THE GERMAN DOCTOR

 In German and Spanish with English subtitles

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS

Alex Brendemühl: the German doctor Helmut Gregor

Diego Peretti: Enzo

Natalia Oreiro: his wife Eva

Florencia Bado: their 12-year-old daughter Lilith

Elena Roger: librarian Nora

REVIEW

Based on a true story it is not really a thriller as the promotional material would have you believe because the identity of the German doctor is revealed during the opening credits. Apart from the musical sound track that hints at pending doom from time to time, there is no sense of suspense. Instead it is a straight forward telling of how someone can meld in with others and live a normal life while harbouring awful secrets.

CLASSIFICATION

for thematic material and brief nudity.

THE MONUMENTS MEN

 Historical drama

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS

George Clooney: Harvard museum curator Frank Stokes

Matt Damon: art restorer James Granger

Bill Murray: architect Richard Campbell

John Goodman: sculptor Walter Garfield

Jean Dujardin: French art dealer Jean-Claude Clermont

Bob Galaban: theatrical producer Preston Savitz

Hugh Bonneville: painting teacher Donald Jefferies

Cate Blanchett: French art expert Claire Simone

REVIEW

Probably the greatest treasure hunt in history, the film tells the story of a little-know unit during World War II. With great attention to detail (except for a few exceptions noted below) it captures the look and feel of wartime Europe.

Although there is a lot of switching back and forth between the teams it’s not too difficult to follow their efforts to find the stolen art treasures. The acting is uniformly good (as you would expect from this A-list of actors) and the odd amusing moment is a welcome relief.

CLASSIFICATION

 for violence, mature themes, smoking.

FOR NITPICKERS ONLY

• The architectural model in the movie is not the Fuhrer Museum; it is the Volkshalle another of Hitler’s grand monumental projects to be constructed after the war.
• Claire has James over for dinner and the bottle of wine is three quarters full yet she says “we’re out of wind, would you like a cognac?”
• Walter receives a 45 rpm record which he then plays; trouble is, this format of records was not available until 1949, four years after these events took place.

P.S.

The Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives program was established by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1943. Known as the Monuments Men the group of 345 men and women (not 7 men) from 13 countries (not 3) were tasked with the job of protecting cultural treasures as best they could.

12 YEARS A SLAVE

Historical Drama

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS

Chiwetel Ejiofor: Solomon Northup

Paul Giamatti: slave trader Theophilus Freeman

Benedict Cumberbatch: Baptist preacher and slave owner William Ford

Paul Dano: overseer John Tibeats

Michaael Fassbender: Edwin Epps, cruel plantation owner

Lupita Nyong’o: Patsey, one of the slaves at his plantation

Sarah Paulson: Edwin’s wife Mary

Brad Pitt: Bass, a Canadian carpenter and abolitionist

REVIEW

You might be able to avert your eyes from the horrific scenes of cruelty but you will not be able to block out the sounds of agony. It is agonizing to watch as the camera lingers for what seems forever and all you want is for it to end. We all know that slaves were subjected to harsh working conditions and poor housing and they had to put up with psychological abuse as well. But this movie is the most disturbing one I’ve ever seen about the subject of slavery.

Based on a true story with strong performances from all the cast, Ejiofor in particular, it is riveting albeit it a tad too long at 2 hours and 13 minutes.

At the end as we shuffled out I overheard one woman ask her husband “Why is everyone so quiet?” to which he replied “Probably like me, they are in a state of shock”.

CLASSIFICATION

 for violence, cruelty, some nudity and brief sexuality.

