Side Effects

Movie Title--  Side Effects

Release Year--  2013

Running Time--  1 Hour and 45 Minutes

Director--  Steven Soderbergh

Cast--  Channing Tatum, Rooney Mara, Jude Law, Catherine Zeta-Jones

A woman's depression spirals out of control and she suffers unforeseen consequences due to the side effects of the prescription drug her psychiatrist has prescribed for her.

Emily Taylor (Rooney Mara) falls into a deep depression after her husband, Martin Taylor (Channing Tatum) is released from prison.  After trying to commit suicide, she is seen by Dr. Jonathan Banks (Jude Law) and prescribed an anti-depressant but while waiting to speak to Emily again, Dr. Banks consults with her former psychiatrist, Dr. Victoria Siebert (Catherine Zeta-Jones).  Emily tells him that the pills make her sick and requests the pill Ablixa.  After being placed on Ablixa, she begins sleepwalking and one night the sleep walking has dire consequences.  Dr. Banks then has to make the decision whether he is going to help the victim or be the victim.  

I know that the description is short but since this film is a suspense thriller there is a need to keep some aspects of the film secret as not to give away the ending.  That being said I thought this film was alright.  The acting was excellent and the story was pretty decent, however there were a few parts that were muddled and slow.  Once the film gets into the meat of the story, the information that viewer gets seems to come fast a furious and if you aren't paying much attention, you may miss something that is going on.  

All in all, this film would not be the first one on my mind to recommend but I will say if you are looking for a decent Jude Law film, this would be a good one to view.  As the film progressed I could see what direction it was headed in but it did do a good job at keeping me guessing how it was going to get there.  If you are watching this one, make sure you pay close attention so that you don't miss anything and Don't Forget the Popcorn!

Jobs

Movie Title--  Jobs

Release Year--  2013

Running Time--  2 Hours and 8 Minutes

Director--  Joshua Michael Stern

Cast--  Ashton Kutcher, Josh Gad, Dermot Mulroney, Lukas Haas, Matthew Modine, J.K. Simmons, Brad William Henke

The story of Steve Jobs from when he dropped out of college in 1974 to 1997 when he is named CEO of Apple Computers.

The story begins in 2011 with the unveiling of the Apple IPod, after which is a flashback to 1974, with Steve Jobs (Ashton Kutcher) who has already dropped out of college.  He is allowed to still attend classes because the Dean of the school allows him to. Next it is 1976 and Jobs is working for Atari when he forms a partnership with Steve Wozniak (Josh Gad).  Jobs sees that Woz has build his own personal computer and talks him into taking it to the Homebrew Computer Club.  They come up with the company name Apple Computers and while they are there they enter into a  contract to sell their first computer, the Apple I.  Jobs asks permission from his father to set up a workshop in his garage and when he says yes, Jobs adds four more employees to help make and deliver the Apple I.  Paul Terrell (Brad William Henke) who held the contract for the sell of the Apple I was disappointed and Jobs went else where to find capital to build on.

After unsuccessful attempts to gain capital, Mike Markkula (Dermot Mulroney) offers Jobs the capital he needs and in 1977 they unveil the Apple II at the West Coast Computer Faire.  Apple is a huge success and as he begins to gain fame, he starts distancing himself from his friends and breaks up with his girlfriend when she tells him she is pregnant.  Even after his daugther, Lisa, is born, he denys that she is his and continues to be erratic in his personal and work lives.  He is forced off the Lisa Computer team and put on the Macintosh Group to help design and produce the newest model.  He also brings in high ranking Pepsi excuitive, John Sculley (Matthew Modine).  The Machintosh was introduced in 1984 but it couldn't save Jobs and he was forced out of the company in 1985.

Flashforward to 1996, Jobs has accepted Lisa as his daughter, he is married with 2 children and he is running a new company called NeXT that Apple is in the process of acquiring.  The new CEO of Apple asks Jobs to come back as a consultant and soon, Jobs is replacing him as CEO.  He fires the men that helped to push him out of Apple 11 years earlier and works to reinvent Apple.

