The Kids Are Alright

Every now and then something pops up that seems to be original. The film The Kids Are Alright is about a lesbian couple and their two children. The youngest child is curious as to who his father is and the older sibling does the research.
The man comes into their lives and everything gets put on the table.

The film seems realistic on many levels which is what I like in my movies.
The film stars Annette Benning and Julianne Moore who give great performances as the lesbian couple who have their own issues, but don't realize it until the sperm donor comes into their lives.

The film is quite entertaining and the performances by everyone is very entertaining.
Mark Ruffalo plays the sperm donor.

I recommend this film if you want something that is different. And even more so if you are a fan of Julianne Moore or Annette Benning.

Hard Candy

Hard Candy - Most people know how I feel about remakes. I just feel writers should be original and directors should be first in line if they want to direct a certain film. There have been instances where the original director has redirected a film because he felt he could do better. I just feel certain films shouldn’t be touched, but if your going to remake something make it better. If you’re telling the same story what’s the point. Yes, I understand some people don’t like subtitles or speak a foreign language, but that’s the beauty of art. Not everyone gets it.

There’s been talk of remaking The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, based on the Stieg Larsson book of the same name. When Ellen Page’s name came up I just didn’t see her as playing the part of Lisbeth Salander.

Last night I watched the film, Hard Candy and Ellen Page was incredible as a young girl out to seek revenge on a man that molested and possibly killed her friend. The film starts of subtly and slowly takes a sadistic turn with a little cat and mouse added in to keep the audience on the edge of its seat. The performances are great by Ellen Page and Patrick Wilson, but there were some fades that could have been handled differently. I got the red fades that signified the blood, but there were an over abundance of fades to black.
The film captures the essence of what some people go through when they are molested at a young age. I don’t recall this film having a big theatrical release, but I’m sure it had a lot to do with the subject matter.

I think this film would make a great stage play as well. It’s basically just the two main characters so it could be pulled off quite well. Although its mostly psychological, it’s not for the faint at heart, but I won’t spoil certain scenes. It’s full of surprises.

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Wall Street Money Never Sleeps

Sometimes when I see a film I can immediately make a valid assessment of what I’ve seen. I can usually make a good argument as to why one should or shouldn’t see this film. Normally I don’t believe in trashing any type of art because I am an artist myself and it is great that people are doing the things that they love whether we the public like it or not. I once wrote a poem called “Who Gets It” which dealt with the fact that poetry and all forms of art aren’t necessarily understood by everyone who reads or views it.
When I create art I don’t like to explain it and yet I do give the viewer the chance to make their interpretation whether they get what I created or not. Of course there are times when they miss the boat entirely which justifies that fact that not everyone gets art.

I watched the film Wall Street Money Never Sleeps last Friday. My mind was in other places as I revisited New York inside of my head. I remembered being at the New York Stock Exchange and walking from Wall Street down Fifth Avenue to Central Park. I thought about the Twin Towers and other areas of the city that I frequented.
I had wondered whether or not Charlie Sheen would pop up as Bud Fox and did have a cameo as the character that was partially responsible for putting Gordon Gecko being bars.
I also realized because I had followed the story of Lemann Brothers and the other banks in trouble that it wasn’t anything new to me. Sometimes we just expect more when such hype is given to a film.

Shia LeBeouf is the up and coming star of the next generation. If he continues to take on such roles he’ll be in the same caliber of Edward Norton and James McEvoy. I could see the three of them in a film together perhaps playing brothers. Shia brings an innocence and intensity of deviance to his character in this film.
When you see a sequel you have a tendency of thinking and comparing it to the original when it doesn’t drift away from the original story.
We watch as the characters continue to try to rise up the ladder and how some do it better than others.

Now that I’ve had time to let the film marinate inside my head I see it from a different view now. The film does stand alone even though it ties in to the original. Sylvia Miles shows up as the real estate agent, but Susan Surandon is great as the mother of the Shia LeBeouf character. Care Mulligan who gave such a great performance in the film An Education is just as lovely in this film.
The film has given me some inspiration as did the original. Certain films have an impact on me and help me see things in a different light.

There’s lots of vital information that can be taken from this film.
Thanks for stopping by, Do come again and why not become a follower of this blog while you’re here. Open Your Mind. Relax, enjoy and believe.

Up in the Air

Up In The Air - I didn’t go to see this film when it played at the movie theater, but I was curious to see the film. Last night I had the opportunity to sit down and watch the film. There are many films that I relate too and this film is no exception.
As a person who traveled a lot I know what its like to try and rack up frequent flier miles. You sort of become your own competition. You set up goals with yourself as to what you want to achieve. There are certain places you’d like to visit, people you’d like to meet and experiences that you’d like to experience.

