Mr. Rodgers doesn’t feel like he should be part of this world. His gentleness, kindness, and saint-like patience seem better placed in the world of make-believe — right next to King Friday XIII and Daniel Tiger. Until the recent (and … Continue reading A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
On January 15, 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 departed LaGuardia airport at 3:24 p.m. There were 155 souls, including captain and crew, on board. Roughly 208 seconds later, flight 1549 was forced to land on the Hudson River no more than seven miles away from takeoff. No one was seriously injured and within 24 minutes, NY Waterway ferries, the New York Fire Department, New York Police Department and the US Coast Guard had all 155 passengers rescued and safely back on dry land. This event would come to be known as “The Miracle on the Hudson” and Captain Chesley “Sully” … Continue reading SULLY
James B. Donovan (Tom Hanks) is a kind man in a cruel world. Rare considering that Donovan is an insurance lawyer in the middle of the Cold War. Donovan — who served on the Nuremberg Trails — is recruited to defend a captured Soviet spy, Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance), providing him with a competent defense per the United States Constitution. Donovan’s colleagues agree it is his civic duty, and to perform it honorable is the proper American thing to do. Donovan defends Abel to the best of his ability, and if Abel were a U.S. Citizen, Donovan probably could have … Continue reading BRIDGE OF SPIES
“By the time I’d done Bloody Sunday I felt I reached the end of a chapter. I could feel it. I wanted to try something new, something different. Then, to my amazement, Bloody Sunday won lots of theatrical prizes, the audience award at Sundance, and then, to my even greater amazement, I had the opportunity to make a film in Hollywood. I mean, you wouldn’t think, looking at my films, oh, there’s a guy who’s going to make films in Hollywood.” –Paul Greengrass Continue reading Born On This Day – August 13, 1955
American Hustle – It’s all about the con, not the con-artist, but the con. Every business, every transaction, every dream levied is a con in one way or another, and director David O. Russell is out to show everyone how deep the con goes. Christian Bale and Amy Adams are the con artist, Jennifer Lawrence is his ex-wife, Bradley Cooper is the FBI agent needing a little help, Jeremy Renner is the politician who is conning everyone, and Eric Singer and David O. Russell are the writers who concocted this whole shebang. Out in limited release from Sony Pictures. … Continue reading Movie Beat – 12.13.13
All The Boys Love Mandy Lane – Made in 2006 and sitting on a shelf ever since, Mandy Lane finally escapes and RADiUS-TWC gives it a limited release in theaters and VOD. It’s the usual fare, Mandy Lane (Amber Heard) is the girl who all the guys wants, but can’t have. A group of them visit a friend’s farm, for no other reason than to get Mandy Lane out there. Too bad there is something else out there, something violent, and it’s out for Mandy Lane. Who is Mandy Lane and why does everyone want her? Anson Mount, Michael Welch, … Continue reading Movie Beat – 10.11.13
“Everything is connected” is the tagline to Cloud Atlas, a movie that is as ambitious as it is long. Adapted from the novel by David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas carries three directors, six storylines spanning centuries, and twelve actors all playing multiple roles. A large budget film with lofty ambitions, Cloud Atlas aims to not only adapt a beloved novel, but to illuminate while entertaining. It does manage to entertain, which is necessary for a film with a three-hour running time, but its illuminations are superficial at best. Cloud Atlas comes with a very dense, almost labyrinthine plot. I suspect that the reason … Continue reading CLOUD ATLAS