LEE DANIELS’ THE BUTLER

Historical drama

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS

Ami Ameen: young Cecil Gaines

Forest Whitaker: the adult Cecil

Oprah Winfrey: Cecil’s wife Gloria

David Oyelowo: their oldest son Louis

Elijah Kelley: their youngest son Charlie

Terrance Howard: the Gaines neighbour Howard

Adriane Lenox: Howard’s wife Gina

Jim Gleason: R.D. Warner, White House administrator

Cuba Gooding Jr.: White House Head Butler Carter Wilson

Lenny Kravitz: his co-worker James Holloway

CAMEO PERFORMANCES

Mariah Carey: Cecil’s mother Hattie Pearl

Vanessa Redgrave: the plantation’s matriarch Annabeth

Robert Williams: Dwight D. Eisenhower, 34^th President of the United States

James Marsden: John F. Kennedy, 35^th President of the United States

Minka Kelly: First Lady Jackie Kennedy

Liev Schreiber: Lyndon B. Johnson, 36^th President of the United States

Nelsan Ellis: civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr.

John Cusack: Richard Nixon, 37^th President of the United States

Alan Rickman: Ronald Regan, 40^th President of the United States

Jane Fonda: First Lady Nancy Regan

REVIEW

This overview of the historical struggle for civil rights in the United States is based on a true story of one man who saw it from a different perspective. There are several notable performances but Oprah is definitely the standout and may well wind up with an Oscar nomination.

Although a tad too long at two hours and 12 minutes, it covers a lot of ground that should not be just brushed over. The only disturbing thing was the slight resemblance most of the actors portraying the Presidents had so I spent more time trying to identify the actor rather than paying attention to what was being said. But at least I got the gist of it.

CLASSIFICATION

 for some violence and disturbing images, language, sexual material, thematic elements and smoking.

P.S.

Apparently Warner Bros. Studios owns the title “The Butler” from a 1916 silent film so the producers came up with this awkward title, crediting the director above the more appropriate real title.

KON-TIKI

 Historical drama

F.Y.I.

The vessel was named after one of the most important deities in the Inca pantheon who was seen as the creator of all things and intimately associated with the sea.

Thor (the h is silent so pronounced tore) continued to lead expeditions of discovery, first to the Galapagos Islands in 1952 then on to Easter Island in 1955 where paintings of reed boats sparked his interest in them. To prove that westward travel across the Atlantic Ocean was possible, in 1969 he set sail from an old Phoenician port on the coast of Morocco. The loss of some reed bundles compromised the buoyancy so the trip aboard Ra I had to be aborted.

Less than a year later Thor launched a new papyrus boat, built by Indians from Lake Titicaca who still use the same methods as in ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt. Ra II landed in Barbados 57 days after setting off. Thor retired to Tenerife in the Canary Islands and died in 2002. He was 88 years old.

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS

Pål Sverre Hagen: 23-year-old ethnographer Thor Heyerdahl

Agnes Kittelsen: Thor’s wife Liv, an anthropologist

Anders Christiansen: engineer Herman Watzinger

Tobias Santelmann: Knut Haugland

Jakob Oftebro: Torstein Raaby

Odd-Magnus Williamson: Erik Hesselberg

Gustaf Skarsgård: Bengt Danielsson

REVIEW

Heyerdahl wanted to prove his theory that people from South America 1500 years ago could have settled the Polynesian islands 7,000 kilometres to the west. This recreation of that voyage aboard a raft made of balsam wood provides an exciting insight to the harrowing experience they had to cope while putting their lives on the line.

More like a documentary than a scripted film, there is not much in the way of acting per se. More notable is the cinemaphotography and the musical score: both are top notch.

CLASSIFICATION

for disturbing violence sequence.

P.S.

Thor could not swim and had never learned how to sail before setting off on his momentous voyage. 

P.S.S.

In Oslo I got to see the original Kon-Tiki raft and came to the realization that crossing an ocean on something that small and so fragile-looking takes a very special kind of person. I'm not one of them.

A ROYAL AFFAIR

 Original title: En kongelig affære
In Danish and German with English subtitles

Historical drama

F.Y.I.

Dowager: a widow who holds a title derived from her deceased husband.

