Keep Your Head, Kingsgate Films, Worldview Entertainment,

Marion Cotillard, Joaquin Phoenix, Jeremy Renner

Ewa Cybulska (Marion Cotillard) and her sister Magda arrive at Ellis Island in New York Harbor from Poland in 1921. Magda is immediately put in the hospital on the south end of the island in quarantine for 6 months due to lung problems. She will either be deported or released at the end of that period, but Ewa is not so lucky. Her Aunt and Uncle who are sponsoring her (since she has no money) did not show to pick her up, and Immigrations has determined that the address they provided was not a real address. So she is to be sent back home immediately. She runs into Bruno Weiss (Joaquin Phoenix) who is immediately smitten by her beauty and he pays off the Immigrations officials to allow her to be released into his custody. She is immediately put to work in the burlesque theater and forced into prostitution to earn the “money” needed to free her sister. But a love triangle with Emil (Jeremy Renner) knows as Orlando the Magician may be leading to tragedy for everyone.

This is a very dark period piece that was very surprisingly good. It is a very well told story, but very, very dark. The tragedy of arriving on hopes and dreams and nothing else, only to have your hopes dashed and to be hit with utter desperation. Marion Cotillard is excellent, as usual, in playing the very beautiful, intelligent, and capable young woman in a situation spinning out of her control. Joaquin Phoenix is an unusual character in real life, and is a very fitting choice for this Fagin type role from Oliver Twist of a good-hearted, but ruthless pimp taking advantage of the girls in his employ, and Jeremy Renner was also an excellent cast as faker magician for the poor folks Orlando who’s tricks are pretty good, and his intentions are pretty good, but he’s a mischievous fellow, that’s for sure. Basically this one of the best cast movies I have seen in a long while. It received a lot of notice at Cannes, but got only a limited release in the theaters. It did very well, though it was not on many screens, and it got amazing numbers considering the limited release, and I can see why. You don’t expect to come out from watching this film feeling good, that’s for sure, as it’s sad and depressing, but it’s such a well told and well developed story that it’s very entertaining and it will make you think about the lives and hardships people who arrived on a ship looking for a better life had to go through. How challenging in must have been for so many people. This was a very good film, and now it was just put up for streaming on NetFlix for April 2015, so it’s will be easy to find. It’s well worth checking out.

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog

 

 

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Les Productions du Trésor, Worldview Entertainment, Caneo Films,

Clive Owen, Billy Crudup, Marion Cotillard, Mila Kunis, Zoe Saldana, Matthias Schoenaerts, James Caan

In 1974 Chris (Clive Owen) has just been released from prison and standing outside the gate waiting for him is his brother Frank (Billy Crudup). Chris has a long history of getting into trouble, and Frank on the other hand is a cop, on his way to making a name for himself in the force. Their Dad Leon (James Caan) seems to like Chris better, despite his history of getting into trouble. These are not young kids. Chris is 50 years old and still looking for trouble. But when it comes down to it, will blood be thicker than water, as Frank has to decide whether despite his promise to show Chris no favors, will he turn him in or protect him in this crime drama.

This movie is really the story of the Prodigal Son from the Bible. Frank’s issues with being the good son and not being appreciated for it, and the Dad’s doting over his troubled son makes Frank feel neglected. He cares for his brother, but he has a strong desire to do the right thing. This is a little known movie. I hadn’t hear of it until it came out on DVD this week, but I was pleased with it. Truthfully, these crime dramas, cop stories about a family being torn apart by problems doesn’t usually appeal to me. There have been so many stories like this, but I found this one to be refreshing. It’s a somewhat new slant on the subject, and the family dynamic is much more important in this story than the rest of the facts. There are some really good stars in this one, and it is interesting to see the effects of crime, especially organized crime, and the effects on 1970’s Brooklyn. This is a story of the streets, and it’s gritty and dirty as it should be. But there’s a look at this family and how choices of on person or another can have a major impact on the whole family. I thought that was a pretty decent crime story, and I can recommend it, mildly, for those who like these kinds of stories. It wasn’t a fantastic film, or a must see, by any means, but it’s decently done, well acted, and fresh enough to enjoy.

