Cindy Prascik's Review of The Railway Man

 



Dearest Blog, yesterday I took a pass on the weekend's big releases to spend some quality time with Colin Firth and The Railway Man.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't get from the trailer.

Years after World War II, a tormented former POW comes face to face with one of his captors.

Well, Blog, you know me. I'm a blockbuster kinda gal. I like monsters and superheroes and have, on more than one occasion, called The Expendables "all the movie I'll ever need." (Don't judge!)

Sometimes, though...sometimes there's a different kind of movie that tells a story I want to hear, and tells it in such a way that I'm willing to put off my date with a wicked witch and shoot-em-ups and even Sharlto Copley to see it.

The Railway Man is an extraordinary true story of love and redemption and forgiveness. The horrors of war are depicted in brutal detail, but never gratuitously. The pace is deliberate--this movie is in no hurry to get anywhere--but it never feels like it's dragging. It would be easy to single out the always-remarkable (and, by always, I mean even in St. Trinian's!) Colin Firth as worth mentioning, but the entire cast is so extraordinary that wouldn't be fair. Even Nicole Kidman, a perennial member of my "Most Hated" list, manages to shine. Sadly, the fact that the film's been released in May, when everything about it screams "awards season," tells me Someone Very Important has already deemed it unworthy of next winter's accolades. That's a real shame.

The Railway Man is a wonderful, terrible, beautiful, painful story that's easily the best movie I've seen this year. With a new blockbuster landing every weekend, it won't stick around long, so I enthusiastically encourage you to get out and see it as soon as you can.

The Railway Man runs 116 minutes and is rated R for "disturbing prisoner of war violence." (Is that a thing?)

The trailer for The Railway Man closes with the line, "Sometime the hating has to stop," and the movie is just great enough to inspire viewers to go out and try to make it so.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Railway Man gets eight and a half.

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST

Mild-mannered sheep farmer Albert Stark (Seth MacFarlane) feels certain that the Western frontier is trying to kill him, then he loses his girlfriend, Louise (Amanda Seyfried), to the town's most successful businessman. However, a beautiful, pistol-packing woman named Anna (Charlize Theron) rides into town and helps Albert find his inner courage. Then Stark must put his newfound bravery to the test when Anna's outlaw husband arrives with plans to plant him in an unmarked grave.

Director: Seth MacFarlane 

Cast: Seth MacFarlane, Charlize Theron, Amanda Seyfried, Giovanni Ribisi, Liam Neeson

Release Date: May 30, 2014

Genres: Comedy Western, Outlaw (Gunfighter) Film, 

Comedy, Western 

Review:

After the surprising success of Ted, my expectation of Seth MacFarlane next live action film were fairly high.  Sadly, A Million Ways to Die in the West doesn’t live up to expectations.  It plays out like an extended “Road to…” episode of Family Guy with very little in the way of innovation, satire or even laughs.  It will bring a grin to your face from time to time but MacFarlane seems to forget he’s making a comedy and seems more interested in making a clichéd western.  Outside of the occasional MacFarlane riffs on how horrible the old west was, there isn’t a ton to the plot.  As a result the story as a whole lacks forward momentum with noticeable dead spots spread across the bloated run time, most obvious during the climax of the forced storyline with MacFarlane and Theron.  A Million Ways to Die in the West is one of those films that has a few false endings and then it drags on for another 20 minutes longer than it should, essentially wasting  Liam Neeson’s screen time.  A few laughs here and there will never replace Blazing Saddles.

C-

Cindy Prascik's Review of X-Men: Days of Future Past

Dearest Blog, today it was off to the cinema in the hope that X-Men: Days of Future Past would live up the hype. I am pleased to report I was not disappointed.

Spoiler level here will be mild, limited to one very specific, non plot-related...um..."asset" that I must mention.

Logan travels to the past to try to change history and avoid a terrible fate for mutants and humans.

Well, dear Blog, whenever the 70s are in play, one thing's for sure: the fashion is going to be good for laughs, whether intentional or not. While Days of Future Past doesn't go full American Hustle, it's fair to say the ascot is not Michael Fassbender's best look.

I love the cast of X-Men: Days of Future Past like I've loved few others. Were I to make a bullet list of the acting awesomeness, we'd be here all night. Suffice to say everyone is just great, and it's worth mentioning that Evan Peters--who is routinely terrific in American Horror Story--is every bit as good as his better-known castmates in his sadly limited screen time.

With its wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey plot, Days of Future Past could have ended up a convoluted mess, but instead it's handled expertly, a clever story that never bogs down. If the movie feels a little too long, I can't say there was so much as a minute I wasn't engaged. The effects are solid and--yes!!--we do get one (1) "pants optional" scene with the ever-fit Mr. Jackman. (The movie gods have heard my prayers!) If I had one complaint, it's that I kinda feel like what's the point of anything happening if you can just go back and make it un-happen, or what we'll call "The Heroes Effect."

That sounds like a pretty huge problem, but it diminishes my enthusiasm for neither the film nor the franchise.

I did not see this in 3D, and I can't say I felt like I was missing anything.

X-Men: Days of Future Past clocks in at 131 minutes and is rated PG13 for "sequences of intense sci-fi violence and action, some suggestive material, nudity, and language."

X-Men: Days of Future Past gets full marks for writing, acting, directing, and effects, and a few small quibbles won't stop me from calling it a truly great movie.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, X-Men: Days of Future Past gets eight.

Until next time...

Your argument is invalid.