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS

Alicia Vkiander: British aristocrat Caroline Mathilde

Louise von Plessen: her Danish lady-in-waitng

Mikkel Boe Følsgaard: Christian VII, King of Denmark

Trine Dyrholm: Dowager Queen Juliane Marie

Bent Mejding: Count von Bernstroff, Chief Minister of State

Mads Mikkelson: German doctor Johann Struensee

                

REVIEW

This true story of the immature, infantile King of Denmark and his young bride provides an insight into the romance and intrigue in the Danish court during the Age of Enlightenment.

The acting is uniformly excellent and production values are first-rate with great attention to period detail. The unhurried pacing results in a running time in excess of two hours but it’s not a minute too long as a lot needs to be said.

CLASSIFICATION

 for sexual content and some disturbing images.

FOR NITPICKERS ONLY

Caroline’s ladies-in-waiting address her as Your Majesty. Her correct title as a member of the British Royal family before her marriage was Your Highness.

THE IMPOSSIBLE

 Drama

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS

Naomi Watts: Dr. Maria Bennett

Ewan McGregor: her husband Henry

Tom Holland: their 14-old-son Lucas

REVIEW

We’ve all seen videos taken of the devastating tsunami that slammed into coastal South East Asia on Boxing Day 2004 but never with such intensity. By focusing on the struggle of one family the movie brings the disaster into perspective. If you ever had any doubt, let me assure you that you do not want to be caught in one of these.

It should be noted that some liberties have been taken with the facts: instead of the Spanish speaking family of Alvarez Belon they are presented as the Bennett family of British ex-pats living in Japan. As such we are spared having to read  sub-titles in English.

The producers have wisely not dwelt upon the repulsive “in-your-face” images instead just showing a flopping fish to represent the human destruction. I can handle that.

The acting is uniformly good and they are called upon  to show a wide range of emotions as the true story unfolds.

  

CLASSIFICATION

 for intense realistic disaster sequences, disturbing injury images and brief nudity.

FOR NITPICKERS ONLY

• The full moon is high in the sky as the family sits down for dinner then by the time they’re finished the it is almost on the horizon. In real life it takes all night to do that not a matter of an hour or two.
• When the moon is near the horizon it remains bright white whereas in reality it has a warm orange tinge to it that gradually fades as it ascends.
• Finally the so-called moon illusion is missing as it does not appear to be any  larger than when it was high in the sky.

ZERO DARK THIRTY

 Historical drama

F.Y.I.

The movie’s title is military-jargon for some unspecified time when it’s dark, either very late at night or very early in the morning. It is somewhat equivalent to “the wee small hours of the morning”.

A black project is a highly classified military or national security undertaking. Its existence is not acknowledged by government, military personnel nor by defence contractors. The location where it takes place is referred to as a black site.

ISI is the intelligence agency of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

UBL refers to the al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS

Jason Clarke: Dan, a CIA interrogator in Pakistan

Jessica Chastain: Maya, a young CIA recruit

Kyle Chandler: CIA station chief Joseph Bradley

Jennifer Ehle: Maya’s friend and fellow CIA officer Jessica

Mark Strong: CIA Langley boss George

James Gandolfini: CIA Director

REVIEW

This fact based movie chronicles the decade long hunt for Osama bin Laden following the destruction of the World Trade Center twin towers in 2001. Unlike most Hollywood productions, this one is matter-of-fact without the usual over-the-top embellishment. Consequently some will find the true-to-life “enhanced interrogation techniques” (torture by any other name) of bin Laden’s nephew repugnant and will have to avert their eyes.

At times the dialogue will be incomprehensible to most everyone because it is spoken so rapidly, replete with CIA jargon and the suspect’s names are so similar it gets confusing. But the gist of it becomes apparent later.

There are any number of fine performances but that of Jessica Chastain is simply outstanding. The production values are first rate with great attention to detail making it seem more like a documentary than just another movie.

CLASSIFICATION

 for strong violence including brutal disturbing images and for language.

P.S.

The price of a 6-speed Lamborghini LP-550 starts at $187,000.

