"Ida" Movie Review

My review of the Polish film "Ida"

"Ida"

Published on May 30, 2014

Wayback Machine Archive Post

Photo courtesy of Music Box Films 

“Ida”  (2013)

Set in Poland during the 1960’s, Anna (Agata Trzebuchowska) is a young novitiate nun, happily preparing to take her vows.  She is content with her life and is looking forward to making the next step to become a nun. Her world is changed when she is brought into the Mother Superior’s office and told that before she can take her vows she must make a trip to see her only living relative, an aunt named Wanda (Agata Kulesza).

Anna travels by bus to visit Wanda, a chain smoking, hard drinking judge in the very communist world of post-World War II Poland. Wanda is a former big wig in the communist party, a woman who has seen a lot during her life. Anna learns that her real name is Ida and that she is Jewish, her parents perished during the war and she was handed over to a Catholic priest by them before they died.  Wanda doesn’t know how or why Anna’s parents died and they decide to go on a road trip to find out what really happened.  And so starts this beautifully shot, mesmerizing film that slowly reveals it’s storyline in the cold winter of the Polish countryside, as Anna and Wanda search for truth in a country that likes to hold onto its secrets.

This Polish film is strikingly shot in black and white, where cinematographers Ryszard Lenczewski and Lukasz Zal, let the screen fill with soft, milky shots of Polish life in the 1960’s rule of Communism. It’s the lack of color that lends to the film’s feel of a sense of doom that seems to always hover overhead. The film is filled with shots of grey, so that the film and its story are murky at best, nothing is clear. Director Pawel Pawlikoski, who co-wrote the script with Rebecca Lenkiewicz, does a masterful job of bringing across the starkness of life in that time. Very few times are their more than a handful of people in the frame of the shots of the film, bringing across how lonely and alone Anna and Wanda are in their search for the truth.

The two lead actresses are amazing in this film and a perfect contrast to each other. Trzebuchowska, as Anna, is strikingly beautiful, and on screen it’s as she never quite moves. She reluctantly explores the real world, never quite wanting to fully commit to the harsh reality away from her very safe, religious life.  Anna rarely speaks, so Trzebuchowska makes us want to protect her with her innocent and sometimes troubled looks.  In contrast, Kulesza’s Wanda is a woman who speaks her mind in both her words and her actions.  She is a woman determined to show Anna what the world has to offer, even if it is hard and unappealing. Kulesza gives us a performance filled with regret and sadness.

This film perfectly captures a time in the world where the effects of both World War II and the Cold War were front and center.  It’s movie that explores the importance of religion and faith in the person’s life, as we see Anna struggle to have to come to terms with her past.  “Ida” is a film that though shot in black and white, shows us a world that can be murky and grey.  And it’s a world that holds onto its secrets with a firm grip.    My Rating: Full Price

My movie rating system from Best to Worst:  1). I Would Pay to See it Again  2). Full Price  3). Bargain Matinee  4). Cable  5). You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again

“Ida” is playing exclusively at the Plaza Theatre

“Ida” Website

"Chef" Movie Review

My review of "Chef" starring Jon Favreau, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson.

"Chef"

Posted on May 23, 2014 on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

Wayback Machine Archive Post

Photo courtesy of Open Road Films

“Chef”  (2014)

Chef Carl Casper (Jon Favreau) is a man who has lost his way. He is head chef at a very swanky Los Angeles restaurant owned by a man named Riva (Dustin Hoffman). Carl has lost his mojo, his passion for cooking, and he is close to losing his son. He is divorced from Inez (Sofia Vergara), and while he has weekly sessions with his ten year old son, Percy (Emjay Anthony), he doesn’t really connect with him. He seems to do the weekly visits more out of obligation rather than wanting to spend quality time with his son. He has an on again/off again affair with the woman that manages the restaurant, Molly (Scarlett Johansson). Carl is resting on the laurels of his past, when he was younger and the toast of the food world, heralded by food critics as the next great chef.