On top of all of that, the George Clooney character has the job of having to fire people. There are many people who get lost in their work so they don’t have time for relationships. Of course deep down that is just an excuse because on has some issues about the entire subject. Many people see relationships in their lives that didn’t work out and may have experienced it first hand and have decided its just not worth it.
Imagine giving 8 years to a relationship only to have it not work. Who wants to go through that trauma again? You put your heart out there and it get crushed.

The majority of people get to experience many things in their lives. Love, marriage, family, career changes, and job loss. Each situation is unique to the person that it involves. If you know its coming you can prepare as best one can. If you get blindsided then it’s a blow that not everyone can recover from. Working at a job for years is like a relationship. You’ve created a family and you feel as if you are a part of something. You feel as if you’ve given your best and you’ve invested in something that you had no idea would come to an end.

Up In the Air brings all of this to the forefront at a time when unemployment is on the rise. Despite what we hear in the media, people are continually losing their jobs in parts of the U.S. where it was never an issue before. Incidents are happening where people have no control.

The film is quite interesting as a man finds something he thought he was happy with and then realizes he would like to have more. Just when he allows himself to open up he gets hit with a bombshell.

If you are a fan of George Clooney then I’m sure you will enjoy this film. If you like Vera Farmiga you will see her in a way I don’t think she’s been seen before.
Up In The Air may just shed some light on the way the world is today and how it is constantly changing.

Thanks for stopping by, Do come again and why not become a follower of this blog while you’re here. Open Your Mind. Relax, enjoy and believe.

D's Movie World

Yesterday - Yesterday, the name of the title character, is an interesting and powerful film about a woman in Africa that finds out she has AIDS. It’s her journey trying to see a doctor that is many miles away from her village. Finally she meets someone who helps her to get to the doctors facility early so that she has a better chance of seeing the doctor. Things get worse when she searches for her husband to make sure he gets testing. The film shows the misinformation and ignorance of people about the transmission of the virus. The fear and isolation from brought on by the small community.
Yesterday’s cinematography is like looking at photographs. It’s surreal and stunning.
It’s a touching film of determination and fulfilling dreams.

All About My Mother - This is a Pedro Almadovar film that is a story within a story. It seems inspired by All About Eve and a Street Car Name Desire. Penelope Cruz, one of Pedro’s muses also stars in this film. It’s typical Almadovar, from the color to the quirky characters.

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D Cinema File 2010

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas - It’s been a while since I’ve seen a film that didn’t have a happy ending. I prefer films that are truer to life. We don’t always get what we want or things turn out differently than we expected.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is an incredible film with an ending I was not expecting. It’s the story of a family that finds out the truth about the Nazi prison camps. The story delves into the psyche of six family members and how their beliefs are changed and twisted by a turn of events.

If you love foreign films you are going to enjoy this movie. If you like dramas based on historical events you’ll love this film, which stars, David Thewlis and Vera Farmiga.

Another film that I watched this week was A Single Man. It’s based on a book and directed by Fashion Designer Tom Ford. A Single Man looks at the life of a man who loses his lover of many years and how he copes with being single. A female lover he once had wants to rekindle the flames, but he’s not focused on that. Julianne Moore is exquisite in the supporting role of the female friend. Dated pieces work so well for her. She was born to wear costumes.
Colin Firth is The Single Man. Reflecting on his past and wondering if he has a future as he prepares to end his life.
This is a must see for film lovers.

Thanks for stopping by; keep an open mind and do come back again.

Foreign Films

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas - This is an incredible film. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a film without a happy ending. It was truly amazing. I’m going to have to add this to my collection. I wasn’t sure what the film was about, but one of my film buddies knew I would like it and they were right. The film stars David Thewlis and Vera Farmiga as the parents of an 8 year old boy who doesn’t understand why the Germans hate the Jews. Having his father as an officer he takes a job and the young boy has to leave his friends behind. In his need for adventure, the curiosity of the farm peeks his interest. He soon finds a way to get off the grounds and discovers a young boy his own age who happens to be Jewish. A friendship develops as the young boys try to come to an understanding of why one can’t be with the other. In a turn of events, the young German boy ends up in a pair of striped pajamas.

I highly recommend this emotionally charged film. It has a great sound track and the cast is great. You can see the emotion in their eyes and see and feel their change within about the decision they have made.
The film is in German with English subtitles, but its worth the look. For the ladies, it is a tear jerker.

Hilde’s Journey was an interesting film about a man that dies and the attempts his family goes to that his wishes are not fulfilled. There’s betrayal, on all levels as the friends lover tries to see that the wishes are honored. He drives to Paris to scatter the ashes in the sea with the ex- lover who was granted a substantial amount of money, but is being duped by the man’s family who does not wish to acknowledge that he was gay and died of aids. It’s an interesting film as we get to know the characters and the real relationship to the deceased, Martin Hilde.