I was very reluctant when it came to this film.  Let me just say, for the record, I am not a huge fan of Apple or Steve Jobs.  Do I have an Ipod?  Sure I do, but that is about where the "Apple love" I have ends.  Nothing against an Apple, it just isn't really my cup of tea.  That being said, although I have never been a fan of Steve Jobs, there is no denying that he is a forefather of current technology.  The man truly was brilliant, I just wasn't sure how I felt about Ashton Kutcher playing Steve Jobs.  I mean, when I think of Ashton Kutcher, I think of stoner and silly romantic comedies but I was quite pleased to see him in a serious, adult role.  He did do a very good job of playing this serious role and making you actually believe that you are watching Steve Jobs through his ups and downs.

The acting in the movie is pretty good and over all, this film was portrayed in a way that makes you actually want to sit down and watch a bio topic film.  Steve Jobs' story is one that any young person, looking to make a difference in the world should hear or in the case of the film, should see, because Jobs does have a very inspiring story and it shows how far you can go and what you can accomplish if you never give up.

Overall, I would say that if you are looking for a serious movie about someone real, this is a good film to pick up.  I will warn you by saying, I had a hard time sitting through the first fifteen minutes of the film.  I just didn't like the beginning and it truly almost made me lose interest in the film altogether but if you can make it through that part, it is a pretty decent film.  Check this movie out tonight, inspire yourself to do something world changing and Don't Forget the Popcorn.

Make Your Move

Movie Title--  Make Your Move

Release Year--  2013

Running Time-- 1 Hour and 50 Minutes

Director--  Duane Alder

Cast--  Derek Hough, BoA, Will Yun Lee, Wesley Jonathan, Jefferson Brown

It is love at first sight for two dancers in New York City but they find themselves in the middle of a bitter rivalry between their brothers.  

Donny (Derek Hough) skips parole in New Orleans to go to New York City where he is looking to get a job as a dancer in his brother Nick's (Wesley Jonathan) club.  Once Donny gets there, he asks Nick when he will get to meet his business partner Kaz (Will Yun Lee).  Nick explains that Wall Street lawyer, Michael (Jefferson Brown) came into the club one night and after seeing Kaz's sister Aya (BoA) became obsessed with her and talked Kaz into leaving the partnership to partner with him and start a new club, in the hopes that Aya would fall for him.  Nick then finds out that Aya and her group of drummers/dancers have come into his territory to practice and runs them off, taking their drums as a fee.  Aya then sneaks into the club, where her girls perform and get their drums back.  

It is love at first sight for Donny and from that moment, he wants to be close to her.  After meeting her, he finds out that she is looking for an agent to pick her up so she can obtain a work visa or she will be deported back to Japan.  Their brothers try to keep them apart, which only causes them to grow closer.  Donny gets arrested for assault and is told that the charges will be dropped if he leaves Aya alone and goes to to New Orleans but Donny isn't prepared to go without one last dance.

I won't lie, the story isn't that great.  I mean it really is a generic "Romeo and Juliet"/Hollywood love story type film; man and woman fall in love, their families try to pull them apart which drives them closer together, an obstacle comes up that they must over come, happy ending for all.  We have all seen this movie a million times in all different forms.  It is the dancing and the music that makes this story unique.

Derek Hough is the main start of the film and surprisingly he does a great job leading the film.  I am a big fan of "Dancing with the Stars" so I am familiar with him as a dancer but not as an actor.  The role of Aya is played by BoA, a K-Pop singer from Korea.  I am sorry to say that I am not quite as familiar with her as I am with Derek but she did a good job as his leading lady.  The most important thing about this film is the dancing.  The dancing in the film is amazing.  I could honestly watch this movie over and over again just for the dancing and the music isn't too bad either.

I would say the story in this film is kind of a flop but I really don't think that is actually what the film was made for anyway.  I believe this film was made purely to showcase the dancing and I feel like in order to make it into a real film they needed to put some kind of story behind it, so they chose to make it into a "star-crosses lovers" type of love story.  No one can argue that the dancing isn't excellent in this film and for that I say sit down and watch this film.  If you have a love or passion for dancing, then you will like this one.  It may even have you on your feet dancing along with the beat.  Don't Forget the Popcorn.

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

Movie Title--  Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

Release Year--  2008

Running Time--  1 Hour and 32 Minutes

Director--  Bharat Nalluri

Cast--  Francis McDormand, Amy Adams, Ciaran Hinds, Lee Pace, Tom Payne, Shirley Henderson, Mark Strong

Miss Guinevere Pettigrew is a middle aged governess in London that is herself dismissed from her job.  She finds herself walking into a job opportunity and soon finds she does not like what she has gotten herself into.

