Tag: 2014

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Movie Review

Fort Bliss (2014) Movie Review

Fort Bliss – ABC Film Challenge – 2010s Movies – F – Fort Bliss – Movie Review

Fort Bliss

Director: Claudia Myers

Writer: Claudia Myers (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: After returning home from an extended tour in Afghanistan, a decorated U.S. Army medic and single mother struggles to rebuild her relationship with her young son.

Runtime: 1 Hour 56 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Fort Bliss starts when Staff Sergeant Maggie Swann (Monaghan) returns from her latest deployment. She wants to get to know her son Paul (Fegley) more, however, he has become attached to his father Richard (Livingston) and his new partner Alma (Chriqui).

Maggie looks to rebuild the bridges with her son, while getting a chance to train the next line of military medics. This isn’t as easy as she planned to become one of the hardest tests of her life.

Verdict on Fort Bliss

Fort Bliss is a drama following the life of a military doctor whose life has been turned upside down during her time away. She has lost her connection to her son and must rebuild it until she gets told she is going to be redeployed.

This is a powerful drama showing the constant difficulties military personal face. It shows the problems a soldier goes through trying to keep a connection with her son and wanting to continue to support the military. This shows the struggles people go through in the aftermath of the events. It shows the feeling of not being wanted and the challenges they must face to get on with their lives.

Michelle Monaghan is brilliant in the leading role in the movie. She gives her career-best performances and the supporting cast is excellent too.

Final Thoughts – Fort Bliss is a brilliant portrayal of the difficulties military life can cause.

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Movie Review

Precinct Seven Five (2014) Movie Review

Precinct Seven Five – Movie Review

Precinct Seven Five

Director: Tiller Russell

Plot: Meet the dirtiest cop in NYC history. Michael Dowd stole money and dealt drugs while patrolling the streets of 80s Brooklyn.

Runtime: 1 Hour 44 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Verdict on Precinct Seven Five

Precinct Seven Five is a documentary following the dirty cops that operated in 1980s New York. Michael Dowd was the ring leader working with the drug lords to make money for himself. This saw how the team came together to make this operation happen and how they didn’t see anything being wrong.

The interviews included the cops who took advantage of the situation. It also followed the drug dealers who were left helpless in the situation. This is a scary reality to see how the police had all the power and let things get out of control.

However, this seems to put a lot of focus on that they didn’t think they did anything wrong and that it was an honest way to do things. It doesn’t get enough focus on what should have changed or anything along those lines.

Final Thoughts – Precinct Seven Five is an ego heavy documentary.

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Movie Review

Magic in the Moonlight (2014) Movie Review

Magic in the Moonlight – Movie Review

Magic in the Moonlight

Director: Woody Allen

Writer: Woody Allen (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: A romantic comedy about an Englishman brought in to help unmask a possible swindle. Personal and professional complications ensue.

Runtime: 1 Hour 37 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Magic in the Moonlight starts with English showman Stanley (Firth) being recruited to help expose a medium. He has worked with tricks and illusions his whole career. Stanely sees a wealthy family being seduced by her and Stanley must figure out what is true or not.

As Stanley starts investigating Sophie (Stone), he sees his own opportunity to make a big comeback. This sees Stanley’s life change as Sophie becomes the centre of attention and he starts questioning his own desire to feel love.

Verdict on Magic in the Moonlight

Magic in the Moonlight is a romantic comedy following an illusionist who looks to expose a medium. He looks for the tell-tell signs until he starts to struggle to see the signs he needs. However, the more time he spends with her, the more he starts to fall in love with her.

This is one of the typical Woody Allen movies, that tries to create an awkward figure struggling in his world. He gets something new to make him feel welcomed only for everything else to start unfolding around him. There isn’t too much to get behind here and by the end of the movie, you will feel like nothing much has happened. This is nothing against the performances that are strong from the cast, it is the story that holds everything back.

Final Thoughts – Magic in the Moonlight is a flat romantic comedy.

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Movie Review

In Order of Disappearance (2014) Movie Review

ABC Film Challenge – World Cinema – I – In Order of Disappearance (2014) Movie Review

In Order of Disappearance

Director: Hans Petter Moland

Writer: Kim Fupz Aakeson (Screenplay) Finn Gjerdrum (Story)

Starring: Stellan Skarsgard, Bruno Ganz, Pal Sverre Hagen, Jakob Oftebro, Jack Sodahl Moland

Plot: After his son is murdered by drug dealers, a snowplough driver starts seeking revenge.


Tagline – Vengeance is a dish served cold.

Runtime: 1 Hour 56 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: In Order of Disappearance starts when the local snowplough driver Nils (Skarsgard) learns his son has been murdered by the local drug dealers. He will look to come after the people behind it.

As Nils starts hunting down the people behind it. He starts stirring the pot as the drug lord is starting to see his product go missing. This leads to a war between the two drug lords operating in the area.

Thoughts on In Order of Disappearance

In Order of Disappearance is a crime thriller that will see a popular everyday man getting put into a criminal world. He looks to get revenge on the people that killed his son, seeing him using his status within the community to get away with things. This lets him collect information, never letting him become a suspect.