LINCOLN

Historical drama

F.Y.I.

During the 1850’s citizens of the United States were divided on the question of slavery. Campaigning leading up to the Presidential Election in November 1860 was split on this issue: the Democratic party was divided into Northern and Southern factions while the Republican party led by Abraham Lincoln opposed slavery and wanted it abolished.

Lincoln won the election with less than 40% of the popular vote but did not carry one slave-holding state. Secessionists had threatened that were he elected, their fifteen slave-holding states would leave the Union. This they did in February 1861 becoming the Confederate States of America.

At Lincoln's inauguration on March 4, 1861 the new president said he had no plans to end slavery in those states where it already existed, but he also said he would not accept secession. He hoped to resolve the national crisis without warfare. The Confederate Army of Northern Virginia under the command of General Robert E. Lee fired on Fort Sumter on April 12,1861. Thus began the long civil war.

On January 1, 1863 Lincoln exercised his constitutional authority as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces to sign an executive order known as the Emancipation Proclamation which ordered the Army to treat as free men the slaves in the 10 states still in rebellion. This was an explicit war goal in addition to reuniting the Union. As a consequence 3 million people in Confederate territory became free men.

On April 8, 1864 the 13^th Amendment to the United States Constitution which outlawed slavery and involuntary servitude was passed by the Senate. To become law it had to be passed by the House but prolonged partisan debate caused delays. In December 1864 Lincoln expected the war to end within a month. He was concerned that the Emancipation Proclamation would be thrown out by the courts once the war concluded. He therefore endeavoured to have the 13^th Amendment passed by the House before the end of January 1865 thus removing any possibility that those freed would be re-enslaved.

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS

Daniel Day-Lewis: President Abraham Lincoln

David Strathairn: Secretary of State William Seward

Tommy Lee Jones: Thaddeus Stevens, Chairman of the House Ways & Means Committee

Lee Pace: Fernando Wood, democratic supporter of Confederacy

Sally Field: his wife Mary Todd Lincoln

Gulliver McGrath: the Lincoln’s youngest son Tad

Joseph Gordon-Levitt: his older brother Robert

REVIEW

Worthy of an Academy award, the performance by Day-Lewis is but one of many fine character impersonations this film has to offer. It also provides an insight to Lincoln’s interpersonal skills with people and his clear-sighted judgment in face of a terrible dilemma: end slavery or end the war. It soon becomes apparent that Lincoln accomplished more in the last four months of his life than most people do in a lifetime. 

It can be a bit confusing at times while trying to follow the House discussions (more like a yelling match than debate) and understanding the implications of the back room makeovers not to forget the under-the-table deals to outwit his opponents but the effort is worthwhile in order to get the gist of it.

Production values are first rate and the score by John Williams is one of his best. At 2 hours and 30 minutes it is not a minute too long given that the story being told is such an important one.

CLASSIFICATION

 for an intense scene of war violence, some images of carnage and brief strong language. 

THE KING’S SPEECH

Historical drama
Based on true facts

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Michael Gambon: King George V of England
Claire Bloom: the queen consort Queen Mary
Colin Firth: their second son Prince Albert the Duke of York
Helena Bonham Carter: Albert’s wife Elizabeth
Geoffrey Rush: speech thearpist Lionel Logue
Guy Pearce: Albert’s older brother Prince David the heir apparent Duke of Windsor
Timothy Spall: First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill
Derek Jacobi: the Archbishop of Canterbury
Eve Best: Mrs. Wallis Simpson

REVIEW
I sat mesmerized by two fascinating performances, that of Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush. Each in their own way had a difficult role to play and they both nailed it. The rest of the cast are no slouch but these two are the best of the bunch.

An extremely enjoyable film the well-written script has quite a few humorous quips to keep the proceedings from getting too serious. The director has wisely chosen to allow adequate screen time for some scenes albeit at the expense of adding to the running time of nearly two hours: like a good wine, some things cannot be hurried.

