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Adapted from the non-fiction book "A Long Way Home" by Saroo Brierley. Five-year-old Saroo gets lost on a train which takes him thousands of kilometers across India, away from home and family. Saroo must learn to survive alone in Kolkata, before ultimately being adopted by an Australian couple. Twenty five years later, armed with only a handful of memories, his unwavering determination, and a revolutionary technology known as Google Earth, he sets out to find his lost family and finally return to his first home.
This movie was an incredible journey. It fully took the audience along with the lead character. The first half of the movie was rough watching young Saroo go through his journey and at the same time you couldn't help but love the child actor playing him. That hook carried you through the rest of the movie with Dev Patel taking over. I've loved him in everything I have seen of his and this was no different. It's the type of movie that you want to stand up applaud at the end.
I would definitely recommend people checking this out. It's a very feel good movie that makes you feel like you are on the journey as well.
An African American father struggles with race relations in the United States while trying to raise his family in the 1950s and coming to terms with the events of his life. Based on the play "Fences" which opened on Broadway in 1987, and the production won the Tony Awards for Best Play, Best Actor, James Earl Jones and Best Featured Actress, Mary Alice. A revival of "Fences" opened in 2010, and the production won Tony Awards for Best Revival of a Play, Best Actor, Denzel Washington and Best Actress, Viola Davis.
You can tell that this movie was based on a play because of the excellent decision to keep the setting isolated almost entirely to the backyard area. It almost became one of the characters of the movie honestly. This movie was all about acting and the two leads, as well as the supporting characters, did an amazing job. The movie had a lot of talking but it was more about conveying things past the words with their body language and faces and they all did a remarkable job. Denzel Washington did an amazing job being a very not likable person but yet understanding why he is the way he is and Viola Davis's face spoke full monologues before she finally got to deliver an amazing one.
I would absolutely recommend people checking this out. The performances were great and it takes you on quite an emotional roller coaster even though it's so simple and keeps you mostly in the backyard of this family. It was a little longer than I think it should have been but was great.
Set in a world like ours but entirely inhabited by animals, Sing stars Buster Moon (Matthew McConaughey), a dapper Koala who presides over a once-grand theater that has fallen on hard times. Buster is an eternal optimist—okay, maybe a bit of a scoundrel—who loves his theater above all and will do anything to preserve it. Now facing the crumbling of his life’s ambition, he has one final chance to restore his fading jewel to its former glory by producing the world’s greatest singing competition. Five lead contestants emerge: A mouse (Seth MacFarlane) who croons as smoothly as he cons, a timid teenage elephant (Tori Kelly) with an enormous case of stage fright, an overtaxed mother (Reese Witherspoon) run ragged tending a litter of 25 piglets, a young gangster gorilla (Taron Egerton) looking to break free of his family’s felonies, and a punk-rock porcupine (Scarlett Johansson) struggling to shed her arrogant boyfriend and go solo. Each animal arrives under Buster’s marquee believing that this is their shot to change the course of their life.
This movie was a pretty fun watch but I have to honestly say that I feel like I saw the entire movie from the months of trailers leading up to its release. There really was very little that I didn't remember already seeing. The characters were cool but with this coming out less than a year after Zootopia (the same society premise but with singing), it seemed kind of like a repeat. The songs were catchy and kids are sure to love it but this wasn't nearly as enjoyable for the parents as it was for the kids.
I would still recommend people with kids going to check this out but it's definitely not one of those top notch animated movies where the adults enjoy it as much as the children. It's slightly below that.
Jackie is a searing and intimate portrait of one of the most important and tragic moments in American history, seen through the eyes of the iconic First Lady, then Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy (Natalie Portman). "Jackie" places us in her world during the days immediately following her husband's assassination. Known for her extraordinary dignity and poise, here we see a psychological portrait of the First Lady as she struggles to maintain her husband’s legacy and the world of "Camelot" that they created and loved so well.
Every year there is a movie like this that is pretty much just a showcase of excellent acting while the movie as a whole leaves me thinking ehhhhh. Jackie is that movie this year. Natalie Portman was great but the rest of the movie was just okay and too artsy at times. The timeline was all over the place and it probably would have benefitted. From a point a to point b approach instead. I'm also about as far as you can get from being a history buff so that audience might find this more enjoyable than I did.
I would only recommend people checking this out for Natalie Portman's acting. The rest of the movie left a lot to be desired.
Over the holidays, Ned (Bryan Cranston), an overprotective but loving dad and his family visit his daughter at Stanford, where he meets his biggest nightmare: her well-meaning but socially awkward Silicon Valley billionaire boyfriend, Laird (James Franco). The straight-laced Ned thinks Laird, who has absolutely no filter, is a wildly inappropriate match for his daughter. The one-sided rivalry-and Ned's panic level-escalate when he finds himself increasingly out of step in the glamorous high-tech hub, and learns that Laird is about to pop the question.