Miss Guinevere Pettigrew (Francis McDormand) is a governess in London and finds herself without a job mainly because she is hard to get along with.  She goes back to the agency to see if she can find another employer where she is told not to come back until her attitude has changed.  While she is there, a secretary comes in to tell the manager about a woman by the name of Delysia Lafosse (Amy Adams), a young American performer that is in need of some help and lays her card on the desk.  When the manager steps out of the office for a moment, Miss Pettigrew takes the card and arrives at Delysia's apartment the next morning.  

As soon as Miss Pettigrew walks into the apartment, she sees Delysia in a frenzy.  Willing to help the young woman, Miss Pettigrew offers to go get what she assumes is Delysia's son out of bed, only to find a grown man named Phil (Tom Payne) laying there, completely nude.  No sooner than they have him out of the door, Nick (Mark Strong) the owner of the apartment and another one of Delysia's lovers comes through the door.  After some heavy persuasion by Miss Pettigrew he leaves and when she tells Delysia that she can not work for her, Delysia begs her to stay.  Miss Pettigrew reluctantly agrees and Delysia whisks her out the door to attend a fashion show where she finds her friend Edythe and the two of them take Miss Pettigrew for a "transformation" but not before she meets Joe (Ciaran Hinds), Edythe's ex-fiancee and one of the designers of the fashion and embarrasses herself.

After Miss Pettigrew is transformed into a new woman, Delysia takes her back to the apartment where yet another of her lovers is waiting on her.  Michael (Lee Pace) has broken into the apartment after spending 30 days in jail and tells her that it is now or never, she will have all of him and marry him or she will have none of him and never see him again.  He then leaves, telling her that he needs her decision by the end of that night.

The events of the evening are a roller coaster of ups and downs but with Miss Pettigrew's help, Delysia realizes what she wants most and Miss Pettigrew finds love for herself.

For some reason, even since this film first came out, I wanted to see it.  I am not sure why I am just now getting around to watching it but I found that I  was not disappointed.  I happened to enjoy the film, although it is a little silly.  This is a feel good romantic comedy so it does have a roller coaster of emotions from happiness, heartbreak, confusion and finally love.  I really liked Francis McDormand as Miss Pettigrew and I haven't really seen a performance by Amy Adams that I haven't enjoyed.  The film does tend to have a zany feel to it, like some of the ones from the 20's, 30's and 40's but since it is set just prior to World War II, that zaniness gives it an old timey feel.  I think this is a pretty decent film to curl up with, especially if you are in need of a chick flick.  Until next time, Don't Forget the Popcorn!

The Pirate Fairy

Movie Title--  The Pirate Fairy

Year--  2014

Running Time-- 1 Hour and 18 Minutes

Director--  Peggy Holmes

Cast--  Mae Whitman, Christina Hendricks, Tom Hiddleston, Lucy Liu, Raven-Symone, Megan Hilty, Pamela Adlon, Angela Bartys, Jim Cummings

When Zarina, a dust keeper in Pixie Hollow, is exiled from Pixie Hollow, she returns to steal the blue pixie dust that helps the pixie dust tree multiply the pixie dust.  Tinkerbell and her band of fairies go after Zarina and have a wild adventure of their own.

Dust keeper Zarina (Christina Hendricks) isn't interested in just passing out the pixie dust to her fellow Fairies, she has questions about how it works and if different color dusts can be manufactured.  Fairy Gary, the leader of the dust keepers warns her that pixie dust should never be tampered with.  After an unfortunate event Zarina leaves, only to return the following year to steal the blue pixie dust that helps to make the pixie dust multiply.  Tinkerbell and her friends embark on a journey of a lifetime in order to get the blue pixie dust back and save Pixie Hollow.

I can't really say much more without giving anything away.  I really think that this animated feature deserves for the surprises in the movie not to be spoiled before viewing it.

So the reason I have chosen this movie is because today is my daughter's birthday party and I thought it would be cute to go along with the theme since her party is a "Pirate and Pixie Party".  That is not the only reason this movie is chosen though, this really is a super cute movie.  Having a small child in the house, I tend to have to watch the same things over and over again and I can say that it is one that I can manage to listen to a thousand times.  