The British are the best at period pieces and this is no exception with beautiful cinemaphotography, elaborate sets and perfect costuming.

CLASSIFICATION
(in Canada) for some language.

Because there is one scene in which the future king is encouraged by his therapist to let loose with a string of obscenities as a form of liberating speech therapy the Motion Picture Association of America has slapped a R rating on the film. This puts it in the same category as scary horror movies and blood-soaked pornography-torture films like Saw 3D for example. How silly is that?

The British Board of Film Classification at first imposed a 15 certificate on the movie, thereby denying youngsters under that age the right to see it, but then relented by giving it a 12 A rating, which is the equivalent of a PG-13 in North America.

One thing to keep in mind: there is not one teenager out there who would be offended by this language and very few adults.

THE YOUNG VICTORIA

Historical drama
Based on true facts

F.Y.I.
Born May 24, 1819 in Kensington Palace she was christened Alexandrina (after Emperor Alexander I of Russia) Victoria (after her mother Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg, the Duchess of Kent). Her father Prince Edward, Duke of Kent died quite suddenly when she was only a year old.

Victoria's overbearing mother was extremely protective of the princess and raised her in near isolation under the so called “Kensington System” , an elaborate set of rules and protocols devised by the Duchess and her private secretary to prevent the princess from ever meeting people they deemed undesirable. They wanted to render her weak and utterly dependent upon them. She was not allowed to interact with other children and her sole companion was her spaniel, Dash. She was required to share a bedroom with her mother.

When she was 11, Victoria’s grandfather William IV became the reigning British monarch. Since he had no surviving legitimate children, Victoria became heiress presumptive. If she were to succeed to the throne before her eighteenth birthday her mother would become the Regent, effectively acting as head of state but only if Victoria signed the Regency Order, an Act of Parliament passed when necessary to deal with a specific situation such as this.

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Michaela Brooks: 11-year-old Victoria
Miranda Richardson: her mother the Duchess of Kent
Mark Strong: the Duchess’ private secretary and close advisor Sir John Conroy
Jeanette Hain: Victoria’s governess the Baroness Lehzen
Emily Blunt: 17-year-old Princess Victoria
Jim Broadbent: her uncle the aging King William IV
Harriet Walter: his much younger wife Queen Adelaide
Paul Bettany: Victoria’s advisor Lord Melbourne the Whig Prime Minister
Rupert Friend: her first cousin Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg
Michael Maloney: Tory Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel

REVIEW
The discerning viewer with more than a passing interest in the world of British royalty will be rewarded with a well-crafted portrait of the woman who went on to become the longest reigning monarch ever. With excellent acting, beautiful cinemaphotography, a rich soaring score, sumptuous sets and careful attention to period detail we also get some insight to the political manoeuvring of the time.

CLASSIFICATION
for some mild sensuality, a scene of violence, brief incidental language and smoking.

INVICTUS

• 
  
  
  Historical drama
  Based on a true story
  
  F.Y.I.
  Racial segregation in South Africa began in colonial times but apartheid (the Afrikaans word for separateness) as an official Government policy was introduced following the general election of 1948. New legislation classified inhabitants into four racial groups: black, white, coloured and Indian. Residential areas were segregated by means of forced removals. Education and medical care were also segregated and public services for the other racial groups were inferior to those of whites.
  
  The African National Congress represented the main opposition to the government during apartheid. Nelson Mandela (born July 18, 1918), a staunch anti-apartheid activist, was the leader of the military wing of the ANC known as Umkhonto we Sizwe (translation: "Spear of the Nation"). In 1962 the South African courts convicted Mandela on charges of sabotage and for plotting to overthrow the government. He was sentenced to life imprisonment and subsequently served 27 years in jail, most of it in Robben Island prison.
  
