Ed's Review Dot Com

Film4, Free Range Films, Le Bureau,

Jim Broadbent, Lindsay Duncan, Jeff Goldblum, Olly Alexander, Judith Davis, Xavier De Guillebon, Brice Beaugier, Marie-France Alvarez, Charlotte Léo, Denis Sebbah, Sébastien Siroux

Nick (Jim Broadbent) and Meg (Lindsay Duncan) are an elderly couple who have found their relationship on rocky ground. Though they are together, they just don’t connect anymore and have little nice to say about each other. They come up with the idea to go to Paris, where they went on their honeymoon, to visit the same hotel and try to rekindle their romance. Jim seems willing, but Meg just doesn’t seem to want to try. We watch them struggle and fall, and get into more an more trouble. Then there are some hidden secrets that have to come out as they try to work this thing out to stay together or just go their separate ways.

This is not a very comforting movie, but I suspect it’s pretty realistic. We like romantic comedies tied up with a little ribbon and placed in a warm place beside the hearth. This movie hits you straight in the face about how they’re not young anymore. They started out, as everyone does, with big hopes and dreams, and somehow time has placed them in much more meager settings that they would have wished. Jim Broadbent is one of the best actors around. The rest of the cast was pretty good as well. There are quite a few funny moments. There is some tragic moments. But through out it all it’s mostly struggle. Jeff Goldblum has a relatively small role of a classmate of Nick’s many years ago. It’s an odd role, and one that’s kind of a mystery to figure out. We’re not sure what he’s really all about, and that’s good because it lets us have something to figure out. In the end, we don’t know where Meg and Nick are going to end up. That’s good too as it would be a far lesser movie if it told us. As it is, you are free to determine their future, as they are, only by your imagination. This was a smartly done film, and though, as I said, kind of painful to watch from time to time, it was really excellently played. It’s not a film for young people, as you probably just won’t get it if you’re under 30 or 40, but you’ll be here someday and it will all make sense. I thought it was a decent film, and one I was glad I chose to watch.

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Scott Rudin Productions, Indian Paintbrush, Studio Babelsber

Ralph Fiennes, F. Murray Abraham, Edward Norton, Mathieu Amalric, Saoirse Ronan, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Léa Seydoux, Jeff Goldblum, Jason Schwartzman, Jude Law, Tilda Swinton, Harvey Keitel, Tom Wilkinson, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Tony Revolori

A young writer (Jude Law) checks into the legendary Grand Budapest Hotel and finds it almost empty. He meets the man running the hotel who invites him to dinner for the story of why the hotel is still open and why he refuses to close it down. He then proceeds to tell the story of legendary owner Gustave H. (Ralph Fiennes) and his chief lobby-boy/personal assistant Zero Moustafa (F. Murray Abraham/Tony Revolori). It’s a grand story of recovering a stolen masterpiece, and the battle over a family inheritance, set against the backdrop of a vastly changing Europe.

Wes Anderson (Director) is known for kind of “off kilter” films. When I watched this film, I think the other film that came to mind that reminded me of this style was “The Royal Tenenbaums”. Sure enough, another Wes Anderson film, as was “Moonrise Kingdom”, “The Aquatic Life with Steve Zissou. and even “Fantastic Mr. Fox” (which was one of my early reviews that got me in big trouble with a lot of people who loved this. I must admit Wes Anderson movies are a bit weird and hard to follow, but I must admit I kind of enjoyed this one a lot. First of all, there is a huge cast, with so many famous actors showing up to bring a lot of interest to the movie. Most of them are smaller parts, but still, they all add to the enjoyment. Then there’s the setting. Wes doesn’t like to do CGI that much, so most of what we see is either green screen, or more often models. The look of this movie is wonderful. The spectacular costuming and set design deserves a wealth of honors. The story if fast moving, and funny, even if many parts are ridiculous. Most of all, though this is based upon recorded history as to the larger events going on in Europe, it’s still a fantasy movie that really feels like we’re in a different magical world. All in all I found this a very interesting and enjoyable experience, and I am glad I watched it. If you can take the oddness of this film, you’ll probably enjoy it as well. If you seen it and have an opinion, feel free to use the comments section on this post, as I would be glad to hear different opinions on this movie. As for me, I liked it.

