Hidden Figures – 10
Hidden Figures is everything a movie should be. It takes history and illuminates it. It takes emotion and deepens it. It takes talent and expands it. Most importantly, it takes our memories and refreshes them. If you’re old enough, you remember John Glenn and the early space flight days with wonder, and this is a massive enhancement of the background. No matter how old you are, if you love movies, this will take you back to those great movie experiences that you cherished as a child.
Hidden Figures is everything a movie should be. It takes history and illuminates it. It takes emotion and deepens it. It takes talent and expands it. Most importantly, it takes our memories and refreshes them. If you’re old enough, you remember John Glenn and the early space flight days with wonder, and this is a massive enhancement of the background. No matter how old you are, if you love movies, this will take you back to those great movie experiences that you cherished as a child.
It’s been a long time since I’ve been in a more crowd pleasing
movie than this one, ending in a theater full of applause. History is full of hidden figures that we
will never know about. But thanks to
this story we get to focus on the unlikeliest trio one could imagine in the
early 1960’s – three black female mathematicians who go to work for NASA as
America appears to be losing the race to the moon.
The three actresses, Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monae are all terrific. They play the three in fully formed lives – with real problems and real families. The action here is not the kind of crazy action we see in a stunt driven, special effects movie. It’s real life action, like running for a bathroom across a parking lot, or trying to come up with a workable equation in a crucial situation. Its references to the civil rights movement are heart-breaking. This is a must-see movie that will be a classic, and it’s best experienced in a full theater. Go now.
The three actresses, Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monae are all terrific. They play the three in fully formed lives – with real problems and real families. The action here is not the kind of crazy action we see in a stunt driven, special effects movie. It’s real life action, like running for a bathroom across a parking lot, or trying to come up with a workable equation in a crucial situation. Its references to the civil rights movement are heart-breaking. This is a must-see movie that will be a classic, and it’s best experienced in a full theater. Go now.
Hell or High Water – 9
I looked back and realized I never wrote about this wonderful movie. It’s a modern day Robin Hood story set in Texas during the foreclosure crisis. Ben Cross cements his position as a great actor, and Chris Pine and Jeff Bridges are equally terrific. Wonderful Movie.
I looked back and realized I never wrote about this wonderful movie. It’s a modern day Robin Hood story set in Texas during the foreclosure crisis. Ben Cross cements his position as a great actor, and Chris Pine and Jeff Bridges are equally terrific. Wonderful Movie.
Captain Fantastic – 9
Viggo Mortenson, who always seems to be in great movies,
plays survivalist Ben Cash in this thoroughly entertaining story. He and his wife have chosen to raise their
six children in the wilds of the gorgeous Pacific Northwest. They are well educated and can survive in the
wilderness. But their mother has tragic
demons and dealing with the aftermath forces Ben and his brood back into a confrontation
with civilization that they are only partly ready for.
They travel on Ben’s old bus and their trip alternates between tragedy and comedy. They celebrate Norm Chomsky day instead of Christmas, and gifts of Bowie knives make their day. Happy, Sad, terrific.
They travel on Ben’s old bus and their trip alternates between tragedy and comedy. They celebrate Norm Chomsky day instead of Christmas, and gifts of Bowie knives make their day. Happy, Sad, terrific.
Moonlight – 6
This is the odds on favorite for a Best Picture Oscar and I’m mystified by the accolades.
Moonlight is the coming of age story of a young black child in Miami who is bullied because he is “soft.” The story is told in 3 parts, and Chiron is played wonderfully by three different actors at three different stages of his life. The story is depressing and the camera work is distracting, and the message seems to be that there is only one way out of the ghetto economy – a premise I found offensive. I was not entertained, nor enlightened. The bright spot in the movie is singer Janelle Monae who comes out of nowhere to sparkle in two movies this month.
This is the odds on favorite for a Best Picture Oscar and I’m mystified by the accolades.
Moonlight is the coming of age story of a young black child in Miami who is bullied because he is “soft.” The story is told in 3 parts, and Chiron is played wonderfully by three different actors at three different stages of his life. The story is depressing and the camera work is distracting, and the message seems to be that there is only one way out of the ghetto economy – a premise I found offensive. I was not entertained, nor enlightened. The bright spot in the movie is singer Janelle Monae who comes out of nowhere to sparkle in two movies this month.
The Girl on the Train – 1
I was a little late in seeing this 2016 release, but it races right to the bottom of my list of movies. It is a horrible mismatch of lies and deceptions, and worst of all its main objective is to deceive the viewer. It starts with voyeurism and that’s the high point of its intentions. If you want to torture yourself start with a blackboard and a piece of chalk, take a hammer to your toes, then watch this movie. It’s a horrible use of money and talent.
I never thought I would see a worse movie than Independence Day: Resurgence, but that was a harmless movie, not a hateful one. Hate drips out of this movie. Yuk
I was a little late in seeing this 2016 release, but it races right to the bottom of my list of movies. It is a horrible mismatch of lies and deceptions, and worst of all its main objective is to deceive the viewer. It starts with voyeurism and that’s the high point of its intentions. If you want to torture yourself start with a blackboard and a piece of chalk, take a hammer to your toes, then watch this movie. It’s a horrible use of money and talent.
I never thought I would see a worse movie than Independence Day: Resurgence, but that was a harmless movie, not a hateful one. Hate drips out of this movie. Yuk
Last month I "ordered" my movies.
Now I’m ready to give my Ozzies for 2016:
Best Movie: Arrival
Best Actress: Amy
Adams in Arrival
Best Actor: Casey
Affleck in Manchester by the Sea
Best Supporting Actress: Viola Davis in Fences
Best Supporting Actor: Chris Pine in Hell or High Water
Best Supporting Actress: Viola Davis in Fences
Best Supporting Actor: Chris Pine in Hell or High Water
Best Director: Damien
Chazzelle for La La Land
Here are the TV Lizzies
Best Series: Fargo
Best Actress: Emmy Rossum in Shameless
Best Actor: Bryan Cranston in All the Way
Best Series: Fargo
Best Actress: Emmy Rossum in Shameless
Best Actor: Bryan Cranston in All the Way
Best Supporting Actress: Maggie Siff in Billions
Best Supporting Actor: Jesse Plemons in Fargo
So, here’s my revised top ten of 2016 Movies:
Arrival – 10
Hidden Figures - 10
La La Land – 10
Hell or High Water - 9
Manchester by the Sea - 9
Star Trek Beyond – 9
Deepwater Horizon - 9
Midnight Special – 9
Captain Fantastic - 9
Deadpool – 8
No comments:
Post a Comment