"Room" Movie Review

My review of "Room" starring Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay, Sean Bridgers.

"Room"

Posted on Oct. 30, 2015  on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

Wayback Machine Archive Post

Photo courtesy of A24

“Room”  (2015)

Five-year-old Jack (Jacob Tremblay) has spent his whole life in a one-room shed with his mom, Joy (Brie Larson).   His only window to the outside world is a small skylight in the ceiling. The reason why is that Joy was kidnapped seven years before when she was seventeen by a man she calls Old Nick (Sean Bridgers). The shed has one bed, a small sink, a couple of chairs that have to be folded away when Joy and Jack sleep on the one bed in the room. They have a tiny television that serves as their one source of entertainment. Ma tries to fill Jack’s small world with as much fun and learning as she can, but it can be frustrating to talk to a small child who doesn’t know what the outside world looks like. She has to explain what is fake and what is real as they watch TV together.

Their days and nights are filled dreading the visits that Old Nick makes from time to time. On those nights, Jack goes and sleeps on the floor of their small closet, trying not to listen to what is happening to his mother. Old Nick controls their world, bringing them food and medicine, doling out punishment, either by violence to Joy or cutting off their electricity and heat in the winter. Joy finally hits a breaking point and hatches a plan for Jack to escape. It’s risky for Jack and could mean harsh retribution from Old Nick, but Joy decides to go for it. Will her plan work?

From the opening frame, you are pulled into the strange and small world of Joy and Jack. Director Lenny Abrahamson and screenwriter Emma Donoghue have crafted a film that immerses you in their world. We very quickly learn Joy’s daily problems, living in a space that is only 10 x 10 with a child who doesn’t understand just how big the outside world is.  They must both cope 24/7 without a break from the other.  Adding to the tension is the overbearing feeling that Old Nick can show up at any moment, bringing chaos, pain, and torment. Abrahamson places the camera from the viewpoint of Jack, making the room seem a little misshapen and sometimes much scarier. Director of Photography Danny Cohen makes the room seem claustrophobic, but at the same time it can be filled with the love of a mother and child. It’s a balance that the characters on screen experience as well as the viewing audience. Stephen Rennicks’s score is one of the best of recent films. There is a scene in the middle of the film where you hear nothing but music that swells, creating tension in an already tense scene.

I think Brie Larson is one of the best young actresses in Hollywood, and she gives another brilliant performance in this film, but the film is made by the performance of Tremblay. He more than holds his own with Larson and is the core of the movie. Jack is the center of the film, and it takes an impressive actor to pull it off, which he does with flying colors. Everything we see and hear is from the viewpoint of Tremblay’s character, which makes his performance even more remarkable. Tremblay plays Jack as a loving son who isn’t afraid to push back when he feels he is being wronged. It takes a strong personality to grasp a role like this, and Tremblay gives an intelligent performance that while filled with childlike wonder, is also brimming with emotion that is beyond his young age.

Without giving anything away, “Room” is let down a little by its 2nd half but it’s not too hard a fall, and the film doesn’t disappoint with its ending. However, it’s the performances throughout the film of Larson and especially Tremblay that make this movie so emotional and powerful. Both actors give us Oscar worthy performances that give us everything they have and that, in this case, is quite a lot.    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

“Room” is playing exclusively in Atlanta at UA Tara Cinemas 4

For more of Mike’s reviews and interviews click here

“Room” Website

"Rock of Kasbah" Movie Review

My review of "Rock the Kasbah" starring Bill Murray, Leem Lubany, Zooey Deschanel.

"Rock the Kasbah"

Posted on Oct. 23, 2015  on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

Wayback Machine Archive Post

Photo courtesy of Open Road Films

“Rock the Kasbah” (2015)

Richie Lanz (Bill Murray) is a rock promoter who has seen better days, or at least, he claims to have. He tells stories of the days when he discovered Madonna and gave Stevie Nicks a pep talk when she was nervous before a concert. His one employee, Ronnie (Zooey Deschanel) is also a client, a wannabe singer who dreams of singing her own songs but instead is singing cover songs at Richie’s insistence. During one of her concerts at a dive bar, Richie meets a drunken promoter who handles the USO music tours of Afghanistan. Richie sees the opportunity for a rich paycheck for him and his client: singing in front of the troops.

