TRANCE

 Crime thriller

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS

James McAvoy: Simon, an auction house employee

Vincent Cassel: Franck, an associate

Rosario Dawson: hypnotherapist Elizabeth Lamb

REVIEW

It’s never much fun when you realize you’re being jerked around when you make an honest effort to sort things out for yourself. When filmmakers resort to that kind of manipulation, it’s time to walk out which I did.

This is an example of the twists and turns, the flashbacks and reversals one has to cope with: in one scene Simon takes the time to shoot and kill three bad guys but then it turns out he just imaged that and they are still alive wanting to kill him. But we the audience have no way of knowing it was all in his head so you take it at face value only to be yanked back with the reveal. You soon begin to feel like a puppet on a string.

Not surprising Ralph’s Rule of Redundancy applies:

“Any film where one person takes on more than 2 key positions (Danny Boyle is Writer, Director and Producer) has a major shortcoming: the absence of independent critical judgement that results in something less than it might have been.”

CLASSIFICATION

 for sexual content, graphic nudity, violence, some grisly images and language.

FOR NITPICKERS ONLY

• The revolver Simon uses has just 6 cartridges yet fires off a dozen rounds in the garage.
• Gasoline ignites between 500°F and 540°F so firing a bullet at a trail of gasoline will not set it ablaze.

THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES

Drama

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS

Ryan Gosling: motorcycle stunt driver Luke Glanton

Eva Mendes: his former girlfriend Romina

Ben Mendelsohn: auto repair shop owner Robin

Mahershala Ali: Romina’s live-in boyfriend Kofi

Bradley Cooper: rookie Police Officer Avery Cross

Rose Byrne: his wife Jennifer

Ray Liotta: Detective Deluca

Emory Cohen: 17-year-old AJ Cross

Dane DeHaan: 17-year-old Jason Glanton

REVIEW

This ambitious undertaking begins well enough with entwined stories of a street-wise carnival star and an upcoming rookie police officer. Characterized by excellent performances although not a very original story it was satisfying enough until the on-screen title “15 years later” appeared.

From this point on the story is a muddled confusing affair with only the most tenuous link to what had proceeded before it. This “third act” serves only to extend the running time to well past two hours and twenty minutes for no discernable reason.

CLASSIFICATION

for language throughout, some violence, teen drug and alcohol use, a sexual reference.

FOR NITPICKERS ONLY

Jason purchases a used Hondo motorcycle for cash and gets no papers in return, no registration, no sale receipt, nothing. It simply does not happen that way.

P.S.

The title comes from the English translation of the Mohawk word for Schenectady (where these events took place) as “the place beyond the pine plains”.

42

Sports drama

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS

Harrison Ford: Brooklyn Dodgers General Manager Branch Rickey

Chadwick Boseman: baseball player Jackie Robinson

Nicole Beharie: his girlfriend Rachel

Andre Holland: sports writer Wendell Smith

Christopher Meloni: Booklyn Dodgers Manager Leo Durocher

Lucas Black: short stop Pee Wee Reese

Jonh McGinley: play-by-play announcer Red Barber

Alan Tudyk: raciest Phillies Coachr Ben Chapman

                

REVIEW

With unwavering commitment one man set out to make a change: Branch Rickey could see the future of baseball and did something about it. Fortunately one man was up to the challenge: Jackie Robinson. Rickey had the courage of his convictions and Robinson, well he had the courage.

This mostly true story of their struggle makes for an entertaining  insight into the ways of sport. Characterized by excellent acting throughout and close attention to period detail (except for one instance noted below) it runs a tad long at two hours and twenty minutes. The racist language might be disturbing to some.

CLASSIFICATION

for thematic elements including language.

FOR NITPICKERS ONLY

This is one of my classic all-time favourite nitpicks: at the end of the telephone conversation Branch Rickey hangs up and Leo Durocher 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.

Drama

F.Y.I.                                       

On September 11, 1973 Salvador Allende was overthrown in a coup d’état. The country was then ruled by a military dictatorship led by General Augusto Pinochet. What followed was unprecedented in the history of Chile, a police state characterized by systematic suppression of all political dissidence. The number of suspected leftists killed or “disappeared” soon numbered in the thousands.