This movie was completely formula in every way and you pretty much have seen the movie just by watching the commercial. That being said I still kind of enjoyed the movie. James Franco was great talking vulgar freely and him and Cranston had really good chemistry. The other supporting actors held their own laugh wise. So even though completely predictable - still a decent watch.
I'd sort of recommend people checking this movie out. It is by no means a must see but it was enjoyable still and you could do much worse than this. It's definitely a R rated comedy though.
Through a revolutionary technology that unlocks his genetic memories, Callum Lynch (Michael Fassbender) experiences the adventures of his ancestor, Aguilar, in 15th Century Spain. Callum discovers he is descended from a mysterious secret society, the Assassins, and amasses incredible knowledge and skills to take on the oppressive and powerful Templar organization in the present day.
Let me first say that I never played the game and I know nothing about the game. Maybe I would have liked it more if I had. That being said, this movie was a pretty giant turd. They were all over the place. I had little to no clue several times about what was going on. So much of the movie was in subtitles. It was just too much crammed in there and lamely connected.
I would not recommend anyone bothering with this. Maybe it's better with a background knowledge of the video game but honestly - I doubt it.
On a routine journey through space to a new home, two passengers, sleeping in suspended animation, are awakened 90 years too early when their ship malfunctions. As Jim (Chris Pratt) and Aurora (Jennifer Lawrence) face living the rest of their lives on board, with every luxury they could ever ask for, they begin to fall for each other, unable to deny their intense attraction... until they discover the ship is in grave danger. With the lives of 5000 sleeping passengers at stake, only Jim and Aurora can save them all.
This movie was pretty much poop. It was basically a run of the mill sci-fi movie with very little substance. They pretty much banked on the current "it" actress and "it" actor and a sleek look to everything to carry it. It absolutely did not. This is easily one of the more disappointing movies of the year.
I wouldn't recommend anyone wasting their time with this. There are many better options out there and not even the star power of the cast could save this movie.
Incarnate follows an exorcist (Eckhart) who comes up against an evil from his past when he uses his supernatural skills to enter the subconscious of a nine-year-old boy.
Wow! This was bad. Like a homemade exorcism movie kind of bad. Has Aaron Eckhart really fallen this far? This guy was a major player in The Dark Knight. That is just sad. As sad as this movie was.
I would not recommend anyone wasting their time with this. I honestly can't for the life of me understand how this even got a wide release in theaters.
A rogue band of resistance fighters unite to steal the Death Star plans and bring new hope to the galaxy. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story takes place before the events of Star Wars: A New Hope and will be a departure from the saga films but have elements that are familiar to the Star Wars universe, exploring the galactic struggle from a ground-war perspective while maintaining that essential Star Wars feel that fans have come to know.
This one was for the die hard fans. It was basically a full length version of the scrolling story at the beginning of Star Wars. There were tons of connections to Star Wars -some literally. They did a great job of developing a and of characters and making you feel attached to all of these new people. The action was amazing and this movie featured possibly the best look at Darth Vader's visciousness in the entire Star Wars timeline. If this is what the spinoff Star Wars movies are going to be like - sign me up!
Pretty sure most of the free world is going to see this regardless but yes it has my full recommendation. This was a greatly told story with very hooking characters that totally fit into the Star Wars universe.
In this modern take on the Hollywood musical from Damien Chazelle, the Academy Award-nominated writer and director of Whiplash, Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) and Mia (Emma Stone) are drawn together by their common desire to do what they love. But as success mounts they are faced with decisions that begin to fray the fragile fabric of their love affair, and the dreams they worked so hard to maintain in each other threaten to rip them apart.
Wow! This movie was a visual masterpiece. The way it was filmed was remarkable and sucks you in right off the bat. The music, choreography and chemistry between the leads on top of the camera usage really made this an amazing watch. Didn't think I could like Emma Stone more but I totally do now. And I had downloaded the soundtrack before the movie was even over. This deserves all of the recognition it is getting and should be a front runner for Best Picture.
I absolutely recommend people seeing this movie. It was an amazing watch and is probably my number one movie of the year.
When a successful New York advertising executive suffers a great tragedy he retreats from life. While his concerned friends try desperately to reconnect with him, he seeks answers from the universe by writing letters to Love, Time and Death. But it’s not until his notes bring unexpected personal responses that he begins to understand how these constants interlock in a life fully lived, and how even the deepest loss can reveal moments of meaning and beauty.
Rule number one in trailers - don't falsely advertise the movie! If you propose this spiritual opening/coping of Will Smith then give us that. Do not give us a con job by Will Smith's friends where you are more excited by trying to outsmart the viewer instead of just giving us what you advertised. Very disappointing. So much so that by the time they actually got to the feel good spiritual ending you can't enjoy it because you are too annoyed.