This is the first of the Tinkerbell movies that  is not completely focused on Tinkerbell.  Zarina is actually the main character of this film although it does keep Tinkerbell in the main frame since the Disney Fairies brand is her franchise.  I like the inclusion of the pirates in this film, it shows that Disney is branching the Fairy franchise out some to include all of Neverland and I think that eventually we will get to see a Tinkerbell/Peter Pan origin story to show how they met and what happened to them before the events in Peter Pan took place.

There is a super cute song in the middle of the movie that the pirate sing that tends to be very catchy and believe me, it can get into your head and stay there for days.

I think that this movie is cute for a girl or a boy but I do have to say that I really love what Disney is doing with their Fairy franchise.  If you get down to the meat of it all, Tinkerbell is an engineer and as you will see in this movie, Zarina is an alchemist or in not so fancy terms, a scientist.  Disney is showing little girls that they can do anything they want to do and they are doing it in the form of Tinkerbell and her Fairy friends.  Not only are they showing little girls that these things are cool, they show little girls AND boys that they can accomplish anything when they work together.  I think that this is a good lesson for children to learn no matter what age they are.  I say that this is a good film for a family movie night.  Sit everyone down together for a little family time with this Disney animated feature and Don't Forget the Popcorn!

Secrets of the Manor House: Secrets of Highclere Castle

Movie Title-- Secrets of the Manor House:  Secrets of Highclere Castle

Release Year--  2013

Running Time--  54 Minutes

Director--  Vicky Matthews

Cast--  Samuel West

The story and secrets of Highclere Castle in Hampshire, England, United Kingdom, home to Earl and Countess Carnarvon.

This film is a documnetary about Highclere Castle, lived in and owned by the Carnarvon family since 1679.  This documentary follows George and Fiona Carnarvon, the current Earl and Countess of the estate, through a tour of what has become a world famous estate.  They talk about the history of the Carnarvon family, the details of the estate and the plans to keep Highclere a working and well established Manor Home.

I was really dreading doing a documentary, I just felt like I wasn't quite ready to spend a few hours watching something potientally educational.  I picked this because it was very short and it seemed like it could be interesting.  I do have to say that it was pretty interesting although at times it could get a feel a little dry and at a few points it even seemed a little slow but overall it was worth the watch.  There are really only two things that I want to point out in this film.

Number 1--If you ever passed a history class, you should recoginze the Earl and Countess' last name; Carnarvon.  Yes, the current Earl of Highclere Castle is the great grandson of Lord Carnarvon; the man that funded the expedition that uncovered King Tutankhumun's tomb.  They say in the film that after the current Earl's grandfather died, his father and their butler went through one of the previously untouched rooms and found real Egyptian treasure hidden in the walls.

Number 2--This is the current filming location of "Downton Abbey".  If you have never heard of Downton Abbey, it is a great series that airs on PBS here in America.  If you have heard of Downton Abbey and don't watch, I highly recommend it, I think that the series is just awesome.

Those two reasons alone are the best reasons to watch this documentary, not to mention all the history this beautiful estate home has.  I think that if you are looking for something short and educational, this is a good one to pick up.  Go learn something new today and Don't Forget the Popcorn!

Bernie

Movie Title--  Bernie

Running Time--  1 Hour and 39 Minutes

Director--  Richard Linklater

Cast--  Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine, Matthew McConaughey, Brady Coleman

Based on a true story, this is the story about Bernie Tiede, an assistant funeral director in Carthage, Texas.  He becomes very close friends with a widow who is estranged from her family and has no friends but when she writes him into her will, she begins to treat him like a piece of her property and not a human.  One day he snaps and shoots her in the back, then covers up the murder.

Bernie Tiede (Jack Black) is a mild mannered assistant funeral director working in Carthage, Texas.  Everyone in the town loves Bernie; he is the kind of man that would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it.  Bernie tended to be in debt a lot but was always donating  something to someone, always looking out for other before caring for himself.  Bernie meets a mean old widow, Marjorie Nugent (Shirley MacLaine), at the funeral of her late husband and befriends her, constantly checking in on her to make sure she is coping alright with her husband's passing.  They soon develop a close friendship and he becomes her constant companion.  

After Marjorie rewrites her will, leaving everything to Bernie, she becomes possesive and starts to treat him like he is her property instead of like a person.  One day Bernie snaps and shoots her in the back four times.  Instead of going to the police he hides her in a deep freeze and when she is finally discovered, the Carthage D.A. Danny Buck (Matthew McConaughey) asks the judge to hold the trial in a different jurisdiction because the jury pool was so bias toward Bernie.