  A springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis) is a medium sized brown and white gazelle that bounds about on the African plains. It is also the name of the South African national rugby team and is a prominent symbol on the team’s green-and-gold uniform. The team was much loved by the ruling Afrikaners but hated by blacks. Although South Africa was instrumental in the creation of the Rugby World Cup competition, the Springboks did not compete in the first two World Cups (in 1987 and in 1991) because of the boycott by some Western nations and sports institutions not wanting to have anything to do with the country in light of its racial policies and oppression of civil rights.
  
  The game of rugby involves 15 players per side and consists of two 30-minute halves, with a brief half-time break. There are no time-outs, except for an injury. There are no "downs," as in football, nor is a "first down" required to maintain possession. In fact, possession is exchanged often and quickly. There are few long, sustained "drives" toward the goal line. Progress up and down the field is achieved grudgingly, usually in short chunks. The ball may not be passed forward, though it may be kicked forward. Players cannot be tackled unless they possess the ball. Play stops only when there is a rule infringement, or the ball winds up out of bounds, or when a team scores. When play is called because of a penalty the forwards of both teams link arms in what is known as a scrum. Another player rolls the ball into the center of the scrum and when it squirts out play resumes. Scoring is done by grounding the ball in the opposing teams “in-goal area” which is worth 5 points or less frequently by a successful drop kick through the uprights which is worth 3 points.
  
  PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
  Matt Damon: Springboks Team Captain Francois Pienaar
  Morgan Freeman: Nelson Mandela, newly elected President of South Africa
  Tony Kgoroge: Jason Tshabalala, Head of security
  Julian Lewis Jones: Etienne Feyder head of the white Special Ops police
  Adjoa Andoh: Chief of Staff Brenda Mazibuko
  Shakes Myeko: Minister of Sport
  
  REVIEW
  With incredible insight Nelson Mandela knew of a way to unite his shattered country and bring about change. Although the centerpiece of his strategy was the game of rugby, there are other examples of how one person can play a pivotal role in history.
  
  There are excellent performances all around and some touching moments. Definitely a “feel-good” movie but with several shortcomings starting with hardly anything being said as background material to set the scene and bring us up to speed. Secondly since the game of rugby is such an important part of the story, and takes up a lot of screen time, the basic essentials of the game should have been explained so we can better understand what is going on. As it is fans of the game will be thrilled to see so much of it, non-fans less so.
  
  CLASSIFICATION
  for brief strong language.
  
  FOR NITPICKERS ONLY
  During the introduction of the players before the final game, half the field is in shadow. Moments later with play underway the shadow has receded to covering just a small portion of the field, something that would normally take some hours to do.
  
  Ellis Park Stadium had been expanded to accommodate 60,000 spectators. After the game, President Mandela gets it wrong when he says something to the effect “all 68,000 were anxiously waiting the outcome”.
  
  P.S.
  Invictus (Latin for unconquerable, undefeated, unvanquished) is the title of a poem by English author W.E. Henley about one's capacity to rise above the myriad impediements life throws at us. A copy of the poem hung on Mandela’s jail wall for 27 years. The first verse reads as follows:
  “Out of the night that covers me,
  Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
  I thank whatever gods may be
  For my unconquerable soul.”
  
  P.S.S.
  In 1993, Nelson Mandela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, sharing it with Frederik Willem de Klerk, president of South Africa at the time, in recognition of their efforts towards "the peaceful termination of the apartheid regime and for laying the foundations for a new democratic South Africa."

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

Drama

F.Y.I.
F. Scott Fitzgerald (September 1896 – December 1940) was an American writer of novels and short stories whose works are evocative of the Jazz Age (a term he coined himself). He is widely regarded as one of the twentieth century's greatest writers. The Great Gatsby is probably his best known novel. He wrote dozens of short stories including The Curious Case of Benjamin Button which was first published in Colliers Magazine in 1921.

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Cate Blanchette: 80-year-old Daisy
Julia Ormond: her 40-something-year-old daughter Caroline
Taraji Henson: Queenie, owner of a nursing home
Mahershalalhashbaz Ali: Queenie’s best friend Tizzy
Spencer Daniels: 12-year-old Benjamin Button
Madisen Beaty: 10-year-old Daisy
Brad Pitt: Benjamin from the age of 16 onwards
Jared Harris: tugboat Captain Mike
Tilda Swinton: Elizabeth Abbott, wife of a British spy
Jason Flemyng: wealthy industrialist Thomas Button

REVIEW
“Once upon a time…”
That would have been a better opening to this fairy tale about a newborn child who looks like a crippled old man and because of reverse-aging will look younger as he gets older.
Using flashbacks from the reading of a journal written by Benjamin, a series of vignettes chronologically follows him as he grows up from the end of World War I to present day. As each one is fairly short there is no boredom factor but because it takes 2 hours and 47 minutes to cover all those years, some may feel the film is too long. I did not even though I am not a big fan of any movie that goes beyond two hours. The movie is very entertaining, even engrossing and has some special effects that are worth the price of admission alone. The acting is uniformly great (especially by Pitt) and the sound track is a joy to hear.

CLASSIFICATION
for brief war violence, sexual content, language and smoking.

FOR NITPICKERS ONLY
The process of an actor re-recording lines they spoke during filming that must be replaced to improve audio quality or reflect dialog changes is called automated dialogue replacement (ADR). If done well this post-production step cannot be detected. Such is not the case when Benjamin is sitting on a little sofa in the living room relating one of his stories.

P.S.
It is interesting to note that smoking has become one of the factors considered by the MPAA board when assigning ratings to a movie.

THE DUCHESS

Historical drama
Based on a true story

F.Y.I.
The "shot heard round the world" fired at Lexington, Massachusetts on April 19, 1775 began the war for American Independence and ended eight years later with the signing of the Treaty of Paris.

The French Revolution began in 1789 and lasted 10 years during which time the French governmental structure moved from an absolute monarchy to one based on Enlightment principles of nationalism, citizenship and the inalienable rights of the individual.

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Keira Knightley: 16-year-old Georgiana
Charlotte Rampling: her mother Lady Spencer
Ralph Fiennes: William Cavendish, the fifth Duke of Devonshire
Hayley Atwell: Lady Elizabeth 'Bess' Foster
Simon McBurney: Charles Fox, leader of the right-wing political Whig party
Dominic Cooper: his protégé Charles Grey

REVIEW
The Brits do it best: historical period drama with perfectly detailed costumes, lovely settings showing the countryside at its best and lush interiors. With some terrific performances and a true story of romance and infidelity we get an insight into 18th Century upper British society.

CLASSIFICATION
for sexual content, brief nudity and thematic material.

P.S.
Following his father’s elevation to the peerage as an Earl, Charles Grey assumed the title the 2nd Earl Grey. Later after becoming Prime Minister he received as a gift some tea flavoured with a citrus fruit from southern Italy. This blend of tea is now known simply as Earl Grey.

MONGOL

Historical drama
In Mongolian with English subtitles.

F.Y.I.
The Mongols were an illiterate, religiously shamanistic and sparsely populated nomadic group of herdsmen, perhaps no more than 700,000 in number, that lived on the grassy plains north of the Gobi Desert and south of the Siberian forests. Before the year 1200, the Mongols were fragmented, moving about in small bands and living in portable dwellings.

Khan (alternately spelled in lowercase as khan) is a Central Asian title for a chief, a sovereign or military ruler. For the most part khans only headed relatively minor tribal entities, generally in or near the vast Eurasian Steppe. Some managed to establish principalities of some importance as they expanded the territory under their control.

In geography a steppe is a flat and arid land. The Eurasian Steppe is the world’s largest zone of steppes and is found in southwest Russia and neighbouring countries of Central Asia. Another large steppe is located in central United States and western Canada.

