Requiem for a Dream (2000)

 

Genre: Drama
Directed by: Darren Aronofsky
Starring: Ellen Burnstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly 

Running time: 101 minutes

 

Based on the 1978 novel of the same name by Hubert Selby Jr,. Requiem of a Dream shows the destructive impact of drug addiction on four different characters, as they go through delusions and self-destructive behavior.

This is a powerful film that will stay with you for a long time after it is over. The acting work done by Burnstyn, Leto and Connelly is superb, and the direction is merciless. As a viewer, we get pulled into this wild ride that will shake us around for over 100 minutes, letting us go feeling quite stirred.

This is not an easy film to take in. It requires effort and attention. I almost lost myself in it a time or two, but, in the end, I enjoyed the ride.

Rating: ««««

Snow White and The Huntsman (2012)

 

Genre: Fantasy
Directed by: Rupert Sanders
Starring: Kristen Steward, Charlize Theron, Chris Hemsworth
Running time: 127 minutes

 

King Magnus is enchanted and killed by Ravenna, an evil sorceress who then becomes almighty queen. Queen Ravenna has Snow White, Magnus’ young daughter locked up in a dungeon. As Snow White gets older, the Queen wants to kill her stepdaughter and take her power to contribute to her eternal life. Snow White escapes and then comes back with a army to battle her evil stepmother.

 This is a dark reimagining of the German fairytale by the Brothers Grimm. It is entertaining as such, in spite of a loaded plot and uneven acting. Not bad, per se, but nothing special either.

 Rating: «««

 

The Odd Life of Timothy Green (2012)

 
Genre: Comedy / Drama
Directed by: Peter Hedges
Starring: Jennifer Garner, Joel Edgerton, CJ Adams
Running time: 104 minutes

 

Cindy and Jim Green are trying to conceive a child and become parents, but it is not working for them. One night, as they are on the verge of giving up hope, a mysterious boy named Timothy appears into their home, acting like their son. As they work at creating a bond with Timothy and finding themselves as parents, they decide to look at adoption.

This is a cute, albeit weird, Disney film. The acting is bad, which is unfortunate considering the names involved. The story, although cute, is cheesy and predictable. All things considered, this is not a movie worth making much of an effort to see.

Rating: ««

Ant-Man (2015)

 

Genre: Superhero
Directed by: Peyton Reed
Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas 

Running time: 117 minutes

 

Scott Lang comes out of prison after serving some time for petty crimes. He is trying to get his life back on track and rebuild a relationship with his young daughter, who lives with his ex-wife and her new man. Lang is recruited by Hank Pym to don the Ant-Man suit and get Pym’s technology out of the hands of a Corey Stoll, a former protégé of Pyr that is putting the knowledge to evil use.

I really enjoyed this film. The acting was good, with a good dose of humor, and the story was interesting. Often, I find that superhero movies are too heavy on what I call nerd gibberish. If you are not a fan of it, you are drowned in it. Ant-Man is a little more rooted in human emotions, with a sprinkle of the sci-fi stuff on top of it.

Ant-Man is a well done as the other Marvel films, visually-speaking, and there is more character development to sink your teeth into. I was entertained. There was some cheesiness, but I can forgive that.

 

Rating: ««««

Knives Out (2019)

 

Genre: Thriller
Directed by: Rian Johnson
Starring: Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ana de Armas 

Running time: 130 minutes

 

After wealthy mystery novelist Harlan Thrombey is found dead with his throat slashed, the deceased’s extended family gets together. The police considers the death a suicide, but private detective Benoit Blanc is not so sure. And, as Blanc investigates the whole matter, the relationship between Thrombey’s family members unravels before our eyes.

There is so much to love about this movie. The story is absolutely riveting. It is a murder-mystery whodunit kind of film, with a load of little details that you learn as you go along, waiting for the next twist. This magnificently directed movie kept me on the edge of my seat.

It should be noted here that the movie is well served on screen by an ensemble cast of talented actors and actresses. I want to particularly mention Jamie Lee Curtis and Daniel Craig, who were both quite surprising in very different roles for them.

This is a film that I will be sure to watch again in a short while, and I am sure I will still get more out of it.

 

Rating: «««««

Behind Enemy Lines (2001)

 

Genre: Action
Directed by: John Moore
Starring: Owen Wilson, Gene Hackman 

Running time: 106 minutes

 

American naval flight officer Lieutenant Chris Burnett ventures over enemy lines, along with his pilot, during the Bosnian War. After their plane gets shot down and the pilot gets killed, Burnett has to run and fight for his life while his commanding officer waits for approval to retrieve him from enemy territory.

This is your run-of-the-mill action/war movie. The acting is decent and the story is entertaining, albeit predictable. The special effects add an air of cheesiness to the whole thing. Overall, I was entertained while the movie lasted, but there is nothing much here to write home about.

 

Rating: «««

Half Nelson (2006)

 
Genre: Drama
Directed by: Ryan Fleck
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Shareeka Epps, Anthony Mackie
Running time: 106 minutes

 

Dan Dunne is an aspiring writer who teaches history in a Brooklyn middle school. He leads a troubled life of drugs and failed relationships, while being at odds with the curriculum he is supposed to teach. He forms a special friendship with Drey, a 13-year-old daughter of a single mother with a brother in jail and some friends involved in some bad dealings.

This is a nice character study about two people of very different age both being at crossroads in their lives. For a while, I kept waiting for the tragedy that would happen to one of the main characters, but it is not about that here. It is about people struggling and overcoming step by step.

This is a beautiful film, done in a very simple yet griping way. The acting was very good and the story was so compelling. I enjoyed it very much.

 Rating: ««««