

McFarland, USA

North Country

“The Lost City of Z” Trailer

action, adventure, based on a book, legend, true stories, , , , ,

Written and directed by James Gray and based on author David Grann’s nonfiction bestseller, The Lost City of Z tells an unbelievable true story of British explorer Percy Fawcett, played by Charlie Hunnam, who journeys into the Amazon in 1906 and discovers evidence of a previously unknown, advanced civilization. During the two-year Royal Geographical Society expedition, Fawcett and his aide-de-camp Henry Costin (Robert Pattinson) map uncharted territory in Bolivia and, with the help of local tribesmen, trace the legendary Rio Verde upriver to its breathtaking source. Deep in the heart of the rainforest, Fawcett discovers weathered pottery shards which seem to offer proof of a lost city.

During the two-year Royal Geographical Society expedition, Fawcett, and his aide-de-camp Henry Costin, played by Robert Pattinson, map uncharted territory in Bolivia and, with the help of local tribesmen, trace the legendary Rio Verde upriver to its breathtaking source. Deep in the heart of the rainforest, Fawcett discovers weathered pottery shards which seem to offer proof of a lost city.

When Fawcett returns to England and proclaims his belief in an ancient South American civilization he calls the Lost City of Z, he’s ridiculed by members of the scientific establishment who regard indigenous populations as “savages.”

Fawcett also confronts the toll his adventures have taken on his spirited wife Nina, played by Sienna Miller, and their young son, who was born in his absence. With Nina’s help and encouragement, Fawcett defies the skeptics and organizes a second expedition that includes wealthy adventurer James Murray, played by Angus Macfadyen.

The rest of the movie is adventurous and eye-opening in what a person will go through to make a true discovery.  The tale continues and the ending you should know if you are up on famous explorers.