Jessica Chastain, Daniel Brühl, Johan Heldenbergh, Michael McElhatton
Jan (Johan Heldenbergh) and his wife Antonina Zabinski (Jessica Chastain) and their son Ryszard (Val Maloku) are a happy family running the Warsaw Zoo, a popular attraction in the capitol of Poland. But when the Nazi’s came in, the zoo was nearly destroyed by the attack and the Jewish Poles are being rounded up and sent to the Warsaw slums until the Nazi’s can figure out what to do with them. Meanwhile, since the zoo is gone, the Zabinski’s develop a plan to turn the old zoo into a pig farm to provide food for the army, but only as a cover to the real plan of storing as many Jewish refugees, especially children, in the basement of their home. This is a true story of how the Zabinski Family was able to save over 300 Jewish people from certain death in the prison camps.
This is a touching and unique holocaust story, since it is centered in Poland where much of the hate and carnage took place throughout most of the war. It is a gray and dreary look at the place, and the beautiful party in the beginning is a stark contrast to the horrible conditions at the end. The sets are spectacularly done, and the horrors of the time is always in our faces as we can feel the real fear and terror in the faces of these kids who had to struggle to be alive. Everyone did a good job here, and I felt it was very well made and told the true story very well. In the first part of the film, there is a wide variety of animals in the zoo, and when the attack came and the destruction came to the zoo, many of the wild animals got away. Every animal in the movie is real. There was no CGI used at all. The director said that the original film was 3 1/2 hours long, and since they needed to cut it down to two hours, an hour and a half had to be cut. All in all, they put together a really good story, based on the diary that has never been published, it is a touching story that will help you understand how a single person can really make a difference.
Brian Cox, Natascha McElhone, Jack Smith, Philip Jackson, Toby Stephens, Anne Reid, Kate Ashfield, Richard Strange
Georgie Gallagher (Jack Smith) is a young boy attending a private school for underprivileged children, is having a tough time. He lives with his single Mom since his father was killed in a car crash. He loves football, but though he has a lot of talent, he’s not got any training whatsoever. When he steals an elderly man’s wallet, he gets caught, but he doesn’t know it, the man is none other than the beloved retired coach of Manchester United, Sir Matt Busby (Brian Cox). Matt is carrying a heavy load of his own, and he agrees not to press charges against Georgie as long he will be allowed to coach them. They agree as they want to play in a tournament but do not have an adult coach. What Matt’s really wants to do though is to continue his life’s work of trying to teach boys to be good men. This is based on the true events that happened to Georgie Gallagher and Matt Busby.
This is a touching feel good movie based upon the true story. It’s got the usual TV special type drama, and the game comes down tied to the last seconds as the boys learn all about life. Nothing is easy for Georgie as he has a lot to deal with in his young life, but it is emotionally charged and a really feel good movie. The title comes from the line Matt teaches Georgie that if you “Believe, you can score the goal with your eyes shut.” Nice film for kids, especially those who enjoy soccer, as there aren’t enough good soccer films out there for youngsters. But it’s bound to leave a lot of adults with misty eyes too as the clock ticks down to the last second. This is a good family film. Recommended.
Nicolas Cage, Russell Brand, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Rainn Wilson, Paul Scheer
Gary Faulkner (Nicholas Cage) has led an unusual life. This is the “mostly true” version of his adventures. Gary has been around the circuit of talk shows and has a fascinating story. Gary was very frustrated that after 9/11 the United States was having a hard time capturing Osama Bin Laden. Gary has had a number of experiences where he has spoken to God (played by Russell Brand) who told him it was up to him to go and bring in Bin Laden all by himself. He complies, and makes numerous trips to go get him. This is the tale of how it happened.
Nick Cage sure gets himself in some WEIRD stories. This one, which I am sure must be greatly exaggerated (by Gary himself) from the tales included, but in the special features of the DVD, some of Gary’s appearances on TV are shown, and he’s sticking by the story. Much of it can be corroborated by the police reports and such. Gary, whether you think he’s clever as a fox, or a crazy lunatic that needs locked up, certainly is a memorable character. As to the story, you have to work with what you get, and it’s a bizarre story, but as for Nick Cage’s performance, it’s very Cage-worthy. He looks and sounds, and even talks like Gary does, and I was impressed at how he became this character. It’s certainly not his usual character, and he really came through with the characteristics of Gary. It wasn’t the greatest film, and it was probably more like a TV special than a feature film, but it was certainly an interesting tale. I actually kind of enjoyed the story, and enjoyed looking up the real Gary right after. How lucky today we are to have the likes of Bing.com and YouTube.com in our lives today. If you haven’t heard Gary’s story, let Nick tell it to you. It’s an amazing little tale.
Black Bear Pictures, Boies / Schiller Film Group, Hwy61,
Matthew McConaughey, Édgar RamÃrez , Bryce Dallas Howard, Corey Stoll, Toby Kebbell, Craig T. Nelson, Stacy Keach, Bruce Greenwood
Kenny Wells (Matthew McConaughey) is a ne’er do well prospector with the dream of hitting it rich. With the help of his friend, the locate property in Indonesia and stake out a claim which looks like a really big deal. This looks like the big break he’s been looking for. But it’s complicated as the lies, secrets, double-crosses, and more pile up as everyone is out to take advantage of everyone else in this story based on real events.
The closest thing I can think of to McConaughey’s performance in this docudrama is Michael Keaton’s performance in The Founder. There are a lot of similarities in the stories, at least as far as the performances of the two actors. This is a very different story though, and I think Matthew did a good job transferring this character to the screen. This is one of those stories that is like a snowball rolling down a hillside that keeps growing bigger and rolling faster until it is able to flatten everyone. We’re not sure right up to the very last second who is the good guy and who is the sucker. It’s got twists and turns just like “The Sting”. It’s a roller coaster ride, that’s for sure, and a decent little film. It didn’t blow me away, but it sure kept interested throughout the whole film, and it surprised me after all in the end. This is a crime story most of all, but with lots of secrets. A serious game of one-ups pulled one after another. It’s a good enough movie if you’re interested in how NOT to make a million dollars.
