2013 TOP TEN & OTHERS

Based on a true story with strong performances from all the cast it is riveting. 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.

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. 

Loosely based on the FBI investigation this is one terrific movie. Perhaps a tad too long at 2 hours and 18 minutes it is fast-paced, riveting and wholly entertaining.

Based on actual events that took place in 2009, the film is riveting. The tension begins to build almost from the get-go and never really subsides until the end.caption

Based on the true story of Ron Woodroof’s fight against the system, it has its gritty side that may shock some people despite its R classification warning.

The story of a fearless princess wanting to find her sister, the one with magical power, is replete with musical numbers. In fact, the first half hour or so plays like a Broadway musical with the story being told in lyrical form. From that point the spoken word dominates and we get to see the loving relationship between sisters.

This one warrants seeing it in 3D to truly experience the sensation of being out in space. The images are nothing short of spectacular. But that is not the only thing going for it: the acting by Sandra Bullock is probably the best she has ever done. She is on screen probably 95% of the time and does a really superb job.

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.

Former United States Secretary of Labor Robert Reich presents the latest in documentaries about the widening economic gap in the USA. With state of art graphs he explores the role this plays in the deterioration of the nation’s economic health. 

Unlike most movies of this genre, this one is about young love and grown-up romance. The differences make for an interesting study in human psychology. That is but one of the unusual aspects of this movie: it shuns most of the clichés associated with romantic comedies and so it comes across as more real and closer to the truth than the usual run-of-the-mill sort. How refreshing. 

Several things sets this one apart from the others:

• It is shot in black and white
• None of the cast are high profile well-known actors 

It is a terrific story about one someone wanting to see things through with dialogue and situations that are believable, characters that ring true and the interpersonal dynamics bang on.

Based on the true story of Philomena (pronounced phil-ah-me-nah) and the problems she had with the Catholic church. You have to smile at Philomena’s simplistic view of the world which is poles apart from that of Martin who is a socially awkward worldly sophisticate.

Getting a first-hand look at what transpired when production of the film version of the popular Mary Poppins novel first began is insightful. As expected, Emma Thompson is terrific with Tom Hanks and Colin Farrell putting in their usual splendid effort.

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.

     BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENTS

Loud movies loaded with copious CGI will certainly appeal to those whose literary choice is a comic book. For the rest of us it is an assault: not just to our ears but to our intelligence as though we expect nothing more of a movie than a series of hand-to-hand combat scenes that quickly become tedious all to the strains of the overbearing thumping score.

Several times I was tempted to walk out because like a lot of discriminating viewers I am not comfortable viewing hours of debauchery depicted on screen. And I certainly do not like having to listen to dialogue you would expect from a member of the Hells Angles bike gang not from stockbrokers. It has been reported that the f-word is used 506 times in the film; frankly, it seems like twice that many.

THE WOLF OF WALL STREET

 Crime drama

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS

Leonardo DiCaprio: 25-year-old Jordan Belfort

Matthew McConaughey: his boss Mark Hanna

Cristin Milloti: his wife Teresa

Jonah Hill: his neighbour salesman Donnie Azoff

Rob Reiner: his father Max

Christine Ebersole: his mother Leah

Kyle Chandler: FBI agent Patrick Denham

Margot Robbie: party-goer Naomi Lapaglia

Jean Dujardin: Swiss banker Jean-Jacques Saurel

Joanna Lumley: Naomi’s aunt Emma

REVIEW

Several times I was tempted to walk out because like a lot of discriminating viewers I am not comfortable viewing hours of debauchery depicted on screen. And I certainly do not like having to listen to dialogue you would expect from a member of the Hells Angles bike gang not from stockbrokers. It has been reported that the f-word is used 506 times in the film; frankly, it seems like twice that many. And it’s not just the guys who swear and curse: the women talk like that too.

And on top of that, it is too long, running almost three hours since a lot of the hard-partying lifestyle is repetitive. Total frontal nudity, acts of sexual depravity, explicit love-making and groping may be eye-candy to some, but not to me. Sorry, not my style.

However DiCaprio’s depiction of the real-life swindler has got to be one of his best and the main reason for hanging in if you can put up with everything else.

CLASSIFICATION

for sequences of sexual content, graphic nudity, drug use and language throughout along with some violence.

FOR NITPICKERS ONLY

• Geneva’s landmark icon, the Jet d’Eau, can be seen through the office window of the Swiss banker but it is obviously just a photo of the real thing since it does not move.
• There are just five steps leading up to the country club but in one shot directly in front there are at least a dozen steps, maybe more.
• Cell phones of the sort being used were not introduced until 2004, some five years after these events transpired.

SAVING MR. BANKS

 Drama

F.Y.I.

P.L. Travers wrote a series of books published over the period 1934 to 1988 featuring Mary Poppins, a magical nanny to the children of Mr. and Mrs. George Banks.

