THE GREY

Action/adventure

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Liam Neeson: John Ottway, an oil refinery sharpshooter
Frank Grillo: oil rig worker John Diaz
Dermot Mulroney: a co-worker Talget
Dallas Roberts: another employees Pete Hendrick
Nonso Anozie: Burke
Jacob Blair: Cimoski

REVIEW
This “one-note” survival tale soon becomes repetitive: action then interlude, action then interlude. The entire thing is déjà-vu with its motley group of men reminiscing about better times while waiting for the inevitable.

The only thing that sets it apart from similar movies are the great shots of the Alaskan winter landscape.

CLASSIFICATION

for violence, disturbing content including bloody images and pervasive language.

FOR NITPICKERS ONLY
• A drilling rig is a work-only environment; there are no amenities on site such as a bar.
• Just prior to taking off a passenger gets up and changes seats: that is not allowed on commercial airlines and he would have been told by the flight attendant to return to his assigned seat.
• John’s abrasion on his left cheek changes shape and location throughout the film.
• The Alaska Air National Guard would conduct a coordinated search to locate an overdue commercial aircraft and the 210th Rescue Squadron helicopters with two “Guardian Angels” would provide any necessary medical intervention so nobody in their right mind would leave a downed aircraft. But then we would not have a movie would we?
• Ottway explains that Burke is suffering from hypoxia: in fact hypoxia occurs in healthy people when they ascend to high altitudes (above 12,000’) but in this instance they not even above the tree line, the first visible indication of higher altitude.
• The plastic used for miniature bottles of alcoholic spirits does not shatter with jagged edges like a glass bottle would.

P.S.
I don’t know why they bury an important piece of the plot in the end credits. But they do.

MY WEEK WITH MARILYN

Biographical drama

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Eddie Redmayne: 23-year-old Colin Clark
Kenneth Branagh: stage and screen star Sir Laurence Olivier
Julia Ormond: his wife Vivien Leigh
Michelle Williams: 30-year-old Marilyn Monroe
Dougray Scott: playwright Arthur Miller, Marilyn’s third husband
Zoë Wanamaker: Marilyn's acting coach Paula Strasberg
Judi Dench: stage and screen star Dame Sybil Thorndike
Emma Watson: wardrobe girl Lucy
Dominic Cooper: Marilyn’s manager
Toby Jones: Marilyn’s press agent

REVIEW
Based on the memoirs of Colin Clark and his involvement in the making of the 1957 romantic comedy “The Prince and the Showgirl” this film encompasses more than a week. In addition to being an insider’s look at the production problems it is an insightful portrayal of the “goddess of sex” herself.

The stunning performance by Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe outshines the rest of the cast, none of whom are slouches in their own right.

Production values are high with great attention to detail and some lovely cinemaphotography of the English countryside.

CLASSIFICATION

for profanity, sexual content and nudity.

THE ARTIST

Drama
English intertitles instead of spoken dialogue

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Jean Dujardin: silent film star George Valentin
Missi Pyle: his costar Constance
Bérénice Bejo: aspiring actress Peppy Miller
John Goodman: Kinograph Studio boss Al Zimmer
Penelope Ann Miller: George’s wife Doris
James Cromwell: George’s chauffeur Clifton
George’s dog Uggie, a Jack Russell terrier

REVIEW
This modern version of a silent film is an odd combination: apart from one short sentence there is no spoken dialogue but there is sound with music and sound effects. Shot in black and white, the story is about the declining career of one film star and the rising fame of another.

With the intertitles kept to the bare minimum you have to rely upon your lip-reading skills to “catch” some of the dialogue. At times the actors use the exaggerated mugging technique typical of silent cinema but not always so it’s a bit of a hit and miss.

The acting is superb across-the-board and there are delightful dance sequences reminiscent of the musicals of the 1940’s. Overall a very entertaining movie with a bit of a novel twist to it.

CLASSIFICATION

for a disturbing image (must have missed it!) and a crude gesture (a quick one-finger salute).

THE IRON LADY

Drama

F.Y.I.
Margaret Hilda Thatcher (née Roberts) born 13 October 1925 served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990.

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Meryl Streep: Margaret Thatcher
Olivia Colman: her daughter Carol
Jim Broadbent: her husband Denis
Alexandra Roac: young Margaret in her ‘20’s
Harry Llyod: young Denis Thatcher
Anthony Head: Deputy Prime Minister Geoffrey Howe

REVIEW
The film takes place over a 24 hour period while former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher is clearing out her husband's belongings. Her life unfolds through a series of flashbacks sometimes with actual period television footage. It’s a huge undertaking as it covers almost her entire life chronologically from when she was a teenager at the outbreak of WWII up to the year 2005. That’s a huge undertaking but the producers have wisely chosen not to dwell too long on any of the key events that took place during her career. To have done so would have resulted in a film three or four times longer than it is and who wants that?

Another good choice is to have Meryl Streep portray the Prime Minister. Streep's performance is nothing short of remarkable. She really nailed it this time, not only in the voice (and accent) but with the mannerisms and facial expressions. Streep holds the record for the most Academy Award nominations of any actor with sixteen. There is no doubt in my mind she will up that count by one.

Production values are top notch including costume design, set decoration, makeup (the best I’ve seen in years) and cinemaphotography all contributing to its elegant look.