Carl’s world starts collapsing when he creates a brand new menu for an appearance by nationally known food critic (Oliver Platt). Riva won’t let Carl implement the new menu, forcing Carl to serve to the critic the same menu that has been at the restaurant for years. When the critic publishes a scathing review of the meal, Carl has a meltdown and ends up quitting the restaurant. When his ex-wife suggests that he come along on a trip to Miami to care for their son, he agrees. While there, Carl discovers a food truck, which he buys, determined to rekindle his passion for cooking in a new way.  Carl, with the help of his son and his right hand man, Martin (John Leguizamo), restore the truck and decide to go on a road trip across the country to take the truck back to L.A..

“Chef” is a road trip movie about rediscovering your passions. In Carl’s case, not only does he revive his passion for food and cooking, but also his passion for his son. Jon Favreau, who wrote and directed the movie, does a terrific job of creating a film that while going down a path that you see coming, you don’t mind going along with him on the ride.

Favreau is very comfortable in the kitchen and shows off some real culinary skills. This is a foodie’s fantasy as almost at every turn Carl is creating something in the kitchen. Carl uses the creation of food dishes to blow off steam or express himself. There are some amazing shots of not just the kind of food you find in a fancy restaurant, but also simple dishes, like a Cuban sandwich or a grilled cheese (I guarantee that you will want a grilled cheese after seeing this film). And you get to see how a kitchen and a food truck run, with great insight into the incredible amount of cooperation that goes on to prepare and serve us food.

Favreau gives a terrific performance as the chef who must find his way back. Favreau has created a character that even though he is flawed is likable. Carl is the type of guy you would like to hang out with and discuss food over a beer. The rest of the cast is marvelous, including an incredibly restrained performance by Sofia Vergara (yes, that Sofia Vergara). It’s refreshing to know that Vergara has the range to play down her character and her chemistry with Favreau works extremely well.  I also liked that Favreau created the husband and wife characters that though divorced, generally care about each other and their son. It’s a novel approach that you rarely see in movies today, characters that actually communicate to each other.

There is also great interaction between Favreau and Leguizamo, who plays Carl’s best friend and his main support in the kitchen. They have a nice rapport and some of the better comedic moments are in their interactions.  Emjay Anthony is well cast as the son who just wants to spend time with his father, no matter what they do. There are a few really nice moments of father and son bonding and Anthony holds up his end of their scenes together. A number of hilarious cameos pop up throughout the film.  I don’t want to give any away, but they certainly help give spice to the film.

“Chef” is a quite pleasing comedy road film, a great get away from the raunchy comedies of late. It’s a movie about reconnecting with the people you love and finding your passion for life. It’s a simple film you will want to savor and enjoy,  much like the dishes that Carl creates on the screen.    My Rating: Full Price

My movie rating system from Best to Worst:  1). I Would Pay to See it Again  2). Full Price  3). Bargain Matinee  4). Cable  5). You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again

“Chef” is playing in theatres nationwide.  

“Chef” Website

"God's Pocket" Movie Review

My review of "God's Pocket" starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Christina Hendricks, Richard Jenkins.

"God's Pocket"

Posted on May 16, 2014 on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

Wayback Machine Archive Post

Photo courtesy of IFC Films

“God’s Pocket”  (2014)

A newspaper reporter writes in his column describing the men of God’s Pocket as people who live their whole life in the same city they were born in and never seeing any other part of the world. In fact, if you are not from God’s Pocket, you are considered an outsider and to be looked down on.

The writer, heard in a voiceover at the start of the film, is the city’s newspaper regular columnist, Richard Shellburn (Richard Jenkins). Shellburn is a hard drinking man, the kind that always has a beer by his side, even when driving his car. Both he and the city have seen better days. It’s as time stopped in the 1970’s though the rust on the cars and the disrepair of the buildings tell us time has marched on.  Shellburn turns into his editor his anniversary column, the same one he has written four years in a row.  Like the rest of the townspeople, Shellburn is just going through the motions, whether it’s writing his column or picking up journalism major at the local bar, he’s just not going to put a lot of effort in the exercise.

Mickey (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) is a low level criminal, the type you hire to steal a truck full of meat.  Mickey is well liked in the community but because he has only lived in the area for the past 17 years, he is seen as an outsider. Mickey is married to Jeanie (Christina Hendricks), a housewife who is from God’s Pocket, giving Mickey a little credibility in the community. Mickey is the stepfather to Jeanie’s twenty two year old boy, Leon (Caleb Landry Jones), a fowl mouthed pill popping day laborer who likes to brandish a straight razor for fun.  Jeanie sees her son in a different light than the rest of the community, waking him up each morning and making him something for breakfast that he immediately throws away.