They fly to Afghanistan and Richie’s singer starts panicking, convinced that they are going to die on the plane and then on the ride to the hotel. While Ritchie is down in the hotel bar, Ronnie freaks out, steals his money and passport, and travels to Dubai with the help of a soldier of fortune. He is stuck in a foreign country without a way to get back home and his meal ticket is nowhere to be found. His luck will change when he hears a beautiful voice singing a very familiar song.

This is one disappointing film.   It seems that actors like Bruce Willis and Danny McBride did this movie just for the paycheck. At least McBride tries to have fun in his role of an arm’s merchant. Willis looks as if he is on autopilot. A couple of times you can see a glimmer of a better film, but those moments are few and far between. More often you are frustrated by the weak and lazy script that seems to rely on every character cliché known. You have a smart and sassy hooker (Kate Hudson) who falls for Richie’s charms even though he is 30 years older than her. A cab driver (Arian Moayed) who becomes Richie’s pal and points out the right thing for Richie to do at just the exact right time. You have evil warlords who want to turn local villages into poppy farms and a soldier of fortune (Bruce Willis) who talks tough but has a heart of gold. And then you have the plucky Afghani girl, Salima (Leem Lubany) whose love of singing is so strong that she is willing to risk the wrath of her father and the nation to sing Cat Steven’s songs on an “American Idol”-like TV show. Even Salima’s father (Fahim Fazli) is a cliché, a man who threatens his daughter with death if she sings on TV, but we know he has a good heart because he is willing to stand up to the warlords and not plant poppy plants, even if it costs him his life.

My biggest disappointment is with Murray. He comes off not as the charming and impish actor we all adore but one who is irritating and annoying. Murray tries to put on the charm, but it never clicks, just making the attempt seem tired and lacking any emotion. Murray sings throughout the film but instead of being enduring and funny, the singing seems out of place and goes on way too long to be interesting. There is a horrible scene where Murray sings “Smoke on the Water” to some baffled townspeople that lasts what seems like five years. Murray has almost no chemistry with any of the cast, except for Hudson. Their scenes are at least a little fun as they banter back and forth, but those scenes never really amount to much.

Murray isn’t helped by a script written by Mitch Glazer and direction by Barry Levinson. They give Lubany, who has a beautiful singing voice, absolutely nothing to do but say a few throwaway lines about being brave. Levinson, who directed such gems as “Avalon,” “Diner” and “Wag the Dog,” is at his worst in this film. The film seems choppy, as the transitions from each scene drag and the few action sequences seem stilted. The film lacks any powerful emotional moment, never giving us anything to cheer for. The last ten minutes of this movie just seem to give up and go for the big clichéd finish because the script paints the story into a corner.

While watching this film, kept thinking about Malala, the young Afghani woman who won a Pulitzer Peace Prize because she stood up to the Taliban, risking her life for the idea that everyone deserves an education. At the end of “Rock the Kasbah,” we learn that there was a real woman who sang and danced on a competition TV program shown in Afghanistan. If only Levinson had been more inspired by the story, we might have gotten a movie that would move us instead of boring us.    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

“Rock the Kasbah” Website

"Bridge of Spies" Movie Review

My review of "Bridge of Spies" starring Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Alan Alda.

"Bridge of Spies"

Posted on Oct. 16, 2015  on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

Wayback Machine Archive Post

Photo courtesy of Dreamworks 

“Bridge of Spies” (2015)

It’s 1957 and the Cold War between the Soviet Union, and the United States is on the mind of every American. The Soviets have the nuclear bomb; tension is high around the world, and the Rosenberg’s have been electrocuted for conspiracy to commit espionage against America. A  Soviet spy, Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance) has been caught and is about to go to trial. An unlikely counsel, insurance lawyer James Donovan (Tom Hanks) has been volunteered by his company to be the attorney for Abel. It seems that Donovan was a prosecutor during the Nuremberg trials, and, therefore, has some experience in the field. The government wants to show the world that the U.S. system of justice gives everyone a fair trial.