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS       

Gael Garcia Bernal: advertising executive René Saavedra

Antonia Zegers: Renés ex-wife Verónica Carvajal

Alfredo Castro: Renés boss Luis “Lucho” Guzmán

REVIEW

Due to international pressure Pinochet was forced to call a plebiscite on his presidency after 15 years of dictatorship. This fact-based film covers the efforts of the “No” campaign to sway the population using ads on television during the 27 days leading up to the actual vote to extend his rule for another eight years.

However it is shot in low-definition video using jerky hand-held camera which sorely distracts from the viewing pleasure. For me it was not made clear early on that René and his boss were on opposite sides which made it rather confusing as events unfolded. The acting is quite perfunctory as the script does not call upon them to emote all that much.

CLASSIFICATION

 for language.

CAESAR MUST DIE

Drama
Original title: Cesare deve morire

In Italian with English subtitles

F.Y.I.

William Shakespeare (April 1564 – April 1616) was born and brought up in Stratford-upon-Avon. He married Anne Hathaway when he was 18 and began a successful career in London as an actor, writer and co-owner of a company producing plays. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language.

His early plays were mainly comedies then he began writing tragedies and ultimately it was mostly romances at the end of his career. One of his best known tragedies is Julius Caesar. Based on actual events it portrays the conspiracy against the Roman dictator in 44BC and the consequences thereafter.

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS

Salvator Striano: Brutus

Cosimo Rega: Cassius

Giovanni Arcuri: Caesar

Antonio Frasca: Mark Antony

REVIEW

The cast are not trained professionals and did not come together as a group because of their acting ability. Instead they are all criminals serving time in an Italian maximum security prison. However they do an admirable job as the film follows their rehearsals prior to the actual stage performance of Julius Caesar.

Clearly this will appeal to those who enjoy Shakespeare’s plays; others will probably take a pass.

CLASSIFICATION

for one scene of violence.

ADMISSION

Romantic comedy

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS

Tina Fey: Princeton admissions officer Portia Nathan

Michael Sheen: her live-in boyfriend English professor Mark

Wallace Shawn: Portia’s boss Clarence, Dean of Admissions

Gloria Reuben: Portia’s associate Corinne

Paul Rudd: Director of New Quest John Pressman

Nat Wolff: one of the school’s students Jeremiah Balakian

Lily Tomlin: Portia’s mom Susannah

Travaris Spears: John’s adopted son Nelson

REVIEW

Certainly not the best movie of the year, but not the worst either. There are moments of real drama and inspired comedy but at other times it is beyond plausible.

Contrived situations stand out in large measure because they do not meet our expectations. Case in point: Portia is a very experienced highly regarded key member of a prestigious university yet she embarrasses herself at a student party. Perhaps we are supposed to giggle at this out-of-character behaviour? I’m sure if the writers tried harder they could come up with something better than that.

With the all-star cast this could have been a real winner. Could have.

CLASSIFICATION

for language, some sexual material.

FOR NITPICKERS ONLY

• Portia’s pen on the left hand side of her desk moves about from one change of scene to another.
• This is one of my classic nitpicks: when Portia hangs up, John hears a 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.

P.S.

Autodidact: noun

A self-taught person

THE CROODS

 Animated comedy\adventure

PRINCIPAL VOICE MEMBERS

Emma Stone: teenager Eep Crood

Nicolas Cage: Eep’s father Grug

Catherine Keener: Eep’s mother Ugga

Clark Duke: Eep’s 9-year-old brother Thunk

Randy Thom: Eep’s younger sister Sandy

Cloris Leachman: Eep’s grandmother Gran

Ryan Reynolds: teenager Guy

Chris Sanders: Guy’s pet sloth Belt

REVIEW

This story about a prehistoric family coming to terms with changing conditions borrows heavily from other movies and so lacks in originality:

• the rebellious red-headed teenage daughter facing off against a protective parent we saw in Brave
• rather odd looking creatures encountering one calamity after another we saw in Ice Age
• the well worn messages about being your own person and living life to the fullest has been around for ages

 Relying upon slapstick rather than witty dialogue to appeal to the younger crowd it keeps their attention by employing the age old technique of non-stop peril. That soon becomes boring and the outcome is entirely predictable with the result there is a temptation to leave and get on with your life.

CLASSIFICATION

 for some scary action.

P.S.

This one gets my vote as the dumbest movie title of the year.