Leon is killed in what is described as a construction accident, but Jeannie is convinced that something bad happened to her only child and she implores Mickey to find out. This sends Mickey on a tangled tale to not only find out what happened, but also need to find a way to pay for the stepson’s funeral.

This is one of the last performances that we will see on the big screen of Phillip Seymour Hoffman, one of this generations greatest actors and, unfortunately, is just misses the mark. The film, directed by actor John Slattery (“Mad Men”) and written by Alex Metcalf and Slattery, never quite finds the voice of the film. It’s a gritty, working class of a film that has a few comedic moments, but it is filled with characters that are too one dimensional.  I would have liked the film to be a little more extreme in either its drama portion or its comedic moments. The story-line moves around quite a bit and never lets us completely focus on one character, making the film stop and start too many times.

Hoffman is given a character that we instantly like, even though he does some bad things, like getting drunk on the night his stepson is killed. Mickey is not there for his wife, who reacts badly to the death, staying at the bar till closing, even though it is right across from where he lives. But his character is very simple to figure out, not allowing Hoffman to give the sort of complex performance that we know he is capable of.

Of the fine cast, which includes John Turturro, who plays Mickey’s best friend, and Eddie Marsan, who plays a slimy funeral owner, Christina Hendricks  playing the grieving mom, is the one that stands out.  Her character is multi-layered and we see the grief and the pain her son’s death has caused in her every scene.  She gives us a woman who inside is complicated and one that lets her emotions get the better of her.

While not a bad first effort by John Slattery, it’s a film that never quite meets its potential. It’s a film that because of its great cast, led by the legendary Hoffman, you want to be more substantial than it ends of being.  Like the men of God’s Pocket, the film never finds its way to a better story.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee

My movie rating system from Best to Worst:  1). I Would Pay to See it Again  2). Full Price  3). Bargain Matinee  4). Cable  5). You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again

“God’s Pocket” is playing exclusively at Landmark Midtown Art Cinema

“God’s Pocket” Website

"Mom's Night Out" Movie Review

My review of "Mom's Night Out" starring Sarah Drew, Sean Astin, Patricia Heaton.

"Mom's Night Out"

Published May 9, 2014 on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

Wayback Machine Archive Post

Photo courtesy of Tristar Pictures 

“Moms’ Night Out” (2014)

Riding on the coattail success of “God’s Not Dead” and “Heaven is for Real” comes the faith-based comedy ‘Moms’ Night Out.” Think of it as an “Adventures in Baby Sitting” for Christian adults. The film is produced by Patricia Heaton (“Everybody Loves Raymond”) and her husband, David Hunt, just in time for Mother’s Day weekend.

The film starts out promisingly as we see Allyson, (“Grays Anatomy”s Sarah Drew) try to keep her family going as her husband, Sean (the under utilized Sean Astin) is away on a business trip. Allyson is a bit of a neat freak, someone willing to sacrifice a few hours of sleep to keep her home clean and organized. But she can’t do it alone and needs the support of her friends, fellow moms Izzy (Logan White) and Sondra (Patricia Heaton). Alyson feels less of a mom compared to Izzy, whose husband, Marco (Robert Amaya) feels that the kids are ganging up on him, and supermom Sondra, who is the pastor’s wife and seems to have everything, including her teenage daughter under control.

After an incredible stressful Mother’s Day, including an appearance at her church where her kids seem to revel at pressing her buttons, Sean finds Allyson in her closet watching an internet feed of a mother eagle tending to her chicks. He tells Allyson it’s time for her to take some time to get away and enjoy her self without him or the kids. Allyson decides a night on the town, where she and her two friends can leave the kids with the husbands and dine at a fancy restaurant. Needless to say, everything goes wrong on their night out, including a lost reservation, a lost kid and a lost car.

Unfortunately, the script wastes the comedic talents of Drew and Heaton. The plot never takes chances, creating scenarios whose outcome can be seen a mile away. After the first thirty minutes, Drew’s character becomes more and more whiney, looking for someone other than herself to rescue her. Once the women go out on the town, the film goes downhill. With some of the more painful scenes to watch that take place at a bowling alley (where Heaton is force to dance “Gangnam Style”) and a tattoo parlor, where the joke is everyone leaves every time the police are mentioned.