Alright, so for this movie I have to thank Max.  Who is Max you ask?  Max is this little guy that lives in my Netflix.  All joking aside, I logged into Netflix, not really sure what I wanted to watch, so there is this option called "Max" and he (I say he because they use a man's voice) presented me with this movie based off what I felt like watching and what I had rated a few other movies I had seen.  "Bernie" was Max's pick, so I decided to give it a try.

"Bernie" is probably not a movie I would have picked on my own and honestly, it wasn't the best movie I have ever seen but it was funny in a dark way.  First and foremost, it is based off a true story.  The story of Bernie Tiede, mortician and nice guy that one day snaps and kills his constant companion is completely true, the killing happened in 1996.  At his trial he testified that Marjorie was abusive to him and he snapped.  He put her in the freezer because he wanted to preserve her so one day he could give her a proper burial. 

Jack Black plays Bernie and I have to say, I thought his performance was pretty good.  He sings throughout the movie and it is mostly serious, gospel type music, which anyone knows from watching a Jack Black film, that is not typical of him.  He helps transform this story that would otherwise be tragic for both parties, into a story that is amusing and light-hearted, that is before the murder anyway.  Shirley MacLaine plays Marjorie and at first the viewer is thinking although she is much older than Bernie, perhaps this could work out for them.  Then she flips the switch from a sometimes grumpy old lady who likes spending time with this man to a complete, control driven bitch.  The person that shocked me the most was Matthew McConaughey.  If I didn't know what his voice sounded like, I probably would have never known who the actor playing D.A. Danny Buck was.  He looks nothing like himself in this part and he puts on a pretty good performance.  

The last thing I want to leave you with is this: this movie is not set up in a typical fashion.  The whole thing is done like a documentary with paid actors instead of actually being a documentary.  They had actors portraying the people of the town and giving on screen interviews as if the film crew was actually going around the town getting the interviews.  It was an odd way of story telling but I think it helped move the film along some.

This film isn't a typical pick but I would say if you are looking for a dark comedy and you like Jack Black, this may be a pretty good pick for you.  Just remember that this is not really a film that everyone is going to watch but for the few people out there that is looking for something a little different and you need a little dark comedy in your life, this one is a good one for you.  Don't Forget the Popcorn!

Mud

Movie Title--  Mud

Release Year--  2012

Director--  Jeff Nichols

Cast--  Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Tye Sheridan, Jacob Lofland, Sam Shepard, Sarah Paulson, Ray McKinnon

Two boys find a boat in a tree and upon examining it, they find that someone is living there.  Soon after they encounter a strange man named Mud and one of the boys soon develop a friendship with him.  When the Boy learns that Mud is a fugitive of the law, he confronts him and finds out that Mud has come back for the love of his life.  The boy decides to help reunite the two lovers while his own life is dissolving around him.

Ellis (Tye Sheridan) and his friend Neckbone (Jacob Lofland) sail down the Mississippi River to a small island to explore a boat stuck in a tree.  They soon realize that someone is living in the boat and when they get back to the beach they see the man standing there.  The man asks for food in exchange for the boat when he is finished with it.  Neckbone is reluctant about it but Ellis decides to take him some food.  Once back on the beach he finds out the man is called Mud (Matthew McConaughey) and Ellis befriends him.  Ellis soon learns that Mud is a fugitive from the law and demands to know why.  Mud tells him the reason and that he is only there to meet up with the love of his life, Juniper (Reese Witherspoon)  and they would leave together.  Ellis decides it is the right thing to do to help Mud and Juniper reunite and wants to help them, although he has to deal with his own problems.  He is dealing with his parents (Sarah Paulson and Ray McKinnon) and their dissolving marriage while having his own personal problems with the girl he likes May Pearl (Bonnie Sturdivant).  

Ever hear the old saying, "Don't judge a book by it's cover"?  That is how I feel about this movie.  For some reason I saw this film and decided that I was not going to watch it.  I just flat out refused to watch a movie called "Mud" and it didn't matter that it has Matthew McConaughey in it, I wasn't going to watch it.  So a few days ago I was watching something on Netflix and it popped up "You watched this movie, you may like these movies too" and "Mud" happened to be on the list.  This has happened more than once, so, I finally broke down and watched it.  Can I say, I was NOT disappointed.

