My friend, Sergei, wasn't surprised by the revelations because he lived there when it happened, but, he can count on one hand at least 9 inaccuracies.
Reviews
14 Reviews
Tolkien
(2019)
A Huge Break from the Mindless Marvel Drivel
20 May 2019
What a breath of fresh air about a real person, told in reality about real problems and fascinating real progress in the human spirit with real solutions by real people. The romance between Tolkien and Bratt is carefully and sincerely woven through the story as is his delicate survival in the horrible trenchs of the Somme in WW1. Authentic fellowship and tragedy about Tolkien that helps you understand why he created languages and eventually The Hobbitt. Love every minute of it.
Crazy Rich Asians
(2018)
A Banana Movie fit for fools
7 September 2018
Asians? Chinese? Nothing Chinese or Asian about the film. Everyone is either very British or American. The scenery is British Asian styles, not Chinese. And the entire plot is as vacuous as the voided hearts of those whose story it tries to tell. Boring, NOT funny at any point, and, again, not about Chinese people for they'll all very Banana...yellow on the outside and white in the middle. False advertising title. Should be called "Crazy Director Wants your Money to make him Rich."
Operation Finale
(2018)
Compelling spy thriller that's true
29 August 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Some could say it is a slow pace. After watching phony action heros, probably true. But, this movie follows the time line of the actual events where the Israeli Nazi hunters bumble, stumble but finally find Eichmann, the Nazi's architect of the Holocaust, hiding in Argentina. Flashbacks to Nazi atrocities under Eichmann and others bring more urgency to the hunt. From the time the team enters Buenos Aires, tension mounts until the final conclusion. I recall as a boy watching the news clips of the trial of Eichmann in 1961 and this movie puts it all together for a compelling spy thriller and piece of history. Good acting, writing, pacing and locations.
Paul, Apostle of Christ
(2018)
Dark movie completely misses the Point of Paul's Conversion
30 March 2018
Warning: Spoilers
This movie fails where it ought to shine, namely, in the theology. This mythical Paul isn't what the scriptural Paul was, namely a positive advocate of Christ and his mission.
In this dark movie, Paul has many painful flashbacks of his Saul of Tarsus day that murdered Christians, and is plagued by the dead he sent to early graves including Stephen and a young girl. And during the movie this inaccurate Paul constantly says there's enough Grace of Christ for all of us. Yet, there isn't enough Grace for Paul to allow him peace? For despite him having a wonderful conversion to Christ's Good News (Gospel) that when you seek forgiveness Christ will forgive and though your sins be as scarlet they will be white as snow. Paul did gain forgiveness and Christ's mercy forgave Paul so it was as if he had never sinned -- "I'll remember them no more."
So this Paul is nothing like the joyous Paul who rejoices in Grace that forgave him. Otherwise...what's the point of Christ???
On top of that, nothing in the movie speaks to the wonders of being a Christian. These dreary Christians in Rome only have fear...no peace any more than Paul has peace. Instead they talk with gloom and doom. Christianity is all about hope and love.
The one chance to have Christian influence is when Luke is called on to save the Roman's child from certain death. Yes, Luke saves her, but only through his skill. His esteemed faith has nothing to do with this and he leaves no faith at the doorsteps of the pagan Roman.
What a blown opportunity of a movie. And next time, can the director turn on some lights on the set. What a dreary movie.
In this dark movie, Paul has many painful flashbacks of his Saul of Tarsus day that murdered Christians, and is plagued by the dead he sent to early graves including Stephen and a young girl. And during the movie this inaccurate Paul constantly says there's enough Grace of Christ for all of us. Yet, there isn't enough Grace for Paul to allow him peace? For despite him having a wonderful conversion to Christ's Good News (Gospel) that when you seek forgiveness Christ will forgive and though your sins be as scarlet they will be white as snow. Paul did gain forgiveness and Christ's mercy forgave Paul so it was as if he had never sinned -- "I'll remember them no more."
So this Paul is nothing like the joyous Paul who rejoices in Grace that forgave him. Otherwise...what's the point of Christ???