There are a couple of shining performances. Trace Adkins is funny as a biker gang member who helps the women out and gives good advice to Allyson when she desperately needs it. It happens to be one of the few touching scenes in the film, a film that is in desperate need of more. Also, Anjelah Johnson-Reyes gives a funny turn as a hostess at the pretentious restaurant that the women first try to go to.

The direction by brothers Andrew and Jon Erwin never really develops any style.  Combine that with a script by Jon Erwin and Andrea Gyertson Nasfell, that never really figures out how to use it’s talented cast. It’s a film that loses it’s way rather quickly. This is a film that because of its good intentions of trying to make a faith based comedy, you want to like, but because it never succeeds to create any truly funny scenes, you just can’t.   My Rating: Cable

My movie rating system from Best to Worst: 1). I Would Pay to See it Again 2). Full Price 3). Bargain Matinee 4). Cable 5). You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again

“Moms’ Night Out” Website

"Locke" Movie Review

My review of "Locke" starring Tom Hardy, Olivia Colman, Ruth Wilson.

"Locke"

Published on May 9, 2014 on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

Wayback Machine Archive Post

Photo courtesy of A24

“Locke” (2013)

The first scene of the film we see Ivan Locke (Tom Hardy) leaving a huge construction site with his hard hat, reflective vest and rubber boots on. He gets into a very nice car and drives away from the site, as it’s apparently quitting time. We follow him as he drives down some city streets until he gets to a stop light with his left turn signal on. We don’t know it yet, but Locke is making a decision that might change his life. If he turns left, he goes back to his very stable life as a construction site manager, happily married with two sons. If he turns his car right, he goes into the night with the certainty that his world will be changed. Locke turns right and we go on a journey with him that is one of the most suspenseful and exciting films of 2014.

Soon Locke is fielding phone calls from his kids, who want to know when he is going to be home for the big soccer match. Calls from his boss, who wants to know why he is leaving town on the night before the largest civilian concrete pour ever in Europe, one that he is supposed to be in charge of. Calls from the very worried man who will be in charge of the pour if Locke doesn’t turn the car around and come back to the worksite. And finally, from his wife who wants to know where he is headed to and why.

Thus begins our ride along with Locke, a film that develops in “real time” with Tom Hardy as the only person who appears on screen during the whole film. If you would have told me that a film where we ride along with a character for 85 minutes would have been so well done and incredibly moving, with a performance by Hardy that is truly a Tour de Force, I would have said you were crazy. But it’s because of the script and direction of Steven Knight and the mesmerizing performance of Hardy, that this film feels more like it’s 45 minutes long and puts you on the edge of your seat better than any adventure film released so far.

It’s seems like such a simple idea, follow a man as he makes phones calls while driving down a highway at night but it’s such a tough act to pull off. It takes an actor that we instantly root for to bring this film to its fruition and Hardy is up to the task, in probably his best performance to date. Locke isn’t a complicated man, in fact you can tell by the way he talks to his workers and his kids that he sees things usually in black and white. He is a man to who believe rules are to be followed with discipline and resolve. Locke sees it his duty not to let anyone down. But through Hardy’s performance, we see a man that has to make some tough decisions and some of those decisions are certainly going to hurt some people. For the most part, Hardy gives a restrained performance but as we would expect. He lets us see that this isn’t easy for Locke to make. He is determined to do the right thing, even if it hurts the people that he loves and respects the most. Hardy lets us see in his eyes and his expressions how much this weighs on Locke.

This could have come across as just a character study but under the direction of Knight, it’s more a suspenseful thriller with plenty of twist and turns. Knight uses incredible camera placements, most of which are inside the car, making us feel as closed in and isolated as Locke does. Little character tells come out in the script, as Locke needing to get to his destination as soon as possible, is passed by car after car. If as Knight has created a character who won’t speed, the risk being too high for Locke to try it.

The cinematography by Haris Zambarioukos is superb and the editing, by Justine Wright keeps the pace going, building the tension as the night and the miles roll by. I especially enjoyed the musical score of the film by Dickon Hinchlife. In a lesser film, Locke would have played songs on his car sound system, letting the music tell the story. In this film the soundtrack is kept to a minimum; with many of the scenes accompanied by the sounds of the highway and the tension of the callers voices as they talk to Locke, slowly discovering what he has done.

This is a powerful film with one great performance by Hardy, who delivers what the director provides him with gusto. You won’t regret going on this adventure with Locke, in fact it might be the best road trip you take all year.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again

My movie rating system from Best to Worst: 1). I Would Pay to See it Again 2). Full Price 3). Bargain Matinee 4). Cable 5). You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again

The film is playing exclusively at UA Cinema Tara 4

“Locke” Website

"Blue Ruin" Movie Review

My review of "Blue Ruin" starring Macon Blair, Devin Ratray, Amy Hargreaves.

"Blue Ruin"

Published on May 2, 2014 on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

Wayback Machine Archive Post

Photo courtesy of RADiUS-TWC

“Blue Ruin” (2014)

When we first meet Dwight (Macon Blair), he is taking a shower in a nice home.  Unfortunately, it’s not his home and when the homeowners come back unexpectedly, Dwight makes a hasty exit out of the bathroom window naked and dripping wet.  So we soon discover that Dwight is homeless, living in his car near a beach. He spends his time combing the beach for cans and bottles, digs through trash for food and sleeps in his car. He is awakened one morning by a police officer and taken to the station, not to be arrested but to be given the news that the person who murdered his parents is going to be released from prison.

Very methodically, Dwight prepares both himself and his car to take a trip.  From his actions, which includes stealing a gun from a car in a parking lot, we learn that Dwight is going on a trip for revenge and that this could get messy. Dwight travels back to his hometown in Virginia, waiting outside the local prison for the murderer to be released.  He follows the newly released man, who has been picked up in a limo by family and friends, back to a neighborhood bar where apparently a party celebrating his release is going on. Dwight, having failed to find a gun that will work, takes an ice pick with him and proceeds to stab the murderer in the bathroom, killing the man while the party continues on in the next room. Dwight escapes, cleans himself up and visits his sister (Amy Hargreaves), telling her what he has done. When the killing isn’t reported on the news, Dwight realizes that the man’s family didn’t call the cops and is now out for revenge.  Now Dwight, after sending his sister away, must fight to survive the onslaught of a dangerous family out for his blood.

Writer/director Jeremy Saulnier gives us a new and taut look at the revenge film.  It takes an unconventional hero and puts him into a situation that looks unwinnable. The film, slowly builds the tension, so much so that a light turning on automatically makes you jump. Saulnier has created a very seedy world, where people take matters into their own hands and the difference between right and wrong doesn’t seem to matter. It’s an environment where violence is seen as a means to an end and something that can happen at the blink of an eye. Saulnier lets us linger in Dwight’s presence as he slowly figures out how to handle the situations that he is in. It’s an amazing script, creating someone like Dwight, whom we might look down upon or avoid, and instead creating someone about whom we care.

Macon Blair gives a tour de force performance as Dwight. On screen during the whole film, it’s a remarkable performance. Blair gives us insight into his character through his facial movements and his body language, as Dwight is a man of few words. When we first meet Dwight, he is a mess, with a full beard that practically goes down to his knees and a mess of matted hair on his head. After killing the man in the bathroom, Dwight once again breaks into someone’s home and cleans himself up, cutting off his beard and grooming his hair. It’s a remarkable transformation, from someone that you might fear into someone who looks rather meek and childlike. Blair makes us care about Dwight and we feel the weight of his decision to take on the rest of the murderer’s family, so that his sister can stay alive. Blair takes an everyman role and makes it heroic. Dwight is a man who is being dragged into more and more violent situations and Blair shows us that it takes on a toll on Dwight both physically and mentally.

“Blue Ruin” is a violent, scary film that shows us a man, when his hand is forced, can do more than anybody expects. When Macon’s sister realizes that she and her family are in danger due to what he has done, she tells him “I’d forgive you if you were crazy but you’re not…you’re weak.”  She couldn’t be further from the truth.    My Rating:  I Would Pay to See it Again

My movie rating system from Best to Worst:  1). I Would Pay to See it Again  2). Full Price  3). Bargain Matinee  4). Cable  5). You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again

“Blue Ruin” is playing exclusively at The Plaza Theatre .