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog

 

 

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Gravier Productions, Mediapro, Televiso de Catalunya (TV3),

Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Marion Cotillard, Michael Sheen, Adrien Brody, Kathy Bates, Carla Bruni, Gad elmaleh, Kurt Fuller

Director Woody Allen turns the lens on Paris as a young engaged couple, Gil (Owen Wilson) and Inez (Rachel McAdams) are there on business. But Inez seem to pulling away from Gil, or is it mutual? Gil loves Paris and wants to return there after their marriage. Inez seems to favor her ex-boyfriend, a know-it-all pompous fake intellectual who Gil cannot stand. While walking in the streets of Paris at night, a little drunk, at midnight, a cab pulls up beside Gil and asks him to get in. When he does, something magical happens that changes him forever.

This, like many Woody Allen films, is either loved or hated. I must admit I am not a big fan of Woody Allen films. They are often bizarre and very difficult to figure out. This one is definitely quirky. But though I never got such huge hits as “Annie Hall” which simply leaves me flat, I really enjoyed this film. I’m not sure why, really, but it’s a really interesting concept. I am purposely trying to say as little as possible about the magic that happens in this film, as I don’t want to give away too much, because if you manage to stumble on this film without knowing the twist, you’ll enjoy it a lot more. But the basis of this film, as in most Allen films, is a bad relationship. These two people should never have been together as they have no interests in common. But they both end up seeking out that which makes them happy and finding out what that is keeps us interested in them.

Owen Wilson was very good in this film. He’s a quirky actor to begin with, and plays a certain type of lovable oaf very well (such as in Meet the Parents, Drillbit Taylor, or You, Me, and Dupree, where he’s really great, but in this film he plays a much more serious (although somewhat ridiculous) role, and this is perhaps one of his best performances. This is a very thought provoking film, that is lots of fun, and is one of Woody Allen’s best, in my opinion. I really enjoyed the strangeness of this story, and I wish I could find my own taxi at midnight to take me to the place I’d like to go. I really enjoyed this movie, and recommend it. I nearly passed on it, and I’m glad I gave it a chance.

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog

 

 

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Warner Bros. Pictures, Participant Media, Imagenation Abu Dhabi FZ

Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet, Marion Cotillard, Jude Law, Laurence Fishburne, Bryan Cranston, Jennifer Ehle, Sanaa Lathan

Beth Emhoff (Gwyneth Paltrow) is an executive on a business trip to Hong Kong. Coming home, she feels a bit under the weather, but within a day she is dead along with her young son who also caught the bug and died. Meanwhile, people from all around the world are getting sick, and it appears to be an epidemic. The World Health Organization and the Center for Disease Control have their top people on it, trying to figure out what it is and where it started, but it looks like a pandemic is inevitable which could wipe out a quarter of the planet.

This exciting thrill ride of a movie has some great stars in it. From Paltrow, to Laurence Fishburn, to Matt Damon, to Kate Winslett. Even the rest of the cast it pretty good. It’s fast paced and they give us the medical jargon in a way not to lose the layman. We get to learn a lot about how it works, and how quickly the Homeland Security guys can figure it must be a terrorist attack. Very suspenseful, this deals with the aftermath of such a panic, from fires and quarantines, to looting and rioting. Part science and medicine, and part action and adventure, it’s a wild ride from start to finish.

I saw this film on IMAX and it was nice to see it bright and clear with a wonderful sound system on a huge screen. IMAX was not wasted on this film, although it’s certainly not critical to enjoying it. This will be just as good on DVD later, as it’s a good strong story. Yes, it’s been done before, but it’s a fresh approach to telling the story, with a little surprise at the end, just before the credits to make it worth waiting for. It was lots of bang for the buck, and not a bad, “end of the summer” film. It’s good it didn’t have to compete with the huge blockbusters this summer, because it would have been lost. But now, with not so very much to choose from, it’s a good escape from the real world. Or could this be our future after all? Time will tell.

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog

 

 

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