McConaughey plays Mud, a man on the run that has a way of expanding the truth.  His stories are all based on truth but are made up of lies to make the story bigger than it really is.  McConaughey does a great job of playing this character and really portrays the spirit of a man that would do anything for the woman he loves.  Ty Sheridan who plays the character of Ellis was really fun to watch too.  He is young but I think that as long as the parts are available he will be one to watch for the future.  

I would recommend this movie to anyone that is in a McConaughey kind of mood.  The story was very interesting and the acting was excellent.  Don't expect to hear his trademark "Alright, alright, alright" or you will be dissapointed because it doesn't show up in this film.   If you decided  to have a McConaughey movie marathon night (surely I am not the only person that picks an actor I like and have a movie marathon), add this movie to the list.  I hope you enjoy this film and Don't Forget the Popcorn!

Transcendence

Movie Title-- Transcendence

Release Year-- 2014

Running Time--  2 Hours

Production Company--  Alcon Entertainment

Director--  Wally Pfister

Cast--  Johnny Depp, Rebecca Hall, Paul Bettany, Morgan Freeman, Cillian Murphy, Kate Mara

A scientist and his wife face dangerous consequences when his consciousness is uploaded into the self aware machine that he has created. 

Scientist Dr. Will Castor is the foremost researcher in the field of Artificial Intelligence.  He has labored to create the first self aware, sentient machine that is able to combine human emotions with the intelligence of everything ever known.  He has become famous for his research, experiments and work on the subject amd that makes him a target for the anti technology group "RIFT" (Revolutionary Independence From Technology) whom try to assassinate him.  Although he does not die when he is shot, the bullet is laced with radiation, giving Dr. Castor radiation poison and a short time to live.  In his last weeks his wife Evelyn (Rebecca Hall) with the help of their good friend Max Waters (Paul Bettany) help Dr. Castor integrate into the consciousness of his own sentient machine.

Max realizes as soon as Will has transcended that this is not a good idea but Evelyn, dealing with the loss of her husband, feels like she has gotten him back and is blind to the big picture.  Max leaves and is kidnapped by "RIFT" and they are soon after Evelyn.  She helps Will upload to the internet and he soon has her away and secure, telling her that they need to find a place to rebuild.  She finds the town of Brightwater and they begin to build their facility there.  After a few years, the building that houses the machine has grown and the research that Will is gathering has helped him to build nano bots that help to heal people however every person that is injected with the bots are able to be manipulated by Will conscious...  

OK, so I have to stop there because any further and I will give the rest of the movie away and here at Don't Forget the Popcorn we are VERY against spoilers.  I will say that the part I have not really said much about (which begins after where I stopped typing) is the best part of the movie, for a while.  All in all, this movie was a little bit boring.  Some parts were tedious and drug on forever.  Once the film seemed to hit a pretty good stride something would hit a snag somewhere and then it would be back to dragging the story out or muddling through the plot lines.  

Don't get me wrong, I REALLY wanted to see this film in the theaters earlier this year.  With a cast like Johnny Depp, Paul Bettany, Morgan Freeman and Cillian Murphy, there was no doubt in my mind that this was going to be a pretty good film.  Now that I have seen it, I am glad I did not go waste my money to see it in the theater.  Perhaps if this film was shortened some, with some of the muddy parts cut out to move the story along a little faster and a little bit more explanation of what they are trying to achieve as the story progresses, it would have been better.  The material gets a little bit confusing and even lost from time to time, leaving the viewer bored and under impressed with what is going on on the screen.  

I love Johnny Depp but this film just did nothing for me.  I come out of this movie wondering why I wasted the time to watch it.  The lesson here is great; it is a lesson in humanity and it is trying to push people to look at what they are achieving in technology so they can ask themselves if what they are doing is morally right or if they are going to far, it was just presented in a way that made people just not care much about what they were seeing.  If you are sitting down to watch this movie because you are a Depp fan, I suggest that you skip this film pick one of his older, better ones and Don't Forget the Popcorn!

12 Years a Slave

Movie Title-- 12 Years a Slave

Release Year-- 2013

Running Time-- 2 Hours and 14 Minutes

Production Company-- River Road Entertainment

Cast-- Chiwetel Ejofor, Lupita Nyong'o, Michael Fassbender, Sarah Paulson, Paul Giamatti, Benedict Cumberbatch, Brad Pitt

The account of a free man of color living in Saratoga, New York that is persuaded to go as a traveling entertainer to Washington D.C. where he is kidnapped and sold into slavery.