CLASSIFICATION

for some violent images and brief nudity (nudity = one scene in which a topless lady is on screen for perhaps 1 second, maybe 2).

P.S.
She was nicknamed the Iron Lady in 1976 by Soviet media for her staunch opposition to communism.

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO

Murder mystery

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Rooney Mara: Lisbeth Salander, computer hacker & researcher for Milton Security
Steven Berkoff: Henrik Vanger's lawyer Dirch Frode
Ulf Friberg: wealthy industrialist Hans-Erik Wennerström
Daniel Craig: Mikael Blomkvist, co-owner and writer for Millennium magazine
Robin Wright: Blomkvist's co-worker and lover Erika Berger
Christopher Plummer: Henrik Vanger, retired CEO of Vanger Industries
Yorick van Wageningen: Lisbeth’s state-appointed guardian, lawyer Nils Bjurman
Geraldine James: Harriet's cousin Cecila Vanger
Joely Richardson: Harriet’s sister Anita Vanger
Donald Sumpter: retired policeman Gustav Morell
Stellan Skarsgård: Martin Vanger, current CEO of Vanger Industries

REVIEW
Despite being a disgraced journalist (found guilty of libelling an industrialist), Mikael Blomkvist is called upon to investigate the disappearance of a wealthy patriarch's niece from 40 years ago. As with any good murder mystery there are red herrings (the phone call before the opening credits being one?) and lots of clues. But some of them come unexpectedly and with the background noise somewhat difficult to discern.

At the risk of giving away anything please note there are two key moments and without the luxury of being able to go back and reread sections in the novel from which the movie was adapted, you have to pay attention to be sure not to miss what is being said:
• When Blomkvist is talking to Anita on the bench in London
• When Blomkvist and Martin are in the basement of his house

Chockablock with A-List actors the one who outshines them all is Rooney Mara: her performance is worth the price of admission alone.

However at 2 hours and 38 minutes it is too long and the pace would have benefitted from some careful editing of the middle section.

CLASSIFICATION

for brutal violent content including rape and torture, strong sexuality, graphic nudity and language.

FOR NITPICKERS ONLY
Blomkvist buys a pack of cigarettes along with a coffee. The sale of tobacco products in Sweden is not permitted in cafés.

Lisbeth would have known better than to take photos using flash of the panel behind a glass door as the result would be pictures with big white hotspots lacking any detail and therefore useless.

WE BOUGHT A ZOO

Drama

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Matt Damon: Benjamin Mee
Colin Ford: his 14-year-old son Dylan
Maggie Jones: Dylan’s 7-year-old sister Rosie
Scarlett Johansson: head zookeeper Kelly Foster
Elle Fanning: Kelly`s 13-year-old cousin Lily Miska
Thomas Church: Benjamin’s older brother Duncan

REVIEW
Based on a true story the title pretty much says it all. This charming tale is very much an outing for the entire family with lots to like: a variety of animals, simple straight-forward plot, the sullen teenager, his cute sister, a love interest, arguments and reconciliations. It has it all.

You won’t be disappointed as long as you don’t set your expectations too high as there are no real surprises and everything works out according to plan, well almost everything.

However it is too long, running well in excess of two hours and there is no reason to do so. There are ample opportunities to edit out some of the slower bits and at the same time rethink the way in which Benjamin gets out of a jam. That’s a key element and shouldn’t be left to chance because there are any number of ways of handling that situation better.

CLASSIFICATION

for language and some thematic elements.

FOR NITPICKERS ONLY
• While having breakfast with his brother, Benjamin's sunny side up eggs change position on the plate from one shot to another.
• His brother has a little silver container that comes and goes from one cut to another.
• Dylan speaks to Lily while it is raining and looks pathetic with his hair plastered to his forehead. After a brief cut to Lily and back to him, his forehead is no longer wet until one more cut to Lily and back to Dylan and once again his hair is plastered down.
• On more than one occasion reference is made to the zoo’s opening going to be on Saturday July 7, 2010. In actual fact July 7, 2010 was a Wednesday.

WAR HORSE

Wartime drama

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Jeremy Irvine: Albert Narracott
Emily Watson: his mother Rose
Peter Mullan: his tenant farmer father Ted
David Thewlis: their landlord Mr. Lyons
Tom Hiddleston: Captain Nicholls
Celine Buckens: an orphaned young French girl Emilie
Niels Arestrup: her grandfather

REVIEW
Set before the beginning of the First World War this is the story of a boy and his horse.

While the film includes scenes of war, there is no bloodshed. Men get knocked down or fall from being hit by bullets but there is no gory aftermath. Even in the army field hospital we get to visit it only after all the soldiers have been bandaged up and there’s not a drop of blood to be seen anywhere. And as far as suffering goes, well there isn’t any. Realistic? No. Easy to take? Yes.

Production values are first rate, the sets just right, the battle scenes beautifully staged and the costumes are perfect (maybe too perfect as they look like they just came from the dry cleaners) which lends to its look of authenticity. The acting is strictly "by the book" so it will garner no awards for anyone.

However the main problem with the movie is this: it is overlong at almost two-and-a-half hours. There simply is not enough story to run for that length of time so most everything proceeds at a snail’s pace (the battles scenes being the exception) as though the director is trying to wring out every precious moment to its max.

One final thought: as I was walking out I overhead one member of the audience say to her friend “I should have brought a whole box of Kleenex”.

CLASSIFICATION

for intense sequences of war violence.