On top of that, nothing in the movie speaks to the wonders of being a Christian. These dreary Christians in Rome only have fear...no peace any more than Paul has peace. Instead they talk with gloom and doom. Christianity is all about hope and love.
The one chance to have Christian influence is when Luke is called on to save the Roman's child from certain death. Yes, Luke saves her, but only through his skill. His esteemed faith has nothing to do with this and he leaves no faith at the doorsteps of the pagan Roman.
What a blown opportunity of a movie. And next time, can the director turn on some lights on the set. What a dreary movie.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2
(2016)
It was exactly what it said it was
9 April 2016
Did you expect Schindler's List? Good, then you're not an idiot and could go to the movie about a crazy Greek-American family being themselves and laugh and enjoy them.
Yep, it's a movie about their big, fat, Greek Wedding and had lots of people from the first big, fat, Greek Wedding 16 years or so later.
Fun movie and it did exactly what it set out to do. Made us laugh a lot. Acting was about the same. Jokes were expected but still funny. Could have done without the now obligatory outing of a gay guy -- come on Hollywood. This getting old. Grab the Windex and find a new gig.
All in all, lots of fun. Too bad they don't more good grade B movies.
Yep, it's a movie about their big, fat, Greek Wedding and had lots of people from the first big, fat, Greek Wedding 16 years or so later.
Fun movie and it did exactly what it set out to do. Made us laugh a lot. Acting was about the same. Jokes were expected but still funny. Could have done without the now obligatory outing of a gay guy -- come on Hollywood. This getting old. Grab the Windex and find a new gig.
All in all, lots of fun. Too bad they don't more good grade B movies.
Just Let Go
(2015)
Not a bad movie and worth a view
12 October 2015
The story of Chris Williams is a tough one to bring to the screen. A man loses his wife and three of his five children to a drunk driver. He's also the Bishop of the Mormon church and must reconcile his anguish with the Christian charge to forgive and rely upon Christ's atonement that Bishop Williams regularly teaches his members.
The writers do a nice job of slowly introducing the dilemma, building the life and loss of life through disjointed flashbacks and forwards that actually work in carefully involving the audience to come to the appropriate facts of his life and that of his children.
The acting is quite good and at times excellent, scenery effective, editing intelligent and music contributing.
Where the writers fall down is in their attempt to make a story about a Mormon bishop become an every Christian's story. If they had done the massacre in the Amish lands, would they have bent over backward to scrub the story of the Amishness of the story? No. But Mormons -- they're afraid the bigoted Baptists will reject the story if they dare mention Mormons. That could be true, but in doing their scrubbing they may have alienated the Mormon audience that could actually make them money.
Specifically they erred: 1. In keeping the inside of the church generic (that's fine), but cutting to the steeple to show it had a cross. Mormon churches are Christian but they don't have crosses. That was patronizing to the Baptists and demeaning to the Mormons (Not the cross which Mormons also revere as a sign of the crucifixion, but varying from the facts). 2. Having the mother distraught at the injustices for the "loss of three lives." That Mormon, Baptist or other Christian mother would have bemoaned the loss of 4 lives -- her dear daughter-in-law was nearly six months pregnant. That's caving in to the Planned Parenthood crowd. 3. Giving the convenience store clerk who is obviously from India, an Hispanic name. No, it is not unheard of for Alejandro (I don't recall it exactly and he's mysteriously not listed in the credits) or some Hispanic name, but it's enough of a dichotomy that you'd better explain it or give him a Raj name. 4. Instead of referring to the Bishop as a Bishop, they have the gall to have Bishop Chris Williams refer to himself as a preacher, something virtually no Bishop would ever say. 5. And here's the biggest boo-boo. It's a show about forgiveness, but Chris never tells the boy that he forgives him. 6. Maybe a bigger error, and again probably done to homogenize and sanitize the movie for bigger audiences, when Chris explains the importance of forgiveness and to Just Let Go, he never mentions what every Bishop would mention -- the Atonement. Christ paid for your sins and pain. Just Let Go and let the Atonement help you.
Still, it was a movie worth seeing, quite real and intense, but movie makers ought to first be true to the story and themselves.
The writers do a nice job of slowly introducing the dilemma, building the life and loss of life through disjointed flashbacks and forwards that actually work in carefully involving the audience to come to the appropriate facts of his life and that of his children.