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS

Emma Thompson: middle-aged author Pamela “P.L.” Travers

Ronan Vibert: her agent Diarmuid Russell

Paul Giamatti: Pamela’s LA chauffeur Ralph

Tom Hanks: filmmaker and producer Walt Disney

Bradley Whitford: screenwriter Don DaGradi

B.J. Novak: songwriter Robert Sherman

Jason Schwartzman: his brother and associate Richard

Melanic Paxson: Walt’s secretary Dolly

Kathy Baker: Walt Disney studio executive Tommie

Colin Farrell: Australian banker Travers Goff

Ruth Wilson: his wife Margaret

Annie Bucklye: their eight-year-old daughter Helen aka Ginty

REVIEW

Getting a first-hand look at what transpired when production of the film version of the popular Mary Poppins novel first began is insightful. As expected, Emma Thompson is terrific with Tom Hanks and Colin Farrell putting in their usual splendid effort. Although it runs a little over two hours it needs all that time to tell the background story as well. As one movie-goer was heard to say “it’s an emotional journey well worth telling”.

Great attention to detail (except for the few items noted below) adds a sense of authenticity to this “mostly-true” version of what really happened. The actual tape recording played during the final credits attest to this as well.

CLASSIFICATION

for thematic elements including some unsettling images.

FOR NITPICKERS ONLY

• When Pamela is outside the Los Angeles airport one of the signs reads Trans World Airways. The correct name for TWA was Trans World Airlines.
• Pamela uses the remote to turn on the television in her hotel room. The upscale Beverley Hills hotel would have used the latest control in 1961 with four oval buttons not one with two square buttons introduced ten years earlier.
• Walt tells of the time as a young lad he delivered 500 newspapers both the morning and the evening editions, sometimes with snow up to his waist: in fact it would take 5 to 6 hours to deliver that many papers in a residential area and the record snowfall ever in Kansas City where he lived was just 24” back in 1911/1912, which would be up to his knees at best.
• This is one of my classic all-time favourite nitpicks: at the end of the telephone conversation Walt hangs up and Pamela is left listening to the dial tone. In reality the dial tone is only heard after picking up the phone before dialling. That’s why it’s called a dial tone.

AMERICAN HUSTLE

Crime drama

F.Y.I.

In the late 1970’s and early 1980’s the FBI sting operation code named Abscam targeted corruption of elected officials.

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS

Christian Bale: con man Irving Rosenfeld

Bradley Cooper: FBI agent Richard “Richie” DiMaso

Amy Adams: Irving’s partner Sydney Prosser

Louis CK: Richie’s boss Stoddard Thomsen

Jeremy Renner: Camden NJ Mayor Carmine Polito

Elisabeth Rohm: Carmine’s wife Dolly

Jennifer Lawrence: Irving’s wife Rosalyn

Robert De Niro: Mob guy Victor Tellegio

REVIEW

Loosely based on the FBI investigation this is one terrific movie. Perhaps a tad too long at 2 hours and 18 minutes it is fast-paced, riveting and wholly entertaining. Production values are top notch with great attention to period detail. The script mostly rings true and is replete with humorous moments.

The performances are all excellent ranging from Academy Award exceptional-type (Bale, Adams, Cooper, Lawrence) to strong believable characters (Renner, Rohm, DeNiro). One more thing: any movie about a con man is bound to have more than a few plot twists: this one does not disappoint.

CLASSIFICATION

 for pervasive language, some sexual content and brief violence.

PHILOMENA

 Drama

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS

Steve Coogan: Television journalist and author Martin Sixsmith

Judi Dench: Philomena Lee, an elderly Irish woman

Anna Martin: her daughter Jane

Sophie Clark: the younger Philomena

Amy McAllister: Sister Anunciata

Mare Winningham: the grown up Mary

Barbara Jefford: the elderly Sister Hildegarde

REVIEW

Based on the true story of Philomena (pronounced phil-ah-me-nah) and the problems she had with the Catholic church. You have to smile at Philomena’s simplistic view of the world which is poles apart from that of Martin who is a socially awkward worldly sophisticate. They make for an interesting couple bent on trying to find out what happened years ago. And both give outstanding performances.

CLASSIFICATION

 for some strong language, thematic elements and one sexual reference.

FOR NITPICKERS ONLY

• Martin carries a bag slung over his shoulder but it disappears completely when he gets into the car.
• Aboard the aircraft the spiral staircase identifies it as a Boeing 747 but the shot of the plane landing at the Washington airport is something other than a 747.

INEQUALITY FOR ALL

  Documentary

REVIEW

Former United States Secretary of Labor Robert Reich presents the latest in documentaries about the widening economic gap in the USA. With state of the art graphs he explores the impact this has on the deterioration of the nation’s economic health.

Despite the complexity of the subject Reich makes it easy to understand his principal premise: except for the 1%, there is Inequality for All.

CLASSIFICATION

NEBRASKA

 Drama

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS

Bruce Dem: seventies-something Woody Grant

Will Forte: his son David

June Squibb: David’s mother Kate

Bob Odenkirk: David’s older brother Ross

Mary Louise Wilson: David and Ross’ aunt

Rance Howard: their uncle Ray

Stacy Keach: Woody’s old business partner Ed Pegram

Angela McEwan: Peg Nagy, editor/publisher of The Hawthorn Republican

REVIEW

Several things sets this one apart from the others:

• It is shot in black and white
• None of the cast are high profile well-known actors

It is a terrific story about someone wanting to see things through with dialogue and situations that are believable, characters that ring true and the interpersonal dynamics bang on. The acting is uniformly good and I just loved the pacing, the depiction of rural family life and the amusing moments. What a great combination.

CLASSIFICATION

for some strong language.