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Odnyam Odsuren: 9-year-old Temüjin
Bavertsetseg Erdenebat: 10-year-old Börte
Asano Tadanobu: the adult Temüjin who later was given the title of Genghis Khan meaning "emperor of all emperors"
Khulan Chuluun: the adult Börte
Honglei Sun: Temüjin’s brother, the Mongol chieftain Jamukha

REVIEW
Just mention the name Genghis Khan and most everyone thinks of the cruel Mongol war-chief who became leader of a vast empire. Well he was that and more.

As the movie would have it Temüjin was a clever man, a visionary, a lover and superb horseman. But that’s not always easy to perceive because the story is far too convoluted and disjointed with more than a few unanswered questions.

Too much time is devoted to the battles, which is the main reason the film is more than two hours long. Few of us need to see so many and not quite so graphically with blood flying around in slow motion, spattering the camera lens and everything else around. Not since Braveheart with Mel Gibson did I so frequently have to avert my eyes to the bloodshed and violence. It’s a wonder I stuck it out.

Mention should be made of the cinemaphotography: some of it is stunning. The panoramic shots of the steppes and surrounding area make you want to get up and go see it for yourself.

CLASSIFICATION
for sequences of bloody warfare (and they ain’t kiddin’)

THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL

Historical drama

BACKGROUND
The second son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York, young Henry became heir to the throne of England in 1502 when his older brother Arthur died. With the death of his father in 1509, the 17-year-old became King Henry VIII. He then married his brother’s widow, Katherine of Aragon, the 23-year-old daughter of King Ferninand and Queen Isabella of Spain.

Sir Thomas Boleyn was an opportunistic Tudor diplomat and politician. He married Lady Elizabeth Howard and they had at least five children, three of whom survived their early childhood: Lady Mary born in 1499, Lady Anne born in 1501 and George born in 1504.

Their ambitious uncle Thomas Howard was also a prominent politician.

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Mark Rylance: Sir Thomas Boleyn
Kristin Scott Thomas: his wife Lady Elizabeth
Scarlett Johansson: their eldest daughter Mary
Natalie Portman: her sister Anne
Jim Sturgess: their brother George
Benedict Cumberbatch: merchant William Carey
Oliver Coleman: Henry Percy, son of the county's largest landowner
David Morrissey: Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk
Eric Bana: King Henry VIII
Ana Torrent: Queen Katharine of Aragon

REVIEW
With the backing of the BBC you’re pretty sure of getting a well documented, mostly historically accurate, lavish production. The costumes alone are worth the price of admission.

With strong performances throughout, it moves along at a pretty fast clip so you have to pay attention as things evolve because there is a lot going on. For some, perhaps too much but history-buffs will appreciate the wealth of information presented. And maybe even gain a better understanding of those troubled times.

CLASSIFICATION
for mature thematic elements, sexual content and some violent images (but thankfully not too violent).

P.S.
The Boleyn family name is pronounced beau-lynne (or if you prefer bow, the thing you tie, -lynne)

Later in life, Henry VIII became grossly overweight, winding up with a 54”waist. His increased size dates from a jousting accident in 1536 when he suffered a thigh wound which prevented him from exercising.

THE COUNTERFEITERS

2008 Best foreign language picture




Fact based drama
In German with English subtitles

F.Y.I.
Collotype is a photographic process used for large volume mechanical printing before the existence of the cheaper and less complicated offset lithography method. The collotype plate is coated with a special dichromated gelatine and set at a controlled temperature then it has to be carefully washed and dried without heat for 24 hours before using it.

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Karl Markovics: master forger 45-year-old Salomon “Sally” Sorowitsch
Devid Striesow: police superintendent Friedrich Herzog
August Diehl: left-wing activist and collotype specialist Adolf Burger

REVIEW
Some fine acting serves to keep this thriller moving along at a good clip. Shot in monochromatic greys, attention to detail is much in evidence. Unlike most movies about events that took place during World War II, this story is not that well known despite the fact it was the biggest operation of its kind ever. Given that it’s a thiller not too much more need be said.

CLASSIFICATION
for intense violence and some scenes of brief nudity.