MOVIE REVIEW: X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST

Convinced that mutants pose a threat to humanity, Dr. Bolivar Trask (Peter Dinklage) develops the Sentinels, enormous robotic weapons that can detect a mutant gene and zero in on that person. In the 21st century, the Sentinels have evolved into highly efficient killing machines. With mutants now facing extinction, Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) volunteers to go back in time and rally the X-Men of the past to help change a pivotal moment in history and thereby save their future.

Director: Bryan Singer 

Cast: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen.

Release Date: May 23, 2014

Runtime: 2 hr. 11 min. 

Genres: Sci-Fi Action, Superhero Film, Action, Fantasy

Review:

All in all I don’t think I’d be too far off base by saying that X-Men: Days of Future Past was probably more challenging endeavor than assembling The Avengers.  Thankfully Bryan Singer is back in the drivers seat along with an incredibly strong script which works surprisingly well even with the all the characters and timelines at play.  Singer’s ability to weave complex storylines while keeping the story’s heart is his gift to the series.  Watching him build this epic story will leave most fans even more bitter that he choose Superman Returns over the third X-men film.  Everything about the story is huge and the action set pieces are simply dazzling with the film rarely faltering during its 2 hour runtime.  James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jennifer Lawrence are all in fine form.  They’re all much more comfortable in the characters skin bringing even more depth and meaning to each of them.  Hugh Jackman also gives us his best turn as Wolverine since X-2.  The original cast gets their moments to shine even if some of the new characters mostly serve as superhero fodder with the exception of Evans Peters Quicksilver who’s gone from the film far too quickly.  X-Men: Days of Future Past was probably one of the most anticipated film on this years calendar and is a rare example of a film delivering in spades.

A-

Cindy Prascik's Review of Godzilla

Dearest Blog, yesterday I headed to the cinema to see Godzilla with the rest of the known universe.
Spoiler level here will be mild, pretty much nothing you wouldn't know or have guessed from the trailers.

The fate of the world hangs in the balance when giant monsters do battle.

Well, dear Blog, I gotta say this is the first time I ever wished I had a video blog so I could make the video and audio out of sync for this review. My version of an homage. Sorry, best I got.

Godzilla's latest screen outing has a bit of a split personality. The titular monster does not make his first real appearance until almost exactly halfway through (I checked the clock) and the first and second acts are like night and day.

Act one is our setup, and it's a little slow and "peopley" for my taste. The cast boasts some noteworthy names: Bryan Cranston, Juliette Binoche, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ken Watanabe, Sally Hawkins, and David Strathairn. Whatta we got, an Oscar and a handful of nominations there? For all that acting juice, nobody is really worth a mention either way, other than to say, if you were thinking of seeing this movie just because you love Juliette Binoche...um...maybe don't, m-kay?

Act two: MONSTERS. Woot! I can't speak for anybody else, but I sure as hell didn't see Godzilla because I thought Bryan Cranston might be looking for an Oscar to go with his Emmy. I saw it because I like monsters...big, scary ones that look like they're coming off the screen at me. And let me tell ya somethin', people: if I'd seen this in 3D, I might have wet myself. The monsters are phenomenal, absolutely everything for which I'd hoped, imposing with just the right touch of silliness here and there. The disaster effects are great too, authentic looking and presented in such a way that the mass destruction never wears thin. (Are you paying attention, Man of Steel?) Though the first hour does feel a bit long, once the action gets rolling, you won't care...or even remember.

Godzilla clocks in at 123 minutes and is rated PG13 for "intense sequences of destruction, mayhem, and creature violence."

If Godzilla's first act feels a little sluggish, I'm pretty sure I was grinning from ear to ear for the entire second hour. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Godzilla gets seven.

Until next time...

A number four...and super-size it!

MOVIE REVIEW: GODZILLA

The king of all monsters gets a reboot with this Warner Bros./Legendary Pictures production helmed by Gareth Edwards, who gained critical attention with his intimate twist on the giant-creature genre with his feature-film debut, Monsters. Frank Darabont (The Mist) and Max Borenstein provide the script. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi 

Director: Gareth Edwards 

Cast: Aaron Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Bryan Cranston, David Strathairn, Ken Watanabe

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of destruction, mayhem and creature violence

Genres: Creature Film, Sci-Fi Action, Science Fiction 

Review:

Gareth Edwards’ Godzilla is filled with top level acting talent.  So much so that Juliette Binoche stops by for a cup of coffee and is gone before you notice it.  Bryan Cranston is there, makes an impression, and is gone.  Then there’s Ken Watannabe and David Strathairn looking stern and concerned for the majority of their screen time.  Throw in Aaron, is his voice really still cracking, Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen for good measure and you have a lot of recognizable faces who really don’t matter in the grand scheme of this film.  This film is name Godzilla for a reason after all.  Edwards, shooting a visually beautiful film, shows a level of restraint that’s rare for big budget blockbuster.  His slow reveal of the titular monster is like watching a monster mash version of a burlesque show, lots of tease before the payoff.  The human stories are clichéd but interesting enough to keep you entertained in between some massive set pieces that feel fresh but familiar.  The monster on monster action, which includes destroying some fun vacation spots, is top notch with excellent CGI throughout especially Godzilla himself.  Some of the battles do lose a tad bit of their luster since Pacific Rim ran through some similar sequences but there are plenty of moments which are filled singular Godzilla greatness that’ll bring a gleeful smile to anyone raised on the original films.  Be sure to watch it on a massive theater screen.

B+