This is a film that does fall into the story problems of taking the focus away from the lead, putting too much time on the rivalling drug gangs fighting over the problems they are facing. The performances in the film are great, playing into the over the top nature they characters are meant to be within this world too. This did get remade by the same director in ‘Cold Pursuit’ which plays everything out in the same way.

Final Thoughts – In Order of Disappearance works as the darkly comedic entry into the crime world.

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Movie Review

Airplane vs Volcano (2014) Movie Review

ABC Film Challenge – Action – V (Volcano) – Airplane vs Volcano – Movie Review

Airplane vs Volcano

Director: James Kondelik, Jon Kondelik

Writer: James Kondelik, Jon Kondelik (Screenplay)

Cast

  • Dean Cain (Out of Time)
  • Robin Givens (Boomerang)
  • Tamara Goodwin
  • Matt Mercer (Contracted)
  • Morgan West

Plot: When a commercial airliner is trapped within a ring of erupting volcanoes, the passengers and crew must find a way to survive – without landing, but, when the relentless onslaught of lava and ash causes fear and distrust amongst those onboard, it isn’t just the volcanoes that are life-threatening. Everyone must learn to work together if they are to survive their epic flight of fire.

Runtime: 1 Hour 31 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Airplane vs Volcano starts when an unexpected volcano formation erupts. Lisa Whitmore (Givens) is trying to discover the cause of the problem. Meanwhile, in the air, a commercial airliner flies into the volcano, leading to the pilot dying.

Rick (Cain) takes the reigns of the plane, trying to steady it for the rest of the journey. Elsewhere Specialist Tully (West) looks to have a rescue mission from the surface. The time is running out, can the plane land before the volcano takes the whole island.

Verdict on Airplane vs Volcano

Airplane vs Volcano is a low-budget disaster movie that brings together two ideas. First, is a massive volcanic eruption that isn’t expected. Secondly, a plane caught in the blast needs to fly blind out of trouble.

Putting the two stories together is entertaining, even if the arguments on both sides fall flat. There is a time limit to the peril, which will keep us on the edge of our seats. The problem that can be seen in this film, is the length of time the plane is flying through the volcano debris. It seems to go on much longer than any flight.

However, the movie does entertain, despite the flaws. It has peril that feels dangerous and something that could easily happen, even if not on the same scale.

Final Thoughts – Airplane vs Volcano is an entertaining disaster movie.

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Movie Review

Bad Blood (2014) Movie Review

Bad Blood – ABC Film Challenge – Action – U (Uncle Frank) – Bad Blood – Movie Review

Bad Blood

Director: Mark Young

Writer: Mark Young (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: Hannah and Amber Baker are trapped in a dark Southern underworld of violence, drugs and bikers. Both live in fear of their “Uncle Frank” Stinson, the ruthless leader of a crime organization.

Runtime: 1 Hour 32 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Bad Blood starts as two young women Hannah (Breslin) and Amber (PenaVega) find themselves trapped in a Southern town. They live under the shadow of their ruthless gangster Uncle Frank (Bean) who runs things in the town. Amber looks to earn an honest living, meeting stranger Bill (Purefoy). Meanwhile, Hannah decides to offer her services to Frank, delivering drugs for him.

Hannah ends up using her new position to create a drug war between Frank and Bill. However, it will come with consequences for her actions, something she wasn’t prepared for.

Verdict on Bad Blood

Bad Blood is an action thriller following a young woman who wants to make her family pay for taking her parents. She gets undercover with the gangster drug lord in her family to start her own war to bring a stop to his reign of terror.

This is an action thriller like many we have seen before. It uses the Southern American location to make everything feel hopeless for the characters involved. The problem comes with how Uncle Frank operates, nothing we see shows him being threatening. He is only feared, which leaves us wondering if this is the right decision. The way Hannah manages to bring the whole thing down feels too easy too and something a real gangster wouldn’t let happen. In the performances, we get solid performances throughout, with a list of big-name actors.

Final Thoughts –Bad Blood is a by-the-book thriller offers very little to the bigger sub-genre of action-thrillers.

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Movie Review

Draft Day (2014) Movie Review

Draft Day – ABC Film Challenge – Favourites -D – Draft Day – Movie Review

Draft Day

Director: Ivan Reitman

Writer: Scott Rothman, Rajiv Joseph (Screenplay)

Cast

  • Kevin Costner (Let Him Go)
  • Chadwick Boseman (Black Panther)
  • Jennifer Garner (Love, Simon)
  • Frank Langella (The Box)
  • Chi McBride (Gone in Sixty Seconds)

Plot: At the NFL Draft, General Manager Sonny Weaver has the opportunity to rebuild his team when he trades for the number one pick. He must decide what he’s willing to sacrifice on a life-changing day for a few hundred young men with NFL dreams.

Runtime: 1 Hour 50 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Draft Day starts when General Manager of the Cleveland Browns Sonny Weaver Jr (Costner) is preparing for the most important day of the season, Draft Day. He receives calls from rival General Managers as they are searching for the best outcome in the draft.