I wouldn't really recommend anyone bothering with this. It was a major disappointment.
In Office Christmas Party, when the CEO tries to close her hard-partying brother’s branch, he and his Chief Technical Officer must rally their co-workers and host an epic office Christmas party in an effort to impress a potential client and close a sale that will save their jobs.
This was a pretty funny watch. It was paced well and had tons of funny actors all pulling their weight. I enjoyed it a lot but the one really weird thing was that it never reached hysterical level. I didn't walk out of this with my face hurting from laughing like an Old School or The Hangover. I was honestly a little disappointed about that because I thought for certain with all the talent involved that is what would end up being the case.
I would still recommend people checking this out for a good laugh. It was definitely a very fun watch but I had expected it to still be funnier.
After the death of his older brother Joe (Kyle Chandler), Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck) is shocked to learn that Joe has made him sole guardian of his nephew Patrick (Lucas Hedges). Taking leave of his job, Lee reluctantly returns to Manchester-by-the-Sea to care for Patrick, a spirited 15-year-old, and is forced to deal with a past that separated him from his wife Randi (Michelle Williams) and the community where he was born and raised. Bonded by the man who held their family together, Lee and Patrick struggle to adjust to a world without him.
This was honestly one of the most genuine movies I think I've ever seen. Every part of it felt so real. Watching the different characters (especially Casey Affleck) deal with losses and trying to move forward was so difficult but you couldn't help but feel like you were actually there going through all of it with him. The movie pretty much automatically made you think back about any sort of major losses you have had and see yourself processing them - or at least that is what it did for me. This was an excellent all around job of film making.
I would absolutely recommend that everyone see this movie. It was incredibly well done and it definitely going to win a lot of awards this year.
Allied is the story of intelligence officer Max Vatan (Pitt), who in 1942 North Africa encounters French Resistance fighter Marianne Beausejour (Cotillard) on a deadly mission behind enemy lines. Reunited in London, their relationship is threatened by the extreme pressures of the war.
Holy snooze fest. I couldn't even make it to the end of this giant turd. I wasn't expecting a major action type of spy movie or anything, but this movie dragged so much. The development took forever and was so choppily edited that only led to more frustration. Add the two stars having such little onscreen chemistry and I pulled the plug on this about half way through.
I wouldn't bother anyone wasting their time with this. It really was just a total throw away movie.
From writer/director Tom Ford comes a haunting romantic thriller of shocking intimacy and gripping tension that explores the thin lines between love and cruelty, and revenge and redemption. Academy Award nominees Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaal star as a divorced couple discovering dark truths about each other and themselves in Nocturnal Animals.
Wow! This was one hell of an excellent example of writing and directing coming together for truly masterful storytelling. I can't go in to too much detail without giving things away but the ride of different emotions you feel throughout this movie is incredible and it's on two very separate levels and stories throughout. I really enjoyed this movie a lot even though it had one of those artistic open up for interpretation endings that mainstream audiences probably won't like.
Like I said, this really isnt a mainstream movie. But anyone into film making or more importantly screenwriting should really enjoy this movie.
Fueled by cheap whiskey, greed and hatred, Willie teams up once again with his angry little sidekick, Marcus, to knock off a Chicago charity on Christmas Eve. Along for the ride is ‘the kid’ – chubby and cheery Thurman Merman, a 250-pound ray of sunshine who brings out Willie’s sliver of humanity. Mommy issues arise when the pair are joined by Willie’s horror story of a mother, Sunny Soke. A super butch super bitch, Sunny raises the bar for the gang’s ambitions, while somehow lowering the standards of criminal behavior. Willie is further burdened by lusting after the curvaceous and prim Diane, the charity director with a heart of gold and libido of steel.
If you liked the first one, this is pretty much more of the same. The vulgar and beyond inappropriate humor is still there but that is really it. They didn't really bother with much of a story because there was no reason to.
If you are looking for some crass laughs then you can check this out. I definitely wouldn't recommend anyone paying to see this because it's not worth it and you can wait.
Shut In is a heart-pounding thriller starring Naomi Watts as a widowed child psychologist who lives an isolated existence in rural New England. When a young boy Mary (Watts) is treating goes missing, and is presumed dead, she becomes convinced that his ghost is haunting her and her bedridden son.
Contrary to the above synopsis, there was nothing heart pounding or thrilling about this movie. It was pretty much a huge waste of time and had no hook whatsoever to make you care about what was happening. I made it about halfway through and decided to pull the plug because there had to be better things to be doing.
I wouldn't recommend anyone wasting their time with this. It's a shame that this is how far Naomi Watts has fallen. I thought she would have been bigger than garbage like this.