This is the story of Soloman Northup (Chiwetel Ejofor), a free black man living in Saratoga, New York with his wife and two children.  He is presauded by two con men to accompany them to Washington D.C. where he will earn wages being an entertainer.  When they arrive in the capitol, they drug Soloman and sell him into slavery.  From there he is sent with a group of other kidnapping victims to New Orleans where Mr. Freeman (Paul Giamatti) sells Soloman, who is now known by his slave name Platt, and one of his fellow travelers, Eliza to a man named Mr. Ford (Benedict Cumberbatch).  Ford proves to be a nice master but after Soloman gets in some trouble, Ford is forced to give his lease to another plantation owner, Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender).

Edwin proves to be a very harsh and very cruel master, whipping slaves for not meeting their cotton qouta and repeatedly raping and showing unwanted affections to a young field slave, Patsey (Lupita Nyong'o).  This unwanted attention toward Patsey makes Edwin's wife, the Mistress Epps (Sarah Paulson), very jealous and along with having Edwin beat her regularly, she very often throws things in Patsey's face and belittles her.  

A man from Canada, Mr. Bass (Brad Pitt) is paid to come to the plantation and complete a building on the property.  Soloman, overhearing Mr. Bass' antislavery views, shares with him that he is not really a  slave but a free man that had been kidnapped and sold into slavery.  Soloman also asks Bass if he will get a letter to his friends in New York and Bass, feeling like it is part of his duty to help a fellow man out, agrees to send the letters for him, although it could possibly be a great personal risk to him.  It is not long after the letters have been sent that someone is sent to take him back home to New York to be a free man once again after 12 years as a slave.

Before all else, a few things have to be stated about this film;  first is that it is based on a true story and second being that it won 3 Oscars, including "Best Picture".  That being said, I have mixed feelings about this movie.  I mean I enjoyed it, as much as one can enjoy a movie about cruelty during one of the darkest times in America's history.  I thought that the writing was done really well and I thought that EjoFor and Fassbender's roles were great.  Fassbender really does a great job at convincing the audience of Edwin Epp's cruelty and he even makes the viewer loathe him as a person.  Ejofor holds the viewer's attention and really portrays the hard times and the raw emotion that Soloman carried with him his 12 years in slavery.

What I didn't like about the movie was the story telling in the first hour or so of the movie.  To me, the beginning jumped too abruptly into scenes or flashbacks without any kind of transition.  For example, there is a scene that shows Soloman and his fellow captives being roused and forced to form a line and then it jumps to a horse drawn cart pulling underneath the camera's view and the captives being forced out of the cart.  It is almost as if there had been a whole scene cut out and another piece of movie they happened to want to use dropped into the first piece's place.  I understand that they are trying to process a lot of information at one time to hurry the story along and not make it any longer than it has to be, while also having enough time for the bulk of the movie to play out, I just think they could have found a better way to portray that.

It is also good to note that although I posted Paul Giamatti, Benedict Cumberbatch and Brad Pitt to the cast list, they do not have very much screen time, Cumberbatch having the most out of the three.  The roles these three men play are very important to the story, Giamatti being Mr. Freeman the man that sold Soloman as a slave, Cumberbatch being Mr. Ford Soloman's first owner and Pitt being Mr. Bass the man that helps Soloman return to freedom but the reason these men don't get much screen time is because the bulk of the film is dedicated to cruelty that Soloman and the other slaves on the plantation endure at the hand of Edwin Epps and Soloman's struggle to become free and get back to his family.

I say that this film is worth the Oscar nods that it received.  Be aware that if you view this film you may be in for a very emotional ride, depending on what kind of movie watcher you tend to be.  You may want to bring along the tissues for this one and Don't Forget the Popcorn!

The Ledge

Movie Title--The Ledge

Release Year-- 2011

Running Time-- 1 Hour and 41 Minutes

Production Company-- VIP Media Group Ltd

Director-- Matthew Chapman

Cast-- Charlie Hunnam, Terrence Howard, Liv Tyler, Patrick Wilson, Christopher Gorham


A detective is sent to a high rise building to talk down a young man that has been sent there by his lover's husband to contemplate a fateful decision.  The detective, having received some shocking news himself, is distracted by his own troubles but stays to listen to the story of how the young man ended up on the ledge and try to talk him down.