As the day starts to unfold Sonny must deal with his Coach Penn (Leary). As well as young players being touted by their agents, to make matters worse he must answer to the franchise owner Anthony Molina (Langella).

Verdict on Draft Day

Draft Day is a sports drama revolving around a General Manager and his decisions around the busiest day of the season. He must deal with his own personal problems, and pressure from other members of the franchise. This leads to him needing to make the right decision for his team if they are going to win a super bowl.

As for sports drama, this is a tense thriller revolving around the busiest day in NFL. It shows the complex dealings between the managers as they search for the best outcome for the team. This continues to show the complex nature of American Football, where players get picked in a draft, rather than trained throughout an academy. Something I still personally find confusing, after years of watching football in England.

Kevin Costner is brilliant in the leading role and with an outstanding supporting cast. We end up getting one of the best cast movies of the year. This also gets to give a glimpse behind the curtain like ‘Moneyball’ did for Baseball.

Final Thoughts – Draft Day is a wonderfully acted sports thriller.

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Movie Review

Theeb (2014) Movie Review

Theeb – ABC Film Challenge – Oscar Nomination – J (Jordan) – Theeb – Movie Review

Theeb

Director: Naji Abu Nowar

Writer: Naji Abu Nowar, Bassel Ghandour (Screenplay)

Cast

  • Jacir Eid Al-Hwietat
  • Hussein Salameh Al-Sweilhiyeen
  • Hassan Mutlag Al-Maraiyeh
  • Jack Fox
  • Marji Audeh

Plot: In the Ottoman province of Hijaz during World War I, a young Bedouin boy experiences a greatly hastened coming-of-age as he embarks on a perilous desert journey to guide a British officer to his secret destination.

Runtime: 1 Hour 40 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Theeb starts follows a young boy Theeb (Eid) who is travelling the desert with his family. When they come across a British officer Edward (Fox), they start to guide him across the desert. However, when things start to get out of control, Theeb must work with a mystery Stranger (Mutlag) to find safety. Sending the young boy on a coming-of-age tale he could never have imagined.

Verdict on Theeb

Theeb is a coming-of-age adventure set in Jordan, as a young boy gets caught up trying to escort a British Officer across the desert during World War I. It puts him on a test as they get caught up in a bigger threat to his own life.

This is an impressive movie that shows the struggles to survive during the First World War and how younger generations had to adapt quickly. It shows the harrowing journey required to survive and has great performances throughout.

Final Thoughts –Theeb is an impressive movie about a harrowing journey.

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Movie Review

Elsa & Fred (2014) Movie Review

ABC Film Challenge – Romance – E – Elsa & Fred (2014) Movie Review

Director: Michael Radford

Writer: Marcos Carnevale, Marcela Guerty, Lily Ann Martin (Screenplay)

Starring: Shirley MacLaine, Christopher Plummer, Marcia Gay Harden, Wendell Pierce, Jared Gilman, Erika Alexander

Plot: A withdrawn senior experiences life in new ways when he begins spending time with the free-spirited woman who lives across the hall.


Tagline – It’s never too late.

Runtime: 1 Hour 33 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Elsa & Fred starts when serial liar Elsa (MacLaine) learns she is getting a new neighbour in Fred (Plummer). An recently widowed man who is closed off to the world, being forced into moving in here to be closer to his daughter Lydia (Harden), with a new home carer Laverne (Alexander).

When Elsa starts to get to know Fred, she is trying to get him out of his shell, while showing all the weaknesses in her own ways, which has seen her always talk her way out of situations.

Thoughts on Elsa & Fred

Characters – Elsa is a serial liar, who always ends up making up stories to escape her own truths in life. She is carefree and always trying to capture her youth again, which will see her befriend the new neighbour.

Fred is being forced to move closer to his daughter, so she can hire a carer and know where he is during his own medical problems. He doesn’t like letting people into his life, but Elsa seems to find a way to bring him out of his shell.

Lydia is the daughter that has moved Fred closer, she does get involved in his life more than normal, but only because she cares, while her husband’s plans go on more than they need to.

Performances – Shirley MacLaine is great with her role, which she has to seem like she is distant from certain real world moments. While Christopher Plummer as a grumpy lonely man that comes out of his shell shines through the film, with the supporting cast all doing great through the film.

Story

The story follows two neighbours that meet when one moves in and they help each other out of the difficult moment they are facing in life. A moment that they both need instead of facing getting old too soon.

This is a story that shows the importance of letting people into your life when you feel the weakest. Seeing how they will look to help you overcome the struggles you have been through and help you escape to enjoy the next stages of life. How family can be there to support you, but it will be the strangers in life that you will find offer a different kind of love. It does play out like you would expect, which makes it an easy watch throughout.

Comedy/Romance – The comedy in the film comes from the different situations the pair find themselves in. It will get chuckles rather than laugh out loud moments, while the romance shows us that you are never too old to fall in love.

Settings – The film is set in New Orleans, where both sides have lived most of their lives, and inside one apartment block could bring them closer than they imagined.


Scene of the Movie – The holiday.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – Bit too predictable.

Final Thoughts – Elsa & Fred is a sweet comedy that will get laughs and emotions running as the elderly couple fall in love.