Almost everyone, including his wife, Mary (Amy Ryan) thinks it’s a bad idea for Donovan to take the case, but after meeting Abel in person, he decides to take it. Even though the evidence is overwhelming, and Abel isn’t a very likable person, Donavan is determined to give this case his all. The best that Donavan can hope for is for life in prison and not the death sentence. Donovan goes to the judge in the case, Judge Myers (Dakin Mathews) and makes a case for saving Abel’s life. If the judge gives Abel life, the U.S. can use Abel to make a swap if the Soviets ever capture an American spy. Unbeknownst to Donovan, just what he predicted has happened. On a mission to photograph a Soviet installation, U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers (Austin Stowell) is shot down and is captured. Now a chess match is about to begin between the two global powers and attorney James Donovan is about to become the center of the storm.

This is a big, sprawling Hollywood film that Steven Spielberg is so good at directing. The film starts out with an incredible sequence as Abel is being shadowed (unknown to him) by the FBI. We follow the rather quirky Abel as he takes a roundabout trek to retrieve a message that has been left under a park bench. The tension ramps up as we follow Abel back to his apartment, and he is then apprehended. It’s a masterful sequence and sets up the stakes of the film from the start. Spielberg’s camera placement in these scenes is perfect; the cinematography by Janusz Kaminsky paints the mood of the bleak time period. Adding to the brilliance of the sequence is the fact that until the arrest, there isn’t any dialogue. The sequence also immerses us in the world of the late 50’s and early 60’s, giving us a feel for the mood of the country during the height of the Cold War.

The script by Matt Charman and Joel and Ethan Coen is filled with crisp dialogue. The movie is packed with that Coen touch of humor and irony.  The Coen brothers influence is very evident in scenes later in the film where Donovan is negotiating with both the Soviets and the East Germans.  The film never gets bogged down, even with the trial scenes. The second half of the movie is full of twists and turns, and even though you might know the outcome of this based on true event’s film, it’s still loaded with tension.

This is a role that is tailor-made for Tom Hanks, playing the determined lawyer who seems part every man and part brilliant lawyer. Hanks plays Donovan as a man who while somewhat easygoing, is committed to do the right thing and is compassionate about his fellow man. Hanks plays him as a man that can find humor in almost any situation. It’s that sense of humor that helps his character deal with the desperate situations that he gets into in the film. I had a hard time coming up with anyone else that could play this role so well. George Clooney, maybe, but he would have to tone down the smart aleck vibe. The supporting cast is also up to the task, with Alan Alda as Donovan’s boss and Mark Rylance as Rudolf Abel as the standouts.

“Bridge of Spies” is the type of big “Hollywood “ film that is so hard to pull off, but Spielberg succeeds. He brings us a tale that is tension filled, and thrilling but also filled with small emotional scenes that make this film so enjoyable to watch. It helps when your leading man is up to the task of a very demanding role of a character that is willing to take on the world.    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

“Bridge of Spies” Website

For more of Mike’s reviews and interviews click here

"Finders Keepers" Movie Review

My review of the documentary "Finders Keepers"

"Finders Keepers"

Posted on Oct. 9, 2015  on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

Wayback Machine Archive Post

Photo courtesy of The Orchard 

“Finders Keepers”  (2015)

Real life is often stranger than fiction. If you wrote a fictional story similar to the touching and amusing documentary “Finders Keepers,” it would be rejected as being too far-fetched. Local “swap-meet king” Shannon Whisnant, buys a small bar-b-que grill at one of those storage locker auctions. Whisnant takes the grill home and opens it to discover an amputated leg that has been somewhat preserved. Mortified, Whisnant calls the local police, and they start an investigation. The story becomes a national news event and suddenly Whisnant, who has always dreamed of being in the spotlight, becomes famous.

We soon find out that there is a reason that the lower leg was in the grill. It belongs to John Wood, who lost his leg in a small plane accident while he was a teenager. While in the hospital recovering from the crash, he asked the doctors if he could keep his severed leg, and they gave it to him. There is a reason he wants to keep the leg. It’s not a great one, but it makes sense to Wood.

Wood and Whisnant are two very different people that just don’t like each other. Wood grew up in a wealthy family in North Carolina, where he had all the latest toys and gadgets. Whisnant grew up poor in South Carolina, always having to prove himself to his father – the one thing that he shared with Wood. Both men claimed the rights to the leg and are willing to battle in both the press and in court. Will it be the shy Wood, who thinks that it’s his leg, so he should be the rightful owner? Or will it be Whisnant, who thinks that he bought the leg and therefore, it is legally his? Who will be the winner and who will be the loser in this battle over a prize that few people would want to own?