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog

Atlas Independent, 852 Films, Speranza13 Media,

Sharlto Copley, Joseph Morgan, Thomas Kretschmann, Erin Richards, Josie Ho, Max Wrottesley

A man (Sharlto Copley) wakes up in a pit full of dead bodies, and no memory of who he is or why he might have been laying in the pit. There’s no way out, and no hope, and he’s really confused until a rope slides down the rock and an Asian woman he can’t remember pulls him out. When he arrives at the top, she doesn’t speak, but leads him to a nearby house where he meets a half dozen or so other people who are in the same mess. Everyone seems slightly familiar, but no memories, and no idea what they have in common or what is going on.

I rated this film rather highly because I really enjoyed the method by which this film was made. The character in the film doesn’t know anything, and we, the audience, are in the same boat. We have no clue what’s going on either, and we won’t until the final moments of the film. The photography was fabulous, and the virtually unknown cast made me feel like I was in the same situation as the folks in the film. We examine natural distrust as well the self preservation instinct. No one wants to believe the the others are what they say they are. The tension is riveting though out, and it never lets up. The pressure is on big time as we struggle through the lack of information like the characters do. There are so many twists and turns though out the story, but in the end, we pretty much learn what the bigger picture is. I hate to even categorize this film, as its mostly suspense, and only a little bit gory, although the “pit” is rather disgusting. But the pressure builds and a few eerie comments let you know someone is coming in a few days. All of the people in the film play their parts really well, and it helps make the film even more alarming. You’ll see homage to many classic suspense films, but the story itself is rather unique which also adds to the enjoyment. The less you know of the plot, the better. This is an indie film, and a very good one. Very thought provoking, although not quite so out in left field. The story has a feeling of possible reality and may really make you think about the future of mankind. this is one of those “hidden gems” that out there. It’s a film you’ve never heard of, but will probably really enjoy if you give it a chance.

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog

Movie Rentals Releasing Tuesday July 22, 2014

• All Cheerleaders Die
• The Angriest Man in Brooklyn
• Appleseed: Alpha
• Blue Ruin
• Cesar Chavez
• Dom Hemmingway
• Heaven is For Real
• Make Your Move
• Sabotage
• The Suspect
• Transcendence [Click here for Ed’s Review]
• Tyler Perry’s The Single Moms Club

Warner Bros., Village Roadshow Pictures, RatPac-Dune Entertainment,

Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Cobie Smulders, Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, Morgan Freeman, Will Ferrell, Liam Neeson, Alison Brie, Charlie Day, Nick Offerman

This is the story of an absolutely ordinary construction worker Lego figure who is proud to follow the directions and fade into the background. But when he finds a special piece, he becomes “The Chosen One’ to defeat the evil President Business (aka Lord Business) and set order to the world. But he feels anything but special. With the help of some new found friends and a group of master builders, perhaps the world has a chance.

This really popular little animated Lego film grabbed the hearts of all the kids and touched all those of us who remember the days of Legos. Well now the Lego Movie is finally out on DVD, even for us poor suckers at NetFlix and Redbox, and I do suspect Disney/Pixar may have some real competition this year. The Lego Movie is a nearly perfect film for Kids and Grown-ups much to the level of Wreck-It Ralph, and some of the other recent kiddie blockbusters. This is a story with a lot of heart, and we’re guided through the story by the voice of Morgan Freeman. There are a great many terrific actors in this film, and as a result, we get great performances from the animated characters. There are so many “punny” moments in this film that it’s bound to make the grown-ups laugh along with the kids. They may be laughing at different things, but the jokes and puns are so close together that it will keep you in stitches. There is also a lot of heart and great story of what it takes to be truly “special” and how to work as a team. There are so many references to the real world Legos and a short trip to the human world that kind of tips us off to the whole background story. All in all, this was an excellent story, well told with great animation and terrific voices, and as I said, one of the very best animated films I’ve seen in a long time. In fact, it was AWESOME. Of course, when everything is awesome, that doesn’t mean a whole lot. Trust me, you love this one, so if you haven’t seen it yet, be sure to catch it now that it’s out on DVD. I have no doubt the sequel will be out soon. What a terrific movie.

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog