Lincoln

Lincoln

                The plot of this film revolves around President Abraham Lincoln during the specific time near the end of the civil war.  We experience the stress and personal hardships or one of our country’s biggest historical figures as he fights to pass the 13^th amendment.   Personal, political and moral objections rise to hinder the constitutional amendment to free America’s slaves and Lincoln must personally address and conquer each.

                President Lincoln in portrayed by the incomparable Daniel Day-Lewis, and he is likely to gain another Oscar nomination this year.  His voice, demeanor and carriage match that of Lincoln with the subtlety and artistry we have come to expect from the two-time Oscar winner.  We also see Sally Field as Lincoln’s wife, Mary, David Straithairn as his Secretary of State, William Seward, and Tommy Lee Jones as the Senator Thaddeus Stevens.  The cast of supporting characters will reveal dozens of familiar faces as well.

                Because the film is directed by Steven Spielberg, it is spectacularly well made and emotionally powerful.  Also the viewer can be assured that it is very historically accurate.  Many of the dialogs in this film are real documented quotes from the characters that speak them.  If you are a fan of biopics, period/historical drama, Lincoln the man, or Performance-driven films then this is the movie for you.  Spielberg will likely pull lots more Oscar noms this year with Lincoln and if you like to watch the awards, this film will get you well on your way to having a vested interest in the outcomes.

                Personally, while I enjoyed this movie, and thought it was incredibly well-made, I am not super excited by it.  This film possesses the characteristic flawlessness of a Spielberg film and will likely reveal a lot of longevity.  I can see kids in high school watching this when they learn about Lincoln, the 13tha amendment or the civil war.  However, this film does not bring anything new to the world of film as art and does not challenge the viewer as much as I prefer.  That being said, this is a well-made entertaining film and I do recommend it.  If you are interested in it for Oscar season, you will likely have to see it in the theater since it is not likely to be out on DVD in time, if not then it would be just as enjoyable sitting on your couch as a noisy theater, so I would suggest waiting for RedBox.

Skyfall

Here we have the latest installment of the James Bond franchise.  Not really too many surprises, M gives Bond an impossible mission and without a second thought, he’s off to save England from yet another insane evil genius.  Daniel Craig returns as Bond and Judi Dench is again M, this film also features Ralf Feinnes, Javier Bardem and Albert Finney.  The addition of Ben Winshaw as Q was a pleasant surprise, taking the character into the boy-genius character instead of snarky-labcoat-guy. 

The Good

            I really liked the way this film took a lot of the favorite retro element of the series and highlighted them while at the same time updating and modernizing the logistical elements.  This way there are plenty of things for the diehard Bond fan as well as a first time Bond watcher.  The Action is next to non-stop and even though I am not one for chase scenes, there are some very innovative chases in this movie.  The thing I liked the most is that this film takes James Bond as a character and really looks at who he is, and where he came from and where he might be going.  What happens when 007 starts to get old?  What makes him so different from the other agents in MI6?  I like that the film makers tried exploring some of these ideas and I think that kind of writing is what is going to keep the franchise alive in the future.

The Bad

            I am not going to sugar coat it.  The Bond girl was awful.  Bérénice Lim Marlohe as the femme fatale looked the part for sure but she overacted it terribly and I found it distracting because everyone else was wonderful.  She was in 4 scenes and only served as a devise to get from A to B in the story.  She seemed like an afterthought to the writing as if they suddenly thought, “Oh yeah! There is supposed to be a hot lady!” and shoe-horned her into the plot.

The Oscar-Worthy

OK, we need to talk a little about Javier Bardem.  Bardem fist chilled the spines of American audiences when he played the sociopathic villain in 2007s No Country for Old Men.  If possible, his portrayal of this Bond villain is more disturbing and eeks close to Heath Ledger’s Joker.  I am sucker for a good villain and this does not disappoint.  The character is well written and Bardem steals every scene he is in.

I would definitely recommend this for all you action lovers and Bond fans out there.  Seeing it on the big screen was worth it, but not necessary, so if you want to wait for Red Box, go ahead!

Thanks for reading

Enjoy!

Cloud Atlas

                It is difficult to say exactly what this movie is about.  The general premise is based on six separate storylines that span the globe and 472 years of time.  The first taking place in the South Pacific in 1849, and the last taking place in a post-apocalyptic reality in the Hawaiian Islands in the year 2321.  Although all of these storylines are seemingly unrelated, the actors recur as very different characters in each story, sometimes playing a large part, sometimes a small one; sometimes a hero, sometimes a villain; sometimes a man, sometimes a woman.  The stories all become related to each other by the end and a theme of love and integrity is a cord that runs through the entire film.

                 Cloud Atlas stars Tom Hanks, Halle Berry and Jim Broadbent.  You might also recognize Hugo Weaving, Hugh Grant and Jim Sturgess among others.  Three of the storylines are directed by The Wachowskis, best known for The Matrix trilogy, and the other three are directed by Tom Tykwer, a German director best known for Run, Lola, Run.  Both of their distinct directing styles are rich and distinct, making for a beautiful and visually impressive film.

                I happened to really love this movie.  There is a little something for everyone here.  Each of the stories does have a romantic element to it, though only one makes it the focus of the story.  There is lots of action and some of the stories are very funny.  It is really interesting to see Tom hanks play a hero and a villain in the same movie and Halle Berry is a male character in one story.  The Visuals are breathtaking and the music is stunning without taking focus from the scene. 

                There are three drawbacks to my recommending this to everyone:

1)      This film is not for children.  It is rated R for quite a bit of swearing and a little nudity.

2)      This movie is long.  I was not aware until I got out of the theatre, but it is nearly 3 hours, so if you don’t like to sit for long periods or can’t focus for that long, this might not be the movie for you.

3)      It can be confusing if you are not paying strict attention.  The stories don’t go in order and the film jumps back and forth among them.  If you are more of a linear story fan, this might not be the movie for you.

Over all this is a wonderful movie that is well-made as well as being highly entertaining.  It might not be for everyone, but please give it a chance even if you are not sure what it might be about, it is definitely worth it! 

Entertainment:   8

Award-Worthy:  8     One of the few that does both well!