“Finders Keepers” is one of those documentaries that starts out heading in one direction and then surprisingly, midway through the film, it changes going in a totally different direction and tone. I saw this film in a sold out theater and the audience was laughing so hard at the beginning of the film  that I couldn’t hear all the narration. It is brilliantly funny. The filmmakers have kept this tone throughout the film but to their credit, the film becomes more about the two men and their struggles in life, and less about the leg and their redneck traits.  The film masterfully uses news reports for the background story and then interviews with family and friends to discover the hearts and minds of the two men. The two men bare their souls on the film, making it incredibly moving.

“Finders Keepers” is an amazing film about two damaged men who are filled with humor, heartbreak, and redemption. It’s a movie that displays the hopes and dreams of two men, desperately trying to fulfill their perceived destiny, and the cost it takes to achieve it. The film shows us that one’s life can take unexpected twists, and you just might end up a very different person that who you started as.    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

“Finders Keepers” Website

“Finders Keepers” is playing exclusively at Landmark Midtown Art Cinema

"The Keeping Room" Movie Review

My review of "The Keeping Room" starring Brit Marling, Hailee Steinfeld, Sam Worthington.

"The Keeping Room"

Posted on Oct. 2, 2015  on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

Wayback Machine Archive Post

Photo courtesy of Drafthouse Films

“The Keeping Room” (2014)

Set in the last days of the American Civil War, “The Keeping Room” is about a family trying to survive. Two sisters, Augusta (Brit Marling) and Louise (Hailee Steinfeld), along with their slave, Mad (Muna Otaru) are attempting to keep their family farm going. Their father and brother have gone off to fight for the South, and their mother has recently passed away. Augusta is the older sister, headstrong and hard working. Louise, the younger sister, seems to dwell in the past, still thinking that she should be treated with kid gloves, not wanting to pull her weight. Louise is convinced that any day now her father and brother are going to walk through the door and restore the life she once knew. Mad is just trying to survive, stuck between Louise, who still treats her like she is beneath her and Augusta, who sees her as an equal and well-respected partner. Augusta knows the world has changed, and the family must adapt to survive.

In contrast to the women are two rogue Union soldiers, Moses (Sam Worthington) and Henry (Kyle Soller) who are who are creating a wide path of destruction. They are killing and looting any and everyone that they encounter. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to this blood-lust, just the fact that they can do it. It’s as if the war has flipped a switch inside them, and they can’t shut it down.

A sense of doom and gloom hangs over this film directed by Daniel Barber and written by Julia Hart. The three women are on a collision course with the two rogue Union soldiers. We know from their actions that the men have dark intentions in their heart, and while Augusta has shown us grit and determination, the odds are stacked against the three women. War is hard on the men who fight it, but it is equally hard on the families that they leave behind. Barber lets us experience the effects first hand as Augusta is a force of nature, whether it’s nursing her sister in illness or just trying to keep the farm working and productive. Barber ramps the tension up as we keep cutting back to the progress of the ruthless and murderous men getting closer and closer to the farm. We know what is coming for the women but don’t know if they can handle it. When the women encounter the soldiers, they know that it is them or us. There will be no one to rescue them, and they will have to do it themselves. This is what war is, and the film shows it in all its unflinching madness.

Brit Marling is brilliant as Augusta, a woman driven to keep her family safe. She is extremely believable in the part of someone who makes every effort to survive. Marling plays well off of both Seinfeld and Otaru and has a real sister like connection with both characters. Steinfeld plays Louise as a self-indulgent young woman,  someone who cares more about herself but when pushed to her limits fights back. Marling does most of the heavy lifting in the scenes with Steinfeld, but you get the idea that Steinfeld’ s character is more complex than we first thought. Muna Otaru is amazing as Mad, a woman who has seen incredible hardships in her life but continues to have some hope for the future. The scenes between Marling and Otaru are some of the most moving and touching scenes of the film. Otaru gives us a character that whose dignity shines through. Sam Worthington makes for a convincing menacing lunatic who is bent on continuing his path of destruction. 

Director Daniel Barber has created a movie that keeps building the tension until there is the breaking point conclusion, and its talented cast makes that tension almost unbearable. It’s a film that shows war is hell for everyone and because of it,  lives are changed forever.    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

“The Keeping Room” Website

“The Keeping Room” is playing in Atlanta exclusively at UA Tara Cinemas 4