“Blue Ruin” Website

"Decoding Annie Parker" Movie Review

My review of "Decoding Annie Parker" starring Rashida Jones, Alice Eve, Aaron Paul.

"Decoding Annie Parker"

Published on May 2, 2014 on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

Wayback Machine Archive Post

Photo courtesy of Entertainment One

“Decoding Annie Parker” (2014)

“Decoding Annie Parker” is a movie based on the true story of Annie Parker (Samantha Morton), a woman who has battled cancer and the researcher, Dr.  Mary–Claire King (Helen Hunt) who figured out the link between genetics and cancer. The film opens up with a quote from the real Annie Parker; “My life is a comedy. I just had to learn how to laugh.”  Annie came from a family that had been struck time after time by cancer. She lost her mother to breast cancer when she was still a kid. Later, she loses both her sister and her father to cancer. Annie deals with cancer in two ways, through humor and a dogged obsessiveness to learn everything that she can about the dreaded disease and its possible causes.

In the early 70’s, Annie marries Paul (Aaron Paul), a young pool cleaner who has aspirations to be a rock star. He is loving and supportive of Annie, who soon after getting married gets pregnant.  Annie, already reeling from the death of her sister, becomes convinced that she is next.  Her worst fears are realized when she is diagnosed with breast cancer and most undergo an aggressive treatment that includes a mastectomy.  After recovering, Annie makes it her mission to learn as much as she can about the disease and to understand why she got cancer.

At the same time that Annie is going through her fight with cancer, Dr. King, a brilliant researcher at UC Berkeley is starting to look at the family histories of cancer patients. Her idea is that heredity just might be a determining factor in some cancer patients.  If she and her team can find the DNA markers that are passed from generation to generation, making some people more susceptible to cancer, it might someday lead to a cure.  Tediously collecting family histories is a slow process and Dr. King is hampered by the slow speed her researchers can collect the data and the computers of the day.

This is a moving but, funny film.  Annie is a fighter and one of the ways that she deals with all the suffering that she goes through is with humor.  Samantha Morton gives an amazing performance as the determined, feisty Annie.  She allows us to see Annie as more than just a victim but as a woman who is willing to fight for her life and has a thirst for knowledge about the disease that is trying to kill her. Morton also makes Annie a likeable character that makes us root for not only her survival, but also in her quest to make sense of why cancer is killing so many of her family

Helen Hunt is given the task of making the fact driven Dr. King a well-rounded character and this is where the film fails a bit. We go back and forth between Annie’s cancer battle and Dr. King’s work to find that genetic link. The problem is we only see Dr. King in the lab setting, mostly talking about facts and figures, making that part of the story seem slow and drab, compared to Annie and her great personality.  We only see Dr. King interact with her staff and a put upon administrator played by Richard Schiff.  Hunt isn’t given much to work with on screen; unfortunately, Dr. King comes off as a one dimensional character.

The supporting cast is strong, including Aaron Paul playing the loving but somewhat dim husband. As Annie’s husband ages, he becomes less supportive and more into his own needs. Under a lesser actor, that character would become the villain of the story, but Paul makes us understand that sometimes the battle is just too much for some people to handle.  Rashida Jones and Corey Stoll, are delightful, playing a nurse and a young doctor, that become part of Annie’s support team and help her understand all the cancer research she collects. The film also includes notable performances from Maggie Grace, as Annie’s older sister Sarah, and Alice Eve, who plays Annie’s best friend Louise.

The film, written by Adam Bernstein, Michael Moss, and Steven Bernstein (who also directed the film) gives us a unique viewpoint on one’s woman’s fight with cancer.  It’s not often that you are able to laugh during a scene where someone is told that they have cancer. It’s because Annie Parker is such a force of nature as portrayed by Samantha Morton, we root for her instead of pitying her.  “Decoding Annie Parker” is a film about faith. Faith in the fact that if you believe you can beat something you just might.  As Annie says near the end of the film; “Maybe it doesn’t matter what we have faith in, as long as it’s something…like the future.”   My Rating:  Full Price  

My movie rating system from Best to Worst:  1). I Would Pay to See it Again  2). Full Price  3). Bargain Matinee  4). Cable  5). You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again

“Decoding Annie Parker” is playing exclusively at AMC Barrett Commons 24

“Decoding Annie Parker” Website