The acting is quite good and at times excellent, scenery effective, editing intelligent and music contributing.
Where the writers fall down is in their attempt to make a story about a Mormon bishop become an every Christian's story. If they had done the massacre in the Amish lands, would they have bent over backward to scrub the story of the Amishness of the story? No. But Mormons -- they're afraid the bigoted Baptists will reject the story if they dare mention Mormons. That could be true, but in doing their scrubbing they may have alienated the Mormon audience that could actually make them money.
Specifically they erred: 1. In keeping the inside of the church generic (that's fine), but cutting to the steeple to show it had a cross. Mormon churches are Christian but they don't have crosses. That was patronizing to the Baptists and demeaning to the Mormons (Not the cross which Mormons also revere as a sign of the crucifixion, but varying from the facts). 2. Having the mother distraught at the injustices for the "loss of three lives." That Mormon, Baptist or other Christian mother would have bemoaned the loss of 4 lives -- her dear daughter-in-law was nearly six months pregnant. That's caving in to the Planned Parenthood crowd. 3. Giving the convenience store clerk who is obviously from India, an Hispanic name. No, it is not unheard of for Alejandro (I don't recall it exactly and he's mysteriously not listed in the credits) or some Hispanic name, but it's enough of a dichotomy that you'd better explain it or give him a Raj name. 4. Instead of referring to the Bishop as a Bishop, they have the gall to have Bishop Chris Williams refer to himself as a preacher, something virtually no Bishop would ever say. 5. And here's the biggest boo-boo. It's a show about forgiveness, but Chris never tells the boy that he forgives him. 6. Maybe a bigger error, and again probably done to homogenize and sanitize the movie for bigger audiences, when Chris explains the importance of forgiveness and to Just Let Go, he never mentions what every Bishop would mention -- the Atonement. Christ paid for your sins and pain. Just Let Go and let the Atonement help you.
Still, it was a movie worth seeing, quite real and intense, but movie makers ought to first be true to the story and themselves.
Gag movie of the year
24 September 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Oh how I wish I'd seen a trailer that showed the absurd zombie incarnations. Gag me with a spoon.
Now I'm supposed to issue a SPOILER ALERT... although to give away this plot is laughable it is so formulaic and predictable. The entire premise of the movie is absurd. Fast paced to nowhere with lots of movement, little action, noisy and pointless.
Gee, the obtuse teenager tries to save his buddies from having their blood sucked out of them by the mean scientists and from being bitten by the zombie creatures. And the soldier group -- the right wing so to speak -- are so rag tag as to be an impossible group to put up any kind of struggle against the crack troops of WCKD... wicked. (wasn't that clever!)
When searching for the rag tag group, they get stuck in a canyon behind cars left to barricade their hiding place. Then they get attacked -- are you ready -- with the ubiquitous helicopters that everyone in the known universe knows WCKD has... except the right appendage (I don't want to give away their clever name).
Just wish this group had gotten lost in the maze.
Now I'm supposed to issue a SPOILER ALERT... although to give away this plot is laughable it is so formulaic and predictable. The entire premise of the movie is absurd. Fast paced to nowhere with lots of movement, little action, noisy and pointless.
Gee, the obtuse teenager tries to save his buddies from having their blood sucked out of them by the mean scientists and from being bitten by the zombie creatures. And the soldier group -- the right wing so to speak -- are so rag tag as to be an impossible group to put up any kind of struggle against the crack troops of WCKD... wicked. (wasn't that clever!)
When searching for the rag tag group, they get stuck in a canyon behind cars left to barricade their hiding place. Then they get attacked -- are you ready -- with the ubiquitous helicopters that everyone in the known universe knows WCKD has... except the right appendage (I don't want to give away their clever name).
Just wish this group had gotten lost in the maze.
The Water Diviner
(2014)
Sleeper awakens
3 August 2015
Never heard of this show, and that's sad. With all the junk out there it's too bad this one missed our theaters.
Exceptionally well done and accurate in telling the tragic story of Gallipoli from both the ANZAC (Australia) and Turkish points of view. In that WWI was a totally absurd war with no reason (most wars do have reasons; WW2 was essential etc.) made the entire premise of a father from Australia leaving his farm to find his three sons whose bodies were never found after the campaign a profound premise.
The film mixed in flashbacks to the campaign to win the heights overlooking the Bosphorous Straights between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. Churchill was blamed for the naval debacle that occurred (and he bore some culpability but little) but the entire idea of invading Turkey, especially at Gallipoli was insanity that soldiers like the Cooper boys paid for.
The acting is excellent with a host of different characters representing effectively the Australians, British, Turkish, and Greeks. The levels of conflict arising from a nation going from being the once proud Ottoman Empire, to a carved up mess with Islamic State overtones, to a Turkish nationalists movement that led to a secular state that Turkey is today, to the Greek/Turkish war continuation (that actually began long before the siege at Troy with Achilles) is all presented carefully in this film.
Crowe is humorless in this film, but there's not much to smile about as the Gladiator faces his worst fears head on with dignity and determination.
Well done, Russell Crowe. This is a hidden jewel of a movie. The R rating is a soft R at best and is only there for a few bits of war time violence that isn't much different that television violence. No profanity, no sex or nudity or drugs. Recommended for teenagers to understand the realities and tragedies of history and war. Recommended for all adults as a gripping mystery and adventure in historical fiction.
Exceptionally well done and accurate in telling the tragic story of Gallipoli from both the ANZAC (Australia) and Turkish points of view. In that WWI was a totally absurd war with no reason (most wars do have reasons; WW2 was essential etc.) made the entire premise of a father from Australia leaving his farm to find his three sons whose bodies were never found after the campaign a profound premise.
The film mixed in flashbacks to the campaign to win the heights overlooking the Bosphorous Straights between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. Churchill was blamed for the naval debacle that occurred (and he bore some culpability but little) but the entire idea of invading Turkey, especially at Gallipoli was insanity that soldiers like the Cooper boys paid for.
The acting is excellent with a host of different characters representing effectively the Australians, British, Turkish, and Greeks. The levels of conflict arising from a nation going from being the once proud Ottoman Empire, to a carved up mess with Islamic State overtones, to a Turkish nationalists movement that led to a secular state that Turkey is today, to the Greek/Turkish war continuation (that actually began long before the siege at Troy with Achilles) is all presented carefully in this film.
Crowe is humorless in this film, but there's not much to smile about as the Gladiator faces his worst fears head on with dignity and determination.
Well done, Russell Crowe. This is a hidden jewel of a movie. The R rating is a soft R at best and is only there for a few bits of war time violence that isn't much different that television violence. No profanity, no sex or nudity or drugs. Recommended for teenagers to understand the realities and tragedies of history and war. Recommended for all adults as a gripping mystery and adventure in historical fiction.
Kingsman: The Secret Service
(2014)
Could have been great but was awful
7 April 2015
Great premise, great characters well acted, beautifully filmed but the director and writer overdosed on drugs and spewed out this Texas Chain Saw Massacre challenger. Grotesque scenes replaced smart scenes to appeal to the lowest common denominators in our baseless society. They figure if a little blood was good, a bathtub of goo and gore was much better. Tastelessness found a new level in a needless manner. Gutter language is so mindless in its endless repetition that any moron could have written the script. The twists and turns were perfect only to be ruined by more absurdity and obscenity. Too bad. It could have been a great spy fun thriller.
The Imitation Game
(2014)
Not bad but leaves out
24 March 2015
The film maker really wanted to make a film decrying poor treatment of homosexuals but had to get the good stuff in about the incredible contribution Turing made to the war effort and his brilliant, kooky, iconoclastic mind. But he began with the 1951 investigation into his homosexuality and then drifted back into the war, came back again to the investigation, finally went back to the great war intrigue story of him breaking the Enigma code against all odds, but kept going forward to the darn police investigating his sexuality as if it mattered to the breaking of the code...which it didn't. Finally, before the true code story was finished -- namely how he helped them ingeniously use the information from the code breaking to help the war effort without tipping off the Nazi's that they'd broken the code is simply stated as an afterthought. He had a huge part in that and it was dropped so we had to go back to the police investigation that eventually led to his needless torment and his sad suicide (which also was referenced). Could have been a great movie. Wasn't. Too bad the film makers agenda got in the way of his story telling.
Life of Pi
(2012)
Much ado about not much
2 March 2013
Yes, the film had nice pacing, nice acting, exciting moments, great photography and special effects, but, in the end, so what. Yawn.
Pi starts off with some unexplained quest to believe in something and proves that if you don't stand for something you'll fall for anything. His father was right as the kid, again inexplicably, studies comic books of Hindu's 30 million gods, then drinks the holy water (literally on a dare) and comes to Jesus, and then walks by a mosque and gets into Allah.
After the family decides to take a ship to Canada and sell the zoo animals they own on their zoo, for some unexplained reason the ship sinks in a storm -- and it wasn't a perfect storm. And... it goes down at the Marianna's Trench which is the deepest part of the ocean, yet... the ship only sinks about 100 feet.
The rest of the movie is watching him endure 40 odd days in crossing the Pacific Ocean while trying to out fox a tiger and steer clear of sharks. In the end he makes up another story for the insurance company and we really have no idea which story is real and have no idea why we just sat through this story.
Pi starts off with some unexplained quest to believe in something and proves that if you don't stand for something you'll fall for anything. His father was right as the kid, again inexplicably, studies comic books of Hindu's 30 million gods, then drinks the holy water (literally on a dare) and comes to Jesus, and then walks by a mosque and gets into Allah.
After the family decides to take a ship to Canada and sell the zoo animals they own on their zoo, for some unexplained reason the ship sinks in a storm -- and it wasn't a perfect storm. And... it goes down at the Marianna's Trench which is the deepest part of the ocean, yet... the ship only sinks about 100 feet.
The rest of the movie is watching him endure 40 odd days in crossing the Pacific Ocean while trying to out fox a tiger and steer clear of sharks. In the end he makes up another story for the insurance company and we really have no idea which story is real and have no idea why we just sat through this story.
2016: Obama's America
(2012)
Only if you're pleased with debt
25 August 2012
If you're happy with America's direction right now and want it to continue, you'll fabricate "Ad hominem" attacks against this documentary void of intelligent arguments against D'Sousa's primary sourced material. Yes, he's drawing his own conclusions and predictions based upon primary or direct source documents in Obama's own words. He does not fabricate the national debt nor the policies of Obama. He just adds 4+4 and gets 8 with all that entails.
It is a well made documentary. Very tight structure, good filming, clear and cogent dialog and a compelling intellectual presentation without shock or sensational footage.
Biased people should, however, not confuse their minds with facts or logically drawn conclusions that differ from theirs.
It is a well made documentary. Very tight structure, good filming, clear and cogent dialog and a compelling intellectual presentation without shock or sensational footage.
Biased people should, however, not confuse their minds with facts or logically drawn conclusions that differ from theirs.
Some folks need to get a life and stop believing their own press
10 January 2010
A light bit of fun. Nice seeing Hollywood understanding the stuffiness of New York... loved the line "If you ever get to New York..." "Something will be very wrong when that happens." The more slams on NYC the better -- never have so many thought so much of so little.
Script? Good. Strung the story together nicely and developed believable character. Fun story. Good night out. And... Hollywood actually makes a stand that cheating is cheating and wrong. Too bad Bill C and his believers haven't figured that out.
Chemistry? Eye of the beholder. The two leads are "estranged" so don't expect warm fuzzies. They're angry and hurt. Grant and Parker (not a favorite of mine) play it well.
Great job in casting. Loved Wilford Brimley, Mary Steenburgen and Sam Elliot.
Script? Good. Strung the story together nicely and developed believable character. Fun story. Good night out. And... Hollywood actually makes a stand that cheating is cheating and wrong. Too bad Bill C and his believers haven't figured that out.
Chemistry? Eye of the beholder. The two leads are "estranged" so don't expect warm fuzzies. They're angry and hurt. Grant and Parker (not a favorite of mine) play it well.
Great job in casting. Loved Wilford Brimley, Mary Steenburgen and Sam Elliot.
Tell Your Friends