The movie opens to an industrial scene at dawn and brightens as the credits roll, signaling the day coming in; a new and fresh beginning.  Voices soon come in and the scene changes to Detective Hollis Lucetti talking nervously to a doctor and he finds out some very bad news.  Then it cuts to Gavin (Charlie Hunnam) climbing onto the ledge of a high rise building and glancing over the side.  Detective Hollis is sent to the site to talk Gavin down but very quickly realizes that Gavin has not climbed onto this ledge by his own doing but rather he has been forced out onto it.  Gavin tells Hollis that he was sent there to think and then at noon he is to jump.  

The movie then goes into a flashback where we meet the main players of our movie:  The gay roommate Chris (Christopher Gorham) and the married couple Shanna (Liv Tyler) and Joe Harris (Patrick Wilson).  Joe and Shanna come to Chris and Gavin's apartment to introduce themselves and invite them to dinner.  The dinner turns disastrous for Gavin when Joe, an unwavering christian, asks to pray for them.  Joe asks God to "forgive these two men for being abominable in his eyes", which offends Gavin, not because of what Joe says but the fact that Joe is judging the two of them "in God's eyes".  While Joe is an all believing type of christian, Gavin has strong beliefs and principles of his own but it has nothing to do with faith.  This will be the underlying tension between these two men throughout the rest of the movie.  New problems will present themselves but this God vs. no God argument will be at the heart of every problem for the rest of the movie.  

It is with this prayer at dinner that Gavin decides to "liberate" Shanna from her husband.  He gets friendlier with her and then starts making suggestive comments to her, trying to make sure that he is constantly on her mind.  After a while, the flirting and suggestive talk turns into an affair.  Shanna decides to leave Joe and that is what puts the wheels in motion, ending with Joe sending Gavin out on the ledge to make the biggest decision of his life.

The movie goes back and forth between Gavin and Hollis on the ledge to flashbacks, all while weaving Hollis' story in at the same time.  The scenes with Gavin and Hollis are meant to hurry the movie along, leaving the meatier parts of the story to the flashback scenes and also helping the viewer distinguish the time lapses in the story without having to actually portray it on screen.  This movie was distributed by IFC Films, so it has a very Indie feel to it, which I happen to be a fan of (although, sometimes this style of movie tends to turn people off) and it is also the kind of movie that I personally refer to as a "talkie" kind of film because there is no fighting, no car chases and no explosions; just people taking and arguing about their differences.

I found this movie when I was at the end of a six season "Sons of Anarchy" marathon; I was on a Charlie Hunnam high and was looking for my next fix.  The synopsis that I read for this movie was much shorter than the one that I wrote, so I decided to give it a try, since as I said previously, I was looking my next Charlie fix.  I thought the script was very well written and at times I found myself laughing at some of Hunnam's dialogue, while at other times not believing some of the things that were coming out of his mouth.  The tension and chemistry between Hunnam and Tyler is great; even when they are not talking to each other you can just feel the electricity hanging in the air between them.  That tension, coupled with the very overbearing nature of Wilson's character, helped to give the movie the right kind of push that a film of this type needs to have to be able to handle all the dialogue it has.

I suggest watching the end of the movie a second time after you have watched it all the way through the first time.  Start at 1 hour and 19 minutes when Joe invites Gavin into his apartment.  There is a very low buzzing sound as Joe starts to speak and suddenly at 1 hour and 21 minutes the music that has been building very slightly is evident.  Listen to the music as Joe is speaking, it helps to give a much deeper effect to his speech.  The music will continue to grow soft and then loud again, crescendoing at 1 hour and 29 minutes, then again at 1 hour and 31 minutes (after this scene, you can turn the movie off, the music will abruptly stop).  Actually being aware of the music during these scenes changes them slightly, causing them to be a bit more dramatic but it also makes you aware of how you are reacting to the scenes.  Being aware of the music  means being aware that your chest is tightening a little with dread as you try to predict the outcome that is going to befall these characters.

All in all, I think it was a pretty good movie but I don't think it is for everyone (rottentomatoes.com critics score gives is 14% YIKES!).  Go into this movie knowing that it may not exactly be the right kind of movie for you and Don't Forget the Popcorn!




P.S.--Not all of my synopsis and reviews will be this long but this movie has several different layers to it and it was hard not to review it without touching on everything.